“
Effort makes you. You will regret someday if you don’t do your best now. Don’t think it’s too late but keep working on it. It may take time, but there’s nothing that gets worse due to practising. So practise. You may get depressed, but its evidence that you are doing good.
”
”
Jeon Jungkook
“
P.S. I enjoy acid pops.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6))
“
Living without passion is like being dead.
”
”
Jeon Jungkook
“
Go on your path, even if you live for a day.
”
”
Park Jimin
“
Ah! Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since then I’m afraid I’ve rather lost my liking for them — but I think I’ll be safe with a nice toffee, don’t you?”
He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth.
“Alas! Ear wax!
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1))
“
I blame Doctor Who. Mr Spock. The Scooby Gang: both the ones in the Mystery Machine and the ones with the stakes. I've spent my life with stories of people who don't walk away, who go back for their friends, who make that last stand. I've been brainwashed by Samwise Gamgee.
”
”
Andrea K. Höst (Stray (Touchstone, #1))
“
Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have "essential" and "long overdue" meetings on those days. The funny thing is that, although writing has been my actual job for several years now, I still seem to have to fight for time in which to do it. Some people do not seem to grasp that I still have to sit down in peace and write the books, apparently believing that they pop up like mushrooms without my connivance. I must therefore guard the time allotted to writing as a Hungarian Horntail guards its firstborn egg.
”
”
J.K. Rowling
“
I wonder if I messed up today
I wonder how the fans expressions were
But I’m happy of who I’ve become
Someone that can make others scream for joy
”
”
Bangtan Boys (Young Forever)
“
Is this the reality you wanted?
”
”
Jonghyun
“
Sirius looked out of the fire at Harry, a crease between his sunken eyes.
“You’re less like your father than I thought,” he said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. “The risk would’ve been what made it fun for James.”
“Look —”
“Well, I’d better get going . . . I’ll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?”
There was a tiny pop, and the place where Sirius’s head had been was flickering flame once more.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5))
“
You've been popping into the fire every hour?' Harry said, half laughing.
'Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5))
“
He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and wasn’t even watching when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.
“Really, what has got into you all today?” said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all. “Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s not got applause from a class.”
Everybody’s heads turned toward Harry again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand. “Please, Professor, we’ve just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and —”
“Ah, of course,” said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. “There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3))
“
Through it all, there was K-pop. It made me feel understood, like there was a place in the world where I belonged, where people would see me for me.
”
”
Jessica Jung (Shine)
“
CHAPTER SIX:
THE DARK SIDES OF THE KPOP INDUSTRY
”
”
S.C. Leon (The Dark Side of a K-POP Idol -The untold truth- | BTS BlackPink Twice EXO PSY Monsta X)
“
I think I realized a lot of things. When it comes to loving yourself, I think it’s about asking yourself a lot of questions and learning more about who you are. I think that’s the foundation and beginning of learning to love yourself” - Jimin told fans what he learned about loving yourself.
”
”
Serene Pae (K-Drama : Best Quotes on Life, Love & Happiness: Including Inspirational Quotes from K-pop group BTS and Blackpink)
“
To avoid detection, the Doctor had attached a device called Randomiser to his TARDIS, his plan being to outfox the Black Guardian by popping up randomly all over the place. Neither Romana nor K-9 had the heart to tell the Doctor that that was pretty much what he did anyway.
”
”
Gareth Roberts (Doctor Who: Shada)
“
I think beyond the superficial accolades, at its core, fans stream and buy albums and merchs, because they want to show that they acknowledge the hard work of the artists and their staff. The stream count, album sales and awards are tangible proof that the idols’ music is good. That they are popular. That they are better.
”
”
Arushi Raj (Understand K-pop: Deconstructing the Obsession and Toxicity in K-pop Stan Culture)
“
I need you to date me,” I blurt out. My palms are sweating, my heart is somewhere in my throat, and my stomach has completely removed itself from the conversation. Luka, for his part, doesn’t so much as flinch. He just calmly twirls his fork around and around, collecting the world’s longest spaghetti noodle. “Okay.” He pops his fork into his mouth.
”
”
B.K. Borison (Lovelight Farms (Lovelight, #1))
“
The first thing you need to know about magic is that everything you've been told about it is a lie.
”
”
Jun Prince (The Beautiful Dead: A Tale of K-Pop, Ghosts, and Nine-Tailed Fox Women)
“
Nothing is too big for [God] to handle and nothing is so small that it's unworthy of His attention. There is no such thing as a silly prayer.
”
”
Teresa Santoski (Prayers for Oppa: From K-pop to J-pop, A Devotional for Performers & their Fans)
“
You only get to live one life, I know I’m ready
Take that chance no matter what they tell me
I cannot explain this feeling
Yeah, this path was meant to be my dream
Look back, the ashes prove my
Passion always burns eternally
No regrets, I love this feeling
Down this road, call it the Social Path
”
”
Stray Kids, LiSA
“
he’s tradition and familiarity. He is homemade pop tarts on the first Saturday of the month. He is late-night viewings of Die Hard in the sticky summer heat, both of our phones propped up on our respective coffee tables. He is pizza with extra mushrooms and light sauce, a crust that has to be perfect.
”
”
B.K. Borison (Lovelight Farms (Lovelight, #1))
“
You can never appreciate true happiness until you've lost everything
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
Be careful who you trust. Listen to your instincts.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
What other people say about you is none of your business.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape’s desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2))
“
Don’t act like you wouldn’t see how many licks it takes to get to the center of his Tootsie Pop.
”
”
K. Bromberg (Sweet Ache (Driven, #6))
“
They were all in it together. Together, they could all savor success. They all labored under the same exhaustion. It was therefore a shame she felt so alone.
”
”
Jun Prince (The Beautiful Dead: A Tale of K-Pop, Ghosts, and Nine-Tailed Fox Women)
“
Sometimes being strong for the other person means determining what’s best for them, even when they think they know best. You’re already used to me manhandling you…” She pops her mouth open to argue but I dive in for a kiss that I drain all of my passion and determination into. I need her to feel my strength—a strength I didn’t even know I possessed. “…now it’s time for me to manhandle your heart.
”
”
K. Webster (Give Me Yesterday)
“
There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were "Special Effects" sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splinter Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ("breathe fire for your friends!"), Ice Mice ("hear your teeth chatter and squeak!"), peppermint creams shaped like toads ("hop realistically in the stomach!"), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3))
“
Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven - it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3))
“
Frоm what K-pоp trainееs еndurе at thе start оf thеir "bооt camps" tо thе suicidе attеmpts, racism, and sеxual and physical assaults, thе truth abоut K-pоp stars and thеir industry is anything but glamоrоus
”
”
S.C. Leon (The Dark Side of a K-POP Idol -The untold truth- | BTS BlackPink Twice EXO PSY Monsta X)
“
BTS are unique because they’ve succeeded without the backing of a major music company, the members of the group are heavily involved with the writing and production of their own songs and, most notably, they’re not afraid to talk about their aspirations and their anxieties, and to be the voice of their generation.
”
”
Adrian Besley (BTS: Icons of K-Pop)
“
She was looking at him steadily; he however, found it difficult to look back at her; it was like gazing into a brilliant light.
Nice view, he said feebly, pointing toward with window.
She ignored this. He could not blame her.
I couldn't think what to get you, she said.
You didn't have to get me anything.
She disregarded this too.
I didn't know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn't be able to take it with you.
He chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. He had sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up.
She took a step closer to him.
So then I thought, I'd like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you're off doing whatever you're doing.
I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.
There's the silver lining I've been looking for, she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion better than firewhiskey; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet-smelling hair-
The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart.
Oh, said Ron pointedly. Sorry.
Ron! Hermione was just behind him, slight out of breath. There was a strained silence, then Ginny had said in a flat little voice,
Well, happy birthday anyway, Harry.
Ron's ears were scarlet; Hermione looked nervous. Harry wanted to slam the door in their faces, but it felt as though a cold draft had entered the room when the door opened, and his shining moment had popped like a soap bubble. All the reasons for ending his relationship with Ginny, for staying well away from her, seemed to have slunk inside the room with Ron, and all happy forgetfulness was gone.
He looked at Ginny, wanting to say something, though he hardly knew what, but she had turned her back on him. He thought that she might have succumbed, for once, to tears. He could not do anything to comfort her in front of Ron.
I'll see you later, he said, and followed the other two out of the bedroom.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7))
“
Just because your parents love you and want the best for you doesn't mean their plan for you is right.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
I don’t have a favorite, but I literally couldn’t go to the gym for practice without my K-pop playlist.
”
”
Phil Stamper (The Gravity of Us)
“
What grown man eats Pop Tarts??” “That would be my boyfriend…” I sigh. “He eats like a pregnant seven-year-old.
”
”
Nyla K. (For the Fans)
“
The outfits are cool, the choreography is slick and the special effects and set changes left viewers open-mouthed.
”
”
Adrian Besley (EXO: K-Pop Superstars)
“
What are you doing?"
I twisted around to see Tai looking at me as he sipped coffee, standing behind me.
"Just —looking through the chocolate," I said as casual as I could.
"You never looked through them all before," Tai said suspiciously.
I swallowed, struggling to find something to say. It must've shown on my face, because one of Tai's eyebrows lifted slightly.
”
”
Lucy Gold (Bias)
“
Squeezing the Bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4))
“
Imagine a brain floating in a tank with millions and millions of electrodes attached to specific nerve centers. Now imagine these electrodes being selectively stimulated by a computer to cause the brain to believe that it was walking down Hollywood Boulevard chomping on a hamburger and checking out the chicks.
Now, if there was a technological foul-up, or if the tapes got jumbled, the brain would suddenly see Jesus Christ pass by down Hollywood Boulevard on his way to Golgotha, pursued by a crowd of angry people, being whipped along by seven Roman Centurions.
The brain would say, "Now hold on there!" And suddenly the entire image would go "pop" and disappear.
I've always had this funny feeling about reality. It just seems very feeble to me sometimes. It doesn't seem to have the substantiality that it's suppose to have.
”
”
Philip K. Dick
“
For now, the Simple Daily Practice means doing ONE thing every day. Try any one of these things each day: A) Sleep eight hours. B) Eat two meals instead of three. C) No TV. D) No junk food. E) No complaining for one whole day. F) No gossip. G) Return an e-mail from five years ago. H) Express thanks to a friend. I) Watch a funny movie or a stand-up comic. J) Write down a list of ideas. The ideas can be about anything. K) Read a spiritual text. Any one that is inspirational to you. The Bible, The Tao te Ching, anything you want. L) Say to yourself when you wake up, “I’m going to save a life today.” Keep an eye out for that life you can save. M) Take up a hobby. Don’t say you don’t have time. Learn the piano. Take chess lessons. Do stand-up comedy. Write a novel. Do something that takes you out of your current rhythm. N) Write down your entire schedule. The schedule you do every day. Cross out one item and don’t do that anymore. O) Surprise someone. P) Think of ten people you are grateful for. Q) Forgive someone. You don’t have to tell them. Just write it down on a piece of paper and burn the paper. It turns out this has the same effect in terms of releasing oxytocin in the brain as actually forgiving them in person. R) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. S) I’m going to steal this next one from the 1970s pop psychology book Don’t Say Yes When You Want to Say No: when you find yourself thinking of that special someone who is causing you grief, think very quietly, “No.” If you think of him and (or?) her again, think loudly, “No!” Again? Whisper, “No!” Again, say it. Louder. Yell it. Louder. And so on. T) Tell someone every day that you love them. U) Don’t have sex with someone you don’t love. V) Shower. Scrub. Clean the toxins off your body. W) Read a chapter in a biography about someone who is an inspiration to you. X) Make plans to spend time with a friend. Y) If you think, “Everything would be better off if I were dead,” then think, “That’s really cool. Now I can do anything I want and I can postpone this thought for a while, maybe even a few months.” Because what does it matter now? The planet might not even be around in a few months. Who knows what could happen with all these solar flares. You know the ones I’m talking about. Z) Deep breathing. When the vagus nerve is inflamed, your breathing becomes shallower. Your breath becomes quick. It’s fight-or-flight time! You are panicking. Stop it! Breathe deep. Let me tell you something: most people think “yoga” is all those exercises where people are standing upside down and doing weird things. In the Yoga Sutras, written in 300 B.C., there are 196 lines divided into four chapters. In all those lines, ONLY THREE OF THEM refer to physical exercise. It basically reads, “Be able to sit up straight.” That’s it. That’s the only reference in the Yoga Sutras to physical exercise. Claudia always tells me that yogis measure their lives in breaths, not years. Deep breathing is what keeps those breaths going.
”
”
James Altucher (Choose Yourself)
“
I’m not so comfortable with politicians. Meeting them always just feels weird and a bit creepy, no matter who it is. For example, I met Tony Blair during The Osbournes period at this thing called the Pride of Britain Awards. He was all right, I suppose; very charming. But I couldn’t get over the fact that our young soldiers were dying out in the Middle East and he could still find the time to hang around with pop stars.
Then he came over to me and said, ‘I was in a rock’n’roll band once, y’know?’
I said, ‘So I believe, Prime Minister.’
‘But I could never work out the chords to “Iron Man”.’
I wanted to say, ‘F**k me, Tony, that’s a staggering piece of information, that is. I mean, you’re at war with Afghanistan, people are getting blown up all over the place, so who honestly gives a f**k that you could never work out the chords to “Iron Man”?’
But they’re all the same, so there’s no point getting wound up about it.
”
”
Ozzy Osbourne (I Am Ozzy)
“
Now he became aware of an insidious, seeping, cooling-off which at some earlier and unremembered time had begun to explore him - investigating him as well as the world around him. It reminded him of their final minutes on Luna. The chill debased the surfaces of objects; it warped, expanded, showed itself as bulblike swellings that sighed audibly and popped. Into the manifold open wounds the cold drifted, all the way down into the heart of things, the core which made them live. What he saw now seemed to be a desert of ice from which stark boulders jutted. A wind spewed across the plain which reality had become; the wind congealed into deeper ice, and the boulders disappeared for the most part. And darkness presented itself off at the edges of his vision; he caught only a meager glimpse of it.
”
”
Philip K. Dick (Ubik)
“
K-pop export model: the star-making process is so unpleasant that there are not many countries whose aspiring stars would put up with it. Korean youth, meanwhile, are used to intense sadomasochistic academic pressure, extreme discipline, constant criticism, and zero sleep. Of
”
”
Euny Hong (The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture)
“
Prayer, in essence, is conversation with God. You can talk to Him about anything and everything - He loves to hear from His children. Praise Him for His incredible love, tell Him why you love your favorite song, ask Him for help with problems at home, work or school and thank Him for His responses.
”
”
Teresa Santoski (Prayers for Oppa: From K-pop to J-pop, A Devotional for Performers & their Fans)
“
Ebola, that little bastard of a bug, had popped up earlier in the summer in Sierra Leone in the worst outbreak in history. Was it possible that global warming had changed something important about the ecological balance in Africa and turned it into an optimal, continent-sized petri dish for breeding that virus?
”
”
Bobby Adair (Ebola K (Ebola K, #1))
“
From his beach bag the man took an old penknife with a red handle and began to etch the signs of the letters onto nice flat pebbles. At the same time, he spoke to Mondo about everything there was in the letters, about everything you could see in them when you looked and when you listened. He spoke about A, which is like a big fly with its wings pulled back; about B, which is funny, with its two tummies; or C and D, which are like the moon, a crescent moon or a half-full moon; and then there was O, which was the full moon in the black sky. H is high, a ladder to climb up trees or to reach the roofs of houses; E and F look like a rake and a shovel; and G is like a fat man sitting in an armchair. I dances on tiptoes, with a little head popping up each time it bounces, whereas J likes to swing. K is broken like an old man, R takes big strides like a soldier, and Y stands tall, its arms up in the air, and it shouts: help! L is a tree on the river's edge, M is a mountain, N is for names, and people waving their hands, P is asleep on one paw, and Q is sitting on its tail; S is always a snake, Z is always a bolt of lightning, T is beautiful, like the mast on a ship, U is like a vase, V and W are birds, birds in flight; and X is a cross to help you remember.
”
”
J.M.G. Le Clézio (Mondo et autres histoires)
“
Never be afraid of what another person can take from you.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
True genius is knowing what you're passionate about and being brave enough to not let anyone waste your time on everything else.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
Sometimes it's hard to see yourself.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
Once you get a taste of the good life, there's no going back.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
At the end of hardship comes happiness.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
Your heart, no one can reach; your mind, you need to protect at all costs.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-pop Confidential (K-pop Confidential, #1))
“
If that dinner was “not bad,” then I’m a K-pop idol.
”
”
Ali Hazelwood (Love on the Brain)
“
You can’t be a K-pop star and fall in love. Having a boyfriend isn’t just difficult; it’s dangerous.
”
”
Jessica Jung (Shine (Shine, #1))
“
You're a wizard Harry!
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: A Deluxe Pop-up Book)
“
But then, with a very faint pop, a slim hooded figure appeared out of thin air on the edge of the river.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6))
“
...the gods bless the lonesome through music and dance.
”
”
Fatima Bhutto (New Kings of the World: Dispatches from Bollywood, Dizi and K-Pop)
“
Reality is more cruel than our imagination. But we are stronger than the person we imagine ourselves to be.
”
”
The8
“
The DJ is a K-Pop star, wearing Nike Air More Uptempos and a t-shirt dress that says REAL IS A FEELING across the front.
”
”
Anonymous
“
When we feel too drained to move forward, God is right there with us, ready to tenderly revive and restore us.
”
”
Teresa Santoski (Prayers for Oppa: From K-pop to J-pop, A Devotional for Performers & their Fans)
“
God is lovingly guiding our lives, and we can be confident of His authority over any situation we may face. He never allows anything to happen without a reason.
”
”
Teresa Santoski (Prayers for Oppa: From K-pop to J-pop, A Devotional for Performers & their Fans)
“
There's nothing exciting about my life," Leyla said. "I mean, you've already seen where I live."
I couldn't hide my self-satisfied smile as I looked out at the sun setting between the buildings, fiery orange. "Thanks to my detective skills."
"Some people would call that stalking."
I thought for a second. "Well, YOU'VE basically assaulted me. Twice."
"Let's call it even.
”
”
Lucy Gold (Behind the Idol - A K-pop Romance)
“
Dudley and I were in the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk,” said Harry, speaking fast, fighting to control his temper. “Dudley thought he’d be smart with me, I pulled out my wand but didn’t use it. Then two dementors turned up —” “But what ARE dementoids?” asked Uncle Vernon furiously. “What do they DO?” “I told you — they suck all the happiness out of you,” said Harry, “and if they get the chance, they kiss you —” “Kiss you?” said Uncle Vernon, his eyes popping slightly. “Kiss you?” “It’s what they call it when they suck the soul out of your mouth.” Aunt Petunia uttered a soft scream. “His soul? They didn’t take — he’s still got his —” She seized Dudley by the shoulders and shook him, as though testing to see whether she could hear his soul rattling around inside him. “Of course they didn’t get his soul, you’d know if they had,” said Harry, exasperated. “Fought ’em off, did you, son?” said Uncle Vernon loudly, with the appearance of a man struggling to bring the conversation back onto a plane he understood. “Gave ’em the old one-two, did you?” “You can’t give a dementor the old one-two,” said Harry through clenched teeth.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5))
“
When he was barely 14, he auditioned on one of the most prestigious reality shows in South Korea, known as Superstar K. A show designed to find raw talent in the Korean music industry. The show achieved just that with the discovery of Jungkook. Interestingly, Jungkook did not win the show; neither was he part of the individuals who were selected. But his difference was evident to most of the individuals in the room, and before the show was over, he had received more than seven offers from seven different entertainment companies. The decision he made appeared to be the best decision he made all his life. He chose Big Hit Entertainment and started a 36-month training program with them. Years later, he was quoted to have said that his present bandmate, Rap Monster, in the label was what influenced his decision.
”
”
S.C. Leon (BTS and Blackpink - The Kings and the Queens of K-POP - The guide to your favorite Kpop Biases with profiles, tours, fun facts and more! | UPDATED EDITION)
“
Step One: Dress your kid up in pink frilly bullshit. Tell her repeatedly that she needs to be rescued from a life of solitude by a rapey prince who will one day come along, plant a kiss on her lips and ensure that she never needs to lift a finger, read a book or expand her knowledge in any way. Check. Step Two: Grow up. Earn a very moderate education. Just enough to convince yourself that you’re properly liberated from the shackles of the Patriarchy. Check. Step Three: Meet a man who’s not quite Satan, but thinks he’s God. Check. Step Four: Marry him, thereby cementing his legal claim to your body and soul. Check. Step Five: Pop out a kid. Check. Step Six: Make banana bread at least once a week until bananas become contraband, while sporting a highly flammable apron that says, “Kiss the Cook” in big stupid red letters. Check.
”
”
K.A. Riley (Rise of the Inciters (Athena's Law))
“
Like, where's he really from?"
Eden crumples the napkin in her fist, her skin prickling. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, you know what I mean. Is he Korean or Japanese?"
A flicker of annoyance makes Eden work her jaw. "What's it matter?"
"He just looks so much like that guy from that K-pop group." She snaps her fingers, straining her two brain cells for a name. "Taehung? Or Mingyu? I guess it would be alright if he's Chinese, too, but..."
"You need to piss off," Eden snaps, slowly rising from her seat. "Right now."
"What's your problem?"
"Look, I'm going to give you the benefit of a doubt here and say that you're clearly too sauced to be thinking straight, but what you're saying is... Yeah, just ew."
"I just want to know more about him."
"Then how about asking for his name first?"
"You're making this weird."
"You handled that all on your own when you asked where he was really from.
”
”
Katrina Kwan (Knives, Seasoning, & A Dash of Love)
“
He slowed, unable to look at her as a tear dripped off his chin.
“Except your hair,” she teased. “You look like you’re in a K-Pop band, Aydin.”
He shot his eyes to her, at a loss for words for once in his life.
Then, he broke out into a chuckle. “I thought you hated the pompadour,” he argued.
“I did.”
He laughed again, tipping her head up. “You take me for a haircut, then,” he said, dipping his head down and holding her close. “Whatever makes you happy. I’ll do anything you want.
”
”
Penelope Douglas (Nightfall (Devil's Night, #4))
“
Themerysaldi really is an idiot. But even he is wise enough not to pull such a stunt again.
Except he wasn’t.
He did it again, and again, and again. In fact, in every goblin force Angelique faced, Themerysaldi popped up in the middle of them like a large, suicidal boil.
”
”
K.M. Shea
“
한국문화관 과천출장안마( Ymz44.COM )광명섹파알바축제(상해) 등이 있다. 둘째, ‘찾아가는 문화원’과 현지 사회 기여 프로그램(소외계층 초청 등) 확산 및 한국문화 체험 위주의 프로그램 개발을 하였다. 그 예로 찾아가는 한국문화원(독일, 폴란드, 카자흐스탄, 북경, 러시아, 필리핀, 아르헨티나), 오감으로 느끼는 우리의 맛, 한식홍보 (워싱턴, LA, 프랑스, 독일, 러시아, 오사카)사업 등을 실시하였다. 셋째, K-POP 브랜드화 및 한류 팬 활동 체계적 지원을 위해 재외문화원 주관 K-POP페스티벌 및 콘테스트를 개최하였다.
3) 주요계기 활용 문화교류 과천출장안마( Ymz44.COM )광명섹파알바확대
(1) 수교 계기 문화행사 개최
국가 간 수교 기념 계기를 활용한 쌍방향 문화교류 협력망을 구축하는 등 지속적인 문화교류협력 기반 조성을 하고자 한다. 연중 수교기념 행사로, 한-중 수교 20주년, 한-베트남 수교 20주년 기념, 한-중앙아 3개국(카자흐스탄, 우즈베키스탄, 투르크메니스탄) 수교 20주년, 한-뉴질랜드 수교 50주년, 한-멕시코 수교 50주년, 한-칠레 수교 50주년, 한-아르헨티나 수교 50주년, 한-사우디 수교 50주년 문화행사 등 총 10개국과의 수교기념 문화 과천출장안마( Ymz44.COM )광명섹파알바행사를 추진하였다.
”
”
과천출장안마 Ymz44.COM 광명섹파알바
“
rush of warmth fills my body as I remember why I love K-pop so much. How special it is to be able to share my language and my culture with people all over the world and have them truly see it. Understand it. Love it. I feel my smile stretch on my face and my heart feels light and free for the first time since this tour started.
”
”
Jessica Jung (Shine (Shine, #1))
“
He’s more than my best friend - he’s tradition and familiarity. He is homemade pop tarts on the first Saturday of the month. He is late-night viewings of Die Hard in the sticky summer heat, both of our phones propped up on our respective coffee tables. He is pizza with extra mushrooms and light sauce, a crust that has to be perfect.
”
”
B.K. Borison
“
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you’d have thought he’d just popped out of the ground. The cat’s tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man’s name was Albus Dumbledore.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1))
“
Most of the vendors’ faces are tanned and worn – so far from the dewy, white ideal that’s S.A.Y.’s standard. After so much time locked up in a K-pop trainee building, normal faces have become unusual to me. Unusual but beautiful. Interesting. Friendly. ‘You have such a lovely daughter,’ many of them say to Umma, and we bow our thanks.
”
”
Stephan Lee (K-Pop Confidential: the must-read novel for all K-pop fans!)
“
재외문화원 일산출장안마( Ymz44.COM )과천섹파실사운영 활성화
국제문화교류 증진 및 한국문화홍보를 위하여 20개국에 24개의 한국문화원을 운영하였으며, 문화원 운영 관련성과를 크게 5가지로 볼 수 있다.
첫째, 주영국문화원은 2012년 런던올림픽 계기 한국문화축제 <오색찬란, All Eyes on Korea> 행사를 성공적으로 개최하여 문화국가 이미지를 구축하는 성과를 거두었다. 둘째, 문화원별로 K-pop 페스티벌 예선을 개최하여 문화원별 입상자를 국내로 초청, 최종 본선대회를 개최하였다. 특히, 본선에 참가한 참가자들에게 한국문화를 이해하고 체험할 수 있는 일산출장안마( Ymz44.COM )과천섹파실사기회를 제공함으로써 한국문화 저변확대를 꾀하였다. 셋째, K-Pop, K-드라마뿐만 아니라 미술, 공연, 영화 등 한국문화전반에 대한 현지의 뜨거운 관심을 이끌어내 전통문화, 순수문화 영역까지 한류의 외연 확대 및 한류 확산 가속화를 통해 문화국가 이미지 구축하는데 크게 기여하였다. 넷째, 찾아가는 문화교실, K-pop 페스티벌, 한일축제한마당, 한국영화제 등 문화원 사업 현지화 및 특성화사업 추진을 위해 많은 노력을 기울였다. 다섯째, 문화원의 현지화 맞춤서비스를 통하여 문화원 방문자 수가 급증하는 등 현지의 한국문화에 대한 일산출장안마( Ymz44.COM )과천섹파실사관심이 증가하고 있는 것을 확인할 수 있었다
”
”
일산출장안마 Ymz44.COM 과천섹파실사
“
Loved ones who depart leave holes that cannot be patched up. Their absence does not stop us, when something dramatic happens, from wanting to get in touch with them to compare impressions. When a new idea pops into our heads, we would like to share it and see what they think. For a time, the urge to contact lingers, like a reflex awaiting the stimulus to respond.
”
”
Madeleine K. Albright (Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir)
“
Most of the little mom and pop gun shops had been shut down by hordes of protesters blocking their entrances. What they did to counter that hate was truly American. They banded together, rented an old K-Mart, secured the perimeter, and competed against one another under one roof. The Pew-Pew Emporium was a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, gun show. Against all odds, it persisted.
”
”
Marcus Sloss (Cyber Viking 1 (DD Harem #1))
“
Unnecessary Creation gives you the freedom to explore new possibilities and follow impractical curiosities. Some of the most frustrated creative pros I’ve encountered are those who expect their day job to allow them to fully express their creativity and satisfy their curiosity. They push against the boundaries set by their manager or client and fret continuously that their best work never finds its way into the end product because of restrictions and compromises. A 2012 survey sponsored by Adobe revealed that nearly 75 percent of workers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan felt they weren’t living up to their creative potential. (In the United States, the number was closer to 82 percent!) Obviously, there’s a gap between what many creatives actually do each day and what they feel they are capable of doing given more resources or less bureaucracy. But those limitations aren’t likely to change in the context of an organization, where there is little tolerance for risk and resources are scarcer than ever. If day-to-day project work is the only work that you are engaging in, it follows that you’re going to get frustrated. To break the cycle, keep a running list of projects you’d like to attempt in your spare time, and set aside a specific time each week (or each day) to make progress on that list. Sometimes this feels very inefficient in the moment, especially when there are so many other urgent priorities screaming for your attention, but it can be a key part of keeping your creative energy flowing for your day-to-day work. You’ll also want to get a notebook to record questions that you’d like to pursue, ideas that you have, or experiments that you’d like to try. Then you can use your pre-defined Unnecessary Creation time to play with these ideas. As Steven Johnson explains in his book Where Good Ideas Come From, “A good idea is a network. A specific constellation of neurons—thousands of them—fire in sync with each other for the first time in your brain, and an idea pops into your consciousness. A new idea is a network of cells exploring the adjacent possible of connections that they can make in your mind.”18
”
”
Jocelyn K. Glei (Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind)
“
Door’s not locked,” Zerbrowski said. “You’re a cop. How can you leave your car unlocked?” I opened the door and stopped. The passenger seat and floorboard were full. McDonald’s take-out sacks and newspapers filled the seat and flowed onto the floorboards. A piece of petrified pizza and a herd of pop cans filled the rest of the floorboard. “Jesus, Zerbrowski, does the EPA know you’re driving a toxic waste dump through populated areas?” “See why I leave it unlocked. Who would steal it?” He knelt in the seat and began shoveling armfuls of garbage into the backseat.
”
”
Laurell K. Hamilton (The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #4))
“
My dad gets mad pissed at us for lighting fireworks on the Fourth. Not ’cause they can turn our fingers into knobs but because he doesn’t fuck with July 4th or Christmas or Easter or Presidents’ Day or any other holiday. Too white for Pops—white Christmas, all white on Easter, dead white presidents. He comes outside. “Whose independence are you celebrating?” He pulls out a book and reads while the M-80 smoke swirls over our heads: “ ‘What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.’ ” Roach
”
”
M.K. Asante (Buck: A Memoir)
“
Alice's Cutie Code TM Version 2.1 - Colour Expansion Pack
(aka Because this stuff won’t stop being confusing and my friends are mean edition)
From Red to Green, with all the colours in between (wait, okay, that rhymes, but green to red makes more sense. Dang.)
From Green to Red, with all the colours in between
Friend Sampling Group: Fennie, Casey, Logan, Aisha and Jocelyn
Green
Friends’ Reaction: Induces a minimum amount of warm and fuzzies. If you don’t say “aw”, you’re “dead inside”
My Reaction: Sort of agree with friends minus the “dead inside” but because that’s a really awful thing to say. Puppies are a good example. So is Walter Bishop.
Green-Yellow
Friends’ Reaction: A noticeable step up from Green warm and fuzzies. Transitioning from cute to slightly attractive. Acceptable crush material. “Kissing.”
My Reaction: A good dance song. Inspirational nature photos. Stuff that makes me laugh. Pairing: Madison and Allen from splash
Yellow
Friends’ Reaction: Something that makes you super happy but you don’t know why. “Really pretty, but not too pretty.” Acceptable dating material. People you’d want to “bang on sight.”
My Reaction: Love songs for sure! Cookies for some reason or a really good meal. Makes me feel like it’s possible to hold sunshine, I think. Character: Maxon from the selection series. Music: Carly Rae Jepsen
Yellow-Orange
Friends’ Reaction: (When asked for non-sexual examples, no one had an answer. From an objective perspective, *pushes up glasses* this is the breaking point. Answers definitely skew toward romantic or sexual after this.)
My Reaction: Something that really gets me in my feels. Also art – oil paintings of landscapes in particular. (What is with me and scenery? Maybe I should take an art class) Character: Dean Winchester. Model: Liu Wren.
Orange
Friends’ Reaction: “So pretty it makes you jealous. Or gay.”
“Definitely agree about the gay part. No homo, though. There’s just some really hot dudes out there.”(Feenie’s side-eye was so intense while the others were answering this part LOLOLOLOLOL.) A really good first date with someone you’d want to see again.
My Reaction: People I would consider very beautiful. A near-perfect season finale. I’ve also cried at this level, which was interesting.
o Possible tie-in to romantic feels? Not sure yet.
Orange-Red
Friends’ Reaction: “When lust and love collide.” “That Japanese saying ‘koi no yokan.’ It’s kind of like love at first sight but not really. You meet someone and you know you two have a future, like someday you’ll fall in love. Just not right now.” (<-- I like this answer best, yes.) “If I really, really like a girl and I’m interested in her as a person, guess. I’d be cool if she liked the same games as me so we could play together.”
My Reaction: Something that gives me chills or has that time-stopping factor. Lots of staring. An extremely well-decorated room. Singers who have really good voices and can hit and hold superb high notes, like Whitney Houston. Model: Jasmine Tooke. Paring: Abbie and Ichabod from Sleepy Hollow
o Romantic thoughts? Someday my prince (or princess, because who am I kidding?) will come?
Red (aka the most controversial code)
Friends’ Reaction: “Panty-dropping levels” (<-- wtf Casey???).
“Naked girls.” ”Ryan. And ripped dudes who like to cook topless.”
“K-pop and anime girls.” (<-- Dear. God. The whole table went silent after he said that. Jocelyn was SO UNCOMFORTABLE but tried to hide it OMG it was bad. Fennie literally tried to slap some sense into him.)
My Reaction: Uncontrollable staring. Urge to touch is strong, which I must fight because not everyone is cool with that. There may even be slack-jawed drooling involved. I think that’s what would happen. I’ve never seen or experienced anything that I would give Red to.
”
”
Claire Kann (Let's Talk About Love)
“
Wit,” I tried again, and this time, I put my hand on his knee and squeezed it. “Wit!” Something flashed in his eyes when he turned and saw the terror on my face, and before I could count to ten, he’d eased on the brakes, pulled onto the side of the road, and put the Jeep in park. “Shit, shit, shit,” I heard him mutter as he hopped out of the car and came around to my side to pop open my door. “I’m sorry.” He looked up at me, high off the ground in the passenger seat. “I’m an asshole. I’m sorry.” Don’t cry, I told myself. Don’t cry. But it had taken him less than ten seconds. It had taken him less than ten seconds to connect the dots, while Ben had never connected them.
”
”
K.L. Walther (The Summer of Broken Rules)
“
And then, of course, Carter and Kelly appeared, on their run. They stopped and stared at us. We stared back. I felt guilty. Because their underage brother was shirtless and it probably smelled like a whorehouse where we stood. Kelly said, “This is awkward.” I said, “Nothing happened!” … Joe said, “I’m going to kill him a bear.”
There was more staring. Kelly said, “I’m so uncomfortable right now.”
I said, “Put your clothes back on.”
…
Joe said, “Or maybe a deer.”
All the staring.
Kelly said, “I hope you both know you’re ruined life for me.”
I said, “Your shirt, Joe. Put on your shirt.”
And then, just because hew was a dick, Carter said, “It’s a good think I popped Ox’s gay kissing cherry like years ago. You’re welcome.”
Joe roarded and Carter laughed and took off, Joe’s shirt falling to the ground and his shorts tearing as he shifted into his wolf. They too=k off through the trees, Joe snarling and howling in anger. Kelly and I stood on the road.
“So,” I said.
“Yeah,” Kelly said.
“Is he really going to kill a bear.”
Kelly snorted, “Probably. Now that you’ve made out with Carter.”
“I didn’t make out with Carter!:
“But you kissed him?”
“He kissed me.”
“I really don't see the difference.”
“He;’s straight.”
Kelly arched an eyebrow at me. “I don't know if werewolves identify as anything but fluid.”
“But ...he said… he told me--”
Kelly rolled his eyes.
I don't know anything about werewolves.
”
”
T.J. Klune (Wolfsong (Green Creek, #1))
“
The idea that we all contain an Inner Child who has been suppressed by our society, the belief that we should cultivate this Inner Child as our true self and that we can depend upon it to release our creativity, seems an overreductive statement of an insight expressed by many wise and thoughtful people—among them Jesus: “Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Some mystics and many great artists, aware of drawing on their childhood as a deep source of inspiration, have spoken of the need to maintain an unbroken inner connection between the child and the adult in one’s own inward life. But to reduce this to the idea that we can open a mental door from which our imprisoned Inner Child will pop out and teach us how to sing, dance, paint, think, pray, cook, love, etc. . . . ?
”
”
Ursula K. Le Guin (No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters)
“
Para Mary, o problema era claro: ali estava uma possibilidade de trabalho, a qual devia ser aproveitada sem hesitação; Feld pagava bem e a atividade televisiva proporcionaria enorme prestígio; todas as semanas, no final do programa de Coelho Hentman, o nome de Chuck, como um dos escritores, surgiria na tela, para todo o mundo não-comuna. Mary sentiria orgulho, e aí residia o fator-chave: o trabalho do marido seria notavelmente criativo. E para Mary, a criatividade era o abre-te-sésamo da vida; o trabalho para a CIA, programando simulacros para propaganda que tagarelavam mensagens para africanos, latino-americanos e asiáticos incultos, não dava asas à criatividade; as mensagens costumavam ser as mesmas e, de qualquer maneira, a CIA era dona de má reputação nos círculos liberais, vanguardistas e sofisticados frequentados por Mary.
”
”
Philip K. Dick (Clans of the Alphane Moon)
“
Everything is subservient to the system, yet at the same time escapes its control. Those groups around the world who adopt the Western lifestyle never really identify with it, and indeed are secretly contemptuous of it. They remain excentric with respect to this value system. Their way of assimilating, of often being more fanatical in their observance of Western manners than Westerners themselves, has an obviously parodic, aping quality: they are engaged in a sort of bricolage with the broken bits and pieces of the Enlightenment, of 'progress' .
Even when they negotiate or ally themselves with the West, they continue to believe that their own way is fundamentally the right one. Perhaps, like the Alakaluf, these groups will disappear without ever having taken the Whites seriously. (For our part we take them very seriously indeed, whether our aim is to assimilate them or destroy them: they are even fast becoming the crucial negative - reference point of our whole value system.)
”
”
Jean Baudrillard (The Transparency of Evil: Essays in Extreme Phenomena)
“
Real Quick"
[Intro:]
Valuable lesson, man I had to grow up
That's why I never ask for help
I'll do it for you niggaz and do it for myself
[Chorus:]
I go 0 to 100 nigga, real quick
Real quick, whole squad on that real shit
0 to 100 nigga, real quick
Real quick, real fuckin quick nigga
0 to 100 nigga, real quick
Real quick, whole squad on that real shit
0 to 100 nigga, real quick
Real quick, real fuckin quick nigga!
[50 Cent:]
I'll run my blade 'cross a nigga ass {"real quick"}
I'm so for real I'm on some real real nigga shit
You playin boy I'll get you hit {"real quick"}
You better hope the parademics come {"real quick"}
Got me fucked up you think it's different now a nigga rich
Before I get to cuttin know you niggaz better cut the shit
Boy, you gon' have ya head popped, pull a trigger for me
And my lil' niggaz trigger op' like it's legal homie
No game when I bang, boy I empty the clip
You run like a bitch, you ain't 'bout that shit
Hey hey hey hey, I'll catch you another day day day day
It's the Unit back to the bullshit
[Tony Yayo:]
Yeah! Nothin in life is out of bounds
AK hold about a hundred rounds
60 shots like K.D. at the Rucker's
Okay! When I see you on respirators
Southside nigga 'til the day I'm gone
Indulge in the violence when the drama on
Yeah, these rap niggaz lukewarm
I'm two sleeves of dope, when the mic on
[Chorus]
[Kidd Kidd:]
Real quick, Rida Gang fuck nigga, huh!
Don't Tweet me, see me when you see me
Down to make the news just to say that I'm on TV (Kidd Kidd)
This clip rated R, niggaz PG
Them shells burn like a bootleg CD (huh?)
Fuck love, I want the money
When you get too much of it they gon' say you actin funny
"Kidd, how you feel now that the Unit's back?"
Like a million bucks, muh'fucker do the math!
[Young Buck:]
Cold-blooded, boy my heart don't feel shit
Get with me, ask 50, I'll take the hit {"real quick"}
Balenciagas, you can still get ya ass kicked
Take a rapper nigga bitch and make a real flick
I know I'm different from what you usually be dealin with
Don't need a mic, give me some white to make a million with
Single borough, six shots on the Brooklyn Bridge
I'll let the nigga Drake tell you what I just did (yeah)
[Chorus]
[Lloyd Banks:]
Nigga gettin money new to you (uh)
I give a fuck if shit get ugly, there'll be a beautiful funeral
You fit the script I'm gon' assume it's true
Can't manuever through the street without a strategy, ain't nobody to tutor you
And man was lucky Unit's through, you know why he flows
15 years, switchin dealers like casinos
And my goon'll clip you on the arm (uhh)
I'm out the country every week and dumpin ash out on the Autobahn
Auto-pilot's always on
Rather better livin, I've been [?] green bills callin me all day long
This is homicide, more tears in your mama eyes
More reason to wake up, real niggaz arrive
[Chorus]
”
”
G-Unit
“
It's funny, you know. We're free. We make choices. We weigh things in our minds, consider everything carefully, use all the tools of logic and education. And in the end, what we mostly do is what we have no choice but to do.
Makes you think, why bother? But you bother because you do, that's why. Because you're a DNA-brand computer running Childhood 1.0 software. They update the software but the changes are always just around the edges.
You have the brain you have, the intelligence, the talents, the strengths and weaknesses you have, from the moment they take you out of the box and throw away the Styrofoam padding.
But you have the fears you picked up along the way. The terrors of age four or six or eight are never suspended, just layered over. The dread I'd felt so recently, a dread that should be so much greater because the facts had been so much more horrible, still could not diminish the impact of memories that had been laid down long years before.
It's that way all through life, I guess. I have a relative who says she still gets depressed every September because in the back of her mind it's time for school to start again. She's my great-aunt. The woman is sixty-seven and still bumming over the first day of school five-plus decades ago.
It's sad in a way because the pleasures of life get old and dated fast. The teenage me doesn't get the jolt the six-year-old me got from a package of Pop Rocks. The me I've become doesn't rush at the memories of the day I skated down a parking ramp however many years ago.
Pleasure fades, gets old, gets thrown out with last year's fad. Fear, guilt, all that stuff stays fresh.
Maybe that's why people get so enraged when someone does something to a kid. Hurt a kid and he hurts forever. Maybe an adult can shake it off. Maybe. But with a kid, you hurt them and it turns them, shapes them, becomes part of the deep, underlying software of their lives. No delete.
I don't know. I don't know much. I feel like I know less all the time. Rate I'm going, by the time I'm twenty-one I won't know a damned thing.
But still I was me. Had no choice, I guess. I don't know, maybe that's bull and I was just feeling sorry for myself. But, bottom line, I dried my eyes, and I pushed my dirty, greasy hair back off my face, and I started off down the road again because whatever I was, whoever I was, however messed up I might be, I wasn't leaving April behind.
Maybe it was all an act programmed into me from the get-go, or maybe it grew up out of some deep-buried fear, I mean maybe at some level I was really just as pathetic as Senna thought I was. Maybe I was a fake. Whatever. Didn't matter.
I was going back to the damned dragon, and then I was getting April out, and everything and everyone else could go screw themselves.
One good thing: For now at least, I was done being scared.
”
”
K.A. Applegate
“
Both C.K. and Bieber are extremely gifted performers. Both climbed to the top of their industry, and in fact, both ultimately used the Internet to get big. But somehow Bieber “made it” in one-fifteenth of the time. How did he climb so much faster than the guy Rolling Stone calls the funniest man in America—and what does this have to do with Jimmy Fallon? The answer begins with a story from Homer’s Odyssey. When the Greek adventurer Odysseus embarked for war with Troy, he entrusted his son, Telemachus, to the care of a wise old friend named Mentor. Mentor raised and coached Telemachus in his father’s absence. But it was really the goddess Athena disguised as Mentor who counseled the young man through various important situations. Through Athena’s training and wisdom, Telemachus soon became a great hero. “Mentor” helped Telemachus shorten his ladder of success. The simple answer to the Bieber question is that the young singer shot to the top of pop with the help of two music industry mentors. And not just any run-of-the-mill coach, but R& B giant Usher Raymond and rising-star manager Scooter Braun. They reached from the top of the ladder where they were and pulled Bieber up, where his talent could be recognized by a wide audience. They helped him polish his performing skills, and in four years Bieber had sold 15 million records and been named by Forbes as the third most powerful celebrity in the world. Without Raymond’s and Braun’s mentorship, Biebs would probably still be playing acoustic guitar back home in Canada. He’d be hustling on his own just like Louis C.K., begging for attention amid a throng of hopeful entertainers. Mentorship is the secret of many of the highest-profile achievers throughout history. Socrates mentored young Plato, who in turn mentored Aristotle. Aristotle mentored a boy named Alexander, who went on to conquer the known world as Alexander the Great. From The Karate Kid to Star Wars to The Matrix, adventure stories often adhere to a template in which a protagonist forsakes humble beginnings and embarks on a great quest. Before the quest heats up, however, he or she receives training from a master: Obi Wan Kenobi. Mr. Miyagi. Mickey Goldmill. Haymitch. Morpheus. Quickly, the hero is ready to face overwhelming challenges. Much more quickly than if he’d gone to light-saber school. The mentor story is so common because it seems to work—especially when the mentor is not just a teacher, but someone who’s traveled the road herself. “A master can help you accelerate things,” explains Jack Canfield, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and career coach behind the bestseller The Success Principles. He says that, like C.K., we can spend thousands of hours practicing until we master a skill, or we can convince a world-class practitioner to guide our practice and cut the time to mastery significantly.
”
”
Shane Snow (Smartcuts: The Breakthrough Power of Lateral Thinking)
“
Try any one of these things each day: A) Sleep eight hours. B) Eat two meals instead of three. C) No TV. D) No junk food. E) No complaining for one whole day. F) No gossip. G) Return an e-mail from five years ago. H) Express thanks to a friend. I) Watch a funny movie or a stand-up comic. J) Write down a list of ideas. The ideas can be about anything. K) Read a spiritual text. Any one that is inspirational to you. The Bible, The Tao te Ching, anything you want. L) Say to yourself when you wake up, “I’m going to save a life today.” Keep an eye out for that life you can save. M) Take up a hobby. Don’t say you don’t have time. Learn the piano. Take chess lessons. Do stand-up comedy. Write a novel. Do something that takes you out of your current rhythm. N) Write down your entire schedule. The schedule you do every day. Cross out one item and don’t do that anymore. O) Surprise someone. P) Think of ten people you are grateful for. Q) Forgive someone. You don’t have to tell them. Just write it down on a piece of paper and burn the paper. It turns out this has the same effect in terms of releasing oxytocin in the brain as actually forgiving them in person. R) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. S) I’m going to steal this next one from the 1970s pop psychology book Don’t Say Yes When You Want to Say No: when you find yourself thinking of that special someone who is causing you grief, think very quietly, “No.” If you think of him and (or?) her again, think loudly, “No!” Again? Whisper, “No!” Again, say it. Louder. Yell it. Louder. And so on. T) Tell someone every day that you love them. U) Don’t have sex with someone you don’t love. V) Shower. Scrub. Clean the toxins off your body. W) Read a chapter in a biography about someone who is an inspiration to you. X) Make plans to spend time with a friend. Y) If you think, “Everything would be better off if I were dead,” then think, “That’s really cool. Now I can do anything I want and I can postpone this thought for a while, maybe even a few months.” Because what does it matter now? The planet might not even be around in a few months. Who knows what could happen with all these solar flares. You know the ones I’m talking about. Z) Deep breathing. When the vagus nerve is inflamed, your breathing becomes shallower. Your breath becomes quick. It’s fight-or-flight time! You are panicking. Stop it! Breathe deep. Let me tell you something: most people think “yoga” is all those exercises where people are standing upside down and doing weird things. In the Yoga Sutras, written in 300 B.C., there are 196 lines divided into four chapters. In all those lines, ONLY THREE OF THEM refer to physical exercise. It basically reads, “Be able to sit up straight.” That’s it. That’s the only reference in the Yoga Sutras to physical exercise. Claudia always tells me that yogis measure their lives in breaths, not years. Deep breathing is what keeps those breaths going.
”
”
James Altucher (Choose Yourself)
“
thepsychchic chips clips ii
If you think of yourself instead as an almost-victor who thought correctly and did everything possible but was foiled by crap variance? No matter: you will have other opportunities, and if you keep thinking correctly, eventually it will even out. These are the seeds of resilience, of being able to overcome the bad beats that you can’t avoid and mentally position yourself to be prepared for the next time. People share things with you: if you’ve lost your job, your social network thinks of you when new jobs come up; if you’re recently divorced or separated or bereaved, and someone single who may be a good match pops up, you’re top of mind. This attitude is what I think of as a luck amplifier. … you will feel a whole lot happier … and your ready mindset will prepare you for the change in variance that will come … 134-135
W. H. Auden: “Choice of attention—to pay attention to this and ignore that—is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences.” Pay attention, or accept the consequences of your failure. 142
Attention is a powerful mitigator to overconfidence: it forces you to constantly reevaluate your knowledge and your game plan, lest you become too tied to a certain course of action. And if you lose? Well, it allows you to admit when it’s actually your fault and not a bad beat. 147
Following up on Phil Galfond’s suggestion to be both a detective and a storyteller and figure out “what your opponent’s actions mean, and sometimes what they don’t mean.” [Like the dog that didn’t bark in the Sherlock Holmes “Silver Blaze” story.] 159
You don’t have to have studied the description-experience gap to understand, if you’re truly expert at something, that you need experience to balance out the descriptions. Otherwise, you’re left with the illusion of knowledge—knowledge without substance. You’re an armchair philosopher who thinks that just because she read an article about something she is a sudden expert. (David Dunning, a psychologist at the University of Michigan most famous for being one half of the Dunning-Kruger effect—the more incompetent you are, the less you’re aware of your incompetence—has found that people go quickly from being circumspect beginners, who are perfectly aware of their limitations, to “unconscious incompetents,” people who no longer realize how much they don’t know and instead fancy themselves quite proficient.) 161-162
Erik: Generally, the people who cash the most are actually losing players (Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan strategy, jp). You can’t be a winning player by min cashing. 190
The more you learn, the harder it gets; the better you get, the worse you are—because the flaws that you wouldn’t even think of looking at before are now visible and need to be addressed. 191
An edge, even a tiny one, is an edge worth pursuing if you have the time and energy. 208
Blake Eastman: “Before each action, stop, think about what you want to do, and execute.” … Streamlined decisions, no immediate actions, or reactions. A standard process. 217
John Boyd’s OODA: Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. The way to outmaneuver your opponent is to get inside their OODA loop. 224
Here’s a free life lesson: seek out situations where you’re a favorite; avoid those where you’re an underdog. 237
[on folding] No matter how good your starting hand, you have to be willing to read the signs and let it go.
One thing Erik has stressed, over and over, is to never feel committed to playing an event, ever. “See how you feel in the morning.”
Tilt makes you revert to your worst self. 257
Jared Tindler, psychologist, “It all comes down to confidence, self-esteem, identity, what some people call ego.” 251
JT: “As far as hope in poker, f#¢k it. … You need to think in terms of preparation. Don’t worry about hoping. Just Do.” 252
”
”
Maria Konnikova (The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win)
“
“Oh, Kelly,
you make my legs weak like jelly.
Oh, Kelly…
I get butterflies in my belly.
Oh, Kelly,
uh, your perfume is so sweet and smelly, Kelly…”
She’s giggling now.
“Sorry,” Evan says, plucking a final chord. “Turns out even I can’t make smelly into a compliment.”
“Two out of three isn’t bad,” I point out, very impressed with Evan’s skills. He can sketch out a tune really fast, and switch between styles; one moment he’s doing a blues song, then pop, and the one he made up for me was like something from a musical.
As if he’s reading my mind, he echoes, turning to look at me, drawing out the syllables:
“Don’t forget, Vio-let--Dive in!”
This time he ends the line low and gentle, and it isn’t a musical number anymore. It’s almost a love song.
“You mind if I work on that?” he asks, leaning on the guitar, looking at me. “That’s kinda nice. I could do something with that.”
“Oh!” I don’t quite know what to say. “Sure,” I add.
“Ooh! Evan’s writing Violet a love song!” Paige whoops, coming over and retrieving her magazine. “Evan and Violet sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
I expect Evan to look embarrassed, or to tell Paige to shut up, but he just grins again, bending over his guitar, starting to strum it again, quite unaffected by his sister.
“Paige,” he sings to me,
“needs to act her age…
Such a shame
She’s such a pain
It’s a terrible strain…”
I laugh and settle back on the lounger, watching him play, his hands moving with surprising lightness and dexterity on the strings.
”
”
Lauren Henderson (Kissing in Italian (Flirting in Italian, #2))
“
INT. NEWT’S HOUSE—NIGHT
NEWT opens the front door cautiously. Inside, a baby Niffler is swinging from the brass cord of a table lamp, causing the light to flicker on and off. The baby Niffler succeeds in stealing the brass cord before spotting NEWT. It scampers away, knocking all manner of objects to the floor.
NEWT spots a second baby Niffler sitting on a set of weighing scales, pinned down by gold-colored weights it is clearly attempting to steal.
As the first baby makes it to the dining table, NEWT lightly drops a saucepan on top of it, which continues moving across the table. NEWT tosses an apple into the opposite weighing scale, sending the baby Niffler flying into the air. NEWT catches both baby Nifflers as they fall, then tucks them into his pockets.
Satisfied, NEWT heads toward the door to his basement but turns at the last moment to see a third escaped baby Niffler climbing onto a bottle of champagne on the counter. With a sense of inevitability, the champagne bottle pops and the baby Niffler zooms toward NEWT on top of the cork, soaring past him and down the stairs to the basement.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay (Fantastic Beasts: The Original Screenplay, #2))
“
I can, you know, do math and stuff.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: A Deluxe Pop-up Book)
“
Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face. To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: A Deluxe Pop-up Book)
“
Okay, Chace,” she whispered immediately.
“Good,” he kept growling, “we got that down. Now we’ll get this straight and not mixed. You know my shit’s f**ked up. I’m workin’ on that. You popped up with bad timing once and surprised me another time. I didn’t handle either of those well. The shit I’m workin’ through, I cannot promise I’ll do any better. What I can promise is I like the way you dress. I like the sound of your voice. I like the way you smell. I like that your hair feels the way it looks, like silk. I like the way you taste. I like that you got a backbone. I like it when you get scared of me. I like it when you stand up to me. I like it that you care as much as you do for a kid you don’t know jack about. I like it that you have no clue how to kiss but still, the two kisses I’ve shared with you are the best I’ve ever had. By far. I like all of that more than is healthy for me but especially for you. But I like it so much, I’m gonna ignore that and hope like f**k this doesn’t get jacked like everything else in my life has a tendency to do. I like it so much I’m willin’ to take that risk. I like it so much that I’ve decided you’re gonna take that risk with me. And I’ll make that straight too. I’m not asking you to take that risk, I’m tellin’ you you’re doin’ it. That means I’ll be at your place at seven with pizza, beer, a sleeping bag and food for our kid.
”
”
Kristen Ashley (Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4))
“
Harry, you’re squashing your frog.” Harry looked down; he was indeed squeezing his bullfrog so tightly its eyes were popping;
”
”
J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5))
“
Say what you will about the quality of K-pop music, but Lee Moon-won, Korea’s most influential pop culture critic, made a shockingly frank pronouncement in describing K-pop: “Koreans are not good at creativity.” If
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Euny Hong (The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture)
“
Koreans are better at packaging and marketing. Look at Samsung, for example. With K-pop, the songwriters are not Korean. They’re European. The people who do the editing studied in the United States; they’re multinational. The dance choreographers are from everywhere. It’s really a factory.” Many
”
”
Euny Hong (The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture)