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In 2020, Michael Breslin and Patrick Foleythe creative directors of Fake Friends, a theater company based in Brooklyndigitally premiered Circle Jerk, a brilliant, piercing critique of Internet-era white gayness starring (and somewhat autofictionally about) themselves. It briefly became an online sensation, thanks in part to producer Jeremy O. Harriss ardent campaigning, and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2021; now, theyve brought it back and into the IRL, live (and live-streamed nightly) from the Connelly Theater in New York. At least temporarily, this will close the loop before they move onto new projects.

Following rehearsal on a recent Sunday afternoon, the two are headed to the East Williamsburg nightclub 3 Dollar Bill for another exercise in communal self-indulgence: local celebrity DJ Ty Sunderlands weekly Ty Tea day party, where a certain kind of revelrous gay congregates throughout the summer.

One post-work drink turns into four double tequila sodas, and the pair are admiring the skin-forward, early summer couture, ranging from a young redhead in a tank top reading SLAY & YAAAS & TWINK, to more intricate, high-heeled getups. I love these theatrical little babies wearing full-out looks, but its sad to me that it probably only happens for, like, four hours on a Sunday, Breslin remarks. Its like repression in daily life at the capitalism office, and then they put on their theater costumes for their day out.

A few hours in, with Kylie Minogue blasting and shirts off, the self-congratulatory, debauched dealings around them create a perfect petri dish for the ideas of gay sociology Circle Jerk explores. With its two writer-stars playing six different characters competing for social survival, the piece creates a rigorous dialectic between inner and outer appearances. At a breakneck pace, the three-act play follows innocent Brooklynite Patricks visit to Gaymen Islanda mix of the Fire Island Pines and every other gay party meccawhere his sexy Internet boyfriend, secretly an alt-right troll, is mounting a massive disinformation campaign with a tech-savvy meme lord. When Patricks best friend Michael arrives to de-dickmatize him, white gays do as white gays will, and every conceivable sexual boundary is crossed.

Theres a dual vision at work when you're in gay-coded spaces of, Are you fuckable and are you actually interesting? and, for most gays, fuckable is way more interesting than being interesting, Foley says, dancing along to Britney Spears. But not for me, because Im an intellectual.

More here:
The Creators and Stars of Circle Jerk Just Want to Put On a Show - Vogue

As the hearings probing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol got underway, we asked for your take with four prompts.

Your responses seemed to fall into the two camps. The most common opinion was confirmation, albeit with more detail than expected, that Donald Trump was involved in the planning and execution of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The second opinion shared was that the committee is running a witch hunt (to quote one response). A few people noted nuanced possible outcomes and addressed legal concerns. We thank everyone for their replies, we read them all.

Below are a sampling of responses, edited for length and clarity.

Here is what I think we the people need to know as the evidence is presented and re-presented during these hearings and seemingly the case is there to charge and ultimately convict the former president as well as others who were involved in official positions as well as those hired and otherwise participating.

As it is said, time to get down to brass tacks and see what case can be nailed.

~Arthur W. Rashap

The bottom line, the hearings are not going to change the minds of the far right or far left. However, there does seem to be some movement in the less extreme elements of the political parties as well as in independents. Many of these groups are watching the hearings with great interest and open minds. It is in these groups that the hearings may have the most profound political ramifications.

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~J. Stephen Sadler

I would like to see a randomly selected cross-section of citizens (such as those who participate in projects sponsored by the Center for Deliberative Democracy at Stanford) pose their questions, and then get responses from the J6 committee, and spend some time deliberating about the way forward. I realize this is not practical in the short term, but I would like to see more engagement, rather than just evidence presented, in whatever form that might be practicable as soon as possible.~Robert Barrett

I have been thinking about the Jan. 6 hearings at two levels. First, at the most obvious, prosecutorial level, the hearings offer overwhelming evidence that President Trump (together with his cast of supporting actors) committed crimes that, by any reasonable standard, qualify as both impeachable and criminal. When viewed at this level, it is deeply troubling that the hearings are so widely being seen as nothing more than a partisan exercise intended to undermine Republican electoral prospects and Trump's chances of reclaiming the presidency.~Guy Burgess

My take is the Democrats are really scared that the people are seeing them for what they are. So, folks like yourself are trying your damnedest to make something out of nothing. You sat on your thumbs as cities across this nation burned, in some cases encouraged it. Now youre trying to blow up as much as possible a bunch of Americans who are fed up with our government acting like a bunch of spoiled children, in a bid to garner more control over the populace through fear, fear of their fellow Americans. ~Mike Dunn Be the change you want to see in the world - Gandhi

Witch hunt.

~Jeff Freeman

I have always followed the news and was very interested in this election. I was aware of how much Trump lied from the beginning of his rise, so I did not believe him about election fraud or any of his claims. All the lawsuits that he brought were ridiculous and I was not surprised that the judges found them so. I am glad to hear the testimony from Republicans that confirm what I suspected were more of his lies. Interesting to hear that former Attorney Geneal William Barr wondered if he was actually delusional. ~Judy Jones

I have not been surprised by the evidence so far, and my initial perspective was that the assault on the Capitol was totally influenced by former President Trump. What I would like to see exposed was how he systematically made people believe he was the greatest president ever (he said that often). Present all the times he claimed election fraud when Barack Obama won, when Sen. Ted Cruz beat him in one of the primaries and when he did not win the popular vote against Hillary Clinton. The constant bashing of mainstream media as fake news, saying he knew more than medical experts, scientists, generals, bankers you name it. By demonizing anyone who opposed him and saying they were low IQ people and that he was the only one who could solve every problem the country faced. Say these things loud enough and long enough it becomes the truth to his followers. ~Jack Laser

1. Unfortunately, none of the evidence has surprised me but seeing and hearing it presented in a dispassionate manner with clear emphasis on verifiable fact has added gravity to the very real threat we faced and still face. 2. Seeing and hearing the testimony of courageous individuals in Trump's inner circle has changed my perspective so that I see an even sharper focus on Trump as the sole ring leader implementing a contingency plan that he put into action as early as April 8, 2020. 3. Were I a juror I would simply be taking notes and searching for evidence that would prove Trump innocent of wrongdoing. 4. I want to know what legislation can be drafted to prevent a recurrence of this attempt to steal my vote. I want to know what actions Congress can take to compel members to testify when invited to do so since they can always avail themselves of the Fifth Amendment. I want to know what I can do to heal the deep wounds that Trump has added to those that extremists of all types have already inflicted upon our nation. ~Joe Bachofen Sr.

The only "surprises" I saw from the recent release of testimony and evidence were that many in Trump's inner circle were telling him that he lost and that the election was not affected by corruption. For me, the testimony and evidence simply confirm what I thought, that Trump was and continues to be a charlatan. The Republican Party allowed itself to be sucked into his mess and now is unable to disconnect itself from his fakery. ~Donna Becker

Probably the only thing that surprised me and still does was how did people get into the building in the first place (no tear gas or non-lethal force). Im just shocked people got within window-busting distance and nothing much happened. But Im going to guess some of the police officers were partial to what was going on? I felt it was wrong then and still do. I dont think he should run again (and I liked his policies and was leaning red at the time). Im a centrist by heart, and it's sad to see people that were otherwise the same have to pick sides when things clearly started to get exceedingly polarized. Center people exist for a reason.~Chad Quilter

I was surprised by how many people in his inner circle told Trump it was "bullshit" and he still pushed forward.I heard confirmation that there was a planned insurrection.If I were sitting on a jury, depending on who was on trial (Trump?) and what are the charges, I would be asking, Who is guilty of what?I would want to know, what are we changing to make sure this never happens again? Especially the fact that law enforcement was not prepared to put this attempt to overthrow our government down!~Pablo Mendoza

The only thing that did surprise me is that his daughter Ivanka testified that she disagrees with Trump. Nothing I heard changes my view that Trump did this for his own purpose since this lunatic wanted to take over the country to remain president and in power forever or until he dies. If I was sitting in a jury, I would ask how come this person has not had a full on psychiatric evaluation. He is deranged and out of touch with reality. Reminds me of Jim Jones, who convinced 900 people to drink poison and die with him. Only this lunatic has created a revolutionary environment in this country with his lies and risk destroying 250 years of democracy. ~Heather Halperin

My internal jurist craves the answer to one question: Who thought that riling up an already sensitive group of overly demonstrative voters whose candidate just lost an election by the same landslide Electoral College margin he won by four years prior was a good idea? These voters represent a part of the populace made to feel marginalized (and for some, they were brushed aside by both Democrats and Republicans for years, not just as deplorables but as unworthy of time and consideration given their lack of donatable funds). Once a self-serving champion gave them agency to speak their minds through rallies, social media interactions and alt-right groups, the latent -isms found throughout the messaging of the Trump administration became magnified, as did the raw emotions of this group of Americans. My end-state thinking would be along the lines of trying to determine if using these loyalists as a means to an end interrupting the electoral process to keep then-President Trump in office was honestly considered to be a legitimate tactic. If so, this could not have been the work of one individual. But, if deemed illegitimate by the vast majority of staff members, why were the fires stoked from several directions?~Zach Boguslawski

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Your Take: The January 6th hearings - The Fulcrum

Emmanuel Macrons centrist grouping has lost its absolute majority in parliament, amid gains by a new left alliance and a historic surge by the far right, according to projected results in Sundays election.

After five years of undisputed control of parliament, the recently re-elected Macron, known for his top-down approach to power, now enters his second term facing uncertainty over how he will deliver domestic policies, such as raising the retirement age and overhauling state benefits. His centrists will need to strike compromises and expand alliances in parliament to be able to push forward his proposals to cut taxes and shake up the welfare system.

Macrons Ensemble (Together) remains the biggest grouping in parliament, but suffered significant losses in what the media called a crushing defeat and an earthquake. Political analysts deemed the results a severe failure for Macrons centrist alliance, which missed the absolute majority by a large margin, in contrast to its landslide win five years ago.

Projections by Ipsos pollsters, based on partial results, showed that Macrons centrists would win about 234 seats much less than the 289 required for an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

A historic alliance of parties on the left, led by the hard-left Jean-Luc Mlenchons France Unbowed party with the Socialists and the Greens, seemed poised to become the largest opposition group, with about 141 seats.

But the most striking result of the night came for Marine Le Pens far-right, anti-immigration National Rally party, which was forecast to increase its seats from eight in 2017 to about 90 a historic high for a party that in the past has struggled to make gains in the first-past-the-post parliamentary voting system.

The far-right gains showed that Le Pens party had expanded from its traditional heartlands in the Pas-de-Calais across a swathe of the north and north-east, and spread from its south-eastern base along the Mediterranean coast.

Significantly, the far right broke new ground in western France, with a rising party star, Edwige Diaz, 34, winning a seat in Gironde outside Bordeaux, in an area where the gilets jaunes anti-government protests had been very strong. The partys high number of seats will allow Le Pen, who was elected in the Pas-de-Calais area, to form a major parliamentary group and receive greater visibility and significant funding for her party, which is facing debts.

Le Pen gave a victorious speech from northern France, saying her party had won its greatest number of members of parliament in history. We will be a firm opposition, she said. Her interim party leader, Jordan Bardella, called it a tsunami.

Mlenchons France Unbowed party now leads a broader left coalition, known as the Nupes, or the New Popular Ecological and Social Union. Within the left alliances projected 141 seats, the Green party increased its showing to about 28 seats and the Socialists took about 22. Clmentine Autain, a close ally of Mlenchon, described the united lefts result as a breakthrough. The lefts Rachel Keke, a hotel housekeeper who led a strike for better pay and conditions at a Paris hotel, became the first cleaner ever elected to the French parliament.

Macrons centrists insisted they had still come top, even if the mood at party headquarters was described as grim.

Its a disappointing first place, but its a first place, said Olivia Grgoire, a government spokesperson, on French TV. She said the government would ally with moderates who wanted to move things forward but did not spell out how Macrons grouping would avoid deadlock over legislation.

The economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, called the results a democratic shock which he defined by the big push of the far right. He said the results reflected the big worries of the French electorate, but Macrons policy plans could still be resumed as work, security, Europe, climate.

Le Maire said Macron was the only person to have the democratic legitimacy to decide that project and to reach out a hand to others in parliament to move forward. He said he did not believe there would be chaos in parliament and that the results were disappointing, but not a defeat.

Macron, who was re-elected president in April over Le Pen, had pleaded for a solid majority in parliament in order to have a free hand to deliver domestic policy.

But his party, La Rpublique En Marche, which is soon to be renamed Renaissance, suffered several symbolic defeats as key figures in Macrons circle were voted out. These included Christophe Castaner, the former head of Macrons party in parliament. Richard Ferrand, an architect of Macrons centrist movement and the former head of the French parliament, was ejected from his seat in Brittany.

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The presidents party will now be more dependent than ever on its centrist allies, which include former prime minister douard Philippes new party, Horizons. The government could shift further right if it needs to court rightwing legislators.

Macron will be forced to reshuffle his government in the coming days, after the new health minister, Brigitte Bourguignon, was beaten by the far right in the north, and the environment minister, Amlie de Montchalin, lost her seat. The prime minister, lisabeth Borne, was elected in Normandy, but her result was closer than expected.

Borne described the election result for the centrist grouping as a risk for our country in view of the challenges we have to face, saying the government would immediately try to find consensus to guarantee stability.

The election was marked by voter apathy, with less than 50% of the electorate turning out to vote.

The rightwing party Les Rpublicains, which was in power under Nicolas Sarkozy, suffered losses, but was still predicted to keep hold of about 75 seats. This was seen as a respectable showing after its catastrophic score in the presidential election, when its candidate, Valrie Pcresse, took less than 5%. The right and its centre-right allies, the UDI, could now be courted as potential parliamentary allies for the government.

The rest is here:
Macrons centrist grouping to lose absolute majority in parliament, say projected results - The Guardian

In todays world, social media is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. However, managing a successful social media campaign can be time-consuming and expensive. Thats why more and more companies are choosing to outsource their social media marketing.

Here are the top four reasons why:

1. LOWER COSTS

Getting someone with experience means fewer resources needed to successfully market your business on social media.

In-house social media teams require expensive equipment, software, and other tools to get the job done. Hiring a social media marketing expert frees you from these requirements. In turn, you can focus more of your resources on your core business.

2. PATCH UP SKILL GAPS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

If youre a business owner, you know how important it is to stay competitive in todays market. But with so many tasks and responsibilities on your plate, it can be challenging to give social marketing the attention it deserves.

Thats why outsourcing this aspect of your business can be such a valuable solution.

When you outsource social marketing, you can quickly and easily hire the talent you need on an as-needed basis, such as graphic design, ad copywriting, and so on. This allows you to respond to market changes and opportunities quickly without having to go through recruiting, interviewing, and hiring full-time staff.

3. SAVE TIME

With outsourcing, you wont have to spend hours working on your social media marketing strategy. Not to mention onboarding an in-house social media management team can be just as time-consuming.

Between managing your social media accounts, tracking analytics, and creating content, staying on top of all of your social marketing requires a full-time commitment. Outsourcing can relieve some of this pressure as you hire qualified talent to handle your brands social media presence.

4. SCALE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING

Less time and money spent means more potential to scale up your digital marketing toward a bigger goal.

Youll have a bigger budget for other aspects of your business. Also, freelancers and agencies offer flexible rates that can be scaled based on your needs.

It doesnt matter if youre a small or big company thats trying to reach more customers through social media marketing and generate more income through social media ads.

A specialized agency or freelancer is a great way to get more out of your digital marketing efforts. Skills on demand eliminate the likelihood of going overboard and overpaying employees whose talents dont fully benefit your marketing goals.

HOW TO OUTSOURCE SOCIAL MARKETING EFFECTIVELY

Outsourcing social media marketing can be a great way to save time and resources, but its essential to do it the right way.

Here are some tips for outsourcing social media marketing successfully.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

When outsourcing your social marketing, its important to ask the right questions up front.

This will ensure that you find a partner who can deliver results for your business and align with your goals and needs.

Some key questions to consider include:

1. Have they worked with similar businesses before?

If so, can they provide examples of their work and results? Its important to see not only the results they achieved but also how those results were measured.

Look for case studies or other examples of their work that include metrics like engagement rates, reach, and conversions.

2. How will you communicate?

You need to know how often will you meet, find out what is the deliverable schedule, how progress will be reported, what channel will be used to communicate, and who will have the final sign-off on the work.

3. What social media platforms do they specialize in?

What was popular last year may be old news this year. Make sure the agency youre considering is up to date on the latest platforms and trends.

4. What paid tools do you use?

Tools are critical for social media marketers. They help you listen to conversations, track your brands performance, automate tasks, and more.

Ask the social media agency what tools they use so that you can get a sense of their level of expertise and whether or not theyre genuinely invested in helping clients succeed.

5. How will they help you reach your goals using social media marketing?

This is probably the most important question that can tell whether a particular agency has done some research regarding your business in order to come up with a realistic marketing strategy to help your business grow.

CHECK OUT PAST CLIENT REVIEWS

Checking out their past client reviews and testimonials can often provide valuable insights into the quality of their work.

Go over the reviews from businesses in a similar industry. This lets you know whether they can provide content and social marketing strategies tailored to the needs of your audience.

Reviews from clients also reveal an agency or freelancers flexibility and responsiveness to your needs. You want to look for a provider who can consistently deliver high-quality content on schedule and who is willing to work with you to make any necessary adjustments or revisions.

ASK FOR REFERRALS

Friends or colleagues can refer service providers with whom they had a good experience in the past. This is a great way to narrow down your choices.

Your other option is to get referrals from online resources, like social media communities and forums, to find qualified agencies or freelancers.

Get quotes from multiple agencies or freelancers before making a decision. This will allow you to compare prices and services to find the best value for your money.

Also, make sure to ask about any additional costs that may not be included in the quote.

Outsourcing social media marketing for businesses can be a great way to get the most out of your digital marketing strategy. When you partner with an experienced and qualified social media marketing company, they will help you create engaging content that reaches your target audience and drives conversions.

TL;DR: Outsourcing your social media marketing lets you focus on managing your core business operations while leaving the heavy lifting to the experts.

Candice Georgiadis is an active mother of three as well as a designer, founder, social media expert, & philanthropist |Digital Agency, Inc

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4 reasons to outsource social marketing for businesses (and how to do - Fast Company

Tax & accounting firms that highlight their purpose and values while focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas may gain an edge in recruiting top talent

A vast majority of people 70% say they define theirpurposethrough their work, according to McKinsey & Co. At the same time, Millennial workers will make up 75%of the workforce by 2025, and they have indicated that they want to work for socially responsibleemployers.

The combination of these facts is driving the majority of employers to identify and communicate its purpose and values and also focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas in addition to generating revenue through their operations.

Adding in the fact that demand for entry level talent within the tax & accounting profession will not meet demand over the next few years intensifies the need for accounting employers to differentiate themselves in order to attract the best talent. For example, accounting and business advisory firm Sensiba San Filippo (SSF) and global consulting firm Kearney & Co., have both taken purpose-driven approaches to recruiting and retention, albeit in very different ways. Yet both are examples of firms that are leading with purpose to attract and retain people to propel their firms forward.

SSF took a different approach more than four years ago by getting B-certified, which is a rigorous, third-party certification process that ensures employers demonstrate their commitment to the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.

When the firm started to explore it, John Sensiba, the firms managing partner, was attracted to the idea of being a socially responsible firm. We figured it would be a great testament to the good work we were already doing, Sensiba explains. And the rigor in their certification process would help us establish some stretch goals ultimately to make us and our communities better.

The firm increasingly has seen the benefits of the B-certification on its talent processes and culture. Notably, Sensiba attributes the firms low turnover, which is less than half of the industry average, to the firms B-certification.

Sholly Nicholson, director of Human Resources at SSF, outlines the full scope of the B-certifications benefits on recruiting, which include:

No matter what the tactics are, the need to ensure that accounting and consulting firms are bringing in like-minded, value-aligned candidates is a necessity, especially amid the current labor shortage.

Kearney & Co. sought to lead with purpose at the first stage of its recruitment process while experimenting with hosting virtual sessions to widen its candidate pool even before the pandemic.

To create an emotional connection with the prospective candidate, the firm began asking questions of each prospective candidate about what they wanted out of an employer. Stephen Parker, the firms chief Human Resources officer, explains that asking such questions as What else matters to you? resonated well.

Kearneycontinues to prioritizepurpose and meaning to engage candidates through the recruitment process because the firm has seen consistent success when hiring existing employees. The firm desired to meet team members where they were based on their life stage with the understanding that what a team member wants out of their job evolves over time. The open dialogue allowed for more transparent conversations about career growth, opportunities, and career development. The firm also benefitted from increased retention.

As the firm leaned into the peoples need to connect, it deepened the emotional connection with prospective hires. During the pandemic, we were able to double-down on virtual, and we found that focusing on purpose was a good companion, Parker states.

This new approach was both efficient and effective, and the firm soon found that the virtual-plus-meaning approach allowed it to be more efficient with recruiting resources. Indeed, the firm soon discovered that it could hold more events at an increased number of schools.

This process also allowed the firm to innovate its outreach by targeting expert groups and societies at more schools. The firm also embedded this approach in its social marketing engagement with students at schools that the firm had not prioritized with the on-campus experience before the pandemic.

The result had a positive impact on the diversity of its pool of candidates while building a stronger connection earlier in the relationship-building process with prospective lawyers.

The rest is here:
How to use "purpose" to gain an edge in attracting accounting talent - Thomson Reuters