#what we&039;re watching

[dramaswithasideofkimchi]

Podcast #68 - What We're Watching (Spring 2019)

Podcast #68 – What We’re Watching (Spring 2019)

It is that time again where the Fangirls take a few minutes to share what they are watching, whether it is good, and if it is something our listeners should try out as well!

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[onlytruestfacts]

Tale As Old As Design "Beauty and the Lease..."

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[thezolblade]

Jon: “I wish I could talk it through with Martin, or Tim, or Sasha…But we never really did that, did we?”

I’ve been meaning to pull together some meta ever since hearing that line. As understandable as it is that Jon would regret the times he failed to communicate, as true as it is that he’s often fallen down there (and it’s fun seeing the fandom screaming over that on an ongoing basis)... I’d say he was too hard on himself by saying ‘never’, since there were times when he tried to communicate to the best of his ability. More than that, there are lines that give me the impression he’s always highly valued shared knowledge - that as well as being driven by a deep desire to know, he also wants to help other people know more, and gets frustrated when they don’t want to share knowledge with him or others.

Some quotes here, and interpretation below, of times when he tried to go beyond the ‘archive the closed cases’ job description that was supposedly expected of him, pursuing his priorities in the expectation that people would help - when he still expected that other people would help as a common sense assumption - or discussed events with the assistants beyond the bounds of what he was officially asking them to do for the job, etc. (Mostly s1 bc this is taking more evenings than i expected just from looking through the transcripts and a lot of episodes don’t have them yet):

MAG 001 - Anglerfish

ARCHIVIST: When an investigation has gone as far as it can, it is transferred to the Archives. [...] it seems as though little of the actual investigations have been stored in the Archives, so the only thing in most of the files are the statements themselves. [...] I plan to digitise the files as much as possible and record audio versions, though some will have to be on tape recorder as my attempts to get them on my laptop have met with... significant audio distortions. Alongside this Tim, Sasha and, yes, I suppose, Martin will be doing some supplementary investigation to see what details may be missing from what we have.

MAG 002 - Do Not Open

ARCHIVIST: When the Institute first investigated, it doesn’t look like they were able to find a single piece of evidence to support the existence of this scratched coffin, and to be honest I didn’t think it was worth wasting anyone’s time over now, nearly twenty years later. That said, I did mention it to Tim yesterday, and apparently he did some digging of his own.

MAG 004 - Pageturner

ARCHIVIST:  So it doesn’t appear that we have any concrete leads to go on. Still, I will be bringing this up with Elias and recommending that the search for any other missed books from the Leitner library be made this Institute’s highest priority. Jurgen Leitner has done the world enough harm and we must pursue all available avenues to ensure that he does no more.

MAG 006 - Squirm

ARCHIVIST: I can’t find any evidence that my predecessor took follow-up action on this statement, so I’ve taken the step of reporting Mr Hodge’s to the ECDC. We were unable to locate him to request a follow-up interview and if he has had intercourse with one of Prentiss’ victims, then they’ll need to deal with him sooner rather than later. I just hope it’s not too late already.

MAG 011 - Dreamer

ARCHIVIST: I’m not... entirely sure whether to bring this up with Elias or not. When he hired me, he was vague on the point of what happened to my predecessor, Gertrude Robinson. [...] I had Tim look into it, as I don’t entirely trust the others not to have written it as a practical joke and slipped it into the archives. [...] Still, I might have a word with Rosie, to make sure I get a copy of any new statements as soon as they’re made, not just once the researchers are done with them. She seemed very open to idea of recording them, so I’m hopeful she’ll be willing to do this too.

MAG 017- The Boneturner’s Tale

ARCHIVIST: I've barely scratched the surface of the archives and have already uncovered evidence of two separate surviving books from Jurgen Leitner's library. Until he mentioned that, I was tempted to dismiss much of it out of hand, but as it stands now I believe every word. I've seen what Leitner's work can do, and this news, even 17 years out of date, is still very concerning to me. I'm going to have a discussion with Elias as to what we can do to address the issue. I know he'll just give me the old “record and study, not interfere or contain” speech again, but I at least need to make him aware of it.

MAG 020 - Desecrated Host

ARCHIVIST: This all leads me to believe that there may have been a second person there that night, although from talking with the police, I get the impression that there is little appetite for re-opening the case, considering how successful the initial prosecution was.

MAG 022 - Colony

ARCHIVIST: In which case there's a room in the Archives I use to sleep when working late. I suggest you stay there for now. I'll talk to Elias about whether we can get extra security, but the Archives have enough locks for now. [...] Well, in that time I have received several text messages from your phone, saying you were ill with stomach problems. The last one said that you thought it “might be a parasite”, though my calls trying to follow up were never answered. [...] I just received another text message. From you. “Keep him. We have had our fun. He will want to see it when the Archivist’s crimson fate arrives.”

MARTIN: What does that mean?

ARCHIVIST: It means I ask Elias to hire some extra security. I should probably warn Sasha and Tim as well.

MAG 024 - Strange Music

When discussing this case, Tim said it reminded him of some articles he'd read on travelling circuses in Russia and Poland during the early 20th century. On a whim, I hunted down a few of the volumes he mentioned in the Institute's library, and sure enough on page 43 of Gregory Petry's Freaks and Followers: Circuses in the 1940s, I found a reproduction of an old black-and-white photograph.

MAG 026 - A Distortion

SASHA: Well, I’m sure you know I was sceptical about how dangerous this Jane Prentiss was when you first suggested Martin stay in the archive. [...] You were having some argument with Tim about... um, oh, who’s that architect he’s obsessed with?

ARCHIVIST: Robert Smirke. [...] ARCHIVIST: Sasha has taken a few days off to recuperate, and I’m having a word with Elias about getting some extra CO2 fire extinguishers for the Archive.

MAG 033 - Boatswain’s Call

TIM: Um, look I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure... it’s not a big deal, I just think it might be worth re-recording these statements.

ARCHIVIST: No. I don’t have time. I still have a mountain of haphazard statements to get through, not to mention that I need to keep this wretched tape recorder on hand just in case I encounter one of the files too stubborn to work on anything else. And when I do, I have to actually read the damn thing, which is...

TIM (BACKGROUND): Oh, woah, woah... woah!

ARCHIVIST: Fine. It’s fine. I just haven’t been sleeping much these last few months, what with all this... worm business. Which reminds me, if you do see Elias, tell him thanks for the extra extinguishers. [...] ARCHIVIST: In addition to such business ventures, the Lukas family also provides funding to several academic and research organisations, including the Magnus Institute. Much as I want to dig further into this, especially given certain parallels with case 0161301, Elias gets very twitchy when we look into anything that might conceivably have funding repercussions. [...] Maybe I’ll mention it to Elias. Just in case.

MAG 035 - Old Passages

ARCHIVIST: You should have seen Tim’s face when I told him. Architecture is one of his specialist areas, and he has always talked of Smirke as one that fascinates him. How did he phrase it? “A master of subtle stability.” From a professional standpoint, it also interests him that Smirke’s buildings have higher percentages of reported paranormal sightings than any other architect of similar profile.

MAG 036 - Taken Ill

TIM: Er, what is it?

ARCHIVIST: A lighter. An old Zippo.

TIM: You smoke?

ARCHIVIST: No. And I don’t allow ignition sources in my archive!

TIM: Okay. Is there anything unusual about it?

ARCHIVIST: Not really. Just a sort of spider web design on the front. Doesn’t mean anything to me. You?

TIM: Ah no. No.

ARCHIVIST: Well... show it to the others, see what they think.

MAG 039 - Infestation

ARCHIVIST: I got it!

[PULLS TAPE RECORDER FROM THE MORASS OF WORMS] [...]

SASHA: Why record it?

ARCHIVIST: What?

SASHA: Before, in the office. It, it was stupid going for the tape recorder like that, and then when you dropped it out there— [...]

ARCHIVIST: I just... I don’t want to become a mystery. I refuse to become another goddamn mystery. [...] Every real statement just leads... deeper into something I don’t even know the shape of yet. And to top it all, I still don’t know what happened to Gertrude. Officially she’s still missing, but Elias is no help and the police were pretty clear that the wait to call her dead is just a formality. If I die, wormfood or... something else, whatever, I’m going to make damn sure the same doesn’t happen to me. Whoever takes over from me is going to know exactly what happened. [...]

ARCHIVIST: Of course, I believe. Of course I do. Have you ever taken a look at the stuff we have in Artefact storage? That’s enough to convince anyone. But, but even before that... Why do you think I started working here? It’s not exactly glamorous. I have... I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Within reason. I mean. I still think most of the statements down here aren’t real. Of the hundreds I’ve recorded, we’ve had maybe... thirty, forty that are... that go on tape. Now those, I believe, at least for the most part.

MARTIN: Then why do you—

ARCHIVIST: Because I’m scared, Martin! Because when I record these statements it feels... it feels like I’m being watched. I... I lose myself a bit. And then when I come back, it’s like... like if I admit there may be any truth to it, whatever’s watching will... know somehow. The scepticism, feigning ignorance. It just felt safer.

MARTIN: Well... It wasn’t.

ARCHIVIST: No. No, it wasn’t.

[...]

ARCHIVIST: I mean at the Archive in general. Why haven’t you quit?

MARTIN: Are you giving me my review now?

ARCHIVIST: No... We’re clearly doing a whole heart-to-heart thing and, truth be told, the question’s been bothering me. You’ve been living in the Archives for four months, constant threat of... this. Sleeping with a fire extinguisher and a corkscrew. Even you must be aware that that’s not normal for an archiving job? Why are you still here?

MARTIN: [Considering] Don’t really know. I just am. It didn’t feel right to just leave. I’ve typed up a few resignation letters, but I just couldn’t bring myself to hand them in. I’m trapped here. It’s like I can’t... move on and the more I struggle, the more I’m stuck.

Martin...You’re not, uh... You didn’t die here, did you?

MARTIN: What? What? N-No... what?!

ARCHIVIST: No, I just... No, just the way you phrased that...

MARTIN: Made you think I was a ghost?

ARCHIVIST: No... it’s—

MARTIN: No, no... it’s just that whatever web these statements have caught you in, well, I’m there too. We all are, I think.

MAG041 - Too Deep

Why do I still feel like I’m being watched? I’d just about convinced myself it was Prentiss, watching me in secret while she filled the walls with her writhing hordes, but no. She is dead and gone, and still whenever I talk into this... damn thing, I feel this... I’m being watched. I know I am. [...] my primary focus must be on who killed Gertrude Robinson, and I do not believe for a moment that it was a wall-moving spectre from the depths of the earth. No, far more likely it’s one of my colleagues. Elias is a prime suspect, but it could have been any of them. [...] I can make two tapes from each recording. One containing the main statement and notes, which will be stored in the archive, and the other containing the statement, notes, and... this supplement, which will chronicle my own investigations. These tapes will be hidden. If you’re hearing this, I assume you’re my replacement, following my death or disappearance, and have received instructions on where to find them. [...] This level of paranoia is new to me, but I’m learning fast. Trust can get you killed.

...So, reading back over season 1 was interesting. Jon was asked to organise an archive of statements that were no longer under investigation by the institute. (Leading a team of four ex-researchers, himself included, who were used to working on open investigations. He was told that the institute’s mission statement was to study but not to ‘interfere or contain’, to the point where he got sick of Elias giving him that speech.)

He believed every statement that we heard him record, and he had all 3 assistants take part in re-opening an investigation into each of them through all available lines of enquiry (instead of devoting more resource to getting the existing material filed in a sensible system asap).

Wherever there was a chance it would do some good, he reported his findings to the authorities, and pushed to see if the Institute or the police would go further on the basis of his information.

He discussed the cases with his assistants thoroughly enough to know their areas of personal interest in the supernatural, and when they got into trouble, he immediately offered them as much protection as he could and went to Elias for help, prompting some of the others to express skepticism about the threats that he was clearly taking seriously, maybe excessively so...?

And yet because he felt watched by something supernatural, and convinced himself that it was Jane Prentiss somehow, he lied constantly by feigning skepticism even while following every lead and pushing everyone else to do the same. It’s a wonder anyone was fooled tbh, and it backfired by discouraging Martin and Sasha from confiding in him until they were in deep trouble. It also made his complaint about lack of sleep look relatively grumpy/petty to Tim, since he didn’t quite admit the full scale of the problem with nightmares and the exhaustion that the statements magically caused.

When Elias was feigning a normal level of ignorance in ep 39 he told Sasha: “You know how those two are... John puts on a good show, but sometimes I swear he’s worse than Martin.” And in ep 40 he told Jon: “I... know I have often seemed dismissive of your concerns before, and in fact I was getting ready to raise the issue of Martin’s continuing to live in the Institute’s basement”. If Elias was faking something like the rest of the Institute staff’s attitude (to things he wouldn’t admit to knowing all about)... then people really did doubt Jon’s skeptic act, feeling that he was always complaining about supernatural threats and going overboard in trying to protect people.

That changed in season 2, when he came to believe that one of his colleagues had murdered Gertrude, and stopped trusting all of them. When he was worried that his own death might be imminent, in the midst of Prentiss’ attack and in the paranoid aftermath, one of his main concerns was communicating with his successor through the tapes.

He doesn’t want his fate to be a mystery to those he leaves behind. Considering how much danger he puts himself in, diving into a pile of worms for the recorder, and later stating that he’d rather die exploring the tunnels than leave the Institute’s secrets buried, he’s more interested in getting information out to other people than in surviving.

Mid-season 2, when he gets scared, he talks about taking a break from his investigations until he can get more help from the police, especially as he thinks he’s trying to track down a human murderer. That remaining trust in authority doesn’t lead him to him collaborating with Basira to the extent he’d hoped, since she eventually makes it clear she wants nothing more to do with him, and he discovers that not!Sasha is a supernatural threat that the police couldn’t help with anyway.

The start of season 3 sees him reflecting that he didn’t turn to his assistants for help because he didn’t want to get them killed, and once he makes it back to the archives, he tries to overcome his recent trust issues and more long-standing hero complex by involving the others in his plans again - though they take care not to let those plans show up on tape, since they’re plotting against Elias by that point. When Jon asks everyone to record their thoughts before the unknowing in Testament, he’s trying to get them all communicating - with themselves, each other, and anyone who follows in their footsteps.

So far in season 4, he’s been more ready than ever to collaborate, but the others are mostly refusing to talk to him. His first instinct when he uncovers immediately relevant information is to go tell Basira, and he heeds her advice when he asks whether they can tell Melanie. (Which was unfair on Melanie, but at least you can see why he’d fear for his life after she threatened to attack him on sight if he ever tried to talk to her again.) He tried to tell Martin what had been going on instead of trying to compel information from him, and apparently hasn’t had much chance to speak to anyone else, or to leave the building.

He has the power to compel other people to see truths that they wouldn’t have recognised on their own; he only had to ask Tim what he was holding for Tim to see the detonator. And he may compare himself to Gertrude for losing assistants, but he talked to Sasha and Tim about the threats they were facing at the time, to the best of his knowledge. If Gertrude seems to have fought her battles by deliberately misleading people so that she could sacrifice them, and by taking out ‘loose ends’ to keep herself from being incriminated...

Well, I think Jon’s on his way to distinguishing himself from his predecessor through good communication, despite the massive stumbling blocks of his paranoid phase and isolation. (And through his extreme protectiveness towards individual people, compared to her way of prioritising the big picture.) He’s always wanted to get the truth out in the open, despite sometimes holding back out of fear that he won’t be believed, or he’ll get himself or others killed. Some of his most uncharismatic moments have been his attempts to tell people the truth when his knowledge was too patchy to convince them, and he wasn’t tactful enough to try to bring them on-side with diplomacy instead of facts and theories. As his powers grow, one of his most effective abilities might be to help his allies see the truth, so that they can join forces by choice.

E.g. maybe he’ll eventually find out what Peter’s up to from Martin - or maybe he’ll ask about something that he didn’t even realise was part of the plan, granting Martin an insight into something that neither of them knew beforehand.

[Edit: Wrote the above post in the mid-s4 hiatus and, uh. He sure did try to collaborate on a lot of stuff, but. Also fucked up pretty thoroughly, so. The s4 thoughts feel a bit over-optimistic in retrospect. Leaving it strikethrough rather than deleted though.]

[vulturehound]

What We’re Watching

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[identybeautynet]

7 Beauty Tips I Learned From Taraji P. Henson in Under 10 Minutes

7 Beauty Tips I Learned From Taraji P. Henson in Under 10 Minutes You probably know Taraji P. Henson as the veteran actress lauded for her stellar performances portraying the boundary-shattering mathematician Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures or the fictional, renegade matriarch Cookie Lyon in Fox's Empire. Her acting chops are undisputed—that's just a fact. But if you follow Henson on social media or pay attention to her red carpet appearances, you may have noticed another strength of hers: She's seriously adventurous when it comes to her hair. A self-proclaimed hair chameleon, Henson cycles through braids, bobs, curls, and more vibrant hair colors than just about anyone in Hollywood without ever skipping a beat. She makes it looks easy, but as she told Who What Wear in a recent exclusive interview, this wasn't always the case. "When I moved to Hollywood, I had to start wearing weaves because Hollywood hadn't embraced Black women's natural hair yet," she explained. "But, you know, you just don't put a weave in your hair and say, 'that's it'. Sometimes a weave is way more work than a natural because you're washing two different hairs; you're washing the weave hair and you have to get down underneath all of that and tend to your own scalp and hair. " And what happened when she couldn't find products that met this need? She created a haircare line, TPH by Taraji, based on formulations she'd been creating for herself in her kitchen. 7 Beauty Tips I Learned "I didn't see anything out there that catered to this to my needs, so like Black people do when we've been deprived or we don't have something, we create it," she said. A year and some change into the journey and Henson is a full-fledged beauty maven. She recently added a new extension to her product line, which was informed by a call from her customers for moisturizing styling products. But outside of her own line, Henson has a whole host of hair and beauty tips she swears by for keeping herself looking and feeling her best as she embarks into a brand new decade, her 50s. Keep scrolling to see the seven genius tips we learned from her in under 10 minutes. 1. Moisturized Hair Is Happy Hair 7 Beauty Tips I Learned "I love healthy hair. I've always been about healthy hair and scalp since I was a little," Henson told us. She recalls sitting in her aunt's garage as a kid scratching her cousin's scalp and even getting her first relaxer sitting around the kitchen table at her grandmother's house. But since transitioning to natural hair (she was way ahead of the curve—a hairstylist on the set of her 2001 film Baby Boy encouraged her to go natural), she's learned the importance of adequate moisture. "My hair is always lacking in moisture. I have to have moisture; I gotta have it," she says od her 4c hair type that's prone to dryness and intense shrinkage. The new offerings are infused with natural ingredients like coconut oil, mango seed butter, and pequi oil for soft, smooth strands. Shop the new TPH by Taraji Intense Moisture Collection: 7 Beauty Tips I Learned TPH by Taraji Mask on Conditioning Mask ($18) 7 Beauty Tips I Learned Target Tph Twist and Set Twisting Creme - 8oz ($17) 7 Beauty Tips I Learned TPH by Taraji Curls 4 Days Curl Creme ($17) 2. Scalp Care Is a Pillar of Healthy Hair 7 Beauty Tips I Learned Above all else, Henson knows that scalp care is just as, if not more important, than anything you put in the lengths of your hair. That's why her brand launched with a set of products specifically made for the scalp."TPH by Taraji is literally based on a healthy scalp," she said. "I was in the kitchen; I created that! Baby, nothing goes in a jar or on the shelf until it goes through this Virgo's roots," she laughed. Shop the new TPH by Taraji Scalp Collection: TPH by Taraji Mint Condition Tingling Scalp Conditioner ($12) TPH by Taraji Master Cleanse Scalp Treatment Wash ($15) 3. Don't Be Afraid to Experiment With At-Home Beauty Treatments No one is exempt from the, not even Hollywood's biggest stars. And with the increased time spent at home over the last year, Henson picked up some new beauty skills. "Call me crazy, but I like to do passion twists on myself. I do, I really enjoy it; it's therapeutic," she said. "I have my music I pour a little wine and I take my time. " And if you're wondering where Henson picked up this skill, you might be surprised to hear that she taught herself by watching YouTube videos! "I've been learning how to do nails, cut hair, all of it," she said. We stan a resourceful queen. 4. ...Even DIY Hair Color! When it comes to her ever-changing hair color, Henson admits that she's not afraid of an at-home dye job. "Since I've been natural, I can play in color. You know how many times I took my hair out playing in color because I had a perm in my hair? And who knew just I had to grow the perm out," she says. "The damaging process, or where you can go wrong is bleaching your hair. I can do my own. I wouldn't do anybody else's since I'm not a technician, but if I were someone else, I would just say go get your hair professionally lifted." She told us her favorite at-home hair dye is the semi-permanent offering by Adore that fades away after a few washes. "It's like Kool-Aid; it rinses out, you put it back in, and that's how I'm able to play with so many different colors." Shop Taraji's go-to hair dye: Brand: Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #064 Ruby Red ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #112 Indigo Blue 4 Ounce ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #140 Neon Pink ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #039 Orange Blaze ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #114 Violet Gem ($6) 5. Aging Looks a Little Different for Everyone If there's one recurring lesson we keep coming across in recent years, it's that aging is a process looks a little different for everyone. A newly minted 50-year-old, Henson has had her fair share of aging surprises, including some unexpected changes to her hair. "I feel like my hair getting thicker," she said. "My mother's the same way. A lot of her sisters are losing their hair and her hair is getting thicker. Yeah, I'm honored and blessed. I'm not complaining. 6. Laughter Keeps You Young OK, so Henson didn't exactly say this, but she certainly demonstrated it. We've seen her comedic timing in action on the big screen, but her demeanor during our chat was just as fun. She cracked jokes and wasn't afraid to let out a bellowing laugh when something really tickled her. There are probably plastic surgeons out there might who would argue that laughing causes lines in the skin, but if you ask us, a joyful spirit is a key to stopping the clock. Be happy, dang it! 7. Re-Frame Your Most Tedious Beauty Chores as Self-Care Sessions Henson knows better than anyone just how much of a task wash day can be for Black women. But her goal in life and via her haircare brand is to switch-up the narrative around wash day. "It's a process, but what I want to do and what I hope is to change the narrative and not make it about beinga chore. I want it to be about self-care," she told us. "You know, you go to a salon for a facial, and they've got 10 things they put on your face before they tapped you on the back and say go. And you feel so good. We need to do the same thing for our hair; treat our hair the same way we treat everything else. That's what I'm hoping for because for me, I look forward to wash day! I put my music on, I have my essential oils I put in my diffuser, and while I'm under the dryer with my hair mask on I have do paraffin wax with little heated booties and I enjoy it." Now, that sounds like an absolute dream. Shop at-home spa day essentials: Vitruvi Porcelain Essential Oil Diffuser ($119) Vitruvi Eucalyptus Essential Oil ($13) Revlon Moisturizing Paraffin Bath ($37) Terra-Warm Warming Foot Pillow Booties ($18) Conair 1875 Watt Pro Style Bonnet Ionic Hair Dryer ($40) This article originally appeared on Who What Wear . beauty tips : 7 Beauty Tips I Learned  Read the full article

[dramaswithasideofkimchi]

Podcast #19 - Casting Gossip Makes the World Go 'Round Part 2

Podcast #19 - Casting Gossip Makes the World Go 'Round Part 2 #TeaserReviews #WhatWeAreWatching #KdramaGossip

We had so much to gossip about last week that we had to create two podcasts to get it all in.  Come join The Fangirls as they continue to discuss all the latest dramas, teasers, and what they are currently watching.

(more…)

[seachranaidhe]

Commemorative board to be unveiled for INLA volunteer. This weekend sees the 40th anniversary of the death of INLA volunteer Colm McNutt in December 1977.

The Derry republican socialist movement will in conjunction with the James Connolly Culture Youth Group unveil a board to commemorate and remember him on Saturday 9th December at the corner of Balbane Pass/Linsfort Drive. Colm McNutt was 18-years-old when he was shot while trying to hijack a car near Derry city centre. It is believed that supergrass Raymond Gilmour, tipped off his RUC handler…

[vulturehound]

What We're Watching

What We’re Watching

(more…)

[itslikethatfrenchthing]

039: INSTAGRAM FOR BUSINESS: YOUR INSTAGRAM STORIES QUESTIONS ANSWERED

  iTunes | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Overcast | Spotify | TuneIn | Castbox

Today’s talking point:

I struggle with knowing what to talk about on Instagram. How do you decide what you are going to speak about on your stories each day? I want to gain active followers, engage with them, and create my own engaging Instagram stories. 

Today we're covering a topic that I get asked about a lot. How to create compelling and engaging Instagram Stories for your business. Instagram is big, Instagram Stories are even bigger, so that's what we're going to get into today. 

THE OPPORTUNITY IN INSTAGRAM

The Market

There are 1 billion Instagram accounts worldwide that are active every month. Of that, 500 million accounts watch Instagram Stories daily. Every. Single. Day. That's a huge amount of people. It's been three years since Instagram came out with Stories, yet so many people are hesitant to try it out. There's so much more growth to happen and still lots of room for people to come out and make a wave on Instagram Stories.

Almost all the innovation on Instagram is inside of Instagram stories. They're constantly coming out with new features, it's almost a platform within a platform. IG users spend almost 50% or more time in the app now because of Stories. So because people are watching Stories, people are staying for longer in the app. 

Think about real estate. When people are scrolling, there are TONS of distractions. On a story video, it is just you and whoever is delivering that story. From a marketer's perspective, that is true value.

Making Connections

The beauty of stories is that you can connect with people in such a more real and authentic way and people are actually responding well to that. People like feeling close, people like feeling like you're on the other end of a mobile phone, not in a production studio.

It allows users to respond in a more private and connected way, cultivating a level of loyalty, intimacy and closeness that I don't think is easily replicated. The DMs is just such a good place to connect deeper with your audience and it's just so easy for them to do so. (Which also signals to Instagram from an analytical perspective that you should be higher in the algorithm).

The beauty is that no one knows how many people are responding and how many people aren't responding. So unlike comments that are visible to everyone, you could be getting lots of responses to your DMs or not that many, and no one's going to know. They also don't know how many people watch your story. It's just an intimate one-to-one kind of experience. 

Hopefully you all understand that stories are very, very powerful. I know some of my clients would confess that they don't do stories enough, so let's talk about some creative ideas to empower you to start creating more inside of Instagram Stories.

MASTERING YOUR INSTAGRAM STORY STRATEGY: CREATING ENGAGING CONTENT

There's an idea that if you're using Instagram Stories, you need to be posting content every single day. You don't. However, post consistently: if you decide to post once a week, stick to it. People should know what to expect from you, but it's not going to harm you if you're not showing up every single day. 

Show up in a Series

Implement a weekly series. Come up with a catchy name and it becomes a trigger for your audience, it becomes something that they kind of look forward to. It becomes another layer of ways that people can connect with you. Listen to the full podcast episode for a step-by-step guide on how I run a weekly series.

Share Advice

Have a “how to” piece of content, or a piece of content that gives advice. Really the purpose of this content is to add as much value as possible. You want to create the type of content that your ideal client gets excited about every time they see a new story from you. So for this, you're really thinking about: 

Tutorials 

How tos

Advice stories

Keep it as short, sweet and to the point as possible. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be 100% related to your product or service - just relatable to your ideal client.

Promote

This is really, really big and can be done in so many different ways - get creative. Don't just show up and say, “we're doing 25% off today.” (Although that is great and important and it has its time and place.) Think about all the ways that you can encourage people to buy from you, so that might be highlighting a customer and celebrating wins or sharing a testimonial. 

There are so many different ways to link stories into all the parts of Instagram. Use the swipe up feature if you have 10k+ followers and if not (Pro tip!) use IGTV - where regardless of followers you can swipe up. 

You don’t only have to focus on promoting products, promoting podcast launches or blog posts etc. Focus on engaging with your audience by sharing things that they’ll love.

Behind the Scenes 

Let's talk about some other behind the scenes things we can do to creatively to show people the work going into whatever you do.

There are so many ideas. It's just honestly looking whatever situation that you're in and writing a list of what the things are that happen behind the scenes. It could be anything, including:

Get to know where you work (or who you work with)

How products launch

New things in the works

It's so much more fun when you see the people rather than when you're a faceless presence. You might think it's boring and mundane, but the truth is everyone who is living their own life believes that their own life, situation and circumstances are boring and mundane (but everyone else is living their own lives completely different to yours.) 

I find that the stories that I think are the most boring are some of my best, most engaged stories just from simply bringing people behind the scenes. Don't underestimate your own situation.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY

First thing’s first: A story is called a story for a reason. Many don't realise that when you post different stories throughout the day, they should all flow. There should be a beginning, a middle and an end. Think about what colours you’re using, can you use your brand colours again and again, can you use the same fonts again and again? Can you add emojis? Can you spend 15 more seconds making it look a little different to the average story? 

Write it Out

Most people are not listening to your stories. I've done polls about this before, my audience is probably split 50/50 right down the middle in terms of who watches stories, with sound on vs. without. 

If you are talking into the camera, you’re missing a huge percentage of people who just flip through. Captioning your stories to get the general point across is powerful. Everyone can understand the value of whatever it is you're saying. 

Plan Ahead

The big thing, don't upload in the moment. When you take a video and go to caption it, you have to re-listen to it. It takes some time. Take your stories. One after the next, save them and then later when you're at home, listen to it and just type it out. Most of the time, I like to type it out word for word because it requires less thought, but sometimes I talk a lot and I can just narrow it down. 

You want to make it so that if someone sees that story, regardless of whether they hear your voice or see your face or see your little name, we want them to know it's you. 

Have an Ending

Let’s go back to the beginning, middle, and end. I know a lot of people struggle with the end part. Everybody knows how to start and maybe what the middle is, but how do you end a story? You have to have a conclusion, a finale, a summary of what you said, thanking people for showing up, saying goodbye. I try and do that as often as I can because I'm so constant with my storytelling that I always say good morning, so it just makes sense to say good night as well. 

Creating Engagement

Engagement is one of those key metrics that the algorithm looks for. So how do we get better engagement? 

Ask people to DM

You don't just ask them once, don't ask them twice. Make it a part of the way that you show up on stories. Say “I want to hear from you about ____.” You don’t have to respond to every message, open and double tap to like their response. As long as I feel that my audience feel heard and seen, I'm good. 

Use polls/questions

Include polls or questions when you can. They are the simplest features to encourage an audience to engage and respond. Every time someone engages with a poll of yours, it's signalling to Instagram, “I'm interested in your content. I want to see more.”

You can use them for silly things - If I'm going to be getting my nails done and I don't know what colour to choose, I’ll ask for an opinion. 

For deeper questions, use the question & response feature so your audience can give more individualised answers. Use this to determine content: “what are you struggling with right now in _____,” and then solve it.

Try the quiz feature

This allows you to ask a question and then use up to four different answers, then choose the correct answer. You're quizzing your audience. It's so fun to do things like “get to know me and my business.” And so one of the questions might be:

How many years have I been doing what I do?

Who worked with me behind the scenes? 

What is my dog’s name?

 Human nature is to want to know what the right answer is. Many just guess and interact just to see what the answer is. 

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Want access to a library full of online marketing resources plus weekly bitesized breakthroughs to help you boss your online presence? Find it here.

What did you think of the show? Leave a review on iTunes and become the Breakthrough Blogger of the Week!

Subscribe to the show and get notified when a new episode goes live.

Come join my free FB group.

Apply to work with me 1:1 as a private client here.

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[identybeautynet]

7 Beauty Tips I Learned From Taraji P. Henson in Under 10 Minutes

7 Beauty Tips I Learned From Taraji P. Henson in Under 10 Minutes You probably know Taraji P. Henson as the veteran actress lauded for her stellar performances portraying the boundary-shattering mathematician Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures or the fictional, renegade matriarch Cookie Lyon in Fox's Empire. Her acting chops are undisputed—that's just a fact. But if you follow Henson on social media or pay attention to her red carpet appearances, you may have noticed another strength of hers: She's seriously adventurous when it comes to her hair. A self-proclaimed hair chameleon, Henson cycles through braids, bobs, curls, and more vibrant hair colors than just about anyone in Hollywood without ever skipping a beat. She makes it looks easy, but as she told Who What Wear in a recent exclusive interview, this wasn't always the case. "When I moved to Hollywood, I had to start wearing weaves because Hollywood hadn't embraced Black women's natural hair yet," she explained. "But, you know, you just don't put a weave in your hair and say, 'that's it'. Sometimes a weave is way more work than a natural because you're washing two different hairs; you're washing the weave hair and you have to get down underneath all of that and tend to your own scalp and hair. " And what happened when she couldn't find products that met this need? She created a haircare line, TPH by Taraji, based on formulations she'd been creating for herself in her kitchen. 7 Beauty Tips I Learned "I didn't see anything out there that catered to this to my needs, so like Black people do when we've been deprived or we don't have something, we create it," she said. A year and some change into the journey and Henson is a full-fledged beauty maven. She recently added a new extension to her product line, which was informed by a call from her customers for moisturizing styling products. But outside of her own line, Henson has a whole host of hair and beauty tips she swears by for keeping herself looking and feeling her best as she embarks into a brand new decade, her 50s. Keep scrolling to see the seven genius tips we learned from her in under 10 minutes. 1. Moisturized Hair Is Happy Hair 7 Beauty Tips I Learned "I love healthy hair. I've always been about healthy hair and scalp since I was a little," Henson told us. She recalls sitting in her aunt's garage as a kid scratching her cousin's scalp and even getting her first relaxer sitting around the kitchen table at her grandmother's house. But since transitioning to natural hair (she was way ahead of the curve—a hairstylist on the set of her 2001 film Baby Boy encouraged her to go natural), she's learned the importance of adequate moisture. "My hair is always lacking in moisture. I have to have moisture; I gotta have it," she says od her 4c hair type that's prone to dryness and intense shrinkage. The new offerings are infused with natural ingredients like coconut oil, mango seed butter, and pequi oil for soft, smooth strands. Shop the new TPH by Taraji Intense Moisture Collection: 7 Beauty Tips I Learned TPH by Taraji Mask on Conditioning Mask ($18) 7 Beauty Tips I Learned Target Tph Twist and Set Twisting Creme - 8oz ($17) 7 Beauty Tips I Learned TPH by Taraji Curls 4 Days Curl Creme ($17) 2. Scalp Care Is a Pillar of Healthy Hair 7 Beauty Tips I Learned Above all else, Henson knows that scalp care is just as, if not more important, than anything you put in the lengths of your hair. That's why her brand launched with a set of products specifically made for the scalp."TPH by Taraji is literally based on a healthy scalp," she said. "I was in the kitchen; I created that! Baby, nothing goes in a jar or on the shelf until it goes through this Virgo's roots," she laughed. Shop the new TPH by Taraji Scalp Collection: TPH by Taraji Mint Condition Tingling Scalp Conditioner ($12) TPH by Taraji Master Cleanse Scalp Treatment Wash ($15) 3. Don't Be Afraid to Experiment With At-Home Beauty Treatments No one is exempt from the, not even Hollywood's biggest stars. And with the increased time spent at home over the last year, Henson picked up some new beauty skills. "Call me crazy, but I like to do passion twists on myself. I do, I really enjoy it; it's therapeutic," she said. "I have my music I pour a little wine and I take my time. " And if you're wondering where Henson picked up this skill, you might be surprised to hear that she taught herself by watching YouTube videos! "I've been learning how to do nails, cut hair, all of it," she said. We stan a resourceful queen. 4. ...Even DIY Hair Color! When it comes to her ever-changing hair color, Henson admits that she's not afraid of an at-home dye job. "Since I've been natural, I can play in color. You know how many times I took my hair out playing in color because I had a perm in my hair? And who knew just I had to grow the perm out," she says. "The damaging process, or where you can go wrong is bleaching your hair. I can do my own. I wouldn't do anybody else's since I'm not a technician, but if I were someone else, I would just say go get your hair professionally lifted." She told us her favorite at-home hair dye is the semi-permanent offering by Adore that fades away after a few washes. "It's like Kool-Aid; it rinses out, you put it back in, and that's how I'm able to play with so many different colors." Shop Taraji's go-to hair dye: Brand: Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #064 Ruby Red ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #112 Indigo Blue 4 Ounce ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #140 Neon Pink ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #039 Orange Blaze ($6) Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color #114 Violet Gem ($6) 5. Aging Looks a Little Different for Everyone If there's one recurring lesson we keep coming across in recent years, it's that aging is a process looks a little different for everyone. A newly minted 50-year-old, Henson has had her fair share of aging surprises, including some unexpected changes to her hair. "I feel like my hair getting thicker," she said. "My mother's the same way. A lot of her sisters are losing their hair and her hair is getting thicker. Yeah, I'm honored and blessed. I'm not complaining. 6. Laughter Keeps You Young OK, so Henson didn't exactly say this, but she certainly demonstrated it. We've seen her comedic timing in action on the big screen, but her demeanor during our chat was just as fun. She cracked jokes and wasn't afraid to let out a bellowing laugh when something really tickled her. There are probably plastic surgeons out there might who would argue that laughing causes lines in the skin, but if you ask us, a joyful spirit is a key to stopping the clock. Be happy, dang it! 7. Re-Frame Your Most Tedious Beauty Chores as Self-Care Sessions Henson knows better than anyone just how much of a task wash day can be for Black women. But her goal in life and via her haircare brand is to switch-up the narrative around wash day. "It's a process, but what I want to do and what I hope is to change the narrative and not make it about beinga chore. I want it to be about self-care," she told us. "You know, you go to a salon for a facial, and they've got 10 things they put on your face before they tapped you on the back and say go. And you feel so good. We need to do the same thing for our hair; treat our hair the same way we treat everything else. That's what I'm hoping for because for me, I look forward to wash day! I put my music on, I have my essential oils I put in my diffuser, and while I'm under the dryer with my hair mask on I have do paraffin wax with little heated booties and I enjoy it." Now, that sounds like an absolute dream. Shop at-home spa day essentials: Vitruvi Porcelain Essential Oil Diffuser ($119) Vitruvi Eucalyptus Essential Oil ($13) Revlon Moisturizing Paraffin Bath ($37) Terra-Warm Warming Foot Pillow Booties ($18) Conair 1875 Watt Pro Style Bonnet Ionic Hair Dryer ($40) This article originally appeared on Who What Wear . beauty tips : 7 Beauty Tips I Learned  Read the full article

[newssplashy]

Tech: 14 powerful human rights groups write to Google demanding it kill plans to launch a China search engine

A group of 14 human rights organizations have written an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding Google kill plans to create a censored search engine in China. Codenamed 'Dragonfly,' Google's plans to create a search engine compatible with China's stringent laws were revealed in August.

A group of 14 human rights organizations have written an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding Google kill plans to create a censored search engine in China.

Codenamed "Dragonfly," Google's plans to create a search engine compatible with China's stringent laws were revealed by the Intercept in early August.

The letter, signed by the likes of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, asks Google to clarify its position on censorship and put safeguards in place for whistleblowers.

A group of 14 human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and PEN International, have written an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding he reverse plans to launch a censored search engine in China.

News broke in early August that Google was planning to re-enter China after an eight-year hiatus. The Intercept obtained leaked documents showing that firm is working on a new search service, codenamed "Dragonfly," and that Pichai met with a Chinese government official in December 2017.

In their letter, the human rights groups said the plan would be an "an alarming capitulation by Google on human rights," as it would mean accommodating "one of the world’s most repressive internet censorship and surveillance regimes."

The letter demands three things:

That Google kills plans for a censored Chinese search engine.

That the company clarifies its position on censorship in China and outlines any steps it is taking to "safeguard against human rights violations" linked to Dragonfly and its other Chinese mobile apps.

Finally, it asks that Google guarantees protections for any internal whistleblowers.

Google announced it was leaving the Chinese market in 2010 after it detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack," the primary goal of which was to infiltrate the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

"If Google’s position has indeed changed, then this must be stated publicly, together with a clear explanation of how Google considers it can square such a decision with its responsibilities under international human rights standards and its own corporate values," the letter said.

It added that protections for whistleblowers are essential, pointing out that Google staff were instrumental in raising concerns about its involvement in military drone programme "Project Maven." The company has since set out ethical guidelines on the use of AI and plans to withdraw from the Pentagon project in 2019.

The letter concludes: "As it stands, Google risks becoming complicit in the Chinese government’s repression of freedom of speech and other human rights in China. Google should heed the concerns raised by human rights groups and its own employees and refrain from offering censored search services in China."

Business Insider has contacted Google for comment.

Here's the letter in full:

Dear Mr Pichai

(cc: Ben Gomes, Vice President of Search; Kent Walker, Senior Vice President of Global Affairs)

Like many of Google’s own employees, we are extremely concerned by reports that Google is developing a new censored search engine app for the Chinese market. The project, codenamed “Dragonfly”, would represent an alarming capitulation by Google on human rights. The Chinese government extensively violates the rights to freedom of expression and privacy; by accommodating the Chinese authorities’ repression of dissent, Google would be actively participating in those violations for millions of internet users in China.

We support the brave efforts of Google employees who have alerted the public to the existence of Dragonfly, and voiced their concerns about the project and Google’s transparency and oversight processes.

In contrast, company leadership has failed to respond publicly to concerns over Project Dragonfly, stating that it does not comment on “speculation about future plans”. Executives have also refused to answer basic questions about how the company will safeguard the rights of users in China as it seeks to expand its business in the country.

Since Google publicly exited the search market in China in 2010, citing restrictions to freedom of expression online, the Chinese government has strengthened its controls over the internet and intensified its crackdown on freedom of expression. We are therefore calling on Google to:

Reaffirm the company’s 2010 commitment not to provide censored search engine services in China;

Disclose its position on censorship in China and what steps, if any, Google is taking to safeguard against human rights violations linked to Project Dragonfly and its other Chinese mobile app offerings;

Guarantee protections for whistle-blowers and other employees speaking out where they see the company is failing its commitments to human rights.

Our concerns about Dragonfly are set out in detail below.

Freedom of expression and privacy in China and Google’s human rights commitments

It is difficult to see how Google would currently be able to relaunch a search engine service in China in a way that would be compatible with the company’s human rights responsibilities under international standards, or its own commitments. Were it to do so, in other words, there is a high risk that the company would be directly contributing to, or complicit in, human rights violations.

The Chinese government runs one of the world’s most repressive internet censorship and surveillance regimes. Human rights defenders and journalists are routinely arrested and imprisoned solely for expressing their views online. Under the Cybersecurity Law,[1] internet companies operating in China are obliged to censor users’ content in a way that runs counter to international obligations to safeguard the rights of access to information, freedom of expression and privacy. Thousands of websites and social media services in the country remain blocked, and many phrases deemed to be politically sensitive are censored.[2] Chinese law also requires companies to store Chinese users’ data within the country and facilitate surveillance by abusive security agencies.

According to confidential Google documents obtained by The Intercept, the new search app being developed under Project Dragonfly would comply with China’s draconian rules by automatically identifying and filtering websites blocked in China, and “blacklisting sensitive queries”. Offering services through mobile phone apps, including Google’s existing Chinese apps, raises additional concerns because apps enable access to extraordinarily sensitive data. Given the Cybersecurity Law’s data localization and other requirements, it is likely that the company would be enlisted in surveillance abuses and their users’ data would be much more vulnerable to government access.

Google has a responsibility to respect human rights that exists independently of a state’s ability or willingness to fulfil its own human rights obligations.[3] The company’s own Code of Conduct promises to advance users’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression globally. In Google’s AI Principles, published in June, the company pledged not to build “technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights”. The company also commits, through the Global Network Initiative, to conduct human rights due diligence when entering markets or developing new services. Project Dragonfly raises significant, unanswered questions about whether Google is meeting these commitments.

Transparency and human rights due diligence

Google’s refusal to respond substantively to concerns over its reported plans for a Chinese search service falls short of the company’s commitment to accountability and transparency.[4]

In 2010, the human rights community welcomed Google’s announcement that it had “decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn”, citing cyber-attacks against the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists and attempts by the Chinese government to “further limit free speech on the web”.

If Google’s position has indeed changed, then this must be stated publicly, together with a clear explanation of how Google considers it can square such a decision with its responsibilities under international human rights standards and its own corporate values. Without these clarifications, it is difficult not to conclude that Google is now willing to compromise its principles to gain access to the Chinese market.

There also appears to be a broader lack of transparency around due diligence processes at Google. In order to “know and show” that they respect human rights, companies are required under international standards to take steps to identify, prevent and mitigate against adverse impacts linked to their products – and communicate these efforts to key stakeholders and the public.[5] The letter from Google employees published on 16 August 2018 demonstrates that some employees do not feel Google’s processes for implementing its AI Principles and ethical commitments are sufficiently meaningful and transparent.[6]

Protection of whistle-blowers

Google has stated that it cannot respond to questions about Project Dragonfly because reports about the project are based on “leaks”.[7] However, the fact that the information has been publicly disclosed by employees does not lessen its relevance and rights impact.

In relation both to Project Dragonfly and to Google’s involvement in the US government’s drone programme, Project Maven, whistle-blowers have been crucial in bringing ethical concerns over Google’s operations to public attention. The protection of whistle-blowers who disclose information that is clearly in the public interest is grounded in the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.[8] The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises recommend that companies put in place “safeguards to protect bona fide whistle-blowing activities”.[9]

We are calling on Google to publicly commit to protect whistle-blowers in the company and to take immediate steps to address the concerns employees have raised about Project Dragonfly.

As it stands, Google risks becoming complicit in the Chinese government’s repression of freedom of speech and other human rights in China. Google should heed the concerns raised by human rights groups and its own employees and refrain from offering censored search services in China.

Signed, the following organizations:

Access Now Amnesty International Article 19 Center for Democracy and Technology Committee to Protect Journalists Electronic Frontier Foundation Human Rights in China Human Rights Watch Independent Chinese PEN Centre International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) PEN International Privacy International Reporters Without Borders (RSF) WITNESS

Signed in individual capacity (affiliations for identification purposes only):

Ronald Deibert Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab University of Toronto

Rebecca MacKinnon Director, Ranking Digital Rights

Xiao Qiang Research Scientist Founder and Director of the Counter-Power Lab School of Information, University of California at Berkeley

Lokman Tsui Assistant Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication The Chinese University of Hong Kong

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/tech-14-powerful-human-rights-groups.html

[newsini]

Welcome back to Video IRL, where several of our editors talk about what they've been watching in their spare time. This month we're kicking things off with some seasonally-appropriate horror fare, that you can catch right away on Netflix or Amaz

[snapzuhealth]

We tend to believe that people telegraph how they're feeling through facial expressions and body language and we only need to watch them to know what they're experiencing -- but new research shows we'd get a much better idea if we put ourselves in their shoes instead. via Snapzu : Health & Body