Category: The Hermit Emerges

No, Ride-Sharing Isn’t Always an Exploitative Service

By Cyrus Kingdom July 20, 2018

It all depends on who you ride with...

It’s really no wonder at all why Uber has begun a massive ad-campaign in an attempt to clear their name. An astounding number of scandals have piled up over the years, turning the perception of Uber from the hip, frugal alternative to taxis into a shadowy, dystopian look into the future. Spying, fare-manipulation, it’s all there. It almost gives credence to the protests of the cabal of cabbies, who can no longer charge whatever they want (how sad). Luckily, there is a simple solution to this, and it’s not drunkenly shambling all the way home, across town, at 4 AM. It’s Lyft!

Upfront and Consistent Pricing

Now, I say the solution is simple, because I can’t believe I joined the party so late! What I’ve found as I’ve started using Lyft is that it’s possible run a ride-share company without signing souls away in exchange for profit. The price you see before you call for a ride stays that way. The drivers are more laid-back, so there’s less of that awkward electricity in the air. Speaking of support, if you need help with anything, Lyft’s customer service is unmatched, with friendly reps who aren’t nervously reading off a script. Unlike the bulky multiplier of a “surge”, Lyft’s “Prime Time” hours calculate with percentages, not distance, and only affect the initial cost of the ride. If your day-to-day often demands you share a ride in rush-hour, Lyft is the obvious choice. Need to make a stop on the way to your ultimate destination? Set a “waypoint” to the grocery store or to drop a friend first! Want to plan ahead? Schedule your ride for a later time, and Lyft takes care of the rest. There is an unmistakable receptiveness towards customers with Lyft. The word “uber” may have etched its place in the vernacular, but I think there’s a reason I see more and more people mention Lyft in their social media these days.

A valued customer, or just another "mark?"

When was the last time you took an Uber somewhere? Did it seem like the fare jumped up a few dollars from what you were expecting? Generally, coming out of any transportation, you’re probably too pre-occupied with being where you need to be to investigate further. Perhaps Uber’s “upfront” pricing is worth questioning. Turns out, not only has it adjusted the final price for passengers, they’ve lied about it to the driver! Worse still, it appears Uber may be adjusting your price based on how “rich” you appear to be. How old is your phone? What bank account or credit card have you entered into the app? Where are you coming from and where are you going? The little details could be affecting your fare.

Test it for yourself

Seriously, next time you’re with a friend with a “Black Card” of some sort, ask them to get a quote on a ride with Uber, while you do the same. See a difference there? You might be surprised to find a gap in your fares by almost a dollar, maybe more. That doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly adds up, especially for Uber’s coffers. Looks like a lack of respect for the consumer, if you ask me. Another test: if you can strike up a conversation with your Uber driver, get into how they like the job. Bring up the fare discrepancies issue with them, and if they’re willing, after the ride, go ahead and compare your prices. How much higher will your fare compare to theirs? Heck, compare just between the two apps; it’s not always consistent, but I think you’ll generally find the Lyft price is cheaper.

A System Rife with Abuse

Uber’s system is just plain busted: It’s an anecdote, so take it for what you will, but I got to talking to a Lyft driver, Saeed, of his time driving for Uber, and why he left. The level of exploitation available to drivers is pretty shocking. At certain places where there’s a higher chance of a long-distance fare, such as the airport, drivers will accept a passenger’s hail, but upon seeing the distance and price, they may be inclined to immediately cancel the ride, allowing another driver to do the same, and so on. With every cancellation, the price climbs, and eventually gets high enough that a driver will accept it and actually pick the passenger up. It reminds me of the public account at certain gas-stations in my city that everyone knew; eventually, someone would hit the “jackpot” of a massive discount on their gas. In Saeed’s case, the practice of ride-shunting and unfair pricing in general were just too shameful for him to continue, so he decided to work with Lyft exclusively. Given how many more cars are available on my screen with Lyft, I get the feeling his sentiment is shared with a good number of drivers.

Yes, Uber is indeed bigger, but over the years, it’s starting to become clear how their conduct may have gotten them there. Do you want an awkward, sterile ride with a “professional” driver, or one with someone you feel you can relate to, maybe have a good chat? Would you like anxiety every time you get in the car, wondering how much the actual total will come to? Would you like a typically less expensive ride?

A Smooth Ride

I get the feeling you’d prefer a genuinely “upfront” calculation? Two ubers for a stop before getting home, or just one Lyft so you can take a quick detour, then continue on your way? You might also prefer receptive customer service when you need an adjustment, not a dry, fruitless phonecall with someone who clearly just wants to go home. If you care for the treatment of employees, you can rest assured Lyft drivers are treated with fairness, unlike Uber. Finally, maybe you’d prefer not to be spied on…

Uber's Scandals

Confused on that last one? Well, turns out Uber has been diligent the past few years, and not to improve the service for customers. We all remember the surges during emergencies, such as terrorist attacks, but it goes deeper. Turns out, they’ve been up to more than just manipulating prices. If you’re a driver, you may be driving for both services, but it seems Uber is not a fan of that practice. Just last year, the FBI opened a case-file against the company for spying on those who use both apps in order to track where “Lyfters” were, and how many there are in a given area (the program was called “Hell” of all things). “Greyball” was an initiative for Uber to skirt local regulations. Not only drivers are being affected; passengers may want to watch themselves with Uber as well. The FCC is investigating a program called “God view,” which tracks individual passenger’s movement via GPS, even when not using the app! Given how untrustworthy they have been, who knows where that data goes? All this turmoil, along with unfair prices, are what you face every time you use Uber. Maybe Lyft hasn’t been perfect, but have you heard this much ruckus from them? Even as I write this post, Uber has been slapped with another investigation, this time for gender discrimination. I didn’t know you could fit so many skeletons in one closet!

This is called “damage control.” You don’t run ads like this unless your company really messed up. Take note of how they manage to acknowledge their bad rep without actually addressing specific problems or how they’ll fix them…

The Choice is Clear

Instead of experiencing all that anxiety, you could always swerve on that tire-fire and give Lyft a try! Enjoy a comfortable and easy ride with a driver who sees you as more than a source of income. Rest assured that your fee will not fluctuate wildly from the initial estimate. Avoid yet another “killer-app” extracting your user-data for their own gain, leaving you exposed/exploited. Know that if any issue arises, there is customer support that cares. Take pride in knowing you will no longer support a company with so few scruples, all while continuing to enjoy the ride-sharing phenomenon!

A comfortable ride, no BS fees or date exploitation, great customer service, all while contributing to the life of your community! Who else but Lyft has your back?

Blog Posts Portfolio The Hermit Emerges

Climate Change in the Now: What we Face in the Next Few Decades

By Cyrus Kingdom July 20, 2018

We're all dead as door-nails, right?

In terms of global temperature, it appears we have already reached a tipping point. We’re all gonna die, then. It’s over. Might as well engage in the dystopian hedonism of a sci-fi flick, accepting that we’ll soon be eating food synthesized from grubs a la “Bladerunner: 2049.” Right?

Well, perhaps it is a tad early to be building that doomsday bunker.

In our results-focused society, it is quite easy to resign to an inevitable fate, even when that outcome is unfathomably distant. In all the time we worry about something far off, circumstances can change, and that dreaded disaster we seem to be crawling towards may be averted. For now, in terms of treating our climate, the challenge at this point seems insurmountable. “Points-of-no-return” have been passed. It would take almost herculean shifts in human civilization to avoid climatic ruin, while still maintaining the upward trend of prosperity we have enjoyed since humans first discovered agriculture. In the Information Age, we seem to have come to care greatly for our species’ future. We have all of human history and culture at our fingertips: This has markedly condensed the passing of time, and shrunk the world. A century forward feels like tomorrow, even if most of us will be long dead.

What does that mean for our fight against climate change?

Ultimately, climate change, in some capacity, has arrived, and it is far more imperative to acknowledge, manage, and eventually diminish the changing factors of our lives due to these conditions. Really, the year 2100 ought to mean almost nothing to us, regardless of whether we care to save our species or not. Instead, let us focus on the issues we face now, as they are, and those we face in the next 20-30 years:

The (increasing) Fickleness of the Weather

This aspect of climate change is certainly the most tangible, as we have already experienced rather unusual conditions across the globe. Worse still, natural disasters such as hurricanes have grown in their ferocity, swallowing entire island nations, and destroying more infrastructure than ever before.

The EPA reports US average temperatures have increased, especially in the northern reaches, including Alaska, as well as in the West. Temperature extremes (high and low) have shifted nationwide, with more highs than lows than in the past. Worse still, this trend persists after the sun sets, with increasing numbers of hot nights, and less cool-off. Prolonged high-heat periods are also seeing a dramatic uptick, and this has had profound effects on certain regions of the US, as well as the world. In 2011, parts of Oklahoma and Texas experienced a 100-day heatwave. Since climate records were taken in 1895. There had never been a “multi-month” heatwave. Droughts continue to plague the Southwest, and the National Climate Assessment (a federal gathering of climate experts) points out that as moisture is less prevalent in soil, more heat is absorbed into the ground, leading to even hotter and dryer summers. Even in areas where precipitation stays stable, the heat may be further outpacing the usual rainfall.

On the subject of rain, in more humid regions, the saying “when it rains, it pours” has become increasingly literal. The EPA reports that since the 80s, extreme, single-day rainfall has become considerably more common. If you live in an area prone to flooding, expect flash-floods to occur in greater frequency. River-flood rates have also changed: less in the Southwest, more in northern states. As for other storms, including snow, hail, and lightning, there is still not enough understanding of how (and to what extent) human activity influences them. Snow seems to have decreased in the southern half of the US, while staying mostly the same in the North. Globally, the northern hemisphere has seen an average decrease in snowfall. Tentative trends indicate more thunderstorms are on the horizon.

Extreme Weather and the Sea

The same uncertainty applies to natural disasters, thanks to changes in measurement, but the last two decades have seen hurricanes grow steadily more devastating. Cities further inland have proven vulnerable, as the world watched Houston become a wading pool. The city is surrounded by swampland, and local authorities certainly had their fair share of warnings, each year worse than the last. Honestly, we may never fully reverse climate change, but the least we can do in the meantime is ensure that real action is being taken wherever there is a danger of something like this happening. As we see in Houston, minimal expenditure and dumping the problem on the less fortunate parts of a city will not save it.

Of course, normal rainfall is not the sole factor in the severe flooding seen on the news, year by year. Rising sea-levels have ravaged coastal settlements immensely, as we saw during hurricane Katrina, and more recently in New York City in 2012. How does the sea-level keep rising? The most commonly known reason is the polar ice caps melting away, but the reality is more complicated. According to the NCA, the ocean absorbs around 90% of all the heat generated by human activity, and this causes the water itself to expand (“thermal expansion”). This is a strong example of how oversimplification of scientific claims can hold back progress. It’s safe to say most of us thought only melting ice contributed to rising sea-levels. As a politician throwing a snowball onto the floor of congress has demonstrated, misinformation is a valuable tool in the effort of those who value profits over life on Earth. Smother it where you see it.

How high will the sea rise in the near-future? Unfortunately, even projections set for the year 2100 are somewhat unsure. Since such data was initially recorded in the late 19^th century, the sea has already risen around 8 inches. By 2100, projections forecast anywhere from 1 to 4 up to feet. The best guess, then, would have to consider that the rise-rate would be exponential; The next two decades may only be a few more inches, but from there, it could rise much more quickly. NASA reports a yearly rate of 3.7 millimeters (or 0.04 inches) every year. Thankfully, real-life measurements of the sea-level are lower than that. However, overall, all projections range from 0.42 meters to 1.8 meters for total sea-rise by 2100, so there’s plenty of uncertainty there.

Food Production on the Rise (and Fall)

Our ability to feed the population is vital to our survival. The ways in which we generate and consume food could be endangered by rising temperatures, increased pollution, and more volatile weather. Drought is a serious factor, but that has been a worry for quite some time, while other factors have been ignored or misunderstood:

One common misconception is how CO2 affects plants and agriculture overall. So, if plants utilize CO2 for photosynthesis, expelling oxygen, why should the increase in carbon cause us to worry for them? Ultimately, CO2 does indeed accelerate plant-growth, but it also makes for plants which are thirstier, and hungrier for nutrients. According to the EPA, studies have shown that increased CO2 levels may cause a net decrease in production, as the plant grows beyond the environment’s capacity to sustain it. Furthermore, overall nutrition has been shown to decrease in areas with CO2 concentration: alfalfa and soybeans, vital crops for feeding livestock, have already seen decreases in protein, nitrogen, iron, and zinc content. This also applies to grass growing in pastures and fields that herded livestock feed upon. Worse still, higher temperatures promote the growth of parasitic weeds, which steal away even more nutrients, as well as insects which prey on crops, forcing the use of toxic pesticides.

The soil itself is contributing to its own deficiency, and even to climate change itself. As it gets hotter, microbes such as fungi and other microorganisms, which break down organic matter, emit more CO2 as they increase their consumption. Plants above then draw a portion of the CO2 back in, where it goes down to the roots. In reality, carbon (the solid) is actually quite beneficial plants, as it helps them to retain other nutrients. Unfortunately, this is counter-acted upon by those heat-accelerated microbes, and the two forces continue to feed into each other. According to the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the University of Illinois, the next hundred years could see Midwestern soil losing roughly 15% of its stored carbon, and in turn, its overall fertility.

From flora to fauna

Production from livestock will face a lot of the same problems that agriculture does. Quality and supply of feed are at risk. Drought threatens the grass of pastures, and even in those spared from excess heat, the quality of the grass is diminished. Livestock would have to eat more off the land, even if the population stays the same. 2011 saw the US lose $1 billion in livestock expenses, just due to high heat. Parasiticides are increasingly prevalent, as the animals are easy prey for insects and parasites.

As for fisheries, there are several issues plaguing the oceans ability to sustain life. From microplastics, to oil spills, to overfishing by reckless fishing fleets. Rising temperatures have lead to a migration of sea life further from the equator. Fish and other sea creatures do not run into too many obstacles in the search for colder waters, so the true issue is that native populations will be forced to contend against the intruding species. In addition, warmer waters have allowed diseases to spread further, affecting more fish and crustaceans.

So how will that affect my diet in the coming years?

Who does this hurt the most?

For those living in the developed world, the answer is pretty comforting. As of now, those who are further from the equator have less to worry about, as the likelihoods of drought and extremely high temperatures for a given crop (and their livestock beneficiaries) are certainly lower. However, the global average increase in CO2 and temperature still points to a trend in less nutritious food, both from agriculture and the livestock which feeds on those crops (which may lead to resorting to more unhealthy feed substitutes). Still, it should not be an immediate issue for those living in more developed areas.

For now, it is the poorest countries and communities nearest to the equator which have felt the worst effects. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has carried out detailed studies of farming communities and the local economies of both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (namely India), focusing on climate change’s effects on crop yields and their income. The significant factors for these regions are uncertain weather patterns and an inability to counteract adverse conditions. When local conditions are less stable, crop yields and their revenues drop. Farming communities on the equator have certainly never had it easy, but this is compounded by many of those nations lacking the capital to avoid such losses. As the FAO points out, richer countries can avoid such losses (and actually make gains) because they have the resources to develop infrastructure. Water canals can be built, pesticide can be deployed, for a price. Those living in relative abundance can expect to stay that way, for the time-being.

This still means that many developed countries are forced to divert money towards simply keeping things as they are, and the problem will continue to grow. The upkeep may lead to higher prices down the road for basic foods. Eventually, government and corporate treatment of the symptoms will not be enough, and our ailing agri-infrastructure may reach a critical stage. It would probably be in our best interest to make some adjustments soon, including a potential rethink on how we raise crops.

Current Health Trends (not yoga)

Disease and pollution, at present, are mostly wreaking havoc on poorer nations and the lives of those in the developing world (but also those in richer areas) are under increasing danger. According to the WHO, increase in temperatures are beneficial to disease-carrying species, which spread further as more territory becomes habitable. Malaria already kills 400,000 people per year, worldwide. By 2030, the WHO speculates that number will swell by 60,000. This is less of a concern for those in the developed world, but in a few years, disease in general may become much more prevalent in places that were considered more “temperate.” The CDC warns against Lyme disease from ticks, which are dying off at lower numbers, thanks to warmer winters, and West Nile virus, commonly from mosquitoes. These threats are especially exasperated in places where natural disasters have struck, with flood waters creating stagnant pools.

Heat waves are another concern, and one that is common even in the developed world. In 2003, Europe recorded 70,000 deaths due to extreme heat. This is partially a cultural thing, as many European households to this day have no central air. The world’s elderly are still quite vulnerable, as they are less capable of dealing with the heat (Ironically, this may cause many retirees move back up north). Excessive heat can also be dangerous to those with respiratory problems, as the heat amplifies the number of allergens in the air. On a “code red” day, in which the temperature hovers around 100 degrees, and low-elevation ozone and humidity are high, can render an asthmatic struggling to breathe within seconds. (Writer’s note: I have experienced this first-hand…) With average temperatures rising, these concerns will only get worse.

Another respiratory issue is, of course, air pollution. Approximately 4.3 million deaths by household pollution alone, along with an additional 3 million from outdoor pollution. This is an issue wealthier societies ought to be mindful of too, but in places like New Dehli or Beijing, the pollution has been substantially more deadly. In Delhi, the pollution in recent years has gone off the charts, with little to no government response. Even the local population is apathetic, with many denying anything is wrong at all. This is what “progress” can look like, as the poorest simply have little to no time, nor the resources to contest the issue, while the country remains hesitant to slow down growth. Beijing, however, has been a different story in recent months. Since the end of 2017, authorities have worked doggedly to cut pollution in the city, with a great deal of success. Even then, measures taken to clean the air were at times brutal (expulsion of migrants, teardowns of neighborhoods, all-out bans on coal to heat households), and much of that pollution has simply shifted to surrounding areas.

A brief psa

Public health is likely the most immediate of climate change threats (day to day), so here are a few things those in urban and rural areas can do to stay healthy:

Make sure there is adequate ventilation in your home (check the filters!).
Check sites like gov (or search “AQI [city name]” in google) for a forecast of your local city’s pollution levels on a given day, and plan accordingly.
Contact local/state government and push for more efforts in determining local sources of pollution. Chances are there is an equitable solution for all parties to help keep the air/water clean. If they say there isn’t, be sure to investigate their campaign finance, no matter the party…
Be careful in the brushes and swamps! A field of tall grass can be lousy with ticks, especially in the Northeast of the continental US, but any forested region is risky, so it may be worth it to tuck your pants into your socks. It may look silly, but it could save you years of sitting in a wheelchair (for some “Lymies,” that’s considered a good day). High-humidity regions will only grow their mosquito population, so use repellent, bug-zappers, or whatever keeps them off to stay on the safe side.
Take extreme-heat days seriously. Braving the outdoors on days like that may seem okay at first, but heat-related illness may sneak up on you.

The little things (for) life

Certainly, for most affluent communities living further from the equator, things will stay mostly the same for a good while, but part of avoiding the future we fear so much is making gradual changes that will have a meaningful impact down the road. So long as we wait on some ultimate cure (nuclear fusion, space colonies) to save us from ruin, the world will degrade.

Here’s a cheery metaphor:

The atomic bomb ended World War 2, but it took every citizen of the Allies working diligently over years to defeat the Axis Powers. In that time, every vital resource was heavily rationed, and old pots and pans were collected to build tanks. Everyone chipped in. That ultimate scientific discovery had little to do with it. Yes, this crisis is not as immediate or tangible, but the goal is no less achievable. A balance must be struck between total despair over far-off ruin and living entirely in the present, without a care for our actions; Both of these accomplish nothing.

What Must Be Done

Not everything causing climate change can be easily affected by everyday citizens, but outside of government action, we still have the freedom to change things:

Cattle/Livestock: This may be one of the hardest sacrifices of all, especially for Americans, who consume quite a lot a of meat. Luckily, beef and other cow products, which produces the vast majority of GHG in agriculture, has already declined in demand. Nevertheless, saving the world will require an even stronger cultural shift. A primer published by Johns Hopkins gravely points out that even if, by 2050, society manages to correct all of the other major threats (transportation, industry), the likelihood of staying under the 2 degree threshold will be quite bleak. If animal rights aren’t a strong enough motivation for veganism, perhaps steadily reducing pollution is. Believe it or not, the vegan craze has yielded some more-than-decent recipes and restaurants. Yes, you can indeed satisfy your protein needs on a vegan diet. The more we all attempt to eat in this way, the better it will be for greenhouse gas levels.
Taking advantage of public transportation is a fantastic way to help the environment, but the US still has a way to go. Thankfully, this is beginning to change in many urban centers, and demand is rising From bike lanes, to subways, to bus lines, Americans are ready to travel much more efficiently. The less cars on the road (until electricity takes over), the better.
Solar technology is not what is used to be. It’s a lot better. These days, quality has skyrocketed, while prices have taken a nosedive! Investing in solar is a win/win for those living in rural and suburban communities, where power is utilized less efficiently than in cities. With prices per-panel continuing to drop (even without tax incentives!), investing in solar makes for a quicker return than ever before, with the US average payback taking only 7 years. This may seem like a long time, but even if you decide to move, the panels will add at least enough value to the property to pay for itself. If it’s not too sunny where you live, it still pays (both in dollars and to the climate) to shore up insulation, a common issue contributing to every home’s appetite for power.

We Move Forward

People will never cease to be clever. There will be no shortage of great ideas to enhance our efficiency, and better yet, we have already observed many of them function successfully. Not every single idea or adjustment will apply or resonate with each household or individual, but all of us are capable of taking more steps in the right direction, adopting what is feasible. It will take creativity, patience, and a degree of sacrifice, but we do indeed have the power to clean up our act and ensure a future for this planet, and our species.

Seriously, what is the point of all this quiet despair? It’s clear that, buried under all our day-to-day troubles, we gravely fear the pain we may be deferring to our great-grandchildren. It doesn’t help we are inundated with alarms from publications recycling and reposting articles on social media, showing a hundred scientists saying we’re screwed. Okay, well great, it’s settled. We can give up, take the easy way out, relax. Since we’re so aware of ourselves as a species and our history, is there any indication that humans, by and large, roll over and die? Look to the spires we have built, the flags planted on the moon, the evil within us we have defeated, and you have your answer.

Blog Posts The Hermit Emerges

The Hermit Emerges

By Cyrus Kingdom July 15, 2018

Learning to Like my own Thoughts

It’s hard to start something like this, because it involves being okay with writing about myself and expecting that someone out there finds what I have to say interesting. Part of the purpose of this blog is to exorcise the self-doubt by putting my head down and applying myself, hence the title. To that end, I hope to make this a place where I can successfully write my thoughts down on whatever strikes my fancy. In a more general sense, I tend to see myself as someone who used to have a narrow amount of interests, especially as a kid. Asthma kept me from going outside all the time, so all I cared about for a long time was video games. Essentially, I began life as a hermit. Thankfully, things have changed! I will probably be experimenting with formats, segments, and so on.

What I Would Like to Write About

Life is fully of pressing matters and musings, so this will be quite a diverse mix. Primarily, I enjoy everything to do with entertainment, from books, to movies, to video games, as well as art. I get the feeling that as this carries on, I will be mostly talking about stuff that has to with… aesthetics…

Not to worry, though! I’ll be sure to bore you in other ways! I might decide it’s worthwhile to highlight a historical event, figure, or place. I like Hockey (sports!) and pro CS:GO (E-…sports…), so yes, there is room here for conjecture from yet another sports nerd who’s never even played the game! I’ll be trying humor here and there, and we’re clearly off to a great start! Politics? Sure, but very, very carefully. Religion? Now that’s a soft-ball I can throw around! Technology is a big one for me as well.

I also feel I have a lot to say when it comes to writing about writing because, as with everything, there is an underlying strategy that elevates someone’s writing to new levels, and reaches a “desired effect.”

Oh, and I’m definitely not above promoting my services, or products I truly like. I’m quite eager to showcase my sales chops. I will still keep most of this sort of work on my portfolio, but occasionally I might publish it here, If I’m proud enough.

What you definitely won’t see on here: Gaming and Personal Finance. This is because, of course, I have decided blog more thoroughly about those subjects! Polygonal Prescriptions (gaming news, reviews, and musings) and Debtor’s Jailbreak (a “learn-as-I-go” journey of fiscal responsibility and getting out of student-loan debt) will focus exclusively on those subjects.

About Me

I grew up in probably one of the most idyllic places in the United States. Northern Virginia, for all its flaws (there are many), is possibly the greatest place in the country for a child to grow up in. We are surrounded by the beauty of nature (Great Falls, my hometown, is a fine example.), and the nation’s capital radiates prosperity to the surrounding communities. The city itself is, to me, a lot more chic than people give it credit. Yes, you’ve seen the monuments in every action movie. You know about people there who compete daily for the best half-truth told each day. There’s a lot more to it, from the nightclubs to the restaurants, to the people themselves.

I can attribute my writing ability, surprisingly, to my public high school. In an age where the nation’s education standards are struggling to keep up with a changing world, my school gave me the essay-writing edge. They broke it down to easy to understand steps, but still graded us sternly, and through that process, I realized I had some talent, like my father before me. My love for entertainment came when I started auditioning for plays, trying my hand at acting. I came to understand the electricity of performing in front of an audience, and the utter joy of putting on a show. The experience has never left me. My writing ability and newfound love for the arts made selecting my major an easy choice. I graduated with a BA in English from Virginia Commonwealth University in May of 2016.

After almost 24 years on this earth, I was given the unique opportunity to visit another country, staying with relatives in Paris for eight months. It was likely the best time of my life so far, as I lived in a new culture and met people from all over the world. My travels have not yet ceased, in a sense, as I now call Los Angeles, the smoggy jewel of the Southwest, my current home.

“GET ON WITH IT!”

Right. I certainly hope you’ll find something on here to make you smile or give you some insight. Like my style? Wanna hire me (please)? Feel free to peruse my portfolio and contact me! If you’ve come to this site and taken the time to read something on here (heck, if you’ve visited at all): Thank you!