#shannon hire me challenge

[lilakillsdolls]

( shannon’s posts from yesterday )

as a graphic designer, i saw these posts and was just disappointed in the design on them so i redesigned them.

my problems with the original posts:

- no hierarchy (all text is the same size/style)

- a very display style typeface/font is used throughout the post instead of selecting multiple

- color choice just doesn’t associate with kotlc

- ^ in addition just doesn’t feel like the kotlc branding/style at all

- feels very lazy compared to other posts she had

( my post designs )

this was my take on both of the posts. these were both quickly whipped up and are by no means perfect but i feel like the convey the energy of kotlc much more than shannon’s and also appeal to the younger audience through imagery.

[bumblebeeappletree]

Being a professional gardener is a great way to make a living. Everyday is different and you get to be creative, active, and continually learn from new challenges. Costa met a gardening crew in Canberra employed by a social enterprise growing skills and opportunities for people of all abilities.

A day in the life of horticulturist and second-in-charge Dillon Crane includes lots of weeding, pruning, feeding, planting and assessing the needs of a garden. He says it’s good to return to the same gardens frequently as “you can see if things have grown back or if things have improved or if they have not improved you can try and rectify it. When it does work it’s nice see.”

Horticulture student Shaelyn Quirke has been with the team for two years and says “I’ve settled in really well and I’ve enjoyed every step of the way. It’s very interesting you get to see all the plants, the ways that they grow, be out with nature and interacting with other people.”

Shannon Cook has found her passion by working with the crew and enrolled to study horticulture. She says the best perks of the job are “being outdoors is a really big thing for me, being active, can’t sit still I get bored. And just seeing the difference you can make in someone’s garden, it’s so beautiful to see the transformation after you put in so much effort.”

Warren Aitken founded The Sustainable Gardener 13 years ago. “I think what we create is quite unique and we have some values in this business of respect and kindness and we work together as a team, as a crew, that’s what makes it work. It’s through the support of people in Canberra that we’ve been able to do that because they’ve been engaged in the overall aim of what were trying to do.” Cate Lyons is one such supporter, who hired the crew to fix up and maintain her front garden after seeing their work in the local area. “I love what’s out the front because I can go out there and just sit. I think, you know, for anyone being in the garden, able bodied or disabled it’s just wonderful to get out and be out in the garden.”

If you love being outside and working with plants, then maybe it’s time to take a leaf out of their book and pick up the tools!

[findinginga]

Every broken heart has screamed at one time or another: "Why can't you see who I truly am?" (Shannon L. Alder)

I Could Just Walk Away...I Should Just Walk Away...

As I wrote in my last post, it was painfully clear that Ingeborga could not be trusted to produce an honest accounting of her life.  Even confronted with significant evidence of her actions, she resisted the truth as a child might protest a trip to the pediatrician.  After another dustup with Inga, I was again shown a clear exit path.  I owed her nothing.  I had been wronged an was the injured party.  There was no reason to even consider hanging about and waiting for the next blow to land.  

To compound the hurt, the "salt in the wound" as it is said, was the fact that Inga offered no apology.  There were no words of regret or any acknowledgement on her part that she had caused harm.  Her lack of any demonstrable remorse was infuriating but also very curious.  As angered as I was about her attack on my integrity I was also considering the reasons why she was seemingly so oblivious to her own actions.  Shame or embarrassment did not appear to be a part of her emotional armamentarium. Those with narcissistic personal disorder (NPD) have been described as avoiding shame.  Their actions do take a toll on their self-esteem but rather than acknowledging their missteps, they open their NPD toolkits and project, deflect and gaslight in order to avoid introspection.

...No I Should Run Away...

 It did seem that running away was the perfect response as I considered all that I ever heard from folks in the psych world about the challenges working with NPD and BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) patients.  Their pathology can be fatiguing to a clinician.  Long-term prognosis has always been thought of as unlikely.  There are some providers who avoid working with clients exhibiting the sorts of symptoms that are common to these personality disorders.

If you are interested in learning more about NPD, please have a look at this and other videos by Dr. Ramani Durvasula:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEfS-_a21kk

Why Bother?

If being a partner and a lover had been ruled out by Inga, then I wanted to have my questions answered.  Paramount for me was learning about her true motivations for her actions.  What had happened in her life to bring her to the point where she was so cavalier in her personal interactions.  Alternatively, were she and Denis simply engaged in a scam?

Despite the hiring of a private investigator and the photos and videos of Inga and Denis together, there was no way to really know whether Denis was involved or if he was merely being manipulated by Inga.  There was no way to determine if it was a loving relationship or a marriage of convenience.

There was also the obvious fact that my communications with Inga had taken place on her terms and there was never the benefit of assessing her reactions in real time.  It was clear to me that while I may not be able to answer all of those questions that were swirling about in my mind, I did have to option to meet her, in person, and at the very least gather some impressions of Inga in face-to-face meetings. 

So, time to plane for a trip to Russia!

[walkingshcdow-a]

And also Trevor and Finnegan

Ship HCs | Not Accepting!

@tinfoiltemplar

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Depends on the verse, but I’m tempted to say for the rest of Victor’s life. (Come at me, Clare. I dare you.)

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Victor? Oh, probably by the third time Finnegan kissed him on the lips and told him he was “a good boy” or called him “darling”. Finnegan? He didn’t notice it until about a year in and he went “Oh fuck.” because it was Too Late. 

How was their first kiss? - Explosive, deepened very quickly, escalated even more quickly. There was no pretense about it.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Finnegan

Who is the best man/men? - Hmm... 

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - I don’t know if she’s considered a bridesmaid, but I feel like Jane might end up with a very important role int he wedding or Victor’s one sister who he adores. It’s a very intimate wedding, lbr. 

Who did the most planning? - I want to say Finnegan, but let’s be real. He dumped it on his publicist and event planner because he was busy helping Victor with his divorce and, you know, running FinneCorp. 

Who stressed the most? - VICTOR. 

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Victor’s parents, Shannon. 

Sex:

Who is on top? - Finnegan

Who is the one to instigate things? - Both, definitely. 

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - I’m not timing them, but long enough to murmur fucking soliloquys to each other, I swear to god...

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - They do not, but I don’t think they mind. 

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Three through a surrogate

How many children will they adopt? - They don’t. They might consider it, but it’s already a complex enough legacy and inheritance that they’re leaving their daughters... I feel like they would feel like it was irresponsible and unfair to haul a non-biological child into their lives without being able to guarantee him or her the same legal rights as their biological kids. As it is, I think that Finnegan worries that their youngest daughter won’t have the same legal protections as the older two because she’s biologically Victor’s. I think he’s very worried about inheritance law. 

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - I feel like Victor volunteers for this and Finnegan wonders why they even bothered with a night nanny if Victor is just going to rush in to save the day every time. 

Who is the stricter parent? - They’re both pretty strict but about wildly different things. I think it might be safe to say it’s Finnegan because he’s more consistent. Victor sometimes blurts out things like, “You can do anything you want! Do you know I love you?” to their kids and Finnegan is like “NOT ‘ANYTHING’.”

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - I have a  very vivid mental picture of Victor rushing after one of the Valkyries while she’s on a bike going, “Not in the streeeeeeet” while Finnegan stands on the porch with a cup of coffee. I know this picture is wrong because I imagine it at my childhood home and their time is split between fancy apartments, fancy houses, and a literal castle, but the sentiment stands. 

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Victor. Finnegan doesn’t eat and I worry that one of their girls is going to pick up his habits. 

Who is the more loved parent? - Finnegan, tbh. I only believe this because Clare and I talked about how he accidentally convinces their friends he’s a spy and a vampire. He also isn’t Trying So Hard to win approval. 

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings?: Both. They would absolutely both go.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Victor but he cries a lot where the girls are concerned. 

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Finnegan. Victor thinks they need to learn the consequences. A mortified Finnegan Does Not Care and just doesn’t want his daughter to spend the night in jail. He thinks that letting her know he is Disappointed in her will be punishment enough. BOY is he right. 

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Haha

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Finnegan. 

Who does the grocery shopping? - The at-home chef, but once a month, Victor and Finnegan go together. 

How often do they bake desserts? - They try, but not often. I remember reading that Victor is a better baker than he is cook. I’d like to see him try to get Finnegan to eat a cupcake. Challenge: Issued. 

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Finnegan is a salad fan. Victor tries to eat balanced meals to model behavior for his husband and to get enough nutrition to support his own athletic zealotry. 

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Finnegan. I think about the scene in “Jane the Virgin”. I wanted to do something nice for you. But instead you cooked?

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Yes.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Yes. 

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Housekeeping. I think they’re both relatively clean people, though.

Who is really against chores? - Finnegan. “We hired someone to do that, don’t worry about it.”

Who cleans up after the pets? - If it’s Evan, it’s Victor. If it’s the horses, it’s Finnegan or the stable staff. 

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Neither. 

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Finnegan

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - I’m so curious as to what either of them would do if they found a single dollar tbh. 

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - FINNEGAN. He sometimes convinces Victor to join him,

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Victor. Evan is HIS dog.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - For Christmas.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Ooof. I don’t think they started with goals beyond getting laid and escaping their existences for a bit. It got complicate when they caught feelings because then the goal was “don’t get caught” and Finnegan has a Secret Goal of “convince Victor to leave Shannon for me” that turned into “Get married”. And after they were married, it became “Have children and secure a legacy.” And once they have the girls - Like, honestly, they’re never satisfied. I think if you ask my meta muse, his goals are things like “marry Victor” and “raise our girls” and “have intensely hot sex until it’s medically unwise” and “DON’T LOSE VICTOR” because someone has floated the idea of killing him and even though that someone has retracted that plan, my muse wants it known (by the muns, not other muses, because ew vulnerability) that he wants to grow old with Victor. 

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Finnegan. I don’t think Victor could sleep that late. 

Who plays the most pranks? - I don’t think they play legitimate pranks. I do think that Finnegan teases and flusters the hell out of Victor, though, and we’ll count it. 

[regardezmoica]

The 63rd BFI London Film Festival programme

As always, the BFI is throwing THE FESTIVAL with some of the most expected films in the line-up. NOT TO MISS :)

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD - OPENING

Directed by Armando Iannucci (The Death of Stalin) 

Starring Dev Patel as David Copperfield, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Paul Whitehouse and Gwendoline Christie

European Premiere

THE IRISHMAN - CLOSING 

Directed by Martin Scorsese (Silence, The Departed)

Starring Academy Award® winners Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci

International Premiere

HEADLINE GALAS

KNIVES OUT - American Express Gala 

Directed by Rian Johnson

Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Colette, Katherine Langford and Christopher Plummer

European Premiere

THE AERONAUTS - The Mayor of London’s Gala

Directed by Tom Harber (Wild Rose)

Starring Academy Award® winner Eddie Redmayne and Academy Award® nominee Felicity Jones

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD - BFI Patrons’ Gala 

Directed by Marielle Heller ( Can You Ever Forgive Me? )

Starring Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys.

GREED - Headline Gala

Directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Trip, The Wedding Guest)

Starring Steve Coogan as Richard ‘Greedy’ McCreadie, Isla Fisher, Shirley Henderson and David Mitchell

European Premiere

HOPE GAP - Headline Gala 

Directed by William Nicholson (screenwriter of Les Miserables, Gladiator, Shadowlands) 

Starring Annette Bening and Bill Nighy

JOJO RABBIT - Headline Gala 

Directed by Taika Waititi (Boy, Hunt for the wilderpeople, Thor Ragnarok)

Starring Taika Waititi, Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie (Leave no trace), Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant.

European Premiere

THE KING - American Airlines Gala

Directed by David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) 

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Lily-Rose Depp, Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Pattinson

UK Premiere

LE MANS’ 66 - Headline Gala 

Directed by James Mangold (Logan)

Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale

UK Premiere 

MARRIAGE STORY - The May Fair Hotel Gala 

Directed by Noah Baumbach (While We’re Young, Frances Ha)

Starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson

FESTIVAL AND STRAND GALAS

EMA - Festival Gala 

Directed by Pablo Larraín (Jackie) 

Starring Gael García Bernal, Mariana Di Girolamo

ABOMINABLE - Family Gala

Directed by Jill Culton and Todd Wilderman for Dreamworks

UK Premiere

BACURAU - Thrill Gala

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neighbouring Sounds) and Juliano Dornelles

Winner of the Cannes Jury Prize 2019

THE DUDE IN ME - Laugh Gala

Directed by Hyo-jin Kang

JUDY & PUNCH - Dare Gala

Directed by Mirrah Foulkes

Starring Mia Wasikowska 

THE LIGHTHOUSE - Cult Gala

Directed by Robert Eggers (the Sutherland Award-winning director of The Witch)

Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe

OFFICIAL SECRETS - Debate Gala

Directed by Gavin Hood’s (Eye in the Sky) 

Starring Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode and Rhys Ifans.

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON -  Love Gala  

In association with Malta Tourism Authority

Directed by Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson

UK Premiere 

THE TWO POPES -  Journey Gala

Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener)

Starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce 

WESTERN STARS -  Create Gala

Co-directed by Thom Zimny and Bruce Springsteen

European Premiere 

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Eleven Special Presentations shine the spotlight on new work from major directors.

BAD EDUCATION  in association with Empire - Directed by Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds) and starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney 

BLACKBIRD - Directed by Roger Michell (Enduring Love, Le Week-End, Notting Hill) 

BOMBAY ROSE Directed by debut director and screenwriter Gitanjali Rao

THE CAVE - Directed by Oscar-nominated Feras Fayyad’s (Last Men in Aleppo) 

FIRST LOVE - Directed by Takashi Mike 

GÖSTA - TV series directed by Swedish writer-director Lukas Moodysson

KRABI, 2562. -  Experimenta Special Presentation - Directed by two award-winning directors Anocha Suwichakornpong and Ben Rivers

LOVE, LIFE AND LAUGHTER - Archive Special Presentation - starring Betty Balfour 

OUR LADIES - Directed by Michael Caton-Jones (The Jackal, Basic Instinct 2)

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE -  BFI Flare Special Presentation in association with Sight & Sound - Directed by Céline Sciamma and starring Adele Haenel

ROCKS - Directed by Sarah Gavro (Brick Lane, Suffragette) - Starring Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and Shaneigha-Monik Greyson 

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

FANNY LYE DELIVER’D, Thomas Clay’s intoxicating 17th Century drama with Maxine Peake in the title role

HONEY BOY, Alma Har’el’s artful and soul-baring examination of the lingering effects of emotional abuse, written by Shia LaBeouf, who stars alongside Lucas Hedges

LINGUA FRANCA, a beautifully performed character study of a Filipino transwoman and undocumented immigrant in Brooklyn, from writer/director Isabel Sandoval, who also takes on the lead role

LA LLORONA, Guatemalan director Jayro Bustamante’s taut genre-bending thriller about an elderly general haunted by a spectre of the past during his trial for genocide

MOFFIE, Oliver Hermanus’ haunting examination of the violent persecution of gay men under Apartheid

MONOS, a hallucinogenic, intoxicating thriller by Alejandro Landes about child soldiers high in the mountains of South America

THE OTHER LAMB, Małgorzata Szumowska’s beguiling, genre-tinged English-language debut examining life in an otherworldly cult

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, Haifaa Al Mansour’s inspiring drama about a young doctor who becomes an electoral candidate to challenge Saudi Arabia’s strict social codes

ROSE PLAYS JULIE, an immersive and gripping drama from directing duo Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor about a young woman seeking her biological mother

SAINT MAUD, the debut feature from director Rose Glass, in which a mysterious nurse becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION – SUTHERLAND AWARD

ATLANTICS (Dir. Mati Diop). A hypnotic, genre-shifting portrait of a girl’s awakening. 

BABYTEETH (Dir. Shannon Murphy). A feverish Australian drama featuring a superb performance by breakout star Eliza Scanlen as Milla, a seriously ill teenage girl who falls madly in love with a young drug dealer. 

CALM WITH HORSES (Dir. Nick Rowland). Cosmo Jarvis gives a visceral performance in Rowland’s gripping feature debut as Douglas, the hired muscle for a crime family in rural Ireland. A

HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD (Dir. Bora Kim). Announcing a bright new voice in South Korean cinema, Kim brings both humour and elegance to her autobiographical debut in this absorbing coming-of-age drama about teenager Eunhee and her dysfunctional Seoul family circa 1994.

INSTINCT (Dir. Halina Reijn). Carice van Houten plays respected clinical psychologist Nicoline, who after starting a new job at a penal institution finds herself flirting with danger in her sessions with inmate Idris. 

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Dir. Joe Talbot). Jimmie dreams of reclaiming the beautiful late 19th-century home his grandfather built, before hard times and changing demographics forced his family out. 

MAKE UP (Dir. Claire Oakley). A riveting psycho-sexual drama in which teenager Ruth travels to a seaside holiday park to stay with her boyfriend Tom, and one day finds evidence he might be cheating on her. 

RELATIVITY (Dir. Mariko Minoguchi). It is love at first sight when Nora and Aaron first meet on a rainy day in an underground station, but Aaron’s fate takes a dramatic turn and changes Nora’s life in an instant. 

SCALES (Dir. Shahad Ameen). A visually resplendent tale set in a small Gulf fishing village, where the population live in thrall to the otherworldly creatures of the sea. 

The BFI London Film Festival will celebrate international cinema from the 2nd to the 13th of October.

An advice, don’t miss it ;)

[katiegirl901]

Ellie Bishop

So I’ve been seeing a lot about underrated relationships on NCIS, especially Tony and Gibbs recently and I absolutely love their relationship but I think that the relationship between Ellie and Gibbs needs to be talked to a little bit more... Please join me in what will no doubt be a long and pointless rant... In this essay I will... I’m kidding, I’m kidding. 

Anyways, I think the relationship between Ellie and Gibbs has been severely underrated for a lot of reasons, reason number one is that SHE’S NOT ZIVA and a lot of people are bitter about that (I am not one of those people, but I do love Ziva) but this is not a post about that. The second reason I think her relationship with Gibbs is overlooked a lot is because, same as McGee she came from a ‘happy’ family background (as far as we know). She didn’t grow up without a father figure like Tony, Nick and partially McGee, she didn’t have a horrible father like Ziva and her father is very much alive unlike Abby (and possibly Palmer, we don’t know about his family to my knowledge). 

So we know why it’s overlooked a lot but why is it such a fantastic relationship? First off you can see right from the beginning how much Ellie means to Gibbs and they both automatically click... ELLIE HUGS HIM WHEN HE HIRES HER  FOR THE LOVE OF THOR... I think a lot of it on Gibbs’ part is that Ellie would be about the same age as Kelly at this point in time (not to mention the similarities in their names). I think he really sees her as the daughter he lost. 

Eleanor Bishop is a freaking hero first of the woman is a GOD among women, she has been through hell and back and who has been by her side through all of this?... GIBBS HAS!.. He talks her through the Benham Parsa disaster he watches over her as a concerned mentor and as time goes on it changes to fatherly concern... She goes to GIBBS, not Tony, not McGee and not her family when she realizes Jake is having an affair, she goes to him and he holds her and tries to help her through it. He follows her to Oklahoma when she needs a break to make sure that she’s okay and he wasn’t going to leave without her, he was prepared to stay there until she was ready to go home. Gibbs opens up to her in a way he never has with any of his other ‘kids’, he tells her he’s talking to Taft, he tells in her in his own way that HE IS NOT OKAY, he admits weakness to her! Then when Quasim dies he dredges his past back up and tries to help her, he tries to save her from making the same mistakes he did but when she doesn’t listen he doesn't punish her he just supports her but also tells her that she’d better not cross that line ever again. 

Gibbs is her rock when she needs him but she challenges him in a way that NO ONE ever has, not Kate, not Ziva, not Jenny and not Abby. She calls him on his bullshit right from the get-go, she knows he’s being soft on her and she calls him on it, she yells at Leroy Jethro ‘hard as steel’ Gibbs and he listens and fixes his behaviour. She challenges him in ‘She’ she calls him on the fact that he’s being unfair and hypocritical... She doesn’t realize that he is so terrified of losing another daughter, that he is so afraid of the fact that she is the same as him, he doesn’t want her to turn out as jaded and bitter as he once was... but he takes it from her and he does something he HAS NEVER DONE BEFORE, he listens and HE BURNS A F*CKING RULE! That is so much better than apologizing, he not only admits that he’s wrong he’s getting rid of something that came from Shannon. Shannon created the rule system, told him that everyone needed a code to live by and he’s slowly dismantling the code because I have a feeling that Rule 12 isn’t too far from being thrown out... 

My last and final point is that he tells her that he is proud of her, when he gets back from Paraguay he sees her, he holds her tightly and he tells her that he’s proud of her and you can hear the love in his voice. You can SEE how much she means to him in ‘She’ when she’s shot at and Gibbs’ face immediately falls, the way he runs to her and needs to touch her, needs to see in her eyes and hear in her voice that she. is. okay. She is his baby and you can never convince me otherwise.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk, please if you have any more favourite Ellie and Gibbs thoughts or moments please send them to me!

[prettypinkbabyunicorn]

Stay - Chapter Nine

"Why? What did I do?" I asked sighing exaggeratedly and rolling my eyes. I knew I was being sassy but I was too drunk to care. "No alcohol, I couldn't be more firm on the matter" he said. "I wasn't at work, I had the afternoon off" I said, resisting the urge to poke my tongue out at him. "You're drunk" he snapped. "No I'm not, I barely had anything ...." I said airily, lying through my teeth. "Tell me Genevieve, why did you leave?" He asked. "I wanted to see my friends, I am entitled to an afternoon off and anyway, I didn't want to stay here. I didn't know anybody but you and Shannon" I said crossing my arms over my chest defiantly. “You should have stayed, I needed you" he said. I raised an eyebrow. "You had plenty of people here, I'm sure one of them would have been more than willing to help you out" I said. "But you're the one I wanted" he sighed. "Oh yes, sorry, I am the hired help I should have stayed to be at your beck and call" I said with an exaggerated tone of mock apology. "Genevieve! Stop it" he growled. I jumped in surprise at his tone. But the alcohol was making me reckless "What?! It's true, I'm here to do a job, not to socialize, I need to remember my position, I should have stayed up in my room until my services were required". "Stop being a smart ass. Your position is with me and unless I tell you otherwise, I want you around" he said, his voice was suddenly low and dangerous. "If you don't need anything else, I'm going to bed" I said haughtily turning on my heel. "Not so fast" he said attempting to sit up. I saw him grimace in pain. I spun around too quickly and felt dizzy, "sit down before you fall down" he said through gritted teeth. I stood there shaking my head. "What is it you need?" I said frowning. "You're not sober enough to be giving me medication" he said with an amused tone. "I'm plenty sober" I said indignantly. "Come closer" he said beckoning me to him with his hand. I leaned over so our faces were almost touching. He lifted his head ever so slightly and I closed my eyes in anticipation of his lips on mine. "I don't kiss drunk girls" he whispered and I heard him sniffing "you stink” he said. I opened my eyes and scowled, then I did poke my tongue out at him. He raised an eyebrow, "one of these days I'll show you what happens when you give me cheek" he warned. He passed me a bottle of water, "but for now, drink" he ordered. I took it reluctantly, taking a few large swigs.  He nodded, satisfied that I had done as he'd ordered. "Take it with you and go to bed, I'll see you in the morning" his tone was softer now. As I headed to the door I turned to look at him, the alcohol making me bold and said, "why were you calling out for me last night?" he looked momentarily confused then he remembered. "I was dreaming ... about you" he said. "What about?" I challenged. His lips curved into a sly, sexy smile and he raised an eyebrow. “I'll tell you, when you're sober enough to understand" he said cryptically. Huffing in annoyance, I walked out.

*****

I woke up slowly, the previous evenings events flooding back to me. I sat up, thanks to the bottle of water I had swigged, I wasn't really hung over. What I was, was embarrassed. I had been a drunk, smart ass, sassy bitch to him. "Gigi!" I heard him call my name, disrupting my thoughts. I got up slowly and shuffled across the hall, poking my head around the door. He was already up and half dressed, if you could call bare chested and bare foot, wearing only pants dressed. "Hey, can you please look at this?" he asked turning to show me his back. I sat on the bed and putting my hands on his hips I pulled him closer. Reaching up, I gently took off the bandage. "It looks great, we can stop dressing it and leave it uncovered" I said inspecting it closely. "Great, thanks" he said turning to me, bringing me face to face with his firm, finely chiseled stomach, right at the spot where the V disappeared below his waistband. I exhaled, I was definitely not prepared for this first thing in the morning. His hand took my chin tilting it up to look at him. "Feeling okay?" He asked looking at me closely. "Yes, I'm fine" I said trying to keep the embarrassment out of my voice. He nodded. "I'm .." I started to apologize but he put a finger to my lips and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, sorry you had to hear them insult you, I never want you to feel like the hired help, I think it's safe to say you are much more than that" he said, his hand gently cupping my cheek for a moment. I nodded. "Now, I have a business meeting, get dressed and come down with me, I thought I could do my exercises while they talk" he said with a sigh. "But isn't that kind of important?" I asked surprised. "Well yes and no, I don't have to give them my full attention" he said shrugging. I nodded and hurried off to get dressed. I found him waiting outside my door for me. "No meds today?" I asked as we walked down the stairs. "No, I don't feel like I need them just yet" he said sounding pleased with himself. "You won't need me soon" I said with a little laugh, but I felt inexplicably sad as soon as I'd uttered the words. He stopped and looked at me with a frown, "let's not get ahead of ourselves" he said. My heart lifted again.

****

I wasn't really paying attention to their conversation, it was business, shares and acquisitions. His manager and two other business partners. Funnily enough, things I'd been hearing since I was a kid. I was concentrating on his exercises and was more interested in what he was doing. Something one of the guys said caught my ear and I laughed. "Why did you just laugh?" asked Jared, lifting his head up off the floor to look at me. My eyes widened, I hadn't realized I'd even done it. "Oh, well, their new CEO wants to stop importing and source organically grown local produce, but the board is not in agreement" I said casually. "How would you happen to know that?" said one of the men, Jason I think his name was. "I was having dinner with my father a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to buy me some shares for my birthday and I asked for those, but he said we should wait, in case they get rid of him" I shrugged. They all looked at one another then back at me. "Gigi, who's your father?" asked Jared curiously, grabbing my hand to stop me trying to pull his leg back. "Gerard Taylor" I said slowly, the recognition in their faces made me frown. His name was quite well known in the financial world, working in medicine meant not many of my colleagues knew my background. I was surprised to find someone like Jared to have any knowledge of that world either, but it seemed he had his fingers in many pies. "Your father is Gerard Taylor?" he said sitting up. I nodded, motioning him back down onto his back. He grinned, "well, well, once again, full of surprises" he said then turned to look at the men. "Perhaps we should hold off too" he said with a laugh. They all nodded in agreement. I caught him eyeing me curiously, my cheeks going red under his scrutiny. "What else are you hiding?" he said to me in a whisper. I shrugged and turned away before he could see my smile. "Genevieve, what else can we pick your brains about?" said Jason amused. I turned sharply to look at him, "ouch!" said Jared, I must have yanked his leg a little too forcefully. "Nothing, I have no other information" I said shortly, Jared glanced at me raising his eyebrow. "I think we're done for today" said Jared, signaling the end of their meeting. They all started gathering up their laptops and papers. "Genevieve can I interest you in a drink, maybe dinner?" said Jason, coming over to me as I stood up. My eyes widened and I chanced a look at Jared who all of a sudden appeared mutinous. "No, thank you" I said sharply, turning my back on him and holding out my hand to help Jared up. "Oh, ah okay" said Jason, obviously surprised at my rude refusal, and he followed the others to the door. "Why did you say no?" asked Jared as soon as the door had closed behind them, trying to sound casual. "I'm not interested, business men aren't my style" I said curtly. Suddenly he was in front of me, his face an inch from mine. I closed my eyes as his lips met mine in a soft warm kiss. It was brief but full of promise. There's something about you ... it's ... I can't quite work it out" he said staring at me closely. I shrugged biting my lip, "you'll figure it out eventually" I said softly. He nodded slowly, "I hope so”.

******

The rest of the day passed quietly. We had an early dinner and then he decided he wanted to lie down. "You can watch Netflix down here, or do whatever you like, you can ... go out if you'd like" he added somewhat reluctantly. I was usually a very social person and I liked company, but I had no desire to go out again, I'd had my fill. "I don't usually spend too much time alone, and well .... your house is big and ..." I was loath to offend him, I stopped biting my cheek. He laughed, "Scary?? Come on, you can come upstairs with me". I nodded gratefully. We walked slowly upstairs into his room. He flicked on his phone and some music started playing softly through some speakers in the corners of the room. It was so quiet and relaxing. I waited for him to get into a comfortable position and then I kicked off my shoes and sat at the end of his legs taking hold of his feet in my lap and started massaging them. "You don't have to do that" he said. "I don't mind, it's relaxing for me too" I said. "Thank you" he murmured a blissful look on his face. "How long do you think it'll be before I can really get back to normal?" he asked quietly. He sounded frustrated and from what little I knew about him, I sensed he couldn't sit still for long. "I guess it depends, from a medical standpoint, you'll be perfectly able to resume normal activity without worrying about doing any damage in another two weeks but then it also depends on your pain and your ... mental attitude" I answered. "Yeah, I'm so scared to do anything" he said. I could tell it took a lot for him to admit that, I stopped massaging.  "I can see, but you just have to trust your instincts, you'll know if it feels okay or not" I said patting his leg reassuringly. "You will be your old self, you'll be okay" I said with a smile. He nodded. My phone signaled a message, I carefully moved letting his feet rest on the bed and grabbed it to see who it was. I giggled immediately, he glanced over seeing the message preview. It was from Darcy, 'How's Mr Grey?' She'd written. "Who's Mr Grey?" he said raising an eyebrow. "Ah, that would be you" I said laughing. He looked surprised, "Why, may I ask am I Mr Grey?" "Well you see, they don't know who I'm working for and all I've told them is, that I've signed an NDA and you know that's from that book" I explained. He shook his head, "so you haven't told anyone?" he asked. I shook my head, "no, I told you, I'm very discreet" I said. "What if you had a boyfriend, would you have told him?" he asked. I shrugged, "I don't know, I guess I probably would, I mean, I'm working and living with a man, I guess I'd have to, right" it was more of a question than an answer. "So no boyfriend, or anyone you're seeing?" he asked casually. "No, no one" I said shaking my head. "I find that hard to believe" he said skeptically. "Well you can believe it or not, it's true, shift work makes dating, kind of difficult and well ... so many weirdos" I said laughing lightly. "Now that, I can believe" he said nodding. "So when was the last one, boyfriend, I mean?" he asked. I frowned at his question, not because it was bold, but just the straightforward, simple way he asked it. "Uh, a while ago, I guess, a while, do you want me to massage your back or shoulders" I said, trying to distract him from the topic, not really wanting to elaborate. "No, thank you, not right now. I'd like you to answer the question. What happened?" he pushed. Since he was insisting, "well, he was in finance, like my father and thought maybe I'd be privy to some inside information, I wasn't, I barely ever listen to what he says, with the exception of that little bit of information I gave you, and so there was nothing to be gained by continuing to see me" I said truthfully. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "oh now I get the reaction towards Jason" he said his eyes widening at the realization. "It wasn't just that, he's not really my type" I said quickly. He nodded, "so, the guy, you dumped him?" he prompted.  "Ah yeah, I did, he was, ugh, whatever, a creep, he was also pissed cause I wouldn't sleep with him" I said with a grin. "Really??" he said raising one curious eyebrow. I nodded. "Why not?" he asked. "You really have no boundaries" I said with a laugh. "Gigi, you were just massaging my feet, you've been in the shower with me, we're in a very intimate working relationship, I don't think there's room for boundaries" he said in explanation, as if it should be obvious. I laughed out loud then, "no, you're a busy body" I said. "Well, yeah, there's that too, so??" he insisted. "I don't sleep with just anyone, I'm not that way inclined" I said carefully. "What way inclined?" he asked. "The sleeping with someone on the second date inclined, I don't find it very easy to ... you know, you're way too inquisitive" I said shaking my head. "So you have to be in a committed, long term relationship? That's a little old fashioned isn't it?" he said. "No, no, that's not it, uh, I don't really want to discuss this any more" I groaned. He threw up his hands in defeat, "Fine, fine, don't tell me, it's fine" he said. "I think I'll go to bed" I said, I'd had enough of his questioning for the night, I slid off the bed and headed to the door. "I'll make a deal with you" he said, I stopped to look at him curiously. "What kind of deal?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest. "I'll tell you what I was dreaming about and you tell me why you're not inclined" he said with a questioning look. How could I resist?! I was dying to know what he'd been dreaming about, but was I willing to divulge my secret? "Well?" he prompted. I bit my lip and waited a beat before saying, "okay, go, what were you dreaming about?" I asked eagerly. "I was dreaming about you, naked, in bed with me, we were .... well I'm sure you can deduce what we were doing" he didn't elaborate further, but it was obvious what he meant. His eyes looked into straight into mine and his voice was low and seductive. I let out a small gasp, I was shocked, it sent a bolt of desire through me. I was suddenly on fire and I could barely breathe. "Now, your turn" he said with a smirk, knowing he had rendered me momentarily speechless. I took a deep breath, my hands were twisting and I was looking at the floor. “Come on, we made a deal” he said smugly, I nodded and finally spoke, "My first real boyfriend was, in college, I slept with him once, it was a total disaster so, well ... I've never tried it again" I said with a shrug and with that I turned and swiftly left the room, without waiting for a reply.

Tagging : @beautorigin @burritoverload @msroxyblog @pinkletodreamer @letojokerownsme @nikkitasevoli @letonistaaaa @lostinletoland @i-writeandread @lennyfrommars @callmeasyoulove @pandaliciouz @fortify-undeny @shannonlxto @amy8220 @moody-by-nature @caropb-iam @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @mmargaridamd 

[redfistblogs-blog]

Matt’s Receding Hairline: The Beginning

Two months after the campaign ended, we came up with the funds from our day jobs, so the April shoot date was still on. That was the good news. The bad news: the April shoot date was still on. We still didn’t have a DP.  We were working on getting the only candidate that we could find in all of the St. Louis area.  We also didn’t have the Nightmare mask, despite the initial designer being hired six months before.  After not seeing any progress on it, despite asking several times, we decided it was time to cut ties and find somebody else. Two months out, and we needed two key elements that seemed almost impossible to get ready. To make matters more fun, people like Raw were still attached to show up, so we were the proverbial hosts of the dinner party...and we weren’t about to serve no Tombstone pizza.

                              What do you want on YOUR Tombstone?

Luckily, Justin Pogue, my supervisor (at the bank where I worked) turned out to be a costume designer and mask maker. When Justin showed me pictures of the Iron Man mask he had made out of glass fiber, just out of the blue, I knew he was our man.  Great news.  But not enough to stop an alarming phone call I received that morning from Matt.

“Well, Richie, looks like I won’t be a redhead for much longer”, said Matt.

“You finally bleached it?”, I asked.

There was a pause.  “I woke up, and my pillow was covered in hair.”

The timing of Justin’s arrival was fortuitous. I told him we needed somebody, and instantly he was in. Within just over a month, Justin brought Nightmare’s terrifying concept art to life. It was surreal to think that we were going to see and feel something that had only existed on paper for over 6 months. It was also nice to work with someone who I could see almost everyday, instead of have to talk (or try to reach) on the phone or Internet. Working with Justin is such a collaborative and inspired process, because he and Matt both have their own influences, but listen to each other and incorporate each other’s ideas. It was a no-brainer that we brought him back for the Batsuit!

With the Nightmare mask on the fast track, we then had to focus on locking down the DP. He had a terrific reel, and was excited to work on a Batman project, and one that homages The Animated Series at that. The challenge was working out a deal.  We only had so much funds, so, while he did give us a relative bargain, we overextended ourselves for what was only a 10-minute episode. Nonetheless, we were in a pinch, and he was our only hope. We were in limbo with him for about a month, mainly because of his making sure that his schedule of other projects could let him do ours. Needless to say, we were on pins and needles for him to sign on.  Also, Matt lost more hair.

Storyboarding was also happening at this time. Shannon cranked out a million panels from the 10-page script. Nothing like a little visual reassurance that your project won’t just be an ordinary fan film.  Between the storyboarding and mask creation, and with how smoothly all of the locations were coming together, the stress of signing a DP was lessened.  Finally come March, we had all of our people.  Next week, I will show you all of the cool locations that we found!  And Matt’s receding hairline!

[orbemnews]

Fox News Intensifies Its Pro-Trump Politics as Dissenters Depart Fox News once devoted its 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. time slots to relatively straightforward newscasts. Now those hours are filled by opinion shows led by hosts who denounce Democrats and defend the worldview of former President Donald J. Trump. For seven years, Juan Williams was the lone liberal voice on “The Five,” the network’s popular afternoon chat show. On Wednesday, he announced that he was leaving the program, after months of harsh on-air blowback from his conservative co-hosts. Many Fox News viewers cheered his exit on social media. Donna Brazile, the former Democratic Party chairwoman, was hired by Fox News with great fanfare in 2019 as a dissenting voice for its political coverage. She criticized Mr. Trump and spoke passionately about the Black Lives Matter movement, which other hosts on the network often demonized. Ms. Brazile has now left Fox News; last week, she quietly started a new job at ABC. Onscreen and off, in ways subtle and overt, Fox News has adapted to the post-Trump era by moving in a single direction: Trumpward. The network has rewarded pro-Trump pundits like Greg Gutfeld and Dan Bongino with prize time slots. Some opinion hosts who ventured on-air criticism of the former president have been replaced. And within the Fox News reporting ranks, journalists have privately expressed concern that the network is less committed to straight-ahead news coverage than it was in the past. The shifts at Fox News, which is controlled by the father-and-son moguls Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, have come in the wake of what amounted to an existential moment for a cable channel that is home to Trump cheerleaders like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham: the 2020 election. Fox News’s ratings fell sharply after the network made an early call on election night that Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic presidential nominee, would carry Arizona and later declared him the winner, even as Mr. Trump advanced lies about fraud. With viewers in revolt, the network moved out dissenting voices and put a new emphasis on hard-line right-wing commentary. In January, the network fired its veteran politics editor, Chris Stirewalt, who had been an onscreen face of the early call in Arizona for Mr. Biden. This month, it brought on a new editor in the Washington bureau: Kerri Kupec, a former spokeswoman for Mr. Trump’s attorney general William P. Barr. She had no journalistic experience. Financially, the Murdochs’ formula has produced results: After a rare loss to archrivals CNN and MSNBC in January, Fox News’s ratings strength has recovered; the channel is again the Nielsen leader in cable news. In May, Fox News is on track to more than double CNN’s prime-time viewership. Its new opinion shows at 7 and 11 — with segments that lament “cancel culture” and attack Mr. Biden — are attracting bigger audiences than the newscasts they replaced. And the niche right-wing network Newsmax has failed to sustain its postelection audience gains. In some ways, the Murdochs are making a rational business decision by following the conservatives who have made up the heart of the Fox News audience; recent surveys show that more than three-quarters of Republicans want Mr. Trump to run in 2024. But under Roger Ailes, the network’s founder, who shaped its look and feel, Fox News elevated liberal foils like Alan Colmes, a Democrat who shared equal billing in prime time with Mr. Hannity until the end of 2008, and moderates like Mr. Williams. Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News, wanted some unpredictability among commentators.Credit…Andrew Toth/FilmMagic “Roger’s view was you had to have some unpredictability and you had to challenge the audience; you couldn’t just be reading Republican talking points every night,” said Susan R. Estrich, a Democratic lawyer and former commentator on Fox News who negotiated Mr. Ailes’s exit from the network amid his sexual misconduct scandal. Today in Business Updated  May 28, 2021, 12:54 p.m. ET Ms. Estrich recalled that Mr. Ailes had defended Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News host, when Mr. Trump, then a presidential candidate, attacked her in misogynist terms. Now, she said, “instead of trying to broaden their audience, Fox News is narrowing it and digging in.” Partisanship plays well on cable news, an insight not lost on programmers at other networks who are chasing fatigued viewers. Liberal-leaning MSNBC expanded the show hosted by the anti-Trump commentator Nicolle Wallace; it also replaced the moderate Chris Matthews at 7 p.m. with the partisan commentator Joy Reid. Last week, CNN dropped one of its chief conservative commentators, Rick Santorum, after he was criticized for remarks about Native Americans. Ms. Brazile said she had left Fox News of her own accord. “Fox never censored my views in any way,” she wrote in an email. “Everyone treated me courteously as a colleague.” Ms. Brazile added: “I believe it’s important for all media to expose their audiences to both progressive and conservative viewpoints. With the election and President Biden’s first 100 days behind us, I’ve accomplished what I wanted at Fox News.” Mr. Williams will remain at Fox News as a senior political analyst; the network said in a statement that he had requested to be closer to his family in Washington rather than commute to New York, where “The Five” is taped. Fox News said another liberal host would replace him. Among those in contention is a newly hired contributor to the Fox stable, the former Democratic congressman Harold Ford Jr. Mr. Williams departed after a harder edge had crept into his exchanges with colleagues like Mr. Gutfeld and Jesse Watters. “The Five” had long been a venue for heated, if friendly debate, but Mr. Williams was repeatedly mocked and shouted down when he accused Mr. Trump of lying about the election and fueling the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Mr. Williams also noted, on-air, a Fox News report about Mr. Biden that falsely claimed he wanted to restrict Americans’ consumption of hamburgers. (Fox News later issued a correction.) Greg Gutfeld, an on-air antagonist to Mr. Williams on “The Five,” now has his own nightly show, “Gutfeld!”Credit…Fox News His prime antagonist, Mr. Gutfeld, started an 11 p.m. show last month that is meant to compete with late-night fare like “The Daily Show.” “Gutfeld!” has attracted a bigger viewership than the previous 11 p.m. offering, a newscast anchored by Shannon Bream that was shifted to midnight. Fox News is still determining a permanent host for its new 7 p.m. opinion hour, which is now a reliable venue for pro-Trump commentary. It was where Tucker Carlson, the network’s 8 p.m. host, made his remarks about white replacement theory that prompted an outcry from the Anti-Defamation League. A pro-Trump drift at Fox News is not new: George Will, a traditional conservative who opposed Mr. Trump’s candidacy, lost his contributor contract in 2017. Shepard Smith, a news anchor who was tough on Mr. Trump, left in 2019. Some Fox News journalists, though, say privately that they are increasingly concerned with the network’s direction. Kristin Fisher, one of the network’s rising stars in Washington and a White House correspondent, left Fox News last month despite the network’s effort to keep her. She had faced criticism from viewers in November after a segment in which she aggressively debunked lies about election fraud advanced by Mr. Trump’s lawyers. The longtime Washington bureau chief, Bill Sammon, resigned in January after internal criticism over his handling of election coverage, around the time that Mr. Stirewalt was fired. (Mr. Stirewalt was let go along with roughly 20 digital journalists at Fox News, which the network attributed to a realignment of “business and reporting structure to meet the demands of this new era.”) Mr. Sammon has effectively been replaced by Doug Rohrbeck, a producer with extensive news experience on Bret Baier’s newscast and Chris Wallace’s Sunday show. Still, some Fox journalists were surprised when the network hired Ms. Kupec, the former Barr spokeswoman, to work under Mr. Rohrbeck. (In 2019, CNN hired Sarah Isgur, the spokeswoman for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as a political editor. After protests from staff, she was shifted to an on-air role and later left the network.) Fox News says its news coverage remains robust. Mr. Baier, its chief political anchor, announced in May that he had extended his contract through 2025. He regularly lands newsy interviews; a recent conversation with Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming grew testy when she faulted Fox News for perpetuating Mr. Trump’s lies about the election and Mr. Baier responded that he had made clear to viewers that Mr. Biden was the legitimate victor. Fox News has a smaller international footprint than rivals like CNN, but it maintains several foreign bureaus and has had reporters in Israel covering the recent violence there. On Wednesday, the network announced an expansion of Fox News International, a streaming service available in 37 countries in Asia and Europe. Despite continuing criticism from liberals, Fox News remains a financial juggernaut for the Murdoch empire; it is expected to earn record advertising revenues this year, the network said. Even as its programming decisions seem aimed at attracting Trump supporters, Fox News does face one roadblock: Mr. Trump. The former president has maintained his stinging criticism of Fox News, which, he has claimed, betrayed him by calling the election for Mr. Biden. On Friday, after criticism from Paul Ryan, the former House speaker, Mr. Trump wrote that “Fox totally lost its way and became a much different place” after the Murdochs appointed Mr. Ryan to the Fox Corporation board. “Fox will never be the same!” Mr. Trump wrote. Source link Orbem News #Depart #Dissenters #Fox #Intensifies #news #Politics #proTrump

[yourdailykitsch]

A rough translation of the Cinema Teaser article featuring Dylan and Taylor. Some parts are paraphrased, sorry I’m not as up on my French as I should be...

Dylan O’Brien, the rebooted version of Taylor Kitsch? The rich idea comes from American Assassin and it caused Cinema Teaser to germinate the desire for a cross-talk. The two actors have some points in common with ten years between them and we interviewed them face to face.

There are similarities in your two paths: you started on TV (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS for Taylor and TEEN WOLF for Dylan), then on to big productions in the cinema. Dylan you even made an incursion into Taylor’s field, working with Peter Berg (DEEPWATER). Is there a typical route for young actors to be wary of or to embrace in Hollywood?

Taylor: I think the most important thing is to never do what you don’t want to do. You can’t always fight the way people see you in Hollywood, but you can get closer to projects that attract you and you can fight for what you believe. In the end, I refuse any project that I don’t want to devote weeks of time to, that’s all. 

Dylan: I do not have a very definite plan in my mind...It’s a little weird. I did not grow up wanting to become an actor or anything like that. I grew up worshiping movies and I have parents who worked and still work in the industry and I imagine that in a sense they have conveyed to me the love they have for cinema. When I was little, it was what I preferred: watching movies, watching actors, and adoring all kinds of artistic talents too - performers, singers, dancers. And that’s how my interest is. Growing up, I always performed. I always made small films, short films with my friends and my sister and everything started like that. Hollywood is the drive force of cinema today, the experience now has another scale and it is different. When you come into that environment you must master a part of the trade that is not exactly your profession.

Ten years separate you. If you Taylor, you observe the beginnings of Dylan and if you Dylan, watched how Taylor started, do you have the impression that the industry or the way it deals with young actors has changed?

Taylor: It should be kept in mind that when I start on television with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, the series was not a phenomenon. We never had the following that TEEN WOLF had. My popularity was limited to a fervent public that has a background in American football or that kind of sports fiction. I don’t know if the industry has changed for young actors. When I see Dylan, I have the impression that the younger generation is attacking the business with plenty of intelligence, it’s on! They know what they want and they know how to use the system to their advantage. 

In your opinion, what is your biggest commonality - professionally and personally? 

Taylor: I would say that Dylan and I are always ready to take on a challenge. We are not afraid to look far into ourselves for a character. For example, it was always a wish to play a bad guy, and I very much like the fact that we both went a little against the usual, in the sense that we show that there is a torment, or even an inner hell. We show that there are repercussions for our actions, especially mental ones. And that’s why American Assassin is a bit different in the genre. 

Dylan: I agree with everything Taylor says! (Laughs) The reality is that on the set we did not have too much time to chat or compare our careers because the time we shared is as short as the time we share on screen. But I am sure that now that we are promoting the film we will have more time to discuss.

Taylor, you are Canadian and you don’t stop playing the American Heroes. In Lone Survivor or in American Assassin, there is a rather harsh picture of the American culture of violence. Do you feel like an enlightened observer?

It depends on the script I get. Also, I think more of the character’s hope than his nationality. Whether it as a (Mike) Murphy in LONE SURVIVOR or Ghost in AMERICAN ASSASSIN, what is important is what he has in his head, more than his flag. The thing is, with Murphy, who is a heroic figure and quite iconic - and it’s legitimate - you play someone who represents something strong and you have to be faithful to him. I live in Texas and I have a buddy who has a ranch. For AMERICAN ASSASSIN, I lived there alone for ten days with the script and some weapons and that’s how I put myself in the head scape of Ghost and created him.

That you have both worked with Peter Berg is not insignificant. Peter casts actors who crystallize something from American. Dylan, what relationship do you have with the image of the American hero?

Taylor: Peter was a TV star (between 1995 and 1999, in CHICAGO HOPE, he played Dr. Billy Kronk) before becoming the great director he became. He is a dream director for an actor, especially the young actors, because he knew better than anyone what it takes.

Dylan: Peter, I learned so much by speaking with him, working with him, watching him. The idea of not being the typical action hero in American Assassin is what attracted me first to the film. If you watch movies about assassins or secret agents, you rarely see how they got there, what events or accidents they went through. A year and a half ago I went through something quite traumatizing in my life (Dylan was injured on the set of THE DEATH CURE). Rebounding after that was very difficult, to be honest. So I can easily connect with that part of my character.

Dylan, TEEN WOLF will stop soon. Is there any particular anxiety? Taylor you remember what you felt when FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS stopped? Do the films made while you’re engaged on a series set the tone of the films that you want to do next?

Dylan: I have no problem with leaving TEEN WOLF behind me because I never wanted to stay ‘cornered’ with the same character for too long. I never looked for stability with a job on TV over seven years or more.

Taylor: The end of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS was bitter sweet. On one side, it was time that it stopped and we all wanted to try other things. But at the same time, we were an extremely close team. We never had big audiences, contrary to what everyone seems to think today. With the rebroadcasts, Netflix and all that, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is still very much alive and surely has a wider audience today than at the time it aired. But I do not take it badly, a series does not set the tone of your career. The producers will always try to hire you for roles that you have already played if you succeeded at a the box office... And in my case, we know that it never happened like that! (Laughs)

Through your respective series, you have (or have had) a teen fanbase. Does cinema help you get another audience? Is this one of the criteria for choosing a project?

Dylan: I have never reflected in these terms. For me, AMERICAN ASSASSIN was interesting because it was different from what I was known for, okay. But as a comedian, you always want to do new things, to meet different challenges. You do not want to always play the same character. As for my fans or the people who follow my career closely, I respect them enormously but, sorry, I will never let anyone lock me in a box.

Taylor: My teenage fanbase is far behind me. I want to go back in time! (Laughs) No, I’m joking, everything’s fine.

Taylor, after shooting supermovies (WOLVERINE, BATTLESHIP, JOHN CARTER), you finally turned to movies that, even if they have a certain pre-awareness, remained original movies. Is it difficult to find original material while evolving in cinema?

Taylor: I think in terms of character. I do not know if I necessarily like the guy I play in AMERICAN ASSASSIN, but I like the fact that he is anchored in some reality. There is a lot of pyrotechnics but I like that there is no green screen, if one has to compare with WOLVERINE, BATTLESHIP or JOHN CARTER. Green screens are always difficult because you have to use all your imagination to try to fill the void around you. AMERICAN ASSASSIN evolves into a reality, a realism, a viscerality, the rhythm is incredible. I think it is the kind of cinema I prefer.

Taylor, after FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, you took time to re-engage in a TV series. Dylan, would you like to devote yourself to the cinema before eventually returning to a series or mini-series?

Taylor: I did not plan to return TV until I had an interesting and limited proposal for the small screen. I did TRUE DETECTIVE and then I just finished a six-hour mini-series which is called WACO, with Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks and Shea Whigham. In this case, returning to television is not an insignificant option, of course.

Dylan: It may have been different ten years ago when Taylor was on TV, but today, there is no longer a real difference between TV and cinema. You find excellent scenarios everywhere as long as you give yourself the means to look for them and show a little patience. 

Taylor: I will not sign a lengthy contract of something like seven years. On the other hand, I could sign for a mini-series of six or ten episodes, if the character interests me. There is something beautiful to serve and dig into a character over six hours, rather than over 30 minutes.

[sampagnereads]

Hi again, lovelies! You might be wondering why I’m putting out three TBRs in the month of July (this is only the second one), and the reason for that is quite simple: I’m doing three month-long readathons next month. Now, it might be a bit intense, but it’s summer, and I always tend to read more during the summer, and so I’m really, really excited! A few days ago, I posted my TBR for the DND Readathon - Race Edition, and now it’s time to post my TBR for The Book Junkie Trials! This is, as mentioned earlier, a month-long readathon, and is hosted by the wonderful Rachael Marie, who you can find on Twitter right here. 

The goal of the readathon is to get the Bookie Grail, which you can get by completing challenges based on the team you’re a part of, as each team has a different path on the map. I took the test and got “Mage” as who I’d be, and so I decided to join that team! That means that I can start the readathon three days early, but also that I must read a book outside of my comfort zone. For more information, as I highkey suck at explaining things, I recommend checking out the Twitter account for the readathon as well as Rachael’s announcement video (which is linked on Twitter)!

Without further ado, you’ll find my TBR under the cut!

MAIN MAGE TBR

ORC GROVE: A BOOK THAT IS GRUESOME, GORY OR GRITTY.

For this challenge, I decided to read I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff my Life, by Skottie Young. This is the second volume in a vibrant but gruesome series of comics, and after having read the first volume not too long ago, I’ve been dying to get to the second one. Basically, this is about a woman who got stuck in Fairyland when she was a child. Problem is, she’s stuck as a 37 or 40 (I can’t remember) years old woman in the body of a ten-year-old. To put it simply, she’s pissed. And so she wrecks havoc and kills people and creatures left and right as she looks for the key that could let her finally leave Fairyland. It’s gory, gruesome and gritty, in my opinion, and so it fits perfectly! Though, since I want to start with this book, which I’ll be reading on Hoopla, and I don’t have Internet on the 28th and 29th, that means I’ll only be able to start the readathon one day early. I’m not complaining, though, as it’s better than nothing!

OL’ PIRATE COVE: A BOOK THAT TAKES PLACE, AT LEAST IN PART, ON SEA.

For this challenge, I will be reading Cursed Pirate Girl, Vol. 1, by Jeremy Bastian. This is the collected edition of the first three issues of Cursed Pirate Girl, which follows, obviously, a cursed pirate girl. Said girl’s story starts in Jamaica in 1728, and apparently takes place both over and beneath the waves. From what I understand, it has fantastical and mythical elements as well as historical ones, and the main focus of the story is the main character trying to find her lost father, who was a pirate too. Honestly, I feel like this is the perfect book for this challenge, and I’m so thankful I found it on Hoopla. I’m not usually a huge fan of pirates, but I saw a sample of what the art looks like inside this comic, and, like... Wow. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and I simply cannot wait to read it.

GLIMMER: A BEAUTIFUL OR COLOURFUL BOOK.

For this challenge, I’ve decided to read Prince Charming, by Rachel Hawkins. This book follows an American teenage girl whose older sister is marrying the (fictional) Prince of Scotland. Problem is, our main character has a huge personality, and the royal family want her to work on that. Therefore, they hire a guy to pretty much teach her how to chill. Problem is that, at the same time, the prince’s younger brother is trying to lead her into a ton of scandals, and she’s torn between those two options. I’m also reading this for the DND Readathon, in fact for another challenge based on a book’s cover, and so I was ecstatic when I realized that I could also make it fit in with this readathon. The cover, to me, is not only beautiful, but also colourful and bright, and so I think that it works perfectly for this challenge.

DRACONIC ISLE: A BOOK THAT FEATURES DRAGONS.

For this challenge, I’ll be reading Shatter the Sky, by Rebecca Kim Wells. From what I understand, without reading too much of the synopsis, this is about a girl who steals a dragon to save her girlfriend. Basically, it’s a dream come true for me. I love dragons, I love all things sapphic, I love fantasy, and I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley. This fits the challenge perfectly, and on top of that also works for a challenge for the DND Readathon - Race Edition, as one of the challenges for that readathon is also to read a book that features dragons. All in all, I’m super excited for this book, and cannot wait to get to it.

THE BOOKIE GRAIL: THE GROUP BOOK. 

For this challenge, I’m going to be reading The Gilded Wolves, by Roshani Chokshi. Now, the official group book for the readathon is Stardust, by Neil Gaiman, and I really really wanted to read that due to how much I loved the movie when I was younger, but it’s not available at any library close to where I live, and so I cannot read it. Luckily enough for me, Rachael was kind enough to let us choose another book that has to do with an adventure to find something lost, in case we couldn’t get our hands on Stardust in time. And since The Gilded Wolves is literally a historical fantasy adventure novel about people going on a quest to find a lost artefact, I thought that it would fit perfectly! Am I bummed not to be able to read Stardust? A little bit, yeah. However, I read a few chapters of The Gilded Wolves a few months ago (I’ll re-read them, though), and I highly enjoyed what I read, so I am really looking forward to it.

MORE CHALLENGES IN CASE I HAVE TIME

CRIMSON PEAKS: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling. QUEENDOM STONE: Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon. THE WEEPING FALLS: Sadie, by Courtney Summers. DWARF MOUNT: Wild Savage Stars, by Kristina Pérez. APOTHECARY TOWERS: The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman. THE GREAT LIBRARY: La Reine étranglée, by Maurice Druon. THE DROWNING DEEP: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling.  THE ELVEN GUARD: Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis, by Kelly Sue DeConnick & David López. ON THE HALLOW ISLE: Unnatural, Vol. 1: Awakening, by Mirka Andolfo. EMPTY BARREL INN: Giant Days, Vol. 5, by John Allison & More. GIANT SQUID: The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon.

[charitywaterblog]

Meet our 2017 Summer Interns!

We broke a record this year when we hired 21 amazingly talented and incredibly passionate interns to work alongside our team for the summer. We feel so lucky to have found such an awesome group of young world-changers and are extremely grateful for their hard work and dedication over the past few months. Say hello to our 2017 summer interns! 

Nikita Benson School: NYU Team: Finance Hometown: Muscat, Oman

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

The post-water project completion efforts to monitor, evaluate, and ensure sustainability by locals seems like something missing from a lot of development programs, though a vital part of the solution. Also, the large picture of Caroline in the reception really moved me, not something I was expecting to feel.   

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I'm working on a specific project looking into the foreign currency exchange losses sustained by partners, so most of my day is focused on that. Sometimes I work on smaller Excel related tasks.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The Finance team seems really jolly, so it's nice to watch people laughing and looking happy!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Seriously, it's the L train at night

Fun Fact: I used to ice-skate competitively and now I'm a lapsed skater with skates that have needed breaking into for the last 2 years.

Jessica Jang School: Binghamton University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: St. James, NY

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I fell in love with charity: water’s mission, and I wanted to contribute to something that influenced the world outside my little bubble. Why not be a part of such inspiring and impactful work?

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I’m usually updating lots of numbers and working on updates to send to donors about their water project sponsorships.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

My favorite part is the people and their hard work and passion for what they do. The office environment is a huge part of making everyday fun and exciting! I love hearing the amazing stories from people I work with, people who support us, and people we help.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I love exploring new foods so you can most likely find me trying a new place to eat. That or finding a nice spot in Central Park to relax with friends.

Fun Fact: I have played a 9ft Steinway piano at Carnegie Hall.

Jill McInerney The George Washington University Key Relationships Warren, NJ

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I wanted to learn how non-profit organizations run and charity: water was the perfect fit! charity: water's mission and model to solve the water crisis spoke to me, so I knew I wanted to work here.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

My day usually starts with chatting with my fellow KR interns about anything from everyone's weekend/days off to celebrity gossip. For lunch, I grab a bite to eat from one of the various cafes in the area then sit in the Flex space and eat/laugh with all the KR interns. The typical work I do for Maria consists of donor research, sending updates to donors, buying and sending cool gifts, and inputting data into Salesforce/excel spreadsheets.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

My favorite part about interning for charity: water is the all around positivity and amazing energy in the office. Everyone is so passionate about what they are doing making charity: water an unbelievable place to work.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Any rooftop that has a great view and great vibes

Fun Fact: I am extremely interested in history!

Maeve Kennard School: USC Team: Water Programs Hometown: Wilton, CT

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

Last summer I had the opportunity to work with the Water Programs team on various data projects. I fell in love with the organization and the work I was doing and had trouble seeing myself at any internship that was not charity: water. I knew that I would not receive a more valuable experience outside of charity: water and had to come back to continue to learn about the organization and see how it continues to grow and adapt.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I spend most of my days working on various Water Programs data projects, whether they are cleaning Household Data Sets and analyzing the success of various water projects, or helping to create comprehensive Water Point Site Lists to better track past projects.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

It is definitely a tie between the day to day work and the people. I love working with the data sets and understanding the true impact of all of the water projects. But the people here are also some of the most interesting and hard working people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Everyone has such a different story and brings such unique skills to the organization that there is never a shortage of knowledge to learn and share.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Any rooftop with a cool view and good food

Fun Fact: I used to be allergic to the cold weather when I was younger (which I didn't even realize was possible) and after spending 3 years in California with minimal winter exposure, that allergy has started to come back.

Noëlle Elmore School: The King's College Team: Supporter Experience Hometown: Mobile, AL

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I read a book called "Half the Sky" in high school, and ever since I've been super passionate about women's issues, especially in developing countries. Friends from my college told me about charity: water, and after reading about the massive effect that clean water can have on women and children, I was sold. I know I want to do some kind of international non-profit work when I graduate, so interning at charity: water is perfect!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

My job is mainly focused on the Help Center - I help supporters with any questions they have while campaigning or donating to charity: water. I reallocate donations, help set-up campaigns, and ship Jerry Cans! Lately, I've been helping with a Marketing initiative to personally thank every single campaigner, which is time-consuming but so amazing!

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

Well, the bean bag chairs, trail mix, and Beer + Pizza Fridays are definitely big contenders, but I have to say that my favorite thing is the staff's attitude towards interns. My manager gives me meaningful projects to work on and I can work independently, knowing that everyone here is willing to help/advise/support me anytime I need it. The staff makes a point to get to know the interns and bring them into the charity: water community.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

There's an amazing sushi place in KTown on 32nd street. It's in a 3 story building filled with all different types of Asian food vendors. I like to pick up sushi and miso from there, maybe some bubble tea, and then sit in Herald Square to people-watch (cause tourists are hilarious).

Fun Fact: I'm a Star Wars super fan! My family and I marathon all the movies every Christmas, we own every action figure ever made, I've read the Star Wars encyclopedia cover-to-cover, and my Dad's prized possession is a piece of Darth Vader's original cape.

Lily Patterson School: Fordham University Team: Water Programs Hometown: Cape Cod, MA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

My high school hosted a gala to benefit charity: water during my sophomore year and I have been following the organization ever since. I interned with Taina in the Fall of 2016 and she made it such a positive experience that I jumped at the first chance I had to come back!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I typically come in, grab a cup of coffee, and then the first thing I do is look through my emails. Beyond that, what I do varies each day depending on what the Water Programs team needs, from WASH research to cleaning up grant cards.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The people are some of the friendliest and most open that I have ever met and I love getting to know everyone. The coffee doesn’t hurt either!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I love hanging out in Central Park with my dad and watching the different baseball leagues play.

Fun Fact: I can assemble any item from IKEA in record time and genuinely enjoy it.

Julia Briggs School: The King's College Team: Office Operations Hometown: I moved 15 times growing up, so everywhere

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I know many previous interns from charity: water through my college and hearing their stories showed me the incredible impact that charity: water has on the world, so I knew I had to be a part of it.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

As the Office Experience Intern, I help maintain the office with our Office Experience Manager, Jordan. Whether it be through ordering snacks and supplies, setting up for Beer + Pizza, or tidying the office during my daily walk around.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

Being able to explain the work that charity: water is doing and seeing people's faces as they realize what an impact it has on the world.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Any and all coffee shops! There are some great ones throughout the city!

Fun Fact: I am starting my thesis on the Influence of Cultural Perspectives on Holocaust Literature next semester at The University of Oxford in England!

Shannon Wheeler School: UCLA Team: Marketing Hometown: Kinnelon, NJ

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I had the opportunity to intern with charity: water last summer and couldn't wait to come back! Working at charity: water is incredibly inspiring, challenging and a lot of fun. I study International Development and I'm particularly interested in issues of public health, something that those without access to clean and safe drinking water struggle with daily.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I work with the amazing Anna Azarjew, so I usually start my day checking in with her and catching up on work while lounging on the couch next to her desk. Throughout the day you can find me developing resources for students and teachers and speaking with our awesome supporters.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

My coworkers! I'm constantly inspired by the energy, dedication, and experience of this staff. Anna is the Lorelai to my Rory.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

This answer definitely changes based on the season, but I would say my favorite summer NYC hang out is Central Park.

Fun Fact: I spent a summer walking across Spain.

Evan Keare School: Harvard-Westlake School Team: Water Programs Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I've been passionate about volunteer work and service my entire life. About a year ago my uncle retweeted The Spring video, and it came up on my Twitter feed so I watched it. I was so moved and inspired that I knew I at least had to try to apply for an internship!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

It changes every day! On any given day, I might be organizing and filing grant documents, keeping content bank and internal keynotes up to date, or doing whatever Christoph asks me to do for him that day.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The space and the people for sure. The office is absolutely incredible and I love being able to work in such an open, comfortable, and fun place. The people are all so intelligent and passionate and come from all different walks of life, so it's been really fun to get to know everyone.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I love Pier 26 just a few blocks away from the office. There are tables and chairs looking over the river surrounded by a volleyball court, a basketball court, and a skate park. It's a beautiful place to watch the sunset!

Fun Fact: I learned how to solve a Rubik's Cube in 60 seconds when I was in third grade!

Yanyan Luo School: NYU Team: Finance Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I highly value when NGOs are accountable and transparent in how they allocate their funds. Thus charity: water's 100% model really inspired me to want to be a part of the team.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Entering donations into NetSuite, and assisting Yohanny (or anyone else on the Finance team) in daily tasks as needed.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The friendliness of the staff and the amazing office space.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Carl Schwarz Park and Central Park

Fun Fact: I had always dreamt of being a professional pianist when I was young!

Thomas Newell School: Brigham Young University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Provo, UT

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

About a year ago, I listened to charity: water CEO Scott Harrison talk about the water crisis on the Bill Simmons podcast.  I had always been interested in charity work in the developing world, but had never considered water to be such a foundational part of the effort.  I determined that I would do my part to help end the water crisis and undertook a year-long endeavor to make my way from Provo, UT to New York City to be involved with charity: water, its mission, and its people.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Come in early to an office filled with wonderful people, communicate with my direct supervisor in the UK, and then get to work either researching potential charity: water supporters, helping the newly minted UK operations team move smoothly, or building up our database for the UK as charity: water becomes a household name.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

Being involved in something that is truly meaningful.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Any basketball park--whether it's Rucker, West 4th, or Dyckman.  I love to get out and see basketball in its Mecca here in NYC.

Fun Fact: After New York, my wife and I will be moving to London to pursue a Master's degree and completely empty our pockets living in another of the world's most expensive cities.

Maya Rudolph School: University at Albany, SUNY Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Parsippany, NJ

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I wanted to intern at charity: water because I wanted to experience working for a mission driven organization that had the capacity and drive to make an incredible impact. I was eager to learn about the inner workings of a large non-profit, alongside charity: water's unique 100% model.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I rarely know what to expect each day, but I love that there is always a surprise in store. My responsibilities vary in accordance to the fast-paced tempo of the office. Some days, we sit in on team meetings to learn from the Key Relationships representatives, whereas others involve researching donors or prepping the office for guest visits. My manager always has sound, knowledgeable advice or an intriguing task for me to complete.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

I love my team! The Key Relationships team is chock-full of powerful, inspiring women (and one great male intern). I love to learn from them each day about how to be fearless in my work and break down barriers. My co-interns are wonderful as well - certainly life-long friends!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Any place on the water! Whether it be the East River, the Hudson, or lakeside in Central Park, I love to sit down with a good read and enjoy the view of the water ahead and the breathtaking skyline behind.

Fun Fact: I stand only as tall as three Jerry Cans stacked!

Sam Benevelli School: Hamilton College Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Madison, CT

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

Anyone I interviewed with or spoke to about charity: water was so passionate about their work and about solving the world water crisis. These are the people that made the job listing come to life and got me very excited about this opportunity.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

A typical day in the office for me involves donor research.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

My favorite part of interning at charity: water is my coworkers. From the other amazing interns to my fabulous managers, everyone here makes it easy to love coming to work.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

My favorite NYC hangout is Washington Square Park.

Fun Fact: I can sing every song from Hamilton the Musical!

Antony Wolfe-Cowen School: Cornell University Team: Brand Partnerships Hometown: London, UK

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

After watching Scott’s TED Talk a few years back, I was inspired by charity: water’s bold mission and commitment to bringing clean and safe drinking water to 663 million people across developing parts of the world. I was also fascinated by the way in which charity: water has revolutionized the traditional non-profit model and is leveraging innovative technologies across the organization to make their positive impact sustainable and quantifiable. Moreover, the unique opportunity to be charity: water’s first official MBA Intern, with the permission to co-create and structure the role alongside the Director of Partnerships, greatly appealed to me.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I spend a large proportion of the day working on the projects and related tasks that have been assigned to me over the summer. One exciting project that I am focused on currently is centered around the business case development for the next stage of a newly formed partnership. The goal here is to understand the potential impact of the venture’s growth and how we could integrate technology to make the program more seamless after the initial pilot phase.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

Contributing to an organization that is bettering the lives of millions of people around the world is of course hugely rewarding. It’s also great working alongside smart, driven, creative and incredibly passionate people who care deeply about the mission of the organization. The energy in the office is infectious!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

As I love to take photos, I have to say the Tudor City Overpass; it’s the perfect spot to catch the sunset, especially during Manhattanhenge.

Fun Fact: Sacha Baren Cohen is in my family tree, although we sadly don't know each other.

Bryn Melanson School: UNC Chapel Hill Team: Brand Partnerships Hometown: Boston, MA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I wanted to work for an innovative mission driven organization with an amazing culture.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I help support the Brand Partnerships team with partnership inquiries, manage relationships with current brand partners, and research and develop creative ideas for potential partners to get involved.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

Definitely the people. The energy is magnetic and everyone likes to work hard, but have a great time while doing it.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I love the West Village, there are so many great restaurants and things to do!

Fun Fact: I have my PADI Scuba Diving Certification and I was a DI rower.

Casey Brown School: University of Kansas Team: Key Relationships Hometown: Cleveland, OH

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I was so inspired by charity: water and their mission. Knowing the impact that the organization has and continues to make only made me more passionate about being a part of the team.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

I usually come in and catch up with the KR team for a bit, and then head straight into putting notes into Salesforce, sending packages and helping my amazing manager Brady Essmann with anything she needs for the day. 

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

charity: water has provided me with experiences and tools that I will carry with me long after the summer is over. I have learned so much by both observing and by the hands on approach they have here at charity: water. I love the fun exciting energy, and the always warm and comforting environment the office creates each day.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I love running through Central Park! There is so much to explore! I could keep running for hours!

Fun Fact: I am an expert on all things Broadway!

Megan Daly School: Indiana University Team: Guest Experience and Office Operations Hometown: Dyer, IN

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I wanted to intern at charity: water because I heard about their mission and purpose on a podcast and got so pumped about what they are doing! Being a Nonprofit major, I have also always wanted to work with an organization that is doing the kind life-changing work that charity: water does.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Typically, I get to sit up front and answer the phone and talk to our wonderful donors! I answer their questions or help them with any issues they might have. I also get to greet and welcome guests as they come into our office!

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

I love learning more and more about the organization and the different roles that people play in accomplishing their mission. The people at charity: water are so passionate about what they do and have so much to share and teach!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I spend a lot of time in Central Park! It's my favorite place to get away from the busy streets and go for a run or picnic with friends.

Fun Fact: I can, in fact, lick my elbow!

Leah Havens School: The University of Texas at Austin Team: Water Programs Hometown: Austin, TX

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

charity: water is working to solve one of the largest problems of our time. As a civil engineer who is passionate about using my skills in the context of international development, working for charity: water has been a dream. With an innovative business model AND innovative solutions in the field, charity: water is leading the way in getting clean water and sanitation to people who need it, and I am honored to be a small part of it!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

A typical day in the office involves lots of coffee, tea, and snacks and wonderful meetings with the Water Programs team. Beyond that, I spend my time researching the solutions funded by charity: water and looking at data that we've collected through surveys in the countries we work in.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The work space is one of the most inspiring places that I've ever existed in. From the people and the artwork to the awesome welcome mat, I feel motivated to be a part of something bigger the second I walk through the doors.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

A wonderful coffee shop called The Outpost in Brooklyn. They have provided me with endless sandwiches and coffee and have a dope patio.

Fun Fact: I can never be president. My dad was in the Army, and I was born in Frankfurt in a German hospital. Womp.

Sadiq Keshwani School: The King’s College Team: Finance Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I was born in Pakistan, and when I was around 10 my family took a trip to the rural areas. I saw how clean water was a luxury in some of those places, and since then it has always been on my mind to do something to help people around the world get access to clean water. When I found out about charity: water and its mission, I quickly wanted to be a part of it in any way I could.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Entering checks into NetSuite, going through expense reports, generating tax receipts, snacking.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

The people; everyone is really nice, and approachable. The office is beautiful, and the kitchen is full of snacks. Not a bad place to be interning at!

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

Not Times Square.

Fun Fact: I went to the same highschool as Ed Sheeran.

Tiffany Novacek School: University of Nebraska - Lincoln Team: Creative Hometown: Norfolk, Nebraska

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

The idea was planted in my head by a family member, but moving to New York for the summer seemed really far fetched at the time. I’ve always loved charity: water’s mission and once I started realistically thinking about interning here, I knew I couldn’t pass it up! The organization is so inspiring and the experience has been better than I could have imagined.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

My day-to-day tasks vary in the office, but I can typically count on someone (usually Tyler) inviting me to Puffy’s for lunch. A lot of writing, editing and coffee drinking happen in my corner.

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

I look forward to coming to the office every morning, which has to be the best part! There’s always something exciting happening and the staff has made me feel right at home in New York.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

I’m obsessed with going to places that have cool rooftop views. The Met, Le Bain, The Wythe. Amazing views of the city and you get to escape the crazy sounds and smell for a bit.

Fun Fact: I am a huge animal lover, but birds scare me so much!

Kristina Chu School: Tufts University Team: Key Relationships Hometown: East Setauket, NY

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?

I was really drawn to charity: water's strategy to solve the global water crisis (collaborating with local partners and accounting for different cultures/ environments when determining the best-fit solution for a community). I also figured charity: water could teach me so much about work in the public health/ international development sector, of which I am passionate about.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

As soon as I walk in, I grab a mason jar to fill with water and a mug of tea. Usually, I spend 5 minutes catching up with my fellow KR interns. Then, when settled in at my desk, I check my email, Slack, and Basecamp for new assigned tasks or notifications. The morning usually involves managing birthday gifts for our Well members or some research on foundation grants. Around noon, I break for lunch, sitting in on the Brown Bags when they are happening. In the afternoons, I return my attention to my assigned tasks and occasionally have a one on one meeting with Rachel (my amazing manager)!

What is your favorite part of interning at charity: water?

I love being in a space where the staff and interns are driven by and passionate about the org's mission.

What is your favorite NYC hangout?

The Hypar Pavilion at Lincoln Center

Fun Fact: Up until tenth grade, my home didn't have a computer or the internet!

[emilyzh2019-blog]

Tips For Renting A Car In Ireland

Ireland Driving Guide

Renting a car in Ireland and driving around the country yourself is a wonderful way to experience the Emerald Isle. But here’s some advice about the best way to do it.

When my family and I were planning our genealogy trip to Ireland to learn more about our ancestors, we were initially hesitant about renting a car to explore the country by ourselves.

Ireland has a bit of a reputation for narrow and scary winding roads!

Plus of course, they drive on the other side of the road, so there’s that. But the more we researched, the more we realized renting a car in Ireland would allow us to make our itinerary as imaginative as possible.

I love the freedom of road trips and planning my own travel itineraries. Ireland is such a diverse country that it made sense to rent a car so we could stop anywhere to discover small villages, castles, and go hiking in the mountains at our own pace.

Here are some important tips we learned from our experience renting a car in Ireland, to help you save money and stay safe while driving around the country!

How To Rent A Car In Ireland

Driving in Ireland for Tourists

Should You Rent A Car In Ireland?

Hey, if you love those big group bus tours, by all means, go book one. It’s a decent way to see Ireland if you don’t have a lot of time.

No planning, no driving, just sit back and let someone else do all the work!

But if you’re like me, you prefer the adventure of independent travel.

No set schedule or timetable — driving around Ireland with the freedom to stop anyplace cool you find along the way.

If that’s the kind of traveler you are, renting a car in Ireland is the way to go!

Just keep in mind that some of the backroads in Ireland can be very narrow, and often feel like a single lane (but they’re not). With some practice, you’ll gain confidence on them!

Another nice thing we enjoyed about having a car was the ability to store things in the trunk, stopping off in Irish towns with small daypacks rather than hauling luggage everywhere.

Learning to Drive on the Opposite Side!

Where To Rent Your Car In Ireland

The best site to book your car is Discover Car Hire. They search both local and international car rental companies to help you find the best possible price. This is the easiest way to rent a car in Ireland.

We rented our car from Dublin Airport after spending a few days in the city. Our South West route brought us to Cork on the M8 before moving on to Killarney National Park and then Glengarriff, where my grandmother was born.

After tracking down our family history in this small coastal fishing village, we drove North on the Wild Atlantic Way up to Dingle and the famous Cliffs of Moher, then to Galway, and finally back to Dublin.

However there are many different road trip routes you can choose when driving in Ireland. Other major airports to consider picking up a car are Shannon in the Southwest and Cork in the Southeast.

Crazy Irish Winding Roads!

The Amazing Cliffs of Moher

Car Rental Insurance In Ireland

Some of the rumors about driving in Ireland are true, and the roads are VERY narrow in areas. Especially the backroads outside Ireland’s smaller towns. Don’t worry, I’ll share some tips for dealing with them below.

This is why I highly recommend getting full insurance coverage.

Typically, rental cars in Ireland come with a basic Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), but this isn’t exactly insurance, and only covers the car for up to €1000-3000 EUROS worth of damage.

This is the amount they hold on your credit card until you return the car in one piece. CDW typically does not include tire, cracked windshield, or undercarriage damage either.

While you can often save money booking your car with a credit card that includes car rental insurance, you REALLY must read the fine print, because many people wrongly assume their card covers them in Ireland.

If you get in a wreck driving in Ireland, declined full coverage, and you suddenly learn your credit card doesn’t actually cover the damage — you’re screwed. I can’t tell you how many travel horror stories I’ve heard like this…

It’s why I usually pre-book full coverage online. It’s cheaper than at the counter — and then you won’t have to worry about accidents at all!

The Stunning Cobh Cathedral

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Car In Ireland?

Renting a car in Ireland is going to cost you around $25-$40 USD a day, depending on the type of car you get. Our 4 door sedan was about $30 per day.

I recommend renting a car with an actual trunk (no hatchbacks) to hide your luggage from prying eyes. It helps to prevent break-ins if thieves can’t see your stuff.

Gas Prices

Gas (petrol) prices in Ireland might seem cheap to Americans, but remember that the rest of the world quotes gas in Liters, not Gallons (1 Gallon = 3.78 Liters). Currently, gas costs about $5.90 per gallon (€1.40 per liter) in Ireland. Diesel cars will often save you some money on gas.

Automatic vs Manual

Automatic cars are more expensive to rent than manual cars (but manuals are more common in Ireland), and you must specify what type you want when booking.

One-Way Rentals

There’s also an additional fee for one-way car rentals, which can vary by company. For example, if you want to drop off the car in a different city than you started from.

Admin Fee

If you opt to use your own credit card insurance, companies will charge you an “admin fee” of about €30 EURO.

Credit Card Fee

I was charged an extra €5 EURO just for using a credit card. Which is strange to me, but typical in Ireland.

Irish Taxes

Car rentals in Ireland have a very high tax rate of 13.6%. Ouch!

Age Requirements For Renting A Car

The minimum age for driving in Ireland is 18 years old, however most car rental companies enforce their own age limit of 21 years old to rent a car. They also charge an additional fee if you’re under 24 years old.

Driving Through the Town of Killarney

Irish Driving Laws Tourists Should Know

The most confusing part of driving in Ireland for most tourists is driving on the left side of the road — with the driver’s seat on the right side of the car.

If you’ve never been to a country that drives on the left, it’s wise to practice a bit in a small town before you head onto the highways of Ireland.

For example, just North of Dublin Airport is the town of Swords. Maybe spend an hour or two getting the hang of driving there before you enter Dublin or onto the main highways.

While challenging at first, especially if driving a manual, you’ll get the hang of it quickly and will be ready to explore Ireland by car in no time!

The speed limit on local roads is generally around 80 km/h while on national highways it’s up to 100 km/h.

International Driver’s License

No, you do not need an international driver’s license to drive in Ireland or rent a car there. Just bring your passport, credit card, and your driver’s license from your home country.

Ross Castle at Sunrise

Helpful Tips For Driving In Ireland

Watch out for sheep! In many smaller towns, local shepherds move their sheep on the roads. You can easily round a sharp bend and find yourself stuck behind a huge flock walking down the road.

Narrow backroads in Ireland don’t have standard break-down lanes as we have in America. There’s often no room for error or pulling over.

Sometimes your side-view mirror will be inches away from stone walls or hedges while passing other cars! It can make driving here nerve-wracking.

Remember to carry some cash for road tolls on Ireland’s major highways. Irish tolls can cost between $1-$3 for a passenger car.

In the countryside, some roads are truly single lane, but with traffic in both directions. In these situations, there are pull-outs so one of you can pull over for the other to pass.

USEFUL TIP: Buy a cheap “learner” sticker (L) sold at gas stations so locals don’t get pissed off at your incompetence on their roads!

The Colorful Town of Glengarriff, Ireland

Advice For Renting A Car In Ireland

You don’t need a rental car for Dublin itself. Parking can be a pain and Dublin is very walkable with excellent public transportation too.

If you’re starting your trip in Dublin, maybe book a rental car when you’re ready to leave the city, for exploring the rest of the country.

Don’t book a car without reading the company reviews. You’ll find plenty of bad reviews for every company (people love to complain online), but try to pick one with the LEAST bad reviews.

You may not always get the make/model/type of car you booked. If they give you a smaller car, or a manual when you asked for an automatic, be pushy and ask for an upgrade.

Inspect your car thoroughly and record video on your smartphone pointing out damage before you leave. This is a backup if they attempt to charge you for damage that was already there.

Pay attention to if your car takes regular petrol or diesel fuel, so you fill up with the correct type at gas stations.

Use Google Maps on your smartphone for directions. Bring your own hands-free adapter and buy an Irish SIM card at the airport.

Enjoy Your Ireland Road Trip!

Exploring the small villages, ancient castles, green mountains, and coastal cliffs of Ireland in a rental car was definitely the right choice for us.

Self-drive road trips get off the beaten track to see things most people miss! ★

Check Car Rental Prices & Availability In Ireland

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Car Hire is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.

Enjoy This Post? Pin It!

READ MORE FROM IRELAND

How To Visit The Cliffs Of Moher The Best Of Dublin Travel Guide My Irish Genealogy Road Trip Claiming Irish Citizenship By Descent

Any questions about driving or renting a car in Ireland? Are you planning a road trip there? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

[its-just-like-the-movies]

Date Night!: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Back when the swell fella who would become my boyfriend and I were in one of those strange middle grounds where we were on our way to becoming a couple and very, very aware of it, our first sort-of-date was when Tommy invited me to go see Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice on its opening night. I, of course, accepted, somewhat reluctantly. I can’t remember if I was expecting the film to be good or bad, though I’m sure before then some of its abysmal reviews had been public. I was also nervous about the whole “oh my god this is probably sort of a date isn’t it”, especially since at the time I didn’t know him all that well. This would be the first of many dates at Ze Cinemah, although after this we’d be perfectly, happily aware that they were all dates. Even better, I think, is our immediate discussions after the film is over, and how eager we are to talk about it and discuss what we’ve just seen. We’ve seen plenty of films together, and maybe I’ll talk about other ones we’ve seen someday, but I can already feel a pit in my stomach drop at having to talk about this stinking pile of steamingness. All said, Batman v Superman is one of those truly atrocious films, like The Judge or The Danish Girl, that works like so much manure and makes me start sparking and frothing with how horrible they were. It’s an energizer more than it is a depressive, though it for sure is both, and there is one thing about our date in particular that haunts me every day. It’s not even something the film did, but something I did, or almost did, but could have done more of. Something that perhaps could have changed the screening for the whole theater, or as Anthony Hopkins keeps saying in the trailers for the new Transformers movies “change the tide of human history itself”. I wonder about it every day and every night, as I sleep and as I wake, and especially as a type this story to you, The Void, and now I must share the tale of my screening of Batman vs Superman with you to get it of my chest, to free myself, and to see where the tides of human history itself shall take me. Also: I’m going to be very mean to this film, and am very not interested in hearing about how wrong I am from random eggs as I and many others I know have been on Twitter. I hate it, don’t care if you love it, for fuck’s sake leave me alone.

It didn’t take the two of us long to find a pair of seats, though we immediately moved to the row behind us because our view was partially blocked by the structure of the stairwell. We warned the couple who ended up taking those seats about it, though I can’t remember if they moved too. And the film starts. Zack Snyder has the gall to open the film by reminding us that Batman’s parents died in front of him during a robbery gone wrong. He also seemingly cannot hire Jeffrey Dean Morgan to do much beyond die in the openings of his films, though I remember he had more to do in Watchmen. The visual of Martha’s(!!!) pearl necklace snapping in the gun’s safety as the trigger is pulled is sort of fascinating but also pretty grotesque, all things considered. Batffleck is saying something, though I cannot remember what. We see the funeral, little Bruce running into the woods in sadness during the procession, only to fall into a well or pit or some such hole in the ground. The score, I’m sure, was going crazy.

And then, it happens. Baby Bruce is levitated out the pit by seemingly hundreds of bats flying around him like a tornado, floating him towards the light. This is how we are abruptly told that this is a dream sequence, and reader, I laughed. Not the cackle it deserved, but I couldn’t stop it from escaping completely. I chuckled, giggled, whatever; I’m pretty sure Tommy hit me on the arm to calm me down and get me stop but I’m not quite sure. The giggle is what counts, though, and it haunts me. What if I had just burst out laughing at a moment that the whole theater was palpably flummoxed by? Batffleck wakes up but I am still reeling from the horseshit prologue we have been subjected to. It is not the most nonsensical thing we are going to see in this movie. It is not even the least plot-relevant indulgence that Zack Snyder will take us through, nor the least inexplicable jump of energy or plot logic that we’ll be forced to sit through. Academy Award winner Holly Hunter will be forced to stare dramatically, in close-up, to a jar of piss before she and dozens of other people are killed in an assassination plot meant to frame Superman, whose own close up registers at the subtle, bottomless despair and discomfort of sitting on the can and realizing you’re not quite done shitting, except Henry Cavill also registers as remarkably bored. Jeremy Irons reads every line as Alfred Pennyworth with such bitchy, subtly nasty inflections that I actually found the character an unwelcome presence, though if anyone found this a life raft of something enjoyable happening on screen, particularly Irons, then by all means savor him. Amy Adams will throw a Kryptonite spear into an underwater pile of rubble and, with no indication that Lois Lane has been told why the heroes need it to vanquish the rock monster that is Doomsday, dives into the water and nearly drowns recovering it. Batman slaughters - in fact, he often guns down - dozens of criminals on screen, brands sex offenders, had one montage that’s just him training to become even beefier and another, completely bizarre dream sequence that may also be a warning from another dimension’s Flash where Superman is technically Hitler, and Barry Allen screams about Lois Lane before Batffleck wakes up at his desk, which is meant to convey that this May Have Been A Dream Or Is It Ooooooh. This scene has no narrative impact and is never referenced again, though it is not as patently stupid as is the sight of Superman, wielding that Kryptonite spear, deciding to kamikaze himself by killing Doomsday with the knowledge that he cannot survive any assault the giant may bring on him while he is in such close proximity to said spear, ignoring the two superheroes who have been helping him fight Doomsday this whole time.

There are plenty of other absurd, delicious, amazingly shitty one-offs. Michael Shannon is credited for appearing in the film for the three seconds General Zod’s corpse floats in the remains of his spaceship. The President of the United States decides to nuke Superman in the middle of his fight with Doomsday after the latter threw the Man of Steel into the Earth’s orbit (a safe enough distance to nuke him, I suppose). Diane Lane is duck taped and tied to a chair, threatened to be burned alive as Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor throws photos of her with “Witch” written on her face, and all of this is tied into some mythological asinine crap that is Luthor’s motivation for wanting to kill Superman and create Doomsday in the first place. Eisenberg spends the whole film as some combination of Edward Nygma and a meth addict’s impersonation of Heath Ledger’s Joker, and it is by far the biggest trainwreck in the whole film. I think I also resisted laughing once “MARTHA!!???!?!?!?!!!” happened but in truth, I blocked that out of my memory. The sheer joy of seeing Wonder Woman, and hearing the score come alive as she roars into battle, literally, at some points, is all that is keeping me from giving this film an F grade, though perhaps I just can’t rate an Amy Adams film that low. Gal Gadot is at least enjoying herself, which is in even bigger contrast to the stark constipation that Cavill and Ben Affleck are constantly exuding. The film has ideas about literal hero worship, about what Superman could mean or stand for, and wants to have real conversations about his necessity, but it jerry-rigs them through Christic imagery and working hard to undermine the criticisms of genuine challengers and the critics themselves. Bruce’s hatred and suspicion of the Man of Steel seems completely arbitrary, banking on the fear of Superman turning on humanity in spite of his big coming-out party as a global entity being the eradication of his home species for the sake of mankind. Horrific as the collateral damage was, it’s not in line with anything Superman does in the film, is shown as doing, or is framed as doing by Synder himself, who doesn’t pretend for a moment that there’s actually anything wrong with Superman. He’s content to make the man a misunderstood martyr, a golden boy whose death inspires the formation of The Justice League and the warming up of Batman’s glacial, inherently distrusting heart. Superman is basically fridged on behalf of Bruce Wayne, and it’s clumsily executed as Smallville himself is. 

There are so many vile, absurd, abstracted, unnecessary, horrific moments in this film and yet, I still wonder how much that night would’ve changed had I actually burst out laughing at the beginning of the film. What would’ve changed for the whole theater if some jackass sitting hear the back-left had cackled as a small child is literally lifted out of a scene the filmgoing public had seen at least seventy-eight million times by now, one that kicks off an indefensibly ghastly excuse for a Hollywood spectacle lit worse than even the lowest budge episode of The X-Files and colored like it’s scared that bright shades will deflate how Dour and Serious this Cinematic Experience is? Recounting many of the set pieces I’ve already mentioned back to my sister afterwards I couldn’t help cackling at some of them, though I did so far more angrily with Tommy immediately after, baffled not just that I had paid for this film but that it even existed, that anybody who made this gigantic dumpster fire thought that it was in any way a competently crafted, psychologically or emotionally coherent picture. Could we, as a crowd, as a community, have laughed at this horseshit for what it was? I love that in horror movies the audience always make the pact with itself that fine, this is a lot, you deserve a good scream. This picture was even more upsetting, and perhaps if I’d laughed, having taken the piss out of it so goddamn early, we wouldn’t have had to just sit there and take it. We could’ve fought back and laughed at it (with it?), openly railed against it, or just fucking not be quiet throughout this whole ordeal. I will always be haunted by this inaction on my part, and to this day it shames me.

He did try to defend parts of it, but not much, and for sure stole my comments about how Eisenberg wasn’t even playing Lex Luthor when we starting talking about the film to our RA Josh and fellow hallmate Dylan in the hall that same night. Josh peddled the theory that Marvel people had paid off critics to hate on DC’s live-action features, which I challenged by asking why Marvel would even need to do that. It’s not even that DC’s films are so drastically worse than any of Marvel’s features, but Marvel at least has a brand formula at work. Their knock is never that their bad, just predictable and uninspired, though they’ve been getting a little better at going against both those counts lately, with the Guardians films at least. And I will say this for Batman v Superman: It’s awfulness has staked a far larger claim on my mental landscape than The Avengers or Deadpool or most Marvel fare ever has. I liked Man of Steel fine, was particularly impressed by the early minimalism in portraying Superman’s powers, especially his x-ray vision, and was even playing devil’s advocate with family members I saw it with. I’m semi-interested to return to it, but not passionately so. You for sure couldn’t call this film formulaic, perhaps unworthy of all the bombast it’s applying to itself but worthy of notice the way a burning car is, or how Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern are seemingly in awe of that giant pile of shit in Jurassic Park. As dubious as literally every aspect of this film is, the sheer magnitude of its awfulness is compelling in such a way that I became anticipatory of the film’s eventual Rifftrax takedown as I was watching it. I don’t know how soon into it this idea started, but once Amy Adams dived in to get that spear I could already hear the befuddled joke about Lois Lane: Plot Psychic that Kevin Murphy would probably hurl at the screen, and it made this mess a little bit better.

All things being honest, I am absolutely going to see Justice League with my boyfriend, though I wonder how much more excited he is than I am. I loathed Suicide Squad but thought it was so poorly edited I stopped caring and would up having something of an okay time, appreciating Margot Robbie trying to find a character in Harley Quinn and relishing that Viola Davis actively seemed to want to be there a little as I did. Of course I’ve seen Wonder Woman, a step above most recent DC efforts in that it’s compelling, competently told and emotionally resonant, though it really shows Gadot isn’t much of an actress. There’s a lot about it I questioned in the moment but I am so, so appreciative of Wonder Woman as a film that exists, and one I mostly enjoyed seeing even as I actively wished for a better version of the film while I was watching it. Maybe I should just not see these given how much I end up railing against these projects, but I love watching movies with my guy (who I also love) and they are great conversation fodder. Plus, we watch lots of better movies together! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was the first of many, many delightful date night movies, and we weren’t even dating yet! My guy was easily the best part of the film, though it’d be a discredit to it say that it wasn’t a memorable experience, future boyfriend or no. I truly hope I never see it again, at least not sober, but I got a great story out of it, and a great man too, which is more than a lot of movies have ever given me. And at the end of the day, it’s that the biggest reward a person could get? It’s not like this makes Batman v Superman anything more than a gray, ugly, violent, gross, despicable, unpleasant, misogynistic, time-wasting, utterly horrendous, steaming pile of shit. But hey, it counts for something.

[kyreeoliver]

I want to be clear on something in my post from last night: • Whenever I post about something deeply personal, especially having to do with my biological father, inevitably I get at least a few coaches in my inbox offering a “free chat” or “guidance” or “support in clearing through this.” • All sound great on the surface but each and every one oozes with snakes energy, somebody just looking to use feigned empathy to get a new client. • I’ve said before, i’m not against coaches; I’m saying that to coach ME you have to be incredibly sharp, I have to respect you, you have to understand my brain and how it works and what it needs to be pushed. • You can’t learn that in a 12-week coaching certification. I have been coached in college football by ex-NFL coaches and in a business/life coach I would need that level of expertise MINIMUM! • I have to be at least a little bit intimidated by you and your energy for it to even be an option. • I know the rest of this is going to sound conceited before I even write it, but these are my genuine thoughts and requirements for anybody I would ever consider hiring. • Anybody who comes into my inbox with these messages mentioned above will be sent the link to this exact post. • • If I see you as an intellectual equal you cannot coach me. - • If you rely on NLP you cannot coach me. - • If you can’t understand at or above genius IQ’s and an EQ to match, you cannot. Coach. Me. - • If you were not literally born for this role you cannot coach me. - To be honest, Shannon Graham is the only coach I’ve ever had a call with who really had me wishing I was in a position to hire him. - My coach will help me shift the world in one way or another, that’s not a small task. It’s going to take that special person and they will NOT be cheap. (I will be paying them over $100,000/year) - Here’s to attracting somebody that’s up for the challenge in the next year or two. https://www.instagram.com/p/BuppjIUgHLL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=a6a9nwo4gty3

[mfmagazine]

100 Monkeys

Article by Victoria Laurey

By “Curious George” I think we’ve got it! Los Angeles bound, 100 Monkeys, will rock the stage of your hometowns’ local nightclub in the near future. With a funk-rock like sound that would surely electrify the inner species in you; this band knows how to put on a show. Coming from all sorts of jungles, this group of guys had emerged to bring music to a new stance. They are spontaneous in all that they do, from improvising songs due to the audiences’ request, to switching up the roles a bit playing a variety of instruments and vocals.  

If you enjoy the sounds of Iggy Pop mixed with the Raconteurs, then this quintet exudes rock-n-roll of the 60’s in all aspects. Besides singing along to their lyrics, you may have seen these guys in action in other projects such as: Jackson Rathbone (who appears in such movies as “The Last Airbender,” and the “Twilight” saga), Ben Graupner (Trapped in the 5150, Devolved), Jerad Anderson (Wayne/Lauren Film Company), Lawrence Abrams (of the great Willie Bobo, Bob Hope U.S.O. tour, and The Artist Consortium), and Ben Johnson (of the Stevedores and music producer of Spencer Bell’s “Brain”). After getting a taste from the rise of 100 Monkeys’ second album, “Liquid Zoo” I can assure that it won’t disappoint.

Coinciding with the “Liquid Zoo” album release, 100 Monkeys kicks off a 40+ city US tour starting in Cincinnati on June 28 and will also include dates in Dallas, Anaheim, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco and other major cities.  The guys were also selected as one of LG’s “One’s to watch” this summer. They promise the biggest and best tour yet and of course the usual surprises along the way that only 100 Monkeys can deliver.  The band logged a quick eight day tour over the winter holiday playing to sold out venues in several cities across the southern U.S. and they are more than eager to get back to what they love...playing for their fans.

What was it about the supposed phenomenon, "The Hundredth Monkey Effect” that inspired the name for the band? We believe that The Hundredth Monkey effect is very real, not just supposed.  It's the way of art to spread through the cultural mind in an exponential way, especially in this modern age of internet and social networking.  The population of the world is more connected than it has ever been, and we are very lucky to be living in a time when a simple idea or creation can be spread beyond its community of origin and be appreciated by so many.

At what age did you guys pick up your first musical instrument? Which instrument was the hardest to learn? It was different for all of us.  Lawrence Abrams was playing the conga drums almost before he could talk, and has been ever since.  We suppose the hardest instrument to learn is the one you play the least. Time and energy equal experience and ultimately skill.  

In a MTV interview, Jackson expressed how he and Ben G. first started the band off as a duo, improv piece. What motivated the two to pursue the idea of the band further? How did the other members come to be? The duo became a three piece when we convinced Ben Johnson to move out to Los Angeles.   Jackson and Jerad had been jamming together for years, and when we met Lawrence, it was only a matter of time before it all came together.

Your music is said to be based on; drinking, the devil, death and women who cheat and steal. From those particular genres, would you say your music comes from personal experiences? Yes!

On your upcoming album, "Liquid Zoo", you have anomalous song titles such as; Shywater, Black Diamond, Invisible Monsters, and Devil Man. What new sound can your fans expect to hear? The inspirations for the sound of the songs on Liquid Zoo comes from many different genres and styles of music, so the listener can expect variety throughout the album.  At the same time, we are one band with five members, and we think there is a consistency to how we play the music together.

" Every Monkey Dookies" is the title from the band's book. What inspired the book? Do you intend on making it into a book series? We wanted to convey a universal message to the people of the world, something that everyone can relate to and learn from.  And there is a lot of room for sequels.

A lot of bands have that one thing that separates them from the rest. What other trademarks does the band have besides improving at live shows? We switch instruments many times during our set.  An audience member can expect to see each of us playing every instrument on stage throughout the show, as well as taking a turn at lead vocals on different songs.

On an episode of " When I Was 17", you called yourselves the "Prank-war Gods" - have you ever played pranks on the other band mates? What was the best prank you two have done on one other? Given the close quarters and living situation of a tour bus, we have kept an armistice.  It is always a temptation though...

After, starting off as a host for Disney's 411, Jackson, have you ever considered creating your own show? Yes.

In the movie "Girlfriend" Jerad, you and Jackson get into this huge brawl over "Raising Hope" star Shannon Woodward. Jerad, was it a challenge for you to become vulnerable within that character when it's your friend attacking you? It was easy to feel vulnerable in that situation because he was lunging at me, fist first, at full speed.

What's the craziest thing that has happened while on tour? We hired a clown for Jerad's birthday on tour.  We hid on the bus with the clown and had party poppers at the ready.  When Jerad opened the door we set off the party poppers, but also accidentally set the clown's hair on fire.  Needless to say, Jerad was very confused. Luckily no one was hurt and there was no damage to the bus.

Do you guys partake in any special hobbies besides music? The members of our band are involved in a wide variety of artistic endeavors.  You never know when inspiration will strike, and what form it might take.

There are many myths when it comes to superstitions. Do you guys have any? If so, what are they? It's not really a superstition, but we always make our set list for a show within an hour of going on stage.

You guys are set to hit some major cities on tour. Which places are you most excited to visit? The places we haven't been yet, to play for our fans there and meet the new people.  And many cities we have been to before, every place has its own feeling and way about it. It's one of the best things about being on the road to get to experience that in a new place every few days.

The band's sound is said to be a mixture of "Iggy Pop with the Raconteurs" Who are your strongest, musical influences? Is there a possibility of future collaborations? Our musical influences are as varied as our individual members' backgrounds and upbringings.  From jazz, blues, top 40, southern rock, folk and traditional music, even surfer rock, we have a wide range of influences we draw from.  We're always looking to collaborate with other artists and bands.  Look out for an upcoming debut album by The Bleeding Horse Express in August, it was produced by Jackson, mixed by Scott Coslett, and The Bleeding Horse Express will be playing shows with us on this upcoming tour.

After current and new fans come from seeing you perform live, is there a message within your music you would want for them to obtain? We're all going to die, so have a good time!