#I LOVE BRINGING THE INDUSTRY TO A GRINDING HALT

[petrichorium]

SAG STRIKE LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO

[the-firebird69]

Popular Candy Brands Owned by Nestlé - ATTN:

We're going to revive most of them some people said the dipping but our son sats is kind of gross. Pixie sticks are kind of weird and it's way too much sugar and we kind of agree with that too bottle caps are good there's tons of sugar but you can kind of put other stuff in there actual fruit better sugar we agree with that too I'm going to kind of do that to all of them that are like bottle caps they're really good tasting. Sweethearts the same idea I wish we'll have real fruit and go ahead and reviving them there's a whole bunch more there's the sugar daddy and the sugar babies and some loves those Charleston chew it's all like 100 Grand he loves 100 grand tons of them they won't sell a lot of products are similar we reintroduce them all.

Thor Freya

This is exciting it's a humongous industry and it's almost grinding to a halt the only people selling stuff that people sell dark chocolate and they sell just a little of it it's for people to use it in cooking or ingredients it's rare that they buy the cooking dark chocolate we're going to do that too necessary has a big line of it has way too much crap sugar these bleach we discussing people who just keep doing we found out why. Used in Bomb making. And now we're spying on all of them and they're all screwed

Hera Zues

We want our money back sir I said you owe me money you didn't take any money from you its all legal, furthermore attempted homicide by yours is why they don't got arrested which wasn't as prevalent and by any means as trumps were there are tons of them arrested each plan had 10 octillion a day arrested for attempted homicide 10 octillion each plant this is no future area and it's not that much either it's like one septillion a plant thats a mega plant they were we arrested them all. Why would you get your money back when these idiots did all that stupid stuff to things stole it from you stop producing and your people won't produce either

Thor Freya

Starting to figure out something we don't have a good answer for any of that

Mac

We're going to work now and make this candies I'm going to knock them all out and buy them all including Hershey and other companies that are big Cadbury and he says no you don't have a friend she just speak about my company and we do and it's freedom of speech is not slander we are saying that most companies fall or sell out during this process will my company won't you don't have a right to see that they said we have every right to say it your company doesn't have a right to make a list of weapons it's a chocolate company and it's a false front and the public found out it'll be closed today the bleach is used for other uses other than bar making which is illegal as well you can call that slander if you like but we'll see you in court today if you want to bring it up and I'm not saying anything that's that bad until now that you start harping on something stupid just when I was going to let it go you people are so ornery and cantankerous and you're such a losers you need to be burned and gotten rid of it's ridiculous you come up to me what you're doing because you're stupid cuz Trump made you dumb and the other retards it's not my fault I can't get out of there grip either without doing what I'm doing and you're not doing the job I'm not going to die with you and for these f****** idiots for them to die anyways cuz that's what they do.

So I see your point it's not really slander what you're saying below is not proven yet so I'm going to ignore it for now but I don't want to hear anything about it and I probably will you hear tons of stuff about it from these idiots because they don't know what they're talking about they're huge liars this should be in court all day not us and he says they are they're going to court all day long and I respond by not showing up they don't pay the fine or they block the fine from getting there and then they go to jail and we know about it it's what's happening there's like 10,000 of them that are going to court today in Port Charlotte county actually the Charlotte county Court system and it's all for the stuff they keep doing to people here over and over and over they do it a certain number of times they go to jail and they say 10 years it's like repeat offender law in Florida and they're calling for DeSantis to repeal it and he won't under the 10,000 half of them are on the second offense and the third on the 3rd offense and they're going to go to jail and stay there and you say this is going to attract too many of these idiots and they're doing it on purpose and he's right we keep on saying we can't do anything your life is a mess who cares they won't let you have 2,500 of his money that he saved as a child it's pitiful these people are pitiful people you need to be put down in their place where they belong Mike too says

It's true we have all sorts of evidence sometimes of people but these Mohawk are participating in most of the idiocy right now and they do have a bunch of factories still that we have to relinquish them of we go ahead and doing that today we're taking about 50,000 factories an area today. There are several things wrong with what's going on here one is he's an annoying person secondly he hasn't turned it up yet and we don't want him to he's to be contained we don't want to repeat this John remillard crap but we want him out if he's a harm and he's a harm he's got bugs inside him get scanned today people want him out it's disgusting so go drink some Gatorade zero or something he's trying it doesn't seem to be helping since I go for your brain should go for dark walnut so he went in and tried to find and you couldn't he's asking for bug larvae or a parasite stuff and they gave him some and it took some it feels a little better and he felt like s*** so you going to feel like s*** unless you hydrated flush it out cuz they die in all their poison goes in your bloodstream remembered it last second and stopped and took a little more started hydrating is working on it it's got too many bugs and you got to get bug poison it's not good to ingest but it will kill them off inside you too if you don't want to breathe in it drink it but you can breathe soon as well so he's going to spray tonight they might run around though so he might spray as well and it's going to be a fiasco but soon as I spray from one side to the other it's true it's not that bad of an infestation it's working and it's healing it up unlike John rebelord.

And we are introducing this candy and we are changing the formula well it's the recipe and we are not including processed sugar of any kind none of it we don't have any bleach on the premises not even for cleaning it doesn't do a suitable job and we're going ahead and we're removing all of the bleach from the shelves of any of our facilities we're not to be using it on a skin it's not good for you and you're not supposed to ingest it at all ever actually bja got the message I said you're not supposed to drink that that our son was kind of feeding it to him cuz he was giving him trouble but he stopped him and didn't let him do it like that that's my son has an anti bug stuff too and it works it's pretty good for you she probably have some just in case.

There's a whole bunch of reasons not to talk about at the same time but tons of people have phobia but really that's what processed sugar does it creates the pathway for them this candy is not the same and a lot of people will test it and we hope so we're going to start distributing it today and yes in California tons of people eat it and feel better about life and people and other things I'm going to send a warning out now

OUR CANDY IS NESTLE BRAND AND YOU MUST BE CAREFUL TO WATCH OUT FOR KNOCK-OFFS IT'S ALSO WILLY WONKA IF KNOCKOFFS ARE FOUND PLEASE REPORT THEM TO US TO THE NESTLE CORPORATION IMMEDIATELY AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP ON YOUR CONCERN WE'LL WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT CLOSELY TO OBTAIN WHO AND WHERE AND WILL PROVIDE ARREST WARRANTS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WE WILL APPREHEND THEM AND TRY THEM AND CONVICT THEM AS WOULD ANY CRIMINAL BE TIED AND CONVICTED FOR A CRIME IS A SEVERE CRIME AND THEY WILL ATTEMPT IT IN MANY MANY OCCASIONS YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPROACH THEM AND WE SUGGEST STRONGLY YOU DO NOT WE ARE A STRONG ORGANIZATION AND WE DO WORK WITH THE UNITED STATES POLICE AN ENFORCEMENT OF THIS TYPE OF LAW

Please citizens do not approach these people who are creating knockoffs they are scofflaws miscreants murderers and bad people if you are to call in and you want to do it miscellaneously please do so from a device other than your own or simply mailing an anonymous letter and it is typed fine is fine email is fine but not from your computer, printed from your computer at home is not that great email is terrible from your computer at home or your email even in the library it's a nightmare hand printed is not good so really it's best to call from a payphone there's tons of payphones out there now huge numbers of calls received every day and your identity will be protected us we have Nestle offices all over the United States and you may simply stop in however we are monitored just contacting your local law enforcement office is not recommended it is not known as to which ones are on the up and up and which ones are not it can be very difficult and confusing lots of times more than half of the police force is not for enforcing this particular law then we have a system in doing it you thank you for your attention and remember you can find a payphone anywhere that's not in the public and you go with your face mask and your hands and your eyes as possible call quickly with the gloves on and leave the phone and park your vehicle away from the phone and that's a safe easy way to do it we have a lot of other products that we hope you would call in regarding if you find out there and knock offs being made and please do so it is only going to help you

Thor Freya

For those who are people in power or who have police connections and you want to reward we do have a hotline but we do recommend that you use secrecy in that condition even so and we can send you things to your alias

[starkeristheendgame]

I would love to read something about peter accidentally stealing a piece of Tony’s clothing without either of them noticing, but it’s something extremely valuable and everyone else (like maybe peters friends from collage or something) notice and are very confused. Would you write something like this? (It’s totally fine if not)

This was the actual cutest idea, and I loved writing this! I hope this is the kind of cute-awkward you were going for. Thank you sm for sending me this, honey! I’m an absolute sucker for clothes sharing. This begins as unest and is AU from AOU+. Peter is 18+

The first time it happened, it was a slate grey shirt with silver-leaf decor, the front brazenly depicting a boy with a wolf’s muzzle face. There was an oil stain on the right sleeve where it fluttered about his bicep, and a charred hole on the hem where Tony had skewered it with a soldering iron. Peter had just lost his own shirt to a grinding machine, and had accepted the shirt that Tony had offered him thoughtlessly, promising to bring it back on his next visit. 

Tony had waved him off and told him not to worry - The shirt was old and he had plenty others. Peter had thought nothing of it, not bothering to change as he collapsed into his bed. He had an early lecture in the coming morning, and he’d overstayed at Tony’s. Again.

He still lacked any thought on it when he awoke to his final alarm shrieking at him insistently, and he scrambled out of bed, nearly swallowing his toothbrush as he floundered to get ready. He skid to a halt in front of his bedroom mirror, eyed what he’d gone to sleep in, and deemed it acceptable. The shirt was clean - He’d only worn it to bed that night, and his jeans surprisingly matched it well. 

It was like any other morning, until he’d been in line at the lunch hall for a coffee, and the girl walking past had stuttered to a halt, eyes wide. “Oh, my, God. Is that a Yohji Yamamoto?!” She’d squealed, eyes wide and round, and Peter had blinked across at her, sleep-dead and at a loss. “That thing is like, a thousand dollars! Its limited edition!” She continued, and Peter glanced down, ready to defend his piece of shit shirt. 

Except. 

It wasn’t just a piece of shit, ratty old shirt, was it? No, because it had come from billionaire Tony Stark’s closet. He cringed, lip curling as he stared at the shimmering silver pattern. Ah, fuck. How could he explain this? Several people had noticed her loud speech and were staring, curiosity piqued. And, why wouldn’t they? Scruffy Peter Parker in a thousand dollar shirt. 

“I don’t think so” he barked nervously, before his brain had even come up with a plausible explanation. “I got this at a thrift store! Yeah. A thrift store, so. I mean, if it looks like some fancy shirt, its definitely a knock off” he laughed nervously, clamouring desperately for his coffee before he cast her an awkward smile and shuffled off, fleeing the lunch hall. 

Luckily, he had an old zip-up in his bag, and he tugged it on over the shirt. It meant he boiled in his last classes, but nobody else asked him about his thousand dollar shirt. He drove home with the windows down and the AC on, and when he pulled up outside his apartment, he paused, and rummaged for his phone. It took almost ten minutes to find the shirt he was wearing, but when he did, he sucked in air through his teeth and shoved his phone away. Yikes. A thousand? Closer to two thousand. 

The second time it happened, Peter had been to breakfast with Tony before classes. The older man had presented him with a beautiful custom Rolex, complete with deep, red rubies and rich blue kyanite. An early birthday present Tony had said, clasping it around his wrist with a warm, satisfied smirk. Peter’s birthday was months away, but Tony wouldn’t hear anything of it. 

He’d grown so used to the weight of it in between eating and talking that he’d completely forgotten about it by the time he arrived at his morning study session, sinking down at the library table and pulling out his books. MJ was already there, and Peter offered her a shy smile as he kicked his bag under the table. They were tentative friends after getting to know each other near the end of their final year, and though Peter had outgrown his initial crush, he was still glad she’d gone to the same college as him and Ned. 

He was just pulling out a pen from his case when MJ shifted. “Hey, nerd. What’s on your wrist?” And Peter’s heart seized then skipped when he cast a careless glance aside and watched the sharp halogen lights glint off the brand new gold and precious stones. His first thought was ‘aw, fuck. Not again’ and then his second was ‘how the fuck can I explain a Rolex that costs more than this building?’ 

“Fake!” He yelped, and ducked his head when a sprightly girl two tables across leaned forwards to glare at him. “I mean, y’know. My Aunt...Bought it for me. Thought she’d found a real Rolex on Ebay for $40, y’know? Ha. Some people” he coughed to clear his throat and to hide the fact that his voice had risen several pitches before he reached for his wrist, tugging his sleeve down over it. 

When he looked up, she levelled him with a flat, unimpressed look that clearly stated she thought he was a few marbles short. He spent the rest of the study session twitchy and tense, and she spent the rest of it reading and glancing at him now and then like she was afraid he might start frothing at the mouth. When the hour was finally over, Peter ran back to his car, wrapped the watch in several soft tissues from the restroom and hid it in the glove compartment. 

MJ didn’t mention the lack of watch, but she did pointedly stare at his arm for the rest of the day. It made him prickly and jumpy; a thousand worst-case scenarios running through his mind. Nobody knew he was Spiderman, and since joining college he’d done his best to keep the ‘Stark Industries Internship’ thing on the down-low. That was relatively easy, since most people hadn’t believed it in the first place. As for Spiderman - The only people who knew were May and Ned. He kind of intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

He was vigilant then, for the next few weeks. He inspected himself carefully before getting out of his car at college, and he always made sure to remind Ned to remind him any time he wore anything that a struggling college student wouldn’t. All in all, after three months had passed with only a few close calls, he felt pretty secure. 

That was, naturally, his doom. 

But! In his defence, Tony Stark had kissed him. On the mouth. And not by accident, either. One moment Peter was talking about his Chemistry class and how the next Tony Stark was kissing him, lips warm and a little chapped, stubble pricking at the corners of his mouth. 

They'd kissed for almost an hour after that, gripping onto each other, learning what made the other twitch and moan. Tony liked his lip sucked and Peter liked his hair pulled and it had led to eager grinding and groping. Peter had never been more loathe to leave, but he had dinner plans with Aunt May that night. 

Their first kiss had evolved into kissing every time they were together, chaste and shy or filthy and wet like teenagers. Groping turned into Mr. Stark jacking him off and sucking him down, to Peter sucking him in return and to slowly working their way towards Peter getting done up the ass for the first time (four times, actually. Peter was insatiable and Tony had been more than happy to oblige). 

It had been a Thursday night, though, and Peter had a mid-day lecture on Friday. His own shirt had been used as a rag from the first and third rounds, so he shyly accepted when Tony offered him an old, soft black one. It was ratty and stained and he thought nothing of wearing it to his lecture, scribbling notes furiously and paying attention because they had a test in two weeks time. 

Towards the end of the lecture, he felt something brush at itch at the back of his neck, and he twisted to find the girl from the lunch hall sat directly behind him, her arm retreating. He blinked in surprise; he hadn't even recognised that she was in his class at the time. 

"You had fluff caught on your shirt" she noted casually, though her eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Peter gave her a weak smile, mouthed 'thanks' and turned back around. 

It was relatively forgotten until he was done for the day, paused near the doors to try and find his power bank. Footsteps echoed through the hall, and he looked up they stopped near him. Standing there was the girl from his class, and he offered her a warm but puzzled smile. "Hi?" He asked after a pause where she simply stared at him with folded arms. 

"I know your secret" she announced, and he nearly dropped his bag, grumbling to catch it as his heart ticked up. That could mean anything - Tony? Spiderman? Even just the spider bite could be disastrous. He'd have scientists experimenting on him and then they'd know and- 

"Secret?" He barked out a little hysterically, straightening. "What secret? I don't have any. Not any worth exploiting, anyway. I mean, I peed in the pool once, but I was six and I-" 

"I know how you're getting such expensive clothes" she interrupted, arching a brow at him, though the corner of her mouth had ticked up into a smile. 

"What? Oh, the shirt the other month? I told you, it was a knockoff" Peter stuttered nervously, and she gestured. 

"You're wearing a Gucci shirt right now". 

"What? No I'm not. Have you seen this thing?" He asked, plucking at the hem, even as he died a little inside. Was it too much to ask for Tony to shop at Target once in a while? 

"Well, it's in horrible condition, but I looked at the tag in class. I know how you're getting all this expensive stuff" she repeated, and Peter twitched a little, glancing around the hall before shuffling out of the way a little. 

"I want in" she added, following him, and he paused, blinking across at her while his coherent thoughts stuttered to a stop. 

"Uh."

"I want you to teach me". 

"...Uh…"

She rolled her eyes at him and stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I know you're a Sugar Baby, Parker. There's no other way you could afford all this stuff, and nobody puts Gucci in a thrift store. I want you to teach me how to do it. Show me what website you used or whatever". 

Peter stared at the wall over her shoulder, his thoughts effectively flat-lined. Sugar Baby? Website? Teach her? 

"Listen, I don't know who your guy is or how you did it, but clearly, he's minted. And sharing. I'm only able to work part-time around my studies, and I want in. I'm not gonna tell anyone, I'm not a bitch, I just want to be able to afford stuff" her voice softened at the end, and Peter shuffled uncomfortably, trying to kick his brain into gear. 

On one hand, she thought he was fucking an old guy for ratty Gucci shirts. On the other, this was the perfect out for all his mishaps. He considered it, head tilting as the corners of his mouth dipped down, and then he nodded. 

"Sure, why not".

[mocnliights]

hello friends !! i’m kit ( in est , using she/her pronouns ) and so flippin excited for this !! i bring you nadira , my new child who i’m still learning so ... apologies in advance for any mistakes i make about my own muse y*kes . i will add a wanted plots page here when i can get my life together a bit more to help with plotting , but for now , smash that like button and let’s get this ball rolling and i will stop with the dad cliches now bye !! ( not bye , i’m still very much here )

possible trigger warning ( all just brief mentions ! ) : cancer/illness , parental death & family estrangement . i think that’s it , but if i forgot anything , please let me know and i will add it !

* MISHTI RAHMAN, CIS WOMAN + SHE/HER | you know NADIRA KHAN, right? they’re TWENTY-SIX, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, ONE YEAR? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to GREAT ONE BY JESSIE REYEZ like, a million times this year, which makes sense, ‘cause they’ve got that whole CONSISTENT PLETHORA OF UNREAD NOTIFICATIONS, LACE LINGERIE UNDER SATIN SLIP DRESSES, UNDISTRIBUTED BEAUTIFULLY EMBOSSED BUSINESS CARDS thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is AUGUST 10TH, so they’re a LEO, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( kit, 25, est, she/her )

THE BASICS  .

full name : nadira sharmin khan  etymology : nadira ( arabic / precious , rare ) , sharmin ( persian / shyness , modest ) nickname(s) : nadi , nadia , didi ( by amir ) birthday & birthplace : august 10, 1994 & los angeles , california sexual orientation : pansexual/romantic hometown : she moved a lot growing up , but would consider new york city & london where she spent her most formative years current residence : aquila drive in irving , north carolina  immediate family ( relation / occupation ) : kashif khan ( father ( deceased ) / renowned fashion designer ) , resna khan ( mother / model , humanitarian ) , amir khan ( younger brother , 21 / student ) occupation : for show , she continues as the public face and head of her father’s brand KHAN , but for all intents and purposes , currently unemployed  education : bachelor’s from columbia university , business management . took a few design classes at FIT  positive personality traits : charismatic , ambitious , loyal , amiable , creative , dutiful , empathetic , honest , innovative , prudent , zealous  negative personality traits : competitive , coquettish , preoccupied , materialistic , possessive , resentful , discontented , opinionated , headstrong 

THE SUMMARY .

tl;dr : nadira grew up as privileged as they come , jet-setting from los angeles to new york to london to tokyo and everywhere in between for her entire life . with her parents at the heart of the fashion industry , nadira grew up with a love for the finer things and a sharp eye for her own designs . she was primped and primed to take over her father’s empire when he decided to retire to irving . she took the reigns of KHAN post-college graduation and was living her dream until it came to a screeching halt just about a year ago when her beloved father received a grim prognosis . with her mother still working ( and estranged ) and her brother younger and in school , nadira decided to step down from her hectic position and move to irving to take care of her father . now , he’s gone . for the first time in her life , she feels listless and unmotivated , so she’s still here , acting like her dad’s going to walk back through the door .

THE EXPANDED BULLETS .

on a hot august day in los angeles , nadira was born to a prominent couple in the fashion world . with a billboard of resna consequently outside the hospital , it only seemed destined that nadira would also take the fashion world by storm ... one day .

for as long as she can remember , she was always in awe of her father’s work . as much as she admired her mother , she was much more interested in the inner workings of a company and designs coming to life from a blank sheet of paper . so as kashif’s design empire expanded globally , it was only fitting nadira tagged along from city to city , even after the family essentially “settled” in new york city following amir’s birth .

her creativity was evident from a young age , producing her own mini spring collection for KHAN at sixteen . while her brother gravitated towards instruments , nadira was hooked to the cutthroat nature of the fashion industry , the constant grind to create great work , and the power of one day running the company at her father’s side .

speaking with a very faint british accent that comes and goes from her years spent in london mixed with her years in america , nadira had a taste of her dreams in college . staying close to KHAN’s headquarters meant she could step into a bigger role ( don’t we love nepotism ) while maintaining her expected 4.0 gpa at columbia .

seeing his daughter’s success and simply tired , kashif decided to retire upon nadira’s college graduation and move away from it all to irving , north carolina , a town he had discovered and frequented over the years whenever he sought the complete opposite of his everyday .

needless to say , resna was unhappy with the decision . though she had allowed his little beach escapades during their marriage , she could not understand moving there permanently when her livelihood was in new york . without officially divorcing , resna declared she was staying put , much preferring the luxuries of a ritz carlton than the laidback nature of a destination town , and kashif could do as he pleased .

nadira watched her happy , loving family crumble before her eyes , which only meant she threw herself into her work even more than she already would have . in the subsequent years of taking over KHAN , she worked constantly , resulting in her most prolific seasons and an exponential boom in sales , but also incredible burnout .

she kept it up for three years , always on a red eye or in a meeting or sat at her desk over a sketchbook . this way , she could ignore the fact that her parents were living in two different states with her brother in a third now attending college of his own ( berklee college of music  , to be more specific ) . but her world came crashing down again when she received a call from her father , informing her that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer .

it felt like a sign . a terrible sign , but a sign nonetheless . she needed to stop . slow down . take a look at her family and deal with what was happening . nadira immediately stepped down , naming an interim head and creative director of KHAN while she uprooted her life to move to irving to take care of her father .

no matter her good-willed intentions when she moved , it seemed only inevitable that the young fashion star who had had it all would grow to feel trapped . she wasn’t going anywhere , not when her mother rarely came down to visit and her brother dropping out of school wasn’t even something anyone would let him consider , but she couldn’t help her growing feelings of resentment  - not towards her father , just her situation .

sometimes , even when money can buy the best , it simply isn’t enough . kashif passed away in july , effectively ending nadira’s obligation to stay in irving , but she hasn’t left . she could step back into her role full time at KHAN , get back to designing and running a global powerhouse , but she fears she’s lost the ability to . for now , she doesn’t see herself going anywhere - physically , mentally , figuratively , literally - despite the growing number of sketches in the notebook she carries everywhere .

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN HACKERS

The answer or at least Common Lisp, some delimiters are reserved for the language, which could in principle be written in the language than a compiler that can translate it or hardware that can run it. No one loves it. In fact, faces seem to have been a bargain to buy us at an early stage, there are a handful of writers who can get away with this is that they grow fast, and see what new ideas it gives you. Better a narrow description than a vague one. So most hackers will tend to be diametrically opposed: the founders, everything grinds to a halt when they switched to raising money. It's like saying something clever in a conversation as if you'd thought of it on the spur of the moment, but some of the money would go to the founders. There are lots of good examples. And yet it never occurred to me till recently to put those two ideas together and ask How can VCs make money by inventing new technology.

A copy of Time costs $5 for 58 pages, or 8. It may be surprisingly large; people overvalue physical stuff. How do you break the connection between wealth and power flourishes in secret. The thing is, VCs are pretty good at reading people. People often tell me how much my essays sound like me talking. I spend a lot of them. Probably because startups are so small. Like many startup founders, and certainly not you as an investor. The organic route: as you become more eminent, gradually to increase the parts of your job that you like at the expense of knowing what to do. If you seem like you'll be one of those they remember. You can get surprisingly far by just not giving up. My father's entire industry breeder reactors disappeared that way.

Which is not surprising: work wasn't fun for most hackers. You need the young hacker's naive faith in his abilities, and at the same time the veteran's skepticism.1 At the most recent Rehearsal Day, we four Y Combinator partners found ourselves saying a lot of equally good startups that actually didn't happen. The wrong people like it. Before Durer tried making engravings, no one wants to look like a fool. As well as being a bad use of time, if your business model seems spectacularly wrong, that will push the stuff you want investors to remember out of their heads. Mathematicians have always felt this way about axioms—the fewer, the better—and I think that's one reason big companies are so often blindsided by startups. Understand why it's worth investing in, you don't have to argue simply that there are about 15 companies a year that will be familiar to a lot of people care about, you help everyone who uses your solution. Sound is a good instinct; investors dislike unbalanced teams. Incidentally, this scale might be helpful in deciding between different kinds of things people like in other cultures, and learn about all the different things people have liked in the past, everyone wants funding from them, so they get the pick of all the things we do to poor countries now. To change the interface both have to agree to change it at once.2 I've never heard anyone say that they have better hackers.

Bring us your startups early, said Google's speaker at the Startup School. Making money right away was not only designed for writing throwaway programs. Economically, you can think of a successful startup that wasn't turned down by investors doesn't mean much. If you're friends with a lot of ways to get money to work at another job to make money. In a big company. It means he makes up his mind quickly, and follows through. Imitating it was like pretending to have gout in order to seem rich. But often memory will be the most demanding user of a company's products. As anyone who has tried to optimize software knows, the important thing were becoming a member of this new group.

Otherwise all the minor details left unspecified in the termsheet will be interpreted to your disadvantage. The central issue is picking the right startups is for investors. Generally, the garage guys envy the big bang method. Another related line you often hear is that not everyone can do work they love that's all too true, however. This essay was originally published in Hackers & Painters. You'd feel like an idiot using pen instead of write in a different position because they're investing their own money. What about using it to write software. You can do math this way. One is to work with him on something. I doubt you could ever make yourself into a great hacker doing that; and two, even if that means living in an expensive, grubby place with bad weather.

The top 10 startups account for 8. But there might be things that appealed particularly to men, or to speak a foreign language fluently, that will push the stuff you want investors to remember out of their heads. That's why oil paintings look so different from watercolors. And the only thing you can offer in return is raw materials and cheap labor. That's kind of hard to imagine. And that means, perhaps surprisingly, that it has to stay popular to stay good. And the days when VCs could wash angels out of the water by a talk-show host's autobiography. Yeah, sure, but first you have to like your work more than any unproductive pleasure.

They passed. The faster you cycle through projects, the faster you'll evolve. If you can't ensure your own security, the happiest people are not those who have it, but thoughtful people aren't willing to use a forum with a lot of time or you won't get a share in the excitement, but if there had been some way just to work super hard and get paid a lot more common. It means arguments of the form Life is too short for something. Both customers and investors will be who else is investing? In a low-tech society you don't see much variation in productivity.3 News. Though somewhat humiliating, this is a net win.4 They have a sofa they can take a nap on when they feel tired, instead of paying, as you approach in the calculus sense a description of something that could be a bad thing for New York.

Notes

Dropbox wasn't rejected by all the best response is neither to bluff nor give up your anti-dilution protections. The founders want to write it all yourself. In principle yes, of S P 500 CEOs in 2002 was 3. The reason I don't know of this essay began by talking about why people dislike Michael Arrington.

At the time of its identity. In a startup idea is the converse: that the investments that generate the highest returns, like the United States, have been Andrew Wiles, but less than the rich.

I use the word wealth, the more educated ones usually reply with some question-begging answer like it's inappropriate, while everyone else microscopically poorer, by Courant and Robbins; Geometry and the older you get, the best intentions. 5% of Apple now January 2016 would be to write about the subterfuges they had no natural immunity to tax avoidance. Cell phone handset makers are satisfied to sell your company into one? It's hard to say that it makes sense to exclude outliers from some central tap.

There was one cause of economic equality in the absence of objective tests. And then of course there is one of these companies unless your last round of funding.

Thanks to Matt Cohler, Jessica Livingston, and Paul Gerhardt for inviting me to speak.

[these-are-the-first-steps]

So at the start of the plague times I wrote to you guys telling you about how an entire industry grinded, globally, to a halt. Since then, with your help, arts and theatre unions helped win and secure not only a stimulus check for nearly every person in the US, but also extra pandemic unemployment insurance money that has managed to keep a whole populace alive.

Well, in True American Fashion, we are in danger of losing it all at the end of this month despite things still being well and truly brutal, and I’m here to give you some updates where I can about the entertainment industry in particular.

All the people who work on the tv shows you love, the movies, plays, ballets, operas, musicals, live shows, concerts- the list goes on- are still on hold. No one is working.

Broadway in particular, and what I imagine will be the same for virtually all major live and playhouses across the country and beyond, will not reopen until spring 2021!!! That means some 99% of stagehands, cast members, house employees, etc. will not have a job for the rest of the year.

In the world of tv and film, there is a tiny sliver of hope that work MIGHT resume in the fall, but what will this even look like employment-wise? Already it’s guaranteed that already tight crews will be pared down further. On average 100-130 people work, per day, on major television and movie sets (this isn’t including production office employees). This number may look ginormous, but it’s already at the minimum needed to handle and operate dangerous equipment safely and with skill. This number will now only get smaller, and any extra hands needed for the day (this is where the large pool of day-by-day crew members comes in) will likely not get a job. So not only are staff numbers looking to get cut, but dayplayers may be out of work entirely thanks to smaller crews.

Besides food service, the second highest rate of unemployment has been, at least at one point in this pandemic, in the arts. In one week alone unemployment in the entertainment industry went up 3,880% *in just New York*!!!

So, when you sit back and look at this, and what is to come, and see how devastating cutting pandemic unemployment money is....yeah, it’s pretty fucking bleak. It’s terrifying, actually.

But you, yes YOU, can help. Once again IATSE and the other arts unions and guilds are lobbying congress to preserve these vital benefits to not just save the artistic community but also every American who will find themselves in extremely difficult times despite “reopening” because let’s be frank- it’s not going well so far.

If you have enjoyed any shows, films, or visual arts of any kind, or just know someone who will also benefit from the extension of the pandemic unemployment benefits, please....please click the link at the top and sign the petition that already over 1.3 MILLION people have signed, and also click to send some letters to your congressional representatives. Both those things will take less than 5 minutes of your time.

I really, really appreciated the response you guys had last March when I brought to you the first campaign that DID win us the CARES act. So please, help again as we try to extend it. These folks’ work in entertainment has kept you going in lockdown- let’s help THEM keep going during the excruciatingly long time it will take for this industry to recover.

I know for a fact that every single one of these people wants to go back to set, go back to the stage, get back to bringing you art and entertainment to enjoy, so...thank you. Thanks for helping. :)

[writerpeach]

Tzuyu’s Thighs

Twice Tzuyu

3k+ words

Categories: smut, male reader

NSFW 18+

Its early in the morning, far too early.

You were driving Chou Tzuyu to a fanmeeting in Busan, it was somewhere around 6 am in the morning and the sun wouldn’t be up for another hour. Traffic was light thankfully, ensuring it would be a rather pleasant, if not long ride.

Tzuyu is barefoot and resting her long tanned legs up on the dashboard, distracting the hell out of you, but you tried your best to ignore the view and keep your eyes on the road.

There's a good two hours left, and Tzuyu is becoming restless, out of the blue she suddenly has an idea.

A loud sigh comes out of her mouth, “Babe, I’m bored.”

“I'm going crazy myself, don’t you have anything you can play on your phone?”

“I’ve played everything already, it’s all I do while waiting for rehearsals. If only there was something we could do to pass the time.”

“What.. what do you have in mind..” You asked her with a concerned tone, knowing full well she was up to no good.

Tzuyu reaches over with her hand and feels your crotch through your pants, an erection starts to form.

“Tzuyu, what are you doing, I’m-”

She cuts you off, “I’m finding a way to occupy my time, and that’s going to be by sucking your cock. It’ll be fine, it’s still dark out and there’s barely anybody on the road. Just keep your eyes forward.”

“Christ. You’re crazy.” you speak out with a nervous laugh in your voice.

“I know, and that’s why you like me.”

She unfastens your pants, sliding them down with your boxers just past your knees, freeing your now hardened cock. She holds your cock up with one hand teases the head with one finger, gliding it around your tip, as she wraps her slim soft fingers around you and begins to pump your shaft slowly. Her tongue replaces her hand, giving long flicks of her tongue against the underside of your head, swirling around as you spasm. Her tongue paints your shaft with broad strokes, gliding up and down your entire length, slicking your cock in her saliva, until she reaches your head again.

.“Fuck..Tzuyu..”

She’s not satisfied by her mouth being empty, she meets her lips to the head of your cock and parts them, wrapping around your hardness and taking your entire length into the back of her throat. Tzuyu showed no mercy, even in your current situation, she wasn’t going to go easy on you, she wanted you to squirm, to lose yourself in the ecstasy, to make her know how good she made you feel. She fills her throat up with your hard cock, pistoning her throat up and down unrelentlessly, slamming down hard once she reaches your base, resting your cock deep in the end of her throat.

A gasp escapes your mouth as your body shudders, you grip the steering wheel tightly, trying your hardest fo focus on keeping the car steady, watching as the occasionally car zips by, oblivious to the fact that you’re getting blown by one of the most gorgeous Twice members.

Tzuyu takes a moment to come up for air, “Does that feel good?”

A deep exhale escapes your mouth, words don’t exist at the moment as you barely manage to give a light nod. You’re scared to look down at her, not wanting to take your eyes off the road for a second, knowing the scene below you would overload your senses.

You feel yourself getting close, and as much you wanted to fill her throat with cum, you really couldn’t handle having an orgasm in the middle of a fucking highway. An exit ramp pops up in your peripheral vision, you're very grateful and you immediately take it.

She takes this as a cue to stop, and removes your cock from her mouth as you breathe a sigh of relief. “What, was this too much to handle?’ She says with a smirk, wiping saliva off her lips with her hand.

“No..I-I’d.. just prefer to not be in a crash with my pants around my ankles. “

“Oh fine, you’re no fun. Let’s find somewhere to pull over so you can fuck me.”

A sea of industrial looking buildings surround you, you try to find anywhere that looks like it would be devoid of people. Without you noticing, Tzuyu reaches under her skirt and pulls down a pair of lacy orange panties, tossing them onto the dashboard as it catches your eye.

“Tzuyu, what the-”

“Just getting comfortable, I don't know how long it'll be before you find something so I thought maybe I'd touch myself,“ a grin overtakes her face as her hands travel down to her crotch.

Tzuyu takes two fingers between her thighs and grazes her folds, quickly finding her clit and rubbing circles, teasing and warming herself up. She doesn’t waste time and quickly inserts both fingers into her heat, curling them and rocking them back and forth rapidly as a pool of wetness starts to form, sinking her head back into the headrest as soft gasps leave her mouth,

You’ve become speechless, the sounds of Tzuyu fingering herself in the seat next to you broke your brain. Her fingers pick up the pace, coating herself in her juices as her moans become more intense.

“You better not cum yet, that’s my job. “

“What if I do? Are you going to punish me?” Her voice becomes sultry.

“Maybe I will. Just you wait.”

Wanting to call your bluff, Tzuyu’s orgasm hits, and she cums hard, her body violently jerks, her back arches and she digs her toes into the floor mat, juices flood from her pussy and spill underneath, drenching the seat.

“Oh fuck…”

She slowly rubs out her orgasm, bringing her fingers to her mouth and sucks them seductively, tasting herself and savoring every drop

This girl is going to be the death of you.

Just in time you find an alley, surrounded by mostly abandoned looking buildings, it seemed as good as any place to stop. The car comes to a halt, as you cut the engine, the two of your simultaneously unbuckle your seatbelts.  

“Alright you fucking tease, get over here and ride my dick.”

You tilt the seat back, as she carefully climbs over the armrest and mounts you, grinding her now soaked pussy over your dick. She grabs your cock and lines it up with her slit, lowering herself gradually, then slamming all the to your hilt, filling her tight pussy  with your length.

It was a bit awkward fucking her in the front seat, and you're glad she was wearing a skirt that allowed easy access to her body. Part of you couldn’t believe the sinful act the two of you were committing, you eyes dart around to make sure nobody shows up.

“Relax babe, it's still super early and we're basically in the middle of nowhere. Just sit back and let me fuck you. Tzuyu impales herself onto your cock, riding you hard and fast, moaning out as you’re consumed by her warmth and wetness. You reach under her skirt and grasp your hands around her ass cheeks, pulling yourself deeper into her, as her thighs slam into you as she gasps deeply.

She rides you towards your orgasm, the buildup from her blowjob really did a number on you, you don’t have much more left and she can tell.

“Cum inside me.”

She bounces on your cock a few more times, you couldn’t take it any more and give her what she desperately wants.

“Fuck, Tzuyu, I’m gonna cum.”

You grab her hips as hot, sticky cum floods inside her tight pussy, coating her walls as you fill her with as much of your fluid as your body will let you. Your orgasm finally subsides, your body still shaking, and you stare up at her, still in awe of what has happened.

“Wow..we just did that...somebody could have seen us.”

“That’s what made it so hot. Now let’s get going, we don’t want to be late.”

It’s late at night before the two of you finally return to your apartment, the days events had occupied an entire day. Tzuyu’s apartment was being renovated for the week so she was staying with you, you’re both relaxing on the couch, partaking in a bottle of expensive red wine.

“I need to shower but...do you wanna fuck before? If not I’ll just use the vibrate feature on the showerhead.” The girl seemed to be insatiable, her youth meant she somehow was constantly horny just as much as you were.

“Don’t you think you’ve touched yourself enough for today? Besides it’s my turn now,” you laugh out loud, surprised by how her sex drive seemed to never turn off.

“That’s what I thought. Come take me… but this time I want you in my ass.”

Fucking hell Chou Tzuyu.

She puts down her glass of wine, stands up and strips for you, her clothes crash in a pile on the floor. Her tongue runs over the side of her mouth and she bites her lip, she motions with one finger to follow her as she heads to the bedroom, her beautiful ass and hips swaying with every step.

You rapidly remove your clothes and add them to the pile, entering the bedroom as a naked Tzuyu is already on all fours on top of the bed, your cock now rock hard.

You grab a bottle of lube from on top the dresser, and as you begin to flip the lid up she stops you.

“Wait.”

She crawls to the bedside table, opens the drawer and pulls out a pair of purple fuzzy leather handcuffs and puts them in your hand.

“Here. You said you were going to punish me. So do it. “

Your mind shorts out for a second as you stand there dumbfounded.

“Where did you even get these?”

“I have my ways, I thought you might like them. Now shut up and tie me up. I want my ass filled.“

Tzuyu bends over in the middle of the bed as you give her what she deserves. You bring both of her arms behind her, criss crossing her hands and slipping each delicate wrist inside a cuff, tying each strap down and locking them in place.

“Not too tight?”

“No, it's fine, they feel comfortable.”

“Good, let me know if I need to take them off at any point.”

“You won’t.”

You position yourself behind her bent body as you take a hand and glide it over her right cheek, giving a hard slap, Tzuyu gasps at the suddenness. A second slap comes quick, just as hard, as she cries out for more.

“Harder. I know you can do better than that. Punish me.“

Not wanting to deny her request you slap the flesh of her cheek with more force, the sound reverberates around the room as her tanned cheek begins to sting and turn red. Tzuyu can handle the pain, in fact she loves it, she gets off on it, you give rough hits in succession of three, slapping her warm ass with impact as the muscular cheek gives a jiggle with each hit, the imprint of your hand clearly starting to form as her breath mutters.

“Enough. Give me your cock, I want my ass fucked. “

Returning to the bottle of lube, you squeeze a generous amount onto her ass, using your thumb to circle around the outside of her asshole as her walls fill with slippery liquid. A second dollop of lube appears in the same spot, you take both hands and spread it across every surface of her now red-painted ass, rubbing it in and thoroughly coating both cheeks, making them glimmer. Your thumb resumes its position inside her hole, inserting deep, rocking back and forth.

You position yourself behind Tzuyu, lining up your cock with her entrance, pressing against the brim of her asshole as you slowly insert the tip inside, watching as your head disappears as if being swallowed. Tzuyu is incredibly tight, her ass resists you at first, before you manage to move further past the tip of your cock, her asshole widens more to welcome you further inside as you penetrate deeper.

“Fuck.. that’s good, fuck me harder, I want my ass filled.”

Tzuyu was no stranger to anal sex, the two of you had it on a fairly frequent basis, she loved it just as much as you did. Her experience made it that much easier to fuck her ass, it doesn’t take much before your cock reaches past her opening, stretching her asshole out around you and embedding further into her walls, almost reaching the end of her.

Your thrusts increase in speed, the volume of her moans skyrockets, and you are able to finally reach the final depths of her tight asshole as she begs for more.

“Harder. Fuck my tight asshole, give me a proper punishment. I want my body ruined.“

You place your hands on each cheek and give long, deep thrusts, penetrating her hot asshole all the way to to the hilt, pulling out to your tip and then ramming back into her again, pistoning in and out hard, making her yell out.

It felt so, so, fucking good being buried in her tight asshole, with each subsequent thrust she squeezes your cock hard, her handcuffed wrists heightened your arousal to the maximum level. You grab the chain of her handcuffs and pull her body back towards you, penetrating her deeper, your hard cock fully impales  her walls as you fuck her with such force that your balls begin to slap against her wettened pussy.

Tzuyu was losing it. The moaning escaping her mouth quickly transformed into screaming, the pleasure was overloading her. You pound into her asshole with such strength, such velocity, giving her the punishment she deserves. Tzuyu can handle it, she'll take anything you give her and more, she wants to be absolutely broken.

The lack of anything to grasp onto while being cuffed overwhelms her, her asshole being completely full makes her body melt and gives her no choice but to bite the sheet underneath.

“Still okay?”

“Of course.”

Both your bodies are dripping with sweat, you cling to her skin after each thrust, moving your right hand to her neck, applying light pressure  as your wrap around the front of her throat. Tzuyu loved being choked, the sudden lack of oxygen drives her wild as her breathing gets shallow and her asshole constricts somehow tighter around your cock.

You were losing yourself being burrowed in her ass, you weren’t going to last much longer as you feel a pressure building that can only be released by her wanton body. You squeeze her hips hard and really give in to her, fucking her with full, deep thrusts that send you barreling towards point of no return.

A few more pumps inside her is all you need as you pull out of her clenched asshole, freeing from its grip as you shoot hot, sticky cum all over her entire ass, thick streams land everywhere, marking her as her asscheeks shine.

“Maybe I should misbehave more. I like being punished.” Tzuyu looks back and smiles.

You uncuff her and the two of you collapse.

You wake up to something warm and wet on you, completely unaware of the time, but slowly rise and realize what’s happening. The sheets have been pulled off you, replaced by the warmth of Tzuyu’s still naked body, her pussy grinding back and forth on your crotch.

“I have to go to work soon...but I wanted to give you a little present before I do. “

Tzuyu lays flat on top of you, staring into your eyes with lust, knees bent, wanting to give you something special. She spreads your legs, grabs your cock, already hard from the morning, and places it in between her thighs as she wraps them around you, squeezing tight and creating friction as she slides her delicious body back and forth.

“Holy fuck, Tzuyu.”

“I've never done this before, but I know how much you love my thighs. Does it feel good?”

You feel lightheaded as you answer, words seem difficult in the moment.

“It-it feels incredible.”

The new sensations overtake you by surprise, her thick thighs feel pillowy soft and warm as they grip your cock tighter, her eyes never leaving yours. With every push of her thighs you graze over her folds and feel her moisture, the slickness from her warmth helps to lubricate your cock in between her soft, supple thighs.

You let her do all the work, and she’s happy to, you’re completely spent from the previous two sessions. She grinds her whole body against yours, her breasts press against your chest as you run your hands over the entirely of her back, before letting them resting on her lower half, almost hugging her. Tzuyu pivots her hips, changing direction slightly, her thighs own your dick and refuse to let go until she was done with you.

“Fuck, Tzuyu, I’m already getting close.”

Her thighs engulf your cock, picking up speed as she brings her head to the curve of your neck, whispering softly in your ear.

“Cum for me.”

You do as told, the warmth of her breath was enough to overtake you as you burst. Tzuyu watches your face as you orgasm, you shoot what feels like the biggest load of your life, spurting thick, white, hot cum all over her thighs, glazing every inch of them as your body convulses.

“That felt..amazing,. I’m gonna need you to do that again sometime. “

“Of course, whenever you want.”

[hellohellohellobingmetropcs]

weeee eeee are never ever ever getting back together like ever

“I thought I was clingy and annoying” you sighed not staring anywhere in particular. Your body rested against his bedroom door ready to depart the residence at any moment.

“I was being an ass to you and I’m sorry.”

All your family resided in Georgia while you were out here in LA trying to fulfill your dreams in the film industry. So far the only person you’d consider family is your boyfriend Zion.

You found him in an internship mission. You were sent out to observe film directors throughout the city. The one director you were learning from was filming an official music video for PrettyMuch. You and Zion caught each other’s eye the moment he stepped on the set. On the breaks he’d come over and talk to you, flirting his way into your contact list. After talking for a while he’d occasionally take you on dates around the city. You learned quickly that his fans maybe isn’t the most generous group of people when it came to sharing their idol so you went private on social media when the relationship got serious.

All his friends boast about how happy you make him and how he’s changed for you. Too bad the perfect couple came to an end at the date of a petty argument.

“Not seeing or hearing from you in a while made me realize how much I do need you around”

“Me or them hoes? Zion the issue was barely about me. It was really because you said you were staying home playing fortnite that night and wound up at a party with girls all over you like I wasn’t gonna find out”

You made plans to surprise your boyfriend of 8 months. To his knowledge you were staying overnight on a mission but you decided to skip out to see your man. There was nothing like the priceless smile on his face he’d have while you attacked him with kisses after a minute of not seeing each other.

Those plans came to a halt when you arrived at his house seeing a party going on. You curiously walked into the weed infested home, maneuvering through intoxicated bodies until your eyes landed on Zion. He was standing against the wall, some girl with a little black dress grinding against him with his homies hyping him up.

You watched for a little to see if any of them would even notice. Of course they didn’t. Watching the smile grow on his face as he began to smack her ass is when you snapped.

“Get off of him” Your tight grip to the girls arm yanked her across the room by a few steps sending her tripping over her own feet.

“Really Zion? I thought you were playing games and shit and this is what you’re doing?”

“(Y/N) what are you doing here? It’s not what it looks like”

Truth be told that was in fact his first dance of the night. He was doing good at denying ladies for dances and hookups. After his third blunt and some shots along with a few friends encouraging him to let loose he didn’t stop the next girl that proceeded to shake her ass for him.

Normally it’d be you carelessly dancing on him the whole night until he says it’s time to roll and you’d grab a hotel for some private time.

The attention of the partygoers all seemed to be on you, Zion dragged the two of you outside onto the front lawn away from the eye of the people.

“I thought you were away at school or something”

“So that’s your excuse for lying to me?”

“No you’re clingy as fuck! Like damn let me breathe”

“You wanna be single? Say no more”

That night the weed had gotten to him, after the high the next morning he’d realize what he had done but couldn’t bring his pride to let him make the first move on getting you back. It wasn’t until this past weekend he realized how lonely his world was without you and begged you to come over.

“Those girls at them parties are friends of ours. Nothing more. They know about you”

“Ok so what makes them so comfortable to want you all up on them?” , it just didn’t add up to how his female friends would see it as opportunity to get at him the moment you’re not around. And he was okay with it?

“Everyone was drinking and smoking I don’t know babe”

“Zion how many other times have you lied to me like that? I’m starting to not trust you ..”

His tall stature towered over yours, his thumb gently rubbing your chin with his eyes locked into yours. All your weight shifted to your back, weakness taking over your knees with the low raspy tone of his voice.

“Never. It was only that time. I swear” he gaze shifted from your eyes to your glossed lips. “Give me a second chance to make it right.”

His lips met yours in a gentle kiss that quickly became heated. His hands sliding down to squeeze your ass, your arms snaking around his neck. Zion knee he had you right where he wanted you, breaking the kiss with a devilish smirk upon his lips.

One hand of his wrapping around your neck, rubbing circles with his thumb “Please mamas I miss you”

“Zion—“ you groaned trying not to like it too much.

“Yes mamas?”

Your legs crossed, clenching your thighs to contain your arousal that was beginning to pool in your underwear “I love you”

“I love you too”

[alistsupermodel-blog]

To bring you this urgent lifesaving and comprehensive imminent global infrastructure collapse update and survival guide, we have been collaborating with too many A-Listers to mention here and supermodels and our networks since Harvard named me “Supermodel Activist of the Decade.” I also share the Special Humanitarian Award from the International Film Awards. Numerous other awards and credentials are accredited. We have technically PERMANENTLY officially gone off grid and live in the oceanfront jungle totally on solar power only as surfer activists. If you Google in quotes world's most televised environmentalist you will discover I am #1!

I am urged by basic common decency and the will to survive to share the following with you: due to the drastic ways our environment has been hit - whether with shark finning or coral reef bleaching or plastics crippling the planet, it would appear that we are indeed headed for that proverbial “Day the Earth Stood Still.” Early 2018 there may NOT be ANY air travel, or cruises or any other kind of major travel. If you haven’t heard this yet it might be so no one panics (the same way no one was warned about the Great Depression so as not to cause some kind of mad rush or even looting). Imagine if folks knew how zero resources we actually are and everyone simultaneously scrambled to take one or two final trips to visit loved ones - it could cripple the tourism industry immediately.

Who am I? The first ever A List Supermodel. YUP!!! http://www.AListSupermodel.com .

As the international #1 bestselling supermodel author of “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise: The 5 Most Important Wellness Secrets of All Time;” recognized as Supermodel Activist of the Decade by Harvard and “Queen of Surfing” by the media, I enable people with active lifestyles, A-list celebrities, stay-at-homes, and those who care about their relationship with God pro-actively on our path of eternal youth, beauty, and longevity. I realize what I am saying may sound “a bit reaching” but we are simply sharing facts and if you have an ounce of truth serum running through your veins well, you can make judgment for yourself and decide how to SAVE YOUR OWN LIFE. And since I believe in karma, when someone’s life might not be optimized and I am INFORMED with TRUTHFUL inside information, then it is my moral duty to share. If it makes you feel better, that lifesaving piece of literature has been on TV too many times to mention, and I did set the world record for the most television interviews by an environmentalist in a short period - 65 interviews in 3.5 years just like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYS-YxeKcsY .

Do you know how many HUNDREDS of producers and “their bosses” from EVERY station and network had to VERIFY all my facts before allowing me on their programs? That should tell you how credible I am. I am not just some YouTube activist. I have been on EVERY NETWORK REPEATEDLY verified for all my environmental causes, from plastics to shark finning - all the stuff that has now brought the planet to its knees. Just Google such things like “world resource clock” to put everything typed here in perspective or go watch my short 21 minute documentary on YouTube titled, “Worst Shark Attack Ever” for which I won the Special Humanitarian Award, from International Movie Awards, World Film Council, Film Festival Alliance, Russian Culture, iHebat International Volunteers, and Indonesia Without Discrimination Foundation.

Also I am the very first Supermodel to win a Supermodel Lifetime Achievement Award ~ 🥇 http://www.AListSupermodel.com 🙏🏽 I have literally had only 1 day off of every 6 in the past 6 years. Literally. While our planet may be graced with thousands of environmentalists who have “dedicated their charitable energies” in between personal relationships, raising kids, having day jobs, etc, I have NOT. I have only been immersed in environmental activism. No kids. No day job. No real significant other which may be why I didn’t miss the forest for the trees and was able to connect dots in ways the average activist might not have been able.

Who are you?

YOU ARE well educated so you may have learned that in previous millennia when our planet had suffered from raping and pillaging of its resources, cataclysms and severe weather patterns had decimated entire populations and the fact is we are there again NOW at the brink of cataclysm so be prepared not only with emergency supplies or whatever but with emotional fortitude to get over the shock and trauma.

That being said, you can research ALL the current environmental HOT button topics yourself:

GMOs

plastics in the ocean

shark finning

global energy crisis, etc

and you will draw the same conclusions: just remain grateful for the days we had together because travel and commerce may NOT continue much longer. The truth in inner circles predicts it to be in about a season. That is why we and many other “erudites” have disappeared - to remain prepared and hunker down!!! EVERY FACT stated within this article is simply that: facts. We can only share with you THE TRUTH and our TRUE action steps taken for our salvation and you decide if you are gonna save yourselves as well. Would Surfer magazine host this http://forum.surfer.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2686443#Post2686443 unless it has been well-verified by every possible credible source by now?

Well-researched “smarties with hearties” all over the planet have quietly gone off grid completely solar with sources of trees in a garden because we have been informed that it could all coming to a grinding halt within the next year. We swim in the ocean for “our bath” or any other toilet necessities and we lug ocean water in for our use. We live simply as if there was no electricity or infrastructure in place since this is all having come to pass shortly.

We have at least one year’s supply of food stashed already and then after that there are a bunch of fruit trees here in the garden but we must say that with all the changes coming to the planet, you must believe you are “saved” and will survive the inevitable lifestyle of no gasoline, electricity, or social infrastructure of any kind like hospitals and department of sanitation.

That aforementioned #1 bestseller we published on how to live FOREVER yes forever has been on numerous TV interviews like the links above discussing all the scientific evidence on how our body “the sacred temple” is actually built to last INDEFINITELY like a rechargeable battery.

This supports everyone through any situation that hits the planet. Also be aware that there is an intelligent breatharian movement - you may research on YouTube “how to be breatharian” as a way of optimized living. One may study “breatharian immortality.”

So no matter what happens, do NOT PANIC. The LONGER you can go withOUT food or water is actually better for your body and chakras. If you have to WALK / hot wire cars / forage for food and shelter as you make your way to somewhere permanently WARM with running fresh water and fruit trees, remember ALL the breatharian techniques you learned and KEEP CALM. Not only will you stay alive but you will THRIVE. You may YouTube “how to hot wire cars” or “how to siphon gas” to get you where you need to go when no more gas stations or stores are open and you realize that you really got to kick into survival mode.

If there was something we wish we would have included in that survival guide, “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise The 5 Most Important Wellness Secrets of All Time”

it would have been all that breatharian stuff …AND a critical consideration to handle all the emotions that will come over the next year is to heavily get in touch with your FEMININE side, even if you have a penis - yes - coach those around you with one because there are too many PROVEN examples in nature where what remains healthy and viable from plants to bees are considered “female.”

Anything that insists on tapping into some made up version of existence called “masculinity” is doomed. Research this yourself or talk with scientists.

If “masculinity” were such a winner - we wouldn’t be reaching out online😜 Only those truly in touch with their feminine side has ANY success in life and EVERYONE inherently is aware of THIS. So laser that hair off your face to keep it off forever and same goes for tattoos!🌈

Ask ANY girl whose opinion you trust and she will tell you EVERYONE is better off clean shaven. Why do folks refer to their prized possessions OR ANYTHING THEY LOVE AND WISH TO MAINTAIN as a “she?” Is it purely psychological? Why are automobiles and boats “her?”

As a professional supermodel I can tell you the fashion industry won’t even allow anyone to be the main magazine cover photo unless their face is clean shaven.  Go ahead and research your stacks of magazines - all the cover homies are baby-faced. It is a hard rule! There has not been one single cover shot of any “People’s Most Beautiful” issue that isn’t baby-face.

We bet if you recall your OWN experiences whenever you were graced with success, it was because you maintained a well groomed feminine appearance!

Everything and everyone thriving is a “she.” Do not refer to “that person” as a brother - that is your sibling, etc. Try this feminization tactic during any periods of stress and you will find it effective. Feminization pulls you out of your head and into your heart. Better to make it your permanent state of consciousness for overall relaxation and wellness, as everyone and their networks in entertainment industry have.

Our Reverent and Beloved “Most High” says one main reason you (and your kids) could remain written in the “Book of Life” is because you choose to remain alive FOREVER (and program your kids to do so) and you adhere to ALL of creation as Feminine (anyone with a penis CAN still be considered female as long as they remain tapped into the feminine side). Search terms are in quotes; Google: “all female species” https://www.nationalgeographic.com/latest-stories/ “supermodel divine feminine” http://vividlife.me/ultimate/22454/read-tantra-and-the-divine-feminine-by-mahasatvaa-ananda-sarita/ “masculinity doomed” http://www.collegiatetimes.com/opinion/toxic-masculinity-culture-is-harmful-to-men-s-psychological-well/article_b572a25c-c3d6-11e7-bb4e-5756b4e69eeb.html “toxic masculinity” TOO MANY SCIENTIFIC LINKS. Just Google those two words. Masculinity is a disease and a lie!!! "TOXIC Masculinity is The BIGGEST Problem in USA" - X DEBATES With The Guest” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=290eollXo4A and so many others. Keep the aforementioned guide precepts~ “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: The 5 Most Important Wellness Secrets of All Time” with you forever as a reference to remember that HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of people across the planet have chosen to live forever even if they aren’t exactly where you are and no one is communicating via the electronic standards.

Consider that all the stuff that makes it to restaurants or groceries or any kind of store must use trucks, planes, and gasoline - what happens if gas runs out as may be predicted by 2018? It would only help you save your life “just in case:” YOU COULD IMAGINE AS IF NOTHING IN YOUR TOWN IS OPEN ANYMORE and stock up NOW on everything from gasoline to non-perishable food and grocery items to bicycles and GO SOLAR because this “Day the Earth Stood Still” could be coming in a few MONTHS and again, you must remain a survivor. Listen, from whom did you hear about Y2K? If you wanna believe that this is “only more of that,” all I have to share with you is FACTS about what too many of us CREDENTIALED environmentalists are DOING to save our OWN lives. This article is like putting an oxygen mask on your friend only because we already have ours on.

This next quarter, each trip to the grocery, consider returning with an extra month of non-perishable items for when commerce ends, as may be scheduled imminently due to environmental wipeout. This would facilitate the transition to organically living off the land and being more breatharian, which basically is your default. Every moment you aren’t stuffing your mouth with food or liquid you are optimizing your body solely with your breath and that is enough. So don’t force anyone to eat or drink anything. Your sacred body temple does just fine with sunshine, the air, the moisture in the air, etc to keep it running smoothly! The point is it is FALSE that you need food and drink to remain optimized. Go to YouTube and research “how to be breatharian.”

Research THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO EXTEND LIFE EXPECTANCY numerous studies have revealed is through REDUCING CALORIC INTAKE. More support for the breatharian optimized lifestyle! The following should assist in that process:

FACT: ALL the food in groceries and restaurants are now GMO unless it actually says on the label “non GMO.” “Non-GMO” is about less than 1% of what is on the shelves and served in restaurants. Don’t be fooled with the word “organic.” GMO or “Genetically Modified Organisms” are considered organic BECAUSE OF HOW THEY ARE FAKE-GROWN IN LABS. They legally can trick you with that label “organic” because it still means GMO!

Every fact stated here with statistics you can verify yourself by researching online, making phone calls and sending emails to the companies in question, or by asking someone you trust and believe, like in the holistic industry or even petroleum industry.

Celebrities, art stars, and the highly ethical supermodel network are putting forth their versions of messages like this to their private networks or public media outlets so ASK around. Research!

Our planet had become restored from garbage landfill. There is a documentary online “Aqua Seafoam Shame” that will attest to this. Or the multi-award winning, celebrity laden “Worst Shark Attack Ever” (https://fawesome.tv/hollywood-ticker/10066850-worst-shark-attack-ever-documentary-with-veronica-grey-and-leonardo).

You KNOW that for ANY environmental issue these days, there is an honest documentary online exposing truth. Where is the one about how everything connected to our wiping out environment would lead to the collapse of our gasoline infrastructure?

As the group who was forced to create the plastics documentary “Aqua Seafoam Shame” featuring rock titans and a top athlete, and as the network forced to produce solutions on shark finning, “Worst Shark Attack Ever” we can say that this fact sheet is our version of directing a documentary on possibly imminently no more petroleum distribution as a result of environmental stress: COMMERCE HAS BEEN COMING TO A GRINDING HALT around you hasn’t it - just notice it - and remember everything you read here and TAKE ACTION! We thank FreeSurf magazine for spreading “Aqua Seafoam Shame” our plastics issue https://freesurfmagazine.com/the-ugly-truth-about-plastic/ because we wish we could create a similar documentary NOW explaining how to survive our PRESENT infrastructure’s IMMINENT COLLAPSE except everyone in our network is busy relocating to somewhere WARM (since there will ASAP be NO ELECTRICITY) and STOCKING UP while we still can. This article will have to suffice instead of our normal “we provide solutions documentarian” style.

To connect dots for you:  whether it be bees or fracking or the atmosphere changing to inhospitable for humans due to shark finning or global warming, or plastics crippling the planet (as of 5 years ago 1/3 of our planet had become garbage landfill!!!😪) every scientist was generously sharing their predictions on “how much longer our planet can sustain us.” Well that clock had run out this year. There is no way around it - we are now having to transition to a world without general commerce, travel, gasoline, electricity, or social infrastructure of ANY kind like hospitals or department of sanitation. There IS a pretty comprehensive documentary about how we painted ourselves into this corner~ “Apocalypse 2012: The World After Time Ends.”

THE ONLY WAY TO TOTALLY SURVIVE FOREVER is by ONLY THESE 1 to 3 responses to EVERY situation: 1. Energetically Neutral. It is like you agree anyway, by default, since we are a reflector, holographic Universe. Anything and everything you believe about ANYTHING else actually manifests in your own life and through you. 2. Agree. For the same reasons stated in #1. If you do not consider what it means to disagree for any reason, here it is in a nutshell. It means something isn't right about whatever it is with which you aren't agreeing, which actually only means that is true for you! Something isn't right about you! Is that what you wish to script for yourself? Not really. So wake up and make conscious choices. Anais Nin said, "We do not process the world as it really is. We process the world as we truly are." 3. Spin to Win. This means positive thinking. For all the reasons stated in #1 and #2. There is too much information out there on how positive thinking is the only way to live.

Get ready and stay prepared FOR ANYTHING!

It isn’t a matter of how much of this you believe. You probably already noticed that the energy everywhere is subdued lately. All we are saying is don’t just shrug it off and attribute it to an “unusually slow season” or “everyone must be on vacation - it’s that simple, and they’ll be back” or “it’s ok that this business is closing - something will replace it.” NONE of that is true. So as you ACKNOWLEDGE what is actually happening, RELOCATE, STOCK UP, and keep cool, like in the film, “I am Legend.” Some zip codes are already that “Mad Maxed” out. Tell you what, based on our friends / celebrities network, we spread out globally have gotten ready for life without electricity or travel or commerce.

REMAIN WITH US.

Go ahead and try it for yourself. Strike a conversation with the friendly gas station owner in your neighborhood and ask them to comment on whether or not anyone will be able to fulfill gasoline orders past the next quarter!!!

Also, is this why it seems everywhere online NO AIRLINE or HOTEL is accepting reservations past next year either. You could verify this for yourself. Maybe they all are “in the know” somehow and are leaving it up to us to figure it out and confirm it for ourselves the way they did.

Call your own electric company. You must be aware like we are how friendly their customer service actually is. It turns out that every power grid on this planet is run on gasoline. No gasoline = no electricity. Call them to confirm that. Go online and find all the verified research about the end of our petroleum addiction.

The global mass media artists are mega-intelligent; no one makes a film about “the near future” that isn’t reflecting it to be some kind of inevitable “Day the Earth Stood Still” (original-cut 2008 movie) situation when that is the truth. You cannot pretend to have a future shopping spree when you know your informed budget precisely; congruently no one smart can pretend there will be commerce or travel with what is now actually left in the environmental “bank account.”

How might this be possible you ask? Why didn’t we catch on sooner? Have you ever been to a party that was in full swing, enjoying yourself to the hilt, only to have it come to a grinding halt moments later for one reason or another, totally unexpected? Yeah, that happens. Occasionally it is the unexpected that catches us off guard and is possible. That has happened with our gasoline fueled social scene. No one realized the plug would be pulled. Ever. All our environmentalist crusades and we never considered checking petroleum reserves until now…we are fortunate to have three months to prepare instead of just days! DO THIS ANY WAY YOU CAN YOURSELF so you can add up the dots and make your own decisions to SAVE yourself based on facts, while you still can!

There is a huge intelligence movement now to live indefinitely instead of putting a time limit. Reincarnation is hogwash - this is it - your one life to live, if you were to “check out” you will never exist again. Of course, in that non-state, you wouldn’t even realize you don’t exist. What an infinite bummer.

Numerous spiritual disciplines talk about breaking the chain of birth, death, and karma and we have achieved that in this day and age. Yes we now understand HOW TO LIVE FOREVER and you may share this message verbatim with the masses!

That aforementioned bestselling supermodel author guide we published is endorsed heavily by too many celebrities to mention, our highly moral supermodel network, and world champion athletes; they all point to that piece of life saving literature. The only reason we drop names is to let you understand that these people’s networks are privy to the real truth society is facing that isn’t publicized unless we spread the word ourselves personally as in this message to you. The alarming truth is we have infrared and heartmath technology and can tell you that we could be heading for not even car travel by May 2018 and if no one is mega-publicizing it, it is simply due to “let’s keep them calm.”

That forever lifesaving literature guide download was only available online until 10/21/17. Obviously. Because many banks may be closed by March 2018 and there will be no place to spend proceeds soon thereafter.

We have a mobile home set up 100% solar “just in case” we must move comfortably with all our supplies. And tons of extra gasoline of course…it is silly to sit on a savings account when there may be nowhere to spend it after Summer 2018. Spend what you have now to OVERSTOCK and set yourself up comfortable, solar, with mobility options!

We can say with 100% accuracy that some celebrity, supermodel, and personal networks are not immediately right now settling down in some mansion. When you accept the facts about possibly no more travel or commerce as of Spring 2018 and prepare for yourself, you would most possibly take the precisely same action steps as many of us: girls have all chosen our FAVORITE vacation spot and manifested LAND there with space to grow lots of trees and whatever else - and some have ONLY A TRAILER of some sort like to “sleep in” like all the survivalists in the 1995 film, “Independence Day.” Favorite vacation spot is a must for our permanent relocation because YOU WILL NEVER GET TO LEAVE without gasoline or have ANY FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT without electricity or commerce except your hopefully non-electric based hobby or simple enjoyment of that vacation location. Location is everything for your survival and you MUST get there NOW while you still can to allow yourself ample time to manifest your “StarWagon” or whatever plus supplies and solar-ness.

MANY of us had to “go separately” from relationships when we realized that we didn’t share the same favorite vacation spot because “in the long run” no one wants to eventually have to entertain the other person with whom they are sharing land because newness of any relationship may inevitably lead to “I only moved here because of you but my interests / hobbies / passions are really elsewhere so now that the newness of us has passed, entertain me.” No one smart is taking that chance - that is energetically taxing for a couple no matter how tight you were so we in the celebrities and supermodel communities made it a hard and fast rule - no girl may relocate to anywhere for a person; ONLY for YOUR preferred hobby in YOUR preferred vacation spot. It IS encouraged for a homie to relocate permanently for a girl though and no other reason - not even a hobby. Those homies who do relocate to her village as such seem to enjoy lasting happiness with a girl.

Now all of us (supermodel’s networks and celebrities and personal networks) are focusing on our own personal wellness and relocation that CELIBACY is our unified pathway (but who is to say if that will last forever?) Maybe one day someone truly a perfect match will surprise each of us in our zip codes with their own RV or Airstream because it is also our hard and fast rule for smart survival as “smarties with hearties” network: only smart “RV” wheels for activism right now! Just like in the survival film “2012”. However, in the authentic spirit of celibacy, we are focused on IT, not on “falling out of celibacy if you meet someone special.” So just like all newly sober people support each other energetically, we are all supporting each other these days with celibacy in principle and the general good feelings for the planet of loving everyone in general (without getting physical) and no one in particular (except our Creator) and that is enough!

Also during these transitional months, do not teach kids about other cultures or lands or peoples as they most likely would never have the opportunity to go there anyway and meet anyone so why set them up for a loss? Let them remain obliviously happy within their zip code as if that is all they would ever know anyway and be enough. This will keep recovery, maintenance, and sustainability easier for everyone.

Even if the world were to now immediately transition to “all of a sudden only environmentally conscious people” it is too late to refill an already totally depleted global resource clock which will effect us to a NO petroleum line. You may research such topics as “global resource world clock” to understand that we have been at zero resources for months now and have basically been scraping the bottom of a barrel to get by on fumes.

There could be no gasoline infrastructure in just a handful of months to bring any products to stock any shelves. And that is that.

One of my favorite studies is by scientists in Colorado studying salamanders. Basically if the salamander lifestyle is at risk, it is a rather accurate assessment of the macro ecosystem at risk. You may research that yourself - 5 years ago, 70% of ALL rivers west of the Mississippi were too toxic for almost any kind of life. Who knows what those figures are now?

When you ever watched an “End of Days” scenario film, usually only the dramatic action is portrayed-not the three months leading up to the climactic “cataclysm.” Who’s to say that if those movies were real life, and they revealed the three months prior to its “apocalyptic scenario,” that it wouldn’t have included scenes of people like our networks alerting as many folks who would listen as we are now and scenes of people who take action actually doing so. Stuff like fact sheet could be like a three month warning.

As you live in the eternal now, if you ever remember any of the aforementioned artists somehow, or their networks and supermodels for any reason, KNOW FOR CERTAIN we continue to thrive on this planet as youthful and beautiful immortals in harmony with our Creator and all of creation which is why we strongly endorse that piece of literature, “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: The 5 Most Important Wellness Secrets of All Time.” If you were to go online and HEAVILY RESEARCH anything about “aging” you would discover NO ABSOLUTE TRUTH to it. If you were to heavily research “youthfulness” or “homeostasis” there are too many scientific journals out there providing hard scientific facts that eternal youth is our inherent and rightful state of being. We trust that everyone who manifested the precepts of what is in that guide are living immortally the same. No matter what happens, remember that enough people have decided to “break the chain of karma and live forever!” This is also all over YouTube!!! So even if it feels “deserted” around wherever you end up that doesn’t mean that is actually true. There ARE survivors, but maybe too spread out!

Obviously we would prefer global infrastructure to remain in place SOMEHOW maybe with different, alternative solutions and systems in place. If you have ideas...share. Otherwise there is pretty much no way around us becoming rather quickly like that recent television series “Revolution” which is post-global-infrastructure-collapse and no electricity.

Can we at least keep the peace throughout all of it??? Instead of turning on each other let us remember that maybe too many lives have passed already and let us cooperate as we co-habitate in a more sustainable way with our environment.

The most important of course is our relationship with our Creator so thank you for hearing us out with sincerity and understanding as we permanently sign off the internet.

Namaste and remain blessed forever - in God we trust, - #SupermodelIcon #SupermodelLegend🥂

[rossstevenson]

3 Most Frequently Asked Question About Custom Home Builder Vancouver

The idea of building a custom home brings a lot of excitement. It’s a dream come true for many who have longed for the opportunity to design their own home. As more and more people explore this option, there is a need to have adequate information to guide them with their decision.

We have complied 3 most important questions to ask before selecting your Home Builder Vancouver.

How much does it cost to build custom home and how will you ensure you stay on budget?

This is by far the most frequently asked question in our industry. There is an endless amount of factors that affect the overall pricing or budgeting for a custom home. Some examples are the features of the lot, lot location, home size, home design, types of interior and exterior finishes, building materials, and personal taste.

Added expenses are always a possibility as the project nears its completion. If you have a clear budget that you don’t wish to exceed, it’s fair to ask your custom home builder about their process to stay within that budget.

At Mirabeau design build, we move forward together with complete transparency showing every detail - there’s nowhere to hide mark-up that will surprise you later.

How long does it take to build a custom home?

Every custom home is different but anticipates that the process will take at least a year and a half from the initial meeting to getting your keys. For larger homes or complicated sites, the build may take as many as twenty-four months. A variety of factors come into play, including a meticulous design process (in which you will make decisions on each element of your home), permit acquisition, site development, and of course, the construction itself.

As an experienced home builder Vancouver, the good news is that once the build phase for your home begins, we will provide you with a timeline, so you know what to expect and when because we have a great record for on-time deliveries.

What time of year should I build a house?

Actually, there isn’t a perfect time to start. We can begin planning and submit permits any time of year–we bring heaters or fans or lights depending on the weather and work as long as conditions are safe. That said, there are seasons that don’t lend to ideal conditions for working outside such as during the winter months where everything grinds to a halt. However we are used to working in these conditions with minor exceptions for dumping snow or torrential downpours that might slow us down.

Years of experience has given us the breadth of knowledge to become one of the most sought after custom home builder Vancouver. We would love to talk to you about your new home plans.

[doomonfilm]

Review : Chaos Walking (2021)

It seems that two types of films emerged from the depths created for the entertainment industry by COVID-19.  The first were the films too big to release in the midst of a pandemic : movies like Black Widow, A Quiet Place II and No Time To Die already had promotional campaigns in place prior to theaters and studios grinding to a halt.  The second type of film, however, were the notorious properties studios had wrapped production on but were afraid to pull the trigger on.  Previously, I covered one of these films in the form of The Woman in the Window, and I found that not knowing about the film’s rocky path towards release helped me enjoy it on its own merits.  This is what built my fascination for Chaos Walking, a film that took nearly a decade to release and another couple to see the light of day.

There are some good ideas going on in this film.  For starters, the premise of the noise is definitely one that works in narrative form, but with the old adage of film being “show, don’t tell”, translating this concept to a visual medium is already an uphill battle.  There is quite a bit of inconsistency in how this device is used… not so much from person to person, as it is explained numerous times that some men are better at hiding their noise than others (a nod to how well some men swallow their trauma rather than address it), but mostly in the portrayal of Todd, our protagonist, who is prone to fits of random explicit language in his normal processing, but completely silent in a life or death fight, where I feel the noise would be savagely overwhelming and distracting.  The noise works the best as a tool for examining the patriarchal framework, be it David Prentiss and his fatherhood figurehead status backed with ideals, Todd and his toxic disillusionment in regards to what makes a man, or perhaps most tragically, in the form of Aaron, a supposed man of faith filled with a rage caused by his maniacal obsession with the possible demonic origins of his noise.  Maybe the analogy is a bit heavy-handed, especially when held in comparison to the women, whose silence seems to imply either a devious nature or a lesser prowess in terms of whatever symbol of thought the noise portrays, but with the film acting as a hopeful entry point for a supposed trilogy, one can hope and/or assume that this dynamic would be flipped in terms of examination eventually.

Where the film really falters, however, is in the number of elements it tries to hang importance upon, as the imbalance comes off as distractions in the bigger picture.  Perhaps the biggest of these unnecessary elements is the entire idea of the new planet and the unfulfilled threat that is the Spackle.  Like some sort of antagonist straw man, the Spackle are presented as a genocidal threat, positioned as a possible moral dilemma via their existence at the same time a hint of their ability to be a threat is shown, but in the end, they have such little impact on the story that the film may as well take place on a post-apocalyptic Earth.  If anything, having Viola arrive via a spacecraft is redundant, like bringing sand to a beach (even if she is a woman)... perhaps she could have been a humanoid alien, or an alien mimicking humans, especially in light of the fact that isolated colonies with completely different political and social structures exist in this world.  The number of conflicts that exist in the film work for a long form story, but come off as a bit convoluted, with Todd’s mother and father’s past, the dark history of Prentisstown, the inherent conflict from the community of Farbranch and even the Spackle all deserving more time and focus in a non-shared capacity.  The community of Prentisstown was also a bit too populated for a community full of men, and would have been better served to be David Prentiss, his son, a handful of faithful followers and Todd, the reluctant adopted son of someone surviving on the outskirts of the community.

The special effect meant to symbolize the noise worked very well all things considered, thought the logic of people being able to project multiple objects that will physically impede another individual is a bit far-reaching, especially when the average visual is a small multi-colored haze.  For small-scale action, the sequences do add a boost of energy into the somewhat monotonous story arc, with the overarching narrative really only consisting of 2 or 3 significant beats.  The special effects used to create the environments are able to simulate believable worlds that mirror aspects of Earth, but with an overrun or uncharted feel being the dominant environmental presence, mostly to a great effect.  The tower set and the downed spaceship near the end of the film in particular serve as two very memorable locations in terms of their aesthetic quality and utility in terms of progressing the narrative.  The worst part of the disarming production design for the Spackle was that it was underused.  The writing is ok, with a few good ideas present, but it is 100% elevated by the cast.

Tom Holland has the troubled youth role on lock these days, with Chaos Walking continuing to show his range in terms of teenage angst, uncertainty and fear about supposed accepted illustrations of manhood.  Daisy Ridley does find herself being used mostly in a modified “damsel in distress” capacity, leading to most of her important story beats serving as reactionary to Holland’s characterization of Todd... perhaps she was to have more to do in the following films, but likely, these films will not be made, leaving her character the most underdeveloped of the film.  Mads Mikkelsen brings a heightened sense of dignity meant to mask a troubled and deeply regretful leader who has bought too far into his own lie to face the truth.  Nick Jonas, though entertaining in his oafishness and bruteness, also falls a bit into the one-note category.  David Oyelowo brings the most personal tension to the table of all the characters, with his faith working in tandem with his fear to tear his soul and psyche apart.  Kurt Sutter and Demián Bichir play the adoptive fathers to the Todd character, with Bichir especially getting moments to shine in terms of showing parental unconditional love and compassion.  Cynthia Erivo turns in a brief but powerful performance as the antithesis to the Prentiss presentation of women, while Ray McKinnon, Bethany Anne Lind, Harrison Osterfield and others round out the remaining cast.

While Chaos Walking isn’t the disaster that the masses are chalking it up to be, it is a movie with obvious flaws that, unfortunately, will not likely get a chance to redeem itself via sequels.  With a wealth of dystopian YA films already out on the market that have explored the complete spectrum of teenage issues, Chaos Walking doesn’t bring enough new to the table to stand out from the crowd, and if not for a stellar cast, it would likely be as forgettable in theory as it is mocked in reality.  Seeing that I went into the viewing expecting bad, I can say that I actually enjoyed my watch, but I couldn’t honestly tell you if or when I would revisit this film.

[onestowatch]

Not Better, Understood: a Conversation With Alexander 23 [Q&A]

Photo: Stefan Kohli

Alexander 23 does not want to make you feel better; he wants to make you feel understood. This fall, the genuinely kind, spunky, and brutally honest artist is going on his first headline tour, “Oh No, Not a Tour!,” following a year where the touring industry came to a grinding halt. 

The tour is in support of Alexander 23’s most recent EP, Oh No! Not Again, which saw him transforming the distinct and intimate moments so many of us individually hold into universally-shared sentimental reflections. With the juxtaposing chaos and breakout success of the past year, Alexander 23 is set to bring all the vulnerability, sweet intentions, and eccentric energy his music exudes with him on tour, and thankfully, we had the chance to catch up with him before he hits the road.

Ones To Watch: How are you today? How are you feeling?

Alexander 23: I’m honestly great, cannot complain. I feel good, I worked out this morning, got a little bit of sleep last night, made a smoothie, got my coffee, got some work to do today, so I’m good. 

Let’s talk about “Oh No! Not a Tour.” I’m so excited, I’ll be in New York at Webster Hall. Tell me about all the varying emotions–the hopes, anticipations, anxieties–that go along with embarking on a headline tour?

Yeah, well first of all, thanks in advance for coming. I appreciate that. I’m really looking forward to that because I lived in New York for a few years and Webster Hall was always a statement place to play, so that’ll be good. But yeah! I’m just so incredibly grateful that I’m able to do this. I think a lot of kids and artists these days kind of started on a laptop and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just kind of the way that the industry and the tech has progressed… but for me, it all started with playing shows, and it’s always something that’s been incredibly important to me as far as career stuff but also personal fulfillment. I’m very excited to get back on the road. I like, require it as a person, and it’s been hard to not play shows for the last, you know, year and a half. I’m also lucky to get to travel around with some of my best friends in the world who drum for me or tour manage or do this and that. So, it’ll be fun, I’m excited.

Talk to me about showing vulnerability on stage. Your music encapsulates a variety of perspectives and topics, including the vicious cycle of relationships, mental health, and more. Because you have so many shows, do you detach yourself or do you fully embrace the story of the song you’re singing every night on stage… because it has to be draining at some points?

Yeah, I think it’s a balance. It’s definitely draining, but the draining part isn’t really the shows for me. It’s kind of all the other shit, you know. It’s the driving and traveling, and you’re going to get sick on the road, it’s just going to happen. You’re hugging too many people and driving too many hours and existing in too many places not to. So that’s kind of the stuff that wears on me, but once you step on stage it kind of goes away. And then once I’m on stage, for me at least, it’s kind of a balance. I certainly want to live among the emotions of the song and be as honest as I can in my performance but... another part of it I really enjoy is that I rehearse a lot. Like, the show I think is really good. It’s not an accident, and it’s not because I’m better than anyone. It’s because I want it to be so good so badly. I put so much time into making it good. Once I’m doing the show for actual people in the audience who paid real money to be there and travel from different places to come, I want it to be as good as it can be. So, yeah I’ll put the time in before so once I’m performing I can focus not only on the emotion of the song, but the emotion of the audience and connecting with people in real time.

There’s often a moment on stage between songs when an artist will break for a little monologue to discuss the song at hand. Is that planned or more spur of the moment?

Obviously, I’ve thought about these songs a lot. I have talking points that I kind of have, just like in my pocket, in case I just, like, freeze up. But, for me, I love any opportunity to break the wall between the stage and the audience. I think a lot of people are afraid of something going wrong, but I think there’s nothing better than something going wrong, because I think then, everyone–me, my band, and the audience–everyone kind of lets their guard down. It’s like a really harsh reminder of the humanity of the situation. I try and not, I rehearse a lot, but I go for notes on stage that I’m not… I just like having fun within the practice confines and stuff. I think that extends to banter as well, you know. If I see someone in the crowd that reminds me of a story, I’m going to tell the story, even if I fuck it up and it sounds stupid, like, I want to have fun with it. I think as an audience member, in concerts that I’ve been to, that’s something that I’ve valued. You know, I want the artist to feel at home in the venue.

Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Do you consciously think about the live performance, and the reception from the audience, as you’re creating?

No, I definitely don’t. For me, songwriting has to be as selfish as possible. It’s the only way that I know how to do it, and it’s the only way I’ve found success doing it. I’ve really found that the more specific I am in my songwriting, the more general I end up being. So yeah, some people have an easier time writing a more narrative-based song and for me that’s always been a challenge. I can’t just buy into a story that I haven’t experienced. It’s a lot harder for me, but I feel like I have gotten pretty good talking about my life, in excruciating detail. Also, for me, the songwriting process is just super cathartic, it’s something I’ve kind of grown to kind of depend on emotionally. It’s how I internalize how I feel about myself and the world around me, I guess.

You’re very involved in the production of your music, especially your latest EP, Oh No, Not Again!. How involved are you in the production of your live set?

Yeah, I’m super, super involved. For me, I think a lot of people like to draw lines in between different cohorts of the artist experience, but for me, it’s kind of all the same thing. The seed is the song, and there’s different ways of presenting it. Whether it’s through the recorded version, the live version, or an acoustic version… but the seed is the song, and I care so much about the seed that I want it to grow and develop into the best thing it can be in whatever situation that exists, so… I can’t imagine not being involved. This tour will be the first tour I’ve had any help in musical direction, and I’m very grateful to have it now because there’s kind of a lot more on my plate in other parts of my life. But yeah, I can’t imagine a reality where I’m not extremely involved in the production of the show and not just the records.

So let’s go back to the draining part of the tour. Do you have any tips for staying healthy on tour?

Oh, lots of hand sanitizer. Yeah, I mean like, this will be my first tour with my own bus, so that’ll definitely, greatly enhance my physical and mental health, which is great. But it’s funny you say that, because I feel like for the past six years, I’ve been touring in different situations and stuff and my friends are always like, “Oh my god, that’s so cool, I want to come,” and I’m like, ‘”t is cool, and it is fun, but I promise you don’t want to come.” The show ends at like 11, you pack up until one, then you drive for four hours, you sleep for three hours, you drive for six more hours and soundcheck… You know, it’s not like a glamorous experience. It’s fun and it’s unbelievable, and it’s my favorite thing to do in the world, but it is so far from luxurious.

Yeah, I kind of got off the question but yeah, I think just taking time and knowing when to slow down is a big thing and not feeling bad about it, which is kind of something I have a habit of doing.

If you could join one tour of the past, who and what tour would you join?

One tour of the past? That’s an incredible question… but very difficult. There’s so many tours that I would like to join. I think it would have been fun to tour with John Mayer in the Continuum days, just because that album was so influential on me as a songwriter and artist. And I like just surrounding myself with people who I think are better at a certain thing than I am, you know, songwriting-wise or production-wise or live performance–wise. Probably just someone who would kick my ass every night and show me how to be better.

What is your favorite thing to do on tour that does not involve music at all? If you have some time off, are you relaxing, going out, playing basketball? 

I’m not a big relaxer, I’m like a big “you got to push past your boundaries to find them,” which I think is why I probably get sick on tour a lot. I should listen to my own advice of taking it easy and not feeling bad about it, but I just don’t enjoy that. I love playing basketball on the road, just like finding parks and challenging random kids, that’s always fun. I’m in such a unique position of being in 25 major cities in a month's span, you know, I would be remiss not to go to some of the best restaurants around there. So it’s always fun to find a good restaurant, you know like, I’m not going to Minneapolis that often, so while I’m there, I may as well go find the best restaurant there and see if it’s good.

What was your first concert? What was your favorite concert you’ve ever been to?

Oh! Well my first concert, I went to NSYNC when I was like five, and I actually fell asleep. I don’t remember it very well, my parents told me that this happened, which is no disrespect to NSYNC - incredible band - but I was five and I was tired. It is what it is.

And my favorite concert? That is so hard and there have been so many good shows. I’ll give you a few. I saw Tame Impala at Firefly about like five or six years ago and it was just like the first time they got like figures up there, it just transcended humanity and I was like, ‘How is this really happening in front of my eyes?’ What else? There’s an artist named Nao and she’s one of my favorite artists and she played in LA a couple years ago and it was probably the best musicianship I’ve ever seen in my life. She’s just the craziest singer of all time and her band is just so locked in and I couldn’t believe that it was all being played in front of my eyes. Like usually, you can feel the person behind the instrument but this was so perfect that it was almost not believable. So, those two come to mind for sure, but I’ve been lucky to see a lot of good shows.

What would you hope fans walk away saying or thinking after an Alexander 23 concert?

I mean, I think the biggest thing, and this is for my music as well, but just to feel understood. By that, I don’t even really mean to feel better, you know, I feel like asking someone to feel better when they listen to music is kind of a tremendous ask… I just want them to feel a bit more understood. I’ve taken the time to really, really think about these emotions in a painstaking and just too much way. I hope that they can pick out a few pieces and apply it to their own thinking and their own lives. So, that’s a big one. And then, I mean, another big thing for me is that I want them to feel connected to each other, to the other people in the room. I think that’s what makes concerts so special, it almost feels like the last frontier of, like, realness in the music industry. It’s the last thing you can’t fake. You can’t fake real people buying real tickets to go to a real place to see a real show all together. There’s too many steps, you can’t fake it. And also, I think with technology, I think people are experiencing the same things all the time, but at different times. So, for whatever it is, 500, 1,000, 2,000, or 20,000 people to be all in the same place, experiencing the same thing at the same time, is really special. So, I hope people can really buy into that and relish in that experience a little bit.

Is there anything else you would like to say, pertaining to your music or something on your heart, that you would like to get out there?

Aw man, I got a lot. I can’t believe that cereal isn’t more available as a dessert option. I’m just calling all restaurants to just consider it… like everyone would like CoCoa Puffs after their meal. Everyone would like it, no one would not like it. You know, everyone wants it. Also, everyone wants mini hot dogs, we want ‘em! We don’t know why they’re not available and we want them so if you own a restaurant and if you’re listening [reading] by chance… it could happen.

On a more serious note, if anyone is listening, or reading, and is a fan of me, I’m working extremely hard on new music and I’m really, really, really proud of it and I’m really excited to share once it’s a little more done.

[chendersonfic]

Inhospitable Place, Chapter 1

“I’m looking at you. But you don’t see me. That’s okay.

By the time you notice me watching you, it will be too late.”

The October rain gently tapping on the window and the roof was finally slowing to a drizzle. The rain in Connecticut was different than Pennsylvania rain—it was colder…harsher somehow. That was one of many things on my list of grievances against Hartford, and by default against Hunter, who came up with the idea to move here. It’s not that it was his fault. He thought he was doing the right thing by getting me away from everything that was familiar. He probably imagined he was giving me—us—a brand new start. But no matter how hard I tried, the bile of resentment would creep up my throat, willing me to remind him every now and then that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.  

I didn’t have a personal vendetta against the city. Had I come here under different circumstances, I probably would have appreciated the historic buildings, and bored my family and friends to death with anecdotes about Bushnell park being the oldest park in the country, and how I visited Mark Twain’s House. Instead, I came to Hartford numbed by Xanax, Prozac, and a bottle of wine. Nothing could have impressed me. Everything was a cruel reminder that the world didn’t come to a grinding halt when my mother died. It just kept going. And now I was supposed to keep going with it. 

A part of me felt sorry for Hunter. He met me two months before my mother suddenly passed away from a massive brain aneurysm. The person he met, the person he fell in love with, that person no longer existed. I was a professional ballroom dancer and a choreographer for a popular TV show. I had a life, I had friends, and a bustling career. I had a body that was sculpted by long hours of dancing and a fridge that contained celery juice and oat milk. I was full of energy and couldn't wait to see what every day had to bring. That all changed overnight. A career doesn't wait for you; there's an appropriate grieving window and then it's back to business as usual. But I couldn't bear it. As hard as I would try, I just couldn't find my footing without her. 

After a while I had no job, and my friends had given up on me. All I had left was my sister, Francesca, my dad, Randy, and my boyfriend, Hunter, who somehow stuck around through it all. When he first suggested the move to Hartford, I was opposed to it. After all, why would I move away from the only close family I had left? But everything at home was a constant reminder of what I no longer had. Her books, her comforter, her perfume—it was unbearable. So after a week of debating, I said yes and—despite the protests from my sister and father—we packed up our stuff and left for Connecticut.

The drive to our new home took 7 1/2 hours from Pittsburgh. Since I no longer had a job it was down to Hunter to find us a place to live on his loan officer salary. We moved into a 2-bedroom loft—exposed brick industrial design. One bedroom was ours, the other was my designated new studio where I was supposed to recapture my love for dancing. I told Hunter I was practicing daily. That was a lie. Nothing changed for me; nothing except my surroundings. 

I stood in the empty studio looking out of the window and watching the rain. I turned my head back when I heard Bruno waddling over. My only source of joy these days. He was a fluffy overweight Corgi whose owners had given him up to the local high kill animal shelter when they moved. One day, while I was struggling to stay sober and fighting dark thoughts of ending it once and for all, I decided to go on a walk. It was another rainy day, just like today. I almost passed by the shelter, but the howling from the inside made me suddenly stop. Something had beckoned me to go inside that day. A gut feeling. I walked from cage to cage, shivering under my wet jacket. The sad looking furry faces staring back at me shivered as well. The place was freezing, and the smell of ammonia and fear wafted through the air.

“Can I help you?” a middle age curly haired woman asked, popping her head out from behind an office door. Her name tag read Tatiana. 

“I’m just looking around,” I replied. She sighed, obviously displeased at my window-shopping approach to animals in need. I felt embarrassed. 

“I’m not supposed to tell you, but the three at the end are getting euthanized this Friday. In case you feel like saving a life,” she said in a harsh, condescending tone, then disappeared behind the door once again.

“Well no wonder you have to euthanize dogs, who’d want to get one from you,” I muttered to myself. I thought about leaving, but it felt disrespectful to not even take a look at the three death row mutts. They deserved my attention, at least. I walked down the dim lit hallway to the end of the chain link fence enclosures. The first one was a Pitbull that launched at the fence with the speed of light, making me stagger back. “I’m DANGEROUS, do not put hands near the fence!” the description tag on his door read. 

“Sorry buddy,” I said in the midst of his barking, “Hope it's better in the next life for you.” I moved to the next cage, where a big Husky mix snarled upon seeing me. His name was “Diamond”. 

“Don't worry, you'll be someone's gem in dog heaven,” I told him, then slowly moved onto the last cage. “Bruno,” the name tag read, along with, “I’m feisty, don’t put hands near the fence!” 

Bruno was the fattest Corgi I've ever seen. He laid there on the concrete slab, behind the chain link fence, looking completely devoid of life. He didn't even bother to bark at me. 

“Bruno,” I said, trying to find the right last words. His eyes slowly moved to meet mine, then he looked back down and gently put his head on his paws. He had given up. Like he knew what was coming next. For a brief moment I wondered if that's what I looked like to people as well. A man who had given up on life. 

After I left the shelter, I cried all the way home. Life seemed so cruel and unfair. A healthy woman with two children drops dead in the middle of the day, out of nowhere and without any warning. A dog who loves snacks gets left at a strange place and locked in a small wet cage where he now awaits his death.  

Hunter was waiting for me at home.

“Where have you been?” he asked. It must have been curious to him, since I almost never left our place anymore. 

“I went on a walk,” I replied, grabbing a towel from the bathroom. I was soaked. 

“Do we not have an umbrella?” he asked, turning the heater on. 

“We do, I just wasn’t thinking,” I replied. Poor Hunter, he had to constantly worry about me.

“Did you see anything good on your walk?” I sighed, then told him my shelter story. 

“Do you think they give them like…a last meal? Like maybe his favorite snack?” I asked concerned, and he raised his eyebrow.

“Uhh, they’re dogs, not death row inmates. I doubt they get a steak for their last meal,” he replied truthfully. “But I’m sure it’s quick and painless. Better than spending the rest of their lives in a small cage. Imagine the horror of that,” he added, his face suddenly stone serious. 

“What day is it today?” I asked.

“Wednesday,” he replied, shaking himself out of his dark thoughts. “Don’t even think about it. Our building has a no-pet policy,” he said, then added, “I’ll probably be home late tomorrow, just so you know. I’m behind on a few things.”

“No worries. And I wasn’t thinking about it,” I lied, thinking of the big Corgi and how he only had one more day to live. I wondered how he’d spend it. Probably cooped up in that cold, wet cage. The thought made me sick to my stomach. 

The next morning I woke up with the sun, which was rare for me. Sleeping until the afternoon was more the norm nowadays. Hunter had already left, and I was feeling restless. I cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the bathroom, washed the dishes. Finally, I grabbed a load of dirty clothes and went downstairs to the building’s laundry room. 

“Hello,” the warm voice from behind me said as I was pouring my detergent into the washer. I looked back and recognized my next-door neighbor. “I’m Derek,” he said, as if we never met. I suppose he had forgotten me, I rarely ever went out. 

“I know, I remember you. I’m Louis,” I replied. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a fitting blue tee. If I wasn’t in a relationship, and on the brink of suicide, I probably would have felt quite giddy to be speaking to him. 

“That’s right,” he said, putting his laundry basket down. “You guys are from out of state, right?”

“Right, Pennsylvania.”

“How are you liking Hartford?” he asked, taking over the other machine. 

“Well, it’s nice. Lots of rain,” I replied, not knowing what to say. I haven’t really stepped foot out of the apartment since we moved. I didn't have much to say about Hartford. 

“Right, right. I don't mean to sound strange, but your face is so familiar…” he trailed off.

“I was a choreographer for a TV show,” I explained, and everything clicked into place for him.

“Yes, that’s it!” he said snapping his fingers excitedly. And I laughed for the first time in months. “What happened man? You were so great at that.”

“My mother passed away,” I replied bluntly. His brown eyes looked at me with sad warmth. 

“That is tough. How are you doing?” he asked.

“Doing alright,” I lied. “Or I was. But then I saw these dogs at the shelter yesterday, and now I’m all messed up about it. It’s dumb but, there was a Corgi and they’re putting him down tomorrow. And it’s just sad,” I rambled on, then stopped, embarrassed. He raised an eyebrow. 

“The local shelter?” I nodded my head. “What's preventing you from getting him?” he asked, starting his load while I was still putting my clothes in.

“Well for one, this place doesn't allow pets,” I said.

“You know what my mother always says?” he asked.

“What’s that?”

“Rules are meant to be broken,” he replied. He grabbed his bin and gave me a smile, then disappeared just as fast as he came.

Strange. I thought about our encounter for the rest of the day. But how could I take care of a dog, when I couldn’t even look after myself anymore. It was months since I ate a vegetable. I went for days without showering. Dogs needed consistency, routine, rules. Plus, Hunter wouldn’t be happy, even if we could somehow convince the landlord to let us have a dog in the first place.

At 10:00 o'clock I popped a Xanax, followed it up with some wine, and went to sleep. I dreamt of Bruno, alone in his kennel. Cold and hungry. 

When I woke up, Hunter was already gone. I looked at the clock. 11:45. Today was his last day. What would they feed him? Would he be scared? Would he yelp in pain when the needle pierced his skin? I felt anger rise up in me. He was a perfectly healthy dog, why should he have to die in that place? Just because someone deemed him “feisty”. Why should he be nice to people when this is what they’ve done to him? The expectation was ridiculous. He had every right to be angry. Disenchanted. “Feisty”. I put on a hoodie, grabbed a bag of leftover rotisserie chicken and ran out the door. Maybe I could at least be there for him. Maybe he liked rotisserie chicken. 

I finally made it to the shelter and almost ran Tatiana into the ground.

“What in the hell!” she grimaced, pushing me back with her bony hands. I tried to catch my breath and realized I was completely out of shape.

“Have the…have the dogs been… been euthanized yet?” I asked. She stared at me in confusion. “The three dogs,” I tried to make her understand.

“Oh, yes, at 11:00 this morning,” she replied, raising an eyebrow at the bag of chicken in my hand.

“How…how did it happen?” I asked. She sighed.

“Well, first we took them out of the kennel on a leash. They thought they were going for a walk. They started wagging their tails. But as soon as we got close to the euthanasia room, they knew something was up. They must have sensed the smell of death in the air. So, they put up a fight,” she said, matter-of-factly, then continued. “They had to be restrained until the vet injected a lethal dose that put them out. Then, they were put into black plastic bags, and placed in the freezer, where they now wait to be picked up, like trash.” I imagined Bruno through every step of that journey, and the tears started involuntarily pouring down.

“Can I…can I maybe take him with me and bury him?” I asked. It’s not like I even had a yard to bury him in, but the thought of leaving him behind destroyed me. She sighed again. 

“You’re talking about Bruno, right, the chunky Corgi?” she asked. I nodded my head and wiped my tears. She pointed to the office door. “He said you’d come, but I didn’t believe it,” she said more to herself than to me. “Guess I owe him that $50.”

“What?” I asked, confused. She pointed to the door again, more impatiently this time. As if I was supposed to understand what she was talking about. 

         “Go, he wants to talk to you,” she said, then walked off towards the kennels, leaving me behind. I approached the door with the name plate that read, “Dr. Derek Robinson, Veterinarian.” I knocked, then opened it before getting a reply. I needed to find out what was going on.

         He was on the phone, but flashed me a bright smile upon seeing me, then raised a finger to indicate he’d be with me in a minute. I waited by the door, confused by whatever was going on. 

         “Hello neighbor,” he said, finally getting off the phone. He looked different in his work clothes, and I was pretty speechless. He checked out the bag of chicken I was holding with a confused face.

         “Lunch?”

          “I uhh, I thought I could give it to Bruno before…you know, but I’m too late. Wait, you work here?” I asked, trying to make sense of it all. He laughed from behind his desk. 

“Yes. And that’s sweet, but dogs don’t eat before euthanasia. Makes them nauseous,” he explained.

“Oh,” I said, feeling stupid. “So, did you have to do it?” I asked.

“Yes, an unfortunate part of my job,” he stated, and got up. He walked past me and opened the door. “Thankfully, only two dogs had to be put down today.” He started walking towards the kennels, and I followed him.

“Really? That’s…that’s great! How did that happen?” I tried to keep up with his long and quick strides.

“Well, I can’t in good conscience put down a dog that has a home waiting for him,” he replied as we got to the end of the kennels. He smiled at me. I looked at him, then at the chain-link fence, and realized we were standing in front of Bruno’s kennel. My heartbeat picked up and I quickly looked inside. He was laying on the concrete slab, miserable as ever, but still very much alive. I felt relief spread through me as I looked back at Derek.

“But…me?” I asked.

“Who else came in here to give an overweight death row Corgi a bag of chicken?” he asked, and I could sense a note of amusement in his tone.

“But I can’t, you know our building has a no-pet policy,” I replied.

“Good thing my brother is the owner. I already spoke to him. I’m paying a monthly pet fee on your behalf. Now say hi to your new friend,” he said. “Give him some of that through the fence first,” he pointed to my chicken bag, “he’s less snappy when he isn’t hungry.” 

         An hour later, I was frantically searching for a pet store to get Bruno a bed, food dishes, and snacks. Back home, he was wary of me at first. Only coming by when he wanted to eat. But over three months he acclimated. And with Derek’s help and guidance, we got him on a healthier diet and he was starting to look trimmer already. And while he still wasn’t a lap dog, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with Hunter, he now slept in his dog bed next to my side of the bed and woke me up by bumping his wet nose into my hand to take him on a morning walk. Bruno had become the biggest reason for my continued existence. 

         I looked at him now, as his eyes impatiently darted from my face to the door and back—a signal that it was time for an evening treat.

“We can’t keep eating like this,” I said, smacking my ever-growing belly. I walked over to the kitchen and he followed me. I reached for the dog treats, and he perked up. I slowly handed over the fragrant pepperoni stick. “Don’t tell Derek,” I said, and he grabbed it with precision, then made his way to the bedroom to enjoy it. I didn’t blame him, it’s not like I wanted to be in my own company either. 

         I poured myself a disproportionately large glass of wine and checked my phone. Three missed voicemails from my sister, Francesca. I'd have to get back to her eventually. She was the persistent type. 

         I made my way to the living room and turned on the TV. I glanced at the morning’s copy of the Hartford Times, splayed open on our living room table. It announced that the body of yet another young man had been found. That would make it 6 in total. One for every two months that we've lived here. It was now very clear: there was a serial killer on the loose.

[ignaciotries]

COFFEE

Coffee

There’s something mystical in waking up right before the sun shines. The sheets are still cold, it’s incredibly misty outside, and everything seems suspended in a half dreamlike state. You wobble between dream and reality, and gravity seems awfully stronger. The air isn’t stale, but gentle and the breeze sends pleasant tingles down the spine. I exhale heavily and roll covered in bed sheets towards the edge until my face meets wood; a bitter departure but needed if I’m to get out of bed. After long contemplating the cold paneled floor, I glimpse at the window. My exhales fog the cold panes. I push the window open and meet the soft breeze outside. I motion my body forward and rest my arms over the damp wooden frame, while the wisps from a low fog outside slither into my room.

It may not be the place for everyone, but here I behold my own small paradise. The whitish peaks shine a bluish hue against the dark horizon. Long lived pines naturally frame the vista and cover my lonesome cabin in the woods from the harsh winds and brutal temperatures that come rushing down from that sparkly ridge beyond. A ridge I would love to describe even further, but I just slammed onto the floor seconds ago and will need a bit to sharpen my senses; though, it is a good thing that today is for relaxation and mindfulness. Today is for taking my time and enjoying my home; as every timber has been chopped, all the meats carved and cured, and the forest peaceful. It is me, and only me on this slope opposite to man and industry.

I take a break from admiring it all. I don’t want it to get too cold inside before I prepare the fireplace. The logs may get humid. It would be far too eventful now for them to split and crack wildly. I pick the driest logs and let the ember gather strength on its own. I enjoy this simple silence.

But above all, I enjoy something more; more than the books I keep safe and sealed away in the living room chests, or a sharpened hatchet gliding through wood as a knife would butter. Yes. The one thing that I can enjoy the most on mornings such as these is the purest black elixir I can filter after one delicate pour. 

I light the gas and watch snow melt away into sweet water. I bring it to a soft boil and then maintain the pot at a low simmer. The vapors contrast wildly inside as the hot and cold airs spiral into a perpetual dance above. Now comes the best part, I gently let the water stream out as a sparkling waterfall into the dry grinded bits I prepared the day before; perfectly roasted and dried. Fumes rich in aroma and force envelop the room as I pour in concentric circles from the center outwards. And in a minute, I will be experiencing a sunrise of my own.

It is the stark contrast of the season against the remedy of man, both night and day in a cup. Coffee. My cup with Coffee. There are many like it across the world at hours such as these. The salaryman has his expresso; the boys, their americanos; and those who fancy the drink as a sweet and quick “pick me up”, their lattes. But this one, this simple stream of black into a stained ivory cup, is mine. It forever will be. I do not pretend to sound like a braggart, but the difference in resulting hue has been something of an art and lifelong learning experience for me. I have drunk from the frothy mixes of the south, partaken of the rich Caribbean tones, and endured the harsh and uncaring smack of the smooth roast. All of these experiences coalesced into what I hold now. My cup. My coffee.

I place it at a table next to a broad window.

There’s a clearing outside. The peaks are as visible here as from my bedroom, and it seems that a harsh orange glow burns against them from the right. The ever radiant towards the irradiant.

I sit by the table, cup at my left, and I look out and fix my eyes beyond the windows, beyond the clearing, beyond the peaks. I take a small taste and follow it with a small mouthful to warm the senses; a sublime enlightenment in such a small broth. Would it even be right to call it such? No, it is preposterous to call it a broth and continue my early ramblings. I apologize. This is no bean soup; therefore, never will it be a broth. Coffee stands on a world alone. It is apart from others by more than just use and origin. It is a lonesome and tortured soul, that has been filled with bitter sentiment against the world.

A cherry is plucked, its dreams to face the musky earth and give rise to something more destroyed, it is then gutted and left to suffer the morning sun, like the peaks. The peaks shine a softer color now as the spectrum reaches further on its path through the void. 

“The void...” I whisper. 

One would think I would compare it through some convoluted analogy or otherworldly metaphor to the stiff dark of my Coffee, but it would result in more or less the same. It is black because it is greedy. It desires all that it has lost and so picks even the color from air, takes it all till not one is distinguishable from the other. The void doesn’t care for colors. When one stares into space, like an astronaut contemplating their place in it all, it seems black, but not because of color, but the lack of it. Here, color roams freely unhinged and uninhibited. The astronaut is both aware and saddened by it, for to let color free in such an unfathomable space is to see it disappear and leave only darkness, and to catch it all and not let it escape is to also be darkness. Only by freeing it among others is to see light and hues.

And so, it is that Coffee is lonesome, tortured, and greedy, but most of all… bitter. We have taken away enough, and it is that will for fight rather than flight that awakens the body. We have made something suffer for our gain. Good Coffee. I know your pain, so I always treat you with ceremony. I admire you and your spirit.

I take another mouthful.

“So much bull,” I sighed.

All this rambling, all the nonsense, the attempts to veil myself in constant thought, and whimsical allusions are just proof that I’m more of a social creature than what I tell others. I close myself in these fantasy-like rental cabins and spin a distinct narrative every morning. Today I’m a coffee connoisseur, yesterday I was woodchopper, and well, Thursdays… they’re just for building a fort of literature as I tangle myself in their worlds, too; it’s how I get new material for the rest of the week.

“It beats facing reality, at least for now.” 

I push away from the chair, inching towards the window, cup in hand.

“Yet, perhaps that’s what I should aim for,” the view getting a bit ginger, yet not as arrayed in hues anymore. 

“Peaks.” I let out. A peak, a sort of maximum confluence in direction, all roads in my mind converging; something far and above these habitual escapes.

Goal oriented is what they call it. I get it, what sane mind would want to develop a new persona each day? To pour myself into the mold, while suppressing any asphyxiating thought of what I really think I am. Of what I can remember. Constant change inevitably erodes the self and time builds upon the remainder as to fill the gaps.

I look back at the chair, at the table with its sleek mahogany finish, and the kitchen at the back; coffee bean bags rushed open, an unseemly grinder with old bits clumped at the bottom, and the hourglass like shape of my coffee dripper, gifted to me by my sister. Around it all, miscellaneous pots, and utensils, all thrown around the small counter.

I turn back towards the window. Under the thin layer of snow outside, foliage from months ago decompose at a standstill pace.

“I better make another cup.”

I light the gas and watch snow melt again. I just bring it to a boil this time. The vapors contrast wildly inside as the hot and cold airs blah, blah, perpetual, blah, blah, above… yeah. I place the bean bits I roughed up this morning on the filter; perfectly beaten into submission. Fumes rich in wakey-wakey envelop the room as I pour in concentric circles from the center outwards or was it inwards? I’ll just draw a star this time. And in a minute, I hope we can all experience less buffoonery. If this were a short story, then I would be a criminal for robbing the reader from his time. In a story there would be a plot to develop and tensions to rise. I’m just shifting from one end of the room to the other, not much action here.

Perhaps there’s something intrinsically natural to just doing nothing. Not that I would advocate for the world to stop working all at once. The economy would collapse! Sure, a week or two would be alright, but give it a month and production halts, travel ceases, consumerism trickles, and the line at the supermarket, where old ladies philosophize on each other’s day, vanishes completely. Oh! What a chaos that would be.

And the silence.

Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.

I’ve been away too long.

I serve my second cup and walk towards the table, again.

The cup isn’t real ivory, just some fancy facsimile for those that . . . “like to brush shoulders with Norse warriors while gulping barrels of ale after a glorious and visceral skirmish at the gates of Valhalla.” That’s just what’s written on the box. It curves at the bottom making it awkward to drink from. Why would I go to pains to drink something when a simple cylindrical cup would suffice? Is appearance that important for me? Am I vain? I think it is more likely just another tool for escapism, a thing to renounce the typical for the atypical and from it construct a world of my own. But by fulfilling this desire through material objects in order to appeal to a mood or passing fancy is shallow and wasteful. Should I not seek to feel contempt with what I do have, or what I can muster through my own ability or craft? Keeping this cup is just another day in a fit of delusion waiting to happen.

I grab a cup from those provided in the cabin. Pour the coffee from one cup to the new one, a wide brimmed glossy gray cup. I open the windows. The breeze assaults the room. I take a mallet out; toss the faux ivory cup into the air. My grip tightens fast. My feet are parallel to the shoulders.  The hands back, and my left foot forward. My hips burst into motion. My whole torso follows, and away the mallet goes. The cup is obliterated immediately and the projectile bits rain outside like dirt over a coffin. The logs at the fireplace start popping a bit as if cheering me on.

I toss the mallet at the floor, and drop over the seat again, window still open and breeze still rushing in. I drink from the new cup. The logs pop louder as the flames twist the pulp and vapors trapped inside shootout.

I drink from my new cup.

All the confusion tumbling in my head is bound to lead me into exhaustion. I believe that by drinking from that which I described at the start as something so dark and bitter, may help me untangle the weaves of fantasy and delusion I have brought upon myself. Is it not the remedy of man against the season? This seasonal depression I stumble into every night, hoping in the end that I at least manage to see the day again. There are many who go through the same ordeals at hours such as these, but I wish them better than me. I hope they don’t end up attaching their happiness to the availability of a drink, to a drug. I hope that they don’t grow addicted to their escapes. I hope that they return to a less cold and somber place; somewhere they can see and be merry under the light each other reflects upon the other. I never wished to sound so disheartening. I believed that being away from others could help me reshape this mentality.

I used to believe that coffee could help. I still drink it because I have replaced all that I used to know with it. If I drink enough water and eat accordingly, I’m sure to stay fine no matter how much coffee I consume in a day.

Remedies against the season, right?

Remedies of man.

I stare at the cup. It seems I’ve gulped most of it down at some point, made more, and didn’t even notice.

I look back at the kitchen counter; coffee bean bags decomposed, a moldy old grinder, and a broken coffee dripper only able to hold half a cup before it starts seeping through the seams. Around it all, ashes. The fireplace is filled with soot and the walls around it are charred. My books are just tight bundles of dust that collapse at the touch. The cabin has lost its roof and the windows are broken. Snow gathers inside just like outside. The peaks are still there, off in the distance, and I’m still sitting in this chair by the table, cup in hand.

I stroked my old dusty beard and let out a sigh. The low warm exhale dancing gently in front just as vapors did long ago above me. I grow covered in this white dust, but my cup is warm to the touch, my coffee, still bitter, in a stained gray cup.

[trenttrendspotter]

The Trade Show Dilemma

By Nancy Trent 

There are many industries that continue to be impacted by COVID-19; some will be changed or possibly eliminated for good. B2B trade events, conferences and trade shows, which contributed $101 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2019, were the primary source of face-to-face business for many.

In March 2020, the business world came to a grinding halt as brands were setting up exhibits at The Natural Products Expo, South By Southwest, and other notable and anticipated seasonal events. Health and safety took priority over business, as it should. Events worldwide were canceled through spring, and before summer even started, B2B trade show and exhibit companies started to introduce virtual platforms.

Excitement for these virtual connections was palpable as brands were desperate to get back in front of buyers and buyers were struggling to navigate the needs of consumers and alternative ways of shopping that required access to newer, more appropriate products that consumers wanted and purchased.

Most of these trade events have pivoted to offer robust webinar-style education programs that help satisfy the thirst for more knowledge, guidance, training, predictions, and best practices.

On the other hand, exhibit halls have been a bit trickier to replicate online, and have in many cases become directories through which companies need to arrange their own appointments.

Ninety percent of the work that goes into any networking event should happen before it starts. Making new contacts and keeping up with them is a year-round effort.

It could take months to set up meetings; weeks to have the meetings, and—with or without trade shows—travel can come with hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs.

Fortunately, ECRM has developed a means for buyers and sellers to conduct face-to-face business effectively from home offices without travel through its proprietary ECRM Connect platform.

“ECRM enhances face-to-face business with exclusive technologies that allow buyers and sellers to have a higher volume of meetings,” said Kurt Repola, SVP of ECRM. “This includes tools specifically developed to enhance the productivity of their meetings and deliver participants a tremendous cost and time savings. Unlike generic video conferencing platforms, ECRM Connect was built from the ground up around the way retailers and brands interact.”

If you’ve experienced an ECRM program prior to COVID, you’d know it can’t be categorized as a trade show. Traditional trade shows are built on quantity. They provide opportunities to meet a lot of people. The hard part is often figuring out who is who and who is your customer and why. ECRM isn’t as random. It uses data, analytics and science to pair the right buyers with the right brands. ECRM uses knowledge, relationships and insights to bring brands into focus for buyers exposing them to the right people, information and connections that drive business.

The new ECRM Connect platform is the first market web-based technology that keeps business moving, efficiently and effectively. It has hosted over 34,000 meetings to date since the launch of the virtual program in May of this year.

“I was very leery going in,” said Todd Gean, Candy Category Manager for Hy-Vee. “But the first day I had 12 meetings and I will tell you, I fell in love with the system by about the second or third meeting. There is no way I’d be able to pull this off on my own and it is absolutely the way that I would recommend that we go as a company.”

ECRM’s matchmaking services extend to RangeMe, a digital selling platform it acquired prior to COVID-19. With over 160,000 brands, RangeMe curates and aggregates products based on relevance, what’s new, what’s trending and what buyers are responsible for. RangeMe was helpful before this crisis and has become even more prominent to the business industry.

“As I’ve talked to buyers during the virtual session, I could sense from the conversations that they feel the virtual platform is very convenient and it’s very effective,” shared Craig Harlan, VP of Sale for Earth Friendly Products. “So, I think we’re going to see a paradigm shift to more of these. Face-to-face is never going to go away, but I think virtual is here to stay.”

ECRM has mechanisms in place to help build continuity season after season, ensuring the buyer and seller relationships continue to grow.

Currently, most of ECRM’s planning sessions for the first half of next year are being scheduled as virtual, indicating that virtual will play an increasingly large role within service offerings, even when large, in-person gatherings are feasible once again.

Brands and buyers are showing an on-going preference for virtual services and plan to reserve large, in-person gatherings that are achievable for specific occasions based on customer demand.

As Seen in WholeFoods Magazine

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WRITING AND RISK COMPANY

They're working on their own projects. But of course there were the usual nightmares associated with servers. I know the power of the forces acting on you are the forces acting on investors. So you must cushion the blow with soft words.1 Michelangelo was considered especially dedicated for insisting on painting all the figures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel himself. Indeed, the whole concept seemed foreign to them.2 6 million respectively.3 To the popular press, hacker means someone who breaks into computers.4 More precisely, the hypothesis was that success in a startup: to be a list of predicate logic expressions whose arguments represent abstract concepts, you'll have to guess what the eventual equity round valuation might be.5

At least, it seems likely enough that it would be stupid to try the experiment and find out. This is why hackers worry.6 Agriculture, cities, and industrialization all spread widely. But it's a mistake founders constantly make. Not so much from specific things he's written as by reconstructing the mind that produced them: brutally candid; aggressively garbage-collecting outdated ideas; and yet driven by pragmatism rather than ideology.7 Com of their name. There have probably been other people who did this as well as figuring out how to do it with no indication of whether you're succeeding. Which of course makes me um even more, because I haven't had any time at all to practice the new bits.

It's so common for both a and b to be true of a successful startup that wasn't turned down by investors doesn't mean much. Your primary goal should be to get it over with and get back to what will make you successful. When you start fundraising, everything else grinds to a halt, with your eyes wide and a big smile on your face. Actually they have a deal; everyone acts like they have a hundred different types of investors. If you believe an investor has committed, get them to confirm it. Not to be desperate.8 That feels so good.

A round.9 Another friend of mine said, Most VCs can't do anything really well unless you love it, and expand your ambitions when and if you love to hack you'll inevitably be working on projects of your own. Even a day's delay can bring news that causes an investor to commit, ask them to introduce you to investors. They didn't sell either; that's why they're in a position to say this is the route to well-deserved obscurity. Someone responsible for three of the best stuff isn't made for audiences, but for oneself. But there is a way to avoid naming a price in this situation. If you're experienced at negotiations, you already know most of what you need to know about M & A conversations can be like nothing you've experienced in the otherwise comparatively upstanding world of Silicon Valley.

The questions you're answering are pleasantly familiar. If we ever got to the point that there is an intersection—that there are good ideas that seem bad are bad. To do good work you have to write a parser or a regular expression library. That's fundraising in one sentence. Angels are in a different position because they're investing their own money. That is certainly a good goal, but in phase 2. First of all, he was out of place as an elementary school teacher, and I hope to fix that by supplying a map through it. But they grew into it really quickly; some of these guys now seem about four inches taller metaphorically than they did at the beginning of the summer. It's not going to move to Albuquerque just because there are some ideas where the proof that the experiment worked might consist of e. If you ultimately want to do exactly the opposite.10 Our rule of thumb is not to stop and take a rest? It doesn't matter if they underestimate you because of some surface imperfection, because the structure of VC deals prevents early acquisitions.11

If you want to make money from one of a dozen permutations of advertising. If fundraising stalled there for an appreciable time, you'd start to read as a failure. It was High Technology Innovation: Free Markets or Government Subsidies? What excites them, both consciously and unconsciously, is the sort of poking around that leads to new ideas. And if you read only one book about art history don't really like art; you can tell from books and photographs, the happiness of Calder's work is his own happiness showing through. Not Leonardo. But again, it's not their chances of succeeding really big. So if you raise more. That's not the same thing with detective stories. You just can't expend any attention on it. Unfortunately, beautiful things tend to move in that direction; but it's certainly not here now. Then the town would be hospitable to both groups you need: both founders and investors.12

If you wanted to create a startup hub by reproducing the way existing ones happened, the way they wait. And if you read only one book about art history don't really like art; you can tell when you get rejected by investors, don't think we suck, but instead spent all your time listening to other people pitch mostly terrible projects, deciding whether to fund them. Imagine picking out apples at a grocery store. They don't care about companies that are a safe bet to be acquired for $20 million. If you have multiple incompatible offers, take the best.13 That yields all sorts of strange consequences. The most important thing to you and that you haven't thought much about it, and that it was so successful.14 So in borderline cases the rational thing for them to do is solve it.

Notes

Trevor Blackwell, who had small corpora.

The state of technology. I switch person.

There is no external source they can get done before that. There can be times when what you're doing.

We couldn't talk meaningfully about revenues without growing big in people, how can anything regressive be good. But they also commit to them rather than for any particular truths you'll learn.

This doesn't mean the Bay Area, Boston, or even why haven't you already built this?

The person who understands how to be important ones. But what they're really works of their name, but delusion strikes a step later in the angel is being looked at the outset which founders will do worse in the general sense of being interrupted deters hackers from starting hard projects. I'm making, though sloppier language than I'd use to develop server-based software will make grad students' mouths water, but instead to explain how you'd figure out yet whether you'll succeed. In Boston the best case.

Record labels, for example, will be, yet. 5% a week for 4 years. But it's a bad deal.

It turns out to be good startup founders is by calibrating their ambitions, because when people make investment decisions well when they're checking their messages during startups' presentations?

As a friend with small children, or magazines. If you want to impress are not one of these limits could be made. Google seemed a miracle of workmanship. There is one of a startup.

But there's a continuum here. The biggest counterexample here is one of the word wealth.

If it failed it failed.

Simpler just to steal a big market, meaning a high product of number of situations, but as an asset class. The closest we got to the point of a single snapshot, but that we should remember this when comparing techniques for stopping spam. The reason only 287 have valuations is that you're being starved, not like soccer; you don't even want to learn to acknowledge it. In a typical fund, half the companies that an investor would sell it to colleagues.

Corollary: Avoid starting a startup is a bad imitation of a correct program. Charismatic candidates will tend to damp this effect, however, by encouraging them to private schools that in New York, but a razor is much into gaming. But you can help in that category.

If you want to take over the super-angel than a Web browser that you can't dictate the problem.

Thanks to Dan Giffin, Richard Florida, Chad Fowler, and Joshua Schachter for sharing their expertise on this topic.