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itsstickball · 6 years ago

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Rivalry pt.2

(pt.1, pt.3)

Things progressed normally through the regular season and Neil soon found himself breathless staring up at a scoreboard that meant the Furies were going to the National Cup Championship. A moment was all he had to breathe it in before his entire team was swamping the court and sweeping him up into their raucous celebration.

Later, after press duty, showering and changing, Neil checked his phone. There were the usual messages of congratulations, asks to hang out later, a rare “good job” from Kevin – whose own team had qualified the week prior. He was significantly more surprised, however, by the twitter notification saying that he’d been tagged in a message from @AJminyard. It was mostly odd in that Andrew rarely actually tweeted anything his publicist didn’t mandate, and even rarer in that he actually tagged someone rather than just using their actual name.

Curious, he swiped the app open.

Sure enough, Andrew had attached a brief clip of the Furies’ celebration, mostly centered on Neil being hoisted above their heads as the smallest player, his face nearly split in half with a grin. The article it was attached to was fairly congratulatory, and Neil skimmed it for only a moment. Andrew’s comment however, was far more succinct and far less generous.

-Shame @NJos10 won’t be celebrating like that two weeks from now.-

Two weeks, of course, was when the Furies would play the Miami Marauders. For all that Andrew claimed to hate the game, Neil knew that he’d bring his best that night and had every intention of rising to the challenge. And if he played hard enough to beg off from going out with his teammate afterward, no one would blame him.

-We’ll see. @AJminyard-

He replied, swiping back to his texts with a private smile. The rest of the team was waiting in the lounge as he strolled out, duffle in one hand, phone in the other.

“Aw man, look at that baby face! Neil, when are you gonna buck up and let us meet this secret admirer of yours?”

“My what?”

He looked up from his phone to stare quizzically at Martin.

“You’ve got that sappy look.”

Neil turned to Lovejoy for help, but the older man just nodded his head sagely.

“I’m looking at pictures of Matt’s puppy?”

He explained slowly, showing them the most recent round, in which Boulder is dressed in a different doggy jersey for his, Matt’s, Andrew’s and Kevin’s teams, plus a custom one for Dan’s Class II collegiate team, the Devils.

Both older men let out a sigh, but then dutifully comment on how good the puppy looks wearing their purple and red. Neil texts their responses back to Matt and then closes out of his phone. Nila Jones, their female offensive dealer picks that time to sling an arm around Neil’s shoulder and simultaneously join their conversation and steer them out of the room with the rest of the team.

“Hey y’all, the vote was unanimous, for once in our goddamn lives. So, everyone’s off to Chewy’s to celebrate.”

She looked at their various expressions and the way they’d been huddled around Neil’s phone and continues before any of the men can get a word in edgewise.

“What’s with the pow-wow? Don’t tell me you were trash-talking Minyard without me again. I still owe him for that return ball to the ass.”

This time it was Lovejoy and Martin’s turn to look confused.

“Why would we be trash talking Minyard?”

Nila shared a long-suffering look with Neil, who just shrugged and correctly assumed that she’d explain it for him.

“Uh, because the midget just threw down a gauntlet on twitter?”

“Who did what!?”

Another voice called out, drawn in by Nila’s naturally loud voice and fiery attitude.

“Andrew Minyard’s already talking shit to Josten about the playoff game.”

A third voice chimed in, Henry Beckett already passing his phone around with the exchange pulled up.

“Of course, he is.”

Someone else sighed amongst other mutterings or exclamations as the topic of conversation grew to include the rest of the team. Thankfully, their stomachs were just as big of a deal as their chirping and the group continued to migrate out to their cars. Since they were all going to the same place, it was typical to carpool in smaller groups. Neil was less than surprised when several players packed themselves into his “mom car.” It had plenty of seats and a guaranteed DD. He did smile as the conversation washed pleasantly over him, though. Being the driver also had the excuse of having to pay attention to the road rather than feel obligated to join in.

A few minutes in, however, despite those in the back having long moved on to a different topic, Martin brought Andrew’s tweet back up.

“Seriously though, don’t stress yourself about that Marauders game.”

Neil glanced over at him with bland incredulity written on his face.

“Why would I be worried? I practiced against Andrew for four years.”

One of which he was probably actively trying to keep from killing me. He doesn’t add.

Martin laughed, softly and warmly.

“Maybe you wouldn’t be. I just wanted to remind you that we’ve got your back. And if Minyard tries to start anything, I’ve got 40lbs and ten inches on him.”

Neil seriously doubted that was as much of an advantage as Martin thought it was. Andrew could wipe the floor with him. He nodded anyway.

“I’m fine…but uh, thanks.”

Practices for the next two weeks include a lot of speed and precision drills and even more scrimmages. When they play the Arizona Diamondbacks, the win comes almost too easily – even with Laila Dermott in goal. It’s definitely one of the more brutal games of the season, with everyone on both teams pushing themselves to be the better player, but Neil flies through it with single-minded focus. When they line up to shake hands after the match, Neil is only a little surprised when her grip pulls him into a fierce hug.

“Give him hell next week, Josten.”

To anyone watching or listening, her show of support banked on the rivalry. It wasn’t hard to tell that she’s talking about Andrew. But there was a warmth and amusement in her eyes that told Neil she didn’t believe the hype and it settled him. He returned her grin and tightened his grip on her arm before letting go.

“With pleasure, Dermott.”

St. Louis and Miami were far enough away that there was no question of whether the Furies would be flying or driving. Neil snapped a picture of the runway from his window seat and sent it to Andrew as they waited for the rest of the plane to finish boarding.

-On my way-

It didn’t take long for the goalie to respond with a curt -154%- and Neil found himself smiling at it before he put his phone in airplane mode and pulled up the “TRAVEL” playlist Nicky and the girls had made for him his Junior year. (Directly below that was a playlist labelled “Neil’s pop culture education” and below that one labelled “Junkie” that consisted solely of songs about obsession created by Andrew.) Neil certainly didn’t have the fear of heights that Andrew did, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being stuck in a metal tube hurdling through the air. Luckily it wasn’t that long of a flight and his teammates were just as eager to talk Exy when they got bored as he was, so it wasn’t too bad overall.

When they landed in Miami, Neil was hit with two things; the roar of a crowd and a wave of humidity. Even in early October the heat was suffocating. Neil found it amusing for a moment that Andrew had been willing to put up with it just for the sake of denying Kevin’s campaign to get him to sign to Chicago with him. It was just absurd enough to be perfectly, quintessentially Andrew that Neil found himself smiling. Despite his discomfort, the soft grin remained as the team was shuffled through the crowds by their security team.

Stepping into Miami’s inner court had a similar effect. The Marauders’ maroon and sky-blue color scheme coupled with their pirate mascot lead to a very other-worldly feel to their court. It exhilarated Neil to feel like he was encroaching on the territory of some long-lost pirate king, to know that he’d be facing down Andrew when the doors locked and the buzzer sounded. It bolstered the blood pumping through his veins and the lazy grin that liked to take residence on his face on game-days.

“Now there’s the Neil Josten the world knows!”

Martin crooned, ruffling Neil’s hair and bouncing off of him to swat playfully at the rest of the team before taking up his proper spot in line.

“Ah, yes, the true Fury. Honestly, with someone like Josten around, why do we even have a mascot?”

Nila joked, her own face lit up with a fierce grin.

The Furies were hardly the Foxes, but regardless of their pasts, they banded together over the thrill of dominating on the court, of struggling for every win and fighting tooth-and-nail against every loss. They were a team of passion and adrenaline. Sometimes that meant they made mistakes or pushed themselves or their opponents too hard, but they never regretted it. Neil, never regretted it.

“All right team, listen up!” Their coach called, shouting to be heard over the crowd just outside of the tunnel and the announcer making his way through the Marauders’ line-up.

“You’ve been working hard all week and all season. I know there are some other external factors pushing you to be your best for this game,” His gaze dragged over Neil for just a moment. “and while I’m glad it’s pulled some of your heads out of your asses, don’t let it make you sloppy. This may be a pirate court, but ships burn and flags fall to even the slightest miscalculation. Now let’s show those Marauders who’s boss!”

And with that warning and pep-talk all wrapped up into one, the Furies turned their attention to the court and stepped into the roaring wave of supporters and enemies alike.

Neil had warned his fellow strikers in the practices leading up to the game of Andrew’s unpredictability. “He’ll try to shut me out completely, but there’s no telling if he’ll put the effort in against anyone else.” He half-explained. “We need to put as many points on the board as possible before that happens.”

The Marauders liked using Andrew as a last line of defense, throwing him on in the second half. Even a bored Andrew had the potential to make better saves than any other goalie, plus it gave him time to watch how the other team’s strikers played. Thankfully, the Furies typically played Neil at the start and end of the games. Unlike the Foxes, they had more than enough people to switch people out in a quarterly fashion rather than waiting until a substitute was actually necessary. It allowed him to play hard and start the team off on the right foot and then rest before giving it his all to clinch a win, or at least drag the score closer to even. This meant that Neil and Andrew didn’t share the court until part-way through the second half.

He heard the crowd roaring, a chorus of cheers and boos, as he stepped into the court and clacked sticks with the striker he was replacing. However, he only had eyes for Andrew. The goalie had been casually resetting from the goal his strikers had just scored, but his stance shifted when he caught Neil’s gaze. Though it was nearly impossible to see from halfway across the court, Neil grinned. What was clearly visible, however, was the mocking two-finger salute he gave Andrew before taking his starting spot on the half-line. For the first time all game, when the buzzer sounded Minyard looked tensed to protect his goal.

The Furies’ plan to rack up as many points as possible before Neil and Andrew faced off went about as well as possible considering that they still had the whole rest of the team of professional players to deal with in that time. Andrew didn’t put up much of a fight against Neil’s fellow strikers, but he didn’t just stand there disinterested either. They had a two-point lead when Neil came on and he would be damned if he let that slip.

The Marauder’s backline, newly replenished, had apparently made it their goal to keep Neil from even getting near the goal. Their efforts would have been admirable if their rivalry had any actual substance to it, but even just the fact that Neil knew their persistence and borderline fouls bothered Andrew more than it bothered him gave him extra strength to push through. In the end, their efforts were futile. He was too quick, too resigned to the possibility of injury and too determined to make his shots to be stopped by something as mundane as solidarity.

Andrew, it seemed, didn’t appreciate this either.

The first shot Neil took on him, ricocheted all the way to the far court wall.

Even inside their plexiglass box, the scream of the crowd at that power move and Andrew’s return salute was deafening. Neil bared his teeth and kept going.

His second, third and fourth attempts were similarly thwarted, though the last time, Andrew had the audacity to slam it back at him fact and hard enough that Neil stumbled back several steps in order to retain possession long enough to pass it back to his dealer. It was a warning and a challenge all in one. Neil couldn’t out-power Andrew like he had the backliners, not when Andrew knew him so well. He had to play smarter.

A thrill ran through him, even as the Furies lost possession and their goal lit up red. By the time they’d moved into position to restart play, Neil had already planned out his next goal, the possibilities stretching out before him like a hundred different threads of light – all leading to the wall behind Andrew’s back. He turned to look at his fellow striker, inclining his head once he had Beckett’s attention. The man grinned back and let out a whoop as the buzzer sounded.

Neil, who typically sprinted at the start of play, hesitated for just a moment. Nila had possession of the ball to start the game and Beckett was the obvious choice to pass to given their positions. She didn’t waste time throwing a quizzical look in Neil’s direction, but everyone knew his main strength was his speed. Likewise, he kept his focus on the backliner charging towards him and counted to three in his head before finally taking off. For a moment, it looked like he would hit the man head-on, but then he swerved, changing his course so that he was on the opposite side of the course. Beckett passed him the ball high off of the wall and then juked out of the way of his own backliner’s attempt to check him. Neil knew they only had a few moments to plan his best route before both of the backliners would converge on him.

He wasn’t in the ideal position and ten steps wouldn’t be enough to get there, so he shot the ball back to Beckett, diverting the woman who was supposed to be Neil’s mark to guard him. Their brief encounter provided him with the time he needed to get around his own new mark. He whistled and kept moving towards the back wall, picking up speed so that his backliner had to sprint to keep up. Finally, Beckett found the opening and shot the ball back to him with impressive accuracy.

When it found its way into Neil’s waiting net, the backliner was almost upon him, but it was too late. The back wall loomed up in front of him and Andrew had shifted to place himself between Neil and the goal. It was possible that he’d pass it back to Beckett or Nila, but both were tied up with their own defensemen and Andrew could smell a shot like a shark drawn to blood. Four steps and he’d be even with Andrew, six and he’d hit the wall. His backliner breathed down his neck, ready to turn that six into three. Instead of dodging, however, Neil pushed himself harder and launched himself at the wall just before his mark could shove him into it. His right foot propelled him off of the ground and his left reversed his momentum from the wall back toward the court. He twisted his torso and passed to himself off of the wall, catching it just after clearing his backliner’s hunched form.

The first step stumbled.

The second secured.

The third pivoted.

The fourth provided enough torque for a backhand shot right into the unprotected center of Andrew’s goal.

Neil didn’t know what was more deafening, the utter silence from the players and crowd as the goal lit up red, or the roar of disbelief as the buzzer sounded half a second too late and everyone went wild.

He did know, however, that the momentum from his trick shot him forward so that he tumbled head over heels to lay flat on his back in the mayhem. He grinned up at the ceiling as everyone around him freaked out. Intellectually, he knew he should get up before that freak-out turned from excitement to dread at a possible injury, but for now he was content to lay there and absorb the moment.

Beckett reached him first.

“You know,” He said, towering over him like a friendly shadow giant against the bright lights of the stadium. “I thought you were absolutely nuts when you first started adding all of those jumps and gymnastics to your circuit. But if that’s what comes out of it, then damn, sign me up.”

Neil’s grin widened and he accepted Beckett’s hand up. Once his pads were straightened out, he turned back towards the goal.

Andrew stood there like a statue, immoveable, immutable, invincible. Except Neil had just scored on him. The goalie wore his disdain plainly on his face and Neil knew, short of another crazy stunt or miracle, it was the last goal their team would make that night. But it was worth it. Worth it for the thrill, the point, the so-called rivalry. It was worth it for the way Andrew stood on an Exy court and felt – even if his feelings had more to do with his annoyance for Neil than the actual game.

This time, when Neil smiled, it was small and private. And even though there was no way for Andrew to see it, he huffed and called out after him in Russian.

“Idiot.”

“How much money do you think I just won Allison?”

Neil replied cheekily.

The rest of the players froze for a moment, given that Andrew very rarely said anything to anyone on the court – especially not to the other team, but when Neil walked calmly away, they followed suit.

True to his prediction, Andrew locked down the goal for the rest of the game, regardless of who was shooting at him. Despite this, Neil put his best effort in. He used the time more to irritate Andrew with trick shots that made him work for it or aiming at the top of the goalie’s helmet or his left foot. He’d probably pay for it later on, but it was worth it for the fire he saw in Andrew’s eyes each time.

The Furies won 7-6.

No matter how they tried to play things, the Furies knew there was no escaping Neil doing press duty for the game. It was too exciting of a game and his reported rivalry with Andrew was too high-profile for anyone in the room to let it go. So rather than waste other players’ time fielding questions that weren’t actually for them, Coach threw Neil out after their showers alongside the team’s captain with a strict warning not to start anything.

He knew how futile it would have been to demand he remain completely civil.

“Raymond! That was one hell of a game. How do you feel about the Furies’ chance for the National Cup this year?”

Neil’s captain grinned.

“Honestly, Julia, I think the team really showed themselves tonight. We were up against a tough opponent on their home court, but still managed to come out on top. We couldn’t have done that without relying on each other and staying sharp. I think tonight’s game is a good indicator of the season the Furies are looking forward to.”

Predictably, the actual Exy questions ran out long before their time with the press did. Neil wanted to look at his watch to gauge how long they’d managed to stay on topic, but he kept his attention on the reporter as they inevitably brought up Andrew.

“Neil, how did tonight’s game feel for you? That was one hell of a goal in the second half, but it had to have been frustrating to be shut out the rest of the game.”

“We came into this game expecting a hard fight. If the goalie wanted to add a little personal challenge to it, then that’s his prerogative. It wasn’t a perfect game, but the way I see it, we won. I’m more than happy with the results.”

“Speaking of personal challenge, both you and Minyard have been incredibly vague about this growing rivalry, but after tonight, it doesn’t seem like it’s likely to die down anytime soon.”

“Is there a question in there?”

The Furies’ captain admonished. The reporter inclined their head and rephrased their point, still directing it at Neil.

“If you could, perhaps, shed a little light on how, exactly this rivalry came to be or why you both seem intent on letting it continue?”

Neil shrugged.

“Andrew hates me. Always has. As for me, well, I guess my survival instincts aren’t as good as they used to be.”

He grinned sharply into the camera, too smug to resemble his father.

“Now, are there any more questions actually relevant to tonight’s game? I did just spend two hours running around and the hotel we’re staying at has a Jacuzzi.”

Beside him, his captain muttered a quiet “thank god” when no one responded and he was able to wrap things up with a quick goodbye before herding Neil as far away from the microphones as possible. Neil found it funny that he thought they’d gotten off lightly.

While he hadn’t lied about being tired, or the hotel room having a nice tub, Neil did not return to it when he begged off celebrating with the team early on. Instead, he typed a familiar address into his GPS and drove 20 minutes to a more suburban area, pulling his crossover into the open garage of a nondescript grey house. Beside it, long cooled, resided a black Maserati.

“Took your time.”

Said the figure lurking in the doorway into the house, clad completely in black. Neil looked up from the car to meet Andrew’s hazel eyes. He shrugged.

“Some of us actually make an effort to bond with our team.”

“Well if you’d rather do that, then don’t let me get in your way.”

Andrew’s comment was snide, but his tone level. Still, Neil rolled his eyes and walked around his car to the steps in front of Andrew.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Pity.”

Andrew replied, acknowledging his current height advantage only with a sweep of his eyes. After a moment, he pushed off of the door jamb and turned to go back inside.

“I’m not kissing you in the garage.”

He called back, leaving Neil to shut the outer door and follow him hastily inside.

“You were great tonight, you know.” He yelled in after the blonde. The thud of the freezer door told him Andrew was in the kitchen.

“I’m certainly not touching you if you’re going to talk about Exy the whole time.”

Neil grinned, watching shamelessly as Andrew stood from returning his ice-cream to the freezer. He waited until he had the blonde’s full attention before he stepped up into his space, his eyes glittering with playful question.

“Then why don’t you shut me up?”

Andrew rolled his eyes, but the kiss he pulled Neil into betrayed him and Neil sank into it.

#aftg #tfc #neil josten #Andrew MinyarD #andriel #the rivalry #a whole slew of oc professional exy players bc neil deserves good things and supportive people in his life #in which I try to write #idk if there will be more in this au #this is all i have so far tho #jk #there's a part 3 now

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officialotakudome · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, Tech, and Geek Culture

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/amazon-announces-new-fire-10-tablets/

Amazon Announces New Fire 10 Tablets

Amazon has announced new Fire 10 tablets:

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 27, 2021– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced the next generation of Fire HD 10 tablets—the all-new Fire HD 10 and first Fire HD 10 Plus offer powerful performance, a brighter full HD display, updated design, and features to help customers stay entertained, connected, and productive. Plus, with the Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle, customers can get more done with a detachable keyboard case and a Microsoft 365 Personal subscription. Amazon also introduced an all-new Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for kids ages 3-7, and new Fire Kids Pro tablets built with 6-12 year-olds in mind—learn more here (www.amazon.com/pr).

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About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 27, 2021– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced the all-new Fire Kids Pro tablets for kids ages 6 to 12 and the next generation Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for kids ages 3 to 7. Now, grown-ups can choose a Fire Kids tablet experience that meets the changing needs of kids as they grow, while enjoying flexible parental controls that give adults peace of mind. Amazon also announced a new suite of Fire HD 10 tablets for entertainment and productivity, learn more here.

Fire Kids Pro

The all-new Fire Kids Pro reimagines the tablet experience for kids ages 6 to 12 with features that empower kids to independently explore and expanded, age-appropriate content. Fire Kids Pro is an affordable, kids tablet that includes everything a child needs to get started—a full-featured Fire tablet, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ with an expanded selection of content for older kids, a slim protective case, and a two-year worry-free guarantee. Fire Kids Pro is available in three sizes and four colors and prints. And, any customer with a Fire or Fire Kids tablet can enable the new Fire Kids Pro features on their existing device using the Amazon Parent Dashboard.

The all-new Fire Kids Pro includes:

Expanded Amazon Kids+ content: Fire Kids Pro comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes a large selection of premium entertainment and educational content, now with even more of the content older kids love. Kids can choose from thousands of apps, songs, Audible books, games including Teen Titans Go and Asphalt 8, books like Keeper of the Lost Cities and Chronicles of Narnia, PG and PG-13 videos hand-selected by the Amazon Kids team, plus educational content from National Geographic, Rabbids Coding, LEGO, and more.

Digital store: In addition to Kids+ content, Kids Pro tablets include access to a digital store so kids can request apps like Disney+, Spotify, Minecraft, Zoom, and more. Kids can request apps, and parents approve purchases and downloads. The digital store includes a selection of apps designed for children, and parents can choose to allow expanded access to additional apps. Mature and adult content is always excluded.

Web browser: The Amazon Kids web browser now includes a setting that gives kids open but filtered access to the web for school projects and online curriculum. Built-in controls are designed to help filter out inappropriate sites. Parents can also allow and block specific sites.

Voice and video calling: Kids can make and receive voice and video calls over Wi-Fi with parent-approved contacts who have a Fire Kids tablet, Echo device or the Alexa app, letting them easily chat with friends to collaborate on homework or stay in touch with family. Kids can also make announcements like “I’m done with my homework” from the tablet to Alexa-enabled devices at home.

Music: A music row that includes stations from iHeartRadio Family makes kid-friendly music more easily accessible. Kids can choose from an array of curated playlists like Acoustic for Kids and Homework Inspiration, as well as live radio stations.

Flexible parental controls: Amazon Kids free parental controls make it easy for grown-ups to manage their kids’ screen time and digital content. Grown-ups can set daily goals, age filters, time limits for both weekdays and weekends, adjust the web browser experience, turn voice and video calling on or off, approve communications contacts, approve or deny purchases from the digital store, and more.

Grown-up look and feel: The home screen theme looks and feels more like a “grown-up” tablet. A new “For You” tab offers a personalized screen of content for easy discovery of new and recommended content, while the “Home” tab provides easy access to the child’s screen time rules and key features such as voice and video calling, the web browser, and the digital store.

Fun case and color options: Fire Kids Pro comes with a slim case in cool colors and fun prints that protects against drops and bumps. Parents can choose from Sky Blue, Black, Doodle, and Intergalactic. The case includes an adjustable stand that makes virtual learning, game play, and video watching easy and comfortable. All Fire Kids Pro tablets include a two-year worry-free guarantee—if it breaks, return it, and Amazon will replace it for free.

“Parents and kids love our Fire Kids tablets—they continue to be the best-selling kids tablets in the U.S. As kids’ interests expand, they naturally want to do more and need a tablet that grows with them,” said Kurt Beidler, general manager, Amazon Kids & Kids+. “The Fire Kids Pro offers everything parents already love from our Kids tablets with a new experience that gives kids ages 6 to 12 even more of what they want—more content, more freedom to safely explore with new features, and more social connection. And, Amazon Kids offers flexible parental controls that allow parents to tailor their children’s experience based on their family style—giving parents peace of mind as their kids get older.”

“Kids mature at different rates, and it’s up to parents to decide which types of content they’re comfortable with their kids engaging,” said Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. “The way these products are designed gives families the ability to maintain oversight while building a healthy relationship with technology. Establishing this kind of trust will help with creating positive habits for kids as they become more independent online.”

Fire HD 10 Kids

The next-generation Fire HD 10 Kids includes a Fire HD 10 tablet that offers up to 12 hours of battery life and USB-C for easy charging, especially for kids. The brilliant 10.1” HD display coupled with fast performance makes for a great video experience. Fire HD 10 Kids comes with a kid-proof case in Sky Blue, Aquamarine, or Lavender with a kickstand that doubles as a handle; a year of Amazon Kids+; and a two-year worry-free guarantee. It’s the perfect tablet for kids ages 3 to 7.

Amazon Kids+ provides kids unlimited access to over 20,000 books, movies, TV shows, Spanish-language content, Audible books, educational apps, and games—all curated by kids content experts. Amazon Kids free parental controls make it easy for grown-ups to manage their kids’ screen time and digital content. With the “Learn First” feature, grown-ups can block access to games and cartoons until after educational goals are met. These settings can be managed on the child’s device or through the Amazon Parent Dashboard.

Pricing and availability

The all-new Fire Kids Pro tablets start at $99.99 for the Fire 7 Kids Pro, $139.99 for the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, and $199.99 for the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro. Families with an existing Fire Kids tablet can also upgrade to Fire Kids Pro through the Amazon Trade-In program with a 20 percent discount.

The next-generation Fire HD 10 Kids is $199.99. For a limited time, customers can get a 30 percent discount when they buy two Fire HD 10 Kids tablets.

Fire Kids Pro and Fire HD 10 Kids tablets are available for pre-order starting today and will begin shipping on May 26.

Amazon Kids is completely free to parents, and Amazon Kids+ subscriptions start at $2.99 per month for Prime members and $4.99 per month for customers who are not yet Prime members. Customers can use the same Amazon Kids+ subscription across any compatible device to access even more kid-friendly content, including Fire tablets, Fire TV, Kindle, Echo, iOS, Chromebook, or Android devices.

About Amazon

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paulbenedictblog · 5 years ago

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%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Usa today This video ‘could inspire violence’

Usa today

Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY Published 5: 52 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2019 | Up up to now 7: 46 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2019

Ashley Shaffer writes The Short Checklist e-newsletter for USA TODAY. To subscribe to this snappily news roundup, click on right here.

A violent parody video is circulating online. "Fortnite" disappeared steady into a dark hole. And Panera Bread does indeed freeze its mac and cheese. Here is the news it be valuable to know right now time.

Nonetheless first, why compose pirates keep on peep patches? It’s entirely reasonable to purchase they wore patches to conceal up misplaced or wounded eyes, nonetheless the right cause is plenty darker. Yarr welcome.

Usa today A doctored video of Trump taking pictures critics is deeply anxious

A faux, violent video that depicts President Donald Trump killing journalists and a preference of his critics used to be performed at a pro-Trump match at his Miami resort closing week, based fully mostly on a file in The Contemporary York Instances. The White Dwelling says the president hasn't considered the video, nonetheless he does condemn the contents being reported. The faux video is engaging to see. In an edited scene from the movie "Kingsman: The Secret Provider," Trump enters a "Church of False Recordsdata" and opens fire on participants of the congregation, taking pictures, stabbing and surroundings fire to completely different news organizations' trademarks and political opponents, along side Kathy Griffin, Hillary Clinton and the slack Sen. John McCain.

Meghan McCain slammed a response from Stephen Miller on Monday after the senior Trump adviser argued the video used to be "free speech" as a replacement of a call to incite violence. "Indubitably one of the most other folks on this video is my dad," she acknowledged. "This could well additionally encourage violence in direction of REAL other folks."

Usa today 'No justification': Family of Atatiana Jefferson demands justice

A Citadel Worth police officer who fatally shot a dark lady in her house while she performed video video games with her 8-year-frail nephew resigned from the force and could well additionally face prison costs, the meantime police chief acknowledged Monday. Atatiana "Tay" Jefferson, 28, used to be shot in her house Saturday by Aaron Dean, a white police officer responding to a call from a neighbor who used to be troubled because her doors had been initiate. On Monday, Jefferson's family demanded an goal investigation of the tragedy and prosecution of the shooter. Ashley Carr acknowledged her sister used to be killed by a "reckless" act. "There's merely no justification for his actions," she acknowledged.

Who used to be Atatiana 'Tay' Jefferson? Citadel Worth lady killed by cop represented 'honor, integrity.'

Usa today What each person’s talking about

You truly can not compose any better than Simone Biles. You merely can not.

Fox Recordsdata alum Carl Cameron is scared Shepard Smith's exit could well additionally turn the channel into "propaganda."

Howard Sternremarried valuable other Beth Stern on "Ellen."

Prince William and Duchess Kate are in Pakistan for his or her "most advanced tour" ever.

A Florida dogs went missing. Twelve years later, she reunited with her proprietor.

Ronan Farrow says NBC’s alleged conceal-up of sexual misconduct is "bigger" than Matt Lauer.

Usa today Call your 'Fortnite'-obsessed traffic and be determined they are OK

Avid “Fortnite” gamers spherical the field noticed sun for the first time in weeks right now time, potentially. Sunday, the hit video sport used to be sucked steady into a digital dark hole, marking the stop of Season 10 and leaving hundreds and hundreds of gamers spherical the field at a loss for words (and, I’d factor in, afraid). Video of “The Finish” presentations what appear like projectiles falling from the sky, adopted by a dark hole sucking up every single section of the game, then going black. The Twitter story for "Fortnite" parts a single tweet: a reside video feed of the dark hole. Presumably essentially the most piquant thing about this match: Or no longer it is no longer precisely sure when "Fortnite" will seemingly be readily accessible again. Each person breathe.

Usa today Precise instant

California plans to forestall "lunch shaming" with a brand unusual invoice that guarantees meals for all students.

Boxer Patrick Day is in "extremely crucial condition" after being knocked out in his USBA title fight.

Uber is laying off 350 extra workers.

"Here is no longer fully about hair": Lawmakers arrangement to stop insurance policies that penalize other folks of coloration for wearing natural hairstyles.

South Korean pop famous person Sulli used to be came for the duration of lifeless in her house at age 25.

Usa today When doing it for the 'gram TikTok goes ghastly

A viral video labeled “exposing Panera” shared to TikTok – a in kind social media app liked by youths – unleashed a fury of criticism about how grand of Panera Bread’s “smooth” food is completely frozen. It's going to additionally bear also worth a lady her job. The clip, which has extra than 6 million views, presentations a Panera Bread employee putting a frozen net of mac and cheese steady into a vat of boiling water and dumping it steady into a bowl. The response to the TikTok video used to be blended: One called Panera "glorified successfully being facility food," while one other acknowledged, "Alright nonetheless it be GOOD successfully being facility food." Once the video went viral, the fashioned poster acknowledged Friday on Twitter that she "misplaced (her) job for this video."

Usa today A ruin from the news

Tight squeeze: Look this big cruise ship cross by technique of a canal with most productive 5 feet of breathing room.

Yahoo data breach settlement: Easy how one can secure as a lot as $358 or free credit ranking monitoring.

These two child-connected costs bear risen essentially the most since 1960.

Here's a compilation of tales from for the duration of the US TODAY Network.

Be taught or Piece this anecdote: https://www.usatoday.com/anecdote/news/2019/10/14/trump-video-fortnite-fort-worth-taking pictures-panera-mondays-news/3972033002/

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ravishankarsivasubramaniam · 5 years ago

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McDonald’s Starts Serving McTech to Survive in the Modern Age

In a fascinating story about food and innovation for Bloomburg Businessweek, Thomas Buckley and Leslie Patton write about how McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has been implementing some revolutionary changes to the fast food chain’s business model. Easterbrook wants, they say, “to reclaim the company’s image as a beacon of innovation, a designation McDonald’s hasn’t enjoyed since roughly the Truman administration.” Despite pushback from some franchise owners, the multibillion dollar company is trying to pull customers back from places like Five Guys and Chipotle by adding Uber Eats, item customization, and hoping to remake stores into data harvesting systems. To show how these programs fit into the company’s history, the authors describe the technological innovations that allowed McDonald’s to expand from a single tiny California burger stand into a titanic brand that feeds 1% of the human population. Even if you don’t eat at McDonald’s, it’s interesting to read about the struggles of a seemingly ever-present global brand that, like Coke and Nestle, has shaped the health of our species, and diluted many countries’ regional identity to a form as dull and predictable as the pink slime that becomes a chicken nugget. Now the challenge is for McDonald’s to rebuild itself into what the authors call “the Amazon of excess sodium.”

Easterbrook’s strategy so far has been vindicated by the numbers. That tailwind is breathing new life into the business. Strong drives 40 miles from his home in Aurora, Ill., every morning to be at his desk by 6 a.m., where he and a handful of other masochistic early risers blast rousing tunes by Journey or Adele on a Bose sound system to get the day going. It’s a routine they began after moving into the new head office, a $250 million building replete with sofa pods in the red and yellow McDonald’s color scheme, an amphitheater, rooftop terraces, and thousands of antique and modern Happy Meal toys locked inside cased glass like priceless museum specimens. Easterbrook opened the office in June of last year in a bid to attract young, tech-forward talent.

In March, McDonald’s acquired artificial intelligence startup Dynamic Yield, headquartered in New York and Tel Aviv, for $300 million—the company’s largest acquisition in 20 years. The burger chain had been testing the machine learning software on drive-thrus at four restaurants in Florida, where screens automatically updated with different items based on the time of day, restaurant traffic, weather, and trending purchases at comparable locations. That technology has been deployed at 8,000 McDonald’s and counting, with plans to be in almost all drive-thrus in the U.S. and Australia by the end of the year, Easterbrook says. The deal signaled an ambition to align the chain with the same predictive algorithms that power impulsive purchasing on Amazon.com or streaming preferences on Netflix. In April, McDonald’s acquired a minority stake in New Zealand-based mobile app vendor Plexure Group Ltd., which helps restaurants engage with diners on their phone with tailored offerings and loyalty programs. The effort falls into the consumer-goods industry’s wider trend toward micromarketing, which has proved effective in driving sales.

In early September, McDonald’s said it was buying Silicon Valley startup Apprente Inc., a developer of voice-recognition technology. The idea is to help speed up lines by eventually having a machine, instead of a person, on the other side of the intercom to relay orders to kitchen staff. The deal for Apprente is McDonald’s third such investment in a technology business in the past six months as the company shakes off a tamer takeover strategy that for decades had focused on buying and selling restaurants from or to operators. McDonald’s is pursuing this new business model even as the latest burger trends steal the buzz from its offerings. Beyond fashionable vegan patties, a new and daunting foe is the fried chicken sandwich at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (a Miami-based chain owned by the same company that controls Burger King), which became a national obsession when it was introduced in the U.S. in August.

Read the story

#Longreads #Food #Ravishankar Sivasubramaniam #Aaron Gilbreath

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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Betches Holiday Gift Guide 2017: The Best Gifts For Everyone In Your Life

It’s the most wonderful time of year again, ho ho hoes, when your mind is filled with beautiful ideas of all the amazing things you can buy yourself, and on occasion, some cool things you can buy for others. If you need some help figuring out what to buy for whom, yeah same, we put our heads together and came up with kind of a perfect list. We have products that are great for all the different people in your life, and if we’re missing someone, idk, that’s just not our problem anymore. Try to get through this list without wanting everything for yourself, k? Here we go.

FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING OUT OF SHAPE BUT NEVER GOES TO THE GYM: BARRY’S BOOTCAMP

Time to get your shit together. We get it, working out or committing to a workout class sounds like a lot. You’ve probably heard of Barry’s Bootcamp, and if you haven’t, you should. It’s not as terrifying as it sounds, so don’t let your friend think you’ve signed them up for 10 classes of hell. It’s actually a really fun place (I’m serious) and an amazing workout that has the Betches stamp of approval. Even the laziest of us enjoy it. It’s basically a one hour HIIT workout that combines treadmills and strength training. If you literally never workout, you can pace yourself and choose your own speeds, but the instructor is so motivating you will actually push yourself, I promise. Best part: The studio is dimly lit, so when you need to take that extra five seconds to catch your breath, no one will notice.

FOR YOUR DAD WHO WANTS TO BE A COOL DAD: TWINKLY

This is his opportunity to become a cool dad forever, because this is the most incredible thing we’ve ever seen. Twinkly has created the world’s first app that controls LED lights with unlimited combinations of colors and patterns that you can choose from your phone. We are shooketh. There is nothing more Instagrammable than this. Rock Center will have nothing on your tree if it has Twinkly lights. Do you celebrate Hanukkah? Get a tree anyway, and make the lights blue and white. Get a tree in July for Independence Day, and make it red, white, and blue. Get a tree for Valentine’s Day, and make the lights black (that just means don’t turn the lights on, but still). We are literally so obsessed and can’t wait for it to provide endless hours of entertainment.

FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO HAS NO FILTER: SHOP BETCHES

If you haven’t perused Shop Betches yet, first of all, you are a moron, but seriously you’re missing out. Not to toot our own horn, but looking through all our shit is like, a really fun time. Here are some ideas for the perfect gift: our shot glass set, our lashes beanie, and our candles. The shot glasses will hands down be the center of attention at any party. The lashes beanie is 100% guaranteed to receive compliments (this has been scientifically tested). The candles are the easiest way to add personality to your room without overspending or trying really hard to figure out what your personality even is. And since we’re so fucking nice, we’re giving you 10% off your order if you use the code GIFTGUIDE2017, valid until 1/1/18. You’re welcome.

FOR YOUR INSOMNIAC FRIEND: SLIP PILLOWCASES

This might help. If you’ve ever dreamed (ha) of sleeping on silk but figured it was a little too fahncy for your lifestyle, think again. Slip makes beautiful, high-quality silk pillowcases at reasonable prices. Plus, it comes in so many colors; it’s hard to choose just one. What’s the benefit of sleeping on silk? It slows aging, doesn’t cause sleep creases on your skin, and won’t give you bed head (aka won’t damage your hair like cotton cases do). And if you love your pillow cold, you won’t have to worry about flipping it over to get to the cold side with these. And besides all those health benefits, please tell me what is more chic than a bed with silk pillowcases. I’ll wait.

FOR YOUR BROTHER WHO IS TERRIFIED OF THE DENTIST: QUIP

He’ll never be nervous about cavities again if you get him a Quip toothbrush. It’s the perfect gift for literally anyone because you know they need it, you know they’ll use it twice a day, and they’re just the chicest toothbrushes you’ll ever find. Quip refreshes the head every three months, plus you can opt in to get toothpaste refills! If you don’t dread running out of toothpaste and milk that tube for all it’s worth, then you’re not as lazy as I think you are. It’s so easy that you can even pre-pay for a year’s subscription, and deliveries will be sent straight to your door. Our whole office uses Quip and is obsessed, so like, trust us—this is a really nice gift.

FOR YOURSELF: VS PINK

There is nothing wrong with treating yourself. If you’re like any other betch in this universe, every morning when you’re going through your underwear drawer, you think to yourself, “K, I really need new bras and underwear.” Naturally, you never actually order any. Now is your time to shine. While you’re at it, check out all the other amazing products Pink has (that you now realize you need) like the Sherpa Boyfriend Quarter Zip, which looks like something I could live in for the rest of the winter. And if you’re one of those psychos who enjoys running, they have super cute fleece lined leggings, so I guess we’ll see how much you like running outside in the cold. And if you just can’t decide what you want, don’t forget you can buy yourself (or a friend) a gift card.

FOR YOUR ROOMMATE WHO KEEPS STEALING YOUR MAKEUP: BOBBI BROWN

What highlighter does she use? Bobbi Brown. Well maybe she doesn’t yet, but now she will, every single day. Never again will you have to passive-aggressively ask if your roommate has been using your makeup, but now, you might want to get Bobbi Brown’s Highlighting Trio for yourself. The colors are Nectar Glow, Pink Gold Glow, and Gold Bronze Glow, and they look amaze on all skin tones. Just ask anyone at Betches HQ, our faces are looking v illuminated these days. Shine bright, shine far.

FOR YOUR BOYFRIEND WHO THINKS HE’S HUGH HEFFNER (RIP): PARACHUTE ROBES

You may think you know Parachute, but you could be wrong. You probably know them because of their amazing bedding that everyone swears by. But here at Betches HQ, we like to be a little more luxurious. Extra, if you will. So we’re going to introduce you to the most amazing robe you will ever meet. It’s made of 100% long-staple Turkish cotton (no idea what that means, we just know it’s soft) and has two pockets. Fucking love pockets. So you could get this for your boyfriend, and you could get this for yourself, or literally anyone because who doesn’t love a fuzzy robe?

FOR YOUR SISTER WHO HAS HER SHIT TOGETHER 100% OF THE TIME: GLAMSQUAD

You can help keep up her appearances by giving her a gift card to Glamsquad. Located in NYC, Miami, LA, and DC, Glamsquad provides hair, makeup, and nail services, anytime, anywhere. Does that mean you could get your hair blown out in your own bathroom? Yup. Fun fact: Glamsquad HQ is located right below Betches HQ in our building, so you know we’ve become friends with them. They’re awesome, and we always feel like Kim K after a service with them. Lucky for you, they’re giving new users $25 off with code BETCHESLOVEGLAM. Valid through 12/30/2017, so get on it.

FOR YOUR SISTER-IN-LAW WHO TRAVELS A LOT FOR WORK: SEVEN DAUGHTERS WINE

Yeah that blows, but she can pack a couple cans of wine for the train ride. Yup, I said cans of wine. Seven Daughters is changing the way we think about drinking wine. It’s not just something you enjoy after a long day when you finally get home, or to the hotel, but you can pack it up and whip it out whenever, wherever. So if she’s on a three hour Amtrak full of coughing, sneezing, and a screaming baby, she can crack open a can of pinot noir and pretend this isn’t her life. Side note, they also make a really cute stocking stuffer. BONUS: You betches can get 20% off your order when you use code BETCHES7D for any order of Seven Daughters product on uncorked.com. You’re so welcome.

FOR YOUR UNCLE WHO SINGLE-HANDEDLY CAUSES YOUR WEIGHT GAIN OVER THE HOLIDAYS: TOVOLO

Stop fucking baking me cookies for the love of ALL THAT IS HOLY. Okay, don’t actually stop, though. We’ve been obsessed with Tovolo for a while now—it’s this chic kitchen and cookware brand that makes the coolest products. Some products you actually need, and some products you just NEEEED, OMG. They make super cute cookie cutters that are dishwasher safe, food safe, and BPA free. The cookies come out of the oven looking very legit, so your Uncle is gonna be pumped about this. Other Betches favorites are the Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker for some highly fancy entertainment and the Skull Ice Molds, because why not? They’re literally us. You honestly can’t go wrong with anything from Tovolo.

FOR YOUR MOM WHO DRINKS A BOTTLE OF RED BEFORE BED: MARTHA STEWART WINE

That’s a lot of wine…for a mom. Betchy. She probably has to make runs to the liquor store as much as she runs to the bathroom, so save her the hassle and sign her up for Martha Stewart’s Wine Club. Have you ever heard of anything more motherly? Idk, I haven’t. Launched in April this year, Martha Stewart Wine Club sends you wines and pairing suggestions every six to eight weeks. Who handpicks the wine? Martha. Who makes the serving, pairing, and entertainment suggestions? Martha. Can you choose your preference of red, white, or both? Yup. And if you’re a psycho and don’t like the wine you receive, they’ll replace it for free. But you’ll love it all because if you can’t trust Martha, who can you trust? And trust us, your mom will love it.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2BxvkgW

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#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

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janerchambers88 · 8 years ago

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11 Most Instagrammable Luxury Rentals You’ve Ever Seen

With Instagram fast approaching 1 billion active users according to a recent study, the photo app has quickly become a source for unending travel inspiration. From pictures of unspoiled tropical beach destinations to videos of bustling city streets (and everything in between!), we are #obsessed.

But now it’s your turn to get behind the camera! We’ve searched the globe and hand-picked 11 of the most luxurious rentals ready to grace your Instagram feed. Whether your idea of paradise is sitting by an infinity pool in Thailand or gazing out over the Los Angeles skyline from around a fire pit, the photogenic vacation homes on our list will not disappoint. They’re sure to kick-start your vacation planning and give you some serious wanderlust (you’ve been warned!). Happy browsing!

Beverly Hills Modern Summit | Beverly Hills, California

Perched at the highest point of Beverly Hills, this open-concept home offers panoramic views of the Los Angeles skyline, surrounding mountains, and Pacific Ocean. Whether you plant yourself by the pool or near the fire pit here, make sure to snap a sunset photo to share. In addition to its stunning setting, visitors will enjoy luxurious amenities such as a home theater, spa-like bathroom, and a swanky outdoor patio. Although a vacation at this place runs $2,500 per night, you can’t put a price tag on amazing.

See all rentals in Beverly Hills

Villa Rak Tawan | Bang Tao Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Look familiar? You may have seen Villa Rak Tawan on our Instagram feed where it’s currently inspiring travelers from around the world. The insanely beautiful villa offers an indulgent escape where luxurious spa treatments and meals prepared by a private chef are the norm. When you’re not lounging by the infinity pool, take in the view of Surin Beach from your bedroom’s private balcony.

See all rentals in Bang Tao Beach

Moonlight Summit Chalet | Big Sky, Montana

For the ultimate mountain getaway, plan a stay at the Moonlight Summit Chalet in Big Sky’s high-end Moonlight Basin community. Inside the home you’ll find exposed timbers, vaulted ceilings, and massive picture windows that face Montana’s jaw-dropping landscape. But that’s not all! Six spacious bedrooms, a family-friendly game room, and several fireplaces make this rental extra inviting. Whether you’re unwinding in the sun-drenched living room or soaking in the hot tub, this place is #vacationgoals.

See all rentals in Big Sky

Villa Emma | Chianni, Tuscanny, Italy

Between the tree-lined garden, saltwater pool, and picture-perfect gazebo, you may be tempted to stay at this Tuscan farmhouse forever. Situated in the Italian countryside, Villa Emma offers seven bedrooms spread out over two spacious floors of living space—plenty of room for you and 14 of your friends! Spend time here lounging under the shade of an olive tree or head to the nearby village to catch a performance at the Theatre of Silence, a famed open-air amphitheater five minutes down the road.

See all rentals in Chianni

Chateau de la Paix | Mosles, Normandy, France

If you think renting an entire castle is out of your budget, think again. When you split the $605 nightly rate between 15 guests, Chateau de la Paix becomes uber-affordable. Amenities here include a game room, heated pool, on-site gym, and more. There’s even the option to splurge on a private chef or daily housekeeping, so you can truly relax during your stay. With eight bedrooms and two additional cottages available to rent on the property, the more, the merrier at Chateau de la Paix!

See all rentals in Mosles

Villa Mia | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Ditch your worries at the door when you arrive at Villa Mia. With four outdoor terraces overlooking the ocean, a heart-shaped hot tub that fits sixteen people, and a large palapa bar, this rental is sure to put you at ease. For the more active travelers in your group, Villa Mia also boasts an on-site squash court and a place to slip kayaks into the water for an adventure at sea.

See all rentals in Puerto Vallarta

Luxury Water Villa | Randheli Island, Maldives

Whether you’re planning your honeymoon or finally checking the Maldives off your bucket list, this luxurious over-the-water villa is the place to stay. Its unique architecture captivates visitors and the surrounding crystal-clear turquoise waters stretch as far as the eye can see. When you’re not admiring the tropical views from bed, take a dip in your private infinity pool. The only caption necessary for your Maldives vacation photos: #nofilter.

See all rentals in the Maldives

Dali Hale Estate | Kilauea, Hawaii

Dali Hale Estate is nestled along the bluffs of Kilauea overlooking Kauai’s spectacular North Shore coastline. In addition to the lush tropical setting, the 6,000 square foot plantation-style home features floor-to-ceiling windows, a gourmet kitchen, and a wraparound lanai perfect for watching the sunset. Dine al fresco under the gazebo; play some tennis; take a bubble bath on the balcony (yes, really!)—the possibilities are endless here!

See all rentals in Kilauea

Tree Villa | Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

Tree Villa offers unobstructed views of some of Camps Bay’s most famous attractions: Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, and Camps Bay Beach. When you’re not taking in the panoramic views, head indoors where the villa’s airy rooms and modern furnishings are equally Insta-worthy. Sink into one of the plush couches near the living room fireplace or cozy around the kitchen island as your group makes dinner. There’s something amazing to discover in every room!

See all rentals in Camps Bay

Villa Venetia | Miami Beach, Florida

Boasting sweeping bay views, this contemporary masterpiece known as Villa Venetia sits along the water’s edge in Miami Beach. Here, luxurious indoor spaces blend seamlessly with outdoor living areas, and modern amenities make for a once-in-a-lifetime stay. Need a break from lounging on the rooftop terrace or swimming in the pool? Catch a boat from your private dock and head to nearby beaches.

See all rentals in Miami Beach

Villa Crystal | Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece

We bet you’ll rack up the likes on photos of this astounding Grecian villa! It’s located in a quiet corner of Santorini and features several floors of immaculate living space. Walk through the home and you’ll see colorful paintings and elegant furnishings that bring the whitewashed walls to life, while arched ceilings will draw your eyes upward. As you reach the back of the villa, have your camera ready—the volcano views and sparkling sea will take your breath away.

See all rentals in Akrotiri

The post 11 Most Instagrammable Luxury Rentals You’ve Ever Seen appeared first on The FlipKey Blog.

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mrrolandtfranco · 8 years ago

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11 Most Instagrammable Luxury Rentals You’ve Ever Seen

Beverly Hills Modern Summit | Beverly Hills, California

See all rentals in Beverly Hills

Villa Rak Tawan | Bang Tao Beach, Phuket, Thailand

See all rentals in Bang Tao Beach

Moonlight Summit Chalet | Big Sky, Montana

See all rentals in Big Sky

Villa Emma | Chianni, Tuscanny, Italy

See all rentals in Chianni

Chateau de la Paix | Mosles, Normandy, France

See all rentals in Mosles

Villa Mia | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

See all rentals in Puerto Vallarta

Luxury Water Villa | Randheli Island, Maldives

See all rentals in the Maldives

Dali Hale Estate | Kilauea, Hawaii

See all rentals in Kilauea

Tree Villa | Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

See all rentals in Camps Bay

Villa Venetia | Miami Beach, Florida

See all rentals in Miami Beach

Villa Crystal | Akrotiri, Santorini, Greece

See all rentals in Akrotiri

The post 11 Most Instagrammable Luxury Rentals You’ve Ever Seen appeared first on The FlipKey Blog.

from The FlipKey Blog http://ift.tt/2raJJeq

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touristguidebuzz · 8 years ago

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Opinion: Virgin and Richard Branson Have a Problem With Women Nobody Talks About

Richard Branson with a companion in a promotional image for Virgin Voyages. Virgin Voyages

Skift Take: We are fans of Virgin products and we think that the brand's founder does good work. But we'd also like to see a workplace relatively free of the type of sexist images it promotes at launch events and anywhere else the founder shows up.

— Jason Clampet

Last year at a conference in Los Angeles, women in black bathing suits and red overcoats mingled with a group of guests that was decidedly much, much older and much, much more male.

It wasn’t an auto show, or a consumer electronics show, or even a sci-fi fan gathering, where behavior like that is the norm. It was the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) for 2016, the annual gathering of hotel brand executives and the investors who finance the properties the brands flag with their names. And the young women parading around were there to promote Virgin Hotels, Richard Branson’s extension into hospitality in the United States. So far it has one open property in Chicago and hotels under construction in Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas, Texas; and next to Skift headquarters in New York City.

Virgin Hotels has been promoted to the public as a female-friendly brand, with apps and snacks geared toward a female clientele. But around the money men and brand leaders, the females they are friendly to are there as hired help, and their clothing is slim.

This obsession with barely dressed, young women is a factor whether Branson is promoting Virgin Voyages, Virgin Hotels, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, or even Virgin Galactic. It extends beyond the Virgin travel brands to anything Branson licenses with the brand name.

The cruise line Virgin Voyages made an announcement last week about its new vessel, and a teaser tweet from the brand continued the tradition:

STOP THE PRESSES! Virgin Voyages has some news to share! Watch our FACEBOOK LIVE Wednesday 22 March 2PM EST #makeshiphappen http://pic.twitter.com/0w5hYVftz1

— Virgin Voyages ⚓️ (@virginvoyages) March 20, 2017

At the event on Thursday, young women with plunging necklines were joined by young men in sailor outfits.

We get it: He likes young, attractive women dressed in a provocative way. Sex sells, and he wants to sell a certain kind of sex appeal that promises a carefree experience.

But while consumer profiles and services for his brands may promote a gender-neutral world, when it comes to announcing or promoting a product, the clothes come off, the age goes down, and the talk makes even Hugh Hefner and Austin Powers cringe.

The British press may like it, but why does everyone else need to sit idly by?

Seriously, how and many men or women above the age of 12 thought this April Fool’s Day Twitter Joke from last year was funny?

We put our best assets front and center. See it all revealed: http://bit.ly/2nq8txF #DeepVX http://pic.twitter.com/OGaNZlnqzj

— Virgin America (@VirginAmerica) March 31, 2016

The Contradiction

Richard Branson is a very nice guy when it comes to talking about an equal workplace. The Virgin brand blog has an entire section devoted to women in business. And we know that he has done much to encourage female entrepreneurs — people like Sarah Blakely, the youngest female self-made billionaire in the U.S., regularly credit him as a mentor — to achieve and build their businesses.

When we asked the brand for comment about this story last week we didn’t receive an official statement, but it did respond (in a way) with a new blog post two business days later about the woman leading the brand.

So why is he stuck in a yeah baby! version of promotions? We don’t know. It could be because building a brand beyond simple sex appeal is harder than having a few women in skimpy clothing show up at events in major markets. One could argue that there’s a reason why unsexy Alaska Air had a better route map than very sexy Virgin America did.

It’s not a one off. Whether it’s a Virgin Atlantic event two years ago where Branson asked the assembled press “Who joined the mile high club on the way here?” or the Virgin Hotels event where he packed a float full of women meant to appeal to sexual aesthetics rather than a consideration of their leadership skills, Branson and his Virgin brand appeal to the least common denominator in a way that is in stark contrast to everything else it does. And every time he posts a tweet about leadership and women we can’t help but think about the time in Miami he handcuffed super model Karolina Kurkova in a boat and then carried her out of a pool while a clearly uncomfortable press corps looked on.

Branson tries to appeal to what he thinks is youthful and sexy, but it’s always old and dated. He’s the carefree uncle who says an off-color joke while everyone else quietly cringes.

So Richard, this is your intervention. Find a new prop for your big events that is not a scantily clad woman. More people are cringing than clapping at your events, and there’s an easy way to fix it. You’ve already proved that you’re so much better than this.

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littlepo2-blog · 8 years ago

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Film Proposal

My film proposal was to create a documentary highlighting my 2017 Spring Break experiences. The equipment I would use was my iPhone camera, predominantly through the camera app but SnapChat was also acceptable. The film, or documentary, rather, would be edited through iMovie, and uploaded to Vimeo then Tumblr.

Initially, my film was supposed to highlight the exciting parts of my Spring Break, a cameo that one could still have fun without being in Miami or Cancun. Yet, I found myself without much footage of the “exciting” bits of my life. Rather, when I was waiting in line or bored on the subway, I started recording little moments around me. In contrast, my film has become about the “little moments”, the fluff in-between, me watching kids play outdoors.

Large portions of my film were recorded at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden in Washington DC. I saw a special exhibit, one which I waited an obnoxious amount of time in line for, by the artist Yayoi Kusama. The exhibit was titled “Infinity Mirrors” and featured Kusama’s famous infinity rooms, sculptures, photographs, and the “Obliteration Room” which was a white room filled with colorful stickers. Some of the pieces displayed in my film include, “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins”, “Dots Obsession”, and “The Souls of a Million Light Years Away.”

After I saw the exhibit, I toured the rest of the museum. One of my favorites was by Hamish Fulton.

Andrew Evans, writer for National Geographic, writes the following about this piece.

The painting is an intense wall of black and in the middle, a saucer-sized white moon, underneath which is spelled out the place (Kent, England), the date (30 September 1985), and the inscription, “All the paces between moonrise and moonset.”

I will leave the deep analysis to the art critics, but from my world, I can’t help but see this particular piece as a giant, 1980’s version of Twitter—a short message and image describing a prolonged experience, sent out to the world for reflection and consideration. I also see it as a giant, wall-sized postcard from Hamish Fulton, saying (in a way): “Wishing you were here.”

I kept going back to this piece in my head but it was never meant to be part of the film. Only until I was putting the film together I came across the picture of the piece in my camera roll and decided to incorporate it. I created my own graphic, inspired by Fulton’s, and split my film by “paces” or geography. Initially the film was in chronological order but I split it between scenes taken in DC and those in New York. The film indicates when this transition takes place.

When making the film, I decided that I would create a 3 minute film with 15 second clips. However, when I sat down to put the film together I noticed that some of my shots were under, and some were slightly over at 20 or so seconds. In total, I kept the film at 3 minutes. For effect, I tried to play with both added music to the film and the audio from real life (I can be heard coughing or laughing). I also troubled with my video-tapping techniques. Looking back at my footage I wish I had shot better and not have moved so quickly between shots as to not make the viewer dizzy or disoriented. There was also an uneven amount of footage I had at each location -- there were more from DC than NY. Overall, the film proved to be a challenge because it was tough to spice up some mundane activities (ie walking and waiting in the cold) and some more vivid scenes of people in action. I suppose this was my attempt to make a stone “stoney.”

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attendantdesign-blog · 8 years ago

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New Post has been published on Attendantdesign

New Post has been published on http://attendantdesign.com/how-to-survive-the-longest-flight-in-the-world/

How to Survive the Longest Flight in the World

Earlier this month, Qatar Airways took the prize for longest Flight path while in the World, it debuted its 17-hour, 30-minute flight to Auckland and Doha.

Now not to be outdone, Qantas has announced plans to begin flying a 9,000-mile nonstop between Perth and London in 2018, and Singapore is eyeing a relaunch of its nonstop Newark-Singapore path if you want to take just under 19 hours. (Sure, you read that efficaciously.)

Whether or not you’re on this kind of crazy-long-hauls or really dreading your subsequent ride halfway around the arena, we’re here to assist. From reserving to boarding and deplaning, right here are coping techniques from frequent travelers who rack up hundreds of hundreds of miles every yr.

Aircraft kind matters: “The Boeing 777 is a stunning Aircraft,” stated Brian Kelly, founding father of the famous travel blog The Factors Man, who logs about 1 / 4-million miles each year, “however the Airbus A380 is considerably quieter in the cabin, and the experience is so easy you barely experience it.” Routes with frequent service are frequently flown on a couple of varieties of aircraft, so test before booking.

So does newness: Present day-technology aircraft have made big upgrades with cabin humidity, noise degrees, pressurization, and lighting fixtures. As an instance, Kelly mentioned, “The air on the Airbus A350 is recycled each 3 mins so it’s No longer that stale, disgusting Aircraft air we’re all familiar with.” The models to search for right now: the A350 and Boeing 787.

Double-test seating configurations: Keep away from waking up your dozing neighbor (or getting woken up yourself) by way of booking all-aisle-seat premium cabins. Configurations can range within a fleet—For example, Qatar Airlines’ 777s don’t have all-aisle commercial enterprise-elegance seats, but its 787s, A350s, and A380s do—so take a look at the cabin maps earlier than you make a decision, both direct with the airline or with services like SeatGuru.

Purple-eyes are not always first-rate: Pick midnight flights best in case you think you’ll sleep well. “I’ll usually Pick out a nighttime flight when I have a lie-flat mattress,” stated Ben Schlappig, who runs the loyalty program blog One Mile at a Time. “In any other case, I will shoot for a daylight flight. It is less miserable to be uncomfortable while I am No longer painfully tired as nicely.”

White noise tolerance: The seats nearest the engines are going to be the loudest, so sit down a long way far from them for a quiet flight.

Bulkhead before going out row: Why? go out-row seats will have less padding, said Kelly, which (to a few) may be a bigger inconvenience than sitting near galleys or bathrooms.

Rethink the lower back row: Seeing seat 84A in your boarding pass isn’t as horrific as it appears. Consistent with Schlappig, you’re most probable to get an empty seat subsequent to you by way of “choosing a seat toward the very back of the cabin, in a row with as a minimum 3 seats.”

Do your homework: Consult sites like SeatGuru and Routehappy to influence clean of dud seats. “I’m obsessive approximately using seat maps to ensure I get the Modern-day interiors, attempt the most recent seats, and am sitting as ways from the lavatories and galleys as viable,” explained Mike Lundberg, a senior counsel with Miami-based totally Global services Gas Corp., who frequently flies 13-hour-plus flights for paintings.

Dress for comfort, No longer looks: All our specialists agreed on this point. Lundberg focuses on layers, “seeing that no airline, airport or Uber driver has ever managed to maintain a steady temperature.” Schlappig will wear sweats when flying internationally, even in first and enterprise elegance—sideways glances are damned. A minimum of, in case you are given the pride of airline pajamas, use ’em.

Exercise earlier than flying: Healthy in a preflight Workout to counteract the outcomes of being sedentary. Your exercising high gets you thru TSA, and it’ll fade in time for smooth in-flight snoozing.

Hack your legroom: Even if you’re Now not 6-foot-7 like Brian Kelly, you must make each half-inch of legroom be counted. “Every now and then the seat-back pockets are complete of magazines that take up space,” he stated. His restoration: Use them as a foot relaxation for the better move.

Reset your intellectual clock: Get beforehand of jet lag through converting your watch or telephone in your destination’s time sector as soon as feasible. (Then observe those other tips to beat jet lag.)

Take control of your environment: do not like that stale Plane smell? Spray your favourite fragrance, aromatherapeutic or No longer, on a scarf or blanket. Kelly swears via his noise-canceling Bose QC35 headphones; right here are some others. Leila Janah, chief govt officer of natural skin-care enterprise LXMI, places on earplugs as quickly as she forums her normal daylong flights from San Francisco to Uganda, in which she sources components. The extra you are in control, the higher you’ll experience.

Do devour: Despite the fact that plane meals may be saturated with sodium, you shouldn’t starve yourself. Plus, says Schlappig, Plane food are a pleasing manner to skip the time. (some airways with sturdy culinary cred: Turkish, Emirates, Singapore, and Air France.)

don’t awaken for breakfast: “aircraft breakfasts are almost always disappointing. In place of waking up an extra ninety minutes before you land, bypass it and get the more relaxation instead,” advised Kelly.

Do speed matters up: Jonah pointed out that many airways provide top class passengers a lighter, brief-carrier meal (like a salad or sandwich) at the beginning of the flight in lieu of a complete meal. Cross that path, and also you’ll get to bed quicker.

Do order in advance: You’ll get served first—and be assured your desire—if you request a unique meal when you ebook, Whether or not that means vegetarian or halal.

don’t consume all of the salty snacks: Two phrases: dehydration and bloating. alternatively, Jonah packs uncooked nuts and Numi tea luggage, which hardly ever take in any area.

Do suppose twice before you drink two times: Caffeine and alcohol are both dehydrating and disrupt your sleep styles. Limit your self to at least one—that is enough that will help you loosen up (or perk up). Then stability it out with twice as a whole lot water.

Look at the scenario: “I try to pick airways like Lufthansa or Etihad that have reasonably priced with out costly statistics caps,” said Schlappig.

do not rely solely on in-flight leisure: earlier than your experience, browse your airline’s website to determine what number of films you ought to load up on your iPad—maximum providers have lists of what is playing on board. For binge watchers, Netflix these days changed the game by means of letting you down load an expansive selection of movies and Television indicates for offline viewing.

Power up: “I make sure all my electronics are absolutely charged earlier than I fly, simply in case the in-seat Energy ports don’t work—you would be surprised how frequently this happens,” stated Schlappig. He also advised bringing backup batteries or chargers, like the Anker PowerCore 20100, that could simultaneously recharge Two devices—multiple instances.

Permission to disconnect: “Being on a Aircraft is one of the best instances I don’t experience guilty for Not operating,” stated Jonah, who reads fiction or draws while she will be able to sleep. additionally useful to bypass the time: iPad Seasoned coloring e-book apps like Colorful and all-you-can-examine magazine apps like Texture.

Spritz each few hours: the use of a sinus spray will let you fight viruses and bacteria, preserve you from feeling dry, and make it less difficult to regulate to stress.

Wipe that tray: Your seat-back tray desk is stated to be extra germ-infested than the airplane bathroom, so smooth it off with a child wipe or a squirt of an alcohol-primarily based hand sanitizer before settling in.

Rethink the amenity kit: Jonah says vacationers can be greater reactive to new or artificial elements while dealing with the stress of tour. alternatively, she stated, “Use products with only some natural elements like coconut oil, shea butter, or almond oil.”

Make It all Appearance clean

Stepping proper off the Aircraft and right into a meeting? Choose an airline with a full-carrier arrivals front room so you can get an espresso and a shower earlier than heading into the metropolis. Valets at British Airways’ Arrivals front room at London Heathrow’s Terminals 3 and five can even press up to a few gadgets of apparel for you whilst you’ve got a shower so that you arrive at your appointment wrinkle-unfastened.

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wait-what-no-way · 8 years ago

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Interview with LADY ECHO

“Born in South Miami during the mid-1980’s, Emerald (also known as Echo or Lady Echo) grew up as the youngest and only daughter in a family of three boys. As a young girl, her favorite activity was riding on the back pegs of her oldest brother’s bike while being taught how to read the signatures of Graffiti artists from around their neighborhood. By 1994, Emerald had a “tag” and was learning how to use spray paint. In 1999, she began pursuing Graffiti and Art as a passion. She attended a pre-college program at Pratt Institute in New York City (just before 9/11) during the summer of 2001, receiving only a month of formal training in painting, drawing and art history. She has continued painting ever since. Many of Emerald’s works can be found interacting in public spaces throughout the United States and Europe, or rolling along freight lines from the United States to Mexico and Canada.” (Emeraldartstudio.com)

So since your last interview in 2008, how has life been?

Life has been real! Lots of ups and downs in the past eight years. My best friend OiL died the year following that interview... I went into a bad depression. Poke BS, the only person in NYC who looked out for me at that time, died 8 months later. My older brother died a year and half after that.

In a span of 2 years, my protectors, the men who (although would give me so much shit in between us) wouldn’t let anyone fuck with me, were taken before I could realize how valuable they were. I spent the next several years in a bad place. It took a lot to figure out how to be happy again. I’m still kinda traumatized, I panic that the people I care about are going to die all the time. I panic that I’m going to die all the time – which is why I am constantly producing as much as I can. I don’t really party anymore, I don’t drink anymore, I don’t socialize very often, I stay in and I work on my legacy. I feel immense pressure to create while I still can. I feel immense pressure to leave things on good terms with people I care about as much as I can. I know how fragile life is, I’ve learned that even the strongest bonds are temporary, and I no longer take it for granted.

Also, since my last interview, Nekst - arguably one of the strongest American bombers in our current generation of Graffiti, passed away. Iz the Wiz passed away. Sace passed away. Countless other Graffiti writers have also died. Does this mean we, as Graffiti writers, are a culture of troubled people who will die young in higher percentages? I’m not sure but I’m well aware of the possibility.

Aside from that - technology has changed at a super rapid rate in the past 8 years. Smart phones became a thing, pay phones went extinct, social media emerged, instagram replaced Flickr (for me), information is being shared and spread at rates faster than ever before in our civilization, food (and nearly anything) can now be ordered through an app on your phone. It’s an interesting time to be alive!

When did you start writing?

I learned about Graffiti as an 8 year-old in the early 90’s - and even had a tag, E.C.K., but didn’t actually start seriously writing until 1999.

How many trains do you think you’ve painted since you started?

I honestly have no idea how many.. It’s gotta be in the hundreds, maybe even a thousand or more? It takes a lot of cars before you actually make a dent. I hope one day my panels get a catalogue raisonne like fancy artists do with their art works.

What was your first train painting experience like?

Clumsy and inexperienced! Growing up in Miami, I spent most of my life in sandals. My dumb ass walked into the freight yard with flip-flops and busted my big toe on a pile of rocks within 45 seconds of being in there.. My foot bled the entire time I painted, but I finished my piece - on a Chessie System coal car. I still have a scar from that day.

Some writers love painting trains more than walls. What about you?

I prefer trains. I love smooth metal on clean trains but also love working on the rough, rusted surfaces of freights. Trains come more naturally to me than a clean wall. A panel that will end up moving with a train is more forgiving and less intimidating for me than a flat wall that will blatantly showcase any mistakes I make.

As an artist, what’s your favorite medium to use other than spray paint?

Stainless steel. I love welding and if you weld it properly, stainless steel will produce a rainbow of colors from the oxidation of the metal.

I also like epoxy resin, it allows me to make sculptures out of objects like used spray cans.

What was the most thrilling experience you’ve ever had while you were out painting?

Hmmm. Graffiti is always kind of a thrill for me, regardless of how big, little or insignificant what I’m doing is.. There are different kinds of thrills for me with painting - some are fun, but some are hectic. Seeing my work running years later is a thrill for me. Discovering new mediums and new instruments is a thrill. Recently doing fire extinguisher tags thrilled the shit out of me - like, had me smiling all night and doing a little back-it-up dance kinda thrill.

Guess the most direct answer: I haven’t had a most thrilling experience yet, cuz I never know what to expect, the thrills just keep coming :)

What type of music do you enjoy listening to while you’re painting a canvas or any type of work outside of the streets?

I listen to music literally all day (if I’m not listening to the news), it helps me work and it just feels necessary. I’m probably more into music than I am into art - even though I’ve never made music or ever had an interest in trying.

I listen to all kinds of music: Rap, Hiphop, Soul, R&B, Folk, Metal, Alternative, Jazz, Pop, Electronic, etc, etc, etc. Obscure stuff as well as super mainstream. Just depends on my mood or the feeling I need or want at the time. Music gives me a physical reaction, so certain songs feel better than others and sometimes I overdo songs that make me feel really good - to the point they no longer feel good and I can’t stand to hear them ever again.

My favorite song, since 1992, is “Minds is Playing Tricks on Me” by Gheto Boys - The melody really spoke to me as a kid and it can still give me chills if the mood is right. Since then, my other favorite is “In a Sentimental Mood” by John Coltrane.

My favorite albums of all time are “Live and Dangerous” by Thin Lizzy, “Ready to Die” by Notorious BIG, “Table Scraps” by MHZ (Megahertz), “Give Up” by The Postal Service.

I was going to start listing artists that I like but it would take forever. Instead, if people are interested in my music taste, they can check out the playlists on my youtube channel: youtube.com/c/emeraldartstudio. So far I’ve made 3 lists: Dance party station, Rap station and Soul station. I listen to these playlists all the time and I add to them whenever I have a free moment.

What’s your favorite aspect of Graffiti? Is it piecing, hand-styles, throw-ups, or everything?

My favorite aspect of Graffiti is that one can never run out of surfaces on which to get up or instruments to do it with. I love tagging, I love throwups and I enjoy piecing too. It’s all fun to me, but some endeavors require more work than others. Tags and throwups are quick but require more strategy than a piece sometimes, even though a piece can be grueling effort-wise.

I prefer to paint super readable spots that will be seen in motion, whether the surface is moving (train, truck etc.) or the viewers are moving (trainline spot, highway spot, etc).

What’s you biggest motivator/ inspiration that drives you everyday to be creative? That skirt you made the line of drips on was rad as hell.

My biggest motivator is death. Like I mentioned before, since so many people close to me have died unexpectedly, I have a panic inside of me that I’m gonna die very soon. I’m extremely concerned with my legacy and I think the work I leave behind is what matters.

As for inspiration - I’m just a creative person. My mind searches for that “new new” all the time. I like to experiment and try stuff that I’ve never seen, I like to put new spins on traditional things. Monotony exasperates me, I can’t even walk down my own street the same way more than a few times. I’m constantly exploring. I like to go where I’ve never been. I like to have fun and be silly, even if I’m alone, there’s never a boring day.

Glad you like the skirt with ink drips! It was a spin on an idea I had for photoshoot with black drips on skin, combined with my obsession for edding ink + the recurring theme of edding ink in my artwork. I wanted something funky to wear out that night and nothing in my closet was cool enough so somehow I had the idea of dripping black ink on my white skirt and took the risk. The dried ink was smudging at first so I sprayed it with rusto clear coat to seal it. The ink stained the vegan leather of the skirt, but the sexy surface black ended up cracking off by the end of the night. It was a one-time item, but very fun to rock!

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever had the opportunity to paint in? (State, country, abandon spots wise.)

Hmmm… I think one of the coolest places to paint that I’ve come across is an abandoned factory in New Jersey - I have bad memory for some details so I can’t remember who took me to find it (maybe Tacoe). The factory had several floors, lots of walls, and old locker rooms for the workers, with a lot of stuff still in the lockers (including old porn magazines which I know I have photos of somewhere). For a while after we found it, I was the only person painting there along with whoever I selected from NYC to join me. I think I had like 5-6 pieces in there in the course of a few months. It was super cool to have an entire building painted with Graffiti that I basically got to curate.

Aside from that, I’ve had the opportunity to paint a freight spot that’s near the ocean. I’m a big fan of ocean, and a big fan of freights, so getting to combine the two is almost surreal. Imagine finishing an end to end, high as hell on paint fumes, looking up at the bright moon and stars, hearing ocean waves crashing as the moonlight melts onto your piece. It’s like a dream.

What’s the creepiest thing you’ve ever experienced in an abandoned spot?

Never really had too many creepy things happen while painting, but the creepiest thing that’s ever happened in my life was on a “work” road trip with detour to the Grand Canyon. I was travelling with a friend, we were staying close to the monument the night before and had planned to visit in the morning. We requested a room with two beds, but when we got to the room there was only one bed.. We soon discovered there was a door in the room which led to another room which had its own bed and bathroom. We assumed they either gave us the suite on purpose without saying so or that it was an accident, but we decided to use the second room either way.

I locked the manual door latch (which prevents the door from being opened even if someone has a key) and proceeded to wash my face and get ready for bed. B was in the room next to me and spoke to me thru the connecting door, told me he had to grab his shorts from the car so he could shower and would be right back. I was in the bathroom and heard a door slam closed.

When I finished I walked out, I heard B’s shower going next door but noticed the door latch on my door (in the second kinda sketch room) was open - which I thought was weird cuz B could have walked out of his own room - especially since we didn’t even know if we should be in the second room and he saw me make a point to latch the door when we first walked in.

I relatched the door and waited in B’s room watching tv. When B got out of the shower, I asked him if we could use his door only to go in and out of the room so that the door of the second room I was in would stay locked. I explained that when I got out of the bathroom my door latch was open and I was concerned someone could just walk in if they had the key.

“Emerald, but I didn’t go out of the door of that room. I went out of this door. Yours should have stayed locked, I didn’t unlock it.”

I looked at him in shock. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No, I swear.”

We both walked back into the second room and the door latch (which I had JUST reclosed) was open again. This time there was no possible way that B had opened it. We closed it again and watched to see if it was faulty and might open on its own. It didn’t. I got chills up my arms and tears started streaming down my face. B was in shock too, he didn’t know how to handle me crying but I could tell he believed I wasn’t fucking with the door latch either.

I ended up grabbing all my shit out of the second room and slept in the same bed as my homie that night. We both agreed it was probably a ghost and that the motel we were staying at had probably been built on some ancient Native American burial ground or something. I still get tears when I think of it. Creepiest shit ever.

This is probably a difficult question to ask, but what’s the most monumental piece you’ve ever done?

Hmmmm… I hope I haven’t done it yet! I hope I still outdo everything I’ve ever done. I don’t want to be stagnant. I don’t want my highest achievement to be in the past, I want it to happen as often as possible.

Most people probably wouldn’t know you have a dog unless they follow you on Instagram or actually know you. (Who, by the way is very cute.) What made you decide to get a dog and how has she changed your life

I’ve wanted a dog for a while and circumstances finally aligned for it to happen.

Also, after so many super disappointing experiences with disloyal people, I figured adopting a dog would be a safer bet than trying to connect with another person who betrays me. I rescued a pitbull mix and she’s changed my life in a lot of ways - it’s like having a kid, I take care of her before I take care of myself. She’s so smart and makes me laugh all the time with the things she does. She’s really strong and fast, but is the sweetest little thing ever + possibly a winner for the world’s best snuggler award.

I can’t imagine living without her but have already prepared myself for the fact that dogs have 13-15 yr lifespans. I get mixed emotions sometimes when I watch her sleep - relief and shock that they almost killed her at a shelter and then kinda sad knowing I’m probably gonna outlive her and that there will be no other creature just like her. Aside from that and all the work involved, having a dog is the coolest thing ever!

What do your parents know about your Graffiti lifestyle?

My dad died when I was a kid, so I was raised by my mom and brothers. Yes, they know about it - in general, not necessarily all the details of what the lifestyle involves but they know I’m a writer.

When I was a kid, in the early 90s, my oldest brother wrote Graffiti and my mom was cool with it. She was cool with all his Graffiti friends hanging at our house, she even had her own tag, “Mom1” and would ask them to put her up + she would get excited when she saw them up on the highways or tags on toll booths etc.

When was 15 and started writing, and my mom found flicks, I got in so much trouble! It was OK for her son, but not for her daughter. I had to change my tag so my mom didn’t know what I wrote and I didn’t take photos of my Graffiti for the rest of the time I lived at home. During that time she found out (through one of my oldest brother’s friends) that I changed my tag to Echo but since she never caught me with photos, she could never prove any of the stuff she saw was done by me.

I moved out of her house before I graduated high school and after that she couldn’t tell me what to do so eventually I decided to be super open with her about what I was doing. In her attempts to finally have a close relationship with me, she was all of a sudden cool with it.

I remember when I lived in New Jersey at one point, she said she wanted to visit and do what I do - so I asked her if she was down to do backjumps on some subway trains and she said yes! I refused to take her but she insisted she wanted to spray. She’s never actually painted with me or really even made efforts to follow my work, but I have sent her flicks before and she has told me that she looks for “Echo” or “OiL” whenever she sees a train passing. She met OiL a few times and tells me that she remembers him fondly.

My oldest brother, who put me onto Graffiti to begin with, has reprimanded me a few times for writing on shit. Even so, I think he digs that I’ve gone so far with it and I think he respects my choices. I know he’s proud of me even if he doesn’t really think Graffiti is smart for me to do.

My older brother who passed way (I have three older brothers btw), never really liked it. He didn’t like that I would be out late at night with guys, didn’t like that I was going into train yards (with guys) and didn’t trust any of my guys friends - he was convinced my friends were going to sexually assault me or had already been trying to rape me in my sleep when I was on Graffiti roadtrips, etc.. On the other hand, he was also so amazed that I could get away with so much - like, statistically, he couldn’t believe how many times I had painted illegally and not gotten in trouble. I remember one night after telling him about a super-close call while painting in NYC, he was super stoned, got some sort of epiphany from my story, and explained to me, “The key to getting away with anything... is a girl.... All you need is a girl and you can get away with anything.”

What spots have you hit that you may have risked your life painting?

Ugh - recently did some seriously sketchy shit about 23 feet high on a ladder. The person I was painting with, who had just caught a fire extinguisher tag on the rooftop of a building - with security guard not far from us on the ground level - insisted that he could not bring the extinguisher down with him and that I needed to climb up and get it.

The logic of why he wouldn’t be able to climb down with the extinguisher and why I was able to do it made no sense to me - but I needed him to shut up and get down, so I climbed up to get it.

The extension ladder was lifted to the max and still had a grip of space before the roof so he had to hand the extinguisher down to me from several feet above, and there was no chance of placing it into my hand - he was gonna have to drop it down (even tho there’s no logical or realistic way I could have grabbed it from the bottom). (As I’m typing this, I still don’t know how I agreed to do this). With one hand holding the ladder, I reached up above my head to have him drop a huge (way bigger than normal size) fire extinguisher into my small lady hand. I obviously couldn’t hold it and somehow (without falling off the ladder) repositioned the fire extinguisher mid-air, slid the bottom between my chest and the ladder and hugged it with my free arm and began to climb down. The entire time I was climbing down he kept going on: “Holy shit, you’re such a fucking gangster… You’re a fucking G.” I was shaking and my heart was racing from the adrenaline but I made it down safely and we didn’t get caught by the security guard. Definitely never doing that ever again.

New rule: You climb up with it, you climb down with it. Fuck that.

My final question… Are you a pizza or pasta gal?

Is both an option? I eat pizza and pasta more than once a week. If it’s a nice Italian restaurant I’m getting some form of pasta, but if it’s not boushie spot then I’ll go for the greasy pizza. Favorites: Joe’s Pizza on Carmine in Manhattan, Garage Pizza on Sunset in LA (yes, there’s decent pizza in LA!) and La Pizza on la Croisette in Cannes.

Thank you for all of your time Echo!

Thanks for the interview! Super cool to follow-up with the same website 8 years later. I don’t do many interviews so these will be valuable one day :)

For those interested:

ECHO’s website: Emeraldartstudio.com

Instagram: @Emeraldartstudio

Facebook.com/Emeraldartstudio

OiL’s instagram: @crudeoilforever - All original flicks, no tributes!

Echo’s interview with Bombing Science in November 2008: http://www.bombingscience.com/echo-interview/

#ECHO #ECHOiL #Graffiti #LAGraffiti #LosAngelesGraffiti #California #CaliforniaGraffiti #LadyLiberty #Interviews #WritersInk

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Betches Holiday Gift Guide 2017: The Best Gifts For Everyone In Your Life

FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING OUT OF SHAPE BUT NEVER GOES TO THE GYM: BARRY’S BOOTCAMP

FOR YOUR DAD WHO WANTS TO BE A COOL DAD: TWINKLY

FOR YOUR FRIEND WHO HAS NO FILTER: SHOP BETCHES

FOR YOUR INSOMNIAC FRIEND: SLIP PILLOWCASES

FOR YOUR BROTHER WHO IS TERRIFIED OF THE DENTIST: QUIP

FOR YOURSELF: VS PINK

FOR YOUR ROOMMATE WHO KEEPS STEALING YOUR MAKEUP: BOBBI BROWN

FOR YOUR BOYFRIEND WHO THINKS HE’S HUGH HEFFNER (RIP): PARACHUTE ROBES

FOR YOUR SISTER WHO HAS HER SHIT TOGETHER 100% OF THE TIME: GLAMSQUAD

FOR YOUR SISTER-IN-LAW WHO TRAVELS A LOT FOR WORK: SEVEN DAUGHTERS WINE

FOR YOUR UNCLE WHO SINGLE-HANDEDLY CAUSES YOUR WEIGHT GAIN OVER THE HOLIDAYS: TOVOLO

FOR YOUR MOM WHO DRINKS A BOTTLE OF RED BEFORE BED: MARTHA STEWART WINE