#we all get thanksgiving off. which is great! & then its black friday. the minute it starts ppl are sending in online orders.

[lokigodofaces]

Don't you just love it when corporate makes your job harder on one of the craziest days in the year because they're "trying to let us have our holiday."

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Roxy's Record Store (Part 3)

This part is fluffy! Spesh the ending. Maybe there will be one more part???

Read PART 1 & PART 2

WC: 8.4k

“Hmmm…” The producer mumbled to Harry as he listened to demos of a few songs through some headphones. After a few minutes he removed the headset and cleared his throat, “What writers are you working with?”

“S’mainly me and a friend of mine, actually. No one from the studio.” He informed the man, who’s eyebrows shot up.

“Well, this is very promising stuff, Harry. You’ve got a way with words. Can’t wait to get some more layers onto these songs. I think they can become something great.” The man said hopefully.

“Thank you.” Harry tried to hold back his smile.

“I want to see the finished EP by the new year, Harry. I think this could be really good.”

“You will have it, thank you.” He smiled and was soon left alone in the studio and sighing in relief. “Fuck yes!” He sighed happily to himself.

*******

“You’re doing it wrong.” Y/N sniggered as she watched Harry try to help her figure out this new editing software on her computer for the podcast.

“Hey, you asked me for help, which means you don’t know. So shush.” He said as he messed around with it.

“How’d your meeting with the producer go?” She asked.

“Really well, actually. He likes my stuff a lot. Said it’s very promising.” He informed as he messed around with the functions.

“That’s amazing, I’m proud of you.” She said with excitement and he smiled, “Look, look, look, you’re splicing into the content…” she said and he frowned.

“I’m not! Why is it doing it on its own?” He questioned in confusion.

“Harry! I need that last bit!” She cried out in horror.

“How do you stop or undo?”

“I don’t know! That’s why I asked for help!” She exclaimed nervously and he just hit command + Q to close out the program and then the little box popped up asking if he wished to save the changes he made and he put no and closed it down.

“There you go.” He turned to her with a nervous smile and she shook her head.

“Nearly died for a second there…” she sighed in relief.

“Me too.” He chuckled in relief.

“Well, should we maybe grab some lunch?” She asked.

“Yeah, m’starving.” He expressed.

“Okay, let me get changed real quick!” She said and hurried off. When she came back she was in a white sun dress and some sneakers and on her head rested a floppy beach hat with sunflowers crocheted into the hat’s body. He couldn’t help but smile at her as she zoomed around for her purse, “Should we bring it back or eat there?”

“Let’s eat there. Wherever it is.” he said and she smiled and soon they were walking off to the little street of restaurants about two blocks from her street.

Y/N was particularly cheerful today and he didn’t know why; he wished she would tell him everything. He wanted to know everything there was to her. She was a little sunflower, he decided. It seemed that she was just getting bigger and happier and it was wonderful to see. All of his thoughts seemed to orbit around her. She was it, the grand masterpiece in the gallery of his mind and he didn’t mind it one bit. They finally decided on some salad bar and were soon sitting outside in the warmth of the sun eating their food.

“So, Thanksgiving is next week.” She informed.

“It is…”

“Do you have any plans?”

“Not really.” He shrugged before eating. Last year he had been dating someone and gone to theirs for the holiday and well, obviously that ended. He tended to not really do anything those days, just prepare for black friday at Roxy’s.

“Well, I was thinking we can all come over to mine and just have a chill night, you know?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” He responded.

“We can dress fancy.” She smiled before taking another bite.

“You always dress fancy.” He chuckled and she shrugged.

“It’s fun.” She said simply.

“Well you let me know what I should bring.” He said and she smiled.

“Do you cook?”

“Yeah, a little.” He informed proudly.

“Bring your best dish then.” She shrugged and he smiled and nodded.

*********

Harry and Y/N were not sure why they were currently sitting in the living room waiting for Sarah to come in. They heard some clanging around in the kitchen and Y/N turned to Harry in concern.

“You alright in there?” She called.

“Yes, just a minute!” She shouted back and Y/N bit her lip nervously.

“Do you think they’re engaged?” Y/N whispered to Harry.

“No way, I would’ve known.” He responded. He, Mitch, and Sarah all shared a little house in the North Hollywood area. If anything big had happened he would’ve known.

“This is putting me on edge.” She whispered and soon Mitch came out, shaking his head as he tried to stifle some laughter. He ended up sitting on the arm of the sofa, waiting for Sarah. Soon, she was coming out with a box of cake and setting it down before Harry and Y/N and he moved over to her side.

“OK, go on. Look inside.” She said and Harry leaned forward and opened it up. Y/N also leaned forward.

“Will you be my?” Y/N read aloud in question and then they were handed a picture frame with a sonogram and little note that said “godparents?”

“Oh my god.” Y/N whispered, her eyes tearing up as she hurried to hug Sarah. In Harry’s mind it was still processing and suddenly he was hugging Mitch, laughing in joy and expressing his congratulations.

“You guys! Since when?” Y/N asked and Sarah sighed.

“I confirmed it like a month ago. I’m four months now.” She disclosed and Y/N squealed in excitement.

“Wow! I’m so happy for you guys!” She was tearing up all over again, “And of course I’ll be the little baby’s godmother!” She said dabbing at her eyes gently.

“I will too.” Harry smiled brightly, “This is amazing.” He chuckled before hugging Sarah tight. Harry and Sarah had gone to college together in England and when she made the move out to Berklee, where she met Y/N, Mitch, and Niall. Harry followed when Sarah moved to America, except he lived in New York for a while and then moved to LA, bought Roxy’s, and then Sarah moved in with him when she found a job out here. She brought Mitch with her from Berklee and once her podcast blew up, Y/N joined them. They had their own sort of little family and it was only getting bigger. Things were perfect.

“What are we naming the baby?” She asked excitedly.

“Umm, you mean us?” Mitch laughed.

“This is a collaborative effort, right H?” She said elbowing Harry lightly. That was a nice little nickname.

“Sure.” He chuckled in amusement.

“I mean, as the godparents we have to have some pull in this.” She bargained. And so they ate cake and just talked about this new and exciting chapter in Mitch and Sarah’s life.

*********

“Niall!” Y/N hummed and hugged him tight as he hurried into her home.

“Hey gorgeous!” He sang happily, “You’re a vision!” He flirted and she grinned bashfully. She was wearing a beautiful, baby blue, tulle gown. It actually looked like a vintage prom dress. She had found it at a random estate sale and decided to keep it, “I just brought a pie. S’not homemade, I can’t cook for shit but I was told that the COSTCO one is the best.”

“Ooh, I didn’t know you had a membership, I’ll need to borrow it sometime.” She hummed as she took the pie from his hands.

“I didn’t. I paid $60 bloody dollars to be able to even buy the pie. I’m cancelling it next week.” He said and she laughed.

“That’s not how that works, but thank you for this pie.” She said before heading into the kitchen. This was a fancy Thanksgiving dinner, Y/N had made a delicious vegetable medley and roasted two chickens to sort of keep in the tradition of the holiday. Her house was bursting with some lovely, funk music that had Niall dancing a bit as he greeted Mitch and Sarah who were picking games to play. The only one who was yet to show was Harry.

Harry was in a bit of a rush. She had said it was fancy dress, so he had gone searching high and low until he found something. It was a suede suit and it was baby blue. Very colorful and out of the box, he was sure it was a woman’s suit, but when he tried it on it fit him perfectly and he felt good about himself. He felt like he was going to a prom almost. He had to have it. And once he had made that purchase early Thursday morning he was using the afternoon to finish cooking a beef Wellington and a shepherd’s pie for Sarah who had begged him to bring it along. He hurried out of his car, he was a few minutes late, but better late than never. He rang the doorbell with his elbow and waited.

“Someone get that, it’s probably Harry!” Y/N shouted from her bedroom as she spritzed on a little perfume. Was she doing this for him? Maybe. She hurried down as she heard some commotion and when they saw each other they just grinned widely.

“Oh my god, you guys match!” Mitch cackled and Y/N furrowed her brows.

“This color is very in! And Harry, you look amazing!” She said happily, going to help him with one of the items he was holding.

“Thanks, you too.” He hummed. Mitch was still very amused at their coincidentally matching outfits as they headed to the kitchen to set his contributions down.

“You look marvelous!” She squealed happily, “Where did you find this number?” She asked and he chuckled.

“Ummm, thrift shop this morning. I was desperate.” He said and she smiled.

“Well it suits you.” She complimented.

“Thank you.” He smiled down at the ground bashfully, “And you look…pretty breathtaking.” He finished as he took in the look.

“Thanks, H.” She whispered timidly. There was a little tension between them right now and he stepped a bit closer to her and then Niall was hurrying into the kitchen to see what Mitch was talking about. He also laughed and insisted they take a picture in that cheesy prom pose. So soon they were against a plain wall and his strong arms were hugged around her waist from behind and her hands rested over his. Niall was laughing continuously as he snapped the picture and was soon showing it to them before hurrying off to show Mitch.

“We should eat.” She said and he nodded in agreement.

Dinner was going amazing, Sarah was eating for two and Mitch was doting on her all night. Niall was being the life of the party, as he usually was, and then there were Y/N and Harry. Participating in conversation, but not forgetting to just steal glances and timid smiles as the night went on. As they played games and even as they did a little impromptu dance. And as the evening progressed Mitch and Sarah headed out, mama needed her rest. Niall helped straighten things out a bit before he also headed out. Harry finished washing some dishes while Y/N grabbed things from the dining room.

“Do you want me to wash these too?” He asked as she set them down beside the sink.

“Nah, I’ll do it tomorrow.” She said and he dried off his hands. She had started shutting some containers of left overs that had been too hot to cover previously. Suddenly “The Touch of Your Lips” started playing through the speaker and Y/N smiled, humming along with Chet Baker, “This is gonna be my wedding song.” She said softly and Harry felt his heart flutter at this peek into her mind.

“It’s a good one.” He said as he came to stand beside her and she smiled up at him.

“It does look like we went to the prom together.” She giggled and he did as well.

“Let’s complete that vision.” He said extending his hand out to her and she smiled and left the containers and let him pull her close as they swayed to the music together.

The things they felt for each other were burning fiercely between them. They hadn’t kissed since the night of Roxy’s anniversary event. She was looking into his eyes watching him debate whether he should or shouldn’t make a move and then he finally went for it and their lips finally met softly as they continued swaying in her kitchen. Their kiss got more eager as the seconds passed. She was being hoisted onto the counter as they smiled against each other before kissing again. It was a deep and hungry kiss, filled with longing as he held her face gently and her legs squeezed around his sides as he stood between them. She was completely lost in him in this moment. His touch, his cologne, his lips… everything about this moment was perfect. Even as the song faded out and became another. It’s almost as if they had been making up for lost time.

“God, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for so long.” She confessed breathlessly against his lips and he hummed.

“Fuck, me too.” He whispered as his lips trailed down her jaw, making her skin covered in goosebumps. Lips swollen and a little wet as he worked down to her neck, slightly digging in his teeth and sucking before smoothing over the spot with his tongue. His hands slid down her body slowly until they were resting on her dress-covered thighs, squeezing a bit when her fingers wove into his hair, tugging just a bit at the anticipation. The soft groan that left his mouth made her melt.

“Harry.” She whimpered, calling him back to her. Their eyes met, there was nothing to hide how desperately needy they were for each other. In seconds he was lifting her off the counter and they were plopping down onto the couch. He helped her settled into his lap, guiding her hips as she ground down into his lap, feeling him right up against her through his trousers, “Fuck, baby.” She panted against his lips and he started feeling that he was completely losing his cool. He wanted her so bad, he didn’t want to stop. He couldn’t; as her lips moved against the hinge of his jaw. The doorbell ringing startled them apart and she sighed before hurrying off of him and heading to the door.

What was he doing? He wasn’t thinking clearly. He was in no position to drag Y/N into something with him as much as he liked her. He needed to keep this in the box of friendship, this was too much. He heard her chatting from his spot on the couch and he just stood and took a few deep breaths before adjusting himself a bit and grabbing his phone and wallet from their spot on the coffee table, he’d left them there when they started playing games earlier. He started slipping into his jacket when he heard the door close and turned around to see Y/N coming back over, fully entertained with a little cellophane bag in her hands.

“It was my neighbor. Look, she made these little hot chocolate bombs! They’re so cute!” She smiled and looked up at him from the bag, her eyebrows arching up upon seeing him ready to go.

“I think I should go.” He said and she bit on her lip for a second and nodded.

“Right, it’s a bit late.” She said as she walked with him to the entrance, “Do you have a busy day tomorrow at the store?” She asked and he nodded.

“Yeah, it’s all hands on deck.” He explained and she nodded in understanding.

“Well, thanks for coming. I hope you had a good time.” She said and he nodded.

“I definitely did, thank you.” He assured with a smile.

“Alright then, I’ll see you around.” she said and went to hug him and give him one last kiss, but he turned his head at the last second and she planted it on the corner of his mouth.

“See ya’.” He smiled before hurrying off of her front door steps and to his car across the street.

She closed the door and felt her eyes welling up. She felt stupid. Had she done something wrong to have him just bail out of no where? Maybe he regretted kissing her? But then again, he said he had been wanting to for a while. She started getting a little upset with herself for getting upset at his rejection. That could only mean one thing… she liked him. She liked him a lot.

“Fuck me…” she groaned and just trudged up to her bedroom.

*******

She had definitely done something wrong because Harry hadn’t spoken to her since Thursday night. Since then they’d gone and had dinner as a group and he didn’t say a single thing to her. She was once again spending most of her time with Niall and working on her podcast tirelessly. Things were going really well, she was lined up to meet with a few producers and sponsors, she needed to share the news with someone; she had hoped it was Harry, but whatever.

Y/N was sad and irritated that he had so much sway on her mood. That wasn’t right. What had he done to earn a spot like that in her life? In her heart? Nothing. She had allowed herself to start falling for him and he ended up being just as crappy as any guy.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Niall said suddenly and she forgot she wasn’t alone, “What’s the matter?” He frowned as he wiped her tears and she sighed.

“Sorry, m’a freaking mess.” She shook her head.

“Don’t apologize for feeling shitty, love.” He said before hugging her and she sighed.

“I think I like Harry and he just…doesn’t like me back? I mean I thought he did and now he won’t even talk to me.” She explained, “I learned that we’re very similar and I don’t know, we had a good thing going. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“Oh Y/N, m’sure you didn’t do anything wrong. Are you still up for going out with everyone later?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, I am. Don’t want to be a party pooper.”

“Go on, get all dolled up and show the fool what he’s missing.” Niall said and she huffed before rolling out of her bed and heading to the bathroom to start on some makeup.

Y/N looked great, she felt great. Niall was hyping her up to the heavens and she was coming into the little rooftop restaurant with her arm looped around his feeling more than beautiful as they walked up to their friends and then she spotted Harry saying something quietly to a girl beside him. She looked good too. She kind of looked like her?

“Hey, finally!” Sarah announced her and Niall’s arrival and Harry looked up to her. Their eyes met for a moment and dropped when she saw his hand on this girl’s thigh before she focused on greeting Mitch and Sarah cheerfully instead. What the actual fuck? She walked up to Harry and just stood there for a second before he hugged her briefly, she didn’t even say anything.

“This is Estella.” He said introducing the girl and Y/N just shook her hand before sitting down next to Niall, who looked at her with concern.

“I don’t want to be here anymore.” She said quietly and Niall fully understood. She tried chatting and being a part of the moment but she either focused on the conversation and contributing to it or poured all her efforts into trying not to look so disappointed. Niall kept a reassuring hand on her knee. This was a disaster.

*******

Harry hated the look in Y/N’s eyes. She looked like she was not here and it killed him for doing this to her. When he hugged her he had been stiff as hell because she smelled amazing and he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in her neck and kiss her until she was giggling. And then there was Niall. Why was he holding on to her leg like that? He then berated himself for getting jealous when in fact, he was the one that had brought a date to this dinner. Watching Niall just be attentive to her through the night made his stomach turn in on itself. Why was he so afraid? He was trying to distract himself from her and it was stupid and childish. He knew that, so why was he doing this?

“You good?” Estella asked quietly, he hadn’t realized that he was completely zoned in on Y/N for however long he was working through his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.” He mumbled quietly. His eyes took one last glance at her and she happened to also be looking at him, and just for a moment she acknowledged him and it made his body feel like it was in a frenzy of joy until she looked back to Niall as he spoke, kind of like that time they kissed at Roxy’s anniversary party. She was focused on his face and he could just see them kissing at the end of the night.

*******

“So what’s the new song?” Mitch asked as they sat down in the living room to go over this before they laid down the track at the studio the next day. The production on his EP was starting and he was pretty set on his track list. This was one of the new ones he had written about Y/N, but Mitch didn’t need to know that.

“It’s called Sunflower, Vol. 6.”

“Six?!” Mitch asked in shock.

“It went through a lot of re-working over the last few weeks, OK? I just finished it last night.” He explained.

“Let’s hear it.” He said and Harry plucked a little staccato melody on his guitar before, “Sunflower, my eyes want you more than a melody. Let me inside, wish I could get to know you. Sunflowers sometimes keep it sweet in your memory. I was just tongue-tied. I don’t wanna make you feel bad but I’ve been trying hard not to talk to you, my sunflower. Sunflower. I couldn’t want you any more. Kiss in the kitchen like it’s a dance floor. I couldn’t want you any more tonight…” and he went on and Mitch was smiling as he heard the song progress. “And then at the end I want this like instrumental of like…” and he played a rough version of the little solo in the outro, “And just keep it light and fun, you know? And that’s it.” He finished, waiting for Mitch to say something.

“Who are you in love with?” Mitch smiled.

“What?” Harry scoffed, “No one! It’s just a song.”

“You called whoever is on the receiving end of this your sunflower. That’s cute. Might steal that.”

“No way, I came up with it.”

“If it’s not for anyone then you don’t need it.” Mitch said smugly and Harry rolled his eyes, “I really like it. Did you send it over to the guys to start thinking something up?” Harry nodded, “Sick. And what about the one you won’t show me?”

“What?”

“The song you won’t show me. Or anyone for that matter…”

“I don’t know if I want it on the EP.”

“Is it any good?”

“Yes… so fucking good. I even know what I want it to sound like, but it’s just… it’s too personal.” He explained and Mitch sighed.

“Look man, what music is not personal?” Mitch challenged and Harry sighed, “Look, just play it at the studio, I’ll be in the box. Just see how it feels to get it out and maybe that’ll help you decided whether it stays off the track list.”

“Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

And he did play it and everyone loved it. The production team had some ideas of how to make the song more lively and full. All week they were holed up in the studio working on finalizing this EP.

**********

Y/N had wandered off to Roxy’s after having a grueling day editing the podcast. It was getting so big that it was taking over even her day-job schedule. She was doing so well though, she could quit her job if she wanted to at this point. Despite Harry not talking to her for almost three weeks now she felt that Roxy’s was kind of her comfort place. Besides, he was in the studio for the last week working on his EP, which according to Mitch, Sarah, and even Niall, was really coming along. He was helping with some background vocals and sound engineering since he worked at the studio. And well, Mitch was helping out with the process and even Sarah was delving in. She had yet to hear him sing something other than random little hums here and there and she was a little jealous that everyone was hearing him and his music. He was letting them in, but not her. Maybe things between them hadn’t really changed after all. She stepped into Roxy’s earphones in and blasting as she perused through the selection of records. She stepped out of the little section she was in and nearly bumped into Harry. Both of their eyes went wide and she quickly pulled out her earphones.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I thought you were in the studio all week?” They asked each other at the same time.

“Ummm, I took some time off today. Was kind of losing the vision.” He explained and she nodded.

“Everything’s sounding really good, I hear.” She said softly and he nodded.

“Yeah, I’m pretty pleased with everything so far.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Cool.” She hummed and they stood there in silence for a second. Harry was trying to work up the nerve to apologize to her for how he’d been treating her, “How’s ummm…” her brows furrowed, “Estella!” She snapped her fingers, “That’s her name right?” She asked and Harry wanted to cry at this. Why had he even gone out with her?

“Ummm, yeah. That was her name. But ummm, it was a one and done.”

“Classy.” She hummed through a chuckle.

“Oh my god, not like that.” He emphasized and she smiled, “She actually lives down the street from me but we met through a dating app.” He explained.

“You’re not making it sound any better.” Y/N giggled and he smiled, how he missed that sound.

“Well, whatever. The point is that it was just one date. I also didn’t want to go out with her alone… so I decided to bring her to a friend thing so that she’d get the hint. She was like… dropping by all the time and shit.”

“Must be nice to be in high demand.”

“Not really.” He huffed through a chuckle, “What made you come in?” He asked.

“Just a long day, needed some retail therapy and I really like it here.” She explained and he nodded. How easy was this? They hadn’t properly spoken in weeks and somehow they had fallen back into a conversation like it was nothing? Had she been the one ignoring him Harry would’ve not spoken to her until she did some serious groveling. It also wasn’t lost on him that she said she liked being in his shop. Was it because it reminded her of him? Was it just a comforting vibe? He hoped so.

“I’m glad that you like it here.” He said with a smile, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, just new producers, the new editing software, I’m still kind of bad at it so things take longer…I just needed a break.” she elaborated and he nodded in understanding.

“Well, is there anything I can help you find?” He asked with a smile and she bit her lip before glancing up at him.

“Why did you stop talking to me?” She asked instead and his smile dropped. His eyes met her expectant gaze and he sighed.

“Y/N-”

“If I did something to offed you or-”

“No, no it wasn’t that.” He assured, “I just feel like…things were starting to get complicated.” He said and she frowned.

“Okay…Well, I think that I was doing well in keeping things friendly with you.” She was trying to remind him that he was the one that had kissed her. Twice already!

“You did! It was me… you’re just… pretty and I got carried away, OK?” She thought that it was deeper than that for him. It was for her. Despite what he had just said they were crashing into the tall shelves as their lips molded together hungrily. It hurt so much, but she liked him so much that even this little bit of affection she was getting from him was making her feel great right now. His teeth dug into her bottom lip making her moan as his hands roamed her body slowly and intentionally. Her hold around his neck tightened a bit as all the air left her lungs. Harry was also fighting the urge to take this further, he wanted her. He cared about her. Despite that he pulled back panting, “Maybe we should stop before we end up doing something regrettable.” He whispered and she felt her heart sink even more. She wouldn’t regret anything with him.

“Right.” She said quietly, letting go and turning to walk away. He groaned at his phrasing. He wasn’t very good at saying things without music.

“Wait, I don’t mean regrettable.” he said rushing before her and she glanced up into his eyes.

“M’sorry for making it so hard for you.” Her voice came out in a sarcastic whisper as she tried to mask the sting of his words. She just walked past him and towards the door to leave.

“Y/N.” He followed after her and she sighed before turning around.

“What?” She asked tiredly and he just looked into her eyes. There was so much information swimming in his gaze and despite that he said nothing and she just let out a sigh before walking out of his store.

********

Now she was the one that wasn’t talking to him. She only hung out with Mitch, Sarah, and Niall. She wanted nothing to do with him. He had hurt her feelings badly and it irritated her to no end that she was still preoccupied with him. She liked him. A lot. Of course she wanted to talk and know more of him, but how much more of this could she handle? Her pride was down in the dumps and if anything, she just wanted to try one more thing, as a suggestion from Sarah actually, before she completely gave up on him. She was calling and his phone was ringing… she was waiting anxiously for anything.

“Hello?” He finally answered.

“Hey Harry, it’s Y/N.” She said.

“Yeah, I know. How’re you?” He asked and she bit her lip.

“I’m alright, I had a question for you.” She started and sighed, “So, we’re doing an episode for the podcast highlighting women in punk rock and I was wondering if you wanted to be part of it?” She asked and he cleared his throat.

“Me?”

“Yeah. Ummm, I had originally asked Sarah, considering she’s a total bad ass, but she’s got a check up to see how things are going with the baby. She actually suggested I ask you to take her place and I was wondering if you would?”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, she said you’re very passionate about this.”

“You want me on the podcast?”

“Yeah. I trust Sarah and I trust you.” She said the last bit and he couldn’t help but smile when he heard that, “Can I count you in?”

“Ummm, yeah. I would love to help.”

“Awesome, thank you! So we’re going to be working with Corin Tucker from-”

“Sleater-Kinney.” He finished and she smiled.

“Yeah.”

“No fucking way.”

“I know, I can’t believe it either. But umm, we’re gonna be interviewing her and that’ll go on YouTube. But it’ll be the basis of the episode.”

“OK when is that happening?”

“Next week. I know kit’s short notice, but Sarah knew for a few months, she was prepping for it and then the baby…”

“I’ll ask for her questions and notes. Do you need help with the playlist?”

“Ummm, yeah, actually.”

“I can work on that too.”

“It’s OK, know you’re busy with your music too.”

“I need a creative break, s’cool.”

“Alright then, I’ll ummm, send you the login for the spotify. Thank you for agreeing to help with this. I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna bring to the table.” She said honestly.

“Can’t wait either, we’ll talk soon.” He smiled into the phone.

“Yeah, talk soon. Bye.”

**********

The interview with Corin had gone incredibly well. Who knew Harry was so well versed in the riot grrrl movement? Between the two of them, they had brought much depth to their thirty minutes with Corin that she had even said she’d love to collaborate with her again. Once Corin had gone Y/N started tearing down her equipment from the little set they had used. She felt really good and was more than excited to get to record the actual podcast now. Harry was still quiet as he started unhooking the microphones.

“You alright?” She asked glancing back at him and he smiled.

“Yeah, m’really good.” He responded, “I get why you’re always talking about the bleeding podcast now. And why you know so much shit about shit.” He said and she smiled.

“Yeah, I can’t really just record myself blabbering nonsense. This requires doing tons of research. It’s a lot of work, so you can understand why it’s so exciting when people talk about it and it’s doing well.” She expressed as she took down one of the set lights.

“I see that now. I think if you weren’t on the radar before you will be after this episode. And not just because I’m on it.” He said with a grin as he took down the camera and she laughed.

“Right. Well, you did really well today, Harry.” She assured with a smile.

“Thanks, I enjoyed this.” He assured as he started packing her camera up. They finished packing up and soon he was helping her in carrying her equipment to her car and finally he shut her trunk and she sighed.

“I really appreciate you doing this for me, Harry. Thank you.” She smiled and he nodded.

“It was no problem. I had a really good time today.” He reiterated.

“Good, I’m glad. I’ll contact you about the podcast recording.” She said and he nodded before she opened her arms to hug him. Being in his hold was nice; her heart still hurt from all the back and forth he tended to put her through. That’s why when his hands came up and gently held her face to kiss her she turned her head to the side. Her eyes shut tight as Harry’s soft lips landed on her cheek instead. There were no words to describe the way that Harry’s chest felt like it was crumbling up awfully at the rejected affection.

“Sorry. But considering how things have turned kind of crappy after every other time we’ve kissed, I’d rather not do it again.” She said softly and he nodded.

“Right.” He hummed with a little smile.

“I enjoy your company too much to let things get weird again is all.” She admitted.

“Yeah, better not complicate the dynamic.” He said and she nodded. He was a complication all on his own. It was infuriating.

*************

“I hear it went well with Harry.” Sarah said as she stepped into Y/N’s house.

“Yeah, actually. Things really flowed for the interview and the podcast.” She said as she brought Sarah a bowl of pasta. She had a very specific craving for some pasta Y/N made and was now here for that. They sat down and started eating before Sarah cleared her throat. “Y’know, he cannot shut up about it. He had a lot of fun.”

“That’s cute.” Y/N smiled to herself.

“It’s endearing, I’ve rarely seen him like this. You guys seem good right now.”

“Yeah, we are.” She said after she finished chewing.

“When you’re not he’s in a proper mood.” Sarah informed, “The back and forth really seems to get to him more than it used to.” She said and Y/N scoffed.

“You’re telling me…” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Sarah asked.

“S’nothing…never mind.” She mumbled.

“Tell me.” Sarah insisted.

“I can’t… or won’t.” She said nervously.

“Y/N… what’s going on?” She asked.

“Literally, nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like it…”

“Yeah, it doesn’t, but apparently it is nothing.” Y/N muttered in annoyance.

“You like him! You like Harry!” Sarah chuckled in excitement.

“No. He is infuriating, as always.”

“He is, but that doesn’t mean he’s not likable…”

“He…kissed me-”

“What?!” Sarah interrupted.

“Several times now.”

“I’m…”

“Yeah. All the back and forth is on him. He does it and he gets all weird with me and stops talking to me… it’s a mess and as much as I think he’s great, I’m over the back and forth. He confuses me.” She expressed and the wheels in Sarah’s mind started spinning. He has been producing plenty of love songs lately…they have to be about Y/N. It makes sense.

“He’s got some struggles when it comes to his love life.”

“We all do.”

“You know what I mean. It’s just really hard for him to open up and to let people in. He’s an amazing guy, I mean we’ve been telling you that from the start. Maybe you’ll be able to see that soon.”

“I have.” Y/N smiled, “He has been there for me in really shitty moments before and I love him for that-”

“You love him?” Sarah grinned.

“You know what I mean.” Y/N shot back.

“I know…” she smiled, “But I mean, you never know what’s going on in his mind unless you take a peek.”

“I don’t think I’m privy to that level disclosure yet.” She said and Sarah sighed.

“Have you ummm, heard any of his EP yet?” She asked, seemingly changing the subject.

“No actually. I’m not privy to that either.” She said with a smile. She tried not to look too disappointed.

“You should drop by the studio one day and listen, he’s really good.”

“It wouldn’t feel right to show up without him wanting me there.” She explained. Sarah wanted to scream, she needed to hear his songs. Y/N needed to know that maybe she wasn’t physically there, but she was always there by being the focal point of Harry’s art. She was his muse and she didn’t even know it.

*********

“Hey, babe.” Mitch mumbled, kissing Sarah’s forehead quickly as he got back from the studio.

“Hi ya’. How was the studio?”

“Really fucking good. We got a new song in. Harry is just cranking them out.” He chuckled happily as he started getting ready for bed.

“Really? Must be very inspired. What did he do today?”

“Actually I think he’s called it She. I laid down a sick solo, he stayed behind to oversee the mixing.”

“Can’t wait to hear it.” She smiled and he grinned.

“It’s really fucking good.”

“You know…I think it’s about Y/N.”

“Really?” Mitch chuckled.

“I think they all are…” she said and he smiled.

“I mean… there’s a lot of conflict…makes sense.”

“It does, so that’s my theory. I think they like each other.” She grinned.

“That would be something, wouldn’t it?” He hummed.

**********

“What the hell…” Y/N groaned as she heard the ringing of her doorbell. She glanced at her phone and it was 3am. No one had called her. There was another round of rings before she got out of bed and headed to her door and looking through the peephole to see a familiar silhouette turned away from door, it looked like he was debating whether to leave or stay. Y/N quickly unlocked the door and Harry turned to her. He looked like he’d been crying and she frowned.

“Harry, ummm are you OK?” She asked worriedly.

“Can I come in?” He asked, voice hoarse and she nodded.

“Of course.” She said letting him in, she touched his arm as she led him inside, “You’re freezing.”

“I know.” He mumbled. She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed him a water bottle before she grabbed his arm.

“Let’s go up stairs.”

“OK.” He mumbled and she led him up stairs. He sat on her bed and she flipped on her bedside lamp before sitting beside him.

“Talk to me, H.” She said softly with concern, running her hand up and down his arm slowly. He was quiet for a few moments and she grabbed the throw blanket on the edge of her bed and draped it over his shoulders, “Harry.” She whispered and he sighed.

“My ex called today. She ummm, she saw the preview for the podcast.”

“I’m sorry. Was she mean?” She asked softly.

“No… she wanted to see how I was doing but it just reminded me of the bad stuff, you know?”

“I get what you mean. When did you guys break it off?”

“It was almost five years ago…it was the reason I left New York.” He explained with a sad smile and she nodded as she listened to him. “I was maybe 19 when I met her, we would ride the same tube lines to work everyday.” He said with a small smile, “I was engaged to her actually, almost a year.” Y/N didn’t know that.

“What happened?”

“She was with someone else almost the whole time we were together and ummm, apparently she was pregnant. She was gonna let me think that I was… responsible for them.” He explained. “Anyway, I was young and stupid and gullible. I was “in love”.” He made little air quotations around the words. “There were signs… but she was an aspiring broadway actress and she could put on quite the show. And well, as you’ve experienced yourself, I tend to clam up when things get a little harder or more complicated than planned.” He said and she smiled, “Once I was able to prove enough to leave without any more shit being throw back at me I did.” He said.

“Does anyone else know about what she did?” She asked and he shook his head.

“It’s a little embarrassing to admit that you got played like that.” He reasoned.

“Well, thank you for trusting me with that and well, she’s a bitch. And you deserve so much better.” She concluded.

“That’s just the question…do I? Look at what she’s made me. Look at how I’ve treated you. Look at how much she still affects me. Look at how fucked up I still am from her…”

“Harry, look at me for a sec, yeah?” She asked and he glanced sideways, their eyes meeting, “I think you’re being far too hard on yourself. You were a kid when this happened and you’re a man now. Yeah, you carry that hurt, but it helps keep you safe and it will until you’ve completely healed from that.”

“Will I? Because for the last few years it feels like every time my heart starts to open up I fuck it up before I have the chance of seeing it through. Like I just worry it’ll go wrong.” Her heart ached for him.

“That’s called trepidation.” She said factually, “I live in a constant state of it, so I get it. But I’ve also learned that it’s OK to be afraid, H. Like I said, I’m scared too, I think we all are to some extent…but I think that one day you’ll meet someone who will be worth facing your fears for.” She smiled softly as she looked into his eyes with a look of kindness and hope. Little did she know that she was the person he was trying to work through all of this for. The things he felt for her terrified him. And the biggest question was did she even feel the same for him? He wasn’t just telling her this in vain; he needed her to know where exactly he was coming from. He wanted her to understand because he knows that his back and forth had been pushing her away. But it wasn’t on purpose, he was just afraid.

“Yeah.” He whispered.

“Mmmm.” She nodded, “You look exhausted.”

“Do I?” He asked and she nodded, “Not surprised, literally been living in the studio the last few days.” He said and she smiled.

“I hear your music is really good.” She said softly and he smiled bashfully.

“I would hope so… I mean, the producers seem to like it well enough and-”

“I think I would be the ultimate critic since I’m like an expert in this and all…” she said and he chuckled.

“Yeah, you can listen some day.” He said and she smiled, “Well, thanks for ummm, listening to me.” He said as he let the blanket slip down from his shoulders and she bit her lip.

“Hey, it’s late…if you wanted to stay you could. I even have a guest room so you have some privacy and-”

“Why?” He asked and she sighed and shrugged.

“I just like having you around.” She smiled softly.

“Really?” He asked with a little smile.

“Yeah, really.”

“I don’t even like having me around.” He mumbled.

“Well, get your head out of your ass. You’re incredible company when you want to be.” She decided and he smiled softly. God, he wanted to stay with her, he really did.

“Well, make space then.” He mumbled and she smiled softly as she set up another pillow for him. He slipped out of his jeans and just stayed in his t-shirt.

“I have a spare tooth brush for you because of last time.” She informed.

“Expecting more sleep overs?” He asked with a smile.

“I just wanted to be prepared.” She shrugged.

He headed into the adjoining bathroom and brushed his teeth, washed his face, even used some of her serums and moisturizer before stepping back out and slipping into the empty spot on the bed and then he started getting comfortable. After a few moments of silence in the dark he felt her shift a bit and then he felt her fingers running up and down the expanse of his back in soothing and relaxing patterns, the slight tickles were comforting.

“Is this OK?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah, feels nice.” He hummed quietly.

“Good.” She whispered back.

As Harry laid there, so close to her, he just thought about how he wished he could just be brave and bite the bullet. He wished that he could just allow himself to feel what he felt for her instead of cowering behind it. He would pay all the money in the world to own his feelings. It’s a terrifying thought, but he would do that for her. That feeling of trepidation, is what she had said, it was a masterful feeling that he could use to excuse why he’d been so back and forth with her. He needed to shake it off before it was too late. Their whole relationship, they’d been walking on such a fine line of friendship and disdain.

“How did we even cross the line into this?” He suddenly said aloud, “From nothing to something.”

“For me it was when we realized we had the same happy song.” She responded and he chuckled quietly. He tried to think back and pin it down for himself and the only thing he thought up was when they’d first met and she’s schooled him on why Abbey Road was the superior Beatles album. Had he liked her since then? And just acted like a dick to try and ward off the idea of being with her? It worked for a while, but here he is. “But it doesn’t really matter does it, my mom would always tell me that there’s only a small step between love and hatred.”

“Why’s that?”

“They both require your whole heart, I think.” She posed her point, “I don’t think I’ve ever truly hated something or someone…” she elaborated.

“Not even me?” He asked turning towards her and she shook her head.

“Definitely not. I had better things to do.” She teased and he laughed a bit.

“For the record I don’t think I ever hated you either. Like fully hated.”

“So just a little?” She asked through a giggle.

“Just a little. But I think I know why, now.” He said and she stayed quiet, urging him to go on, “I think you’re just so… bright.” He stated.

“Why thank you…” she hummed and he giggled.

“Like yes, bright in your mind. But just in general as a person, you’re like the sunshine. You bring light to everything in your vicinity and when we met I was in a place where I wanted to sit in the dark. And well, Mitch and Sarah were used to being all dull with me and then you moved out here and sort of gave everyone permission to shine and I just felt alone I think, when everyone else was shining and I wasn’t.” He explained, “But… I’ve sort of let you in, haven’t I? And I’m seeing how good things can be when you just let yourself be happy. Like I hadn’t written in a long time and right now I’m so proud of what I’m producing and it’s so stupid because had I not been so arrogant and stubborn I would’ve opened the blinds a long time ago.” He finished with a long exhale.

Y/N was speechless. She literally just fell in love with him completely.

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 112721

28 November, 2021

Dear Dad--

It has finally snowed here! Naturally, it waited until the middle of the night, so we couldn’t actually see it happening, but we got several inches and now my car (and everything else) is covered and it’s all beautiful! Now it looks like everything has switched from color to black and white. Tomorrow I drive to work with snow on the trees by the interstate. I am pumped.

The past few days have been monumentally unpleasant in one way or another! The one exception to the unpleasantness was the period on Thanksgiving that lasted about four hours, when plant scientist guy and his husband were here and we were enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. That part was flawless. The food was really good, and it was great having friends over to the trailer. We filled a huge foil container with big servings of all the food we made and brought it to Clint and Dreama, the next door neighbor and resident crazy cat guy. Felt really good to give them a nice Thanksgiving dinner; they’re both in poor health and couldn’t make a meal this grand.

The unpleasantness began earlier, on Wednesday night, when the cats made us aware that a mouse was in the house. Zach and I trashed the bedroom trying to coax it into a coffee can so we could get it outside, but eventually it just disappeared somewhere in the trailer. Then Thanksgiving began, and at about 2:00 a.m. on Thursday I discovered our heat had stopped working. We still had power, thank goodness, but our central heat wouldn’t switch on. In Maine, in November, this constitutes a maintenance emergency, so we called it in as such. The landlord found a guy from a heating service that would come out on Thanksgiving and fix it. The guy came and fixed it, right when we were doing all of our busiest cooking, and he left our place quite literally about 3 minutes before our company showed up to eat. Good timing. By then, the sun was shining, we had space heaters going, and we were cooking multiple things in the kitchen, so the oven and stove were both on, and we’d raised the temperature to almost 70 inside anyway.

Then the guys came and went. They are a fun couple! The Thanksgiving feast was truly spectacular. Then, Thursday night and into Friday morning, we discovered our central heat wouldn’t come on again. So yesterday, Friday, we had to report it to maintenance again. Then I dropped my car off at the shop for its inspection and oil change. Turned out I could expect to pay about $135 for everything, which was less than I had budgeted. Piece o’ cake. Then they called a few hours later and said there was a power steering leak and they had to replace the rack and pinion assembly and it was going to cost about $1400. Also, they still couldn’t give me the “inspection passed” sticker until I got the registration current. Seems like I registered the car when we moved here in 2019 and I haven’t renewed it since then! (Aren’t I adorable? Aren’t I the bon vivant? In fairness, they don’t do here what they do in Texas, which is to send you a big fat envelope from the state saying, “Your registration is in here! Do your registration, asshole!”) The guy at the shop said that wouldn’t be a problem, however, because I could do rapid renewal online, and print a receipt, and that would be sufficient proof of registration!

Only problem with that is: You can’t use rapid renewal online if the registration is more than 7 months past its expiration, and I’m just special enough to fit into that category. So that kinda fucked me. The repair shop guy reassured me, however, that if you fail inspection for any reason, you have 30 days to correct it and get a free reinspection.

SO! Now the plan is: I’ve paid for the inspection. I’ve put the $1400 repair bill on a credit card, where I’m sure I’ll still be paying for it when I’m 100 years old. I will take next Friday to go to the vehicle registration office and pay them enough money to get me current on my registration. Then I go back to the V.I.P. shop and show them the registration, and they give me my inspection sticker. Then I drive legally for another year. Having to do this much adulting is such an epic pain in the gonads, but I insist on keeping my shit current! Having expired stickers is, I assume, all the reason the police need to pull me over and give me a ticket.

Anyway. It’s been a three day weekend, but so far that’s included a mouse, our heat ceasing to function two days in a row, and $1400 in unexpected car repairs. I now have today to cram in as much enjoyment and living as possible, but hell, it’s beautiful outside! Everything is covered with snow, and it’s still snowing lightly. Also our heat works, my car is now very happy because it’s so well maintained, and if there are any mice about, they’re being appropriately quiet, so we aren’t aware of their presence. I take it for granted that because one came in, many others have come in, and left again, in some potentially disgusting state, depending on feline interference, and that I’m surrounded by mice at any given moment, including now. I am sanguine about it. If a mouse shows its head in our living space, the cats will attempt, with extreme prejudice, to acquire and devour it, until it’s either devoured, or has left the house. Even if they can’t keep the mice out, the cats can make a mouse’s life so unpleasant as to effectively keep the house rodent-free.

To prevent myself enjoying the holiday season too much, I have my first colonoscopy scheduled for December 17th, a dentist appointment on December 21st, and a doctor’s visit on December 31st. The colonoscopy, in particular, seems like it will be a two-day festival of joy. The first day of the process is fasting, during which I will be allowed to consume only clear liquids. Just that part alone is bullshit, in my opinion. Then, at some point, I take laxatives. Then, at a later point in the day, I take many, many laxatives! The nurse practitioner who described it for me over the phone said, “It won’t be prescription-strength laxatives; you’ll just be taking a massive amount of them,” she said. “That’s great,” I said. “I’m going to poop myself inside out.” And it’s all part of the plan! Then, on day two, the main event, during which I believe I’m going to be under general anesthesia, and utterly oblivious to the fact that a mechanical serpent, tipped with lights, cameras, and knives, has been sent spelunking up my ass, and we’re doing all this in the name of increased healthiness. Okay, then! I shall attempt to be a user-friendly patient and keep my complaints to a minimum. At least it’s not costing me anything. So...colon, dentist, Christmas, doctor visit, New Years, and hello 2022, to be sponsored by the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus!

The snow is supposed to taper off and cease by lunch, but for now it’s coming down even harder than when I woke up. It is so ridiculously pretty! It’s like living in a snow globe. I really do like living here, even if that means growing old here, and all the fun new pastimes that will be involved (colonoscopies, getting hearing aids and buying batteries for them). But my job is now paying the new higher rate of pay! And with the pretty new layer of snow, I find it easy to achieve my equilibrium state of cautious optimism.

So I shall seize the weeks ahead with my usual bold curiosity, and I’ll write back next weekend. All my love to you both!

[animesavior]

“But it's not our place to judge [their actions]. We don't think it's right to let them die just because we hate them. Both sides risked their lives in battle, and both are prepared to kill if necessary. But when the fight's over, we'll those rules cease to apply.“

-          Biscuit Krueger, Hunter x Hunter (Ep. 74)

This week’s Toonami Trending Rundown is a double-feature for the nights of November 18-19 and 25-26, 2017. A big two weeks for the better cartoon show as the second half of Countdown would be showcased while Beerus collects the Super Dragon Balls and summons Super Shenron, Gon fighting off Genthru from killing him for his cards, and Gene has a score to settle with the McDougal Brothers, among other great moments.

For November 18th’s Toonami on Twitter, every show save for Shippuden, Bebop, and GITS would successfully trend in some capacity in the US during the East Coast airing. Meanwhile both Toonami and Dragon Ball Super would also trend on tumblr.

And finally, Dragon Ball Super continues strong as the buzz would help the show once again make it on Nielsen Social’s top 5 most talked about shows on the day, reaching the #4 spot with a combined 34,000 total interactions between users on Twitter and Facebook. This is the 27th time for Super and 41th time a Toonami show overall has made onto Nielsen’s daily list since we started recording this feat.

The following week’s Toonami took place during Thanksgiving weekend, so this year Toonami has opted to take the week off regular scheduling to show episodes 131-140 of DBZ Kai, but not before showcasing the finale of Countdown. In terms of trending, both Toonami and #DBZKai trended in the US and Toonami trending on tumblr, ending a drought of the last two marathon nights of a show not trending.

Of course, for the past two weeks, Toonami showcased both parts 3 and 4 of Countdown, which you can see below. As previously mentioned, this will be the last Total Immersion Event until at least mid-2019 as the Toonami crew wants to have more time to create the next one.

Unlike previous Total Immersion Events in the modern era, the post-Countdown look wont entail any major new changes to the block’s look aside from a battle-scarred TOM and a few new additions to the Vindication. This is because according to Jason DeMarco, the TOM 5 look still remains popular among viewers and the Toonami crew to keep it awhile, though there are plans to have a revamp sometime next year.

We will however see some new changes programming wise going into next week, but before we get to the big news, here are some notable Toonami-related news of note going around within the anime community:

Very unfortunate news within the Dragon Ball community as since February, Christopher Ayres, the voice of Frieza has been battling End Stage C.O.P.D., a progressive and incurable condition that affects your ability to breathe well. As the illness has unfortunately kept him away from working in the booth, Daman Mills, the voice of Monaka, has assisted as an understudy for Frieza in the meantime. With the need for a lung transplant and various other medical related procedures, if you wish to assist Chris in his medical bills, his family has set up a YouCaring page which you can help donate to this cause. This afternoon, he posted that is being discharged today, which hopefully is a good sign. On behalf of the Toonami Faithful, we wish Chris and his family our thoughts and prayers as he gets through this.

Additional sad news for the Dragon Ball community as Hiromi Tsuru, the Japanese voice actor for Dragon Ball’s Bulma and Trigun’s Meryl Stryfe has passed away last Thursday from Aortic dissection at the age of 57. On behalf of all DBZ fans, thanks for the memories and rest in peace.

And in some very disappointing news to say the least in regards to a Toonami classic, Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin, has been arrested for possession of child pornography. Because of this, Kenshin, which was previously seeing a revival of the manga, now is on an indefinite hiatus.

For those interested in seeing what could be to come, Yen Press has announced during AnimeNYC that they have licensed the Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online light novels for translation and publication in US shores. Yen Press has also been in charge with US distribution of the light novels and manga for the mainline SAO series as well as the Progressive series. As previously mentioned, both Alternative GGO and Project Alicization are presently in the works for anime adaptations, with premiere dates to be determined.

And for those who have caught up to the recent editions of the Hunter x Hunter manga may know, ailing health has forced series creator Yoshihiro Togashi to bring Hunter x Hunter in and out of hiatus in recent years, with the most recent hiatus going since last August. However, Weekly Shonen Jump has indicated that the series will be continuing on the January 29th, 2018 issue. 

If you haven’t heard, some big news for the block last Friday as announced on Toonami’s Facebook. Next week, Toonami will be receiving another expansion beginning next week on December 2 to begin at 10:30pm EST, with both Dragon Ball Super and DBZ Kai moving up the schedule by 30 minutes. In addition, the prime-time presentation of Super at 8:30 will be ending, as the premiere will now be airing 2 hours later. This is in due part to Toonami bringing in its newest acquisition: the broadcast dub of Black Clover, which will premiere on 11:30pm.

Based on the increasingly popular Shonen Jump manga series by Yūki Tabata, which as of this writing has 13 volumes published, the series has been adapted into an anime by Studio Pierrot and began premiering in Japan on October 3, 2017. The series is expected to be 51 episodes in length, barring any future sequels.

The story’s synopsis is as follows: (source: FUNmation):

“Asta and Yuno are two orphans who want the same thing: to become the Wizard King. Locked in a friendly rivalry, they work hard towards their goal. While Yuno excels at magic, Asta has a problem uncommon in this world: he has no powers! But, on the day they receive their grimoires, they surprise everyone. To reach their goal, they’ll each find their own path to greatness—with or without magic.”

Black Clover is one of the FUNimation licensed animes released this season that is receiving a “Broadcast/Simul-Dub”, dubs that are released immediately or not long after the Japanese broadcast, joining Space Dandy, Dimension W, and Attack on Titan season 2 as one of the few Toonami shows in the modern era that are receiving this special fast-track dub to American shores.

Among our main characters, Dallas Reid will take on the role of Asta, while Yuno will be voiced by Micah Solusod, best known among Toonami fans for previously voicing Soul Eater Evans. The full list for the first few episodes has been published by FUNimation, which you can see here.

Time will tell whether Black Clover will be the next big shonen anime series or not, and what it brings to the better cartoon show, but according to Jason DeMarco on his ask.fm page, future plans for Toonami are in place extending to at least 2021. With many new works and sequels potentially on the horizon, these are exciting times to be a Toonami fan, and as long as it has the ratings support from both anime fans and general viewers, the support of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and Turner Broadcasting, and the maintaining of partnerships with Funimation, Viz, Aniplex, Sentai, Production IG, Toei, Sunrise, Discotek, and the anime industry in general, I think this train will keep on going for many more years to come.

Besides Black Clover’s debut and the expansion to 10:30pm EST, tune in next week as TOM and SARA are back on the helm as Hunter x Hunter showcases the finale of the Greed Island arc. So until then, stay golden as always.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

November 18-19, 2017 Trends

United States Trends:

Toonami/#Toonami [#6]

#Countdown [#7]

#DragonBallSuper [#5]

#DBZKai [#7]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [#6]

#GundamIBO [#21]

#HunterXHunter [#12]

#LupinThe3rd [#13]

#OutlawStar [#10]

Tweet Counts:

#DBZKai [1,305 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [2,645 tweets]

#GundamIBO [1,074 tweets]

#HunterXHunter [1,884 tweets]

#LupinThe3rd [1,138 tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#Toonami

#dragon ball super

Notes and Other Statistics:

#HunterXHunter: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @tsunderica started the trend in the US.

November 25-26, 2017 Trends

United States Trends:

#Toonami [#4]

#DBZKai [#5]

Tumblr Trends:

#toonami

Notes and Other Statistics:

#Toonami: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @blumspew and @clarknova1 started the trend in the US.

Special thanks to @coreymbarnes, @jmb70056, @mmorse1017, and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.

Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.

[onlinemarketinghelp]

Cyber Monday Marketing: Is Your Store Ready For Ecommerce’s Biggest Day? https://ift.tt/2reaKC6

As an online business owner, Cyber Monday is one of the most exciting and busiest days of the year for your store – and that all comes from having an amazing Cyber Monday marketing plan.

Often coupled together with Black Friday, the two days mark the beginning of the end-of-year shopping season and a weekend where consumers are ready to part with serious cash.

In fact, in the US, the most money spent online in 2018 – $6 billion – was on Cyber Monday.

With that sort of money on offer, you’d be silly not to sit down and form a Cyber Monday marketing game plan of your own.

If you’re wondering what exactly you should focus on and how you should prepare your store, join us as we pass on some Cyber Monday tips and tricks to help you cash in on this holiday spending spree.

What is Cyber Monday and When is It?

While Black Friday shopping has been around since the early 50s, Cyber Monday – as you might guess – is a far more recent addition to the shopping calendar.

Taking place on the Monday following Thanksgiving, this year, Cyber Monday is on December 2, 2019 – the latest possible date for it to fall.

Cyber Monday made its debut on November 28, 2005. The name was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and former Shop.org exec Scott Silverman, and its purpose was to encourage consumers to buy online.

Although it was a fairly recent introduction, Cyber Monday was quickly embraced by consumers and has become the biggest day of the year for online sales. Cyber Monday online sales have grown from $486 million in 2005 to $6 billion in 2018, thanks to the growing adoption of online shopping and technological advances – such as smartphones.

Is Cyber Monday Different From Black Friday?

Although Cyber Monday is inextricably linked with Black Friday and they’re both focused on encouraging consumers to shop, there are differences between the two.

Black Friday has traditionally been a day for brick and mortar stores – particularly big retailers – to have huge sales. The day has become associated with people going to extremes to score deals, including camping out to be first in line. The crowds on Black Friday can be so intense that every year people get injured – or even killed – in the rush to grab a deal.

On the other side of things, we have Cyber Monday where everything is done online, rather than in a shopping mall or store. Although big retailers also have Cyber Monday campaigns, this is a day when smaller online stores have the opportunity to compete for shoppers’ attention as well.

Where Should I Focus My Cyber Monday Marketing?

While Cyber Monday is undoubtedly linked to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday – as is Black Friday – it has become a worldwide shopping holiday.

After its 2005 debut in the U.S., online retailers around the world have steadily built Cyber Monday marketing campaigns into their yearly plans. France and Canada embraced the day in 2008, the United Kingdom got on board in 2009, and in 2010, Germany and New Zealand joined in.

The internationalization of Cyber Monday has happened to a far greater extent – and much faster – than Black Friday, making it a unique opportunity to hold a sale in any market.

As a Dropshipper, is It Worth Doing Cyber Monday Marketing?

Because Cyber Monday has been adopted globally, it’s a fantastic day to target shoppers anywhere in the world. People want to spend money on this day and as a dropshipper, you’d be silly not to try and get them to spend that money on your products.

In 2017, dropshippers Albert Liu and Jacky Chou made $5,460 in sales over the Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend with their home decor store. And almost half of their sales were made on Cyber Monday alone.

As I mentioned earlier, Cyber Monday offers small online stores the opportunity to get in on the action that was, for so long, the domain of major retailers. Black Friday might be the day for big, dominant brands, but on Cyber Monday anyone can shine – as long as they have a killer marketing plan.

Getting Your Store Ready for Cyber Monday

Alright, you’ve realized you’d be a fool to miss out on Cyber Monday, but you may be wondering where to start. Here are a few Cyber Monday tips to get you on your way.

Get Your Collections and Product Pages Primed

Now is the time to update and proofread all your product and landing pages – don’t let one little typo ruin everything! If you think your product descriptions are a little lackluster, or you just don’t know how you could improve them, look at your competitors and see if there is anything there you could learn from how they do it.

Make Sure Your Site Loads Fast

Ever left a website in a fit of rage because it took so long to load? I have. In this age of super-fast internet, we’re used to getting what we want instantly and a slow website does nothing to offer a pleasant shopping experience. To make sure your website is fast, run a few website speed tests and optimize it as needed.

Do Test Orders

You don’t want any issues on the day, so the best way to make sure everything runs smoothly is by putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. Run through a few test orders on your store just to make sure everything is working as it should.

This is especially important if you’re trying a new supplier or adding any new products. The last thing you want is one tiny detail – like the wrong shipping settings – throwing your whole Cyber Monday plan into chaos.

Get Your Apps Sorted

In an ideal world, every visitor to your store would make a purchase, but we know that’s certainly not the reality. Luckily, there are a lot of apps you can install that can help increase your conversion rate.

Take your time to browse through the Shopify app store and find what might work for you – there are a bunch of awesome apps to choose from. A countdown timer app could add a sense of urgency, while a cross-selling or upsell app might increase your average order value. Ultimately the apps that will work for your store will depend on what you sell and the vibe you’re going for. Be sure to do some research and find what works for you.

Check Everything on Mobile

While historically more sales have been made on desktop than mobile on Cyber Monday, the first interaction a visitor will have with your store is often on their phone. To make sure your store in the best possible shape, check what your store looks like on mobile. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:

Easy navigation: Make sure your menu is clear and that any apps you’ve installed don’t overwhelm your screen or make it difficult and annoying to navigate.

Beautiful images: Check what your pictures look like and fix any that are poor quality or look strange. People will want to zoom in up close, so the last thing you want is a pixelated image.

Great text: Be sure that your text looks good on screen. Think about where sentences end and whether you need more or less text in your product descriptions.

Own Your Cyber Monday Marketing

With your store shipshape, it’s time to get your marketing sorted. And take note: This is something to start preparing sooner rather than later, so you don’t have a last-minute rush to get it all done. Here are a few tips for Cyber Monday marketing.

Know Who You Want to Target and on Which Devices

Facebook and Instagram ads are fabulous ways to make sales, but they can be especially expensive over this weekend. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by being prepared and knowing your audience. Dive into your Facebook analytics and explore things such as age, gender, and location breakdowns, then use that information to make specific advertising material.

You should also decide what type of ads you want to use – video, images, or a mixture of both. Whichever you decide, make sure they’re engaging and high-quality. If you can’t think of any great ideas, check your competitors for inspiration.

It’s also worth thinking about which devices your ads will appear on. It may be smarter to advertise more expensive items – or items with a lot of options to choose from – on desktop because shoppers have more to consider before buying. However, if you sell products that are impulse purchases, they could be more suited to mobile advertising.

Craft Your Best Cyber Monday Emails

If you have a large mailing list, you should make use of this. After all, these people already know your store and brand so will take less convincing than new customers.

Decide on an email campaign you think will work best – this might be a one-off email on Cyber Monday revealing your big sale, or it could be a series of emails reminding your subscribers of your store and hinting at an upcoming sale in the weeks prior. Whatever you do, it will ensure your store is kept in mind when Cyber Monday rolls around and complement your

When writing your emails, be sure to think of engaging subject lines – the best Cyber Monday emails are those that stand out from the crowd. When it comes to the body of the email, don’t overthink it. Keep things clear, concise, and conversational and you’ll be onto a winner.

Capture the Buzz Early

Cyber Monday is not only a great one-off day to snag an amazing online deal, but it’s also the beginning of the wider holiday shopping season. People know what Cyber Monday means and there’s a lot of shopping and seasonal excitement in the air in the lead-up. Ideally, you want to try and capture this excitement – and you don’t have to wait until Cyber Monday to do it.

People start hunting for deals well before Cyber Monday, so don’t be afraid to launch email and ad campaigns ahead of the actual day itself. You could try tactics like offering mini-deals in the days leading up to Cyber Monday, before your big sales day on Monday. It’s great for sales and for ensuring customers keep your brand in mind.

Or maybe you could come out swinging and start your Cyber Monday sales before Thanksgiving. People are already prepared to start shopping, so why not get a jump on everyone else and swoop early.

Offer Creative Deals

When thinking about a great Cyber Monday promotion your mind probably jumps to slashing prices with hefty percentage-off deals. But there are other ways you can entice shoppers.

Offering a gift with every purchase could be the added extra that’s enough to draw people in, or in the same vein, a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

Alternatively, people love limited-edition products. Stocking an item with a limited amount available is a great idea – especially if you include a stock counter on the product page to increase the feeling of scarcity.

In fact, with shoppers being so aware of the madness that the shopping season brings, the products you sell don’t even necessarily need to be good. For example, for Black Friday 2014 the game Cards Against Humanity sold 30,000 limited-edition boxes of bull poop – marketed as “Bull**** by Cards against Humanity” – as an anti-Black Friday stunt. $180,000 worth of sales and $6000 in profit, all from the sale of poo.

As it turns out, Cards Against Humanity ended up donating the profits from the stunt to charity, which is a great idea in itself – even without the poop.

People are increasingly looking for businesses to lead the charge with philanthropic and charitable endeavors. Creating a special campaign surrounding a charity or cause could be a great Cyber Monday marketing decision – especially if it complements your products or niche.

Follow Up

Just because someone didn’t purchase on their first visit to your store on Cyber Monday, doesn’t mean you just give up on them. Think of it like a “no man left behind” situation and do your best to recover those sales.

Firstly, you should definitely have retargeting ads ready to go on Facebook. After all, if someone showed interest in your store on Cyber Monday, there’s a great chance they’ll still be interested in what you have to offer a couple of days later. Perhaps you could include a special deal on the retargeting ads that will entice shoppers, even after Cyber Monday.

One of the easiest ways to recover sales is with abandoned cart emails. You probably have these turned on already (or at least, you should), but consider spicing them up for Cyber Monday with an additional deal or offer to motivate them to purchase.

And while we’re talking about email, why not send out a post-Cyber Monday email as well? As mentioned earlier, Cyber Monday is the start of the holiday spending season so people are still very much prepared to spend in the days and weeks following it – try and capitalize on this with a special last chance deal.

Heck, you could even take things a step further and turn Cyber Monday into Cyber Week. Forget one day of deals, turn up the volume and run ads and emails offering unbeatable deals for a seven day period. This could be a great way to attract customers and make your store stick out from the crowd.

Your Cyber Monday Strategy Summed Up

With Cyber Monday rapidly approaching, don’t get panicked – get organized!

Make sure your store is prepared for traffic from all devices and looks the best that it can. Meanwhile, get creative with your campaigns and make your advertisements stand out from the crowd.

And remember, while Cyber Monday could be a massive day for your store, it’s also the start of the holiday spending season. So even if your campaigns don’t go to plan, you still have a whole month of big spending activity ahead of you.

Want to Learn More?

How You Can Use Holiday Shopping to Generate Sales

15 Creative Black Friday Marketing Ideas for 2019

How to Spy on Your Competitors’ Facebook and Instagram Ads

21 Facebook Ads Experts Share Their Winning Strategies

The post Cyber Monday Marketing: Is Your Store Ready For Ecommerce’s Biggest Day? appeared first on Oberlo.

from Oberlo

As an online business owner, Cyber Monday is one of the most exciting and busiest days of the year for your store – and that all comes from having an amazing Cyber Monday marketing plan.

Often coupled together with Black Friday, the two days mark the beginning of the end-of-year shopping season and a weekend where consumers are ready to part with serious cash.

In fact, in the US, the most money spent online in 2018 – $6 billion – was on Cyber Monday.

With that sort of money on offer, you’d be silly not to sit down and form a Cyber Monday marketing game plan of your own.

If you’re wondering what exactly you should focus on and how you should prepare your store, join us as we pass on some Cyber Monday tips and tricks to help you cash in on this holiday spending spree.

What is Cyber Monday and When is It?

While Black Friday shopping has been around since the early 50s, Cyber Monday – as you might guess – is a far more recent addition to the shopping calendar.

Taking place on the Monday following Thanksgiving, this year, Cyber Monday is on December 2, 2019 – the latest possible date for it to fall.

Cyber Monday made its debut on November 28, 2005. The name was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and former Shop.org exec Scott Silverman, and its purpose was to encourage consumers to buy online.

Although it was a fairly recent introduction, Cyber Monday was quickly embraced by consumers and has become the biggest day of the year for online sales. Cyber Monday online sales have grown from $486 million in 2005 to $6 billion in 2018, thanks to the growing adoption of online shopping and technological advances – such as smartphones.

Is Cyber Monday Different From Black Friday?

Although Cyber Monday is inextricably linked with Black Friday and they’re both focused on encouraging consumers to shop, there are differences between the two.

Black Friday has traditionally been a day for brick and mortar stores – particularly big retailers – to have huge sales. The day has become associated with people going to extremes to score deals, including camping out to be first in line. The crowds on Black Friday can be so intense that every year people get injured – or even killed – in the rush to grab a deal.

On the other side of things, we have Cyber Monday where everything is done online, rather than in a shopping mall or store. Although big retailers also have Cyber Monday campaigns, this is a day when smaller online stores have the opportunity to compete for shoppers’ attention as well.

Where Should I Focus My Cyber Monday Marketing?

While Cyber Monday is undoubtedly linked to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday – as is Black Friday – it has become a worldwide shopping holiday.

After its 2005 debut in the U.S., online retailers around the world have steadily built Cyber Monday marketing campaigns into their yearly plans. France and Canada embraced the day in 2008, the United Kingdom got on board in 2009, and in 2010, Germany and New Zealand joined in.

The internationalization of Cyber Monday has happened to a far greater extent – and much faster – than Black Friday, making it a unique opportunity to hold a sale in any market.

As a Dropshipper, is It Worth Doing Cyber Monday Marketing?

Because Cyber Monday has been adopted globally, it’s a fantastic day to target shoppers anywhere in the world. People want to spend money on this day and as a dropshipper, you’d be silly not to try and get them to spend that money on your products.

In 2017, dropshippers Albert Liu and Jacky Chou made $5,460 in sales over the Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend with their home decor store. And almost half of their sales were made on Cyber Monday alone.

As I mentioned earlier, Cyber Monday offers small online stores the opportunity to get in on the action that was, for so long, the domain of major retailers. Black Friday might be the day for big, dominant brands, but on Cyber Monday anyone can shine – as long as they have a killer marketing plan.

Getting Your Store Ready for Cyber Monday

Alright, you’ve realized you’d be a fool to miss out on Cyber Monday, but you may be wondering where to start. Here are a few Cyber Monday tips to get you on your way.

Get Your Collections and Product Pages Primed

Now is the time to update and proofread all your product and landing pages – don’t let one little typo ruin everything! If you think your product descriptions are a little lackluster, or you just don’t know how you could improve them, look at your competitors and see if there is anything there you could learn from how they do it.

Make Sure Your Site Loads Fast

Ever left a website in a fit of rage because it took so long to load? I have. In this age of super-fast internet, we’re used to getting what we want instantly and a slow website does nothing to offer a pleasant shopping experience. To make sure your website is fast, run a few website speed tests and optimize it as needed.

Do Test Orders

You don’t want any issues on the day, so the best way to make sure everything runs smoothly is by putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. Run through a few test orders on your store just to make sure everything is working as it should.

This is especially important if you’re trying a new supplier or adding any new products. The last thing you want is one tiny detail – like the wrong shipping settings – throwing your whole Cyber Monday plan into chaos.

Get Your Apps Sorted

In an ideal world, every visitor to your store would make a purchase, but we know that’s certainly not the reality. Luckily, there are a lot of apps you can install that can help increase your conversion rate.

Take your time to browse through the Shopify app store and find what might work for you – there are a bunch of awesome apps to choose from. A countdown timer app could add a sense of urgency, while a cross-selling or upsell app might increase your average order value. Ultimately the apps that will work for your store will depend on what you sell and the vibe you’re going for. Be sure to do some research and find what works for you.

Check Everything on Mobile

While historically more sales have been made on desktop than mobile on Cyber Monday, the first interaction a visitor will have with your store is often on their phone. To make sure your store in the best possible shape, check what your store looks like on mobile. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:

Easy navigation: Make sure your menu is clear and that any apps you’ve installed don’t overwhelm your screen or make it difficult and annoying to navigate.

Beautiful images: Check what your pictures look like and fix any that are poor quality or look strange. People will want to zoom in up close, so the last thing you want is a pixelated image.

Great text: Be sure that your text looks good on screen. Think about where sentences end and whether you need more or less text in your product descriptions.

Own Your Cyber Monday Marketing

With your store shipshape, it’s time to get your marketing sorted. And take note: This is something to start preparing sooner rather than later, so you don’t have a last-minute rush to get it all done. Here are a few tips for Cyber Monday marketing.

Know Who You Want to Target and on Which Devices

Facebook and Instagram ads are fabulous ways to make sales, but they can be especially expensive over this weekend. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by being prepared and knowing your audience. Dive into your Facebook analytics and explore things such as age, gender, and location breakdowns, then use that information to make specific advertising material.

You should also decide what type of ads you want to use – video, images, or a mixture of both. Whichever you decide, make sure they’re engaging and high-quality. If you can’t think of any great ideas, check your competitors for inspiration.

It’s also worth thinking about which devices your ads will appear on. It may be smarter to advertise more expensive items – or items with a lot of options to choose from – on desktop because shoppers have more to consider before buying. However, if you sell products that are impulse purchases, they could be more suited to mobile advertising.

Craft Your Best Cyber Monday Emails

If you have a large mailing list, you should make use of this. After all, these people already know your store and brand so will take less convincing than new customers.

Decide on an email campaign you think will work best – this might be a one-off email on Cyber Monday revealing your big sale, or it could be a series of emails reminding your subscribers of your store and hinting at an upcoming sale in the weeks prior. Whatever you do, it will ensure your store is kept in mind when Cyber Monday rolls around and complement your

When writing your emails, be sure to think of engaging subject lines – the best Cyber Monday emails are those that stand out from the crowd. When it comes to the body of the email, don’t overthink it. Keep things clear, concise, and conversational and you’ll be onto a winner.

Capture the Buzz Early

Cyber Monday is not only a great one-off day to snag an amazing online deal, but it’s also the beginning of the wider holiday shopping season. People know what Cyber Monday means and there’s a lot of shopping and seasonal excitement in the air in the lead-up. Ideally, you want to try and capture this excitement – and you don’t have to wait until Cyber Monday to do it.

People start hunting for deals well before Cyber Monday, so don’t be afraid to launch email and ad campaigns ahead of the actual day itself. You could try tactics like offering mini-deals in the days leading up to Cyber Monday, before your big sales day on Monday. It’s great for sales and for ensuring customers keep your brand in mind.

Or maybe you could come out swinging and start your Cyber Monday sales before Thanksgiving. People are already prepared to start shopping, so why not get a jump on everyone else and swoop early.

Offer Creative Deals

When thinking about a great Cyber Monday promotion your mind probably jumps to slashing prices with hefty percentage-off deals. But there are other ways you can entice shoppers.

Offering a gift with every purchase could be the added extra that’s enough to draw people in, or in the same vein, a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

Alternatively, people love limited-edition products. Stocking an item with a limited amount available is a great idea – especially if you include a stock counter on the product page to increase the feeling of scarcity.

In fact, with shoppers being so aware of the madness that the shopping season brings, the products you sell don’t even necessarily need to be good. For example, for Black Friday 2014 the game Cards Against Humanity sold 30,000 limited-edition boxes of bull poop – marketed as “Bull**** by Cards against Humanity” – as an anti-Black Friday stunt. $180,000 worth of sales and $6000 in profit, all from the sale of poo.

As it turns out, Cards Against Humanity ended up donating the profits from the stunt to charity, which is a great idea in itself – even without the poop.

People are increasingly looking for businesses to lead the charge with philanthropic and charitable endeavors. Creating a special campaign surrounding a charity or cause could be a great Cyber Monday marketing decision – especially if it complements your products or niche.

Follow Up

Just because someone didn’t purchase on their first visit to your store on Cyber Monday, doesn’t mean you just give up on them. Think of it like a “no man left behind” situation and do your best to recover those sales.

Firstly, you should definitely have retargeting ads ready to go on Facebook. After all, if someone showed interest in your store on Cyber Monday, there’s a great chance they’ll still be interested in what you have to offer a couple of days later. Perhaps you could include a special deal on the retargeting ads that will entice shoppers, even after Cyber Monday.

One of the easiest ways to recover sales is with abandoned cart emails. You probably have these turned on already (or at least, you should), but consider spicing them up for Cyber Monday with an additional deal or offer to motivate them to purchase.

And while we’re talking about email, why not send out a post-Cyber Monday email as well? As mentioned earlier, Cyber Monday is the start of the holiday spending season so people are still very much prepared to spend in the days and weeks following it – try and capitalize on this with a special last chance deal.

Heck, you could even take things a step further and turn Cyber Monday into Cyber Week. Forget one day of deals, turn up the volume and run ads and emails offering unbeatable deals for a seven day period. This could be a great way to attract customers and make your store stick out from the crowd.

Your Cyber Monday Strategy Summed Up

With Cyber Monday rapidly approaching, don’t get panicked – get organized!

Make sure your store is prepared for traffic from all devices and looks the best that it can. Meanwhile, get creative with your campaigns and make your advertisements stand out from the crowd.

And remember, while Cyber Monday could be a massive day for your store, it’s also the start of the holiday spending season. So even if your campaigns don’t go to plan, you still have a whole month of big spending activity ahead of you.

Want to Learn More?

How You Can Use Holiday Shopping to Generate Sales

15 Creative Black Friday Marketing Ideas for 2019

How to Spy on Your Competitors’ Facebook and Instagram Ads

21 Facebook Ads Experts Share Their Winning Strategies

The post Cyber Monday Marketing: Is Your Store Ready For Ecommerce’s Biggest Day? appeared first on Oberlo.

https://ift.tt/34Henij November 07, 2019 at 07:30AM https://ift.tt/2rgDE4x

[smartwebhostingblog]

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

New Post has been published on http://thefaerytale.com/7-awesome-cyber-monday-2018-deals-for-millennials-and-young-adults/

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

It’s predicted that $23B will be spent online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday is slated to set a record as the biggest online shopping day of the entire year, up almost 18% from 2017.

Here are 7 excellent Cyber Monday deals (some of which are available from Black Friday all the way through the weekend):

1. A MacBook Air for under $350

Need a new laptop? Walmart is selling a refurbished Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch) for $319.99.

Apple itself is also doing a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999, you get a $200 Apple Store Gift Card.

2. Lucky Brand jeans

Wanna get Lucky? Cyber Monday will see 50%-60% off deals, with free shipping on purchases $50 or more. Last year, you could even stack this with another 25% off coupon code for even more savings.

3. A new snowboard

Been thinking of investing in a big-ticket sports item this season? Dick’s Sporting Goods is doing 25% off site-wide for Cyber Monday. Free shipping (or buy online and pick up in store).

4. Cruelty-free makeup and bath products

If you’re into high-quality, ethical makeup and bath products (or shopping for someone who is), this is a very good deal: for Cyber Monday, The Body Shop is expected to offer 50% off its entire line of skincare and body products, with free shipping. This is arguably their best sale of the year.

5. 60-minute massages for $27 or less

Groupon is offering up to 91 percent off everything from physical items to services like massages. In the LA area, for example, you can get a 60-minute massage at Sparadise with aromatherapy and reflexology for $49 (down from $115); or a couples massage with foot reflexology for $49 (down from $100).

6. A $3,100 vacation for $499

If you’ve ever wanted to do a classy, resort-style winter getaway, this is the time to go: Bluegreen Vacations is running a Cyber Monday deal that’s 80 percent off. They’re offering customizable, 7-night resort packages for $499. Pick from 20 properties around the country, including places like the beautiful Wilderness Club in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (picture snowshoeing followed by a mug of cocoa by the fire).

7. Swarovski earrings for $7

Need a great gift for a lovely lady? These stud earrings with Swarovski elements retail for $79, but you can get them for $6.99 right now.

8. BONUS TIP: Wait until Tuesday to buy airfare

Air travel company Hopper has analyzed flight pricing data over time and says the best airfare sales are on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (not Cyber Monday).

According to the company’s chief data scientist Patrick Surry, “Last year, we sent more deal notifications on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2016, we saw fare sale activity spike by 2X the normal volume.”

A few of their predictions for this Tuesday’s flight deals:

Honolulu: 27% off

New York: 26% off

Rio de Janeiro: 32% off (it’s worth remembering that it’s summer in Rio right now)

Aruba: 32% off

London: 40% off

Happy hunting.

[lazilysillyprince]

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

New Post has been published on http://thefaerytale.com/7-awesome-cyber-monday-2018-deals-for-millennials-and-young-adults/

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

It’s predicted that $23B will be spent online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday is slated to set a record as the biggest online shopping day of the entire year, up almost 18% from 2017.

Here are 7 excellent Cyber Monday deals (some of which are available from Black Friday all the way through the weekend):

1. A MacBook Air for under $350

Need a new laptop? Walmart is selling a refurbished Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch) for $319.99.

Apple itself is also doing a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999, you get a $200 Apple Store Gift Card.

2. Lucky Brand jeans

Wanna get Lucky? Cyber Monday will see 50%-60% off deals, with free shipping on purchases $50 or more. Last year, you could even stack this with another 25% off coupon code for even more savings.

3. A new snowboard

Been thinking of investing in a big-ticket sports item this season? Dick’s Sporting Goods is doing 25% off site-wide for Cyber Monday. Free shipping (or buy online and pick up in store).

4. Cruelty-free makeup and bath products

If you’re into high-quality, ethical makeup and bath products (or shopping for someone who is), this is a very good deal: for Cyber Monday, The Body Shop is expected to offer 50% off its entire line of skincare and body products, with free shipping. This is arguably their best sale of the year.

5. 60-minute massages for $27 or less

Groupon is offering up to 91 percent off everything from physical items to services like massages. In the LA area, for example, you can get a 60-minute massage at Sparadise with aromatherapy and reflexology for $49 (down from $115); or a couples massage with foot reflexology for $49 (down from $100).

6. A $3,100 vacation for $499

If you’ve ever wanted to do a classy, resort-style winter getaway, this is the time to go: Bluegreen Vacations is running a Cyber Monday deal that’s 80 percent off. They’re offering customizable, 7-night resort packages for $499. Pick from 20 properties around the country, including places like the beautiful Wilderness Club in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (picture snowshoeing followed by a mug of cocoa by the fire).

7. Swarovski earrings for $7

Need a great gift for a lovely lady? These stud earrings with Swarovski elements retail for $79, but you can get them for $6.99 right now.

8. BONUS TIP: Wait until Tuesday to buy airfare

Air travel company Hopper has analyzed flight pricing data over time and says the best airfare sales are on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (not Cyber Monday).

According to the company’s chief data scientist Patrick Surry, “Last year, we sent more deal notifications on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2016, we saw fare sale activity spike by 2X the normal volume.”

A few of their predictions for this Tuesday’s flight deals:

Honolulu: 27% off

New York: 26% off

Rio de Janeiro: 32% off (it’s worth remembering that it’s summer in Rio right now)

Aruba: 32% off

London: 40% off

Happy hunting.

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 052321

23 May, 2021

Dear Dad--

Sunday greetings! Yesterday was a big event; we had company for the first time since Thanksgiving. Same company, as it happens, plant scientist guy and husband of plant scientist guy, also known as Bryan and Andrew. By this past Friday, the last of us to get vaccinated--Zach--was two weeks past the date of his second vaccination. Since it’s now deemed safe for vaccinated people to mingle without masks or social distancing, we’re going to attempt to have a life outside the trailer again. So we celebrated this by inviting people into the trailer for an afternoon!

I’m not sure how it happened, but a plan developed for them to come by at 2:00 and make us all caprese salad. Then I would make corn dogs, and then we’d have rice pudding Zach made for dessert. We were going to have caprese salad because Bryan recently learned how to make it. Imagine a plate with six tomato slices on it, spread out, and each one has a slice of mozzarella cheese on it, with a basil leaf on top. Then you drizzle all six of those shits with olive oil and a bit of balsamic, and salt and pepper. That’s a caprese salad. I was making corn dogs because I made a joke about contributing corn dogs, but everyone likes corn dogs so much, it became part of the official plan. And we were all going to try the rice pudding because Zach wanted to contribute something without having to cook, and this was something he’d made (in accidental abundance) just the day before. Pretentious Italian salad, bourgeois hot dog snack, and, out of nowhere, rice pudding.

The visit was quite a success. The caprese salad was good, because any dish that allows you to stuff cheese into your mouth is good. And the rotten commie bastards at the grocery store didn’t have any corn dogs (I even asked, and they didn’t have any in the back, either.) so I got Johnsonville sausages (like big fat sausagey hot dogs) and buns. We watched some funny stuff and some high-def nature documentary stuff on the TV. I’d promised to tell them all the secret stuff about working in a casino that I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but when the moment came, I couldn’t think of anything. I haven’t learned any interesting secrets yet! I’ve just learned how to complete the daily food and beverage audit, and a couple others. If I started describing, in detail, how I do it, you’d quickly fall asleep.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day at work! The whole time I’ve been working there, the casino has been operating on its post-apocalypse business model. Two thirds of all the slot machines are simply turned off, so different patrons won’t sit too close to each other at the slot machines. Been like that for months. Tomorrow, however, they’re going to turn on all the slot machines for the first time since before the apocalypse began. I expect it will be weird. It’s like I’ve been on a cruise ship, but it was only at 33% capacity, only going 33% as fast as it could, with the lights only at 33% brightness. Now everything’s going back to 100% all at once. It’s going to feel noisy and unusual, I predict! But it’s all good. This is a step back toward normalcy.

The job is currently an odd mixture of comfortable familiarity and daily exposure to terrifyingly confusing new shit. To sum up, there are seven audits I will eventually learn. I’m starting to think of them as the seven pillars of bureaucracy. So far I’ve learned three. The potential iceberg that could sink this ship is this: when I’m doing audits, I’m interacting with some very important, complex, inter-connected spreadsheets, and there’s a very real potential that I could break something. Tyler has explained to me that some things I’m going to be doing involve the potential for me fucking up large and important things. I asked him, “We’re going to be real careful about training me to NOT do that, right?”

I have learned, to my dismay, that it’s ridiculously easy to fuck up a spreadsheet! Here’s an example. You make a spreadsheet, there’s columns, and headings, and numbers, and data, and let’s say there’s one box in the spreadsheet where you tell the spreadsheet to put the total of a bunch of numbers in the column above. You literally put a little equation into that cell of the spreadsheet, so that after you enter the numbers in the column, the spreadsheet calculates the total and puts it in that box automatically.

Now let’s say you’re doing your job, and instead of letting the spreadsheet put the total in that box, like it’s supposed to, you decide to be Mr. Initiative and just type in the total yourself. You enter the total into that box where you told the spreadsheet to calculate it. Well, congratulations, you’ve just broken your spreadsheet! Now, the next time someone puts the numbers into that particular column, the spreadsheet won’t put the total in the appropriate box, because the equation has been removed, by you, when you put the total in by hand yesterday. Now it just has that number you entered in that box, FOREVER. Someone has to figure this out, go back to the appropriate point, and replace the deleted equation so the spreadsheet works properly again. And the boss looks at you with a frown, and says frowny things about being careful where you put data on the spreadsheet. And I’m sitting there thinking, “I didn’t know this kind of fuckup even existed till five minutes ago.”

It’s just now full-blown spring here in Maine. And, to Zach’s great distress, it’s getting warm. We’re expecting our first day of highs in the mid 80s to come this Wednesday. That might not seem like much, but without air conditioning, that’s going to make it close to 90 degrees inside. I am therefore going to have to reinstall the window unit air conditioner that I bought last year. (Yes, I uninstalled it when the weather turned cold, so I could have the use of that window for the next 8 or 9 months.) It’s a strange kind of window unit, and I probably described it last year when I got it. It’s like a white suitcase standing on end, with a Black & Decker label, and there’s a dryer hose-type thing that pushes hot air out of a hole in the window, instead of the whole unit sitting in the window. So you don’t have a big, unsightly AC unit in your window, but you have a sleek white suitcase thing on your living room floor instead. It’s not ideal, but the suitcase then pumps out enough cool air to prevent you from sweating to death, and we’re in favor of that.

To add a degree of difficulty, I’ve resolved to install it in the living room window this time, instead of the smaller, easier dining room window. I don’t know how to install it into a window that big, so I may have to get creative (i.e. duct tape). This will solve one crucial problem, however: putting the AC unit in the dining area was kind of stupid, because no one spends time there. That was just the easiest window to install it in. It needs to be in the living room, where the people actually go. I’m curious to see what I’ll come up with, and how it’s going to look after I’m done.

The coming work week should also be interesting because we think corporate is going to allow us to take our masks off while we work, assuming we’re fully vaccinated, which I am. Having to work with a surgical mask when you also wear glasses is such a monumental pain in the balls, so lifting the mask mandate at work is going to be a very sweet occasion. Plus, there’s about two dozen casino workers who are going to see my face for the first time, and I predict at least a couple of them will spontaneously disrobe, because they like my beard, and my purty mouth, and my jawline (which I have one of, now that I’ve lost weight). Should be interesting!

More next week. All my love to you both!

[hostingnewsfeed]

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

New Post has been published on http://thefaerytale.com/7-awesome-cyber-monday-2018-deals-for-millennials-and-young-adults/

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

It’s predicted that $23B will be spent online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday is slated to set a record as the biggest online shopping day of the entire year, up almost 18% from 2017.

Here are 7 excellent Cyber Monday deals (some of which are available from Black Friday all the way through the weekend):

1. A MacBook Air for under $350

Need a new laptop? Walmart is selling a refurbished Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch) for $319.99.

Apple itself is also doing a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999, you get a $200 Apple Store Gift Card.

2. Lucky Brand jeans

Wanna get Lucky? Cyber Monday will see 50%-60% off deals, with free shipping on purchases $50 or more. Last year, you could even stack this with another 25% off coupon code for even more savings.

3. A new snowboard

Been thinking of investing in a big-ticket sports item this season? Dick’s Sporting Goods is doing 25% off site-wide for Cyber Monday. Free shipping (or buy online and pick up in store).

4. Cruelty-free makeup and bath products

If you’re into high-quality, ethical makeup and bath products (or shopping for someone who is), this is a very good deal: for Cyber Monday, The Body Shop is expected to offer 50% off its entire line of skincare and body products, with free shipping. This is arguably their best sale of the year.

5. 60-minute massages for $27 or less

Groupon is offering up to 91 percent off everything from physical items to services like massages. In the LA area, for example, you can get a 60-minute massage at Sparadise with aromatherapy and reflexology for $49 (down from $115); or a couples massage with foot reflexology for $49 (down from $100).

6. A $3,100 vacation for $499

If you’ve ever wanted to do a classy, resort-style winter getaway, this is the time to go: Bluegreen Vacations is running a Cyber Monday deal that’s 80 percent off. They’re offering customizable, 7-night resort packages for $499. Pick from 20 properties around the country, including places like the beautiful Wilderness Club in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (picture snowshoeing followed by a mug of cocoa by the fire).

7. Swarovski earrings for $7

Need a great gift for a lovely lady? These stud earrings with Swarovski elements retail for $79, but you can get them for $6.99 right now.

8. BONUS TIP: Wait until Tuesday to buy airfare

Air travel company Hopper has analyzed flight pricing data over time and says the best airfare sales are on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (not Cyber Monday).

According to the company’s chief data scientist Patrick Surry, “Last year, we sent more deal notifications on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2016, we saw fare sale activity spike by 2X the normal volume.”

A few of their predictions for this Tuesday’s flight deals:

Honolulu: 27% off

New York: 26% off

Rio de Janeiro: 32% off (it’s worth remembering that it’s summer in Rio right now)

Aruba: 32% off

London: 40% off

Happy hunting.

[awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat]

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

New Post has been published on http://thefaerytale.com/7-awesome-cyber-monday-2018-deals-for-millennials-and-young-adults/

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

It’s predicted that $23B will be spent online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday is slated to set a record as the biggest online shopping day of the entire year, up almost 18% from 2017.

Here are 7 excellent Cyber Monday deals (some of which are available from Black Friday all the way through the weekend):

1. A MacBook Air for under $350

Need a new laptop? Walmart is selling a refurbished Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch) for $319.99.

Apple itself is also doing a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999, you get a $200 Apple Store Gift Card.

2. Lucky Brand jeans

Wanna get Lucky? Cyber Monday will see 50%-60% off deals, with free shipping on purchases $50 or more. Last year, you could even stack this with another 25% off coupon code for even more savings.

3. A new snowboard

Been thinking of investing in a big-ticket sports item this season? Dick’s Sporting Goods is doing 25% off site-wide for Cyber Monday. Free shipping (or buy online and pick up in store).

4. Cruelty-free makeup and bath products

If you’re into high-quality, ethical makeup and bath products (or shopping for someone who is), this is a very good deal: for Cyber Monday, The Body Shop is expected to offer 50% off its entire line of skincare and body products, with free shipping. This is arguably their best sale of the year.

5. 60-minute massages for $27 or less

Groupon is offering up to 91 percent off everything from physical items to services like massages. In the LA area, for example, you can get a 60-minute massage at Sparadise with aromatherapy and reflexology for $49 (down from $115); or a couples massage with foot reflexology for $49 (down from $100).

6. A $3,100 vacation for $499

If you’ve ever wanted to do a classy, resort-style winter getaway, this is the time to go: Bluegreen Vacations is running a Cyber Monday deal that’s 80 percent off. They’re offering customizable, 7-night resort packages for $499. Pick from 20 properties around the country, including places like the beautiful Wilderness Club in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (picture snowshoeing followed by a mug of cocoa by the fire).

7. Swarovski earrings for $7

Need a great gift for a lovely lady? These stud earrings with Swarovski elements retail for $79, but you can get them for $6.99 right now.

8. BONUS TIP: Wait until Tuesday to buy airfare

Air travel company Hopper has analyzed flight pricing data over time and says the best airfare sales are on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (not Cyber Monday).

According to the company’s chief data scientist Patrick Surry, “Last year, we sent more deal notifications on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2016, we saw fare sale activity spike by 2X the normal volume.”

A few of their predictions for this Tuesday’s flight deals:

Honolulu: 27% off

New York: 26% off

Rio de Janeiro: 32% off (it’s worth remembering that it’s summer in Rio right now)

Aruba: 32% off

London: 40% off

Happy hunting.

[the3mmadil3mma]

January 23rd, 2017

This story begins on August 4, 1998. That was the day I was born. I was born into a loving family, the only child of my parents and the only grandchild of my grandparents. I spent my days at the center of attention. I am told that I was a very curious and social baby.

Three years later, my brother came along. We didn’t always get along, but we always loved each other.

Growing up, I was always a very happy kid. Whenever I could, I was playing with my friends or doing some sort of art project. I loved school. Yes, I was that kid that woke up ready to learn every day (I’m a nerd I know). At recess, my friends and I would play with fairies and try and escape the woodchip lava. We didn’t have a care in the world. Everyday was a new adventure that we couldn’t wait to go on.

Then cam middle school. Unlike most people, I actually really liked middle school. I didn’t care about what other people thought of me. I had the worst sense of fashion, only talked about Star Trek, and was afraid of breaking the rules, but I was still a happy kid.

I started high school with dreams of success. I wanted to get straight A’s, be valedictorian, and have a high school experience like you see in the movies. By October I had a boyfriend, great grades, and was having a blast. But this is where things started to change. I began to question my sexuality, which led to a lot of sleepless nights. By January, I had broken up with my boyfriend and had come out as a lesbian to a few close friends. February of 2013 was a hard month. I was just starting to have difficulty in my classes and I was still trying to accept the fact that I was gay. Then, one of my best friend’s dads passed away suddenly. He was my soccer coach and I had known him my entire life. He was like an uncle to me. The next few months were a rollercoaster of emotions. I started a relationship with my first girlfriend, had volleyball tournaments almost every weekend, and was very involved in band. I finished freshman year with straight A’s and plans for a great summer. I spent time with friends, went on some fun trips, and celebrated my 15th birthday. I had some of my best times that summer. 

By the time sophomore year started, I was feeling pretty good. But then, school started getting super stressful, I was busy with band and volleyball, and my girlfriend and I broke up. I didn’t know how to cope. Sophomore year was the first time I ever really had to study or work hard in school. The stress got to me. I started self-harming. I don’t really remember why I started, but once I did I couldn’t/didn’t want to stop. Some days I did it because I was sad, others because it was a pain I could control, but most days it was to feel something other than numb. My mother noticed around January of 2014 that I was feeling “down” so she sent me to my first therapist. I denied having a problem, she never even knew about my self-harm. I went in there every week and talked about nothing just so my mom would stop asking me about my feelings. I continued this pattern for a while until I had convinced my mom I was “okay”. At some point before summer I stopped self-harming because it’s really hard to hide when you’re wearing shorts. 

The summer after sophomore year was a weird summer. I felt okay most days. My depression had gotten much better. But, then I had summer PE. I had never been in love with my body, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2015 that I really started noticing. I began to get really anxious anytime I wore anything other than a t-shirt. I was unhappy with how I looked. So, I began to eat healthier. For three weeks during that summer, I was exercising nearly 8hrs a day between volleyball and PE. I don’t remember if I lost weight, but I do remember consciously thinking about what I was putting in my body and exercise for the first time. At the end of the summer every year I go to a summer camp. One thing we always have at camp is a ton of candy. I had told myself before the week started that this was going to be the last week I was going to have candy until Halloween. I had convinced myself that I was being extra healthy and that I didn’t need candy. It seems like a small thing, but this its where I began to spiral out of control.

Soon junior year started. I was still trying to eat healthy. It was harder than I thought. Going out with friends and getting junk food was just so much fun, especially after football games on Friday nights. I soon began to throw/give away parts my lunch. It started with cookies, then chips, and the my fruit. I soon stopped packing these items all together. Most days I would come to school with only a peanut butter sandwich, which I would throw in the trash as soon as I got there. Next I cut out breakfast. I would start every morning with unsweetened black tea, to give me energy. By late September I was only eating dinner every day. Soon, none of my clothes fit, I was cold all the time, and I spent every waking minute thinking about food. I would dread going out with friends. I was always anxious. I knew what I was doing. I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I couldn’t stop. I felt like I had no control over my life and so I found that control in what I put in my mouth. I lost 15lbs (10% of my body weight) in three months. This was my new form of self-harm. Sure, I hadn’t cut in 6 months, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t harming my body in other ways. And it didn’t do anything to help my depression. If anything, it made it worse. I hated everything about myself, and it showed. I was miserable. I couldn’t focus in class and I withdrew from my social life.

The holidays were the worst. Thanksgiving was a mix of anxiety and dread. I remember going on a run to “make up” for everything I was going to eat at dinner. The run was a blur and I almost passed out twice because I was pushing myself so hard. Since volleyball season was over, I had introduced over exercising into my routine. Thanksgiving night was awful. I spent a long time in the bathroom convincing myself not to throw up everything I had eaten. I was miserable and doing everything possible to hide it from my family.

Then it was finals week. I was so stressed I binged. Almost everyday I would eat so much food that my stomach felt like it was going to explode. But I managed to still get straight A’s, despite not being able to regulate my thoughts or my body temperature. Christmas was spent feeling guilty and depressed. I hated every minute of it. Then, I went to Hawaii with my family. I had to spend every meal with my family, so there was no way I could restrict. I remember constantly counting every calorie that I put in my body. I had given myself a 700 calorie a day limit. Of course I went over everyday, and that made me feel worse. While on vacation I started self-harming again. It was hard to hide because I was at the beach most days, but I managed to make it through without my mom figuring out. That was one of the worst vacations I have ever taken.

January of 2015 was a weird month. In the beginning of the month, I was determined to lose all the weight I had gained over the holidays. While dealing with that I became involved with a girl in my class. We spent almost the whole month texting and we almost stated dating. But, I realized that I was in no mindset to be in a relationship. She had her own mental health issues and in order for me to be there for her, I needed to be there for myself. So, I decided I was going to recover. On January 23rd, 2015 I broke off our friendship and began my journey in recovery. I wanted to recover for me, but I started it all for her. If I hadn’t met her, I don’t know where I’d be today. She gave me the push I needed and I will be forever grateful for that. This is the last photo I have of me before I started recovering. I look at it now and see a sick, weak, and deeply unhappy person. I never want to be her again.

I spent the first 6 weeks or so recovering by myself, without professional help. I followed a bunch of recovery accounts on Instagram, went grocery shopping for “safe” foods, and started eating more regularly. Soon, my mother noticed and confronted me about it. She asked if I wanted to see a therapist and I said yes. Starting therapy was hard for me. I’ve never been good at sharing my feelings. But just going somewhere to talk about life for an hour once a week helped. I didn’t share everything, she never even knew about my self-harm, but it definitely helped to talk thing out. I’m still in therapy today, two years later. 

Recovering from my eating disorder is one of the hardest things I have very done. I still battle with that voice inside my head everyday, telling me to restrict. Some days I’m good at blocking it out, but other days, like today for instance, I give in. I’m not done yet. I still have a long way to go, but I’m way better off than I was. My brain is still filled with the voices of depression, anxiety, and anorexia. I may have to hear them, but I don’t have to listen. Recovery is hard, but it’s not impossible. I have learned to take things one-step at a time. I have learned that not all days are going to be good days. I have learned that relapse is inevitable and a part of the process. I have learned to practice self-care/self love. 

I’m not always happy and I’m not always all right, but that’s okay. I will be on this journey my entire life, but it’s getting easier every day.

Today marks exactly two years of being in recovery. I hope by sharing my story it will show someone that they can recover too. 

To anyone that may need it:

You can recover. 

You will find happiness. 

You will learn to love yourself. 

It will be okay.

[andylocksmithtipsntricks]

Your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping Guide to Smart Home Tech

Last Updated: A day ago

Looking for last minute gift ideas? Check out our Smart Home Gift Guide for gifts under $100. There are also few more holiday deals valid until the end of the year. Check 'em out.

Popular retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Kohl’s , Lowe’s and Home Depot have some of the best deals of the year during the holidays. 

To make your Black Friday and Cyber Monday about shopping (instead of researching), we’ve rounded up the best deals on some of our favorite smart home and home security devices, as well as other popular electronics. Take a look at our recommendations to finalize your holiday shopping list and make the most of all of the holiday deals this year.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping Sales

Best Home Security Deals

Best Smart Home Deals

Best Amazon Deals

Best Google Deals

Best Apple Deals

Related Pages

Gift Guides

How-to Guides

Best Holiday Home Security Deals

Security Systems

Whether you want a system you can monitor yourself or a system that will connected to a call center and respond if your alarm is triggered, here are the best black friday deals on home security systems with no contracts, that you can install yourself.

Save 40% + Free camera

SimpliSafe Security System

Regular Prices from $229-$489

No contracts

Easy installation

Visit SimpliSafe

Save up to $100

Ring Alarm Security Kit

Regular price $259

10-piece kit

Ideal for 1-2 bedrooms

Visit Ring

Save up to 50% off

Abode Smart Security Kit

Regular Pirce $229

Compatible with Apple Home Kit

Compact; custom automations

Visit Abode

Save 20% + Free Sensors

Frontpoint Home Security

Start with $0 down and month-to-month monitoring

Easy diy installation

30-day money-back guarantee

Visit Frontpoint

Save 50% + Free Camera

Cove Home Security

Monitoring plans start as $14.99/mo.

60-day money-back guarantee

Instant text messaging alerts

Visit Cove

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer

Security Cameras

Wired or wireless, indoor or outdoor, Canary or Ring, here are all the best deals for home security cameras. Whether you want to check on your pet, keep an eye on your kids, make sure your property is safe from intruders, or something else, these are some of our favorite cameras with the best black friday deals.

Save $69

Canary Flex Indoor/Outdoor Camera

Regular Price: $199.00

Wire-free or Plug In

Weatherproof & Alexa-enabled

View on Amazon

Save $190

Arlo Pro Wireless Security System with Siren

Regular Price $479.99

Indoor/outdoor 1080p cameras

View on Amazon

Save $20

Blink XT2 Outdoor/Indoor Security Camera

Regular price $89.99

Add-on camera for existing Blink customers

2-way audio, & free cloud storage

View on Amazon

Save $5

Yi 1080p Indoor Security Camera

Regular Price $30.99

24/7 full HD recording

Yi home app and cloud storage

View on Amazon

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Smart Locks

Here are some of the best deals for smart locks from the brands we recommend.

Save $28.30

Schlage Smart Deadbolt

Regular price $199

Hands-free voice control

Z-wave Plus enabled

View on Amazon

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Best Smart Home Holiday Sales

Video Doorbells

Video doorbell cameras are a smart holiday purchase—whether you want to put one under the tree as a gift or pop it on the porch to keep an eye on all your Cyber Monday packages.

Find the right smart doorbell for the folks on your nice list, and save money with these delightful holiday deals. Read our new Ring Review to compare all the Ring Video doorbell models and if you need help installing one, read our new How-to Install a Ring Video Doorbell guide.

Save $50

Ring Peephole Camera

Regular price $199

1080p HD video doorbell

Alexa-enabled; replaces peephole

Visit Ring

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Smart Speakers

Smart speakers are an easy foray into the smart home ecosystem and a go-to gift. Whether you want to treat yourself, or family members and friends, a smart speaker delivers convenience and entertainment in a gadget that’ll take up less space than a poinsettia plant. Whether you prefer Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri, we’ve got the deals you need to pop a speaker in every stocking.

Save $25

Echo Dot (3rd generation)

Regular price $49.99

Alexa (3nd gen)

View on Amazon

Save$60

Google Home

Regular price $129

Google assistant

Smart Home hub

View on Walmart

Save $26

Google Smart Light Starter Kit

Regular price $55

Google home mini

Smart light bulb

View on Target

Save $29.99

Alexa Smart Home Starter Kit

Regular price $179.98

Free Smart Lightbulb

View on Amazon

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Smart Watches and Wearable Devices

Whether you’re after a Fitbit or an Apple Watch, now’s the time to buy a gift that’s geared up to help you conquer your New Year’s resolutions.

We’ve rounded up deals on fitness trackers, the best smart watches and GPS trackers for your kiddos, and pet trackers that help you keep tabs on Fido.

Best Amazon Holiday Sales

Amazon wants to rule your Black Friday shopping frenzy—and with deals like these, it could do it. We found deep cuts on everything from the Amazon Echo Dot to Ring doorbells and the Ring Spotlight camera. Check out their Black Friday page for more deals.

Save $33

Amazon Echo Show 5

Regular price $89.99

Compact smart display

Alexa enabled

View on Amazon

Save $30

Echo Show 8

Regular price $129

8" HD screen and stereo sound

Video calling and messaging

View on Amazon

Save $29.99

Alexa Smart Home Starter Kit

Regular price $179.98

Free Smart Lightbulb

View on Amazon

Save $25

Echo Dot (3rd generation)

Regular price $49.99

Alexa (3nd gen)

View on Amazon

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Best Apple Holiday Sales

We used to complain about fruit in our stockings, but with heavy discounts from this tech leader, we hope to find an Apple this year. Whether you’ve got your heart set on an Apple HomePod, new AirPods, or an Apple Watch, these deals will make your gift giving sweeter.

Save $15

Apple Airpods with Charging Case

Regular price $159.99

Siri-enabled

Wireless

View on Amazon

Save $30

Apple iPad 10.2 inch

Regular price $329

Wi-Fi, 32 gb

1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera

View on Amazon

Save $46.51

Apple MacBook Air 13-in

Regular Price $999

8BG Ram, 128GH SSD Storage

Two USB 3 ports

View on Amazon

Best Google Holiday Sales

Google is doing its darndest to get a Google Home or Google Nest Thermostat in every stocking. Check out the incredible deals on offer to help you score these smart home devices and high-tech safety gadgets.

Save $80

Google Home

Regular price $129

Google assistant

Smart Home hub

View on Walmart

Save $70

Google Nest Smart Thermostat

Regular Price $249

Learns to program itself

Control the temp. from smartphone

View on Home Depot

Save $90

Hp Chromebook 14-in Laptop

Regular price $279.99

180-Degree Hinge

Full HD Screen

View on Amazon

Data effective 12/05/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday FAQs

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday takes place every year on the day after Thanksgiving and marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. This year it falls on November 29. But many stores begin sales (both online and in-store) in the days and weeks leading up to the famous shopping day. Some will even be open for in-store deals on Thanksgiving day. 

How does Black Friday work?

Not long ago, shopping on Black Friday involved waiting (and risking injury) amongst crowds of people for retailers’ doors to open before the sun rose. Today, it’s not uncommon for stores to open at midnight on Friday or in the afternoon or evening hours of Thanksgiving. 

If you’d rather not skip Thanksgiving dinner to score a steep discount, there’s no need to give up your turkey. Several pre-Black Friday deals make their debut throughout the month of November—and most of the best discounts and promotions will be offered in stores and online in the week leading up to Black Friday. 

How do you shop on Black Friday?

To maximize your Black Friday shopping experience you need to create a plan and a budget—and stick to it. Make a shopping list and check it twice to avoid splurging on extras that will burst your budget.

Once you have a finalized list, start scouting for sales on the products you want and compare prices among retailers. Checking sites like SafeWise can help you stay in the loop as stores release more information about Black Friday promotions.  

Some retailers require shoppers to come into the store for the best Black Friday deals, but you can also score great deals online. 

What stores have the best deals on Black Friday?

The sheer volume of promotions, discounts, product bundles, and freebies that stores advertise in the lead up to Black Friday can make it difficult to determine which offers are actually worth your time. We carefully evaluate offers on popular products to help you separate the meat from the giblets. 

What is a doorbuster?

A doorbuster is a special deal or discounted price that’s offered for a limited time on a popular item, typically during the first part of a retailer’s Black Friday hours. Many stores advertise doorbuster deals to lure in shoppers who are looking to score an exclusive discount on a higher-priced item such as a television, tablet, or smart home device. 

Many doorbuster items are available in severely limited quantities or made by brands that produce lower-quality items. Before you decide to stand in line for a doorbuster deal, do some preliminary research to make sure the deal is worth it. 

How do I know if I’m getting a good deal?

The best way to know if you’re getting a good deal is to be an educated consumer. That means you know what you want, which brands you prefer, and what the standard retail price is for each item. Armed with that info, you can compare the advertised discounts to find the deal that gives you the most savings. 

Why do they call it Black Friday?

Black Friday hasn’t always referred to killer sales—the term’s origin is far more sinister. 

The first Black Friday had nothing to do with shopping—and it wasn’t related to the holidays. On September 24, 1869, two shady Wall Street investors drove up the price of gold and caused a drastic stock market crash. Commodity prices plunged 50%, leading people to deem the day Black Friday.1

Today, most people think it refers to the profits stores make on this record-breaking consumer holiday. When companies are profitable, they’re “in the black.” This use of the term became popular in the ‘80s, and it’s stuck ever since.

Is Cyber Monday only online?

Technically, yes. Cyber Monday was created as an alternative (or a supplement) to Black Friday. Stores offer online-only deals to help drive website sales. With the huge growth of online shopping, Cyber Monday is giving Black Friday a run for its money. (Or is it our money?) 

Are AirPods on sale for Black Friday?

Yes. Several retailers are already advertising deals on AirPods. You can buy them on amazon.

Related Pages on SafeWise

Holiday Safety

Combat Holiday Hazards with Smart Home Tech

Holiday Travel Safety Tips

How to Keep Your Home Safe and Secure During the Holidays

Package Theft

Security Moves to Prevent Amazon Package Theft

What to Do if You Have a Lost or Stolen Package

Top 10 Metro Areas Where Porch Pirates Strike Most

Smart Home Products

Best Smart Doorbells

Best Smart Home Device by Room

Best Smart Home Hubs

Best Smart Thermostats

Best Smartwatches for Kids

Amazon Products

Best Smart Home Tech Gifts Under $100

Ultimate Guide to Alexa and the Amazon Echo Family

Ring Spotlight Camera Review

Ring Video Doorbells Breakdown

How to Install a Ring Video Doorbell

Google Products

How Nest Can Turn Your Home Into a Smart Home

Nest Secure Alarm System Review

Nest Protect Smoke Alarm Review

Apple Products

The Apple Smartwatch is One of the Best Safety Wearables for Seniors

Gift Guides

Best Smart Home Tech Gifts Under $100

20 Security Products Under $20

Best Cheap Security Cameras Under $50

Best GPS Kids Trackers

Best GPS Pet Trackers

Best GPS Vehicle Trackers

Best Outdoor Cameras

Best Pet Cameras

Best Phones for Kids

Best Smart Watches for Kids

Best Video Doorbells

Smart Baby Gifts for New Parents

How-To Guides

Home Automation Guide for Beginners

How to Automate Your Home with Amazon Alexa

How to Build a Smart Baby Nursery

How to Build a Smart Kitchen

How to Install a Ring Video Doorbell

How to Keep Your Teens Safe Online

How to Keep Your Smart Home Safe from Hacking

How to Secure Your Front Door

How to Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi

How to Outsmart a Burglar and Keep Your Home Safe

Sources

History.com, “What’s the Real History of Black Friday?”

Amazon.com list price as of 12/05/2019 16:02 MST. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

The post Your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping Guide to Smart Home Tech appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: Your Black Friday & Cyber Monday Shopping Guide to Smart Home Tech

[preciousmetals0]

Panic Shopping; Tesla Goes Big in China

Panic Shopping; Tesla Goes Big in China:

Friday Four Play: The “Panic Shopping” Edition

(Did a friend forward you this email? If so, you owe them big-time! Seriously, this is Great Stuff. We don’t take that title lightly. After you’ve thanked your friend profusely, why not sign up for yourself today? It’s mostly painless. I promise.)

So, you’ve got all your holiday shopping finished, do you?

Bully for you.

However, there are still millions of shoppers out there who have yet to find that perfect gift. There are only four more days until Christmas! What’s a panicky last-minute shopper to do?

Well, if there’s one thing capitalism is good for, it’s giving you a way to spend your hard-earned dollars as conveniently as possible.

Enter “Super Saturday,” the last-minute shopping holiday that should honestly be devoted to St. Expedite, the patron saint of procrastination. (I kid you not, this is a real saint.)

According to the National Retail Federation, some 147.8 million shoppers will descend on retailers this weekend looking for last-minute deals. Such a turnout puts Super Saturday in league with Black Friday in terms of crowd size and potential dollars spent.

Federation president and CEO Matthew Shay is expecting an “impressive turnout by procrastinators” this year due to the shortened time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So, struggling retailers and procrastinating shoppers, this is your last chance of the decade to make it big.

But, Mr. Great Stuff, what if I’m shopping for a discerning investor … one looking for the secret to life-changing wealth?

First, that’s quite a specific request, dear reader … I now know why you waited until the last minute to find a gift.

Second, you know Great Stuff has you covered!

In his new book — you know, those things  made with paper and printed words that you find in libraries? — Banyan Hill expert Paul Mampilly reveals his No. 1 investment secret to life-changing wealth.

What a coincidence, right? It’s like I read your mind!

By using this secret, Paul has banked impressive triple-digit gains, skirted the 2000 stock market crash and banked a 76% return during the Great Recession of 2008.

Give us the name of the book already!

I’ll do you one better. I’ll give you the name and the book … free! (All you have to do is pay for shipping.)

Click here to find out how to get your copy of Paul Mampilly’s new book, Profits Unlimited … free!

And now for something completely different, here’s your Friday Four Play:

No. 1: Big in China

We all know about the economic slowdown plaguing China right now. Manufacturing is down. Orders are down. Auto sales are down.

But Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) is having none of that. November registrations for new vehicles in China soared 14-fold year over year, with 5,597 of those registrations going to Tesla cars.

This is big news for the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker — it just dropped billions on a new Gigafactory in Shanghai. It was a bold move, especially considering that EV sales are in a five-month slump in China. China also makes up half the world’s EV purchases and is Tesla’s second-largest market outside of the U.S.

For Tesla bulls, the news couldn’t be better. The stock is up more than 25% so far this month and has more than doubled off its May 28 low.

For Tesla bears … I’ve got nothing. Good luck with those short positions.

No. 2: Billion-Dollar Jordans

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) got game.

The athletic apparel maker reported blowout quarterly earnings last night, riding the coattails of NBA G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. Earnings beat expectations by $0.12 per share on revenue of $10.33 billion, which topped the consensus target of $10.09 in sales.

Nike said its Jordan brand topped $1 billion in revenue on the quarter for the first time ever. It’s gotta be the shoes, money!

Still, Nike shares are trading about 1.5% lower today due to weakness stateside. North American sales rose 5.3% to $3.98 billion, missing expectations for $4 billion. Gross margins also rose less than expected on the quarter.

But there’s good news for Nike bulls. The company blamed tariffs for higher prices, which impacted U.S. sales. Now that those tariffs are rolling back, there’s nothing stopping Nike bulls from driving the lane.

Buying today’s pullback looks like an easy layup for anyone looking to add NKE to their portfolio.

No. 3: U.S. Steel’s Pocketful of Kryptonite

It seems no amount of import protections and tariffs could save U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) from melting down.

The company of steel warned of a fourth-quarter loss, slashed its dividend and announced it was laying off more than 1,500 workers at its Great Lakes Works plant near Detroit. U.S. Steel expects to post a loss of $1.15 per share and will cut its dividend to just a penny from $0.05 per share previously.

As for U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Works 1,500 employees, at least it’s not a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club. The layoffs start with the iron and steel makers and begin in April before rolling out facilitywide by the end of 2020.

That said, analysts are viewing this debacle as a positive. Analysts at Jefferies said: “We see the shuttering of U.S. flat-rolled steelmaking capacity as a broader incremental positive for the domestic industry into 2020 and beyond given the numerous expansions planned by peers.”

So, U.S. Steel losing while its competitors expand is a good thing?

Well, not for U.S. Steel or its investors, it seems. I’m wondering if any of those soon-to-be-laid-off employees have a Cousin Eddie.

No. 4: Beyond Beyond Meat

So, you think Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND) is the only meatless game in town? Think again, son.

Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG) has ramped up the pressure on meat-alternative products, leading the company to its first revenue beat in two and a half years.

Let’s lay down some numbers. Earnings topped by $0.06 per share. Sales rose 18.3% to $2.82 billion, besting the consensus by $20 million. CEO Sean Connolly (not Connery … yeah, I was disappointed too) cited “on-trend innovation” for much of Conagra’s growth. That’s fancy industry code for “plant-based meat alternatives.”

This is the competition that many analysts were worried about for Beyond Meat. Conagra has deep pockets and decades of market experience. The question is: Can the company continue to win over health-obsessed and environmentally conscious millennials and Gen Z consumers?

That appears to be the main fear of many investors. CAG shares were up more than 14% in premarket trading, but were last seen higher by only about 2%.

Great Stuff: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Still looking for last-minute gift ideas?

Say no more, fam. In addition to Paul Mampilly’s new book, Profits Unlimited, why not give the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving … even when you really wish it would stop?

I’m talking about a free subscription to Great Stuff!

You don’t even have to pay for shipping! We just show up in your inbox, take your favorite spot on the couch and put our feet up.

Say, do you have any snacks? Beer? Bourbon?

Anyway … Great Stuff keeps you informed on the hottest trends on Wall Street, provides you with key information to make you filthy rich (your results may vary) and sparks the best in dinner-table conversation.

No, Aunt Karen, I don’t want to buy any of your healing crystals … say, have you heard about Tesla? And can you pass the gravy?

It’s the perfect gift for that extra-special someone in your life … someone so special, in fact, that you waited until just now to think about what to get them for the holidays.

Show that person just how much you care. Sign them up for Great Stuff today!

Finally, don’t forget to like and follow Great Stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

[goldira01]

Friday Four Play: The “Panic Shopping” Edition

(Did a friend forward you this email? If so, you owe them big-time! Seriously, this is Great Stuff. We don’t take that title lightly. After you’ve thanked your friend profusely, why not sign up for yourself today? It’s mostly painless. I promise.)

So, you’ve got all your holiday shopping finished, do you?

Bully for you.

However, there are still millions of shoppers out there who have yet to find that perfect gift. There are only four more days until Christmas! What’s a panicky last-minute shopper to do?

Well, if there’s one thing capitalism is good for, it’s giving you a way to spend your hard-earned dollars as conveniently as possible.

Enter “Super Saturday,” the last-minute shopping holiday that should honestly be devoted to St. Expedite, the patron saint of procrastination. (I kid you not, this is a real saint.)

According to the National Retail Federation, some 147.8 million shoppers will descend on retailers this weekend looking for last-minute deals. Such a turnout puts Super Saturday in league with Black Friday in terms of crowd size and potential dollars spent.

Federation president and CEO Matthew Shay is expecting an “impressive turnout by procrastinators” this year due to the shortened time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So, struggling retailers and procrastinating shoppers, this is your last chance of the decade to make it big.

But, Mr. Great Stuff, what if I’m shopping for a discerning investor … one looking for the secret to life-changing wealth?

First, that’s quite a specific request, dear reader … I now know why you waited until the last minute to find a gift.

Second, you know Great Stuff has you covered!

In his new book — you know, those things  made with paper and printed words that you find in libraries? — Banyan Hill expert Paul Mampilly reveals his No. 1 investment secret to life-changing wealth.

What a coincidence, right? It’s like I read your mind!

By using this secret, Paul has banked impressive triple-digit gains, skirted the 2000 stock market crash and banked a 76% return during the Great Recession of 2008.

Give us the name of the book already!

I’ll do you one better. I’ll give you the name and the book … free! (All you have to do is pay for shipping.)

Click here to find out how to get your copy of Paul Mampilly’s new book, Profits Unlimited … free!

And now for something completely different, here’s your Friday Four Play:

No. 1: Big in China

We all know about the economic slowdown plaguing China right now. Manufacturing is down. Orders are down. Auto sales are down.

But Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) is having none of that. November registrations for new vehicles in China soared 14-fold year over year, with 5,597 of those registrations going to Tesla cars.

This is big news for the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker — it just dropped billions on a new Gigafactory in Shanghai. It was a bold move, especially considering that EV sales are in a five-month slump in China. China also makes up half the world’s EV purchases and is Tesla’s second-largest market outside of the U.S.

For Tesla bulls, the news couldn’t be better. The stock is up more than 25% so far this month and has more than doubled off its May 28 low.

For Tesla bears … I’ve got nothing. Good luck with those short positions.

No. 2: Billion-Dollar Jordans

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) got game.

The athletic apparel maker reported blowout quarterly earnings last night, riding the coattails of NBA G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. Earnings beat expectations by $0.12 per share on revenue of $10.33 billion, which topped the consensus target of $10.09 in sales.

Nike said its Jordan brand topped $1 billion in revenue on the quarter for the first time ever. It’s gotta be the shoes, money!

Still, Nike shares are trading about 1.5% lower today due to weakness stateside. North American sales rose 5.3% to $3.98 billion, missing expectations for $4 billion. Gross margins also rose less than expected on the quarter.

But there’s good news for Nike bulls. The company blamed tariffs for higher prices, which impacted U.S. sales. Now that those tariffs are rolling back, there’s nothing stopping Nike bulls from driving the lane.

Buying today’s pullback looks like an easy layup for anyone looking to add NKE to their portfolio.

No. 3: U.S. Steel’s Pocketful of Kryptonite

It seems no amount of import protections and tariffs could save U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) from melting down.

The company of steel warned of a fourth-quarter loss, slashed its dividend and announced it was laying off more than 1,500 workers at its Great Lakes Works plant near Detroit. U.S. Steel expects to post a loss of $1.15 per share and will cut its dividend to just a penny from $0.05 per share previously.

As for U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Works 1,500 employees, at least it’s not a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club. The layoffs start with the iron and steel makers and begin in April before rolling out facilitywide by the end of 2020.

That said, analysts are viewing this debacle as a positive. Analysts at Jefferies said: “We see the shuttering of U.S. flat-rolled steelmaking capacity as a broader incremental positive for the domestic industry into 2020 and beyond given the numerous expansions planned by peers.”

So, U.S. Steel losing while its competitors expand is a good thing?

Well, not for U.S. Steel or its investors, it seems. I’m wondering if any of those soon-to-be-laid-off employees have a Cousin Eddie.

No. 4: Beyond Beyond Meat

So, you think Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND) is the only meatless game in town? Think again, son.

Conagra Brands Inc. (NYSE: CAG) has ramped up the pressure on meat-alternative products, leading the company to its first revenue beat in two and a half years.

Let’s lay down some numbers. Earnings topped by $0.06 per share. Sales rose 18.3% to $2.82 billion, besting the consensus by $20 million. CEO Sean Connolly (not Connery … yeah, I was disappointed too) cited “on-trend innovation” for much of Conagra’s growth. That’s fancy industry code for “plant-based meat alternatives.”

This is the competition that many analysts were worried about for Beyond Meat. Conagra has deep pockets and decades of market experience. The question is: Can the company continue to win over health-obsessed and environmentally conscious millennials and Gen Z consumers?

That appears to be the main fear of many investors. CAG shares were up more than 14% in premarket trading, but were last seen higher by only about 2%.

Great Stuff: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Still looking for last-minute gift ideas?

Say no more, fam. In addition to Paul Mampilly’s new book, Profits Unlimited, why not give the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving … even when you really wish it would stop?

I’m talking about a free subscription to Great Stuff!

You don’t even have to pay for shipping! We just show up in your inbox, take your favorite spot on the couch and put our feet up.

Say, do you have any snacks? Beer? Bourbon?

Anyway … Great Stuff keeps you informed on the hottest trends on Wall Street, provides you with key information to make you filthy rich (your results may vary) and sparks the best in dinner-table conversation.

No, Aunt Karen, I don’t want to buy any of your healing crystals … say, have you heard about Tesla? And can you pass the gravy?

It’s the perfect gift for that extra-special someone in your life … someone so special, in fact, that you waited until just now to think about what to get them for the holidays.

Show that person just how much you care. Sign them up for Great Stuff today!

Finally, don’t forget to like and follow Great Stuff on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

[actutrends]

Booker scales back campaign in New Hampshire

” It’s increasingly apparent that prospects that regular N.H. venues, living rooms and bigger, are those that pull ahead in support here,” Democratic previous state Senate President Sylvia Larsen stated in an email. “If you’re a prospect that prevents this close-up examination it will reflect in poll numbers. NH citizens track and support those happy to participate in close conversation with us. Cory is an inspirational orator who, possibly due to lack of uniqueness, has not resonated with our citizens. While Booker’s departure from NH is easy to understand, his NH outcomes will show this early departure.”

Booker hasn’t been to New Hampshire considering that previously Thanksgiving. While he had actually three occasions scheduled for Friday, he missed them because he had the influenza, according to his project.

The senator also recently downsized his New Hampshire operation, which included considerably restructuring local staffing and closing an office in Portsmouth– among the bluest parts of the state. They now have 2 campaign workplaces left, in Manchester and Nashua, the 2 largest cities. By comparison, top-tier projects have more than a lots offices throughout the state.

Spending figures highlight the early state triage: His project has actually revealed plans to invest $500,000 into TV and digital marketing in Iowa, but nothing similar is planned for New Hampshire at the minute. The very PAC connected with Booker, United We Win, has only acquired TELEVISION ads up until now in Iowa, where it recently spent about $200,000 in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

Booker hasn’t written off New Hampshire completely– he just recently secured his field-high 117 th recommendation Tuesday when 14 activists announced their support for him.

And some of the state’s leading elected officials who have endorsed Booker question whether ballot showing him at 1 percent in the first-in-the-nation primary state is precise– echoing a point the prospect makes himself.

However with restricted resources and the clock ticking toward the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, he’s required to depend on regional surrogates to spread his message. In interviews with half a lots state senators and agents who are supporting Booker, the lawmakers insisted the lack of face time in New Hampshire won’t injure his opportunities.

” I think that you’ll see us simply go into overtime,” said state Sen. Jon Morgan. “We’ll be working overtime to magnify that message and make sure that citizens become aware of Cory.”

” We’re not Cory Booker however we’re also not mice on the streets,” said state Rep. Kathy Rogers, who spent Tuesday afternoon in a downtown coffeehouse sitting throughout the table from a campaign staffer calling prospective citizens. “If we head out and we are talking passionately about our candidate, that makes a distinction.”

According to Booker’s campaign, its largest personnel existence is in Iowa, where it has about 50 staffers, followed by New Hampshire.

” We’re investing a substantial amount of our prospect’s time in Iowa and South Carolina, however we’re not by any ways divesting from New Hampshire and Nevada,” a campaign aide said.

Booker’s Iowa and South Carolina orientation was evident from a Sunday meet-and-greet, and Monday ‘man-to-man’ conversation on issues that affect black guys in South Carolina, before he applied for the state’s tally. He launched his strategy to support and safeguard historically black institution of higher learnings– only 4 states have more HBCUs than South Carolina’s 8– the following day.

He started a four-day tour through Iowa last week, which began with a major speech in which he criticized a system that allowed California Sen. Kamala Harris to suspend her project without any votes being cast. The next day, his campaign started airing a 60- second advertisement on African-American radio stations in South Carolina.

Booker’s focus on South Carolina, where black voters make up approximately 60 percent of the Democratic electorate, is proof that he understands where his “political bread” could be buttered, according to Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright.

” I do believe that no matter what happens before South Carolina, the narrative and the story can be reworded if you succeed in South Carolina,” Seawright stated. “My advice to the Booker project is to play a numbers video game, and the numbers certainly might be on his side moving forward with a full-blown effort concentrated on South Carolina and competing for, to this point, 2nd place to Vice President Biden.”

Booker just recently unveiled his strategy to purchase rural America before wrapping up his Iowa swing, the exact same day his project released a digital ad to run in Iowa and South Carolina as part of a six-figure buy.

Jeff Link, a long time Iowa-based Democratic strategist, yielded that it’s probably sensible for Booker to prioritize Iowa over New Hampshire.

” Iowa’s very first, and he will have an extra week prior to Iowa and New Hampshire to barnstorm the state of New Hampshire after we get finished,” Link stated. “So it probably is the best sort of order of top priority.”

Booker has consistently boasted about his 117 New Hampshire endorsements on national tv.

” That does not come without candidate time,” a campaign assistant said. “He has actually spent a great deal of time on the phone to locations like New Hampshire and Nevada when he can’t be there.”

While Booker is piling up the endorsements of regional chosen authorities in New Hampshire, some who made his list are lesser-known figures — at least four are in high school. The campaign stated some, however not all of them, are of voting age.

His New Hampshire supporters state they back the project’s choice to zero in on Iowa, which votes 8 days earlier.

” Definitely he has actually invested more time in Iowa and I think that becomes part of the technique,” said state Sen. David Watters. “They recognize they have to do well enough in Iowa to be practical a week later in New Hampshire.”

” What I would state to him is we will be prepared to catch the wave when you are available in here out of Iowa,” he stated.

Booker stopped working to certify for next week’s PBS NewsHour/POLITICO debate.

In an interview on CBS News’ live streaming platform CBSN on Tuesday, Booker argued that debates shouldn’t center around “imprecise ballot.” He said his project leads the field in endorsements from local leaders in Iowa and New Hampshire, has among the best organizing teams in Iowa and insisted he is seeing momentum on the ground in the first-in-the-nation caucus state with “record” and “overruning” crowds during his last swing.

Booker also dismissed his low polling across the early states. He sits at 2 percent nationally and in South Carolina, between 1 and 3 percent in Iowa and 1 percent in New Hampshire, according to current polling.

Rogers, the New Hampshire state legislator, cautioned not to count Booker out: “Don’t judge New Hampshire early. We’re an ornery state. We like to shock individuals.”

The post Booker scales back campaign in New Hampshire appeared first on Actu Trends.

[smartwebhostingblog]

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

New Post has been published on http://philippinesoutsourcingjobs.com/7-awesome-cyber-monday-2018-deals-for-millennials-and-young-adults/

7 Awesome Cyber Monday 2018 Deals for Millennials and Young Adults

It’s predicted that $23B will be spent online between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. In fact, Cyber Monday is slated to set a record as the biggest online shopping day of the entire year, up almost 18% from 2017.

Here are 7 excellent Cyber Monday deals (some of which are available from Black Friday all the way through the weekend):

1. A MacBook Air for under $350

Need a new laptop? Walmart is selling a refurbished Apple MacBook Air (11.6-inch) for $319.99.

Apple itself is also doing a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999, you get a $200 Apple Store Gift Card.

2. Lucky Brand jeans

Wanna get Lucky? Cyber Monday will see 50%-60% off deals, with free shipping on purchases $50 or more. Last year, you could even stack this with another 25% off coupon code for even more savings.

3. A new snowboard

Been thinking of investing in a big-ticket sports item this season? Dick’s Sporting Goods is doing 25% off site-wide for Cyber Monday. Free shipping (or buy online and pick up in store).

4. Cruelty-free makeup and bath products

If you’re into high-quality, ethical makeup and bath products (or shopping for someone who is), this is a very good deal: for Cyber Monday, The Body Shop is expected to offer 50% off its entire line of skincare and body products, with free shipping. This is arguably their best sale of the year.

5. 60-minute massages for $27 or less

Groupon is offering up to 91 percent off everything from physical items to services like massages. In the LA area, for example, you can get a 60-minute massage at Sparadise with aromatherapy and reflexology for $49 (down from $115); or a couples massage with foot reflexology for $49 (down from $100).

6. A $3,100 vacation for $499

If you’ve ever wanted to do a classy, resort-style winter getaway, this is the time to go: Bluegreen Vacations is running a Cyber Monday deal that’s 80 percent off. They’re offering customizable, 7-night resort packages for $499. Pick from 20 properties around the country, including places like the beautiful Wilderness Club in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri (picture snowshoeing followed by a mug of cocoa by the fire).

7. Swarovski earrings for $7

Need a great gift for a lovely lady? These stud earrings with Swarovski elements retail for $79, but you can get them for $6.99 right now.

8. BONUS TIP: Wait until Tuesday to buy airfare

Air travel company Hopper has analyzed flight pricing data over time and says the best airfare sales are on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (not Cyber Monday).

According to the company’s chief data scientist Patrick Surry, “Last year, we sent more deal notifications on Travel Deal Tuesday than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. In 2016, we saw fare sale activity spike by 2X the normal volume.”

A few of their predictions for this Tuesday’s flight deals:

Honolulu: 27% off

New York: 26% off

Rio de Janeiro: 32% off (it’s worth remembering that it’s summer in Rio right now)

Aruba: 32% off

London: 40% off

Happy hunting.