Posts Tagged ‘ Tips ’
DJ Mustard has provided the soundtrack for everything over the past year. Like, all of the things. Dude has had double digit radio hits since 2013, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Watch his Rap PSA above on how to make the perfect beat.
![chilly_151110_by_smatthes_003[1]](https://djstorm.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/chilly_151110_by_smatthes_0031.jpg)
Grammy Award winning pianist, Chilly Gonzales is a literal (and self proclaimed) musical genius, who has taken a favorable ear to modern trends in music and deconstructs them. Chilly pulls out exactly what make a specific song unique, and gives analyzes the seemingly unquantifiable attributes that make our favorite songs our favorite songs. Take a look at his break down of Drake’s “We’re Going Home”.
The average human being spends somewhere around 200,000 hours of their life asleep, which seems like a lot of important time wasted dreaming of the Swedish Bikini Team. But, like your doctor, your mother and every health teacher you’ve ever had has droned at you again and again, sleep is important to a healthy life. Seven to eight hours REM cycles.
Founded on this iron principle, Larklife connects your sleep patterns, diet and exercise plans in one smart wristband and iOS app. It’s a lot like the Nike+ Fuel Band, but with an added emphasis on snooze time. The idea is to sync your time spent unconscious with your daily activities and habits, from the best times to eat and work out to when you should take a productivity break, or even go to bed. Among other things (and it does quite a bit), the Larklife features a silent, vibrating alarm clock, sleep quality tracker, calorie counter, hydration tracker and even fitness coaching tips.
OK, so it kinda sounds like a high-tech way of reproducing a naggy girlfriend who bugs you all day about the crap you could be doing better — but some of us need those annoying reminders at this stage in our lives. And with a pleasant and intuitive interface, it may be an improvement over whoever’s currently running your life.
You know that tingly sensation of awe and excitement you get after seeing a truly great film? Well, besides leaving me with a serious hankering for shawarma, Marvel’s The Avengers definitely gave me that oh-my-gosh-you-guys-let’s-watch-that-again feeling. I saw the movie a while ago, but I still can’t stop thinking about it all: the epic battle scenes, the hilarious one-liners, Scarlett Johansson, and of course, the style. I’m not personally big on fashion, but I’m more than appreciative when I see a woman who’s dressed like she knows what she’s doing. My assistant shot me an email the other day with some excellent fashion suggestions taking their inspiration directly from Marvel’s hit movie.
Captain America/Steve Rogers
Captain America/Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, is the First Avenger, born from the country’s efforts to create an army of super-soldiers during World War II. To prevent weapons of mass destruction being dropped on America, he’s forced to crash land his plane in the Arctic.
Discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. after spending 70 years frozen in the ocean, he awakens in the present day only to be hit with the crushing realization that everything and everyone he knew and held dear in the 1940s is gone. The atrocities of WWII fresh in his mind, he’s left cynical and disillusioned about humanity. Nevertheless, he still believes in serving the greater good and becomes the reluctant leader of the group.
Product Information: Jacket, Dress, Shoes, Earrings, Ring, Clutch
While any woman would certainly turn heads if they wore a stars-and-stripes unitard to class, it might not be for quite the right reasons. Instead, channel this stalwart hero with an All-American, 1940s-inspired look that features a chambray shirtdress and brown bomber jacket. Add a modern twist with bold flag-emblazoned booties: if you’re not a fan of the JC Litas, red pumps would also look cute with the outfit. Although Captain America’s vibranium shield isn’t available for purchase, this cute star ring is the next best thing. Retro waves are pretty and polished; plus, they’re all the rage this spring.
Ironman/Tony Stark
Iron Man/Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., is a self-described “billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropist.” (It’s a very apt description, to be honest.) Stark is far from a team player: he’s arrogant and snarky and often chafes under direction.
Despite his personality faults, it’s impossible to deny his engineering genius. His origins as a superhero were explored in 2008′s Iron Man and 2010′s Iron Man 2. Stark, a wealthy industrialist, has an electromagnet in his chest that prevents a piece of shrapnel from penetrating his heart. The arc reactor that powers the electromagnet also powers the Iron Man suit, a metal exoskeleton that allows Stark to do things such as fly and withstand tremendous trauma.
Product Information: Blazer, Tee, Jeans, Wedges, Necklace, Bracelet, Earrings, Sunglasses
Tony Stark is all about flash and style, so make sure all eyes are on you with this bold metallic look. A sharp burgundy blazer and gold coated jeans resemble his Iron Man suit, while a charcoal burnout tee and dark sunglasses recall Tony’s too-cool-for-school attitude. Sculptural wedges with a metallic detail tie the look together. No hero’s outfit is complete without accessories, so pile ‘em on! A teal pendant not only provides a nice color contrast to the blazer, but also references Tony’s chestplate. This silver cuff bracelet might not help you suit up, like Tony’s do, but hey, it’s cute.
Thor
Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, is a demi-god of Asgard. In 2011′s Thor, he was banished to Earth because of his arrogance and warmongering. Now, he returns to our planet to retrieve his renegade adopted brother, Loki, who has grandiose plans to enslave the human race. Thor has sworn to defend Earth, but at the same time is conflicted because the villain is family.
Initially, he and the other Avengers majorly clash due to misunderstanding about their mutual goal. However, he proves to be an invaluable member of the team, not only because he’s more familiar with Loki’s insanity, but also because he’s the only one with the strength to keep the Hulk under control.
Product information: Top, Skirt, Heels, Cuffs, Earrings, Necklace, Ring, Phone case
As the god of thunder and lightning, Thor wears lots of metallics, and a silver foil tank is a trendy take on his armor. Translate his flowing garnet cloak into a trendy high-low hem skirt that pairs perfectly with black lace-up heels. I couldn’t find any hammer jewelry, so go for hammered metal accessories like these twin silver cuffs and black choker necklace instead. Golden lighting bolt earrings and a horn ring reference Thor’s godly background and powers.
The Hulk/Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner/Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, is a brilliant, mild-mannered scientist whose experiments with gamma radiation went horribly wrong. As a result, when he’s angry, he mutates into “the other guy” — a giant green beast who destroys just about everything in his path. In the film, Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., tries to recruit Banner for his unparalleled knowledge of gamma radiation. It’s been years since his other self has emerged, but Bruce is understandably reluctant to join the mission. Even if his involvement is just in a scientific capacity, he knows that any exposure to battle could cause the unleashing of the Hulk.
Product Information: Blouse, Shorts, Sandals, Necklace, Earrings, Satchel, Nail Polish
Besides a pair of practically indestructible shorts, the Hulk hasn’t got much in the way of uniform. Nevertheless, you can totally channel both the not-so-jolly green giant and his more pleasant alter ego. A trendy mint blouse and lavender cut-offs are a pastel take on the Hulk’s green coloring and purple pants. He goes barefoot, but you can wear minimalist two-strap sandals instead. Radioactive earrings add a pop of trendy neon and reference the Hulk’s origin. Let’s not leave Bruce Banner out of the equation: add some scholarly details with a navy satchel and a spectacle necklace. Finally, add the sartorial equivalent of ”Hulk…smash!” with a coat of black shatter polish.
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, is a former KGB assassin turned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Though she doesn’t technically have superpowers, she’s been trained as an assassin from an early age. Natasha, who made a brief appearance in Iron Man 2, has nerves of steel and some serious martial arts skills.
Product Information: Jacket, Dress, Heels, Belt, Earrings, Lipstick, Nail Polish
Since Black Widow’s the only woman in the Initiative, I initially wanted to avoid an overly feminine, stereotypical outfit, but in the end, the sultry bandage dress won out. After all, ScarJo does possess famously dangerous curves and there’s no denying Black Widow’s major sex appeal. Toughen up the look with a sharp-shouldered leather jacket and sassy slingbacks that resemble the ones she wears at the beginning of the movie.
Accessorize with scarlet accents: black widow spiders are easily identified by the red hourglass on their midsections, so slip on a red patent belt. Then slick on a coat of crimson Hourglass lipstick and reference Natasha’s mother country with Essie’s “Russian Roulette” nail varnish. These spider earrings might be more reminiscent of another Marvel character, but they’re also sleek enough to be Black-Widow-esque.
Hawkeye/Clint Barton
Clint Barton/Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, is quite the loner: as an expert sniper, he spends a great deal of time perched in the shadows, waiting for his targets. This master marksman has got a neat set of trick arrows (acid, explosive, flare, and boomerang arrows, just to name a few). Hawkeye mostly keeps to himself, but does share a deep, unspoken connection with Black Widow. He made a cameo in Thor.
Product Information: Vest, Tank, Jeans, Boots, Bag, Ring, Necklace, Bracelet
In the original comics, Hawkeye wears a flashy purple and blue suit. While I can see why they toned it down for the movie, it’s actually a pretty fun color scheme for real life. Distressed denim vests are a hot trend this year, and this one pairs perfectly with a cobalt tank and violet skinnies. Buckled ankle boots toughen up the look while a hawk ring and nest pendant add some avian detail.
Between Hawkeye, Katniss, and the ever-popular Legolas, archery is definitely getting its moment in the spotlight. A leather bucket bag is a cute civilian take on Hawkeye’s sheath of arrows, while a golden arrow bangle adds a nice dose of sheen.
I’ve been working at my craft for the better part of a decade now, and it’s my firm belief that certain things should be mastered pretty early in the game. Changing DJ’s should always be a seamless transition. (By seamless, I mean the crowd should have no idea anything happened other than seeing some drunk girl spill a appletini on herself.) But the more clubs I frequent in my city, I realize that this may be a more difficult task for some DJ’s than it should be. Below is a video by DJ TechTools on how to make transitions between DJ’s, and if any one of the DJ’s from ‘Recess’ last night is reading this… PLEASE watch this video.
When it comes to “sexting,” there is a fine line between fun and filthy, phone-play and phone porn. Done right, however, sexting between two consenting adults can be a great thing. A press of a button or a stroke of a touchpad and you get instant sexual tension (which will hopefully lead to other kinds of touching later on).
It “can definitely spice up your sex life,” says “Texpert” Shawn Marie Edginton, author of Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style. “A good sext is worth a thousand words… without all the talking.”
Just use common sense (especially if running for political office) and let the fun begin!
Only sext those with whom you share a committed, trusting, adult relationship.
“Otherwise bad breakups can leave your ‘personals’ exposed for everyone to see on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc…,” warns Edginton. “Inappropriate correspondence between the two parties seems to always make its way into the wrong hands.” In other words, it may seem like harmless fun but do not sext your boss, a one-night stand, a guy with a wife or girlfriend or anyone who isn’t really yours or available to you.
You don’t know panic until the day you lose your phone and realize that you had an entire gallery of sexts and racy photos on there. Make it a habit to routinely clean up your cell (it’s sort of the equivalent of washing your mouth out with soap). If you don’t want to lose some sexts because they turn you on, forward them to yourself via email and keep them in a locked or hidden file/document on your personal computer for future viewing.
This one may also seem obvious but it’s worth repeating. “Your company owns the content and has the right to review what’s been sent using company property,” says Edginton. So unless you want your boss knowing your sexual fantasies, it’s best to keep your sexting limited to your own private cell. . Also, “If you don’t want bystanders to get an eyeful, change your phone settings so you don’t accidentally expose more than you want to.” warns Edgington. Disable automatic pop-ups or “previews” of texts on your personal phones anytime you’re in a sexting relationship.
“Double check to make sure you’re sending your message to the correct recipient,” says Edginton. “Nothing worse than sending a sext to a coworker by accident.” Or your mom…
If you sext something too hot, too fast… you might get tech burned. If you’re thinking of diving into the sexting realm, a simple “Hey! So, what are you wearing?” or “Hey good lookin’ — I’m sitting here thinking about how hot you make me” can indicate your intentions subtly and save you from embarrassment (i.e. if he doesn’t respond in kind, you can always pass it off as a joke).
Sexting can be a fun way to push the envelope a bit with your relationship, but if you cross the line into gross, there is no pretending that it was auto-fill’s fault. “Sending sleazy or obscene texts will only leave you lonely and sextually frustrated,” says Edgington. “No one appreciates receiving messages that are raunchy or disgusting.”
This one is for the women… If you want to turn him on, don’t send your sext when you know he’ll be preoccupied (i.e. while he’s out with the guys at a baseball game — he’ll either think you’re acting desperate or share it with his posse…neither of which you want). Really hot times to sext? How about at a party when you know you can’t really sneak away. You can drive him crazy by sending him hot messages about what you’re thinking (i.e. “Your ass looks so hot in those pants I want to rip them off and have my way with you”), what you plan to do to him later (i.e. “As soon as we get out of here, I’m going to lick your neck and who knows what else in the cab home”), or what you’d like him to do to you (i.e. “I am quivering at the thought of you touching me in naughty places later”). Remember, this is about building sexual tension…and timing is everything.
Part of the thrill of sexting is the buildup. But even that should be in good taste. In other words, think more “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” and not “I’d like to dip you in cheese whiz and spread you on my cracker.”
“Fun with the camera phone” is great (especially since men are visual creatures). But if you’re snapping sexy pics, do yourself a favor and eliminate your face in images that include nudity. “This might be how Brett Favre doesn’t get caught with his pants down,” says Edgington. “Plus, you don’t have to take it all off- be sexy and leave them guessing.”
Girls and guys alike want to know you’re hot for them. Try a simple “Thoughts of being naked again with you as soon as possible are seriously making me nuts over here” or “I just don’t know what you do to me and my body, but I like it and I want more… immediately.” Showing off a little bit of your feeling will definitely get the receiver’s creative juices flowing.
Sexting is an art. And the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it (just like sex itself…practice helps the two of you find your rhythm). Try reading some passages from romance novels and rewording them in ways that tell the intended recipient what you’d like to have done to you. This form of play-giarism is totally fine.
Sexting is a tool to use in addition to (not in place of) an in-person relationship “Watch the warning signs that you may be sliding into an unhealthy relationship with technology,” says Edgington, which include sexting 24/7 and ignoring the face-to-face relationship or sexting that interferes with work and other commitments. Keep communication balanced. “Remember, communication is almost always better when it’s face-to-face or by telephone where you can hear the tone and pick up the vibration of what this person is feeling towards you,” says Edgington. In other words, sexting is supposed to be the warm-up… for the fun things yet to come in person.
Girls, at a loss of where to begin? Try these naughty touchpad strokes and you’ll find yourself in a sexting frenzy: “I had to get out a ‘toy’ last night thinking about you. Bet you would have liked to watch.” (Men love the idea of a woman pleasuring herself…especially while thinking about them). “I went to Victoria’s Secret today. Wouldn’t you love to know what I bought?” (Of course he would). “I seem to be having a problem getting out of my bra. You are really good at unhooking it…any suggestions?” (Men want to think they possess skills and also like the idea of you being in a state of partial dress while texting them). “Wow, it’s so cold in here… my _______ are so hard. Could you find a way to beam here pronto and warm me up?” (Teasing is good. So is letting a guy know you’re aroused). “You know, you are trouble. I’m not usually this naughty.” (Men want to think they possess some special sexual power over you that no other man has ever had. Be ready to back this one up with naughty thoughts).
In general, most people are very complex and can exhibit different personality traits at different times. But one can also say that there tends to be two distinct groupings in societies’ power structures: Those who can be characterized as “normal,” and those who view the world through a prism heavily influenced by psychopathy and sociopathy.
My take (by trying to understand the world around me) is that the great majority of people operate under the “normal” approach, when it comes to power-plays and relationships. A very small minority could be characterized as high-functioning sociopaths and/or psychopaths.
And it’s not that the majority is “normal” as in not being afflicted by all kinds of personality, psychological, and psychiatric disorders… If you watch enough TV in the U.S., you’ll be bombarded with advertisement for all kinds of psychotropic drugs.
By “normal,” what I mean is that people tend to say and do things in accordance to their real thoughts, emotions, views, ideas, beliefs. In other words, in a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” mode.
By contrast, the high-functioning psychopath is “characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness.” And because of it, they tend to rule the world. They rise to the highest levels of power in politics, and business.
If you are ambitious and choose to get involved in power-plays, the first thing you need to recognize is that you have to leave your values, emotions, ideals, and most high-minded human traits, “at the door” (as it were), if you want to have a shot to become the “top dog.”
There is an angle to everything you say and do; to every relationship you choose to “nurture.” Like a chameleon, you adapt your message to your audience, to your environment; you are folksy with folksy folks, and you are high-brow and educated and a little snobbish when you are with the snobs.
You become so good at it, that in every circle people can’t stop pointing out what a “nice guy” you are, and how smart you are, and how you connect with people with such ease.
But to you, it’s all mechanical; a game. There are no emotions involved at all–God forbid.
In politics, I observe how this phenomena works so perfectly, both on the left and the right. On the right the useful idiots (the normal people) are the end-of-days religious fundamentalists, and the nativists, and the racists, and the nationalists. All acting out of their true beliefs and emotions, and being manipulated by the sociopathic ruling class.
On the left, they are those who earnestly go about trying to respond to every absurdity coming out of the loony right-wing. Refuting every stupid and absurd comment with facts, and studies, and statistics. And basking in the glory of being right about the issues, about the science, about the empirical evidence. All done in a mainly ineffective and powerless echo chamber. But ultimately, also being manipulated by the same sociopathic ruling class.
I’ve been in sales, marketing, consulting, advertising, and technology for years. I’ve been involved with business associations, chambers of commerce, community organization, non-profits.
I’ve seen one recurring thing in all those environments, when it comes to the naiveté of well-meaning people who have ambition to get ahead, or get promoted, or get a raise. I’ve had this conversation many times… I ask them “So you want to be promoted? And you think that because you are really good at what you do, and knowledgeable, and are never late to work, etc., that you should be noticed and that a promotion should be coming your way?”
They look at me perplexed, like saying “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” Obviously, they are a lost cause, but I try my best to leave them with something to think about: “If you want a promotion, and a position of leadership (and more responsibility) and a raise, then you have to play the ‘power-play,’ the ‘political game.’ Everything you do has to have an angle; every conversation; every project you take on; everything you volunteer to. Who knows about what you’re doing, about your successes, about your contribution? How are you going to ‘protect’ the organization, and above all, how your boss, your supervisor, the owner of the company, the president of the organization, is going to personally benefit by giving you a promotion?”
I’ve had similar conversations with lots of people, and invariably, sometimes they are appalled that it should come down to those considerations. They proudly say, “I don’t like to play those games… With me, it’s-what-you-see-is-what-you-get.” And so it will be. If you don’t understand the concept of how to acquire power, then you’ll never have it.
It has little to do with how right you are about anything.
We all know a picture is worth a thousand words. A photograph however is also worth the time, effort, conceptual vision, and execution that the photographer put into it. Black and white photography seems to have a special grit to it that not too many other styles can capture, which makes them a bit more gripping when on display. I know I’ve covered several different sets of stunning black and white photographs before, but the selection I stumbled on recently left me needing to put them up. So check the method.
Yesterday was father’s day, and I spent the day talking to a few of my friends lucky enough to be proud parents. One of the complaints I heard from a homegirl of mine was that her son was being an “asshole-ish version of Satan himself” because his adult teeth were growing in. I don’t remember all of what it was like going through the process (cept for realizing the tooth fairy was my mom noisily shoving a dollar under my pillow every other month while she thought I was asleep), but coincidentally I came across a scientific art piece that helped me shed some light on her predicament. Below is a REAL skull of a human child with their adult teeth growing in. Seeing it made me understand that sometimes kids go through things I’m happy I don’t have to. So if you have a little one who’s adult teeth are coming in, cut them some slack. It can be a painful process.
If that was my face, I'd be cranky too.
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