#marie kondo fan club
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I use toilet paper isntead of kleenex #subtleasiantraits
#journal inspo#elementary#marie kondo fan club#remember to take care of yourself#making a memes groupchat soon#memes#kpop#kdrama#updates#studyspo#IG: join.a.groupchat#sign up for a groupchat on in my instagram!
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Game Over | BTS x Reader Interactive Story 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤
Pairing: reader x a member of BTS to be defined by your zodiac signs as the story progresses.
Genre + Rating: fluff, slow burn (very) slow burn.
Warnings: will contain a few curse words on some chapters.
Word Count: 555 words
Summary: Y/N just transferred to a new campus, college is hard on its own, now pour a little bit of social hierarchy and you’ve got yourself, 7 handsome guys that run the campus the way that they like, the unexpected? that you’ve got yourself a cliché story where your decisions on each chapter will have you pairing with one of said guys.
Let me let you in a little secret, being fresh meat in a new school is still nerve wrecking at college, except that now people are way too focused on making the most out of their tuition than making friends.
That’s how you now found yourself in the middle of an enormous lecture hall with some guy that was kind enough to greet you once you took a seat beside him and his friend.
“But wait, I thought we had left labelling people in high school?” you asked amused as they were attempting to sum up the campus’ social status to you
“ugh, I wish” the blond haired man turned to his friend in a somewhat over the top glance “Wait until you meet the Bangtan Club”
“The- what now?”
“There” his friend pointed towards the door with a motion of her head and turned to the boy, gossip mode on “Of course they are walking their youngest to class”
“They are basically campus’ royalty”
You turned in your seat to take a glance at where they were pointing, only to shy away as the tallest of them met your eyes and smiled in a knowing way “That one right there, the one in the blue coat is Kim Taehyung” carefully you brought your eyes to meet the most beautiful brunette you had laid eyes on, his presence along with his outfit something out of a magazine “He’s a performing arts major that actually turned down GUCCI to make his own brand, plus, he is instagram famous...to the next level”
“He once asked me for my username and blocked me right away” “That little one is Park Jimin, he is in the same major as Taehyung, high school sweethearts, you know?”
You couldn’t help but scold yourself for not noticing Jimin’s presence before, dressed in all black, the black leather jacket along with his black sunglasses and silver hair a sight you are be sure it will hunt you for the rest of your days “He is the Kardashian-Jenner’s BFF”
“And I heard Beyonce asked for his input in her new album”
“But evil takes a human form in Kim Seokjin, don’t be fooled cause he may seem like your typical backstabbing fuckboy but in reality he is so much more than that”
He leaned in to whisper to you “He is the mastermind behind the squad” as his eyes scanned the place where the man was standing, sending him a glare “Gordon Ramsay actually cried happy tears when he tasted his food”
“Their youngest is a new addition, Jeon Jungkook, self made billionaire, film production major”
“I’ve seen him play animal crossing for a whole day without stop”
There was a collective gasp in the room as steps resonated, three men joining the small conversation that the others had going on in the front of the hall “And what about them?”
They turned to look at the entrance “That one, the tall blond is Kim Namjoon, history major, a total nerd, NASA has tried to recruit him twice now and fluent in 10 languages”
“To his left, Jung Hoseok, International Business major, Marie Kondo’s number one fan AND JLO’s personal choreographer”
“Oh and the blue haired one? Min Yoongi, audio engineer, an actual descendant of empress Sunmyeong but other than that... a couch potato”
【ＳＥＥ ＰＬＡＹＥＲＳ＇ ＰＲＯＦＩＬＥＳ】
【ＣＨＯＯＳＥ ＹＯＵＲ ＭＡＪＯＲ】
【ＩＮＳＴＲＵＣＴＩＯＮＳ】
【ＵＰＤＡＴＥ ＮＯＴＩＣＥ】
#thebtswritersclub#kwritersworldnet#hyunglinenetwork#networkbangtan#bangtanarmynet#bangtanuniversity#bts imagines#bts imagine#bts fanfic#GameOver Interactive Story#taehyung fanfic#jungkook fanfic#jimin fanfic#hoseok fanfic#namjoon fanfic#seokjin fanfic#yoongi fanfic
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for book asks gimme 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17, 20, 24, and 25
1. How many books did you read this year? 200! That counts adult novels, junior novels, comics, reference books, even a handful of picture books.
2. Did you reread anything? What? A couple of random things: The Sailor V manga volume one and two, Star Wars: Cobalt Squadron, and Magic Attic Club: The Secret of the Attic
3. What were your top five books of the year? Going by my Goodreads ratings: It’s Not What It Looks Like by Molly Burke, Descendants 3: Audrey’s Diary, Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy by Amy Ratcliffe, Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, and Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.
4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year? I read E.K. Johnston’s books for the first time this year, and definitely want to see more Star Wars by her. Also Rebecca Roanhorse.
8. Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones? Specifically, only the 200-book Goodreads goal. I think I meant, once again, to reach NJO, but still not there.
9. Did you get into any new genres? Literally just over the last couple of days, I’ve started reading stuff with aspec characters, which I’m enjoying a lot.
10. What was your favorite new release of the year? Without looking back at all the contendors, it has to be Resistance Reborn. There was just so much in that book that felt like payoff for being a huge long-term Star Wars fan, and it was good.
12. Any books that disappointed you? The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent by Larry Correia is definitely number one in this regard. Blurb read like a funny scifi romp, actually turned out to be conservative propaganda.
17. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. The representation was as great as I was promised, but I have Issues with the actual plot and themes.
20. Did you use your library? I did! Mostly I got a bunch of use out of the app I can’t remember right now that you can rent audiobooks through.
24. What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book? Since I read a good amount of short things, there were a bunch I finished in a day or two.
25. Did you DNF anything? Why? A Writer's Space: Make Room to Dream, to Work, to Write by Eril Maisel; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo; and Figure It Out!: The Beginner's Guide to Drawing People by Christopher Hart, mostly just because these kinds of self-help type books don’t tend to keep my attention. They’re all on a list of things I intend to go back to at some point, though.
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New to Netflix US - January 2019
Starting off 2019 with a bang. Check out 4 of the Indiana Jones movies (even though we all know that there were really only 3). If you are a comic book movie fan, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, and Ant-Man and the Wasp arrive this month. And for you Star Wars fans that decided Solo: A Star Wars Story wasn’t worth your time in the theater, you will be able to stream it starting on January 9th.
Check out the full list arriving this month below.
January 1
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3
Across the Universe
Babel
Black Hawk Down
City of God
COMEDIANS of the world
Definitely, Maybe
Godzilla
Happy Feet
Hell or High Water
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
It Takes Two
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jersey Boys
Mona Lisa Smile
Mr. Bean’s Holiday
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pinky Malinky
Pulp Fiction
Swingers
Tears of the Sun
The Addams Family
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Strangers
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
Watchmen
xXx
XXX: State of the Union
January 2
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
January 4
And Breathe Normally
Call My Agent!: Season 3
El Potro: Unstoppable
Lionheart
January 9
GODZILLA The Planet Eater
Solo: A Star Wars Story
January 10
When Heroes Fly
January 11
Friends from College: Season 2
ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium
Sex Education
Solo
The Last Laugh
January 15
Revenger
Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry
January 16
American Gangster
January 17
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
January 18
Carmen Sandiego
Close
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
GIRL
Grace and Frankie: Season 5
IO
Soni
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part B
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5
January 21
Justice
January 24
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
January 25
Animas
Black Earth Rising
Club de Cuervos: Season 4
Kingdom
Medici: The Magnificent
Polar
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 Part 2
January 27
Z Nation: Season 5
January 29
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: One Show Fits All
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp
January 30
Disney•Pixar’s The Incredibles 2
TBD - Marvel’s The Punisher: Season 2
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From Carole Baskin to Leslie Jordan, the Unlikely Stars of the Quarantine
A look at the people and products who captured our imaginations (and, in some cases, our hearts) during a strange moment in history
Originally Posted On lamag.com By Paul Schrodt On May 17, 2020
It’s hard to think of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact as anything other than a series of downturns: in global health, the economy, our cultural lifeblood, and moods. But as in any crisis, there are positives deserving praise. Dr. Anthony Fauci, unknown to many of us months ago, now has his own bobblehead—and deservedly so. But other experts and personalities—some with direct ties to the novel coronavirus, others who are delightful distractions—have captured our collective imagination. Here are 20.
Carole Baskin
Netflix’s zeitgeist-defining docuseries Tiger King is teeming with wilder-than-the-last characters, but one rises above the rest. Baskin—the 58-year-old former big-cat breeder turned conservationist and archrival/attempted murder victim of central subject Joe Exotic—sports an enviable feline-inspired wardrobe; coos her memed-around-the-world tagline, “Hey all you cool cats and kittens”; and prefers not to answer questions about her mysteriously missing ex-husband. A morally ambiguous figure for our uncertain times, she’s also sure to be one of Halloween’s most popular costumes—so stock up now on the fiercest tiger prints you can find.
Dua Lipa
The British singer, 24, didn’t want to release her second album, Future Nostalgia, into a pandemic—she announced its arrival with tears on social media. But its neo-disco bangers are exactly what a lockdown dance party demands, and the release is her first Top 10 LP in the U.S. She’s liberated the masses to move while (fabulously) self-quarantining with her model-celebrity-spawn boyfriend Anwar Hadid. But how hard is that?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAayNagnmHF/
Ryan Heffington
Heffington, 46, had already been motivating Angelenos to hone their hip shaking
at his Silver Lake dance studio, the Sweat Spot, but the Grammy-nominated choreographer has turned his Joshua Tree house into a makeshift gym space. For his five-day-a-week Sweatfest cardio class on Instagram Live, he coaches around 8,000 viewers at a time through unique moves. Fans are known to end sessions with a cathartic cry.
D-Nice
Born Derrick Jones,
D-Nice had a moment as a hip-hop
artist in the ’90s that
quickly faded. But
the 49-year-old DJ
reached newfound fame streaming his live Club Quarantine sets from his downtown L.A. apartment, drawing hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home revelers, including Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Michelle Obama. The funk-and-soul-heavy playlists are more than a sonic escape—they’re an act of communal transcendence against all odds.
Zack Fox
A previously undersung L.A. comedian and internet provocateur, Fox, 29, racked up more than 300,000 views with a stone-faced parody—which made perfect use of Three 6 Mafia’s “Slob on My Knob”—of Gal Gadot’s viral-for-all-the-wrong-reasons “Imagine” sing-along.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B98XjQ7AK9X/
Juan Delcan and
Valentina Izaguirre
The local artist couple, based in View Park-Windsor Hills, illuminated the power of social distancing with their “Safety Match” viral video, in which animated matches light up in a row until one of them steps out of the way. Viewed roughly a million times, the contemporary art piece achieved what no government PSA could.
Alison Roman
The New York Times cooking writer (and native Angeleno), 34, had already achieved food-world stardom with two best-selling books before lockdown. Under quarantine, Roman’s simple yet flavor-packed recipes for dishes like caramelized shallot pasta—and her unfussy-but-particular Brooklyn boho banter—have become required reading and eating. Roman went from darling to pariah in May when controversial comments she made about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo went viral. If only shallots made you immune to Twitter backlash.
Ina Garten
More than 3 million people on Instagram watched the tranquil Barefoot Contessa, 72, demonstrate how she keeps her “favorite tradition,” the cocktail hour, alive under desperate conditions. The Food Network star has been a rightfully beloved figure for nearly two decades, but her mixing a gigantic cosmo was a hilariously refreshing reminder of what a true treasure she is.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cJUwUpxbM/
L.A. tap water
You’re not good, we never loved you, and yet without gallons of overpriced filtered alkaline H2O, we’re suddenly overjoyed to guzzle you.
Bidet attachments
After hoarders cleared out the toilet paper aisles, the makers of bidet products began cleaning up with their water-jet-shooting self-cleaning devices. The brand Brondell saw a 300 percent spike in sales, while the cleverly marketed Tushy sold out entirely. The future may be wipe free.
Zoom
The video-conferencing platform—which has raised security concerns and provides the same service as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Facebook Messenger—has become a key part of life under quarantine. Zoom stock has jumped more than 100 percent since January.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAihoslm_O/
The brothers Cuomo
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 62, has been lionized for leading his state through the darkness. But his cute younger brother, 49-year-old CNN anchor Chris, stole plenty of shine when he
tested positive for
COVID-19 and
without missing a
beat continued hosting
his show in self-isolation
from his basement. Despite regular potshots from
right-wing critics, the younger Cuomo managed to come off
as more sincere and urgent than ever. One NYC matchmaker says the duo are topping her “most wanted” list, beating out even the Jonas brothers.
Reply All’s “The Case
of the Missing Hit”
Podcast Reply All delivered a blockbuster with a mind-bending search for a song—which might not exist—that a man says got stuck in his head in the ’90s. A reflection of the unanswered questions inundating our lives, except with far lower stakes, the March episode has sparked a 35 percent increase in the show’s listenership.
Trolls World Tour
Universal’s Trolls sequel, with a bizarre rock-versus-pop premise and a message about cultural appropriation that will likely go over the heads of its intended audience (and perhaps that of star Justin Timberlake), set a record for the biggest debut for a digital release, topping every relevant platform during its opening weekend in April. The $20 two-day rental price seemed steep to some, but to parents with stir-crazy kids it was a bargain.
The Womanizer vibrator
With Tinder hookups on hold, we’re turning inward—and reaching for sex toys. This cheekily marketed device has seen
a 152 percent year-over-year rise in U.S. sales thanks to quarantine orders. Its resonant new slogan for those hungry for pleasure: Stay home.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAp1cWNpQz6/
Sourdough
bread
It’s a cliche at
this point, but
making it ourselves is truly com
forting, if not always Tartine level. No wonder more than 100,000 posts have been tagged with #crumbshot on Instagram.
The new class of badass reporters
Journalism is never more important than during a national emergency or the mass dissemination of misinformation. We happen to be living through both. A young crop of reporters in the White House briefing room—including Weijia Jiang of CBS, Kaitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond of CNN, Yamiche Alcindor of PBS, and Kristin Fisher of Fox News—has resisted President Trump’s theatrical boasting and mugging, pressing for straightforward information and fact-checking on the spot.
Leslie Jordan
The 64-year-old veteran actor from Will
& Grace and American Horror Story has amassed more than 3 million Instagram followers since March as a result of absurdist check-in videos in which he appears to be either very bored or very stoned. Pointing to his DIY painted toenails, he shares: “I messed this one up.” Relatable.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtA9Nfhat7/
My Year of Rest
and Relaxation
Ottessa Moshfegh’s
2018 best-selling novel, about a beautiful, lazy, pill-popping
young woman who attempts a yearlong
hibernation in a Manhattan apartment, had
been celebrated at the time of its publication for its dark humor. Now its wit is hailed as beautifully horrific, as evidenced by the literary critics who are circling back to it. Vice declared of the book in one recent headline: “Blacking Out in a Juicy Couture Tracksuit Is a Lockdown Mood.”
The smart bike
Already a cult obsession, Peloton’s $2,245 souped-up stationary bike has never been more covetable as gyms lie dormant. The company’s stock bounced 50 percent in March, leaving an offensive Christmas-ad debacle in the dust. Cheaper competitors are also racing ahead. Echelon, whose bikes start at $839, reported a tenfold increase in sales the same month.
Tushy is a bidet startup which aims to replace toilet paper, Tushy was founded by Miki Agrawal.
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Book 23- Pet Sematary by Stephen King
[Originally posted November 10, 2019]
It has taken me quite a while to articulate this review, and I’m still not 100% sure how to begin. After a week of putting pen to paper [and scratching out the pen to rewrite], I still come up short with my review for this novel. Let me start by saying it has taken a year of coaxing and talking myself up to be able to pick this book up. Over a year ago, a very kind customer of mine gave me two brown, paper sacks filled with all of her Stephen King books [partially due to my sudden interest and mostly due to her sudden need to Marie Kondo her place]. I immediately tore through The Shining, Carrie, and Misery, but subsequently had weird and unsettling dreams which made me take a break from King. Generally speaking, I like to choose titles based on the time of year [in the winter, I like to settle in with something dense that I can use as an excuse to stay in, and in the summer I opt for lighter, fun fiction that I can breeze through], so this year I decided to follow suit with Halloween and read the scariest book that I could imagine- Pet Sematary. Being an older title, many of my friends and acquaintances were excited for me to join the King Club by reading what is dubbed one of his scariest novels. I, however, had my doubts. As I’m sure has been established on here [many, many times], I am NOT a fan of horror or being scared. I will never understand why people choose to be scared and I’ve determined that it’s a switch in my brain which has been left dusty and unused [and I’m totally okay with that]. Pet Sematary forced me to take a giant leap into the unknown, and allowed me to expand my reading interests into a genre that I had only dappled in previously. I will try my best to concisely summarize the plot [emphasis on the word “try”] and then offer my own critical review of the text. As opposed to some of my other reviews, THERE ARE SPOILERS, so please be warned and skip the rest of this review if you are unfamiliar with the plot and wish to read it yourself.
The story follows the Creed family- Louis, Rachel, and their two children Ellie and Gage- as they move from Chicago to Ludlow, Maine for Louis to work as a doctor on the local college campus. As they begin exploring their new home, they meet their new neighbor, Jud Crandall, who immediately welcomes them and settles the unease that Louis had been feeling. Jud, a lifelong resident of Ludlow, gives them the lay of the land, warning them about the dangers of the main road they live on and pointing out the trailhead behind their property, on which he offers to give them a guided adventure. As promised, after a few days of unpacking and settling into their new house, Jud takes the family on a seemingly innocent trip down to the Pet Sematary- a small burial ground for the local children’s deceased pets. He shows them the space where his own childhood dog, Spot, is buried, and when asked about the deadfall of branches near the back of the sematary, he warns them to stay away. The trip to the sematary leaves the family disgruntled and unsettled- Rachel disapproves of their children’s close encounter with death, and Ellie becomes hysterically frantic that their cat, Church, will die and be put in the sematary. Louis soothes the woes and worries of his family, promising never to take his children back.
Normalcy sets in for the Creed’s, until Louis’s first day on the job when a young man named Victor Pascow is brought to the clinic. Irreparably maimed in a car accident and drawing what seem to be his last breaths, Victor comes to in Louis’s arms, grinning at Louis as he mutters this warning- “It’s not the real cemetary.” Louis, shocked by the young man’s alertness, cannot seem to respond as Victor continues, “The soil of a man’s heart is stonier, Louis… a man grows what he can… and tends to it.” Victor’s whole body dies at once, leaving Louis terrified, clutching the corpse, and grasping for some logical answer to this episode. Later that night after Louis falls asleep, Pascow comes to his bedside and guides a reluctant Louis down to the Pet Sematary. Pointing towards the deadfall behind the sematary, he warns, “Don’t go beyond, no matter how much you feel you feel you need to… the barrier was not made to be broken… Your destruction and the destruction of all you love is very near…” When Louis wakes hours later, he is convinced it was all an unsettling dream until he pulls back the sheets to reveal muddy feet covered in pine needs. The logical part of Louis’s brain takes over, trying to rationalize the insane experience. Soon the dream is all but forgotten, until the fateful day that Church is run over by a semi truck on the main road and killed.
Led by his trusty neighbor Jud, Louis has his first encounter with the Micmac burial ground beyond the deadfall, where he buries Church and is told the history of the tribe. The next day, Church saunters into the garage where Louis is working, smelling of sour earth, with pieces of plastic bag stuck in his whiskers. None too surprised, Louis brings the cat inside and feeds it, repulsed by the blasphemous presence of his daughter’s dead cat. Louis tries to rationalize with himself, thinking that the cat must’ve been stunned and not dead when he was buried. But Church does not seem to be his spry old self, walking in funny patterns and lacking the grace of a real cat, leaving Louis with a shadow of a doubt that he did, in fact, bring the cat back to life. When Ellie sees her old cat, she immediately notices the smell, and the fact that there is something off with Church. The family seems to ignore the glaring differences though, and continue on with their lives as usual while Church continues to exhibit more and more out-of-character behavior.
The plot finally comes to it’s point when their toddler Gage, is run over and killed by a semi on the main road. Distraught and unable to come to terms with his death, Louis sends his wife and daughter to Chicago to stay with his in-laws as he begins to plot his son’s second burial. Knowing what he plans to do, Jud harshly warns Louis to leave Gage in peace and tells the story of another local who brought back his son and was driven to murder/suicide after the fact. Unmoved, Louis continues with his plan and buries Gage at the Micmac burial ground. Gage comes back, possessed with unflinching evil, and murders both Jud Crandall and Rachel before Louis is able to kill him for good. Louis, unhinged by the horrors he has seen and convinced that he “waited too long” with Gage’s reburial, takes Rachel’s corpse up to the Micmac cemetery . “Darling,” it mutters, and then the story ends.
I want to start off by saying, I really liked this book. It scared the bejesus out of me, but it was so worth it. If you’ve read King, you know he likes to drag out the story [much like this particular review I’m writing]. He painfully details the protagonist’s backstory as a dramatic build up to the climax, and this can often lead some readers [myself included] to internally scream, “GET ON WITH IT!” However, with Pet Sematary I feel as if this technique truly lent to the creation of the story and was absolutely essential to the climax of the plot. While the idea of a cemetery in general gives me the creeps, what is even more unsettling is the slow unraveling of Louis’s mind. Whenever he tries to make logical sense of a situation [i.e. Church’s resurrection], he compromises another piece of his rational mind, and the more he does this, the more likely he is to do something rash and unreasonable. Now, I would make the argument that the presence of the Micmac burial ground [and it’s demons, spirits, etc.] are mainly responsible for the undoing of Louis Creed. I enjoy when a supernatural entity is the antagonist [its extra spooky when an unseeable evil occupies any story], and King does a grand job of creating this wicked presence which subtly alters and influences the minds of anyone who has visited the Micmac burial ground. Jud himself admits to wrong-doing by bringing Louis there, claiming there is a draw to the burial ground for all who have visited, and it is presumed that anyone who has been there will fall under the same spell. Talk about creepy!
The one thing I have an issue with is how quickly Gage is resurrected and then killed again. Now, don’t get me wrong, every single word that involved zombie Gage is horrifying and left knots in my stomach- Even now, I shudder as I think of Gage taunting Jud in his own kitchen before going in for the kill. BUT, it seemed to me that after ALL that build up, we should’ve gotten more time with possessed toddler Gage before he gets killed. The other point which had no resolution, and which I did not summarize, is Ellie’s sudden onset of clairvoyance after Gage’s death. As soon as her little brother dies, Ellie begins having horrible dreams about her family and the Pet Sematary. When Louis sends Ellie and Rachel back to Chicago, Ellie goes insane with worry and anxiety, convinced that something horrible is going to happen to Louis [or happen because of Louis] in their absence. In her dreams, Paxcow [aka Victor Pascow] comes to her, warning that Louis is in danger. When they finally get to Chicago, Ellie’s hysteria becomes so uncontrollable that Rachel decides to immediately turn around and go back to Ludlow to check on Louis [which is how she ends up murdered by her dead son]. King, however, does not go back to Ellie at all once Rachel leaves Chicago. This leads the reader to question what Ellie may already know, and whether or not she will end up back in Ludlow with her insane father and re-animated mother. My hope is that Ellie stays with her grandparents and never has to see her parents again- and maybe, hopefully, we get a sequel a la Doctor Sleep?!
All in all, this book was fantastically horrifying in all the right ways. I truly understand why this book is considered one of King’s best and most terrifying novels, and I would say I have to agree. If you’re a fan of a good thriller, and this review hasn’t completely ruined your will to read it, I recommend giving it a try. I’d loan you mine, but the back cover just fell off. If you’ve made it through this review, congratulations! I am currently cross eyed and giving up on any further edits or alterations.
5 out of 5 stars
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The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is shirt
Last night, Keira Knightley The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is shirt . attended a cocktail party in honor of Chanel’s new iteration of its classic J12 watch in Paris, but a luxury timepiece wasn’t the only thing she was celebrating. The actress revealed a growing baby bump underneath her cream-colored Chanel dress. This is her second child with her husband, musician James Righton. Knightley was ethereal in the garment, which featured an off-the-shoulder tweed bodice and highlighted her natural, mom-to-be glow.
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is Classic Ladies
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is Hoodie
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is LongSleeve
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is Sweatshirt
The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is Unisex
If that wasn’t enough, Knightley did it again today at the Chanel Resort 2020 show when she turned up to the Grand Palais in a beautiful black floral-embroidered Chanel gown, cut on the bias to show off, again, her little bundle of joy The Grinch honorary member grumpy club telling it like it is shirt . Her husband was the perfect complement in a sharp black suit and aviator shades, looking both parts doting husband and stylish front-row companion.Knightley has been a Chanel ambassador for years and was a longtime loyal fan of and muse to the late, great Karl Lagerfeld. It is perfectly fitting that she would choose not one, but two Chanel dresses to wear while publicly revealing her pregnancy for the first time. Moms-to-be, take note: this is how you turn pregnancy style into something truly très-chic.In the age of Marie Kondo–style decluttering, Swedish Death Cleaning, and Vogue editor closet purges, the entire world seems obsessed with paring things down. KonMari is nice, but Tran’s approach doesn’t involve chucking half your possessions. The accessories designer has made a career out of creating the kind of no-nonsense add-ons that help her customers get their lives in order. Monogrammed planners, bespoke cell-phone chargers, and totes with built-in dividers form the foundation of her label, The Daily Edited. Yet for all her expertise, Tran thinks the minimalist nirvana worshipped on Instagram is but a pipe dream. “I come from a place of wanting organization, but even I’m still working on it!” she said on the phone from Sydney. “On the surface I come across as 100 percent organized—you have to in my line of work—but I don’t think of myself as being obsessively neat.”Founded in 2011 when she was working as an attorney in Perth, Tran and fellow lawyer Tania Liu sought to create the kinds of basics that could take women from the boardroom to business class and beyond. Both fans of Proenza Schouler, Celine, and The Row—a water-cooler chat about ready-to-wear sparked their friendship—they sought to bring a chic sensibility to oft mundane tasks like planning work outfits and arranging office supplies. “When you have a desk job, sometimes the only exciting thing to think about is what you’re going to wear to work the next day. That can become a bit of a cycle,” said Tran, who had always envisioned herself in a creative field. “A legal career is lucrative in some ways, but it’s not quite enough if you want to lead a high-speed life; at first just wanted to do something a bit more exciting.”
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TV Guide, January 21-February 3
Cover: Tom Selleck of Blue Bloods
Page 2: Contents
Page 3: Ask Matt -- Escape at Dannemora, American Housewife, Feedback, Fan Art -- Star Trek: Discovery
Page 4: Lifetime celebrates 35 years
Page 8: Carrie Ann Inaba of The Talk, For the Record
Page 10: Tribute -- Bob Einstein, Ratings
Page 12: The Roush Review -- I Am the Night
Page 13: A Discovery of Witches, The Passage, Black Monday
Page 14: Cover Story -- Blue Bloods -- Bridget Moynahan, Vanessa Ray, Sami Gayle, Tom Selleck
Page 18: Outlander season finale
Page 20: The Conners
Page 23: What’s Worth Watching -- U.S. Figure Skating Championships -- Tara Lipinski, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue
Page 24: Manifest, Parks and Recreation, Big Brother: Celebrity Edition, Black Lightning, Pawn Stars, Dating #NoFilter, NBA Basketball
Page 25: Justin Hartley of This Is Us, Magnum, P.I., Finding Your Roots, Many Sides of Jane, Conan
Page 26: Burning Questions about Suits, Schooled, The Magicians, SEAL Team, Criminal Minds, Pure, Knight Fight
Page 27: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Siren, The Titan Games, Lip Sync Battle, The Good Place, Broad City, The Other Two
Page 28: Alin Sumarwata of Strike Back, I Lived With a Killer, Sydney to the Max, Crazy Cakes, Movie Picks -- Patrick Swayze Marathon, Roger Waters: The Wall, Blade Runner 2049
Page 29: Love You to Death, SnowComing, Destination France: The Birthplace of Luxury, Austin City Limits, NHL Hockey, Movie Picks -- Book Club, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Tag
Page 30: Bradley Whitford of Valley of the Boom, Girl Meets Farm, Rent, The 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, NCIS: Los Angeles, NFL Football
Page 49: Stream It!
Page 50: Netflix -- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, When Heroes Fly
Page 51: Black Earth Rising, Medici: The Magnificent, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Page 52: Prime Video -- John Malkovich in The ABC Murders
Page 54: Hulu -- 24 essential episodes
Page 55: Five secrets of streaming tech, Matthew Goode on A Discovery of Witches
Page 56: New movie releases and leaving soon
Page 59: What’s Worth Watching -- Jenna Coleman on Masterpiece: Victoria
Page 60: Erin Napier and Ben Napier of Home Town, Independent Lens: The King, Magnum P.I., The Passage, I Am the Night
Page 61: Days of Our Lives, Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2019, State of the Union 2019, Temptation Island, In Pursuit With John Walsh, Vikings, Storage Wars
Page 62: Fam, Swamp People, 30 for 30: Deion’s Double Play, Will & Grace, Backyard Envy, Stephen King Marathon
Page 64: Your Guide to TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar
Page 66: Saturday, February 2 -- Groundhog Day tales to stream -- The Mindy Project, Person of Interest, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Supernatural, The X-Files, The Kitchen, 7 Days in Entebbe, Kitten Bowl VI
Page 67: Sunday, February 3 -- Drew Barrymore on The World’s Best, Puppy Bowl XV, Counterpart, Beat Bobby Flay, Super Bowl LIII
Page 84: Cheers & Jeers -- The Titan Games, Deadly Class, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, Gotham, Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club, Bandersnatch trolls, The Masked Singer
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This is the one book that really helped me reframe the abuse that I had as a child and how to move forward as an adult who continues to deal with parents who have trouble managing their emotions. Book is called "Toxic Parents" by Dr. Susan Forward https://amzn.to/2WAwVR7
#studyblr#marie kondo fan club#Don't forget to reduce reuse & recycle#Bob's Burgers#motivation#memes#kpop#kdrama#updates#studyspo#IG: join.a.groupchat#sign up for a groupchat on in my instagram!
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Half-Life 3/2 Confirmed
Mike and Ting talk about Half-Life: Alyx, new developments from Oculus, plans to fix Anthem and the redesigned Sonic trailer.
The “book club” game is: Borderlands 3.
Contact us: @lostlevelsclub or [email protected]
Show Notes:
Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx Announcement Trailer (YouTube)
Valve is making three "full" VR games
Half-Life Alyx Trailer Showcases Potentially Revolutionary VR Controls
Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator
Apple Arcade’s fixer-upper game isn’t short on irony
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
The Final Hours of Half-Life: Alyx -- Behind Closed Doors at Valve Interview (YouTube)
Half Life - Alyx: Everything we know
Virtual reality sickness
Are Virtual Reality Headsets Safe for Children?
Valve acquires Firewatch developer Campo Santo
Firewatch Dev's Next Game, In The Valley Of Gods, May Be In Jeopardy
Pre-Purchase Half Life: Alyx Listed At $59.99, Free For Valve Index Owners
Oculus
John Carmack - Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award (YouTube)
John Carmack stepping down as CTO of Oculus to work on AI
Adaptive tile refresh
Eliza
@ID_AA_Carmack - Considering how @elonmusk likened AGI to “summoning the demon”, it would be poetic if I can make a dent!
Who needs the Rift S when the Oculus Quest can do everything?
Beat Saber
Marie Kondo
Why are people mocking IGN about Cuphead? Something about them being terrible about it?
Anthem Next
Sources: BioWare Plans A Complete Overhaul For Anthem
No Man’s Sky NEXT
How BioWare's Anthem Went Wrong
Destiny: The Taken King
Hello Games
BioWare ditching Anthem's original post-launch content plans to focus on "core issues"
Anthem Reveal vs Launch: Everything Missing From The Final Game
It's a fake! (YouTube)
Destiny 2: Play for Free
Warframe: Ninjas Play Free
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Sonic Movie Redesign
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) - New Official Trailer - Paramount Pictures (YouTube)
Sonic the Hedgehog Trailer #1 (2019) | Movieclips Trailers (YouTube)
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Super Mario Bros Animated Movie Will Release "Around 2022"
Ben Schwartz Really Fought To Play Sonic The Hedgehog
Ryan Reynolds Is the Perfect Pikachu
Charles Martinet: It's-A Me, Mario! - Meet The Record Breakers (YouTube)
‘Sonic’ Redesign Cost Paramount Nowhere Near the $35 Million That’s Been Rumored
Sanic Hegehog | Know Your Meme
Jim Carrey As Eggman Is The Saving Grace For New Sonic Movie, According To Some Fans
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Plan your visit (and reservation requests) accordingly!
The given address goes to a Steampunk cafe specializing in games and coffee–another novelty era ripe for nostalgic yearning but not the one we were looking for. Where the hell is this place? The first time I had visited Volstead’s Emporium in Uptown, Minnesota I was accompanied by a friend who was already privy to the location. Half the appeal of a secret speakeasy hidden away in a niche part of town already known for it’s fanciful coffee-shops, coin operated video game arcade clubs, and ‘hot yoga’–is that it’s a destination prided on the fact that you kind of already need to know where you’re going. Like being a member of an Eyes Wide Shut sexy, Eleusinian Mysteries kind of cult meeting or a pirate marauding around the Caribbean looking for the Isla De Muerta–an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is. Being ‘in the know’ about Volstead’s Emporium adds a lot to its notoriety. Going to their website offers no assistance–there is no address, no online menu, no pictures or an extensive proselytizing ‘About’ page. It’s tough to know this place even exists, or what it is, unless you become one of the initiated via word of mouth.
We were driving around Uptown one evening where, during a traffic stop, I recognized the location we were at–and that down that seedy, familiar-looking alleyway nestled behind the Steampunk cafe was the secret speakeasy I had wanted to take my boyfriend to for ages. It felt like a re-discovery and I hastily tried to remember where it was for next time, when we would plan our visit and get to transport ourselves to a faux, 1920’s era den of libations.
~
For those who need a quick History lesson to refresh–the Temperance movement in the United States won a political victory from 1920-1933 when the entire country went “dry”. Meaning, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was drafted and the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol was banned. To enforce this draconian rule, the government passed the Volstead Act (Where our friendly Emporium likely took its name from) which went a step further in defining the intoxicating substances that were banned and the punishments that came with breaking these laws. The rise of bootlegging, gangsters, and speakeasies–secret law-breaking establishments selling banned booze–became a direct consequence and the 1920’s is forever remembered with these associations.
~
Unfortunately, memory is only as good as it is served. Turns out, when the summer construction is hazardous and the Happy Hour besought motorists are honking more persistently than a skein of geese, it can be a bit frustrating to try and remember a scattering of location markers after finally getting lucky finding a parking spot. Had I known that the large, neon gleaming sign for beer and bratwurst king New Bohemia resided across the street from our desired crime scene alleyway, our journey on empty stomachs might have been easier to bear. Once found, walking down said alleyway gives off an appropriate air of sleaziness, and as sweltering as the heat often gets in the summer, I was just thankful it wasn’t garbage from the line of dumpsters that marked our path. Hanging a left midway, there’s a smattering of apartment balconies claustrophobic-ly clustered together and in the small back of the building obstructed by vents, there resides a large bolted metal door with a creepy red serial killer light hanging above it. A most welcoming destination, if I ever saw one.
Yeah this seems…
…safe?
“It’s all you, babe.”
I took this initiative with the fervent composure of a Flapper girl, who had likely already spent most of the evening dancing the Charleston to extinction, and rapped the door with my knuckles like I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. The slot in the door opens and a pair of eyes greets you–“Yes?”
“We have a reservation for two!”
“Name?”
The door is unbolted and we entered into a stairwell devoid of any identifying features aside from the bookie wearing a surprisingly dapper get-up. “Enjoy” is all he says as he goes back to manning the door. It’s up to us to take ourselves down the stairs and to the basement where we stand momentarily confused, there are at least three doors to choose from–not one of them marked with a sparkling Go Here to Drink sign to help us out. We could just make out the muffled sound of chatter and glass clinking enough to try Door Number 1–which ended up leading us into a time machine.
Managed to capture before the place got packed!
An oft overlooked aspect of any dining experience is the ability to transport a patron. This can happen with really good food–it’s much easier to feel like you’re on the coast of Sorrento enjoying a bowl of pasta in a white wine sauce when the spaghetti is al dente and the clams are cooked to perfection and you’re even given a shot of limoncello to chase it all down with. But atmosphere is just as important too and at Volstead’s–you do feel like you just stepped into a 1920’s speakasy which would make even the most classy of bathtub gin stirrers proud.
There are no windows and the establishment is dimly lit, there’s a piano and a jazz player in the back corner strumming soft melodies with the tempered line of the bartender shaking drinks. People are laughing uproariously all around, likely amplified by the low ceiling and general jovialness that comes with a really well mixed cocktail. It’s welcoming–and cuts the tension had while trying to find the place to begin with.
The Old Fashioneds here are one of my favorites in the state: Bourbon, applewood smoked demerara, and house blend bitters.
We were seated at a booth across from the parlor tables, draped with curtains we could easily pull for more privacy. It felt like we were only missing poker chips and the acrid smoke of cigars hanging in the air to set the mood into one in need of a police raid. For another brief moment, I felt like a femme fatale who was clandestinely meeting with a surly detective across from me, who was cloaked in a make-believe fedora and interrogating me on my whereabouts the night Tommy the Gun was murdered–all under the veneer of a heavy sepia filter. Or that was just the Old Fashioneds talking.
Volstead’s is a novelty experience, a way to feel like you’re in a piece of history for the night–surrounded by good drinks and food to boot. There’s a library room where you could sit and partake in a re-imagined game of Clue wearing monocles and dinner jackets, a large dial safe loitering under the stairs where surely the funds of nefarious mobster money ventures is well hidden, and there is even a telephone booth in the back by the restrooms for even the most ardent Doctor Who fan to enjoy. Voldstead’s is straight up cool so put that in your pipe and smoke it.
The scene of the crime, where Mrs. Peacock allegedly bludgeoned Colonel Mustard with a copy of Marie Kondo’s Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
No one warned us about the framed mirror on the wall of our booth, that it would swing open and the waiter would grin as we jumped in surprise, serving as a portal in which to take our food and drink orders. I think the waitstaff probably finds most of their amusement in this gimmick–and it’s certainly a fun experience to team up with your waiter on. There is a buzzer under the mirror when you’re ready to order and there was at least one more incident where the frame creaked open like a horror movie prop with no waiter to be found, only for him to pop up into view a second later and ask what we’d like–to more jump scares from us. It’s hilarious.
Bwaaaahm
Now all of this is fine and dandy, right? But the main attraction of any dining establishment is the food. And oh boy, does it not disappoint. The first time I went to Voldstead’s, I chose a guilt-free zucchini carbonara with added shrimp that was surprisingly complex and topped off the evening with warm, gooey bread pudding. This time, I went with the usual favorites my boy detective and I usually partake in at other restaurants–the first test for us being the charcuterie plate. I finally learned how to properly pronounce “charcuterie” when I embarrassingly ordered it incorrectly and my windowed waiter set me straight–not sure whether he was smirking at my inability to speak French or because I was recovering from another fun jump scare. Not to be a gerkin (no old fashioneds were consumed in the making of this dad joke), but I’m pretty easy to satisfy when it comes to charcuterie plates–the server had me at spicy salami, spec, and capicola. I was so excited I didn’t even pay attention to what the cheeses were.
Mmmm, gerkins
Next, I ordered the most basic sounding ‘Steak & Potatoes’ which was anything but and I got it cooked a beautiful, medium-rare despite ordering it just medium, but hey–they were just looking out for me and my philistine steak preparation ordering ways. This is one of the better steaks I’ve eaten and I didn’t need to drop a $500 tab at Manny’s to enjoy it–this gorgeous hunk of meat is up there with the bavette I had at 112 Eatery and the steak I had at a (now closed) restaurant outside of New York City I had visited in high school that was apparently one of Elvis’ favorites.
8oz Bavette, herb potatoes and grilled asparagus with peppercorn cognac sauce. #NeverForget
Though any sane person would be full at this point and I was working on my second cocktail (Like Clockwork–Cognac, Bourbon, Dolin dry, Amaro Nonino, Orange Bitters, Expressed Orange–definitely got me all good and “bezoomny”!), a place can’t be sufficiently done and tried until you order a dessert and a regular, black coffee. Now, it should shock no one to know that I can be a bit of a pedant about certain things–and coffee is one of those things. I’ve worked in and out of the coffee industry for the better part of 8 years as a barista and on the corporate level slinging office work. It’s not particularly hard to find quality, well-sourced beans and it is even easier to brew them right. A restaurant can tell me a lot about how much they care about every aspect of their commitment to quality and food by how good their regular brewed coffee tastes. I’ve been disappointed in establishments that otherwise provide good meals but then serve up bitter, black water mudd that tastes like it had been sitting for more than 2 hours in back. I move from disappointed to irritated when this crime is committed by an authentically-declared French or Italian restaurant where ending your meal with a good coffee is tantamount to the cultural experience. One sip from Volstead’s chosen brew and I knew this place really was every bit as great as I knew it to be.
Tiramisu because I’m ‘basic Italian’
The tiramisu I ordered for dessert wasn’t bad either–and as your resident swarthy Italian-American, I’ve had plenty of tiramisu in my day. The only thing about it I found particular to note, was how the lady fingers weren’t soggy and absolutely drowning in booze and/or coffee. Unlike me this evening, of course.
So, dear reader, consider yourself well and in the know about Volstead’s Emporium in Uptown, MN. I’ve now passed on the secret to you–and if you’re in the area or visiting the Twin Cities, I hope that you take a moment to stumble around W. Lake St. attempting to find it. But shhhhh–don’t tell your dinner companion(s) about the mirror window.
Volstead’s Emporium: A Hidden Speakeasy in Uptown, MN The given address goes to a Steampunk cafe specializing in games and coffee--another novelty era ripe for nostalgic yearning but not the one we were looking for.
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Tidying Up Social, Celtic Punk, A Mother's Confession #181
We're gonna tidy up your social media friend's list. I'll teach you a little bit about Celtic Punk. I'll leave you laughing and bawling through a mother's confession. Plus, I'll share some travel insights.
You'll also enjoy music from Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser, The Gatehouse Well, Tullamore, 3 Pints Gone, Amanda Palmer, We Banjo 3, Cady Finlayson, Dervish, The Templars of Doom, Gerry O'Beirne, Kilted Kings, Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, Brobdingnagian Bards, Kyle Carey, Heather Dale, Runa, The Fighting Jamesons, Colleen Raney.
Welcome to the Pub Songs Podcast, the Virtual Public House for Celtic culture through music. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic Geek musician and your guide to honoring our past and adapting for our future.
If you have comments or want to chat in the pub, email me. Use #PubSongs when talking about this show.
Cead mile failte! PubSong.net
WHO'S PLAYING IN THE PUB TODAY
0:10 "Black Velvet Band" by Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser from How America Saved Irish Music
3:39 WELCOME
Now a resident of Atlanta
Newsletter gone monthly?
6:00 “Winter Is Coming” by The Gatehouse Well from Single
9:35 "Arthur McBride / Andy Renwick's Ferret / Fisherman's Song For Attracting Seals" by Tullamore from Six Strings and Coffee Beans
15:23 "A Man's A Man for a' That" by Marc Gunn from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion
18:03 "Yew Tree" by 3 Pints Gone from The Beaches of St Valery
21:23 Branded shirt idea
24:45 AMANDA PALMER'S NEW ALBUM
27:14 "A Mother's Confession" by Amanda Palmer from There Will Be No Intermission
37:49 PUB CHAT
I want your feedback. What are you doing today while listening to the Pub Songs Podcast? How has this show inspired you? Send a written comment along with any pictures to [email protected]. Use the hashtag #pubsongs in the subject of your email.
Troy emailed: "Hi Marc, I finished the epic Pub Songs podcast from Sherwood. That was a lot of fun! Thank you. I feel like I don't say that enough. It's a blast to follow your musical world.
Along the same lines, the Heroes CD is incredible. It's been getting regular play on the commute from work. Thank you for that too. I got a grin when you mentioned it on the podcast and said "you probably don't have this album."
I follow your blog via RSS feed, as I have for years. Sometimes the old ways still work. Anyway, I just read the one about social media not sparking joy for you. *raises hand* Right there with you on that one. I hear more and more that employers won't hire someone without a social media presence. Does it truly matter? I've never thought so. Sounds like you're coming to the same conclusion after years of being in the trenches on that. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the idea of immediacy, but everything seems to be immediate online. As they say, when everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency. Unless you're one of these YouTube stars making bank on ad revenue for having millions of followers. Maybe then I'd get the need, but I don't follow any of those types.
It's a weird balance. People tell me I'm old for not being on Facebook. Many in the younger generation don't bother with it either. Not sure where that leaves me. But I know what I like. I seek out podcasts and music. That's how I found you years ago. I've never had a reason to second guess. It takes all types in the world. It's like that in any business too. It just seems to me that musicians make music. As Spock told Kirk, it's your first, best destiny. Anything else is a waste of material. ;)
I admire that you're willing to try new things, and I can't imagine how much of it comes down to marketing. In the end, you've built a solid product with a solid brand, and you continue to do so. It speaks for itself.
I did have one old school idea... have you thought about broadcasting your podcast feed on XM radio? Or even on local FM bands (in conjunction with local Ren Faires and cons)? Then the radio stations feel the need to advertise for you. Radio is where music lives, right? You probably have considered it, but it never hurts to toss an idea out there. I've wondered why, as popular as Ren Faires are now, why there is no Ren Faire Radio. But then... this is what you do in podcast form, isn't it? Is radio not the great granddaddy of all social media? Orson Welles knew it. Freddie Mercury knew it. 80 years on, has it really changed so much?
Apologies for rambling. In any case, this is a long-winded way of saying that this old school music fan appreciates you efforts. I have for years, and I will for years to come. I hope your move to Atlanta goes smoothly. All the best to you and yours."
44:39 "Hold Onto Your Soul" by We Banjo 3 from Haven
48:39 "Barrowburn" by Cady Finlayson from Celtic Purple
50:40 "Down By The Sally Gardens" by Dervish from The Great Irish Songbook
55:10 CELTIC PUNK
59:40 "Beggar in the Road" by Templars of Doom from Hovels of the Holy
01:02:39 CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS
Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through it's culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.
2019 is the Celtic Invasion of Dingle. 2020 is the Origins of Celtic Invasions. You can find out more about these two exciting trips. Join the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/
I want your Ireland or Celtic Travel Questions. Email me!
Travel insights
01:05:49 "The Holy Ground" by Gerry O'Beirne from Half Moon Bay
01:10:00 "Cloghden More" by Kilted Kings from Name On My Soul
01:13:35 "Two Red Roses" by Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer from Twelve Months & A Day
01:18:54 NEWS
Brobdingnagian Bards are launching a Kickstarter in July. Subscribe to our mailing list and podcast.
Confirmed for Gen Con. Shows announced.
Firefly Drinking Songs Live from Dragon Con 2014 is the latest Celtfather Bootleg
New genetic counseling song
More podcasts on patreon
Overcast sharing on Instagram
01:23:03 "A Prudent Thief" by Brobdingnagian Bards from Marked By Great Size
01:26:06 "For Your Journey" by Kyle Carey from The Art of Forgetting
01:28:00 "Three Axes" by Heather Dale from Sphere
01:32:52 Marie Kondo's Guide to Internet Facebook Friends
Coffee with The Celtfather on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter
01:41:13 "Again for Greenland" by Runa from ...And We'll All Go Together
01:45:31 "Mid the Green Fields of Virginia" by The Fighting Jamesons from Every Day Above Ground
01:48:21 "Standing in Doorways" by Colleen Raney from Standing in Doorways
01:53:18 "Old Dun Cow" by Brobdingnagian Bards from Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales
01:57:11 UPCOMING SHOWS
Celtic Invasion of Dingle, Ireland
July 6: Pepper Place Farmer's Market in Birmingham, AL
Aug 1-4: Gen Con in Indianapolis, IN
Aug 23: Interstellar Ginger Beer & Exploration Co in Alabaster, AL
Aug 24: Pepper Place Farmer's Market in Birmingham, AL
Sep 27-28: Browncoat Ball, Las Vegas, NV
The Pub Songs Podcast is listener-supported. If you enjoy visiting the pub, please join the Gunn Runners Club to get more podcasts, videos, bootleg concerts, and exclusive MP3s. Special thanks to my newest patron: MaryAnne
Thank you for so kindly supporting my music. Go to marcgunn.net to join the Gunn Runners on Patreon today. Let's make a friendlier world.
If you enjoy the music in this show, support the artists. Buy their music and merch. Follow them on Spotify. Let them know how much you love what they are doing. And tell a friend.
02:00:44 "Browncoat Baby" by Marc Gunn from As Long As I'm Flyin'
Pub Songs Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn. To subscribe, go to Apple Podcasts, Spotify or to my website where you can join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon and support my music and this podcast. I’ll also email regular updates of new videos, podcasts, stories behind the songs, plus 21 songs for free. Welcome to the pub! www.pubsong.net.
Check out this episode!
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9 Fun Ways to Still Be Productive When Bored at Work
There’s a platitude that goes something like if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. The sentiment there is nice, but it’s wholly untrue. Even if you love what you do, it’s still work. And some days, it’s Work with a capital W. On those days, the 2 pm slump hits or any of a thousand different reasons means that you get bored at work. Fortunately, there are still some fun things you can do that will keep you productive, even if they’re not quite in your job description.
1. Write to a Professional Contact
This is an especially salient point if you’re the kind of person who wants to stay in contact with people but often fails to follow through on it. You may like the idea of having coffee or grabbing lunch with someone you met at a conference or who works in a different department, but setting it up just never happens.
So if you want to know what to do when bored at work, one of the simplest is to toss one of these contacts an email, say hello, and see if they’d like to get together sometime. It doesn’t even have to be a professional contact, but since you’re at work, it probably should be.
We list this as a fun thing because it engenders relationships and kicks up the dopamine in your brain. In many cases, doing this once will spur you to write at least one more while you’re at it.
2. Research Conferences in Your Field
Think about this like you’re planning a vacation and getting paid for it. Because in some ways you are. Conferences are an excellent way to improve your professional development, make new friends and contacts (whom you can email at a later date when you’re bored at work), improve your knowledge and skill set, and increase your company’s profile within your industry.
Best of all, though: many conferences are held in amazing locations. If you’re in the WordPress world, WordCamp Orlando and Orange County are definitely worth a look. Every industry has conferences like this in great places. Some towns like San Antonio, TX even work hard to attract conferences and have a lot of attractions for folks in town.
No matter what your industry, if you’re bored, a simple Google search of [Industry name] conferences [year] will return a lot of results. Or at least more than a few.
Best of all: most employers have a professional development line item in their budgets, but they get claimed fast. If you have even the inkling of somewhere you want to go, do some research and talk to your superiors.
And pro-tip: if you apply to be a speaker, the chances are higher that your boss will agree to the trip. After that, it’s all palm trees, mojitos, and research & development and data analysis panel discussions.
3. Listen to a Podcast or TED Talk
Both of these are abundant on YouTube, iTunes, and pretty much everywhere else. Even if your workplace has YouTube or other streaming services blocked, you likely have a cellphone with a few extra gigs of data to spare.
You’re also probably wearing headphones if you’re in an office.
But what if your boss walks by and sees you hunched over and watching a video on your iPhone? Just smile and point at it and say:
“Oh, I found a TED Talk about cognitive dissonance in office workers and how it affects productivity. I can send you the link if you want.”
How many bosses would fault you for that?
4. Start a Podcast or a Blog
If you’re the creative type, planning and launching a blog or podcast using the knowledge of your field can be a lot of fun. You might need to get your superiors’ permission for this, but you can very easily set yourself and your company up as industry leaders by starting and taking part in conversations.
Depending on what your workplace is like, taking on a project like this could become part of your work duties, even. It could spur conference panels and presentations and generate exposure for you and your company.
It may also be tempting to work on your side-hustle blog or podcast, too. But that gets into some shadiness because you’re at work and getting paid. With that in mind, a podcast or blog is a really fun way to engage with your job in a way that can keep the boredom from creeping back in.
5. Work on a Presentation for your Boss
Now, hear us out. We aren’t suggesting that it’s fun to work on your assignments when you’re bored. You’re bored at work for a reason. But you can have a bit of fun putting together a presentation of your own ideas for a suggestion that you’ve been wanting to make. Maybe it’s an improved workflow that will make your daily life easier (and others’, too) or that a lunch book club would improve morale. You might need an intern, and this is how you find the time to get around to asking for one.
Whatever it is, switching gears for an afternoon of working on something you’ve been bouncing around in the back of your mind is a fantastic way to break out of that rut. And because it’s a work project you’re suggesting, the research and presentation time are still being funneled back into the company.
6. Plan/Research a Retreat
Not everyone may be in the position to do this, but those of you that are, listen up. If your company or your team ever goes on retreat, taking an afternoon to work on researching locations and activities can really liven up your day. Not only do you get to look for cool places to go and hang out (again, a mini-vacation on work’s behalf), but you can also file away some of the rejects for your own use later. Don’t let that research on the best cities to travel in South America go to waste!
Also, by doing this, you’re still ticking something off your to-do list. It might not be the task at the top, but it’s something that you would have to do eventually anyway. And looking at Italian hotels and travel arrangements is a lot more fun than reworking spreadsheet formulas.
7. Sneak Into an Idol’s DMs
Whether it’s through a blog or on social media, you follow people you don’t know because you respect them. Not so much celebrities or brand accounts (though everyone respects Wendy’s Twitter account), but industry leaders and influencers and thought provokers. Because you look up to them. But you never talk to them, do you?
Why not?
Well, when you’re bored at work, it’s time to say hi. It’s time to sneak right into their DMs and let them know who you are. It’s fun to interact with people we look up to, and sometimes you can really make a fantastic connection or friend this way.
Blogs and websites have email forms and contact pages. Draft up a quick paragraph about how their work has helped you in some way, and maybe link to something that you’ve included their ideas in and are proud of. Most people try to check their emails and get back to fans or followers.
If it’s on social, the same thing applies. Draft up a quick hello message and introduce yourself. It’s can be a ton of fun to come up with quirky ways to stand out from the crowd. And if you’ve set up a blog or podcast like in #4 above, ask them to be a guest or do an interview. People tend to say yes a lot more often than you’d think.
Being able to sit down or have a call with someone you admire is both nerve-wracking and unabashedly fun.
8. Tidy Up
Every list on what to do when bored at work includes cleaning your desk/office/cubicle. But we want to just briefly touch on it because this can be fun when taken in the right context. When you do it in a way that, to steal Marie Kondo’s signature phrase, sparks joy in you.
Look around your office/cubicle/space and at your desk. Your workspace.
Does it make you happy? Do you like being there?
If the answer is no, then do something about it. Declutter things that, once again, don’t spark joy or aren’t necessary. And then make a list of the things that actually would make you happy. Things that would make your work life a little better. Maybe that’s a mini-fridge or a poster of a kitten telling you to hang in there.
By tidying up and realizing what you actually like about being there, you can set yourself up to get more of that stuff while getting rid of the stuff that’s just kind of there for no reason. And buying new stuff for yourself is always fun.
9. Send a (Kind of) Silly Email Blast
If you’re able to, writing up an email for your list that has more personality in it can be a lot of fun. As long as it sticks to your brand’s strategy and company mission, you can have a lot of fun with your email list.
Fun headlines get people’s attention. Puns work great for this. So do emoji.
Using animated gifs and memes to punctuate your copy can generate more engagement and higher click-through rates.
You can even write in a different voice and tone than usual, making use of rhyme or alliteration, or even try to mimic the style of a particular writer (try a marketing email for a product written like Ernest Hemingway). Whatever it is, being a little sillier than normal can sprinkle a bit of fun into your day that might not have been there otherwise.
Now You Know What to Do When Bored at Work
While none of these are amusement park or day-at-the-beach kind of fun, they’re a lot more enjoyable than spinning around in your desk chair, staring at the ceiling, and wondering if 5:00 will ever get there. If you think about it, there are probably a lot of things you can do when you’re bored at work that are actually fun and affect your job in some way, but you haven’t done them because they’re not directly on your to-do list or calendar.
So set those things aside, pick one of these things, and beat that afternoon slump.
What do you do to be productive when you’re bored at work?
Article featured image by Pikte / shutterstock.com
The post 9 Fun Ways to Still Be Productive When Bored at Work appeared first on Elegant Themes Blog.
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Can a KonMari Closet Refresh Really Bring You Joy?
How to Use the KonMari Method to Refresh Your Closet
It’s the new year, which means it’s a great time to purge our wardrobes and get a fresh start on style. We know it’s not easy, so to get started, we’ve taken inspiration from decluttering and organizing authority Marie Kondo, a Tokyo-based consultant who developed her now-famous KonMari Method of organizing. That led her to write the international best-seller “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and then “Spark Joy,” an illustrated guide to her method. The books led to the launch of Kondo’s recently debuted Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.
She begins the tidying process in the closet by dumping every item of clothing you own into one massive pile. You then sort through each and every piece to figure out if it “sparks joy” for you. If it does, keep it. If it doesn’t, thank it for its service and discard it. The practice is really pretty simple.
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Her Netflix show is also great for real-life case studies to serve as inspiration. In episode one, “Tidying With Toddlers,” the Friend family (yes, that’s their name) gets an all-in education on tidying, including lessons on folding and proper storage. An added bonus is that you probably won’t feel so badly about those arguments you get into with your significant other about a messy home when you see you’re far from alone.
Get Started With Your Own Marie Kondo
Since getting Kondo to your home may be a long shot, consider hiring a local decluttering expert. We spoke to New York-based Certified Gold KonMari consultant Patty Morrissey about her suggestions on where to start. (KonMari consultants are required to read both of Kondo’s books, provide photographic evidence that they have tidied their own homes using the method, and attend certification seminars. The certification levels are based on both the clients’ work with and sessions completed.)
“The first thing to understand is what you love and what you don’t love,” says Morrissey, who has completed more than 200 tidying sessions with 20-plus clients. “Second ... is to understand how you want to show up in the world. What brings you joy?” She says pajama pants sparked joy for one of her male clients, “but clearly that was a ‘no’ for his everyday wardrobe.”
Morrissey suggests creating a role for yourself, and then keeping or buying the clothes that fit within that role. “We eventually settled on what the client described as ‘Euro Dad’ style (his words, not mine),” she explained of her pajama-pant fan. Morrissey emphasized that she’s not a fashion consultant, but she did end up helping this client craft a nice, minimalist style for himself. Before working with her, he had so many clothes that he was even storing them in his kids’ closets. After the project was done, his wardrobe fit nicely in his own bedroom.
RELATED: 10 Productivity Books All Guys Need to Read (Even You)
“Men tend to go through the process faster than women,” observes Morrissey. “They make decisions faster, and like to have a ‘go-to’ uniform. Men are also very visual and like to have all their clothing spread out before them where it can be easily viewed.” This works beautifully with the KonMari method, especially when it’s time to put things away.
Following the purge, Kondo recommends folding every single piece of clothing, thereby transmitting a certain energy into them. When they are neatly folded using the particular KonMari folding method and placed standing up in a drawer, it’s easy to see exactly what you have, and to pull exactly what you want. She does allow for some clothes to be hung: coats, suits, jackets, and “any clothes that look like they would be happier hung up.” Morrissey allows her clients a little more latitude with hangers if that makes them more joyful and therefore more likely to adhere to the new way of living. One even chose to hang his sweatpants so he could see them more easily.
The fact of the matter is, a lot of guys have a graphic T-shirt, hoodie, or something specific to them that they keep for sentimental reasons. Morrissey points out a lot of men get more sentimental about the purging and tidying process than they expect to be: “‘This T-shirt is from my first concert or from that awesome road trip.’ If it’s something you don’t or can’t wear, but really can’t part with, it belongs somewhere else … not in your closet.” She suggests using a service like Project Repat to create a keepsake item that’s useful, too.
About Those Staple Items ...
Morrissey advises purging your wardrobe of those old concert tees, those plastered with corporate logos from completed 5Ks, and the souvenirs that you couldn’t resist from the vacations of you youth. Instead, upgrade to a classic solid T-shirt in neutral colors. Get them in Pima cotton, nature’s own performance fiber, and you’ll have tidy style for every day, the gym, or a night out.
The other classic wardrobe item that Morrissey insists upon addressing? Socks. “Throw out all your socks,” she instructs. “I actually did this for myself after one of my male clients had the idea. Start with an empty drawer. Then buy a bunch of dark dress socks and a batch of athletic socks, all in exactly the same color and style. Then stack them in the drawer.” There’s no need to worry about pairing them up, because each sock will match every other sock. “Bombas socks keep coming up. Many of my clients love them,” she adds.
As for neckties, Morrissey says, “I haven’t found a guy yet who really loves his ties. If the object here is to liberate people from things that don’t bring them joy, then maybe not liking ties is actually saying something about your career choice.”
Morrissey, who was originally trained as a social worker, had a female client who didn’t want any of her work clothes touching any of her casual clothes. When she asked about it, the client began to admit to herself that her work was really encroaching too much on her personal life.
RELATED: Back to Basics: The White T-Shirt
If you love your job but your neckwear choices aren’t sparking joy, upgrade. Just like with socks and tees, get in there and purge all those ties that were gifts you don’t love, were on sale and seemed like a good idea at the time, or were bought to match a specific suit or shirt that isn’t around anymore.
Although tidying doesn’t necessarily equal shopping, keeping your wardrobe neat and organized may be more enjoyable if you’re working with raw materials that you know make you look great. “A lot of guys only shop when they are dragged to a store, or they grab whatever they can at Costco,” says Morrissey. “Once we’ve got his wardrobe pared down and organized, working with a service like Trunk Club is a great next step.”
Finally, Morrissey referenced a study from UCLA anthropologists about American families, our homes, and our “stuff.” The study’s researchers found that the cortisol levels of women are directly correlated to the number of objects in the home. So the messier the house, the higher the level of stress. Many men, on the other hand, may not even be aware that their house is in disarray. “I had a client whose wife didn’t want anything for her birthday, so as a gift to her, he bought himself the tidying service,” she says.
Although Morrissey emphasizes that you have to really want to go through this process to succeed, play your cards right and you might end up sparking a little joy that has nothing at all to do with wearing clothes.
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from AskMen Style https://www.askmen.com/style/fashion_advice/how-to-use-the-konmari-method-to-refresh-your-closet.html
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From Carole Baskin to Leslie Jordan, the Unlikely Stars of the Quarantine
A look at the people and products who captured our imaginations (and, in some cases, our hearts) during a strange moment in history
Originally Posted On lamag.com By Paul Schrodt On May 17, 2020
It’s hard to think of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact as anything other than a series of downturns: in global health, the economy, our cultural lifeblood, and moods. But as in any crisis, there are positives deserving praise. Dr. Anthony Fauci, unknown to many of us months ago, now has his own bobblehead — and deservedly so. But other experts and personalities — some with direct ties to the novel coronavirus, others who are delightful distractions — have captured our collective imagination. Here are 20.
Carole Baskin
Netflix’s zeitgeist-defining docuseries Tiger King is teeming with wilder-than-the-last characters, but one rises above the rest. Baskin — the 58-year-old former big-cat breeder turned conservationist and archrival/attempted murder victim of central subject Joe Exotic — sports an enviable feline-inspired wardrobe; coos her memed-around-the-world tagline, “Hey all you cool cats and kittens”; and prefers not to answer questions about her mysteriously missing ex-husband. A morally ambiguous figure for our uncertain times, she’s also sure to be one of Halloween’s most popular costumes — so stock up now on the fiercest tiger prints you can find.
Dua Lipa
The British singer, 24, didn’t want to release her second album, Future Nostalgia, into a pandemic — she announced its arrival with tears on social media. But its neo-disco bangers are exactly what a lockdown dance party demands, and the release is her first Top 10 LP in the U.S. She’s liberated the masses to move while (fabulously) self-quarantining with her model-celebrity-spawn boyfriend Anwar Hadid. But how hard is that?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAayNagnmHF/
Ryan Heffington
Heffington, 46, had already been motivating Angelenos to hone their hip shaking at his Silver Lake dance studio, the Sweat Spot, but the Grammy-nominated choreographer has turned his Joshua Tree house into a makeshift gym space. For his five-day-a-week Sweatfest cardio class on Instagram Live, he coaches around 8,000 viewers at a time through unique moves. Fans are known to end sessions with a cathartic cry.
D-Nice
Born Derrick Jones, D-Nice had a moment as a hip-hop artist in the ’90s that quickly faded. But the 49-year-old DJ reached newfound fame streaming his live Club Quarantine sets from his downtown L.A. apartment, drawing hundreds of thousands of stay-at-home revelers, including Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Michelle Obama. The funk-and-soul-heavy playlists are more than a sonic escape — they’re an act of communal transcendence against all odds.
Zack Fox
A previously undersung L.A. comedian and internet provocateur, Fox, 29, racked up more than 300,000 views with a stone-faced parody — which made perfect use of Three 6 Mafia’s “Slob on My Knob” — of Gal Gadot’s viral-for-all-the-wrong-reasons “Imagine” sing-along.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B98XjQ7AK9X/
Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre
The local artist couple, based in View Park-Windsor Hills, illuminated the power of social distancing with their “Safety Match” viral video, in which animated matches light up in a row until one of them steps out of the way. Viewed roughly a million times, the contemporary art piece achieved what no government PSA could.
Alison Roman
The New York Times cooking writer (and native Angeleno), 34, had already achieved food-world stardom with two best-selling books before lockdown. Under quarantine, Roman’s simple yet flavor-packed recipes for dishes like caramelized shallot pasta — and her unfussy-but-particular Brooklyn boho banter — have become required reading and eating. Roman went from darling to pariah in May when controversial comments she made about Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo went viral. If only shallots made you immune to Twitter backlash.
Ina Garten
More than 3 million people on Instagram watched the tranquil Barefoot Contessa, 72, demonstrate how she keeps her “favorite tradition,” the cocktail hour, alive under desperate conditions. The Food Network star has been a rightfully beloved figure for nearly two decades, but her mixing a gigantic cosmo was a hilariously refreshing reminder of what a true treasure she is.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cJUwUpxbM/
L.A. tap water
You’re not good, we never loved you, and yet without gallons of overpriced filtered alkaline H2O, we’re suddenly overjoyed to guzzle you.
Bidet attachments
After hoarders cleared out the toilet paper aisles, the makers of bidet products began cleaning up with their water-jet-shooting self-cleaning devices. The brand Brondell saw a 300 percent spike in sales, while the cleverly marketed Tushy sold out entirely. The future may be wipe free.
Zoom
The video-conferencing platform — which has raised security concerns and provides the same service as FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Facebook Messenger — has become a key part of life under quarantine. Zoom stock has jumped more than 100 percent since January.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAAihoslm_O/
The brothers Cuomo
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 62, has been lionized for leading his state through the darkness. But his cute younger brother, 49-year-old CNN anchor Chris, stole plenty of shine when he tested positive for COVID-19 and without missing a beat continued hosting his show in self-isolation from his basement. Despite regular potshots from right-wing critics, the younger Cuomo managed to come off as more sincere and urgent than ever. One NYC matchmaker says the duo are topping her “most wanted” list, beating out even the Jonas brothers.
Reply All’s “The Case of the Missing Hit”
Podcast Reply All delivered a blockbuster with a mind-bending search for a song — which might not exist — that a man says got stuck in his head in the ’90s. A reflection of the unanswered questions inundating our lives, except with far lower stakes, the March episode has sparked a 35 percent increase in the show’s listenership.
Trolls World Tour
Universal’s Trolls sequel, with a bizarre rock-versus-pop premise and a message about cultural appropriation that will likely go over the heads of its intended audience (and perhaps that of star Justin Timberlake), set a record for the biggest debut for a digital release, topping every relevant platform during its opening weekend in April. The $20 two-day rental price seemed steep to some, but to parents with stir-crazy kids it was a bargain.
The Womanizer vibrator
With Tinder hookups on hold, we’re turning inward — and reaching for sex toys. This cheekily marketed device has seen a 152 percent year-over-year rise in U.S. sales thanks to quarantine orders. Its resonant new slogan for those hungry for pleasure: Stay home.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAp1cWNpQz6/
Sourdough bread
It’s a cliche at this point, but making it ourselves is truly com forting, if not always Tartine level. No wonder more than 100,000 posts have been tagged with #crumbshot on Instagram.
The new class of badass reporters
Journalism is never more important than during a national emergency or the mass dissemination of misinformation. We happen to be living through both. A young crop of reporters in the White House briefing room — including Weijia Jiang of CBS, Kaitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond of CNN, Yamiche Alcindor of PBS, and Kristin Fisher of Fox News — has resisted President Trump’s theatrical boasting and mugging, pressing for straightforward information and fact-checking on the spot.
Leslie Jordan
The 64-year-old veteran actor from Will & Grace and American Horror Story has amassed more than 3 million Instagram followers since March as a result of absurdist check-in videos in which he appears to be either very bored or very stoned. Pointing to his DIY painted toenails, he shares: “I messed this one up.” Relatable.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAtA9Nfhat7/
My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2018 best-selling novel, about a beautiful, lazy, pill-popping young woman who attempts a yearlong hibernation in a Manhattan apartment, had been celebrated at the time of its publication for its dark humor. Now its wit is hailed as beautifully horrific, as evidenced by the literary critics who are circling back to it. Vice declared of the book in one recent headline: “Blacking Out in a Juicy Couture Tracksuit Is a Lockdown Mood.”
The smart bike
Already a cult obsession, Peloton’s $2,245 souped-up stationary bike has never been more covetable as gyms lie dormant. The company’s stock bounced 50 percent in March, leaving an offensive Christmas-ad debacle in the dust. Cheaper competitors are also racing ahead. Echelon, whose bikes start at $839, reported a tenfold increase in sales the same month.
Tushy is a bidet startup which aims to replace toilet paper, Tushy was founded by Miki Agrawal.
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Today I’m sharing my non-fiction reads from 2018! I read 290 books last year and 79 of those were non-fiction so I’ve picked my top 12. Yesterday I shared my favourite fiction reads of the year and you can find that here if you’d like to read it.
Illusion of Justice by Jerome Buting
I was late getting to Making a Murderer but I finally watched season one earlier this year and immediately looked to see if there were any books on the case. This is written by one of Steven Avery’s lawyers and was a really fascinating read. I watched season 2 as soon as it was on Netflix and see that there’s a possibility that these lawyers could have done more but at the time of reading it felt like a really good insight into the case and that they’d done all they could within the restraints they had.
My Life in Football by Kevin Keegan
I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. It was a hard listen at times being a Newcastle United fan and hearing in Keegan’s own words how badly he was treated at the club. It was interesting to learn more about Keegan’s life though and I found this book near impossible to stop listening to.
How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb
I got this for Christmas in 2017 and it’d been calling to me from my TBR all year so I was glad to finally read it. It’s such an open and honest memoir and I found it such an interesting read.
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
This is a really in-depth book about what led to 9/11. It’s obviously not always an easy subject to read about in terms of what happened but the way this book is written makes it one you don’t want to put down. It gave me a much better understanding of what happened in the years preceding 9/11. It’s such an important book and one I definitely recommend.
Knowing the Score by Judy Murray
I very much enjoyed this book having been a fan of Judy Murray for a while now. It gave such insight into her character and her strength and I was so inspired by just how much she’s done for female tennis players over the years. I have a full review of this book so if you’d like to know more click the title above.
Life to the Limit by Jenson Button
I listened to this as an audio book after buying it in an Audible sale a few weeks ago. I used to be such big F1 fan so was keen to know more behind the scenes of Button’s career. There is much of that but this is also a love letter to his late father, John and I found is so much more moving than I expected.
So Here It Is by Dave Hill
I initially wanted to read this because I grew up hearing Slade as my late mum was a huge fan. The book is so well-written and is so full of honesty and openness that I enjoyed it on its own merits. I have a full review of this so if you’d like to know more about what I thought click the title above.
Bookworm by Lucy Mangan
This book was sheer joy to read! I love books about books anyway but this one really grabbed me as I’m assuming Mangan is a similar age to me as we read many of the same books in childhood. It was a real nostalgic read and led to me buying copies of childhood books that I loved but had sadly long since lost. I recommend this to all bookworms!
The Light in the Dark by Horatio Clare
This is a beautiful, lyrical journal about the changing of the season into winter. It’s a mediation on all the changes that occur as winter hits. This book struck such a chord with me and gave me such comfort and solace at a time of year that I needed it most. This is a book I will return to again and again.
This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
This was another Christmas gift from 2017, which I read fairly early on in 2018 but it’s stayed with me ever since. It’s a funny book, and a sad book but mostly it’s just an honest diary of a junior doctor’s experience of working in the NHS.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
I bought this as soon as it came out as I can’t resist well written true crime. This was a fascinating account of one woman’s growing obsession with the Golden State Killer and her feeling that she had his name almost within her grasp. The author sadly died before she finished this book so there is a real poignancy in the reading experience because of that. It’s a brilliant book though.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (and Spark Joy) by Marie Kondo
This had to be my number one non-fiction book of the year because it has changed my life. Spark Joy I read for the first time in 2018, whereas The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was a re-read (although the first time I read it, I didn’t grasp the good bits as I was too focused on what felt odd in her methods). I read these books at the start of the year and immediately wanted to follow her method properly as my house was over-run with stuff. It really worked for me this time and I’ve spent months going through every single item that I own and have finally got rid of all the clutter. I naturally want to hoard things but I’m now so much better at just getting rid of things that I don’t love. I’ve never had so much space in my own home before and it feels wonderful. I’ve definitely got the decluttering bug now as every time I’m dusting I immediately put in the charity box anything that doesn’t make me happy.
So that’s my favourite non-fiction that I read in 2018. Did you read any good non-fiction last year? I’d love to know what your favourite book (or books!) was. Don’t forget you can find my favourite novels in yesterday’s post here if you’d like to see my fiction book picks of the year.
My Top Non-Fiction Reads 2018! Today I'm sharing my non-fiction reads from 2018! I read 290 books last year and 79 of those were non-fiction so I've picked my top 12.
#Adam Kay#Books#BookWorm#Dave Hill#ebooks#Horatio Clare#How Not to Be a Boy#I&039;ll Be Gone In The Dark#Illusion of Justice#Jenson Button#Jerome Buting#Judy Murray#Kevin Keegan#Knowing the Score#Lawrence Wright#Life to the Limit#Lucy Mangan#Marie Kondo#Michelle McNamara#My Life in Football#Non-Fiction#Read#Read 2018#Robert Webb#So Here It Is#Spark Joy#The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up#The Light in the Dark#The Looming Tower#This is Going to Hurt
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