text:
columns: According to My Sources

Gangsta Rap Claims Journo: From the Feather Leather Weather Archives

By a Gossiping Bitch on November 27th, 2013

Feather Leather Weather

Rap blogging is generally thought to have launched in the early 2000s, reaching its apex of influence in the mid to late part of the decade, earning the eternal gratitude of the talentless everywhere (mostly southern rappers). Gossiping Bitches has uncovered a previously unrecognized piece of internet hip-hop history, the first rap blog. The Feather Leather Weather predates all rap blogs, and even the notion of expressing inconsequential opinions on the internet itself. Yes, that far back!

In this edition of the FLW archives, a dark time in rap journalism is recalled with the case of rap blogger Infinitezimal. Though not noticed at the time, the series of FLW posts below reveal a narrative of the tension between writers and rappers that often resulted in writers being intimidated or physically attacked for their published opinions.

You see, long ago there was a subgenre of rap music known as “Gangster Rap,” or by its alternate spelling “Gangsta Rap.” It was invented by a refrigerator in Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin But a G Thang” video. It dealt with themes of violence, partying, and narcissism, previously unexplored in pop culture. It also had an element of organized crime involved in every level from talent to record label executives, also something completely unheard of in the music business before Gangsta Rap. Pretty much every horrible thing can be traced to it and only it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

For its part, rap media had a precarious relationship with Gangsta Rap. Writers wanted to continue saying what they thought about rappers without being murdered, and gangsta rappers wanted writers to help them sell their records or just die. The FLW was no exception to this dynamic as the selected mid 90s posts below show. Note the subtle editorial shift that could very well mark the point when rap journalistic independence died (along with some dude, probably).

July 9, 1996
Posted by Infinitezimal

It took a minute to organize my thoughts upon hearing the waste of plastic that is the new T.M.I. (Terror Mafia International) CD. First of all, lamest name in the game, guys, on the real. Anyways, Streetz Honor Code, Vol. 1 is derivative, pretentious and wholly without merit. It would actually make a fun game asking people who they think Mafia is biting, because you’d get a good idea of what their fandom biases are. A Wu fan would say Wu. A ‘Kast fan would say ‘Kast. A Bad Boy fan would say…ah, who the fuck cares what they would say because they are RUINING HIPHOP. But that’s a conversation for another time. The point is Mafia bites everybody. Every rap trend is represented in a craven attempt to appeal to everybody. You like jeep beats? They got those. Enjoying the G-funk Era? Got those! You like R&B crossover love raps? Those is so gotten LL would be proud/ashamed. You like Puffy Combs-produced glam rap? Fuck you, but yeah, they got those too.

A-to-the-D, The Renegade Jew

The hip-hop arms race continues with the lyrical content on the album. These guys have all manner of weaponry, like they’re gonna crew up and chopper the fuck down to the Sudan for some payback. Ha! I’d like to see that! Guess what, “hardcore” rappers? Real life is way more fucked up and “real” than your fairy tales of the “streets”! You’re lucky to grow up in the U.S.A.! Women, of course, are subjected to bizarre kinky acts and violence, making me wonder about the women who appear on the album, singing hooks. Bitch, who cares about your heart? Get away from the crime scene you’re lingering at, first off! And be more discerning about the dudes you’re with, preferably ones who aren’t homicidal maniacs that raise the odds of you getting sliced or shot to Scorcese movie levels. The misogyny in rap is out of control, but chicks don’t seem to get that. They just keep ignorantly listening to it, like they don’t even know what’s good for them, and it disgusts me.

I have been unfairly accused of “hating” the groups I write critically about. In this case it is warranted, as I HATE these guys. Also, I would be mad REMISS not to mention that the only reason they got put on was their connection to a certain rap mag that will go unnamed (rhymes with Crap Sages). Everyone rightly ignored their demo 2 years ago, and was continuing to ignore the promo copy of their album, yet SOMEHOW they get all kinds of positive articles and a review in one of the best known magazines, whose publishers include a “homey of a homey” of the group. No one says shit because they’re all afraid of these dudes, but FUCK ALL THAT! I keep it realer than the realest actual real thing you can think of. Like, look at your hand. I’m realer! Now slap yourself. That’s the words I’m writing! Peace.

July 10, 1996
Posted by Infinitezimal

Now, the SupaFriendz, that’s a rap collective I can get behind. I interviewed Mad Skillz after his New Year’s show here and he was really cool. He had an incredible memory of all the important things that happened last year and kept randomly bringing them up. Like Earth 2! I forgot all about that shit! I told him he should flip that, but he said it’d be too corny. Rappers should listen to me!

July 11, 1996
Posted by Infinitezimal

Okay, so everyone is on my case about my T.M.I. post the other day. Let me address some of the arguments I am hearing:

– The women issue. Look, I don’t know if some of my female readers have learning disabilities causing reading comprehension problems, but I was speaking out AGAINST sexism. That means I’m not sexist BY DEFINITION. Calm your emotions down and read the piece slowly until you realize what I’m trying to tell you.

Mixed Tape Mansion

– One thing that keeps coming up is that I am not “of the culture” and therefore can’t write about rap. Has anybody saying that been to a Sam Goody or Virgin or Best Buy or any place other than the streets that sells rap recently? The culture is in these stores buying rap, and I am well repped in that set, believe that.

– Some anonymous calls from purported members of the Mafia informed me in less than polite language that I am way off base about the crew’s industry ties and intimidating behavior towards the media. Then they threatened me. If I don’t give a positive review, they’re gonna do such and such to me.

– They’re still wack. 1/5 stars, motherfuckers.

July 12, 1996
Posted by Infinitezimal

I’m nervous, no lie. Strange cars driving slow by my building. Like, outside right now. Strange man in a strange Land.

Oh shit, that was good, right? Think of shit like that all the time. I easily could have been a punchline rapppppppppppyyyyyyyyywwwwwwwwqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

bullssssjersey jeanssssssssssssssss
doooorrrrrrrrrraggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg uuuuuuuuuuuuu

July 19, 1996
Posted by DJ Dicey

Yo! Dice-1, here. I’m new to Feather Leather Weather and we are getting this party back started after being out of pocket for a bit. I want to kick this off with an in depth analysis of the hottest group on the streets right now, the mufukin Terror Mafia!

Terror Mafia International

Now, full disclosure: I am a club DJ who has performed at Mafia events in the past, and my cousin manages them.* With that out of the way, y’all need to cop that album, in stores right now!

The beats is off the hook, as well as the chain. They got joints for the hard rocks, for the suburbanites, and for the ladies. And the rhymes always on point. Rappers J-KNIFE, B-Shotz, and Perilous always give you the real, the hardcore street perspective missing in rap right now. Plus, they got all the club bangers to dance to, and the laid back smooth songs for the lovers out there. Not to mention they got a song dedicated to their mamas that will put tears in your eyes.

The whole FLW offices are buzzing about this album in a big way. When I first rolled up, they already had it playing on repeat for the duration. That’s keepin’ it real! Many of the writers have let me know personally how much they love the Mafia, asking if I can hook up autographs and all that. Chill, guys, I don’t know them like that! Diggin’ the enthusiasm, though!

So, come on people, let’s make it hot for T.M.I. this summer! Call the stations and media outlets, and tell them you want Mafia all day every day, or we** comin’ to get ’em!

*Also, one of them is the father to my sister’s child.

**Meaning us fans of T.M.I.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
By 19 DEC, we will complete 3 years of success with 16,000+ users. We would like to thank everyone for being part of GO Unlimited growth. Major updates will be applied on the service by the first quarter of 2019 such as theme update and more.

Valuable User Program

Valuable Users are those who use our video player as the main mirror/server option on their website/s.

GO Unlimited offers an additional 50% (Starting from 10% up to 50%) profit on user profits from views when he join our Valuable Users Program.

- Custom payout rates (Up to 50% more than the regular rates).

- Lifetime file storing, no deletion even after 60 days of no views. *NEW*

- Dedicated account manager, 12 hours availability per day, 7 days a week.

- The user should be able to gain more than 5000 views/downloads daily to subscribe.

- The service team checks the subscribed user's sites to ensure that they continue using our video player as the first mirror/server option. Undoing this will result in a 10-50% discount on the user's credit immediately without prior notice.

How to subscribe?

Use the "Help" or "Chat" button in the bottom of the right side of each page on our website to contact us in order to join this program.

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-51
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for December 2018
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-180-67-225.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
The Department of Government is an open, dynamic, and publicly engaged community of scholars, students, and professional staff. We believe in the ideal of scholarship for its own sake but are also deeply committed to the role of cutting-edge research in informing politics and public life

The department has a strong tradition in the major subfields of political science: American politics, political theory, international relations, comparative politics, and political economy. Our Ph.D. program trains new generations of scholars to tackle some of the most pressing conundrums in political and social life. They go on to become academics in the world’s leading colleges and universities as well as to positions of influence in government and global affairs. Our four master’s degrees offer challenging, policy-oriented programs focused on such issues as democracy, conflict, development, and U.S. politics at the federal, state, and local levels. Through jointly appointed faculty and shared programming, the department has strong links to Georgetown’s other major units concerned with politics and policy: the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, the McCourt School of Public Policy, and the Georgetown Law Center.

Our position in Washington, DC—an international city, the national capital, and a vibrant urban metropolis with its own cultures and histories—offers our students an unrivalled opportunity to engage directly in political life. Whether attending a Supreme Court session, interning at the World Bank, reading under the dome of the Library of Congress, or working to counter poverty in a DC neighborhood, our students have the opportunity to build a life that values both intellectual exploration and deep engagement with the world.


text:
Catherine Mermet

Regular price

A stunner when bred by Guillot in 1869 and still rarely outdone, Catherine Mermet is excellent for vase and a bit hardier than most Tea roses. A hot ticket as a florist’s rose back in 1894, she does well as a garden shrub with beautiful scrolled buds opening to a classic early hybrid tea melange of shades ranging from pale flesh, silver pink, ballet pink and white. A rose that has been cultivated and admired for more than 150 years is surely deserving of a place in every garden. She grows to be a large healthy shrub and a bloom machine once she is mature.

Hardy: 6b-10b
Bloom: Large and cupped
Fragrance: Strong
Color: Ranging from flesh to ballet pink
Type: Tea

Our nursery roses will be shipped in late April or early May 2019 depending on weather conditions across the country. Our roses are two year old plants upon delivery. Roses will be shipped in three gallon nursery pots with extensive roots, so please plan to transfer your roses to larger containers or plant them in the ground upon arrival. Your roses will arrive leafed out (possibly with buds) and ready to produce roses for you in spring! Each of our roses comes with our organic, hand-mixed planting amendment and planting/care instructions.

California Residents: You may pickup your roses at our farm the last week of April. We will refund your shipping costs upon pickup of your roses.

Share This


text:
Penny Stock Prophet Reviews

good stocks to buy

Penny Stock Prophet Reviews – Online Penny Stock Trading

penny stock tradingIf you were to ask the question whether you are interested to be a millionaire your answer will definitely be a resounding yes, of course. Being given the opportunity to live the life that you always dream has its attractions. Have you heard of Penny Stock Prophet? This is a James Connelly’s program. Penny Stock Prophet reviews shares recommended tools that will help you trade stocks and a financially rewarding life. Do you want to know who James Connelly is? He is the brains behind Penny Stock Prophet. When he started this business, he was just in college with $1000 and a brilliant idea.
James managed to produce six-figure amount by investing in thirty-eight trades. Some of you might be skeptical about this, but he is a living proof that his system works. What work in his favor is that he was good at mathematics, which includes expertise in calculations. Through his efforts, you will be able to get inside his exclusive club to know the secrets on how to become a millionaire in the future just like him. Are you now ready to be financially free to live up your dream?

How Does Penny Stock Prophet Work?

Penny Stock Prophet reviews shares how this program was specifically designed to clue you in the right penny stock prophet breakouts. The basic precept of this program, according to the penny stock prophet reviews is that it will help you pick the winning penny stock trades, when to sell them and how to rake profits from these. You will receive his once a week newsletter divulging these secrets and other updates. The ideas are explained simply. You are bound to form some sort of skepticism if it really works, but the great thing is that it does.
One of the best features of this program, according to penny stock prophet review is that you will only need to invest $5 to start investing in these small shares. However, if you would analyze this scenario you would soon realize that these small investments could add up to bring you a greater amount of profit. This program bears the bulk of the job by providing you with a prediction of which of these stocks must be bought and when to sell it. By joining the Penny Stock Prophet community, you received these very useful newsletters. The newsletter also includes information about the companies that you wish to invest in.
You will learn what these companies have to offer and the reason why buying shares from them is a good investment. When you have established a sound investment portfolio eventually, you will rake in the profits. As soon as you sign with this system, according to the Penny Stock Prophet reviews you will be advised on which broker is tailored fit to meet your needs as a trader. Now you need not waste your precious time just to search for that one perfect broker to help you earn a huge amount of profit from this particular investment.
Being given a solid and trustworthy broker who will work to protect your mutual investment, you will be free from worrying about where and when to invest and such important details involved in microcap stock trading. Some of the old timers refer to this as microcap enterprise. In order to start your investing, what you have to do is to subscribe to a onetime payment of less than $100. This comes with a guarantee that if you are not satisfied, you can always get your money back inside a 60-day guarantee period.

Pros of Penny Stock Prophet

Most of the notable Penny Stock Prophet review said that they are impressed with how the strategies contained in the newsletter really worked in their favor. By following, these “predictions” you will be able to achieve at least 20% return on your investment for every trade that you make. However, you have to be realistic enough to accept that there is no promise that the program will always help you earn this much. There will be good and not so good decisions on your part.
This comes with a free trial where you can try the program. During this stage of trying out the program, you do not have to pay them anything. You can test drive the system and see if it is as effective as it says it is in Penny Stock Prophet review. As a member, you will gain exclusive access to major penny stocks picks by James Connelly. Thanks to this mathematical genius, you will start enjoying a good return on your stock investment. The program actually teaches you how to buy the stocks cheap and sell them for a huge profit later on. The name of the game is how to turn these stocks into profit in a short amount of time.
You do not have to pay recurring charges just to gain access to this awesome program. You just have to make a onetime payment and you are set for life. You will not be slapped with monthly subscriptions; this program will not do this to you unlike other programs that has hidden charges. This is one of the advantages of using this system. Just learn from the master and copy what he did. In just a little while, you will be able to received decent earnings from your investment. The PSP forum site allows you to exchange your ideas with people of the same interests in similar financial investments. However, if you are looking for blogs, you are up for a little disappointment. It is the idea of this mathematician, not to divulge everything more than what he should. You are reminded to make a wise choice. Some claim that this program adapts pump and dump like the one others do. The truth is that it does not promote this method at all. The algorithm use does not trust on random pickings. It is never a form of gamble at all. This is where some people might be wrong about this program. This program offers a different style of trading. PSP gives you picks based on the other external factors. Try it and see if you are comfortable in trading this way.

Cons of Penny Stock Prophet

One of the downsides of using this program is that you need enough knowledge about how investments like this work. However, this is not an impossible feat to accomplish. If you have set your mind into raking a decent profit, then you have to undergo a crash course on penny stock trading investments. Some say that he is an unethical promoter since he leaks out such information to the public and those that will benefit from using it. To be truthful, this will benefit those who are interested in pursuing their desire to become a microcap trader or start investing in a microcap enterprise like this.
One thing that you need to remember though is that you are investing in the stock of the company and not in the company. Most of the complaints were about receiving spam mails and other junk mails from this program. They naturally paid for this ad by the company that they are promoting. Most of the common mistakes that every rookie makes is to fall into the trap of earning millions in a very short amount of time. If you do not read the entire thrust of this program, you are bound to misconstrue the information given in the advertisements. It is never their intention to mislead potential customers in what others refer to as the path to get rich quick scheme.

Most of the Penny Stock Prophet review has these great things to say about this program. Whether you are a beginner or somebody who has been trading for the longest time you can both derived the same financial benefits from this. By trying this program, you will be able to gauge if it works as it claims to be. Later on you can stick with it or move on to the next one. There is a great chance that you will like what it offers. If it is not a legitimate offer, you will not see it on the sites that recommends stock investments that are both legitimate and trustworthy. Avoid buying into a scam site by checking if the link leads to its official site. By using this program, you are building a better and financially rewarding future for you and your family.

One Comment on “Penny Stock Prophet Reviews

  1. Pingback: Online Stock Trading Review | Greatofreview

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Rock the house with this stunning stone-shaped LED lamp. Stonnia lets you change colors as the mood demands and create a warm glowing atmosphere, inside or around the house. What is more, LED lights are green products, so it's an ideal choice for the eco-friendly minded. Add a remote control to make changing colors even easier.

Out of stock

Category: .
Twitter Pinterest Email Print
  • Description
  • Additional information
    Additional information
  • Specifications
  • Reviews (0)
    Reviews (0)

Product Description

  • Waterproof (Certified IP 68), shockproof, cordless and rechargeable
  • Light options: steady colors, scrolling colors, fade and candle effect, dimmable light intensity
  • Material : polyethylene
  • Between 5 to 8 hours of use once fully charged
  • Lifetime exceeding 50,000 hours
  • Patented and removable LED module / 1.6 W RGB LED
  • Power consumption : 1.6 W
  • Certified : CE, UL, ROHS, FCC
  • Optional RF remote control

Additional information

Weight10 lbs
Dimensions11 x 11 x 13 in

WEIGHT: 8 lbs

DIMENSIONS: 11 x 11 x 13 in

BRAND: Artkalia

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Stonnia”


text:
Jump to content
Sign in to follow this
Boss Man Bandz

Boss Man Bandz - Feelin Good Feelin Great (Single) Clean

Rate this topic

Recommended Posts

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this


text:
Ted in Holland

I’ve just got back from a full week in Amsterdam working on The Ted Bundy Project at MC Theater as part of the Flying Solo International Commission.

It was a massively fruitful week for the project and a new experience for me developing work internationally (I did some development on the piece in the US at the wonderful Orchard Project this past summer, but–the US being my home country–in some ways that felt a bit more like returning somewhere rather than discovering somewhere new).

It was terrific. I got to have some intensive, focused time away from my normal life, while also being able to stay in a fantastic flat and sample the local cuisine:

One of the biggest impacts on the piece and me as an artist in general was the sense of freedom that developing the work internationally allowed. In Amsterdam, no one really knew the people, the networks, the venues, the hierarchies or the reputations of the artistic community in which I operate in the UK. And aside from a reciprocal curiosity about how things work in other places, no one cared. This meant I got to see myself outside of that; to see myself more on my own terms and less as a specific brand of ’emerging artist’ who is a bit more emerging than that person, but a bit less emerging than that other person.

That felt good. It means that The Ted Bundy Project will be a better piece; a piece that I feel has developed in ways that are more exciting and expansive and specific than if I had only developed it in one place. At least, that’s my hope.

Greg_Oval_House_002 small

So thanks to MC Theater for having me and thanks to Contact for heading up the Flying Solo International Commission which gave me this opportunity. This commission has asked more of me than anyone has asked of me before. A good thing.

Images by Rod Farry

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Building Decarbonization Coalition – Roadmapping Session #1

October 25 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm PDT

Gridworks is partnering with the Building Decarbonization Coalition to provide assistance in developing a roadmap for policy change.  As a vital component to reaching the current set of emission targets, the BDC believes that now is the time to take action. Bringing together stakeholders throughout California to develop and drive policy adaptations in several key ways:

  • Identify the key areas to update emission standards based on current realities
  • Drive buy-in from key stakeholders on decarbonizing the building sector
  • Lead the way on market transformation for the sector

The focus of this first meeting will be be evaluating the existing barriers to achieving the goals of the Coalition and the best opportunities to surpass these barriers.

Hosted in the Montclair room at Oakland Center.

Inquiries should be directed to aspreen@gridworks.org

Roadmap and agenda to be posted to this space.

October 25
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Event Category:

1000 Broadway, Oakland – Montclair Room
1000 Broadway
Oakland, CA United States


text:
Difference between the average & best deal in Broadford is $0/yr

Best Deal Worst Deal
$261/qtr $531/qtr
Average Deal

How does your bill compare to an average home in Broadford 3658?

7 kWh/day
13 kWh/day
20 kWh/day

Quarterly electricity bill prices include GST and are based on estimated average daily consumption of kWh in Broadford VIC, and may include all available discounts and incentives. Fees and other once-off charges are excluded.

Compare 150 products across 22 retailers. Prices updated 14/12/2018


text:
Difference between the average & best deal in Glenferrie South is $0/yr

Best Deal Worst Deal
$261/qtr $531/qtr
Average Deal

How does your bill compare to an average home in Glenferrie South 3122?

7 kWh/day
13 kWh/day
20 kWh/day

Quarterly electricity bill prices include GST and are based on estimated average daily consumption of kWh in Glenferrie South VIC, and may include all available discounts and incentives. Fees and other once-off charges are excluded.

Compare 150 products across 22 retailers. Prices updated 14/12/2018


text:
I've been angry since I first heard the name "Trayvon Martin." So have you.

And why wouldn't we be? You can pick from a nearly limitless number of reasons to be angry, a veritable kaleidoscope of rage-inducing awfulness. Some are easy to spot, starting with the fucked-up nature of our culture and our criminal justice system where when it sees a person of color, it automatically assumes "criminal." That's the obvious issue that EVERYONE is talking about — and rightly so. That is not something we can afford to ignore.

But there's another issue we're NOT discussing, and frankly, we can't afford to ignore it any more than we can the racial implications of this case. We're talking a lot about guilty vs. not guilty, but we're not talking about something a friend of mine titled "vigilant vs. vigilante." He wrote a long Facebook thing about this, but ultimately the core of it was this paragraph:

"Just because someone has a license to carry in defense does NOT make them a cop. It does NOT mean they have a right, duty or some other obligation to go looking for trouble and injecting themselves intentionally in a potentially bad or dangerous situation. In fact, it means you have to be even more conscious and aware of where you go and how you conduct your business...I only have a right to defend myself if attacked, not to go out and play police officer."

It's not enough to say, "if Trayvon Martin were white, he'd be alive today" without also saying, "if George Zimmerman didn't have delusions of cophood, Trayvon Martin would still be alive today." You can't stop after the former and say "discussion over, problem solved," because it will NEVER be solved if you don't also discuss the second problem. We live in a culture that not only empowered Zimmerman's racial profiling, but validated his belief in himself as King Badass, Savior of the Gated Community. We gave a man who had no idea how to use guns responsibly easy access to firearms and empowered him to use them to validate his own ego. It's one thing to be vigilant in self-defense. It is something ENTIRELY different to pursue someone because you think it's your responsibility to do the work of trained law enforcement personnel — to be a vigilante. Especially when the only evidence you have that someone might be up to no good is "he's black and he's wearing a hoodie."

Trayvon Martin wasn't a criminal because of the color of his skin, just as George Zimmerman and everyone defending him aren't awful because of their color, but because they use the power and privilege given to them by that color to inflict tragedy on the powerless. The problem isn't "this group of people are bad because they are this color." The problem is how people with power treat those without it, and the fact that in America, white people are the only racial collective with power. The problem is stupidity, ignorance, and hatred. The problem is that we've set up a culture that encourages vigilantism at the expense of innocent life. The problem is that our criminal justice system sees black skin and assumes "well, they must be guilty of something." The problem is that when a case like this happens, a lot of white people automatically leap to the defense of the white person because they think the black person "must've done something wrong," and they have no capacity to confront the privilege that causes them to feel that way.

ALL of these things are problems, and to ignore any one of them is to fail to do justice to Trayvon Martin. If we want this to not happen again, we can't afford to talk about one issue at the expense of all others. We can't afford to pretend that there's just one terrible angle to the whole thing. We have to unwrap the entire package, no matter how much it might hurt to do so.

There were a lot of brilliant tweets about this — Jay Smooth, Teju Cole, Neil deGrasse Tyson, all of them had really important things to say, along with countless others. But one tweet hit me harder than any other:

How cool would it be, indeed.


text:
Ideas Strike

Recently I was sitting an a cafe, notepad out and expecting my pen to start moving. With the blank page still staring at me, I realized I was waiting for inspiration to strike. Steven King’s quotation popped into my head: Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.

Fortunately, my brain twisted the idea of striking inspiration (as only my brain can), and suddenly in my head I was on an Indiana Jones-esque adventure where ideas were snakes, hidden, coiled, and ready to strike.  As I progressed through the tangled jungle of my memories, I was waiting for the attack.

Then again, Indiana Jones would not have gone out seeking snakes! Strangely enough, I have never seen a snake in the wild, despite living in rattlesnake country most of my life.

I think the fedora and khakis were drawn into my subconscious because I recent read that it was the 25th anniversary of the release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Last CrusadeAfter the horrible second film, I was so glad to have the humor and great story line of the original continued in the franchise. At first, I couldn’t believe that it had been 25 years until I realized that River Phoenix had played the young Indie.

Young Indie
I can’t believe I found a picture of him holding a snake!!!!

It was River’s brother, Leaf (now known as Joaquin), who made the 911 phone call about River’s collapse in 1993. I remember all of this so well. Like many 80s children, I grew up watching River’s films, starting with Stand By Me. His name on the poster was enough to get me to go into the theater.

Two things really stuck in my head about his death. First, when people would confront him about his drug use, his answer was consistently “I’m a vegan,” believing somehow that that would protect him. What stands out most though was the tox report after his death. There was an impressively long list of drugs, followed by Sudafed. That little red pill – which keeps me functioning during allergy season – seemed odd on that list.

In tribute to River and the rest of the cast of The Last Crusade, I have placed the film in my library queue and will be watching it soon. It will be interesting to see if it’s aged well. Not only will I get some great entertainment, there is the added benefit of it breaking my writer’s block!

Am I the only one that has been disappointed by even number Indiana Jones films? or What celebrity deaths have really struck you?

4 thoughts on “Ideas Strike”

  1. That’s funny. I actually just recently watched some of those movies. The first and third hold up well, but I don’t like Temple of Doom. It just doesn’t seem to have aged well. I can see why some people would like it, but it’s just not for me. I’m actually someone who defends the Crystal Skull. I thought it was a decent movie – not great, but definitely not as bad as people say. A lot of people say it’s too goofy, but the original trilogy had a ton of goofy moments. Plus, I thought it was great that they took some risks on the story they went with. It shows that they could expand on the universe they created. Anyway that’s my impression.

    1. I think my problem with Crystal Skull was that it seemed to be filling time between recycling memories from the first films. The main part of my problem with it was I wanted it to be 1980s Indiana, and it couldn’t be that. There I go with being burned by expectations!

    1. I’m actually enjoying middle age. My arms are still long enough for me to read without bifocals, I don’t have too much “tinsel” in my hair, and I get to appreciate how much more confident I am now than I was when I first saw the third Indie film!

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Casting the net

By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on October 11, 2018

GREAT Southerners have the chance to be in Albany film H is for Happiness if they can make it to casting sessions tomorrow and Saturday.

H is for Happiness follows the story of 12-year-old Candice Phee, who is on a mission to find happiness for her family following a tragedy.

The family movie will be filmed in Albany during November and December this year.

Extras, stand-ins and doubles are being sought of all ages, shapes, sizes and cultural backgrounds and will be chosen from the people who attend the casting sessions at Albany Entertainment Centre tomorrow, October 12 from 1.30pm to 5pm and Saturday, October 13 from 9am to 3pm.

One role to be filled is for a 12 or 13-year-old female student with red hair, Caucasian skin with freckles and who is approximately 154cm tall.

Another is for a 32 to 42-year-old male with brown hair, Caucasian skin and who is approximately 188cm tall.

Other roles include an elderly ladies walking group, couples, paramedics, nurses, orderlies, bands, a six-month-old red-haired female, six to 13-year-old children, teenagers, dog owners and dogs, families and a six-year-old red-haired female.

To register your interest and have your photo taken, email Rachael Karotkin at happinessfilm.casting@


text:
LaCroix Just Revealed Its Newest Flavor

by Food52 · September 15, 2017

    “Essence is—FEELINGS and Sensory Effects!” LaCroix spokesman Rod Liddle wrote earlier this week to a Wall Street Journal reporter. It was in response to a journalistic query about what’s inside a can of LaCroix, that carbonated, mass-market drink that’s taken on the status of a luxury product.

    The article is a fun read, and, for those of you who’ve been mercilessly paywalled by the Journal, a summary: Reporter Rob Copeland tried to chase down what, exactly, is in this wildly popular drink’s ingredient makeup. He failed. These are boom times for the drink, which has been circulating in the American market since 1981, yet only now enjoying a real spike in popularity—its mouthfeel less cloying than that of sugar-saturated sodas, its packaging more dazzling than Perrier’s.

    “Essence,” Copeland discovered, is the operative word when it comes LaCroix, whose manufacturers shroud its ingredient makeup in secrecy. After all, LaCroix is a drink defined by the absence of certain traits: free of calories, sodium, artificial flavors, gluten; this language of negation doesn’t exactly convey what’s actually in it.

    This opacity does not, as Copeland writes, preclude consumers from guzzling cans of LaCroix with abandon. Yesterday, Eater reported that the company has expanded its portfolio of offerings with a Key Lime flavor. It sounds divine. The company has kept mum about when this particular variety will hit stores, though it brags that Key Lime is a drink with a “distinctive aroma and sweet-and-tart flavor,” its aftertaste resembling that of its namesake pie.

    LaCroix already offers quite an array of flavors within its portfolio, from pamplemousse to mango. There's also, of course, regular lime, though key lime is markedly different, with faint, subtle traces of sweetness to offset lime's astringency.

    A can of aerated key lime pie sweat? I’ll take it. Anything but coconut.

    Words by Mayukh Sen at Food52

    [Photo via @lacroixwater]


text:
“Our patience will achieve more than our force.” – Edmund Burk

I wanted to share a glimpse into my personal job hunting process in the hopes of showing how playing it cool as an applicant can actually  help.

At the end of June I had an informal interview for a position at a local bank. Everything went seemingly well; the hiring manager and I seemed to hit it off, so I felt pretty positive about how it went. The position hadn’t been finalized so there was no telling when I would hear word about the next step.

Flash forward to a month later when I still hadn’t heard boo about the status of the position. Rather than panicking I sent a friendly, yet professional, e-mail to the person I interviewed with expressing my continued interest in the position. She responded by letting me know the final details were being ironed out, but she was glad I was still interested.

Still with me? Two days ago I had seen the position posted online. Originally I had been prompted to send my information through a personal contact so it wasn’t common knowledge the position was open. There was a little part of me that thought I was no longer in the running. I was also tempted to reapply to get my name in the circulation through a slightly different path. My gut prevailed and told me to wait. If they wanted me to know what the next step was, they would tell me.

So what was waiting for me in my e-mail inbox today? An e-mail from the hiring manager I had been working with! She said had encouraged me to fill out the application in the hopes of still being interested in the position.

Now I am not naive enough to think I am a lock for this position. It was just encouraging to know that a little patience can yield positive results in the interviewing process!

Positive Thought of the Day :
“Waiting and hoping is a hard thing to do when you’ve already been waiting and hoping for almost as long as you can bear it.” – Jenny Ninno

“You aren’t learning anything when you’re talking.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

I’m a talker.  Always have been.  I clearly remember an interview I was conducting and seeing the interviewee’s eyes glaze over as I was rambling on about the cultural differences between the Midwest and West Coast.  Luckily, and hopefully, I have improved on my interviewing techniques since then.  Unfortunately, there are still a number of interviewers who do not understand that interviews are not forums for filibustering.  What to do if stuck with a long-winded hiring manager?

Vanna, if you please . . .

1. Be polite.  Eye rolling and interrupting isn’t going to speed up the interview or endear you to a potential boss.  Also, you’re not responsible for imbuing other adults with manners.

2.  Be succinct.  Keep your answers as streamlined as possible.  Engaging in a dialogue that flows is an important part of showing your personality during an interview, but try to avoid stacking stories, i.e. don’t tack on a personal anecdote that ties into the one your interviewer just told.

3.  Be in the moment.  Don’t let your mind wander.  Being an active listener is important in gaining insight to the type of supervisor or co-worker your interviewer might be, as well as the overall working environment of the company.  Also, you may be able to pick up on clues beyond what the job description states regarding the type of working styles and personalities he or she is looking for in a candidate.

4.  Be firm.  If you are working within a time constraint, e.g. you need to return back to your current job, politely let your interviewer know you need to wrap up the interview.  Something along the lines of, “I don’t mean to cut you short, and I certainly hope I have answered all of your questions.  However, I need to continue on to my next commitment.  If there is any further information I can provide regarding my background, I would love to set up another time to do so.” would work.

Interviewers need to remember they are hiring managers; not Oprah Winfrey.  Hopefully these four brief points will help you the next time you’re in it for the long haul!

Positive Thought of the Day:

“The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.” – Fran Lebowitz

“The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones.” – Gabirol

Challenging rude behavior in an interview can be a tricky situation.  Everyone has the right to stand up for their right to be treated fairly and politely.  We’ll go over some ways to handle rude interviewer behavior.

Vanna, if you please . . .

1.  Politely wait for the interruption to finish.  Ultimately, eye-rolling and hot air puffing isn’t going to accomplish anything.

2.  Sincerely accept the apology that the hiring manager SHOULD be offering and move on.  It’s very easy to make a joke of the situation, but make sure you are finding the humor of the situation instead of being passive-aggressive.

3.  Keep your wits about you.  I know it’s hard to regroup, especially when you’re on a great riff about why they should hire you, but put a mental bookmark in your answer so you can pick up where you left off.  Also, do not let any anger seep through into your answers.  Is it okay to be treated this way?  No.  However, as stated in point one, getting upset isn’t going to solve the situation.

4.  Say something.  If repeated interruptions keep happening or a hiring manager is flat-out ignoring you to finish another task, politely speak up.  Keep it professional, though.  A simple, “If there is a more convenient time to meet, we can reschedule for a later date.” will work.  Usually, this type of statement will, essentially, embarrass the interviewer into straightening up and flying right.  If they don’t, take it as a good sign they are a bad company to work for.

5.  End the interview.  Caution:  This is only in cases of extreme interviewer behavior!  If you have been left for a significant amount of time (I would say 20-30 minutes or more) or the conversations involving the interruptions is significantly inappropriate (Think swearing or hostile talk) then it’s time to put an end to the foolishness.  Don’t just get up and leave.  Don’t give them the satisfaction of saying, “He/she just left?  How rude!”  Let them know, “This appears to be a very busy day for you.  I appreciate your time, but this position no longer seems to be a fit for me.”  If the hiring manager isn’t available to talk to then let the receptionist know.

It’s a hiring manager’s job market out there, which can lead to the belief it’s alright to treat people this way because there will be some foolish sap who will allow it.  You don’t want to burn any bridges and, sometimes, an interview does have a full plate.  However, your time is valuable, as well, so there is no point in continuing to waste it at the hands of an inept hiring manager.

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude.” – Maurice Baring

“People count up the faults of those who keep them waiting.” – French Proverb

Interviews are essentially meetings between a hiring manager and an applicant.  If you were leading a meeting within your company, you wouldn’t consistently interrupt the itinerary to take personal calls or answer e-mails, would you?

Just because you are in a position to hire someone does not mean you are in the position to make people wait while you are continually interrupted.  An applicant’s time is still important and engaging in this type of behavior is not only rude, it reflects poorly on your organizational style and the company culture.

Today we will go over how to prevent interruptions if you are conducting interviews.  Next time we will cover how to handle this type of situation if you are an applicant.

So, Vanna, if you please . . .

 1. Nip interruptions in the bud.  Turn your cell phone on silent, your office phone down to a lower volume or to Do Not Disturb, and, if space allows, conduct the interview away from your computer so you won’t be tempted to peek at your computer.

 2.  If you are in a position where you receive a high volume of communication from your team, i.e. a lot of phone calls or continuous drop-ins from co-workers, then send out communication letting people know you will be indisposed from such-and-such time and you will be able to respond to their concerns before or after your interview(s).

3.  Sometimes some people can’t take a hint.  Quite often people assume their problem so important that it’s okay for them to pop their head in your door for your $0.02.  Politely, but firmly let them know you will contact them as soon as the interview is over.  No need to embarrass the person, but don’t let them launch into a filibuster about their issue.  A quick, “I’m in the middle of an interview right now, but I will touch base with you by ______.”  You don’t want to freak out the interviewee into thinking it’s going to be a marathon interview or that it will take 2.8 seconds to realize you’re not going to hire him/her.  However, giving a timeframe will, hopefully, avoid incessant follow-up.

4.  If you are in the middle of a time-sensitive project or a position immediate attention really is warranted, reach out to a co-worker who would be able to make a decision on your behalf.  Make sure you pick someone whose judgment you trust and is in the position to make any necessary decisions.

5.  Know your schedule.  If there is a long-standing meeting every Monday morning or payroll runs the last week of every month, avoid scheduling interviews during or around that time.

6.  Sometimes interruptions are unavoidable.  Kids are sick at home.  You’re short-staffed, which is why you’re hiring.  If you honestly and truly cannot avoid interruptions during an interview, give the applicant a heads up at the beginning of the interview.  You don’t need to give a blow-by-blow account of your kid’s tonsillitis or don’t use this as an opportunity to complain about how busy you are.  A simple, “I certainly don’t want to interrupt your flow of thought during the interview, but if my phone rings, I may have to take the call. I will keep it brief so we can get back on track.”

As an interviewer, you are an ambassador of where you work.  Make sure you are putting your best foot forward.  People want to work for your company.  Don’t dissuade that desire by exhibiting rude behavior.

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Good manners are just a way of showing other people that we have respect for them.” – Bill Kelly

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.”- Sally Koch

So, I had intended on continuing the long thread of ill-behaving managers and what happens?  I have a hiring manager show me such a thoughtful generosity that I had to give credit where credit is due.

Yesterday I had an interview for a newly created position within a local company.  The interview seemed to flow well, and I learned quite a bit about the position, the department, and company as a whole.  While I always mentally backtrack to rehash what I could have said better once the profuse sweating stopped and the nerves are gone, I felt the interview went relatively well.

I had received a voicemail from the aforementioned company today and thought, “Could this be an offer?  Why else would they be calling?”  Turns out I didn’t get the position.  However, the hiring manager wanted to know if I would be open to having my résumé to another company who was hiring for a similar opening.  I gladly said, “Yes, thank you!”

If I may be so indulgent, I would just like to say thank you to this particular hiring manager.  You have softened this cynic’s heart for one day!  When facing multiple rejections throughout a job search it is easy to feel like you are being dismissed with nary so much a second thought.  It is reassuring to know that being told no doesn’t always mean you aren’t hirable.  Plus, in the dog-eat-dog working world we live in, it is nice to know there are still people out there who are willing to help you further your career.

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Success is not built on what we accomplish for ourselves.  Its foundation lies on what we do for others.” – Danny Thomas

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

What’s worse than having to go through the heartache of interviewing?  Going through the heartache of not hearing back after an interview.

Not letting a person know they are not a fit is one of the worst things an interviewer can do.  It is inconsiderate of applicant’s time, possible travel expenses, and feelings.  People put a lot of thought and heart into getting ready for an interview.  It is also very unprofessional.  The world is smaller than we think, and a bad reputation can make its way through the ranks, which can deplete a hiring manager’s applicant pool.

I know human resources is a busy beehive of activity.  However, with today’s technology and word processing options, sending out emails or setting up a mail merge for rejection letters is fairly quick and efficient.  There really is no reason at all not to let someone know they will not be moving on in the application process.

What to do if you are ever in a position of waiting on pins and needles to hear back from a company?  I thought you would never ask.

Vanna, if you please . . .

1.  Ask up front what their timeline is.  When it comes time during the interview for you to get to know the company and what they expect, simply ask, “What is your timeframe for making a hiring decision?”  It’s simple and to the point.  They may not have a definite date, e.g. “We should know by next Wednesday.”  But, they should at least be able to give an approximation, such as, “We have more interviews later this week, so we hope to move to the second round of interviews by the first part of next week.”

2.  Give them time to follow-up.  Is it possible they may have come to a decision earlier than expected?  Sure.  It is it your responsibility to call every day to see if they have?  No.  My general rule of thumb is to give them until they say they were going to follow-up and wait another week.  I know that sounds like torture.  Sometimes unforeseen things come up.  Sometimes there are lengthy hiring processes that preclude them from calling a hiring decision back right away.  Before you go in guns a-blazing, make sure you give them the benefit of the doubt.

3.  Follow up.  There are different schools of thought on this.  More “hiring pundits” are shifting towards encouraging applicants to e-mail a follow-up.  Part of me agrees with this because it avoids putting the hiring manager or human resources, who may have no control on the process at that point, in an awkward position.  It also gives you a paper trail with a time and date stamp so you can keep track of correspondence.  The one downfall is this can be an easy way for a hiring manager to ignore your e-mail.

If you’re going to call, don’t call repeatedly until you get a live person to talk to.  It is very rare to find a company who doesn’t have caller i.d..  If whomever you are calling doesn’t answer, leave a brief and professional voicemail, and leave it at that.  One thing that I always like to do is write out what I say because I tend to have cotton-mouth when I am calling for a status update.  Again, be brief and professional.  “Hi, _______.  My name is ______ and I interviewed for the ________ position last week.  I just wanted to touch base with you to see if any decision has been made regarding the position.”  Short.  Simple.  Succinct.

4.  Stay busy.  Just because you interviewed, and it seemingly went well, that doesn’t mean you should stop your search.  A new job isn’t yours until a signed job offer is in your hand.  Don’t let another great opportunity slip through your fingers because you assume you have a job in the bag.

5.  Never let your emotions get the best of you.  Don’t burn bridges by firing off a nasty email about how you no longer want to work at such a callous company or yell at a hiring manager about how he or she shouldn’t leave such a great candidate waiting.  I know it is frustrating, but you never know what your career may bring.  You may want to apply with them again.  Also, networking connections can be built in every situation.  It may not have worked for this position, but you might have been considered for a possibility down the line.  Keep the relationship positive even though you’re feeling pretty negative.

6.  Be prepared for the worst case scenario.  You may get ahold of someone directly, and they may tell you no.  As harsh as it may sound, be careful what you wish for.

Hiring is not a perfect process.  Hiring managers are not perfect people.  Just remember that you deserve a company who is going to be considerate of your time and effort.  Waiting is hard.  Rejection is harder.  You’ll get through it, though!

Positive Thought of the Day:

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” – Donald Laird

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” -James D. Miles

Happy Thursday, Friends!! You know what that means: Friday is less than 24 hours away.

One element of interviewing that is not covered nearly enough is bad interviewer behavior. Yes, I could fill the Internet up with stories of interviewees and their egregious acts. While interviewing you need to be the best version of you.

This notion does not let interviewers off the hook, though. Just because you are, essentially, in a position of power that doesn’t mean you can treat people poorly. In the upcoming posts we’ll go over poor interviewer conduct and how to handle it.

Until then, here’s to the Almost-Weekend! *raises red Swingline stapler in the air*

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them.” -Aristotle

“Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough.” – Author Unknown

Interviews are demanding enough to begin with, which makes trying to remember a list of things NOT to do extra stressful. I’ve tried to make this list as foolproof and simple to remember as possible.

 So, Vanna, if you please . . .

1. Don’t pull out any gimmicks or stunts. I recently read where one interviewee intentionally showed up late, with advance notice to the company, to see how they would react to his/her “sincere apology.” The whole point was to see if the apology was acknowledged in the interview and how understanding the hiring manager was. Not okay. Which leads into . . .

2. Don’t be late. I know this is as broken record statement. By the by, how much longer is it going to be before young people aren’t going to understand what “sounding like a broken record” means? Anyway, don’t disrespect the interviewers time by being late OR too early. Remember: 5-7 minutes early.

3. Don’t be rude to the receptionist. This type of behavior always gets back to the hiring manager. Even if you end up getting hired, people have loooooong memories when it comes to being treated poorly.

4. Don’t play/talk/text on your cell phone if you end up waiting. It shows a lack of focus and patience. It may also cause an awkward situation if the hiring manager has to wait while you wrap up your phone call. Take this time to review your interview notes and clear your mind.

5. Don’t answer your phone during the interview. In fact, your phone should be off or, at the very least, on silent.

6. Don’t be afraid to take a moment to collect your thoughts before answering any tricky questions. We often feel, especially when we’re nervous, that silence is as bad thing in an interview. A few seconds of silence is better than an ill-suited, rambling answer.

7. Don’t make any off-color jokes or comments. Everyone has a Jiminy Cricket inside. If you feel like you have to preface your statement with, “I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but . . .”, then don’t.

Same goes for any examples that aren’t related to your work history. It’s great if you made 54 pies for your church bake sale, but unless you’re interviewing at a bakery, there are probably better examples of your multitasking abilities.

8. Don’t bring up salary expectations during initial interviews. There are different schools of thought of how you should respond if the hiring manager broaches the subject, but let him or her be the one to initiate that conversation.

My advice if you are asked about salary expectations, give the interviewer a salary range you would be comfortable with. Make sure you do your market research before giving a range. Also, keep in mind the level of position you are interviewing for. A human resources administrative assistant is probably going to be making less than a human resources generalist or manager.

9. Don’t bring up any other benefits, either. Don’t ask how soon insurance kicks in or how quickly you can utilize the employee discount. This is an instant red flag you’re only in it for reaping the benefits as quickly as possible and not interested in landing a great job. A sense of entitlement in an applicant is not appealing.

10. Don’t forget to ask questions. Remember interviews are a two-way street. You’re trying to figure out if a position and company are right for you. Just make sure your questions are thoughtful and will help you gain some insight. Never ask such things as, “So, what does this company do?”

If this all seems a little overwhelming, I have an insider’s tip for ya: Human resources and hiring managers are a lot more forgiving than you think when it comes to nervousness. We appreciate sincerity and understand how awful interviews can be. When we’re all-too-eager to shuffle an interviewee out the door, it’s usually because of a lack of effort, enthusiasm, or there is a high level of cockiness. It’s okay to be a little bit nervous. A lack of nervousness usually indicates a lack of caring.

You can do this!

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” – John Maxwell

“When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges.” – Jack Handy

Happy Valetine’s Day, Friends! Here’s to jobs we love . . . whether it’s a job we’re in or hope to have in the near future!

What’s one thing that will ALWAYS make my heart go a-flutter?? A job interview. It’s not roses, jewelry, or romantic dinners that make my knees go weak. It’s prepping for, sitting through, and rehashing every detail of a job interview. Here is a quick list of do’s to hopefully guide you through the heartache. We’ll cover the don’ts in the not-too-distant future.

Vanna, if you please . . .

1. Do be on time. Being on time encompasses many things. Obviously, it means don’t be late. If something unforeseen happens and tardiness is unavoidable, make sure to have the company’s phone number handy so you can give call of warning. When you arrive, express a sincere apology for the delay.

Being on time also includes not being TOO EARLY! I have had people show up as early as 45 minutes because they misgauged how quickly they could get to the office. If you arrive too early, take a walk, sit in your car, find a coffee shop or someplace to go until it’s time for your interview. Showing up excessively early shows a lack of respect for the interviewer’s time and could cause a very awkward scheduling situation. Interviewers should always be respectful of the job seeker’s time, as well, but they are not obligated to rearrange their day because of your eagerness/timing.

Plan to be at your interview 5-7 minutes early.

2. Do double-check your information. I had this happen to me recently, and, luckily, I avoided a potentially embarrassing situation. I had a quick phone interview with the manager of a position I had applied to and was moved on to the next round. Right before I went in to meet the manager face-to-face my gut told me to recheck my voicemail to make sure I had her name right. At first I thought, “Naw! You’re just being paranoid!” But, self-doubt won and, sure as shootin’, I was wrong.

Make sure you have the manager’s name and the title of the position in your brain. When you’re applying for multiple positions, it’s easy to blur together the names of various jobs you’ve applied to. Also, having the correct names of who you interviewed with is of the utmost importance when sending out thank yous.

3. Do your research. In this day-and-age of technology, information is literally at your fingertips. Comb through the company’s website to see how its mission and values align with what you could bring to the position.

Then go outside the company to find out about its reputation. You might even school a company on how they’re doing! I recently had a hiring manager state she wasn’t aware that her company had received an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau.

Also remember that interviews are a two-way street. If you’re interviewing for a company that has a less than stellar reputation for customer service, company culture, etc., this is your opportunity to have them address that. Just make sure you’re tactful in approaching the subject. “In doing research of Company X, I found concerns regarding (insert issue). How is the company moving towards addressing such concerns?” How they handle that question is a great indicator of their overall culture and ability to problem solve.

Show your interest and initiative by doing your homework before stepping into an interview.

4. Do make eye contact. I spent an entire semester in college focusing on nonverbal communication. It was one of the most fascinating classes I have ever taken. When we get nervous we tend to look anywhere but into people’s eyes. This sends the subliminal messages that you lack confidence or participate in shifty behavior.

Good eye contact should last between three to five seconds. If you just can’t bring yourself to look into someone’s eyes then look at their eyebrows. They won’t know the difference. Don’t stare too long, though. You want to portray confidence; not steal their soul.

5. Do remember to smile. A hiring manager can get a decent picture of your skills by reading your resume. An interview is meant to see how you, the overall package, would fit into the company’s culture. Even if a business isn’t having weekly Twister games on Friday, no one wants to hire a grump.

6. Do bring extra copies of your resumes. Nine times out of ten they will have a copy, but there is always that tenth time. Offering an extra copy also shows you are thoughtful and prepared.

7. Do have an arsenal of answers ready. I’d be very surprised if a hiring manager didn’t ask such things as:

*Tell me about yourself.

*What are your strengths/weaknesses.

*Can you give an example of an accomplishment/challenging situation?

Have a basic understanding of how you want to answer the most frequently asked interview questions. While you want to tailor your answers to each position you’re interviewing for, the backbone of each answer will remain the same. Know what you want to say. It’ll keep you from rambling.

8. Do a practice run. Either enlist a friend to do a mock interview or give answers to common interview questions in the mirror. I have to admit that it took me a long time to get on the bandwagon for the latter. I fooled myself into thinking that looking at myself while running through my information while looking in a mirror would make me more nervous. I was right. It did make me nervous, but it also forced me to work through those nerves. I was able to work through my nervousness and polish my answers to potential questions.

Will practicing in front of a mirror completely eliminate the interview jangles?? No. Hopefully it will lessen them enough for you to really shine through.

9. Do send thank you notes after the interview. If you interviewed with multiple people, send a thank you to each individual. Send them 24 to 48 hours after the interview. Now is not the time for funny cards. A simple blank thank you card will do.

10. Do have a short-term memory. Whether you nailed it or crashed and burned, the time to move on to the next possibility starts as soon as you walk out the door. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is so terrible you can’t move on from it. Keep the wheels moving!

Valentine’s Day isn’t about relationships. It’s about love! Tell someone in your life you love them. Gratitude and happiness are two great weapons to keep in your back pocket while searching for that great match!

Positive Thought of the Day:

“So many people out there have no idea what they want to do for a living, but they think that by going on job interviews they’ll magically figure it out. If you’re not sure, that message comes out loud and clear in the interview.” – Todd Bermont

“Life is not full of awkward situations. It’s full of opportunities. Opportunities to help others.” – Anonymous

You know I can’t stay away from lists for too long, so the do’s and don’t’s of interviewing will be coming shortly.  I did want to give one specific example of what not to do when going to an interview.

While working as a recruiter in Seattle, Washington, I was in the office one day and had no more interviews scheduled.  Two women walked through the front door.  My office was in a spot where I could eagle-eye the comings and goings of the office.  A lady, who had to be in her forties, was carrying flowers and accompanied by a young woman, who had to have been in her early twenties.  They both stopped at my door and asked if I could spare a moment of my time.  Non-rude options were very limited, so I said yes.

The flower bearer, we’ll call her “Patty”, proceeds to give me the flowers in the hopes to brighten my day.  Patty went on to explain how “Angela” was here to help her get her career back on track after some personal setbacks.  I expected the subject of personal setbacks to be dropped then and there.  I was wrong.  Patty proceeds to tell me how two days prior her apartment was broken into and all of her underwear were cut to pieces.  To ensure I believed her, she pulled out the remnants of a pair of cut up undergarments.  Stunned, I tried to reassure her I was very sorry about the recent events and walked through a very brief interview.  The interview was wrapped up, and I never heard from Patty ever again.

Obviously, Patty had been through some trauma, and I am not trying to exploit her experience.  I applaud her for trying to gain some normalcy and for reaching out to a career counseling agency to assist her in doing so.  However, if I could go back in time and give Patty some advice, I would let her know the following (I guess I can’t escape my propensity for list making!):

1. Don’t show up without an appointment.  Ever.

2. Don’t bring gifts to an interview.  It won’t give you a leg up or earn you brownie points.

3.  Don’t rush too soon into finding a job after a traumatic experience.  You won’t be in the right frame of mind and won’t be able to put your best foot forward.  If money is a concern, utilize community/emergency service agencies to find any sort-of assistance until you get back on your feet.

4.  If you have to divulge personal incidents, keep the information to the minimum.  Showing the cut up underwear was just too much!  Also, if at all possible, let the interviewer know of any positives you may have learned from the situation.

It’s been six years since my interview with Patty, and I still wonder what she’s doing.  I hope she is doing well and has a successful career.

Positive Thought of the Day:

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” – George S. Patton


text:
Carrier plastic bags

Carrier plastic bag – Hanoi Plastic Bag – Vietnam plastic bag manufacturer

Material: HDPE, green

Size: (25.5+13)x44 cm, 20 mic

Print: 1 color 2 sides

All specifications are customized

Usage: T-shirt bag can be the best solution of packaging for supermarket, shop, self-employed and household.

Payment: in cash, T/T or LC at sight, irrevocable

Currency: USD, Euro, VND, GBP, …

0 Bình luận

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News


text:
Cute and Funny Black Labrador GIF Animations

When I started running my website long years ago, I was fascinated with gif animations. They all looked so fancy to me and of course I decided to create mine by myself.

Here’s one of them. I recall this first because it’s too hot today here in Tokyo. My subject was my Black Labrador Noiraud all the time. He was my center of attention.

Black Labrador Floating in the Sea

Well, I share some more.

Cute Black Labrador Cartoon Animation
Black Labrador Puppy Bathing in Summer
Black Labrador at the Pool Side

Gif animation is another way of my Labrador Art. 🙂


text:
skip to navigationskip to main content

Phone: 02920 777 756

Hayvenhursts – Working With Us

Hayvenhursts offers all the accountancy service you’d expect from a well-established five-partner firm. But there’s an important difference. Most accountancy practices offer standardised services – in other words, your needs are made to fit in with the firm’s methods of operation. That’s great for the accountant, but not always so good for the client.

At Hayvenhursts we get to know your business, your aims and aspirations. We draw on our highly trained and experienced staff to put together a team that understands your business sector and you. We work continuously with you to identify savings, tax breaks, improved cash flow and business efficiency.

We can almost always identify savings and opportunities which will improve your business’s prospects. Choose Hayvenhursts, and accountancy fees are no longer an overhead – they’re an investment.

Choosing a Service

Choosing an accountant that matches your needs

Useful Resources

Resources that needs for business development

Free Initial Consultation

Understanding your accountancy requirements

Request a Callback

Lets talk at a more convenient time for you

An updated tax news with useful articles that can help you in reducing taxes legally, helping your business growth.

Tax Tips & News

We’re a dedicated team which strives to provide success to our clients in regards to all their accountancy needs.

Meet our team

Commercial Property

As a property owner you already know that Capital Allowances provide significant opportunities for you or your business to take advantage of tax savings.

Reduce your SRA audit outlay

We appreciate the many challenges you face especially when combining the requirements of the Law Society's accounting regulations together with your hectic...

How to Choose an accountant

Choosing an accountant is an important decision and you need to find one that matches your needs, you feel comfortable with, can trust and whose fee levels...


text:
Comparative study of MOOC forums: Does course subject matter?

[c228] Ntourmas, A., Avouris, N., Daskalaki, S., & Dimitriadis, Y. (2018). Comparative study of MOOC forums: Does course subject matter? HCICTE 2018 - 11th Pan-Hellenic and International Conference "ICT in Education", Thessaloniki, Greece.

Discussion forums are considered important tools for promoting learning in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). They involve learner to learner and learner to instructor discussions. An interesting research question is related to the effect of the subject matter on the characteristics of social networks of MOOCs’ discussion forums. Being motivated by Social Centrality Theory, this study aims at further enhancing our understanding of how social centrality is associated with the learners’ course achievement within courses in different subjects (e.g. technology vs. humanities). To achieve this, we performed analysis of the discussion forums of two MOOCs of similar size and educational context, one on Programming and the other on History. The study revealed that centrality of learners played more important role in the technology course than the humanities course in relation to course achievement.. (pdf)

Computer-supported collaborative learning has been an active area of research since the beginning for the HCI group more>>

Web usability team of the HCI Group has been active in studying human-web interaction and ways to support the design of accessible, findable, usable and aesthetically appealing web sites. more>>

Mobile Technology Unit of the HCI Group has been studying design and evaluation of mobile applicationss more>>

Hci Group | Electrical and Computer Engineering | University of Patras


text:
How To Calculate Your Due Date

How To Calculate Your Due Date

By: | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments: 4 | April 9th, 2018

Excited About Your Pregnancy Due Date? Find Out How to Calculate Your Due Date?

Congratulations! Your pregnancy test report is positive. You and your family are on cloud nine and you simply cannot wait to embrace the little bundle of joy in your arms. So, when is your due date and where are you in your pregnancy?

Confused……right? So…how would you go about calculating your due date?

Should you consider a day exactly nine months from today or consider the next 40 weeks from the day you have conceived and if yes when exactly have you conceived?

Do not fret and read on to understand this very simple pregnancy math and its calculations. In fact, it is absolutely important to understand the calculations so as to understand your baby’s growth and development throughout your pregnancy.

A full-term pregnancy usually lasts anything between 40-41 weeks. While only 30 percent of pregnancies continue until the 40th week, most of them continue only till the 38th or 39th week.

So, how exactly is your due date calculated? Medical practitioners such as doctors’ and midwives count your due date from the first day of your last menstrual period i.e. LMP till the next forty weeks.

Considering the LMP day for calculating your due date is indeed a reliable option. This is because it isn’t possible to figure out the exact date or time when the sperm might have fertilized the egg as the entire process of fertilization might take anything between 24 hours to 5 days. Moreover, most women aren’t aware of when exactly they ovulated, but most of them keep a track of their periods.

So, rather than relying on an uncertain date to calculate your due delivery date, you have an almost near perfect date that can be considered as the onset of your pregnancy.

So, in a typical cycle, your LMP occurs around 2 weeks before you have conceived your baby, which means you are already through with two weeks of the estimated 40 weeks of pregnancy and almost 4 weeks by the time you have missed your periods. Now, all these figures might perplex you.

However, you need not get confused as all you need to do this is a simple calculation. To calculate the EDD (Estimated Due Date), you need to minus 3 months from the first day of your LMP and then add 7 days to it.

Yet another reliable method of calculating your EDD is through an ultrasound done between 6 to 9 weeks as it provides an accurate measurement of the developing fetus.

Usually, medical practitioners rely on both LMP, as well as an ultrasound method to provide you with an accurate date. Apart from this, practitioners may also take into consideration certain physical symbols such as height and size of your uterus, usually measured during every prenatal visit.

Whichever method you opt for, you can never get an absolute accurate date as it’s only your little munchkin who will decide when he/ she will arrive. Till then enjoy your pregnancy and keep waiting till your baby gets prepared to come out.

Any health-related information or any medical opinion in the content is gathered from secondary sources and is only for the purpose of information and this should not be treated as a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Using this site and the information contained in it is not to create a doctor-patient relationship. Always make sure to seek the advice of your doctor if you have any issues or questions regarding yours or the health of others.

4 thoughts on “How To Calculate Your Due Date

  1. ostracod

    Heⅼlo, its nice piece of writing on the topic of media print, we all know media is a fantastic sߋurce of data.

  2. This Resource site

    Howdy very cool site!! Man .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds also¡KI am glad to search out numerous useful info here within the post, we want work out extra strategies on this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

  3. Aalina Kaur

    Not many sites exist in a market which offers such selfless service… Kudos to you guys. Keep going like this.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Log in
Couch to 5K
65,322 members98,694 posts

I really did it, just finished my graduation run and I feel fantastic!!

The highlight was 10 minutes into the run when a car stopped and the passenger asked for directions to the crematorium!! There was no way I was stopping so I shouted "I can't stop, you'll have to follow me and I 'll point the way" .

When Laura said I had 5 minutes to go I was playing the Rocky Balboa theme song in my head, the one where he runs up the steps, even did a wee Rocky style jump up and down at the end!

9 weeks ago I really struggled to run for 1 minute and didn't really think there was any way I could finish the plan. At that stage I found myself questioning why, at 50 years old, I was putting myself through that grief. Today I ran for 30 minutes and whilst it still isn't easy I now believe I'm a runner.

There is still a way to go but my shape is definitely changing and I'm thrilled with that.

Big thanks to Laura and everyone on here, I know I'd never have been able to do it without your encouragement.

6 Replies

Congratulations! Enjoy the feeling of your graduation and get a lovely badge next to your name! You deserve it :)

I love your crematorium part :D I just wonder if it were just visitors or people planning to drop something (granny?) off ;)

WOW! Amazing, well done you! I am going to read this when I feel like I am struggling, like today! At Week 2 Run 1 I can't imagine running for 30 minutes. You should be very proud of yourself!

FANTASTIC !!! Your joy in infectious and I feel like I just graduated again. So pleased for you and we just started our week 11 this morning and those 30 minute runs are much easier. Good luck and best wishes for your post grad program

Congratulations ,fantastic achievement and yes , you are officially a runner with a badge to prove it !

Great post...loved your crem story ! I'm always being asked for directions it seems, though fortunately not when out running- I'd hate the interruption ! I see very few people on my route.,luckily ...but oh lord, for someone to try to stop you mid-graduation run,just doesn't bear thinking about :)

A great motivational post.Well done and enjoy your future runs!

Congratulations!!! Love the crematorium bit - it would take a lot to stop any run, let alone a graduation one. Enjoy the moment.

Well done!!!!

You may also like...


text:
Log in
Endometriosis UK
38,094 members33,285 posts

Feeling brave

Morning all I'm feeling very brave today so I thought I would share my story . I will try to keep it short but there is so much to tell .

After having constant gyne problems and IBS from the age of 19 I was lucky enough to have two lovley children . At the age of 25 My daughter was born 6 weeks early after my plastenta ruptured. Nearly lost her due to that .my son 3 years later but that was ok . After that problems got worse in the downstairs department ,as usual doctors didn't know what it was , I never even heard of endo before.? I suffered in silence untill the age of 38 , I was so badly fatigued , brain fog and feeling lifeless -it was a constant battle with myself to get up each day along with prolapse of the bladder and bowel .finally I got to see a private gynecologist .At the time I didn't even know what a BSGE dept was so didn't check and no advice was given ,the consultant put me on a number of tablets and left me for 6 weeks before operating , during this time I though I was dying I was so ill . I came off the tablets and I finally made it through a 8 hour surgery.

For the surgeon to apologise to me after surgery as he though he would find nothing ,was a breakthrough and I will never forget it . However I was almost completely covered in endo down my left side so bad that it was restricting my blood supply .it had also pushed and distorted my bladder and bowel which is why it prolapsed.

After the op it was like waking up for the first time , I felt amazing . Six months later I was in for a hysterectomy but they left my overies , why I will never know .

5 years later unable to pinpoint what was wrong but I suspected it was back -I went to a different surgeon who was a registered BSGE . I ended up being operated on by two surgeons down my left side again this time it also was on the bowl and upper stomach area ,after removing the left ovary , more endo, scar tissue etc .. The surgeon that operated this time assured me that he had it all and at 6 months post op . I have that pain back again in my right side , this time lower down in the buttock bowel area

I have been trying to get reports from all surgeons as I need to know what they have done , this I am finding difficult especially the private care one . I don't think he should have operated on his own to remove endo .

Even though I have continued to work full time over the years I know that I will probably be on my last year of work now at 46 due to this awful disease, I feel so much of my energy has been put into keeping myself upright each day over the years more than having energy to focus on the good part of life !!! still , I refuse to let it beat me even on my really bad days . If you are all still reading Thankyou and sorry for going on .I wonder even if the surgeons / consultants fully understand the whole effect it has on our lives . for everyone living with endo , you are all amazing . This forum has given me strength to go foward knowing I'm not alone with this awful disease. It has also helped my family to understand it better so thank you . Sending lots of luck and hugs to everyone suffering X

1 Reply

Just to let you know, I have read this and you're never alone when you're on this site. Everyone understands and can help. Keep going, even on the days when it feels really awful. Xx

You may also like...


text:
Pineapple Orange Muffins | Sprinkle Bakes

Years ago I picked up a ‘Best of the Best’ cookbook while traveling through Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. It was one of those modest-looking regional cookbooks bound with a plastic comb that might have been compiled by a local church or rotary club. This muffin recipe is a favorite from that book, although I’ve since lost my copy and fear it has been accidentally donated. Last week I found the recipe on a sheet of paper that I’d typed for my mom, and although it’s not pumpkin-spiced or fall-themed, I couldn’t wait to share it. The muffins make a nice breakfast at any time of year and they are extremely easy to make.

I remember the recipe’s headnote stated the origin was from Sedberry Hotel, a McMinnville Tennessee establishment (and apparently a pretty ritzy one for the place and time) which opened in early 1900. It closed in the 1950’s, but thankfully the muffins survived.

My first advice before making these muffins is to check your pantry and stock up on orange extract if necessary. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons in the batter and 2 tablespoons in the glaze (1/4 cup total!). I was dubious about using so much of the ingredient the first time I made these, but the end result is well-balanced and tastes just right.

The muffins do not brown while baking, so expect the tops to be pale when you remove them from the oven.

The garnishes of candied orange zest and coarse crystal sugar are my finishing touches, but they are optional. I used them spruce up otherwise plain-looking muffins for blog photos. They are tasty additions, but my usual decorum is to leave the muffins unadorned.

Pineapple-Orange Muffins
Yields 2 1/2 dozen muffins

3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 large can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 tablespoons orange extract

2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons orange extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to350°F. Line two or more standard 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Make the muffins: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix until just incorporated (do not over mix). Add the can of crushed pineapple and orange extract. Mix again briefly until the pineapple and extract are dispersed throughout the batter. Using a small measuring scoop, place batter into paper liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when pressed in the centers. Remove the muffins to a wire cooling rack.

Make the glaze: Combine the milk and butter in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until melted (do not boil). Remove from the heat and stir in powdered sugar, orange extract, and salt. Pour glaze in a bowl and dip the tops of the muffins in the glaze. You may also spoon the glaze over the muffins if you prefer. Let stand until set, about 20 minutes.

Pineapple Orange Muffins
Heather Baird

Published: Pineapple Orange Muffins Recipe

Source link

Post Author: MNS Master


text:
Hearty Miso Soup with Tofu and Rice Noodles

3 cups, 3 cups and 1 cup water

1 14oz block firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 carrot cut in half then 1/4 inch slices

1 cup winter squash seeded and cut in 1/2 inch chunks (delicata, red kuri or butternut work well – you can leave the skin on the delicata and red kuri)

1 red pepper cut in 1/2 in squares 4 scallion diced

2 small baby bok choy

2 tsp salt

1 small package rice noodles 4 TBSP white miso

1/4 cup tahini

1 tsp nori flakes

Serves 2. Multiply ingredients by two or three for meals serving 4 or 6 people.

Prep all vegetables

In large pot combine 3 cup water plus all the vegetables, tofu and salt Bring to a boil then turn to med/low and let simmer for 15 minutes

In a small pot boil 3 cups water put noodles in water and turn off heat – let sit for 7 minutes then drain

In a bowl combine the miso, tahini and 1 cup water till it’s a creamy smooth paste Mix the miso/tahini paste into the soup

Add salt to taste

Serve over noodles, with nori sprinkled on top

This recipe was developed for Healthy Living by Blossom Whole Food Kitchen as part of our Meal Kit program.

Posted in:


text:
Soundworks – November/December – Billboard

Stairway To Heaven – Billboard
Beserk – Leaderboard
ReviewUSA Live Gig Reviews + Photos

REAL FRIENDS at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC on 9/11/18

SLAYER – Leaderboard
Real Friends
Eat Your Heart Out, Grayscale, Boston Manor
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Carrboro, NC
9th November, 2018

Last Friday, Illinois sad boys, Real Friends, brought an incredible show to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. The lineup was stacked with awesome bands that truly went together perfectly and made for a memorable show for everyone in attendance.

Opening the show was Australia’s own Eat Your Heart out. With their vibrant stage presence and exciting energy, the band kicked the night off with a certain nostalgia that couldn’t be ignored. Front woman Caitlin Henry’s vocals, that had strength and power reminiscent of Paramore singer Hayley Williams, set the mood for the show. The venue was intimate and allowed for an undeniably strong crowd connection. The fans were in for a good true to the roots pop punk show.

Following up Eat Your Heart out was a band that picked the pace up just a bit more. Grayscale was next on the bill for the evening. Their songs were fast paced and in no time fans began to crowd surf throughout the venue. Though their performance on stage was very strong and impressive it was the look on fans crowd surfing that made this set so special. As each crowd surfer landed on the stage you saw some of the biggest and most excited smiles you could ever hope to see. As the Grayscale set progressed not only did they keep a steady flow of crowd surfing but they also were the first set of the night to have a circle pit start. This moment solidified that you were at a very exciting pop punk show. I honestly do not believe I have witnessed such a powerful and connected crowd quite like this all year.

As Grayscale’s set came to a close it was down to the final set before the headliner for the evening. Rounding out the opening sets were none other than British pop punk band Boston Manor. This I do believe was the most intense set out of the first three of the night. With their incredibly energetic stage presence and classic pop punk vibes this with a somewhat darker twist Boston Manor brought a different energy to the show that gave the crowd a different feel to it. Though their set was an all around powerful one it was their performance of their song “Bad Machine” that really stuck out the most. It’s dark sound, haunting vocals, and lyrics lead it to be one of those songs that made your hair stand up to hear live. This song definitely created a distinct mood for their set.

As Boston Manor’s set came to an end we were down to the final set of the night, Real Friends. They have a classic pop punk sound and a crazy ability to take deep and dark lyrics and give them an upbeat sound. In a way they give an incredibly nostalgic feeling to their shows through their sound and energy. Opening with one of my personal favorites “Me First”, the crowd immediately began to sing along and quickly connected with the band. With a setlist that was stacked with both their newer songs as well as several fan favorites there was truly a favorite song for both new and old fans alike. Though the band does in fact put on an absolutely amazing show with their performance there is something more to a Real Friends show. I believe they try to make sure every fan feels accepted. It’s something very prominent when you catch them live and I believe it makes for a more intimate and connected show. As the incredible set progressed there were a few moments in particular that stuck out to me. Towards the end of the night frontman, Dan Lambton, said to the crowd “Let’s play some sad songs” to which the crowd cheered at its loudest. As fans excitedly awaited to hear the next song the intro to “I’ve given up on you” filled the venue. With its slow acoustic feeling and exceptionally powerful lyrics this was a song that truly left a mark on the night. Fans sang along and some held lighters and phone flashlights up. It felt as if this moment was frozen in time as you listened in on what seemed to be the entire crowd singing in sync. Some were even shedding tears at the beauty of how absolutely amazing this performance was. A couple of songs later the mood came back down again for a moment for bassist Kyle Fasel to give some insight about the next song they would be playing. He told how the next song for the night was one written for his best friend nearly ten years ago who had recently passed away. He then dedicated the performance all to him. “Home For Fall” began to play and this was a moment where you really could feel the emotion from the band pouring out into the crowd. And as expected, The fans fed off of it in multiple different ways. From crowd surfing and singing along, to hearing faint sobs every now and then, this was a song that had lyrics that laid heavy in the air. As the evening wrapped up and the last song “From The Outside” was played, it was evident what a fantastic show this was by the member’s and fan’s smiling faces as everyone sang along and crowd surfed one more time. Dan helped different fans who were crowd surfing onto the stage, high fiving and even hugging some. This demonstrated how awesome Real Friends are and not just as musicians but as humans as well. They wanted a great night filled with music and their fans. I would consider that goal achieved.

CHECK THIS OUT!  DEEZ NUTS at Amplifier Capitol, Perth on 20/10/18

Though pop punk is not everyone’s genre it seems as if Real Friends have a way of making a connection with everyone fan or not. This show was proof just how powerful and strong their music is. That being said I do believe out of all the shows I have seen in 2018 that this is by far the best and probably the highlight of my 2018 concert season.

9th November, 2018
PROGFEST 2019 – Leaderboard

Alexia Blue

At 14 I started shooting and became in house at a local venue and back up for 2 LiveNation arenas. usually can find me at shows wearing knee high Converse carrying cameras \m/


text:
Hero Image

Helen Shaw

Licensed REAA 2008

Selling Homes All Over The North Shore!

Contact me

Mobile: 021 743 536
Office: Harcourts Milford

Office Location:
128 Kitchener Road, Milford, Auckland, 0630

Click here to view what Helen has done for the community:

To find out more about school zoning, demographics and school reviews in New Zealand, click here

26/5 Carolina Place, Albany

63 Weatherly Road, Torbay

1/77 Juniper Road, Sunnynook

3/296 Sunset Road, Windsor Park

6/5 Carolina Place, Albany

6a Park Rise, Campbells Bay

2/30a Walter Street, Takapuna

1/33 Raleigh Road, Northcote

2/33 Raleigh Road, Northcote

1/17 Bond Crescent, Forrest Hill

2/30 Bond Crescent, Forrest Hill

73D East Coast Road, Castor Bay

39 Salamanca Road, Sunnynook

1/104 Sylvan Ave, Northcote

21 Prestige Place, Castor Bay

1 & 2/219 Forrest Hill Road, Forrest Hill

83c Kowhai Road, Mairangi Bay

54 Channel View Road, Campbells Bay

40 Selwyn Crescent, Forrest Hill

2/611 Beach Road, Rothesay Bay

5 Taraire Place, Orewa

1/2 Bayview Road, Hauraki

2/778 East Coast Road, Oteha

624 Beach Road, Browns Bay

14b Havelock Ave, Forrest Hill

4b Tusac Place, Totara Vale

54 Fitzwilliam Drive, Torbay

10 Dodson Avenue, Milford

9 Malters Place, Browns Bay

2/20 Alma Road, Milford

307a Rangatira Road, Beach Haven

2/43 Archers Road, Hillcrest

2/9 Jenanne Place, Totara Vale

1/55 Nile Road, Milford

7 Hatfield Place, Albany

2/14 Selwyn Crescent, Forrest Hill

15 Mizpah Road, Waiake

32 Hatfield Place, Albany Heights

106/16 Huron Street, Takapuna

317a Lake Road, Hauraki

67 Seine Road, Forrest Hill

713 East Coast Road, Browns Bay

13 Mercury Lane, Mairangi Bay

1/22 Malters Place, Browns Bay

13 Northbrook Close, Greenhithe

5/67 Bentley Avenue, Glenfield

3 Lansdowne Street, Bayswater

21C Stanley Street, Milford

22 Seine Road, Forrest Hill

1/23 Jenanne Place, Totara Vale

63 Field Lane, Waitoki

13C Springfield Street, Forrest Hill

14 Rosemary Avenue, Forrest Hill

12E Relko Crescent, Torbay

4/12 Castor Bay Road, Castor Bay