Toward the end of Some Rap Songs the muddy, lofi meditation that Earl Sweatshirt released 11 months ago he lays his parents voices over one another. There's audio of his mother, law professor Cheryl I. Harris, giving a keynote address at the symposium honoring Whiteness As Property, her groundbreaking article from a 1993 issue of the Harvard Law Review; she thanks her friends, colleagues, and son, and the speech, like the music underneath it, is hopeful. Harris voice is intercut with that of Earls father, the poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, reading his Anguish Longer Than Sorrow. That piece includes lines like: For some children/ words like Home/ could not carry any possible meaning. You imagine the competing vocals are supposed to cut against and complicate, but not cancel out one another. It seems cathartic.

Earl had completed this interlude along with most of what would become Rap Songs by the end of 2017, and meant to send the batch to his sometimes-estranged father as a sort of conciliatory gesture. But at the beginning of 2018, the elder Kgositsile died in South Africa, the country that made him poet laureate. Earl flew across the globe to make funeral arrangements, stayed abroad for nearly two months, then returned to Los Angeles to finish the album with a eulogy, recorded drunk and alone in a Mid-City duplex, that's really about the eulogizer. Whatever catharsis he was looking for is effectively drowned out.

Feet of Clay, an EP released without warning last night, is the first full body of work that Earl Sweatshirt has written and recorded since his fathers death. It feels, in many ways, of a piece with the album that preceded it the works share in common many patterns, cadences, and rhyming tics, which are occasionally the driving engines of their songs. But from the opening moment of Clay, there is a new (or rather: reclaimed) toothiness; compared to Rap Songs, Clay sounds like someone finally, desperately poking his head above water, grimacing at what he sees. Feet of Clay does not waste time looking for clean emotional arcs. Like all Earls work, but especially the I Dont Like Shit, I Dont Go Outside from 2015, it disguises itself as a depressive episode while documenting his efforts toward self-improvement and -introspection, rendering them as grimy, thankless processes that take place in cabs, bars, and sweltering kitchens.

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Earl Sweatshirt surveys the damage on Feet of Clay - The FADER

We are bombarded all day, every day with noise. Often, the noise carries messages for us. The messages can be criticism, inspiration, questions, need, opinions, emotions, and many more sounds. Even silence in some instances can be a type of noise. With all this stimuli coming in, how do we separate the noise that will be beneficial from the noise that is toxic? How do we find clarity and reduce distraction from what matters? Lets reflect on the types of noise, and then decide how we can best deal with them.

Be an observer one day and watch people anywhere. It makes me a little sad to see how attached we are to our phones and how focused we can be on interacting with them instead of strengthening a relationship with another person. We waste time checking for likes, searching for the right picture, scanning e-mail every five seconds, and taking another selfie. Our interactions have become impersonal swipes and taps. Our phone is never far away and close by is our tablet or computer. We are consumed with listening to stories, opinions, and watching a variety of glimpses of peoples lives through their videos.

Technology can be a wonderful noise, but only in moderation. It can raise our anxiety level and keep us from spending time and focusing on the people we love. Set boundaries on how often you use your technology. Take back some of that time you are spending with a machine and use it for self-improvement.

Toxic thoughts could be depression, low self-esteem, the need to please everyone, doubt, and judgement. You are wonderfully made and worthy just the way you are. As long as you are doing the best you can to be the best version of you, you are doing all you can. Use positive thoughts and inspiration to chase out the negative thoughts, and surround yourself with good people who send a positive message. Ask for help and counseling when it is needed.

Even when we have a million things to do, it is hard not to be pulled into random conversations with friends and colleagues. If that conversation is not giving you knowledge, strengthening a relationship or helping you to improve, then walk away.

Music can be a beautiful noise. It can soothe us and bring us peace, but music with a negative message can be a toxic distraction for us. Choose wisely and listen to what will make you better.

The sound of nature has always had a calming quality for me. I sit on my porch and listen to the sounds around me. I clear my head and take in the beauty around me.

Listening to too much news can have negative effects. We are consuming what everyone else thinks and believes and we begin to question our own beliefs. I hate to watch the political shows not because Im not interested in learning about what is happening in the political arena, but because the behavior on the shows often shows the worst side of human behavior. Im not sure why we cannot discuss a topic without becoming angry or interrupting each other. My husband was watching them so much that I saw a change in his demeanor. He was becoming more negative than usual so I suggested maybe he needed to balance his television diet.

Meetings can be valuable moments where we brainstorm ideas, discuss plans, and have a chance to build relationships. Unfortunately, there also seems to be meetings that are ineffective. Do your best to find a reason to avoid that type of meeting and the frustration that it may cause you.

One day my daughter and I walked into the Ross clothing store and the greeter said Welcome to Ross. In the most defeated, woe is me, sigh filled, bored voice I have ever heard. My daughter and I use that moment whenever we want to describe someone who thinks they are carrying a greater weight than anyone else in the world, and they want to tell everyone about it, and they want to do so repeatedly. You cannot make this noise better, because every positive thought you throw out will be shot down every time. If you surround yourself with negativity, you will eventually succumb to it yourself. It is said that you become like the five people who you are with the most, make sure they are not negative.

You are really the only one responsible for letting this noise in because you have the power to choose how you react to what happens to you and how you react to balancing the many different aspects of your life. I used to freak out if something was out of sync in my morning routine or if one more thing was added to my already busy day. What helped me to react to everything with calm was something that pastor Joel Olsteen said. He said instead of allowing stress to take over, be a person of excellence and find the calm, reasonable way to react. Show others what grace under pressure looks like and you are helping them defeat stress.

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Now, whenever I start to feel stress rising, I talk myself back down and tell myself I can only do my best at any moment. Becoming bent out of shape because something Im juggling might fall is a waste of energy.

Solutions to tuning out the noise

Hide: Sometimes you have to find a spot away from all the noise where no one can find you and you can focus and be productive or just recharge. You cannot be distracted and the silence will be restorative.

Take a healing day: These are days that I feel my emotions have been stretched, my ability to deal with unpleasant people is at a low, and Im just feeling tired. I tell myself that I am going to slow my pace down and surround myself with nothing but positive. That positive could be surrounding myself with people I really enjoy, having an extra cup of coffee, or refusing to worry about anything that will require too much brain power.

Write down distractions vs. plans: Sometimes we can become so busy we do not even realize what our noises are. Keep a journal where you write down daily distractions. Start to write down your plans for the day. Write down the big tasks for the day. You are in charge of where you direct your time and energy so decide what your priorities will be.

Set boundaries: Limit screen time, allow yourself a few brain breaks and then get back to work, reduce distractions, and do not feel guilty about closing your door when you need to complete a project.

Remove what doesnt make you better: Decide what noises are holding you back and eliminate them. Remove anything that isnt meaningful. If something doesnt fill you up or make you better, tune it out.

Filter the noise you let in: The noise you allow into your life is eventually going to affect you for the good or bad. If you are in a toxic relationship where you hear only criticism, you may begin to question your value. If all you hear is negative, you will become negative. If you hear upbeat, inspirational messages all day, you will be more positive.

Reflect on the noise that is swirling around you. Is it making you better or holding you back? How can you change that noise to live the best life? The choice is completely yours. You have the power to change everything or maintain it by what you allow in. I hope you choose only beautiful noise.

Jennifer Bonn is a freelance writer and Kennesaw resident. She has been published in several magazines, and has published a book titled Stay Away from the Girls Bathroom, A Teachers Guide. It is available from Deeds Publishing at http://www.deedspublishing.com.

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JENNIFER BONN: Tune Out The Noise | Lifestyle - MDJOnline.com

Bill Gates is fascinating for many reasons: his wealth, his habits, his ideas.

Thenew Netflix documentary "Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates" covers them all. It follows his extraordinary journey, from globalizing office software to building one of the world's most influential companies, becoming its richest man, and now, leading its largest foundation.

But the reason I'm fascinated by Gates has nothing to do with any of that. It's not his success, or his way of thinking, or his approach to solving the world's most critical problems with tech. To me, the most interesting thing about him is what he teaches us about what it means to be human.

Niklas Gke. Courtesy of Niklas Gke

Throughout the Netflix series, an interviewer asks Gates silly, get-to-know-you questions in quick succession: "What's your favorite food? What's your favorite animal? What do you eat for breakfast?" But every now and then, he throws in some curveballs, maybe to catch Gates off guard and get him to veer from his canned responses. Or maybe the show is just edited to make it look like Gates is getting a low-stakes grilling. Whatever the reason, at one point, the interviewer asks this question: "What was the worst day of your life?"

Gates is a composed man. He's reserved, but seems at ease answering all sorts of questions. But this one is different. He squints. He looks down. He appears to be thinking, but not really. He knows what he has to say he just doesn't want to say it. No one would. But finally, he says it:

"The day my mother died."

There, sitting in the library of his $127 million mansion, is a man who's achieved everything there could possibly be to achieve, whose life at least to us outsiders is defined by his business success.

And yet he didn't say, "The daySteve Jobs accused me of stealing from him."

He didn't say, "The dayI was humiliated by getting hit in the face with a cream pie during a visit with Belgian business and government leaders."

He didn't say, "The daywe were forced to pay $1.3 billion in antitrust fines."

No, the worst day in the Microsoft billionaire's life was the day his mother died.

No matter who you are or who you aspire to be, at the end of the day, life is not about money or status or power. It's not even about legacy.

Life is about people; the people you meet, the people you miss. Even the people you hate. Most of all, life is about the people you love. Some of them will die before you do. Nothing will ever bring them back.

Every one of us has limited time. But when it comes to spending it with those we hold dearest, we might have even less. Gates reminded me of this fact. It's his greatest lesson of all.

Continued here:
Bill Gates' greatest lesson comes from the worst day of his life - Business Insider

The Lafayette volleyball team was back in action last weekend, splitting a pair of conference games with a win over Bucknell and a loss to rival Lehigh. With seven games left in the season, all within the Patriot League, the Leopards hold a 13-12 record with a 2-7 mark in conference play.

After losing to Bucknell earlier this season, the Leopards flipped the script with a 3-1 win over the Bison. Lafayette lost the first set 25-19 before coming back to win three straight sets, 27-25, 25-18 and 25-15. Sophomore outside hitter Leanna Deegan tallied a season-high 23 kills to lead the offense, while fellow sophomore outside hitter Grace Tulevech recorded 12 kills, extending her streak of double-digit kills to nine games.

I think we were really fired up to play Bucknell at home because we had improved a lot on many things we struggled with when we played them initially at Bucknell, Tulevech said. We were able to maintain a high level of energy throughout the game and minimize our own errors. Leanna Deegan also had a really good game and earned a lot of big kills which never fails to fire us all up.

Deegans back-to-back kills clinched the second set for the Leopards after the score was tied at 25. Junior setter Jenna Bailey had 23 assists and 14 digs in the game, as well as a pair of aces. Senior setter Julia Howard matched Bailey with 14 digs and added 19 assists.

In addition to securing their second Patriot League victory of the season, the game also marked head coach Ryan Adams first win against his former team. Adams was an assistant coach at Bucknell from 2014-15 and then again in 2018.

Its fun to compete against a very good Bucknell team that I was part of building, Adams wrote in an email. They are having a fantastic year and it was amazing to come out on top while focusing on our side and our side only.

Against Lehigh, the Leopards got off to a fast start with a 25-23 win in the first set, but dropped the following three sets 25-22, 26-24 and 25-15. Freshman outside hitter Ellie Carrera-Justiz notched back-to-back kills to clinch the first set, and finished with 16 kills and 19 digs on the afternoon. Tulevech recorded 15 kills, junior libero Audrey Mangum had 20 digs and four assists, and Howard added 29 assists.

For us its not about rebounding [after the loss at Lehigh], its about moving forward and continuing to take advantage of every opportunity to grow, learn and improve. Moving into this weekends matches its more about us than our opponents, Adams wrote. We know we have the tools to compete at a high level, its all about implementing it in practice in the hopes that it can transfer into matches.

The volleyball team can secure their best season since 2009 with one more win, a vast difference from last years team which finished 5-23 overall and lost all 16 conference games.

As a team, we have shifted our focus entirely to ourselves rather than the other teams. We arent so focused on wins and losses or how good our opponent is, Tulevech said. I think our coaches have really made that the center of our program win or loss, our focus is self-improvement.

Lafayette will play two conference home games this weekend, facing Loyola Maryland tonight at 7 p.m before taking on Navy tomorrow for Senior Day at 4 p.m.

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Volleyball beats Bucknell, loses to Lehigh in weekend set - The Lafayette

Working at a coffee shop

As state policymakers take on the 'gig economy' with laws that severely restrict the use of freelance labor, such as California's controversial AB5 , I thought it was a good excuse to write about why self-employment is an economic good. Self-employment is a valuable path to upward mobility, protects regions against economic downturns, and helps many workers smooth their savings in the face of unexpected bills (Disclosure: I work with Tech4America, a tech policy nonprofit).

Before I get to the evidence, I want to say that I speak from personal experience. I owe my career and financial stability to self-employment: when I was in graduate school, I moonlit as a freelance journalist; the valuable job experience I got writing a few articles a month helped me snag a full-time freelancer gig soon after I left school. A few years later, even after I landed a full-time staff writing job, I still freelanced for other publications, which ended up being a financial lifeline when I left that company and allowed me to earn a living income between jobs. Eventually, as a consultant/freelancer, I earned more than I did as an employee, but it took a few years learning the skills of self-employment.

My personal experience seems to jive with the evidence.

"A higher share of self-employed workers in a county was unambiguously associated with greater resilience," wrote economics professor Stephan Goetz, in an international comparison of how different regions bounce back during recessions. Goetz notes that his study was in part inspired by prior research showing that regions with higher rates of self-employment seemed more resistant to the negative impacts of trade deals with lower-wage countries.

Beyond economic resilience, self-employment also helps workers cope with unexpected expenses. Using special access to individual bank data, JP Morgan Chase found that workers with income from known job platform companies had noticeably less volatility in their savings accounts, presumably since they were able to opportunistically take on new work. "Simply put, landing a platform job is easier and quicker. Individuals can, and do, generate additional income on labor platforms in a timely fashion when they experience a dip in regular earnings."

Last, I run an experimental jobs training program, which is based on some previous research showing that multiple-job holding is how many workers train for new, higher paying occupations. So-called "side hustles" are an invaluable source of job training and upward mobility for many workers. One of the things I learned this past year while running the pilot program is just how inaccessible being an employee is for many workers at the lower end of the income distribution. I deal with single moms and folks with health issues who can't take time for full-time school or internships. Most training programs systematically exclude people who need more flexible, intermittent work and therefore exclude a large slice of the population from upward mobility.Freelancing is a way for many disadvantaged workers to have a shot at high-income occupations.

Now, self-employment does have serious problems, and can often mean financial hardship for the workers who rely on it. But, in my experience (and the data I've analyzed), the hazards of self-employment often exist because we treat it as something temporary or intuitive. Self-employment is like any other skill or occupation: it takes about 3-5 years of dedicated experience to earn steady, well-paying income.

The problem has become that it is too easy for workers to become freelancers without knowing the complex skills of solo-preneurship: time management, client relations, networking, financial planning, and stitching together non-employee benefits. The path to earning more money as a freelancer is less intuitive than the promotional path as an employee.

Workforce agencies are beginning to realize that people need help navigating flexible work arrangements, which is why cities like San Francisco have partnered with SamaSchool, a flexible work nonprofit education organization (Disclosure: the Tech4America pilot project has partnered with SamaSchool to train some of its participants).

As more policymakers begin to evaluate their state's relationship with new forms of work, I hope evidence like this makes the case that self-improvement is worthwhile, but like all worthwhile things, requires investment.

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Why Self-Employment Is Good For Workers And The Economy - Forbes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ThisThe Good Placereview contains spoilers.

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

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

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

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

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

read more: The Best TV Comedies on Netflix

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep up withThe Good Placeseason 4 news and reviews here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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