As we consistently grow in the digital world, it is become very apparent that you should be using social media in a way to advance your presence and make yourself known in your own unique way. With sites like YouNow, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and so many more continuing to grow exponentially each and every year, many young people are taking this initiative in getting their creative juices out there and making their mark on society. That can truthfully be said in many different ways about The Merrell Twins, who have taken their social media fame and brought it to unexpected heights in a short amount of time. [Read more…] about One on One with YouNow Sensations The Merrell Twins!
Get To Know Handsome “Death Lord” Author Larkin Magnus
A common thread in the people that I interview is that they started somewhere and in the midst of their life discovered a passion for what they love and turn it into something for others to appreciate. Larkin Magnus is a fine example of that. Larkin, who currently resides in San Diego by way of Chicago, is an amazing author who recently released his fascinating sci-fi book called “Death Lord”. Like other people that I have interviewed before, Larkin has also developed quite the following on his social networking pages, due in particular to his funny, positive outlook on things. Oh, and he’s just so freaking handsome and full of brains and wit. So naturally, I had to interview him about the book and so much more.
Take a look at my exclusive with Larkin including his inspirations into sci-fi growing up, his amazing body transformation, how he sees the gay community and what is next for him.
Hey Larkin, thanks for sitting down with us! So tell me about your book “Death Lord”, what is it all about?
Death Lord is a story set 10,000 years in the future. thousand years since humanity first began expanding into the wider galaxy. There’s been a cataclysm that nearly destroyed the empire and now humanity is nominally united but practically fractured and factious. The greatest force holding the empire together and protecting it from alien predation is the Archon Guard: superhuman gene-fabricated warriors designed to destroy the Empire’s enemies, both from without and within.
The story follows Captain Cain Sigarian of the archon IV guard core Death Lords, who commands the strikeship Nightwing. He and his squad, along with a crew of mortal warriors loyal to the IV, are on a priority mission whose parameters are secret to almost everyone except the captain himself. But Cain soon finds that while he has been keeping secrets, his commanders in the Death Lords have an agenda of their own that could tie him into a web much larger than he bargained for. The characters all struggle with their own secrets and loyalties and over the course of the story have to face decisions about betraying their oaths to the Empire and fulfilling their mission.
What inspired you to become a writer and ultimately choose the sci-fi route?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer since I was little, but for whatever dumb reason thought you needed an education for it. After a BA in English, and Masters in 19th Century Literature, and slogging my way to ABD in a PHD for Rhetoric, it dawned on me that I actually hated working at a university and didn’t need it at all to do what I wanted with my life. Lesson learned, if a few years too late. What really made me want to write was also what drew me to science fiction: growing up watching scifi and wishing the storied turned out differently. I would daydream about how I wished a Star Trek episode had gone, or how I thought an episode of X-Men could have been better, or how I wished certain characters got more face time than the others. So now I write stories and get them to go the way I want.
Did you have any inspirations in the writing and sci-fi world that led you to write this story?
I have many influences. I grew up watching Star Trek, but while I like it, the universe isn’t really my aesthetic. My imagination is a little darker and a little more pessimist about the human race. I took more influence from anime and video games I think. Death Note, Bleach, Gundam Wing, Iria, Big O, and Evangelion were all favorites, and I played Dawn of War, Starcraft, Halo, and Mass Effect as well. I like all Science Fiction but particularly I enjoy sprawling epic narratives like space operas with a darker hue. Not quite dystopian – a dystopia to me implies something fundamental has changed about human society, and I think at a basic level that mankind doesn’t change a whole lot from age to age. We just get better toys!
Speaking of inspiration, something you document on your Facebook page quite often is your body transformation which is quite incredible. As someone who has yo-yoed with their weight there is always a point where you reach your bottom at your heaviest. What was yours?
I was driving home from the grocery store when it happened. My car was loaded up with sacks of groceries for the coming week: hamburger patties and multigrain bread, whole wheat pasta and a few cans of diced tomatoes with basil and onion, a few boxes of lean pockets, three 12 packs of Coke Zero (they’re by 2 get 1 free!!), skim milk and Honey Nut Cheerios, a dozen eggs and a bottle of OJ, low fat sliced cheese and a couple pounds of deli meat, a head of lettuce and a sack of peppers, and a box of sugar free chocolates as a treat for later on. This was a Friday, though, so a couple of other things made it into the car: a box of Publix sushi (half consumed on the ride home), and a sack from Empire Cuisine next to Publix containing General Tso’s Chicken, Krab Rangoon, and Steamed Dumplings. Because while the groceries were there for the week, Friday was the day I could eat what I really enjoyed: Asian food. At that point in the afternoon I was basically starving, which is why my sushi was half gone on the ride home. I was racing, fast as I reasonably could through a part of town notorious for speed traps, to get home so I could toss the groceries on the counter, crack open a Coke Zero, and drop on the couch to dig into some General Tso’s Chicken. It was this amazing future that was on my mind as I drove too fast over the speed bump at the entrance to my apartment complex. And that’s when it happened. My boobs flew up and hit me in the chin.
“Oh my God…” was all I could say as my face bunched into a scowl and my car rolled into the parking space in front of my building. I sat there for a long moment, staring down at myself. My boobs had just hit me in the face. I was a 23 year old man and I had boobs. Serious boobs. That was it for me… I had to make a change.
How long did it take for you to transform your body to where it was?
The thing is I’ve been struggling with my weight my whole life. I grew up fat and was fat into my mid 20s. I tell people it took about 4 years to go from 310 down to 180, then bulk up to 260 where I am today but the truth is that it was a really long-term struggle, both physically and psychologically. You have to do a lot of mental and spiritual work on yourself to get this kind of transformation done. It is way beyond physical.
Health wise, what can you advise people do in order to get in better shape or stay in the shape that they have achieved?
The most important thing you can do to reach your goals is to be persistent. A river doesn’t carve through a mountain because of its power, but because of its relentlessness. If you stumble, get back up immediately. If you miss a workout, don’t miss the next one. If you eat off your program, get right back to it. Far too often we expect perfection from ourselves when we aren’t perfect creatures, and that expectation sets us up for failure. So when we do fall – and we all do – often that one slice of pizza turns into an all-day gorge, or that one missed workout turns into a week. But if we can accept that we will stumble and resolve to just get back up again, then that persistence will pay off.
We all have cheat meals, cheat snacks, cheat desserts, etc. What is your ultimate that you still indulge in every once in a while?
All you can eat sushi is my go-to. I love sushi so much. And while people may think “oh, but sushi can be healthy” you should make no mistake: I don’t want healthy sushi. I want the baked rolls covered in spicy mayo and cheese. And I want 7 plates of it. Nothing healthy going on here…
As an out gay man, did you notice a shift in how men viewed you when you were overweight and now that you are in shape?
I’ve had two experiences about this. On the one hand, yes, there is an element of what I call “revenge dating” when you’re an ugly duckling. There have been those guys who couldn’t give me the directions to Hell when I was obese and all the sudden see me in person now and throw themselves at me. There’s the temptation to get revenge and shoot them down, or better yet to bang them and never talk to them again. At the same time, though, I think that my transformation has given me an appreciation for the difference between genuine cruelty and just having your own tastes. I know for my part that I’m not chasing after guys who are seriously overweight: I changed my body from fat to bodybuilder because I’m attracted to bodybuilder and not to fat. So while some guys may treat me differently now, I look back and I can remember who was actually unkind vs. who was just simply not attracted to me physically. And I can’t really blame them for that.
On the other hand, what I’ve learned is that assholes exist at every strata of attractiveness. I expected – and honestly, judging by what people say to and about me, everyone else also expects – me to get whatever I wanted from men I was attracted to. I’d get all the ass I wanted, or have whatever boyfriend I wanted, or any combination of those things. Because I thought that how I got treated was strongly correlated with how I looked. The most attractive guy I ever dated was actually when I was chubby, and right now I get blown off, dismissed, rejected, trifled with, and completely stood up with alarming frequency. There is no golden ticket when it comes to how you get treated among the gays. A douche will be a douche no matter what you look like.
What has been your overall take on this community? Where can we improve on and where do you think we have made the most achievements in?
That’s a pretty sprawling question, but I’ll do my best. I don’t want to be that guy that attacks “the community” for whatever petty sins seem typical in a bar or on Grindr or something. The truth is that I thin the community is what you make of it. If you don’t like how you get treated at a bar, don’t go to that bar. If you don’t like how you get treated on Grindr, don’t use Grindr. If you don’t certain people, you don’t have to interact with them. Each venue and each group and each micro-social-ecosystem is what it is and no one forces us to participate. What I think the community at large can do to improve is to focus more on what we do have power over instead of always focusing on where we think we are powerless. For example, while I like bear culture and many of my friends are bears, I’m not really a bear. I don’t fit in. The bears are nice to me, but bears aren’t going to date me and aren’t going to invite me to things, not because they’re jerks but just because “bear” is a group and I’m not really in it. I could bitch and moan about the bears, or I accept reality and play to my actual strengths. I’m a giant, muscly, All-american looking, Power-lifter type. That’s not a bear, but it’s not nothing either. I think individually, and as a group, gay guys would be happier and stronger if we embraced our strengths instead of seeing every boundary as a fight.
I think we have made the greatest achievement in just being Out. A generation ago it would be lunacy for high school kids to come out and take a same-sex partner to prom… anywhere in the US. A generation ago it would be impossible to hold hands with your lover anywhere that wasn’t New York or San Fransisco. But now I have no problem being affectionate with someone I care about in public almost anywhere, and kids feel freer to be who they are, and even the guys who have the most to lose because they’re the easiest to hide – the much-derided “masc bro” types – can come out without the fear of thirty years ago. Of course there is still work to be done, but by just being visible we have made a cultural change in the United States that is undeniable.
You also recently moved from Chicago to San Diego. What prompted the move and are you happy where you are now?
I’m happy with the move. It’s dramatically warmer in San Diego than in was in Chicago, which is obviously a powerful reason to get out of Chicago haha. At the same time, I just like the social scene more in San Diego. Chicago is frozen for half the year and nothing really goes on because no one goes out. It’s easier to be social when it’s warm all year.
What are your ultimate plans for 2015 and beyond?
For 2015 I want to expand my brand and try to branch out in my training and fitness business. One problem with personal training is that you can hit your profit ceiling pretty easily. So part of that will be attempting a bodybuilding competition, expanding my modeling work (I’m in a forthcoming spread from Djak Azran in November actually), and doing more to diversify my online presence. And of course the sequel to Death Lord is in the works and I expect it to be released in the Spring. So yes the next year is very busy for me! I’m looking forward to it.
For more information on Larkin’s book Death Lord and where you can buy it, check the link here!
Dating In The Gay World: Extinct… or Evolving?
Is the “Meet Up” the new Dating?
As we enter into a new calendar year and fresh hopes for what is to come in each of our lives, something that seems to be a constant “Resolution” that many single people, both gay and straight, make is the thrill of dating someone and falling in love. In today’s day and age of how technology rules the world, it seems to be that getting to that point of said love is much different than when our parents were growing up. Back then, the norm seemed to be you meet someone at a bar or a mutual friend’s party, get set up on a blind date, and so on and so forth. These types of situations don’t seem to happen as often as they used to. Just last night, I was at my friend New Year’s Eve party and I met a really great gay couple who explained that they met on Grindr, and had difficulty telling their boss because even though the boss was gay it isn’t exactly something that you want known that you met someone on something that most consider to be a hook up site. But the thought does prevail, is online apps like Grindr, Scruff and Growlr the new way to meet a significant other in the gay world, or are there some people out there that still believe in the traditionalist ways of hunting for a mate where you go on an actual date with them and see where it goes? Let’s examine this for a second.
I myself, have been in both situations where I have asked a guy out online and in person. The problem I have with online stuff is that I tend to cut to the point after talking with someone for a couple of hours on there, because quite frankly you can have all this great conversation and it never leads to anything. Usually I will say, “So, when can we go on a date?”. I have had men quite shocked when I ask that, and when I ask why they usually say that they haven’t been asked on a date in so long. Same thing if it was in person at a gay bar or party. So what gives? This is where I went all Carrie Bradshaw and turned to my friends for advice. The responses that I got were quite interesting and diverse when it comes to dating in the modern world, and spoke true in regards to how each person sees this ever present aspect of our lives in our 20’s and beyond.
Many of the responses that I got came from this- We hang out first, and then see what happens. “I think people date when things are more concrete. Personally, I’m the type to say “let’s hang out” rather than “let’s go on a date”. It’s usually less pressure on both parties and when things progress then then a more formal “date” happens”, said one friend. Another one echoed something similar. “It seems guys are more interested in meeting up first, something casual like grabbing a beer. There after if a connection is made then a date seems to happen.”.
Question with both of these responses is, would we think the same way if technology didn’t get in the way? We live in a world today where we can pretty much custom order a date or a boyfriend due to these apps, and ignore the creeps and guys you aren’t interested in by simply not responding or even blocking them if need be. Would we have the same reaction as above if it was more traditional as it was 10 or 15 years ago? Or is it simply a defense mechanism that we place on ourselves in case the guy with the really hot photo and seemingly interesting online persona turns out to be something completely different and that way makes it easier to divulge how you want to move forward with this person?
Then there are friends who say that technology has really screwed up the whole dating concept in general. “I think technology dilutes the entire dating process…it speeds it up dramatically. Long gone are the days of courting someone; most guys in our community have a plethora of options for “dates” and therein lies the problem–make something so easily attainable and it loses its allure,” says one friend. Another one had something similar in mind- “I think with texting and Facebook and Internet in general, a lot of the interactions we used to do early in dating we did face to face, we now do via technology. Dating as we knew it 20 years ago is over.” Check out this article which talks about younger guys talking about online dating as a reference to all of this.
So where do we find a comfortable line in the dating world when it comes to how we approach someone? Is it taboo all of a sudden to simply ask someone on a date, or has the ever popular “meet up and see what happens” take over and be the way of the future? Is dating extinct… or is evolving?
What do YOU think?
Maria Kang’s Message Lost Amid Controversy
Maria Kang, a California mother of three, who came to be known as “Fit Mom” for her no nonsense approach to health and fitness is once again caught in the crosshairs of an ongoing public uproar.
Kang was the recipient of harsh criticism after an image that she posted to her Facebook page last year recently went viral. The picture of Kang, clad only in a sports bra and mini fitness shorts, and surrounded by her three young sons (aged three and under), features the question “What’s your excuse?”
The controversy surrounding Kang was reignited once again on November 22, when she responded to a photo campaign launched by Curvy Girl Lingerie, in which larger women are seen in their bras and underwear.
Kang expressed her annoyance in a post of the following on her Facebook page:
“1. We have a health issue in America with over 2/3 overweight or obese.
2. We have a healthcare crisis. We spend over 3 trillion in healthcare yearly!
3. We have a childhood obesity issue, with many children suffering from adult diseases like diabetes.
4. We have magazines everywhere praising the celebrity (with all her resources) for being fit after months of giving birth and scorn the “real every day mom” who is able to be successful.
5. We keep blaming the culprit (school lunches, fast food, etc) when the real change starts at home – ESP those who lead, which are the parents.
There are some serious contradictions in our society. I know many people still get riled up with me and my convictions but the truth is I KNOW how it is to work your ass off and not have energy at the end of your day. I know how it feels to be overweight and not drop an ounce after years of disordered eating. I know how difficult it is to raise multiple children – all born a year apart – and make my fitness and nutrition a priority. Lastly, I know how it feels like to grow up with an unhealthy mother wondering if she will live to see your wedding day.”
We need to change this strange mentality we are breeding in the U.S. and start celebrating people who are a result of hard work, dedication and discipline. I’m not bashing those who are proud and overweight, I am empowering those who are proud and healthy to come out and be the real role models in our society.”
Facebook, which suspended Kang’s account for three hours following her post, reportedly did so because several people had reported the post as “hate speech.” The account was suspended for two days before being restored without Kang’s post, with Facebook claiming a misunderstanding, telling Kang that she could repost her opinion if she wanted to.
Kang was surprised by Facebook’s reaction, saying “I was pretty shocked. I definitely think my freedom of speech was removed.”
As a former bulimic, Kang says that she did not intend to fat-shame overweight women, but impressed upon the fact that being obese is unhealthy and should not be celebrated.
“It’s never my intention to say someone should look a certain way,” she said. “But I am not going to stand here and say being obese is okay and we should accept that as the norm.”
While I don’t necessarily agree with the manner in which Kang went about stating her opinion, it cannot be denied that she surely has a point, and that she has gotten us talking about health and weight in this country — a discussion that despite an incredulous amount of diet supplements and focus on body image, has been long overdue.
It cannot be denied, as Kang says, that the money spent on poor health and its effects in this country are astronomical; the cost of being obese trickles down to almost every aspect of life. From the families of those affected, to the cost of healthcare, to the toll that poor self-esteem and depression can take, obesity has undoubtedly become an epidemic. It has also been scientifically proven that a healthy diet and exercise are the cure for most health issues and diseases associated with obesity. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that said healthy eating habits and exercise are the product of hard work, dedication, and sometimes will power (okay…always will power). These facts we know. So what exactly are we so angry about?
Sure it can easily be interpreted that Kang comes across as preachy, holier than thou, and in some respects even abrasive. Her “What’s your excuse?” mentality tends to pin those without abs against those with a hefty six pack. It can easily put those of us with cellulite on the defensive.
I understand, because the truth of the matter is that even at my fittest, I do not look like Maria Kang. I do not have a six pack, or a mere 18% body fat for that matter. However, hating Kang, or citing her for “hate speech” is not only outlandish and inappropriate (not to mention in my opinion highly unconstitutional), but it defeats what I believe to be Kang’s true message, which appears to be getting lost among the ridiculous hubbub.
I believe that in an age where we are so inundated with ideas, it is hard to get others to listen to what’s being said short of shock and awe. So instead of hating on Kang for the way that she looks, let’s break down what it is that she is trying to say, rather than how she is saying it. It may just prove helpful.
1. Obesity is unhealthy.
2. Being healthy means a healthy diet and exercise.
3. A healthy diet and exercise take work.
4. Lots of work.
5. We should work. Hard.
This is not to say that Kang thinks that we should all look like her clones. Just that we should strive to lead healthy lives instead of making excuses for our inaction. If you are obese there is no doubt that you are beautiful. You should hold your head up high and love yourself with every fiber of your being. And if you don’t, I implore you to start. In fact I demand that you do.
But as humans we are constantly evolving. That’s why each and every one of us should be able to look at ourselves and improve upon where we are. If we slack off in class and earn a D, should we not still strive for an A? We may come up short again, but what kind of life would we be living if we stopped trying all together?
Though I don’t agree with Kang’s approach, I agree with what it is that she is trying to say. And if you still don’t want to exercise or make Popeye proud, that’s your prerogative. I am certainly not in any position to tell you what to do. And if you don’t like what Kang has to say, you can take it with a grain of salt (atop of fries), or leave it altogether. But she is certainly entitled to voice her opinion.
Is Facebook The New & Improved Biological Clock?
Oh great, you are engaged and just got a promotion. Thanks Facebook!
Even though parts of society seems to change throughout the years, some of it cyclical and some of it changing for the new, one thing remains the same- the pressure to be like the Joneses. What do I mean by that? The simple fact that we are all aspiring to get ourselves to that inevitable checkpoint. To achieve whatever our hearts desire- be it a great job promotion, a marriage, a kid, whatever it takes. So now that social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter is thriving in today’s digital age, is that biological clock of ours that much more magnified because we see it on a daily or even hourly basis?
When you reach a certain age, let’s say 30 for instance, you are expected and almost expect yourself to reach particular life goals. Straight or gay, you may feel like you should be married at this point, have a kid or two, live on your own of course with a pretty profitable job. But what happens if one of those things are missing? Let’s say you are looking for that dream job of yours yet can’t seem to find it. You then open up your Facebook page and see that your friend Jenny or Scott has just achieved that particular promotion or even started to run their own company. Certainly you feel happy for them, but subconsciously you feel like why them and not me? Why can’t it be me getting that great job? I have the qualifications, so what’s the difference here? Hence that feeling of, “Oh shit. I gotta get moving, I gotta do something”.
The biological clock before digital times was just an inherent feeling of my time is running out to do accomplish something, and I don’t want to know how I will feel if I don’t get it done by then. I have a ton of my girlfriends who tell me on a consistent basis that they want love, they want commitment but it is hard to find in such a big city like Manhattan. Then they go on their Facebook page and find that that girl who they had a chemistry class with back in college just got engaged, and then the panicking begins. Shouldn’t this provoke something good and not bad?
Facebook originally started the same year I began college back in 2004 really as a social networking site between college kids. It was a mixture of meeting new people on your campus yet keeping in touch with all of your high school friends, sort of a digital Yearbook of sorts. Now, almost ten years later it has developed into such a life that I don’t even think Mark Zuckerberg was really prepared for (IE Snapchat’s 3 Billion Dollar rejection from Facebook itself). It has just designed itself into keeping us up to date with what everyone is doing on a very large scale. Will Facebook represent this quote un quote “Biological Clock” type of atmosphere for a while? Not too sure. It really all depends on how you view your life versus someone else’s life and really how you compare yourself to them.
Do you think Facebook is the new Biological Clock? Sound off!
If I Lose Weight Do I Lose The Bears As Well?
I can honestly say that weight, just like aging and the ever presence of The Kartrashians (spelled correctly folks) is an ever present issue in someone’s life. When it comes to dealing with weight in the bear community, it takes on a whole new world of self-criticizing, self-loathing, comparisons to other guys and so on and so forth. Yes of course this can be translatable to any community, any age, any arena. For me as a gay man, it has been a constant struggle to keep up with.
I never saw myself as being obese. I was lucky enough to grow up in an area that accepted me for the most part for being gay. I think because I had such a big personality growing up that people were drawn to me and didn’t see me as the “gay” kid or the “fat” kid they really just saw me as Ryan. At the same time, I knew subconsciously that I was fat. I quit football after my freshman year due to my insecurity in being gay and on such a masculine and homophobic (to a certain degree) sport. That was when the weight problems came on due to not being apart of any sports team and due to my struggle with being a homosexual.
To make matters worse for myself, I was in an area with little to no gay men or women so my references were little except if I would watch Will & Grace or something gay themed on a cable channel. So I struggled with finding my identity which led to overeating. When I was 18 and went away to school in Providence, Rhode Island was where I truly was able to begin the process of finding myself as a gay man seeing as there were multiple outlets around me for that self discovery. At the same time, I really didn’t focus on my weight and mainly focused on determining factors like who am I in this community, what kind of guys am I into, etc etc. Down the line though is where I started to realize that I fit into the bear community due to the “stereotypical” aspects of being a bear like more weight and body hair.
By the time I was 21 or 22 I was tipping the scale at 270. Yes, 270. And I had no fucking idea that it was getting that bad. Even my first real relationship with a guy I later on came to find that he wanted me to be a “gainer”. Look it up, it’s odd but there is no judgement there. There were so many types of guys that I would try to talk to online and many of them rejected me or didn’t message me back. The only types of guys that seemed to be into me were other heavyset dudes and “Chasers” which are defined as smaller guys who happen to like a big dude. Problem for me was these two types are ones that I wasn’t into. I was into the Scott Caan’s and the Chris Pratt’s but at the same time I could go for Chris Meloni’s and LL Cool J’s. I really just wanted the type of guy who took care of himself but at the same time could eat and not bitch about the calories. You know, huskular.
By the time I was 24 was when I finally figured it out and started the process or “journey” of losing weight. I lost roughly 55 pounds in a matter of a year and people really started to notice. What was even better was the guys that would usually not talk to me online were actually reaching out to me not vice versa. It really made me excited and happy because I felt some ubiquity in that I could finally attract a different aesthetic which is what I have been wanting ever since I was fourteen or fifteen. In the past three years I have yo-yo’d back and forth gaining and losing 15 pounds but never really dealing with an extreme on either end.
Now I am at a place where I want to take it to the next step and get down to roughly 170-180, which would put me at a smaller frame. The problem for me is that i don’t want to feel that I am rejected again by a certain portion of the community because I am not technically a “bear’ anymore and even though it might sound self absorbed but I enjoy that I attract a decent portion of it. If I get a six pack or get skinny, what happens? Where do I go from there? I find it very frustrating to deal with because health should really be a top priority but when it comes to finding a date, mate or sex even, you want it to be a mutual attraction and not a fetish, which seems to populate a lot of this community as well. Ultimately I just want to figure out a way where I can blur the lines so that I am not labeled and can adapt to any sub-community that is out there.
I put this on my Facebook and got a great amount of responses, many of them saying for me to focus on myself and not on what other people think. One friend said- “Honestly, I don’t think that should figure into what you decide to do. If they view you differently, so be it, but don’t make that your problem. Besides, your friends should treat you the same way no matter what.”. Similarly I got a response like “You gotta do you. at the end of the day, other people are not responsible for your health, paying your bills, or paying your damn rent. Be yourself and people will like you for who you are, the people that leave are what you leave in the toilet; basically just floaters.”
On the contrary I had a couple of friends say its not that easy, where friends have said this situation rings true for them as well. One summed it up the best though for this (Mainly because they use a “Drag Race” reference and that always gets me going)- “I don’t know what, if anything, the bear community feels as a whole, but why should that matter? If you want to lose weight, for whatever reason, you should do it, regardless of what a demographic has to say about it. Whoever doesn’t like it can bite the wienie. As they say on RuPaul’s Drag Race, you just do YOU. Whatever makes you happy, man.”
What is your take on this?
Disney Pixar announces ‘Nemo’ sequel ‘Finding Dory’ for 2015!
Remember when ‘Nemo’ was a cute fish that got lost in the sea and not that awful storm that most of us had to endear a couple of months ago? Well the former is now on everyone’s minds, as Ellen Degeneres announced yesterday on her show that the sequel to Nemo dubbed ‘Finding Dory” will make its mark in theaters on November 25, 2015.
Dubbed Finding Dory, the flick will employ DeGeneres as the voice of Dory, who Disney Pixar describes as the “friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish.”
“I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” DeGeneres said in a statement Tuesday. This also was the result of her posting on Facebook and Instagram.
“I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16.
“But the time they took was worth it,” she added. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is — it’s got a lot more Dory.”
The movie this time around will be directed by Andrew Stanton, a two time Oscar winner for ‘Finding Nemo’ and in 2008 for ‘Wall-E’. He has also been nominated four times for Original Screenplay for those two movies as well as ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Toy Story 3’.
“She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world — not to mention our team here at Pixar,” Stanton said. “One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In ‘Finding Dory,’ she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”
‘Finding Nemo’ has been widely seen as the best Pixar film to date, rivaling other ones such as ‘Up’ and ‘Toy Story’. Many people thought that Ellen was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Dory, as it has been stated in the for years that people who voice animated characters are always overlooked at award season time. This sequel is highly anticipated and should be a great addition to the Pixar line of movies when it comes out in 2015! I know I’m excited!
Reach out and grab your next job. Literally.
There used to be a time where a person would call about an open job opportunity, ask some job related questions, find out who to send their resume to and then BAM they would MAIL or FAX this information to the appropriate person.
Applying to jobs seems less stressful as there was not a suspiciously large resume blackhole but when can this start happening again? Any day now, any day. I’d love to apply to a job, hear back from a person and one who is not griping about not reaching a sales goal. That, friends, would be the ultimate job searching experience.
Alas, this is not 1982 and the Internet has vastly changed this process forever *dramatic interlude – dun dun DUN*
If you are wondering how to make this process a little less daunting let’s start by tackling your professional social media footprint. What the heck is that?
A professional social media footprint is the links; blog posts; Facebook entries; videos; created images and graphics that shape your professional persona for the rest of the world.
Your professional social media footprint is the most important thing in existence right now. It should pop into your mind every time you consider posting a scathing political rant ripping apart a friend or random online person (s)!
I am going to skip the lecturing on what to post and what is appropriate. While we are all adults, we still like to have our fun but does it always have to end up on the Internet? Unfortunately, if the FBI’s first place to find suspects of accused activity via Facebook, then well, I wonder where hiring managers begin to find their future employees.
[Just be smart. That’s all I ask.]
So this also goes for those of you who may be a photographer/DJ/or person of creative value who MAKES things. Be sure to protect and copyright your material before it ends up on some randos’ website. In fact, I highly recommend creating a website or webportal that will store this information with appropriate watermarks that successfully promote your brand. We will get to that in a later post.
After all that is accomplished, you are ready to start searching. Wait, we forgot a major cog of this whole process. The resume that you will use for the rest of the world to see.
As many of my managers have ever put to me, “there are two times in your life when you are perfect: when you are born and your resume”.
Make that resume count. Keep the resume filled with accomplishments from your jobs and not the responsibilities. Make your resume reflect what YOU have done for your company. And please, PLEASE have someone read it before posting it or sending it out to hiring managers.
Once this feat is accomplished, you are ready.
How to successfully obtain a job opportunity for 2013 and beyond:
1) Use your Audience to stand out. There is only ONE you. In order to get what you want out of your next job, you need to know what you want, and who you are competing with because these are the people who may or may not take your next opportunity right from your dinner plate. THIEVES!!!
If you are a graphic designer, be sure you are the most creative and witty graphic designer out there. You need a plethora of mixed material because I hate to burst that beautiful, bubble but there are so many of you out there that you have to make yourself standout.
2) Know the companies you want as an employer and research employee success stories.
Linkedin and Glassdoor are my favorite web portals for such information.
Linkedin is a professional network that is becoming more and more widely used by companies and job seekers alike and is a great portal for employee recommendations; current job openings; News updates; company success stories; and tons of previous and current employees, who will give you a better idea of what the types of jobs at the company; the type of candidates they hired; etc.
Use it. Now. Create a profile, it’s FREE.
Glassdoor is popular company profile website that gives a deep look into the company personality and how it might fit with your own. There are some instances where companies include what it takes to survive an interview and even the kind of caliber they seek in employees.
3) Network. I cannot say this enough. Utilize professional networks such as Linkedin; Ziggs; and dare I even say it; Facebook. There are many people within your personal network who are out there in the job world who may or may not be able to assist you in finding the right person to talk to about a position you seek.
4) Do not burn bridges. Even if you are meeting people completely outside your professional network and field, you never know who you may encounter who can help you find that ultimate position.
5) Be Bold and reach out to hiring managers. I realize many people are doing this and it is much easier to do than ever before so – a word to the wise here – BUT it could be very helpful in finding out exactly what the top qualities are for the position and what the managers are seeking.
Even if you cannot have your dream job today, there are other positions out there that could propel you forward.
6) Do not give up. Job seeking in itself IS a JOB. Do not think twice that you can slack off and just expect a position to fall onto your laps. True, this MAY happen for some people but for most of us, life is about the effort you put in.
If all else fails, listen to a little Jason Mraz, he might pick you up when you are down.
Don’t Give Up on Us. Jason Mraz is WATCHING. (Source: Youtube)
What did you do to obtain that DREAM job or better yet, your NEXT job? Feel free to share your favorite job seeking memories. Don’t worry, we won’t be applying to YOUR job…although…on second thought 🙂 KIDDING!