Hey, everybody! Plucky Media is proud to announce our new contributor, Mackie Raymond! She has some kick-ass content coming your way, so be sure to stay tuned for all the great stuff she’s about to publish! Everybody give her a warm welcome! Here is some of her information below!
Mackie is an actor, singer, and visual artist living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is also a fourth-year student at North Carolina State University, studying Communication Media, Vocal Performance, and Arts Entrepreneurship. She works part-time for NC State’s Crafts Center and NC State’s Disability Services Office, and as Raleigh Little Theatre’s first annual Jack Hall Artistic Intern. Mackie has performed with a number of local theatre companies, including Bare Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Temple Theatre, Burning Coal Theatre, Sonorous Road Productions, and NC State University’s TheatreFest, and is a co-founder and managing director of Star Pocket Theatre Collective. In her free time, she’s usually reading graphic novels, listening to podcasts, playing PC games, and geeking out about Steven Universe. Yes, simultaneously.
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Mackie already has some sweet recommendations on her The Weekend Mix from September 15! Check it out here! We’re so excited to have her onboard!
Hey! I dunno about you guys, but this week took it OUT of me. Anyways if I’m not alone on feeling blah this week, I hope you can find some time to do stuff that you love this weekend. So yeah! Let’s put this week behind us and get to the GOOD STUFF! Here’s my take on the weekend mix!
What to Watch:
South Park: If you hate them, I don’t blame you…keep on scrolling to the next recommendation if you have no interest. South Park, however, is airing right now on Wednesday nights, so if you wanna hop in, now’s the time. So yeah, I will say that South Park’s last 3 seasons are the best that they’ve ever been. I also really think it’s very interesting that they make almost every episode in 6 days. It’s current, and it talks about stuff as it’s happening. They got thrown off by the 2016 election, and the final episode of last season (unfortunately) derailed but watching their commentary was incredibly compelling and relevant. I’ve never 100% agreed with them, but I do think that *some* of their criticisms are valid. Anyways…if you hate them I understand.
Drag Makeup Tutorial: Trixie Mattel’s Legendary Makeup:I love Trixie Mattel, and I think you should too. Fun Fact: I love watching makeup tutorials, especially drag makeup. I love how their makeup tells a story about their characters and it’s such a cool art form. Also, Trixie is hilarious. Enjoy!
Salad Fingers:Ugh you may hate me for recommending this, but I DON’T CARE. I’m not kidding or being ironic when I say this, but I LOVE SALAD FINGERS. SUE ME! I think it’s such a cool little story, and it’s also such a cool historical thing in the youtube community that I think everyone (within reason) should watch. It took 10 years to make! History! AH! Old school flash animation is such an important part of internet culture, and Salad Fingers is arguably the Magnum Opus✨ of this art form. Watching Salad Fingers is a rite of passage for any internet-y kid out there! I will say that it’s very unsettling and features some gore, so if that’s something that isn’t cool for you, then you should just skip it. Also, when you finish watching the whole series, check out these theories by The Film Theorists! The links to the theories are down below!
Bad With Money: Ok Gaby Dunn taught me so much about financial literacy. I had to figure out a lot of finances on my own growing up, so having her podcast has been great. I’ve learned about how banks really operate, the stock market, and lots of other great things. The guests she brings on really help, and she talks about money in a very relatable way. Finances are hard, especially as an artist! You learn financial literacy with her and you don’t feel so alone.
Wisecrack’s THE SQUANCH: Rick and Morty Podcast: If you’re watching Rick and Morty, it’s really cool listening to these guys takes and opinions on what’s happening. I wiiiill say that they kinda piss me off because they’re almost too analytical, but I do enjoy most of it. So yeah, if you’re obsessed with Rick and Morty, and always want more, then it’s great getting a mild Rick and Morty session with these guys.
Hopeless Romantic by Michelle Branch: UMMM HAVE YOU GUYS LISTENED TO HER NEWish ALBUM????? Okay, okay, this album has been kinda my go to this past Summer. It talks about romance, broken hearts, and moving on while still keeping hope. Typically I kinda stray away from listening to tooooo many romantic things, but Michelle Freakin’ Branch, Y’ALL (I love her). Ugh, it’s just such a GOOD album you guys. I believe you can listen to it on Apple Music as well as Spotify.
That’s it, everybody! I hope you have a great and peaceful weekend! We’ll see you next week! 💖
If there are two things we love at Plucky Media HQ, it’s our expansive tea collection and the zodiac. Whether you get your zodiac content from the @poetastrologers, @astrologyheaux, or through zodiac based tumblr memes, there’s nothing better than the intersection of the zodiac and pop culture! Also, NO TEA NO SHADE NO PINK LEMONADE, but the other tea article we read got everybody’s tea COMPLETELY WRONG, so I had to fix that!!!! Anyways, here’s the tea on every zodiac sign bbys.
1. Aries
“I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star. If you want to see the girl next door, go next door.”
– Joan Crawford, Aries
Aries is known for being courageous, optimistic, being incredibly passionate (and sometimes aggressive). The Aries mind is always active and ready to tackle anything they put their mind to. Passion Tango Herbal Tea. It’s a sweet, warming, and packs a punch, just like the Aries!
“Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.”
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Taurus
You’re a down to earth person that’s steadfast, secure, a little stubborn, and has that bit of fire. Your tea is going to be Constant Comment by Bigelow Tea. You and Constant Comment are both bright, bold, and sweet (with just a little spice).
If you’re a Gemini, then you are high-energy, witty, and rarely stay still for long. Because of your changeable and flexible nature, you’re the Rooibos Tea. Rooibos or “red tea” isn’t technically a true tea, but an herbal infusion. It’s harvested as a young plant, and because of that, it tastes sweet, grassy, and floral. The innocent and carefree nature of Gemini pairs so nicely with this type of tea.
Oh, Jaden, you sweet baby Cancer. You and your emotions go hand and hand. You seek safety and value the closeness with others, especially family. Because you crave comfort, you are the Royal Myanmar Tea Mix. People in Myanmar typically drink their tea with condensed milk. It’s sweet, indulgent, and the perfect comfort tea for a Cancer sign.
Leos are larger than life and the center of attention. They can command a crowd in seconds. The perfect tea for the Leo is Egyptian Licorice Tea. Egyptian Kings used to ingest licorice for it’s bold and sweet flavor. Licorice is also good for the throat and will help the mighty Leo roar on.
Like Beyonce, Virgos are the most hardworking, precise, and practical of the signs. They value order and carefully approach everything they value in life. The perfect tea for the Virgo is Builders Tea. Builders Tea is an incredibly strong black tea that will get the busy Virgo through anything. It’s bold and perfect for the focused Virgo.
The whimsical Libra strives for balance, beauty, and harmony among their peers. The perfect tea for any Libra is any Chamomile Tea. Chamomile is known for being a great tea to help with stress, sleep, and can even make your skin and hair glow! Chamomile is also a beautiful plant, perfect for any Libra’s aesthetic goals. Chamomile is the perfect cup of tea for the Libra that seeks order and harmony.
“I don’t have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.”
-Whoopi Goldberg
Like Whoopi Goldberg, Scorpio’s are very passionate, steadfast in their ways, and incredibly loyal to those they love. Their piercing nature can intimidate many, but once you’re in their inner circle, you will be so thankful for their loyalty. The perfect tea for any Scorpio is Mate. Mate is praised to have almost the same strength as coffee. This tea is bold, caffeinated, and can pack a punch just like any Scorpio.
Tyra shook the earth when she proclaimed “Kiss my fat ass!” on The Tyra Show. Like her, the crazy Sagittarius is fun loving, a free spirit, and incredibly social. You are often the center of attention and are very popular. Your tea is Kombucha. Kombucha is a fizzy, unique, and can keep you on your toes! If Kombucha isn’t brewed just right, then it could ACTUALLY kill you, just like if you test a Saggitarius. Kombucha is perfect for any Sagittarius, but make sure you buy it from an actual store.
“But generally speaking, I tend to be quiet and introspective”
-Rowan Atkinson, a Capricorn
Rowan Atkinson, or Mr. Bean, like most Capricorns, not only has great business savvy but has a great sense of humor. Capricorns are ambitious, always purposeful, and take responsibility (and everything) very seriously. The tea for the Capricorn is Shu Pu-Erh. This tea is actually a brick tea. This traditional tea is incredibly dense, sweet, and earthy. It is brewed only when it should be ready. The Capricorn will warm up to you when they feel like it’s the right time. Shu Pu-Erh is perfect for the Capricorn’s old soul.
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
-Oprah, a Aquarius
The Aquarius sign, like Oprah, is known as the humanitarian amongst the entire zodiac. They believe in community, humanity, and are very progressive. The perfect tea for the Aquarius sign is Matcha. Matcha is a slow release caffeine and provides a powerhouse of health benefits and energy. Matcha is the perfect pairing for the progressive Aquarius. It will give them the energy they need to change the world!
“It’s tougher to be vulnerable than to actually be tough”
-Rihanna, a Pisces
The Pisces is the most gentle and whimsical of all the signs. They rely heavily on their intuition and emotional intelligence. Though they do sometimes have a “martyr complex,” they do generally care about the overall well-being of others. Because the Pisces sign performs a lot of emotional labor, they seek the solace of alone time and rest. The perfect tea is actually any Sleepy Time Tea, particularly Bigelow’s Sweet Dreams Tea. It’s a blend of chamomile and mint that quiets the mind and is perfect for the Dreamy Pisces.
And that’s all folks!
If you like what you see here, don’t hesitate to contact us with suggestions for what you’d like to see covered! Also, all of our writers work for zero money, and we’re trying to change that. Send us a tip if you’d like!
The 69th Emmy awards were last night and like any well-adjusted millennial, I spent the whole time on twitter. While I was live-tweeting the event for the Plucky Media twitter, I saw some amazing tweets. In case you missed out on any of the action, here are 10 🔥Fire🔥 Emmy’s tweets from last night.
1.☕ Straight Up Tea on the Industry☕
If Reese & Nicole, 2 Oscar winners, are saying THEY weren't getting good roles, one can only imagine the road for LGBTQIA actors of color.
A Note: We know that content organizations using tweets of other people as a way to make money on other people’s work is pretty much awful. It’s standard practice and we know tweeting is unpaid work. At the same time, we also love to celebrate voices that need to be amplified and twitter is an integral part of the experience and we wanted to share these. Right now, Plucky Media has nothing in the bank, but we don’t want that to be forever. After paying our contributors, the next step is definitely if we do tweet dumps like this is to pay authors for the tweets we post.
If you want to support that future, don’t hesitate to drop us a tip!
We’d like to introduce our new contributor, ✨Mackie Raymond✨! She put together such a great Weekend Mix! Expect more cool stuff from her later!
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If you’re like me, you’ve had a mega exhausting week, and you’re ready to either kick back or kick into high gear. Raleigh pals looking for plans, hit up SparkCon! With acrobatic performances, stand-up showcases, pop-up theatre, walking tours, film screenings, food trucks, trivia, and more, there’ll be plenty to keep you movin’ and shakin’ from dawn to dusk. My top picks? Psychedelic Circus Show tonight, Zine Making Station and Street Jazz Dance Workshop tomorrow, and 7 Stories: LitSpark Open Mic Sunday. Take all that workweek stress and art it out.
Let’s get into it!
What to Watch
Where does heteronormativity go to die? Chris Fleming’s channel. (“I’m Afraid to Talk to Men” was the anthem that defined a generation. Dissertation forthcoming.) This week, I’m highlighting My Dad and My Soccer Coach, an ode to awkward slips of the tongue.
Now streaming: Portlandia season 7 on Netflix. Grab a bowl of Tuscan popcorn and settle in for a weekend binge.
Elsewhere online: Gravity Falls. After a 40-episode run on Disney Channel that ended in 2016, this silly, character-driven cartoon has cemented itself as a cult hit, with a devoted online fan base. It hits a few of my sweet spots: conspiracy theories, strong continuity, complex mythology, redemption arcs, and, oh yeah… set in Oregon. Moody. Downsides: major issues with race and gender representation. But we’ll save that tea for later.
Podcast: Let me go ahead and disclose my audio allegiances. I’m a huge podcast fan. Like, sit-on-the-couch-listening-to-podcasts-instead-of-watching-TV fan. This week’s top rec? Rookie. I don’t usually go for interview podcasts, and Tavi Gevinson is by no means a perfect interviewer, but this show feels like a slumber party with your closest, up-to-the-minute trendy gal pals. I devoured the entire podcast over the summer and walked away feeling a little more creatively emboldened.
Album: Last Saturday marked my first visit to The Pinhook, where I inadvertently stumbled into a Real Dad concert. Based out of Durham, Real Dad “mixes Batman Forever and Twin Peaks atmosphere with an empowering performance of dusky, but danceable love songs.” The result? Moody synthwave that is sometimes foggy, sometimes fizzy, and always intriguing. (Also, have you heard Kesha’s new album yet? Yeah, she’s, like, actually good now. Or maybe she was always good?)
What to Read
A Good Ole Book: I’m not even close to being the first to recommend this 1990 fantasy novel, but my pick this week is Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Encouraged by fellow ex-Supernatural fans, I picked this book up years ago, but wasn’t quite sharp enough to appreciate it yet. It’s a doozy, but worth the read if you’re willing to follow Gaiman and Pratchett down some rabbit holes. Oh, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny, which is rare praise from me. (Bonus: angel/demon homoerotic tension. Fight me on this.)
Comics are for grown-ups too!: I love to get my sweaty fangirl hands on any and all Bubbline-related content, so I’ve recently been working my way through Meredith Gran’s Adventure Time spinoff comic series, Marceline and the Scream Queens. Lady punk rockers, candy courtiers, and the always colorful Land of Ooo make for the perfect backdrop to some sweet ‘n sour Sapphic tension. No, the comics aren’t part of the canon (sigh), but they’ll still make that little scene-adjacent hipster that lives inside you smile.
Recommending recommendations: When it comes to unique, critical pop culture analysis with an eye for women and LGBTQIA+ folks, few internet voices deliver like Lady Geek Girl and Friends. Committed to “analyzing geekdom from a religious, feminist, and queer perspective,” secular theologist LGG and company serve up a rad mix of smart and savvy anime, film, video game, etc. reviews on the weekly.
What to Play
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. Katy recommended this nonlinear bartender simulation game to me, and it’s awesome. Cyberpunkers, aesthetic bloggers, and fans of dystopia, this one’s for you.
Quick play: Try Cibele for something you can finish in a single night. But know this before you dive in: the multiplayer game-within-the-game is ancillary to the relationship between the playable character, Nina, and her online companion, Blake. You’ll laugh, you’ll seethe, and, if you’ve ever been a lonely nerd girl on the Internet, you’ll recognize Nina’s story like the back of your (hand-drawn fanart-mottled) hand.
That’s it for this week, y’all! Take care of each other. Be good to yourselves.
South Park has always been my guilty pleasure. When I couldn’t count on anything else, I could just go on Hulu, pick a random episode and actually enjoy myself. When I wasn’t watching The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, The Daily Show, or The Colbert Report, Sarah and I spent our afternoons pulled up to our desktop computer binging through all of the South Park episodes the Comedy Central website had to offer. The past two seasons, the show was actually on to something. Season 19 was the smartest season of the show to date, actually taking down how “activism” and advertising tie together. Going further, Season 20’s look at Member Berries and the power of nostalgia, was actually going somewhere really cool until the show imploded from the Trump upset. Last season, there were a lot of brilliant ideas being thrown out, and even interesting commentary about how internet trolls operate. As Matt Miller puts it in Esquire,
“You have to give Parker and Stone credit for trying to serialize Season 20 amid the most unpredictable news cycle in recent memory. But it just didn’t work. Ideas were started and abandoned. Story lines fizzled out (What happened to the gentlemen’s club? What exactly happened with the Member Berries?). The stories that were completed either made no sense or seemed like they were forced together, as if Parker and Stone tried to shove a puzzle piece into the wrong spot. (Why was SpaceX involved? What were they trying to say with Cartman’s girlfriend? What was the deal with Star Wars and J.J. Abrams?) It was a season of half-thoughts and glimmers of brilliance that never amounted to anything.”
With the end-of-season title, “The End of Serialization as We Know It”, there was a lot to expect from the premiere of Season 21. It was clear that they were going to give up the serialization experiment. No more interconnectivity of episodes, no big message, but that never stopped South Park before. Even before serialization, they’ve been able to tackle issues like buyouts and panic from the recession in Margaritaville and the trend of handheld camera horror movies in Pandemic Part 1 and Pandemic Part 2. So there was a lot to expect from a show that is always able to capitalize on trends and critique the world we live in, right?
Apparently not. Because last night, we got a South Park episode empty of any meaningful commentary whatsoever.
Hey, Y’all! We can all look forward to this weekend because MeRCuRY iS oUt Of rETroGrADe! Woo! However, the full moon was in Pisces/Neptune earlier this week, so if you’re a dreamy person, please try to protect your energy when you get to the weekend! The early part of this week was probably pretty emotionally taxing, so just be aware and conscious of your energy. If you need to take the time to recharge, then you totally should take it.
Anyways, here are some of our picks of media you should look at this weekend. As always, if you have suggestions, comments, or concerns for things you’d like to see featured, then let us know!
Here we freaking GO.
What to Watch
Bojack Horseman: Bojack Horseman is a cartoon that takes place in Hollywoo, CA where anthropomorphized animals and humans cohabitate together. Bojack Horseman, a 90’s star from his show Horsin’ Around, struggles with inner demons, the entertainment industry, and celebrity culture. This show is an amazing. It has equal parts humor meets equal parts darkness. It’s an amazing beautiful mess that you can’t take your eyes away from. The show comes back THIS FRIDAY(9/8/17), and you should totally check it out.
Sailor Moon: Sailor Moon was one of my favorite shows when I was little. It faded into a distant memory in my childhood brain as a show with a beautiful color palette. I’m trying to reclaim it. Also, I’m getting really back into astrology, witchy stuff, and girl power, so this is something that has been a great joy rewatching.
Rick and Morty: Please, please, please don’t let some Rick and Morty fans ruin the show for you. Rick and Morty is definitely very dark, but it’s also just a well-made show. Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are masters of storytelling, and it’s just FUN (and existential…but I’m all about that shit).
What to Read:
Okay, so you definitely need to stay informed of what’s happening with DACA. Dreamers are a huge part of what actually ‘makes America great.’ Here are some resources to check out:
Tap Tap Fish: This is a cute game where you pretty much have the ocean on your screen. It’s a very relaxing game where you can raise your own fish and manage a coral reef. It’s a very relaxing and very pretty game.
Viridi: This is a game where you raise your own succulents. You visit it every day to water it and help it grow. It comes with a beautiful soundtrack and lots of facts about succulents. I’m a terrible plant owner, so this has been great for me to learn about plants without feeling the guilt of being a bad plant mom. Also, you can play this on Steam or a mobile device! I couldn’t get the app to download to my phone because my phone is old, but I like the idea of it as an app!
Stardew Valley: Ugh I’m sorry this isn’t a free game, but I FREAKIN’ LOVE STARDEW VALLEY. It’s a big world, wholesome, and beautiful. It’s the Harvest Moon we’ve ALWAYS deserved. It’s about $15, but it’s given me hours of entertainment.
Hey, You! Yeah, You! Oh no, do you need to pull an all-nighter? Well, I got you! Here are 5 ways that can (hopefully) make them way less painful!
1. Create Boundaries
Boundaries are important. They help keep things in balance when it comes to yourself, friends, families, coworkers, loved ones, etc. It’s also important to create boundaries for how you study/work.
Here are some things I’ve done to keep myself more focused.
StayFocused
The StayFocused web extension basically has you put in websites that are just going to distract you. You can allow yourself a certain amount of time for different parts of the day. With the extension, I decided that from 9AM-5PM I could only have 15 minutes of my ‘banned sites’ during that time period. When you reach your budgeted time, the extension shuts you out of those websites. This worked for me a little, but then it just fizzled out. I felt like I was punishing myself, and it just didn’t work well for me. I know tons of people who love this extension, and it’s definitely worth a try!
Separate Your Browsers
This is actually the method that worked the best for me. I use Chrome as my web browser, and I have four separate chrome accounts for very specific uses. When I am working, I use “Sarah Work,” which only has the bare essentials of what I need for to work. The same goes for my other browsers. This is what it looks like:
Having this separation has made the world of difference for me. It’s all about what you think works for you. Try to find some way to create boundaries that will serve you well.
2. Budget the Night Smarter
I’m a horrible procrastinator. I did almost every assignment up to the last possible moment…and it was always pure, terrifying chaos. I would do this thing where I would sit at my computer screen in a haze until it was done… and it was always excruciating.
It wasn’t until I started working from home when Katy introduced the Pomodoro Technique into our work schedule. Katy just (lol) published an entire breakdown of how this system works. Check it out here if you want more in depth information. Basically, you have a series of sessions where work for a total of 4 highly focused sessions for 25 minutes with a 5-minute minute break in between each of them. After you’ve completed 4 successful 25-minute sessions of focused work, you earn a 25-minute break! Allowing yourself organized rewards and breaks, as opposed to just sitting at my computer “until it gets done” makes the whole process way less painful. But yes. Please try the Pomodoro technique. I’ve never been more productive in my entire life.
3. Reduce Eye Strain Where You Can
Staring at a screen for hours can really take its toll on you. Computer screens and phone screens are supposed to shine like the Sun, and this can mess up your circadian rhythm when you stare at it late at night. If you aren’t working on a type of project that requires editing pictures, creating graphics, or anything that requires you to deal with the full spectrum of color, then you need this software called flux. The software warms up your computer screen as it gets later in the day. It helps you keep working at your computer screen without giving you that horrible buzzing and nauseous feeling that comes from staring at a screen too long.
If you think this would interest you, download Flux here:
4. It’s Okay to Take a Step Back If You Need It
It’s okay to not be able to push through for the entire time. If you need to just go to bed. Do it. If you need an extension. Email the Professor. Sometimes you hit a wall and it’s okay to not be able to finish something.
When you’re coming up to deadlines, it can be easy to prioritize your well-being second. Body and mind are so closely intertwined. If you are coming across that feeling where everything is awful, take a step back. Take a shower, drink some water, stretch, or do something little that makes you happy. Don’t deprive yourself of something because you haven’t ‘earned it.’ If your body is telling you that you need something, then chances are it’s a good idea to listen to it. No paper or assignment is more important than your overall well-being. Remeber that.
5. Drink Some Water You Animal
Just do it. I can go on and on about what water does for your body, but chances are you’ve heard it all before. So just do it. Put the coffee down, you caffeinated fiend!
And yeah…
I hope this helps. I actually learned all these things after I graduated college (lol), so I hope this could help somebody else. Because let’s face it, college burn-out is real, especially towards the end. I’m still recovering from it. Take care of yourself. You deserve it. <3
If you walk into me and Sarah’s office on any given day, you’ll probably hear the following conversation:
Me: Ok, I’m gonna start a Pomodoro
Sarah: I just started the tea
Me: Oh, ok I want one I’ll wait
~ 5 minutes later ~
Me: Ok. Ok We gotta do it.
Sarah: I knowwwwwww ughhhhh
Me: ugggggggh
Sarah: uggggggggh
Me: ok. 3,2,1, go… ok Pomodoro started
Even though we hate it, working as content managers, we rely on Pomodoro’s to make sure we can actually get stuff done. It’s a productivity system that you may have heard of but don’t know a ton about. So, with that in mind, here’s a quick guide to the Pomodoro technique and why we use it.
Where Did This Come From?
I’ve never been a terribly focused person. I can either work hard to finish something at break neck speed or it takes me 2 years. The Pomodoro technique is based on this idea: quick focused work, with multiple breaks. I know it sounds super weird but committing to it actually kind of works. Essentially, the Pomodoro technique is for sprinters, not marathoners. As Lifehacker explains,
“The Pomodoro Technique was invented in the early 90s by developer, entrepeneur, and author Francesco Cirillo. Cirillo named the system “Pomodoro” after the tomato-shaped timer he used to track his work as a university student. The methodology is simple: When faced with any large task or series of tasks, break the work down into short, timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”) that are spaced out by short breaks. This trains your brain to focus for short periods and helps you stay on top of deadlines or constantly-refilling inboxes. With time it can even help improve your attention span and concentration “
By working in small chunks of time, that gives you the ability to tackle each task individually within a time limit that has no room for procrastination.
Of course, you don’t have to do this all on pen and paper. At the office, we use an app called Focus Keeper that does all the timing and tracking for us. There are tons of different apps out there.
Why Does It Work For Me?
Essentially, my day job requires me to do lots of tiny tasks, like writing blog posts about HVAC, law, pest control, and other areas of small business. The bigger tasks I have often require going through websites to change keywords or write copy for websites entirely.
All of those small tasks put together that I need to accomplish in a workday is frankly overwhelming. But breaking up these tasks into 25-minute intervals, let’s me break my day up into:
“Ok, I’m gonna write two blog posts about dog safe plants”
and
“Ok I’ll write a draft of this homepage and then edit it after my break”
and
“Ok, now that I have 25 minutes, I can watch this Yoga video and do a couple stretches”
It brings 8 hours worth of tasks into bite sized pieces my procrastinator brain can’t try to run away from. It still does sometimes and I do pause the sessions sometimes and it takes me an hour to finish sometimes. Overall though, my workflow is improved by breaking it up into tiny tomatoes.
Got Any Productivity Tips You Love? Let Us Know About It!
Everything these days seems to be getting a reboot. Though, it seems one reboot that actually would have been amazing, is dead in the water before I had even heard it was happening. According to Out Magazine,
“Once upon a time, NBC was planning a big, lesbian reboot of Xena: Warrior Princess but, because we can’t have nice things, that reboot is apparently dead…The revival, which was set to bring back co-creators Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi, was going to focus more on the lesbian relationship between the Amazonian goddess and Gabrielle as well as, you know, the fighting and her iconic armbands… It was rumored that these creative differences stemmed from him wanting to put the lesbian relationship front-and-center, which lead to today’s announcement from NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke that the reboot won’t go forward at all.”
Which is a huge bummer. Even though I wasn’t the biggest Xena fan of all time, a lesbian reboot would’ve been amazing. We may not get to see a lesbian Xena reboot anytime soon, but we can still dream of what might have been. With that in mind, here are 3 things I would have loved to have seen in the reboot.
1. We Could See Their Adorable Homelife
So yeah, they kick a lot of ass and take a lot of names, but can you imagine what an adorable home life we could have seen? There are so many possibilities:
Maybe a la 30 Rock, they could have had a fight in their local Amazonian IKEA
Maybe they use their local form of Pinterest (probably an actual bulletin board of ideas) and do a DIY project together for their beautiful home
Maybe you know it’s all kicking ass on the week days but on the weekends they have brunch and garden
Do they brew their own wine and beer? Do they breed animals? Do they just have really adorable date nights? We could have had it all. We could have had kickass-ness AND lesbian normalcy.
“The show features one of the best known and longest running examples of this trope in the implied relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. Though the subtext becomes more and more explicit throughout the series, particularly during the final season, they’re never officially confirmed to be anything more than Heterosexual Life-Partners, and both characters are seen engaged in serious relationships (in one case, even a short-lived marriage) with male characters at various points throughout the series. It should be noted, though, that in later seasons, they stopped having Temporary Love Interests.”
Just by being able to show that there IS a relationship would be radical and fulfilling. To be able to show the “relationship”-y things present on any given sitcom would finally give these characters not something hinted at, but real and affirming.
2. Hercules and Xena Could Be Bro’s
If we forget about all of the romance and marriage stuff, we can’t ignore the fact that Xena and Hercules would make amazing bro’s. After a long day of kicking ass and sending Titans back to hell or whatever the hell that animated movie was about, they could totally hang out.
After they put up their weapons, they could have gone to their local bar, had a couple beers and been like,
“Ladies… can’t live with them, can’t live without them, am I right?!”
It would have been great. They could have even done a whole episode a la How I Met Your Mother doing really stupid dares with each other. Even Gabrielle taking part in a series of drink offs, and drag their drunk asses home.
“If your feminism isn’t intersectional, it’s not feminism. And as a cis woman we should lift up our gender non-conforming peers, not punch down [BATTLE CRY]”
Or maybe she would just kick bad guys asses. Even if the show wasn’t setting out to be political, it would be. To show an actual lesbian relationship, a show with a leading lesbian character, and just general great combat, it would be amazing.
But For Now, We’ll Have to Stick to Fanfiction
All that being said, this reboot isn’t happening and who knows when it will. The potential lesbian sitcom about kicking ass and a 20+ old lesbian relationship will have to stay on our vision boards and in fanfiction. These aren’t the only ideas in the world about a Xena and Gabrielle romance though, you can always dig into fanfiction archives like fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own. That or you can get started with a Xena reboot of your own, though chances are NBC won’t be interested. To get started, you can stream the original show on Hulu.
