#I’ve shared a room 28 years and I enjoy our time I value it but hello that is also I think. not good

[lovemesomesurveys]

1. List 5 things you want to do before the year ends. I’d love to just be able to go to the beach and relax, but that won’t happen. That was the only place I could feel relaxed. Beaches have reopened, but the hours are limited and you can’t just sit/lay there like you used to be able to. You can only walk around. And anyway, the fact we’re still very much in the thick of this whole thing I don’t feel safe or comfortable going places yet or being around people. I wouldn’t feel relaxed at all. 

2. What color are your pants? I’m wearing black leggings.

3. Favorite motivational quote. Meh.

4. When was the last time you drank coffee? I’m drinking a Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink, which as the can says is a “energy coffee beverage.”

5. What was the last thing you ate?   Ramen.

6. Favorite animal. Giraffes! <<< Aww, saaaame. And doggos. (:

7. Favorite song. I couldn’t just choose one favorite.

8. Last movie you watched? I’m completely blanking at the moment in regards to the last movie, but I’ve binged a lot of a couple shows on Netflix recently. 

9. Any turn ons? Nice smelling cologne. 

10. Any turn offs? Cockiness and arrogance.

11. List 4 big words off of the top of your head. Claustrophobia, arachnophobia, agoraphobia, tryphophobia.  

12. What are some meaningful movies?   Hmm.

13. 2 most important people in your life right now? God and my family. Yep, I’m grouping my family cause I couldn’t just choose 2.

14. What are 3 things you want to do before the month ends? Let’s be real- I won’t be doing anything.

15. When was the last time you read a good book? I’m almost done with one called, “Never Walk Alone” by Willow Rose.

16. How long do you study for usually, if you study? I spend about 20 minutes to an hour when doing my Bible studies. 

17. Do you have any nicknames? Just Steph and Sis.

18. Favorite kind of perfume? (fruity, alluring, etc.) I like certain fruity and sweet ones, ones with patchouli, and beachy and autumnal scents from B&BW.

19. Do you have any international friends / friends who live out of state? Those of us in this survey community live all over. 

20. What is something unique that you do every single day? Probably that I have a bowl of ramen of every night.

21. If there was a movie based on your life, what would it be called? A series of unfortunate events <– Pretty damn accurate. Lmao. <<< Lol, I’ve made that joke before, too. I also find it quite fitting for my life.

22. When was the last time you bought a gift for someone? Last month.

23. Are you a shopaholic? I was. My online shopping got out of hand the last few years, too. However, I’ve actually been pretty good this year so far. 

24. What are some songs that always make you feel better? Upbeat and catchy songs help in the moment. Sad, emo, relatable songs can help as well, though. Sometimes just shouting along to “I’m Not Okay” saying, “I’M NOT OKAY, I’M NOT O-FUCKING-KAY!” or something can feel good. ha. Need some good angst.

25. List 3 activities that you can only enjoy by yourself. Surveys, reading, and listening to ASMR.

26. If you could live in any biome (and survive) which biome would you live in? I don’t think I’d last long in any biome.

27. How do you like being roused in the morning? Uh, I don’t.

28. How was your day? What did you do? It’s only about 330 in the morning, but so far it’s been fine. I’ve had my bowl of ramen, scrolled some through Tumblr, watched YouTube videos, and now I’m doing surveys and listening to ASMR.

29. What did your last text message say? I sent my brother a TikTok video that reminded me of our doggo.

30. Do you respond to texts quickly? It depends.

31. Who was the last person you called? My mom.

32. List 5 things that are on your wish list. I don’t knowwww.

33. If you were famous, what do you think you would be famous for? I wouldn’t be famous. I’m not that special or talented. <<< Same. I don’t want to be famous anyway.

34. Winter or summer? Winter, HANDS DOWN.

35. What is a quality that all people should have? Empathy would be great.

36. If you could have a large collection of one item, what would that item be? I already have a large collection of giraffe stuffed animals, books, key chains, and graphic tees. I don’t have room for more.

37. What have you been thinking about lately? My mind is always a jumbled mess with a lot of stuff that is always on my mind from my health, family, and just life in general. But this year has and continues to give me a lot to think about as well.

38. What is the secret to a happy life? Ha, you’re asking the wrong person.

39. What are some phrases you say often? I know I have my many “Stephanieisms”, but I always seem to blank when asked this question.

40. Favorite food? Ramen, scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, spinach, and green onion, Wingstop garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings, spaghetti and meatballs, pasta salads, pesto pasta, deli sandwiches, and baked potatoes.

41. List 3 wishes. I feel like you’ve asked me this in different ways a few times now.

42. What are some of your greatest fears? Losing my loved ones, death, never getting better/getting worse, never doing anything with my life and just wasting away...stuff like that.

43. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Some stuff for the last Bible study I did.

44. Most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen (in real life)? Beautiful beaches and mountainous areas. I went on a gondola last year that took us up over 9,000ft and the views were breathtaking. 

45. Spicy food:Like or dislike? I used to be obSESSED with spicy food, but I haven’t been able to eat it for a few years now due to some health reasons. It sucks. :/

46. Scary movies:Like or dislike? I love ‘em. I used to be a big baby, but I did a complete switch a few years ago.

47. Do you like to travel? Yes.

48. Any regrets? I have a lot of those.

49. Do you like rain? I love the rain.

50. What do you spend most of your money on? It used to be food or clothes, but this year I haven’t been doing a lot of shopping. 

51. Would you rather visit the past or the future? Past.

52. Favorite clothing store? Hot Topic and BoxLunch.

53. What is the best advice you can give to those who are feeling down? I’m always feeling down, so I’m not the one to ask about that either.

54. How often do you think about your future? Does it scare you? The future terrifies me. My mind is more wrapped up in current and past stuff.

55. What angers you the most? Injustice and corruption.  

56. When was the last time you got majorly angry? In my personal life, it’s been awhile since I’ve been angry. I get irritated and frustrated very easily, though.

57. When was the last time you got really sad? Sadness is one of my personality traits.

58. Are you good at lying? I used to be when it came to lying and downplaying about myself like with how I’m doing and really feeling, but my emotions took control. I still downplay and leave things out, but it’s obvious I’m not doing well. 

59. What foreign language would you like to learn? I’d like to be fluent in Spanish. I’ve been wanting to brush up and start practicing again. 

60. How many languages can you speak and what are they? I’m only fluent in English, but I can speak some Spanish.

61. How often do you go to parties? If you don’t, what do you do instead? I stay at home.

62. What books do you plan to read this year? I’ve read several this year and I plan to read several more. 

63. Do you have breakfast every morning? Nope. Very rarely these days since I sleep until like 3PM everyday. Sometimes I’ll have breakfast foods for a late lunch or dinner, though.

64. Tell us a secret. Nah.

65. How many concerts have you been to? Seven.

66. Last hug? My doggo. I haven’t hugged a person in months.

67. Who knows you better than anyone else? You guys, probably. ha.

68. Baths or showers? Showers.

69. Do you think you’re ambitious? I haven’t been for a long time... 

70. What song is stuck in your head? None at the moment.

71. Countries you’ve visited? Mexico. Besides my own, of course.

72. What do you most value in your friends? Understanding and low maintenance. 73. What helps you to sleep better? Listening to/watching ASMR can help. 

74. What is the most money you have ever held in your hand? 1k.

75. What makes you nervous? A lot of things. 76. What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? Hmm.

77. Is it easier to forgive or forget? I always forgive but never forget. <<<

78. First mobile phone? A gray Motorola flip phone.

79. Strangest dream? I have a lot of those.

80. Best dream? Hmm. 

81. Who is the smartest person you know? My younger brother.

82. Who is the prettiest person on tumblr? All of you.

83. Do you miss anyone right now? Loved ones who have passed away.

84. Who do you love? Why? I love my family. They’re my everything.

85. Do you like sharing? Sharing what?

86. What was the last picture you took with your phone? Probably of my doggo.

87. Is there a reason behind everything that happens? I believe so.

88. Favorite genre of music? I like variety. 89. If you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be? Mess.

90. Describe your life in 5 words. Nahhh.

91. Describe the world in 4 words. Nahhh.

92. Craziest thing you’ve ever done? I’m boring.

93. First three songs in your favorite playlist? I’m not checking right now.

94. Are you more creative or logical? Logical. I wish I was creative.

95. Would you rather lie or hurt someone with the truth? I mean, it kind of depends. If it’s something serious and they need to know, then I’d have to tell them even though it would be hard and could hurt them. 

96. What are you most proud of? I don’t feel proud of myself for anything.

97. What personality trait do you admire in other people? Those who are driven.

98. When you imagine yourself as really, really relaxed and happy, what are you doing? I’m at the beach, just staring out into the ocean while listening to the waves crash in and out and feeling the cool ocean air on my face, breathing it in.

99. How do you usually start a conversation? I usually don’t, ha. But I suppose with a “hey” or something of the sort.

100. What is the best news you could hear right now? That it was all just a horrible dream. <<< Oh man. If only.

[dopescotlandwarrior]

Someone like you-Chapter 34

On AO3

Ch-28  Ch-29  Ch-30  Ch-31  Ch-32  Ch-33

Chapter 34

The chilly air was invigorating as we made our way to the bridal shop. I prayed that Jenny would not want further details about sex between Jamie and me because he was her brother and that was just weird.

The owner asked us to sit and chat for a few minutes while her assistants were pulling the dresses she wanted to show us. She asked me tons of questions about Jamie, what we both did for a living, and for fun. I didn’t think the questions were intended for anything because they seemed so random. When the assistants came in with dresses she sent half of them back pulled three to the dressing room and the rest on racks nearby.

“Alright," she looked at me smiling. "You can look all you want but I believe the three I’ve chosen will be your favorites. Call when you need assistance.”

“Out of the thousand or so dresses in this place how could she know yer three favorites?”

I shrugged my shoulders at Jenny’s whispered question. I believed it was a sales technique of some sort. My taste was off the beaten path, always had been, no way she could target my style. I looked at the vast number of dresses that hung near the huge dressing room and thought I better get started.

I looked at the three bridal gowns and my first thought was the absurdity that I would choose one of these and actually marry the man who stole my heart when I was ten years old. I felt tears pricking my eyes and resisted the urge to pinch myself. The gowns were stunning and I was very careful touching them. I pulled my clothes off and tried to find a zipper or buttons to put the first one on. After five minutes I was getting cold so I called Jenny to come in.

“Christ Claire, put my jacket on before ye freeze to death. I think I got it, no that’s not it. Edith, we need ye help with this.”

It was the owner who came in, still smiling, and offered to help. “Arms up lass.”

The fabric of the dress slid down my body and legs feeling like a cool slippery second skin. I have a theory about the perfect dress and it has proven right every time. When the dress feels like it was made for you, sums up your personality and goals you have for the event you buy it. This was the dress I would be married in, I knew it as it slipped onto my body, and I was delighted with it.

“Lass, I dinna ken what to say. It’s breathtakin, you’re beautiful in it, Jamie will have a heart attack when he sees ye in it.”

Heavy lace sleeves from my wrist to five inches below my shoulder attached to the heart-shaped bodice that was close fitted and decorated with thousands of hand-sewn pearls. The skirt was two layers with a modest flair. The owner went to get a stiff slip and the fabric fell onto it like a whisper. Jenny had a strange look on her face and pulled my arm so I would turn around to look in the mirror. I have never felt so elegant or had such a beautiful dress in my life. The tears would not be held back and I looked at the owner like she was magic.

“How could you possibly know?”

“It’s my job to see the person inside, and I’ve been dressing brides for thirty years.”

The owner explained the heavy lace sleeves would add some warmth for my winter wedding. I turned around to see the sharp dip to my waist, exposing my back. Keep me warm indeed, I thought. Next, we lost ourselves in gorgeous silk stockings, garter belts, tiny panties, and stunning shoes. I chose the highest heel she had because I wanted to look in Jamie’s eyes whenever I turned in his direction.

I watched Edith and Jenny with a keen eye and noticed what they drooled over. I let the owner know I would pick up those items tomorrow as Christmas presents and to please set them aside for me. I could not help seeing Edith’s eyes land on a beautiful beaded clutch. She did not touch it but her gaze landed on it several times. I indicated to the shop owner I would take that as well.

After three hours we piled out of the shop completely exhausted. Jenny went her separate way to do Christmas shopping and I drove Edith home. The sky was hosting large swollen black clouds and I saw the lights on Edith’s house from a block away. It made me happy inside that I had a friend like Edith who taught me how to cook, got me to therapy, loved my dog and my husband to be, and embraced my whole family. I helped her inside and hugged her.

“I love you, Edith, thank you for spending such an amazing day with me.”

“We will see you on Christmas dear and I will bring some things.”

I laughed at that. Some things meant an entire meal that would be remembered throughout the year. I turned my pockets inside out to show the Butter-lovers he was not sequestered against his will and they lost all interest in me walking to his bed with their tiny hearts broken.

“Maybe it’s time to have Butter for a play day,” she said looking at her depressed pugs.

A last hug and I was homeward bound with a deep sigh of relief. I was getting married on Hogmanay and it would be a day to remember. I needed my groom in a big way.

When I turned onto the road to Lallybroch I saw a man and a dog in a far-field. The dog was running to him after retrieving a stick when he suddenly dropped it in the snow and looked at the man. It was Butter, my favorite dog who never found the value in an old stick. I looked beyond the confused K-9 and saw Jamie waving his arms at me. I parked and walked across the field, first to be assaulted by Butter, and then Jamie. His blue eyes sparkled against the snow-covered field and his smile was brilliant.

We walked home to a warm fire and a few hours to binge Netflix before dinner. Since we were alone in the house we stretched out on the couch and spent a relaxing minute and a half and then gave in to the naughty arousal of making love in the living room where we could be caught by Jenny or Ian returning home. I decided risky sex was delicious and put a star next to it on my types of sex mental list. No sooner did we dress than I heard the kitchen door slam and Jenny’s voice say something about dinner. I smiled at Jamie and he acknowledged the close call as he pulled me on his lap and tickled me.

“Oh Christ, ye two are making me sick. I am goin to lay down before dinner, I’m sure ye can get by an hour without me.”

Jamie sat at the kitchen table working on the renovation drawings while I got a pork roast ready for the oven. I made rice pilaf and a broccoli casserole and looked over Jamie’s shoulder asking questions. I was so excited about this renovation. We would have the entire upstairs, including the huge bathroom and tub, a room for the nursery that could later be divided for a second child and Jenny’s old room to create whatever we wanted. It was a glorious amount of space and freedom to raise our family. Jenny and Ian would enjoy the same luxury a level below us.

“Why didn’t we think of this before! I am so happy and excited and you are brilliant, can’t wait and I love you and…”

I had dropped into Jamie’s lap halfway through my happiness tirade and he seized the only way I had to communicate my joy. He moaned against my mouth and pulled me closer to him.

“I decided on a pork roast because I learned in nursing school that pork has special … rejuvenation …um …enzymes that target…” I inclined my head toward Jamie’s crotch. His eyes got wide and he looked down at his lap and then smiled like the devil himself.

“Sassenach, you are such a delight and yer learning such important things. I am a lucky man.” His smile was so big he could hardly kiss me.

Crap. It was supposed to be a joke but he didn’t laugh. Hm, I vowed to tell him someday so it wasn’t really lying and now I had pork in my bag of seduction tricks. Sorry, Jamie but you are just too adorable right now and I sense another hour of percolation and you will cripple me tonight. Oh, Christ, we may cripple each other. I turned the oven temperature up fifty degrees.

Dinner was perfect thanks to Edith’s secrets. I thought about tuition for the private Culinary Institute and how many students learned from her each semester. It was a staggering amount of money because they recruited the best chefs to teach. That made me giggle because I have her all to myself every Saturday. Jamie leaned into my ear as I popped a piece of pork in my mouth. I blushed at his whispered suggestion and smiled despite myself.

Jenny pointed her fork at me, then Jamie, “I’m gonna kill one of ya in yer sleep and I love ya both the same so it’ll be a coin toss. I canna get any peace wonderin what’s goin on in there so it’s been nice knowin one of ye.”

“Jenny, my back is sore from all the standing today. Do you mind if I use your tub tonight?”

“Yer a terrible liar and ye know yer welcome to all that I have if ye do my share of dishes tonight. I don’t feel that great.”

Jamie was doing his magic table-clearing act where all the dishes suddenly vanish from the table and appear in the sink, stacked for quick washing. Ian jumped to aid Jenny so it was just me and the adorable one. He kissed my neck as I powered through the washing.

“Sassenach, I must advise ye of the danger yer in. It feels like fifty horses are draggin me to bent ye over right where ye stand. Have mercy and show ye love by gettin in the tub if ye must. I’ll no wait much longer.”

He pulled my hand to his crotch and I squeaked quite involuntarily. So, the Blue Whale is not extinct after all and I must upgrade the potential danger to crippled for life. I decided I didn’t need the use of my legs anyway. I tried to kiss him and struggled for his mouth as he spun me and gently pushed me out of the kitchen.

“If yer not in bed naked when I get upstairs I’ll have ye where I find ye mo chridhe. I ate entirely too much pork I think.”

I was stuck looking at him being so sexy and saw his eyes get dark saying time is up, here I come. I vanished from the kitchen and my hands shook as I dropped into the hot water. I lit the fire after stacking three logs that erupted in flame casting a romantic glow in the room. I never tired of how the fire threw dancing light on Jamie’s skin as he moved causing a thrill when parts of his body were revealed. I pulled the bedding down so it would not hinder our movement.

Jamie gave me a total girl gift when the weather got cold. A floor-length transparent robe made from exquisite soft fabric, huge sleeves, and yards of material that was belted. When I touched the fur that ran around the collar and down the front I recoiled believing it was real until Jamie showed me the tag that said simulated mink. It was my guilty pleasure and his ignition switch.

Jamie came in and looked at me like a starving man. Without a word, he disappeared to the shower and cut his impressive time by a full minute. He wrapped his naked body around me and my fingers raked through his wet hair.

“Would you like a glass of whisky love?”

“Nah, I want yer forgiveness. This will no end soon, mo gradhag, and I’ll be lucky to get a full minute of tenderness in before I take what I want from ye. Give me yer mouth Sassenach.”

My two orgasms were award winners but I stayed quiet by holding my hand tightly against my mouth. I’m not sure it worked because on the orgasm planet I visit I have no ears. Just vibrating nerve endings that sing a song of pulsing delight. When I leave and come back to earth my ears are always attached to my head again so I can hear Jamie growl and pant as he rides his wave of euphoria.

This amazing day had ripped the energy and strength from me. I was descending into the void so fast I grabbed Jamie’s arm as if to stop myself. His hand was splayed on my still flat stomach and he was asking me why there was no bump. I looked from his hand to his eyes and felt my heart explode. I told him quickly how much I loved him and tried a second time to form the actual words that still didn’t sound right. Jamie laughed and pulled me to him as he reached for the light.

I ascended into consciousness slowly seeing the light of day behind my closed eyelids. This was one of my favorite times of the day as I became aware of the world again. I yawned deeply and twisted to the other side running right into Jamie. My eyes flew open at this unexpected obstacle in my morning bed. He moved slightly but otherwise continued to sleep. I wanted to jump up and down and clap my hands at this rare surprise to enjoy a Sunday morning lounging with my favorite person. I snuggled into him and went back to whatever plane I woke from.

Sometime later, I took a deep breath and let his scent fill my nose and lungs, feeling it energize me. He kissed my face over and over again until I was fully conscious.

“Ye have the prettiest eyes God ever gave a lass. Tell me what great things ye did in heaven to win them mo chridhe.”

I pushed myself up knowing my hair was acting out a riot and smiled at him. “Jamie?”

“lass?”

“You need to tell me something important, to get it off your chest, so to speak.”

Jamie said nothing but stared at my eyes and shook his side to side.

I brought my face within an inch of his and looked in his eyes. “You have the eyes of someone who adop0ted a kitten on impulse, so tell me where it is so Butter doesn’t eat it accidentally.”

Jamie was blushing crimson and laughing. He finally stood up and went into the hall then pushed a large box into our room. I realized it was a sixty-inch smart tv and called out every ounce of inner strength not to jump on the bed and demand he set it up and turn it on. We were a bit frugal, all of us sharing a single television that his parents owned.

“I was gonna give it to ye for Christmas but that would be a mistake, I think.”

“I don’t know about that, I can get your present ready …I just have to catch it and hold it still while I wrap it.”

“Yer givin me one of yer chickens for Christmas Sassenach?”

“No fair guessing, you have to wait and be surprised.”

“Lucky for the chicken, I dinna give ye the tv for Christmas.” He looked at me and the energy changed abruptly as stared back at him.

“I got ye, us, a honeymoon to remember, love.” He pulled an envelope from the top of the TV box and handed it to me.”

I turned it upside down and let the contents land on the bed as my eyes saw brochure pictures that made my heart pound. “We’re going to the Bahamas!”

I jumped on Jamie screaming with delight. He didn’t grab me fast enough so I escaped to jump on the bed, butt naked, still screaming with delight. “Tell me more!”

When he was silent I looked down at him watching my breasts bounce with my efforts. I dropped to the bed and pulled him on top of me. I felt him hard and large through his sweat pants and pushed them down over his magnificent butt. I was naked and squirming under him as I kissed him hard.

“It’s gentleman’s choice until noon and I am a slave to your pleasure Jamie.” I opened my mouth suggestively. Jamie whispered his instructions for an erotic experience that charged my batteries and made them explode. He told me where to put my tongue, how to slide it around his sensitive head, how to lay my tongue flat against him and let him pump my mouth. He stopped to say something and I saw his eyes lose focus. I shoved him in my mouth, to my throat and heard him groan loudly for what seemed like a full minute. While I was still swallowing I heard skin slapped.

“Fuckin Jamie!” Ian sounded like he would barge in our room and choke him to death.

As we struggled to stop laughing I remembered Jenny`s wicked sense of fair play, payback, and revenge. She was a master at tit-for-tat. I wondered what she will expose me to when I`m nine months pregnant. I scowled at Jamie and suggested he stop laughing.

[notesonnotes]

Notes On: Dustin Phillips

We’re taking a bit of a different approach today! We’re talking with Dustin Phillips, from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the current drummer for The Ataris (https://www.facebook.com/theataris/). He is also the Owner, producer and music instructor at Dustin Phillips Music (http://www.dustinphillipsmusic.com) He has done other projects not only playing drums, but guitar, and singing as well. He is multi-talented, and likes to engage his followers. If you haven’t taken the time to check him out, do it!

Dustin took the time to answer some questions we had for him. Take a few minutes and get to know a little about him.

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NON: What got you started on your musical journey?

DP: My music career began with a pair of un-sharpened No 2 pencils and a counter-top. And while I can attest to the incredible support of my family since the beginning, the constant tapping drove everyone around me crazy. In December of 1990, my stepfather (Pete) was coming off the road from touring with Phil Collins. He had told the crew that he was looking forward to a nice, quiet holiday. Phil’s crew, knowing he had a son that made beats and noises with everything within arms reach, decided to play a bit of a prank. On our doorstep, arrived a box with a note “Pete, enjoy your quiet Christmas.” Inside was a set of shiny, red Reno Junior Pro drums — from Phil and his crew, to me. My family, as amazing as they are, enrolled me in drum lessons at the age of 5 and have supported me every day since. NON: Who are some of your influences? DP: Over the years, I’ve realized that inspiration and influence tend to come and go unexpectedly. While I admire and believe that there is incredible talent that rightfully gets attention, there are millions of people who possess passion and talent that are immensely underrated. That being said, there are absolutely people whose talent and style I find myself incorporating into my own art. Drummers like George Daniel (The 1975), LP (Yellowcard), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews); Songwriters like Josh Ramsay (Marianas Trench), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World). Additionally, I am constantly inspired and influenced by my incredibly talented friends Kris Roe (The Ataris), Jay Ness (filmmaker), Claudio Rivera (drummer), Rob Freeman (producer/songwriter), Kat Perkins (musician). NON: You've had projects outside of The Ataris. Thru The Static; You Jump, i Jump; a solo, and more. What has been your favorite project so far? DP: Generally speaking, if you ask any artist/musician what their favorite or best project is, it’s almost always going to be their current or most recent. Each project I’ve been a part of in the past holds a special place for its own set of reasons. The most creatively rewarding was the You Jump, i Jump “Reckless” album.(I’m making a plug for this, I have the album, if you wanna check it out, which I think you should, message Dustin on Twitter!) My buddy Braden, who had also been in All the Right moves, and I wanted to put out an album with the sole purpose of satisfying a creative itch. We had no intention to sell a million copies, or an unreasonable dream to take over the world. We simply wanted to release a collection of music that we get didn’t fit our current projects. It was completely self-produced, a little bit all over the place, but exactly what we wanted. NON: You also produce and photograph. What other projects have you done or taken on? DP: While I wish I could get myself to just focus on one thing at a time, I’m constantly looking for different creative outlets to explore. Whether that be producing an artist of a different genre, shooting video, creating social content, I just enjoy the process. NON: How long have you been doing this? DP: I’ve been with The Ataris for 3 years, but playing drums for nearly 30. Oh dear lord, I’m getting old. NON: What advice do you have for anyone trying to break out in the industry? DP: So much of this industry has always been about who you know, but now we have this thing called the internet. My biggest piece of advice would be to document and share content, grow your own following, while also trying to reach out and network with other creatives in your field. It can be a slow, daunting process, but if you bring value and entertainment to your platform, people will follow you on your journey. And that attention can manifest into incredible possibilities. NON: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? DP: I’d like to say drumming for Taylor Swift... but ultimately, continuing to live life in a way that brings happiness not only to me, but to those around me. I don’t need “fancy.” I don’t need to keep up with “the Jones.” Every fiber in my being just longs to live a life where I can create and be happy. And whether that’s on stage, in the studio, or starting a new business — who knows? I’m always ready to allow new experiences or circumstances into my life. Never be so sure of what you want that you wouldn’t accept something better.

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You Jump, i Jump: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeYkCQAeoKa3daK-fpzITHA

Dustin Phillips: https://twitter.com/dustinphillips

Tumblr: http://dustinphillips.tumblr.com/

Thru The Static: https://www.facebook.com/Thru-the-Static-211152845567919/

The Ataris: https://www.facebook.com/theataris/

The Ataris are on tour now! A few dates have already been done, but here are some upcoming ones! (* w/ Smoking Popes)

6/11-Phoenix, AZ-Pub Rock

6/12- Las Vegas, NV- 172 Music Club at The Rio

6/13- Salt Lake City, UT- Urban Lounge

6/14-Denver, CO- Streets of London

6/15-Kansas City, MO- Riot Room 

6/17- Des Moines, IA- Gas Lamp

6/18- Chicago, IL- Bottom Lounge

6/19- Indianapolis, IN- The H-Fi

6/20- Cincinnati, OH- Northside Yacht Club

6/21- Pisstburgh, PA- Smiling Moose*

6/22- Asbury Park, NJ- Asbusry Park Brewery*

6/24-Somerville, MA- Once Ballroom*

6/25-Brooklyn, NY- Knitting Factory*

6/26-Philadelphia, PA- Milkboy*

6/27-Baltimore, MD-Metro Gallery*

6/28-Cleveland, OH- Grog Shop*

[5mincolumns]

5min books review #4

John Doerr: Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

Value for money

6/10

Year, Price, Pages, Cover design

2018 by Portfolio/Penguin; Euro 24,20; 246 pages (306 pages with dedication, resources, notes and index), Hardcover

Jacket design by Karl Spurzem, Book design by Amy Hill. Very nice jacket and book design. Good paper quality and reading experience (However, I would expect a better quality of paper, compared to the amazing jacket).

5 sentences about the book

The book consists of two parts. First part describes OKRs and values such: focus, alignment, tracking and stretching — that accelerate OKRs. The second part pointed out the importance of culture in modern companies and CFRs (Conversation, Feedback, Recognition) which, together with OKRs, create new continuous performance management and reinforces HR.

From a narrative point of view, this book also consists of two parts. Theoretical writing is beautifully completed by stories with examples from real life, written by protagonists like Bill Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Sundar Pichai (Chrome), Susan Wojcicki (YouTube) and many others. I especially enjoyed Doerr’s story about the beginning of the OKRs at Intel and his mentor Andy Grove. The book begins with another fantastic story about the early days at Google, where Doerr rotated among the first investors.

In the end, OKRs have roots in 20th-century mentality. Intel’s story Operation Crush is scary reading about the company that beat its competition not by innovation but by marketing (creating a new narrative). It makes more sense now to understand the behaviour of big tech companies in the 21st century that adapted OKRs (more below).

What did I learn?

I have finally understood what OKRs are and what are the powers that drive them (focus, alignment, tracking and stretching). I’ve learned to define the objective and key results and think about them in the context of my work/my life.

Except for basic rules, there are at least these reminders I have to keep in mind: 1. KRs must describe outcomes, not activities (257); 2. We must not forget to ask “What’s in this for me” when we want to make OKRs real for individuals; 3. Define a few OKRs that promise a real value, make it stretch but realistic; 4. OKRs are not written in stone — reformulate or delete them if they are not helping anymore.

I found a connection between OKRs and CFRs super useful, it could be especially handy for line managers. I’ve made many notes and I intend to put them into practice.

Google’s OKR Playbook (255) — internal Google’s document for employees describing how to set, track and read/interpret OKRs.

I understood the root cause of unethical behaviour of the big tech companies towards their users and society (more below).

What was missing?

TL, DR: What kind of products can be created in an organization driven by OKRs and CFR without asking about ethical issues? Doerr didn’t address the ethical risk (Should we build it at all?) in OKRs conception that has a direct impact on companies’ culture of big tech organizations. Yes, big tech delivered a lot of obvious values for end users but at the same time, they aggressively dominated the market so competition became impossible (and end-users lost more than they gained). Even worse, big techs are not able to steer their platforms anymore, and their products are becoming a weapon in the fight to weaken democracy in the western world.

Working at Google was considered a dream job twenty years ago. Now, working in the 21st century big tech is like working in the 20-century tobacco company. In other words, I cannot imagine how someone can be proud to be a Google/Facebook/Amazon/Apple employee anymore. Today big techs are considered as predators: these companies don’t just run services — they own the internet’s utilities; they use that commanding position unfairly and at the expense of others.

The next thing is the social dimension. These companies do not take enough responsibility for their platforms and their impact on society: “The result is less innovation, fewer choices for consumers, and a weakened democracy.” (Guardian)

If the author is not willing to speak about this topic because it is not in the context of his book, then, the best he could do was not to open culture topic while talking about Google.

OKRs do not address ethical risk: “Just because we have the technology to build something, and even if it otherwise works to accomplish the specific business objective, this does not necessary mean that we should build it. More commonly, the issue is that our technology and design skills are such that we might come up with a solution that meets our business objectives (for example, around engagement, growth, or monetization) but can end up with a side effect of cousin harm to users or the environment.” (Marty Cagan, Inspired, 2018, 169)

How is it possible that the author talks about OKRs and forget about the ethical side of reality? Susan Wojcicki (Google, YouTube) writes: “Judging from our experience at Google, I’d say that OKRs are especially useful for young companies just starting to build their culture” It is evident that ethical aspect that is missing in OKRs conception could also have an impact on culture. This could be a reason why in Google and the rest of the big tech companies they are blind ethic wise while doing the business.

Favourite quotes:

“An OBJECTIVE, I explained, is simply WHAT is to be achieved, no more and no less. By definition, objectives are significant, concrete, action-oriented, and (ideally) inspirational. When properly designed and deployed, they’re vaccine against fuzzy thinking — and fuzzy execution. KEY RESULTS benchmark and monitor HOW we get to the objective. Effective KRs are specific and time-bound, aggressive yet realistic. Most of all, they are measurable and verifiable. You either meet a key result’s requirements or you don’t; there is no grey area, no room for doubt.” 7

“OKRs surface your primary goals. They channel efforts and coordination. They link diverse operations, lending purpose and unity to the entire organization” 8

“OKRs are Swiss Army knives, suited to any environment” 12

“At medium-size, rapidly scaling organizations, OKRs are a shared language for execution. They clarify expectations: What do we need to get done (and fast), and who’s working on it? They keep employees aligned, vertically and horizontally.“ 12

“OKRs were constant reminders of what our teams needed to be doing. They told us precisely what we were achieving — or not.” 28

(About Andy Grove) “He had an amazing ability to reach into your chest and grab your heart, pull it out, and hold it in his hands in front of you” 32

“Measuring what matter begins with the question: What is most important for the next three (or six, or twelve) months? (…) What are our main priorities for the coming period? Where should people concentrate their efforts?” 47

“Leaders must get across the why as well as the what. Their people need more than milestones for motivation. They are thirsting for meaning, to understand how their goals relate to the mission.” 50

“Meritocracy flourishes in sunlight. When people write down ‘This is what I am working in’, it’s easier to see where the best ideas are coming from” 78

“One underrated virtue of OKRs is that they can be tracked — and then revised or adapted as circumstances dictate” 113

“Aspirational goals draw on every OKR superpower. Focus and commitment are a must for targeting goals a real difference. Only a transparent, collaborative, aligned, and connected organization can achieve so far beyond the norm, And without quantifiable tracking, how you know when you’ve reached that amazing stretch objective.” 135

“If Andy Grove is the patron saint of aspirational OKRs, Larry Page is their latter-day high priest.” 138

“Stretch goals are invigorating. By committing to radical, qualitative improvement, and establish organization can renew its sense of urgency and reap tremendous dividends” (Susan Wojcicki, 156)

“But goals cannot be attained in a vacuum. Like sound waves, they require a medium. For OKRs and CFRs, the medium is an organization’s culture, the living expression of its most cherished values and beliefs.” 212

“In the high-stakes arena of culture change, OKRs lend us purpose and clarity as we plunge into new. CFRs supply the energy we need for the journey” 216

“As OKRs build goal muscle, CFRs make those sinews more flexible and responsive. Pulsing gauges the organization’s real-time health — body and soul, work and culture.” 217

Notes:

(Dr. Grove’s Basic OKR Hygiene)

Less is more. A few extremely well-chosen objectives.

Set goals from the bottom up. To promote engagement, teams and individuals should be encouraged to create roughly half of their own OKR’s, in consultation with managers.

No dictating. OKRs are a cooperative social contract to establish priorities and define how progress will be measured.

Stay flexible. KRs can be modified or even discarded mid-cycle.

Dare to fail. Stretched goals.

A tool, not a weapon. OKR’s and bonuses are best kept separate.

Be patient; be resolute. Every process requires trial and error. 33

Continuous performance management (CFR)

Conversations: an authentic, richly textured exchange between manager and contributor, aimed at driving performance

Feedback: bidirectional or networked communication among peers to evaluate progress and guide future improvement

Recognition: expressions of appreciation to serving individuals or contributions of all sizes 176

“If a conversation is limited to whether you achieved the goal or not, you lose context. You need continuous performance management to surface the critical questions: Was the goal harder to achieve than you’d thought when you set it? Was it the right goal in the first place? It is motivating? Should we double down on the two or three things that really worked for us last quarter or is it time to consider a pivot?” 177

Conversations

Goal setting and reflection. The discussion focuses on how best to align individual objectives and key results with organizational priorities.

Ongoing progress update. The brief and data-driven check-ins on the employee’s real-tine progress, with problem-solving as needed.

Two-way coaching. To help contributors reach their potential and managers do a better job.

Career growth. Identify growth opportunities.

Lightweight performance reviews. Employee’s accomplishments since the last meeting. 183

Feedback

“Public, transparent OKRs will trigger good questions from all directions: Are these the right things for me/you/us to be focused on? If I/you/we complete them, will it be seen as a huge success? Do you have any feedback on how I/we should stretch even more?” 185

“In more mature organizations, feedback is ad hoc, real-time, and multidirectional, an open dialogue between people anywhere in the organization” 185

Recognition

“Modern recognition is performance-based and horizontal. It crowdsources meritocracy.” 186

Institute peer-to-peer recognition

Establish clear criteria. Replace “Employee of the Month” with Achievement of the Month”

Share recognition stories

Make recognition frequent and attainable

Tie recognition to company goals and strategies 186–187

[chasingeast]

Day 1: Let’s Begin- 10:55 A.M., Saturday, December 21, 2019

Dear Me,

This is your time. Use this power. This will be a place for you to recognize and record your triumphs your losses. The highs and the lows. I want you to reminisce and learn. To grow and blossom into something greater. I've thought to myself often ever since I was younger what I might truly want out of life in itself and it's still a question I'm asking myself. What I want out of it. I felt like for so long I had this Grand idea of what it might look like, how I might look like, when it would happen. And in my present and current years I've learned that it isn't anything to what I imagined. I thought I would have been married by now with my first child on the way, I thought I would have my career set in stone, I would be with someone, that so many other things would have been in place. And yet, to the surprises of life, I have certain things and still more yet to come. I always told myself that it would be when I was 28. That it was the most magical number because of an anime character I used to love named Rurouni Kenshin. He lived life, even though it was made up. It just seemed like everything was so wonderful at a time when nothing was set in stone. The world was ahead of me, I had so much life to live still. Fast forward 10+ years into the present and here we are.

I have a job which I’m still on probation for, but does it really matter? I know I do well at it. I have a gift and a nack that, though I wouldn’t go around boosting to everyone, that I am pretty damned good at it. Could there be other areas within the field that I could improve in? Yes. I’m learning from them each day and am trying to make a breakthrough. It has been a direction for me for so long. When you were younger, you were told that you had to go to school to go to college and finally pick a degree. Teaching has been a direction for me for as long as I can remember. Why? I’m not completely sure how it started, but I do know that I felt so proud of myself when I was able to work with the kids at chinese school when I was in middle school and volunteering. There was just something so special about it. Maybe it was because it was at a time when I was so shy that speaking was painful, but with the kids, the words would just pour out of me. The praise also helped from everyone around me. My peers, the teachers, and other adults recognized that within me.

I can’t say it’s always been easy. Right after college I took some time off because I wanted to go on my first overseas trip with my parents and univoice to china. I started to substitute shortly after I believe in the spring of 2013, which turned into a teacher aide position within a month until the end of the year. I was so nervous at the time to substitute. I still remember my first class which I believe was 4th grade. I didn’t know if they would listen to me and especially the rumored 8th grade class, which turned out great. Through many recommendations and praise from others, I ended up starting my job as a first grade teacher there, which I taught for two years. It was a difficult time. I felt like I was on top of the world, but struggled so much. When I look back now, I’m horrified at the type of teacher I was. I was not nice or kind, and struggled because I didn’t know what to do. I was just a child at the time at the age of 22 with a class of 21 students that I did not know how to manage. I can say that after 2 full years, many substituting opportunities, to another teacher aide position, to 3 maternity leave positions, I finally have put in my time with 2 full tenure tracked years, with currently my 3rd that I’m working on at the moment. I put in a great deal of effort and I know that effort does not always result with the best product, but I am getting smarter each day and am trying my best with things. I want to learn from each trial and hope that each day will bring me a new adventure and excitement to keep me going. I don’t know how my future will look nor what I will be doing in years to come, but I know at least right now this is where I am meant to be.

I have friends and family that I value and treasure. Now I can’t say that it’s been easy in the slightest either. My friends are so independent and lost in their own worlds, I feel like if I didn’t bring us together, then we never would be. I am not going around telling my tales of glory of how I am the glue for my friends, but I’m also not humble enough to hide it either. I love my old friends from college who though we’ve continued to go our own ways still find time for each other at least every now and again. My new friend whom I love dearly and is my support system at school. My new colleagues who I’m getting along with, although not quite close friends, but maybe one day. My old friend, who I love dearly and is my heart and soul understands me like no one else. E, who is also a dear friend, and sly and curt, but filled with love stories and fantasies. My univoice group whom I love and friends from all over who I adore. I love them for sticking through and being there for me. For my friends who do silly things with me and dress up as pizzas and run for a video montage. Who will have parties with me and help me clean. Who will be there for me in time of need and after every break up that I think they’re annoyed with me. Do I wish that some of them could be a little crazier and be more courageous, yes. I don’t mind though. I like spending time with them on occasion and I also enjoy doing my own things and being myself and my own person.

My family has been a whirlwind. There have been so many things that have happened in the past. Between ugliness and angst built against my family. The greed I learned about when I was younger about my dad’s side and selfishness that tore away at all my ideas of family values. The new selfishness that I continue to learn about my mom’s side when it comes to choices and greed that comes out of entitlement. I struggled with that for years now. It tore at me and broke me down in many ways that I do believe have helped me and forced me to see myself for who I am and who I want to be so that I can avoid being like them at all costs. My parents who are in constant peril and arguments because of poor communication and lack of duty towards one another. The white elephant in the room which will determine whether they hold together or separate due to divorce. My brother who I miss dearly and has run away yet again to find happiness elsewhere. I am happy for him, yet envious because I feel leashed to where I am with duties as a responsible daughter to the family.

I have my passions which I am thankful to have found others to share them with. I can’t say that I’ve necessarily grown in this department because I am still very much a homebody.

I love creating things. It brings me joy to make something. Knowing that I’m able to figure it out and see it through with an end result. My recent project was a body scrub which I gave to my coworkers as a present. It was a green tea peppermint scrub. Smells great, but is still in trial phase! Hopefully it works well!

I love to cook or bake or anything with food. I took E out to make handmade pasta. Though I can’t remember the name of the rolled pasta, it was delicious, as was the sauce! I’m hoping to make more in the future.

I love arts and crafts. It’s something that I’ve pushed to the backside for a long time. Probably because it consumed so much of my time. It was always so tedious. I loved every drawing and painting I created. I have a drive to do more. I like the metal art that I’ve started, as well as the wooden box. There’s still the miniature dollhouse I need to start. I’ve painted motivational rocks. I bought canvases to start painting winter scenes (my favorite).

I like to learn new things whether it be my hobby or someone else’s hobby. I just want to take it all in. The only new thing that I’ve done so far was to go to a board game convention with yahan and her friends. They’re crazy, but you can see the friendship and the love they have for each other. I love board games now. It’s not just a little part, it’s huge! Well, it certainly depends on having friends, but when you do it’s great! In years past I’ve been to popup events and lantern festivals. I would like to do more of that.

I love to be outdoors. It’s been a huge part of me for years now ever since I graduated college, so exactly 7 years ago. I needed a passion at the time and somehow it stumbled upon me while spending time with friends. We started slowly with hikes which turned into backpacking and camping. I can’t say that I’ve done as much as when I was younger but I do love each and every bit of it. I wish there was more I could do. I love looking at all the travel bloggers websites but something that I’ve come to realize most recently is that it’s just a fantasy. I might have the bravery to tackle certain activities but in all honesty, I don’t know that I’d even want to nowadays. In no way shape or form have I lost my love for the outdoors and hiking, but rather my goals have shifted. It’s still something that brings me joy. It is still something that challenges me. I needed this challenge to push myself. At the time, long ago when he and I broke up I needed something to distract me. This was the only thing that I had. I needed it to survive. Now, it’s nice when I can go but maybe not an end all.

I have my hopes and dreams. There are many things that I wish to accomplish. There are bigger things out there for me that I would like to do.

I would like to improve my mental wellness. I feel like I focus so much energy on negativity sometimes that it becomes all consuming. I need to learn to listen, understand it’s meaning, but let it go.

I would like to focus on my weaknesses. I want to develop a stronger backbone and really put my foot down when needed. I don’t want to let others push me around. I also don’t want to follow others and allow things to be just because I feel like there’s no other choice or because I just feel that I need them and would do anything for them.

I would really like to break out of my comfort zone. I’d like to say I got a head start on that goal with Yahan and her friends. I wish I could have spoken more and opened up rather than seeming like a lost puppy, but it was the first time for me so I can’t expect much at the moment. I want to get to know more people and learn from them. I want to broaden my horizons and see the world through other people’s eyes so that one day I too can experience it with my own version.

I want to be braver and take chances. I want to love myself fully and see myself for who I really am. I want to constantly grow. That doesn’t necessarily mean I have to be different all the time, but if there is something I don’t like then I don’t want to linger and let it stay around to fester. I want to develop and become the best version of myself for myself.

I want to stop falling for the first person I interact with. There is something to be said about developing and having a connection with someone. There is also something to be said about not misinterpreting someone who is simply being kind and well mannered with a person who is flirting with you. They can still be nice to you but not actually like you in that way. I’m thankful that so and so never responded to my message. He sent me pictures that he snapped of me, which I thought was creepy considering it was only our 2nd time seeing each other (I’m also pretty sure there were more photos) but I’m glad he never responded. I was in a weak position and desperate for attention. It stung a little at first but I got over it like anything else fairly quick. It wasn’t meant to be and though it was a rude awakening, it was one of the most important ones. I’m sure that there will be someone out there who compliments me and will appreciate me for who I am. In order to find that person though, it’s going to require all the right ingredients of which I may not have in order at the moment but it’s okay.

I want to see if I can discover what in this world will make my heart beat. To make my heart race each and every day and make me feel the need to put my best foot forward each day. I want to know all of it and more. I want to know if there is more to life than just mulling around each day going to work, going home, sleeping, and repeating. I want to know what the highs and lows are. The small and simple joys that make everything worth it.

I won’t deny that I am going to start writing more often to myself out of inspiration from He. I’ve always looked up to him. Rolled my eyes plenty at him, but never-the-less, he has always been someone so special and irreplaceable to me. Love has been such a difficult thing for me. I feel like there just isn’t anything for me. I wonder half the time if the way I am , the situation I’ve gotten myself into is simply because of the expectations I’ve held or because of the longing I have that they could all replicate an irreplaceable person. I’m not necessarily saying that I won’t date anyone just because I’m writing. I am instead saying that I’m hoping by writing, I will be able to capture all of my memories and save them for myself so that I don’t ever forget them. I want to use any means possible to solidify my thoughts. I often found using all my senses helped me best. I was never perfect, worst at best, but I’m still trying.

I want to learn from myself and grow into a better person. I want to document my successes and failures so that hopefully one day I can prevent the same ones from happening. I want to find peace from within and I know that’s only possible if I let go of my grudges and my high standards. That doesn’t mean I can’t have one, but I need to learn to love a person and not the ideal traits that I want from them. It’s still nice if it can work hand in hand though. I want to start a family with someone who I trust and will bring me the same amount of joy that I bring them on a daily basis. I want to be someone who I will be proud of and can tell stories about to my students and my children and grandchildren. I want to be someone that others will look up to and turn to when in need, not because I need to be a savior, but because I want to be a leader to guide others and myself.

I’ve written for many years letters to those I can’t speak to anymore. My heart is still hurt from S who I gave every ounce of my effort towards and love towards to try and reconcile to see if maybe I would be worth it to someone. I think he could have been worth it, but in the time and place we are currently in, I don’t see it. I also don’t want a man who won’t act like a man or a protector. At the end of the day, I want someone who will watch my back, like I know how I’d throw myself to defend them from harm's way.

There’s something to be said about wanting to be with someone and being okay on your own. I think you need to love yourself first in order to love someone else. I do love myself, but there are parts of me that I am unsure of. I don’t need to know the answer to everything. I don’t have to stay firm in all my decisions because they can change. I just know that I need to make things change myself first. I want to in order to give myself and someone else the best chance. I like being alone and doing my own things. I just also want someone I can share adventures, hopes, and dreams with. It’s something that I crave. I mean I also miss sex too, but who doesn’t. Hopefully somewhere out there it will happen. In the meantime, I want to document all the feats and triumphs and silliness of everyday life so that when I one day meet someone and we see eye to eye that I have plenty of stories to tell them of how I got to where I am.

Love Always,

[ohmama2012]

My Eulogy for Dad

This is the eulogy I read for my dad at his memorial service on April 28, 2019 at the Riverside Memorial Chapel in NYC. He passed away on April 2. I have revised a few things to correct typos and reflect what I actually said in the room, to the best of my recollection. I wrote this with a desire to let everyone in the room know who he was as a father, a side of him only I had the luck to know. It was my good friend Christopher Piatt, the only person I shared my draft with, who noticed the “stage manager” through line and advised me to add a few more theater anecdotes. I am indebted to him for the line about dad being a consummate stage manager at the center of our lives -- not just because it made a good line in the speech, but because it’s true and it helped me to see that. - Ali, 5/3/19 

According to family legend, one of my father's earliest memories of me, and one of his latest memories of his father, was the look of abject horror on my grandfather's face as I tangoed around the living room as a toddler, singing “I’d be Surprisingly Good For You” from Evita. In the song, little Eva propositions Juan Peron with something more than just a “frantic tumble and a shy goodbye.”

I grew up with the theater. And not just because I'll always think of my dad singing “Bobby Bubby Bobby” as he pulled out Company album on vinyl to place on the turntable.

I should add that’s rare form -- my dad didn’t much like singing along to the many musicals he so adored. He did sing me “Doh a Dear” as a lullabye, and I sang it to him repeatedly in his final days, but by and large he would say: “Lyrics are your mother’s department."

They made such a good theater pair. He designed the shows, she remembered the names and dates, and they both equally treasured the adventures. Their love of musicals shone through in their parenting. My mother likes to say that if Patti LuPone had had better diction, a young Alison Weiss would have never picked up the Evita libretto and learned to read.

If I learned my ABC’s from Evita, I learned my LBJs, IRTs, and LSDs -- and several latin words -- from the other great musical that I forever associate with my father. He got his start on Broadway stage managing Hair. He was not a hippie, but he was a great enabler, calling cues in a haze of pre-show puffs and taking the show on the road through the USA amidst a backdrop of the Vietnam era. He taught me so much history through his stories about working on Hair. 

But beyond the love of theater by association, my dad gave me the unique privilege of growing up as the child of a designer. As a baby, I crinkled canary paper at his drafting table. As a tot, I cut out collages from Rosco gel samples. As a kid, I made origami from extra Playbill inserts, hanging out in the box seats of a Broadway house during tech week.

He taught me a true love of New York. Once he sent me a postcard from LA, on which he wrote 3 words: “Sun & Sprouts!!!” He taught me that a city is the only place where you can just walk and run into people.

Once I ran into him on the street In New York, randomly, on 11th Avenue in midtown, on a summer day, as I walked south and he walked north. I was in my 20s and, naturally, upset about something. I saw him and hugged him and started to cry, and he took me out for lunch and told me everything I needed to know to feel better. He'd been coming from some theater-related errand or meeting. He used to walk everywhere. He would probably have walked all the way home to 83rd street had it not been for our meeting. And he walked FAST.

My dad liked to relax, but he had no patience for dilly-dallying. Always on a mission, he would run like lightening for a train that he could easily catch walking, leave 6 hours early for a flight, dash through the streets of a city on vacation rather than waste time strolling. Once, on the streets of Amsterdam on vacation, we repeatedly asked him to please slow down. There was no rush. The 75th time we nagged him with this request he snapped, "If I were walking any slower I'd be walking backwards on my hands!"

His dogged sense of time management was matched by his consistent desire to help. He was always reaching out to help with whatever I was doing, whether or not the help was needed. Often in response to this gesture I’d say: "Dad! I've got it!" But he never stopped trying to lift the box, carry the bag, hold the door, adjust the project, or move the stack of papers somewhere better where it wouldn't get lost.

Here is an incomplete list of things my dad taught me, in no particular order, either by example or by a lifetime of consistent reminders or some combination of the two.

Quack like a duck.

Thumb wrestle.

Properly hammer a nail. Use a level. Make pilot holes with an awl. Patch and sand walls.

See a need, fill a need.

The golden rule.

Warm tones make the colors around them look cool. Cool tones make the colors around them look warm.

Snakes are not smart.

You know rice is done when you see little craters appear on the top.

Never feign disinterest.

Never feign interest.

Put something on your feet.

You cannot be warm without a hat.

When driving on a curvy road at night, save time by changing lanes so as to stay on the inside of the curve. He called this: "Using Pi."

France had no problem letting Hitler take all the Jews.

You should be able to go all the way up Amsterdam Avenue without stopping if you just slow down and drive with the green lights.* There is nothing like a good stage manager.

This last one rings so true. He valued efficiency -- CALM efficiency, even in the midst of chaos and absurdity. (And I certainly gave him my share of chaos!)

He loved anybody who was good at their job, no matter the job. He valued confidence and imagination. He blended the science of getting things done well with the art of, well, the things he got done. He got art done. He made his living making art, and he worked his butt off and gave me a great life and I sometimes need to stop and smack myself to remember how brave that was.

My dad was brave, he did great things, and through it all it could be said that mother and I had in my father a consummate stage manager at the center of our world.  

But back to quacking like a duck. This was his signature sound effect and it's what sealed his status as the family duck. I feel like it's my obligation to demonstrate his quack. [Quack]  Fortunately for his grandchildren, when Aphasia took much of his speech, it never took his quack.

There was another sound effect I'm afraid I cannot replicate and that is his water drop. He tried to teach me. It's the perfectly-time combination of a swift blow out the mouth and a tap on the cheek. It made and echoing "bloop" sound that I can best describe off the top of my head as the VH1 pop-up video sound.

But back to his voice. My dad had a voice that smiled. "Hi Ali, it's your dad," began every voicemail. "Helllo!!!" began every visit. He delivered dry quips, delighted in awful puns, had the sickest sense of humor. He earned the silence of a room any time he paused to choose his next words. He spoke with the perfect grammar of a gentleman, and he greatly preferred storytelling to small talk. As someone who cherished long stretches of focus and reading without distraction, he often spoke in the hoarse, breathy tones of a person who, perhaps, had not spoken out loud in several hours.

One of his most oft-used adjectives later in life was fabulous. "Just fabulous," he'd say, of everything from Derek Jeter to Opera to something cute my kids did. It was this funny, slightly out-of-character word for his generation and it became his highest stamp of approval.

My dad also dropped F-bombs like the best of them. I admit to taking some glee in the fact that he lived to see my then 3-year-old son shout, in front of the entire family at Thanksgiving, "open-da-fucking-door!"

Everyone laughed. I looked at my dad. He looked at me. I said, "I will take the blame for this . . . but we all know where I got it." And Marc smiled sheepishly and nodded.

That look of recognition, of amusement, of understanding -- that sly, conspiratorial grin -- served as my lifelong homing beacon for all that is right and good. Even as his face began to take on the mask of what we can probably attribute to Parkinsonism, that glimmer of the old Marc would come through. He relished being a grandpa, and regaled the kids with quacks and faces and games even when his body was well past its airplane hoisting days, and his voice could no longer sell Sandra Boynton.

During the last birthday party for my kids he would attend, I subjected this frail man who enjoys peace and quiet to an afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese. I believe, at least, he enjoyed the cake.  Frazzled at the end of the party, I stood at the ticket munching machines, which are, as you may know, these kiosks where you have to take your hundreds of loose strips of raffle-style tickets and feed them into a slot to redeem a voucher which you then take to a crowded counter to wait in line to buy plastic crap and candy. Dad likely had no idea about or interest in this nonsense system. At the time, I had asked someone to get him to the car and not worry about clean-up.

But as a big ball of loose Chuck E Cheese tickets fell from my hands to scatter all over the floor, and I stooped down to get them, there was dad's hand, from out of the crowd, with its tremor, struggling to pick up those tickets for me, because it was something he could do.

* * * 

You never expect to stand in the ER watching through the window as they attempt to keep alive the center of your world. But as I watched the doctor who oversaw the action we could not see behind the curtain, the doctor who spoke so calmly yet so intently, saying things like "OK, we have a pulse" . . . "next time let's try this" . . .  "remember, everyone, base-line state is non-verbal" . . . "can we bring down the noise level please" . . .  "OK here's what I want to try on the next one" . . .  "OK, does anybody have any ideas?" . . . as I stood watching this magician preside over what we would later learn was my father dying three times and being brought back to life, I turned to mother and said: "I hope Dad can hear this . . . because he would LOVE this guy."

I pictured my dad sitting at the table back home someday, fully-recovered, saying "that doctor who brought me back to life, he was JUST FABULOUS."

That doctor stage managed his final hours and gave him the gift of a peaceful and dignified goodbye. But it’s a brutally hard goodbye nonetheless.

I miss him exactly as he was in the end -- even had he not gotten "better," I would give anything to sit with him for years on end, to watch the glimmer in his eyes and the strength of his hand around mine stand in for the sound of his voice. But I also miss him as he was before the final years, and so did he.

"Dad, I miss you!" I said to him during one of our last phone calls. He said: "Oh, I miss me too." It wasn't self-pitying. It was witty and it was brave.

[daughter-of-war]

Fruk Day Five: What a Future AU

----Being married to justice is tough, ‘cause she’s a bitch----

For @frukheaven‘s #FrukSpringFestival2k17

Pairing: FrUk (Aph France/Aph England)

Pairing Type: M/M

Words: 3,541

Rating: Teen (Innuendos and some strong language!)

"How may I help you today, sir?" Francis laughed, amusing himself with a sad joke.

"Very funny," a man choked out, catching his breath. He leaned on the one glass window that was still fully in tact, and nearly doubled over. "I'd like to see you run for several miles and joke!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Francis chided. "I've got some water in the back of you'll give me a minute." He heard a 'Thank you!' from the front of the shop as he went to the back to grab a canteen. When he came back, and gave it to the man, he was nearly shocked at how fast it was downed. This man wasn't fucking around.

"Thanks again, sorry for snapping there," he said in a long exhale.

"It's fine," Francis dismissed. "But what I'd like to know is who you are exactly. Not many marathons are run anymore!"

"Oh haha, yes, I look like a marathon runner," he joked back. And he really didn't. His hair was blond beneath a layer of ash and what looked like engine grease. His face was covered in it, too, along with dirt and dust. Clothes torn and sneakers worn out, he looked like a proper mess. Francis wasn't much better in the clothes department, all of his being a size too small and worn out, but he always made sure to keep his hair up and brushed, as well as wiping off any sort of dirt if it got on him.

This man obviously didn't give a single shit about any of that.

"Anyway-" he sat down in one of the old plastic chairs in the front room by the window. "-The name's Arthur. I'm sort of a criminal at the moment, and I need a place to hide out. This looked like a nice enough place, but I didn't think there'd be someone in here."

"Well, my name's Francis. And did you really think a building just stayed nice on its own?" Francis rested his elbows on the counter in front of him. "Listen, cher, I'm not saying you can't stay here, but I've got to know what the hell they're after you for. I value my safety, I'm no fool. No idiot has hair this nice." He swirled a finger around his slightly messy locks. Arthur smiled at this, and it somehow looked both sweet and completely out of place on his face.

"I might have killed a mecha a year back, and they've been-"

"YOU KILLED A MECHA?" Francis slammed his hands on the counter, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "What the hell?"

"Oi!" Arthur hissed. "Don't be so loud!" His eyes shifted back and forth, as if he expected one of them to bust through the window and incinerate him on the spot. "And in my defense, they killed my baby brother, and I wasn't exactly thinking straight!" He was still seated, his leg bouncing angrily, one of his hands clenched in a fist until his knuckles turned white.

Francis bit his lip. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this. He resumed his previous position, legs swinging beneath him as he leaned forward onto the counter, his old plastic barstool creaking as he shifted back and forth.

"Sorry for snapping," Arthur said, letting out a sigh. "I just, even if it's been a year, it's still tough, you know?"

"What happened? Usually the mechas don't go after citizens?"

"He was out after curfew, as he got lost coming home from work. He was sixteen, and he worked in the government orchards. They'd transferred him to another field, and he didn't know how to get home from there, and, well..." He trailed off, not having to explain any further.

"Oh," Francis sighed. "I, I can understand a bit, I used to have a son, but since he got sick often, we used up our monthly medicine and he passed away about four years ago when he was still two. Believe me, I hate those mechas like any man in the world, so I can see why you're fighting them." Francis choked up a little.

"Well," Arthur exhaled. "Nice to share with someone other than myself in a mirror, eh?" Francis let out a little laugh, happy that he had some company after so long.

"So," Francis started again, "what do you do? To fight these mechas, that is. It has been almost thirty years, and we're no closer to getting rid of these tin devils!"

"Yeah, I know," he laughed without humor. "But this thing," he smiled, holding up a sizable gun about the length of his elbow to the tip of his middle finger, "is pretty good at her job."

"What is it?" Francis asked, coming our from behind the counter to get a closer look.

"Oi, oi," he laughed. "She's a bloody wonderful laser blaster! Solar powered, too," he said, with a proud little shimmy. "Made 'er myself."

"Can I see?" Francis asked, crouching down to get a closer look at the piece.

"If you apologize for calling my dear A.M.E.L.I.A. an it!"

"I'm sorry Mademoiselle Amelia, and may I say, you have a lovely name! Any special reason for Amelia?"

"Yep, it not only stands for 'Automatic Mecha Eliminator with Laser Incorperated Annihilation, but it was also what my brother, Alfred, was going to be named if he was a girl," he added.

"Well, it's certainly lovely," Francis said with a smile. "And you said you made this yourself?" He was impressed.

"Yep," Arthur answered. "I worked at the metalworking shop, on the assembly line. I made sure to be even more meticulous with parts than I should have, which meant that there were a lot of discarded parts I could pick up from the company trash after work. Luckily, the place was pretty loosely supervised, so it only took me a good year and a half to get everything I needed. Assembling her took about two years, give or take, and I test fired her for the first time when Alfred died. Thankfully, she came through and I managed to kill the damn thing chasing me and escape. I've been on the run ever since, and she's hardly ever failed me."

"You must be incredibly smart," Francis said to Arthur. "To build something like that must've required serious skill!"

"Meh," he shrugged. "I'm just stupid and desperate, honestly. I studied the working of the mechas that supervised us every once in a while, and got a good idea of how they worked, and basically learned how to build like a blind man that learns to play piano from listening to the same song over and over." Francis nodded. That made enough sense. And honestly, he wasn't really in to tech, so he didn't feel like having it explained any further. If it worked, it worked. No need to understand everything.

"And this really works? That's amazing," he shook his head in appreciation and near disbelief. Of course, he'd heard of the anti-mecha guerilla army, but he had never actually seen of them in person. Just wanted posters. "Do you belong to any sort of organization? Or are you one of those lone-wolf types?"

"Well, I'm sort of both," he answered. "I've worked with others quite a few times before, but I don't follow any solid organization's rules, even if I do sort if belong to a group. I mainly do my own thing."

"Ooh," Francis chucked. "An unmarried man! My lucky day!"

"Pssh," Arthur scoffed with a smile. "Can you not see this ring?" He held up a bare hand. "I'm married to justice!"

"Fine, fine," Francis groaned with a smile. "But I'm keeping an eye on you in case justice turns out to be a bitch!"

"Of course, I didn't expect anything different," he chuckled.

They were both enjoying the company of each other, as Francis was sure Arthur hadn't had anyone else for a while, too. The conversation lulled, and they sat in silence for a while. There was never much noise outside, since people often didn't dare leave their shelters unless they were heading off to work in the factories. The future wasn't great like many imagined it to be, with the AI systems gaining just enough self-awareness to take over. Thirty years ago this happened, and things had only gotten worse, with humans pushed into run down cities for containment. The only people that left were those that worked on farms just big enough to provide enough food to keep the population from starving. The Mechas had only allowed that. Anything else was restricted. No weapons, no local government, and especially no free speech. Francis had been born two years into the takeover, living for 28 years in a dystopian hellscape. He'd had a fling with a nameless girl eight years ago, and he'd had Mathew, his son, dropped off on his doorstep. He'd loved that child with all his heart, but due to medical regulations, he didn't survive, like so many other unfortunate children.

"You okay?" Arthur interrupted his thoughts. "Sorry, you just looked a bit upset."

"Oh, it's fine, just thinking of things," he said. "Meeting you made me remember how lonely I was." He sighed.

"Same," Arthur whispered in an exhale. "Well, I'm glad I stumbled in here, yeah?"

"Yeah," Francis nodded. "I'm glad too."

The comfortable silence was occasionally interuppted by the crying of an unknown bird, or the occasional creak of unkempt steel buildings. The sun was setting, a soft orange glow filling the empty shop. What it used to hold was unknown, but based on the smashed vintage records, he guessed it used to be a music shop of sorts. The previous residents were gone, leaving their items behind. It was safe to assume they were dead. Thankfully, some of the clothes fit him, so he had a small wardrobe.

"Ah," Francis said, breaking the silence. "I forgot to mention that I have some extra clothes!" Arthur looked down and back at him from his chair to Francis, who was sitting on the floor. "I can't believe that slipped my mind," he chided himself.

"You have spare clothes?" Arthur raised a thick eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah! Sorry I didn't mention that earlier," he laughed a bit embarrassedly. "Come on, they're upstairs if you want them." The both of them stood up, with Francis dusting the dirt off his butt. They walked up the old and worn stairs, to a second floor. It had a little living area with a dark green, worn out fabric loveseat, and two doors- one to a bedroom, and one to an actually, even if a bit unreliable at times, bathroom. The tub was broken, and the sink's water pressure was laughable, but at least it provided likely safe drinking water.

"This is a nice place, Francis," Arthur marveled, and Francis took joy in how nice his name sounded on Arthur's lips. "Haven't seen something like this before!" Francis was an obsessive cleaner. Whenever he was stressed, which happened to be often, he'd scrub the floors with an old brush he found in the bathroom when he'd taken this place for himself. Luckily, almost nobody lived in this sector, so he'd never had to deal with criminals. The floors were fairly scratched up, but he took pride in the minimal amount of dirt for a post-apocolyptic living room.

"Thanks," he smiled. "I work hard to keep it decent."

"I can tell."

"Yeah," he responded. "But the clothes I mentioned are in my room, if you'll follow me!" He led Arthur to the back of the tiny living room to his bedroom, where he yanked open a dresser as carefully as one can yank something. There was a drawer of women's clothes, and a drawer of men's clothes, along with two nightgowns and underwear. He tossed a nightgown and pair of fairly clean underwear to Arthur, who seemed a little uncomfortable holding another man's undergarments.

"I'll change in the living room," he said, holding A.M.E.L.I.A and his 'new' clothes. Francis decided to put his own nightgown on, making sure to carefully fold his dayclothes and put them back where they belonged. He was always careful with such precious things. Arthur came back into the room a moment later, placing his raggedy clothes on the floor by the door. "Thanks again," he said.

"It's no problem," Francis responded. "After all, I only wear one nightgown at a time." Arthur laughed a bit at that.

"And may I sleep on your loveseat?" He asked, and Francis laughed, and replied.

"You can get on my loveseat any time you want, cher!"

Arthur sighed with a laugh, even if his ears went a little red.

"You know what I meant, pervert," he deadpanned, giving Francis a light flick on the arm.

"Alright, no more jokes," he laughed. "But you should probably get some sleep, alright? I'll see you in the morning, Arthur."

"Goodnight, Francis."

And as he laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, Francis couldn't help but thank God for giving him such good company.

¤

"Morning, sleepyhead," Francis whispered, making sure to stay a good enough distance from Arthur, as he still held A.M.E.L.I.A in his sleep. As Arthur wiggled in his state of waking up, he yawned like a kitten, and Francis couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, hush, you!" He chided, rubbing his eyes of sleep. "But thank you so much for letting me sleep here, that's the best I've slept in years!" His smile was drowsy, but he grinned, slightly crooked teeth exposed.

"It's no problem," Francis stressed. "If anything, this is one of the nicest things to ever happen to me, as it's been way too long since I've had company!" He tossed down a jacket, a t-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans, which landed in Arthur's lap.

"Really?" He gasped, looking up. "You dont mind me wearing these?"

"If I did, I wouldn't've given them to you," he countered. "And besides, they don't fit me anyway. You seemed a size or two smaller, so I figured they'd be perfect for you."

"Yeah, these look perfect!" Arthur smiled. "Thanks again!"

"Enough with the gratitude," Francis blushed, "just put them on! I'll go get dressed in my room."

As he put on his clothes, a similar outfit, except his shirt was more of a tank top and without a jacket, he decided to grab his brush and a towel, deciding that Arthur could use a little washing up. He exited his room as Arthur was slipping his arms into the leather jacket, looking incredibly good in it. The clothes really did fit him perfectly. Despite having a fairly flat everything, and being about as fleshed-out as cardboard, he still looked downright handsome. Except for his hair, of course. That would need to be brushed and trimmed.

"You need a haircut," he stated, cutting to the chase. "Nobody in my house is allowed to have such a rat's nest on their head!" Arthur looked a little apprehensive. "Don't worry," Francis laughed as he headed toward the bathroom to dampen the towel and grab the scissors, "I'm not going to chop your head off, just your split ends!"

"Oh, fine," Arthur sighed. "Where do you want me to sit?"

"On the floor is fine," Francis shrugged. He began to work, getting Arthur's hair a little but wet, which allowed the soft bristled brush to get through a good quarter of his hair, as the rest of it was almost all knotted. "This'll take some work," he sighed, lifting the scissors.

It took a good hour or two to finally get his hair decent, cutting off a solid three inches. It still stuck up in places, and no amount of brushing would change that. Then he set to work cleaning up Arthur's face, scrubbing dirt off as a mother cleans a child that's been out in the mud. They were both quiet, not having much to say, and Francis was too concentrated on fixing Arthur up to hold a conversation.

"Done!" Francis said at last, pulling Arthur up off the ground to head to the bathroom and look in the mirror.

Arthur reached up to touch his hair, and smiled when he could actually feel something other than filth.

"Thank you so much," he breathed out, quiet. "It looks wonderful!" He was positively beaming, his cheeks full of colour and eyes sparkling. "This is more than I could have ever asked for!"

Francis blushed at that.

"There's no need to thank me that much," he said, embarrassed. "I mean, all I did was cut you hair and clean you up a bit..."

"Oh, don't be so modest, it doesn't suit you!" Arthur laughed.

"Fine," he laughed. "But really, if anything this is great for me too, because you look even more handsome than you did earlier!" His voice rose an octave, embarrassed over admitting flat out that he found the near stranger handsome.

"Oh," Arthur averted his eyes a bit. "Thanks." His ears were reddening as he bit his lower lip.

Shit, made things awkward.

"Anyway!" Francis blurted out. "I have some food, if you want breakfast?" At the mere mention of food, Arthur disregarded any sort of awkwardness, his stomach growling and head nodding. "I'll take that as a yes, then!"

Francis went to the cupboard, fishing out some canned peaches and two spoons, setting it down on the counter on the first floor. He pulled up another barstool opposite his.

"Sorry this is all I have," an apologetic smile on his face.

"Francis, it's fine!" Arthur laughed. "Food is food, and the fact that you're giving it to me is more than enough!"

They ate together, and talked about little things, but it mainly consisted of Arthur telling stories about his time on the run from the Mechas and their government.

"And so then, when I though I for sure was going to die," he said leaning in, his voice excited. "There comes this loud BANG and all of a sudden, there's this group of maybe six other people, all with these obviously homemade weapons!" He leaned back. "God, were they cool! This one guy, Yao, was a bit of a dick, but fuck, could he make a weapon! The guy was a one-man factory, I swear! And there was this girl, Eliza, and her husband, Rod, if I'm remembering right, who were pretty good, too. Rod was the strategist, but I swear Eliza could rip a mecha in half with her bare hands!" Francis was content to listen to him, thoroughly enjoying Arthur's stories. They'd long since finished eating, with Francis offering Arthur the juice from the can, who was eager to take it. He really looked happy. And Francis was glad for it. Having someone in his life was honestly amazing, and even if he'd only known him for a day, he wanted nothing more than to keep getting to know him. Arthur was fascinating. For someone of such a lean stature, he seemed incredibly fit, and Francis wondered how shit he was, and if he'd show him the muscles he obviously had hidden underneath his clothes.

Arthur looked up, and shook Francis out of his thoughts. "Oi! You listening there?" He laughed. "What're you thinking about?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing," he shrugged. "And honest, I'm listening!"

"Good! Because as I was saying..."

Francis was more than happy to listen.

¤

Its been about two weeks since Arthur had blown into Francis' place, and they had already fallen into a routine. It mainly consisted of breakfast, chatting, cleaning, dinner, chatting some more, and then sleeping. Arthur still slept on the loveseat. One day, Francis thought. One day he'll sleep somewhere more comfortable!

It wasn't until three weeks later that he got a message. It came though A.M.E.L.I.A, as she had a tiny screen that was capable of transmitting simple codes. Apparently a kid named Kiku was really good with tech, and had figured out a way to install a messaging board in A.M.E.L.I.A's software and a screen in her hardware.

"Fuck," Arthur hissed. "Francis, I need to go, they've found a hub! If we take it out, we might be able to liberate the city!" He seemed excited and frustrated at the same time.

"You're leaving?" Francis felt his stomach drop. "Arthur-"

"I promise I'll come back! This shouldn't be too hard! This city's already weak and under-supervised, this won't be too difficult!" He paused, and let out a breath. "I'll come back, believe me."

"I-" Francis stopped himself as he saw Arthur turn to grab his jacket, putting it on. "Arthur..."

"I'll come back," he laughed. "I've survived for this long, and besides, I've got others helping me! So don't worry." He came back for a hug, and Francis pulled him in tight. Right before he let go, Arthur placed a gentle kiss on Francis' cheek. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll come back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He watched Arthur run out the door, and watched him disaper until there was nothing left as he vanished along the horizon.

So Francis waited, and he kept waiting. Because Arthur promised.

[ztafraternity]

New year, new you!

This article was originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of Themis magazine.

By Emily Adams Keplinger, Contributing Writer

Traditionally, January is a time for reflecting on the past and making plans for positive changes in the new year. With the help of ZTA sisters who are experts in their fields, we’re here to help you do just that.

To get started, we’ve identified four areas to target for better living: setting and achieving goals, decluttering and getting organized, focusing on health and wellness, and managing personal finances. This is not about a “one size fits all” solution; however, in each category, the key is to develop a plan of action—then work the plan.

Setting and achieving goals

Jamie Allen Carrieri (Theta Alpha Chapter, California State University, Chico), lives in the foothills of northern California. As a collegian, she served as her chapter’s President. Her collegiate experience was a foreshadowing of her future as a leader of others.

“After college, I worked in commercial real estate for a time,” Jamie recalled. “Then I earned my Juris Doctorate at University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law and practiced business law for a few years before deciding to study life coaching. I obtained a certificate in Professional Life Coaching from UC Davis Extension in 2014.”

Now a Professional Life Coach, the founder of Carrieri Coaching, and the creator of the Joyist and Commute Coaching brands, Jamie specializes in challenge-based coaching that is especially helpful for achievement-oriented personalities and those in high-stakes professions.

“The basics of goal setting and achieving are the same no matter who you are,” Jamie said. “Differences arise where the individual has her own unique issues holding her back. Let’s start with the long-standing concept of SMART goal setting. The acronym stands for the idea that goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Most issues will arise in the details of applying each part of this rule, so taking it step-by-step is important.”

The issues that may arise with feeling overwhelmed, discouraged or unmotivated to achieve a goal can often be addressed by doing deep work on our core values and priorities to ensure the “relevance” of the goal and our motivation.

Jamie’s Tips for Setting SMART Goals:

Specific: This is really about composing your goal statement. It should have the who, what, when, where, why and how of your goal, and it should help you to answer the next four steps.

Measurable: A goal needs to be measurable. If it is a more subjective goal, then this may require a little effort to make it quantifiable. Sometimes this means developing a rating system or other subjective scale or seeking outside input to judge your efforts.

Attainable: A goal must be possible, but you also need to identify the tasks or sub-goals required to reach it. This is a common place for experiencing overwhelm. Doing the work to break it down now will allow you to cope with feeling overwhelmed by focusing on one step at a time once you are in action mode.

Relevant: Is your goal connected to your priorities and core values? Is it big enough and important enough to properly motivate you? To push you to reach your full potential? This is the meat of why you chose this goal and what will keep you going through challenges.

Timely: When should this be completed? Does it need to fit in, with or around other life events? It can be easy to get discouraged by how long it seems it will take to reach the goal. It has been said, “Do not worry about how much time it will take, for the time will pass anyway.” The important thing is to keep moving forward and just do your best to plan. You can stop and re-evaluate your schedule as often as needed.

Decluttering and getting organized

Yuriko Beaman (Theta Delta Chapter, Salisbury University) lives in Reading, Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Lehigh Valley, PA Alumnae Chapter, ZTAlways, and the Lancaster, PA Alumnae Chapter. Additionally, Yuriko serves as the General Advisor for Kappa Psi Chapter (Kutztown University of Pennsylvania) and was recognized as the Outstanding Advisor in Area I at Convention 2018.

Yuriko, who holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology, started her professional career by helping college students. “I’ve taught classes on time management, organization and other academic skills,” Yuriko said. “I’m certified in the KonMari™ method of organizing, which was created by Marie Kondo.”

She outlined the process of getting organized, making it as easy as 1-2-3:

Step 1: Picture your goal, even if that picture is fuzzy.

The first step in an organizational quest is to determine what you want in your ideal life and ideal home. I encourage clients to think about what they want to do in their space and how they want to spend their time.

Step 2: Choose what to keep and let go of the rest.

What I love about this process is that it encourages you to recognize that each item in your home is there for a reason. When you let an item go, you literally say “thank you,” then place it in a pile designated either “donate” or “discard.” Sometimes it’s helpful to reflect on what the item has taught you and to express gratitude for the lesson. It’s easier to let an expensive piece of clothing go when you recognize that you’ve learned you really don’t like the color on you, no matter how much you like the style of the garment.

In the KonMari method, we tidy/declutter by category, not by room. The categories, in order, are clothes, books, paper, Konmono (miscellaneous) and sentimental. When you start a category, you gather up all the items in that category. Yes, put all of your clothes in one space. Then you pick up each article of clothing and determine if you choose to keep it. You keep all the items that bring you joy. If you love it and feel warm and joyful when you hold it, you keep it. If you feel heavy and recognize that you haven’t worn it in a while, let it go.

Step 3: Find a home for what you decide to keep.

After deciding which items in each category spark joy, find a place for them. Clothing, for example, can be folded and stored. My company, Joy & Space LLC, has videos on YouTube that demonstrate the best folding method for shirts. Apply the adage “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Collegians sharing a room have limited space, so they need to determine what they want their ideal setup to look like. Carefully choose each item in your room and use square boxes in drawers to help you fit everything. The clothes-folding method saves lots of space and makes it very easy to pack.

Alumnae often have the luxury of more space, but that also means more stuff. If you are starting a decluttering process, find one that is the best fit for you and your lifestyle. It’s important to be patient with yourself. The items in your home didn’t just get there overnight. It took time to accumulate them, so it will take time to let go. However, when you take the time to process what you have, express gratitude when you let things go and commit to taking care of what you are keeping, you’ll find you’ve cultivated a sense of contentment.

Focusing on health and wellness

Theresa Han-Markey (Alpha Gamma Chapter, University of Michigan) currently lives in Pinckney, Michigan. As a member of the Ann Arbor, MI Alumnae Chapter, she has held the office of President for two terms and is currently the chapter’s Vice President of Programming. After getting her undergraduate degree, she went to University of Kentucky to get a master’s degree in clinical nutrition and has been practicing as a registered dietitian since 1987. Currently, Theresa works at University of Michigan as a research dietitian.

“I also direct a dietetic internship program at our School of Public Health and teach a class in medical nutrition therapy,” Theresa explained. “I’ve asked some of my current trainees to weigh in on some healthful recommendations for collegians and alumnae alike as we ring in the new year.”

Basic concept: Mindfulness

“There has been a practice documented in the press for quite a while describing mindful eating, or really paying attention to what you eat and enjoying it,” Theresa said. “The concept also encompasses learning to pay attention to your body signals for hunger and fullness.”

“For example, all of us have experienced eating at our desks or in our cars while doing other tasks and not paying attention to what we just ate or drank,” she said. “Before you know it, you may have consumed a meal without even tasting any of it. Instead, try to eat one meal per week in a mindful fashion and you’ll reteach yourself to pay attention to your body’s satiety cues.”

Theresa also referenced using the basic concepts of SMART goals.

Here are Theresa’s step-by-step suggestions for improved health:

Pick a goal and make it SMART!

Seek support from your peers, family or co-workers.

Join online support groups on social media sites (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) that can help keep you on track.

Use the “social spaces” or your support systems to hold yourself accountable to your SMART goals.  

Most of all, Theresa advocates that sisters should make whatever goal(s) they set “functional for their own lives.”

Managing personal finances

Amber Luczak (Alpha Psi Chapter, University of Missouri) lives in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where she is a financial advisor with Edward Jones. Her experience with matters of finances can be traced back to her days as a collegian when she served as Alpha Psi Chapter’s Treasurer for two years. Amber holds a degree in corporate finance and banking and personal financial planning. As a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner, she helps people from all aspects of life achieve their long-term financial goals.

“I chose to be a financial advisor because I wanted to make a difference in the community and help individual investors, families and business owners work toward achieving financial freedom,” Amber said. “The five primary goals I focus on include helping clients prepare for retirement, live in retirement, pay for a child’s or grandchild’s education, provide insurance and protection needs for themselves or loved ones, and prepare to pass on wealth to future generations.”

Once she understands what is important to her clients, Amber uses an established process to implement tailored solutions to help make sure her clients are on track to achieve their goals. She is committed to partnering and working with her clients for the rest of their lives.

“One of the first steps of the financial planning process, whether you are a collegian or alumna, is understanding your current situation—that includes understanding where your money goes each month,” Amber explained. “You have to know where you are in order to figure out where you’d like to be. You know how much you make, but do you really know how much you spend each month?”

Amber uses a budget and cash flow statement as a baseline when she starts working with her clients because without that information, it’s very difficult to make any progress toward saving for retirement, paying off student loan debt or purchasing a home.

Amber’s Advice

Set goals for yourself.

Start early. (The longer you wait, the more you’ll have to save.)

Maintain a budget and know where your money goes each month.

Keep your debt to a minimum and, if applicable, start repaying student loans as soon as possible.

Start saving for retirement. If available, take full advantage of your employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Pay yourself first by putting money into savings.

Contribute to a Roth IRA.

Work with a financial professional so you know you’re on the right track.

[brokehorrorfan]

Best New Horror Movies on Netflix: Spring 2017

I know there's an overwhelming amount of horror movies to sift through on Netflix, so I've decided to take out some of the legwork by compiling a list of the season's best new genre titles on Netflix's instant streaming service.

Please feel free to leave a comment with any I may have missed and share your thoughts on any of the films you watch. You can also peruse past installments of Best New Horror Moves on Netflix for more suggestions.

1. It Follows

I assume most horror fans have already seen It Follows, as it was one of the most-talked-about genre films of 2015, but if you somehow missed it, stop reading this and watch it right now. A horror classic for a new generation, the plot revolves around a curse passed on through sex in which the recipient is followed by... something. Not only does it draw influence from Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street, the film also evokes everything I love about those classics: a strong female lead in Maika Monroe (The Guest), a dreamlike atmosphere, precise direction, stunning cinematography, a memorable synth score, a familiar suburban setting, and an unsettling, mysterious antagonist. Read my full review of the film here.

2. Under the Shadow

The first half of Under the Shadow works well as a compelling war drama, while the last act turns into an edge-of-your-seat supernatural chiller. The Persian-language film takes place in 1980s Iran while the Iraq war rages on. When her husband is drafted, Shideh (Narges Rashidi) is left to raise their young daughter on her own, living in a war zone under the constant threat of an attack. The daughter becomes convinced that evil djinn have taken her beloved doll and soon develops a fever that won't break. The stressed mother dismisses her stories until she experiences the hauntings herself. The film explores similar themes to The Babadook, in addition to sharing an appeal to both genre and arthouse/film festival audiences.

3. The Invitation

As raw as it is calculated, The Invitation is an understated thriller that brings to mind such films as Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and Let the Right One In. The captivating plot revolves around a group of friends reuniting at a lavish dinner party, but one man (Logan Marshall-Green, Prometheus) becomes increasingly paranoid of ulterior motives. Director Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body, Aeon Flux) strings viewers along with just enough information to maintain engagement without sacrificing ambiguity, anchored by brilliant performances from the ensemble cast. The deliberate, slow pace creates a pervading sense of dread, which culminates in a chilling finale worthy of the build up. Read my full review of the film here.

4. Train to Busan

Think you’re done with zombie movies? Think again. In addition to smashing records in its home country of South Korea, Train to Busian is easily accessible to a global audience. Like Snowpiercer meets 28 Days Later, the plot involves a ferocious zombie outbreak aboard a train. It's on par with a Hollywood blockbuster movie in terms of spectacle, performance, and entertainment value. It's also surprisingly heartfelt, thanks to characters for whom the viewer cares - including a sweet father-daughter relationship and one of the best supporting characters in recent memory. Read my full review of the film here.

5. Cheap Thrills

Cheap Thrills is a few years old now, but if it went under your radar, you need to check it out. A quick glance at the trailer or synopsis may leave you questioning how the plot - in which two desperate men perform increasingly twisted dares for money - could sustain itself for 88 minutes. Against all odds, you'll watch in suspense, wondering what they'll do next and questioning if you'd do the same with money being waved in front of you. Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait) completely reinvents himself in the role of the scumbag, while Pat Healy (Starry Eyes) earns the audience's sympathy despite being just as guilty. David Koechner (Anchorman) plays the wealthy man handing over the money, with Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left) as his arm candy.

6. Trash Fire

Trash Fire certainly isn't for everyone, but if you've enjoyed writer-director Richard Bates Jr.'s previous output - Excision and Suburban Gothic - you should have a pretty good grasp on what to expect from his latest. In an attempt to mend their toxic relationship, arrogant pick Owen (Adrian Grenier, Entourage) and his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Isabel (Angela Trimbur, The Final Girls), visit his estranged sister (AnnaLynne McCord, 90210), who was horribly burned in a fire that killed his parents. The cast also includes Fionnula Flanagan (The Others), Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds), Ezra Buzzington (The Hills Have Eyes), and Ray Santiago (Ash vs Evil Dead). The genre bender begins as a quirky, black comedy, then transforms into a dark and disturbing drama with horror undertones. Both halves are uncomfortable in their own way.

7. Evolution

Evolution is definitely tailored for the foreign/arthouse crowd, as French director Lucile Hadzihalilovic explores the horrors of puberty in an esoteric manner. It's immediately striking, from the breathtaking, Planet Earth-esque underwater photography that opens the film, and remains visually interesting even when the plot goes off the deep end. The story centers on a young boy who discovers a dead body in the ocean, after which he's sent to a mysterious hospital where he and other boys are subjected to bizarre experiments. The finale is a memorable one.

8. The Similars

The Similars (known in its native Spanish as Los Parecidos) is an unabashed love letter to The Twilight Zone and similar science fiction thrillers from the 1960s, right down to the Rod Serling-style voiceovers that bookend the story. The film takes place in 1968 Mexico, adopting a period-appropriate aesthetic with desaturated color, nearly to the point of being black and white, stark film noir-esque lighting, and fake film grain. The events occur in a bus station during a heavy rainstorm, where the handful of stranded patrons face a bizarre phenomenon that I won't give away here. It goes a little off the rails toward the end, but the premise is so riveting you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen.

9. Tales of Halloween

Tales of Halloween is a horror anthology made up of 10 segments from directors such as Neil Marshall (The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV), Lucky McKee (May), Paul Solet (Grace), and Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider), among others. The cast is equally impressive; you'll recognize nearly every face as a genre veteran, indie favorite, or master of horror filmmaker, including Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), and Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), to name a few. There's really only so much you can do with a Halloween-night setting in 10 minutes, so the film becomes monotonous at times, but there's still a lot of fun to be had. It won't replace Trick 'r Treat as the go-to Halloween anthology, but Tales of Halloween makes for a great addition to your seasonal viewing.

10. Antibirth

Antibirth is further proof (as if we needed it) that Canadians love David Cronenberg's body horror fare. The first half of the film is, frankly, a chore to slog through, but once the prolonged set-up is out of the way, we're rewarded with nightmarish visions of blood, pus, and hideous deformities. It's worth the time commitment for the insane final 10 minutes, which make this movie a fun one to watch with a group of friends. Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black) stars as an unfortunate girl who shows signs of being pregnant - including a bulbous belly - without having had sex. Whatever is inside her infects both her body and mind. It's a wholly unglamorous role, but Lyonne owns it. Chloë Sevigny (American Horror Story), Meg Tilly (Body Snatchers), and Mark Webber (Green Room) make up the supporting cast.

11. Death Race 2050

It's hard to warrant a purchase for Death Race 2050, when the original Death Race 2000 does the same thing far more successfully, but a Netflix viewing is the perfect way to spend a mindless weekend afternoon. Roger Corman returns to produce a new reboot of the 1975 cult classic. Like many of his productions, it's not a particularly good movie, but it’s an amusing one. It serves as a timely satire under our current administration, with Malcolm McDowell (Halloween) as the Chairman of the United Corporations of America. He hosts a three-day, cross-country race that plays out like NASCAR meets The Hunger Games with a hint of Looney Tunes. Manu Bennett (The Hobbit) assumes the role of half-man/half-machine reigning champion Frankenstein. Read my full review of the film here.

BONUS: American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson

I think Ryan Murphy is brilliant with casting and marketing, but I've always found his storytelling on American Horror Story to be heavily flawed. By basing his latest anthology effort, American Crime Story, on true events, he's able to focus on his strengths without as much concern for sticking the landing. The People v. O.J. Simpson is well worth the 8+ hour commitment; it's engaging even if you lived through the infamous case, doubly so if you don't know all the details. The cast is populated by notable names like John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Schwimmer, and Nathan Lane, but it's Sarah Paulson and Sterling K. Brown who steal the show as the defense attorneys.

[lalka-laski]

A survey clearly meant for tween girls that I still took anyways

1. Do you sleep in your bra? What kind of monster....  2. Do you sleep with socks on? Again, what kind of monster would do that? I hate socks/shoes/pretty much anything on my feet. Although I have been wearing slippers around the house once in awhile lately. Except I can only wear them for a brief period before my feet get too hot. 3. Would you rather sleep alone or with someone else? I can’t sleep without Glenn now. And he can’t sleep without me. The other night I had to stay up late to turn off the Crockpot; he didn’t feel like waiting for me so he went to bed. I’m just chilling on the couch and then like a half hour later he’s standing at the corner of the living room like a little kid waking up his mom and sheepishly goes “I can’t sleep without you.” It was heart melting!!  4. Do you enjoy drama? I know it’s the mature response to say I’m above drama but I admit there’s some of it I find entertaining.  5. Are you a girly-girl? I’ve been told I am

6. Who was the last person you hugged? Glennie 8. Are you short? No, I’m tall for a girl

9. Do you like somebody? A little bit 10. Does your Facebook password have to do with a boy? Mmm nope 11. Do you care if your socks are dirty? Well I only wear socks unless it’s ABSOLUTELY necessary. And they have to be clean. 12. Do you think you’re alone sometimes? If anything I want MORE alone time. And if you mean alone in the figurative sense, I never feel that way. I know the support I have. 13. Do you dress up on Halloween? This past Halloween I didn’t actually. It’s normally one of my favorite holidays but I got wrapped up in other stuff. 14. Are you double jointed? My index fingers are 
15. Where is the weirdest place you have slept? I went to some very questionable parties in my youth... 16. Has anyone touched/smacked your butt in the past 24 hours? Yeah, it’s like a reflex for Glenn lol. He can’t help himself.  17. Is there any type of rumor going around about you? I sure hope not. 18. Do you call anybody by their last name? A few people. And I refer to quite a lot of my friends by their first + last name entirely, even in regular conversation. Some people just have a name that lends itself to that! 21. What color is your bra that your wearing? I’m not wearing one, sucka. I haven’t worn one in 2 weeks! 22. Do you prefer light or dark haired guys/girls? I’ve never had a preference. And now my boyfriend is bald, so look at that! 23. Are you currently frustrated with a boy? Nah. I mean he’s getting on my nerves a little here and there but that’s because we’re confined to the apartment 24/7.  24. What’s one thing guys can do to make you like them? Write me a letter/song/poem 25. Do you have a best friend? Several 26. Have you ever had your heart broken? I sure have. It’s some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced.  27. Have you ever thought of having plastic surgery? I have a list of potential surgeries I’d get. Though if I ever had the oppurtunity, I’d probably chicken out.  28. Do you like your life? I do!  29. WHERE DID HE GO? …. 30. Has one of your friends ever stolen a boy/girlfriend from you? Nope. And what kind of friend would that be? 31. Have you ever jumped in the pool with your clothes on? Oh no! I hate the feeling of wet clothes sticking to you. 32. Do you have more friends that are girls or boys? Probably more girl friends if I ever took the time to count 33. How long have you had a Facebook? Since like 9th or 10th grade? I don’t even want to share how many years ago that was.  34. Have you ever slapped a boy in the face? Yeah. A guy at a concert (Goo Goo Dolls, of all bands??) grabbed my ass and I just wasn’t having it that day. I’m normally a pushover but I had a few beers in me and I don’t know, the aggression just jumped out. I will never forget how hard my best friend was laughing and going “I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT!” 35. What are your biggest fears? Death, losing loved ones, the apocalypse.  36. Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? Several times. Fun memories!!  37. Have you ever not been able to get someone off of your mind? Frequently  38. Do you believe in the saying “once a cheater, always a cheater?” No, I believe reformation is possible. However, it’s entirely up to the individual who was cheated on to decide whether or not to provide that opportunity. 

39. Have you ever had a good feeling about something? Could this question be any more vague? 40. Do you ever wish you were famous? I value my privacy too much. And I could NEVER deal with public criticism and Internet trolls etc.  41. Are you currently missing someone? Always 42. Cowboy or Gangster? Do I have to choose?  43. Preppy or Punk? Again, do I have to choose? 44. Face or Body? It’s about the whole package! But I guess a lovable face goes a lot further in my opinion. I’ve never been the type of girl who gets hung up on what’s considered a “hot” body.  45. Good cook or take you out a lot? I do the cooking in our relationship. BUT I do have a serious soft spot for takeout. Pizza especially is my ultimate weakness.  46. Sweet or sexy? Sweet IS sexy  47. Armani or Abercrombie? Armani because I’m not 12. 48. Contacts or glasses? No preference 50. Have you ever thought you’d marry someone you dated? I know so right now

[rwep2014blog]

5 Simple But Profitable Business Ideas: Start Making Money From Home Today

Before I started my first online business I used to wonder if it was even at all possible to make a decent income from home.

I remember seeing all these people who were claiming to be making a HUGE income online from the comfort of their living room, wearing their pyjamas… and doubting whether it was even true!

But since stepping into the world of online business myself, that belief has been well and truly shattered.

Throughout the past few years, I’ve managed to build a multiple seven-figure online business that gives me the freedom to work from home or wherever in the world.

I get to choose what my schedule looks like, what projects I should work on and how much time I can spend with my family.

And whilst it wasn’t always a seven-figure business, all it took was a laptop, an internet connection and the drive and commitment to find the formula that worked!

Getting Started Making Money From Home

I work with thousands of amazing female entrepreneurs from all over the world inside our Members’ Club, and one thing I’ve realised is that, whilst the opportunity is there for all of us, finding an idea to start with can be so overwhelming!

There are so many incredible ways to make money from home, so in this video I’m going to share with you five high earning businesses you can start from anywhere, with simply a laptop and internet connection!

<< Download 3 free audio chapters of the She Means Business book and get the 28-Day Business Blueprint Guide for free!>>>

  Idea 1: Create an online course

So many people, with all types of expertise, talents, knowledge and passions successfully create online courses and make an amazing income from them.

I’ve seen people make seven, even eight figures every single year through their online courses!

And whilst you won’t just launch an online course and hit seven or eight figures, you can start small and build from there – there’s no limit to how many people can purchase your course so there’s no limit to how much money you can make from it!

A few months ago we launched a new course teaching the blueprint I used to start and grow the Members’ Club.

We sent out a few simple emails to our subscribers to let them know about it.

The result? 513 sales and over $100,000 in revenue generated in just one week!

The first step to creating an online course is simply getting clear on an area of expertise, a talent or some sort of knowledge that would provide value and that people would be willing to pay for.

For example: If you’re a graphic designer, how could you turn that skill set into an online course that people would pay for?

There are so many business owners out there that need to create beautiful graphics for their websites, social media, blogs, but they have no idea where to start.

Your expertise is valuable to them and will help them achieve a significant result, which means they will be more than likely willing to pay to learn from you!

So what can you create online courses about?

The answer is practically anything! From managing your finances, to cooking, acting and growing vegetables in your own garden… any information or skill that can be taught can be turned into an online course!

The best start as always is to simply turn to Google, search for ideas and inspiration and from there, figure out step-by-step how to get it done.

Hosting Your Course

Hosting your course online so that people can access it from all over the world has also become incredibly easy and there are countless options and platforms.

You could choose to go with a course marketplace such as Skillshare or Udemy, where traffic is driven to that site (and to your course) by the marketplace itself

Alternatively, you could choose to go with a course platform such as Teachable, Thinkific or Kajabi, where driving traffic and marketing your course would be completely up to you.

Idea #2: Create And Sell Printables

A printable can be a digital or physical workbook, planner, guide, template, invitation or similar document that you can sell online and whilst this doesn’t sound like a big business idea, let me share an amazing story with you.

A friend of mine, Michelle Rohr created a business centered around digital printables. She started off by creating one printable pack called The Ultimate Life Binder.

Inside this binder she included all sorts of resources, planners and worksheets to help people design and organise their lives.

She set up a store on the marketplace Etsy and started selling the printable for $21. It now retails for almost $40 and the last time I checked in with her, this one printable alone had generated $80,000 in revenue!

She doesn’t even need to print or mail anything out! People buy it from her Etsy store and then receive the link to digitally download the PDF document.

She created this printable once and even though she’s made improvements to it since then, the document just sits on her Etsy store ready to be purchased!

How can you get started selling printables?

Once again, the first step is to get clear on a skillset or an area of expertise you have, which you could use to create something valuable that would help people achieve a result of some sort.

For example: Maybe you’re amazing at home organisation – you could put together a printable guide that would help people organise their house, room by room. Simply think of templates, workbooks, guides, ebooks, planners or checklists that you could create.

Do some research on Etsy and online to find inspiration and spark ideas for your own printables and then create something and put it up for sale! It really is as easy as that!

  Idea #3 – Become A Social Media Manager

If you’re really passionate about social media and could help others achieve amazing results, then you could use that knowledge to help people and businesses grow their own social media accounts.

From posting and engaging, to creating growth and sales strategies, you could spend your days using the platforms you enjoy most.

Finding A Niche

This business allows you to work with clients from all over the world but that doesn’t mean that you should work with ANY and EVERY potential client that comes along.

In order to take your success to the next level and attract the type of clients you really want to work with, it’s worth deciding on a niche you specialize in.

Get clear on who you would you want to work with, such as entrepreneurs, beauty brands, food brands or fashion brands, for example, and who you could help to achieve the best results.

<< Download 3 free audio chapters of the She Means Business book and get the 28-Day Business Blueprint Guide for free!>>>

  Idea #4 – Sell Your Services As An Expert

Once again this is about getting clear on an area of expertise or a skill set you have and how you could package that up as a service to sell online.

Whether you’re a graphic designer, a life coach or even a personal trainer, your services can be easily sold and provided online, especially with simple conference call tools like Zoom.

There are so many online tools nowadays to bring people and communities together, without having to hire or pay for a physical space.

This is about leveraging the power of the internet – and the power of the internet is that you’re able to connect with potential clients from all over the world.

The ability to scale your business online is so much bigger than just growing it on a local scale and in person.

You can work with multiple clients all over the world, even with multiple clients in one online session – the possibilities are endless!

Get creative and have a think about what would work best for you in terms of offering some kind of service online.

Find and connect with potential clients who might be interested in that service and tell them about what you have to offer. Once you have one client, it gets easier to find the next and scale from there.

Idea #5 – Become A Virtual Assistant

This is a great starting point for a lot of people starting out with an online business and if you have worked in an office you likely have the skills you need to get started.

This doesn’t need to be your forever business, but it’s definitely a great way of getting into the online business world, making some money and understanding how things work.

<< Download 3 free audio chapters of the She Means Business book and get the 28-Day Business Blueprint Guide for free!>>>

Many people start out as virtual assistants and then go on to create more success.

If you have skills in being organised, providing administrative support and being someone’s right-hand person, you can work from home and make money from that.

I’ve worked with virtual assistants from all over the world and their help was invaluable to me – there’s a lot of demand for people like that.

If you simply Google “How To Become A Virtual Assistant”, you can find so much help and support and so many Facebook groups that you could join – there’s so much support out there to help you make this a reality!

Make sure you leave me a comment below and let me know: what business idea sounds like the best fit for you?

The post 5 Simple But Profitable Business Ideas: Start Making Money From Home Today appeared first on Female Entrepreneur Association.

Originally posted on 5 Simple But Profitable Business Ideas: Start Making Money From Home Today via Fitness Franchise Opportunities in the UK

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[furederiko]

After a brief detour through Shanghai, London, and Berlin, it's time to land on Dai Teikoku Gekijou once again. The stage is set for our main cast to take the spotlight! Furthermore, these 5 songs (Track 7 to 11), are representative of each character's personality, traits, or even backstory (so... SPOILER alert?). Basically, the meat of this album. You'll likely hear these tunes in full once you've successfully secured their solo endings, right? And throughout, the BGM version usually accompanies them during the playthrough. Let the song show begins!

Otome Nandesu yo (I'm a Maiden) by. Sakura Amamiya (Ayane Sakura)

First on the lineup, is the leading lady herself, Sakura. And, I'm not sure how to put it, but from a purely subjective viewpoint, it's my LEAST favorite of this set. Elise left a big shoe to fill following her one-woman Opera. And Sakura just couldn't keep it together, that we had to step down into an idol-mode or some sort. Sorry, no offense to idol fans out there! Different people, different tastes, and my idol phase had gone over the rainbow. If I have to be honest, I only heard the short MV I posted above (first one released) only a few times, before forgetting about it completely. I can't really understand why. Perhaps, it sounded generic? Sakura Shinguuji's image songs weren't a stand out in "Sakura Taisen" and "Sakura Taisen 2" either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both "Sakura" and "Haru ga Kuru". I have even recorded my own covers for those two songs! They told the tale of naivety and sincerity, of a country girl who went to the big city and burdened with the fate to be a hero. Comparing those to New Sakura's solo is unnecessarily unfair, but it also can't be helped. What is the message of this song? It's about a girl who reunites with her childhood friend (Captain Seijuurou, who else). But she's no longer fond of the idea of him seeing her as a younger sister figure. But she couldn't say it, because *drumrolls*, she's now a maiden. My memory is fuzzy, but I believe Kouhei Tanaka-sensei had already confirmed that this is, in fact, an "Imouto" song. Hence the reason why my interest is not that high. Fortunately, the song took a delightful tone the moment that harmonica came along (which was after the first chorus, on the 1:30 mark). I actually DID enjoy it more because of it. I also liked the bridge part, and how the final result sounded less like a pop song. But that final line? Why did it feel needy and/or desperate? *sigh* Oh well, at least Sakura already did wonders with "Shin GEKITEI". I admit Part 3 doesn't really start off on the right foot. But worry not! It definitely gets better...

Onna!! Matsuri no Kokoro Iki (Woman!! The Spirit of the Festival) by. Hatsuho Shinonome (Maaya Uchida)

Time to get fired up again! And seriously, I dare you not to shake your body or smile as soon as this song begins. Because you certainly would! On a glance, this sounded and showed the traces of being the Kanna Kirishima's style of the new generation. But with one obvious twist: It's... AWESOME!!! Kanna is a good character, but her solo numbers rarely appealed to my taste. Suffice to say, this song took the best parts of her numbers and blended it into one spot. I've always loved this song ever since the MV came out. And this full, almost-5-minutes, version with extra arrangements just sounded... MINDBLOWING. One would argue that a bulk of this song was instrumental, with Maaya Uchida as the Matsuri's (Festival) Miko shouting her commanding cues. That is undeniably true. But listen closely, and you'll get why I or anyone would dig this. If you have been keeping up with me, you'll know that traditional tunes from various countries fascinate me. So it should come natural that I'm a sucker to festival songs like this. Especially with that mix of heavy metal rock guitar building up towards the dynamic duo of the energizing Taiko beat and an iconic whistling of Shakuhachi that added the authenticity of things. Wagakki Band, anyone? Aaaaaahhhhh... and Kouhei-sensei just HAD to slip in that speedy CRAZY-sounding piano bit! *applause* Just like Lancelot's song, this made me feel like I was being transported to Tokyo or Kyoto, attending and witnessing an actual Summer celebration. Uchida, a good singer, didn't perform this in her smooth vocal style. But she shouldn't! This is something you sing at ease while plainly having fun. Being all out and letting loose is basically the key! For the first time in Sakura Taisen's music history, I've bumped into a song that I simply don't want to sing along. Instead, I would DIE for the chance to participate in that Taiko play. Oh my, I need to see this in a live performance. You TOTALLY need to hear this! And dance along if you will... PS: If there's any gripe about this, it's when Hatsuho and the background voices are yelling "Oisa!" (literally means "Hey!"?). It tends to sound "Oisa, Osa, Usa, USO, USO, USO!". "Uso" means "Lies", and ends up giving it a misogynist feel by accident. The message of this song is that a woman is the spirit of the festival. Girl power! Feminism! But then there's these choir of ALL MALE that seemingly shouts "Lies, Lies, Lies!". That's pretty contradictory, eh? I know I'm totally making too much of a big deal out of this, but it honestly bugs me out...

Ninja Azami (Azami the Ninja) by. Azami Mochizuki (Hibiku Yamamura)

We haven't left Japan, as indicated by another tune of Shakuhachi and Koto, preparing us for the next performer. It's a familiar tune that many have heard in "Naruto", "Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger", or other feudal Japan-themed series. And the title had already said it all. This is the biographical description of Azami, as Shin Hanagumi's resident ninja-in-training. But as soon as it entered the verse (as you could hear in the MV), the sensation changed pretty significantly. No longer a serious Shinobi song, it morphed into the franchise's usual playful little girl song. Yes, even though Azami is technically older than Iris Chateaubriand, Coquelicot or Rikaritta Aries! She mentioned her hobby on practicing the various ninja scrolls, and even her love to eat snacks like Manjuu during breaks. Yare yare... With just 3:28 minutes, this is the second shortest song after "Shin GEKITEI". Obviously, the tempo does play a role in that. Hibiku Yamamura is a Sakura Taisen fan, yet she had the shortest solo number in the album. Somewhat ironic, isn't it? Nonetheless, she did a fantastic job. In fact, her unique voice remains consistent throughout the album, and that's worthy to be praised. I liked the traditional Japanese feel in this, but it also had too many speaking lines for my taste. Still, I'll gladly take this bouncy and head-bopping fun tune over Sakura's anytime. PS: Both Yamamura and Ana's VA made guests appearances more than once during the monthly Teigeki Report, which apparently will still going next year (probably until the TV series airs?). So you can hear them sharing personal experiences and stories on those videos. It's insightful, that's for sure!

Kaereru Basho (A Place to Return to) by. Anastasia Palma (Ayaka Fukuhara)

Goodness! I've been itching to arrive to this song. A good song is one that tells a story. Just like the previous songs, this one does the same, but with a deeper meaning and values. Ana is most definitely the "sexy Onee-san" archetype of this game, complete with having a curvaceous figure (reminds me of Rangiku in "BLEACH", wait a sec...). But personality-wise, the Greek lady gave off this mysterious, unpredictable vibe. She's like a mix of mature Maria Tachibana, with a vibe of Glycine Bleumer and Soletta Orihime's European presence, but with a cloudy past of Hanabi Kitaouji, and the hidden sides of Reni Milchstrasse or Subaru Kujou. If I had to describe it in one word, she's puzzling. However, there's one trait that she's been constantly identified with: she's an actress. It thoroughly commanded the message of the lyrics. But I digress. Was the whole song really all about Ana's passion for acting? There seemed to be more than meet the eye. From what I gather, there's an underlying hint of a journey of sadness, past events or eras that had emerged and faded, beloved people that had come and gone. In short, she basically acted her way through the ups and downs of her life. A coping mechanism, perhaps? Laughing away loneliness, a facade of her true emotions. And what did she mean by "A Place to Return to"? Was it the stage, or acting, or just like many of previous Sakura Taisen's heroine: someone to go home to? Or someone who can finally discover and understand her real self? I need to either play the game or watch the TV series to confirm that. Now that I'm older (and wiser? Naaaah), this is my idea of a good song. It asks you to listen, pay attention, and also feel challenged to try to figure it out. This was the longest Shin Hanagumi and solo song of the album. You'll understand why it needed to be that long to be good. The moment that alluring piano intro kicked in, and the violin started to seep in, it's classy and elegant as hell. Ayaka Fukuhara stated that this was a challenge to sing, and indeed it is. It should be. Even though the vocal range wasn't as demanding as Elise's opera, the pitch work was exceptional! She gradually went from a lower tone to higher and higher. It sounded like the aura of the room changed every time another verse began (due to the modulation, as well as the flow of passion and emotions), seemingly depicting Ana's many masks. And those sharp notes? Oh my, oh my, OH MY!!! No wonder Subaru's VA, Mie Sonozaki (who is a prolific singer herself) congratulated Fukuhara on doing such a fine job. This is another highlight of the album for me and my favorite Shin Hanagumi character song by far. Now, where can I get the off-vocal version? Because I totally want to try singing this song... PS: Similar to Elise, voice-wise, Ana is one of my favorites due to her range and distinct pronunciation style. She can go mezzo-soprano and heavy, but also high and soprano. I strongly enjoyed that versatility is utilized wonderfully in this song.

Rondo (Round Dance) by. Clarissa Snowflake (Saori Hayami)

You're watching a European-based fairy tale romance. What happens at the end, when the one true love has been found and all evil that stands in the way has perished? They hold a gala, where everyone waltzes into a happily ever after... That is the core of this whole song, a composition that Kouhei-sensei described it as feeling "like a movie". As a character, Claris fancies herself reading books (nerd alert! Hahaha), and I think many of her scenes in the game takes place in the library. But she also writes stories and loves to fantasize about a paradise filled with mermaids and magical elements. Perhaps because she alone wields a magic book. And her dream is to dance with someone while surrounded by those things. Those are the essence of the simple but poetic lyrics. I admit, when I first heard it, I was taken aback by the decision to putting this track as the final Hanagumi song. But now it makes perfect sense. It easily serves as a calm and astonishingly perfect capper to a series of solo songs, a grand celebration to conclude a colorful parade. My knowledge of reed or woodwind instruments is poor, so I couldn't tell if it was an Ocarina or another type that played in the intro. I'm not sure if that's native to Luxembourg too. One thing for sure, the medieval melody would naturally pierce through your soul, until that graceful combo of Lute or acoustic guitar (again, sorry if I'm bad at names) and harp soothed you into a more familiar space. Then suddenly, the song changed tone halfway through and turned into full folk song mode. Yes, the Kouhei-sensei style I told you before. Someone on Youtube mentioned that this reminded him/her of Disney's "Tangled". Well, I can attest that the catchy interlude was very true to that notion. To think that this song arrived while "Frozen 2" is still playing. Such a great coincidence! Saori Hayami is a great singer, known for her gorgeous legato siren-like vocals. Just like Ana (oh hey, fellow non-Japanese Shin Hanagumi), I'm beyond happy that this song fully made use of her unique charm. Especially once it got into that royal ballroom dance chorus, reminiscent of Orihime's image song. It didn't take long for me to imagine Claris as the protagonist, dancing with her prince (or princess, if that's her thing. Right, Hallmark?) in a grand finale of her fictional story. Speaking of which, I'm still confused as to why Hayami's name is always placed at the end. Even though the promotions clearly showed that Claris is one of the first members of the team. Could it be that she's a "special cast member" type, like in Hollywood movies? That would make sense... Another highlight of the album, another personal favorite (that I've been humming and singing unconsciously on repeat), this clocked as the second-longest solo of the album. But just like the previous number, I doubt anyone would complain. You only need to close your eyes and just start swaying left to right, back, and front. Take your beloved person's hand, embrace him/her tightly, and just follow the musical flow. Dance the day or night away, with much joy and passion! PS: The official MV wrote the title as "RONDE". I still go with "RONDO" because pretty sure that's a typo, considering even the French (one of Luxembourg's official language) equivalent is "RONDEAU". Rondo itself is a musical form that refers to a theme that keeps coming back around. But in Japanese, the kanji can also be read as "RINBU" which means "Round Dance".

Next: the final part of the review, featuring voices old and new, and my overall impression...

Video is available on SEGA Official Youtube Channel. "Shin Sakura Taisen" is produced by SEGA, and RED Entertainment. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[walduissymavelleyq94insuran-blog]

Does anyone know where to get cheap UK car insurance for a 17 year old male, preferable uder 1000.?

Does anyone know where to get cheap UK car insurance for a 17 year old male, preferable uder 1000.?

Does anyone know where to get cheap UK car insurance for a 17 year old male, preferable uder 1000.?

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :cheap-insure.info

SOURCES:

Does anyone know where to get cheap UK car insurance for a 17 year old male, preferable uder 1000.?

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Does anyone know where to get cheap UK car insurance for a 17 year old male, preferable uder 1000.?

[jamieclawhorn]

These small-cap growth stocks have been absolutely flying. Is it too late to buy in?

It would probably be fair to say that the majority of growth stocks have suffered over recent months, particularly those on fairly frothy valuations. And it’s not just the uncertainty over Brexit that’s to blame.

Even market darlings such as Boohoo and ASOS have been hammered after having failed to meet investors’ already-lofty expectations, despite raking in the cash. 

Notwithstanding this, some companies — and their share prices — have bounced back hard. The question, however, is whether there’s any more upside ahead. 

Unlocking growth

I’ve not looked at small-cap challenger law firm Keystone Law (LSE: KEYS) since October. Back then, I was bullish on the minnow’s future. Three months later, I’m just as positive. 

To recap, Keystone’s goal is to become a leading mid-market firm. It aims to attract both lawyers and clients using its “distinctive platform model“. Rather than operate from a set of offices, the former can work from home and use the support and administrative services provided by the company, with Keystone taking a cut of their fees.

According to last week’s update, the AIM-newbie has “continued to trade strongly” in H2, so much so that management now predicts profits will be “comfortably ahead” of what the market was previously expecting when it provides full-year numbers in May. 

Keystone is clearly in a purple patch. Returns on capital employed are increasing and there’s no debt on the balance sheet. Despite ongoing investment, it even pays a dividend (the predicted 8.25p per share cash return in the current year equates to a yield of almost 2.1%). 

The only trouble with all this is that Keystone’s shares now trade on a pretty punchy valuation. Assuming the company is able to achieve the 15% rise in EPS expected in the next financial year (beginning February 1), the stock trades on 29 times forecast earnings. This clearly leaves little room for error. And if further upgrades don’t come, many investors will probably head for the exits and ask questions later. Such is the difficulty of managing expectations.

If you really must take a position now, scaling-in may be the way forward.

Still on song

Like Keystone, junior market peer Focusrite (LSE: TUNE)  can do no wrong at the moment. 

In a very short update released just before Christmas, the supplier of hardware and software products to musicians stated that revenue for the financial year to date was “now ahead of the comparative period last year“, following strong trading in November. This builds on impressive numbers from 2017/18, including a 13.7% rise in revenue to £75.1m and 18.1% rise in EBITDA to £15.5m. The firm is debt-free and had cash of almost £23m at the end of the last financial year. 

Headquartered in High Wycombe, Focusrite was my top pick all the way back in November 2017.  Since then, its share price has climbed a very satisfying 82%, highlighting just how profitable smaller stocks can be for investors over a short period of time. 

As a result of this, however, the shares are nowhere near as cheap to acquire as they used to be and currently change hands for almost 28 times earnings. When it’s considered that those in the city are still only expecting low single-digit EPS growth this year and next, I’m inclined to think that it might be best to wait for things to cool a little. 

Under-The-Radar Investment

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More reading

3 top value stocks I’d buy in 2019

Why I’d consider Unilever shares amid more Brexit drama

2 promising small-cap growth stocks worth watching in February

Why I think now is the perfect time to build a second income stream from the FTSE 100

The FTSE 100 could hit 8,500 this year. Here’s what I think you should do

Paul Summers has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

[yourepronouncingitwrong]

New rain

It’s a new year, and I can hear the rain fall outside my bedroom window. I love listening to rain, as does everyone else. There’s something very soothing about it - maybe it’s the thought of being tucked away, in a dry, safe space away from it that makes it soothing. Who knows.

I cannot believe it’s already a new year! 2018 was a huge year. I completed the second year of my degree, which was so challenging. It started off quite sad, as my close friend’s father passed away due to cancer. It was a long, sad battle but he was finally able to rest. Standing beside your friend as she mourns her dad is pretty horrific. But she is so strong....and I know that he is forever in her heart. I also enjoyed celebrating my cousin’s 21st in a cool, eclectic bar called “Since I Left You”. I attended my favourite festival in the world, Laneway, with old friends, dancing and listening to Mac de Marco, Amy Shark, Odesza, Anderson Paak & City Calm Down as the sun set over the Sydney skyline. I lost my phone in a moshpit and had it returned, I lost two dogs and found them at the vet, I enjoyed another amazing year with my amazing bible study, and learnt lots about prayer. One of my best friends got engaged to her best friend (how could I forget the facetime phone call? lots of tears and laughter) and I got asked to be a bridesmaid!!! One of my bestfriends moved to Melbourne, which wasn’t the easiest move, and experienced a lot of loneliness and purposeless at times...but now is in a good job, in a new house with two new room mates and is absolutely killing it. We had some really fun nights while she was here. And i had my other best friend going through deep depression and anxiety and a horrible strip search... and she is now moved out of home, with a loving boyfriend, absolutely smashing life. I attended two weddings (Fi & James and Amber & Simon) which i watched my English tutor sing to the love of her life, and watched two of my favourite people dance in a beautiful park over fairy lights. I had one of the most fun nights of my life celebrating my 22nd, at my favourite club, with some of my favourite people.  I also saw amazing bands... Jungle Giants, DMA’s, G-Flip, Cosmo’s Midnight and Gang of Youths, all which I have personal, emotional attachments to many of their songs! I think I was in love for a bit this year too. I felt so happy and at peace with my bestfriend as we held hands in the city after going to a gig together. But I also had my heart broken by the same best friend, realising I wasn’t the first person that came to his head anymore when asked who he loved, but realising that there was another girl, all along...yep that sucked. Completely flipping the finger at him, I stepped completely out of my comfort zone and attended the National Student Leadership Forum in Canberra not knowing a soul. It was pretty crazy to have to create yourself from scratch in front of politicians, musicians, lawyers, fellow uni students, entrepreneurs, etc. And it was probably the highlight of my year. Never have I felt so...vulnerable yet confident in myself. I learnt all about my values and faith as...just me...and Jesus. Outside my church, anyone who knew me, my friendship circle, my school, my family. I made some amazing friends and met incredible people...from Wagga Wagga to Melbourne to Newcastle to Phillippines to Texas. I’ll never forget these amazing people. I volunteered for young mens mental health forums, and lead a beautiful group of 8 year 12 students on the Mitchell Youth Student Forum, where John my co-leader and I and our group WON FIRST PLACE! 284 points...Aussie Gold! I took on more responsibility at work, and with began shadowing a children’s speech therapist. I spent time with my amazing parents who encouraged my constantly throughout the year to just go for it, whether its going to Canberra or booking a trip overseas...my parents mean the world to me, alongside my siblings and their partners who absolutely rock. My brother’s girlfriend who lives with my parents and I feels truly like family now, like a sister. I took my grandfathers out on dates to cafes, where we chatted about life, and the past, and our family. I love them so dearly. And they’re both so funny and cheeky. I led my beautiful year 10 girls through another year of  youth alongside my bestfriend as a co-leader. Boyfriends, mental illnesses, fights, sex, drugs, cough cyrup, parents...I have truly realised that God can bring myself and my friend through anything! And to top it off, I decided to travel Central America with my best friend! Whilst I had to navigate through grieving for one of my youth group girl’s twin brothers... the colours, smells, food, bars, waters, cenotes, caves, jungles, volcanoes, lakes and beaches of Mexico, Belize & Guatemala..I’ll never forget. And I certainly won’t forget nights out in those beautiful countries...full of rum punch, weed, shooting stars, tequila and alize shots, dancing on bartops, ending up in secret bars, smoking and thinking I look cool.... And alongside my bestfriend, we became friends with two Irish guys who feel like family now. I got to share my christmas with my cousin and her boyfriend from the Netherlands which was so special. I came back and had three big nights, at Hillside (the local), in Newtown (at an awesome Tiki Bar where I ended up stealing the “A” out of HAPPY NEW YEAR at the Enmore Theatre....and of course New years Eve at my friend’s house. And was it really a NYE party without drama, laughter, too many vodka shots, rough kisses, card games and hugs with your best friends? And not to mention, many kisses were shared with (too) many boys this year that I’ve lost count, from men from overseas (Willem from Netherlands, man from Toronto...man from Manchester), to complete strangers (random 28 yr old dude from Blacktown, dude who worked at EY...) to school friends (ohh Cameron...and Jono)...to work friends (sorry, Michael)  and failed Instagram follows of Christian boys which I thought would lead to something hahaha.  A huge, incredible, challenging, heartbreaking, beautiful year. Here’s to making 2019 even better. New rain, baby! 

[lindyhunt]

Here’s All the Fashion News You Missed This Week

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My new @youtube channel, ‘Being Naomi’ is now live !! I am SO incredibly grateful and looking forward to finally sharing this project with the world.  It’s amazing that I have the opportunity to tell you my story, show you who I really am, and inform you about the issues that are close to my heart.  I can only hope that by sharing this intimate look into my life and my journey, it will somehow inspire yours. I hope you enjoy #BeingNaomi ♥️ Music by courtesy of @wizkidayo Watch at >> www.youtube.com/Naomi (Link in Bio)

A post shared by Naomi Campbell (@naomi) on Nov 29, 2018 at 8:59am PST

Naomi Campbell is a Vlogger Now

“Am I crazy? I’m opening my life to Youtube,” squawks Naomi Campbell as she clacks together a movie clapperboard at the beginning of her very first Youtube video. It’s a teaser video for Campbell’s new Youtube channel, Being Naomi, which promises to share the wisdom acquired by the 48-year-old supermodel after four decades in the public eye. “This is the day we live in and I want to share the things I’ve learned,” intones the model. Campbell also hopes her videos will serves as inspiration for young African women to follow their dreams. The model and cultural icon, who most recently appeared on the runway at Jeremy Scott’s H&M x Moschino show, is the first supermodel to launch her own video content creation channel. She plans to release a video on December 13th titled “My Journey” and a New Year’s message on January 3rd. If the rest of her career is any indication, we predict her Youtube channel will be stratospherically successful. (WWD)

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We'll take our breakfast in bed. Please. . 📷: @_shireenlam #LiveInLevis

A post shared by Levi's (@levis) on Oct 14, 2018 at 11:01am PDT

Levi’s is Suing YSL over Trademark Infringement

The New York Times once described Levi Strauss & Co as “the most litigious [company] in the apparel business” and the denim juggernaut isn’t backing away from that reputation any time soon. Levi’s began sewing fabric tabs onto the back pocket of their jeans as early as 1936 and trademarked the detail in 1949. Since then, they have sued brands such as Diesel, The Limited, Guess, Benetton, Forever 21, Dolce & Gabbana and more. YSL is the latest target of the brand’s combative legal behaviour. The brand alleges that back pocket tabs on YSL jeans were created “with the intent to cause confusion, mistake or deception,” according to court documents. Fashion lawyer Douglas Hand suggests that Levi’s lawsuits are an important way to police the misuse of a trademark to help ensure the integrity of the brand. The court documents paid a slightly more petty picture: “Unless YSL is restrained by this court, it will continue and/or expand its illegal activities and otherwise continue to cause great and irreparable damage and injury to LS&Co.” (WWD)

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Announcing our upcoming Viktor&Rolf x Aubade Capsule Collection. Available in June 2019 <3 VR 📸 by @vivianesassenstudio #ViktorandRolfxAubade

A post shared by Viktor&Rolf (@viktorandrolf) on Nov 29, 2018 at 7:25am PST

Viktor & Rolf are Designing a Lingerie Line

Quirky Dutch couture designers Viktor & Rolf have teamed up with French lingerie label Aubade for a capsule collection that will roll out in June 2019. Aubade is known for the artisanal construction of delicate separates, and the line will feature Viktor & Rolf’s unabashedly feminine theatrical flourishes, most notably their signature bow motif. The designers have not forayed into lingerie in 12 years, since the label designed a diffusion collection for H&M in 2006. “Couture is like a laboratory for ideas and experimentation,” designer Viktor Horsting told WWD. “There are a lot more restrictions when designing lingerie. But we actually really liked it, perhaps because we are so used to expressing ourselves freely with couture.” (WWD)

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2019 will be a year of awakening for the fashion industry, one that will go down in history, finds The State of Fashion 2019, a new report co-published by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company today. Greater China will for the first time in centuries overtake the US as the world’s largest fashion market, while external shocks to the system continue to lurk around the corner. Industry growth is therefore expected to slow to 3.5 to 4.5 percent, slightly below 2018 figures. The State of Fashion 2019 also reveals the 'super winners:' 20 publicly-listed fashion companies that are dominating the industry in terms of value creation. Furthermore, the report outlines the top 10 industry trends that will shape fashion in 2019, from underlying consumer shifts to fundamental changes in the fashion system. Download the in-depth report now. [Link in bio] #fashion #stateoffashion #BoFVOICES 🎨 Cover illustration by @andreas.samuelsson

A post shared by The Business of Fashion (@bof) on Nov 28, 2018 at 9:57pm PST

2019 Will Be a Year of ‘Urgent Awakening’ for the Fashion Industry

The Business of Fashion released their State of Fashion report for 2019 this week, which contains many fascinating insights for industry insiders. The report predicts that the ever-widening gap between luxury and downmarket retailers will continue to increase, leaving little room for retailers who produce clothing at a mid-range price point. “Looking at segments, only value and luxury will perform very well in 2019, growing by 5.0 to 6.0 and to 5.5 percent,” says Achim Berg, a senior partner and expert on the fashion and luxury industry at McKinsey & Company. As a result, the permanent ownership of clothing will decline, as more people turn to reselling clothing via consignment or simply renting their clothes.  Greater China will also overtake the US as the world’s largest fashion market and companies will need to pay more attention to India’s growing middle class. (Business of Fashion)