When Mark Cuban was only 12 years old, he discovered the secret to effective sales.
Recently, Cuban was questioned by GQ on the “key to good sales.” You’re not trying to sell people, he said in response. You’re attempting to assist them.
He learned this information in his very first sales position. At the age of 12, Cuban established a business selling trash bags door to door in order to save up money for sneakers. This was the start of a long and prosperous career for Cuban.
Cuban saw that every time he sold something to a customer, they would say something about how much easier their life would be with the waste bags. His clients would remark, “Certainly, it makes it easier, I don’t have to carry that big box,” which helped Cuban realize that the secret to sales is creating value for customers rather than just persuading them that you have a superior product.
In the future, Cuban worked a variety of professions, including selling baseball cards and marketing PC software in Dallas, Texas. In the software industry, he maintained tight relationships with his clients. This enabled him to launch MicroSolutions, his first business, which he ultimately sold for $6 million.
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“Keep your customers in a successful position”
He told GQ that knowing what your customer can utilize and then meeting that need are the keys to becoming a great seller. Keep your clients in a position to thrive, and you will be successful, I always tell my salespeople, Cuban stated.
To do that, though, you must be able to identify appropriate, prepared, and ideal answers. The last thing you want is for your clients to claim that you have fewer delivery or more sales.
Tell your consumers that you can help them by understanding their difficulties and coming up with a “better solution” for them, they said.
Since roughly 50 years ago, psychologists David Mayer and Herbert M. Greenberg’s study has shown a link between high empathy and improved sales performance, showing that those who are more sympathetic tend to be more successful salesmen.
It’s crucial to heed Cuban’s counsel to become familiar with your consumers and their problems before offering them practical answers if you want to expand a successful firm. Cuban stated that the secret to being an entrepreneur in 2018 as part of the Amazon Insights for Entrepreneurs series is to make sales first and recognize that “sales are helping.”
In the words of Cuban, “Being a great seller isn’t about who can talk the fastest; it’s about taking the time to understand the needs of the person you’re selling to.” You need to be a skilled salesperson, and who is your company’s top salesman, right? You.”
After conducting a campaign to stop military aid to Ukraine, Slovakia’s former prime minister and leftist leader Robert Fico defeated his progressive competitor in the parliamentary elections. However, he will need to find allies to form the next government as the virtually final results began to come in on Sunday.
Fico’s Smer-SD party was in the lead with 23.37% of the vote in Saturday’s election, according to results from 98% of the polling districts. With 16.86% of the vote, the Liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party placed next, and the We Are Family (Vox) party, which could play a deciding factor in the future government’s formation, was at 15.03%.
Peter Pellegrini, the left-leaning head of the Hlas-SD party and a former Fico ally, left the door open to potential alliances.
In an effort to retain its unity against Russian aggression, Fico and the Smer-SD party’s administration have questioned the consensus within the European Union about support for Ukraine by allying NATO member Slovakia with Hungary.
This transformation in the anti-establishment camp’s political environment might also portend another shift in an area where the ruling PiS party of Poland performed well at the end of this month.
Fico’s party is more socially conservative and nationalist, and it opposes social liberalism, which it claims Brussels enforced. In terms of human rights, deep European integration, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental policies, PS is liberal.
candidate for Smer-SD for a Robert Kalinak, a supporter of Fico, stated, “We want to evaluate everything, so we will wait for the final results.” The party, he said, will make a statement on the whole results later on Sunday.
AP
Despite exit polls favoring PS, Fico won the election, raising the possibility that he may win a fourth term as prime minister after serving as leader of the administrations from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
HLAS expected to play a deciding role
Juzana Caputova was anticipated to ask for a mandate to preside over discussions as she represented the first party to breach the parliamentary majority line and perhaps build a viable administration.
Fico could create a coalition with the nationalist Slovak National Party, which received 5.68% of the vote, and HLAS, which broke away from Smer-SD in 2020.
According to Pellegrini, “The distribution of seats confirms HLAS as a party that normally cannot be part of any government coalition without causing instability.” If you ask me if we support any coalitions or alliances, I want to state without a doubt that we do not.
PS has pushed for Slovakia to strongly support Ukraine and might take a more liberal stance within the EU on matters like making the federation more flexible, enforcing green laws, and LGBTQ+ rights.
After the majority of votes were tallied, Michal Simko, the party’s head, did not rule out the prospect of forming the next administration, depending on the likelihood of smaller allies.
Simko, a former reporter and Oxford alumnus, stated, “Our goal is to form a stable, pro-European government in Slovakia after this election that will uphold the rule of law and begin tackling crucial areas for our future and investing in them.” They informed the crowd.
Any coalition PS would consider forming would probably require HLAS and might include more socially moderate or centrist parties, which might weaken its socially liberal and pro-EU integration rhetoric.
The 5.5 million-person nation will have to deal with rising fiscal deficits that are predicted to be the largest in the euro group.
Russian tendencies
Fico is a divisive figure who has ridden a wave of discontent over the centrist-center-right government that disintegrated last year, kicking off elections six months earlier.
He raised worries throughout his campaign about an increase of Western European migrants coming to Slovakia.
His opinions on Russia reflect widespread, long-standing affection among Slovenes, which has been heightened on social media since the commencement of the conflict in Ukraine.
He has pledged to halt military aid to Ukraine and push for peace talks, two goals shared by Viktor Orban, the leader of Hungary. Ukraine and its supporters have rejected these goals, arguing that doing so would only encourage Russia.
The far-right People’s Party, which some people considered Fico’s potential ally but others disqualified, did not get any seats.
Following huge anti-corruption demonstrations in the wake of an investigative journalist’s death in 2018, Fico was compelled to resign.
Pellegrini, a member of Smer-SD, succeeded him at that point and served as prime minister up until 2020, when center-right parties won the election on the promise of putting a stop to corruption. Their government, however, fell apart last year due to internal strife, which made Saturday’s early election possible.
Politicians and analysts have claimed that if Fico is elected, he will be able to control the narrative as he has in the past.
For Rodney Melton, generating a six-figure side income took just over a year.
Melton began creating and selling pet headstones on Etsy in March 2021. In addition to working 60 hours per week as a maintenance supervisor at Mars Pet Care, he had long worked with concrete and stone as a hobby.
He already owned a carving tool worth $15,000. Additionally, he had access to his own workshop in Alma, Arkansas, a town of less than 6,000 people on the border of the Ozark Mountains.
Melton set erected Headstone in Stones over the course of two or three days. He then chiseled for five hours before his wife filled in the gaps with epoxy. As his company expanded and sales began to flow, he used earnings and savings to invest $51,500 in additional equipment, including a granite router, laser engraver, and a sandblaster.
Melton was able to sell more headstones since the production time was cut with each new piece of equipment. He closed his full-time job in May 2022 after making approximately $20,000 in sales from his Etsy shop. In contrast to last summer, when he worked full-time alongside his daughter and daughter-in-law, he now works less hours and spends more time with his loved ones.
Melton’s four-person business earned more than $207,000 on Etsy last year, according to documents examined by CNBC Make It. Melton anticipates making approximately the same amount this year, with about two-thirds of that being profit.
Rodney Melton
Here, he talks about how he started his company, why he likes working with family, and what you might need to do in order to achieve his level of success.
CNBC Make It: Do you believe that your company can be replicated? What would one require to begin?
Melton: It’s doable for everybody. You should start with $10,000 or less, in my opinion. That is for sandblasting tools and cement molds.
Simply having a passion for it is all that is necessary. At the end of 2020, my mom went away, and my dad and I were having a hard time. I started creating small memorial items like plaques, 3D roses, and concrete crosses. merely modest memorial pieces that look great.
My friend Carlos later misplaced his dog, Mollie. I had a lot to do with those things because, in my opinion, I was headed in that route. [People who lose their dogs] are on my mind. However, in the end, serving more clients will increase your earnings.
Do you need to impose any restrictions in order to work with your family?
No, not always. If you have a strong personality and are sincere about your commitment, this could lead to conflicts with some family members. However, if you give everyone a voice, everything can go smoothly.
My wife and I initially met our daughter Kristin for lunch once a week. As we sat there, we would brainstorm and discuss ideas. She had the brilliant idea to create a dog bone-shaped concrete mold. Since then, we’ve sold goods for tens of thousands of dollars.
Kristin now looks after a lot. She never ceases to remind me of the tasks at hand. There will be a sticky note that reads, “Dad, you need to put in seven beige stones today.” when I go outside [to the workshop].
How has creating full-time pet memorials impacted your ability to balance work and life?
Currently, my wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law all work five hours or less every day. My office is only 75 feet from my back door, which helps me save a lot of time and spend more time with my family.
I enjoy snoozing in the morning and working a little in the evening. I set my own hours because I am my own boss. However, it isn’t a full-time position yet. I’m able to clean the house and mow the lawn.
We’ve all benefited from it. At the time, my daughter wasn’t content with her job. When she was a stay-at-home mother, my daughter-in-law, who assists us with stencil design, wanted to do something. She earns a few hundred dollars per week and raises her children at home rather than paying for daycare.
By shipping everything out the way we are, I can live a respectable life. Maybe when I’m thirty I’ll show off and create enormous cemeteries simply for cemeteries. But those are important occurrences.
I’m in discussions with a local monument company about starting to refurbish common gravestones. We might choose that path the following year.
According to a person familiar with the strategy, there is optimism that American House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would call on Republicans to approve a short-term funding package with disaster relief on Saturday. The bill has support from Democrats and might avert a partial government shutdown.
The source alluded to the requirement of withholding the names for internal deliberation as a “Hail Mary pass”. McCarthy’s grasp on a narrow advantage of 221-212 will be put to the test.
Reuters
Another short-term measure, referred to as a “continuing resolution” or CR, was rejected by Republican lawmakers on Friday. The revised version might have a chance to pass without such features, winning Democratic support. The previous bill had several conservative policy provisions that Democrats disapproved.
As Congress fails to enact legislation that would keep the government funded through the start of the fiscal year on October 1, internal disputes among the House-controlling Republicans have brought the United States to the verge of its fourth partial government shutdown in ten years.
A stopgap financing bill is scheduled to be advanced by the Democratic-controlled Senate on the other side of the Capitol, but a final vote may take several days.
More than 400,000 federal employees—whether they are on the job or not—will be subject to furloughs if both Houses do not send the funding package for President Joe Biden to sign by 12:01 a.m. Sunday (0401 GMT).
Federal agencies have already created comprehensive plans that specify which services, like border patrols and airport screening, should continue and which ones, like scientific research and aid for 7 million low-income moms, should stop.
Whether they are working or not, the majority of the government’s 4 million employees will be paid nothing.
According to local media, former president Jimmy Carter’s 99th birthday party in Atlanta has been moved from Sunday to Saturday in order to avoid a confrontation.
Just a few months prior to this impasse, Congress brought the federal government’s $31.4 trillion debt to the verge of default. The drama has alarmed Wall Street, where the credit rating firm Moody’s has issued a warning that it may hurt America’s creditworthiness.
In order to fund government programs while negotiations on a comprehensive law are ongoing, Congress often approves a temporary budget bill.
In the springtime budget dispute, a number of Republicans in the House advocated for stricter immigration policies and reduced expenditure, which has prevented movement this year.
Even though it would put his leadership in jeopardy from hardliners, McCarthy indicated on Friday that he might try to rely on Democratic cooperation to get a stopgap package passed in the chamber that would maintain spending at present levels. He didn’t give any more information.
Even though it would have resulted in a short-term shutdown, 21 Republicans joined Democrats on Friday to oppose the legislation that would have extended funding at the chamber level for the whole fiscal year.
Other Republicans who claimed they voted against a really good plan on Friday are irate about this.
A procedural vote in the Senate to prolong government financing until November 17 is set for midday (1700 GMT). Republicans and Democrats alike favor it broadly, but the Senate’s numerous obstructions may prevent a vote until Tuesday.
If it is approved, every law that is sent to Vice President Biden must first pass both chambers of Congress and then be reconciled. McCarthy stated that he opposes the $6 billion in aid to Ukraine that is included in the Senate bill, which might present another barrier.
On Friday, he declared, “We are trying to find a way out of this.”
In a ceremony where General Charles Q. Brown Jr. took over as the nation’s highest military officer’s duties, President Joe Biden honored outgoing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley on Friday.
The ceremony also saw Milley swearing in Brown as the 21st Chairman amid pomp and circumstance and the presence of guests. Brown had previously held the position of Air Force Chief of Staff.
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The late California senator Dianne Feinstein, whose office announced her passing on Friday at the age of 90, was honored by President Biden in his remarks.
She was a historical person, a trailblazer for women, and a terrific friend, according to Biden. Dianne made an impact on a variety of issues, including civil freedoms, environmental protection, and national security. “Jill and I will remember her, and the country will too.”
On Friday, Biden promised to have a lot more to say about the late California senator.
The President also commented on the continuing government shutdown, warning that failure by Congress to pass legislation to fund the government would be equivalent to “failing to pay our troops, who continue to work despite not being paid.”
He emphasized that it was unacceptable to play politics when our service members were at danger, calling it “unconscionable.” It is a complete breach of responsibility.
At the last tribute to the armed troops, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also attended.
General Milley is both a scholar and a warrior, Austin remarked. We are in awe of his intelligence, but we also genuinely love him. And during the course of his more than four-decade career, he has given his everything to commanding this incredible American military, which consists of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguards, and their families.
With a career spanning more than four decades and roles as the Army Chief of Staff and Commanding General of the United States Army Forces Command, Milley received his retirement certificate.
When he proposed that the nation’s military services should take an oath to the Constitution rather than a “despot” during remarks made during the event, Milley looked to be criticizing former President Donald Trump.
Please be aware that this translation may not contain all the subtleties of the original language since it is based solely on the text provided.
It was stated by Milley that “We do not swear allegiance to any king, queen, tyrant, or dictator, and we do not give an oath to anyone aspiring to be a dictator.”
The speaker said, “We do not bestow an oath upon any individual.” “We swear allegiance to the Constitution, promise to uphold the ideals of America, and are willing to give our lives in defense of it.”
In a social media post last week, Trump singled out General Milley and said that he may have been hanged for engaging in “treasonous” activity during the time after the 2020 election, when Trump sought to hold onto power.
83-11 vote this month confirmed Milley’s successor, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who had obstructed military advancements by opposing the Department of Defense’s abortion policy.
In his remarks, Biden scathingly denounced the promotion ban, calling it “completely, entirely unacceptable” and harmful to readiness, morale, and retention.
I’ve been around for a while. Biden declared, “I’ve never seen anything like this. “It’s indefensible,”
Military personnel whose advancements are being held up, according to Biden, “are prisoners of a senator’s political agenda, and they are held hostage by the silence of 47 others.”
Later on, he continued, “Our soldiers deserve better.”
Austin also urged the Senate to “promptly confirm all of our highly respected military nominees,” and the audience cheered in agreement.
In May, Biden declared his intention to nominate Brown to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calling him a “warrior, a fighter who comes out of a proud line of warriors.”
Please be aware that this translation may not contain all the subtleties of the original language since it is based solely on the text provided.
The third-base umpire called Bryce Harper out, and he promptly hurled his maroon Phillies helmet over the safety netting.
This foul ball was not your typical memento. Haden Dorfman, 10, of Voorhees, New Jersey, a 10-year-old Phillies fan, received an autographed item he could take home.
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Dorfman received the lucky helmet on Thursday night after being apprehended by some adults in the Citizens Bank Park concourse. The sixth-grader’s helmet arrived after the cool reasoning prevailed, per the boy’s father Haroon’s demand.
Dorfman attends roughly six Phillies games annually in Section 117, behind the home dugout, thanks to a half season ticket arrangement.
When third-base umpire Angel Hernandez ruled Harper out on strikes three, the showdown officially started. When Hernandez called for the slugger, Harper appeared to have totally held his swing against Pirates starter Luis E. Ortiz. He then started to take off his protective gear.
Harper started swinging at Hernandez after taking off his batting helmet. Before manager Rob Thompson had to separate them, Harper attacked Hernandez while wearing his batting helmet.
Harper flung his helmet into the crowd before entering the dugout, and the Philadelphia Phillies’ supporters roared in approval.
“Hayden, take it from here,” I said.
“Yeah! He threw it, and some dads began fighting over it,” he said. “I was aware that I would fail. However, I entered to see what would occur. I entered because it appeared like he had a firm hold of it. Then (my dad) began chanting, “Give it to the kid!,” and it was successful.
The insole of the helmet states, “The Phillies staff ultimately took the helmet back from the youngest Dorfman and subsequently returned it, signed by Harper No. 3 and Phillies.” Additionally, Harper inscribed the Bible phrase Luke 1:37 on the helmet, which reads, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
not this evening.
Harper stated after the Phillies’ 3-2 loss, “After that fact, I was walking away, and I wasn’t too upset anymore.” “I think I understand now. I no longer needed my helmet, so I flung it into the bleachers. Eventually, the youngster obtained it; when he signed it for him, he was overjoyed. It worked well.
Harper hurled the helmet into the stand, and “three people larger than me” allegedly snatched it, according to Aron Dorfman. So they decided to have a kid wear Harper’s helmet in order to diffuse the tension.
Dorfman remarked, “Ten seconds later, it was on his head.”
Harper jokingly said he wasn’t concerned about obtaining a new helmet as the Phillies got ready to host postseason games the next week.
The $330 million earner grinned and said, “I can buy a new one.”
Jews have been observing Sukkot, a seven-day harvest festival, for thousands of years. Building and residing in a “sukkah,” a man-made hut, is the major way to celebrate.
This celebration, which commemorates the Israelites’ life as nomads in the desert after fleeing slavery in Egypt, has long been associated with the Jewish high holidays Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.
USA TODAY
It’s actually a Jewish Thanksgiving, according to Beckie Sobelman-Stern, chief program officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. It’s a moment to give thanks for our food, she says, and to ask for rain so that we might have a healthy crop the next year.
Sukkot begins on Friday, September 29, in the evening, and ends on Friday, October 6.
In addition to the aforementioned, it is a holiday associated with the fall harvest in agriculture.
It’s really a Jewish Thanksgiving, according to Rabbi Andrea London of Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois. It’s a moment to give thanks for our food, she says, and to ask for rain so that we might have a healthy crop the next year.
You’re expected to eat in a sukkah (hut) during Sukkot.
Happy New Year!
An outdoor dining area is referred to as a “Sukkot” in this context. The custom of sleeping outside for the full Sukkot week is mentioned by London, however “not everyone sleeps, especially here in Chicago.”
If you don’t have the resources or room to build temporary outdoor huts, you can still celebrate the holidays by using porches and overhangs. According to Sobelman-Stern, “Sukkot is about being outside. It concerns decoration. Being imaginative is key.
Why is Sukkot celebrated?
According to London, the holidays serve as a reminder of what’s important in life. “And how can we make those things better? How do we develop a compassionate and just lifestyle? How does our faith in God help us endure adversity and challenges?
Jewish festival Sukkot calls for joy.
According to Rabbi Sara Krinsky of the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., Sukkot is the only Jewish holiday that has a sense of command. It’s an intense delight, she says.
Going outside, taking in the scenery, decorating the sukkah, and eating with friends, according to Krinsky, “brings us towards presence, gratitude, and deep feelings of joy.”
The shaking of the etrog and lulav is a distinctive custom that should make you grin if the actions mentioned above don’t.
The lulav, which represents the spine, is constructed by weaving branches of myrtle and willow through a palm frond. The etrog is a citrus fruit with a big lemon-like appearance that stands in for the heart. Both are used to signal the presence of God by waving in all directions. You can consider the ritual to be a dance.
Noelia Voigt of Utah was named the next Miss USA on Friday night during the Grand Sierra Resort’s culmination of the 2023 competition, which was broadcast on the CW network. Savana Gankiewicz of Hawaii came in first runner-up.
In the competition, 23-year-old Voigt bested 50 other state champions. The field was reduced from 20 finalists at the beginning of the televised competition to Voigt, Gankiewicz, Jasmine Daniel from Pennsylvania, Luvia Alzet from Texas, and Alexis Loomans from Wisconsin after the swimsuit and evening gown rounds.
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During the final Q&A, Voigt claimed to be “bilingual Venezuelan-American” and promised to engage with diverse communities across the country when asked what she would contribute as a “brand ambassador” and as Miss USA in the Miss Universe Organization.
Vivica A. Fox, former “Real Housewives” actress Luann de Lesseps, and beauty blogger Patrick Starrr served as the panel’s judges.
The mission of the competition, according to Laila Rose, president and chief executive officer of the Miss USA Organization, was to give “a modern and progressive perspective for a 70-year-old tradition.”
Men’s Juliana Morhouse-Locklear was this year’s Miss USA, becoming the first married state titleholder following recent rule changes enacted by the Miss Universe Organization. (Morhouse-Locklear, the daughter of a Miss USA contestant in 1994, did not place higher than the top 20.)
Morgan Romano of North Carolina was replaced by Voigt in the 2022 Miss USA pageant. Romano had won this title, replacing Texas’ Arbonne Gabriel, who had been elected Miss Universe in January 2022, with her own victory.
Gabriel’s victory in the 2022 Miss USA pageant had been tainted by accusations of cheating by some of her rivals, which had caused “irregularities” during the competition in her favor.
The Miss Universe Organization, the Miss USA pageant’s parent organization, started an inquiry and suspended Kristal Stewart, the reigning national director of Miss USA, and her business, Miss Brands, in October 2022, a few weeks after she was crowned.
The accusations were refuted by officials Gabriel, Stewart, and others. There was no misconduct and no cheating, Gabriel assured E. The last thing I would ever want to do is disparage the contestants or prohibit them from participating on a level playing field, Stewart said in a statement at the time. I’ll never give up on my goal of leading a group that empowers young women.
The pageant made the announcement that its relationship with Stewart would cease in August. Miss USA and Crystal have amicably agreed to a settlement, according to a statement confirming that “after a full and complete investigation into the charges made against the contest, it was found that the allegations against her were untrue… Regarding the lingering concerns about Crystal and Miss Brands’ continuous involvement, Crystal has chosen to capitalize on her achievements with the Miss USA Organization to develop her interest for entrepreneurship.
Uma Sofa Srivastava, 16, of New Jersey, was named Miss Teen USA on Thursday night at the Grand Sierra Resort. The first runner-up was New Yorker Stephanie Skinner, age 19.
The poem “Flora and Son” by John Carney isn’t a sonnet, at least not in the traditional sense. Before the movie’s September 29 Apple TV+ streaming debut, the Irish writer-director made this revelation to the public.
The plot centers on a fictitious Dublin single mother who gives her rebellious son a guitar while looking for her own music composer. Despite the fact that his late mother gave Kishore Carney a guitar, which launched him on a career in music and cinema, this follow-up to the Oscar-winning “Once” from 2007 and the hit “Sing Street” from 2016 isn’t a proper tribute to him.
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Carney, 51, asserts, “You can’t do anything other than play your part in your work.” Flora is candid about her difficulties raising her kid and separating from his history. They also take note of the musical ability she received from her sister, who made a big impression during the January 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Jack Reynor portrays Max’s father in “Flora and Son,” and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Flora’s guitar instructor.
People: Unlike her father Bono, Eva Husson is not primarily an actress or a musician. What was it like working with Flora and her son since they have brought her closer to the world of music?
We don’t believe Flora is a true composer or singer for this part. She hasn’t been viewed from that angle before. We perceived her as more akin to a rapper or as possessing the talent to pen strange or fascinating material. She won’t, however, be a particularly talented lyricist or singer; this is not her song. Therefore, neither she nor I ever expressed concern about the quality of her singing or the fact that her father is a well-known rock artist. It was never truly a factor.
His profession involves acting, so that was always the focus.
We didn’t initially really talk about singing, in a way. I never uttered the phrase “So, can you crush singing?” Because Eva responded, “I can do that,” and because we both knew Flora could play four or five chords and maybe catch a melody. All I wanted to know was that.
You mentioned that seeing this movie made you recall the time when you were roughly Max’s age and your mother. How resembling or dissimilar is “Flora and Son” to your personal memories?
I didn’t want to make it too complicated, so. I wanted to keep it a secret because if you remember it, you’re too busy trying to describe how it felt and you’ll never be able to do it accurately.
Therefore, I now prefer to find stories that make me feel triggered and suggestive but that I can also personally connect to – yet I risk losing that connection if it doesn’t seem too fake. And you’re absolutely right.
Flora was not like my mother. She arrived to Dublin from an entirely different background; she was from a small town in Roscommon. She was a very different kind of mother, but she nevertheless gave me a guitar and listened to my requests. She missed a lot of details in what I required of her, let me just say that. You can’t give your children everything when they are yelling at you, after all.
However, she invested in it in a way that was significant and valuable to me by finding the appropriate thing for me at the right moment. And that’s really the core of the narrative; my goal in making the movie was to express gratitude for that and a desire to return the favor. And I believe I performed admirably. It appears that the child ultimately comprehends his mother, recognizes her, and is appreciative of all the dirt she provided him. I now feel fairly liberated from the movie in that sense.
Do you frequently use a personal connection to narrative entertainment as inspiration for your movies?
Art is by its very essence non-action. The very nature of art is to disguise your tricks and bury your trails! Keep the tools hidden.
It’s a lovely idea to thank your mother in writing to her. How personally enlightening was the making of the movie?
It was more of a full-circle scenario, so I’m not sure whether there was any immediate enlightenment. When you’re 14, you don’t say “Thanks a million” to your mom; instead, you offer her a small, testosterone-driven nod before going to your room to play.
I also have a seven-year-old son now. And on occasion, you can tell how little they recognize all that you have done for them. They’re in a different stage of life, not because they aren’t appreciative.
I just wondered how my mother may have felt when she gave me a guitar if I feel this way because I’ve watched my child play this game or developed this item with him. At the time, I lacked the maturity to sit down and express my gratitude for what you had done. No one else, even Dad, did it.
You have to pay for this. And it was incredibly enlightening in that regard, maybe even more so because it was just a wonderful finish; it was a reconciliation that brought the musical film’s tale of a son and mother purchasing a guitar to a satisfying conclusion.
How has having kids influenced your project or your art in general?
I won’t go into detail, but I’m thinking right now that my relationship with my kids is something I live with every day, especially on set and in a movie like this that is plainly about parenting. Just thinking about how complicated that relationship is makes me feel really honored to be a part of it.
My wife and I were saying something to the effect of, “On a global scale, out of all people, we, I and you, are the luckiest” the other day while we were discussing this. And it’s still occasionally confusing and difficult. Even if we are the most fortunate beings on the earth, life is nonetheless confused, startling, difficult, and humbling.
Let’s see how we can take a damaged relationship and offer a course of healing for Flora, who lived in a shoebox, didn’t have much money, when she had a child, she was a single mother, and she didn’t have many resources.
That was the main focus of the movie. I was contemplating my family’s dynamics at the time, as well as how fortunate I am, as well as, in some ways, how unlucky Flora is and how brave she is in trying to find a way forward for her son.
How important is thankfulness to your work and life overall?
Because it’s the biggest truth, it’s really important. Although these ideas may seem like overused self-help advice for relationships, thankfulness is the most crucial aspect of daily living. In fact, if many of the critics at the moment stopped to consider how appreciative they should be, even when things need to be fixed or aren’t right, they would realize how close they actually are.
Apple TV+ is now offering streaming of Flora & Ulysses.
For “Back Nation,” it was mostly business as usual despite promises to shake things up with a senior citizen spin-off in “The Golden Bachelor” season premiere, which included a romantic guitar serenade, a daring “birthday suit” entrance, some tipsy banter, and multiple make-out sessions.
Last show was considered as a potential savior for the series, which has been plagued by scandals and problems in recent years, since it was first unveiled last spring after years in production. Franchise viewership decrease, a changing fan base, discontent in the reality TV romance market, a quickly expanding and powerful rival pipeline, and viewers who have gone past the show’s cliched love themes have all taken their toll on Love.
AP
Season after season of “The Bachelor,” featuring a leading man who dates 20 to 25 women concurrently (or, in its gender-flipped spin-off, “The Bachelorette”), eliminates hopeful romantics each week until he reaches the final two, and finally picks one as his true love—often, his wife—has been watched by viewers for more than 20 years. By distilling the search for committed relationships and romantic ideals into a singular vision and emphasizing heterosexual, Christian, monogamous marriage, The Bachelor series has made pop cultural history.
The show’s gorgeous ensemble of 20 and 30-somethings, whose booze-fueled interpersonal dramas generated the majority of the show’s amusement as they competed for viewers’ affections, has also earned a reputation for its frequently lurid, vulgar, and occasionally repugnant behaviors.
It’s a formula that gained notoriety, especially in the age of social media, and made its competitors, couples, and memorable single women into relative stars. It also created phrases that are now overused, like “here for the right reasons,” which questioned a contestant’s motivation for participating in the show.
The Bachelor series had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experiment with the plot with “The Golden Bachelor,” if they could pull it off. Given their candidates’ little experience in producing viral moments in elegant gowns and unusual clothing, as well as the fact that their lives are largely offline, it appears doubtful that their group will gain substantial recognition. Additionally, the focus and objectives of the event could have been more intricate.
While a dating program focusing on the romantic aspirations of young adults frequently fixates on marriage and settling down, a show about older persons seeking love may illuminate how goals grow over a lifetime, with some wishing for additional marriages and children. What the show did, however, was showcase an outdated version of their tried-and-true formula.
Gerry Turner, a personable and gorgeous 72-year-old widower who boasts the conventional good looks necessary to become a Bachelor heartthrob and a moving past that has already made him a Bachelor icon, makes an appearance as “The Golden Bachelor.”
Toni had been Turner’s high school sweetheart for 43 years, but just weeks after they retired and moved into their dream house, she passed away suddenly from a rare infection. Six years later, he is prepared to try love once more, and he starts his quest by getting to know 22 Golden Bachelor contestants.
The contestants’ entrance may be the most convincing proof that the Bachelor franchise will continue to follow tradition; like their youthful predecessors, the contestants ride motorcycles and perform stunts in an alluring show meant to capture Turner’s attention and make a good first impression.
While shared past narratives about the contestants have given some significant context for the contestants’ lived experiences, this season of the Bachelor Mansion proved to be even more passionate than previous seasons, with women getting upset and arguing over their time with Turner and interfering with one another’s sessions on the first night. With two passionate make-out sessions on the opening night, not just one by Turner, and a contestant’s diva-like behaviors that seem destined to make her the season’s villain, this editing seems to be more focused on dramatic moments.
It is refreshing to see physical intimacy between senior people, something that is rarely seen on prime-time television, much less on a dating show.
Seniors have just as much of a right to be passionate or argumentative as their younger colleagues. It appears, though, that the program (at least thus far) isn’t especially interested in recognizing or addressing the years of experience that its characters brings to their search for love, or how it could influence their approach to finding love at this point in their lives. The show may be lot more interesting to watch now that the cast is older and has more life experience, even though previous seasons have featured make-out sessions in hot tubs and crying in later episodes. Imagine a Golden Bachelor debating if a previous marriage affected his search for a companion in his later years or whether physical connection in later life is more important.
Do anxieties about having fewer young children and concerns about nutrition make partnerships less stressful, or do older children exacerbate already difficult romantic relationships?
It’s unclear if “The Golden Bachelor” will be able to maintain its initial viewership of 4.09 million, a 38% increase over the most recent premiere of “The Bachelor,” according to Nielsen’s early ratings, despite the fact that the lack of novelty in the show may dissatisfy fans looking for some welcome changes in the franchise.
It remains to be seen if it can maintain those ratings, as upcoming episodes are anticipated to go deeper into what dating and falling in love meant in the 1960s or 1970s through more complex dialogue. The franchise has, however, taught us that initial impressions count for a lot. When I watched the first episode, it seemed like “The Golden Bachelor” was just a little modified version of “The Bachelor,” with the same basic plot.
