WAXHAW Bob Morgan said serving on the Waxhaw Planning Board on and off since 2010 separates him from the four other candidates running for Waxhaw mayor.

[Click here to listen to Morgans podcast episode of Coffee with the Candidate.]

He also believes his experience as an attorney will give him an advantage if elected. Morgan worked in litigation in New York beforemoving to Waxhaw. The position allowed him to speak in public and represent clients. He no longer works in litigation but reviews software licensing contracts.

The most important part of strategic planning, according to Morgan, is hiring a new town manager who will stay in that position. He said there have been a few town managers in recent years, so he wants to pick the right person who will fix the towns broken zoning code, bring in more commercial business and allow people to enjoy Waxhaw.

I want to make sure we find the right manager and that town manager has to be passionate, strong and invested in the community, Morgan said.

Though he and his wife set down roots in Waxhaw in 2009, he has made an effort to learn more about the towns history since announcing his campaign. Morgan said he and so many others love Waxhaw because of its small-town feel, but since it is no longer a small town, he still hopes to preserve that atmosphere.

Morgan originally applied to fill a town commissioner vacancy left by Fred Burrell earlier this year, but the board opted to appoint Candace Definis. When Morgan found out that Mayor Stephen Maher would not run for re-election, he decided to run for mayor instead.

Im a humble, private person and I knew this would make me more public, Morgan said. So ever since then, Ive been doing tons of self-reflection, self-analysis and self-improvement to get ready for the job of mayor. Because I dont want to be Waxhaw mayor. I want to lead and serve as Waxhaw mayor. I think that makes me a little bit different from the other candidates.

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Morgan touts planning board experience in Waxhaw mayor race - unioncountyweekly.com

Stephen Covey, in his self-improvement book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said Always think win-win among his key points. For the 2019-20 Kings, it does look bleak so far. Yet, even though the author meant it differently, a win-win of sorts can very well happen for the Kings. Heres how:

Strong in belief, Los Angeles can sneak into the playoffs and advance a round. Of course, they will need a turnaround or two between now and early April. This can happen from a combination of call-ups from one of the best AHL teams so far meeting or exceeding expectations, trades, the current players showing excellence of execution of Coach Todd McLellans system on both sides of the puck, in all three zones and on special teams, and a hot goalie. Lets consider it playing with house money if they do get at it that way.

And yes, there could be rock bottom 2.0 though. Its okay. If the Kings really bottom out and get the highest probability to land the number one overall pick in June 2020, they can get Alexis Lafreniere. Keep tabs on that name. Through 16 games so far for his QMJHL team Rimouski Oceanic, he has scored 12 goals and 39 points. It wouldnt surprise anyone for him to play for the Kings in the 2020-21 season.

And if they miss out on Lafreniere, then Quinton Byfield isnt too shabby. Through 16 games for his OHL team, the Sudbury Wolves, hes just a shade under a 2 points per game pace with 31 points in 16 games, with 11 goals. Then again, the Los Angeles Kings can just figure it out as the rest of the season plays out, and still enjoy the already strong prospect pool. In spite of the losing, its still win-win.

The hype surrounding Alex Turcotte has to be at least somewhat legit. There hasnt been a time in recent memory when the city of Los Angeles had broadcast access to an out-of-market college hockey team due to said team having a highly-touted prospect. It cant be too different to when the celebrities came out to Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus for the lone year of Lonzo Ball (love him or hate him, or his father Lavar Ball). Turcotte is currently on a 2-point per game pace, to boot.

So between 2021 and 2025, the Los Angeles Kings could exceed the success of 2012 and 2014. Imagine Anze Kopitar as a third line center, still able to contribute 40-60 points for a full season. By no means would it be a slight on him, but rather a testament to the already developed games, to name a few, of Alex Turcotte, Gabe Vilardi, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Rasmus Kupari, Akil Thomas, maybe Lafreniere or Byfield, and Arthur Kaliyev. If the latters defense is still suspect, put him on a line with Selke winner Kopitar.

It cant be too unthinkable to see Drew Doughty as a second or third pair defenseman. Again, not a slight on him as much as an emphasis on the embarrassment of riches on the back end the franchise can have. Tobias Bjornfot, MIkey Anderson, Kale Clague, Sean Walker, Cole Hults, and Jordan Spence can really step their games up within that window. The goalie pool also gives hope to make noise, more so rubber on foam and far less swish. There literally are too many names among the forwards and the defense that I didnt mention who can make significant impacts.

Think of this prospect pool like a set of characters in the George Orwell novel Animal Farm. In particular, think of the litter of puppies that main villain Napoleon took in as his own at birth and reared them. In a matter of time, those puppies grew to become a vicious force that struck terror for the other farm animals, and were instrumental in helping Napoleon cease power on the farm. These Kings can do the same soon.

A Cup run very well can be possible. To be sure, there are only so many roster spots for all those prospects. Iron sharpens iron. The sharpest would stay, the rest get shipped out for final puzzle pieces. 16 wins with fewer than 2012s four losses shouldnt be considered too farfetched.

Lastly, the Los Angeles Kings can win it all with players that various demographics in this city can identify with. Their prospect pool is increasingly diverse, showing that hockey players can come from any background. Players like Jordan Spence, born in Australia and raised in Japan, can attract attention and gain fans from the Asian community. The same can be said of prospects like Akil Thomas, who can give black youth a player to look up to. And the LGBT community can embrace the team thanks to Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Hockey can truly be for everyone, thanks to the Los Angeles Kings.

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Breathe in, Los Angeles Kings fans, its okay - Jewels From The Crown

Around midterms season every semester, many students realize a hard truth: the Counseling Center closed to new clients weeks ago. Although the 45 free individual sessions guarantee is advertised to every student, only 15% of students are able to utilize the counseling center before it reaches its maximum capability.

The Counseling Center, though it makes an effort to serve all the student body, is not able to adequately accommodate students because of its rapidly increasing demand. The few students who do get an intake appointment often have to wait anywhere from a few weeks to a month before they are seen. Students are then met with a very limited availability for regular appointments that, more often than not, do not fit within the students class schedules. Even worse, many students who attempt to receive professional help are turned away, due to the Centers short threshold of maximum capacity, which could be a deterrent to getting help in the future.

The Tower editorial board commends the university for making mental health a priority the options available for students here are by far the best of D.C. universities, and over half of our board has at some point used some Counseling Center resources but acknowledges that there are ways to improve the system so that students experiencing a mental health crisis are never turned away.

More money should be invested in the Counseling Center comparable to the funding that the athletics department or the fitness center receives. This money should go towards hiring more full-time staff, perhaps the most pressing need, as there are only six full time senior staff employed there. These full-time staffers can assist with leading on-campus initiatives like depression screenings, stress management workshops, body image awareness, crisis intervention and support, and student leader training.

More flexibility for individual counseling, opening more sessions of group therapy, arranging off-campus services and transportation for students, and options for bi-weekly as well as weekly sessions would also help serve a greater student population. Resources can be offered to students in the early morning or later at night, and on the weekends, for students with unconventional schedules.

The Counseling Center website lists the following issues as commonly discussed in individual counseling sessions it would be hard to find a single student on campus who hasnt dealt with at least one of them: adjustment to CUA, academic concerns, anxiety, assertiveness issues, body image concerns, depression, difficulty choosing a major/career, discrimination, food preoccupation, illness or death of a loved one, loneliness, low self esteem, poor grades, relationship with family/friends/partner, self-improvement, sexual abuse, sexual assault/date rape, sexual identity issues, stress, study skills, suicidal thoughts, substance related concerns, test anxiety, trauma related symptoms.

Last year, the SGA Senate unanimously voted to increase counseling services in Resolution 019, calling for the university to expedite the process to replace the full-time staff member in the Counseling Center who left before spring break, to resolve the lack of counseling services available to students for next semester, and to institute a crisis plan for times when there is a crisis on campus that affects a large group of the student body. Georgetown Universitys student government and an anonymous donation funded the Georgetown Mental Health Fund, which helps to offset the cost of off-campus mental health treatment. College students everywhere have started asking for mental health to become a higher priority on their campus and its time for university administrations to respond.

Mental health has been steadily becoming a bigger player on the worlds stage, due to less social stigma and increased awareness of resources surrounding it. The university should reflect this increase in focus on mental health by proportionately funding the Counseling Center according to its demand.

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Staff Editorial: A Letter to the Administration on the Counseling Center - Catholic University of America The Tower

ThisThe Good Placereview contains spoilers.

The Good Placeseason 4 has a problem and its name is Brent Norwalk.

One of the purest joys ofThe Good Places run (and recent television history for that matter) is the twist at the end of the shows first season - a twist only made possible by the believability of the original premise. Eleanors realization that she was in the Bad Place held weight because it was a bold guess. Why wouldnt the Good Place be inhabited by an ethics professor and a rich socialite who can afford to donate oodles of money to charity?

This experiment, however? The moment Brent Norwalk opened his mouth, I would know exactly just where I endedup on the celestial spectrum. And frankly, its a little weird that John, Simone, and Chidi havent yet. At least in A Chip Driver Mystery,The Good Placeonce again rolls up its sleeves to dive deep into the work that goes into creating a better human.even if that human is Brent.

WhileThe Good Placeseason 4 has been all about the hard work of self-improvement (something that Michael once again hammers home in his conversation with Bad Janet), the show hasnt put too too much of that onscreen. While last week largely dealt with the emotional and physical labor spent on an experiment gone awry, this week finds the gang engaged in damage control.

That damage comes in the form ofwho freaking else: Brent. Michael sits down with Bad Janet in her Hannibal Lecter-like chamber within Good Janets void. After a lengthy and expressive fart from Bad Janet, Michael tells a story of what gives him hope about humanity. That story stars very bad naturally, with Brent You went to Rutgers, right? No! Princeton! Norwalk announcing he is going to write a novel.

read more: The Best TV Comedies on Netflix

Like all other background or supplementalGood Placejokes, the details of Brents novel, Six Feet Under Par: A Chip Driver Mystery is chock full of brilliant little details. Brent asks (commands) Simone, Tahani, and Chidi to read it and they discover that Chip Drivers love interest is Scarlett Pakistan who has legs like Jessica Rabbit like in that movie. Theres also a cowardly character named Four-Eyed Igbee. Chip solves the murder on page 10 and spends the rest of the novel golfing.*

*Side note: I genuinely think this is a brilliant idea for a novel series. Not the racist characterizations of minor characters part, but the part where the detective solves the mystery in 10 pages and then the rest is just about him fine-tuning his golf game.

Naturally, Tahani, Simone, and company are upset, not just with how terrible and offensive this novel is, but also with how needy Brent is for complos about it. The novel is like a little bomb thrown into the neighborhood that slowly tears everyone apart. It stresses Chidi out and when Jason tries to help him be spontaneous, John walks in on them and learns Jianyus secret. Michael takes Brent golfing to teach him a lesson that its ok to failand it almost kind of works!

But in the end, Brents straight up mind-numbing arrogance and annoyance wins out and Simone and everyone else has no choice but to unload on him. Brent reacts like a wounded animal, calling Simone a bench, and professor Chidi straight up decks the dude.

Back over in frame story land, Bad Janet not unreasonably points out that this little tale seems like an example of why humanity sucks.

Humans are B-B-B-Bad to the bone, she says.

Well I think they are G-G-G-Good sometimes and you should give them the B-B-B-Benefit on the doubt, Michael responds.

Michael has hope because of what comes after the Chip Driver debacle. Eleanor, Tahani, and Jason, when faced with another failure and the prospect of Brents infinite awfulness, do the same thing they always do: get back to work. They immediately start brainstorming solutions to the problem and how they can get Brent, Simon, and John back closer to the good side of the spectrum. Michael smiles as he looks on and then later releases Bad Janet and sends her back to The Bad Place.

This final season ofThe Good Placehas struggled with inertia at times. Seasons 2 and 3 of the show were wildly dynamic, springing from set to set and concept to concept every few episodes. It seems we had grown accustomed to that and had forgotten what the shows first season was really like. Again, its all about work. As Michael tells Janet and the episode confirms, What matters isnt if people are good or bad. What matters is if theyre trying to be better today than they were yesterday. You asked me where my hope comes from. Thats your answer.

Hard work isnt sexy. Thats what we have to continually remind ourselves of asThe Good Placesuffers through the Brents of the world (and if you cant tell by now, I obviously know a few Brents). The Good Placehasnt reached the thrilling heights of its middle two seasons just yet but the work is being put in, and the work still matters.

Keep up withThe Good Placeseason 4 news and reviews here.

Read and download theDen of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazineright here!

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuffhere. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle@alecbojalad

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The Good Place Season 4 Episode 6 Review: A Chip Driver Mystery - Den of Geek US

When BoJack Horseman was first released on Netflix in 2014, no one was quite sure what to expect from this animated show about 90s-sitcom-star trying to stay relevant. Of course, there were assumptions that the show would be comedy-based due to the animation and portrayal of animals living as human beings, but that wasnt entirely true.

While there are comedic undertones to the show, its not the primary focus of the Netflix series. BoJack Horseman surprised everyone by straying away from its assumed genre and instead focused on societal issues such as mental health, addiction, political corruption, feminism and much more. Each of these issues is portrayed in an intelligent, creative, and thought provoking way. Even now, as the series comes to an end, it is just as good at this, if not better.

The first part of the final season of BoJack Horseman was released on Netflix just last Friday, Oct. 25, and it did not disappoint. Throughout the five other seasons of the show, we have seen BoJack constantly on the verge of self improvement. We have watched him make mistakes, make excuses for them, finally acknowledge them, and then fall off the deep end just as we are waiting for him to make a positive change in his life.

Finally, in part one of season 6, we are able to see BoJack actively trying to be a better, healthier person. For a large portion of the eight episodes, he is in rehab. We learn even more about BoJack and his alcoholism, where we are able to see his first drink and how he became dependent upon the substance, as well as how his addiction has affected the people around him. We watch as BoJack reaches out the people who have been by his side despite his constant indiscretions, all the while allowing those characters to be explored.

BoJacks biggest regrets are addressed. While we, as an audience, want to root for BoJack, we cannot do this without acknowledging his many mistakes. This season addresses those mistakes and flaws in a big way, particularly with two low points in BoJacks life that seem to keep following him around; the death of his previous costar, Sarah Lynn, because he feels responsible for her overdosing, and the big low point when BoJack ended up drunk and in bed with his ex-girlfriends teenage daughter. After addressing these mistakes, and acknowledging the pain he has caused, BoJack is able to move on. We finally see real self improvement.

On the other hand, many of the shows other main characters are struggling. For example, one character in particular who has always been there to support BoJack is Princess Carolyn, who is struggling to balance work and her new baby. We watch as this character, who has always been so put together in contrast to BoJack, fall apart. I think this is an excellent part of the season and portrays the characters exhaustion in a realistic and visually intriguing way.

Diane Ngyuen is another vital part of BoJacks support system, and receives letters from BoJack while he is in rehab. While Diane cares deeply for her friend and is a large part of the reason he finally took the initiative to get help, she has problems of her own. Diane is a passionate journalist, working to take down a corrupt company, who then loses that job due to the aforementioned company buying the company she worked for, putting a strain on her relationship with her new love interest.

Diane eventually makes the decision to move from LA to Chicago with this new character, and write her own book. This does seem like the right decision,but then we watch Diane struggle with depression. This is another thing BoJack Horseman does extremely well, the portrayal and discussion of mental illness.

Depression is touched on again with a different character, Mister Peanutbutter, who is pretending to have depression in order to gain sympathy from the general public after a scandal about him broke loose. This is important because in doing this, the show both portrays depression in an accurate way and comments on the way mental illness is often romanticized in the media.

Finally, at the end of the season, we watch as BoJack begins a job as an acting professor and is at the best place we have ever seen him. Meanwhile, his younger half-sister attends a party where she meets a man who is about to reveal one of BoJacks darkest secrets.

The way the first part ends leaves the audience in anticipation for the second of the seasons release on Jan. 31, 2020. Will this reveal send BoJack spiraling again, or will he be able to continue moving his life in a positive direction while finally making amends for his past actions? These first eight episodes are an excellent start to the beginning of the end.

As always, BoJack Horseman tells a beautifully tragic story in a funny and captivating way. I look forward to the second half of the final season, as we all wait to hopefully see this once seemingly irredeemable character reach the redemption that he has been craving since the first season.

For questions/comments about this story, email arts@thewhitonline.com or tweet @TheWhitOnline.

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BoJack Horseman releases new episodes, a beautiful beginning to the end - The Whit Online

Do you track your own development? By looking into the past of our photography career, we can learn a lot about our progress and how to move on.

No matter what age you are, as long as you are able to read these lines and make sense of them, you are able to learn photography. If you will master it, however, depends on your dedication and your time. Talent is just a very small fracture of your skills and will only help you develop a little faster than others. Its just a small advantage that can be balanced by your enthusiasm and eagerness.

Developing a skill needs practice. You need to learn how to use your camera, see light, create ideas, and process them. It also means doing your homework. Read articles on the web, get photography books, talk to fellow photographers, and visit galleries or exhibitions. Also, do a lot of research in the field of photography which you prefer.

There are a few stages which you will come across sooner or later in your career as a photographer. In the beginning you will be amazed. You shoot your first images in manual mode and feel superior. Showing your work to everyone, you might get a little shocked that no one cares. Friends and family smile at you and say Wow, nice, but they wont give your images too much attention, even if you tell them about what was so special about a long shutter-speed or the sharpness of your lens at f/5.6. This is when you must not give up. You just started.

Later, you become humble. You learn the ABC of photography and become more self-critical. As you are more and more interested in other peoples work, you are constantly asking yourself: How did they do that?. By growing your interest, you try things out and you improve your skills. Still, you should not just look at what others did, but also what you did. How did you achieve your goals and which ones did you miss?

Tracking your photography means looking back. Take a look at your older work every now and then. Actually, there are a few different reasons for that. Firstly, seeing improvement will give you satisfaction. A little dopamine never hurt somebody. Whenever youre stuck and think you will never become a good photographer, take a look at your origins. Where did you come from? Isnt there a huge difference between your first DSRL snapshot of Auntie Helen and your recent Junior portrait? Being satisfied prevents you from frustration. In times of failure and struggle, remind yourself that its all a part of our development. Look at how far you've already come.

Secondly, you will find out that there might have been some really nice images among your old portfolio. Not only your skills developed, but also your eye. Maybe, you didnt like an image before, because it didnt fit into the rule of thirds. Now, you will realize that you like it, because it works well without the rule of thirds. You can find out why and develop your eye. Or you post process your images again and find some gems hidden underneath your first attempts with Lightroom! I found some horrible HDR landscape images and over-processed portraits of my family, the last time I went through my older collections. Reducing the contrast and most of all the clarity, made them become a nice memory of that time.

Thirdly, you can also remind yourself about what you already tried out, where you stopped, and in which direction you developed. You can track the development of your style and also critically review if you took the right path. Did you follow your initial goals? Didnt you like shooting the milky way more than you like creating portraits? Where does your heart belong? Seeing old images can release a nostalgic feeling in you, which might bring you back on track. You can also rediscover that you were great in shooting portraits, before you started product photography. Maybe, you should try to open a small side business, again.

There are many conclusions which can follow your review. Firstly, you can simply analyze and learn. You can give your photography a new direction or get back to techniques that you once tried out, but never properly developed. I once figured out that I was kind of okay in retouching faces but started to do documentary and landscape photography. Every now and then, I go back to not forget about dodge and burn or frequency separation. Its fun, too!

Find out what you like about the images and what is common in them. This is how you can find your own style. Do you like this style, or do you need to improve something? Is there a really good concept that is missing something? Re-shoot it. Shooting the same image (or an improved concept) after a while is an amazing way to check your improvement and build up your self-confidence.

Im not even talking about the comments of others, yet. If you had once taken an image that was technically weak, but your friends and family already liked it, how cool would it be to improve the weaknesses? Make it perfect, print it, and hand it over to the people who already liked your first version. Youll be proud as a peacock and others will be amazed. Appreciation is the engine of our work. Tracking your development can inspire you. Letting others take part in your development will motivate you to continue.

Going back through your old photographs can also be very entertaining. You will remember funny situations and see hilarious facial expressions. You might have forgotten them, because they were never meant to be published. But what about the 50th birthday party of your best friend? Additionally, you will be confronted with the sins of your photography youth. Did you really tell that model to pose like this? Why would you flash your corporate headshot backdrop with an orange gel? Did you believe that this was a witty, provocative thing?

Whatever you will find, its always worth looking back, every now and then. In my case, its hardly more than seven years of photography. I wonder what will happen when our more experienced photographers open their treasure chests on the attic?!

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How Looking Into the Past Can Help Your Photography in the Future - Fstoppers

Circumstances are leading to raise abomination towards an existing system in place in which everything appears to be going fine but subliminally there is a wave of uneasiness, Civil society conflict and economic crisis throughout the county.

The unemployment ratio has gone sky-high. Jobs are rare for educated circles of society. Laborious and odd jobs are there to maintain a false pretense yet educated and unemployed youth, middle-aged professionals are struggling to make both ends meet. Talking about each sector where there can be a possible job opportunity we get to know that the entire analogy of self-improvement, motivation or the best job hunt techniques are all rubbish talks. There is no such thing. The problem is different than what is being taught.

Among the top ten job sites of Pakistan, there is no website that is truly helping the cause of eradicating unemployment because obviously they mean business they dont help the government or promote populism. Their business-oriented strategies only maintain a certain amount of job posts to make it look like there is no right candidate for these jobs, truth is these job postings help websites run their Fake Show. Which eventually ads on to the frustration of already unemployed.

The rise in the Job posting categories indicates the required skill which stems from the need for new disciplines to be introduced in our Universities and educational institutions. But the monopoly of business does not let it happen. Customary Degrees like Business Administration, Arts or General Sciences are there for average and below-average students since forever. Anyone with slightly a better aptitude ends up opting to engineer, Medical Science or Accountancy.

The only don amid all other categories is Information Technology. The best might get the best, we cant even be sure about it after all the best is never spare by the state-owned enterprises to cure their miseries, there is no Job or business in the field of IT for an average or below-average professional or student. Job posts related to this field are made to sound either too technical or unachievable.

Political conflicts have been taken to a whole different level they are everywhere, Dining tables to playgrounds to offices and even entertainment content we watch on TV is no more entertaining it always has some satire to knock a certain ideology down and support civil supremacy of the powerful.

There is no room for neutrality, you cant be like that at all. This is a tool used in modern warfare which corrupts the source of the fact, and facts dont remain facts they become accessory to create mob mentality, eventually results in a collapse in the economy and social system.

Religious clergy is on the roads these days in Pakistan asking Prime Minister who has always encouraged people to keep the hope for a better tomorrow but it looks as if he will not be able to fight with ignorance, Vested interest of the powerful non-state enterprises for a long time.

I dont want to be fooled by this utopia. Id rather prefer to face the truth which tells that Its a time of hopelessness, distress and despair in Pakistan.

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Unemployment and the fake show of job postings in Pakistan - Daily Times

There was a point in time where Beejus, host of the DIY podcast Awkward Convos with Beejus, didn't think he could carry a conversation. A bit of a surprising reveal, considering his easy-going personality and storytelling abilities as a rapper. But in an act of self-improvement, Beejus decided to put those growing pains on tape and started a podcast. It was a challenge that he didn't know would turn into anything, really like most handmade projects, Beejus just wanted to try something different.

Fours years and over 200 episodes later, Beejus' pod has rendered him just as much popularity as his music (his latest album, Beautiful was released earlier this summer). Listeners are flies-on-the-wall to some of the most humorous, yet thought-provoking, heart-to-hearts with local creatives in and out of music, like Caleborate, Cal-A and even graduate of the 2017 class of Chronicle Rising Star Chefs and Top Chef competitor, Tu David Phu. His latest episode featuring the Portland transplant Tope is out today, the first of many Bay Bridged-supported convos to come.

We spoke with Beejus (and it wasn't awkward at all!) on his early podcast beginnings, the longevity of his project and some of the greatest stories he's unearthed so far.

The Bay Bridged: Beejus, youve been doing this podcast, Awkward Conversations with Beejus, for a while now youre at 219 episodes. What do you remember about recording that very first one?

Beejus: I was extremely nervous. I didnt know where it was going to go. The reason I even wanted to do a podcast was because I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and other podcasts where it felt like it was just a hangout. They were just with their friends, getting drunk, having fun. I never really prided myself on someone that could curate and keep a conversation going. Id be comfortable around my friends and could open up with them, but at the time I didnt think I could do that especially with a mic in my hand and being forced to keep it going. It was just one of those things where I wanted to recreate that [hangout] experience. If nobody ever listens to it at least Ill have fun with my friends. I just wanted to capture those moments.

TBB: Within the podcast world, its said that once you hit 50 episodes then you know your idea has legs. When did you know you had a good thing going with your pod?

B: Pretty much straight from the gate. I was in a unique position because the timing of me putting a podcast out was just great because my music was also growing legs, I started getting a following behind my music and collecting a network of friends [and] colleagues that helped out. The first episode I released was a two-in-one; The first episode all my guests, who were my friends, were Black. The second was still my friends, but two guys were white so we just talked about different subject matters and that was the introduction of me doing a podcast. The third episode was with a childhood friend of mine named Daghe. His name is big out here and me and him go way back.

Putting those three episodes out, the people that were involved and me just having a fan base already, it was a perfect timing for everything. Like I said, I was extremely nervous and I knew that people loved me rapping, but can they sit and hear me talk for two hours? And the feedback was amazing. And thats what motivated me to keep it going.

TBB: Do you have a strategy or schedule you abide by when it comes to who you want to feature on the next episode?

B: Its really random and thats where my brand, The Free Spirit, comes from. Ive been fortunate enough to ride a wave that the universe has put me on, so through my podcast, conversation is key. It doesnt really matter what someone does as long as they can have an interesting conversation with me for over an hour. There will be times Ill meet someone at a party and we strike up a conversation those have turned into podcasts. There will be times Ill be on Instagram and notice a local artist is dropping a new album that could be a podcast. So it really just depends. I dont research people beforehand either. I want a genuine conversation and you should be able to get that info while were sitting there talking. My strategy usually at the beginning is to intro them with who they are and what they do and then we just take it from there. Its also the easiest way to get people comfortable, to get them to talk about themselves.

TBB: Are there any episodes that mean a lot to you, whether it was the conversation had or it made you learn something important about podcasting?

B: There are three episodes in particular. Ill always credit Daghe because he did a lot in that third episode. When people get to talk about themselves freely and not constrained to certain questions or points, theyll do a lot to promote it because they can promote themselves. Its a mutual favor; That was the one that got the podcast a little bit of legs through his huge following.

Episode 100 is the one with Anthony Dragons and Moe Green theyre my unofficial co-hosts. Whenever I do a special episode, I bring them on because the chemistry between us three is fuckin hilarious. But Episode 100 really sparked a friendship between me and Moe that made us brothers for life.

My third favorite is my recap of a solo trip I did to Thailand. That was a huge moment in my life because a big scary dream I had was to go to a foreign country, where I didnt speak the language, completely by myself and just make it happen. That trip and that moment in my life, I hold that two weeks in my life very dear. And so I came back and recorded a five-hour podcast by myself, recapping everything I did in those two weeks.

TBB: Your subjects are so far and wide. You talk with so many different types of folks in and out of music rappers, producers, but even A&R folks, photographers. What do you think your pod reveals about the creative community out here?

B: To tell you the truth, I dont think my podcast [does] anything new that others haven't done before, interviewing the same type of people. What I can say is that I think it sheds a light on this generation of artists in the Bay Area. Im proud that not only am a part of this generation that is blowing up and getting all this shine, but my podcast is chronologizing it all, gathering all these stories and connecting these timelines together, all these connections of how people meet each other and what has sprung from that. I feel like Im writing the history books of a time and place right now.

TBB: What do you think podcast Beejus would want to know about rapper Beejus?

B: Damn, that's a good question! I think Id want to ask myself the first question I ask most artists: Give me the story from the beginning up until right now. I love to tell that shit, I love to talk about myself and say what inspires me. If I love it, then I know other artists love to tell that shit. We could make this shit five hours, tell your story as much as you want. But the other thing Id want to know is to go back to all of my albums, every song and go down the list and be like, Song #1: Where was your mind at, what was the motivation, what comes to mind?. Id just go through the stories because theres meaning behind each one. All those little lines I put out and waiting for someone to ask me about it and no one ever did, Id definitely ask those questions!

TBB: Moving forward, Awkward Convos with Beejus will be hosted on The Bay Bridged. What do you hope this does for the pod?

B: Ive been doing this by myself for so long, I think itd help out a lot to get some support so I can work on both music and the podcast easier.

Stay tuned every Wednesday for the next Awkward Convos with Beejus episode.

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The Bay Bridged Q&A: A Not-So-Awkward Convo with Beejus - The Bay Bridged

It doesnt take a Harvard degree to conclude that American education changes in response to changes in systems of labor and employment. But one proposed change that might surprise is the so-called 60-year curriculum. Challenging the notion of education as something that stops in ones early twenties, the idea of the 60-year curriculum promises to put the life back in the life of the mind.

As the retirement age rises to levels not seen since the 1960s, and the number of jobs the average American worker has in their career takes a parallel leap, doubling for millennials as compared to their Gen X predecessors in the decade after college alone, its clear that economic change is mandating innovation in how we prepare students, both young and old, for productive, meaningful, and dynamic careers. While the liberal arts prerogative of intellectual enrichment as such remains an ever-relevant endeavor, todays students need more than a one-time preparation for a singular career. Harvard, as a leader in education, must also lead the charge in exploring non-traditional routes to continuing education.

Let us be clear: We are in no way negating nor have we negated the value of a liberal arts education. The intellectual exploration and genuine life of the mind institutions like Harvard facilitate at their best is not only essential to the personal fulfillment of students but also an innovative and lively economic and social society. Still, Harvard can and should serve a wider student body and a larger purpose.

Indeed, a form of the 60-year curriculum has been championed by Huntington D. Lambert, dean of the Division of Continuing Education. In this vein, its worth noting that the Division of Continuing Education has done important work in striving to fulfill the needs of students seeking education at all stages of their professional and intellectual journeys, and we applaud its efforts. From the communal experience of the Institute for Learning in Retirement, which hosts peer-led seminars, to professional development programming that helps professionals to enhance and buttress their skills, to the Premedical Program which provides students who might not have had the opportunity to prepare for medical education in college to do so at a more advantageous juncture, the Division of Continuing Education has and should continue to broaden our sense of education and at what stages of life it belongs.

To the same end, we encourage the expansion of open curriculum projects that can make available the knowledge that we are so grateful to have access to. The online course provider edX, pioneered by individuals from MIT and Harvard, allows anyone to access material taught at the two schools. Many other institutions have since joined the initiative, which provides a mix of liberal arts-serving and career-oriented courses offerings, many of which are completely free.

In continuing with their important work, the Division of Continuing Education could also look at the ways other institutions have contributed to great social mobility, more so than many elite institutions like Harvard. After all, why isnt Harvard in the list of top ten colleges for social mobility?

If rising movements toward lifelong learning represent a radically democratic impulse one in which age is no barrier to self-improvement then it will only be successful if made available to those of all backgrounds and socioeconomic positions.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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Continuing On with Continuing Ed | Opinion - Harvard Crimson

Stephen Cluxton has spoken about his return from serious injury last season, his obsessive focus on self-improvement, and his admiration for manager Jim Gavin.

In a lengthy interview on the occasion of winning the GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year, Cluxton paid tribute to Gavin as well as his teammates who were also nominated for the award, Con OCallaghan and Jack McCaffrey.

"I have complete respect for what he (Gavin) does and what he has done for this team. Nobody has worked harder than he has," said Cluxton.

Con (O'Callaghan) has dug us out of a few holes on more than one occasion and Jack (McCaffrey) the same. Jack had a phenomenal first All-Ireland, he bagged 1-3 that day. Con was fantastic in the semi-final when we needed to turn up the heat.

And, I think, throughout the team when guys have had poor days, that's the sign and mark of a great team that your team-mates are digging you out. Okay, it's an individual award, but I certainly think that it was a team effort throughout the year to get it.

The goalkeeper also acknowledged the influence of past leaders and teammates in his career: When I look back to 2001 and up to 2010, the ups and downs that we had throughout those years, they were very turbulent. Maybe from 2010 onwards we found our feet and started working harder.

I think when you look back on it, I think that time-frame has stood to me. You learn something new from everybody. Whether it's positive or negative you'll learn something from something someone else is doing and you can take. Especially from captains like Bryan Cullen and people like Denis Bastick, some great leaders. Paul Flynn as well, they've all put their shoulder to the wheel. Paul Casey, Toms Quinn, the list is endless to be quite honest.

You just take small nuggets from them and you try to bring that into your own game and bring it into your own captaincy.

I'm very competitive, I would have to say. Medals to the side, it's about going out and trying to compete against the best. And that starts with trying to compete with the goalkeepers that are in Dublin.

Evan (Comerford) and Michael (Shields) are phenomenal goalkeepers. They're young and they're hungry and probably brought a bit of freshness to me over the last number of years because they want the jersey and I want it too. There's that bit of competitiveness to want to be the best.

I suppose after that then, it's more or less what is best for the team. I think if I'm not the best for the job I don't have a problem with that. If I've given my all and we come up short, then I don't have a problem with that. I'm definitely hungry and competitive for success. If you get beaten and you're beaten by a better team then hats off and you maybe have to have a look at next year and doing more.

This year Cluxton focused closely on his own performance in the All-Ireland final and replay: When you're down to 14 men in the first game and you're trying to work out scenarios and obviously one of the scenarios is if they can get a goal there's a chance for them to either beat us or get a draw out of it. I suppose up to that point we were relatively comfortable and they just came hard at us. In fairness to Killian, he stepped really hard off his right foot, came around, and planted it into the bottom corner.

I just thought that at that point I could have done more to maybe come out and get closer to him. Or certainly adjust my feet and try to make a save. I got probably caught flat-footed.

So, yeah, the following morning I was out with the laptop with the two guys and obviously Josh Moran the goalkeeping coach and we were just trying to figure out what I could have done better, what I should have done better, and we maybe wouldn't have had to play a replay. So I'll blame myself for that one!

I just don't want to let anyone down. I think if I train really, really hard and I made a mistake then I can accept that because I know the hours I've put in. But I suppose in a team game I'm kind of worried I could make a mistake and cost the team and that drives me as well to try to train harder. I did say to the guys at the start of the year that I wouldn't want to let them down during the year.

So, yeah, this year was fortuitous in the way it kind of unfolded. I'm happy out, I suppose.

Cluxton had to fight his way back to fitness after picking up serious injuries in the clash with Longford last year:

I broke three bones in my back, had a punctured lung, and I had cartilage damage in my shoulder. I still have dodgy ankles from a long time ago. So it was a struggle to try to get back up to the level I wanted.

I thought I had gotten up to a really good level up to the Longford game. I actually thought it was the best I had been in terms of my standard in training. I was actually making saves instead of picking the ball out of the net more often than not.

Yeah, when I got the injuries then it just curtailed all the training and it leads to doubts in my mind then as to my ability at the standard that I want to be at and whether or not it will cost the team in the end. Thankfully the guys got us over the line last year. Then I had to spend five months rehabbing up to maybe February of this year.

I wasn't really sure then as to whether or not I'd have the gr and the hunger for it because Evan was playing so well in the League. I felt maybe it was his turn to go. But, in fairness, the guys coaxed me back to do another year and I'm delighted I did it in the end, to be honest.

A science teacher by day, he says the analytical skills needed for the job help him as a keeper.

Yeah, I'd have to say it probably does. A huge part of my life is analysing things. Certainly when it comes to kick-outs for a team, you're looking at maybe what the opposition might try and you're trying to get the guys to work on something that might never happen, but, if it did, then you have that Eureka moment in a game saying I've been here before in training and the guys know what to do.

That's kind of the level you're playing at in this day and age. If you asked Jim (Gavin), he's probably sick of me saying, 'we need to do more kick-out training in collective training'. But, in fairness, he does give me the time with the guys and when it works on the pitch you're kind of saying to yourself, great, that's exactly what you want.

That work has led to credit for revolutionising kick-outs, but the Dublin captain is keen to spread that credit around.

That's it, it's not about me. We formulate a plan, I go back to Jim (Gavin) and have a discussion with him about why I think it might or might not work. Then we go out and see it on the practice field and do a couple of runs with it. We try and hide it from some of the teams so that they don't see what's happening and see if they can respond to it. And if they respond, how are the guys going to respond.

So there's a lot of moving parts in it, you're dead right. There are some really, really intelligent footballers in our team, all of them. The back six, the two midfielders, the half-forwards and even the full-forwards are sometimes involved in the kick-out. And, you know, the sign of a good team is that when there are these clutch moments they make the right decisions. And, more often than not, the guys out the field make the right run and you pick them out and it's possession gained.

Oddly, saving a penalty in an All-Ireland final isnt the ultimate for the Dublin captain.

It's not for me. It's just part and parcel of what you have to do for the job. It worked out that we ended up getting a replay in the first game. If they had of scored that or any chances subsequent to that, we might not have been in a replay. So you're just so kind of focused on the job at that moment in time.

I mean, if you were celebrating after saving a penalty and it goes out for a '45 and the next ball comes in and someone tips it into the back of the net...you just have to be on 100 per cent alert and fully-focused all the time and you don't really get an opportunity to have a come-down from something like a save until after the game when you can say, right, you were part of the draw.

I've probably conceded more than I've saved, to be quite honest. I conceded one last year against Tyrone. Saved one against Tyrone the year previous, I think it was. I think it's just pot-luck, really. Again, you can look at a lot of footage of players in terms of where they place the ball, but sometimes it just comes down to a gut feeling.

Cluxton paid tribute to the group dynamic which has helped Dublin achieve so much: I'd go to the cinema with someone like Eoin Murchan, Brian Fenton and his partner Sarah, and sometimes Con O'Callaghan.

Obviously when we're within the championship season you don't obviously get to go out and have a drink with these guys. We get on so well outside of football that I think it makes you that bit hungrier and that bit more willing to put it all out on the line for them. That's the sign of this team, their humility, and just the friendship we have in the group is fantastic.

Like, if I never won a medal in football for any team, the friendship we have is just better than anything. We kind of live out of each other's pockets for most of the year. In years previously I wouldn't have been that close to guys I would have just gone to training, trained hard, and gone home and that was it. But, for some reason, maybe it's the captaincy or whatever, there just seems to be that kind of friendship there now. I think the best times that you have with these guys are in training.

That's when you actually have the most joy and fun and the joking and stuff like that. The dressing-room banter and stuff like that, you just can't get it anywhere.

Dublin manager Jim Gavin is part of that group, though Cluxton laughs that sometimes the dynamic isnt completely in sync: He might want one thing and I might want the other! No, I have complete respect for what he does and what he has done for this team.

Nobody has worked harder than he has. He just spends hours poring over it. I don't know where he gets the time from with his job and family at home. He has been absolutely inspirational to everybody. He has been a huge leader for me and it's probably rubbed off a small bit on what I do. Definitely he's just been phenomenal.

Cluxton paid tribute to family and friends for their support throughout his career:

In fairness all of my siblings have had to put up with me at one stage or another. I'd feel sorry for them more than anybody else. I've missed weddings, I've missed baptisms and communions and confirmations and things like that and they've been very understanding. My brother and sisters are just so understanding. Again, without their support I wouldn't have started that journey.

Obviously my wife has taken on the baton, God love her! You can imagine it's not easy when I come home and have had a poor training session! But it's water off a duck's back for her and I think that works really well for both of us. She has been a phenomenal support and without her I certainly wouldn't be here today.

I didn't play Gaelic Football until I was about 13 or 14. And when I was playing I was playing as a corner-forward in school I was just lucky when I got into goal in school that the coaches I had were fantastic. Brian Talty, a Galway man, Brian Moran, Brian Lavin, two Kerry-men. Those guys got me started into Gaelic Football and on that journey.

Brian Murphy, another Kerry guy who was goalkeeper at the time with me in the early years. We were starting to put drills together and things like that. Phenomenal fellas have started that. And obviously nowadays Josh Byrne is a phenomenal coach for me, a great character, a great presence to have around. He always comes in with a smile. He's just a phenomenal character.

But it does start with your parents and their dedication to bring me to games as a child and any sport that was available was a huge bearing on where I am today. Within all those I wouldn't be here, that's for sure.

And finally, his age - 38 in September or December this year?

Yeah, December! I'll be 38 in December, getting close to the pension!

Excerpt from:
Stephen Cluxton: 'I broke three bones in my back, had a punctured lung, and cartilage damage in my shoulder' - Irish Examiner