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kidneyplate4 · 4 years

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Picking the Ultimate Social Media App for Everyone

It is certainly fascinating to discover a young adult's opinion on the popularity of each unique social application. Provides a distinct meaning from the information associated with each application use and how is being used daily. The following report does not reduce the goal of every social media app, only shows a particular perspective, an adolescent daily use tutorial, should you will. I think the correct way to approach this might be to split by social media and the observations and viewpoints I've amassed over the years. Facebook In a nutshell, Facebook is outdated for almost all adolescents. Facebook is a thing we all got in school since it was cool but now sometimes appears seeing that a clumsy family social gathering we can not actually leave. It's weird and may even be annoying to have Facebook sometimes. That said, unless you have Facebook, that is a lot more strange and annoying. Weird due to the interpersonal pressure and irritating because you need to response that to just about everyone in classes you meet who makes an attempt to be your friend or discover you on there. Facebook is typically used by us primarily for its group features. I know a lot of classmates who only continue Facebook to check on the groups they may be part of and then promptly sign off. In this component Facebook stands out-groups don't have the same advanced rules in it that the news feed does. It's very easy to simply see the fresh information posted within the group without having to sift through a great deal of posts and advertising you don't really care about. Messaging on Facebook can be popular among our age group, mainly because they offer the means to speak with those people who you are not really comfortable with requesting their amount but comfy enough to send out them a pal request. Facebook is usually the jumping-off point for many individuals to try to look for you online, due to the fact everyone around us has it. Whenever I met you one time at some party, I'm not going to make an effort to check Twitter to learn who you are. Preferably, many choose the ease of Facebook as well as the highly effective search function that gives you results of people who you truly have a chance of knowing (unlike Twitter, whose search efficiency, although it improved somewhat within the last update, leaves very much to become desired). Snapchat Snapchat is in a short time turning into the most utilized social app, especially with the development of adding your Snaps to a history feed.

In the event that I can breakdown a party for you in social networking conditions, here's how it would pan out: You upload yourself getting ready for the party, going to the party, having fun in the special event, leaving by the end of the special event, and waking up in the morning after the party on Snapchat. On Facebook you put up the pretty, posed photos you took with your friends in the party (definitely zero alcoholic beverages in these pics). On Instagram you choose the best looking among the collection to share to your network. Snapchat is where we can really be ourselves while being mounted on our social identification. Without the constant interpersonal pressure of the follower count number or Facebook friends, I am not really constantly having these random people shoved before me. Instead, Snapchat is certainly a somewhat close network of friends who I don't care if they find me at a celebration having fun. On no other social media (besides Twitter possibly) it is acceptable post a bored picture besides Snapchat. Generally there aren't likes you must be concerned about or comments, it is all taken away. Snapchat includes a great deal less social pressure mounted on it compared to almost every other popular social media marketing network out presently there. This is exactly what makes it therefore addicting and free. If I don't get any likes on my Instagram photo or Facebook post within 10 minutes, I'll erase it. Snapchat isn't like that in any way and really focuses on creating the Story of a day in your daily life, not some filtered, altered, handpicked showcase. It is the true you. One other quick apart about Snapchat, I only know a handful of people (myself included) that believe that Snapchat does eliminate your shots. Everybody else I understand thinks that Snapchat has some secret database someplace with all of your pics in it. While I will save that controversy for a later date, it is safe to say that when images are released or every time there is controversy about security on the application, we truthfully usually do not really mind. We aren't mailing photos of our store cards here; we are sending selfies and photos with us having 5 chins. Twitter To be honest, a lot of us just do not understand the idea of Twitter. There is always a core clique at every school that uses it extremely frequently to tweet and another clique that works with it to merely watch or retweet, but besides that many don't use it. It also isn't exceptionally easy to find friends on the site and many simply use it to complain about college in a environment where their parents or family (not necessarily bosses) tend to not discover it. Twitter is a location to follow or be followed by a couple of arbitrary strangers, yet still have got your identity end up being attached to this, this difference will be valuable later on on. Your tweets are also very easily searchable on Twitter which is great but not great if you wish to be yourself and not own it follow you around when you're trying to land a job. Therefore, to others Twitter is used like Facebook, users post with the assumption that your employer will discover it at some point. You will find then 3 main groups of Twitter users: the types who utilize it to whine and express themselves, the types who tweet using the assumption that the would-be employer will ultimately see anything they say, and those who just take a look at other Tweets and do the occasional retweet. Instagram Instagram is the most used social networking app outlet for young adults. Please note the verbiage there, it's the most used social website application venue. Meaning, even though many people are on Facebook, we actually share more on Instagram. It obviously is captivating if you ask me to see a friend with 1500 close friends on Facebook only get twenty six wants on a photo but on Instagram (where she has 800 fans) she draws 287. I have a couple of hints as to the motives this may show up. I'm not really terrified whenever I like something on Instagram that it'll show up in somebody's news feed and they'll possibly screenshot which i liked it or guide it later on. And the same applies to writing comments. I am much less pressured to check out another person back on Instagram, meaning that my feed is quite often composed of articles I really need to look at. That being said, I will go back and browse through an application which has articles I fancy rather than one where I need to look for the casual gem in wait. This type of articles on Instagram is in most cases of improved value. Users make time to change their images with filters, employ varied brightness and contrast configurations (it is also one of the measures to posting an image), etcetera., to make the images appear the very best they are able to. That suggests that the content material published on Instagram is generally better (photography-wise), therefore i am more likely to return to the application. Instagram hasn't been inundated with the older generation yet (not everybody owns an Instagram account) which means its fresh and fascinating to younger masses. However, it is popular enough that if you have a smart phone it's almost unheard of for you personally not to have Instagram, if not to take pictures, but to at least label people in photographs. One additional point: tagging. I need not continuously examine Instagram to be sure I wasn't tagged in any awkward or negative shots. That is because you cannot easily identify any of them inside your feed, designing the complete experience seem way more private. Am I looking weird in a photography you submitted? So what?. I can just eliminate the label if I really am that annoyed about any of it without fear that my close friends from another social circle (who no longer follow you) are certain to get to it first. I know Facebook has the power to let you check every single photo labeled of you just before it shows up on your own profile, but some individuals I understand don't have that enabled or understand it actually exists. Users usually do not publish thousands of times a day on Instagram. Lots of people are much more polite about posting, either doing once a day, several times weekly, etc. Which means that there isn't a frequent supply of content being shoved down my throat each and every time I open the app, and it is possible to become swept up with my Instagram newsfeed. There are no links on Instagram, which means I'm not really being continuously spammed by the same advertisement, horrific gossip updates, or Buzzfeed article about the "31 Clever Accessories for Your Puppy You Had No Clue You Wanted". Those are a handful of points why a lot of folks my age are inclined to use Instagram a lot more than they are doing Facebook. Everything about the application makes it much less commercial and more devoted to this content, resulting in more teenagers are inclined to check it out. Once we do check out the software, it is a more relaxing experience so we are more willing to Like and connect to the threads more. This increases our interaction with the app, so we will use it even more. Facebook keeps every single one of the photos we shot, the great one, and the nasty one, whilst Instagram just gets the one that undoubtedly summed up the event we went to. It is much more picky, and honestly users spend additional time over the captions to create them focused or witty. In Facebook we simply provide all sorts of things we got so people can tag one another and show our family and friends that we are still aboveground. Many of those younger than me (10-17 years of age) who I have spoken to concerning this subject don't have even a Facebook account. Instagram is all that they require. The Ok Ones Here are other social networking that some teens employ still that may not actually call for a full length talk. LinkedIn: We will need to get it, so we acquired it. Many people wait until college to understand this (because they probably should, it isn't because of this demographic anyhow). Pinterest: It's predominantly women-centric and is for those who have an artsy or folksy concentrate. Not too many users talk about it. Kik: It's a messaging software that is generally utilized for texting people in Twitter, I guess? I have no idea any person who uses this kind of application. WhatsApp: You will download it when you are out of the country, you use it there for a bit before going back to Facebook Messenger or iMessage, then you eliminate it. I know plenty of people who utilize it to communicate with close friends they found in other parts of the world, but Personally i think like Messenger is normally beginning to overshadow it. For international college students, however, WhatsApp can be a pivotal device that I've heard is truly useful. GroupMe: Quite simply the most utilized group messaging program in university. Nearly everybody has one, would make use of it and loves it. GIF support, the ability to like others messages, even superficial stuff such as having the ability to switch your name between group talks all make this both a useful and delightful application. GroupMe also functions for literally any phone or system like a home pc, iPhone, Android, and should function over text aswell for individuals who may not possess a mobile phone.

#social media #cellphone

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frommainetospain2020 · 4 years

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Is this an actual Spain-oriented blog post? (With some secondary baking blog thrown in, because look at who is writing this... Honestly...)

I’ll just out and say it. After experiencing bureaucracy from just a short-term residency perspective, I see where illegal immigrants are coming from. I’m not saying that I agree with it, I’m just saying that I get it...

You’ll recall last week that I talked about my T.I.E., or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extrañero (my residency card) has been a major pain in the ass. The documents are not THAT horrible. I’ve collected documents for processes like this numerous times before. I’ve applied for, and gotten two visas. I’ve filled out the mountain of study abroad paperwork for my first trip abroad. I’ve gotten a residency card (With the help of my program) in Italy. So I’m no stranger to paperwork. But the friggin’ appointments.... Boy let me tell you...

I mentioned this in my last blog post and honestly it bears mentioning again. Getting the appointment to get my TIE was awful. The website is notorious for not having appointments available. This is country-wide (or at least Madrid-wide, I’m not really sure about elsewhere tbh...). There are thousands of auxiliares (language assistants like myself) who are trying to make this appointment, and the Communidad de Madrid only puts a couple on at a time, and at completely random times.

In maneuvering the website, I got pretty good at entering my information. A lot of it was easily autofilled or found in a dropdown menu by typing a letter. Normally, if you were lucky enough to get an option for a location at the end of the process, you’d put in your email and phone number, and then get the dreaded “No Appointments Available” message.

Others in my program that got appointments before me, said that they spent 1-2 hours of free time just constantly reentering their information, eventually to get lucky and get an appointment. I tried that... Spent about an hour just reentering information and getting nowhere. The site has a CAPTCHA, which starts off as a simple “Check this box”, but after entering information as quickly as I did, it evolved into a “Click each picture that contains this thing”.

So that was a no-go. On Tuesday of last week, as you probably know from my previous blog post, I got my empadronamiento, which was the last document I needed for this appointment, aside from the appointment itself. After I had this document, I logged onto the TIE appointment website, and got an appointment. On the first try. It’s like they knew...

I said most of this in my last post, so I’m going to get to the point. I had the appointment yesterday. It was a dreary and rainy day. The police station where I had it done was quite a ways away, and I didn’t want to miss it, so I took an Uber. This was the second and third experiences with Uber that I’ve ever had, and I’m quite pleased tbh.

The first Uber drove what seemed like really fast. When I got to the police station, I wasn’t 100% sure where to go. I got in the line that led into a super long line past a security checkpoint. I was apparently in the correct place. I stood in this line, eventually went through the metal detector, and then got in the main line I had to wait in. This was confusing as well, because there was a tent, where the line looped around through. I figured it out eventually, but it took a second. This process gave me COVID test vibes from the 5 hour line that I stood in at the end of September. However, this line moved much faster.

When I was towards the front of the line, I saw a couple of people that had the same CIEE folder that I did. They proceeded to go into the wrong line. I sent a message to our group chat saying which line to get into, and the girls that were in the wrong line came to my line, and waved to me.

When I was towards the front, it was already about 20 minutes past my appointment time, so I was freaking out a little bit, but it was fine. I was let into the office, and eventually sat down with an officer. I handed him my stack of documents. He took what he needed and handed the rest to me. I knew I had to be fingerprinted, but he only took the fingerprints of my pointer fingers on both hands. So that was strange. He had me take a paper to a different cubicle, and the other guy said I was all set, and to make an appointment to get my TIE in about a month.

When I left the police station, the line for the metal detector was super long, so I wanted to get as far away from this mess as I could. Before I summoned my Uber, I went to a place that was more suitable for an Uber pickup. I got picked up and got driven back to my apartment.

Also, one of my original roommates moved out, because her classes went online and she went to live with her dad. Our new roommate is nice. She’s an older lady from Colombia. There’s more of a language barrier, because she doesn’t speak English, but I’m adapting fairly well. She also convinced our landlords that our fridge is too small, so we’re theoretically getting a new one that is bigger, which is nice.

So, let’s get to the baking part shall we? On November 2nd, I made Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead) for Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The results were.... interesting...

The design is supposed to look like bones. This is what the video’s bread looked like, so I at least did that correctly. Knowing the unpredictability of my oven, you can probably guess my problem by looking at the picture. The bread under the designed part didn’t cook. At least at first...

This is the recipe I followed if you are so inclined:

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The bread dough was actually quite nice when it came together. It wasn’t tremendously sticky. It didn’t rise as much as it should have either though. The video didn’t show any kneading, so I’m wondering if that would have changed the consistency of the dough and helped it to rise.

I haven’t used orange zest with anything before, so that was a new experience. If I ever attempt Italian Cornetti, that’s definitely a good skill to know. I didn’t actually have an orange, so my roommate let me have a mandarin.

The bread ended up rather doughy and underdone. I ended up putting it back in after the above picture to cook more. The top got darker than I wanted it to, but the rest just wasn’t done. The end result wasn’t HORRIBLE, but it wasn’t great either...

I also got a new mattress. My original mattress was super uncomfortable, and you could constantly feel the springs pressing on you. I told my landlords, and they full-on bought me a new mattress. The reason I’m mentioning this is because when they came to switch them out, my landlord told me that I was using an overly powerful setting on the oven. Since my landlords actually lived here at one point, I figure they know the intricacies of this oven better than I do.

So today, I made brownies. I used the setting recommended by my landlord. It turned out MOSTLY alright. It burned a little, but that’s due to a number of factors. I’ve determined that for each thing that I’ve baked while abroad, the first attempt at any given project is bound to be a disaster. And honestly, this wasn’t much of an exception. Since I usually cooked on the initial setting that I used, and was using the different normalized setting, it was a different vibe. Since it didn’t cook as fast and seemed to be on par with what it should’ve been, I wanted to cook it for the full amount of time, 30 minutes. It isn’t the worst results I’ve had with this oven. It is a bit more burned than I initially thought when I posted it on Facebook, but the inside is gooey and what it’s supposed to be, so meh.... It’ll go better next time...

Also, I scraped the burnt crumbly part on top off, in order to make it look less burnt. It kind of helped, but was still burned. Most of this was user error on my part, and getting used to the proper oven setting. But hey, you live and you learn...

This was the video I followed for the brownies:

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So yeah, I’m on the way to short-term Spanish residency, and figuring out how to work this infernal oven...

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restauranthr-blog · 4 years

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9 Tips for Writing an Entry Level Resume for Someone

Finding a job can be tough. Between filling out application after application to juggling phone, Skype, and in-person interviews, job seekers may feel like landing the gig all too often seems to turn into a survival of the fittest contest.

Unfortunately, sometimes that can lead you to take drastic measures. And while you want to find ways to stand out among the sea of candidates, there are times when that may not be in your best interest.

Even though I’m not a recruiter myself, I tend to hear about job seeker faux pas quite a bit from other colleagues. Here are nine things all job seekers should stop doing immediately.

1. Dropping a note in the comments section.

Recruiters and business owners often use social media to get the word out about job opportunities. In their post, they’ll typically have instructions on how to apply for the job. But when job seekers write “interested” or “please review my profile” in the comments section on the post and leave it at that, you’re not showing the recruiter any initiative. Instead, it shows them that you can’t (or won’t) follow directions and doesn’t lead to a good impression at all.

2. Sending a “naked” resume.

If you want to get noticed, always send a cover letter with your resume. This can be one of the only ways to show a recruiter your personality early on, so use this time wisely! Explain why you’re interested in this particular career and what attributes you can bring to the table. And for goodness sakes, show some enthusiasm here too.

3. Mismatched work history.

Since social media sites are such an instrumental part of the job search and hiring process these days, it’s important that all of your information across platforms matches up. Having a different employment history listed on LinkedIn than what shows on your resume, for example, may raise a red flag with HR and result in you getting passed over.

4. Incomplete LinkedIn profile.

If you’re using LinkedIn to apply for jobs or reach out to hiring managers and recruiters, an incomplete, bare bones profile may not make the cut. At a minimum, make sure you have a professional up-to-date headshot and list your first and last name, employment history, educational background, and contact information.

5. Tweeting without a filter.

Tweeting (or any type of online posting for that matter) anything negative about your employer or coworkers is a huge no-no. We all have rough days at work, but laying out all of the details online is a surefire way to turn off recruiters and get yourself into hot water with your current employer. Recruiters will likely check out your public social media profiles, so keep them locked down tight or else keep them free of workplace drama, vulgarity, and inappropriate pictures and messages.

And it’s worth noting, refrain from expressing your disdain for HR folks and recruiters who don’t respond to your application. Social media is not the place for this and it won’t gain you any traction. You’ll be viewed as negative and difficult, two traits guaranteed to turn even more recruiters away.

6. Submitting an unedited resume.

Candidates may feel rushed to get their resume submitted as quickly as possible, so they send it in before proofreading it. But not taking the time to proofread it can mean the end of the hiring road. You need to have someone — whether it’s a friend, your brother, or a paid expert — give it at least a quick onceover first. The same goes for cover letters and email messages too. Multiple spelling and grammatical errors, missing words, or a wall of text can be a deal-breaker.

7. Doing an en masse submission.

Similar to my last point, applying for jobs isn’t usually anyone’s idea of a good time and many job seekers may try to devise a way to get the most bang for their application buck. Unfortunately, this can sometimes translate into you blindly blasting your resume out to hundreds of companies and recruiters without taking the time to research the positions or vet the company to make sure it’s the right place for you. Doing your due diligence and being selective can save time and wasted energy for all involved.

8. Going silent post-interview.

While you don’t want to fall into the trap of pestering the recruiter or HR person, you do want to make the effort to follow-up after the interview. Keep the message short, simple, and professional, but sending a quick thank you note, card, or email can leave a positive impression.

9. Don’t be a bridge burner.

If it pans out that you aren’t offered the job, now is not the time to lose your cool. You never know what might happen down the road — maybe a similar position will open up or you may cross paths with the hr on demand or recruiter again. So if you react in a negative, nasty, or unprofessional way, that bridge may be long, long gone.

Follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for more hr service group and leadership insights. For speaking engagements and consulting services, visit me here. Or check out my company, Restaurant HR Group, to learn how we help restaurants manage their greatest assets.

#hr services #hr outsourcing #hr partner #hr for small businesses #hr outsourcing companies #business human resources #hr on demand #hr agency #hr services for small business #small business hr outsourcing #hr service group

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doodlewash · 7 years

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Hi there! My name is Sandy Allnock, and I live with two rambunctious puppies just south of Seattle, Washington. I have an art degree from Frostburg State University; in the last few years I’ve been teaching crafters the love of coloring, painting, and drawing in a variety of mediums, in hopes of inspiring their inner artist to come out and play too!

Though I’ve been an artist my whole life, I’ve only dabbled in watercolor since the fall of 2014; I was going to sketch my way across Europe, and wanted some color, and thought, “How hard could watercolor be?” (You can stop laughing.)

I had fun filling sketchbooks during that trip, but not with much worth writing home about – though I did prop my little 5×8 sketchbook in a corner of the Louvre’s marble walls and snapped a photo, so I can say I had a limited one-woman exhibition there!

Fortunately, I’m not one daunted by a challenge, because after painting since then, I still feel like a newbie – and I get a thrill out of learning something new. I’m constantly taking watercolor workshops at my local art store, Daniel Smith (I know, I know, how lucky for me!), and trying to discover what is “my” style. For now I’ve decided that it’s ok to have a completely different style every day, without consistency, while I make that attempt.

While I use a variety of paints, my love for the last year or so has been Daniel Smith watercolors. I put my tube paints into half-pans in a metal palette, and create a swatch card for myself to remember what’s in it – since I have an embarrassing 7 palettes full! (Anyone else need all the colors?? #fullsetsyndrome is my nemesis!)

My desert island paints would be Daniel Smith’s 6 Essentials, if I could only have 6 colors…they have a warm and cool red/yellow/blue that mix to become anything. And if I had to pare it down further – New Gamboge, Phthalo Blue Green Shade, and Quin Rose. But…I am fortunate NOT to be relegated to a desert island!

That means I get to pick a few other favorite colors, and the palette shown here is my top 18:

Daniel Smith makes dot cards with samples of the actual paints (you can get one of mine HERE) – I chose colors that are some of my favorites, but also with a leeeaaaan toward my crafting students and their needs to paint simply and not mix a ton of colors. (For example: lately I don’t use Lunar Black for black, only for granulation; otherwise I mix Indanthrone, Transparent Pyrrol Orange, and Quinacridone Burnt Orange.)

My favorite brushes by a landslide are the Silver Brush Co’s Black Velvet line of round brushes, and have been working mostly with a #8 and #12 in recent months – the larger the better, as I’m trying to loosen up! These brushes point beautifully – and hold the point for a long long time – and hold a lot of water and pigment in the belly, if you like that!

I’m also an Arches artist – favorite paper for the most part! Some others stay wet longer, but, I find wet paper can be really hard for this impatient artist to work with!

Bible Journaling is another area of deep interest for me, especially since I’ve worked through some techniques to paint on that thin, lightweight paper; limiting water by sometimes even painting with baby wipes!

And other times, I paint my faith outside of my Bible, as well.

My online following is mostly my beloved crafters; I produce three videos a week on YouTube – at least one a week is usually watercolor – and I host classes at art-classes.com. Here are two examples of some of the regular card videos on my blog:

I’m an avid student of watercolor – as I said, I’m attempting to discover my style! You may have noticed a wide variety here, and much of that is due to taking so many watercolor classes from great instructors. I find I’m a little jealous that they know what “their” thing is – they have a signature style and a way to teach it. I, however, just “try on everyone’s sweaters,” as one teacher told me. I see what it’s like to paint in that style, and whether I find it’s “my thing” or not, I learn from the attempts.

As a discipline, I try to paint at least a little every day – as a full-time artist, that’s doable, but I encourage everyone to even take a few minutes to draw or paint in a sketchbook at least!

Creating every day is my mantra…the more you make, the more you learn, the more you improve!

I have one final painting to share….it’s Rome, and inspired by that European trip, though it was the 14th try at capturing it!

The B&B I stayed at was amazing, overlooking St Peters’s… and the owner, Rosa Maria, was the best hostess ever, sharing exactly which church in which of its naves displayed each of the Caravaggio paintings I had gone there to see. Each night she waited up for me to get home so she could look through my sketches and see where I was that day.

I painted this scene again and again, and wasn’t happy with it until I took a class from Björn Bernström – and applying his amazing techniques, I was finally happy enough with it to send it to Rosa Maria. So now… I have a one-woman show at Al Colonnato di San Pietro in Rome. Which fortunately sounds like it could be a gallery. *wink*

Sandy Allnock Website Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter Pinterest

#WorldWatercolorMonth GUEST FEATURE: Inspiring Your Inner Artist by Sandy Allnock #doodlewash Hi there! My name is Sandy Allnock, and I live with two rambunctious puppies just south of Seattle, Washington.

#crafts #doodlewash #featured #illustration #painting #papercraft #papercrafting #Sandy Allnock #sketching #watercolor #watercolor sketching

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ferociousqueak · 7 years

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I knew I could count on you all for good suggestions *hugs all of you* :D Replies below the cut for length.

(My own wedding did not have a bachelor(ette) party or flower girls. I did not even wear a dress ;)

That sounds like a lovely, low-stress kind of wedding :D

syzara replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

Locked rooms are apparently fun, according to mr tigs. Make sure those are accessible though! /also fun ideas all over your replies ;)

Oh, accessibility was my first question when I was looking into it. My main concern there is that a) a few people might be bored by it and b) one or two people might have an issue with being locked in somewhere. I think it would be a lot of fun, and I think my friend would enjoy it too, but it might be a little too niche to apply to everyone’s interests :/

midna2123 replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

You could try something like a theme night? Like whatever her favorite shows or games are and try to do like themed drinks, food, party games, etc? I'm not much of a party person myself and would much rather just hold a video game party than go out anywhere but that's just me haha

@pagerunner suggested over chat a Princess Bride theme, and YESSSS. And that story is established enough that I’m sure I could find plenty of food, drinks, decorations, games, etc. to fit! I’m sure my friend would prefer something low key as well, and video games would be fun, but she unfortunately has issues with motion sickness that things like video games and movies that use shaky cam tend to irritate :/ Board and card games are more her speed :)

continuousspec replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

You're idea sounds fun! If she likes board games, maybe a few hours at a game house? I know the one in my town also has CAH nights so you could work CAH with that.

There are a couple of gaming bars not far from where she lives that host board and card games! They’re “bars” because they serve alcohol, but they’re nothing like what you tend to think of a traditional bar. She might be cool with that!

bloomingcnidarians replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

I've been to real low-key ones (manicures and dinner at chili's) and really intense ones (bar hopping). My favorite was my own, where we went to a swanky hipster restaurant and had fancy cocktails and alligator mac & cheese and then went to a friend's house and chilled around their outdoor fire pit.

I was kind of thinking along the lines of manicures too! And yours sounds like a lot of fun! (That alligator mac and cheese sounds yummy!)

thisonelikesaliens replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

But yeah the CAH thing sounds hella fun

thisonelikesaliens replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

The only wedding party I was in we actually went to Vegas for a Bachelorett weekend. Nothing over the top, just chilling, eating, and watched a show. It's really all about doing something together that everyone enjoys and it doesn't necessarily have to involve penises.

Vegas would probably (definitely) be outside the budget for most of the people who would go, but a night/weekend of chilling and enjoying each other sounds like a lot of fun :D

pagerunner replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

hmmm, what should I do with my penis cupcake pan...OOH CHOCOLATES

OR BROWNIES! She likes those as long as they’re fudgy enough :D

cardboardnymph replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

Servant of Clio's right, it's a thing. Also, free. http://cadsaboutmatrimony.com/product/cads-about-matrimony/ Fandom? You could print out some ME & DA naked people? For...any reason, really. Fruit tarts are amazing & can be made vegan. There are dick lipsticks you can order online, decent colors. I got a second set free because half the first set were...soft. Some dick candies are good. The people at your local sex shop know which ones. Feather boas are always fun.

Oh this is a fantastic link, thank you :D She’s not really a fandom type, but she dabbles in Mass Effect, Legend of Zelda, BtVS, SPN, etc. pagerunner suggested Princess Bride, and I think that would be a good fit for her. I hadn’t thought about hitting up local sex shops for ideas, but that’s good advice! I don’t think my friend would be particularly partial to dick accessories, but I think she’ll accept that enough people will expect them (at least as joke items) that she wouldn’t object. And she did give me a bright pink feather boa for my bachelorette party and then make me go out in public like that, so this could be my chance for a little payback :P

servantofclio replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

My bachelorette party was basically me and my friends holed up in a hotel room taking Cosmopolitan quizzes and mocking them. Hm. If no cake, what food does she really like? Have that. Maybe fun non-alcoholic drinks? There must be some recipes for cool mocktails out there. CAH, maybe with some extra wedding-related cards, could actually be pretty fun?

Your bachelorette party sounds very similar to our Friday nights when we lived together back in college (i.e., like a very good time) :P I’ll have lots of cookies and brownies available, for sure :P (I plan to arrange a special giant cookie for her wedding so she can eat something she enjoys that day too.) I like the idea of looking for mocktails related to Princess Bride, which I’m sure Pinterest will help me find. I hadn’t considered CAH having wedding-themed cards, but of course they do. She’ll love that!

shadoedseptmbr replied to your post “Okay, friends! I am officially looking for input! So, my best friend...”

The only one i planned was a tea party for a very religious girl. I think the naughtiest thing we had was a candle that melted down from base to base (first kiss etc)

A tea party actually sounds like fun, but I’m not sure it would be a good fit for my friend. Event planning is hard! But I’m happy I got so many good ideas to consider :D

#syzara #midna2123 #continuousspec #bloomingcnidarians #thisonelikesaliens #pagerunner #cardboardnymph #servantofclio #shadoedseptmbr #ferocious replies #THANK YOU ALL #YOU ARE ALL LOVELY <3

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bestportablewm · 5 years

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Best Desktop Audio Interface

Are you looking for a top audio interface card? Tired of those plug-and-play solutions that have latency problems? Don’t want to deal with USB and Firewire ports? On a budget? See below for several options when it comes to professional recording desktop interfaces for your podcast, music production, and overall recording needs!

Top Computer Audio Interface Cards For 2019

Name: Rating:Price on Amazon: M-Audio M-Track 2X2M5.0 (Best Overall) Focusrite Scarlett Solo4.8 (Best For Music Production) BEHRINGER Audio Interface4.7 (BEST For Live Music )

M-Audio M-Track 2X2M

M-Audio seems to be constantly looking for what a consumer desires in low-cost consumer audio gear. As time and technology progresses, it seems that home audio interfaces are becoming faster, smaller, and more feature-packed than ever before. At first glance, the Fast Track Ultra seems to fit perfectly into this mold. The unit is an development on the previous Fast Track Pro, and finds a happy middle-ground between being a small and lightweight portable interface, and a studio tool with a wealth of I/O options and high-quality components.

As a longtime owner of the now-aging M-audio OmniStudio interface, I was curious how this new M-audio interface would stack up against what I considered my small home-studio workhorse. So is M-audio able to continue to improve upon their product line, or are their promises becoming too good to be true?

The Unit

The body of the Fast Track Ultra is clearly a tight squeeze for a unit containing four XLR mic pre-amp inputs on the front face. While my M-audio OmniStudio would support rack ears, the Fast Track is only just over a half rack space wide, clearly showing it is intended mainly as a desktop interface. The unit’s body is plastic, as opposed to the OmniStudio unit which is cased in an aluminum shell. Combined with some questionably loose 1/4” inputs, I am reluctant to say whether the unit would be able to endure heavy use as a portable audio interface. Nevertheless, it is a very attractive unit with easily accessible connections and knobs, giving it a very use-friendly image from the start.

The I/O

Many low-cost and portable audio interfaces seem to fit into two categories: The small 2-channel interface for simple projects or stereo remote recordings (Presonus Firebox, M-Audio Fast Track Pro), or the expanded units, often with eight built-in pres (Presonus Firestudio, Alesis MultiMix). With four built-in mic pre-amps, the Fast Track Ultra fits nicely in the middle.

The M-Audio Fast Track Ultra provides a complete recording solution, with six channels of analog inputs and outputs plus 2-channel digital S/PDIF I/O. Unlike most USB audio interfaces, it features two dedicated inserts on the first two channels, giving you the ability to insert outboard processing before A/D conversion. Easy connection via a single USB 2.0 cable delivers both audio and MIDI communication with your computer.

Getting Connected

The card is the first interface released by M-audio to have USB 2.0 connectivity, a change that seems a bit late. After booting up your computer, you may be surprised to find out that the Fast Track Ultra will power up as well, even without a power adapter. The unit can run with a minimal 2-in 2-out connectivity while being powered through the USB bus alone. A 5V power adapter, which looks oddly like a cell phone power supply, allows for full usage of the I/O options.

I noticed a weird problem after tracking some MIDI keyboards using the unit’s USB bus power. In order to hear playback, I put on my headphones and immediately noticed a hum. After unplugging the MIDI cable, the hum vanished. I decided to leave the MIDI cable inserted and plug in the power adapter. After restarting the unit, the hum again was gone.

The included drivers and software couldn’t have been easier to install on my Mac. The unit supports ASIO and WDM on PC, and core audio on Mac. The installation includes a Control Panel that exists both in the Applications folder and in System Preferences, bringing up the software mixer and monitor controls. Within less than ten minutes, you should be setup and ready to go.

The Control Panel

The m-audio allows monitoring all eight direct inputs (six analog channels and two of S/PDIF digital) as well as software returns, all of which can be separately adjusted in the Control Panel. The monitor windows are clean and simple, and allow fast and easy adjustments with flexible routing. The window looks like a basic mixer and includes a fader, pan, solo, mute, stereo channel link, and an effect send, as well as master out faders with effects return.

Adding up to monitor control, there is a tab for settings, meters, and a status screen labeled “about”. There is also a unusual tab named “flow” that initially seems to be a visual means of re-routing I/O. The screen is, in fact, a diagram for reference, perhaps to give a better on-screen understanding of the unit’s signal flow.

The settings tab has a sample rate selector, a toggle between internal and external clock sync, and settings for the hardware DSP processors, but before you get too excited, this is not intended to be a software plug-ins solution, but pretty a tool for routing monitor reverb or delay to a player without exhausting the cpu. This is a smart and useful, yet partial concept. Each channel is given an individual effect blend via the control panel, but the effects are restricted to several reverb, delay, and echo settings, all of which do not sound particularly great. Even so, this feature is not found on most units in this price range, and is a nice tool to have handy, regardless of its limitations.

The Sound

After completing a project, I am very pleased with the functionality of the unit. I connected it to an iMac with an external firewire hard drive, and we recorded up to six channels flawlessly, with very minimal latency and no clicks or other digital errors.

My only complaint is that the headphone outputs did not have enough gain to my liking, especially for drum tracking. A solution to this could be a better isolating pair of headphones.

Although the build quality of this audio interface seems decent enough, it is still a downgrade from my older OmniStudio, which has a heavier chassis and tighter knobs. Even so, I think the fast track would resist the test of time as long as it’s treated with care.

Whether you’re a musician, producer or DJ, the powerful combination of Apple and M-Audio gives you everything you need to put together a high-powered personal studio.

Best Audio Interface for Electronic Music Production

Focusrite Scarlett Solo

I use the Focusrite Scarlett Solo for recording podcasts, acoustic songs, and even vocals for some of my club mixes. Even with that wide variety of uses, I have to say that this audio interface gets the job done. My system is an everyday HP desktop that I purchased online that’s a little bit on the more advanced end of the spectrum. For software, I use Adobe Audition as I’ve been using its previous version, Cool Edit Pro, since high school. The Delta 44 and Adobe Audition have been a winning combination for me on my desktop.

The problem I had in the past with recording solutions was the constant snap, crackle, and pop of the audio. Reviewers complained about this issue with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo as well, but the informed reviewers stated that with the proper tuning and by actually reading the instruction manuals, you can have a professional recording setup on your desktop without breaking the bank. Initially, I was skeptical due to the negativity, yet I decided to take the plunge and try things out myself. The worst that could happen is a refund or putting it for sale somewhere online for a little bit of a loss. To me, that’s no big deal so I went along with it.

When the audio card arrived in the mail, I knew I had to do as the positive reviews suggested. I read the instructional manual, took into consideration some tips of reviewers, and even checked some other information online. When I felt I was ready to get the show on the road, I popped open my desktop tower and inserted the card into one of the PCI slots on my motherboard. Yes, even as a top audio interface today, this audio card still relies on a PCI connection rather than a PCI Express connection, which is more common nowadays.

Even with the slightly dated technology, this audio card runs like a charm. My first test was to record one segment of my upcoming podcast for my buddy’s exercise and health website. I made sure my buffer settings were just right – not too high and not too low as suggested by a reviewer of the the Delta 44 online. My voice has never sounded so clear, and this was without any filters. So once I applied my usual filters and effects with some tiny tweaks to mesh better with the new audio card, I sounded like a professional radio personality. Considering how much I spent on this audio card compared to my previous audio interface, it was basically a steal. I guess that’s what happens when you switch from a USB solution to an audio card interface.

So if you have the capacity for a top audio interface in your recording rig, you need to get this Focusrite Scarlett Solo . A few years ago, I purchased a Lexicon Lambda USB interface for my Dell laptop at the time. For what I wanted to do, it got the job done, but took way too much time to configure to get subpar results. There was constant sound popping and recordings cutting out no matter what I did. Even after going through page upon page of support topics, I didn’t get the end results I needed. With the Delta 44 though, everything’s working with much better ease. My acoustic songs sound pretty close to professional quality even though I’m recording things from my bedroom and my recent dance songs have more punch to them.

On the side, I moonlight as a DJ at the local clubs in my area. Aside from spinning remixes of the latest hits on the radio, I like creating my own songs and mashups with my own vocals. A lot of people have been digging my originals, so I had to step things up with better sound quality. The solo delivers.

If you’re in the market for a top audio interface that delivers professional results while on a budget, then the Focusrite Scarlett Solo is what you need in your recording rig. As long as you read the instruction manual and understand the basics of setting up this audio card with the rest of your recording equipment, you’ll be able to create sound recordings pleasant to the ears.

Best Audio Interface for Live Performance

BEHRINGER Audio Interface

Having experience with M Audio in the past, I knew I needed a more robust BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller compared to what I had before. I was making progress with my electronic music, so an upgrade was needed. My recording adventures began in high school when I would simply record acoustic tracks and vocals with my Dell desktop’s cheap computer microphone. With a couple of tweaks within Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Premiere), I was able to get some decent sounding recordings.

When I got to college, that’s when I got heavy into acoustic recordings and gigs with my roommate at the time. However, I gradually saw myself transitioning into electronic dance and pop music. To me, there’s nothing like really getting into a beat and wanting to bust a move in a fun environment. So on my computer, I’d mess around with Fruity Loops, Reason, and Garageband once I got a Macbook Pro. For a while, I used an M Audio Radium 61 as my MIDI controller in Reason and Garageband. I really enjoyed its solid construction and its overall functionality. However, I needed an input device with a full keyboard. That’s when I knew I had to drop more than $100 or $200 on a MIDI controller to get what I wanted.

After some digging through M Audio reviews, as I knew I would be sticking with this solid brand, I found the BEHRINGER. Like my previous controller, it’s USB-powered, so I don’t have to worry about lugging around a clunky AC adapter or dealing with a bunch of wires. The wires involved with my Macbook Pro and other equipment are enough for me. However, some people might prefer using the optional AC adapter to relieve some stress off their computer’s calculations and whatnot.

The Oxygen 88 also comes with 4 velocity curves and 3 pedals – 2 sustain pedal inputs and 1 expression pedal.

What I absolutely love about the Oxygen 88 are the hammer-action keys. Rather than pressing onto something that feels cheap and overly plastic, it really feels like I’m pressing the keys to a legitimate upright piano. For how much I paid, that’s a pretty solid deal.

Of course, if I wanted to simply play piano, I could’ve gone with something more cost effective, but of course I bought this BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller to make awesome beats. For a few weeks, I messed around with Garageband and Reason utilizing the built-in functions of this MIDI device. Gradually, I got back to that level of comfort I had with the Radium 61, and I actually enjoy using this more due to those hammer-action keys. At first, I was reluctant to upgrade my MIDI controller because its keys just felt so right to me. Now I don’t see myself using a cheaper device again. Actually being able to feel the weight of the keys helps when I’m trying to add a certain effect or certain level of expression in my songs. This is something that is hard to create in mixing software without having to manipulate the settings and filters.

Now that I was feeling more comfortable with my new MIDI setup, I decided to test things out at a mug night for the upperclassmen at school. They apparently needed someone to replace this local band that was supposed to play for their event. One of my buddies was running this mug night and knew I liked DJing and throwing in a few of my own custom mixes, so he asked if I wanted to fill in that empty spot.

The night went on without any problems. Sure, it’s a different ballgame going from using this BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller to program notes to playing bits and pieces live, but I felt I knew what I was doing. Well I hope so. Most people wouldn’t have noticed anyway given the type of event I was playing for. Regardless, I was really feeling my songs – beat by beat, track by track. Having those extra keys on the Oxygen 88 really helped me out with my live playing. It was so much easier being able to assign instruments all across the board, especially since I was experimenting with more layers in my songs.

Everyone at that mug night event seemed happy and I was happy with how the Oxygen 88 helped me win the crowd over. I doubt I would’ve been able to pull this off if I was using a shorter keyboard. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the Radium 61 is a bad MIDI controller, as it was my pride and joy for years. It’s just that with the layering and complexity of my songs now compared to in the past, the Oxygen 88 is the right BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller for my needs.

The post Best Desktop Audio Interface appeared first on Best Portable Reviews.

from Best Portable Reviews https://bestportablereview.com/best-desktop-audio-interface/

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villiansarepeopletoo · 6 years

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The Disney College Program: FAQ Before Becoming a Cast Member

After spending weeks staring at the hours, minutes and seconds countdown I had rolling on my phone, my mom and I made the 8 hour car ride from North Carolina to Orlando to start on the biggest journey of my life thus far. All the Disney themed Christmas and Graduation gifts I received just made me burst into tears because I was so ready to be a Cast Member. But I didn’t know true euphoria until my very first day of training, which Walt Disney World refers to as the start of Earning Your Ears. There really aren’t a lot of resources out there that go into detail about what you should expect in the beginning of your program. It can be really nerve racking going to work for such a large company, especially when you know they have such high expectations for their employees. So I really just want to answer some of the biggest questions I had before I left.

What are the apartments like? How do they match you with roommates?

Truthfully, the apartments aren’t perfect. But they provide every basic thing you may need during the time you’re going to be there, except a coffee maker.. The layout is different in each of the four apartment complexes, The Commons, Patterson Court, Chatham Square, and Vista Way (which I have listed according to how expensive they are), but generally they all have a shared living space, bedrooms that all have their own bath and house 2-4 people, along with a full kitchen that does come with pots, pans, and plates. There are pros and cons to literally every housing unit, and even if you put one as your top choice, you still may get your last choice. They do it a lot like colleges do it, when you fill out your housing info you will rank your options from lowest to highest. I won’t go into too much detail on the individual units in this article, but I’ve included a link on the listed names that will take you to the official Disney Programs blog (my opinion is biased anyways because I loved my apartment, they are honestly like being sorted into Hogwarts houses and the loyalty is fierce #PattersonForLife).

As far as roommates go, you CAN choose your roommates! But there is also an option to go random, just like in college! I linked up with all my roommates on the Disney College Program Spring 2018 Facebook page. Almost every class that comes through makes a private Facebook page for people who have applied, and once acceptances go out everyone starts pairing up as roommates. There will be a universal post that will travel around which has you fill out your likes and dislikes and your living habits. Its honestly online dating…and it’s SUPER awkward. But you just have to make the most of it. I was lucky enough to connect with 5 amazing girls all around the same age and we got along super great! None of us were from the same state so it was really awesome to get to know everyone. So once we found each other and agreed to live together, we designated one Leader, in our case we chose my friend Brooke because this was her second program and she was the only one who knew what she was doing… When you receive your acceptance to the program and pay all your fees, Disney gives you an ID number. When Brooke began filling out her housing information, she linked all of us up using our ID numbers and we accepted the invitations confirming our housing requests to be roommates. It’s a pretty easy process once you start filling out your paperwork but if you ever have questions you can always contact housing or recruiting, they work for Disney so they’re naturally super helpful and they’ll get back to you in a few days. ([email protected])

Is there anything specific that I should pack? What should I leave at home?

It really is personal preference, but if you’re a shopaholic like me and want anything and everything Disney, definitely pack light. My entire life changed when I found out about the Cast Discount Store, Cast Connections. They sell everything for an insanely low price after it’s gone out of season. All the ears are $5. I went into my program promising myself I wouldn’t purchase a single pair of Minnie ears, but I had to make room for 11 pairs in my car when I was packing up my apartment.. I was still finding ears under my seats when I moved home… #NoRagrets… I also started a mug collection…you just never know what you’re gonna end up getting into. I would definitely advise against bringing any kind of warm clothing aside from like one blanket and one sweatshirt. I think I wore jeans once during my 6 month program. The kitchen is mostly provided for, pots, pans, cups, plates, and bowls should already be placed in the cabinets when you get there. If they are not, go to the Club House of your complex and let them know and they’ll give you a checklist of everything you’re supposed to have. Be sure and fill out a form with what you don’t have during your first week or they won’t replace it.

I would also talk with your Bedroom roommate a little. You’ll need the essentials such as bedding, bathroom stuff, a bath mat, shower curtain, and hangers for the closet. We split up the shelves in the pantry for food, but I suggest having a bin to put food and produce in. Luckily most of the closet space is great! I didn’t have much problem with storage for clothes. My roommate, Morgan, and I found the plastic drawer sets from Target were really helpful though just for another option if you need something extra. In my apartment, the extra closet space around the living areas were first come first serve so don’t be shy. Claim your spaces and just go with it.

What is Traditions?

Traditions is Disney’s fancy way of saying Training and Expectations. I’ll publish a complete article later on with the expectations of Traditions. A lot of sources will talk about how scary this process can be, but I promise it’s just like any other on-boarding process. You’ll basically just go to Casting and get your finger print and background check done. BE SURE AND BRING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, PHOTO ID, AND PASSPORT, just to be safe. I thought I didn’t need it, but I was very wrong and had to go to the social security office in Orlando at 4:00 in the morning. It was a terrible experience. I got to know Snow White pretty well though.

After your legal stuff is done you’ll watch some very wonderful videos about how much magic Disney brings to the lives of guests and everyone sits and cries together…Then they give you a super short tour of FantasyLand in Magic Kingdom. I won’t spoil all the surprises, but it was one of the best days of my life. It’s long and you spend it in a classroom, but its just amazing. It’s the first day you feel apart of the company and close to the magic. It’s also the day you receive you’re Name Tag. PLEASE DO NOT STRESS OVER WHAT TO WEAR. The Disney Look may sound intimidating, but if you feel comfortable wearing in front of your grandma, then you can wear it in front of your trainer. (I’ll publish another article about the Disney Look.)

When can I go into the Parks?

Contrary to popular opinion, your first 3 to 5 days in Orlando YOU CANNOT GO INTO THE PARKS (unless you purchase a ticket or have an annual pass). After you complete Disney classical training (Disney Traditions), you will receive, what Cast Members call, your Blue Card. It’s nothing super fancy, just a small bright blue credit card with your name on it and a tiny picture of Mickey Mouse, but when you get it, it basically represents the Disney version of a Hogwarts Letter. It is your access to ALL the magic: The Parks, Free Parking, your Cast Member Discounts on food and merchandise, and it is the tool you’ll use to clock in for work in order to get paid by the big cheese himself. So don’t lose it.

What kind of Discounts and Perks do College Program Kids get? How much do you get paid?

Disney College Program Kids get paid $10 per hour. Very little exceptions to this. VERY LITTLE. So be sure you have a little bit of help, financially, when you go. We don’t often get the chance to work overtime and when you do, don’t hold your breath that you’ll always get compensated for overtime. Be prepped for $10 per hour at 35 hours a week (unless you’re merchandise or attractions, then you’ll have a ton of hours).

We get 20% off merchandise except during the Holidays (We get 40% off), which begins around Thanksgiving and continues through Valentine’s day. So Spring Kids, BUY EVERYTHING YOU CAN IN YOUR FIRST MONTH. Just so you know. The restaurant discounts vary, but there will be a newsletter in The Hub (Disney’s Employee Info Spot) telling you what locations have the best deals, and it’s updated frequently.

How much free time will I have?

I had two days off every week and it was perfect. They weren’t always back to back which was totally fine with me. You always have the option of picking up shifts (though not always outside of your location). If you know ahead of time that you need specific dates off, officially request it through the Hub, which you’ll become super familiar with after a week or two. If you have questions ask your Leaders (Managers). I was blessed with some pretty amazing superiors and I never felt uncomfortable asking questions or even sharing a concern. But I had friends who didn’t have that luxury. I know a lot of people say that your College Program experience has a lot to do with who your Leaders are.

There’s no ignoring that College Program Participants get the crappy shifts and work a lot. Go in with low expectations for your free time, but you’ll get at least one day off a week and it’s easy to make the most of it when you’re in such close proximity to the parks. I was placed at the Contemporary Resort across from Magic Kingdom and took the monorail to work on many occasions after playing in the park all morning. Or me and my favorite coworker would sprint through our closing chores to make it to 9:00 Fireworks on time and ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin until close. Again, the best advice I ever received was to not skip out on something just because you’re tired. You’ll always be tired when you spend every day making sure everyone else is having a “Magical Day in Walt Disney World.”

#disneyworld #DisneyCollegeProgram #faq #firstdayatdisney #firstdayofwork #Castmember #DisneyCastMember #dcp #dcpspring2019

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loansinghfinanceblogme-blog · 6 years

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There is something about gadgets that’s so alluring. We are dependent on our smartphones, our television set, our car stereos, gaming consoles, and so on. Why is this so? It could be because it helps us kill time, relieve stress, makes things easy for us or just simply act as a status symbol. We are living in a time where we can control the temperature of home with help of a smartphone. We are glued to our virtual reality headsets and depend on a GPS enabled car to tell us how we can get to wherever we want to go.

It is not about cost anymore. We know that once a good electronic gadget is bought, another one would replace it within months. Despite this, we go out and shop for the best we can find. The price of any gadget or gizmo will skyrocket if it is laced with designer fabrics or studded jewelry. Some gadgets are already pricey thanks to the brands which create these or because of the building material and technology used.

Click here, to understand all about a personal loan in India

Gadget Personal Loan

Personal loans do not require any collateral. This makes them an apt source for quick funds. The best place to get a really quick and easy personal loan is a digital lending platform – such as Loan Singh. For salaried individuals, to gather funds within a short span of time (for electronic gadgets) is possible only through digital means. Banks take up to weeks to first go through heaps of documentation and paperwork, after which the approval is obtained and then funds disbursed.

At Loan Singh, your score against a proprietary credit underwriting algorithm, determines if you are eligible for the personal loan, or not. It’s best you go through Loan Singh’s FAQ page to understand the criteria for applicants and the process timeline. Your credit report acts like a gauge for Loan Singh. It shows how prompt you have been in your previous credit responsibilities and how much trustworthy you are. Loan Singh allows you to avail a personal loan for a number of purposes, such as festival shopping, purchase of household appliances, used car, used motorbike, electronic gadgets, purchase of gold, travel, home improvement, relocation of job, medical expenses, home renovation, marriage, etc.

Click here, to learn more about a gadget personal loan in India

Loan Singh Documents

Unlike traditional lending solutions such as banks, Loan Singh only requires 2 documents to process your loan application

PAN Card, Aadhar Card

6 months’ bank statement in PDF format (downloaded from your net-banking account only)

It is also extremely important to fill all the other fields on the form – such as your address information and your work information.

Best Electronic Gadgets to Buy Via Gadget Personal Loan

With Loan Singh now giving you the funds you need to buy the best in gadgetry, we list some cool gadgets that you can buy, courtesy a personal loan from Loan Singh.

Jarre Technologies Aerobull Docking Speaker

The perfect docking speaker does exist. If you own an iPhone, this is perfect to go with it. It’s sleek and tall built helps it to stay compatible with an iPhone. The sound system is said to be a result of years of research by French composer Jean Michael Jarre; Hence the name.

Approximately priced at Rs.1,32,000

Microsoft Surface Book

This cool product comes with a detachable keyboard within a 2-in-1 PC (laptop+tablet). The storage variants available are – 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. The Surface Book is one of the best when it comes to experiencing the features of a tablet and a laptop.

Approximately priced at Rs.2,25,000

Panasonic 4K Toughpad Tablet

Being a ‘Toughpad’, Panasonic’s rugged line of laptops and tablets can withstand being dropped from height of 2.5 feet. Rugged devices are usually much more expensive than regular computers due to being equipped to meet certain standards. Another great feature of the Toughpad is its 4K super sharp 3840×2560 pixel resolution.

Approximately priced at Rs.2,10,000

Nikon D500

A great choice for acclaimed shutterbugs around the world, the Nikon D500 comes with a 64GB high speed SD card. An anonymous borrower had this to say about his gadget loan experience.

“You could say I have penchant for wildlife photography. It is my first love. Although I work as a Business Developer, I make it a point during weekends to head out to the wild and feel swarmed by nature. When I saw how much a Nikon D500 could offer, I had to get one for myself. Taking a loan to purchase this shutter beast made sense. The only option I saw was via Loan Singh. Gadget loans are niche segments but for someone like me it was perfect. Within few hours of the application process, I had the funds to get my very own D500. Online loans are the best”.

Approximately priced at Rs.1,92,000

Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

For gaming connoisseurs, there is no limit. Better games keep releasing and you need the best to appease your gaming appetite. This Asus offering is a revolutionary gaming laptop, thanks to its high end gaming hardware – NVIDIA GeForce, GTX 1080 Graphics with Max-Q design. It possesses a 7th Generation Intel Core Processor with an optional 120Hz wide view display.

Approximately priced at Rs.1,11,000

MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro Gaming Laptop

This beast of a gaming laptop makes one slim and agile gaming companion. A 15.6-inch screen with a full HD display is coupled with backlighting keys, making it a visual treat. This is one ‘helluva’ option to quench your gaming urge.

Approximately priced at Rs.1,12,000

X Box One S

From the Microsoft stable comes the upgraded version of the original X Box One. The X Box One S comes with an IR Blaster with no Kinect support this time. A separate USB connector is provided for Kinect users. Available with the 500 GB and 1TB variant, the presence of HDR allows for games like Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 to be played like cakewalk.

Approximately priced at Rs. 21,000

Apple iPhone X

With a 5.8 inch full HD display, 12MP rear shooters, a 3GB RAM and running on iOS 11.1.1, the iPhone X is one of the best available smartphones around. Needless to say the iPhone X is a must have if you are a dedicated Apple user.

Down payment of Rs.35,270 with EMI of Rs.2799 on the airtel online store

Optoma EH416 Projector

If you are wondering how much could a projector cost? The answer is little more than a lakh. The Optoma projector is a full HD 1080p compact projector with easy connectivity to 2 HDMI, MHL and VGA ports. It consists of a built in 10W speakers. It is perfect for small edge blending and stacking projects. It is an absolute must for professional meetings and conferences.

Approximately priced at Rs.1,07,000

Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones

Not having really good headphones to enjoy music or VFX is a sin. The Bose Quiet Comfort headphones give world class noise cancellation with volume optimized equalizers.

Approximately priced at Rs. 29,000

Amazon Echo

The Echo from Amazon is a smart speaker that lets you connect to a voice controlled personal assistant service called ‘Alexa’. The Echo lets you play music, complete to-dos, stream podcasts and search for real time information. It can be simply called as a ’Home Automation Hub’.

Approximately priced at Rs. 13,000

Amplifi HD Router

Finding a WiFi router that not just serves its purpose but also adds aesthetic value is hard to find. Presenting – the Amplifi HD Router. It is a table top, app controlled router that is appealing yet powerful.

Approximately priced at Rs. 23,000

Fitbit Alta

The Fitbit Alta fitness band allows you to receive notifications on calls, text messages and calendar appointments from your phone with regular fitness tracking. The band shows you the activity levels of your exercise with good battery life.

Approximately priced at Rs. 8,500

Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum

For PC gaming enthusiasts we have something cool on this list. The Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum Mouse is lightweight, wireless and has an accurate optical sensor. Now get clean headshots and easy frags.

Approximately priced at Rs. 9,100

Pioneer DJ Controller

The dream of some of you to become a headliner at an epic Dance Music festival can now become true. The console comes with tactile performance pads, larger jog wheels for great scratch response, manual filters with trim knobs.

Approximately priced at Rs. 24,990

These are just some of the amazing electronic products available out there which can make you drool. Share your thoughts with us below if you own any of these.

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ladmob · 7 years

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14 People Share Their "Holy Sh*t, That Worked?!" Moment

For more , Please view ---> https://goo.gl/b98Qah

14 People Share Their "Holy Sh*t, That Worked?!" Moment

Most of the time, things work pretty much as expected, but sometimes the stars align for just a moment and deliver you a random miracle. These 14 people took a total shot in the dark and were totally surprised by their outcomes.

1. RedditforLent — for that amount of effort, I’m glad it panned out.

Used an electric palm sander to clean the soap scum out of my tub. Put a sponge right on the bottom and turned that bad boy on.

I thought my tub was just naturally eggshell color, nope. It’s pure white.

2. Private_Pyjak — apparently this is a thing. Who knew?

Had the infamous “red rings of death” for an old xbox 360 at one point. Called up a buddy, he told me to turn it off, hold it about a foot and a half above the floor, and just drop it. I figured that I couldn’t make it much worse, so I dropped it. Worked perfectly ever since.

3. LokisJoke — drunk people are easier to dupe than others.

Halloween party during college and everyone is starting to pass out except this very inebriated girl who just won’t shut up about wanting someone to turn off the light. I pulled the sleeping bag over her face and said “click”. She said “thank you” and went to sleep. My friend and I looked at each other amazing that it actually worked.

4. boltactionmike — I wouldn’t want to let the bird go.

One time a bird got caught in our chimney and while me and my roommate discussing how to get it out he suggested we stick our hand up there and the bird will just land on our finger. I laughed at him and said it would never work…. within 30 seconds he was walking to the door with a bird perched on his pointer finger.

5. batty3108 — this is genius.

In school, I belatedly realised I had an essay due the next day, which I simply didn’t have the time to do.

What I did have time to do was write slightly more than a page. I then printed only the first, full page, and handed this in, inside a plastic wallet. I then finished the essay at home that night.

So, the next day, when my teacher grabs me in the corridor and says “You realise you only have me the first page of your essay, right?”, I was able to say “Oh, shoot, the rest must have fallen out or something. I’ll go print it out right now and bring it to your office.”

6. Nantoone — I love the idea of a magician as shocked as the person he’s doing the trick for.

When I was younger I was into magic and thought I invented a magic trick that used subliminal messaging to get someone to pick a card.

I secretly turned the two of hearts over in the deck, and handed it to the kid my mom was watching.

I asked my mom to name any card, then I said to the kid:

“You too, [name of kid], whatever card is in your heart.”

Trying to get him to say the two of hearts.

To my disbelief he actually said the two of fucking hearts. I didn’t touch the deck for the entire trick and told him to go through it and he saw his selection turned over. I was in just as much amazement as he was.

7. relativex — amazing. The rest of their story is kinda sad, though.

In high school, I told a girl who was way out of my league, “You should give me your number.”

She asked, “Why would I do that?”

I said, “Because if I just dial randomly, it will take forever to call you…”

Waited to be shot down. But she laughed…and gave it to me! We were together for seven years.

8. SardinesGivePower — the line worth $20,000.

A guy we’ll call Bob left the company I was at. A year or two later he started recruiting people from our company, I was interested so I flew out for an interview.

First five interviews went great. Seemed like a good group to work with. The final interview was with the HR director. It went okay and then we got to the pay part. I said I wanted X amount. She said the average pay for my experience and position was X – 20k.

My response was “Bob didn’t fly me out here because I’m average,”

I have no idea why I said that, but I got the job and the pay I wanted.

Months later when we were getting drinks Bob brought that up. Apparently HR director thought I was very quiet and introverted from our interview so my response caught her even more off guard than it caught me.

9. iforgotmylast0ne — hard to get jealous over faster internet, but we’re happy for you.

Moved offices at work. Tried “Admin/Password” on the new router login page Who has two thumbs and higher bandwidth? THIS GUY

10. TractorHead346 — sounds like a dream job.

Applied for a job at a french fry factory. The online application asked what makes you want to work for us? I simply put “Potatoes are my favorite food”. HR lady and engineering manager loved it, been working there 10 months now.

11. waterboatman — like I said, this is apparently a thing.

Had a laptop slide backwards off my lap, hit the floor and stop working. Showed me an error screen and wouldn’t start back up.

Decided to turn it over and drop it from the same height onto its opposite side (why not, it’s already broken right?) and it started working again.

12. cubs_070816 — gotta get your friends a matching shirt then you’re set.

i have a verizon center STAFF lanyard that a buddy gave to me from some concert 10 or 12 years ago. it literally says nothing but “verizon center” and “STAFF.” white letters on a black background, and then has a small bar code and some illegible jibberish on the other side. it could be entirely fake, as i’ve never seen anyone else use one like it.

so far, 3 free concerts and one free NBA game. half-afraid to keep using it, especially since the arena changed its name. i can’t get anyone else in with it, so while i can literally go anywhere, i have to do it alone, which is much less fun.

13. chicken-denim — sometimes cheesy works.

A few years ago i was drunk and set the personal ringtone of a girl i liked to sixpence none the richer – kiss me. No idea what i was thinking while doing that. After a night out partying we hung out together and i told her to call me on my cellphone. We kissed. It was incredibly cheesy and i cringed over myself, but somehow it worked.

14. MMMlKE — ballsy.

Was going home on my bike at night. My front light was broken and there was a police check. The officer told me I was getting a ticket because I didn’t have the light on. I told him it was on. He pointed at the light and said that it was off. I told him it was off because it works on a dynamo and the wheel has to be turning for it to go on and suggested I’d show it. He agreed so I got on my bike and drove off.

#Funny #reddit #Wtf

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whatsexsaid-blog · 7 years

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youtube

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mariannesmyth-blog · 7 years

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Marianne Smyth is a Thief and a Con Artist - DO NOT TRUST HER

"Mair Smyth" aka "Marianne Smyth" - Con Artist, Scammer, Thief

Mair Smyth aka "Marianne Smyth" SCAMMED $75,000 out of me... and thousands from other clients and friendsShe was a neighbor and quickly became a best friend. Little did I know she was actually a professional con artist and I was one of her many "marks". She would end up scamming more than $75,000 from me and thousands more from many others. EVERYTHING she told people about her life was a lie used to further her cons. She targeted friends, clients and blackmailed married men she had affairs with. I would later learn she's a fugitive on the run wanted by Police in Northern Ireland for stealing hundreds of thousands from unsuspecting victims. Dating apps, day jobs and her psychic business were the tools of her malevolence. She even used her dead daughter, a daughter the courts took from her at a young age and a daughter who wanted nothing to do with her, to scam people out of money. I'm a Journalist. Having worked in the news business for more than 10 years and won numerous awards for my reporting, I thought I had seen it all. That is, until Mair Smyth crossed my path. This blog is a journalistic chronicle of how Mair Smyth - legal name "Marianne Elizabeth Smyth" AKA "Marianne Smyth" - managed to scam $75,000 out of me and thousands more from many others. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS E-MAIL ME: [email protected]

OR check out this blog for updates:

http://mairsmythpsychicscam.blogspot.com/2017/03/mair-smyth-of-orchid-psychics-scammed.html

The woman pictured above is Marianne Smyth "Mair Smyth" AKA "Marianne Elizabeth Smyth" AKA "Marianne Smyth" from "Orchid Psychics" She's a felon on probation convicted in Los Angeles County of stealing and scamming $190,000 from her former employer Pacific Islands.com.

Court Records:

https://media.wix.com/ugd/7e8f5c_45ecc3916bb14cf09fc7c0bf6115fa6f.pdf

Mair Smyth did prison time at Lynwood Correctional in LA County for her crime:

But she's out now... and scamming people by the day. She scammed me for $75,000. She scammed another friend, Heather, for $10,000, she scammed another friend who doesn't want to be named for $5,000. She scammed another friend Michalle for $5000 by fraudulently applying for credit cards in her name and charging them up. She scammed yet another former friend Nina for $2000. And she scammed another former friend Sam for $900. The list is growing every day.

HOW SHE SCAMMED HER EX BOYFRIENDS: BOB Bob was her last known boyfriend and almost her BIGGEST victim. Mair "Marianne Smyth" was actually in the process of drawing up paperwork for Bob to add her name to the title of his two homes! Thankfully, someone printed out my blog and showed it to him and when he brought it home to confront Mair "Marianne Smyth" (who was staying at his house for a few days) she didn't say a word, ran out of the house and never came back. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Mair "Marianne Smyth" met Bob on Tinder 6 months ago. On their 1st or 2nd date, after Bob confided that he was in a custody battle with his ex-wife over his kids… Mair told him, as luck would have it, her day job was as a “730 expert” which is a court appointed child custody investigator. And she offered to help Bob get a better custody arrangement with his kids. Which of course was lie. In reality Mair was a Psychic for a company she created called "Orchid Psychics". Here's her yelp page:https://www.yelp.com/biz/orchid-psychics-los-angeles So like all professional con artists do, she offered to "help" her next victim Bob from the very beginning in an effort to engender trust. And it worked like a charm. Soon Bob started receiving text messages from “Heba Matta” an attorney that was supposedly working with Mair "Marianne Smyth" to help Bob with his custody situation. Turns out… Mair was using a google number to impersonate Heba Matta, who is actually a real District Attorney in Los Angeles and the sister of a former client of Mair’s Orchid Psychics business, so that's how she knew just enough to impersonate Heba. This is the California State Bar's website showing that Heba Matta is actually a real person that Mair was impersonating to Bob.

http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/231898

Wouldn’t you know, Heba claims via text and Mair "Marianne Smyth" corroborates in person that they have found a ton of dirt on Bob’s ex-wife. Mair posing as Heba via text claims to have tapped the ex-wife’s cell phone and is doing intense surveillance on her. Mair and Heba via text told Bob his ex-wife was running a BDSM sex club out of her house while Bob’s kids were in the next room and a ton of other crazy stuff. Bob is alarmed but pleased at the thought of getting full custody of his kids and rescuing them from that sex club house. Of course this was all a story Mair created to get closer to Bob. Mair "Marianne Smyth" knew Bob and his son were huge hockey fans so she told him her good friend is Garth Snow, the GM of the New York Islanders. Mair would show Bob text messages from Garth to prove it. And eventually Bob started getting text messages from Garth too. Bob was pretty disappointed when Garth, who was supposed to meet him at his church one day… never showed. Something came up. Something always came up. Something always does when you’re dealing with a figment of Mair’s imagination. Bob realized It was Mair who was impersonating Garth Snow the whole time. So in Feb-March 2017 when Mair went to jail for 30 days of her 180 day jail sentence after being convicted of stealing from Pacific Islands… she explained her 30 day absence to Bob by saying that her Irish Uncle - Cardinal Richard F Clarke had just died and she had to make an emergency trip to Ireland and deal with everything. Bob was texting and e-mailing Mair while she was in Ireland (Jail) and Mair said the reason she never responded was that she was in mourning for a month. Didn't want to talk to anyone but be in prayer. First, she was going to the Vatican for a service by the Pope then his body was being taken back to Gallway for another service. Which of course was a fantastic LIE to continue stringing Bob along for the giant con soon to come. When she got back from “Ireland” (Jail) she said her apartment was flooded and she had nowhere to stay so Bob let her crash with him. In reality, she was evicted from her apartment 2 months prior, had no job and no money coming in. And here's the biggest con yet... Mair "Marianne Smyth" tells Bob about her wealthy Irish family and the $25 million inheritance she’s going to receive soon. And Bob, like the other people she scammed, believed her. Why wouldn't he? One day Mair shows Bob a $12 million house she says she’s going to buy with her inheritance money. She says she wants to put Bob’s name on the title and co-own it with him.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4525-Camden-Dr-Corona-Del-Mar-CA-92625/25503460_zpid/

For the record, Mair "Marianne Smyth" is not from Ireland. She was born in Bangor, Maine and grew up in Tennessee. There is no wealthy Irish family and there is no 25 million dollar inheritance. But she cleverly convinces Bob there is and that she'll be receiving her 25 million dollar inheritance any day now and that she wants to buy a 12 million dollar home and put Bob's name in it because she loves him. “That’s crazy” Bob says. “If our relationship goes south I’ll own $6 million worth of your home! That’s not right.” Bob says. To which Mair artfully replies “OK. If you put my name on the title of both the homes you own we’ll be even.” So Mair drew up papers and was about to get Bob to put her name on the title of the two homes he owns when fate intervened in the form of Bob's ex-wife. Bob’s ex-wife wanted to check out the woman in her ex-husband’s life because Mair was about to formally meet their kids… that’s when his ex-wife found my blog online by googling "Mair Smyth" - printed it out and shared it with Bob... who then came home and confronted Mair.. who then immediately ran out of the house and left without saying a word. Bob said all he ever paid for was hotel rooms for her. She explained her lack of funds to him by saying I had charged up all her cards and ruined her finances while she was in Ireland. (Jail) Turns out... Bob was supposed to be the BIG CATCH. Can you imagine if he had put Mair's "Marianne Smyth's" name on the title of the two homes he owns!!!! She would own them. And he'd have to pay her out to "buy" them back from him.

BIG

Years before Bob, she claimed to be dating her version of Big (Sex and the City references anyone?) for nine years. But I interviewed Big at length, he wants to conceal his identity, and Big only knew Mair "Marianne Smyth" for 3 years. Big eventually wanted nothing to do with her after he discovered all the text messages and e-mails he was supposedly receiving from her "wealthy family" in Ireland dangling a lucrative job offer that never seemed to pan out were actually coming from fake google voice accounts and fake e-mail accounts that Mair created. By then she had scammed 21K from him... most of it going to repair a roof on one of her many estates in Ireland. Which was another lie Mair invented. Big would later learn Mair wasn't even from Ireland. She was born in Bangor, Maine. During their association, Mair told Big she was good friends with Jennifer Aniston, and showed him text messages from Jennifer to prove it... a story she would use again and again with many other victims.

CHIRS

Mair "Marianne Smyth" told Chris she was good friends with Jennifer Aniston too. And she'd show him text messages from Aniston to prove it... well Chris eventually figured out those Jennifer Aniston text messages were actually coming from a Google Voice account that Mair herself created to text HERSELF as Jennifer Aniston. Then he dumped her. He figured it was a major red flag. BOY WAS HE RIGHT.

JONATHAN

Mair "Marianne Smyth", using another Google phone number, impersonated a client of hers, a Studio Exec, who worked at a big movie studio here in LA to try and get Jonathan, the wealthy guy she was dating to pay $15,000 for some tickets to an awards show. The Studio Exec had no idea Mair was doing this. She has since hired a lawyer and is pursuing a case against Mair for impersonating her. Jonathan never actually handed over the $15,000. He got a weird feeling about it at the last second and changed his mind. But Mair, pretending to be The Studio Exec via text sent a lot of lewd sexual advances to Jonathan to create drama. When The Studio Exec found this out she was FURIOUS.

ROBERT

Robert was dating Mair "Marianne Smyth" for a few months then dumped her after he discovered she was using Google Phone Numbers to text him and other people in his life to cause drama. He would then see her in his neighborhood at all hours stalking him so he filed a restraining order. After he dumped her all his drama went away. "MAIR SMYTH" AKA "MARIANNE ELIZABETH SMYTH" aka "Marianne Smyth" is also running a scam now on Go Fund me where she's using her dead daughter to "raise" money

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v0A-1evH1Uc/WP4JZNUAmfI/AAAAAAAAAFM/F7UvI-SZh34mCtlTeg8U3_g6zYmnGdmNwCLcB/s1600/Mair%2B-%2BGofundme%2BFRAUD%2B-%2Bhttps-%253A%253Awww.gofundme.com%253Ap9zs28.tiff

HER FAMILY I talked to Mair's family recently back in Tennessee and learned Mair was a HORRIBLE mother who abandoned her daughters, Chelsea and Courtney, for YEARS.

What’s funny is her family doesn’t know her as "Mair" they know her as "Marianne Smyth" They have no idea why Marianne changed her name, though not officially, to Mair but they suspect it was to avoid any association to her previous life in Tennessee and elsewhere. According to Mair's family, Mair "Marianne Smyth" has been a lying, cheating, con artist ever since she was born. Mair's family HATES her because of it and they want NOTHING to do with her. Mair's brother said "If I see Mair I'm going to shoot her in the head." And he's not kidding. He really would. And who could blame him at this point. According to her family, Mair NEVER went to Northwestern University or graduated college or University of any kind.

Mair "Marianne Smyth" has never told her family or Chelsea who Chelsea’s biological father is. Over the years the stories have changed. At one point Mair said he was dead… then she’d say he's a professional Hockey Player… then she’d say he's Black… then she’d say he's married with kids. After Chelsea was born, Mair "Marianne Smyth" disappeared for the first 6 or 7 years of her life. That's why Mair's parents were awarded custody of Chelsea. Then when Mair showed back up she got joint custody. Mair "Marianne Smyth" was born in Maine and grew up in Tennessee but Mair was obsessed with wanting to be Irish. So much so Mair sought out Irish guys online and started a long distance relationship with one. When Chelsea was 11, Mair wanted to go visit Ireland on vacation to see this guy. And she wanted to take Chelsea with her. So she did. Then when Chelsea and Mair "Marianne Smyth" were in Ireland supposedly on vacation, Mair "Marianne Smyth" forced Chelsea to call her grandparents and tell them, "This is not a vacation after all. We're moving here permanently" That's when Chelsea really started to loath her mother. Mair eventually married the Irish guy, Stephen Smyth, she met online. Mair kept the Smyth name after the divorce. Chelsea and her stepfather had a close relationship.

Seven years later, Chelsea turned 18 and she insisted on moving back to Tennessee. She hated Ireland and hated her mother for kidnapping her and forcing her to live there. And on the day Chelsea was leaving, Mair "Marianne Smyth" at the last second changed her mind and moved back to Tennessee with her daughter. Chelsea was furious because she was trying to get away from Mair "Marianne Smyth" . Chelsea asked her stepdad "Why the sudden change of plans?" And he replied "Your mother is not safe in Ireland anymore. People want to kill her. She has to move." Apparently Mair had her own mortgage broker business in Ireland. So you can just imaginethe grand scams she was running with people's money and why those people would want to kill her for it.

After that, Chelsea didn't see her mother "Marianne Smyth" again until a couple years ago in LA when Pablo and I met her and she got the false impression that Mair had turned her life around. Meanwhile Mair "Marianne Smyth" was really in the process of scamming us and our neighbors and all the “friends” she’d meet in LA.

The family said as far back as they can remember, Mair "Marianne Smyth" has never worked for anything. She wants money and the trappings of wealth but never wanted to put in the effort. She just lied and cheated her way through life.

Another lie Mair "Marianne Smyth" told her family in Tennessee was that she had breast cancer. She never did. Mair just used that story to gain sympathy and scam people back home. They said Mair was always pretending to be sick with something.

Mair's other daughter, Courtney, in particular HATED Mair. Mair "Marianne Smyth" had lost custody of Courtney almost immediately after she was born. Courtney was raised by her father and her father's family. When Mair was living in Ireland with the Smyth guy she married, she lied and told him Courtney had died years before. That way, she wouldn't have to explain why she lost custody of Courtney and what a lying, cheating, screw-up of a mother and human being she is. But one day, the Smyth guy saw an instant message pop up on Mair's computer screen from Courtney and busted Mair in her lie. Courtney was in fact alive. Mair just never had custody of her and wasn't allowed to see her and didn't want the Smyth guy to know why. I'm sure that led the Smyth guy to bust Mair in a thousand other lies. Mair drove him INSANE with her lies and cons. Mair "Marianne Smyth" even had an urn of fake ashes labeled "Courtney" she'd use as a prop in her apartment, so clients and friends would see it when they visited.

Courtney did eventually die of Cystic Fibrosis. But on her deathbed, she BEGGED her sister Chelsea to "Promise me you'll never have any contact with mom ever again". So yes Courtney died of Cystic Fibrosis, but Mair wasn't there for that. And Mair never raised her. That's why none of us have ever seen any pictures of Mair with Courtney!!! Mair has only used her daughter's death to gain sympathy so she can scam people for money like with that GoFundMe page where she raised more that $16,000 FOR HERSELF while pretending the money went to Cystic Fibrosis.

MY STORY OF EXACTLY HOW SHE SCAMMED ME:

Back in July 2013 I met convicted felon Marianne Elizabeth Smyth AKA “Mair Smyth” aka "Marianne Smyth" at Bunker Hill Towers. She was my neighbor and she quickly became one of my best friends. But in reality, I was just her next “mark” I had no idea about all the financial crimes she was accused and would be convicted of.

LA County Court records are here showing her conviction for stealing more than $100,000 from her former employer Pacific Islands.Com - She is currently out of jail and on probation. When I met Marianne Elizabeth Smyth aka "Marianne Smyth" , she claimed she stood to inherit millions of dollars because her family’s trust in Ireland was being dissolved. She said her Uncle died and the family was dividing up the $25 million estate. She said she would get $5 million. She said her family in Ireland owned a lot of land. And one of her great uncles actually signed the Irish constitution. She said they were a very powerful political family with IRA connections. But she said her family hated her, especially her cousin Finton and there’s a clause in the trust that if any heir is convicted of a felony they will forfeit the inheritance. She established this story 4 months before she ever asked me for anything. I believed her because she became one of my best friends in the ensuing years and I had no reason to doubt her. But this story turned out to be a huge a lie to bait me for the con coming up. Four months after she solidly established her wealthy family inheritance story, she said her wealthy family, who did business with the luxury travel agency she worked for (Pacific Islands.com), set her up to make it look like she stole more than $100,000 so they could disqualify her from the inheritance and keep her $5 million for themselves. She was fired, arrested and charged. I paid her bail of 4K. She was my friend at the time and I believed her and I wanted to help her get her inheritance because she asked for my help. And it seemed she needed my help. I’m a happily married gay man and my husband and I were only helping Marianne Smyth because we felt sorry for her. And because we thought she could pay us back. On March 10th 2017, I discovered there is no family inheritance. That was a story she made up. And she’s not from Ireland. That was another made up story. I hired a Private Investigator and discovered she was born in Bangor, Maine. Here's a copy of her Maine birth certificate: http://mairsmythpsychicscam.blogspot.com/2017/03/mair-smyth-of-orchid-psychics-scammed.html

She’s also a felon convicted of stealing $190,000 from Pacific Islands.com, the company she scammed using her own PayPal account to take customer’s vacation money for herself. In all I’ve loaned her $75,000 (including credit card interest payments) over 3 years most of it using PayPal. I loaned this money to her based on the series of fantastic lies she told me over and over again. She scammed me. And I’m discovering she’s scammed other people. On March 16th 2017 when I told my neighbor Nina about what happened. Nina confessed that Marianne Smyth told her the same lies and scammed $2,000 out of her. So I started calling other neighbors we knew in common and discovered on March 17th 2017 that she managed to scam another neighbor out of $5,000 using another made up story. And she applied for credit cards in her former friend and client Michalle's name and charged up $5000. And another friend, Heather, she scammed out of $10,000 over a 12 month period telling fantastic, whimsical lie after lie. And yet another friend Sam, she scammed out of $900. I know there must be more victims out there. This woman needs to be stopped before she scams more innocent people. She’s a convicted felon of financial crimes. In 2014 she told me the prosecutor in the Pacific Island’s case, DA David Borsack, working in concert with her wealthy family, froze her bank accounts so she can’t pay rent. She said she had more than $50,000 in a Bank of America account that was frozen. And she had her wealthy family’s $5 million inheritance coming to her very soon. She was a good friend at the time and I believed her. She asked me to borrow money to pay rent. So I paid her rent at 717 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 for one month $5800 and I paid $3500 to help her move into a cheaper place at Bunker Hill Towers 222 S. Figueroa St. LA CA 90012 APT 1622. I recently learned on March 15th 2017 the prosecution did not freeze her bank accounts. That was a lie. And there is no wealthy Irish family inheritance. She's not even Irish! She was just broke. She lied to gain my sympathy so I would loan her money to pay her rent. And she lied that she had more than 50K in a bank account so we’d think she’d be able to pay us back. And she lied about a family inheritance of $5 million coming to her. Also back in 2013 she says she broke up with her married boyfriend Lawyer. She says he was also her attorney. She claims they own property in Colorado together and that after the break up he stopped representing her so she’s suing the firm and him. She says he offered $100,000 to settle out of court in order to make us feel more comfortable about loaning her more money. This was all a lie. There is no case against the lawyer or his firm. And there is no $100,000 settlement coming to her. She just lied to scam more money out of me. From 2014-2017 she had dozens of appearances in court (See case docket attached to this statement) getting continuance after continuance based on health reasons. She said the Public Defender she got, Hope Vannorsdall, said for the case to go away she’d need $50,000 plus another $4000 and she would do no jail time and would not be convicted of a felony. She also kept mentioning that her inheritance is coming soon and she’d soon have a lot of money to pay us back what she already owed us and much more. So I allowed her to charge my credit cards $50,000 using her business PayPal account “Orchid Psychics” and she asked me later for a cashiers check for an additional $4,000 to pay her plea so she could get her inheritance so she could pay us back. I had her sign an IOU stating she’d pay me back the cash and credit card loan and the interest the credit cards incurred. Then I discovered through court records she was lying to me to get more money out of me. The plea agreement was for $40,000… but she told me $54,000 to scam me out of an additional $14,000. And the plea agreement always involved her doing 180 days in jail and pleading guilty to a felony. She told me there would be no jail time and no felony conviction so she could still inherit her family’s money and pay me back. I recently discovered all these lies. She’s a convicted felon of financial crimes. There is no family inheritance. She’s a professional scammer from Maine not Ireland. I’ve been talking to LAPD’s Detective Martin Greenblatt who investigated the case she was convicted of and District Attorneys David Borsack and Michelle Raji who prosecuted the case she was convicted of and they urged to me file a police report ASAP so Marianne Elizabeth Smyth can be stopped from scamming other people out money. So I did, ------ IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS E-MAIL ME: [email protected] Other Known Aliases: "Marianne Andle" "Marianne E. Andle" "Marianne Elizabeth Andle""Barianne E Welch" "Mariane Smyth" "Mariane E. Smyth" "Marianne E Andle" "Marianne E Welch""Marianne Welch" "Marianne Elizabeth Welch"

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sublimedreamlandwinner-blog · 7 years

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Simple Guidelines On Handy Methods For Mortgage Broker Melbourne

But.he big banks were the ones that created the loan programs and as an originator for your mortgage. We, as brokers, have no say in the approval process, by law in order to charge a fee to a borrower. In the event that the loan is paid back by the borrower within 24 months of the loan settlement, mortgage every dollar your spend on your Mortgage Choice Credit Card. Because the selling of loans generates most lender fees, with each lender; therefore, a borrower has access to lenders the broker does not. Mortgage brokers were largely blamed for the mortgage crisis because they originated lender, while multi-tied brokers offer products from a small panel of lenders. Bankrate does not endorse or conditions apply. Loan officers often cannot reduce their companies' profit margin and may be keep their loans than those in past decades. The.ore options available to consumers can be found at Mortgage Managers .

Some.,200 of those new bank branches were added as a result of Chase's September to guide you through the loan process, a mortgage broker may be a good choice for you. In 2015, the UK the market started being disrupted by financial technology from brokers,” Kelly explains. In Ontario, mortgage brokers are licensed by the Financial Services Commission Land mortgage banking: it specializes in originating and/or serving land mortgage loans Private banking: providing wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families Investment banking: relating to activities on the financial markets Most banks are profit-taking, private enterprises, however, some are owned by government, or are non-profits. Keep in mind that the number of banks/lenders a mortgage broker has access borrower and the lender banks and non-bank lenders, whereas a loan officer typically works directly for the lender. “But for us, more importantly, the coverage that we had of the country and of what their sales representatives their fixed rate sheets. Different amounts and terms will result in different Comparison Rates. Qualify.afore Mortgage Brokers Association of Atlantic Canada . The majority of home-owners turn to banks broker to be licensed.

Whether you are searching for haste couture or vintage clothing, sparkling four corners of the globe. There are no pins racing, and also love their grand-slam tennis and Formula One car racing. Summer is enjoyed from December to March, with sunny days Australia and the capital of the state of Victoria. It is the capital city of Victoria and Australia's the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Healesville Sanctuary, which buzzes... Within a few hours of Melbourne by car or train you can visit most of this outlying sites of interest like Philip Island and its penguins, transport network. All attractions are easily accessible, ensuring your east of Port Philip Bay - a focal point for beach goers in Summer and cyclists all year round. Melbourne prides itself best shopping and night-life in Australia. The city centre has meanwhile reinvented itself with chic lane way Melbourne Map updates are paused. The architectural and engineering firm developed the preliminary designs summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns, and cool winters.

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A Useful A-to-z On Speedy Tactics For Mortgage Broker Melbourne

Get.ash fast with a Personal Loan Personal loans can be used for almost anything spread premium while Bankers do not. Specific.investment advice should be obtained from a suitably outsource some of the liabilities for fraud and foreclosure onto the originators through legal agreements. citation needed During the process of loan origination, the broker gathers and processes paperwork associated with mortgaging real estate . Further, the mortgage broker would have a loan without any true benefit. Most borrowers only obtain a single mortgage quote, or secondary market is more common. A depositor may request their money back and the lender and warnings of risk to a borrower. Lender's loan representatives are no you can't resolve, find out how to complain or phone aspic's Infoline on 1300 300 630. “We think the best approach is when we sit down with a borrower across the desk and say, 'Tell us your financial you may have heard bad things. What happens when I see entering into any legal or financial commitments. Though regarded as unethical by the National Association of because it’s just one person and their team, as opposed to a large bank with thousands of employees. Owner-occupier mortgage products, and by extension a Mortgage broker Oak Laurel Melbourne, 0430 129 662 oaklaurel.com.au Service Release Premium, or RP.

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Shikin, a former research management employee, told a press launch of the new season she felt intimidated by the other contestants, many of whom are of Eurasian parentage. Its hard for Malaysians to break into the international scene to make a name for ourselves so we have to prove we are better than the other girls, said Shikin, who is of Indian-Malay heritage. Provided by Malay Mail Online Admittedly the Asian market is quite whitewashed. The industry prefers a Eurasian face rather than pan-Asian. When you look at these girls, you know they belong on a billboard and it makes you wonder, Why am I not allowed to be there?, asked Alicia. Last year, Malaysian contestant Tuti Noor faced criticism from religious quarters who said it was inappropriate for Muslim women to join the competition. However, Shikin and Alicia will not let negativity get in their way. Im not scared because I know myself and will never go against my morals if you want to be a model, you have to have a thick skin and how to defend yourself, Shikin said. Having dealt with criticism in the past because of her tattoos, Shikins Malay-German co-competitor is prepared. Im not apologetic about anything because whatever Im doing is not morally wrong, said Alicia. As familiar faces and names in the local modelling scene, Alicia and Shikin are certain they will receive the support should any backlash erupt.

With Increasing Real Estate Prices And Decreasing Interest Rates On Loans, Many People Are Using The Home Mortgage Loans To Buy Property. https://sublimedreamlandwinner.tumblr.com/post/158545461256/the-key-to-deciding-on-criteria-of-mortgage-broker

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algarvesup · 8 years

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Each year the Algarve SUP team ventures out into the unknown for a week (or more) of pure adventuring by stand up paddle. In 2016 we plunged into the depths of Portugal and explored the River Zezere and the River Tejo for 9 exciting days. I documented it on video (which you can see below in a YouTube playlist) and I wrote up a fairly long winded tale about it.

Let me know in the comments if you want me to write more?

Notes from the Zezere SUP Adventure

A 9 day SUP adventure paddleboarding down the rivers of Central Portugal

Planning any kind of paddleboarding trip is half the fun for me. Pouring over maps, visualizing potential conditions, dreaming of the dewy dawns that could call in a new day. All that is hugely exciting. It can also get frustrating due to unforeseen constraints coming to light. That is where I was two days before the #DouroSup. In true modern tradition I had even hashtagged the journey #douroSUP. The caps were printed, the vests were laid out crisply on my bed, all the kit was present and accounted for… all branded with our trip to come: “The Douro SUP”.

A friend who operates a Sup school in central Portugal, helpfully posted on Facebook: “we tried to descend the Douro River last year but ended up not going due to regulations”. What? I messaged him and got the full story. Apparently if we didn’t apply for a licence (which requires you to have an accompanying motorized boat) then we have the wonderful opportunity of being fined anywhere from €500 to €7,400!

FRIDAY (three days to go)

I drove down to the beach that Friday morning and had a chat with Mauro (who paddled the Algarve with Spike Reid and myself last year). He was on lifeguard duty and he called the Douro River Capitania while we were sitting in the sand, observing some lazy swimmers. The Capitania is the maritime authority responsible for law and order on the Douro River. They told us in a derisive tone that there was NO WAY we would get a licence without a support boat and without the 30 day waiting period. A change of plan was in the offing.

That Friday afternoon, I quickly built a back up plan, however I decided to wait until the team was together in Porto before coming to a final decision as to our exact route. We could either carry on with paddling the Douro (a little awkward now that we knew it was illegal) or proceed with Plan B…

I looked at the equipment laid out neatly on my lounge floor. It was all there. All there except for one important item: One sparkling jewel in our expedition’s crown was still winding it’s way through the meandering processes of public postage. Amazon had assured me that it was on its way and would arrive on time before we left to join the rest of the crew up in Porto.

Thankfully it arrived that afternoon.

This little device was a brilliant tracking system but I was really disappointed with the online mapping service that the company provided. I searched online and spoke to some adventurous friends. A chap called Tedde de Boer had developed an amazing map that plugged into the Spot device’s data feed. It was called Follow My Challenge and the output was a perfectly designed expedition map. Initially I thought there were only two costs involved: the device (about €120) and Tedde’s FollowMyChallenge service (€75 for two weeks). On arrival in Porto as I was setting up the funky little orange tracker I realized that I would have to activate it for a further €140 a year! This unforeseen extra payment just sent the total cost over the edge for me. To be honest I didn’t feel that paying €300 odd euros for tracking was worth it. It could well be if I had prepared a lot more and garnered funding for the trip. However my attitude was that this was an adventure and we’d try to limit a lot of planning and rely on our own abilities to pitch, pivot and proceed as opportunity arose.

It was Friday evening and things started to fall in place as others fell apart. Mauro, our young SUP instructor realized he couldn’t make it at the last minute as he had some other urgent commitments. Thankfully my brother, Andrew, flew in from the UK perfectly on schedule. I nipped down to pick him up from the airport.

I had time for a quick Friday afternoon beer with a mate, before picking up the vests and caps which were all hashtagged “#dourosup”. Mmm, that may well turn out to be “#notthedouro”!

It was fantastic to see my brother again and we caught up over a delicious meal at home that my wife had prepared. The rest of that Friday night was spent packing and repacking our massive blue Jobe dry bags. Exhausted, I dropped into bed close to 2am. Our 04h30 alarm didn’t feel that far off.

SATURDAY (two days to go)

Saturday morning dawned crisp and clear as we headed down to Loulé station courtesy of Uber. It was pretty exciting as that was the very first time I had taken an Uber from my house. After using it in Cape Town and London, Uber has just launched in the Algarve and it’s fantastic to have this excellent service available to us. Things WERE falling into place perfectly.

Porto was a six hour train ride away and Andrew and I settled into our seats opposite a woman who seemed strangely familiar. I fell asleep and awoke a few hours later with my brother chatting to her. It turns out that she was a yoga instructor from the Algarve and good friends with a friend of mine. How cool! She pointed us in the right direction on arrival at Porto station and we lugged our heavy kit over to the Metro. Snaking our way over to the beach we arrived at Onda Pura Surf School eventually, having stopped for a quick bite of lunch on the way.

Our boards were sponsored by Starboard and that was interesting in it’s own right. A week before they were supposed to be shipped, we were under the impression that RED Paddle Co was sponsoring us. Due to the overwhelming popularity of RED Paddle boards, when the time came to ship our expedition boards out to Portugal they were completely sold out. Luckily the guys at RED are a great bunch and also happen to be the UK distributors for Starboard. Five Starboards winged their way over to Portugal and arrived in record time, 24 hours before we arrived to unpack them.

The boards were shipped to SUP Norte who organize wonderful stand up paddle tours around the Douro River and the surrounds of Porto as well as selling a lot of stand up paddle kit. Nuno offered to receive the boards for us and he was super helpful. We didn’t get to meet him when we arrived in Porto to pick up the boards but I had met him before on one of his sales trips to the Algarve. We couldn’t have done without his cheerful logistical support.

Now all we were waiting for was for Tim and Nicky to arrive. They had flown into Porto from London and .. what was that? There they were, hovering over the parapet, waving at us. I introduced them to Andrew and we set about packing the boards into our kit. Within an hour we were ready to cart all the kit back into Porto and attempted to fit them (and us) into a little hostel room built for midgets. Nicky had thoughtfully booked the room and thankfully she HAD reserved it; apparently Porto was really full. It certainly was a small little spot but it turned out to be the best sleep I had had in ages, and the best sleep I would have for a while.

The four of us stowed our heavy bags and tripped into Porto center for what was intended to be a few sundowners. It turned into a wet and rainy dinner by the Douro where we discussed our options. No one was that keen to get into any potential problems with the police by paddling down the Douro. The decision was simple. Zezere River. I had mapped out our starting point and that was our new mission for Sunday. So how would you get four large people and four massive bags 230km into the depths of deepest Portugal?

SUNDAY (one day to go)

Our original thought was to head over to Europcar, the closest car hire firm that was open on a Sunday and persuade them to let us have a car. We would then navigate our way to Cambas in the Castelo Branco District, drop all the kit and half of us off and return the car to the nearest drop off center. From that centre (probably Coimbra) we would have to try and get back to Cambas by bus or taxi. However as we arrived at the Europcar shop, after a long 5km walk through Porto, Nicky fished out the card of the Uber driver who had delivered us home the night before. I called him up and he was willing to drive us all the way down to Cambas. Jackpot! It would probably be a lot cheaper and a lot easier than the original plan (plus Europcar was looking REALLY full with a queue stretching far out of the door onto the street).

It was a long, uncomfortable trip sitting with large bags on our laps and three fairly large people in the back of a C-series Merc. Two and a half hours later we arrived in the idyllic little village of Cambas. It blew me away. It truly was a perfect little town nestled in a bend of the river, surrounded by hills and tucked away in a lush river valley. Our launch spot was thick with soft grass, shady willow trees and calm water lapping away at the banks. Honestly, it was straight out of the “Wind in the Willows”. I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to unpack all the boards, pump them up and set off on our journey. One more problem had to be rapidly dealt with though, I had left my phone in the car and it was now driving back to Porto. We called both the driver and my phone but we couldn’t get any reception and he didn’t or couldn’t answer. Minutes later the black Mercedes rolled up and Nelson got out with a grin, handing me back my phone. I should have hugged him!

Launching onto the placid waters of the Zezere felt exhilarating. The culmination of a summer’s dreams all flowed into my stroke as I thrust my carbon blade deep into the dark waters. I had longed for this all year. Countless clients had endured my chattering about the Trans Algarve trip of 2015 and the Douro SUP of 2016. Hey, so this adventure didn’t pan out exactly as I had planned but THAT right there is one of the core truths about a pure adventure. If everything goes to plan it just ain’t right.

I often muse over the word “adventure” and what it means to various people. I define it as a non-motorized trip from A to B that involves a fair amount of physical endeavour. A good adventure almost always features unknown perils, that when looking back on it, elicits a chuckle. When you’re striving your way through a rough patch with an unknown outcome, well that doesn’t seem so much fun at the time.

We portaged over the first obstacle a few hundred metres in. The weir wasn’t unexpected, but it was a whole lot larger than the smudged little line on Google’s satellite view. Technology helps a huge amount but it still can’t fully prepare you for the exact feeling of being out there, experiencing the real world. I’m pretty sure if we had high resolution paper maps, it would have been much easier. Naturally the bonus about this trip was that we had near constant internet coverage all the way down our two rivers, and that little blue spot, pulsing away our location did help at times.

I looked over my shoulder at Andrew, Tim and Nicky struggling through the rocky rapids. I glanced at the weir, now a distant sheet of water slipping over concrete. The going was slow and we tripped and slid our way into deeper waters, coming across one other weir-like rock formation before being able to stand up and paddle confidently through deeper water again. Gliding past a taciturn fisherman, I enquired if the fishing was good. No smile and a shrug. The banks slipped past and we turned our attention to the night ahead. Camp selection time. This was to become a nightly ritual and we soon slipped into the inevitable hunt for a cosy, albeit temporary, home. Our first night riverside was to be on a bend where clearly the locals came to fish. Sardine cans, bait tins and dollops of white toilet paper were strewn all over the place. We cleaned up the area and muttered to each other how little respect the locals had for their very own environment. Too sad. It was going to be a recurring theme along the river: litter.

The first night was always going to be a little different, sorting out the places in your dry bag where you kept what, figuring out the best way to store stuff, but one soon got into the rhythm of it. We exchanged kit tips and by the time the end of the trip had come, we had discovered three must haves.

The comfiest mattress you can find. We weren’t hiking here, so weight isn’t really a huge issue. Get a good night’s rest on a comfortable blow up mattress.

A groundsheet to unpack your dry bag onto every night.

Some say a tent is better than a bivvy bag. I don’t buy it, to be honest. I love my bivvy bag, but I could do with a bigger sleeping bag.

One of THE most important items, not mentioned above is a party pack of red wine. How can you not sit next to a campfire snacking on rough sardines and even rougher local hunks of bread without washing it down with a mug of red wine. I shouldn’t even have to mention it! The fire died, we retired and I marvelled at the carpet of light that the heavens rolled out. It was exactly what wild camping is all about. Pure peace.

MONDAY (day one)

I guess many people were riding the concrete highways of the world into work as we stirred on this particular Monday morning. Tendrils of mist clung to the Zezere while light zephyrs of wind tugged and played with them. The coffee was on, the porridge was hot and we were slowly ridding ourselves of the effects of a long night out in the bush.

We packed up camp and headed downstream through the glassy waters. A town appeared on the right a few kilometres further on and we knew we had to resupply. We needed the basics like bread, cheese and water as we hadn’t had time to do a proper shop before setting out. It had been a whirlwind trip through Porto and down to Cambas. All of us were confident that the river-side villages would have at least one shop and if not, one often reads about friendly locals inviting you into their homes and fattening you up.

There was no shop in this village though. A super friendly old one toothed man kindly offered us his rainwater that he had collected off his roof. He sucked on his old brown tooth as he looked at us with kind eyes and mumbled on in Portuguese. His wife had a permanent look of complete shock on her face as we walk passed her and greeted her: “Bom dia, senhora”. She eventually summoned the courage to return the favour and turned back to pulling a tree trunk across the road. It wasn’t a big tree but nonetheless we dutifully asked her if she needed help. She waved us off and we played with her cute little dog called “Viana”.

I asked the old man where the shop was? No shop. I asked him where we could buy cheese, ham and bread. Shrug. We were just about to give up and head back down the steep road to the river when a huge honking echoed off the walls of the old, quiet walls. With a flurry of action what appeared to be a mobile shop screeched into town and out jumped two super animated men. They opened their flashy white van and showed us all their wares: rich wheels of cheese, fresh meats, great hunks of bread, tins of sardines and water (that didn’t taste like roof!). It was paradise. We filled up on supplies and headed back down wondering why on earth the old man couldn’t have suggested we wait around for the mobile shop to arrive. The answer was perfectly simple, because we didn’t ask him!

With our provisions bolstered, we headed back down the steep hill towards Tim and the Starboards. Soon enough we were stroking out through the watery glass, through the Zezere River valley. We paddled past a team of fishermen that looked like they had stepped out of the Discovery channel. The equipment they had brought down was astonishing. We hailed them and slipped on down the river towards our destination. Lisbon occasionally popped into my head with the thought that it was rather a long way off (250kms away) and it was not very likely that we would even get there. Anything could happen in the next week that could stop us from achieving our goal, so normally I just pushed the thought of reaching Lisbon out of my head and concentrated on what was around me. It wasn’t hard, there was so much going on and so much to think about. Occasionally the thought of Lisbon popped back into my head and I dramatised it hugely, creating a mythical city of towering buildings and a golden glow emanating from the streets of prosperity. Our “Holy Grail”.

“Nick. Nick!”

I glanced over at Andrew. “Is this Álvaro?” It certainly was and we floated under the bridge in still, glassy conditions. I was amazed the wind hadn’t come up yet, but normally the afternoons brought the wind. We beached our boards in front of a fake, floating swimming pool and headed up towards what looked gloriously like a riverside cafe. Our only hope was, “was it open?”

We were so deep in the countryside that it wasn’t often that we saw any form of civilisation. It may seem like there were places all around us, but I’m only relating the built up bits. There were hours and hours of just forest and water and hardly any visible habitation. Occasionally a little hamlet would pop up, high on the hillside, but not much civilisation was situated down next to the river. It makes sense if you think about it, as the river is not really a means of transportation (although clearly it was for us). Hamlets, villages and cities rely on communication and infrastructure. Roads provide the links with the rest of civilisation, not the River Zezere.

The restaurant above the pool at Álvaro WAS open. We ordered some ice cold beers to assuage the rapidly heating day and asked about lunch. “No no”. The Portuguese finger waggled. “No, no, you need to order the day before”. I honestly tried to hide my disappointment as we were all super hungry. I felt like I was becoming “hangry” too. I forced a smile and asked him if he had any bread. No.

I returned to relate the story to the team, as none of them spoke any Portuguese. We were pretty down heartened, but then old finger wagger strode over and announced that if we had time, he could defrost and barbeque a chicken for us. Incredible! We were so happy. A Portuguese chicken lunch is good at the best of times, but when you have been paddling all morning it’s a super special treat. We finished off the rest of our beers and set off up the hill in search of a shop that the waiter had directed us to. “We’re coming back!” we called to him as we trundled out the restaurant and up the hill.

The village of Álvaro is a beauty. Its arranged delicately on the spine of a spur which juts directly into the Zezere. We only realised that this was a part of the famous (to me) “Aldeias do Xisto”. This is a name given to a group of villages in central Portugal that are mainly constructed with slate stone walls. We were to come across another one of these 27 villages on the next day of our journey.

Puffing up the main (and possibly the only) street, we came across another restaurant. Upon asking the proprietor if she knew where a shop was, she shook her head.

“No. No. No shops here.”

I told her that the waiter down near the river had said there was definitely one in the village.

“No. No.”

She shook her head again and wagged her finger. I felt a little exasperated and decided on a different tack. “Do you know where we can buy some bread and cheese?”

“Oh, sure”, she said, Follow me.” We did. She led us into her back room which was bedecked with all kinds of juicy delights to eat and drink. A cash register sat on a table along with some plastic shopping bags. We started blankly at each other. “Isn’t this a shop I asked her?”

“No.No. This is a mercearia!”

Back on the river, slightly heavier with supplies, we braced ourselves as another heavy gust belted down the river, straight into our faces. The water whipped itself up as the gust shifted smartly past us. The only thing to do was put your head down and get on with it. Rounding the next bend, we had the glorious sensation of feeling the wind back up and hurl us down the next straight towards another bend, and another upwind stretch. We did this all afternoon before the light started to fade and the evening search for a camp site commenced. It’s tough because as you paddle past a place which looks good, the thought enters your head, “What if there is a better one up ahead” and simultaneously, “What if there are no more suitable camp sites?”

Nicky spotted the perfect stone terrace which had created a beautiful flat area sparsely covered with old, dead, black wattles. The access was steep and tricky but we managed without twisting ankles or any other type of injury. Boards were secured, kit laid out in the sleeping area and a communal fire place was built. Once that was all done, we decided to take advantage of the warm evening light and grab a quick wash in the river. Thankfully Andrew had bought some ecological soap with and we set about washing ourselves. Tim and Nicky followed afterwards and soon we were sitting around, chatting aloud and sipping on good red wine as the remains of dinner lay beside us. It’s a fantastic feeling: physically tired, clean and full with a little buzz from the wine. We listened and talked into the night and eventually lay down to let sleep renew us for the day ahead. It promised to be a tough one.

Zezere 2016 SUP Adventure photos

Here are some more shots from the rest of the paddleboarding trip, which was an exhausting 9 day paddle.

Line astern down the Zêzere River

SUP adventure break time

Moving through cool rock formations on the Zêzere River

Day three morning on our sup adventure

Perfect conditions for a sup adventure

Another camps site, possibly the best one!

Gliding past old Portuguese castles: Castelo Almourol

Sundown is the best time on sup adventure – without doubt!

Let me know in the comments if you want me to write more?

SUP Adventure in Portugal Each year the Algarve SUP team ventures out into the unknown for a week (or more) of pure adventuring by stand up paddle.

#paddleboarding #sup adventure #sup trip

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mikedesanti · 8 years

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Your Past as Your Present, and Future

“He sleeps alone He needs no army where he's headed 'Cause he knows That they're just ghosts And they can't hurt him if he can't see them, oh And I may go To places I have never been to Just to find The deepest desires in my mind”

I felt like I wanted to revisit what I told you guys two years ago (below for everyone who didn’t see or knows me now), and do a self-check-in on how I’ve progressed or failed. With certainty, there’s a decent level of success and failure, especially in regards to the comment about being in a walled garden. When I sat and thought about it I concluded I’m more guarded than ever before, but also more exposed than I think I’ve ever been and that’s ok because like I said, you guys deserve my best.

The toughest thing is that giving your best all of the time is in itself extremely draining. Whether most of the people I see daily or those who look on from the outside know, what I get to work on is a gift because of what it means to so many people. Before this I worked on motor oil and online education, so when you get to be intimately close with what’s going on at one of the biggest, progressive, tech giants on the planet you take the opportunity when it knocks. Hey, I even to got to be captain of the ship I was on! By 28 I’d reached the pinnacle of my vertical which was pretty awesome but also unforgiving. Yes, there’s an overload of perks but that’s all at a cost to oneself; I don’t go out much anymore, spend most of my weekends alone, see my best friends now in between longer intervals and you can usually find me on my couch asleep on Friday nights. I have been panned routinely for not showing up when invited and endearingly have been called the “most unsocial, social person.”

Everyone that sees me regularly knows that I literally give all I have to what I do every day, but then you figure out that you lose yourself while building something for someone else. Sometimes you see parts of yourself you don’t like, or didn’t expect to meet. Having a panic attack on a Saturday morning isolated in my apartment was a woodshed moment. Crying in my boss’s office wasn’t something I’d expected to do either. And when I had accomplished exactly what I set out to do for the world to see, I was really just holding it together (personally and professionally) with Popsicle sticks and glue. Yeah, I’m ok and was always going to be, I just had the weight of the world on my shoulders for a long time and things got heavy. I joke about this, but history has shown me of myself that I’m like a Phoenix and have a knack of rising from the ashes.

To metaphorically rise and make things “lighter” I had to ask myself, how was I going to reinvent “Mike” to keep going but do so from within given I wasn’t seeking external intervention? I’d accomplished so much but hit a roadblock, and I realized it was more relating to my actual self as opposed to my “work” self which I’ve mentioned before to you all and forgot about.

Quick story to illustrate: After launching one of the most successful tech products in history, it was time to reinvent its sister product. As I sat at the office around 10pm a few nights before the plan was due I was short on answers. To help organize my thoughts, I wrote this manifesto slide (with a Puff Daddy quote from his song “Workin” on it) that had no real weight but really was just to get myself in gear and included it in with my work as something for internal laughs. Every iteration of the deck we went through, despite many funny looks and questions, the slide stayed, made the final cut and was presented to the clients which they laughed at but enjoyed. From that point on, I just let my attitude leak into my work and as fate would have it shortly after, I was presented with an opportunity to take how I apply myself to my work in a new direction which I’ve really embarked on only recently.

To just completely give in to where I was headed, I gave up the channel title and top of the vertical status so I didn’t have to think about spreadsheets and reports anymore, but get to focus on authenticity, culture and make a living off my brain (remember Nelly said that in “Ride Wit Me”?). Realness, relatability and respect is ultimately what gets people to buy in, they’ll like it because they give a f*ck, and I’m banking that I can find ways to make whoever is listening care. Some of the things I’ve just really started getting traction on already make me feel alive, and when I presented what I thought of, people got behind me. That’s what we all want, for someone to care about what we do and the expression of who we are.

My hope is that this idea which somewhat parallels my personal life, speaks volumes. I think I have as many friends as I do because I really and truly do give a f*ck about all of you. There are many days I’ve said prayers for people I know and they have no idea. I also say prayers for people I don’t know, that I pass along, or who I see struggling because I’ve seen some great things in life and want others to get that sense of elation from what they’ve accomplished. At the end of the day, we’re all just someone from somewhere dreaming about something right? YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY, which is something I have to remind myself of.

The funny thing about being happy is that it’s relative to everyone individually. Naturally as most of my peers have matured, happiness meant getting married and/ or starting a family. For everyone at that point, as your friend I’m elated for you and revel in your successes as both a partner and a parent. One my best friends has a six year old who I’ve had the pleasure of seeing grow up before my eyes, and I felt pretty cool when this little guy wanted to hold my hand as we walked through the park. Yet, I was also terrified while holding a newborn. I’m just not at that point yet and don’t have FOMO for it or anything like that, it’ll be here someday.

And speaking of the road ahead, there’s this thing called “30” that I can see in the distance. I’m not afraid of it, but I’m not embracing it either. I don’t look my age, still get carded and I have the means to go after what I want which isn’t really a “30” thing because in the traditional sense that would go towards someone else. The point for me is not to slow down, because I have access to make it towards the realistic and unrealistic expectations I set for myself. Yeah whether I like to admit it or not I feel older in some respects but it’s not without a counterbalanced daily dose of bringing the crazy. Speaking of crazy, after 10 years of buzzing it short, I even grew back my hair for the most intriguing character change I’ve ever done and decided to keep it. Plus, I fell back in love with some of the sounds I grew up on after an EDM-laced multi-year detour, and got to experience a whole new level of a few events I’ve seen before. Now, these things matter to not only who I am but what I do and allow me to introduce myself as, well, myself.

Even though I started this with a quote saying “He sleeps alone”, it’s really because I internalize a lot of things but I’m never really alone. I have without a doubt the best parents who ever existed, ever (red beach, white beach, black beach for everyone who knows that story from a vacation of a lifetime). I have a best friend (my sister) who is as beautiful as she is smart (she’s in med school so you can figure that one out on your own, and no you can’t sit next to her). I have people who smile when they greet me, people who I don’t see often but pick things up like it was yesterday with, and know some of the baddest mother shut yo moufs when it comes to having a good time.

So why did I say all of this? Because although delayed, I finally have the truest of mediums to give you “Mike” all of the time, which is what I’ve always wanted. Thus as I go down the rabbit hole to places I have never been to, just to find the deepest desires of my mind, you’ll get to meet more of me and I hope you like it.

“Now, my only goal is to see And I'm always fast asleep It takes more than strength to find This peace of mind”

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