#imagine getting famous at your normally invisible job because you just have a SENSE for JUST the right moment

[kineticallyanywhere]

I guarantee I would watch more sports if the guy at the desk switching cameras for TV was allowed a sound board with a single use of the willhelm scream per game

[peterssparkourr]

his lucky stark | p. parker

word count: 2745 warnings: just flash getting a piece of his medicine MWUAHAHAHA note: this is my first peter parker imagine. EVER. i hope you like it !! reader is tony stark's daughter btw

———————————–

Peter was excited to go over to the Avengers Headquarters today. He was going to start training with the man himself, Tony Stark. Not only will he be go under the kind of training Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton had to go through, he’ll be spending time in the Stark lab, having Tony teach him a thing or two about everything he needs to know about the science side of this superhero industry.

He was excited to do something so cool. If only he could tell everyone at school what he’s been doing for the past year, he’d be the coolest and most popular guy, but no. He can’t. As much as he wanted to, he really can’t. Only Ned knew of his nerd by day, Spiderman by night thing. Nobody else knew. No one. He’s still constantly bullied by Flash, considered as an uber nerd by everyone…

When Peter walks down those school halls, people hardly notice him. Even if they bump into him, they look the other way. That’s why he’d like to focus on being the awesome and beloved Spiderman than being the infamous geek loser Peter Parker.

“Hi, Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaimed once he stepped out of the car, seeing his mentor right outside the facility to greet him.

“Hey, Pete! How ya doin’ bud? Glad you could make it.” Tony Stark gave him a pat on the back, leading Peter inside the compound, “I hope you brought your bags.”

The boy smiled as they walked into some kind of recreation room, complete with two flat screen TVs, a pool table, a ping pong table, arcade games, a mini bar filled with every junk food known to man, bean bags, lazy boy chairs and sofas, a mini library… it was paradise.

“All packed, Mr. Stark. I told Aunt May this was another Stark internship thing.” Peter responded.

“Great. You’ll have an awesome time here. A whole weekend at Avengers HQ. Can you already imagine all the fun things we’ll get to do?” Stark gave his iconic smirk-ish smile.

“Now, I’ll leave you be for now.” Tony said, “I’ll have someone show you around, I gotta go to a meeting, be back soon. Toodles.”

“Wait, Mr. Stark. You’re not staying?” Peter caught up to him right before the billionaire exited the room, “Who’ll show me around? Happy?”

Stark laughed, “No, no. He has other business to attend to. Don’t worry. Like I said, I’ll be back soon. The person who’ll show you around is literally the next best thing to me, genetically speaking. Now, make yourself at home. She’s coming down.”

With that, Tony Stark has left the room.

She’s coming down? Peter asked himself, Who’s “She’s”?

The Spiderman sat down on one of the couches and turned the TV on. He flipped through the channels, surfing the HD cable.

“Are you Peter?” A female voice suddenly entered the room, causing Peter to jump, “Whoa, calm down, Spiderman.”

“Sorry, you just kinda surprised me.” The boy sheepishly looked down, not looking at the girl.

“It’s alright. I have that effect on people.” The female voice cutely laughed.

Peter looked up, curious as to who this girl was, but when he did realize who it was, he was speechless. He was frozen in his place. His jaw agape.

It was Y/N Stark.

Y/N Stark is Tony Stark’s first and only daughter. Not only did she inherit her father’s good looks and charisma, she was a child prodigy as well. Her intellect is beyond Peter’s. She’s even as famous as her father. You would see her on the cover of magazines, featured on talk shows, social media… everywhere. She’s basically the rich, pretty, smart girl that every girl wanted to be and every guy wanted to date. In other words, she was way out of Peter Parker’s league.

“H-hi… You’re Y/N Stark.” Peter stuttered.

“Please, just call me Y/N.” She smiled at him,“ The little Stark said, “I have a feeling you’ll love this place.”

Peter blushed furiously when Y/N took his hand and pulled him out of the lounge. She took him all over the compound. She showed him the training rooms, the dining hall, the bedrooms, the labs, the armories, the arsenals, the garages, the conference rooms, the kitchens, the living rooms, the tech places,—everywhere. Peter didn’t know whether to be astonished by the fact that the Avengers Headquarters was huge or the fact that Y/N Stark is actually constantly talking to him.

She was so chill and fun to be with. She was kind to Peter, she even thought he was really cute. Y/N was obviously a Stark. Her personality said it all. Like her father, she was confident and humorous. She had the sarcastically upbeat tone to her voice that only made her seem like a laugh trip. Peter was so amazed that a girl like this would actually talk to a guy like him.

“So… I assume you go to a normal school?” Y/N asked Peter.

“Yeah. It sucks.” He sighed.

“Really?” She wondered, “Why? I’ve always wanted to go to a normal school but with a dad who constantly moves from coast to coast, it’s pretty hard to have a normal life, especially when he’s not just a billionaire inventor, but he’s Iron Man too. He’s always so protective of me… he doesn’t want me to go out in public without a security guard of some sort. I’ve been homeschooled all my life and it really is shitty.”

“Shitty? Don’t the Avengers help you in your homework or something?” Peter asked with a slight laugh to his tone.

Y/N laughed, “Well, yeah… Uncle Steve helps me in my History sometimes. My dad’s been a big help in Math and Science. Thor once helped me in my English homework, that was nice…”

“Then why are you complaining?” He asked again.

“Because I never really had friends my age…” She looked down to her toes and sat down on a nearby bench outside in the gardens, Peter taking the seat next to her, “It may seem really cool at first but then I see all these people enjoying their freedom. All I want is freedom, but with all the money I have, that’s still the one thing I can’t have.” Y/N looked down in reflection, “But enough about me. What about you? Why does school suck for you?”

Peter inhaled a breath of air, “Well, if you haven’t noticed by my science pun shirt, I’m not popular. I’m a nerdy-ass geek who has no life, socially speaking. I’ve been bullied too many times to keep track of how many times my ego’s been crushed and bruised. If you were ever to go to my school, you’d be school royalty the second you step through the front doors, but I’ve been walking through those doors for the past two years and I’m still invisible to everyone else.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was like that for some people…” Y/N said, rethinking her current situation.

“But being Spiderman’s helped me feel important to this world, you know? Helping people smile and feel safe makes me happy. It’s the best feeling in the world.” He softly grinned at the end, reminiscing all the times he’s made people happy just by doing the smallest things like directing an old lady to where she wants to go, giving a bike back to it’s respectful owner, catching bag and purse robbers… thinking of all those things made his heart feel happy again.

Y/N smiled at how pure hearted Peter’s genuine intentions were. She knew she just met him just now, but she sensed that he was a soft cinnamon roll that needed to be protected. His voice was already too precious to begin with. His attractive features, bulging biceps and killer smile were just big bonuses.

“You may not be popular but who cares? You have a heart of gold, Peter Parker. That’s a privilege above everything else.” The Stark gave Peter a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Hearing those words come out of her mouth made Peter’s heart flutter. He smiled with his dimples prominently showing, his white teeth shining. It made Y/N feel her heart beat faster than usual.

“You sure you’re not some kind of heartthrob?” Y/N replied, teasing.

“Absolutely not.” Peter laughed, “Far from it. I’m a nobody at Midtown Science High.”

As if on cue, the gardener was watering the plants with a hose nearby and accidentally sprayed Peter, getting his shirt wet.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Parker! Ms. Stark!” The gardener apologized.

“It’s okay, man. Don’t sweat it.” Peter gave him the most kind and forgiving smile, “You were just doing your job. It was my fault for staying staying too close to these petunias.” He laughed, making  you and the gardener laugh as well.

The two teens went back inside to change Peter’s shirt now. His bags were brought to his room upstairs and Y/N absent-mindedly walked in after him changing right away, throwing his shirt across the floor and looking for a spare shirt in his backpack.

“Whoa!” Y/N widened her eyes and turned around, “We just walked into your room and you go shirtless already?” Her hands on her eyes.

She’s never been in a room with a shirtless boy before, this was all very new to her. Yes, the Y/N Stark has never been in the same air space with a boy her age for more than five minutes.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Peter blushed and degraded himself once again saying, “It’s okay. There’s nothing much to see anyway.”

Y/N slowly turned around to see Peter, still rummaging through his things. What she saw shocked her. Her jaw slightly open, her eyes wide as before.

He. Has. Abs. What. The. Fuck. That was what kept on repeating in her genius mind. Oh. My. God.

“What kind of nobody has a body like that?” Y/N blurted out.

Peter turned his head towards her and laughed and blushed, amused.

“Forget I said anything…” The teenage girl facepalmed, embarassed as fuck.

—

As originally planned, Peter spent the whole weekend at the facility. He enjoyed his time there for sure. He got to play Spiderman all day and he loved it, but that wasn’t the only reason he had fun. He got to spend time with Y/N too. They became so close in a matter of days and nights. Endlessly talking about the most random things. Playing video games in the spare times and sharing Star Wars theories. Peter started to accept the fact that he was a geek since he realized that even the prettiest girl in this world can be a geek too.

But then Sunday came.

Peter had to leave the facility to come home to Aunt May. Y/N felt really sad that her only real friend had to leave her. It was the same for Peter. They both didn’t want to leave each other’s sides. They found it irritating that the weekend couldn’t be any longer… They both hugged each other goodbye, and during that two seconds they were in each other’s arms, they felt something warm in their chests. A feeling of tingling and voluntary weakness.

As Happy drove Peter away, Y/N stared longing into the distance. Just hoping he’ll come back just because he forgot a toothbrush or something. But then 10 minutes have passed and Y/N walked back into the compound, plopping down onto the couch.

“Hey there, little Stark.” Tony came in and messed with her hair, “Aw, does someone miss a particular web slinger?” He teased her, poking her cheek, “Is my darling daughter finally lovesick?” He fake gasped and acted surprised, “Took you long enough!”

“Dad!” She threw a couch pillow at her dad.

—

Peter just finished his last period. He was walking down the hall with Ned before Flash pushed him to the floor, laughed, attracting a crowd.

“Yo, wassup Penis Parker?” Flash taunted, “On your way to your fake Stark Internship? When are you gonna admit you just told everybody that so that they’ll think you’re cool?”

Peter rolled his eyes and stood up, back on his feet, “The Stark Internship is real, Flash. It’s not fake.”

“Yeah, right. You haven’t shown us proof. Plus, what do you actually do there anyway? Are you like their janitor or something?” Flash laughed, making the crowd laugh too.

Peter balled his fists, he wanted to show off to everyone that he was practically Tony Stark’s son already, that he was Spiderman…

“He’s not worth your time, man. Let’s go.” Ned pulled on Peter’s sleeve, the tension in his fists loosened.

“Yeah, go listen to your little fat boyfriend there, Parker.” The bully taunted once again.

With that, Peter threw a swift and hard punch at Flash, “Don’t you ever get tired of this? Seriously. You’re an asshole.”

Peter and Ned walked out of school, pausing at the steps to talk.

“That was really gutsy of you, Pete. Thanks for standing up for me.” Ned said.

“Hey, Flash can bully me all he wants, but when he bullies the people I care about, that’s where he crosses the line.” Peter replied.

“Man, you’re so sweet. How come a girl hasn’t snatched you up yet?” Ned laughed and playfully hit Peter’s shoulder.

“Because the girls in this school don’t date losers like him.” Flash grunted as he stepped out of the school doors, his army on his tail.

The bully had a busted lip from Peter’s swing earlier.

“Just go away, Flash.” Peter groaned.

“Not until you say your Stark Internship is fake.” Flash crossed his arms on his chest, smirking, “Unless you plan on showing us proof that you actually know Tony Stark.”

Everyone stared at Peter. They were probably thinking he was the faker that Flash made him out to be but then, at the exact moment, a red Ferrari rolled up on the school driveway. Everyone was curious and intrigued to see who was in the sweet ride.

To Peter’s surprise, the door opened and came out Y/N Stark.

Everyone started to murmur and silently fangirl and fanboy.

“It’s Y/N Stark!”

“What is she doing here?”

“Oh my god, she’s even prettier in person!”

The students watched as the Stark smiled at Peter and walked over to him.

“Hey, Pete.” She said, “My kinda dad needs you right now, so I asked him if I could pick you up and he said yes.” The excitement in her voice made Peter chuckle softly.

“Sure.” He replied, “Get back in the car, I’ll be there in a sec.”

Y/N noticed the group behind Peter and assumed it was the bullies he was talking about the past few days, “Is this them?” She silently whispered into his ear.

“Yeah…” He muttered.

Y/N Stark had an idea pop into her mind the moment he affirmed her suspicion. Without Peter even asking what the mischievous look on her face was for, Y/N closed the gap between them and kissed Peter. She put her hands on his shoulders while Peter stood there frozen at first, but then he melted into the kiss, bringing his hands to her waist.

When they pulled apart, Y/N laughed at the red tint on his cheeks, thinking it was adorable. Peter just kept on grinning, not minding how his cheeks stared to hurt.

“Don’t keep me waiting, Parker.” She smirked and winked as she walked back into the car, patiently awaiting the teen hero to get in the Ferrari as well.

Peter’s smile grew and grew as he turned back to Flash and the crowd of people who were still shocked and jaw dropped after seeing what just happened. Ned was just really proud of his best friend.

“Is that proof enough for you?” Peter gave Flash a smile and a laugh as he rushed over to the car’s passenger’s side and got in.

“Thanks for saving my butt back there, Stark.” He grinned over to her, she was starting the engine already.

Y/N kept her iconic Stark smirk on her face, “Anytime, Parker. I’ll do it again anytime.”

As the car vroomed away, Ned was still smiling like a fool, he was just really proud as hell.

“Go get ‘em, Pete!”

[systemaspetsnaz]

No Contact Combat: Questions and Answers

What is No Contact Combat? Is it really exists?

No-contact combat is a common term. In reality, the contact exists. The contact is created on multiple levels of physics, mechanics, psychology, physiology, and energy. This is an advanced principle.

First – should learn the physical principles of strikes till they are automatic,  Second – applying them on the psychological level will be easier.

Learning No Contact combat without knowledge of the contact principles of defense is practically impossible. It is important to not only to know the theory but take it to muscle memory until it is automatic.

I would like to know in a small text, what is no contact combat and what are the ways that I can practice it. I am from the world of martial arts but I would like to improve my fighting skills with the incredible no contact combat that you teach. It would be very interesting.

In a small text, no contact combat is a combination of knowledge of physical fighting + knowledge of human anatomy (joints rotation, how the brain receives the signals and gives it back as a specific reaction) + knowledge of psychology (NLP,  mirror effect, etc.) + internal energy (meditation and proper breathing, including reiki energy). You have to know striking techniques, kicks, takedowns, defensive techniques, speed, etc. It all depend on the situation and on the opponent.

No contact combat is one of the “techniques or tools” that student can master and incorporate in his self-defense. No Contact combat includes also words, destructive signals, the way you look at your opponent, ability to “capture” opponent’s breath pattern, his movement speed etc.

I bought the DVD #9 –  No Contact Combat and there s a thing that I don’t understand. In chapter 6: working with energy. Vadim talks about creating an energy ball between palms. He talks about a feeling of resistance within palms. I would like to know if the resistance should be very hard or it is just a feeling of little resistance. And I would like to know how long it will take to be able to do energy passes and energy influence.

At first, the resistance will be very light, and slightly noticeable. By practicing, you will be able to make it stronger. The resistance is generated from the warmth of your hands. People have different feelings. For example, you might feel something like a spring between your hands or something sticky between your hands.  Often, it feels in a “ball” shape, but if you feel different shape, it’s totally normal. Usually, the resistance is not hard. At first, you should be able to train yourself to generate the energy “ball” and feel the resistance quickly and then you can move to practice energy passes. With passes it’s similar, at first they are very light and then you will be able to make them stronger. Time or speed of mastering the techniques varies for each person. I would recommend to practice these exercises early in a morning in nature (next to the lake, tree, flowers, mountains) and try

to eliminate your thoughts. Find a peaceful place with nature sounds. Just allow yourself be in one motion with your body, energy, and nature.

Hello, I brought DVD 9: no contact combat and I would like to know something. This DVD is very interesting but is a little bit difficult to understand.

I would like to know which DVDs are necessary before learning no contact combat. In fact, I would like to know which DVDs should I buy to understand and master no contact combat. 

Three primary steps to learn no contact combat:

First – learn hand to hand combat, because you need to know how the human body works, joints rotation, the principle of wave energy, rotation, working with an opponent speed, copy his movement and redirect them.

Second – learn breathing and relaxation techniques. In order to control your opponent’s energy, you need to know how your own energy works, generate the energy, transmit it and accept it from others, being able to get into the combat trance in a second.

Third – learning the actual No Contact Combat – when you can apply all your knowledge. Here is a link to our NO CONTACT COMBAT DVDs!

Watch the few minutes of the DVD #19: Sight Power in Combat from 30:30. What Vadim says is “one can put himself on a certain level of consciousness that makes him unreachable to his opponent”. 

If I master No Contact Combat, then there is no need to master hand to hand combat, right?

If it is possible, and if it really works, what’s the point of learning anything else?When Vadim was saying about the “level of consciousness that makes him unreachable” he was talking about the inner state. For example, if you want to get a good job.

First, you need to put your consciousness (your brain) into the believing mode, that you can actually get a good job. 

The second step is to look for the job, write and send your resume. 

 The third step is to pass the job interview. 

The fourth step is to show your skills at your new job to keep it.

With No Contact Combat it is similar. 

You need to practice physical combat, psychological aspects, breathing and meditation techniques, maintain a healthy lifestyle, keep your body in shape. Putting your consciousness into the “unreachable” mode is very important, but you will need all other things to become a master of no contact combat.

Can I know the controlling distance if I use no contact combat?

It can be done in 1-3 meters, but in many cases, it happens within less than 10 cm, when a person is attacking you. There are 2 different types of no contact combat – close distance and long distance and there are 2 different algorithms.

Is it work on everybody?

No. No contact combat is a combat mastery. A person should know physical combat, anatomy, physics, mechanics, psychological combat, different breathing and meditation techniques and be able to rich the combat trance when you connect with your opponent on the invisible level through energy.

In no contact versions, what type of limbs you I will be able to control it?

No Contact Combat is not about ‘limps’ – it’s a complex of many different elements, including psychological aspects. But, in general, you are sending you energy towards your opponent through your hands, using your breath and wave motion.

DVD #19 – Sight power in combat: How to improve your eyesight  – is it for improving eyesight only or there is it an instructional no combat DVD?

It has both:  the first part of DVD is specific techniques of improving eyesight. The same exercises are used to learn how to focus your sight during no contact combat. You will learn how to concentrate

your sight on the opponent during the fight, how to create a connection with your opponent through eyes and how to shift or break this connection, which will make your opponent unbalanced and fall down.  If you can control your opponent’s attention through his eyes and manipulate it, then your opponent’s brain will be confused. As a result, an opponent loses his sense of space orientation.

Is there a special dojo for it?

We have classes in different cities, which teach Systema Spetsnaz physical combat.  No contact combat we usually teach during the seminar on specific request. I recommend you to attend our Spetsnaz training camp in Russia, where we organize 6 days intense training 4 times a year.  Note, it is almost impossible to learn no contact combat without a knowledge of mastering physical combat techniques.  On our

Spetsnaz training camp, we teach also breathing and meditation techniques, which is another important element of no contact combat. During the seminar, you can learn the basic foundation of no contact combat and then you can practice on your own at home to master it. To make it simple, it’s similar to learning an alphabet. Within 6 days you can learn letters and maybe how to read and write simple words. But to become a famous author, you will need to learn spelling, grammar, punctuations, different styles of literature, develop your imagination etc. Even if you have a writing talent, you still need to learn spelling rules and know how to structure your ‘novel’.

Another option is to learn No Contact Combat at home. We have 7 DVD set for breathing and meditation techniques and no contact combat exercises. But again, I would like to focus one more time, that you DO need to learn the physical elements of combat.

NO CONTACT COMBAT DVD SET – 25% OFF! 

No Contact Combat 7 DVD set

[billssefton]

interview with a nanny for a famous psychic

Recently a commenter here mentioned that she used to a nanny for a famous psychic, and I wanted to know more. She kindly agreed to be interviewed, and here’s our conversation.

Note: This interview contains references to the interviewee’s spiritual beliefs, which may be different from your own. Please be respectful of her beliefs in the comment section.

So tell us a little bit about the job.

I was a nanny for “Jane’s” kids (who are also psychic). She was gone quite a bit so I effectively lived with them part-time. I would go with her when she had readings for large audiences occasionally, and other instances where she needed help with the kids even though she was there. We also talked and hung out quite a bit ourselves.

I did all the regular nanny things—picking kids up from school, meals, bedtimes, getting ready for school, movies, swimming, cleaning up the house, and sometimes just brought them with me when I needed to run errands or be somewhere. I even took her daughter on an audition for a TV commercial once.

How was nannying for a psychic different than nannying for a non-psychic would be?

• I think that working with the FBI on missing child cases understandably made “Jane” super protective of the kids in a way that most people probably are not. I took her son into the women’s bathroom with me until he was nine (yes, I got lots of dirty looks) but I was under strict orders to never leave him alone in a public place, not even for a moment.

• Sensitivities to energy. If someone was having a bad day, everyone in the house would know about it because there’s something about being in her house that made me more sensitive to energy, and the kids and Jane herself are also.

• My own abilities going through the roof when I was around the family was another surprise. We would play this game at dinner with the kids with a bunch of glitter shapes (little purple stars, yellow circles, blue squares, etc.) and she would put one in her hand and hold it out to me and the kids so we could try to guess which one she had. She could push the thought into my head and I would get it right. I have no other way to describe it except a mental shove into your thoughts.

• The spirits everywhere. Talkers, practical jokers, general visitors, the list goes on. It was a daily thing. But they like attention, as I suppose I would if I were invisible and wanted people to know I was there. I would say, “Listen, I see you and I am happy to chat and play later, but right now I really have to make dinner and get these kids to eat. Can you give me a break until after bedtime?” and they would.

• The biggest difference was psychic kids.

Psychic kids? How did that end up manifesting?

They are like Jane in the sense that they can see, hear, feel, sense the present as well as future. Not only people but also spirits. Most people don’t have the full range like that. I had to keep things from the kids that weren’t necessary for them to know, or just too adult for them. For example, I suffer from depression and would have some hard days but came to work anyway, and tried to hide it. They would be really concerned even though I was acting normal enough. They would come up and hug me, ask what’s wrong, draw me a picture, or whatever to try and make me feel better. I would just have to tell them that sometimes I get sad for no reason and it’s chemical in my brain doing it, but everything is okay and it’s just a feeling that will pass.

Once I was sick but Jane still needed me to watch the kids so I came over. It was very early, and one of the kids was just waking up. Jane and I had talked about me working that day while he was asleep, so he didn’t know I was sick yet. I was sitting at the kitchen table and he wakes up and wanders in. He looks at me and says, “Did you have your tonsils taken out? Our old babysitter had her tonsils taken out and that’s how her throat felt too.”

What was the most challenging part about working for a psychic?

It really wasn’t. It was fun! The only thing I didn’t like was when she would have people around her who were there just for the psychic stuff and not because they just wanted to be her friend. Some people would absolutely hound her. Her feelings would get hurt and even though she would try not to show it, I could tell.

I suppose it was also pretty hard to hear things about my life that were not going to go the way I wanted, even though that isn’t directly related to the job. I would try my best for something but no, it would turn exactly the way she said anyway. Every flipping time. Imagine getting an interview for your dream job in an amazing foreign country, in a city I always dreamed of visiting. I even got a minor in that language. I told her about it and she said, “You know, that’s not a safe city. It’s incredibly dangerous and I absolutely do not want you going … well, actually, it doesn’t matter. You won’t get the job. Go ahead and try to interview if you don’t want to listen to me but it’s not meant for you.” (Sounds a bit harsh typing it but she’s very cut-and-dry that way.)

Apologies if this is a silly question, but it must be asked: Did you ever feel like you couldn’t hide things from her that you normally might not want to share with a boss, because she would sense them/know them?

Well, we had a very unusual relationship since we were—and still are—so close. There are days with your coworkers or a friend / family member where you might be thinking, “You are driving me stone-cold nuts today and I am so frustrated with you” but you don’t say that. There’s no hiding it though, no matter how professional your behavior is. I know that there were days where Jane was annoyed with me too, and you just have to ignore it even though she knows and I know that she knows, etc. You just pretend and address what people are saying, not the vibe they are sending out.

There was one time where I dozed off on the couch and the kids were hanging out in the living room. One was watching TV, one was drawing. When my boss called, it jolted me awake and I felt guilty for napping, and also was startled by the phone ring. I answered it and Jane got really freaked out because my heart was pounding and she could tell. I had to explain and reassure her several times that I was not under duress and nobody was in the house scaring me / holding us hostage.

Are there things you learned from working with her that you’ve carried with you in your life since? 

So many things!

• I initially reached out to her because my (deceased) father’s spirit was following me around trying to get my attention. I asked him to stop but she told me that he was there trying to make it up to me for being a negligent father. He was trying to protect me now and wanted me to know that he’s there. That was very cathartic because I really carried some hurts about not feeling loved by him and feeling sort of rejected in life.

• It has helped me to tap into what I feel—not just what makes sense from a logical perspective.

• Live each day in the moment – life is hard for all of us so it is easy to sort of check out and ignore what is going on around you. Try to be present and not let your mind wander somewhere else when you should be here living your life.

• Don’t let anyone stonewall you or gaslight you. If you think something is happening, act accordingly because you are right way more often than most of us allow ourselves to believe. That’s how I have been in the past, anyway. Advocate for yourself and don’t let anyone push you around because ‘that’s not what’s happening’ or ‘that’s just the process’. Be appropriate, but take no crap.

Is this the most interesting job you’ve ever had? I feel like it has to be.

Oh yeah, definitely.

You may also like:

update: my employee secretly brought her kids to work and forced a coworker to watch them

ask the readers: starting work after being a stay-at-home parent

is it okay to bring your kid to work when your child care falls through?

interview with a nanny for a famous psychic was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

from Ask a Manager http://www.askamanager.org/2018/03/interview-with-a-nanny-for-a-famous-psychic.html

[joyfilledwander]

I would say that this is the year that I discovered podcasts. I’d listened to one or two over the years, but it wasn’t until 2016/2017 that I became mildly addicted. I blame Serial. This binge-worthy true crime podcast launched in 2014, and since then, I’ve been looking for it’s replacement. I love that podcasts are diverse in content, creative in production, and created by ordinary people with passion. Sure, there’s a few I enjoy that are star-studded and celebrity endorsed, but I love the everyday stories. I love that podcasts are [usually] weekly, or at least seasonally. A podcast combines the imagination required for reading a book and the anticipation of waiting week to week of old school TV. Living overseas, podcasts have helped me stay connected to American current events and cultural phenomenons. And they are perfect for those flights, train rides, and bus trips that never seem to end. So check out my handy list of podcasts for travel days and download something new!

Mysteries & Criminals Serial This where it all began for me. If you haven’t yet experienced the obsession that is Serial, stop reading my blog and download it now. Come back again in 12 – 14 hours. Sarah Koenig, a producer on another fabulous podcast, is the host & investigator of true crime narrative worthy of legend. In 1999, Hae Min Lee, a high school student in Baltimore, is found murdered. Her classmate and ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, is arrested for the crime six weeks later. He’s always maintained his innocent, even after all these years behind bars. Sarah Koenig & team set out to try and uncover the truth, or at least answer some questions about the inconsistencies that are glaringly obvious with Adnan’s case. After the twelve episodes of Season One, you’ll join the millions of people wondering… “Is Adnan guilty?”

Recommended Episode: Well, all of Season One, but a standout episode was Episode 5 “Route Talk” where Sarah & team recreate the route police claim Adnan took that day he supposedly murdered Hae Min Lee.

Criminal Criminal, like it sounds, is a podcast about crime. But it’s not a murder podcast. And it doesn’t just focus on one crime. Criminal is a broader look at crimes & the criminals who commit them. New York Magazine says it this way “Criminal is a true­ crime podcast that understands crime as something sociological, historical, even anthropological — that crime is a function of people, time, and place.” Host Phoebe Judge has such a smooth storytelling voice that you’ll want to listen to this podcast for hours. Episodes are usually under a half hour, and it’s great for trying to binge catch up on these episodes. Whether Phoebe is talking to someone about how to fake their own death, the legalities of assisted suicide, or the ramifications of identity theft, Criminal is a podcast that will educate and entertain.

Recommended Episodes: Episode 45 “Just Mercy”, in which Phoebe interview Bryan Stevenson about the prison system and death row in America. This episode was so fantastic that I went out and got Stevenson’s book and devoured it in days. Another stand out is Episode 15 “He’s Neutral”. This is the episode I recommend to people who don’t normally listen to podcasts. It’s about a guy who gets fed up with the crime and downward spiral of his neighborhood, he inadvertently creates the largest Buddhist shrine in his city.

In the Dark In the Dark can be one of those podcasts that tough to listen to. It’s the story about the decades long unsolved abduction of Jacob Wetterling from rural Minnesota over 25 years ago. Host Madeleine Baran talks to Jacob’s family, to law enforcement, and other people connected to this case and begins to ask questions that should have been asked years ago. Could Jacob’s abduction been prevented? Did the police do a thorough job investigating the crime? What impact did this case have on the national level? What can be done to keep this kind of crime happening again. In the Dark is a such a well researched, well edited and well produced podcast. Listeners feel as though they are investigating this story with Madeleine. There’s twists and turns, and emotional heart stirring moments. I can’t recommend this podcast enough. After Serial, this is the most elegant investigative podcast I’ve ever heard.

Recommended Episodes: Episode 3 “The One Who Got Away”. This episode follows a brutal look at what law enforcement didn’t get right the night Jacob went missing in Episode 2. In Episode 3, we get to hear about an attempted crime so similar to Jacob’s, we begin to realize the law enforcement in this county have had problems solving crimes far before Jacob went missing.

Crime Writers On OK, here’s where I get a little meta in my podcast tastes. Crime Writers On is a podcast in which a hilarious & educated panel of journalists & crime authors comment on other true crime podcasts, books, and documentaries. If you are thinking, that sounds pretty dull, fear not. This podcast is anything but dull. Rebecca, Kevin, Toby & Lara are so well versed in the arena of covering true crime as news, and even fiction writing, that their commentary into other true crime productions genuinely adds value to the original material. They review both seasons of Serial, so if you love that podcast, be sure to check out their week by week analysis. They also provide “True Crime Updates” [insert echo here], in which they give news on trials or sentencing of previous cases they’ve covered. Two things I really enjoy about this podcast, is first, their sense of humor. I am often laughing while wearing headphones, causing my husband to look at me strangely. But I can’t help it. It’s so witty. Second, the ads. Almost every podcast has to read out their ads, and I used to think, well there’s no better way to do that! But Crime Writers On took ad reading to a whole new level. Kevin, specifically, will work an ad into the actual story they are covering without anyone know he’s setting up an ad…catching everyone off guard. When they are talking a suspect having to go on the run, Kevin casually mentions he may want to dye his hair using BRAND ABC hair dye. Cue laughter. Cue ad music background track. It’s clever, and I appreciate clever.

Recommended Episodes: Really any episode that you recognize the material they are covering. I discovered new podcasts & documentaries based on their reviews alone. If you enjoyed [or loathed] the S-Town podcast, Stranger Things, the Amanda Knox Netflix documentary, Making a Murderer, and the Jon Benet Ramsey CBS special, they’ve covered all those topics. Pick one you recognize, and give it a listen! It’s pretty great.

Crime Writers On

Criminal

In the Dark

Serial

Society & Culture 99% Invisible This is a hard podcast to describe in a nutshell. Probably because every time I try, I make the nutshell sound incredibly dull. But it’s so far from dull. It’s a storytelling podcast about design, architecture, and about the little things in our every day life that we fail to notice. Hosted by Roman Mars, whose voice is tailor made for podcasting, 99% Invisible is one of the most creative podcasts I’ve ever listened to. Each episode is usually under 30 minutes, which allows it to be a very binge-able podcast. I rarely listen to just one episode. So many fascinating topics have been covered on 99% Invisible, and I’ve learned so much from listening to this show. I find myself telling stories from the podcast in daily conversation. Ever wonder why the US is one of the only countries in the world not use the metric system [a fact that I loathe while traveling the world – Episode 280 “Half Measures”]? Ever thought about those dates on food packaging that tell us when food is about to “expire” [Episode 195 “Best Enjoy By”]? All this and more are tackled in this creative, clever, and often humorous podcast.

Recommended Episodes: Episode 284 “Hero Props – Graphic Design in Film & Television” talks to a designer to creates the physical props that are featured in entertainment. It’s super interesting. Episode 53 “Ten Letters for the President” talks about President Obama’s practice of reading and answering 10 letters a day that had been sent to the White House, admits the thousands. Episode 184 “Rajneeshpuram” is about a weird cult that set up in rural Oregon in the 1980’s. I could list countless episodes to recommend. Do yourself a favor and subscribe, and then go back and catch up on them all. It’s sure to pass the time on a trans-Atlantic flight in no time!

The Memory Palace I first stopped on this podcast because of it’s name. What did it mean? It seemed so cryptic. Then I downloaded an episode called “Picture A Box” [Episode #48]. And then I stopped what I was doing just to listen. The music, the voice of the narrator, the rhythm of the words and the story…I had never heard this type of podcast before. Creator Nate DiMeo crafts works of spoken art through The Memory Palace podcast. Each episode is short, less than 20 minutes, and focuses on a moment of history. Such as Episode #48 “Picture a Box” tells the story of a man, a slave in the South in the 1800’s, who literally packed himself into a box and mailed himself North. I love this podcast because it’s the one you listen to, and it transports you to another place & time. When you put on your headphones, and listen to DiMeo tell you about someone you’ve never heard of before, everything else seems to fade away. For the long nights in crowded hostels or layovers in busy airports, this podcast will help you shut out the world and pass the time with something beautiful. In 2016/2017, Nate DiMeo became the Artist in Residence for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, creating special episodes to correlate with paintings and art in the museum. This podcast is art, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Recommended Episodes: All of them. Or Episode 48 “Picture a Box”, Episode 93 “Local Channels” about Florence Chadwick’s famous swims across the English Channel, or Episode 61 “Orbes Cintilantes” in which DiMeo travels to Brazil for an event in which his podcasts had been written into a book and translated into Portuguese, or Episode 88 “Open Road” about the Green Book and traveling on the road for African Americans before Civil Rights.

99% Invisible

The Memory Palace

Pop Culture The West Wing Weekly If you are a fan of the 90’s-00’s hit political TV show, The West Wing, this is your podcast. If you’ve never seen the show, but have been wanting a new show to binge, this podcast is the perfect complement. It’s hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway and The West Wing & Scandal actor, Joshua Malina. These two a really great pair. Hrishi is a super fan of the show, having seen every episode many times. Josh, having acted on the show, provides “insider baseball” knowledge and real life experience from his time with writers, directors, and creators on the show. They are funny, combative, detailed, nerdy, and all in all, fangirling over this excellent piece of television. I myself am a late comer to The West Wing, having binged it throughout 2015-16. So with the entire series fresh in my mind, I was ready to embark on this podcast journey. Each week, a new podcast episode is released, chronologically following the TV series. Most weeks, Hrishi and Josh bring on guests to interview, sometimes original cast members and show creators, or people who work or have worked in real life Washington DC focusing on the issues that the episode is discussing. I really enjoy how they take a piece of television almost 20 years old, and find modern themes and relevancy. While still bashing the very out of date moments as well! When real life politics is hard to take, turn to President Jed Bartlet…and Hrishi and Josh defending the spelling of his name.

Recommended Episodes: It’s hard to single out an episode of the podcast without talking about the episode of the TV show, because they are directly linked. So I’ll just talk about the guest interviews I really enjoyed in specific episodes. I loved when they’ve interviewed Aaron Sorkin, the writer & creator of The West Wing [and more!] in Episode 2.22 & 2.00. All the behind the scenes info was just fantastic. The live reunion episode of the The West Wing cast is a great episode, and worth the listen if you also loved this cast. Other great interviews include Episode 1.21 with Bill O’Brien, who played the translator to the Joey Lucas character. Also, Episode 3.00 with Former Press Secretary Mike McCurry commenting on the Isaac & Ishmael episode was particularly excellent. See, it’s hard to pick just one!

You Must Remember This This podcast is not for the casual movie goer, but for the cinephile and ardent Hollywood devotee. You Must Remember This is a storytelling podcast about the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. If you live for Turner Classic Movie channel marathons, and fall asleep to Audrey Hepburn & Cary Grant films, this is the podcast for you. Each season of You Must Remember This looks at a different topic or celebrity in classic Hollywood. The incredibly well researched episodes are written & narrated by the fabulous Karina Longworth. She weaves her own writing & research with vintage film clip audio and guest star narration to bring to a life a specific movie or moment from film history. Past seasons have covered the Communist blacklist of Hollywood in the 1950’s, blonde bombshells who died before their time, and stories from the glory days of the MGM studio. Take a deep dive into cinema history with over a hundred episodes with the glitz & glamour from La La Land.

Recommend Episodes: My favorite season [maybe not surprisingly] is the season called “Charles Manson’s Hollywood”, which is a 12 episode season focusing on the life & the murders associated with Charles Manson, his followers and his interactions in the entertainment industry. It’s riveting, horrifying, and beautifully produced. Part 9, entitled “August 8-10, 1969” specifically covers the murders in which Manson & family is most famous, the murder of actress Sharon Tate.

Myths & Legends I wasn’t actually sure which category to put this podcast into, but finally decided on Pop Culture, because so many of the stories covered in Myths & Legends have been inspirations behind our favorite Disney or superhero films over the decades. Each week, host & creator Jason Weiser takes a story from myth, legend, fairy tale, or folklore, and retells it for audiences today. “This show brings you folklore that has shaped our world. Some are incredibly popular stories you think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen.” If you love the King Arthur legends, or Greek mythology, or the conquests of the Vikings, this podcast is sure to entertain. Weiser’s creative storytelling ability is really what makes this podcast work. His humor and snark bring a comic commentary to these ancient tales. Myths & Legends is a podcast for the nerd, or the literary scholar, or the superhero fanboy in your life.

Recommended Episodes: I loved all the Disney inspired episodes, such as “Aladdin”, “Mulan”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Hercules”, “Beauty & the Beast”, “Pocahontas”, “Snow White” and even “Frozen”. Not surprisingly, the modern films have taken some liberties from the source material, and it’s entertaining to hear the original origins of these beloved tales. Also, I’ve learned that Japanese folklore is incredibly creepy.

Myths & Legends

The West Wing Weekly

You Must Remember This

Hope this list of some of my favorite podcasts help pass the hours of traveling and layovers and delays with levity and entertainment. Do you have a favorite podcast you enjoy while traveling? Let me know! I’m always looking for more to add to my queue!

9 Podcasts for Long Travel Days I would say that this is the year that I discovered podcasts. I’d listened to one or two over the years, but it wasn’t until 2016/2017 that I became mildly addicted.