#c: levi cabana

[diskaywrites]

12 Days of Christmas Day 12: Feast

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠------𝐀𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐔------𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐬 (𝐨𝐜) 𝐱 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐂𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚 (𝐨𝐜) 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐃 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟒𝟖𝟕

🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕🎕┈┈┈┈🎕❂⋯❋⋯❂🎕┈┈┈┈🎕

The moment the egg had dropped and cracked against the linoleum floor, Levi Cabana had felt his chest tighten and his hands shake. It had been like this since the attack at the hands of Devin Heraldry and Josef Belmont. His attack had left him near death and all Levi could remember was the crunch of boots across the floor of his bakery kitchen, the glass of the broken display case and eggshells heavy underneath the combat boots Heraldry always wore.

His back slid down the wooden counters, eyes closed as he held a hand flat against his chest. Deep breath in, deep breath out. He knew what to do by now. Levi had been in therapy for long enough that this response was ingrained in him by now. He let out the last breath slowly, opening his eyes to see his partner Aaron sitting across from him in the same position, knees pressed to his chest with a gentle look in his soft gray eyes. "You okay, Levi?"

"I…I dropped the egg and it shattered," Levi managed to get out. His chest still felt incredibly tight, but his hands had finally stopped their shaking.

Aaron scooted closer to Levi, reaching a hand out to take one of his partner's. He could feel the grains of sugar still on the baker's hands, the sweet aroma of the first of several batches of cookies Levi had been working on wafting through the small apartment kitchen. "Hey, hey! You're okay! It was just one egg. No one's here to hurt you. Just me, okay."

Levi let his fingers wrap around Aaron's larger hand, grounding himself in the moment. "I…I'm supposed to get the cookies and the matzah ball soup. How can I do all that if I can't even crack a damn egg?"

"We take baby steps through this, right?" Aaron tried to calm his partner down, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"THIS was supposed to be the baby step," Levi's laugh was bitter as he freed his hand from Aaron's to wipe the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand, "I wasn't going to be able to work in the bakery so I decided to do this all here. I've done everything from here! I just…I don't know how I'm gonna get back to my normal!"

Aaron cupped Levi's tear stained cheeks with both hands, resting their foreheads together, "Listen to me, Levi. I am willing to do whatever it takes to help you. Lou and Cass are willing to help you, whatever it takes. Me and you are in this for the long haul."

Levi pressed a gentle kiss to Aaron's lips, foreheads still resting together. There was a lot of work to be done to get back to where he was running the bakery once again, but with someone as special as Aaron by his side, that work didn't seem so hard.

[blog-sguera]

30.341 — CNCom., sala B, septiembre 8-977. — Santa Ercilia, S. C. A., quiebra. INSTANCIA

2ª Instancia — Buenos Aires, septiembre 8 de 1977. — El art. 624 del cód. civil sienta una regla conforme a la cual se produce la extinción de la deuda por intereses en virtud de la interpretación de la voluntad presunta de denunciarlos por parte del acreedor que ha recibido un capital sin reserva de aquéllos, ya que el principio general es que el pago se imputa primero a los Intereses y luego, al capital (conf. Busso, “Código Civil Anotado” comentario al art. 624, núms. 2, 4 y sus citas); de allí que la falta de reserva hace presumir que esos intereses ya se han percibido. Salvat. “Tratado. Obligaciones”, t. I, núm. 509). Sin embargo, tal presunción no puede Jugar en el presente caso por cuanto es criterio generalizado que la regla del art. 624 del cód, civil sólo rige para los pagos extra (t. 76) judiciales, pero no tiene vigencia cuando se trata de pagos realizados en juicio, en el cual la percepción del capital sin reserva no hace presumir la renuncia del acreedor a cobrarlos (conf. Alterini-Ameal-López Cabana, “Curso de Obligaciones” vol. I, núm. 291, p. 136; esta sala en “Fanal, s. A. c. Ascher Levy y otros”, diciembre 14-976).

En consecuencia, queda descartada la aplicación del art. 624 del cód. civil, corresponde resolver la cuestión conforme a los principios que rigen la imputación de pago (arts. 776 y 777, cód. civil) los que abonan la postura del apelante.

Por ello, se revoca la resolución recurrida, con costas en ambas instancias. — Eduardo M. Guzmán. — Jorge N. Williams. — Juan C. F. Morandi (Sec.: Julio C. Rivera).

ACCIDENTES DE AUTOMOTORES: Calle cortada. Derecho de paso. Negligencia del propietario del vehículo al que un menor no habilitado para conducir le sustrajo las llaves. MONEDA: Depreciación; pautas para reajustar la deuda.

1.— Los que circulan por una calle cortada, por más que se presenten por la derecha del que circula por la otra, no tienen derecho de paso, porque “pà-so” significa continuar la circulación y la cortada lo impide. Deben, pues, detenerse hasta que el tránsito de la calle de doble mano le permita ingresar (no “pasar”) en el tránsito de la otra.

2. — Aun el que tiene derecho de paso, no puede introducirse en la trayectoria de un vehículo que ya ha sobrepasado gran parte de la bocacalle, interceptan-dole el paso, en una maniobra semicircular al intentar sobrepasar sin colisión, precisamente porque viniendo a gran velocidad se encuentra ya delante del otro, e intenta evitar la colisión por aceleración cuando lo tiene va encima.

3.— Existe una norma policial (municipal) que constituye en ilícito, por encontrarse prohibido, el conducir sin haber obtenido licencia. Es negligente la conducta del propietario, al cual, por una distracción, le sustrajo las llaves de su automóvil a un menor de edad no habilitado para conducir y produjo graves daños a terceros. Resulta culpable de un diligente “cuidado de su cosa”, en los términos del art. 512 del cód. civil. y debe responder solidariamente.

4.— Es negligente la conducta del propietario, al cual, por una distracción, le sustrajo las llaves de su automóvil a un menor de edad no habilitado para conducir y produjo graves daños a terceros. Resulta culpable de un diligente “cuidado de su cosa”, en los términos del art. 512 del cód. civil. y debe responder solidariamente.

5.— Al practicar el reajuste por depreciación monetaria, los jueces tienen facultades para apartarse de los índices tabulados, y en estos casos, deben fundar sus razones (en el caso, se tuvo en cuenta, con independencia de haber o no sido planteada, la grave negligencia del menor damnificado en un accidente de automotores, que ascendió a un vehículo manejado por un amigo de dieciséis años, que carecía de registro y que manejaba un coche que no era suyo).

Originally published at on http://blogsguera.com/ June 24, 2023.

[ye4gerismarchives]

the bachelorette: after the final rose

an: the bachelorette is finally over. writing this was…wow. interacting with my followers was so fun😭 i hope to do so again in the future. do enjoy this and take a look at the poll at the end. my requests will be opening up again! feel free to drop something :)

tags: black, fem reader

taglist: @taybird

The day after your wedding, you and Jean found yourselves in Bora Bora. Once you landed, you and Jean settled down for a moment. Your ideal plan was to unpack, get something to eat at the hotel you were in and probably go to sleep. Jean had different plans in mind. As you unpacked your suitcase, he kept massaging your shoulders. His hands moved down your arms and you didn't protest. Y'all, I don't write smut. Give me a few years and I'll write everything that when down.

Despite getting married on television and the whole world knowing, you and Jean never saw yourself as a married couple. It was more like dating to you guys. There were times he's walked out on you because you were too "emotional" and you've walked out on him because he was too "sensitive". But you always found your way back to each other.

During the week of your first "wedding" anniversary, Jean flew you out to Corfu, Greece. The first six days, he recreated your first "honeymoon" night and on the seventh day, he got on one knee again and asked you to be his wife- for real this time. You immediately said yes and threw yourself at him, toppling him over. You both landed on the restaurant floor but that didn't stop you from kissing him.

Wedding planning didn't take as long and it wasn't as hectic as it was the last time. You and Jean had decided to elope. You decided not to tell anyone, except Mikasa, that the wedding was real this time. Everyone you knew had been under the impression that you were spouses.

The day you went to court, Mikasa had been your only witness. You liked the idea of eloping. It was more intimate. No camera, no scripts. Just you and Jean.

Buying what you call a 'mansion' was not on your bingo card. Before you officially made Jean your husband, you had lived in a penthouse that Levi owned. You thought it was perfect- there was enough space for you and Jean. However, it was time to put your big boy pants on.

The outside of your home looks scary. No, it was a pretty house but this was a HUGE mansion. The inside of your home was very homey, however. There were office spaces for you and Jean- which he loved because he was getting back into law again (he had to quit his job because fans and Yeagerists, Eren's "fandom", had found his place of work and harassed him in some sort of way. Jean works with an elite private firm now), a game room, an inside gym, and a sitting room. Your backyard had a pool, a cabana, a garden, and outside guest quarters.

To be perfectly honest, you both found yourself in your offices. You started your own successful wedding planning business and Jean had his cases. Sometimes you felt like a big home was a waste of time. It's not like you had people to live in it for you.

"Jean, we need to talk."

Jean had just come home from work. It was one in the morning. You were standing in front of him in one of your many bathrobes. Jean walks up to you and plants a kiss on your forehead. "What's up, babe? No hi or anything?"

"I'm afraid that you're not taking care of yourself well enough," you start. "What do you mean, baby?" Jean asks mindlessly as he removes his coat. "Oh, would you stop with the baby thing? I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!"

Jean looks at you like you hit his mother or something. "I don't think a serious conversation includes you raising your voice at me," he answers. "Excuse me? Your thick head doesn't like to listen to anyone, so we got to yell things into it," you retort. Jean ignores you and makes his way to the kitchen. You're eyes widen- he's never walked away from you before. "Excuse me!” you call after him.

There is no response from Jean, who pulls a white wine from the fridge. "You're not drinking that. Not until you hear me out," you try again. "Well, you could have told me instead of chewing me out about calling you 'baby', y/n," Jean responds. He turns away from you again and starts looking through the cabinets for a wine glass. You take this as an opportunity to take the wine off the island counter and pour it out. Jean's head snaps back once he hears liquids going down the drain. "What the hell is your problem? I can't drink now?!" he snaps.

"I'm worried about you, idiot. You come home late, I never hear you eating, you don't take your double showers and you're always exhausted. You don't think your job is hurting you? I don't even see you anymore. Your job is hurting us!" you cry.

Jean shakes his head and mutters some nonsense under his breath before placing the wine glass he picked on the island counter. He shakes his head as he leaves.

"Are you gonna be like this when the baby is here?" You call out.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you going to be working long hours and act like a jerk when I'm farther along? What about when the baby gets here? At this point, the baby doesn't even have a father."

Jean walks over to you with confusion in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant, Jean," you say with a small chuckle. I've wanted to tell you this whole time but you've been busy and I just got fed up tonight because I miss you."

Jean doesn't say a word. Instead, he undoes your robe and places a hand on your stomach. "We're having a baby? Are you serious? Us? How..."

You could only smile wider. Seeing Jean in awe about your very small bump was an entertaining sight.

"I'll...I'll talk to my b-boss. In fact, I-I'll q-quit my job...yeah! I'll q-quit!" he finally lets out.

"Oh no, don't do that. Just get your hours fixed and if they don't allow that, we'll find a different place, yeah?"

"S-sure," Jean stutters. "Are you hungry? Would you like me to order something? Do you want socks? What do you want?"

"I think I want you to take a bath and for you to sleep, mister," you answer. Jean still in a trance, obeys.

"I can't believe we had two. I was under the impression there was only one."

"At least they'll keep the big room you painted busy."

Jean had one of your newborns sprawled on his bare chest. You cradled the other one in your arms. A little boy and girl. Your daughter, Maia, already had Jean wrapped around her finger. Your son, Marquis, was a little independent, despite being a few days old.

"I can't believe we made them," Jean says. After your emergency C-section, Jean was back into that trance he was in when you first told him you were pregnant. "We should have one more. We have pretty babies."

"Shut up, Jean."

You never thought you'd allow a camera in your sight again. Obviously, there was the paparazzi that hounded you and your children down on the regular. But a camera allowed by you in your home? Never. Until today.

It's been seven years since you met the love of your life. You're thirty now and Jean is thirty-two. The two little menaces in your home are three. Maia and Marquis were just like their father- silly and full of life unless otherwise. But at least they look like you (except the pieces of ash brown in their hair that they picked up from Jean). You were pregnant with another. You hoped that your child would bring you peace but even if they were as colorful as your two, it wouldn't matter to you.

You sat in the family room with Jean and your twins as the camera team prepared their cameras and other equipment. Jean was trying his best to keep your children in one place, as you adjust your hair.

"Ms. y/n, are you ready?" Your interviewer asks. You nod and Jean gives you a nervous look. "Hey, kids...why don't you go into the sitting room. We'll come get you later, yeah?" you say softly. Your twins start to whine but they also start their walk to the sitting room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, I'll count you off now," your cameraman says. You both nod, waiting for the interviewer to start asking you questions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, I'll count you off now," your cameraman says. You both nod, waiting for the interviewer to start asking you questions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, it's such an honor to meet you both. Seven years together...amazing. You've been together for almost a decade now," your interviewer starts.

"It's been interesting but it's been nice getting to know my girlfriend of seven years now," Jean says jokingly. "Oh stop it," you reply teasingly.

"How have you changed since the Bachelorette?"

You take a deep breath and Jean looks down awkwardly. "Well, we've been cautious. Obviously, with our privacy but also with the people we allow in our circle," you answer. "We've been in contact with a few contestants and it's been on and off. We've learned that trust is key...not only in marriage but who we bring into it," Jean says.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is in your life right now? Have you been in contact with your father? What about Levi?"

Jean clinches his fist and you take it in your hand, letting him know you were still here with him. "Well, Bertholdt and Reiner are still one of our biggest friends," you answer. Reiner and Bertholdt had a baby recently, a little girl named Gabi, but you decided not to announce that to protect their privacy. "Mikasa and I are still friends and we're still trying to get used to Eren being in her-our lives." Mikasa and Eren met up again and Mikasa was still head over heels for him. You were uncomfortable (because of his silence when his fans harassed your husband) at first but he was good to her. "The twins absolutely adore Levi and Erwin. They're their grandpas," you finish. You still hadn't answered the question about Jean's father.

"And your father? Mr. Kirstein?"

"My father is not in my life. Please stop asking."

The interviewer purses their lips, now feeling embarrassed. “I apologize, Mr. Kirstein. I’ll ask the next question: what are some obstacles you’ve faced in your relationship?”

“Well, we thought we had communication down. But we didn’t…at least not completely. But we managed,” you say.

“I think our children are proof of it,” Jean suddenly includes.

You glare at him and slap his hand, non verbally telling him to shut up. He only gives you a cheeky smile.

The rest of the questions were about hardships, what turned you both on, and your hopes for the future.

When the interviewer finally announced that the last question was coming up, you couldn’t have been happier.

“What are three things you appreciate about each other?”

You look at Jean and then back at the interviewer. “Er-well…I-“

“I appreciate how serious you get,” Jean interrupts, “ how kind you are and how dedicated you are- especially to your children and your career. I wouldn’t want anyone else but you.”

“Jean-“ your voice cracked. It always seemed like you had power over your husband and he was just your dog but he still knew how to overpower you with his words. “I don’t know what to say…you’re so dedicated to our family. Watching you play with our kids, feed them, and put them to sleep- you just prove that you're the perfect man for this job. I see how you treat your mom and I don’t worry about our children and me being mistreated. And you’re so strong. You lost the person who should have been there for you and your mom but you still worked hard and you found some peace. I love you, Jean Kirstein.

Jean takes your hand and kisses it. “I love you too, y/n l/n.”

The End.

once again, thank you for reading the bachelorette! do me a favor and rate this series! it would be very much appreciated :) see y’all soon

[tsgcharlottesvillevirginia]

On the Market // Charlottesville June Scouted Real Estate

If quarantine has you dreaming of a lovely family compound or just a little more space to breathe, this month’s roundup will give you some properties to seriously contemplate. 

18230 Lovers Ln // Somerset, VA // Contact: Loring Woodriff, Loring Woodriff Real Estate Associates, 434.977.4005 The details: 5 bedrooms, 5 full 1 half bathrooms, 144 acres What we love: This family compound is set privately in the rolling hills of Somerset, adjacent to Keswick Hunt territory with  strong mountain views. The main house was constructed in '06 of finest new, reclaimed materials and is enhanced by a 2-3 bed/2 bath guest house, vaulted guest/in-law quarters over a 2 car garage, salt water pool with pool house, center-aisle barn, regulation dressage arena, and multiple paddocks with run-in sheds. The 144 acres include 1 division right and a dramatic 2nd building site. Located just 25 minutes from Charlottesville and 1 hour from Richmond, this estate is a quintessential country oasis.

7034 Griffinsburg Rd // Boston, VA // Contact: Liza Levy Payne, Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty, 540.672.1100 The details: 3 bedrooms, 2 full 1 half bathrooms, 148 acres What we love: This property is an absolute show-stopper. Known as 'Big Run' this farm was once host to the regional horse races, and has been thoughtfully designed for a number of different lifestyles. There is running water in every field, as well as phenomenal views. A gracious main home is positioned for views; while the caretaker's cottage, apt/living/office in stable, iconic red barn w. historical significance, run-in shed, studio cabin, pool w. cabana, carriage house, and workshop make this a fully functional farm, any way you want to have it! Easement allows for future expansion, and you may build an additional dependency. Culpeper was named VA's prettiest town by Architectural Digest! Under 10 miles to Downtown Culpeper.

5450 Stony Point Pass // Keswick, VA // Contact: Loring Woodriff, Loring Woodriff Real Estate Associates, 434.977.4005 The details: 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 2.07 acres What we love: Tucked away off a quiet Keswick Lane, Cedarcroft is an idyllic, c. 1932 clapboard home sited in the middle of over two acres of level, verdant lawns dotted by large hardwoods, boxwood borders, and established perennial beds. Comprehensively renovated in '93, the current owners have continued to improve and meticulously maintain this lovely country property located 15 mins from both Charlottesville and Gordonsville. Additional features include a 945 sf guest space or home office with a full bath and two 2-bay garages graced with Stokes of England weathervanes. Outdoor living is easy with a delightful soapstone-floored sun room and a screened porch complete with skylights and ceiling fans. Inside, a gourmet kitchen and a vaulted family room complete this ideal home.

12894 Louisa Rd // Louisa, VA // Contact: Ann Hardy, Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty, 434.296.0134 The details: 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 14.51 acres What we love: This lovingly restored family farm, complete with an inviting tree-lined driveway, has been tastefully enlarged over the years and includes four bedrooms, with a plush master suite on the main level. The property includes a charming three stall horse barn with tack room, a large hay barn with room for tractor storage, attached run-in shed, and an original corn crib. The land is slightly rolling and mostly open, with a small pond that is spring fed. A gentle creek bisects the center of the property and divides the two large fields. The paddock, riding area, and small garden help check a few more boxes. This is a timeless property, in the heart of some of Virginia's most beautiful countryside, frozen in time.

1892 Clay Dr // Crozet, VA // Contact: Ann Hardy, Frank Hardy Sotheby’s International Realty, 434.296.0134 The details: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 0.21 acres What we love: This beautiful home on a corner lot is located just minutes from Downtown Crozet. The charming, well kept property has a spacious floor plan which includes a first floor master suite, an open kitchen with an eat-in breakfast area, and an inviting family room that opens to the back porch. The detached two-car garage features ample storage in the walk up loft. Landscaped front and back yards are freshly manicured with newly built BBQ area/patio. A quaint, boutique neighborhood with great walkability complements the offerings of this endearing home.

[usainitiatives-blog]

WalM&Art. Bonobos is about to be snapped-up by Walmart for c.$300m. The brand, aimed at men who want to look good but with minimal effort, also offers a unique approach: go in-store, pick-out clothes; then they are delivered to your home. (More here.) It follows the purchases of Jet.com, ModCloth, the domain name / social media accounts of (now defunct) shoes.com, and the hiring of ex-Rent The Runway founder Jennifer Fleiss to head new project 'Code Eight'. They mean business. Next, Mike Ashley, the controversial owner of the UK's Sports Direct, has made a foray stateside buying Eastern Mountain Sports and Bob's Stores. Also, the relatively upscale condiment maker 'Sir Kensington' has been bought by Unilever for an undisclosed fee. This follows their rebuttal of Kraft Foods' merger proposal in February. No wonder retail M&A is at a 10-year high! Out On Its Own 

Amazon picked-up the rights to stream 10 American Football games (replacing Twitter). This follows Facebook Live's deal with MLS and YouTube TV getting MLB action. 'Cord cutting' has been a trend in recent years, yet sports has arguably been one of the last bastions; this is an interesting time for the networks. (Good podcast here.) 

You may remember this newsletter pointing-out the threat posed by Amazon within finance? 'Amazon Cash', allows people to go into a CVS store and give money to the cashier, which is then added to their Amazon account as a gift card. This is not banking per se, as money cannot be withdrawn, however it gives those without a bank account a way into Amazon's ecosystem. (Note also, Chinese retailer Alibaba's subsidiary 'Ant Financial' is set to buy US company MoneyGram.) 

Next, the brand is attempting to create a true influencer-affiliate model; whilst it might not garner interest from 'high end' personalities, it has been embraced by WhatsUpMoms, because the products they recommend typically feature on the site. Win-win. 

Scott Galloway's must-watch talk on how Amazon is taking-apart retail. 

Lastly, meet Echo Look which can take full-length photos and give styling advice via algorithm! 

Tech Talk YouTube TV is live - here's the skinny. Plus, YouTube has changed its partner program rules and will only allow those with 10k+ lifetime views to monetise their account - the move is designed to reward original content makers, rather than those who simply repost. Twitter locked horns with the government, which demanded to know the identity of a derogatory account allegedly run by someone in the Immigration department: the little bird claims the request violates the First Amendment right to free speech. Google is embracing fact-checking, kinda. It is adding tags to articles that will signpost authenticity. However the giant is passing the verification process onto third-parties, like PolitiFact. Soon icons will be added to search results to highlight platforms where a film or song can be streamed! Next, Autodraw's machine learning can guess what your mouse-guided scribbles were attempting to draw and make suggestions. Tumblr released 'Cabana', an app for 6 users to concurrently watch YouTube videos and live chat. AOL and Yahoo, once the heavyweights of tech, have been rebranded as 'Oath'. No one knows why. Instagram Direct now has 375m users and yet more Snapchat-esque features such as disappearing messages. Facebook Messenger is taking on Venmo with peer-to-peer group payments. Lastly, Facebook is planning an interface that lets people type with their brain. Small But Important 

A new retail threat is looming - the border adjusted tax. In an effort to balance potential corporation tax cuts President Trump's proposed measure would see a 20% levy on imported goods. Target, Gap, and Best Buy are so concerned that they have spent a combined $3.2m on lobbyists during the first quarter this year (versus $800k in Q1 2016). In 

Burger King's recent TV spot the narrator claimed that 15 seconds was not long enough to describe the Whopper, so instead asked: 'Google, what is the Whopper'; whereupon viewer's connected devices answered the question. It was not cleared by Google... 

Interestingly, their rival pulled a similar stunt in this ad. Riffing on the theory that Coca-Cola tastes better at McDonalds, Mindy Kaling implores people to search for 'that place where Coke tastes so good'. The burger joint's name is not mentioned precisely because they knew that Google results would do that for them. Is this the new guerilla marketing, where companies hijack other brand's tech to promote their wares? 

It was a bad month for PR: adidas sent runners a 'Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon' message; Bud Light's #UpForWhatever included the inexcusable line, 'The perfect beer for removing 'No' from your vocabulary for the night'; there was Pepsi's now infamous advert, which was pulled after 24 hours due to backlash; and sobering scenes on United Airlines. It was a surprise then to see Puma being taken to task for: 1. Using Kylie Jenner (rather than an athlete). 2. Her running style. Within the context neither seemed too bad. 

adidas's senior VP of global brand strategy talked to GQ about over-taking Nike. Punchy. However, given the success of Vapormax, could this be the beginning of the beginning of a swing back? 

Boohoo - the UK online retailer - saw full year US sales surge 140%. 

In an attempt to reduce last mile delivery costs Walmart is discounting 10,000 items - but customers must pick-up in-store. 

Nordstrom are selling $425 jeans covered in fake mud - 'rugged'. 

Outside magazine's female-only May cover features 10 icons. 

Under Armour's campaign takes aim at the old-fashioned notion that 'You're pretty' is the ultimate compliment for a women by repositioning it as a prefix, with terms like 'strong' and 'powerful' as a suffix. 

The Zappos 'Adaptive' range / site experience - for those with special needs, who find getting dressed a challenge - is admirable. 

J. Crew have parted company with their Executive Creative Director Jenna Lyons after 5 years. A downturn in sales - and quality - led to her demise. The vacant role will be not be filled. Rebekka Bay - once of Gap and Everlane - joins Uniqlo. 

3D knitting could be a way for brick and mortar stores to compete, especially with Gen X, who will grow-up with eCommerce and be less amazed by it. Machinery will be able to measure the body and then knit inventory on the spot. adidas is all in... (Although so are Amazon.) 

Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister will wholesale on Zalora (part of Rocket Internet), offering it access to 600m pan-Asian customers. 

This piece looks at the emotive language that brands use towards consumers. It believes that expressions like 'we love our customers' are beginning to feel disingenuous. With the rise of voice search and bots brands must consider tone of voice across touch points. 

Farfetch are talking about 'the offline cookie', whereby brands collect data about their customers in-store, as they do on websites. Snapchat is trying to offer similar targeting opportunities too. 

Lingerie is the next sector primed for disruption, according to this article. Yet Bloomberg thinks all is rosy for Victoria's Secret reputation. Andie Swim is the 'Warby Parker' of swimwear, apparently. 

British food chain 'Pret a Manger' is trailing a vegan NY pop-up to test consumer feedback - via #NotJustForVeggies. 

BoF chatted with Anna Wintour (two parts). 

98m users have watched 500m hours of Adam Sandler movies on Netflix. 

Zeitgeist symbiosis? K-Beauty + Pokemon = Pokemon make-up. 

Gap's CEO responded to a 5 year-old's complaints about the overly pink and flowery designs in the girls section: 'you are right ... I’ve talked with our designers and we’re going to work on even more fun stuff that I think you’ll like.' Nice. 

Reddit gave the internet a blank canvas on April Fool's Day and let them draw. 72 hours later and over a million people had taken part. Interestingly, because individuals could only add one pixel every five minutes, groups - known as sub-Reddits - came together to coordinate activity, such as drawing flags and combatting hate speech. 

And finally! Doritos have teamed-up with Guardians of the Galaxy 2 to create a limited run of chip packets that have a music player built-in featuring the full soundtrack. Tasty. 

[diskaywrites]

Fluffvember 2024

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 #𝟑𝟎: 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬 𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐂𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚 (𝐨𝐜) 𝐱 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐨𝐜) 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐟: 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐂𝐌 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐤, 𝐃𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 (𝐨𝐜), 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐑𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐨𝐜)

.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽..✽✦✽.◦.✽

The bell of the door jingled as the five tired wrestlers pushed their way into the small bakery owned by Levi Cabana, eliciting a small chuckle from the baker who stood behind the counter. They were a motley crew to look at in person, considering the blood feud that had been occurring over the past few months in the company they worked for.

The first to sit at the table was Phil Brooks, the self-professed best in the world. His stringy blonde hair was still dirty with flakes of blood, both his own and that of the man who had sat to his left, Levi's older brother Colt Cabana. Colt's forehead was stitched up and he kept side-eyeing Phil as if he wanted to say something. Across from Scott sat Dia Banks, the newest protege of the Second City Saints. It had been just as hard for her to watch from the outside, tussling with the man to her own left, Sebastian Ryland. Bash's long blonde hair seemed mussed still, not caring to brush it out after the show.

Yet it was Caleb Timbers, the smallest member of the group and the newest member, "Gotta love a pay-per-view, huh?"

Levi cracked a grin of his own, "I tried the in-ring thing. Wasn't for me."

Colt groaned, rolling his shoulder with an audible click, "Consider yourself lucky, Lev. This asshole got me roughed up."

"It was my 𝒋𝒐𝒃 to rough you up," Phil rolled his eyes, leaning back on the wooden chair he sat in as he tugged at his lip ring with his teeth.

"Yeah, but it wasn't your job to rough 𝒎𝒆 up," Dia scoffed back, arms resting against the table in front of her, "and you still did it."

"You're so right, Di," Bash clapped one of his massive hands to the woman's petite shoulder, "it was 𝒎𝒚 job to rough you up and I think you paid me back in fuckin' spades!"

"If you five don't knock it off, I won't give any of you the cookies I have in the oven," Levi planted his hands on his hips, reveling in how the entire table seemed to grow quiet. If there was one thing in the world that brought people together, it was cooking, and the food that had always brought his people together were his baked goods. The times went off in the kitchen and Levi hustled out of the dining area to pull the tray from the large metal oven. The smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies wafted through the establishment and Leiv could practically hear the collective deep inhale from the dining area, a warm smile on his face. He plated the cookies, three for everyone, before carrying the tray in.

"The chocolate chips are my favorite," Caleb beamed, the fingers of his good hand brushing against Levi's as he sat the plate down. The look they shared was soft and tender, "Made with love?"

"For my best customers?" Levi smiled as he watched the five, a twinkle of pride in his eyes, "Always."