text:
Simple Python script to fetches weather :sunny: data from [Open Weather Map](http://openweathermap.org/).
* Written by Mohammad Laif [Mzdhr](http://www.Mzdhr.com).
* Licensed under The [MIT License](../master/LICENSE).

## Version
**0.1**
>*Still in Beta, while learning Python :heart_eyes: & Git in my sparetime!*

## Requirement
* API: obtain it from here:
http://openweathermap.org/appid
* Your City ID: get it from:
http://bulk.openweathermap.org/sample/city.list.json.gz

## Install
*not yet done, but you can clone it*
git clone https://github.com/mzdhr/weather.git

## Usage from Terminal
For the first time:
```
$ python3 weather.py --config
```

1. Add your city ID, then hit enter.
2. Add your API key, then hit enter.
3. Type your preferred unit, then hit enter.

![Terminal Weather](../master/img/img01.png "Terminal Weather")

Then to check the weather:
```
$ python3 weather.py
```
![Terminal Weather](../master/img/img02.png "Terminal Weather")

## Usage from PyCharm IDE
1. Create 'weather_config.ini' inside weather directory. that contains:
```
[DEFAULT]
prefer_unit = metric
user_api = ******************************
city_id = ******
```
2. Run the script from PyCharm.

![Terminal Weather](../master/img/img03.png "Terminal Weather")

## To Do:
- [ ] add icons.
- [ ] setup.py.
- [ ] argparse library for argv.
- [ ] __main__.py.
- [ ] __init__.py.
- [ ] refactor.
- [ ] generate documentation with Sphinx.

***

### This readme file created with:
* [Online Markdown Editor](http://dillinger.io/)
* [Markdown Cheatsheet](https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet#links)
* [Basic writing and formatting syntax](https://help.github.com/articles/basic-writing-and-formatting-syntax/)
* [EMOJI CHEAT SHEET](http://www.emoji-cheat-sheet.com/)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The man bringing affordable diamond jewellery to British independents.
Nick Callegari left TAG Heuer to join the team at Lunns to launch Portfolio of Fine Diamonds, a price-sensitive, quality diamond brand created to fight back against the lower diamond jewellery prices found online. Since its inception the range has been taken on by a number of leading independent British jewellers, with Callegari leading the development of the business. He was named a Business Big Shot in the Professional Jeweller Hot 100 2012, in association with The Company of Master Jewellers.
Professional Jeweller: What have been your highlights of the year, personal and professional?
Nick Callegari: Well I would have to say that being nominated for the Hot 100 is a great honour on a professional basis; I'm delighted that in my capacity as development director Portfolio of Fine Diamonds has been recognised as a young emerging brand that really could change the way that quality independent jewellers sell diamonds. On a personal level I'm sure I share the thoughts of many when I say Team GB's performance at the London Olympics has been truly inspirational. My family and I have been lucky enough to attend the games and we have come away feeling very proud of what we've achieved as a team and indeed a country.
PJ: Have you hit any challenges along the way, launching a fine jewellery brand?
NC: I would have to say the main challenge (although I prefer to look at it as an opportunity) is building the understanding and relationships with potential partners and explaining the huge benefits that Portfolio of Fine Diamonds can bring to their business. Clearly as a brand at the very start of its journey this takes time but we know from first-hand experience our concept really works, and it's just a case of maintaining the dialogue with these key independent jewellers and getting them to see and share the same belief that I and the team have in our brand.
PJ: How has the adjustment been for you coming from TAG Heuer to Portfolio?
NC: I had realised even before I started with Portfolio of Fine Diamonds that I would have to adjust my approach and indeed my mind-set compared to my time at TAG Heuer which of course is a globally respected brand. However I was excited about being at the start of Portfolio's journey and joining a young dynamic business where decisions could be made more quickly and where my actions would have a direct effect on the success and growth of the brand.
PJ: You have had to travel a lot this year to spread the word and build relationships for the brand – how have you handled this?
NC: It's really all about planning as travelling can create a lot of unproductive time. I try to make use of trains and planes where I can which enables me to catch up on emails, prepare for meetings and provides me with some thinking time on how we can take the Portfolio business forward. I also wouldn't go anywhere now without my oPad as well as work it also makes some of those journeys a little bit more enjoyable.
PJ: How would you sum up your approach to work?
NC: Committed – once I've set my mind on something I'm totally driven to making sure it's a success.
NC: If I knew the answer to the work-life balance I would bottle it and sell it. My wife is very good at telling me when to switch off and I guess it's about prioritising and being clear in your own mind what really matters. It is very easy to just keep going and thinking that will make you better or more productive but it's important to step back sometimes and to take stock. Having a supportive family is also important in the whole process. Relaxing-wise, it's nice to just spend time with my wife and children – I have two young sons – and friends.
PJ: Having scooped the likes of Phillip Stoner and Jamieson & Curry as retail partners, where do you plan to take Portfolio in 2013?
NC: I believe 2013 will be a defining year in Portfolio of Fine Diamonds journey. We will continue to identify and open new Portfolio partners in order to increase our national foot print for the brand, and we will drive through a number of planned initiatives in our business that will make it not only stronger but also a more creditable and attractive commercial proposition for the best independent jewellers in the UK and Ireland. I'm very excited in what the future holds for our brand.


Erica Baum's photography abstracts language from newspapers, dog-eared book corners, faded chalkboards and card catalogues. Close-up shots create a kind of found poetry; words unnaturally joined generate beautiful and unexpected turns of phrase, like: 'The lace was my laceless shoe? Caught' (from the 'Dog Ear' series, 2011) or 'There is an air of Greek tragedy the men laughed' (from the 'Newspaper Clippings' series, 2010-ongoing). With each body of work, Baum systematically highlights the materiality of the outdated and analogue, magnifying the creases, yellowing pages and bleeding ink.
With her latest series, 'Patterns' (2018), on view in her solo show 'A Long Dress' at Bureau Gallery, New York, Baum adds dress pattern booklets to this list of source material. The new pigment prints enlarge small squares of the books, layering the thin sheets atop one another to produce her signature collage style. With a colour palette of yellowed background with red, green, blue and black lines, the prints look like the geometric diagrams of Ad Reinhardt or Sol Lewitt. Hem Allowed (2018) depicts a semicircle bisected by a diagonal line with the titular text printed in bold sans serif font in the bottom left corner. These guiding lines are faded, visible through the translucent paper. The works are multilingual: Eye (2018) includes the English word above its French and Spanish translations (oeil and ojo). The Spanish word for waist 'cintura' appears in red along the top edge of another eponymous print, the sheets' below forming a faded 'x' from corner to corner.
'Patterns' emphasizes the textures of the forgotten guides used by home tailors and seamstresses. Although the strings of excerpted texts ('fold edges fold') share the poetic quality of Baum's previous work, their linguistic diversity calls to mind current politics – particularly debates over immigration and labour in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. The series stresses the gap between objects and their makers, invisible labour often done by immigrants. If this connection were unintentional, it might be even more fitting for Baum's practice, which revels in the chance aspect of collage.
Not all the works are so strictly minimalist: Sewing Cow (2018) and Bunny (2018) each depict patterns for stuffed animals, collaged on either edge with slices of other pages, recalling the style of Baum's filmic photographs of flipping pages in the Naked Eye (2008-present) series, which capture slivers of images in rows of page edges. In the only 'Pattern' work illustrating a figure, Shoulders (2018), a sketched woman hunches over, her body broken into numbered pattern pieces, measurements to be interpreted: an eerily dehumanized image of the female body.
Erica Baum, 'A Long Dress', was on view at Bureau, New York, from 6 January to 17 February 2019.


text:
Chimera är ett studioalbum från 2004 av black metal-bandet Mayhem, bandets tredje fullängdsalbum. Det var det sista albumet med sångaren Maniac, som därefter lämnade bandet på grund av personliga problem.

Låtlista
 "Whore" – 2:58
 "Dark Night of the Soul" – 6:08
 "Rape Humanity With Pride" – 5:41
 "My Death" – 5:54
 "You Must fall" – 4:13
 "Slaughter of Dreams" – 6:59
 "Impious Devious Leper Lord" – 5:38
 "Chimera" – 7:00

Medverkande
Mayhem
Maniac (Sven-Erik Kristiansen) – sång
Blasphemer (Rune Eriksen) – gitarr
Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud) – basgitarr
Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) – trummor

Övriga medverkande
Børge Finstad – ljudtekniker, mixning
Morten Lund – mastering
TurboNatas – omslagsdesign
Sebastian Ludvigsen – foto
Misty K – foto
Carmen Simoes – foto

Externa länkar
Rate Your Music: Chimera

Musikalbum 2004
Album av Mayhem
Album utgivna på Season of Mist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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text:
29.Foolish Games
Suvi shifted uncomfortably on the couch glaring at her husband, her hand stroking her belly as if it would help to soothe the nausea she felt.
"What did the asshole say?" She asked, watching him carefully. Adam sighed heavily, feeling utterly exhausted, he hadn't slept well. Suvi would give birth soon and his best friend was arrested. Though he felt angry at Chris for doing what he had, there was a part of him that felt bad thinking that Chris would be totally alone without him. Chris wasn't pure evil, he was confused and hurt, of course it didn't excuse anything, but…
Adam shrugged and sat down. "He needs help…" He whispered finally, looking at his wife who was clearly upset and in a very emotional state; every feeling came out twice as strong.
"I tell you what that jerk needs; he need a fucking good beating, he needs to be neutered for what he did to my cousin!" She screamed and started to cry. "You should have warned us about him!" Suvi accused, making him upset.
"I didn't know he would do this!" Adam defended himself.
Suvi glared at him through her tears. "You did not know how jealous he could get? He never gave you any signs or clues of getting violent easily?"
Adam gave her a sad look, not knowing how to reply. "His father is a violent jerk, always was. Look; he abused Chris' mother and beat him up as well a few times when Chris was a kid, I-… I've seen how difficult he had it, how upset he was. I was a kid and didn't know what to do then and… "
"It's no excuse. " Suvi whispered, "I know people from violent families and guess what; they're not abusing their current family members."
"I know it's no excuse! But it has obviously affected him and he needs help to sort that out!"
"I'm sure they have someone to talk to him when he gets sentenced, " Suvi replied somewhat coldly. "I do not want anything to do with that guy ever again. I don't want you to have anything to do with him."
Adam got up. "He's my friend, Suvi, I can't just turn my back on him like that! I've known him since I was a boy!"
"And I am your wife!" She pointed out. "I'm giving birth to our son in just a few weeks! And Joni is my family. I do not want that man anywhere near us ever again."
Adam turned to the window breathing fast. "I am angry at him, I am upset, but if he regrets and is willing to seek help and admit what he did I promised to be there."
"People like him don't change and I don't want the possibility of him trying to use your friendship into getting back to bother my cousin somehow, nor do I want the likes of him near my child!"
Adam looked at her, torn inside. There was a time, long ago, when he and Chris had been children, when Chris had escaped to their home from another fight, a time when Adam had sworn upon their friendship, that he'd always be there, that they would be there for each other…
"I made a promise… I can't break it, not if he comes to his senses and does what I asked."
"I can't believe you Adam! He almost killed my cousin! He fucking raped my cousin! And Joni has to deal with that for the rest of his life! I can not and will not forgive Chris ever!"
When Adam was quiet Suvi rose up awkwardly. "Choose," she said, "Me and the baby or your friend?" She breathed fast; would he really choose that asshole over her?
Adam turned to look at her with pain in his eyes. "Please…"
"Is it really that difficult?" Tears filled her eyes and started falling on her cheeks. It was a painful sight and Adam shook his head softly, walked over to her and hugged her.
"I love you," he whispered. "You know that."
"Then we're clear on this?" She asked and he nodded a bit stiffly.
"Yes," he answered with hoarse voice.
Chris stared at the wall, no sleep came to him. The noises from outside, then the quietness that followed and he wasn't sure which was worse. The room seemed getting smaller with each passing moment and he wanted out but the walls were too thick, the door too heavy. A bed, a table, a small TV, a toilet, it could be worse, but he wanted his freedom.
Time to think, all he had was time now and all the time his thoughts travelled to the same direction. Joni… Where was he now? Was he at home with his family? Was he with that man? This thought always caused the strong feeling of anger, his fingers curled inside his palm, nails leaving marks on his skin, almost breaking through it.
Chris closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and tried to calm down. Joni was hurt, he told himself and he was hurt because… 'I did it,' the voice inside whispered and for a moment he sat there repeating those words silently. 'But he deserved it,' another voice replied. 'Did he?' yet another voice argued. 'You're just like your father.' He pulled his knees close to his chest and gritted his teeth. 'No!' He felt nervous and alone, even scared. How did it come to this? He wasn't like his father! He had never wanted to be like him!
Joni was such a slut… He cheated… Joni did this… and now, now Chris himself was the one suffering…
And then the memories came rushing back; how Joni smiled, the sound of his laughter, how his skin felt against his own… Joni smiling at him, coming closer, kissing him, how it had felt like… How it had felt like to feel wanted by him…. and then it had changed… When was the exact moment?
When had he first become so distant?
Joni's face when he was sad, the look when he was scared… crying…begging…
'I did it,' the voice whispered again. He felt defeated and desperate, sudden hate; this time towards himself, self loathing… Until he remembered the blond, tall man and his mood shifted; it was him, it had always been about him.
That man had taken Joni first and then Joni had used him, Joni had never loved him, no… Joni lusted for that man and how long had they been screwing behind his back?! 'That slut!'… Joni was with that man now… he would replace him just like that and would pretend like Chris had never existed. The thought made his blood boil, the images of Joni wrapped around the other man made him sick, tormenting him. How could he stand it?
Joni didn't care… did he?
He had to… Chris needed him…
He wanted to turn back the time and fix it so Joni would be his again. He had to make it work somehow. He needed Joni back and then everything would work out.
Joni couldn't leave him; Joni needed him just as much; he had to.
He thought about what his friend had told him, he thought about what had happened. Tried to force himself to stay calm and get a clear thought. Somehow lately everything had turned so fussy, he lost control, something else had taken over, something dark and frightening.
'If I can't have him, no one should.'
His eyes started to water, he repeatedly ran his fingers through his hair. What was happening? Why had this happened?
He needed Joni, he needed to see him, and the longing was strong and absurd, causing physical pain inside. Joni was his, he had to forgive him and it had to be alright somehow…
When he thought again about how Joni laid with the other man a wave of anger washed through him and he began to tremble. What was happening? He felt frightened, frightened of himself. Maybe they should lock him up? Maybe if they did he could get help?
He could ask Adam to keep an eye on Joni, he could write him a letter and apologize and ask him to wait. He was getting help and then Joni would see he could change. Joni had to wait… He had to, he would, wouldn't he?
The room seemed so small, it was difficult to breath in it.
The alarm clock woke them, Misha groaned and reached tiredly to shut down the annoying ring somewhere close to the bed. 7.30am, work day ahead and Misha felt exhausted. The night hadn't been any easier; Joni had woken up three or four times and thus woke him. He turned his face to look at the brunet, who gazed at him sleepily through half opened eyes.
"Work calls," Misha whispered to him. "Ivo will take care of you while I'm away, okay?"
"You look tired," Joni whispered back and Misha chuckled.
"So do you brat, try to get back to sleep." His hand moved to ruffle Joni's hair without thinking and he silently wondered how weird this situation really was. When Joni had asked him to sleep next to him again he had felt odd warmness in his chest, the same he felt now when he received faint, tired smile from him. Misha sat up. "Stay in bed, alright? If you need something Ivo will get it for you."
"Okay, boss…" Joni whispered and tried to grin which didn't work out quite so well.
Misha smiled at him and reluctantly got up. He wondered why he felt so uncomfortable leaving him, because he knew Ivo would take good care of Joni. Why did he still worry?
"Have a good day at work…" Joni whispered.
"I try to…" Misha said and again without much thinking he leaned closer to tug the smaller man better in. When Joni looked at him in slightly surprised way, Misha cleared his throat, "back to sleep, okay brat?"
"Okay," Joni whispered smiling, watching as Misha turned and started to collect his things from the room. At the door he turned again looking towards Joni.
"Eyes closed," he reminded.
"Yes boss…" Joni joked and did as he was told.
Misha headed to the bathroom, for a quick shower then to his own room to change, feeling all reluctant to go to work. They would ask what happened to his cheek and… he just wasn't sure what to tell them.
Coffee, he definitely needed some coffee and Ivo should be woken too he decided. After putting on the coffee machine, he walked to Ivo's bedroom and knocked.
"Ivo, get up, I have to leave soon."
He heard some rustling, a heavy sigh and finally heavy footsteps approaching. Ivo's eyes were only half open, his hair was a mess and he stared at him grumpily.
"Coffee…" He groaned.
"In the kitchen," Misha said rolling his eyes and turning towards the said room.
Ivo followed with lazy steps, sighed again when sitting in front of the kitchen table.
"What time did you go to bed anyway?" Misha asked fixing him a cup and placing it in front of him. Ivo shrugged, took the cup between his hands and tasted.
"Ah, that's better," he sighed after a few more tastes. "Hm, 3am I guess," he finally replied.
"And what were you doing up so late?" Misha raised his eyebrow, pouring himself a cup of coffee; he would have to skip breakfast or he'd be late.
"Playing…" Ivo sighed.
Again Misha rolled his eyes. "34 year old, single man playing play station in the middle of the night is just sad."
"And 24 year old man acting like 40 is even sadder," Ivo grinned. "It's my life; I can do what I want with it."
Misha gave him a look but didn't say anything. "Alright, so Joni is sleeping now, hopefully. Hmm… make him a smoothie when he wakes; yoghurt, little bit of honey, there's some raspberries and strawberries in the freezer and…"
"Misha, honestly, like you just kindly reminded; I'm 34. I think I can manage to make him breakfast… " Ivo chuckled.
"Well…" Misha shrugged, ignoring his brother's tone. "I gave him his pain medicine few hours ago, so if he needs it you can…"
"…Wait a few hours and give another dose after breakfast." Ivo grinned. "Alright mother hen, I think I can manage. After all you and Dima are still successfully alive."
Misha glared at him. "Just no silly jokes, no silly ideas, he's injured and needs lots of rest."
"I know," Ivo smiled.
"And I am not some freaking mother hen!"
"Sure, sure," Ivo nodded, reached for a magazine and continued sipping his coffee. "Aren't you going to be late?" He asked casually and watched amusedly as his younger brother cursed, drank his coffee and hurriedly left to collect the rest of his things.
"See you later mom!" Ivo called after him.
"Fuck you Ivo!" Came the annoyed reply from the hall.
"I love you too! Bye now!"
Ivo smiled when he entered the room. "Good morning," he said brightly as he walked further in, carrying the breakfast tray.
The dark haired youth was sitting up on the bed, with pillows carefully arranged behind his back. he tried to smile at him, but the effort faded quickly. "Good morning," he whispered. Ivo placed the tray on the table and opened the curtains. the sun was bright, irritating Joni's eyes slightly before he got used to it.
"It's a beautiful day. Looks like it's going to be warm this weekend," Ivo spoke, "How are you feeling?"
"Well…" Joni started, "still surviving," he said after a small pause.
"Well, I brought you your smoothie. Misha left me with clear instructions." He winked at the boy taking the glass and gave it to Joni. Ivo pulled a chair next to him watching Joni who held the glass between both of his hands and slowly drank from the straw. "Do you need a pain killer?" He asked after awhile.
"Perhaps a bit later," Joni answered and after finishing the drink Ivo took the glass and placed it back on the table.
"So, would you like to watch something? Or want me to read you something?"
Joni sighed. "I don't know, I guess I could watch some TV, if it's alright?"
"Sure," Ivo grinned. "Let me just help you up."
Joni moved his feet to the floor and stood up carefully with Ivo's support. "Okay wrap your arm around my neck, I'm going to lift you up," Ivo instructed.
"No, please, just let me try moving on my own." Joni asked taking a deep breath. "I can't stand being carried around like some big baby…" He explained.
"So it's only to humor my brother?" Ivo asked with small amusement to which Joni smiled carefully and shook his head.
"I don't have the energy to argue with him."
Ivo chuckled at this. "I see, well you can try moving on your own but… I'll be right next to you."
Joni walked slowly, with Ivo's hand resting on his shoulder. The stairs were the difficult part. When the taller man again suggested carrying him Joni quickly denied it. He wanted to do this himself, wanted to prove that he could. Small steps, one by one his hands taking support from the railing and when he got to downstairs he smiled slightly and took a deep breath looking towards Ivo.
"I suppose Misha will be disappointed now not having the excuse to carry you around," he chuckled, ruffling Joni's hair lightly.
"He'll get over it," Joni grinned back and continued making his way to the couch, Ivo close behind. He sat down carefully on the couch looking outside; the beautiful weather depressed him; he would have wanted to be able to enjoy it and… Well… he wanted his strength back, wanted this whole ordeal over with.
Ivo turned the TV on and put one of the comedies into the DVD player that Joni hadn't seen yet. Humming to himself he went to get the body lotion from his room and then returned, casually sitting next to Joni, lifting the Finn's feet on his lap. "A foot rub," Ivo simply explained.
"Oh?… Eh, thanks…"
Ivo smiled squeezing some lotion over his palm, warming it between his hands and began to spread it on Joni's bare feet. "You have nice feet," he commented after awhile, rubbing the right heel, "nice and soft. Ah you might think I'm weird but I've always had a thing for feet."
Joni watched him with wary hint of amusement. "A foot fetish?" He asked and Ivo tilted his head to look at his face, still grinning.
"Nothing kinky I assure you," he said.
"Good," Joni smiled back relaxing slightly as Ivo continued. It felt good and distracted him from pain. "I don't remember the last time I've had a foot massage," he whispered looking towards the TV screen where the movie was playing.
"You like it?" Ivo asked.
"Yeah, it feels good," Joni whispered.
"That's good then." Ivo nodded, smiling to himself, continuing what he was doing, occasionally glancing at the screen.
"I bet this wasn't how you pictured your summer holiday," Joni murmured after a moment of silence, "taking care of your brother's friend… I just need some things from the apartment; I could then transfer money to you online."
Ivo looked at him frowning. "What money?"
"My money of course, for… you know for food and stuff. So I need your account number."
Ivo sighed looking at him. "Joni, I don't need your money," hetold him.
"I'm not going to stay here for free." Joni told him, "I want to pay my own share… I need to do that… besides… if they sentence Chris…" Joni took a small pause, "I suspect I get some money as well for injuries…"
Ivo nodded. "If it is important to you, I won't deny it, but there's no rush with it, you can chip in with the grocery bills, okay? Perhaps treat us some pizza sometime," he winked then, "I assure you, I and Misha are more than satisfied with that."
Joni smiled. "Thanks Ivo."
"Well it's the first time someone has thanked me for accepting their money."
"Not just for that, but for this, for helping me and…"
"Hey, no problem, I'm just glad we can do this for you," Ivo eyed Joni carefully. "It was Misha's idea, you know? To bring you here."
Joni tilted his head slightly, "I thought it might be yours…" he whispered.
Ivo shook his head. "It was a great idea though," he assured. "He cares for you more than he can say."
Joni blushed slightly and looked away. "I think he feels guilty for… for the past."
Ivo chuckled. "That as well. Look he can be a stubborn ass, but he does care for you and is now realizing just how much. He was really scared for you that night; I've never seen him like that before."
Joni was silent for a moment thinking about it. He had sensed it of course, but still felt insecure. There were so many confusing things, things he needed to sort out; the issue with the pictures was one of those things…
"Would you like some coffee? Or tea?" The man asked and Joni nodded silently. Ivo raised his brow, grinning. "So which will it be?"
"Tea, thanks," came the quiet reply.
Ivo's grin faded seeing Joni's thoughtfulness. "Okay, what's wrong?" He asked.
"I-" Joni hesitated, looking up at him. It might be easier to tell Ivo? The older man just had more relaxing air around him and he had never really judged him before, like Misha, "Um, I'd like that tea first…" He answered with low voice.
"Okay," Ivo nodded and got up wondering if Joni was finally starting to talk, hoping he would.
5 minutes later he returned to the youth and handed him the other cup making sure he could hold it steadily. He sat down and pressed the pause button on the movie.
"You know you can tell me, whatever it is," he said after sitting down next to him.
Joni swallowed, looking down at the cup between his hands. "What will happen to all of Chris' stuff if they sentence him?" He asked carefully and Ivo frowned.
"When they sentence him," he corrected. "I suppose they will arrange some place and some person of his choosing to look over his assets while he's away."
Joni nodded feeling his hands trembled slightly. "You suppose they've already… taken things?" He asked.
"I'm not sure, Joni." Ivo answered watching him worriedly.
"Hm, you don't think they could… give him his laptop… or anything?"
Joni was obviously nervous as hell Ivo took noticed, but didn't want to comment on that just hoping that the boy would continue, to which ever direction this was heading.
"No, I highly doubt they would let him use things like cell phone or his personal laptop in prison… Why?"
Joni took a deep breath. "He was… blackmailing me…" he whispered so quietly that Ivo barely heard him.
"He did what?"
"Blackmailed… I- I did… I did want to leave and tried… right after the first time, but…" Joni shook his head, trembling even more and tried avoiding Ivo's eyes. "There were pictures…there are pictures…
"Okay, calm down Joni," Ivo spoke softly, placed his own cup down to steady Joni's hands, afraid he'd spill the hot tea all over himself. "You can tell me," he encouraged, slowly starting to understand.
"It… I don't remember the situation… But… I know… we were celebrating my 18th birthday and…" Joni glanced at Ivo and gestured him to take the tea cup from him which the man did. "…He kept offering me drinks, I thought we had fun…Everyone else had left, and I don't remember more of that night than being in the kitchen with him and then it's all… blur."
Ivo found himself gritting his teeth.
"Then… at winter, he showed me… I-" Joni brought his hand over his forehead, looking down with miserable expression. "You can see everything from them, all of me… and even …you know… sucking him off… It's the only part you see of him though," Joni chuckled weakly and nervously, "just his… thing, in my mouth… He said if I leave he'd sent them everywhere… even my family and I just… it's too humiliating…" He tried to keep himself from crying but couldn't stop the tears. He had finally said it, couldn't take it back and felt both relieving and frightening.
Ivo pulled him closer and wrapped his arms gently around him, careful to not hurt him.
"It's okay Joni, don't worry … I'm glad you told me." Inside he felt anger building towards that no good asshole, but tried to calm himself down for Joni's sake. "Have you told the cops about the pictures?" He asked carefully. Trying to wipe the tears away Joni shook his head.
"You're the first one that knows," he whispered with hoarse voice. "I don't know if he's already done something with them," he added feeling slightly nauseous. "I don't know what to do Ivo, I don't know how I could bear having this label on me for the rest of my life… It's embarrassing."
"If he has used them to blackmail you I think you should tell the police about them," Ivo said stroking his hair soothingly.
Joni wrapped his arm around himself, stroking his other arm, his hand resting over his knee. "I was 18…I guess I agreed to them? I don't want people to see…I don't want them to think that…" He shook his head and swallowed. "I never wanted to be this person… and I don't understand how I got here."
Ivo brought his hand under Joni's chin forcing him to look up. "Listen, you're still very young. Seems to me he has known very well what he was doing. Think about it Joni; he gets you drunk, he talks you into taking pictures that you don't remember and it was before you moved in together, wasn't it?"
Joni nodded slowly.
"Ok and he suggested the moving in? Had everything arranged ready and all you had to do is say yes?"
Confused Joni nodded again. Ivo gave him a sad look.
"He knew what he was doing; did his very best in trying to own you, to make sure you were his and he even thought a step ahead by taking these pictures… You've really kept this inside all these months?" Ivo asked and the Joni gaze shifted down. Ivo pulled him to another hug feeling the boy trembling.
"It wasn't the first time he forced you either, was it?" Ivo stated quietly with pained voice.
"I don't want to remember…" Joni whispered brokenly, pulling away, feeling uncomfortable. "Shit…" He cursed and hid his face in his hands.
"Hey it's alright, you're a tough guy Joni, one step at the time, okay? You're telling me now and it's good, you're not alone. But what you need to do is to tell the cops how he's blackmailed you with these pictures. They will search his computer and they will handle it, don't worry."
"It's just so… humiliating… I'm such a slut, right?"
"No!" Ivo denied firmly. "These are his thoughts! He's manipulated you, he's done so many wrong things to you and you know what? You have nothing to be ashamed off, even if there would be pictures, so what? I know you're scared now but we'll solve this and no one is going to think any less of you… You're only 19 years old, Joni…"
"Not long…" Joni interrupted, sighing, "I'll turn 20 in two weeks," and through his tears he tried to smile receiving a gentle smile back. Ivo reached to wipe the tears with his thumb.
"There will be many happy years ahead, you'll see. It might seem difficult to believe now, but one day this will all be behind. And no matter what anyone says, remember that you are not to blame."
Joni nodded carefully, still feeling a bit overwhelmed but better. He hadn't even realized how much it had taken from him to keep silent; it still didn't take the fear away though.
"If you feel up to it I can take you to the police station tomorrow. We can go and tell them together, alright?" Ivo suggested with soft voice.
"But if he's already done something with them… What if the pictures are online?" Joni asked worriedly.
"I wouldn't worry about it Joni," Ivo whispered. If it was the case Ivo knew there was little to be done, internet was a tricky, almost impossible place to control after all. "Look, everyone makes mistakes and…" He sighed. "All I'm saying…"
"If it happens it happens and I have to deal with it?" Joni took a frustrated note, "I hate him! I hate Chris… I wish I had never met him! I wish I wasn't so fucking stupid!" He burst out lout and turned away from Ivo. "It's not fair," he whispered.
Ivo touched his shoulder. "Joni, it will all turn out alright you'll see. I promise it will."
"You shouldn't promise things you can not keep," Joni whispered, took a deep breath and then looked at him. "I'm sorry, I'm just… frustrated… it hurts, I look horrible and I just… I want the two years back that I wasted."
Ivo got up, took the tea cup and kneeled in front of Joni. "Here, take some tea now," he said placing the cup between his hands. "And you don't look horrible."
"Don't lie Ivo…" Joni whispered.
"I'm not," The older man smiled softly, "A ttle bruised, but honestly Joni I've seen much worse. You will have your looks back, it could have been worse."
"So I'm supposed to be grateful?" Joni snapped and then looked down ashamed, "I'm sorry Ivo… I'm just…"
"Nothing to say sorry about, I understand."
Joni nodded and took a careful sip of his tea. "I suppose, if I make up my mind, it will be alright." He said looking outside.
"That's the right spirit," Ivo grinned and stood up; he reached to ruffle Joni's hair. "You did good by telling me." He said when Joni looked up at him. "We'll fix this," he promised. "But for now let's continue watching the movie."
Misha did notice the looks he received from his workmates. The bruise was still visible and made him self conscious in a way he didn't like. So far no one had said something or asked anything and Misha hoped it would remain so.
Sighing heavily he sat in front of his desk and turned the computer on; his thoughts continuously trying to escape back home to Joni. Of course Ivo would take good care of him. The two had always gotten along, in fact they were getting along so well that… Misha frowned, there were still times when he wondered what had happened between the two, had there been any true feelings? Any at all? Had there been more kisses? And why the hell was he thinking about this now?!
"Wow, must have been some party?" A familiar female voice startled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Cecilia, one of his closest work friends, her desk was situated close to his own. "You look like shit," the woman pointed out in her usual blunt way and sat on the edge of his desk holding her coffee cup.
"And good morning to you as well," Misha groaned glaring at her.
"To be honest, I thought you'd be away for the rest of the week since tomorrow is off." She said and tilted her head slightly.
"Tomorrow is off?" Misha frowned and she giggled.
"Midsummer's Eve, silly! The great holiday with a brilliant excuse to party 'till dawn, or 'till you pass out from enjoying too many drinks. Surely you can't have forgotten my dear Vodka?" She raised her brow and Misha again remembered why it wasn't good to introduce people to his brother; the silly nickname given to him by Ivo spread fast.
"I had forgotten," he confessed, staring towards the screen tiredly. He would have to call his friends and cancel the plan of joining them to a party at a cabin owned by one of them.
"So this is serious, what happened?" She asked.
"It's a long story, long and unpleasant," he sighed, not really in the mood to go through it.
"A fight at the party?" She pressed on.
"No," Misha replied shortly. It was odd to think that it had been less than a week; Saturday Joni had been okay, on Saturday night they had…. It felt like forever ago now.
"I'm worried about you," Cecilia sighed. "Are you alright?"
Misha looked up at her, tried to smile, before he sighed "Look, I'm fine; it's just that a friend of mine got hurt quite badly and I'm just not in the mood to talk about it," he explained.
"Okay, I understand. Would you like me to bring you some coffee?"
"Thanks, I would appreciate it."
Misha said and she smiled getting up.
"No problem, and if you want to talk later… just so you know, I'm good at keeping secrets." She winked on her way.
The day seemed to go by slowly and it was difficult to concentrate. Though he thought about calling home and checking on Ivo and Joni he managed to stop himself each time because he didn't want to seem too… what? He wasn't sure exactly, but he should still restrain himself from calling home.
Cecilia had picked up lunch for the both of them which they were now having in front of their desks and he could at times feel her eyes upon him as she was browsing through some web pages that definitely didn't have anything to do with their work.
"I am so addicted to facebook," she sighed at one point, "this is ridiculous, really. Lke you know it's ridiculous and still you hang out doing these silly tests. What kind of shoe are you? Oh I just did a test of when I will lose my mind and the answer is; tadaa April 14th 2021! I still have time," she laughed.
Misha glanced at her and smiled a bit absently.
"Something is really bothering you," She noted, "I want the old Vodka back," she pouted.
"Sorry, it's just been tough the last couple of days," he answered.
She nodded with sympathy, wanted to ask but stopped herself, went in search for news updates. Misha finished eating his subway and tried to get back on his work, glancing a bit amusedly at Cecilia who was apparently still caught up with things she shouldn't be.
"It might be a good idea to actually do some work Ceci," he pointed out, getting a brief grin back.
"Soon," she said focusing back on the screen, the smile still lingering over her lips.
Misha kept checking the time; 1.30pm… Time went by slowly… The Only positive thing was the extra free day that he had forgotten.
"Hey Misha," a voice interrupted him from his escaping thoughts; he looked up to his other colleague Eetu, who was about his age and had joined the company a few months earlier. The man seemed nice enough and cute; slim, not very tall, glasses, blond,slightly curly hair.
"Hi," he greeted somewhat tiredly, but remembered to smile.
"What's happened to your face?" The other couldn't help but to ask and Misha frowned looking at him and the papers he held in his hands. Why couldn't people just mind their own business?
"Nothing to concern yourself over," he replied somewhat coldly and the other man blushed slightly.
"I'm sorry, I know it's not my business… I-hmm… anyway, the boss asked me to bring this assignment for you. The client is Russian and well…" The smaller man smiled at him handing the papers.
"Thanks, and sorry if I sounded rude," Misha muttered. "It's just been a hard week."
"Sure, I understand." The other nodded still standing before his desk; Misha cocked his eyebrow in question. "Oh, you should call this guy and set an appointment for next week," Eetu explained.
"Okay, will do," Misha nodded and still the guy didn't budge. "Anything else?" Misha asked trying to smile politely, but somehow only managed a weak effort.
"Some of us are meeting after work for drinks; I was thinking… maybe you would like to join? I mean… if you're not busy, or anything."
"I am busy… another time perhaps," Misha replied, starting to look over the papers that were given to him.
"Oh okay, yeah, another time, anyway, I hope you have fun at Midsummer!"
"You too…" Misha muttered not looking up.
The man bit his lip and turned walking away with Cecilia's eyes glued to his back.
She then turned her gaze back to Misha.
"Harsh," she commented with a small grin. Misha looked up and frowned.
"Oh come on! The poor guy is like totally in love with you, tried to ask you out and you just ignore him. That is harsh."
"In love with me? Come on, don't be silly woman."
"I'm not! Seriously, I tell you he has a crush on you, you should have seen how disappointed he was when he noticed that you were absent."
"If he finds me hot, what can I do?" Misha grinned before getting serious. "Anyway, he's not my type," he said and again tried to get back to work.
The woman sighed. "What's wrong with him then?"
"Well, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with him. I just said he's not my type; first he seems so sweet and shy and that it's … not appealing, second; he looks so fragile I'd be frightened to break him in love making." He said and wriggled his brows.
Cecilia chuckled, "Oh come on! Either they are too small, too tall, too fat, too thin? Too blond, too annoying, too sweet, too clingy, too independent, too something! My God you are difficult to please." She gave him a pointed look. "With that attitude you'll end up miserable and alone," she said with a slight smile.
Misha only shrugged, smiling. "Perhaps I just know what I want and won't settle for less that that?"
"There is no perfect person, you know?"
"I know," Misha said. "Now, I'm very busy, so…."
"I bug you some other time," the woman said and turned back to her work.
At 5pm Misha was home. the work day had seemed to drag on for ages but at least he had managed to stop himself from making any silly check up calls to home.
He kicked his shoes off, heard the noise of the TV. Lovely smell of something cooking in the kitchen filled his nostrils and made his stomach growl.
He found Joni in the living room, on the couch, half sitting half lying position, blanked drawn over his lap.
"Hi," Misha greeted the dark haired boy who turned his face slightly towards him a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Hi," he greeted back. "How was your day?" He asked quietly when Misha stepped closer and finally sat down on an armchair next to him.
The blond man shrugged, "It was… tolerable," he said before grinning, "got better when I realized that tomorrow is off. I had totally forgotten that it's Midsummer's eve."
"Oh… it is, isn't it?" Joni was slightly surprised, having forgotten the holiday as well. In his situation it hadn't seemed so important. "Do you have plans?"
Misha shrugged. "Like I said I had forgotten, so nothing important," he answered. "I was thinking of calling to Dima and Linda to see if they would like to spend tomorrow with us. Perhaps playing some card games, what do you think?"
Joni nodded. "It would be nice," he answered thinking that anything to distract his mind from thinking about Chris and his own injuries would be welcomed.
"Ah, Misha, you're home!" Ivo grinned when stepping out from the kitchen, "I made cheese soup," he announced. "You two just stay were you are, I'll serve you." He added then before disappearing back into the kitchen.
"He's suspicious when he's so helpful…" Misha took note and if Joni could have he would have chuckled instead he gave a small tired grin.
"Ivo is great," he said and Misha glanced back at him frowning slightly.
"How was your day?" He asked, "What did you do?"
Joni wasn't ready to tell Misha about the pictures. He figured Ivo would do it for him and found it easier that way, because he still wasn't sure how Misha would react and wasn't sure if he wanted to see what his first reaction would be. Telling to Ivo had seemed easier because he somehow trusted him better not to judge him. With Misha it wasn't always that clear. Yet Misha had been so gentle and nice with him, he didn't want to lose it.
"It was okay, just… resting… watching TV, it's not like I could do much else," Joni answered quietly, just before Ivo returned.
It was close to Midnight, Ivo sat in the kitchen, having a drink and going over what Joni had told him earlier. He felt sorry for the kid; it seemed that he had a lot to carry on his shoulders, too much package especially for someone so young.
"Still up?" Ivo turned to Misha's voice and nodded with a faint smile as he raised his glass.
"Perhaps I find sleep better after this," he said looking at his brother carefully. "You look quite tired as well. Did Joni fall asleep?"
Misha nodded. "I could use a drink as well," he said walking towards the bottle that Ivo had left on the counter. "So how did the day really go between you too?" He asked, unable to hide the hint of doubtfulness in his voice.
"Well…" Ivo started, taking a small pause. Since Misha didn't mention it, he doubted that Joni had told him yet.
"He told me the missing piece of the puzzle," he answered, leaning back on his chair watching as the clear liquid twirled in his glass when he moved it in his hands.
Misha cocked his eyebrow in suspicion. "And?"
"That man blackmailed him into staying with the help of some pictures…"
"What pictures?" Misha interrupted with slightly tense voice.
"You could just let me finish…" Ivo sighed. "Apparently he had gotten Joni drunk on his birthday two years ago and then encouraged him to pose for some nude pictures… well more like porn pictures. Anyway, to make Joni stay he had threatened to send them to his family and post them online somewhere… Joni doesn't remember the moment the pictures have been taken; he remembers that Chris had encouraged him to drink, so it seems to me that the bastard had it all carefully planned."
Misha stared at his brother silently and emptied his glass in one swift motion, pouring another. Finally he walked over to the table and sat down.
"And he told this to you today?" He asked with exasperated voice.
"Unbelievable," Misha sipped his drink feeling the burning in his throat and shook his head. "Why the hell didn't he tell me? I asked and nothing, I go to work for one day leaving you with him and he tells you everything!"
Ivo frowned. "So you are annoyed of the fact that Joni didn't tell you first?"
Misha glared at him and took another sip. "Well, I've spend the nights with him, I saved him and took care of him, I've been very attentive, haven't I? And I encouraged him to tell me, and no… instead he tells you! After just one day!"
If the situation wasn't so grim Ivo would have burst in laughter. "So you're jealous," he took note and rolled his eyes. "Get over it… I think it's quite obvious as to why."
Misha gave him another glare. "I'm not jealous," he corrected quickly. "I'm…"
Ivo sighed. "Ok, ok! Whatever." He wasn't in the mood now. "The thing is Misha; that Joni has feelings for you and he's incredibly ashamed of these pictures and afraid that they are spread around. And let's face the past between you two might still affect him, no matter how nice you've been to him now. You weren't very nice in the past and I think he thinks that you would blame him for the pictures."
"That's ridiculous… Of course I wouldn't! I might as well guess it's something like this… I don't understand the need to hide it for so long he could have told someone sooner, like Dima for example. It's not like he's been ashamed to show off his body before."
"There's a difference between being proud of your body and show it off in little clothing, than have pornographic pictures spread out for everyone to see." Ivo reminded with a calm voice, the tense look on Misha's face showed how much this new information bothered him. "Plus imagine how much more difficult it feels after that man… has kept forcing him to have sex…" The last part came as a whisper and he noticed Misha tensing even more, getting slightly pale.
It wasn't as if Misha hadn't thought of the possibility, if Joni had been abused it was likely that sexual had been part of it as well. But now that Ivo said it out loud, it became more real. His mind suddenly went back to that night a week earlier when he had slept with Joni, had there been any signs? Joni had seemed confident… he had wanted it, hadn't he? He had taken some control… Still the guilt raised its ugly head, – should he have sensed something? Should he have stopped it from happening? Had he done something wrong and was Joni troubled by what had happened between them? Misha felt confused.
"Foolish brat… "He grumbled in frustration, shook his head and looked down while playing with his glass. "He should have just told me, I don't blame him for it… but it just so damn… foolish."
Ivo nodded silently. "It's a shame…" He whispered, feeling somewhat depressed of the whole deal now that he began to understand just how serious it was.
"I encouraged him to tell the cops about it, hopefully this just adds to his sentence… And hopefully they would just deport the guy. However I don't know if I dare to be so optimistic." Ivo tapped on the table with his index finger frowning in his thoughts.
Then he brought his gaze up and smiled at his brother. "Anyway… his birthday is coming up, we should think about something to cheer him up."
"When is his birthday?" Misha asked slightly annoyed at himself for not remembering.
"5th of next month," Ivo replied automatically and Misha somehow felt even more annoyed when Ivo remembered it so well.
The whole situation was annoying, Misha didn't want it to be this complicated, he wanted… What he would have wanted was to turn back the time right 'till that moment on the couch when Joni had climbed on his lap and… He would want to go back to that moment, shake him, kiss him, spank the kid to his senses and kiss him again, stop him from ever crossing his path with that asshole.
"Okay, something nice for his birthday," he agreed somberly and finished his drink before getting up.
"And Misha, don't you dare making him feel bad for telling me first," Ivo warned.
"Why the hell would I do that? I'm not an idiot, Ivo," Misha groaned. "Good night now, I'm off to bed."
Ivo nodded stiffly. "Good night," he whispered and watched his brother leave the room.
Misha got back to Dima's room, quietly closing the door behind him. He looked over to the bed where Joni was sleeping, sighed and walked over to the armchair. He sat down, listening to Joni's breathing, looking then towards the window. It was a damn shame, he thought to himself. A damn shame to realize things too late. He really would have preferred to have that old brat back than to have Joni go through all this hardship… Could something like his this be fixed? And did he even have the ability to be what Joni needed now? Should it be someone more calm natured and…?
Joni opened his eyes, blinking slightly, it was dim but not completely dark and he could see Misha sitting on the armchair looking to the window where the curtains were draped.
"Ivo told you?" He asked with a whisper, feeling sudden tightness in his throat, sensing the others troubled thoughts. Misha looked towards him with surprise.
"Yes, he did," Misha answered. "You should be sleeping," he said then and when Joni was quiet he sighed and continued. "And don't worry about it, we'll fix it, it's not your fault. Now try to get back to sleep."
"Good night, Misha…" Joni whispered still not completely convinced that Misha was okay with the news. It would be difficult to get sleep now; too many questions, too many uncertainties.
"Good night, Joni," Misha said looking towards him. "And try not to worry," he added quietly, for Joni and perhaps for himself as well.
Web published: October 5th, 2009.
Foolish Games 30

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
One Man's Reach Within For Happiness
By Ian McGuire / inspirationallover.com
/ Jun 11, 2014
I recently watched a video called "Within Reach" and it got me thinking more about the more important questions in life.
The movie being primarily about sustainability covers one man's journey 12,000 miles across the United States spanning two years. The questions raised in the video focus on how we can live a more connected life to the earth, our fellow man, and ultimately ourselves.
The motives and questions raised in the movie reminded me of my own ponderings over the years. I've studied sustainability in school and know what it means in a textbook sense. However, when you really break it down to a more individual, personal level I believe that it is another avenue that those of us with that itch, that consistent nagging in our souls to live a more fulfilled, more connected, and happier life go down. I know because I too have gone down that path.
For the most part, my journey began like many, in my college years. I was one of those people that school came to pretty easily. I breezed through college and about half way through my senior year I picked up a part time sales job at a local Best Buy and really got my first taste of what it was to be in this socio-economic system that we currently are living in. A year and half later after feeling the full brunt of the stress of working at a retail store I jumped ship for a factory job that wasn't much better. I started to see that maybe this "freedom" that we were supposed to have was just a myth. Yeah, sure, we can get up each day and make a variety of choices that give us the illusion of freedom. But do we really have freedom? I've had many discussions with friends on this topic and 'the dream' that we are fed as Americans.
From an early age, it seems we are fed this image of what we will have when we've "made it in life" - essentially what we need to be happy. It can vary slightly, but being married, a bunch of kids, a dog, a high paying (most likely high-stress) job, big house in suburbia, nice new car, and anything else that you can buy to make you happy would probably be on most peoples lists. I don't think that wanting those things is necessarily a bad thing. I too someday hope to have a wife, kids, a secure home, and everything I need to live comfortably. However, it is the price that we have to pay for this life and the fact that even with it, more and more people aren't able to find happiness and are popping a variety of the latest pharmaceuticals or designer drugs to cope and subdue the symptoms of their inner-self calling for change.
After 8 months at the factory I was growing ever more and more unsettled. 40+ hours a week and more physical and emotional stress than I cared to deal with in exchange for a little money just didn't seem like a fair trade. And for that matter, no amount of money can really weigh the scales enough to make that a fair trade. Something inside me was pulling me to something more. I had been toying with the idea of quitting and moving out west to Colorado to find a different way of life. I did just that. I spent 3 weeks in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming checking out a variety of National Parks. Although a great experience and refreshing to my soul to be in nature, playing, photographing, and living, I still hadn't found "the more" that I was looking for. So I went home and started reading and expanding my knowledge base of life. I found a variety of different material on alternative living. It seemed that the alternative to this McDonalds-Wal-Mart convenience lifestyle was the sustainable approach. Not a new idea, men have been playing with the notion of leaving society for years and likely much longer. Films like Jeremiah Johnson outlined this 'back to the earth' mentality. Men like Eustace Conway, Mick Dodge, and Christopher McCandless have all had books, movies, and reality shows made about them and their daring quests to be and live something more.
I started to believe that leaving society and building a cabin deep in the woods might not be bad idea. However, I took notice that not all those people that jumped into the woods had found happiness. They usually brought with them the heaviest baggage of all-their past and themselves.
After a few months of researching and saving up money at home, I decided it was time to take another leap. I bought a one-way ticket to Kona, Hawaii hoping that maybe there, I could find something different. People living off the land, people living a more connected, more spiritual life. I will say I found a lot of really interesting and enlightened people on my journey through Hawaii. But I still found a lot of the same too. Walmarts and Costcos, grocery stores with imported bananas and oranges, all while they were growing abundantly on island. People working 40+ hours a week serving the tourism industry to make a living. Maybe I'm just spoiled but I've always felt like life was meant to be lived, not worked away. I thought, there's got to be more, right? Like many I've been on the never ending search for more. For connectedness, for a different society, for unconditional Love and acceptance. The search is not wrong or without reason, but I think we all forget, or conveniently choose to forget the one truth that we all deep down know to be true. This being that we have everything inside of us that we ever could need. At the heart of every desire is the desire to feel something good or better than what we are currently feeling. So If we are really all just chasing a feeling, as I believe is the case, then maybe we should spend a little more time imagining, feeling, and meditating on the way we want our lives to be.
I whole-heartedly believe that life is all about belief. What we believe we will perceive. So maybe these journeys of finding sustainability in a eco village, moving to the woods, or searching the globe for a different way of living aren't really what we're looking for. Maybe it's not about changing the world as we know it. Maybe it's about changing our minds and finding peace and truth in ourselves. Maybe, just maybe it's about finding happiness. And there are no amount of journeys to foreign countries or trips across the country that can make one happy. You've got to look inside for that. And the answers we are going to find are most likely going to be different for everyone. It's not a one size fits all approach that they seem to want us to believe. Its something that we can't get from TV or learn in college. It's something we will find only by closing our eyes and looking deep within our souls.
Everything we could ever want, be, do, or have is literally all "within reach."
WAYS YOU CAN HELP: Ask yourself "what do I really need?" "what do I really want to be doing?" and "Is it already in front of me?" If not, reach within for some answers. They might be easier to find than you think! The answers will likely not lead you to something that has to be "world changing" or a huge transformation of your life...as in Jim Carrey's words: "there's nothing bigger out there than you!" Just work on you, transform you!
Added by Ryan Ao (Mlynarczyk)
Within Reach (2012) (trailer)
2 min · In celebration and exploration of all things green, two bicyclists are on a year-long journey around the United States to share what they've learned about sustainable communities. They've traveled more than 6,000 miles to visit and film...
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text:
Home Audi
BMW Z4 versus Audi TT – war of the roadsters
in Audi, BMW, Car Comparison, Featured
Guess we can't get enough of the Germans. Or is it so that so many German cars have inundated the Indian car scene that we are falling short of options? Whatever be the scene, we at Indiandrives love the German cars. They are so boringly perfect that you tend to look out for faults in their build quality or other things. On the contrary, Japanese cars have more of that fragile build quality thing but totally dependable reliability. Well, the battle in this article ain't about Germans and Japanese. Its more about the Germans versus Germans. This time, its arch rivals, BMW and Audi. Both have their roadsters in the name of the BMW Z4 and the Audi TT. The Audi TT in India is a very famous car and one which many would call as a mini R8 whereas the BMW Z4 in India is more Japanese than German in its looks. So with no bias on either car, the contest is all set to begin.
In this segment, its all about desirability and both the cars are equally desirable. However in my honest opinion, it is the Audi TT which slightly inches forward with its stately looks. The long snout of the BMW Z4 in India never really cut the mustard with most of the staffers at Indiandrives and even the ladies gravitating more towards the Audi TT. The Bulgarian beard for the front end along with the LED wrapped head lamps and large air dams would catch any one's fancy. The strong shoulder and waist line hint at aggression and merge so subtly into the rear tail lamps. The all LED configuration for the tail lamps ensure that one doesn't miss out this car on the highway or on the street. The twin fat exhausts reminded me of the Audi R8. The BMW Z4 in the meanwhile also cries for attention. Its long snout not withstanding, it is overall a handsome looking car. Its Corona head lamps scream for attention whereas the kidney grille somehow doesn't look too good in front of the Audi goatee. The alloy wheel design of the BMW Z4 however is far better than the Audi one. Where the Audi's wing mirrors look functional, the ones in the Z4 are more aerodynamic. The nicked in stop lamp and the dual circular exhausts are the talking point of the rear of the BMW Z4.
The Audi TT in India wins this round as it is simply too cute to be dismissed whereas the BMW Z4 on its own looks good but pales in comparison with the TT.
Cut to the interiors and both the cars here are German in their own right. The Audi is the more flamboyant of the two in the interior part. The leather seats with red inserts and liberal dashes of chrome all around make this cabin look very special. The flat bottomed steering wheel and the red color for the instrument cluster also signifies that this is a high end German car. One also sits a bit higher in the Audi TT. In the meanwhile, the BMW Z4 in India is more about subtlety. It has that typical BMW steering wheel with all the controls on it and those meter dials which may look boring in daylight but as the sun sets, those meter dials feel better than those on the TT. Seating is low to aid the center of gravity and handling for this rear wheel driven car. There are two child seats in the rear for the Audi however for the BMW, there is no such provision. Well, as discussed earlier, there is nothing to fault in the cabin for both and both feel extremely well put together. Feature wise, both are feature rich and one wouldn't feel anything lacking in either of the cabins. Going by the comfortability factor of both the cars, the Audi rates a bit higher because of the comparatively high set seats than the BMW. Boot capacity for the BMW is 310 liters while for the Audi, it is 250 liters. The BMW's boot capacity however reduces significantly with the top down, to 180 liters.
Tough call, this one however the Audi wins again due to the sheer practicality it offers with 4 seats and good looking interiors.
Now comes the real part where I am sure the Bimmer will win. Any BMW for that matter is tuned to have perfect race car like handling characteristics. The BMW gets aluminium axles instead of the conventional steel ones found on cars in this category. Though BMW don't proclaim themselves to be aluminium kings, the fact that they use the metal is proof enough that they take it seriously. Due to a 50:50 even weight distribution, the BMW Z4 in India balances its act well. Being a rear wheel driven vehicle, the Z4 is one hell of a fun machine. There are 3 modes of driving the BMW Z4. One is comfort –the one which is used for mundane driving, next is the Sports mode – used for some fun driving and the third one is the Sports+ mode – the maniac mode for driving. Few would rarely select the last option. The BMW also gets a launch control wherein traction control is turned off (it is also turned off at the Sports+ mode). Handling is exemplary and never once did I feel that this car would break traction and plaster me onto some other car or structure. Yes, with traction control off, tail spinning antics are possible. Ride quality is typically BMW stiff but then in the Sports+ mode, it is overtly so. However ones driving sports cars wouldn't mind the trade off.
The Audi TT in India comes to the party with Quattro all wheel drive system. Like we all know, Audi makes extensive use of aluminium for construction of its cars and the TT is no different. So one gets the typical Audi ride quality that is expected from Audi's sedans and also the immaculate handling of the Audi R8. Where the BMW sometimes felt like it has reached the edge of its handling capabilities, the Audi is more like a leech which will not let go off its victim. However ride quality, even though was promised would be good, was more on the bumpy side. It is softly setup and ingress egress isn't a problem in this car. And did I mention that both the cars please aurally. The BMW at slightly higher revs whereas the Audi starts its vocal drama from lower down the rev range.
No questions for this one as the BMW Z4 in India wins this round.
Engine options are single for both the cars in this comparison here. The Audi TT in India gets a 3.2 liter V6 FSI engine. Light alloy cylinders and forged steel pistons ensure that 250 Ps of maximum power is put out whereas the peak torque of 320 Nm is also developed between 2000-3500 rpm. The 6 speed S-tronic DSG gearbox can be driven both in comfort and Sports mode. Slot the system into Sports mode and the Audi TT moves from 0-100 kmph in only 6.3 seconds whereas the top speed is 230 kmph. The BMW Z4 in India, on the other hand, gets a smaller 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine which develops 302 Bhp of power and peak torque of 400 Nm at 1300 to 3700 rpm. It gets a 7 speed dual clutch transmission. The run from 0-100 kmph is completed in only 5.2 seconds whereas the top speed is an electronically limited 250 kmph. Brakes work fantastically for both with the Audi registering far more pedal travel than the Z4. Safety is equally good in both.
Coming to the fuel efficiency, the BMW Z4 in our earlier tests had returned 6.7 kmpl for the city and 10.2 kmpl for the highway. The Audi TT was the one which had to prove its mettle and it returned a tad lower than the BMW figure with 6.3 kmpl and 9.6 kmpl respectively.
The Bimmer clinches this round due to its superior engine and fuel efficiency figures.
Testing any sports car is an exhausting affair as one tends to be more attentive due to the speed warped zones that these cars take one to. Nevertheless, the main aim of this cars is to provide motoring thrills to the maximum. They are the kinds which would attract all the eyeballs in an event, look too much like sports cars but still can be used as everyday cars. It depends on how one looks at them. The TT would steal the limelights once you look at it and also the interiors would make you go wow. However when it comes to performance, the BMW eclipses the Audi and regains lost ground with its fun to drive factor. The Audi TT price in India is Rs 46 lakhs whereas the BMW Z4 price in India is Rs 61 lakhs. Both these prices are ex-show room, Mumbai. At this price, the Audi definitely wins but for the true enthusiast, it would be the BMW.
Tags: Audi TT in IndiaAudi TT price in IndiaBMW Z4 in IndiaBMW Z4 price in IndiaBMW Z4 versus Audi TT
Neeta Tours and Travels places an order of 40 buses with Mercedes-Benz
2011 Volkswagen Passat launched in India


My CELTA course in Birmingham and the summer's astonishing heatwave have coincided in July 2013. It has meant that I've become a rail commuter again and I get to traipse through Birmingham New Street's revamped station. I rather like its new look.
It's a shame that they haven't done anything about the narrow escalators and stairs that connect the platforms and the concourse.
I think that we'd had an input session on teaching writing one morning in which we'd discussed how we could encourage ESL students to write poetry. It reminded me of how I always preferred to write poetry than prose at Korean school when they set their writing competitions: poetry requires minimal words and I was the weakest student in my group. Somehow, I managed to wow someone with my creative outputs and won a few prizes. Ironically, they were dictionaries!
I've been reading the Psalms and Norman MacCaig's poems during my commute. The combination of all these things has culminated in me writing a wee one of my own.
stick at the back of my throat.
Waiting for my shiny steed to whisk me away.


Owning a handgun or a shotgun is 1 thing bt if u need more fire power than that, it means you're shootin' blanks in the bedroom.
I guess he thinks only men own guns.
This entry was posted in Gun Control Means Using Both Hands and tagged crazy, gun control, guns, Jim Carrey.
but we know: your chariot may not be swingin' low.
via Jim Carrey's 'Cold Dead Hand' song for 'heartless motherf*ckers' released; Mocks Charlton Heston, gun owners; Update: Foul lyrics added | Twitchy.
I refuse to link to this idiot's video & give him more views. The quote from his "song" above is proof that the man is incredibly sexist. He seems to ignore the plethora of female gun owners & link guns to the size of male copulatory organs.
When he's not displaying is misogynistic tendencies, he's making fun of a dead man. Instead of going after Wayne LaPierre, Ted Nugent, or anyone else who has come out in support of the Second Amendment, he chose to ridicule Charlton Heston – a man who served his country in WW2, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr for Civil Rights, and had worked to defend America's Second Amendment rights. Oooo…. Big brave man to make fun of a dead man who is not around to defend himself. So not only is Jim Carrey a sexist moron, he's a coward to boot.
And! He's Canadian (who became a Naturalized American in 2004). What is it with people from other countries trying to tell Americans how to live? I'm looking at you Piers Morgan.
This entry was posted in Gun Control Means Using Both Hands and tagged 2A, Charlton Heston, guns, Jim Carrey, Second Amendment.
Signs emerged that Bedell harbored ill feelings toward the government and the armed forces, and had questioned the circumstances behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In an Internet posting, a user by the name JPatrickBedell wrote that he was "determined to see that justice is served" in the death of Marine Col. James Sabow, who was found dead in the backyard of his California home in 1991. The death was ruled a suicide but the case has long been the source of theories of a cover up.
That same posting railed against the government's enforcement of marijuana laws and included links to the author's 2006 court case in Orange County, Calif., for cultivating marijuana and resisting a police officer. Court records available online show the date of birth on the case mentioned by the user JPatrickBedell matches that of the John Patrick Bedell suspected in the shooting.
From the information dug up on the man so far, one thing is certain – dude was definitely 14 carat crazy. So… how long until the MSM tries to spin this guy as a Tea Party member?
This entry was posted in Gun Control Means Using Both Hands and tagged crazy, moonbats, nausea inducing, nutjobs, Truther, wingnuts.


The Tengrouse top feature a fun but classic print across a cool and airy cotton voile. This simple design complements the eye-catching print, bringing a casual but contemporary style without being overpowering. Short sleeves feature fixed turn-ups, and, combined with a shallow scoop neck and side entry pockets, make it a pretty and versatile top.
https://www.houseofbruar.com/ladies-seasalt-trengrouse-top-tn41013astrantiabloommoss/ TN41013ASTRANTIABLOOMMOSS Ladies Seasalt Trengrouse Top /images/products/medium/TN41013ASTRANTIABLOOMMOSS.jpg 39.95 GBP t-shirts/ The Tengrouse top feature a fun but classic print across a cool and airy cotton voile. This simple design complements the eye-catching print, bringing a casual but contemporary style without being overpowering. Short sleeves feature fixed turn-ups, and, combined with a shallow scoop neck and side entry pockets, make it a pretty and versatile top.


Theme: The program is designed to spearhead changes within the library profession through meaningful discussions on challenges facing libraries today, such as issues of cultural diversity as related to the library profession, global outreach and collaboration, and impact of new technology on library services.
Time and Place: Sunday, June 26, 2011 from 1:30p.m. to 3:30p.m. in New Orleans, LA.
More support to the program will be forthcoming. We are thrilled that it really promises to be a wonderful program because we have such an incredible lineup of speakers, a great program theme, and the strong support of our co-sponsors.
The program website will be up soon. Please plan ahead, mark your calendar to attend the program, and stay tuned for more program information.


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Q: Correct Android Emulator for Nexus 7 2013? The Android emulator for a Nexus 7 (2013) doesn't seem to run at 1200 X 1920
The "Device Pixel Ratio" is reported as 1.3, whereas the actual device reports 2.0
Is there a way to fix this?

A: Can you try genymotion. It is an absolutely awesome and fast emulator. You can even run google play services on it and use push notifications etc..
Here is the link

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A telephone system in the 21st century needs to be flexible and adapted to your businesses operations.
Real-time communications that connect workforces, customers and business partners that are flexible and adapted to your business operations.
Voice IP Comms develop bespoke telephone system packages using advanced and powerful technology from the biggest global manufacturers and suppliers.
User friendly systems that are simple yet powerful that allow employees to become familiarised quickly with the system and to start translating effective communications into productivity.
Below are our telephone systems partners.
Building user friendly systems that operate audio and video communications across multiple users and channels.
Innovative solutions with cloud-enablement and multi-channel communication that power more than 2 billion connections every day, including over 33 million daily cloud connections.
Leading edge communications providing telephony across IP and traditional business communications from a global supplier.
Voice IP Comms provides telephone systems across a range of industries for small, local businesses through to companies that employ large workforces across the UK.
Our partners choose telephony in order to take advantage of the flexibility the advancement of this technology provides for business. This gives a competitive edge through increased efficiency and greater workforce productivity as a result.


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ARLA > NEWS > OCTOBER 2019 > PROPERTYMARK QUALIFICATIONS AWARDS 2019 WINNERS
Lettings boss hit with ban after failing to protect deposits
A lettings management director from Exeter has been disqualified for six years after failing to safeguard more than £68,000 worth of tenants' deposits. Read More...
First of its kind case sees tenant awarded £18,000
A tenant in Glasgow is the first case of its kind to be awarded £18,000 in damages by the First-tier Tribunal from Scotland Housing and Property Chamber. Read More...
900,000 UK residents to see an increase in Housing Benefit
The UK Government has announced that the freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates has been lifted and could see Housing Benefit payments rise from April. Read More...
Electrical Safety Regulations to come into force
Subject to approval by both Houses of Parliament landlords and agents will need to ensure electrical installation inspections and testing are carried out for all new tenancies in England from 1 July 2020 or from 1 April 2021 for existing tenancies. Read More...
New regulations to protect renters from carbon monoxide poisoning
The Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Government housing policy team has confirmed new regulations will include additional requirements for landlords to install working carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms and undertake an electrical safety test at least every five years. Read More...
Letting agents to comply with Money Laundering Regulations
From today, 10 January, all letting agents who manage properties which, individually, yield an income of 10,000 Euros per month (or equivalent) or more, must now comply with regulations set out in the Fifth Money Laundering Directive. Read More...
Councils in Scotland empowered to regulate short term lets
Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart, announced measures in the Scottish Parliament to provide local authorities with the ability to implement licensing schemes for short-term lets from Spring 2021. Read More...
Propertymark Qualifications Awards 2019 Winners
The winners of the Propertymark Qualifications Awards were announced on 23 October, celebrating learners and those who commit to their professional development.
With an exclusive ceremony taking place at the House of Lords, the awards saw property agents from across the UK travel to London to see if they had won a much-coveted award.
The awards were split into two main categories, the achievement category, and the nomination category. The achievement category awards those who achieve the highest marks across their examination units for their chosen subject, with three awards available for a Lettings Candidate, Sales Candidate, and Auctioneering candidate.
The nomination categories could only be won by those whose colleagues, employer or employees had put them forward for the award, with the winners being chosen by a panel of experts.
The event was attended by nominees, their guests, and industry leaders, and was presented by Lord Best OBE DL, NAEA Propertymark Chief Executive Mark Hayward and ARLA Propertymark Chief Executive David Cox. Together they commended the finalists and the standards they were setting for the industry and made mention of the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA), of which Lord Best chaired the working group, reiterating how important regulation will be the industry.
Lord Best said: "Estate agents should embrace becoming 'genuine professionals' on a par with solicitors, surveyors, and architects as direct regulation of the industry looms. The next generation want to be recognised as 'professionals', and therefore, it's a very positive move to have a regulator who will ensure that anyone who wants to be an estate agent is properly licensed, has attained the correct qualifications and signs up to a code of practice whether they are companies or individuals."
See highlights from the awards
Those who took home a trophy encapsulated the variety of learners who dedicate themselves to their professional development, from newcomers to the industry, to senior staff with years of experience, it was clear that property agents of all walks of life are committing to higher standards.
Lettings Candidate of the Year
The winner of Lettings Candidate was Katie Wilcox-Smith, achieving the highest marks in her qualification of a Level 3 Award in Residential Letting and Property Management. Competition for this award was close, with five people nominated overall. The other finalists were Holly Braithwaite of Bridgfords Lettings, Ryan Letley, Tania Marshall of Bradleys Estate Agents and Natasha Sanchez of Grosvenor Billinghurst.
Sales Candidate of the Year
The winner of Sales Candidate was Sean Rawson, who achieved top marks across all units in his Level 3 Award in Sale of Residential Property. The other finalists were Janet Edwards, Angela Gillibrand of Symonds & Sampson, Theo Smith, and Ben Sykes.
Auctioneering Candidate of the Year
Erroll Thomas of Auction Boutique won the Auctioneering Candidate of the Year award, for top marks in his Level 3 Award in Real Property Auctioneering. The other finalists were Llion ap Dylan Davies of Morgan & Davies, Alexander Haigh and Lewis Proudley of Proudley Associates.
This year's Rising Star award ended with a twist, as two winners were announced. The judging panel agreed that the standard of entrant was so high, that picking just one winner was too difficult. The winners were Heather Fraser of The Property Store EK, and Laura Young of Pat Robson & Co.
The winners had demonstrated good practice and innovation in the ways they work and were eager to utilise the skills gained from their qualification in the workplace. The other finalists were Nadia Aghtarafi of YourNXTDoor and Laura MacCallum of Bell Ingram LLP.
Employer Champion of the Year
Given to a business or director that is committed to the development of their staff, this year's winner was Williams & Goodwin The Property People. They won after an employee praised their commitment to personal development, career building, coaching and mentoring for staff; as well as supporting them in gaining their Level 3 Propertymark Qualifications. The other finalists were Balgores Lettings, Western Lettings, and Pinnacle PSG.
Learner of the Year
The highest accolade at the Propertymark Qualifications Awards, this is awarded to a learner who has overcome adversity and persevered to develop themselves and excel in their role. The winner was Florence Bond of George Durrants and Sons. Florence had changed her mind from studying a degree to instead deciding to work in an estate agency and gain her qualification alongside her employment. She is now an assistant manager and even had a role created especially for her by her employer. The other finalists were Kadie Blezard of Your Move, Megan Eighteen of Davis Tate, Katie Fitzgerald of Securelets at Jeremy & Co and Jelena Litosa of Litonics Homes.
Lifelong Achievement
This special award honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to property education, training, and development throughout their career and has committed to improving and upholding professional standards in the industry. This year the award was presented to David Hughes, who has a long history of working as a property agent and chartered surveyor, but went on to become a senior lecturer in surveying and was instrumental in the development of not only the Propertymark Qualification, but also the study workbooks used by so many learners to support their learning. He still helps write and edit the many study workbooks for Propertymark Qualifications today.
Mike Smith, Head of Propertymark Qualifications said: "We've seen the highest calibre of learners being put forward for the awards this year, which made picking winners a challenge. We're immensely proud of all our finalists for their dedication to their career progression and to their learning. Commit the names of all our winners and finalists to memory, as they are the ones who will be setting the standard for the industry going forward.
With the regulation of property agents looking inevitable, we anticipate more agents will look to become qualified and raise standards even further. I imagine that the awards will become even harder to judge in the future, as we see even more qualified candidates being put forward."
Find out more about Propertymark Qualifications and the 2019 Awards:


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Q: Running functions on list retrieved from tkinter text widget I am having trouble applying my functions to the list I retrieve from my tkinter text widget. The list is retrieved via a button command=lambda: get_list()). I am trying to apply def func_1(): however it doesn't throw an error, it just runs it immediately before I've even entered any data.
dictionary = {
    'A': '1',
    'B': '2',
    'C': '3'}

def get_list():
    text_input = text.get("1.0", "end-1c").split("\n")
    return text_input

def func_1(text_input):
    x=0
    while x < len(text_input):
        text_replace = (text_input[x]).replace(',', '')
        text_split = text_replace.split()
        not_found = True
        for key in dictionary:
            if key in text_split:
                result = dictionary[key]
                return (result)
                not_found = False
                break
        if not_found :
            return ("Some Error Message")
        x = x + 1
print(func_1(get_list()))

If I input a few lines;
 1. A, D, E
 2. B
 3. C

It skips func_1, and states the if not found text:
Some Error Message

I need it to get the text widget input, split into a list at "\n", and run func_1 on as many items as were lines input into the widget.
func_1 should take each list item, replace any commas, and then split it into it's own list for the for loop.
I'm not sure how to break it down any differently than that.
Thanks for any advice!

A:
I need it to get the text widget input, split into a list at "\n", and run func_1 on as many items as were lines input into the widget.

If that is the case, then you need to do exactly that: run func_1 on each line:
text_input = text.get("1.0", "end-1c").split("\n")
for line in text_input:
    func_1(line)


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Q: Is it possible to call parent class-private methods from child class in Python? I'm trying to call __search from parent class A in child class B but I get the error:
AttributeError: 'B' object has no attribute '_B__search'

This seems to be only happening for methods starting with __. Is there a way to call these class-private methods when doing inheritance?
class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a

    def __search(self):
        return self.a

    def display(self):
        print(self.a)

class B(A):
    def display(self):
        res = self.__search()
        return res

cB = B(2)

cB.display()

A: Yes, but it's terrible practice.
In Python, a method whose name begins with __ and does not end with it (so magic methods like __add__ are excluded) is obfuscated with the class name. That is,
class A:
  def __foo(self):
    return 1

is equivalent to
class A:
  def _A__foo(self):
    return 1

So if you really want to call __search defined on A, you should write
res = self._A__search()

Again, this is bad practice. Methods starting with __ are obfuscated because that's the Python convention for private functions, so they shouldn't be called from outside the class or in subclasses. You mention in the comments that this is a temporary fix, so that's understandable, but I do hope it's not intended to stay this way for very long.

A: An attribute name beginning with __ is private, and mangled to _classname__attribute. You need to call it by the mangled name.
class B(A):
    def display(self):
        res = self._A__search()
        return res


A couple of weeks ago I was honored to present to a major publisher's entire company. My topic was on what's a publisher to do (in this day and age of disruption), and my assignment was to discuss how my own business has changed, and how publishing is continuing to change.
I like to come early to such meetings and listen because I learn the mindset of the audience I'll be addressing. If you are a presenter, and you get that opportunity, you will never fail to learn some things that will help adjust your own presentation. Here's what I learned before I took center stage.
If your budget is $14M, you can do a lot. One of the presenters talked about their campaign for a major brand. You saw people in the audience drooling: the spend was $14 million, and the campaign included everything from buying billboards to social media and print. It was a very effective campaign according to the presenter: the goal was 1.4 million impressions, and they delivered 83 million. But, what's an impression? Like "hits" (or How Idiots Track Success), an impression is just that: a fleeting look. Granted, you need impressions to start the ball rolling, but spending all that money to create an impressions is, well, wasted if you can't know who you are impressing or you can't turn one of those impressions into a sale (or prove you did). That's been the battle since Wanamaker said half his money spent on advertising was wasted, only he didn't know which half. Unfortunately, most of the time that's still true.
Be aware of triggers of opportunity. In the agency and publishing business, sales people should be looking for triggers of opportunity, or situations (client problems usually) where a door will open for you. One trigger is research, and we were encouraged to follow the research – something we are a proponent of since we opened our own doors. But research can also lead to blind alleys; in fact, there's an enormous amount of money spent on research that leads nowhere. And that's how it should be. Research is inherently designed to help you make go/no go decisions. Probably the hardest thing a company can do is do research, find out they made a miscalculation, but decide to go ahead anyway and lose a fortune. It happens a lot – a lot more than you'd think. Transitions are another trigger. When there is a change in management, a change in a process, that usually spells opportunity. But to find them, you have to be listening – carefully. Sometimes transitions happen suddenly. Other times they evolve over time, with clues being scattered in front of you like breadcrumbs. The key is to pay attention, and then be agile enough to move quickly, neatly and efficiently.
The website is the center of the experience. We've been preaching this for many years, and it was good to hear it being reinforced. More than anything else, a company's website holds the opportunity for success or failure in any marketing venture. In this case, the presenter recommended creating a blog on the client's website, and using all the marketing tactics to drive people to that blog. A very strong idea, and proven time after time. You should consider it.
You can't be a know-it-all. Another presenter discussed the uncomfortable situation where a salesperson doesn't know the answer to a question that's being asked. Sales people like to know everything, and many find it tough when this situation of not knowing the answer to a question arises. Some make up answers. Maybe because I used to be a teacher, I don't mind saying, "I don't know." Now people who work for me will find what I just said to be a contradiction. I tell them those are the three words I hate the most: "I don't know." Our clients expect us to know, because they don't. If they did, they wouldn't need us. However, when you are in front of a client, saying "I don't know" it is actually a good thing, especially if the conversation has led you into an area where you don't know. Gene Kranz wrote FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. In it, he noted: "The first rule of flight control is if you don't know what to do, don't do anything!" That's because doing the wrong thing would get people killed. He concluded: "I had gained something precious. I now know how much I didn't know." As a salesperson, not knowing is a chance to help a client find out a solution.
You are the sell sheet. Salespeople depend on printed material – on something to put in front of a client. Part of the important discussion I heard was when one person turned to the audience in an open forum and said, "YOU are the sell sheet." The lesson was to go in without anything in order to listen to the client or prospect and figure out the problem. I once started a meeting with a President of a major firm and after the brief introductions, he said, "What do you do?" I told him I solve problems. He said, "I don't have any problems." I replied, "Nice to meet you," and got up to leave. Stunned, he said, "Where are you going?" "You said you didn't have any problems." We had an excellent discussion that I blogged about following that move.
Big Ideas. Clients, according to much of the discussion going on, want "big ideas" or "less traditional advertising." The Big Ideas in one discussion was what they called "road shows." That is, they targeted the top ten cities and brought the "event" to those target audiences in those cities. 20 years ago, we did road shows with magazines. Instead of holding one press conference, we took the press conferences on the road to magazines in major cities. Connecting people is never out of style. It never will be.
Walls are Crumbling. A panel was discussing selling custom content and how to get editorial involved. This is a big topic in publishing today. According to eMarketer, "The lines between native advertising and editorial content are continuing to blur, as more magazine publishers involve their editorial team in the production of native ads than use a separate native ad team." It was also pointed out that magazine execs are worried about the lack of division between their editorial and advertising side – something that was expressed in this panel discussion I heard. One of their fears was a sales person making a commitment that they couldn't keep. I learned also that magazines will use freelance writers when required – something I forgot about. There was discussion about getting the opportunity to write clients' white papers, a discussion about custom content versus sponsored content and how important it is to lay-out the entire scope of the project. They also discussed social media. "We did a Twitter chat and it was more legwork than I thought," said one person.
When I went on (I was last up before dinner), I was not only well prepared because of my original content; I had all these stories to weave into my own narrative. It was a great experience for all. Thanks for reading!