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thedsgnblog · 10 months

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8 Summer Reads For Creative Inspiration

Summer is the perfect time to relax, recharge, and dive into inspiring books that can fuel your creative spirit!

Whether you're passionate about design or you're a design professional, there are numerous books out there that can provide you with fresh ideas, and the motivation to push your creativity. In this article, we bring you eight must-read books that will spark your creativity and leave you feeling inspired. So grab your favorite drink, find a cozy spot, and let these books transport you to a world of creative brilliance!

Palette Perfect for Graphic Designers and Illustrators: Colour Combinations, Meanings and Cultural References by Sara Caldas

Both a practical and inspirational book filled with color combinations for any design and illustration project. The use of color and its combinations creatively in illustration, graphic and product design also implies understanding what emotions they convey and how they affect our design and illustrations.

Purchase on Bookshop.org — $28 (On Sale) —

Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire by Poketo

The debut book from acclaimed Los Angeles lifestyle brand Poketo! Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire explores the lives, homes, and studios of 23 artistic entrepreneurs, authors, and designers. From a colorful desk in a tiny closet to expansive homes, Creative Spaces features a collection of unique interiors from across the country.

Purchase on Bookshop.org for $33 (On Sale)

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Soft Minimal by Norm Architects: A Sensory Approach to Architecture and Design

Norm Architects' humane simplicity creates environments that feel as good as they look. Guided by ideas of well-being, the essence of NA' style is balance: richness focused by restraint, simplicity imbued with warmth, and complexity heightened by order. Be it architecture, interiors, or furniture, Norm's unique brand of soft minimalism speaks to the mind as much as the body, creating spaces for people.

Purchase on Bookshop.org for $84 (On Sale)

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Why Design Matters: Conversations with the World's Most Creative People by Debbie Millman

The author, educator, brand consultant, and host of the widely successful and award-winning podcast Design Matters showcases dozens of her most exciting interviews, bringing together insights and reflections from today's leading creative minds from across diverse fields.

Purchase on Bookshop.org for $56 (On Sale)

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Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval

A visual adventure of Wes Anderson proportions, authorized by the legendary filmmaker himself: stunning photographs of real-life places that seem plucked from the just-so world of his films, presented with fascinating human stories behind each façade. Purchase on Bookshop.org for $35 (On Sale) —

How to Live with Objects: A Guide to More Meaningful Interiors by Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer

In the modern home, it matters less whether your interior is perfectly appointed and more if it's authentically personal, unique, and filled with the objects you feel a connection to. Through inspiring home tours and practical advice on how and what to collect, Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer take you on an educational and highly visual journey through the questions at the core of their design philosophy. Purchase on Bookshop.org for $56 (On Sale) —

Hayao Miyazaki by Jessica Niebel

A richly illustrated journey through the extraordinary cinematic worlds of beloved filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Introducing hundreds of original production materials, including artworks never before seen outside of Studio Ghibli's archives. Concept sketches, character designs, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds, and production cels from his early career through all 11 of his feature films.

Purchase on Bookshop.org for $51 (On Sale) —

Dot Line Shape: The Basic Elements of Design and Illustration by Victionary

Going back to basics, DOT LINE SHAPE is a comprehensive collection of projects that manifest the three elements in inspiring and ingenious ways to bring unique creative visions to life. No matter how trends or platforms change over time, they serve as timeless components that provide designers and artists around the world with infinite means of expression to make a lasting impact.

Purchase on Bookshop.org for $42 (On Sale) —

If you're interested in finding more books on design, art, interiors, architecture, and more, check our Bookshop.org profile for more amazing recommendations!

#thedsgnblog #design #graphicdesign #designbooks #editorialdesign #bookdesign #print #interiordesign #inspiration

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hauntedselves · 6 months

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do you have any advice for finding a competent therapist for DID? like questions to ask them, things to look for, things to avoid, etc. ?

generally, finding a therapist for DID is the same process as for any issue, except that they need to be knowledgeable - or willing to learn - about dissociation and complex trauma.

red flags for therapists specific to DID are things like not believing in it or believing its socio- / iatrogenic / therapist-induced, pushing abuse narratives onto you, pushing a specific healing goal onto you, only willing to talk to the host, pushing you to discuss details of trauma (especially if you're not ready or have only just met)...

here's some tips from this-is-not-dissociative, a PDF from Sidran Institute, a question sheet from a DID book, and some tips from @/switchcase (copy-pasting in case of mobile inaccessibility as it's a blog page, not a post):

if you’re worried you can’t afford a therapist:

ask potential therapist if they offer sliding scale and/or payment plans

check your community clinic and see if they have therapists there. community clinics are either free or low cost. many of them (not all) are trauma-informed or sometimes even knowledgeable about DID/OSDD because of the type of people commonly needing to use community clinics. my current therapist is an isstd member and has a waitlist for clients and volunteers at a clinic for the homeless/at risk for free

if you can’t find a dissociative specialist in your vicinity, search for trauma therapists. some will know about DID/OSDD or be willing to learn

if the lowest priced option is still too much for you, see if they’re willing to offer less sessions. once every 2-4 weeks is better than nothing

how to find a therapist: if you have insurance: go to your insurance website and log in. you can crosscheck names here to make sure that someone is covered by your insurance

http://isst-d.org has a directory for people that pay to be members (meaning they go to continuing education stuff or access resources ISSTD has). you can then narrow by zipcode and then crosscheck the names with your insurance page

you can also google “dissociative therapist [zipcode]”. a psychologytoday website will pop up, and basically it’s a yellowpages for therapists that claim to be dissociative specialists. keep in mind they get to put whatever they want on there, so be sure to check if they just claimed they specialize in everything and be sure to interview them

Things to Ask Your Potential Therapist:

do you offer a free initial consultation?

do you take [insert your insurance company] insurance?

do you have experience working with DID/OSDD?

how long have you been working with DID/OSDD?

what methods do you use in treatment?

how do you view clients with DID/OSDD? (this is open ended for a reason, some of their answers will set off red flags)

my goal for therapy is [goal], what would our first steps be?

i have [problem/symptom], is that something we can work on?

do you take continuing education credits, go to conferences, or research about dissociative disorders?

do you have experience with [insert specific trauma]? (OPTIONAL, useful if you have “heavy/unusual” traumas or a trauma that is very important to talk about)

#dogasks #dissociative identity disorder #therapist interview #therapy #recovery

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kccinstitutes · 7 months

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Skill Development Program 2024

KCC Institute of Legal and Higher Education hosted a Skill Development program titled " Excelling the Corporate Expectations by Acquiring the 21st Century Skills " on October 11, 2023. Mr. Ashish Kumar, Service Delivery Manager at Tata Consultancy Services was the guest speaker and provided his valuable guidance to students on aligning with contemporary corporate requirements and acquiring essential skills.

The Skill Development Program (SDP) encompassed several crucial topics, including comprehending the expectations of freshers in the corporate world and effective strategies to surpass those expectations. It also delved into methods to enhance the likelihood of securing job placements, offering insights into common interview questions and tips for excelling in interviews. The session highlighted significant skill domains and certification pathways for students to explore.

Towards the conclusion of the session, Mr. Ashish Kumar, the resource person, engaged with students, addressing their queries, and assisting them in discovering opportunities for internships related to their specific skill areas. The overall session proved invaluable knowledge to the students seeking internships and placement prospects, equipping them with essential tools for their future endeavors.

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yuri-for-businesswomen · 7 months

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if i tell you you are not ready for this interview.

my translation. my commentary is highlighted.

interviewee: ilan stephani who has her own website describing her as a “best selling author”. she worked as a prostitute for 2 years in a brothel and successfully finished her college education. she is a “body coach” now.

„Men are doing terrible sexually”

Ilan Stephani worked in a Berlin brothel for two years. She describes her experiences in her new book.

Miss Stephani, you walked to the prostitution organization Hydra with some friends for a consultation: You wanted to become a prostitute. What did you hope for with this profession?

IS: I didn’t want to become a boring college student. I wanted intense contact. I didn’t have good experiences: My first boyfriend cheated on me with such self-confidence it made me feel the question of power in sex. I wanted to gain social and sexual sovereignty. As a daughter from a good home, I learned how to fluently deal with different people. Those are qualities that were suddenly honored in prostitution. That totally flashed me.

she was emotionally traumatized from her cheating ex-partner and thought prostitution was a fun new adventure. this gave her some wicked sense of control. you can hear the classism from this privileged and educated woman when she calls herself a “daughter from a good home”. off to a good start.

Is that a hunger for life?

IS: Yes. And this is the thing for all men who go to a brothel: I’m hungry for life. And they think a man needs sex for that, which is of course bullshit. Men just learn that they have to experience life like this now. But contact with a smiling person is what enlivens us.

yes girl im sure these men come to you for your smile and because they are “hungry for life” and not because they want to get off in a woman. be for real.

Even though it’s a paid and fake smile?

IS: Yes, people can ignore that really easily.

she admits here that sex buyers know any joy and enthusiasm is fake and simply ignore it to proceed with sex acts. and yet she feels sorry for them.

And that you have sex with men who you don’t desire at all, that didn’t make you hesitate?

IS: It did. But you often have sex in a loving relationship without loving or wanting the other in that moment. That’s more about a feeling of obligation. There is a smaller difference to prostitution than you think. I’ve been working as a body therapist with women for seven years, and they all basically did for free what I was paid for. I had already experimented with anonymous sex. I went to a swinger club and already knew this normalcy and openness. And I was excited for this new social challenge.

so the two options for women are to have sex out of obligation or for payment? girl. also you are generally attracted to your partner, just don't want sex sometimes. in a healthy relationship you would not feel obligated. this was an experiment to her – she is making a mockery out of women who are in prostitution out of financial necessity. i wish she had just stuck to anonymous sex in swinger clubs.

What social challenge do you mean?

IS: All this performance art: For example, you take the money very discreetly, so nobody realizes that a payment has been made. I play that I have to moan exactly now and at the same time I take care that the towel doesn’t move from underneath me. And randomly, after half an hour, our wonderful encounter takes a natural end – and maybe the people also told me some secrets. They talk to prostitutes as if we signed a non-disclosure agreement. I had control the whole time. And usually, the world does not wait for little female students. But these men waited for me.

very normal for a supposed service to pay secretly to keep up an illusion of not actually being a service. it’s true, playing sexual pleasure is a challenge. not something that should be expected of women but okay i guess we’re admitting that prostitution is reproducing misogyny. the last two sentences make it very obvious that her self-esteem is completely dependent on men. another thing i noticed is that she says “people” when in the rest she talks about men. this is a common tactic to obfuscate the reality that prostitution is mostly women serving men.

You worked in a small, female-led brothel, with excellent working conditions. Still: You told the boys they are amazing at satisfying women, even when many can’t really. If I’m being strict here, you supported phallic culture.

calling sex buyers “boys”. nice infantilization to make them seem harmless. otherwise good question that makes it clear that prostitution is inherently anti-feminist.

IS: Yes. Prostitution stabilizes this culture. But as a prostitute, I don’t participate in the patriarchal elevation of the erection. Men fail in phallic culture, that is their problem. They are supposed to have an erect penis, and then it’s flaccid. What do you think, how nervous they often are, when they think they have to bring it now. I hear: “Please release me from the pressure to have to meet these standards.” And I say: “It doesn’t matter whether you have an erection or not. It’s not important. You are alright.” But of course in the end you are right: Women have always validated men under patriarchy and made them feel good.

“yes prostitution supports the patriarchy but -” not interested in what you have to say. take the L. the way she extends so much empathy to sex buyers. i guarantee you they don’t give a fuck and don't think about women and especially prostituted women any further than how fuckable we are. way to reproduce traditional gender roles: the woman as caring, empathetic, taking men’s feelings into account and defending them whatever they do. women telling men they are good enough when they really aren’t. women putting their own desires aside to help and teach men. and yet they will go home and still not know how to satisfy a woman because they pay you to lie to them. but hey she is sooooo self-aware.

That didn’t bother you?

IS: Little. I felt sorry for them. Men are doing terrible sexually in this society. Worse than women, because unlike women they don’t know what they lack. If cumming in women who pretend for them is the highlight of their sex life – how sad is that? The brothel is just one symptom of this poor sex we have.

men are doing so terribly sexually that they can legally buy sex. what is this woman on. this is almost bordering on men’s rights activism. poor men who have orgasms all the time while women have to pretend. maybe the sex wouldn’t be “poor” if men didn’t see women as a means to an end, their own orgasm. but sure you can frame it like her i guess.

What is poor sex – and what is rich sex?

IS: The poverty is that we desperately yearn to touch each other and make each other happy. And we don’t succeed. Women fake orgasms, that is not just a funny topic for the boulevard press. That is a failed communication every time. And men say: The things you like are so boring they make me fall asleep, I need something better. There are so many false expectations. The penis has to enter the vagina, that is such a strict idea about sexuality. And all this in a romantic relationship between two people. Hollywood and the porn industry have commercialized this. And these false pictures cause sexual abuse, sexual trauma for women. And that’s all the fault of the sex we have.

wow, they managed to talk about poverty – but not the impoverished women who are the majority in prostitution and don’t have the privilege to make intellectual considerations about poor little sex buyer meow meows because they have to deal with the abuse. men yearn to make women happy? i have to laugh. and prostitution is helping here how? by teaching men healthy boundaries and communication? again, i have to laugh. she extends no empathy to women or these men’s partners, only to the men who probably cheated on them with her – most sex buyers are not single. and “the penis has to enter the vagina” is literally 90% of prostitution. again, what is she on. so hollywood and the porn industry are evil but prostitution is not? god, please let brains fall from the sky. some people need them.

Now you could say: Kismet [destiny], our sex has become like this, now we have to work through it. You think something else is possible. What would that be?

IS: Good sex has to be freed from definitions that stress us. Thoughts like “sex is only good with an erection”, that’s stressful. We don’t know how to protect our sexuality from these definitions. For example, I discovered slow sex. We laid together for hours, a relaxed and unerected penis in a relaxed vagina. Nothing happened for a long time – except my leg went numb and my boyfriend’s back hurt. But after a few tries, something happened, and it was better than anything we ever experienced. We sensitized our genitalia again. I had my first vaginal orgasm. Yes, dear previous sex partners, the first!

not her talking about “protecting our sexuality”. i don’t even know what to say anymore. prostitution is all about penetration and defining sex to make it a service. she experiments with her partner but sex buyers can’t do that? and she proudly proclaims that none of her sexual partners had made her cum before (at least vaginally). this is such a mess. and now this banger:

Was that the point where you exited prostitution?

IS: Yes. I got bored before that though. And then I went to a workshop, where a group of women was supposed to find our G spot. I was pretty numb vaginally. At first it was funny because we were fingering around in each other with latex gloves, at some point your fingers start to cramp. Well, in the end we found it, and it was such a fluent and ecstatic experience! After that I stayed in the brothel for three weeks. And then I opened my eyes one day and thought: I’m not going there anymore. I was finished with it.

she never even experienced an orgasm before entering prostitution... literally completely unexperienced. and when she realized she could actually feel pleasure and wasn’t merely there to satisfy men she used her privilege to exit prostitution. and because she got “bored”. again, this is a fucking mess. and now she is some sort of body therapist for other women and profits from having been prostituted because everyone fucking loves these stories no matter what the background is. these narratives are extremely harmful to marginalized women in prostitution and play right into men’s hands. why are we not talking more about how a vaginally numb and sexually repressed woman whose partners never bothered enough to make her orgasm entered prostitution and how this is not a good thing? i fucking hate this newspaper because they are so uncritical.

Your bad experiences did not play a role?

IS: Not directly. I only realized later on that prostitution traumatized me. I had one customer who violently had sex with me. He was a smart sadist. A polite, friendly man. But then suddenly he just did what he wanted, touched me brutally and fucked me violently. He didn’t want consent. It was rape, even though it was not rape legally, because I did not say no. He showed me how I’m not able to set boundaries, because I was not prepared for something like this. I think that no woman is prepared for that because we are raised to be these smiling, nice girls.

how is she so aware but so wilfully ignorant at the same time. the cognitive dissonance is insane.

The infamous “she didn’t defend herself”.

IS: Yes. I work a lot with women who say: No, that was not rape, it was in my relationship and I didn’t say no. And I know exactly why she didn’t say no.

Why?

IS: Because we are the smiling girls. Because we are cuter when we cry silently than when we are angry. Our instinct that could prevent traumatization is repressed. The protective instinct: Set boundaries, say no, defend your boundaries. And there is no Yes if you are not able to say No. If we taught girls to say no, before we teach them to wear G-strings, we would reach sexual paradise. Because men would have to progress.

no words.

Don’t we try already?

Do we? I see women who are extremely scared. They’re scared that they won’t have sex anymore if they say no. That the man leaves. And they think, their only turn-on is to be “fucked hard”, to be a vessel. Women don’t know their own strength. Women’s bodies are not inferior to men’s bodies. That is a patriarchal lie. I’m pro sexual feminism. And that’s why I don’t work in prostitution anymore. I can do a lot better things with my sexual power than to say: “I’m your vessel today”.

the only thing that i can get behind in this whole mess. she is not even wrong about some things but the way she frames everything completely releases men from any accountability and she doesn't attack the system prostitution at all, she says the brothel is a symptom of boring sex and not like, woman-hate. and these are the voices that are the loudest in the german debate on prostitution.

#i will do more of these to show what narratives are dominating the german debate #and thereby influence legislation #anti prostitution #germany

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ohsuchoh · 1 month

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Some thoughts on Bucchigiri?!

As I write this, Bucchigiri?! is about to release its last episode

Arajin from Bucchigiri?!

First things first. I have a weird feeling about the cultural appropriation of stereotypical arab "aesthetics" thing here. But it's a complex matter that I'm not addressing now, I have to educate myself more to talk properly about it. Though, as I've seen other people say, it seems Utsumi is following the original plot of 1001 Nights and I think I understand why she chose it. The original Aladdim is a horrible person, the perfect matrix for a selfish, coward and irritating Arajin - a main character who is the opposite of the shonen hero trope. Almost as hated as Shinji Ikari from Evangelion - a much older and bigger project. By the way, I see some references to Evangelion and other classical anime across Utsumi's works and this is something I would like to address in the future.

Another topic is that I had already noticed with Sk8 the Infinity how interesting Utsumi's approach on masculinity is, especially queer masculinity. No wonder a considerable part of the sk8 fanbase is masc-oriented, either trans men or non-binary people. Now, with Bucchigiri?!, masculinity seems to be the central topic of the work. I wanna write more about it in a future post. Please mind that I don't take too much into consideration protocol, evasive answers in interviews. Rather, I prefer to study the author's work, worldbuilding, plot and characters, using interviews only as a side consultation sometimes. I'm not immune to misunderstandings and confirmation bias, though, so take my analyses with a grain of salt.

This post started to get too long, so I decided to break it into a series of shorter texts. I intend to update this main post with the links to the other ones (if I happen to have time and energy to write them). Mind that I'm not doing extensive research. It's just a collection of thoughts that may or may not make sense. For me, well posed questions are more interesting than categorical and definitive answers.

Mahoro as all women

Sk8 the Infinity: a beef parallel

Katabasis and tragedy in Bucchigiri?!

Masculinity as a central topic of Utsumi's works

#bucchigiri?!#anime #hiroko utsumi #analyses #sk8 the infinity #masculinity

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justforbooks · 1 month

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Towards the end of his life, the actor Adrian Schiller, who has died unexpectedly aged 60, found success and sudden fame in two blockbuster TV shows: The Last Kingdom (2018-22), on Netflix, in which he played the richest man in medieval Wessex, Aethelhelm; and ITV’s drama Victoria (2016-19), as Cornelius Penge, a footman in the royal household.

In both, a fleeting glance would suggest that here was a naturally authoritative actor, blessed with gravitas and style. This camouflaged the demonic comic spirit within, which had informed so many of his memorable stage performances since he first appeared in the German Expressionist Carl Sternheim’s 1911 play The Knickers at the Lyric, Hammersmith, in 1991. In a delicious comic performance, he played a weak-chested Wagner-loving barber thunderstruck by a flash of discarded lingerie as the Kaiser drove by, suggesting, said the Times critic, “a tousle-headed combination of Charlie Chaplin, Egon Schiele and Gollum, whose idea of romance is reading extracts from the Flying Dutchman”.

Schiller proceeded to leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1990s – his Porter in a disappointing 1996 Macbeth was the funniest I had ever seen, while his entertaining Touchstone in an awful 2000 designer knitwear production of As You Like It rescued another dud evening.

He was less prominent in some strange productions at the National – Peter Handke’s wordless The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other in 2008, as one of 27 actors playing 450 characters in a town square, coming and going with no interaction, and as a revolutionary tailor in a poor 2013 retread of Carl Zuckmayer’s 1931 Captain of Kopenick, in which Antony Sher did not eclipse memories of Paul Scofield in the NT’s 1971 production.

On the other hand, he was outstanding in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, superbly directed, and modernised, by Benedict Andrews at the Young Vic in 2012, playing Kulygin, a leather-jacketed schoolteacher tragically infatuated with his own disloyal wife; and he was a compelling, original, quietly spoken and sympathetic Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at the Wanamaker, the candle-lit indoor venue at Shakespeare’s Globe, in 2022. The Merchant rekindled the current noise around the play – is it antisemitic or about antisemitism?

In an interview with the Jewish Chronicle, Schiller tilted towards the second view. He averred that he was “a Jew, but not Jewish”.

Schiller was born in Oxford, the second of four children of Judith (nee Bennett), a teacher, and Klaus Schiller, a gastroenterologist whose family had emigrated from Austria to Britain in 1938. When Klaus was appointed a consultant at St Peter’s hospital, Chertsey, the Schillers moved to Surrey.

Adrian was educated at Kingston grammar school and Charterhouse, in Godalming, Surrey, where he pursued a busy life in stage productions. Instead of drama school, he took a good degree in philosophy (after switching from architecture) at University College London, although he always self-deprecatingly said that he majored in “plays and partying”.

His early television career encompassed series such as Prime Suspect, A Touch of Frost, Judge John Deed and much else, through to the first series of Endeavour in 2013. He also popped up in the Channel 4 series The Devil’s Whore (2008) set in the English civil war, and the Doctor Who story strand The Doctor’s Wife in 2011.

One of his most effective cameos on screen was as the barman in a striking government-sponsored advert in the anti-drink-driving campaign in 2007. He leaned deep into the camera with a series of non-equivocal questions to a bemused, unimpressed young glass-holding customer who may or may not have grasped the seriousness of the interrogation.

But he always returned to the theatre, seeking out the most demanding roles with companies who would accommodate him. He gave an almost ideal Cassius, wirily intellectual while bubbling passionately underneath, said Michael Billington, for David Farr’s 2005 RSC touring version of Julius Caesar. In the title role of Tartuffe at the Watermill, Newbury, in 2006, he was cool and venomous, as well as understated, and clearly the star of the show.

And for Stephen Unwin’s English Touring Theatre in 2007, he rebooted the remorseless villain, De Flores, in Middleton and Rowley’s Jacobean shocker, The Changeling. He was more than notable, too, opposite Sher’s Sigmund Freud, as a vividly hilarious Salvador Dalí, in their great encounter scene in Terry Johnson’s Hysteria at the Hampstead theatre, revived there in 2013, 20 years after its Royal Court premiere.

His feature film credits were not extensive, but in 2014 he was well cast as the sardonic high priest Caiaphas in Son of God, Christopher Spencer’s biblical epic. In Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette (2015), scripted by Abi Morgan, he was an imposing Lloyd George, coming round to the persuasion of the militant vote-seeking women led by Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst and Carey Mulligan as a fictional worker fuelled by the excitement of change and protest.

His last movie, yet to be released, is Red Sonja, in which he plays the king of Turan in a remake of the 1985 sword-and-sorcery Marvel Comics fantasy.

Back on stage in 2023, he returned to questions of Jewish identity and survival in three short new plays at the Soho theatre and a more substantial Holocaust drama, The White Factory by Dmitry Glukhovsky, at the sparky new Marylebone theatre (formerly the Steiner Hall), in which he was a powerful, wise presence in the story of a survivor of the Łódź ghetto in Poland, played by Mark Quartley, adapting to American life in the Brooklyn of the 60s.

At the time of his death, Schiller – who was also a skilled sculptor and guitarist – had just returned from Sydney and the triumphant international tour of The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, and had been looking forward to the next leg of the tour in San Francisco.

He is survived by his partner, Milena Wlodkowska, a laboratory support technician, and their son, Gabriel, and by his sister, Ginny, and brothers, Nick and Ben.

🔔 Adrian Townsend Schiller, actor, born 21 February 1964; died 3 April 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #adrian schiller #in memoriam

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tumblingyeti · 16 days

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Sloan According to Sloanies

For our final project, our group (Sloanies for Sloanies), has decided to examine and assist MIT Sloan in their branding strategy. In this blogpost, I reflect on some of the dilemmas faced by Burberry and the power of consumer stories in digital marketing as it applies to Sloan’s branding challenges and opportunities.

Pricing Dilemma: Elite but not elitist?

The Burberry case mentions three customer segments of the luxury fashion goods industry: absolute, aspirational, and accessible. The absolute segment is characterized by their “push back against masstige” in which they desire to own unique, iconic brands with history and heritage that emphasize their elitism. For this customer segment, the product’s price is an important element as it must be high enough to price out the mass-market; thus, helping set them apart from the masses.

Though I personally associate MIT Sloan with more inclusivity than elitism and exclusivism, it is true that per its pricing, Sloan does stand out as one of the most expensive among the MBA schools in the US. In 2023, MIT Sloan had the third highest tuition fees for a two-year US MBA program trailing only Wharton and Columbia Business School (see table below). As a pricing strategy, this would signal and maintain a certain level of exclusivity.

Source: AdmitExpert (link: https://admitexpert.com/blog/mba-cost-usa/)

This exclusionary pricing is in contrast to the mission statement and values of the parent institution, MIT which states its mission is to “make a better world through education, research, and innovation” and its culture as “elite but not elitist.” Additionally, Sloan describes it culture as welcoming people with a “wide range of backgrounds, experience, and interests” (see screenshots below). Perhaps in the context of education, one can argue that price indicates more about the quality and benefits of education than the exclusivity. For example, maybe Sloan is more expensive because it provides better opportunities for skills-building and career-building. As a student, there are opportunities such as the action lab which provide hands-on learning opportunities domestically and abroad, entrepreneurial programs and grants, and courses from exceptional faculty which define the quality of the educational experience. All of these have costs associated with them. However, it’s also true that price does largely determine who and who cannot afford to attend a school and therefore, can have a discriminatory effect.

Given this, I would imagine for Sloan, their pricing strategy should carefully consider a balance between quality (value) and affordability (inclusiveness/diversity). If it becomes too expensive, it may sacrifice on the diversity and range of candidates it can attract, while it becomes too cheap, it may require sacrifices on the quality of experience provided to its students.

Source: MIT website

Source: MIT Sloan website

Power of Consumer Stories: Sloanies defining Sloan?

I imagine that most of us spoke to at least one Sloan student/alum to help us make the decision on whether or not to attend the Sloan MBA program. From a small sample size of my core groups and extended Sloan friend network, I would presume that >90% had talked to a Sloanie in this decision making process. Speaking from personal experience, it was in fact a panel with a current Sloanie and a former HBS alum that solidified my decision to go to Sloan.

I remember in my conversation during AdMIT weekend, I had a 1-on-1 chat with a student who was in the middle of her 1st year in the MBA program. She described an experience where multiple Sloanies were in the interview process for a certain consulting firm. She then continued to describe how the students were sharing insights amongst themselves to help each other in the process, even though they were likely competing for the same position. Students who did their interviews first left notes on what kinds of questions were asked and gave tips to the students who were interviewing after them. She said “This was unexpected and really made me appreciate our culture of Sloanies helping Sloanies. It’s truly a place where we collaborate with each other, rather than compete.”

At the same time, my mentor, who had attended HBS encouraged me also to go to Sloan over HBS. According to him, he thought MIT had a “humble” culture where I would fit in better.

At the time, I didn’t realize that “Sloanies helping Sloanies” was somewhat of a slogan for an aspect of the culture. I was surprised to see it mentioned on the Sloan website and think this is proof of a great marketing strategy from the school.

Albeit being a small sample size, I thought it was curious and compelling that out of all the business schools, Sloan was the only one with a perfect 5.0 review on GMAT Club.

Source: GMAT Club (link: https://gmatclub.com/reviews/business_schools/)

I was curious what the student reviews said decided to create a word cloud of the 5 most recent reviews which gave the following result. Seeing the words – students, culture, and people – being mentioned the most points towards culture being a potential differentiation point of Sloan, as voiced by its consumers/students.

Given how much prospective students rely on the experiences of other students to inform the decision and the positive students reviews already being posted online, Sloan’s branding could benefit from leveraging more of its student stories and by focusing on specific differentiation points that resonate with its consumers such as the “Sloanies helping Sloanies” culture.

#mitsloanbranding2024b

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zedechemist · 6 months

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— IN A WORLD WHERE...

'Zed never had his high-school chemistry accident.'

...THE ALTERNATIVE SEPTEMBER 12TH, 1994.

— Zed never attended the chemistry class where the accident that nearly cost him his arm occurred. He never took an interest in chemistry, or acids, nor pharmaceuticals. He does not have a disfigured, or burn scar across his forearm and lower hand. — Instead, he was off sick with a common cold. his Uncle Joseph had come over to talk business with his side of the family. Zed had listened in; learning; questioning his potential position in the family — subsequently following in similar footsteps as the rest of the Movska brood. — But he wasn't quite Fox News material. Instead, he pursued editing; easily accessible for an underachiever with the connections his family does.

— THE RIPPLE EFFECT...

— '94-1995; Zed finished his high school diploma, deciding to take a late interest in the media world his family seemed to thrive in. — 1997; By not attending further education; no college; no pharmaceutical degree; no Ph.D. Zed was not in the same scientific circles. He did not attend physics, or chemistry conventions. Therefore, he did not meet Rahi Kumar who would have been his best friend throughout his life, and career. — Late 1997; He and his cousin Lev's difficult and sometimes unhinged relationship became easier; Zed was not an overachieving intellect. He was another Movska in media chasing some sort of prestige. — 1998; Somehow ends up childminding his five year old cousin Diana Movska more frequently as his family's work progresses. He works out empathy among his family — and briefly considers his own future with a family of his own. — 2000; There is a 0.6% increase in the fatality rate within Affina Biotechnologies in a two year period; totalling 60 more deaths due to an inexperienced chemist taking a position. [ a contract Zed would have taken. ] — 2001; Zed attempts to cover the story everyone else is. — 2002; he interviews for WNBC, dabbling in radio before he lands a position in the New York Post, opting towards print media. He gets his own intern. — The rest of 2002; The intern is the worst. Lev and Zed make continuous jokes about his inevitable departure. — 2003-'06; He balances a life between New York and Russia whilst he scarcely misses out on a promotion due to the mysterious disappearance of his intern. He refuses to hire another. — 2008; Zed [And Lev] purchases a chinatown apartment. — 2009; He moves into an executive chair. — 2010; Zed does not meet what would be his colleagues, and residents at consultant hospitals, or Columbia university. There is no Kamilah Marques or Gus Amado in his professional life. — 2011; There is an underground scuffle between druglords that Zed is never present for. Instead of diffusing the majority of it, there is bloodshed. Four people are fatally wounded, and six injured. He never encounters Oz Saffet. Cops are called to a scene. They attempt to find medical attention that before Zed would have assisted with. Three are arrested and charged. One passes. The rest survive and go into hiding. The New York Times beat the Post to the scoop. — 2014; He stays in New York for the entire year. — Early 2015; he briefly dates the NYP's CFO. It ends pretty amicably. — 2015; Zed becomes COO, and is content with the position. — 2017; There is a decrease in toxicity in American Regent's latest quick-fix for migraine treatment by 0.2%, nearly two dozen benefit from the new chemistry. [Zed never altered it for a '17 hire job. ] — 2020-'23; He remains COO of the NYP.

— THE RESULT

— Anyone who knew Zed through scientific, medical or pharmaceutical means very likely will not know him now. His morbidity was more than skin deep, but he did not have such a vicious means of dispatch at his disposal, instead opting for media reckoning and political damning. — He will be more light-hearted — mostly — and far more approachable as a media mogul. There is almost a 0% risk of him threatening to end one via chemical warfare. He is not nearly as intelligent; he is not a professor, or doctor in the AU. — He will now edit your pieces to death if you hand him any documentation. — More familial orientated — if that were possible, considers himself fairly close with them. — May even make a joke, and laugh.

#wb.event #wb.au

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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George Santos made history when he unexpectedly became the first non-incumbent out gay Republican to be elected to Congress in a "red wave" that swept New York state in the November midterm elections.

And according to a New York Times investigation, he may have a historically large amount of questions to answer about his resume.

The investigation found that Santos, who was elected to represent a Long Island district currently held by Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, may have made numerous misrepresentations of key aspects of his background.

FIRST, HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIS EMPLOYMENT DOESN'T ADD UP:

• His biography says he's worked at Goldman Sachs, but spokeswoman Abbey Collins told the Times there's no record of his employment at the company.

• He's also said he was a "associate asset manager" at Citigroup, but spokeswoman Danielle Romero-Apsilos said it also couldn't confirm that he worked there, and said that the company sold off its asset management operations in 2005, which is five years before he claims to have graduated college.

• The Times found no IRS record of his a charity he says he owns, Friends of Pets United, and the beneficiary of a 2017 fundraiser by the group told the Times that they'd never received any of the money that was raised.

SECOND, HE'S REPORTEDLY FACED NUMEROUS EVICTIONS, CLAIMED TO BE A LANDLORD HIMSELF, AND MAY NOT LIVE AT HIS CURRENT ADDRESS:

• He was evicted in 2015 from a residence in Whitestone, Queens, after owing $2,250 in unpaid rent, per the Times. The landlord, Maria Tulumba, told the paper he was a "nice guy" and "respectful" tenant.

• He was evicted in 2017 from a residence in Sunnyside, Queens, after owing more than $10,000 in unpaid rent. Santos received a $12,208 fine.

• He claimed to be a landlord in 2021, but did not list any properties in New York on financial disclosure forms from either his 2020 or 2022 campaigns.

• The Times tried to interview him on Sunday at an address where he's registered to vote, but a person there said they weren't familiar with him.

THIRD, HIS HIGHER EDUCATION HISTORY APPEARS TO BE A LIE AS WELL:

• He's said he graduated with a degree in economics and finance from Baruch College, a public 4-year college in New York City, in 2010. But representatives from the school told the Times they had no record of his enrollment, despite searching multiple variations of his name.

• A biography on the National Republican Campaign Committee website says he went to New York University as well, but a spokesman for the university told the Times they had no attendance records that matched his name and birth date.

FOURTH, THERE'S STILL A MYSTERY AS TO WHERE HIS MONEY IN COMING FROM:

• He's reported a $750,000 salary and $1 million from a now-dissolved entity called the "Devolder Organization."

• The firm had been described in numerous ways, including as his "family's firm" that manages $80 million in assets and as a capital introduction consulting company. He did not list any clients.

• He was also the regional director of Harbor City Capital, a Florida-based company, when it was accused of running a more than $17 million Ponzi scheme. He's publicly denied knowledge of the scheme, according to the Times.

FIFTH, HE CLAIMED TO HAVE LOST FOUR EMPLOYEES IN THE 2016 PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING:

• He made the claim during an interview after his election, but the Times review found that none of the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting appeared to be associated with any of his firms.

Neither Santos nor the office of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

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educred · 2 years

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Education loan on home loan property

The question of obtaining a loan for a property is frequently asked by students. In many cases, people ask whether they are eligible to receive an Education Loan for an existing property.

A common misconception about home loans, education loans

Parents and students often believe that a home loan asset, which is not collateral security to secure an education loan. There is no truth to the claim that a property will be denied based on an unsecured housing loan.

Lack of information regarding the different conditions of education loans leads to students not knowing they can also get education loans through a home loan. Therefore, students usually opt for unsecured education loans with higher interest rates.

Eligibility for education loan on home loan property

The basic education loan eligibility criteria for home loans will be identical for students who is applying for an education loan, such as their academic history or the university or country they are attending, etc.

In addition to your CIBIL score, your co-applicant's score will also be considered by a lender. You may be able to improve your CIBIL rating by making your EMIs on time.

Which bank is best to take a student loan against a home loan property?

To answer this question, what are the top banks? There are several advantages to borrowing from a government bank in terms of education loans, including low-interest rates, no-payment moratorium periods, etc. When possible, it is advisable to apply for an educational loan at the same institution that holds your mortgage, such as SBI or BOB.

Yes, government banks can delay processing your loan for education However this isn't the situation when you apply through EduCred. We have a close relationship with banks to ensure that your loan will be approved in the fastest time possible.

#educred #study in overseas #education loan #without collateral #education loan for abroad studies without collateral #US F1 Visa consultant #study abroad consultants #study in uk #study in ireland #us f1 visa interview questions and answers #study in usa #study abroad scholarships

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momo-de-avis · 1 year

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On November 26, 1911, only one year after Portugal overthrew the monarchy and installed the First Republic, Lisbon was swept by a riot, and at the heart of it was two chinese healers.

Throughout the 19th century, it was actually not uncommon at all for "virtuous children" to become popular for their miracle-making abilities, allegedly healing cattle and humans alike with the simplest recipe: the child, with just one consultation, would advise scrubbing a specific type of dirt against the skin to heal it of some rash, or to dig until water was found and then clean your eyes with that water to heal them of blindness, and an assortment of herbs, often made into tea, to heal whatever else there was, asking other "mezinhas" (healing practices that mix paganism with Catholicism). It might sound bizarre but this is a phenomenon well known across europe of what is essentially neo-catholicism, heavily influenced by the rise of spiritism. The spiritism will be considered a tad much by the Vatican of course, but miraculous deeds were a common plot by the Vatican to attract new and younger followers into the catholic church. The climax of this plot is the insane amount of Our Lady appearances recorded across the century.

Now in Portugal, the latter half of the 19th century is exactly when efforts to separate church and state are first made. It is only in the 1880s that we begin seeing a Republican party, and newspapers talk of republican ideals, but the core idea for what will lead to the implantation of the republic appears here: hatred for the Catholic institution and the Vatican.

As these cases rose in popularity, of virtuous boys and their miracles, it was often found that the children were, unsurprisingly, being manipulated by their parents, but the public really did not perceive it as that. To them, this was proof that God had granted a special gift to these children. Famously, João, the virtuous boy of Montargil, when questioned about his miracles, if he was the one who performed them and conducted consultations, instead of replying, the boy remained silent. Outraged, a woman screamed at the journalist interviewing little João (approximate translation, as the phrase is very idiomatic): "You are the worst! You were the one who talked about this to the papers, and here you are because Our Lord God is punishing you with pains!"

(Funnily enough, the government issued a sentence to this child and his father: the boy had to be enrolled in school....)

Of course, among the rising anti-catholic sentiment, these children were seen as victims. The cases in question were often satirised into comedies performed in theatres; in Parliament, these were discussed as a matter of grave nature, for it showcased the problem with religious education; there were even public debates about these boys.

But then the Monarchy falls, the First Republic is installed, the Constitution of 1911 finally separates church and state, and Lisbon is suddenly shaken by the two chinese healers.

Known as Ajus and Joé, these two sisters became known in Lisbon for healing all eye ailments. Allegedly, they used sandalwood sticks to massage the eyelids and heal the eyes of blindness, and they healed you of other worse ailments by using small larvae. They also lived in Hotel Algarve in a rented room, where they set up office and welcomed their patients.

The sisters were known for not charging anything to their clients, and actually practiced their healing arts for free to the poor. Whatever they were paid, the client volunteered it.

For this alone, they were beloved. Lisbon absolutely loved these women. But the Republic had other ideas. It isn't just firmly anti-catholicism: it is anti spiritualism in many ways (which is ironic: the first elected Republican President was a spiritualist, and allegedly his election was announced in a spiritism session in 1882 by none other than King Sebastian...). And these women do what so many had done before, and would be charged for: practicing the healing arts without a proper medical license.

It was ordered for them to be arrested and deported, but the people were absolutely outraged about this. They pressured every branch of the government to overturn this decision, protested heavily for three days out on the streets, and even set up stake-outs to watch the hotel to make sure NOBODY got their hands on them.

Well, someone did. Apparently they were, per the people's account, kidnapped from the hotel by government officials and taken by train to the Spanish border so they could be deported.

The following morning, a crowd of thousands converged into Rossio Square, where topics were to be addressed by the government in a public forum. These ranged from actuality to politics, and at a given point, Machado dos Santos, the very leader of the revolution of the 4-5th of October and hero of the Republic, comes out to address the people. The subject of the chinese sisters comes along, and the enraged mob demands answers. Machado dos Santos tries to soothe the crowd but fails. In the riot that follows, he takes refuge in a café while the riot sweeps across downtown Lisbon. The people march up to Chiado, some taking refuge in A Brasileira café, others taking the streets to fight against the military that is eventually deployed. And as the fight escalates, the people look back on the tactics used by the Republicans, and use their very own successful weapon in the 5th of October Revolution: dynamite. They blow up an entire cavalry commando.

The following day it is announced that there were 18 deaths and hundreds of injured, but it seems it was just 2 deaths. Dozens of buildings are damaged by bullet holes and the bombings. Dozens more are arrested.

As for the chinese sisters? They reached Badajoz, but all the way there and even after that, they set up shop wherever they went (even in train stations!), now charging people for their consultations (and good money, too). Some time after that, news of their arrival in Brasil arrives in the country: there, they have set up permanent consultations, with accounts of their miraculous healings coming back to Portugal. One of the last accounts of a healed individual says: "My eyes are seeing like two telescopes! It's a miracle!"

#fun facts

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lenaswritingandstuff · 1 year

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Losing Game [Antoine Griezmann x fem!OC] (Chap. II)

Requested: No

Pairing: Antoine Griezmann x OC!Gabrielle Darian; more to be added.

Warnings: English is not my first language!

Wordcount: 3.6K+

A/N: GIF IS NOT MINE. Enjoy!

Previous chapter

CHAPTER II

The day after, waking up was more complicated than I envisioned. I rubbed my eyes and heard Louisa’s alarm ringing in her bedroom. Sighing, I got up and went to the corridor.

“Morning.”

“Yo.”

“Go put some clothes first,” I said. “You better not be late to class.”

Still a bit sleepy, she went “hum” and walked to the bathroom. I went to the living room, turned on the TV, and prepared breakfast in the open kitchen. I consulted my phone and Louisa then arrived, now fully awake.

“Here,” I handed her a cup of coffee.

“Thanks girl. Slept well?”

“Not bad, you?”

“Not enough. I don’t wanna go to class at all” she sighed. “Tell me why I’m in college again?”

“Because you want to be a psychologist,” I answered with a little smile. “Since you were little.”

“Oh, right.”

She made herself some toasts, and we talked a bit.

“What plans do you have for this morning?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing special. Except for that interview.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“Barely.” I said raising my shoulders.

I liked giving interviews, because it gave me the opportunity to talk about the company and cases that were dear to me. The problem were the journalists who cared more about the clothes I was wearing than the company and their idiotic questions. Louisa, who was now gonna be late, went to preparing herself while I cleared the table. She came back a few minutes later, put a jacket on, and then turned to me.

“We’re having lunch together, right?”

“Of course.”

“Awesome. See ya, bestie!”

“See you!”

She blew me a kiss and then left. My parents hired me – and by that I mean forced me to work for them – as soon as I finished high school, but they insisted on me going to college, but through distance education. They wanted me to a business course like Noah did, but I managed to convince them to let me study English, in order to become a translator from English to French. It was what I wanted to do since middle school, and since I didn’t see myself working for my parents’ company my whole life, I didn’t see what else I could do. I went to prepare myself, and once I was ready, left the apartment. In the corridor I see the janitor, who greeted me with a nod. The company’s headquarters were twenty minutes away, which was rather helpful. I loved my car a lot. It wasn’t the kind of car my parents loved, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other.

After spending thirty minutes on the road because of the traffic, I finally arrived in front of the grey building which was a bit sinister at first and that I now knew by heart.

“Morning!” I said to the receptionists.

“Morning Miss Darian!”

I took the elevator, and arrived on the fourth floor, where my desk was. When I first got here, my father didn’t know where to put me, and decided I would work at “the finance floor” as we called it. I’m not complaining, because everybody working at that loor is very nice. I said hi to the girls who were already here and sat behind my desk. No one had induvial offices here, except on the last floor, which was where my parents and my stupid brother worked. I turned my computer on and started to work. I corrected some mistakes on the next gala’s invitations and the article on yesterday’s night, which was supposed to be published in two days. I got a text from Louisa telling me she’s bored in class. I smiled and wrote to her to hang on. That kind of thing reminds me of much I love distance education. I had finished my work, and since I had an hour to kill, I decided to take out one of my lessons and work on it. I didn’t see the hour go, and it was the phone ringing on my desk that brought back to reality.

“Hello?”

“Miss Darian, your appointment is here.”

I completely forgot about this interview.

“Oh, right. Coming.”

“She’s waiting for you on the second floor.”

“Thank you.”

I hanged up and walked to the elevator. Once on the second floor, I entered the room full of small sofas we usually used for birthday celebrations and stuff like that. The woman who was waiting had her back turned and was wearing the highest heels I ever saw. I was relieved she didn’t have any camera with her.

“Hello,” I say walking to her.

She turned around, and gave me a fake smile while her eyes, hided by her glasses, remained cold.

“Miss Darian, it’s really nice to meet you. I’m Anne Forand.”

She presented a hand with manicured nails, and I shook it reluctantly.

“Nice to meet you too.”

I showed her the sofa behind her, and sat on the sofa that faced it. She started recording, and gave me a fake smile again.

“Gabrielle, – I can call you Gabrielle, right? – if you had to describe Darian Enterprises, which is, just as a reminder, your parents’ company, in a few words, how would you do it?”

Basic question. Nice. And she’s looking down upon me. Stay calm girl. I cleared my throat and smiled at her.

“Darian Enterprises," I answered, “aim to help people who need it through money donation or merchandise in order to create a more egalitarian society. That’s really important to us. We also have been working on projects for the environment and the planet’s protection for some time.”

She gave a confused look and smiled once again.

“Your parents, Anita and Xavier, are known for their good heart and for being very selfless – which led to this company being created. Did you try to create a different image or are you satisfied just by walking in their footsteps?”

I answered calmly, but if it was just me, I would just throw her out. The questions’ double meaning is more and more obvious: she’s accusing me of just being here because of my parents and in the next question of refusing to work in the office with my brother. I get really quickly that this so-called journalist is just here to push the blame on me, with, if possible, a scoop. Any journalist who would want to know more about the company would go see my parents, not me – unless they have a particular topic. I answer every question with calm, mostly because if I don’t and my mother hears it, she’s gonna kill me. The journalist doesn’t give up, as she doesn’t get that I didn’t fall for her trap. After a few stupid questions, the last question finally comes in.

“Last question: you’re young, rich, pretty” – the last word doesn’t easily come out – “and you’re famous. Such a young girl cannot be single, can she?”

Here is the scoop she wants. What does she expect, exactly? Me revealing that I’m dating the rock star that is currently everywhere on TV or a famous football player? Damn it, just remind me to fish in my next life.

“Well, apparently she can. I don’t have anybody.”

She gave a smile that’s telling me she thinks I’m lying, and stopped the record.

“Very well. Do you mind if I take a picture? For the article, I mean” she added as if I was dumb.

I’m gonna shove the damn picture up your ass-

“Sure.”

I fixed my hair quickly, and she asked me to pose by the window before taking the picture with her phone.

“Well, I’ve got everything I need. Thank you very much, Gabrielle.”

“The main exit in on your right once you’re on the first floor.”

I turned my back on her without shaking the hand she gave me and left the room. She bugged me for real. I go back to my floor, and eat a candy from the candy pack I keep in my desk. I need to get back to studying, so I continue working on the last lesson. One could really ask why I come to the office…Time luckily flies so fast, and one of my coworkers, Estelle, bring me back to Earth when she calls me.

“Gabrielle? It’s lunch time for us, and time to go home for you.” she says gently.

“Already? Oh my. See you tomorrow, Estelle.”

“Have a good afternoon, beautiful.”

I was lucky that her and the other girls eventually saw me as a coworker and not just as the bosses’ daughter. I turned my computer off, got up from my chair, said goodbye to my coworkers and took the elevator. I say goodbye to the receptionists and then get on my car. Barely five minutes later, traffic already starts to be horrible. That’s the main thing I don’t like about Paris - closely followed by the fact that's there is too many people. I finally arrived home, and parked my car right besides Louisa’s. I go up to the apartment, and meet Louisa in front of our door.

“Hey! How was work?” she asked.

“As usual. How about the classes?”

“Oh, Gaby, it was so boring, you have no idea…”

She opened the door and I followed her inside. I put my bag aside and sit on the sofa.

“By the way, how was the interview?”

I tell her everything, and she mumbles unpolite things to the journalist and laughs when I tell her how I said goodbye.

“You need to tell your mom”, she said more seriously. “That woman better not come back.”

“You know damn well that if I talk to my mother about it she’ll say ‘Gabrielle, stop acting like a child, your brother doesn’t complain about journalists who come to see him.’ No way, I’m out.”

“You’re right.”

“Alright, let’s prepare lunch.”

She tells me all about her morning while cooking, and once it’s done, we sat on the sofa and watch the news on the TV.

“And now”, the news presenter said, “we’re moving on to a topic that a lot of French people will be entertained about and that will surely be in a lot of conversations: the Football World’s Cup! It will take place in Russia…”

“They’re gonna be damn cold over there,” Louisa commented. “It will be in summer, though, so maybe the weather will be hotter, don’t you think?”

“Girl, do I look like a weather girl to ya?”

“We got an exclusive entry in the team’s base, Clairefontaine,” the presenter went on, “to follow the preparation to a competition that could very well change French football’s history, the players and a lot of people’s lives.”

A few days later, it was barely awake and running that I arrived at work. Damn alarm o’clock not even capable of ringing. I barely had passed the glass doors when one of the secretaries, Virginie, called for me.

“Miss Gabrielle! The Director of Operations called, she wants to see you in her office as soon as now.”

Nice, awful day coming up. When I started working here, I asked for my mother to only be called “the Director of Operations” when she gave me a message, and thankfully, they all accepted.

“Alright, I’ll go now. Thank you!”

Sighing, I took the elevator and looked at my phone. Shit, I’m fifteen minutes late. I fixed my hair as much as I could, as I didn’t want to give my mother other things to criticize. I arrived on the last floor, where my parents and brother worked. The door of my brother’s office was closed, poor thing probably having asked to start work later in the day. What a jerk. I greeted my mother’s assistant and knocked at my mother’s door.

“Come in.”

I obliged and saw her, as I expected, classily dressed up, sitting behind her desk with a piece of paper in front of her.

“You’re late.” She commented, her eyes still on the paper.

“Sorry, I didn’t w-”

“I do not care.”

She looked up to me and rolled her eyes.

“Well, do not stand here like an idiot, sit down.”

“Thanks.” I mumbled, and then sat.

“That shirt is horrendous, Gabrielle,” she commented again, “I already told you to throw it away.”

“I can leave, if you want, that way you won’t have to look at it,” I retorted, pretending to get up.

“Don’t play silly with me. If I told you to come, it’s for something really serious.”

Wow, I would have never guessed.

“Go on, then.”

“You’ve been working here for years now, and if I admit the work you’ve been doing until now is average, but you have yet to be given great responsibilities.”

“One would wonder why,” I muttered.

“But I decided it was time to change that. That’s why you will be organizing the next gala.”

“You’re going on a vacation?” I asked, confused.

“Of course not,” she said as if I was an idiot, “but I think it’s time for you to finally do something correct.”

“It’s ironic for you to call my work ‘correct’, giving that you’re the one in charge of giving your approval to everything that concerns the company’s galas”, I noted with a small laugh. “If you don’t love what I’m doing, why is everything I send you immediately approved?”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that!” she screamed with a now pink face, hitting her desk with her hand.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me jump. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

“I have until next month, I guess?”

“No, the gala you’re going to organize is taking place on May 31thst.”

Wonderful.

“Why do you want to have another gala so soon? Generally, we have one per month.”

“A lot of important people I wanted to invite to last week’s gala were on vacation, they’re back now. Here, here is a list of people I want at your gala. The money we’ll get will be use to send medical equipment and medications to poor countries, where ill people greatly miss medical care.”

I took the paper she put in front of me and quickly read it. I knew a few names of it but most of the guests are strangers.

“Can I invite other people? We haven’t invited Mr. Valere in, like, a year-”

“No, that list is enough. Don't send me the ideas you might have, they'll be terrible.”

I already know my ideas were going to be rejected, so I wasn't even going to try.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna get to work. Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

“No, I actually wanted to talk about the last gala.”

“I can’t organize that one,” I remarqued.

“Your brother told me what you did. This is just indecent, Gabrielle, I cannot believe you did this!”

I had almost forgot about the accident, since Noah, who I barely saw, never talked to me again about it.

“Indecent?” I exclaimed. “And how would you call cheating on your girl with your ex, and cheat on your new girl with your new ex? Because that’s what your precious little boy is doing! He can bang every girl he meets, I couldn’t care less, but he could do it one by one, for the love of God!”

“I told you not to speak to me like that! I’ve had enough of you, get out of here before I really get angry.”

Without answering her, I left the room. I walked past Noah’s office on my way to the elevator, but at the last second, I decided to go visit dear momma’s boy. I open the door without knocking and find him sitting. He sees me, and, confused, opens his mouth but I’m faster:

“Hey, you swine, next time you’ve got a problem with me, come tell me face to face instead of going crying to our mother like a fucking kid. Does she still change your diaper? Is it also her that put your condom on when you’re cheating on your girlfriends? Stupid asshole.”

Before he could answer, I slammed the door and took the elevator. It feels good to scream a little, I’ll admit. I’m still tensed when I arrive on my usual floor and greet my coworkers. I sat, and decide to make a list of things to do for the gala, and another for the possible services I’ll have to hire. Once it’s done, I get up and walk to Estelle, who’s in charge of the financial floor.

“Estelle? Can I have a word with you?”

“Sure!” she said with a smile.

“My mother asked me to take care of the next gala…”

“My, that’s wonderful, Gaby, congrats!”

“Yeah, thank you. Would you mind doing an estimation of the night? I’ll only have to add the room.”

“Sure, I’ll give to you asap.”

“Awesome, thanks a lot.”

I went back to my desk and spent the rest of the morning looking for a place. It needs to be both beautiful, otherwise my mother will say I have no taste, and cheap, or she’ll accuse me of ruining the company. Once it’s passed noon, I left quickly, wanting to get back home as soon as I could.

*-*

I slammed the door behind me, saying insults I held back for the whole morning. I threw my bag and my shoes on the corridor’s entrance. In the living room, I found Louisa reading a book for college.

“Well, well”, she said. “Who is it, your mother or your brother?”

“Both,” I mumbled.

I tell her everything, and she laughs when I tell her Noah told my mother everything.

“It was obvious he would do it, your brother’s got nothing down there. It’s surprising how much girls he gets, actually.”

“I don’t care that my mother knows or if she screams at me, she can’t do anything else, but the principle of snitching is revolting me.”

“Of course.”

“When I had a problem with him, I didn’t go cry to our parents. They weren’t even there, for God’s sake!”

“Nah, you, you just tried to kill him.” She laughed.

“Come on, let it go, it was just one time.”

When I was six, Noah and I got into a fight, and he made me so anrgy so that I took a casserole from the kitchen and hit him on the head with it once or twice – okay, maybe like five times. He had a bump, and I got a severe punishment, and I regret absolutely nothing.

“It’s not like he never slapped me.”

“Touché. Tatiana used to hit me too when we were kids.”

“Yeah, but it was just giving little slaps behind the head, and anyways your sister is awesome. I would sell Noah and a kidney in a second to have her as a sister.”

Tatiana was Louisa’s older sister, and I adored her. Louisa and she were really close, and she always saw me as a sister – which was reciprocal. Yes Tatiana was awesome, but sadly, her parents disagreed on that.

“You’re right,” she laughed again. “Alright, I’m starving to death, let’s eat.”

After lunch, I wanted to continue preparing the gala, but Louisa convinces me to take a nap, and I eventually give up. I wake up barely rested, but calmed down. At the end of the afternoon, Louisa came back from college, agitating the small bag in her hand.

“Since I’m the best BFF in the world, I took éclairs at the bakery on my way back!”

“Aw, you’re adorable, thank you!”

I kissed her on the cheek to thank her, and we eat the snack while she tells me about her afternoon. Later on, she proposes to order pizza, which I gladly accept, and we spend the night laughing and complaining about our dreadful families while thanking heaven for knowing each other.

*-*

The day after, I find the perfect place, and announced on the company’s website the date and place of the gala on the 31st of May. Then it’s time to pick the caterer. The one my mother usually chooses is excellent, but to mess with her, I’m gonna pick another one. After one hour of research and phone calls, I find one who’s price is a bit high but with a very good reputation. I go the “communication floor” to talk about the invitations, and I find Sabrina, a pretty brunette entering her forties, waiting for me. We quickly agree on everything, and I give total freedom, as before I arrived, she was the one taking care of the invitations and was doing a fantastic job. She shows me the article she wrote to announce the date and place for the gala, and I approve it immediately. After I leave, I wonder if I should see my mother to tell her the organization is going well, but she’ll send me just send me to hell. Two hours later, my day is done and I decide to go get groceries. I go to the supermarket and park my car when my phone starts ringing. I expect it to be Louisa, but to my surprise, it’s Sabrina.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Gabrielle, it’s me again. I’m sorry to bother you…”

“No, it’s more than fine,” I assure her.

“I got a call about the next gala,” she said.

“Right…” I say, inviting her to go on.

“It’s from certain people who asked to come to the gala.”

“Who is it? Do we know them?”

“Well, more or less.”

Well, well.

“Who is it?”

“Didier Deschamps.”

“The National Football Team’s Coach?” I exclaimed.

Dang it, Gabrielle you idiot, of course it’s him.

“Yes,” Sabrina answered. “He and the players want to come to the gala.”

NEXT CHAPTER

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