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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption Choose 2 Lose participants from the winning team Taco Bout Gettin Fit weigh-in on week two of the 12-week challenge. Team members include Kimberly Conrad, Congressional Affairs Office, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, along with Rachel Basala and Trish Hulett, Protocol Office, ASC. Facilitating the weigh-in is Nick Osterhaus, G1 (right). Friendly competition adds an element of fun to the challenge. (Photo Credit: Linda Ottman, G1, ASC) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption William Taber, equipment specialist, 407th Army Field Support Brigade, is the male winner of the ASC Choose to Lose Challenge at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. I just set my mind to do this no matter what, as it was good for my well-being, he said. The 12-week weight loss event started Aug. 5 and ended Oct. 28. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption Staff Sgt. Lacey Elliott, human resources noncommissioned officer in the G1 Division, U.S. Army Sustainment Command, is the female winner of the ASC Choose to Lose Challenge at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. At the beginning of the challenge I thought that I could use this program to make myself accountable, she said. The 12-week weight loss event started Aug. 5 and ended Oct. 28. (Photo Credit: Courtesy photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. You dont always have to win to be a winner. Dozens of U.S. Army Sustainment Command employees witnessed this firsthand recently.

ASC wrapped up its Choose to Lose Challenge here, Oct. 28. The 12-week weight loss event started Aug. 5 and registered more than 100 participants, recording a total weight loss of 511 pounds across the command.

The average person lost 5.81 pounds in the challenge, averaging 2.86% of their original body weight, said Nick Osterhaus, ASC Wellness program specialist, who spearheaded the event.

Participants included headquarters personnel as well as employees at the 403rd, 404th, 406th, and 407th Army Field Support Brigades. They could compete as individuals, as a team, or both.

The female winner is Staff Sgt. Lacey Elliott, noncommissioned officer in the G1 Division (Human Resources), ASC headquarters, and the male winner is William Taber, equipment specialist, 407th Army Field Support Brigade.

The winning team is Taco Bout Gettin Fit, comprised of Kimberly Conrad, ASC Congressional Affairs Office, Trish Hulett and Rachel Basala, both from the ASC Protocol Office.

When I decided to begin this challenge, I thought I was going to be in for a big letdown and was afraid I wouldnt lose any weight, said Taber. I just set my mind to do this no matter what, as it was good for my well-being. It is truly a mindset and of course I asked for help from God.

Surveys sent out to participants show that being held accountable was one of the main motivating factors.

The biggest thing about the challenge was the accountability part, said Osterhaus. Whether the participants gained or lost weight, they knew by Thursday every week they had to weigh in.

At the beginning of the challenge I thought that I could use this program to make myself accountable, said Elliott. I had been trying for months to eat better and be healthier since I was unable to do any cardio.

Linda Ottman, program specialist for health, wellness and resilience at ASC, said the teams enrolled in the challenge not only compete with each other but encourage each other.

Weighing in each week provides accountability, she said. When we are held accountable for our actions, we are more likely to achieve our personal goals, making such programs a win-win situation.

Surveys also revealed some of the life changes participants made to achieve their personal goals throughout the challenge. Drinking more water, making healthier food choices, increasing physical activity, and watching calorie intake were on top of the list.

What kept me motivated was to see the weight come off week after week by just cutting out sugar and soda, said Elliott.

Conrad said that being part of a team helped her stay motivated to do her best.

I wanted to work towards my health goals for myself, but I also wanted to contribute to my team, and help motivate them too.

She said that communicating with the other team members throughout the week and checking on each other helped them stay on track.

We were each others cheerleaders no matter the weeks results, she said. If it was a good week, we cheered; if it wasnt what we expected, we picked each other up with words of encouragement.

At the end of the challenge, a good portion of the participants revealed their desire to continue to lose weight.

When we finished the challenge, I was bummed as I thought it needed to go longer in order to achieve my goal, said Taber. However I was so thankful, even though I didn't lose all the weight I wanted to lose, I realized I was well on my way to getting there.

Almost a third of them replied that they wanted to keep going, said Osterhaus. This portion of participants accounted for 221 lbs. of all the weight lost and, as of today, they are still sending Osterhaus their weekly weigh-ins.

The G1 Division kept track of the progress through weekly weigh-ins. Headquarters participants could either email their recorded weight or do that in person on post using the Tanita Body Composition Analyzer available in G1.

Conrad, who gave birth to a daughter in February, said she is really happy with the results she obtained.

I had a goal to lose the baby weight and, while I havent reached my end goal, this challenge motivated me to really focus on it, she said. It helped me get much closer to that final goal than I would have been able to on my own.

Osterhaus said they are planning on having another Choose to Lose Challenge in March 2022.

We are going to do this on a larger scale, trying to extend it to everyone at Rock Island Arsenal.

The last time it was done on a larger scale was in January 2020. Unfortunately, it had to end earlier due to the Covid-19 pandemic and most non-essential workers being sent home in a telework status, Osterhaus said.

The Health Promotion and Fitness Working Group at RIA is going to take the lead on the initiative, he said. We are going to try to have a point of contact for each command and they will be responsible for uploading their commands weights.

Elliott and Conrad both said they would recommend others join the next challenge.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for motivation to lose a little weight or even for someone who just wants to work on creating a healthier lifestyle, said Conrad.

I feel it is a great place to start if you are struggling like I was, said Elliott.

Conrad also encouraged others to join with a friend or a team who will push and support them.

While there are winners for the challenge, it really is more of a support group to help you reach your health goals than it is a competition.

A virtual ceremony to presents the winners with certificates will be held on Microsoft Teams in December.

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Losing takes on a new meaning in ASC's Choose to Lose Challenge - United States Army

Most people describe music, not as a profession but lifestyle. If you are one of the rare with musical talent, good music taste, and you want to present it to the world then you should not wait for the wind to be still but take action instead. Good groundbreaking never went unnoticed. With some technological improvements, things are easier and more available to both future music artists and music enthusiasts who enjoy listening to and studying new music. In this line, here are six steps that may help you in making your own music career.

If you want to be remarkable and authentic then your music should follow this attitude as well. So, you need to make a sound that will make a statement, leave a mark, and make people follow you. Time is the key. Take as much time as you need to study new things, make new and different concepts, make outstanding combinations of sound and lyrics, compose music that is not only conventional and suitable to the greater masses, improve yourself every day, etc. Having feedback from your dear people with a good ear can be very valuable and help you elevate both your own skills and the music you make. This is especially important for you since people outside the studio will notice some mistakes or flaws of the sound more easily than yourself having in mind that you already got used to sounding. Additionally, always save and keep your sounds as you might need them later.

Once you are sure about your music it is high time for you to start thinking like an artist and businessman at the same time. There is no point in you not living your dreams and things you are passionate about. You need to establish yourself as a brand and have your work integrated into the entire concept. This means that your brand, logo, name, appearance, and music comply with each other. Once you have these things planned and executed then you need to breakthrough and have your music published for a better reach. In sum, you need to come up with a business plan and label your music so that it is noticed and heard by big names in the music industry.

You must think of your music as the means you use for your business going. You can use all of the famous music platforms, social networks, or search engines for promoting your work. One of the best ways for promotion is mouth-by-mouth and creating a chain of your family and friends posting it on social media. Also, you can do the promotion of your work in agreement with Internet advertising policies. This means that links to your content or video material can pop up on the browser or channels like YouTube.

Nowadays, it is quite easy to upload your music on huge platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud. The key for platforms like SoundCloud is constant activity. Try uploading your content at least once a week. Set up the account solely for your music and upload as much as you can. This way you will get more noticed and greater masses of people will follow you. The more followers you have, the more streamed you will get. But, do not let instant success put you in a state of hibernation. You must keep up and be productive. Additionally, you should learn about advertising and selling tactics in order to build and expand your audience. The faster you get featured the faster you will get the results.

Even the greatest artists started with small and short steps. For you to expand you need to let people hear your music. You can use some platforms like TuneCore that will distribute your music efficiently and for free to some bigger platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, etc. But, online streaming is not the only way of letting people hear your music. You can play gigs in local areas and secure a reputation, which is immensely important from the very beginning.

Once you start making money, it is high time for you to start investing in yourself. Start from the top priorities, like equipment which will make your business easier. Finally, you can set up your home studio and have the proper background for sudden inspiration waves. Buying lyrics from reputational lyric writers can also boost your music and help you grow even more.

Starting a musical career as tough as it is, is living your dream to the fullest. Sometimes, you might find it to be too overwhelming, but all beginnings are. Just as for any other career, the long path starts with a single step.

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6 Steps That Will Help You Start Your Music Career - The Roanoke Star

Fans of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello may have never expected this, but unfortunately, it happened. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabellos Breakup has happened, and everyone is surprised to hear that. The two recently announced their breakup, and everyone was left shocked. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabellos break up in 2021 is the one that came out of nowhere, but before that, let us take a quick view about both of them before looking at how Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes broke up.

Shawn Peter Raul Mendes, or as we all know as Shawn Mendes, is a Canadian singer and songwriter born back on August 8, 1998. In the year 2013, Shawn was able to create attention in the music world and increased his following by posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine. In the following year, he was able to get the attention of Andrew Gertler, who is an artist manager and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton. This helped him to lead into signing for his first record label. Mendess first EP, the Shawn Mendes EP, was released in 2014 and was followed by his debut studio album Handwrittenin the following year.

Handwrittenwas so successful that it debuted atop the USBillboard200. Later, his singleStitchesreached number one in the UK as well as got into the top 10 in the US and Canada. Shawns second studio album,Illuminate,got to the number one position in the US, and his singles likeTreat You Better, andTheres Nothing Holdin Me Backreached on top 10 in several countries.

Also Read:Camila Cabello Familia Release Date, Plot and Thoughts

With his third studio album, Mendes becomes the third-youngest artist to achieve three number one albums. He continued his success with hit singlesIf I Cant Have YouandSeorita, which was also sung with Camila Cabello, got into the USBillboardHot 100. Mendes released his latest album,Wonder, in 2020, and that gave him the title of the youngest male artist who was able to make it into the top of the Billboard200 with four studio albums.

Not only topping in top charts, but Shawn had also won many awards in his career. This includes 13 SOCAN awards, 8 Juno Awards, two American Music Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, eight iHeartRadio MMVAs and even received three nominations for a Grammy Award and a nomination for a Brit Award. Not only that, in the year 2018,Timenamed him among the 100 most influential people in the world.

Also Read:Did Emiru and Dyrus Break up? Relationship between the two Twitch Streamers

Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao, or as we all know as Camila Cabello, is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter who was born on March 3, 1997. She became famous when she became a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, where she had begun to establish herself as a solo artist through the collaborations like I Know What You Did Last Summer.

I Know What You Did Last Summer was the first song where Camila collabed with Shawn Mendes. She was also the one behind the formation of The X Factor USAin 2012. After a couple of releases, Camila was able to get into the fourth position of the USBillboardHot 100.

It was in the year 2018 when Camila released her first studio album,Camila.Interestingly Shawns first EP was also released after his name. Camila reached number one on the USBillboard 200. Her Latin music-influenced pop album was received very well, earning her a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Many who know Camila through her albums lead singleHavanatopped charts Worldwide and also became the best-selling digital single of 2018. Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes again joined together for Seorita, which became her second single to top theBillboardHot 100. Not only that, Camila made her acting debut in 2021 by starring as the title character in the filmCinderella. Camila Cabellos awards include two Latin Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and aBillboardMusic Award.

Also Read:Why Did Faze Rug And His Girlfriend Break Up? About The Famous Youtuber Relationship Status

Fans of both stars still couldnt believe that they both broke up, and this is the reason why many are still asking did Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello ever break up. So what exactly happened between this power couple, a couple in the industry which everyone wanted to see together. What led Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes to break up their relationship?

Unfortunately, apart from the official confirmation that they wont be together anymore, we still dont know why Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello broke up. But as this announcement was made, there were rumors that were spread like a wild forest fire. According to one rumor, which claims to be is from insider sources, it was Shawn who initiated the conversation.

While Camila was very upset over the split, by the end of their conversation, she agreed to it in the belief that it was the best for them both. Again keep in mind that this is based on the rumors and hasnt been confirmed from any side. Still, many are surprised to see what made Shawn initiate to end their two years of relationship.

In the official statement that both released, we can understand that while they were unable to work things between them, they still promised to continue being close, but not romantically, and want to continue their communication and to be friends. Yes, so at least its a relief that it didnt lead to some other controversies where they just ended up talking trash to each other but were ready to accept and move forward.

Even though, what could be the reason which made Shawn end things with Camila? It may be because their relationship may have become more stale and complacent, which eventually led them to understand that they are not meant to be always together. We are still not sure if Shawn has any other love interests or is solely focused on his career instead of a serious relationship.

As for Camila, which according to the rumors, wasnt happy about the break up is said to be doing fine. She has recovered from it after spending time with her friends and keeping busy with other stuff. As for the fans who are rooting for her, we can be relieved that she is doing fine, thanks to her supporters and well-wishers.

Also Read:Is Camila Cabello Pregnant? The Actress Reaction For Her Fans

As for Mendes, we hope the same. We think he may have also recovered from it as he was the one who initiated and may have been able to level his mind while coming up with the description. After the breakup announcement, Camila got back on to social media by sharing an Instagram carousel of photos that show how she is doing with her single life now.

While we told that both released an official statement that announced that they were over, we actually didnt look at what it was saying. In the official statement released following their breakup, they said they have decided to stop their relationship, but their love for one another as humans will be stronger than ever.

In the statement, they said that they started their relationship as best friends and promised to continue to be best friends. They thanked everyone who has supported them all the way and for their journey in the future. From this statement, we can understand that they both have realized their paths are different, and its best for both to stay apart. While the Shawn and Camila breakup is hard to see, its still happy news that they will continue to stay together as best friends.

Also Read:Maitland Ward Net Worth: How Much Does She Earn in 2021? Her Career & Assets

Since we now know that about Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Breakup, and both have to move on, let us look at their past relationships and dating histories. Lets start with Shawn. While both had previous relationships and are not together now, we wont be hearing any of the rumors regarding their new relationship, at least for a short time.

Rumors surrounding Hailey Baldwin and Shawn Mendes arose when the two were spotted by the public displaying their affection for each other. When the news spread out, they didnt deny it and continued their relationship. But when they both arrived at the 2018 Met Gala red carpet, they came together as friends. We dont know what happened between the two to stop seeing each other romantically, and eventually, Hailey married Justin Bieber.

Also Read:Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline Break Up: Split Between The Outer Banks Lead Couple

When Shawn Mendes uploaded a shirtless pic on his Twitter in 2016, actress Chloe Moretz commented a flirty social media comment which all the fans took seriously. Even though many wished to see both of the stars together, this rumored relationship died eventually when the fans from both the stars were unable to find enough information to satisfy their desires, and thus it was forgotten.

Now let us look at who all have Camila Cabello dated in the past. Before meeting Shawn, she had been pretty good in relationships, but none of them became serious, and she ended up with Shawn. But as we all know, that too came to an end. Since we dont know who will be the next partner, let us look at all of Camilas previous relationships.

Rumors surrounded the life coach and the performer Matthew Hussey when photographs surfaced on the web where they were kissing each other. They were spotted in Mexico sharing personal moments, which made the fans know more about them. But this relationship soon ended a month before Camila and Shawn were seen together, which eventually they confirmed later.

Also Read:Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Parted Ways? All We Know About it

Those who have heardAll I Ever Needmay know who Austin Mahone is. Camila was in a relationship with Austin in the year 2014. This was during the time when she was in the group Fifth Harmony, which came to the opening for Austin on one of his previous tours.

Unfortunately, we dont know why they had ended their relationship, but at least they split on good terms, better than creating any controversies. Regarding their relationship, Austin had opened up that she has been doing great with her career, to which he is very proud of her.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Breakup is indeed a huge one, but both have moved on from the pain of the breakup. At least, thats what seems to be appearing. Both have returned to social media to keep their fans updated about their solo lives by uploading pictures once in a while. Along with being active in social media, both of them have begun working on their future projects.

Camila had already announced her next album Familia, before the breakup back in July 2021, and had announced that it would be released this year. Her latest album that had been released was Romance which was released back in 2019. Its been nearly two years since fans had heard a new song from their favorite star.

But we cant assure you if any songs in that album will reflect the situations that had been happening in her love life since the songs may have been written long ago. As for Shawn Mendes, he recently released Summer of Love in August this year, and his last album was released back in 2020 called Wonder. Even though Shawn hasnt announced any new album recently for this year, let us hope that we may soon hear from him in the following year.

Also Read:Shawn Mendes Net Worth: How Much Does The Canadian Singer Earn?

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Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello Breakup: What happened between the two? - OtakuKart - OtakuKart

BTS and Lizzo hung out together at Harry Styles concert this week (Picture: Getty / Twitter @BTS_twt

BTS members have been spotted hanging out with Lizzo at Harry Styles recent gig, and fans simply cant get enough of the crossover.

Thats right; a gang of the biggest stars in music hung out together while enjoying all Harry Styles hits at his recent concert in LA.

BTSs V, Jungkook, Jimin, and J-Hope (aka Hobi) were there with pop queen Lizzo grooving and snapping photos together as Harry was performing at his Love On Tour concert on November 19.

We met Lizzo, the band tweeted, uploading a selection of snaps from the night, face masks in tow amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with Lizzo doing the same.

And BTS werent the only ones sharing photos many fans uploaded videos where some of the BTS members were spotted with Lizzo.

One fan wrote on Twitter, This KIM TAEHYUNG will forever live in my mind rent-free! while another wrote: I hope they had fun!! And it was great to see interactions again between them.

The Rumors singer has made it known she is a major BTS stan. She once performed a cover of their hit track Butter and was seen wearing a top that read: VMIN an ode to the friendship pairing between Jimin and V.

And of course, BTS are longtime Harry fans; the Korean group has made known their love of the former One Direction star before.

Just last year, they chose Watermelon Sugar as the last song they had stuck in their heads during an interview with SiriusXMs Hits 1, and this year they released a cover of Harry Styles Falling performed by Jungkook, which racked up millions of YouTube views in just a few hours.

Harrys concert had a star-filled attendance, as concert-goers claimed that they also spotted Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish and SZA at the gig as well.

Lizzo was recently spotted out celebrating Rumors chart debut in the US, and stars came out in support of her after she took to Instagram to reveal she had been subjected to fatphobic and racist abuse from people over the single.

The singer, real name Melissa Jefferson, broke down in tears on her livestream and explained that her tolerance was lower and she was more sensitive when working this hard.

Im seeing negativity directed towards me in the most weirdest way. People say s**t about me that just doesnt even make sense.

Its fatphobic, its racist and its hurtful. If you dont like my music, cool, if you dont like Rumors its all cool, but a lot of people dont like me because of the way I look and Im like Anyway Im just having one of those days where I dont have no time. I think Im just overwhelmed.

A number of celebrities rushed to Lizzos defence, including collaborator Cardi B, as well as Jameela Jamil, Chloe Bailey and Missy Elliott.

MORE : Lizzo wants Marvel cameo in a Captain America PSA after Eternals nod and we must all manifest this for her

MORE : BTS star Jungkook covers Harry Styles song and fans are Falling over the stunning rendition

Got a story?

If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you.

MORE : MTV EMAs 2021: BTS continue world domination as they win big in Budapest

MORE : Harry Styles helps fan come out as gay to mum on stage in purest moment ever

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BTS and Lizzo hung out at Harry Styles concert and fans love it - Metro

This tutorial is about the How to Add Text to After/Before Uploading Videos on YouTube. We will try our best so that you understand this guide. I hope you like this blog How to Add Text to After/Before Uploading Videos on YouTube. If your answer is yes then please do share with your friends after reading this.

A great way to make something youre saying on your record stand out is to have your words appear next to you as you say them. Adding text to YouTube videos can look really professional. You can put a title at the beginning of your video, use bullets to keep track of your monologue, or highlight an important point by writing it on your screen. There are a few things to keep in mind when using text in your videos.

In this article, I will show you 2 ways to add text / subtitles / captions to YouTube videos, whether you are adding text to video while editing and need to upload to YouTube later, or you have already uploaded the video to YouTube and want to add some titles and subtitles to complement it.

Fortunately, the YouTube user interface has had many years to improve and help video artists make these changes on the fly. Plus, they are also easy to do and adding any text can be done in minutes.

Note that the process itself is relatively quick and easy, but the actual time will depend on how many subtitles you want to add. If its just a few lines in a three-minute video, thats pretty easy. However, if you want to add the value of a full script to a 15-minute monologue, it may take a little longer. Now, lets get to that. Follow these steps to add text:

And that is! You can repeat the last step as many times as you like depending on how much text you want to add. Fortunately, choosing a time is easy, and when you have a pre-made script, the main thing is to copy the correct sentences and paste them into the correct timestamp.

I hope you understand this article How to Add Text to After/Before Uploading Videos on YouTube, if your answer is no then you can ask anything via contact forum section related to this article. And if your answer is yes then please share this article with your family and friends.

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How to Add Text to After/Before Uploading Videos on YouTube - BollyInside

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Hey folks,A quick update:- Today a new version (0.0.16.0) of the Zippyuploader was released. The only change is related to an increased file size limit of 500MB. If something ...

This is probably a long-awaited update, but I assure you that this is not the last change prepared by us for the next 3 months. Let us know if everything with the new limit works as intended. Cheers!...

To upload a file just follow these simple steps:

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2) Click the "Start Upload" button to start uploading the file. You will see the progress of the file transfer. Please don't close your browser window while uploading or it will cancel the upload.

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Zippyshare.com is completely free, reliable and popular way to store files online.

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Rons Gone Wrong is the first feature from a brand new studio on the animation scene, Locksmith Animation. Narratively it had a lot in common with this years other big malfunctioning robot film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, as well as Disneys Big Hero Six, but it manages to set itself apart, and is its own thing entirely. But is that enough?

Rons Gone Wrong is cute, funny, and definitely creative, but at the same time, in the long run, it feels like its going to end up being rather forgettable. I realize Im probably not in the target audience, and that definitely plays a huge factor in things, But this day and age, if a studio is going to make a movie with the express intent to get it into theaters, they need to make a concerted effort in crafting a film the will definitely appeal to the whole family. Otherwise, if its just for kids, why not just drop it on streaming?

And while Rons Gone Wrong, to some extent does make that effort, they didnt go far enough, and in some cases may have only been writing with kids in mind, or rather with what they think kids want, in mind.

Lets start with the good. The titular character Ron was cute, funny, and definitely memorable, which is a great accomplishment, since hes literally just one of one hundred million identical robots. Its great how glitchy he was, and Zach Galifianakis was perfect in the role. Ive loved Zach since his role in the FX dramedy Baskets, so its always a treat to find him in something I was not expecting him in.

I also loved Barneys Bulgarian Grandmother, but I love most hilarious old lady characters, so she was probably a given for me.

Aside from them, the rest of the characters, were kind of just template characters weve seen a million times, and I dont even remember any of their names. Except Barney, but thats because repeating his name many times over was a significant plot point.

Although, now that I think about it, I suppose the same things could be said for the characters I did like too The only difference was I thought they were a lot of fun.

The main story was pretty good, if semi-predictable: a boy gets malfunctioning robot for his birthday, boy and robot must learn to understand each other, while facing outside forces that would keep them apart. Weve seen this before, but like I said, I do think this story does manage to set itself apart, and is unique enough that it can stand on its own.

The big thing I disliked in the film, was the pseudo-dytopian-nightmare world that the filmmakers have imagined for the children that live in this movie. Everyone has their own B-Bot, which doubles as their own automatic YouTube channel. They are basically online 24/7, uploading literally everything they do to the internet, except for when they go to school, To me, their lives seem to be a living nightmare, that I would not want foisted upon my worst enemy.

Part of me wonders (worries?) that this is the kind of life the children of today want, though the more cynical side of me thinks that this is what out-of-touch Hollywood execs think the children of today want, and wrote them accordingly. I dislike both scenarios.

Another issue was that there were also a lot of technology/internet-related things in this, that felt like they were either written by people who do not understand technology or social media AT ALL, or they do, and they were trying to dumb things down for kids, and it ending up making certain plot points feel dumb. Especially the big emotional twist at the end, which just made me roll my eyes. It wasnt TERRIBLE, but it didnt give me any of the feels that I could tell it was trying desperately to give me.

I know it feels like Im ragging on this film, and to some extent, I am, but in the end, despite the fact that I think a bunch of it could have used some serious re-writes, I did have fun with a lot of this film. Like I said, Ron and the grandmother were my favorite characters, and they had a lot of screen time, so even with the things I didnt like, I still had fun, and I would probably recommend this to animation fans with kids. Especially ones who are less picky than me.

And while this film didnt blow me away or anything, I do think it was a legitimately decent first film for a brand new studio, and I am going to be looking forward to seeing what else Locksmith Animation has to offer in the future.

What about you? Have you seen Rons Gone Wrong yet? What did you think of Locksmith Animations first feature film?

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[REVIEW] 'Ron's Gone Wrong' Sets Itself Apart, but is That Enough? - Rotoscopers

Choosing the right broadband deal is beneficial for a number of reasons. Whether thats to avoid your connection going down or constantly lagging, or maybe you just want to make the most of your money whatever it is, its always a good idea to do a good search into the network provider and what it offers before choosing a broadband deal.

Heres a guide on some of the things you should look for when choosing.

Broadband speeds are described in Mbps, which means megabits per second. Megabits are different from megabytes, however. The lowercasebin Mb indicates megabits, while the uppercase B in MB indicates megabytes.

8Mb (megabits) make 1MB (megabyte), so a Mbps speed you see in an ad indicates how many bits of the megabyte will be downloaded per second. For example, imagine youre downloading a song thats 5MB (megabytes), at a speed of 10Mbps. Since 8Mb makes 1MB, youre essentially downloading 40 bits which should take 4 seconds.

So while both downloading and uploading speeds are important, faster download speeds means faster access to content games, movies, shows, and so on. Whereas, upload speeds may matter more to those who often posts to social media or send large files, like videos and graphics to friends or clients.

Find out how to test your internet speed here.

As with pretty much all tech-related buying decisions, be it smartphones, laptops, broadband or more, the first thing to work it is how youre going to be using the product.

In these days of the always-online society it can be easy to think that you need the fastest connection to survive, but if you only use the internet to check emails, browse the shops or spend a bit of time on Facebook then this isnt really the case (more on this below). Conversely, some of the cheaper packages that might seem tempting could be a real pain in the long run if you find youre not able to stream those 4K UHD movies due to the speed of your connection.

In days gone by, the most important principle was how much data you were allowed for downloads each month. But with pretty much every major provider now offering unlimited data as standard, the new frontier is the rate at which you can use your connection.

The speed you need depends on the number of people within your household who actively use the internet, and how much is being used on a daily basis.

For general light browsing in a household of two people, you shouldnt need more than 11Mbps. For example, you may mostly check email and make Skype calls. When you stream movies, you often stream from one device at a time, as opposed to streaming separate content from different rooms.

Moderate users on the other hand, or households with three to four people may need up to 35Mbps. Users may go on social media frequently and stream films at the same time from separate rooms.

If youre in a shared household of 5 or more people and are fairly heavy users, you may need a speed up to 60Mbps or more. This means most users may stream in 4K, or stream from their smart TVs from different rooms. You might also browse and stream from your phones, tablets and laptops often.

This is ideal if youre in a multi-member household where you often stream films in 4K and have your home connected to various smart assistants and devices (thermostats, lighting, alarm systems etc.). You may also be or live with avid gamers who often download and livestream games and movies. Youre online 24/7 and may even be running a business from home that requires frequent video calls, connecting to the cloud and uploading large file sizes.

Such usage typically needs upwards of 200Mbps. Such speeds are naturally more expensive, so we would recommend assessing how extreme your internet demands are prior to finalizing on a plan.

There are three main options currently available: ADSL (the standard router that connects to your phone line), Fibre (much faster speeds that require a dedicated connection) and Cable (again a dedicated line that is usually part of a package, such as those offered by Virgin Media).

ADSL is the most common connection type (although being quickly replaced by fibre as the faster services reaches more areas) and only requires the use of a standard home phone line to work. Due to using this technology it is limited to a maximum speed of around 20Mbps for downloads and 1Mbps for uploads. This is more than enough for social media, browsing the web and streaming HD content on YouTube, Netflix and other services. In fact, Netflix states that to stream HD movies and TV shows youll want a minimum of 5Mbps.

Of course, its unlikely that youll be able to attain those top speeds unless you happen to live right next to the telephone exchange, as the further down the line you are the more likely your speeds will be much slower. This is one of the main reasons that those living in rural areas can struggle to get a solid, fast connection.

To see the kind of speeds you can expect from a standard ADSL connection there are usually widgets on the providers sites into which you enter your postcode. Wed recommend using the Ofcom Mobile and Broadband checker, as the independent nature of the service should mean it is free from any bias.

Bear in mind that the more people you have connected, either through laptops, tablets or smartphones, the slower the speed will become as it is essentially divided up between you. With this in mind, if youre a family with a few children (especially if they like to play games online) then you may find that a fibre connection is the better option.

Should you want to look into ADSL connections, there are a variety of deals on offer at the time of writing. For example, Sky has its Essential package that features average download speeds of 59Mbps and costs 25p/m with a setup fee of 19.95, while Plusnet has its Unlimited tier that offers 10Mbps average speeds and costs 18.95p/m with line rental included.

As the name suggests, this type of connection uses an optical fibre cable for your connection, which is capable of delivering much faster speeds than ADSL. There are actually tiers within most fibre offerings, with names like Ultrafast and Superspeed. The general rule of thumb seems to be that the standard fibre connection will deliver an average of around 35Mbps while the top-tier variants will nearly double that at around 65Mbps.

These speeds make fibre the perfect choice for people who want to stream HD or 4K movies and TV shows (Netflix recommends 25Mbps for 4K), play games online, and have a stable connection when video-calling friends and family. It also makes it much faster to download files to your smartphone, tablet or PC when at home.

While fibre is being deployed across the UK, many areas still have yet to receive the technology. So, to see if you are one of the lucky households, youll need to check the availability by entering your postcode into the checker found on each providers site.

With fibre being quicker, its of course more expensive. But there are very good deals to be had if you look around. We found BT was offering its Fibre1 package for 28.99p/m and promising average speeds of up to 50Mbps, or theres the Unlimited Fibre 65 which costs 23.00p/m (including line rental) and promises average speeds of 67Mbps.

This is another option, albeit one thats limited to very few providers and only in certain areas. Faster than ADSL, cable runs the connection through a dedicated cable that negates the need for a telephone landline. Usually offered as part of a package deal, the most common cable provider in the UK is Virgin Media, whose offerings at the time of writing included the M50 package which provides average speeds 50Mbps for 38p/m or the M350 tier for 37p/m.

As you can see, those top speeds are very fast indeed, making them ideal for people who want to stream games, watch 4K movies all the time or download large files quickly. Its also well suited to larger families or households who want top speeds while all accessing the network at the same time.

If youre happy to move your mobile phone, landline or TV subscription to one provider then its well worth considering the various bundled deals that are on offer. All of the major players have them, with BT combining broadband, home phone, and BT TV, while Virgin and Sky doing likewise with their particular TV packages.

Combining the services can result in cheaper monthly bills while also giving you some free bonuses if you find a good deal. These change all the time, with regular promotions and discounts, so take a look at Best broadband deals or Best TV and broadband deals for the latest offers.

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Ways To Choose The Best Broadband - Todayuknews - Todayuknews

"What sets Play MPE apart from the field is how easy-to-use and time efficient our system is," says executive Scott Steele

Published Nov 16, 2021

Play MPE distributes music and promo materials directly to industry insiders busy professionals who don't have time to deal with inadequate or glitchy platforms, and who will simply ignore requests that don't offer all the necessary assets and metadata up-front.

Play MPE continues to improve its service here in Canada with the addition of Scott Steele, who joined the company as an Executive of Music Industry Relations. He brings 15 years of experience in radio, plus four years with labels, making him uniquely positioned to understand artists' needs.

To fill us in about what's new with the company, and to better introduce their new Executive of Music Industry Relations, Play MPE conducted a Q&A with Steele, whose past experience includes Sony Music Entertainment, Glassnote Entertainment Group, Bell Media, 101.9 The Fox, KiSS 100.5 Country 600 CKAT and more. Read it below.

Scott, you have worked in the music industry for some time, what were you up to before you joined Play MPE?

I was lucky enough to work in radio and with music labels for my entire career. In radio, I worked in markets like Fort McMurray, Sudbury, North Bay, and Edmonton. My first label job was with SONY Music Canada and then as the Canadian Label Manager for Glassnote Records. Most recently I was doing some freelance music promo here in Toronto.

Why did you make the leap? What excites you the most about your new gig?

What really cemented my decision to join Play MPE was the chance to work on the cutting edge of the industry. The tools that we offer our label and artist partners along with our strong relationships with Canadian media are second to none.

What is Play MPE doing that sets it apart?

What sets Play MPE apart is how easy-to-use and time-efficient our system is. From uploading assets to selecting your lists - everything is done with the user in mind. Being able to get a release fast and efficiently to our fantastic and frequently updated lists is such a game-changer.

Why should people use Play MPE? Especially indie labels & artists, what can it do for them?

Coming from the indie label side, I can honestly say that the ease of use, speed of creating a release, and the lists that Play MPE has built and continues to grow made it a go-to for me when I was at Glassnote.

Play MPE is global, but as far as Canada goes, what has Play MPE done for the market?

Obviously, we're very proud to be sponsors of the Polaris Music Prize and CBC Music's Toyota Searchlight but on the day-to-day, we work with and provide advice to countless Canadian artists. Canada is one of the most innovative and exciting regions for music in the world and we want to spread that far and wide!

Any advice for anyone wanting to promote their music?

Planning is the key to any promotion. With a well-built plan, you will have the overview you'll need and the confidence to deviate if you need to.

See the rest here:

Play MPE Is a "Game Changer" for Music Promotion and Discovery - Exclaim!

Emily Ratajkowski and her son.

I have so much anxiety about this, says Emily Ratajkowski from the floor of her Manhattan apartment. Even my body has responded to the desire to know how this book will be received. Ratajkowski has long since come to terms with relinquishing control over her image, but for the 30-year-old San Diego native, the project of removing her body from the conversation has been a challenging one. After more than a decade spent embodying what manyRatajkowski includedwould say is an impossible beauty standard, the model and businesswoman has endeavored in recent years to shine light on the toxic aspects of an industry that long held her up as the epitome of female sexuality. Last fall, she published an essay about her experiences with on-the-job assault and exploitation, naming a prominent photographer in the process. The essay sparked seismic reactionsboth positive and negativein the fashion and art worlds. But instead of dwelling on the publics reaction, Ratajkowski, a new mother, has done her best to focus on the process of creation.

My Body, Ratajkowskis recently released book of essays, is the latest step in this process. Over 12 essaysconcerned less with her body itself than with its status as an object of fetishizationRatajkowski confronts with unflinching frankness topics like shame, solidarity, and the search for male validation in a culture that often confuses exploitation with empowerment. The result is a book that, in the opinion of the philosopher Amia Srinivasan, opens itself up to just about anyoneteenage boys and feminist scholars alike. Ive always been drawn to sparse, unpretentious writing, Ratajkowski says. The purpose of an essay is to get to the root of something, to investigate it. To mark the release of My Body, Ratajkowski joined Srinivasan over Zoom for a discussion about money, the myth of being a muse, and what it means to raise a son in todays world. MARA VEITCH

EMILY RATAJKOWSKI: Its so nice to meet you!

AMIA SRINIVASAN: Its really nice to meet you too, congratulations on the book!

RATAJKOWSKI: Thank you. Im such a huge fan. I love The Right to Sex.

SRINIVASAN: I read your book in one sitting and it reminded me of something Marilyn Monroe said in her final interview. She said, Like any creative human being, I would like a bit more control. It seems to me that this theme of power and control is maybe the central theme of the book? It runs through all 12 essays. When you choose to take off your clothes or post an Instagram photo of your ass, is this an act of control? Is being able, so successfully, to make men want you, to understand what men want and play on that desire, a form of power? Or are all of these things just simulacra of power and control? My sense is that you give a pretty ambivalent answer to these questions. On one hand, you rightly condemn those who criticize you and other women for capitalizing on their beauty. And you acknowledge that the way you look has given you a certain form of power. But in the book, you tell these stories again and again of realizing that the real power lies with men. The men who direct, film, and manage you, who own the companies and production houses, and who so often treat you as fungible and stupid, simply a body to be sold, consumed, and unfortunately occasionally assaulted. Again and again, you express contempt for the control that these men exercise, and a longing for more creative power. Someone, as you say, who might make a movie one day, rather than get naked in one. Do you think that this is a fair assessment, and to what extent was power and control at the forefront of your mind as you set out to write the book?

RATAJKOWSKI: I didnt know that Marilyn Monroe quote but its interesting that she was talking about control, because even when I believed in choice feminism in my early twenties, and believed in the power that I had as somebody who had worked the system, I definitely didnt feel in control very often. Instagram was one of the places where I first experienced feeling some kind of control, because I was the one who was able to choose the images and put them out. I could go into a whole thing about my relationship to the internet and women and control. I think its something that is at the forefront of our cultural conversation right now, around Only Fans and revenge porn and maybe even related to crypto and NFTs and the free internet, but thats a separate conversation. When I was writing the book, I knew that power and control were huge topics for me, but it wasnt, This is a story about power and control. It was more like, This is a story where I have a lot of shame, and a lot of complicated feelings about how I acted. But, maybe theres something there that is related to these ideas. I experienced what the double-edged sword was likewearing something tight to school and then realizing that the popular girls werent paying attention to me because the boys were paying attention to me, while also feeling my vice principal snapping my bra strap. So much of what women experience is this feeling of, Im the one seducing, Im the one whos getting this attention, so I have the power. But it wasnt until I got older that I was able to look at these experiences that have stuck with me and think about control, and through thinking about control, think about power.

SRINIVASAN: What was so fascinating about the second essay, which is about Blurred Lines, was the way you focus on the means of production of it. It was a production run by a woman, mostly staffed by women, and you were with two other women models. You felt playful and in control; that no one was asking you to do things you didnt want to do. And you were working, and as a work experience, it felt pretty positive. What I like about that so much is that you make a move here that a lot of women who work in sex work make, which is actually a fundamentally Marxist move. Its to say, Dont just fixate on the representation, the thing that comes out and that you see, and ask about the gendered meaning of that. Also think about what goes into the production of it and the making of it. But then of course theres a shift, and you talk about this really awful moment when a mediocre pop star feels entitled to put his hands on you, and everyone freezes and no one can really say anything. Its one of these moments of puncturing, where it turns out that hes fundamentally in control.

RATAJKOWSKI: Absolutely, especially in relation to sex work, I relate to it a little bit in the way that all of these women are using their bodies and compromising and also finding power, potentially. That essay in particular is really about industry, capitalism, and commodification, because I had approached modeling as a job. I was only interested in the money that I could make. I knew that there was potentially other power with becoming famous or becoming an image of a beautiful woman and what that represented. I grew up in the early aughts, and Id seen what powerful women looked like. To me they were Britney Spears, and then there were powerful men who were presidents. That was sort of my understanding. So of course I wanted that, but Id really hardened myself and thought, Im never going to have that kind of power, so Im just going to make as much money as I can. That meant often, as I write in the book, feeling like a mannequin, working with men who were maybe twice my age and stripping down and turning into their fantasy. Blurred Lines was this experience where a bunch of women asked me how I felt. Did I like makeup? Did I like my hair? I let myself relax and enjoy myself on that set. I think its one of the reasons that the music video had the success it did, because it isnt just girls pouting. Theres a silliness to it and thats a reflection of how I felt on set. The part where the power dynamics became clear was one that I had buried. I found it humiliating and incongruent with what I wanted to believe and feel about my position in the world. Ultimately, when I first wrote an early draft of this, the experience was buried inside of another essay, because I didnt want it to be the Blurred Lines essay. Then I realized that it needed to be its own.

SRINIVASAN: You were in an impossible position. You either hide it or bring it up. No matter what, the revelation, which is handled with such subtlety and care, would generate the kind of headlines it has. Like in The Sunday Times, which is a terrible right-wing newspaper. Youve seen the headline.

RATAJKOWSKI: Not only the headline, but the images have been pictures where my breasts are exposed, and it says, Emily Eroticakowski Accuses Robin Thicke of Sexual Assault. Its such a diminishing of what I actually wanted to say. Even having people approach me and say very kindly, Its so wonderful you spoke out, is kind of missing the point of the essay. Im looking forward to people being able to read and, I hope, understand why I decided to write it and what the point is of sharing that experience.

SRINIVASAN: If its any consolation, another terrible right-wing British newspaper described my book with the headline The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan: Soviet-Style of Sex Reeducation.

RATAJKOWSKI: Wow, that actually does make me feel better. [Laughs]

SRINIVASAN: A lot of people experience that kind of mistreatment, especially women who want to think about questions with nuance and ambivalence. A lot of the mainstream press cant handle that. You expressed a hope that people will actually read the book as you wrote it: a set of complex, ambivalent, sometimes funny, very sharp, and also cold and dark meditations on representation and sex, embodiment, and capitalism. But you also expressed anxiety in the book that you wont be taken seriously, because women who look like you in particular, and who also capitalize on how they look, are especially not taken seriously. I wonder how confident you are that you are going to be read properly, or are you going to still be read through a lens of male sexual fantasy?

RATAJKOWSKI: I have so much anxiety about this. Ive lost a bunch of weight in the past month because Im concerned and scared. My body has actually responded to the desire to how this book will be received and its a continuation of the metaphor. But something that I think the book could be criticized for and I totally understand is that I dont give a lot of solutions, and I can often be cynical. What Im about to say is not cynical and kind of positive, which is that ultimately, I write about being a muse versus an artist. I didnt even realize that it was such a large part of the book. In some ways I wish that I had written more about it, but also I have realized that the book is a relic that is about creation and about the muse taking back power and becoming the artist. The act of writing the book has been an attempt at control, but ultimately, you have to release control in order to be happy and just to survive and exist in a meaningful way. I think, with publishing it and knowing that theres this huge risk of people not reading it at all, and only looking at the headlines, I have to focus on the act of creating the book and the fulfillment that its given me, which is really all I ever wanted.

SRINIVASAN: Lets talk about the shift from being the muse to the artist. Im interested in the process that went into the actual writing of this book. Its a very finely honed and controlled literary object. Your prose is spare, often cold, especially when youre describing moments of male creepiness and assault. It reminds me of early Bret Easton Ellis, that same cold description of a certain toxic superficial culture. But in its places of coldness, its very affecting. You also do this very intricate interweaving of different temporal moments and different narratives. In the essay called Toxic, youre interweaving this discussion of Britney Spears with the account of this high school almost-friendship. Then in Beauty Lessons, which opens the book, youve got this series of numbered vignettes about your childhood formation, your relationship with your mother, beauty, loveability. Can we talk about the craft of essay writing and what its about for you?

RATAJKOWSKI: Ive been an avid reader my whole life, and it was one of the reasons I didnt write more, because I had so much respect for wonderful writing that I felt like, Why attempt, why not just appreciate? Ive always been drawn to sparse, unpretentious writing. Flowery language doesnt really interest me. It covers it up. Its often difficult to be very direct and not flowery because you really have to figure out what the fuck youre saying. I have so much respect for people who are good at that, especially in essays, because the idea of an essay is to get to the root of something, to investigate it. That was what started the writing. It was not just, Im going to write a book, but more feeling like I wanted to explore experiences and ideas that I couldnt verbally lay out or organize. I would start on a note in my phone and that was really helpful, because once you start writing inside of essays, you can lose the stream of consciousness that you want to have. You do that particularly well. I think Leslie Jamison also does that really well, where you feel her mind working in the writing, which is very difficult because anyone whos written knows that once you edit, youre completely lost in the sentences and you lose the larger shape. So the notes thing allowed me to jump from one idea to the next. And as somebody who has grown up in the age of the internet and enjoys reading long books but can have a short attention span, I appreciate the way you can pick up and put down a book of essays.

SRINIVASAN: Can we talk about money?

RATAJKOWSKI: Yes. I love talking about money.

SRINIVASAN: You describe why you first got into modeling, and its because of money. You immediately contextualize it within the 2008 financial crash, which was so formative for people in our generation. You were watching peers moving back home and picking up the service jobs they had in high school, but you didnt want to do that. Modeling was something you were already doing, but then you went full gung-ho into it. It reminds me of a move that, again, a lot of sex workers make, which is that whenever they write about sex work, they remind people that its something they do for money. And the reason you have to remind people is it stops the pathologization of a certain form of activity, because otherwise, people ask, Why are you taking your clothes off, why are you uploading so many selfies? Well, its a way of making money. Its only when you forget about money and the broader capitalist system in which we operate that things start to appear pathological.

RATAJKOWSKI: Yes, and that was so important to me because theres shame around, or at least I felt shame around, being money hungry. Autonomy and freedom and control come with money, and I knew that at a very young age. Nothing terrified me more than watching my friends who went out into the world have to return and give that up. My parents come from the generation where you go to college and get a decent job. Student debt wasnt really on their mind. When I was a senior and I was deciding to go to UCLA, I took a job at a store. I thought, Im going to stop modeling now, and I need to get used to making this kind of money and have some experience in a real situation that I can bring to a place in L.A. and say Ive actually worked. And I hated it. So even though modeling has all these things about it, Id rather do it. Everybody also always reminded me that modeling has a very specific window and that if you dont do it when youre young and beautiful, it goes away. So I made the decision to jump on that, directly into an industry that when I got sick with the flu and lost some weight, I watched the number on the scale go down and the number of my paychecks go up. So all of a sudden I became hyper aware of how to have more. Its kind of another conversation for a different book, but when do we start saying, I have enough financial security, so Im not going to compromise myself in certain ways because I feel safe and secure?

SRINIVASAN: You said its a topic for another book, but that was actually the question I was going to ask you. When is it enough money?

RATAJKOWSKI: Im wrestling with that. I write about the experience of being around really rich men. Ive seen what real money looks like and what kind of lifestyle that guarantees. But I have noticed, and since writing this book, that I feel much more comfortable saying no to things. The money is, to me, still shocking.I kind of cant believe what Im offered for my actual time.

SRINIVASAN: One of the suggestions that comes through in Beauty Lessons is that theres money and theres the very real material drive for money, but theres also for you and for many women, the internalized misogyny that results in a constant drive for male validation. You talk about how thats inflected through social media, like the actual oxytocin hit, and I was amazed to find that you get an oxytocin hit off of an Instagram like. People who get like 10 Instagram likes definitely do, too, but it seems like the particular relationship that you were brought up to have with your beauty where you think that youre lovable insofar as youre beautiful, is expressed writ large by social media. So there is a sense in which that is what love is now. Love is how many likes you can have. How easy would it be for you to separate yourself from that economy of validation?

RATAJKOWSKI: Ive started to, and its strange unlearning the ways that I understood love and specialness. I lost the distinction between the two, as a young person. That was true of my upbringing, and then I became a famous model with this instant feedback loop of specialness of lovability. It was spooky when I figured out that parallel. What Ive learned, even just writing this book and why I dedicate the book to my son, is that the way that Im actively trying to relearn what love and lovability can be is my attempt to be the best person I can be and, ultimately, the best mother. But its an ongoing process, because validation like that is really powerful.

SRINIVASAN: What do you think about the economy of validation and desirability in the literary world?

RATAJKOWSKI: Im terrified. I think its going to be really interesting, too. Ive already sort of dipped my toe in it and its a whole other thing.

SRINIVASAN: One thing thats really bracing about the book is that its filled with creepy, shitty, abusive men. Not all of them, you do have good men in your life. But you have this extraordinarily intimate knowledge of male shittiness, of patriarchal sexuality and masculinity. The book ends with an essay on giving birth to a son. What does the project of raising a male child look like to you?

RATAJKOWSKI: When you said good men in your life, and you write about this as well, I think there just arent good and bad men. Yes, its not all men, and at the same time, its all men. In the same way that women are existing in the world that we exist in, theres moments where any man can, always with ignorance, but whether knowingly or not, take advantage of the power dynamics that we so often ignore. My son, babies, have this genderless quality to them, and so I love affording that to him right now. Ive just been treating him as this wonderful little human whos being introduced to the world. Actually, I noticed that as soon as people know that hes a boy, the way that they interact with him is different than they would have with a baby girl. Sometimes I feel frustrated by that because I think theres even a tendency to throw a little boy in the air, be a little bit rougher with them than you would a little girl. That stuff already bothers me because I can see where its leading. I dont have the answers, but the second that I knew I was having a son it came to mind. The best I can do is teach him compassion, and about these power dynamics that men dont have to inspect in the way that women do, and make him aware of them and make him care about them. Hows that going to happen? Im not entirely sure. I also think that this culture that Im writing about in the book, is very bad for men. There are books about how bad it is for men. I see it in my life, the ways that it limits men, and how depressing their existence and their lives can be when they have to adopt this toxic masculinity. So I also feel incredibly protective of him in the same way I would with a daughter, from this culture.

SRINIVASAN: So many of the men you described in the book have a profoundly desperate quality to them. So while they might be exercising a huge amount of power, usually decision-making power backed by money, theres also clear anxiety about their own masculinity, their place in the world, their desirability. They feel female desirability as this profound threat to their supposed mastery. And I totally agree with you, I think feminism that isnt interested in the complexities of the distorting effects of patriarchy on the male psyche is not really feminism worth having. I want to recommend a book to you, which is usually the book I give to my friends when they get pregnant. Its Adrienne Richs Of Woman Born.

RATAJKOWSKI: I know Adrienne Rich but I havent read that book.

SRINIVASAN: Its my favorite of her books. She was the mother of two sons and its pretty much a meditation on that question, but in a profound and poetic way. It ends with this extraordinary image of what it means to set your son down on the shore of a river and cross that river and leave him there having the confidence that hell be able to follow. And how that possibility really is the most politically emancipatory thing we basically need to do: allow men to learn how to accept both that they have been radically dependent on women, but also to grow up.

RATAJKOWSKI: Im crying because its so difficult and scary and sad to watch. Actually, one of the early reviews somebody wrote about the book was that these men had jealousy, there was a sort of jealousy of power, a threat of the validation I could give them or that a beautiful young woman could give them. I feel like that is the source of that, and its something bell hooks writes about so well. I thought the book you were going to recommend is Men, Masculinity, and the Will to Change. That book is wonderful in being compassionate towards men but I do think that so many of these things that Ive experienced have come out of real fear and a need to prove something. I do feel incredibly empathetic towards that and am aware of it.

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Of Money and Men: Emily Ratajkowski in Conversation with Amia Srinivasan - Interview