Blake Lively Is Swept Up by Justin Baldoni as Trauma Bubbles in 'It ... (2024)

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The First Omen Streams This Week—Here's an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Clip

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Gizmodo

12 Fresh Nail Colors Everyone Will Be Asking For This Summer

Summer is so close that we can practically taste the Aperol, but before we dust off our sandals, , and declare it yet another hot girl summer, we’re starting with the easiest summer upgrade to enjoy right now: .

The upcoming truly have something for everyone, with electric brights and chromatic finishes for the maximalists and warm neutrals with sheer pastels to appease the more pared-back amongst us. One thing’s for certain, though: Each of this will undoubtedly add a welcome dose of sunshine to our manicures. And, to make sure we’re giving you the rundown on the hottest colors for the season ahead, we spoke to top nail experts for their predictions on the specific shades everyone will be wearing this summer.

Butter Yellow

With 2.4 million posts on TikTok,is lined up to be the nail shade of the summer and beyond. The creamy, muted yellow tone is especially chic in place of the white polish that usually comprises a French manicure, like this design by digital creator. Ask for a light dusting of chrome powder to elevate the look.

Mermaid Blue

Under-the-sea hues will make their way onto dry land, thanks in huge part to the upcoming release of The Little Mermaid. Turquoise, seafoam green, and cerulean will be everywhere, but it’s a soft baby blue with a sparkling or pearlescent top coat — call it the “” — that will be the biggest hit for summer.

Poppy Red

Red is such a classic nail polish shade that there’s a hue for every season, but this summer it’s all about the brights to really make a bold statement — think fire-engine red and ripe tomato. “It’s a color that works well on short nails and it offers a playful, colorful and romantic look that’s perfect for holidays,” says Yana Gushchina, founder of nail and beauty salon .

Barbie Pink

Set to be the biggest movie of the summer, Barbie is going to have us embracing pink in all its forms. In fact, currently has 327 million views on TikTok, such is its influence across the worlds of beauty and fashion. Naturally, vibrant magenta nails — that same hot pink as the iconic Barbie logo — will be top of everyone’s mani wishlist for sunshine season. Take inspiration from this manicure by London pro nail artist .

Grasshopper Green

“Neon brights will be a go-to this summer,” predicts manicurist Julita fa*gan, “and this year, greens will be a hugely popular choice.” From zesty lime to vibrant chartreuse, green is the perfect way to inject an electric shock of color to a basic manicure or pedicure. Go fresh and grassy to keep it on trend for this summer.

Lavender Haze

Every summer there tends to be one pastel hue that dominates, and we’re calling it: This year, it’s all about . Unlike the sugary lilacs and rambunctious periwinkles of previous seasons, though, this summer’s take on purple is barely there. Opt for a sheer wash of lavender, allowing your natural nail to shine through, and a jelly-like finish, like this look on content creator .

Milky White

Minimalists rejoice: This summer’s take on comes courtesy of this milky white hue. Forget the Wite-Out bright manicures of Y2K — this season it’s all about soft, creamy, gossamer nails with a pearlescent quality. It’s an undeniably fresh spin on neutrals that leaves nails looking polished and put together, and goes effortlessly with every summer look.

Aperol Orange

It’s all about the creamy neons and ’80s-inspired brights this summer, according to celebrity manicurist . But it’s this high-voltage orange, inspired by everyone’s favorite warm-weather spritz, that she’s marking as one to watch in particular. “It’s fun and lends a pop of color to a neutral wardrobe for that cool-girl aesthetic,” she says.

Chromatic Pearl

Nail artist Aamirah Essof (who you may know from her popular Instagram page,) describes this summer’s answer to last year’sas “a fun and colorful rebrand with tones of blue, pink, purple and white.” The key to achieving this color’s magic is by using a sheer pearl polish or rubbing a chrome powder onto a neutral gel polish to imitate “the way that opals change in the light.” Take inspiration from this look by digital creator,.

Sunbaked Terracotta

Brown nails seem set to be an emerging nail trend for the latter half of 2023, and this warm, bronzy hue is the perfect way to ease into the ‘90s-inspired color palette. A true terracotta, this summer shade is a delicious blend of burnt orange and intense chocolate brown and is ultra-sophisticated. Look to this manicure posted to Instagram by .

Ballet Pink

“With reaching 639 million views on TikTok, ballet pink will be inspiring everything from clothes and makeup to hair and nails this summer,” says Gushchina. Beloved by celebs like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, this dewy pink shade is pretty, pared back, and ultra-polished, and makes a playful alternative to a classic nude mani. We love this shade on .

Fresh Lemonade

It wouldn’t be summer without the sunniest of nail shades having a moment to shine: yellow. From to punchy , the coolest way to wear yellow this season is in soft sorbet tones with frosty finishes, like nail artist of . So refreshing.

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Refinery29

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is better as a retro gaming device than a streamer

Here’s an open secret: Every cheap streaming stick kind of sucks. Yes, it’s great that people can access so many shows and movies with devices that cost less than $50. It’s great that the no longer force you to suffer through constant lag and performance hiccups, too. But over time, the we make with these things becomes increasingly obvious. We save cash upfront, then we repay our debt through a shoddy user experience.

I’ve been thinking about this since buying a couple of months ago. It’s a good example of that handshake: It’s for $40 for most of the past few months, and at that price, its hardware is a tremendous bargain. It’s fast, it works with the major HDR formats and Dolby Atmos and it supports all the requisite apps.

But Amazon’s Fire OS is shamelessly bloated. Big honking ads dominate the UI, most of which put Amazon services like Freevee or MGM+ or Prime Video — still the bargain bin of streaming services — front and center. Some ads straight up promote products you can shop on Amazon. Friend, you have not seen the dystopian future until the top third of your 55-inch TV suggests you buy a KitchenAid espresso machine. Once I’m actually streaming something, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is great. But I have to resist all the ads it peddles to me, to mentally block parts of the device I bought with my own money, to get the most out of it.

So why did I still buy one? Mainly because I’m not using it the way Amazon intends. Instead, I’m using it to emulate old video games, which is forever the . It’s possible to run retro games on just about anything today, of course — a PC, an , a , a and more. You can do this kind of thing with other Android streamers such as the or as well. The Delta emulator was newly allowed on iOS, and you can also with an Apple TV too, albeit over AirPlay instead of a native connection. I settled on the 4K Max simply because it more of a performance safety net than most other low-cost streamers. And it’s much cheaper than a higher-end box like the Apple TV or NVIDIA Shield.

Regardless, having a dedicated device for TVs is convenient in a way those non-streaming sticks aren’t. I’m not lugging a giant gaming PC from my desk to my living room, and I’m not paying extra for a mini PC when I can spend so much less on a dongle that emulates well enough. Official consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 have plenty of retro games in their libraries, but far from everything. And while I’m a collector who has spent way too much on consoles and games from decades past, the process of getting that original hardware to run decently on a modern TV is . Sometimes I just want to play a half-hour of , or without having to pull out the SNES (or Genesis), and heap of cables from my closet. (Related: I’d also like a bigger apartment, but c’est la vie in NYC.) Emulating on the Fire TV Stick isn’t as faithful as the real thing in terms of image quality, but it’s certainly playable and generally less of a hassle to just turn on and use.

After you get it set up, that is. Turning a Fire TV Stick into a retro game center isn’t especially complicated but requires a little prep. There are plenty of tutorials out there that’ll walk you through the full process, but here’s how I got it to work. First, I needed a few accessories: a Bluetooth controller, some sort of (any older USB 2.0 model will do) and an with a microUSB connector that can power the Fire TV while connecting that external storage. I’ve been using , just to get a more period-appropriate feel, though a PS4 or PS5 gamepad would also work. The USB drive holds the ROM and BIOS files for the games and systems I want to emulate. This is where I remind you that Engadget does not condone piracy, and while emulators are perfectly legal, sharing ROMs on the internet is not, so tread lightly. But backing up files of old games I’ve already bought, for personal use only, is .

After formatting my thumb drive and loading it up with my games, it was simply matter of downloading the popular frontend from Amazon’s app store, downloading the “cores” for each console I wanted to emulate within RetroArch, pointing the app toward the right folders on the USB drive and configuring my gamepad’s controls. I’ve done this on dozens of devices over the past couple years as I’ve sunk deeper into the retro-gaming rabbit hole, so the whole process took me well under an hour. Demystifying RetroArch would take me another 1,000 words, so I’ll direct you to from Retro Game Corps. It’s long, but this stuff always requires a little pain upfront, and I think it’s worth it. Turning a device like this into something completely different feels like I’m getting away with something. It’s exciting, even if it means I end up .

As for what’s actually playable on this thing, I’ve found the 4K Max to work best emulating consoles up to the original PlayStation. Games from the PS1, NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis and old arcade machines have been consistently smooth. It’s technically possible to run stuff from the N64, Dreamcast, PSP or Nintendo DS, but those are more hit-or-miss, so I wouldn’t bank on them unless you’re the kind of sad*st who enjoys futzing with resolution scaling and cycling between emulators. Still, this leaves me with hundreds of games to enjoy. Some are essential (), some have been lost to time (), some make me want to self-defenestrate () and none are live-service dross designed to disrespect my time.

I understand that this is a weird, niche pursuit. Emulators are daunting at first, and many old games feel like relics for a reason. Yet, in a small way, turning this ad-riddled, data-sucking streamer into a mini retro console has felt like reclaiming ownership of the gadget I paid for. The ads are still there, and my home screen will continue to badger me to watch Anne Hathaway’s on Prime Video. (My wife and I caved; it was fine.) But with a little trickery, I’ve bent it to show more of what I want to see — and gained an easier way to engage in some nostalgic fun in the process.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-is-better-as-a-retro-gaming-device-than-a-streamer-160022685.html?src=rss

Engadget

Adam Sandler's friends and the films they've starred in opposite the actor

Adam Sandler has shared the screen with his Hollywood friends on many occasions to create hilarious movies. "Grown Ups" and "Hubie Halloween" are a couple examples.

Fox Headlines

The Seed of the Sacred Fig review – Mohammad Rasoulof’s arresting tale of violence and paranoia in Iran

The exiled director’s story of officialdom’s misogyny and theocracy in his home country may be flawed, but its importance is beyond doubt

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Super Size Me Director Morgan Spurlock Dies Age 53

Fast food documentary Super Size Me followed Spurlock’s 30-day journey to only consume McDonald’s food, shining a light on the changes made to his physical and psychological health and well-being in the process. Spurlock went on to direct Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope. Over the course of 13 years, Spurlock produced and directed nearly 70 documentary films and television series.

Morgan Spurlock is survived by his two sons - Laken and Kallen; mother Phyllis Spurlock; father Ben (Iris); brothers Craig (Carolyn) and Barry (Buffy); multiple nieces and nephews; and former spouses Alexandra Jamieson and Sara Bernstein, the mothers of his children.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

IGN

Pacific Heights (1990) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

Pacific Heights blends status culture with domestic and psychological thrills, creating an intense, melodramatic entry in the sub-genre. With energetic direction and Michael Keaton going full psycho, it’s a standout early 90s thriller.

The post appeared first on .

JoBlo

Use These 2 Apps to Easily Stream Almost Any Show or Movie With Friends - CNET

Use your phone to watch shows with your friends and family from across the country or across the room.

CNET

Venus Is In Gemini — It’s Time To Spend Your Energy On Having Fun & Flirting

It’s time for Venus to get chatty and spontaneous, as from May 23 to June 17, . The upcoming weeks will give us a chance to tease and stimulate our senses and to communicate our desires, feelings, and awesomeness to others — especially those we are trying to impress.

Venus leads with the heart, and Gemini leads with the mind. When these two planets come together, they attract people who are intellectual and offer us an exciting perspective on love. thrives in diversity and likes a challenge. This planetary placement is more apt to have intense all-night conversations with their significant other and debate historical facts, politics, or movie preferences as a . The goal of Venus in Gemini is to understand others on a profound level. If that means immediately cutting to a person’s core — then so be it.

Since Gemini is the only sign of the zodiac with a perpetual life partner in the sky (also known as their twin), the is extremely relationship-oriented. After all, it’s always looking for a ride or die to perk their interests and stimulate their minds. Venus in Gemini longs for connection — particularly with those with different views and beliefs. According to Venus in Gemini, variety is the spice of life, and this thought is applied to relationships. Venus in Gemini tends to gravitate towards people who make them think. For Venus in Gemini to remain interested, this is essential.

The caveat to the upbeat energy is that this placement has a duality. Gemini is known for its two faces and the ability to be a trickster. This means there are two sides to their intentions and to their personality. Contrary to popular belief, Venus in Gemini isn’t intentionally deceitful (every sign can lie, cheat, and steal); it’s just that they play by their own rules (which are different every day). Venus and Gemini can be changeable, so different sides of the personality will persist. But Venus in Gemini will laugh off the drama and move forward quickly.

Communication is vital with Venus in Gemini, meaning we can expect to receive and send numerous text messages and DMs to those we’re crushing on, and there is no shame in the game. Enjoy yourself, and don’t hesitate to . Venus in Gemini loves to talk dirty and .

When it comes to finances, Venus in Gemini is not thrifty. This transit will encourage us to spend on a whim without thinking about the future and not save our pennies for a rainy day. Venus in Gemini wants what is directly in front of them, so we won’t patiently save up; instead, we may talk ourselves out of making a long-term purchase that requires us to pinch our spending right now and instead buy something to soothe our impulsive temperament.

Overall, this is a moment when we should not focus on committing to others. Instead, we should spend our energy on having fun, flirting, and celebrating life. with different people will allow us to see who and what we like. In the process, we will find ourselves. Also, we define our relationships in our own way and in time.

Important astrological dates:

May 25: Venus and Pluto retrograde come together, heightening our passions. We may feel powerful and want to take charge of our finances or interpersonal relationships. Tread lightly.

June 4: Venus sextiles the north node of destiny, making it a fated time to ask for a raise or go out on a date. Please remember who comes into your life today; they’ll be critical to your future.

June 4: Venus creates a conjunction with the sun, manufacturing the Venus Star Point and “cazimi” (“the heart of the sun”) aspect. This is a magical day for love and money. Manifest your goals around the two desires by telling the universe your hopes and goals.

June 8: Venus squares Saturn, making us feel stuck in our ways. Don’t stress; change is coming soon.

June 16: Venus shares a tense aspect with Neptune, heightening our fantasies and making our dreams unrealistic. Try to ground your sentiments.

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A Week In Brooklyn On A $43,000 Salary

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
It was not a question that I would attend college, and there was large pressure for me to do well enough in high school to get scholarships. My mother is a doctor and my dad has his master’s, so there is still some expectation that I might attend grad school at some point — though it’s been made extremely clear that if I do it’s on my own dime. I attended an extremely expensive private college here in New York (not NYU, but NYU-adjacent) for my BA, but was lucky enough to have 75% of my tuition paid for by a combination of scholarships and grants. My parents were kind enough to pay the rest. I majored in literature studies and minored in journalism, so it was unclear if this was even a good idea, but I was passionate about it, and landed a job in my dream industry within three months of graduation.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Until the recession, I was raised in a two-income household, with my mom making a majority of the money as a hospitalist, and my dad being a teacher. When my dad lost his job in the recession there were discussions about how we would have to cut back, but it didn’t majorly affect our lifestyle. My parents are not big vacationers, except to visit family once a year. We still have never been on a major family trip with the three of us. In a strange way, I never thought of us as being well-off because I went to an all-girls’ private school and understood that we were not wealthy at all compared to my peers. My parents definitely lived within their means, and money was just an addition to our life, not a detriment. My parents work extremely hard, with my mom working seven days consecutively, and when I was a kid, she would work 21 days consecutively, to have seven days off. My mom took me to open my first bank account when I was in middle school and stressed the importance of saving.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got my first job when I was 16, at a frozen yogurt chain. By the time I was 16 my parents were not giving me pocket money for trips to the mall and such, and I realized that I, unfortunately, am pretty materialistic, and I like to buy myself things that I like. My parents have always encouraged me to work, and when I was 16 it was pretty much expected that I would have an after-school job. I made $7.25 an hour and worked three days a week. It was a terrible job, lots of moldy frozen yogurt. I hated it so much but working there has always set me up for how I behave as an adult. I truly, truly believe that everyone should have to work in the service industry at some point in their life. There have only been short periods of time in my life where I didn’t have a job — I worked as a bartender throughout college, and even worked service industry jobs during COVID-19.

Did you worry about money growing up?
My family definitely did not worry about money, but there was always a limit. We never upgraded our phones until they were broken beyond repair, all of us drove Hondas until they died, and buying clothes was not a regular weekend activity. However, if we needed a new phone, or the car broke, we could afford to fix it, and if there were holes in my socks of course I could have new ones. My parents are extremely practical: They did not buy shiny new things often, if ever, but we were always able to live without financial threat.

Do you worry about money now?
I think about money dramatically often. Mostly, I just want to be informed about my finances. I took a women-centered economics class online that really shaped my outlook on personal finance, and I try to trust the process and not just hoard my money in my savings account, but it’s hard, and, frankly, I’m 23 and like to party. I get really bad post-purchase regret, so I rarely buy myself new clothes, but for some reason my card falls out of my wallet and onto the tap-and-pay as soon as I want food or drinks. I know I need to open a Roth IRA in the next year, and it stresses me out that I don’t have one already. I also stress about the fact that I want to leave my job in the near future and try to go traveling full time, or move to a different country. I see a lot of uncertainty in the next few years and I need to be able to support myself. So yes, I worry about money almost constantly.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I am still not fully financially responsible for myself as my mom still helps me with $500 of my rent, and I occasionally put a drunk Uber or a hungover Uber Eats on her card. I know a lot of people in NYC who claim to be financially responsible for themselves but still use their parents’ Amazon, and I think that’s sh*tty. I will not be financially responsible until I am completely removed from my parents’ finances, i.e. also off their insurance, et cetera. I know that if I lost my job at any point, my parents could help me pay rent for at least a little while while I figured out what to do, and that’s such a massive, gigantic, mind-boggling privilege in this pricey-ass city. If that happened they would immediately expect me to get a bartending job again and at least contribute, I don’t think they would help at all if I treated it as free rent. I’ve been reasonably financially responsible for myself since I was a teenager if you consider that anything that wasn’t a necessity, was my responsibility to pay for. Even in high school I bought my own shampoo and did my own groceries occasionally. My parents owned the car, I paid for the gas, that kind of thing.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When I was 19, my grandfather, who’s extremely literate with the stock market, helped me invest $10,000 into stocks. He helped me get set up with his broker, who occasionally calls me and talks to me about how my stocks are doing. I make all of the decisions on what happens with my stocks and nobody else is involved, and I cannot pull any of the money I’ve made until I’m 29. So I know at least when I’m 29 that I will have somewhat of a safety net, but for now, I literally cannot touch the money and it grows passively.

Day One

8:15 a.m. — I wake up and it’s freezing in my room because it was hot last night and it’s now 36 degrees outside, so sleeping with the fan on was a bad idea. I wash my face with Cetaphil, use my Lineage toner (sample size, but I LOVE it so far, a gift from Christmas), and slather myself in Aveeno SPF35 moisturizer. I do my makeup and get dressed quickly (again, freezing, and this house is barely insulated, if you could call it that). I don’t eat breakfast before work because it makes me nauseous, so I grab a think! protein bar and throw it in my bag.

9:10 a.m. — I am out of the house in less than an hour, and swiped in for my first of two trains at 9:10 a.m. $2.90

9:45 a.m. — I buy a mango passionfruit Celsius at the CVS next to my work. I’ve been meaning to do a bulk buy but at this point CVS is so easy and still cheaper than a cappuccino, which is what I actually want. $3.31

1:45 p.m. — I work steadily throughout the morning and eat my protein bar. Mondays are normally super busy but my bosses are out of town right now so it’s a casual day. I book a few author events and a few onto some podcasts, tie up loose ends from the weekend (I am very strict about working 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). My everyday lunch is soup and a piece of bread or a deli salad. Today they have cream of mushroom, which is my favorite. $7.38

2:34 p.m. — Back at my desk, got a review in The Washington Post, my author’s interview on NPR’s Here and Now aired… Lots of research on wine podcasts today, which makes me want a glass of pinot when I get home, but I’m trying not to drink on weekdays, and I have a 7 a.m. barre class tomorrow anyway.

3:25 p.m. — Today is podcast pitching day which is my least favorite, especially for our current lineup, which is a lot of political books. During my search I see a podcast that I know my ex used to listen to; it reminds me that I have to pick up the rest of my stuff from him tomorrow after work. I draft a podcast pitch, get it approved, and start sending it to various podcasts I find on Spotify. I organize an op-ed with a food and wine magazine that will print in May, and send on the instructions to the author.

6:01 p.m. — I leave work and swipe into the subway, it’s still freezing. I’m listening to the Conspiracy Theories podcast on the Silk Road drug trade; two trains home. $2.90

6:45 p.m. — I eat leftover green beans and half a box of Goodles for dinner. For dessert I eat raspberries that were about to go bad and a few thin mints. I have a barre class through ClassPass tomorrow morning so I try and get in a lot of protein. I’m not a great cook but I try to eat lots of veggies. I watch Curb Your Enthusiasm with my roommate and her boyfriend.

10:47 — End the night with a cup of Sleepytime Lavender tea and a few more thin mints, in bed reading an advance copy of a book I got for free through NetGalley.

Daily Total: $16.49

Day Two

6:25 a.m. — If you thought I could get ready fast yesterday, I’m out the door by 6:40 a.m. for my 7 a.m. workout class, which is a four-minute walk away.

8:04 a.m. — Walking home, I’ve decided not to shower this morning. I have a banana, double cleanse my face and do my hair and makeup, get dressed and throw a protein bar in my bag. I watch a little Seinfeld while I get ready and have literally three bites of Goodles before I have to run out the door.

9:09 a.m. — Swipe into subway. $2.90

9:41 a.m. — All my trains lined up perfectly this morning so I get to work in 30 minutes. Grab a Celsius from CVS and then sit outside in the sun on the riverfront for 20 minutes until I have to go inside. $3.31

1:42 p.m. — Deli salad for lunch today, the soups all had meat except lentil which is my least favorite. The guy behind the counter was cutting his nails. I validate my lunch purchase because if I wanted a salad from Sweetgreen it would be $17 so I’m actually saving money. I don’t know why I don’t bring salads from home. $11.92

2:17 p.m. — Took a walk to Dumbo Park and watched the merry-go-round. My ClassPass renewed for $89 even though I thought it wouldn’t until next week. Fml. $89

3:47 p.m. — Dread is rising thinking about how I’m going to bring my ex his things back after work. I’m also not in the mood to go home and then have to get back on the train to Bushwick and then back.

6:09 p.m. — Train swipe. $2.90

6:45 p.m. — Train swipe, carrying a duffle bag of my ex’s crap. $2.90

7:30 p.m. — I leave my ex’s. I’m tempted to get a crab slice from Artichoke Basille’s Pizza (my fav), but it reminds me of all the times we went there together, and that makes me sad, so I run past it before I start crying. Train swipe, this time carrying a duffle bag of all my own crap. $2.90

8:20 p.m. — I make a dinner of tabouli, egg whites, spinach, and toast topped with chili crunch. Watch Time Bandits with my roommate as part of a project where we watch movies depending on the decade. We are doing 80s movies this month.

11:06 p.m. — Showered and in bed with a cup of tea and a few thin mints. I cry a little and go to sleep.

Daily Total: $115.83

Day Three

8:34 a.m. — I totally slept in and am now totally late.

9:15 a.m. — Train swipe, in a hurry. $2.90

9:54 a.m. — Grab a Celsius, the process of running into CVS, grabbing it, paying, and leaving, takes me two minutes at this point. I get orange instead of mango passionfruit. $3.31

11 a.m. — Wednesdays are great because I have a document due at 3 p.m. that takes all day to do, so I can just throw myself into it and listen to my music on blast and have no meetings and nobody bothers me.

1:50 p.m. — Deli salad for lunch again. As I was walking into the deli a crackhead threatened to “beat me the f*ck up,” which really threw me off so I forgot to ask for egg, which is really annoying. Sit by the water and eat. $11.23

2:55 p.m. — Back at the desk. The document needs to be circulated and I have a huge meeting at 4 p.m., very exciting stuff.

6:02 p.m. — Train swipe to my favorite place. $2.90

6:25 p.m. — Pit stop at Duane Reade for face powder because I’m running out. $7.39

6:34 p.m. — First espresso martini at the bar with my two friends. We each get two martinis and I pay, but they immediately pay me back, so I spend a total of $14.35 on myself. $14.35

8:34 p.m. — Wednesdays are fabulous because my friends and I always go to the same bar for $5 espresso martinis, and it is the one day of the week that I allow myself to get an actual meal outside of the house (ready-to-go soups and deli salads don’t count, in my opinion). On Wednesday nights I eat a seared tuna salad (it has cucumbers and avocado and crunchies and it’s just the best) and drink a $5 espresso martini surrounded by my favorite people. We always go on Wednesdays because a) that’s the day of the $5 martini, and b) everyone is normally free on Wednesday and we all have different commitments on the weekends. At this point it’s not actually even about the cheap drinks, I just love my people and will use any excuse to be around them. $48.95

10:45 p.m. — Second location, which happens to be a block from my first apartment in NYC on 14th Street. It was such a crap box, but I miss it every day. Now I’m crying on 14th Street (classic). We are going here because my best friend R. has a crush on this guy O., and I want to meet his cute friend. I am disastrously single.

11:34 p.m. — I am on the train home with my best friend P., who I love and who is my best friend. $2.90

12:12 a.m. — Showered and in bed, goodnight.

Daily Total: $93.93

Day Four

8:38 a.m. — There is nothing like drinking to make me remember why I hate drinking. I grab a bag of mochi rice nuggets from TJ’s and my protein bar.

9:06 a.m. — Train swipe, hungover edition. $2.90

9:11 a.m. — I’m so puffy from drinking yesterday, my face feels like a swollen balloon. Everyone on this train looks so put together. Last night two of my friends recommended me on Raya, so I apply for Raya on the L train. Thanks P. and C.!

9:41 a.m. — I’m standing like an idiot in front of the drinks section of CVS. I want to get all of my hangover foods (Goldfish, chocolate-covered pretzels, and co*ke Zero), but I resist because I don’t want to look crazy at work. In any case I’ll probably have all of them on Sunday anyway since my friend J.’s birthday is on Saturday and I know I’ll party. In any case I have a workout class tonight so now is not the time to eat junk food the way I want to. I get my regular Celsius. $3.31

1:55 p.m. — I’m meeting my very stable and very amazing friend S. for lunch. I worked all morning and am craving sushi, but we get soup instead. I get potato and leek. We sit by the water and eat and catch up. It’s such a beautiful day. $7.78

6:01 p.m. — Train swipe, excited for my Pilates class. $2.90

8:25 p.m. — Out of class, walking home. My limbs feel very loose and I feel a lot better.

8:39 p.m. — I make an egg-white scramble with Boursin and stir-fried kale, plus a few breakfast patties and tabouli in a bowl. I love breakfast-in-a-bowl dinner. I watch Anatomy of a Fall with my roommate, it is reeeeally long.

11:52 p.m. — In bed with a cup of tea, the best feeling ever.

Daily Total: $16.89

Day Five

9:10 — Train swipe. I register for a barre class Saturday at 1 p.m., which costs eight credits, but that’s not real money. $2.90

9:42 a.m. — Off the train, Celsius in hand (found it in the fridge, so I must have bought it and forgotten to drink it). I gave a homeless man my banana so no morning snack today.

1:08 p.m. — I am STARVING so I’m taking an early lunch. No soups look good so I grab a salad and call my mom and sit by the water. They’re filming something in front of me and it feels like I’m in the background as an ugly side character. $11.92

3:54 p.m. — It’s not even 5 p.m. yet and I’m bored and I have to be here until 6 p.m. just sitting in this office chair watching the sun go down and doing nothing. Our office is five days a week in person — our bosses are old school and don’t understand that I can just as easily email people from the comfort of my house. It’s a give and take though, because working here means I get to be a part of projects that are way above my pay grade, but also, they’re way above my pay grade and I’m not getting paid for them. Also: The only two other people who work in publicity here are remote anyway. Very annoying.

5:59 p.m. — Train swipe. F train is not running northbound and I’m trying to get from Dumbo to LES, so I have to take the F backwards one stop to get the C at Jay Street to Fulton Street to get the 4 to Union Square to get the 6 backwards to Broadway-Lafayette. This type of thing always pisses me off, five trains to go what would have been three whole stops on one train. I hate this city sometimes. $2.90

7:37 p.m. — I split a box of wine with my best friend R. and order myself sushi. $31.29

10:14 p.m. — Train swipe to Carousel Bar to meet up with R.’s friends — one of them is very cute. $2.90

11:25 p.m. — I buy two drinks for R. and me. $24.89

1:59 a.m. — Train swipe home. $2.90

2:54 a.m. — In bed.

Daily Total: $79.70

Day Six

9:49 a.m. — Wake up, lie in bed on TikTok, wash my face, do my hair, eat a protein bar in bed and read a book until it’s time for my workout class.

12:49 p.m. — Walk to my workout class.

2:05 p.m. — I run to the grocery store and grab a quick snack of guacamole packets and hummus and some pretzel chips so I can bring them to work next week. I snack on them and a banana and then my roomie gets home. She’s been sleeping at her boyfriend’s apartment because her room is full of ants. $19.09

3:27 p.m. — We decide to spontaneously take a walk to BonBon, the Swedish candy store, where I go way overboard on the sweets. $24.94

4:01 p.m. — We decide to do a taste test of the sweets and picnic at Marsha P. Johnson State Park. We bring blankets and make a TikTok of us trying them, then we have to go home and get ready for J.’s birthday party which is at 7 p.m.

6:35 p.m. — Train swipe to midtown to the bar J. has rented out for the night. $2.90

9:45 p.m. — Have been at this bar for a while; got two drinks which is $30.21 with tax and tip. $30.21

10:01 p.m. — J. puts me in her Uber to The Johnsons, I get me and her three drinks which is $28.95. I have a long chat with my ex’s roommate, and see a lot of people I haven’t seen in a very long time. It feels good. $28.95

12:49 a.m. — Uber to Bossanova. I don’t know the DJ and I’m hammered. My friend W. gets the Uber, I don’t get any drinks but the cover is $15. $15

3:27 a.m. — Uber back to mine. $24.49

4:02 a.m. — My roommate is sleeping in my bed, I crawl in next to her.

Daily Total: $145.58

Day Seven

10:45 a.m. — Wake up, hungover. I chug my water bottle like my life depends on it. M. already left at 9 a.m. for her Sunday yoga class, so I just lay in my bed for a while and consider all that happened last night. I scroll on TikTok with the blinds open, it makes me feel good to just lay here and do nothing.

12:30 p.m. — M. is back, and I put on a sweat set and some sunglasses to go to the deli. I’m so hungry I can’t just get snacks, so I get a tuna sandwich, a bag of Hal’s kettle chips, and a co*ke Zero. $12.22

12:45 p.m. — I’m home and on the couch, where I plan to remain all day, chugging water and watching movies. I watch Oldboy, which is fabulous, and Chinatown, which is awful and I regret ever putting it on my screen.

4:04 p.m. — I get accepted on Raya, but I don’t feel like building a profile right now.

8:02 p.m. — I eat some cucumbers and make a grocery list for tomorrow (I don’t feel like going to the grocery store today.) I’m going to make zucchini this week.

9:45 p.m. — I’m showered and in bed with a cup of tea and a few thin mints. I really needed a day of doing nothing. I watch some Seinfeld on my iPad and fall asleep.

Daily Total: $12.22

The Breakdown

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

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Refinery29

‘Beating Hearts’ Review: Gilles Lellouche’s Stylish Thriller Descends Into Clichés [Cannes]

CANNES – A very popular actor in his native France, Gilles Lellouche has dipped his toe into filmmaking co-directing one movie and helming another over the past 20 years. Nothing he’s directed previously would prepare anyone for the impressive visual authority he welds over the camera in “Beating Hearts,” which debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. There’s actually very little in his first collaboration with cinematographer Laurent Tangy, 2018’s “Sink or Swim,” that would hint at this level of cinematic creativity.

The Playlist

Why Taylor Swift fans have been left fuming over trailer for Colleen Hoover movie It Ends With Us - starring singer's best friend Blake Lively

Taylor Swift fans have been left furious after hearing the popstar's hit tune My Tears Ricochet in the trailer for Colleen Hoover's movie It Ends With Us, which stars the singer's pal, Blake Lively.

Daily Mail Celebrity

How To Style Capri Pants, The Most Divisive Trend Of The Summer

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Whether you like it or not, are back. The divisive — embraced by style-setters like Audrey Hepburn in the ’50s and Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna in the ’00s — has (once again) emerged as one of the biggest . If you’re mouthing hell no, hear me out: Like many who grew up in the ’00s, I, too, have retired early-aughts trends like low-rise jeans and capri pants in favor of more comfortable fashion, never expecting to wear them again. But while I will never embrace the comeback of the , after seeing pedal pushers on the of designers like 3.1 Phillip Lim, Sandy Liang, and Mirror Palais, I’ve come around to the sleek silhouettes that have little to do with the cargo and hip bone-grazing styles of decades past.

Instead, capri pants now come in streamlined (read: pocket-less, form-fitting) shapes that look just as good with workwear blazers and button-downs as equally and bomber jackets (see: sporting the trend in Ferragamo). To prove the versatility of the look, I styled the (which also come in a ) every day of the work week. Read on for tips on how to wear capri pants in 2024 — if you’re ready for the capri-ssance that is.

How To Style Capri Pants: Suit

To take capri pants into workwear territory (yes, capris are an ), pair them with a blazer in a matching color and wear them over tights (you can opt for a solid-hued pair if printed hosiery isn’t in line with your office dress code). Complete the look with a pair of stilettos or kitten heels to elevate the traditionally casual pant silhouette.

How To Wear Capri Pants: Shirt & Blazer

For a look that can take you from the office to happy hour drinks or dinner, opt for a button-down (cropped or oversized) and a light-colored jacket like a trench coat or blazer. For a retro-inspired, Audrey Hepburn-approved nod to the trend, pair with or slingbacks and a vintage-inspired purselike a top-handle or .

How To Wear Capri Pants: Polo Shirt

Embrace the casual nature of the capri pants with equally sporty counterparts — classic , a polo shirt, a (this one is from the new !), and a baseball hat or head scarf — a look that would work just as well for a farmers’ market run as a brunch or movie date.

How To Style Capri Pants: Longline Vest

Speaking of date night: For a more formal look, layer a longline vest or duster over the pants and complement the look with occasion-worthy accessories like a (bonus if it’s in an ), barely there sandals, and a hair bow. Alternatively, you can wear the capri pants underneath a peplum top or a bubble dress for a more 2010s take on the trend.

How To Wear Capri Pants: Going-out Top

For a going-out look, capris tend to go well with skin-baring tops in halter, one-shoulder, and tube top silhoettes. Throw on a denim or leather jacket if you expect the party to go into the night and add pops of color and fun details (, bows, etc.) in the form of accessories.

Shop Capri Pants

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Refinery29

OpenAI didn't intend to copy Scarlett Johansson's voice, 'The Washington Post' reports

OpenAI cast the actor of Sky's voice months before Sam Altman contacted Scarlett Johansson, and it had no intention of finding someone who sounded like her, according to . The publication said the flier OpenAI issued last year looked for actors that had "warm, engaging [and] charismatic" voices. They needed to be between 25 and 45 years old and had to be non-union, but OpenAI reportedly didn't specify that it was looking for a Scarlett Johansson voice-alike. If you'll recall, of copying her likeness without permission for its Sky voice assistant.

The agent of Sky's voice told The Post that the company never talked about Johansson or the movie Her with their talent. OpenAI apparently didn't tweak the actor's recordings to sound like Johansson either, because her natural voice sounded like Sky's, based on the clips of her initial voice test that The Post had listened to. OpenAI product manager Joanne Jang told the publication that the company selected actors who were eager to work on AI. She said that Mira Murati, the company's Chief Technology Officer, made all the decisions about the AI voices project and that Altman was not intimately involved in the process.

Jang also told the publication that to her, Sky sounded nothing like Johansson. Sky's actress told The Post through her agent that she just used her natural voice and that she has never been compared to Johansson by the people who know her closely. But in a statement Johansson's team shared with Engadget, she said that she was shocked OpenAI pursued a voice that "sounded so eerily similar" to hers that her "closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference" after she turned down Altman's offer to voice ChatGPT.

Johansson said that Altman first contacted her in September 2023 with the offer and then reached out again just two days before the company introduced to ask her to reconsider. Sky has been one of ChatGPT's voices since September, but GPT-4o gave it the power to have more human-like conversations with users. That made its similarities to Johansson's voice more apparent — Altman tweeting "her" after OpenAI demonstrated the new large language model didn't help with the situation and invited more comparisons to the AI virtual assistant Johansson voiced in the movie. OpenAI has paused using Sky's voice "out of respect" for Johansson's concerns, it . The actor said, however, that the company only stopped using Sky after she hired legal counsel who wrote Altman and the company to ask for an explanation.

If you're wondering if Sky truly does sound like Johansson, we embedded a video below so you can judge for yourself. It's a recording of Johansson's statement as read by the Sky voice assistant, posted by Victor Mochere on YouTube. Opinions in the comment section are divided, with some saying that it does sound like her if she were robotic, while others say that the voice sounds more like Rashida Jones.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-didnt-intend-to-copy-scarlett-johanssons-voice-the-washington-post-reports-041247992.html?src=rss

Engadget

Blake Lively's 10 Best Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

Blake Lively has made a name for herself in film and television with acclaimed roles across action, comedy, drama, horror, and fantasy.

Screen Rant

‘Monsieur Aznavour’ Trailer: Tahar Rahim Transforms as French Music Legend Charles Aznavour (EXCLUSIVE)

Pathé has unveiled a trailer for “Monsieur Aznavour,” showing the Golden-Globe nominated actor Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian,” “Napoleon”) transformed as Charles Aznavour, the French-Armenian singer, songwriter and actor who sold more than 180 million records around the world. The movie charts Aznavour’s rise to stardom in the 1950s and his friendships with many artists, including […]

Variety

‘Late Bloomers’ Trailer: Karen Gillan Breaks Her Hip & Makes A Friend In Lisa Steen’s Comedy

Sometimes a broken hip is the best thing that could happen to you. Or at least that’s the situation seen in the upcoming comedy film, “Late Bloomers.”

READ MORE: Summer Movie Preview: 50 Must-See Films To Watch

As seen in the trailer, “Late Bloomers” tells the story of a young woman who finds herself suddenly single and with a broken hip. While recovering in the hospital, she meets an older lady and they form a bittersweet friendship.

The Playlist

Sonos Ace headphones hands-on: Joining your home theater setup with the push of a button

After of and Sonos has finally pulled the wraps off of it's much-anticipated entry into a new product category. Today, Sonos announced headphones: a meticulously designed, feature-packed set of premium cans from the company that made its name with multi-room audio and stellar sound. But, that reputation was built on speakers and soundbars, and now Sonos is lending its mix of aesthetics, acoustics and tech to headphones. The Ace is first and foremost a set of Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones that can be used on the go, but it's also got some unique home theater chops that work in tandem with its soundbars. You'll have to wait a bit longer to try to the $449 headphones, but you can them now if you're already convinced.

Design-wise, these Sonos headphones have a refined look that draws some inspiration from the company's speakers. Sonos opted for a mix of matte finishes, stainless steel and leather for its high-end look, keeping everything black on one version while using white with silver accents on the other. Even with the premium materials, the Ace weighs 11 ounces (312 grams). That's lighter than which is 13.6 ounces (385 grams) thanks so some use of plastic.

"It's all in the interest of doing something that's going to make this light and comfortable for the customer," Sonos CEO Patrick Spence told Engadget. "We knew it had to be premium, just like all the speakers that we've designed, but we felt like we could do this in a different way than anybody else."

A key aspect of the Ace's design is the hidden hinge, which Sonos has placed in the ear cup. The company says this puts less stress on cabling than a folding mechanism, but it also argues that it just looks better. Sonos chose physical controls rather than a touchpad, assigning those functions to a multi-purpose button it calls the Content Key. Here, you have volume and playback controls along with the ability to switch between ANC and transparency modes. A single button on the opposite side handles power and pairing. Like Apple, Sonos uses removable, magnetic ear pads on its headphones, and plans to sell replacements in the future.

Inside, 40mm custom dynamic drivers power the Ace's sound. Sonos promises "impeccable precision and clarity" across the EQ with spatial audio and dynamic head tracking for increased immersion. These headphones also support lossless audio over Bluetooth if you're streaming from a device with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound. They also offer lossless listening over USB-C if you prefer a wired connection for that purpose. And if the stock tuning doesn't suit you, the company allows you to adjust bass, treble and loudness from the Sonos app.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is onboard the Sonos headphones and there's an Aware mode when you need to let in ambient sounds. The company says the Ace is equipped with eight beamforming microphones that pull double duty with ANC and voice targeting, so you'll be able to use them during calls. The headphones also have wear detection sensors which will automatically pause movies or music when you take them off. Sonos says you'll be able to use the Ace for up to 30 hours on a charge with ANC on, 10 hours more than the AirPods Max and on par with . The latter of which is our current top pick for .

None of this is a surprise given how many of the details broke cover before the official reveal, but Sonos did manage to keep secret how the Ace would interact with its other products. While the company's app will carry key features for the headphones, the interaction with other Sonos speakers is unique here. The Ace has a feature called TV Audio Swap that sends the audio from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones as long as you're in range. To make this happen, the company says the Ace switches to Bluetooth LE to maintain a connection with the app for controls and settings while Wi-Fi allows it to sync with a soundbar. At launch, the swap functionality will only work with , but the company says it will come to both generations of and in the future.

"What we realized is for the majority of the population, and for the many use cases of headphones, the best way to do it is the Bluetooth first with connectivity to the system," Spence said. "Because what's more important to the customer is power management and battery life."

There's also a version of the company's TruePlay tuning on the Ace, but it's called TrueCinema. When it arrives later this year, the feature will map the room your soundbar is in to create a complete virtual surround system inside the headphones. The goal here is to mimic the acoustics of the room you're in so that maybe you'll forget you're even wearing headphones.

"It's more natural, because often times the headphones will be tuned to a perfect room," Spence explained. "We thought it was better to have it tuned to the room that you're actually in because it would create the effects that you would expect."

After some time listening to both music and movie clips on the Ace, I'm impressed with what the company has built in terms of sound quality. There's pristine detail and heightened immersion with Dolby Atmos content that make the headphones a complement to a home theater setup. However, the most surprising thing about the Ace to me was how well the TV Audio Swap feature works.

Once the headphones have been added to your collection of devices in the app, all you have to do is press the Content Key button to switch the sound to what's coming from your soundbar. It's quick and easy, and there's no jumping, popping or other distractions when you hop back and forth. I can see a lot of people using them so that they can still hear the finer details of Dune or every shot of John Wick 4 when their family has gone to bed.

Even if your content isn't 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos, Sonos' 3D virtualization tech will upscale it so it sounds comparable. The company has also developed its own head tracking processing that learns from your position and the direction you're looking so that it's not constantly recentering if you look down at your phone. Unfortunately, the head tracking, spatial audio and the TV audio swap with Sonos Arc will only be available in the iOS version of the Sonos app at launch. Android compatibility is coming "shortly after."

The Sonos Ace headphones are available for pre-order today from the company's website and will begin shipping on June 5th. While that's more expensive than flagship models from Bose, Sony and others, it's $100 less than the AirPods Max.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-ace-headphones-hands-on-joining-your-home-theater-setup-with-the-push-of-a-button-130045023.html?src=rss

Engadget

Sonos Ace hands-on: ANC headphones that join your home theater with the press of a button

After of and Sonos has finally pulled the wraps off of it's much-anticipated entry into the headphones market. The is a meticulously designed, feature-packed set of premium cans from the company that made its name with multi-room audio and stellar sound. But, that reputation was built on speakers and soundbars, and now Sonos is lending its mix of aesthetics, acoustics and tech to headphones. The Ace is first and foremost a set of Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones that can be used on the go, but it's also got some unique home theater chops that work in tandem with its soundbars.

Design-wise, the Ace has a refined look that draws some inspiration from the company's speakers. Sonos opted for a mix of matte finishes, stainless steel and leather for its high-end look, keeping everything black on one version while using white with silver accents on the other. Even with the premium materials, the Ace weighs 11 ounces (312 grams). That's lighter than which is 13.6 ounces (385 grams) thanks so some use of plastic.

"It's all in the interest of doing something that's going to make this light and comfortable for the customer," Sonos CEO Patrick Spence told Engadget. "We knew it had to be premium, just like all the speakers that we've designed, but we felt like we could do this in a different way than anybody else."

A key aspect of the Ace's design is the hidden hinge, which Sonos has placed in the ear cup. The company says this puts less stress on cabling than a folding mechanism, but it also argues that it just looks better. Sonos chose physical controls rather than a touchpad, assigning those functions to a multi-purpose button it calls the Content Key. Here, you have volume and playback controls along with the ability to switch between ANC and transparency modes. A single button on the opposite side handles power and pairing. Like Apple, Sonos uses removable, magnetic ear pads on its headphones, and plans to sell replacements in the future.

Inside, 40mm custom dynamic drivers power the Ace's sound. Sonos promises "impeccable precision and clarity" across the EQ with spatial audio and dynamic head tracking for increased immersion. These headphones also support lossless audio over Bluetooth if you're streaming from a device with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound. They also offer lossless listening over USB-C if you prefer a wired connection for that purpose. And if the stock tuning doesn't suit you, the company allows you to adjust bass, treble and loudness from the Sonos app.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is onboard and there's an Aware mode when you need to let in ambient sounds. Sonos says the Ace is equipped with eight beamforming microphones that pull double duty with ANC and voice targeting, so you'll be able to use them during calls. The headphones also have wear detection sensors which will automatically pause movies or music when you take them off. The company says you'll be able to use the Ace for up to 30 hours on a charge with ANC on, 10 hours more than the AirPods Max and on par with .

None of this is a surprise given how many of the details broke cover before the official reveal, but Sonos did manage to keep secret how the Ace would interact with its other products. While the company's app will carry key features for the headphones, the interaction with other Sonos speakers is unique here. The Ace has a feature called home theater swap that sends the audio from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones as long as you're in range. To make this happen, the company says the Ace switches to Bluetooth LE to maintain a connection with the app for controls and settings while Wi-Fi allows it to sync with a soundbar. At launch, the swap functionality will only work with , but the company says it will come to both generations of and in the future.

"What we realized is for the majority of the population, and for the many use cases of headphones, the best way to do it is the Bluetooth first with connectivity to the system," Spence said. "Because what's more important to the customer is power management and battery life."

There's also a version of the company's TruePlay tuning on the Ace, but it's called TrueCinema. When it arrives later this year, the feature will map the room your soundbar is in to create a complete virtual surround system inside the headphones. The goal here is to mimic the acoustics of the room you're in so that maybe you'll forget you're even wearing headphones.

"It's more natural, because often times the headphones will be tuned to a perfect room," Spence explained. "We thought it was better to have it tuned to the room that you're actually in because it would create the effects that you would expect."

After some time listening to both music and movie clips on the Ace, I'm impressed with what the company has built in terms of sound quality. There's pristine detail and heightened immersion with Dolby Atmos content that make the headphones a complement to a home theater setup. However, the most surprising thing about the Ace to me was how well the soundbar audio swap feature works.

Once the headphones have been added to your collection of devices in the app, all you have to do is press the Content Key button to switch the sound to what's coming from your soundbar. It's quick and easy, and there's no jumping, popping or other distractions when you hop back and forth. I can see a lot of people using them so that they can still hear the finer details of Dune or every shot of John Wick 4 when their family has gone to bed.

Even if your content isn't 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos, Sonos' 3D virtualization tech will upscale it so it sounds comparable. The company has also developed its own head tracking processing that learns from your position and the direction you're looking so that it's not constantly recentering if you look down at your phone. Unfortunately, the head tracking, spatial audio and the TV audio swap with Sonos Arc will only be available in the iOS version of the Sonos app at launch. Android compatibility is coming "shortly after."

The Sonos Ace headphones are available for pre-order today from the company's website and will begin shipping on June 5th. While that's more expensive than flagship models from Bose, Sony and others, it's $100 less than the AirPods Max.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-ace-hands-on-anc-headphones-that-join-your-home-theater-with-the-press-of-a-button-130045277.html?src=rss

Engadget

Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI used her likeness without permission for its 'Sky' voice assistant

Actor Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of copying her voice for one of the voice assisstants in ChatGPT despite denying the company permission to do so. Johansson’s statement on Monday came hours after OpenAI said that the company use the voice in ChatGPT but did not provide a reason why.

“Last September, I received an offer from Sam Altman, who wanted to hire me to voice the current ChatGPT 4.0 system,” Johansson wrote in the statement that was with NPR. “He told me that he felt that by my voicing the system, I could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives and help consumers to feel comfortable with the seismic shift concerning humans and AI. He said he felt that my voice would be comforting to people.” Johansson added that she declined the offer after “much consideration and for personal reasons,” but when OpenAI demoed GPT-4o, the company’s latest large language model last week, “my friends, family, and the general public all noted how much the newest system named ’Sky’ sounded like me.”

When Johansson saw OpenAI’s , she said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mind that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference.” She also revealed that Altman had contacted her agent just two days before the company revealed GPT-4o and asked her to reconsider, but released the system anyway before she had a chance to respond. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Engadget.

Even though “Sky” has been one of the voice assisstants in ChatGPT since September 2023, GPT-4o, which the company announced last week, takes things a step further. The company said that the new model is closer to “much more natural human-computer interaction” and demoed its executives having nearly human-like conversations with the voice assistant in ChatGPT. This invited comparisons to Samantha, the virtual voice assistant played by Johansson in the 2013 movie Her who has an intimate relationship with a human being. Shortly after the event, Altman a single word — “her” — in an apparent reference to the film.

On Monday, OpenAI that it was pausing the use of “Sky” in ChatGPT and released a revealing how the company hired professional voice actors to create its own virtual assistants, and denying any similarities with Johansson’s voice.

"We believe that AI voices should not deliberately mimic a celebrity's distinctive voice — Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice," OpenAI wrote and added that each of its performers, who it declined to name for privacy reasons, was paid “above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products.”

This move, Johansson said in her statement, only came after she hired legal counsel who wrote two letters to Altman and OpenAI asking for an explanation. “In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” Johansson wrote. “I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/scarlett-johansson-says-openai-used-her-likeness-without-permission-for-its-sky-voice-assistant-233451958.html?src=rss

Engadget

The Simpsons Season 35 Ends With An Emotional Reference To... The Fast & Furious?!

The Simpsons closes out season 35 with a surprisingly emotional recreation of the ending to one of the best movies in The Fast & The Furious franchise

Screen Rant

A Week In New York On A $65,000 Salary

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, almost all of my family worked in education, so it was expected. There was no question about my going to college and I felt like I was pushed into going to a private college. It cost over $250,000 for four years. I have very generous godparents who, when I was a baby, told my parents that they would cover my college education. This covered most of it — I had maybe $15,000 in student debt by my last year of college. My grandfather kindly paid that off so I graduated debt free. While I’m extremely grateful, I don’t believe in United States’ overpriced higher education system and more often than not I don’t believe many higher educations are worth their current prices, at least here in the USA.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I had very few conversations about money with my parents. The only financial advice they gave me was to invest in real estate, which they did at just the right time. They bought a couple places for $40,000-$100,000 in the ’90s that are now worth almost $1million each. My father makes his living off rentals now. As inspiring as this was growing up and even now, it’s hard to imagine I will ever be able to buy here in NYC or even back home, given the soaring real estate prices since. It puts me in a sad headspace sometimes.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was doing admin work at my middle school over the summer and I got it for spending money.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I never really worried about money, but I did enjoy saving in my Pikachu piggy bank.

Do you worry about money now?
A little bit. The last year and a half has been really rough in my industry, with the union strikes, AI and other things affecting TV and media across all the boards, hence my stagnant income. But I know I’ll always be okay, due to my saving habits.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
My godparents still pay for my cell phone and internet plan so if that counts as financially dependent I guess I still am. However, I am capable of paying for it myself. I probably would say I was more or less financially independent in my eyes at about 24. My financial safety net is my savings and my investments. I also think my family would have my back financially if I were in dire straits.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes. To be completely upfront, I feel very grateful and my family’s help is a big reason I’m not financially stressed. My godparents and grandfather were kind enough to pay for my bachelor’s degree so I have no debt. My grandfather helped me pay my rent for my first two years in New York (probably $20,000-$30,000 worth) and has also given me about $40,000 in the last five years. My godparents also told me they are going to start giving me money from a trust, which is incredibly kind of them. That amounts to $20,000 a year. They are so incredibly kind and I am extremely grateful for them — they are the only reason I don’t feel as if I am just scraping by. I admit that my family is the only reason I’m as comfortable as I am now. I know a lot of people don’t like this and I totally understand why.

Day One

6:15 a.m. — Alarm wakes me up early and it’s a rainy, gloomy day out. Today is a shoot day, so I will be on set most of the day. I shuffle out of bed, trying not to wake my boyfriend, G., who slept over last night, and start making coffee which I sip as I browse Reddit before getting dressed and ready.

7:30 a.m. — Out the door and into an Uber to Park Slope. I take a lot of rides expensed by production because I don’t have a car but I need bring a lot of gear to work for my job. On the ride over, my sister lets me know she’s paid me back the money I lent her for rent last month (my sister struggles a lot with financial management). It’s a relief because with my sister, I never know if I will get it back or not. $36.31 (Expensed)

8 a.m. — Arrive on set and greet the crew I’m working with today. I’m freelance so I do different shoots every day. It’s been a while since I worked with this team (work has been slow in the film and TV industry the last couple years) and I’m happy to see some familiar faces. This week, I’m shooting a few days on a dog food commercial. Each day we’re following around a different dog and their “paw-rent” (sorry, had to). Today’s subject is a pug puppy named after a particularly delicious fruit. I chew a sandwich that the producer has kindly made to make sure we have something for breakfast (I’m vegan and on-set food isn’t always an option for me so I’m grateful to have something to eat).

9 a.m. — We set up for the first few shots and start rolling. The puppy is chowing down on his food while her owner talks about why she likes it. Pup is thrilled to be getting so much food!

10 a.m. — I get a text that the shoot day I was meant to work in two days has been cancelled. It’s a bummer, but I know there will be another soon enough. It was a documentary that I have been working on for the past few months. It’s a really good concept and the other shows I’ve done for the production company went on to do well, so I’m hoping this documentary gets picked up and gains the same traction.

11 a.m. — We shoot a testimonial interview with the pug’s owner about why she loves the dog food so much. Pug has to be put in the bedroom and is intermittently rapping angrily on the bedroom door to remind us of her presence.

12 p.m. — We continue on to various shots of pug puppy happily eating treats and running around in a top hat and bow tie. As we do this, I make some notes for what sound effects to get before we wrap (we do this because sometimes the microphone can’t get close enough to the sound effects for it to sound good because of the framing/angle of the shot — it sounds a lot better). I continue to record for reference.

2 p.m. — Break for lunch. I get a cauliflower pita with hummus and I wolf it down because I am starving!

3 p.m. — Back in and we’re filming some magic tricks with the puppy.

3:30 p.m. — I separate from the rest of the crew and set up for some foley sound (sound effects) of the dog kibble pouring into the bowl.

4:30 p.m. — I am wrapped! I pack up and head out. It’s still pouring and I hop in an Uber with my gear back to Manhattan. I am WIPED. I call G. in the Uber home and we chat logistics for a shoot he’s on tomorrow (he is also a sound mixer) and he plans to swing by mine tonight pick up an extra headset. $52.69 (Expensed)

5:30 p.m. — Finally get home after a hectic and rainy rush hour. I greet my own pup and hop in the shower.

6 p.m. — Finally in pajamas and relaxed, ahh. I heat up some tomato soup and make a grilled cheese sandwich as my dog and I listen to the giant thunderstorm outside. So cozy. I eat some Lindt chocolates from my Lindt stash (hot tip — if you’re near a Lindt store, you can get 150 Lindts in a “sharing tote” and it costs only $55).

6:30 p.m. — I read my book, Wonderful Town, which is a collection of short stories about New York city life set over the past 100 years, curated by The New Yorker editor David Remnick. Good stuff.

7:30 p.m. — I step out to walk my dog in the rain — we just walk a few blocks for her to pee as it’s still pouring.

8:30 p.m. — I put my batteries on to charge for my shoot tomorrow and watch Enough Said with James Gandolfini (his last film ever and released posthumously — so sad) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (great crossover). I enjoy it but I seem to have this ADD problem the rest of my generation has where I want to watch a movie but end up scrolling Instagram the whole time.

11:30 p.m. — I finally go to bed! Sweet dreams.

Daily Total: $0

Day Two

6:30 a.m. — Wake up and lay in bed, pondering the meaning of life.

7 a.m. — I get out of bed, make some coffee (with the brown sugar oat creamer from Trader Joe’s — so good). G. drops by to grab a headset and then I climb back in bed and watch some Katy Bellotte on YouTube (she’s in London visiting her boyfriend’s family and I’m from London originally so this feels quite homey).

8 a.m. — I get dressed to walk my dog and we toodle around the block. I call my sister during our walk and we catch up on her newest adventures — meeting up with a potential sugar daddy she met online to pay the bills. Oh, the things our generation does to get by.

9:15 a.m. — I head out to today’s shoot with my gear. The shoot is in Manhattan and requires less gear, so I hop on the subway with my pre-paid balance.

10 a.m. — I arrive at work on the Upper West Side. Today’s shoot is for a high-end department store in New York City. We’re featuring a famous jewelry designer whose line they carry. We get to work loading in and setting up the first shot.

11 a.m. — Shoot an interview with the jewelry designer in their apartment overlooking Broadway and then walk over to Lincoln Center for some B-roll of them wearing the department store’s clothing with their jewelry.

1 p.m. — Wrapped and headed out. I hop on the subway downtown (using my pre-paid balance), excited to enjoy the rest of my free day!

1:30 p.m. — I get home and immediately make pasta with tofu and broccoli for lunch and then get to work uploading the audio from today’s shoot.

2:30 p.m. — Eat my lunch while browsing Reddit and then I send off my invoice for today.

3:30 p.m. — Finish up uploading today’s audio while looking up ways to relieve face tension. I’ve been holding so much tension in my face and I feel like my face is getting smile lines from it. It stresses me out. In reality, I think I just look sad. I end up in bed with my dog listening to lo-fi and reading some of my book.

5:30 p.m. — Getting kinda down so I decide to walk the two miles to my Classpass class in Midtown. I call G. on the way and we decide I’ll spend the night at his tonight (I’ve been having a bit of an anxious episode). I pass by the building his shoot is in, overlooking Union Square, and we wave at each other (me from the ground and him four flights up).

6:30 p.m. — I get to class feeling anxious and not ready to dance/meditate/yoga/whatever this class is going to be with a bunch of strangers. Usually I’m not anxious before these things (and in retrospect it’s because I didn’t eat enough).

7:30 p.m. — Class is amazing. It’s a mix of breathwork, intuitive dance and yoga. Thoroughly needed and helps with my anxiety so much.

8 p.m. — I hop on an uptown train to match up with G. on his way to from work. Pup is in a backpack on his back (he stopped at mine on the way out of work and picked her up). I don’t know what I did to deserve him.

9 p.m. — We arrive back at G.’s, rinse off and make tacos for dinner. I feel better just being at his apartment. He lives uptown, and his apartment feels a lot more spacious and more like a “home” than my downtown one. We listen to some Spanish music (he is Hispanic and has great taste in music) and we fall asleep soon after.

Daily Total: $0

Day Three

8 a.m. — Wake up at G.’s, we rise and make coffee while chit chatting. G. makes us some tempeh BLTs for breakfast which are delish.

10 a.m. — We are heading out to the park when the entire building starts shaking. G. thinks its a water pipe bursting (his apartment was flooded a month ago) and hurries us out. I know from experiencing an earthquake in Mexico a couple months ago (not serious, they’re very blasé about them there), that that is exactly what it is. While outside, we call some friends to confirm that they too felt the shaking and it turns out New York has experienced one of the strongest earthquakes it’s ever had.

10:30 a.m. — We head to the park (perk of being in upper Manhattan is actual space and grass!) and I play ball with the pup while G. makes a family friend phone call. She mutilates the ball and loves it.

11 a.m. — We hop on the train downtown. I stop at the bodega on my home and grab a can of Diet co*ke (I plan on doing some serious spring refreshing of my apartment today and need the stamina). $1.56

12 p.m. — We arrive at my apartment and heat up some of the tofu broccoli pasta I made for our lunch. I add some vegan Field Roast sausage and avocado to spice it up.

1 p.m. — G. heads out to go rock climbing. I scroll Reddit, read about the earthquake and eat the remains of a dark chocolate bunny I have from Easter. It’s the head. I hate eating the head. As a vegan it’s conflicting to eat animal-shaped food but he tastes very good.

2 p.m. — I finish my book, Wonderful Town, on the sofa. I must be ADD because I can’t always concentrate on every detail, yet I enjoyed it anyway.

3 p.m. — I start browsing film stocks. I’ve got into film photography recently (I bought a Contax G2 earlier in the year). I end up buying several rolls of film at B&H — three rolls of Fujifilm 200, two rolls of Kodak UltraMax 400, and a roll of Kodak T-Max 400 Black and white just for fun. $53.96

3:30 p.m. — I do a 10-minute abdominal workout to get me going before I brace myself and begin my closet clean out.

5:30 — Clean out mostly done! It was pretty intense and I still have a small pile of random things I’m not sure what to do with on my living room floor but I’ll figure that out in a wee bit. I head to my bed to sit down for a sec and watch some YouTube.

6 p.m. — I’m sitting in bed chilling with the heated mattress pad, eating some more pasta and watching some Chelsea Callahan on YouTube when an aftershock from the earthquake hits! Not as severe as the one this morning but still. What the heck is happening today?

7 p.m. — Eat a mint chocolate Nugo protein bar as a snack and watch some Tess Christine on YouTube.

8 p.m. — I walk my dog around Noho and G. meets up with us and because it’s a warm, nice night out, we walk around the village and Soho for a couple miles before heading home.

10 p.m. — Home. We chat, snuggle and go to bed!

Daily Total: $55.52

Day Four

6:30 a.m. — Early wake-up —I’ve got the dog food commercial again today. I drink some coffee and scroll Reddit before getting dressed.

7:30 a.m. — Hop in an Uber to the Upper East Side. $33.28 (Expensed)

8 a.m. — Arrive at the location, greet the crew and paw-rent/doggo duo we’re filming today — an elderly golden Labrador and his owner! Oh, to be a dog living with a single woman in a multi-million dollar apartment by Central Park.

10 a.m. — We shoot an interview with his owner about his eating habits, why she likes the food, and so on.

11:30 a.m. — Some of the lady’s grandkids come by to shoot some B-roll with doggo and owner.

1 p.m. — We break for lunch. I got a chickpea tuna sandwich on some delicious bread from Daily Provisions. 10/10. I really appreciate these producers always making sure there is a vegan option.

2 p.m. — Producer, the director of cinematography, assistant camera, doggo, owner and I head out to shoot B-roll in Central Park. It’s a beautiful day and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. We shoot some portraits and B-roll of them walking around.

3 p.m. — We head back and set up for product shots of the food and doggo eating.

5 p.m. — Wrapped and out! I jump in an Uber and head home; G. invites me out tonight, but I’m getting up early again tomorrow so I let him know I’ll see how I feel. $35.86 (Expensed)

5:30 p.m. — I get home, greet my pup and rinse off. Then make some avocado toast with a chocolate mint protein bar because I really don’t feel like cooking this second and pretty much jump straight into bed to relax.

6:30 p.m. — G. and I get into a relationship discussion. He is the sweetest person ever and offers to bring me dinner (he made Mexican) food but I told him I needed to do some things by myself — otherwise what am I good for? G. and I used to live together, then broke up and he moved out. We are trying again months later after realizing we were each other’s “one” but one of the things I need to work on is taking space for myself (I am the type of person that no matter who I’m with I need alone time sometimes) and I’ve noted we have been spending 90% of our nights together lately. I love him so much so setting that boundary has been hard, but we both want it to work in the long run so it’s important to make sure we have that boundary in place.

8 p.m. — I feel more clarity and relief than I’ve felt in a while after talking to G. and I walk my dog longer than normal tonight — we take a 30-minute walk to the East River where we play in the giant baseball field. She loves playing with a twig. We play for awhile and then loop back.

9:30 p.m. — We get home, I rinse off and hop into bed.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

6 a.m. — Awake. I get up, make an iced coffee and crawl back into bed to drink it while waking up.

7:30 a.m. — I pack some fresh batteries and head out in an Uber to work. Last day of the week, woohoo! $35.99 (Expensed)

8 a.m. — Arrive at work and we are greeting by an excitable, elderly chihuahua and his owner.

10 a.m. — We shoot an interview with owner, then some B-roll of owner and chihuahua together.

12 p.m. — We step out to Riverside Park to shoot some B-roll of the chihuahua and owner frolicking among a backdrop of cherry blossoms.

1 p.m. — Lunch! I eat a delicious cauliflower shawarma with tahini.

2 p.m. — The rest of my day is pretty chill, as there isn’t much audio. The crew sets up for product shots as we pass around the chihuahua (he loves to be held but is, unfortunately, extremely gassy). We have one producer who is a saint and holds him for quite a while.

3 p.m. — The chihuahua strikes some poses in some flashy outfits (he has a whole wardrobe).

4:30 p.m. — Camera wrap! I give my SD card to the assistant camera to offload. It’s our last day shooting and there are a ton of dog foods and treats leftover. As we pack up, one of the producers gives me a bunch to bring home to my dog (so kind!). I know she’ll love them.

5 p.m. — I finish packing up, thank the producers and say bye to the team and head out. I call an Uber and relax and gaze out at the stunning weather on the entire ride home. $50.82 (Expensed)

6 p.m. — Finally get home, drop my gear, leash up my dog and head outside because it is absolutely stunning out. We walk to the local park and everyone is soaking up the sun, including my dog who finds her favorite bench and basks. I call G., who is waiting in line to pick up solar eclipse glasses (there’s a solar eclipse tomorrow!) in midtown. Unfortunately the line is crazy and he has to be at a friend’s recital soon, so our chances of finding glasses are getting smaller and smaller.

7:20 p.m. — I lay in bed contemplating if I should order dinner or not (when I get home from a long day of work the last thing I want to do is cook and clean). I cave and order Beatnic (RIP, By Chloe). $43.33

7:30 p.m. — While I’m at it, I top up my transit card balance. I try to do no-spend days and since I’m already spending today, I may as well #logic. $20

8 p.m. — Food arrives (quinoa taco burrito, peanut crunch salad and mac and “cheez”) and it’s time to throw down. I go to bed soon afterwards.

Daily Total: $63.33

Day Six

7 a.m. — I lay in bed, feeling at peace with the fact that the only thing I have to really do today is clean and watch the solar eclipse.

8:15 a.m. — I organize and clean all my microphones, mic packs and cables from the last few days and put them away.

8:45 a.m. — I take my pup for a walk through Noho. It is a beautiful sunny and warm day. I call my sister for a chat. Sugar daddy situation seems going well — he paid for a few new outfits and a sushi dinner with her friend.

9:30 a.m. — I get home and send off an invoice for the dog food commercial, brush my own doggo’s teeth and clean up around the apartment.

10:30 a.m. — I do a mobility and ab workout. Gotta stay “toned, tanned, fit, and ready” (quoting Katy Perry) — just kidding, I just like to feel good in my own body.

11:30 a.m. — Discuss the technicals with a colleague for a potential job coming up (BTS for a fashion show next week).

12 p.m. — I start a new book Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.

12:30 p.m. — Get dressed to head down to meet G. for the eclipse. I head down with my film camera out and snap a bunch of film pics of lower Manhattan in its beautiful spring prime. I stop at REI to look at some Hokas on the way. I’ve been thinking about them for a while and I think it’s time to pull the trigger.

2 p.m. — Arrive at Battery Park City on the Hudson River overlooking the Statue of Liberty and secure a spot in the grass. I get a text that I’m booked for the fashion shoot next week. I lay out a blanket and read a little bit. G. is picking up vegan burgers and fries for a pre-eclipse picnic (I zelle him for my half). It could not be more stunning out. $23

3 p.m. — G. arrives and we chow down and catch up on the last few days of work, life, and events. He got glasses so we can watch the eclipse! It’s pretty cool, but as it turns out 90% coverage is still quite light outside. It just felt like there was a light blue tint over everything.

4 p.m. — We have to find a bathroom so we stop in a nearby mall to pee and then go explore a little bit. We find a new pier we haven’t been to before and sit on a swinging bench overlooking downtown to read our respective books in the sun for a bit. Then we stop at an abandoned soccer pitch on the same pier and kick around a soccer ball. I take some film pics of the lower Manhattan skyline from the pier and G. playing soccer (he has great legs for it, I must say).

5 p.m. — It’s getting a little cold and neither of us are dressed for it so we slowly start the couple mile trek through Tribeca, West Village and into the East Village to mine, which we don’t mind because it is absolutely stunning out.

6 p.m. — G. stops at Whole Foods on the way home to grab some ingredients for a lentil bolognese for dinner while I head home to check on pup and sit down for a sec.

7 p.m. — G. prepares dinner (he’s an incredible chef and enjoys cooking). I break my rule and zelle him for groceries (I told him I wasn’t zelle-ing him for anything under $10 anymore because I would get so particular over everything and zelle for even the tiniest thing). But he mentioned splitting the groceries and I didn’t want him to take the whole cost alone. $6

9 p.m. — Dinner is delicious. Unrelated, we watch the follow-up episode of Quiet on Set (the docu-series about Nickelodeon kids being exploited) and go into a Drake Bell conspiracy black hole before falling asleep.

Daily Total: $29

Day Seven

8 a.m. — G. and I wake up, lounge around a little.

9 a.m. — We get up, shower, start making breakfast. G. makes a lentil olive tapenade topped by a tofu filet soaked in black salt (gives the tofu an egg taste) on Dave’s Bread. I’m lucky to have a partner who is good at improvising in and out of the kitchen.

10 a.m. — We head out for a walk with the dog. I drop off the roll of film I shot yesterday to get developed at my local photo store and then we go to the park and sit on a bench for awhile and bask in the lovely weather. $19.59

12 p.m. — We drop off doggo at my apartment and head over to a café where I plan to work on a social documentary I’m working on. End up at Stuytown Café which has a stunning patio outside in what feels like a college like campus in the East Village (this is rare in Lower Manhattan). I get an oat milk cappuccino and begin work on my doc. $7.48

2 p.m. — I’m really into editing when my laptop dies prematurely and so I read a little bit of my book at the café. I then step out into the sun and call my sister for a bit. I head home shortly after.

3 p.m. — I get home, plug in my laptop, draw my blackout curtains, and continue to chug away at editing. I’m so close, just a few little tweaks and I’m done with the final cut!

5 p.m. — I wrap up the editing for the day and put on a a pumpkin butter face mask from Lush, followed by a long shower.

6 p.m. — I end up on looking at new camera straps (my current one is a little thin and uncomfortable. I end up buying one on Amazon that looks thick and comfy. $13.44

7 p.m. — I started the film How to Have Sex on Mubi ages ago when I was in Mexico and it only just recently became available in the US so I finish it. I have to admit, I wasn’t too keen on the first two thirds but the last third is quite good.

8 p.m. — I take my dog on her evening walk. Golly, it is hot today. This reminds me I want to not be in the city this summer. But boy, am I glad I’m here.

Daily Total: $40.51

The Breakdown

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Indie developers are trying to make horse games that don’t suck. It’s not easy

Video game horses tend to play a fairly uncomplicated role, at least in mainstream titles. Like semi-sentient meat bicycles, they often exist as little more than a way to make the player travel faster, jump farther or occasionally . With the exception of Red Dead Redemption 2, an outlier beloved for its equine verisimilitude and breadth of riding-related activities, horses in video games are generally emotionless props, notorious for janky animations and unnatural anatomy.

That’s fine for most players’ needs, but for those who are drawn to certain games in part because they have horses, there's a lot to be desired. Especially since the alternatives — dedicated horse games — haven’t proven to be much better. The genre is plagued with shoddy graphics, unoriginal storylines and drawn-out, repetitive caretaking tasks like hoof-picking. While horse games of the aughts, like the Barbie Horse Adventures series, sparked a lasting interest in the niche for a lot of young gamers, we’ve yet to really see what their maturation can look like for the now-adults still chasing that high.

The biggest actual horse game today, the decade-old MMORPG , is distinctly tween-girl-coded. Suffice it to say, there’s a hole in the market as big as a Clydesdale. But some extremely passionate developers are trying to change that.

Alice Ruppert, who runs — the go-to blog for all things relating to horse games — has cultivated a community of “horse-interested gamers and game-interested equestrians” over the last five years by churning out news, reviews, analyses and covering the latest developments in the genre. As a lifelong equestrian who also has a professional background in game design, she’s become an authoritative voice at the intersection of these two worlds.

The way Ruppert sees it, dedicated horse games have long been stuck in place. Budgets for new titles over the years were kept tiny based on the assumption that these games would only land with a very small niche of gamers, namely young girls. Limited resources resulted in the creation of subpar games, with “basic mistakes of game design and usability,” causing those games to be poorly received. Bad sales and negative reviews ensured future projects wouldn’t be given bigger budgets, and the cycle repeats.

There’s been a shift more recently, she says, “as the game development space is getting democratized and more people start trying to make games.” That has introduced a host of new issues, like “very amateur teams launching really big projects… and not being able to deliver,” Ruppert said, but she thinks that's “a better problem to have than just nobody making any games at all.”

After Ruppert panned Aesir Interactive’s Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship (Ostwind in its original German, based on a movie), the studio got in touch and later brought her on as a consultant and eventually creative producer for its 2022 title, Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch. The game is far from perfect, Ruppert admits, but despite joining the project at a pretty late stage, she says she was able to make some contributions toward creating an experience that could be appreciated by people who actually know and love horses.

That included helping to correct funky details that might not have registered to a non-equestrian but would stick out like a sore thumb to anyone in that world — like a bizarre transition when changing a horse’s leading leg in a canter. “Whenever I spotted something that was wrong, I was like, okay no, we need to fix this because the horse game crowd is going to care,” she says.

Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch is an open world adventure game where players can explore on horseback, tame wild horses, breed and train horses, and maintain their own ranch. It takes a realistic approach to breeding and genetics, and the horses each have unique personality traits. The team crowdsourced horse names, too, so the game’s automatic name generator spits out the names of community members’ real horses.

Still, the game drew some harsh criticism after its release, and the reviews overall have been mixed, with common complaints of game-crashing bugs and a world that feels empty. (The team for the game in April devoted entirely to bug fixes.) It has its fans, though, and if there’s one thing players seem to agree on, it’s that the horses and the riding mechanics look great.

Aesir also announced last month that it’s releasing a remastered version of Windstorm: Start of a Great Friendship. The revamped game includes improvements like “replacing those horse animations that I’ve been complaining about for the past five years,” wrote Ruppert — who has separated from the studio — in a . It’s slated for release in June.

As more and more efforts from the horse games community pop up, “The really promising developments are going to come when either those amateur projects learn and grow into something better, or when more experienced indie devs start picking [them] up,” Ruppert says.

One such example she points to is , a horse game developed and published by Canadian studio Cozy Bee Games that’s currently in Early Access. The studio, founded by developer Éloïse Laroche, focuses on cozy games (think Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing), as the name would suggest, and already had a handful of highly rated titles under its belt before putting out The Ranch of Rivershine. That includes Capybara Spa and the baking sim Lemon Cake.

While it may not be “the horse game to end all horse games,” Ruppert says, “I do think it does a lot of things really well.” The Ranch of Rivershine takes a format Cozy Bee Games has shown it excels in, and applied horses. It isn’t groundbreaking — players are tasked with building up their own ranch, where they can breed, take care of and train horses — but it doesn’t necessarily need to be. There are trail rides, cross country competitions, villagers to interact with, auctions and lots of pretty horses. Unlike many of its peers, The Ranch of Rivershine has mostly positive reviews.

To this day, Red Dead Redemption 2 stands widely accepted as the best horse game out there despite it not technically being a horse game. Red Dead Online has drawn over the last few years for organized in-game meetups, trail rides, horse shows and other horse-centered activities. The horses themselves, though they’re not without flaws, are far more lifelike than others heretofore have achieved. And the game places importance on actually bonding with them.

It’s so good, it’s become a pain point for projects that have emerged in its wake. AAA games like Red Dead Redemption 2 set a bar that is “almost impossible for an indie game studio to reach, which puts a lot of pressure on creators,” says Jonna Östergren, a 3D animator working with the Hungary-based developer Mindev Games on Unbridled: That Horse Game. Nevertheless, they’re aiming high.

Engadget caught up with the Mindev team recently over a Discord group chat. “I have loved horses for as long as I can remember,” Östergren says, they’ve “been a big part of my life.” So have video games, and in 2017, she started learning how to make them using tools like Unity and Blender. Östergren by chance connected with Jasmin Blazeuski, the founder of Mindev, years later while working on her own horse game that had hit a dead end. “I had big aspirations but I was alone and I was trying to learn all the things, from coding to animation. It was a lot,” Östergren said.

After talking with Blazeuski, “I offered to help them make some 3D models if they needed it. One thing led to another and I became a much bigger part of the team than I had first imagined.”

Unbridled’s creators envision the game as one that allows the player a lot of freedom. “You decide how you want to play and manage your stables,” Blazeuski said. “If you want to make money over competitions, breeding horses or farming — it is all up to you.” They’re striving for realism, in terms of the horses’ physical appearances but beyond that, too. “I have never had a horse game with a simple yet so cute detail such as horses looking outside the stable. Casual, real things horses do, we want them all in the game.”

The emotional elements are crucial. Even in games where horses are the main subject, they often “lack personality and liveliness,” Östergren said. “They are not really their own being with their own mind… That is something that I would love to change in our game. Not making the horse a nuisance that never does what you want it to do, but to make it so that your horse feels alive in the world that you are in as your character.”

The team, also including 3D artist and longtime equestrian, Sara Wermuth, points to childhood games like Horse Illustrated: Championship Season, Riding Champion: Legacy of Rosemond Hill, Pippa Funnell: Ranch Rescue, My Horse Friends, and Pony Girl (1 and 2) as sources of inspiration. Only Unbridled’s programmer, Amon Ahmad, comes from outside the world of horses and horse games, and had to watch “a lot of gameplays from different horse games” to get up to speed.

Between the old and new games, “I noticed that nothing has actually ever changed, apart from the graphics or the style,” Ahmad said. “New functions, new gameplays, new ideas in general are missing.” The team aims to avoid those trappings with Unbridled, which is being built meticulously using the Unreal Engine.

Horse games have a tendency toward tedious and repetitive tasks or mini-games, which can be detrimental “no matter how much detail and love was put into it,” Östergren said. They don’t want to go down that road. And Unbridled will have unique systems for dressage and jumping to give players a challenge, without predetermined points that will guarantee a well-executed jump, according to Ahmad. Instead, players will have to train their horses and develop a feel for the timing.

But making a game of this scope that is fun, engaging and realistic can be a slow process, not to mention an expensive one. The team’s recent Kickstarter campaign failed to reach its funding goal, and it’s relying on avenues like Patreon for financial support to see the project through. An posted in February noted that half of the team has picked up part-time jobs to bring in additional income.

The animation alone is a huge undertaking. The complexity of horses’ bone structure, all the bending points, plus “getting the gaits right and all those little details of movement is very difficult [to do] by hand,” Blazeuski said. But, “we will take our time to perfect everything.”

Unbridled: That Horse Game has been in a closed beta since November, allowing the developers to get direct feedback from the community, but the team estimates it’ll be a few years yet before the full release.

Astride, another horse game being developed by a small team with big ambitions, is setting itself apart with its focus on Nordic horse breeds, like the Norwegian Fjord Horse and the Norwegian Dole, as well as gaited breeds like the Icelandic Horse. The studio behind it, Raidho Games, was formed in 2021 after Maja Nygjelten (CEO and concept artist) and Mathilde Kvernland (Community Manager and 3D artist) decided to get serious about their idea to create the horse game they’d always been in search of.

They put word out on a Norwegian Facebook group for gamers and ultimately expanded the team to five people, including fellow equestrian Tirna Kristine Mellum, who joined as a 3D artist and Project Manager. Using their combined experience with horses in real life to guide the process, Mellum said, “We are hoping to have a horse game where the horses feel like horses.”

“We know what to look for in references” to provide their animator, Marius Mobæk Strømmevold, so the horses’ gaits and other movements look true to life, Nygjelten said. “I think that's very important, to [not] take a random animation from YouTube” but instead provide him with references that they’re confident show the proper result.

The main focus of the game at launch, which is somewhat scaled down from the original vision, will be on breeding horses in the fictional Scandinavian town of Eldheim and training them to compete. “Most [horse games] have show jumping as the first feature, including us… [but] I think we will stand out a lot with the breeding and everything,” Nygjelten says. “We have very realistic horse genetics,” according to Mellum, and that will initially be what the game leans into most.

The early gameplay is centered around the stable and interactions in the Eldheim community rather than grand adventures. It’s being designed to be an online multiplayer game, so players will also be able to meet up with friends. Down the line, the plan is to implement more complex storylines and quests to keep building out the experience.

The project has had some successful funding efforts, including a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2022, but it’s also suffered delays. An Early Access version of the game was released behind schedule last June to very mixed reviews. But, the team emphasizes, it’s still a work in progress.

“Astride still has some years left of development,” says Nygjelten, “The game will continue to grow every single day, and it will probably be very different in a year.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/indie-developers-are-trying-to-make-horse-games-that-dont-suck-its-not-easy-140008337.html?src=rss

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What if imaginary friends didn’t vanish into the murk of forgotten memories as soon as the child who conjured them grew up? What if the invisible bestie lingered on, trying hard not to be wounded by the rejection and waiting in vain to be of use once more? If that sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The central premise of American actor-director ’s IF – his first family film after the horror movie double of and its – is borrowed from several Pixar films.

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A Week In Toronto On A $78,200 Salary

Welcome to where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

This week: a senior implementation specialist who makes $78,200 per year and spends some of her money this week on chocolate pudding.

Editor’s Note: All amounts are in Canadian dollars.

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, but to my parents’ credit they did tell me they would be happy with either college or university. I remember my mom saying it’s very hard to get a good job just with a high school diploma. I did really well all through high school and got a scholarship for a full ride to university for first year, which I promptly lost after one semester by not reading the fine print about mandatory GPA and partying a lot. My parents and my grandmother generously supported me throughout all of university, including housing, but I had part-time jobs for spending money and I worked in the summer. This is a privilege I don’t take lightly as I watch my friends all struggle to pay off their loans now.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I remember my parents fighting a lot about money and it’s really impacted my relationship with money and my husband. We’ve been together for 13 years, but I’m still not going to combine our bank accounts. My mom earned more than my dad, but she also spent a lot more, always insisting that we go out to dinner or go on vacation. Both of my parents had good government jobs, but I remember them having to ask my grandmother for a loan to do a repair on the roof. I never want to be in that position. Eventually when they divorced they sold the house and both moved into rentals because the debt was too much to take on individually.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at a summer camp every year starting at age 15 until I was 19, where I was paid an “honourarium” of $45 a week and $5 of free candy. I got this job because I was such a campkid and couldn’t imagine aging out of camp, and they were some of the best years of my life. My parents did “trial separations” multiple times while I was in high school and when they were separated my dad would give me an allowance for cleaning the house and cooking dinner a few times a week. My first real job was a student space supervisor during my first year of university.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Maybe not worry, but I was definitely annoyed by my mom’s spending habits. I remember listening to the fighting and the complaining about being broke and even then being like “Well… Feels like a pretty obvious solution to me.” Overall though we were happy, had clothes on our back, and never went without.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes and no. This last year I really started to care about my financial picture for the first time and finally got out of debt. I also got a new job with a fairly substantial pay bump and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come. I am proud of my cheap rent and my rainy day fund and I know I could make it quite a few months of being unemployed. I have given up on home ownership but am coming around to taking retirement seriously. I worry about having children and that wiping out our disposable income.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself at 22 when I graduated from university and moved to Toronto. I have enough in my rainy day fund for a few months, and I know my partner (and theoretically his parents) would support me if needed. My dad has told me, “You can move home if you’re about to be homeless, but not for any other reason.”

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
As mentioned, my parents and my grandmother supported me all the way through university. I received around $2,000 from my granddad when he passed away in 2013. My in-laws also gave us $10,000 for our elopement earlier this year which was not asked for, but definitely appreciated.

Day One

7:45 a.m. — I start snoozing my alarms. I went to New York over the weekend and am still recovering and very snoozy. I eventually get up, brush my teeth and get dressed, then walk my dog P. and make breakfast. I have a bagel with baba and Chipotle Everything Bagel Seasoning and a coffee. I also feed P. and eventually sit down for work by 9:05 a.m.

10:45 a.m. — Two of my friends that I went to New York with sent me some money for the trip —$40 for an Uber back to the airport and $220 for one person’s share of the hotel. I put the $220 in my vacation fund and the $40 on my Amex. I’m mostly sending follow ups this morning so I’m just kind of chilling. I have a clementine and a cinnamon bun Joe-Joe.

11:40 a.m. — Still not being super productive. I finish one task, have some leftover pizza and caramel rice cakes for lunch as my next meeting gets canceled.

2:30 p.m. — I take P. out for her afternoon walk and then make a veggie wrap for lunch #2 (Team Always Hungry). I have my first one-to-one with my new manager and it goes okay. I’m one of those people who is terrified of getting fired and I think he reads this wrong. But he doesn’t bring anything up about the fact that I’m only going to the office once a week instead of the mandated twice.

4:10 p.m. — I promise I’m generally not an impulsive person but I just randomly ordered a new phone online. I’m going to Morocco at the end of the month and I was thinking about how my phone is now a twice-a-day charger and how I’ve been out of storage for a while. For only $15 more per month I can get 35 more gigabytes of data, and a 128G iPhone 15, and just went for it. I think this is my first example of lifestyle creep since getting my new job last July, but since my work pays for $50 of my bill I think it’s worth it.

5:15 p.m. — Unfortunately I do spend the last hour of my workday getting this new phone and looking at phone cases, lol. I clock out and do 45 minutes of power yoga, shower and clean my apartment for a bit.

6:50 p.m. — T.’s home! My husband travels a lot for work and has been in the States for the past two weeks. We did see each other very quickly and luckily while I was in New York, but it’s very nice to have him home. We eventually go for dinner and drinks at an Irish bar fairly close by. I get a grilled cheese and fries with two and a half Harp beers. T. pays and we have a really good time talking sh*t about the New York trip, his time on the road, and how obsessed I’ve become about going to Antarctica. T. and I don’t split finances, which I know people have a lot of opinions about, but I hate feeling like the money police and I like feeling like I get taken out to dinner. Right now it works for us.

10 p.m. — We walk home and feed P., then watch an episode of the show that T. shot (actually he was the director of photography, but who’s bragging) that came out while he was away. It looks super good. It’s hard for us to be apart but I’m really proud of him and how talented he is. Bed around 11 p.m.; so happy to not be the one taking the pup out.

Daily Total: $0

Day Two

7:15 a.m. — Office day means getting up a little bit earlier, but nothing criminal. I brush my teeth, put on sunscreen, make toast and a coffee to go and head out for the streetcar; there’s money loaded on my Presto and there are fare inspectors today.

9 a.m. — In the office, pretending to work already. My first order of business is ordering a cake for my upcoming Go Live client ($52 expensed). After that I work on some documentation and attend an API kick-off call. I also make coffee #2 and eventually eat a granola bar from the office kitchen.

11:50 a.m. — Not to complain about a free lunch but… This one is Greek, and I’m a vegetarian, and I literally just get iceberg lettuce, three olives, and a few roasted potatoes. Cool. I have a bag of Cheez-Its and half of a doughnut that were ordered for our coworker’s birthday, and a small bag of Brookside, and am feeling full enough.

3:30 p.m. — I am having trouble keeping my eyes open. I move my desk to be a standing desk and eat a bag of chips.

4.50 p.m. — Had a productive push to end my day but really ready to leave. I take a granola bar and some fruit gummies from the office snack drawer and head for the streetcar. I tap my Presto and read for about 75% of the way, and then I get off early to walk since it’s a nice-ish day and I feel a headache coming on. I have had a headache about 95% of the days I’ve worked from this office, something about the fluorescents.

6 p.m. — Home and feeling loopy. T. and I giggle on the couch for a while and listen to music and talk about our days. Eventually he goes on an LCBO drinks run and I watch an old episode of Summer House. When he gets back he makes us breakfast for dinner: hash browns, eggs and toast. We watch EuroTrip and we both have an ice cream sammie for dessert.

9:50 p.m. — When we switch the movie off I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open and end up going to bed at like 10:10 p.m., which is early even for me. I’m out by 10:40 p.m.

Daily Total: $0

Day Three

8:45 a.m. — Got distracted with T. this morning and am up later than I’d like to be, but I don’t have any morning meetings and honestly I don’t regret it. I take P. out, make an everything bagel with baba and a coffee, and sit down to work.

9:30 a.m. — I got paid a day early! Thank you Easter! I do my payday routine: pay off both credit cards (which really hurt after New York), put $700 into my rent and rainy day fund, and put $300 in my TFSA. The only bills I manually pay are on my first paycheck of the month and this is the second. Usually I’ll have about $300-$400 to put in my trailer park fund this paycheck, but New York put a stop to that. If I didn’t have another trip coming up in less than a month I would pay my credit card back with some money from my vacation fund, but at the moment I think skipping a month of my trailer fund is okay. I also buy my pay day treat: a phone case for my new phone from Walli. I can’t ever go back from having a loop at the back of my phone case, but the Loopy case I wanted is sold out. It is kind of pricey, but cheaper than Loopy and I get a really fun cow print. $73.33

10 a.m. — While paying off my credit card, I see that my Presto has auto-loaded. $20

10:40 a.m. — Really on a rip and a tear this morning. I’m watching a training video for one of my new clients and get a one-day sale email from Uniqlo. I need a larger, more secure purse for Morocco so I can bring my film camera around, and I’m still on the look out for a pair of green cotton pants, also for Morocco. Both of these are on sale at Uniqlo and I buy an extra pair of underwear to meet the $75 free shipping minimum. I also get $10 off from signing up for texts and that means the $75 is irrelevant. I do in-store pickup and tell myself I will try stuff on and potentially return things while I’m in store. Still another kind-of impulsive purchase. $74.24

12:20 p.m. — T. also got paid early today and e-transfers me for the flights to Morocco that I bought back in January. I had lent the money from my rainy day fund so I put the money right back in (+$630). I have a veggie wrap, a cookie and everything bagel cashews for lunch.

1:40 p.m. — The tote bag I bought online last week — because it was sold out at the concert I went to in New York — is marked as undeliverable and is being returned to sender… Thank you for the $75 back but also… I wanted that tote bag. I submit an online form but don’t hold my breath.

4:30 p.m. — Just got told I had the wrong info for something I’ve spent probably about five hours on this week 🙂

5:15 p.m. — Done for the week! I do a quick power yoga video and then spend 10-15 minutes in my reading nook to finish my book. It was a collection of short stories that a friend of a friend of mine wrote, I rate it higher on GoodReads than I normally would to support a pal. Afterwards T. and I stroll to the LCBO since it’s closed tomorrow ($17.40) and then pick up hot cross buns from Cobs to be extra festive ($9.25). $26.65

7 p.m. — Once we’re home, I make us a quick dinner of zucchini and gnocchi with red sauce. Gnocchi is a hugely underrated pasta. I also have a Harp and T. has a High Life. Eventually T. heads out to meet a pal and I finish season 6 of Summer House and go to bed around 11:20 p.m.

Daily Total: $194.22

Day Four

8:45 a.m. — It’s Good Friday which means a Good Sleep-In. I get up around 9:15 a.m., walk P., have two hot cross buns and coffee for breakfast and start on my new book, an oral history of emo called Where Are Your Boys Tonight?

11:40 a.m. — T. eventually gets up and my reading time is interrupted. I do my hour of power yoga, have a big shower, do my skincare for once and make coffee number two and have two pomegranate Pop-Tarts that T. brought back from the States, and a clementine. I start my professional management course which I’m determined to do two hours of every weekend.

3:20 p.m. — My head hurts and I’m not focusing well so I stop to have some cheese and crackers, cucumbers and spin dip for lunch and watch this week’s Summer House.

4:15 p.m. — T. comes home from his camera prep and takes P. out for a walk. I get ready for my best friend B.’s birthday party! The theme is indie sleaze and this is my Super Bowl. I still have an American Apparel deep V and an American Apparel hoodie which I pair with skinny jeans and I straighten my hair. When I head out I stop by A&W and get two potato peri-peri buddy burgers ($9.02). I eat one at A&W and bring one to eat when I get there. $9.02

6:30 p.m. — I get there early to help set up and add a slouchy beanie to my ensemble. Our friends start to show up, the playlist is great, and it’s an all-time good party. We take a lot of film photos and decide on our summer mantra: take it easy. For context — last year was freak summer. B. brought a pack of PBRs for the party and our chef friend brought a birthday cake. I take the beers I brought home.

11:30 p.m. — T. has to be on set for 9 a.m. tomorrow so we gotta scoot. We TTC home, he walks P. and I wash my face and hit the hay.

Daily Total: $9.02

Day Five

8:20 a.m. — T. gives me a kiss before he heads out for set, and I snooze for a bit more before getting up to walk P. I again have two hot cross buns and coffee and put on Vanderpump Rules while P. has breakfast as well.

11:20 a.m. — Get myself off the couch to walk to the grocery store. We need dog food and I want to make my friend, A., worms and dirt for his birthday tonight. Yes that’s two birthdays in a row in the same friend group — we also have one next Friday. Woof. The grocery store is a 25-minute walk each way but I like to walk and it’s a sunshiney day. I see some buds on the trees! I get chocolate pudding, Oreos, gummy worms, Mini Eggs, crackers and dog food. The lady in front of me gets all vegetables. $26.14

12:45 p.m. — I get home and make the pudding in order to give it a few hours to sit. I eat two Oreos dipped in pudding and let myself have five minutes of chill time on the couch and then force myself to get up and do a slow yoga flow. Balance.

2:15 p.m. — I take a quick body shower, get my clothes sorted and run to the cafe across the street to break my $20 bill for laundry. I get a pumpkin spice Americano and a ginger molasses cookie —a very autumnal order for a nice spring day. $8

3 p.m. — I put two loads in at the laundromat ($7). When I get home I work on my PMP course for a bit and eat my cookie. Switch my laundry over and keep working on my course while it dries ($1.75). $8.75

4:10 p.m. — Walk P. and start making dinner while I put my clothes away, just an easy veggie fish and chips. I also assemble the worms ‘n’ dirt, feed P. and get changed for the night. I put on an old episode of Below Deck while I bop around.

5.50 p.m. — Wanted to head for the bus about 15 minutes ago but just had too much to do. I take the streetcar to the bus (paid on Presto), the bus to the subway, ride the subway for one stop and find out that it’s not running this weekend… Take the shuttle bus, the subway and then another bus… Overall two hours on the TTC by the time I get there. Love that for me.

8 p.m. — I drink three beers, have some chips and a mochi doughnut. This pal always celebrates his birthday by toasting his enemies which is very fun, and his girlfriend gives me an edible which is also very fun. This year he adds in an element where we all have to do a presentation. Mine is on “How To Not sh*t Your Pants Internationally,” a concept I’m very passionate about. Other presentations include: “Horses and Gemstone Synesthesia,” “Sonja Morgan’s Toaster Oven,” and “Cereal.” Overall, a very fun night.

11:30 p.m. — T. drove to the party since he only finished set at 6 p.m. and there’s no way he would have made it with the shuttle bus, so he only has one drink and then drives us home. The weed has made me very sleepy and it’s extremely nice to just cruise home. I go to bed right away.

Daily Total: $42.89

Day Six

8:20 a.m — T. gives me a kiss goodbye and heads back to set, he walked and fed P. this morning so I keep snoozing.

11:30 a.m. — Finally up. I do my final yoga for my month-long challenge. I really liked this yoga streaming website and I will use it in the future, but I’m going to cancel for now. I tend to do one month spurts at working out so I can keep things fresh and not get bored. I eat some leftover pizza from B.’s birthday and watch Below Deck.

1 p.m. — Take P. out for a walk; the Easter parade is already starting on my street.

2 p.m. — Head up to the top of our block to get scooped by T. We’re heading to our hometown for Easter dinner and the traffic combined with the parade is intense. We stop at Tim Horton’s for a coffee and Timbits, and T. pays. I also pay my rent in the car.

3:45 p.m. — Made it home. The dinner is at T.’s parents house but my dad will come because they’re besties. There’s also his sister (who’s pregnant, lots to discuss), her husband, T.’s cousin and his son, my brother-in-law’s dad and T.’s aunt. I feel very fortunate to be adopted into a fun, nice and normal family, because that was not always my experience growing up. As a teen I couldn’t imagine an Easter dinner without someone screaming. I am slightly sad that I don’t get an Easter basket.

8:40 p.m. — Post-pie we leave our hometown and the traffic is still rough. We talk about how much we both got talked over in that dinner and how nobody understands what either of us do for work. We get home, feed P., and watch an episode of T.’s TV show. I shower and head to bed by 11 p.m.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

8:10 a.m. — Wish I had Easter Monday off. I get up, brush my teeth and put sunscreen on, and walk P. I give her breakfast and have leftover pizza, leftover Timbits and coffee for myself. My first Slack message I see when I log in is about how much internal time I used last week… Tracking my time is the worst part of my job.

11 a.m. — I start on this manual that should help with my billable hours, but it also feels very self-serving. I cancel my power yoga membership and sign up for the Action Jacquelyn Barre Definition app. It’s $29.99 but I won’t get charged for seven days and when I do I’ll expense it through my “wellness fund” and then I’ll cancel before the end of the month.

12:30 p.m. — I make a little snacky lunch of a hot cross bun, cucumbers, cheese, crackers and Everything Bagel almonds.

2:30 p.m. — Meetings are done for the day so I do my first workout of my new challenge. I do a Barre-Yoga-Leg-Sculpt with ankle weights and it is a killer. I haven’t used my ankle weights since I did this creator’s workouts last May. By the end of the 30 minutes I’m shaking.

3:10 p.m. — Back online and do a head-down task while listening to The Bald and the Beautiful.

4:55 p.m. — Done for the day and it looks like I missed the nice weather. I read my book in my nook for about an hour before T. and I head out on a walk. We stop by the grocery store and get canned dolma and spanakopita for dinner, and I eye that they have ice cream on sale. T. gets the groceries and then we stop at Shoppers for leftover Easter candy. I get some that doesn’t have a price tag and I’m not sure how discounted it really was ($6.20). Afterward we go to the same bar we went to earlier in the week and get two pints each. We have a really good talk about Morocco and our future trailer. I’m aware it’s not a good investment, but it’s the closest thing to a cottage I’m going to get. We agree that this will be an “information gathering” summer, and then, depending on the answers we get, try to purchase one during the summer after. T. pays for the beers. $6.20

8 p.m. — We get the ice cream on the way home. $4.99

8:15 p.m. — We make rice to go with our dolma and spanakopita and watch I Love You, Man. Our friend’s birthday on Friday is Paul Rudd themed and we’re still trying to get ideas.

11 p.m. — Lights out baby!

Daily Total: $11.19

The Breakdown

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A Week In The Life Of A 22-Year-Old Mary Kay Consultant

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Meet Rhianna Slinko, a 22-year-old Mary Kay Independent Sales Director based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, who eschewed a traditional path in favor of launching her own business with the direct-selling beauty brand that’s been around for over 60 years. As a consultant, she’s responsible for the growth of her personal business of selling Mary Kay products and teaching women how to care for their skin, while also helping others who are interested in starting their own Mary Kay business. “I love working for myself — I love the flexibility and the freedom,” she says. “I get to work toward my own dreams instead of working non-stop to help someone else achieve theirs.” Keep reading for a weeklong glimpse into her life.

Day 1

7 a.m. — My alarm goes off, and it’s pitch black outside, so obviously, I hit snooze until it’s 8 and finally decide to get out of bed. I wash my face with my and head to the gym. It’s always better to get there early before the morning rush. After a sufficient amount of exercise (roughly, an hour), I go home to shower to get ready. I’ve perfected and streamlined my makeup routine to exactly four products: an undereye concealer, , lip liner, and .

10:30 a.m. — One of my clients has a facial appointment (a session that allows Mary Kay Consultants to identify their customers’ skin-care needs — and it’s also a way to test different products together). I prep her skin with and the before applying a natural makeup look. She doesn’t know a whole lot about skin care, so I go over the benefits of several products, like Mary Kay’s new and how it protects from harmful UVA/UVB rays (most derms would agree that sunscreen is the most important skin-care product). I also teach her how she can achieve an easy natural, glowy makeup look (as a mom of three young boys, she doesn’t have a lot of time for herself). She ends up purchasing a , the Mineral Facial Sunscreen, , and .

1:15 p.m. — I make myself lunch — chicken, salad, and rice — and scroll on my phone for about 15 more minutes than I should have before I do a little bit of work, which involves setting up my week and scheduling facial appointments, and helping my team members do the same.

5 p.m. — I start Bible study homework and then heat up leftovers (beef, onions, and asparagus) and eat while I watch a rom-com — truly the best combo in my opinion: leftovers and mindless TV.

6:45 p.m. — I go to Bible study, and since my customer from earlier that morning is also in my group, I’m able to personally deliver all the products she purchased earlier today (white-glove service!).

8:40 p.m. — I chat with one of my new team members about what she hopes to get out of her Mary Kay business, and how I can support her in her goals. With a Mary Kay business, everyone’s goals look different, but the vast majority sign up to earn a little extra income on the side. Her goal is to make an extra $300 a month, while working her full-time job.For so many of my friends who got a corporate job right out of college, they usually clock out at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., but for me, I sometimes have to take calls at night. But I don’t mind it — I love being able to support women in this way, thanks to the flexibility my business creates.

10:30 p.m. — I wind down for the night, which means applying my Clear Proof Charcoal Mask while I finish watching my movie before heading to bed.

Day 2

7 a.m. — Another morning, another gym day. One of my customers ordered a “lip and lash” product bundle ( with the and ), so I quickly put that together before meeting her at the gym. I actually met her at the gym — I had noticed she was new, so I went up and introduced myself. She had just moved here and didn’t know very many people. I usually meet new customers through word-of-mouth, but sometimes if I see someone, I’ll just go up to them and strike up a conversation — it’s nerve-wracking, but completely genuine.

9:30 a.m. — After the gym, I stop by the grocery store to pick up a few snacks, a gift card, and a bunch of different flowers, because I’m planning to ask one of my best friends to be one of my bridesmaids tonight at my belated birthday dinner. I got engaged last year on November 11 (11/11!), and we’re getting married this November, so I have a feeling she knows this is coming.

10 a.m. — I get home and make myself an egg wrap for breakfast before heading out again to meet with a new team member of mine to go over her next steps and goals for her Mary Kay business. I help her set up a few skin-care parties (they’re like fun, social, spa-like gatherings we host to let friends and family test new products) and facial appointments for the first couple of months, so that she’s off to a strong start. I also show her how to use her Mary Kay personal website, which is a personalized link through where customers can purchase products through their Mary Kay Consultant.

12:15 p.m. — I pick up lunch from one of my favorite healthy restaurants. It’s a simple order — chicken, rice, and Brussels sprouts — but so good that I actually crave it every now and then. I go home to eat and (finally) shower from my morning workout — don’t judge!

2:30 p.m. — I have a few hours before dinner, so I take the time to look over my first quarter results to see where I’m at and where my team is at. We’ve had a strong start to our year; we’re on track to meet our sales goals — which means potentially being in the top 1% of sellers and earning the use of (aka the legendary pink Cadillac!).

6 p.m. — My best friend stops by before we head to our dinner reservation — and I use the moment to surprise her with the bouquet I made for her asking her to be a bridesmaid. We both start crying — tears of happiness. She was my first friend in elementary school, and now she’s going to be in my wedding.

8 p.m. — I try a new lip look — a shade called “” that I think is the perfect peach color for summer, and I get a ton of compliments. Dinner was in downtown Fort Lauderdale and I eat an amazing pasta dish — her birthday gift to me.

9:30 p.m. — I use and to take off my makeup and go to bed.

Day 3

9:45 a.m. — It’s so much later than my usual wakeup time, but I’m not feeling 100% and extra sleep was definitely necessary. It’s too late to go to the gym, because it’ll be packed (the thought of a super crowded gym gives me major anxiety), so I’m taking a rest day. I go out to get a medium coffee, but I only take three sips because I’m starting to get the shakes; it was too strong and tasted too much like coffee (I like my coffee to taste like dessert).

12 p.m. — I have a video meeting with a new team member — a college student who wants to work on her Mary Kay business on the side. We plan her business launch party (an event with food and drinks that serves as an opportunity to introduce the brand to potential customers) and discuss how much time she’s able to invest in her business. I offer suggestions on ways she can integrate Mary Kay into her life (without feeling overwhelmed) and share tips on how she can secure her first few sales. My number-one tip I give to my new team members is: Never judge a person. Starting your own business is scary, but I always encourage my team to ask about and share their goals with others, because when they’re excited, others will be, too. That inspires confidence and makes all of this a lot more fun.

Afterwards, I make a few calls to potential customers who were referred to me. To be completely honest, talking on the phone still really scares me (I’m part of the texting generation). Before every call, I have to hype myself up. One of them answers, and she’s really excited about Mary Kay, so we set up a date to meet. I leave a few voicemails — and one calls me back (she thought I was a scam — because, again, no one calls anymore!), and also set up a date.

3 p.m. — I make myself lunch (it’s rice and chicken again — I’m a creature of habit and I like what I like) before I leave for an appointment. I sell a , , and a makeup palette with her favorite cheek and eye colors (, Chromafusion Eye Shadow in , , and ). I fulfill her order right away because I have everything in stock.

5:30 p.m. — Dinner is at my fiancé’s sister’s house tonight! She and her husband have the most adorable five-month-old. On my way over, I grab cinnamon muffins for dessert (I can never show up empty-handed). We chat about how excited we are for the wedding over a truly exceptional dinner of chicken, sweet potatoes, and salad. My fiancé’s family has always made me feel so welcomed — it already feels like we’re family.

8:45 p.m. — Back home and I’m so tired that I’m in bed by 9 p.m.

Day 4

7 a.m. — It’s Friday(!), but also leg day…which is always a struggle.

9:30 a.m. — After leaving the gym, I shower and decide to do a natural, “clean face” makeup look that involves two products: and . I pack up an order — and a — and deliver it to a customer. On my way back, I stop at the post office to give a gift to one of my team members and to also mail something to one of my bridesmaids.

2 p.m. — I decide to work from a coffee shop today (another perk of this business’ flexibility). I also think a change in scenery could inspire productivity. I buy a $13 smoothie, which I know sounds obscenely expensive, but it’s so good. And it’s Friday — why not treat myself? I send follow-up texts to confirm appointments, book a facial for the upcoming week, and design flyers for my new team members. It’s wild to me how much I can accomplish without distractions.

3:15 p.m. — The weather today is 70 degrees and beautiful, so I bask in the sunshine for a bit before I meet up with my mom to watch the high school girls’ lacrosse game (my old team), because my dad coaches part-time, so I always love to go and show support. Plus, it’s nostalgic for me.

6 p.m. — I pick up pad thai for dinner for the three of us and we eat at my parents’ house while we watch a movie, which is low-key the best way to kick-start the weekend.

Day 5

8:30 a.m. — I make myself a bagel with cream cheese and get ready to spend the morning with my dad, who needs a ride to return a rental car. I drive his truck to the rental place and then somehow get tricked into not only getting mulch for the house, but also to accompany him while he gets a haircut. While I wait for him, I send texts to my team members and follow-up messages to my customers — the work never ends.

1 p.m. — I throw some chicken tenders into the air fryer for lunch and start to get ready for my friend’s birthday dinner in West Palm, which is about an hour drive from where I live. I’m in the mood to dress up, which obviously means: full glam — a full makeup routine, base and all. I combine the and , and the result is flawless — it truly looks like there’s a filter on my face.

4:30 p.m. — My friend comes over to “shop” my closet, aka borrow a dress for tonight, and we leave for dinner. I also bought her a bouquet, because I’m planning to ask her to be one of my bridesmaids. We go to a nice Italian restaurant, and I had the best time laughing and catching up (also a highlight: There was a celebrity at the table next to us). We spend the night in West Palm; let’s normalize (!)

Day 6

8:30 a.m. — I ask my friend to be my bridesmaid. She starts tearing up right away and says she had been hoping that I’d ask.

10:30 a.m. — I head home; it’s chore day and prep day, which I love and hate. I hate the process of it all, but the ritual of resetting my space and mentally preparing myself for the upcoming week helps me overcome anxiety and stress. A customer purchased a few different foundations, so I process those orders while I do my chores: laundry, vacuuming, and dishes.

2 p.m. — I take an hour-long nap. I normally never nap, but allowing myself to rest when I’m tired is really nice — I just have to remind myself to not feel guilty about it.

5 p.m. — I have dinner with my family (ham, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts), and we watch an awards show.

9:30 p.m. — My fiancé and I are long-distance, which is incredibly hard. Communication is important in every relationship, but it becomes even more essential in a long-distance one, since we can’t physically be with one another. We talk on the phone for an hour before I go to bed.

Day 7

5:45 a.m. — A client asked me to try a new workout class with her, so while waking up this early should be illegal, I love hanging out with her.

6:30 a.m. — It’s a cardio class, and I won’t lie, I’m 100% struggling.

10 a.m. — All the endorphins from my early morning workout are hitting me, and I feel like I can do anything. I make ham and eggs for breakfast and write my to-do list for the day, even though I already feel like I had a whole day and it’s not even noon.

11 a.m. — I have a video call with my team. We meet every Monday to talk about our weekly goals and aspirations (and sometimes, something as minor as what book we’re currently reading), and it never fails to inspire me. This call absolutely fills my cup up for the day and I’m excited to get to work.

12 p.m. — For lunch, I go to a cafe and order a vanilla latte and a salad. I send a few texts to my team members, confirm a couple appointments, and invite guests to a spring makeup event I’m hosting next week (to go over popular makeup trends for the year, how to apply them, and introduce a skin-care routine that’s best for them). I also chat with my bridesmaids about dress color and style options.

3 p.m. — I have a facial appointment with two girls; I give each of them a . Both are college students and interested in starting a Mary Kay business as a side hustle, so I take the time to answer any questions they have.

5:20 p.m. — I help one team member with a facial where we use the , , and . The client is expecting a baby boy in the summer and also interested in starting her own Mary Kay business!

7 p.m. — For dinner, I had chicken fried rice…and then had the sudden realization: Wow, I eat a lot of chicken and rice.

8 p.m. — Tonight is our Monday Night Live meeting, which is where we share selling tips as a team, share events or product promotions, and recognize people for their accomplishments. In traditional employment settings, someone is only recognized professionally when they receive a promotion, but this meeting gives us the opportunity to celebrate each other’s business accomplishments, however big or small. I also love the fact that by meeting virtually, we can be together even if we live all over the country.

10 p.m. — I take off my makeup with my and head to bed.

Reflection

My week included a lot of planning for myself as well as leading a few facial appointments for my own customers. This was also the first week of a new month, so I was busy meeting with my team members and helping them get set up for a strong month. My greatest joy is giving women a community they didn’t necessarily have before, and the hope is that the more I support my team, the more they sell, and the more business they get, the more confident they become. It’s amazing working with my team and being a part of their lives — and I’m so grateful for the community we’ve built together. We all have our own goals and dreams, but our businesses bring us closer together — it’s hard work, but the end result makes it all worth it.

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First-time actor Agathe Riedinger is a wannabe influencer from the wrong side of the tracks in this forthright and fluent film

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Liane, played by Malou Khebizi, is a 19-year-old with a French and Italian background living in Fréjus in the south of France. She was once given up for foster care by her troubled mother but now taken back home and is now in charge of babysitting her kid sister, whom she is busily turning into a mini-me version of her own brassy, sexualised image. Liane shoplifts and sells the stolen goods – which has paid for her breast-implant surgery and she has also had her lips done. She hangs out with her friends, getting drunk, but is fastidious about how and with whom she’s having sex; she has thousands of followers on her Only-Fans-type insta (although oddly, it doesn’t occur to her to have an actual Only Fans account). Liane also has a poignantly religious sense of her own heroic martyrdom, her ill-treatment at the hands of online haters, men and her appalling mother.

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A Week In Vancouver Island On A $92,000 Salary

Editor’s Note: All amounts are in Canadian dollars.

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
There was always the expectation. My father was very clear, we were very smart. There was no way we’d be wasting our potential. He wanted me to be a lawyer, but unlike with other immigrant parents, I got to choose my major and went into social sciences and got my master’s in history. I deferred my PhD too much so I got dropped by the program.

I chose my university by where I got a full first-year scholarship and then after that took about $15,000 in student loans for my undergraduate degree. My parents paid my rent and I got a part time job for food. For my master’s, I had a student line of credit of $10,000 and $5,000 in student loans, otherwise it was all savings and scholarships. With the line of credit, I had a total of $30,000 in student loans.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Save. We talked about how you get a dollar allowance and half of it goes into long term saving with 25% in short term and 25% in spend. My family came from poor rural China, and has some generational trauma from Japan and World War II. You need enough money to be able to buy your way out. Investing came after I was 18.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
At an ice cream parlour. I was 12 and my parents made me get it for responsibility. I only lasted three weeks because I hated it.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I grew up thinking we were not rich, because we didn’t get big plane vacations and I had only been to Disney twice. (I didn’t count flying from Toronto to Vancouver every summer as a vacation since we were just seeing family. But we stayed in a house my parents owned.) But we had a big new-build house in the rich end of town and my mom stayed home to raise all of us. We had to work for things (like going to see a movie on opening night or a new CD) but we always had money and got what we wanted. In retrospect, my family was/is fairly well off. Both my parents grew up poor, with parents working multiple jobs and different shifts to make ends meet; with the strive/drive to not have that childhood, and for my father to be able to retire, his parents really impacted mine and my siblings’ and cousins’ lives. My father showed me the apartment he grew up in Chinatown a few years back. It’s light years away from the house my grandparents owned when I was a kid and how I grew up.

Do you worry about money now?
Of course. Inflation is real and we are actively planning a wedding for the next year, as well as a baby in the next few years. We also need to buy a second car, so we’re saving for that.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Fully financially responsible? 25. I lived in a family property in one of the most expensive cities in Canada, so even though I paid all my bills (food and phone), I didn’t have to pay rent. In fact, I made money, as I rented rooms out and used the income for house utilities, and paying my student loans down faster.

When I moved in with M., I just paid condo fees until two years ago when we bought our house, which gave me plenty of time to save. Our financial safety nets are family, and our savings. I know my family would bail us out. M.’s father would as well. Conversely, we are M.’s mother’s safety net and, when we are making all of our plans, we have to keep in mind that we will be subsidising her.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes, I received $50,000 from my parents once they sold my childhood home, as did both of my siblings. I have also received $10,000 from one set of grandparents which paid off my car and part of my student loans when I was 21. I will be receiving another inheritance when probate is done, for around $100,000. M. also has received inheritance which allowed him to buy his first condo in their early 20s when the market was much better. That condo, and the subsequent upgrading, helped us afford our house.

Day One

10 a.m. — I drive to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Not how I want to start my Sunday morning but y’know. Normally I’d walk since it’s about 20 minutes but I have a UTI. I’m “lucky” that, despite not having a doctor because of the healthcare shortage, my work pays for the Maple app so I could get a doctor to write the prescription and order the lab work at 1 a.m. I’ll do the lab work later this week when I can get an appointment, but will take the relief now. Insurance makes the antibiotics free, but I also buy hydrogen peroxide because we’re out and we have a dog that thinks everything is meant to be in her mouth. I also bought some oral wound mouthwash because we were out. I come home and M. has made us breakfast. I pay with debit. $15.90

1 p.m. — We do our taxes. I have a mini meltdown when I realize the part-time bakery job I had for a few months didn’t take off income tax last year, so I owe $800. Luckily, M. is getting a refund so we net out positive with $400. The bakery took off income tax in 2022, so unsure why they didn’t in 2023.I make us lunch.

3 p.m. — We walk the dog, then watch The Rookie. A wedding venue emails us back and is surprisingly affordable at $3,000.

6:30 p.m. — I explain what lazy girl dinner is to M. and then make a lazy girldinner. Aside from fresh vegetables, we haven’t really grocery shopped since February. We need to do a big pantry shop and neither of us want that. We debate about buying a food saver and if we should wait for a sale before we do so. M. is more frugal than me and is determined we should.

8 p.m. — We start season 3 of The Rookie. After two episodes, we go to bed

Daily Total: $15.90

Day Two

5:45 a.m. —Wake up and start work. I get up to date with what’s happened on the weekend and check that my automated reports. Sometime before 6:30 a.m., I get the kettle on for M.’s pour-over coffee before I go back to my meetings. There’s a 20-minute gap where I get changed and do my skincare and brush my teeth. I’d love to be a skincare person but honestly I’ve spent too much money on product that I don’t use and that just goes bad. Washing my face and using sunscreen is a win.I also make sure that M.’s lunch is in his bag and I get our travel mugs ready. We recently splurged on a stupidly expensive espresso machine that we call his Engagement Espresso, as it cost the same as my stupidly expensive ring.

8 a.m. —We drive to work. Prior to buying our house, we were both working from home and lived in a city with amazing transit. We only needed one car. Since buying the house and moving to a city where public transit is a joke (the one bus goes past our house every 90 minutes), M. changed jobs and is in the office every day and I have to go in three days a week. We need a second car or for the e-bike rebate to come through. I’m also done in the office by 1 p.m., but M. works normal hours, so I either have to take the bus home, or go to the gym for three hours. Today though, I drop M. off. I will pick him up later as he has a half-day because of a dental appointment.

8:30 a.m. —I ask my boss how the work-from-home tax forms work, and he is going to find out.I run more meetings and work on a request for a dashboard and a business case for a new feature that I have to convince leadership to spend money on.

12 p.m. — I drive back to M. While I wait for him I am incredibly hungry. I don’t usually eat a proper meal until around 1 p.m. I go to the bakery by M.’s work and buy a cheese bun for me ($3.65), and an apple pie scone ($2.55) for M as a snack. M points out he won’t be able to eat until after his appointment. I pay with debit. $6.20

1 p.m. — I drop M. off, and the car stops working. The engine won’t catch. I try multiple times and then run into the dentist to dramatically announce to M. and the receptionists that the car won’t start. M. asks me what he wants me to do about this, since he’s about to go into an appointment. I go back to the car to FaceTime my father. He also asks what I think he can do to help since he lives 3,000km away. M. texts me to remind me we have BCAA. I finally get the engine to catch and drive home.

1:30 p.m. —I walk the dog, mail a (late) birthday card and then start researching what an alternator is. The car is over a decade old and, until the house, the most expensive thing I ever bought at $12,000 back in 2015. We have the funds for the cost, but it’s my first car and the fact it might be the end of its life is scary. Alternators can cost between $400 and $800 repair with labour, so that’s fun.

2:30 p.m. — We get an email back from a wedding venue saying they cost $75,000 minimum. The timing is hysterical because M. now owes the dentist $618, as they haven’t flipped it under my insurance. They split the payment in half, as he has a follow up in two weeks. After the next appointment they will flip the whole amount under me and we’ll get reimbursed for the whole amount. Pay $309 on credit card. $309

3 p.m. to 10 p.m. — We walk the dog, make dinner (M. makes white sauce pasta, with chicken and peas) and watch The Rookie. There are 13 episodes in season 3, but we will be busy every night this week besides Friday and Sunday, and I would like to finish season 3 so we can start season 4 next Monday. I don’t want to pay for more than one month of Crave.

Daily Total: $315.20

Day Three

1 a.m. — $100 is automatically transferred from our account to the credit card debit. We have an auto transfer of $100 every Tuesday to a Visa where we balance transferred both our cards. We have an offer for 0% interest for 10 months, so we used it for some bigger expenses (snow tires, brake replacement and general Christmas stuff) and are on track to pay it back within the next six months. $100 (included in regular expenses)

5:45 a.m. — Work. Meetings, reports, trying to convince a colleague that the process does include them and that their refusal to follow it means that their requests won’t be done. M. has another half day, so I can go into the office at my leisure… If the car starts.

9 a.m. — The car starts. It takes longer to drive into work today because the tourists are starting to come and their van builds or campers are not exactly highway speed and, with a two-lane highway, if you don’t merge over fast enough you’re stuck.

10 a.m. — Meeting done, car starts again and I drive home for more meetings. The least amount of time in the office is preferable for me. At home, I meet with my manager where we discuss future my salary and promotion. I am due for a promotion in the start of Q2, which would push me to six figures. I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m really excited at that possibility for my family.

11:15 a.m. — Work runs late. There’s some issues with the data and we can’t figure it out. We call it a night, and I’ll record the video presentations tomorrow, once we fix the data.

1:30 p.m. — Nap time! It’s bad for me, but honestly I don’t sleep well during the night so naps are what keep me alive.

6:30 p.m. — M. comes home, we eat dinner. Groceries come to $96.83 for two pork loins, two packs of bacon, chicken nuggets, coffee, pop, an eight-pack of peppers, milk, tomato, pickles, rice, avocado, mushrooms, sour cream and lettuce. Not too bad —we average about $300 a month in groceries because we can buy bulk and have a second freezer. For the month of March we are currently at $123.61 for groceries and there are 12 days left in the month. We went on a small weekend away, so we ate out a fair bit but even then our current food budget stands at $272.27 today. $96.83

7:30 p.m. —M. makes a coffee and plays video games with his friends. They do it every week. I have a shower, fold and put away laundry and then read in bed.

Daily Total: $96.83

Day Four

5:45 a.m. —Work. I find out the limits of how many people I can invite to a Teams meeting. I also make us coffee, make sure M. has lunch packed (leftovers). M. has walked the dog and has put the recycling and compost out for pick up. I drop M. off at work and go to the office.

10 a.m. — I leave the office for home and more meetings. I walk the dog and go record training videos. I get an email that Amazon is doing its big spring sale. I send a link to a robot mop and vacuum that’s on a big discount to M. We want one, but I’m not in charge of the research on it.

11:45 a.m. — I shove lunch in my mouth, last night’s leftovers. I’m running late for my UTI lab work, and decide to get myself later by collecting all the random dishes and mugs that just show up places and starting the dishwasher. I actually get to the lab 10 minutes early but need to buy gas on the way home. I tell my team I’ll be MIA for a bit and leave the work phone in the car. I buy 15.6 litres of gas for $30 at $1.879 per litre on a credit card. It sucks. I don’t fill up because we’re going to my in-laws’ this weekend and there’s a Costco Gas Bar there. $30

12:30 p.m. — Work goes long again.

1:30 a.m. —Nap!

2:30 p.m. —Walk the dog and drive to the gym. I usually go three times a week but with last week’s weekend away and this week’s weird half days from M., today’s the only day.I make up for it by doing both upper and lower body and a 30-minute circuit.

4:30 p.m. — I pick up M. and we go to Costco. We get nachos, ham, cheese buns and some other items. We debate buying our friend’s kid a toddler set of clothes and decide no. We end up buying work pants for M., and a garden hose. It comes out to $116.90. I order our Costco date-night dinner of hot dogs and fries for a grand total of $6.41 and pay by credit card. $123.31

8 p.m. — Dance class! We bought a series of six lessons of introduction to ballroom back in December for a new date-night idea. We paid $60 per person and this is the fifth lesson tonight.

9 p.m. — We’re home, we let the dog out. M. spends an undetermined amount of time watching ballroom videos while I sleep.

Daily Total: $153.31

Day Five

5:45 a.m. — Work. All the meetings. Thursday is the meeting day. I debate with a friend what’s the earliest call we’ve had and 4:30 a.m. still wins. I pack lunch for M and his coffee and he leaves. I end up cleaning up cat puke as the cat decides to drink milk from M.’s cereal and vomit it up on camera in a meeting.

9 a.m. — I make myself a matcha and walk the dog.

1 p.m. —Working; I treat myself to a lunch of a cheese bun and ham sandwich. We used to eat it every Sunday while growing up but the cost of ham has been outrageous. The deal at Costco yesterday was $1.50 for 100g, which is really good.

1:15 p.m. —I seal the wooden deer Christmas decoration we bought last year. It sits outside our front door and needs to be weather-proofed, and I’ve been putting it off for five months. But the weather is good and we have newspapers. The dog and the cat don’t like my wooden deer.

1:30 p.m. — Nap!

5 p.m. — M. comes home, we walk the dog and I make dinner (Kraft Dinner and nuggets — I swear we eat veggies, but today is not that day). We discuss the possibility of our dog at our wedding as a flower girl, and if she’ll be in a tutu or a cheongsam like me. I am now researching if they make dog cheongsams and if she can match us. The cat, despite all my heart wanting it, won’t physically be there because he will have an anxiety attack and probably die.

6:30 p.m. —Board game night! We go to a friend’s to repeat the same scenario. We’ve lost two weeks in a row.

10:30 p.m. — I pack M.’s breakfast (oatmeal and frozen berries), lunch (spicy tuna and mayo) since he’s trying to go to the gym before work, and feed the animals before we go to bed.

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

5:45 a.m. — Work. I have a deep focus block which means I can get the script for the training I have to run. Public speaking is not my strong suit and it’s a group of a thousand people so I’m not looking forward to it.

9 a.m. — I walk the dog, make a matcha and make a to-do list for what we have to get done before we leave to go to my in-laws tomorrow. I text my mother-in-law happy birthday, and hope that she got the card in time. She did.

9:30 a.m. —My last meeting for the week ends and I’m debating calling it a day so I can nap. Instead I make lunch (cheese bun and ham), text my mother-in-law our plan for Saturday, and unload and reload the dishwasher and go back to work for at least another hour.

12:30 p.m. — I shower and do skincare.

1 p.m. — Nap! Somewhere in this time FedEx comes and since I’m sleeping, we have to pick up on Monday. I’m not too sure what it is, I assume it’s our custom address stamp from Etsy because that’s the only thing I’ve bought recently.

3 p.m. — I prep dinner (nachos), unload the dishwasher, pack my overnight bag and confirm all our venue tours by email. I start a load of laundry and do a quick clean. I feel like this is not the best image of our diet. I swear we generally eat healthy but we both have been feeling really blah over the past two weeks. I do have three whole peppers and two whole avocados in the nachos though.

5 p.m. —M. comes home, we walk the dog, have dinner,and plan out next week. We have a big Wednesday next week (mechanic, nail appointment, dance class), and we are having our friends over for Easter so we need to prep for that. We pack the car so tomorrow is a very easy start. M. also gets paid today. We’re lucky that we’re on alternating pay periods, we used to be on the same and it always felt stressful. M. also lets me know his union has secured a 3% cost of living raise to start in Q3.

7:30 p.m. — We finish The Rookie and head to bed. Crave reminds me that I have 10 days until I’m charged again. Sadly, I think we’ll have to pay for two months.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

8:30 a.m. —Wake up. No one (except the dog) slept well so we’re not in a morning mood. M. makes coffee and walks the dog, while I finish packing the car and give the cat a lot of attention. Our first wedding venue tour is at 11 a.m. and the one that is the most expensive (between $8,000 and $10,000), but also the one we probably want the most.

10:40 a.m. —We visit our dream venue. We stay way longer than expected. Basically if the quote is under $10,000, we’ll get it.

1 p.m. —We get to our in-laws and have a lunch of egg salad sandwiches. We need to buy gas. My in-laws drive us to a pottery painting store.

2 p.m. — We paint pottery. My mother-in-law wanted to do this for her birthday. I paint a vase, M. paints an Easter egg, father-in-law paints a mug, and mother-in-law paints a plate. $143.36

Daily Total: $143.36

The Breakdown

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