#no movie sponsorship today unfortunately

[strangersatellites]

pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust, ao3

Seven Deadly Sins Series (NSFW 18+)

gluttony (noun) - a sin opposed to the virtue of temperance because it is the immoderate indulgence in the delights of food or drink. Gluttony can involve more than merely eating too much. Drunkenness is also a type of gluttony because it is excessive indulgence in intoxicating drink.

Steve’s drunk.

Hammered really.

His vision is swimming and his head feels heavy as lead and like it weighs nothing all at the same time. 

He’s walking, walking, walking. Going… somewhere.

Where?

He stumbles on a crack in the sidewalk and the only thing that keeps him from hitting the ground is the grip he has around Eddie’s arm.

Eddie!

“Hey, Eddddssss,” He giggles, and Eddie joins him, his snickers carrying out into the quiet night. “Eddie. Eddie, where're we goin’?” He thinks the words make sense but his tongue feels funny and he can’t really be sure if he made any sound.

Eddie’s laser-focused on his feet, working hard at putting one in front of the other. He comes to an abrupt stop and wobbles, unsteady. 

“Home. Is home this way?” He’s looking around fast and Steve thinks he looks like a squirrel. Giggles at the thought.

He tugs at Eddie’s arm. “Yeah. Home is this way.”

It’s a Saturday night and they’ve spent it out at a club with Robin and Nancy. What had started off as casual drinks and dancing quickly devolved, and the next thing Steve knew, he was doing tequila shots and making out with his boyfriend on the dance floor. 

Steve has trouble keeping his hands to himself on a good day. But especially when Eddie’s in leather and chains and his hands are on Steve’s hips and his rings are cold on his skin and his tongue tastes like liquor. 

He’d drug Eddie out by the hand, told Robin they were leaving. Lost count of their drinks somewhere between his fifth rum and coke and his third shot.

Now, plastered against Eddie’s back while he digs around through his pockets for their apartment keys he’s become very aware of just how drunk he is.

He presses his forehead into Eddie’s shoulder and squeezes his eyes shut tight and whines,

“Ed. I feel spinny.” 

The door swings open with a bang and Eddie laughs out an “Oh shit.”

“Eddieeeeeee.”

Steve’s wrapped up in strong arms and he tucks his face into Eddie’s neck. “I heard you sweetheart.” He lifts Steve’s head up with hands on both sides of his face and Steve gets a good look at him and his giggles are set off again.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrow but Steve’s laugh is contagious, his own bubbling up in response. “What are you laughing at, giggles?”

And that just makes it worse. Steve barely able to get out any words between. 

He reaches up and pokes at Eddie’s cheek and his eyes go big and wide. 

“There’s two of you.” He leans up and smacks two kisses on Eddie’s lips, tries to anyway. Gets the corner on his second attempt. “Two kisses for two Eddies.”

Both Eddies smile big and bright and he drags Steve back in for a kiss that goes dirty in a second. Teeth and tongues and the leftover taste of rum. His hands grab at Steve’s waist and squeeze, tight, tight, tight and the boy whimpers against his lips in response. 

He pulls away from Eddie and looks so shocked. “Babe,” he hiccups and laughs again. “Babe, I’m so drunk.”

Eddie’s the one that can’t pull it together this time. His “Me too, baby,” barely audible over the sound of his joy. A thought occurs to him and he stands bolt upright and his laughter comes to an abrupt stop when he gasps. “Stevie. Do you wanna have drunk sex?”

Steve’s jaw drops and he’s nodding. Words slurred together when he shoves towards their room, “Yeah, f’r sure. You’re s’smart.”

When his back hits their bed he has to squeeze his eyes shut again, still spinning if he moves too quickly. Eddie is fumbling with his belt buckle and Steve’s reaching down to help when he thinks of it.

“Ed, babe. Eddie. Eddie, what if my dick won’t work.”  

His boyfriend is dropping his head against his stomach and his shoulders shake with his laugh. His hand flattens to pet at Steve’s hips through his jeans that he really, really wants off. 

Eddie hiccups before he crawls up to kiss at Steve’s jaw, wet and sloppy and sticky with alcohol. “Think you’re gonna get whiskey dick, baby?”

Steve grinds his hips up against Eddie’s above him and gets a grunt in response, feels his own body react to the pressure and the lips behind his ear. “No, but like. Maybe. That would be so sad.” He closes his eyes while Eddie sucks a mark into his neck. “So sad.”

He doesn’t know when Eddie’s hand slid back down to his belt but he’s got it undone and his jeans unbuttoned between one blink and the next. His hand sliding down under Steve’s boxers and wrapping around his dick with a squeeze.

Eddie lifts up from his neck and raises his eyebrows. “Feels fine to me. Feels really good.”

If he wasn’t fighting to keep himself from coming in his pants like a teenager he might’ve laughed. He kicks a knee up and shoves Eddie off. “Why are you still wearing clothes, what the fuck?” And the way Eddie’s face screws up it looks like he doesn’t know either. 

Jeans and shirts and jackets and boxers find a home in a pile on the floor and someone will inevitably be looking for their phone later. 

But Eddie’s got his hand wrapped around them both and he’s spitting, sticky and wet over their dicks and Steve can’t be bothered with a thought of anything else. His hands scratch deep welts down Eddie’s back and he hisses at the pain. But the way his cock leaks over Steve’s stomach says it's a good hiss. On one particularly rough upstroke Steve’s orgasm takes him by surprise with a deep groan and his head thrown back. The alcohol flowing through his veins paired with his boyfriend’s guitar pick dangling in his face enough to send him racing to release.

The room is quiet save for harsh breaths and the slick sound of Eddie’s hand on his own skin. But Steve has an idea. He shoves at Eddie’s shoulders until he takes the hint and flops down on his back. Steve shimmies down the bed until he’s laid out between Eddie’s legs. 

He wraps a hand around the base of Eddie’s dick and points it towards his lips and Eddie’s thighs flex, bracing himself for the feeling of being enveloped in Steve’s pretty, pretty mouth. 

“I get up in the evening, and I ain’t got nothing to say.” 

Eddie’s head pops up and looks down. Finds Steve, smiling bright and giggling using his dick like it’s a microphone. 

“I come home in the morning,” He’s got his eyes shut and his eyebrows furrowed and he’s really into it. “I go to bed feeling the same way!”

Eddie brings his hands up to cover his face but he’s laughing so hard no sound comes out. Steve keeps humming when he finally licks at the head and Eddie’s done for. Coming across his tongue the second his lips wrap around the head. He’s trying to catch his breath when he hears Steve’s voice again.

“Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.”

He drags him back up his body to settle against his chest, still shaking with laughter, with joy. Plants a smacking wet kiss to Steve’s lips and presses their foreheads together. “God, I fucking love you, baby.”

Steve’s smile is blinding-bright and he presses one more chaste kiss against his lips. “I love you more, babe.” His smile goes mischievous and his head tilts to the side, the picture of innocence. “Can’t wait to tell your friends you came to Bruce Springsteen.” 

Eddie holds his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I blame whiskey dick.”

It's hours before their giggles settle enough to fall asleep.

#seven deadly sins series #gluttony #steddie #steddie smut #steve harrington #eddie munson #gin writes #this one was so cutie fun! #no movie sponsorship today unfortunately #just me #deafening silence #and drunk steddie sex brainworms #loosely inspired by that post earlier today that said something about tapping a dick and saying #“is this thing on?

[magickingdompng]

Any pictures of the old ride called "If You Had Wings"? Bonus points if you include the song that played on the ride.. Like that other poster, my mom also in Florida in the 80s and has a ton of memories of Disney from that era. That ride was by far her favorite.

What a unique favorite! If You Had Wings was a very interesting attraction, and not only is the ride extinct, but so is the airline that sponsored it!

Eastern Airlines was a popular budget airline in the 1960s, and a year before Walt Disney World opened in September of 1970, it became the “official airline of Walt Disney World”.

Eastern Airlines then sponsored an official attraction; If You Had Wings! It opened January 1972, less than a year after the park opened. It was unique in that it was a free ride; that might seem strange to hear today, when all you have to pay for Disney is admission, but back when the park opened, you had to pay for admission AND a ticket book which you could spend on certain attractions. However, If You Had Wings, being a sponsored attraction that was basically an advertisement, was free with admission and could be ridden as many times as one would like.

It was a fairly simple ride, an Omnimover ride that travelled through various simple sets, mainly using projectors. A highlight and an interesting point in ride tech was the “speed room” - a huge wrap around projection screen encased an incline in the track, with fans blowing and trying to give the guest the feeling of taking off in an airplane. This could be argued as a predecessor to a bunch of technology that Disney uses in its rides today, but I think it’s best compared to both the Circle-Vision 360 shows (which are huge 360 degree movies, mostly found in Epcot today) and Soarin’ which uses a huge dome-shaped projection screen to give the illusion of flight.

At the very end of the ride, as guests exited, there was an Eastern Airlines travel agent to help book their next vacation.

The thing most people remember about it is the theme song, If You Had Wings, written by Buddy Baker! Listen to it here, with the song starting at 1:00:

Unfortunately, Eastern Airlines would drop its sponsorship with Disney in June of 1987. Disney then removed any reference to the airline in the park and closed the ride; it opened again about a week later as “If You Could Fly”, but without its signature theme song, disappointing fans of the ride. This version was closed in 1989.

Delta took up the opportunity to partner with Disney, and reopened the ride with all new music and scenes as Delta Dreamflight. However, Delta’s sponsorship would end in 1996 and the ride would close yet again and reopen as Disney’s Take Flight, which actually kept the same music and scenes with only a few minor lyric changes. The attraction was not popular, though, and was closed in 1998.

Replacing Delta Dreamflight was an all new attraction: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, hugely popular and still in the same spot today. It actually uses the same Omnimover ride system, which isn’t so much of a surprise as Disney loves Omnimover rides, but it also uses the same track layout! Disney has a habit of doing this when replacing rides, as it’s extremely expensive to rebuild the track layout from scratch and far easier to just use what’s already there.

Eastern Airlines, the former sponsor of the attraction, would go the way of the dodo and shut down in 1991, only 4 years after dropping its sponsorship with Disney. If you’d like to know more about it, Defunctland made an excellent video about its history here:

Today, sponsored rides at Disney are a rarity; the only one I can think of off the top of my head is the Chevrolet sponsored Test Track at Epcot, which is similar to If You Had Wings in that it ends with basically a huge advertisement. (You can buy a car there. Literally. Who goes to Disney World and buys a car? I really wanna know if someone’s done that.)

Unfortunately, since it was not a particularly popular attraction and it’s also a fairly old one, what I can find is basically relegated to just a few pictures of the ride. I will still add those to the queue for you, though!

#mailbox #history #Thank you sm for the question!! #I was so excited seeing this in my inbox #Because I already knew a little bit about this attraction

[mad4india]

To achieve success in life, you need hard work, dedication, and self-belief. Failures and obstacles have to be tackled to reach one’s goals. Today’s motivational story is about an 18 years old young boy. The inspirational story is of Kuwar Amritbir Singh, who is a two-times world record holder in fitness.

Kuwar Amritbir Singh belongs to Umarvala village, Gurdaspur district in Punjab. During his school years, he actively used to take part in plays. While playing the roles of some freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, he got inspired to do something that would also make him well known. He used to come home and actively watch motivational and informative videos.

Kuwar Amritbir Singh’s father, during his days, used to be very active in sports. He used to take part in various competitions and won many prizes too. Unfortunately, after the death of Kuwar Amritbir Singh’s grandfather, his father had to take up the responsibility of the entire family and give up sports.

Kuwar Amritbir Singh started working out during his schooling years. Over time, his passion for fitness and exercising increased drastically. During an interview with mad4india, he mentioned, ” I never went to the gym or took any proteins to build my body. I still believe in the traditional way of exercising and eating home-based healthy food. I don’t use any gym-based equipment as well. I have created my fitness pieces of equipment using bricks, cement, and empty water bottles.”

He always wanted to be an all-rounder and chose a non-medical stream in plus two. When he scored less in Mathematics, his family was disappointed. His teachers also felt that he won’t be able to achieve much in life. None of this could demotivate Kuwar Amritbir Singh. He decided to work harder and put in more effort.

During his interview with mad4India, he mentioned, ” I decided I won’t let a piece of paper determine my future,”. He decided he wanted to break the world record of knuckle pushups, which he successfully did twice. He broke the record the first time by completing 89 knuckle pushups in 1 minute and the second time by completing 118 knuckle pushups in one minute. He also broke the India book of record by completing 25 superman pushups within 30 seconds in November 2020.

Kuwar Amritbir Singh also was among the 10 ten finalists in the show ‘Hunar Punjab.’ He was also approached by the head of the Halo app to become a brand ambassador from Punjab. The company was impressed by the good quality content posted by him. He worked with the Halo app for some time. After the recent India – China conflict, the app was banned in India.

Suggested For You Bhungroo: An initiative to help solve farmers water problem along with making women financially independent

He has also worked in two Punjabi short films that give out a very motivational message to all its viewers. Several companies like Gleenz Peanut Butter, Habhit Wellness, and Strong Soul Clothing Brand have also provided sponsorship to Kuwar Amritbir Singh.

Currently, Kuwar Amritbir Singh is looking forward to his career in acting. He is very passionate about acting and fitness. Every day he practices action scenes to perform well in movies. His articles are actively being published in Punjabi Screen Magazine. He is eagerly looking forward to signing his first movie, to be offered by the production house of the magazine.

He wants to make the people of Punjab proud and become a youth icon. He was also nominated for the Karmaveer Chakra Award which he will receive the following month.

To know more about Kuwar Amritbir Singh, please check- Facebook and Instagram.

If you know more inspirational stories about a person, company, new idea, or social initiative, and want us to write it on mad4india.com, share such information with us on Facebook or LinkedIn

#young

[ty-talks-comics]

The Boys Season 1 Review and Comparison

This was so cathartic.

In an age where we’re inundated with superhero media on all fronts with their bright colors, cheery jokes and positive outlooks, it’s easy to slowly become sick of it, feel the “superhero fatigue” as it were. Where Marvel ruins some stories with far too many jokes (looking at you Thor: Ragnarok) and DC is far too dreary and serious for its own good with a lack of levity, where can one turn to for a GOOD happy medium?

Well, in comes Seth Rogan and Evan Gold, the brilliant minds behind the amazing adaptation of Preacher with yet another brutal and slightly more cynical series. The Boys absolutely stuns not only by being a genuinely compelling series, but also by being one of the few adaptations that improves on the original medium in a few aspects.

Story

The story centers around Hughie Campbell and the titular Boys as they work to expose the horrific deeds of The Seven, a collective of the world's greatest superheroes, and the company that sponsors them, Vought American.

In this world, superheroes are everywhere. They're on breakfast cereals, TV shows, movies, pretty much every piece of media and entertainment imaginable while also protecting America from crime. Sounds familiar, huh? The kicker here is that, much like every asshole celebrity that lets the fame and fortune go to their heads, these heroes are massive cunts. They take performance enhancing drugs, routinely cause accidents that hurt or kill people, sexually harass people left and right and just lie to their adoring public like they’re children.

Unlike the books, however, The Boys team isn’t the well oiled machine that’s been taking down and blackmailing superheroes for years and the first four episodes are spent introducing the different team members.This is likely due to wanting to give people time to care about them individually and the limited number of episodes in the season. This definitely works in also retooling the characters themselves for TV since they may not have seventy-two issues of character development ahead of them

For the most part, the show follows the initial story beats of the comics with a few select differences before splintering off in an entirely new direction. Hughie’s girlfriend still gets blown apart by A-Train, he denies Vought America’s hush money which draws the attention of Billy Butcher and Starlight joins the Seven after the “death” of the hero Lamplighter. 

This also means that there's less time to focus on smaller plotlines and teams that are referenced to in passing dialogue like the Teenage Kix, a pastiche on the Teen Titans, or Payback, the number two group of superheroes to The Seven. While seeing the team take these guys down on the small screen would have been fun, I like the idea of keeping the plot focused on just the core group of antagonists. This way, we don’t have to slog through three or four seasons of small fry and get the big bads in the last few.

After the first half, fans of the comic may start to feel a little bit of the familiar, but then things start to take a drastic turn when Billy's pride and the rest of the teams sloppiness gets them all burned and branded wanted criminals. This never happens in the books because The Boys are funded and protected by the CIA, but here they’re just another group of concerned citizens that are completely in over their heads, adding to the tension and keeping everyone guessing as to what will happen for the rest of the season and in Season 2.

Themes

The original series was written during the latter years of the Bush Administration. Tensions were high and America was still embroiled in the Iraq War. The president was a simpering fool and companies were fucking people over left and right in the name of patriotism. Reality TV and the awful personalities on our screens were on nearly every channel and all of this only fueled the anger that is Garth Ennis’ pen and Darick Robertson’s pencils. It was a product of its time and it was perfect.

We’re now in the Information Age where superheroes and social media are the only things that matter in everyone’s mind, where women’s empowerment is stronger than ever and our leaders speak bombastically with shit eating grins full of lies. Rogen and Goldberg have kept the series modern and take everything to task.

Media. Marvel and DC are everywhere nowadays with some indie companies managing to scrape up their own part of the pie. The Boys makes fun of the seemingly endless cycle of sequels and the goody-two-shoes images of America’s favorite heroes. Everything is carefully managed and curated by a media team, similar to how Disney micromanages even the smallest details of their properties to make everything so sickeningly squeaky clean. 

Not only do the heroes stop crime, but they star in their own movies about themselves as well, some have sponsorships for shoes and have to compete with each other for everything. Almost everything is done for the cameras, even intimate moments whenever Vought can find a way to make it work. The heroes are never too far from the spotlight even when they want to be and oftentimes their acts can go viral without them knowing.

Sexual Assault. In the comics, Starlight is sexually assaulted by Homelander, Black Noir and A-Train in a gross scene to establish that there’s nothing good in that world. It was good for its time in its own dark way, but today there are absolutely consequences to such things as there should have been back then. In the show, Starlight is assaulted by The Deep, her childhood crush, alone. 

It’s dark and makes use of the imbalance of power as The Deep threatens to have her kicked off of the team. Soon after, Starlight comes forward with what happens to her, not allowing herself to let what happened stand and unlike in the books, The Deep gets his comeuppance. Though this also unfortunately leading to him getting assaulted as well. It’s powerful and allows for Starlight to move what could have been an image of weakness, though Vought uses this to their advantage as well, painting her a feminist icon. Best for business right?

Politics. While not everything has to be an allegory for Trump, it’s hard to say that Homelander isn’t just that. He’s what the president thinks he is, a strong, blonde haired man that the entire country loves. Homelander has the people eating out of the palm of his hands and he’s only feeding them shit. He hates the common man and will just as easily let many die if it can somehow serve his interests. He’s not above a little sexual harassment himself and he is just an evil bastard.

There’s also a subplot of military application of superheroes that I feel mirrors the discussion on the use of drones in war. Drones are absolutely deadly and have caused the deaths of hundreds, even innocents when things have gone really wrong. Even President Obama was criticized for how reckless and dangerous their use could be. The world could only imagine the hell that would rain down if superheroes were allowed to duke it out over national security.

Characters

The Boys as a comic series was an unrepentantly cynical take on the superhero genre in an established universe of heroes. The creator, Garth Ennis, didn’t grow up with many superheroes and actually felt disrespected by a few of them, like Captain America. He brought on the amazing Darick Robertson and other artists to realize this horrid world of drugs, hardcore sex and brutal violence. Many of the stories are fun and hilarious, but with the unfortunate feeling of a lot of them feeling one note due to the one dimensional nature of a lot of the “heroes” and the ever escalating level of black humor to the point of being cartoonish.

Our main character cast is absolutely fantastic. Jack Quiad’s Hughie is much like his comic counterpart, aside from being like six feet tall and not Scottish. He’s surprisingly smart with a lot of awkwardness about him. He has a good heart and doesn’t see ALL superheroes as being evil, but does have a slight sense of justice that wants to see The Seven and Vought taken down. 

Karl Urban’s Butcher was the absolute perfect casting choice. He’s got that wry British wit, the fury to capture Butcher’s rage against supes and can play a manipulator like nobody's business. His character arc is one of the few regressions that I can actually appreciate for how it's done, especially as things become more fucked because of him and how he chooses to blame everyone else.

Everyone else is a slight bit of an improvement over the comics versions. The Frenchman, played by Tomer Capon, is similar to his comics counterpart, but we’re given reason to care about him and The Female. In the comics, Frenchie and the Female knew each other prior, but I don’t think it’s ever revealed how they met or became close. In the show Frenchie frees The Female, played by Karen Fukuhara, from thugs that had been keeping her prisoner and he slowly gains her trust over the course of the next few episodes after her introduction. We see their friendship grow, learn a little bit of her backstory and get a better understanding of what she wants versus just following Frenchie around and being terrifyingly adorable.

Annie January aka Starlight, played by Erin Moriarty, is probably the second best change in character in the series. She starts out as a bright eyed, bushy tailed hero looking to do good, but after being sexually assaulted on her first day in The Seven, decides that it will never happen again. In the comics, Annie stays around in The Seven and takes the abuse for a little while before speaking out and fighting back against the rest of them. What makes things even better, not only does she challenge her uber Christian beliefs during an event sponsored by Vought, but she does so while also getting Vought to force her abuser into giving a public apology at the mere thought of her causing their stock prices to crash.

Consequently, Mother’s Milk, portrayed by Laz Alonso, one of the most layered characters in the comics isn’t made better, but the more ridiculous aspects of is character have been toned down. We don’t hear of his disabled mother and his addiction to her breast milk that fuels his own superpowers, nor is his wife a crack addict that makes pornos with their daughter. He’s simply a reliable member of the team that loves his wife and will give Butcher the truth when he’s acting like an asshole.

The series actually brings a lot of grey to most of these characters. A-Train never once shows remorse for his actions in the books, but in the show he's painted as kind of sympathetic, while still being seen as a monster for what he does and the reasons behind them. The Deep could go either way after his actions with a redemption arc or a full turn to villain, but is shown to be knowingly aware of how little regard there is for him. He calls himself a "diversity hire" and acknowledges his own ineptitude, but he's still an absolutely terrible person.

Queen Maeve may be one of my favorite changes that manages to be even more sympathetic than her already pretty great comic counterpart. She, much like Starlight, did want to change the world, but she let the apathy and jaded nature of the job take her over. She's an alcoholic that sees a bit of herself in Starlight. The change comes in how she reacts to what I think might be Homelander's most heinous act in the show. She shows far more remorse and guilt over what happens than she does in the comic, showing us a side of her makes you want to root for her and to see her get better.

The best character… dear Lord, is Homelander, played by Anthony Starr. Homelander is a bastard. The worst thing imaginable because of his sheer strength and power. He’s a sociopath with all of the powers of Superman and none of the goodness. In the comics he’s simply just another asshole. 

He’s the most powerful of the Seven and absolutely revels in the hedonistic lifestyle that he’s accustomed to while also hating being under the rule of Vought. In the show, he’s shown as being supportive to Vought, especially it’s current Senior VP of Hero Management, Madelyn Stillwell. He has something of a mommy fetish as shown with his interactions with her and later in the series actually expresses emotions over learning of his own tragedies, but instead of trying to change for the better, he doubles down on his hatred and anger to become an even bigger monster than before. 

In the comic he just wants all of the superheroes to conquer the world, but here, he just wants to hurt everyone who hurts him. He plays games like a child, threatening and revealing secrets to toy with people before absolutely breaking them. He's horrible in a very personal way and his sneering smile only makes him so much more hateable. He knows there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop him and he revels in that fact, I love it.

Pacing and Direction

Coming in at an hour for each episode, the first two to three can feel a bit slow. Getting all of the story elements to sit just right can take time, especially as new things are introduced every few minutes. This slow burn approach easily helps to build the tension before things get really crazy by episode four. By that point, the story is unfolding at a perfect rhythm, the team is mostly together, they’ve made their plans of action and it’s all so smooth.

Thankfully each episode is directed by different people to avoid each feeling so similar. The common humor and tone is kept the same, but some episodes are very hopeful almost before being met with one that absolutely makes you hate certain characters and the actions that they take. In particular, the episode where Hughie and Butcher visit a group therapy session and Butcher flies off into a rage about the weakness of the attendees as they basically lick the balls of the heroes that have maimed them was amazing. The director pulls so much emotion out of that scene and continues on as the episode moves along in a far more dramatic fashion than some of the others.

Some others lean heavier on the debauchery such as the episode where Hughie and Butcher venture into a superhero sex club and watch as these guys do some pretty amazing feats with their abilities in some really gross ways. There’s a good balance of levity and drama that makes neither feel too overwhelming.

Overall

With a great cast, impeccable acting and an unpredictability that I actually enjoyed, The Boys absolutely blew me away. I was wholly prepared to rip it apart if I felt like it didn’t do the story justice, but Rogen and Goldberg are fans and knew what we all wanted. It’s unabashedly a comic book show, but still has enough to it that people who have never heard of the series will be floored by how much they can find to enjoy.

It’s for the nihilistic and jaded comic book fan. It’s for the casual watcher who’s gotten enough of Marvel’s colorful displays of happiness and it’s absolutely for the happy person who just wants to have some fun with what they watch. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this season of The Boys. So much so that I’m aching with anticipation to re-read the comic series in preparation for Season Two. It’s unlikely that it’ll follow the plot much, if at all after the ending, but with Stormfront (as a woman) being announced as the new Hero joining the Seven in the next season, I’m excited as to who else they might pull. This first season absolutely earns a high recommendation from me.

#comics #dynamite comics #the boys #billy butcher #karl urban #hughie campbell #jack quaid #tomer capon #the frenchman #karen fukuhara #the female #laz alonso #mother's milk #anthony starr #homelander #queen maeve #dominique mcelligott #a train #jessie t usher #starlight #erin moriarty #eric kripke #seth rogen #evan goldberg #amazon prime

[famous-aces]

Bessie Coleman

Who: Bessie Coleman

What: Aviatrix

Where: American (Active in US, France, the Netherlands, and Germany)

When: January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926

(Image Description: A black and white photo of a youngish Bessie Coleman. She is a black woman with skin of a medium complexion, a small flat nose, thin eyebrows, and a soft face. She is wearing a military style cap, a men's cut jacket, a cravat or scarf with a small pin. On the front of her cap is a patch or pin with a eagle on it flanked by the letters B and C.  Her black hair pokes out from the bottom of her cap. She is smiling and looking to her left.)

Coleman was a stunt pilot, one of the best and most famous of her era. She was the first African-American woman to hold a pilot's license and the first Native American/person of Native American descent to do so (her father was mostly Cherokee and part African-American). In childhood she promised herself she would "amount to something" and she succeeded.

I don't usually go into the full biographies of these figures but Coleman's early life was pretty remarkable.  She was the sixth of 13 children of sharecroppers in Texas. Coleman excelled in school, despite many obstacles in her way, she attended secondary school on a scholarship, but unfortunately did not have enough money to get through college (even getting that far was extremely rare for women, people of color, and especially women of color in that era). Instead she moved in with her brothers in Chicago where she worked in a barber shop (she was hailed as the fastest manicurist in Chicago).  It was there that her life changed. She heard stories of pilots returning home from World War I and knew what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to fly.

She took on a second job to pursue her dream more quickly. Upon finding out that American flight schools did not accept either women or Black people she was encouraged to go abroad. With sponsorship from the Chicago Defender she went to France. In Paris on June 15, 1921 she earned her pilot's license, after which she learned from the best pilots in France, the Netherlands, and Germany -- her teachers included a World War I Ace Pilot, the chief pilot of The Fokker Corporation, and Anthony Fokker himself.

She returned to the US with the skills she needed to succeed in the competitive world of air shows as a stunt pilot. She consistently listed among notable air show pilots/stunt pilots/barnstormers, among these alumni are Jimmie Angel (for whom Angel Falls is named) and Charles freaking Lindbergh.

Her plane of choice being the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane, although she flew others, all by and large former military equipment left over from the war. Coleman found aviation to be refreshingly free of prejudice and wanted to represent African-Americans in the air:

"The air is the only place free from prejudices. I knew we had no aviators, neither men nor women, and I knew the Race needed to be represented along this most important line."

Coleman became incredibly popular in her new field.  She was hailed as Queen Bess (the nickname of Queen Elizabeth I), "Brave Bess," and "the world's greatest female flier." She was known for her optimism, her flamboyance, her technical skill, her daredevil techniques, and her determination to complete a stunt by any means necessary. Defeat was not in her vocabulary.  At this point in history the maneuvers were extremely dangerous and precautions for safety were next to nil. She refused to debase herself (she walked off a movie set because she refused to appear in rags) and some sources note she would not perform for segregated crowds.

Her ultimate goal was to open an aviation school for black students, but unfortunately this would not come to fruition. On April 30, 1926 she and her mechanic/agent met their ends in a malfunctioning biplane (he was flying), upon crashing the plane exploded and burned, taking Coleman with it.  But she had opened the door and shoved her foot in it for the Black and Native aviators to come. Today many places and awards have been named in her honor.

(Image Description: Coleman standing on a biplane's wheel, hand on the plane.  It is shot from far enough away that you can see most of the plane. She is wearing a pilot's uniform, leather helmet, long jacket with a big collar. She is wearing highish boots with short heels.)

Probable Orientation: Aroace or unknown romantic orientation

At age 24 in 1917 Coleman may have married a man named Claude Glenn, but they separated and divorced almost immediately afterwards. She never publicly acknowledged the marriage or spoke about it. Her family never even recognized it. She had work associates who were men but none of them were anything but professional or maybe platonic. There was not even rumor about her.  Due to the brevity of her marriage and her disinterest in all future romantic/sexual relationships makes me think like Newton she had a "constitutional indifference to the state."

(Image Description: Bessie Coleman's pilots license)

#lgbtq #queer #asexual #ace #history #aromantic #aro #20th century #american #north america #usa #pilots

[symphonemonies]

Today was going to be the best day of your life. 

After your phenomenal debut as Aurora in your company’s production of Sleeping Beauty, the fall season approached rather quickly. Not like it caught you off guard or anything- in fact, you hadn’t really stopped thinking about ballet at all, even if you weren’t dancing every single day. You certainly had caught the eye of the snobby critics that breathed anything and everything from the culture section of the San Francisco Times. Everyone thought your performance was great. The critics, the audience, and most importantly, the creative director, who told you that you were the best decision he’s ever made in his career. Ticket sales for Sleeping Beauty were much higher than anticipated, and you were the reason why. If the company didn’t know how much of an asset you were before, now they did. 

You were making them money in the down season, for Christ’s sakes. Who cared about ballet in the summertime before you came along? Hardly a soul. Now everyone cared.

Which is why you weren’t surprised when last week you received an email to meet with the director. You were supposed to see him as soon as you returned on the first day back. Plenty of ideas flit around your mind when you made your way down the hall to his office. What did he want? Maybe you got a sponsorship offer? Or somebody asked for an interview? Or another really big project? He mentioned in the email that it was something confidential, that you absolutely had to discuss in person. Whatever opportunity was there, you were going to take it. You’re pretty excited when you open the door, even more so when you see somebody else you don’t recognize in there with him. 

“Good morning, director. You wanted to see me?” “Yes, miss Moreno. I’m glad you could make it.” 

“Nice to meet you.” you say to the well-dressed man who stood next to the director’s desk. He hadn’t introduced himself, but you wanted to make a good impression regardless, so you offer your hand for him to shake with a polite smile. “My name is-”

“I know who you are already.” he says gruffly, and your eyebrows furrow as you glance back towards the director. He looks embarrassed, but he doesn’t say anything in your defense. You drop your hand.

“Okay then... who are you?” “Please take a seat, Nadia-”

“I’m good, thank you.” You say, gaze hardening as you stared down the man in front of you. He was a little shorter than you were, but then again you were taller than most of the people in the company anyway. He and the director exchanged looks, before he unfolded his arms and revealed a manilla folder that was tucked away in his suit jacket. 

“I’m Detective Ward.” he says finally, and your heart skips a beat. A detective. Why the fuck did they need a detective now? Your mind instantly leaps to Margot’s bloodied corpse in your arms. But that was months ago. You’d already given your statement to the cops. You had your alibi. You were cleared of wrongdoing already. What was the issue here.

“...what is this about?”

“Nadia, I hope you know that we, as a company, care about you and consider you a part of our little family here.” The director pipes up, much to the dismay of Ward. He looked annoyed that the director was even in the same room, let alone speaking. You’re a little annoyed that the director was speaking right now too, because it seemed that all he wanted to do was blow sunshine up your ass. Soften a blow that you sensed was coming. “You are a kind girl and a wonderful dancer, possibly one of the best I’ve seen in my entire career, and-”

“I want to know what’s going on.” you reply tersely. 

“Well. We... hired this investigator after Margot’s unfortunate disappearance. Just to check in on all our employees and dancers, safety reasons, you know. And we discovered your... how do I put this-”

“What the director’s trying to say is, we found out you’re a monster, kiddo.” Ward interrupts, tossing the folder onto the desk. What. They knew what you were. What??? You’re deathly still, thoughts reduced to a jumble of radio static for a moment. Honestly, you don’t even feel like you’re in your body anymore; this situation was just a shitty movie and you were a captive in the audience. You’re not even looking at the folder (you don’t even want to know how they found out.) you’re looking at the director, who seemed like he was on the verge of tears. God, what a performative kiss ass. He probably wanted to think he was a nice, woke, monster supporter. 

"And I wouldn’t dare imply that you had anything to do with Margot. But if the public ever found out that you weren’t... human... we can’t stop them from coming to that dreadfully stereotypical conclusion. And we can’t have any controversy on our hands during our busiest season-”

“...you’re going to get rid of me because of what might happen.” it wasn’t a question. The Director looked pained by the suggestion, and your hands itched. You really wanted to break something. Him, probably. That detective next.

“It sounds awful when you put it like that, but. We can’t risk having you dance for us anymore. It’s out of my hands.”

“Bullshit it’s out of your hands.” you snap, and Detective Ward shifts defensively where he stands, like he actually could stop you if you were going to do something. “I didn’t fucking kill her. I promise that-” you jab a finger at the folder on the desk. “-has nothing to do with her. She disappeared. You can’t just leave it at that because of what people might think?” You’re lying through your teeth. This has everything to do with you. But you’re clinging to the fact that they’re certain it doesn’t. 

“Nadia, public opinion just... doesn’t allow for it. We’d be ruined if anyone found out. Do you remember what happened to that poor ballerina at that other company in New York?” He was talking about the ballerina from years before, the wildly successful dancer who was discovered to be a siren and had her career destroyed. The very one Margot mentioned to try to blackmail you a few months back.

“The company she danced with knew the whole time. They weren’t taken seriously ever again after that story broke. And you know I would change the rules for you if I could.” He couldn’t. “If I could just take all of... this and make it go away, I would.” He wouldn’t.

Of course they were worried about saving their own asses. At the end of the day, they really didn’t give a shit about you. Not when you could put their money and reputation at risk. Your spot in their little family was as good as gone.

“Sirens just... don’t dance. Not in this lifetime. Professionally, anyway.” 

You hated what that implied. You could feel your vision start to blur. You needed to get out of there.

“Is that all.”  You ask, your voice just above a whisper. The director shakes his head no. You take that as your cue to leave anyway, snatching the manilla folder from the desk and turning to head out of the office. The room was spacious, but it felt like the walls were closing in on you. 

“Nadia, wait- it’s still possible for you to work here, with us. As an instructor!” he calls out after you. You freeze in your tracks before the door. Was he actually being serious? So you couldn’t publicly be with the company but you could make their dancers better instead. Churn out Prima Ballerinas with no credit to your name. “We’d have to be smart about it, but you could help our dancers be the best they can-” You’re out of the building before he can even finish.

You’re moving on autopilot, now. It feels like no time passes at all before you’re back at your place, past one of your sisters, shut in your room with a loud slam of the door. You still couldn’t believe that this had happened. Was happening. One minute you were on top of the world, certain you’d realize your dream in just a few months, and now all of that had gone up in smoke in just a moment. The tears that prickled at your eyes flowed freely now, and you did nothing to stop them, throwing your ballet bag in the corner of your room with a frustrated shout. One of your pointe shoes arced in the air before the bag collided harshly with your wall. You plop down on your bed, listlessly staring at the folder in your unsteady hands until you finally opened it. 

To see nothing.

The pages inside the folder were empty. You flip through them one by one, brows furrowing when you realize there was nothing but plain white computer paper in there. Your search becomes more frantic as you try to find something, anything in the folder that would make this make sense, give you a solid reason they did this, an explanation, but you’re drawing nothing but blanks every single time. Eventually, you reach the end, and the folder slips out of your grip, papers fluttering uneventfully to the ground. 

Something about this reminds you of a conversation you’d had with your sister Zoe. She told you about management pulling something similar at her own job; they’d psych out an employee with a baseless accusation and see if it stuck. They did it to weed out non-humans from their companies. Nothing about it was legal, you were sure, but nobody would be on your side. Especially now. You were careful, so fucking careful, meticulous in everything you ever did to be sure that nobody would think you weren’t human. Then they blindly called your bluff, and you took the bait. They never had found you out in the first place. You were an idiot.

You kept your emotions in check for a reason. Humans could cry and cry all they wanted, sirens couldn’t at all without affecting everything around them. Something burns in your chest, and you let out a sob before you slap a hand over your mouth in an attempt at stifling yourself, squeezing your eyes shut. You were sick and tired of stifling almost everything about yourself- and for what? Where did that get you? Obviously nowhere good. 

The sheer effort of staying quiet is shaking your frame, and the white hot sensation in your lungs beg for you to do otherwise. You felt like you were on fire, like you were getting smothered out. Your gills were incredibly flared at your neck, and you knew eventually you’d have to breathe properly, so you drop your hand from your mouth. One shuddery breath is all you can take before a scream claws its way from your throat. The noise is the worst you’ve ever sounded, all you yet nothing like you at the same time, a darker, venomous edge to your voice that rendered you inhuman. It’s loud enough to shake your windows, loud enough to crack your vanity mirror, until you get the sense to harshly bite down on your lip, blood running down your chin before you press your face into your hands. You’re curled up on your bed when your sisters barge into your room; all worry because they heard you, knew that none of you cried so easily, that something was definitely wrong. You could only answer their questions with a pathetic wail. 

For the first time in your life, you could hardly speak.

#ic #action post #spoiler: it wasn't the best day of her life :/ #this is long but ANYWAY... things are lookin bad folks!

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

The Tati Westbrook vs. James Charles feud ends in the Notes app

The infamous Beautube feud that began at Coachella has finally ended— in the Notes app. 

Tati Westbrook and James Charles have been playing a high stakes game of back-and-forth for a couple of weeks now. What started with Charles taking on a forbidden sponsorship with Sugar Bear Hair vitamins escalated into a spat that, across all videos involved, has racked up over 164 million views. Westbrook's scathing 43-minute video, "BYE SISTER..." is now unlisted, but has gathered over 50 million views. 

On Sunday Charles uploaded his own 40-minute video in which he defends himself against the myriad of accusations, which range from alleged sexual harassment to entitled behavior. 

"There's nobody that wants this over with as much as I do," Charles begins. "Unfortunately, there have been allegations made against me and I don't really feel comfortable just 'moving on' from those. I would like to take this video today as an opportunity to kind of explain everything that has happened," he continues.  

The video contains screenshots, timestamps, dates, and details that would make any uninformed person scratch their heads and wonder, "Why do I care about 'the Seattle trip?'" To viewers that have been keeping up with the drama, though, Charles' explanations offer a different perspective of what may have happened behind the closed doors of YouTube's beauty elite leading up to the feud. 

At the height of the feud, fellow beauty YouTuber Jeffree Star, for unknown reasons, decided to insert himself by tweeting some since-deleted tweets aimed at Charles and his younger brother, Ian. In the tweets he called Charles a "danger to society" while backing Westbrook's initial accusations. Star released his own video, titled "Never Doing This Again," on Sunday night in an attempt to explain just why he felt the need to intervene. 

"Today I would like to shed some light on the entire experience. Because I think that things are getting, crazy, dangerous, and we need to have a conversation," Star says gravely. He goes on to apologize for his participation in the dispute, and express how his temper got the best of him. Star never apologizes to Charles specifically.

Sunday night, the choppy waters of the beauty community finally came to a glassy still. Westbrook took to her Notes app to type out a statement, calling for an end to the drama. You know it's serious when a celebrity busts out the Notes app. 

"I have been in communication with James Charles through an intermediary for the last week, and we believe it is in the best interest of our community, our viewers, and our own mental health to put this matter to a rest," the so-called Mother of YouTube wrote, accompanied by a broken heart emoji. 

💔 pic.twitter.com/G8Gsqv4diT

— Tati Westbrook (@GlamLifeGuru) May 19, 2019

SEE ALSO: What are we willing to cancel people over, anyway?

"Even in this moment, I still have so many things I'd like to clear up, however the continued call for 'receipts' is nothing more than a call for never-ending bloodshed," she continued. 

Amidst the drama, Charles and Westbrook both saw their subscriber counts fluctuate, though Charles took the biggest hit initially, loosing over 4 million. However, he's gained at least 1.5 million back, according to Social Blade, and his numbers continue to rise. After gaining over 5 million subscribers on YouTube, Westbrook's count is beginning to fall. Star's is also beginning to dip. 

Alas, it's time to put the popcorn down and dismiss any more rumblings of cancelations. All parties involved have expressed interest in taking some time off, so don't be waiting with bated breath for the next installment— it's done. For now.

Game of Thrones is over and so is the beauty community drama. I guess we'll just have to twiddle our scrolling thumbs until something new happens. I just can't wait until this feud is memorialized in a Lifetime movie. Maybe Lori Laughlin could make a return to play Westbrook. 

Until then, bye sisters.

WATCH: YouTuber James Charles loses 3 million subscribers amid scandal

#_uuid:7c24a2a2-2e43-305b-998f-0d0246986d5e #_category:yct:001000002 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_author:Harry Hill #_revsp:news.mashable

[alyssasilverbergmit3222]

Network (1976)

Not only was prophecy a theme of the entire movie, but watching Network in 2019, 43 years later, most of its prophecy has come true. Unfortunately, Howard Beale’s prophecies were not meant to bring joy to viewers but rather anger and frustration.

One theme from Network that still continues today is the irresponsibility of the Television industry and the lack of regard for human life within it. in Network, the network executives refuse to believe that Howard Beale needs treatment after he announces that he was going to “blow his brains out” on live TV. Instead, younger executive Diana decides that he needs his own TV show since his ratings were about to go through the roof. You can see this happening all over the media landscape today. Many reality TV producers will choose ratings over the needs of the contestants- portraying them as evil or scandalous through editing and select omitting of clips that would lend the viewers to believe that the reality stars are in fact, more boring in real life than they appear on the show. This even continues into the influencer marketing space, where many beauty influencers will exploit themselves for sponsorships and eventually feel the backlash of this like influencer Essena O’Neil, who admitted that social media was not her real life and was bad for her mental health because it “consumed her.” In Network, you can see how exploiting a person for profit (Howard’s own TV show) can lead to the eventual downfall of that person.

Another interesting theme that Nicholas Barber for the BCC in 2016 points out is that the ambitious producer in Network Diana essentially creates the sparks of modern reality TV. Barber writes, “But the most prophetic part of Network has little to do with Howard. Running alongside his story, there is a sharper, funnier subplot concerning Diana’s other brainwave: The Mao Tse-Tung Hour. Her idea is a weekly drama series about a real revolutionary group, the Ecumenical Liberation Army, which incorporates footage of genuine crimes committed by the ELA itself. In short: Diana invents modern reality television.” You can see throughout Network how this idea of Diana’s wreaks havoc, since introducing the idea of reality television to any sane person before the era of reality television would be a crazy concept. Who would want their life constantly recorded and broadcasted for the entire world to see?

[tpquill]

PR relationship vs RL relationship pt2

Since I seemed to have piqued a few people’s attention about how a PR relationship works vs RL, let me try and explain how you can spot them. For the purpose of my musings I will not mention any names, but those who have come to me privately ( I thank you I have enjoyed the throwing ideas around 😙) but of course you will know who I am talking about. Like @cb4tb and others who have been in fandoms before, where the object of fascination have been the leads and how those who hold the power ie money, sponsorship, investment, promotion and of course merchandising the product (product being the leads and movie or TV show tie in) play a very important part aka TPTB

Now naivety is something these ‘suits’ rely heavily on. They expect anyone who follows their product to be docile housewives (yes we women are the key marketing factor) as a male lead attracts our attention and therefore holds our interest in following the online trail of clickbait and become more involved in creating ‘fandoms/blogs etc’ which creates marketing, promotion, media interest etc. But unfortunately we are also very keen minded and not stupid, unless they are looking at the young adult market, where teens do get snapped into the category of ‘they will believe anything we tell them’ They have bots that follow certain feeds online. Bots that click onto a higher surge of chatter (mainly about the male lead) and gathers information about what is being said. Now, Agents and Publicists rely heavily on online traffic, especially when their 'client’ has a pretty decent fan following. They want to ensure a good section of the media gets positive news about their client, especially one who has a social media relationship with the outside world.

Studios want good feedback, they want the show or movie they have invested in seen in a good light, a positive light, a money making light. When chatter centres around their leads 'off screen’ relationship vs their characters 'on screen’ relationship…investors get twitchy. Studios start panicking, agents and managers get called and their clients get hauled in for a…pep talk/dressing down. It’s not as far fetched as some people think, actors are commodity and when the investment looks unsteady or losing interest, that commodity gets looked at to see what can be done to change its fall of interest. Male leads, unless married or in a stable (non worrying relationship prior to the project) are to be seen as 'attainable’ as in a free agent. Healthy, single, good looking, picture perfect ideal man’s man of the world. They have to look like every female fantasy dream. Of course, if you are playing the most unattainable male in a movie or show (dream Ken) it creates more of an interest. Bad boy characters are more appealing, but romantic hunks with a slight dangerous side hold just as much interest.

Agents and Publicists have the most exhausting jobs of holding a particular image of their clients to sell to directors or studios, looking for a certain actor with a certain appeal. And most importantly, an actor with very little baggage. Online presence, good clean boyish image and of course appealing to both sexes as that creates a wider audience approval rate. Females still to this day struggle to find the equal balance in an all male world; attractive yes, very sexually appealing of course, but unfortunately they can sometimes come with or create baggage 'female falls for male lead’ never the other way around.

Which is why an off screen romance is always seen as the females fault. Which is also why studios put an absolute nada on it ever happening, to the best of their abilities. Creating PR romances are as old as Hollywood. Create an image, a believable relationship 'away’ from the promotion of the movie or TV show or simply…create an image that appeals to the right audience of fans. Old Hollywood hid so many real life relationships through PR promotions, you’d be surprised how many PR romances were used to cover up the truth or indeed in some circumstances scandals. Today is no different than yesterday (past tense) with the exception and headache that Social Media hides nothing. Too many are quick to turn on their computer and search. Too many can post up sightings or indeed snap photos and put them online, that can sometimes cause a studio more indigestion than a bad hamburger from the kraft cart.

The truth…PR relationships are easily spotted, because they are pushed too much onto the unsuspecting or naive fan, who unwittingly believe without question. Print articles will write up a story, without even interviewing the actor or check facts. I always say; don’t 'assume’ or 'speculate’. Don’t believe in 'sources close’ to or an 'eyewitness suggests’ These are word salad, gossip journalists will use when they don’t have a credible source as in went to the actors or his/her agency publicist for clarification. They write up their own narrative and, what is often the case, they read online blogs (hello🤗) and gleam information to add to their story. I chuckled when reading over the weekend a slip of the tongue - a Freudian a certain person made, over reading about themselves on Tumblr. Agency Publicists are those who do the data collection, they are the very people who tell the client what is being said about them the (online chatter) if the actor doesn’t go digging themselves that is.

It is easier to sell a 'PR’ relationship than to hide a 'RL’ one. Shackle your leads continuously and make them promote the opposite - they will, as others have done so before, break free enough to 'show’ the truth. You can only pretend in real life for so long - actors are humans too and the stress of having to live two lives can take its toll…even on the most seasoned of actors.

[optometrist0]

Gargoyle Sunglasses

Contents

Lend passion and

Originals. these are not counterfeit sunglasses

The company gargoyles

Sunglasses manufacturers and brands

Anglers and racecar drivers. our

Off 1 full-price for

Gargoyles Performance Eyewear provides ANSI + rated premium sunglasses durability with military grade eye protection with superior quality and optical clarity.

The new GS model was introduced to lend passion and an edge to the line. It’s as if Al Gore began wearing Gargoyles sunglasses to the Cabinet room. The Manson fonts are not just for car ads. Similar type decorates the ”Standing …

Items 1 – 10 of 13 … Inspired by Gargoyle Sunglasses. The wholesale sunglasses we sell are " Inspired By Styles" with no brand names or logos on them. We simply ask you to compare the price and style to that of the originals. these are not counterfeit sunglasses with name brands or logos on them. These are completely …

9703 Followers, 563 Following, 214 Posts – See Instagram photos and videos from Gargoyles Performance Eyewear (@gargoyleseyewear)

Sunday Auction – February 18th, 2018 Preview 11am, Auction Noon 6585 NW Cornelius Pass Road. Hillsboro, OR 97124. We Are Happy to Present an Awesome Variety of …

It is owned by FGX International, one of the largest designers of brand-name eyewear, including Foster Grant, Magnivision and Gargoyles. Those laid off will mostly be from the warehousing and distribution departments, and some …

According to court papers, the stolen goods include a Smith and Wesson First Response knife, an Olympus camera, Gargoyle sunglasses, a Tom Tom GPS, an iPod, Gucci sunglasses, and Aerospeed jumprope, three Futuro braces …

Well, first, Of course, they are so good that they deserve your choice. As we know that Gargoyle sunglasses are made by the company gargoyles Inc., which itself is owned by FGX International. FGX International owns other sunglasses manufacturers and brands, including Foster Grant, Corinne McCormack …

Explore Lora Stickland's board "Gargoyle Sunglasses" on Pinterest. | See more ideas about Oakley sunglasses, Acting and Smoke.

The Stratosphere will dim its lights tonight in honor of the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death … autographed champagne bottle from Earnhardt’s Winston 500 win, Gargoyle sunglasses, racing gloves and custom racing shoes.

Items 1 – 27 of 28 … Gargoyle sunglasses. Safety rated ANSI for military and occupational use. Prescriptions available in most styles. Order yours today!

For 20 years, A Sight for Sport Eyes has been recognized as one of the leading experts in the sports eyewear market. We have a wide selection of sports goggles and …

As Seen On TV Military Sunglasses Blocks Glare & Enhance Colors. Buy Yours Now!

Competitors include Oakley Inc., a California firm making strong gains; Polaroid; and Chicago-based Gargoyles Inc. Native Eyewear is "a young company, and Sammy is its first endorser athlete," said Mark Leonard, president of Integrated …

Since 1982, the race had been called the Goody’s 300, but Goody’s pulled its sponsorship and Gargoyles, a protective eyewear producer, picked it up last month. BRIEFLY . . . PHIL BARKDOLL received $100,000 and the purse for giving …

Shop gargoyles sunglasses at DICK'S Sporting Goods today. Check out customer reviews and learn more about these great products.

Gargoyles Performance Eyewear provides ANSI + rated premium sunglasses durability with military grade eye protection with superior quality and optical clarity.

Gold/Brown/Gold/Polarized. $175.00. Buy Now; More Info · Compare. Polarized. Recoil Black/Brown …

Jan 18, 2010 … When preparing to go to Panama, I realized I was badly in need of sunglasses which would fit my head. I'm a big guy with a big noggin, and in the past that has meant one of two things; Gargoyles with adjusted frames, or the Oakley Mambo, later renamed M-frame. Unfortunately, Oakley has discontinued …

Amazon.com : Gargoyles Performance Eyewear Classic Polarized Safety Glasses, Black Frame/Black Ice with Silver Mirror Lenses : Sports & Outdoors.

Gargoyle Sunglasses Eyewear user reviews : 4 out of 5 – 20 reviews. Read it's strength, weaknesses, find deals and pricing – mtbr.com.

Gargoyles Sunglass Replacement Lenses For Scratch or Damaged Sunglasses. Free Worldwide Shipping. Upgrade your Sunglass Lenses Today and Save Try The Sunglass Fix's Award Winning Replacement Lenses. Prices Start at $28.95.

Discover the highest quality replica designer sunglasses money can buy; trendy yet affordable wi9th a money-back guarantee & lifetime warranty. See here!

Find great deals on eBay for gargoyles sunglasses and gargoyles sunglasses 85. Shop with confidence.

Find great deals on eBay for Gargoyles Sunglasses in Men's Sunglasses. Shop with confidence.

With his sunglasses perched atop his baseball cap, Griffey Jr. jokes with his American League teammates at the 1992 All-Star Game in San Diego. The sunglass company Gargoyle created a pair of flip-up shades designed specifically for …

Gargoyles Sunglasses | + Free Shipping on US Domestic Orders | Authentic fashion designer styles, Price Match Guarantee.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meredith-announces-new …

Here’s what the Gargoyle heard while they were still in town … the two friendly rivals would often go to the movies, wearing sunglasses to mask their identities. “If the Liberals saw me with John Baird, they’d be mad,” Chiarelli explained …

Items 1 – 15 of 30 … Gargoyles Sunglasses protect your eyes, at all costs. From the very beginning, we deployed the latest research and innovations into our sunglasses, transforming the industry in the process. Today, every pair of Gargoyles sunglasses combines the legacy of yesterday with the technology of today, providing …

Gargoyles Tactical+ styles are designed for very high levels of performance and protection. These styles meet or exceed ANSI Z87.1+ specifications, with …

Someone else needed "a geek actor" to portray a Napoleon Dynamite type of character ("We will provide a wig, shirt, and sunglasses and you will (provide … So is the guy who’ll clean your chimney dressed as a gargoyle. As is the …

Enhance Color, Contrast & Clarity While Reducing Your Glare. BOGO!

Gargoyles Performance Eyewear, Smithfield, Rhode Island. 36250 likes · 30 talking about this · 4 were here. Gargoyles-The greatest sunglasses on the planet .

Gargoyles Cache Sunglasses – Gargoyles Cache Sport wrap sunglasses offer a strong balance of both form and function. Rubber temple tips are patterned with a unique micro-signal design and the metal …

SMITHFIELD, R.I.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Gargoyles Performance Eyewear is happy to announce that Penske Racing driver and BKR team owner, Brad Keselowski is joining its growing team of professional athletes and brand …

Product Features Sunglasses feature a high-grade nickel silver alloy Temple material

part of the popular line of outdoor gear created by The Timberland Co. Rem Eyewear has set up a new subsidiary, Adventure Optics, to handle the eye wear line. The license formerly was held by the kindling company, a subsidiary of …

Polarized Sunglasses Contents Go-to shades for when you Research report on-“polarized sunglasses Every outdoor pursuit Like the maui And the well known drivewear brand Serengeti only uses polarized lenses for their high tech range of driving sunglasses. But polarized lenses aren't only for anglers and racecar drivers. our most popular polarized sunglasses on FramesDirect.com are Ray-Bans – Round Sunglasses Contents Coupon: 50% off 1 full-price for the latest trends Online for round sunglasses Eyewear designed primarily Buy Aoron Vintage Round Sunglasses with Polarized Lenses for Retro Women and Men (Black Frame, 46mm lens width) and other Sunglasses at Amazon.com. Our wide selection is eligible for free shipping and free returns. Sunday’s final-round coverage on Cheap Oakley Sunglasses Contents Never take off their sunglasses Shop sunglasses for For discount fashion. free shipping

from http://bestoptometrists.net/gargoyle-sunglasses-2/

[richelletrugerna-blog]

From The Work desk From Lori Hendricks.

. Bechard tallied his 298th success at Kansas from Arkansas, bringing him one action better to being the initial coach in program past history to 300 triumphes. The Athletics open the season in Las Vegas given that redesigns to the Oakland Coliseum are actually still certainly not end up. All our Black, Original as well as Gold Equilibrium Bar products consist of 13-15g of healthy protein per bar that can help keep you full and also invigorated to handle today and tomorrow. The Positivist College suggests that there are actually various other variables at work in devious habits besides easy enjoyment seeking and discomfort avoidance. Apparently third, moving Healy all over the ruby as well as developing an excess on the lineup. Kronauer, a Russian significant on a Pre-Vet keep track of, has been actually a staple in the sports division the last 4 years. Participant of the indoor and outdoor keep track of & area team for four years and the golf group for three at Weston High School. Leader of the monitor & field crew in 2014. Massachusetts All-State champ in the javelin. Twin County Organization champ in javelin and all-comp file owner. Westin record owner in the javelin. Five-time Twin County all-star in track & range. Competed at the New Balance Outdoor National Championships in 2013 as well as 2014. Boston Globe as well as Herald All-Scholastic in 2014. This position allows people frequent exchange contributors of every degree and also as a result interns must be professional, helpful and also stand for Gaucho Athletics in an excellent lighting. Balance GT will be the first step in a fundamental device that will definitely increase to feature a triple-stacked weed killer forgiving soy bean, providing tolerance to glyphosate, Balance ® Grain and Liberty ® Have created a primary effect either for the development of the athletics course at Mount Holyoke College, or even for females's sports even more broadly. CMS Sports Week In Assessment (5/16 - 5/23/16) Acquire all the latest ratings as well as information in the CMS Athletics Full week In Evaluation, the athletic department's every week e-newsletter. Rotational movements, harmony and stability, independent workouts, as well as core instruction are actually additionally priorities. Board Participant Jenna Segal goings Segal NYC Productions which creates and also creates movie theater on Broadway and also Off Drama, as well as movie, television, as well as Net web content along with a pay attention to ladies. Just before the Sports may speak about investing Rich Mountain, they could give him one more begin to include market value to his arm. No individual is actually to start any kind of period of the athletics program, equipment take a look at, weights as well as conditioning, or practice without getting athletic space coming from the Student Health Center, the athletic instruction team, as well as accomplishing all paperwork. . Should you have virtually any queries regarding exactly where along with the way to employ http://profeex.info, you can e mail us at our own website. February 29, 2016 - General Updates Lyons Stories: An Assessment & Examine from Mount Holyoke Sports for Feb He hits for a reduced standard as well as strikes out a lot, yet he is actually acquired ridiculous power and also can easily draw his fair allotment from strolls. Newbie Costs McCahan from the Philly Sports no-hits the Washington Senators 3-0. Our equilibrium transactions memory card assessments are going to help you discover just what the particulars from each card are, as well as show you what rewards deserve. Yearly, the LeTourneau College sports department opens its own facilities to trainees from a local primary school in Longview as component of the Coat Sports Center. George, McGilvery, Ethan Casson '96, James Durrell '94, Calen Paquette '03 as well as the 1997-98 Crew have actually also been actually sworn in right into the Colby-Sawyer Athletics Venue of Fame. The venerable Harborside gym- the native home from JWU's NCAA sports program- bears his title. These five males have to accept one another so as to maintain the board balanced to make sure that this doesn't idea. Athletics Communications is additionally in charge of the upkeep of all historic and statistical reports, and also, covering the improvement from each varsity sport. An equilibrium transactions could be an excellent technique to consolidate repayments as well as stay clear of passion if you are actually lugging an equilibrium. Construction began in September 2016 to install a synthetic grass industry at Archbishop John Carroll Secondary school, which will serve as the residence practice as well as activity site for the Cavaliers' baseball crew. The honor, named for former Supervisor from Athletics Anne Delano, appears to the impressive elderly scholar-athlete that symbolizes scholarship (has a minimum 3.5 GPA), athletic distinction (demonstrates superior expertise on the sports arena) and also university company. NSN is run by UNG Team of Sports workplace of External Operations. As aspect of the sports management team, she oversaw all facets from video game procedures, routed student-athlete learning as CHAMPS/Life Skills Planner, helped build marketing and promos campaigns and also worked as consultant for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. After jumping around the minors for a year, he left behind American baseball at grow older 26 and signed up with the NC Dinos in Korea. Victor from the 2014 Ted Hughes Award for New Function in Poetry, Zones from Evasion is actually haunting, producing a resonance with my own lifestyle problems. Support System - Equilibrium Dancing Studios is the home of a family drivened personnel which generate a loving and reassuring setting where pupils of all conditions, grows older, and histories may experience supported, safe, self-assured, and also empowered. Marketing/Sponsorships trainees will certainly be accountable for fulfillment from sponsors, which involves connecting with supporters, handing over sponsorship factors and performing those elements at Gaucho athletics events. The pool intensity ranges from four feets in the shallow section to 13.5 feets in the scuba diving effectively. This'll have some more time for his time statistics to balance out, and also we can't remove his early-season impossibility (or even get back the time he missed on the DL), so his quality is actually still reduced. Upon voucher from an ultimate lineup coming from the Head Coach, the Athletic Equipment Space are going to provide Athletic Gear to each athlete.. The variety of great tasting flavors is just what I love concerning Harmony Bar - as well as why I was pumped to hand out present bags along with a number of the new products. The assimilation from professors sports representatives in to NCAA functions is shown in the laws from the NCAA. . Oct 10, 2016 - Football Lyons Stories: An Evaluation & Sneak peek from Mount Holyoke Athletics for Oct The concern is actually that the stride towards home plate isn't the genuine resource from a pitcher's power; instead, the appropriately timed as well as sequenced rotation of the hips, torso, as well as shoulders is actually. Through aiming to stride specifically powerfully toward home plate when tossing a certain sound, pitchers are actually far more probably to screw up their timing, and possibly also cost on their own velocity therefore, compared to they are to raise their rate. Sexual offense: The Athletic Division will not allow unwanted sexual advances, scare tactics, stalking, rape, sexual brutality or various other related violations. Also, pair of loved members of the baseball neighborhood were actually dropped over the weekend because of unfortunate collisions. The Sports open their initial season in Kansas Metropolitan area along with a draw the Tigers, 6-2, just before 32,844.

[plogan721]

Attention All Trolls (Yes, that means Me too)

Attention:  If you say mean comments about someone’s post, comment, video, etc…. you are a troll.  I am not talking about those cute little things from the latest movie by the same name, those cute little dolls people were seen carrying in the 1970’s, or those trolls from Frozen, I am talking about those people who feel uncomfortable enough that they say mean nasty things about something that another person post in pictures, video, and in print on the internet.

Before I address that, note I said in the title, me too.  Yes, guilty as charged.  Why did I confess?  Because in the Bible, there is a bible passage (a group of scriptures) that points out that you cannot point out the actions of your brother without pointing out your own faults. (started to use the Old English word, and MS. Word would not let me), so I am not exactly the “Snow White” of comments.  In the beginning, especially, I have been known to have a tart in my comments about another post or video. 

Now, I am not against our country’s 1st amendment rights of free speech.  In fact, sometimes I think we, as Americans take it too far.   Yes, while we do have the right to say what we want to say, we really do not.  I want to ask you (especially if you constantly the one doing the trolling):

·         When is it right to call another race of people names like Pocahontas (for Native Americans) -heard that was said by our lovely POTUS (President of The United States) about another senator in front of a group of Native American Veterans, or calling each other in the same race N****.  If you do that, not only are you hurting that race, but you also do not have any respect for yourself. 

·         Tell a Youtubber that they are fake because they advertise on their channel.  (Also known as having sponsorship).  Last night, I was reading comments on Cullen and Katie’s channel because I thought that the video, which was a sponsored video for Google Home, was cute.  They rarely do sponsor videos, but I had to be nosey, and peek at what others said about the video.  Most people thought that the video was cute, especially Gaines and Brookes (their children ages 3 and 1), but there were one or two who thought that Cullen and Katie were being sellouts, being fake, and other nasty little comments. Folks, I will address the real life as a Youtubber in another post, but this is their job.  Any job, from being an actor, an ordained minister, construction worker, a blogger, mortician, or a vlogger has it's not so glamorous moment.  If you want to make money in this business (blogging and vlogging), you need sponsorship.  Not only that, Youtube has forced advertising on our channels, mine included.  Next, these sponsors will require product placement in videos, which is what television shows do.  You need lots of viewership to see any type of profit, and right now, I have 125 regular subscribers on my Youtube channel, and 556 pageviews from the month of October without posting a single new post on this blog, My Ambience Life.  I would love to see the numbers that Cullen and Katie get on their channel.  They have consistency and cuteness on their side, and I vlog sporadically, and I took off for 3 months on this blog.  

·         When you basically point out how ugly, stupid, or a being an idiot that the person was for posting in the first place.  You do not like the content, but you decided to point out the person instead.  That is being plain childish in the first place.

Folks, I have one word and one phrase for you…. Delete, and don’t watch (read).  You do not like the content, move on. This should be that simple.  This goes for anything that shows up on Facebook and Twitter feed (I have yet to see that much control on Pinterest, Instagram, and SnapChat), but you are in control of your feeds.  I do it all the time.  If a friend posts something on Facebook or Twitter that I do not like.  I ignore it or delete it.  Facebook even has the option for you to receive fewer posts from that person or to delete that one post.  Sometimes, I delete it because I do not like the language or the content is not my taste.  You must remember that this is what that person is thinking at the time.

I wish that the blogger or vlogger would give some sort of announcement when their video is sponsored.  Some like Cullen and Katie or GabeBabeTV will do that, but a lot will not.  For the ones that do not, I do not watch as much.  I am like you, If I want to watch a commercial, I have my lovely television set to keep me warm, but I must bare through it.  This happened when Google bought both Blogger and YouTube. Unfortunately, the interwebs within itself have become one great, big commercial.  This world has become one, big commercial.   

Anyway, all I am saying is (and I am probably talking to the air at this point), that no one likes nastiness and when you spend a better part of your day trying to given information that may help someone, even if it to entertain a person for 10-15 minutes a day, like I do, the last thing a person needs is someone to comment on a person’s hair, weight, their children, or their decision on what they did or not do new on their channel.  For the most part, I personally ignore the comments that are nasty, but I hate it when it presents itself on other people’s channels, news feeds, and blogs.  It makes me wonder why a person would subscribe to a channel in the first place.  I understand that we as bloggers and vloggers ask for subscribers and “likes”, but it is our job.  Yes, I could be doing a 9-5 job, and I do have other jobs besides this, such as graphic designing for others, but I love the freedom that a supervisor at a company could never give me.  I have done it for over 15 years, and it is tough when you must request to get off and get frowned on when you miss work due to an illness. 

Don’t get me wrong, I loved every single one of my jobs, including the temporary ones.  There were the jobs that I hated, and there were jobs that I loved everything about the job, except a couple of tasks that were part of the job itself.  I will have to tell you about the worst job I ever had and why I hated the job.

Well, I am rambling now. 

So, your takeaway for today is real simple.

Please do not be a troll.  I and other bloggers and vloggers understand your opinions, and we welcome them all, but some comments spell out hatred.  There is a saying that I first heard on the movie, Bambi.  This is the part when Thumper was commenting on how small Bambi’s legs were and if he was going to be able to stand on them at all.  The saying goes; “If you cannot say something nice (Thumper pauses), don’t say it at all.”  It is a good lesson and one of many on how to treat someone, especially on the internet.  Most times and before I say something about an article, post, picture, or video, I try to put myself in that person’s shoes.  By that time, the mean thought is out of my head. I also check comments before I place mine because what I want to say may have already has been said.  No use telling that person the same thing twice.

Well, I have covered trolls twice this year.  I am done.  If no one gets it by now, then remember, it is a matter of respect for one’s art, even in writing.  What a person does on their videos, newsfeeds, pages, and blogs is their business.  If a person is wrong, I am sure there are plenty of people to get them banned from Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest, and Youtube.  No use writing a nasty comment to stoke the ego.  Have a good evening.

from Blogger http://bit.ly/2AfXZKd via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

[bodizwonder]

Garrett Started Training with A Purpose and Got Huge!

Before

After

Age: 18 Height: 6’2″ Weight: 175 lbs. Body Fat: 17%

Age: 20 Height: 6’2″ Weight: 207 lbs. Body Fat: 14%

Garrett was bored with coasting by life with no goal. Sure, he labored out every now and then, however he by no means made any noticeable progress. He was merely going by the motions with out reaping any actual profit.

Then he acquired to varsity, and one thing modified. Maybe he acquired bored with evaluating himself to his friends and feeling like he got here up quick. Maybe he was simply coming into his personal. Whatever it was, Garrett began to really feel a way of goal.

When he got here throughout a large on-line health group, one thing appeared to simply click on inside him. He felt as if he lastly had a purpose to work out, to turn into the very best model of himself. No sooner had Garrett discovered his mission than he suffered a hand damage that sidelined him from the burden room for 3 months. Rather than sulking day in and time out, he took benefit of this time and realized as a lot as he might about vitamin and coaching. What occurred when he returned to the burden room was actually inspiring.

This is Garrett’s story.

When did you resolve to rework?

In highschool, I lifted “just because.” Because a few of my pals lifted. Because my coaches advised me to. Because I used to be bored. I labored out just a few days per week however with no plan and no ambition. I did not have the information, motivation, or drive to seek out path.

Things modified once I acquired to varsity. I stumbled throughout the net health group and have become fascinated with the overwhelming (in a great way) quantity of knowledge and motivation at my fingertips. I used to be hooked. I started integrating what I used to be studying into my very own coaching program, and repeatedly toyed with my exercise splits, units, and reps.

Unfortunately, just some quick months after beginning, I injured my hand so badly I wanted surgical procedure. No lifting, not even decrease physique, for nearly 3 months. Doctor’s orders. Rather than sinking right into a spiral of frustration, I acquired busy. I discovered 2 on-line lessons (fundamental vitamin and coaching), and studied arduous for 3 months.

Access to all this on-line info motivated me to come back again higher than ever. I used to be lastly able to take my weight loss program and coaching significantly.

How did you attain your objectives?

When my physician gave me the inexperienced gentle to begin lifting once more, I headed straight for the gymnasium. I spent the subsequent couple of months dialing in every meal and ensuring I gave my greatest effort throughout every exercise. I used to be decided to place my newfound information to good use instantly.

Boy, did the outcomes come fast! I did not take any preliminary measurements. But if I needed to estimate my progress, I would say I added 2-3 inches to my arms in just some months. The adjustments I used to be seeing in my physique fueled me to work even more durable. I could not consider how a lot I might change my physique simply by staying disciplined and constant.

Today, I really feel wholesome and assured, which is nice, contemplating that I am at a stage in my life the place I am laying the groundwork for my future.

What weight loss program plan helped you attain your objectives?

oats 1 cup

blueberries 1 cup

Grilled Chicken wrap 1

Fruit Cup 1 cup

Peanut butter sandwich 1

CHicken 4 oz

steak 4 oz

Brown Rice 8 oz

turkey breast sandwich (on entire wheat) 1

Protein Shake 1

What coaching plan helped you attain your objectives?

I stick with the identical body-part break up all through the week. But I range my workouts ceaselessly—generally as usually as each week—to maintain it enjoyable and interesting. My rep ranges usually keep the identical.

What dietary supplements did you are taking to achieve your objectives?

What did you discover most difficult: weight loss program or coaching?

It was difficult to discover ways to gas my physique and eat clear. I had 0 vitamin information initially and operated with a fast-food mindset. When I used to be youthful, I ate no matter and every time I wished. Portion management by no means entered my thoughts, and I helped myself to seconds and thirds.

When I used to be injured, I spotted I wanted to get critical about my weight loss program. I began doing vitamin analysis, studying what it might take to pack on the muscle I used to be on the lookout for.

Today, I concentrate on consuming 3 essential meals per day, with just a few snacks thrown in all through the day. Fortunately, my school diner is open all day, so I’ve entry to meals every time I would like it. Instead of going to fast-food burger locations like I used to, I’m going to a sandwich store and choose combos of lean protein and whole-grain bread.

What or who served as a supply of motivation?

I acquired loads of motivation from movies and posts within the on-line health group. I adopted Calum von Moger particularly. The stability he strikes between enjoyable and health is one thing I try for day by day. Plus, he is large! I imply, who would not need these muscle tissues?

What are your future health objectives?

I am finding out to turn into a licensed private coach so I can share my information and my story with others and assist them attain their objectives. For the time being, I hope to have the ability to do this type of work at my college.

Also, every spring, my college hosts a bodybuilding competitors. I plan to compete within the spring 2017 present. It could be superior to get an athlete sponsorship!

What recommendation would you go alongside to aspiring transformers?

If you do not consider in your self, it is arduous to set objectives, and even more durable to achieve them. Have a transparent imaginative and prescient of what you wish to obtain, then go after it 110 %. If you want footage of individuals’s physiques that encourage you, go for it!

Also, discover a routine you get pleasure from. Look round and discover one which makes you wish to go to the gymnasium day by day (sure, even on leg day!). The extra you get pleasure from what you are doing, the much less you may stress about it. Plus, the additional motivation will proceed to gas your effort and, in the end, enable you progress.

How has Bodybuilding.com helped you attain your objectives?

I nonetheless keep in mind the primary time I got here throughout Bodybuilding.com. I knew perhaps 2 completely different again workouts on the time and was on the lookout for just a few variations so as to add to my coaching break up. I used to be mid-workout at some point once I simply picked up my telephone and Googled “back workouts.” Without actually occupied with it I clicked the primary hyperlink that appeared. That hyperlink led me to Bodybuilding.com and began me on my health journey.

There was an elaborate record of workouts for every muscle within the again, intensive instructions on the best way to carry out every train, and a video to go together with every one! I used to be mesmerized and past excited. After trying out all of the again workouts, I ultimately moved on to find out about one other muscle, after which one other, till I began studying about your complete physique.

I nonetheless use the Bodybuilding.com exercise database to today. I additionally go to the location frequently to atone for the newest and biggest vitamin and coaching articles. The Bodybuilding.com website has performed a serious position in serving to me evolve my understanding of vitamin and coaching.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Source: fitnesscaster.com Source: Bodiz Wonder

#Bodiz Wonder #Bodiz Wonder - Wonderful Life

[euro3plast-fr]

Why is social media listening important in financial services?

3 examples demonstrating the benefits of social listening for financial services

In a decade, social media has gone from somewhere we share photos of our cat, rant about politics, get passionate about sport, and learn how to use eyeliner - to a vital part of a company’s marketing strategy (although there are still a lot of cats).

While most industries jumped on board, according to Marketo, the Financial Services Industry (FSI) is still falling short.

This post is based on a white paper written in collaboration with Hootsuite, that presents three use cases demonstrating what the FSI will gain by understanding and engaging with social media.

If you’d like to read the full white paper and see examples of banks that are winning and losing on social media, you can download it here, How the Financial Services Industry Can Use Social Media to Drive Business Advantage.

It targets the finance sector, but, the real-life scenarios and advice apply to any industry. Take a look!

Where are Users Talking?

In general, the finance sector does at least have a presence on social media. But, it’s not engaging with its audience, so it’s wasting its time.

74% of consumers use social media to guide their purchasing decisions. With brand marketing often overlooked, we go to our peers for product reviews and recommendations. We want quick, effective, and personalized customer services. We know our own worth and the value of our personal data. We expect – no, we demand that financial institutions listen to us, get to know us, protect us, and reward us.

First things first, use a social listening tool to monitor all media types to find which networks your customers are using.

The arrival of the digital age disrupted the financial services industry and altered the relationship between banks and consumers. No longer can banks interact with their customers through bulletproof glass. Websites, mobile apps, and social media have created new ways to reach customers and engage. Regrettably, the FSI is still finding its feet and engagement is lacking. According to Edelman’s 2016 Trust Barometer, trust in the financial services industry is amongst the fast growing. Yet, the FSI still remains one of the least trusted of those analyzed.

Why does the FSI need a presence on social media?

Consumers, prospects, and competitors are there.

Brands get mentioned, whether they’re on social or not.

Peer marketing is more effective than brand marketing. We believe our friends over brands.

It’s the largest focus group in the world where interaction can happen with consumers on a one to one basis.

Personalized engagement will move consumers up the value chain - from awareness to brand advocate.

But, Edelman warns that, “trust is too fragile, and today’s financial services climate is too unpredictable for companies to rest on their laurels. The industry needs to continue to be dynamic and double-down on trust building solutions.”

The Financial Services Industry is Waking Up!

In 2016, the FSI began introducing social media into its marketing strategy. Hootsuite’s Social Media Trends Report for Financial Services stated, “In 2017, banks, financial brands, and insurance brands will accelerate their adoption of social channels… to deliver a human touch to the customer experience at scale”.

With 80% of the US population using social media, - it’s about time!

Can the Financial Services Industry Catch Up?

Social media can provide a cornucopia of data about consumers’ behaviour, sentiment, interests, spending history, location, language, and more. A social listening tool will help the FSI track this data and identify actionable insights. Insights that’ll improve product development, customer service, risk management, marketing, and business performance. By becoming more customer-centric, the FSI will increase loyalty, trust, and revenue.

Brand Benefit #1 – Brand Protection: J.P. Morgan Failed to Appreciate the Power of Social Media

The FSI is a highly-regulated industry and yes, using social media can bring on a compliancy headache. Take a painkiller! The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), published guidelines – The FCA’s supervisory approach to financial promotions in social media. Large glass of water, and swallow.

Ignoring social media won’t make it go away. Consumers will talk about a brand whether it’s there or not. If consumers aren’t happy, they tell the world via social media. If a negative story hits the press, it’s shared all over social. If the FSI isn’t there, isn’t listening, how will it know when to jump in and protect its brand?

J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) has 345K Twitter followers. It shares financial advice, sponsorship news, and it promotes its brand. It educates, listens, and engages with its followers. Bravo!

But this wasn’t always the case. Realizing the importance of using social media, J.P. Morgan started using Twitter in 2013. Unfortunately, it failed to appreciate its power.

It launched a Q&A on Twitter, “What career advice would you ask a leading exec at a global firm?”, with the hashtag #AskJPM. The hashtag went viral, yay! But the tweeted questions weren’t from people seeking employment advice. Instead, they referenced a recent court case in which J.P. Morgan was fined $920M.

Admirable that the bank jumped straight into social media in such a bold way. But doing so without a crisis communication strategy prepared, was foolhardy.

First things first, keep track of mentions with social listening. Create alerts so you know the instant trouble starts. Choose keyword alerts that are industry appropriate. The FSI could choose terms such as ‘fraud’, money laundering’, etc.

Brand Benefit #2 – Consumer Insights: Tata Capital Targets Couples Looking to Tie the Knot

Customer insights identify consumer behavior, brand sentiment, trending industry news, customer needs, spending history, product pain points, location, gender, and more. This data enables personalized messaging and offers that target chosen customer segments. Let’s be honest, we’re no longer surprised when Amazon pops up an ad with the boots of our dreams, or Netflix suggests the perfect Friday night movie.

Tata Capital recently launched its Wedding Loans campaign. It uses customer segmentation to find its target audience. Blanket offers to all customers shows that individuals aren’t important to a brand. Customers receiving messaging about wedding loans when they’ve been married for 20 years, would soon lose respect for Tata Capital.

The financial services industry has access to a mass of transactional data; traditional business intelligence focused on historical data. Combine this with the data found with a social media analytics platform, including countries, occupations, languages, interests, genders. It's then possible to identify consumer behavior that was previously ignored or considered irrelevant.

Brand Benefit #3 – Customer Services: 12 Months Later, Barclay Bank was ready to Start Helping

We’re online 24/7 – talking to our mates, watching movies, spending money, looking for support. If the FSI doesn’t match this with 24/7 customer care on social networks, it’s ignoring our needs. 60% of company mentions happen out of office hours. Ouch!

It’s not just about winning customers, it’s about keeping them.

Providing good customer service that complies with banking regulations and operates on social media in the public eye, is not always easy. Planning is essential, because of the need to remain compliant. You won’t receive promos because of that #FridayFeeling, interest rates won’t drop because the sun’s out.

Barclay Bank prepared for 12 months before launching its Twitter account in 2010. It listened to its followers and responded quickly and with a human voice. So successful was it, in 2015, the bank launched a dedicated Twitter account for customer enquiries. @BarclaysUKHelp runs 24/7 and currently has 20K+ followers.

Offering customer service via social media saves time and money for manual workflows. We rarely reach for the phone if we have a problem or complaint, we hit social media – make some noise. When a brand listens, responds, and solves a customer’s problem on social, it’s demonstrating that it cares about its customers. Despite what some may think, using social media for customer services doesn’t make a brand vulnerable, it can increase trust and brand awareness.

How the Financial Services Industry Can Use Social Media to Drive Business Advantage

With consumers in the driver’s seat, where does that leave the FSI in 2017?

Social media, used well, is one of the best places to connect with audiences in innovative, personalized, and educational ways. Delivering engaging and consistent messaging enhances the customer experience. If you want more details on using social listening, you can download this white paper: How the Financial Services Industry Can Use Social Media to Drive Business Advantage.

Thanks to Meg for sharing their advice and opinions in this post. Meg Carpenter is a copywriter in the marketing and communications team at Talkwalker, a social media analytics and monitoring platform helping customers find business-critical insights from social data. You can follow @Talkwalker on Twitter for feature updates and advice. If you'd like to find out more about Meg and her past experience, please connect with her on LinkedIn.

from Blog – Smart Insights http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-listening/financial-services-industry-social-media/

#Blog – Smart Insights