#me personally i think it’ll come out mid/late july - mid august

[autistic-katara]

Edit: if u think it’ll be split/come out weekly just pick whenever u think vol 1 or the first episode will come out :3

[hopeshoodie]

Ok so in light of the Independent article (see my tag #fusebox layoffs for more info), I’ve been trying to piece together the sequence of events that lead to FB Going to Shit™. 

All of the below is based on articles, tweets from the staff, and dates from screenshots. Especially with the Matchmaker stuff, I’m using the dates I personally accessed the stories- that might not be accurate to when they were actually released to an international audience, just when my phone updated the app. In hindsight, I’m not a great person to do this because I have a shit memory and don’t keep receipts, so if you have any corrections PLEASE lmk either in the dms or replies. 

In sum, the timeline appears to be:

1. Key players left Fusebox in early 2020. 

The one that people are probably most familiar with is David Gallopim, one of the artists who helped define the S2’s distinct style, leaving sometime before March 2020. He seemed to indicate that there was conflict over the new art style of S3, and released assets he’d designed of Harry in his own style (notably way prettier than Harry looks in-game). 

But probably more important to the direction of the company, Michael Othen, one of the co-founders and former CEO, left in July of 2020 (I had thought it was earlier in the year but according to LinkedIn it was July). It’s much more unclear why he left, but it’s notable because he was a huge force in making the game inclusive of LGBTQ characters. 

So all in all, not a great sign when employees who had a huge hand in creating the content and direction of a game that defined its success jump ship. Especially after the game was seemingly hitting its stride, with the host of Love Island (the TV show) doing a sponsored Let’s Play of S3 and projects in the works like Boat Party and CMM.

2. It seems like Fusebox‘s CEO/executives hired new management, either in 2020 or early 2021. Employees complain that the executives don’t understand what it takes to make a game and are pulling the studio in the wrong direction. It’s unclear if the newly hired execs had experience. 

Wil Stephens, the CEO/founder, has been with FB since its inception but also appears to have only founded game distribution ventures and not worked in any development or employment capacity. If that’s the case, maybe the complaints about lack of experience/knowledge about the mechanics of making games work are about him. If not, then some of the newly hired execs would likely be to blame. 

Paul Virapen, COO, was brought on in November of 2020. He’s worked with Disney’s gaming division, Big Pixel studios, Wooga. The quality of that experience is dubious since he headed up the ‘let’s make apps for Apple watches, it’ll be the next big thing’ department… Lol. Notably also, all of his roles had been in the executive/managerial realm, not the development teams, so the complains might have been about him. THIS IS SPECULATION, but I’m willing to bet that Virapen was a if not THE driving force in switching Fusebox’s focus entirely to matchmaker. All the studios he’s worked with have primarily produced and promoted Match 3 games, and he has a background working with big studios that produce games for large international audiences, not small studios making narrative games for limited audiences.

A new Manager of Finances, Ruth Erskine, was brought on in December of 2020

Rob Goddard, a new producer, was brought in January of 2021

Several key operations positions were filled by existing employees being promoted to management- 2 as far as I can tell. But as a whole it seems like December 2020 was a huge shift in leadership for the upper management while a lot of the other teams expanded but kept their old players as well.

3. At some point in late 2020- mid 2021, the executive team made the decision to switch LITG’s focus from a narrative pass-based game to a Match 3 incorporating romance narrative cut scenes. In early 2021, Fusebox teased more content to come while releasing S3 (seemingly referring to Matchmaker and not S4). In the interim between S3 endings and Boat Party’s release they put out an interview confirming the new game will be Match 3 but did seem to indicate that the plan at that time was for Matchmaker to be a side project with a different development team and not replace the main game. Notably, the LITG writers and artists were reassured that their roles will continue to exist (according to the independent article) as they’re working on S4.

3. In September of 2020, Matchmaker became briefly available in the US. That’s when I first downloaded it, at least. It would be added/removed from the google play store multiple times before having a unilateral release in July of 2021. 

Throughout 2020, Matchmaker is available to Asian audiences solely with LITG S1 getting rolled out in incremental updates. 

Eventually, Beanie Quinn is released (March 2021)

LA Noir is released (May 2021)

Seduction Games is released (late May or June 2021- I got the update and played it June 3rd, but hadn’t opened the app for a month or so. It might have come out before then, which is unfortunate for this timeline since it’s so inextricably linked to the open letter and layoff dates)

LITG S2 is released (only like 20 levels of it) the same month- June 19th for me. Notably, all of these stories are only released to an international audience, with the UK and USA still not having access to the app.

4. At the same time, Fusebox’s internal affairs are pretty quiet from 2020-2021, at least on social media. 

S3 comes out in 2020, Boat Party comes out later in the year and finishes in 2021. Post S3 in October of 2021, a survey goes out gauging player interest in new art styles and representation, which was pretty in keeping with past actions and seemed promising for S4. 

Boat Party features a promising cross promotion implementing irl brands into the game. It’s unclear if enough money was made from this on FB or the sponsor’s end to make that strategy viable, but that might’ve impacted management’s outlook for the profitability of LITG.  

Fusebox teases more content for the summer on Instagram, and then follows up and confirms it’ll be a proper season.

5. More key players leave in early 2021

Ed Sibley is still listed as Narrative Direction on LinkedIn, but he’s not credited as a writer on Season 4 (he was on 3,2,and 1) and started work with NetSpeak games in May of 2021, so we can assume he left around then or at least transitioned away from Fusebox then.

Fred Francis, another writer who had been on the team since S1, turns in his resignation ‘weeks’ before the layoffs were announced in late June. So we can assume he made his exit sometime early June or late May.

6. Prior to the release of Seduction games in May/June, staff expressed concern about the biphobia in Seduction Games. No sources have given a specific time when this took place. They were reassured that the problem would be corrected prior to release, but then the story was released as is to an international audience in June. The article released by the Independent is unclear- there might have been discussion prior to the open letter where staff expressed concerns and then were reassured before the game going live. OR the open letter might have been the first expression of concern by the staff. I tend to think the former, and the open letter was a response to Matchmaker going live with Seduction Games anyways, but I have no proof for that. On May 24th, 31 employees sent an open letter of concern regarding the problematic content in Matchmaker. This letter isn’t public, so we don’t know the scope of the employees' concerns or who the employees were.

7. To resolve the situation, a meeting between the staff and at least the COO (likely more than just him though) was held sometime after May 24th. Allegedly, Virapen was disrespectful to the employees who had questions, refused to answer, and ended the meeting early before any resolution was had by closing his laptop and leaving the room. At least 4 HR complaints were made in the wake of that meeting, we do not know the nature of those complaints. 

8. Some time mid-July (maybe July 26th? A writer tweeted about their job ending soon on that date), employees were made aware that the LITG app would move into ‘sunset mode’. It’s unclear what was communicated, but it seems as though S4 will be heavily delayed or cancelled altogether and no future seasons would be made. Writers begin to post about looking for work on Twitter

9. June 30th- The majority of Fusebox writing staff announce on twitter they’re out of work. In addition to the entire writing staff, unity engineers and producers are also let go.

10. July 5th - Fusebox executives respond to an article by MCVUK with a statement asserting they were “consulting with [their] employees on a proposed change to its business model” that would focus on producing Matchmaker content. They also expounded that the move was to secure “cash injections and and continued support from respected investors across the media and gaming industry”

11. July 6th- Fusebox announces that S4 will be delayed from the summer release date and that there is no fixed release date. 

12. August 2nd- three jobs are posted to Fusebox’s careers page on their website, one being Head of Narrative Content. In the job listing, it specifies that they’ll be maintaining existing properties as well as new ones, and that because of the co-development model (re:fusebox outsourcing Matchmaker to another studio) the new Narrative Lead must collaborate with external content creators.

Hopefully posting this timeline gives players a better understanding of how radically Fusebox has changed in the course of 2021 (and how royally they screwed over the people who made LITG what it is). Again, please let me know if you have receipts showing dates are different or things to add. 

[houseofbrat]

Thank you for your answer to my question about pregnancy Kate, could you tell us a little what exactly will happen to the royal family in summer and spring

I think the spring will be mostly about the Sussex implosion and divorce announcement. After reading @talkingtarot​ ‘s latest tarot reading on the temporary Sussex return to the UK, it looks to me that we’re right on schedule for Megs to announce she’s leaving Harry this spring. I still think the end of March to the beginning of April is the most likely time since Megs doesn’t hesitate to jump the gun. We’re talking early to mid May at the latest. Put a fork in them, they’re done!

The other big thing will likely involve another implosion around Andrew, the Queen, and the BRF this summer. I think about a week or two ago I noticed that the Pluto/Jupiter conjunction at the end of June to beginning of July is happening within a degree of the Queen’s ascendant, which means she’s going to have a lot of pressure on her around that time. In addition, when Mars goes retrograde in September, it’ll be doing so within 3 and a half degrees of Charles’ natal Moon and the Queen’s natal Sun. This happens in Charles’ 10th house/career while it occurs in the Queen’s 5th house/children. Mars will retrograde back into Charles’ 9th house/father and the Queen’s 4th house/happiness. I started taking a look at Charles’ chart a little bit more closely and remembered that the total solar eclipse on Dec 14th happens on his natal Mars (10th house ruler) in his 5th house/purvapunya. Charles will undoubtedly be seeing changes in his career position between December 2020 and December 2021. I took a look at the UK chart, and it seems to correlate. 

So at that point, given the tough things that are going to happen to the Queen’s chart, I was already thinking this 👇

I haven’t been following Andrew’s chart closely because he’s far from my favorite person in the world, but I knew he has the Mars/Saturn conjunction, which happens on March 30-31, within his natal Venus. This is important because Andrew is running his Venus mahadasha currently. Venus rules his 4th/mother and 11th/friends & network houses. Something significant could happen then, possibly. Maybe. Who knows. 

Then Joni Patry--a Vedic & Western astrologer--made this video a few days ago, and I posted it shortly afterwards. 

And after I finished watching that video, I get why the Queen is going to have such a hard time this summer--late June to early July to possibly August. Whatever Andrew has done is going to come back into raging focus I bet and cause massive problems for the family. 

Mercury is going to be retrograde from June 17 to July 12. So I have no doubt all sorts of stressful shit is going to happen. I started taking a look at Edward’s chart and the Mars/Neptune conjunction Joni mentions will be happening right on Prince Edward’s natal Mercury & Sun, so this means Edward is going to be stressed out from this conjunction around June 13th. 

I haven’t finished evaluating all their charts yet, but Philip does have his 5th house/children ruler (Mars) eclipsed on June 21 by the solar eclipse since it’s in Gemini/Mrigashira. Williams’s 9th house ruler (Sun) is also eclipsed at this time, which looks to me like another indication that Charles has changes ahead of him. I suspect a regency is the most likely thing to happen this fall. 

I thought that after last fall that most of Andrew’s Epstein saga was probably done. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever be extradited to the US. (At this point in time.) Or asked to testify as a witness. I know the US Attorney’s office in the southern district of New York has been investigating, but I expect people like Bill Richardson and Alan Dershowitz to be implicated in their findings. 

So currently, my thoughts are with a little story that didn’t get much airplay last month: Ghislaine Maxwell’s emails were hacked.

Seeing the inner workings of Andrew’s mind through emails could and would likely be far more damaging than a court case in the US. That’s my thinking currently. 

[thesportssoundoff]

“A very weird card for a very weird month” UFC Fight Night: Weidman vs Reyes Preview

Joey

October 14th, 2019

It's Octobr and the UFC's scheduling usually goes like this in my estimation:

Jan- New year, we're all excited, folks get injured, overpacked shows in December hurt the new year but we deal with it.

Feb- Injuries/cold means makeshift cards, people get mad.

March- Shows are a bit fatter, big title fights are coming around, people are excited.

April- The "set up" for the summer months, usually really good fight cards on paper with little to no name value.

May- Normally the "bad" PPV month, free events are good.

June- The last month before things get wild and wooly. PPV's tend to be damn good, free cards tend to be pretty balanced.

July- Everything has to be BIG so you get BIG PPV and then an event or two after the PPV that drag down the blocks average.

August- The end of the summer, injuries get heavy because of the seasonal change, focus is on prepping for November and December.

September- OH MY GOD EVERYBODY IS HURT! EVERYTHING IS REALLY WEIRD! THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON!

October- The down month where they're scrapping and salvaging just to get to MSG. Shows are pretty much whatever they can put together without working too hard. Usually where they do some kind of weird Canadian card. The cards tend to bounce between "This is surprisingly good" and "I don't have the time or the energy for this".

November- IT'S MSG! IT'S LOADED! What about the rest of the month? Ah, okay then. Carry on.

December- The end of the year where they try to end with a bang. Normally a lot of drama, prep for 2020. We get fights announced for next year that usually top what we're being offered this year. Big PPV to end things on the right note.

This card is pretty much 100% October. You have a kind of weird but kinda good main event at the top of the bill, a really good yet weird co-main event under it, a really weird but kinda good HW fight and then a bunch of Northeast projects and prospects. If you remove the top three fights, finding the next good fight that is objectively good might depend on how you feel about Gillian Robertson vs Maycee Barber. Me personally I think you can do far, far worse than Barber vs Robertson and actually quite like the fight as a good test for Maycee Barber. After that? You have some highly touted prospects coming off losses (Manny Bermudez, Randy Costa, Boston Salmon), some guys off the Contenders Series trying to find their niche (Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Jonathan Pearce)  and a bunch of filler. It's kinda not bad filler though? Everything about this card is just weird, folks. Bare with.

Fights: 13

Debuts: Tanner Boser, Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Sean Brady, Diana Belbiţă, Ben Sosoli, Jonathan Pearce

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: (Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Calvin Kattar CANCELLED/Eric Spicely OUT, Kevin Holland IN vs Brendan Allen)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 5 (Greg Hardy, Jeremy Stephens, Yair Rodriguez, Chris Weidman, Joe Lauzon)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 1 (Joe Lauzon)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Dominick Reyes, Chris Weidman, Greg Hardy, Gillian Robertson, Maycee Barber, Kevin Holland)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2017 (in the UFC): 24-15

Chris Weidman- 1-2 Dominick Reyes- 5-0 Jeremy Stephens- 3-3 (1 NC) Yair Rodriguez- 2-1 (1 NC) Greg Hardy- 2-1 Ben Sosoli- 0-0 Joe Lauzon- 1-3 Jonathan Pearce- 0-0 Gillian Robertson- 4-1 Maycee Barber- 2-0 Deron Winn- 1-0 Darren Stewart- 3-4

Fights By Weight Class (yearly number here):

Featherweight- 3 (52) Women’s Flyweight- 2 (31) Middleweight-  2 (40) Heavyweight- 2 (31) Welterweight- 1 (62) Light Heavyweight- 1 (39) Bantamweight- 1 (53)

Lightweight- (66) Women’s Strawweight- (26) Flyweight-  (15) Women’s Featherweight- (8) Women’s Bantamweight-  (18)

2019 Number Tracker

Debuting Fighters (33-55-1)- Tanner Boser, Brendan Allen, Sean Woodson, Sean Brady, Diana Belbiţă, Ben Sosoli, Jonathan Pearce

Short Notice Fighters (28-35)- Kevin Holland

Second Fight (52-34)- Randy Costa, Boston Salmon, Deron Winn

Cage Corrosion (Fighters who have not fought within a year of the date of the fight) (20-37-1)- Charles Rosa, Joe Lauzon, Daniel Spitz

Undefeated Fighters (35-37-2)- Dominick Reyes, Sean Woodson, Maycee Barber

Fighters with at least four fights in the UFC with 0 wins over competition still in the organization (11-8)-

Weight Class Jumpers (Fighters competing outside of the weight class of their last fight even if they’re returning BACK to their “normal weight class”) (29-20)- Chris Weidman, Manny Bermudez

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Why is a New York vs New York fight taking place in Boston? I know that might not matter from a lot of folks but as the guy who grew up with boxers headlining in their home markets, this irks me.

2- I feel like this main event almost depends entirely on how you view Volkan Oezdemir as a fighter. The last time we saw Dom Reyes, he was given a really hard tough fight against Volkan Oezdemir in London. I don't think "robbery" is fair but I do think if you scored it for Volkan then you have a justifiable grumble about him losing that decision. What has gone under the radar is that Reyes did a tremendous job to adjust to what wasn't working and mix in more work to the body to keep it close and then the general rule of "win the third round, win the fight" wins out. I think there's no shame in a young prospect getting tested on his way up the ranks and managing to get by. You'd rather see warts now than in the middle of the first round of a title fight. Also Volkan Oezdemir is proving to be a pretty good quality 205er who even in his losses has moments of success. As such, I'm left to wonder if folks are a bit too harsh on a dude who iced Jared Cannonier, had no issues with OSP and remains the most exciting LONG TERM prospect at 205 lbs.

3- Is it too late for Chris Weidman? Despite the calls of folks to move up in weight, Weidman held off until seemingly all options were exhausted at 185 lbs. The fact of the matter and the unbearable truth is that Chris Weidman's style was based all on his durability and versatility simply fell apart when he needed it the most. He couldn't withstand the wars he was putting himself in at 185 lbs and his wrestling isn't as advertised anymore. At the same time, he still subbed Kelvin Gastelum, has a Hall of Fame worthy resume and enters a division where mid tier MWs are having breakout runs to title shots. Weidman can still crack, has a variety of offensive tools in his backpocket and in SPURTS he's still a good wrestler. Weidman's biggest problem for me as a wrestler has always been his lack of control once fights hit the turf but maybe cutting less weight will help. Then again Luke Rockhold didn't get much help in that regard either.

4- Here's how I'm beginning to feel about guys from 185 lbs going up to 205 lbs. If you're an athlete (Thiago Santos, even Anthony Smith to some degree) then it can work because the athletic barometer at 205 is better than HW but lowert han any other weight class. Guys who are fast at 185 lbs will remain fast at 205 lbs because that travels. They're also likely to hit a lot harder given the increase in weight. That said, if you're slow or clunky, no amount of weight cutting is going to fix that. Luke Rockhold simply looks and perhaps may just be a slow and clunky guy. Against Jan Blachowicz, he LOOKED like a heavier version of his usual self. What makes me worried about Chris Weidman and his chances at 205 lbs is that he's slow, clunky and kind of sort of broken. I don't think his body and his (lack of) speed will travel much at 205 lbs.

5- So who is hurt more by having to cut weight again for this fight, Yair or Jeremy Stephens? I kind of think it'll be Yair but I also saw him show up on two weeks notice to fist fight the Korean Zombie.

6- I really hope there's a chance, honestly and truthfully, that Joe Lauzon calls it quits win or lose. Lauzon feels like one of those guys who would be better suited in his personal life giving up the ghost and embracing the next phase.

7- This feels like the first real card to roll out the Contenders Series for season 3 so I'll break down who is whom and how they got here:

HW Ben Sosoli faces Greg Hardy- Sosoli is an Aussie kickboxer who made the MMA transition, fought on TUF and emerged on the DWCS in season 3. He had a "no contest" but was on his way to winning the fight before an eye poke (by him) ended the fight. Sosoli is being brought in to have a slugfest with Hardy.

LW Jon Pearce has a pretty crazy story. He was in a coma after getting jumped by somebody at his gym after hours. He recovered and fights like every southeastern dude who has ever fought in the UFC; basically scrapping when he wants to and wrestling out of trouble when he has to. I would say "He's the kind of guy who can give Joe Lauzon trouble" but I think at this point anybody with a working pulse gives him trouble.

FW Sean Woodson is REAL interesting. He took on a super prospect in his DWCS fight and struggled with the consistent wrestling----then he hit one of the cooler flying knees ever and scored a walk off second round KO. Dana even admitted that his finish was TOO good to not get signed despite the concerns he had about his wrestling.

MW Brendan Allen is your yearly "LFA has a middleweight champ and we gotta sign him" guy. He's accomplished-ish at 12-3 with some losses to good competition (Anthony Hernandez and Eryk Anders are both having solid runs). He's a violent kinda dude but I think he's a step below Ian Heinisch and Anthony Hernandez IE: he's kinda sketchy.

8- Boston Salmon was a really hyped L(R)FA prospect, the kind of guy who the UFC normally signs before he's ready and rushes out there. Salmon won on the DWCS in Season One and disappeared, re-emerging this year before losing in ugly fashion in his first fight with the organization. We've detailed here how badly debuting fighters struggle but also how much better they do in their second go around. Of course the same could be said for his opponent Boston Salmon. I guess win or lose, I think Salmon's going to look worlds better than he did in his debut. It couldn't in theory have looked much worse?

9- I wish I knew about Molly McCann's opponent so I could somewhat excited about her fight upcoming. Diana Belbita lost to Ariana Lipski who Molly McCann beat so....I dunno dudes.

10- I wonder how many fighters people would know off of this main card. 4 or 5 tops? Manny Bermudez, Molly McCann, Kevin Holland  and then?

11- So let's talk about Kevin Holland briefly, shall we? Holland's UFC run has been weird to say the least. Holland debuted on short notice against THIAGO SANTOS (!), took all of Santos' best offense and somehow lived to tell the tale about it. In large part, Holland's ability to just talk copious amounts of shit no matter the circumstance endeared him to UFC fans and supporters. In the end, Holland got his best opportunity and since then the UFC has taken it slow and steady with him. Holland has wins over John Phillips, Gerald Meerschaert and most recently a close decision win over Alessio Di Chirico. Holland's rep as an action fighter is overstated (as is most of his game) but to go 3-1 in the UFC under any circumstances is pretty solid. He's the sort of guy who doesn't like to work too hard theoretically but lacks the middle ground to carry himself beyond that point. Yet he's so gifted, long and determined that he tends to be able to get by doing the bare minimum. Brendan Allen is probably going to give him plenty of opportunities to be offensive if he wants to be but that's entirely up to Holland and his mentality.

12- The last time we saw him, Deron Winn was having a FOTN style war with Eric Spicely on short notice. Winn has a lot of "poor man's DC" about him which is a really unfair comparison but I can't think of a guy that short in a weight class who prioritizes the same arsenal of strikes that he does other than DC. He gets a kind of risky step up in competition with Darren "The Dentist" Stewart. Stewart has a bit of a funky UFC record, he started his run 0-3 and then hit a stride of sorts since then, going 3-1 with the sole loss being a super close split decision to MW prospect Edmen Shahbazyan. Stewart hits really hard and has found some tremendously timely resolve with his takedown defense, creating a sort of fight that should be closer on paper than some folk might realize.

[01010010-posts]

— falling from the doves to the dark of the crow.

1. january – 2037 new year’s eve was just few days ago. you spent a nice evening with some close friends, ate, laughed, drank. but it turned out to be a temporary placebo, as the dread of living has its clutches around your heart again. it’s cold outside and the only thing you’d like to do is sleep forever in the warm cocoon of your white soft duvet. even scrolling endlessly on your phone is useless, everyone is with their relatives and they really don’t have time to think about you. you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. it has come to this then, huh. you roll over the other side of the bed. you’ve decided. you could die and nothing would change.

2. february – 2037 you’ve been promoted at work. your colleagues organized a small party during the lunch break. you still felt nothing. rather, you got the urge to throw up. someone else could use that money. someone else with a family, with hopes, dreams, desires. not someone like you for sure. you feel guilty for taking up space, in this economy, in this world. you should enjoy your life and yet. yet there’s something at the back of your mind, gnawing, chewing your brain with steely fangs, unceasing, unrelenting. when you get home you toss your grey bag onto the couch and let yourself fall on the mattress. you silently cry for an hour or so. after your red eyes decide to take a rest you lift your phone and check for messages. none. except an e-mail. weird advertisement about purchasing a house. you guess that since everything is connected lots of estate agencies already know about your new salary. you have enough to buy a modest place in the outskirts of detroit. or enough to buy an android, which is as pricey as that. an android? you stop mid-thinking. where did that come from? you have strange ideas for a person that barely wants to live.

3. march – 2037 “would you like to give it a name?” “no” you nervously blurt out, a bit uncomfortable. give it a name? you’re not its parent, it’s not your duty to give it a name. and were you to give it a name, would it become your responsibility then? you sign some papers about a division into instalments. there they go, your savings. you shrug it off, after all long-term plans were never your thing. you always had the sensation that you weren’t going to live past your twenty but here you are. here you are. outside of a shop, wind howling, leaves moving along the sidewalk, you and between your arms a brown bag of groceries with red apples sticking out on top, your android beside with its fingers clasped behind its back. a sepia-toned polaroid of utter confusion and a simply-led life. you didn’t have a clue about how or why everything was going this way.

4. april – 2037 a caretaker model. you’ve found that it is rather handy. it follows your orders but it is also independent enough to cook you a meal without specifying exactly what you would like to eat. which is nice, you guess. choosing every day was starting to be very miserable. it does the shopping too, as it has a huge amount of free time when you’re away. (it cleans during the night). it’s to make sure you have a healthy diet, it says. fair enough. you don’t actually mind it taking control of your daily menial tasks. it’s easier both for you and for it. usually when you get back from your job you’re already too tired to read or watch some television. and if you had the energy, you think you wouldn’t want to anyway. books are full of ads nowadays and reading one is a hassle. the tv always has bad news and you’re not going to demoralize yourself more. also would it ‘scold’ you? reminding you that staring so much at a monitor will reduce your eyesight? you bet it would say these kinds of things for your own benefit. but still, being a ‘good’ person is hard. a warm hearty dinner. you’re glad. you generally don’t feel like eating after such a long day but gulping down the whole thing it’s rather easy. it seems.... ‘satisfied’ while watching you. probably its mimicking program. perhaps looking at its smile, even if fake, might make you at ease.

5. may – 2037 the third month living with it. you only hear its voice when it needs directions to abide by. any other dialogue would be unnecessary. of course you’re gonna grow crazy if this keeps up. one thing is living alone, but another is living with someone and not talking to him– him? what? don’t tell me you’re considering it as a person? freak. you spent two or three nights with the sheets hiding your body, the blue light of your phone illuminating your little breathing space, searching on blogs about androids and humans relationships. maybe it’ll help you make small talk. the lone comments you find, though, are about that kind of bond. should it disgust you? mhh. you close your lids and try to imagine how something like this would play out. it wouldn’t. there’s a reason why you’re single. but not desperate.

6. june – 2037 you’re fed up. you don’t care about what others will think at this point. you need to talk with– with– him. you’ve thought this. he’s definitely a machine. but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be gentle to him. so screw it. you’re going to have conversations. whether he likes it or not. “hey– um, you don’t have a name, don’t you?” “correct.” “would you– would you like one?” “i see no need to it. but if you want i could search for the most popular names of the past year. in the u.s the first then results are–” “no no– it’s– okay, really. it’s fine like this.” what did you expect? for him to act like a human all of a sudden? to give himself a name in his own volition? to care for you because he wants to and not because he’s programmed to? what? where did this thought come from? you don’t need pity from an android.

7. july – 2037 it’s scorching. it’s the heat of the summer. work is hardly bearable. you have to admit, speaking to him it’s a lot less difficult. you’ve been together for five months now. he’s an okay guy. yeah, he won’t say much unless you directly ask him but he’s okay. he also started to take more liberties with you. like reprimanding you if you’re not sleeping by 10AM. or inciting you about going out with people. is he being friendly? you doubt it. but you let him do his things. it’s nice. it’s nice like this. it’s nice to pretend to have someone to care for you. it’s fine, you keep saying that to yourself. it’s fine to dream once in a while. it’s fine. “aren’t you bothered by how hot it is? like, you don’t overheat or something?” “my model was built with better tolerance to higher and lower temperatures than humans.” “mhh. right.” you ponder for some seconds “new clothes!” the perplexed look on his face makes you laugh. which is.... which is....? what it is? is it odd? is it odd for you to feel.... happy? is it odd for you to feel at all? when was the last time you smiled? the trip to the nearest shopping mall is quiet but you’re giddy with excitement. you need something new to wear, he does too. you’re sick of seeing him in the same old outfit. it’s stiff and ugly. he’s a lot more handsome with a white button-down shirt and black trousers. not that he isn’t normally gorgeous but– normally? you’re lost in these thoughts as you’re swiping your card in the meantime. he is beautiful. was he always so beautiful? you’re being childish.

8. august – 2037 you sigh. how many years have passed since you had a day off? you lost count. you’d like to see the ocean. you’d like to see the countryside. you’d like to be up in the mountains with your friends and a white cup of hot chocolate in your palms. summer is ending. you don’t even have time to feel heavy-hearted about it. in the weekend you ask him to buy you a bottle of beer. he curls his mouth in disapproval but does as told. you close the french door that overlooks the fuming city above your tiny balcony. drinking in the complete quiet of your little world. is this the same as a vacation? around midnight he brings you a blanket and places it around your shoulders. you turn and look up to his tall figure. tired eyes with dark circles beneath, a cirrusly smile. “it’s very late.” “yeah.” “it would be ideal to go to bed as soon as possible.” “.... yeah.” silence. “is something on your mind, [name]?” “i guess.” “would you like to share it with me?” you frown. it’s not as if you have something to lose, right? “sit down.” “i can stand, androids don’t–” “sit down, i said.” he’s almost comical, so rigid in an unadorned wooden chair. he seems uneasy, a student taking an exam he didn’t study for. “do you know the meaning of the expression ‘being a zero’?” he nods “it is a metaphor to imply that someone’s value is nothing.” “exactly.” silence again. “is it how you feel, [name]?” your chest heave with exasperation “i don’t see how i can be something else.” he presses his lips, thinking. you shake your head. you’re about to go and bury yourself in your room “in the binary code....” he starts, hesitant “there are zeros and ones. but they’re both essential. together they can convey anything. were the former or the latter cease to exists the message would be lost. ” you pause, knuckles lingering on the frame of the window. your vision cast on the floor and your feet but you’re slightly smiling “then you’re my one?”

9. september – 2037 seven. seven months. seven months since you said goodbye to your finances. “blah blah blah, robot here robot there, you’re always mentioning it!” “come on, that’s not true.” you give hint of a half laugh. “but it is! what, someone’s got a little crush on their babysitter?” “he’s not my babysitter–” “he?” seven months since you said ‘hello’ to a big, sturdy android. seven months and you still don’t regret that. “do you need anything?” “no, thank you. i’m good.” yawning you stretch your arms. gosh, you’re really tired. you close your eyes, ready to rest. you don’t hear him lowering over your forehead and laying a soft kiss. “goodnight, then, [name].” you freeze until he turns out the light and closes your door. did he– did he just–? sleeping will be a problem if you don’t stop blushing. seven. seven months into this messy cohabitation.

10. october – 2037 you feel like you’re getting the hang of living, proper living. it’s not a chore anymore to get out of bed, to shower, to watch the red sunset while working through the last hours of your shift. even going to the supermarket it’s pleasant. you like to pick what to eat. yes, you don’t need to, he says, he’s perfectly capable of memorizing a list, if you were so compliant in doing one in the first place. you’re not going to tell him that it’s a lot more fun this way. ‘happy’ would be the best term to describe you these days. he noticed too. you never addressed what happened last month. but there was no need to. instead, you both started to hold hands without a spoken word. while you’re watching your favourites sitcoms. while you’re reading a paper book. while strolling in the park nearby. you might ask him to teach you how to cook. it will certainly be a disaster but you two would have a good laugh about it.

11. november – 2037 you close the car’s door with enough force to cause a dull thud. so loud it actually disturbs your already awful mood and makes you close your eyes in distress “breathe, [name]” you shift in your seat but do as you’re told nevertheless. you’re trembling, rage seeping through your clenched fists resting on your knees “[name], your stress levels—” crisp air escapes from your lungs in a big white puff, it’s the end of november after all “i know” you shut him up but suddenly regret it “i’m sorry– i didn’t mean to– i–” you inhale once more and bite your lower lip. no no no please no “fuck–” you manage to grit before placing your head on your legs, covering your face with weary hands. you’re crying again. it’s starting to become a habit: him adamant on getting you from work, you crying for a solid ten or fifteen minutes, him hugging you because ‘although crying is a valid form of venting when confronting stress, contact may help you relax, [name]’ and then going home. not driving is your favourite bit, though, as it would give you anxiety. weren’t you just getting better? where did you progress go? you beg him to sleep with you. he and his tender smile don’t complain. he holds you tightly the whole night.

12. december – 2037 it’s snowing. the loneliness and the wish to kill yourself of last year are nothing but a long gone bitter taste in your mouth. now you’re two in this cosy and warm apartment. he’s helping you decorating for the holidays. “i’m not going to be like them.” you say out of the blue. “them?” “my family.” you firmly state, it’s a promise. he can’t help but halt and hug you from behind “it’s okay, love. it’s okay.” you share a sweet kiss while the fireplace softly crackle. apparently, recovery is not linear.

23. november 12th – 2038

he is alive.

[honoura]

I am a Knight of the Round Vegetable

So, hey Tumblr. We’re going to talk about my first FC, which was my FC until very recently. Specifically last summer, when I moved to FLEET. I’m sorry this isn’t attached to the big master post, but for some reason Tumblr was having a hard time with my text + images and all of the testimonies before. Plus mine is less a direct attack on me and more against an entire group of people.

I have been a member of the Knights of the Round Vegetable <<SASS>> since sometime in 2013, when I joined them in Guild Wars 2. In summer 2014, tired of GW2, we slowly began migrating over to FFXIV. By December 2014 I wished we had stayed there.

Somewhere in the middle of July/August that year (I confess it’s hard for me to remember), several members of SASS met Oz, Adrian, and the rest of Coral. I will state right now that to this day I have never met Oz or the rest in-game, ever. I was not thinking of being active in the rp community at that time. I had had several very bad experiences, and I was in grad school. All I was using FF for at the time was to hang out with my guildies and level white mage as a break from other, more stressful things in my life.

At some point in the middle of this, one of my FC mates had a falling out with a member of Coral. I’m not going into further details about that, because that’s not my story to tell about all this. What I’m going to tell is how Oz reacted to it. After my friend sent Adrian a DM asking for help in regards to personal conflicts with this Coral member and themself both ic and ooc, Oz sent several tells to my friend saying that they needed to come into voip to explain their message and its manipulative tone to them. Oz repeatedly said things like

“To be completely honest, I am not happy about this. And I want to talk to you about why I am unhappy.” “If you do not wish to talk about this with me, then all I have to go on to make my decisions are your PM to [Adrian] and my assumptions. It is in your best interests to talk to me”

After Oz’s demands were not met due to timezone constraints and general unease -- I quite literally came home from a trip to New York to find much of my FC in tears. This person was kicked from Coral’s LS, immediately. Everyone was upset, but we also all collectively thought ‘well, it’s a big server, this was just a scuffle with one FC, it’ll blow over in a couple of weeks’. We figured we’d just stay off Tumblr for a bit, because it’s Tumblr, and then we’d take another go at getting to know the RP community.

We were wrong.

Oz proceeded. To post about us. Numerous times. Because we saved the entries, we know it was roughly 15 different times. And this started over a PM from a friend who just wanted some help on navigating a social situation that had badly deteriorated.

Initially, they called us Horse Fancy. But that quickly stopped. My friend was quickly painted as passive aggressive and manipulative. Oz claimed they faked their autism or at least, they were using it as a crutch to garner sympathy.  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nmzwxbbcujc1xmz/Capture9.PNG?dl=0

Oz posted about fantasizing physical violence against them. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g0jukakez0jckd2/Capture10.PNG?dl=0

Oz finally proclaimed to blacklist us from anything Coral-related about mid-November.

Oz also called us dishonest and cowardly and accused us of starting a fight. We were accused of vague blogging when they were blogging about us every few days. They also crawled over our Enjin site and posted about us to Coral’s Enjin as well. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mnvpo38cqsylwbz/Capture7.PNG?dl=0

They also crawled over our blogs.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cuzzo7ek0gb0cjy/Capture11.PNG?dl=0

I have had Oz blocked from mine since 2014. I also blocked several other members, because we discovered several different IPs were combing all of our FF tumblrs. 

At some point in mid to late November they stopped for a bit for a bit until February 2015, when Iron Sea was kicked from Coral.

Let me be perfectly clear that I am not defending Iron Sea. In fact, I never met them. The only time I spent with this character ever was 1 evening in Ul’dah where we told them we were sorry they got kicked, emoted some hugs, and that was it. Iron Sea was never a member of our LS, our FC, never on my friendslist. I don’t know if they were a bad person. If they were and they were booted for being truly awful to some people, then that was what needed to be done from an FC management standpoint.

But I can’t tell you that. All I can tell you is after this, Oz posted about us again, because they’d clearly found out we were in Ul’dah doing this. In this post they accused us of defending and enabling sexual predators.

At this point, my entire FC had gone to ground and hadn’t interacted with any members of the larger rp community for four months. We were all too scared to. We didn’t know who was connected to Oz, who secretly hated us, who thought we were horrible people. Now, suddenly, we were being called defenders of abusers. This hurt, because the bulk of our FC was either non-binary or cis-women. I have been sexually harassed and followed in public before. It hurt.

We kept to our rigid self-imposed exile. We were too scared to do otherwise. The only thing that broke me out of it was finding out one of my oldest friends was also playing FF on Balmung. I was so ecstatic over this I briefly disregarded the notion about the risks talking to people outside our circle might mean.

Turns out, she knew some folks in Coral. I had a panic attack the first time I saw that tag in a party with me. It’s important for me to mention that I had appointed myself the main rock of stability for my FC. I told myself I had to keep it together for them, because they had it worse. They’d interacted with Oz. They’d gone to Coral events. They’d added some alts to the FC roster. I flew under the proverbial radar. So I’d become the person to talk to when their anxiety was spiralling. Which meant I was regularly submerging myself into a pit of anxiety and paranoia.

I spent many, many nights up until 2-3 am trying not to cry as I rehashed again that my friend was not a terrible person who brought hell to their FC, that they were not responsible for someone else’s behavior. I averaged about 4-5 hours of sleep a night.

This was a role I effectively held and did my best to accomplish, day after day. I didn’t think I was as deeply affected as I was until I saw one of my oldest friends interacting with and being connected to a member of Oz’s FC. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with worry about what was being said about me, what had these people told my friend, would she ask me about this stuff? Would she take my side? Oh god, what if she took my side, they’d go for her. I said nothing, I kept my distance, because if there was one thing I never wanted, it was to bring Oz’s hate to someone else who didn’t deserve it.

I shambled along like this until summer 2015, when I finally emotionally collapsed. I was tired. I was so tired. Every day I was just tired and sad. I graduated with my Master’s that spring and have no fond memories of it. I do have memories of my anxiety being so bad that I had a meltdown over forgetting my cap and gown at my apartment and the fear of being late to my own ceremony.

It took many months, and meeting several new people, before I felt at all safe to venture outside of my small safe zone of SASS FC house and a couple of other areas and interact with the community at large. I still have to stop and pause whenever I see Oz in game. 

I still worry about what was said about me, not as a person, but as part of a faceless entity that Oz turned into something else entirely. Someone who apparently picked fights and caused ‘a lot of drama’ when we were all huddled in a Skype group chat keeping vigil over some friends who mentioned self-harm. I have a lot of people around me who have very patiently put up with my fears and hang ups about this. It means a lot. It really does. 

I’m still sad about what happened to my friends, because while nobody’s perfect, I don’t think we deserved that as our first foray into the Balmung community. It was incredibly hard to argue against the fear to be seen even when logistically this server is a sea of people. The fear won for a very long time, because I never really joined in RP in this community until August 2016, almost 2 years after I first started playing. Even now, I still keep to smaller events, ones often run by people I know and trust. Larger ones overwhelm me.

And I was super hesitant to tell my now-wider circle of friends all the details about my experience with Oz, because I was desperately wanting to move to a better place. I didn’t want to think about any of this anymore. I’d avoided looking at the secrets blog for that very reason. It was friends who told me screencaps of old SASS stuff came up. And who told me Oz was posting about us again after 3 years of ignoring us. 

I don’t know who tipped that blog off to talk to me, nor do I know how they got ahold of some of the details they wanted to inquire about specifically. I guess at this point I am too tired to worry much. Or maybe I am too tired of feeling like this is my albatross around my neck. 

I don’t know if this is going to be terribly helpful to anyone, other than to say that Oz doesn’t hesitate to demean and badmouth others and paint them as awful people to make themself look better. I know, because I saw it happen, and I tried really hard to reassure my friends that it would all blow over. Only I learned it never does with Oz. It’s never over. They posted about you in 2014, they’d do it again in 2018. Once you’re a target, you’re there for good. 

I guess I also hope this gives people an idea of what SASS was really like during that time period. I feel it past due to I defend the people who got me into this game considering the good it’s given me (which does, thankfully, outweigh the bad in the long game I think). Just. I am not afraid to say I was a member of SASS. I don’t always announce it from a mountain top, but I was. I hope this helps, and I am very sorry for everyone whose stories feel so very strikingly familiar to mine. 

[easyfoodnetwork]

Landlords Lose Money When Restaurant Properties Sit Vacant, So Why Not Give Rent Relief?

George Wirt/Shutterstock

Property owners with bullish views and big cash reserves see no reason to give tenants any breaks

Every day, David Helbraun feels like banging his head against the wall. A founding partner and chairman at Helbraun Levey, a New York City-based hospitality law firm with more than 1,000 clients in the city alone, the former entrepreneur and coffee bar owner is struggling to help restaurant owners desperate after months of COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and income loss. The biggest obstacle, he says, is landlords who would rather see a restaurant space remain vacant, bringing in no money, than negotiate partial payments and rent relief for tenants. Currently, the firm is handling lease negotiations for more than 200 clients.

“Why is this happening?” he says. “My gut tells me that the real estate market in New York is shark-infested waters, and the landlords who grew up and do business in these shark-infested waters have to be sharks themselves. You can’t reason with a shark. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t eat that seal, there aren’t many of them.’ No, they’re going to eat the seal.”

Helbraun’s frustration goes to the heart of a crisis facing the restaurant industry and so many others clobbered by the economic fallout of the coronavirus: the cost of real estate. In late July, Philadelphia’s all-day cafe High Street on Market announced it would close its longtime location in the Old City neighborhood because it simply couldn’t keep up with rent, which went up by $5,000 a month last October, says co-owner Ellen Yin. The restaurant struggled to make ends meet during mandated closures and months of lost business, and the landlord — whom Yin declined to name — wouldn’t budge or offer any concessions. (The property’s real estate agent refused to identify the landlord and would not give comment to Eater.) “I told him we were in a really difficult position,” Yin says. “‘It’s difficult to be a restaurateur in this situation, and while I understand you have expenses, I need help.’” Even though High Street had paid its rent in full through August 1, the only assistance she was offered was a promise not to raise rent when the lease came up for renewal in October. A day after Yin informed the landlord that they were vacating, they were sent a termination letter via certified mail. The space is already listed for rent online, starting in October.

High Street on Market isn’t the only popular restaurant to announce closure recently. Other high-profile restaurants and bars — including Uncle Boons and Banty Rooster in New York City and the Summer Place and Flights in the Bay Area — cite the challenges of paying rent and inflexible landlords as key reasons for closing. Space for kitchens, dining rooms, and bars is incredibly expensive for entrepreneurs and small businesses — typically between 6 to 10 percent of gross revenue, according to Paul Pruitt, an industry consultant in LA — especially during a pandemic that’s led to mandatory shutdowns and a steep drop in customers.

Industry figures are baffled as to why many landlords don’t want to negotiate some sort of rent relief, especially when they face an uncertain future as well. After all, they have their own mortgages to pay, and it seems unlikely, if not impossible, that they will find new tenants as the pandemic, and its economic effects, continue.

Many involved in these rent relief negotiations cite an array of factors that dictate a landlord’s willingness to negotiate, including the landlord-tenant relationship, the financial position of the landlord, and perceptions about the industry’s future. There are some instances where reduced rent comes with the deal. Leases for property in malls and large shopping centers have what’s called co-tenancy clauses. If an anchor client like Macy’s goes under, or a certain number of stores in the development close, then other tenants have the right to pay reduced rent due to the loss of foot traffic. Landlords in these situations may seek out a deal to provide relief to restaurant owners to avoid renegotiations and bigger losses. Sadly, clauses addressing pandemics aren’t common business practice.

“There are going to be people who are inflexible for whatever reason, and some that understand a restaurant can only do so much, that no customers means no tenants and it’ll be difficult to rent the space,” says Yin.

To be fair, not every landlord is playing hardball. Most “know they can’t get blood from a stone,” says Stephen Boyd, a senior director at Fitch Ratings. They want to preserve the income they can and set up deals with tenants that allow them to eventually recoup their losses. In Chicago, El Che Steakhouse has been able to work with landlords (who also happen to be investors), and Bay Area chain Wrecking Ball Coffee was given half-off rent by landlords for all three of its locations, with the balance due at an unspecified future date. Other landlords may want to budge, but can’t, says Milford Jones, the operator of Sellingrestaurants.com and a national broker who sets up lease deals for restaurants. Many landlords’ mortgage deals with banks include covenants that forbid charging rent below a certain figure.

“Of course, then there are landlords who are just plain assholes,” says Jones. “They always think there’s another, better tenant out there.”

The size of the landlord can often determine their relative openness to rent relief. Big-name developers, who have lots of capital and understand the value restaurants and bars bring to their larger developments, tend to be flexible. Small mom-and-pop landlords, who may have one or just a handful or properties, are “real people,” Helbraun says; they don’t have the reserves right now to risk vacancy, and tend to have better relationships with tenants.

The real trouble, Helbraun says, are the mid-size property owners with a few dozen buildings. He calls them the shark pool; “cultivating a reputation for being tough and not budging is how they’ve survived in the past.”

Another key factor is the relationship restaurant owners have with their landlord. Paying rent on time is just 50 percent of the relationship, says Salar Sheik, a consultant with LA-based Savory Hospitality. Is the restaurant/tenant an amenity that drives foot traffic, a famous name that brings in business, a corporate chain with deep pockets and consistency, or a business with a grandfathered liquor license, a huge asset, that may be at risk if a property were to remain vacant in a downturn? That means more leniency.

Some landlords see the fallout from COVID-19 as a time to cull poor-performing restaurants and strike a better deal. Consider a small bistro that signed a deal two years ago in an up-and-coming neighborhood; the landlord, looking for a tenant to drive foot traffic in what may be a gentrifying neighborhood, offered a sweetheart deal for a five-year lease. If that bistro is looking to negotiate some rent breaks or deferment, the landlord may look at how much more he could charge a new tenant, and decide that refusing to provide a break — which may mean months of an empty storefront — will be more than made up by a new tenant paying higher rent.

“It’s kind of like chess, and your landlord is thinking, are you a king or a queen, or are you a pawn he can afford to lose to win the game?” says Sheik.

Finally, a landlord’s own financial cushion will play into their strategy. Those who own multiple properties or have cash reserves can afford to leave a handful empty if the majority of them are profitable. Jones says that some of the big corporate landlords are “brainless” and will just sit with retail and restaurant space empty for years.

“While everything else is dying, they still want these premium rents, and you just shake your head,” he says.

Some landlords are even bullish, says Pruitt. They see sidewalk dining proliferate (even though it can cover at best only 20 to 25 percent of previous income, says Helbraun). They know that Paycheck Protection Program loans from the CARES Act and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Association are out. They see this as a small slump; the world will get back on its feet again and people will want to eat out again. If that’s your perspective, maybe you’ll offer payment deferrals, but why forgive rent?

Restaurateurs are at a breaking point. Helbraun says that the stimulus money has run out for many of his clients, and it doesn’t look like there’s more forthcoming from D.C. Once they have to close, they may just put their furniture and fixtures in storage, wait until rents fall in line with what they think they should be paying, and try to start again. (Many seek to take advantage of New York City’s Law 1932-A, which exempts restaurants owners, among others, from personal liability if they have to declare bankruptcy due to COVID-19-related closures. That hasn’t stopped many landlords from threatening to sue anyways, say Helbraun.)

“Where does that leave landlords? Who knows?” he says. “I just assume they have so much money in their portfolios they can write it off and just wait until things get better.”

While struggling restaurant owners asking for rent breaks don’t have the high ground today, things may change. Pruitt points to the high number of restaurant closings in 2019 as signs of development saturation; when things begin to take shape post-COVID-19, there will be a mounting number of vacant spaces landlords will lease at steep discounts. Yin plans to relocate High Street on Market to a new location, and says she’s been approached by lots of brokers offering open space; it’s nice to be seen as a good potential tenant, she says, but to her, that also signals that there are a lot of vacancies and people interested in cutting deals.

“I think the tough stance from landlords is really denial,” says Adam Weisblatt, CEO at Los Angeles-based Last Word Hospitality. “Considering that retail is also in dire straits, I think many landlords aren’t facing up to the fact that their business model is broken.”

Weisblatt thinks leases will also be different: He foresees deals where tenants pay a base rate, and then a percentage based on net sales, with clauses clearly spelling out what happens during a pandemic or other such disasters. “What you’re seeing is creativity on the business side is as important as the branding and food side,” he says. “A landlord is your partner, whether you like it or not, so that relationship is important.”

Chefs and owners who can’t catch a break can perhaps take solace in the fact that, when the industry does start bouncing back, new restaurateurs will know exactly which landlords weren’t great partners in the past.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/327tvGp https://ift.tt/3174Ylb

George Wirt/Shutterstock

Property owners with bullish views and big cash reserves see no reason to give tenants any breaks

Every day, David Helbraun feels like banging his head against the wall. A founding partner and chairman at Helbraun Levey, a New York City-based hospitality law firm with more than 1,000 clients in the city alone, the former entrepreneur and coffee bar owner is struggling to help restaurant owners desperate after months of COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and income loss. The biggest obstacle, he says, is landlords who would rather see a restaurant space remain vacant, bringing in no money, than negotiate partial payments and rent relief for tenants. Currently, the firm is handling lease negotiations for more than 200 clients.

“Why is this happening?” he says. “My gut tells me that the real estate market in New York is shark-infested waters, and the landlords who grew up and do business in these shark-infested waters have to be sharks themselves. You can’t reason with a shark. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t eat that seal, there aren’t many of them.’ No, they’re going to eat the seal.”

Helbraun’s frustration goes to the heart of a crisis facing the restaurant industry and so many others clobbered by the economic fallout of the coronavirus: the cost of real estate. In late July, Philadelphia’s all-day cafe High Street on Market announced it would close its longtime location in the Old City neighborhood because it simply couldn’t keep up with rent, which went up by $5,000 a month last October, says co-owner Ellen Yin. The restaurant struggled to make ends meet during mandated closures and months of lost business, and the landlord — whom Yin declined to name — wouldn’t budge or offer any concessions. (The property’s real estate agent refused to identify the landlord and would not give comment to Eater.) “I told him we were in a really difficult position,” Yin says. “‘It’s difficult to be a restaurateur in this situation, and while I understand you have expenses, I need help.’” Even though High Street had paid its rent in full through August 1, the only assistance she was offered was a promise not to raise rent when the lease came up for renewal in October. A day after Yin informed the landlord that they were vacating, they were sent a termination letter via certified mail. The space is already listed for rent online, starting in October.

High Street on Market isn’t the only popular restaurant to announce closure recently. Other high-profile restaurants and bars — including Uncle Boons and Banty Rooster in New York City and the Summer Place and Flights in the Bay Area — cite the challenges of paying rent and inflexible landlords as key reasons for closing. Space for kitchens, dining rooms, and bars is incredibly expensive for entrepreneurs and small businesses — typically between 6 to 10 percent of gross revenue, according to Paul Pruitt, an industry consultant in LA — especially during a pandemic that’s led to mandatory shutdowns and a steep drop in customers.

Industry figures are baffled as to why many landlords don’t want to negotiate some sort of rent relief, especially when they face an uncertain future as well. After all, they have their own mortgages to pay, and it seems unlikely, if not impossible, that they will find new tenants as the pandemic, and its economic effects, continue.

Many involved in these rent relief negotiations cite an array of factors that dictate a landlord’s willingness to negotiate, including the landlord-tenant relationship, the financial position of the landlord, and perceptions about the industry’s future. There are some instances where reduced rent comes with the deal. Leases for property in malls and large shopping centers have what’s called co-tenancy clauses. If an anchor client like Macy’s goes under, or a certain number of stores in the development close, then other tenants have the right to pay reduced rent due to the loss of foot traffic. Landlords in these situations may seek out a deal to provide relief to restaurant owners to avoid renegotiations and bigger losses. Sadly, clauses addressing pandemics aren’t common business practice.

“There are going to be people who are inflexible for whatever reason, and some that understand a restaurant can only do so much, that no customers means no tenants and it’ll be difficult to rent the space,” says Yin.

To be fair, not every landlord is playing hardball. Most “know they can’t get blood from a stone,” says Stephen Boyd, a senior director at Fitch Ratings. They want to preserve the income they can and set up deals with tenants that allow them to eventually recoup their losses. In Chicago, El Che Steakhouse has been able to work with landlords (who also happen to be investors), and Bay Area chain Wrecking Ball Coffee was given half-off rent by landlords for all three of its locations, with the balance due at an unspecified future date. Other landlords may want to budge, but can’t, says Milford Jones, the operator of Sellingrestaurants.com and a national broker who sets up lease deals for restaurants. Many landlords’ mortgage deals with banks include covenants that forbid charging rent below a certain figure.

“Of course, then there are landlords who are just plain assholes,” says Jones. “They always think there’s another, better tenant out there.”

The size of the landlord can often determine their relative openness to rent relief. Big-name developers, who have lots of capital and understand the value restaurants and bars bring to their larger developments, tend to be flexible. Small mom-and-pop landlords, who may have one or just a handful or properties, are “real people,” Helbraun says; they don’t have the reserves right now to risk vacancy, and tend to have better relationships with tenants.

The real trouble, Helbraun says, are the mid-size property owners with a few dozen buildings. He calls them the shark pool; “cultivating a reputation for being tough and not budging is how they’ve survived in the past.”

Another key factor is the relationship restaurant owners have with their landlord. Paying rent on time is just 50 percent of the relationship, says Salar Sheik, a consultant with LA-based Savory Hospitality. Is the restaurant/tenant an amenity that drives foot traffic, a famous name that brings in business, a corporate chain with deep pockets and consistency, or a business with a grandfathered liquor license, a huge asset, that may be at risk if a property were to remain vacant in a downturn? That means more leniency.

Some landlords see the fallout from COVID-19 as a time to cull poor-performing restaurants and strike a better deal. Consider a small bistro that signed a deal two years ago in an up-and-coming neighborhood; the landlord, looking for a tenant to drive foot traffic in what may be a gentrifying neighborhood, offered a sweetheart deal for a five-year lease. If that bistro is looking to negotiate some rent breaks or deferment, the landlord may look at how much more he could charge a new tenant, and decide that refusing to provide a break — which may mean months of an empty storefront — will be more than made up by a new tenant paying higher rent.

“It’s kind of like chess, and your landlord is thinking, are you a king or a queen, or are you a pawn he can afford to lose to win the game?” says Sheik.

Finally, a landlord’s own financial cushion will play into their strategy. Those who own multiple properties or have cash reserves can afford to leave a handful empty if the majority of them are profitable. Jones says that some of the big corporate landlords are “brainless” and will just sit with retail and restaurant space empty for years.

“While everything else is dying, they still want these premium rents, and you just shake your head,” he says.

Some landlords are even bullish, says Pruitt. They see sidewalk dining proliferate (even though it can cover at best only 20 to 25 percent of previous income, says Helbraun). They know that Paycheck Protection Program loans from the CARES Act and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Association are out. They see this as a small slump; the world will get back on its feet again and people will want to eat out again. If that’s your perspective, maybe you’ll offer payment deferrals, but why forgive rent?

Restaurateurs are at a breaking point. Helbraun says that the stimulus money has run out for many of his clients, and it doesn’t look like there’s more forthcoming from D.C. Once they have to close, they may just put their furniture and fixtures in storage, wait until rents fall in line with what they think they should be paying, and try to start again. (Many seek to take advantage of New York City’s Law 1932-A, which exempts restaurants owners, among others, from personal liability if they have to declare bankruptcy due to COVID-19-related closures. That hasn’t stopped many landlords from threatening to sue anyways, say Helbraun.)

“Where does that leave landlords? Who knows?” he says. “I just assume they have so much money in their portfolios they can write it off and just wait until things get better.”

While struggling restaurant owners asking for rent breaks don’t have the high ground today, things may change. Pruitt points to the high number of restaurant closings in 2019 as signs of development saturation; when things begin to take shape post-COVID-19, there will be a mounting number of vacant spaces landlords will lease at steep discounts. Yin plans to relocate High Street on Market to a new location, and says she’s been approached by lots of brokers offering open space; it’s nice to be seen as a good potential tenant, she says, but to her, that also signals that there are a lot of vacancies and people interested in cutting deals.

“I think the tough stance from landlords is really denial,” says Adam Weisblatt, CEO at Los Angeles-based Last Word Hospitality. “Considering that retail is also in dire straits, I think many landlords aren’t facing up to the fact that their business model is broken.”

Weisblatt thinks leases will also be different: He foresees deals where tenants pay a base rate, and then a percentage based on net sales, with clauses clearly spelling out what happens during a pandemic or other such disasters. “What you’re seeing is creativity on the business side is as important as the branding and food side,” he says. “A landlord is your partner, whether you like it or not, so that relationship is important.”

Chefs and owners who can’t catch a break can perhaps take solace in the fact that, when the industry does start bouncing back, new restaurateurs will know exactly which landlords weren’t great partners in the past.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/327tvGp via Blogger https://ift.tt/316M123

[yetibaba]

Hard to believe that just two weeks ago it might have still been in the mid to upper 90's right now (near midnight) and instead it is a pleasant 67°. . . in the Midwest, on August 4th, 2017. Very early Fall like, and was this morning as well. I'm not surprised (though we'll have more heat) as I've noticed (for years) and told people that our weather seems to be coming a month early recently: April showers in March, super-hot August temperatures in July, and the taste of Fall we'd sometimes get in September, in August. Two weeks ago when it was 117 degree heat index, I think few believed me when I said I wouldn't be surprised if August was cooler, with some Fall like days. Our Augusts have traditionally been the hottest month--yet here they are, those cooler, Fall like days. While I currently like the cooler temps, that whole trend is troubling. The Much milder Winters than when many of us here were kids, is another aspect--now we barely get any cold or snow, where before it wasn't uncommon to get snow up to a couple/few feet deep. Snow that lasted more than a day or two, too. Like it or not, that was normal. To deny that the climate is changing, is to look at the sun and deny that you see light. As I'm sure many here remember, August was also a typically dry month--burning hot, and dry. High Summer in the Midwest. Yet a few years ago now, I got trapped in a State Park that sits among streams in a valley, due to torrential rains that were so strong, all the rivers and streams flooded badly. So bad, that every road out of the park was under water. I watched a pretty much still whole tree go sailing along on the current, over the road and bridge that led out of the park's main entrance. The stream itself was raging like a wild, grade 6 white water river out West. These are just a few examples, but there are many more, and there comes a point where people need to quit invoking lore of bygone days, and writing things off as mere coincidence, and see that a pattern is emerging. Personally, I don't want to see 130° (or higher) Summer temperatures here: Ever. There's a point when it's too late to notice that the boat has many holes, and is sinking--and at that point, you better be able to swim, for a Long time. Meanwhile the crooked (who Know this shit is happening) deny it, because they're making money and wielding power, pretending that it's not real. They don't care: not about you, not about me, Hell, not even for their own family and friends. They figure their money is their shield, their Golden Ticket that will at least save Them. Maybe it will, for a time. But at what terrible, irreversible cost? There's a prime example of this in this country right now, that stands out like a rotten fruit, like a many symptom-ed blight, and we better all hope that Mueller is a fucking serious, kick-ass gardener, with pruning shears! I also wonder at what point citizens can start filing assault charges against these money-grubbing creeps, who are ignoring scientists, and gambling with all of our lives? Destroying/depleting life-sustaining resources and rendering the world uninhabitable for personal gain, sure sounds like a crime, to me. Finally, you know that there was Someone on the Titanic who was all like "Sinking!? Pshaw! Preposterous! This ship's Un-sinkable!!! It'll never happen!" Ahuh: He sunk.

[whence-the-woody]

2020 

I used to do big, reflective summaries of my year and even tho I am feeling reflective today, I wasn’t able to do that last year and I actually really like the format I went with last year of just listing memz so I’m going wih that. Intention review etc will be in another post. So, my 2020 memories:

Jan

Gearing up to leave a job I hated, packing up my life to move away properly for the first time. Going flat hunting with my mum and my brother and having a literal choice of one

I did Home which I dont really remember so it was probably fine

This was the month the Gallavich wedding aired and gaslit me into believing there was still anything positive about that show/ship. Tbf at the time I was LIVING for it

Cinema kick with Mum including CATS. What a moment. 

Feb

Last day at said crappy job (just weird and awks. I didnt really know how to feel) and starting a new one - everyone was so lovely from the off and even tho I was bored at times I was optimistic

Staying with my brother for a few days, him helping me move in which was all very nice. 

My flat having no hot water for the first week - I only cried about it once. And me having nothing but an air bed for 3 weeks. Not ideal but grateful to have amenities and furniture by the end of the month

I think this was both kareoke night for one persons birthday and a 90s party for another - both excellent nights

People were talking about COVID by the end of the month but I was like pfft we’ve been here before with swine and bird flu, it’ll be all hyped up then go nowhere 

I think I was getting my first allocations by the end of the month which I was grateful for because going from an insane workload to none at all was tricky and I wanted to get going

March

Oh March 2020. How we did not see you coming. 

Before the lockdown even happened I remember people were panic buying. I stocked my freezer a bit, not because I was worried but because so many shelves were empty. All the shops starting looking apocalyptic and I was despairing over how silly everyone was being. You couldn’t get online shops anymore and there was no loo roll to be found - still think thats just so dumb. I had to go to 4 different stores to find oats and was so annoyed, weird little tidbit but I remember it. 

 I remember sitting down on my new furniture - eating a meal I had made, watching John Mulaney and feeling good in my new home - and seeing the Boris announcement. Other countries had already locked down so I had mentioned to my manager that I might have to go home to my Mums if it happened here - she had asked, I didn’t really believe it would. I had arranged for a friend to visit that month and when she cancelled I was like I think everyones being dramatic but okay. Then the 23rd, they announced a lockdown from midnight and I straight away messaged everyone to say I was panicking, asked my manager if I could leave and packed to drive back to Mum’s the next morning. I was in my flat about 6 weeks. 

I know for a fact that March felt like the longest month to ever happen but now I cant remember anything else from it - the announcement was so late in the month, I wasn’t working from Mum’s for that long before April. I think we were told to WFH if we could mid-month but I didn’t. Cant for the life of me now think why it felt so long. I know for those last 2 weeks I was refreshing the news constantly to see what was happening. I was still skeptical and thought the numbers were too low for such drama

April

WFH for real. Excruciating daily calls “to check in”. Working my first cases from home, only on the phone, with no idea what I was doing. Taking turns wearing headphone with Mum because we were both having confidential conversations. 

Walking my pup to get my alloted hour of exercise. Taking regular breaks to go outside - I think this was when there was a heatwave. Eating lunch outside. Sometimes doing weights or yoga during my lunch break - that part was actually pretty great 

Discovering podcasts - especially FDRF. They were the real MVP. 

Still constantly checking the news for updates. 3 weeks turned into 6 and so on and so on. 

I came back to my flat for one of the long weekends. I had accepted that it was going to be longer then 3 weeks and I needed more stuff. I went for a very hot walk through a ghost town - at the time it still seemed like there were too many people about. Still picnics in the park happening. 

Everyone flinching when they say each other and steering well clear. It made you feel tainted even though its what we were suppossed to do. 

Clapping for carers - absolute bullshit placating, hated it. 

Always being left off the list of keyworkers.

Still feeling like yeah its bad but ?? This cant go on forever 

A year of build up to a move then the rug was pulled out from under me, I tried not to complain because others had it so so much worse but it was hard. Is hard. 

We watched all of Location, all of Marvel, Bake off etc etc. I cried when Tony Stark died. 

I went back through my ENTIRE tumblr. I realised how little had changed really, it was very existential. 

May 

I had to come back to my new city because I was on a duty rota for 2 weeks. I was actually very excited and had a good time. I got to see people IRL!! Including some I was working with. It was definately a heatwave at that point - we were swealtering in our cars and full PPE but I was so glad to be out and about and back in the city. Putting a face and proper clothes on again was very weird

I dont remember anything else from May specifically. I think March and April lasted 10 years but then May June July were a blink. I think I had accepted how bad everything was by that point, I had stopped looking at the News for updates. I think this is where zoom started to be a thing maybe. 

June

Honestly not a clue. I was between My place and Mum’s because of the duty rota. I don’t think I came back FT until end of June. I know things were starting to open up again and it was all moving far too fast - I definately wasnt going to run out to the gym or pub but alot of people were. We were suppossed to go on holiday for a week this month, with my brother and the dogs but obvs that was cancelled - it was such a lovely place as well, shame. 

Yoga was still random but I did a weight workout every day this month which was great

July

Turning 25. I was definately back in the city FT, going back into work. My Mum came to stay in my place for the first time. My brother came over too. We went for a walk, had a picnic in the rain then ate cake back at mine. My Mum got me a microwave for my birthday because Im AN ADULT

For my birthday also me and my Mum watched Hamilton for the first time. This then took over my entire life and was played at all hours of the day 

Kept going with daily weight workouts, moved up another set. I think this is where I re-did Revolution

August

Ready to start socialising again. More restrictions were being lifted too quickly which I knew but also I had to GTFO

A friend came to stay with me for the weekend. Hes not very mobile so we couldnt do much - went for a short walk into town, sat by the river and got severely sunburned. We went to a restaurant for the first time in 6 months - I had pancakes. I made him watch Hamilton which he did not appreciate enough. Also watched Truman show for the first time while eating burritos - what a mindfuck that movie is I mean really

Went for a very long very hot walk with a friend all around the fields surrounding the city. We stopped for a drink and cake halfway, more drinks were then had in her garden. This was our first time hanging out alone and it was really lovely, we spent much more time together after that. Shes probably who Ive seen the most this year. 

A couple of weeks after that we went for bottomless brunch, followed by I think 3 or 4 other bars. The joys of getting day drunk. 

I think this was the month I started using friend/dating apps and got OBSESSED. They’re just so silly and judgey and fun, I love it. 

My 6 month tenancy ran out which I chose to renew. I started negotiations with my landlord for a pet agreement. 

I think this is where I re-did Dedicate. I think weight workouts fell off a little bit because I was pretty busy. Instead of running started doing 3 walks a week which was nice. 

September

First time hanging out with more then one person - did a Hamilton viewing party with 4 of us. There were american themed snacks, it was great. Not a boozy night which was needed. I think I then went for coffee with 2 of the girls this month. 

First time meeting up with 2 girls I met on an app - I’m still friendly with one, not the other. It was mostly a good time and I’m very proud to have done it but then drunken politics came up and it got AWKWARD. 

Nagging and nagging and nagging my landlord until she signed the pet agreement and LET ME GET A CAT

My obsession with apps was replaced with a cat shelter/app obsession. It was very frustrating because I wanted to rescue and they make it very hard so I eventually found a for sale ad and contacted them - it was a rescue though as far as I’m concerned, she was in a horrible situation for an “owner” who had no clue and had only had her for a couple weeks before giving up and putting her up for sale. I rescued her okay. I think it was 3 or 4 weeks after getting agreement that I went to pick her up. So getting everything ready for her was a big part of this month

I did manage to fit in a 5 day holiday. It was suppossed to be solo travel abroad but ended up being a Mon-Fri with family. We did some NT walks it was nice.

Then it was literally that weekend my brother drove me to Wales to pick up my new fur baby. Instantly fell in love obviously and my whole life became about her from that point on. They told me she was really timid and scared, she had been hiding in her current place, but I was so impressed with how curious and confident she is. She was wary at first, a bit flinchy, didnt like being petted with 2 hands, didnt like loud noises, wouldnt come on the bed or sofa, wouldnt come into the living room really. I put child locks on alot of doors but shes not mischivous so its never really been an issue. She loved to play from the get go and did come to me for a fuss from day one. I adore her basically. The first time she jumped on the sofa, sat next me on the bed, slept on my bed, let me stroke her with 2 hands, her first vet trip, every little first and win has always been a massive victory, Im a v proud mama. She was no name for a few days but quickly somehow became my Myshka (the whole long list I had went quickly out the window somehow)

Did some more regular yoga. Tried to do 5 weight workout a week but it was a bit random. Walks fell off because of anxiety over leaving the cat. 

October

Alot of WFH to be with the cat. Definately obsessed. 

We had our team day on a farm, that was lovely

Saw my friend for Halloween - watched Hocus Pocus for the first time, had cocktails, watched a boring horror movie then Rocky Horror which is just exceptional. Lockdown 2.0 was announced but we were tipsy and over it. 

A very stressful month work-wise, lots of deadline, threat of Ofsted, management changes, admin changes, not getting enough sleep because work stress and struggling with productivity. My health suffered a bit too because I didnt have time for lunchtime exercise anymore. 

November

Technically there was a lockdown but it felt no different because everyone was still in school and work, I dont think people even tried this time. 

The election, refreshing the results constantly. I fully expected a T win and was happy when he didnt but still disappointed at how close it was, as was everyone 

I bought my first Christmas tree and my own decs. Christmas shopping obvs. 

I downloaded Tiktok and started to question far too much about my identity. its ongoing. 

Most important was SUPERNATURAL. I had alot of feelings, it was an absolute rollercoaster my god. What a time to be alive that was. 

A couple of outside coffees in the park which is always nice. I went to a new friend’s house for tea and met their dog, also nice. 

I did a SV for the first time in a very long time and it reminded me of everything I used to hate about my old job, so happy to have left there

Test weekend taking the cat to stay with the family dogs, she did great, shes a champ

December

Pretty standard Christmas month. Had a christmas movie night with themed snacks and hot chocolate with one friend. Had another friend come for the day to do the same - first time I had seen her in a year after 3 cancellations, that was very lovely

Constant restriction changes and crappy government pissing me off but it didnt affect my plans luckily

All the Tier 2, Face Hands Space signs feeling very dystopian

Brother’s 30th plans got cancelled coz COVID. Back up NYE plans got cancelled got COVID. Actual NYE was fine tho the normal show/song/crowd was cancelled coz of course COVID 

OVERALL

Not so good shit

I mean the whole thing in general yknow

Alot of plans couldn’t go ahead - various groups I wanted to join, a new gym, more nights out with more people, more chances to meet new people ETC

My diet has been an inconsistet shit show BUT TFB there were months where you couldnt predict what was going to be on the shelves, you couldnt get orders and the whole world felt so pointless and dark like why even care about that shit yknow

My exercise also wasnt consistent though I dont feel too bad about it. I was always doing something I feel like even if it was just walking

Ive ended the year with the same amount of savings I started with which isnt exactly bad since I moved and furnished a flat and got a new pet but it isnt great

I hate WFH with a burning passion and im worried the world has accepted that as a new normal and im not okay with it

None of this shit is over yknow

Just a general hopelessness is the face of big world things yknow. Theres really nothing we can do about it, just gotta ride that wave and vote when ya can

No travel - I had such plans!!

Good shit

My new fur baby who I love and adore beyond sanity

Starting a good job in a great city with lovely people

Growing so much in confidence because Fuck it, everything is pointless anyway and theres no point in planning or caring so imma just do me

Exploring so much of who I am through new relationships, my own environment, little things like exploring my style, picking up old hobbies, trying new routines and habits

Strengthening some friendships and maintaining others despite the insane obstacles

Maintaining a positive relationship with My Mum in particular, and my whole family

Trying new things in my new city. Still managing nights out, a somewhat proper birthday and a short trip

No actual mental breakdowns which this year feels like a win. My mental health is actually in such a better place then it was this time last year. The job was killing me, thank fuck I got out when I did 

I redid more then 1 30 day programs and did 2 straight months of weights 

My family, friends and I are all safe and well 

Music of the year:

Hamilton

An awful lot of Panic! 

Anyone - DL

Partition (idk dont question me)

Basically alot of drama while trying to hold on to both my emo and club days - fuck I miss clubbing yall. I dont even like clubbing. 

Media of the year:

I should acknowledge Shameless even though I came full circle on it and have now fully abandoned the whole thing and prefer my own AU where Milkoviches get what they deserve 

Schitts Creek

Supernatural 

Hamilton obvs

Marvel technically, it was alot of hours

Staged

Derry Girls

Pose

The Old Guard

Pride - which is not new but we watched it on Christmas eve and I cried in my mums lap okay 

Ship of the year has to be Destiel I mean standing ovation for that rage inciting moment followed by a solid month of absolute chaotic good, it was glorious in its destruction. 

2021 INTENTIONS TO FOLLOW 

[snakecolumn95]

An Exact Breakdown Of The $1,100 I’ve Spent Trying To Cure My Stomach Issues Over The Past 2 Years

For the past two years, I have struggled with unknown digestive issues. I had never before experienced such constant constipation and bloating. For a year and a half, doctors dismissed my complaints of, “This is not normal. Something is wrong,” by telling me to eat more fiber, exercise more, and drink more water. These were all things I was doing (and tracking in a food/exercise/water/poop journal), but no one wanted to listen.

In August, I met with a naturopath who looked at my 13 months of notes about what went in and out of my body. She heard my concerns and worked with me to recommend different possibilities as to what was causing my body to turn against me so.

Here’s a complete breakdown* of what I’ve spent (so far) on my journey for gut answers:

*Note that all amounts listed here are in CAD unless otherwise noted

March 2017

I am constipated for a week and think it is due to a hemorrhoid flare-up.

Hermoval (oral pill): $23.72

Total spent so far: $23.72 CAD ($17.79 USD)

April 2017

The Hermoval doesn’t work, and thinking it’s still hemorrhoids causing my constipation, I buy Preparation H. I see a doctor at a walk-in clinic and he writes me a prescription for a hemorrhoid cream he says is “stronger than the over-the-counter stuff” and tells me to buy Metamucil. I cry over Easter weekend because my stomach is so distended. I see another doctor a few days later and he tells me to get more fiber.

Preparation H: $15.24

Prescription Cream: $10.10 (this was on my old insurance, so I’m not sure how much I saved, probably ~$20)

Metamucil: $22.59

Total spent so far: $71.65 CAD ($53.74 USD)

May 2017

I go away with my friends for the May long weekend and change my diet of smoothie bowls and salads for burgers and alcohol. My stomach and bowel movements momentarily return to normal?

Preparation H: $12.98

Total spent so far: $84.63 CAD ($63.47 USD)

June 2017

I’ve noticed that I have proper bowel movements the mornings after I drink alcoholic ciders.

Alcoholic Ciders: $13.40

Total spent so far: $98.03 CAD ($73.52 USD)

July 2017

I see a different walk-in clinic doctor who prescribes me Constella, a pill that fights constipation by increasing fluid in the digestive tract.

Constella: $45.60 (this was on my old insurance so I’m not sure how much I saved, but likely ~$300)

Preparation H and Laxatives: $26.23

Alcoholic Ciders: $5.90

Total spent so far: $175.76 CAD ($131.82 USD)

August 2017

I get my own doctor by having a coworker and her sister tell their doctor that I am their cousin who has just moved to the city. My new doctor tells me to buy laxatives.

Alcoholic Ciders: $10.60

Laxative: $13.55

Total spent so far: $199.91 CAD ($149.93 USD)

September 2017

I travel to the west coast to my friend Nathalie, and my stomach looks like I am carrying a child. We spend the weekend talking about our poops. Fun fact about Nathalie: in our youth, we went to Paris and thought it would be fun to poop in the washroom at every big attraction. Eiffel Tower? Pooped there. Arc de Triumph? Pooped there. Ohhh what I wouldn’t give to return to 2011!

Alcoholic Ciders: $22.80

Total spent so far: $222.71 ($167.03 USD)

October 2017

I change up hemorrhoid cream brands! I buy a pre & probiotic powder called “Regular Girl” that claims it’ll keep ya regular! I start on probiotics! My grandma tells me to try mineral oil! My aunt tells me to try molasses! I buy a detox tea for my bloat! I attend a “Banish Bloating: A Naturopathic Guide to Overcoming IBS” talk!

Anusol: $12.74

Probiotics and Regular Girl powder: $50.09

Detox Tea: $10

Mineral Oil: $10.16

Molasses: $4.19

Total spent so far: $309.89 CAD ($232.42 USD)

November 2017

Most of my spending this month was included in my grocery bill, so hard to say what exactly it was I spent it on. But we can all imagine it was prunes (recommended by a co-worker), rapini (recommended by my boss), and the ingredients for a great laxative fruit spread as given to me by my friend’s mom.

December 2017

Probiotics: $22.02

Anusol: $11.85

Total spent so far: $343.76 CAD ($257.82 USD)

January 2018

My apartment gets bed bugs this month, and for 4 days I’m so stressed and nervous all I do is drink coffee, eat no food, and stress poop a LOT. My stomach is finally not bloated for these 4 blissful, bug-filled days. My dad’s girlfriend saw a picture I posted of my abs and said if bed bugs will give her “a body like that” then she’d gladly take them.

Probiotics: $28.24

Regular Girl powder: $36.15

Total spent so far: $408.15 CAD ($306.11 USD)

February 2018

I have my first appointment with a Gastroenterologist. When I tell her I’ve been reading online and I think it may have something to do with bacteria in my gut she tells me, “Probably not. You’re probably just stressed.” She doesn’t want to see my months of notes. I get an ultrasound, give a stool sample, and have some blood taken.

March 2018

My doctor tells me to switch to an IBS specific probiotic. (Months later, my naturopath will say, “What?? Why did she tell you do go on that?? That’s for people who have diarrhea-prone IBS.”)

Align Probiotic: $45.19

Total spent so far: $453.34 CAD ($340.00 USD)

April 2018

I read that moringa powder has lots of fiber and iron.

Regular Girl powder: $28.92

Moringa powder: $7.55

Align Probiotic: $50.84

Total spent so far: $540.65 CAD ($405.49 USD)

May 2018

My ultrasound showed a small cyst on one of my ovaries, but apparently, they come and go with your menstrual cycle. I have a follow-up ultrasound, and the cyst is gone. I have a recital for my stand up comedy class and do a hot five minutes about how I always look like I’m pregnant. It’s a hard sell, though, because I was so nervous I pooped seven times that day. I debate making this my new career.

Align Probiotic: $41.82

Total spent so far: $582.47 CAD ($436.85 USD)

June 2018

Anusol: $14.11

Total spent so far: $596.58 CAD ($447.44 USD)

July 2018

Align Probiotic: $33.89

Total spent so far: $630.47 CAD ($472.85 USD)

August 2018

A new IBS product comes on the market! They are little capsules full of peppermint balls that you take 30 minutes before eating and are supposed to help with bloating. They work okay, but mainly just make any gas I pass have a minty tingle. I’ve included a hole-in-the-wall dumpling restaurant in this month because I immediately get diarrhea after and I’ve never been so excited.

IBS Gard: $40.67

Dumpling House: $15

Total spent so far: $686.14 CAD ($514.61 USD)

September 2018

I see a naturopath for the first time, and she thinks I might have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and wow BIG SURPRISE, I do!! She also recommends a product called IBS Relief which is a guar gum based (fiber) powder to add to beverages. I literally go to another dumpling restaurant and hope I get diarrhea (I don’t).

Initial Naturopath Appt: $205 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

SIBO Test: $150

Align Probiotics: $63.27

IBS Relief: $15.81

Meet Dumplings: $15.58

Total spent so far: $930.80 CAD ($698.10 USD) 

October 2018

My doctor refuses to prescribe me the antibiotic my naturopath says can help kill the SIBO. Because of this denial, I have to take the naturopath cure. Sadly, naturopathic pills aren’t covered by insurance. I finish my food journal and have to buy some new ones.

Naturopath Appt: $80 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Bio Film (pill): $64.35

LIVCO (pill): $53.10

New food journals: $15.75

IBS Relief: $15.81

Total spent so far: $1,079.81 CAD ($809.86 USD)

November 2018

My naturopath gives me a bunch of pills. After December, I will do two weeks of liver pills, then 2 weeks of 3 pills, then 2 weeks of another 3 pills, then 2 weeks of another 3 pills to hopefully eradicate the SIBO.

Naturopath Appt: $80 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Naturopathic Pills: $131.59

IBS Relief: $15.81

Total spent so far: $1,227.21 CAD ($920.41 USD)

December 2018

I see another GI who tells me to get celiac testing done. She also writes me a prescription for the SIBO antibiotic (which I haven’t filled yet, as it’s about $500 and not covered by insurance) and for Constella. I get acupuncture for digestion.

Celiac Test: $60

Preparation H: $11.76

Naturopath Appt: $80 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Initial Acupuncture Appt: $110 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Total spent so far: $1,298.97 CAD ($974.23 USD)

January 2019

Come mid-Jan I have finished 8 weeks of naturopathic pills and start on a 30-day SIBO elimination diet.

IBS Relief: $15.81

Vita Aid (pills): $63.22

Naturopath Appt: $25 ($55 was covered by insurance)

Total spent so far: $1,403 CAD (1,052.25 USD)

February 2019

The re-introductory period has my stomach freaking out with bloat again.

Naturopath Appt: $80 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Acupuncture: $65 (fully covered by insurance, so $0)

Vita Aid (pills) $63.22

Constella: $11.99 ($354.73 was covered by insurance)

Total spent so far: $1,478.21 CAD ($1,108.66 USD)

March 2019

I am 18 days into reintroduction. My naturopath said if I relapse in the first 6 days, it’s a sign the SIBO is still there, but if it happens from day 7 onwards, it may be a FODMAP intolerance. I meet with her again in a few days and we’ll figure out phase 2. I am attending the inaugural event for a Toronto-based gut health instagram (@thegutgazette) where we will do some mediation and movement for digestion.

Gut Gazette: $43.45

IBS Relief: $31.62

Total spent to date: $1,553.28 CAD ($1,166.06 USD)

I have become the kind of person who talks about my digestion and my bowel movements loudly and proudly. Almost every time I mention my problems, someone (whether I know them or not) turns to me to confide that they have been having some stomach/poop issues lately. Why are we all keeping this a secret! Why are we suffering behind closed doors!! Ladies! Be loud and proud of your gut issues. Hopefully, you don’t find yourself in a similar ordeal as me, but if you are struggling, reach out to someone. Mental health and gut health are so closely linked that if you’re feeling stressed then it’ll only serve to lengthen your recovery rate. After all, how are we going to be able to “trust our gut” if we don’t care for it?

Hailey is a homebody. Follow her social medias @hailmast.

Image via Unsplash

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Source: https://thefinancialdiet.com/an-exact-breakdown-of-the-1100-ive-spent-trying-to-cure-my-stomach-issues-over-the-past-2-years/

[easyfoodnetwork]

George Wirt/Shutterstock Property owners with bullish views and big cash reserves see no reason to give tenants any breaks Every day, David Helbraun feels like banging his head against the wall. A founding partner and chairman at Helbraun Levey, a New York City-based hospitality law firm with more than 1,000 clients in the city alone, the former entrepreneur and coffee bar owner is struggling to help restaurant owners desperate after months of COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and income loss. The biggest obstacle, he says, is landlords who would rather see a restaurant space remain vacant, bringing in no money, than negotiate partial payments and rent relief for tenants. Currently, the firm is handling lease negotiations for more than 200 clients. “Why is this happening?” he says. “My gut tells me that the real estate market in New York is shark-infested waters, and the landlords who grew up and do business in these shark-infested waters have to be sharks themselves. You can’t reason with a shark. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t eat that seal, there aren’t many of them.’ No, they’re going to eat the seal.” Helbraun’s frustration goes to the heart of a crisis facing the restaurant industry and so many others clobbered by the economic fallout of the coronavirus: the cost of real estate. In late July, Philadelphia’s all-day cafe High Street on Market announced it would close its longtime location in the Old City neighborhood because it simply couldn’t keep up with rent, which went up by $5,000 a month last October, says co-owner Ellen Yin. The restaurant struggled to make ends meet during mandated closures and months of lost business, and the landlord — whom Yin declined to name — wouldn’t budge or offer any concessions. (The property’s real estate agent refused to identify the landlord and would not give comment to Eater.) “I told him we were in a really difficult position,” Yin says. “‘It’s difficult to be a restaurateur in this situation, and while I understand you have expenses, I need help.’” Even though High Street had paid its rent in full through August 1, the only assistance she was offered was a promise not to raise rent when the lease came up for renewal in October. A day after Yin informed the landlord that they were vacating, they were sent a termination letter via certified mail. The space is already listed for rent online, starting in October. High Street on Market isn’t the only popular restaurant to announce closure recently. Other high-profile restaurants and bars — including Uncle Boons and Banty Rooster in New York City and the Summer Place and Flights in the Bay Area — cite the challenges of paying rent and inflexible landlords as key reasons for closing. Space for kitchens, dining rooms, and bars is incredibly expensive for entrepreneurs and small businesses — typically between 6 to 10 percent of gross revenue, according to Paul Pruitt, an industry consultant in LA — especially during a pandemic that’s led to mandatory shutdowns and a steep drop in customers. Industry figures are baffled as to why many landlords don’t want to negotiate some sort of rent relief, especially when they face an uncertain future as well. After all, they have their own mortgages to pay, and it seems unlikely, if not impossible, that they will find new tenants as the pandemic, and its economic effects, continue. Many involved in these rent relief negotiations cite an array of factors that dictate a landlord’s willingness to negotiate, including the landlord-tenant relationship, the financial position of the landlord, and perceptions about the industry’s future. There are some instances where reduced rent comes with the deal. Leases for property in malls and large shopping centers have what’s called co-tenancy clauses. If an anchor client like Macy’s goes under, or a certain number of stores in the development close, then other tenants have the right to pay reduced rent due to the loss of foot traffic. Landlords in these situations may seek out a deal to provide relief to restaurant owners to avoid renegotiations and bigger losses. Sadly, clauses addressing pandemics aren’t common business practice. “There are going to be people who are inflexible for whatever reason, and some that understand a restaurant can only do so much, that no customers means no tenants and it’ll be difficult to rent the space,” says Yin. To be fair, not every landlord is playing hardball. Most “know they can’t get blood from a stone,” says Stephen Boyd, a senior director at Fitch Ratings. They want to preserve the income they can and set up deals with tenants that allow them to eventually recoup their losses. In Chicago, El Che Steakhouse has been able to work with landlords (who also happen to be investors), and Bay Area chain Wrecking Ball Coffee was given half-off rent by landlords for all three of its locations, with the balance due at an unspecified future date. Other landlords may want to budge, but can’t, says Milford Jones, the operator of Sellingrestaurants.com and a national broker who sets up lease deals for restaurants. Many landlords’ mortgage deals with banks include covenants that forbid charging rent below a certain figure. “Of course, then there are landlords who are just plain assholes,” says Jones. “They always think there’s another, better tenant out there.” The size of the landlord can often determine their relative openness to rent relief. Big-name developers, who have lots of capital and understand the value restaurants and bars bring to their larger developments, tend to be flexible. Small mom-and-pop landlords, who may have one or just a handful or properties, are “real people,” Helbraun says; they don’t have the reserves right now to risk vacancy, and tend to have better relationships with tenants. The real trouble, Helbraun says, are the mid-size property owners with a few dozen buildings. He calls them the shark pool; “cultivating a reputation for being tough and not budging is how they’ve survived in the past.” Another key factor is the relationship restaurant owners have with their landlord. Paying rent on time is just 50 percent of the relationship, says Salar Sheik, a consultant with LA-based Savory Hospitality. Is the restaurant/tenant an amenity that drives foot traffic, a famous name that brings in business, a corporate chain with deep pockets and consistency, or a business with a grandfathered liquor license, a huge asset, that may be at risk if a property were to remain vacant in a downturn? That means more leniency. Some landlords see the fallout from COVID-19 as a time to cull poor-performing restaurants and strike a better deal. Consider a small bistro that signed a deal two years ago in an up-and-coming neighborhood; the landlord, looking for a tenant to drive foot traffic in what may be a gentrifying neighborhood, offered a sweetheart deal for a five-year lease. If that bistro is looking to negotiate some rent breaks or deferment, the landlord may look at how much more he could charge a new tenant, and decide that refusing to provide a break — which may mean months of an empty storefront — will be more than made up by a new tenant paying higher rent. “It’s kind of like chess, and your landlord is thinking, are you a king or a queen, or are you a pawn he can afford to lose to win the game?” says Sheik. Finally, a landlord’s own financial cushion will play into their strategy. Those who own multiple properties or have cash reserves can afford to leave a handful empty if the majority of them are profitable. Jones says that some of the big corporate landlords are “brainless” and will just sit with retail and restaurant space empty for years. “While everything else is dying, they still want these premium rents, and you just shake your head,” he says. Some landlords are even bullish, says Pruitt. They see sidewalk dining proliferate (even though it can cover at best only 20 to 25 percent of previous income, says Helbraun). They know that Paycheck Protection Program loans from the CARES Act and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Association are out. They see this as a small slump; the world will get back on its feet again and people will want to eat out again. If that’s your perspective, maybe you’ll offer payment deferrals, but why forgive rent? Restaurateurs are at a breaking point. Helbraun says that the stimulus money has run out for many of his clients, and it doesn’t look like there’s more forthcoming from D.C. Once they have to close, they may just put their furniture and fixtures in storage, wait until rents fall in line with what they think they should be paying, and try to start again. (Many seek to take advantage of New York City’s Law 1932-A, which exempts restaurants owners, among others, from personal liability if they have to declare bankruptcy due to COVID-19-related closures. That hasn’t stopped many landlords from threatening to sue anyways, say Helbraun.) “Where does that leave landlords? Who knows?” he says. “I just assume they have so much money in their portfolios they can write it off and just wait until things get better.” While struggling restaurant owners asking for rent breaks don’t have the high ground today, things may change. Pruitt points to the high number of restaurant closings in 2019 as signs of development saturation; when things begin to take shape post-COVID-19, there will be a mounting number of vacant spaces landlords will lease at steep discounts. Yin plans to relocate High Street on Market to a new location, and says she’s been approached by lots of brokers offering open space; it’s nice to be seen as a good potential tenant, she says, but to her, that also signals that there are a lot of vacancies and people interested in cutting deals. “I think the tough stance from landlords is really denial,” says Adam Weisblatt, CEO at Los Angeles-based Last Word Hospitality. “Considering that retail is also in dire straits, I think many landlords aren’t facing up to the fact that their business model is broken.” Weisblatt thinks leases will also be different: He foresees deals where tenants pay a base rate, and then a percentage based on net sales, with clauses clearly spelling out what happens during a pandemic or other such disasters. “What you’re seeing is creativity on the business side is as important as the branding and food side,” he says. “A landlord is your partner, whether you like it or not, so that relationship is important.” Chefs and owners who can’t catch a break can perhaps take solace in the fact that, when the industry does start bouncing back, new restaurateurs will know exactly which landlords weren’t great partners in the past. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/327tvGp

http://easyfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/08/landlords-lose-money-when-restaurant.html