#I already have 2 interviews lined up and I’ve submitted like 10 others and I have my monthly bills and payments paused if smth goes wrong | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

piraticalarchive · 3 years

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okay so for everyone who hates big corporations and management who takes advantage of their employees.. this one’s for you. it’s long but .... i find it completely hilarious.

so a brief recap: amy got fired back in march from a huge international retailer, yes? when things first started like they were going south, i worked on really re establishing a relationship with my brother who is like one level below C-suite (cfo, ceo, etc etc) of that same company because i had an idea in mind. March rolls around, amy gets fired .. and I’m like .. okay. time to put this in motion. but stress and depression obviously took the motivation away from me, but i continued to keep that line of communication up with my brother. we started talking weekly, sometimes twice a week via an actual call. well, i’m finally feeling better .. so this week i finally put my plan in motion. here’s how it went

stage 1: i sent a text to my brother asking if i applied to the store in my area if i could use him as a reference. he said, of course but every store is hiring so i’d look at any store besides that one. (which is already fucking hilarious but i digress) ... so i call the store and one of the managers who sat in on amy’s firing answers when i ask to speak to someone involved in hiring (oh lucky day). I start off with “hi! I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve been looking for a job thats a bit of a change of scenery and my brother is the *insert position name* and works in *insert headquarters location* and he recommended i give the company a try despite that I had a less than stellar experience last time”. And this manager FALLS OVER telling me they are hiring for so many positions blah blah blah and then at the end when i’m like “thanks for the information! I’m definitely going to apply!” she’s like “of course! I’ll give our hiring manager your information so she can pull it immediately. Whats your name?” and i give my name and suddenly its just dead fucking silent... because they know who I am and they know that I’m in a relationship with amy and that i know what they did. But she recovers and is like ‘can’t wait to see your application!’ .. so.. okay. stage 1 was a success. but then, enter...

unexpected event: the store manager himself calls me. Starts off with some small talk, finally gets around to saying ‘so I hear you’d like to come back and work for us? I was looking at your previous application and I didn’t see any mention of the relation you talked about when you called”. And I’m like “oh, yeah... I don’t like using stuff like that because I’d prefer to get in on my own merit and skills and not by a family member’s position. Plus its like that show undercover boss, you know? I get to see what the place is like before they know. BUT given with what happened to amy, I was unsure if I’d even be considered without a reference like that” and he laughs nervously and is like “i totally get it. So did anyone know that you had a brother in that position?” and I’m like “oh i mentioned it once in passing to [amy’s manger] but I just said my brother was in corporate and there are a lot of levels so i think he just left it at that” and the store manager is like ‘haha yeah different levels but thats like ... its own level...” and we talk a little bit and he’s like “what made you want to come back?” and I’m like “like i mentioned before, the amy thing really threw me off. I was angry and the good thing about siblings is you don’t have to sugarcoat stuff. So I went to my brother and was like this is how you treat people?? are you kidding?? what about job security?? and i sent him the picture amy had snapped of her discharge papers where it listed the reason and he told me that, and everything else I yelled at him about, wasn’t the company’s way and that the store had seriously violated something. So for one, I now know that isn’t actually something that should have happened and two, i inadvertently brought this store to corporate’s attention and there are a lot of good people who work here, and they don’t deserve the consequences of that, so I want to help make it right” and he’s fucking sweating yall, I can hear it over the phone. and he’s like “fill out your application and put whatever you want down and we’ll call you and talk about positions and we can find a way to give you what you want” and I’m like “oh, don’t tell me that nick because your chair is looking awfully good right now” and he did a nervous laugh. SO, unexpected event made my plan even better. Then we get to:

Stage 2: I apply. I check literally every management position, including the one they fired amy from and also some hourly positions and put down ridiculous hours. I pass the manager test with flying colors and when it asks why i said i want to be a team trainer i wrote down ‘thanks to knowing the home office, i know how things should work and I want to help this store raise its position in the district and I know what policies aren’t being followed to help make that raise smoother.” I submitted the application, called the first manager I had spoken to and told her I had done so and she was like “I’m sure we’ll give you a call tomorrow!” ‘Tomorrow’ came and by 7 that night, they hadn’t contacted me. So I went to the ‘we’re hiring’ image they had posted on their facebook page like an hour previously and tagged my brother and was like ‘dude this is one of the positions at my store i was telling you about. think i could pull it off?” AND BAM ! they sent me a request for a phone interview at 8am the next morning. I scheduled my interview for later that afternoon at 2:45 and we enter Stage 3.

Stage 3: Amy and I go to the store to pick up a few things. It’s suddenly fucking spotless. There are no gaps in the shelves, the floor has been cleaned since the last time we were there (monday night and i called them tuesday and it is now white and shiny as hell) and they have the lights turned up all the way so you can actually see. EVERY FUCKING AISLE is perfect. Cat food? perfect. Funko pops? stacked and lined up perfectly. Video games? Filled. Clearance aisle? Perfect order. Like its super obvious they did a mad dash and tried to get the store in shape. So amy and I walk down every single aisle and point things out and kind of put our heads together and talk and I take out my phone and act like i’m texting etc .. basically we’re just fucking with people’s heads because the managers are nearby and they can see what we’re doing.

Stage 4: So later we’re home and 2:45 comes and goes with NO word. No phone call, no email, no hey can we reschedule. they FORGOT about the interview. I’m dying because they’re making it even better and even easier to fuck with them. So I text my brother (who KNOWS my mental health has been in the trash) and I’m like “I filled out an application just to see and they set up an interview and blew me off. You were right .. not a great help when it comes to the blues” and he was like “yep...i’d look at literally any other store” and talked to me a bit more about it. He was irritated that they’d do that and kept saying they were on thin ice. Finally at 5 they text me and they’re like “hey, this is the [insert store] and we’re sorry we missed your interview. I wanna apologize. Can we reschedule?” And I wait like an hour and a half (i was napping, i’ll admit it) but I respond with “I apologize for the late response, I had a prior commitment I had to take care of. Unfortunately, I reached out to someone [they know who it is. they know] in the off chance I had misunderstood the process since I hadn’t heard from you guys and I was encouraged to pursue opportunities at other branches in the area. Thank you for the original consideration and I hope you have a great day!” and they waited until 11am the next day to reply back which I’m assuming is because they were waiting for the higher up management to return to the store.

Come to find out the managers are still basically pissing themselves and freaking out because not only did they a) fire someone against company policy and now know the people at the top know and b) drop the ball and forget to interview a family member of said people at the top ... I got to add salt in the wound one more time by mentioning that my brother dropped in a lot (he doesn’t) and that I’d love to show off the store since it’s such a huge part of the community and it was looking better than I’d ever seen it look. And that it would be nice because he’d get the real experience since it wasn’t a formal, announced visit .... but, of course, that he’s salary .. so the policy is that he’s always ‘at work’ and obligated to take note of things.

so basically, i feel justified. Six and a half months of careful planning and maneuvering was totally justified. 10/10, I’d do it again. Let this be a lesson that patience in planning vengeance is completely worth having and I hope I helped make the store better for employees who aren’t management by putting the fear of god into them with the idea that my brother or anyone else from his office can just drop the fuck in whenever they want with a totally casual visit that could still fuck the management over completely. This is a good week, mates .. a very good week. Am I petty? yes. Do i hate their guts and feel like it was an entertainment that was totally worth it given what they did to the love of my life? also yes.

#also if they checked - i'm facebook friends with their international corporate lawyer. my brother obviously and the cfo who i didn't realize #at first was him bc he goes by a different name via facebook. like last name is the same but i think he uses his middle name as his first #i love it. i love it so much.#i planning on doing more stuff but i gotta take a breather and plan it carefully but #god i am L IVING #fuck that place #we laugh because i'm known here for messing with companies that fuck with people #and i did my best one like 3 years ago but amy was just like 'this is 10 miles beyond that'#long post //#i'm sorry for this but i just want to let everyone know the major reason for my incredible mood this week

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hashirun · 4 years

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Thanks for tagging me and I really appreciate the amended rules, @louisgaslitt!

I enjoyed reading your answers, somehow I feel that I got to know you just a little bit better. Aaaand I enjoyed answering your questions as well!

1. Is there an icon you aspire to be like?

I have two, and they are polar opposites.

So I'm a huge, huge fan of Roger Federer. Which I know is weird given that I never played tennis in my life. That said, this guy captivated me not just with his beautiful tennis (he’s a champion and true gentleman of the sport) but also with his other amazing qualities: he’s multilingual, he’s got impeccable fashion sense, he’s a loving husband to his wife Mirka and a great dad to his two sets of twins, he’s business savvy with multiple high profile product endorsements as well as his own businesses, and he’s a generous philanthropist. Everything he does exudes perfection. So there are some days when I want to be like Roger Federer - you know, the epitome of excellence and success in all aspects of life.

And then there's Haruki Murakami, who ran a coffee shop / jazz bar until he, at the age of 29, had an epiphany that he could actually write a novel and proceeded to win first prize at the literary contest where he submitted his work. He was a heavy smoker until the age of 33 when he got into running and bloomed into a full-fledged marathoner and triathlete. He mentioned in interviews that his running helped with his writing. I've always dreamed of opening a coffee shop with lots and lots of books in it, and I'm pretty much a recreational athlete myself, so I already feel some sort of connection. While I’m not too sure about the being a novelist part, a quiet life filled with coffee, literature, and sports (running and biking in particular) doesn’t sound so bad, no?

2. What is the cheesiest/most romantic stunt you've ever pulled up on someone?

Hmm I’m not really into grand gestures of love. I mean I do I hope I’m someone who can pull off something like that, but I guess I lack the creativity? So I’m more into small actions that show my love - being her constant, being consistent, treating her right the best that I can. Putting in the time and the effort. Putting her first and above all others. Well I write letters and prepare small surprises but these sound pretty lame compared to what I’ve seen others do for their partners.

But if I really have to give an answer, well this neither cheesy nor romantic. This is actually pretty stupid - I gave up my dream course to chase after the girl I loved in high school.

3. Which house do you belong to in Hogwarts?

For some reason I got sorted into Slytherin, though of course I wanted to be a Gryffindor haha. I’d like to believe I’m on the Slytherin Gryffindor cusp, pretty much the same way I’m on the Libra Scorpio cusp. I’m not a big believer of astrology, but apparently being on a cusp means you have a bit of both zodiac signs in you. For example, I’m a Scorpio born very near the period of Libra. Along the same lines I guess that makes me 55% Slytherin and 45% Gryffindor? In any case, I’ll just stick to what Dumbledore said “It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Well, I choose to be a Gryffindor then. Char.

It doesn’t really bother me that I’m a Slytherin though, I admit there’s more darkness in me than I care to show other people.

4. If you end up in jail, what would be your crime?

Dest@biliz@tion lol I h@te this gov3rnment. Need I say more?

5. If you had to name yourself now, what would it be?

Hmm I haven’t really thought about changing my name. I’d go for gender neutral names like Alex or Sam I guess.

6. What tv show or book do you want to be in?

It’s got to be Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings - post Voldemort and post Sauron haha.

When I was in high school I used to day dream about going to Hogwarts. I was the biggest Harry Potter nerd in our school then, and I even won a Harry Potter quiz contest in college! I’d re-read the books countless times and just couldn’t get enough of the wizarding world.

Meanwhile, my obsession with Harry Potter meant that for quite some time I was pretty much closed minded when it came to other books in the fantasy genre, so I only got the chance the read LOTR when I was already working. But what the heck, I immensely enjoyed LOTR and the fact that JRR Tolkien basically created whole new languages when he wrote this awesome epic. I so want to go to Hobbiton!

7. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Wow this is hard I would’ve loved a lesbian actress to play my character but there aren’t a lot of openly lesbian actresses in Philippine showbiz. In fact I can’t even name a single lesbian Filipina actress on top of my head. In this case SUE RAMIREZ aangal pa ba ako?

8. What would you like to be known for?

Even though I first got into running in college when my PE instructor recruited me to be part of our school’s track and field team I only started taking running seriously recently. I’ve set my sights on becoming an Asia Trail Grandmaster - that is, being able to complete 6 Asia Trail Master races (each at least 70 kms long) within 2 years. Lol I think this is the first time I mentioned this goal of mine, I guess because this seems a fairly ambitious goal and I don’t want to seem like I’m overreaching.

9. What is the first thing people notice about you?

I don’t particularly stand out but I do get complimented a lot because of my brown eyes?

10. What's the quickest way to your heart?

Hmm I guess heart to heart conversations?

11. Do you collect anything?

Books. My bookshelf is overflowing with books so I had to make space twice already. The first time I started an adopt-a-book project. The second time I had a book sale for the benefit of the wildlife affected by the bushfire in Australia.

#ask

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shesawriter39049 · 5 years

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|CHALLENGE| M| 1|

SMUT/ANGST/HUMOR-ISH

**SUGAR DADDY AU WITH A SLIGHT TWIST***

CEO HOSEOK X MATCHMAKER OC

Hoseoks’s kinda an entitled little shit

The OC is sassy AF...his mother would hate her..so she’s perfect!

He’s also smooth,and fine AF and he knows it...but so is she!

There’s not much of an age difference there both in there mid-late 20’s

Hoseok is first-generation Korean Amerian BTW New York-born and raised

Jimin is Hoseok’s assistant so he will pop in and out of this

ABOUT- Hoseok is currently CEO of “Diamond Supply” a company within “Carbon Black INC“ which is a multi BILLION dollar company founded by Hoseok’s family and four others! The current CEO is Hoshi, which is not Hoseok’s father he’s actually the VP. Hoshi,doesn't have children and he needs to step down from his position. So over the next 6 months, there will be almost like an election period if you will, and the13 board members within the company will be tracking all four of the candidate's business and social stats with a fine-tooth comb. Prior to voting the next heir into his position as CEO of “Carbon Black Inc”!

That’s where Y/N comes in ...Hoseok has everything working in his favor expect the” Imagine” or at least the type that would appease there more “traditional” investors and board members. Y/N who works as a recruiter for Y.G.K. was initially hired to find him a “Sugar Baby” ! Someone to stand by his side and look pretty for the next 6 months to give him a more.”Settled down” image….Initially, that was the plan…..

WARNINGS: There’s just a lot of teasing and sexual tension in this one, light daddy kink reference, Hoseok is a whole dom, it’s so clear there fucking next chapter lol….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jimins Face alone already had you ready to barge in there before you wasted anymore of you clients time! Damn near throwing the phone at you , not even bothering to say hello in the process! You still couldn’t understand what the issue was, honestly, this was one of the simplest charts you’ve ever had, besides how obnoxiously specific the physical traits were ! It was 80% superficial, personality wise they didn't ask for much! Just Someone who could take direction well,non-confrontational...submissive is actually what they noted ! Essentially a woman to say yes sir with no questions asked ,damn near wanting a puppet you could feed a script to! That’s exactly who she was ...basically a pretty cockatoo so why isn't this working?!

Yes, yes you were eavesdropping on your clients “Interview”, and you had no shame,actually, this was Jimin’s idea he was just as annoyed by this shit as you where, the two of you had been going back and forth for damn near a month now! Practically besties at this point! Ariel, the girl currently sitting in Hoseok Jung’s office would be your fourth recruit. He’s rejected three! THREE! You've never had this happen...EVER..and you just can’t wrap your head around it, initially you thought he’d be your easiest client to place. He’s younger than most, richer than most..and more importantly finer than most, whoever landed this job wouldn't have to fake a damn thing! Yet, none of your picks worked..the last girl lasted 12 days...if the bitch would've just made it 2 more you would've gotten your bonus! Which meant you could have finally walked out of YSL, with your new crossbody you've been eyeing for the past 2 months!

But no such luck, so here you were, sitting next to Jimin, eavesdropping praying for the best, honestly, things where going well..for all of, oh I don't know 5 minutes “Did she really just say her favorite Korean dish was sushi!?” Jimin’s eyes cut in your direction and you literally can’t even at this point. Placing your index and middle finger around the bridge of your nose because suddenly you had the worst headache of your life! “Lodrt”

“Oh fuck meeeee” Whined from your lips in nothing but defeat, she couldn’t handle him if her life depended on it! Hoseok was far too quick, witty,sarcastic, charming from what you could tell, he didn't seem rude but you could tell he was very..intellectual...she wasn’t. She was young, nothing but arm candy, and he was eating her alive! Dropping your head down on the desk with a long sigh..already giving up, the feeling of Jimin’s hand soothing your shoulder as if he already knew...she was done! Back to the drawing board for the fifth time!

It wasn’t even a full 10 second before you heard his door creek open, insitally shuffling behind a filing cabinet, as you didnt want to hurt her pride by letting her no you came! I mean, technically it’s not her fault, you don’t want your girls to fake something there not, the reason you get such high reviews is one of your main focus..outside of the aesthetic is the genuine compatibility! Clearly she and the other 3 girls didn't have it, but why couldn’t you read that prior to sending them? This is what you got paid to do, and your typically damn good at it, why wasn’t his chart giving you what you needed to properly satisfy him!?

“Fuck it…” Ripped from your throat as you sauntered into his office once you observed her step into the elevator, Jimin didn't even attempt to stop you. A smug smirk tugging on the corner of his lips as he awaited the results..the glint in his eyes indicating he already knew how this would play out! “Hoseok! We need to talk!” Blurted from your lips as you welcomed yourself into his office, as if you’ve known him for years, closing the door behind you, tossing your bag on his chasie. Hoseok didn't speak initially instead he just took his time,taking you in from head to toe, somewhat impressed actually. It’s not every day someone just barges into his office as if they own the place..now the real question is..who the hell are you?!

There was suddenly a look of nothing but pure mischief dancing along Hoseok's face as he observed you, only you were far too focused on your little spiel running through your head at the moment to notice! Swaying in his direction, in your oversized black blazer that you were currently wearing as a dress. Legs on full display as a pair of black strappy Giuseppe heels laced your feet, just enough cleavage peeking between the lapels to have him curious! Big vintage Chanel earrings dangle from your ears as you welcomed yourself to take a seat in front of his desk.The sweet, yet slightly husky scent of your perfume grace his nose, delicately crossing your legs, reclining into your seat.

“I’m sorry, would you prefer I call you Mr.Jung instead?” Cocking your head to the side slightly, the warm somewhat inviting tenor more than evident in our voice as you batted your lashes in his direction!, Still well aware of the power you possess in a situation like this and you weren’t afraid to use it in your favor! Hoseok was intrigued it didn't matter if it was solely physical, you had his undivided attention... and you planned to spend it wisely!

A low chuckle rumpled in his chest as he took his own set, dusting his fingers through his dark mane of hair, that sat tousled on top of his head. Hoseok, had a slight undercut, which was lined to perfection..the top long enough where if he parted it to the middle you almost wouldn't know how nicely his sides where faded. The outline of his sideburns framed his disgustingly chiseled jaw to the Tee! A couple not so modest diamonds dusted his ears, fanning against his caramelized complexion. A burgundy paisley dress shirt, laid along his skin caressing every muscle on his body perfectly. Lips naturally pouty, forming almost a heart at their peak, sitting at the perfect shade of pink!

“Hoseok, Mr.Jung is my father...and you are?” Brow quirked in curiosity, the base in his voice catching you off guard, so was his avid eye contact… but you were smoother than that, this wasn’t your first rodeo!

“I’m Y/N...the recruiter for Y.G.K-”

There was a dry scoff that left his lips at that, nothing subtle about the current disposition he had towards you and to be fair you couldn't blame him so you bit your tongue! “ I stopped in to see what the issue was, I've never had to place more than one girl...ever! Yet with you...she was my fourth..I just needed to see for myself where the disconnect was coming from…”

A low hum leaving his lips at that, appearing almost amused as he reclined in his seat “And? Are you just here to waste more of my time or are you actually going to tell me what the issue is?” Flailing his hand in the air as if he’s already lost all patience for this conversation. The bite more than evident in his voice,clearly Hoseok’s a grade A smartass but again,in this situation you understood. So inteased of getting an attitude you took a deep breath..and answered the question nevertheless.

“Your charts the problem which is essentially my lifeline! I overheard part of the conversation with Ariel and your nothing like your stats, I'm assuming that’s probably your CEO persona... but not the person you are behind closed doors. Which doesn't help me because my goal is to match you with someone who can handle the real you!”

The low hum that fell from his lips almost had you hopeful, feeling as if he was starting to ease up a little and actually hear you out. You really where damn good at your job in this instance you were just fed bad information! “Hmm, I'm glad it took all of a month for us to realize this but yes, I agree with the fact that my “chart” as you like to call it was clearly total bullshit, and a waste of my time. You would have done better calling me instead of whatever generic Buzzfeed esque pick your match quiz you had us submit!”

God he’s really, really, testing every negative ounce of patience running through your body, you could literally feel your jaw twitching “I wouldn’t say the questionnaire is the issue..more so the way it was filled out. It’s meant to be a tool to work in your favor, but you have to make it work” Pausing to lock your eyes with his, yet you knew what you were doing, you gaze was taunting, not angry, playfully challenging him at this point. “I’m not here to argue, I'm here to sasifty…. so let me fix this.. I know your deal came with a specific deadline, If I’m not mistaken, we still have about a week left, that’s more than enough time for me to find you what you actually need!”

An almost offensively loud groan left his lips at that, eyes rolling to the back of his head, the blatant disrespect had your nose scrunching into your face, brows furrowed “Excuse me? What do you mean “Mmmm”!? I told you-” Now you were losing your patience..he’s officially pushed all of 2 of your buttons,and it took everything in you not to call him out of his name at this point! How dare he not take some accountability for the lack of effort he put into his personality chart even when you emphasize how important it is! Is he aware how much of YOUR times he;s wasted? The fact that you could’ve had these girls secured with other clients instead of also wasting there time!? No because all his spoiled ass can think about his himself!

“Where the hell do you get off getting an attitude with me Y/N? None of this is my fault, I hired you because I didn't want to be involved,I have enough on my plate! We've been through damn near 20 pretty faces and-”

“Four! Hoseok, four!” The base suddenly hit your throat, you were starting to get defensive voice elevating ever so slightly “And again, did we not just establish that you, or your assistant or WHOEVER, screwed up your chart to begin with!? So how the hell-’

“Ohh so now we're playing the blame game? Reallll mature....Great save , oh I fucked up so let me blame my client, great customer service with that one!” The chuckle that left is throat was meant to sound taunting and it really fucking worked!

“It’s not the blame game, I’m just asking for a second chance to actually help you, you spoilt asshole! You just sat here and admitted you chart was total bullshit!” Abruptly rising from your chair, eyes narrowing in his direction, a second away from completely losing your shit before you caught yourself! Yet, oddly enough so far he didn't even seem remotely fazed by your current disposition!

“I have every right to be an asshole right now Y/N why the hell should I even trust you?! You knew going into this that ...we had a damn deadline and now we're damn near grazing it with the tip of our tongues…with zero results!” Now it was Hosoeks turn to loose his composure,voice dropping what felt like an entire octave suddenly rough and gritty the more he spoke. Which was actually really sexy but ...we’re going to try and ignore that for the time being!

“What about that would make me want to even consider giving you another chance? Am I missing the part where you actually did what you were hired to do orrrr??”

“Oh for fucks sake, that's not my damn fault!” Yup, and there it goes again, all your self control ...Unintentionally stomping your foot against the floor as if you were almost having a temper tantrum.

“Awww, is baby whining now? Hmm? Is that your new tactic to try and get your way with me? ” Brow quirked in amusement, God you wanted to smack that smirk off his face. His tone was nothing short of condescending, though you found yourself more pissed at how good “Baby” sounds rolling off his tongue! Regardless of the context

“No I’m bitching which clearly you know a lot about since that’s all you've been doing since I got in here!!!” There was a sudden pause,a long one it was almost nauseating and it had you questioning if you'd finally crossed a line by saying that. You couldn't read the expression on his face right now, and that kinda scared you, so instead of just sitting in silence...

“ I place people based on the information I’m given, clearly we've never met so maybe if you actually put what you actually wanted we wouldn't have this damn issue to begin with! I gave you shallow and passive because that’s what you chart said you wanted.” Everything that radiated off your body was mounds calmer at this point, tone slightly tranquil “Your running out of time, and you need my help, I’m sorry we got off to a rocky start okay? Just... ...let.Me.Do.My.Job…”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to get you to do this entire time, do you think I want to sit here and play “ Are you smarter than a fifth grader” with these recruits? ! I didn't want to deal with this shit!I don't have time to deal with this shit!” Throwing his solid gold pen across the desk, sliding back in his seat to hastily ruffle his fingers through his hair. To be honest it wasn’t Hoseok’s intentions to keep bantering back and forth like this, he was just stressed! He didn’t want to go this route to begin with so it’s not helping that it’s not flowing smoothly!

“Great so it’s settled, you give me 48 hours and I'll find you perfect counterpart” Instantly turning around to head for your bag and see yourself out before the two of you were at each other's throats again.

“No.”

Stopping dead in your tracks, whipping your neck around so fast it almost looked painful!

“What do you mean no!?” Why, why won’t he just let this go!?

“N.O. You CAN help but in a different way….” Rising from his seat slowly pouring himself a glass of Scotch which he inhaled before it even fully settled at the bottom of the glass.

Brow arched in annoyance and curiosity

“Clearly when this is left in your hands I get malibu barbie with an I.Q of negative six...so let me pick….”

“I- fuck, whatever, fine, I’ll send you my roster and-” Fine sure, why not...if that kept him happy and had you signing a contract and hopefully reciving your bouns for landing him a susscessful recruit then sure! Pick all damn day Hoseok!

“I don't’ need it…”

“What?! I thought you wanted to pick?”

“ I don’t want your damn roster, if you care so much about redeeming yourself and actually doing what I paid you to do...then give me your best player…”

“That was my plan but you just said you didn't want me to pick.” Geunilly confused at this point, the slight attitude wasn’t even intentional.

“You can, as long as we're on the same page..”

“Which is what Hoseok? What?” Mentally exhausted was an understatement, if your pride wasn’t in the way you’d just leave...

“You.” The word left his lips so calmly it almost went over your head!

“If you want the deal then the Y.G.K. recruit I want is you...or theres no deal…I don’t have time for these rookies you keep sending my way” You screamed everything his mother would hate and he fucking loved it, it also didin’t hurt that you were fun to look at. You had one hell of a backbone, your whitty, determined,sassy ...everything he would've put on his chart if he actually made it himself! You haven’t taken your foot off his throat since you’ve walked in, Hosoek was always one for a good challenge, makes the word “Daddy” sound even better when it rolls off your tongue!

“What!? I’m not even up for hire, I’m a recruiter Hoseok, not a damn sugar baby! You can’t just snap your fingers and think I’m hired” Arms crossed tight against your chest, though...the idea was far more tempting than you let on you’ve damn sure missed this.

“No disrespect, but for you to be a recruiter..that probably means you’d have to have some prior experience right? “ Brow quirked at the implied question that he already knew the answer to “I don’t care how rich someone is...there not just buying Snakeskin Hermes bags for any “average” woman now are they?!”Tone blatantly challenging you as his head flicked over to your bag that set on the leather chaise diagonal from him.

“Trust me baby, it didn't go over my head the way you finessed your way in here like you owned the place , you know what you have working for you and your damn good at using it in your favor! I’m not here to judge, I finesse millions out of people all damn day...weather it be with my skill or my charm, either way, I'm closing deals and that’s all that matters!” I wonder if Hoseok could also tell how weak your knees were getting the more he called you “Baby”! More importantly how caught off guard you were for him calling you out on your shit!

“I’m retired…” Fell from your lips, it was all you could think of your mind was frazzled right now, but it was a true statement, you had not been on that side of the fence in almost 2 years!

“Yeah and so was Jay Z and yet we got a good 4 albums and a tour after that so what’s your point!?”

“My point-”

“Name your price.”

“Excuse-”

“Your.Price.Y/N...Name.it...Tell daddy what you want” Smug, nothing but smug, Hoseok didn't even try to be discreet, he was living for his!

“$150K signing bonus off rip…” Thatta girl! Hosoek had you tripping over yourself for a moment, but the minute he said that he flipped a switch!

You didin’t even know where that number came from..it was just like your body reacted on autopilot...he may be a total entitled smartass..but your not a damn fool. He’s right you got that bag because you are good at what you do, these sugardaddie’s aren't the only ones who know how to work there magic and get what they want. Your charm was deadly when need be, it takes a special kinda persona to finaness the “system” the way you do...or did I guess I should say! He wanted a price well...there ya go!

The smirk that danced up his face was just as sexy as it was offensive “Right, so essentially what I just made on this deal I signed off on?” Cocking his head to the side slightly, tongue playing at the corner of his mouth “Done.” He was so nonchalant about this it was almost comical, you would have sworn you asked for a Big Mac or something! Tossing the contract aside as if it didn't mean shit, because it didn't you knew Hoseok's net worth!

“I- you...what!? ” Did he really just agree that fast!? After you just yelled at him, and cussed him out!?

Clearly he found your state of shock amusing a gritty chuckle rumbling in his chest as he poured himself another drink. “Don’t act surprised, you know you aren’t used to hearing the word no, which I can appreciate because neither am I!”

“Why!? Why me, you don’t know shit about me, you could’ve easily had Ariel, or anybody else and none of them would have even cost you a fraction of that price! Why are you so willing to pay me whatever the hell I want even after I failed to place someone else in the position?”Slowly sauntering over in his direction until you were so damn close to him your eyelashes could almost flutter against each other. “ And I dare you to tell me that your any different than any other man I've dealt with in you position. That your reasoning runs ....deeper than you wanting to bend me over this damn desk” God, his lips were a problem, his damn jawline was a problem, why the hell did you get this close again!?

He didn’t respond right away, letting his eyes trace over every element on your face, and it took everything in you to pretend you knees weren’t caving in. Once his eyes landed on our lips, licking his in the process. Leaning forward, bracing his weight on the desk, hands resting on either side of you body as he hovered over you. Yet your stance never faltered he was challenging you ...AGAIN and There was no way in hell you’d show how consumed you were! Not when it was your decision to invade his personal space to begin with! The scent from his colgen filling your nose, having to physically remind yourself not to moan….. Hosoek knew exactly what he was doing, lips sitting slightly ajar, teasing you to arch up ever so slightly! You could damn near taste the liquor on his tongue...

“I’m a man, more importantly a man with damn good taste! So yes, the idea of having you face down ass up sounds, sinfully appealing” Fuck your throat was dry as hell right now…”But no that’s not why I’m offering. Your not blind, clearly I dont need to pay for sex, I’m not some 60 year old man with a saggy ballsack so I’ll be frank with you! The contract has a deadline because so do I…” Now we're finally getting somewhere...

“This was my families idea, hints all the confusion and my very short fuse, they want someone by my side as I embark on a new... Business venture. Clearly you can tell no one you’ve sent can even remotely stacks up to what I require in a partner, fake or not! I failed drama I don’t care how many cameras are in my face..I don’t act! Either I vibe with someone or I don’t..”

“We haven’t vibed Hoseok, we've argued! Since you think you can do my job better than I can...what's your rationale for pairing us together oh wise one!?” Nothing but sass dripped from your tongue at that...and he fucking loved it. The smirk that dance up hid lips said it all. A low hum fell from his lips as he leaned in, even closer, chest thumping so hard you questioned if he could even hear it. Fuck, you really wanted to grab him by the back of the neck and find out how good he tastes!

“You tell me ...tell me what I need…” Something about his delivery had heat pooling between your thighs, voice getting dangerously low, and so where his eyes …”Since my charts fucked and your claiming that’s what screwed you up...tell me what I actually need…”

Clearing your throat slightly, trying to pull your shit together yet you didn't pull back from him, you didn't want to...you liked the intensity! If you were smart you’d disregard his question but, you felt like you needed to prove yourself…..

“Someone to stimulate, and balance you out you mentally...” Purred from your lips earning a hum of approval, which , followed behind and confirmed every other bullet point …

“Someone well dressed..”

“Hmm…” - fuck he really needs to stop doing that

“ Cultured..”

“Mmmhmm..”

“Whitty..”

“Mmm, keep going…”

“Quick on her toes, Sar-” A dramatic sigh leaving your chest at that, eyes rolling to the back of your head more times than you could count once you realized what he was doing. Hoseok was having you describe yourself, because ideally, you were the type of woman you’d try and set him up with.

The level of smugness that danced along his lips proved he was proud of himself “And you were sayinggg???” Purposely Letting the last syllable roll off his tongue sing song like.

You should've realized this the minute you met him…. Hoseok only needed a “Sugar Baby” for the contrational purouses, the fact that once signed it’s the person's job is to be whatever he needs! That type of control would allow his family to insure she's adding to whatever “Aesthetic” he needs for this business venture..it was purely about control! That’s the disconnect, his family wanted the pretty faced puppet that they can morph into whoever they wanted. And clearly that's the last quality Hoseok wants in a partner, even a fake one! Now it makes more sense why a man like him..would have even signed up for something like this!

“I’m sayingggg...EVEN if I considered, and if I did it wouldn't have shit to do with you and everything to do with the money...there would be no contract because I’d get fired! I’m a recruiter Hoseok, I can’t use the information I get to look out for myself, that's the definition of conflict of interest. Once you find a girl we make a contract.. We get a monthly percentage of what you pay per outside of gifts and little bounces..there's no way they wouldn't know and-”

“So we cut Y.G.K out...“In all honesty, you haven't placed a girl yet, I’ll have Jimin write a very nice email, so it doesn't make you look bad. Will just say I’m going to try looking for love on my own or some bullshit! They’ve already made there fee to add me to the roster ...” Letting his gaze pry into yours only to snatch you by the throat “Then, me and you make our own contract...I’ll pay you directly...problem solved…” Hoseok was starting to work his own angle and you hated the knots forming in the pit of your stomach as he changed his entire vocal presentation. It was smoother, husker..slightly breathy..everything it needed to be to get you to say yes, but again you weren’t a rookie, you were still somewhat thinking clearly!

“No, not problem solved..what happens if pictures get out!? I’ve done my research, it’s a part of my job your Korea's resident bad boy..the press love to hate your ass over there! Yeah,granted I go to events that you’d probaly frequent and network or whatever the fuck you wanna call it! But what happens if someone gets a pic of us in Malta or something!?”

The slight shrug in arrgrence really didn't help … “See! You don’t stay with one person which is why I’m sure you got sucked into this..the minute were seen together more than twice it’s news! How the hell do I rationalize that!?” There was a sudden growl in your voice and you weren;t sure where it came from, maybe because you were slightly annoyed that the hustler side in you really wanted to say yes. Fuck rational, fuck how this would probaly all blow up...you missed getting paid to look cute! Maybe it was also because you really wanted him to bend you over and fuck the shit out of you on top of this desk…

“Then, will take it as it comes, I know that’s why you asked for a signing bonus..incase that happens and work finds out, or once this contracts over and we go our separate ways...so your not on your ass..your smart!” A slight smile tugging on your lips because he’s right $150K is about three years pay...at Y.G.K before taxes ...enough where if something happens at least you wouldn't be royally fucked!

There was a beat of silence eyes searching his for all the answers...

“I’ll give you until midnight...if you think there's a recruit in your roster that can actually keep up, I’m open to it. But if not we will be respectfully parting ways with Y.G.K. it’s solely business. I've actually already paid 2 other companies I just haven't used their services because I was trying to hold out for you...but were getting a little too close for comfort !” Pulling back from you painfully slow and it took everything in you not to chase after those pouty lips of his!

Instinctively you reached up pulling him back by his silk tie “What are you actually looking for Hoseok?” You’d be lying if you said you weren’t intrigued, especially with the low growl slipped past his lips at the sudden tension pulling along his neck. An amused smirk forming yours “Hmm..someone likes pain I seee….” Tone blatantly flirtatious you licked your lips

“Hmm..someone likes to tease I see...” Mimicking your tone to a tee, you were so stupidly turned on and this was all your fault! The sudden shift wasn’t as discreet as you hoped either “Don’t play if you can't handle it baby…just because I’m younger than probably anyone you’ve delt with...that stll doesn't take the “Daddy” part out of the equation” Oh fuck you! As if you ever even questioned that for a nanosecond!

“Answer. The.Question Mr. Jung…” Bounce back game sill on point, regardless of how your panties currently felt!

“You just said it... everything that’s NOT on my chart. I don't want some young bright eyed, bushy tailed girl who will cry everytime I take her to Chanel...or someone I have to order for at every damn restaurant. That's not for me...I dont have the want to desire for that. Like I said I don't have an issue getting laid this contract was never sexual for me it’s a…”Aestheic” if you will…” He was clearly being very selective about how much he told you about this job...which only had you gears turning, creating your own scenarios as we speak.

“I personally didn't want “This” to begin with but if I have to do it, even if it’s only for 6 months..I want it to be with someone I can actually tolerate. “ At least you could respect his honesty…he’s not desperate, nor is he begging, he’s just simply saying he doesn't have problem paying for quality! Especially if it’s going to make his life easier, either way he’s entering a contract that’s going to cost him money, why not pay top dollar for the premium package then?!

“Someone to look good on my arm at events, but also be able to hold her own if a mic gets pointed in her face, someone to stand next to me at board meetings. Attend gallas, charity events, company parties and just look like the, supportive partner that all the other men within my brigade have. And of course the fun part...because none of that shit’s fun, so whoever she is, she deserves to be spoiled.Wined and dined, shopping sprees, spontaneous trips to London, Pars, Spain, I live multi coastal so that’s always fun! All the perks your use too only I’m not expecting you to fuck me...if it happens... it happens ...”

A low hum leaving your lips at that, gazing up at him through your full set of lashes...“If you keep looking at me like you already want me to bend you over this desk, were going to have some problems…”

“You sure I actually even really want that?” Trickling your fingers up his chest “As you said, clearly I’m damn good at my job…” A subtle wink flutter in his direction earning a slow nod that essentially read “Touche”

“True, but your eyes have been pacing between my jawline and my lips the entire time you've been in here…” Reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear and it took everything in you not to lean into the contact. “Now if you excuse me, I have a very tedious conference call to get ready for, get my personal email from Jimin on your way out. Send your picks to me directly and will go from there…” Swiftly returning his gaze back to the stack of papers on his desk, it’s not even a full 20 seconds before his phone's ringing and Hoseok’s groaning!

“Mr. Zyang, how are you? How’s Linda?” Smiling from ear to ear as if the person on the other end could see him, charm on full blast! Shifting the bottom end of the phone away from his lips so he could whisper “I gotta go, get my number from Jimin, will talk tonight” His eyes were reading a little different right now, they were softer and you were turning into putty!

A slight smile tugging on your lips as you swayed past him, you could feel his eyes burning straight through as you walked, grabbing your bag off the chaise. Not even giving him the satisfaction of looking back at him before you exited the room. You knew he was waiting for it too, just so damn sure you needed one last look at him, which honestly you did…

Feeling a little more than accomplished that you didn't cave like you thought you would, seeming to remind yourself that at the end of the day..this was solely business! A permanent smile engraved on your cheeks as you closed the door behind you.

“SOOOOOOOOOO!? You were in there long enough! What’s the game plan!?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE! PART 2 IS HALFWAY DONE..IF THIS GETS ENOUGH LOVE ILL GET IT UP....IF YOU LIKED IT “LIKE IT” COME HIT UP THE ASK...

LOVE YOU GUYS AS ALWAYS,

ROCKI

#hoseok #hoseok smut #jhope #jhoppe smut #bts #bts smut #bts au #hoseok au #kpop #kpop smut #kpop au #jung hoseok #hoseok angst

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songverse316 · 4 years

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Cleansed by Fire (The Last Temptation, 1994)

Article found at: https://fridayswithalice.com/cleansed-the-last-temptation-2/

“Cleansed by Fire” Lyrics:

I don’t know but I’ve been told The streets of hell are paved with gold Crazy, crazy You told me that nothing’s free Except my own insanity Crazy, maybe Wake me, shake me Wake me, shake me

You offer me the world and all its wealth All for myself You promised me a life eternally And drink to my health I may seem only half-glued But I can see right through you

Burn it up, burn it down Burn this sucker to the ground Oh yeah, oh yeah Going, going, going, gone There’s a party going on

Do you think I don’t know who you are A fallen star When I feel my soul scream out at night I know you’re not far You need a better disguise This one won’t win any prize Burn it up, burn it down Burn this sucker to the ground Oh yeah, oh yeah Going, going, going, gone There’s a party going on Cleansed by fire, cleansed by fire I may seem only half-glued But I can see right through you What about dark What about light What about wrong What about right What about death What about sin What about the web you’re trying to spin

What about truth, What about life What about glory, What about Christ What about peace, What about love

What about faith in God above What about war, What about hell What if I stumble, What if I fell What about blood What about greed And all of these things you’re offering me

Yeah, what about me, little me You lose and I win You couldn’t suck me in

It’s over, you have no power You’re lost And I’m found And I’m Heaven bound Go back to where you belong To where you fell Go to hell “The Last Temptation” is a concept album that deals with the life of a teenager named Steven, one of Cooper’s infamous characters. Steven is shown what the world has to offer – power, money, women, freedom, etc. – by a mysterious character known as the showman. As the album unfolds track after track, it becomes evident the showman is Satan. Overall, the album deals with the trials, temptations, decisions, and many avenues down which we can decide to go in life. It in many ways parallels the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s temptations as He spent 40 days in the Wilderness. In my opinion, this album is the highlight of Cooper’s career. We will be looking at many of the songs on this record.

“Cleansed by Fire” is the last track on the album. It brings Steven to a crossroads in his life. Will he accept what the showman is offering him or will he walk away? In turn, choosing a life greater than those things here on earth. While I’ve never seen an interview with Cooper directly stating this, I interpret the cleansing of fire to be attributed to many different verses in the Bible. Scripture that deals with deliverance from our enemies and also what we’ve coined the “Refiner’s Fire”. I’ll list other scripture references for these two topics at the end of this post, but I’d like to use James 4:7 and 1 Peter 4:12-13 as the references for this post.

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7

In this verse, Jesus’ brother, James explains that when we submit to God. His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, gives us the power to resist Satan’s attacks causing the enemy to flee. Throughout the album and this song we find Steven slowly figuring out who the showman actually is – ultimately, choosing to flee from the enemy and accepting the Lord. Giving him the strength to withstand the temptations of this world. Walking instead in faith. Gaining victory in Christ. Making him Heaven bound. And forcing Satan to flee.

*James goes on to give five ways in which we can draw nearer to God:

Submission to His Will (yielding to His authority, committing our lives to Him and His control, showing willingness to follow him.

Resisting the Devil (ignoring Satan’s attempts to entice and tempt you)

Washing our hands and purifying our hearts (replacing our desire to sin with a desire instead to experience God’s purity)

Grieve and mourn in sincere sorrow for your sins (we should be willing to express deep sincere sorrow for our sins)

Humble ourselves before the Lord (He in turn will lift us up, honoring our walks with Him)

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. -1 Peter 4:12-13.

In those verses, we find Peter rejoicing at the chance to take on life’s trials head on. Rejoicing for the glory that is given us when choosing Christ instead of the world. He goes on to talk about continually doing good in the eyes of God – knowing that the ramifications on this earth will, at times, lead to suffering, pain, loss, etc. but ultimately bringing us closer to God in the process. Peter, in chapter 5, goes on to claim that through our trials and sufferings – Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.

This song is not only powerful in word, but also in musical presentation. The melodic, yet dark, tone leaves one a little unsure as to where it’s going to go. Yet when the drums kick in during the “Wake me, shake me” lines of the song – it’s as if an awakening is taking place. As if Christ has been accepted, the Holy Spirit now dwells within and opens the eyes of the believer. From that point on, the song goes through the process of the believer as they rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them through life’s major trials, decisions, etc. Ultimately, delivering the believer from the bonds of sin and death. Definitely one of the more powerful songs I’ve ever heard from Mr. Cooper.

In conclusion, I pray that if you have not come to know the power of transformation through our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you would consider doing so. This world and life have nothing to offer us. Our power and strength are gained and derived from His Spirit dwelling within us. If your eyes have not already been opened, I pray that you would listen closely to this song and study the scriptures referenced above and below. There’s no time like the present to embrace the ‘cleansing’ of His holy fire.

Scripture references: Deliverance: 1 John 4:4, 5:4-5 – Galatians 5:1 – Psalms 32:7, 34:4, 34:17, 91, 107:6 – Isaiah 43:18-19 – 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Refiners Fire: 1 Peter 1:7, Isaiah 48:10, Job 23:10, 1 Peter 5:10, Revelation 3:18, 1 Corinthians 3:13, Daniel 12:10

* Notes borrowed from NIV Life Application Bible below the scripture for James 4:7-10.

#alicecooper thelasttemptation cleansedbyfire fridayswithalice

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dccomicsnews · 6 years

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This weekend marks the official launch of the highly anticipated DC Universe digital steaming service, and earlier this week they decided to run their beta version for those who have already pre-ordered the service. The beta is limited, so those of us who have it haven’t gotten the chance to see everything, but it did give us a great look at what to expect from the full version.

There are so many great reasons to sign up for this service, and below I list the TOP 10 Reasons to Subscribe to DC Universe. So sit back and enjoy the ride into the wonderful world of all things DC.

10. EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE

Not only will you get all sorts of great content to watch and read (as you’ll see below), there’s also a new DC Universe Shop within the app where fans can purchase some awesome merchandise, like t-shirts, statues, mugs, phone cases, and more, with some items being exclusively sold through the app. One of these exclusives is a new line of animated-style Justice League action figures, to complement the popular 6-inch Batman: The Animated Series figures the company has been making lately.

The first wave includes the full initial team line-up – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter – plus Aquaman, who was not a member of the team before they became Justice League Unlimited, but who did appear in several memorable episodes during the first two Justice League seasons.

9. DC COMMUNITY

In the all new DC Community section, fans can join other fans on a plethora of message boards covering all kinds of topics like comics, movies, TV, news, and more. There’s even a section called “Creators Corner” where fans can connect with DC talent.

DC Community shows trending discussions, popular tags, and even gives you the chance to create your own thread covering any topic that’s rattling around in your brain. Do you want to talk about the best Robin? You can make a thread about it. Do you want to discuss your love of the short-lived Birds of Prey TV series? Go ahead! The sky’s the limit!

And DC has vowed to work hard on moderating these boards in order to make it the best possible experience for fans everywhere!

8. ENCYCLOPEDIA

This comprehensive encyclopedia breaks down your favorite characters (like Batman and Superman), as well as some you may have never heard of (like Chaselon and Ferro Lad), with great detail, giving an introduction and history to the character, their origin, powers, essential storylines, team affiliations, and appearances in other media. Some characters are more thorough than others, but this encyclopedia will be always growing and expanding, so if there’s some info you think is missing, you’ll be able to submit it to be added.

There’s also a tab labeled “Related Content” that brings up movies and TV shows, comics, and even trending discussions about that character within the app. This is a great part of DC Universe as it will help to educate DC fans, new and returning, on the characters that live within it.

7. LIVE-ACTION FILMS

As someone who loves films (I even run my own film review site), the fact that the DC Universe app will include live-action films is something I was very happy to hear. Now, from what we’ve been told, there doesn’t seem to be very many live-action films available, at least not yet. We’ll have access to Superman 1-4, Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight.

Now, this is a great, albeit small, selection of films, but I’m really hoping they will put more than just Batman and Superman movies up here. Let’s get films like V for Vendetta, Watchmen, A History of Violence, The Losers, Road to Perdition, RED, RED 2, Swamp Thing, Constantine, etc. This would truly add some great value to the film library. And who knows, maybe they already have plans to add some of these. That would definitely push this farther up on my list.

6. ANIMATED FILMS

The catalogue of animated films based on DC properties is huge, with dozens of quality entries, from the 30+ DCUA (DC Universe Animated Original) films, to films like Subzero and Mystery of the Batwoman, and even the LEGO DC Super Hero films.

The DC Universe app will offer a large array of them, including some of my favorites like Justice League: War, Batman: Under The Red Hood, and even Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. But what shocked me the most was that their newest animated film, The Death of Superman, is actually available to watch on the app, even though it’s only been out for less than two months. And with a 3-4 films release schedule every year just for the DCUA films, this library will continue to grow.

5. DC DAILY

Within the “News” tab is a section for the upcoming daily news show, DC Daily. They recently did a live-stream (of which the video is available to watch on the app) breaking down what you can expect from DC Universe, while also introducing DC Daily and the hosts who will be bringing all the news to the fans. The live stream was hosted by Kevin Smith.

There will be several great and knowledgeable hosts including Tiffany Smith (DC All Access), John Barrowman (Arrow, Doctor Who), Samm Levine (Freaks & Geeks, Inglourious Basterds), Harley Quinn Smith (Yoga Hosers), Sam Humphries (DC Comics Writer – Green Lanterns), Hector Navarro (DC All Access), Clarke Wolfe (Collider Movie Talk, Film HQ), Brian Tong, Markeia McCarty (DC Movie News), and John Kourounis.

DC Daily cast (L to R): Samm Levine, Sam Humphries, Tiffany Smith, John Barrowman (in front), Harley Quinn Smith, Clarke Wolfe, Brian Tong, John Kourounis, Hector Navarro

DC Daily will be replacing DC All Access and will offer news related to the original series on DC Universe and other content that “ties back” to DC Comics and the DC Universe community. The program is scheduled to have the following segments: “Headlines”, for daily news briefs; “Reports”, for an in-depth interview or look at an upcoming book, film, or television series; and “Talk”, for panel discussions.

4. LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES

DC has some of the best live-action comic book TV shows out there, and a lot of them will be available to watch right through the app. We’ll get to see such shows as Wonder Woman, The Flash (1990), Birds of Prey, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and even more obscure titles like Human Target.

This would be a spot or two higher on the list if the current DC shows were included, like Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Gotham, and all of the others. Hopefully, they’ll eventually make their way to the app once their contracts with the other streaming services expire.

3. ANIMATED TV SERIES

I’ve got four words for you: BATMAN. THE. ANIMATED. SERIES!!!!

When it was announced that the greatest comic book TV series of all time was heading to DC Universe, I was ecstatic. And to make it even better, it’ll be released in fully remastered HD, and I have to say, it looks fantastic!

And if that’s not enough for you, we’ll also be getting a plethora of other great animated shows from the world of DC including Batman Beyond, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Batman: Brave and the Bold, Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Teen Titans, Young Justice, and even the old Max Fleischer cartoons from the 1940’s. This is an amazing line up that will keep people busy binging for quite a while.

2. LARGE SELECTION OF COMICS

Unlike other streaming services, DC Universe will also offer a reading component through a large curated selection of some of DC’s best comics. You’ll get to read classic stories like Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #27, and The Dark Knight Returns, as well as getting the chance to check out some more obscure stuff like Doom Patrol and New Gods.

And the built-in comic book reader is fantastic, particularly the panel-by-panel option, which allows you to become fully immersed in what you’re reading, bringing these comics to life.

1. BRAND NEW EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

For me, the biggest reason I chose to commit to this service wasn’t the past DC content, but instead all the future content that’s on the way. There’s only so much previous content, so the fact that they’re developing several new projects exclusive to DC Universe will keep me coming back for more.

Right now, there are four live-action shows and two animated shows in production, with many more to come. I’m also hoping they will dive into original films for the app as well. The shows announced so far are Titans (which will premiere at NYCC, and then hits the streaming service on October 12th, with new episodes each Friday), Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Stargirl, the Harley Quinn animated series, and the one many have been waiting for… Young Justice season 3 (titled Young Justice: Outsiders).

Titans follows young heroes from across the DC Universe as they come of age and find belonging. This gritty take on the classic Titans franchise finds Dick Grayson and a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness named Rachel Roth as they get embroiled in a conspiracy. They’re joined by Starfire and Beast Boy to become a surrogate family and team.

Doom Patrol is a reimagining of one of DC’s strangest group of outcasts: Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman and Crazy Jane. Led by the mysterious Dr. Niles Caulder they’re called into action by none other than the ultimate hero for the digital age, Cyborg. These rejects band together on a mission that will take them to the weirdest and most unexpected corners of the DC universe.

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yourgeminiprince · 6 years

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Graduation... Now What?

Before we begin, quick background:

I've been in post-secondary education for almost 8 years now. In the time I've completed 3 programs and about to complete my degree as my fourth. Now what?

Let the thoughts begin:

In a short couple months, I will be graduating and not be going back to school, anymore. While formal education has been fun I want to begin the new chapter of my life. So I decided I've learned enough about the world through college and university.

To be honest with you all I was super excited, over the top to be finally done with school! But now... It's almost here and I'm kind of freaking out! Okay line up a job, get the job, work, go on vacations with your vacay days, find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, get married, have a couple kids, make sure you take care of them, get promotions, reach the top of the ladder and then... you know, do the life thing? I guess...

See it seems so simple but my brain never likes to just shut up so instead of making it simple... Let's make it more complicated Dhan!

Questions my brain started making me ponder...

Won't you want to make a decent income after going to school for so long? You have to maximize income.

What if no one hires you?

What if you take a job and you hate it every single second of your being?

Don't you have to make a new resume for every job you apply?

Cover letters?

How many people are you competing with for that job?

Couldn't you have just been a doctor if you were going to be in school this long anyway?

Aren't you going to pick a job that you're passionate about?

I think you guys get the jiff of it...

I love my brain, really do! Got me through a lot of educational programs but holy does it ever make me overthink every single aspect of my life. I'll be honest with you, I am a little scared of the future. I don't know what it holds, or where it leads.

But...

Yes, I'm freaking the f*** out... but as much as my brain puts me into these situations of overanalyzing and thinking it also keeps making me think until I figure some of it out. At least I have to or I'm never going to sleep on time/properly.

So since I've been freaking over this stuff for months, it's also been on my mind for months. Every day I come closer to a conclusion that'll solve my self-induced anxiety. So here are some of my solutions:

Solutions:

I have been in school for a long time, yes, but I have learned not just what my programs taught me... But I have also learned a lot about myself. Let's make it simple:

I have been part of teams and always try to lead. I got leadership skills! Hahaha! But no for real, I'm the type of person that'll take on a whole project myself if no one else wants to but I'll also delegate responsibility (Even knowing I'll probably be doing most of it myself... I remember my 40-page marketing research paper that only 1 person in our 5 man group submitted anything more than a copy paste from Wikipedia the night before it was due.) I wrote 39 pages of that 40-page report in a night... We got 70% which was like 40% of our grade... I'll never forget that night since then I've just always assumed I'm doing everything. As great of a leader as I am, I've also learned there are others that can lead to, and as much as you may want to be the one running things, sometimes it's okay to let them lead as well. There are responsible people out there and I have had a great group I could rely on. Everyone in this union study group was on top of their s*** to put it frankly. I wasn't leading it but did it feel good to be putting our entire project together with a group that wanted that end goal as bad as I did.

How is that a solution Dhan? wtf are you talking about? Let me explain...

Whatever a job may want they also what certain skills that would fit their company. I'm great with working with a team, I'm not saying that to toot my own horn... much... but when you're looking through jobs and they say 'needs to have leadership skills as you will be managing your own team and projects'. I got that. I would be a great addition to that company.

Now yes, there's always more but this is how I calmed my brain down. I focused on what I've done and how I can apply that to the real world in these jobs.

Another quick example:

The first day of school, I'm talking to everyone. I have no issues with approaching random strangers and becoming friends by the end of our conversation. There are people that can never do that... I have undying confidence. I have social skills of a public speaker and the friendliness of a puppy.

Now let me link these 2 examples together: Teamwork.

Huh? Dhan... what the frack are you talking about?

You know how people say you should find a job you're passionate about? (The first question my brain brought up) I always had a hard time figuring what I was passionate about... I like a lot of stuff but not always one more than the other. I've worked real estate on the side and I love it because I get to meet new people every day and interact and learn about them. There was always a hint of something I felt like that was missing from it.

When I went to university I ended up being elected to a cabinet. I didn't know anyone and I was a little older than everyone around me so "OMG Brittney we're going to get so smashed tonight" wasn't really what kind of vibe I wanted to be around...

Side note: When I say vibe I mean the kind of people I wanted to be surrounded with. I didn't feel like carrying Brittney and her friend home as they throw up everywhere. I was way over that phase. Back to the post:

When I joined this team of passionate individuals that were running around getting events done, filling in shifts for one another, solving issues. I got to be part of all of that and I loved it. I got to also be part of Senate and discuss and learn such important things. At the end of it all, we all came together to discuss what was happening and what everyone needed to know. We'd discuss important topics about what was happening in the school and voted on what to do next. Also made a lot of good friends in that way too, which I wouldn't have met if I never was on the committee with them.

What I realized is, I want to be part of a team more than anything. My passion is tackling a project, or a committee and come out on top (I'm competitive as f*** xD). That rush of getting everything done before the deadline, coordinating parties to have everything supplied, reading 80 pages before heading into a committee in a few days and discussing/debating on one side. That was something I enjoyed and loved and didn't mind spending all day trying to figure things out.

Now passion about a certain subject may not be foretold to my brain yet, but I know which direction to head. For me, that was enough to let me get sleep. I'm great at figuring s*** out after stressing about it for a bit. Problem-solving skills ;) haha!

For you:

You all have a lot of skills that you don't even realize or take for granted. When you're going to work for someone those are going to come more in handy than that essay you wrote for that history elective you took. If you know how to figure shit out on your own and not be a s***ty person you'll be miles ahead of a lot of people. You have to know you have walked into classes not knowing a single thing about it and passing well at the end of it. You can tackle anything loves! :)

Now What?

Now, I'm applying for jobs, looking up resumé references for that certain field and adapting them to my own taste. I'm calling up places trying to figure out who to make the cover letter to instead of 'To whom it may concern'. But sometimes... no luck and end up using it cause I gotta move onto the next application.

Starting to go to interviews and making it more of an 80/20 interview. I let them ask whatever questions they like and ask my own if it relates to their previous question or bombarding them with all of mine at the end.

Now, I'm searching for a job that'll let me get that team aspect even if it's once in a while. That's what I want and just like through school, I hope I find that certain subject I'm passionate about. Until then, I'll be happy to go find a company and give 120% of Dhan-ness! I want to go in and work hard to open more doors for myself and also... start paying off those pesky student loans hahaha. But like I always say, to figure out who you are you have to experience as much as you can that peaks your interest. Even if it's volunteering or having to work for free from 6-10pm.

Also instead of focusing on a million things that your mind keeps pondering, just make goals that you want to reach. It's hard for it to ponder when you're feeling good about reaching a goal :D!

Such as:

Pay off student loans

Get your bench press over 135 already (My chest has always been my weakest :$)

Try to move up a position in the company you work for every year or 2.

Find love (She's out there right? :p)

Spend more time with the family

Learn more tutting and more cheoro, in general, to add to your dance arsenal

Train to run a half marathon

Write more (Hence this blog)

Finish up school (duh, but I just wanted to reach 10 already)

So when I finish school, that's one goal reached. Makes me feel good! Next would be finding that job with the aspect of teamwork then having that to pay off the student loans. Getting the bench up is my personal goal and running cause I'm reading Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the greatest race the world has never seen By Christopher Mcdougall (NOT A SPONSOR OR AD! Just reading it!) and it's got me wanting to run and helping me reach that goal of training to run half a marathon.

IN CONCLUSION:

My mind wonders... and ponders... More than I'd like but instead of letting it make me feel overwhelmed I'm just taking it one step at a time, reminding myself I know what I want and I have the skills all ready to take on any task that may come at me. The goals help tremendously with keeping my brain from pondering dooming questions cause it's like B**** WE WORKING TOWARD IT SO SHUT UP :)! And I'm starting to get my sleep again on time... kinda... if I'm not binging Netflix at night... (Don't start a new show before bedtime... remember this advice!)

BYE :)

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numgul123 · 4 years

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50 Methods Happier, More healthy, And Extra Profitable Individuals Reside On Their Personal Phrases

1. Cease consuming caffeine

Though individuals suppose they carry out higher on caffeine, the reality is, they actually don’t. Really, we’ve turn out to be so depending on caffeine that we use it to easily get again to our status-quo. Once we’re off it, we underperform and turn out to be incapable.

Isn’t this absurd?

2. Pray or meditate morning, mid-day, and night time

In a latest interview on the Genius Community mastermind occasion, Joe Polish requested Tony Robbins what he does to get targeted. “Do you meditate? What do you do?” Joe requested.

“I don’t know that I meditate. I don’t know that I wish to meditate and take into consideration nothing,” Tony responded, “My purpose is readability.”

As an alternative of full-on meditation, Tony has a morning routine that features a number of respiration workouts and visualization methods that get him to a state of readability and focus. For me, I take advantage of prayer and pondering (my model of meditation) as the identical car.

No matter your strategy, the purpose ought to be readability and focus. What do you wish to be about right this moment?

What few issues matter most through the subsequent 24 hours?

I’ve gotten the most effective outcomes as my morning prayer and meditation are motivational; my afternoon prayer and meditation are strategic; and my night prayer and meditation are evaluative and academic.

3. Learn 1 e book per week

Abnormal individuals search leisure. Extraordinary individuals search schooling and studying. It's common for the world’s most profitable individuals to learn at the least one e book per week. They're continuously studying.

I can simply get via one audiobook per week by simply listening throughout my commute to high school and whereas strolling on campus. Taking even 15-30 minutes each morning to learn uplifting and instructive data adjustments you. It places you within the zone to carry out at your highest.

Over an extended sufficient time frame, you'll have learn a whole lot of books. You’ll be educated on a number of matters. You’ll suppose and see the world in a different way. You’ll be capable to make extra connections between totally different matters.

Reference #19 on this checklist in the event you really feel you’re “too busy” to learn one e book per week. There are strategies to make this activity extraordinarily simple.

4. Write in your journal 5 minutes per day

This behavior will change your life. Your journal will:

Clear your feelings serving as your private therapist

Element your private historical past

Improve your creativity

Ingrain and improve your studying

Enable you to get readability on the longer term you wish to create

Speed up your potential to manifest your objectives

Enhance your gratitude

Enhance your writing abilities

Heaps extra…

5 minutes per day is greater than sufficient. Greg McKeown, writer of Essentialism, recommends writing far lower than you wish to—just a few sentences or paragraphs at most. It will show you how to keep away from burnout.

5. Marry your finest buddy

“For all of the productiveness and success recommendation I’ve learn, formed and marketed for dozens of authors within the final decade, I’ve by no means actually seen somebody come out and say: End up a partner who enhances and helps you and makes you higher.”—Ryan Vacation

Analysis achieved by economists have discovered—even after controlling for age, schooling, and different demographics—that married individuals make 10 to 50 % greater than single individuals.

Why would this be?

Being married provides you the next goal for being productive. You're not a lone ranger, however have one other one who depends on you.

Marriage additionally smacks you within the face with what’s actually vital in life. Positive, hanging out and partying are enjoyable. However too many individuals get caught on this part and miss the which means that comes from constructing a life with somebody.

You'll by no means discover a higher private growth seminar or e book than marriage. It should spotlight all your flaws and weaknesses, difficult you to turn out to be a greater particular person than you ever thought attainable.

6. Make a bucket checklist and actively knock objects off

Most individuals have it backwards—they design their ambitions round their life, somewhat than designing their life round their ambitions.

What are the belongings you completely should do earlier than you die?

Begin there.

Then design your life round these issues. Or as Stephen Covey defined in The 7 Habits of Extremely Efficient Individuals, “Start with the top clearly in thoughts.”

7. Cease consuming refined sugar

If you happen to cease consuming sugar, your mind will transform. Really, research after research is exhibiting that refined sugar is worse for our brains than it's for our waistlines. Based on Dr. William Coda Martin, refined sugar is nothing greater than poison as a result of it has been depleted of its life forces, nutritional vitamins and minerals.

Refined sugar has now been proven to make us cranky, make us make rash choices, and make us silly.

Once more, like caffeine, in the event you cease consuming refined sugar, you'll expertise some adverse withdrawals. However, like every good behavior, the consequences of this might be seen within the long-run. What would your well being be like a 12 months from now (or 5) in the event you had been utterly refined sugar-free?

8. Quick from all meals and caloric drinks 24 hours as soon as per week

One-day (24-hour) meals fasts are a preferred technique to preserve well being and vigor. Fasting leverages the self-healing properties of the human physique. Radical well being enhancements happen when the digestive system is given relaxation and the organs get ample time to restore and heal themselves.

An everyday follow of fasting can:

Enhance digestive effectivity

Enhance psychological readability

Enhance bodily and psychological vigor

Take away toxins

Enhance imaginative and prescient

Give a basic feeling of effectively being

Like all the opposite habits, fasting will get simpler with follow. I’ve been fasting for years and it’s top-of-the-line issues I've achieved for my well being.

Fasting can be one of the acknowledged methods in spiritual and religious practices. I additionally use fasting to get religious readability and refinement.

Actually, I might go on for hours about this one. Give it a attempt. You’ll by no means be the identical.

9. Quick from the web 24 hours as soon as per week

Your physique will get an intervention once you quick. Your thoughts and relationships might use one too. Unplug your self from the matrix.

If you happen to haven’t caught on already, human beings are extremely addictive creatures. We love our espresso, sugar, and web. And this stuff are all nice. However our lives will be much more enhanced through the use of these instruments in knowledge.

The aim of the web quick is to reconnect to your self and your family members. So, you most likely shouldn’t do it the identical day you do your meals quick. As a result of consuming is among the strongest methods to kind bonds.

You’ll be blown away by how way more linked you're feeling to your family members once you may give them your undivided consideration. It could even really feel awkward for some time having a real-life dialog with out taking a look at your telephone each three minutes.

10. Cease consuming the information or studying the newspaper

Though the quantity of warfare and deaths by human fingers are lowering globally, you'll not get that message watching televised information or studying the newspaper.

Quite the opposite, these media shops have an agenda. Their purpose is to attraction to your fears by inflating excessive circumstances—making them appear regular and commonplace. In the event that they didn’t accomplish that, their viewership would plummet. Which is why Peter Diamandis, one of many world’s consultants on entrepreneurship and the way forward for innovation has stated, “I’ve stopped watching TV information. They couldn’t pay me sufficient cash.”

You may get top quality information curated from Google information. While you detox from the poisonous filth that's public information, you’ll be startled as your worldview turns into radically extra optimistic. There isn't a goal actuality. As an alternative, we stay in perceived realities and are thus answerable for the worldview we undertake.

11. Do one thing on a regular basis that terrifies you

“An individual’s success in life can normally be measured by the variety of uncomfortable conversations she or he is prepared to have.”—Tim Ferriss

However you don’t should continuously be battling your fears. Really, Darren Hardy has stated you can be a coward 99.9305556% of the time (to be precise). You solely must be brave for 20 seconds at a time.

Twenty seconds of concern is all you want. If you happen to courageously confront concern for 20 seconds each single day, earlier than you understand it, you’ll be in a unique socio-economic and social state of affairs.

Make that decision.

Ask that query.

Pitch that concept.

Submit that video.

No matter it's you're feeling you wish to do–do it. The anticipation of the occasion is way extra painful than the occasion itself. So simply do it and finish the inner-conflict.

Most often, your fears are unfounded. As Seth Godin has defined, our consolation zone and our security zone usually are not the identical factor. It's utterly secure to make an uncomfortable telephone name. You aren't going to die. Don’t equate the 2. Acknowledge that almost all issues outdoors your consolation zone are utterly secure.

12. Do one thing type for another person each day

“Have I achieved any good on the planet right this moment? Have I helped anybody in want? Have I cheered up the unhappy and made somebody really feel glad? If not, I've failed certainly. Has anybody’s burden been lighter right this moment, as a result of I used to be prepared to share? Have the sick and the weary been helped on their means? Once they wanted my assist was I there?”—Will L. Thompson (music and textual content)

If we’re too busy to assist different individuals, we’ve missed the mark. Taking the time to spontaneously—in addition to deliberate—serving to different individuals is among the best joys in life. Serving to others opens you as much as new sides of your self. It helps you join deeper with these you assist and humanity normally. It clarifies what actually issues in life.

As Thomas Monson has stated, “By no means let an issue to be solved turn out to be extra vital than an individual to be cherished.” That would actually be a failure.

13. Go to mattress early and rise early

Based on numerous analysis research, individuals who go to mattress and rise early are higher college students. Harvard biologist Christoph Randler discovered that early sleep/risers are extra proactive and usually tend to anticipate issues and decrease them effectively, which results in being extra profitable within the enterprise.

Different advantages of going to mattress and rising early—backed by analysis—embrace:

Being a greater planner

Being holistically more healthy as people

Getting higher sleep

Extra optimistic, happy, and conscientious

Waking up early lets you proactively and consciously design your day. You can begin with a morning routine that units the tone on your complete day. You present self-respect by placing your self first. In your morning morning routine, you'll be able to pray/meditate, train, hearken to or learn inspiring content material, and write in your journal. This routine offers you a a lot stronger buzz than a cup of espresso.

14. Get 7+ hours of sleep every night time

Let’s face it: sleep is simply as vital as consuming and ingesting water. Regardless of this, thousands and thousands of individuals don't sleep sufficient and expertise insane issues consequently.

The Nationwide Sleep Basis (NSF) performed surveys revealing that at the least 40 million People undergo from greater than 70 totally different sleep problems; moreover, 60 % of adults, and 69 % of youngsters, expertise a number of sleep issues a number of nights or extra throughout per week.

As well as, greater than 40 % of adults expertise daytime sleepiness extreme sufficient to intrude with their each day actions at the least a number of days every month—with 20 % reporting drawback sleepiness a number of days per week or extra.

On the flip facet, getting a wholesome quantity of sleep is linked to:

Elevated reminiscence

Longer life

Decreased irritation

Elevated creativity

Elevated consideration and focus

Decreased fats and elevated muscle mass with train

Decrease stress

Decreased dependence on stimulants like caffeine

Decreased threat of moving into accidents

Decreased threat of melancholy

And tons extra… Google it.

15. Exchange heat showers with chilly ones

Tony Robbins doesn’t eat caffeine in any respect. As an alternative, he begins each morning by leaping right into a 57-degree Fahrenheit swimming pool.

Why would he do such a factor?

Chilly water immersion radically facilitates bodily and psychological wellness. When practiced commonly, it supplies long-lasting adjustments to your physique’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory and digestive methods that enhance the standard of your life. It might additionally improve weight-loss as a result of it boosts your metabolism.

A 2007 analysis research discovered that taking chilly showers routinely may also help deal with melancholy signs typically extra successfully than prescription medicines. That’s as a result of chilly water triggers a wave of mood-boosting neurochemicals which make you're feeling pleased.

To me, it will increase my willpower and boosts my creativity and inspiration. Whereas standing with the chilly water hitting my again, I follow slowing my respiration and calming down. After I’ve chilled out, I really feel tremendous pleased and impressed. A number of concepts begin flowing and I turn out to be means motivated to realize my objectives.

16. Say “No” to individuals, obligations, requests, and alternatives you’re not keen on any longer

“No extra sure. It’s both HELL YEAH! or no.”—Derek Sivers

Your 20 seconds of each day braveness will most persistently contain saying “no” to stuff that doesn’t actually matter. However how might you probably say “no” to sure alternatives in the event you don’t know what you need? You may’t. Like most individuals, you’ll be seduced by the most effective factor that comes round. Or, you’ll crumble beneath different individuals’s agendas.

But when you understand what you need, you’ll have the braveness and foresight to move up even good alternatives—as a result of in the end they're distractors out of your imaginative and prescient. As Jim Collins stated in Good to Nice, “A ‘once-in-a-lifetime alternative’ is irrelevant if it's the improper alternative.”

17. Say “Thanks” each time you’re served by somebody

It’s superb once you meet somebody who's expressively and genuinely grateful. It’s superb as a result of, frankly, it’s uncommon.

I bear in mind at some point whereas working as a busser of a restaurant as a youngster. Each time I glided by a sure desk, whether or not I used to be refilling waters, bringing meals, something… the child on the desk (not more than 20 years previous) graciously stated “thanks.” I even heard him from shut proximity saying it to all the opposite staff once they stopped by his desk.

This expertise had a dramatic impression on me. It was so easy what he was doing. But, so stunning. I immediately cherished this particular person and wished to serve him much more.

I might inform by how he appeared in my eyes when saying “thanks” that he meant it. It got here from a spot of gratitude and humility.

Apparently, one research has discovered that saying “thanks,” facilitated a 66 % improve in assist provided by these serving. Though altruism is the purpose, don’t be shocked as your behavior of graciously saying “thanks” turns into much more to be grateful for.

18. Say “I really like you” 3+ occasions a day to a very powerful individuals in your life

Based on neuroscience analysis, the extra you specific love (like gratitude), the extra different individuals really feel love for you. Sadly, individuals are taught absurd mindsets about being susceptible and loving in relationships. Simply this morning, my spouse and I needed to coax and prod our three foster children to say one good factor about one another, and to say they cherished one another.

It took a number of minutes for our Eight 12 months previous foster boy to muster the power to say he cherished his sister. But, all of our children continuously berate and belittle one another.

the sensation: once you wish to say “I really like you” however maintain again. What a horrible feeling.

Why can we hesitate to specific our love?

Why can we hesitate to attach deeply with others?

This can be unusual, however in the event you inform your family and friends you like them, they’ll be blown away. I as soon as knew a Polynesian missionary who informed everybody he cherished them. It was clear he was honest.

I requested him why he did it. What he informed me modified my life. “After I inform individuals I really like them, it not solely adjustments them, however it adjustments me. Just by saying the phrases, I really feel extra love for that particular person. I’ve been telling individuals throughout me I really like them. They really feel treasured by me. Those that know me have come to anticipate it. After I neglect to say it, they miss it.”“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for phrases left unsaid and deeds left undone.” –Harriet Beecher Stowe

19. Devour 30 grams of protein throughout the first 30 minutes of waking up

Donald Layman, professor emeritus of vitamin on the College of Illinois, recommends consuming at the least 30 grams of protein for breakfast. Equally, Tim Ferriss, in his e book, The 4-Hour Physique, additionally recommends 30 grams of protein 30 minutes after waking up.

Based on Tim, his father did this and misplaced 19 kilos in a single month.

Protein-rich meals preserve you full longer than different meals as a result of they take longer to depart the abdomen. Additionally, protein retains blood-sugar ranges regular, which prevents spikes in starvation.

Consuming protein first decreases your white carbohydrate cravings. These are the kinds of carbs that get you fats. Assume bagels, toast, and donuts.

Tim makes 4 suggestions for getting sufficient protein within the morning:

Eat at the least 40% of your breakfast energy as protein

Do it with two or three complete eggs (every egg has about 6g protein)

If you happen to don’t like eggs, use one thing like turkey bacon, natural pork bacon or sausage, or cottage cheese

Or, you can at all times do a protein shake with water

For individuals who keep away from dairy, meat, and eggs, there are a number of plant-based proteins. Legumes, greens, nuts, and seeds all are wealthy in protein.

20. Take heed to audiobooks and podcasts on 2x pace, your mind will change quicker

Listening to audiobooks at regular pace is so three years in the past. There's a going pattern—notably in Silicon Valley—to hearken to audiobooks at 150 or 200 % referred to as “pace listening.”

In 2010, the tech weblog GigaOm recommended “speed-listening to podcasts” as an general time-saving approach. Software program referred to as FasterAudio guarantees to “minimize your audio studying time in half.”

If you wish to get hardcore, a very great tool is Overcast—a podcast-playback app with a function referred to as Good Velocity. Good Velocity isn’t about merely enjoying audio content material at 150 or 200 % of the usual charge; however truly makes an attempt algorithmically to take away fluff (e.g., useless air, pauses between sentences, intros and outros) that bulks up the play time of audio content material.

Use this system and also you’ll be consuming as a lot data as you as soon as consumed caffeine.

21. Resolve the place you’ll be in 5 years and get there in two

“How are you going to obtain your 10 12 months plan within the subsequent 6 months?”—Peter Thiel

There's at all times a quicker means than you initially conceive. Really, goal-setting can sluggish your progress and diminish your potential in the event you rely too closely upon it.

In an interview with Success Journal, Tim Ferriss stated that he doesn’t have 5 or ten 12 months objectives. As an alternative, he works on “experiments” or tasks for a 6-12 week time frame. In the event that they do extraordinarily effectively, the attainable doorways that would open are limitless. Tim would somewhat play to the most effective potentialities than get caught on one monitor. He says this strategy permits him to go drastically farther than he might ever plan for.

22. Take away all non-essentials out of your life (begin together with your closet)

“You can't overestimate the unimportance of virtually every part.”—Greg McKeown

Many of the possessions you personal, you don’t use. Many of the garments in your closet, you don’t put on. Eliminate them. They're sucking power out of your life. Additionally, they're dormant worth ready to be exchanged for {dollars}.

Eliminating underutilized sources is like injecting motivation and readability into your bloodstream. Whereas all of that untapped power will get eliminated, a brand new wave of constructive power comes into your life. You should use that power in additional helpful and productive methods.

23. Devour a tablespoon of coconut oil as soon as per day

Coconut oil is among the healthiest meals on the planet.

Listed below are 7 causes it's best to eat coconut oil each single day:

It boosts HDL (good) ldl cholesterol and concurrently blocks LDL (unhealthy) ldl cholesterol buildup

It has particular fat that show you how to burn extra fats, have extra power, and preserve wholesome weight

It fights growing old and retains you feeling and looking younger

It reduces fever and acts as an anti-inflammatory

It's antibacterial and thus wards off attainable sicknesses

It improves reminiscence and cognitive functioning (even for individuals with Alzheimer’s)

It might enhance testosterone for males and steadiness wholesome hormones degree for each women and men

Coconut oil is a wholesome various to caffeine. Consuming a small quantity offers you a shot of power with out the side-effects.

24. Purchase a juicer and juice a number of occasions per week

Juicing is an unimaginable technique to get a great deal of nutritional vitamins and vitamins from vegatables and fruits. These vitamins can:

Assist shield in opposition to heart problems, most cancers and varied inflammatory ailments

Guard in opposition to oxidative mobile harm from on a regular basis mobile upkeep and publicity to chemical substances and air pollution.

There are a number of approaches you'll be able to take to juicing. You may reset your physique by doing a 3-10 day juice “cleanse.” Or, you can merely incorporate juice into your common weight loss plan. I do each every so often.

I at all times really feel enormously higher after juicing. Particularly after I get a number of intense greens like kale into my system.

25. Select to place confidence in one thing greater than your self, skepticism is straightforward

Within the timeless e book, Assume and Develop Wealthy, Napoleon Hill explains {that a} basic precept of wealth creation is having religion—which he defines as visualization and perception within the attainment of want.As he famously stated, “Regardless of the thoughts can conceive and imagine, the thoughts can obtain.”

If you happen to don’t imagine in your desires, the probabilities of them taking place are slim to none. However in the event you can come to completely know the belongings you search will happen, the universe will conspire to make it occur.

Based on Hill (see web page 49 of Assume and Develop Wealthy), right here’s how that works:

“Religion is the place to begin of all accumulation of riches!”

“Religion is the premise of all ‘miracles’ and mysteries that can't be analyzed by the principles of science!”

“Religion is the component that transforms the bizarre vibration of thought, created by the finite thoughts of man, into the religious equal.”

“Religion is the one company via which the cosmic power of Infinite Intelligence will be harnessed and used.”

“Religion is the component, the ‘chemical’ which, when blended with prayer, provides one direct communication with Infinite Intelligence.”

Like expressing love, in our tradition, many have turn out to be uncomfortable with concepts like religion. But, to the entire finest enterprise minds in latest historical past, religion was basic to their success.

26. Cease obsessing in regards to the end result

Analysis has discovered that expectations in a single’s personal potential serves as a greater predictor of excessive efficiency than expectations a couple of particular end result. In his e book, The Private MBA, Josh Kaufman explains that when setting objectives, your locus of management ought to goal what you'll be able to management (i.e., your efforts) as an alternative of outcomes you'll be able to’t management (e.g., whether or not you get the half).

Count on optimum efficiency from your self and let the chips fall the place they could. The natural output might be your highest high quality work.“Put most easily: Do what is true, let the consequence observe.”

27. Give at the least one guilt-free hour to leisure per day

In our quest for achievement, many people have turn out to be workaholics. Nonetheless, leisure is essential for achievement. It's akin to resting between units on the health club. With out resting, your exercise might be far lower than it might have been.

Foolishly, individuals strategy their lives like a exercise with out relaxation breaks. As an alternative, they take stimulants to maintain themselves going longer and longer. However this isn’t sustainable or wholesome. It’s additionally unhealthy for productiveness and creativity within the brief and long term.

28. Genuinely apologize to individuals you’ve mistreated

Individuals make errors a number of occasions each single day. Sadly—and hilariously—a lot of the time we act like children and blame our errors on exterior components. Analysis has discovered that individuals who don’t overtly and infrequently apologize expertise greater ranges of stress and nervousness.

You don’t want that pent-up power in your life. Make amends and let it go. It’s not your selection if individuals select to forgive you.

29. Make associates with 5 individuals who encourage you

“You're the common of the 5 individuals you spend probably the most time with.”—Jim Rohn

Who you spend time with is extremely vital. Much more basic is: what kinds of individuals are you snug round?

Your consolation degree is among the clearest indicators of your character. Are the individuals you take pleasure in being round inspiring or degrading, hard-working or lazy?

What sorts of beliefs do you associates have?

What sorts of objectives are they pursuing?

How a lot cash do they make?

What does their well being appear like?

All of this stuff dramatically impression you. And it is among the most painful experiences on the planet to turn out to be uncomfortable round individuals who have lengthy been your mates. While you develop and evolve and lengthy for extra, you’ll start in search of a unique crowd to encompass your self with.

Distress loves firm. Don’t allow them to maintain you again. Transfer on however by no means detach from the love you've gotten for these individuals.

30. Save 10 % or extra of your revenue

“I'd have saved 10 % routinely from my paycheck by direct deposit right into a financial savings account incomes the very best curiosity compounded each day. I'd have additionally disciplined myself to deposit 10 % of any extra cash from items, refunds or different earned revenue. I'd have purchased a small home outright with the cash I had saved (as an alternative of renting an condominium for over 30 years). I'd have discovered a job that I cherished and devoted my life to it. No less than you can be pleased even when you weren't the place you wished to be financially. Hope this helps somebody on the market.”—D. Lorinser

Tithing your self is a core precept of wealth creation. Most individuals pay different individuals first. Most individuals stay above their means.

In complete, American customers owe:

$11.85 trillion in debt

A rise of 1.4% from final 12 months

$918.5 billion in bank card debt

$8.09 trillion in mortgages

$1.19 trillion in pupil loans

A rise of 5.9% from final 12 months

The U.S. Census in 2010 reported that there have been 234.56 million individuals over the age of 18 years previous, suggesting the typical grownup owes $3,761 in revolving credit score to lenders. Throughout the typical family, American adults additionally owe $11,244 in pupil loans, $8,163 on their autos, and $70,322 on their mortgage.

Merely switching to home-brewed espresso will prevent a mean of $64.48 per 30 days (or $2 per day) or $773.80 per 12 months. By placing the financial savings right into a mutual fund with common earnings of 6.5% curiosity and reinvesting the dividends into extra mutual funds over a decade, the $64.48 saved each month would develop into $10,981.93.

31. Tithe or give 10 % of your revenue away

“One provides freely, but grows all of the richer.”—Proverbs 11:24

Most of the wealthiest individuals on the planet attribute their wholesome monetary life and abundance to giving a few of it away.

Most individuals are attempting to build up as a lot as they'll. Nonetheless, a pure precept of wealth creation is generosity. As Joe Polish has stated, “The world provides to the givers and takes from the takers.”

From a religious perspective, every part we've is God’s (or the Earth’s). We're merely stewards over our possessions. Once we die, we don’t take our cash with us. So why hoard it?

As you give generously and correctly, you’ll be shocked by the will increase in your incomes potential. You’ll develop traits wanted for radical wealth creation.

32. Drink 64-100 ounces of water per day

Human beings are principally water. As we drink wholesome quantities of water, we've smaller waistlines, more healthy pores and skin, and higher functioning brains. Really, as we drink sufficient water, it’s secure to say we’re higher in each means.

It’s a no brainer. If you happen to’re not ingesting the wholesome quantity of water every day, it's best to critically assess your priorities in life.

33. Purchase a small place somewhat than hire

Except you reside in a giant metropolis (which a lot of you do), I’m baffled how many individuals pay outlandish quantities on hire every month.

When my spouse and I moved to Clemson to start graduate faculty, we did quite a lot of entrance finish work to make sure we’d be capable to purchase a house. What’s stunning is that our mortgage cost is way lower than most of our buddy’s hire funds. By the top of our 4 years right here in Clemson, we’ll have earned a number of thousand {dollars} in fairness and much more in appreciation. Conversely, a lot of our associates are merely dumping a whole lot of {dollars} into another person’s pockets each month.

Paying hire is like working hourly. You get cash when you’re on the clock. While you’re not on the clock, you get no cash. Incomes fairness is like having residual revenue. Each month you pay down your mortgage, you truly preserve that cash. So that you’re not “spending to stay” like most individuals do. You’re residing without spending a dime whereas saving—typically incomes in appreciation.

34. Examine your electronic mail and social media at the least 60-90 minutes after you get up

Most individuals examine their electronic mail and social media instantly upon waking up. This places them in a reactive state for the rest of the day. As an alternative of residing life on their very own phrases, they’d somewhat reply to different individuals’s agendas.

Therefore, the significance of getting a stable morning routine. While you get up and put your self, not different individuals first, you place your self to win earlier than you ever start enjoying.“Non-public victory at all times precedes public victory.” –Stephen Covey

Make the primary few hours of your morning about you, to be able to be the most effective you'll be able to for different individuals. My morning routine consists of prayer, journal writing, listening to audiobooks and podcasts whereas I exercise, and taking a chilly bathe.

After I’ve had an epic morning, and I’m clear on the course of my day, I can make the most of electronic mail and social media for my profit somewhat than detriment.

35. Make a number of radical adjustments to your life annually

Reinvent your self yearly. Novelty is an antidote to monotony. Bounce into new pursuits and relationships.

Attempt belongings you’ve by no means achieved earlier than.

Take dangers.

Have extra enjoyable.

Pursue large belongings you’ve been procrastinating for years.

Up to now 12 months, my spouse and I went from having no children to having three foster children (ages 4, 6, and eight). I’ve began running a blog. I give up my job and began writing full-time. I utterly modified my weight loss plan. I’ve modified my complete each day routine.

With out query, this 12 months has been probably the most transformative 12 months of my life. It’s taught me you can change your complete life in a single 12 months. I plan on altering my complete life for the higher yearly.

36. Outline what wealth and happiness imply to you

“Be every part to all people and also you’ll be nothing for your self.”—John Rushton

No two human beings are the identical. So why ought to we've one customary of success? Looking for society’s customary of success is an limitless rat-race. There'll at all times be somebody higher than you. You’ll by no means have the time to do every part.

As an alternative, you acknowledge that each choice has alternative value. While you select one factor, you concurrently don’t select a number of others. And that’s okay. Really, it’s stunning as a result of we get to decide on our final ultimate. We should outline success, wealth, and happiness in our personal phrases as a result of if we don’t, society will for us—and we'll at all times fall brief. We’ll at all times be left wanting. We’ll at all times be caught evaluating ourselves and competing with different individuals. Our lives might be an limitless race for the following smartest thing. We’ll by no means expertise contentment.

37. Change the way in which you suppose, really feel, and act about cash

Most individuals have an unhealthy relationship with cash. It’s not essentially their fault; it’s what they had been taught.

To be able to change your monetary world, it is advisable alter your paradigm and emotions about cash.

Listed below are some key beliefs probably the most profitable individuals on the planet have:

In a free-market economic system, anybody could make as a lot cash as they need.

Your background, highest degree of schooling, or IQ is irrelevant in the case of incomes cash.

The larger the issue you remedy, the extra money you make.

Count on to make a number of cash. Assume BIG: $100,000, $500,000, or why not $1 million?

What you deal with expands. If you happen to imagine in shortage, you’ll have little.

If you happen to imagine there's limitless abundance, you’ll entice abundance.

While you create unimaginable worth for others, you've gotten the suitable to make as a lot cash as you need.

You’re not going to be found, saved, or made wealthy by another person. If you wish to achieve success, it's a must to construct it your self.

While you develop a wholesome relationship, you'll have extra. You gained’t spend cash on the crap most individuals waste their cash on. You’ll focus extra on worth than value.

38. Make investments solely in industries you might be knowledgeable about

Warren Buffett doesn’t spend money on expertise as a result of he doesn’t perceive it. As an alternative, he invests in banking and insurance coverage. He’s not a tech man. He invests in what he understands.

But, so many individuals spend money on issues they don’t perceive. I’ve made that mistake. I as soon as invested a number of thousand {dollars} in an abroad rice distribution. Though the funding sounded unimaginable on paper, it’s turned out to be a catastrophe.

I didn’t have the understanding to make an knowledgeable choice. I put my belief in another person’s fingers. And nobody cares about your success greater than you do.

Any more, I’m going to responsibly spend money on issues I could make knowledgeable choices on.

39. Create an automatic revenue supply that takes care of the basics

We stay in unprecedented occasions. It has by no means been simpler to create automated revenue streams. Irrespective of your skill-set and pursuits, you'll be able to put a enterprise in place that runs 24/7 even when you’re sleeping, sitting on the seaside, or enjoying together with your children.

An entrepreneur is somebody who works for a number of years like nobody will to allow them to stay the remainder of their life like nobody else can.

If you wish to liberate your time and power for the issues that matter most, both spend money on stuff you’re knowledgeable on (e.g., actual property, companies, mutual funds), or, create a enterprise that doesn’t require you (e.g., create a web-based academic course about one thing you’re obsessed with).

40. Have a number of revenue streams (the extra the higher)

Most individuals’s revenue comes from the identical supply. Nonetheless, most rich individuals’s revenue comes from a number of sources. I do know individuals with a whole lot of revenue streams coming in every month.

What would occur in the event you set issues up so that you had been getting revenue from 5 or 10 totally different locations every month?

What if a number of of these had been automated?

Once more, with a number of brief years of intentional and targeted work, you'll be able to have a number of revenue streams.

41. Observe at the least one behavior/habits you’re attempting to enhance

“When efficiency is measured, efficiency improves. When efficiency is measured and reported, the speed of enchancment accelerates.”—Thomas Monson

Monitoring is tough. If you happen to’ve tried it earlier than, likelihood is, you give up inside a number of days.

Analysis has repeatedly discovered that when habits is tracked and evaluated, it improves drastically.

It’s finest to trace just a few issues. Perhaps simply separately.

If you wish to monitor your weight loss plan, a enjoyable strategy is taking an image of every part you eat. Every little thing. This permits you the time to find out in the event you actually wish to put that in your physique.

So, your monitoring will be inventive. Do what works for you. Use a technique you'll truly do.

However begin monitoring. After you’ve made stable enchancment in your desired space and shaped new habits, begin monitoring one thing else.

42. Have not more than Three objects in your to-do checklist every day

While you shift your life from day-to-day reactivity to certainly one of creation and goal, your objectives turn out to be rather a lot greater. Consequently, your precedence checklist turns into smaller. As an alternative of doing one million issues poorly, the purpose turns into to do a number of issues extremely—or higher but, to do one factor higher than anybody else on the planet.“In case you have greater than three priorities, then you definitely don’t have any.” —Jim Collins

So, as an alternative of attempting to do one million small issues, what one or two issues would make the largest impression?

Dan Sullivan, founding father of Strategic Coach, explains that there are two economies: The Economic system of Onerous Work and The Economic system of Outcomes.

Some individuals suppose laborious work is the recipe. Others take into consideration probably the most environment friendly technique to get a desired outcome.

Tim Ferriss, in his e book, The 4-Hour Physique, explains what he calls Minimal Efficient Dose (MED), which is just the smallest dose that may yield a desired outcome and something previous the MED is wasteful. Water boils at 100°C at customary air stress—it isn't “extra boiled” in the event you add extra warmth.

What's the quickest technique to get your required end result?

43. Make your mattress very first thing within the morning

Based on psychological analysis, individuals who make their mattress within the morning are happier and extra profitable than those that don’t. If that’s not sufficient, right here’s extra:

71 % of mattress makers think about themselves pleased

Whereas 62 % of non-bed-makers are sad

Mattress makers are additionally extra prone to like their jobs, personal a house, train commonly, and really feel effectively rested

Whereas non-bed-makers hate their jobs, hire flats, keep away from the health club, and get up drained.

Loopy, proper?

One thing so easy. But, once you make your mattress very first thing within the morning, you knock-off your first accomplishment of the day. This places you in a mindset of “profitable.”

Do it! It solely takes 30 seconds.

44. Make one audacious request per week (what do it's a must to lose?)

“Rainmakers generate income by making asks. They ask for donations. They ask for contracts. They ask for offers. They ask for alternatives. They ask to fulfill with leaders or converse to them over the telephone. They ask for publicity. They provide you with concepts and ask for a couple of minutes of your time to pitch it. They ask for assist. Don’t let rainmaking deter you out of your dream. It’s one of many limitations to entry, and you'll overcome it. When you style the candy victory of a constructive response, you’ll not solely turn out to be snug with it, you may even take pleasure in it. However making asks is the one technique to carry your dream to life.”—Ben Arment

I obtained into graduate faculty means after purposes had been due as a result of I requested.

I’ve gotten free NBA tickets by asking a number of gamers I noticed at a resort.

I’ve gotten my work revealed on excessive tier shops as a result of I ask.

Only a few issues in life are simply randomly given to you as an grownup. Most often, it is advisable earn it and/or ask for it.

But, there are numerous alternatives at the moment obtainable to everybody if they'd muster the braveness and humility to ask.

The complete crowdfunding business is predicated on making asks.

Begin making daring and audacious asks. What’s the worst that would occur? They are saying “No”?

What’s the most effective that would occur?

While you don’t ask, you lose by default. And also you’ll by no means know the alternatives you missed out on.

Don’t promote your self brief. Ask that stunning lady on a date. Ask for that elevate or large alternative at work. Ask individuals to spend money on your concept.

Put your self on the market. You’ll be blown away by what occurs.

45. Be spontaneously beneficiant with a stranger at the least as soon as per 30 days

Life isn’t all about what you'll be able to obtain or purchase. It’s extra about who you turn out to be and what you contribute.

Apparently, analysis achieved at Yale has discovered that individuals are instinctively cooperative and beneficiant. Nonetheless, in the event you stall and take into consideration being useful or beneficiant, you’re much less prone to do it. And the longer you wait, the probability of you being useful diminishes.

So, be spontaneous. While you get the wild considered shopping for the particular person’s meals within the automotive behind you, simply do it. Don’t give it some thought.

If you happen to’re driving down the street and see somebody with automotive bother off to the facet, simply do it. Don’t give it some thought.

While you wish to say “I really like you,” to a cherished one, simply do it. Don’t give it some thought.

Paralysis by evaluation is dumb. And Malcolm Gladwell explains in Blink that snap-decisions are sometimes much better than well-thought out ones.

46. Write and place a brief, considerate notice for somebody as soon as per day

The messages of handwritten letters impression deeper and are remembered longer than digital messages. There isn't a comparability to this conventional type of dialog. Handwritten messages are so highly effective that folks typically preserve these notes for a very long time. Generally a lifetime.

Jack Canfield has taught that writing 3-5 handwritten notes per day will change your relationships. In our electronic mail world, it may appear inefficient to hand-write and mail a letter. However relationships aren’t about effectivity.

Not solely will handwriting letters change your relationships, it should change you. Analysis has proven that writing by hand will increase mind growth and cognition greater than typing can.

Consequently, the belongings you write might be seared into your personal reminiscence as effectively, permitting each you and the recipient to replicate again on cherished moments.

Writing handwritten notes spices up your relationships, including a component of enjoyable. It’s thrilling putting type and loving notes in random locations on your family members to search out. Put a notice beneath the windshield wipers of the one you love’s automotive to search out after a tough day’s’ work. Hidden, wait til they arrive out and watch them from throughout the road. You’ll see their eyes gentle up and smile unfold.

Different enjoyable locations embrace:

Within the fridge

Within the closet

On the pc keyboard

Of their shoe

Of their pockets

The mail field

Anyplace that makes the expertise a shock…

47. Turn out to be good associates together with your mother and father

Many individuals have horrible relationships with their mother and father. I as soon as did myself. Rising up will be powerful and typically are mother and father make horrible choices that negatively impression us.

Nonetheless, my mother and father have turn out to be my finest associates. They're my confidants. I flip to them for knowledge and recommendation. They perceive me like nobody else. Biology is a robust factor.

Though I don’t see issues the identical means my mother and father do, I really like them and respect their viewpoints. I really like figuring out with my dad and speaking about large concepts with my mother.

I couldn’t think about not being near them.

In case your mother and father are nonetheless round, rekindle these ties or improve the flame. You’ll discover monumental pleasure in these relationships.

48. Floss your tooth

About 50 % of People declare to floss each day. My guess is that’s a big over-estimate. Both means, the advantages of flossing are unimaginable.

Doing so each day prevents gum illness and tooth loss. Everybody will get plaque, and it may solely be eliminated by flossing or a deep cleansing out of your dentist. Plaque buildup can result in cavities, tooth decay, and gum illness. If left untreated, gum illness is usually a threat issue for coronary heart illness, diabetes, and a excessive physique mass index.

Sure, not flossing could make you fats.

Not solely that, however it tremendously reduces unhealthy breath.

49. Eat at the least one meal with your loved ones per day

If attainable, eat a sit-down meal together with your family members each day. It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

We’ve turn out to be so high-paced on the planet that every part we do is on the go. We’ve forgotten what it means to simply be with our family members.

Consuming collectively creates a way of neighborhood like nothing else.

Teenagers who've fewer than three household dinners per week are 3.5 occasions extra prone to have abused prescribed drugs and to have used unlawful medication aside from marijuana, 3 times extra prone to have used marijuana, greater than 2.5 occasions extra prone to have smoked cigarettes, and 1.5 occasions extra prone to have tried alcohol, based on the CASA report.

50. Spend time reflecting in your blessings at the least as soon as per day

Gratitude is the cure-all for all of the world’s issues. It has been referred to as, “the mom of all virtues,” by the Roman thinker Cicero.

While you follow gratitude, your world adjustments. There isn't a goal actuality. All individuals understand actuality as they selectively attend to issues which might be significant to them. Therefore, some individuals discover the great whereas others discover the unhealthy.

Gratitude is having an abundance mindset. While you suppose abundantly, the world is your oyster. There's limitless alternative and chance for you.

#selfimprovements SelfImprovementEveryday SelfImprovementsDaily selfimprovementcoach selfimprovementismydrug selfimprovementproject selfimpro

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Anime in America Podcast: Full Episode 3.33 Transcript

Now that virtual conventions have taken over out of necessity in 2020, the Anime in America podcast is back with a followup to episode 3. Read on for a full transcript!

The Anime in America series is available on crunchyroll.com, animeinamerica.com, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

EPISODE 3.33: You Can (Not) Attend

Guests: Mary Franklin, Adam Sheehan

Disclaimer: The following program contains language not suitable for all ages. Discretion advised.

[Lofi music]

So you may have noticed our convention episode left off on kind of an optimistic note about the future of anime conventions and… umm… yeah, some stuff has happened since then, so we’re adding a bonus episode to go over the massive transformation that has taken place in the convention landscape now that COVID-19 has made large gatherings inadvisable, against the backdrop of possibly the largest civil rights movement in American history, which I have to stress is more important than anime. Yeah, it’s been a year.

I’m Yedoye Travis, Black Lives Matter, and this is Anime in America.

[Lofi music]

Surprisingly, this episode might also end on an optimistic note, but this tectonic shift in conventions affects a lot of people, from the owners and operators of convention spaces, to the staff of anime conventions themselves, anime licensors, publishers, celebrities, dealers, independent artists, and yes your common anime fan.

[Voice echoing] In case you’re an alien listening to this podcast after its broadcast traveled the vast darkness of space to your solar system, probably only reaching you once the human race has already gone extinct so this doesn’t really matter anyway [echoing stops], I will just go ahead and recap the whole pandemic thing. Experts began warning that a virulent new strain of coronavirus, SARs-CoV-2, was rapidly spreading in late 2019 and developing into the disease COVID-19, which escalated to a worldwide pandemic in early 2020, finally resulting in a wave of national quarantine orders spanning the globe mostly beginning around March. So now that the aliens are caught up, let’s continue.

Needless to say, many event coordinators had been sweating since January which is where we’re gonna take a first look under the hood at the whole situation. Anime fans were growing nervous in February since many conventions had suddenly gone dark on social media, which is where we’ll start with an inside prospect courtesy of Crunchyroll’s own Mary Franklin and Adam Sheehan:

Franklin: I’m Mary Franklin, I am the Head of Events at Crunchyroll, and I’ve been here for a little over a year. My background is in fan passion events, I started at Lucasfilm in 2001, was there for 14 years working as Head of Events and Family Relations on shows like Star Wars Celebration and all the other great things Lucasfilm did. Then I went to ReedPop, launched Comicons in multiple countries, which was super exciting. And now I’m at Crunchyroll which, I’m here because I love the way Crunchyroll treats their fans, and that’s why I’m really excited to be creating events for anime fans here.

Sheehan: I’m Adam Sheehan, I’m the Director of Events over here at Crunchyroll, which of course I work for Mary doing all the cool stuff. I’ve been at Crunchyroll since 2015, my second day on the job was AX, well luckily I’d done before because I spent 10 years before that at Funimation, before that doing some anime card game stuff and travelling the country in a Dragonball Z hummer. But that’s a story for a different time. But overall, basically talking to fans, being a fan myself of anime for my whole life, and basically getting the chance to be getting into conventions since… I think our first con was in ‘96, I started working at cons in ‘97, it just was in our blood. Basically the best way to do cool things for the fandoms. And I loved anime, so it made a lot of sense and [I’m] extremely happy to be a part of the founding team that brought Crunchyroll Expo to life and really happy to continue to see where it’s going into the future.

Upcoming cons had stopped announcing new guests and panels, and stay at home orders were beginning to look like a certainty in the U.S., but the cons weren’t cancelling. Rest assured, the organizers of your favorite annual events were not trying to make off into the night with your early registration money. Many of them were just caught between a rock and a hard place.

Franklin: Well some of them, you just hope, you hope it’s going to get better, I think. They just hope. You just want, you work so hard, you worked all this time on the show, and you just want to do it, you’ve got everything lined up. With some, there’s the business reason, because if you cancel or the convention center cancels first, like who loses the money? There’s some kind of weighing those kinds of things. Like playing chicken with the convention center, who has to make the call first? So some of that. And yeah, I also think that states, I’m not trying to get political here, maybe I sound it, I think the direction in different states, too, is so different. Like here, it’s been very clear. Phase 4 events are not going to happen until X, Y, and Z. So you know, concerts, conventions, sporting events with fans, like this, this, and this have to happen. So we’ve had it pretty clear, with these things have to happen. Some states, it hasn’t been. At all. And yeah, I think that it’s much murkier for some of those event people to have to decide what they’re going to do.

Muddying the waters even further and, I can’t believe I even have to get into this on an anime podcast, is insurance. As of January 2020, most event cancellation insurance policies mysteriously changed their exclusions to include pandemics or diseases suspiciously similar to COVID-19. But even policies purchased well before this point often include language requiring either a state of emergency declaration by the state, or for the World Health Organization to declare the disease a pandemic before they’ll pay out, and obviously you can bet insurance companies will do their best not to pay out, regardless.

Since many states and counties were designating a state of emergency at different times thanks to a slow response on the federal level, cancelling before the requirements of your policy were met by outside forces entirely out of your control could mean a massive financial loss and so many conventions were forced to hold out the hope. They weren’t just sitting there with their finger hovering over a big red “CANCEL” button…

Sheehan: I forget how many stages of grief there are, something like that, like first it’s denial, then anger, and the exact order of them, I’m sure I didn’t go in order, but as online was like “oh, that’s a little rough, that one got cancelled.” We actually came back from C2E2 in Chicago and then quarantined ourself before the mass quarantine came out, because we’re like “oh, well let’s just be safe, let’s all go back to the office.” And then like a week later is when we got like “no, no, no. No one’s going back to the office.” This is only like a month or so, right? Like, we can sweat this out, no problem. No, no, no, this is for reals. When the first couple cons were cancelled, I forget which ones they were, it was like “oh my goodness, that one cancelled! Then that one cancelled, then that one cancelled.” And then after a while it was like now you’re expecting them to be cancelled or go virtual, or something along those lines. So it began with like “oh, this isn’t that big a deal, we’ll figure it out,” to “holy crap, holy crap. Holy crap.” To “okay, where do we pivot to, now? Because clearly this is going to be a bit.” So that was my passthrough of time, for dealing with that when I first heard about it.

Finally the cancellations of March conventions began to roll in and the writing was on the wall. Many of the major anime cons are between July and October and it was becoming increasingly clear that the situation wasn’t going to blow over by then. So organizers had to ask themselves… what now?

Well, turns out the answer was pretty obvious: The internet.

In what’s becoming a theme on this podcast, the first great steps in this brave new world of anime fandom were made by fans. The very first virtual anime convention was a fan run event called Anime Lockdown, a free 3-day convention from May 1st to May 3rd featuring mostly fan-submitted content but which pulled in some special guests, including voice actors Kyle Herbert and Veronica Taylor to hosts Q&As, as well as Discotek and Rightstuf to hold industry panels. DJ Obi-Wan Kenobi held a late night performance on Saturday and the con even featured its own Discord channel and a virtual dealers room and artist alley linking to the sites and social media of private artists. Honestly a pretty complete convention experience, all things considered.

The industry’s been quick to follow but this transition has caused some major discussions among companies that already technically do the things a digital con entails, like releasing hosted video content, watchalong streams, voice actor and staff interviews, online announcement events or, say, putting on an annual livestreamed award show? The question is figuring out how to distinguish a digital con from business as usual.

Sheehan: What’s the difference between an online promotion and a digital event? And it really came down to what we just thought we defined it as, not what everyone in the whole world is definitely decided as seeing, people defining as different things. It’s, if you’re just doing like a one-off, something that just lives in some spot, it’s a promoting one IP, it’s a promotion. If you’re doing a collection of stuff or basically a day of things or it’s a bigger, there’s a lot more tendrils to it, it’s an event. So it really comes down to like, the Anime Awards. That’s a virtual event, because basically it is a wake of multiple, it’s an award show, award shows are considered events. If I’m doing a promotion where I’m doing an interview with Japanese guests about Tower of God, and it’s just that, I would say that’s an online promotion. So it’s really kinda basically the scope, scale, and well quantity we’re putting out there online.

Definitions may vary by company, but they did pivot, with UK-based Anime Limited leading the charge on May 30th with Cloud Matsuri, an online convention with an impressive slate of guests from Studio Orange, Science Saru, and Polygon Pictures. During the convention they also showed off Screen Anime, a hybrid streaming service and film festival with a rotating roster of newly released and premiere anime films and series.

Funimation also announced their first convention of any kind, the digital Funimation Con which happened on 4th of July weekend back to back with Aniplex Online Fest. Each featuring a ton of headline musical guests with Funimation announcing a slate of dub voice actor panels and Aniplex featuring many of their biggest hits from the past few years.

Strangely, these two online events were scheduled during the same weekend that the biggest anime convention in the U.S., Anime Expo, held the free online version of their annual convention, dubbed Anime Expo Lite.

For those hoping this whole thing will blow over later in the year and maybe you can attend some late 2020 conventions in person. Bad news. Otakon will be going digital with Otakon Online and yes even Crunchyroll Expo will also be online this year.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but there are definitely advantages. While we’re missing out on the bustling in-person convention feel and the cosplay you painstakingly constructed will go unseen by all but those who pay for your OnlyFans, digital cons definitely have their advantages… beyond the whole not catching COVID thing.

[Lofi music]

FOMO is entirely nonexistent in 2020. You don’t have to carefully contemplate your vacation days or budgetary concerns to decide which cons you absolutely must attend, only to discover one of your favorite creators is attending a con that didn’t make the cut after you’ve already paid for your plane tickets. There are no plane tickets or hotel reservations whatsoever. While you’re missing out on the cool hotel room parties you’re definitely regularly invited to, not being around people also means dodging that dreaded con stink. Which is a phrase I invented, that is- people smell bad. At cons.

Basically there are trade-offs, but the most important question is: do these new digital conventions provide the same attractions? It goes without saying that conventions are both important to fans and a huge promotional tool for the industry so you can bet event organizers, publishers, licensors, and distributors are all heavily invested in some big solutions right now.

So things are kinda... hectic.

Franklin: I’m still kinda throwing spaghetti against the wall. I still haven’t gotten out of this spaghetti phase yet. Cause we were going to do, just one of the many things at the live event, like a Yuzu cafe that was really a cat adoption cafe. Like, for real. Yeah, figure out like how we do this virtually? And can we have a karaoke room where friends can get together and sing live, like just with their friends? Can we have this, or can we have- and we want games, and we want live DJs, and we want this and that, and so I’m still throwing spaghetti, I’m not past that yet.

Sheehan: Yeah, when we record this, probably at the end of May, and this is going to come up a lot later, the world might be sideways, upside down, and purple. But at the time of this, we’re still definitely in that blue sky world where we look at the team and we just go “here’s all the ideas. Let’s just go, let’s expand as wide as we can.” And then we’ll go “okay, what actually can we do?” We know we can’t do it all, but we basically have to at least look at everything and dream as big as possible, and then go to other companies that are doing this and say “hey, help us with this,” and they go “I can’t do exactly that, but I see what your goal is, and I can do this.” And we go that’s either better than what we were maybe thinking, or damn close and we can grow it to be down the road to be better, with some feedback. So blue sky moments are right now mostly what we’re working on and what we want to do and how we want to grow it. But basically the general junky part which is the “what about this, or what about this?” Basically like with the previous spaghetti reference we’re basically in Italy, going mad.

Conventions aren’t just panels, dealer halls, and getting drunk in hotel rooms. They're cafes, gaming areas, meetups, quiet rooms, screening rooms, artist alleys, a pool full of plushies you can dive into… A lot of little things that all make up the convention experience. The smallest details are being looked at for ways they can be made into a virtual experience, even if it’s just navigating a packed convention center or spotting a cosplay of a character that you like in the hotel lobby.

Sheehan: I thought it was awesome. Lot of love for Fanime around here, clearly. I saw like people basically moved to making groups, chats, and sharing different stuff, obviously. Someone I think created Fanime on an Animal Crossing island, so you basically visit the artists alley room. I know someone in Minecraft who created the hotel for Anime Central. So basically, there’s people out there like, they have this energy and they want us to be their friends and it’s either user created or it’s the convention creating the sets. And like, we probably can’t do much now, but please come and just feel a little bit of this, like this weekend. So we’re seeing them trying to say “we’re sorry, we know it’s not our fault, but we’re sorry that you can’t be here this weekend, but let’s try to do something together special to just remember this weekend, and we cannot wait again to see you until next year.”

Franklin: We want to make ours more like, a little more like feeling like your in a physical event space with friends. Like, we really want to have friends be able to choose to chat with each other so like they can go around the convention with their friends to go to a panel, leave the panel, go to the art show, leave the art show, go back to the panel, you know, do different things. So for us, an event is going to have different aspects, like you would find at a show floor. Like exhibitors in the exhibit hall, artists in the artists alley, panels and screenings and premieres in the theater area. Like that. And how it’s exactly going to look, visually, we’re still working on that. We don’t know.

Discord channels to hang out in and chat with your friends, virtual hotel lobbies made of blocks, and even custom Animal Crossing outfits instead of free posters and those branded drawstring bags. Conventions are undergoing a digital renaissance as organizers deconstruct all the individual elements that make live events so attractive and find new ways to deliver them. It’s tumultuous but to a lot of people on the ground floor it’s also very exciting.

Sheehan: But so the day-to-day has really just been switching also gears from “we are an expert in this, we’ve all done this, we have a great team for this, we’ve been doing this for a long, long time. We know how to do this.” Now we’re getting thrown a huge wrench of things we don’t know that’s changing every day. So as Mary mentioned on research, we’re looking into a lot of stuff where we know how to project manage, which is basically events where project managers would’ve gone to a lot. We could’ve woken up and just been like “the show’s happening, whether we like it or not. Just get it done, one way or another.” We’re basically cool with that, and we have the wonderful teams and people at Crunchyroll as wonderful assets for content for all the things like that. So we’re used to leaning on them to get promotions and pieces. Instead of setting up a photo op in a booth, how do I do something like that on digital is where we’re learning stuff. So a lot of our day-to-day’s been a mix of talking to companies to basically get what we need onboarded properly; research, research, research, which is- harkens back to when we first did CRX, I know I spent at least a year looking at other conventions and saying “what are they doing differently? What do we want to do?” I remember when I first walked into Blizzcon going “AHHH! This has got some cool things here that no one else is doing.” And basically taking some of those ideas of what we wanted to build down to CRX down the road kind of moment. So the data has changed in those areas, at least.

Franklin: Yeah, and we have such a good team. The Events team has been so flexible, they’ve been willing to jump in and research ideas that at first some of them just seemed completely nuts, and now actually, they’re making them happen.

Sheehan: They’re still completely nuts, but doable.

Franklin: Yeah. They’re making them happen.

[Lofi music]

Obviously the most important aspect of any convention, however, is the Japanese guests. Creators and voice actors that worked on our favorite shows coming in to share their thoughts, conduct interviews, and obviously sign a lot of shit. Or even taking a step back from that, how are you gonna stream a celebrity into an event? Ask them to set up a webcam in their living room with their home internet connection? Well, this has struck up some intense back and forth over the Pacific and turns out other countries actually have very good broadband.

Sheehan: From the ones we have been talking so far about this, because you know it’s still early on with talking about this, and we’re going to be talking to a good chunk of them about switching from being physical guests to virtual guests. A lot of them are feeling, because of the situation going on, better. They were worried about travelling over to the States for a multitude of different reasons. And when we said “hey, no, you can stay right there, we’ll bring it to you,” and not only was it the guests, but it was like “oh, wow, that’s great. I feel much safer.” It was also the agencies, the licensors, and everyone else said “I still want a way to promote your brand, can we bring some awesome content to the fans? But basically you can stay right there in the States.” And they were like “oh, cool.” So they care a lot more about getting a lot more details about what you’re thinking about, because they also- luckily enough we’ve worked with a lot of these companies before. They know when we do something it’s like, I don’t know what to expect from Company A, but Crunchyroll’s going to try something that’s really cool or different, I better get some more details. So because of that, basically they’re asking a lot of questions about it. But once we normally answer generally about like “here’s what we’re thinking about like what we should do, here’s how we’re going to pull it off, here’s the tech side of it,” they normally start going “oh, that’s really cool. Okay, cool, let’s keep doing it, let’s keep going.” So overall it’s been relief, then excited.

Franklin: Yeah, and I think we might end up being able to get a bigger variety of guests because, like you know say we’re talking to a studio about a new show. And maybe all we can afford to bring over like with all the travel and everything is maybe like two voice actors and an artist, which I mean is great, but now like we have the option of you know maybe we can talk to more voice actors, director, more artists! We have actually the ability to maybe get more people involved from each studio, which I think could really add to the programming. Maybe in the future, too, like you think about when we go back to live events and we bring over two or three of the cast and crew from a show, and they can be joined virtually by some other people for a panel. That’s something that maybe could work well.

Sheehan: Yeah, yeah, I think this is basically in a good way, I think that technology is going to- high tides raise all ships kind of thing where basically it’s going to be a certain we get used to and then they’re going to start demanding some aspect of virtual like that, too. I’m not sure if they’re quite going to be like “and here’s a hologram of Hayao Miyazaki, basically hi-fiving Tim” before that, quite yet, but I mean there might be some kind of element basically ties Tim in, too. And it’s funny how fast this has come along. I can’t- I think it was only two years ago, or maybe three, max, basically ComicCon they were like, they had to bring in Steven Spielberg, who was on set somewhere in the desert. So Hall H at San Diego ComicCon, live video between the two. And it was like the biggest news, like they got Speilberg, but he’s not really in the building. And I’m like, and that’s not 2005, I’m talking like 2017 or 2018, and it’s like, now they’re like “yeah, of course you did, that’s just what you do.” I’m doing that right now, just- it’s not that hard. But it’s amazing with how fast we’re growing the tech and what expectations of it are now. So I expect and I think we can expect this is that this is just going to be a part of the- the good part of the new normal.

Franklin: We did a live Q&A with Hayden Christensen for Star Wars Episode II or III, I can’t remember, he wasn’t there. I think it was Episode II. And- cause that was a long time ago, that was 2002. And so we had people in the audience asking questions and had him remote on set somewhere, and I just remember the tremendous amount of work we had to do for that at that time. I mean, that was just, that was such a major undertaking to make that work live. And I think that he was in Australia, actually, shooting. And it was just huge, and now it’s just all ready, it’s just, still evolving, but it’s already so much simpler.

Some growing pains are inevitable, but in the present we might be able to look forward to an even greater diversity of guests without the cost and effort of putting everyone on two 12-hour flights. Plus, I dunno about you, but a lot of them are probably looking at more free time than they’re used to having, leaving them with some room to jump on a Zoom call for a couple of hours.

One day it may be safe to stand less than six feet away from another human being. Who knows? But the work that’s being done right now could revolutionize the way we do conventions in the long term. Cause If we’ve learned anything in the past few months, it’s that we are all way more accessible than we thought we were, so the thought of having a guest call in from 5,300 miles away and then streaming that panel to viewers in space or wherever the fuck doesn’t seem so farfetched. I am recording this podcast on Zoom.

Franklin: Another good part of this is that when we go back to physical events, which I believe we will, because people like to get together, when we go back we’re going to have new tools that we didn’t have before. And we’re going to be able to combine them with live events and reach more people around the world, which that’s a good thing. And I’ve said it to the team, we should probably have been looking into these things before this [Chuckling], but it’s making us- it’s making us do it now, so we’ve ramped the game up.

Sheehan: Yeah, looking at the upside of all this and seeing the situation that’s going on in the world is that basically we are all, events and beyond, being forced to do things and think of things that we’re like “I’ll put that off ‘til later.” There is no “later,” there is only now. And because of that, basically I think that I think that when events come back, are going to be stronger because of the virtual ones. But the hunger for the virtual ones will not go away, because I remember seeing many surveys over the years asking people, not at conventions, just asking people through surveys out there like “how would you love to be at a convention?” And like 80, 90% of them were. “How many people basically have ever been to a convention, or had access to a convention?” It’s like 20%. So there’s a gap. So basically with the excitement, we’re going to figure out making a virtual Crunchyroll Expo and virtual events in other areas, because you really sell folks on the point of this is to add to the physical events in the future, because not all will be able to say “hey, we actually have some things you can interact with, maybe like AR-style,” or whatever it’s going to be in the future. Basically actually going to a physical event. But also if you can’t be here, you can still be here. And that’s what it really comes down to is we love connecting the fans definitely face-to-face, but if you can’t be here and just want to connect somehow, I think everything’s going to ramp up now to be more [so] virtual feels less like a screen, and more like actual conversation or a connection. Because we’re going to be training ourselves to be doing that over this coming times.

Conventions going digital means that not only can corporations like Viz continue selling their products, but attendees also don’t have to make a huge financial investment just to get into a physical space where, for lack of a better phrase, they get to shop. Conventions are shopping. Technology helps level the playing field both financially and physically so, especially in a time when people are more acutely aware of the pitfalls of capitalism as an economic system, the move to digital means that within this dual economic structure, everybody can benefit. So it’s positive. I did it! It’s done.

So sit tight with a slightly more relaxed convention season in 2020 and look forward to what new things 2021 will have to show us. In the meantime, stay safe and wear your goddamn mask… I don’t know what else to tell you.

[Lofi music]

Thanks for Listening to Anime in America presented by Crunchyroll. If you enjoyed this, please rate us and share this podcast with a friend. Also check out CrunchyrollExpo.com to learn more about Virtual CRX happening September 4-6.

Special thanks to Mary Franklin and Adam Sheehan for giving us their insights.

This episode is hosted by me, Yedoye Travis and you can find me on Instagram at ProfessorDoye, and Twitter @YedoyeOT, if you want. Researched and written by me and Peter Fobian, edited by Chris Lightbody, and produced by me, Braith Miller, Peter Fobian, and Jesse Gouldsbury.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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imjustthemechanic · 7 years

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The Stone Knight

Part 1/? - Two Statues Part 2/? - A Curious Interview Part 3/? - John Doe Part 4/? - Escape Attempt Part 5/? - Making the News Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - More Impossible Part 8/? - The Shield Thieves Part 9/? - Reality Sinks In Part 10/? - Preparing a Quest Part 11/? - The Marvelous History of Sir Stephen Part 12/? - Uninvited Guests Part 13/? - So That’s What It Does Part 14/? - The What and the Where Part 15/? - Gearing Up

Ain’t no party like a party with Black Widow’s personal arsenal.

That was a terribly awkward spot in the conversation, so it was a relief on multiple levels when Sir Stephen suddenly shouted, “this is it!”

Everybody looked up to see Sir Stephen burst out of the library room with the book in his hands. There were a few of the post-its sticking out of the pages, but he ignored them all as he set it down on Sue's desk and reverently unfolded one of the big maps. It depicted an ellipse with eight extant stones and dotted outlines to show where Lau's expedition had found evidence of four more that were now gone. The one that had once been at the focus had fallen down and broken in two, and another dotted line showed where Lau believed the one across from it on the long axis had once been much bigger.

Everybody crowded around to look, and Natasha read off the caption. “L'anneau à Cracnesse, sur l'île de Flotta.” The Ring at Kracness, on the island of Flotta.

Carter was already typing it in to google. “Okay... according to Wikipedia, Kracness Henge on the island of Flotta is one of the oldest known stone circles in the British Isles. It is believed to date from around 3500 BC, making it a thousand years older than the pyramids at Gizeh. The henge forms part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, and is looked after by Historic Scotland as a scheduled monument.” She looked at Nat. “Meaning nobody's allowed to dig it up.”

“Meaning you need permission to dig it up,” Nat corrected. “So if the Grail's buried there and they try, we can have them arrested.” How well that would work when the offenders were a kobold and a resurrected sorcerer, she was not entirely sure, and the others looked likewise dubious. “We have to assume that if we can find this, they can, too, so in order to be there ahead of them we'd better get going.”

“Should we not seek permission to be there?” asked Sir Stephen.

“Nah,” said Nat. “That takes months.”

Knowing Sue would be upset if it were left lying around, Natasha carefully put the book in the 'to be shelved' basket under the library table before they left. As they descended in the elevator back to the ground floor, Dr. Wilson cleared his throat.

“Not to be that guy,” he said. “But if we're not actually allowed to dig the Grail up, how are we gonna make sure Totenkopf doesn't get his hands on it.”

“By killing him,” said Sir Stephen grimly.

“Oh? That easy, is it?” asked Dr. Wilson.

“If it is true, in any sense, that we were both turned to stone, then our duel is unfinished,” said Sir Stephen. “I have my doubts whether there is any shred of honour in the man, but if there is, he will want to finish it as much as I.”

“That could be a problem when your sword's still in an evidence locker in Inverness,” DI Carter realized. “They'll have set all that aside while they try to figure out what the hell went on in that room.”

“Then we'll just have to get them out,” Natasha decided, “and the rest of us will have to arm ourselves, too.” She considered her companions. “Dr. Wilson, you were in the military. You must know how to handle a firearm. Carter obviously has her service weapon, and I've got some stuff stashed away at my place. But Sir Stephen's gonna need his own stuff.” She didn't doubt he would be a quick study with a gun, but he might be a little too eager for anybody else's tastes.

“How are we going to get it?” asked DI Carter as the elevator doors opened. “We can't just walk in here and ask for it. I seem to remember a conversation about how not even the Queen can do that.”

“I'm a Russian spy, remember?” asked Nat, deliberately doing a stagey, exaggerated accent. “I'll get the shield before we leave here, and the rest of the gear in Inverness.” They headed out to the car park.

Rushman cleared his throat. “I can shoot,” he said. “I go duck hunting, remem... I mean. I go duck hunting,” he repeated.

It occurred to Natasha that in the alternate reality that existed in this man's head, he might very well have been the one who taught her to use a gun. Had the two of them bonded by sitting in blinds together on rainy days, sharing hot chocolate and body heat while they waited for a bird to get within range? The mental picture was wistfully sweet, at the same time as it made Nat shudder – if she thought like that too much, she was going to start believing in it. That was the reason people preferred the beautiful lies, after all. They were just so much more comfortable than the ugly truths hiding behind them.

Anyway, so long as there was a ghost of a chance that Zola either was Rushman or had created him to mess with her, Nat wasn't going to trust him with a gun. “We'll see,” she said.

Getting Sir Stephen's shield was no problem at all. After Dr. Hughes had left for the evening, Nat simply slipped into her lab, picked a couple of locks, and slid it out of the safe. It was wrapped in plastic to keep it from being contaminated by other sources of DNA, and for a moment Nat felt a pang of regret. She'd wanted to be done with things like destroying evidence and hiding the truth, and yet here she was, doing exactly that, even if not quite for the reasons she might once have. Maybe if she thought of it as serving the concept of truth rather than any one truth in particular. After all, at the rate they were going, it might not be long before 'truth' didn't even mean anything anymore.

She unwrapped the plastic. The stone replica of the shield that had appeared as part of the statue had been huge and thick and looked like it must weigh a ton. The real thing, though of the same dimensions, was feather-light. Its leather skin had been painted blue and white, with a star in the center. Silver-plated rivets around the edge and an embellished boss in the centre, both just barely beginning to tarnish, held the leather in place, and on the back were the two straps for the bearer's arm, fixed to a wooden strut. The sagas, Nat recalled, described shields like this as being made from linden wood. Was this one, or had the Lady of the Lake provided Sir Stephen with something else altogether?

Before she left the Life Sciences building, Natasha did one more thing. She stopped by the office to slide something into Dr. Hughes' mail slot – a bubble envelope containing two swabs with DNA samples, and a short note asking for a paternity test. At this point is was a little hard to believe that science would actually have any answers for her, but part of an answer would do.

Back at the car where the others were waiting, Natasha presented the shield to Sir Stephen. It felt like an oddly ceremonial moment, standing there with this medieval object in her hands – an impression that was only reinforced when Sir Stephen reached out hungrily for it, then held it at arm's length to look at as thought it were a long-lost love.

“Thank you,” he said gravely, and put it on his arm.

Nat did a bit of a double-take, as if she had to check and make sure that he was still dressed in a t-shirt and jeans that belonged to Dr. Wilson, still had a little bald patch where the surgeons at Raigmore had sewn up the gash in his face. He was, and he did, and yet for some reason it didn't matter. With that shield on his arm, Sir Stephen of Rogsey was a warrior.

“Next stop, Six Burnett Road,” said DI Carter as they climbed into the car. “I'm really not looking forward to submitting my case reporton all this.”

“Not quite yet,” said Nat. “I told you, we've gotta stop by my place first.

“Are you all right with coming along?” Dr. Wilson asked Rushman. “You didn't exactly sign up for this, and I have a feeling we're about to break some laws we didn't even know existed.”

Rushman shrugged. “If I don't exist, they'll have a hard time prosecuting me,” he pointed out.

“I guess that's one way to look at it,” Dr. Wilson agreed, but it was hard to say whether he were interpreting the statement as a joke – or indeed, if Rushman had meant it as one.

Natasha's flat could be entered directly from the street, which was a major part of the reason she'd chosen it – it facilitated getting in and out at odd hours of the night without disturbing the neighbours. It was certainly useful now, when she wouldn't have wanted to explain why she, normally a loner, had four people with her. She tuned on the light, revealing a very ordinary-looking kitchen with a bouquet of dusty fake daffodils on the table and a slightly shabby poster of Degas' La Classe de Danse on the wall. She leaned over the sink to shut the blinds, then turned to pull the fridge out from the wall and reveal the hidden compartment behind it.

“Need some help with that?” Rushman asked.

“No,” said Nat. She got it out, unplugged it, and opened the hidden door to reveal a row of meticulously maintained Soviet assault rifles.

“I'm, uh, guessing you don't have a license for those,” DI Carter observed, as Nat began pulling things out.

“You can arrest me later,” Nat promised. She handed the first rifle to Dr. Wilson, who immediately began checking it – his military training made it as natural as breathing. Natasha nodded approvingly and grabbed a second weapon for Carter.

“Is all that really necessary?” asked Rushman, watching with wide eyes. He must be wondering what on earth his little girl had gotten herself into.

“We're in a race against time with a guy who can blow up a building with his mind,” Natasha replied. “I don't think there's such a thing as over-prepared.” She grabbed a third weapon for herself, then a fourth just in case one got damaged, and began piling up boxes of ammunition. “I've got a red and black sports back in the bedroom closet tha's got a plce for these,” she said. “Somebody wanna go find it for me?”

“I know the one you mean,” said Rushman. “I'll get it.”

“It's the door on the...” Nat began, but he'd already left the room, as if he knew exactly where he was going. A moment later he was back with the bag in his hands. He'd known exactly where it was, she thought. Of course he had, he'd been here before. That was what Nat had told people when she'd taken the flat, that she didn't need help because her father was flying over with her stuff.

“Thanks,” she said. Nat unzipped the bag and opened the pockets she'd sewn into the bottom to hold weapons and ammo. “You guys can have something to eat if you want. I'm gonna pack a few other things before we head out.” Who knew when, or if, she'd be back again?

“What kind of other things?” Carter asked suspiciously.

“Clothes,” said Natasha dryly. “Toothpaste. Tampons. That kind of thing.”

“Ah.” Carter nodded, both relieved and disappointed.

Natasha did her packing, trying to keep in mind that even in the summer the Orkney Islands were likely to be cold and stormy. As she did she began to be able to smell something... onions? Puzzled, she peeked around the corner into the kitchen, and found that somebody had pushed the fridge back into place, and now Rushman had pasta on the stove and Dr. Wilson was cutting up vegetables.

“You're cooking?” asked Nat.

Rushman smiled at her. “I figured I might as well do something useful,” he said. “Do you like spaghetti?”

The hopeful way he said it made her want to grit her teeth. He wanted her to like spaghetti, because he was looking for something in her of the daughter he remembered.

“It depends on the spaghetti,” said Nat. “I'll give it a try. Let me wash my hands and I'll be right in to help.” Getting directly involved would be the easiest way to make sure she could intervene if it turned out to be a plot to poison them or something. As was washing her hands, for that matter – Nat kept her poisons under the bathroom sink, and she wanted to make sure they hadn't been touched.

They hadn't, and as Nat closed the cupboard and got up again, she could hear Rushman talking in the kitchen.

“I had no idea how to cook when I was younger,” he admitted. “After Kathy got sick, I got to realize that Nat and I couldn't have McDonald's every night, so I actually went and took a cooking course at night school, just so I could get it right.”

Natasha turned on the faucet to drown out the voices, and stared in the mirror as she washed her hands. Rushman did look like he could be her father, she thought. The two of them had the same blue eyes, the same eyebrows, the same chin. It made her wonder which was worse: the idea that this was all a conscious lie before he betrayed them, or that he really did have this entire lifetime in his head that had never happened, in which he could show up in Natasha's office and say hi, Ginger Snap, and she would run into his arms.

In the end she couldn't decide. Both, in their own way, were equally terrifying.

#fanfic #black widow #natasha romanov #captain america #steve rogers #falcon #sam wilson #agent 13 #sharon carter

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work-hard-pray-harder · 7 years

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Surviving the UCAS process

Finishing year 12/ starting year 13, half way through A levels, and now you have to start applying for uni. It is stressful. It does get you worried, but it’s okay once it’s over.

UCAS process

Make an account

Produce application

Send off internally

Send to UCAS

Send to uni

Interview (Maybe)

Acceptances

Choose your uni

Overall tips

Get it done quickly- Get your application done as soon as possible. When I did mine, it had to be sent back twice, meaning it was at the back of the queue and it took ages to be sent to UCAS. This stressed me out so much, so if possible, submit it to your school as soon as possible.

Add qualifications you haven’t got yet- As I said, some of mine were sent back, and that was because I only put in the qualifications I had already attained. Make sure you add in the subjects you’re doing now, with the date you’ll finish them, and just don’t put a grade in the box. We were never told that and it wasted a lot of time for me.

Use your teachers- Your form tutor, and all your subject teachers will be writing you a reference, so talk to them. If you’re planning on doing one of their subjects, tell them, and ask them to say something about how interested you are in the subject. Even if you don’t seem it, most teachers will exaggerate to help you with this. They want you to get into uni.

Negotiate your predicted grades- If you need your predicted grades higher than what you’re being given, go ask them to increase it. Show your teachers evidence that you deserve a better predicted grade, and I’m sure they will do something to help.

Ask for help- If there is anything you don’t understand, ask someone. The staff at your school have probably done this every year for a long time, so they know more than you.

Trust your school- I know when others from different schools have got 4 offers and an interview, and yours hasn’t even gone off to UCAS, you begin to feel as though your school are messing up, but chances are, they know what they’re doing. As I said before, they’re fine, so don’t worry. If they’re taking their time, don’t worry, but also trust them to tell them when they’re doing something wrong. Tell them if they’ve screwed up and trust them to fix it.

Stress out- I can sit here and tell you to relax, calm down, chill out. It doesn’t work. I can tell you to stop refreshing that UCAS application page every day until it gets sent through, only to do the same with UCAS track. It doesn’t work. If you want to look at it every day, go ahead. If you need to have your moments of panic, that’s okay too. Just remember, everyone else is stressed out too. It’s normal, and it’s okay. You don’t have to hide it because others tell you it’s not such a big deal

Personal statements

They don’t matter all that much. You’re going to spend up to 2 months stressing about what to write, how to write it, looking at a thesaurus more in that short time than ever in your life. And then you realise it wasn’t that important. But, you will write it a hundred times, cry at 3am, and you will stress, so here are some tips to make it a little easier for you.

Overwrite- When you do a personal statement, you have a character count, and a line count. (I can’t remember the character count, but I think it’s 47 lines long) Everyone always wants to know if it’s best to write a minimum and fluff it up, or overwrite and take out later. It’s definitely better to overwrite and take out later. If you get everything you want to say, professional and precise, and then you have to start adding words, it’s awful. It’s much better to write loads then take out the irrelevant stuff.

The golden ratio- I’ve seen loads of people talk about the ratio of academics to extra curricular detail, and it’s often 60:40, so there is a slight majority focused on academics. From what I’ve found, this isn’t that important. In my personal statement, I had about 1 or 2 sentences about hobbies and stuff, and I got into all 5 choices for uni.

Talking about extracurricular- Be concise and specific. I focused on talking about my work experience, in terms of how it will help my degree, and I talked about specific books/films/documentaries that I read that also would link to my degree.

Talking about hobbies- Don’t go into detail. They don’t really care what your hobbies, and so no matter what you say, or how little you say, will be more than enough. If you do talk about hobbies, explain what they do to enhance your life (E.g football has made me a team player/ E.g cooking has given me a chance to be independent/ E.g singing has helped to increase my confidence around others) As long as you put something, it’s good enough.

‘Over-exaggerate’ your achievements- When I say over-exaggerate, I wouldn’t say lie. Don’t say that you got an award in XYZ if you didn’t. First of all, I just don’t like lying, but even if you’re okay with that, you never know when they’ll catch you out. Instead, talk about things that you have done, and just really sell them as important. For example, talk about how you recently (in year 9) played 10 netball matches for your school. Talk about how you tutored some younger students in their GCSEs, whilst doing your AS. (No one needs to know that it was your little sister and her mates) As long as you can back it up, with truth and evidence, you can add it in.

It’s yours. No one else’s- As you see it, it is a personal statement. You should have it how you want it, allowing it to represent you in the way you want it to. If your angle is your love for learning, talk about it. If you want to write, showing what a good personality you are, go for it. Your teachers will give you advice and adjustments. Take them into mind, but remember, they have one structure; who’s to say it’s the only right one? I didn’t take all the advice given, and I was fine. So yes, if something is factually incorrect, or misspelled, take advice, but don’t change everything that makes it personal.

Predicted grades

What are they?- These are the grades sent by your school to the university, telling them what they expect you to get. From my experience, they are usually higher that what you’re actually predicted. A lot of my subjects sent my ‘predicted grade’ at least one grade higher than what they’d put as my predicted grade on my reports. These help the unis to see which students are the most likely to meet the entry requirements.

They are very important- I really think they might be the most important factor in determining whether you get accepted into in or not. Of course, your personal statement is important too, but a great set of grades will always speak louder than a good personal statement. Therefore, look at your grades. If most of your hope is on your personal statement, I would think again. I was predicted A*AAB and so I got into all my unis despite very little extracurricular or work experience. They are more important than actual grades. The uni wants your money, so as long as you get accepted, I think you’re 90% there. They’re likely to accept you if you miss out on a grade or so in your real exams as you’re already there and they’re already getting their money.

Get them as high as possible- As I said, predicted grades are very important, so whatever you do, get them high. This can be done in so many ways. Maybe you can negotiate them, maybe you can’t. I already talked about negotiating grades above, so I’ll focus on other ways. My predicted grades were calculated heavily based on how well I did in my trial exams in January, so I knew, more than anything, I had to take these seriously. If your other grades are high, that helps too, but I knew that these were as important as my real exams, so I pushed myself. If you can do that, give your everything for these mocks, you will be rewarded.

Use them as a guide- When you’re applying to uni, you need to know your limits. For example, if you know your predicted grades are CCC, you shouldn’t look at unis with AAB, because that’s highly unlikely to work out. Make sure you therefore can use your predicted grades for this Therefore, if you can, find out what they will be as soon as possible. I was sure mine would be all Bs, so I applied to some unis, and then I found out last minute they were so much higher and I had to change my choices the day before sending off my application. Stressful

They are only a rough guide- While you take them into a guide of what uni you should apply to, don’t stick to it completely. Try a uni with slightly higher grades, and definitely go for lower unis if that’s what you want. My advice was to always choose 3 unis that want your grades, 1 uni a bit higher, and 1 uni a bit lower. That way, you can always aspire for higher but also have something to rely on if you don’t end up doing as well as you’d hoped.

Interviews

Clothes- Your clothes aren’t that important. People always stress out about what they will wear, but honestly, it’s not that important. If you’re dressed moderately smart and neatly, probably what you would wear to sixth form, you’ll be fine. Avoid joggers and hoodies, and I wouldn’t go for anything that looks too ‘clubwear’ but other than that, don’t worry. Most people I know go to interviews in the same clothes they would wear for an open day, so don’t worry.

Subject knowledge- Go with knowledge. Make sure you have enough to show that you are interested in the subject. Ensure you know a few basics on the course, and also what’s on your course. Look through the course spec and pick something that you’re really interested in doing so you can talk about it. For example, doing genetics, you could talk about how you’re looking forward to epigenetics and stuff like that. However, my sister was never really asked about anything. She was more asked why she wanted to do the subject and why she picked a specific uni.

You don’t have to be a genius- So many people read up on everything possible in their subject, but that’s not needed. As long as you show you’re interested and you have some basic knowledge, that’s fine. My teacher had an interview for Oxford (Maybe Cambridge) and they asked him a question, which he had know idea on. He simply answered ‘I don’t know. How?’ From that, he got a whole explanation for an hour; showed off his interest, and consequently was given an offer for uni. So don’t worry if you’re not an expert in the subject, just go, do your best, and ask questions.

Personality- This is going to be important. The university already know how smart and intellectual you are, and they already like you. Now they want to see that you’d be a good fit in their school. They want you to show them how much of an asset you as a person will be. So be yourself, but put your best self forward. Don’t be too formal, relax, and be confident.

Offers

Conditional offers- These are (like in the name) offers given to you on the condition that you achieve a certain grade. Now these can often be negotiated. Mine got moved from AAB to BBB just for putting it as my firm choice. Also, as I already said, they care more about your 9 grand than they care about you (as much as they try to deny it) and so even then, these conditional offers may not be so fixed.

Unconditional offers- These are basically where you get the offer no matter what. Sometimes they will say that you only get an unconditional offer if you accept it as a firm choice. This is such a benefit and while you’re doing your exams, you will wish for this. However, if you’ve got an unconditional, don’t let it ruin your motivation. You still need your grades.

Accepting offers- Don’t rush into it. I accepted my offers the day I got my last one, but a lot of people waited. One of my friends waited so long, their first choice uni changed her offer from a conditional to an unconditional. Take your time, really think about it. You will spend 3, 4, maybe more years there, so don’t pick somewhere you’re not really interested in. Also, don’t accept an offer just because it’s unconditional. Make sure you want to go there before anything else.

It’s YOUR choice- Don’t reject an offer because others say it’s not the best. I was told not to accept my offer as I had offers from much ore high status unis, but I knew which one was for me, and if you get like that for a specific uni, stick to it. Trust me. Pick the university you think is best for you. If others complain it’s too far away, or it’s not high up enough on league tables, forget them. This is your choice, and your future; not theirs. (If you don’t like a uni because it’s too far away or low in league tables, that’s fine too, as long as it’s your choice)

Getting rejected- I didn’t get any rejections, but I know how hard that can be. Don’t worry. There will be other unis/ Just apply again, go through extra. Maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe you don’t really want uni. Maybe you needed those rejections to show you that. Or maybe you’ll see how much harder you need to work. Either way, everything will turn out okay.

What now? Focus on meeting the requirements of your course. Work as hard as you can, getting ready for it. Smash your exams, and take a well earned break. By that time, you’ll be in my position; writing your own UCAS survival guides, waiting for your results. And in that time, I wish you all the best of luck!

Thank you for reading, I hope it’s helped! If you have any questions about UCAS, unis, or anything like that, let me know. Send me an ask, or a private message and I’ll definitely get back to you! Good luck with everything and remember; it will be okay. It always does. Let me know how your applications go!

Disclaimer: I didn’t have any interviews so all my interview advice comes from my school to our class, not my personal experiences. Psychology very rarely does interviews, but for other subjects you may not get this escape. Also, I never applied for Oxbridge universities, so some things may be a little different.

#a levels #a level work #ucas #ucas application #university #uni #uni applications #personal statement #applying for uni #mine #ruqs tips #advice #study tips #ruqs advice

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profitablepractices · 5 years

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Money, Honey: How to Get a Good Biller for Your Private Pay Therapy Practice

Therapists are known for our incredible “people skills”. Our number skills? Maybe not so much. Even if you are fortunate enough to be great with numbers, you still might prefer to free yourself from the day-to-day responsibility of staying on top of patient billing so that you can focus on the actual therapy aspect of your private pay therapy practice. When I first started my practice, I did everything including the billing-- but I quickly found that by having a biller, I was able to find the time and energy to invest more in things like getting private pay clients and taking great care of the clients I already had. Like many therapists, I like working with clients on their therapy issues MUCH better than I like dealing with billing. Investing my time directly in the therapy visit rather than focusing my energy on the billing for each visit actually made me happier, and resulted in a better bottom line for my practice since the revenue I generated in just one private pay client visit was easily more than enough to pay for a week of billing services. It was a very simple choice for me: spend more time on billing paperwork and make less money; or spend less time on billing paperwork and actually make more money to further build my private pay therapy practice.

Clients loved my addition of a professional biller too, since we no longer had to discuss “admin stuff” like billing. It was easier for them to see me as the psychology expert I am rather than seeing me as their therapist and the “billing department”. Billers also help private pay clients to use their out of network benefits, which is actually difficult for many busy clients who are able to afford private pay. Although I’m out-of-network with insurance companies, many of my private pay clients have “Cadillac insurance policies” with great out of network benefits. The only snag is that the clients with executive positions and the great benefits that go with those positions are often too busy with their own professional obligations to get bogged down with a mountain of insurance paperwork to get reimbursements for therapy visits; so they don’t even factor in the insurance reimbursement when they evaluate your private pay fees. Making it a simple, seamless process for private pay therapy clients to get their out of network insurance benefits often cuts their out-of-pocket expense for sessions by 50-80%, which makes clients feel much more comfortable with a higher private pay therapy session fee than they would feel if they had to shoulder the entire burden themselves.

Although I'm now extremely happy with my biller, I must admit that I encountered several expensive, time consuming, and frankly heart-breaking lessons along the way to “biller heaven”. I’d like to share them with you so that you can avoid making the same mistakes I made. Here are some questions to ask as you interview billers for your private pay therapy practice:

1. Who owns my billing data; and would you be willing to work within my billing software account rather than yours?

Many billers will offer to “spare you the trouble” of setting up your own billing software and just manage your accounts from within their own master account at a billing software provider. While this may sound tempting in the short term, I advise you to make have YOUR OWN account so you can easily LOCK YOUR BILLER OUT and switch billers quickly and easily if there is ever a need for you to do so. This way, YOU OWN AND CONTROL THE DATA rather than being beholden to your biller. OfficeAlly is an excellent and FREE HIPAA-compliant billing software that lets you run credit cards, submit claims to insurance companies for patients to facilitate their out of network benefits, issue patient statements, and meets all other standard billing needs. You can set up OfficeAlly in about an hour.

2. Will you check benefits for my prospective private pay therapy patients? If yes, how often and how quickly?

Checking benefits is a great perk to offer your private pay client inquiries. When they ask how much your services cost, it helps to be able to tell them their estimated out of pocket cost which is going to be less than your full fee, if the client has out of network benefits (don't worry, you will still get your full private pay fee since the client's insurance company will pay the balance!). To be able to provide potential private pay theapy clients with this information, someone needs to look up benefits. This is sometimes as quick as punching some numbers into a website such as Availity.com, and sometimes requires a phone call to the insurance company. Either way, it helps to ask the biller about this while the biller is in “sales mode” trying to win your business. Many billers do not check benefits; or they say they check benefits but they actually take 1-2 days to complete a lookup, by which point your prospective private pay therapy client may have moved on. Best to set expectations early and while you have the leverage of “shopping” for a biller. Also find out if they’re willing to speak to your private pay therapy clients directly about benefits or if they’d rather relay it through you. I have found that demurring “talk to my biller” whenever questions about my fees arise is very liberating.

3. What are my exit options?

In an ideal world, you and your biller would stay “together forever and ever”. In the real world, this is unlikely. I’ve known many private pay therapists who unwittingly signed agreements where they had to pay a $2,000 early cancellation fee if they ended the billing relationship prior to a yearlong period of service. Many billers may try to argue for this by saying that they invest time and effort to “onboard you” and they need to make it worth their while. I advise you to push back. Tell them that you are also investing in them, and that you have every intention of remaining for many years if the relationship works well; but the idea that you must commit to a year of billing with someone before you even know how smooth the process will be is just not feasible for your business. I’ve been with my biller now for years, and we have a fantastic working relationship; but there was no way I could have felt certain of this before actually working with her (especially after some of the billing nightmares I encountered before finally finding her!). You may like the person who does the sales call with you, but the person actually handling your account is different, or the service is great at first but then worsens as they get other clients they are prioritizing over you, or any other myriad reasons why things might not work out quite as planned. Give yourself the power to walk away if you’re not satisfied.

4. How often can we have a regularly scheduled “check in call”?

Have a REGULARLY scheduled phone meeting with your biller, and be “on the same page” regarding past due accounts. I have a weekly phone meeting with my biller where we review any billing issues, including any therapy clients who are past due. You may not need to talk quite that frequently, but determine in advance of signing a contract how often you’ll have your regularly scheduled calls. Do NOT depend on your biller to just phone you up and tell you who is past due. A good biller will and should do this, but then again we all get busy and your biller may have an assistant who “forgot” to tell you. “Trust but verify” is your mantra here. It is EASY to run a 1-minute report in OfficeAlly or similar software that tells you a LIST of anyone whose bill is past due, and the total of your past due accounts; and to set the report to spotlight anyone who is more than 60 days past due. Having your standard past due numbers is incredibly helpful because you have an “early warning system” if the number starts creeping higher. It was also super helpful to me one particular time when starting with a new biller who tried to say it was “normal” to have “a certain amount” of past due accounts and she was “diligently working on them”. I was able to easily show her that the levels of past due accounts weren’t “normal” for MY practice because I had records of my normal past due figures. I know numbers are daunting, but this is ten minutes well spent: each week, run your past due report in OfficeAlly or wherever your billing records are; and have that report in front of you for your quick weekly call with your biller (or monthly or whatever you do-- monthly is a minimum). Figure 60 seconds to run the report, and 5-10 minutes for the call. Bonus points if you email the report to the biller before the call as a way to structure things.

5. Can we add into your contract that you will NOT work with any of my current or former employees for a certain period of time? If not, WHY NOT?

This might be shocking, but I actually once had a biller who contacted MY OWN EMPLOYEES behind my back to ask if she could do billing for them to help them jumpstart their own private pay therapy practices. The conflict of interest was obvious to everyone but her.

If you want more information on how to vet a biller, or referrals to billers, or if you have any other questions about how to succeed in private practice, please do join my on-demand video program here you can enjoy an information-rich community with smart private pay therapists like you and me! You will learn everything you need to know in order to attract, book, and retain more private pay therapy clients and build your private pay therapy practice. By the way: Even if you’re not planning to join my program, I may be able to provide you with a referral to a decent biller- feel free to ask me.

#biller private practice therapy practice private practice management business tips

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #164 - Twitches

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes, but I was young.

Do I remember it: Mostly.

Did I see it in theaters: It was a TV movie, so no.

Format: DVD

1) Don’t judge me.

2) Seriously, don’t judge me. Most of us have those movies that we bought as a kid and don’t really watch anymore. That doesn’t mean they’re bad or that we should feel ashamed for owning them, it just means we shouldn’t be judged.

3) Now that no one’s judging me, let’s see which fantasy movie clichés we can cross off in the first few minutes.

Dark vs light? Check.

A prophecy? Check.

Chosen ones? Check.

Questions about their birth? Check.

Magical mentors? Check.

4) I like the idea of the twins being of the sun and the moon and it ties into a surprisingly well done juxtaposition we achieve between the two.

Cam’s Mom: “As long as the sun’s up, she’s up.”

Alex: “If the moon’s up, then I’m up.”

It’s easy to have a twin-relationship feel cliché but the film works with it well. The whole ida of Cam is day and Alex is night. Cam still has her family, Alex is reeling from the loss of hers. The fact that Cam is a skilled artist while Alex is an author. The both have a sense of the future, but Cam feels the positive and Alex feels the negative. And this is just what we get from them BEFORe they meet. Once they do we have Cam’s initial excitement played against Alex’s sheer panic and an immediate bond between the pair which is surprisingly interesting. They compliment each other and complete each other, balance each other out. It’s a surprisingly nice relationship to see play out on screen.

5) Karsh can at times feel wooden to me but I like the pair of him and Illena, the mentors who watch over Cam & Alex. They’re best when they’re together, able to compliment each the other’s personality well and bring out fun sides to them.

(Screenshot taken of a GIF set originally posted by @xkaitiannex)

6) So to get a job Alex walks into a store, bugs the manager (I’m assuming it’s the manager) and starts right away without an interview or training or even submitting a resumé.

(GIF originally posted by @beigency)

7) Okay, I first saw this when I was nine. I immediately called the uncle who married his dead brother’s widow as the bad guy because 1) Lion King and 2) creepy. Also now that I have more knowledge about certain things, I recognize that the name Thantos (that of the evil creepy uncle) is remarkably similar to Thanatos which is the greek personification of death.

Wait a second...this guy was on an episode of “Friends” I found on TV last night. Literally just last night. He played a male nurse. And there is no way I would have noticed that if that episode hadn’t literally been on 13 hours before now. Huh.

8) There is this nice internal conflict with Alex. She has this feeling of guilt over finding a new family and her biological mom when her mother passed away just three months ago (which is remarkably soon, I mean damn). But in all honestly she’s the only one who feels that way. She even blurts out at one point, “I’m not trying to replace my mom!” to Cam when that literally wasn’t part of the conversation they were having at all. It’s a nice bit of a drama to see play out.

9) I was pleasantly surprised by how witty some of these lines were.

Alex: “I’m driving in a Porsche with my twin sister. Magic truly seems to be the logical explanation.”

10) The sisters go from “oh my god, we have magic!” to accepting that and trying to control it REALLY quickly. I guess we have to keep things moving fast in an 86 minute movie.

11) I find the visuals behind Cam’s art to be really strong.

I know they probably didn’t have this in the budget, but I can’t help imagining the scene where Alex gives Coventry’s backstory would hve ben pretty great if they had incorporated this art style into it. Like the Deathly Hallows scenes in the seventh Harry Potter film.

12) So like the next three notes or so are about lines which I think are strong.

Cam [after opening her closet door and entering into Coventry]: “This is not my closet.”

Alex: “In a weird way I’m kinda relieved to hear that.”

13) I love this line, if only for the world implication buildings it has. But mostly because of how it takes a classic sci-fi/fantasy trope and sort of makes fun of it.

Illena: “Oh, the world has infinite dimensions. Well nine. Maybe nine-and-a-half.”

14) I’m Karsh in this situation.

Illena: “I wonder if we should’ve mentioned they’re marked for death.”

[Karsh looks at Illena like he’s on “The Office”.]

Karsh: “Why would we tell them that?”

15) Hey, did I mention Thantos is kinda creep yet? Well, if I haven’t...

Thantos [to his dead brother’s widow, who he’s married to]: “Even though I’ve never laid eyes on your daughters, I already love them as if they were my own.”

(GIF originally posted by @centralperksource)

16) Hey look, another line which is in here purely because I think it’s clever!

Illena [to Karsh, after walking through walls]: “I went through some 70s wallpaper that’s gonna emotionally scar me for life.”

Gonna be honest, that line had me laughing for a good couple of minutes.

17) So apparently Cam lives in a place called Waverly. She is a witch/wizard who lives in a Waverly place...

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

18) This is a Disney Channel Original Movie. You gotta have some cheesy dorky moments that feed right into whatever “SNL” makes fun of about this channel.

Cam [after both she and Alex call themselves Twitches]: “Twin!”

Alex: “Witches!”

Both: “Twitches!”

Roll credits!

19) So far most of the character conflict has been focused on Alex and the guilt she feels over finding a new family. Now we get to see Cam freaking out when things get a little too real for her.

Cam [after The Darkness tries to kill them]: “This was supposed to be fun! You know! Magic and sparkles and castles and unicorns!”

She runs off the first time trouble comes her way, ditching Alex to do so, because she’s never dealt with conflict in her life. She’s never dealt with anything bad in her world before. And she knows this is kinda crappy for her to do and she deals with that, but it’s important for her to face that fear and cower a little first before picking herself up by the bootstraps and moving forward.

20) So for a brief part of the film the Aly & AJ song “Rush” plays. That was my freaking jam as a kid. I like the darkness it has to it and the mystery and the sense of foreboding. I got major nostalgia when I heard it. Next to “Like Whoa” it was my favorite song of the sister-group.

And yes, I am now listening to “Rush” because of this recap.

21) I didn’t mention it before but I like the relationships both Alex and Cam have with their loved ones. The relationship with Cam’s parents specifically are a nice healthy alternative to the “rich girl is forced to meet standards by her parents” (this Kate Winslet in Titanic), instead giving us a relationship of love and humor and warmth.

Cam’s Dad [after Alex gives him a big bear hug and says how much she loves him]: “I don’t know if I’ve just been played or if that was one of those moments which makes parenting all worth while.”

Cam’s Mom: “Oh honey. [She kisses him on the cheek. Beat.] You’ve just been played.”

22) Similarly, the relationship Alex has with her best friend Lucinda has been really strong throughout the film. But Lucinda is very clearly feeling under appreciated by her friend, as this exchange was earlier in the film.

Lucinda: “You’re like family.”

Alex: “Like being the operative word.”

And then after Cam ditches Alex, Lucinda gets this wonderful bit of appreciation.

Alex: “The only person I can ever count on in my life is me.”

Lucinda: “Wow. You know that’s kind of a sucker punch for someone who just made you a birthday cake.”

When I was a kid I was disappointed that Lucinda didn’t show up in Twitches Too (no, I don’t own Twitches Too; so I’m only doing a recap for this one).

23) This message was surprisingly powerful for me. Maybe it’s because of the way the world is or because I wasn’t expecting it, but I think I’m going to hold it close from now on.

Cam’s Mom: “If there’s anything I know it’s that love is infinite. You can always make more when you need it.”

24) I might care more that Thantos was really The Darkness if they’d taken the time to develop him more. But again: 86 minute Disney Channel Original Movie; if it comes down between developing Thantos or the titular witches I’m glad they went with the latter.

25) Man, this WAS released in 2005. I dig it.

26) I’m a sucker for A+ sass game. Except I can’t decide who has the better sass here.

Thantos [to the twins’ biological mother]: “Sadly, you have nothing left.”

Cam: “That’s not true. She has us.”

Thantos: “Thank you, I stand corrected. Sadly, they’re all you have left.”

Alex: “Is he just asking to get slapped?”

27) I like that the final lesson of the film was not that evil is snuffed out with light but with love. I have issues with the trope of darkness = evil and light = good in all media, so while this film does fall into the former of darkness = evil I’m glad they decided that it is love - not light - that beats darkness. I think that’s a good idea to hold onto in this world.

Can I be honest? This was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Yes, it’s a Disney Channel Original Movie from 2005 so it’s no Harry Potter. BUT I found myself compelled by the relationship between the titular Twitches. Some of the humor was strong, the lesson of love was effective, and it was just a solid film. If you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, you could do a lot worse than Twitches.

#Twitches #Tia Mowry #Tamera Mowry #Disney Channel #Disney Channel Original Movie #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Wizards of Waverly Place #Friends #Movie #Film #GIF

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partyatmyhaus · 8 years

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Wouldn’t It By Easy To Believe?

The soulmate AU where your bruises/scratches/scars show up on your soulmates skin in different colors. - Matt Peake has never lead an easy life- but it lead to him meeting his Soul Mates.

AO3 Mirror

On his 8th birthday the marks show up. Perfect thin rings of various colors on his upper left leg. Right under the red swirl of a font- where his name is written. When he asks his mother, she gets wide eyes and tells him never to show his father. Matt doesn’t understand why it’s such a big deal but promises her anyways.

[It’s about this time colors appear on his skin, patches of gold around his elbows and lilac on his wrists. Matt wants to ask his mother- but he remembers how she reacted about his colors, and keeps his mouth shut.]

It’s when Matt turns 10, he learns what the marks on his legs are. Matt learns about what soulmates are, and learns about why he gets splotches of other colors on his skin. His teacher explains it to him, about how when your soulmate (or soulmates in Matt’s case) get hurt- their color would appear on his skin- wherever the bruise was forming for them. And that if there was a scar, it would appear on the other- lighter than a bruise would, but it would stay.

And so his teacher explains that the lilac on his nose, comes most likely from his soulmate getting a broken nose.

Matt goes home and when he accidently makes his dad mad that night- he ends up worried he’ll be too broken for his soulmates later on.

When Matt turns 12 his dad finds out about how many bands he has. The colors, the fact his son is an abnormality and spends an hour banging on the bathroom door- screaming at him for being a mistake.

Screaming loud enough Matt hear him loud and clear, even with his hands over his ears and his loud sobs.

He hears his father’s voice loud and clear.

By the time he’s in the 8th grade, everyone knows him as the freak with 7 other soulmates. Soulmates that must hate having him because he’s always coloring their bodies in bright red- bright noticeable, questionable red.

It’s also about this time, his dad seems to be angry every night. Angry and drunk, everything becoming his mother’s fault somehow. Everything being blamed on her, on one occasion the fact it was raining being blamed on her.

Matt spends most night- falling asleep to the sounds of glass shattering, yelling and the noise of his own thoughts repeating his apologies to his soulmates.

High school starts, and he’s the only one causing colors. The scrapped white knees, and bruised grey palms have stopped. And he tries, he tries to stop the colors- the fighting, the one sided brawls. But his mom left, and Matt is still known as the freak with 7 other soulmates and he’s a small kid versus big football players and a cruel father.

Matt always tries to protect his own face, not for himself but for the 7 others. He tries, but he doesn’t always succeed.

10th grade is when he starts to self harm, he’s lost the will to care anymore. He’s heard of platonic soulmates and he knows at this point that’s what the bands have to mean. He’s not good enough to have a romantic soulmate- he knows that.

So he burns, tears, scratches and picks at his own skin. He yearns for some form of control- he hates his father but hates his mother more. He just wants something to be in his control for the next two years that he’s a dependant of his father. For the next two years he’s stuck in this household that makes his freshly washed clothes reek of alcohol and blood.

His arms become a mess, but he carefully destroys the area of his leg where the lines are.

The one night in particular where everything fell apart, and he came to the conclusion that: it was all his fucking solemates faults. If he had one soulmate he wouldn’t have this fucking problem. All these fucking problems. So, he spends an hour or two crying in the bathroom- tearing his leg and sobbing. He just wants it to stop.

He just wants everything to stop.

In Grade 11 the his knuckles are turning green and purple- without him doing anything. His solemates fight, meanwhile he lays and takes it. Under his hoodie is worse than ever- his ribs causing him pain at the smallest breath, nothing being able to heal before something new happened.

It’s also in Grade 11, he gets jumped. He goes to a football game on a whim, with a couple of kids from his Spanish class. He ends up getting cornered by a group of kids while he walked home in the dark.

They end up tackling him, ripping his shorts down and one of them crudely cutting into his leg while he cried and screamed and begged.

For the first time in years, Matt silently apologizes to his soulmates for the word that will scar into their skin under the already damaged area of the bands.

‘Monster’.

Highschool ends in a blur, grandparents and aunts he didn’t know he had pay for him to go to college and that’s when it starts to get better.

There’s no more marks coming from him, in fact the only colors on his skin come in the form of green, purple and gold. He wonders if green and purple are okay- they seem to fight a lot.

College is when he starts to figure out who he is as a person. Away from the fighting and the constant noise. College is when Matt spends the time to figure out that men and women are attractive- and he also figures out that he doesn’t seem to have a type. Too many variations of what ‘attractive’ is, too many shapes and sizes. Too many tones and quirks for him to narrow down.

In the middle of college he gets admitted to the hospital. He wakes up with thick bandages around his wrists and up his arms. He spends hours daydreaming about someone, anyone coming to visit him- to worry over him.

No one comes.

He’s discharged a week later on the empty promise of calling a therapist and enough fake smiles for no one to worry.

By the time college ends, he’s got depression. Massively so. It coming back in a tidal wave of antidepressants, and trying to motivate himself to go to job interviews. He somehow ends up with one, a nice job actually, for a pretty big tv show- but he hates it. Like something about it makes him sit just slightly to the left- like everything about it is just a tiny bit off.

[He gets trashed one night and relapses, after 2 years of being clean he relapses and ends up with a new phrase under the still ever present ‘Monster’.

‘I’m sorry’]

He gets a job with them, by chance.

Their ad looking for a new editor gets sent to him by a colleague- a friend who knows he’s miserable and on a whim he submits his resume and forgets all about it.

Until a few days later when his phone rings right after he gets home, and it’s some guy named Bruce- asking to set up an interview.

He gets hired a week later.

[Bruce is very kind when Matt explains he doesn’t want to shake hands on the deal- that he doesn’t want to touch in general].

When he joins he starts to hear about their relationship, learn more about them as people- and the gnawing feeling in his stomach grows everyday. He learns about how Bruce and Adam used to fight in high-school. How Elyse loved to roller blade as a kid- and never wore knee pads. Matt laughs endlessly over how Lawrence loved dodgeball as kid, but did not love how everyone threw harder than him.

[The gnawing feeling explodes one day over lunch when Joel talks about how he broke his nose in the 4th grade- Matt has to leave so he can stop shaking].

They all go out for drinks one night, and Matt spends the entire evening making sure his hands are covered by his hoodie- making sure no skin to skin contact can happen.

And outside of him being unable to enjoy his buzz- he does find himself laughing and enjoying the company of his friends.

He’s delighted when Elyse shows up and he leaves the bar that night with a new number in his phone under the contact name ‘Funniest Willems’.

It’s after a drunk stream, at the end of their day- that the gnawing feeling becomes just a lump of pain and dread at the bottom of his stomach.

He doesn’t remember who starts the conversation, all he knows is everyone is talking about sole marks (everyone but him of course). And eventually someone outside of their little squad is talking about the worst marks from a solemate and Adam looks ready to wilt away and Adam rambles out,

“Whoever they are- they really hate themselves. And I just wanna help.” He gives a shrug and Matt feels his heart start to beat faster, “They tried to kill themselves a few years back- and I mean technically they did. I’ve never been as scared as I was when their mark went black. It was awful. You remember that night, James?”

Matt feels ready to throw up at the nod James gives- and even drunk James looks so sad. Matt wants to make their pain stop but instead he wills himself to stay still and faced towards his computer, mimicking editing the video in front of him- even as Joel speaks up.

“They don’t want us.” And it’s the way he says it, the defeat and tiredness that should make Matt guilty but all it does is bubble up something he has never felt before in its full form.

Matt feels angry. He feels hot bitter rage, and years of pent of animosity. His hands clench so tight around his mouse that it actually pops the plastic on one side and he’s shaking when he stands up.

It catches Lawrence’s attention and it must be his face or his movements but the other doesn’t say a word as Matt packs up to leave. He does however follow Matt out of the office, and it’s only once they reach the parking garage does he call out for Matt.

“We’re sorry for bringing that up in front of you, man.” And something about the tone Lawrence is using- doesn’t calm him down, it in facts just pisses him off more. Matt throws his laptop bag into the back seat of his car and slams the door,

“Yeah, why is that?” And he huffs out a sarcastic laugh and turns to look at Lawrence. The anger ebbs away when he sees the look on Lawrence’s face.

“Because you don’t have a solemate.”

Matt doesn’t say anything before he turns and gets into his car.

The next morning, Matt wakes up and makes the decision. The decision that today he would touch one of them, to see if this was real or just a cruel joke played on him but the universe.

It takes too long for all of them to get into work, but the second the last person is through the door (Sean), Matt has ditched his hoodie and is starting to sweat lightly. This was stupid- there was no possible way these people were his soulmates. But he hoped.

Matt hadn’t hoped for something in a very long time.

So he manages to swallow his nerves somehow and walk over to where Adam and Bruce are standing around Joel’s desk.

“What’s up, Peake?” Bruce asks and Matt suddenly doesn’t have words.

“Uh, I forgot.” And he ends up sitting at his desk berating himself for the next hour for being such a coward.

[Matt cries the next morning when he gets into the shower and finds various hand print shaped bruises on his hips and thighs].

It’s when his birthday rolls around that their in the office, it is the middle of a Tuesday and they’re all dicking around (Elyse visiting her boys during her lunch hour), and suddenly everyone is planning what to do for his birthday- that he just is overwhelmed by this urge to cry a little bit.

“What do you want for your birthday?” Elyse is giggy as she asks, bouncing on her toes and has her phone already open and Matt just answers the first thing on his mind.

“A hug.” He feels stupid the second he says it, but it’s true.

“A hug? What you’ve never been hugged or something?” James says, elbowing his double hoodie hidden- midsection and Matt sees no reason to lie to them. They’re his friends- his best friends. (His only friends).

“Never had one.” He shrugs as he says it, and instantly looks to the ground afterward. The silence that follows is awful, it makes Matt want to scream.

“Uh, I have a lot of editing to do. Anything you get me will be fine- and you know you don’t, uh, have to get me anything. Birthdays have never been a big deal.” He says it to them, still looking at the ground- before shuffling away and back to his desk.

His birthday comes and everyone ends up having a mini-party at the Willems’. Lawrence and Sean get him a support for his work chair- to help with the back pain that comes from editing. Elyse, James and Bruce get him various gag gifts (including but not limited to: a neon blue ball gag, flavored lube, and a 6 foot poster for the movie North), but actually buy him 10 various games, including one he had wanted as a kid but never got.

Joel gets him a Sega Genesis and a refurbished GameCube. And Matt has to blink away a small misting in his eyes.

Adam is the one who breaks the dam. All the other gifts having built up his want to cry- but Adam shatters it. Just breaks his resolve and causes it all to crash around him.

“It’s a lame gift.” Adam hands him the wrapped box with an awkward smile and rubs the back of his neck. And Matt mumbles some comment about how he sure its fine, and once he gets the paper off- he finds out it’s not a box but it is in all actuality a picture frame. A nice black simple frame, with a certificate inside of it.

Matt has to read the words about 10 times before he cognitively understands it, and when he does he just can’t help the tears. He tries to blink them away, but he just can’t.

“Oh God. I didn’t mean to make you cry!” Adam is freaking out, going to place a hand on his shoulder- but pulls it back. They all know how Matt is with touch. He hovers awkwardly, as Matt begins to sob.

Matt feels ridiculous as he sobs on the Willems’ couch, clutching the picture frame to his chest- but he can’t stop.

“This is,” He has to take a breath, “The nicest thing anyone ha-has ever done for me.”

And it takes a few minutes for him to calm down, and after he’s settled- James asks what Adam got him.

“He wouldn’t tell us.” And Matt just smiles and finally pulls the frame from his chest,

“A star.” Matt sniffles, “Adam bought me a star.”

And Adam, God bless him, looks so out of place and is blushing for God’s sake that Matt can’t seem to help himself.

Matt ends up chest to chest with Adam, the bulk of Matt’s 3 hoodies pressing gently against Adam’s t-shirt. And everyone is just dead silent as they watch the two of them. Matt’s still got tears drying on his eyelashes, and his nose is bright red- but Adam is looking at him like Matt is the most wonderful thing in the room- and it takes a moment for Matt to eventually raise a hand- and bring it just millimeters from Adam’s skin.

And they’re so close, they’re breathing each other’s air and it’s been 2 years and they’ve never touched. Matt has never showed any sign of wanting to touch them.

And then, much like Matt is- gent but firm, Matt presses his hand onto Adam’s face. And the smile that comes from the heat on their marks, is nothing short of magnificent.

“Is Matt-?” It’s Lawernce that whispers it, and Matt and Adam are still just staring at each other, Matt’s hand still on his face- even as Adam nods.

“Yeah.”

It takes no time at all for them to allow Matt to gently touch them- and by the end of the night all of their marks are a little darker.

“This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.” Matt mumbles, right before he falls asleep that night- tucked into the guest bed, and he feels someone pet his hair.

“This the best your birthday I’ve ever had, too.” And Matt gives a huff of a laugh and drifts off to the sound of Elyse berating James for being an idiot.

The next morning, Matt is officially a year older and he wakes up to the smell of he doesn’t know what, but it’s good.

He ends up stumbling downstairs, with bed tousled hair and sleepy eyes. And it earns him a coo from James- who he waves away instantly.

By the time he’s eaten and woken up- he notices that everyone’s stuff is still by the front door. And when he voices that to Elyse, who’s working at the dishes she gives him a sad sort of smile.

“We tried to get them to leave, but after last night they said they weren’t going anywhere without you.” And she’s nodding over the breakfast counter into the living room- the same living room Matt stumbled through half awake.

And he peaks his head over and wants to...He doesn’t know what he wants to do, but his heart does a little jump at the sight of his boys. His idiots.

Adam is on the couch, face pressed into the cushions and snoring ever so slightly, and right next to him, Lawrence is asleep in the arm chair.

It’s seeing Lawrence in the armchair that makes Matt frown and somehow he ends up gently nugging Lawrence awake and leading him upstairs to the bed that is now unoccupied.

Sean wanders down somewhere in the time Matt takes Lawrence’s glasses off and get him under the blankets.

It’s a nice morning. Very domestic and warm.

[Matt decides that he loves sleepy Adam, he also decides he does not like sleepy Lawrence as much].

They spend the entire day dicking around, and it’s only when Matt stands to help with the dishes that Sean lets out a little noise.

And Matt is stretching- arms reached out over him, and it’s too perfect not too. So sean quickly moves and wraps his arms around Matt. Smashing their chests together, and tucking his head into the space available by Matt’s neck.

And Sean feels Matt go still- and they’re the closest they’ve ever been- physically and emotionally. Sean can feel how fast Matt’s heart is beating. And just when Sean goes to move away and apologize, Matt is wrapping his arms around Sean in a grip that makes it seem like he’ll never let go of him.

They end up sitting on the floor- never once breaking the embrace. Sean ends up sitting in Matt’s lap while Matt hides his face in Sean’s shoulder. Sean’s sure he can feel wetness, but he doesn’t say anything.

No one else says anything about it, they just let it happen. Photos are taken- granted, but they all remember what Matt had told them.

“Never had one.”

They all remember that up until this point Matt Peake had never had a hug.

They all spend the night again together, but this time Adam and Sean end up in bed with Matt- hugging him all through the night.

Matt comes to the boys, a few days later, during lunch- with a solemn expression. He sees them start to panic a little so when he speaks, he addresses it to Joel,

“I never wanted you to think, I didn’t want you. I wanted you very much. But…” Matt lets out a sigh and waves a hand tiredly, “You know. M’a little broken.”

And in a much softer voice adds, “Didn’t think you’d want me.”

And Matt won’t look at him, but he knows when Joel remembers what he’s talking about by the little ‘oh’. Matt is determined to stare at the floor, and anywhere away from their faces.

“Matt…” For once it seems as if Joel has no idea what to say but does what Joel does best:

Offer physical contact.

Matt sees the hand come into his view and tug him forward by the arm, and- oh- Matt could really get used to this surprise hugging thing.

“We want you, Matt. Trust me. We do.” And Joel is petting the back of his head, and Goddamn Matt could totally get used to this surprise hugging thing.

Matt tells them about everything a few weeks later, over dinner at Lawrences. They all listen, only stopping to interrupt when it was obvious Matt was getting distraught.

“I didn’t put ‘monster’ there.” He’s crying again but he needs them to know that, “Some kids from my high school...They, pushed me down and did it. That wasn’t me.”

“Okay, sweetie. It’s okay. We believe you.” He ends up being curled between Elyse and Lawrence, mumbling out various words of comfort to him.

They move to Roosterteeth, and he follows of course. Matt would follow them where-ever they go.

Matt’s dad dies the next fall, and he kind of hates himself for not caring- but he spends the night curled on the couch watching movies with the people he was told he didn’t deserve and the guilt disappears.

[[The next time he finds bruises of handprints on his body- he smiles as he see’s the versions he has on himself.]]

#shiphaus #ot8 #my fic #polyhaus #peake centered

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automatismoateo · 5 years

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My Ex-Catholic wife recently had an existential moment. It hurt her, and hurt me to watch. I think it's time to tell another de-conversion story. Stop me if you've heard this one before. via /r/atheism

Submitted February 19, 2020 at 04:08AM by anon_guy_2468 (Via reddit https://ift.tt/39K4iE0) My Ex-Catholic wife recently had an existential moment. It hurt her, and hurt me to watch. I think it's time to tell another de-conversion story. Stop me if you've heard this one before.

First, I often deplore long stories on Atheism, and I often do not read them. With that said I completely understand if people don't read this. I wont be hurt.

However, I'm starting to understand why they exist. Sometimes we need to know that someone else has been through something before, just to know we're not alone. So i'm going to tell my wife's story today, through my eyes, starting when I met her and concluding last week. Don't worry, her story isn't over, she isn't dead, the story is just going to end there for today.

Who should be reading this? Besides the obvious of "Whoever wants to", I'm intending this to be read by two groups of people. Atheist Spouses married to a believer, and anyone who was raised religious but wants to hear another side of things.

By the term Atheist Spouses i'm referring to people like me. I (An atheist since ~12) fell in love with a catholic woman who said she would never give up her faith. She demanded that I let her raise the kids in Catholic values, and asked me repeatedly to join her in her faith. Her family did too. WARNING, WARNING, WARNING! Every bit of advice will tell you that I should've walked away. Don't get married, don't have kids, don't don't don't. It cannot end well. But I was in love. I wanted it to work out, and I was willing to let her have whatever she wanted.

But i'm getting ahead of myself. I was 23, working a dead end retail job in a city I hated. I got a promotion to store manager and suddenly had a crew working under me. One of them had two jobs, he worked for me and he also worked at a store across the hall. Unbeknownst to me, he knew a girl and thought she would be perfect for me. So they arranged a meeting. They brought her into my store under a false pretense, paraded her around in front of me asking questions about something she didn't care about. It worked, holy hell it worked. Love at first sight. Still to this day I have no idea why.

Within weeks we were arranging our breaks together, going for lunches, and less than 5 weeks in we were off on our first real date. Why did it take 5 weeks to have our first date? Well, that's where WARNING number one should have had me questioning my decisions. She had a (kid). The father was absent and she was raising (it) alone. Didn't matter, I was in love. But because she had an added responsibility this meant that she needed to take things seriously. She made it clear that she wasn't just "dating" for the sake of dating. Because of this I met her family early. They were catholic. VERY Catholic.

First was a lunch with her mother. She'd already asked her daughter if I was catholic, to which she was told that I was not. Then again during lunch she made sure to ask again if I was catholic. I said no. The following day I met the grandmother and the mother made sure to let HER know, in front of me, that I was indeed not Catholic. It came up often. I remember a conversation with her father some time later that sounded similar. None of them ever knew that I was an Atheist, they all just knew that I wasn't catholic. That was bad enough.

Flash forward a bit. 5 months into the relationship I've already proposed. We need to meet the Priest. He wants to interview us separately. Nigerian guy, worked his way to Canada on a religious visa, has to remain a priest to stay in the country. To my surprise he couldn't care less about my religion. He asks me some questions, asks if I will let my wife raise the kids Catholic... I honestly don't remember it much. It was pretty chill. Then comes the kicker. If we want to be married in his church, we have to take Catholic Marriage Classes. Lets be clear, this is the church my wife-to-be has been attending for a VERY long time. I'm willing to do what it takes...almost.

We live below the poverty line at this point. Times are tough, and we've got a (kid) to think about as well. These classes they want us to take are monday to wednesday, in a city about 150km (90miles) away. We're not commuting 3 hours a day, AFTER taking 3 days off work. This isn't going to work. She suggests we consider another church. I make absolutely sure she's okay not being married in HER church. She's not happy with it, but willing to do it. We've been telling people this whole time that my family is part of the United Church (technically not a lie, we are, we just haven't gone in like 10+ years) So we tell her parents that we're going to move the ceremony to a United Church. They are not happy, but grit their teeth.

That Sunday at the end of service they tell the priest that the wedding is being moved to another church. Moments later he literally gets in his car and follows her parents home! They're walking into their house and he's already in the driveway! It's a big thing. Him losing "another young catholic" isn't something he's willing to do. He bends over backwards, finds and arranges for us to take evening classes at a local church. This is the first flexibility I've ever seen in the Catholic Church, and i'm amazed.

These classes, in hindsight, probably should have made me walk away. The brainwashing my fiance had lived through became very evident. She was defensive when she didn't need to be, and even broke into tears a couple times. I still remember two of those times. One time she tearfully told me she was afraid she would live a lifetime with me, then get to heaven and find that I wasn't there. Another time she cried, begging me, "why can't you just believe?". She wasn't being manipulative, not at all. She was genuinely afraid. It hurt. It hurt not because of what she was saying, but it hurt because I realized she was soo deep into this all that she saw faith as fact. It was scary. But I did what I needed, and I agreed to let her raise the kids catholic. That part wasn't negotiable. I was not converting, that part was also non-negotiable.

The wedding goes...okay. This was in the early 2000's, so the priest who I've spoken about is already gone. They're moving them around a LOT right now. Boston just happened a couple years ago and priests are staying in small churches no more than 9-12 months right now. They cant risk anyone being in a church long enough to develop relationships with children. So our wedding is done by a new young priest who botches it completely. He even forgets the first kiss. My wife and I just take a moment to face the crowd, and lay a good 15 second one on each other to give everyone a chance to grab their cameras and capture the moment. The priest doesn't even notice! Oh well.

Soon into our marriage we move away from her hometown. Our jobs are both dead end, and we both wanna live somewhere bigger. My wife finds a new catholic church which she pledges to attend weekly, but that quickly starts to fade. In less than a year she's become a holiday catholic. She still prays, she teaches our (kid) about Jesus, and makes sure to let her family know that she's still living as a Catholic (minus church). Christmas every year has our kid getting a ton of religious gifts. It's kinda sick. Jesus books, Jesus art, Jesus toys. They really know how to make money off this guy.

(Quick Note: Her child is now our child, I always refer to that kid as our first/oldest, the word step dad is never used. We are about to have two children, and that nomenclature never fades)

Our second child is born, and I ain't seen NOTHING yet. The family goes ALL OUT trying to make sure they're not gonna lose this one. Jesus figures, more jesus art, and books that will never be read. But that's nothing compared to the litany of questions and promises that this child will also be raised catholic. The Christening is booked quickly (and don't you dare accidentally call it a baptism).

We move around a couple more times during the years, following jobs here and there. Both the kids go through Catechism classes at different times in different cities, and once again i'm exposed to some real horror. They really beat this "satan" stuff into the kids. If they don't do what they're told satan is gonna get them and burn them. It's scary shit.

But the church that does Catechism with our second child screws up. They screw up big time. During the classes my wife is told that she needs to attend weekly Mass, or they're not letting Kid#2 attend. After the classes are over my wife stops going. Not long after, we get a box in the mail. It's a box of 52, pre adressed and dated weekly tithing envelopes. It's the seed I've been waiting for. We've been married 8 years now, and I've been waiting for this. The church is greedy, and she's seen it.

But i'm not touching it. It's not my intent to make the church look bad. I'm not going to take my wife away from the church. That's dangerous ground. VERY dangerous. I need it to be her decision. So I don't mention it again. I do however start to teach my wife about financial scams. She gets lesson 101 in Nigerian Prince scams, tax scams, phishing scams. I teach her about cold reading, psychics, and I even slip in financial scams like prosperity gospel. All manner of charlatans who want your money, she learned about them. The base was there. She was starting to put it together.

But I really think the end came a couple years after that, all on its own. Her grandfather died. Pretty horrible time. He'd been sick a long time, and one day his heart just stopped. No word of a lie he was in his den watching Matlock, like any good codger should be. He had one leg up on his ottoman, a hand on the remote. When the episode was over he didn't come down for tea, and Grandma went up to check on him. He was gone.

And the fucking priest passed a collection plate at his funeral.....

Sorry, the language probably isn't necessary, but that part still makes me mad. As mad as it made me, the family was even more broken. My wife is completely done. She hasn't attended more than a few times since. Not even christmas is a guarantee anymore. She doesn't make the kids go. She doesn't give it a second thought. And i still don't say a thing. By now I'd call my wife a christian, hedging on deist. She still wants to believe in a god of some sort, but she's really leaning away from the catholic propaganda. She's done a little research on jesus, and knows that he probably didn't exist. She's definitely not catholic anymore, although she still tells people she is when asked.

But after allll of that, it's her mother who screws things up. It's not all at once either, it comes as a one-two punch.

One night she's putting some of her other grandchildren (our niece/nephew) to bed, and tells them a story about demons, and how demons can come for you in your dreams. Well naturally the kids both have nightmares that night. Grandma's right there to say "SEE! That's why we pray, we need to keep the demons out!" The fight is legendary. The nibblings parents are in a RAGE! And they have the right to be. Not long later we get the cliffnotes version. We decide to restrict our kids time alone with the grandparents

Flash forward another couple years. My wife and I book a trip to Vegas and her mother agrees to sit with the kids for the time we're gone. I know what I said earlier, but we didn't have a choice. Talked with the kids about their rights, and how Grandma has some pretty strong beliefs. It's like an innoculation. We head to VEGAS BABY! Out of the hotel I have very limited connection on my phone, only get data if I pass an open wifi network. We're walking around Freemont street Saturday night and I get a message from my oldest. "Dad, grandma wants to make us go to church tomorrow, but we don't want to. She's making us, what should I do?". I reply the only way I know how. Calmly. "I'm too far away to do anything, and if I call her she will know you contacted me and might think you went behind her back. Tell her you don't want to, it's your decision. If she throws a fit just go, it's only an hour in church and it wont hurt you". It's well past midnight before I get another wifi connection, the message goes through, I don't get another reply.

A few days later we get back home and I drive to pick up the eldest from school. I ask how the church thing went. The story is awesome. "We told her we didn't want to go. She wasn't happy. She cried, bribed us with lunch at a restaurant, even tried a guilt trip saying that she wouldn't go alone so it was OUR fault she wasn't going to church.. We stood our ground and didn't go. She wasn't happy. After all that she still took us out for lunch anyway."

That was 5 months ago. Last week my wife and I are doing dishes. She turns to me and says something along the lines of "I'm kinda sad. I realize now that when this life is over, that's it, it's over. There's nothing else after."

She's having an existential crisis. She's given up on the eternal reward, and it hurts her inside. I try a couple things that come quickly to mind, I mention the fact that death is like the time before she was born. She's not interested. She doesn't need it. She's okay with it. She's not entirely settled, but she's okay.

She's not religious anymore. At all.....

#reddit

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