#I will obsess over this for the next 56 million hours

[differentnerddiplomatopera]

It’s meeeeeeee!

Omg @deadbaguette I adore you🥰My Annabel is muy preciosa! Whenever you need, I will pull up for you anytime. Ahhhhhhhh

Happy 2025 to all my mutuals! Those who made it into the picture and those who didn’t

Thank you for staying with me from 2024 into the new year ❤️🎉

I don’t think I can @ everyone who made it into this, but if you see yourself please stop by and say hi :)

[gleepotluckbigbang]

Coffee Shop Writing Prompts by @veronicabunchwrites

To start you guys off, a prompt list by @veronicabunchwrites. Veronica is no longer on Tumblr, only on Pillowfort, so I can’t reblog, only repost, sorry about that. The original post can be found here.

100 coffee shop au writing prompts!

there’s something about people meeting and falling in love over hot drinks that presents such a cozy atmosphere. it’s no wonder that it’s a favourite. some of these prompts are classic because who can resist the tried and true?

01.  clearly you’re going through a bad breakup because this playlist is the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard and I’m begging you please change it 02.  you’re my favourite employee because you always have my order ready on the days I’m running late to the office 03.  I order the same thing as my boss in case something happens to their coffee and one day, you write your number on the cup I give to my boss 04.  my friend swears that you can pick the perfect drink for anyone but I’m skeptical because there’s no way you can look at someone and just know their order - and of course, you nail my drink 05.  I run the shop beside your bookstore and I’m trying to convince you that it could be beneficial to knock down the wall between our shops and you’re being a big pain in the ass about it 06.  I hired you to make drinks not flirt with every customer that walks in and how dare you accuse me of jealousy, get back to work 07.  you were a dick to my coworker so I’ve been writing insults on your cups and why the hell do you keep coming back here anyway?

08.  I know you’re about to close and I swear I’ll give you a $20 tip, can you please just take my order? I’ve had the worst day possible 09.  a $20 tip isn’t worth me staying open late, but then you burst into tears and I end up asking you if you want to hang around to talk 10.  you’re the night manager who runs open mic nights and I’m the baker who starts at 3am so sometimes our paths cross and I like talking to you 11.  you never order the same thing more than once and just as you’re about to get to the end of the menu, I start adding new things because I’m afraid you’ll stop coming in 12.  I’ve been writing lame jokes on your cups because you’re the grumpiest person ever and you finally crack a smile 13.  you always get my order wrong and I’m pretty sure you’re doing it on purpose just so you get a free drink out of it because employees have a crap discount 14.  I’ve been working on this essay/project/article/etc. for the last ten hours and I’ve barely moved so you come over to give me something to eat and ask if I’m okay 15.  I’m dragged to open mic night by my best friend, and while I’m ordering my drink, your voice fills the room and I’m mesmerized 16.  there’s a poetry slam and while I’ve never gone on stage, I’m obsessed with your stuff 17.  you were rude so I insult you and you just left a $50 tip??? who the fuck do you think you are? 18.  I decided to use my personal (and massive) mug collection when I opened my shop and you start hanging around just to see which mug you’ll get 19.  I open a cat cafe with a separate room for the cats that are all available to adopt, and you keep coming in to sit with them even though you’re allergic 20.  I haven’t seen you in years but you just walked into my coffee shop and by your snooty attitude, you don’t seem to know that I own the place 21.  I really don’t care that you’re a famous celebrity, you will stand in line just like everyone else and that’s that 22.  this shop is really busy but I need their wifi, so could we share this table? 23.  we’re working on our school project in this cafe and I’m pretty sure my group just figured out that I have a crush on you 24.  I have a job interview and you're the clumsy employee who just spilled hot coffee all down my white shirt 25.  I’m on the worst blind/Tinder/Grindr date and you ‘accidentally’ dump a drink on my date to save me 26.  you’re a big city person visiting my tiny coffee shop in a small town and you’re so rude when you ask if we have cappuccinos that I lie and say no 27.  I just bumped into my ex so I slip my arm in yours to pretend you’re my current partner even though you were just standing in line behind me 28.  my umbrella broke and I just stepped into your shop soaking wet and you run upstairs to get me some towels from your apartment and I’m sorry I’m crying but this is the nicest thing that’s happened to me all week 29.  my AC isn’t working at my apartment so I’ve been spending most of my spare time here and using your wifi and I think you’re flirting with me 30.  I’ve been hanging out more because I sit at the counter to watch two baristas flirt (OT3 bonus!) / and you join me so we make a bet on when they’ll get together 31.  I named my coffee shop Coffee Shop and you’re the customer who loudly talks about how stupid the name is 32.  I’ve been sitting in the break room wondering how to ask you out on a date when you come in and announce you were just asked out by a customer (bonus if OT3!) 33.  you’re a famous celebrity who ducks in to my quiet shop and asks if you can hide, and I mean, sure, but are you going to order something? I have to make a living here, dude 34.  I know you own this place but dude, this song has been on repeat for the last hour and I will pay you to change it 35.  I’m really nervous as I’m meeting a family member for the very first time and you’re the kind employee who sits with me to help calm my nerves 36.  you’re staring at me and I don’t know why until you tell me I’ve been singing along to my music and I’m mortified because I didn’t realize 37.  I saw your Help Needed sign in the window and you look busy so where are the aprons and how can I help? 38.  every day I write a quote on a chalkboard on the wall and apparently you’re the author I just quoted but you’ve never shown your face in public before so why are you telling me? 39.  someone left a note in the suggestions box that the barista is the cutest person they’ve seen and I’m laughing as my coworkers discuss who it could be when you quietly admit it’s about me 40.  you just cut in front of me in line and I’m not in the mood to let it slide 41.  I noticed you were on ao3 reading smut and when you go up to get something else to drink from the counter, I realize you’re reading the fic I posted twenty minutes ago 42.  your dog and my dog just tangled their leashes outside the coffee shop and now they won’t leave each other’s sides, so do you want to join me at this table? 43.  I know it’s not my place but your teenager seems to be mixed up in a bad crowd and I thought you should know they’re hiding in the bathroom crying right now 44.  your father comes in weekly at the exact same time and orders the exact same two drinks because that’s what he used to do with your mother and you come looking for him 45.  I really need you to put up this flyer on the community board but you’re sort of being a prick about it 46.  you hire my band to come place on a weekly basis but the more time I spend with you the more time I want to kiss you 47.  you’re my ex who I’ve never really gotten over and you just surprised me by paying for my coffee and I’m not prepared to see you 48.  my coworker wrote my cell phone number on your cup when I wasn’t paying attention and now you’re texting me 49.  after overhearing you order the eccentric coffee shop owner’s drink of the week, I warn you that it never tastes good (bonus if you convince me it’s great this week so I sip and suffer with you) 50.  the last clue to my partner’s scavenger hunt is supposed to be here, and while I’m looking for it, I discover that you’re my partner’s friend who set the whole thing up (bonus: ot3) 51.  I sold my business for millions when I was in high school and tried to disappear from the spotlight but I’ve just been spotted drinking your coffee and feel bad since you’re overwhelmed with the sudden influx of new customers 52.  I overhear you talking to your friend about how you’re planning on meeting up with your ex and I can’t stop myself from butting in because that’s a bad mistake 53.  I’m hosting a food-eating contest to raise money for charity at my shop and you seem to have an endless stomach that makes me a little concerned 54.  I catch you in the act of placing your newspaper over a customer’s cell phone/wallet/etc. and then stealing it when they deny you money 55.  you walk into my coffee just before close looking like a runaway bride/groom/princess/prince/royalty so I stick around to keep you company 56.  meeting at the coffee shop feels like fate, but now we’re sitting here because I’m terrified to tell you my big secret 57.  you’re a grumpy customer who doesn’t talk but you always have the most fun tie/socks/dresses/sweaters/etc. and I look forward to see what you wear next 58.  I’ve been obsessed with your homemade soups and I always rave about them to the cashier but I didn’t realize you also make them until you surprise me with a new recipe 59.  I rent out your shop for the evening to propose to my significant other and they dump me on the spot 60.  I run a baking class one night a week after hours at my shop and you keep coming back despite being the worst baker ever 61.  you left me a bad review so I’m tracking you down to yell at you and demand a retraction 62.  you’re the contractor I’ve hired to build individual bathrooms so I can offer genderless options for people (bonus if contractor is trans/nb/gender queer) 63.  I host a board game night every Friday and you always come in with your best friend and ask me to teach you a new game and I cannot believe you’ve never played Life before (or: insert own game) 64.  I’ve been getting really creative with my foam art and I do some naughty-bits to amuse my coworker on their drink when you mistakenly take it and think I’m hitting on you 65.  I’m wiping down a table when I notice that you left a cell phone number on the back of your receipt for your lunch and I ask my coworker if I should text you (bonus if ot3) 66.  every time you come into my shop, I swear you have a new sticker on your laptop and I desperately want to ask about this one 67.  you come in to steal the shop’s wifi for video calls with your mom/dad/family member and when they see me in the background, they think I’m your new partner 68.  I really suck at my job but I desperately need the money and when I get fired for spilling your coffee all over you, you offer me a job because you feel bad 69.  we’re coworkers who make out in the supplies closet and get caught by another coworker (bonus if ot3!) 70.  someone enters my hot chocolate into a contest for the National Best Hot Chocolate and you’re the hot judge who gets snowed in town for a few days 71.  you join me at my table thinking I’m your blind date and you don’t stop talking about how nervous you are for this date so I don’t get a chance to tell you that you have the wrong person when your actual date comes up and thinks you were hitting on me while waiting for them 72.  I watch you pull out a flask and add alcohol to your drink and then you wink at me 73.  I’m playing a game on my computer but I keep failing at the level so you tap my shoulder and tell me how to beat it (and we spend the rest of the afternoon in the coffee shop bonding) 74.  I've been assigned a fluff article about the different types of people who spend their days at coffee shops but I can’t seem to figure out why you’re here (articles: x, x, x) 75.  I found you curled up under a blanket asleep at my front door so won’t you come in, I’ll get you some food and give you a job 76.  you’re my favourite actor in my favourite TV show but by the sounds of that phone call, you seem to be having a rough day so instead of flailing, I offer you some words of support 77.  I don’t know how to spell anyone’s names correctly so I spell them phonetically and you always mumble your name so I just make up something 78.  I bump into you and knock your coffee out of your hands and you look like someone just died because you’re having the worst week ever and can I make it up to you? 79.  we met online and you suggest this place for our first date and I’m terrified you’ve catfished me or you’re going to stand me up 80.  when people hit on me and ask for my number, I usually make up a number to put on their cups, and today I just happened to write your number on your cup so you call me out 81.  you’re my significant other’s ex and you’ve invited me to coffee to tell me that I can do better and our connection is immediate 82.  I’m in the middle of a rant about this book I’m reading and oh my god you’re the author in line behind me and I’m sorry, not sorry 83.  you take a selfie and I photobomb you, but you don’t notice until the entire photo goes viral so we agree to meet back at this coffee shop 84.  I’m sorry for laughing at you walking into the glass door/window, please let me help you up 85.  I’m a little concerned that you might be too addicted to coffee since you always come down from your office to my little shop to get your fix multiple times a day but my coworkers think you have a crush on me 86.  I’m expecting an important phone call but my phone is about to die and please, please let me borrow yours 87.  I know your sign says ‘no shirt, no shoes, no service’ but can I please give you a really long explanation as to what has led to me desperately needing coffee without a shirt or shoes 88.  I’m a witch barista and I charm your drink so that you have a better day 89.  I’ve been trying to borrow this particular book that the local/college library only has one copy of and I just realized you’re reading it at this coffee shop and goddammit, why haven’t you finished with it yet? 90.  some asshole just stole your purse/backpack without you noticing so I instinctively jump into action and chase him down the street to get it back for you 91.  you’ve cut in front of me in line for the last three days by shooting me a charming smile and leaving me a little dumbfounded but today, that will not fly 92.  I keep making work-related puns and you’re the grumpy coworker who refuses to find me charming 93.  you sit down at my table and quietly tell me to pretend we’re talking because you’re trying not to be seen by someone and I’m so confused as to what is going on but you’re cute so I’ll roll with it 94.  you order the same obscure drink from the app but I always miss you picking up your drink from the counter and today, I’m going to finally watch to see who you are 95.  I don’t know who you think you are, but you really can’t make this shop your office unless you’re going to order more than one tea for the eight hours you stay here 96.  you read tea leaves as a hobby so I always bring my cups to you when I’m finished 97.  you look like you’re having a bad day so I get some icing and draw a smiley face on your cookie 98.  I overheard you talking about how you wish my shop had board games so the next time you come in, I watch your reaction to my new shelf of board games 99.  you’re the very kind employee who brings me my favourite tea when you witness my public (and loud) breakup 100.  this coffee shop is owned and run by queer people and is so very gay with our decor and the names of our menu items, and I’m pretty sure you’re not as straight you think you are because you keep coming in and asking a thousand questions 101.  you dropped to your knee to tie your shoe but suddenly, people are congratulating us on getting engaged and we just scored free coffee so we roll with it 102. I’m wistfully watching a couple when you come up to the counter to order something and get frustrated with my daydreaming

[sawyersick]

all the questions for that ask game!!! (or as many as you want lol)

holy fuck bee............................. ok get red E its a Lot

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say?

Idk what I would say but I probably wouldn’t be that freaked out... the last person I texted is a good friend/coworker and I trust him

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed?

I uhhh can’t remember who the last person I kissed was because it was years ago but let’s assume it was my ex..... he was a toxic pos who tore me down because he had low self esteem so yeah I don’t really like him

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care?

I would be upset if it was anything more than weed or the ocassional drink or if it was a full blown addiction and I would be mad if they didn’t tell me on principle...

 Also I would not be very comfortable if they did it around me because I’m a weenie despite hanging out in hardcore punk groups...... also I can’t stomach the smell of cigarettes im sorry

4. Is your last name longer than six letters?

nope! 

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober?

sober, I don’t drink

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up?

like..... as a significant other? I guess. I’m pretty bad at telling my feelings to people and I’m kinda clingy when I like someone. idk if I’ve ever *explicitly* messed it up tho

7. What does your last received text say?

“sick” and then the sparkly heart emoji five times 

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed?

lots and lots and lots.... unfortunately. we were together for a year and a half

9. Where was your last kiss at?

fuck bitch I don’t remember.............. school? my house? his house? the pool??? man the last five months of that relationship were affection-less

10. When is the last time you saw your sister?

I don’t have one!

11. What do you drink in the morning?

water and sometimes tea

12. Where did you sleep last night?

the car and then my bed when I got home

13. Do you think relationships are hard?

I mean everything takes effort... I don’t find it hard to do things for people in my relationships but I get frustrated when it isn’t reciprocated and I burn out

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you?

nah

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems?

yes....................... many..........................

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy?

I TRIED to be a good emo and like the rain but tbh I get really reasonally depressive so I prefer the sun 100%

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you?

nope!

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants?

jeans!

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now?

hopefully!! I met this real cute punk boy last night

20. Does anyone like you?

HA I doubt it......... I usually come off as the little sister type to most people

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S?

nope! 

22. Is the last person you kissed gay?

probably

I suspected that he had internalized homophobia but also he was weirdly transphobic to me so I dropped it and pretended to be a cis girl around him which is weird because I think he liked boys??????????????????

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand?

YES this girl from high school who talked about tentacle porn to school admins for no reason and did lots of other weird shit 

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo?

yes! I have a whale on my hip and I want to get tiny scissors on my arm soon

25. In the past week have you cried?

yes I watched queer eye and a disney movie lol

26. What breed was the last dog you saw?

I follow like 12 samoyeds on instagram but the last dog I saw irl was this ADORABLE black lab who was a service dog and he rested his head on his human’s lap when she sat down in the library and I wanted to cry

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower?

I have a towel hanging right out side the shower so I grab it, then step out of the shower

28. Have you ever kissed a football player?

hm idk I think so? I definitely kissed a guy who played tennis but he forced it on me so I don’t count it

29. Do you think you’re old?

yes because I hate tiktok

30. Do you like text messaging?

I don’t mind it!! The service at my house sucks tho so I prefer cloud based texting like instagram or facebook messenger

31. What type of day are you having?

A good but slow one! I had a really good night last night so I’m just resting now

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?

I’d honestly rather get snake bites if I were to get a piercing but in general I’m afraid of facial piercings

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather?

warm! then I can head down to the lake :)

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you?

yes! he’s one of my best friends and I talk to him every day and he lives in scotland and I’d like to meet him one day

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling?

relationship! Flings personally make me feel icky and I’m over that

36. Are you a simple or complicated person?

I’d like to think I’m complicated but I’m a simple man..................... you show me whale, I like

37. What song are you listening to?

any song by Liily, all day every day

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it?

yes! I perpetually feel bad about everything!!!!!!39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you?

there was! but not anymore because she ghosted me for no reason40. What made you start liking the person you like now?

This person is so cute and kind and creative and nice and sweet and fashionable!!!! and fun to mosh with!!!!!41. When did you last receive a text message?

half an hour ago ish???42. What is wrong with you right now?

I am constantly depressed and there’s nothing I can do about it exceot keep myself insanely busy but that means there’s no breather for me and also I probably have adhd but can’t afford a therapist43. How well do you know the last female you texted?

FeMaLe dude just say chick

pretty well! I like her favourite band and we talk like once a week at the very least44. Does anyone disgust you?

yes my ex was very nasty and tore people down to his level and also this one person from high school who fucked over my friends 45. Would you date someone right now if they asked?

depends on who.... eye emoji............. but probably yes I have low standards46. Are you in a good mood right now?

yes!47. Who was the last person you talked to in person?

my parents? but other than that it was thanking Nick from the band Unpopular Opinion for the lovely tabling opportunity last night48. What color shirt are you wearing?

white T shirt with a cat pink sweater with a cat49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear?

yes one of my parents says nasty things when in a bad mood50. Anyone you’re giving up on?

yes my former best friend who ghosted me and this girl who keeps flaking on plans with me and also a boy who got mixed up in weird drama with me and his ex that I never wanted to be a part of51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for?

I’ve never really falen hard for anyone, just periods of obsession. I guess I’m waiting for that one sPeCiAl sOmEoNe

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t?

yes, but I’ll settle for waiting53. Do you like rain?

a little of it!54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks?

I’d rather they not be a alcholoic because I had a raging drunk coworker who scared the shit out of me once but I guess I’d be okay with the ocasional drink/drunk night as long as they’re safe55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?

So many times... I keep my mouth shut because it would never work for one reason or another...... also I’m so SICK of having to make the move all the time I just want to be fawned over I’ve never had anyone do ANYTHING romantic for me 56. Do you like to cuddle?

.......................yes57. Are you shy?

not normally! I LOVE being social but in relationships yeah because I’m insecure58. Do you get along with girls?

yes? girls who don’t get along with girls are lame...... lift each other up don’t tear yaselves down59. Have you dated the person you texted last?

nope! But I’ll admit I thought about it haha60. What do you carry with you at all times?

chapstick, money, and pepper spray

ya boy don’t mess around61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you?

depends on the haunted levels, as long as the “ghost” would only watch/appear and not scream or whatever or try to make contact I guess that would be fine? but if It tries to disturb me I’m yeeting mysef the fuck outta here because ya boy needs uninterrupted beauty rest62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months?

yep! I dragged one out for a year and a half when I really should have ended things much sooner than that63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship?

nope! Been single for around two years now64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute?

YES HOLY SHIT65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week?

I fired some pieces in my pottery class! my mugs and bowls came out so well

and I met the cutest punk boy last night!!!!!! he’s so cute and very my type and I got to dance with him in the mosh pit!!!!!!!!!! tell me that’s not the cutest punk thing ever

66. How old are the last three people you kissed?

19, 18(17???), and 21

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself?    

I’ve only gotten them done once! It was very enjoyable but I’m a cheapskate so I’d probably rather do them myself68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print?    

leopard print I guess69. Do you have any stickers on your car?    

one! A turtle from the Maui Ocean Center. I’d like to add a few more sea-related ones and maybe a totoro I bought at a con a few years back70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne?    

literally who the fuck even are these people71. Blackberry, Android, or iPhone?   

android 4 lyfe72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut?    

never? my DnD group would get round table or little caesars73. Do you like diet soda?    

I guess? I like it the same as diet soda74. What color are the walls in your room?    

one purple wall and the other three are pastel mint75. Are you 16 or older?    

yeah baybee76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars?  

nope  77. Do you have a job?   

yep! I’m a windsurfing instructor   78. What are your initials?    

ZSKMTS

but usually I go by SS79. Did you ever have braces?    

nope! I’ve got near-perfect teeth :D80. Are you from the south?    

nope!

81. What does your last status on facebook say?    

I talked about meeting my favourite band again!82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed?

no because he forced himself on me when we were young and I think he remembers and is ashamed and also doesn’t live near me anymore    83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad?    

idk, I’m close but not in different ways with both of them84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics?    

I was really good at the tumbling unit in 6th grade85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters?   

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? I don’t go to the movies much 86. Do you smoke?    

no the smell of cigarettes makes me want to vomit87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops?    

I love heels but I LIVE in flip flops bc california88. Is your phone touch screen?    

yes???? damn when was this ask game made89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly?  

straight.......... I’m too lazy to curl it  90. Have you ever snuck out of your house?  

nope! I’m a weenie  91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool?    

the ocean!!!!!!!! But I guess a pool bc I’m afraid of the flesh eating bacteria in freshwater lakes92. Have you ever made out in a car?    

no but I HAVE made out on some random person’s lawn lmao93. …Had sex in a car?  

no I’m a virgin  94. Are you single or in a relationship?   

single pringle who loves to mingle 95. What were you doing last night at midnight?    

selling my art and listening to cool bands and dancing with cute punk people!!!96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? 

the day after the fourth of July   97. Do you like the camera on your phone?    

yes! I just got a new phone and the camera is way better than my old one

the low lighting setting is  c r i s p 98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits?  

I made out with this one friend of mine like twice and then I never did it again bc I felt icky  99. Have you ever passed out from drinking?    

no I don’t drink100. Are you friends with people on facebook that you actually hate?    

NAH BRO YOU GOTTA UNFRIEND THE FUCK OUTTA THEM NO RAGRETS 101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare?    

nope I’m a virgin102. Name your favorite Kesha song:    

Liily? did you mean Liily???? my favourite Liily song is Wash, Toro, or The Weather103. Do you have any tan lines right now?  

yeah one from the ring I wear every day  and like a shorts tan from summer104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts?

hell yeah but ONLY if the cowboy boots are bright red or hot pink no exceptions

[irarelypostanything]

Slice of Life[6]

[Andy]

“There have been some increasingly controversial topics in the news,” began Andy, in the milionth meeting they were holding that week, “and I know that not everyone here is in agreement with regard to personal beliefs.  Though there is some merit to discussing these topics, I would encourage you to do so outside of work.

“So please,” he continued, “for the love of the old gods and the new, stop arguing about the last episode of Game of Thrones.”

“It was kind of bullshit though, right?” asked Jake, to murmurs of approval.  

“I haven’t watched it yet,” complained Kevin.

“Spoiler,” said Jake, “it sucked.”

“Jake, please.”

“There was a shocking twist about Tyrion being the Night King.”

“Kevin, Jake may or may not be messing with you.”

“I did think the part where Eddard rose from the dead was a little out of left field, though.”

“Amy, please proceed with your presentation.”

Amy was standing in front of their conference room’s projector.  Her long, dark brown hair was tied into a bun, and her usual Davis badminton jacket was replaced by a white button-up.

“Thanks Andy,” she said, relieved that the meeting was back under control, “as I was saying, this project is worth roughly 25.6 million dollars, collectively.  As is the usual case, the largest defense contractors are going to take the majority of business.

“But this is where things get interesting.  I’m going to have to be intentionally vague about the next portion of this, since we’re in a nonclassified setting, but we have certain...capabilities...that even some of the largest corporations don’t.  Thanks to some wise decisions we made early last year with regard to our research allocations, we are actually the first team we know of that can use...”

Her voice trailed.  “Well, that’s also classified.  But the figures aren’t.  Look at this.”  The slide changed.  “We are poised to become the government’s preferred vendor for the entire sensor, and all we have to do is give them a taste.  They expect delivery within three weeks.  For this to work, all teams have to collaborate perfectly.”

“It’s really important that we execute this now,” agreed Andy, “that means it’s really, vitally important that we not let our meetings diverge into arguments about petty bullshit.

“Kevin, we’d like a status report from you.  What’s the important software issue you said you wanted everyone to know about?”

“I know we were told not to compile on the hardware,” began Kevin, “but unfortunately, with our system, it’s unavoidable.  The time stamps are messed up, so doing basic things like compilation is surprisingly difficult.”

“Why not code it in Python?” suggested Jake.  “that way you won’t need to compile it.”

“Wow,” said Dan, with mock amazement, “switch programming languages.  Brilliant.  This is the kind of empty-headed bullshit that only a hardware engineer would come up with.”

“Right,” Jake retorted, “because messed up time stamps is a hardware issue.  Do you guys also give your system administrators mops, then give your janitors root access?”

“Switching to python actually isn’t a bad idea,” said Ryan, “but there’s a much more obvious solution to this problem.  You can-”

“Hang on,” interrupted Dan, “care to repeat that comment about root access?”

“You guys don’t understand separation of duty,” said Jake.

“You guys don’t understand fuck about fuck,” said Dan.

The next half hour went about as productively as that conversation.

[Nora]

Saturday.  It was a surprisingly clear morning, for San Francisco, and the sun was just starting to rise.  Because it was San Francisco, though, the morning was ice cold.

Nora made her way up the steep trail of Mt. Davidson.  Kevin said he knew every trail and angle at this place, and she believed him.  The park was tiny.  She reached the peak with ease.  She glanced in the direction of the sun, then turned away to look at downtown in the distance.  She could see the bay, and Castro, and a bunch of major downtown buildings until her view reached Sutro Mountain.

She pulled out her cell phone.  “This is boring,” she told Kevin through the speaker.

“Did you know it’s the tallest hill in all of San Francisco?”

“Highest of the seven hills?”

“Sure.”

“What, because of the giant cross?”

“I admit that the giant cross is cheating, but the point still stands.”

“Not sure what the big deal is, to be honest.  I’ve had a more fun time at Bernal Heights, and that place has some pretty good coffee.”

“Giant blue building.”

“What?”

“Find the spot where Balboa is, look a bit to the left, and you’ll see that giant blue building.  It’s a water tower.  We used to sneak up there, forever ago, when we were young.”

“Okay...”

“I used to love this city.  It’s not the same now.  Whenever I came back it was never the same, always a little different.  So I started to come home every month, then every other month.  The last time we spoke, it was my first time back in almost a year.”

“Well, what’s changed?”

“It’s just different.”

Nora looked at the tower, then at Kevin’s high school, then at the water again.  From a distance, it was all tiny.  Like none of it mattered.

“You used to love this city,” asked Nora, “and now you don’t because it’s changed?”

“Exactly.  You took the words right out of my mouth.”

“So you believe that the city you once loved is gone.  I believe that the city you loved never existed.”

“That’s morbid.”

“Seriously, how much of it had you really seen?”

Nora looked again at the view.  “Oh wait, technically you’ve seen quite a bit of it.”

“Technically.”

[Kevin]

Sunday.  Kevin was at a church.  Again.

After another sermon, a middle-aged person named Leo (whom he had met a couple of weeks ago) sought him out.

“Hey Kevin,” he said, “do you know a lot about social media?”

The question hit him with surprise.  Kevin had once been obsessed with social media.

“I know a little bit,” said Kevin, “why do you ask?”

“I’d like to give our church more of an online presence, but it’s all new to me.  What do you know about Facebook groups?”

“Well,” said Kevin, “not too much.  I know that you can pay to have the algorithm favor you, so you get more traffic.  I also know that you can integrate it with Google Analytics, and I believe the algorithm will favor you if you can rack likes or comments in a five-minute window.

“The whole thing is very calculated.  The emojis you use, whether you use GIFs, whether you use tags...all of these are taken into consideration when considering your post placement.”

“That’s all fine and good,” said Leo, “but you don’t sound super enthusiastic right now about Facebook.”

“Have you heard of Life Church?”

“No.”

“It’s a nice resource, it’s an online church, but it’s just a little bit too good.  It’s hard to describe.  It’s ridiculously high quality video, full Facebook integration, professional band.  You can view the likes and comments in real time.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s weird.  All of this is weird to me for some reason.  Doing that kind of thing for a church?  I prefer sites like Medium.  I can harvest so much sweet, sweet data.”

“Are you okay?  You just turned red.”

“You know, I get crazy about this a lot.  I used to be a normal guy.  A couple likes here, a couple likes there.  I started to find forums where I could get 100 likes a post, consistently, and I started to get a presence.  Click, like, share.  Click, like, share.  It’s no way to live, man.  Every second a feeling of wanting judgment, every act of communication a desperate plea to please the algorithm.

“But this one time, this one night I’ll never forget, I put up an article that went #trending.  It got 36,000 Facebook shares.  Pretty okay, sure, but then I found the real analytics.  3 million hits.  3 million people read it, all around the world.”

For a little while, Leo just stood there.  Finally, he spoke again.

“Kevin, I just want to share some videos.”

“Oh, okay.  Have you considered YouTube?”

“What’s that?”

Kevin walked back to his apartment after lunch.  Part of him wished he could be as enthusiastic about church as he was about technology, but there was still something he couldn’t get over.  It was a belief that was fundamental to him for as long as he remembered.  It was a belief that went against everything he had read in every book of the bible.

Kevin didn’t think it mattered what people believed.  All that mattered to him was what people did.

Some Christians donated to the poor, built schools, saved lives.  Some atheists donated to the poor, built schools, saved lives.  Both Christians and non-Christian people had done great things, and horrible things, but so had Muslims.  And Hindu people.  And scientologists, and probably a million other religions.  But no one thought it was okay to believe that your beliefs didn’t matter.  

Kevin wasn’t sure if he believed in everything or nothing.  He figured it was impossible to believe in nothing, because that would mean that he still believed in something.

[Dan]

Monday.  8PM.  Dan was one of the only people in.

It was a long meeting, followed by a crucial lunch meeting, followed by coding, followed by another meeting.  These past few days had been tough on everyone, but Dan sometimes wished he could just hole up, not talk to anyone, and code.

He finally had a few hours to himself.  This was when he felt most productive.

2, he thought.  2, 4, 8, 16…

Dan’s weapon of choice had always been C++.  He knew bitwidths, 56-megabyte proprietary structs, obscure abbreviations that only meant anything to him, Andy, and the Department of Defense.  He knew 18 different ways to bind to a socket.  He knew 19 different ways to accidentally bind to the socket incorrectly, which is why he was careful who he hired.

He looked at his code.  100 lines.  18 minutes.  It compiled, implemented a client/server, verified that both sides were properly using the data.  Not bad.  He added error handling, comments, varied conditions.  He updated his code like a skilled writer polishing his prose, and like a skilled writer he knew how important every individual unit was.  He knew how significant the difference was between --i and i--.  He knew the implications of using [] on a vector instead of .at()

Having accomplished his main goal, he decided to spend a few minutes making fun of other people on Github issues.

He saw one branch of code where someone failed, failed again, then tried changing all the include statements from using “” to using <>.  Dan laughed.

He saw one branch of code where someone tried to log everything as fatal.  This was surprisingly common, especially for people too dumb to figure out how to set log level.  Dan laughed.

Then Dan saw a branch made by one of his best friends.

Ex-friends.  No one ever figured it out.  Things were mysterious, but for reasons he never understood this friend’s family chose not to mention their company (or Dan) once.  But how did it happen?  This was also mysterious.  Dan compiled a list of all the things he had learned after college, and it was long, but one item stood out:

When an obituary omits cause of death, that usually means it’s suicide.

What appalled Dan wasn’t the act itself, but the sheer indifference that their company displayed.  They just didn’t care.  His cubicle was replaced by an intern’s, then another intern’s.  That’s more or less how he felt the company regarded this death.  It was a name tag change, a commented out line in payroll.  It frustrated Dan to no end, the sheer meaningless and triviality of the ordeal.  

Silently, when he was sure no one was there to hear, Dan wept.

He cried to a timer.  When five minutes passed, he got back on track with coding.

[midwestwifelife-blog]

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Whose the fairest of them all?

Normally I’m not one for new year resolutions but this year is a bit different. 2018 brought life changing events which made me realize I have to be my best self from here on out. Pregnancy is a crazy beautiful thing that also messes with every part of your body physically, mentally and emotionally. I can honestly say I don’t like who I see in the mirror and have taken the steps to bettering myself for me, and most importantly for my son.

I think the most obvious would be what I physically see in the mirror, when I actually decide to look. I’ve always had a relatively flat stomach and carried my weight in my butt, legs, arms and face. About a year before I got pregnant I went on a weight loss journey where I lost just over 60 pounds for my wedding. I didn’t gain as much weight as I thought I would but I can tell I definitely have some pounds to loose. The biggest transformation from my pregnancy would be in my stomach. Towards the end my stomach was so big, turns out I was housing an (almost) eleven pound baby and the only way out was by c section. Surprisingly I love my scar as a reminder of what I went through. The purple stretch marks that cover my entire lower stomach however aren’t so cute. I know in time they should fade but right now I am super self conscious about them. I’ve been using moisturizers and creams with hopes they lighten up but so far I haven’t seen any progress. Another fun addition to my body is the lovely belly pouch. My uterus shrunk back to normal size within days which was great, but now I have this little pouch of belly fat that I never had before. This makes putting clothes on emotionally exhausting. Thankfully I am able to see my nutritionist and get back on track but it can’t come soon enough!

The other big struggle is physically getting myself ready. I would rather spend my time snuggling my little babe than to spend time doing my hair and makeup. Before kids I used to love experimenting with hair styles and new make up. Now, I just don’t feel cute enough to even try.

I know everything takes time, but with my recent postpartum depression the physical is staring at me in the face which makes it a million times harder to over come it.

The second situation is my mental state. Outside of my postpartum depression I feel like I have a few things I could work on mentally. I need to learn to love my new self and love my new role. Your life changes in a matter of seconds and no amount of preparation can get you ready. I am so in love with my little man, I am so in love with being a mom, but I need to fall in love with this new life and new routine. The last 12 weeks alone with my little has taught me a lot. I no longer can deal with the little petty shit that comes with life. I am not the same person I was before. My priorities have shifted and sometimes that makes me a bad friend. I constantly miss phone calls and never return them, I read text messages and don’t reply on a daily basis, when someone asks if I want to do something, I feel terrible but I really don’t. I want to sit and stare at Gray to make sure I don’t miss a thing. I want to be a lazy hermit who doesn’t leave her house and that’s okay! I spent 10 months creating a life and 56 hours of labor bringing that life into the world. He is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I am obsessed with him and honestly I’m okay with it. I am completely content with my life at home raising my boy and growing with my husband as much as I love and adore my friends. I am sorry if some people in my life can’t understand that it isn’t personal and that a lot of it has to do with these huge changes I’ve endured over the last 10 months. I’ve been told that these feelings of wanting to stay home or being anti social will pass, which I am ready for, but I also want to make sure I maintain a balance. I love my friends, and I love that they love Gray. I want to feel normal again, find a routine that can balance both worlds, but for right now I know I’m feeling these things for a reason. The first few months with a newborn are for bonding, and that, right now is my first priority.

I am done apologizing for things I’m not sorry for. This is a big one. I am constantly labeled as an asshole or bitch because I speak my mind and hold people accountable to their actions. I genuinely appreciate when people are upfront and honest with me and would never turn around and consider someone an asshole if they are speaking their mind or holding me accountable for something I may have done. Moving into 2019 I refuse to surround myself with people who “betray” me or disrespect me when it’s not deserved. I am far from perfect but I wasted so much time and efforts the last few years trying to make amends with people who continue to treat me like dirt. It’s not worth my time, energy or emotions. I would like to think I’m a pretty decent human being who cares strongly for others and would do anything to help if someone needed it, and I don’t deserve to be treated like shit for no reason. Coming to this realization has been life changing. I no longer worry about things I can’t control and it’s been freeing.

You must love yourself before you can start to see change from within. I would say I love myself 70% of the time but these things in combination with a few other things that I’m not quite ready to share are what is holding me back from that 100! I need to put my son first and to be my best self, no bullshit, no drama, and no backstabbing. I want to be able to spend as much time with my baby because he is growing up too fast, spend time with my husband who is my rock and mold our family into a solid unit. I have always been aware of myself and can admit mistakes as well as take responsibility for my actions and that won’t change. I want to get to a point mentally where I can worry less, be surrounded by support systems and learn to love myself in this new light. I am so blessed with the opportunities I have been given, I won’t take them for granted.

Until next time..

-T

[meepface]

i’m kind of having a panic attack about school starting tomorrow so i am just trying to distract myself feel free to ignore me

(1) Do You Sleep With Your Closet Doors Open Or Closed? 

closed 

(2) Do You Have Freckles? 

i used to have a lot as a kid but they kinda went away but you can still sorta see them. when i’m out in the sun a lot though they come out and it makes me so happy i wish they would stay like that

(3) Can You Whistle? 

not very well

(4) Last Song You Listened To. 

Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld, honestly this song is such a bop n it makes me !!!!!!!

(5) What Is Your Favourite Colour? 

cerulean blue and yellow

(6) Relationship Status. 

taken !!

(7) What Is The Temperature Right Now? 

78F !! it’s nice n cool, thanks Harvey

(8) Did You Wake Up Cranky? 

probably

(9) How Many Followers? 

3,933

(10) Zodiac Sign. 

aries

(11) What Is Your Eye Colour? 

green

(12) Take A Vitamin Daily? 

no

(13) Do You Sing In The Shower? 

no but i dance sometimes lol

(14) What Books Are You Reading? 

furiously happy by jenny lawson lmao i keep forgetting im reading it though so i haven’t gotten very far

(15) Grab The Book Nearest To You, Turn To Page 64, Give Me Line 14. 

“Sometimes she wondered if the shape of his eyes effected how he saw things” - this sounds bad out of context

(16) Favourite Anime?

rwby

(17) Last Person You Cried In Front Of? 

caitlin

(18) Do You Collect Anything? 

hats, i used to collect stuffed animals, bouncy balls and littlest petshops when i was a kid though lmao

(19) What Did You Have For Lunch? 

chicken bites from whataburger

(20) Do You Dance In The Car? 

definitely

(21) Favourite Animal?

i like grizzly bears and bunnies

(22) Do You Watch The Olympics? 

yes my family and i get into them usually

(23) What Time Do You Usually Go To Bed? 

lately like 1:30 AM but hopefully earlier tonight since i have school in the morning lmao kms

(24) Are You Wearing Makeup Right Now? 

yeah i need to take this shit off i am ready for beddd

(25) Do You Prefer To Swim In A Pool Or The Ocean? 

pool

(26) Favourite Tumblr Blog? 

slimetony

(27) Bottled Water Or Tap Water? 

bottled

(28) What Makes You Happy? 

i’ve been really into watching slam poetry videos lately

(29) Post A Gif Of What You’re Currently Feeling Right Now. 

(30) Do You Study Better With Or Without Music? 

depends on my mood but usually without or if it’s chill songs that i’ve heard one million times before so i can just tune em out

(31) Dogs Or Cats? 

dogs

(32) If You Were A Crayon What Colour Would You Be? 

a bright obnoxious yellow

(33) PlayStation Or Xbox. 

xbox

(34) Would You Swim In The Lake Or Ocean? 

yeah i’d swim in both, i enjoy lakes a lil more than the ocean though

(35) Do You Believe In Magic? 

no

(36) What Colour Shirt Are You Wearing? 

a light gray sweater

(37) Can You Curl Your Tongue? 

no but i can make it do that clover thing

(38) Do You Save Money Or Spend It? 

save unless i’m really sad and have free time bc in that case i buy myself $70 of new clothes to make myself temporarily feel better

(39) Is There Anything Pink Within 10 Feet Of You? 

a coloring book w a pink cover

(40) Do You Have Any Obsessions Right Now? 

wouldn’t say obsession but i’ve been really into blackbear’s music, the my favorite murder podcast, videos of people exploring abandoned places and hi-chew candies lately

(41) Have You Ever Caught A Butterfly? 

yes i caught a monarch one time when i was little and i accidentally touched its wing and my mom told me if i touch their wings they could die and i cried about it

(42) Are You Easily Influenced By Other People? 

yeah lol i try not to be but i definitely have no idea how to be my own person at all whatsoever. no clue who i am

(43) Do You Have Strange Dreams? 

i had one where i was shot in the back of my workplace and died kinda recently and it really freaked me out bc i’ve never had a dream that i died in so i’ve been doin a lot of research about the meaning of dreams lately lmao

(44) Do You Like Going On Airplanes? 

i enjoy airports and being on planes but not after the initial excitement is over and then you have to wait for like 5 hours 

(45) Name One Movie That Made You Cry. 

i cried like a baby when i watched hachiko

(46) Peanuts Or Sunflower Seeds? 

sunflower seeds for sure

(47) If I Handed You A Concert Ticket Right Now, Who Would You Want The Performer To Be? 

blackbear

(48) Are You A Picky Eater? 

nah i don’t think i’m that picky, i will try just about everything

(49) Are You A Heavy Sleeper? 

i want to say no but i have slept through a fire alarm before so idk. it takes me forever to fall asleep though it’s the worst

(50) Do You Fear Thunder / Lightning? 

not at all

(51) Do You Like To Read / Write? 

i love writing even though i don’t think i’m all that good and i used to love to read but now i just have depression

(52) Do You Like Your Music Loud? 

yes unless i’m feelin overwhelmed then i like a nice soft playlist of chill music. i’m listening to the lumineers’ cleopatra album real softly right now and it’s so nice

(53) Would You Rather Carve Pumpkins Or Wrap Presents? 

i’m bad at both but probably carve a pumpkin

(54) Put Your Music On Shuffle, What Is The First Song That Came Up? 

destroyer // saint motel

(55) What Season Are You In Right Now? (Weather)

summer

(56) What Are You Craving Right Now? 

takis lmao idk why i’ve been intensely craving those lately bc they always make me so sick but they’re sooooo good

(57) Post A Screenshot Of Your Tumblr Feed. 

nothing nsfw tonight

(58) What Is Your Gender? 

female

(59) Coffee Or Tea? 

coffee

(60) Do You Have Any Homework Right Now? If So, What Is It About? 

school hasn’t even started for me but i still had homework today lmao i finished it a few hours ago but it was a quick quiz over the syllabus for history. if you did it before the class met you got 1 point added to your overall grade at the end of the semester and i’m bad at history so you know i was all over that

(61) What Is Your Sexuality? 

bi but probably gay i really don’t know i never experimented quite enough

(62) Do You Make Your Bed In The Morning? 

no i don’t believe in that

(63) Favourite Pokemon? 

espeon

(64) Favourite Social Media? 

instagram

(65) What’s Your Opinion On Instagram Stories? 

they’re fine i just always forget to watch them or use them. i like the boomerangs though

(66) Do You Get Homesick? 

i mostly just miss having time by myself in my room to just chill

67) Are You A Virgin? 

no

(68) What Shampoo And Conditioner Are You Using Right Now?

idk pantene something and it smells so good

(69) If You Were Far From Home And Needed To Sleep For The Night, Would You Choose To Rent A Crappy Motel Room For $60 Or Sleep In Your Car For Free? 

probably the motel, i’d feel safer

(70) Are Both Of Your Blood Parents Still In Your Life? 

yes

(71) Whats The Next Movie You Want To See In Theaters? 

It!!! i wanna see it with my brother realllll bad

(72) Do You Miss Your Ex? 

not oooooone bit

(73) What Is Your Favourite Quote Right Now?

"look. life is bad. evryones sad. we're all gona die. but i alredy bought this inflatable boumcy castle so r u gona take ur shoes off or wat"

(74) What Eye Colour Do You Find Sexiest? 

i mean i wouldn’t say sexiest i think that depends on the person but i feel like brown eyes are jus like, deeper u know. i love em

(75) Did You Like Swinging As A Child? Do You Still Get Excited When You See A Swing Set? 

yes yes

(76) What Was The Last Thing You Ate? 

some lays limon chips bc i didn’t eat enough dinner

(77) What Games Do You Have On Your Phone? 

flow, gin rummy (my personal fave), 1010, gardenscapes, tiny tower, tripeaks, snake vs block, ballz, adcap and this morning i downloaded dumb ways to die and roll the ball bc i am bored w the games i have and wanted to play smth else

78) Would You Give A Homeless Person CPR If They Were Dying? Why Or Why Not? 

i would if i knew CPR but i do not so i would try to find someone that does so i don’t waste time trying and doing it wrong

(79) Been On The Computer For 5 Hours Straight? 

yeah probably but i don’t do that so much anymore

(80) Stalked Someone On A Social Network? 

not like stalk in the bad way but i’ve checked up on people and i’ve done some digging before

(81) Do You Like Meeting New People? 

it makes me anxious but i really like meeting new people 

(82) Do You Wear Rings? If You Do, Take A Picture Of Them. 

i just wear this one!! it’s my gf and i’s promise ring, she got em for us as our 1 year anniversary gift and i wear it every day

(83) Do You Sleep With Your Bedroom Door Open Or Closed? 

closed !!! 

(84) What Are Three Things You Did Today? 

1. i had lunch with my girlfriend 2. i picked my brother up from school and we talked shit 3. i had a full blown panic attack about school being tomorrow

(85) What Do You Wear To Bed? 

usually just underwear but if i’m cold i’ll wear a big t-shirt too

(86) List All Of Your Different Beauty Products You Have Right Now. 

(87) Are You A Day Or Night Person? 

night

(88) List All Of Your Video Games On Your Phone, Console Etc. 

answered the phone on already but i have sooo many games bc my brother plays a lot of videogames lmao but i have an xbox 360, an xbox one, a playstation 2, and a wii and i have a ton of games for each of those that we’ve collected overtime lmao, plus some for our old PC and i also have access to everything my brother buys on steam. out of all that i only really play call of duty, LA noire, GTA V, just dance, harvest moon for wii ?? that’s it lol, i’ve been meaning to play life is strange and gone home and the wolf among us though

(89) Tell Me About A Dream That You Had And When It Happened. 

had a really bad nightmare recently that someone was robbing my workplace and killed my best friend, Caitlin and my brother in front of me and then we went on business as usual like nothing happened and it was so scarring i honestly only think about that when i think about my dreams anymore

(90) Favourite Soda Drink? 

coke

(91) What Sounds Are Your Favourite? 

i like real ambient upbeat music that you’d listen to on like a road trip or smth

(92) Do You Wear Jeans Or Sweats More? 

jeans but only bc my favorite pair of sweats got bleach all over em and i keep forgetting to go buy some new ones

(93) How Do You Look Right Now? 

like an undercooked fish fillet

(94) Ever Had Any Suicidal Thoughts? 

oooooooo boy have i

(95) Name Something That Relaxes You. 

soft music, driving, my girlfriend when she talks real gently to me n rubs my back

(96) What Tattoo Do You Want? 

right now i am tryin to decide if i wanna get a big ol B&W half-sleeve of sunflowers on my right arm

(97) Favourite YouTuber? 

still love grace helbig a lot bc she’s funny n i have a crush on her but i’ve been binging elijah and christine so much lately

(98) Post A Picture Of Yourself. 

this was me yesterday when i let my hair do it’s natural thing and i looked like a lion. i was into it though

(99) Do You Have Any Illnesses? 

my brain is not a good one but thas ok it happens

(100) Favourite Place To Relax? 

my room or my car

[grazygardener]

I noticed this article of Skam in one of Finland’s biggest news site, translation under the cut.

Sana, Magnus or Vilde, speculation of the skam fans heats up – will the next main character be the magnificent Muslim girl?

Young people Series Skam’s fourth season is already close. Norwegian series reminds how wonderful it is to kiss for hours, how difficult it is to find yourself and what you don’t talk about to  adults. Read here what you need to know about the hit series.

(Warning: If you have not yet watched Skam, this article and its pictures can reveal some of the details of the first three seasons.) Every generation has its own perfect teen series. It that program that seems to describe just your own, astonishingly wonderful reality. That series, which also adults can watch and dive into a youthful memories about turmoil and the beauty of youth, and find bridges to the worlds of their children. This times most important teen series Skam does not, of course, no longer come first on TV, but it is divided into chunks in social network. Drama tells about life of the pupils in the Norwegian school, Hartvig Nissens. In each season the events are followed through one changing main character. Right now there’s eagerly expected when the next, fourth season begins to appear monitors and laptops, first in Norway and then in other parts of the world. In Finland episodes of the week can be watched as compilation soon after airing in Norway from Yle Areena. Old episodes of the first season will also start the TV side of the FST in the end of April.

In Norwegian Skam means shame and just that combination of all-embracing shame and raucous shamelessness is what makes the dramaseries. The series is aimed at 14-18-year-olds. Skamin writer-director is a Norwegian Julie Andem, 34, who already had previous experience series targeted at pre-teens. She realized that to develop a credible story you need to be familiar with the target group through and through. So there was months worth of background studies of Norwegian young people’s life and interests for Skamia. Also 1 200 young people arrived in the roles of a screen test gave to the writers more information. Youngsters parents flashes on the series only occasionally. The longest-speaking adult is a school nurse. All events evolve through self-activity of high school students. It’s told that the teens even do their own makeup so the authenticity would also be reflected in the appearance.

Stroke of luck to Yle Series is produced on a budget by Norway’s public broadcaster NRK P3 and when the season is on  it’s been shown on the Norway channel’s website, where it’s released for the daily basis with new content, such as video clips and in the messages series characters sent for each other. Compilation from these video clips will be aired on Fridays. However, the episodes are not visible abroad. Finland shows episodes in Yle Areena The project seems to have been successful. Not only Nordic young people, but also for example the French and the Japanese teens have identified with the Norwegian way of life for high school students. It seems with it’s familiar looking scenery more understandable for Finns than American shows. Norwegian episodes are subtitled in English online by fans. For example, VisitOslo’s Skam based site has been had visits already from one hundred different countries during this spring.

The discovery exchange Also, for Yle Areena skam has been a fluke. - Skam came to Finland and YLE through Nordvision exchange. Northern Vision is a Nordic network of broadcasters, which shares content and ideas. Svenska Yle picked Skam and thus it has become available for the entire Yle, says executive producer Anna Forth. - Last week from Areena Skam was watched just over half a million times. Overall, the series has been watched from Areena approximately five and a half million times. Skam helps Yle reach the young audience better than ever with a single product. Presumably, many young people have also found through Skam Areena and its other contents. - We are now trying to show what else we have to offer, Forth says.

The rumors works Skam’s teams of makers is not large. The first three seasons production budget had a total of ten million Norwegian crowns, just over one million euros. The success of the series has also been sold to the United States, where they are making the english version of Shame. In order to keep track of the series, you must be monitoring social media. There is likely to appear hints of the upcoming season soon. Each character has its own Facebook and Insta-account. Many are following actors’ personal accounts. In marketing they are skillfully exploited the rumor mill, the young people sharing information on a wide range in matter of minutes and the slow pace of traditional instruments. Currently for example there’s discusses could the behavior of the writers conclude something on the future of the protagonist. There is a rumor that Julie Andem have recently begun to track particularly Muslim girls in Instagram. Would it therefore mean that the protagonist of the next season is Sana? Young people of course also get bored quickly. After the Christmas holidays Skam was still really a hit word, now on a skiing holiday it was talked by middle-aged in social media. We’ll see how the new season starting will make viewers to behave. If the episodes will be too much for the whole family topics, young people might move forward

Skam-trip to Norway What ever happens Skam has already cheered Norway’s reputation in the world. Strange sounding language has begun to enthrall and excursions in Oslo are planned so one can take pictures in Instagram or Snapchat in places where series happens. Visit Oslo is up to date. Pages has the map which even includes venues of the series. For example, the ​​genuine Hartvig Nissens skole is available in Frogner area at Niels Juels gate 56. - We launched Skam guide on the website in mid-january and a week later it had 55 000 views. Map was made precisely because the Oslo began to get more and more inquiries from tourists related Skam, says Mona Konuralp from  Innovasjon Norge.

When do we get more? New way of communication is used also with regard to the upcoming season. The starting time of the fourth season is still a secret. In Finland, however, Yle intends to increase the Areena episodes as soon as they appear. If the amounts of episodes can be conclude something, the series which events move with the school year, the new series should be able to start at least about ten weeks before the end of the gradation. Thus, the time could soon be on hand. In Norway, the first video clip of the first season was released on 22 September 2015, and the first full episode was seen on Friday, September 25, 2015. Finland received the episodes during this winter.

First season’s star was selfsearching and fierce Eva, second season star Noora battled against trust issues and in third season the main was was Isak wondering his sexuality and love. Around one big theme there is intertwined with many other phenomenas and stories. Fourth season will begin in the spring of 2017. Past three seasons can be viewed during the spring in Yle Areena.

Who gets the lead? Production company knows how to reach young people and not for excample their parents. Also the hype is fueled by rumors. The fourth season will tell about the spring semester. But who will be the lead? Social network is guessing would the season the main role now be for the bold Sana, easily obsessed Vilde or perhaps Jonas who enjoys hanging in gang? Also sensitive Evan and popular William have been suggested to be the main based of a number of different theories.

However, the classification of teens is not only dangerous but also unnecessary. For each season the main character has finally been much more than the first impression. The most popular spekulations are Sana and Vilde. Ulrikke Falch who plays Vilde shared “accidentally” picture in Instagram, which is thought to infer that she is the main character of the next season. She has more than 700 000 followers in Istagram. Information was repealed the same account immediately. It will remains a mystery whether it was intentional hint or for example, hacked or scam.

Fashion icon Noora In the world of Finn teens Skam can be also seen in the fashion. The effect may be seen by looking at high school dress code. In particular, a series self-confident, introverted intellectual Noora has risen to the young women’s style-icon. Her longish blonde bob hair is one of the most popular hairstyles. Also eyelashes without makeup, bright red lipstick, cute sweaters and wool coats include Noora’s style. For example, when a fashion brand Gina Tricot produced Skam T-shirts bearing Noora’s name, they were instantly sold from the Tampere store. New ones are already coming.

Kisses and vomit What happens in Skam? Without a nasty spoilers can say that the drama includes kissing, loving, drinking, vomiting, getting high, fear of becoming pregnant, suffering from eating disorders, searching for oneself, learning to trust and figuring out which one is more important, heart or common sense. At the same time attending school, hanging in social media, preparing graduation and organizing in the future. And being wonderful and authentic. Emotions are sensitive and beautiful. The background music is the music of today.

For adults, a series works as a window for everyday life and human relations of teens, but also a reminder of the fact that not all what is happening now toyoung people is terrible. It is also a sensitive, wonderful, sparkling and bright. Of course, at the same time you can also be sensing the wise way the production team has embed the subtle cultural tolerance, education, health information and mental health work in between the lines. Thats the amount of the broadcasting background can appear. Those themes do also work for adults at least as well than the teens.

Skam Norwegian youth series, which the first three season with finnish subtitles can be found in the Yle Areena during the spring, Yle Fem shows episodes of the first season in the television since the end of April. Tells about the Norwegian Hartvig Nissens schools pupils’ lives. Each season the events are told through the one changing the main character. Areena episodes vary in length from 20 minutes to almost an hour. They consist of a one-week events which were published in Norway in real-time throughout the week. Currently waiting for information on when the fourth season begins. Also, the main character has not yet been revealed.

Do you know them? Norwegian born in Bergen in 1998 dance student Lisa Teige is Eva Kviig Mohn. Norwegian born in 1996 Josefine Frida Pettersen plays Noora Amalie Sætre.

Born in 1996, Norwegian Ulrikke Falch is Vilde Lie Hellerud. Born the same year, a university student Iman Meskini, whose mother is a Norwegian and father is a Tunisian, plays Sana Bakkoush. Student of the theater school in Oslo Ina Svenningdal is Chris Berg. Norwegian turning 18-years in late March Tarjei Sandvik Moe is Isak Valters. 18-year-old Norwegian Marlon Valdés Langeland is Jonas Noah Vasquez. 20-year-old Thomas Hayes is William Magnusson. His rumored to be leaving the series. Included in the Norwegian TV3 Elven war-series. Born in 1996, attending art academies in Oslo Carl Martin Eggesbø is  Eskild Tryggvason. You can find characters social media profiles from here.

[a-c-i-d-k-i-t-t-y]

Fuck it & Answer all of them!

oomg ok! this will take forever so i’m gonna take breaks in between and then come back1.if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?they would read my journal, watch any of my favorite docs/films that relate to my mind and my life the most, and if someone wants to really understand me they’ll have to communicate with me, listen instead of just hearing me. they’ll have to want to understand.2.have you ever found a writer who thinks just like you? if so, who?oh yeah plenty 

3.three songs that you connect with?this is hard as hell cause i have a million songs i connect with, but just off the top of my head: Why - NFHelp - Papa RoachHonor Roll - BulowMyself - Layton Greenthat’s four but whatever4.would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?no that girl is like my sister lol

5.have you taken someones virginity?someone’s lesbian virginity6.how many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust?zero, i can’t see that ever happening. i’ve never fully trusted male figures.

7.if you could, would you take back your last kiss?noo

8.who would you like to see in concert?not counting anyone i’ve already seen,NF, post malone, paramore, ariana grande, billie eilish, kane brown, and a million more

9.what was the last concert you saw?i think it was demi but i feel like i seen someone after her who i’m forgetting

10.would you ever want to swim with sharks?maybe. if i’m totally safe doing so haha11.do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months?i fuckin hope so, i’m making it a mission

12.what was the last thing that made you laugh?whatever random shit me and angie were talking about tonight when i seen her13.a song you’d listen to during soft/slow/passionate sex?i have no idea, fire on fire - sam smith 

14.have any pets?4 kitties

15.do you want to have kids? How many?i don’t know honestly, it’s something i think about and flip flop with. i’ve always said that if i want to have a child, it’ll be before i’m in my 30′s and if it decide to, my plan forever was to have a sperm donor. but i don’t know if i can raise a child tbh. i have too many fears which i’m sure everyone does when thinking of having a baby. i can’t picture myself pregnant either lol. but i would want it to come from me if i had one.

16.do you have piercings? How many?my nose, vertical labret, and my ears are stretched

17.do you miss anyone from your past?i miss friends from my childhood and middle school who’ve moved away or drifted, family members who are gone now, and versions of people before they’ve changed due to addiction, struggles, etc

18.what are you craving right now?a shower cause i just got home

19.have you ever broken someone’s heart?yes not intentionally 

20.have you ever been cheated on?yes

21.have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry?yes when i finally walked away, it bothered me a lot to make someone cry, but it really had to be done.22.do you believe in true love?yes

23.favourite weather?summer & fall!

24.do you like the snow?yes it’s pretty to look at, but i only like when it snows maybe once every winter cause i can’t deal with the freezing cold

25.do you wanna get married?as of today my answer is no26.is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby?yes only if i like them or are dating them. when random ass people call me that i hate it

27.what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?my mind is totally blank right now when i try thinking of any, i do have some though

28.go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!“space can alter your DNA.”

29.what’s your favorite pasta dish?chicken alfredo pasta or just regular pasta with tomato sauce & meatballs

30.what color do you really want to dye your hair?i think i might change my hair to dark brown in the summer but i don’t really know cause whenever i change it from black i immediately miss it or regret it

31.what’s your favorite eye color?all eye colors are my favorite

32.talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.i had this bag with hearts all over it in middle school and i carried it everywhere with me and it seen some dark shit man.

33.are you a morning person?i used to be, i want to be

34. what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?no weird places. i think i went to some abandoned places with friends when i was younger. we didn’t “break” into anything though, but we trespassed. 35.what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?my converses or vans, i used to wear my combat boots EVERYWHERE people used to think i was crazy cause i’d wear them in the summer when it was like 90 degrees.

36.what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.i. fucking. love. socks. fuzzy socks.

37.tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.ummm idk i walked my best friend home to the next town at like 2-3AM and we smoked weed prior, and as we were walking some dude was yelling out to us asking if we know where to get crack rock, and all i remember is us running because we were scared lol 

38.do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!i used to got to starbucks a lot but not anymore. i usually just make coffee at home or go to DD or wawa.39.who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?fuck if i know. i think my boyfriend at the time in the back of his truck.

40.what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?always had the fear of abandonment or my mom dying since my dad died when i was 8. i would send myself into panic attacks whenever my mom would leave me home alone for hours or if i came home and she was gone i would automatically think she was dead and would cry hysterically. and yeah i have that fear still but i don’t cry like that anymore, just feel a lot of anxiety.

41.do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?yes, it’s been a minute so i don’t remember42.think of a person. what song do you associate with them?i just texted angie so that’s who i thought of,yoho - blood on the dancefloor lmfao don’t ask

43.what are your favorite memes of the year so faroh god if i could i would post them, they had me dying.

44.do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?yes poetry is pretty45.what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?never given or received a “stupid” gift46.what are some of your worst habits?here’s three: catastrophizing, ruminating, self-sabotaging47.describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.they’ve been here for me since day one, always. proven through their actions that they genuinely care about my well being and my feelings and want the best for me. has my back through everything and is more than a friend, i consider them family.

48.tell us about your pets!stella: alpha cat of the housecookie: she isn’t the youngest but she is the baby of the cat fam and is super needyiris: badass and fears nothingno-name: literally unbothered by anything 

49.is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?showering, sleeping. i’ve literally been working on answering this for an hour.

50.are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?don’t hate them, just not a fan. 

51.what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?honestly just treating me like a fucking human being

52.describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.eyesss like honey 53.what’s some of your favorite album art?lana del rey’s album born to die has nice artwork and that album is one of my favorites 

54.are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?i have one currently. i plan to get more. i want midna from twilight princess on my upper arm or skull kid surrounded other things from the legend of zelda correlated into the tattoo turning it into a half sleeve, certain quotes or lyrics i have in mind, a tattoo dedicated to my dad, etc.

55.do you like concept albums? absolutely

56.what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?into the wild57.list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.pieces - red58.if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?i wouldn’t press either of them. everything in my past happened for a reason and i wouldn’t want to skip into the future because that freaks me out to skip time where i could have done something in those 5 years missed.

59.what do you do when you’re sad?either a negative or positive coping skill depending where my head is.

60.what are some things you do when you can’t sleep?think too much, listen to music all night, binge watch something on netflix or youtube, talk to someone, take a lovely walk to the refrigerator

61.what was the best (non-romantic) night you’ve had?nights full of positive vibes with friends, laughing, having good talks, good food, music, just chillen. going to seaside, having bonfires, going off-roading in the woods, etc

62.who is the last person you told a secret to?i really don’t have secrets, i’m an open book if you ask me anything. 63.what’s the best piece of advice you ever received?i wouldn’t say advice, but i’ve received amazing guidance from my fam back at my old outpatient program when i was in therapy. i wish i could still remember most of the things i was told but i know it really helped me when i needed it most.

64.what’s your favorite food?sushi 

65.what’s your secret dream?i don’t have a secret dream

66.three songs you were recently obsessed with.straight to my head - you me at sixno ordinary love - memphis mayfirefire on fire - sam smith67.three songs that remind you of the person who sends this onei don’t know the person who sent me this

68. three favourite old songssome of my favorites that throw me back to when i was in middle schooldon’t matter - akonleave, get out - jojoi miss you - blink 182

69.three last songs you listened towe belong together - mariah careylithium - nirvanaheart-shaped box - nirvana

70.worst possible time to get horny:a funeral

71.have you ever had a friends with benefits?it depends what someone considers a friends with benefits relationship to be. i’ve hooked up w a friend years ago like twice, but idk if that would be considered fwb? since it wasn’t an ongoing thing. there was no strings attached, so i guess? any type of ongoing relationship i had with anyone after that there was always feelings.72.do you believe in soulmates?i wanna believe that yeah73.Is there anyone you would die for?i’m sure there is 74.who was the last person you cried in front of?my ex like over a year ago. i don’t cry in front of people, i fight it and i hate feeling emotionally exposed like that. it takes a lot for me to actually shed a tear in front of anyone out of pain. but happy tears are different though.

75.do you give out second chances too easily?lol more like 50 

76.is it easier to forgive or forget?it’s easier for me to forget cause i just repress shit subconsciously. i forgive easily for things that aren’t a big deal. but detrimental/trauma type shit takes me years to process through and forgive 

77.is this year the best year of your life?this year has been better compared to the last few years. it wasn’t great, but a lot of good things happened even though a lot of terrible stuff happened too. but it def wasn’t the best year of my life lol.

78.do you have trust issues?yeah like the rest of the world

79.who/what was your last dream about?

lolol was driving in a car with a friend

[marcusssanderson]

60 Hustle Quotes To Motivate and Inspire Your Grind

Looking for motivational hustle quotes to ignite your highest work ethic and confidence?

You hear the word ‘hustle’ a lot lately – but what does it really mean? Entrepreneurs do it, millennials are after it, and successful people swear by it.

No, ‘hustling’ has nothing to do with scamming or forcing someone to do something (although that’s the original definition).

‘Hustle’ today means going after what you want – by spending all your time and energy on working harder than everybody else.

Sounds simple enough, right? In fact, many people claim that they hustle day and night. But you’ll be surprised that they haven’t reached their goals yet.

To hustle means to want something more than anybody else that you’re willing to put in the extra hours of work. Often, it could mean missing out on Netflix binges or setting aside vacation plans until next month. Hustling involves sacrifices.

But it’s in those losses than people can gain what they really want. Even former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln spoke of hustle.

Truly successful people throughout history: from Theodore Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, to Gary Vaynerchuk and Tony Robbins, all hustled to be where they are now.

Got a goal you’ve been dreaming about? Feel a bit stuck in life? Maybe these quotes about hustling are just what you need to get you going.

Inspirational Hustle Quotes For Ambitious People

1.) “Things may come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

2.) “As a winner, learn not to let negative comments affect you. Just treat it as firewood that feeds your fire. Soon that fire will be so big and so bright that those who criticized you will smell the smoke, even if they happen to be on the other side of the world.” – Kevin Abdulrahman

3.) “All the so-called ‘secrets of success’ will not work unless you do.” – Jaymin Shah

4.) “If it comes easy, it will go fast.” – Andrena Sawyer

5.) “We live in the land of opportunities. People come from all over the world to hustle and work their way up to places that they could only imagine or dream of.” – Farshad Asl

6.) “Take a leap of faith on your dreams, not for me and not for the society, just for yourself.” – Vinay Garg

7.) “Quit hating and trying to be like the next man. Get on your own grind and be better than the next man, whether you gotta hustle, work a job or whatever. Just do you.” – Surgeo Bell

8.) “Trouble cannot be avoided, you either go looking for it or it will come looking for you.” – Constance Friday

9.) “You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic.” – Stephen C. Hogan

10.) “If you have an idea of what you want to do in your future, you must go at it with almost monastic obsession, be it music, the ballet or just a basic degree. You have to go at it single-mindedly and let nothing get in your way.” – Henry Rollins

Hustle Quotes To Motivate You

11.) “When I was young, I observed that nine out of 10 things I did were failures. So I did 10 times more work.” – George Bernard Shaw

12.) “Many people think they want things, but they don’t really have the strength, the discipline. They are weak. I believe that you get what you want if you want it badly enough.” – Sophia Loren

13.) “Give your dreams all you’ve got and you’ll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you.” – William James

14.) “If a man is called a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and Earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” –  Martin Luther King, Jr.

15.) “Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.” – Edward H. Harriman

16.) “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King

17.) “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” – Pope Paul VI

18.) “Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda

19.) “The person who is waiting for something to turn up might start with their shirt sleeves.” – Garth Henrichs

20.) “You’re either changing your life or you’re not. No waiting for this or that or better weather or other hurdles. Hurdles are the change.” – Terri Guillemets

Powerful Hustle Quotes About Doing Your Best

21.) “You are a ghost. Filled with stardust, wearing the bones as the shield and the skin as the cape. Fighting every day and opening up for the new wounds in the hustle of hiding the old scars.” – Akshay Vasu

22.) “WATCH out for your surroundings, UPGRADE your mindset and keep FOCUS.” – Surgeo Bell

23.) “Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” – Marcus Washling

24.) “I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near.” – Margaret Thatcher

25.) “He who is outside his door has the hardest part of his journey behind him.” – Dutch Proverb

26.) “Hustle beats talent, when talent doesn’t hustle.” – Ross Simmonds

27.) “Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” – David Rockefeller

28.) “The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. Don’t give up.” – Robert Tew

29.) “It’s not about money or connections. It’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business.” – Mark Cuban

30.) “Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese Proverb

Hustle quotes to motivate you towards success

31.) “Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anais Nin

32.) “Greatness only comes before hustle in the dictionary.” – Ross Simmonds

33.) “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110% all the time.” – Don Zimmer

34.) “Destiny is for losers. It’s just a stupid excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen.” – Blair Waldorf

35.) “I love people, and the hustle.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

36.) “Mine’s a pretty simple strategy: there’s not a lot of talent here, but there’s a lot of hustle. I have to be in every place I can, and be busy.” – Ryan Seacrest

37.) “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell

38.) “Hard work never killed a man.” – Scottish proverb

39.) “Without commitment you cannot have depth in anything.” – Neil Strauss

40.) “I’ve always had that obsessive will to win and a commitment to excellence.” – Sumner Redstone

Hustle quotes to help you get things done

41.) “Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire.” – Patti Smith

42.) “Contrary to popular opinion, the hustle is not a dance step – it’s an old business procedure.” – Fran Lebowitz

43.) “The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest.” – Deepika Padukone

44.) “I played the game one way. I gave it everything I had. It doesn’t take any ability to hustle.” – Wade Boggs

45.) “I never wanted to take the easy way, and I was always willing to hustle.” – Bebe Rexha

46.) “The hustle brings the dollar. The experience brings the knowledge. The persistence brings success.” – Ross Simmonds

47.) “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

48.) “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

49.) “Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.” – Marica Wieder

50.) “Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” – Pat Riley

More hustle quotes to motivate and inspire you

51.) “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” – Audre Lorde

52.) “You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills.” – Jim Rohn

53.) “There is no substitute for hard work. Never give up. Never stop believing. Never stop fighting.” – Hope Hicks

54.) “My hustle is nonstop. I never stop hustling.” – Young Jeezy

55.) “Whatever your hustle is, go somewhere with it.” – Tionne Watkins

56.) “The best kinds of people in your life aren’t those who gather to celebrate your success, but those who gather to help your hustle.” – Usman Ismaheel

57.) “Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

58.) “Inspiration is the windfall from hard work and focus.” – Helen Hanson

59.) “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer

60.) “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi

What do you think about these hustle quotes?

Do you feel motivated yet? Inspired? Revved up?

Hustling isn’t easy. It’s going to ask you to give up the comforts that you’re used to. Maybe you’ll need to stay up late most nights.

Perhaps you’ll spend this summer knocking on doors, studying in your room, or sweating at the gym. But don’t give up! Keep on hustling until your dream is realized.

We hope that you enjoyed this collection of quotes about hustling.

Have a favorite quote you want to share? Write them down below!

The post 60 Hustle Quotes To Motivate and Inspire Your Grind appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

[paullassiterca]

Are Smartphones Destroying a Generation?

As a lover of technology, it pains me to see what technological advancements are doing to our youth. In a previous article for The Atlantic,1 Jean Twenge takes a deep dive into how smartphones, with 24/7 access to internet and social media, are affecting post-millennials’ mental health.

The article, which is well worth reading in its entirety, is adapted from Twenge’s book “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us.”

Children today cannot even fathom a life pre-internet — a life where school work involved visits to libraries and phone calls required you to stay in one spot, since the telephone was attached to the wall. Kids spend an inordinate amount of time on their smartphones, communicating with friends (and possibly strangers) via text, Twitter and Facebook, and work to keep up their Snapstreaks on Snapchat.

Even toddlers are proficient in navigating their way around a wireless tablet these days. Twenge discusses the online habits of Athena, a 13-year-old Texan, saying:

“She told me she’d spent most of the summer hanging out alone in her room with her phone. That’s just the way her generation is, she said. ‘We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.’”

Rise of the iGeneration

Twenge, who has studied generational differences for two and a half decades, notes that a generation typically becomes defined by changes in beliefs and behaviors that gradually and naturally arise along a more or less natural continuum. The post-millennial generation, however, is radically different. Twenge notes “abrupt shifts in teen behavior and emotional states” emerged suddenly around 2012.

Millennials, distinguished by a pronounced individualistic streak, stand in sharp contrast to those following, in whom the drive for independence and individualism has virtually vanished.

“At first I presumed these might be blips, but the trends persisted, across several years and a series of national surveys,” Twenge writes. “The changes weren’t just in degree, but in kind. The biggest difference between the millennials and their predecessors was in how they viewed the world; teens today differ from the millennials not just in their views but in how they spend their time.

The experiences they have every day are radically different from those of the generation that came of age just a few years before them. What happened in 2012 to cause such dramatic shifts in behavior? … [I]t was exactly the moment when the proportion of Americans who owned a smartphone surpassed 50 percent.

The more I pored over yearly surveys of teen attitudes and behaviors, and the more I talked with young people like Athena, the clearer it became that theirs is a generation shaped by the smartphone and by the concomitant rise of social media.

I call them iGen. Born between 1995 and 2012, members of this generation are growing up with smartphones, have an Instagram account before they start high school, and do not remember a time before the internet.”

Today’s Teens — Physically Safer but Psychologically Vulnerable

According to Twenge, the social impact of smartphones and tablets “has not been fully appreciated, and goes far beyond the usual concerns about curtailed attention spans.” Perhaps most importantly, smartphones have changed the way teens interact socially, and this has significant ramifications for their psychological health.

Teens today are far less likely to want to get a driver’s license than previous generations, and a majority of their social life is carried out in the solitude of their bedroom, via their smartphones. As of 2015, 12th-graders spent less time “hanging out” and socializing with friends than eighth-graders did in 2009.

While this makes them physically safer than any previous generation, this kind of isolation does not bode well for mental health and the building of social skills required for work and personal relationships.

In fact, today’s teens are also far less prone to date than previous generations. In 2015, 56 percent of high school seniors dated, nearly 30 percent less than boomers and Gen Xers. Not surprisingly, sexual activity has also declined — down by about 40 percent since 1991, resulting in a 67 percent drop in teen pregnancy rates. Avoiding the drama and heartbreak of those early love experiences has not had a positive effect on emotional health, however.

Rates of teen depression and suicide have dramatically risen since 2011, and data suggest spending three hours or more each day on electronic devices raises a teen’s suicide risk by 35 percent. Between 2007 and 2015, the suicide rate for 12- to 14-year-old girls rose threefold — a gender trend that can in part be blamed on a rise in cyberbullying, which is more common among girls. The suicide rate among boys doubled in that same time frame.

“It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades,” Twenge writes, adding that “Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones … There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives — and making them seriously unhappy.”

Depression Risk Rises in Tandem With Increased Screen Time

Data from the annual Monitoring the Future survey reveals the more time teens spend online, the unhappier they are, and those who spend more time than average on in-person relations and activities that do not involve their smartphone are far more likely to report being “happy.” Results such as these really should come as no surprise. Spending time outdoors has been scientifically shown to dramatically improve people’s mood and significantly reduce symptoms of depression.2

Interestingly, it doesn’t matter what type of screen activity is involved. They’re all equally likely to cause psychological distress. Between 2012 and 2015, depressive symptoms among boys rose by 21 percent. Among girls, the rise during that same time was a whopping 50 percent — a truly remarkable increase in just three years’ time.

“If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this survey, it would be straightforward: Put down the phone, turn off the laptop and do something — anything — that does not involve a screen,” Twenge writes.

Many Teens Exhibit Compulsive Obsession With Their Smartphone

Many, both children and adults, are also exhibiting signs of addiction to their electronic devices. Remarkably, many even sleep with their smartphones right next to them in bed, or directly under their pillow — a trend that is bound to cause severe harm to both their mental and physical health.

The radiation alone is a significant hazard and is known to disrupt sleep, but the blue light from the screen, plus the beeping and pinging when messages and other notifications come in are bound to interrupt sleep as well.

This does not even factor in the influence of cellphone microwaves influencing melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle. When your melatonin production is disrupted, it can have long-term health effects, as shown in a 2013 study3 in which the U.S. government collaborated with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to assess the effects of cellphone radiation on the central nervous system.

They found that exposure to cellphone radiation for just one hour a day for one month caused rats to experience a period of delay period before entering rapid eye movement deep sleep — a phase necessary for restful sleep.

Another study4 published in 2015 found that 1.8 GHz frequencies affected rats’ circadian rhythm and decreased their daily production of melatonin. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (which help prevent cellular damage) were also decreased. Low melatonin is actually used as a marker for disturbed sleep.5 Until I personally addressed the ELF (electrical fields) in my bedroom, I could not get my deep sleep levels into healthy ranges.

It comes as no great surprise then that sleep deprivation among teenagers rose by 57 percent between 1991 and 2015. Many do not even get seven hours of sleep on a regular basis, while science reveals they need a minimum of eight and as much as 10 hours to maintain their health. Twenge writes about the habits of those she interviewed:

“Their phone was the last thing they saw before they went to sleep and the first thing they saw when they woke up … Some used the language of addiction. ‘I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t help it,’ one said about looking at her phone while in bed. Others saw their phone as an extension of their body — or even like a lover: ‘Having my phone closer to me while I’m sleeping is a comfort.’”

Internet Addiction — A Growing Epidemic

Dependence or addiction to a digital device hooked to the internet affected 6 percent of the world population in 2014.6 This number may not appear to be significant on the surface, but consider that 6 percent of the world population was over 420 million people and that estimate has likely sharply risen in the last three years.7

Comparatively speaking, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 3.5 to 7 percent of the world population between 15 and 64 years had used an illicit drug in the past year.8

The percentage of those addicted to the internet may actually be higher as only 39 percent of the world in 2014 had access to the internet,9 driving the real percentage of those addicted to 15 percent. Symptoms of addiction are similar to other types of addiction, but are more socially acceptable. The authors of the study found an internet addiction (IA) is:10

“… [G]enerally regarded as a disorder of concern because the neural abnormalities (e.g., atrophies in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and cognitive dysfunctions (e.g., impaired working memory) associated with IA mimic those related to substance and behavioral addiction. Moreover, IA is often comorbid with mental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression.”

Reach Out Recovery identifies conditions that may trigger internet addiction or compulsions, including anxiety, depression, other addictions, social isolation and stress.11 Internet activity may stimulate your brain’s reward system, much like drugs and alcohol, providing a constant source of information and entertainment. While each person’s internet use is different, the results may be the same. Long-term effects may include:

Irritation when someone interrupts your interaction online

Difficulty completing tasks

Increasing isolation

Experiencing euphoria while online

Inability to stop despite the consequences

Increasing stress

Google Would Like You to Keep On Using

It should come as no surprise that companies that make money when more people spend more time and money on the internet are consciously trying to manipulate your behavior. Former Google product manager Tristan Harris revealed how digital giants are engineering smartphone apps and social media feedback to get you checking and double-checking online.12

However, while internet use is more socially acceptable, digital companies aren’t the only businesses using neurological and psychological strategies to increase their profit margins.13 Behavior patterns are often etched into neural pathways,14 and when those behaviors are also linked to hormone secretion and physiological responses, they become even more powerful.

In fact, Harris describes the reward process of using a smartphone as “playing the slot machine.”15 And, Google has discovered a way to embed that reward system as you use the apps on your phone. This process is so important to digital corporations that Apple turned down a new smartphone app for their store that would help people to reduce their use of the internet and their smartphones.

In the video above, Harris describes a process known in programing circles as “brain hacking,” as they incorporate knowledge of neuropsychology into the development of digital interfaces that boost interaction. For instance, getting likes on Facebook and Instagram, the “streaks” on Snapchat or cute emojis on texts are all designed to increase your engagement and desire to return.

Harris describes it as a race to the bottom of the brainstem where fear and anxiety live, two of the most powerful motivators known to advertisers. Both advertisers and computer software developers are using these techniques to write code that will engage your attention.16

Wireless Technologies Wreak Havoc With Your Child’s Health and Well-Being

In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer declared cellphones a Group 2B “possible human carcinogen”17 related to the microwave radiation emitted from the phone. Even cellphone manufacturers place warnings on their products to keep them at least 1 inch from your body.18

A systematic review and meta-analysis19 published in PLOS One in 2017 also warns that there’s a “significant positive association between long-term mobile phone use (minimum, 10 years) and glioma.” Overall, cellphone use for at least one decade was associated with a 2.22 greater odds of developing brain cancer. Such findings have gained strength with the publication of two lifetime exposure studies20,21 on animals, both of which confirmed an increased risk of brain tumors.

While cancer is certainly a long-term concern, there are more pressing health effects associated with chronic, round-the-clock electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure.

Research22,23 by professor Martin Pall, Ph.D., reveals a previously unknown mechanism of biological harm from microwaves emitted by cellphones and other wireless technologies, which helps explain why these technologies can have such a potent impact on mental health specifically. Embedded in your cell membranes are voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs), which are activated by microwaves.

When that happens, a flood of calcium ions is released, which stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO) inside your cells and mitochondria.

The NO then combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, which in turn creates hydroxyl free radicals — some of the most destructive free radicals known to man — which in turn decimate mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, their membranes and proteins. The result is mitochondrial dysfunction, which we now know is at the heart of most chronic disease.

Excessive EMF Exposure Can Trigger Anxiety, Depression and Memory Problems

The reason excessive EMF exposure is associated with depression and neurological dysfunction, including dementia, is because your brain has the highest density of VGCCs in your body. The pacemaker in your heart and male testes are also high-density areas, and EMF exposure has been linked to cardiac arrhythmias and infertility as well. I simply do not believe bathing a fetus in EMFs in utero is a good idea.

Without fully understanding the mechanisms involved, studies have linked excessive exposure to EMFs to an increased risk of both depression and suicide.24 Addiction to or “high engagement” with mobile devices can also trigger depression and anxiety, according to recent research from the University of Illinois.25

According to Nicholas Carr, author of the book, “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” millennials are experiencing greater problems with forgetfulness than seniors.26 This is the “dark side” of neurological plasticity that allows your brain to adapt to changes in your environment. This type of plasticity is one way your brain recovers after a stroke has permanently damaged one area.

A loss of white matter,27,28 reduced cortical thickness29,30 and impaired cognitive functioning31 are other brain structure and functional changes that have been demonstrated from long-term internet use. It is impossible to ignore that these devices are changing your brain structure, and the experience is also increasing exposure to microwave radiation and large amounts of blue light at night, thereby impacting your child’s body’s ability to produce melatonin.

So, if your child or teen is showing signs of anxiety or depression, please, do what you must to limit their exposure to wireless technology. Teach them more responsible usage.

At bare minimum, insist on their turning off phones and tablets at night, and to not sleep with their phone beneath their pillow or directly near their head. Really try to minimize the presence of electronic devices in their bedroom and, to protect everyone in your household and instill the concept of “off times,” shut down your Wi-Fi at night.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/11/20/smartphones-effect-on-mental-health.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/180300485096

[jakehglover]

Are Smartphones Destroying a Generation?

As a lover of technology, it pains me to see what technological advancements are doing to our youth. In a previous article for The Atlantic,1 Jean Twenge takes a deep dive into how smartphones, with 24/7 access to internet and social media, are affecting post-millennials’ mental health.

The article, which is well worth reading in its entirety, is adapted from Twenge’s book “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy — and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us.”

Children today cannot even fathom a life pre-internet — a life where school work involved visits to libraries and phone calls required you to stay in one spot, since the telephone was attached to the wall. Kids spend an inordinate amount of time on their smartphones, communicating with friends (and possibly strangers) via text, Twitter and Facebook, and work to keep up their Snapstreaks on Snapchat.

Even toddlers are proficient in navigating their way around a wireless tablet these days. Twenge discusses the online habits of Athena, a 13-year-old Texan, saying:

“She told me she’d spent most of the summer hanging out alone in her room with her phone. That’s just the way her generation is, she said. ‘We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people.’”

Rise of the iGeneration

Twenge, who has studied generational differences for two and a half decades, notes that a generation typically becomes defined by changes in beliefs and behaviors that gradually and naturally arise along a more or less natural continuum. The post-millennial generation, however, is radically different. Twenge notes “abrupt shifts in teen behavior and emotional states” emerged suddenly around 2012.

Millennials, distinguished by a pronounced individualistic streak, stand in sharp contrast to those following, in whom the drive for independence and individualism has virtually vanished.

“At first I presumed these might be blips, but the trends persisted, across several years and a series of national surveys,” Twenge writes. “The changes weren’t just in degree, but in kind. The biggest difference between the millennials and their predecessors was in how they viewed the world; teens today differ from the millennials not just in their views but in how they spend their time.

The experiences they have every day are radically different from those of the generation that came of age just a few years before them. What happened in 2012 to cause such dramatic shifts in behavior? … [I]t was exactly the moment when the proportion of Americans who owned a smartphone surpassed 50 percent.

The more I pored over yearly surveys of teen attitudes and behaviors, and the more I talked with young people like Athena, the clearer it became that theirs is a generation shaped by the smartphone and by the concomitant rise of social media.

I call them iGen. Born between 1995 and 2012, members of this generation are growing up with smartphones, have an Instagram account before they start high school, and do not remember a time before the internet.”

Today’s Teens — Physically Safer but Psychologically Vulnerable

According to Twenge, the social impact of smartphones and tablets “has not been fully appreciated, and goes far beyond the usual concerns about curtailed attention spans.” Perhaps most importantly, smartphones have changed the way teens interact socially, and this has significant ramifications for their psychological health.

Teens today are far less likely to want to get a driver’s license than previous generations, and a majority of their social life is carried out in the solitude of their bedroom, via their smartphones. As of 2015, 12th-graders spent less time “hanging out” and socializing with friends than eighth-graders did in 2009.

While this makes them physically safer than any previous generation, this kind of isolation does not bode well for mental health and the building of social skills required for work and personal relationships.

In fact, today’s teens are also far less prone to date than previous generations. In 2015, 56 percent of high school seniors dated, nearly 30 percent less than boomers and Gen Xers. Not surprisingly, sexual activity has also declined — down by about 40 percent since 1991, resulting in a 67 percent drop in teen pregnancy rates. Avoiding the drama and heartbreak of those early love experiences has not had a positive effect on emotional health, however.

Rates of teen depression and suicide have dramatically risen since 2011, and data suggest spending three hours or more each day on electronic devices raises a teen’s suicide risk by 35 percent. Between 2007 and 2015, the suicide rate for 12- to 14-year-old girls rose threefold — a gender trend that can in part be blamed on a rise in cyberbullying, which is more common among girls. The suicide rate among boys doubled in that same time frame.

“It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades,” Twenge writes, adding that “Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones … There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives — and making them seriously unhappy.”

Depression Risk Rises in Tandem With Increased Screen Time

Data from the annual Monitoring the Future survey reveals the more time teens spend online, the unhappier they are, and those who spend more time than average on in-person relations and activities that do not involve their smartphone are far more likely to report being “happy.” Results such as these really should come as no surprise. Spending time outdoors has been scientifically shown to dramatically improve people’s mood and significantly reduce symptoms of depression.2

Interestingly, it doesn’t matter what type of screen activity is involved. They’re all equally likely to cause psychological distress. Between 2012 and 2015, depressive symptoms among boys rose by 21 percent. Among girls, the rise during that same time was a whopping 50 percent — a truly remarkable increase in just three years’ time.

“If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this survey, it would be straightforward: Put down the phone, turn off the laptop and do something — anything — that does not involve a screen,” Twenge writes.

Many Teens Exhibit Compulsive Obsession With Their Smartphone

Many, both children and adults, are also exhibiting signs of addiction to their electronic devices. Remarkably, many even sleep with their smartphones right next to them in bed, or directly under their pillow — a trend that is bound to cause severe harm to both their mental and physical health.

The radiation alone is a significant hazard and is known to disrupt sleep, but the blue light from the screen, plus the beeping and pinging when messages and other notifications come in are bound to interrupt sleep as well.

This does not even factor in the influence of cellphone microwaves influencing melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle. When your melatonin production is disrupted, it can have long-term health effects, as shown in a 2013 study3 in which the U.S. government collaborated with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to assess the effects of cellphone radiation on the central nervous system.

They found that exposure to cellphone radiation for just one hour a day for one month caused rats to experience a period of delay period before entering rapid eye movement deep sleep — a phase necessary for restful sleep.

Another study4 published in 2015 found that 1.8 GHz frequencies affected rats’ circadian rhythm and decreased their daily production of melatonin. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (which help prevent cellular damage) were also decreased. Low melatonin is actually used as a marker for disturbed sleep.5 Until I personally addressed the ELF (electrical fields) in my bedroom, I could not get my deep sleep levels into healthy ranges.

It comes as no great surprise then that sleep deprivation among teenagers rose by 57 percent between 1991 and 2015. Many do not even get seven hours of sleep on a regular basis, while science reveals they need a minimum of eight and as much as 10 hours to maintain their health. Twenge writes about the habits of those she interviewed:

“Their phone was the last thing they saw before they went to sleep and the first thing they saw when they woke up … Some used the language of addiction. ‘I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t help it,’ one said about looking at her phone while in bed. Others saw their phone as an extension of their body — or even like a lover: ‘Having my phone closer to me while I’m sleeping is a comfort.’”

Internet Addiction — A Growing Epidemic

Dependence or addiction to a digital device hooked to the internet affected 6 percent of the world population in 2014.6 This number may not appear to be significant on the surface, but consider that 6 percent of the world population was over 420 million people and that estimate has likely sharply risen in the last three years.7

Comparatively speaking, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 3.5 to 7 percent of the world population between 15 and 64 years had used an illicit drug in the past year.8

The percentage of those addicted to the internet may actually be higher as only 39 percent of the world in 2014 had access to the internet,9 driving the real percentage of those addicted to 15 percent. Symptoms of addiction are similar to other types of addiction, but are more socially acceptable. The authors of the study found an internet addiction (IA) is:10

“… [G]enerally regarded as a disorder of concern because the neural abnormalities (e.g., atrophies in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and cognitive dysfunctions (e.g., impaired working memory) associated with IA mimic those related to substance and behavioral addiction. Moreover, IA is often comorbid with mental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression.”

Reach Out Recovery identifies conditions that may trigger internet addiction or compulsions, including anxiety, depression, other addictions, social isolation and stress.11 Internet activity may stimulate your brain’s reward system, much like drugs and alcohol, providing a constant source of information and entertainment. While each person’s internet use is different, the results may be the same. Long-term effects may include:

Irritation when someone interrupts your interaction online

Difficulty completing tasks

Increasing isolation

Experiencing euphoria while online

Inability to stop despite the consequences

Increasing stress

Google Would Like You to Keep On Using

It should come as no surprise that companies that make money when more people spend more time and money on the internet are consciously trying to manipulate your behavior. Former Google product manager Tristan Harris revealed how digital giants are engineering smartphone apps and social media feedback to get you checking and double-checking online.12

However, while internet use is more socially acceptable, digital companies aren’t the only businesses using neurological and psychological strategies to increase their profit margins.13 Behavior patterns are often etched into neural pathways,14 and when those behaviors are also linked to hormone secretion and physiological responses, they become even more powerful.

In fact, Harris describes the reward process of using a smartphone as “playing the slot machine.”15 And, Google has discovered a way to embed that reward system as you use the apps on your phone. This process is so important to digital corporations that Apple turned down a new smartphone app for their store that would help people to reduce their use of the internet and their smartphones.

In the video above, Harris describes a process known in programing circles as “brain hacking,” as they incorporate knowledge of neuropsychology into the development of digital interfaces that boost interaction. For instance, getting likes on Facebook and Instagram, the “streaks” on Snapchat or cute emojis on texts are all designed to increase your engagement and desire to return.

Harris describes it as a race to the bottom of the brainstem where fear and anxiety live, two of the most powerful motivators known to advertisers. Both advertisers and computer software developers are using these techniques to write code that will engage your attention.16

Wireless Technologies Wreak Havoc With Your Child’s Health and Well-Being

In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer declared cellphones a Group 2B “possible human carcinogen”17 related to the microwave radiation emitted from the phone. Even cellphone manufacturers place warnings on their products to keep them at least 1 inch from your body.18

A systematic review and meta-analysis19 published in PLOS One in 2017 also warns that there’s a “significant positive association between long-term mobile phone use (minimum, 10 years) and glioma.” Overall, cellphone use for at least one decade was associated with a 2.22 greater odds of developing brain cancer. Such findings have gained strength with the publication of two lifetime exposure studies20,21 on animals, both of which confirmed an increased risk of brain tumors.

While cancer is certainly a long-term concern, there are more pressing health effects associated with chronic, round-the-clock electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure.

Research22,23 by professor Martin Pall, Ph.D., reveals a previously unknown mechanism of biological harm from microwaves emitted by cellphones and other wireless technologies, which helps explain why these technologies can have such a potent impact on mental health specifically. Embedded in your cell membranes are voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs), which are activated by microwaves.

When that happens, a flood of calcium ions is released, which stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO) inside your cells and mitochondria.

The NO then combines with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, which in turn creates hydroxyl free radicals — some of the most destructive free radicals known to man — which in turn decimate mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, their membranes and proteins. The result is mitochondrial dysfunction, which we now know is at the heart of most chronic disease.

Excessive EMF Exposure Can Trigger Anxiety, Depression and Memory Problems

The reason excessive EMF exposure is associated with depression and neurological dysfunction, including dementia, is because your brain has the highest density of VGCCs in your body. The pacemaker in your heart and male testes are also high-density areas, and EMF exposure has been linked to cardiac arrhythmias and infertility as well. I simply do not believe bathing a fetus in EMFs in utero is a good idea.

Without fully understanding the mechanisms involved, studies have linked excessive exposure to EMFs to an increased risk of both depression and suicide.24 Addiction to or “high engagement” with mobile devices can also trigger depression and anxiety, according to recent research from the University of Illinois.25

According to Nicholas Carr, author of the book, “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” millennials are experiencing greater problems with forgetfulness than seniors.26 This is the “dark side” of neurological plasticity that allows your brain to adapt to changes in your environment. This type of plasticity is one way your brain recovers after a stroke has permanently damaged one area.

A loss of white matter,27,28 reduced cortical thickness29,30 and impaired cognitive functioning31 are other brain structure and functional changes that have been demonstrated from long-term internet use. It is impossible to ignore that these devices are changing your brain structure, and the experience is also increasing exposure to microwave radiation and large amounts of blue light at night, thereby impacting your child’s body’s ability to produce melatonin.

So, if your child or teen is showing signs of anxiety or depression, please, do what you must to limit their exposure to wireless technology. Teach them more responsible usage.

At bare minimum, insist on their turning off phones and tablets at night, and to not sleep with their phone beneath their pillow or directly near their head. Really try to minimize the presence of electronic devices in their bedroom and, to protect everyone in your household and instill the concept of “off times,” shut down your Wi-Fi at night.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/11/20/smartphones-effect-on-mental-health.aspx

[nochippyroundhere]

The Start of Something

It is Tuesday, 27 November 1984. I am 8 years old and I’m stood on an embankment at the side of a muddy road somewhere within the grounds of Haigh Hall, a historic 19th century country house in the town of Wigan, Lancashire, England. To my left the road comes into view through the trees, running downhill to a 90 degree right-hand bend. On the outside of this corner there’s a swath of rhododendron bushes, their eternal deep-green adding a little colour and contrast to the browns and oranges of the damp ground and the bare branches of the trees all around us. The road straightens and crosses over a narrow stone bridge that is just wide enough for a single car to cross before it passes us and twists again into a left-hand hairpin bend, whereupon it disappears off into the trees and out of sight.

It’s late afternoon, I should be in school but along with thousands of other people I have forgone my usual Tuesday routine to be here instead, watching SS30 of 56 special stages on the 1984 Lombard RAC Rally . There’s an excitement in the air, a hum of chatter that builds as time ticks by and we wait for the moment to arrive. Smoke from rudimentary fires drifts among the trees, built to keep away the dampness and chill that seeps through your clothes and boots the longer you stand there; no matter how many layers you wear that coldness still gets through, as autumn blends into winter.

My dad has brought me here, I can remember my parents advising my school that they were keeping me out for the day; there was no rebuke from Mr Rose, my headmaster, he was happy for me. At least that’s how I remember it. Along with my dad there’s Eamon, a big Irishman from Monaghan who’s his best mate along with Tony and Steve, colleagues and friends of my dad from work. No-one seems to mind me being there, this kid among men, in fact they seem excited for me perhaps remembering that they once stood as I am now or maybe they’re just excited for themselves and I’m not as annoying as I think I was.

Anyway, soup. There was Heinz tomato soup in a flask. Ham sandwiches, Mars bars and a flask of coffee as well. Isn’t it funny how you remember this stuff? In the years to come, both on our annual November trips to stately homes or trekking through forests we would always have the same thing at rallies. Tomato soup, ham sandwiches, Mars bars and coffee. I remember it clearly on that first day, I remember eating, drinking, waiting…

The excitement builds, the noise of chatter gets ever louder as the course cars come through one by one, slowly at first and then faster as they make sure the stage is safe to run. The ‘official’ spectator safety car is a Ford Sierra. Estate! It’s white with red stripes and flashing lights with a tannoy system on the roof to tell us all it’s nearly time for the first car. It comes into sight and promptly heads straight on into those rhododendron bushes. Big cheers. Boy, it is slippery out there! He backs up, no doubt red faced and wracked with embarrassment, then drives on to cat calls, applause and jeers from all the spectators. After that, it’s the Zero Car. This is the last one, the one that comes through at full speed ahead of the first competing car and I guess it’s the first rally car I’ve seen driven in anger. I don’t remember what it was, I don’t remember anything about it at all but I know I was hopping about after it swept by, giddy at the thrill of seeing this car zipping through the trees. I know this because I remember Eamon bending down to me and saying ‘Ah son, that was nothing, just wait ’til that wee Peugeot comes through….’  

Here it is. That ‘wee Peugeot’ is the 205 T16, a mid-engined, purpose-built four wheel drive turbo-charged monster that revolutionised the sport. At it’s wheel is Ari Vatanen, a Finnish former World-Champion at the top of his game co-driven by unflappable Irishman Terry Harryman, a pair that would go on to win the rally as they had the previous two events they’d entered that year in Finland and San Remo. They would go on to win the first two events of the following season as well before Ari was almost killed in a huge accident mid-season in Argentina. But I digress… As that car blasted into view, headlights blazing and engine howling I was hooked. It lasted mere seconds but from that moment to this, I was entranced. The skill, the noise, the power…

Your mind can’t quite believe what your eyes are seeing as the top drivers in the world wrestle these monsters around that narrow track, completely sideways they come out of the 90 right, wheels scrabbling for grip on the muddy surface seemingly headed for impact with that bridge, then gaining traction just in time to fishtail over it centimetres away from the stonework. Car after car sweeps by and I am loving every single second of it; in spite of the cold and being stood for hours I don’t get bored, I don’t get tired, I just want more. It gets dark, spotlights dancing among the trees as the later runners come through until, all too soon, it’s over. Time to go home.

I’m on a high for days. It’s not an exaggeration to say that my life has changed, honestly. I read the programme over and over, I still have it to this day. I couldn’t wait for November to roll around every year; it was the highlight for me, it was bigger than Christmas. It became my obsession, my main interest and it’s never left me. My dad and I went together to the RAC every year for the next 14 years and I remember every single one. Sometimes the two of us, sometimes with others; as an aside my mum picked the worst year to join us, 1988 in heavy snow and freezing temperatures! Chatsworth House, Trentham Gardens, Clumber Park, Tatton Park, Silverstone… we picked a spectator stage every year and off we went with our soup, ham sandwiches, Mars bars and coffee. Those days we weren’t out in the forests, following it around the country like many people did and I eventually moved on to as I got older but as a child those Sundays in November every year were among the best days of my life. They will be with me forever.

This year, I won’t be there, I can’t go. It’s not the same, anyway, the sport has changed beyond recognition but I still love it; still get the same buzz, still feel the same anticipation and excitement I did as an eight year old watching them in my home town. Rallying has taken me to amazing places, places that you just wouldn’t see if you weren’t out there to see these heroes in action. Breathtaking scenery, amazing memories; so many I could recite, so much of my life spent in forests, on mountains or stood trackside enjoying this thing that I am so passionate about. Mile after mile of hiking, every type of weather imaginable… freezing nights sleeping in cars or wrapped up in a bivouac waiting for dawn to break. Cooking bacon on a stove by a rushing river, lying on the roof of my car staring up at millions of stars visible only because of the total darkness that comes from being miles from anywhere, drinking beer around camp fires deep in a forest and watching fireworks erupting over the trees with hundreds of other like-minded souls after a day spectating, eager for the following day and more of the same. It’s not for everyone, but it is for me.

And so next week, when the World Rally Championship rolls into town again, I’ll be here in Georgia and not in Wales. I’ll be warmer, certainly, dryer no doubt but I’ll miss it more than I’ve missed anything else since I’ve moved out here, people aside. I’ll watch it on TV of course, I’ll follow it on social media to see what’s happening but I’ll feel a strong sense of loss. Melodramatic? Perhaps. But it evokes such strong feelings in me that I will allow myself that. I mean, can you remember what you were doing on 27 November 1984?