#i will burn everything to the ground before i pay 12 dollars a month for anything with fucking plus in the title

[nat-20s]

[dazed--xx]

Useless

Request: Can you do a one shot were you fight and he says something that really hurt you bc you were insecure about that and then you act kinda distant and idk can it fluff and angst pretty please 🥺 I love your blog 💜(tae)

Summary:  “Maybe I wanted to have some time to myself for a change? Did you ever think about that? Maybe I didn’t want some clingy leach attached to my hip at every second of the fucking day... I finally wanted to be able to fucking breathe. Like damn I can see why your parents didn’t want you... you're fucking useless....” The foul insults like venom. Useless... He thinks you're useless...

Member: Taehyung x Idol!reader

Word Count: 2,276

Genre: Angst, light smut, light fluff

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF ABUSE

A/N: Shout out to the reader who requested my first Tae one shot, hope you enjoy. I got some big things planned to come out so i hope yall follow make sure you check out my masterlist for other stories 

(Not my gif)

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“Y/N!!” Tae shouts from the living room finally acknowledging my presence for the first time today. Waking me from a dead sleep, that falling feeling startling. “Y/N!!!” His voice booming. Sluggishly, WHAT TIME IS IT?? 1:54 am the alarm clock reads I scream into the pillow and make my wake to the living room. The bright light blinding, Tae on the couch with Jungkook. “Yes?” the annoyance in my tone evident. “We’re hungry can you make us something please?” THE FUCKING NERVE!!!! I roll my eyes “Did you speak to me for the last 16 hours?” confusion creeping onto his face at my passive aggressive attitude. Jungkook’s face contorts obviously uncomfortable. “I was just asking you to make us food, no need to be a bitch about it ill just order out” He snaps back “and by the way if you have something to fucking say then say it I don’t appreciate the off handed comments especially when you could have come to me as well and speak to me..” his eyes roll, Jungkook eyeing the door “WELL!.... this has been......fun. I'm gonna head out. Sorry Y/N didn’t mean to upset you” I smile at his friendliness. “Goodnight Jungkookie, I'll see you next time okay I'm sorry to make you feel uncomfortable.” I escort him out the door.  

Tae’s eyes fuming as I turn around. “Look what you fucking did! You made him leave all because of you’re stupid fucking attitude!” He shouts, throwing his controller on the ground smashing it. “You couldn’t just say you didn’t fucking feel like it instead of pushing my friend out the fucking door” fear creeping up in my body. Me and Tae have fought before but he’s never raised his voice like this. He’s never been THIS angry before. “Tae, I’m sorry but I was sleeping and-” “DOES IT LOOK LIKE I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING?” his terrifying voice booming. Tears sting my eyes all my anger from the day boiling over as the confession spews out of my mouth “NO YOU DON’T BECAUSE YOU NEVER FUCKING CARE ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK I DO TODAY WAS A CLEAR INDICATION OF THAT NO? YOU HAVE A FUCKING DAY OFF AND YOU LITERALLY SPEND IT IGNORING ME AND PLAYING YOUR STUPID ASS GAME. I ASK YOU TO TAKE A WALK WITH ME AND YOURE TOO TIRED. I ASK YOU TO TAKE A NAP WITH ME YOU WANT TO BE UP. SO, WHAT THE FUCK IS IT HUH? SO, WHEN I FINALLY, FINALLY FALL ASLEEP YOU WANT TO FUCKING WAKE ME UP TO ASK ME TO COOK FOR YOU AND JUNGKOOK?????????”  

“Maybe I wanted to have some time to myself for a change? Did you ever think about that? Maybe I didn’t want some clingy leach attached to my hip at every second of the fucking day... I finally wanted to be able to fucking breathe. Like damn I can see why your parents didn’t want you... you're fucking useless....” The foul insults like venom. Useless... He thinks you're useless...

*10 YEARS AGO,*

“Y/N! YOU RUINED IT! IT WAS MY FAVORITE AND YOU BROKE IT!!” My older sister shouts, as her hand harshly cracks along my cheek. Tears stream down my face, “I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to...” I whimper. The mirror on the ground shattered like my heart, my sisters rough hand shoves me to my knees. Glass stabbing at my skin like a thousand knives, her hand in my hair. “CLEAN IT NOW!!!” Her shouting alerts my mother. “Y/S/N? What's going on?” My mother's soft voice asks as she comes into the room. “Tsk....Y/N what did you do now?” Annoyance in her tone, her eyes rolling. “She broke my mirror. She broke my favorite mirror....she's so useless mom why is she here she needs to go.” My sister whined.  

“Let her go, Y/N pick this up and come to my room...” the tone dark. Fear taking a hold of my chest. Whilst cleaning the mirror my sisters torture did not end glass penetrated my hand every time, she shoved me over as I held each shard with care. Dread fills me as the mirror is completely clean. Slowly, I trek to my mother's room my 12-year-old frame trembling as I stand in front of my mother's door heart beating threatening to burst out of my chest.  

“Y/N LETS GO NOW” my mother shouts from the other side of the door. The beating didn’t last too long the pain only temporary; the lecture lasted a lifetime the pain forever. “Why do you have to be so damn useless huh? It's like you enjoy ruining our lives, you never seem to do anything right and I'm so god damn tired of fucking covering for you. SO, you need to go, I don’t care where it is you go but it's not here. I want you out by tomorrow and don’t take none of that expensive shit that’s mine”. I was out within the hour, terrified of what may come if I lasted until tomorrow. Rushing out of the door at 3 am with all of my essential belongings in hand, with no destination in sight.  

Months go by living all around Seoul at parks, bus stations, motels when I get really lucky. Singing in the street to come up with a few dollars to eat. Some days I didn’t make enough and I would slip items in my clothes, becoming quite the “artist”.  One day, I’m singing in front of a small store front 2 gentlemen dressed lavishly listening intently phone recording as my verse comes to an end. Their eyes burning holes into me as a blush creeps up onto my face. The crowd disperses at the top of my hat a business card BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENT. Confusion strikes me turning the card over. A small hand written note and address on the back ‘TOMORROW 2 PM’. My heart races WHAT????

*TRAINEE DAYS*

“Y/N-AH STOP BEING SO DAMN USELESS AND PLEASE HIT THE BEAT ON THE RIGHT COUNT!” My groups dance lead, Hye-un shouts. Fury in her eyes, “Seriously we probably would have debuted by now if you could do something right like you can't sing, you can't dance...what can you do huh?? Stand there? Remember you’re only here because Namjoon oppa felt bad for you.” her words cut like knives. “Namjoon oppa thinks I'm good..” I mutter weakly, under my breathe as tears slide down my face. Every girl laughs, “No, honestly no one does like come on, you can't see it, He felt bad for you idiot. You were homeless and needed a place to go.” Jisoo snaps. Her words breaking my heart, grabbing my bag and dashing toward the door. They won't get to see me cry...not like that... not for them.  

Running down the hallway, hunting for the farthest studio away from them to release my demons. THUD! “Oof DUDE WATCH WHERE YO-” The loud voice cut off “LOOK IM NOT IN THE FUCKING MOOD MOVE” I shout as I stand up to run past the stranger. “Damn... Okay... rude... are you okay though you look like you’re crying” He says as I wipe my eyes getting a clear view of the man that I've collided with. A blush instantly creeping on my face as the familiar face becomes recognizable and my head shoots down, Taehyung oppa. All the anger in me fades quickly as the god like man shifted. My voice is shaky, “IM SO SORRY, I wasn’t paying attention. I'm just having a rough morning. I should get going, I'm so sorry... I..Um...S-Sorry” He chuckles “Ha, you said that already...3 times in fact” a small giggle escapes my lips.

“So, I know you don’t know me or anything but I’m a great listener. Maybe you can tell me what's going on, it might help” He says sincerely. Hesitant, I look down “um....-” “Look, don’t worry if you don’t want to physically tell me give me your number you can text it to me then that way you and I don’t have to be face to face and it can help you to get more out that sound good?” I nod as he pulls out his phone and asks for mine. His number in my phone as Tae<3. A smile creeps up onto my face as he pulls me into a hug. My body melts into his like I've known him for years. “Okay so I'll talk to you later” A smile on his face as he walks off.  

Blushing, as realization dawns on me as I pull my phone out to text him.  

*PRESENT*  

From there I told Tae everything, my fears, my past, insecurities. Useless....that's all I’ve ever been. My sobs no longer able to be held back as they barrel their way through my chest. “F-fin-ne then Tae you won't have to worry about me being in your way anymore” I whisper as I turn around and walk into the bedroom Tae and I share. Locking the door behind me I curl up in bed and let the tears take over me. Mama never loved you, the girls never wanted you to debut with them, they made you go solo because of how useless the group thought you were, You're so fucking useless to Tae. I ruin fucking everything I'm sorry Tae. The tears putting you to sleep eventually.  

TAE’S POV  

FUCK!! FUCK!! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!! FUCK! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO???????!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!!! The regret fills my mind as the bedroom door locks in my face. Her sobs filling the apartment, my heart cracking at the sound. Sitting outside of the door listening to the love of my life cry herself to sleep in our bedroom, alone, because of me. Baby I'm so sorry...you know I never would mean anything like that, but the words never come out.  

Nothing can physically come out as my heart pounds in my throat terrified of what tomorrow could bring. Would she leave? NO! Tae don’t think like that Y/N loves you and she’ll know you could never mean that...right? Tears streaming down my face at the thought. You fucked up...you fucking hurt her in one of the worst fucking ways possible. There's no way she's going to forgive you. Trudging back to the couch as I let the tears consume me.  

Y/N’S POV

The sun beaming in my eyes, burning, as I blink myself awake. Eyes sore, Tae’s words resting at the front of my mind. Making my way to the restroom, the second the door is open Tae is in front of me on his knees. “Baby, I’m an asshole okay but I love you and-and I'm sorry” He pleads as he wraps his arms around my waist head resting against my stomach. Disgust filling me, “Move, I have to use the restroom” Tae’s saddened figure retreats back to the living room defeated. Tears stream down my face as the hot water from the shower soaks me. My pain evident, Tae shuffling outside of the bathroom door every few minutes whispering to himself before disappearing back into the living room.  

Placing one of my tank tops and sweat pants on, I make my way out of the bathroom. Tae rushing behind me as I walk back into the bed room. The saddened puppy looks still on his face. His regret in his eyes, his face is puffy and red proof he’s been crying over his words. The sight weakening my angry state as he reaches for my face and looks into my eyes caressing my cheek. His gaze drifting to my lips, slowly leaning forward he brushes his lips against mine looking for some form of consent. My eyes close as he presses forward and kisses me with so much emotion, his tongue delving in to my mouth and tasting me. A slight moan released from his lips as he presses me against the bedroom door slamming it shut. He lifts my right leg over his waist pulling me closer, as lips slide down to my neck. The way his tongue attacks my neck, drawing a puddle in my panties, his member grinding against me hard as a rock. The need for more grows inside me as Tae pulls his lips off of my body as he whispers in my ear his voice shaky and terrified “I-I’m so s-sorry, I love you and you’re not useless. I didn’t mean it. I could never mean it, you’re perfect I swear. And I'm such an ass for saying something like that there’s no excuse for what I said but please, okay, I'm BEGGING you don’t leave me.”  

A tear slides down my face as he shakes, crying into my ear wrapping his arms around my waist. Tae’s sadness washing away any animosity toward him at his words. “Baby... you hurt me but I'd never leave you. You're all I have and I'm never giving you up” I hug him back. His smile against my neck. “I don’t deserve you.....I'm sorry” I nod and run my hands through his hair. “SO! Were you just being a tease or are you gonna finish what you started?” I ask seductively as I put Tae’s hand in my pants, a smirk creeps onto his face.  

“Oh, Kitten, I have so many plans for us today”  

[antoine-roquentin]

You see, Tesla is different. It just reported another doozie, a loss of $408 million in the second quarter, after its $702 million loss in the first quarter, for a total loss in the first half of $1.1 billion. In its 14-year history, it has never generated an annual profit. 

It has real and popular products and surging sales, but it subsidizes each of those sales with investor money. And here’s where it’s different this time: investors don’t care. They dig how the company has been consistently overpromising and underdelivering. They dig the chaos at the top. They dig everything that should scare them off.

Yeah, its shares plunged [TSLA] 11% afterhours today, but that takes those shares only down to where they’d been on May 1. Big deal. Shares are down 32% from the peak. But their peak should have been a small fraction of that. Even today, the company is still valued at over $40 billion.

Tesla lacks a viable business model in the classic sense. Its business model is a new business model of just burning investor cash that it raises via debt and equity offerings on a near-annual basis because investors encourage it to do that, and love it for it, and eagerly hand it more money to burn, and they’re rewarding each other by keeping the share price high. It’s just a game, you see. And nothing else matters.

Then there is Boeing [BA]. It just reported the largest quarterly loss in its history of $2.9 billion due to a nearly $5-billion charge related to its newest bestselling all-important 737 Max, two of which crashed, killing 346 people, due to the way the plane is designed. The flight-control software that is supposed to mitigate this design issue is not working properly. And a software fix that is acceptable to regulators remains elusive.

The plane has been grounded globally since March. No one, especially not the regulators, can afford a third crash. So today, Boeing announced that it may further cut production of the plane or suspend it altogether if the delays continue to drag out. This is big enough to start impacting US GDP.

The entire 737 Max episode has been tragic from the first minute, and the cost in human lives has been huge, and it has cost and continues to cost billions of dollars to deal with, among calls that the plane should never fly again.

And what does Boeing’s share price do? It dipped 3% today and is up 2% from a year ago, before all this happened. In essence, two crashes and the grounding of its bestselling plane, and the potential suspension of production of this plane, and its uncertain future … and the stock has ticked up over a 12-month period.

Instead of spending the resources necessary to design a modern plane from ground up, Boeing kept basing its new models on versions of its many-decades-old 737 airframe that wasn’t designed at all for what it is being used for today. This was a decision Boeing made to save some money and pump up its share price.

But here we go: From 2013 through Q1 2019, Boeing has blown a mind-boggling $43 billion on share buybacks (buyback data via YCharts):

Blowing these $43 billion on share buybacks has caused Boeing to have a “total equity” of a negative $5 billion. In other words, it has $5 billion more in liabilities than in assets. This company is out of wriggle room. If it can’t borrow enough money to make payroll, it’s over.

But nothing matters.

If Boeing had invested some of this money that it blew on share buybacks to design a new modern plane from ground up to replace the ancient 737 airframe, these tragedies could have been prevented, and Boeing wouldn’t have this nightmare on its hands. But the corporate cost-cutters and financial engineers, rather than real engineers, had the final word.

Markets don’t care about any of this. They don’t care about real engineers either. They love corporate cost-cutters and financial engineers. They want share buybacks, and if something bad happens, they’ll overlook the $5 billion to pay for the fallout because it’s just a “one-time item.”

And now Boeing still has this plane, instead of a modern plane, and the history of this plane is now tainted, as is its brand, and by extension, that of Boeing. But markets blow that off too. Nothing matters.

Companies are getting away each with their own thing. There are companies that are losing a ton of money and are burning tons of cash, with no indications that they will ever make money. And market valuations are just ludicrous.

A tiny maker of fake-meat hamburgers and hot dogs with just $40 million in sales in the last quarter, its best quarter ever, generating $6.6 million in losses, after 10 years in business, Beyond Meat [BYND] has a stock price that values the company at $12 billion because it will change the way the universe operates, or whatever.

[breathebangtan]

Credulous

Ch. 6: J…….

Genre: FallenGuardianAngel! Jimin, Supernatural

Members: Jimin

Pairings: Jimin x y/n

Synopsis: love is an uncontrollable feeling, even for those who were meant to protect, and only protect. Nothing more and nothing less. Yet somehow, there was always outliers.

Warnings: None really

Word count: 5.8k

A/N: Hope you all enjoy! Please like and reblog if you do!

Ch.1 | Ch.5 | Ch.7

~

The bus I took was pretty barren, like a desert with cactus in randoms spots, with the occasional eagle perched on it. I took my seat, somewhere in the middle, near the back. The driver took a few minutes to finish loading the luggage. As he did I got comfortable in my seat, resting my head on the window. The smell of vanilla with lavender and roses was slightly filling my space, it wasn’t strong in the slightest. As a matter of fact, the vanilla wasn't as apparent as the flowery smells. The connection Jimin and I shared was becoming apparent as well, but barely even there. “Rest your head on my shoulder.” He whispered, as if not to startle me. I felt slight panic though, I was afraid someone would see him and wonder how he got on. “Only you can see me right now, and hear me for that matter.” He reassures me as if he read my thoughts. I give a little sigh, relaxing as I rest my head on him. I’d be lying if I said I felt the same amount of warmth I felt when we first met. Everything about him from that night was starting to disappear, or lessen at least. I wondered if maybe it was because I was getting use to his presence or if it was the stress he’d mentioned before, taking its toll on him. If it was the latter, I worried for him. Even if he was a heavenly being, the fact that he had stress at all proved to me that he could be fragile too.

I entangled my hand in his, trying to return the comfort he’d giving me all this time, hoping that maybe I could act as a remedy that could get his heart beating again. “Malum.” Jimin whispered, repositioning his chin atop my head, ever so gently, it was as if he was barely pressing down. “Hm?” I hummed slightly, letting my eyes flutter shut. “You know I love you, right?” He asked, his voice was filled with more emotion than I’d ever heard anyone put into words. The suddenness of them catching me off guard, the genuine raw emotion burning through my ears, like hot iron making its way to my heart until it left a permanent mark. I didn’t know what to say, or what to do. “I…” I pushed away from him, staring up into his eyes. They were soft, not expecting anything, just hopeful. I just wasn't sure what they hoped for.

“All I want is your safety and happiness. You know that, right?” He continued. I don’t know why I’d felt so weird about it, he was my guardian, that’s what he meant when he said it. He loves me as much as any other guardian angel can love their assigned human, that’s what he meant. Nothing more to it. So why did I feel so oddly about it? “Of course.” I whispered back to him, as I noticed that the driver had finally made it in, getting ready to pull out of the station. Anyone who was remotely close to me, was wearing headphones. I could talk freely to Jimin without anyone questioning me, but I didn’t want to be louder than a whisper because the same silence would make my voice identifiable. If the driver heard me, he’d think I was crazy.

My hold on his hand tightens, as if to assure him. “I’d be lost without you.” The words escape my lips in such a breathy whisper, as I let myself rest on his shoulder again, hoping to drift into sleep even if just for a little while. His soft humming lulling me into slumber. I was supposed to be back home, at my parents house before midnight, which gave me plenty of time to rest. So I let the movement of the bus’ wheels on the concrete ground rock me, like a baby being carried by its mother on a rocking chair. Everything was so peaceful.

~

“We are currently 8 minutes away from our destination. Please be sure to gather all your belongings and be ready for our arrival. Don’t forget to wait for your luggage after you’ve gotten off.” The drivers announcement wakes me up. I’m thankful that he speaks in such a soft voice, saving me from being startled awake. As I regain consciousness, I realise that Jimin is gone now. My eyes look to the window to see the familiar city I’d been away from longer than I’d like. I waited for the bus driver to give me my luggage before walking into the bus station to await a taxi I'd called.

It didn't take long to arrive home from the station, nothing over 10 minutes. Which was great because I made it home with a little less than half an hour left before 12. I paid off the taxi with the remainder of the 100 dollar tip I'd received from the odd customer. I still could not believe that, that money was literally just enough to pay for my bus ticket and the taxi ride here. My head was starting to throb as I tried to explain how a simple customer, who had given me a weird nickname by the way, was able to predict what I’d go through? There was no way, he’d probably just been generous with what he decided was a fair amount to tip, and decided to write whatever?

Trying my best to put the thought aside, I knocked on my parents door and waited for them to open. I hoped I wasn't waking them, I had warned them I'd be here around this time. “Y/n! My beautiful daughter, oh you're home!” My mother says excitedly as she opens the door, pulling me into a tight hug. My father laughing behind her, bringing my suitcase inside with him. “Come on in sweetheart, you must be cold.” She ushers me inside the warm home, the one I've missed for quite some time now. Being an adult was tough, and being away from your parents for the first time was worse. I knew it was part of life, and I didn't mind it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss being in this house. In their presence. “I've missed you both. So much.” I sigh as I hug my dad, he pats my back slowly.

“We're so glad to have you home.” He smiles down at me, kissing the top of my head. The lights are mostly off but the ones that are, are dim creating a cozy environment. “Why don't you go rest, and we’ll plan something for tomorrow in the morning.” Mom asks me as they lead me up stairs. Even though I’d slept on the way here, I’m still exhausted. So of course I nod my head in agreement as we come up to my room. “Goodnight sweetie.” My mother says as she opens my door before walking off with dad. It’s just as I left it before moving out into my apartment. My white desk with all sorts of stationary on it, sticky notes on the wall in front of it. The fairy lights I had hung all over my room still intact, I wondered if they still worked though. I laid my suitcase on the floor and opened it, bringing out my pajamas. My burgundy bed covers perfectly made, it looked so inviting. I changed quickly and got into bed, leaving my phone charging on my nightstand. My mind drifted off not too long after and I welcomed it, ready to rest.

Instead of drifting into peaceful sleep, however, my mind started to go into dreamland for the first time in awhile. Only it wasn't a dream, but a nightmare. A weird distorted image of Jimin replying in my head. Oddly enough, the strange customer who had given me the 100 dollar tip was behind him, wicked smile on his lips, horns on his head paired with dark crimson wings. The same color as the tears streaming down Jimin's face, which was contorted into a pained expression. His hands tied behind his back whispering apologizes as I tried to run towards him, but I wasn't moving, my body trapped in place. The man behind him brought his hand up, his fingers getting ready to snap. All I could hear was my agonizing screams, asking him to stop, but it was useless. He'd snapped his fingers, and flames consumed Jimin. My body shot up in my bed as hot tears slipped down my cheeks, burning like alcohol on fresh wounds. I couldn't believe I had witnessed that, even if it was just a nightmare. So vividly, it was like it had truly happened. My hand came to my throat as I tried to breathe, but it was hard as I started hyperventilating.

“Malum? Are you okay?” Jimin was quick to rush to my side, bringing me into his embrace. “I thought I'd lost you.” I manage through heavy breathing. It didn't seem like just a nightmare, if I was honest, and that scared me. I wrapped my arms around him, not wanting to let him go. Afraid that he'd be taken from me. I've only known him for half a month, but I felt like I'd known him my whole life. I hadn't realised the gravity of just how much I cared for him. The way he looked at me when I studied, his adoring smile always made me blush. How he'd always check on me, to make sure I was alright, helping me out with such meaningless things like finding my keys. The fact that he knew what I wanted, when I wanted it. All he wanted was for me to be okay, but I didn't know that all I wanted was for him to be so too. I wanted him to stay by my side for as long as I could have him.

I was afraid I was becoming too attached to him, of what my feelings for him really were. He was my guardian, and he could never be anything more. “Please say that you'll always stay.” Another stream of tears slipped down, as I couldn't imagine him being ripped away from me. He pushed back the strands of my hair, holding my face from either side, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. His eyes staring into my soul, their beautiful dark brown shade was mesmerizing. “What are you saying? I'll always stay here. With you.” He leans in, leaving a reassuring kiss on my forehead. God I hoped my nightmare as meaningless, I hoped with everything inside me that his words weren't anything but the truth.

“I just can't imagine not having you.” I sighed into his neck as he held me close. Just as I'd said that, a knock came from my door. “Honey? Is someone in there with you?” My mother's voice chimed in, somewhat muffled because of the door. A slight panic came over me as I tried to think of an excuse. “No… No, not at all. I'm just talking to myself.” I face palmed at my own excuse, I'd probably sounded crazy. Not like most people didn't do it, but no one would admit it, because it would make them sound like a lunatic.

“Are you sure? I swear a heard a man's voice.” She insists, Jimin leans back slightly, his head falling back as he giggles quietly, watching me struggle. “Oh, I'm just watching something on my phone. But did you need anything?” I ask trying to change the subject as I hit Jimin’s arm. Not that it helps, so instead I cover his mouth with my hand. “Okay, well breakfast is ready. Why don't you come down and eat with us.” She says, thankfully not mentioning it again.

“I'll be right down.” I wait for her footsteps to sound further away before I remove my hand from his mouth, giving him a stern look. All he can do is raise his hands in the air as if he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong. “You just love seeing me panic, trying to cover for you, don't you?” He chuckles shaking his head. I get up from my bed, walking to my suitcase.

“Of course not… Besides that would be bad for me.” I could tell from his tone he wasn't being serious, even though half of his sentence was true. “Just admit it. You evil man, making me struggle.” I try my best to sound serious, but the slight laugh in my tone is apparent.

“Okay, just a little.” He giggles again. I grab my shoe and fling it at him, but once I turn to look at him he's gone and in his place is the shoe I’d thrown laying on my bed. There's a slight pull at my heart, as the images of my nightmare flashback for a second. Hoping this isn't the last time I see him, I gather a change of clothes and my toothbrush. After I'd washed up and changed, I walked down to the dining table. My favorites were set up on the table, in elaborate arrangements, pleasing to the eye. I was more than ready to dig in. “Mom… You really didn't have too.” I smile at her, taking a seat. I'd missed her cooking so much, and to wake up with all my breakfast favorites was a wish come true. At the same time I didn't want her to overwork herself for me. “It's been so long since you were home. I thought it would be perfect.” She smiles, as the smell of everything makes my mouth water.

“It is, it's perfect. Thank you, mom.” I pick up my fork, taking a bite. All of the flavors coming together in perfect harmony, nothing to overpowering, but just right. A symphony of flavors bursting in my mouth. It really had been so long since I'd had her cooking. “Your mother and I were thinking of going to the science museum. The one we use to go to when you were younger. You loved that place so much, we thought it would be perfect.” Dad smiles at me, waiting to see my reaction. I nod quickly, loving the idea. I could barely remember the place, as it had been that long.

“I heard they added some new stuff, is it true?” I wondered out loud. The website for the museum had mentioned something along those lines a couple months ago, but I wasn't sure if I'd read correctly because I was multitasking as I had done it. “A colleague of mine went with her son just a few weeks ago. She said there was new additions and some changes to already existing exhibitions.” Mom explained, which made me get so much more excited for it. Both my parents were what some might call, science nerds, so naturally growing up they'd shown me related things. I grew a liking to it, of course. But I had a feeling my parents always knew it wasn’t for me. Although, to be fair I wasn’t sure what was for me.

“Well I’m excited to go! It’s been so long since we’ve done something as a family.” I smiled happily at the both of them. We finished eating soon after, mom sending me up to my room to get ready, stating that surely I had nicer clothes to wear. I laughed at her comment and agreed, a somewhat prestigious place like that wasn’t to show up in ripped jeans and a simple tee. I replaced my current outfit for a black skirt and a beige blouse tucked into it, pairing it with black boots. The car ride to the museum wasn't too long, at least it didn't feel long, but it did take close to 40 minutes. It was pretty far away from home, but we still managed to make it relatively early in the morning.

The line to get inside was pretty big, so much so that many were standing outside waiting to go in. Surprisingly so, the line moved relatively fast. More than I'd expect it to with this many people waiting. We finally made it inside and started exploring. Taking pictures here and there. As we went along we noticed all the new additions that were made. Like the electric wall that makes your hair go crazy because of negative and positive energy mixing. Or the new area that was dedicated to climate change, and the negative effects it had on the atmosphere, and the earth in the long run. Everything was just as interesting as I’d remembered it, my parents throwing big scientific words around as they explained things to me. Not that I’d understand everything, but I got the gist of it, I enjoyed listening to them happily explain things to me. Watching them enjoy it made me happy.

After some time of walking, we headed out for lunch. “Wasn’t that just amazing?” Dad asked me as he buckled his seatbelt. The both of them with big smiles on their faces. “They adore you so much. How could they not?” Jimin’s voice says from beside me, my head turns so quickly to see him seated beside me, I think I nearly gave myself whiplash. He can only laugh at me, as I try to go back to conversing with my parents. “Yeah, just how I remember it as a child. I love the climate change section they added.” I try to keep our conversation going. Which works, my parents both busy talking to each other about it now. “Did you miss me.” He asks, innocent smile across his lips, I can only shake my head at his comment. “Do you always have to startle me when I’m around people?” I giggle slightly as I whisper to him, my parents not even aware, thankfully.

“I’m sorry, I just needed to check on you. After what seemed like a nightmare this morning, I wanted to see for myself that you were alright.” His eyes are sincere, as I hold his hand in mine. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to be my guardian. “As long as you’re here, I’ll always be alright.” I couldn’t help but smile at him. I was starting to forget my parents were still in the car, because my mom was calling my name when I heard their voices again. “Hmm?” I ask her.

“I was just asking where you’d like to go for lunch.” She repeats herself. I didn't realise I completely stop listening to them, I'd only paid attention to Jimin in that short span of time. I was just so glad that he was back, because to be honest with myself, my heart had been beating irrationally this whole time. Worried he'd never comeback, I couldn't help but feel anxious. Maybe I should get use to it though, seeing as he was breaking rules letting me see him. Letting me know he exists, not that he ever mentioned it, but I was starting to realise it. “Anywhere is fine.” I smiled slowly at my mom as she nodded, my dad pulled out of the parking lot, taking us wherever. I could only look back to Jimin, trying to burn his image in my head, in case the ones upstairs decided it was time he stopped visiting me.

My parents started talking again and I commented here and there, as I did I felt Jimin’s hand leave mine. He was gone again. I fought the anxiety that was building up inside me, and tried to keep smiling for my parents. We finally made it to a restaurant we use to frequent when I was much younger. We made it in, and got seated almost immediately and just as quickly got our orders taken. “Sweetie.” My mom spoke to me, fixing her shirt.

“Yeah?” I gave her my full attention, waiting for her to say what was on her mind. “You never told us why you had the week of from both work and school.” She wondered, which she was right about, I’d only mentioned I had the week off but never explained why to her. I was still quite shocked at what was happening in school to be honest. “I still can’t believe why myself, but apparently the dean and couple professors have been money laundering with the students tuitions.” I shook my head slight as I sighed. Both my parents went wide eyed, not being able to believe it. “Money laundering?” My dad repeated as I nodded my head, insuring him that’s what I’d said. There reactions were similar to mine, when Rae had first told me.

“Yeah, Rae said that one of our professors was involved so there was a chance that by the time we went back to school, we’d have a new professors.” My mother raised an eyebrow as if saying wow. Which I agreed to. “What about work?” My dad questioned. I took a sip of my drink before answering his questions. I made a mental note to call Stephen later this week, see how he's doing. Poor guy, I could only imagine what he was going through. He'd seemed so rough the last time I'd seen him at work. “My boss gave us the week off, apparently his mother was in an accident. He just didn't want to deal with the shop, since he had to go and take care of her.” They both nodded, taking in the information.

“Poor guy, is his mother badly injured?” Mom inquiries, but frankly I didn't know. Stephen didn't give us any specifics, and I didn't blame him. He didn't have to tell us, if he wanted to keep his private life as that, private, then I was okay with that. “I'm not sure, he didn't say. He looked really stressed out though. I hope she's okay.” I sighed, I really hoped for the best for him and his family. The rest of the lunch went peacefully as we reminisced. Silly things I use to do as a child, places we'd use to go together, or short vacations we'd go on. I'd missed my parents and spending today with them was great. I felt refreshed.

That was until we'd gotten home, and I realised that I still didn't have my wallet or anything with me. Which of course I needed. I knew my parents could probably buy my ticket for me without a problem, as a matter of fact they insisted once I told them why I needed to go to the bank. But I didn't want to rely on them or their money. So, I walked to the bank that was near our house. Of course, dad argued that he could drive me, but it was in walking distance and I didn't mind. Eventually he gave up and they let me walk. The walk there was around ten minutes, which wasn't too bad, but it was chilly out so I was glad I decided to put on a sweater. I just hadn’t noticed that I’d mindlessly put on Jimin’s sweater until my mom pointed it out, before I’d left.

“Is that a man’s sweater?” She asked me, as she inspected it. I was caught by surprise, looking down at it. “Oh… I uh… I saw it at a store and really liked it. I didn’t mind that it was a man’s. Why? Does it look okay?” I asked her, trying to sound as innocent as possible. She brushed it off saying it looked nice on e regardless and walked away to the living room with my dad.

It still had his scent on it, strong vanilla with slight lavender and roses. I missed that smell. These days, his stress was making him change in all aspects. His light was dimmed, his roots turning black, his scent barely there, and our connection was weak. But his sweater reminded me of how cheerful and full of light he was when I first met him. I wished I could do something to help him get over his stress. I made it to the bank sooner than I thought, must have been because I was so caught up thinking of my guardian. “Hi, how can I help you today?” The woman behind the desk asked as she looked away from her computer screen. Her perfectly placed dark brown hair. Not a strand out of place.

“Hi, I just wanted to take out some money. I’m here on vacation, but I forgot my wallet at home. I wondering if I could do something about it?” I asked her. She smiled kindly, nodding at me, typing something into her keyboard. “Of course, do you have your ID?” She asked me, and I reached into my purse. Thankfully I had left a second ID at home with my parents before leaving to college. I got it out and handed it to the woman her took a look before typing some more. The process wasn’t as hard as I had imagined. She just asked a couple questions that seemed to be routinely. Once she’d given me my money inside a little envelope which I stuffed in my purse, I walked out. Before heading home I decided I wanted to buy some junk food from a convenience store that was close. Little did I know I’d run into David here, much less in my hometown. An odd thought that he’d been stalking me came to mind, but I remembered that he’d said he loved in a different town as well. Maybe he was here visiting as well.

“Y/n? Hey? How are you doing?” He asks, walking closer to me. I smiled at him as he leaned in for a hug. I didn’t want to be rude so I returned it. “I’m fine, I’m sorry about the other day. I really didn’t mean to just leave you there.” I sigh, feeling sorry that I’d done that to him, he didn’t do anything wrong. But I also just couldn’t be there, after what I’d gone through before that, I just needed to run away. “Don’t worry about it, I understand.” He smiles back. I nodded, walking with him through the store as we got what we needed.

“I’d like to take you out soon though, like we said that night.” He smiles, paying for his things, as I wait for him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go out with him. Leading him on wasn’t fair, and to be quite frank I don’t even know what took over me that night that made me say and agree to things I wasn’t truly feeling.

He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, how could I say no? My mind started up again, just like that night. The vacancy inside my chest coming back just as addictive yet unpleasant as before. The sudden emptiness taking my breath away. But I was quick to regain it, a little use to it. “Yeah… you know what?” I pause, thinking of what I was about to say.

Just say yes, look at those pink lips. So kissable. I need to try them. My voice was starting to become more seductive, but it was odd, didn’t sound exactly like myself. I was confused. “Let’s do it. I've been meaning to see you again.” I was confused at my own words, but I went along with them, even if I wanted to disagree, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I couldn’t explain why either. But I did notice that everytime I spoke in such away to him, or the thoughts that I was having came to mind, the smell of lavender and roses was growing stronger.

His smile grew from ear to ear which made me do so as well. “Oh great, I’d love that. Maybe when we get back? I know the perfect place to go to. I think you’ll really like it.” He speaks as he guides me out of the store. I just nod my head, walking close to him.

“Sounds great, getting to know you better. We barely got the chance to last time,” I pout slightly, looking up at him. “and I know from the short time we spent together last time, it’ll be fun doing so.” His cheeks stained with a rosy color that I knew well enough it wasn’t from the cold breeze. “But David, you never said why you’re in town.” I wondered out loud.

“Oh, I came to pick something up from a friend who lives here. Since we have the week off school, I decided I’d stay over a little longer. Haven’t seen the guy in a couple months.” He explained with ease, and I nodded as he did, taking in the information as I walked. Relief when he explained, the thoughts of him stalking me escaping. I breathed a little more freely after that. “Are you here visiting someone too?” He questions me now.

“Uh, yeah I came to visit my parents.” I smiled, we were getting closer to the street I had to take a turn on, which meant I may have to say goodbye to David. “Oh that's right. You mentioned you lived two cities away.” His face expressing the sudden remembrance to the piece of information I'd told him that night. I giggled slightly at it, before we were interrupted.

“Malum? What are you doing?” Jimin's familiar voice calls out to me, as I hear his footsteps get closer. My mind told me to ignore him, because if I responded, David would think I was weird, talking to air. My heart dropped in a matter of seconds when David questioned me, however. “Is he talking to you?” He asked, and I realised Jimin wasn't hiding, he was making himself visible to David. I turned around to face him. I noticed the black in his hair was starting to pass being just in his roots. Was he okay?

“Ji… What are you doing here?” I stopped myself from saying his name, not wanting David to hear. Instead I questioned him on his presence, and the fact that he was openly letting David see him. “Your mother sent me out to get you, she felt you were taking too long. Was a bit worried.” He explained as he grabbed the bag from my hand. Obviously I knew he was lying, but why was he? “Let's go home, yeah?” He gestured towards my house with a slight nod of his head.

“Who is he?” David questioned, his expression was a bit bitter at Jimin, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice Jimin's sour one as well. “Uh, who are you?” Jimin retorted. My eyes going wide for a second. “This is just, uh… My neighbor, were childhood friends.” I giggled as I tried to come up with an excuse on the spot, hoping David would ignore Jimin's comment. “I really should get going now.” I smiled, I was about to hug him goodbye, but Jimin's hand slipped in mine, catching me off guard. He pulled me away towards my house, all I could do was wave at David instead, as he stood their dumbfounded. His expression growing more confused when Jimin snaked his arm around my waist and kissed near my temple. Leaving me just as confused, as I looked up at him.

I would have said something, but I was just so speechless at Jimin's actions. Once we were a couple houses away from mine, I took my bag and pushed him away. “What were you thinking?” I angrily said, as I walked away. My mom and dad were chatting in the kitchen and didn't stop to ask what they were up to, instead just announcing I was home before rushing up to my room. “What was I thinking? What about you?” Jimin's voice was a bit louder than it usually was with me, a tad bit aggressive as well. I was use to him scolding me sometimes, but even then it was sweet and calm. This? I'd never heard from him, he was so different now.

“Me? I did nothing wrong? I was talking to a friend, coming home. Until you decided to show up, and reveal yourself to him. What the hell was that about?” I fought back, my voice wanting to yell at him, but I knew I couldn't. My parents would come and ask what was going on, and that was out of the question. “Out of all people, him? After what happened a couple nights ago? I don't want you around him. Is that too much to ask? Only look at me. I've told you, you're mine,” He takes a few steps closer to me, his stare is intense, and where his usually brown eyes that had a spark of light in them use to reside, are now deep dark brown eyes that could easily be mistaken for black. An emotion I wasn't familiar with expressed in them. “I need to know you're safe.” I felt like my body was floating, my mind was not existent now, and I was losing myself inside his eyes. That was until I realised that the moment his words left his lips, the black in his hair start consuming the blonde that was left. At the same time, the little bit of light that still followed him was gone, nothing at all was left. I wasn't sure why, but I felt a piece of me leave, in that instant. A single tear fell from my eye, as I reached to touch his hair.

“What's happening to you?” I questioned, my fingers touching the dark strands. The blonde disappeared so quickly, leaving nothing behind but black hair that resembled the feathers of a raven sitting on a windowsill. My heart ached, as I wasn't sure who was standing in front of me anymore. His hand wasn't as warm as it use to be, as he wrapped it around my wrist. His soft lips leaving a kiss on my hand. “I've told you, it's just stress.” I couldn't help but think that I was the one causing him all that stress. He didn't want me around David because of what happened the last time I was with him. He was afraid I would be in danger around him. Here I was, trying to relive his stress, but I was just adding on to it.

“I'm… I'm sorry, I'll stay away from him. Just, please don't worry so much.” I needed to find a way to help him, I just wasn't sure how. “I just need to have you here with me, and everything will be okay.” He pulls me into his embrace, one that feels oddly different in a pool of familiarity.

I was his? As I let him hold me, his words came back and repeated themselves in my head. Only look at me. What did he mean?

[ohsoethical]

October Exposé: Coca Cola

Hey guys! Happy October and welcome to another monthly exposé!

This month I am exposing a worldwide fave, a multinational corporation that brings joy and cavities to people of all ages, races etc.

COCA-COLA (CC)

Can’t lie, I’m not surprised by the content I found regarding their corrupt past and present. However, I am really quite shocked by the extent to which CC has destroyed lives all around the world. Article after article, there’s a lot to take in.

In order to make this a bit more digestible, I’ve summarised everything to the best of my abilty, and provided links if you’re eager to find out more.

Anyways, let’s get straight into it.

Water

Bottling plants require a large amount of water, 1.9L of water required to make one small bottle of Coca-Cola. This doesn’t even cover all of it, as growing the sugar cane used in their drinks results in an extra 400 litres of water to make a bottle of Cola. 

CC has faced crisis in India, due to their mismanagement of water in the country. It has systemically rinsed villages of their water resources, leaving them with little or toxic water resources. It continues to operate bottling plants in places where the demand for water already exceeds the amount of water available, and proposes new plants in areas where communities already have limited access to safe drinking water. 

However, activists have been taking a stand against Coca Cola. And they’ve succeeded:

Tamil Nadu

In March this year, it was reported that 1m traders in Tamil Nadu, India, were boycotting Coca-Cola and Pepsi drinks after two Indian trade associations called them out for exploiting India’s water resources.

“These foreign companies are using up scarce water resources of the state,” K Mohan, secretary of the Vanigar Sangam, one of the associations supporting the boycott.

Indeed, in January, Tamil Nadu had been declared by officials as ‘drought-hit’, with many villagers suffering as a result.

“[Foreign companies] are exploiting the state’s water bodies to manufacture aerated drinks while farmers were facing severe drought.” Vikram Raja, president of the Vanigar Sangam trade association.

Kerala

This bold boycott spread to Kerala, where traders also decided to ban the sale of Coca Cola and Pepsi. It was decided that when the boycott was officially approved, sales of beverages and tender coconut produced by locals would be promoted instead. The government was in support of this, and stated it would further restrict the use of groundwater at Palakkad, Kerala.

The region of Plachimada in Palakkad was particularly affected by CC’s activities. A bottling plant was built there in 1999, and CC were permitted to extract up to 1.5mL of water, as well as extract ground water to meet its demands of 3.8L of water for 1L of cola. This led to a decline in the quality of groundwater, with high concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. The by-product of this was initially sold to villagers as fertiliser However, in 2003, it was found that it contained high levels of toxic metals and the carcinogen cadmium. These problems were extremely problematic to the people living in this region.

"The area's farming industry has been devastated and jobs, as well as the health of the local people, have been put at risk.”

The reality of the situation can be understood most harrowingly when referring to the account of K Kanniamma, a 70 year old who lived in Plachimada village.

“Before the factory opened here we were dependent on our water requirements on our well. Once the factory opened the water level in the wells started going down. 

Initially, we did not know the reason for it. When we used that water, our eyes and skin had a burning sensation. Only then we realised that our water had been poisoned.”

70-year-old Kanniamma recounts a time from before the Coca-Cola factory when they had sweet water in their wells

Public anger led to villagers forming the ‘Coca-Cola Virudha Janakeeya Samara Samithy,’ a body fighting for the closure of the factory in Plachimada, in 2002. Awareness camps and torchlight vigils were organised, resulting in several villagers picketing the factory. As a result, Coca-Cola slapped charges against the leaders. 

Listening to the locals, the local self-government organisation (the Perumatty Panchayat) refused to renew CC’s license on account of the exploitation of natural resources thet had affected the public.  However, CC then approached the government’s Local Self-Government Department, who overruled the banning of their licence, and allowed them to continue its operations, as long as it found alternative sources of water supply. Members of the Coca-Cola Virudha Janakeeya Samara Samithy continued to be active and in 2004, the plant in Plachimada was shut. Finally, the 12-year old case reached closure when Coca-Cola gave up its license, stating that it did not intend to resume production from Plachimadia. The activists had succeeded.

But wait, it gets even better.

In March 2010, a High Power Committee established by the state government of Kerala recommended that CC be fined the equivalent of $48m for damages caused as a result of the company’s bottling operations in Plachimadia. The report stated:

“It is obligatory that they pay the compensation to the affected people for the agricultural losses, health problems, loss of wages, loss of educational opportunities, and the pollution caused to the water resources.”

The report clarified that the compensation suggested did not include damages caused by the reduction in water, and that such damages must be assessed.

The report also agreed that Coca-Cola should be held criminally liable for its  actions in Plachimada.

India’s activists have proved the power of the people. The very fact that they got their governments to stand up against a multinational corporation such as CC is honestly one of the most inspiring things I have ever read.

Sugar Cane

According to findings from this year,  CC made limited efforts to tackle forced labour risks in their sugarcane supply chain. This includes a high risk of debt bondage imposed on workers in India and human trafficking risks in Guatemala.

For example, CC was unable to provide an example of grievance procedures carried out (procedures where workers could complain about working conditions) when labour abuses were identified. This indicated that workers/suppliers were not properly instructed on complaint procedures. There was also little law enforcement or contracts to protect workers.

Agricultural workers, particularly migrants were most at risk. Indeed, Brazil and India, the two largest sugarcane producers in the world, rely on mostly migrants and rural workers with little education. Workers manually harvest sugarcane under hazardous working conditions, long working hours, and low wages. Lack of language skills and education leave these workers further vulnerable to exploitation and deception over work and wages.

CC was unable to commit to its agreement in 2013 to disclose the names of all its direct sugarcane suppliers within three years. This would enable researchers to conduct extensive research regarding the working conditions under CC’s suppliers.

Israel

CC has been a staunch supporter of Israel and it’s illegal occupation of Palestine. 

In 2009, CC hosted a special reception at their headquarters to honour General Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, who served as Israeli Defence Minister under Ariel Sharon and was in charge of the storming of a refugee camp in 2002, leaving hundreds of Palestinians dead.

Every year, CC financially supports the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce Awards which honors companies that have contributed most to the Israeli economy. In 2009, a CC sponsored award went to the lobbying group AIPAC for its lobbying of the American Senate to reject the UN call for immediate ceasefire and support the continuation of the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Most recently, it has been operating in Atarot and Shadmot Mehola illegal settlements. Israel has been building illegal settlements on Palestinian land since 1967, after it illegally occupied Gaza and the West Bank. This inhuman practice violates international law, and continues to destroy Palestinian lives.

In addition, CC has built a bottling plant in Gaza, which is under siege. This is a problem, as Palestinians in Gaza face a chronic shortage of freshwater, and access to water is limited to 6-8 hours for 1-4 days a week for Gazans. Inevitably, this raises questions regarding the amount of water that is left for Gazans after CC has extracted large quantities from the area. There is also concern regarding the factory’s electricity supply, as the only power plant in Gaza is only able to supply 30% of the population in irregular intervals. It has been indicated that Coke will be given preferential access to water and electricity, and will also be allowed the passage of necessary materials, while essential building materials for hospitals are barred. It is clearly not about creating jobs for Palestinians- if CC truly cared, they would call for the lifting of the siege on Gaza.

Moreover, it has been revealed that Coca Cola sent thousands of dollars ($13,850) to Im Tirtzu, an extremist, pro-settlement Israeli group. This group has described the Nakba (literally translates as ‘the catastrophe’- where an estimated 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes and hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages depopulated and destroyed) as ‘rubbish - a collection of tall tales and myths’. They have also launched smear campaigns against Jewish critics of Israeli policy, accusing them of being ‘planted’ by anti-Israel groups for propaganda and spying. 

For more info on Coca-Cola’s history with Israel and Zionism hit up http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-coca-cola.html#f48

Orange groves

In 2012, an investigation found that thousands of African migrant workers were being exploited in Italian orange groves. Coca-Cola is one of the major buyers of concentrated orange juice in Calabria which it uses for its Fanta brand in Italy. Many of these workers were refugees who had made the journey across the Mediterranean. They were found earning as little as £21 for a days picking in the orange groves, and that many lived in slum conditions in makeshift camps without power or sanitation, and fell prey to gangmasters who in some cases charged a fee for organising their picking shifts. Pietro Molinaro, head of Coldiretti Calabria, the regional branch of Italy's national farming union, claimed that previous attempts to raise the issue of low prices and its link to poor working conditions with Coca-Cola had not received a response.

"This area is facing a big problem: the price big companies pay for this juice is not fair. All in all they force the small processing plants in the area – those that squeeze oranges and produce concentrate – to underpay for raw materials.”

Human Rights Violations

Coca-Cola has a very dark past regarding its human rights violations, and the murder of activists.

Coca-Cola is accused by Colombian courts of financing terrorism for their ties with the now disbanded paramilitary group United Self-Defence Forces of Columbia, hiring hitmen from them between 1990 and 2002 to kill at least 10 trade union leaders who were trying to organise at CC plants. The paramilitary group was responsible for a number of massacres, human rights abuses, kidnappings and extortions that resulted in the displacement of thousands of Colombians.

The human rights violations continue. For example, On June 25, 2015 thugs killed retired Coca Cola worker Wilmer Enrique Giraldo. Wilmer had been injured at work, was forced from his job, received death threats, and fled in fear to Medellin.  Luis Enrique Girado Arango, his father, also worked for Coca Cola and also belonged to a trade union. Paramilitaries assassinated Luis Enrique Girado in 1994.

For more info regarding CC and their attempts to silence trade unions and workers’ actively fighting for justice against CC’s exploitative practices around the world, check out http://www.iuf.org/ccww/?q=taxonomy/term/99.

So there you have it. A whole range of crimes committed by just one corporation, destroying lives across the world. It is pretty dire stuff, but we must not and cannot respond with despondence. We must utilise our anger and sadness with ACTION, and I don’t mean going around breaking shit, I mean making sure you CALL COCA COLA OUT. Multinational corporations are dependent on consumer approval, so to let them know that you, as a regular consumer, are disgusted by their actions- this can have a HUGE impact. 

Below are the contact deets you can use to message them and ask them what they’re doing to ensure the safety and security of their workers and those affected by their actions.

Twitter: @CocaCola

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cocacolaGB/?brand_redir=40796308305

Insta: @cocacola

Contact form: https://contactform.coca-cola.co.uk

Phone Number: 020 8237 3000

Catch you for the next exposé and remember BUN COCA COLA 2K17 XXXXX

[kuwaiti-kid]

12 Life Lessons to Learn, and Keep, From This Pandemic

A lot has changed in the last several weeks, and it likely won't be going back to being completely normal any time soon. This time at home has taught us a lot, though. I think for many, we are learning life lessons and resetting our priorities.

We need to hang on to these essential life lessons even when we start moving forward and go back to whatever new normal awaits us. Think about it, much of how we lived our lives before this point included a ton of social media, a bunch of keeping up with the Jones', and a sense of financial security and health invincibility because the market was doing well.

We as a society were traveling like crazy and doing all kinds of new things without getting sick (according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourist arrivals across the globe was supposed to cross 1.5 billion by this year.

That has all come to a grinding halt. Mother earth has made us a victim of her latest punishment. We as humans need to not only stay safe and sane during this time (and please do, work to relieve stress and practice self-care please), but we also need to take this wakeup call and learn from it. We CANNOT keep going as we were. It's not sustainable.

So, what life lessons am I referring to? I made a list 🙂 Check it out and see if you agree, or if you'd have anything to add.

Life Lessons from this Pandemic

1- Prioritizing Our Relationships With Family and Friends

This is a must, and I don't think we were doing this enough. Now we are forced to, and I'm sure some families are at each other's last nerve. But, I think we should take a minute and appreciate what we are being given: a chance to reconnect and understand each other. An opportunity to work on our interpersonal relationships, let go of past issues, forgive each other, make new memories, and get creative with how we are spending our time together.

Life Lessons: I think this is an essential life lesson to take away. The people closest to you deserve your time and attention, and vice versa. Use this time to reforge these relationships so that you can carry them with you for the rest of ever. No more excuses for not having enough time to do so; we have enough technology at our fingertips to stay connected no matter what. For those who feel they can't reach out to family, remember that not every family is made of blood. So, find your people, your loved ones, and use this time to strengthen the bonds you do have.

2 – The Importance of Health and Wellness

I hope everyone that once took their health for granted, and their access to medications, now realizes how lucky we've been thus far. I also hope everyone says, “ok, time to make health a priority.” Until you are taking care of yourself, you will not be able to fight, not just COVID, but any illness.

Life lesson: Take steps now to redefine your view of fitness and health. I'm not saying you need to become a bodybuilder, but pay attention to your food and activity levels, and work on developing healthy habits and build a healthy lifestyle. Think of food like it's medicine and use it to work for you and keep you fit (versus what a lot of people do with eating fast food and the like and it makes them ill). Pay attention to your activity and movement.

Take care of yourself now so that your body and mind can fight for you later. Take action. #Fuelup.

A motivational quote to further inspire you:

…life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass…

Maya Angelou

3 -Decreasing Pollution Benefits Us and the Planet

Climate change is real (polar ice caps are melting, earth's surface temperatures have increased, sea levels have risen, and the ocean is warmer). This is all due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One of the good things to come from this situation is that it has put a halt on production and factories have shut down. Thus, air pollution levels are at an all-time low, and animals are coming out to play.

Life lesson: I think this is one of the most important lessons ever, the planet doesn't need us; we need it. Let's start respecting the ground we live on and take care of it because by doing so, we will extend our ability to live in it, and we'll make life better for ourselves.

4 – We Really Don't Need to Spend as Much as We Usually do

How many people under normal circumstances would have online shopped and gone to the mall about five times now? I could probably fall into this category. Spending money is a wonderful stress reliever.

Life lesson: How much of our spending is actually necessary? I've saved a lot of money in the last month alone, mainly by not eating out and not buying things I don't need. Funny thing, I don't feel like I'm missing out.

Hopefully, this has shown us that we don't need much to be happy, what we have is good enough, and we need to be thankful for it; the rest is just excess and look how easy it is to cut it out of our lives! Those items you thought you couldn't live without? Guess what, you're living without them now, and you're surviving!

So, let's reconfigure how we treat our hard-earned dollars and go forward spending wisely and showing more respect for our money.

5 -We Need to Have an Emergency Fund

While you're creating that spending plan, take note of emergency funds. This is the longest rainy day/period ever. For anyone who couldn't figure out why they needed an emergency fund before, I hope it all makes sense now.

Life lesson: You should have about 3-6 months' worth of living expenses put away, and it should be untouched except for in an emergency. This might seem like a lot. However, the purpose is to give you a cushion if you lose your job or need some time to transition between jobs. Going forward, this is also your pandemic relief fund. Basically, it's so that you don't go into debt or have to sell you prized possessions to get by.

6 – Career Back-Up Plans Are Important

So many people are suffering pay cuts or losing their jobs during this time. Unemployment is above 13%! A common theme to address this that I've noticed is advocating for multiple income streams or starting a side hustle. While I think that's a viable option, not everyone can do that. Either their skill sets don't allow them to, or they are already bogged down so much by their primary jobs or some other reason entirely.

Life Lesson: Yes, multiple sources of income are one way to cushion yourself in the future, but I think we should all also consider career back up plans going forward. This crisis has shown us that you never know what can happen; even healthcare is not a secure profession (many people in the frontlines are taking pay cuts, as are subspecialty services that only do elective procedures or outpatient care). We all should have an idea of what else we could do with our skills; or what areas we'd be willing to learn so that if we're forced to, we can pivot.

Times are changing, and more change is coming. We must adapt to these life-changing events and be prepared for any possibility.

7 – Social Media Exaggerates

How many are completely overwhelmed or frustrated by social media? There's only so much any brain can take. Now we all have so much time on our hands, and I'm sure much of it is spent online. But, as I'm sure you are finding out: it actually makes this worse.

Life lesson: There's a lot on social media that is exaggerated, falsified, or taken out of context. I had to stop reading stories because of all of these reasons. I hope that everything you read online, from here on out, you take with a large grain of salt.

Find trustworthy news outlets to understand the facts; trust the experts who are doing their best and working tirelessly to bring you updates; and most importantly, take a break from your phones. You don't have to always be connected.

8 – Our Teachers Are So So Important

How many parents are homeschooling right now? How many think that poking their eyes out with a hot stick would be less painful?

Life lesson: Our teachers are some of the most essential people in our society. They really work hard and deserve so much more respect and money than they currently get. When schools reopen, and we continue moving forward with life, let's give our teachers a huge shoutout and advocate for their support.

9 – We Need To Slow Down

We live in a world that is “go go go.” We are constantly under pressure to be productive, to compete and be better than our peers or ourselves, and to never take breaks. While this has resulted in many of us having successful careers, as I mentioned earlier, this isn't sustainable. We are burning out, we are getting tired, and we are hiding our depression. In essence, we have lost our work-life balance. We need to get it back and start living our best lives.

Life Lessons: Let's slow down. We need to live one day at a time and pay attention to where we are at. I know this is much easier said than done, and I'm not saying you shouldn't plan for the future. I just think that we need to do a better job of being present and being more mindful. We all know that life is short; let's wake up from this and try to really enjoy life and make every moment count.

10 – Mental Health is Important

What we're going through right now, dealing with being confined, coping with boredom, going crazy in our homes, learning to cope with our fears, and struggling to keep our sanity…. some people fight this battle every day, every week, every year. To simplify it further, life is made up of all kinds of nonsensical bullshit that we have to deal with, and now it's worse due to the pandemic.

Recent research is showing that over 1/3 of American's are suffering from depression and anxiety – an increase from before the pandemic.

Life Lesson: Mental health is an integral part of our health and needs to be continuously addressed, just like our physical health is. It's not taboo. It's real, and it's normal. I hope that this pandemic will bring to light for people the need to have regular mental health checks and care, not just during an epidemic.

11 – Who We Consider Essential Has Changed.

I'm sure our perspective has shifted in the last few weeks about who really matters for us to function as individuals and as a society.

Life Lesson: It's not the online influencers that matter most or the makeup artists that you can't live without. No, it's our healthcare workers – including everyone who works in a hospital – our minimum wage workers and labor force that do all the back end work that we never notice, and our banks and grocery stores that provide us with the core essentials we can't survive without.

Let's all take a minute to recognize these people, be grateful that they exist, and that we have access to them. As we come out of this quarantine, let's continue to show gratitude, compassion, and kindness for them and recognize their hard work. Let's change our mindset and take care of them as they care for us. Let's NOT take them for granted anymore.

12 – We Are All Equal

Illness and natural disasters are great equalizers, and they also highlight the disparities in our society.

Life Lesson: Money, status, fame, and looks have no bearing on what happens to you, nor does it protect you in any way. At the end of the day, we are all susceptible to the same human vices, illnesses, and consequences.

We need to remember that we are all human.

In Summary

The situation, hopefully, is helping you to reprioritize your time and your life purpose. I hope you can use this time to find yourself and realize what truly matters to you and allows you to live your best life.

Let's carry these lessons with us as we move forward so that we, as a society, are better as a whole because of this experience. Let's not make the same mistakes we have been making.

The post 12 Life Lessons to Learn, and Keep, From This Pandemic appeared first on Your Money Geek.

from Your Money Geek https://ift.tt/31cLkoz via IFTTT

[mlmcompanies]

In an industry where most things are overly complicated, simplicity stands out.

And this commitment to the basics seems to be working for Vida Divina, a relative newcomer to the health and wellness space.

Vida Divina is a wellness MLM that sells all sorts of health products, from miracle capsules to goji berries to detox teas and more.

Sounds like…a typical health and wellness MLM, right?

Vida Divina has actually done pretty well in a competitive space (see: Neways). They’ve avoided lawsuits and other negative PR, which bodes well for their future.

But should you get involved? Here’s what you need to know.

FAQ

1. What does Vida Divina sell? Vida Divina creates products that people need to live a better life: health, cosmetics, food and drink, weight loss, and even healthy treats for pets. Natural blends and unique formulas that can enhance the body’s abilities to cope with the stresses of a modern world and the lack of nutrients in today’s mass-produced food.

2. What are Vida Divina’s most popular products? Their top-selling product is TeDivina, a detox tea with persimmon leaves, holy thistle, Malva leaves, marsh, blessed thistle, papaya, myrrh, chamomile, ginger, cranberry, Siberian Chaga, Ganoderma, and fiber. This tea was designed to cleanse your mind and body. Factor Divina is their other claim to fame. It’s a fruit and vegetable beverage with 32 health-boosting components and antioxidants, including Chaga, Noni, and other savory ingredients. Another popular product is their coffee: black, cappuccino, hot chocolate, cafe latte, cafe mocha, hazelnut latte, Tongkat Ali, and Sculpt, which is a unique pairing of Ganoderma lucidium and Garcinia Cambogia to help burn fat and control the appetite.

3. How much does it cost to join Vida Divina? When you sign up with Vida Divina, you’ll need to buy one of four starter packages. The Standard package is $120. The Popular package is $300. The Premium package is $600. The Supreme package is $1,200.

4. Is Vida Divina a scam? Vida Divina is a legitimate business selling health-related products. They’ve done a great job of avoiding the typical traps of health and nutritional products—making overblown promises and health claims. They’re also pretty straightforward about the ingredients in their products, which is refreshing.

5. What is Vida Divina’s BBB rating? C+

6. How long has Vida Divina been in business? Since 2016

7. What is Vida Divina’s revenue? $153 million

8. How many Vida Divina distributors are there? This information hasn’t been shared online.

9. What lawsuits have been filed? We didn’t see any lawsuits listed online.

10. Comparable companies: Rain International, Total Life Changes

Product-wise, this company is solid. Business opportunity-wise, they’re decent, but there’s certainly better options out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on Vida Divina.

Overview

Vida Divina was founded by sales genius and charisma king Armand Puyolt, who got his start in door-to-door sales when he was a kid to help out his family financially. He was already being recognized on stage as a top salesperson by the young age of 16.

He’s done a lot since then. By 18, he bought his own home. By 20, he hit a million. By 25, he reached 5 million.

Puyolt has been involved with ACN, Metabolife, Kyani, and even Total Life Changes, where he was a million dollar earner. Vida Divina is his biggest venture yet into launching his own company, and he definitely hit the ground running.

Within 2 months of Vida Divina’s launch, they’d already hit $23 million in sales. Most MLMs struggle to make that much in their first YEAR. [1]

Vida Divina’s core goal is to help everyone lead a “divine life” by valuing its members and employees as the most important component of the business. According to their website, “the true measure of a company’s success is measured by wealth achieved by the many, not the few.”

If they really believed that, they probably wouldn’t be in this industry, considering that providing success for only the top few is what makes MLM function.

One thing that does raise a red flag is their announcement that they’re “FDA Certified.” Now, this could be a language barrier thing. Puyolt could really believe that registering with the FDA means his company is certified and, therefore, safe from legal problems. But the reality is the FDA doesn’t certify companies.

If a company (like Vida Divina) wants to import food and beverage products, it must register its facility with the FDA. It costs $195 to do that, and all it does is alert that FDA that it will be producing products that will be imported to the U.S. for sale.

How much does Vida Divina cost?

In order to become a Vida Divina Affiliate, you have to purchase a start-up kit, and they’re not cheap.

The most affordable start-up kit is $120, and it comes with a 3 month supply of Te Divina. Other starter kits range from $300 to $1,200. And the more you pay, the more commissions and bonuses you qualify for.

On top of that hefty start-up cost, you must also meet a minimum of 120 PV in auto-ship requirements every single month in order to stay active.

Products

The products here fall into the health and wellness category, with all your typical findings: detox teas, weight control, nutrition, performance, and skin care. Although, the company does offer a few fairly unique products.

Vida Divina has two flagship products: Factor Divina and Te Divina.

Factor Divina is a nutritional supplement drink made with over 32 vitamins and superfoods, including blueberry, green tea, goji berry, mangosteen, acai, spirulina, zarzamora, amalaki, and 20-something other hard-to-pronounce nutrients.

Te Divina is a detox and weight loss tea. It contains 12 different herbs that are designed to rid your body of toxins and parasites. The tea is $60 for a box with 6 satchels, and each satchel makes one gallon of the tea. $10 for a gallon of tea isn’t the worst price I’ve ever heard, but it’s certainly not cheap.

One of their most commonly used ingredients is chaga, a powerful medicinal mushroom that supposedly helps with everything from digestion to blood pressure to memory, allergies, ulcers, energy, and stress. It’s found in their Factor Divina supplement as well as their coffee, nutritional capsules, chocolate milk, and nutritional chews.

The company also sells a chewing gum that helps with digestion, tongue strips containing HCG, and even a pomegranate flavored “sexual enhancement gel,” lol.

Benefits:

The main ingredient in most of their products, chaga (a mushroom), has definitely been shown to have some powerful benefits. It’s been used for medicinal purposes for centuries in places like Russia and Poland to cleanse, disinfect, fight stomach and liver diseases, and even cancer.

Chaga contains a lot of antioxidants, and there is good evidence that it stimulates the immune system. There’s also research to show that it could lower blood sugar and cholesterol.

The mushroom’s antioxidant properties come from the protection of cell components against free radicals. That same protection has been shown to protect against oxidative damage to DNA. In one study, cells penetrated with chaga were shown to have 40% less DNA damage than those that were not. [2]

So, when the company says that their products can actually protect your DNA, they’re not lying.

In fact, the mushroom was even shown to have some anticancer effects in a study in 2011. [3]

Their weight loss tea, Te Divina, has 12 different herbal ingredients, but the top listed ingredient is persimmon leaves.

Now, I usually call bull on these weight loss teas, but a study back in 2006 fed rats super high-fat foods and then gave one group a bunch of persimmon leaves, and guess what? The ones who consumed a persimmon leaf didn’t retain as many lipids – i.e., the leaves actually suppressed weight gain. [4]

Side Effects:

When taken in conjunction with medications such as aspirin, chaga can increase your risk of bleeding. You shouldn’t consume it if you have a bleeding disorder or before or after surgery.

There really hasn’t been enough research done on chaga to identify all of its potential side effects, so it’s not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It’s also possible that since chaga activates the immune system, it could increase your chances of certain autoimmune diseases, so it’s not recommended for people who have multiple sclerosis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.

As for the tea, it’s all made of herbs that are generally pretty safe. It can cause constipation (there’s a lot of fiber in those herbs) and fluid retention, though, which are pretty opposed to weight loss.

Compensation Plan

Retail commission with Vida Divina is 28%. Not bad, but nothing special compared to some of the top MLMs out there.

They do offer fast track bonuses at a whopping 50%-70%, but those only last so long. If you start out strong, though, you can go in making decent money.

Other bonuses include a 20% presentation bonus, a 50% generational matching bonus, a home mortgage bonus, vacation bonuses, and free product bonuses.

They also offer binary team commission to anyone with 2 personally sponsored, active affiliates, one on their right leg, and one on their left leg. Binary commission start at 5% for the lowest ranking qualified affiliates and go up from there. Everything up to Bronze level stays under 10%, but once you hit that, your team commission could get all the way up to 20% at the highest ranks.

Of course, the minimum pay leg volume to hit those highest ranks is 1 million. Good luck with that.

Recap

Vida Divina is not a scam. In fact, their products are decently legit, for a health and wellness MLM.

Their founder sounds like he definitely knows what he’s doing, too.

The compensation plan is nothing spectacular, but it’s definitely fair.

That being said, the start-up costs are high, and the monthly auto-ship requirements are more than some people’s car payment.

Unless you have a network of family and friends who are DESPERATE to buy lots of weight loss tea and nutritional supplements, and I mean lots, you’re going to be stuck with a closet full of the stuff, and you’ll have lost more money than you made.

Look, I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

[antionetterparker]

Vida Divina: Keeping things simple for impressive growth [Review]

In an industry where most things are overly complicated, simplicity stands out.

And this commitment to the basics seems to be working for Vida Divina, a relative newcomer to the health and wellness space.

Vida Divina is a wellness MLM that sells all sorts of health products, from miracle capsules to goji berries to detox teas and more.

Sounds like…a typical health and wellness MLM, right?

Vida Divina has actually done pretty well in a competitive space (see: Neways). They’ve avoided lawsuits and other negative PR, which bodes well for their future.

But should you get involved? Here’s what you need to know.

FAQ

1. What does Vida Divina sell? Vida Divina creates products that people need to live a better life: health, cosmetics, food and drink, weight loss, and even healthy treats for pets. Natural blends and unique formulas that can enhance the body’s abilities to cope with the stresses of a modern world and the lack of nutrients in today’s mass-produced food.

2. What are Vida Divina’s most popular products? Their top-selling product is TeDivina, a detox tea with persimmon leaves, holy thistle, Malva leaves, marsh, blessed thistle, papaya, myrrh, chamomile, ginger, cranberry, Siberian Chaga, Ganoderma, and fiber. This tea was designed to cleanse your mind and body. Factor Divina is their other claim to fame. It’s a fruit and vegetable beverage with 32 health-boosting components and antioxidants, including Chaga, Noni, and other savory ingredients. Another popular product is their coffee: black, cappuccino, hot chocolate, cafe latte, cafe mocha, hazelnut latte, Tongkat Ali, and Sculpt, which is a unique pairing of Ganoderma lucidium and Garcinia Cambogia to help burn fat and control the appetite.

3. How much does it cost to join Vida Divina? When you sign up with Vida Divina, you’ll need to buy one of four starter packages. The Standard package is $120. The Popular package is $300. The Premium package is $600. The Supreme package is $1,200.

4. Is Vida Divina a scam? Vida Divina is a legitimate business selling health-related products. They’ve done a great job of avoiding the typical traps of health and nutritional products—making overblown promises and health claims. They’re also pretty straightforward about the ingredients in their products, which is refreshing.

5. What is Vida Divina’s BBB rating? C+

6. How long has Vida Divina been in business? Since 2016

7. What is Vida Divina’s revenue? $153 million

8. How many Vida Divina distributors are there? This information hasn’t been shared online.

9. What lawsuits have been filed? We didn’t see any lawsuits listed online.

10. Comparable companies: Rain International, Total Life Changes

Product-wise, this company is solid. Business opportunity-wise, they’re decent, but there’s certainly better options out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on Vida Divina.

Overview

Vida Divina was founded by sales genius and charisma king Armand Puyolt, who got his start in door-to-door sales when he was a kid to help out his family financially. He was already being recognized on stage as a top salesperson by the young age of 16.

He’s done a lot since then. By 18, he bought his own home. By 20, he hit a million. By 25, he reached 5 million.

Puyolt has been involved with ACN, Metabolife, Kyani, and even Total Life Changes, where he was a million dollar earner. Vida Divina is his biggest venture yet into launching his own company, and he definitely hit the ground running.

Within 2 months of Vida Divina’s launch, they’d already hit $23 million in sales. Most MLMs struggle to make that much in their first YEAR. [1]

Vida Divina’s core goal is to help everyone lead a “divine life” by valuing its members and employees as the most important component of the business. According to their website, “the true measure of a company’s success is measured by wealth achieved by the many, not the few.”

If they really believed that, they probably wouldn’t be in this industry, considering that providing success for only the top few is what makes MLM function.

One thing that does raise a red flag is their announcement that they’re “FDA Certified.” Now, this could be a language barrier thing. Puyolt could really believe that registering with the FDA means his company is certified and, therefore, safe from legal problems. But the reality is the FDA doesn’t certify companies.

If a company (like Vida Divina) wants to import food and beverage products, it must register its facility with the FDA. It costs $195 to do that, and all it does is alert that FDA that it will be producing products that will be imported to the U.S. for sale.

How much does Vida Divina cost?

In order to become a Vida Divina Affiliate, you have to purchase a start-up kit, and they’re not cheap.

The most affordable start-up kit is $120, and it comes with a 3 month supply of Te Divina. Other starter kits range from $300 to $1,200. And the more you pay, the more commissions and bonuses you qualify for.

On top of that hefty start-up cost, you must also meet a minimum of 120 PV in auto-ship requirements every single month in order to stay active.

Products

The products here fall into the health and wellness category, with all your typical findings: detox teas, weight control, nutrition, performance, and skin care. Although, the company does offer a few fairly unique products.

Vida Divina has two flagship products: Factor Divina and Te Divina.

Factor Divina is a nutritional supplement drink made with over 32 vitamins and superfoods, including blueberry, green tea, goji berry, mangosteen, acai, spirulina, zarzamora, amalaki, and 20-something other hard-to-pronounce nutrients.

Te Divina is a detox and weight loss tea. It contains 12 different herbs that are designed to rid your body of toxins and parasites. The tea is $60 for a box with 6 satchels, and each satchel makes one gallon of the tea. $10 for a gallon of tea isn’t the worst price I’ve ever heard, but it’s certainly not cheap.

One of their most commonly used ingredients is chaga, a powerful medicinal mushroom that supposedly helps with everything from digestion to blood pressure to memory, allergies, ulcers, energy, and stress. It’s found in their Factor Divina supplement as well as their coffee, nutritional capsules, chocolate milk, and nutritional chews.

The company also sells a chewing gum that helps with digestion, tongue strips containing HCG, and even a pomegranate flavored “sexual enhancement gel,” lol.

Benefits:

The main ingredient in most of their products, chaga (a mushroom), has definitely been shown to have some powerful benefits. It’s been used for medicinal purposes for centuries in places like Russia and Poland to cleanse, disinfect, fight stomach and liver diseases, and even cancer.

Chaga contains a lot of antioxidants, and there is good evidence that it stimulates the immune system. There’s also research to show that it could lower blood sugar and cholesterol.

The mushroom’s antioxidant properties come from the protection of cell components against free radicals. That same protection has been shown to protect against oxidative damage to DNA. In one study, cells penetrated with chaga were shown to have 40% less DNA damage than those that were not. [2]

So, when the company says that their products can actually protect your DNA, they’re not lying.

In fact, the mushroom was even shown to have some anticancer effects in a study in 2011. [3]

Their weight loss tea, Te Divina, has 12 different herbal ingredients, but the top listed ingredient is persimmon leaves.

Now, I usually call bull on these weight loss teas, but a study back in 2006 fed rats super high-fat foods and then gave one group a bunch of persimmon leaves, and guess what? The ones who consumed a persimmon leaf didn’t retain as many lipids – i.e., the leaves actually suppressed weight gain. [4]

Side Effects:

When taken in conjunction with medications such as aspirin, chaga can increase your risk of bleeding. You shouldn’t consume it if you have a bleeding disorder or before or after surgery.

There really hasn’t been enough research done on chaga to identify all of its potential side effects, so it’s not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It’s also possible that since chaga activates the immune system, it could increase your chances of certain autoimmune diseases, so it’s not recommended for people who have multiple sclerosis, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis.

As for the tea, it’s all made of herbs that are generally pretty safe. It can cause constipation (there’s a lot of fiber in those herbs) and fluid retention, though, which are pretty opposed to weight loss.

Compensation Plan

Retail commission with Vida Divina is 28%. Not bad, but nothing special compared to some of the top MLMs out there.

They do offer fast track bonuses at a whopping 50%-70%, but those only last so long. If you start out strong, though, you can go in making decent money.

Other bonuses include a 20% presentation bonus, a 50% generational matching bonus, a home mortgage bonus, vacation bonuses, and free product bonuses.

They also offer binary team commission to anyone with 2 personally sponsored, active affiliates, one on their right leg, and one on their left leg. Binary commission start at 5% for the lowest ranking qualified affiliates and go up from there. Everything up to Bronze level stays under 10%, but once you hit that, your team commission could get all the way up to 20% at the highest ranks.

Of course, the minimum pay leg volume to hit those highest ranks is 1 million. Good luck with that.

Recap

Vida Divina is not a scam. In fact, their products are decently legit, for a health and wellness MLM.

Their founder sounds like he definitely knows what he’s doing, too.

The compensation plan is nothing spectacular, but it’s definitely fair.

That being said, the start-up costs are high, and the monthly auto-ship requirements are more than some people’s car payment.

Unless you have a network of family and friends who are DESPERATE to buy lots of weight loss tea and nutritional supplements, and I mean lots, you’re going to be stuck with a closet full of the stuff, and you’ll have lost more money than you made.

Look, I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

via https://mlmcompanies.org/vida-divina/

[ggjjy888]

amazing!

WOW！Why Every Judge Backed Up This Product??!!

(ET,Thursday, August 16, 2018 ) - It was the most watched episode in Shark Tank history when Trevor Hiltbrand, a Stanford University Student, nets the biggest deal in Shark Tank history as all 5 sharks teamed up to buy 25% of the company for a staggering $2.5 million dollars! After taking over the emerging health industry in just 6 months, he is now ready to take over the world with the help of the sharks. After a complete re-brand and re-packaging, Trevor is now ready to launch the Live Active Garcinia™ in the United States.

Never before had the judging panel unanimously decided to each invest millions of dollars into a potential company.

After buying a staggering 25% share in the Trevor's company, the Shark Tank panel have personally mentored him, helping him undergo re-branding and re-packing of his miracle product.

Touting his discovery as “the greatest step forward in weight-loss history,” the judges were quick to offer up their hard earned cash to back the entrepreneurial young man.

“I was shocked. The most I was hoping for was some advice…I wasn't even sure that I would manage to get any investors,” explained Trevor.

After outstanding offers from each panel member, the young man burst into tears.

“It didn’t feel real. The fact that all these successful, business-minded people wanted to be apart of what We were doing and willing to invest their own money, it was very emotional!” explained Trevor's partner.

The young man is the first contestant in the show’s long duration to ever receive a standing ovation and offers of investment from all panel members. Trevor and his team said they celebrated the success with champagne and cake when the episode wrapped.

The Stanford student was the first contestant in Shark Tank history to receive investment offers from all five panel members.

Since filming the show-stopping episode, Trevor has been hard at work putting the advice of his mentors into play.

“We completely re-branded our company and came up with new packaging,” said Trevor's partner.

This young man's small team recently unveiled the product that netted them millions of dollars in investments.

“The product we displayed on the show have been rebranded into the Live Active Garcinia. It’s the original formula, all we’ve done is change the name and the packaging,” explained Trevor.

These students launched the products for sale through their company website and say they sold out within 5 minutes.

“We even made sure we had more product than we thought we could sell, but all of it sold out within five minutes!” exclaimed Trevor.

While the Shark Tank investors are toasting to their smart business move, women around are flocking online to purchase Live Active Garcinia and say the results have been life-changing.

Clinical trials of Live Active Garcinia have uncovered that women who used the Live Active Garcinia were able to drastically reduce the fat and with continued use prevented the signs from reoccurring.

“Live Active Garcinia is revolutionizing losing weight medicine,” explained Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank.

CELEBRITIES LOVE Live Active Garcinia

“Live Active Garcinia is ground-breaking. They are the only company in the world who can effectively block the fat production in a safe and healthy manner.” - Christina Aguilera

“I’ve been using Live Active Garcinia as a preventative measure for months and I’m amazed at the change in the condition of my body. My body has never felt so healthy or looked so good!” - Jessica Simpson

“I have a hectic schedule and I don’t have a lot of time to devote to exercise routines. That’s why I love Live Active Garcinia! Just a few minutes every morning and night keeps my body beautiful and healthy.” - Lena Dunham

“I feel amazing...and I finally said, 'Oh, for God's sake, stop worrying about my weight,' and it may be the best thing I've ever done!” - Wendy Williams

GIVE YOURSELF THE STAR TREATMENT

For a limited time anyone can try Live Active Garcinia for free!

That’s right, Live Active Garcinia are giving away samples of their Instant Fat Reduction Bottle for FREE.

The only cost you will incur is the discounted shipping rate of $4.95. The magic bottle will then be delivered straight to your door and ready to use immediately.

Remember it’s important that you use the Live Active Garcinia to achieve the full fat-burning results.

This offer won’t last for long so make sure you follow the link below to claim your free sample today before they all run out!

Sponsored Content Provided By Live Active Garcinia

READER RESULTS

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Recent # Comments

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Tohloria Lewis

I have been using this fat burning pill for 3 weeks now, and I seriously reduce 20 lbs! Not quite as good as Anna and Trevor, but I will take it when it was less than 5 bucks for shipping! My back and belly fat are melting away more and more every day. Thank you so much for reporting on this!

Reply. 13 . Like . 12 minutes ago

Tanya Porquez

I saw Anna and Trevor presenting Live Active Garcinia on CNN a while ago and am still using the pill. I've been using the products for about 6 wks. Honestly, this is unbelievable, all I have to say is WOW.

Reply. 6 . Like . 13 minutes ago

Jennifer Jackson Mercer

A friend of mine used and recommended it to me 3 weeks ago. I ordered the product and received it within 3 days. The results have been incredible and I can't wait to see what weeks 3 and 4 bring.

Reply. 19 . Like . 25 minutes ago

Kristy Cash

I wish I knew about this product before I had liposuction! It would have saved a heck of a lot of money!

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I can't believe this is really free! I am very much pleased after using this product.

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I saw this on the news. How lucky is Kim to have been given this opportunity!?!?! Thank you for sharing this article! I just ordered my free sample.

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Julie Keyse

probably I'm a bit more overweight than most of you folks. but Live Active Garcinia worked for me too! LOL! I can't say anything more exciting. Thanks for the inspiration!

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Sarah Williams

My sister did this a few months ago, I waited to order my sample to see if it really worked and then they stopped giving out the samples! what a dumb move that turned out to be. glad to see the samples are back again, I wont make the same mistake.

Reply. 12 . Like . 2 hours ago

Kirsten Bauman Riley

I'm going to give this product a chance to work its magic on me. I've tried everything out there and so far nothing has been good enough to help me.

Reply. 30 . Like . 2 hours ago

Celia Kilgard

worked for me! It worked just like I thought it would. It was easy enough and I just want others to know when something works.

Reply. 53 . Like . 2 hours ago

Alanna 'martin' Payne

Thanks for the info, just started mine.

Reply. 16 . Like . 2 hours ago

Alice Chang

Been so busy with the kids lately that I'm never able to find deals like this. I'll give it a shot!

Reply. 2 . Like . 2 hours ago

Mark Fadlevich

Always impressed with the deals you guys dig up, got my sample. Can't wait to see what you've got lined up next week.

Reply. 11 . Like . 2 hours ago

Ashley O'Brien Berlin

Yes this stuff is amazing! My best friend Gina uses this, I've been trying for years to get rid of my belly and nothing was helping. You alerted me to the possibility of achieving my goals, which is looking great for my daughter's wedding. I just ordered the free sample and I have a very good feeling about it!!

Reply. 33 . Like . 2 hours ago

Amanda Hickam

Hey Christine, i just placed my order. I can't wait to get my Live Active Garcinia!! Thanks, Aimee xoxoxo.

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Brittany Jackson

My mom just e-mailed me this, a friend at work had told her about it. i guess it works really well

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Shellie Wilson Hodge

Telling all my friends about this, thanx for the info

Reply. 2 . Like . 3 hours ago

Jill Phongsa

wasn't sure about ordering online but this deal seals it for me, didn't want to miss out. checked out the pages and all is encrypted and good. looking forward to my new looks

Reply. 17 . Like . 4 hours ago

Molly Murley Davis

I've gone ahead and ordered my sample. I can't wait to get started and see what happens.

Reply. 8 . Like . 6 hours ago

Jenna Ponchot Bush

As a realtor it's important to look and feel my best, unfortunately the housing market isn't doing that great so cash has been a little tight lately. Thanks for the info, looking forward to receiving my sample bottle.

Reply. 20 . Like . 8 hours ago

Laura Kelch Miranda

I have tried so much of this kind of stuff, in one sense I want to try it but in the back of my mind I am thinking, yeah right!! Someone please reassure me it works.

Reply. 10 . Like . 8 hours ago

Sara Bergheger

I tried the bottle thing a while ago and it worked pretty good.

Reply. 13 . Like . 8 hours ago

Lauren Kirschenbaum Silver

For once I was able to do something nice for myself without feeling guilty about the cost. Can't beat free.

Reply. 3 . Like . 8 hours ago

Gotmy Mindframe Right

Had no idea you could get results like this.

Reply. 5 . Like . 9 hours ago

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Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes!

Rachel and Daniel spent the past 12 months transforming their eating habits, health, bodies, and lives with personal help from a PN coach. And now? They’re our latest Grand Prize winners. See how we surprised them with $25,000 each, and meet the rest of our July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching winners.

++

Every six months in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program we give away more than $125,000 to the men and women who have the most incredible, inspiring body transformations.

Yep, that’s more than a quarter million dollars a year.

And, today, you’ll meet our latest amazing winners.

These folks started working with us in July 2017 and, over the course of the past year, completely transformed how they eat, move, look, and feel.

They lost body fat, gained strength, boosted their health, and inspired their friends and families.

Even better, they did it without diets, fads, or crazy workout routines.

Each person simply committed to making a change, stayed consistent, and used the accountability and support of one of our dedicated coaches.

Meet Rachel, our Women’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner

Meet Daniel, our Men’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner

See photos of all July 2018 Women’s winners

See photos of all July 2018 Men’s winners

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Rachel

Lost 31 lbs and 26 total inches!

Age: 42 years Weight Lost: 31 lbs (from 148 lbs to 117 lbs) Total Inches Lost: 26 inches (from 211 inches to 185 inches)

Entering her 40s, Rachel used to wake up feeling puffy, creaky, and old.

She despaired, feeling that at this point, her life would never change.

This is all I can be, Rachel told herself. This is as good as it gets. It is what it is.

She had caring friends, a satisfying job in human resources, and a vocation for acting. But a difficult decade marked by a long and complicated professional project, several painful breakups, and the deaths of her two beloved dogs had left her tired, anxious, increasingly out of shape, and depressed.

It didn’t help that she’d spent almost 20 years in L.A. hearing from casting directors that she was a talented but “unmarketable” actress.

Attractive—but not attractive enough. Over time, the message took a serious toll on Rachel’s confidence.

All those challenges together felt like “death by a thousand cuts”.

In 2017, hoping to jumpstart a healing process, Rachel set out on a solo road trip. Her plan worked. By the time she returned, she felt ready to open her heart to a new rescue dog and begin the long wait for adoption.

Meanwhile, she paid a visit to her brother in Cleveland. He encouraged her to make another kind of commitment.

Matthew, a former attorney who had given up law in favor of a career as a personal trainer, suggested that if Rachel really wanted to get fit, she should check out Precision Nutrition. A client of his had been making excellent progress in the coaching program. He’d looked it up. He liked what he saw.

Rachel struggled with her doubts. Could she afford coaching? Why would this system work for her when others hadn’t? What was the point of trying?

Yet she trusted her brother and knew that he’d never recommend something that didn’t make sense.

Somewhere deep inside, Rachel retained a tiny sliver of hope that life could be more.

The day Rachel met her new dog, Snickers, was the same day she began her year of Precision Nutrition Coaching. It was as if she needed to risk her heart again to open the door to deep change.

For months, she did exactly what the program asked of her. Nothing more. And she barely registered that she was losing weight.

Then one day she pulled on a pair of pleather pants that had always been too small and found, to her amazement, they zipped.

The internal changes struck her sooner and more powerfully. Like the fact that she —a lifelong worrier— was worrying less. Instead of focusing on an unknown future, she was tackling one small task at a time, not only in the gym and in the kitchen, but also when it came to other life challenges.

Gradually, Rachel started to realize that it was OK to ask for help.

She didn’t need to suffer so much to improve. She didn’t need to be perfect. She just needed to show up.

“To be humble. To be honest.” To do the day’s task.

These days, Rachel is basking in her improved health and well-being, and she’s head over heels in love with Snickers. “I gained a corgi and I lost a corgi,” she jokes. (Meaning thirty pounds of body weight or so.)

Even her acting career is on an upswing.  “Turns out there’s more work for older character actresses,” she explains. Or maybe it’s just that her newfound confidence allows her to take more risks.

With her winnings, Rachel plans to take care of some needed upgrades to her condo. But she’s also setting aside a portion for her brother, Matthew.

After all, as the person who encouraged her to sign up, he helped Rachel reclaim her life. Now, he’d like to help his own clients get the kind of results his sister has achieved, so he’s signing up to get his Precision Nutrition’s Certification.

By paying his tuition, Rachel is paying it forward.

Want to get results like Rachel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Women.

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Daniel

Lost 10 lbs and 11 total inches!

Age: 39 years Weight Lost: 10 lbs (from 178 lbs to 168 lbs) Total Inches Lost: 11 inches (from 229 inches to 218 inches)

Daniel seemed to have it all.

At age 39, Dan was blessed with a terrific job. He was also happily married and living in his dream home with his wife, Erin, their daughter, Sydney, and another baby on the way.

Life should have felt idyllic. Except it didn’t. Something was eroding Dan’s self-respect.

He’d always kept himself relatively trim and fit, most recently through his practice of Filipino martial arts.

But in 2016, he didn’t feel his best. Erratic training had injured his shoulders, and he’d lost a stick-fighting tournament to a rival. Later, he contracted a virus from his preschooler that laid him low for longer than he expected.

By the time June 2017 rolled around, he was actually feeling embarrassed at the thought of pulling on a swimsuit and taking Sydney to the neighborhood pool.

When he looked in a mirror, Dan wasn’t proud of what he saw.

It’s not as if he was vastly overweight. It’s just that he felt out of sync with his values and expectations.

I’m almost forty, he told himself. If I’m serious about making a change, now’s the time.

Turning to Precision Nutrition felt natural. Dan had been following the company since 2005. He’d read John Berardi’s articles. He’d used the cookbook. He knew he could put his trust in this program.

And that’s exactly what he did.

“If anything, I was coming in with too much information about nutrition.”

At the time Dan joined PN, he was lost in a nutrition labyrinth of his own making.

Trying Paleo one week and intermittent fasting the next; switching between workout routines, always restless to find the quick fix but missing the thread of consistency he needed.

PN Coaching worked differently. His progress was slow but steady.

The workouts were not especially challenging at first. Even the nutritional habits felt familiar. But knowing he’d be at this for a year gave Dan space to relax, to play, to experiment without so much pressure.

He emptied his cup of the things he thought he knew about fitness and nutrition, and let his coaches lead the way.

Over time, he felt the principles and habits “burn in” and become a part of him, instead of “showering over him” and then washing away.

The results were subtle, yet profound.

About nine months into the program, Dan once again caught a virus from his young daughter right before an important martial arts tournament. But the body transformation he’d attained by then made him so confident that he attended the tournament anyway. This time, he won.

When the new baby came along, he was worried that sleepless nights and limited time would destroy all the progress he’d made.  But with the encouragement of his coach, he let go of his all-or-nothing thinking and kept up with his habits, lessons, and workouts.

He’d finally learned that it isn’t necessary to do it all. Something is often good enough. And when he compared his progress photos to his beginning photos, he was amazed at the change in his physique.

Evidently, it’s consistently showing up that matters most.

PN’s daily check-ins continue to keep Dan focused and grounded.

Ask Dan what he likes best about PN Coaching, and he’ll tell you “the programming, the lessons, the feedback from coaches, the group discussions, the online delivery format.” In other words, he likes everything.

So much so that he plans to sign up for another year.

“There are a lot of twelve week programs out there,” he says. “I’ve tried a few.  And they might even give you results. Of a superficial kind.”

But if you’re looking for something deeper and more lasting, Dan says, Precision Nutrition Coaching is the way to go.

“What twelve week program will change your life? This program completely changed mine.”

Want to get results like Daniel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Men.

Meet our other Women’s winners:

Lara

$10,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 44 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (176 lbs to 132 lbs)

Total inches lost: 35" (230" to 195")

The biggest offering that PN presented me with is empowering me to take control of my mind and my body. We all look for external validation to some degree. PN taught me that the best external validation is when you look at your body and it matches your soul and mind. When I felt empowered to take control, I started being more motivated to do the workouts and watch how I nourished my body. The better the nourishment, the more enjoyment, the better the visible result. Loving one self is the hardest adventure. PN was here to show me how to become my own best friend. And what a friend I am!

- Lara

Angela

$10,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 47 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (138 lbs to 111 lbs)

Total inches lost: 28" (215" to 187")

When I came to the PN coaching program, I was an overweight busy mom who wasn’t taking care of herself and wasn’t enjoying life. By changing my eating habits and lifestyle I learned how to let go of the mental clutter, and the physical clutter took care of itself. PN reminded me what joy was, taught me how to play again, brought me to a place of calmness, and helped me nourish myself. I feel fit and fabulous!

- Angela

Anne Marie

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 54 years

Weight Lost: 29 lbs (151 lbs to 122 lbs)

Total inches lost: 30" (216" to 186")

PN has taught me about doing the 'difficult-difficult' things — ending the going-nowhere relationship; finally making the appointment with the dermatologist to get that spot checked. I learned how to be my own hero... I learned I needed to make better choices, and to listen — REALLY listen — to my body and to my thinking.

- Anne Marie

Sarah

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 64 lbs (230 lbs to 166 lbs)

Total inches lost: 46" (255" to 209")

One word that I would use to sum up my PN experience is FREEDOM! Freedom to fuel my body appropriately without having to “follow a diet”; freedom to feel strong; freedom to once again enjoy the open road on my bike; freedom to fit in clothes I love; freedom to think positively; freedom to encourage and support others; freedom to love me for me!

- Sarah

Lynn

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 40 lbs (238 lbs to 198 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (258" to 227")

When I started PN Coaching that it would be this big of a transformation, inside and out. The lessons, the habits, the support of the coaches, the camaraderie with the other women... it was all so powerful. I loved that women of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels could work and support each other through the highs and lows of our individual journeys. I'm slimmer, stronger, healthier, more compassionate, and totally confident that my 60s will be my best decade yet!

- Lynn

Sarah

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 39 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (138 lbs to 114 lbs)

Total inches lost: 25" (211" to 186")

PN Coaching taught me that consistent action, even if imperfect, yields much greater results than inconsistent, short sprints of perfectionism. The program helped transform my body and mind which led me to find a new, fit, and more confident identity.

- Sarah

Rowena

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 48 years

Weight Lost: 42 lbs (216 lbs to 174 lbs)

Total inches lost: 47" (268" to 221")

Comfortably achieving a healthy, sustainable weight after years of failed diets and steady gains is incredible. Learning how to consciously choose my life, manage discomfort constructively and conquer depression, anxiety and loneliness, so I feel amazing and am genuinely happy and loving life for the first time in forever? Beyond words!

- Rowena

Karen

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 70 years

Weight Lost: 58 lbs (220 lbs to 162 lbs)

Total inches lost: 35" (226" to 191")

A year ago, I was searching for a miracle to become the healthy person I dreamed of being. With Precision Nutrition's guidance of practicing healthy eating habits; maintaining a proactive fitness program; keeping my mind actively engaged in life; actively pursuing happiness; having faith and being continually kind to myself... I ended up finding the miracle within myself. I can now be there for myself and the ones I love in ways I never dreamed possible.

- Karen

Ellie

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 53 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (148 lbs to 120 lbs)

Total inches lost: 23" (213" to 190")

I've always denied that hitting 50 meant hitting a wall where everything that worked before just... stopped… working. So instead of adjusting my approach, I just ran through it like Braveheart — resulting in the injuries, surgeries, weight gain, and setbacks that come with not thinking this brilliant denial strategy all the way through. My experience with PN over the past year was like a bright, shining light that illuminated the best approach, pointed out the pitfalls to avoid, and walked me through the complex pathway of movement, nutrition, and habits. I can't imagine anything — a workout, a diet plan, a class — that could possibly be more effective than Precision Nutrition for tackling the weight and fitness challenges I've struggled with since turning 50.

- Ellie

Vanessa

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 44 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (149 lbs to 121 lbs)

Total inches lost: 32" (219" to 187")

From a childhood filled with good and bad memories of food — the good being meals with my mom, the bad being the food deprivation after her death — the biggest impact PN Coaching has had on me is the understanding and acceptance that food is not an emergency. I have truly begun to understand the strained and often confusing relationship I’ve had with food all these years, and I am beginning to mend it.

- Vanessa

Tina

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 45 years

Weight Lost: 59 lbs (254 lbs to 195 lbs)

Total inches lost: 48" (271" to 223")

PN has taught me that, no matter how busy I am, I can still find time for myself. I found ME again this last year, and I will never forget that I am worth it, and I will NEVER GO BACK!

- Tina

Erin

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (150 lbs to 126 lbs)

Total inches lost: 18" (218" to 200")

My greatest struggle coming into PN was finding time to work out and eat nutritiously, and not feel guilty for spending that time taking care of myself. With the guidance of my coaches, daily lessons, habits, and workshops, one important concept I have developed is that in order to care for my children, husband, and relationships, I need to permit time for self-care.

- Erin

Beth

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 43 years

Weight Lost: 71 lbs (268 lbs to 197 lbs)

Total inches lost: 44" (292" to 248")

This program has been such a blessing in helping me take control of my weight issues and overall health. I now have habits and tools that I can use on an everyday basis to help me make better choices and become the healthiest version of myself.

- Beth

Lucia

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 26 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (129 lbs to 101 lbs)

Total inches lost: 21" (205" to 184")

The PN program helped me build a strong foundation of self-awareness and self-reliance, which has changed how I treat myself, in all ways, beyond nutrition and fitness. I feel like I've put a definite stop to my struggles with weight and dieting... and the results speak for themselves!

- Lucia

Meet our other Men’s winners:

Teofilo

$10,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (253 lbs to 202 lbs)

Total inches lost: 30" (273" to 243")

Biggest impact this year had on me was to remind me of coaching's true value. You can't be an expert on everything if you intend to make the best of your life.

- Teofilo

Steve

$10,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 55 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (224 lbs to 173 lbs)

Total inches lost: 40" (263" to 223")

This last year of Precision nutrition has given me the absolute best results of any plan I have ever tried, and allowed me to obtain a lower weight than stringent long-term dieting was able to produce. Moreover, the PN method has been the easiest of all the approaches I have ever tried. That simple!

- Steve

Jeremy

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 41 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (239 lbs to 188 lbs)

Total inches lost: 33" (257" to 224")

The biggest impact PN has had on me is to truly make a lifestyle change vs complete a 'fad' diet or program. The benefits I've gained mentally (knowledge, outlook and perspective, mind over matter) outweigh the physical outcome. PN helped me get over some pretty serious mental barriers around the stroke that I suffered a few years ago. I still have a lot of physical transformations that I'm going to continue to work on. For me, the program doesn't end here, it's just getting started!

- Jeremy

Gerardo

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 43 years

Weight Lost: 32 lbs (209 lbs to 177 lbs)

Total inches lost: 16" (238 " to 222")

I like a quote that I saw in a commercial: “Train your mind, your body will follow”. To me that was my experience. Change the 'little things' (habits) and you’ll see changes in your body. Always mindful and aware, and of course consistent.

- Gerardo

Alex

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 52 years

Weight Lost: 16 lbs (189 lbs to 173 lbs)

Total inches lost: 10" (236" to 226")

In the beginning of the year I was overweight, always tired, busy, cranky, and I thought I was stuck at my weight. With PN Coaching, I have changed my eating and lifestyle habits and as a result I feel free, more confident, less stressed, and full of energy. The coaching exceeded my expectations and when people ask me how I’ve changed, I can’t help but tell them about all the things that I’ve learned from PN.

- Alex

Cody

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 28 years

Weight Lost: 20 lbs (195 lbs to 175 lbs)

Total inches lost: 9" (233" to 224")

I came into my year of PN Coaching with a fairly strong background in nutrition and exercise. Despite this, I was never able to take my own body to the place I wanted it. It's not that I couldn't do it on my own, but rather that I wouldn't do it on my own. My PN coach, Jonathan, helped hold me accountable and continually reminded me to focus on the 'big rocks' and not worry so much about the small stuff.

- Cody

Todd

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 45 years

Weight Lost: 36 lbs (183 lbs to 147 lbs)

Total inches lost: 27" (224" to 197")

I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for PN coaching because I thought I had the knowledge to make the changes I needed to make on my own. I discovered that I might have the knowledge, but not the tools that I needed to really improve. PN Coaching gave me the tools, confidence, and support that I needed to really change my physical and mental health. The best part about PN Coaching is all you need to do is follow the program, trust in the program, and you will see significant results.

- Todd

Brandon

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 33 years

Weight Lost: 22 lbs (159 lbs to 137 lbs)

Total inches lost: 19" (220" to 201")

PN has been a great experience for me. In the past I’d always enjoyed an active lifestyle, but I had gotten to a point where my lack of fitness and poor nutritional choices were really hurting my ability to do the things I love. Generally speaking I just didn’t feel good about where I was at. Just days before the program started I separated my shoulder and underwent surgery, further limiting me. PN was the best thing for me during recovery. It taught me you don’t have to have some crazy “all or nothing” fitness program or diet. Small, consistent changes can bring about great results! It’s completely changed the way I think about food, fitness, and nutrition. Thanks!!

- Brandon

Luis

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 46 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (182 lbs to 155 lbs)

Total inches lost: 19" (241" to 222")

When I started PN Coaching, I knew it would be a customized nutrition and fitness program. Now I see that it's not just that — it's a complete lifestyle program. It’s not a diet at all. It’s a system based on habit change. You learn lifelong nutrition habits that will last and keep you healthy. And if you ever get stuck on your path, you always have someone you can ask for help.

- Luis

Domenic

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 32 years

Weight Lost: 31 lbs (284 lbs to 253 lbs)

Total inches lost: 22" (279" to 257")

This past year in PN has probably added 20-30 years to my life, and those years will be much better quality due to the increase in my health, my energy, and my ability to cope better with the stress and trials in life. I feel like the foundation that has been set by PN will help me to finish every race in life strong, get over life's biggest hurdles, stay focused on truly meaningful objectives in life, and most of all, I can now run and play with my children and watch them grow. Unlike the other men in my family who all died young due to poor health before seeing any of their grandchildren, I look forward to living long enough to see my grandchildren be born and grow up.

- Domenic

Bob

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 38 lbs (195 lbs to 157 lbs)

Total inches lost: 28" (241" to 213")

I hit a wall on my nutrition and fitness journey to lose over 100 lbs. PN gave the tools and support I needed to not just get past that wall but to crush it! Never looking back! I had been fat for so long, it was the only way I could see myself. In less than a year, the caring coaching, consistent structure, and solid information of PN has helped me transform my self-image to seeing myself as lean and fit.

- Bob

Kevin

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 52 lbs (224 lbs to 172 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (249" to 218")

The past year has been like many of the years before it: a roller-coaster of weight, distraction, disappointment, elation, advancement and setback. I knew that PN wasn't going to change the world around me and somehow create a magical petri dish of perfection for me to live in. What it did give me is what I was missing in all those previous years: control, understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and resiliency - that has made all the difference.

- Kevin

Jay-C

$1,000 Men’s Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Gained: 25 lbs (203 lbs to 228 lbs)

Total inches gained: 11″ (237″ to 248″)

During my journey with PN Coaching, I’ve learned that it is possible to gain a good amount of muscle mass without gaining too much fat along the way. ‘Dirty bulking’ is not necessary. Go clean. Go the PN Coaching way!

– Jay-C

Matt

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (261 lbs to 217 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (270" to 239")

I began Precision Nutrition feeling overwhelmed and trapped in my body: overcome with the chronic pain in my disc herniations and subluxed ribs, fearful of reinjuring them, and doubtful that I could regain my old athleticism and physique in that condition. Little by little, Precision Nutrition nurtured a new lifestyle where I've found the resilience to heal my body and return to the martial arts I love. Best of all, armed with the tools and behaviors I've learned, I feel confident that I will prevail over any injuries or challenges that the future has in store.

- Matt

Meet a few hundred more Precision Nutrition clients.

To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from the July 2018 Coaching Program, click the links below.

July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching for WOMEN finalists

July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching for MEN finalists

To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from all of our Precision Nutrition Coaching programs, click the links below.

Precision Nutrition WOMEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame

Precision Nutrition MEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame

Of course, if you’re interested in working toward a body or health transformation of your own, consider joining our next Precision Nutrition Coaching group. We’re opening up a few spots in the coming weeks.

Want to transform your body too?

As you probably know, you won’t overhaul your body this dramatically by counting calories, logging time on a treadmill, or reading health tips on Twitter. 

Awesome, lasting, wow-what-happened-to-you transformations usually require personal attention from an expert coach.

That’s why we work closely with Precision Nutrition Coaching clients to help them lose fat, get stronger, and improve their health… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.

And here’s the good news: Precision Nutrition Coaching will be accepting new clients very soon, at our lowest, most accessible price ever.

Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list; you’ll save up to 54% and secure a spot 24 hours early.

If you’re interested in coaching and want to find out more, I’d encourage you to join our presale list.

Being on the presale list gives you two special advantages.

You’ll pay less than everyone else. At Precision Nutrition we like to reward the most interested and motivated people because they always make the best clients. Join the presale list and you’ll save up to 54% off the general public price, which is the lowest price we’ve ever offered.

You’re more likely to get a spot. To give clients the personal care and attention they deserve, we only open up the program twice a year. Last time we opened registration, we sold out within minutes. By joining the presale list you’ll get the opportunity to register 24 hours before everyone else, increasing your chances of getting in.

[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].

If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world’s best coaches, this is your chance.

The post Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes! appeared first on Precision Nutrition.

Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes! published first on

[crazykendal]

Im Not Allowed To Use My Computer But Here I am

Get ready for a ton of grammar errors im sorry

1.) What’s better, having high expectations or having low expectations?

low expectations, if you don't ever want to be hurt

2.) Would you rather go without junk food for a year or go without TV for a year?

i’d go without tv for a year since I never watch tv besides netflix

3.) Describe your perfect man/woman.

not in the mood

4.) Thoughts on school dress codes?

eh doesnt bother me

5.)Any strange phobias?

deep water (still), seeing people during summer because im a mess, abandonment 6.) At what job do you see Donald Trump best fit?

president?? oh but people are gonna hate me if I say that haha fucking hate me more 7.) Who was your first crush?

this one boy I dont think I ever even talked to before, honestly what the actual fuck 8.) Who was your first best friend?

she knows who she is. I dont consider her a best friend but she is my closest friend ever. No its not my cat. Ive known her for 10 years 9.)What is one weird thing about you?

I hate myself but that isnt weird, idk 10.) Top 5 TV shows you like to watch? The walking dead and The 100.. thats just it haha

11.) What are your favorite boys names? oh like friends or actual names. Im going to do just names because im going to stop exposing myself and stop being so honest. actually I have no favorite boy names haha

12.) What are your favorite girls names? Brooklyn haha I haven't finished that stupid wattpad story yet

13.) Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they? no

14.) Do you plan on getting (more) tattoos? If so, what do you want to get as of the moment? i would want to get tattoos if they didnt hurt when applied.

15.) Do you have any piercings? Do you plan on getting more? no

16.) Do you like hugging people? depends on who. but now, no

17.) Think of ANY person on earth right now.  Who did you think of? a friend who im going to see on wednesday

18.) Do you have an iPhone? yeah I dont use it anymore

19.) What is the worst thing that could happen in your life right now? hmm maybe if some guy didnt go to my school next year but that isn't happening

20.) Do you watch anime? no ive watched like 2 animes years ago.

21.) What brings true happiness? getting a grip and letting everything go. Im free of a lot of pain ive been going through for a few months and its the first time ive been truly happy with myself even though I want to fucking- nevermind hahahaha

22.) What is the most expensive thing you’ve ever paid for? I feel like I should know this, but i have no idea

23.) If you could have any job in the world and get paid millions of dollars a year for it, what would you be and why? idk

24.) Do you want children? If so, how many? no

25.) Name and describe someone who you feel most comfortable around. honestly no one, including myself, my trust isnt something everyone has anymore

26.)If you could invent a holiday, what would it be? lexadeservedbetter

27.)Would you rather have summer weather or winter weather all year round? winter weather, gotta be cold like my heart

28.) If you could make an alien race, describe what they would look like. they’d look like all the people I hate so I can murder them

29.)  What was the first thing you learned to cook? i cant cook, I kinda can but it ends up with my mom yelling at me

30.) Describe your sense of humor. Im a joke. people laugh at me because of how fucking stupid I am. I get used to it.

31.) What is the key to happiness? don't worry about anyone else until you've worked yourself out.

32.) How many phone numbers do you have committed to memory? Whose numbers are they? my mom’s and emergency services :)

33.) Name three songs that make you want to dance. Come Over- Clean Bandit, Wasted Youth- Fletcher, and Caught Up- Sarah Close

34.) What job did you want to have as a child? i wanted to be a mom, dont ask me how I thought that was a fucking job besides what the fuck was I even thinking a mom? what. the. fuckkkkk

35.) Do you have any talents or skills? I can get really angry :)

36.) What was the worst punishment you’ve ever had? I was grounded for like 2 months you can ask me how if you want btw

37.) Did you ever do anything weird as a child? yes there were many things

38.) What is your dream car? ooohh I never thought about that probably a pegassi zentorno (doesn't exist in real life look it up)

39.)  Describe something that made you laugh this week. Ive over come stuff that I can finnally look back and realize how stupid I was.

40.) Did you have a dream last night? If so, describe it. i dreamt a lot last week and its so irrelevant to me nowwww

41.)  Do you ever have repetitive dreams? Describe it/them. repetitive like always that one person in them, yeah

42.) Describe the worst/ scariest dream you’ve ever had. I had a really nice dream and I woke up and I was sad hahaha story of my life

43.) Describe the best dream you’ve ever had. ^^

44.) If God himself gave you a choice of either having unlimited money for the rest of your life or finding your one true love starting tomorrow, which one would you choose (keep in mind, you are still able to make a ton of money if you choose love, and you are still able to meet your soul mate if you choose money)? trick question god doesn't exist :) but probably unlimited money because love is fucking useless and retarded

45.) If you could do anything (and I mean ANYTHING) right now without consequences, what would you do and why? run away and see a friend I haven't seen all summer

46.) Do you have any recipes that you know off the top of your head? What is it/ what are they? no

47.) Do you have your license? If so, do you have a car? no

48.) Have you ever had a near death experience? yes im not going to describe it

49.) Do you personally know anyone that has been to prison? yep

50.) Have you ever been in a physical fight?

yep

51.) When you get out of the shower, do you towel dry, blow dry, or air dry your hair? air dry unless I have to go somewhere i will usually blow dry.

52.) When you go to the movies, what snacks and drinks do you take with you? just a ton of candy hahahaha

53.) Do you like going to the beach? If so, do you like to stay dry or go in the water? If not, why? no

54.) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

no

55.) If you could have a superpower ASIDE from being invisible or being able to fly, what would you have? oh my fucking god that's what I was going to write. how bout shape shifting or something

56.) If you were able to live for however long you wanted to (i’m talking thousands of years without aging), when would you choose to die? when I got bored, I cant say lonely because I already am

57.) What do you think happens after you die? youre body stops working and people put you in a hole in the ground

58.) Do you believe in aliens? sure

59.) Do you believe in ghosts? 50/50

60.) Do you believe in spiritual things like ouija boards, tarot cards, and crystals? Do you believe they are portals for evil entities to enter the mortal world? haha no but ouija boards are fun to trick people with haha *Meghan*

61.) If you could make one mythical being real, who/what would you make?

my will to live

62.) Do you get tan, or do you burn? burn

63.) Describe your shower routine. too long

64.) Do you enjoy school? Why or why not? no because the people there suck and its much to stressful

65.) In your opinion, what is the worst way to die? probably falling.

666.) Do you get carsick, sea sick, or airplane sickness? none, ive never been on an airplane so idk

67.) What’s one memory that you wish you could live again and again? ..

68.) What were some of your stuffed animal’s names from when you were a kid? hattie my stuffed chicken haha

69.)Do you have any pets? 69 cats :)

70.) Describe your daily wardrobe. dark

71.)  Describe what your daily wardrobe would be if you were rich. probably the same

72.)  Create a character right now.  Give them a name, age, and character description. are you fucking with me im writing out a new character for some private stuff as I work on this survey.

73.)What was the last thing you bought? a couple books

74.) Have you ever bought a CD? What band was it for? the last cd I bought was hfk :)

75.) Describe your perfect ice cream sundae. cookie dough and im gooood

76.) If you could make ANYTHING happen right now with no cost, trouble, or obstacles, what would you do? cant say but anything could happen by ellie goulding is annoying and I love it

77.) What are some of your favorite physical activities to do? running but I havent run in a long time and im out of shape

78.) What were some of your favorite shows as a child? dont remember

79.) Describe how you would survive the zombie apocalypse. id make a group and Id lead it, id also make sure chandler riggs and alycia debnam-carey would be there because I love them and theyve both been in zombie shows. yesssss

80.)What are some things you shouldn’t say at work? when does the boss retire

81.) If you were told that if you killed someone, you would save 100 people, would you do it? if one the 100 people were clarke griffin, yes.

82.) How’s the weather right now? its dark

83.) What is the background on your cell phone right now? its lexa with a ton of thug life stuff added onto her haha

84.)Is it better to work at a job that you love or a job that pays well? job that pays well

85.) What do you have within arms reach of your bed? my alarm clock

86.) Have you ever been fired from a job? If so, why? no

87.) Have you ever won a trophy, prize, or medal? If so, for what? two stupid school medals and thats it

88.) Do you have any posters, pictures, or art hanging on your walls in your room? If so, what are they? video game map posters, shitty drawing i havent taken down and comic and movie posters

89.) Are you afraid of the dark? If so, why? I used to be haha I think I still am.

90.)What is something that you’ve never done but would like to try? been a good friend to anyone

91.) If you could choose three famous people or characters to be friends with, who would you choose and why? just friends? thats hard. probably Stevie Boebi, Alexis G. Zall and Ally Hills. I would say Shannon Beveridge but I have like this huge crush on her alright

92.) Do you smile at strangers when you pass by them on the street? no because I hate people

93.) Do you have a favorite TV commercial? If so, what is it? life alert

94.) Do you like your handwriting? no it looks like a little kids handwriting

95.) Cable TV or Netflix? netflix

96.) What are your favorite smells? everything at bath and bodyworks please

97.) Do you consider yourself physically strong? I wish dood

98.) Describe a time where you said something really rude or mean, whether intentional or not.

I told some people thing that weren't true about them just because I was really mad. #dickhead

99.) Do you ask strangers to pet their dogs? no

100.)What is your most embarrassing moment?

my lifespan

101.) Has anyone really close to you ever died? If so, who was it and how did you handle it?

 my cat maverick, my grandma and lexa

102.)  Describe your plan of action if you were home alone and you heard someone break into your house.

I gotta knife drawer and i’d love to use it

103.) If you were to be born again, would you want to be born male or female?

male, im not saying i want to be a guy but id like to experience things differently

104.)  What shampoo do you use?

idk

105.) Guess the meaning of this word: ulotrichous.

something horrible, or myself

106.) Do you let messages (phone, email, text, social media, etc…) build up, or do you have to look at them right away?

no one ever texts me im always the one to start a convo and that sucks

107.)  Where is the nearest McDonalds to your house?

probably like 5 miles away

108.)  If you had $1 billion and you had to spend it in exactly one week, what would you spend it on?

id buy a house and a ton of cars even tho I cant drive yet

109.) What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten?

pizza

110.) If you could go on a trip around the world with up to three people, who would you bring (they can be people you know personally or famous people).

ellie goulding, chandler riggs and alycia debnam-carey

111.) What expletive/ explicit phrase do you say most often?

frick frack fuck

112.) What is your personal definition of success?

finishing something the correct way

113.) How was your day today?

ive been doing yardwork and I volenteered at fieldhaven

114.) What is the closest Big City you live by?

sacramento

115.) Have you ever been in a car accident?

yes but they were never serious

116.) Do you hide anything from your parents?

all the time like hmm idk my sexuality

117.) If you could possess one talent, what would you be able to do?

make myself invisible :)

118.) Ugly and smart or beautiful and stupid?

depends on the person

119.) What is the worst thing you’ve ever seen in real life?

myself

120.) Use only 3 words to describe how you want your future to go.

i hate myself

121.) QUICK! give me a few things a brick could be useful for

you can throw them at people

122.) If you could make a dream society, describe it in great detail where it would be, who would be in it, and what rules there would be?

 the lost youth is a band of teens who pull children off the streets and always get into fights with the other gang, the redemption. there will be blood.

123.) If you could make any animal miniature, what would you make and why?

cats

124.) What are your favorite candle scents?

I dont really have and candles so idk

125.) If you HAD to have one plastic surgery, what would you get and why?

my nose

126.) Do you prefer to hang out with the same sex or the opposite sex?

depends on who but right now no one

127.) If you could make a charity, what would the profits go towards? How would you raise money for it?

myself because I am poor

128.) Describe the body you wish you had.

I wish I was taller

129.) If you were a famous director, what would your next movie be about? Describe the plot, characters, and possible title.

the lost youth

130.) If only women were to rule the world, how different would the world be by 2050?

im not being sexist but it wouldn't be all that great but maybe politics could get better I have no idea

131.) What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

chocolate milk :) yes

132.) Do you have a problematic friend?

im the problematic friend

133.) Are you more spontaneous or more of a planner?

depends on the situation

134.) If you could change your full name, what would your name be?

not saying

135.) What is one song that describes your life?

hard times- paramore

136.) What is one show you’ve been meaning to watch but can never find the time for?

the rest of the 100 why the fuck are so many people dying I needed a break after lexa died and now all the nightbloods and lincoln are dead. duh fuck

137.) Do you find it easy to drop toxic people from your life that you’ve known for a long time?

Id have to ask people because people talk behind my back telling them im toxic. if you were me its understandable and im totally alright with it now

138.) Do you like children? Why or why not?

no children fucking suck

139.) What is your zodiac sign?

Pisces rising, Sagittarius sun, and and Capricorn moon

140.) Do you like to dance? Do you dance often? In front of other people?

yes but i cant haha

141.) Name some of your favorite colors.

blue and black and sometimes orange and purple

142.) Have you ever shoplifted? If so, what was it?

no

143.) If you could speak three additional languages, what would they be?

danish, french, and japanese

144.) Have you ever been in legal trouble?

no

145.) Have you ever had surgery?

no

146.) If you could change 2 things about yourself, what would you change and why?

my sexuality and my face haha

147.) What do you want done with your body after you die?

i dont care

148.) What three physical features do people compliment you most on? What do they say about them?

usually my hair because im ugly

149.) If you could have your own business, what would you do?

own a large company, I dont know

150.) What current friend do you have that you’ve known the longest?

im going on vacation with her for a week in Oregon that’ll be funnn

ok so I could totally tag you olivia but I just made you do that other really long one so if you're reading this you can if you want haha

[definitelynotwinter]

Can you do all the "distract me" asks plz UwU

If i actually fill it out will you actually care?

I’m still gonna do it tho bc what else am i going to do with myself 

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life? - I have several people in my life , just not anyone i’m into like THAT 

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them? Hell no 

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”

This

4: What’s something you really want right now? To feel okay again (:

5: Are you afraid of falling in love? Fuck yeah

6: Do you like the beach? I only went once and it was semi terrifying but also fun

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else? Yes

8: What’s the background on your cell?

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on? 

My bed , My mom’s bed,  Josue’s bed , and maybe a motel bed if I look that far back

10: Do you like your phone? 

It’s aight

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned?

They never go how I would like them to, everything is crumbling around me but I guess that’s just life.

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?

An old mutual i’ve followed for a couple years here on tumblr, they’re pretty rad. I’m sure they’re the one who sent this ask lmao

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler?

I have 6 poodles so i’m going to have to go with poodle

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain? Emotional , DUH

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum? Zoo

16: Are you tired? When am I not?

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact? 3 years i think

18: Are they a relative? Nope but I wish bc their family is badass

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes? Only one

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with? idk bitch i don’t pay attention

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today? Well probably not just bc i want a fairy tale wedding with lots of stuff so i’d probably PROPOSE 

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? probably not

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? Zero

24: Is there a certain quote you live by? I live by a lot of sayings but I can’t think of any specific ones right now lmao

25: What’s on your mind?  How much I want to end my life

26: Do you have any tattoos? I wish

27: What is your favorite color? Blue

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips? Whenever I feel like it’s worth pulling someone into my world again

29: Who are you texting? Josue , Nadz, Maka, Carlos , Nick , and Howard E. Scott bc I met him at my job yesterday and he offered me a voice acting job that he’s trying to get approved by Sony

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch? Ya

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right? Everyday of my life

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to? DUH

33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you? Everyone else has feelings for me so I get really awkward and hate myself bc i don’t feel the same way

34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? All the time

35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you? I’d punch the asshole in the face

36: Were you single on Valentines Day? Tis a mystery

37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed?  Hell no

38: What do your friends call you? The mom friend , Summy / Summi , Baby child , Smol bean , honey ,  Stephanie ( and I call the other person Becky ) , Jordan , Cas,  Soomer , Summy the Dummy

39: Has anyone upset you in the last week? I can’t go a day without being upset by someone

40: Have you ever cried over a text? Yup

41: Where’s your last bruise located? My boobie

42: What is it from? Hell if I know

43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad? Yesterday

44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with? Nick

45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes? My work shoes

46: Do you wear hats if your having a bad hair day? Sometimes

47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style? Sure why the fuck not

48: Do you make supper for your family? Fuck my family they can starve

49: Does your bedroom have a door? yeah , but it’s broken

50: Top 3 web-pages?  Youtube , tumblr , and gmail

51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping? Every poor person I know?

52: Does anything on your body hurt? okay but like ..always

53: Are goodbyes hard for you? Yuuuup

54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself? Water?

55: How is your hair? Poofy and unmanageable

56: What do you usually do first in the morning? Pet my dogs and check my phone

57: Do you think two people can last forever? Maybe. idk

58: Think back to January 2007, were you single? I was literally like 8 years old so ..yes?

59: Green or purple grapes? GREEN

60: When’s the next time you will give someone a BIG hug? Next week maybe?

61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now? Always

62: When will be the next time you text someone? Now 

63: Where will you be 5 hours from now? in dreamland 

64: What were you doing at 8 this morning. I was asleep 

65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked? I was super in love with a boy named Nick , but nothing ever came of it 

66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? Josue or Brittany

67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today? Hug but no kisses

68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? Is the rest of my life going to be like this? Plus I wonder if my coworkers did this shit for an angry customer who entrusted me with doing shit that I was unqualified to do

69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? Story of my life tbh

70: How many windows are open on your computer? 19

71: How many fingers do you have? how many do YOU HAVE?

72: What is your ringtone? Idk some lame shit , my phone’s always on silent

73: How old will you be in 5 months? 18 still

74: Where is your Mum right now? In her room wasted out of her mind

75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love? Because he cheated on me and abused me. I literally sat through the pain just for the hope of having that love come back, but I just lost all the hope for my romantic life

76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days? Does my dog count?

77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago? Yeah some

78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in year 7?  Actually yes I do, I had a big ole crush on this boy in my art class .. I can’t quite remember his name now but i was  super infatuated with him and me and him would talk like everyday i don’t even know how i forgot him omf and then I also liked a boy named Jose and we dated for a bit

79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike? Every Mike I know is a drug dealer who thinks they’re apart of anonymous  and acts like they know shit about the dark web

80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms? yeah........

81: How many people have you liked in the past three months? I don’t think ..anyone?

82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days? do my dogs count

83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight? who tf is that 

84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? Josue , but instead of yelling horrible things that are all sleezy we tell them “ HEY HAVE A NICE DATE I HOPE YOU FIND 20 DOLLARS ON THE GROUND “ 

85: If your BF/GF was into drugs would you care? Hell yeah , if you do drugs you do not love me or yourself and i do not want you near me.. I have had too many people in my life do drugs and it makes me extremely uncomfortable 

86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie? Once me and my friend Ivy went to go see some horror movie and she literally acted like those people in the commercials that spill their popcorn at jumpscares , she just down right threw it in the fucking air and i was like GIRL PLS

87: Who was your last received call from? Some spam number 

88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you? would the butterfly already be caught and i would just have to grab it or what , can it be dead? Can it be fake? can it be a paper butterfly?

89: What is something you wish you had more of? Icecream and money

90: Have you ever trusted someone too much? YUP

91: Do you sleep with your window open? hell no

92: Do you get along with girls? Um of course 

93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? Probably , but some things are better left unsaid. I have a lot of things to say to a lot of people

94: Does sex mean love? As an asexual , very much no.

95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? I mean... i guess matters how long

96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring? No but I should make it a goal to

97: Did you sleep alone this week? i never sleep alone bc i have my dogs

98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you? sometimes but not all the time

99: Do you believe in love at first sight? Boy i have had 2 love at first sight things happen to me recently and it was so fucking weird like when I was with my dad in a hospital there was a dude outside the door by himself on his phone and i was like so smitten we sort of talked but like .. not conversation but i saw him and i was so fucking angry that i didn’t ask for his number i was like what the fuck how do i feel like this for a STRANGEr 

then that happened to me again TODAY and oh my LORD I WAS AT THE CHEROKEE NATION POT LUCK AND THERE WAS A DUDE ALL BY HIMSELF HE WAS ONLY THERE TO GET HIS ID AND EAT AND MY HEART DID THE THING AND I WAS LIKE WHAT!!! THE !!FUCK!! i am SO ANGRY AT MYSELF I WANTED TO TALK TO HIM SO BAD WHY THE FUCK AM I LIKE HOW I AM

100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise? My niece , Amy

[ronaldmrashid]

How To Prepare For World War III: Survival And Money Advice

Once the first dirty bomb detonates in San Francisco, fake news king Mark Zuckerberg has 700 acres of Kauai lands to retreat to (as soon as he gets done suing the native Hawaiians out of their ancestral lands). Mark’s plan to build a wall all along his property to keep the locals out is smart because you know they’ll pound the shit out of him at first sight.

Even Mark’s buddy, Facebook board member and early investor, Peter Thiel has a private jet gassed up and waiting to fly his family and friends to the most expensive place in the world, New Zealand, if World War III ensues. Ah, how nice it is to be a billionaire!

But what about the rest of us poor saps who can’t afford to pillage indigenous people or cough up $20,000 an hour for a 12-hour Gulfstream 650 flight to New Zealand? Are we commoners screwed? Heck no! We must stand our ground and fight for our freedom as the ungodly rich flee. If we are to emerge victorious, then we can rebuild our own empires and permanently ban those cowards who left us when we needed their resources the most.

Preparing For World War III

Let’s hope we have peace on Earth or at least peace in a protected America. International unrest seems to be rising to new heights. But just in case the world goes to hell, here are some things I’m planning on doing and so should you.

1) Be as fit as I was in high school. Now is the time to stop making excuses about physical fitness. At 5’10” and ~168 lbs, I’m overweight according to my doctor and all online research. I used to tell myself that because I play so much tennis, my quads and calves are so much bigger and heavier than the average person. But I know this is bullshit because I was a cut 150 – 155 lbs in high school and my legs were just as big.

It’s important to be as lean as possible when you’re chasing down an intruder or running away from an angry mob. I plan to make sure I can run three consecutive miles in 18 minutes or less because I’m only about two miles away from the ocean where I can take cover among the sea people. Make sure you are fit enough to run non-stop to your closest safe zone!

Here are two weight charts to see if you’re a healthy weight. If you’re not, then at least make sure you can complete the distance and time requirements.

Ideal Weight Chart For Men

Ideal Weight Chart For Women

2) Reinforce my secret room. Do you remember watching Wes Craven’s 1991 film, The People Under The Stairs? It’s as good as watching The Exorcist as a kid. Nightmares galore! You’ll learn from the movie that everybody should build a secret room where nobody can find them. Your secret room should have electrical outlets for a mini fridge, microwave, router, CCTV, laptop, and cell phone. You should be able to live in your secret room for at least a month to let any sort of nuclear radiation thin out a little. If your enemy is camped outside, the longer you can hold out, the higher the chance for survival as they move on to their next victims.

Don’t forget to build a ventilation system and reinforce the entry way with steel rebar. The biggest risk to a secret room is that it gets discovered. Your enemies could smoke or burn you out, so consider having some type of anti-fire device, and definitely keep several oxygen masks as well.

Scare your intruders to hell!

A wonderful panic room 13 feet below the ground with private keycard access.

An efficient secret room that can house 6 uncomfortably

Ventilation is huge in case your enemies plan to smoke you out

Probably the best secret room entrance in the world

3) Train in hand-to-hand combat and firearms. Now is the time to watch every single Youtube video there is about how to use a knife and a gun. Take classes in hand-to-hand combat as well. Focus on chopping the person’s throat, elbowing the solar plex, and kneeing the groin. If you can grab a hold of your assailants pink, bend it backwards until it snaps.

I studied martial arts for years growing up in Asia so don’t f with me intruders! Time for everyone to brush up and get fierce!

4) Create an A-team. If it’s just you and your family, it’s going to be a little harder to survive the war compared to a hoard of 60 heavily armed people. For example, nobody is stopping Negam in The Walking Dead, even though all he has is a baseball bat. In order to build a team, you’ve got to make a pact before anything happens. That means reaching out to your nearby friends and sharing your contingency plan with them. Maybe they’ll think you’re crazy, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

You don’t want to be that dumb ass who connects over LinkedIn or sends an e-mail out of the blue when you just lost your job or want something. You need to be maintaining relationships long before something bad happens!

If your house gets overrun, you need to be able to flee to a friend’s place. I have one friend who lives 2.5 miles away who has already built a panic room with a 6-inch reinforced steel door. The importance of being fit enough to run nonstop to your closest ally cannot be underestimated.

5) Set up a proprietary communication system. If either my wife or I am ever captured, we have a secret code word we will use if ever we get to speak again. A lot of times captives are forced to speak under duress (e.g., gun to head, knife to throat), hence, if for some reason I can’t detect the worry in her voice, she’ll use one of several secret words to signal her true situation. We also have a secret place to leave a message on the internet. In the event that all electronic communication is lost, we will leave little clues in the real world.

Finally, I will leave clues on Financial Samurai about my whereabouts. The clues will be on the homepage somewhere on the sidebar or in the footer.

Resistance is not futile!

If World War III Doesn’t Happen, What To Invest?

The chance of WWIII is pretty low, but it’s a good idea to prepare anyway. In the more likely event that our global politicians just play chicken with our lives, here are the financial moves I’ll be more eager to make.

1) Worst case scenario: hoard real assets. Money means nothing during a world war because governments will proceed to crank up the printing press to fund their army, thereby causing inflation. Sometimes there’s hyperinflation, as in the case with Germany post World War I.

Post World War I, the German mark fell from 4.2 marks to 8.91 marks per dollar. But paying for war reparations caused an economic collapse with the exchange rate rising to 4,200,000,000,000 marks per dollar by the end of 1923. The rate of inflation was 3,250,000% per month! By mid-1923 workers were being paid as often as three times a day. As soon as the workers got paid, they’d rush to buy some goods before their cash became worthless.

Real assets to consider hoarding include property, gold, silver, copper, oil, steel, cars (yes, even cars), weapons, watches, canned food and shoes. Depending on how bad things get, you want to own all the assets that money needs to buy for you to live a comfortable life. Since cash becomes useless, it’s important to have real things to barter with.

Kids piling up bricks of cash in Germany due to hyper-inflation

The minimalist who rents and owns nothing will be screwed. S/he will be a slave to the asset lords.

Related: The Inflation Interest Rate Paradox: Why You Must Continuously Invest

2) Bad scenario: buy the most sovereign bonds possible. If things don’t get too bad (no hyperinflation), then consider buying bonds from the country you think will come out a winner. At least buy bonds in a country that you believe will pay back its debt. The most sovereign country is usually the United States because we have the biggest army, the deepest financial system, and a world currency.

During the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the U.S. dollar gained against the world because the world found relative sanctuary in U.S. assets even though many Americans were freaking out about whether they’d have a job the next week! Remember, everything is relative when it comes to investing.

If the Chrysler building in Manhattan blows up tomorrow, stocks will tank and Treasury bonds will surge as investors flee riskier assets. Emerging markets will probably sell off harder than the S&P 500 as well. Don’t forget the fear of contagion that wrecked the Asian economies in 1997.

I’ve been personally loading up on municipal bonds after the 10-year bond yield hit 2.5%. It’s my way of building a hedge and earning a 3%+ tax-free yield.

3) Uncertain scenario: hoard cash. If we’re just going through temporary uncertainty before we clearly know the devil, then it’s best not to take excess risk. Most politicians are rational, therefore, they can’t go crazy with their policies out of fear they’ll be overthrown.

Hoarding cash is the easiest and most logical move to make during times of uncertainty. Paying down debt without fully paying off debt is the wrong move because liquidity is most valuable during times of uncertainty. The more liquid you are, the more choices you have.

After making relatively aggressive investments in real estate crowdsourcing and municipal bonds since the end of November 2016, I’m back to prioritizing cash. I’ll still try and invest at least $20,000 a month in various instruments if my income is willing, but every dollar after that will now be hoarded until another panic event happens e.g. Brexit.

Sleep With One Eye Open

If the world is coming to an end, your number one goal is to survive until the chaos clears. Think long and hard about what you’d do in case a dirty bomb goes off in your city. Nothing so calamitous will probably happen, but that’s what most people thought before WWII began!

Readers, what are you doing to prepare for a potential World War III? Do you find the latest political rhetoric concerning? Or do you think the people will rise up to overthrow a government if the government goes too far? What are you doing with your money?

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/how-to-prepare-for-world-war-iii-survival-and-money-advice/

[refractions-bhs-blog]

INSTASNAP’s Finest User

By Max Barrett.

I wake, but not as eagerly as my alarm. I pull on my pants, hesitating over the open drawer of fresh shirts. I slide the drawer closed after a moment, its inventory undisturbed, and simply throw the jacket over my shoulders. I will return within minutes. My Peugeot 12-speed feels heavier today. I skip every other the step down to the ground floor. The wheels turn smoothly while sleepiness coalesces my own moving parts. Watch says 5:02 AM. I turn over the tasks of my morning in my semiconscious mind: two photos of the Passerelle Debilly Bridge from the East bank and one of the Pont de L'Alma Bridge. I shoot the first from the East bank, and begin uploading it with a caption from my notebook: “Morning run!” I take the other with my second cellphone, and retire to a bench in the 90 seconds that INSTASNAP allows a user to post a photo after it is taken. I watch each upload, and double check the location tag.

I add the first photo to the profile of a regular customer by the name of Buchanan. Buchanan makes travels to Paris on behalf of his knee replacement manufacturing enterprise back in the states. Every few months I receive a letter with the username and a new password to his INSTASNAP account, and an itinerary for his week long business trip. I find time for his several morning runs on the banks of the Seine. Occasionally during these week long stays I receive a call, and in a rough voice I am instructed to come to the L'Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe, or the Hotel d'Aubusson. The bellhop wheels my bicycle through lobby as if walking a lion through a dog show. His eyes flick from rug to bike to door to bike to elevator. A stern chofer presses the buttons in the elevator with an elephantine peach thumb, and escorts me to Mr. Buchanan’s room, which is always empty. The chofer directs me to Buchanan’s handwritten instructions to send a direct message to Mrs. Buchanan hinting at a restful night in his own hotel room. I carry out the painfully personal deed with a clouded mind. The smiles of the women of Paris whom Mr. Buchanan is likely in the company of do not leave my mind as I reclaim my bicycle. The direct messages pay well.

The second photo, also a ‘morning run’ service, is for Butch Burter. Butch is the only one of my clients whom I have ever met in person. Standing hardly a meter and half, Butch’s tendency to stand very close in conversation necessitates his rabbit eyes to remain at a cloud gazing angle. He has given me a pair of running sneakers identical to his own, and requires that I feature them in several of the shots. His payments are made in US dollars, exclusively at the back door of his bowling alley. Meeting at the back door seems unnecessary, as he almost always invites me in for a “round on the house.” As soon as he rolls a ball down the alley, (often knocking down every pin) Butch sheds his nervousness and parades around, introducing me to his circle of American expats through friendly back slaps and rib jabs. We speak in English, and he peppers me with “bud” and ��my man,” terms weighted with obligation of my continued allegiance. I do not consider Butch a friend, but I believe he has a good soul unlike Buchanan. The last photograph is for a new customer. With the photographs uploaded I return home. The bike feels just as heavy as before. The top frame presses into my shoulder blade. I step through the familiar door. I ignore the old floor’s creaky protests of my movement, while I hang my coat and return to bed. The blankets have cooled. Watch says 5:34 AM. I have made good time, but the relentless second hand catches hold on my gaze and uneasy mind. I avert my eyes, and let the hand sweep off into coming morning as I doze into a dream.

I am drifting through the fog. I cannot tell if the sun is rising or setting. My legs are stiff, but I creep forward like one of Butch’s bowling balls. The waitress from the Café de Flore stands still. I try to warn her of something that creeps along behind me, but I cannot break the iron trance.

The second time I wake to the birds of early spring, the cacophony of the city, and the shouts of Lord Edmund the Ugly.

“Lourdaud paresseux!” he yells, banging on the door. I open the door so he can openly demonstrate his impatience as I search for my wallet, sleepily distracted. I hand him the money. I have enough, and I apologize for my forgetfulness. The more peaceful noises return. I believe the birds find Lord Ed off putting. I open up my notebook. Yesterday's baguette softens in a bowl of café au lait. Notebook says several posts before 12:00 PM.

I ride down the familiar streets of the my beloved city. The warm sun burns away the reminisce of the unsettling dream. The wheels spin light footed with a resonant hum. At this moment I feel sorry for my clients. I am paid to live their notable or simply pleasing moments and leave them with the crumbs! Even worse is that I live them for all the wrong reasons– the photos with meaningless captions. But pity is outside my area of business. I stop at a market to update the profile of Eleanor Montague. Ms. Montague is woman of wealth, somber beauty and loneliness. Her artificial personality is worth 115 Euros a month. Her image is cultivated to allure the digital eyes of young bachelors with daily updates in libraries, book stores, open air markets, and public gardens. It does so with great success, (I must add proudly) yet she winds herself down an eternal spiral of first dates, frustrated and unimpressed. At the Café de Flore I order a croissant and an espresso. At the counter is the waitress whom I have seen walking down my street early in the morning. I sometimes hope that I will run into her on my own morning travels. I pause after thanking her but I am unsure what to say, as always. She smiles and turns away.  

The excellence of this late breakfast will soon be proclaimed by two people whom I doubt have set foot in this café. This same breakfast will also be enjoyed by a few others on the steps of the Fontaine Saint Sulpice in a few minutes.

Next I visit Ms. Montague’s favorite bookstore. I first visited the store for Ms. Montague’s account, however I have become very fond of it myself. I now visit it often in simply search of books. At first I was very determined to keep my visits for books and my visits for photographs separate. I gave up after I found myself leave the store to pedal around a few blocks and return twice in one week. Regardless I am a regular. I believe the salesclerks attribute my frequent empty handed visits to a taste in rare literature. As I enter today I hold the door for a tall woman. I am focused on of book under her arm, the cover looks to be some artwork of Duchamp. She meets my eyes. It is Ms. Montague! I am startled but I cannot help but stare for a moment, she too pauses, taking in my rough appearance.

“Pardon... excusez-moi.”

I have made a fool of myself. The two of us in all the two million. I impossibly well acquainted, I am a  stranger nonetheless. I wander the aisles aimlessly, unsure what to of make of her non-virtual existence. I imagine our absurd meeting becoming one of her disappointing first dates and the idea makes me terribly confused. I recognize a copy of the book she had, which turns out to be on the life of Francis Picabia. Apparently Ms. Montague’s tastes for Dadaism are less trite than my own. I leave the store without purchasing any book. I am deeply concerned by such a collision of space and time in the City of Lights.

I am drifting throught the fog again. There is no sun at all. There is silence. A few boys wade in the shallows at the shore of the Seine. They tie blindfolds over their eyes in torpid disjointed motions. I stand waist deep, a voiceless orator, with no audience but the river.

I am awake, but I do not remember waking. I have realized that of the twenty two lives I live, I own only one. Now that Ms. Montague has entered world digital world, I can no longer live her life as my own. I must end our contract right away. It seems that my distance from each client (aside from Butch) has allowed me to pretend the things I do for them are my own, just as they pretend my photographs are their’s and accept the praise of the ignorant.

I glide down the Quai de Conti, my wheels buzzing. Watch says 3:22 AM. The bakeries and cafes are fast asleep with their owners. The world is still, apart from myself. The sprouting leaves only rustle when I rush past them. I carry my own pressure pushing wind only a few feet to my right and left. I am an Egyptian god touring the fertile banks of the Nile. Will I weigh the hearts of the obsessive liars against a feather? No, for the Nile flows north, and the Seine flows west.

I think about my breath, cold as it comes in, warm as it comes out. Do I wear a face of twenty one, now twenty strangers? Yet none can recognize it. My lungs are real. They must be my own, but strangers use them. I pull both brakes, skidding and squeaking to a stop. Here I am, alone before the Institut de France. I move to the backside where I can scale the neoclassical walls (those erected in 1795 with the purpose of preserving the purity of the French language). I wonder whether they keep bad words out, or good ones in. I run across the roof towards the huge dome. I make my way up it quickly. I have been here before, but this does not stop the adrenaline from rushing to my hands and feet. I grip the cold ledges pulling myself higher and higher. The cobblestone street grumbles up to me from 100 meters below. It reminds me that if I fell my own life is the only that would cease entirely. The other twenty would carry on, and who would notice? I don’t answer. I pull myself over the last ledge, and roll onto my side. I truly wish I had come here only for the view. I wish I came to absorb everything the night offers, but I must flee a petty thief of light and beauty. In the dark I scramble for some miniscule shard of the truth. Very little makes it through the camera of my cellphone.

Some tiny shard that will find its place as the bragging rights of some twelve year old  boy who has never lived. I would like to bring him up here and throw his cellphone out over the Seine. He would gasp for air as his phone sunk to the bottom, but to his surprise he would find it and feel it in his lungs for the first time in his life.

[oovitus]

Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes!

Rachel and Daniel spent the past 12 months transforming their eating habits, health, bodies, and lives with personal help from a PN coach. And now? They’re our latest Grand Prize winners. See how we surprised them with $25,000 each, and meet the rest of our July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching winners.

++

Every six months in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program we give away more than $125,000 to the men and women who have the most incredible, inspiring body transformations.

Yep, that’s more than a quarter million dollars a year.

And, today, you’ll meet our latest amazing winners.

These folks started working with us in July 2017 and, over the course of the past year, completely transformed how they eat, move, look, and feel.

They lost body fat, gained strength, boosted their health, and inspired their friends and families.

Even better, they did it without diets, fads, or crazy workout routines.

Each person simply committed to making a change, stayed consistent, and used the accountability and support of one of our dedicated coaches.

Meet Rachel, our Women’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner

Meet Daniel, our Men’s $25,000 Grand Prize Winner

See photos of all July 2018 Women’s winners

See photos of all July 2018 Men’s winners

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Rachel

Lost 31 lbs and 26 total inches!

Age: 42 years Weight Lost: 31 lbs (from 148 lbs to 117 lbs) Total Inches Lost: 26 inches (from 211 inches to 185 inches)

Entering her 40s, Rachel used to wake up feeling puffy, creaky, and old.

She despaired, feeling that at this point, her life would never change.

This is all I can be, Rachel told herself. This is as good as it gets. It is what it is.

She had caring friends, a satisfying job in human resources, and a vocation for acting. But a difficult decade marked by a long and complicated professional project, several painful breakups, and the deaths of her two beloved dogs had left her tired, anxious, increasingly out of shape, and depressed.

It didn’t help that she’d spent almost 20 years in L.A. hearing from casting directors that she was a talented but “unmarketable” actress.

Attractive—but not attractive enough. Over time, the message took a serious toll on Rachel’s confidence.

All those challenges together felt like “death by a thousand cuts”.

In 2017, hoping to jumpstart a healing process, Rachel set out on a solo road trip. Her plan worked. By the time she returned, she felt ready to open her heart to a new rescue dog and begin the long wait for adoption.

Meanwhile, she paid a visit to her brother in Cleveland. He encouraged her to make another kind of commitment.

Matthew, a former attorney who had given up law in favor of a career as a personal trainer, suggested that if Rachel really wanted to get fit, she should check out Precision Nutrition. A client of his had been making excellent progress in the coaching program. He’d looked it up. He liked what he saw.

Rachel struggled with her doubts. Could she afford coaching? Why would this system work for her when others hadn’t? What was the point of trying?

Yet she trusted her brother and knew that he’d never recommend something that didn’t make sense.

Somewhere deep inside, Rachel retained a tiny sliver of hope that life could be more.

The day Rachel met her new dog, Snickers, was the same day she began her year of Precision Nutrition Coaching. It was as if she needed to risk her heart again to open the door to deep change.

For months, she did exactly what the program asked of her. Nothing more. And she barely registered that she was losing weight.

Then one day she pulled on a pair of pleather pants that had always been too small and found, to her amazement, they zipped.

The internal changes struck her sooner and more powerfully. Like the fact that she —a lifelong worrier— was worrying less. Instead of focusing on an unknown future, she was tackling one small task at a time, not only in the gym and in the kitchen, but also when it came to other life challenges.

Gradually, Rachel started to realize that it was OK to ask for help.

She didn’t need to suffer so much to improve. She didn’t need to be perfect. She just needed to show up.

“To be humble. To be honest.” To do the day’s task.

These days, Rachel is basking in her improved health and well-being, and she’s head over heels in love with Snickers. “I gained a corgi and I lost a corgi,” she jokes. (Meaning thirty pounds of body weight or so.)

Even her acting career is on an upswing.  “Turns out there’s more work for older character actresses,” she explains. Or maybe it’s just that her newfound confidence allows her to take more risks.

With her winnings, Rachel plans to take care of some needed upgrades to her condo. But she’s also setting aside a portion for her brother, Matthew.

After all, as the person who encouraged her to sign up, he helped Rachel reclaim her life. Now, he’d like to help his own clients get the kind of results his sister has achieved, so he’s signing up to get his Precision Nutrition’s Certification.

By paying his tuition, Rachel is paying it forward.

Want to get results like Rachel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Women.

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Daniel

Lost 10 lbs and 11 total inches!

Age: 39 years Weight Lost: 10 lbs (from 178 lbs to 168 lbs) Total Inches Lost: 11 inches (from 229 inches to 218 inches)

Daniel seemed to have it all.

At age 39, Dan was blessed with a terrific job. He was also happily married and living in his dream home with his wife, Erin, their daughter, Sydney, and another baby on the way.

Life should have felt idyllic. Except it didn’t. Something was eroding Dan’s self-respect.

He’d always kept himself relatively trim and fit, most recently through his practice of Filipino martial arts.

But in 2016, he didn’t feel his best. Erratic training had injured his shoulders, and he’d lost a stick-fighting tournament to a rival. Later, he contracted a virus from his preschooler that laid him low for longer than he expected.

By the time June 2017 rolled around, he was actually feeling embarrassed at the thought of pulling on a swimsuit and taking Sydney to the neighborhood pool.

When he looked in a mirror, Dan wasn’t proud of what he saw.

It’s not as if he was vastly overweight. It’s just that he felt out of sync with his values and expectations.

I’m almost forty, he told himself. If I’m serious about making a change, now’s the time.

Turning to Precision Nutrition felt natural. Dan had been following the company since 2005. He’d read John Berardi’s articles. He’d used the cookbook. He knew he could put his trust in this program.

And that’s exactly what he did.

“If anything, I was coming in with too much information about nutrition.”

At the time Dan joined PN, he was lost in a nutrition labyrinth of his own making.

Trying Paleo one week and intermittent fasting the next; switching between workout routines, always restless to find the quick fix but missing the thread of consistency he needed.

PN Coaching worked differently. His progress was slow but steady.

The workouts were not especially challenging at first. Even the nutritional habits felt familiar. But knowing he’d be at this for a year gave Dan space to relax, to play, to experiment without so much pressure.

He emptied his cup of the things he thought he knew about fitness and nutrition, and let his coaches lead the way.

Over time, he felt the principles and habits “burn in” and become a part of him, instead of “showering over him” and then washing away.

The results were subtle, yet profound.

About nine months into the program, Dan once again caught a virus from his young daughter right before an important martial arts tournament. But the body transformation he’d attained by then made him so confident that he attended the tournament anyway. This time, he won.

When the new baby came along, he was worried that sleepless nights and limited time would destroy all the progress he’d made.  But with the encouragement of his coach, he let go of his all-or-nothing thinking and kept up with his habits, lessons, and workouts.

He’d finally learned that it isn’t necessary to do it all. Something is often good enough. And when he compared his progress photos to his beginning photos, he was amazed at the change in his physique.

Evidently, it’s consistently showing up that matters most.

PN’s daily check-ins continue to keep Dan focused and grounded.

Ask Dan what he likes best about PN Coaching, and he’ll tell you “the programming, the lessons, the feedback from coaches, the group discussions, the online delivery format.” In other words, he likes everything.

So much so that he plans to sign up for another year.

“There are a lot of twelve week programs out there,” he says. “I’ve tried a few.  And they might even give you results. Of a superficial kind.”

But if you’re looking for something deeper and more lasting, Dan says, Precision Nutrition Coaching is the way to go.

“What twelve week program will change your life? This program completely changed mine.”

Want to get results like Daniel’s? Learn more about the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Men.

Meet our other Women’s winners:

Lara

$10,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 44 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (176 lbs to 132 lbs)

Total inches lost: 35" (230" to 195")

The biggest offering that PN presented me with is empowering me to take control of my mind and my body. We all look for external validation to some degree. PN taught me that the best external validation is when you look at your body and it matches your soul and mind. When I felt empowered to take control, I started being more motivated to do the workouts and watch how I nourished my body. The better the nourishment, the more enjoyment, the better the visible result. Loving one self is the hardest adventure. PN was here to show me how to become my own best friend. And what a friend I am!

- Lara

Angela

$10,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 47 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (138 lbs to 111 lbs)

Total inches lost: 28" (215" to 187")

When I came to the PN coaching program, I was an overweight busy mom who wasn’t taking care of herself and wasn’t enjoying life. By changing my eating habits and lifestyle I learned how to let go of the mental clutter, and the physical clutter took care of itself. PN reminded me what joy was, taught me how to play again, brought me to a place of calmness, and helped me nourish myself. I feel fit and fabulous!

- Angela

Anne Marie

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 54 years

Weight Lost: 29 lbs (151 lbs to 122 lbs)

Total inches lost: 30" (216" to 186")

PN has taught me about doing the 'difficult-difficult' things — ending the going-nowhere relationship; finally making the appointment with the dermatologist to get that spot checked. I learned how to be my own hero... I learned I needed to make better choices, and to listen — REALLY listen — to my body and to my thinking.

- Anne Marie

Sarah

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 64 lbs (230 lbs to 166 lbs)

Total inches lost: 46" (255" to 209")

One word that I would use to sum up my PN experience is FREEDOM! Freedom to fuel my body appropriately without having to “follow a diet”; freedom to feel strong; freedom to once again enjoy the open road on my bike; freedom to fit in clothes I love; freedom to think positively; freedom to encourage and support others; freedom to love me for me!

- Sarah

Lynn

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 40 lbs (238 lbs to 198 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (258" to 227")

When I started PN Coaching that it would be this big of a transformation, inside and out. The lessons, the habits, the support of the coaches, the camaraderie with the other women... it was all so powerful. I loved that women of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels could work and support each other through the highs and lows of our individual journeys. I'm slimmer, stronger, healthier, more compassionate, and totally confident that my 60s will be my best decade yet!

- Lynn

Sarah

$2,500 Women's Winner:

Age: 39 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (138 lbs to 114 lbs)

Total inches lost: 25" (211" to 186")

PN Coaching taught me that consistent action, even if imperfect, yields much greater results than inconsistent, short sprints of perfectionism. The program helped transform my body and mind which led me to find a new, fit, and more confident identity.

- Sarah

Rowena

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 48 years

Weight Lost: 42 lbs (216 lbs to 174 lbs)

Total inches lost: 47" (268" to 221")

Comfortably achieving a healthy, sustainable weight after years of failed diets and steady gains is incredible. Learning how to consciously choose my life, manage discomfort constructively and conquer depression, anxiety and loneliness, so I feel amazing and am genuinely happy and loving life for the first time in forever? Beyond words!

- Rowena

Karen

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 70 years

Weight Lost: 58 lbs (220 lbs to 162 lbs)

Total inches lost: 35" (226" to 191")

A year ago, I was searching for a miracle to become the healthy person I dreamed of being. With Precision Nutrition's guidance of practicing healthy eating habits; maintaining a proactive fitness program; keeping my mind actively engaged in life; actively pursuing happiness; having faith and being continually kind to myself... I ended up finding the miracle within myself. I can now be there for myself and the ones I love in ways I never dreamed possible.

- Karen

Ellie

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 53 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (148 lbs to 120 lbs)

Total inches lost: 23" (213" to 190")

I've always denied that hitting 50 meant hitting a wall where everything that worked before just... stopped… working. So instead of adjusting my approach, I just ran through it like Braveheart — resulting in the injuries, surgeries, weight gain, and setbacks that come with not thinking this brilliant denial strategy all the way through. My experience with PN over the past year was like a bright, shining light that illuminated the best approach, pointed out the pitfalls to avoid, and walked me through the complex pathway of movement, nutrition, and habits. I can't imagine anything — a workout, a diet plan, a class — that could possibly be more effective than Precision Nutrition for tackling the weight and fitness challenges I've struggled with since turning 50.

- Ellie

Vanessa

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 44 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (149 lbs to 121 lbs)

Total inches lost: 32" (219" to 187")

From a childhood filled with good and bad memories of food — the good being meals with my mom, the bad being the food deprivation after her death — the biggest impact PN Coaching has had on me is the understanding and acceptance that food is not an emergency. I have truly begun to understand the strained and often confusing relationship I’ve had with food all these years, and I am beginning to mend it.

- Vanessa

Tina

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 45 years

Weight Lost: 59 lbs (254 lbs to 195 lbs)

Total inches lost: 48" (271" to 223")

PN has taught me that, no matter how busy I am, I can still find time for myself. I found ME again this last year, and I will never forget that I am worth it, and I will NEVER GO BACK!

- Tina

Erin

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (150 lbs to 126 lbs)

Total inches lost: 18" (218" to 200")

My greatest struggle coming into PN was finding time to work out and eat nutritiously, and not feel guilty for spending that time taking care of myself. With the guidance of my coaches, daily lessons, habits, and workshops, one important concept I have developed is that in order to care for my children, husband, and relationships, I need to permit time for self-care.

- Erin

Beth

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 43 years

Weight Lost: 71 lbs (268 lbs to 197 lbs)

Total inches lost: 44" (292" to 248")

This program has been such a blessing in helping me take control of my weight issues and overall health. I now have habits and tools that I can use on an everyday basis to help me make better choices and become the healthiest version of myself.

- Beth

Lucia

$1,000 Women's Winner:

Age: 26 years

Weight Lost: 28 lbs (129 lbs to 101 lbs)

Total inches lost: 21" (205" to 184")

The PN program helped me build a strong foundation of self-awareness and self-reliance, which has changed how I treat myself, in all ways, beyond nutrition and fitness. I feel like I've put a definite stop to my struggles with weight and dieting... and the results speak for themselves!

- Lucia

Meet our other Men’s winners:

Teofilo

$10,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (253 lbs to 202 lbs)

Total inches lost: 30" (273" to 243")

Biggest impact this year had on me was to remind me of coaching's true value. You can't be an expert on everything if you intend to make the best of your life.

- Teofilo

Steve

$10,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 55 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (224 lbs to 173 lbs)

Total inches lost: 40" (263" to 223")

This last year of Precision nutrition has given me the absolute best results of any plan I have ever tried, and allowed me to obtain a lower weight than stringent long-term dieting was able to produce. Moreover, the PN method has been the easiest of all the approaches I have ever tried. That simple!

- Steve

Jeremy

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 41 years

Weight Lost: 51 lbs (239 lbs to 188 lbs)

Total inches lost: 33" (257" to 224")

The biggest impact PN has had on me is to truly make a lifestyle change vs complete a 'fad' diet or program. The benefits I've gained mentally (knowledge, outlook and perspective, mind over matter) outweigh the physical outcome. PN helped me get over some pretty serious mental barriers around the stroke that I suffered a few years ago. I still have a lot of physical transformations that I'm going to continue to work on. For me, the program doesn't end here, it's just getting started!

- Jeremy

Gerardo

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 43 years

Weight Lost: 32 lbs (209 lbs to 177 lbs)

Total inches lost: 16" (238 " to 222")

I like a quote that I saw in a commercial: “Train your mind, your body will follow”. To me that was my experience. Change the 'little things' (habits) and you’ll see changes in your body. Always mindful and aware, and of course consistent.

- Gerardo

Alex

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 52 years

Weight Lost: 16 lbs (189 lbs to 173 lbs)

Total inches lost: 10" (236" to 226")

In the beginning of the year I was overweight, always tired, busy, cranky, and I thought I was stuck at my weight. With PN Coaching, I have changed my eating and lifestyle habits and as a result I feel free, more confident, less stressed, and full of energy. The coaching exceeded my expectations and when people ask me how I’ve changed, I can’t help but tell them about all the things that I’ve learned from PN.

- Alex

Cody

$2,500 Men's Winner:

Age: 28 years

Weight Lost: 20 lbs (195 lbs to 175 lbs)

Total inches lost: 9" (233" to 224")

I came into my year of PN Coaching with a fairly strong background in nutrition and exercise. Despite this, I was never able to take my own body to the place I wanted it. It's not that I couldn't do it on my own, but rather that I wouldn't do it on my own. My PN coach, Jonathan, helped hold me accountable and continually reminded me to focus on the 'big rocks' and not worry so much about the small stuff.

- Cody

Todd

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 45 years

Weight Lost: 36 lbs (183 lbs to 147 lbs)

Total inches lost: 27" (224" to 197")

I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for PN coaching because I thought I had the knowledge to make the changes I needed to make on my own. I discovered that I might have the knowledge, but not the tools that I needed to really improve. PN Coaching gave me the tools, confidence, and support that I needed to really change my physical and mental health. The best part about PN Coaching is all you need to do is follow the program, trust in the program, and you will see significant results.

- Todd

Brandon

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 33 years

Weight Lost: 22 lbs (159 lbs to 137 lbs)

Total inches lost: 19" (220" to 201")

PN has been a great experience for me. In the past I’d always enjoyed an active lifestyle, but I had gotten to a point where my lack of fitness and poor nutritional choices were really hurting my ability to do the things I love. Generally speaking I just didn’t feel good about where I was at. Just days before the program started I separated my shoulder and underwent surgery, further limiting me. PN was the best thing for me during recovery. It taught me you don’t have to have some crazy “all or nothing” fitness program or diet. Small, consistent changes can bring about great results! It’s completely changed the way I think about food, fitness, and nutrition. Thanks!!

- Brandon

Luis

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 46 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (182 lbs to 155 lbs)

Total inches lost: 19" (241" to 222")

When I started PN Coaching, I knew it would be a customized nutrition and fitness program. Now I see that it's not just that — it's a complete lifestyle program. It’s not a diet at all. It’s a system based on habit change. You learn lifelong nutrition habits that will last and keep you healthy. And if you ever get stuck on your path, you always have someone you can ask for help.

- Luis

Domenic

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 32 years

Weight Lost: 31 lbs (284 lbs to 253 lbs)

Total inches lost: 22" (279" to 257")

This past year in PN has probably added 20-30 years to my life, and those years will be much better quality due to the increase in my health, my energy, and my ability to cope better with the stress and trials in life. I feel like the foundation that has been set by PN will help me to finish every race in life strong, get over life's biggest hurdles, stay focused on truly meaningful objectives in life, and most of all, I can now run and play with my children and watch them grow. Unlike the other men in my family who all died young due to poor health before seeing any of their grandchildren, I look forward to living long enough to see my grandchildren be born and grow up.

- Domenic

Bob

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 38 lbs (195 lbs to 157 lbs)

Total inches lost: 28" (241" to 213")

I hit a wall on my nutrition and fitness journey to lose over 100 lbs. PN gave the tools and support I needed to not just get past that wall but to crush it! Never looking back! I had been fat for so long, it was the only way I could see myself. In less than a year, the caring coaching, consistent structure, and solid information of PN has helped me transform my self-image to seeing myself as lean and fit.

- Bob

Kevin

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 52 lbs (224 lbs to 172 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (249" to 218")

The past year has been like many of the years before it: a roller-coaster of weight, distraction, disappointment, elation, advancement and setback. I knew that PN wasn't going to change the world around me and somehow create a magical petri dish of perfection for me to live in. What it did give me is what I was missing in all those previous years: control, understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and resiliency - that has made all the difference.

- Kevin

Jay-C

$1,000 Men’s Winner:

Age: 38 years

Weight Gained: 25 lbs (203 lbs to 228 lbs)

Total inches gained: 11″ (237″ to 248″)

During my journey with PN Coaching, I’ve learned that it is possible to gain a good amount of muscle mass without gaining too much fat along the way. ‘Dirty bulking’ is not necessary. Go clean. Go the PN Coaching way!

– Jay-C

Matt

$1,000 Men's Winner:

Age: 35 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (261 lbs to 217 lbs)

Total inches lost: 31" (270" to 239")

I began Precision Nutrition feeling overwhelmed and trapped in my body: overcome with the chronic pain in my disc herniations and subluxed ribs, fearful of reinjuring them, and doubtful that I could regain my old athleticism and physique in that condition. Little by little, Precision Nutrition nurtured a new lifestyle where I've found the resilience to heal my body and return to the martial arts I love. Best of all, armed with the tools and behaviors I've learned, I feel confident that I will prevail over any injuries or challenges that the future has in store.

- Matt

Meet a few hundred more Precision Nutrition clients.

To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from the July 2018 Coaching Program, click the links below.

July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching for WOMEN finalists

July 2018 Precision Nutrition Coaching for MEN finalists

To view all the men’s and women’s finalists from all of our Precision Nutrition Coaching programs, click the links below.

Precision Nutrition WOMEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame

Precision Nutrition MEN’S Coaching: The Finalist Hall of Fame

Of course, if you’re interested in working toward a body or health transformation of your own, consider joining our next Precision Nutrition Coaching group. We’re opening up a few spots in the coming weeks.

Want to transform your body too?

As you probably know, you won’t overhaul your body this dramatically by counting calories, logging time on a treadmill, or reading health tips on Twitter. 

Awesome, lasting, wow-what-happened-to-you transformations usually require personal attention from an expert coach.

That’s why we work closely with Precision Nutrition Coaching clients to help them lose fat, get stronger, and improve their health… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.

And here’s the good news: Precision Nutrition Coaching will be accepting new clients very soon, at our lowest, most accessible price ever.

Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list; you’ll save up to 54% and secure a spot 24 hours early.

If you’re interested in coaching and want to find out more, I’d encourage you to join our presale list.

Being on the presale list gives you two special advantages.

You’ll pay less than everyone else. At Precision Nutrition we like to reward the most interested and motivated people because they always make the best clients. Join the presale list and you’ll save up to 54% off the general public price, which is the lowest price we’ve ever offered.

You’re more likely to get a spot. To give clients the personal care and attention they deserve, we only open up the program twice a year. Last time we opened registration, we sold out within minutes. By joining the presale list you’ll get the opportunity to register 24 hours before everyone else, increasing your chances of getting in.

[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].

If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world’s best coaches, this is your chance.

The post Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes! appeared first on Precision Nutrition.

Precision Nutrition Coaching Grand Prize Winners: July 2018. We just surprised our latest winners with more than $125,000 in prizes! published first on https://storeseapharmacy.tumblr.com