#Chelsey Market

[ladyhusle]

Cut Through the Noise: Embrace Authentic Marketing to Build Lasting Connections

Discover the secrets to authentic marketing with Chelsey's latest post: Cut Through the Noise! Dive into the power of authenticity, transparency, and real connections to build lasting relationships in the digital age. 🌟 #MarketingTips #DigitalMarketing

Chelsey’s blog post emphasizes returning to marketing basics—authenticity, transparency, and genuine connections—to cut through digital overload. Using examples like Patagonia and TOMS Shoes, she illustrates how these principles build trust and loyalty, creating lasting impacts in the digital age. BY Chelsey’s Curations July 28,…

[natashaslesbian]

Another Mother (Pt 1)

The day you had been dreading finally arrives and you leave your childhood home with your dad. He’s excited to be moving in with his girlfriend but you just want your mom back

Word Count: 1.9k

————

“I’m home!” You vacantly called out as you pushed the front door closed with your foot. “Hey kiddo!” Colin said as he came down the hall with open arms. You ducked slightly to avoid his arms “me and Chelsey are going out tonight” you said as you pushed him away softly. “Uh no you’re not y/n” your father said, his eyes following you up the staircase. “Yes I am” you gritted through your teeth, climbing the last few steps. “No y/n not tonight, we need to talk” he said firmly “oh have you finally dumped the blonde beast” you cheekily asked, opening your bedroom door with a thud and a raised eyebrow. “Yes very clever, no I have not” your dad remarked, placing his hands angrily across his chest. You began rummaging around your room, kicking off your sneakers and leaving them in your path “well then I don’t see what we could possibly have to talk about” you said as you came back to the door frame “by dad” you falsely smiled as you slammed the door into Colin’s face. “I mean it y/n, downstairs in 5 minutes!” Your dad shouted through the wood.

Your footsteps were heavy as you bounced down the staircase “I’m going out!” You called as you reached the front door. “I said no y/n we need to talk” Colin said “no thanks dad” you deviously said with a raised eyebrow. “Y/n you are not going tonight!” Your dad angrily called as you opened the front door. “Whatever dad, I’m sure it can wait” you said. “I’m moving in with Scarlett” Colin said, pausing your movements “we’re moving in with Scarlett” he said. You turned slowly to face your father “are you kidding me, what about our house?” You asked. “I’m putting it on the market” Colin said with a frown, knowing you would hate his decision. “You’re selling mom’s house!” You yelled “no I’m selling my house, your mom left it to me in her will” Colin said. “And you just decided this all your own? Mom loved this house, gran left it to her she lived here her entire life!” You said, a small tear dripping down your cheek. “Y/n I know this is difficult but I have to move forward” Colin said, attempting to comfort you. “And what about me?” You cried as you pushed him back “what about school and my friends? Then again I’m just your daughter, I could hardly compare to Scarlett Johansson!” You screamed as you turned on your heels, walking out into the quiet evening street. “Y/n come back here!” Colin called after you, loosing sight of your curly hair around the corner.

~

You sat quietly in the middle of your empty bedroom, just you and the four walls. Colin, your dad was loading the last few things into the moving truck. You couldn’t understand why your father was so happy on this awful day, it was like he couldn’t wait to get out of this house. But it wasn’t just a house to you, it was your home. A not too small but not too big three bedroom house where your mom raised you. The townhouse had been in your family for four generations, it had been renovated many times but the love inside never changed, until the day your mom passed away. Your family was perfect until your mom got sick. You, her and your dad did everything together but as your mother got more and more sick the days became darker. It was five months after she passed that your dad told you he was dating again, deep down you just wanted him to be happy, but all you gave him was anger. Colin seemed to have forgotten all about your mom when he met his new girlfriend, he was obsessed with her, but who wouldn’t be? She was the Scarlett Johansson. Anyone would be thrilled to have her be a part of their life, but you weren’t so welcoming.

You quickly wiped away your tears when you heard the stairs creak, alerting you to Colin’s presence. “Right we’re all packed, you ready to go kiddo?” Your dad asked he leaned around the doorframe “yeah” you said as you stood up. “I know it’s hard to say goodbye y/n, but it’s just a house, your mom is always with us” Colin said noticing your hesitation “whatever” you huffed as you pushed pass him, tightening your grip on your backpack. You took one last look back at your bedroom before you headed downstairs, giving the same last look into the empty living room. There was nothing left of your house anymore, no beige couch where you watched movies with your mom, and no blue rug where you played tea party with your bears. Just the frame of what once was the fireplace was all that remained, you smiled at the memory of leaving cookies for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph on Christmas Eve and the way your mom was so excited for you. Now it was all closed off, a decision Colin had made to up the sale price of the house. “Y/n let’s go!” Colin called from outside, pressing down on the car horn telling you he was tired of waiting. You looked through the frosty glass as you closed the front door one last time, sliding your fingers off the handle slowly. “Y/n come on!” Your dad shouted as he climbed into the car. You turned your back to the house, to your home and took a final walk down the path towards the moving truck.

You pulled up outside of a large gated neighbourhood around two hours later, you rolled your eyes as your dad introduced himself to the security guard as ‘Scarlett Johanssons fiancé” and handed over his ID. “Welcome to the neighbourhood Mr Jost” the guard said as he opened the gate from his computer. “Thank you sir!” Colin said with a small salute “oh my god” you huffed as you sat back in your seat. You drove past rows and rows of fancy houses, the ones with double garage doors and sculptures lining the freshly mown lawn. “Isn’t this great y/n?” Your dad asked with a wide smile on his face. “Mom would loose her shit if she knew we were living in a ‘rich people’ neighbourhood” you mumbled “well moms not here” your dad said, causing you to glare at him “so can you just try to be happy about this? Any other 16 year old would be thrilled to be living somewhere like this” Colin said. “We’re only living here because your dating some stupid celebrity” you said as you turned back to look out of your window. “Ok cut the attitude y/n, you’re gonna be polite to Scarlett because she’s invited both of us to move in with her. She wasn’t exactly expecting to have a kid in her house so it’s very nice of her to be so welcoming” your dad said as he focused on driving, not realising the harsh tone of his words. “Oh great thanks” you said, hiding how much your dads words had hurt you.

You finally came to a stop outside one of the largest houses you had ever seen in your life “here we are!” Colin said excitedly. “What?” You exclaimed, realising that the last time you had seen a shop or a park or anything to do was at least 30 minutes ago. Your dad got out of the car to greet the blonde running down the drive. You glanced up behind her to see a three story house with four cars parked on a dirt road, there was a line of cleanly cut trees leading up beside the small road towards the house. You rolled your eyes as you caught a glimpse of the backyard where you could see a large pool and what seemed to be a hot tub attached to it. “Y/n!” Colin called, beckoning you with his waving hand. You huffed quietly as you slowly climbed out of the car, looking down the road to see the moving truck coming up behind you. You trudged up the path slowly, feeling guilty for dragging your dirty shoes along the perfectly clean stones. “Y/n it’s so great to see you!” The woman said as she came at you with open arms “hi Scarlett” you said as you held your hands in front of you. Scarlett awkwardly wrapped her arms around you, completely missing the signal you had given her that you definitely did not want a hug. “How are you doing?” She asked with a wide smile, making you cringe slightly at the sheer force of her actions “fine” you said as you avoided eye contact. “Why don’t I take you up to your room? It’s completely empty so you can do whatever you like with it” Scarlett said. “Just tell me where it is and I’ll find my way there” you said through gritted teeth. “Oh okay sure” Scarlett said as she explained the root towards your bedroom.

You stepped through the open door eyes widening at the size of the entry way to your new ‘home’ you didn’t care to look around properly but your eyes couldn’t avoid the large cabinet to your left, filled with fancy china dinner pieces, you scoffed as you tuned to the staircase, why would anyone need so many dinner pieces? You climbed the stairs to the first floor where again you ignored the large hallways and golden wall art, luckily the second floor was only two rooms so there wasn’t much to look at when you got there. You glanced into the first room expecting it to be stuffed with diamonds or something, but all there was were boxes stacked high and low across the room, a storage room. Great. Scarlett was so welcoming that she had banished you to a spare room on the top floor next to the dumping ground of trash she could probably just donate. Your mood shifted slightly when you entered your room, it was bright and big and there was a beautiful view of the garden resting above a window seat. There was no furniture but the room was spotless you imagined what you could do with the place, realising immediately that you would have way too much empty space.

You heard a giggle as someone came bounding up the staircase. “How’s it looking kid?” Colin said as he came to stand with you in the doorway of your new bedroom. “Nice room hey?” He said enthusiastically “your own space and a window seat! You’ve always wanted one of those!” Your dad smiled. “Yeah it’s cool” you coldly said. “Well I’ll send the movers up with your stuff and you can get settled” Colin said as he pranced by you and bounced back down the stairs. You cringed at his excitement, no one should be so happy that their wife had died 10 months ago. You sighed loudly as you made your way towards the window, brushed over the cushion beneath the view. You looked out into the back yard, laughing slightly when you saw the size of the pool that despite being huge barley took up any of the garden space. It felt strange, this should be a dream come true. What kid doesn’t want to live in a mansion with their own bathroom and a pool in the yard? The possibilities of what you could do here were endless, you would never be bored in a house like this. You knew you should feel lucky, but if luck was a true thing in your life then your mom would still be here and you’d get to spend the rest of your life with her.

————

Taglist<3

@saraaahsstuff / @dannipotatoo / @tobiaslut / @nevaeh-daughterofvalcarol / @marvelnatasha12346 / @yelenasdiary / @mousetheorist / @ashadash0904 / @strange-night-owl / @kkreads

[cartograffiti]

May '24 reading diary

This month, I finished 16 books, mostly quick cookbooks and graphic novels!

I started May by listening to a very unseasonal full-cast audiobook of E.T.A. Hoffmann's original The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. When I was a child, I read a lot of different text adaptations of the Tchaikovsky ballet adapted from this story, but only realized I'd never read the original when a friend got me to read Hoffmann's squarely horror story "The Sandman" a few years ago. This was creepier than the ballet story, though clearly written for children, and I'm very glad to have gotten around to it.

K.J. Charles, author of a large number of romances I'm a fan of, put out her first mystery A-plot novel, Death in the Spires. I think it's a good introduction to her style if you're not a big romance person, and I think it was the right call for this plot to prioritize the genre elements in this way, but I also have found her B-plot mysteries more exciting. No problem, I liked it a lot, and it has a lot of juicy thoughts about justice as distinct from the law and how trust is earned or lost. Gay disabled detective.

Two sports romances: You Should Be So Lucky, a sensational 1960s baseball player/magazine journalist relationship, meditating beautifully on the fear of failure and on grief. One of the mains was in a long-term relationship with someone who has died, and I think this is the best widowed romance character I've ever read. Sebastian is also just fabulous at taking a tour of a made-up person, full of small details and slice-of-life stakes. I've read all her books and will continue to; I like her particular approach to historicals and her ability to make queer happy endings distinct and individual. M/M.

The other sports romance I read this month is The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer, which I only mildly enjoyed. Unfortunately I don't even have any real criticisms, I just very simply didn't click with Spencer's style on a sentences level, particularly in sex scenes. Your mileage will vary! There is a lot of really enjoyable bits about the hot honorable love interest thirsting over how strong and cool he thinks the heroine is, and he's right. This is definitely worth trying if the basic premise of woman boxer Regency is your thing. Wait, I do have one plot criticism--this would have been stronger without the epilogue. We didn't actually need to meet [historical figure redacted]. M/F.

Graphic novels--I used to read Chelsey Furedi's Rock and Riot when it was coming out as a webcomic, and I was excited when her follow-up, Project Nought, was suspended soon after launch because of a book deal. Unfortunately I somehow missed it when the book actually came out in 2017, and only when Heartstopper sent me on a nostalgia trip last month did I realize I could read it. I wish I had read Project Nought when it was new! A lot of the sci-fi plot no longer feels futuristic even 7 years on, although the core twist is just fabulous. There isn't enough of the interpersonal depth that shines in Rock and Riot, the villain plot resolution is a bit too easy for the YA market, and overall I just wouldn't pitch this as more than pleasant.

The rest of the graphic novels, far more than pleasant, I read volumes 8, 9, 10, and 11 of Witch Hat Atelier by Shirahama Kamome. This was a good batch to read close together, as they all deal with the events of the same festival. Unfortunately I have to wait for my library to buy the next to see the resolution, but that's how manga goes! I loved a lot of what's happening at this point, with some fabulous milestones in the Coco-Agott friendship, lots of good moments from my favorite of the adults (Olruggio), and continuing to push down on the question of forbidden magic. Shirahama brings in both strong cases of things that deserve to be banned (glasses that let you see through people's clothes, not treated as remotely funny) and things that...maybe don't. I really cannot tell what ethics resolution might be end-game, which is very exciting.

Cookbooks! My lovely mother surprised me with a copy of an 80s book I'd been looking for, Vineyard Seasons by Susan Branch. I wouldn't exactly call her style pastoral, but I've seen her rediscovered a bit by cottagecore, Ghibli-esque, and related aesthetic bloggers. If that kind of romantic daily life artwork appeals to you, you might like her books as much as I do; every page is full of Branch's watercolor paintings, sometimes ornamental borders and sometimes illustrations of the sights of her home in Martha's Vineyard. I read and re-read her books just to linger over the pictures, but almost every recipe I've tried has been a winner.

I also borrowed a whole bunch of cookbooks of literary-inspired recipes. I went through two by Alison Walsh (A Literary Tea Party and A Literary Holiday Cookbook), which were disappointing; they draw from a pretty small range of books, and rely a lot on food coloring to fit the themes. Meanwhile, The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook (ed. Kate White) has a really wide range of difficulty level and approach, only some of them inspired by fiction. Each recipe was contributed by a different author, making it fun in the same way that church and community cookbooks can be, but I don't have any wish to own this, either. I have two others still to look at. (And I already own some I do recommend, Kate Young's Little Library cookbooks and Tim Federle's literary cocktail books.)

More nonfiction: DK Publishing's really insubstantial small coffee table book Banned Books, which didn't have quite enough text (I shouldn't have finished any entries unsure on what grounds they were banned/challenged, and did), but some pretty vintage covers (and not enough of those either).

Really great, with loads of pictures and thorough text: The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag by Sasha Velour. I was first aware of gender-fluid queen Sasha Velour as an illustrator and zinester, and in many ways they're the reason I was first interested in drag performers. This book doubles as a history of drag and a personal memoir of Velour's experience with it, and I enjoyed both equally. The history is well-researched and thoughtful, and the memoir is generous and self-aware. And it has some of their comics!

And I'm still reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles at about one per month. I finished Pawn in Frankincense in May--lush and devastating and funny and infuriating and completely absorbing. Still not a series I would recommend to everyone, and still one I'm so glad I'm reading at this exact moment, when my emotions can go through the juicer and not feel scarred afterwards.

[chelseywaltersrealtor]

🏘 On The Market 🏘✨ 🛌 2 Bedroom 🛁 2 Bath 📐 1,171 📍Hollywood,Fl Listing Price $475,000 HOA $1,548 Stunning 2 beds 2 Baths unit in the Bridgewater condo in the eastern tip of North Bay Village. This unit is in the 05 line which is the only line in the building with a wraparound terrace. 180panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, the Port of Miami, and Downtown Miami. This condo has impact glass and doors. Recent updates include the flooring, systems, and lighting. The Bayfront pool and deck area are in the final stage of a 1.8 million dollar upgrade and it should be fully ready soon. Building Amenities include 24hr attended lobby, fitness facility, covered parking, & oversized storage area. 📑CASH, CONVENTIONAL📑 Interest In This Property Contact Me To Schedule A Showing 📲🏘 #hometour #blackgirlinrealestate #southfloridarealestate NOW ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS ✨Contact Me If Your Interested In Selling Buying Or Investing ☎️✨ # 💁🏾‍♀️Chelsey Walters, Licensed REALTOR ®️ 📲786-859-1636 💌chelseywaltersrraltor@gmail.Com Ig: instagram.com/chelseywaltersrealtor 🗝 lifestyle International Realty #lifestyle #miami #miamirealestate #miamirealestateagent #miamirealestate #browardrealestate #Broward #realestate #realtor #realestateagent #miamicondosforsale #southfloridarealtor #firsttimehomebuyer #luxurylifestyle #aventuracondo #miamibeach #miamirealtor #browardrealtor #miramar #305 #954 (at North Bay Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqaFYwDOowT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[oflowtides]

⸻  OWEN TEAGUE. HE/HIM / have you ever heard of BABY, YOU WOULDN'T LAST A MINUTE ON THE CREEK by chiodos, well, it describes ZIGGY MOORE to a tee! the twenty two year old, and GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENT / STREET ARTIST was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say HE is more skeptical or more CREATIVE instead? anyway, they remind me of worn holes in the knees of your jeans, paint spattered converse, permanent sneers at family dinners, and the rattling of a spray paint can, maybe you’ll bump into them soon!

time in notting hill: seven months

drug (selling/trafficking) mention tw

Ziggy wasn’t sure if he was planned, or just a happy accident, but either way, right from the get go, he was at a disadvantage.  His parents weren’t hurting for money, but they weren’t exactly in a legal business, either.  They were fairly prominent drug dealers, the Moore family well known for their ability to get things most other dealers couldn’t.  JD and Chelsey were very business oriented, and while they did love their kids - even if they were often used as pawns - Ziggy and his two older brothers, Riley and Cosmo, were left with their aunt Domino a lot.  While she was also in the business, her role wasn’t as hands on, so she had more time to spend with the Moore brothers, teaching them the types of street smarts they’d need in the future.

Ziggy loved Domino, and was even more attached to her than his own mother, which often caused high tension fights as the years went on, but despite it all, he never stopped being left in her care.  Even when Ziggy started calling Domino ‘mom’ instead of Chelsey, she was never told to leave.  Her role in raising the kids was too important, especially since Ziggy and Cosmo were too little to be anything more than a distraction.

Despite being the son of actual drug traffickers and sellers, Ziggy was encouraged to go to school and behave, and while that wasn’t exactly easy for him, he tried his best to make Domino happy.  While she wasn’t his real mother, Ziggy had far more affection and respect for her over his biological one, and as far as he was concerned, she was his mom and whatever she wanted him to do, he would do.  It wasn’t easy though; Ziggy was often picked on in school, and while he wasn’t above fighting back, he rarely ever won.

Art was something he excelled in, always sketching when he had the chance, taking as many art classes as he could, filling his schedule with what he wanted to take rather than what he was supposed to take.  He just managed to squeak by, graduating on time, but with barely enough courses to qualify getting him into college.  He opted to start working part time at an art supply store, which let him take whatever he wanted, and it’s how he got into street art and tagging.

While the basics of school weren’t his strong suit, both Domino and his oldest brother Riley saw that he had a lot of potential, and while Riley was already entrenched in the family business, he wanted better for his baby brother.  After a long talk, Riley and Domino decided that Ziggy should be sent as far away from his parents as possible to be given a chance to live a normal life, away from all the drugs and violence that usually followed the Moore family.   He was extremely upset to find out they did all this behind his back; it felt like a betrayal, a punishment that he didn’t understand why it was being inflicted upon him.

Ziggy is making himself a holy terror around Notting Hill; while he absolutely loves his classes, he often can be found roaming the city at night, looking for new buildings to tag and claim as his own in the only act of rebellion he can think of.  Domino instilled a very healthy fear of hard drugs into him, but he’s known to smoke a bowl or two at a party or before bed, but would never turn down the invitation to try something harder, if only out of spite at this point.

[gehteoh]

Experimenting with Chelsei's gel... or slime... jam, idk but she's kinda starting to jam in a way where I'd be comfy asking someone to draw her lately... still not there but we're getting there.

Along with a mach up of something I wanna do for a later chapter, but I'm gonna just keep showing restraint and keep posting some small doodles of the Chimera Tales line of oc's until I can get to those points in the comic... and on that I've been taking a break to get the first bit of another series along with learning marketting, so I'm not getting to this one for a while.

[into-the-center-of-things]

day five: looking at local chicago southside sights

"paper-thin thorax

humming with hidden lyric

sharpened by the sun"

Today was a bit slower, which was a relief. I haven't really "traveled" beyond camping the last few year, meaning stayed overnight at a destination with a detailed agenda and whatnot. Not saying that either of us have a like, official itinerary but a lot of exploring is being had which I love a lot.

We cut through the beautiful campus belonging to the University of Chicago. As we walked @germfreeadulthood kind of gave me a tour, pointed out various buildings and their purposes or focuses. The campus feels huge and architecturally cohesive—apparently it was modeled after one or the Ivy League schools, so that checks out. Also, they have an ice skating rink which I found funny (pictured below).

Anyways. The Farmer's Market was bustling, very busy with students and families. It was kind of hot but it was really cool to see the kind of stuff people were growing and selling in Illinois versus the Farmer's Market I have gone to in California. My favorite was probably the tofu booth (just different kinds of tofu and dipping sauces to try) or the guy selling navy bean pie that tasted almost exactly like a pumpkin pie (he had samples out and they were delicious).

I also liked the sheer amount of zucchini I saw, if I wasn't taking a train back I would definitely have bought some back to make zucchini bread or something.

I got a pastry that had tomato, feta cheese, and basil in it, and it was very, very chewy and bready. @germfreeadulthood got something similar, both were very good. We sat in the grass in the shade and ate amongst other people. I felt kind of tired and headachey, which was weird, and I was kind of worried I was getting sick or something. @germfreeadulthood gave me some immune support throat spray, though, which tasted weirdly good, so I am hoping I am just tired and not coming down with something...

Erm. Anyways. We decided to go check out some bookstores, the first being the Seminary Co-Op Bookstore near campus.

I was impressed that the poetry selection was actually pretty big, and I leafed through the entire shelf and the books they had felt kind of random, but interesting regardless. I wonder how a co-op bookstore accumulates its collection, how does it choose books to sell back to those here at UChicago, what does it do with the books no one wants? I saw a lot of poetry I wasn't familiar with, or things I thought would be not verybpopular among the general public. For example, they had an anthology of Fence as well as an edition of Chelsey Minnis' books Zirconia and Bad Bad together, which felt a bit rare or special. But that may just be me being pretentious.

They also had some copies of The Best American Poetry of 2023 (Elaine Equi was the editor—coincidentally she grew up in Chicago, and apparently teaches in New York now), which I haven't actually seen printed yet until now. I saw that Amy Gerstler was in it and also Dorothea Lasky! Which was cool, very happy to see that.

The prices were standard and if I had like, a real salary job and was local I absolutely would have bought a few things. I didn't even really look at the nonfiction which I maybe should have but the poetry shelf was just that good.

More on the next post...I am yapping way too much about books and taming way too many pictures of them...rip...

[chelseydavidson]

Week #9 Progress

What is working?

I got my first client! (Way to bury the lead, Chelsey.)

First session will be later this week for an hour to prepare for an upcoming French exam. The student is in grade 10 and the client, his mother, just wants her son to pass French. He’s very apathetic about French, according to the client, seeing as he’s passed the minimum requirements (that being, the mandatory grade 9 course) and doesn’t see the point in being bilingual. It will be interesting to see how he himself describes his feelings toward the subject; based on past experiences, not all parents catch all the nuances of why their child does or does not enjoy learning a particular topic.

Regardless, I am feeling relieved. I hope what they say is true about the first client being the most difficult to acquire, but so incredibly valuable. I plan to lean in hard on any feedback I receive and use that to lay the foundation of my business model. What I said that the business is and what it does will only ever work if people want it, if there’s a demand large enough to sustain it, and the fact that there’s at least one person out there that chose my business means that this can work and, yes, people want the service. But what exactly do they want? How much? How often? And how many more of them are there? Honestly, these folks are not just paying customers. They're guinea pigs. They're my Wall-E, but they're going to get me to Eve. (Hey, Wall-E saves the planet, so let’s not knock it.)

My attention is truly going to be zoned in on what I am going to call the Laura Ingalls Wilder of my client list. (She's a pioneer, this one.) At this point, I’m really figuring out who this customer segment is. I’ll refine my business plan, of course, because, hey, it’s a living document, so it should change and evolve with the business. I might have been totally wrong about certain facets of my customer persona, so reassessing who I think my client will be and who they really are is absolutely vital. Most importantly, I am going to do everything in my power to bend over backwards for these folks. They don’t know just how valuable they are to me.

That being said, I still want to keep scouting out those influential key connectors that spread the word. Maybe my first client has a fabulous network who trusts their advice dearly and with which they share recommendations  … or maybe they don’t. But that’s mine to find out. So, this part of the plan is still critical. It’s never bad practice to keep looking for the tipping point.

What is not working?

Have I told you today how much I detest marketing? Don’t get me wrong; I love reading about marketing or listening to talks or podcasts or even in-person accounts of their marketing. That is fascinating to me. I’m here with the snaps for any of those stories. However, I hate actually doing the marketing.

My free and organic ad campaign is not going well, if you haven't guessed as much by now. Facebook Marketplace does not allow services to be posted, according to their policy, so I had to take down my ad. It may be time to finally pivot to that paid campaign. I am glad I had the foresight of a contingency plan to do so in my budget. Facebook’s Tech Support still has not returned my messages about not allowing my student email address to open an account; “utterly disappointed” is an understatement.

I will have to strategize this week just on how I want to spend this marketing money, since I might not be able to do what I intended over the Meta platform if Facebook won’t help me develop an account using my student email address. 

How do you feel the project is coming?

It is definitely moving slower than I hoped. As this just goes against the grain of my personality so much, most days I am oscillating between pain and panic.

But, hey, I’ve got a client. So, let the good times roll.

What are you learning about running a business and yourself?

I feel like these are two separate questions -- the business vs. myself -- only in theory, but one entirely intertwined question in practice. First and foremost, I am learning that you can plan your heart out, but you cannot control all the little moving parts that make a business possible. This is also true in life. Granted, knowing this will not stop me from continuing to plan like Martha Stewart the night before Christmas, but I am doing my level best not to fall into the fetal position every single time the timing of my plan is off. I just have to shift the workback schedule, keep my chin high, and carry on. 

On that note, pivoting is essential.

Truly, embrace the idea of a quick pivot. This whole marketing strategy has gone to hell in a handbasket, so I am doing my best to take a deep breath and try something new. Every week, a new disaster strikes, but every week, I come up with a new idea. (I am shocked by my own resilience; I am not shocked by my own frustration.) 

I am also learning more about SEO, because I think I am near-to-impossible to find in an inundated e-market, which is no bueno. (Hey, it worked for Rotten Tomatoes; it can work for me.)

I still haven’t been able to try out my other plan to more physically canvas directly to parents in this geographic area, which was the idea of printing and distributing a flyer near a few different recreational locations, like minor league sporting events, community centres, and children’s dance studios. I have already contacted the Town of Ajax’s Bylaw Services department to verify if there are any restrictions on me doing so. I need to remember that social media is a massive pool – an international ocean, frankly – where I’m just a tiny little guppie. Standing in front of my intended target audience while they’re waiting for their little one to finish up practice, I might as well be Jaws.

[ear-worthy]

Indecent with Kiki Andersen: Where NFW Meets LMAO

 Have you started watching or listening to either a podcast, TV show, or musical artist and after that initial encounter, the show or performer instantly shoots to the top of your favorites list? 

That's only happened to me a few times. The latest occurrence is when I watched the first episode of The Last of Us on HBO. The show immediately shot to my top five and will stay there until season two begins, and I reassess.

I had the same reaction when I first listened to the Indecent podcast with Kiki Andersen. At the beginning of every episode, Andersen begins with, "This is Indecent, where we're peeling at the wallpaper of polite society, and where NSFW meets LMAO."

It's an excellent description of the show in summary form. Check out the show's artwork here. It is an uncannily accurate portrayal of the topics, tone, and sharp-minded core of the show. It's intelligence wrapped in humor engulfed by precociousness.

Here is the marketing scoop on the show: "Comedian Kiki Andersen finds the funny in the most uncomfortable corners of our culture. Sex. Politics. Religion. But in the digital age, what can and can’t be talked about at the dinner table has changed dramatically. Indecent is a podcast all about what’s off-limits and who sets the boundaries for today’s taboos."

 The podcast began in May 2023 and has already produced numerous noteworthy episodes. The July 19 episode with Viva Ruiz, who uses her artwork to fight for reproductive rights, was one of my favorites, especially the use of art to legitimize abortion as a vital part of healthcare. In the search for conservative comedy on August 9th episode, Andersen offers a simple but brutally effective point about comedy: "Jokes are only funny when they have a semblance of truth to them. If they're completely false, there's no joke there."

Throughout her episodes, Andersen does intellectual battle with anti-woke comedians who claim that their careers are jeopardized by cancel culture, and "wokeness." Andersen does not inflexibly battle wokeness and cancel culture. Instead, she questions their core and their meaning. To her credit, Andersen recognizes an essential truth. You can't be against something if you have no idea what it actually is.

As a comedian, Andersen elevates over other comedians on podcasts because she doesn't try too hard to be funny. Unlike other podcast comedians whose diatribes sound more like a bad "Best Man Toast" at a wedding, Andersen allows her sharp humor to flow freely from the conversation. She's funny, sharp-witted, caustic at times, perceptive, and observant. Shepard and Rogan could learn quite a bit from Kiki Andersen.

I loved her October 13th episode about the Satan hysteria in the 80s and 90s. I had forgotten about this 30-year-old conspiracy theory from the religious Right on how Devil worship was corrupting the youth. According to these religious zealots, Pentagrams and Satanic rituals were more popular than Beanie Babies. Her guest, Chelsey Weber-Smith, used the recent tale of moral panic over the alleged spread of devil worship as a morality lesson for today, as we witness so many call out LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and minorities as convenient scapegoats for the complex problems in our world.

 Andersen's road to this podcast is a definitely one less-traveled. Before she was a comic, Kiki Andersen was an Emmy award-winning news reporter under her real name, Kelly Andersen, but after enough people confused her for Kellyanne Conway on Twitter (yes, really) she decided to change her name, her career and do something way less depressing. "Now she uses everything she learned about how the world works to make people laugh."

Kiki Andersen lives in Los Angeles, where she does standup and sketch comedy seven nights a week. Since moving west, she has rapidly moved up the comedy ladder, performing regularly at the Laugh Factory and other clubs on the West Coast. 

Andersen was recently the featured act in a string of sold out shows for Nate Jackson. As a former member of the Supernova comedy productions team, Kiki Andersen has shared the stage with comedy’s biggest stars including Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Jim Jefferies, Nick Kroll, and others.

 Check out Indecent. It's comedy with a brain, insight with intellect, and perception without prejudice. Have a belief you cherish? Well, hold on tight because Andersen can shake up people without shaking them down.

[fibrenewhrp]

undefined

‼Rare project alert ‼ Chelsey is in office working on such a cool piece! Leather in the marine market!!! Stay tune for the final results and more adventures out on the jaguar on the river 😍 #fibrenewhrp #york #river #boating #classicboat #marine #funproject #reastoration

[pottsbrosfarm]

ABOUT POTTS BROS FARM Potts Bros Farm, situated in the picturesque Piedmont area of Northeast Georgia, has evolved from a modest 20th century farm into a diverse cattle enterprise. It has been under the ownership of the Potts family since 1884 and is currently managed by the sixth generation of the family. Kyle Potts, along with his spouse Chelsey and their three children, takes pride in continuing the legacy of breeding beef cattle on the property. Kyle and his father Jeff have had experience with all aspects of the commercial cattle industry. They possess a comprehensive understanding of traits related to performance, carcass quality, and feed conversion. Moreover, they have a good grasp of the southern cattle market and the requirements for cattle that thrive in that region. Presently, Potts Bros Farm manages a herd of high-quality Angus Cattle. Their objective is to breed functional cattle that can flourish in the southern environment. These cattle have sound structure, are phenotypically accurate, and visually pleasing.

[seungwonwon]

Chelsea market

[bobafettfanclub]

In case you missed it, we had an exclusive interview with Hasbro after their #SDCC panel: https://bobafett.club/sdcc2022hasbro

What a nice surprise going into a panel and coming out with three #BobaFett announcements, two of which went up for pre-order the next day (shown here)

Interview by BFFC's Chelsey B. Coombs with Hasbro's Patrick Schneider (Global Marketing Director) and Chris Reiff (Associate Principal Product Designer)

[chelseywaltersrealtor]

JUST LEASED Congratulations 🍾 to my clients on her rental ARE YOU OR ANYONE LOOKING TO SELL|BUY| INVEST IN RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 🏡🏘🏢🏭 Chelsey Walters P.A Realtor, Notary, Property Manager, RENE, Business Development Manager, Certified Luxury Marketing Specialist, Investors Entrepreneur “Navigate The Real Estate Market With The Experts” For more details on homes special feature or private showing contact me 📲 786-859-1636 📧 chelseywaltersrealtor@gmail.com 🔗 https://linktr.ee/chelseywaltersrealtor “Easy, fast and reliable real estate services.” Click the link in my bio for all my resources are there #miamirealtor #movingtomiami #miami #chelseywaltersrealtor #miamirealestate (at Homestead, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm7bQmkLnl5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Emp-Ire, “Fallen Star.”

Here it is, the end of an arc. I hope you guys like it and thank you so much for humoring my little detour. I needed this :)

The sun rose turning the sky to a bright tangerine orange. Golden rays of sun filtered across the open desert landscape, highlighting ten silhouettes against the horizon. Ten men and ten horses trekking their way across the surface of an alien planet leaving only footprints in their wake across the open landscape.

Adam lifted his head to the open sky and took a long deep breath. The scent of the alien planet in early morning was snuffed out at a moment when he received a strong whiff of cigarette smoke and coughed, looking over at Deputy Thompson, who had lit up and was taking his second long drag.

“Those will kill you you know.”

“So will continuous self doubt.”

“Point taken.”

The Deputy blew a ring of smoke into the air, “Besides, gets me relaxed before we go out to do something stupid.” he glanced towards the front of the group where the sheriff had taken point, riding on the back of his glossy black horse now coated in a thin layer of orange dust, “Ain’t that right sheriff.”

The man turned slightly in his saddle, “The only one bringing the dumb here is you Thompson.” He turned around on his horse and fell back slightly to speak with them, “Besides if it wasn’t for McBride and his group, we would all be at home drinking cold beer and spending time with our wives, but instead he’s dragged us out of bed to go chasing after him, and I intend to make him regret that.”

He turned to look at Ramirez and Adam, “Now, you boys probably didn’t hear this, so I am going to give you the rundown. Last month we caught one of McBride’s boys out past the border of Caster and Collville, and with a little bit of… persuasion, he graciously told us a few things. Turns out McBride and his men are planning on robbing a train coming from one of the outlying colonies and in towards the capital. He plans on doing it halfway through its journey between Hander and Chelsey where there are the least amount of people and the least amount of eyes.”

Ramirez snorted, “A train job, seriously? Isn’t that a bit cliche?”

The Sheriff frowned at him, “I don’t think McBride was really considering the literary appeal of white might and might not be cliche, when he determined that there is a LOT of expensive stuff being brought in on that train.”

Adam tilted his head slightly, “Like what?”

“The crops grown here on this colony are a cardinal ingredient in many pharmaceuticals all across the galaxy both human and alien. Drug companies and hospitals alike pay top dollar for our crops to be refined and bottled right here. It only grows in very specific conditions in very specific towns on the western rim. It is harvested and refined on the rim, and then put on the train to the capital where it is tested and then sealed for shipping.” If McBride gets his hands on those bottles, he can sell them on the black market at top dollar, where they will be used for refinement in a whole myriad of illicit drugs, including but not limited to human derived hormonal drugs, which support not only the black market, but also slave trafficking rings.”

Adam and Ramirez both blinked in surprise, “Really, we had…. No idea.”

“The government doesn’t like to talk about how important some of the colonies are to the workings of the inner ring, but we supply a lot of natural resources and raw products that can be both dangerous and expensive once they get out. This is not to mention that the train just so happened to fall on the very auspicious day when they are moving a group of rich city investors on that same train…. Came to take stock of their investments on the rim, and are now being shipped back to the capitol. Our job is to make it to the train before McBride does, or, barring that we don’t make it in time, we need to at least stop them and stop the train before those crates go missing.”

“How many days away are we”

“We have about two or three days, so its best we pick up the pace.”

After that their voices were silenced, and only the sound of thundering hooves could be heard over the hard packed earth.

***

Adam was shaken awake on the third day, bleary eyed and confused, rubbing sleep from his eyes and rubbing his hands along the light stubble dusting his cheeks and chin. Ramirez knelt over him, “Rise and shine sleepy head, today is the train job, you wouldn’t want to miss it.”

Adam groaned and rubbed his head wobbling to his feet as the other men around him began to rouse, The air was filled with the smell of smoke from last nights dwindling campfire, now just ashes in the dirt before them.

A few of the men kicked dirt over the still smouldering remains while Adam and Ramirez worked to pack up camp, hoisting saddles onto the back of horses.

“You alright?’ Ramirez asked as he stood next to Adam, the two of them pulling their saddles onto their respective horses.

Adam nodded and shook himself  little, “Yeah, just a…. Weird dream is all.”

“What was it about.”

He shrugged, “Can’t really remember much, but right before I woke up, it was like I was looking down at myself sleeping, from above, I swear I saw you walking across camp to wake me up, but…. That might just be me misremembering.”

“OR you had some sort of out of body experience.”

He snorted, “Yeah sure.”

“Remember anything else?”

“Blue fire and maybe some mountains, but that is about it.” He tightened the girth strap on his horse and patted Maroz on her soft velvet snout. The horse gummed at his hand with her upper lip, and he smiled slightly, patting her on the neck, “That’s a good girl.” 

With the other men ready, the group of them saddled up and began their ride out into the desert.

The Sheriff kept there pace as fast as he could without tiring out the horses, knowing that they might need to chase.

“Not to question the wisdom of this sheriff, but how are we going to catch up with a train. I mean it may look and sound like an old time train, but we both know it isn’t, the thing can probably go at around 200 mph.” 

The sheriff turned to look back at him, “That’s true, but due to the nature of the location, they have to slow the train coming through the valley, there are some pretty tight turns and curves that would be dangerous at such high speeds, not to mention that it is a common crossing rout for cattle, and the train needs to be slow in the area to keep from turning someone's livestock into pink mist. A collision that big and going that fast could also potentially derail a train. Its never happened, but the engineers say it can so thy like to keep it safe.”

“How slow?”

“Very slow, I would say about thirty mph through the hot zone, and that is….”

“About as fast as a horse can run.” Adam sighed, 

“Precisely, now let's speed it up, the train is coming and we still have a ways to go.”

As the day wore on, Adam’s heart began to race, and he could feel it thudding away in his chest pressing out against the vest he wore like it was going to crash through his ribcage. Ramirez rode along beside him, a surprisingly fast learner when it came to horses and riding them.

Off in the distance, Adam caught the blast of a train whistle.”

“Speed up boys!”

Adam kicked gently against the Horse’s sides and snapped the reins, and below him Maroz bokre into a light gallop bouncing him up and down wit her thundering gate. With all ten of them riding at that speed, they sounded like rolling thunder.

Light flashed over the badge on his chest.

The whistle came again, and the roaring of the train grew louder as they poured over the ground, between rocks and around shrubs.

The plateau around them began to slope downwards, and as they came over the rise, the land below them morphed into sharp focus, a vast tract of land snaking between high plateaus, and a silver rail that ran like a glittering snake between them. And along that silver line came a roaring black goliath missing only the blaack puff of burning coal and smoke to set it aside from the trains of old.

And just behind it, ran at least a dozen black dots, slowly gaining.

“GET ON THAT TRAIN!” The sheriff shouted over the roaring, and the entire group of them broke down hill at a full gallop. Adam leaned low over his horse’s neck, feeling her body move and roar beneath him. His ears rung with the sound of the approaching train and the clatter of hives over packed earth.

The train was approaching now, fast, and he was coming up just on the left, pulling his horse into a shallow parabola that brought his run just parallel . The sounds was deafening now, though he thought he could hear the call of men’s voices. The horses legs rolled like a blur beneath him, and Maroz huffed and puffed and and snorted with exertion. He was close now, and the glittering rails of the track rolled by just to his right.

His heart throbbed in his chest.

Just ahead of him, the sheriff kicked his boots from the stirrups and threw himself sideways onto the train, grasping on with a grip of iron.

Other men began to do the same.

He heard a gunshot.

With a swift motion, he kicked his feet from the stirrups and braced his boots against the saddle. Maroz remained steady below him, and with a final prayer and a deep breath, he launched himself sideways reaching and grasping for anything he could hold to. 

He caught one of the hand rails beside a compartment door and was jerked away from Maroz as her gait slowed.

His feet whipped behind him in the wind before he scrambled o gain purchase, the leather of his gloves helping maintain his grip as he hauled himself upwards and onto the side of the train just between compartments.

A voice, from over the sound of the roaring, and he looked back to see Ramirez and his horse sprinting after.

The horse’s back was lathered and wet, its eyes wild as it pushed itself forward.

Ramirez clung on with gritted teeth.

Adam reached out a hand, “JUMP!”

And like the good marine Ramirez was, no fear and no questions, he kicked his way frew and threw himself awkwardly sideways.

He would have landed below the train had Adam not caught him by the wrist and hauled him inward, where he scrambled onto a precarious handhold.

“GET INSIDE.” Adam shouted, “I’m going to head back to the cargo car.”

Ramirez nodded, swinging around Adam and onto the hitch that held the cars together. Adam hauled himself upward and onto the top of the speeding train. Wind whipped at the brim of his hat, and te bandana around his neck.

He jogged along the top of the train, his boots thundering against the meta.

At the end of the train a man appeared, one of McBride’s men, and Adam had just enough time to duck to the side as a bullet hissed past him.

He turned and fired off one shot. It went a bit wide, but caught the man by the brim of the hat, blowing it completely off. It got caught up in a gust of wind that pulled it down and under the train.Adam fired another shot just as the man was preparing to fire again.

The bullet caught the man in the upper chest, and before Adam could really take in what had happened, the man fell, pitching backwards off the train and hitting the ground hard in a cloud of dust only to vanish as the train whipped past.

Adam stood, stunned for a second. He’d never shot someone before, at least no one human, but the sound of gunfire broke him from his reverie, and he dived down as the bullets flew past him, crawling across the open top of the train with  clawing hands. Another head appeared over the edge, and he fired off a wild shot with one hand hoping to t least deter the man for a moment.

His bullet did more than that, and before he knew it another body had fallen to the dust below the train.

Footsteps on the train behind him, and he rolled around in panic only to see the Sheriff running past him, “GET TO THAT CARGO CAR!”

Adam leapt to his feet, racing forward alongside the sheriff, wobbling slightly as the train rolled forward.

The Sheriff held a shotgun in one hand, and it only took the first two of McBride’s men to figure out what that meant.

Adam raced alon after him until a hail of bullets stopped them in their tracks.

They dropped down before one of the cargo cars and found Deputy Thompson with his back pressed against the wall, “THEY’RE TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE CARGO CARS!” he shouted over the sound of the wind.

“If they do that we’re fucked!”

The sheriff turned and looked at Adam, “You go up top,Thompson and I will go distract them from the inside. If you can get your hands on McBride, do it, and keep them from detaching that car.”

Adam nodded and jumped up to catch onto the edge of the car as the two other men prepared themselves to breach the door. Adam had just pulled his feat up when he heard the slame of the door being pushed open and the rapidfire of gunshots. He used the noise as cover to run along the top of the car as th men were distracted.

He could hear voices and more gunfire as the fight concentrated inside that cargo car.

He had just com upon the edge when he looked down, Finding McBride and one other man desperately working to get the clamp undone.

Adam didn't’ waste time.

A sharp gunshot was the only warning McBride and his man had before the second man pitched backwards and fell over the connecting metal clamp.. McBride looked up only to find a gun aimed at his face.

McBride went to pull his weapon but there was a sharp click as Adam fired…. But there was no gunshot.

McBride was still in the process of lifting his weapon as Adam made a last second decision, leaping downwards towards McBride.

The man’s eyes widened, and he jerked to the side. There was a gunshot, but the bullet went wide. A hot flash of searing pain cut along the underside of his ribcage before he slammed into McBride, pitching them both back through the opening and into the cargo car.

They were a mass of tangled rolling limbs as they scrambled to gain the upper hand. McBride grabbed him by the font of the vest with one hand and punched him repeatedly with the other until he was seeing stars. With one last ditch effort he kicked the man in the chest sending him pitching backwards towards the door. McBride landed on the floor with the clatter, and the two of them leaped to their feet.

Adam ran forward throwing a sharp jab at the man’s face which caught him along the cheek. McBride came in close slapping him against a pile of crates, and they ended up clawing at each other, grappling for the other man’s throat like two vicious dogs going for the kill.

Adam Kneed McBride in the stomach sending him staggering back before coming in with a low uppercut to the face.

He reeled backwards hand to his nose.blood already streaming down his face.

Adam looked around desperately for an upper hand, and, surprisingly, found one. A long steel rod stacked up against the wall, likely for use in some kind of construction, and left as scrap.

It grabbed it.

McBride laughed, “What are you going to do with that, hit me over the head with it?”

It was a bit of an enclosed space, but there was still enough room, and Adam spun it in one hand like the shaft of a Drev spear, and crouched low in a ready position point forward, using a stance that he thought was the inferno, before realizing that, somehow he had gotten the foot placing wrong.

That was strange, why had it felt so natural.

Like he had done it before.

He shifted his stance and grinned at McBride motioning him forward, “Why not come see.”

The look on McBride’s face was one of apprehension at first, glancing between Adam and his improvised weapon.

At some point, his pride overtook him, and he came charging forward, likely trying to get inside Adam’s guard before he could strike.

A pity that Adam was trained with the spear, a pity for McBride at least, because instead of swinging the shaft at him from above, he struck forward like a snake, trusting with an overhand grip, that sid the rod don the length of his arm and protruded from just under his triceps.

McBride doubled over, holding to his sternum with a look of agony.

WIth another sharp crack, Adam came down with the reverse end of the spear wheeling it around in a blur and sending the man crashing to the ground, unmoing. He staggered back to his feet bleeding from his lip, and from his nose, and from a cut above his eye. He was seeing stars, but he still had enough energy to hogtie McBride and grab his loaded weapon from the floor before heading into the car.

There was one man left, and with the pressing of cold steel to his temple, the man stopped and raised his hands.

“Might want to put the gun down, partner.” Adam hissed, some measure of sarcasm entering his voice.

The man’s weapon clattered to the ground.

The Sheriff and Thompson stepped from behind cover.

“You get McBride?”

“Yeah I got him, trussed up like a thanksgiving turkey.”

“What happened to your face.”

Adam frowned, and the two other men laughed.

“Thomspon, you take care of McBride, Vir and I are going to check the rest of the train and clean up whatever mess has been left.”

The other man nodded, and Adam fell into step with the Sheriff as they moved up through the inside of the train. All they found at first were scared passengers cowering in their seats, but finally, they met up with a man trying to make his way through one of the doors and into the next car.

Adam and the sheriff aimed their weapons, “Stop right there, your boss has been captured, and it might be best for you to surrender now.”

The man raised his hands wide and scared.

“Come slowly.”

Adam saw what the man was thinking seconds before it happened, and raised his weapon to late as the man went bolting through the door.

He and the sheriff broke into a run chasing after the man and down the length of the train.

They made it to the last car, when the man stopped in the middle, Adam looked up his gun raised to see what had stopped him. Ramirez was coming through the opposite door, whistling tunelessly. His eyes fell on Adam first, “I was wondering when you were going to…. His voice fell away as he saw the man between them.

A clear calculation had gone through the bandit’s head and he raised his gun towards his only hope of exit, and fired.

Ramirez jerked once eyes wide and then….fell backwards as if in slow motion.

Adam screamed, and the two of them raised their weapons at the same time, unable to fire for fear of hitting Ramirez a second time.

The man brushed past him thundering through the door. Adam leapt forward, catching Ramirez just before he hit the ground urging the sheriff forward, “Get that Bastard.”

He knelt on the hard metal floor of the train carriage, holding Ramirez in his arms. The look of shock had still not passed from the other man’s face, and Adam’s hands shook, “Ramirez…… R-ramirez.” His voice quivered a bit as he desperately looked for the bullet wound, sure he was going to see a spot of blood begin leaking across the other man's chest at any moment.”

Ramirez blinked in shock.

“Ramirez! I….Angel, stay with me dammit. Where were you hit!”

Ramirez blinked again reaching up with a shaking hand and began patting at his chest and body brows knit in confusion, “I…. I thought.”

Both of their heads turned, very slowly as they caught sight of a glittering bit of gold lying on the ground before them.

A dented, golden star.

Adam sighed in exasperation relief.

“No friggin way.”

Ramirez stared at the star on the floor, “Huh, ill be damned.” He looked up at Adam, “You know if I had known a nearth death experience would be what it took for you to hold me like this, I might have tried to die sooner.”

Adam harumphed and dropped ramirez unceremoniously to the ground with a thud, “Drama queen.”

Ramirez grunted, “I thought we were having a moment, you using my first name and all.”

“The only moment we are going to have is the moment I put my boot up your ass.”

“Kinky.” Ramirez said, reaching down and picking up the deputy star from the floor inspecting it with some measure of pride. Up ahead the train was beginning to grind to a slow halt.

The Sheriff returned a moment later, dragging the man who had made the ill fated attempt to Kill Ramirez.

He seemed only marginally surprised to see Ramirez on his feet, and laughed when he saw the star, “Well I'll be…. First time I’ve ever seen that happen.”

He looked between the two of them.

“Good work boys, some damn good work.”

***

The capital city stank of horses and mud, but the two men were smiling as the sheriff saw them off at the train station, “We owe you boys a debt of gratitude. Risking your lives like that, and helping us take down McBride and his cronies. This county will be forever grateful.”

The two of them looked down at the gold stars on the front of their vests, and slowly reached up sadly unpinning them from the front of their shirts and holding them out to the sheriff.

The man shook his head, “Keep em. And I’d be glad to work with you again if you ever decide to return. You’ve earned my respect and more.”

The train whistle bored, and the two of them were forced to step inside waving to the sheriff and the other deputies as the train began to roll forward slowly with a soft chug, chug, chug.

Ramirez and Adam left town surprisingly forlorn to watch their friends, and their horses go.

But they had a stack of pictures both print and on their implants. 

The one picture that they both held, was a sepia photo of a group of men standing before the sheriff’s office, all with glittering badges, accept fo the trust up group of men kneeling at their feet. At the Center stood Adam and Ramirez Adam With his hand on McBride’s shoulder like a prise hunt, and Ramirez with his dented golden star.

[atlanticcanada]

Bridgewater police lay human trafficking charges after teen calls 911

Bridgewater police are investigating a case involving a 16-year-old girl from New Brunswick who called for help Tuesday evening after police say she found herself in a Nova Scotia town not knowing where she was.

Police say she was in in a hotel parking lot in the South Shore town and called 911.

"She only had bags of clothing and a cellphone," said Deputy Chief Danny MacPhee of the Bridgewater Police Service. "She had no identification, no money. Did not know what community she was even in."

Police say she was anxious and shaken. They suspected there was more to her story.

"She informed our officers she was with a travelling construction crew that was travelling throughout the province of Nova Scotia and some other locations in New Brunswick as well," MacPhee said. "They had kept her cellphone until this point."

Police brought her to the station.

"She later disclosed she was sexually assaulted by an adult male and female this week in the hotel that we located her at," MacPhee said.

Police say the teenage girl had been with construction crew to places like Sussex, Moncton, outside of Amherst and Truro for three weeks to a month.

"She's alleged the individuals she was with obtained money for sexual services she provided to unknown people," MacPhee said.

Bridgewater police drove the teenage girl back to New Brunswick.

They've also charged 30-year-old Bruce Nicholas Gilroy and 28-year-old Chelsey Wilson from Moncton with a number of offences including sexual assault and recruiting a person under 18 for the purpose of exploiting sexual services.

None of the charges have been tested in court.

According to Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia has the highest rate of human trafficking per capita in the country.

"What we have in Statistics Canada data is really only the tip of the iceberg," said Julia Drydyk, the executive director of the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking in Toronto. "A very small proportion of victims come forward to law enforcement."

The problem is more pervasive than many realize and the nature of it is different than what many suspect, Drydyk told CTV Anchor Heidi Petracek.

"This is happening right in front of us every single day," Drydyk said. "It's often people that are being coerced or manipulated by someone has convinced them to believe they're actually loved and trusted."

The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking says there are known corridors throughout the Maritimes.

"Traffickers are systematically moving victims from city to city to keep them isolated, dependent, but also to make as much money as possible by the various commercial sex markets in the Maritimes," Drydyk said.

The Centre operates the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline AT 1-833-900-1010, a 24/7, multilingual space offering help and services.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3quTaGN