#And you might be surprised to learn about the non-book items available in your local library

[hellhoundmaggie]

Fun fact: that used to be the main kind of library in the 18th and 19th centuries! They ran on subscription fees — kind of like Netflix, but for books.

And while I’m being pedantic, you do have to pay for library services — with your taxes. But what a bargain!

“Little Free Library”

as opposed to other libraries where you have to pay to check out a book

[yue-muffin]

Time Raiders (2016)

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

In my quest to consume the entirety of the DMBJ franchise available in English, I have decided to start with the non-canon movie because at least this one has an ending, unlike the train wreck that is Reboot/Chongqi’s pacing. I will probably be bitter about that for all eternity, but I digress. I heard good things about the movie from the bird app, and as I am a Pingxie shipper at heart, I decided to finally watch this one.

P A R T O N E

The cut-in animation to the title was gorgeous, I do so love the qilin in every adaptation. It’s particularly striking here with the gold outline and geometric, maze-like lines. It looks like the cards at the very beginning were being arranged in the image of this qilin.

My first reaction upon seeing white people in a dmbj adaptation is: oh no, the English, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear perfect English that matches the actor’s lips! What a miracle, haha. I remember The Lost Tomb 2 being the worst for how many lines had to be in English, sob.

These look so cool. I see we start off with a good old “seeking immortality” antagonist, and an obsessed collector who has dedicated his whole life to this apparently. As usual, he is a scumbag threatening the locals.

The old guy’s accented English is also better than TLT2, ha. The breathy/nasal quality is not at all uncommon. I don’t know what language the locals speak though.

Me, immediately: Zhang Qiling already??

I know he appears in rather early in TLT1, TLT2, and Reboot/Chongqi, but he’s so often mysteriously absent or stuck behind a gate (or in Reboot’s case, put on a bus) that I got excited, ok.

My favorite Zhang Qilings are the cold-looking pretty boy types in terms of my mental image of the character, but this one is also very easy on the eyes and as usual, unfazed in the face of danger coming at him with a knife. This is the only series in which I’m not bothered by the constant cast change between adaptations (unlike Ever Night), I suppose since it’s been this way from the start.

I’m interested in seeing how the backstories differ from canon. It’s actually rather interesting that this is pretty much an official AU, like that’s kind of wild as a concept. I’m used to the late 1990s/early 2000s anime adding new characters and changing plot points and endings everywhere, but Time Raiders takes it a step further.

Zhang Qiling being an ultra-competent badass who doesn’t even need a weapon to take the bad guys down never changes, no matter the universe. He steamrolls everyone, no questions asked.

Did he- he break the blade with his bare hands hahaha. Oh, yup, and a Zhang Qiling with a weapon is even more dangerous. I see those severed fingers. Such a good fight scene and we’re not even 5 minutes into the movie.

I love how he could have simply fired the arrow while he was still on the statue, then jumped down, but he had to be Extra and fire while he was jumping off haha.

It- the divine piece was right there?? By “beneath the statue” I would have thought it would at least be under it, not in a convenient little slot on the side of the altar area haha. So Zhang Qiling’s mission is to destroy the divine piece(s)? To, um, save the world apparently.

WHO ARE YOU? What an excellent question to ask a Zhang Qiling (and that staring into the mirror shot, too.)… I wonder if this one even knows - it’s possible he doesn’t have his signature amnesia here.

Wait- a gate? I think it’s in a cave or something in the novels, but gates have significance in DMBJ. The cinematography is really nice in these mountain shots. I know nothing about film, but I like the shots in the snowy mountains.

This Zhang Qiling knows and practices martial arts on screen! You would think he’d pull some moves normally, but in the drama-adaptations he tends to just beat people up as efficiently as possible. Sometimes with his sword. Other times he just fights ‘em. I have to admit Jing Boran looks excellent going through some forms. He nailed the force and power underlying every movement, then exploding outward with a strike. I do like the impression it leaves.

I, on the other hand, am an absolute noodle and look ridiculous when I do martial arts.

What in the world is happening in this flashback scene with the weird CGI qilin. Ah, it’s when he received his tattoo. That was super dramatic.

Wushanju is looking real edgy with the heavy iron gate on the interior, haha.

He is puzzling (ha!) over those cards so intensely you’d think it was a thousand piece puzzle instead haha. You’re almost there! Just a few more to finish the qilin!

Aw, is this our Wu Xie? Haha his facial hair is- hm. But I love his voice it’s so soft. Really fits that “Mr. Naive” vibe.

Is that. Is that the author of the series. I found out that he makes cameos in almost all (if not all of) the adaptations!

NO. ONLY I CAN FINISH THE PUZZLE. HANDS OFF BUDDY.

Why are there so many pigeons in here. Who let them inside.

A writer, who came to hear his story and turn it into a novel- HA yup it’s the author.

“This should be a story about me and him.”

Ahh I’m loving it already. DMBJ is the ultimate bromance story. Fair warning, I do ship Pingxie so my shipper goggles will be on throughout the movie. But even without shipping, you do have to admit the series is a bromance underneath all the mystery – between the Iron Triangle, between Wu Xie and Xiaoge.

This Wu Xie is a photographer and that is sort of adorable. Already there’s a theme emerging of needing to record events and telling stories. Interesting that he wants to turn his memories into a novel to record his experiences, because otherwise he’s afraid those memories might turn into a mere story in his own head. Wu Xie, that’s a worrying mindset.

Those ancient mask things always make me crack up, I don’t know why.

Ooh, background about Wu Xie’s birth into the Wu family. I’ve never read up to the part in the books where they go into his place in the family in detail. To be fair, his grandfather had three sons and only one of them had any kids – and Wu Xie is his parents’ only child. So, he becomes the only one who can really carry on the family legacy. Aw, I really like seeing his extended family present though! In the dramas we only ever get either his Second or Third Uncle, and he rarely ever mentions his parents even though they’re alive.

And there’s his namesake! The origin of his nickname, and the irony once the story gets into the Sha Hai timeline.

Wu Xie was a bit of a rascal as a kid, haha. To be fair he has a pretty sharp tongue in the novels and is mostly a pure cinnamon roll in the early dramas.

Little Wu Xie in a suit is so adorable. Nooo kid don’t go into locked up abandoned places. He’s already so adventurous haha. Seems that it’s not actually abandoned judging by all the lights on, but.

UH. MASKED MAN BEHIND YOU. I think he wants that item back. This is why you don’t go into abandoned places, kid. He definitely does not learn his lesson though. Also why are you still holding onto that thing, just drop it, I think he wants it back.

Haha he kept one of the coins.

WOAH. Every month someone in your family dies?? That’s uh- sort of traumatic. Also that would be a really good first line for a novel…Just saying. I do love the singing though.

Oh, the Nine Families exist in this universe too! They even give a quick explanation about the ranking system.

Oh yeah, I love how Wu Xie is such a nerd for all this knowledge of ancient texts and tombs. And YES HE FINALLY DOCUMENTS STUFF FOR ONCE.

Uncle Three looked dead for a moment there, scared the shit out of me too.

VAMPIRE MOTHS? Oh I hate bugs I would not be okay lol. WHOOPS. You guys are really good at reading ancient texts on the fly lol.

That’s the mask he has in the beginning of the film, isn’t it. NO DON’T TOUCH THINGS IN TOMBS. AHHH. So you just put it on your face?? Well that was a stupidly simple way to open the door. I’m guessing the creator didn’t care if anyone opened it.

This guy just severed his own arm, ok…and how many years later is his hand still clinging to it? UH. THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T TOUCH THINGS IN TOMBS. Then he proceeds to steal the box thing.

Ah the white dude again. I am so happy there is GOOD ENGLISH though haha.

Oh, hi Zhang Qiling. Just hanging out on a rooftop I see.

He looks so melancholy. Someone give him a hug! This adaptation makes him more human, less stoic robotic superhuman, I noticed. You rarely see him eat or drink anything in the other adaptations, but here he’s just chilling on a rooftop having some drinks haha. It’s ok. I love all the Zhang Qilings.

WHAT THE HELL, LIGHTNING? What the hell is this high tech machinery haha. Eight days? Coincidentally eight days after sitting in a tomb for how many years.

That is a very Extra bookcase to hold a book that apparently has ALL the secrets.

WOW that is a fancy notebook. It looks so beat up in the other versions haha. In this one, it even gets its own hidden shelf in a giant portable bookshelf!

The props for this franchise are so cool and detailed. I always wish they would show more of the creative process in the BTS, I’m such a nerd for that stuff. The Longest Day in Chang’an was pretty good at that, which is half of my enjoyment of that show haha!

I’m also still pleasantly surprised they bothered to incorporate other languages. I’m not sure what the Snake Lady and the old man in the beginning were speaking, but at least the English is good.

I can’t believe they worked in a steampunk chastity belt this movie went all out, huh. Also with these weirdly high tech structures and lightning and moving tomb structures.

And all the pieces start coming together! So that’s why it’s believed they hold the secret to immortality. What a steampunk-looking key.

Is that a writing desk??

Oh, they’re getting a team together to go tomb raiding! Ha, forget money! You may or may not end up dying on this adventure, so who cares about money, right.

He’s so cute standing there with his camera. Look at the little smile as he watches everything going on!

It’s a desk and a storage container?? Oh, there are ~qualifications~ to going on tomb raiding. Makes sense. That is the oddest looking sword.

Must appreciate Zhang Qiling’s fingers in every adaptation. They look very strong and steady here. Let’s not talk about the slooow trailing across the handle.

Wow did you really just throw sand in his face. Have we not learned not to mess with Zhang Qiling after he trounced that first guy who attacked him. I love the fight scenes so much after the bore-fest that was Reboot/Chongqi’s second half of Season 1.

Super pretty, but why did it cause him to stop and stare in the middle of the fight?

This is like a Final Fantasy sword haha. Also I think you should stop while you’re ahead, why did you think a table would stop this dude. (Hey, it’s Da Kui! He was in the novel but not TLT1.).

It’s HERE. Their first meeting. How did he know the coin was on that cord? It wasn’t visible, I don’t think. But uh. That was a hilarious move on his part, he is so Extra?? He just casually flicks the necklace off with his big-ass sword and it drops into his hand. Then casually goes “oh, here, you dropped this” as if he wasn’t the one responsible for it coming off in the first place!!

HERE IT COMES. The unnecessarily long eye contact. Pingxie in every adaptation needs a Staring Into Your Eyes scene.

Real smooth.

Ahh this Wu Xie is such a cutie. He’s like a puppy.

WHAT. Third Uncle, I can’t believe you let him tag along so easily haha. In the beginning he was scolding Wu Xie to never get involved in tomb business, then what happens? They’re going tomb raiding!!

Next Up: to the tomb we go! This can’t end badly or anything what are you talking about.

[dduane]

DD’s schedule for Dublin 2019

Dublin 2019 -- the 77th World Science Fiction Convention, in (guess where) Dublin, Ireland -- starts next week. And this morning, while going over my to-do list (which normally looks a bit like the Sahara and this week looks like a map of the Eastern Front), it occurred to me that I hadn’t posted my schedule here, for those Tumblr users who might be planning to be there.

So here it is.

Please note that what you see here are only those public events where I'm either part of the program item proper, or expected to be in attendance. I may be present at other programming events (I mean, wow, I really hope so...), but I'm not going to try listing those here because I honestly have no idea what's going to happen on the day. As some strategist or other would probably have said, "No con attendee's informal schedule long survives contact with reality..."

And one other issue in passing: I'm delighted to sign things for people outside of autograph sessions or whatever, but please don't approach me right before a panel or other obligation: save it for afterwards, outside the room. And also: Even after a panel or whatever, please check my schedule to make sure that I don't have to be on another program item in ten minutes... because if this is the case, I'm going to have to blow you off (in as kindly a way as possible) and concentrate on getting myself to wherever I'm expected next. Thanks in advance for understanding!

Schedule starts under the break...

THURSDAY 8/15:

12:30 - 13:20: How To Build An Evil Empire, Point Square / Odeon 1

Format: Panel

15 Aug 2019, Thursday 12:30 - 13:20, Odeon 1 (Point Square Dublin)

So you want to build an Evil Empire? Using examples from film and literature, our panel of evil geniuses will help you avoid the pitfalls of previous empires with handy hints and tips, such as: don’t build an exhaust port that can set off a chain reaction leading to the reactor, which will destroy your brand new Death Star.

Diane Duane, Verity Allan (University of Cambridge), Lee Harris (Tor.com Publishing) (M), Steve Jackson, Rebecca Roanhorse

15:00 - 17:50: Writers’ Workshop, CCD / Wicklow Room 5

Please note that this event is not open to non-registered workshop members.

20:00 - 21:50: Opening Ceremonies & 1944 Retro Hugos, CCD / Auditorium

Format: Event

15 Aug 2019, Thursday 20:00 - 21:50, Auditorium (CCD)

Join us on Thursday evening for the official opening of the convention! Hosted by Ellen Klages and Dave Rudden, this evening of surprises will introduce you to our Guests of Honour, present the Big Heart and First Fandom Awards, and pay tribute to science fiction’s illustrious past with the 1944 Retro Hugo Awards. Plus a preview of the many exciting performances that await you over the weekend!

Ellen Klages, Dave Rudden

FRIDAY 8/16:

10:00 - 10:50: Storytelling Workshop: Spencer Hotel / Columba 2

Format: Workshop

16 Aug 2019, Friday 10:00 - 10:50, Columba 2 (Spencer Hotel)

Once upon a time some stories were told; now you can tell them your own way. Join us and Guest of Honor Diane Duane to rewrite some familiar fairy tales with a new twist.

Sal Roche, Diane Duane

14:00 - 14:50: Working As A Writer In Ireland: CCD / Wicklow Hall 2B

Format: Panel

16 Aug 2019, Friday 14:00 - 14:50, Wicklow Hall 2B (CCD)

There is a rich and prolific community of writers who are living and writing in Ireland. In a country that is so friendly to creators, what are some of the benefits available to writers and any obstacles to know about? What resources are available and where does the writing community gather, learn, create, and publish their work locally?

Ian McDonald, Diane Duane, Gareth Hanrahan (M), Jo Zebedee

16:00 - 16:50: Expanding The Storyverse With Tie-In Novels: CCD / Wicklow Hall 2B

Format: Panel

16 Aug 2019, Friday 16:00 - 16:50, Wicklow Hall 2B (CCD)

Media tie-in novels have long been a staple of the wider genre, as eager readers consume books within the Star Wars, Buffy, and superhero universes, and more! Why are these media franchise books so popular? What does it take to write one? Are they just regurgitations of video content, or something more? What should authors looking to write a tie-in novel and readers looking to read one know about this sub-genre?

Diane Duane, Martha Wells (M), Pat Cadigan, D.B. Jackson

SATURDAY 8/17:

10:00 - 10:50: Space Opera Is For Robots, Soap Opera Is For People: CCD / Liffey Hall 2

Format: Panel

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 10:00 - 10:50, Liffey Hall-2 (CCD)

Will humans ever live long-term in space, or is it easier to let our ‘mind children’ go to the stars, whether as uploaded minds or independent intelligences? If humans (or AI) leave for space, would we miss them?

Lauren James (Walker Books) (M) , Diane Duane, Karl Schroeder (Tor Books), Laurence Raphael Brothers

14:00 - 14:50: Meet the GoHs, Ginjer Buchanan and Diane Duane: CCD / Liffey A (Fan Bar)

Format: Reception

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 14:00 - 14:50, Liffey-A (Fan Bar) (CCD)

Join us for an informal gathering with Dublin 2019 Guests of Honour Ginjer Buchanan and Diane Duane. Their featured programme sessions are this afternoon, and this social interval in between gives you a chance to chat with them about about their careers and contributions.

Ginjer Buchanan (Penguin Random House), Diane Duane

15:00 - 15:50: GoH Fireside Chat with John Scalzi: CCD / Liffey Hall 2

Format: Interview

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 15:00 - 15:50, Liffey Hall-2 (CCD)

John Scalzi sits down to talk with Diane Duane about the ups and downs of a life given over to SFF and genre TV and film. Other topics: crossing the streams of fandom and prodom, the cohabitation of art and married life, the intersection of writing and quirky food habits, and possibly the dead rising from the grave, human sacrifice, and dogs and cats living together… Actually, maybe the cats more than the dogs. In fact, a whole lot more.

Diane Duane, John Scalzi

16:00 - 17:00: Autographs, GoHs Ian Donaldson and Diane Duane: CCD / Level 4 Foyer

Format: Autographing

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 16:00 - 17:00, Level 4 Foyer (CCD)

Diane Duane, Ian McDonald

18:00 - 18:50: Reading, GoH Diane Duane: CCD / Liffey Hall 2

Format: Reading

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 18:00 - 18:50, Liffey Hall-2 (CCD)

Diane Duane

20:00 - 20:50: Literary Beer, GoH Diane Duane: CCD / Liffey A (Fan Bar)

Format: Literary Beer

17 Aug 2019, Saturday 20:00 - 20:50, Liffey-A (Fan Bar) (CCD)

Diane Duane

SUNDAY 8/18:

11:00 - 12:30: GoHs And The Books That Influenced Them: CCD / Second Stage (Liffey B)

Format: Panel

18 Aug 2019, Sunday 11:00 - 12:30, Second Stage (Liffey-B) (CCD)

Join many of our Guests of Honour for a discussion about the books that have most influenced them.

Marianna "Kisu" Leikomaa (M), Bill Burns, Mary Burns, Diane Duane, Steve Jackson, Ginjer Buchanan (Penguin Random House), Ian McDonald

13:00 - 13:50: Wands At The Ready: Magical Worldbuilding in SFF: CCD / Wicklow Hall 1

Format: Panel

18 Aug 2019, Sunday 13:00 - 13:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)

When worldbuilding with magic, is it enough to add magic to our existing social structures, or does some magic alter the way the world works. There are soft magic systems with few rules and hard magic systems with lots of rules, does this affect the ways magic shapes the narrative? Arthur C Clarke said: "Magic is just science we don't understand yet." At what point does magic become science?

Christopher Husberg (M), Zen Cho, Diane Duane, Justin Call

15:00 - 15:50: Independent Authors and Book Covers: CCD / Liffey Hall 2

Format: Talk

18 Aug 2019, Sunday 15:00 - 15:50, Liffey Hall-2 (CCD)

Standing out in the crowd is always a challenge even for conventionally-published novels in a busy marketplace. It's even more of a challenge for an independent author attempting to present competitively and professionally in a field where readers decide to purchase your book (or not) based on a scrap of imagery usually no bigger than a postage stamp. Diane Duane discusses the challenges of adapting novel-cover design to leverage current trends, including examples of hardware / software pairings that have proven useful in creating new, fresh-looking covers on the fly.

Diane Duane, Peter Morwood

20:00 - 22:00: Hugo Awards: CCD / Auditorium

MONDAY 8/19:

11:00 - 11:50: Creative Couples: CCD / Wicklow Hall 1

Format: Panel

19 Aug 2019, Monday 11:00 - 11:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)

C. L. Moore and Henry Kuttner; Kate Wilhelm and Damon Knight; Kelly Link and Gavin Grant. The histories of science fiction and fantasy are studded with examples of couples who are notable as partnerships as well as individuals. But what is it really like to combine art, work, and life? When, why, and how does a project become a collaboration? In this panel, two creative couples will discuss their experiences.

Heide Goody (Pigeon Park Press) (M), Diane Duane, Ellen Kushner , Peter Morwood, Delia Sherman

13:00 - 13:50: Diane Duane: Tales From The Duck Factory: CCD / Wicklow Hall 1

Format: Talk

19 Aug 2019, Monday 13:00 - 13:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)

Diane Duane on writing for television animation and the differences in both creating scripts and the demands of the medium compared to live action. Diane lets you in on what she got away with and the shenanigans of her cohorts.

Diane Duane, Mr Keith Byrne (Tantalus ) (M)

15:00 - 16:15: Volunteers Meet The GoHs: CCD / Level 5 Foyer (Green Room)

Format: Reception

19 Aug 2019, Monday 15:00 - 16:15, Level 5 Foyer (Green Room) (CCD)

As the convention winds down, our hard-working volunteers will have the opportunity to meet and chat with Dublin 2019's Guests of Honour and Featured Artists. You can join them too! All you need to do is to visit Volunteers and offer your services. Volunteering is a great way to meet people (not just the Guests of Honour!), and there is a wide variety of ways to help. If you're reading this online, send mail to volunteers@dublin2019.com for more information.

16:30 - 17:20: Closing Ceremonies: CCD / Auditorium

Format: Event

19 Aug 2019, Monday 16:30 - 17:20, Auditorium (CCD)

All good things must come to an end – and for Dublin 2019, an Irish Worldcon, that ending will come on Monday at 16:30. We will take a look back at the weekend that was, say farewell to our Guests of Honour, and get a sneak preview of what awaits us at the 2020 Worldcon, CoNZealand.

Mr Eoin Colfer (M)

[emmaswanchoosesyou]

Rules & Regulations (1/4)

I’m thrilled to present my contribution to the @cssns project! This got both longer and sillier than originally intended, and I hope you all enjoy it. 

Beta’d by the glorious @wingedlioness and with lovely artwork (including the banner!) done by @eastwesthomeisbest.

Rated T, for violence, language, and annoying bureaucracy. Also on AO3. ~3000 words.

He was a vamp, she was a witch; can I make it any more obvious?

&&&

He wasn’t a heathen.

Well, okay, he was, but that was just part and parcel of being a vampire.

At least vampires weren’t the soulless, lurking-in-the-night creatures of popular imagination. No, they had their souls. (Unless they’d sold it to the Devil, a demon, or witch, but any Tom, Dick, or Harry might do that.)

Killian was in possession of his soul, but he might well have lost his mind.

Emma Swan was driving him well and truly crazy.

He was just doing his best, doing what was required of him to fill the void on the Supernatural and Paranormal Beings and Creatures Council (S.P.B.C.C. for short, though it was still a mouthful) since he had killed Rumplestiltskin.

He was following the rules in a way he hadn’t since 1789, and it…chafed. If you were responsible for the death of a S.P.B.C.C. member, you had to make sure their people—or creatures, whatever--were still represented. As Rumplestiltskin was some unknown kind of imp who seemed unique in his essence in this world, there was no one left to represent, but his seat needed to be filled. Some had argued that Killian’s presence on the Council was just giving the vampires more than their share of voices, but that was rubbish.

For starters, Killian couldn’t stand the lot of them. They were old sticks in the mud, mostly traditionalists who went around wearing capes and talking about bloodlines. The others were Reform Vampires—poncy idiots who went on about better unliving through various serums and who were always on social media trying to manage perception of vampires in the non-magical world.

And for his part, Killian was content to reside somewhere between the two. He was here for some good, old-fashioned vengeance and violence, but one had to be practical as well. It was easier to come by coconut water than find someone’s blood to drink, even with the requisite sodium supplements he had to take. After all, leaving a swath of dead people tended to garner the wrong kind of attention.

And that was the other thing—he wanted to be left in peace to live his unlife, drinking his coconut water and from the occasional willing volunteer (gods, but he’d put on a few pounds during the Twilight craze).

He hadn’t wanted a position on the S.P.B.C.C., hadn’t wanted anything to do with it. But then Swan had descended from the sky like the terrifying bird of her namesake (he was disappointed to learn about the missed opportunity for a pun in her name, as she was in fact not a shapeshifter) and harangued him about “murdering” Rumplestiltskin and having to pay his dues.

Which meant sitting on that bloody council.

Okay, fine, he was a bit at loose ends these days. Having fulfilled his centuries-old grudge and finally offed His Glitteriness Rumplestiltskin might have left something of a void. And sure, sometimes he saw eternity stretching out before him like an unending circle of emptiness, but it was fine.

A voice cut through his musings and he jolted to attention. “Jones? Councilmember Jones? Killian Jones? Captain Hook? Do you have any fucking input for once, or are you too busy thinking about bloodbaths to pay attention to us today?” Emma Swan sounded cranky and irritable and a little like she was considering coming over and introducing a motion to punch him.

He smirked. “Sorry, love, I’m afraid you’ll have to repeat the initial question. I was rather dozing, as it is in fact daytime.”

“Not your love, Councilmember Jones. And for the love, come see me or Granny Lucas after the session,” she said, her golden hair cascading over her hands as she rubbed her temples in exasperation.

Maybe there was still some fun to be had after all.

&&&

Emma was going to murder him. Killian Jones might technically be dead already, but she would happily test out different levels of deadness.

He was impossible.

She was just trying to keep this stupid council with its stupid acronyms and stupid councilmembers running smoothly.

She hadn’t wanted this job, this position. She just wanted to work on her spells and occasional potions, help some people, and pay her bills.

But no, she’d had to go and help people a little too well. Now it was Savior This and Savior That, all for breaking a measly curse and talking a witch queen off the ledge and reuniting her with her love.

She had been going about her life much as she had since she had accidentally teleported away from a crime scene (now that was a tale) where an ex had left her literally and figuratively holding the bag. Emma certainly hadn’t intended the escape she’d made, but she could hardly complain, either. And she’d been curious about how she’d done it, to put it mildly.

A lot of internet searches, the fortunate discovery of a coven that met for a weekly book club at her local library, and maybe-not-coincidental of the discovery of a talking kitten named Henry later, she knew what she was—a witch.

Fast forward a few years, and she’d found a home of sorts up in Storybrooke, and the three of them had opened a little shop selling various magicks and magical items.

To her surprise, Emma had found she gravitated toward light magic, especially of the healing variety, though she was good with technological stuff too. And Henry, once he was grown, was very helpful. He still occasionally knocked over things on her work table, which could be problematic—he was a cat, after all—but his advice was usually sound.

She really hadn’t intended to get drawn into anything more than her perfectly satisfactory life. But then Ruby, werewolf, customer, and sometimes friend, had asked her for help. Unless someone stopped it, there would be a curse enacted.

Regina, Queen of Misthaven, had come to power 28 years before, after deposing the previous queen and her husband, cursing them to eternal sleep. Eternal sleep was eternal in the way that vampires were immortal; it could be interrupted—by death or the rupture of the curse—but would continue until something came along and meddled.

It seemed that becoming queen and cursing her former rival wasn’t enough for Regina, though. Her unhappiness increased, compounded by her magical subjects’ dislike and the distance of the other S.P.B.C.C. members kept from her. She had decided to enact a spell to doom them, all her subjects, to go back in time and live lives of medieval drudgery.

Ruby had no interest in that. To begin with, her girlfriend wouldn’t approve, and she would miss the whole voting thing. Aside from that, saying goodbye to Netflix and electricity was just unacceptable. And Ruby was far from the only concerned party.

Emma was stumped. After all, what could she do? She’d known she was a witch for a decade, and stronger people than her had attempted to do something.

Most people trying to deal with the situation, though, hadn’t had the benefit of being raised non-magically.

Sure, magic could solve a lot of problems (and create them just as easily, but that wasn’t the point). But sometimes? The best solution was good, old-fashioned, and non-magical. In this case, it meant using her investigative skills to find a dragon that had been hiding from the magical world and who was supposedly powerful enough to help.

Well, it turned out that the dragon was an ex-girlfriend of Regina’s, and reuniting the two of them had done wonders. Regina backed down from evil world domination and had even been amenable to the equally non-magical suggestion of therapy.

Maybe there was something to the whole love thing after all.

Once Regina had thawed a bit due to Maleficent’s calming presence, she had tried to break the curse of eternal sleep she had put on Queen Snow and King David...all to no avail. The only spells capable of waking them required a blood relative—a living, breathing, and awake one—and both of them were the only ones left from their families, their only child having disappeared as a baby (another unfortunate result of one of Regina’s spells).

So imagine Emma’s surprise, when, as Regina was attempting show Emma one of the spells that wasn’t working, Henry jumped on her—Emma, not Regina—and clawed her.

She scolded him, not noticing right away that blood was welling up from the gash he’d left on her hand. She didn’t notice when the blood dripped right in the pathway of the spell Regina was casting, or how her eyes widened.

Regina noticed, though. They all noticed when this spell, instead of doing nothing like the previous attempts, woke up Snow and David.

And that was how Emma learned that she was their long-lost child, the missing child of the queen and king.

It had been awkward, to be sure. Finding family you didn’t know you had, accompanied by the weight of royal expectation, took a lot to adjust to. That was to say nothing of having parents who looked the same age as Emma and had last interacted with the world in the ‘80s. (There had been a shoulder pads intervention, fortunately.)

It was...hard. After a life lived on her own and having grown up in the foster care system, Emma wasn’t exactly one for opening up and sharing. But seeing how hard Snow and David were trying to reach out to her, she was willing to try to meet them halfway.

After some negotiating with her parents, they had worked out that in light of Regina’s resignation (and she swore a blood oath to live peaceably with Maleficent all her days, but the fact remained that it left an open S.P.B.C.C. seat), Emma would stand in at the council meetings. And she didn’t have to wear nearly as many poofy robes and old-fashioned witches’ hats as her mother had originally wanted.

Her mother had originally been offered the position, but she had turned it down, citing a desire to catch up on everything she’d missed. To her parents’ glee, Emma accepted the seat when it was offered to her in her mother’s stead. Not only did it give her a way to connect with them, it gave her parents time to connect with each other and the world again, as a lot had changed over the past thirty years. That was a lot of Netflix to binge.

Honestly, it wasn’t the worst. Some days, Emma even enjoyed her work with the Supernatural and Paranormal Beings and Creatures Council. She had put a lot into it, and eventually she’d been elected Speaker for the council, which was pretty miraculous given the tensions between witches/warlocks and vampires.

It hadn’t taken Emma long in the supernatural world to learn about the longstanding enmity between her people and the vampires.

If the non-magical world was to be believed, the real beef was between werewolves and vampires. (But maybe that was the issue—the werewolves were content with the beef, while most vampires didn’t care for cow blood or other byproducts.)

In reality, it was trickier. Sure, there were some tensions between werewolves and vampires—there were between most of the different supernatural and paranormal groups and species—but they mostly got along. In fact, they often played emissary between the vampires and witches, as they had common sociopolitical aims with both.

Emma shook her head—she didn’t have time to get side-tracked musing over her own damn life story and the history of a low-grade feud between magical beings right now. She had council business to attend to.

Council business that, unfortunately, included Killian Jones.

She scowled. That vampire had been a pain in her ass since the first whisper of him she’d heard. He was just...ugh.

On some level, she could accept that in the magical world, he had a right to be on the council as the one who had defeated Rumplestiltskin. The magical world had a convoluted law that boiled down to stating that anyone who defeated another supernatural being in combat could—and should—assume their posts and responsibilities. As an American, she was appalled. It was a lot to take in and reconcile.

And that was to say nothing of the man—or man-pire, as Angel would have said—himself. He didn’t want to be there, that was clear. He was obviously just there to avoid negative legal repercussions of having taken revenge on Rumplestiltskin (for what, Emma was fuzzy on the details). He didn’t much care for the other vampires or anyone else there.

Unfortunately, that made him one hell of a swing vote. He was unpredictable and didn’t follow traditional vampire allegiances, which made his presence on the council...interesting.

Not that she was interested.

She held in a sigh. The council was trying to get some work done on a law that would regulate different supplement vendors and how they could market to supernatural and magical beings, but they were running into all kinds of issues with the different vendors.

Truthfully, Emma found it incredibly dull, but something had to be done to break up the gridlock, and Jones was one of the most likely to be able to swing the vote. It galled her, especially when he couldn’t put on his professional pants and be the grown-up he was. God, he had to be at least 250, so couldn’t he act like it?

She motioned Granny Lucas over. They approached him where he stood talking to one of the faeries, and Emma cleared her throat.

He turned around and smiled. “I was hoping it would be you, luv.”

&&&

Gods, but it was so delightful and delightfully easy to rile Swan. The way her cheeks flushed and her fist clenched...it did things to him.

He was bad man. Or vampire, whatever.

Quite frankly, Killian couldn’t care less about the whether one clan of gnomes or another received the bid or contract to produce supplements. He wasn’t even sure that’s what this session was about, but he knew it was something of that sort. Probably.

Even if he had paid attention, it was worth it to rile Emma. He would say she was delicious, but that had connotations he didn’t intend. He didn’t want to drain her, for Christ’s sake.

There was just something about the reddening of her skin that had him wanting to bite her...just not in a vampire way.

He’d had lovers since Milah died. It had been over two centuries, after all, and he wasn’t a monk. While he’d treated them with the respect due to them as people (or faeries or witches, etc.), none of those relationships had been particularly lengthy or meaningful to him.

And if he could seduce Emma, he didn’t figure she would be either, even if she was a spitfire. Hell, she kept him plenty interested as it was, and he’d only ever seen her remove her jacket once. (It had been to punch one of his fellow fanged ones on the council, and he’d loved every moment of it.)

Whatever transpired, it would be fun.

&&&

“Is something funny, Hook? Are we entertaining enough for you?” Emma bit out.

She was tired. She wanted to go home and curl up in her chair, and have Henry come purr next to her. Or sass her and tell her to feed him, which was probably more likely. Either was better than this.

And then this asshole whose vote mattered had to be the way he was.

She knew he hadn’t listened to her. It wasn’t her fault the minutiae of supernatural government was boring, and 142 other people had done okay with listening.

He wasn’t an idiot. He had survived a long-ass time. As a pirate for most of it, no less. And he’d killed Rumple-fucking-stiltskin. So he had to have a brain in there.

Which meant that his lack of listening was due to boredom, even if he had started smiling during the last bit of her speech—a distant, predatory thing that she knew had nothing to do with supplements.

Her head was pounding. She couldn’t afford to have a loose cannon on the council; she needed him to be invested.

“Look, Jones, what’s it going to take to get you to give a fuck?” she asked, shoulders slumped.

Granny looked at her in surprise. Killian did too, eyes widening before he pasted his signature smirk onto his face.

That stupid side of his mouth quirked up, and he bit his lip in a way Emma knew he knew was lascivious. Bastard. “Depends, luv, on what you’re willing to give.”

Granny snorted and said, “Well, I’ll let you two work this out between you,” and walked away.

Traitor.

She forced herself to roll her eyes. “Nothing you’re implying, buddy.”

“Me? Implying things? Swan, I would never say anything that has a double meaning,” he said, after a very fake and dramatic gasp.

“That’s because they have triple meanings,” she muttered under her breath.

“Sorry, what?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled innocently at him, “I said, we need to discuss your leanings. For the council.”

He gave her a long, considering look. “Dinner. Invite me over for dinner—” at this, he picked up her hand, turned it over, and pressed a lingering kiss to her wrist, “—and we can discuss whatever you’d like.”

Ignoring the burning where his lips had touched her skin, she pulled her hand away. “Seriously?”

“As the supplement discussions, luv.”

“Fine. Come over at seven tomorrow. I’ll text you the directions,” Emma said, huffing.

He scratched behind his ear, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. “I...I actually don’t have a cell phone.”

“Uh, okay. Do you have a...landline?”

“I do. And email,” he blurted.

She gave a sigh of relief. “Okay, I’ll email you the address later.”

Thank god she didn’t have to actually talk on the phone.

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

223: 23 Ways to Have a Great Start This Fall

“The French have a special word for it, La Rentrée; in English it is simply referred to as ‘Back to school’. However we choose to call the September post-vacation return, and no matter how far our schooldays are behind us, few would deny that this really is the moment in the year that shouts ‘new beginnings’, ushering in a renewed sense of resolve and purpose that has far more potency than any January resolution. As grown-ups, the brand new pencil case and shiny new pair of school shoes that signal a fresh start are replaced by the new-season updates that we hope will deliver so much more than just the latest look: the confidence-boosting coat, that uplifting new shade of lipstick . . . But it really is the change of attitude that matters most, the yearning to be smarter, more balanced – in short, the eternal quest to finally get life ‘right’.” – Lucy Yeomans, editor-in-chief Porter magazine

The attitude we approach anything with undeniably plays a role in how successful the endeavor we are embarking on will play out, and while here in the states businesses don’t shut down entirely for the month of August or July as well sometimes as they do in France, when Labor Day travel winds down, there is a shift in everyday routines, expectations at work and at school, and a mental shift is expected to occur.

The French expression “À la rentrée” is loosely translated to “See you in the fall!” (literally translated to “at the return”), but it is understood September is the date at which all will return – from their extended vacations, from their respite from school, from everyday expectations and regular activity that occurs the other 10 or 11 months out of the year. 

Studies have shown, repeatedly that taking the time to literally get away from work, putting down the technology and truly being on vacation can have highly beneficial effects on the brain. When we allow our brains to rest and think freely – problems magically seem to have solutions, creative ideas spring up like daffodils in early spring and we are renewed and reenergized.

So no wonder the French celebrate the return from their vacations. September and thereafter offers an opportunity to put our best self forward, to, as the quote above states, ‘finally get it right’. And while nothing will ever be perfect, improving and fine-tuning will always continue to bring different results than if we did the same thing over and over again.

Over the past handful of years, I have written posts to help ensure a strong fall. With one short list here, and another short list there, some of them shared a few similarities, while also offering new ideas. However, none of them have been a podcast episode, and now I have a few more items I would like to add. So today, I’ve made a list of 23 ways we can all welcome the beginning of fall (or spring for my southern hemisphere readers!) with optimism, hope and the best possible path too living a more balanced and enjoyable everyday life. This is the actual list I look at each year (and as I mentioned, it is tweaked and improved each year as my life evolves), and I have organized into arenas of our lives: health, wardrobe, beauty, organization, sanctuary, and regular balance/tranquility. In some arenas, things may be moving along quite well, but perhaps in others we know we could improve. Home in on where areas you want to improve, and take a day, or a few hours in a quiet, relaxing setting to curate a life that excites you to wake up to each day. 

Overall Health (physical & mental - peace of mind included)

1. Ask yourself this question, “What has made my life more enjoyable these past 2-3 months?” or “What routines/habits have made my life easier, healthier and brought more contentment these past 2-3 months?”

Often when our schedule changes with the summer months, we unconsciously change our ways of living, ways that we love (or not so much as it will depend upon the individual). However, I have a feeling, you have a few habits that you will miss when the fall season begins. Ask yourself, and be honest, is there any way you can bring them into your year-round routine? Can or should you shift your priorities if it indeed is bringing so much joy and satisfaction into your life?  Remember, simply because we used to do something one way or do something at all, doesn’t mean we cannot stop and incorporate something more fulfilling. In fact, we should.

2. Create a default capsule weekly menu & establish a food shopping plan.

~Learn more about TSLL's seasonal capsule menus here (summer will be posted this Wednesday - August 22).

3. Stock your Épicerie

As I was taking my lunch break today, I was reminded that I needed to restock my favorite balsamic vinegar which reminded me that having our épicerie stocked and ready for whatever meal we’d prefer to cook is a simple thing to do now to enhance the seamless flow of a day that has little time to wiggle. Here is a post to remind you of the necessities to have on hand.

4. Plan a regular fitness routine that works with your daily work/school demands. Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve. You don’t want to burn out and quit altogether. Remember it is consistency that will make the difference. So choose activities that blend enjoyment with challenge.

5. Balance your budget and know where you stand financially. Due to your schedule potentially changing, financial expectations may change as well, so know exactly where you are and how much you can spend.

6. Make appointments now

Just as our schedules change, so do the schedules of our doctors, dentists, aestheticians and other professionals we wish to make appointments with. While their schedules may have been more limited, but as well, with more availability during the summer months, often that changes in the fall. So why not be proactive, and design your schedule with what works best for you by making those appointments early?

Optimal Organization

7. Clean your home/office/bedroom/car thoroughly. It will simply make you feel better when you enter each and every time.

8. Purchase any necessary supplies for your office, desk and planner

9. Spruce up and stock up your handbag

Whether you have found your favorite go-to day handbag, take a few minutes, to clean out, and then restock for the new season. Chapstick, Tide-to-Go, hand lotion, breath mints, a favorite pen, anything to get you through your day – stock it up, and then toss the rest so that it is neat and tidy.

Wardrobe

10. Assess your wardrobe

On Saturday September 1st TSLL Fall Seasonal Shopping Guide will be posted here on the blog (no longer do you need to subscribe to receive it!). Full of splurge and save items when it comes to the new trends as well as many items I have hand-picked for your fall capsule wardrobe, knowing exactly what you need makes the shopping easier and brings fewer regrets. (Have a look at the 2018 Spring Shopping Guide here.)

~Shop TSLL Capsule Wardrobe Boutique here to view the essentials for each season.

11. Take anything to the dry-cleaners that you’ll be wearing for fall (coats, tops, dresses, skirts, sweaters, etc)

Beauty

12. Stock up make-up supplies that are running low. Visit your make-up counter for make-up to try out the new fall products.

~Why Not . . . Automate It? 12 Ways to Improve the Everyday

13. Confirm and/or schedule your regular hair appointment

14. Plan/Schedule Beauty Routines and/or appointments. From the beauty routines you can do at home - pedicures and manicures, to the seasonal facials at your local spa to not only give yourself a luxurious hour or so to relax, but also help your skin, tend to these appointments is a way to feel and look your best, but also find a balance in your everyday routine.

Creating Regular Balance & Tranquility

15. Stock up or put together a home pampering kit (bubble bath, truffles, wine, candles, music, etc). There will be days when your heels are ready to be taken off, your mind is a jumble and emotional stamina has been exhausted. Be prepared in advance and have what you need to relax stocked and ready to go.

16. Do you have a travel coffee mug or water bottle that works? For only $15 make sure you have a reliable mug that you can take with you to meetings, lectures, on the commute to help you get your day started off right.

17. Create a morning routine to look forward to and set the right tone for the entire day.

~11 Ways to Start the Day 'Smart'

18. Create a bedtime ritual

The amount of sleep we receive each night is a strong determiner in the day we will have, so be cognizant to the small details that you have control over. You might be surprised of the significant benefits you will reap each evening when you turn in. A few things to try: remove the television and all technology (especially your phone), light a soothing scented candle (lavender, chamomile, bergamot, jasmine, or sandalwood) – this is my favorite as it has a fantastic scent and lasts for 60 hours, write in a gratitude journal to end your day on a positive note, meditate (find out how & why here), or read a book.

19. Order or Check-Out/Put on Hold Reading Material to Enjoy

I can’t wait for the time to snuggle in when it’s raining out or I’ve wrapped up my to-do list, and dive in. A true simple luxury. And since now I have the time to peruse and put them on my wish list, I can rest-assured I will always have reading material to enjoy.

20. Pick up a journal

As I mentioned above, the daily ritual of writing in a gratitude journal is a simple idea to end the day on a positive note. And even if you’ve had one of those days, there really are things to be grateful for – check this list if you find yourself at a loss for what to write down. Simply taking note of positive events (or non-events – the car didn’t break down!), can be a wonderful reminder that things are going better than we might have first thought.

Create a welcoming sanctuary

21. Visit your local nursery

Fall plants will begin appearing at nurseries to finish the blooming season – check out mums, daisies and sunflowers. Add a few to your porch or vases throughout the house.

22. Look closely at your home's decor

Perhaps you traveled this summer, or maybe you attended a course in which you saw personal growth and a shift in what you value and/or love. Welcome in who you now, let go of what no longer inspires you, and create a space that best reflects you and welcomes you home as well as you guests. 

Putting It All Together

23. Set your intention

Often when a yoga class begins, one of the reminders at the beginning of our session is to set our intention – what do we wish to receive or achieve by attending class – do we want to push ourselves further, do we simply just want to make it through class, do we want to be more aware of staying focused and letting go of outside thoughts – whatever our intention is, it is ours. So what will your intention be for the fall season and beyond?

Choose one, write it down and reflect upon it from time to time. Create daily rituals and habits that help this intention become your reality. I think you will be surprised that what you focus on, you are more likely to create – much like the attitude we bring to any new venture or beginning. If we’re excited, that excitement spreads and invigorates, but if we’re leery or cynical, moments of wonder are less likely to be enjoyed and discovered.

Wishing you a lovely start to a beautiful new season, and thank you for stopping by.

~PODCAST NEWS: Season 5 will begin on Monday September 3rd, and the new schedule for Season 5 will be shared right here on the blog on Monday August 27th in lieu of a podcast episode. Don't worry, there will always be a motivating post to kick off your work week - right here on TSLL blog. I will explain the entire schedule (there will be 30 new episodes in the coming 12 months) and share specific dates when episodes will air. Looking forward to another season and so tickled we have had such an amazing four years!

SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~11 Ways to Start Your Day "Smart"

~Why Not . . . Gradually Prep for La Rentrée?

~11 Steps to a Fresh Start

~The Importance of a Daily Routine & How to Create One You Love, episode #164

Petit Plaisir:

Mini Portable Chargers

RAVPower Mini Portable Charger (seen below)

Anker PowerCore+ mini lipstick size portable charger (many different colors)

Hengtai Gaotok mini portable charger (multiple colors)

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #223 ~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube | Spotify

Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

[adrenalineguide]

Kia Scores a Hat Trick with the Forte, Soul and Niro

Text and photos by Michael Hozjan

I’m often asked what my criteria are for a successful critique. Though there are many variables at play, I’ve narrowed it down to the three that are the most important to me and would play a crucial part not necessarily in your in your immediate buying decision, but your longtime ownership. Let’s face it you can’t evaluate a vehicle 100% driving it around the block. Even with my extended drives, I often only get the true feel of the vehicle in the last hours of possession.

First, comfort. Whether I’m visiting clients, chasing down new leads, scouting shooting    locations, traveling to car shows or stopping by at cruise nights to chat with the local enthusiasts or hand out copies of our pocket guides, I spend hours upon hours each day behind the wheel racking up hundreds and at times thousands of kilometers a week on the road. After a long day behind the wheel comfort is paramount not only to my physical well-being but also my mental state. And you would be surprised how often a vehicle flunks.

My second criteria has a bigger stake in my mental state, and that is, fun. If driving isn’t fun to me than I might as well take a bus or taxi, and nothing can make the day go by faster than if you’re enjoying yourself behind the wheel. The fun factor encompasses many things but mostly the vehicles performance, handling, and driving ease. This doesn’t necessarily mean a thousand horsepower with big fat tires and heart pounding, ear-popping noise. I fell in love with the first generation Mazda Miata within 50 feet of driving it. A car often criticized for not having enough power. To make matters even more interesting I had the rare opportunity to drive the miniscule Honda Beat, a pint-sized runabout powered by a 3-cylinder engine that had a top speed of around 80 kph. But you felt like you were doing a hundred miles an hour in it.

Lastly I want the controls to be user friendly. I don’t have time to read thirty pages of instructions in an owner’s manual the size of a medium city’s phone book on how to set up my cell phone or entertainment system. I’m here to go from point a to point b safely and don’t need to be reading texts or having to press buttons three times on the ahhem, infotainment system to switch radio stations.

Yes the Kias scored highly on these three main points, but even more importantly did so with finesse and then some. Read on.  

Forte5 SX T- GDI

Step aside Honda Civic, there’s a new kid in town and he’s about to have you for breakfast. While Honda’s been relaxing on its laurels, Kia has been slowly refining its compact hatchback, and for 2017 it’s loaded with even more goodies wrapped up in a contemporary design nicely accented with red pin striped grill reminiscent of VW’s GTi. It works on the Golf and it works here too, once you get past the slew of acronyms in the name (who is going to remember that mouthful of letters in two hours much less five years?)

Rather than go with the boy racer look, the Forte offers styling that any adult would not be ashamed to be seen behind the wheel of. And behind the wheel is where you want to be! Our SX came with the 1.6 L turbocharged four cylinder that dishes out 201 horses and an impressive 195 lb.ft. of torque at 1,500rpm to the front axle via a seven speed automatic (new for 2017) that owners can shift with steering wheel mounted paddles. Sadly there is no standard tyranny available in the SX.  There’s also a 164 horse (152 lb.ft.) 2.0L four in the four other trim lines. The automatic goes through its gears smoothly. Even at full throttle, the gear changes are seamless, attesting to Kia’s engineering. Getting this hot hatch to 100 kph takes a shade under 7.5 seconds.

Taking driving excitement a step further is Kia’s 3-step Drive Mode Select that alters the steering wheel feel, changes throttle response and shift points. Eco, as the name implies turns the SX into a miserly runabout with little or no feel on the steering. Normal brings it back to how the factory intended the car to respond, but set the switch on Sport and a whole new different beast awakens. I found myself leaving the car in Eco for my commutes up and down the highways but quickly opted for Sport when I spotted winding roads ahead. The Forte5 is a very capable handler that really likes to be tossed into a corner. Indeed if it was equipped with a manual tranny, I would compare it more to a German hatchback than anything the Japanese are throwing out there these days.

Like its exterior, the driving compartment is nicely thought out and designed to work. A concoction of textures and colors from satin to glossy to fake carbon fibre. Sounds like it would be gaudy but it works and looks fresh…go figure. The comfortable supportive leather front buckets aren’t only heated but cooled as well. As mentioned in my opening I love it when controls are well placed and easy to use and the Kia wins time and time again. The infotainment system is easy to set up and works off both Apple CarPlay and Android.

Rear seat passengers get pampered with heat and chill controls and will be happy to learn that there’s ample room for six footers back there. Fold the rear seat backs down and there’s enough cargo room to carry enough gear for two people to go on a cross-country road trip.

Yes you read that right heating and cooling for rear seat occupants.

One of the many virtues of Kia has always been getting the most bang for your buck and the Forte5 is no exception. Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert are all-standard. In fact the options list on the SX is almost non-existent save for exterior colour choices, and a few minor trinkets.

Price as tested: $31,770

Soul SX Turbo Tech

Kia may have targeted the Soul towards active, young buyers, but around here the Soul has been a big hit with senior citizens.  And who can blame them, the boxy design lets itself to easy step in, step out and the higher riding seating position gives a better view ahead than your typical sedan without the added costs of getting into an suv or minivan. The back hatch opens up to allow ample room for grocery bags, again, without the need to put your back out each and every time.

All’s fine but how do you get millenials to take notice and increase your market share? Turbocharge it! The Soul was never a performance vehicle and some might say, anemic, even when it came to your daily outings around town. Well all that has changed. Kia has pirated the 1.6-litre turbocharged four from the Forte (above) and transplanted it into the Soul.

The result is a wallop of fun with 201 horses and 195 lb.ft of torque propelling a pint sized grocery getter down the road. No the turbo doesn’t turn the Soul into a GTi beater. Its suspension layout and tall design couldn’t possibly lend itself to chasing down hot hatches on country roads, but makes passing semis on the highway a breeze, getting up to speed on highway on ramps a lot less risky and zipping through city traffic a joy. Aiding in bringing the car to a halt the Turbo gets larger front rotors. And it does have a nice rasp emanating from the twin exhaust pipes.

Like the Forte5 turbo, the Soul has a red chin stripe to differentiate it from the other trim lines, and like the Forte5, the Soul gives its driver a choice of driving modes, but unlike the Forte there are no paddle shifters, instead if you want to upshift or downshift on your own whim rather than relying on the smooth 7-seven speed automatic, you’ll have to do so with the console shifter. Still, it takes little away from the excitement offered by the new powerplant. I found myself starting off in Sport mode from red lights and for running around in bumper to bumper traffic and then set it in Normal for my highway cruise home. 

The Soul offers the same driving amenities as the Forte, in short, well placed and easy to use controls. Our tester came with the optional 8-inch screen for the infotainment system which also offers nav, unlike the seven-inch system in the Forte5, which requires you to wire up your cell for nav.

Prices start at $19,150 for the base model LX equipped with the 130 horsepower 1.6L engine and climb quickly through the eight trim levels to $31,850 for the SX Turbo Tech unit. Mid rang is the EX trim line powered by a 2.0L 161 horse mill with 149 lb.ft. of torque. There is a less pricey SX Turbo that offers all the peppiness of the turbo with fewer bells and whistles, like the premium Harmon/Kardon audio system and the aforementioned 8-inch screen for $27,850. The Turbo Tech buyer also gets the benefits of a large panoramic sunroof and Xenon HID headlights.

Oh, and when you spring for the Tech option you’ll also get speaker lights that will give you a light show.

By now you get the idea that the Soul’s cabin is a nice place to be. Like all Kia’s, the Soul comes with a lot more items to pamper you and your occupants than many similarly priced competitors.  Heated front and rear outer seats are an example.  A heated steering wheel is a very welcomed feature after scraping the snow and ice off the car.

Thirty grand and the passenger gets power a seat!

Cargo space is above average for similarly sized crossovers and lift over is easy with the rear hatch opening high. The only disappointment in an otherwise well thought out interior was that the rear seat does not fold flat.

It’s easy to see why the Soul has survived while other similarly designed boxes like the Honda Element and Nissan Cube have disappeared from the landscape. The Soul Turbo has all the elements to attract younger buyers but I get the feeling we’ll also see some seniors in their hot rod Souls.

Price as tested: $31,850

Niro Touring

Look closely and you won’t notice any red stripe on the Niro’s grille. There’s good reason for that, and it’s not just that there’s no turbo.  We’ve seen Kia declare war on Honda with the Forte, on Nissan with the Soul and just when you thought that Kia’s war on Japanese car makers was over, the South Koreans now clearly have their eyesight’s set on Toyota with the Niro, a dedicated hybrid wagon that doesn’t scream Look at Me I’m Driving a Hybrid, unlike Toyota’s Prius. Welcome news to those who want a handsome hybrid without the radical and dare I say, quirky, looks. 

This brings Kia’s hybrid line to two models counting the Optima sedan. But the Niro has its battle cut out, not only does it enter the most competitive market niche in Canada, the subcompact slot it’s also up against industry leaders Toyota and to a lesser extent Honda, who’ve been punching out and refining hybrids for decades.  Add Toyota’s ever expanding line of Priuses from the standard model to the plug-in variant as well as the compact Prius C and larger Prius V, and the Niro has the deck stacked against it… or does it?

Four trim lines are available starting with the entry level L priced at $26,850. But don’t think entry level means an empty chariot. On the contrary, in keeping with Kia’s modus operandi, the L features such upscale amenities including heated front seats and steering wheel, rearview camera and for those who can’t stay away from their techno gizmos, Android and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The EX ($29,350) ads smart key and push-button start, wireless phone charger and auto-dimming rear view mirror. If you want a power sunroof, 8-way power driver’s seat, blind spot detection (come on folks just adjust your mirrors properly) and rear cross traffic alert, then you may want the EX Premium at $30,950. Lastly the top-of-the-line SX Touring  ($34,850) ads you get leather seats, 8-inch multi-media screen with a premium Harmon/Kardon sound system and autonomous e-braking system.

There’s only one engine across the trim line, a 1.6 litre four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 109 horses and is augmented by an electric motor that pumps up the ponies to a decent 139 horses. The all important torque figure is a respectable 195 lb.ft. What does this mean to the Niro buyer? The Niro feels slower than Ford’s C-Max but quicker than the Prius, probably in part to the six-speed dual-clutch automatic tranny versus Toyota’s CVT unit. Yes, red light acceleration will be a bit slow if you’re used to high horsepower cars, but once you reached the crosswalk at the other side of the street the torque kicks in and you’re off and continues through to highway passing speeds.  My non-track testing showed the Niro accelerate to 100 km/h from a standing start in 9 seconds, about a second faster than the Prius I had last year.   

Getting off the stoplights around town I found myself switching to Sport mode and than went back to the Eco setting once under way. The tranny I is seem less and like its ride, smooth

But hybrids are all about conserving our dependence on gasoline while we find alternative sources or until electric cars become able to travel long distances without emptying our wallets in the showroom. The Niro beat out the C-Max in fuel economy and the 5-door hatch Prius V in pricing, but the Prius’ fuel consumption remains paramount. Check with your local governments for incentives and rebates.

The Niro wins in interior appointments as evidenced by the base model and gives better than average value for your buying dollar. The cabin is spacious, and well designed both esthetically and intuitively. 

Yes, there’s room for a couple of six footers in the back seat. 

Kia may be marketing this hybrid as a crossover – the latest buzzword in marketing jargon. Apparently marketing departments STILL don’t see station wagons as being cool, even though the recent resurgence of classic wagons by thirty something’s points to the contrary. I like to think of it as a tall station wagon or a five-door hatchback. No matter what label you put on it the Niro is a winner.

Price as tested: $34,850

[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: Rialto’s Market, Castle Amber, Freas, David Drake

Fiction (Goodman Games): Jack Holbrook Vance was summoned into this world just over a century ago in San Francisco on August 28, 1916. A writer of multiple genres, he is best known to fans of Dungeons and Dragons for his Dying Earth novels, one of the inspirations for the magic system, often called ‘Vancian’, in which magic-users memorize spells from their librams, and once cast, forget them for the day.

Gamergate (Walker’s Retreat): Among all the other events of the last week or so was the anniversary of Gamergate. To which I find this Tweet and its pic very much my mood.

Poetry (Kairos): Kipling’s famous–some might say infamous–poem “The Wrath of the Awakened Saxon” has gained a great deal of traction in dissident circles. I maintain that a major reason why this poem has resonated with the current generations of young men on the right is that it highlights the masculine virtues they were never taught.

Fiction (DMR Books): Since April 9, 2018, I’ve been periodically posting blog entries devoted to what I call the “Forefathers of Sword and Sorcery”. Those would be the men—writers like Doyle and London—who influenced the First Dynasty of S&S authors such as Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and C.L. Moore. Apparently, there are some very confused people out there on the Webz. I thought it best to define some terms and parameters so further misapprehensions don’t occur.

Art (Rafeeq McGiveron): s July draweth to a close, I suddenly realize that the last month and a half has been pretty busy in terms of updates to my Heinlein cover art galleries.  In addition to new-to-me editions of books like Waldo and Magic, Inc., Orphans of the Sky, The Man Who Sold the Moon, Time for the Stars, and Podkayne of Mars, I also have come across quite a bit of things from magazines.

Terry Pratchett (The Wert Zone): Following the publication of yet another publicity image from BBC America’s The Watch, a TV series loosely “inspired by” Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, his family and associates have once again made it clear that they do not approve of the project and have distanced themselves from it.

Pulp (Pulp Net): I recently obtained The Doc Vandal Omnibus: Vol. 1, which has the first three novels by Dave Robinson featuring Doc Vandal, a steampunk take on Doc Savage. Doc Vandal was influenced by Doc Savage, but also Captain Future and Perry Rhodan. He exists in a different world where aliens exist and other strange things. Born on the Moon and raised by alien AIs, Vandal is an improved human who uses his skills and knowledge to create inventions and stand up against evil.

Gaming (Grognardia): Naturally, we’re not playing these games face-to-face. Instead, we’re making use of VASSAL, a virtual tabletop created for wargamers (specifically Advanced Squad Leader). VASSAL has proven surprisingly easy to use, not to mention fun. Based on my friend’s recommendation, we began my education with GMT’s Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar. Partly this was done because it’s a period of history I know a bit about and partly because Falling Sky is an entry in GMT’s COIN series, which my friend thought would appeal to me.

History (Legends of Men): A while ago, I picked up an old book on pirates for cheap at a used bookstore. It’s General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates. by Daniel Defoe. You may recognize the name Daniel Defoe as the author of Robinson Crusoe and other novels. He’s one of the first early English novelists, and his authorship of this book is disputed but highly probable. This book is loaded with more than 20 stories of actual pirates, their exploits, successes, failures, and deaths.

Fiction (Benespen): King David’s Spaceship [Amazon link] is the first book by Jerry Pournelle I remember reading. I picked it up from the local library in 2006, and I could not put it down. Colonel Nathan MacKinnie’s desperate quest to find a forgotten database of ancient technology on a barbaric planet, and then spirit that information home under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Navy is a classic adventure. Jerry Pournelle’s style is the place where intrigue, politics, and technology meet, often with a heavy dose of military tactics. King David’s Spaceship is all that and more.

Conan (Conan.com): We’re happy to announce the launch of the official Conan store, called Rialto’s Market, here on Conan.com! It’s headed by the merchant Rialto, someone you’ll learn more about in the near future. We’ve got T-shirts, Thulsa Doom bottle openers, phone cases, mugs, and more for you in Rialto’s Market. You can also pre-order the Conan the Cimmerian: The Tower of the Elephant board game, if you missed out on the successful Kickstarter.

RPG (Pelgrane Press): The term: table sense. It’s what developers look for when you write scenarios or source material for roleplaying games. It’s what game masters need from you when they read your material. Table sense is what it sounds like: the ability to forecast what will happen at the gaming table when the scene, magic item, background detail, monster or whatever it is comes into use. How do you get it? By playing roleplaying games of the sort you’re writing for. And more importantly: by picturing the play experience as you write, away from your table.

Vampirella (Monster Librarian): From the Stars…a Vampiress provides a great reference guide to one of the most recognizable female horror comics heroines, Vampirella. The first section, “The Vampire Who Fell to Earth”, tells her story from her initial creation by James Warren and Forrest J. Ackerman, and other writers and artists who helped her development such as Archie Goodwin, Jose Gonzalez, Trina Robbins, Frank Frazetta, Gonzalo Mayo, and many more, to her cancellation in 1982 after Warren Publishing closed its doors.

Science Fiction (Digital Bibliophilia): Rogue Ship is one the novels Vogt constructed from previously issued stories into a ‘fix-up’ and has a complicated history. From the notes in my 1975 Panther paperback edition it started life as three seperate stories that were rewritten for this single novel. Beginning in 1947, with Centaurus II, which was first published in ‘Astounding Science Fiction’ (which became the magazine ‘Analog Science Fact – Science Fiction’), we then move on to Rogue Ship published in ‘Super Science Fiction’ three years later, and lastly have a story called The Expendables published within the pages of ‘IF Worlds of Science Fiction’ in 1963.

RPG (Goodman Games): It’s time! We’re opening the doors on Original Adventures Reincarnated #5: Castle Amber, and you are all invited inside. The fifth release in our Original Adventures Reincarnated line is now up and available for pre-order from our online store. It’s your chance to get in line for the first wave of shipments of this great new release.

Cinema (Flickering Myth): When The Expendables was first announced in late 2009, my excitement levels went through the roof. Initially it was Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li on board and that was exciting enough. Then Dolph Lundgren signed on, and the rest followed. By the time a mid-shoot addition of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger was announced (in a surprise cameo where the surprise was blown long before release sadly) I was bouncing around like a toddler high on Dib Dab. The first film came out 10 years ago today.

Cinema (Made in Atlantis): During the 1899 to 1901 Boxer Rebellion, Peking is an open city with the Chinese, and several European countries vie for control. The Boxers, who oppose Christianity and the western powers, who still exercised complete sovereignty over their compounds and their citizens. The head of the U.S. garrison is Marine Major Matt Lewis (Charlton Heston), an experienced China hand who knows local conditions well. He meets exiled Russian Baroness Natalie Ivanoff (Ava Gardner), with whom he falls in love.

Science Fiction (Frank Ormond): I have previously written on my favorite science fiction series, Count to the Eschaton Sequence, before. The first book is Count to a Trillion and is an excellent adventure science fiction novel. This retrospective was a long time coming. I’ve found John C. Wright’s work fascinating, if not a bit verbose in areas, and creative. He’s held up in some circles as a master of the craft, and it’s easy to see why.

Art (DMR Books): The late, great Kelly Freas* would’ve turned ninety-eight today. As I’ve noted elsewhere, Freas started out in Weird Tales and could have had a fine career illustrating fantasy and weird fiction. However, he tied his star to the burgeoning science fiction market and became one of the all-time greats. For me, without question, Freas’ art epitomizes the look of what’s known as the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Gorgeous color, beautiful women, sleek spaceships and a universe blazing with stars.

Comic Books (Comicsradio): Everyone falls in love with Cave Girl. It apparently can’t be helped. Over the course of the first three stories included in Cave Girl #11 (her debut issue despite the numbering), two men have fallen in love with the blonde Jungle Girl already. In fact, in this issue’s final story (still written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Bob Powell), Luke and Alan haven’t given up yet. They are attempting to cross the mountains that surround Cave Girl’s home jungle, still determined to talk her into coming back to civilization and claiming her inheritance.

Anime (Karavansara): As a kid I watched a lot of movies and TV series, cartoons both western and Japanese, I read comics, I read novels and short stories and non fiction… each of these shaped the way I think about stories, and I think it might be fun to try and take a look at all these influences. And I’m starting with anime because… ah, because we need to start somewhere, right? As I probably already mentioned in the past, Italy was at the forefront of the anime invasion that started at the very tail-end of the ’70s.

D&D (Mystical Trash Heap): As a hobby for nerds, there’s a strong appetite among D&D fans to make lists and categorize things, and this extends not just to elements within the game but to meta-level discussion about the game itself. The most obvious breaking point is TSR-D&D (1974-97) and Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro D&D (1998-present), with the 1998-99 period (after Wizards took over but before D&D 3.0 was released) as a transition period.  The next most obvious is the various editions: Original (1974-77*), 1st Edition Advanced (1978-88), 2nd Edition Advanced (1989-99), 3rd (2000-2007), 4th (2008-2013), and 5th (2014-present) editions.

Science Fiction (Chapleboro): David Drake almost missed our interview. Although the incident occurred two weeks before we met, Drake was directly involved while riding one of his three motorcycles. As we discussed the crash, Drake casually stated that being rear-ended on his bike was one of the ways he thought he might die. Fortunately, he walked away with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises – not too bad, considering his motorcycle was sandwiched between two SUVs.

Sensor Sweep: Rialto’s Market, Castle Amber, Freas, David Drake published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

[businessliveme]

33 genius travel hacks to upgrade your holiday trips

(Bloomberg) –So it begins: The holidays are upon us, and with them, the crush of holiday travel.

Here, the best pearls of wisdom from Travel Genius, Bloomberg’s original podcast that delivers the cleverest solutions to your most common travel problems. Tips include our hosts’ original reporting, plus words of wisdom from Season 2’s guests, both recent and forthcoming. (Consider this your sneak peek to the weeks ahead.)

With their help, you’ll be well-armed to tackle any holiday travel stress—whether you’ve yet to solidify your plans, are stuck on your shopping list, or simply need to keep the peace amid airport chaos. It’s a holiday survival guide on supersmart steroids.

Get Good Travel Deals, Even in the Highest Season

If you’re booking a last-minute holiday getaway, there’s still hope.

1. Lexie Alford, recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest person to visit every country in the world, says Skyscanner is “definitely the best for booking last-minute stuff. It’s the most reliable, and it shows many different options: the fastest route, the cheapest route. How many stops you want to make.” She says it also offers an alternative for greener choices. For example: “This flight emits 32% less CO₂ than average for your search.

Read: Golden trip hacks from a Guinness World Record holder for travel

2. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. If your dream hotel has rooms available, and the competitor down the street has better pricing, hop on the phone. Desk agents have a habit of giving in for the sake of a direct, guaranteed booking.

3. By the same token, ask what your hotel includes free of charge. Airport transfers, room service, non-motorized water sports equipment—Moti Ankari, a fashion influencer and co-creator of the menswear shoe brand, Ankari Floruss, has gotten all of these without adding a dime to the cost of his stays.

Image: Pixabay

Ace Your Packing Game

This time of year, the last thing you want to do is check a bag.

4. Skip the jewelry roll, and use a wine cork to stash your earrings, says venture capitalist Hitha Palepu, author of How to Pack. Chipping away bits of the cork also make for improvised backings, should one get lost.

5. Palepu’s other brilliant tip: Use a washed and dried prescription bottle to pack toiletries that don’t come in travel sizes. The shape of the bottles makes them easy to clean; tamper-proof lids mean they’ll never spill.

6. A tiny, tidy stain-removing kit will let you re-wear outfits with confidence. Include baby powder (for grease stains), dryer sheets (to keep everything smelling fresh—even your laundry compartment), and Shout wipes or a Tide pen.

7. Don’t pack what a hotel can give you. Westins provides gym clothes on loan, points out Trevor Project Chief Executive Officer Amit Paley. Many hotels can offer up rain boots, hiking gear, dog beds, and other bulky goods your suitcase can do without.

Be Two Steps Ahead of Any Crisis

When everyone else is melting down, you’ll be cool as a cucumber.

8. Bad Airbnb? Nasty forecast? When your vacation looks like it’s taking a turn for the worse, salvage matters with a strategic pivot. Don’t fall prey to the fallacy of sunk costs. You can always rebook, reroute, and file your complaints and disputes from a much happier place.

Read: Travel Tips From a Rock Star Who Flies 500,000 Miles a Year

9. Nothing will fix a plane full of crying babies as much as a good, stiff drink. Linden Pride, founding partner of Dante, the World’s Best Bar, says the prime option is to mix your own 50/50 martini. “Take a full cup of ice in one plastic cup, then pour equal parts vodka and vermouth over the ice [on long-haul flights, the air team will have vermouth], stir it with a plastic stirrer, then pour it back into a second plastic cup and add a rind of the lemon they’d otherwise serve you with a soft drink. There’s nothing better.”

10. Worried about a potential flight cancellation? Book a hotel proactively, says ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis. Her logic: You can’t cancel a last-minute replacement flight, but refundable rooms are easy to come by. And once that announcement is made, everyone will be scrambling for the last decent room in town—except for you.

11. Use the Flighty app to learn about flight disruptions before anyone else. Yes, it costs $50 per year, but you can get a free trial and hear about delays, cancelations, and aircraft issues well before they’re officially announced.

Turn Airports and Airplanes Into Spa-Like Experiences

Family will be impressed when you land looking (and feeling) like a million bucks.

12. Don’t have lounge access? Look for an airport yoga room. They’re free, underutilized, and usually empty, says Jarvis of ABC News.

13. Jen Rubio, co-founder and chief brand officer of luggage label Away, makes her own in-flight dopp kit to make any coach seat feel like business class: she uses perfumed, hydrating, rinse-free hand wash from Byredo instead of Purell hand sanitizer; Barbara Sturm antipollution serum to keep her skin clean and moisturized; and extremely comfortable silicone earplugs from Savears.

14. Do you shop at Sephora? Grab free samples and stash them in your carry-on bag. When you land, you’ll have a small, pampering surprise waiting for you, says Bobbi Brown.

15. Packing genius Palepu swears by coconut oil as a solution to all your beauty woes, for “everything from mangled cuticles to hangovers, dry mouths on planes—you might even be able to use it as shaving cream.”

16. Actor, designer, and Wes Anderson muse Waris Ahluwalia’s secret sauce for bright, never-puffy eyes? Preparation H and ice water.

17. Ankari, meanwhile, sprays himself with Downy Wrinkle Release to erase creases after hours of sitting still.

Get Around Like a Local VIP

Nothing ruins the holiday spirit like schlepping.

18. The end of the year is the best time to take advantage of airline status-matching offers, such as what Delta is currently offering. Jumping onto a new loyalty program now means you’ll get the benefits through the end of 2020—instead of just this year.

19. Considering train travel? Author Monisha Rajesh, who trekked 45,000 miles while writing the book Around the World in 80 Trains, suggests checking Seat61.com—“the Google for train lovers.” The site compares everything from routes to pricing data to amenities, all under one roof.

Read: Scared to Travel to ‘Dangerous’ Places? Don’t Be

20. Peripatetic traveler Alford wants to make sure you never get taken for a ride again. “Email your hotel before you arrive and ask what the average price is for a taxi from the airport,” she advises. Knowing that price will help you dispute an inflated number. “If you get to the hotel, and the meter is unbelievably high, refuse to pay for it—or call the cops,” she says.

Stay Entertained Anywhere—Without Rocking the Boat

When the conversation turns to impeachment news, divert to one of these strategies.

21. Designer Alhuwalia says a pack of playing cards isn’t just for entertainment—it’s also great for learning a new language. (You can practice your numbers, at the very least.) He uses them to converse with seatmates from other countries of origin, but the strategy is just as good around a newly cleared dining table—especially if you’re considering a 2020 family holiday to, say, España or Deutschland.

22. Palepu, the author, turned us on to Libro.fm, a sort of indie Audible that supports indie bookstores. Just add headphones.

23. Want to plan a perfect day exploring as a plugged-in tourist, whether you’re in your hometown or somewhere new? Try out Journy, which creates a custom-tailored itinerary in most major cities for as little as $25.

24. Out of ideas? Have a pencil? Or a makeup brush you don’t mind washing out later? Order coffee or a glass of wine and start making art. The beverages are your paint, says Alison Mosshart, frontwoman of the Kills.

Shopping Secrets of the Rich and Famous (and Crafty)

Because Black Friday is just the beginning.

25. Splurging on a gift for yourself—or for someone on your holiday list? Try swiping that plastic abroad. The VAT savings on a very big-ticket item, such as a Birkin bag, can offset the cost of an entire weekend in Paris, says master chef Eric Ripert.

26. Don’t let kids buy everything they see and want on vacation. Have them take photos of souvenirs they’re coveting, and then revisit the entire list a day before you head home. This way, you’ll end up only with the one or two things they really love, says Disney expert Susan Veness.

27. Be strategic about airport shopping, says Away’s Rubio. “If you’re looking at a pair of Gucci loafers, the difference between buying them in New York and at Gucci at London Heathrow can be $200 to $300. It’s as much as 35% off—insane!” And if you’re passing through the same airports frequently—say, for Thanksgiving and Christmas—get a business card from the store associate. “Those airport boutiques have a limited selection because they don’t have a ton of space, but they can order things from any other store location and hold it for you.”

Read: Six Tourist Spots in Saudi Arabia That Will Surprise You

28. Another move she uses to get through her holiday shopping list: scoping out personal shopping services at international airports. (Yes, they exist!) “You book it ahead of time, and tell them what stores you want to go to and how much time you have. Then the personal shopper meets you after security and takes you from terminal to terminal to get the stuff you need.”

Make Any Place Feel More Like Home

Because not everyone is—or wants to be—“home for the holidays.”

29. Broadway star Schele Williams has no time for bad coffee, so she packs a portable French Press wherever she goes. (We like this one; for espresso lovers, there’s also the “nanopresso.”) Want to bring your own grounds, too? Head to the baby goods aisle, where tiny containers meant to hold formula or purees will do the trick.

30. Bring your sleep routine with you. For exercise guru Taryn Toomey—who bans cellphones in the bedroom, that means a small, wooden alarm clock. For Away’s Rubio, it’s the small, USB-powered white noise machine from Aurola. “There’s a Pavlovian quality to it,” she says. “No matter where in the world I am, or what kind of room I’m in, the machine turns on and my brain instantly relaxes.”

31. In hotel rooms, tiny closets with too few hangers drive fashion entrepreneur Ankari crazy. (He was Bloomberg’s fashion market editor.) He asks for a rolling rack with additional hangers to be delivered to his room so he can see all his outfits, organize looks, and never leave anything behind.

32. If you find yourself tripping over furniture in hotel rooms, do as beauty legend and new hotelier Bobbi Brown does: Ask staff to simply remove the offending item. More often than not, they can and will.

33. Pack an extension cord. Trevor Project’s Amit says it’ll come in handy well after you’ve juiced up at the airport. No matter where you’re sleeping, it’s a surefire way to make sure there’s an outlet just where you’re used to having one, whether that’s bedside, sink-side, or anywhere in between.

The post 33 genius travel hacks to upgrade your holiday trips appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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HolaHolaHola Beautifuls! Here, Up North in The South, school has started and that has us going every which way!! To help calm the frazzles, another BTS giveaway because stress and school son primos hermanos. This year's #Back2School event is giving one lucky winner twelve-plus prizes to help make starting school a little easier. The winner will receive everything from homeschool classes for the year, to educational toys for their toddler, AND Back to Campus gear your college student needs! Celebrate learning with all of your children, big and small! Learn more about the prizes below AND good luck to all who enter! ~ Victoria ENTER TO WIN a Snap Circuits Classic Electronics Exploration Kit from ELENCO! Snap Circuits Classic can be used to make interesting circuits, encouraging educational play that teaches your future engineer about electricity. All of the parts have colored graphics that represent their real electronic names and symbols. This educational toy comes with a complete instruction manual and project guide that helps you to guide your child through exploring over 300 experiments --no soldering required. The color-coded parts combine to create working circuit boards just like the ones found inside televisions, radios, and other electronic devices. With easy-to-follow instructions, Snap Circuits gives your child a hands-on education in how electrical circuits run the devices they use everyday. Visit ELENCO to learn more about Snap Circuits and all of their innovative and educational toys that encourage children to "learn by doing!" ENTER TO WIN a Blue Bear Family shaped ice blocks from Monkey Business! This set comes with one mom and two cubs. They come pre-filled with non toxic fluid, ready to be placed in your freezer and await their turn to chill out in your child's school lunchbox or homeschool park-day cooler! Monkey Business has been creating useful objects with a smile since 1994. They are on a mission to shine a light on the little things that make up your day so you can see them from a new perspective. Visit Monkey Business to learn more about the business of making you smile AND checkout their great products for your home and family. ENTER TO WIN breathable and lightweight PeachSkinSheets® so your student will have a great night sleep all school-year long! Regardless if your child is a hot or cold sleeper, PeachSkinSheets® are thermal controlled to keep both hot sleepers cool, and cold sleepers cozy! The advanced poly microfibers contained in their Athletic Grade SMART fabric breathe just like workout clothes to wick away moisture too. Can't find the right size for your College student's new bed? That's because college dorm mattresses are longer than the standard twin/full mattress you might use at home. Take a look at their XL Twin Dorm and XL Full Dorm sheet sets available at PeachSkinSheets® Visit them online to learn more, order a swatch, or read about their 30 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee! ENTER TO WIN a SMITCO Snap Pop Beads - 725 Piece Kit! The SMITCO pop bead kit is a great addition to your homeschool or classroom. Use them for dexterity, creative play, sensory bin fillers, or math manipulatives. The brightly colored beads arrive in various shapes, sizes, and textures, inspiring an interest in building and engineering in a fun kid-friendly way! Kids love the broad spectrum of colors, and the feel of the smooth beads against their little fingers. Visit SmitCo online to find more ideas on kid-appealing back to school supplies and kits. ENTER TO WIN a Full School Year (Two Semesters) Online Science Class ($680 value) from College Prep Science! Live Online Classes are more than just a once a week teaching engagement. Students are assigned homework, take exams, and are provided with an end of course grade that can be retained for your student's homeschool portfolio and high school transcripts. Live Online Classes at College Prep Science are available for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Exercise and Sports Physiology, Forensic Science & Human Anatomy, Embryology - The Magnificence of Human Development, Introduction to Biochemistry/Microbiology, AND MORE! Visit the Live Online Classes details page to register! REMINDER: Fall Classes Start September 9th! ENTER TO WIN a 2-Day Biology or Chemistry Lab Intensive ($280 value) from College Prep Science! Science Lab Intensives are offered in 15 cities during the Fall, 2019 and Spring, 2020. Each two day intensive is the equivalent of a full school year of labs! Intensives can be attended by future, current, or previous Biology or Chemistry students. There are no prerequisites to attend! Appropriate background information is presented prior to and during each lab that is performed. Visit the Science Lab Intensives details page to find course details, event locations, daily schedules, and how each child will be able to apply what they have learned with "real-life" knowledge. ENTER TO WIN a Sew What Box and sewing accessory surprise from TaylarMade Tailoring! Teach your child how to sew this school year! The Sew What Box monthly subscription box contains handpicked projects that are beautiful, useful, and can be completed in about an hour. The only thing your creative student needs to get started is their Sew What Box Subscription Box, a sewing machine, iron, a pair of scissors! The contents of each box includes pre-cut fabric, pins, and detailed instructions. Simply dust off your sewing machine, hop over to watch the online video tutorial, and get sewing! Visit TaylarMade to take a look at past boxes, inquire about alterations, or signup for a sewing lessons! ENTER TO WIN a TickleMe Plant Garden Kit! The TickleMe Plant has an amazing ability to close its leaves when Tickled! The branches even droop too! What a fun Science project to kick-off the new school year! Mark Your Calendars! Bring Your TickleMe Plant To School Day is Sept 26. 2019! In honor of Johnny "Chapman" Appleseed and his love of planting Apples, TickleMe Plant is encouraging students to bring TickleMe Plant Seeds and TickleMe Plants kits to school or homeschool co-op to grow and show others this amazing plant. Like Johnny Appleseed, they want to share their love of Nature. ENTER TO WIN a D.A.D.®2 from TigerLight! Are you sending your big kids Back to Campus this fall? Here's two alarming facts you need to know before you do: 1 out of 5 women are sexually assaulted before they finish College; AND male college-aged students (18-24) are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault! 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ENTER TO WIN the Simplay3 High Back Toddler Wagon! This wagon is the perfect addition to any family with children under the age of seven. Pull the littles along while you walk your school-aged children to school, OR bring it to your next park-day to keep everything handy while you mingle and gush over the kids with your best mom-friends. The Simplay3 High Back Toddler Wagon (Made in the USA) is a secure and comfortable ride for young toddlers transitioning from a stroller. We love the high contoured backrest because it gives the kids extra support, and the seatbelts keep them secure. The additional storage under the seats and cupholders make this wagon the perfect ride for on-the-go-families. Take a look at the specs and learn more about the key features at Simplay3. ENTER TO WIN a Winning Moves USA Prize Pack! Winning Moves USA's mission is to provide happiness to consumers by offering Classic, Retro, Cool and Fun games for play with friends, family, AND classmates. Some of our favorites fun, yet educational, games from the Winning Moves lineup are Pass the Pigs BIG PIGS, and No Stress Chess. Schedule "game play" into your child's school day to keep learning fun! ENTER TO WIN the item of your choice from TVStoreOnline.com! TVStoreOnline.com is a Detroit-based movie, television, and comic book apparel and costume company seen on Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, The Ellen Show! They have an amazing collection of high-quality shirts, hoodies, and apparel your kids will love for Back to School -- shirts you aren't likely to pickup at your local stores! Stop by to see if they have the shirt you've been looking for! ENTER TO WIN! ALL OF THE PRIZES LISTED ABOVE ONE WINNER TAKES ALL!!!!! The giveaway is open US Only, 18+ The giveaway ends 9/1 at 1159 pm est Be sure to come back daily for more chances to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway Mommy’s Playbook Giveaway Rules: This giveaway is Sponsored by all of the 2019 Back to School Giveaway brands listed within the giveaway article and hosted by Mommy’s Playbook. Victoria and/or Mommy’s Playbook, Participating bloggers, are not responsible for prize fulfillment. By entering this giveaway you are giving the giveaway host and/or event sponsor permission to retain your email address for future communication, you may choose to opt-out of such communications at any time. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by any social media outlet including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Please contact Victoria (at) MommysPlaybook.com regarding any questions you have pertaining to this giveaway. Un poquito de todo and todo BUENISIMO!! Buena Suerte Beautifuls. BB2U

http://bohemianbabushka.bbabushka.com/2019/08/BTS-Celebration-Multiprize-Giveaway-Spanglish.html

[peniseargementtips]

http://bit.ly/2VL0tao <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Anna Scott</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>If you're looking to buy some nice things at discount prices, you should search around until you find a business that offers what you are looking for. <a href="https://www.communityaid.net/get-involved/become-a-partner/">Thrift stores in PA</a>, in fact, are excellent ways to find items for your home. You can browse the aisles and are likely to find some truly great bargains that will cost you a lot less than you would spend at one of the upscale retail stores in the area.<br /> <br /> Stretching a paycheck out over two weeks is never easy for working families. One helpful thing that you can do is create a budget for yourself so that you know where your money is going. By doing this, you can better identify areas where you can cutback. Creating an electronic budget that is available in a spreadsheet is usually the best way to go.<br /> <br /> A good thrift store will often have a range of clothing items to choose from. Shirts and pants for the summer season will always be available, and shoppers can look for items that suit their style. Most stores will always have jeans available, and finding the right size should only be a matter of searching for a few minutes in the right section.<br /> <br /> Some shops also sell overstock items that come from other businesses in the area. Most of these items are relatively new and are still in the original plastic wrap, which means they have never been worn. In addition, many people use secondhand shops to find lightly used dress shoes that can help them when they have to attend a wedding or a work function.<br /> <br /> Secondhand stores are also usually very good for books. You'd be surprised what you can find if you spend some time browsing the shelves. You can often find classic works of fiction and non-fiction for only a few dollars. These are works that should always be snatched up and added to your personal collection if you are capable of finding them.<br /> <br /> If you are looking for a few decent toys to give as gifts for birthdays or during the holiday season, you'll have quite a few to choose from. Just because the toys are available for relatively cheap prices does not mean that they are broken. In fact, they are likely to be perfectly fine for kids of all ages to play with.<br /> <br /> Some stores might also have furniture pieces available. Choose whether you want a couch or a chair and then look for a store that appears promising. If there are little imperfections in the fabric, these can usually be fixed up without a problem. Coffee tables and end tables are also fine to purchase.<br /> <br /> You will ultimately wish to find a store that gives you everything you want. Whenever you need quality, inexpensive items, you can return to the store to shop. Your family will be thrilled with the bargains you've managed to find.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>Learn how to become a partner at one of our <a href="http://www.communityaid.net/get-involved/become-a-partner">thrift stores in PA</a> today. Help your local community by signing up through this website at http://bit.ly/2JsAP8A.</div><br /> </div><br /> An Overview Of Thrift Stores In PA

By Anna Scott

If you're looking to buy some nice things at discount prices, you should search around until you find a business that offers what you are looking for. Thrift stores in PA, in fact, are excellent ways to find items for your home. You can browse the aisles and are likely to find some truly great bargains that will cost you a lot less than you would spend at one of the upscale retail stores in the area. Stretching a paycheck out over two weeks is never easy for working families. One helpful thing that you can do is create a budget for yourself so that you know where your money is going. By doing this, you can better identify areas where you can cutback. Creating an electronic budget that is available in a spreadsheet is usually the best way to go. A good thrift store will often have a range of clothing items to choose from. Shirts and pants for the summer season will always be available, and shoppers can look for items that suit their style. Most stores will always have jeans available, and finding the right size should only be a matter of searching for a few minutes in the right section. Some shops also sell overstock items that come from other businesses in the area. Most of these items are relatively new and are still in the original plastic wrap, which means they have never been worn. In addition, many people use secondhand shops to find lightly used dress shoes that can help them when they have to attend a wedding or a work function. Secondhand stores are also usually very good for books. You'd be surprised what you can find if you spend some time browsing the shelves. You can often find classic works of fiction and non-fiction for only a few dollars. These are works that should always be snatched up and added to your personal collection if you are capable of finding them. If you are looking for a few decent toys to give as gifts for birthdays or during the holiday season, you'll have quite a few to choose from. Just because the toys are available for relatively cheap prices does not mean that they are broken. In fact, they are likely to be perfectly fine for kids of all ages to play with. Some stores might also have furniture pieces available. Choose whether you want a couch or a chair and then look for a store that appears promising. If there are little imperfections in the fabric, these can usually be fixed up without a problem. Coffee tables and end tables are also fine to purchase. You will ultimately wish to find a store that gives you everything you want. Whenever you need quality, inexpensive items, you can return to the store to shop. Your family will be thrilled with the bargains you've managed to find.

About the Author:

Learn how to become a partner at one of our thrift stores in PA today. Help your local community by signing up through this website at http://bit.ly/2JsAP8A.

from Blogger http://bit.ly/2VL0tao via IFTTT

[jeenatomsonnn]

By Anna Scott

If you're looking to buy some nice things at discount prices, you should search around until you find a business that offers what you are looking for. Thrift stores in PA, in fact, are excellent ways to find items for your home. You can browse the aisles and are likely to find some truly great bargains that will cost you a lot less than you would spend at one of the upscale retail stores in the area. Stretching a paycheck out over two weeks is never easy for working families. One helpful thing that you can do is create a budget for yourself so that you know where your money is going. By doing this, you can better identify areas where you can cutback. Creating an electronic budget that is available in a spreadsheet is usually the best way to go. A good thrift store will often have a range of clothing items to choose from. Shirts and pants for the summer season will always be available, and shoppers can look for items that suit their style. Most stores will always have jeans available, and finding the right size should only be a matter of searching for a few minutes in the right section. Some shops also sell overstock items that come from other businesses in the area. Most of these items are relatively new and are still in the original plastic wrap, which means they have never been worn. In addition, many people use secondhand shops to find lightly used dress shoes that can help them when they have to attend a wedding or a work function. Secondhand stores are also usually very good for books. You'd be surprised what you can find if you spend some time browsing the shelves. You can often find classic works of fiction and non-fiction for only a few dollars. These are works that should always be snatched up and added to your personal collection if you are capable of finding them. If you are looking for a few decent toys to give as gifts for birthdays or during the holiday season, you'll have quite a few to choose from. Just because the toys are available for relatively cheap prices does not mean that they are broken. In fact, they are likely to be perfectly fine for kids of all ages to play with. Some stores might also have furniture pieces available. Choose whether you want a couch or a chair and then look for a store that appears promising. If there are little imperfections in the fabric, these can usually be fixed up without a problem. Coffee tables and end tables are also fine to purchase. You will ultimately wish to find a store that gives you everything you want. Whenever you need quality, inexpensive items, you can return to the store to shop. Your family will be thrilled with the bargains you've managed to find.

About the Author:

Learn how to become a partner at one of our thrift stores in PA today. Help your local community by signing up through this website at http://bit.ly/2JsAP8A.

[onlinehotelbookings]

Get Ready To Learn All About Hotels!

If you are planning to travel, there are a lot of things to do before you head out the door. This includes packing, fueling up the car, and/or buying plane tickets. Another thing that must be done is you must make hotel reservations. Look at the article below for some great advice on booking your hotel the easy way.

Prior to choosing and reserving a hotel room, check review sites online like TripAdvisor or Expedia. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking. This can help you choose which hotel to stay at.

Room service is great for late meals. Even though this will cost a bit more, the convenience and comfort are worth it.

If you wish to keep things safe in a hotel, use the hotel’s safe that’s in the closet of your room. Putting these items in the safe ensures that you can go out and have fun, not worrying about what you’ve left in the room.

Make sure you check with any organizations of which you are a member. Some organizations offer discounts on hotels to their members. People frequently forget these discounts are available, and they can be 10 percent or more. This can lead to a great amount of money saved, especially for those spending multiple nights at the hotel. A stay of 5 days or more could add up to one free hotel night stay!

TIP! When picking a hotel, there is a lot to think about. The location of the hotel may be just as important than the price.

When booking a hotel, you need to establish what you need and what you would ideally like from your stay. Of course price is a big deal, but a hotel close to where you are head is a big consideration. Amenities such as complimentary WiFi, free local calls, complimentary breakfast, a gym and pool and a convenient restaurant are also important considerations. Seek to locate a hotel that provides lots of attractive amenities.

Checking online is the best way to find a good price and get the information that you need about hotels. The hotel representative is unlikely to inform you there are better deals online. This is why you should always do your research well online to find these hidden discounts. Look at Jetsetter, Enrovia and Hotels.com.

If you want to find the absolute rock bottom hotel prices, plan your trips weeks or months ahead of time. Quite a few locations will give discounts if you choose to book a room a month or more in advance. Doing this could save you up to 50 percent off your room, and this holds true with the more elite brands as well.

TIP! Check your hotel room prior to unpacking. Make sure there is no mold or mildew anywhere in the room.

There are some things you have to do before taking your pet on a trip. Make sure it’s a pet-friendly hotel. Remember to bring bags so that you can pick up your pet’s waste when you travel. Finally, ask the hotel staff if you can have a room on the far end away from guests so that you don’t interfere with their visit.

If the hotel you stay at offers a couples massage, it is very important that you make an appointment well ahead of time. Experience a truly special moment with a top masseur or masseuse by asking for your appointment well in advance.

Inquire about the price of a transfer before you place a booking. It is not uncommon to find that greatly discounted bookings may have a hidden cost for the transfer. Asking about this ahead of time helps you maximize your savings.

Join a loyalty program to get deals on your stays. These programs allow you to collect points that can be applied toward further travels.

Making a long distance call from a hotel room should be avoided. Look to the Internet, instead. Many hotels now offer Skype connections via Wi-Fi. This saves you a ton of money.

Start looking in the bathroom when checking for bed bugs in a hotel. This is the last room they are likely to be. That makes it the perfect place to store your luggage while you inspect the rest of the premises for bedbugs. If you have pets or children with you, ask them to wait in the bathroom too.

TIP! Plan your trip as far in advance as you can to ensure best rates. A lot of hotel locations offer discounts for reservations a month or more in advance.

If you smoke, be sure you’re aware of what the hotel thinks of smoking where you’re staying. Certain hotels provide rooms that are specifically for people who smoke. If this is what you’re looking for, inquire about these rooms. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a high fee for smoking in a room that is designated as non-smoking.

Friendly Hotels

Find out what the policy on pets is. If you don’t like pets or are allergic, you want to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Also, pet friendly hotels may have lingering odors that have been absorbed by carpeting or linens. Some hotels are pet-friendly and don’t charge for it, while other hotels will add a hefty fee for keeping a pet. Depending on what the hotel is like, you might have to pay an extra cleaning fee.

TIP! Think about these three things if you plan to bring a pet with you during your hotel stay. Be sure that this hotel will be friendly to pets.

When seeking reservations, don’t forget to ask for a crib or cot if you need one. Not every hotel will carry them, and the ones that do may not have enough to go around. Additionally, you may need to pay an extra fee. Discuss these needs when making your reservation to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Never actually check out before the departure date unless it’s an emergency. If you do, then you could be charged an extra departure fee for early checkout. You reserve a room when you book it, so if you leave early they lose money. To earn back this money they will lose, they charge you an additional departure fee.

You probably should avoid using the hotel’s bedspread for hygienic reasons. Sheets are generally washed after guests leave the room, but the bedspread typically isn’t. That means it could harbor contaminants you don’t want to be in contact with. For your health’s sake, remove the bedspread.

TIP! To make sure that you get a couple’s massage when you’re staying somewhere, get your appointment booked as early as you are able to. Frequently, the most skilled massage specialists at the best hotels are reserved by name, so when you plan ahead, you can get the best.

Finding the best hotel for your stay is an important step in planning for a successful trip. Business or pleasure, your best trip starts with getting the best hotel room. Keep in mind all that you learned from this article the next time that you place a hotel reservation.

[droneseco]

3Doodler Start: Safe and Affordable 3D Printing Pen for Kids

Our verdict of the 3Doodler Start Essentials: Affordable and putting 3D printing creativity into the hands of children 8 and above, the 3Doodler Start is a great way to give kids a new artistic experience. The possibilities are endless, but things can get a bit messy.810

3D printing has taken the world by storm, but it remains a largely rigid process, relying on computer-aided designs. While the output is very precise, it can often lack panache.

To combat this, we have the 3D printer pen, most notably from 3Doodler. But while these handheld 3D printers are straightforward to use, they can be unsuitable for children, and miss the childish creativity and flair. So, meet the 3Doodler Start, a 3D printing pen aimed at children of 8 years and older. But is it safe for children to use?

3D Printing, But in Your Hand

Let’s get this out of the way. 3D printers are big, bulky devices, not dissimilar to fish tanks, that carefully extrude plastic from a computer-controlled nozzle.

A 3D printer pen is quite different.

Instead of a rigid nozzle outputting plastic on two axes, the 3D printer pen is free form. You hold the device in your hand, feed a strand of plastic filament, and let your imagination go to work. In many ways, it is completely different from a 3D printer.

The pen itself can be powered by mains cable or a rechargeable battery. Typically, there are controls to feed or reverse the plastic strand, along with an option to stop extruding plastic.

Think of it like a thick felt tip pen that outputs plastic. Oh, and you can draw in three dimensions. Hence the name “3D printing pen”.

3Doodler has released several 3D printing pens over the years. We’ve reviewed several in the past, but this is the first one aimed at children. But how suitable is it for young, creative minds?

To find out, I asked my daughter, Erin-rose, to help me out.

3Doodler Start Essentials 3Doodler Start Essentials Buy Now On Amazon $42.16

Is a 3D Printing Pen Safe for Children?

Standard 3Doodler devices are not safe for children. These 3D printing pens are designed to push melted plastic strands out of a nib, which you create art with by drawing. Meanwhile, the nib remains hot throughout the process, while the plastic takes a few seconds to cool.

In short, burning is a risk. I’ve burnt myself several times on the standard 3Doodler nib, and had plastic stuck to me, scalding my skin.

Totally unsuitable for kids.

With the 3Doodler Start, however, things are different.

To start off with, there is no hot nib. Instead, the nib is plastic and entirely safe to touch. Similarly, the plastic is extruded at a much lower temperature; more malleable than molten. It’s a little like chewing gum but cools relatively quickly to harden. Also like chewing gum, it can get a bit messy.

This isn’t the same plastic used in 3Doodler kits aimed at adults, however. Instead, this is BPA-free (a substance that can harm hormone development) plastic filament that can only be used with the 3Doodler Start pen. Note that this product is not suitable for children under 36 months.

Refill filament can be purchased from Amazon.

3Doodler Start Essentials 3Doodler Start Essentials Buy Now On Amazon $35.36

What You Get With a 3Doodler Start

As you’d expect with a kit for kids, the 3Doodler Start offers a simplified 3Doodler experience. In the box you’ll find two packets of plastic filaments, the 3Doodler Start pen, and a short USB charge cable. There’s also an instruction booklet and a book of templates.

Various template designs are included, enabling you to get started right away.

The box is compact, but you’ll find everything you need to start 3D printing by hand!

Loading Up on Plastic

Before starting, it’s a good idea to charge the 3Doodler Start. This can be done from a standard USB port.

A small switch on the side is provided to turn the device on and off. Switching on warms up the 3Doodler Start; the amber light turns to green when it’s time to start feeding in the strands of plastic.

Simplified Controls

The 3Doodler Start’s simple one-button-does-all control is multifunctional. With this, the plastic is fed in or ejected; it is also used for extruding the heated strands.

While the simplified approach is of course ideal for children, it isn’t perfect. In our test device, the button wasn’t as responsive as it could have been, leaving Erin-rose to spend too long trying to feed in plastic.

Having said that, once the plastic is flowing, the stop control does a great job of ceasing extrusion immediately. This is important for creating a neater project.

What Can You Create?

With a 3Doodler pen in your hand, you’re limited only by your imagination. In theory, you could create anything.

To help you (or your child) get started, the 3Doodler Start kit comes with a set of stencils. These can be used to create a smartphone case, decorative glasses, a miniature Eiffel Tower, and much more.

You see, the 3Doodler’s plastic is designed so that it can be applied to paper but is easy to remove once set. This makes paper templates ideal, giving you the option to create your own designs with just a pen and paper.

A flip through the templates reveals that some templates need to be reused within the same project. For example, the Eiffel Tower components need to be created four times each. Once you’re done, each part can be “glued” together with a dab of warm plastic.

3D Print Directly onto Your Tablet’s Display—No, Really

Meanwhile, more designs are can be found in the 3Doodler app, available for iOS and Android.

Along with videos and ordering tools for new filament, the app features stencils to create more designs. But you don’t print these out—instead, you “write” with the 3Doodler Start directly onto your tablet or phone’s display.

Now, this feature might surprise you as much as it did us. We spoke to a representative from 3Doodler, who told us: “our 3Doodler Start pen extrudes plastic at about 110 degrees, so slightly warmer than the human body. This makes it a non-issue with our most popular product.”

To try this out, Erin-rose spent a few minutes looking for an attractive template before settling on a CND emblem, and a set of lips. The end results were indistinguishable from using a paper template, although the underside was a bit smoother than paper.

It was around this time that Erin-rose noticed that the flat side of a 3Doodler model might look more attractive. As such, she’s started constructing everything “back to front”, with the smooth side showing. Although it looks tidier, it’s an approach that does lose some of the individuality of the 3Doodler Start experience.

Not keen on printing onto an expensive tablet? Don’t worry—everything in the app can be sent to your local printer instead.

STEM Benefits of 3Doodler Start

Many parents these days are looking for toys that bring an educational dimension into their children’s lives. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) toys are becoming increasingly prominent. It helps that toy manufacturers are identifying their products’ STEM strengths.

3Doodler notes that “As a tactile learning toy, the 3Doodler Start inspires creativity, design, planning, building and spatial understanding.”

Certainly, there is a certain amount of engineering that is required in building something like a 3D plastic Eiffel Tower. However, the strengths of the 3Doodler Start seem to be more in the STEAM area (the same abbreviation, but with art), with stencils for masks, stamps, gift tags, and more.

It is worth noting that other items in the 3Doodler Start range are more STEM than STEAM, however. For example, there is a 3Doodler Start Robotics kit, as well as one focusing on architecture.

Is 3D Printing Suitable for Kids?

Easy to hold, the 3Doodler Start makes 3D printing safe for children. The possibilities are exciting, but the experience isn’t wholly perfect.

The softer plastic is frustrating to use at times and certainly makes more of a mess than the adult variety. One impact of this is that 3D printing becomes a more tactile experience, as thumbs and fingers start pressing the plastic into shapes rather than waiting for it to set.

However, this soft plastic does make the 3Doodler Start’s nib particularly difficult to keep clean.

Additionally, the single button controlling the feed (both directions) and the stop/start of extrusion can be confusing for children.

Having said all of that, Erin-rose assures me that it’s fun to use. She doesn’t mind that it gets a bit messy. Why would she?

Get Your Kids 3D Printing with 3Doodler Start

3Doodler Start Essentials 3Doodler Start Essentials Buy Now On Amazon $42.16

Both a 3D printer and a 3D printing pen rely on the extrusion of lines of plastic to build something.

However, this is really all they have in common. You’re no more going to make a perfect plastic box with a 3D printer pen than create a work of individual art in a machine.

Surprisingly affordable, the 3Doodler Start can help to encourage creative endeavor and keep your child occupied at weekends, on holidays, and during bouts of bad weather. While the mobile app might seem a little insane, the plastic residue can be safely and easily removed from your device display. We’d understand if you preferred to use the printed templates, though!

Enter the Competition!

3Doodler Start Essentials Kit 3D Printing Pen Giveaway

Read the full article: 3Doodler Start: Safe and Affordable 3D Printing Pen for Kids

3Doodler Start: Safe and Affordable 3D Printing Pen for Kids published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[marilynjackmm]

TIP! Before you pick out your hotel you’re going to reserve a spot at, check out review sites online like TripAdvisor. These offer feedback from those who have recently stayed at the hotel you are considering booking.

Having the right hotel room can make or break your stay. Since it is so expensive, choosing the right hotel is a must. The following tips will ensure that the process is less of a headache for you.

TIP! Check in on the organizations you belong to. There are times when an organization will give you great deals on the price of hotels.

Before booking your hotel room, look to online review sites for in depth reviews from recent travelers. This lets you know what others’ experiences have been like. These reviews can aid you in your decision about whether to book the hotel.

TIP! Before you book a hotel, look for deals online. Often, the only way to learn about discounts is to look online.

Room service is great for late meals. Room service generally costs more than ordering out; however, it is nice to be able to order a meal in the middle of the night if you so choose.

TIP! Don’t think every hotel is pet-friendly. You should call ahead to double check, even if it was stated on the website that this is a pet friendly hotel.

Use the closet safe to protect your electronics. You can place your costly items that are small into their safe, and then you won’t have to worry about these things as you go out.

TIP! Book massages as early as possible. Frequently, the best massage people will be booked by name.

Take a look into organizations you are part of. Hotel discounts are often one of the benefits offered. Some of these discounts can be pretty substantial, but many people don’t take advantage of them. This can help you to save some cash, especially if you’re going to be staying for a few nights. It can add up to almost a free hotel night!

TIP! If you are a person who travels often, it is a good idea to sign up for hotel loyalty programs. They offer a variety of benefits to their members.

There are things to think about when choosing a hotel. You should look at the price, but you should also look at the location that is most convenient for what you want to do. Amenities such as complimentary WiFi, free local calls, complimentary breakfast, a gym and pool and a convenient restaurant are also important considerations. Choose an establishment that offers the amenities you desire.

TIP! If you often frequent the same hotel chains, look into their frequent stay membership programs. These are similar to frequent flyer programs.

Know when you are able to check in and get your room. If you show up too early for check-in, then your room may not be ready for you yet. If you will be arriving before check-in, call the hotel in advance and see if you can check-in early.

TIP! You may wish to consider a “green” vacation if the environment is one of your concerns. The great thing is there are plenty of green hotels you can select from.

If you are a runner, be sure to bring your running clothes and shoes. Enjoy a morning jog each day while on vacation. Running not only provides you with great exercise, but it also helps you better learn the city in which you are residing.

TIP! The price you are charged for your hotel room is partly dependent upon when you make the reservations. Availability is one factor that plays a part in cost.

If you book accommodations often, hotel loyalty programs are good to participate in. They offer perks to folks who frequent their hotel. You might earn a free upgrade, late checkout time, or other great perks.

TIP! Before you decide to book, always find out if there are any hotel transfer fees so you won’t be surprised on your bill. You don’t want to ruin the deal you are getting on your room by paying for an expensive transfer.

Join a frequent customer program if you stay at the same hotel chain a lot. You should be able to earn points every time you are visiting one of the hotels. These points can be traded in for restaurant discounts, tickets to shows, free nights at the hotel, and much more.

TIP! Consider joining a membership program if you travel often. When you do, you get points every time you stay at a hotel.

If you are concerned about the environment, you may want to take a “green” vacation. Luckily, there are a lot of green hotels out there in this day and age. There are plenty of hotels built today with strong environmental standards. Eco-friendly strategies are also now commonly adopted by many older hotels. A good travel agent can help you find hotels that are environmentally friendly.

TIP! Find out if the hotel you’re staying at has a functioning pool for the kids. There aren’t many things that are as frustrating as going to your hotel with kids that really want to swim only to see that it has been closed.

To make sure you don’t have an unexpected expense, ask about how much hotel transfers will cost. If you’re getting what appears to be a nice deal on the room, these types of hidden charges can sometimes surface. You will save more by asking about such a thing in advance.

TIP! Determine whether or not the hotel you are considering allows smoking or not. If you are a non-smoker, you will enjoy a non-smoking room more.

Membership programs offered by hotel chains help members who travel a lot get the best rooms during their stay. You will build up points with that hotel for added benefits. It works a lot like frequent flier miles do for airlines.

TIP! If you have a young child, ask for a crib when you call to make your reservation. Not every hotel will give you this sort of thing, and the ones that do are in limited quantities.

A membership in AAA can make booking a hotel easier when you travel. AAA members not only get discounts at many hotel chains, it will also make it much easier to rent a car. At some locations they even offer free car seats.

TIP! If you book a room during a heavy occupancy period, don’t be surprised if you have a mandatory stay of a few days or more. Your hotel may charge you a fee to do so.

Now you should understand that some preparation goes a long way when it comes to booking hotels. You need to what you should be looking for and when the best time is to book. So keep the above suggestions in mind so you ensure you find the perfect hotel that will fit all your needs.

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[rollinbrigittenv8]

Interview: Marriott CEO on Politics, Technology and Loyalty

Arne Sorenson (right) was interviewed on stage by Rebecca Jarvis at the NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference on June 5. Mark McQueen / NYUSPS

Skift Take: Despite the challenges facing the industry, Sorenson remains optimistic and determined to make sure Marriott's $13.3 billion bet on loyalty pays off.

— Deanna Ting

Arne Sorenson is not the kind of hotel CEO who likes to stay quiet about the most pressing issues impacting not only the hotel business, but travel overall.

Most recently, the Marriott International CEO penned a piece urging governments to implement smarter ways to deal with safety and security in travel. And before that, he also wrote an open letter to then President-Elect Trump.

Skift spoke to Sorenson while he attended the New York University Hospitality Industry Investment conference in New York on June 5 to ask him for his thoughts on the industry. What follows also includes excerpts from his conversation on stage with Rebecca Jarvis at the same conference.

Skift Editor’s Note: Sorenson’s quotes have been edited for clarity and length.

The Current Climate

“I think one of the challenges we’ve got today is when we look at the events in London or we look at the travel ban tweets this morning, or we look at some attributes of the world we live in, it could feel a little negative,” Sorenson said. “I actually think we’ve got to be careful about that because we’ve got significantly growing global travel. We’ve got [this], both in domestic travel in the United States and maybe in the markets surrounding it, and because of this move toward wanting experiences — including travel — because of this move of a growing mobile middle class, there is a lot about the future which is really positive.”

“The best thing we can do for laptops is if, in the entire world, we’ve got TSA-like security where people are looking at your bags, or going through every item, and it can be a burden in some airports and some countries, but it’s a burden that applies to everyone, and by and large it means that we’ve all as travelers learned to just put up with it,” he noted. “I think, similarly, in the laptop space, or other spaces around technology, the more these can be decisions that are made with other countries involved, I think the less unique impact it would have on the United States. So, if there was a laptop ban for inbound U.S. business only, it would simply be yet another reason why somebody might not continue to come to the United States. And that’s where it starts to have the possibility of hurting us.”

Investing in Experiences

Earlier this year, Marriott announced its investment in PlacePass, a tours-and-activities metasearch platform, and it’s clear that Marriott, like its peers, is seeing the increasing importance of playing a bigger role in the entire, end-to-end travel journey for customers.

“I think we [as a society] are broadly much more interested in collecting experiences than material things,” Sorenson said. “And that maybe could be said uniquely about Millennials but I truly think it could be said about people like me too, and it’s how do we how do we take a trip or how do we have a meal which is really memorable, and then we could share it.”

“Our entire business is experiences,” he added. “We’re in a really good place to be because all around the world we see people say ‘I want to go see Paris and New York or you know, the parks, or whatever, fill in the blank. And I want to do those things as a higher priority than 10 or 20 years ago.’ Now, in the PlacePass context, that is a little bit more finally focused, which is how do you make it easy for folks, given what broader experience of travel there is to find these unique activities that they can engage in when they’re traveling. PlacePass is a way of doing that with hundreds of thousands of options already.”

Shifts in Hotel Design

Sorenson said that although Marriott currently has 30 brands in its portfolio, each with very different styles and designs, he’s seen a few universal trends among each — and again, none of them is going away anytime soon.

“Some trends are really basic and obvious: big TVs. I toured a number of hotels last week, and every one of them they had 55-inch TVs. And if you were back just a few years ago, you know, you felt great if you got a 42-inch TV, because often you might get a 32- or a 37-inch and so you see that now … and with it you see the technology evolving. So, on that big TV we can watch through our own Netflix account or we can cast it on from our devices that we are carrying with us. And so that technology, particularly around entertainment, is pretty powerful for the guest experience and the way we’re designing hotels.”

“I think secondly, the hard-surface floor in the guest room is getting to be more and more standard,” Sorenson added. “I think that it will not be the case in every brand because that fact is it is getting more expensive on the front end.”

“The third thing I talk about is food and beverage,” Sorenson said. “I want to localize food/beverage experience. That might be a concept that we own and operate ourselves, it might be, let’s say a license that we have with a third party, or it might be an outsourced arrangement, but how do we get in the position where we’re bringing life back into the food and beverage offering, particularly at lunch and dinner? With breakfast, obviously, you’ve got a captive audience that you could sell breakfast to but pulling people in at dinner is what really demonstrates the power of the restaurant.

The Front Desk Will Be a Thing of the Past

Marriott’s app on iOS allows check-in and mobile keys, depending on properties.

While speaking on stage, Sorenson predicted the hotel front desk may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the growth of services that can be facilitated via mobile devices. While keyless entry has seen wider adoption in recent years thanks first to Starwood, then to Marriott’s adoption of the technology, it has yet to go wide with consumers.

“Think about opening your guestroom door with your phone and not having to stop at the front desk,” he explained. “Think about that as having room service waiting in your room when you arrive. Think about that as being at the beach in front of the hotel and wanting lunch and being able to get on the app and have the lunch brought as opposed to waiting for the waiter who’s trudging through the sand to try and take orders as well as deliver orders. This collection of mobile services is available now but the penetration is growing dramatically. I would think within a very few number of years, overwhelmingly, when we’re on business travel, we’re going to have the ability and probable likelihood of bypassing the front desk.”

Merging Starwood and Marriott Through Technology

In May, discussing Marriott’s first quarter earnings, Sorenson said the biggest risk involved in the integration between Marriott and Starwood involved technology and at the NYU conference, he elaborated further.

“So far, all things evolving the integration are going great. We feel it’s going as well as we could’ve anticipated actually and even better. Technology is the thing that seems to take time, which is what I mentioned in the earliest call. Think about the property management system. There are a number of variants revolving to the next generation before we combine Starwood, so how do you get to the right number of property management systems to make sure they’re compatible? How do you make sure you have a functionality you need to have which is dealing with multiple currencies and cost effectiveness because you could have a super high-end luxury hotel that’s big or you could have a relatively small boutique hotel that really needs the efficiencies. So, we’ve gone through those depths. And similarly, as we’re looking at the property management systems, how do you take the two that were there which are both about technology and about people. Where are they located? How are they interacting with the customers? How are they interacting with the online booking?”

“And of course, then you’ve got the stuff that is yet to come around: automation and artificial intelligence,” he said. “A lot of that is going to be about getting to know our customers better and how do we without going too far we make sure that we’re using the information.”

A Loyalty Update

“I think the loyalty programs are enormously powerful and have been for many years the most powerful platform for us to have relationships with our customers. And I think, if anything, they’re getting more powerful not just for us but for everyone,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson also said one thing that surprised him was how passionate Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members were about their program. “I think early on, the thing we maybe didn’t appreciate quite as much as we should have was how rabid the SPG elite’s needs were about their program. Maybe that shouldn’t have been that surprising, but they were. They said, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen to our program? What are you going to do with my points?’ So we’ve engaged and entered into that conversation with them.”

He added, “[For the] legacy [Marriott] brand it’s worth well over 50 percent to 60 percent of our business which is rewards related. Starwood was a bit lower than that, but a piece of that was that the distribution was smaller, and another piece of that is also that the distributions can be a little bit more in non-business markets where your percentages are always going to be a little bit higher.”

“But you know I think so far so good. I think the connection of the two platforms from the beginning [with account linking], which we’ve talked about before, was absolutely huge and I think we still get great compliments from our customers who say I love the fact that I got the benefits of both programs from the beginning. Maybe it was not as simple as I’d like it to be in some point in time, but we’ll be moving now with a goal of fully integrating all three programs by the second half of 2018.”

He also noted, “I think a number of us in the industry are seeing that our loyalty penetration is nearing 60 percent today of all business, so it gives you a sense of how powerful these loyalty platforms are.”

Will There Be More Mergers and Acquisitions?

Having participated in what is arguably the largest acquisition in the hospitality industry in recent years with the tumultuous $13.3-billion purchase of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Sorenson said he thinks another transaction of that magnitude may not be as likely going forward.

“The challenge on the M&A [mergers and acquisitions] side, in predicting it, is companies are not always for sale and the big advantage we have is that Starwood was first and so we could step in, which we did at the last minute, and be successful in buying the company,” he said. “But if Starwood hadn’t been for sale and we went and knocked on their door in Stamford, my guess is they would’ve said, or maybe not even answered the door, but they may have said, ‘We’re not interested in this.'”

“I do think, in the fullness of time, people understand that there are advantages around size and they’re about loyalty programs, they’re about investing in technology, they’re about distribution: who are you selling, how do you sell to them, and so I think we’ll see that [consolidation] continuing.”

On Direct Booking

The other big story dominating many conversations within the hospitality industry last year involved direct bookings, or the proliferation of member rates for customers who book direct with the hotel brands instead of booking through third parties like online travel agencies (OTAs) like Priceline and Expedia.

Sorenson said he expects a focus on direct bookings will continue this year.

“I think the direct booking thing will also continue to be a priority for the industry because the more we can have our business encapsulated within our loyalty program, there are customers coming to us directly therefore there’s less frictional cost associated, there’s real cost associated with it, we can know our customers better, provide better service — that’s a much better place for us to be,” he said.

When asked about a recent CBRE report that noted that the amount of commissions paid to third parties rose last year, Sorenson said, “Yes, that’s industry wide, and I think the OTAs are continuing to grow well. Obviously, their contribution is much higher with independents because they don’t have loyalty programming in their platforms. And those companies continue to do well, and by the way, even if we got to an ideal world, it doesn’t mean that there are no reservations coming to us from some of these other platforms, because they serve a customer that doesn’t travel that frequently. And we are not likely to know that customer, and but that’s okay, and they might continue to grow. But I think we will continue to see our loyalty penetration grow as well and that’s a long-term goal.”

On stage, following a luncheon where he sat at the same table as Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Sorenson joked, “Well, there’s Dara sitting right there and we didn’t negotiate once during lunch. Neither of us [Marriott and Starwood] have experienced negotiations [with the OTAs] since we closed the deal … I think, if I remember right and I think, whether it’s with Expedia or with other online travel agents, we have each got areas where we want to grow our businesses and maybe a little bit to the exclusion of the other, and we each have areas where there’s work we can do together.”

He added, “Where the OTAs are most additive to us is with the occasional leisure traveler who’s not a member of our loyalty program, who may not know that much about hotel brands, who’s going to look not just for the kind of choice that we’ve got in our system but for even broader choice, someplace else. If we can sell rooms to those folks and obviously then try to press upon them through service and product, that they should be customers of ours, that’s a good thing for us.”

[touristguidebuzz]

Interview: Marriott CEO on Politics, Technology and Loyalty

Arne Sorenson (right) was interviewed on stage by Rebecca Jarvis at the NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference on June 5. Mark McQueen / NYUSPS

Skift Take: Despite the challenges facing the industry, Sorenson remains optimistic and determined to make sure Marriott's $13.3 billion bet on loyalty pays off.

— Deanna Ting

Arne Sorenson is not the kind of hotel CEO who likes to stay quiet about the most pressing issues impacting not only the hotel business, but travel overall.

Most recently, the Marriott International CEO penned a piece urging governments to implement smarter ways to deal with safety and security in travel. And before that, he also wrote an open letter to then President-Elect Trump.

Skift spoke to Sorenson while he attended the New York University Hospitality Industry Investment conference in New York on June 5 to ask him for his thoughts on the industry. What follows also includes excerpts from his conversation on stage with Rebecca Jarvis at the same conference.

Skift Editor’s Note: Sorenson’s quotes have been edited for clarity and length.

The Current Climate

“I think one of the challenges we’ve got today is when we look at the events in London or we look at the travel ban tweets this morning, or we look at some attributes of the world we live in, it could feel a little negative,” Sorenson said. “I actually think we’ve got to be careful about that because we’ve got significantly growing global travel. We’ve got [this], both in domestic travel in the United States and maybe in the markets surrounding it, and because of this move toward wanting experiences — including travel — because of this move of a growing mobile middle class, there is a lot about the future which is really positive.”

“The best thing we can do for laptops is if, in the entire world, we’ve got TSA-like security where people are looking at your bags, or going through every item, and it can be a burden in some airports and some countries, but it’s a burden that applies to everyone, and by and large it means that we’ve all as travelers learned to just put up with it,” he noted. “I think, similarly, in the laptop space, or other spaces around technology, the more these can be decisions that are made with other countries involved, I think the less unique impact it would have on the United States. So, if there was a laptop ban for inbound U.S. business only, it would simply be yet another reason why somebody might not continue to come to the United States. And that’s where it starts to have the possibility of hurting us.”

Investing in Experiences

Earlier this year, Marriott announced its investment in PlacePass, a tours-and-activities metasearch platform, and it’s clear that Marriott, like its peers, is seeing the increasing importance of playing a bigger role in the entire, end-to-end travel journey for customers.

“I think we [as a society] are broadly much more interested in collecting experiences than material things,” Sorenson said. “And that maybe could be said uniquely about Millennials but I truly think it could be said about people like me too, and it’s how do we how do we take a trip or how do we have a meal which is really memorable, and then we could share it.”

“Our entire business is experiences,” he added. “We’re in a really good place to be because all around the world we see people say ‘I want to go see Paris and New York or you know, the parks, or whatever, fill in the blank. And I want to do those things as a higher priority than 10 or 20 years ago.’ Now, in the PlacePass context, that is a little bit more finally focused, which is how do you make it easy for folks, given what broader experience of travel there is to find these unique activities that they can engage in when they’re traveling. PlacePass is a way of doing that with hundreds of thousands of options already.”

Shifts in Hotel Design

Sorenson said that although Marriott currently has 30 brands in its portfolio, each with very different styles and designs, he’s seen a few universal trends among each — and again, none of them is going away anytime soon.

“Some trends are really basic and obvious: big TVs. I toured a number of hotels last week, and every one of them they had 55-inch TVs. And if you were back just a few years ago, you know, you felt great if you got a 42-inch TV, because often you might get a 32- or a 37-inch and so you see that now … and with it you see the technology evolving. So, on that big TV we can watch through our own Netflix account or we can cast it on from our devices that we are carrying with us. And so that technology, particularly around entertainment, is pretty powerful for the guest experience and the way we’re designing hotels.”

“I think secondly, the hard-surface floor in the guest room is getting to be more and more standard,” Sorenson added. “I think that it will not be the case in every brand because that fact is it is getting more expensive on the front end.”

“The third thing I talk about is food and beverage,” Sorenson said. “I want to localize food/beverage experience. That might be a concept that we own and operate ourselves, it might be, let’s say a license that we have with a third party, or it might be an outsourced arrangement, but how do we get in the position where we’re bringing life back into the food and beverage offering, particularly at lunch and dinner? With breakfast, obviously, you’ve got a captive audience that you could sell breakfast to but pulling people in at dinner is what really demonstrates the power of the restaurant.

The Front Desk Will Be a Thing of the Past

Marriott’s app on iOS allows check-in and mobile keys, depending on properties.

While speaking on stage, Sorenson predicted the hotel front desk may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the growth of services that can be facilitated via mobile devices. While keyless entry has seen wider adoption in recent years thanks first to Starwood, then to Marriott’s adoption of the technology, it has yet to go wide with consumers.

“Think about opening your guestroom door with your phone and not having to stop at the front desk,” he explained. “Think about that as having room service waiting in your room when you arrive. Think about that as being at the beach in front of the hotel and wanting lunch and being able to get on the app and have the lunch brought as opposed to waiting for the waiter who’s trudging through the sand to try and take orders as well as deliver orders. This collection of mobile services is available now but the penetration is growing dramatically. I would think within a very few number of years, overwhelmingly, when we’re on business travel, we’re going to have the ability and probable likelihood of bypassing the front desk.”

Merging Starwood and Marriott Through Technology

In May, discussing Marriott’s first quarter earnings, Sorenson said the biggest risk involved in the integration between Marriott and Starwood involved technology and at the NYU conference, he elaborated further.

“So far, all things evolving the integration are going great. We feel it’s going as well as we could’ve anticipated actually and even better. Technology is the thing that seems to take time, which is what I mentioned in the earliest call. Think about the property management system. There are a number of variants revolving to the next generation before we combine Starwood, so how do you get to the right number of property management systems to make sure they’re compatible? How do you make sure you have a functionality you need to have which is dealing with multiple currencies and cost effectiveness because you could have a super high-end luxury hotel that’s big or you could have a relatively small boutique hotel that really needs the efficiencies. So, we’ve gone through those depths. And similarly, as we’re looking at the property management systems, how do you take the two that were there which are both about technology and about people. Where are they located? How are they interacting with the customers? How are they interacting with the online booking?”

“And of course, then you’ve got the stuff that is yet to come around: automation and artificial intelligence,” he said. “A lot of that is going to be about getting to know our customers better and how do we without going too far we make sure that we’re using the information.”

A Loyalty Update

“I think the loyalty programs are enormously powerful and have been for many years the most powerful platform for us to have relationships with our customers. And I think, if anything, they’re getting more powerful not just for us but for everyone,” Sorenson said.

Sorenson also said one thing that surprised him was how passionate Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members were about their program. “I think early on, the thing we maybe didn’t appreciate quite as much as we should have was how rabid the SPG elite’s needs were about their program. Maybe that shouldn’t have been that surprising, but they were. They said, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen to our program? What are you going to do with my points?’ So we’ve engaged and entered into that conversation with them.”

He added, “[For the] legacy [Marriott] brand it’s worth well over 50 percent to 60 percent of our business which is rewards related. Starwood was a bit lower than that, but a piece of that was that the distribution was smaller, and another piece of that is also that the distributions can be a little bit more in non-business markets where your percentages are always going to be a little bit higher.”

“But you know I think so far so good. I think the connection of the two platforms from the beginning [with account linking], which we’ve talked about before, was absolutely huge and I think we still get great compliments from our customers who say I love the fact that I got the benefits of both programs from the beginning. Maybe it was not as simple as I’d like it to be in some point in time, but we’ll be moving now with a goal of fully integrating all three programs by the second half of 2018.”

He also noted, “I think a number of us in the industry are seeing that our loyalty penetration is nearing 60 percent today of all business, so it gives you a sense of how powerful these loyalty platforms are.”

Will There Be More Mergers and Acquisitions?

Having participated in what is arguably the largest acquisition in the hospitality industry in recent years with the tumultuous $13.3-billion purchase of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Sorenson said he thinks another transaction of that magnitude may not be as likely going forward.

“The challenge on the M&A [mergers and acquisitions] side, in predicting it, is companies are not always for sale and the big advantage we have is that Starwood was first and so we could step in, which we did at the last minute, and be successful in buying the company,” he said. “But if Starwood hadn’t been for sale and we went and knocked on their door in Stamford, my guess is they would’ve said, or maybe not even answered the door, but they may have said, ‘We’re not interested in this.'”

“I do think, in the fullness of time, people understand that there are advantages around size and they’re about loyalty programs, they’re about investing in technology, they’re about distribution: who are you selling, how do you sell to them, and so I think we’ll see that [consolidation] continuing.”

On Direct Booking

The other big story dominating many conversations within the hospitality industry last year involved direct bookings, or the proliferation of member rates for customers who book direct with the hotel brands instead of booking through third parties like online travel agencies (OTAs) like Priceline and Expedia.

Sorenson said he expects a focus on direct bookings will continue this year.

“I think the direct booking thing will also continue to be a priority for the industry because the more we can have our business encapsulated within our loyalty program, there are customers coming to us directly therefore there’s less frictional cost associated, there’s real cost associated with it, we can know our customers better, provide better service — that’s a much better place for us to be,” he said.

When asked about a recent CBRE report that noted that the amount of commissions paid to third parties rose last year, Sorenson said, “Yes, that’s industry wide, and I think the OTAs are continuing to grow well. Obviously, their contribution is much higher with independents because they don’t have loyalty programming in their platforms. And those companies continue to do well, and by the way, even if we got to an ideal world, it doesn’t mean that there are no reservations coming to us from some of these other platforms, because they serve a customer that doesn’t travel that frequently. And we are not likely to know that customer, and but that’s okay, and they might continue to grow. But I think we will continue to see our loyalty penetration grow as well and that’s a long-term goal.”

On stage, following a luncheon where he sat at the same table as Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Sorenson joked, “Well, there’s Dara sitting right there and we didn’t negotiate once during lunch. Neither of us [Marriott and Starwood] have experienced negotiations [with the OTAs] since we closed the deal … I think, if I remember right and I think, whether it’s with Expedia or with other online travel agents, we have each got areas where we want to grow our businesses and maybe a little bit to the exclusion of the other, and we each have areas where there’s work we can do together.”

He added, “Where the OTAs are most additive to us is with the occasional leisure traveler who’s not a member of our loyalty program, who may not know that much about hotel brands, who’s going to look not just for the kind of choice that we’ve got in our system but for even broader choice, someplace else. If we can sell rooms to those folks and obviously then try to press upon them through service and product, that they should be customers of ours, that’s a good thing for us.”