#but the short version is just so hashtag mood

[keyofjetwolf]

Yeah it's just this.

#'did you choreograph this? where was i?' #my favourite bit not in the short version #but the short version is just so hashtag mood #anyway: 'uh oh I DON'T REALLY WANNA DO THE WORK TODAY' etc etc #life with jet wolf #Youtube

[hillbillyoracle]

Journal Hacking

I’m not sure if this will make sense to anyone else but I wanted to document something I’ve been trying lately with regards to planning/bujo/journaling type things. Even if only so I can go back and see what I did lol. 

So I have been bullet journaling in some form on and off since 2014. So it’s been a minute. And while I like it on the whole, it’s just not been working out for me lately. I tried a Hobonichi weeks mega and while I really like some aspects it’s just not enough room for me. My handwriting is not that small. 

I ran across a simplified GTD-like system called Ugmonk Analog and I liked the principles (even if I didn’t like the price tag) so I adapted it to my new journal. 

Ugmonk’s Analog system has three cards - Today, Next, and Someday. I’m just using notecards I have for this. I put the Today card on my cover with washi tape so I can see it without opening my notebook and easily write things down (my pen is in the loop to the side there). 

The Next and the Someday cards - along with some others are in the inside. I made the pocket by taping one of the notecards horizontally and taping the two outside sides. 

The long bit of text on the inside cover is the Heart Sutra. I like to write it on notebooks I’ll be using regularly so I pause and reflect on it more regularly. 

In addition to Next and Someday cards, I have a blank one for scratch paper and one with my ideal timelines for doing home and personal tasks. The personal side is lacking, I’m kind of in a state of transition on that so I’m unclear what I want to do regularly. The house stuff never happens all the way but I like knowing what I’d like to do when I’m adding tasks to my Today card. 

I think my favorite part of this system is the memory keeping part. It’s not super elegant or pretty but on the pack of each today card, I record any notable things about the day on the top (period, mood, fights, symptoms) with a hashtag, the weather, and then I fill the card with what I did that day. It’s been very helpful so far for jogging my memory throughout the week. I like that I can pull them out and see as many as I’d like throughout the week. I plan on digitizing them at the end of the year and keeping the last year as a hard copy. 

I keep the card in this little green box. Might decorate it soon. 

I don’t really feel like sharing my finished cards so hopefully this gives you an idea. I like that I can see what happened in a day and what I got done on one card. 

So yeah, I’m really liking it so far. I still do long form journaling (Morning Pages type things) in the notebook itself. I actually turn it so the short side is on the top and it’s kind of like writing on an A4 sheet of paper. I do that so I don’t start auto rereading old journal entries when I’m flipping through for other stuff. I index and thread anything that isn’t journal entries like I would a normal bullet journal. Right now I have some random notes for subject I’m studying, some pen and paper games I’m playing, and writing notes. 

I’m also going to add either an A6 monthly calendar or print my own calendar set up to add to the back pocket for scheduling things in advance. I know everyone uses Google Calendar but I never check mine much. So people can schedule things with me on my Google Cal but my source of truth will be the hard copy. 

Some resources I took inspiration from in setting all this up: 

- OG Bullet Journal - I’m surprised by how many people I’ve met who don’t know that bullet journaling isn’t just making your own pretty planner but an actual system (no shade to the art journaling folks, I’m just not one of them). When I say I use bullet journaling, this is what I’m using. Check for some of his more recent videos if you like it, he’s updated it. 

- Ugmonk Analog - slightly expanded to-do list system on paper; the product seems nice but they’ve actually been very supportive of people making their own knockoff versions for personal use which is cool to see

- Everbook - I think if I had more to juggle, I’d upgrade to something like this system. This guy has so many neat ideas sprinkled throughout the channel. He also really supports people making their own version. Love a good open source ethos. 

Anyways - hope this helps someone! 

#journal #bullet journal #studyblr #journaling #bujo #ugmonk analog #analog #everbook #index cards #memory keeping #organization #sorry for the lighting #i literally live in my parents basement

[youngerdrgrey]

a choice for the choiceless // a Batwoman, post-2x15 fic

about: Post 2x15, the ladies of the Bat Team try to help their friend, who seems almost resentful to be alive. How do you help someone when they’re in a place like this? + read on ao3

Notes: there was a lot in 2x15 (“Armed and Dangerous”), and this is partially me processing my own feelings, as well as everyone else’s. Spoilers below for that episode, as it picks up close after. Features the whole of our Bat Team; some Hamilfox and hints of Wildmoore feels here as well

Content Warnings: brief talk of suicidal ideology, hopelessness, and systemic violence against Black people

.

.

Luke stares out the window at The Hold Up. His shoulders cave inwards, and his neck strains to make up for the fact that he hasn’t totally turned towards the light. He watches it though. Tracks the people on the street while Sophie crosses back over to him with their coffees.

It’s been three days since Luke woke up from his coma. Sophie hasn’t spent a lot of time with him since then. Mostly, she talks with Jacob about what a new version of the Crows would require. She texts with Mary and Ryan, who swear that Luke will be back to his old self any day now. But Sophie wants to see for herself how he’s doing.

She sets his hot cup in front of him. The steam slips from the top of it. He glances over and nods his thanks in her direction.

Sophie starts light. “I’ve been meaning to congratulate you. You and Ryan really had me going when I ‘introduced’ you that day.” They’d pretended not to know each other, which gave Ryan a chance to poke fun at Luke. “I should’ve known you were joking. You don’t seem like a sweet drinks kind of guy.”

Luke picks up his cup. “I’m not.”

“Not the talkative kind of guy either?” she asks. Luke sighs into the top of his cup. Sophie offers a smile. “Hey, totally fine. I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Probably about as good as you,” he says. His nostrils flare before he swipes under his nose. “Kate’s gone. Your mom won’t talk to you. The Crows are completely dismantled. In a few short months, you’ve essentially lost everything that you’ve spent your whole life working towards. How are you, Soph?”

On edge, with that list.

Sophie shifts back in her seat to get away from the cold facade that’s taken over Luke. She sips her own drink to buy a moment to process. He doesn’t mean to be blunt. He’s deflecting rather than talking about himself, but if Sophie can say the right thing, then maybe her words can help him out too.

“I’m… managing. I would much rather see all of this as a chance to start over.” At least that’s how she’s trying to see things. “Jacob’s getting clean. Ryan and I aren’t constantly fighting. She actually sat next to me on the couch yesterday without comment, so…. There's good stuff happening too. It’s not just a loss.”

Luke meets her eyes for a moment, but the warmth and curiosity that’s normally there is gone. Snuffed out. He takes another swig of his coffee, then sets the empty cup back onto the table.

“Glad to hear it,” he deadpans. “I’ll see you at the office.”

He pushes his chair back, and Sophie can’t find the words to tell him to stop. He walks off without another look at her. Sophie grabs her phone from her bag and calls Ryan.

Ryan speaks immediately. “Hey, how is he?”

Sophie sighs. “He’s still off.”

A walk sign beeps on Ryan’s end of the call. She says, “He came back from the dead. It can take a lot out of someone.”

“You bounced back pretty quick.” If Sophie remembers correctly, Ryan was back on the streets immediately. Sophie mourned Kate, and Ryan as Batwoman tore through the streets to try and take down the False Face Society. She didn’t shut down like this.

“I don’t think we can compare these. I said my goodbyes on that island, but Luke experienced one of the worst fears that we could have. Not to mention the constant think pieces and hashtags and infographics with him at the center. Give him some time. He’ll be fine.”

Luke has been a trending topic since the day of his shooting. Maybe he does only need time. Maybe he’ll snap out of it. But when Alice kidnapped Sophie nearly a year ago, Sophie would wake up from nightmares of being on that beam again. Nightmares where Batwoman didn’t swoop in, or the bomb went off, or Alice simply killed her. Sophie doesn’t have those nightmares much anymore. But sometimes, when she’s really stressed, or feeling extra alone, she can feel the winds whipping around her still.

Sophie clears her throat and clutches her phone a little tighter to her face. “Just keep an eye on him, okay?”

“I’m walking into the Tower right now. We’ve got him. Don’t worry.”

“Says the girl who cried in my arms last week.”

Ryan inhales sharply. “We’re not talking about that.”

Sure thing. They can just gloss over the fact that Ryan sank into Sophie’s arms like it was natural, or that they’d spent nearly ten minutes like that, just holding on and hoping that he would be okay. They’re still holding, even if they won’t admit it.

“Talk to him, Ryan. See if he talks back.”

“I will.”

 .

.

 Ryan puts off having a heart to heart with Luke for a few days. He’s clearly not in the mood. Every time she even tries to talk to him, he shuts her down like it’s her first week in the Bat Team all over again. So, she waits until he’s busy and tries to meet him where he’s at — beating the shit out of the punching bag in the Batcave.

The lights are barely on, so the Cave’s half in shadow. From the moment the elevator descends, all Ryan hears is the thick thud of the punching bag. The quick, hard hits of his bare fists. Luke hops from foot to foot in his fighting stance.

Ryan keeps her voice playful. “Try picking on someone your own size.” She sets him up with that. He’s got quite a few inches on her. He’d called her pocket size a few months back when she tried to show how threatening she could be outside of the suit.

But this version of Luke doesn’t even look at her. His whole body’s glistening with sweat at this point, and he grunts out, “I’m good,” before launching into a quick combo on the bag.

Ryan breezes down the catwalk to get to the training area. Closer now, he looks smaller than he used to. Like he’s not eating and instead spends all his time putting on tank tops and joggers and hiding out from the people who care about him. 

She pops into her own fighting stance a few steps out of the danger zone. 

“Well, I’m really good. I don’t mean to brag, but I am teaching multiple martial arts classes.”

He does a spin kick that sends the bag moving a lot further than it used to. How much time has he been spending down here? What’s he preparing for?

Luke steadies the bag. “I don’t want to fight you, Ryan.”

She takes the pause in his practice to grab the other side of the bag. 

“Don’t worry, I can go easy on you. Since you’re still healing and all.” She offers him a teasing smile. His cue to joke back. It might’ve taken them a while to get there, but Ryan and Luke normally play like siblings. She’s never had a brother before him. She doesn’t want to fight either.

He sighs. “Desert rose healed me all up. It’s like it—” He readjusts the wraps on his hands. Finally, he meets her eyes, and the rage in them contradicts how forcibly still his voice sounds. “It’s like it never happened.”

Ryan says, “That’s a good thing, right? You don’t have to worry about scars come summertime.”

Luke jerks his head to the side to tell her to move. Ryan reluctantly lets the bag go, and he gets back to punching. His breath comes out short, but the way he’s hitting feels emotional. Sporadic and pained.

She takes a shaky breath. “Okay, not a good thing. You seem angry. I get anger. You said yourself that I charge into fights that I know I can’t win, and maybe that’s what I’m doing with you.” She has to talk louder over his increased punching speed. “If you want to fight, then we’ll fight. If you want to scream, then we can scream. But this silent brooding thing isn’t you, Luke.”

His head whips around to face her. The bag nearly hits him back as he scoffs at her. “You’ve known me less than a year. You have no idea who I am. Or what I want.”

She reaches her hands out to him. “Then tell me,” she pleads. “Because I want my friend back.”

The fire in his eyes gives way to something hollow. Something aching. He gulps. “Well, you got him.”

“Don’t sound so sad about it,” she says. His jaw twitches, and his nostrils flare. “Wait…. Are you sad about being back?”

Luke starts unwrapping his hands. “I’m fine, Ryan.”

She crosses over to get directly in his face. “But are you happy? Are you upset? Are you—”

“I’m fine!” he yells. His voice echoes through the Batcave, and Ryan flinches. He takes a second to drop his eyes before storming straight for the elevator. He calls over his shoulder. “You can tell Sophie that too.”

Ryan waits until he’s inside the elevator to reply. “What about Mary? You want me to lie to her too?”

Luke’s face crumbles. Then he steadies it back to stone. “Tell her whatever you want. I can’t stop you.” He flips the switch to leave.

Ryan screams because she knows he’ll hear it. Throws her weight behind a punch that sends the bag rattling on its chain.

 .

.

 “See,” Sophie holds her glass up for Ryan to refill, “I told you.” She frowns as she says it, which does make her normal righteousness less pronounced. The fact that she’s curled into herself on Ryan and Mary’s couch also helps lessen the blow.

Ryan dumps the last of their shared wine bottle into Sophie’s glass before plopping the bottle onto the coffee table. She settles back into her half of the couch.

Mary speaks up from her seat in the comfy chair. “What else can we do? If he’s not talking to any of us, or a therapist, then how are we supposed to get Luke back?”

Sophie shrugs. 

Ryan suggests, “We could reach out to Stephanie. Maybe a nerd date will help Luke feel better.”

Mary says, “Just because you started dating Imani immediately after—”

Ryan cuts in, “I didn’t date her immediately after—”

Mary gets louder. “Yeah, you kind of did. Angelique left on the 3:15 train out of Gotham, and Imani came in at 3:30.” She rubs the tense spot between her eyebrows. “No judgment, but maybe that’s not the answer.”

Ryan glances to Sophie for a little support, but the ex-Crow finds her wine real interesting around then. Ryan should defend herself. She dated Imani to get out of her head. Angelique was her first love, but she and Ang weren’t meant to be each other’s only relationship. Waiting around wouldn’t have changed the fact that Ang was starting a new life. Ryan had to start one too.

She shifts on the couch, so her knees can tuck under her body better. Her leg bumps into Sophie’s, and neither of them make a move to shift away. Sophie stares down at their point of contact.

“Maybe he just needs to know we’re here for him. We keep showing up, and eventually, he’ll have to talk to us.”

Ryan nods. “In that case, you’re up, Mary.”

Mary sighs into her wine. “No pressure, right?”

 .

.

Mary and Luke don’t hang out a ton in the real world. Usually, they’re in the Batcave when they spend time together. Or he helps her at the clinic. So, she figures that she shouldn’t exactly rock the boat too far.

Luke sits down on one of the exam chairs in the clinic. The whole space is empty, with the closed sign on the front door. He shrugs out of his jacket. She tries not to look as nervous as she feels.

“Thanks for coming down.” She wrings her hands before stopping herself and planting them firmly against her sides. “I wanted to see how the desert rose in your blood compares to mine, or Ryan’s. So, uh, it shouldn’t take too long to do the draw.”

Luke nods. “Sure thing.” He rolls the sleeve of his left arm up. “I’m all yours.”

“Right.” She chuckles, but it’s a breathless kind. The kind that she needs to clear her throat to cover.

The tray’s already prepped beside him with the needle and test tubes. She rolls her own chair to stop beside him. It’s honestly the closest they’ve been since he’s gotten out of the hospital. He probably doesn’t even remember her being there. Or what she said about needing him just before he came back. That’s probably too intense of a topic to start with.

She ties a band on his arm to make his veins pop. She wouldn’t need it normally. Luke’s got great veins. Great skin in general. Softer than she’d expect for a guy who spends all his time in the same suit. She actually hasn’t seem him in casual clothes that often, come to think of it. Does he own casual clothes?

Luke chuckles. “You’re thinking pretty hard there. First time?”

Mary springs for the needle. “Ha ha. I just… started thinking about… my dad. Because of veins! And Snakebite. He’s, um… doing better?”

He smiles at her, like actually gives a short glimpse of connection. “That’s really good to hear.”

Mary runs with it. “Yeah, and he’s talking about his feelings. And Alice even warned me that somebody might try to hurt me. It’s weird, and I don’t want Alice as my family, but it’s also nice to not feel super alone….” She pricks him then. His face scrunches for a second, and she watches the vial fill up rather than watching his face. “It’s why I’m so grateful to you and Ryan and Sophie. You’ve been my family through all of this. I seriously don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Luke’s left arm twitches, but it doesn’t feel like a blood thing. More like he wants to reach out with it. She keeps her eyes low and unlatches the first vial. Grabs the second and lets that one fill too.

Luke says, “I guess it’s different for me. I have my mom, but…. Did you know she calls me every single day for check-ins?” He sounds tired but amused. “She sent me an Amazon link for a bulletproof vest yesterday. Never mind the fact that I run Wayne Tech and have literally made a better one in my sleep.” His jaw trembles. “But I get it. She almost lost me in the same exact way that we lost my dad. I-I almost did that to her.”

Mary scrambles to say, “You didn’t do anything.”

“I would have. If… if the choice were up to me, I would not have come back.” He turns to face Mary again. “A-and I love my mom. And I love our team. But I am so tired of being a part of a world like this.”

Her heart crumbles in her chest. The vial nearly overflows, and she has to grab the third one. Her hands shake as she goes for it. Her voice shakes too. “You sound kind of… schmuicidal when you say stuff like that.”

“I’m not going to kill myself,” he says. He sounds sure of that.

“But you want to die?” she asks.

“I don’t want….” He sighs and rephrases. “I just want to be somewhere else sometimes. And this whole thing has made anywhere else seem better. I mean, I was in a coma, Mary, and they were photoshopping a gun into my hand. Why would I want to be here?”

She stops the blood drawing to hold his hand. “I’m here. And Batwoman is here.”

He balls his fist beneath her grip. “And no one’s checking to see if me or Ryan are a part of the team. I’ve spent my whole life doing things the right way, and I am exhausted.”

Mary lifts her other hand to open his fist. She turns his hand so they can be palm to palm, so she can thread her fingers through his and let him feel where she’s at too. Because she might be exhausted for different reasons, but she’s tired too.

“I think it’s okay to be exhausted. And to want a break. But you can’t let all of this break you. And if it feels like it is, then I’d really like to help hold you together.” She smiles at him, and he glances away to blink some of the tears out of his eyes. She lifts her voice to add on, “Preferably with the help of a licensed psychological professional.”

“You’re not licensed, and you save lives.” He squeezes the hand in hers. “You saved me.”

Mary nods. “True, but an actual therapist could help you talk through this stuff without you feeling like you’re going to be judged, or a burden — which you’re not.” She practically scoots out of her seat to be closer to him. Her knees knock into the side of his chair, and she would totally feel ridiculous if not for the fact that he angles his body towards her too. “God, Luke, I am so glad that you’re talking to me. I want to know how you feel and what you’re going through. But I also know that a therapist can put this in a perspective that I can’t. So please consider talking to one?”

He holds her stare for a moment. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Next time you want to talk, you just take me to dinner instead of taking my blood.”

Mary laughs, and Luke laughs too. “Deal.”

 .

.

 Luke’s in the bathroom when Mary texts the girl group chat. 

Mary to 🦇 LADIES DO IT BATTER GC 🦇 He sounds better. We’re getting dinner and hopefully he’s getting a therapist.

 Sophie to 🦇 LADIES DO IT BATTER GC 🦇 Great job, Mary.

 Ryan to 🦇 LADIES DO IT BATTER GC 🦇 That’s my girl! Or Luke’s girl? 👀

 Sophie to 🦇 LADIES DO IT BATTER GC 🦇 Ryan, they’re just getting dinner

 Ryan to 🦇 LADIES DO IT BATTER GC 🦇 For now ;)

 Mary leaves them on read and stuffs her phone back into her purse. Luke comes back out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a paper towel. “Ready to go?”

Mary nods. “Yeah, we’ll find our way back.” It’s the only choice they have.

.

.

.

.

a/n: The hopelessness that Luke feels in this episode and the near constant mix of emotions feel so true to my experiences over the last few years. one thing that they have gotten very right are different aspects of these Black experiences. There’s a lot to work through, and I’ve found that therapy and leaning on friends has been real helpful. Hope that Luke gets that too. Hope that you all have that as well.

Let me know how you’re feeling, re: this, or this season. Talk to me, Gotham. I’ll talk back.

#Batwoman #Luke fox #Mary Hamilton #hamilfox #batwoman fic #Ryan wilder #Sophie Moore #bat team #bat team of color #mine #Batwoman: s2 #Batwoman: 215

[unofficialkfamtranscripts]

King Falls AM - Episode Three: Catch And Release

View on Google Docs

Summary: June 1, 2015 - Sammy & Ben are live at Lake Hatchenhaw for the 55th Annual King Falls Bass Tournament with special guest Mayor Grisham.

[Podcast intro music]

[Banjo music]

Randy McMullet [heavy southern accent] Howdy y’all! It’s Randy McMullet from McMullet’s International Palace of Snake Skin Boots and I’m here to tell you we got some slithery savings this weekend! So much savings you’ll have a hissy fit! We’re not holdin’ anything back ‘cause it’s that time of year again! It’s our annual Snake Skin Blowout! I’m talkin’ ‘bout rattlesnake, copperhead, viper, black mamba, and boa constrictor. We got big snake boots at baby snake prices! Ya better hurry though before our inventory is extinct! So come on down to McMullet’s International Palace of Snake Skin Boots! We’ll be there from sun up to sun down this Saturday and Sunday at the corner of Route 72 and ol’ Bombin’ Range Road! McMullet’s International Palace of Snake Skin Boots! Where we fill your boots, with savin’s!

[Banjo music fades out]

[KFAM rock intro music]

Sammy Good morning! You’re listening to King Falls AM, that’s 660 on the radio dial. It’s twelve minutes to six and a beautiful 67 degrees out here at Lake Hatchenhaw.

Ben We are mere minutes away from the starter pistol going off signaling the beginning of the 55th annual King Falls Bass Tournament.

Sammy Ben! I couldn’t have said that better myself, you’re a natural!

Ben [“aw shucks”] Whatever, Sammy.

Sammy But you heard it, kids! The tournament’s about to get under way, but the festivities will be happening all day today. Be sure to swing on by the King Falls AM booth, pick up a bumper sticker, say hi to your favorite personalities, that sort of thing.

Ben And, of course, don’t forget to tweet us your pics today @KingFallsAM or Instagram us with the hashtag kingfalls, and we will repost those bad boys.

Sammy Absolutely, Ben. But just because this show is winding down, doesn’t mean we’re going to sleep on you! We’ve got a guest!

Ben We’re here with Ron Begley, of Begley’s Bait and Tackle. Sponsor of today’s outing.

[note: Ron’s voice can generally be described as “gruff”, any descriptors in transcription are more-so]

Ron [gruffly] Watch it, Ben. Outing is a big word. This is a gathering. 

Sammy Hey, nice to meet ya, Ron!

Ron [sweetly] Nice meetin’ you too, Sammy! And always good to see you, Ben.

Sammy Now, Ron. For all the listeners on the fence about making their way down to the Tourney today, what would you tell ‘em to change their minds?

Ron Ah hell, if they aren’t here now, they ain’t coming.

Ben Metaphorically though—

Ron [harshly] Don’t use ten dollar words when a five dollar word will suffice, Ben. If the lazy bastards aren’t up an’ at em and waiting on Mayor Grisham to fire that pistol, then there ain’t no convincing them otherwise.

Sammy Well, you know what- We’ve got quite the turn out here it seems, so uh, maybe everybody made it down?

Ron [aggressively] I’ll give you fifty damn bucks if you show me Shell Snyder’s fat ass at this lake right now!

Ben Uhhh, I’m sure-

Ron I saw that lazy son of a bitch at the town hidey-hole last night, and I know he hasn’t drug his carcass outta bed.

Sammy Hidey-hole?

Ben Don’t ask.

Ron You want something that’ll put some asses in the seats? I’ll give you somethin’ and this one’s for free. Today we got the fishing tournament, we got the bouncy house for the kiddies, we got that weird food truck that nobody ever eats at but it still shows up to all the King Falls events,

Ben Aaand?

Ron [teasing] And you know where I’m going, Ben. And just last week out by the sunken pontoon boats… We had a sighting!

Ben By the BOATS? That is so close.

Sammy Alright guys. You got me. What did we see?

Ben Sammy—

Ron Why, the Lake Hatchenhaw monster, Sammy!

Sammy Monster.

Ron Why the hell didn’t you Wikipedia-Google-book this town before you moved your sweet ass to it?! Everybody in creation knows about the Lake Hatchenhaw monster!

Sammy Alright, *chuckles* I’m sorry. Uhhh, I don’t mean to be rude, Ron, but you’re talking about your own version of the Loch—

Ron Don’t. Say it. Don’t even think it! That fake sh[bleep]show of a lake monster has nothin’ on Kingsie.

Ben You’ll have to pardon Sammy. He doesn’t believe in the extra-ordinary.

Ron [softly for Ron] What a sad life you must live, Samuel.

Ben So, Ron. This will be the fifth sighting this year, is that correct?

Ron [happy/proud] Fifth this year! She’s been a busy one. Since I took over this shop from my dad, I don’t know that we ever got Kingsie more than twice a year.

Sammy Well, ya heard it here ladies and gents. Uh, If tournament, the bouncy house, and the weird food truck don’t get you down— Kingsie will.

Ron That’s the spirit!

Sammy *chuckles* Okay, about the tournament, Ron. What exactly is on the line here? Wha-Whats the prize today?

Ron Same as every year, Sammy! Brand new bass boat with all the fixin’s and a 500 dollar check from the King Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Sammy That is a hell of a prize! I might just put the mic down and have a go myself, guys!

Ron More than welcome! [gruffly] But you better bring Ben along so you don’t end up as a “fictional lake monster”’s din-din.

Ben *sighs* I’d love to be out on that lake today! Nothing like it!

Sammy Ron Begley, everyone. Uh, Ron, thanks for dropping by and adding some color to the end of our broadcast today!

Ron [quiet and angry] Is that a gay joke, Sammy?

Sammy Uh, I-I’m sorry, what?

Ben Ron, not. At all.

Ron [threateningly] I’m not going to come on this show, and have you talkin’ trash. I’m the only soul brave enough in this town to own my identity and I’m not going to take any flack about it—

Sammy Ron. Ron. No harm was intended. I-I didn’t even know.

Ron [angry, almost shouting] Well now you do so watch your mouth! I like f[bleep]in’ and I like fightin’ and I’m completely sure you don’t want any part of either!

Sammy I-I Ron. *nervous laugh* I mean—

Ron [pleasantly] I’m just jerkin’ your chain, Sammy! Keep up the good work, guys!

Ben *Laughing loudly* Oh, you should see your face!

Sammy Thanks, Ben. Uh—

Some Guy *Slurred* Heyy Ben! What up duuude?

Ben Heyy, uh, Matt! Uhhh. We’re-we’re kinda live here, buddy.

Matt Riiight on! … maintain brah…

Ben Sorry.

Sammy Oh, no worries, bro.

Ben Uh, uh- alright folks! You’ll never believe who we’ve got heading this way! The man of the hour, the man with all the power… Mayor Grisham.

Sammy Mayor Grisham. Thanks so much for taking some time out to talk with us today!

Mayor Grisham Oh, I’ve been wanting to! Believe me. But you boys are on so darn early! I just can’t drag myself out of the bed.

Sammy Understandable.

Mayor Grisham However, my assistant, Riley, transcribes every show for me. Seems like you’re doing a great job. The both of you.

Ben Oh! Thanks so much, Mayor Grisham!

Mayor Grisham You got it, Ben! Hey, how’s your mom doing these days?

Ben Great! She’ll be thrilled that you mentioned her!

Mayor Grisham Least I can do.

Sammy Now, Mayor Grisham, you’re joining us today because in just a few short minutes we’re gonna be kicking off the 55th annual King Falls Bass Tournament—

Mayor Grisham Absolutely! It’s one of the perks of the job that makes it all worthwhile. I mean, who could turn down a beautiful morning on the lake, with all the people of King Falls?

Sammy So, do you ever partake in the tournament yourself?

Mayor Grisham *chuckles* I wouldn’t want to put the King Falls residents to shame! I’m quite an avid outdoorsman.

Sammy Well, it’s nice of you to give everybody a sporting chance.

Mayor Grisham Oh yeah.

Sammy Now, before we let you go- and believe me I hate to break down the mood —

Mayor Grisham Then don’t.

Sammy Oh, *chuckles nervously* well I-I was just gonna ask if you had heard any recent news regarding…

Mayor Grisham Sammy. Another time and another place.

Sammy Well, Mayor Grisham. [floundering] We here, we—

Mayor Grisham That’s all at this time. Thanks for having me. Have your people call Riley and we’ll schedule something soon, Sam.

Sammy [confused and irritated] Heh… Okaay?

Ben What is he- he- can’t- we’re supposed to be here for another three minutes, Sammy.

Sammy *unamused laugh* It’s fine, Ben, uh- it’s not your fault.

Ben Well, no. You ran him off, *scoffs* [growing frantic] buuut he was supposed to stay with us until we went live! with the opening ceremonies!

Sammy Hey, hey. It’s okay.

Ben [worked up] I’m going to fix this. Uh- I got it!

Sammy Ben-Be- Well. That was Ben just leaving in a full sprint, kids. Uh, seems it’s just you and me now, uh, and the mayor’s assistant, recording our every word.

Voice in distance Shotgun Sammy!

Sammy *groans* Okay, so we’re about four minutes away from the top of the hour, and the tournament getting started. Uh, we’d like to wish all the participants today the best of luck, break legs, uh, you know catch fish, wh-what have you. Uh, watch out for Kingsie, obviousl—

Ben I got it! I got it! I’m back!

Sammy Oh, Ben’s back ladies and gents! And he has a friend!

Ben Sammy, King Falls, this is Mr. Herschel Baumgartner. Winner of last year’s tournament! How you doing today, Mr. Baumgartner?

Herschel Good, Benny. Real good. Just ready to get my spot and giveitago this year. Uh, you know it’s about to start, right boys?

Sammy So, Herschel, you won the actual tournament last year, is that correct?

Herschel Oh, you bet I did! Won it back in ‘92, and ‘89 as well. But don’t go askin’ for tips now, son. Now if you excuse me—

Sammy Oh wow! So you are a three time winner of the King Falls Bass Tournament lookin’ for big number four this morning!

Herschel [sarcastic] Huh, Big City can count. We’re T-minus three minutes here, boys. If you don’t have anything pressing…

Ben Uh, for the listeners, Mr. Baumgartner, wha-what would you say is, is, is, the-the most important part—

Herschel [suspiciously] Who put you up to this? Was it Cecil? [grumbling] Amateur, usurpin’ so-and-so-

Ben No! We-we just needed to fill some time.*nervous laugh*

Herschel You’re going to pull me out of my boat to fill time? You are a DUMB son of a b[bleep]!

Sammy [warning] Hey now!

Herschel Don’t you dad-voice me, son. I’ll put a boot rrright up your ass, just like I did those Krauts[1] back in WWII! [said “dubya-dubya two”]

Sammy [harshly] You know what? Great talking to you Herschel.

Herschel [grumbling] New-fangled radio bums, looking for a hand-out. I ain’t givin’ ya no tips! No spots, no tricks o’ the trade! How I flick my wrist [fades out as he walks away]

[woman screams in bg]

Ben Was… that a scream?

Sammy [laughing dismissively] I’m sure it was just someone seeing Mr. Baumgartner’s lovely personality.

Ben I think something might be up, Sammy. Seriously.

Sammy Uh, ladies and gentlemen, as always, we thank you for tuning in with us here at King Falls AM. We’re about to go live with the opening ceremonies at the 55th annual-

[another, longer scream. Someone in the bg yells “There’s a body in the lake!” followed by sounds of an agitated crowd and a lot of people screaming]

Sammy Folks, stay with us! It seems that a body has just surfaced here at Lake Hatchenhaw! Come on, Ben!

Ben [incredulously] We’re going there?

Sammy Cronkite. Brokaw. Ben Arnold.

Ben *huffs* Right.

[Deputy Troy yells incomprehensibly through a megaphone.]

Ben-at-a-distance Tweet us!

[screaming continues]

Sammy Alright, we’re on the dock. [aside] if we could just push past— There’s the mayor! Right there!

Deputy Troy [through a megaphone] Everybody please stay calm!

Ben [quiet,worried] What if it’s Tim?

Sammy Mayor Grisham! Can you confirm that there is a body here—

Deputy Troy [still through the megaphone] Sorry boys. I don’t want to, but the Mayor’s going to cut—

[audio cuts to static]

[KFAM outtro]

[CREDITS]

References

[1] Kraut - a derogatory term for a German, especially a German soldier, during WWI and WWII

#King Falls AM #King Falls #KFAM #sammy stevens #ben arnold #KFAM transcripts #KFAM ep3 #Ron Begley #troy krieghauser #mayor grisham #herschel baumgartner

[jainarden-blog]

A Little Bit Of Organization Wouldn’t Hurt A Bit

Today is a searching and researching online day for an end to the endless clutter I have lived with FOREVER! I am so ready to clear the decks both physically/mentally and offline/online and get to some #extremeproductivity.

This is going to involve a lot of thinking and a lot of trying out things to streamline it into this no-fluff ecosystem I am dreaming about, even as I am typing this. A big part of this is to go paperless and also to start using my IOS phone a lot more. The below may seem like a lot of places but the object of my game is to have places to put things where I can go back and retrieve them. My mind and life goes so fast a lot of the time that the clutter, even when it is just mental has a tendency to pile up and to overwhelm me. By clearing physical mess (most importantly paper) and mental overflow, I can create the space I need to be the best me. Two big goals are time to do online study and being fit mind and body.

Read on for tools and thoughts about them:

Tumblr - Reasons for Tumblr: braindumps, writing habit, connection my introvert heart desires at times, and ease of use. Tumblr is good just to write or to spend time reading. I find a lot of the people on Tumblr are pretty deep, creative and wildly entertaining. Tumblr is a good place for introverts.

Saved.io - to try and curb the worthless habit of saving fifty trillion bookmarks and adding to them daily without ever really delving into those websites or using them. No extensions for this. You just add saved.io after the http:// or https:// and to make folder (tags/labels) put a name in front of .saved.io. Super easy. Sign up for an account and have an online spot for bookmarking your heart out

Google Keep - I need something to take down my own thoughts in a browser as I am surfing/researching and do not want to make a big deal out of it. There is a Chrome extension or you can right-click to add notes with tags. Braindumps and a place to satisfy data pack-rat urges. Follows the line of thinking that I am using Google for a lot of things and it’s already there anyway.

Google Calendar - I have multiple Google accounts but one where all my emails and appointments go. I synced this as my main calendar on IOS instead of the default calendar. One calendar to rule them all! Same for the one gmail. There is also an extension to add events quickly, along with the right click option.

Feedbro - RSS feed reader - too bad Google did away with theirs. This takes away some bookmarks for favorite sites/blogs and gives me an easy and fast way to know that I am keeping up with things that are important to me. Clicking the extension lets you “Find feeds on this page,” save feeds and also to open up your feedreader. Feeds can be categorized into folders.

LastPass - I have used this for years on my computers. It is the best password keeper as far as I am concerned. AND FREE! Today, I put it on my phone. I cannot say enough about how great this tool is for your information.

Scanbot - app for scanning in documents by taking a pic of them. This will definitely come in handy for those on-the-go document situations. Things like bills, manuals, purchase papers, etc. I have at home will, most of the time, be scanned in using my printer’s scanner.

Bullet Journal (BuJo) - my offline to-do / to-did and short journal things. I have one for me and one for my computer. The one for my computer has already saved me this year when I was trying to figure out what program was conflicting with another. My memory was helped by my documentation on what programs I had downloaded and when. I also document computer problems: what happened and what helped. Everything in one book - I think everyone should have one of these and I am surprised I never thought of it before this year. My personal BuJo is not one of internet proportions. I tried that and failed miserably and lost all site of what the book was supposed to be for to begin with. I ditched the trying to make it pretty and doing weekly/monthly spreads. I am back to the original version that Carroll Ryder set forth with his inspiration and am a thousand times better for it. This is something I can hold in my hands and look back on from time to time to see exactly how my time on earth went.

SimpleNote - I have a Reminder label in this for to-do’s, but I mostly just write to-do’s on the calendar or on a post-it/index card to throw away. I also document to-do/to-did’s in my personal BuJo. No this program is going to be something I use for some time, I do believe. I decided I am going to document work with this, especially conversations. I never remember the specifics in time so this will be my second work brain. Tags will be people (initials, first name, or my nickname for them). I can then go back to specific conversations that I want to refresh myself on and also for people notes such as date of birth, family (kid/husband/wife name), and/or specific things about them. Also, dates of meetings, project dates,etc. This is in its infancy - I have high hopes for this going forward.

AirTable - This website/app has high potential. I really like that it is set up like an Excel spreadsheet. I have projects set up in it for tracking daily spending, pantry inventory, gifts, etc. etc. etc. This is so customizable!!!! In my pantry list, I can add columns to be able to know what my lowest price on an item was - so in essence, a pantry checker with a price book included. I figure the way I use it will grow as I get used to it and find its value.

mySymptoms -  $$ App for tracking your health. This is the one thing I paid for. I can’t wait to get enough stuff in it for a good PDF download. It is customizable to you, just like the AirTable. You can add/delete the things you want to track and there is a big list of them: drinks, food, medications, supplements, mood, symptoms, bowel, energy, sleep, stress, exercise, environment, and other. Some of these can be extra helpful for people who struggle with certain diseases or triggers. This is certainly a make-it-all-about-you app that can show correlations between a factor(s) causing another factor(s). Or even for people who forget when or how long they took medications or supplements. In my new found goal of creating a life that serves my health - this one is a winning part of it. I will be a participant in my healthcare.

Instagram - because, at times, I like to take photos of food and things I see that I like. And because, I hate Facebook. IG also gives me an easy way to change the way the photos look and share back to myself for other uses and ways to share my account online with my online people-ha. Braindump for photos.

Twitter - because it’s fun... and sometimes informative. Twitter is the quick connection to the rest of the world and let’s anyone fit into it. My favorite parts of the twit are hashtag and whatever “new episode” tv show I am watching. It’s fun to join in with whatever other people think of an episode and throw your two cents in too. I never feel like I am sitting at my house alone on Friday & Saturday nights with #livepd. With the added gifs on posts, it can get quite hilarious.

GoodReads - This is hooked up to my Amazon account and my Amazon account is hooked up to my local library account through Overdrive. So... free books. I read every night on my Kindle app (you can read in your browser too). The books are automatically added to my GoodReads account. At this time, I am 8 books ahead on my goal to read 100 books this year. 

Listal - As for movies, the best site I have found is Listal. You can tag, star and make lists for the movies/tv you watch (along with books, products, people, dvds, and games, if you wish). Many members do a Halloween movie list each year.

Pinterest - this place fulfills my yearnings to save a million quotes, presented in a pretty way and is the easiest way to make kick ass vision boards. I have multiple boards for this very thing: HouseVB, ClothesVB, ThingsVB and so on.

This is the big starting out list. I didn’t want to leave anything out because I need to be clear on what I am really using and be consistent on what accounts I use for what services. Pinterest may be a big black hole, but once set up with mostly productive boards, I can relax knowing that they are helping me visualize the things I want while also letting me do something that is fun (even if sometimes just losing time surfing the internet).The same with Twitter and Instagram. They are black holes for time. But this way they are serving a purpose of entertainment and braindumps to clear the way for good space in my life. I will follow up with this as being productive online is both an important topic for me and also a much needed topic discussion. In my research, I wish more people would post about their systems to help the rest of us out :D

#OCD #clutter #paperless #organize

[thecrazyfour]

Chapter 7

Day 3

Pan: Dear recorder.You wouldn't believe what Eva made us to do. Today we were making dating site profiles. By the way it was a lot harder than we thought. While registration we realized we didn't have any pictures as a girl. So Eva decided to take photos of us. I was wearing colorful pants and a hoodie. That wasn't important information but still I decide to share it with you. After we took photos we went to the coffee shop. While I was ordering a coffee I started talking to the girl. It all happened very fast, long story short I got her number. That 's kinda sad that woman version of me gets more girl's attention than real me. Her name is Rose. We were texting since. Oh, she texted again gotta go.

Kai: Day 3. Jesus. Boys are dumb. Just one hour in the dating sites and I am embarrassed and sorry on behalf of idiots from internet. Guess what was my first match introduction? "Hi, I'm Jim. Your place or mine?" Let me read the whole dialog. So he said:

-Your place or mine

-Oh no Jim. That's not the way you speak with a lady.

-Kiara, what that legs do?

-Kick between your legs. Listen, Jim. Do you want a girl or nah?

-Of corse.

- Do you have another matches?

-Yeah, why are you asking? Do you want threesome or something?

-I am trying to do a good deed. And no to the threesome part. Try to start a conversation with a compliment.

-Compliment?

-What, you know what compliment is, right? Tell her that you like her bio.

-I haven't read her bio.

-Just do what I say, trust me.

-Ok, she replied.

-Never had that before huh? I told you. Now ask questions about herself. "What that legs do" doesn't count.

- She had dog in the pics. I can something about the dog.

-Nice, you learning.

A few hours later he texted that he still talks to that girl. Ahh, I am a cupid, teacher of the horny boys from internet how not to be an ass. One idiot less. You are welcome ladies and universe.

Jack: Day 3. First off topic news. I asked Eva out. She agreed. Ahh...I am so happy! It was weird that I asked her for a date while we were creating dating profile for me, but still very romantic. Anyways back to our topic. In these three days I realized that girls favorite hobby is to complain about girl stuff. So after the photoshoot and dating profile making I decided to google some girl problems to complain next 7 days. I googled but I don't understand most of them. For example: " My hair-tie won't go around my hair three times. But it's too loose when it's wrapped twice". What the hell that was supposed to mean? "I went to the bed with white sheets and woke up with Japan's flag underneath me." This one is more confusing than the first one. I tried to get to now girls better but now I am more lost. Update: Hades told me that Japan's flag was a reference to a period. Hashtag relatable. I guess?

Hades: Day 3. Only three days past, but if feels like a life time. I am pretty sure being girl is fun and stuff. But being guy that walks, talks, acts like a girl is frustrating. I unmatched everyone on dating site. Not in the mood for talking. What I got myself into. I have a lot of work to do. So I took my laptop and went to the cafe dressed like a girl, of course. That way I could work and do this little experiment thing at the same time. Nothing interesting happened. Thankfully just like a week ago no one tried to interact with me, except the waiter that wrote his number on a tissue. I just smiled and when I left I threw that tissue in to the trash. The day was great so far. If I said I could not wait for next 7 days, I would be lying or possessed by the demon.

[frantzois]

QUESTIONS ABOUT ME

Yo so i’ve been tagged by @candyfloss-lover ty hamster

Nicknames : Francis, Frantz, Ecureuil, Franchi, Moshe (my mother calls me that because my second name is Maurice and it’s the equivalent of Moses, and Moses is pronounced Mo-Shê in hebrew). Also, if you want to win my heart just call me Puppy/Kitten (Chaton).

Gender: Male

Star Sign: Virgo

Height: 5'7

Time: midnight

Birthday: september 16

Favourite bands: LED ZEPPELIN, Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, N.E.R.D., Badbadnotgood, Arctic Monkeys/The Last Shadow Puppets, dvsn, Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals/NxWorries, Sonder/Brent Fayiaz

Solo artists: FRANK OCEAN, KENDRICK LAMAR, MIGUEL, DAVID BOWIE, Sade, Kaytranada, Justin Timberlake, Travis Scott, Pharrell Williams, Tyler The Creator, Kali Uchis, SZA, Jorja Smith, Thundercat, Sabrina Claudio, MF Doom

Song stuck in my head: Lemon by N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna

Last show I watched: The Killing (US Version) it’s brilliant

When did i create my blog: i don’t know like 2 years ago

Last thing i googled: Ruiner (Sci-fi action video game)

Any other blog: nope

Do you get asks: not at all, it’s actually the first time i write on my blog like ever. But if y'all got any questions about anything related to music or art in general, feel free to ask

Why did you choose your url: it’s my first name (François) and my nickname combined

Following blogs: like 30 or something, i reblog either aeshthetics posts about cars or any other artists i like, but actually i’m following hashtags of models i’m in love with. BLANCA PADILLA, RIANNE VAN ROMPAEY, BELLA HADID, GIZELE OLIVEIRA 💖💖💖

Followers: mostly porn blogs lmao but like 4 or 5 real??

Favourite colors: all shades of grey and blue

Average hours of sleep: really depends of my mood actually lmao, like 6/7 hours when i’m happy and like 4 or 3 if i’m stressed or sad (yeah i think a loooooooot)

Lucky number: 8 (ironic uh?)

Instruments: 3 guitars, drums, 2 harmonicas, i plan to start bass, keys and saxophone this year. Maybe starting recording music once i’ll master every instruments enough and have spare time and money like when i’ll be 25 or something to work besides music.

What i’m wearing: white tshirt with rolled up short sleeves and jogging pants

How many blankets do i sleep with: 2

Dream job: Artist who just do every single form of art because everything interests me as long as it’s telling a story, but i also study Law in uni and i’d love to be Judge for civic affairs or family affairs.

Dream trips: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Tokyo

Favourite food: Any red meat with like a good red wine is fine for me lmao

Nationality: french

Ethnicity: french/spanish for like 75% even tho i’m pretty fucking white LMAO

Favorite song right now: Havana Remix by Camila Cabello/Filthy by Justin Timberlake

Well that’s the end, i don’t know who to tag so it stops there for me (sorry for being such a disappointment)

[cromulentbookreview]

Quarantini Time!

Or: Quarantine: a Love Story by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc!

Poor, anxious Oliver is just wrapping up a Spring Break volunteering trip in the Dominican Republic. He just wants to go home, attend a party and somehow work up the courage to ask a girl out. Flora just spent the past week on a disastrous visit to her dad and her airheaded stepmom. Flora and Oliver find themselves on the same flight home from Punta Cana to Miami, and from there, back to NYC. Because they both live in Brooklyn, obviously. 

Sidenote: a message to Brooklyn from the people of Portland - 

And now back to the book review.

Oliver, unfortunately, gets stuck to some guy who is visibly sick, aka every fliers worst nightmare. In an attempt to get away from the obvious disease vector, he moves one row back and sits right next to...you guessed it, Flora. Sparks fly - she calms him down while he has a panic attack on the flight, she thinks his eyes are like a cool breeze. He finds her refreshingly forthright and honest. 

Meanwhile, I’m sitting there reading all of this like:

There’s just one problem: the flight attendants take notice of obviously sick dude, whose backstory, name or anything like that we never learn. They call the CDC, because apparently there’s a new, fun, mutated form of infectious Mononucleosis. Gotta love that Epstein-Barr virus! But this isn’t your average mono, this is tropical mono. It’s tropical, which apparently, with diseases, makes it worse. Seriously, how come we always act like diseases from the tropics are somehow scarier or worse? There are plenty of diseases you can catch in the Northern Hemisphere that are super scary. Like the hantavirus. Or an infection with Naegleria fowleri. Also, you can catch leprosy from an armadillo. We’ve had cases of Plague here in Oregon, yet another reason why I rarely stray east of the Cascades (sorry Central, Eastern and Southern Oregon, but...come on, Plague) or visit the desert (sorry, Arizona and New Mexico, but, come on, look at that CDC map!). Anyway...I had a point here but I’ve lost it. Anyway: mutant mono. Scary stuff.

If you don’t know about mono, you’re in luck! I happen to have a thing for infectious diseases, which I may have mentioned here before. Infectious mononucleosis, sometimes but almost never called “glandular fever,” known by most as just “mono” is an infectious disease caused usually by the Epstein-Barr virus, but some can be caused by other viruses (like the human cytomegalovirus) though those are in the minority. The Epstein-Barr virus is a virus in the herpes family and is a kind-of cousin to my arch-nemesis, Varicella Zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox, and, if you’re me at 24, shingles. You can get shingles at any age, people! And it hurts! Jesus H. Christ, it hurts! It’s like having a white-hot cheese-grater just scraping off your skin at all times. If you think you have shingles, go and get treatment right away, don’t just go “oh, it’s just mosquito bites” and over a week while it feels like your skin is melting off your body...

Uhm. Get your shingles vaccine, that’s all I’m saying.

So anyway, Epstein-Barr. It can cause a ton of different conditions, including a whole bunch of cancers. Most people have had an Epstein-Barr infection at some point in their lives and probably just mistook it for a cold or the flu. But with mono, what happens is you get a fever, a very sore throat, you feel tired as all get out, your glands - especially the ones around your neck - swell up...you know. Mono. Sometimes there are complications to mono, including what is probably my favorite word in the English language but something that doesn’t sound pleasant at all: splenomegaly. That’s just when your spleen swells up. Hurray for the spleen!

Mono is primarily spread through saliva. Like, if you share a drinking glass or kiss. Fun fact: I never got mono as a teen because nobody ever wanted to kiss me or share their drinks. Or be that close to me. Or even hang out with me. Yay? Only in rare, rare cases can mono be spread through other bodily fluids, like blood or semen, so...there’s that.

And now, once again, back to the book review.

Once Flora and Oliver’s flight arrives in Miami, the plane is greeted by none other than the CDC. Yay! Frankly, if I were on a flight that was greeted on the runway by the CDC, I would geek out so hard. The CDC puts all the passengers on a 24-hour hold to see if any of them develop a fever. While they’re going through their final checks, Flora impulsively fakes a fever. She does this by taking the thermometer out of her mouth and then rubbing on it while the CDC worker isn’t looking which...you know what, suspend your disbelief for a while, OK? As soon as it becomes apparent that she has a fever and needs to go into a 30 day quarantine, Flora kisses Oliver. As one does. Now they’re both going to be stuck in quarantine for 30 days. They’re given a room together because...reasons. 

Once in quarantine, Oliver and Flora don’t have much to do other than just hang out with one another. Once Flora starts the hashtag #quaranteen on social media, though, she and Oliver become online famous. Suddenly Kelsey, the girl Oliver had been crushing on back in New York, has come down to Miami and is declaring herself to be Oliver’s girlfriend. Tension ensues! Will Oliver and Flora get sick? Will Oliver finally realize that Kelsey is the absolute worst? And will Flora and Oliver finally just get together goddamn it???

Quarantine: A Love Story is the wonderfully light and fluffy read that I needed in my life right now. The past two books I’ve read were both really sad and depressing - Internment especially takes on a whole new relevance now in light of recent events - so a happyfun YA romance about two teens in a weird situation that appeals to my weird love for infectious diseases was just what my brain called for at the moment. If you happen to know anything about medicine, though, er...don’t come in to this book hoping for a medically accurate depiction of quarantine. I happen to be one of those weirdos who has spent many, many years reading up on infectious diseases and quarantine/isolation treatment in hospitals. Why? Reasons. So there are a few times where I had to go aaaagh, they’re not called hazmat suits - HAZMAT is short for “hazardous materials” in medicine, you wear Personal Protective Equipment. PPE, people! Remember your PPE! Also, did you know the CDC has videos of the proper donning and doffing of PPE? Yup, they do. And it’s not like I haven’t watched all of those videos. I mean, I’m an adult, I have a life and a job and friends, I swear! I don’t spend a lot of my spare time reading about infectious diseases and proper treatments of infectious diseases...

Also, for some reason, in this fantasyland Quarantine, they let visitors take their phones into the room with them. And let the patients touch said phones. And they let their moms bring their purses in with them. Because...quarantine? I could put on my infectious disease nerd hat and go on and on and on about how that’s not how it works, but honestly, I don’t care. I didn’t come here for an accurate depiction of a hospital quarantine situation, if I wanted that, the CDC website is right there, waiting for me. I’m here for a cute YA love story about two teens in a weird situation. And to hate on that awful, selfie-obsessed bitch Kelsey. Yeah, we all know someone like Kelsey. She’s the worst.

But what I did love about this book was both its portrayal of anxiety, and the realistic depiction of how teens communicate. Plus, the romance is adorable. Team Floriver, bitches.

However, If you, like me, are super fond of learning about infectious diseases, go listen to This Podcast Will Kill You - it’s a fantastic podcast all about infectious diseases and probably one of my favorite podcasts, ever. (Go listen to their measles episode, it’s brilliant and sadly very, very timely, particularly for me, currently in the center of a full-scale epidemic caused entirely by stupidity).

In fact, if you’re wondering about the title of this review (if it can even be called a review, I haven’t really remained on topic for more than ten seconds) I shamelessly stole the Quarantini from This Podcast Will Kill You. The Quarantini belongs to the two Erins. A Placeborita is the non-alcoholic version of the drink, and since Quarantine: A Love Story is a YA novel, I figure I should make a Placeborita in its honor. 

So, behold! The Quaranteentini! 

Made out of the best non-alcoholic ingredients I could find in my kitchen while resisting the urge to add delicious, fruity vodka. (Hey, they are a local company, therefore I must drink it!)

The Quaranteentini:

Raspberry La Croix water

Lemon Juice

Grenadine

Lime Wedge

Garnish with gumdrops

Then add Huckleberry Vodka because I’m an adult. Best enjoyed with a general desire to forget the awfulness of the world and lose oneself in a cute teen romance.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anybody in the mood for a book that is fun and happy and romantic.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR: Infectious disease nerds and medical professionals.

SERIOUS BOOK REVIEWER RATING: 3/5

YA ROMANCE FANGIRL RATING: 500,000,000/5

RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2019

#quarantine a love story #katie cicatelli-kuc #scholastic #ya romance #ya fiction #ya contemporary #book review #mono #infectious disease #this podcast will kill you #quarantini #placeborita #mononucleosis #epstein-barr #quarantine #quaranteen #social media #anxiety in fiction #floriver

[igkmiyijlsbg-blog]

5 Little Hacks To Know Who Views My Instagram Fastly

Instagram is by far one of the most popular photo sharing platforms at the grow old being. past Instagram is a share of the Facebook conglomerate both Facebook and Instagram tend to favor video content greater than photo content, more and more. Weve seen this trend growing every year for the as soon as few years and it will probably stay this way. Instagram is can you see who views your instagram story popular because of its pretty design, ease of use, vast amount of nimble people engaging on the platform, and of course because of alle the nice content. You can follow anyone you like, your friend, your neighbour, Kendal Jenner, Forbes or pretty much whatever else, just distinct by your interests. Instagram covers every topic and concentration reachable and you will be clever to find anything you gone upon the platform.

See Who Views Your Instagram

Instagram is furthermore one of the reasons why influencer promotion got so popular in the recent years, and why the industry is growing as a result fast. Influencer publicity is based on branding and selling through new people, just as soon as a referral from a friend, but from social media instead. Especially Instagram, which afterward incorporated a feature called partnership in the manner of x, where a brand can directly connect a sponsored or partnership state bearing in mind an Instagrammer, taking into account shown below.Instagrams-Paid-Partnership-Paid-promotion. In this herald Ill lid the top 5 methods upon how you can see who had viewed your Instagram profile. At this times living thing you arent dexterous to how to see who viewed your instagram look the perfect profiles of the people who have viewed your profile. At the moment you will solitary be competent to see have have viewed your story, as you probably know already. You probably want to find out who is watching your profile, and wether or not this boy or girl is stalking. We reach understand, we every desire some privacy right? You might mood that there is no infatuation to find out who is viewing your account and stalking your every concern on Instagram. But, think approximately for once. Dont you in fact desire to know your stalkers who actually venerate you. However there are solutions to this problems, and even though Instagram doesnt (like supplementary social media sites) approved allow the permission to view the correct profile of people who have viewed your Instagram, you can use some 3. party tools to acquire some more insight. as soon as people are stalking on Instagram you actually stalk people extremely easy, because you wont even have to visit their account from your own account or phone. A unquestionably popular tool is www.insta-stalker.com where you can clearly type in a username to watch their account posts and stories. Insta-stalker doesnt require any login or payment to use their service, however you wont be able to view private accounts, which is why we recommend having a private account. There are still methods to view whos watching your Instagram profile and posts. There are oscillate approached to analysing your Instagram account as with ease as who is viewing, engaging, liking etc. upon your profile and posts. For stories you can simple tap at your stories and you will be greeted by some of the basic details not quite the story, such as how many have viewed it, and who have viewed your story. Example in the same way as shown below. These stories present your and your as soon as a social rank, which lets Instagrams algorithm choose who it thinks matters the most to you. As you might have noticed, you tend to see stories of your associates first (at the summit of your Instagram feed) and later you will see celebrities and additional people, businesses and pages you follow. The excuse for this is the more you engage subsequently one person or page upon Instagram the cutting edge social rank it gets to your account. If you stop viewing, liking, clicking etc. upon their profile their social rank will drop and vice versa. In new words, a popularity score. For this defense if your account inst private or you just want to acquire some more insight of your buddies moreover stories you yet have some options. Transforming your account in to a concern account is fairly simple and easy and doesnt require any cost or hard setup. The proces is simple. Generally this will moreover ask you to link up to your situation page on Facebook (because normally businesses uses this feature) however you can skip this portion and just get the business insight for your profile. taking into consideration you got a concern account you will get admission to concern Feature and Instagram Insight. This means you and mount up issue features such as contact button, call and e-mail info to your account as capably as the Instagram insight, which lets you get a lot more details not quite your posts, followers and engagement. bearing in mind using 3. party tools there are a lot of options to chose from. Most tools are used for businesses and have businesses in mind with it comes to tally features, functionality etc, which plus plan that some tools are paid options. Ill by yourself cover tools in this publish which are mainly focused for personal accounts and correspondingly with who views my instagram unaccompanied release tools. besides Instagram own acuteness and stories analytics, these tools under are some great options to gather extra assistance about who views you Instagram and Instagram statistics of your account in general. If you are afraid of stalkers for your account, always remember to broadcast responsible, and make your account private so lonesome your buddies can see what your post. Ins Eye is the first of 3. party apps we suggest and is one of the popular Instagram analytics app. This is a absolute app if you want to know more nearly your followers, whos watching your profile as with ease as whos liking but not following. So, can you see who views you Instagram account and posts? In short, yes considering one of the apps you will be clever to see who views your posts. A good fit for any influencer, personal trainer, designer, musician, matter or anyone else whos fascinating in growing their Instagram or getting more detailed suggestion more or less their considering and their Instagram profile in general.

My View Introduction

IG Apers is complementary popular analytics app for Instagram users next more than IG Apers . This is as well as simple to use and permit you to monitor the most key features of your profile and monitor your fan growth. IG Apers also offers a premium paid savings account like some further features, however the features listed under are included in the release version. einstapp is option Instagram app that allows you to gain some cool and unique opinion very nearly your Instagram account and followers. This tool offers a 7 days free measures and is after that a 4.99$ monthly subscription, however can you see who views your instagram story have enough money it a try and look if you when it. later einstapp you will be skillful to look who viewed your Instagram account for FREE, and is unquestionably simple to use. give it a try following the events to see if this is a fine fit for you. Analytics for Instagram + likes aka Instatistc is choice cold app showing you who unfollowed you, who is not later than back, tracking stalkers, profile visitors and much mor. This app is a quick and accurate tool for fan analytics for your Instagram. You can acquire weekly reports of you Instagram feign and analytics, look for recent IG Apers tracking whos not behind your account as with ease as a unfollow your non-follow feature at an ease. This is choice how to see who viewed your instagram great example of an app where you can view whos watching you Instagram pictures and videos. followers Stats+ for Instagram is another different following it comes to Instagram 3. party tools and apps. This app has a great layout and easy to use design. Its one of the popular apps for Instagram and permit you to analyse your account with likes, comments, hashtags and much more.

Summary

Now we have covered some of the most well-liked apps for Instagram behind it comes to analyzing your Instagram account and finding stalkers. every of the 3. party apps offers a release savings account correspondingly you will be clever to use them without spending a dollar. However some of them offers a premium bill in the same way as more features and details. who viewed my instagram get started, hop into your Google produce a result stock or App Store, these apps works both upon Android and and iOS and are simple to use. Download your favourite and get started right away. get going following one of the apps above and find your stalkers and secret lovers upon Instagram. Most Instagram account holder would taking into consideration to know who is looking at their photos and once the stories

[thefilmtyro]

Group essay - Black Mirror

Melissa Cofie & Ratidzai Chavarika

Black Mirror created and written by Charlie Brooker is a British based anthology television series centered around  themes of Sci-Fi, political satire, the dangers of our advanced technological age and modern society. The main speciality of the series is the method in which it efficiently demonstrates another reality or possibility of our future society. Brooker's main hope for Black Mirror's audience, is to take away a healthy dose of fear through this collection of cautionary tales designed to heighten our awareness and about how short steps from our world could lead to a drastically different reality, one which we may end up not liking very much. Due to this, these episodes can be described as thought experiments designed around the question “What if?”.

In addition, the title of the series is very representative of the meaning of the show. As the title of the show suggests it is a mirror of our society but a darker version. Holding up a reflection of how the current path we heading on could eventually lead to misery and dystopia. A Black Mirror is used in Black magic as a window to the Universe and to the Spirit world. Looking into the dark reflection can provide visions and insights of past lives or things yet to occur. Also providing an array of answers to questions you may have or show you your spirit guides as a gateway to the other side.

The very title of the tv series "Black Mirror" is a significant feature of the show, suggesting a darker perception of the current reality we are living in. It's no surprise that we are living in a rapidly growing and ever changing technological age, we are so over consumed with our devices and gadgets that the negative impacts that we may fail to see, Charlie Brooker emphasises through the narrative of each episode. Resulting in a dark and twisted version of our outlook on our obsession over social media for one example. As a result, each episode is constructed by a different director, allowing the power and authority of creating a new world.

The most prominent feature of the series is it's a rare and challenging format, a format difficult to pull of through a visual medium. Each episode is like it's own mini movie with a beginning, middle and end and a catharsis. Brooker compared the series to a short story collection. With the added agency to the viewers on Netflix of watching in any order they please. Each episode is dropped into a situation which is not immediately explained to the audience.

Often what is gathered in the first few opening minutes of the episode is purposely far from the whole picture as there tends to be a plot twist or major reveal in the later minutes of the show.

The narrative structure of the show therefore contradicts and goes against the 'Russian doll structure', otherwise referred to as embedded narrative. Which directly defined as "A story within a story". In addition, embedded narratives work by analogy or contrast as if story us taken in completely different direction then still have an impact based on first story. Leading to an overall dramatic mood and tone of the narrative, illustrating the thematic function of the series. Therefore, the style the Brooker adopts can be compared to the embedded narrative structure. Especially as each episode starts of smoothly then leading to a plot twist in the story and finally a catharsis. Overall, the episodes to not easily fall together to show a wider story but they wait for facts of the universe to be revealed gradually through events.

Brooker has suggested that all episodes in all four seasons collectively coexist amongst each other within the same universe. This is suggested by the strong use of Easter eggs and ideological micro texts at least once in each episode. Brooker includes the use of Easter eggs in each episode to evidently suggest the many overlapping details of the stories, further suggesting these episodes to some degree could be in a shared universe psychologically. We also see technologies which resemble each other. In "White Christmas" the Z-eyes the augmented reality devices planted in the eyes of humans bare a striking resemblance to the "ear grains" seen in another episode which record and analyse sound from your entire life history. The Z eyes prove to be more developed than the grain ear technology suggesting the “White Christmas” episode took place at a later time in the same universe.

In each episode of Black Mirror there is no specific importance allocated to one character in particular. In a majority of episode if there is no one main character there are often two characters who hold the most significance to the narrative being told. Most of the time these two characters are unaware of each others presence at the beginning of the episode but coke to know each other through a certain event which occurs and leads the way for the eventual twist in the plot. Occasionally another character of importance may be introduced towards the catharsis of the story, but solely for the purpose of revealing a major plot twist in which the episode turns dark.

An example of this would be in season three's "Hated in the nation", Blue Coulson, a new detective in the job of a crime investigation was introduced to her boss the second character at the beginning then following into the story. When researching on social media for the “#DEATHTO” hashtag another hashtag appeared as trending which said “#FREETHEWHITEBEARONE” referring to a character imprisoned in a previous episode called “White Bear”. In support, moments during the show where screens are shown in shot are where Brooker takes the opportunity to hide references in plain sight.

Through the inclusion of easter eggs in each episode this illustrate spatial temporal as well as psychological microtexts. This can be depicted further as a means of Brooker connecting the alternate world while reflecting and magnifying some real life elements of ours. Episode "Nosedive" shows us a world in which our current climate of social media obsession escalates until all of society is engulfed in the pressure of maintaining high social scores online.

Although Black Mirror is describe as an anthology we are given hints that the episodes are all part of the same universe rather than a completely different world. This is evident in multiple episodes. There is an episode called USS Callister, a receptionist in this episode uses the same dating app used in the episode ‘Hang the DJ’ that I will analyse later in this essay. This app becomes one of the main plots for this episode showing that Black Mirror uses the same universe but also foreshadows future events. There is a use of Easter eggs used within a few Black Mirror episodes and the fact that they are the same shows that the characters share the same reality.

Black Mirror reflects our reality within the name of the show itself. This is then evident within the episodes that we watch on Black Mirror. An episode that stands out which relates to our current society is the episode called ‘Hang the DJ’. This episode is based around online dating which is a big thing that we have around us today.

We have apps like Tinder then there’s websites such as ‘Match.com’, ‘SeekingArrangment’, ‘EHarmony’, ‘Zoosk’ and ‘Elite Singles’. These apps help us to find the perfect match by viewing their online profiles and talking to them over social media in hope for it to escalate to real life. Apps like these can allow us to become quite obsessive because we’re so caught up in the idea of finding our suitable partner by the off chance.

In this episode of Black Mirror the characters are using a system that is automatic. They name this system as their ‘coach’. Their coach plans and organises the characters multiple dates in hope that eventually they will find their perfect match however these dates have a specified time limit. A date can last from 24 hours to even some years. This allows the character to learn about their likes and dislikes allowing the coach to match them to their perfect partner eventually, they then leave the app forever afterwards.

The two main characters are Amy and Frank. They go on a date which lasts for 12 hours and they clicked instantly, this was a problem as the coach does not allow them to have more time with each other. They are only allowed to have the time that is specified. Amy and Frank then continue to date other people as this is a routine and throughout the episode we see that Amy doesn’t want a relationship based on lust, she wants something more real and meaningful.

Eventually and coincidentally the two of them are paired to go on another date with each other but this time they decide to not look at how long the Coach is going to give them because they enjoyed the connection they had the first time round.

Unfortunately, Frank gets way too anxious since he likes Amy so much therefore he sees how much time they have together without asking her permission to look. This takes a turn for the worse because on his initial look it says 5 year but the Coach knows he didn’t seek permission therefore the system decides to punish him cutting their ‘date’ from 5 years to just 20 minutes. Amy leaves him after finding this out however she sees him again and they both rebel from the system. Black Mirror always has plot twists and this episode ends quite strangely. We find out they were actually part of a bigger app where the actual version of the characters find each other.

I believe that the episode tells a chilling story about love, not just online dating. As there is a system put in place the characters can never fear rejection which we fear in our society today. This is due to the fact that the system chooses for you and you can’t refuse the match you get. The timing of the dates allow the character to choose how many emotions they want to convey because if you really liked someone you would give them as much as you can opposed to a match who you don’t like. The dating apps of today have filters to match to our preferences which is like the app in Black Mirror. Maybe eventually in our society a coach system could be formulated.

Another way that Black Mirror reflects society is in the episode ‘Nosedive’. This episode relates to social media again however this time it is in terms of personal pages.

All in all, in our we society use apps like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to showcase our lifestyles. We can post images and thoughts. The only difference in Black Mirror is that you can see their profile digitally through your eyes and you can rank them.

The main plot of this episode is that the main character gets caught up in her score and tries to increase it in order to fit in with the higher class of society however her actions catch up with her and her score becomes worse than it was initially. This mirrors our society today because there are a lot of people who will do things to fit in with the standards of social media. They do this through photo manipulation, stupid videos and showcasing hobbies.

This can have a downfall as some people can lose their lives doing dangerous things to impress people on social media. It can also encourage a fake personality which Black Mirror definitely shows. The characters all act really nice to each other and do not swear just so they can get high scores from anyone they come across. This doesn’t show their true personality and they follow things like sheep. An example of this is when someone broke up with their partner in this episode and an office full of workers stopped talking to the ‘villain’ in the relationship because they feared that they would get judged and that their scores would go down. This behaviour also happens in real life e.g. schools.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Outfit Ideas You Should Steal From Tracee Ellis Ross

http://fashion-trendin.com/outfit-ideas-you-should-steal-from-tracee-ellis-ross/

Outfit Ideas You Should Steal From Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross is the kind of cool that pains me physically. I have so many positive feelings toward her that my chest tightens at the mere sight of her beautiful face. She’s so good. She’s so funny, so kind, so effervescent that it’s almost rude. It’s as if the cats in heaven spent all their time kneading her into existence then just coughed up a few fur balls to make the rest of us. That said, I’d choose to be a fur ball to ensure her continued existence.

In addition to being an actor/comedian/model/black girls activist/author of a children’s book that explains sexual harassment to men/natural hair advocate/professional pep-talk giver/daughter of Diana/fun aunt to everyone on Earth including her elders, Tracee has Style. The proper noun version. Her Instagram, which you should follow, is a parade of delights not unlike a Krispy Kreme conveyer belt in 2007, back when people cared about Krispy Kreme. She also just launched a line with J.C. Penney which is really good, size-inclusive and all under $75 because, as she puts it, it’s for “everybody and every body!” If you don’t love her already/yet, please see me after class and come with an apology in the form of an ambitiously-executed diorama in her honor.

Of her many public services, which I’ll be outlining in parts two and three of my forthcoming Tracee dissertation, she provides the general people of the world with a panoply of free outfit ideas by way of her aforementioned IG. If you’ve found yourself short on ideas or general well-being lately, join me below for five of her recent looks sure to bolster you in the way of both.

Do me a favor and go find your largest top and largest bottoms and wear them together for maximum corporal/spiritual comfort. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, pair with slides. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, pair with slides and camp socks. If you’re in any hemisphere, make them purple to stand up for LGBTQ youth like Tracee did.

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Who needs a dad sneaker tutorial when you have this? (Sorry Harling.) This is the outfit of my casual weekend dreams. Need access to these shoes + that coat + a curly ponytail before sunset or I’ll melt. So do you, not to judge.

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What we have here is an outfit not unlike one you or I would don to grab coffee: jeans, tee, sweater. However, with the inclusion of a fanny-pack-as-belt and matching hoops, the game is forever changed. Bonus points if you approximate this with a shirt that has your mom’s name on it.

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You know how I feel about pink and red, but do you know how I feel about pink and red under an enormous khaki trench coat with white sneakers? Didn’t think so. (I feel incredible about it.)

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This is what we in my basement call a gentlewoman’s look, replete with pleated trousers, suspenders, tie, stilettos, hoops and the facade that you’re gentle even though you aren’t, not even close. Wear only if you’re ready for eye contact and to accede to the position of my idol.

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Also did I mention this:

CFDA ~ @prabalgurung

A post shared by Tracee Ellis Ross (@traceeellisross) on Oct 25, 2017 at 6:31pm PDT

Feature image by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images.

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[2700fstreet]

OPERA / 2017-2018

The Little Prince

OPEN REHEARSAL

Washington National Opera

Music by Rachel Portman Libretto by Nicholas Wright Based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

So, What’s Going On?

ACT I

A young pilot introduces himself to the audience. He explains how grown-ups never really understood him and that now, as an adult, he earns a living soaring through the sky. The stars sing to him as he glides through the air, but, despite the pleasant atmosphere, he suddenly loses control of his plane and crashes into the Sahara Desert.

The pilot looks over the damage and begins to try and fix the plane. But just as he grabs his tools, he’s interrupted by a small boy who curiously asks the pilot to draw a sheep. Though confused at first, the pilot comes to know the boy as “the Little Prince,” and, slowly, the prince reveals his unusual story.

The pilot tries to impress the prince with his drawing skills.

Take a listen…

The pilot describes the Little Prince’s little planet (and its three mini volcanoes) in a film version of the opera from 2004.

We learn the prince was once the proud owner of a tiny asteroid, where he cared for a lovely rose whom he adored but who was also very difficult to please. She challenged him to leave his home and gain more wisdom in order to be able to take care of her better, and so… he set out to visit some neighboring planets. During his travels he met several strange adults, including a king, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman, and a lamplighter. After meeting these men, the Little Prince—not quite satisfied with what he’d discovered so far—decided to journey to planet Earth.

The prince admires his beautiful yet fickle and demanding rose.

ACT II

The prince continues his story while the pilot listens. On Earth, the prince says, he met a slithering snake who claimed that his deadly poison could “ease” all the prince’s worries. The Little Prince then encountered a garden full of roses and cried at the thought that his own rose might merely be one out of a million other common flowers.

A scheming snake promises to cure the Little Prince’s homesickness.

The prince resumes his tale. Soon after meeting the roses, he adds, he was comforted by a friendly fox. The fox, who begged the prince to tame her and make her his own, gently explained that everything worthwhile is invisible and that such things cannot be touched, but can only be felt with the heart. She also told him that the bonds of love are what make all things—including ordinary flowers— uniquely special.

Take a listen… The fox asks the Little Prince to “tame” her by becoming her friend.

The pilot then cuts off the prince’s story, saying that the two of them will need water if they are to continue to survive in the desert. Exhausted, they travel to a spot directly beneath the prince’s planet (which sits high in the night sky) and discover a well. As they collect cool water from the crystal-clear well, the pilot realizes his friendly affection for the prince and begins to understand the fox’s message.

Still, the prince longs to return to his rose as he has promised. Will the tired and weary Little Prince make it home? Will the pilot be able to keep the prince’s lessons in his heart if the Little Prince disappears?

The pilot carries the fragile Little Prince across the Sahara in search of a well.

Who’s Who

The Pilot (baritone—a middle-range male voice) The Little Prince, a visitor from another world (boy soprano—a voice type that applies to young boys who sing in a high range that’s typical of female singers) The Rose (soprano—the highest female voice) A Fox (mezzo-soprano—a middle-range female voice) A Snake (tenor—the highest male voice) The Voice of the Water (soprano) The Inhabitants of Nearby Planets

Good to Know

Novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (ahn-TWAN duh san-teg-zu-pey-REE)’s The Little Prince (or Le Petit Prince, in the original French) may have gone down in literary history as a timeless fairytale about life, love, loss, and the power of memory, but it was actually inspired by true events. Sort of. Saint-Exupéry, an accomplished artist and author, was—much like the narrator of his Little Prince story—a trained pilot. Yet despite his skills in the air and his years of experience working as a flying mail carrier and a reconnaissance pilot for the French government during World War II, Saint-Exupéry sadly suffered several plane crashes throughout his career.

One particular crash in 1935 landed him in the Sahara, where he and his co-pilot were left alone (with limited supplies) for several days. Saint-Exupéry witnessed several mirages while out beneath the desert sun and reportedly met with several imaginary creatures he had hallucinated. Years later, while in New York seeking sanctuary from war-torn Europe, Saint-Exupéry refashioned his own desert adventures into a fantastic tale about a lonely pilot whose life is given new meaning when he meets a remarkable little boy from outer space.

Loved by children and grown-ups alike for its simple language, vivid illustrations (also created by Saint-Exupéry) and enduring message of finding joy even in the saddest of times, The Little Prince has provided material for several films and stage works since its original publication in 1943. And when acclaimed film composer Rachel Portman decided to take a break from her successful movie career to create an opera suitable for children, she turned to Saint-Exupéry’s famous tale for inspiration, eventually realizing it was the perfect story for a kid-friendly operatic endeavor.

The fox tells the prince an invaluable secret.

Check This Out…

Children’s choruses, though they make appearances in some of opera’s best-loved works, aren’t used by operatic composers all that often. Why do you think Rachel Portman added a children’s chorus to The Little Prince? What function does the chorus play, if any? Can you come up with other instances in film, TV, literature, or theater where a chorus or group of people is employed in a similar way?

In Saint-Exupéry’s book, the prince has a special admiration for the lamplighter. In the opera, the prince joins this character in song, which is something he rarely does with the other “adults” in the story. Why do you think the lamplighter is given added significance by both Saint-Exupéry and Portman? Why do you feel the composer chose to have these two sing together?

The flute often plays alongside the prince’s voice. Why do you think the composer chose this instrument to accompany the Little Prince so frequently? Does the flute make you think of any particular aspects of the prince’s character?

The prince meets a king who loves to rule but never asks his subjects for anything unreasonable.

Think About This…

What to watch and listen for…

How the musical melodies rise and fall along with the characters’ feelings. (Example: The voice of the well water keeps getting higher and higher as the prince and the pilot enjoy a happy moment.) Does this technique help you sympathize with the characters and their experiences? Can you name other songs you’ve heard that use this same effect?

The overly-powerful and relentless music for the baobab (pronounced BEY-oh-bab) trees. Listen for the low-sounding instruments and the forceful drums that represent these destructive plants. What do the sounds remind you of? Do you think the greedy baobabs represented a specific concept, ideology, or group to Saint-Exupéry, who witnessed World Wars I and II?

How the prince and the pilot occasionally sing in short, choppy bursts with very few instruments, but also sing longer phrases that rise above the entire orchestra. Why do you think the composer uses these different styles? Do the styles remind you of anything? (Hint: Think about what it sounds like when you have a normal conversation vs. when you talk about something that excites you or gives you joy.)

The prince prepares to return “home.”

Take Action: An Invisible Top Ten

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons of The Little Prince is the fox’s mantra: “Anything essential is invisible to the eye.” Both the opera and Saint-Exupéry’s original story invite audiences to take the time to celebrate feelings rather than physical objects and to examine the tiny details that make our favorite people and most memorable experiences so important.

We challenge you to do the same.

Without naming any items that can be seen or touched, make a list of 10 things that inspire you, move you, make you happy, or give you a sense of purpose. Nothing is off limits (these can be moods or events you encounter every day or once-in-a-lifetime occurrences and emotions), but try to come up with thoughts and feelings rather than material gifts or techie gadgets. Your preferred model of smartphone? Leave that off the list. That sense of excitement you get when you’re visiting somewhere new on vacation? That’s more like it.

When you’re finished, share your list with family, friends, and fellow students. Ask them to make their own top ten as well. See if you can collect a bunch of top ten lists from people with a variety of different ages, backgrounds, and life stories. Gather your favorite entries and ask permission to post them on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram with the hashtag #invisibleessentials.

Explore More

Go even deeper with The Little Prince Extras.

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All photos by Scott Suchman.

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Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO's Presenting Sponsor

The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is made possible through the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, with additional funding provided by Judy and Billy Cox, Robert and Lynn Downing, Virginia McGehee Friend, Nicole Alfandre Halbreiner, Susan Carmel Lehrman, John & Mary Lee Malcolm, Michael F. and Noémi K. Neidorff and The Centene Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey P. Pohanka, Dr. Arthur and Mrs. Robin Sagoskin, Mr. Alan J. Savada and Mr. Will Stevenson, Mr. and Mrs. William E. Schuiling, Jr., Dr. and Mrs. Guillermo Schultz, Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Sonnenreich, Washington National Opera Council, and The Women’s Committee of Washington National Opera.

Additional support for Events for Students is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

© 2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

#opera #littleprinceat2700F

[minnievirizarry]

How to Speed Up Instagram Growth Without Buying Followers

If you’ve been waiting to give Instagram a try for your business, now is the perfect opportunity to act. On it’s own, the platform boasts over 600 million users and the highest engagement rates among all social networks. If Facebook wasn’t their parent company, it would be fair to say that they should watch out!

As with any social platform, growing a large following can be time and energy consuming. As a result, it’s easy to understand how individuals and businesses are tempted to buy followers to boost vanity metrics. But buying followers ultimately results in a loss of money and credibility if you’re found out.

Creating an account that attracts authentic followers is a much better strategy, since they’ll be more qualified as potential customers. After all, fake followers will never be your customers. It’s better to have a small engaged following rather than a large number of people following you that don’t really care about your brand.

OK, so if you’re not supposed to buy followers, and organic Instagram growth takes a fair amount of time to be effective, what is it that you can do that won’t be frowned upon, and better yet, will actually work?

Start small, get things right, then push out your profile to the world. The following pieces can help you to speed up Instagram growth—without buying followers.

Activate Your Business Profile or Use an Analytics Tool

Instagram introduced Business accounts in May 2016, and they’ve been a huge help to the 5 million businesses already on Instagram. An Instagram Business account is decidedly different than a regular Instagram account in that it allows a business to:

Access analytics data, including insights for how posts are performing, and what followers like

Add an address, phone number, and website

Create Instagram ads

A potential caveat: an Instagram Business profile can only be activated if you have a Facebook page. If that’s the one thing getting in your way of using it, it might be useful to create a Facebook page for your business, even if you don’t plan to update it (though at the bare minimum, you could push over a copy of your Instagram content using a scheduling tool like Sprout Social).

Another major caveat centers around the concept of a business versus an individual account. On Facebook, the reach of a page compared to the reach of a friend is completely different, with the business getting the short end of the stick. Since Facebook owns Instagram, and they share many of the same features, it’s fair to assume that switching to a business profile on Instagram could restrict reach, and have other implications as far as how Instagram users respond to the posts of a business versus an individual.

As of this writing, there haven’t been any far-reaching experiments or data that shows the potential negative implications of switching to an Instagram Business account. You’ll have to decide for yourself and your company if it’s worth taking the risk.

Of course, focusing on the more positive benefits of switching, an Instagram business profile can provide detailed analytics data. This includes a snapshot of what your followers like and dislike in your posts, best times to post and how many have seen your post. It also offers data on your followers, including demographics like age, gender and location. With all this information at your fingertips, there should be no reason for posts to perform poorly over the long run.

If you’re still on the fence about switching, consider instead using Sprout’s social media analytics tools to glean information from your Instagram interactions. For reference, here’s a comparison of what Sprout Social’s analytics can offer, what Instagram’s Business profile analytics can offer, and some of the features they share:

Post Consistently on Instagram

Ready for something a little less involved than deciding whether or not to make a permanent profile change?

Regardless of the social platform you’re trying to grow (social media, blogging, etc.), the number one rule for building an audience is demonstrating a level of consistency. For Instagram specifically, this means posting at least once per day. Unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, Instagram welcomes a larger quantity of posts.

To get more specific, according to CoSchedule, 1-2 posts per day are okay, with the best times to post being at 8-9am and 2am in your local time zone. That said, there is no global average found for the optimum number of posts per day because every brand (and audience!) is different. For best results, run your own experiments and interpret results to refine your strategy.

Brandishing their ties to Facebook, Instagram now operates off an algorithm to display posts instead of the chronological news feed of the past. Consistency is a factor in ranking on that algorithm, and getting in front of your followers. So make sure that if you take any Instagram growth advice from this article, you focus on consistency.

To make it easier to post consistently, you can schedule some Instagram posts ahead of time with Sprout. That way, you always have a steady stream of content to share.

Post Beautiful Instagram Photos

Like Pinterest, Instagram is a very visual platform and the brands that realize and embrace this fact are among the top performers.

Since “post good photos” isn’t really an actionable strategy, try these tips on for size:

Create a consistent (there’s that word, again!) theme or mood so that your whole feed has a cohesive look or feel

If you can’t commit to just one theme or mood, at least make sure that your posts make use of similar filters. This will help your feed retain a cohesive look, even if you’re posting about different things.

Prepare your content ahead of when you need it. Knowing what’s queued up for posting will help you to keep with the desired look and feel of your feed. Use Sprout’s Instagram scheduling tool to plan out your content in advance.

Instagram foodie @bestfoodalex understands the importance of sticking to a theme, which is how he was able to organically grow an engaged group of followers to over 21k.

Create Lifestyle Content on Instagram

Creating a level of consistency with regards to your posting and visual assets is a great first step for Instagram growth. Once you’ve got that straightened out, you’ll want to take your content to the next level. After all, your target audience isn’t going to care about consistency and your visual assets if they can’t relate to them.

One common trend for brands is to create lifestyle posts, especially if you’re selling a product. A lifestyle post is one that depicts the lifestyle behind a brand, and sells the lifestyle to your audience. A focus on lifestyle content is the perfect strategy for Instagram growth, as it encompasses the essence of content and participation on the platform. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “Doin’ it for the ‘gram”, then you know exactly what this means.

The nature of Instagram, and social media in general, is that you’re creating a dialog with your customers, and building the relationship—not going directly for a hard sell like a door-to-door salesman. Influencer marketing agency Mattr collected data on Nike and Adidas’ social efforts. Nike devoted 60% of their posts to lifestyle content, while Adidas had a more conservative 32%. As a result, Nike had 8x more social interaction than Adidas.

BarkBox has invested a lot of their company’s time, energy, and promotional budget into creating fun lifestyle content for their website and social platforms. Their Dog Mom Rap is funny and cute, and has helped their content achieve viral status across numerous social platforms.

Hashtag Without Abandon

Hashtags, which were initially introduced on Twitter, have quickly gained popularity and traction as a way to reach past your existing Instagram followers. Hashtags are used to categorize content, make it discoverable and are also used to increase engagement.

There are essentially 2 different kinds of hashtags:

Branded hashtags, which are created specifically with your company in mind. Fun fact: 70% of hashtags are branded. You can use these to encourage (and find) user generated content, as well as analyze your efforts.

Community hashtags, which are general hashtags that are widely used, and include things like: #tbt, #instafood, #throwback and #ootd.

The ideal Instagram growth strategy includes a mix of both branded and community hashtags. In total, Instagram allows you to enter up to 30 per post. According to a study by TrackMaven, interactions are highest for content with 11 hashtags, but there’s little backlash in maxing out the total to the full 30 per post.

To be most effective with your Instagram growth plan, you’ll need to make sure that you’re using the most relevant hashtags to reach your target audience. This simple process can give you the perfect place to start:

Find relevant hashtags. When you search for one, Instagram autofills and gives suggestions.

Click on one of the community hashtags you intend to use to see other photos. Look through those photos to find similar hashtags you should be using.

Use a third party hashtag tool like Hashtagify, Websta or Focalmark to do additional research.

Look through your competitor’s posts. Sprout Social’s Instagram Competitors Report makes this easy.

Hashtag Do’s & Don’ts

Once you’ve found the perfect Instagram hashtags, you’re still not done. Here are some quick tips for what to do, and what not to do, as far as hashtag use on Instagram:

Do match your photo to the hashtag you plan on using

Do jump on trending topics, like National Days, when appropriate (don’t force it, though)

Do vary hashtag use on a regular basis

Do use hashtags with low competition. Popular hashtags like #ootd or #travel tend to have more posts, so the content you post might get buried in a pile of incoming photos. Low competition hashtags may be a more specific version of these common options. For example, something like #travelBC offers the perfect opportunity to post travel photos taken in Canada, and is more specific and useful than the general #travel hashtag.

Do put the bulk of your hashtags in the comments section, not directly in the post’s description

Don’t use hashtags that are too long

Don’t have more hashtags than text in a caption

#Don’t #hashtag #every #word

Chicago fashion blogger Allie Barke is a great example to look to as far as the ideal use of hashtags.

Encourage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) simply refers to content created by your followers. These posts might directly tag your account, or can be found using a branded hashtag.

The benefits of using UGC in your Instagram growth strategy are numerous, and include:

Increased engagement. ComScore found that engagement increased 28% when UGC was used in company product videos. When engagement increases, so do followers and sales.

More social sharing. Customers are twice as likely to share UGC that was posted on a business page.

Builds trust, and subsequently, a community. According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust UGC more than traditional advertising. And according to Adweek, 35% of millennials find UGC more memorable than traditional media.

Provides insights on what consumers are really like. After interacting with your audience, you get a feel for what they are like outside of the analytics Instagram can provide.

Less work for the content team. And a lifesaver if you’re in a pinch!

UGC has cross-platform implications, as well. For example, Kissmetrics found that of the top 20 brands in the world, 25% of their search results are linked to UGC.

Kimpton Hotels make their guests the stars of their Instagram account. They’ve used their UGC to not only increase social followers, but hotel bookings as well!

Run Instagram Contests & Offer Exclusive Promotions

An easy way to get followers (and user-generated content) is to hold contests and promotions to offer prizes or discounts. Structured well, these contests can encourage followers to submit UGC that can then be used for other Instagram growth efforts. Check out our Instagram contests article to get some ideas. For best results, hold contests once a month or less. You don’t want to risk this special perk of following your brand getting too old, too soon.

Tap Into an Existing Audience

Once you’re happy with your Instagram efforts, don’t forget to cross promote your account on all of your other social media channels, website and email newsletter. This can be as simple as letting people know you have a new account. Though Instagram allows you to share posts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Foursquare, don’t be tempted to take any shortcuts with your social media marketing efforts. Each platform has its own special formatting, photo sizes and unofficial rules for best results.

Besides taking advantage of your existing audiences on other platforms, consider also partnering with other brands. These brands may be companies that you’ve worked with before, or influencers who have a target audience similar to yours. Make sure to build up these relationships before you need them. Spend time showing love to your followers by interacting with them and commenting or liking their photos.

How to Speed Up Instagram Growth Without Buying Followers

Creating a winning Instagram growth strategy is no easy feat. With the amount of time and effort that goes into creating an awesome Instagram account, it’s easy to understand why some would rather take shortcuts, like buying followers. But don’t let yourself be tempted by the dark side, as those followers ultimately do nothing for your company’s bottom line.

Instead, focus on organic growth and even paid media strategies. You may be surprised by how quickly they result in a heavily-trafficked and followed Instagram profile.

What tips would you add to this list of Instagram growth strategies? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @SproutSocial.

This post How to Speed Up Instagram Growth Without Buying Followers originally appeared on Sprout Social.

from SM Tips By Minnie https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-growth/