#Setting up a Workshop in a Small Space 2019

[beardedmrbean]

November 4th is the start of seven days of exciting events that make up this year’s Czech Space Week. Designed to promote the space industry in Czechia and inspire the next generation of galactic enthusiasts, Czech Space Week is happening across the country, and has something for everyone. I spoke to Marie Němečková, director of Space Hub and member of the Czech Space Team, about what the week has in store:

Could you introduce for us the whole world of the Czech Space Week? How long has it been going on for, and what organisations are involved in putting it together?

“The Czech Space Week has been going on since 2018, so this year we’re looking at the seventh edition of this festival. It actually is a celebration of the Czech Republic’s ten-year membership of the European Space Agency. It’s been growing and growing ever since. It started with just a few small events, and now it's grown into a much larger and much widely-encompassing festival.

“There are many events throughout the week and we are trying to target all the different possible audiences, from an academic audience, to the professional audience, like businesses and start-ups, to children, families and young students.”

So it starts today, I believe that the first event is happening as we speak, so could you tell us a little bit about what people can expect? What sort of events are there – something for everybody?

“Yes, that’s right. The first event of Czech Space Week, the official beginning, was today, and we were very glad and lucky to have the president of the Czech Republic here, starting the programme. Then, right now, we have the Czech Copernicus User Forum and Remote Sensing, which is an event for a professional and academic audience, focused on Earth observation data. Tomorrow, we have the Space2Business, which is more focused on doing business in space and having companies meet. We have some guests from abroad coming, such as from the US.

“Then there is also a showcase of start-ups with ESA BIC, the ESA Business Incubation Centre in the Czech Republic, which is on Wednesday. We have the motivational debate of Space4Women on Thursday, and there is also a workshop between academia and industry. That's organised by the Czech Academy of Sciences. On Friday there is something called Next Stop Space, which is a job fair for students and an event for students that are interested in going for a space career in various fields.

“During the weekend, there is a workshop for analogue missions, for analogue astronauts. That is organized by the CHASM community and Hydronaut, which is an analogue mission company. Throughout the whole week there is a programme devised by Pevnost Poznání and by iQLANDIA. These are two different programmes that are focused on children, families and young people, for having fun and meeting space in the setting of science and a family-friendly environment."

And do I understand it right that this is not just happening in Prague?

“Yes, we are trying to have the event all over the Czech Republic. So, for example, the Space4Women debate is taking place in Brno. The Space2Business event this year is in Prague, but the job fair is in again in Brno. Pevnost Poznání is in Olomouc, iQLANDIA is in Liberec. We have different events all over the Czech Republic in different planetariums. There's also a space movie screening, which is very much open to the general public. That's on Sunday and it's in Prague again.”

Are there any events that you are looking forward to personally?

“I always look forward to the whole Czech Space Week, and I try to attend as many events as possible, but my personal favourite would be the Space4Women debate. It actually started my own journey in space when I first attended it in 2019. I was so inspired by the amazing women that I decided I want to pursue a career in space, so that's a personal love for me.” _____________________________________

Link didn't want to embed so click here to go to the source.

[bsw-company-formation-in-uae]

Government Grants and Incentives for Low-Cost Business Setup in Dubai

Are you someone looking to start your own business overseas? Dreaming of starting a business for so long? But couldn’t get it done because of funding?

Well, well, here is your golden chance to fulfil your dream.

Where? 

DUBAI is the palace for you. There is no need to worry about funding. The government has many grants and incentives for budding entrepreneurs to set up a business in Dubai.  

So what are you waiting for?

Read the article to find out some ways of funding your entrepreneurial venture.

Dubai SME

Dubai SME is a part of the Department of Economic Development (DED), established in 2002. 

This has become a resource for support for the growing SMEs (small and medium enterprises). 

This Dubai SME will assist you in guiding the path of your entrepreneurial journey development. 

Start your business planning and maintain the financing. Simplify the business setup process in Dubai with the help of Dubai SME.

It is not uncommon for people that company formation in Dubai is no easy job. Thus, you should know where and how to start the process. 

Dubai Free Zones

There are different free zones designated for media, healthcare, logistics, and many more. Thus, anyone who wishes to start a business in any of these Dubai-free zones can enjoy the many advantages. Excited much? Well, the benefits are like this. You will get 100% foreign ownership, capital repatriation, tax exemption, and many more. 

These free zones are structured in such a way that benefits entrepreneurs and business investors. 

Dubai also has more than 30 free zones. 

The UAE has some special economic zones in every emirate. These free zones were established to promote business and uplift the economic situation. 

Sheikh Khalifa Fund (SKF)

It was initiated with the aim of encouraging entrepreneurship with workshops and training programs. 

Khalifa Fund was established in 2007 in Abu Dhabi with other branches. This fund started expanding in 2011. 

They held more than 900 workshops to promote entrepreneurship. The amount of the activated loan was 1.32 billion AED in 2019. 

This Sheikh Khalifa Fund aims to boost SMEs by providing the required funds. There are various programs included in this fund, such as the Khalifa Fund Membership Programme, Abu Dhabi SME Hub, Supporting Export Capabilities, and e-Empower. 

Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (DTEC)

DTEC (Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre) is the largest technology entrepreneur space in the Middle East. All entrepreneurial management is taken care of with the designing and management of this co-working space. 

Many corporates, investors and entrepreneurs come together to set up their business ventures in Dubai every year. 

Comfortable workspaces, conference rooms, cafes, telephone booths, fashionable common areas, and gaming rooms are available in Dtec. 

This space was created in the hope of promoting startups in the UAE. 

Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy

Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy was established in the hope of offering different entrepreneurship programs with training and workshops to enhance the knowledge of budding entrepreneurs. 

There are various courses included in this program, such as financial planning, marketing, legal compliance, business financing, finance, and accounts, providing valuable insights for low-cost startups.

This academy is accredited under the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). So, it is very beneficial for an entrepreneur to start learning entrepreneurship. You can do it through online as well. 

Business Incubators and Accelerators

Organizations like in5, Turn8, and Dubai Future Accelerators are some popular business organizations known for their services to support entrepreneurs with their business needs for their startups in Dubai. 

Dubai hosts many business incubators and accelerator programs to promote industry-based opportunities, fellowship, and funding. 

If you are an entrepreneur thinking of setting up a business in Dubai, then the emirate has various business incubators with which you can collaborate. 

These organizations will provide you with funding, office space, and business advisory services and will help you find potential investors, partners, and customers. 

Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030

The Dubai Industrial Strategy was announced in June 2016. 

This strategy also aims to make Dubai a hub for the global Islamic products market. 

The growth of these industries will be knowledge-based, innovatory and sustainable. 

The strategy further has six sub-sectors: Aerospace, Maritime, Aluminum and Fabricated Metals, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment, Food and Beverages and Machinery and Equipment. 

Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 aims to transform Dubai into an international platform with industrial activities. 

This strategy paves the way for opportunities for industrial enterprises by promoting incentives, R&D grants and infrastructure support. 

Our Role

Dubai has all the potential to become a business hub at an affordable cost. with the governmental initiatives and incentives. There are more than 1000 active businesses operating in Dubai-free zones. You might need business professionals to help with company formation in Dubai.

Business Setup Worldwide can be your management consultancy. We have experienced business consultants who will assist you in this journey. Choose any cost-effective business setup package out of many. All you have to do is to contact us and start your business today.

[griffey67518022-blog]

class="title model-scope ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer" model="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; qualifications: rgb(18, 18, 18); max-peak: four.8rem; overflow: concealed; font-weight: 400; line-peak: two.4rem; colour: var(--ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer-title-colour, var(--yt-spec-text-Major)); font-spouse and children: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: var(--ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer-title-font-dimensions, 1.8rem); rework: var(--ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer-title-rework, none); text-shadow: var(--ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer-title-text-shadow, none);">force-default-model="" class="model-scope ytd-movie-Major-details-renderer">Setting up a Workshop in a little Space (2019) - With no Nightmare Finances (Under $1000)

type="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-measurement: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; qualifications-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">The way to Create Your Woodworking Store In A little Place With no Nightmare Budget. Click this link to set up your buy underneath $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019type="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-measurement: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; qualifications-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

Explore All the things You have to know About Starting Your Top A little Woodworking Workshop

They say a person is only pretty much as good because the tools he chooses to use. This statement is particularly real. Besides skill, your craftsmanship is largely determined by the tools you employ. Any time you don’t know how to select the proper tools, you've got a even larger dilemma in the palms. Obtaining been a woodworker for that previous fifteen or so several years, it is Secure to say that I've noticed and completed all of it. Beginning was fairly difficult for me. I wanted I'd someone to manual me by means of every action of the best way, but I wasn't Fortunate. I'd to understand the really hard way, producing a number of blunders in the process that Expense me Countless dollars even though establishing my workshop and growing my enterprise. An assessment of Top Compact Store Guidebook.

When I initially acquired and skim Ralph's manual, I really wished I'd this guide fifteen several years back.

Find out more about Top Compact Store below : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019type="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-measurement: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; qualifications-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

Here is why:

Certainly one of the greatest blunders I designed prior to now was overspending on tools. I was purchasing undesirable tools and also other moments I ended up overspending on tools I really didn’t require. It is possible to’t blame me although; anybody searching for high quality tools on a funds will inform you that the working experience is like walking on a minefield. This is because you will discover various aspects you'll want to take into consideration. I quickly discovered that buying from massive box suppliers including Residence Depot, Amazon Walmart, Lowes, as well as like wasn't a good suggestion. This really is especially when trying to find a one quit buy your Software connected needs.

And as Ralph mentions, the "paid out" reviews and recommendations make purchasing tools a guessing match. This is because more often than not, these "sponsored" reviews are paid out for because of the makers on the tools them selves!

The online sellers also usually offer, previous refurbished tools pretty much as good problem tools to end up getting upset after a few works by using. Then There is certainly also the risk of purchasing too much when it comes to amount and price, not paying out ample and in some cases purchasing tools that just ****. This working experience is heartbreaking as you just don’t lose money, You furthermore may lose your worthwhile time. It receives even worse if you go throughout the working experience a number of moments. I Virtually give up my enthusiasm and in no way acquired started out using this type of interest.

Just as I'd described earlier, After i started out out 25 several years back I wanted I'd someone to manual me by means of establishing my shop. I understand you will discover various other woodworkers who are in an analogous problem at the moment.

Here is why I hugely endorse Top Compact Store to anybody establishing shop This is actually the crucial purpose why Ralph produced the last word Compact Store Guidebook that will help you set up a totally purposeful small shop on a funds. And it Plainly shows in the guide.

There are many guides available on shop set up but The majority of them don't concentrate on funds - which is in my view among The key aspects.

Let's face it, you could set up any shop you prefer When you've got a unlimited funds! But not anybody has that luxurious - absolutely not me. So the information and tips is beneficial and really practical for shop setups on a funds.

Ralph contains all the teachings he has discovered the really hard way and his big target is to save lots of you from your agony on the trial-and-error strategy of establishing shop. Thus, you will no more really need to make bone-headed blunders or waste any extra money purchasing the incorrect tools

Click this link to set up your buy underneath $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019type="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-measurement: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; qualifications-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

Anything you Can Look forward to finding During the Guidebook:

The manual consists of 6 modules which include:

• Instrument Assortment

A lot of woodworkers lose a lot of cash in the course of Software range. The manual will clearly show how to determine the tools you require prior to deciding to begin purchasing them. In addition it consists of a hand-Software and ability Software searching listing, and a short list of important pneumatic, moveable, and stationary tools plus where by to have all of these tools at discounted selling prices. You will also get to find out how to keep your tools in top rated shape.

• Place Assortment

Determine the achievable dwelling workshop Areas plus distinct layouts With this manual. You will also get Tips regarding how to divide your house workshop into distinct parts.

• Lights, Electrical power, and Soundproofing

You may know all the things about electric power and lighting inside of a workshop such as distinct layouts and cost. You’ll also be enlightened regarding how to soundproof your woodworking shop by nearly 70 percent for underneath $500.

• You will also understand Cooling, Heating, and Ventilation, as well as, how to handle dust in the workshop. You will find tips on safety also.

This manual is perfect for you in order to find out how to set up a totally stocked purposeful workshop. type="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-measurement: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; qualifications-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ek5soqyqlw https://goodwin27176330.tumblr.com/post/184808676130/course-title-design-scope

[perry87294161-blog]

course="title type-scope ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer" type="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background: rgb(18, 18, 18); max-peak: four.8rem; overflow: hidden; font-bodyweight: four hundred; line-peak: 2.4rem; color: var(--ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer-title-color, var(--yt-spec-textual content-primary)); font-family members: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: var(--ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer-title-font-dimension, 1.8rem); transform: var(--ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer-title-transform, none); textual content-shadow: var(--ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer-title-textual content-shadow, none);">power-default-type="" course="type-scope ytd-online video-primary-data-renderer">Establishing a Workshop in a Small Space (2019) - Without having a Nightmare Price range (Below $a thousand)

design="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; background-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">Tips on how to Create Your Woodworking Store In A Small Area Without A Nightmare Budget. Click the link to create your buy under $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; background-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

Find out Every thing You Need To Know About Setting Up Your Top A Small Woodworking Workshop

They are saying a person is barely nearly as good given that the instruments he chooses to work with. This assertion is particularly genuine. Aside from skill, your craftsmanship is largely determined by the instruments you use. If you don’t learn how to choose the suitable instruments, you do have a more substantial trouble in the fingers. Acquiring been a woodworker for the earlier 15 or so several years, it's safe to state that I've witnessed and performed everything. Starting out was pretty challenging for me. I wanted I'd somebody to guide me by each phase of the way, but I wasn't Blessed. I'd to learn the challenging way, generating several mistakes in the procedure that cost me Countless bucks whilst creating my workshop and increasing my organization. An assessment of Top Little Store Guideline.

After i first acquired and skim Ralph's guide, I actually wished I'd this book 15 several years back.

Learn more about Top Little Store listed here : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; background-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

Here's why:

One among the greatest mistakes I produced in past times was overspending on instruments. I was purchasing negative instruments and other occasions I ended up overspending on instruments I actually didn’t need to have. You can’t blame me however; everyone searching for top quality instruments on the spending plan will show you which the practical experience is like walking on the minefield. This is due to there are actually many factors you should consider. I immediately learned that purchasing from significant box shops for instance Dwelling Depot, Amazon Walmart, Lowes, plus the like wasn't a good suggestion. That is particularly when trying to find a a person prevent buy your Resource connected needs.

And as Ralph mentions, the "paid out" evaluations and suggestions make paying for instruments a guessing match. This is due to more often than not, these "sponsored" evaluations are paid out for via the producers in the instruments them selves!

The net sellers also often offer, previous refurbished instruments nearly as good affliction instruments to finish up becoming unhappy following a several takes advantage of. Then There is certainly also the chance of purchasing an excessive amount of with regards to amount and value, not paying out adequate and even purchasing instruments that just ****. This practical experience is heartbreaking because you just don’t shed dollars, Additionally you shed your beneficial time. It will get worse any time you go through the practical experience several occasions. I Just about give up my enthusiasm and never received started out using this passion.

Just as I'd talked about previously, After i started out out 25 several years back I wanted I'd somebody to guide me by creating my store. I am aware there are actually many other woodworkers who will be in the same situation at this moment.

Here's why I very recommend Top Little Store to everyone creating store This is actually the vital reason why Ralph established the Ultimate Little Store Guideline to assist you create a totally practical compact store on the spending plan. And it Evidently demonstrates from the book.

There are lots of guides around on store setup but most of them don't target spending plan - that's in my view amongst A very powerful factors.

Let's face it, you are able to create any store you prefer Should you have a unlimited spending plan! Although not everyone has that luxurious - unquestionably not me. So the ideas and information is helpful and really practical for store setups on the spending plan.

Ralph consists of all the teachings he has learned the challenging way and his big purpose is to save you from the agony in the demo-and-mistake technique of creating store. Consequently, you are going to no longer must make bone-headed mistakes or waste any more cash purchasing the wrong instruments

Click the link to create your buy under $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; background-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);">

That which you Can Expect To Find Within the Guideline:

The guide has 6 modules which involve:

• Resource Assortment

Quite a few woodworkers shed lots of money throughout Resource variety. The guide will present how to ascertain the instruments you need before you start off purchasing them. What's more, it has a hand-Resource and energy Resource buying listing, and a brief listing of significant pneumatic, moveable, and stationary instruments plus exactly where to have all these instruments at discounted prices. You will also get to find out how to keep the instruments in major condition.

• Area Assortment

Find out the achievable residence workshop Areas plus distinctive layouts On this guide. You will also get Tips on how to divide your house workshop into distinctive areas.

• Lights, Electrical energy, and Soundproofing

You can know every little thing about energy and lighting in a workshop including distinctive layouts and cost. You’ll also be enlightened on how to soundproof your woodworking store by around 70 per cent for under $500.

• You will also find out about Cooling, Heating, and Ventilation, along with, how to manage dust in the workshop. You can find tips about protection likewise.

This guide is perfect for you if you wish to find out how to create a totally stocked practical workshop. design="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimension: 13px; white-Area: pre-wrap; background-coloration: rgb(18, 18, 18);"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ek5soqyqlw https://goodwin27176330.tumblr.com/post/184808141120/class-title-type-scope-ytd-online

[kelly21269512-blog]

class="title design and style-scope ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer" design and style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; qualifications: rgb(18, 18, 18); max-peak: four.8rem; overflow: concealed; font-bodyweight: four hundred; line-peak: 2.4rem; colour: var(--ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer-title-colour, var(--yt-spec-text-Principal)); font-spouse and children: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-sizing: var(--ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer-title-font-sizing, one.8rem); transform: var(--ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer-title-transform, none); text-shadow: var(--ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer-title-text-shadow, none);">pressure-default-design and style="" class="design and style-scope ytd-video clip-Principal-details-renderer">Setting up a Workshop in a little Place (2019) - Without A Nightmare Funds (Under $one thousand)

design and style="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-Place: pre-wrap; history-coloration: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">How To Create Your Woodworking Shop In A little Room And not using a Nightmare Funds. Just click here to arrange your buy under $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design and style="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-Place: pre-wrap; history-coloration: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

Discover All the things You have to know About Putting together Your Top A little Woodworking Workshop

They are saying a man is only pretty much as good because the applications he chooses to utilize. This statement is especially true. Moreover ability, your craftsmanship is basically determined by the applications you utilize. Once you don’t learn how to pick the suitable applications, there is a bigger difficulty within your palms. Acquiring been a woodworker to the past fifteen or so several years, it is Risk-free to state that I have noticed and carried out everything. Beginning was very tricky for me. I needed I had someone to guideline me by each move of the way in which, but I was not lucky. I had to discover the tricky way, generating various issues in the method that cost me 1000s of dollars while starting my workshop and growing my company. An evaluation of Top Tiny Shop Tutorial.

Once i to start with acquired and skim Ralph's guideline, I really wished I had this e-book fifteen several years back.

Find out more about Top Tiny Shop below : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design and style="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-Place: pre-wrap; history-coloration: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

Here is why:

One of the best issues I made prior to now was overspending on applications. I was shopping for undesirable applications together with other times I ended up overspending on applications I really didn’t need. You can’t blame me even though; any one seeking top quality applications on a finances will show you which the experience is like going for walks on a minefield. This is due to you can find several aspects you'll want to consider. I quickly figured out that purchasing from large box vendors for instance Property Depot, Amazon Walmart, Lowes, and also the like was not a good idea. That is especially when seeking a one particular cease buy your Instrument similar requires.

And as Ralph mentions, the "paid out" opinions and recommendations make purchasing applications a guessing video game. This is due to most of the time, these "sponsored" opinions are paid out for through the brands of the applications on their own!

The online sellers also are inclined to provide, aged refurbished applications pretty much as good affliction applications to end up getting disappointed following a couple of takes advantage of. Then There's also the risk of shopping for an excessive amount when it comes to amount and selling price, not investing more than enough and perhaps shopping for applications that just ****. This experience is heartbreaking since you just don’t lose money, You furthermore may lose your precious time. It receives even worse if you go in the experience various times. I almost hand over my passion and never ever obtained started off using this type of pastime.

Equally as I had outlined previously, After i started off out twenty five several years back I needed I had someone to guideline me by starting my shop. I'm sure you can find several other woodworkers who are in the same condition at this moment.

Here is why I very endorse Top Tiny Shop to any one starting shop This is actually the critical purpose why Ralph developed the Ultimate Tiny Shop Tutorial that can assist you arrange a completely useful tiny shop on a finances. And it Obviously shows while in the e-book.

There are several guides in existence on shop set up but most of them Never give attention to finances - that's for my part one of The most crucial aspects.

Let's face it, you may arrange any shop you want When you have a countless finances! Although not any one has that luxury - undoubtedly not me. So the information and assistance is beneficial and really simple for shop setups on a finances.

Ralph consists of all the lessons he has figured out the tricky way and his big purpose is to save you through the agony of the demo-and-mistake process of starting shop. As a result, you are going to not should make bone-headed issues or waste any more money shopping for the wrong applications

Just click here to arrange your buy under $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design and style="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-Place: pre-wrap; history-coloration: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

What You Can Look forward to finding While in the Tutorial:

The guideline includes 6 modules which include:

• Resource Assortment

Several woodworkers lose some huge cash throughout Instrument assortment. The guideline will display how to determine the applications you will need before you decide to get started shopping for them. In addition it includes a hand-Instrument and electricity Instrument procuring record, and a brief list of significant pneumatic, portable, and stationary applications as well as where to have all of these applications at discounted rates. Additionally, you will reach learn the way to maintain your applications in prime shape.

• Room Assortment

Find out the achievable property workshop Areas as well as various layouts Within this guideline. Additionally, you will get ideas on how to divide your private home workshop into various regions.

• Lighting, Electric power, and Soundproofing

You can know all the things about electric power and lighting in the workshop like various layouts and cost. You’ll also be enlightened on how to soundproof your woodworking shop by approximately 70 per cent for under $five hundred.

• Additionally, you will study Cooling, Heating, and Air flow, as well as, how to handle dust within your workshop. You will find recommendations on protection at the same time.

This guideline is ideal for you if you would like learn the way to arrange a completely stocked useful workshop. design and style="coloration: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-Place: pre-wrap; history-coloration: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ek5soqyqlw https://bury68867377102.tumblr.com/post/184807775476/class-title-type-scope

[riley74952779-blog]

class="title fashion-scope ytd-video-Main-details-renderer" fashion="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; track record: rgb(18, 18, 18); max-height: 4.8rem; overflow: concealed; font-weight: 400; line-height: two.4rem; color: var(--ytd-video-Main-details-renderer-title-color, var(--yt-spec-text-Main)); font-relatives: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: var(--ytd-video-Main-details-renderer-title-font-size, one.8rem); remodel: var(--ytd-video-Main-details-renderer-title-remodel, none); text-shadow: var(--ytd-video-Main-details-renderer-title-text-shadow, none);">force-default-fashion="" class="fashion-scope ytd-video-Main-details-renderer">Starting a Workshop in a Small Space (2019) - Without A Nightmare Finances (Under $1000)

design="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; track record-color: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">How To Put in place Your Woodworking Store In A little Room With no Nightmare Price range. Click the link to put in place your shop for beneath $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; track record-color: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

Discover Almost everything You Need To Know About Establishing Your Greatest A little Woodworking Workshop

They say a person is just nearly as good because the instruments he chooses to make use of. This assertion is especially real. In addition to talent, your craftsmanship is largely determined by the instruments you employ. If you don’t learn how to pick the proper instruments, you have a more substantial problem as part of your palms. Having been a woodworker with the past fifteen or so a long time, it is actually Protected to state that I've noticed and finished all of it. Starting out was quite rough for me. I wanted I'd an individual to guideline me by each step of how, but I wasn't Blessed. I'd to learn the really hard way, producing several blunders in the method that Price me Countless bucks while setting up my workshop and rising my organization. An assessment of Greatest Smaller Store Manual.

Once i initial acquired and read Ralph's guideline, I actually wished I'd this e-book fifteen a long time back.

Find out more about Greatest Smaller Store below : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; track record-color: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

Here is why:

Among the greatest blunders I created up to now was overspending on instruments. I used to be acquiring terrible instruments along with other periods I wound up overspending on instruments I actually didn’t need to have. You are able to’t blame me although; any one seeking good quality instruments over a funds will inform you that the experience is like strolling over a minefield. It is because you can find various aspects you must think about. I swiftly discovered that purchasing from big box merchants for instance Dwelling Depot, Amazon Walmart, Lowes, plus the like wasn't a good suggestion. This can be particularly when hunting for a a single stop shop for your Software related requirements.

And as Ralph mentions, the "paid" assessments and proposals make buying instruments a guessing activity. It is because most of the time, these "sponsored" assessments are paid for with the manufacturers in the instruments by themselves!

The web sellers also have a tendency to market, aged refurbished instruments nearly as good ailment instruments to finish up being dissatisfied following a several makes use of. Then there is also the potential risk of acquiring too much when it comes to amount and cost, not shelling out more than enough and perhaps acquiring instruments that just ****. This experience is heartbreaking since you just don’t eliminate money, You furthermore mght eliminate your precious time. It will get even worse if you go throughout the experience several periods. I Nearly give up my enthusiasm and by no means acquired commenced with this interest.

Equally as I'd talked about previously, After i commenced out 25 a long time back I wanted I'd an individual to guideline me by setting up my store. I realize you can find various other woodworkers who're in a similar predicament right this moment.

Here is why I hugely recommend Greatest Smaller Store to any one setting up store This is the key rationale why Ralph established the final word Smaller Store Manual that will help you put in place a totally functional modest store over a funds. And it Obviously reveals during the e-book.

There are lots of guides in existence on store set up but A lot of them You should not center on funds - that's in my view considered one of the most important aspects.

Let's be honest, you are able to put in place any store you prefer Should you have a infinite funds! But not any one has that luxury - absolutely not me. So the information and tips is useful and very realistic for store setups over a funds.

Ralph contains all the lessons he has discovered the really hard way and his key goal is to avoid wasting you with the agony in the trial-and-mistake means of setting up store. Therefore, you might no more should make bone-headed blunders or squander any more money acquiring the wrong instruments

Click the link to put in place your shop for beneath $1000 : http://bit.ly/workshopsmall2019design="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; track record-color: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);">

Anything you Can Anticipate finding From the Manual:

The guideline has six modules which include things like:

• Instrument Variety

Quite a few woodworkers eliminate some huge cash for the duration of Software range. The guideline will exhibit how to determine the instruments you may need prior to deciding to get started acquiring them. Furthermore, it has a hand-Software and ability Software searching list, and a short list of critical pneumatic, moveable, and stationary instruments as well as where to get every one of these instruments at discounted rates. Additionally, you will reach learn how to maintain your instruments in top condition.

• Room Variety

Discover the achievable property workshop spaces as well as various layouts With this guideline. Additionally, you will get Thoughts regarding how to divide your house workshop into various spots.

• Lighting, Electrical power, and Soundproofing

You can know anything about electrical energy and lights inside of a workshop including various layouts and value. You’ll also be enlightened regarding how to soundproof your woodworking store by around 70 % for beneath $five hundred.

• Additionally, you will learn about Cooling, Heating, and Ventilation, as well as, how to handle dust as part of your workshop. There are actually tips on safety as well.

This guideline is perfect for you if you'd like to learn how to put in place a totally stocked functional workshop. design="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-loved ones: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-dimensions: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; track record-color: rgb(eighteen, eighteen, eighteen);"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ek5soqyqlw https://linares45431389.tumblr.com/post/184807638839/course-title-type-scope

[weareyour4]

5 ways I’ve minimalised my life and why - BonnyBirdNerd

Minimalism is a great idea. But bringing this way of life from your Pinterest board into your home, appearance and habits can be tough. It requires commitment, concentration, and consideration - three Cs that, for some, can be chores. Everyone’s ambitions and appetites for change are different. Rather than doing your utmost to imitate a single minimalism guru (as lovely as they are), it may be more helpful to consider one or other of these entry points - and if you’d like to dig deeper, I’ve linked my supporting research.

Reinvent your inventory

Decluttering! Easier said than done in a world chock-full of pretty, shiny, purchasable things. But if you’re looking to improve self-esteem, it’s worth jumping in - recent research from Japan (Aso, 2018) shows that people aged 12-54 who took part in four weekly workshops about health and living spaces improved substantially on clinical self-esteem questionnaires.

Aso, Y. (2018). An educational program for young people who have difficulty decluttering and organizing. European Journal of Public Health, 28(suppl_4), cky214-137.

Redirect the debits

Financial trouble is a ditch everyone should avoid falling into in the first place, but if you find yourself in it, there are significant steps you can take to get out. If your spending habits easily get out of control, ask your bank about a basic bank account. Basic bank accounts are designed for people with bad credit scores, or other vulnerabilities that make it harder to preserve money. They’re similar to any other account - you can make withdrawals from ATMs, set up direct debits and standing orders, and use online banking, but you won’t be eligible for perks like overdrafts or cashback. If you’re on good ground financially, it’s still worth keeping track of your direct debits and regular spending, even just by keeping them in a note on your phone.

Keefe, J. (2011). Guidance to help tackle mental health debt. Mental Health Nursing (Online), 31(2), 10.

Try being timeless

The practice of living in a minimalist way has also been called ‘voluntary simplicity’ or ‘deconsumption’. But is achieving ‘voluntary simplicity’ simple? According to Błoński & Witek (2019), it can be as straightforward as slowing down and honestly considering purchases. What does this look like? Investing in one high-quality dress as opposed to eight terribly-made pieces, using local sharing and freebie apps, and most pressingly, resisting the pressure to impulse-buy - a superpower the shops don’t want you to gain! Personally, I combine this with strategy 1 by thinking ‘one in, one out’ when I’m about to buy something - have I recently done sufficient decluttering to sensibly allow this new shiny thing into my life? I know it sounds harsh, but I’m happier for it.

Błoński, K., & Witek, J. (2019). Minimalism in consumption. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sectio H–Oeconomia, 53(2), 7-15.

Switch the socials

In his book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, Cal Newport advocates taking an audit of your technology use, including social media. Digital minimalism, he says, means that “you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else”. So if you want to get away from Facebook’s toxic echo chambers and creepy ads, but can’t bear to miss out on the latest scorching memes, perhaps a more focused platform is the answer. I’ve found Pinterest to be an ideal replacement space for inspiration, useful tips and mindless amusement, without the constant badgering to ‘connect’ and ‘share’ my every thought. Alternatively, you could simply try a day or two without any kind of scrolling. See what strange and wonderful things are waiting around the corner!

Janssen, M. (2019). A Guide to Digital Decluttering: A Review of Digital Minimalism.

Make more moments

It’s worth asking, why the surge in minimalism’s popularity? Has the whole world decided to become an Ikea? Uggla (2019) notices that people living minimally in the USA and Europe lean towards conscientious, activistic, even radical justifications for their choices. Polish minimalist bloggers express wanting the greater freedom that comes from owning few material possessions, while Americans adopt minimalism out of wanting to save money and time. One common theme in people’s self-reported minimalist journeys is being able to find a deeper sense of self and meaning after they have offloaded their unnecessary stuff: the fast pace of a life built around constant consumption and novelty is destabilising to a person’s identity. In other words, after stepping out of the rat race and saying no to keeping up with the Joneses, it’s easier to move towards the things you really wanted all along.

Uggla, Y. (2019). Taking back control: Minimalism as a reaction to high speed and overload in contemporary society. Sociologisk forskning, 56(3-4), 233-252.

[chilling-seavey]

Hii! I was just thinking back to ABM before and I got this idea... would you be able to do something where maybe Clementine gets jealous of, say, Penelope and Corbyn’s relationship because their personalities are so similar? I read some of the blurbs before and the one where the boys were babysitting the girls and Corbyn and Penelope just clicked. Thanks!! 😁😁

Omg yes Penny is Corbyn’s lil buddy it’s so cute. Clementine wasn’t really much of a jealous type especially because she was so close with Jack but she does tend to get jealous when the attention isn’t on her—

Friday, March 15, 2024

Out of university, Corbyn got a job at the Science Centre just outside of the city where he worked in the space wing and gave tours and ran little workshops for tour groups and things. He really loved his job but he loved it even more when the girls came to visit too. Daniel had taken the day off work – Florence had a doctor’s appointment in the morning anyway – and then the family drove down to the science centre for the afternoon since Corbyn only worked there during the week.

He met them in the lobby and got them their tickets with his employee discount before leading them through the building towards the space wing. Three-and-a-half-year-old Penelope held his hand excitedly, eyeing his fancy white lab coat he had to wear with his first name embroidered on the breast pocket in blue font. Corbyn wore it and a beaming smile with pride whenever he was at work.

Five-year-old Clementine was sat in Daniel’s arms as they took the escalator down a few levels to the space hall but wiggled to be set down when they reached it. Clementine ran ahead when they got there, in awe by the dark painted ceiling dotted with little lights to resemble stars. She rushed right over to the first set up booth that had a display model of one of the space telescopes.

“This way, Clemmy.” Daniel called, urging her to follow after them deeper into the exhibit.

Corbyn led them down the star-lit hallway to another section that had a black-out curtain hiding a small circular room that was basically one big screen. Penelope wasn’t a fan of the dark so she took a bit of convincing to go inside, until Corbyn picked her right up and made a pinky promise that it was safe. Clementine held Florence’s hand as they all stood in the middle of the small dark room, Corbyn over by the wall where a computer screen was.

“What’s your birthday, buddy?” he asked the little girl in his arms.

Penelope held up three fingers.

“Not how old you are.” Corbyn chuckled. “Your birthdate.”

“January 1!” Clementine pipped up.

“We’re gonna do Penelope’s first.” Corbyn said.

Clementine frowned.

“July 30, 2020.” Florence answered for the youngest.

Corbyn set the date into the computer screen and the small room filled with a display of stars like they were standing right in outer space. Penelope’s eyes went wide and she peered around the whole room from her spot in Corbyn’s arms.

“This is what the sky looked like the day you were born!” Corbyn explained with a grin. “Isn’t it pretty?”

Penelope nodded, her small arm draped around his shoulders.

“Do you know your planets?”

“I do!” Clementine raised her hand eagerly. “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.”

“Very good, Clemmy.” Corbyn praised softly.

Clementine beamed with pride.

Corbyn carried Penelope closer to the wall of stars and pointed to a spot, “That’s Jupiter.”

Penelope reached out to poke it too.

Corbyn pointed to another one, “And that’s the Big Dipper constellation over here, making a little shape out of pretty stars.”

Clementine rushed over to see too, shouting an eager, “Can I see my sky now?”

“Okay.” Corbyn went back to the computer screen and typed in ‘January 1, 2019’. The screen flickered and shifted and revealed another array of stars and planets.

“Where’s Jupiter for mine?” Clementine asked loudly, tugging at the side of Corbyn’s white lab coat. He took her across the small room to point out the planet and a few constellations too. Penelope was still in his arms, scratching her little finger over the letters of his name etched into his lab coat, her head resting against his.

“Why don’t we move on to look at something else?” Corbyn suggested, reaching his free hand up to rub over Penelope’s back. She nodded.

He showed them the display of space rocks, crouching down to set Penelope on the ground and let her reach into the case to touch one. She ran her hand over it shyly before quickly pulling back and smiling bashfully up at Corbyn. Clementine rushed over too, weaseling her way in to see the rocks, nearly shoving her sister in the process.

“Hey, Clementine Ophelia, no pushing.” Daniel scolded lightly.

Penelope only frowned, sticking close to Corbyn as he shared a bit of information about the table they were at. He always had too many facts to share and at work it was his perfect excuse to use them. Florence and Daniel glanced at the few rocks displayed through the glass case.

Florence chuckled lightly, pointing to a small one as she whispered to Daniel, “That’s how big our baby is right now.”

Daniel only smiled, pulling her close and pressed a kiss to her cheek, setting his hand over the swell of her stomach.

Their moment was interrupted by Penelope bursting into tears. The parents looked over quickly to where Clementine had pushed her way between her little sister and Corbyn, which displeased Penelope greatly.

“Share.” Clementine snapped at her, tucking her arm around Corbyn’s leg as he stood, surprised.

“Yes, you do need to share.” Daniel said, holding his hand out to his eldest. “Come walk with Daddy, okay?”

Clementine frowned at him but stomped over, letting her sister have priority with Corbyn. The eldest sister scowled as Corbyn scooped up Penelope again and she quieted down nearly right away. He reached into his coat pocket with his free hand and pulled out a planet shaped sticker, holding it out to the little girl in his arms.

“A sticker to dry your tears?” he offered.

Penelope grinned and took it from him with a whispered, “Thank you.”

Clementine’s frown deepened until Corbyn reached into his pocket again and pulled out another sticker to hand over to her.

“Did you think I’d forget about the big sister?” Corbyn tisked, smiling sweetly as Clementine beamed and grabbed it from him.

“What do you say?” Florence said, tugging lightly at her daughter’s thin ponytail.

“Thank you.” Clementine mumbled, smiling down at her sticker before holding it up to her sister in Corbyn’s arms to show off, “Ha-ha! Mine’s bigger!”

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Hunter Cardinal

The magic of collaboration and connection starts with an encounter. If you’re an artist reading this, you likely have goosebumps. If you’re the artist who said it, you’re Hunter Cardinal, a sakāwithiniwak (Woodland Cree) theatre artist, hailing from Sucker Creek Cree First Nation. Though his name has been on the lips of Fringe Theatre fans since 2018, he’s most recently gained attention for his and his sister’s newest co-endeavour, Naheyawin. With clients including the Legislative Assembly Office, Naheyawin offers sustainable, Indigenous-based solutions for businesses and institutions working to improve diversity and inclusions and reinvigorate the spirit of Treaty into their organizations.

Regardless of whether he’s writing a play or teaching a workshop, it’s the questions Hunter asks that change the approaches people take. Those skills, paired with his belief that storytellers tell stories for those who need them, help us value our shared histories. Playwright, actor, and myth architect, this week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Hunter Cardinal.

How did you first get involved in the YEG arts community?

I got my start in high school at Strathcona Composite High School! Through the different musicals and training opportunities during that time, I found myself surrounded by incredible teachers and artists from this vibrant community. This often results in me getting to work with people I’ve looked up to for a very long time—something that never gets old for me.

You describe yourself as an Indigenous myth-architect. What does that involve, and what’s the significance of the title?

Myth-architecture is an extension of the teachings we’ve gained from our Elders, who have told us that storytellers tell stories for those who need them. Myth architecture begins with a question that feels important but is without an answer and challenges us to craft a narrative that provides some sort of response. Often, this looks like “completing,” “expanding,” or “setting up” a pre-existing myth. With the play Lake of the Strangers, for example, we completed the myth of Mista Muskwa (The Big Bear) as we tried to answer the question: Why should we heal when there is so much darkness?

Looking back on your success as a first-time playwright with Fringe Theatre, what advice would you give aspiring playwrights?

I would encourage people to use everything they can about themselves and who they are as a person when crafting a story. So often we’re encouraged to leave who we are and whatever we’re bringing with us ‘at the door’ so that we can perform at our best. However, in my experience, the personal is highly universal.

Tell us a little about how Naheyawin came to be and what one of the highlights has been for you.

Naheyawin came from the ways in which my sister and I wanted to combine our passions—storytelling and system thinking—and be of service to our communities. The word Naheyawin, which can be said to translate into ‘the act of being Cree,’ was inspired by a phrase in our family.

That phrase is “When the people forget, the language remembers,” which reminds us that we can look to aspects of who we are—like our language—for guidance and tools to help us with the challenges we’re faced with today. What this looks like today is providing Indigenous-based solutions for the improvement of diversity and inclusion in businesses and organizations across Turtle Island (North America). This can take the form of webinars or us working with organizations on the unique challenges and opportunities they have to better incorporate Indigenous ideas or peoples into their work. I would say a highlight for me is whenever I get the opportunity to facilitate a webinar. I am so honoured to take part in the journey of learning that folx embark on—and so inspired by their open minds and hearts during our time together.

When you’re working with Edmonton businesses or community groups, what do you help them understand about Indigenous spirit.

For me, the most important thing is recognizing the gaps in world views of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. We often forget that Indigenous peoples have an entirely different way of looking at the world, so when we are talking about certain things like art, land stewardship, or Treaty—though we are using the same words, we are relating to them in entirely different ways. So recognizing these gaps gives us the opportunity to build those metaphoric bridges that lead to a deeper understanding and innovative solutions.

Did you always want to combine your passions for your work and your culture into your artistry?

Combing my culture into my work was fairly recent for me. I was raised with regular, but not frequent, exposure to things like smudging, going to sweat lodges, and visiting family up north at Sucker Creek First Nation. But it wasn’t until I was struggling with a role for a small project that was exploring Chekhov’s Three Sisters that I saw the utility of my culture and identity. For the entire process, I felt like the worst actor in the whole world (an all too familiar feeling)—every choice I made felt awkward and contrived, and nothing felt authentic or realized. When debriefing with my director at the time, he drew a connection between my character’s love of Latin and my love of Indigenous languages—and then everything changed for me. I felt like I had permission to use parts of myself that I otherwise would have ignored because I didn’t think it would be useful or appropriate (kind of tragic when I think about it). I then explored using parts of my identity as an Indigenous 20-something male as the backbone of my role as Hamlet at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival and felt like I could bring something very unique and grounded to that role.

What role has mentorship played in your life? Is there a piece of advice that you carry with you?

Mentorship has guided me entirely through my career—so it would be difficult to pin down just one piece of advice. But if I had to pick one, it would be the late Brent Carver sharing with me that in order to be fully present in a scene, an actor cannot leave themselves at the door. The bits of your life, emotions, etc., that you carry with you throughout the day can be fuel for creating beautiful, authentic, and singular moments on the stage. In that teaching, I walked away with the feeling that I am more than enough, and every single part of who I am and where my life has taken me is valuable.

What excites you most about the YEG arts scene right now?

The community. Edmonton has such a thriving scene here—and I would attribute that to the wonderful people that make this such an incredible ecosystem. All the success I’ve been fortunate to experience was all given to me (freely, without question) by those in this community—the roles, experiences, training, and connections.

A lot of the themes in your work seem to focus on the benefits of talking and listening—the richness of understanding. How have you seen that turn into meaningful change.

Talking and listening—whether as an actor, artist, or just a human going about their day—allows you to take a moment to connect with whoever or whatever is around you. That moment of reflection can also allow you to ground yourself in who you are, the values you enter a space with, etc., while at the same time allowing others to be different and unique themselves. I find that this moment to remember that you are connected—yet distinct—can really help folx become a more rooted ally, actor, or person. Often this can be done by asking yourself things like: what or who brought me here? How? What is my goal? What or who is around me?

Why do you choose to live and work in Edmonton?

I’m living here because this is where my friends and family are! When I’ve travelled or lived in other cities, I have always missed the sense of community here. Plus, the cost of living here is much more reasonable than Toronto or Vancouver. Also, I have a great connection to a local farmer for some very high quality, grass-fed beef.

What kind of city do you hope to help Edmonton become?

I hope this city becomes a place where folx feel connected to the larger stories that we’re connected to as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The richness of our shared histories makes me so excited to be here, and I really hope that people feel that in the future when they think about their connection to this place. Not only that, I hope that they feel a sense of wonder at the futures that await us.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to learn more about Hunter Cardinal and Nahayawin

About Hunter Cardinal

Hunter Cardinal is a sakāwithiniwak (Woodland Cree) theatrical artist hailing from Sucker Creek Cree First Nation and currently based in Edmonton, Alberta. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting degree from the University of Alberta, class of 2015, Hunter has performed across Canada and off-Broadway in New York. Recent stage credits include Titus Bouffonious (Theatre Network), Lake of the Strangers (Naheyawin and Fringe Theatre) and Hamlet (Freewill Shakespeare Festival). He is humbled by the steadfast support of his community, with notable achievements to date including the 2020 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role in a Comedy for his work as Fink in Titus Bouffonious, the 2019 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding New Play given to Lake of the Strangers, his first play co-written with his sister and dubbed Edmonton’s Best Actor by Vue Weekly in 2018.

[creative-journal-2021]

Researching my concept (14/08/21)

what existing projects are similar to my project?

Kits coffee and snacks - Brisbane

- coffee shop, also offers pre-packaged snacks and ice-cream and pies

- graffiti done by local street artist

- have a loyal customer base and community

Gateway Container Sales & Hire. 2014. Pop Up Shipping Container Cafes Are Taking Over Brisbane!. [online] Available at: <https://www.gatewaycontainersales.com.au/pop-up-container-cafes-are-taking-over-brisbane/> [Accessed 15 August 2021].

pop up retail park - Calgary

- includes a range of wares, including food, sports and clothing

- also acted as an event space, workshops were held by retail tenants regularly, as well as live music performances

- in addition to this, food trucks also operated in the area

(currently most similar to my concept)

Dailyhive.com. 2017. Outdoor pop-up retail park coming to East Village in June | Dished. [online] Available at: <https://dailyhive.com/calgary/east-village-junction-pop-up-retail-park-2017> [Accessed 15 August 2021].

common ground mall - seoul

- an entire shopping complex made up of shipping containers

- contains a lot of indie/less commercialised brands

- allocated space in the centre for food trucks

Pendrill, K., 2016. Pop-Up Shipping Container Malls. [online] TrendHunter.com. Available at: <https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/common-ground-mall> [Accessed 16 August 2021].

Boxpark - London

- created to be more environmentally friendly than other shopping centres

- lets small businesses set up shop somewhere without exorbitant rent

- has several restaurants, cafes and clothing stores

Grigoras, O., 2011. Shopping Mall Made of Recycled Shipping Containers. [online] Softpedia Newsd. Available at: <https://news.softpedia.com/news/Shopping-Mall-Made-of-Recycled-Shipping-Containers-239660.shtml> [Accessed 16 August 2021].

Stack - Newcastle (UK)

- built in an attempt to encourage businesses and entrepreneurs to set up businesses

- contains some businesses with large and loyal customer bases

- however, some businesses, who had been attracted to this new hub started struggling midway through their three year lease (this idea isnt a one size fits all)

Tighe, C., 2019. Evolution of UK High Street offers start-ups array of choice. [online] Ft.com. Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/90cefd22-dddf-11e9-b8e0-026e07cbe5b4> [Accessed 16 August 2021].

[architectuul]

Studio Visit: JQTS

The visit to JQTS studio took place towards the end of 2020, and in a true 2020 fashion: via Zoom. Cautious because of the COVID-19 pandemic and eager to keep the conversation going despite the distance, João Quintela and Tim Simon – founders of the JQTS studio – and I sat down to talk about their joint architectural practice, which was set up to work well at a long-distance format long before the special circumstances of 2020 kicked in.

Project VERTIGO, Lisbon, 2014 | Photo © Diana Quintela

JQTS is an architecture studio working between Lisbon and Hamburg. It was established about a decade ago, when its founders reconvened in Lisbon after originally meeting in Chile, during an internship at the office of Pezo von Ellrichshausen. Tim arrived in Lisbon for an Erasmus exchange at the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, which is also João’s alma mater; from their first jointly developed projects, the new studio emerged.

Project KAIROS, Lisbon, 2012 | Photo ©  Diana Quintela

The first project of JQTS came about as a reaction to the lack of opportunity for young architects, which was a consequence of the economic crisis Portugal struggled with during the early 2010s. In an effort to combine research with space and community activation through design, JQTS studio partnered up with a producer of pre-cast concrete, got a place for an intervention in the post-industrial, up-and-coming cultural scene of the LX Factory, and got to work. “We created these series of lectures and events, interventions and inventions, all of them completely done by ourselves but involving everyone: building in place, making the posters, writing texts, giving lectures”, João recalls. “It was a big process involving lots of people who were joining us as the project unfolded. That’s how we started, that’s the context.” Things changed in the meantime, with the tourism boom and sudden increase in demand for renovations and tourist houses. “We didn’t do many things connected to tourism – there is one particular project, ULISSEIA house in Marvila, but that space is also intended to be multifunctional,” João explains, noting that the coincidence, along with their personal preferences and interests, has led the JQTS practice away from working more on apartments and residential projects in general.

Project ULISSEIA, Lisbon, 2018-19  | Photo ©  Diana Quintela

Both João and Tim are currently doing their PhDs and teaching, which influences their joint practice in a myriad of ways. “If you take a look at our portfolio, you’ll see a lot of small-scale projects that we built either by ourselves or with students,” Tim says. Their workshops are grounded in theory and start with theoretical considerations but require students to pick the material up and start building. “Designing while doing, figuring it out in the process, testing the idea and the material – that’s what we enjoy doing in our workshops”, Tim explains. He is teaching architectural design at HafenCity Universität Hamburg, while João teaches drawing and painting at Lisbon’s Autónoma, along with a theoretical course in which architecture is considered in relation to art, cinema, and literature.

Expressive drawings as an architectural tool: from the projects ULISSEIA, VERTIGO and UNTITLED (Cascais, Portugal, 2019).

Teaching and research are vitally important for the JQTS practice. Tim’s Ph.D. project is practice-based, and he uses the studio’s designed and built projects as case studies in tectonics. “It’s about understanding that tectonics is the poetics of construction. So, we’re trying to use the construction to define the spatial structure of the architecture, but also to give expression to the architecture,” Tim says. He uses the projects as frameworks within which the ideas emerging from his research can be explored. The fact that many of these projects are set within the cultural context of theater or dance festivals helps, as such context encourages freedom of form and expression. “For this kind of project, we came up with the term commonstructures”, Tim explains. “We also understan these projects as places where it is possible to engage society with art. Bringing the people together is also something that I’m very much interested in – how people relate to the project, to the architecture, how they use the architecture, experience the architecture – and how all this relates to the idea of tectonics.” João is developing his Ph.D. project at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid. “It’s also related to the idea of structure,” he says. “Focused on two concepts developed by Gottfried Semper and Karl Bötticher, it’s connected with the idea of the structure and its esthetic potential, but also engages the idea of creating space, and specifically – creating common space.” Tim’s academic engagement with self-built and one-to-one built projects and João’s practice of drawing and painting with his students shine through their joint practice. They employ these techniques in their process, and, by building the projects, work towards understanding both the technique and the process better.

Project ALBERTO, Festival Materiais Diversos, Minde, Portugal, 2019 | Photo © João Barata

Project VIATICUS,  Lisbon, 2018  | Photo ©  Diana Quintela

At the time of our conversation, JQTS practice was in the process of moving their office to a different Lisbon location, while overseeing several projects currently in development in Portugal and Germany. Although the pandemic did not change their long-distance work process much, they are curious to see how this global experience will influence the use and the design of public space. As João puts it: “We can observe the rise in the people’s tendency to look for detached houses, with private yard, private open spaces… Still, I think the common space is in the public space of the city, and it still is the most important – but, unfortunately, now completely turned upside down.” Tim finds the idea of bringing urban qualities to the countryside interesting and anticipates a rise in architectural projects focused on the topic. “We will all need some distance from this experience to take stock and evaluate the change,” João says, as Tim adds: “But it’s going to be interesting to see what comes out of it”.

Project GALLERY PAVILION, Walk&Talk Festival, Ponta Delgada, Azores, 2017. Curated by KWY Studio  | Photo ©  Diana Quintela

—

JQTS Calçada Marquês de Abrantes 43, R/c Dtº 1200-109 Lisboa Portugal Web | Email

by Sonja Dragović

[southeastasianists]

Bent over a wooden table, Albert Tay, 61, picks up a plastic knife – the kind that comes with a McDonald’s takeaway order – and gets to work.

His hands run down a winding log of reddish-brown clay that is shaped like a dragon without features. Using the knife, he deftly carves out small, protruding scales, one after another, until they eventually form a dense pattern across the dragon’s body, which dresses up a 2-metre-long joss stick.

With more twists and flicks of the wrist, he works on the dragon’s head, sculpting its eyes, nose and beard. The dragon comes to life, almost.

Tay is in the business of making giant joss sticks by hand – one that has been passed down from his grandfather, who moved from Guangdong, China, to Singapore in the 1930s, to his father, and now him and his brothers.

But in a modern city, it is a vanishing trade. Tay believes that his shop, Tay Guan Heng, could well be the last of its kind in Singapore. A competitor shut down in January.

“This is not a way for the kids nowadays to make a living. You cannot survive,” he says, adding that neither his nieces, nephews, nor even his own children are interested in taking over the business.

“They are better educated, and they are doing very well. So we’re happy for them. This traditional work is for us old people. This cottage-industry kind of thing, especially our trade, will not last long. It’s a different period now, a different time.”

Tucked away in the industrial part of suburban central Ang Mo Kio, and surrounded mostly by automobile repair shops, Tay Guan Heng’s small and unassuming workshop belies its rich, 80-year history.

He brought with him a skill he had picked up back in Guangdong – making handcrafted joss sticks – and sold them for a living. Joss sticks are a type of incense fundamental to Chinese rituals, often burned as a form of offering and worship. The giant ones are typically used during the birthday celebrations of Chinese gods and the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Eventually, his son Tay Yong Poh, Tay’s father, took over and set up his own shop in Little India, an ethnic enclave at the heart of Singapore.

The ingredients for the handcrafted joss sticks are simple: a mixture of cinnamon tree wood powder and water, which come together to become pliable, dough-like clay. Tay Guan Heng imports its powder from Malaysia.

This clay is rolled out and shaped into giant joss sticks, which are adorned with anything from dragons to deities to Chinese characters. They are then dried in the sun for two to four days, before being painted with bright colours.

The standard 2-metre joss sticks, which are decorated with a three-dimensional dragon each, are sold in sets of three for S$150 (US$105). Customised ones can cost more, depending on the designs.

In its heyday during the 1990s, Tay Guan Heng was making joss sticks as tall as 5 metres – massive, towering structures that required four to five people to set up.

“Making those joss sticks was a group effort, we had to mobilise everyone in the family. You can’t do it on your own,” says Tay, the sixth of nine children.

“So my dad and I would build the joss sticks, my youngest brother would carve the dragon, my second and third brothers would do the painting. We even roped in friends to help carry and deliver the joss sticks. That was the fun part.”

Tay’s fondest memory of his childhood is growing up around the business with his big family. His father had taught him and his brothers the craft to keep them off the streets in Little India, where gang fights were rife back in the day.

Whenever it rained, the brothers would dash out of their shophouse (which served as both the Tays’ shop and living quarters) to save the joss sticks they had laid outside to dry. They even built a makeshift barbecue pit indoors to “grill” the sticks and dry them in time for the orders to be fulfilled.

But the family was dealt a blow in 1998, when the elder Tay died. To make things worse, official restrictions on the height and dimension of joss sticks that could be burned kicked in, sending revenue tumbling by 80 per cent.

“Everybody [in the industry] started to panic, and they stopped work. We didn’t know what to do. But it was either we try, or we give up. So we tried,” Tay says.

Of the nine children, it was Tay, his fifth brother and his youngest brother who stepped up to take over the business. He had to learn the ropes of running the shop, from doing the accounts to handling day-to-day operations, and looking for new business ideas.

Tay Guan Heng took small steps to diversify. On top of the regular orders from temples and clan associations, it started to make customised figurines for foreign tourists – be it Chinese mythology gods and goddesses, nativity sets, or Star Wars characters – and held workshops in schools.

Tay’s youngest brother, Amos Tay, known for his workmanship, participated in cultural festivals and exhibitions, including the London Cultural Olympiad in 2014. He died in October 2019 from cancer at 58 years old, but had continued working and visiting the workshop even as his condition worsened because he felt comfortable there, Tay notes.

“This is a gathering place for everybody,” he says. “My brothers always drop by. But it would be very difficult if I didn’t have this shop. That’s why if this shop has to go, life will really change.”

Today, Tay Guan Heng faces a different set of challenges: dwindling demand, tightening regulations, a lack of space and manpower, and perhaps the hardest hit it has taken in recent times, the Covid-19 outbreak.

The workshop has stopped running since Singapore introduced “circuit breaker” measures aimed at stemming the spread of the virus on April 7. These mandated that all non-essential businesses stop operations at their physical workplaces.

“Even before that, the temples were being shut and most celebrations halted. All our orders were cancelled, so totally zero business. We don’t know when this will end,” says Tay, who is preparing for demand to remain low even after the virus subsides, due to the economic downturn.

There are no plans for anyone to take over the business.

“Our age is catching up. I don’t know how long I can go on, but I would like to keep the shop going for as long as possible. We just have to do our best,” Tay says with a smile.

Outside the workshop, footsteps shuffle quickly as the sound of falling rain becomes louder and heavier. Tay leaps to his feet and rushes out to carry the giant joss sticks that were being sunned back into shelter, the same way he did in his younger days.

[clevelandstate]

CSU Grounds Department: From the Field to the Classroom  

Small buds studding trees, delicate flowers pushing up through the ground, the occasional 55-degree afternoon – the signs are all around us. Tomorrow marks the first day of spring and we aren’t the only ones ready!

The Grounds team at CSU will be dusting off their equipment to bring campus grounds back to life this spring. But when they aren’t working hard to keep our campus looking great, they partner with classes to share knowledge and experience beyond the classroom.

Last fall, students in Dr. Emily Rauschert’s plant ecology lab worked with groundskeeping staff in a plant propagation workshop. Students learned how to propagate – or grow new plants from parent plant seeds, cuttings, or other plant parts – multiple species of plants, including those common to campus like Ficus benjamina (weeping fig or ficus) and Crassula ovata (Jade plant).

This workshop stemmed off the propagation that takes place in CSU’s own greenhouse, which is located in the Grounds Department’s Plant Annex!

“This kind of integration of course concepts and our local campus environment helps [students] remember these concepts longer-term,” said Dr. Rauschert, Associate Professor of Plant Ecology. “We appreciate all the hard work [CSU grounds members] do to keep the campus beautiful and support our students’ learning!”

During the workshop, workstations were set up, each with a different propagation technique, while the ground’s staff lead horticulturists, Timothy Joseph and Timothy Square Jr., gave presentations on each method. Students then rolled up their sleeves to give each method a try and went home with fledgling plants of their own.

“It’s good for myself and my staff, knowing that there are young budding professionals that are interested in what we do. Our hope is that these skills will benefit them in their careers,” shared Timothy Square Jr., Superintendent of Grounds. “We believe campus should be a living lab to provide opportunities to learn and apply new ideas. We want to do our part to help educate.”

The groundskeeping team intends to continue educating and keep campus partnerships strong. Next month, they will be embarking on part two of the tree identification project they assisted with in 2019 as part of plant biology courses taught by Dr. Andrea Corbett.

To provide students with an interactive activity for their class, the groundskeeping team collaborated with the Center for Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Maker Space, and Dr. Corbett to create an interactive tree map.

QR code tags were secured to trees across campus. Students then embarked on a scavenger hunt to find different tree numbers, scanning the QR codes to learn about the biological content of the tree and answer questions based on the information they learned.

“I really enjoyed seeing the overall diverse array of trees CSU has on campus,” shared senior biology major, Hans Bogenrief. “I appreciate the work put in by the groundskeeping team at CSU because the amount of tree species they have to manage, and how widespread they are around the greater campus of CSU is pretty impressive.”

The members of the grounds department wear many hats – they are turf experts, irrigation techs, entomologists, wild-life control, data collectors, and campus collaborators. With their help, not only is the campus kept in tip-top condition, but students can learn outside the classroom and make a direct impact on our campus.

[youllgocrystalcrazy]

   November 14th? Gosh what time does to a person sometimes. It hadn’t even fully registered in the genius’ mind that it was already drawing close to the years end. Halloween had come and gone, but he’d hardly batted an eye at it, even with it’s vampiric perks. Plus, it didn’t help that he’d spent the last twenty-some-odd years in a distant crack in time to the past. The sweltering heat. The chasm he was forced to reside in... All alone. With N. Tropy and Uka Uka... Of course his internal clock was off!! It’s only tonight that it fully strikes him what day it is. What month it is... It’s his birthday. Hair sagging at the idea of it, Cortex sighs, resuming his business. Nothing good EVER came from his birthday. Oh, the notion of just having ONE year, just ONE where he could celebrate it while on top!! Or in the lap of luxury! With the world at his disposal or just a simple island vacation, either or would be lovely... But why celebrate the day where everything started to go wrong in his life? He’d been trying to preoccupy himself with organizing and tidying his room; Try to make heads or tails of all the stuff his alternate had amassed during his stay in this city. Sitting bow-legged on the floor while rummaging through various boxes in his closet, expression flat.

   Peeking inside the closet, the most noteworthy thing he can see are those very same items he was met with on his arrival. Teddy Bears. The Ushanka. The scarf. Not to mention some of the other brick-a-brack. The most damning thing though... The photo of the golden knight. It lies face down on his desk, tossed aside haphazardly in a desperate attempt to stay out of sight. Embarrassing. It’s a little too embarrassing to look at; head down and eyes fixated on the box before him, Cortex desperately tries to ignore the photo. All it did was force a heat to rise to his cheeks, recollecting that humiliating and pathetic display. A ‘heartfelt’ reunion? Greetings and being toyed with? Hugs and... Kisses? The latter generates a chill to run throughout his body. Cortex hasn’t the foggiest idea of the last instance anyone has given that level of affection, and he’d rather not be reminded of it. Such a breach in personal space. “Better now, Doctor Grumpy-wears~?” He paraphrases. “I’d rather bide my time waiting to return to the End of the Universe than be met with such treatment again... Really!! DO I LOOK the sort to rub shoulders with someone like... THAT?! A King? ...Knight? King Knight?! Ah, what did I do to get myself into this situation?! That lout!!” He crosses his arms, snorting at his alternate’s endeavors. He wants to curse his own name so terribly, but what good would that do? At least he’s found SOME Things of use his alternate had prior in the box before him.

   Holding up the wires in his gloves hands tenderly, Cortex analyzes what it is. A Surveillance system; One used for the confines of their home. Ah, to spy on everyone. Maybe he’ll set this up when Crash isn’t home. Hair drooping again, the genius scoffs. He’s never going to get used to that is he? Living with Crash Bandicoot. Why? Whatever force placed him here must have thought it a funny little joke to pull. He’s hardly laughing. Setting the cords aside, he continues to root around in the box again. A Pharaoh Costume? Really? He owned something like this?! The Headdress even has an ‘N’ Embroidered onto it!! “...Fine. At least my other self seemed to have impeccable taste in costumes.” Bringing the linen to his face, he gives it a light whiff. “Smells sweet. Halloween costume, no doubt. ...I didn’t go to a party in this, did I?” Setting that aside now, hands return to poke around in the container. This time, an ugly holiday sweater is removed, and honestly what it reads makes Cortex’s face twist in confusion. “‘I survived Empatheorem.’ ...What?” The hell’s ‘Empatheorem’? Well, whatever that meant, he balls up the sweater and tosses over his shoulder with reckless abandon. 

   Another box he begins to hunt through. “OW!!” Having something jab his finger, pinch it, results in him sucking on his finger comically. What the hell? Oh, It’s a tool box. He couldn’t see the wrenches and screwdrivers beneath the scrapped sheets of blueprint paper. Plucking one of the sheets from the pile however, Neo skims over it. Plans for a ‘Memoryraser’, as it’s called. Something to, well, wipe the memories of anyone it’s used on!! Looks to have been scrapped however. Clicking his tongue, he sets the paper back down and sighs. “Nothing of note yet... It seems. That Memoryaser idea sounded quite scintillating however. Perhaps if I revise it?” 

   One last box. Hopes are rather low, for answers, but maybe something? Anything at all? The Tupper clicks, and what he sees inside is- “A laptop. Hm. A little outdated too, if you ask me. Ah, it’s better than nothing... Let’s have ourselves a little looky-loo~” Charge cord plugged into the wall, Cortex sits himself at the desk, opening the device up. 

   ...He sees it out of his peripheral vision. A small groan, flushed cheeks, and eyes darting to the nearest wall, a gloved hand paws at the desk until it makes contact with the photo, quickly stowing it away where he won’t see it again for a bit. Beneath the desk. Of course! Ideal! Deep breaths and eyes focus on the screen again. “Now... If I know Me. And I AM Me, Hmhmh~ The password is...” A twenty-two letter word. Atomic number 119. Of course. It’s no surprise he uses that at his password. A bit of loading and... He’s in! “HAH!! Take that!! ...Me! ...” No one heard that, right? It’d be embarrassing if anyone, especially Crash, heard that. And should he really be trying to rub it in his own face that he had the password to his own laptop? Tossing his hands in the air nonchalantly, fingers hastily type away at the keys. Oh, there’s already quite the plethora of stuff in here to discover!!! Files on the citizens of Spirale! Well... a select few of them, but did their information shine!! Especially the information on Rosa. 

   ...This island wasn’t some sort of strange place overruled by some higher force?! But just a faction of individuals?! Some group calling themselves ‘The Island Stars’?! A new wave of anger washes over him. He was pulled here?! For what reason?! As part of an experiment?! A Game?! What were they doing this for?! To make fools or everyone?! To make a fool of him?! He wants to lash out and curse them, in his usual Cortex Fashion, but there’s still more information to uncover. 

   ...He- ...He had plans to take over this place. Well, it’s not unexpected, but it’s still surprising how much information on this strange city he’d gathered in his short amount of time!! Dating back to mid 2019 even!! What blows him away the most is his plans on The Cortex Vortex Redux. The N.E.O. How he planned to use a workshop called ‘Facet Five’ to his own machinations. Rosa and why she played such a significant part in it all!! Amazing!! Simply amazing!! Of course this was Dr. Neo Cortex’s own thought process being laid bare before him. Of COURSE He thought it was Perfect!! “My, my, and here I was beginning to think something was terribly wrong with my other self!! Still... Who is this ‘Rosa’? The photo of her is so blurred I can hardly make a thing out. I only have description to go on... An Underground shark dragon woman?” Well, one good thing about this city was that he wouldn’t need to make a brand new Evolve-o-ray. All the strange folk here made the need for such a devastating device pointless!! Why not just get right to the brainwashing after all?!

   One thing was clear. That little well deserved vacation could wait. Cortex, now filled with a new desire for revenge, a new ambition, and a new hope to turn everything in his favor, was grinning maliciously from ear to ear. Yes. It might take some time, more studying, and an arduous process, but he’d make this city his... It was like a reverse Rift Generator after all!! Bringing everything to him and isolating them from where they belonged. Underneath his rule... YES!!! IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER!!! ...Oh. But, Crash. And N. Tropy...

   Quickly peering out his bedroom doorway, he scans the house. No sign of anyone or anything. Still, to be safe, he stows the laptop away in the closet again, sandwiched between some of the boxes of his belongings. The last thing he needs is them snooping and finding out what he’s planning. Crash would no doubt try to stop him before he could even try.... And Tropy might try and steal his plans. No. Even improve them!! Hypocrite that he is, between the pair of them, Cortex is more known for hijacking anyone’s plans... Still, with these worries bouncing around in his skull, that smile remains on his face. The laughter is welling up inside him... But not here. He can’t!! He has to hold back... at least a little bit.

   So he laughs. And laughs, and laughs and laughs. Chuckling devilishly to himself about his new discovery. Soft, low, villainous laughter can be heard from within... Looks like this birthday went well for him for once... 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Cortex. Don’t get too Cocky, though!!

[olderthannetfic]

Let’s take a break from specific fandoms to talk about:

Platform Wars

In 2020, we’re all asking what’s next after Tumblr. This is nothing new. “Is thing X killing thing Y?” is a question fandom has been asking since long before Escapade. But these panels offer comfort and insight into our current fear of change.

They’re also fucking hilarious.

So, without further ado, here are some past Escapade panels on the subject of Change Is Scary:

1997 - Effects of the Internet on Fandom & Slash (On the upside: more fans, more conventions, more excitement and a 24-hour party. On the downside: are the connections more shallow? Are the changes made to "fandom as we knew it" change what we enjoy? Do print fans have something to fear? Or is this simple another wave?)

2000 - Less is More: Gluttony & the Decline of Quality in Fanfic

2004 - Amusing Ourselves to Death (Fannish Discourse in the the Age of the Internet By sheer quantity, has the quality of our conversation declined to predominantly static?)

2004 - LiveJournal, Boon or Bane? (Has the advent of LiveJournal brought about the demise of mailing lists? Has it splintered the venue for discussion to the point where it's impossible to have meaningful conversation? Is the LJ phenomenon just one big egotrip? Come join us to discuss these and other questions.)

2007 - Is F’locked the New Black (Is the flocked post the future of fan communication? Are we returning to the dark ages of closed lists, zines under the table, and "have to know someone"? More and more LJ posts are locked, communities are closed, and groups are invitation only. Is there a way to protect our RL selves (and our fannish selves), yet share our fannish commentary and fic? How does this all look to a newbie? Where is our new comfort zone? And how do we keep track of all of this?)

2008 - The Organization for Transformative Works (The Best Thing Since Ever, or the End Of Days? The OTW is an incorporated nonprofit organization established by fans to serve the interests of fans in multiple ways, including by providing open-source archive software (and an archive), legal assistance, and various efforts to preserve the history of fanworks and fan culture.)

2011 - Delicious - Rumors of Death Greatly Exaggerated? (Delicious, fandom's favorite bookmarking site may be getting shut down (or at least sold out) by The Man. What to do?)

2016 - Fandom Is Fic: from BNF to TL;DR. (From paper through Usenet to Livejournal, text was king. On Tumblr, long text is an imposition—isn’t it? Has fic been dethroned from its place at the top of the heap and fic-writing BNFs along with it? Discuss the dirty little social dynamics of the shifting patterns of fannish value and how we define 'fandom' itself. And what of zines and zine eds?)

2017 - The Kids Are Not the Problem (In recent years, media fandom has grown enormously. It has also scattered, spreading out to new platforms and meeting spaces. You often hear talk about "the kids" vs. "the olds," Tumblr vs. LiveJournal, or the problem of recruiting and retaining new fans. In this panel, let’s try flipping that script. If kids are not the problem, how can we change and grow? What awesome things are other fans doing/trying that people at Escapade should know about? Most importantly, what strategies can we use to leave our fannish bubbles and more fully experience fandom in 2017?)

2019 - The fall of tumblr (Fans have always looked for a good place to build communities on line. Recent events with Tumblr and other platforms like Facebook are restricting our gathering places and even blocking and purging our self-made content. How are people dealing with this? Fandom will survive, but where? Come discuss the problems and options out there.)

And below the cut, a whole bunch more panels on platforms and change:

1991 - Quality Control in Zine Publication/Economics of Fandom (Who is making money in fandom? Should they be? How accountable are fans? Editors? Artists? Have you ever written an LOC?)

1993 -  Supply and Demand in Fandom (Can we have too much of a good thing? How many cons or zine is too many? Are we glutting the market?)

1994 - Changing Nature of Fannish Communication (E-mail, and virtual zines, computer video editing and morphing -- all the new toys at our disposal...)

1996 - Internet—Will it eat your brain? Or take you to the poorhouse? (Nearly everyone has or can get access to a computer and thereby the Internet and the World Wide Web. What's out there for fans? What should you look for? What might you want to watch out for? How can you protect your pocketbook at the same time?)

1997 - Net Fiction & Print Fiction (Is the very existence of net fic changing the characteristics or reducing the quantity of print fic? Are there really stylistic and/or content differences? What makes some shows predominantly produce netfic, while others happily generate both? How do the barriers of access to each affect the fan community?)

1997 - History of Fan Socialization (Was fandom really different in the "old days"? Was there a feeling of community that we're missing now? Or is that just nostalgia clouding our memories? In today's net-connected fandom, what is (or should be) different? And what elements of the past should we try and retain?)

1998 - Professionals: Is the Circuit Dead? (Or has it just moved on-line? Is Pros fandom split on the subject of the internet? Many old circuit writers don't want anything to do with the new on-line library. They have objected to having their stories retyped an sent out, even on private e-mail. Has the paper circuit given way to the on-line library?)

1998 - Netfic Formatting A: How to Print It Prettily (An instructional panel, covering the basics of formatting, macros, and other time-saving tips to get the results you want.)

1998 - Privacy and Community: Pseudonyms, Screen Names and Face-to-Face Meetings (As more and more fandom is found online, how are we adapting to the anonymity that comes with it?)

1998  - Netfic Formatting B: From Word to Web, Making Shapely Net Slash (This panel is for everyone who wants to venture into the world of online slash, but gets nervous when faced with the myriad technical difficulties. Relax, it's easier than you think. We look at stylistic conventions, how to make your work newsgroup and e-mail friendly, and the dreaded subject header alphabet soup. We'll also cover some basic info on how to make a www archive site user friendly.)

1998 - Crossing the Line (An instructional panel on how to get what you want (more stories) in a world that may be unfamiliar to you (the web for print fans, and the insular world of zines for net fans).)

1999 - Does Print Fandom Have a Future? (In the age of instant, free net fic, is print fandom a dinosaur on its way to extinction, or a promise of reasonable quality in a sea of mediocrity? What are the key differences between zines and netfic, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Can the two coexist happily? )

2000 - Promoting Critique on Mailing Lists (How to promote critical discussion and attention to the mechanics of writing on email lists?)

2000 - Changing Power Dynamics in Fandom (With the decline of zine editors and growth of the Net, what's changed, and how does it affect us and our fanfic?)

2001 - Website Workshop 2 by the lady of shalott (Setting up and maintaining a fanfic archive, and in particular how to set up the Automated Archive software used by 852 Prospect and the Due South archives.) [NB: Yes, she went through a bunch of name versions before ‘astolat’.]

2002 - How to run a Fiction Archive (and Maintain Your Sanity)

2002 - Nobody Here But Us Sockpuppets (How multiple personality disorder takes on a whole new meaning in the world of mailing lists.)

2003 - Getting slash onto your PalmPilot for computer free reading

2003 - Recs Databases! Creation and Commiseration (Do you run a recs database and want to commiserate? Do you currently have a recs page and want to become database-driven? Want to talk about the relative merits of using PHP, MySQL, or Access to organize smut?)

2003 - How to Set Up and Maintain Fanfiction Archives (If you're thinking of running an archive, or already do and need some help, this is the panel for you. We'll cover everything from choosing a method of archiving, handling fandom growth, dealing with troublemakers, and just how much time, webspace and money are we talking, anyway? Come pick the archivists' brains.)

2003 - Has Escapade Run Its Course (Scuttlebut says: It's not like it used to be. My old friends don't come any more. My new friends can't get in. It's too big. It's too small. Oxnard, for god's sake? I'm getting sick and tired of the same shit year after year. Is Escapade old and tired? Does it need to be retired?)

2004 - HTML and Website Introduction (if you don't have a website and want to create one. where doyoustart'This will cover creating basic HTML pages and common webhosting options, as well as things to think about as you set iin vour first website.)

2005 - Where Have All The Good Conversations Gone? Rise & Fall of the Escapade Panel (Are people still interested in talking about the characters, plots, and themes of their shows? Has in-depth analysis of our fandoms been abandoned in favor of meta and fannish introspection? The forums for analytical discussion are disappearing as self-censorship and over-moderation increase. Can we change this? Do we want to?)

2005 - The Fannish Wiki (So we have the directorium, the directory of All Things Fannish. We visit it and it's just so cool, and we look for our fandom to see what it says... and it's not there! How to add it? What sort of info belongs there? How does a wiki work?)

2005 - I Was So Much Older Then, I'm Younger Than That Now (We've all heard about or lived through the tumultuous era when fandom moved online. But how has slash fandom, particularly slash fandom, changed since then? Are the changes the result of online fandom, or simply of a change in culture?)

2005 - Fanfic Archives (Setting up and administering fanfic archives: concepts, considerations, techniques.)

2006 - Putting your fic on the web (Basic skills for putting your fic on the web, including building your own very basic website, using LJ as a fic-site building tool, various options for labeling adult content, and using the standard upload interfaces for popular self-submit story archive software.)

2006 - Nifty Technology and the Future of Fandom (Fandom is quick to adapt to change and continues to bring fen together and to create fannish product. Fans have thrived regardless of how they communicate; via the post office, mailing lists, message boards, and Livejournal; they've pushed the frontiers of video and audio technology; and have managed to survive changes in copyright, pornography, and other laws. What are the upcoming trends and shiny new technologies on the horizon and how will fen use them to enhance fandom?)

2006 - Intermediate Webmastering (Designing your website for usability, options for restricting access to your website, making your stories easily accessed by mobile devices, and things to consider so fans can easily locale your site.)

2007 - Free Webtools and How to Take Fandom Advantage (Lots of free tools are available on the web to help the needy fan! Tools to edit pictures, make icons, write stories, share recommendations, share stories, and be fannish are becoming more available and more user friendly. Come chat about tools like del.icio.us, google docs, pxn8 audacity, itunes, the gimp, bittorrent, imeem, youtube and lll other things that you come and tell us about!)

2008 - E-book Readers (Sony PRS-505 or Amazon Kindle what's all the fuss about? Introduction to E-Ink and other mobile devices. What are the pros and cons of various devices? Where do you find e- books and fan fiction, and most importantly how do you get fan fiction formatted so you can read it on your ebook reader?)

2008 - If You Build It, Will They Come? (Roundtable on meta fannish infrastructure building strategies. bethbethbeth can talk about some of the specific challenges OTW is facing in its brave new fan territory, while oulangi can talk about why metafandom has flourished while very similar projects have failed, while we'll both discuss some of the challenges of the established meta/fannish structure of new communities, new fans, new technologies—and most of all, how do you keep the meta-fan conversation moving forward?)

2008 - Livejournal: Should Fans Take Their Business Elsewhere? (A discussion of the pros and cons of fannish communication on the various blogging entities.)

2008 - How to Find and Use Free Stuff on the Web (All kinds of free webapps are available for fic, art, icons, communication, and all sort of other fannish stuff. Come share favorite sites—we can bookmark everything we talk about on del.icio.us in real time!)

2009 - The Organization for Transformative Works (Off the ground and starting to soar! Come here about the latest developments in the OTW's projects and discuss where you'd like to see it go next.)

2010 - Is Somebody Taking Notes On This?: A Discussion of the Role of Fannish History (In honor of Escapade's 20th anniversary, let's talk about recording fannish history. What are the challenges? Is it worth doing? Can it be done in a fair way? What are we afraid of happening if we try? Is Fanlore the right vehicle for the project?)

2010 - The OTW in Its Third Year led by Elke Tanzer and Shoshanna (Okay, sure, the Organization for Transformative Works bought its own goddamn servers and hosted an archive (that hosted Yuletide) and published a journal (with a special issue on Supernatural) and saved a bunch of Geocities sites and testified at the DMCA hearings (supporting the FFF's proposed exemptions for vidders and other remix artists) and made a bunch of lolcats—but what have they done for us lately? [5] What do you want them to do?)

2010 - We Are All Naked (On The Internet Now) led by treewishes (Social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter are conspiring with Google and your ISP to out your slash pseudonym to your RL friends, and to tell all your slash buddies your real name. Is there any way to stop the wave of facial recognition software or your oh-so-helpful friends who type your birthday into the cloud? Or is all this an inevitable consequence of evolving technology? Come on in and let's talk conspiracy theories!)

2011 - Fanlore: Are BNFs Writing Our History?, led by Sandy H (Fanlore has an official policy of 'plural points of view', but is that really happening? Have you ever looked up a kerfluffle you were involved in, and seen how your side of the battle was portrayed.' And on the other side, are we afraid of conflict, to the point that Fanlore is bland and safe?)

2011 - OTW/AO3 Wish List Conversation, led by Sandy H (Do you feel like you don't know how to get your A03 or OTW wishlist through the bureaucracy? A03 is getting better all the time, but there's a ways to go. Let's brainstorm and turn a list over at the end of the panel.)

2011 - The Reccing Crew (Recommending a fanwork is deeply woven into our culture. Are there new social mores at work when we make public recs? How has the move from letters to mailing lists to Livejournal and Delicious affected reccing? Delicious was conceived as a bookmarking site, but often operates as a recs and comments site. If it goes away, what would replace it?)

2012 - Tumblr, Twitter, and Pinboard, Oh My (and GetGlue, too!) (In the past year, the ongoing fannish diaspora has picked up speed, as more fannish activity has moved away from LiveJournal and Dreamwidth, and onto sites like Tumblr and Twitter. And then there was the Delicious implosion. Now there's GetGlue, a social network specifically for entertainment. Let's talk about navigating these sites—their strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them.)

2012 - The Kids These Days (Ever wanted to tell someone to get offa your lawn? Strangle the next person who said that? Revive a dead fandom? Joined a fandom you were 20 years "too old" (or young!) for? Did you go from Usenet to mailing lists? From zines to livejournal? Are you eyeing Tumblr and Twitter with alarm? Let's talk about weathering changes in fandom with grace—or at least a little humor.)

2013 - Privacy, Secrecy, and the Fourth Wall (The fourth wall between fans and The Powers That Be is shrinking day by day. Are the technologies we're using changing fannish etiquette {from invite-only mailing lists, to friends-locked journals, to all public all the time tumblr)? Should we run for the hills or embrace the change? Discuss!)

2013 - The What With the Where Now?! (Every time you turn around fandom is playing on a new site that has new functionality, new ways of interacting and new lingo. Join us in surveying places like tumblr, twitter and getglue.)

2014 - Tumblr: Missing Missing E (So you've just gotten the hang of Livejournal when all of a sudden fandom has jumped shipped to this new "microblogging" platform called Tumblr. What is "microblogging" anyway, and where do you even start? Join us in this tutorial/discussion on creating an account, deciphering the culture, finding fandom, and making Tumblr work for you.)

2014 - Out Of Step With the World (You have no current fandom. You can't even get Tumblr to load. What do you do when you're feeling disconnected and alienated, but you don't want to leave fandom for good? If this sounds like you, come join us to figure out some strategies for rekindling the love, making new friends, and finding your place.)

2014 - Real Fannish Community (Has AO3 ended the era of real fannish community or has it ushered in a new era of increased connectedness? Is Tumblr better or worse than the old days (and were the old days livejournal? yahoo groups? APA snail mail zine groups?)? I'm hoping for equal parts 'get off my lawn' and 'the future's so bright I gotta wear shades' debate here.)

2015 - Tumblr 102: Into Darkness. You’re here, now what? Here we talk about etiquette and xkit and making the most of your fannish tumblr experience.

2017 - Home on the Web (LJ's Russian overlords have removed HTTPS support and are moving the server activity to Russia; some say a shutdown of US services is on the horizon. Yahoo fails to make money with Tumblr. Dreamwidth is slow, and doesn't have media hosting. Email lists are a hassle. Imzy, a startup, places branding aesthetics over design usability. Where's the next place for fandom, or should we reclaim one or more of the platforms from the past?)

2018 - How to Tumblr (Like it or not (often, mostly not), tumblr is where fandom is most active right now. How do you find anything? How do you have conversations? How do you archive the bits you like best? The good news: the answers are not, "you don't; you don't; you don't." Bad news: Those aren't actually good questions for being fannish on tumblr.)

2019 - Social Network of Our Own (SNO3?) (Between FOSTA/SESTA, Article 13, Facebook's new "don't mention that sex exists" policy, and the Tumblrpocalypse, is it time for our own fannish social site? Or are Dreamwidth and Pillowfort enough?)

[songtoyou]

Chapter Two: Never Enough

Would You Call That Love

Pairing: Chris Evans x Raina Morrison (OC) 

Rating: PG to PG-13 (Might be 18+ for some chapters)

Description: There was always one person Chris Evans tended to turn to when he was not in a committed relationship, Raina Morrison. He could confide in her about things going on in his life that he did not feel comfortable talking to his family or close friends about. Chris and Raina were able to establish a way to communicate with one another openly but also being respectful of the other’s time and needs. It was the only constant “relationship” he had, but without all the nonsense of trying to build a life together. A “friends with benefits” situation. However, what happens when Chris starts rethinking his “relationship” with Raina and if either is willing to pursue something more?

Chapter Rating: PG with mild swearing

Warnings: None

Word Count: 3,630

Author’s Note: I hoped those who ‘liked’ the previous chapter enjoys this one as well. I went back and made one little change in the first chapter. No longer is Raina a fan of the Seattle Mariners or Seattle Seahawks, but a Mets/Giants fan. Instead of having Raina grow up in Washington State, she grew up in New York on Long Island. It just made more sense location-wise for her to “closer” to Chris. I also changed something that happened during the summer of 2016 that involved another MCU actor. Let me know what you think. Feedback is always welcomed.

Sadly, I do not know Chris Evans or anyone in his family, and this is just a fictional take on his life. I do not permit this fic to be reposted on other platforms. 

Thank you to @southerngracela​ for your support! :)

*Updated for grammar edits.

July 2019

"Christopher Robert Evans! Come here!" yelled his mother, Lisa Evans.

"What, Ma?" Chris asked when he entered her kitchen and replied, "Whatever happened? I assure you that it was Scott who did it."

"Would you stop? You aren't in trouble. Sit down for a sec." Lisa told her oldest son. 

Taking a seat at the kitchen table next to his mother, Chris asked, "Why are you on the laptop? You hate using the computer."

"I do, but you need to send Raina some flowers to celebrate her big opening night on Broadway. You were planning on getting her something, right?" inquired Lisa as she turned the laptop over to Chris for him to look through different flower arrangements. 

"Uh…I don't know, Ma. I am sure you will pick out something great."

Lisa gave Chris a knowing look and said, "Chris, you spend more time with Raina than the rest of us. You know her likes and dislikes. Now come on, look at the arrangements and pick which one she would like best."

Chris groaned and turned away from his mother to roll his eyes. His mother's behavior was not unusual to always insinuate that Raina was more than a friend to Chris. Well, she was, but that did not mean his mother had to know all of the dirty details. Despite what people might think of the confessed mama's boy, Chris did not always share everything with Lisa.  

"Don't get her flowers…" Chris began, but Lisa cut him off.

"Chris! Why not?"

"It would be better to get Raina chocolate, cookies, or brownies. Something edible. Just not cupcakes because she doesn't like them. Call them overrated. Trust me. She'd prefer to have food over flowers," informed Chris.

"Great. You choose something for Raina while I give Carly a call. Choose something good," Lisa ordered as she got up from the table and exited the kitchen. 

As Chris perused the website's items, he knew what to get Raina when he saw the object: a personalized gigantic caramel toffee fortune cookie. It was perfect. Not only was it giant, but it was dipped in decadent caramel with fatty toffee bits sprinkled on top and drizzled with dark chocolate. Raina would love it. 

"Ma! Come here and look at this! What do you think?"

Lisa entered the kitchen once again. She was still talking on the phone with Carly.

"Chris, whatever you get, Raina, it will be great."

"What should I put on the card since it is from all of us?" asked Chris with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"No. Just have it be from you. Scott and I already picked out a nice flower arrangement from the two of us for Raina," Lisa informed Chris nonchalantly and added, "Carly is wondering if you could watch the kids this weekend?"

Chris was amazed at his mother's crafty scheme. She had that way about her. 

"I'll text her that it isn't a problem, and I know what you are doing."

Lisa feigned an innocent look. "What are you talking about?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out an exasperated sigh, Chris said, "Ma, it isn't like that with Raina, okay. We are just friends. Nothing more. We can't be anything more. It would ruin what we have already. Plus, we both don't necessarily want the same things. She has shared with me that she doesn't see herself having kids. I want kids, someday." 

Lisa put her hands up in mock defeat. She was not going to press Chris press about his hidden feelings for Raina. He was an adult, after all. However, as a mother, it was hard not to step in and help her children no matter what they were dealing with at the time. 

"Just be sure to write something heartfelt and sweet in the gift message," ordered Lisa and got up once again left the kitchen.

Now alone, Chris looked over the textbox space to put his message for Raina's gift. He typed and retyped what to write to her. Taking a deep breath, Chris let his inhibitions go and proceeded to write honestly about how he felt.

Raina,

You bring so much joy and love to my existence. I know it would not be the same If I did not have you in my life. You help keep me centered in this crazy world of ours, and I always know I can count on you if I need anything. I am so proud of you. Your determination, hard work, and motivation in achieving your dreams have always inspired me. Sometimes I wished you could see yourself through my eyes because then you would realize how special you are to me. I hope you know much. I appreciate and love you so much.

Love,

Chris

With the gift now ordered and soon to be on its way, there was no going back. 

"1, 2, 3, and 4! Turn! Kick leg up! Cross and dip!" shouted the choreographer and added, "Let's do it again from the top!"

Trying to catch her breath, Raina got back into position next to her co-star, Aaron Tveit. The two have been working on this project for the past three years. It amazed them both how everything started at a workshop lab, to a small theater production in Boston, to debut the show on Broadway. It was a dream come true for everyone involved. 

For Raina, it was a check-off on her list of career accomplishments. While Raina had been offered different roles for Broadway productions in the past, she never accepted the offers. She was either too busy promoting and touring for her albums. Or the parts offered merely did not appeal to her. Raina was cautious about particular projects and took her time in making decisions on which to pursue or decline. That would often lead to arguments with people at her record company or management as one or the other would tell Raina that she was not reaching her full potential as a star. But the Long Island native never wanted to be "famous for being famous." She was not the type to freely give out information about her private life to maintain relevancy with the press or fans. She wanted her work to speak for itself.  

A child prodigy gifted in music, Raina has set her sights on impacting the world through song. Her parents, George and Marie, often worried about the precocious little girl when she would hold herself up in her room for hours and hours a day practicing on her guitar or keyboard while jotting down lyrics.

When Raina was 14 years old, she was discovered by her first manager, Jerry Sullivan, at the annual New York State Fair. Jerry was taken aback by the young girl's mature voice as she sang Reba McEntire's classic hits, "Why Haven't I Heard from You" and "Fancy." He immediately introduced himself to Raina and her parents.

Although skeptical, both George and Marie agreed to a formal meeting with Jerry to discuss their daughter's future. After all, they did not want their only child to get screwed over by some conman. Thankfully, Jerry turned out to be legit and had been in the music industry for 20 years as an artists and repertoire (A&R) personnel at Columbia Records.

"Not many talented singers I have seen in all my years in the music have what Raina has. She has 'it' and could go far," said Jerry.

"Oh, I don't want to be famous," little Raina spoke up and continued, "I just want to make music."

Jerry just beamed with happiness, "That is a great answer, little one. You have your priorities. That is important in this industry. You don't ever want to lose sight of why you started in the first place."

"Trust me, I won't," replied Raina with a toothy smile.

Unfortunately, it was hard to remain authentic in the music industry. Too many times, someone would try to mold Raina into who they thought she should be. She never wanted to be placed in a box or confined to one style of music. All Raina ever wanted to be was Raina.

"1, 2, 3, and 4! Turn! Kick leg up! Cross and dip!" repeated the choreographer, "Great job, everyone. Let us take a ten-minute break. Raina and Aaron, they need another costume fitting."

"I swear, I am at a point where I could do the choreography in my sleep," Aaron joked as he walked with Raina to the fitting area.

Raina let out a chuckle, "Isn't that the truth."

With rehearsals finally coming to an end for the day, Raina gathered her belongings, said her goodbyes, and headed home. Thankfully, her Tribeca apartment was only 15 minutes away from the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Frank, Raina's driver, greeted her as he opened the black Cadillac Escalade's back door.

"How were rehearsals today, Miss Raina?" 

"Not too bad," Raina shared with her driver, "I think once the show is finally open to the public, everything will be…a lot easier to handle."

"You're going to be great. The previews of the show went very well, as you mentioned," Frank reminded Raina and asked, "Who you got coming to see you on opening night? I'm taking my wife and youngest daughter to see it before she heads off to school in late August."

It was not uncommon for Frank and Raina to have an easy rapport with one another. Frank was a talker, while Raina was quieter and preferred to listen to his stories about growing up in Queens or his family that consisted of a loving wife and three daughters. Despite enjoying Frank's company, Raina knew that she still had to keep herself wary and not allow herself to be caught off guard. Sadly, her past experiences when allowing others into her world, both private and public, left her feeling burned. Raina learned how to be a master at changing the subject from herself to the other person prying into her personal life. 

"Aw! That is wonderful. Where is Alisha headed off to again? Cornell?" asked Raina while thinking, 'Hook line and sinker.'

"Brown University in Providence. Got a full academic scholarship."

"That's wonderful. At least your daughter won't be too far from home. I kind of wish I went to college but never had the time with everything else going on."

"Oh, come on now. I'd say you turned out well. Not everyone needs to go to college to be successful. With Alisha, she always had her sights on pursuing a career in archaeology. By attending Brown, she will have access to the best research and educators the country has to offer."

"Well, if she is anything like her father, then she's got the charms to take the world by storm."

When Frank finally reached the building of Raina's apartment, he proceeded to step out to open her door, but she stopped him and said, "I got it, Frank."

"You sure?" he questioned. 

"Yeah. Tell your wife and daughter I said 'hello.' Bye, Frank. See you tomorrow."

"Okay. Have a nice night, Raina."

Upon entering the apartment building, Raina was greeted by the concierge, Winston.

"Hi, Winston. How are you?" asked Raina to make polite conversation as she strode into the lobby.

"Very well, ma'am. Thank you for asking."

Raina cringed at being referred to as "ma'am" despite being two-decades younger than Winston; however, she knew he was only polite and professional. Stopping by to check her mail at the cluster of mailboxes, there was only advertisements and bills. Closing the mailbox with a loud sigh, Raina walked towards the elevator to head up to her penthouse apartment. 

The Tribeca apartment was such a great find as the penthouse had its own intimate and homey feel. The condo's main floor greeted guests with an open space kitchen-living room area with a fireplace and powder room. Floor-to-ceiling arched windows dominated the living room, allowing natural light to seep through in the morning and afternoon. Overall, it was ample space for when Raina wanted to entertain her close friends. She was able to accommodate overnight guest stays with two sky-lighted bedrooms with one main bathroom. One floor up was where the master suite was located with floor-to-ceiling French doors that led to a landscaped terrace that included a hot tub, outdoor kitchen, along with fantastic sunset and nighttime views of the Tribeca skyline. 

It was a place where Raina felt at home and safe from the prying eyes of the paparazzi or overzealous admirers. Thankfully, the majority of Raina's fans respected her privacy and knew the importance of boundaries.

Unfortunately, only Raina's name was associated with fellow celebrities that things could get out of hand and overrun with speculations. For instance, in the early years of her friendship with Chris, both fandoms speculated if they were more than friends. Whereas with the media, they were relentless in their prying for more information about the two stars. Luckily, it was a dilemma that the two friends worked hard to overcome. The bond that grew between Chris and Raina was not something either experienced with other people. It was unique in how relatively normal both felt around each other. There were no pretenses the friends had to follow or any egos getting in the way. 

Sad that the same could not have been applied to Raina's last relationship. The media scrutiny and the online abuse/harassment from the actor's fanbase became too much for Raina to handle that she eventually had to end the relationship prematurely. It was not something that she wanted to do as she cared for the man very much. He was sweet, charming, handsome, and treated Raina with respect. He became someone Raina could confide in outside of her inner circle. She was lucky to have met him at President Barack Obama's final White House Correspondents' Dinner back in April 2016. 

'What might have been? Where would my life be if I had stayed with Tom?' Raina often thought.

After taking a quick shower, Raina changed into baggy sweats and a fitted tank top. Stretching out on the couch, she searched through Netflix and selected season five of Schitt's Creek to watch. It was her go-to show that she liked to watch at the end of the day. The crazy antics of the Rose family always helped her relax and ease her anxious mind. 

"Oh, David Rose, you are a precious little bean, wrapped in uncertainty and apprehension about the world, aren't you? I connect with you on a spiritual level," Raina commented to herself.  

Chris was a bag of nerves ever since he ordered Raina that gift. It was not so much the gift that was causing him to have anxiety, but the message inside the present. 

He let it all out in that gift message and was mostly worried about what Raina would make of his words. For instance, would she read them and express the same sentiment, revealing that Chris's feelings were more profound than mere friends. However, what if Chris's words caused her to be upset and that she would not be able to return his feelings in fear of losing their friendship. 

'Or she just doesn't love you the way you might want her to,' thought Chris apprehensively.  

Now, Chris was beginning to worry that he might have overstepped his boundaries with Raina. 'Why did you have to go and develop deeper feelings for her. I knew our whole friends with benefits wasn't a good idea. 

Nothing good ever comes from that arrangement,' he scolded himself while taking Dodger out for a walk on his property. Chris hoped that the cool night air would help relieve the tension and worry he was feeling. It was either a walk or a cigarette, and he promised both his mother and Raina that he would no longer partake in the nasty habit. 

The dynamic of Chris and Raina's friendship was a unique one. She was one of the very few that Chris allowed in his world. Over the years, Raina had become acquainted with his close friends from Massachusetts and individual family members outside of his mother, father, brother, and sisters. It was not unusual for Raina to attend one of his Uncle Mike's campaign rallies. That always got the fans on social media talking and wondering if there was something more than friendship between the two. 

Chris and Raina's responses were always the same, "We are just friends." It was their go-to answer for years.

It was not until mid-2014 when they decided to add a new element to their friendship: sex. 

What started as a fun hookup turned into a full-fledged agreement. For Chris, it was liberating to be with someone sexually with no strings attached. For Raina, she felt safe and comfortable with Chris. There was genuine respect and trust the two had for one another that when sex added to the mix, it did not cause a lot of complications, surprisingly. They took the time to set guidelines and go over expectations that both could abide by and not ruin the aspect of their friendship. 

Their guidelines included:

Be transparent with one another as possible. Be open to compromises.

Be open to communicating with your partner.

Never be judgmental.

Be open about what is off-limits and what is acceptable. 

Conversations or decisions cannot be one-sided.

Make sure each partner is on the same page.

Check-in with one another. Ask each other about how things are going and how the individual is feeling about the arrangement.

Develop a PR strategy for when friends or family members ask questions about the status of your relationship.

Ground rules: staying over is optional, breakfast in the morning is acceptable, no booty calls as it demeans the overall friendship, and friend-dates are suitable.

Even when Chris was in a serious relationship with Minka or Jenny, he could revert to his non-sexual friendship with Raina. Chris never quite understood how Raina could adapt so quickly whenever he had a new romantic partner. He honestly would not know how he would react if Raina showed up one day with a boyfriend on her arm. 

'Liar! You'd flip your shit!' Chris thought, which he did when Raina was rumored to be dating fellow MCU actor Tom Hiddleston back in 2016. Both had been photographed together numerous times during outings and events.

'Six-months of Hell,' Chris bitterly referred that time. 

The crazy thing about that time is that Raina did not share anything with him about her relationship with Tom. She kept it all to herself even after they broke up. 

"Why does she keep that part of her life secret from me?" Chris asked himself as he walked up the steps on his front porch with Dodger following suit.

"Because it is none of your business how Raina's relationships go down," a voice spoke up, startling Chris.

"Holy shit, Scott! What the fuck are you doing out here?" yelled Chris as he stood in front of his little brother. 

Scott replied with a shit-eating grin on his face, "Just getting some fresh air and enjoying the sunset. What have you been up to?"

"Don't change the subject. Why do you automatically assume I am talking about Raina? For all you know, I could have been referring to Shanna," Chris retorted back defiantly as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the porch railing. 

However, Scott was not falling for what his brother was trying to sell. "Don't bullshit a bullshitter, Chris," Scott reprimanded and continued, "I know you and Raina have had a friend with benefits situation going on for the last five years. Of course, only when neither of you was in relationships with other people, that is."

"How the fuck did you know about that?" questioned Chris. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

"Well, I had my speculations, but your reaction just now confirmed everything. What the fuck were thinking. Nothing good comes out of a friend with benefits relationship. Hell, I could have told you that while also saving you the eventual heartbreak that will eventually happen. So again, I ask, what the fuck were you thinking?" 

Letting out a huge sigh, Chris moved to sit next to Scott on the porch swing. "I was thinking…that this is someone who I love and care about, you know. At first, the arrangement was, I don't want to say that it was just for fun. With Raina, it felt like a natural progression for our friendship. I don't know. I guess maybe…"

"You hoped that it could turn into something more down the road," Scott finished for his brother. 

"Yeah. I felt we were getting to that point, but Raina kept pulling back, you know. Like, she was too scared to move in that direction with me,' Chris confessed as he leaned back on the porch swing. 

Scott continued to stare at Chris as he contemplated what to say next. He felt terrible for his older brother and realized Chris's dilemma.

"I wish I could give you some sage advice, but honestly, I am at a loss on what you should do. Raina is special to you. To all of us. But, no one can deny that she has always had a little hold on your heart. The sad thing is that I don't think the poor thing fully understands the effect she has on you. All I can say is to tread carefully. Don't do anything rash," advised Scott and got up to go into the house.

'Too late.' Chris thought to himself. 

"Fuck it! I need a cigarette."