Okay so just because it happened today, a friendly tip/reminder/hint:

If your friend has a horse or multiple horses, please don't ask if you can come over and ride it or get a lesson on it.

For one, your friend probably isn't qualified to give lessons and as someone who's been riding for almost 20 years and has ridden a decent variety of horses, not every horse is qualifed to give lessons. You could get seriously hurt, or hurt the horse.

Secondly, it's kind of rude and assumptive. Are you going to ask your friend "when are you going to invite me to your house to play in your pool?" or "when do I get to come over and pet your dog?" before they invite you? Are you going to ask them when they're going to make you dinner?

Thirdly, you probably don't know the horse. You don't know the training on it. You don't know how old it is. You don't know if it's got traumatic history. Does your friend even ride their horse, or is it a companion animal? Maybe it's had an injury that keeps it from being ridden. Maybe their horse is old. Maybe it's young. Maybe it has training in it's youth but has been sitting for a few years. Maybe it's got quirks, like you need to leave it's mouth alone or if you put your feet in the wrong place it rears. I've known horses who went backwards because someone who didn't know what they were doing got on them.

If you're invited out to ride or pet or interact, that's fine. I've invited a different friend out, purely because she's been around horses before but not taught the proper way to interact and she wants to learn how to handle them on the ground before riding. But don't invite yourself out, or ask when you get to come ride. You don't know the horse, and you don't know the circumstances.

bored huh? do the prime numbers then

you think i won't? i will. i'll do it. no readmore cause nothing matters

2. Are you outgoing or shy? mostly shy until i get to know you, then i become a problem

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? no one in particular? i might get to see megatron and/or tahu this summer.....

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? I don't drink but presumably, if she wasn't also drunk

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? i better be

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? mostly indifferent but it depends on how i'm feeling, often times it overstims me

17. Do you think there is life on other planets? to an extent

19. Do you like bubble baths? they're fine, but kinda boring i think

23. Do you have trust issues? not really? well, actually, maybe. feels like people are lying because there's no real effort to be engaging with me most the time but i'm always told "no we love to spend time with you" so yeah i guess

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? uhhh, i don't remember? probably not

31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail? i literally just cut it this morning, hair in the back is like 3/8" or something

37. What do you say during awkward silences? I don't, i usually just start swishing or kicking my feet and balling up my shirt

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? usually, but it depends on what they did, some things are beyond redemption. as a general rule, though, yeah

43. Do you smile at strangers? only if we accidentally make eye contact and they do it first, I'll mirror back

47. Have you ever been high? not afaik

51. Ever wished you were someone else? every day. like a specific person? i can't think of any individuals, but generally speaking? yeah

53. Favourite makeup brand? i don't really engage with it, so whatever is cheap and does what i need it for

57. Favourite food? teriyaki chicken and borger

59. First thing you ate this morning? s'mores cereal

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? nope, only major trouble I got into in school was in 8th grade when someone farted on the bus and i targeted by the driver for unrelated shit

67. Facebook or Twitter? lesser of two evils, personally, i'm picking facebook

71. Craving something? What? still thinking about how good a milkshake and/or iced coffee would hit right now

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? depends. normal nights there is at least 1 in the bed, but it's not mine, it's brandee's, and she cuddles with it. when i'm by myself on those rare occasions, then usually i do

79. What colour shirt are you wearing? black with a knockoff white riamu with neon green skeleton on her shirt

81. Favourite tv show? uhhhh loaded question, i'll go a safe route and say kamen rider

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2? never seen mg2 so the original ig

87. First person you talked to today? brandee? no wait okay i opened discord, the first person i directly addressed today was jules the french person in a server i'm in

89. Name a person you hate? ohhhh that's also loaded, and most of the people I directly hate are dead right now, so for my sake i guess I'll say Jay Patton yes i'm putting the full name

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? see above I guess?

97. Favourite actor? oof, there are too many to recount currently

101. Do you type fast? maybe a little, certainly not as fast as i used to. i used to be a member of a clan on xat that focused on speed fighting to defeat our enemies and i had to train hard to get to that point

103. Can you spell well? as well as any other person I guess, i'm not bad at it

107. Have you ever been on a horse? a few times

109. Is something irritating you right now i have a headache that has persisted for several hours, and I'm just frustrated by being alone with nothing good to do while i hear brandee button mash and laugh with her friends in the other room

113. What was your childhood nickname? i can't really recall any that weren't just people mispronouncing my name, which is all too common, but i gave myself the name tobi in 8th grade and that has stuck

127. What makes you happy? good stuff? what makes anyone happy yk

129. What your zodiac sign? karkat piseces

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? in this moment, feel a bit flustered and say awww thanks but try to move through life as normal

137. How tall are you? 5'6"

139. Brunette or Blonde? no preference

149. Do you believe in ghosts? to an extent, not entirely certain how they manifest but there's...something

you can ask other questions if you want

Survey #231

too lazy to even think of song lyrics to put, just have this

Do bridges make you nervous? Somewhat. Are there any movies that you find so dumb, you find funny? Aha, Napoleon Dynamite. Do you have any older siblings? Four + one I don't know. How often do you vacation? Pretty much never. Are you currently having any cellular problems? My phone is ACTUAL horse shit. Have you ever tried to meet up with someone from online? With Sara, multiple times now. :') It'd be fantastic if when I go to South Africa I can meet Shaylee when I visit to the KMP, and my other friend Alyssa knows how badly I wanna meet Mark, so she insists on me going with her one day if he ever goes back to PAX East. I'd love to meet Connie, too. If you could have any car right now, what would you want exactly? Eh, I don't know car types. Something medium/smallish (I don't want very small for safety reasons) that's either burnt orange or red and just pretty and sleek. Do you think it’s cruel to leave a live fish to die in an ice box? Um???????? YEAH????????????????? Have you ever done anything sexual with someone of the same sex? Yeah. Do you collect issues of a certain magazine? No. Have you ever pawned anything off at a pawn shop? Nah. Do you have stomach abs? Ha, I wish. Do you know anyone who is trying to physically impersonate a celebrity? No, but oh my god, so my friend Leon, right? He looks UNCANNILY like Leon Kennedy (WEIRD name coincidence????) from the Resident Evil series so much that he dressed as him one day. The resemblance is fucking unbelievable, especially when his hair was longer in the front. Do you have the Bakery Story app? Haven't heard of it. Do you watch Sister Wives? Haven't heard of that, either. How do you feel about polygamy? It's definitely not for me, but if it's KNOWINGLY between a consenting, happy group of people, you do you, man. Just hardcore practice safe sex. Have you ever seen a shuttle launch? No. What would your parents say is the worst thing you’ve ever done? I haven't got a clue. I'd assume Mom would probably say me texting her "fuck you" even though she deserved it. Dad, probably the letter I wrote him after the divorce. Are we having signs of the apocalypse? I don't even remember the Biblical signs besides like, swarms of locusts and humanity's focus shifting to materialism. I say rather we're having actually scientific signs of a mass extinction coming in the next few centuries, probably, or sooner. Historically, we're extremely overdue for one, anyway. Global warming, the ozone, overpopulation, pollution... you know, all that jazz. We're killing the earth. Would you rather see The Blue Man Group or Fear Factor live? Blue Man Group. Do you have any vintage clothing? Man, I wish. Are you glad to accept any certain person’s hand-me-downs? "As long as it fits and it’s like, clean, I guess?" <<<< This. Have you ever bought anything at Rue 21? Yeah, I like that store. The graphic tees section, at least. What color of colored contacts would you like to have? Like, purple or something. NO, cyan. Gimme a Manson feel. What’s on your bed? Me, Teddy, Roman, my laptop and mouse, my pillows, sheets, blanket, phone... Your floor besides furniture? My bookbag and purse. Wires. Shoes. Your dresser? My meerkat collection, along with some other plushies. The top shelf in your closet? I have no clue. Are there any dead stuffed animals in your house? Uh, you mean taxidermy? No. I am viciously against hunting "trophies." HOWEVER, I'm deeply into vulture culture and have mixed feelings about making art of NATURALLY deceased wildlife... A part of me says that's disrespectful, and then the other says it's very honoring and respectful, to immortalize an animal's beauty as art after experiencing a good life. It's something I semi-want to get into, but again, I'm torn on my thoughts about it. Do you know anyone who goes fishing, but doesn’t like fish? Do you mean like, eating fish? I'll fish with Dad if he invites me (I otherwise stopped as I don't support it if not necessary for food, but this has always been my and Dad's "thing"), but I hate fish as food. If you mean they don't enjoy fish as animals, I don't think so. What’s the best prize you’ve won on an amusement park/carnival game? I don't have a clue. Have you ever done anything sexual in a school? No, besides simple kisses. Have you ever been indoor skydiving? No. Would you have any interest in going on a cruise? No. Being out in the ocean scares me. Have you ever been to a Chinatown in any of the cities you’ve been to? No. How old was the oldest person you’ve dated? Maybe like, five years older. Do you know anyone who has their own podcast? No. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How many children do you want, and how did you decide on this number? None. I decided because 1.) I would be a terrible mother, 2.) I'm not putting anyone's well-being above my own ever again, 3.) I'm not dedicating the remainder of my life trying to raise someone who might end up not even caring about me, and 4.) they're fuckin expensive and I've been poor my whole life and will do almost anything to keep my bills and expenses in general as low as possible. Where did your last kiss take place? The airport. Did you often read for fun when you were a kid? Oh, definitely. I loved reading. ^ What were some of your favorite books? Little-little kid books included Stellaluna, What Makes a Rainbow?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Rainbow Fish, 10 Minutes 'Til Bedtime... a lot. As like an elementary student, I was really into the Magic Tree House and Hank the Cowdog series. Then in middle school, Warriors dominated my bookshelf. Are you more of a visual learner or an auditory learner? Visual. Do you have any dietary restrictions? No. Do you prefer Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, or something else? I've never used any. What is your favorite coffee brand? N/A What is your favorite tea brand? N/A Have you ever worn false eyelashes? No. I probably only will for maybe my wedding. How old does someone have to be for you to see them as an adult? 21 I guess. Do you ever ‘manspread’ when you sit down? Uh. I actually don't know. I don't pay attention. Which of your good habits has made the biggest positive difference in your life? Coming to understand I have to put myself first, probably. Or learning how to talk to myself gently. Have you ever dated someone who was very lazy? No. Have you ever turned down a job offer? No. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. I always quit too early for that, really. Do you overuse smileys? I don't think so. At least not anywhere near how I did as a pre-teen in the "LOL rANdoM!!!!!! XD" phase. Who is better; Madonna or Blondie? Idk. Who is better; Elton John or Billy Joel? BILLY!!!!!!! Name three website you visit every day: YouTube, Kalahari Manor, and deviantART. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? Tyler and I watched the first one. I don't remember what I thought about it, really. Have you ever worn black eyeliner? "Yeah. That’s the only kind I wear." <<<< This. Have you ever worn blue mascara? No. That'd look weird on me. Hm, or maybe not. Maybe it'd bring out my blue eyes. Ever spiked your hair? No. How long have you had a computer? I don't have a clue. Have you ever written something, and published it on the internet? Well yeah? When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) Hell, forever ago when I was at Colleen's with Girt and we played CAH. Can you play chess? Nope. When was the last time you read a book over 700 pages long? Shit man, no clue. I don't know if I ever have. Have you ever drank cherry Coke? GOOD STUFF Do you prefer using pens or pencils? Pencils, considering you can erase. I avoid using pens if I can. Have you ever skipped for a long distance? Maybe as a little kid? Are you excited for the holidays? Halloween was disappointing, as I did absolutely zip. I honestly don't care about Thanksgiving. We always just go have dinner with Ashley's bigot in-laws. I'm VERY hyped for Christmas 'cuz I'm probably gonna be with Sara!! Can you play any instruments? I played the flute for years, but I don't think I could remember how to now. Are you a Facebook addict? Nah. Are you afraid of stink bugs? YEAH. I hate beetle-like insects. Do you have a printer? Yeah. Does anyone own any embarrassing pictures of you? HAHAHAHA I HOPE SHE DOESN'T STILL HAVE IT, MY FRIEND ONCE TOOK A PICTURE OF ME IN THE MIDDLE OF EATING A HOT DOG AND I JUST REALLY HATE IT. Do you still live at home? Yeah. Are you currently enrolled in college? Yep. Do you care what others say about you? Way too much. Have you ever played Farmville? No. What is your favorite video game? Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus. What song represents your life the best? "Get Up" by Mother Mother makes me think of myself A LOT. Are you into anime? Yeah. Name one movie that has made you cry more than once. The Notebook. Always. Do you watch the Disney Channel? Not anymore. Do you swear? Way too much. Do you overthink things? You wouldn't BELIEVE how much I do. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever had as a pet? A fuckin ginormous black lab until Ashley moved out. He wasn't even full-grown. Do you own any kind of helmet? No. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? As a kid, I was running on the gravel road and slipped and fell. I scraped my knees to the point of pus coming out. It took a loooong time to heal. I cried SO fucking loudly. Bad, bad memory made only worse because Dad got so annoyed by it that he yelled at me to shut up. Happy beyond words he changed so much after the divorce and stopped drinking. What is something you like to have conversations about? MARK and other YouTubers I love to an unreasonable height, meerkats, vidya games I enjoy, RP, bands I love... What all is in the trunk of your car? I don't have a clue. Do you ever put fruit on your cereal? EW no. I hate that shit. How do you usually celebrate your favorite holiday? By doing nothing, lately. I don't have anywhere to go, so no point in even dressing up. Plus I can't afford costumes. When was the last time you drove something other than a car or truck? Uh. I have zero clue. Have you ever eaten/drank something and then realized it was past the expiration date? Probably at some point. Do you own any jewelry containing your birthstone? I have an amethyst angel pin from my grandmother. When I was in high school and going through my most suicidal phases, I wore it on my shirt underneath my hoodies. What is something unusual that annoys you? Hm. Well, I think this resonates with a lot of people at least to a mild degree, but it really angers me when people don't put their shopping carts back and just sit them in/by a parking spot. Fucking lazy as hell. Does mind over matter work for you? Rarely. What was the last thing you were invited to? No clue. Well, besides the obvious things like my niece and nephew's b-day parties, I don't know. What item should never be shared? Stealing the last person's answer: your toothbrush. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? A cheese quesadilla and fiesta potatoes. Sometimes the cinnamon delight things instead of the potatoes. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? No. Does drinking alcohol make you act more like your true self? I don't know if it's my "true" self, but I'm more extroverted and calmer. Have you ever googled a name and found somebody? Uhhhh so this is probably so incredibly creepy, but I jumped through hoops finding Jason's landline a few days before my suicide attempt because I was absolutely desperate to talk to him. It was in the dead of night and his sweetheart mom picked up and spoke with me for like two whole hours trying to calm me down. Jason was asleep, apparently. I miss that woman. She was so patient and gentle that night. Okay I'm honestly getting pretty emotional recalling that night so MOVING ON. What is your favorite possession? My iPod, really. I've had it since middle school and has 1k+ songs on it that I, like an idiot, am too lazy to back up... soooo when it dies, which it's WAY overdue to do, I will probably tear the world in two. What makes you feel like you are young again? Laughing hysterically. Especially when I do this little squeaking sound. Girt pointed it out all the time and since then I've actually paid attention to it and it's fuckin cute tbh. Are you picky? You. Don't. Even. KNOW. You have one wish, what would it be? World peace. How tall is the person you like? Shorter or taller? She's just like two inches shorter at 5'2''. How tall was the tallest person you’ve dated? Fucking hell, Girt was AT LEAST 6', I'm sure taller. I only reached his chest. How many foreign friends do you have? Oh boy, plenty. Well, I'd say most are acquaintances, but still. I've been on the Internet too long. In which countries do they live? European countries and Australia are the ones I know off the top of my head. What was your dream birthday party as a kid? Hmmm, probably going skating with my friends. What’s the most interesting story you’ve never told anybody? I don't know. What’s the most complicated meal you’ve cooked? Nothing. Have you ever come up with your own game? As kids, my sisters and I did a lot. What is something you value a lot in your life? Having a home, food to eat, a family that loves me... the basics that unfortunately many people don't have. Whose hand did you hold last? Sara's. What was the last thing you planted? Habanero peppers, I think. What or who was the last thing you gossiped about? *shrugs* When's the last time you helped a senior citizen somehow? Probably by holding doors open? What's the most selfless act you have done? Probably compromising my mental health to help others. I dunno. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? wtf no get out of mah swamp Are you clumsy? If so, how? I'm a newborn deer ffs. I bump into and trip over shit every day. How many Lidls are there in your town? None. I think. I think the closest is in the next town over. How do you like your favorite beverage? Cold and freshly opened 'cuz carbonation. Are you going to any concerts this summer? Ozzy Osbourne is very likely and I am NOT over it even though that was decided forever ago. Have you ever been to a concert? Once. What do you do when you can’t escape thoughts of your ex? I have PTSD from that relationship, getting away from those thoughts isn't a thing until my brain decides it's over it. Like I mainly just look for a distraction, but honestly, the only thing that seems to be truly effective is time or sleep. Do you watch any TV shows where the setting’s a hospital? I enjoy The Good Doctor, but I've talked about my disinterest in TV plenty. Did your first real significant other change you at all? HI HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE BREAKUP??????????????? Are you waiting to have sex until you’re married? Nah, not anymore. I broke that "promise" anyway through total cheat methods or whatever you want to call them, but I'm ultimately glad I thought I was obeying abstinence through that time considering honestly with how serious we were and how impulsive I was, I genuinely wonder if I would've wound up pregnant. Let's NOT IMAGINE THAT ROUTE. How many schools have you been to? Six. What’s your favorite color to wear? Black. Isn’t it lovely when your S/O smells good? I mean yeah, would anyone answer "no"???? Who’s your favorite actor? Mark is an official actor now don't even fuckin try me about this Who can make you laugh no matter what? *points up* + Sara and Game Grumps. Has a movie ever made you cry? Which one(s)? The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Titanic, Old Yeller, The Lion King, Coco, Finding Dory, Johnny Got His Gun... man, a lot. I'm a baby when it comes to movies. Do you keep a list of movies you want to watch so you don't forget? No. What was the last song you heard for the first time and enjoyed? It was one of Highly Suspect's new songs. I think it was called "Snow White." What do you prefer -- the original fairy tales, or the Disney versions? Disney. Would you like more film adaptations of traditional fairy tales? Yeah, I enjoy them. Are there any comic books you'd like to see made into a movie? I don't read 'em. Are there any comic book movies you wish had been better? ^ Have you watched the Good Omens series yet? Thoughts? No. Who are some of your favorite female fictional characters, and why? Yrel from World of Warcraft is a fucking badass that needs to come back, I love Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3 with her being a realistic, relatable, and headstrong female protagonist that takes no shit, Bayonetta is my Mommy like have you seen that girl work (she served as some of my first evidence I wasn't straight, actually), I love Cynder from The Legend of Spyro saga with her personality overall and story... there's a lot I love. OH! Ellie from The Last of Us is impossible to not mention. It's beyond debate she's one of the toughest females in video game history, and it was interesting to watch her grow up in a post-apocalyptic world where horrors and tragedy were so normal. Something you didn't like that happened in one of your fave shows/books? GINGA DENSETSU WEED SPOILER: I will forever be livid Jerome died sobs I loved him more than I love myself. THE OUTSIDERS SPOILER: Dally's death devastated me. A character (in anything) you wish hadn't been killed off? Vol'jin's death in WoW was fucking stupid and entirely anticlimactic. Make the guy warchief & then Blizz doesn't know what to do with him and lets trash kill him, such shit writing, look guys I'm fuckin tilted about- What was the last video you saw that made you smile? Oh my god, I watched a clip of Shane Dawson at the Mall of America with Jeffree today, and he was physically in a state of shock, entirely speechless, and in tears. My lips were about to split my face in half smiling and almost crying. He deserves all he's getting right now beyond words. What's something exciting that's happened recently? A Heist With Markiplier was the best thing that ever happened to me ok. What about something upsetting? My grandma going downhill so fast. Cancer cells are now clearly visible in her blood. Do you have any calluses on your feet? So possibly TMI so look away, but I used to walk SO MUCH that my feet, especially my big toes, have the thickest calluses you could probably imagine. They bother me so much that I want to see whatever kind of doctor that can get rid of the damn things. Nothing I've ever done has helped get rid of them. I've CUT areas off in hopes of them going away, but it always heals BACK into a callus???? What was your last big purchase? Teddy's vet visit. Have you ever eaten grits? Grits are disgusting. What is the name of your YouTube channel, if you have one? 0zzkat. Do you wear the same shirt and shorts multiple times before washing? It depends on how long I wore the shirt and if I sweat. You'd never see me in shorts. What color is your favorite lip gloss? I don't use gloss. How many different states have you lived in? Just one. Are you allergic to bees? No. What color is the rim around your bedroom mirror (if applicable)? Black. What is your favorite flavor of saltwater toffee? I don't know if I've ever tried that. Have you ever vacationed on an island? No. What does your favorite bikini look like? Remember how I said you wouldn't see me in shorts? That goes even more for bikinis. What flavor was the last slushee you had? Strawberry limeade.

The Virtual World - The Scary Truth of that Lawless Tomorrow - A True Insight from Experience

I never quite bargained for writing out here as I found my level of comfort on Facebook until the day the Hackers came and turned my world upside down in hope to blame it on the Corona Virus aka Covid19.

While I am a person who takes things as it comes, I learned the truth of what hacking is and how they victimise a person in order to draw them in impoverished living and poverty and all for the crime of wanting to remain reclusive and aloof, comfortable with myself.

I was always pressured by many a loafer with their badge below the belt about the boons of being a beneficial friend devoid of other favours and I used to politely listen and decline as I was no stranger to working with people, men especially till 2am in the morning and trudging home after that to get ready for the next day at work starting around 8am.

Being the kind of job that I do, my interaction with people is limited to many on set with my personal time being just mine alone to spend with my One Above, family, life and dreams creating lyrical artwork based on everyday living and life’s expressions including emotions etc.

I never entered into agreement with anyone to provide them information and details of my living and let alone cringe myself with my life put on hold to such an extent that it has driven me into poverty living me impoverished. I made a choice in 2017-18 to tell one such person, I am returned back to the way I used to be as all that has been wasn’t ME as I dislike my anger and temper and the way I am becoming and they took it as I was a mediocre who was never fruitful in this world for anything else apart from talking to the selfish famed married them about my personal beliefs.

It was right then and there that I should have been cautious with this person who came to be the nemisis of my past marital agreement that still stands and what’s more the ill-treatment they created was way more greater and bigger than what has been within my marriage. I was never pushed and shoved this way by way of hurt, humiliation and pain beyond my mortal tolerance levels that I was forced to relive the pain and anger of their undue interference in my family life to the extent they took everything from me including my matrimony by way of sleeping with other who used that person to destroy my homefront including bring catastrophe and pain within to the extent I learned it is the way of life where nothing ever comes easily for me unless I shout, scream and abuse quite literally to get my way.

While I am never this way in my personal life, I have learned it is the only way I saw things happening until this hacking took place on the 30th of March 2020 and realised how ill-equipped I had become in my life and dreams with all my equipment broken or in repair as I couldn’t care less because my financial woes thanks to being jobless for about 15 months in the corporate world as Creative Work is considered to be a hobby in a country like New Zealand who had a row with me for putting in a GST Claim for my musical rendition shortly after it was released and was getting ready to venture into new possibilities of waking commericalisation of the same via short films and musical studio recordings. It never materialised as I fell ill from the shock and it took me nearly two years to recover only to be thrown into it again as these bullshitting idiots think all this is a needless waste of time rather than an income generator wherein they gaily listen to overseas music but abhor the local names because they are not as talented as the overseas one.

Wrong!!!! I learned to respect my fellow local artists whom I have seen struggle and cry within the acting and musical world because of the law of economics which defy the minimum wage and many an unwilling creative artist refusing to pay the price for quality enhancements and works for prolific acclaim.

In 2017-18, I was giving up being a recording artist because of the nonsense created by the IRD and my music producers and their label friends who humiliated me for being me because of certain indecencies I refused to partake with them whilst virtually complying to their musical request with me as I changed their building block material into a real musical rendition devoid of copywright issues as I created all material with the producers from scratch and got my copywright certificates from overseas which included endorsing my name as an artist which is also my stage name in the film world. None the less, I had friends, most certainly not the satanists from the Illuminati sect, converse with me, in the good old days when I could on Facebook, before this so to say friend made my life very unbearable in reality as well as online, to get back into the recording studio again and I did. It is what brought about my recording When Angels Cry with another producer in a style that I was quite fimiliarised with from my past rather than the turn of the millennium kind of tune.

It was where my troubles began as there was an affiliation to a group of people who sat around me at the workplace who got to know about this recording, which I had kept secret to segregate my creative life from the corporate world only to find somebody got a hold of my pre-released material and cried me at work to the extent, I lost my health and destroyed my job by way of a redundancy. I was never to work again the corporates but for the same hurt that plagued many an artist and producer around, the lack of recognition of local creative work which has fetched many an accolade in the international film industry and many notable works that I have personally partaken as a small time work of art creating features for them.

I love the world of creativity and have worked hard to build my name and reputation around and only to find these dreams shattered by one single mindless twit who began their insane lustful longing of wanting to be ME and pursing my family and life to the extent they posed as a lover to them too with other company and pursued me from within, hurt my family members including my child and drove me to the verge of bankruptcy since September till date with hardly any work coming in and no one willing to take heed with what is happening.

I have been working with the cops since July last year and things came to pass in December when my family broke away from me and didn’t talk right down till the 28th of March when they spoke for the first time. I was angered, hurt, wound and not to say humiliated to the extent I came to be abusive and correcting the negative feelings was never given to my child by me to the extent I am still mending that relationship as they drove my child not to talk with me since November last year.

I never came back to cry and whinge to the world, just came back to clarify the hurt and pain that I was put through by these people who brought similarities of the words and conversations from three of my family members including anger and humiliation to the extent it led me to believe that this was the underlying cause behind what had happened to my account as this person was a proficient hacker and made no silence about it although the name was withheld from me because I grew abusive with them.

While I am never going to clue much of my life again, it is the main reason why I took it to the cops who never quite took it as a cry for help and chose to condemn my asking the law for help to the extent I did give a hinting of what I was looking at because of the way I had been pursued by them to the police and nearly drove myself to the other side of it post that police conversation which refused to acknowledge there was an issue when I clued them I was logged off, there was no curiosity or willingness to pursue the case in a way I had seen in the month of July upon speaking to a police officer with an American accent who clued he was look in to see what could be done and rendered my account safe back then.

I have never felt so let down by New Zealand as a country who as an unmarried premier head who projects herself as God the mother of life without cluing her behind the scenes hinting the truth of what is happening around is all at her behest. I noted the silent threats from the past but I never quite brought myself to accept the negative truths of the bewilderment it held for me in the future, although I did keep away from bringing my true opinions and views out.

Now I am faced with this prospect of Wait Horse, I’ll give you Grass including the fact that I may need to use my social networking accounts as part of employment rather than social interaction, it hurts me beyond belief that these vultures believe their deluded carrion as they call it is waiting to clue a suspecting predator of a hot date that can be virtually captured on variations of likes and poetry and lifestyle and clothing to bring about an aspect of their paving a way of Continual Income that is not a hobby as Creative artwork is a hobby in this land with many an artist getting brought to payment below minimum pay after filling the fattened tax coffers that virtually implore large business to expand and expend smaller ones like myself as they have better monetary capacity.

I was insinuated and insulted about my bank balance, which no one knew of but my eyes and the virtual authorities of governance and on social networking too. I learned my way of life from all this and learned I had to live with this glass house syndrome as that is what the beautiful natural world of life in New Zealand brings to you as part of their social security procedure of keeping crime levels down while making law abiding people like myself think of social creativity from the other side of the law as suggested by the cops in their silent humility to justice of the law rather than the people they are trying to help.

While I am still playing the waiting game, with an hour and half call recording given to the cops with utmost sickening politeness which reached the end of the tether towards the end stemming a hang up because of the obstinate donkey on the side, I have actually come clean to the world saying I have given thought to the other side of the law thanks to the nonchalance of the cops who were quick to support previous criminals who drove me up the world back in the day to the point of alluding suicide and finding a ride in a squad car to this attitude from them showing they don’t quite care about life, love, family, livelihood etc. because for them social networking is all about Bumble, Tinder, screwing and being an absolute ass in the virtual world not in a business perspective or acumen to the extent that I feel so hurt, shattered and humiliated for being a certified eCommerce Programmer who is relearning programming to work on my own, a Sun Certified Java Programmer who when to be a Project Manager using ITIL and Infrastructure and Firewalls to Customer Management and other derivatives of it in the world of life to create a living.

With today’s lockdown being a proof that life is heading for a digital discourse and virtual reality kind of living, one can only dream of the haven we are creating for cybercrack artists of criminology who see this as a blossoming industry for impersonation, get easy peezy money without slogging and convert it into Bit Coin and speed away to a neighbouring land to create a dream come true living lifestyle without being ever caught for their crime.

It is no wonder the physical crime graphics are fading into cyberland tactics of livelihood as the cops don’t care as they don’t see no money being robbed in their eyes despite dropping them all the clues. Well I thank my stars I have a listening ear with an ardent hand to help another if I can on the correct side of the law but hate to think what a person who is less patient than me is put through the exact similar would do. probably gun them all down, like in the USA and then clue get a few criminal hackers and we will make a living like we did back in the day on the other side of the law.

Well that is my experience with a female New Zealand Cop for you who was too busy baring her teeth with the blaring sirens behind her to even pay attention to the quest of her livelihood which borders on creating security to the public. It didn’t help it was the 1st of April 2020 around time for the belly grub.

Not that they cared I was a former victim of domestic violence and that he worked within servers, networks too with an ex colleague who was documented for indecent assault by yours truly with experience in network and firewalls creation and removal for the telecommunication world of New Zealand. Well the complaint is made virtually as asked by them, made with the United States too and they don’t give a toss as the Right of Equality all in the name of the Lord prevails to the magnitude that lawlessness is just the parallel road to success given in encouragement by the NZ cops themselves as the right thing to do for they have no more time to care as they all film stars now, making COVID19 ads and chomping with mouthful of food giving advice to the world while crime rates around soar showing the change of priorities in everyday living.

So is it safe to say this is the world of Diplomatic Relationships (with the Prime Minister giving consent for backyard real marriages as part of social distancing as a Holy Saturday Gift of the Flesh making word around) using the flags of the Reds in Power, Blue in Game, The Greens and Greys still waving showing the Black, Red, White flag combo made it to the top with an unwed mother showing the thumbs down to law and justice as she is God the Mother of all Nature and life around in New Zealand saying High 5 it’s Beehive calling Level 4 to the rest of the Honey Suckle World around.

I want my Facebook account back, if you don’t have a Credible Cyber Team, point me in the direction to the people who can train me in the skill and I will learn it and become the Cry that others can benefit from without being hacked, broken and made to think of crime as a real prospect of law being given the shrug on shoulder as the sign of the new virtual tomorrow.

By Anisha Achankunju (C) Lady Aiyanna 14th April 2020

“Game of Thrones” Season VII: Episode 6 - The Enthralling Power of Complete Idiocy

WARNING: SPOILERS for the latest episode below, so if you haven’t seen it and don’t know yet who dies, who fucks who, and how much of a fucking shitshow it was, turn back now. Also Ballers is coming back. Does anybody watch that?

BEYOND THE WALL

So in case you forgot, the Avengers are still trying to carry out this worst plan ever to bag a wight and show it to Cersei, even though she has never displayed any capability for rational thought. Also Tormund wants to fuck Gendry?

Basically the whole first half of this beyond the wall shit is like speed dating between the weirdest pairs of people. Like, first we have Gendry and The Dude, and Gendry’s just like -

But the Dude is all -

Then it’s J-Snow and Jorah, and like for some reason J-Snow chooses this moment - you know, the one where they’re about to stumble upon an entire zombie army - to be like, “Yo dude, my sword is your dad’s. You should have it.”

Jorah doesn’t take it though, which is good because they’re about to fight zombies. Also in this scene, there are a bunch of Redshirts, which I know, is like totally not a Game of Thrones thing, but there they are anyway.

WINTERFELL

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the newest staff writer at Game of Thrones, who penned all the scenes in Winterfell this week.

Because Arya, who went from -

to -

is now just full on -

And Sansa’s making like everybody who spent last week on Facebook trying to explain to people why gee I dunno WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARE WRONG, just like -

BEYOND THE WALL

More snow. More speed dating. This time with the Hound and Tormund, who’s like -

Then, the Hound uses the word “Dick”

And Tormund has, like, never heard it, he’s so used to using the word “cock” or something, and then D&D literally write this exchange.

Tormund: Dick? I like it. The Hound: I bet you do. Tormund: Nope. It’s pussy for me.

Finally, they come to the arrowhead mountain the Hound saw in the flames.

And The Dude is like, “Are you sure?” And I’m kinda like, “Wait a minute. Aren’t you the guy who’s supposed to know about the flames? Why is the Hound suddenly so wise to it all?”

DRAGONSTONE

P-Dinky (remember him? He used to be a character) is having a fireside chat with D-Baby. He’s basically trying to put Varys’ advice into effect.

But D-Baby just gets real paranoid.

It doesn’t go well.

BEYOND THE WALL

Meanwhile, the Avengers stumble into this total whiteout storm, and they see some like weird animal thing in the distance. It kinda looks like a polar bear until we just see it’s got the zombie eyes. And Gendry’s like, “Do bears have blue eyes?”

Anyway, the bear comes charging at all the Avengers and we’re like, “Oh my God, this is it! One of them is gonna fucking die right now!” But then it just like mauls a redshirt.

Naturally all the Avengers are freaked out. So they literally do this -

And then it’s just like BEAR ATTACK OH MY GOD IT TOTALLY GOT ONE OF OUR BOYS oh wait no it’s just another redshirt.

And then it’s just on. The Dude and Beric turn on their fire swords like -

And down goes somebody else WAS IT THE HOUND nope, redshirt. Finally, it does just fucking maul The Dude though like -

And you really just think it’s gonna go on forever until Jorah stabs it with like the tiniest knife and it... dies...? 

The Dude is fucked up, but instead of being like -

He’s like -

But he’s still alive, because he’s not a redshirt.

WINTERFELL

Sansa’s panicking like -

Until Littlefinger seems to say, “You should have Brienne kill her.” And Sansa seems weirdly chill with it, until she sends Brienne in her stead to King’s Landing immediately after.

BEYOND THE WALL

The Dude is walking again, because there are no consequences to anything anymore, not even getting mauled by a bear. So now’s as good a time as any for the Avengers to run into the zombies. But like just a few. Who are marching around like -

So naturally because they’re crazy, the Avengers just fucking attack. And Jorah’s getting choked, and Gendry’s like “Bang bang Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” until J-Snow is just like -

And this is the part where we learn that when you kill a White Walker, all the zombies that got turned by that dude just like shut down.

But for some reason there was like a rogue zombie chilling with this group? 

Like he got lost or maybe one of his best zombie friends got turned by this White Walker and he wanted to hang out with him? I dunno, but like - they need a zombie and he’s here.

And they’re trying to restrain it but it’s basically just being all -

Until they just cover its mouth and put a bag over its head. Like, I guess that works. But it doesn’t solve the problem of the giant AVALANCHE that’s coming! And then J-Snow tells Gendry to run back to Eastwatch to send a raven to Daenerys. And Gendry’s like, ‘I’m not going!” But J-Snow is like, “You’re the fastest.”

And then. The Avengers. Book it. Right into this like frozen lake arena which is just BEGGING to be the locale for a crazy action setpiece. And they’re like running over the ice, and the zombies are just like surrounding them. And meanwhile, J-Snow is running pretty fast. Like, I don’t know if Gendry can top this speed.

Oh, yeah, also another Redshirt dies. Like, so many Redshirts die that I’m running out of Redshirt GIFs. Luckily this Redshirt’s death triggers ALL the ice around the Avengers to break so the zombies can’t get to them.

Meanwhile, Gendry is RUNNING!

Like, he packed his Reeboks. 

Or like some time has passed. Who knows. It’s morning now and the zombies are just chilling waiting for the lake to freeze again. And the Avengers are in the middle like -

Honestly, there’s a moment where it kinda looks like the Hound was snuggling with J-Snow. But if he was feeling warm and fuzzy, that all goes away when he kicks the zombie they’ve captured and it makes all the other zombies go -

Also, there are SO MANY zombies surrounding them. Like there’s the main level and then there’s literally a mezzanine. Oh yeah, also The Dude is dead. So naturally Beric Dondarrion is like -

Except like, “I’m gonna burn your body, Jack. I’m gonna burn your body.” Anyway, things are looking pretty dire at this moment, and J-Snow is like, “Daenerys is our only chance.” To which Beric replies -

And he doesn’t mean Princess Leia either. He’s talking about killing the Night King, who I’m gonna start calling the Night Queen just because. So Her Majesty is perched on a mountain nearby just like -

While somebody is banging on a piano all -

DRAGONSTONE

D-Baby is once again not listening to P-Dinky, except this time she’s wearing a very fashion-forward white coat-dress-thing. 

BEYOND THE WALL

Speaking of not making good decisions, the Hound is stir-crazy and throwing rocks at the zombies. Which is all fun and games until the zombies realize that the lake is frozen and they can fucking attack. But instead of running they all kinda runway walk toward the Avengers like -

Which is good, because it means the Avengers can pick them off one by one. Which is what they do. Also, there’s a sick violin thing happening under this part. It’s actually going pretty well. Like, they only lose one more redshirt.

I’M OUT OF REDSHIRT GIFS.

Anyway, soon it gets out of hand and the zombies are swarming, at which point J-Snow yells, “FALL BACK!” And I’m kinda just like -

Also strike that. Two more redshirts. Anyway, it gets all too much and slow-mo and everyone seems like they’re gonna die, it’s very -

But then, of course, the dragons are here, and D-Baby is just wiping out zombies like -

And she starts loading everyone onto Drogon like he’s a fucking taxicab.

And it really seems like everyone’s gonna make it out alive, until The Night Queen is just like, “Bring me my fucking javelin.” And lemme tell you, that little amulet thing she’s wearing around her neck MUST be a gold medal from her track and field days because she’s just like -

and D-Baby’s crying and like fuck I’M CRYING and there’s just blood gushing everywhere like -

And the dragon’s all-

But there is NO time to be sad, because the Queen is loading another fucking javelin and J-Snow’s just like “GO!” Until he gets mauled and falls into the water. And D-Baby’s like, “I want that D but I don’t want my dragon to die!” So off she goes.

Guys. This episode still isn’t fucking over. Because the camera lingers on J-Snow’s sword and I totally thought it was just gonna cut to black, but he climbs out of the water.

And it totally seems like the zombies are gonna fuck him up, when suddenly somebody rides in on a horse waving a fire ball. And I’m literally just like, “At this point, it can be only one person.”

Beyonce.

It’s not. It’s Benjen, who gives J-Snow his horse and then goes to the zombies like -

WINTERFELL

Phew. Sansa is sneaking around in Arya’s room when she finds her sister’s stash of creepy face masks, because apparently Arya just keeps that under her bed. Also the one face def looks like a Trump mask.

Anyway, Arya’s acting like a total creep being like, “These are my faces. I went to drama school and now -”

It’s too goddamn much.

DAENERYS’ SHIP

Forgive me, but it did feel like there was legit sexual tension between J-Snow and D-Baby in this scene. So much so that J-Snow calls her “Dany.”

If we remember, that’s what her rapey creep brother used to call her, so you know - par for the course for weird incest relationship we’re all actively rooting for. 

BEYOND THE WALL

The White Walker somehow got a bunch of chains (we’re really just pulling shit out of our asses now) and are heaving like -

And out comes the dragon. And the Night Queen just struts toward it like -

Like truly. She takes her time. And she lays her hand on the dragon like -

And sure enough, we linger on the dragon’s eye.

And we linger.

And we linger.

Until it’s just like -

Except it’ blue. Because it’s a zombie now, get it?

BODY COUNT: 9 (RIP White Walker Lieutenant, The Dude, the Dragon - was it Viserion? and 6 Redshirts) BOOB COUNT: None (is it time to retire this?) EPISODE GRADE: C+

SER POUNCE’S STRAY THOUGHTS

If somebody mentions bending the knee one more time, my head will explode.

This episode just really felt like Thrones going completely off the rails on every level. They have no time to make sense of all the plot developments that are happening, so we’re just getting random events trotted out that feel artificial. There is a world where Arya becoming a mistrusting vengeful person makes sense, but the jump was so drastic. It felt like Arya became an entirely different character overnight.

In all the chaos, I totally forgot that Cleganebowl could totally still be on.

The Daenerys scene is once more setting up the inevitable splitting of Tyrion and her. I think this has been handled pretty well, although what do we think about Tyrion making so many poor decisions? Back in Season 2, he was so slick with every plan and now he’s made several (including the one about trying to meet with Cersei) that seem unfounded in any logic, particularly when he’s the most logical of the characters.

D&D have pointed out in interviews the circle-like patterns the White Walkers make throughout the series. The overhead shot of the Avengers standoff with the polar bear = a continuation of this circle motif.

“I just got bit by a dead bear.” Same, dude. Same.

Sansa says, “Jon is not here. I haven’t heard from him in weeks.” That seems like a dick move, Jon.

“You’re faster without the hammer,” says Tormund. As if he’s seen him run both with and without the hammer. Did I miss an episode where Gendry is like an incredible long distance runner?

Confused as to why Sansa is being summoned to King’s Landing. Isn’t this just about presenting the wight to Cersei? What does Sansa have to do with this?

Regarding Pod, “He has become a competent swordsman.” False.

All this said, it does seem like Sansa has a trick up her sleeve. 

I’m also confused about killing the wights. I thought they had to burn to die, but it seemed like sword wounds and shit did them in this week. Can anyone confirm?

The dragon death did hit me, but do we know which dragon it was? The Internet says Viserion, but D&D don’t seem to even know in their after-episode interview. They just keep calling it “the dragon.”

The javelin thing was ridiculous. I know it, you know it, everybody knows it.

Yes, the Arya scene was crazy. But her offering the knife to Sansa - that’s gotta mean something, yeah?

Where’s Bran? Where’s Theon? Where’s Euron? Where’s Grey Worm? WTF is going to happen next week?

What is the show trying to make us feel with this Daenerys-Jon Snow love story? She’s his aunt, and we know this, but we want it (hell, I even want it). I feel like it’d be interesting to subvert our rooting for this, since we are always grossed out by Jaime and Cersei. Or maybe I’m looking for nuance where there isn’t any. It feels weird regardless.

So it seems like the dragon will help them bring down the Wall next episode. If that’s true, I wonder how it would be if we didn’t see its resurrection.

What did you guys think of this episode? As you can tell from the title, I was enthralled while watching it, but looking back feel like nothing that happened makes any sense at all. The Game of Thrones world has always been one subverting conventional fantasy tropes, i.e. the heroes cornered by the zombies in the middle of a frozen lake don’t heroically escape, they die. And as for that javelin, it exists solely because D&D needed the Night King to take down a dragon. 

Basically if you watched the first episode of Game of Thrones and then you watched this one, you’d think you were watching two completely different shows.

NEXT WEEK: Barack is back, Sansa makes some sort of decision, and literally every major character meets in King’s Landing.

Wide Open Country: The Truth About Midland

By Jeremy Burchard | September 29, 2017

Editor’s note: Jeremy Burchard is a Senior Music Writer for Wide Open Country and Associate Editor of Texas Music. The following op-ed is a response to articles by the blog Saving Country Music that question the legitimacy and authenticity of rising country trio Midland.

Kyle Coroneos, the author and founder of Saving Country Music, is wrong about Midland. Also known as “Trigger,” he is a talented writer with strong convictions and a passionate readership.

But he’s wrong about that band. He’s wrong when he calls them “bullshitters.” He’s wrong when he calls two-thirds of them “Hollywood elite,” and he’s very wrong when he claims they didn’t write their music, but are instead the product of Shane McAnally and Music Row machinations.

And it matters that he’s wrong. Because over the past week, Coroneos’ articles have been making their way across important spheres of influence. People within the music industry, whom I know and respect, are reading these articles and sharing them, taking them at face value. People who work in radio, other artists, venue owners, publicists and writers see this narrative. And because those articles seem compelling (if not dramatic), a lot of them believe it, which is both unfair and potentially damaging to a band that, despite their recent success, is still new to a lot of people.

The “Authenticity” Argument

I authored a spotlight article on Midland for the new issue of Texas Music magazine, spending hours researching the band and listening to both their new and old music. I interviewed them, songwriter/producer Shane McAnally and producer Dan Huff. And I watched them perform at the Springwater Supper Club & Lounge in Nashville. They served mini hamburgers and mini hot dogs. I was tempted, but refrained.

“Authenticity” is a slippery slope and a pointless argument. About 95% of George Strait’s music came from other writers. Brad Paisley doesn’t drink alcohol but one of his most popular songs ever is called “Alcohol.” Robert Johnson never sold his soul to the devil, and the Beatles intentionally fed false stories to New Musical Express. It goes on and on.

But Coroneos seems to create his own benchmarks of authenticity and then peddles accusations to meet them. He never spoke to the band or anybody associated with them. He intentionally does this, he tells me, because he believes interviews can “erode objectivity.”

“I’m not against others interviewing artists,” Coroneos explained to me over email. “But since I specialize in criticism and commentary, it generally behooves me to stay once removed from interacting with artists beyond cordial, brief exchanges that may happen in the course of business.” I get the sentiment there.

But interviews are the cornerstone of journalism. Combined with independent fact-checking and cross-referencing, they form the very basis of what we do. As uncomfortable as it may be, our job is to do what we can to get facts first-hand, even if they point towards a warranted lambasting of people we know personally.

As a writer who specializes in criticism — and Coroneos is a very gifted writer — he relies heavily on other journalists to lay the groundwork for him. In his case, he hasn’t seen Midland perform live (though he wants to when the opportunity presents itself). Which, to his point, he doesn’t need to see them live to critique their record. But it’s the least you could do if you’re going to call a band bullshitting elitists who don’t even write their own music.

“Hollywood Elite”

So let’s correct a few talking points used to de-legitimize the band. Like Mark Wystrach’s modeling and acting roles and Cameron Duddy directing music videos. Coroneos says this makes the pair “part of the power elite of the entertainment world.” Who knew underwear models held so much power?

In reality, Wystrach lived in a trailer by the beach. He tended bar way more than he modeled or acted. Those gigs are low paying, hard to come by and hardly “elite.” Directing music videos is just as volatile. And a great way to go gray in the hair before you’re thirty.

All of Duddy’s videography gigs supported his music habit, including his early band with Jess Carson Major Gray. Anybody who really believes that being the son of the second camera operator on 1999’s Mystery Men lands you a job with Bruno Mars is either a great comedian or woefully uninformed.

Duddy explained in an earlier interview, “I couldn’t get any job through my parents. I had rock, folk, Americana bands. I just started doing videos for my friends.” And eventually it grew, Duddy made friends, one gig led to another. Just like every person hustling.

Coroneos’ “Hollywood elite” jab backs artists into a corner and makes them defensive, so they talk about living hand to mouth and borrowing money from their manager to stay afloat. Both of those applied to Duddy, and it’s *embarrassing* the band feels they have to defend themselves so much that they’re revealing personal financial details instead of talking about music. Because it shouldn’t matter.

Yes, Duddy used connections to get a foot in the door. His friend, who manages pop acts and has no experience in country, liked their 2014 Sonic Ranch demos (helmed by Austin mainstay David Garza) so much that he took it upon himself to manage them and find out how to get them in front of people. They met manager Jason Owen and told him, “We’re going to do this one way or another.” Owen liked them, their music and their hustle, so called up Shane McAnally and got them in a room together.

But once you get in front of people, it’s your job as an artist to blow them away. Which they did, because they have years of performing, including in those talked-about tiny bars, where they played the much-loathed three and four-hour sets, testing out original songs and covers.

“Four Shows At Poodies”

Coroneos also references the band’s performances in Texas frequently. He makes it seem as if they only played four shows at Poodie’s before signing a deal with Big Machine.

Even just a cursory search of Midland’s Facebook page reveals an incomplete list of past dates full of Texas mainstays. Mercer Street, The Broken Spoke (the dinner happy hour two or three times before they got the main stage), Scholz, Shiner’s Saloon, The Saxon Pub, Threadgills, The White Horse, Easy Tiger, The Continental Club.

Which makes sense, because Midland had a small booking arrangement with Lisa at boutique agency Moxie Booking, who got them a lot of those weekend warrior shows. They secured that by booking their own shows and promoting themselves. Hell, they’re still listed on the Moxie website alongside acts like Tessy Lou and The Warhorses.

Poodie’s is a part of their narrative because that was their first show together in Texas. A 5:30 p.m. slot on a Tuesday afternoon to a handful of barflies. They eventually worked their way up to an opening gig with Gary P. Nunn and, yes, that residency. Between decades before Texas and a few years after, “They put their time in just like the rest of us,” McAnally says.

“Midland Was Manifested”

Coroneos claims Midland didn’t write their own music, which is a huge accusation. Despite some or all of the band being writers on every track, he uses a quote from McAnally to justify this claim. In the quote, McAnally says it felt like he and co-writer Josh Osborne “manifested” the band as a vehicle for the 1970s-era country tunes they love to write. Coroneos calls McAnally a “puppet master” insinuating that he was responsible for creating Sam Hunt, Old Dominion and now Midland.

“He’s giving me far too much credit,” McAnally laughs. “But you can’t just call it his opinion. That’s not an opinion. That’s just lying.”

When McAnally says they “manifested” their relationship, he means that he and Osborne kept wishing a band would come along that shared their vision. And on the other side, Midland wished somebody wanted to take their sound to new commercial highs. “It’s like both sides dreamed each other up,” he says. “We were inviting our paths to cross.” And he uses the Weird Science reference because Midland seemed like their version of the “perfect girl” that walked into the room, songs, talent and style in hand.

To suggest that every writer on those songs willingly have up more than 50% of their writer’s share to perpetuate a narrative is beyond far-fetched.

Why Does It Matter?

When it comes to being called second in line for the “Country Music Antichrist” (as well as the biggest producer in the world), McAnally laughs. “It hasn’t hurt my feelings,” McAnally says. “And I’m not just saying that. I’m very sensitive and I want people to like what I do. But when I read [these articles] I literally laugh and I know the way I feel about it. I can gauge myself and ask, ‘Is this hurting me?’ It’s not. But this Midland thing could hurt them. Because it’s taken off.”

He’s right. Coroneos’ false narrative is more responsible for never-ending quotes about their origin than anybody. And if you read something he writes without knowing the truth, you should question Midland. And then it becomes all anybody talks about.

Because people are looking to poke holes, especially if they’re already jaded by the industry. They don’t want to believe those three guys write the music they write and dress the way they dress because they want to, and got successful doing it.

“Midland are the same people who walked into the studio two and a half years ago when I met them,” McAnally says. “They had an aspiration to take the songs they were playing in bars and take them to the next level without compromising their music.”

And judging by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to their record, they did just that. And Coroneos, to his credit, wants the band to succeed. “Of all the negative things I’ve said about Midland, I want them to succeed because I want traditional country music in the mainstream to succeed,” he says.

The good news is the negative things he says just aren’t based in reality. So don’t do yourself a disservice and let the misinformed musings of an otherwise passionate writer convince you Midland is anything less than what they are.

Quantum Investing; Beyond Retail; Wayfail; Shwedy Security

Quantum Investing; Beyond Retail; Wayfail; Shwedy Security:

A Quantum Leap

Today, dear readers, we take off our quarantine masks and put on our thinking caps. Well … figuratively speaking, at least. Keep those masks on for now, please.

Why our thinking caps? Because President Trump’s 2021 budget requests $237 million in funding for quantum computing. Roughly $25 million of that budget request comes directly from the U.S. Department of Energy — you know, the guys that helped bring us the internet 60 years ago?

While Trump’s budget still has a long way to go — i.e., through a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives — even he knows that quantum computing is the future of technology as we know it.

And that future is exceedingly bright, especially for investors who get in early.

That’s great, Mr. Great Stuff, real great. More spending on technology while we fight a virus? You’re starting to sound like Bold Profits. So, what is this “quantum computing” … and why should I care?

Why should you care? Hmm … because if we had quantum computers right now, we may already have a cure or vaccine for COVID-19. How’s that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?

So far, everything you’ve ever seen, written, read or interacted with on a computer or the internet is made up of ones and zeros at its core. Get enough of these ones and zeros together, and you can publish a free e-zine on BanyanHill.com and deliver it to thousands of people on the internet.

But quantum computing? Now that’s a horse of a different color.

Quantum computing will change everything we know about computers, the internet, smartphones, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), health care, virus management … and even the weather.

It’s a complex topic that deserves a much more in-depth explanation if you’re into future technology. Though, I know you’re itching to hear the market side of things. (Quantum profits? In my portfolio?!) Tech investors, listen up…

The Takeaway:

Essentially, quantum computing is the next leap forward in our digital evolution. President Trump knows this, and it’s why he’s pushing for millions in new funding.

Now, your question should be: How do I get in on the emerging quantum computing mega trend?

I’m glad you asked! The answer is a lot simpler than you might expect…

Right now, only a handful of tech companies have the financial wherewithal to dive into quantum computing research in a meaningful way. Here are three to get you started:

Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL): The Google parent always has a lot of goofy pet projects in the works, but the company’s quantum computing project is no joke. Codenamed “Bristlecone,” Alphabet’s new quantum computing semiconductor has 72 quantum bits, or qubits. These are the building blocks of quantum chips, just like bits are for current chips. The company leads the arms race in quantum computing power.

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM): Good old “Big Blue” built one of the world’s first successful quantum computers. While that computer has since been overshadowed by Alphabet’s Bristlecone, IBM remains at the forefront of developing a “commercial available universal quantum computer for business and science” … at least, according to the company’s quantum research page. A breakthrough in quantum computing could be just what IBM needs to return to relevancy in the data center and AI markets.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC): You didn’t think the world’s original semiconductor behemoth would be left out of the quantum computing revolution, did you? Intel is already rolling out quantum semiconductors. Unfortunately, all of those chips need to operate at temperatures near absolute zero. That’s one hell of a cooling system. However, Intel is reportedly close to creating a 128 qubit chip, which would put it well ahead of Alphabet in the quantum processing race.

I know that’s a lot to take in … especially with our brains on autopilot after being locked inside for the past month. So, let me make this easier for you:

If you want expert, cutting-edge stock research on everything from AI to quantum computing, click here now!

The Good: Shwedy Results

In what should surprise literally no one, IT security and services firm, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) beat earnings and revenue expectations this morning.

This stay-at-home market has been a boon for Check Point, with the company beating Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations by $0.04 per share. Revenue of $486.5 million also topped the consensus estimate.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we sustained elevated business activity levels and delivered results in the upper half of our guidance with strength coming from the Americas,” said CEO Gil Shwed.

But, while the prior quarter benefited greatly from the new work-at-home economy, Shwed warned that “it’s hard to predict what effect this changing environment will have on the future.”

I get it. The future is hard to predict, especially right now. But, as long as this lockdown stays in effect, Check Point will continue to benefit handsomely.

The Bad: No Meat for You

“Stock rally + food service exposure + increased retail competition = downside risk,” says UBS analyst Steven Strycula. And you thought you were done with math today!

Strycula’s “new math” is in reference to Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND). And, after BYND’s recent 100% surge, the UBS analyst believes now is the time to ditch BYND stock. He cut BYND from hold to sell and slashed his price target from $90 to $73.

In short, Strycula’s reasoning is that Beyond Meat has relied on restaurant deals to boost its bottom line. With practically every restaurant in the U.S. shut down, Beyond Meat will take a hit to its bottom line.

I admit that UBS has a point over the short term at least. Over the long term, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to change the eating habits of millions. As Great Stuff reported on Friday, CFRA Research told clients: “Most infectious disease outbreaks are transmitted from animals to humans.”

Furthermore, meat processing is shutting down around the world. You already know that China struggles with pork production. Now, we have Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) shutting down processing plants due to the virus.

These stories are clearly a short-term boost for BYND, driving investor sentiment more than the company’s bottom line. So, UBS isn’t wrong … for now. But the problems surrounding meat production amid COVID-19 give insight into Beyond Meat’s future. And that future is trending in the meatless wonder’s favor.

The Ugly: Way(Above)Fair Value

Remember when Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, issued guidance far below expectations with negative quarterly margins?

Yeah, neither does Wall Street.

Wayfair stock has gone on a 400% bender since its Ides of March lows. But someone on Wall Street finally came to their senses.

Stifel analyst Scott Devitt responded to Wayfair’s insanity by downgrading the stock from buy to hold. According to Devitt, the stock passed his price target of $115 last week, and it’s time for a break.

Well … it’s not a resounding rebuke of the stock’s 400% surge, but I’ll take what I can get.

Wayfair’s main problem is that it has to spend — a lot — to stay fresh in consumers’ minds. The company directly competes with everyone from Amazon to Walmart … but it doesn’t have the same brand recognition.

In short, Wayfair’s revenue boost from online shopping amid the pandemic is eaten up by advertising costs.

I swear, I’m so tired of seeing Wayfair ads on Facebook. I can’t imagine how much this is costing the company … oh, wait, I can: negative margins.

The point is, Wayfair is nothing special. It offers products that you can find virtually everywhere else. The only reason it gets attention is because people can’t shop outside. As such, I fully expect Wayfair to see a sharp drop in sales once this lockdown is over. And that’s bad news for W shares.

Today’s Chart of the Week once again comes courtesy of Earnings Whispers on Twitter, with a whole lotta earnings season shakin’ goin’ on.

Hey, I can’t be the only one who gets excited about this kind of stuff. If you’ve never felt the brisk energizing action of corporate earnings, well, maybe you’re a more well-adjusted person than lil ol’ me.

Roughly 30% of the S&P 500 Index is set to report earnings this week, with more than a third of the Dow also spilling its beans. Not to mention, this week features the trillion-dollar tech titans face off. All eyes are on Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a beacon of all online shopping supply chains, and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), bellwether of the “gotta get it now” crowd.

Google’s parent Alphabet already sowed doubts about its ad-dependent business slowing down. (And if you want to talk “we live and breathe ads,” why, Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is just getting started … show me another Wayfair ad, I dare you, Zuckerberg!)

Here’s what else is kicking off this week:

AMD has yet another chance to upheave its consumer computer chip rival Intel.

Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) fanatics and traders alike will go ape-$#^! no matter what Elon Musk and co. end up reporting.

We hear from Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE: SPOT), the streaming underdog and longtime Great Stuff Granted, I don’t think too many families are out there spending quarantine together around the radio. Guess I might as well huddle around to stream for Roosevelt’s fireside chats while I’m at it…

We get to see how much useless (or not-so-useless) stuff people have been buying on eBay.

It’s an all-airline affair with the best bailed-out buds, along with a look at how Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) is holding up with the air industry’s collapse (plus, you know, its other production and PR debacles).

Finally, we round out the week with the Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) and Abbive Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) — two of Great Stuff’s stocks to beat the Wuhan virus … when we still called it that.

It’s sure to be a topsy-turvy week of earnings … but it’s not like you expected otherwise, right? Stick with Great Stuff and Banyan Hill, and we’ll help you dispel the earnings excellence from the hype and hogwash.

If you’re looking to venture out hunting for market bargains, just remember: You never have to go alone! Take a guide. They’re handy. They’ve been through choppy and unexpected markets before. And no matter what kind of earnings apocalypse we may be due for, you’ll want to keep your wits about you.

Click here now to find your guide.

That’s a wrap for today, but you can always catch us on social media: Facebook and Twitter. We hope you’re staying well out there!

Until next time, stay Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

A Quantum Leap

Today, dear readers, we take off our quarantine masks and put on our thinking caps. Well … figuratively speaking, at least. Keep those masks on for now, please.

Why our thinking caps? Because President Trump’s 2021 budget requests $237 million in funding for quantum computing. Roughly $25 million of that budget request comes directly from the U.S. Department of Energy — you know, the guys that helped bring us the internet 60 years ago?

While Trump’s budget still has a long way to go — i.e., through a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives — even he knows that quantum computing is the future of technology as we know it.

And that future is exceedingly bright, especially for investors who get in early.

That’s great, Mr. Great Stuff, real great. More spending on technology while we fight a virus? You’re starting to sound like Bold Profits. So, what is this “quantum computing” … and why should I care?

Why should you care? Hmm … because if we had quantum computers right now, we may already have a cure or vaccine for COVID-19. How’s that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?

So far, everything you’ve ever seen, written, read or interacted with on a computer or the internet is made up of ones and zeros at its core. Get enough of these ones and zeros together, and you can publish a free e-zine on BanyanHill.com and deliver it to thousands of people on the internet.

But quantum computing? Now that’s a horse of a different color.

Quantum computing will change everything we know about computers, the internet, smartphones, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), health care, virus management … and even the weather.

It’s a complex topic that deserves a much more in-depth explanation if you’re into future technology. Though, I know you’re itching to hear the market side of things. (Quantum profits? In my portfolio?!) Tech investors, listen up…

The Takeaway:

Essentially, quantum computing is the next leap forward in our digital evolution. President Trump knows this, and it’s why he’s pushing for millions in new funding.

Now, your question should be: How do I get in on the emerging quantum computing mega trend?

I’m glad you asked! The answer is a lot simpler than you might expect…

Right now, only a handful of tech companies have the financial wherewithal to dive into quantum computing research in a meaningful way. Here are three to get you started:

Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL): The Google parent always has a lot of goofy pet projects in the works, but the company’s quantum computing project is no joke. Codenamed “Bristlecone,” Alphabet’s new quantum computing semiconductor has 72 quantum bits, or qubits. These are the building blocks of quantum chips, just like bits are for current chips. The company leads the arms race in quantum computing power.

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM): Good old “Big Blue” built one of the world’s first successful quantum computers. While that computer has since been overshadowed by Alphabet’s Bristlecone, IBM remains at the forefront of developing a “commercial available universal quantum computer for business and science” … at least, according to the company’s quantum research page. A breakthrough in quantum computing could be just what IBM needs to return to relevancy in the data center and AI markets.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC): You didn’t think the world’s original semiconductor behemoth would be left out of the quantum computing revolution, did you? Intel is already rolling out quantum semiconductors. Unfortunately, all of those chips need to operate at temperatures near absolute zero. That’s one hell of a cooling system. However, Intel is reportedly close to creating a 128 qubit chip, which would put it well ahead of Alphabet in the quantum processing race.

I know that’s a lot to take in … especially with our brains on autopilot after being locked inside for the past month. So, let me make this easier for you:

If you want expert, cutting-edge stock research on everything from AI to quantum computing, click here now!

The Good: Shwedy Results

In what should surprise literally no one, IT security and services firm, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) beat earnings and revenue expectations this morning.

This stay-at-home market has been a boon for Check Point, with the company beating Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations by $0.04 per share. Revenue of $486.5 million also topped the consensus estimate.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we sustained elevated business activity levels and delivered results in the upper half of our guidance with strength coming from the Americas,” said CEO Gil Shwed.

But, while the prior quarter benefited greatly from the new work-at-home economy, Shwed warned that “it’s hard to predict what effect this changing environment will have on the future.”

I get it. The future is hard to predict, especially right now. But, as long as this lockdown stays in effect, Check Point will continue to benefit handsomely.

The Bad: No Meat for You

“Stock rally + food service exposure + increased retail competition = downside risk,” says UBS analyst Steven Strycula. And you thought you were done with math today!

Strycula’s “new math” is in reference to Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND). And, after BYND’s recent 100% surge, the UBS analyst believes now is the time to ditch BYND stock. He cut BYND from hold to sell and slashed his price target from $90 to $73.

In short, Strycula’s reasoning is that Beyond Meat has relied on restaurant deals to boost its bottom line. With practically every restaurant in the U.S. shut down, Beyond Meat will take a hit to its bottom line.

I admit that UBS has a point over the short term at least. Over the long term, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to change the eating habits of millions. As Great Stuff reported on Friday, CFRA Research told clients: “Most infectious disease outbreaks are transmitted from animals to humans.”

Furthermore, meat processing is shutting down around the world. You already know that China struggles with pork production. Now, we have Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) shutting down processing plants due to the virus.

These stories are clearly a short-term boost for BYND, driving investor sentiment more than the company’s bottom line. So, UBS isn’t wrong … for now. But the problems surrounding meat production amid COVID-19 give insight into Beyond Meat’s future. And that future is trending in the meatless wonder’s favor.

The Ugly: Way(Above)Fair Value

Remember when Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, issued guidance far below expectations with negative quarterly margins?

Yeah, neither does Wall Street.

Wayfair stock has gone on a 400% bender since its Ides of March lows. But someone on Wall Street finally came to their senses.

Stifel analyst Scott Devitt responded to Wayfair’s insanity by downgrading the stock from buy to hold. According to Devitt, the stock passed his price target of $115 last week, and it’s time for a break.

Well … it’s not a resounding rebuke of the stock’s 400% surge, but I’ll take what I can get.

Wayfair’s main problem is that it has to spend — a lot — to stay fresh in consumers’ minds. The company directly competes with everyone from Amazon to Walmart … but it doesn’t have the same brand recognition.

In short, Wayfair’s revenue boost from online shopping amid the pandemic is eaten up by advertising costs.

I swear, I’m so tired of seeing Wayfair ads on Facebook. I can’t imagine how much this is costing the company … oh, wait, I can: negative margins.

The point is, Wayfair is nothing special. It offers products that you can find virtually everywhere else. The only reason it gets attention is because people can’t shop outside. As such, I fully expect Wayfair to see a sharp drop in sales once this lockdown is over. And that’s bad news for W shares.

Today’s Chart of the Week once again comes courtesy of Earnings Whispers on Twitter, with a whole lotta earnings season shakin’ goin’ on.

Hey, I can’t be the only one who gets excited about this kind of stuff. If you’ve never felt the brisk energizing action of corporate earnings, well, maybe you’re a more well-adjusted person than lil ol’ me.

Roughly 30% of the S&P 500 Index is set to report earnings this week, with more than a third of the Dow also spilling its beans. Not to mention, this week features the trillion-dollar tech titans face off. All eyes are on Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a beacon of all online shopping supply chains, and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), bellwether of the “gotta get it now” crowd.

Google’s parent Alphabet already sowed doubts about its ad-dependent business slowing down. (And if you want to talk “we live and breathe ads,” why, Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is just getting started … show me another Wayfair ad, I dare you, Zuckerberg!)

Here’s what else is kicking off this week:

AMD has yet another chance to upheave its consumer computer chip rival Intel.

Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) fanatics and traders alike will go ape-$#^! no matter what Elon Musk and co. end up reporting.

We hear from Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE: SPOT), the streaming underdog and longtime Great Stuff Granted, I don’t think too many families are out there spending quarantine together around the radio. Guess I might as well huddle around to stream for Roosevelt’s fireside chats while I’m at it…

We get to see how much useless (or not-so-useless) stuff people have been buying on eBay.

It’s an all-airline affair with the best bailed-out buds, along with a look at how Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) is holding up with the air industry’s collapse (plus, you know, its other production and PR debacles).

Finally, we round out the week with the Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) and Abbive Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) — two of Great Stuff’s stocks to beat the Wuhan virus … when we still called it that.

It’s sure to be a topsy-turvy week of earnings … but it’s not like you expected otherwise, right? Stick with Great Stuff and Banyan Hill, and we’ll help you dispel the earnings excellence from the hype and hogwash.

If you’re looking to venture out hunting for market bargains, just remember: You never have to go alone! Take a guide. They’re handy. They’ve been through choppy and unexpected markets before. And no matter what kind of earnings apocalypse we may be due for, you’ll want to keep your wits about you.

Click here now to find your guide.

That’s a wrap for today, but you can always catch us on social media: Facebook and Twitter. We hope you’re staying well out there!

Until next time, stay Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

taken: 27 may, 2018 Somewhere in Iceland

Power to truth. Also *mlem*

If it wasn’t clear, this is the same day as the last post and definitive proof that the horses were indeed not alone. Though this horse is by itself too and this could just be in two separate pastures. You’ll just have to believe me, I guess.

Look at the horse. Man, it’s a cute horse. There’s no pretention or facade about the horse. The horse is a horse. If you could see these Icelandic horses, you’d marvel at how small they are. They’re basically like Lil Sebastian from Parks and Recreation⸺not ponies, but small horses. This is an adult horse that looks undergrown but is in fact not. 

For those few that somehow have stuck this long with this thing, get ready for what we call in the industry, a stretch.

I mention the horse being a horse because I am sometimes baffled by how we as humans are. “Human” humans seem to be a rarer breed than “horsey” horses nowadays. Have I lost you? Let me explain. 

One of the key differentiators of our species (apart from opposable thumbs) from so many other species out there, is our use of complex language. Animals speak, just as we do, but there’s a beauty in how simplistic it is. In the immortal words of Jeff Winger from the TV show Community: “You know who has real conversations? Ants. They talk by vomiting chemicals in each other's mouths. They get right down to brass tacks”. Animals communicate purely in utilitarian fashions, as far as I’m aware (if someone knows enough zoology or animal linguistics to inform me otherwise, I’d love to hear it). “There’s food here!” “Watch out for the predator!” “Come drink water!”, there’s little room for subtlety or sarcasm. Humans, I guess in our dominance as the apex predator of this planet, have developed enough of a sense of comfort that we have had the ability to develop this “complex language”. We can be subtle, indirect, sarcastic, facetious and more, and our message is still somehow generally conveyed to out audience or conversers. There’s no need for utilitarian dialogue in our society. We don’t want to hear if we look fat in an outfit or ugly in a hat, we want ourselves to feel better about ourselves and our place in this world.


Somehow, in the pursuit of that feeling, the feeling of satisfaction, some people take the route of least resistance and start to lie with gleeful abandon. It’s like in Avengers: Infinity War when the Collector asks Thanos, “Why would I lie to you?” and Thanos replies, “I imagine it’s like breathing for you.” Seriously, it’s appalling the level to which people will lie, cheat, manipulate, and con just to get ahead. Now, before anyone (any of those three readers) who calls me out for high-horsing (no pun intended) on this matter, I openly admit I’ve told my fair share of lies. But, to the best of my knowledge, I have not done it ever in a work or academic setting to better my standing. Beyond lying in professional settings, disingenuousness is perhaps my least favorite quality in a person. Any of my friends (I hope) would know that above all else in a person, I value genuineness above all else, in whatever form that may be. I think I have a pretty good read on people, but other people are not blind to that kind of stuff either. That “bullshit meter” is something I think every one of us develops over time just interacting with other people. Isn’t that kind of nuts, how ants just barf their feelings to one another while we need to develop an implicit metric to decipher other people simply being honest or not?


I don’t say all this because I’ve recently been wronged or lied to by someone. I think I have distilled and retained a social circle which at this point is open enough to be above-board and not have to lie to each other and me. It’s more of a trend I’ve seen in amongst others from my university and high school, who are so affectionately called “the snakes”, as well as on social media. I’m not going to necessarily dig into those real-life “snakes” right now because it’s beyond my understanding or energy to engage with those kinds of people right now. I manage to skirt my way around them enough that they don’t overly affect my life right now. Maybe I’ll touch on them in a future post. 

Just recently, a friend of mine was talking about how bored and isolated they are where they work. I suggested they meet up with someone (classmate of ours from high school) in the same city as them and the immediate reaction was of rebuke, simply due to that someone’s social media presence seeming put on and artificial. On that level, I get it. Social media is perhaps the means to the end of fulfilling our social satisfaction and external validation “needs”. But who really dictates that need, and where does that need stem from in the first place? I can’t hope to understand everyone’s internal struggles and or insecurities, but I know personally, it’s something I struggle with myself, finding satisfaction in myself and my work. It takes an effort in having to myself “I am enough”. I’ve never thought to look to social media for that validation I sometimes seek myself, but I get that people do. But I think in that quest, sometimes people come across as though they’re showing off, virtue signaling to others on how to act, even if they don’t intend to. In an effort to seem “human”, flawed, and trying to be a better person, they invariably look like a “snake” and often unrelatable to the trained eye. 


Before I sound hypocritical, I get that social media is at its core about a romanticized version of your life, and I am just as guilty in portraying my life in that manner. It is the modern-day photo album, that doesn’t necessarily always dig into the bad times or the fears or insecurities. It’s just the new way to remember the good times when you’re older and click back onto Facebook or Instagram. You won’t remember how you missed your flight or got caught in a rainstorm at the beach, but you will remember snorkeling and that dope meal you got the first night in and those pictures you have. It’s seldom a diary of some sort (or maybe it is for some people). It provides a fleeting comfort of how we think our lives should be⸺perfect, happy, never sad, always with friends, helping out others. But life is rarely like that. it’s messy, sweaty, tear-filled, occasionally solitary, bored, tired, worn, bruised, and battered. There’s nothing wrong with sharing that pristine side of yourself online, but in my experience, it will never solve that growing underside of things if left alone. It is uncomfortable to face those demons, to grapple with the pressures of daily life. But it never gets better just festering and growing. I found all that stuff for me really boil over and affect my life adversely within the past few years and ignoring it, in hindsight, didn’t help me.

I don’t and probably may not ever truly understand everyone’s challenges in life, but I know that trying to mask it online or mask it in person doesn’t really help. It may be a band-aid to a larger wound that may grow septic if not treated. Like I said, I’m not saying to post pictures or videos of you crying or talking about everything online unless that’s your thing (which by all means, you do you), but being human is to embrace the messiness and imperfection of life. Talk to a friend, talk to a professional, journal, blog, write in a diary, punch it out in a martial arts class, workout, whatever fuzzes your peach, it’s better to face it than hide from it. Molt that snakeskin and horse around. Be honest.


Well, this got a bit long once again. Social media etiquette and my presence there is something I’ve been thinking about since I joined facebook in high school. I don’t expect anyone to necessarily share my views on this stuff, but I would hope there’s some resonance on the idea of honesty and being genuine to one another. Also, the process of crystallizing my thoughts into actual written words isn’t super easy since I’m a pretty crummy writer so getting these cogent and short is a challenge in itself. Maybe I’ll start including a tl;dr on these things.

tl;dr - begone sneks

Daughter of Briton held in Dubai fears begs stepmother to drop charges

The teenage daughter of a British woman facing two years in a Dubai prison over insulting comments on Facebook has begged her stepmother to drop the charges.

Paris Shahravesh, 14, has asked Samar Al Hammadi to ‘show that you have a heart’ and ‘loved my dad’ by withdrawing her complaint.

Her mother, Laleh, is facing jail over a series of social media posts, including calling his second wife a ‘horse’.

Earlier today, Paris revealed she has never been without her mother for this long before, and that she cries everyday.   

She appealed directly to her stepmother on ITV News, saying: ‘Show that you have a heart and you loved my dad. 

‘And if you did, drop the case. It’s just a few words, it’s not a lot to ask for.’  

The teenage daughter of a woman facing two years in a Dubai jail for insulting her ex-husband’s wife has begged her stepmother to drop the charges

Paris Shahravesh, 14, is terrified she will not see her mum Laleh (pictured together) for months while she faces charges of insulting behaviour 

In a message aimed at her late father’s second wife, Samar al Hammadi, pictured, she said: ‘Show that you have a heart and you loved my dad’

Pictured: Pedro Dos Santos and his second wife Samah al Hammadi, who is reportedly considering withdrawing her complaint

She also claimed the situation reminded her of the loss of her father, Pedro Dos Santos, because they have been apart for so long.

If the charges are dropped, Laleh will have her passport returned, but if the court decides to proceed she could be stranded in Dubai for several months while the case works it way through the court system.

Paris added: ‘Everyday feels a little harder. I’ve never been without my mum for so long. I hadn’t seen my dad for a while before he passed away and it just feels like my life is repeating itself.’ 

The teen has also said her late father would not have wanted her mother Laleh, 55, to be facing jail over the comments.

Paris said: ‘I know if my father were alive, he would be horrified by what is happening.

‘I know he loved me, and would never want us to be going all through this.

‘It took a long time for my family to work through all the emotions of the divorce, an all my mum and I wanted to do was say out goodbyes to my late father. 

‘Now I am afraid I will lose my mum.’

The teen from Richmond, Surrey, has already written to the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, appealing for clemency for her mum. 

Mrs Al Hammadi is considering withdrawing her complaint when she comes face to face with Laleh in court on Thursday.

Radha Stirling, from the campaign group Detained in Dubai, said Paris was the biggest victim in the dispute.

Laleh’s ordeal began in March when she and Paris flew to Dubai’s to pay their last respects o Pedro (pictured as a family in happier times). Paris was also arrested but released and flew back to the UK

Laleh said she wrote two comments in Farsi where she described 42-year-old Tunisian born Samah al Hammadi as a ‘horse’ and called her ex an ‘idiot’. However Samah has claimed the abuse was more protracted and that Laleh sent many abusive messages

Ms Shahravesh, left, and her daughter Paris, right, have been separated for almost a month

She said: ‘The real victim in this situation is undoubtedly Paris. She did nothing to deserve being separated from her mother, the only parent she has. 

‘This case has been devastating for her, and she is praying for compassion from the court tomorrow, so that hopefully, they can both get on with their lives.’

Laleh and Paris were arrested when they flew into Dubai last month to pay their respects to Pedro who died from a heart attack aged 51.

Paris was released and flew back to the UK while Laleh has had her passport confiscated.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Laleh said she has been left traumatised by the arrest and was missing Paris.

‘I have never been apart from my daughter for so long,’ she said. ‘The thought of being away from her even longer does not bear thinking about. I am being destroyed mentally and I feel as if I am slowly dying.

‘Never in a million years did I think I would find myself in this situation over something that was written three years ago.

‘My life is in ruins. I am told I could go to jail but all I want to do is go home and give my daughter Paris a big hug. 

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Laleh said she has been left traumatised by the arrest. ‘I have never been apart from my daughter for so long. The thought of being away from her even longer does not bear thinking about’

Despite the acrimonious split, Laleh said she had reconciled with her ex and he visited them at their rented home last year 

‘Whenever we talk we are both in tears, but I have to try and be strong for her. I just don’t know when this living nightmare is going to end. 

‘Sometimes I do not know what day it is as everything is a blur. How can something I wrote three years ago when I was not even in Dubai be used against me?’

DUBAI HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT DEMANDS SWIFT ACTION

Radha Stirling, CEO of human rights organisation Detained In Dubai is officially representing Laleh.

She said: ‘Not only has Paris lost her father, but in going to visit him to say her final goodbye, she wound up in a frightening Middle Eastern police station, and is now without her mother.

‘Every family member was teary and it was very emotional to speak with all of them. They are all extremely damaged by what has happened and I expect it will be a long and psychological recovery process for them. 

‘I call on Sheikh Mohammed to ensure Laleh is swiftly reunited with her daughter in London and to review the content and application of the UAE’s cybercrime laws. 

‘I also call on Laleh’s MP, Zac Goldsmith, and Jeremy Hunt to enter into diplomatic discussions with the UAE to ensure Laleh’s safe return.

‘It is simply unreasonable that a country wishing to attract Western tourism arrests and charges a woman for a Facebook post made years ago from outside of the UAE’s jurisdiction.

‘The post would never be prosecuted as a criminal offence in England, and if the UAE intends to detain tourists for posts made from England, it will find itself rendered a no-go zone to foreigners.’

Explaining why she made the post, Laleh said she was provoked by seeing the wedding photo just days after what would have been her wedding anniversary.

‘I know I should not have reacted in the way that I did but I was hurting so much. I am sure most women would have reacted in the same way.’

The comments were written in the Persian language of Farsi and Laleh thought nothing more about them as she attempted to re-build her life with Paris in Richmond, Surrey.

Despite the acrimonious split, Laleh said she had reconciled with her ex and he visited them at their rented home last year.

‘We had dinner together and he talked about coming over from Dubai to see Paris more often. There was no mention of the Facebook post. He would have known I was angry at the time, but it was all forgotten.’

Laleh said she was able to gain access to her court file and was shocked to see her ex’s widow had made another statement on March 23rd accusing her of making other insulting comments. 

‘I don’t know why she wants to do this,’ she said. ‘To cause me so much pain and grief?’

Laleh said claims by al Hammadi that she was subjected to a campaign of harassment are false.

However al Hammadi claims that Ms Shahravesh sent abusive emails to her husband’s relatives and HSBC work colleagues, and that her husband only complained to police in Dubai in desperation after she refused to listen to warnings by British police officers to stop posting abusive messages online.

‘She is acting as a victim to save herself from the law — I am a victim, not her,’ she said.

‘She has affected my reputation and my life. She has affected the reputation of my husband even after his death. She needs to put this right and clean up her mess.’

Al Hammadi has said she will consider dropping the case if Laleh apologises to her on social media and gives a written statement to the court guaranteeing she won’t do it again. 

The two women are expected to face each other in court on Thursday.

Ms Stirling said it appeared Ms Al Hammadi bore a ‘personal grudge’ against Shahravesh.

She said: ‘Ms Hammadi clearly wants to divert attention away from the case itself to rehash the blame and counter-blame between Laleh and her ex husband in the past.

‘However, the two were actually able to patch things up enough for their daughter’s sake and move beyond the pain of the divorce.

‘Ms Hammadi appears to still hold a very personal grudge which she feels entitles her to press criminal charges against the mother of her late husband’s daughter and unfortunately, the UAE’s Cybercrime laws enable her to do that.’

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Create More, Consume Less: A Surefire Way to Feel More Excited About Life

“Creating means living.” ~Dejan Stojanovic

We live in a consumer culture. We love to eat, drink, and be merry—while binge watching whatever’s trending on Netflix and getting a dopamine hit for every item added to our cart on Amazon Prime.

We love to take it all in—information, entertainment, status updates, news reports, substances, and an endless array of stuff. There’s never a shortage of things we can consume, often to keep our minds distracted and our feelings silenced.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love a good meal, a Jim Beam or two, and an afternoon spent zoned out on my couch, Penn Badgley haunting me hour by hour as his stalking escalates from creepy to criminal.

And I’m all for staying educated and updated, on issues both important and inane. I’ve spent hours obsessively researching all things health-related, and I’m embarrassed to admit that my search history reveals more than a healthy number of celebrity websites, if such a number exists.

I also understand the instinct to shut down for a while. Our minds can get intolerably loud, and sometimes, external demands can be overwhelming. A little disengagement can be a good thing in a world that often requires us to be on.

But there needs to be some kind of balance. If we spend our whole lives ingesting information and scarfing down an assortment of stuff meant to soothe us, we’ll never have the time or space to connect with ourselves and create the things we want to create.

I’m not talking just about artistic expression, though I personally feel more alive when I’m bringing some type of creative vision to life. I’m talking about filling the void inside with our own curiosity, passion, and awe instead of constantly stuffing it with external pleasures.

It may not seem like it in the moment when our shows, social media, or shopping carts beckon, but often the greatest pleasure stems from actively working toward a life that excites us.

What are some things we can create?

1. A mission statement

Many of us go through our days without a sense of purpose. We have no idea what we value or what we stand for. We have no idea what we’re really doing with our lives, or why.

Nothing feels exciting when nothing is fueled by passion or intention.

In order to feel alive, we need to be connected to what matters to us most individually. I’m not talking about a specific career direction, though that could be a part of it. I’m talking about creating a blueprint for how you want to show up in the world so you can be the person you want to be and make decisions that feel right for you.

For example, my current mission statement is:

To live with wonder, courage, compassion, and integrity, prioritizing family, freedom, adventure, and creative expression.

Knowing what I value, I’m better able to decide which opportunities to pursue and accept and which ones to politely decline.

This doesn’t have to be set in stone. Mission statements change over time as we grow and evolve. So write, revisit, and revise, as often you deem necessary.

2. Art

This is the low-hanging fruit for this list. Yes, art is something you can create! Big shocker! But it clearly has a place here nonetheless.

Especially if you’re tempted to consume to avoid your feelings, why not channel them into a creative project instead? Creativity is not only calming and healing, it’s a journey back to the simplistic joy of childhood—when you had countless Lego castles, doodle-filled pages, and chalk street art masterpieces to show for your time. And the possibilities are endless.

You could color, sketch, paint, sculpt, sew, crochet, knit, make jewelry, build something, or write a poem, short story, or song. You could art journal, scrapbook, create a magazine collage, try origami, or make something with unconventional materials (duct tape, wine corks, doll parts from your childhood).

If you tune into your feelings and curiosity, you’ll find endless inspiration, and if you look around, you’ll find endless materials to use and recycle.

It’s worth noting that quite frequently, consumption fuels creation. I can’t tell you how many scripts I read and films I watched when preparing to write my first screenplay. Every movie helped me learn and sparked ideas for my own story and its execution.

Though it’s also wonderful to enjoy art for the sake of it, there’s something thrilling about consuming with a purpose. Not just to be entertained but also to be inspired—so you can create something personally meaningful to you that will hopefully move and inspire other people to live and a love a little louder.

Little feels more exciting than chiseling a piece of your heart into something beautiful that will endure, while simultaneously motivating other people wake up and live more fully.

3. A medium for self-expression

We live in an exciting time for self-expression. No longer do gatekeepers get to decide whose words deserve a platform. Anyone can start a blog, vlog, or podcast to share their thoughts and views with the world.

The beautiful thing is, it’s not too hard to get started. You don’t need a fancy site or special equipment to get going—though those things are nice to have, and they’re things you could always acquire in time, if you like the medium you choose and decide to see how far you can take it.

With a little googling you can easily find a way to get set up today, for free, so you can move out from the shadows and share what’s in your heart and on your mind.

Not only will you give yourself an opportunity to express your feelings and feel truly seen, you’ll likely also help other people through your honesty and vulnerability. Yes, you.

If you think your voice doesn’t matter, consider this: a blog can reach only one person, and yet be the one thing that saved or changed that person’s life. You never know who you’ll help or inspire by finding the courage to speak up.

4. Memories

At the end of it all, when we look back on our lives, we won’t take a mental inventory of the dollars we earned, followers we gained, or items we checked off our to-do list. What we’ll see is a mélange of moments—times when we loved, connected, got outside our comfort zone, and engaged with world with wonder and enthusiasm.

These moments generally don’t just fall into our laps. We have to actively create them. And sometimes that means stepping outside the realm of our routine and actually doing the type of things we daydream about.

There’s a scene in the movie Stepmom (spoiler alert!) where Susan Sarandon’s character, Jackie, knows her cancer is getting worse and her time with her family is limited. So she does something out of character and beautifully touching: She wakes her daughter Anna in the middle of the night and takes her horseback riding, in the snow.

Anna says she’ll never forget this moment, and how could she? She’s nestled close to her dying mother, on a horse, in nature—when the night’s at its most peaceful and she’s usually asleep and unable to see it. Together they feel completely present and alive in this magical moment of connection and awe.

We can all create these kinds of moments. We can create magic for ourselves, someone else, or both, if we’re willing to prioritize it and put in the effort.

5. Possibilities

I suspect a lot of us feel pretty discontent with our lives. Perhaps Thoreau conveyed it best when he wrote “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

Most of merely survive and think of thriving as a luxury unavailable to the majority. I’m not going to lie; it’s easier for some to thrive than others. Some of us are born into more ideal circumstances, and some get more advantages.

But perhaps the problem isn’t just that not everyone gets the same chances, but also that not everyone takes the same chances.

If we settle into a pit of discontentment and do the same things every day, nothing will ever change.

The only way to make our lives any better is find and seize opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to us.

Make the call. Send the email. Sign up for the course. If you can’t afford it, research scholarships or free or cheap alternatives. Do something to create a new possibility for your life, whether it pertains to your work, your hobbies, or your relationships.

Then the next purchase you make might be something you need for this exciting new path, not something you want because you’re miserably unhappy with the status quo of your unfulfilling life.

6. New connections

We live in an increasingly disconnected world. We spend more time holding devices than hands and look into more screens than eyes, as the Dulce Ruby quote suggests. This is such a lonely way to live. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Not if we prioritize forming and maintaining relationships.

Of course this isn’t easy. It can be challenging to pull ourselves away from our usual indulgences, get outside our little bubble of comfort, and get present in the world beyond our own door. But it’s oh so worth it.

One day last year I was a feeling a little down about my limited social circle where I live near LA. I’ve moved a lot, I travel a lot, and I work from home; and I haven’t done a great job prioritizing relationships where I live.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed on this afternoon, trying to distract myself from the sadness in my heart, when I decided to do something different: I navigated to a group for Highly Sensitive People, that contributor Bryn Bamber had actually recommended in a post about sensitivity, and I introduced myself, asking if there was anyone near LA.

Several people responded, including one who’s become a great friend—someone I can relate to on a deep personal level. Someone who gets me, who I get back. And not only did I make a new soul connection, I also opened myself up to new possibilities: because of her, I began volunteering at a nearby community theater, where I hope to volunteer again in the future.

It can feel awkward to initiate conversation with someone new. Or at least it feels that way for me. But as Frank told Don in The Green Book, “The world is full of lonely people afraid to make the first movie.” Make the first move. You just might change two lives.

—

In the words of Ferris Bueller, life goes by pretty quickly. Friendships evolve or fade, jobs run their course, kids grow up—and before you know it, we’re looking back at our years, either feeling proud of everything we created or wondering how and why we squandered our time.

I don’t know about you, but I want to prioritize the things that truly matter to me and fill my hours with purposeful actions that fill my heart with peace, passion, and excitement.

I want to make beautiful things, share empowering ideas, and collect more moments of awe than there are grains of sand on the beach.

I also want balance.

I want abundant movie marathons, occasional retail therapy sessions, and Sunday morning mimosas.

I want trashy magazines in the tub, an endless rotation of used true crime books, and a full Netflix queue that seems to scream, “I know what you like, Lori, I get you.”

But I want to consume those things intentionally. Not to avoid or escape anything, but just because they’re fun.

I think that’s a reasonable goal for all of us. To be a little more intentional, a lot more engaged, and in the end, far more excited about the lives we’re living.

About Lori Deschene

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She’s also the author of Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and other books and co-founder of Recreate Your Life Story, an online course that helps you let go of the past and redefine yourself. An avid film lover, she recently finished writing her first feature screenplay and would appreciate advice from anyone in the industry to help get this made. You can reach her at email (at) tinybuddha.com.

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This Means War

by Niharika Rawat Pink Freud, October 2017

As someone who runs a popular culture/psychology-hybrid blog, hilariously called Pink Freud, you can assume that I know something about both. As it happens, I indeed do (and I don’t just research a topic on Google one hour before submitting it. Nope, never happens. Not at all) and I engage in frequent discussions about it. Even when I am not, I am one of those people who will scroll to the very top of a Tumblr thread or Facebook comment feed to see what everyone has to say (or scream).

Being as I am a connoisseur of popular culture, I often follow developments in certain fandoms closely, and see how both the general public and the fans react to it. And if you are even a little aware about fandoms, you know exactly where this is going.

My very first article had been about how we fans defend our favourites to death, even when there is something problematic with them. That is natural. In the most commonsensical and psychological terms, we get attached to the things we like, and we see them as representing ourselves. So of course, we will defend them. But sometimes, we maintain this positive bias by bringing down other fandoms. And by bringing down I mean a WWE Friday Night Royal Smackdown with all that cage and ladder shit thrown it.

Yep, things get ugly.

Korean music, or K-Pop as it is called, still continues to be somewhat niche, despite the fact that its global popularity has changed the game for its country of origin and the artists it produces. Korean fans are known for their loyalty and involvement, seen in their customized fandom names, official sites, specialized merchandize and the flurry of voting-based awards that their stans win. But anyone who knows anything more than the horse dance to Gangnam Style also knows that in the small by-lanes of Tumblr threads and Korean news sources, all hell breaks lose, and things often get personal.

The YG Entertainment girl group 2NE1 broke up in 2016 after turbulent times that enveloped all members in problems and scandals. Just a few months before this disbandment, another four member girl group had debuted under the YG banner, noticeably similar in music and style to 2NE1. You can guess what happened. For the first half of 2017, the internet was full of loyal ‘blackjacks’ (2NE1 supporters) criticizing this new group Blackpink for either copying their girls, or for not being enough like them, and saying that the Blackpink girls had it easy as compared to 2NE1, which had debuted at a time Korean music was limited to Asia and in fact had a strong role in bringing it to the global stage. Many felt that the Blackpink girls were walking the easy path toiled by their elder sisters.

(pictured: Blackpink above, and 2NE1 below)

Blackpink fans retaliated in kind, and more with facts than accusations. A musical group often has little to no control over their music and concepts, and if there are similarities, it had more to do with YG using a tried-and-tested formula to gain some quick profit. But that has not stopped the comparisons, insults, and skirmishes that occasionally break out over the internet.

If all this Korean talk is perhaps too niche for you, there is a classic Western debate that you can easily indulge in – Marvel vs. DC. The establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe has brought this war into the forefront, as now even non-comic book readers can have an input. The fact that Marvel has released a string of smash hits while DC movies struggle between blockbuster status and critical reviews does not help the fight either. Hence, the Marvel fandom uses its Rotten Tomatoes scorings and box office collections, while DC calls into its defence its almost equal rankings, the fact that the critical consensus did not mean that the general public did not like the movie, and the small detail that their worst movie won an Oscar, making it more than what Marvel has. (Seriously. Suicide Squad has an Oscar.) But redemptive goddess Wonder Woman has changed the scene, and Justice League may be the tipping point that evens the scales.

But does that stop the fandoms? Nooo. Just try checking out any new trailer for an upcoming DC or Marvel movie. You will always find comments and entire conversations comparing both companies using every possible scale devised by man (and woman). And then there will be the one person saying ‘Why can I not enjoy both?’

Even I ask the same question sometimes, random commenter. And the fact is, you can. In fact, most do. It is only when they see the other thing or listen to the other thing that they make a case for their own side. And if they give inputs without considering the other side, well, that input is worth zero. I really don’t know what makes people fight for their stans and fandoms, apart from the commonsense idea I said above. Even as a BTS fan, I am not a part of the ARMY that goes marching down everywhere to wreck havoc. I understand liking your own things, but to put your time and energy into hating someone else’s likes is a concept beyond me.

But then again, I do fight everyone who says 50 Shades is a good book, so maybe I’m not that much of a level-headed fangirl after all.

Grand L.A.N.D.S. Project

It’s hard to describe the feeling. I’m standing in the northern most parts of Lancaster County near the Berks County line. A truly beautiful section of rural Pennsylvania. It’s beginning to get a more mountainous feel than the rolling hills near eastern lancaster county where I live. It’s getting close to sunset and I’m snapping a few pictures of some horses in a pasture. The aged rusty wire fence ads to the rustic rural feel. The insects provide a natural symphony only interrupted by the sound of my camera shutter. There are also a few bullfrogs providing bass alongside the pond behind me. It’s the type of pond you would love to find in the morning surrounded by low fog with a mountain full of trees rising in the background and bursting with autumn colors.

Some of the shots I captured that evening were postcard worthy. Not necessarily because of anything special I did, but simply because this spot is an idyllic rural scene in all directions. Except for one very startling exception, directly in the middle of all this beautiful scenery lies the footprint of the Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline.

Whether you are for or against the pipeline, there is no argument about whether this project has impacted the landscape. Such a small pipeline requires a considerable swath of land be cleared to make way for the equipment and crew. From this point of view it is particularly startling as you see the path dip slightly into the valley and then ascend sharply up the side of the mountain to a sky color treeless void surrounded by lush forest,

I’ve made multiple drives up there over the last month, but I’ve never seen anyone else taking pictures or even stopping to take a look. I personally know homeowners in the area who are outraged, but you definitely get the sense that the pipe is in the ground and the deed is done, at least for this round. For Sale signs are around the corner on every road. I instantly wanted to show these images to the world, but wasn't sure what to say. Seemed a little late to say much of anything. Take a look ...

A post shared by Seth Dochter (@sethdochter) on Jul 26, 2017 at 1:27pm PDT

On the opposite side of the County dozens of protesters are gearing up as the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline crew has begun breaking new ground every day. Construction is currently gearing up to go under the Conestoga River from the property that was previously a hub of the pipeline opposition. There is really no better example of the determination to install this pipeline no matter what. They’de prefer to hit right at the core of the opposition and silence them quickly. Don’t worry, if anything goes wrong with the drilling fluids down by the river, they’ve got around a mile and a half buffer to stop the flow before it reaches the Susquehanna River. Nothing to worry about here.

I greatly appreciate the passion and dedication of the protesters, some of whom have been fighting this pipeline for over two years. Just this Monday 23 protesters were arrested for standing in front of a backhoe just outside Columbia, PA. For most, the courts have ruled against them and they have no other options available. It takes courage to believe so strongly in something that you would stand in front of heavy machinery, but as you would expect the police simply came and arrested everyone and the machines went back to work. Which left me to question what could be done when the powers-that-be seem so determined. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Organization describes "bearing witness" as cowardice, but I'm afraid that may be the only legal recourse available at this point. 

What was even more discouraging was some of the public's comments to news articles on Facebook. There was an abundance of hatred, negativity, and apathetic ignorance. It's literally sad to see it spelled out. Every time a story comes out about protesters, all too eager critics mock the protesters because they aren't at work. While also using the opportunity to stir-up unrelated left vs right political cat fights of course. You're typical visit to Facebook land with many folks shouting out their beliefs without necessarily going into details like facts and reality. The loudest opposition has been from those who have been directly affected by this pipeline, but what about the next one and the next one after that. Will one or two eventually run through your yard?

As can be expected with every contested development project, attention will be given to the protests in opposition, some of the construction woes, and the unforeseen problems that will certainly come later. But what about the land itself? This is a point in history where the land will be changed forever. While it may be too late to save these lands, what about the next pipeline?

Grand L.A.N.D.S. Project

"Aside from the rather speculative arguments around environmental impacts and politics there is one thing for certain, the construction of a pipeline will most certainly impact the land and change the landscape in a very permanent way."  -- Seth Dochter

That’s the feeling I felt standing in the footprint of the Mariner East in the northern end of the county. That’s the feeling I felt driving 45 minutes down a single lane logging road with no exits, just to see my first drill pad site. That feeling really punched me in the gut last week when I came across two lawns staked out for destruction in the coming weeks to make way for the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline. Seeing the stakes made it eerily obvious what was about to be destroyed. I wish I had stopped at one particular lawn for a photo, but another car was behind me. The next time I make it down there, the deed might already be done. That’s when I really felt the sting.

One of the things that drew me into 360 photography was the idea that we could revisit places that had changed over the course of time in a really immersive way. Throughout the course of collecting uncountable amounts of photos and videos from the area over the last few years I have also been infatuated with the idea of how to archive and make that imagery available in a meaningful way.  While the protesters on the ground and in the courts are giving it their all, the bright pink markers have already mark the future path of destruction in Conestoga. Passing the scene feeling discouraged my creative side forged all of these thoughts and feelings into an idea.

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 The monkeywrench has been described by long time environmentalists as your talent. Unlike traditional monkey wrenching environmentalists I’m not going to be sabotaging machinery. I’ve spent years now avoiding exploring awesome abandoned places because I don’t want to be arrested for trespassing, so standing in front of machinery is also not something I want to engage in. A lot of the focus is currently on the construction site, but I think what would be best is for me to do what I do, and that’s capture the beauty of Lancaster County.

"Polite Conservationists leave no mark, saved for the scars on the land that could have been prevented had they held their ground "  -- David Brower - Sierra Club

Specifically, I would like to capture the path of the pipeline before and after it comes through. These lands are about to be altered for at least the course of my lifetime. I want to give as much effort as I can to capturing the undeveloped land in the coming weeks so we will at least have the ability to go back and see what once was. We will also be able to use it as a visual representation of the pipeline process to inspire future communities who have lawyers knocking on their doors.

The rush will be to capture as much as possible before it’s gone, capturing the aftermath will be easy. I’ve already begun this mission to utilize the beautiful fall foliage while it’s available. There is much more I could be doing, but I need some support.    

How you can help?

There are a number of tools I would like to access to help this idea have the greatest impact. For all intent and purposes we can define this project as a survey of the area before it’s altered. While I already have the camera equipment to generally capture the area, I would like to rent (or purchase when justifiable i.e. used items) some specific equipment for specific applications such as long distance and macro lens attachments to capture wildlife and plantlife. Everything from gas money to batteries is an expense, but I see a learning opportunity that extends beyond the coming months. With the machines already digging away at the ground bit by bit, time is of the essence.

I won’t just be capturing for archive purposes, these images will be going out every day to bear witness to the project as it unfolds. There are other photographers on the scene to bear witness to the protest, so I mostly just want to share what’s happening to the land itself. I think that's a story that needs to be told on it's own right. For all of the environmental documentaries out there, you rarely get to see the land before it's been destroyed.

While I’m always willing to put my own money in the game, I just don’t have enough for as urgent and important as this issue is.  As I’m typing this the backhoes have been digging away. So I’m humbly reaching out to my fans and asking you to help me get this idea going right now!  

I’ve set up a special donate button below. Please give as much or as little as you can. Currently I’m looking to raise about $900 to get the ball rolling, but every dollar will go towards capturing this area before it's altered forever. In the meantime, I will continue to capture and share with what I have because there is no time to lose.

After you donate be sure to check out the links on my thank you page and subscribe to our newsletter. I'll be keeping you up to date with the progress of this campaign here on the blog and across our social channels.

More Ways To Show Your Support ...

Be sure to like Grand Lancaster and Lancaster Against Pipelines on Facebook

Share your Perspective with the Grand Lancaster Society Facebook Group ...

More news to come!!

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Got something to say? Wanna get involved? Wanna cuss me out? Shoot me a message, I'll read it!

Dana’s Travel Diary: Desconectado En Cuba

I never thought I would visit Cuba. Not only was it absent from my mental wish list of countries to visit because of media portrayals and social common understandings in the U.S., I’d been so put off by the convoluted and ever-changing rules for traveling there. Is it okay? Is it banned? Do you need a tour guide? Jay-Z and Beyonce went. But am I Jay-Z or Beyonce? Will I be on a watch list once I return to the states? The most common question, the one my mom immediately asked when I told her of my intentions to visit Cuba: Is it safe? I still don’t have all the answers, but I will say that Cuba has been one of my favorite destinations of all time. I have experienced nothing quite like it - having visited Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, and various U.S. cities from Los Angeles to Albuquerque to Miami.

I traveled to Cuba with three friends this month to celebrate my friend Kiara’s 28th birthday. The ability to travel to Cuba seemed like a window slowly being slammed by the Trump administration. Kiara’s affinity for Afro-Caribbean culture and immersive, awe-inspiring girls’ trips led us to the heart of Havana. We began planning four months earlier in May, and had no way to predict the messy bitch that was Hurricane Irma. Two days before departure, we had an awkward moment where we weren't sure if we'd have electricity or hot water and almost abandoned the whole plan. We went out on a shaky limb and are incredibly glad we did.

I know basic Spanish, and can speak slowly and in the most basic present tense pretty well, but I was worried about communicating with people speaking Cuban Spanish, which seemed faster and somehow more flavorful. Everyone I spoke with was helpful and not at all impatient with my broken, basic Spanish.

We expected not to have cellular service in Cuba, and because my friend Krystal and I arrived a day after Kiara and Traci, it was impossible to communicate about pertinent things (like Krystal's delayed flight, or the fact that our flights arrived in two different, non-walkable terminals of Havana’s international airport). Our hosts and neighbors were some of the most amazing people. They treated us as family from the very beginning, and looking back, we would have struggled immensely without their help. Our hosts sent a driver to pick us up from the airport, and because it wasn’t as busy or populated as in other big cities since Cuban residents can’t travel easily and tourism has restrictions, Krystal was able to find me instantly upon pullup.

Cuba has two currencies, the regular peso (CUP) and the convertible peso (CUC), which replaced the American dollar some years ago and is used by tourists. We noticed that in many places, prices are posted only in CUC, which we came to realize was the case for a few reasons. Cubans, on average, make the equivalent of 30 CUC monthly. They receive rations of things like rice, beans and eggs, which accounts for about half their monthly food. Their healthcare, education and other things are free or very cheap, and they live very humbly for the most part. 30 CUC is nothing by American standards, but Cubans hardly live by American standards. For context, one beer costs 2 CUC. For tourist context, someone sold us a beach towel for 20 CUC, before we realized that was way too high. Most Cuban natives don’t patronize the restaurants, cafes, and food and merchandise stands at the beach. The vendors rely heavily on tourist money. It goes a long way for them. When in Cuba, I was consistently torn between being frugal and taking advantage of a haggle-friendly setup, and showering convertible pesos upon the residents of a country that is economically suffering largely at the hands of the country I hail from. The historical context of U.S.-Cuba relations are what made me a little uneasy about the trip in general, but also what made me so humbled and thankful for everyone’s kindness and hospitality. I understand Cuba’s need for tourism, which translates into the amazing customer service they provide, but beyond any historical context, their warmth felt so genuine. It’s legitimately insane how we are told both outright and subliminally that it is wrong to support the people of Cuba. You don’t even think about the potential absurdity of it all until you meet some of these people, and see how they live and seem to treat everyone as family. The U.S. has imposed embargos on Cuba until they make strides towards “better human rights,” but effectively violate human rights in the process. The politics of it all makes my head and heart hurt. The government doesn’t care that human rights are disrespected, it cares that it’s disrespect is not U.S.-controlled. That’s just my opinion, based on my particular vantage point. I’m sure there’s much more I don’t see, as is the case with everything.

In Cuba, there’s no such thing as personal Wifi. For 21 to 22 hours of the day, we were descontectado from el mundo. Cuba has Wifi in parks, and you’ll see hoards of silently scrolling people sitting on park benches. You have to connect through a Wifi card, which costs 2 or 3 CUC for one hour. Limited Wifi time as a group definitely kept us all in sync and wide awake to the organic experience.

Aside from our neighborhood in Playa Miramar, the two main places we visited were Santa Maria and Viñales. The beach at Santa Maria was about 40 minutes away. Our driver was Misael, the absolute sweetest guy who was patient and helpful and waited by the car while we tanned and frolicked. The water was warm, calm, and a beautiful shade of blue. At the beach, we instantly got the attention of two to three different groups of young guys which became a big party of Spanglish,Tupac songs and Polaroids. Two guys became our unofficial tour guides, helping us get cheap taxis and cheap fried chicken and bought Kiara a very moist 10 CUC cappuccino birthday cake. Another guy, who’d just turned 17, added me on Facebook and told me he loved me en español. Cuban men are very forward and friendly (and often described as dramatic in romance) - you can read a funny and interesting blog about it here:  https://hownottotravellikeabasicbitch.com/2017/08/06/8-things-you-need-to-know-before-dating-a-cuban-papi-and-ruining-your-life/.

When we asked where the trash can was, the guys laughed. They told us to just drop it on the ground. We found this weird, but then they explained that everyone litters, and the Cuban government pays people to clean it up. The guys also questioned our casual use of curse words, and mocked us with a surfer dude accent, saying “Damn.”

Viñales was the best part of the trip. It was about two hours away from our casa, and we passed through a more countryside area than we’d seen in Havana. The first place we visited was Cueva del Indio, where we drank fresh sugarcane juice cocktails before taking a motorboat through a huge cave with water flowing through. From there, we drove to an intersection where an old papi was waiting under the trees for us with four horses. He kissed us, helped us up, and we rode off without a single word of warning. It was the best experience of the trip. We rode up a hill to a tobacco farm where we sampled amazing Cuban rum and cigars, and bought coffee beans. The tour guide, Hermes, rolled a cigar for us and also gave us free baby bananas. On the way back, we rode our horses through a small body of water, which is a lot scarier looking back than it was actually going through it. We had a late lunch at a small restaurant nearby with Misael. When we told the waitress it was Kiara’s birthday, she instantly poured up a massive shot for her. The food was delicious. We had an array of lobster, red snapper, and ropas viejas, a traditional Cuban dish of shredded beef.

Cuba was a beautiful place, but the trip was made ten thousand times better by the people we met. Until 1997, Cuban contact with tourists was outlawed. I’ve read that even today, Cubans seen in contact with tourists are asked for their identification, which may explain why we were stopped by the policia twice while driving. Traveling to Cuba was much less difficult than I think we are made to believe, and I recommend it for anyone who truly wants the experience of a different and unique culture where a certain type of lifestyle and set of values has been preserved in the face of adversity. Foreign relations are complex, but on a very simple level, a human is a human no matter the particular piece of Earth they inhabit. The connections we made in Cuba are what made this trip truly unforgettable. 

Quantum Investing; Beyond Retail; Wayfail; Shwedy Security

Quantum Investing; Beyond Retail; Wayfail; Shwedy Security:

A Quantum Leap

Today, dear readers, we take off our quarantine masks and put on our thinking caps. Well … figuratively speaking, at least. Keep those masks on for now, please.

Why our thinking caps? Because President Trump’s 2021 budget requests $237 million in funding for quantum computing. Roughly $25 million of that budget request comes directly from the U.S. Department of Energy — you know, the guys that helped bring us the internet 60 years ago?

While Trump’s budget still has a long way to go — i.e., through a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives — even he knows that quantum computing is the future of technology as we know it.

And that future is exceedingly bright, especially for investors who get in early.

That’s great, Mr. Great Stuff, real great. More spending on technology while we fight a virus? You’re starting to sound like Bold Profits. So, what is this “quantum computing” … and why should I care?

Why should you care? Hmm … because if we had quantum computers right now, we may already have a cure or vaccine for COVID-19. How’s that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?

So far, everything you’ve ever seen, written, read or interacted with on a computer or the internet is made up of ones and zeros at its core. Get enough of these ones and zeros together, and you can publish a free e-zine on BanyanHill.com and deliver it to thousands of people on the internet.

But quantum computing? Now that’s a horse of a different color.

Quantum computing will change everything we know about computers, the internet, smartphones, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), health care, virus management … and even the weather.

It’s a complex topic that deserves a much more in-depth explanation if you’re into future technology. Though, I know you’re itching to hear the market side of things. (Quantum profits? In my portfolio?!) Tech investors, listen up…

The Takeaway:

Essentially, quantum computing is the next leap forward in our digital evolution. President Trump knows this, and it’s why he’s pushing for millions in new funding.

Now, your question should be: How do I get in on the emerging quantum computing mega trend?

I’m glad you asked! The answer is a lot simpler than you might expect…

Right now, only a handful of tech companies have the financial wherewithal to dive into quantum computing research in a meaningful way. Here are three to get you started:

Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL): The Google parent always has a lot of goofy pet projects in the works, but the company’s quantum computing project is no joke. Codenamed “Bristlecone,” Alphabet’s new quantum computing semiconductor has 72 quantum bits, or qubits. These are the building blocks of quantum chips, just like bits are for current chips. The company leads the arms race in quantum computing power.

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM): Good old “Big Blue” built one of the world’s first successful quantum computers. While that computer has since been overshadowed by Alphabet’s Bristlecone, IBM remains at the forefront of developing a “commercial available universal quantum computer for business and science” … at least, according to the company’s quantum research page. A breakthrough in quantum computing could be just what IBM needs to return to relevancy in the data center and AI markets.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC): You didn’t think the world’s original semiconductor behemoth would be left out of the quantum computing revolution, did you? Intel is already rolling out quantum semiconductors. Unfortunately, all of those chips need to operate at temperatures near absolute zero. That’s one hell of a cooling system. However, Intel is reportedly close to creating a 128 qubit chip, which would put it well ahead of Alphabet in the quantum processing race.

I know that’s a lot to take in … especially with our brains on autopilot after being locked inside for the past month. So, let me make this easier for you:

If you want expert, cutting-edge stock research on everything from AI to quantum computing, click here now!

The Good: Shwedy Results

In what should surprise literally no one, IT security and services firm, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) beat earnings and revenue expectations this morning.

This stay-at-home market has been a boon for Check Point, with the company beating Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations by $0.04 per share. Revenue of $486.5 million also topped the consensus estimate.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we sustained elevated business activity levels and delivered results in the upper half of our guidance with strength coming from the Americas,” said CEO Gil Shwed.

But, while the prior quarter benefited greatly from the new work-at-home economy, Shwed warned that “it’s hard to predict what effect this changing environment will have on the future.”

I get it. The future is hard to predict, especially right now. But, as long as this lockdown stays in effect, Check Point will continue to benefit handsomely.

The Bad: No Meat for You

“Stock rally + food service exposure + increased retail competition = downside risk,” says UBS analyst Steven Strycula. And you thought you were done with math today!

Strycula’s “new math” is in reference to Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND). And, after BYND’s recent 100% surge, the UBS analyst believes now is the time to ditch BYND stock. He cut BYND from hold to sell and slashed his price target from $90 to $73.

In short, Strycula’s reasoning is that Beyond Meat has relied on restaurant deals to boost its bottom line. With practically every restaurant in the U.S. shut down, Beyond Meat will take a hit to its bottom line.

I admit that UBS has a point over the short term at least. Over the long term, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to change the eating habits of millions. As Great Stuff reported on Friday, CFRA Research told clients: “Most infectious disease outbreaks are transmitted from animals to humans.”

Furthermore, meat processing is shutting down around the world. You already know that China struggles with pork production. Now, we have Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) shutting down processing plants due to the virus.

These stories are clearly a short-term boost for BYND, driving investor sentiment more than the company’s bottom line. So, UBS isn’t wrong … for now. But the problems surrounding meat production amid COVID-19 give insight into Beyond Meat’s future. And that future is trending in the meatless wonder’s favor.

The Ugly: Way(Above)Fair Value

Remember when Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, issued guidance far below expectations with negative quarterly margins?

Yeah, neither does Wall Street.

Wayfair stock has gone on a 400% bender since its Ides of March lows. But someone on Wall Street finally came to their senses.

Stifel analyst Scott Devitt responded to Wayfair’s insanity by downgrading the stock from buy to hold. According to Devitt, the stock passed his price target of $115 last week, and it’s time for a break.

Well … it’s not a resounding rebuke of the stock’s 400% surge, but I’ll take what I can get.

Wayfair’s main problem is that it has to spend — a lot — to stay fresh in consumers’ minds. The company directly competes with everyone from Amazon to Walmart … but it doesn’t have the same brand recognition.

In short, Wayfair’s revenue boost from online shopping amid the pandemic is eaten up by advertising costs.

I swear, I’m so tired of seeing Wayfair ads on Facebook. I can’t imagine how much this is costing the company … oh, wait, I can: negative margins.

The point is, Wayfair is nothing special. It offers products that you can find virtually everywhere else. The only reason it gets attention is because people can’t shop outside. As such, I fully expect Wayfair to see a sharp drop in sales once this lockdown is over. And that’s bad news for W shares.

Today’s Chart of the Week once again comes courtesy of Earnings Whispers on Twitter, with a whole lotta earnings season shakin’ goin’ on.

Hey, I can’t be the only one who gets excited about this kind of stuff. If you’ve never felt the brisk energizing action of corporate earnings, well, maybe you’re a more well-adjusted person than lil ol’ me.

Roughly 30% of the S&P 500 Index is set to report earnings this week, with more than a third of the Dow also spilling its beans. Not to mention, this week features the trillion-dollar tech titans face off. All eyes are on Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a beacon of all online shopping supply chains, and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), bellwether of the “gotta get it now” crowd.

Google’s parent Alphabet already sowed doubts about its ad-dependent business slowing down. (And if you want to talk “we live and breathe ads,” why, Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is just getting started … show me another Wayfair ad, I dare you, Zuckerberg!)

Here’s what else is kicking off this week:

AMD has yet another chance to upheave its consumer computer chip rival Intel.

Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) fanatics and traders alike will go ape-$#^! no matter what Elon Musk and co. end up reporting.

We hear from Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE: SPOT), the streaming underdog and longtime Great Stuff Granted, I don’t think too many families are out there spending quarantine together around the radio. Guess I might as well huddle around to stream for Roosevelt’s fireside chats while I’m at it…

We get to see how much useless (or not-so-useless) stuff people have been buying on eBay.

It’s an all-airline affair with the best bailed-out buds, along with a look at how Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) is holding up with the air industry’s collapse (plus, you know, its other production and PR debacles).

Finally, we round out the week with the Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) and Abbive Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) — two of Great Stuff’s stocks to beat the Wuhan virus … when we still called it that.

It’s sure to be a topsy-turvy week of earnings … but it’s not like you expected otherwise, right? Stick with Great Stuff and Banyan Hill, and we’ll help you dispel the earnings excellence from the hype and hogwash.

If you’re looking to venture out hunting for market bargains, just remember: You never have to go alone! Take a guide. They’re handy. They’ve been through choppy and unexpected markets before. And no matter what kind of earnings apocalypse we may be due for, you’ll want to keep your wits about you.

Click here now to find your guide.

That’s a wrap for today, but you can always catch us on social media: Facebook and Twitter. We hope you’re staying well out there!

Until next time, stay Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

A Quantum Leap

Today, dear readers, we take off our quarantine masks and put on our thinking caps. Well … figuratively speaking, at least. Keep those masks on for now, please.

Why our thinking caps? Because President Trump’s 2021 budget requests $237 million in funding for quantum computing. Roughly $25 million of that budget request comes directly from the U.S. Department of Energy — you know, the guys that helped bring us the internet 60 years ago?

While Trump’s budget still has a long way to go — i.e., through a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives — even he knows that quantum computing is the future of technology as we know it.

And that future is exceedingly bright, especially for investors who get in early.

That’s great, Mr. Great Stuff, real great. More spending on technology while we fight a virus? You’re starting to sound like Bold Profits. So, what is this “quantum computing” … and why should I care?

Why should you care? Hmm … because if we had quantum computers right now, we may already have a cure or vaccine for COVID-19. How’s that, Mr. Doubting Mustafa?

So far, everything you’ve ever seen, written, read or interacted with on a computer or the internet is made up of ones and zeros at its core. Get enough of these ones and zeros together, and you can publish a free e-zine on BanyanHill.com and deliver it to thousands of people on the internet.

But quantum computing? Now that’s a horse of a different color.

Quantum computing will change everything we know about computers, the internet, smartphones, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), health care, virus management … and even the weather.

It’s a complex topic that deserves a much more in-depth explanation if you’re into future technology. Though, I know you’re itching to hear the market side of things. (Quantum profits? In my portfolio?!) Tech investors, listen up…

The Takeaway:

Essentially, quantum computing is the next leap forward in our digital evolution. President Trump knows this, and it’s why he’s pushing for millions in new funding.

Now, your question should be: How do I get in on the emerging quantum computing mega trend?

I’m glad you asked! The answer is a lot simpler than you might expect…

Right now, only a handful of tech companies have the financial wherewithal to dive into quantum computing research in a meaningful way. Here are three to get you started:

Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL): The Google parent always has a lot of goofy pet projects in the works, but the company’s quantum computing project is no joke. Codenamed “Bristlecone,” Alphabet’s new quantum computing semiconductor has 72 quantum bits, or qubits. These are the building blocks of quantum chips, just like bits are for current chips. The company leads the arms race in quantum computing power.

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM): Good old “Big Blue” built one of the world’s first successful quantum computers. While that computer has since been overshadowed by Alphabet’s Bristlecone, IBM remains at the forefront of developing a “commercial available universal quantum computer for business and science” … at least, according to the company’s quantum research page. A breakthrough in quantum computing could be just what IBM needs to return to relevancy in the data center and AI markets.

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC): You didn’t think the world’s original semiconductor behemoth would be left out of the quantum computing revolution, did you? Intel is already rolling out quantum semiconductors. Unfortunately, all of those chips need to operate at temperatures near absolute zero. That’s one hell of a cooling system. However, Intel is reportedly close to creating a 128 qubit chip, which would put it well ahead of Alphabet in the quantum processing race.

I know that’s a lot to take in … especially with our brains on autopilot after being locked inside for the past month. So, let me make this easier for you:

If you want expert, cutting-edge stock research on everything from AI to quantum computing, click here now!

The Good: Shwedy Results

In what should surprise literally no one, IT security and services firm, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP) beat earnings and revenue expectations this morning.

This stay-at-home market has been a boon for Check Point, with the company beating Wall Street’s first-quarter expectations by $0.04 per share. Revenue of $486.5 million also topped the consensus estimate.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we sustained elevated business activity levels and delivered results in the upper half of our guidance with strength coming from the Americas,” said CEO Gil Shwed.

But, while the prior quarter benefited greatly from the new work-at-home economy, Shwed warned that “it’s hard to predict what effect this changing environment will have on the future.”

I get it. The future is hard to predict, especially right now. But, as long as this lockdown stays in effect, Check Point will continue to benefit handsomely.

The Bad: No Meat for You

“Stock rally + food service exposure + increased retail competition = downside risk,” says UBS analyst Steven Strycula. And you thought you were done with math today!

Strycula’s “new math” is in reference to Beyond Meat Inc. (Nasdaq: BYND). And, after BYND’s recent 100% surge, the UBS analyst believes now is the time to ditch BYND stock. He cut BYND from hold to sell and slashed his price target from $90 to $73.

In short, Strycula’s reasoning is that Beyond Meat has relied on restaurant deals to boost its bottom line. With practically every restaurant in the U.S. shut down, Beyond Meat will take a hit to its bottom line.

I admit that UBS has a point over the short term at least. Over the long term, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to change the eating habits of millions. As Great Stuff reported on Friday, CFRA Research told clients: “Most infectious disease outbreaks are transmitted from animals to humans.”

Furthermore, meat processing is shutting down around the world. You already know that China struggles with pork production. Now, we have Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) shutting down processing plants due to the virus.

These stories are clearly a short-term boost for BYND, driving investor sentiment more than the company’s bottom line. So, UBS isn’t wrong … for now. But the problems surrounding meat production amid COVID-19 give insight into Beyond Meat’s future. And that future is trending in the meatless wonder’s favor.

The Ugly: Way(Above)Fair Value

Remember when Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, issued guidance far below expectations with negative quarterly margins?

Yeah, neither does Wall Street.

Wayfair stock has gone on a 400% bender since its Ides of March lows. But someone on Wall Street finally came to their senses.

Stifel analyst Scott Devitt responded to Wayfair’s insanity by downgrading the stock from buy to hold. According to Devitt, the stock passed his price target of $115 last week, and it’s time for a break.

Well … it’s not a resounding rebuke of the stock’s 400% surge, but I’ll take what I can get.

Wayfair’s main problem is that it has to spend — a lot — to stay fresh in consumers’ minds. The company directly competes with everyone from Amazon to Walmart … but it doesn’t have the same brand recognition.

In short, Wayfair’s revenue boost from online shopping amid the pandemic is eaten up by advertising costs.

I swear, I’m so tired of seeing Wayfair ads on Facebook. I can’t imagine how much this is costing the company … oh, wait, I can: negative margins.

The point is, Wayfair is nothing special. It offers products that you can find virtually everywhere else. The only reason it gets attention is because people can’t shop outside. As such, I fully expect Wayfair to see a sharp drop in sales once this lockdown is over. And that’s bad news for W shares.

Today’s Chart of the Week once again comes courtesy of Earnings Whispers on Twitter, with a whole lotta earnings season shakin’ goin’ on.

Hey, I can’t be the only one who gets excited about this kind of stuff. If you’ve never felt the brisk energizing action of corporate earnings, well, maybe you’re a more well-adjusted person than lil ol’ me.

Roughly 30% of the S&P 500 Index is set to report earnings this week, with more than a third of the Dow also spilling its beans. Not to mention, this week features the trillion-dollar tech titans face off. All eyes are on Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a beacon of all online shopping supply chains, and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), bellwether of the “gotta get it now” crowd.

Google’s parent Alphabet already sowed doubts about its ad-dependent business slowing down. (And if you want to talk “we live and breathe ads,” why, Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) is just getting started … show me another Wayfair ad, I dare you, Zuckerberg!)

Here’s what else is kicking off this week:

AMD has yet another chance to upheave its consumer computer chip rival Intel.

Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) fanatics and traders alike will go ape-$#^! no matter what Elon Musk and co. end up reporting.

We hear from Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE: SPOT), the streaming underdog and longtime Great Stuff Granted, I don’t think too many families are out there spending quarantine together around the radio. Guess I might as well huddle around to stream for Roosevelt’s fireside chats while I’m at it…

We get to see how much useless (or not-so-useless) stuff people have been buying on eBay.

It’s an all-airline affair with the best bailed-out buds, along with a look at how Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) is holding up with the air industry’s collapse (plus, you know, its other production and PR debacles).

Finally, we round out the week with the Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) and Abbive Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) — two of Great Stuff’s stocks to beat the Wuhan virus … when we still called it that.

It’s sure to be a topsy-turvy week of earnings … but it’s not like you expected otherwise, right? Stick with Great Stuff and Banyan Hill, and we’ll help you dispel the earnings excellence from the hype and hogwash.

If you’re looking to venture out hunting for market bargains, just remember: You never have to go alone! Take a guide. They’re handy. They’ve been through choppy and unexpected markets before. And no matter what kind of earnings apocalypse we may be due for, you’ll want to keep your wits about you.

Click here now to find your guide.

That’s a wrap for today, but you can always catch us on social media: Facebook and Twitter. We hope you’re staying well out there!

Until next time, stay Great!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff