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branlovestowrite · 6 years

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Reunited: A Stucky Story

I recently fell down the Stucky wormhole after @dracosollicitus started posting her Stucky WIP What’s Left of Kisses (side note, go read that when you’re done here). I’ve read a lot of Stucky stories in the past two months, but I couldn’t find one that had them reuniting in a modern-day, non superhero setting. After a while I decided I should write it myself. I added in Shuri/Bucky BroTP because I LOVE them as besties, as well as a little Jessica Jones/Bucky Barnes friendship because I love JJ and want her in all the Marvel stories. And of course, the women of Marvel ship Stucky and take measures to throw them together. This is my first Stucky story, and, if it’s a ship you’re into, I hope you’ll like what I’ve come up with.

Title: Reunited

Rating: T for mild language and brief mentions of sex

Summary: Bucky Barnes never thought he’d see his childhood best friend, and source of his first heartbreak, Steve Rogers ever again. He is thrown for a loop when Steve ends up working for one of his new clients. What happens now that these boys are together again? Can Bucky finally overcome his nerves and confess his true feelings to Steve?

Also on AO3

On a typical Wednesday morning, Bucky Barnes walked into work, completely unaware that by the end of the day, his life would change forever. That morning had seemed like a normal day in the office. The coffee was stale, the old donuts sat untouched and unmoved, and Shuri was teasing him just like she did every day. “Hey Bucky!” she yelled from across the room. “Yes?” He asked, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement as he approached their shared workspace. Shuri’s brown eyes sparkled with mirth. “Peter and I are in an argument-” “More like a disagreement,” Peter interrupted, his head poking above the cube wall. “An argument,” Shuri continued “about what dating was like before cell phones. I figured you could help me settle it.” “Really?” Bucky raised his eyebrows in response. “I’m not that much older than you guys. I got my first cell phone in high school.” “But that was old tech,” Shuri clarified. “No dating apps; limited texting. What did you do when you had to… call… people?” She said the word ‘call’ as if it offended her. “I don’t know,” Bucky replied, “I just called them.” He dropped his messenger bag to the floor and sank into his desk chair. “What even is this argument about?” “I say people didn’t… have sex,” Peter explained, a flush rising up over his cheeks and ears. “I mean, that is, they didn’t have sex as soon. They waited longer. Since, you know, they weren’t sexting or sending-” he cut himself off as the remainder of his face turned the same shade as a tomato. Shuri gave an exasperated sigh. “Dick pics, Peter. The phrase is dick pics.”

Bucky groaned and hung his head, his chin length hair falling around his face. “You know, we are working…” “Anyway! I say that even if they couldn’t send dick pics, people still found ways to get nasty because people have always found ways to get nasty.” “What did I just walk in on?” Shuri’s brother, their boss and owner of the company, T’Challa walked up with a concerned look on his face. “Do I need to call Okoye?” “No, please, sir,” Peter fumbled. “Ha!” Shuri laughed. “Peter’s scared of HR!” “I’m not scared of HR; just Okoye. She can be so tough!” “Please make them stop,” Bucky pleaded, turning to T’Challa. Their boss only laughed in return. “If you find a way to make my sister stop, Barnes, you come let me know. I haven’t found one yet.” He walked on, continuing his morning lap of the office. After a minute, as Bucky was bringing up his email, Shuri pushed her chair over to his desk. “So, old man, what did you guys do?” Bucky stopped his perusal to reminisce. He remembered rushing home to get to his computer and see if Steve was online. They would chat for hours via AIM, unless one of them had to get off the computer so a parent could use the phone line. When they each got cell phones they would call each other at 9:00pm sharp, when minutes were unlimited, and talk until one or both of their phone batteries died. A flush grew on his cheeks as he remembered the not-so-innocent turn their conversations sometimes took. While he never did anything explicit with Steve, he thoroughly remembered some of the thoughts he’d had during those conversations; thoughts he’d been too afraid to express. And the things he did with other people, in an attempt to get Steve out of his head. “Shuri’s right.” He said, looking at Peter. Shuri smirked conspiratorially. “Oooo… Bucky got nasty!” “That’s all I’m saying,” Bucky replied, turning back to his screen. Bucky worked for Wakanda Tech, or WT as the employees called it, a startup taking the corporate communications world by storm. T’Challa inherited the company from his father, but most of their recent products came directly from Shuri’s designs. She was a wunderkind, with an innate understanding of technology that put people twice her age to shame. And somehow she managed to combine her technical ability with a personality that was warm and engaging. It was impossible not to like Shuri. Bucky considered himself lucky to have landed a position at WT. Most of the employees were in their early 20’s. He was a random outlier, having met Okoye, their director of HR, at a job fair for veterans. Okoye was not your typical HR rep. She had a strict no-bullshit policy and had no issue with calling out her employees when she felt they were in violation of that. But she was also fiercely loyal and dedicated to the success of WT, having grown up alongside T’Challa. Okoye had an eye for talent, and she saw something in Bucky, even if he didn’t really see it himself. He worked as a implementation manager, helping get new clients on the platform once they’d purchased a license. Bucky had an eye for organization, a direct result of his military training. His personal life might be a mess, but he knew how to get other people in order. Once Shuri and Peter settled their dispute, the office became quiet, although a hum of anticipation still hung in the air. Today was a very important day for WT. T’Challa had been in discussions with Tony Stark about bringing their product to Stark Inc. If they landed this contract, there would be a huge bonus for everyone. Negotiations were almost complete; Stark was coming by later to hopefully sign the final documents. Bucky couldn’t calm the anxiety that crept up his spine. He never liked brash, overcompensating men like Stark- or at least the way Stark was portrayed in the media. When he was younger, he’d stopped more than a few of those types from beating Steve to a pulp. He’d learned to live with them in the Army, being surrounded by meatheads who preened like peacocks to hide their insecurities. He’d had his fill of guys like that during his time in the service, and did his best to avoid them now. Unfortunately, there was only one other Implementation Manager at WT, Peter, and he was too green to take on the Stark job. Like it or not, Bucky would have to be in the room with Stark later that day, and he’d most likely also have to suck up to the man. His stomach roiled and he skipped lunch, hiding out at his desk while he nibbled on a few crackers.

The day kept moving like a freight train, and, before long, it was time. The quiet, efficient atmosphere of WT was turned on its ear when Tony Stark walked in. Bucky watched from the safety of his desk as Stark was greeted by T’Challa. “Mr. Stark,” the always professional entrepreneur began as he shook Stark’s hand. “No no,” his guest interrupted, “if we’re gonna work together, you gotta call me Tony.” The man spoke his words in a rapid clip, as if he didn’t have time to breathe properly between syllables. “Very well, Tony: welcome to Wakanda Tech.” T’Challa gestured proudly around the office. “Small operation you got here, huh?” “We believe in a flat organization structure, to maximize efficiency.” “Great use of buzzwords there, pal,” Stark replied, placing his hand on T’Challa’s shoulder. Shuri chose that moment to stand from her desk and extend her own hand to Bucky. “Shall we go in?” “Do I have to?” Bucky whined petulantly. “Yes!” she scolded, looking much older than her 22 years. “Get off your ass and come with me.” Bucky straightened up and grabbed his tablet, standing to follow the younger woman. They headed to the conference room and made it inside just before Stark and his entourage entered. “This must be Shuri!” Stark exclaimed, greeting the lady on question with a hug. Shuri halfheartedly returned the gesture before pulling away with a smile. “It is good to meet you, Mr. Stark.” “I already had this conversation with your brother. Call me Tony.” Shuri smiled politely in response and then turned to Bucky. “This is James Barnes. He is the Implementation Manager that will be working on your account.” “Jamie!” Tony said, patting the other man on the shoulder. “Tony,” Bucky returned with a bemused smirk. “Finally someone who gets it,” Tony said with a smile. He turned to the people surrounding him. “Allow me to introduce Pepper Potts, my right hand and the only reason I have any success in this world.” A tall, willowy redhead nodded her head toward Bucky and Shuri. “And this is Rhodey, my other right hand and best friend in the world.” The man in question smiled tensely at the group. “And finally, this is-” “Steve,” Bucky said in awe, looking up at the last member of Stark’s party. “Steve Rogers, from my legal team,” Tony filled in, a little deflated. “I’m sorry,” he said, pointing between them, “do you two know each other?”

“Bucky and I go way back,” Steve said, his smile still as devastating as ever. He flashed his blue eyes at Bucky, and the other man felt himself get weak in the knees. “Bucky?” Tony asked with a smirk. Bucky grimaced. “My full name is James Buchanan Barnes… but my friends call me Bucky.” “Splendid!” Tony said. “You didn’t tell me you knew someone who worked here, Rogers.” “I didn’t know I had a connection,” Steve replied warmly, still looking at Bucky. “It’s been a while since we talked.” Bucky gave Steve a shy smile. “A lot has happened since we last saw each other.” They stood like that, staring awkwardly at one another while butterflies danced in Bucky’s stomach. Finally, T’Challa intervened. “Shall we get started?” he asked as he gestured toward the table. Bucky wasn’t sure how he made it through that meeting in one piece, but, in spite of the awkwardness he felt, the meeting was a success. Stark seemed keener to sign the contract knowing there was a personal relationship between a member of his staff and someone at WT. As soon as the meeting adjourned Steve pulled Bucky aside.

“You look good, Buck.” “Thanks,” Bucky said, refusing to meet the other man’s eyes. Steve had changed so much since he’d last seen him, He was at least a good foot taller, with much broader shoulders. Bucky had to actively try not to drool. “You do too, but… I thought you were smaller.” Steve chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “I had a growth spurt right after I moved away.” “You look… really good,” Bucky said. He took in Steve’s chest and thick arms that filled out his jacket just right. His mind wandered to the last time those arms had been wrapped around him in a hug, when Steve was thinner and shorter. He couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel now to have them wrap around his body; to get lost in that strong embrace. “Bucky?” Steve asked, meeting the other man’s eye. “Huh? Yeah?” Bucky came back to himself with a jolt, cursing his train of thought. “You wanna get a drink later? Catch up?” “Yeah,” Bucky replied as a brilliant smile bloomed across Steve’s face. “Yeah, I’d like that.” Steve gave Bucky his card, adding his personal cell number and making Bucky promise to call him. Then he had to go, and Bucky was left standing there, feeling dumbstruck. He heaved a sigh the moment the room was clear. He was so, so screwed. ~/~ “What the hell was that?” Shuri asked the moment he got back to desk. “What are you talking about?” “Um… how about the way you eye-fucked Stark’s lawyer the entire time? Although it seems to have worked in our favor. We should pimp you out more.”

“I did not ‘eye-fuck’ anyone,” Bucky protested. “Steve’s just an old friend.” “Right… ‘friend.’ You know, it’s 2019. You don’t have to use euphemisms anymore.” “I’m not covering anything! I’ve never tried to hide my sexuality. But Steve was never like that. We grew up together.” “From the way you were looking at him, it seems like homeboy ‘glowed up.’ You gonna go for it?” “Nah. Steve’s not into guys. He’s a heterosexual, all-American boy,” Bucky replied, unable to hide the tinge of sadness in his voice. “You might want to reconsider that opinion,” Shuri replied. “What makes you say that?” “Because he spent the entire meeting looking at you the same way you were looking at him.”

This new information distracted Bucky for the rest of the day, and he had trouble focusing on even the most basic of tasks. Finally, at 4:55, he decided he couldn’t do anything else, and began to pack up. As he flipped through his portfolio, the business card Steve had pressed into his hand fluttered to the ground. Before he could retrieve it, Shuri scooped it up.

“Steve Rogers gave you his card, did he? And he wrote his personal number on there?”

“Yeah… he mentioned going to get a drink.”

“So call him!”

“Yeah… I will. Just… I need some time. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Steve. A lot’s changed. I’m not the same kid I was in high school.”

Shuri’s gaze softened and she placed a gentle hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “I think the issue is actually that you’re a lot more like that kid than you realized, and seeing an old friend brought it all back.”

Bucky huffed a sigh and gave her a wry smile. “As usual, you prove how much smarter you are than me.”

“You heading out. Bucky?” Peter asked, poking his head over the cube wall once more.

“Yeah Pete. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Actually, would you be free to head over to Nick’s with me? I wanted to ask your advice about something.” His gaze shifted to Shuri and he gave a scowl “ Away from interfering parties.”

Bucky laughed. “Alright Pete, yeah. Let’s do it.”

~/~

Steve Rogers was an adult. He’d graduated early from Harvard Law and landed a lucrative position at Stark Inc. before he’d turned 25. So influential was he in that role that he’s ended up becoming one of the principal members of the legal team at the company 18 months later. Steve was on lists like “30 under 30” and he didn’t like to brag, but he was considered in some circles to be a ‘big deal’. So why did he currently feel like a nervous teenager waiting by the phone?

He’d tried to play it off, but seeing Bucky earlier that day had thrown him. Bucky had been his best friend for the majority of his young life. He brought school work when Steve was sick and sat by his bed, helping to keep him entertained. As they got older, he’d helped protect Steve when he got into fights he couldn’t finish. He’d been there in good and bad times. Losing Bucky in his life was a blow Steve had never really recovered from.

After the meeting, he’d wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day catching up with his friend, but there was too much to do. He cursed himself for not getting a commitment to meet the other man somewhere later on. Leaving the planning up to Bucky filled him with anxiety. Steve did not like to wait. He was not a waiter. He was a doer.

At five-o'clock his phone finally rang, the caller an unknown number. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as he pressed the ‘accept’ button.

“Bucky?”

The voice on the other end of the line gave a dry laugh. It was definitely female, so not Bucky. “No, this is Shuri.”

It took a moment for his brain to catch up with the name. “Oh, yes, from WT, right?” It was a bit strange that she was calling his personal line, but he wasn’t going to be rude. “How can I help you?”

“This isn’t business related, Mr. Rogers.”

“Please, call me Steve.”

“Yes, Steve,” she replied. “I thought you might want to know where Bucky Barnes is heading for an after work drink.”

“Oh, well if he wants me to join him, I’m sure he’ll call me and give me the place.” He pulled his phone away from his head to look at the screen, silently hoping there would be another incoming call.

“No, Steve, I don’t believe he will. I have worked with Sergeant Barnes for two years, and I know when he is vacillating. This is one of those times. He needs a nudge in the right direction.”

“I don’t know if that’s really-”

“Trust me Mr. Rogers, he would not call you of his own accord.”

This felt wrong to Steve, a violation of his old friend’s privacy. “I mean, if he doesn’t want to call me, he doesn’t have to. I’m not going to force him if he doesn’t want to.”

“No, he wants to. Of that I am sure.”

“What’s your aim here?” Steve asked, his tone changing as his suspicion rose. He didn’t want to insult the young woman, but he was starting to wonder why she was so invested in telling him where Bucky was going to be.

“I don’t mean any harm. I only wish to see my friend Bucky happy, and I know he’ll talk himself out of calling you if left to his own devices.”

Steve sighed as he took in her words. He wanted to believe that Bucky was more confident than that, but the last time he’d been in contact with his friend, he’d had the same impression. “Tell me.”

She gave him the name and address of the bar where Bucky was heading.

“Are you sure he’s gonna be there? Maybe he’s just going home?”

“He’ll be there. Our coworker Peter is going with him to make sure.”

“Is everyone at WT in on this?”

He could practically hear her smile on the other end of the line. “Just get there, Mr. Rogers. As soon as you can.”

~/~

Seeing Steve earlier in the day brought back a flood of memories for Bucky. Steve had been his best friend for his entire childhood, all the way through to the summer before their junior year of high school. He and Steve did everything together. They grew up alongside one another and had been closer in many ways than Bucky was to his own flesh-and-blood sibling.

But Steve was more than just a brother. He’d been Bucky’s first love. At the same time that he was just starting to realize his sexuality, he simultaneously realized that he was head-over-heels for Steven Grant Rogers.

When they were younger, Steve had been overlooked by nearly everyone. He was the smallest kid in class and had a slew of health problems that were the likely culprit for his stunted growth. Most prominent was his asthma, followed closely by a spinal curvature that led to him wearing a back brace for a few years. He had poor eyesight with color blindedness, which he wore thick glasses to help correct. And he had a weak immune system that caused him to get sick, and therefore miss school, all the time.

None of the other kids wanted to play with Steve. They were irritated with his inability to keep up when they ran. Or how he would break into a coughing fit in the middle of a dare, freaking everyone out with the fear that one of their cohorts might actually die from one of their stupid stunts.

Bucky was the opposite of Steve. Rambunctious and outgoing, he’d been friends with nearly everyone. He always had kids asking him to play. But Bucky only ever wanted to hang out with Steve.

He couldn’t remember the exact moment he’d first felt drawn to Steve. Bucky had known the other boy since the first grade, but they weren’t in the same class until the third grade. Because they lived in the same building, Bucky would often bring homework for Steve to do when he was out sick. At first, Steve’s mom had just expected Bucky to leave the work and run off, as other children must have done, but Bucky was precocious little fuck.

“How’s Stevie doin’ Mrs. Rogers?”

“Oh,” she’d replied, genuinely surprised at his question. “He’s getting better. He’s in his room, but he’s up and reading.”

“Can I go say hi to him?”

“Sure. Let me just poke my head in and let him know you’re here.”

Steve had seemed just as surprised at Bucky’s appearance as his mother, but welcomed the company.

“Whatcha readin’?” Bucky asked, pointing to the comic book in Steve’s lap.

“Oh, um… X-Men.”

“Killer! I like X-Men too! Who’s your favorite? I like Wolverine.”

Steve smiled at Bucky then, a real, genuine smile, and launched into a diatribe about how his favorite was Professor Xavier because even though he was in a wheelchair, he was one of the most powerful of the X-Men, but he still used his power for good, taking in young mutants and helping to guide them.

From that day forward, Steve and Bucky spent almost every afternoon together, talking about comics, movies (they once had a very heated debate about which trilogy had the superior Harrison Ford performance: Star Wars or Indiana Jones), and, when they were older, girls.

One afternoon, when they were 12 and sitting in Steve’s room, the blond turned to his friend and very innocently asked “You ever kissed a girl, Buck?”

“Yep,” Bucky replied nonchalantly, only half listening while he flipped through a comic book.

“What?! No way! When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bucky looked up at his friend and cringed. “It’s not my proudest moment.”

“When was it?”

“At Sharon Carter’s last birthday party. She wanted to play ‘spin-the-bottle.’”

Steve got a dreamy look at the mention of Sharon’s name. It was hardly a secret that he had a thing for the girl. She was kind to Steve, but had no inclination toward him. Steve had actually been invited to that party, but hadn’t been able to go because he was recovering from a wicked bout of bronchitis.

He looked back to Bucky with a goofy smile. “Who’d you kiss?”

Bucky’s face went red at that.

“Who was it?”

Bucky bit his lip for a moment, deliberating what to say, before finally deciding on the truth. He never usually kept secrets from Steve, and this one had been eating him alive. “I kissed Sharon.” He watched in horror as his friend’s face fell. “I’m sorry man!” Bucky continued. “I know you like her, and I didn’t want to, but the bottle landed on me when she spun it, and it was her birthday party, and I didn’t want to reject her in front of everyone.” He huffed a breath as he paused.

Steve, being Steve, gave him a gentle smile. “It’s okay, I get it.” His smile broadened into a grin. “How was it?”

“Kind of embarrassing,” Bucky admitted with a groan. “We went into a closet, and I was so nervous that I just barely gave her a peck. I couldn’t touch her because my hands were so sweaty. I didn’t want to gross her out.”

“Well maybe there’s hope for me yet.”

“As long as you can kiss better than I did.”

“Doubtful,” Steve snorted. “At least you’ve kissed someone once. I’ve never kissed anyone.”

Bucky got a wild idea then, and didn’t have the good sense to censor himself before blurting it out. “Wanna practice on me?”

“What?” Steve’s face was a mixture of shock and confusion.

“I mean, we’re buds, right? Let’s just practice with each other. Make us more ready when the next time comes.”

“Um… okay.”

Although his first kiss was technically with Sharon, Bucky always considered his kiss with Steve to be his first true kiss. It ignited feelings in him that he didn’t quite understand. He had a hard time looking at Steve the same, once he knew how soft the other boy’s lips were.

Steve eventually did get to kiss Sharon. Despite her initial reluctance, she decided to give Steve a chance and they even went steady for a few weeks in the eighth grade. But beyond that, Steve never had much luck with girls.

He remained smaller than all the other guys in their class, and ended up being the target of more than a few bullies. But Steve was scrappy. Although he was small, he could take a hit, and refused to run or stand down when confronted. Bucky always teetered on the fine line between when to let Steve stand up for himself and when to intervene to make sure Steve didn’t get seriously injured.

Bucky continued to hang out with Steve, even as he was taunted for it by the more popular kids in high school. He didn’t really care what anyone else said. Steve was his best friend.

One night during freshman year, when they were talking on the phone, Steve was whining to Bucky about how he would never have a shot with another girl in his life.

“You’re great, Stevie,” Bucky’d said, more than a little annoyed with the situation. “The right girl will come along eventually. She’ll see all the good in you and not worry about the other stuff.”

“I wish I could find a girl just like you, Bucky.”

That caused a lump to stick in Bucky’s throat. He’d decided to never tell Steve how he felt, knowing that Steve didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Bucky was terrified of destroying their friendship. He swallowed thickly before replying. “You do?”

“Yeah. You’re my best friend, Buck, and you always see the best in me. I’m so glad I have you.”

“I’m glad to have you too,” Bucky choked out in response. He’d almost decided to confess his feelings then, but Steve sighed and changed the subject before he had a chance.

“What about you, huh? I heard Lori’s got a thing for ya’.”

“Well, um… I think I might be gay,” Bucky replied, in lieu of confessing. He had been deliberating for some time on how to share this with Steve. He knew Steve, and knew his friend would never reject him, but, nevertheless, he braced himself for a bad response.

“Oh yeah?” Steve simply replied, and Bucky was immensely relieved to hear the smile in his friend’s voice.

“Yeah,” he sighed in relief.

“Okay man, cool. You got your eye on anyone, or just been thinking this for a bit?”

“Just been thinkin’ it,” Bucky admitted, not quite ready to tell Steve that he only had eyes for his best friend.

That had been the extent of Bucky’s coming out for another year, before he finally confessed to his parents and friends. He ended up going on a couple dates, had a few kisses, but never dated anyone seriously until after Steve moved.

The summer before their junior year, just after Steve turned sixteen, a bomb dropped in his world. His father, who had left his mother heartbroken when he was just a baby, suddenly died. Steve was shocked to learn that his dad had left him a house and a sizable amount of money. The house was in Indiana, and he was contacted by the grandfather he never knew he had to come out for a visit.

That summer ended up being a turning point for Steve. He got into a medical trial that ended up helping him overcome several of his physical ailments. Sarah went out several times to visit her son, and ended up really liking the area. When the summer ended, Steve’s grandpa asked if they would consider moving there. The house was nice, and Sarah would be able to make more money as a nurse if she wasn’t paying rent. And Steve wanted to get to know his family. His only concern was leaving Bucky.

“Come on, man,” Bucky’d assured him. “We got lots of ways to stay in touch. You ain’t getting rid of me.”

So Steve had gone, and although he never said anything, Bucky’s heart broke that day.

At first, they’d stayed in touch much the same way they had during the summer, through email, phone calls, and instant messaging, but, as the school year progressed, they began to drift apart. Steve had new friends. Since he wasn’t sick all the time and missing out on everything, he had an easier time meeting people. It was a fresh start for Steve, and Bucky didn’t want to keep his friend from his new social circle.

So, instead, Bucky dealt with his heartbreak in self-destructive ways: drinking heavily, experimenting with drugs, and losing his virginity to a random encounter at a party. He had lots of sex during his last two years of high school, with boys and girls. The further Bucky fell down the rabbit hole, the less he would talk to Steve. In the end, he screwed his grades up so bad that he barely graduated and didn’t have any college offers or scholarships to speak of. Directionless, he’d opted to enlist in the Army.

Enlistment had been the final thing to sever his connection to Steve. They had separate lives, and Bucky just assumed there was no chance he’d ever run into the other man again.

~/~

Bucky sat in the bar, trying not to lose his shit on Peter. He really did like the younger man, but he could be a bit over eager at times, like a puppy. Today seemed to be one of those days.

Peter got up to head to the bathroom, and Bucky decided to approach the bartender and order something harder than the beer he’d been nursing. As he stood there, waiting for his drink, he heard a surly voice speak from behind him.

“Barnes.”

“Jones,” he replied, turning to face the newcomer. Bucky liked Jessica Jones, even if she was an acquired taste. She was a PI that he’d met in this very bar, when she’d caught him on a date with a cheating husband. Jessica didn’t want to blow her cover, but after she had the pictures, she pulled Bucky aside and clued him in. Bucky had no idea his date was married, and thanked God that he hadn’t slept with the man.

“What are you doing here?” Jessica asked, the hint of a smile playing across her face. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been going out much. It’s cheaper to drink at home and don’t have to wear pants.”

“Can’t argue with that logic.”

Bucky considered her for a moment. Her dark hair hung down past her shoulders, and she was dressed in her usual armor of a t-shirt, jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. But something was different. It could have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to have taken a little more care with her makeup. Her brown eyes looked bigger than usual thanks to her artful eyeliner. And she wore a dark lipstick that set off her creamy skin beautifully. “Something’s changed about you, Jones. What’s going on?”

She schooled her features and gave him a stern look before breaking out into a full-on grin. Bucky couldn’t stop his small gasp when she smiled. She was truly beautiful, but her usually sour disposition tended to put people off.

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend Jessica?”

“Shut up,” she replied, shoving his shoulder. “I’m on a date.” She nodded her head to the table behind her, where a gorgeous man with tan skin, jet black hair, and a neatly trimmed beard sat, watching them with interest.

“Damn girl,” Bucky replied, looping her arm with his own. “Does he swing both ways? Cause if so, send him my way when you’re done with him.”

“Oh fuck off, Barnes,” she laughed, freeing her arm.

Bucky relaxed for the first time all day, forgetting his nerves about Steve in his excitement for his friend. “You look good, Jess. Happy.”

“Thanks.” She glanced at something just over Bucky’s shoulder. “Well, I just wanted to come say hi since I haven’t seen you in a while. I’m gonna go back to my date and let you get back to yours.”

“Oh, no, I’m not on a date, just here with Pete from work.”

“Yeah?” She leaned in close and whispered as quietly as she could in the din of the bar. “Then who’s the blond beefcake two stools down who keeps staring at you?”

Bucky turned his head suddenly to see Steve sitting there, wearing a smirk and looking positively delicious. He’d removed his jacket and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, exposing the hollow of his throat. Bucky bit back the sudden urge to trace the other man’s adam’s apple with his tongue. “Oh my God… that’s Steve. I didn’t call him. How’d he know I was here?”

“That’s Steve?” Jessica asked, and Bucky automatically hissed at her to keep her voice down. He had shared the story with her one night over drinks, and she knew all about the torch he carried. “Well, Mazel Tov and all that,” she said with a wink. “Let’s get coffee sometime and you can tell me how good he fucks. And um…” she leaned to the left slightly, presumedly to check Steve out, “maybe we could arrange a trade.”

“Fuck you Jones.”

Jessica had already turned away when she called over her shoulder “We tried that, remember?”

Despite his annoyance, Bucky managed one last smile while he flipped her the bird, before gathering his courage to turn around and face Steve.

~/~

Steve watched Bucky with interest as he turned away from the stunning brunette he’d been talking to. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the ease between them. It was obvious they weren’t lovers, but they were friends, and Steve missed having Bucky as his friend.

Bucky downed the shot he’d ordered and left the glass on the bar as he sauntered over to Steve. That was really the only way Steve could describe his walk. He didn’t seem as confident as the Bucky Barnes of their childhood, but he sure as hell knew how to fake it.

“Either you’re stalking me or Peter slipped something in my beer and I blacked out, because I don’t remember calling you.” Steve felt his cheeks warm as Bucky spoke. He took a minute to process the words, realizing they were harsher than the tone Bucky used to convey them.

“Um, right… well, Shuri called me and let me know you’d be here, so I thought I’d stop by after work and see if you’d be up for that drink.” He hadn’t looked Bucky in the eyes yet. “I can go, if it’s making you uncomfortable.” He moved to grab his wallet and pay for his beer.

“No, Steve, wait,” Bucky said, with a chuckle. “I was fuckin’ with you. Don’t go. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Yeah?” Steve’s lips spread wide in a grin and he finally looked up to meet Bucky’s gaze. What he saw there was heart-stopping. Bucky always had the most beautiful eyes, their color a cool gray-blue that changed from icy to steel depending on his mood. Right now they were brilliant, even in the dim light of the bar. And they were complimented by an amazing smile.

“Yeah,” Bucky replied, not breaking eye contact.

They stood there for a few seconds, just drinking one another in, before the spell was broken by the approach of Bucky’s coworker.

“Hey Buck-” Peter began.

“Shit! Pete! I’m sorry man,” Bucky replied before Peter could finish his sentence. “I abandoned you. I just ran into a couple people, and-”

“Yeah, man, no problem,” Peter replied. “I was actually gonna say I gotta split. My buddy Ned called and he needs me to come over.” Bucky raised his eyebrows at that, but before he could say anything, Peter sputtered on. “I mean… not ‘needs me’ like that, needs me. Ned’s just a friend. I mean… not that I have any problem with dudes, but Ned’s got a girlfriend and I’m kind of into this girl we went to high school together, and-”

Bucky interrupted the younger man’s diatribe. “Pete, it’s okay. You didn’t say anything to offend me.”

“Phew, that’s a relief,” Peter said, literally wiping his hand across his brow as he said the word ‘phew.’ Steve’s nerdy heart went out to the younger man. He could definitely remember being just as awkward in his own youth.

Peter swiftly made his exit, and Bucky ordered a fresh beer, abandoning the one he’d had at the table he was sitting at with Peter. He settled onto the stool next to Steve.

“So, bigwig legal guy at Stark Inc. at 28, huh? How’d you manage that?

Steve blushed again and looked down at the bar top. “I met Tony in college, and he took over his Dad’s company just as I was finishing law school. He contacted me and asked me to interview for a job on their legal team. I wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity like that. After I got the job, Tony told me he needed to clean house and that he wanted someone with his ear to the ground in legal. I helped him catch some bad actors, and when their positions were vacated, Tony asked if I wanted to take one.”

“Damn, that’s quite the story.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of unbelievable, right? Little guy from Brooklyn like me ending up here.”

“Yeah…” Bucky trailed off as he took a swig of his beer. “I always believed that little guy would go places.”

“That means a lot coming from you, Buck.” Steve looked over at the other man, his eyes soft.

“I never stopped believing in you, Stevie,” he replied, his voice soft.

“So…” Steve said after a pause. “What about you? How’d you’d end up at WT?”

“I met Okoye, the head of their HR, at a VA job fair.”

“Yeah? I remembered you enlisted after graduation. How long did you serve?”

“Six years, three tours. I was planning to retire, but I got injured on my last tour and was medically discharged.”

“Shit… What happened?”

“IED. Not a very big one, but enough to do some serious damage to my left arm. I was a sniper, and I couldn’t keep doing that job if I couldn’t hold the gun steady.”

“Oh damn… I’m sorry to hear that man.”

Bucky looked at Steve for a second, his eyes watering and his upper lip quivering. Steve felt his heart speed up at the thought of his friend’s pain. He started to stand up to give the other man a hug when Bucky’s face broke into a huge grin.

“You always were so gullible Stevie.”

“You jerk!” Steve replied with a laugh as he settled back on his stool.

Bucky pretended to look hurt. “What? Me? I’m not the one laughing at a wounded veteran, ya’ punk!”

“Yeah. yeah, asshole.” Steve tilted his beer to take a swig, his eyes never leaving Bucky’s. When he placed the bottle back down on the bartop, his smile faded a little, becoming wistful. “I’ve missed you, Buck. What happened to us?”

“I’m an asshole who doesn’t deserve nice things, that’s what,” Bucky said, suddenly looking anywhere but at Steve.

~/~

“What the hell does that mean?” Steve asked, and Bucky felt his heart constrict a little more. Sweet Stevie, always caring so much about everyone else.

“Look… it was a long time ago. Let’s forget I said anything. Tell me more about you.”

“No, Buck. I don’t want to forget it. What did you mean? If anything, I’m the asshole in the situation since I left.”

“No, Steve, no.” Bucky suddenly felt panicked at the thought that Steve would ever blame himself. Without thinking, he grabbed Steve’s hand in his own. “You could never be an asshole. You have always been the kindest, most selfless person I know. You going to Indiana was a good thing, wasn’t it? Without that, you might never have gotten healthy, and I doubt you could have afforded law school if you and your mom stayed in Brooklyn.”

“Then why? Why did we lose touch? We were always so close. Even when I had nothing, I had you.”

Bucky cringed. Even after all these years, it physically pained him to keep anything from Steve. “It was all my fault. I became a mess those last two years of high school. I was a drugged out loser. I barely graduated. You didn’t need someone like me dragging you down.”

Steve’s face softened and he squeezed Bucky’s hand with his own. “You would never have dragged me down. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help you. It sounds like you were really hurting back then.”

“I was trying to find something.”

“What was that?”

Bucky looked up at Steve then, his eyes a bright cornflower blue, expressing his earnestness. “You,” Bucky replied, unable to tear his gaze away. “I was trying to find you.”

“You knew where I was, Bucky. If you needed me, I would have come back in a heartbeat.”

“I didn’t want to tear you away from your new life. You finally had everything you ever wanted. How selfish would it have been if I’d asked you to come back because I was working through a little bit of depression?”

“But, other than my ma, no one has ever been more important to me that you. I would have done anything to help you.”

“Naw… you had a new life. I remember those pictures on Facebook. You had that cute little girlfriend. The blonde one, kinda looked like Sharon. What was her name?”

“Kate,” Steve said with a small grin. “I think the main reason I first talked to her was because she reminded me of Sharon.” Bucky made to pull his hand free, but Steve kept his grip strong. “But what did you mean when you said you were trying to find me?”

“I…” Bucky sighed deeply and looked at the floor. “I wanted to find someone to take your place in my life. So I wouldn’t feel so empty.”

“Did it work?”

“No. Every person I hooked up with just made me feel more alone, but I kept trying. I must have slept my way through half of the teenage population of Brooklyn, but no one could hold a candle to you.”

Steve suddenly got very still. “What do you mean, Bucky? We never hooked up.”

Shit , Bucky thought, there goes my big fuckin’ mouth gettin’ me in trouble again. He looked up to meet Steve’s eyes once more, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water..

“Bucky… did you… did you want to be with me?”

“I… uh…” fuckfuckfuck “Um… I mean…” He felt his face flushing crimson red. “Shit. I never meant to tell you that Stevie. I’m sorry. Fuck… Let me just.” He grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and threw down whatever cash he had on hand, praying it was enough to cover his drinks. He’d just humiliated himself in front of Steve. The last thing he needed was to also stick him with the bill.

Steve stared open-mouthed as Bucky turned and walked as fast as he could out of the bar, heading for the parking lot. He was unlocking his car door when he heard Steve calling out his name.

“I’m sorry Stevie. Please… let me go home and hide for a while. I can’t deal with this right now.” He realized he was babbling, but it was like a dam broke and he couldn’t stop. “We were just reconnecting and then I went and fucked it up. Damnit… I am so sorry Steve. Please can we just forget I said anything? It was a long time ago and-”

He was cut off abruptly when Steve surged forward and captured Bucky’s mouth with his own. Bucky was shocked momentarily before his reflexes kicked in and he kissed back, Steve’s lips just as soft as he remembered them. He moaned softly as Steve’s hand grazed up his neck and over his jawline. The kiss seemed to drag on forever, a heavenly meeting of plush lips and velvety tongues and light nips of teeth. Bucky felt himself swoon a little inside.

When they finally broke apart, their chests panting, Steve brought his other hand up to cup Bucky’s cheeks. “You still talk too fuckin’ much,” he growled, and Bucky laughed before leaning back in for another kiss.

“I didn’t think you liked guys,” Bucky said in awe when they separated once more.

“Bucky… I have been gone for you from the moment you kissed me when we were kids. I was just so afraid to tell you then and lose you as a friend.”

“You punk… we could have had so much more time together if you’d have just said something!” Bucky chuckled as he pulled Steve’s body closer to his own.

“If I’d have said something? You’re the chatterbox you jerk! You should have told me how you felt.”

“I didn’t want to lose your friendship either.”

“Shit… we gotta get better at communicating with each other if we’re gonna make things work this time around.”

“Why don’t we start practicing on Friday? Will you go out on a date with me, Stevie?”

“Yes,” Steve whispered before closing in on Bucky for another mind-blowing kiss.

~/~

The next morning, when Bucky walked into work, Shuri was standing in the middle of their shared workspace wearing a self-satisfied smirk. “Did you have a good night, Bucky?”

Bucky tried to look offended, he really did, but he’d spent the night having pleasant dreams of kissing Steve at an outside table of a restaurant by the waterside. He smiled at his coworker. “I did.” He shrugged off his backpack and sat at his computer.

“How is Steve?” She asked as she followed him. “Will you be seeing him again?”

“You really don’t do subtle, do you?”

“I don’t have time for such things. Do you have a date or not?”

“Yes,” he replied, unable to hide his grin.

Shuri squealed with delight and danced in place. “Bucky’s gonna get nasty!”

“Just don’t send him any dick pics,” Peter mumbled from the other side of the cube wall.

Bucky blushed in response and Shuri cackled. “It’s too late for that, Peter!” she called back. “Did he send you one back?”

“I’m not saying anything about that, Shuri.”

She chuckled and took her seat at her desk. “As a sign of your gratitude, I fully expect your first daughter to be named after me.”

“Well, I was planning to do that anyway,” Bucky said with a grin.

“Damn right you were.”

Bucky looked up at his monitor and began to peruse his email. A minute later a notification popped up on his phone with a text from Steve.

Can’t wait for tomorrow night.

Bucky was unable to hide his grin as he picked up his phone to send a response.

If you enjoyed this, I’d really love a like, reblog, or comment (or all three!). Thanks for reading!

#stucky #stucky fanfiction #stucky fanfic #Bucky Barnes #Steve Rogers #shuri #Shuri is awesome #Jessica Jones #Bumbling Peter Parker #Women of Marvel ship Stucky #branwrites

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livingcorner · 3 years

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Why Ceramic Cookware is Better for your Home than Teflon – TLC Interiors

Shows like My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef have got all of us – including myself – a bit hooked on the idea of getting more creative in the kitchen. But plating a dish worthy of a top score is never going to happen if you’ve not got the proper tools to work with.

You're reading: Why Ceramic Cookware is Better for your Home than Teflon – TLC Interiors

(Brought to you by Nuffnang and Lorraine Lea .)

In today’s post, I’m showing you some fab new kitchen essentials from my friends at Lorraine Lea, and they’re going to transform the way you cook this winter and beyond. And yes – Lorraine Lea does cookware (they’re about so much more than fabulous bedding!).

What’s so amazing about the pieces you see in this post is that they perfectly blend form and function; they not only look great (so you don’t have to hide them away) but they perform wonderfully too. I always say that any piece you need to use regularly should feature a combination of form and function – and these really do!

Let’s take a closer look at what makes these new pieces so good.

Ceramic Cookware: Why it’s Better than Teflon

Teflon was a bit of a cooking buzzword in years gone by and it’s safe to say that we all got swooped up in the hype. The problem with Teflon, though, is that using it under high heat conditions can cause the coating to crack and release toxic fumes.

What makes this ceramic cookware so special is that it’s made from raw clay and water. This means that it won’t crack, it’s completely non-stick and you won’t need to use as much oil when you’re cooking. So not only is it safer, but it’s healthier too (and coming into winter I can use all the extra healthy-eating help I can get!).

The other great thing about Lorraine Lea’s ceramic cookware is that it cooks your food far more evenly than other pans and is a much better hear conductor. When it comes to cleaning, that’s pretty easy, too; just let the piece cool down and clean with warm soapy water and a sponge (no need to crack out the scourer here!).

The 9-piece ceramic coated cookware set you see in this post (that you can win below) from Lorraine Lea comes with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing fault, which gives you added peace of mind when purchasing!

To find out more about this new ceramic cookware range, click here.

Read more: How to become a Kitchen Hand

Schmidt Bros Knives; Designed for Lorraine Lea

When Crocodile Dundee said, “that’s not a knife”, clearly he hadn’t discovered these bad boys from Schmidt Bros. The popular German brand has partnered with Lorraine Lea to release a range of top-end knives that are not only rust-resistant, but stain resistant too.

What makes these German steel knives so superior is that they’re made from higher quality materials and feature a full tang.

What is a full tang? Well, a full tang means that the metal of the blade runs all the way to the tip, through the handle and right to the end of the knife. Having a single piece of steel like this prevents the knife from breaking at the tip, ensuring its longevity and durability.

From a design perspective, I love the grain you can see in the rare ash wood handles. They not only look on-trend but they feature a soft grip too, making them super-easy to handle. Because the knives look so sleek, you can display them on your bench top, so they’re within easy reach but look good when not in use.

The knives also feature the patented Schmidt Brothers Curve for superior quality and safety, meaning you can rock some of them back and forth on your chopping board to finely dice herbs and veggies.

To see all the knives available from Lorraine Lea, click here.

If you’d like to stay in the loop when it comes to cooking, decorating and keeping your home super-stylin’, click here to jump onto the Lorraine Lea blog and get inspired.

And if you’re keen to secure some of these divine pieces from Lorraine Lea for your own home, see the competition below for details on how you can win!

Win a 9-Piece Ceramic Cookware Set

To go in the draw to win the 9-piece ceramic cookware set you see above, valued at $499, simply:

Drop a comment below telling me what you love about this Lorraine Lea set and why?

** Please note, this competition has closed. The winner was Bridgette Clark **

Open to Australian residents only. Full T&C’s for this competition can be found here.

75 Responses

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I’d LOVE the ceramic set designed for Lorraine Lea as i’m new to the business and looking for ways to maximise my knowledge on all products we offer. I feel they would be helpful in my busy life style and be a pleasure to simply just own!

I’ve been looking for a Teflon alternative due to it eventually breaking down and was worried about it being toxic, ceramic looks great, non-stick and easy to clean, this looks like s fantastic alternative.

I would love this set as I’m currently cooking with Kmart branded cookware and would love a good quality set to cook on for my family.

That set has everything you need and lids to match – so great! I love that it would be the last set I’d need to buy, and it would make the perfect wedding or first house gift. Plus design wise they’re slick!!

Slick, non-stick and shiny its the answer to my prayers for some rustless, beautiful grown up pans so i can ditch the terrible student range!

Read more: Color Ideas for Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Love them because they are safer than other brands! And my whole set of Teflon pans desperately need to go in the bin – the coating is coming off

I love my Lorraine Lea representative Ann Somerfield Mount Gambier SA. Thanks to Ann, my OCD for matching towels, bath mats, sheeting, quilt covers is sorted! I am sure Ann would be more than happy to sell me the new cookware range but I’ll take my chances and try winning it first. My family love cooking, me not so much so this would be a great gift for them -and they cook for me. Winning

I’d love to win a set as I love all Lorraine Lea products I have items in pretty much every room of the house

Id love to win this cookware because every day cooking with my current el cheapo kmart stuff i think about how nice some good quality cookware would be. Alas on a single mum budget, with a growing boy who eats half my wages away, i can’t picture that happening any other way any time soon.

I would love this set, it’s not something I would normally buy for myself but to win it would be fantastic

I would love this set as I am expecting my first child and really need an upgrade away from the Teflon set I own now.

Love that you’ll need less oil for cooking (always a bonus) and it’s easier to clean (great for someone with MS, less energy needed )

What’s not to love it’s one of the best products out there that will deliver a quality and healthy lifestyle in cooking

When the time comes for me to leave the nest, this cooking set would be the perfect addition to my little love nest and hearing that it is non-stick, faultless. As I am not one to use too much oil, it is the ideal for me.

This beautiful set looks like I could cook food my fussy 2 year old couldn’t refuse!!!

Natural ceramic cookware that is safe to cook food for my family is what I have been searching for, as a non-stick and non-toxic surface is what I would really adore; being super smooth and easy to clean means I can easily cook my family healthy delicious meals, and as I wont have to scrub the pan (like I have to currently do) means the neighbours will hear my delightful squeals

I would love to win, so I won’t feel so embarrassed when I invite friends and family over for dinner

I love that it all matches, my matching saucepan days are long since gone, handle have fallen off, fry pans have disintegrated. Also, I assume they don’t slip all over the stove like my current frying pan does, it’s so dangerous, the amount of times I’ve nearly ended up wearing what I’m cooking!

Is “sooo pretty” a good enough reason? Well obviously yes. Minimising scrub time and maximising cooking time makes them just to good to resist. How did I not know about ceramic cookware before.

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Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Kitchen

source https://livingcorner.com.au/why-ceramic-cookware-is-better-for-your-home-than-teflon-tlc-interiors/

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gracecarmella · 5 years

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Black Fashion and Where to Find It

I attend Parsons School of Design, a powerhouse known for producing some of the most well-known fashion designers working today. Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Donna Karan, Alexander Wang, Tom Ford, Jason Wu, and more have attended this infamous university, but there are some major names still missing: black names. Only 3.31 percent of Parsons graduates were African-American in 2014. This number is not unique in the slightest compared to other prominent American fashion schools, with the Fashion Institute of Technology with 8 percent of graduates being black and the Pratt Institute at only 1.9 percent. Comparatively, Asian-American graduates at the respective fashion schools were 10 percent at F.I.T., 13.78 at Parsons, and about 15 percent at Pratt. The rates of disproportionately less black fashion graduates are examples of not only historical underrepresentation of black designers in the industry, but also a systemic racial divide in America that African-American artists and designers bear the burden of immensely.

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(Parsons MFA Runway 2019)

I reached out to Nadia Williams, Director of Parsons Scholars Program and BFA Fashion Design graduate, and asked her about what the school was doing regarding diversity and inclusion. Williams explained a lot of Parsons’ initiatives were on the local level. ��We do a lot of work with New York high schools that are in communities of color, exploring college education and careers in art and design. We have some spaces dedicated to racial minorities already integrated into into the school and its curriculum, but a lot can be said about how little black students we’re admitting.” Her words reflect a shared sentiment among every fashion education institution from Central Saint Martins to Vogue Scholars: Black people don’t have a presence. It seemed like a lot of black at Parsons were all to familiar with how different it is for black people in the fashion industry, as seen in my conversation with professor Karen Rippy. She’s been training the future forces of fashion in New York City for years (Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt, Parsons) and has amassed an incredible retrospective on the industry and the education behind it. The following is an excerpt from my interview with Rippy:

Does your own personal identity play a significant role in your teaching/designing?

I’d like to say it doesn’t affect how I work. I guess with some exceptions, I’d like to keep my art and my identity separate. Being a black woman is apart of who I am, but it’s kind of refreshing for it not to be apart of everything I do.

Are there any experiences as a black designer you think differ greatly from your white contemporaries?

Almost everything! (laughs) It’s a lot harder to be taken seriously, even when you’ve done just as much work in a company. People are hesitant to even credit your own designs and sketches to you or give you more work to do without a feeling of scrutiny.

Who do you think have been the most influential designers of color?

Tracy Reese has been very relevant for awhile now, especially since she designed for Mrs. Obama. She has opened a lot of eyes and been the first to follow the path that she has and been extremely successful.

What are the most significant changes you’ve witnessed in the fashion industry during your time working?

I think the biggest change is just how fast people and things can come and go. Trends are almost even trendier now. There’s so much going on, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the fact that ideas are shifting and ideas are becoming obsolete so fast is something to get used to if you’re used to the old ways like me.

Do you think the state of the fashion industry today has improved enough for designers of color since you entering it?

I want to say yes, because there’s just so much more room for us now. My generation has paved the way for yours to show off everything we can do. Technology has made it possible for everyone regardless of race to learn how to design and sew and just get a foot in the door. There’s still a lot of work to be done though. I’d like to see a lot more black students!

Rippy’s insights got me thinking about the career paths young black designers take and how they navigate an industry that has normalized the exclusion of black professionals. The design sector lacks comprehensive and actionable inclusion on an executive level. There’s more than enough money and audiences invested in black culture and art, and often appropriating it (see: Dolce & Gabbana). This is a phenomenon deeply connected with the anti-blackness of world economic practices. Designer Kibwe Chase-Marshall proposes a program tackle these issues to the Council of Fashion Designers of America and American Vogue (who already collaborate on the transformative Fashion Fund Award). The proposed program has three parts:

Design

Purpose: address the non-meritocratic appraisal of design talent that most consistently disadvantages Black professionals.

Design-studio racial stats disclosure.

Immersive hiring manager bias elimination training.

Pledge of commitment to creating equitable inroads for Black talent via meritocratic hiring practices.

Headhunting & Recruitment

Purpose: address the consistent denial of fair access and representation for prime opportunities for Black design talent.

Compliance with auditing of recruitment and headhunting practices by contracted third party.

Pledge of commitment to creating equitable inroads for Black talent via meritocratic representation.

Talent Pool & Academic Communities

Purpose: bring greater visibility to consumers, students, talent pool and media regarding overall industry commitment to change regarding inroads for Black design professionals.

Annual disclosure/endorsement by CFDA/Vogue of participating brands, along with statistics regarding the racial composition of their design teams.

Annual disclosure/endorsement of participating headhunters and recruitment firms.

Chase-Marshall’s corporate model for a new millennium of black fashion designers is ballsy: It targets the big dogs and and immediate institutional change. Aurora James of Brother Vellies told New York Magazine, “Fashion has a bad habit of making very surface-level changes. It’s not just about adding more black models. People don’t think about the factory workers who are, honestly, almost always people of color. How meaningful would it be to make something beautiful that is also empowering?” This raises the question: What designers have created empowering, culturally relevant, and successful names for themselves in the industry? The answer contains an array of black names who are reaching a level of relevance that used to be reserved for white designers. Fashion is undeniably witnessing a golden age of black creativity in high-end fashion.

Some of the most obvious examples come from music artists crossing over into the fashion world, most notably Kanye West’s Yeezy and Rihanna’s Fenty empire. Launching her luxury fashion house under LVMH earlier this year, Rihanna has quickly made significant strides in both beauty and fashion. Her lingerie brand Savage x Fenty is indirectly credited with putting Victoria’s Secret out of business, as well as her makeup line creating a new industry standard with a 40-shade range foundation. What Rihanna is doing in traditionally white spaces is adding a legacy to the role of African-Americans in the fashion canon, largely because of her presence in social media and e-commerce spaces. Rihanna joins Virgil Abloh, Oliver Rousteing, and Shayne Oliver, black men who serve at the helm of luxury fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Balmain and Helmut Lang, respectively.

(Abloh, LV Creative Director, and Rihanna, Fenty Creative Director)

Virgil Abloh brought the streetwear aesthetic of his own brand, Off-White, to high-fashion after becoming Louis Vuitton’s creative director in 2017. His new position was undoubtedly a product of the cultural shift in fashion at the time, as seen in Supreme and Louis Vuitton’s collaboration that same year. Abloh’s recent FW 2020 pre-collection emphasis his direction for Louis Vuitton: camouflage, chest rigs, oversized pockets, sherpa jackets, and sequin-embellished suits, all characteristic of his work for Off-White. The fashion world is finally seeing how trendsetting people like Rihanna and Virgil Abloh are, and giving them access,” says Claire Sulmers, founder of blog Fashion Bomb Daily. Shayne Oliver resurrected his high fashion streetwear brand Hood by Air in 2012 and put the brand on hiatus to take up a position as creative director of Helmut Lang. “That’s our role: to wear it, look cool in it, put lifestyle in it, as opposed to being the person pushing the ideas out. Making clothes is not seen as a man’s job in black culture,” Oliver described fashion’s role in his life. His sentiment pushes one of the biggest oxymoronic strengths of the African-American fashion presence: in a society where black culture is relentlessly commodified, black people are still the best at selling it. “Diversity” and “inclusion” might be buzzwords in 2019 and into the future, but the effortless cool of black creativity will never fade to trends. Oliver Rousteing became the head designer of Balmain at only 25, responding to grumblings about his new placement: “People were like, 'Oh my God, he's a minority taking over a French house!”

A favorite of Parsons students and creator of “Brooklyn Birkin” is Telfar Clemens’ titular brand Telfar. The relatively new house created a strong brand identity with their sleek signature Shopping Bag and collections featuring flares, high-waisted denim, and deconstructed sportswear that caught attention from the influencers of 2019 looking for unisex sensibility. Tracy Reese made a name for herself after regularly dressing Michelle Obama in couture and delivering consistently strong collections since, making her arguably the most well known black woman designer working today.

One show that particularly stuck out to me at the most recent New York Fashion Week this past September was the unapologetically black Pyer Moss show. I sat down and watched the critically acclaimed runway collection, which was one of the highlights of an increasingly irrelevant NYFW and a peak in head designer Kerby-Jean Raymond’s career. The show was the final installment of “American, Also,” a three-part series that highlights the untold stories of Black people's major contributions to American culture. The live music throughout the entire runway was performed by the Pyer Moss Tabernacle Drip Choir Drenched in The Blood, singing soul, R&B, gospel, and hip-hop classics. From Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love” to tracks by Missy Elliot, the choir really seemed to contextualize the show in its blackness as well instilling a concert-like giddiness in the star-studded audience. Jean-Raymond’s designs didn’t disappoint either, clearly showcasing his musical inspirations: billowy eveningwear with dramatic draping was reminiscent of 70s divas like Diana Ross. Music-inspired details (piano keys hemming a top, a brown leather bag shaped like a guitar, guitar head print motif) and oversized suits were also all united under the show’s bold and contrasting colorways. I think the otherwise strong and thematically strong collection faltered towards the athleisure at the end, which felt overdone and branded with the Reebok logo.

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Jean-Raymond’s greatest strength remains in his practice of bringing black artists and black-owned brands to the forefront of his collections. “American, Also” contains the work of recently exonerated artist Richard Phillips, whose watercolor paintings (from when he was in prison for 45 years for a crime he didn’t commit) adorn pieces in this collection as vibrant prints. Gold jewelry designed by Johnny Nelson is also featured; the custom portrait necklaces depicting 21 famous black women musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Solange and more.

Pyer Moss serves as an example of high-fashion made by and for African-Americans, forcing a space for itself in an otherwise exclusive establishment. There are other brands attempting similar collections, notably Gucci’s “partnership” with Dapper Dan. In 2017, Gucci was under fire for allegedly copying the signature design of Dapper Dan’s 1984 jacket. While many on social media called it a blatant disregard for black creativity, the fashion house quickly met with the legendary Harlem designer and agreed to work together on Gucci’s 2018 menswear line. “All luxury brands should look at Dapper Dan and Gucci as an example of what to do and what not to do,” said blogger Claire Sulmers. “But in the end, it’s a wonderful time to be a person of color in the fashion industry.”

Despite setbacks, it is a wonderful time indeed- with entering and influencing the industry has never been more accessible for young black creatives through social media like Instagram. A lot of black designers are rising to prominence with an online presence, where the high-end white establishment can never fully grasp. The extremely fresh and somewhat dystopian new class of “influencer” has a huge impact on what consumers and trends will follow. It-Boy Rickey Thompson and modern Club Kid Luka Sabbat have amassed huge followings for their Instagram styling and Youtube projects. Rappers like Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi, and A$AP Mob are perfect examples of music artists crossing over into the world of high-end fashion boosted by their Instagram or Twitter spheres. The trendiness of African-American culture that has historically been so coveted by the fashion industry is now publicly broadcast straight from the source.

Words: 2257

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licieoic · 7 years

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13 Reasons Why

I just finished watching 13 Reasons Why.

I’ve seen reactions of people who have also watched. Some think the series glamorizes suicide and the idea of revenge. Those people completely missed the point. Some people say they hate Hannah, the main character, because she was all drama, because she said nothing about Jessica’s rape, because she froze during her own rape, because she couldn’t tell someone about it afterward. And they missed the point too.

Here’s what I have to say, as someone who was bullied mercilessly, who wanted to die at the age of 12, who tried to commit suicide and failed, whose school did nothing to help. I’m about to talk about some of my most inner, painful thoughts. If you’d rather not know that much about me, I understand, just scroll on.

First, I want to address the show itself. It’s really well made. The lighting design alone and what it did to convey tone and present vs flashback, it was incredible. The costumes also told a story about each character and their personalities and that can be hard to do in a cast so large. Makeup was hit and miss, I’m sorry to say. For the most part, it was good, but Clay’s forehead wound sometimes was a completely different color than his skin. Perhaps they were trying to show yellow bruising as it healed, but it didn’t always look natural, it looked like a bad prosthetic on his head and it was pretty jarring and tended to pull focus in some scenes. However, that’s pretty much the only bad thing I have to say about this series.

Second, if you have not seen the show and you are a victim of abuse, consider carefully if you are in the right mindset to watch, because it will probably trigger you. It is graphic. Extremely so. They don’t shy away from anything in this series and they did that on purpose. They wanted to show how terrible it really is, how it isn’t an easy thing to kill yourself and how brutal rape is and how nasty people can be. It’s hard to watch, it’s painful, possibly vomit-inducing. It absolutely places you in the mindset of the victims, they show you how it feels to be torn down until you have nothing left, what depression feels like and the symptoms. I’m 34 years old and this show made me feel 12 again. It brought back everything I felt back then and when you have depression, like I do, that can be a dangerous mind space to be in. So be careful if you watch.

That being said, I think everyone should watch (if they feel healthy enough to do so). I think it is so important for people to learn that their actions have devastating consequences. To learn that consent is necessary and expected and at any time may be revoked. That bullying, even when you think it’s funny and doesn’t mean anything, can destroy someone. It has impact.

To the people who thought suicide was glamorized: Did we even watch the same show? That scene in the bathtub was BRUTAL. There wasn’t anything glamorous about it, all I could think of was how much it probably hurt like hell, how she slowly lost the ability to move as she got more and more freezing. It didn’t make me think it was easy or somehow ‘worth it,’ it made me think about how close I had been to ending my own life and how devastated she had to be in order to fully go through with it. See, the only reason why I’m alive now is because when I went to cut my wrists I grabbed a kitchen knife so dull it wouldn’t even go through chicken meat, let alone my skin. And I felt like such a failure, for not even being able to kill myself, that I had to be so stupid that I couldn’t even cut myself, I put the knife away and went to my room to cry. The dull knife and my innate sense of failure saved my life. Hannah had the determination to go through with it because she couldn’t handle anything else. I also appreciated the inclusion of Skye, because I turned into a cutter too. When she said, in reference to her scars, “it’s what you do instead of killing yourself” I felt that so hard. Because it’s true. It was the only way I had to externalize an internal pain and sometimes I still have to fight the urge to do it, on days when my pain is greater than the coping skills my anti-depressants give me. So no, it wasn’t glamorized. What they showed was the flat, stark truth.

To the people who thought Hannah was just a drama queen and blew things out of proportion and she should have gotten over it: FUCK YOU. You’ve obviously never faced being humiliated, being objectified, being reduced to a thing rather than a person with feelings. You may have even participated in bullying in the past and want to justify your own behavior, even if it’s just to yourself. Because people do that, they justify their own actions every day so they won’t feel guilty. My extended family does it. Everyone I went to school with probably did it, because out of everyone who bullied me, only one girl ever apologized. One. She didn’t offer to be my friend afterward, because that would get her bullied too, but she apologized.

Did you see how Hannah went limp, how the light left her eyes? How she said after the rape she already felt dead? How can you talk about that experience afterward? How can you relive that, knowing how deep Hannah was by that point? Knowing that she was going to have to face him, no matter what she said or didn’t say? Can you really think it would have been easy to name her abuser? If you’ve never been in that horrible situation, then I’ll tell you - it isn’t easy. In fact, it’s damn near impossible. You NEVER forget. And all you want is to forget. And you can’t. It’s with you, it’s ON you, it’s under your skin every single moment. And you learn to hate yourself, because it’s inside you. Some people never develop the ability to distance themselves from it, to learn that they are so much more, because it’s hard. It’s fucking hard. And one of the things you have to do in order to start healing is to talk about it. And it’s so hard, because you feel like if you talk about it, it’s just going to be worse. That it will carve itself into your skin with every word. That talking will make it more real, rather than help you put distance between it and yourself. That’s what victims have to learn. And learning that is SO much harder than everyone working ahead of time to prevent the situation in the first place.

People don’t realize how their words have impact. They say “Can’t you take a joke?” “Get over it” “Drama queen” “Don’t stir up shit” “It means they’re jealous” “It means he likes you” “It doesn’t mean anything” “You’ll be fine.” It’s bullshit. All of that shit needs to stop. Never EVER normalize bullying. Because all you’re saying is that you don’t care as long as you don’t have to change your behavior, disturb your routine, get your hands dirty.

My mother told my principal that her daughter, her 12 year old daughter, wanted to kill herself. He said “Oh, she’ll be fine.” This happens in every school. Teachers won’t get their hands dirty until they absolutely have to. They did nothing until my mom used the buzzwords “sexual harassment.” Then they were required to address it. How messed up is that? One kid wants to kill herself merits no action whatsoever, but sexual harassment charges? That’s different. Now ask yourself... why? By the way, by the time this happened, I had already tried and failed to kill myself, so the damage was already done. I already felt like I was worthless and should die.

I was a tattle teller, a rat, a snitch, a cry baby. That was what I had to deal with afterward. Because a couple of boys got spoken to by the principal and their parents. There were no real consequences. It didn’t stop the bullying. It just changed the face of it. They stopped making fun of me to my face, in fact, they pretended I wasn’t there and made fun of me to each other, making each other laugh at my expense. They stopped trying to make me cry and treated me like I was invisible. That I didn’t matter at all, because it only counted as bullying if they said it right to me. I was the bad one because I spoke up and now I was alone. That’s even more dangerous for someone clinically depressed.

So if Hannah’s actions seem extreme, it’s probably because you’ve never faced depression in it’s most concentrated form. To me, her actions seem completely valid, because I’ve been there. I have been exactly there.

I’m not condoning the actions, I’m not saying they are the right solution, I’m not saying that you or anyone should make use of this very permanent solution to your problems. But I will say that bullying is not the temporary problem people tend to make it out to be. The common phrase is ‘Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem,’ but it’s wrong. I’m living proof. My ‘temporary’ problem of bullying still affects me to this day, in my mid-30s. I have to take serious medication just to put my brain on the same level as a normal person’s and avoid wanting to kill myself again. That seems pretty permanent to me. Bullying gave me a permanent, life threatening illness in the form of my severe depression. That’s the kind of impact I’m talking about. You might think at the time that you’re making a joke or just repeating what someone else said. What you’re really doing is killing someone. Slowly and painfully. Never justify it as something else, because then you’re just lying. Saying “I didn’t mean to” is just an excuse. I would still be dead. If not for my fucking bad taste in weapon.

Instead of addressing the victim and what they could have done differently, we need to address the way we raise kids. They need to know what behaviors are not okay and why, they shouldn’t just have to figure things out on their own. They need to know about their impact on others and what consequences can and should happen. Addressing the victim after the fact is in no way as impactful as addressing everyone and teaching them not to be abusers, that abuse can not and should not be tolerated. Because once someone learns they can abuse someone and get away with it, whether that abuse is verbal, physical, or emotional, they will do it again and again. And not care about what it does to the other person.

We also need to address ourselves, as adults, and our own behavior, since we were obviously not taught these things ourselves. It can be hard to see the signs, which is also addressed in the show, and magnificently. How they wrote the parents was perfect, because they are often wrapped up in their own, perceived larger, problems. Hannah’s parents and their problems with their store seemed like a much bigger problem to Hannah than her own, so she felt like she couldn’t talk to them. She would just be one more problem on top of it, so she chose to take away one problem from them - herself. She couldn’t see that helping their child wouldn’t be a problem for them at all, that’s not how it feels. That’s not how it felt to me. I didn’t want to be a burden, because I already felt like a massive problem. Teachers told me to “ignore it” and it would go away (it never did). When you’re in that situation, it really feels like the only solution you can choose that creates the least impact is death. Which isn’t true, of course, and the show presents that perfectly as well. It shows you what happens afterward, the pressure it puts on everyone. The show is unique in that we got such detailed explanations from Hannah as to the reasons that led her to suicide. Most people only get a note. Some don’t even get that. I hadn’t written one. All I had was overwhelming pain and the urge to get it to stop in any way possible.

13 Reasons Why showed me what would have happened to my mother. And having seen it, I know now that I can’t do that to her. I can never choose suicide because I can’t let that happen to her. And that’s why I think everyone should see this series. Because it may give people a reason not to choose suicide. And I think that’s worth everything.

Because for you people who think it glamorizes revenge and will make people kill themselves even more: The people who are thinking about suicide are already in that dark place. Seeing the series will probably not affect that. They will still be drowning in pain until they make a decision to seek help, whether they watch the show or not. What seeing the show will do is possibly give them a reason to not end it. And it will hopefully also help people to realize the impact they have on others.

If the show makes you uncomfortable... good. It’s supposed to. It should make you think about your actions and not want to cover them up. Speak up. Seek help. You’re not a burden. You deserve happiness.

But never at the expense of others. If you see bullying, say something. Get involved. Not with violence, but with words, kindness, and caring. Stand up for people too torn down to stand up themselves. Give them your hand and be their friend. Be better.

I’m glad I lived to see this show made. I hope its message resonates loud and long and reaches all who need to hear it. I hope it encourages others to share their story so more will know they are not alone.

#13 reasons why #licie in real life #bullying #rape #suicide #long post #I have a lot of baggage #and this show brought all of it out #but it's something people have been ignoring #and it shouldn't be ignored anymore #abuse should never be overlooked

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briefhistorybriefhistory · 8 years

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Context & The Most Famous Artist: Why the Boring Bro of Art Needs To Shut TF Up

A video has been circulating Facebook recently of Matty Mo, self proclaimed Most Famous Artist, and his Snapchat nudes project. Many of you will already be familiar with Mo as the guy who walked into a gallery and displayed one million US dollars, which he sold off as chunks for an inflated value, or perhaps you’ve seen one of his more innocuous projects such as Selfie Wall.

The premise of the project is simple: Mo put a call out on Instagram, asking for people to Snapchat him nudes with the caption Happy birthday Most Famous Artist. In the video, Mo speaks at length about how he makes art for the internet age, an age where ideas of shock or shame are disconnected from daily reality and the act of sending nudes is a normal part of life. We see him setting up for his show and directly interacting with young art buyers who pay up to $1200 USD for a large size print (printed on “high quality art paper,” which is a technical term for “trying to compensate for the low resolution delivered by front facing cameras” by the by).

Understandably, the internet is critical.

Firstly, many are understandably skeptical about how this constitutes Art, which admittedly is a debate held around the wider context of contemporary art and how it can often be difficult to read, appreciate or enjoy. Mo receives nude photos which someone else has composed, shot and edited, and has applied an opaque curatorial process in deciding which of the hundreds of photos he used is makes the final exhibition. Many are responding with questions about how Mo’s input has elevated the photos from snapshots into pieces of fine art.

The artist defends himself by drawing heavily on the Duchampian concept of the readymade, which was birthed just over one hundred years ago and first defined in the Abridged Dictionary of Surrealists, published 1938. Interestingly, Duchamp’s best well known and most controversial readymade, Fountain, was first exhibited one hundred years ago in 1917, and in May of that year, the following text was published in The Blind Man, a magazine run by Duchamp and two friends:

Whether Mr Mutt with his own hands made the fountain or not has no importance. He CHOSE it. He took an ordinary article of life, and placed it so that its useful significance disappeared under the new title and point of view – created a new thought for that object.

Readymades were, and still can be, incredible pieces of art (although I suspect many viewers would disagree with me there), because of the Duchampian act of transformation applied to the object. This was often a simple twist - when Duchamp painted a fake name on the side of a urinal and placed it on its back, on a plinth, he was transforming it from simple commodity into objet d’art, simply by deciding it would become a piece of art.

At the time, of course the public viewed his work with scrutiny, but the artistic merit of his work was also contextualised by other artistic movements and scientific developments in the world. The problem with the readymade now is that our nearest and most immediate contextualisation is the work of the YBAs - Tracy Emin’s My Bed (1998), for example.

My Bed illustrates the difference between a Duchamp readymade and a late 20th Century readymade, which is the theoretical and contextual framework which surrounds the work.

Duchamp’s Fountain was made at a time when Dadaism was a huge force for change in contemporary art, and his practice of readymades was supported by the Dadaist tradition of lifting things from their original context and putting them into new ones, creating ridiculous and nonsensical objects and scenes. (Although, to be clear: Duchamp was not directly associated with the Dadaists and was careful of his use of the term.) The Dadaist movement was a forerunner of Surrealism, and made work in a specific time in world history - surrounding the First World War - when modernisation and industrialisation was happening before the eyes of the artists.

Emin’s My Bed has been referred to as a readymade, but draws from a very different conceptual root from Duchamp’s Fountain. Emin made her bed in the heyday of the Young British Artist, in the 1990s, after years of postmodernist thought. Her work is inherently personal, and My Bed is allegedly a faithful recreation of the scene of a four day depressive episode. It’s impossible to read My Bed without putting it into perspective of the decades of feminist art which came before it - My Bed wouldn’t and couldn’t exist without the work of artists like Valie Export, Yayoi Kusama or Louise Bourgeois (although, please trust me when I say I have multiple issues with that era of feminist art).

To compare Duchamp’s readymades to Emin’s readymades forces us to ask what they really have in common - which is ultimately very little, other than the fact that they both come from pre-manufactured objects.

This is what brings us back to Matty Mo and his use of Duchampian buzzwords to justify his work. He may say he draws from Dadaist thought on the readymade and the contextualising of items, but the problem is that his work exists in a hugely different context to Duchamp’s Fountain. When Fountain was first presented, the world was just coming to terms with its own modernity, and mediums like photography were still difficult to access for many.

Now, photography is a staple of the 21st Century. We live in a more visually exciting and explosive time than ever before, and imagery floods our eyes and minds constantly in advertising, popular culture and social media. While the nude portrait has long been a staple of art, we now live in a time where the nude, as a medium, moves between Art and Ordinary. This is probably where Mo draws the link between the readymade and how he sees his “work,” but it is a lazy and shallow comparison.

Today’s nudes represent a type of self portrait which has previously only existed within the art world. Now, anyone can be both model and artist, anyone can define the parameters in which their body is seen, consumed, transformed into an objet d’art. The power of the nude is in the ability to self define, which is removed by Mo’s clumsy curatorial efforts.

Look at the images that Matty Mo surrounds himself with - bodies which are traditionally aesthetically pleasing - generally white, generally slim, generally a reflection of the beauty standards applied to society. While Duchamp changed the world with his readymades, Mo merely reiterates oppressive power patterns which are already a part of daily life. As any young woman who’s ever sent or received a nude knows, those power struggles find their way into every aspect of our lives, including our sex lives.

I fail to see the power or the glory in an artist upholding the same oppressive standards which the feminist artists above worked to subvert. In fact, I see this less as a genuine curatorial effort and more as a man’s way to make himself feel a sense of power and control, by selecting the bodies worthy enough to be transformed into “art”.

(You’ll also notice a particularly gross moment in the video, where Mo sends a heart-in-eyes-emoji in response to a sexy picture and looks far too pleased with himself. Gross.)

We don’t gain any conceptual ground from this rehashing of oppressive practice, because Matty Mo is unable to critically reflect on it. He deflects, pointing to Duchamp, pointing to the ephemeral nature of Snapchat, claiming his screenshotting of images is a crucially transformative act instead of a repetition of dynamics seen both inside and outside of the contemporary art circuit.

Readymades no longer have any inherent value, which means we fall back onto the second most prominent element of Mo’s work: shock.

The images are designed to be inherently shocking. Snapchat has distinct visual cues, the greyed out text bar or comically enlarged emojis, which feature in most of his images. The shock aspect of his work is broken down into two components:

Firstly, the idea that people have volunteered to send their personal images to a man they do not know and will probably never meet. Mo banks on the controversy that he gains here, which is made apparent by the lengths he goes to in the video to explain how he gathered the images.

Secondly, the images have been blown up to large size and hung in a prominent location. Mo speaks at length about how he managed to get a gallery space on Wall Street, which we see features large glass windows. A woman walks past and covers her eyes as she sees the sexualised imagery, emphasising the supposed horror felt by members of the public.

Both of these factors are designed to shock the viewer with Mo’s brazen curatorial choices. But the problem is? I don’t find it shocking. I find it terribly dull and reminiscent of regular, daily life. Wow, a man asking for nudes which he’ll use for his own personal gain. Colour me surprised.

Shock art only works where the normal is subverted, bastardised, turned inside out - and even then, you have to be willing to do some pretty weird stuff to be shocking in this day and age. Mo is trying to appeal to a generation who grew up linking each other to shock sites on the internet, he’s trying to market himself to young collectors who probably have memories of the weird stuff we used to send via MSN and AIM. But now? There is very little that can shock a desensitised audience, and children of the internet generation are our most desensitised audience yet. The idea that we are meant to be shocked by nude bodies is a weirdly Victorian throw back, considering the feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s, and today’s contemporary body positivity movement. Perhaps Mo intends for us to be shocked by their method of distribution - he does harp on at length about how he’s ‘subverting’ Snapchat and how humanity have used our base nature to turn it into a sex tool rather than for ‘ephemeral conversation,’ but I find that line of thought just utterly boring and unworthy of being followed up on. Wow, the consumer base has had a huge input in this app is used, humanity is so base and driven by sex, yadda yadda, some crap about the lowest common denominator, so deep, wake up sheeple.

Besides which, shock art has been thoroughly explored. Artists have worked with shock for decades to disrupt conversations and turn them on their head. Hell, in 1961, Piero Manzoni produced 90 cans of Artist’s Shit and since then nothing has been off limits. We’ve seen artists pull scrolls of paper from their vaginas, tattoo lines across the backs of paid participants, crucify themselves on cars, and generally do anything and everything that has been seen as taboo or off limits.

Matty Mo’s work is inherently derivative, and he embraces that with open arms. A quick scan of his website, which I will not subject you to, shows work which is openly reminiscent of Yves Klein, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Roy Lichtenstein - that’s without even talking about the parallels between his Snapchat series and Richard Prince’s appropriated (and also gross) nudes.

While there’s nothing wrong with being derivative, nor drawing on the work of artists who have inspired you in the past, Mo’s work shows a level of entitlement and a sense of ownership through his framing of his use of artistic trope as new, exciting and original. His personal branding as The Most Famous Artist reflects the privilege most white male artists have - repeating a pattern seen many times throughout history before - where a male artist commodifies and uses the bodies of non-men as “inspiration” or “muses,” all the while giving little respect, or financial renumeration, to his subjects.

Frankly, I am not surprised or startled by Mo’s work. His “work” has the conceptual depth and agility of a first year art school student, which is probably ungenerous to first year art school students. He is the product of a long line of entitlement, an entitlement which does not invite him to critically reflect on his “creations,” but allows him instead to continue to push flat, boring and derivative ideas out while retaining media attention - and that’s without even fully exploring the ethics of the project, the issue of intellectual property, the way viewers and collectors have responded to it, but frankly, I’ve already devoted enough time and attention to him.

If you’d like to take a look at a really interesting internet artist instead, check out the work of Darius Kazemi, artist and botmaker. I particularly enjoy the Bureau of Nice Stats project, which automatically sources “nice statistics” in a fabulously surreal and hilarious way.

#the most famous artist #art bros are the worst #matty mo #please art history is really important because it stops us making boring work like this #really wish i'd been there for your art school crits #tumblr long reads

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arplis · 5 years

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Arplis - News: Hollywood on the Hudson: At Home in Upstate, New York, with Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen

Weve been following Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen for years as they leapfrogged around LA. Amanda is an actress-turned-interior designer who has been on a decades-long remodeling tear. Her style is pleasingly simple, sustainable (since before it was a buzzword), and thrifty: see, for instance, Backyard Bunkhouse and11 Money-Saving Strategies from a Hollywood House Flipper. Her partner in the overhauling business is her husband: theyve lived in 25 places in their 31 years of marriage (along the way, they had four sons), and Corbinthough busy acting, writing, and running his own production companyis a Star Handyman.

After being MIA for a while, they recently resurfaced: When Finley, the youngest of our four, graduated high school and took off for NYC, Corbin and I looked at each other and agreed it was time for another adventure, she wrote.Our book, Open House, had just been released, so we decided to sell up in LA and take a book-signing drive across the country in search of our next project. They made it all the way to the Hudson Valley, where Amandas old friend Priscilla Woolworth has resettled, along with a surprising number of other LA defectors. After experiencing their familys first white Christmas, they decided to stay put.

They knew exactly what to do next: find a structure waiting to be given the Amanda/Corbin treatment. After four weeks of real estate hunting, they bought an 1880s little farmhouse in Germantown, New York, that needed everything. They camped out in a loft rental in nearby Hudson, found a local contractor, and started the demo. Weather dictates a lot here, which was an eye opener for us coming from Californiaand also learning that life has a slower pace here; love that, says Amanda. Heres what the place looks like a year later.

Photography by Amanda Westby, unless noted.

Above: Corbin and Amanda and sons at their new residence (the photo was taken by their oldest sons girlfriend and became this years holiday card). Hands-on creativity runs in the family: two sons work as art directors/production designers in LA., another is in the start-up side of tech, and the youngest is at NYU film school.

The couple bought the house from third-generation owners (who live nearby and were selling when their mother passed away). It had been pale yellow with a front door that was purple and white with a bit of turquoise thrown in, says Amanda. Its now painted a greenish-charcoal called Deep River and the door is Grand Canyon Red, both from Benjamin Moore. Upstate gentrifiers have been accused of defaulting to noirish exteriors, but Amanda defends the choice: its a classic color that draws attention to the architecture and looks great against the backdrop of all these seasons. Plus for every dark house, there are ten white farmhouses around here. Photograph by Jessica Dube.

Above: The couplehes 65, she just turned 60say they love their new surroundings and plan to stay upstate. Theyve become part of a community thats big on bartering: Amanda Westby, co-owner of Alder & Co, employs Amanda as a model in exchange for clothes (Amanda also took most of the photos shown here), and Amanda says she recently gave her doctors husband remodeling advice for medical care.

Im continually struck by the adventure of this new experience and discovering an entire life so different from palm trees, beaches, convertibles, and eternal sunshine, Corbin recently wrote on Facebook. My biggest problem, I guess, if Im allowed to go there, is that I have tons of time to think without all the distractions that Im used to.And when the snow falls, its even more quiet than the normal quiet that Im getting used to. You can hear your heartbeat, literally or perhaps thats the shoveling of snow forcing blood through my veins.

Above: The back doors and basement bulkhead are also Benjamin Moore Grand Canyon Red: I knew if I was going with dark monotone windows, I had to find a place to uplift, says Amanda.

She learned about remodeling historic houses from her father, who was an actor-turned agent and the original house flipper in the family: I grew up in southeast England, and he used to drag me around to look at properties and would ask my opinion. So the whole house buying, fixing-up, reselling thing came from my childhood. And Corbin, coincidentally, learned carpentry from his mother and uncle.

Above: The front door opens to the original staircase: as it was, the door banged into the stair, says Corbin. We fixed that and had to reproduce some of thebalusters. Above: Much of the art and furnishings have traveled with the couple from house to house. (Corbin has become a master packer and uses Pods as an economical way to move households.) Amanda bought the paintinga 1951 work by Brazilian Constructivist Lygia Clark30 years ago while filming a movie in Brazil. The zinc umbrella and cane holder is a long ago LA swap meet purchase.

Amanda tells us: Weve been at this practically since our first date, when Corbin showed me his house that he had just finished himself, and I said, I think were going to have to make some changes. It was full-blown Santa Fe-style and needed some tweaking and layeringsome soul. The English in me came out, and thats when we started blending our styles, and buying and selling things.

Above: We went down to the studs and nothing else, says Corbin of the 1,700 square foot interior. This is the equivalent of a bionic house. Explains Amanda: We replaced or added: HVAC, all plumbing, all electric, insulation, new drywall, bathrooms, and the kitchen.

Their most dramatic move was to open up the main floor and introduce oak beams throughout that are both structural (the ones shown here) and cosmetic. The floor is the original sub floors stripped and sealed with Pure Matte Finish from Vermont Natural Coatings.

Above: The vintage Franklin stove came from Hoffmans Barn in Red Hook, NY. The walls throughout are painted with lime wash from Portola in LA. Amanda had the curtains stitched from canvas drop cloths (each is a hemmed single panel).

I like a neutral balance, so drop cloths always work, she says. I usually make them into shades, but you hardly notice these curtains, and in the winter you can pull them shut to make the room feel warmer.

Above: The living space opens to a roomy dining area and kitchen. The cabinets are Ikeawith Ikeas vertical-groovedHittarp fronts in an off-white lacquer that Amanda painted herself. This isnt something they recommend, but it worked well: even the chipping looks authentic. I used a heavy Kilz primerno sandingfollowed by two coats of Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray in a satin finish.

Amanda found the center island marble slab on Craigs List for $150 and drove two hours in a U-Haul to get it.

Above: The dining table is one of several pieces that the couple found during their first pilgrimage to the Brimfield flea market. We arrived in the rain witha list of items we needed, including maximum and minimum measurements for each piece, says Amanda.

Corbin bought the tablemaybe originally a schoolhouse piece, definitely Europeanusing money he had saved from the many years his mother tucked bills in his Christmas stocking. I finally realized I dont have to worry about never having a buck in my hand, and decided to honor my late mother with a table that we love.

Above: The counters are butcher block from Ikea and Amanda finished the cabinets with painted wood knobs she bought at Home Depot. The Kitchen Aid stove and other appliances are also from Home Depot: I go when theyre having a buy two get the third free sale. Above: The aluminum hooks in the back entry came from a favorite hardware/antiques store in La Bisbal, Spain, within driving distance of their vacation house, A Fixed-Up Farm in the South of Francethe one project they say theyll never sell.

Recognize the dog painting? We doit appeared in Remodelista: The Organized Home and our postAmanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen Air Their Dirty Laundry.

Above: The moody back room with new built-in bookshelves is the library/TV room and Corbins home office. The lime wash here proved tricky: the couples two oldest sons drove the paint across the country and it froze along the way. When they painted this room, it was streaky and lumpy in parts, says Corbin. I came back from LA with more paint and went over it. I didnt finish but realized it looked right: we like patched-together rather than perfect.

The Emmy is Corbins mothers lifetime achievement awardJeanne Cooper, the grande dame of daytime, was on The Young and The Restless for 40 years, and played Corbins mother on LA Law.

Above: Amanda notes that the cold climate has inspired her to get back into pillows and blankets draped on sofas, and even living with stuff: its about feeling cozy. She got the sofa and chair at the Hammertown Barn in nearby Pine Plains: Theyre from the summer tent sale: I was the first in line at 7 am. Above: The lime-washed powder room is two-toned, another signature touch of Amandas. The Little Bo Peep collage was a recent surprise gift: One of the original owners came by and said, My mother made this tapestry piece and Id like it to remain in the house.' Above: Amandas deskpurchased for $150 at a local auctionis set in a bay on the side of the house. Most of the windows are original and have beautiful glass that ripples, she says. I hung bird feeders right outside, so I can watch the birds as I work. Above: There are three bedrooms upstairs. The red painting, by Peter Aspell, is another fave that goes with us from house to house. Above: The master bedroom has a conceptual headboard: Amanda dragged home from a walk along the Hudson River near their house. In lieu of doors, she enclosed the closets with curtains made from a Les Indiennes print purchased at the companys Hudson, NY, shop. It a very informal little house; curtains lend a relaxed feeling and they dont take up any room. Above: Corbins guitar in a corner of the guest room.The upstairs floors are painted Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron. The reclaimed beams used throughout came from The Hudson Companyand from sellers on Craigs List. Above: The rebuilt upstairs bath has a new-old look. The tub, along with three sinks, came from Hoffmans Barn: Amanda and Corbin hauled them to a local refinisher (but left the exterior of the tub stripped). The painted floors and beams extend appear here, too: Our contractor said, you cant have wood in the bath, and we said, Yes you can,'says Amanda. Above: The houses ceramic doorknobs are original. The giant medicine cabinet next to the sink is one of the couples Brimfield finds: its an antique jelly cupboard that came with decoupaged doors: Amanda whitewashed it and then tackled our kitchen cabinets, says Corbin.

Whats next? Amanda reports that theyre looking for a larger place in the area to tackle nextwed like to have enough room for the whole family and friendsand some rescue donkeys and goats The plan is to keep this house and down the line rent it out. I want to host people in cool environments, while I go gray and grow veggies, says Amanda.

More upstate style:

Architect Visit: A Dutchess County Farmhouse Transformed

Hudson Valley Hues: At Home with an Inventive Textile Designer

Saved from Abandonment: A Historic Farmhouse Receives the Ultimate Make-Under

And for many places to stay in the area, consult to our Design Travel posts.

Arplis - News source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Arplis-News/~3/PN5ELNENLE8/hollywood-on-the-hudson-at-home-in-upstate-new-york-with-amanda-pays-and-corbin-bernsen

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webbygraphic001 · 5 years

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20 Best New Portfolios, September 2019

Every month we roundup the best portfolios launched by agencies, freelance designers, and other creative professionals, into one easy-to-digest collection.

And now we come to September. The kids are off to school (the poor dears), the teachers are off to school (the poor dears), and you’re free to spend some time thinking about the most important holiday of the year. You’ve got to get ready for it emotionally, spiritually, and financially.

That’s right, I’m talking about Halloween.

But before you get the pumpkin spice out of the cupboard, why not have a look at these fancy new portfolios? Enjoy.

Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes, UX and accessibility suffer. For example, many of these sites depend on JavaScript to display their content at all; this is a Bad Idea, kids. If you find an idea you like and want to adapt to your own site, remember to implement it responsibly.

Braden Hamm

Braden Hamm’s portfolio is a wonderful reminder that typography is everything, layout hardly matters, and what are we even doing with our lives? Well, I’m mostly kidding, but the type design in this particular portfolio is generally fantastic. I’d also like to mention the general use of white space, it’s great.

Platform: Static Site

LGND

LGND uses simple, yet stylish type, calm colors, and excellent contrast to make a corporate-friendly design that isn’t boring at all. It even feels a little “futuristic” without going full sci-fi, and that’s impressive on its own. I don’t know whether it’s because corporate design is legitimately better, or just that I’ve turned 30, but this sort of design is growing on me.

Platform: WordPress

Say

Say’s agency site keeps it simple, going for that sort of artsy, sans-serif minimalism, and I just like it. I like the minimalism, the understated way they use color, and I even like the way you can sort of “paint” on the home page.

I don’t like the custom cursors nearly as much (especially when it’s hard to tell which part of your cursor does the actual clicking), but otherwise it’s a pleasant site to browse.

Platform: Craft CMS

Daniel Blom

Daniel Blom’s portfolio has everything a photography / filmography site needs! Pictures flying all around (only when you first load the site), a masonry layout, and more superminimalism (a word I just made up)!

No but really, after a few concessions to the Flash designer in all of us, it’s a simple and straightforward experience for the most part. I do like that you can change the backgound color of the site while you browse, though.

Platform: WordPress

Revolve Studio

Revolve Studio’s site stands out because it was written in ASP.NET. You hardly expect to see that outside of a corporate site.

It’s also a highly presentation-like site, with even a lot of the content being laid out as it might be in a PowerPoint. It also… doesn’t show any work. The site itself more or less is the portfolio piece, with loads of animation, careful attention to type, and even an example of what they can do with augmented reality design. There’s even audio, but only if you turn it on.

And yet, it doesn’t feel crowded. That’s an achievement.

Platform: Custom CMS (I think)

Fabio Fantolino

Fabio Fantolino’s portfolio might literally be what happens when a grid-obsessed animator gets too into PowerPoint. But really, it’s a gorgeous site in its own way, smoothly animated, and I love that color scheme, simple as it is.

Platform: Static Site

Thibaud Allie

Thibaud Allies’ portfolio is one part print design, and 99 parts definitely designed by an art director. Everything from the giant text to the placement of the images is artsy as heck, but still fairly usable.

Platform: Static Site

Clickpivot

Clickpivot a one-page website with what is basically a buzzword for a name, and that works, I think. I mean, look at that layout, that type. This is the one-page website that every corporate website aspires to be.

All hyperbole aside, it truly is a pretty site.

Platform: Static Site

Ransom

Ransom is artsy, asymmetrical, and almost post-minimalist in its aesthetic. It’s an approach we’ve seen before, but it wouldn’t be on this list unless it was laid out with love, and you can see the attention to detail in this design.

Platform: WordPress

Constance Burke

Constance Burke is a fashion designer, and her illustrations and sketches make up a large part of her site’s overall look and feel. Besides that, there’s a bit of a paper-dress-up-doll aesthetic going on, which both fits the industry she works in, and provides a unique feel to the site. Dress all of that up (pun intended) in a site layout and aesthetic that is well-designed, but intentionally understated, and you get a snazzy portfolio.

Platform: Static Site

Wild

Wild makes use of grid-focused design, some rather slick animation, and a touch of background video here and there to spice things up. The overall result is sleek, professional, and a pleasure to browse.

Platform: Custom CMS

Hochburg

Hochburg’s portfolio mostly sticks to a dark, type-focused aesthetic for most of its normal pages, and switches off to a bright and image-heavy design for the actual portfolio pieces. Light or dark, though, it looks good. Also, they have their own merch shop, which is kind of a power move for any design studio.

Platform: Contao CMS

West Studio

West Studio’s portfolio site is all about the imagery, and can you blame them? Their concept art isn’t just their product, it’s astoundingly beautiful. If their work wasn’t great, no amount of smooth, dark layouts and bold typefaces would make much difference… though they have that too.

The way they integrated their art into the design takes the site to a whole new level, though.

Platform: Custom CMS

This Works

This Works uses skewed elements and splashes of high contrast to spruce up a design that would otherwise be borderline brutalist. And hey, anyone who can make monospaced body text work is fine by me.

Platform: Static Site

Shamim Shafiee

I love almost everything about Shamim Shafiee’s portfolio: the colors, the layout, the type, it’s all good. But what truly makes this whole thing stand out, is that cut-out picture of the man himself, standing proud and tall on the home page (and the “Who Am I?” screen, incidentally).

I mean, he just looks so determined, so confident. He’s the designer for you, and he’s just waiting for you to figure that out, I’ve been a designer for over a decade, and I wouldn’t dare put myself on my site like that.

This sort of thing might normally looks cheesy and sooo ‘90s, it’s working here. It’s all about the attitude.

Platform: WordPress

Giacomo Mottin

Giacomo Mottin’s portfolio kind of mixes some presentation-style design at the outset, with some classic fancy minimalism. It’s dark, it’s sleek, and it looks as fashionable as you’d expect from, well… Italy.

Platform: Static Site

Wesley Van ‘T Hart

And somehow this portfolio looks even more minimalist than the other sites that I’ve already called “superminimalist”. Oh well. In any case, the type is gorgeous, and the almost excessive use of empty space gives the whole design a feeling of elegance.

Platform: Static Site

Haus

Haus is all about them graphics. It’s not often I go on about how much I love a site’s graphics—and the rest of the site is pretty solid, I’m going to shout-out their typography in particular—but Haus is doing things I’ve never seen before.

Take the home page, to start with: it looks like they have a constantly shifting amorphous 3D object floating around, and it’s textured with a constantly-shifting set of kaleidoscope patterns. It’s downright hypnotic, which may not be great for usability, but I can’t take my eyes off it.

Platform: Custom CMS

Aimee Sy

Aimee Sy’s portfolio embraces pastels, a print-inspired layout, and… iframes with zoomed-out websites in them? I can’t recall if it’s the first time I’ve ever seen that approach, but it’s certainly striking either way. The sites are semi-usable and browseable (another word I just made up according to my spellcheck).

Overall, while this portfolio is mostly built from familiar elements, the final product feels quite distinct.

Platform: Cargo, Backdrop

Feed

Feed delivers another simple, minimalist site that does what it says on the tin. As their name suggests, they do seem to prefer a style of layout that looks a bit like a “feed”, and they make liberal use of lazy-loading to create an effect that looks like infinite scrolling (but actually isn’t). It’s a great way to sort of lead people further in to the design and available content.

Platform: Craft CMS

Source from Webdesigner Depot https://ift.tt/2UHkuQ5 from Blogger https://ift.tt/2Q9Tjiq

#Blogger

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alchemisland · 5 years

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LAX

A little something I wrote this morning. I wanted to fuck around with stream of consciousness from a first-person POV in a future dialect, a bastard hybrid-tongue, with elements of the building blocks present in German. Just some messing really. Enjoy.

There’s a formula to getting on. At my best I’m seen to like things, heard to know things and available should anything arise. Like things ironically, they can’t be used against you then. Such is our way. I have to go fast. I’m like the bankside chicken, crocs in the river, quicker than they look, out and about on the tides and on the silk, always run, always sideeyes on the look, I have to be, everyone who was ever anyone in the corpo kept sideeyes and notrust always. Some secrets are for sharing in bed maybe, just for the two of you, a little private project to protect, prescient pearls, but some of them are just for one, for me, I want to be in the corpo. I have some big ideas. See, that’s the thing. You can’t care, what are you some weird with mosttime - too much time - are you going very slow, fast is the way buddy, gotta go fast zip along that highway like a lit cracker like a bit knacker, go go go. But sametime you have to care, want to change, why else do the corpo exists if nobody is trying to change any things? I inwardly longchange, but outwardly contentmodel. When you get to the corpo you have your own office and its all private and you can work on what you secretly care about I guess a bit and nobody knows and they won’t hate you and fight out what an uglyinside you are beneath the skin.

Was it always like this? Yes.

Let’s meet for a walk. Stuff myself on the tram. Sardines against the licked glass, fogging, I can’t see what stop we’re at. Nobody stands clear of the door. Too afraid they’ll get stuck at the back and miss their stop, even though that’s never happened in the history of trams.

All bets are off. Even the nice are made brutes. Commute is the gauntlet through which we pass. A grinder for the weak, sieving out the chaff from the mid-morning warrior, wielding his laminated pass, standing in his designated spot where he knows the host is lightest, where the same portly gentleman alights each day, leaving in his wake a pocket wide enough for three normal sized people - what’s normal - skinny, skinny jeans palefaced phonejunkie - fat, fat and delighted, newfoundly powerful, exerting agency where before went powerless, bless your little porcine eyes

Me included, can’t be nice. Lose your place. Am I a loser? Fuck no. Remember, it’s about perception. I can be seen to lose, sure. Everyone loses. Napoleon. Achilles. Wild Bill. I can’t be seen to be OK with losing generally, or to not always be striving to win. Elbow on, even if you know rightly there’s no room, and that another empty tram is up its arse; why wait, I’ve waited three minutes already; elbow on and make room, fog the glass, feel its cold kiss agin your cheek.

At my stop, all manners, ask nicely while pushing, ask for money with the notes already in your pocket, sorry can I move you there love, asked more with an elbow and a shrug of the shoulder rugbylike than a real silver’d tongue.

Step off, breathe deep, alighted at last. These laminated scanner cards, for important guys who need to travel to the office every single day, where else, you don’t even need to tag off. Just on. The company, see, they want to know where you’re going. Without statistics and percentages, averages and ratios, how can they improve their service?

Capacity. That’s the political buzzword. Feeling hot under the collar when the camera flashes form a corona, ask your opponent about their plans to relieve capacity.

Well, minister, a taskforce has been implemented, whose sole duty is commuter flow and congestive relief, LAX squad, black flak gunjack jacks belt bombs bullets and me and my laminated ticket they wouldn't dare.

Ticketless scoundrels would be first. Dragged down laneways and kneecapped by the LAXers in their black flak jackets. Fat cunts next. I once watched a woman eat chips from her handbag out my bedroom window. Lifting greasy sausagefingers to and from the clashing rocks of her teeth, those golden potato lumps a less fortunate crew of argonauts than those Jason took from Thessaly. She was shiny with vinegar.

There’d be a helpline too, for helpful people who like to help out, help the authorities help society help these people help themselves. Hello is this the helpline, I’d say. Yes it is, Mr Helpful they would say. Thank you for remembering, machine, I would say. I’m a woman, said the machine - tricky like. I’d like to report a fat disgusting on the lower road, by the Smiles Institution for the Mentally Wretched.

Most of the mentals were gone. The government couldn’t afford to keep every wing open. The least wretched were transferred to the regular system, scumbag system, but even mangy bangers that bash grannies for their handbags don’t deserve to be with the Mentally Wretched, those too reptilian to be among us. You remind us too much of something we’d rather not remember, thanks. We shoo them away. Prison is not enough. Special institutions, powerful bespoke disarming elixirs, stronger elastics and fastenings. Rarely ingenuous cures. Lock them up.

Houses. They’re going to build houses for the people to live in. Rich people, buy out the scum. Stove the roof of my crannog so the rain comes through, then brick by brick build your castle around and above it, until one day the light stops streaming in that hole you made, and the last wet concrete sets on my soul.

C’mon you pricks. We need houses like a rat needs fleas. Here’s a solution. Form the lax squad for real. Not just for the trams; clean the streets. Fats, uggs, unpops, olds, differents, cunts.

Who is gonna sign up for that job? Who can be trusted to always make the right decisions? This is the genius part. If I wasn’t a writer slash commuter slash junkie slash tryhard slash huge faker slash dreamer slash cynic what else, I would be a really smart guy in the smart business realm. I have some big ideas. Pour cement over the lower classes, cultural layer.

How?

Blimps.

How does that solve the LAX dilemma?

People a. Don’t probably want to hurt strangers and b. Don’t want to be associated with stool-softening-rapiding agents.

Why not.

Have you never really needed a huge shit? I did once, up the way with Steve and like billy-o I went for the briar and scuttered and likely muttered in the winter, steam coming off the pile, stench worse than dog, cans of cider, Druids cider, did a jig and killed inside me(r).

Anyway, I know who’s going to join the LAX squad. This is the genius bit now. The mentals. Get the mentals out of the big house - I’ll detail my plans for that shortly - and get them back into society. Doing good is good for you. So, here we go.

Mentals are out, black flak jackets and chainsaws. People won’t stand for it. Why would anyone take a train where the staff occasionally kill you? Giveaways. There’s really good giveaways and extremely reasonable rates. Timing too. We keep a random element, but within strict confines. If you really, really, really aren’t up for stuffing it, we’ll say ‘Don’t get the tram this Saturday between 5-8, when emergency depopulation maintenance will be underway’.

If you can kill one of our LAX agents without a weapon, using only your bare hands, you will win 10K cash, free travel for life and immunity for your family, denoted by a yellow laminate card worn on a golden lanyard, sprayed sprayed sprayed c’mon people let’s be reasonable, I’m trying to make savings here.

Bread and circus meets Mad Max meets Eddie Hobbes, who surname is a fictional tiger and whose occupation was declawing a metaphorical tiger. What will you do with the land freed up from the Mentally Wretched?

Gorgeous houses. Modest, extremely affordable, allotments for vegetables, flowers and berries, green areas, nice paving and gravel drives, adequate parking. How will you afford this? LAX saves the day. If you’re killed by the LAX officers, they get everything - the corp. Corp work for me. I build the houses. Move all the lowers in. The bad ones.

They hear hissing. I say just heating, pipes, old Victorian brass jobs with whistles, dials, bells and sheen shine Die Glocke. Are you sure, they say. Petition.

Please check this hiss, we do most definitely certainly hear something a-hiss.

Goose I said. I have a farm of geese for you lowers this Christ day.

No they say, we have seen and heard no goose.

Did you look, I know they haven’t and it’s a trick for time. They know it’s a trick and won’t let me escape, even after I discharge the smoke bombs I had in my pocket, which were actually stinkers and we talked in the smelly, green cloud about the hissing sound and I secretly dialed for the boys. Come get me, boys. Some of these lowers is closing in. They smell bad and can’t read, which makes them basically skunks with Nike shoes, and they like things where people do things.

Watch the show about the hissing maybe, that would be a good idea for to make more money, make them pay a fee to watch their neighbors in the house trying to find the source of the hissing.

What is this hissing, daughter, ist thou vibrator on? This is how lowers speak, underpeople. Not me, smart, right smart, commuter man and going to be part of the corp with some of my ideas. Perhaps fidder, says the underdaughter, is idst thou vibrator? All laugh, others laugh other house, nobody finds the hiss and I escape.

I keep them busy arguing about all the things until the boys come. Hi boys, get them please. The unders would be forced back into their house, lower house but nice ones that I built and now the hissing is so bad you can hear it inside and out and that’s a really crazy feeling and sound, even I can hear it but I let them know?? You crazy, Joe. this is a corp game and I’m the man in the know who runs the slow got the special glow and today’s another day at the corpo.

One of the boys, I think his name was Dermot. He’s a middler and can’t ride the trains and I see his laminate is brown which is the same colour as shit and it makes me not like him and then I realized maybe why nobody was rushing to join the LAX squad, I wouldn’t want to be associated with any of the ass processes. Maybe I’ll have the name changed; I have those powers, I’m in the corpo.

He asks me what the hiss is. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about I said and we get in the car and then I don’t have to lie because the unders can’t hear, with the hissing.

He has music on, quite uncorpo stuff but good. Pale Rapist is their name. They played Frunk, the latest hellvariant from genresmith and axemaster Obscene Pete. Turn this up I said to Dermot who is in the front now driving, so the lowers can’t hear.

I says this hissing you hear he says yes I do sir. Snakes. No way, yes way snakes, where, in the walls in the foundations in the long grasses and beneath the pools, in the pipes and rafters and hollows and sinks, coiled in shoes and cupboards and shelves, I have a snake button at the office. Once I push it, all the Lowers are gone and it’s time to make some money.

Put all the snakes back, move more unders in, release the snakes. It goes on forever and it makes loads of money and sense. He’s wowed, under me, I’m from the corpo and Pale Rapist is blaring, blaring. Back to the office please and inputs the coordinates. Runes grow blue on the panel. A rift appears and the unders can hear the fabric of space tearing like wet paper even with the hissing that they think is pipes because I tricked them and they believed me, I have nice eyes and I ride the train and my lanyard glints while theirs has a little bit of string like a desiccated length of ancient sausage.

Through the rift right to HQ, big H, the corpo HQ and my office is enormous, large enough for a rift and the whole car and the lot. I step out, clear of the rift or you’ll lose more than an inch trust me, if my dick wasn’t so big I’d be worried, I could stand to lose an inch or two and still feel swole. He drives back, closes it, leaves.

Sit at the desk and the snake button is there where I asked for it, it’s pushed like an aging king from his battlements before you can say snakes coming out of every pore and eating all the lowers.

Guess what, genius idea I had already and didn’t say. The lowers and unders and middlers living elsewhere paid their fee and guess what they’re watching on PPV? New hit show. Billion viewers. Undersnake.

Which family will survive? I planted one shotgun in the under area. One underfamily will find it. If they survive it’s gonna be good news. Cash money enough to be a middler. They can watch the next season live, cousins maybe. Holy shit idea again, they can be judges, or helpers. One lifeline. You can call this vet fam and ask they sage advice in direst perils. Yeah, season two is gonna have a lot of new stuff.

Show is over, good ratings. No rift home, take the train. What time is it? Oh the one thing I love about Saturday work.

My own LAX are on the take today.

Another forty minutes. I love a challenge, dare me and dare I and how dare they, let’s have a go they would never kill the boss for I was the one who invented the LAX and now the trams run basically on time.

#writeblr #experimental #stream #flash fiction #sci fi shorts #corpo #nuspeak #future shocks #LAX squad #depopulation #corporation #short stories #spilled ink #wattpad #fiction #shorts #unders #ireland #languagefun

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iyarpage · 5 years

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In Defense of the Word “User”

Recently-ish, there has been a small but noticeable backlash to the word “user”. Yeah, the word for people who do, in fact, use our websites, web apps, and products.

Now, the word isn’t going anywhere, and if you like the word, no one’s saying you must stop using it. I mean, some people are saying that, but you have no obligation to actually do what they say.

So why does it matter? Why would I die on this hill? Because I think this discussion perfectly outlines the fraught relationship our industry has with words and buzzwords. Designers struggle to the complex emotional interactions between human being and interface. Developers struggle to convey math and layers upon layers of abstract-seeming logic. And don’t get me started on what happens when we try to take these concepts and reduce them to job titles…

We change job titles almost as fast as we change JavaScript Frameworks

So what’s going on with “user”? Some people consider the word outdated, which is a fair opinion to have. Some go so far as to call the current use of the word unethical, which I think might be a bit much. Some think it’s not nearly specific enough a word to use in your code, which I think is exactly right.

Now, our language does need to change and evolve with the times. That’s a part of life, and there’s no getting away from it. However at times our industry can get a little too eager to jump from one bandwagon or trend to the next without seriously considering the consequences. We change job titles almost as fast as we change JavaScript Frameworks. We tire of a buzzword, and so we start hunting for a new one, often without seriously asking ourselves these important questions:

Why would we really make this change?

What do we stand to lose?

What do we stand to gain?

Why Would We Really Make This Change?

Taking “user” for an example: arguments against the word range from “it doesn’t reflect the relationship we have with our customers”, to “Saying ‘user’ strips a person of their circumstances…”. Then there was a mention of how the term “drug user” comes with negative connotations, and the insinuation that the negativity of that use of the word could leak into our use of the word.

I’m not going to argue these points individually, because some of them are definitely subjective and personal. If anyone thinks changing the word is going to make them a better designer, there’s no reason they shouldn’t give it a try. Heck, get back to me with the results!

If you think that being called a “user” is inherently a bad thing, maybe the problem isn’t entirely about the word

And if you feel the word doesn’t reflect your values and attitude, that’s fair too. Just don’t make the mistake of changing the word in the hopes of changing people’s attitudes. The great comedian Doug Stanhope made a fantastic point about this:

Basically he noted that back in the day, doctors would refer to developmentally disabled people as “imbeciles” or “morons”, so that’s what Doug and his friends called each other when they did something stupid. People got offended, so doctors started saying “mentally retarded”, so that’s what Doug and his friends started calling each other when they did something stupid. People now get offended at the word “retarded”, so doctors started saying…

You get the idea. If you think that being called a “user” is inherently a bad thing, maybe the problem isn’t entirely about the word. How do you feel about being called a “consumer”? There’s nothing wrong with consuming stuff, and spending money to support the people who made it, but some may find it offensive to be called by that word.

If you change the word without changing the attitude first, if you start calling users your “dear special bestest friends” in the hopes that a change in terminology alone will make for better design, you may be very disappointed. And people might start using “dear special bestest friends” as a low-key insult.

What Do We Stand to Lose?

I contend that to lose the word “user” is to lose a perfectly normal, non-insulting word that is intentionally vague and all-encompassing. Rather than stripping people of their circumstances, I rather feel it includes people regardless of circumstance.

There are certainly times when it’s far too vague, and you might want a term based on the way in which people interact with your site or app. Sure, that’s fine. But we need room for general, catch-all terms when discussing concepts at an abstract level.

I also contend that we’d be losing a well-known, mostly self-explanatory word that can help us quickly impart information to people who are new to the industry. You yourself may have no use for “user”, but it’s a great word for communicating with clients, as well as newbie designers and devs.

Seriously, every time we change the word we use for a single concept, the more confusing talking to designers gets.

What Do We Stand to Gain?

I guess if we ditch the word “user”, there might be an increased focus on specificity. A blog would have “readers”, a store could have “customers”, and so on. Being that specific and accurate all the time could certainly have its benefits.

But then what about those times when we want to be vague?

You could also argue that picking a different word might help to remind us that users aren’t just numbers, that they’re human. A different word might help you better place them in context. But then, if you need to use a different word to help you remember that users are human, with their own circumstances and contexts, perhaps the word being used is the least of your problems.

In The End:

It’s like I said: “user” is (currently) not going anywhere. The point of this article is not to alarm, or to provoke anything but thought. At this point, I think the word is like underlining hyperlinks; were we to suddenly stop, we’d just confuse a whole lot of people to no real benefit.

And yet, there’s nothing to stop you from trying something new, and switching up your vocabulary a bit. I could be wrong, and ditching the word “user” will finally get us all those jetpacks and flying cars. I have my doubts, though.

Featured image via DepositPhotos

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Source p img {display:inline-block; margin-right:10px;} .alignleft {float:left;} p.showcase {clear:both;} body#browserfriendly p, body#podcast p, div#emailbody p{margin:0;} In Defense of the Word “User” published first on https://medium.com/@koresol

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petsupplyandmore · 6 years

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Decoding Canine Meals Lingo

Sure phrases sound promising in the case of canine vitamin, however a few of them don’t ship precisely what chances are you’ll suppose. “Artisanal” would possibly call to mind a hipster Afghan Hound with a person bun, and “connoisseur” might have you ever picturing a flowery chef getting ready a meal for a foufy French Bulldog couple. However have you learnt the precise which means of those phrases in the case of the pet food world?

“A whole lot of these claims don’t assure a minimal normal high quality as a result of one doesn’t exist for a lot of of those phrases,” says Melanie Glass, DVM, with the ASPCA Animal Hospital in New York, New York. “The confusion and problem of choosing wholesome meals for ourselves and our pets is compounded by difficult-to-understand labels and adept advertising and marketing instruments that make interesting claims not essentially primarily based on science.”

Widespread phrases defined

In keeping with Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, editor-in-chief of pet business journal Petfood Trade and the occasion Petfood Discussion board, some phrases are thought of advertising and marketing buzzwords like artisanal and connoisseur, whereas others are “not persistently or absolutely outlined (sustainable, regionally sourced, transparency). None of them are regulated.”

This implies canine lovers ought to learn up on these phrases and perform some research on the merchandise. Attain out and ask the businesses extra in regards to the product to see in case your understanding of the time period is similar as theirs.

Artisanal

This can be a common time period in each the human and pet world. We’ll use the Merriam-Webster dictionary’s definition. Artisanal means “produced in restricted portions by an artisan by using conventional strategies — artisanal bread, cheese or wine. Additionally: making a product in restricted portions by conventional strategies.”

If an organization says the meals is artisanal, take a look at the web site or e mail the corporate to seek out out precisely what meaning in regard to its product.

Freeze-dried

Dr. Glass describes freeze-dried as “a selected meals preparation that removes moisture content material of meals and may make it very shelf secure. Any such meals typically seems to be costlier with no scientific proof that it supplies any further dietary advantages.”

“When utilized to animal merchandise, this usually signifies that the merchandise are ‘uncooked’ and weren’t cooked to a protected temperature previous to being freeze-dried,” says Cailin Heinze, VMD, DACVN, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist on the Cummings College of Veterinary Drugs at Tufts College in North Grafton, Massachusetts. “These merchandise are thus at excessive threat of bacterial contamination with harmful pathogens. Some freeze-dried meats are cooked first, however you possibly can’t inform by taking a look at them — you would need to ask the producer about every product.

Connoisseur

As soon as once more, we have now to go to the Merriam-Webster dictionary for an authoritative definition: “Of, regarding, or being top quality, costly or specialty meals usually requiring elaborate and knowledgeable preparation.”

Often connoisseur meals is a bit of greater priced, however this isn’t a regulated time period. Once more, if an organization says the meals is connoisseur, take a look at the web site or e mail the corporate to seek out out precisely what meaning.

Grain free

“Sadly, shoppers have the notion that grain-free meals are more healthy than grain-based meals,” says Trumbull, Connecticut-based Ryan Yamka, PhD, board-certified in companion animal vitamin by the American Faculty of Animal Sciences and a fellow with the American Faculty of Vitamin. “Most will … say it’s as a result of they’re decrease in carbohydrates, as nicely; nevertheless, that is merely not true. Most grain-based merchandise will make the most of entire grains. Most grain-free meals will use refined or purified starches like tapioca starch, potato starch and pea starch (typically all three within the prime seven substances).”

Dr. Glass provides additional perception: “There isn’t a scientific proof that demonstrates grain in pet meals is dangerous,” she says. “Complete grain can present a superb supply of simply digestible protein, nutritional vitamins, minerals and different vitamins. Substitutes can even have fewer vitamins and be tougher for canine to digest.” Dr. Glass provides that almost all canine don’t require a minimal carbohydrate weight-reduction plan to be wholesome.

Regionally sourced

Dr. Glass cites problem in defining this time period. “How distant is simply too far to be thought of native? Is it regionally sourced if the entire animals have been raised close to the producer or just some? Is it native if the animals have been raised distant however the producer is in your city?” she questions. “Once more, this doesn’t essentially indicate any environmental profit and definitely doesn’t make clear any dietary high quality to a pet food.”

Dr. Heinze agrees. “You possibly can have nice or poor high quality substances sourced regionally or distantly — e.g., you may get wonderful lamb from New Zealand however poor high quality hen out of your neighbor’s yard.”

Sustainable

“Sustainability in its purest type is how an organization creates optimistic influence for the communities and environments the place they do enterprise,” in keeping with Dr. Yamka. “When taking a look at firms that declare to be sustainable, you must examine how they buy substances (i.e., a part of the marine sustainability coalition), how they manufacture (i.e., do they use photo voltaic power) right down to their packaging (i.e., do they recycle or accomplice with individuals who can). Lastly, most firms specializing in sustainability practices are a part of the Pet Sustainability Coalition or might be a Licensed B Company.”

See if an organization is a part of the PSC or a Licensed B company at these web sites: petsustainability.org and bcorporation.web.

Transparency

“In its purest type, transparency ought to embody ingredient sourcing, the place your product is made, does it embody processing aids or hidden substances and the way the meals really advantages the animal,” Dr. Yamka says. “If an organization claims to be clear, see if it meets these elements.”

Once more, regulatory companies don’t outline transparency for pet meals claims, however Dr. Heinze does. “To a veterinary nutritionist, it means having the ability and keen to reply our questions on nutrient ranges, energy, ingredient sourcing, the place the meals is made and by whom, who designed the recipes and their credentials, and so forth.,” she provides. “In my 10 years of calling pet meals firms, I can inform you that is typically the exception slightly than the rule!”

What do you feed?

Pet homeowners wish to feed their canine the perfect meals they will afford. A few of these advertising and marketing buzzwords encourage canine homeowners to pay greater costs for decrease high quality.

“I’ve purchasers on a regular basis apologetically inform me that they’re feeding numerous diets that aren’t thought of to be as ‘stylish’ or ‘top quality’ as a number of the extra closely hyped/marketed/stylish diets,” Dr. Heinze says. “In the meantime, many of those diets are higher within the actually vital issues than the actually stylish diets they really feel dangerous about not feeding! I’ve additionally had purchasers refuse to feed therapeutic diets that might have a dramatic impact on their canine’s well being as a result of the weight-reduction plan doesn’t match their image of a ‘high-quality’ weight-reduction plan, which is commonly formed by this type of terminology and advertising and marketing.” In terms of choosing the best meals in your canine, give attention to the precise substances as a substitute of glowing phrases.

When unsure, analysis the product together with reaching out to the producer, ask your veterinarian, or think about Dr. Heinze’s method. “My rule of thumb for choosing pet meals (and for probably the most half for my very own weight-reduction plan as nicely) is to keep away from issues which are stylish in favor of tried and true. I might slightly that my pets not be the guinea pigs for some colourful advertising and marketing time period or new ingredient or course of that won’t have been completely examined. If it sounds too good to be true, it in all probability is.”

All about AAFCO

In keeping with the FDA’s web site, the FDA ensures that the substances utilized in pet meals are protected and have an applicable operate within the pet meals. Equally vital however lesser recognized is the Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers (AAFCO).

“AAFCO requirements are the agreed-upon dietary necessities for a canine’s well being made by years of scientific trials by veterinary nutritionists. Because of this the meals meet particular requirements which are accepted to adequately present vitamin in your canine,” says Melanie Glass, DVM, who practices on the ASPCA Animal Hospital in New York.

“If a pet meals doesn’t say they’re ‘AAFCO examined’ or at a minimal ‘formulated to satisfy AAFCO requirements,’ I like to recommend homeowners keep away from these meals, it doesn’t matter what claims they could promote,” Dr. Glass says. “Vitamin is a really difficult discipline, and formulating diets correctly is tough in order a veterinarian, a very powerful part of weight-reduction plan for me is that an organization needs to make sure a science-based dietary profile that was created by impartial specialists within the discipline.”

Go to talkspetfood.aafco.org for extra particulars on AAFCO and the way they outline “pure,” “natural” and “human grade.”

Concerning the creator

Elizabeth Anderson Lopez is an award-winning author primarily based in Lake Forest, California. She and her husband have many pets, together with two English Bull Terrier rescues named Dexter and Maybelene. You possibly can contact her at fromconcepttocontent.com.

Editor’s notice: This text appeared in petsupplyandmore journal. Have you ever seen the brand new petsupplyandmore print journal in shops? Or within the ready room of your vet’s workplace? Subscribe now to get petsupplyandmore journal delivered straight to you!

Learn extra about pet food on petsupplyandmore.com:

from Pet Supply and More http://petsupplyandmore.com/index.php/2019/02/26/decoding-canine-meals-lingo/

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ekopeep · 7 years

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Am I the exact same person I was at the end of last year? ...I can’t think of any ways I’ve changed. Well, I used to only like cartoon idols, and now I like the real ones too. And I cut my bangs... I think that’s about it

I’m still depressed and unemployed and overweight, I still have a bad personality, I’m still trying to sift the good songs out of my bloated music library... Feels like I spent the entire year unable to tackle my problems. Unsure what angle to take, not having enough power to do anything, using the Internet binges as a distraction from life because I can’t even turn to the things I love without feeling like I’m wasting them.

...These things aren’t going to change in 2018. The number on the calendar isn’t what’s been holding me down. It’s myself, and my situation, and I still have no power or strategies to overcome myself or my situation. I can’t even imagine a way up, so I’m just coasting. gently descending...

On this day last year, I bought a tablet and a handful of CDs I’d wanted all year. The tablet was supposed to change everything, because I was going to finally start drawing regularly again like I did in High School, but it ended up just sitting around because it was too much of a hassle to get up and get off the shelf and plug in. What really changed things was the AКB48 CD I bought, because then I started paying more attention to them (well, the cooler members that had mostly already graduated) and other idol groups...but even that didn’t really change things, just gave me celebs to fangirl over. because i’m too cool for american movie stars, or something

I don’t even know why I’m posting this online, I feel some sort of obligation somehow but there really isn’t any. I wonder if I should even keep doing my blog in 2018?

When I joined, it was exciting just to read other people’s thoughts and views (I’m a very lonely person), and the Тouhou and LL posts just made everything better..... but I’ve slowly drifted away from Тouhou, new games and publications keep coming out and I just don’t feel excited about them like everyone else is, for some reason I’m just not interested anymore... plus, now LLЅЅ is over, and I haven’t even watched the last two episodes yet. This season just hasn’t interested me like S1 did, or the first show did...All season I’ve been torn between saving episodes for a better mood when maybe I’ll be able to enjoy it. and, when I finally watch, thinking “the writing has really gone downhill, this scene is lousy...” ....well, there were a handful of really good episodes. The one with the dog was good, and the one when they wrote that song. even if the song wasn’t very interesting to listen to when they finally performed it....and the interactions between Ruby and Leah were good, even though their special song got kind of stolen from them by being a full-group song instead of a duet...and the episode with the van was good...... Wait, if I liked this many episodes, doesn’t that mean the problem is me?

...I’m tired of Tumblr. I’m tired of memes. I’m tired of posts about the game of the month. I’m tired of shallow social issues posts that just repeat talking points and buzzwords with no digging into the actual issue. Tumblr’s design means that the problems I have with the site aren’t with the site itself, I just need to find & follow blogs that post the kind of thing I want to read. ...I don’t even know what I want to read anymore. ....and I’m certainly not capable of participating in any kind of substantive discussion, of any type. And I’m not talking about “we’re here solving all the world’s problems”-type discussions. (I’m not interested in that kind of shallow, self-assured bullshit) ....Tumblr isn’t even good for discussions, the interface is like specifically designed AGAINST discussions, I just wish I could write “effort posts”

I want to read and write about the music I’m listening to, but I don’t actually know anything about it beyond “I like it.” I want to read and write about whatever show I’m watching or manga I’m reading, but I can’t dig deep enough to have high-level anime-fan conversations about motivations and best girls and symbolism and what is or isn’t good art (because I can’t actually tell). ..and I can’t just, speak my mind about the parts I like & the parts that aren’t as good, without worrying that I’ll get attacked by an overzealous fan (it’s never happened to me, but I like to worry about things).

I wonder how much I can type here before Tumblr cuts me off

If I make this long enough, maybe no one will read it

You know who has an excellent blog? That one person who does lots of lyrics translations for Japanese oldies. Their blog is high-signal, and every post is substantive and informative; the posts that aren’t translations are fun-to-read posts about music videos or whoevers latest release or back catalog. ....I wish I could do a blog that was that high quality, but I’m not that well-informed, about anything, and I can’t write that well, and I’m not capable of producing that kind of energy and effort, and all I do is reblog things that I see on my dash without any sense of purpose

I feel bad complaining about Tumblr, because doesn’t that really mean I’m complaining about the people I follow? none of whom deserve any kind of complaints, I’m just in the weird place where a normal person would just stop visiting the website and do something more important with their life but I’m still holding on to some kind of dream I had when I first started my blog. A dream I can’t actually put into words, because while I can write long walls of text, I’m unable to describe my thoughts and feelings

Maybe it’s less “I want to have a blog” and more “I wish I were the kind of person who writes a blog, that seems like an interesting life to lead” ...unfortunately, maybe that’s not my life.

Maybe the best I can be is a consumption unit, like the corrupt politician in that one chapter of the GITS manga. Not that I would turn to a life of crime like he did, I just remember that line (and nothing else about that chapter, or most of the rest of the book, which I barely understood in the first place) and use it to chide myself and how much I want to make things and do things and contribute, and how I don’t have any of the skills or talents or drives it takes to do it

It’s not just my blog, it feels like my whole life I’ve been unable to do anything, so all I have left is to wish I were the kind of person who could do them

I bet it feels wonderful to enjoy your life and being who you are, I wish I were the kind of person who could experience that

If I just...stopped posting, I wonder if anyone who notice? It’s not like I’ve built any friendships with people on the site. The main difference would probably be fewer “ekopeep reblogged your post” notifications, which isn’t much of a difference... (huh, isn’t the way I sit in the background reblogging similar to the way I just sit in the corner while other people have their conversations in real life? I wonder what it’s like to have friends, I bet it feels wonderful...I wish I were the kind of person who could experience that)

Why am I writing this? ...some kind of “bitter final post, beautiful in its despair” for some internet spelunker to stumble upon in 2024? ...since I am the kind of person who would read a long personal post on a dead blog, and wonder what that person’s life is like. Maybe it’s my turn to be on the other side of that. Or maybe I’ll just keep posting tomorrow like I never typed this. ....if you’re wondering, future internet spelunker, my life is like a cage. But I do listen to lots of weird music you’ve never heard of, and read manga, and think about sex a lot, which are all things that I would hope/expect to read on a dead blog. Wait......

Christ, I’m already living the blogger life I’ve imagined what it would be like to live. The quality posts weren’t necessary at all

Happy 2018

#long post #reveal personal information for no reason at all button

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damescapades-parttwo · 7 years

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It's been a little over a week, and I don't miss ice as much as I thought I would. It only took four trips out of the country for longer periods of time for this acceptance to take root. How have you bettered yourself this year?

This blogging adventure will be a bit different than the past as WordPress has decided to turn my beautiful blog into a horrible modge-podge of broken photo links. I'm currently debating on trying to switch all of my photos to tumblr, but also... that's a lot of work! If you're new to my blog, go check out the past writing! (and whatever photos are left.) I arrived on April Fool's Day to Sweden with, potentially, the best long haul flight experience of my life. A few glasses of wine and a forensic scientist to chat with while drinking said wine, followed by a entire row of airplane seats to myself, a sweet, new Norwegian airplane, and a completely edible in-flight breakfast maybe set the mood. While here, I'll be working within the Center for the Future of Places at KTH Royal Institute of Technology on the beginnings of my thesis for concurrent Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Design & Planning degrees I'm set to complete this December. (almost eight years of post secondary education coming to culmination is exciting and unnerving.) I'm super psyched to be here and working around/with the talented researchers, PhD students, and professors at KTH and specifically within the CFP! EVERYONE wants to know what I'm researching and writing about... as do I. :) Psych, I kinda know. I’m exploring the concept of multifunctionality in relation to public space planning and design; specifically, how can public space be planned and designed with both the environment and social aspects as imperative? What can be learned from Stockholm’s historical approach to planning/designing its park system, but also is the future better addressing this discourse? Multifunctionality, in this sense, is alluded to with a sustainable design model of planning and development, but still, is not prioritized over economic aspects of public space. Spaces that have been deemed multifunctional (environmentally and socially) have not been as successful. I plan to analyze (hopefully two!) at least one project current project, the Royal Seaport. I am also looking at a few of the older developments, such as Hammarby Sjőstad. Hopefully, by analyzing Stockholm as a case study to the concept of embedding multifunctionality within the planning and design processes, more research can be established to further the sustainability and resilience (buzzwords, I know,) of urban spaces.

I have a feeling this will continually morph while I am here in Stockholm as I meet and speak with more and more people at KTH and across the city. I also have a whole proposal and powerpoint if you want to see either :) My first 10 days have been pretty uneventful for me personally, while the city of Stockholm has been affected by an act of terrorism. For those of you who do not follow the news, a beer truck was hijacked while unloading on Drottninggatan, one of the most populated and central shopping streets in the city, killing and injuring many before crashing into Åhléns, a large department store, adjacent to T-Centraalen (central station.) The incident happened Friday around 3pm, and completely shut down all public transportation for five or six (?) hours. It was quite shocking, as Stockholm is known for being very safe and welcoming. I unexpectedly walked by the memorials at Sergels Torg/Åhléns on Sunday while roaming; it was uplifting to see how many people seemed to be coming from all over via the tunnelbana with flowers to be placed on the steps and on police vehicles. I have one (lousy) photo; I didn’t feel very comfortable taking any (even though *everyone* was,) combined with the fact that there was a huge mass of people wanting to pay their respects.

On my end, I have walked quite a bit - my phone is telling me I’m hitting ~12,000 steps a day. I was taking the tunnelbana more the first few days, but the sunshine is so nice!!!! (Seattle-deprived ftw.) Safe to say jaywalking is a thing here, and pedestrians are truly put first. I’m usually a walker, but I have been much more aimless this time around as time is rarely an issue. Perhaps that is a highlight of my past week: I have not had this much free time, mostly light on the obligations, to enjoy a city like this; since, well, pretty much forever, I have stayed busy with LOTS of obligations. I’m enjoying walking around, mostly to different parks, and people watching, a favorite hobby of mine. I’ve made it my mission to explore one new park (sometimes public space, but not as imperative,) a day, and I’ve definitely experienced at least one a day thus far. (more on that below!)

For entertainment, most of you might have already heard via Facebook, but I have had the privilege of attending my first yoga class… taught in Swedish. It was a true wtf the moment as the class started and the instructor started moving and then speaking in Swedish; by that point, it was too late to run out, and, honestly, I think my brain was a little slow on the uptake that I would not be able to follow the movements without looking up constantly. I struggled, but am now signed up for (at least) weekly English yoga classes.

I haven’t had any grand stories at the supermarket either (which in the past has been a common occurrence.) I’ve stuck to whole foods, not processed or really any junk food. There are many supermarkets to choose from nearby where I am staying, of which are on the smaller side (normal.) This makes it easier when choosing items; I have less options to stare at for long periods of time trying to find English on the labels at all, consequently attempting to decipher Swedish (failing) all the while converting the price in my head to USD until giving up to go with a choice based on little real objectivity. It’s fun; I’ll keep you updated with more riveting stories.

Lastly, for another anecdote, I really enjoy running in parks: mostly because I love using running as a way to experience cities, but also because I really love croissants. I happen to be staying very close to a part of the Royal National City Park (above this post).

This is what I believe every city in the world must have: a park system! Of course, Stockholm has the first! (and largest? unclear thus far.) It’s on my list to bike it before I depart, but more about the system later. Anyways, running here is a DREAM. It’s the first time since living in Colorado, even compared to running to and along Santa Monica’s beach, that I have felt a weight lifted off my shoulders upon entering for a run. While living in south central Colorado, I could easily run at the base of mountains in the cleanest air imaginable. (The altitude was was also higher than anywhere else I have lived, and I was, therefore, in the best shape of my life.) Finding out part of the National City Park was so close was incredible! Not only that, but while running, I ended up starting in the middle, which caused me to immediately stop and just take a 360 degree turn to see the vastness I would be running through.

I don’t know how else to describe it other than

“****, this is awesome; I cannot believe I’m in Stockholm still //

just looking at any corner to run to makes me feel out of shape //

I should not have started in the middle //

Google lied or this was not to scale on the map //

OMG USABLE PUBLIC SPACE.”

It’s not like Central Park, with a mix of specifically-designed programming/space typologies, even though there are pockets of trees, playgrounds, etc along the borders; the small piece of this giant park system I am speaking to is a enormous open space covered in a combination of formal paths, informal paths, and grass. I’ve only ran a few times in the last week, but I guessing I will continue solely so I can run all of the paths! I’m also not a runner with my phone, so no photos yet. Can’t wait to talk about this so much no one reads my blog...

Shout out to the ScanDesign Foundation and Valle Scholarship for granting me this opportunity! I'm extremely grateful to work at KTH and truly immerse myself into life in Stockholm!

I hope to write more about a background on Stockholm, as I acquire more knowledge. If you have any questions or suggestions on places to check out, do let me know!

#stockholm #first post #sweden #valle #scholarship #europe #study #thesis

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arplis · 5 years

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Arplis - News: Hollywood on the Hudson: At Home in Upstate, New York, with Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen

Photography by Amanda Westby, unless noted.

Above: The back doors and basement bulkhead are also Benjamin Moore Grand Canyon Red: I knew if I was going with dark monotone windows, I had to find a place to uplift, says Amanda.

Amanda found the center island marble slab on Craigs List for $150 and drove two hours in a U-Haul to get it.

Recognize the dog painting? We doit appeared in Remodelista: The Organized Home and our postAmanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen Air Their Dirty Laundry.

The Emmy is Corbins mothers lifetime achievement awardJeanne Cooper, the grande dame of daytime, was on The Young and The Restless for 40 years, and played Corbins mother on LA Law.

More upstate style:

Architect Visit: A Dutchess County Farmhouse Transformed

Hudson Valley Hues: At Home with an Inventive Textile Designer

Saved from Abandonment: A Historic Farmhouse Receives the Ultimate Make-Under

And for many places to stay in the area, consult to our Design Travel posts.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/hollywood-on-the-hudson-at-home-in-upstate-new-york-with-amanda-pays-and-corbin-bernsen

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