JUST SAY NO

Hey blue bloods, how was your week? It's another Saturday and the end of the month-- something to be thankful for, to kickback and bask in some aristocratic light. Please read with an open mind and have fun doing so.

I was participating in a survey my friend had asked me to a couple of weeks back and then I noticed something, I remember stumbling on it before but seeing this just made me resonate with the fact even more…. In places where there were YES or NO questions, I saw that the next question was “If YES…” It made me wonder, why wasn’t there a question like “If NO…”  That’s when I realised “NO” is a sentence, not just a word.

Many of us, I inclusive, find it hard to say NO to some things and some people that we have come across in life. Funny enough, you know that just saying NO would be the better option but we always want to taste the topping forgetting that in a matter of seconds, you are “downing” the whole ice cream.  You should say NO to picking up that call you know would waste the next 2 hours of your time which you have planned for something else. I’m not saying that a YES is evil and that you shouldn’t indulge sometimes but saying NO as I’ve come to find out, liberates you from as much headache as you can be free of.  Life throws us a big snowball of questions every day, if you dig deep and weigh your options, you would find out that NO would be the correct answer to some of these questions.  Whatever you choose though, be ready to stick by your guns.

I’d sign out with something my dad told me a few years back- on my birthday, which was, “in life, let your YES be YES and your NO, NO”. For some reason, those words have never escaped my mind and heart and I would say they have shaped some of my decisions and helped me to stick to them firmly, Today, I’m on my way to being the best, because of them…as well as some other things. Remember that a YES-YES man is not always taken seriously while a NO-NO man is thought to be a rigid and probably pessimistic human but if you ask me, when you are not so sure, the NO street is best travelled. Saying YES and then not following through reduces how much people are willing to trust us to do certain things.

Live like an Aristocrat today and enjoy the moment. The skies are blue, the grass is green, the roses are red...life is all about colour and appreciating the seemingly mundane things.

Loads of love. xoxo

PUZZLED?

Mes aristocrates, it’s the end of another wonderful week, I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now but the weeks seem to fly by…its Monday morning, then, Friday night…just like that. I’m thankful to be alive to see another weekend, another Saturday, another moment to spend with you.

I think we would find common ground on the subject of confusion or in milder terms, “not knowing how to deal with some issues.”  New day, new drama, no preparation beforehand I could say. At some point, we never know what might hit us the next second, minute, hour, week, month, year…we only plan that we would be at a particular point in our lives at a particular time but some things happen “too soon” or “too late”. Recently, I was looking at my journal where I wrote down my life plan and I smiled at how seemingly “clueless” I was when I wrote it. Now, the plans for 2013 have been modified. Trying to deal with the changes that I have encountered in my life, I have been drawn into clouds of sadness because I was quite rigid to change (still a work in progress I must admit). I loved the fact that I could say where I’d be in 15 minutes or years but as I have come to find out, when change occurs, confusion comes along with it because we begin to wonder what we are going to do with this new job, new plan, new responsibility, new whatever-it-may-be… Adjusting to this new situation can be very daunting but as humans with survival instincts, we find a way around it, don’t we? You whine about the new job which was nothing like your expectation but in a matter of weeks, you may even catch yourself saying “my job is quite interesting”. (I know that’s not a usual phrase…lol).

My point in all of this is that life in itself is some kind of puzzle and like all puzzles; you get stuck at some point. One of my favourite authors, Kristin Billerbeck, said in one of her novels, “Confusion is part of God moving you out of your comfort zone”. So, don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. It’s not so easy but it’s better to be dynamic with change than static with it because change is a force; it doesn’t leave you the same and you get to miss out on being sad. Besides, the whole fun of life will be sucked out if everything was just so predictable; we would live life with no enthusiasm at all. Even in our relationships with others, we have the upper hand when we are perceived as mysterious and unpredictable. Being confused helps us challenge ourselves mentally and trust me, the brain needs to be exercised a lot.

Darling blue-bloods, don’t forget to enjoy the moment, that’s the spice of life and a true aristocratic way to enjoy life.

Loads of love…xoxo

ZOOM OUT...NOT IN

Good morning my amazing blue bloods. We are blessed with the weekend again, time to sit back, relax and evaluate our week, hope for the coming one, spend time with friends and family…. Whatever you choose, just spend it grateful for seeing the weekend.

I was going through the pictures on my phone sometime during the week and remembered when a friend of mine taught me a shortcut on how to zoom out on pictures on that phone, when I had just acquired it, almost two years ago. I remember that when he showed me, I said “Oh!” letting this new technique register in my head and since then I have always used it.

Another time, while reminiscing after a phone call to a friend who had just suffered a loss, I started thinking about what it was I was so sad or angry about, and I couldn't place it. It was as if whatever my situation, it was nothing compared to hers and you know what, she still told me, “It is well.”  At first, I thought she was still in denial but a closer look at the situation, and I remembered; don’t zoom in on your problems... Zoom Out!!! I also realised how thin I looked in a picture when I zoomed out but when I zoomed in, it felt like I was trying to accommodate a life-size doll into a small Barbie box.

Many times we zoom in on our challenges, staring them in the face and getting cowered by them, not acting on them or saying “Right back atchya” and telling them who the boss is. Little wonder why they take so much space in our minds, looking so insurmountable, and that’s because we haven't learnt to stop pressing the zoom in button. In no time, we are sad, angry, and unable to enjoy the good that’s left; a significant amount of good I might add.

On the other hand, when we zoom out, we realise how little those problems are afterall. Thus, seeing ways around them, above them and even through them which gets us wondering why we were even bothered in the first place, or get us saying a slang I know, “Smallz".

Remember this; your life is defined by your perspective.

Life’s too short my fellow aristocrats to miss out on the smell of the roses. Let’s take that deep breath in and just enjoy the crisp air.

Remember to have fun today, live it up.

Cheers…xoxo

LOSE IT…AND FAST TOO

Good morning my fellow, darling aristocrats. What a lovely day it is, I’m so inspired today and I think you should be as well. More often than not, we need it to get through the hustle and bustle of the day… that’s not our focus this morning, but I just thought to quip it in.

This morning, would you believe that on my way downstairs for devotion, that friction-less pair wanted to shame me again? Only this time, I didn’t fall; I held on to the railing. I didn’t get the round of “sorry, hope you are fine?” this time, I just heard, “It’s the slippers”, “You had better be careful with it”, “Is it every day?” “Better still, change the slippers”. Funny part was that I was thinking about falling mistakenly but that’s a topic for another day. The point is that I chose to finally do away with the pair of slippers- it was about time, right? I mean, it had caused me enough already and a speech about how important my tail bone was and how I had to use a cushion to sit because of a fractured tail bone, a while ago. Now I’m walking with a new pair of slippers, not friction-less this time and I’m glad I am.

More often than not, we want to manage a situation or condition, an unhealthy relationship etc., wishing and willing that it would change and we keep holding on till we get hurt or lose our way completely. I'd like to encourage you, blue bloods; an aristocrat does not force it. If it’s not right for you, you’ll see some signs. Now, it’s not about seeing the signs, act fast when you see them before you fall and worst case scenario, sink because there is no railing to hold. Do away with your 'pair' today, and be free from the fear of falling or do otherwise. As always, the choice is yours...

Loads of love blue bloods.

Remember it’s all about the attitude…xoxo.

THE E.N.D

Hey blue bloods,

How's your day going? So, I wanted to share something with you that could push us one step closer to the aristocracy we desire. The aristocratic fragrance I could call it. On a daily basis, we get to meet a lot of people- face-to-face, social media etc., and we come in contact with a wide range of personalities- some good, some bad and some downright ugly. We even find out that the people we talk to everyday, give a different personality ooze, every other day. In the past and truthfully, up until now, I've struggled with personality conflicts with myself and with people I have come to know. One day, someone who is all over you and establishes the "best-buds" notion in your head becomes "stand-off'ish" the next day, that can be quite confusing and in some cases, it hurts that you can't depend on the constancy of some emotions from people you are close to. 

Normally, when I fly, I get the jitters when there's some degree of turbulence. Apart from the realisation that air is rather abstract and is not tarred or made of concrete like land which is enough to trigger these jitters, I always asked, "why can't we just have a smooth glide through and just land?" Then, one day, it hit me, change is really the only constant thing. Why there is a change is easy and at the same time hard to tell most of the time, but things and people do change, whether you want them to or not. So at some point, you have got to expect it, especially with humans and that's because there's a range of emotions a person gets exposed to each day and that really affects the aura they give, depending on the thought and attitude pattern of the person involved.

I came up with three facts that I feel could get us through changes which at the E.N.D of the day are inevitable. I tag them the E.N.D to always questioning that change that happens in life and people:

1. Everyone's opinion is theirs and each person including you, is entitled to have one, some, many (it's a sub-section of the fundamental human rights)... but just because they voiced it, tweeted it, posted it or acted it, doesn't mean you have to swallow it hook, line and sinker. After all, it's not yours, it's theirs. You can disagree with it but you don't have to shut them up or down because of it, totally a waste of your time since it results in arguments or as we best know now, tweet-fights and for those who aren't verbally able to stand up for themselves, it's bullying.

2. Never be bothered about what people say about you especially when it's not constructive, including your "friends". I'm not saying that you should shun good advice, emphasis on good  but like we have come to discover, there are just those people, hmmph! Those people who are like ticks, that seem to just have a knife and fork ready to dissect, be it your words or actions. Most times, they are intimidated by whatever you do or whoever you are- always in constant competition with you (just hyping you more...You know, some people have all but words, they actually think what they say hold water and add to your life at that point in time but those are the people I care for cos they are just delusional and seem to need some sort of attention cos there's a vacuum, in there, somewhere and bashing other people is how they get by. It's just like someone arguing that a Beetle is better than a Bentley- the expert shrinks have to be involved or there's some gi-normous absence of taste. You know when someone is speaking like they got you all figured out, yet they have not the slightest clue). By the way, people always have something negative to say... just check out some comments on Linda Ikeji's blog, even when it's good news, you can not but wonder. They cheapen your success stories and make your achievements look like an ordinary feat, ask yourself, "if they were so good, why don't they have similar success stories". Most of the time, you discover that this set of people have nothing good or nothing at all going on for themselves, so the negativism is like retail therapy.

3. Do not be sensitive. This is by far the most valuable to me. I'm quite emotional but even emotionally detached people tend to break at this point in time. You know those biting words or remarks meant to make you feel stupid like discussed earlier would be made, sometimes even by you to someone else. The best thing to do is just have the tortoise's back... let it roll over. Some people even say things to you to "encourage" you. For example; your friend says, you are just an NFA (someone with no future ambition), probably because he/she has noticed some lax tendencies in you. What I try to do in times like that is just extract the positivism from the statement and use it.

Aristocrats survive not because they have some in-built negativism repellent but because they realise and understand that what makes you you is on your inside, not what people have to say about you or how they act towards you. We don't even totally understand ourselves, yet we are the best story-tellers of ourselves, so why let some wannabe story-teller of you get to you?

Stay blue-blooded...xoxo

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

Good Morning my Blue-bloods,

What a bright and sunny morning it is here, makes me look forward to how the rest of the day will turn out. Hoping to get a lot done today...With that being said, here's my aristocratic message to you this morning...

Yesterday, I was to seal a deal...(ok, before you start thinking ad contracts etc., not like I am not open to those, email me about any offers, lol!)  and then I got talking with some friends...I needed to get something but there was an even better option. I had actually settled for the cheaper option because that was what I could afford at the time but then one of them said it was better for me to get the more expensive, better-features version. It was tempting, but that would mean that I have to add extra funds and dig a deeper hole into my savings, which I was not ready to do. So this was what I started thinking, I have two options:
1. I get the more expensive option and then some months later, it would become obsolete but the damage would have been done to my savings or
2. I get the cheaper option and save myself the financial discomfort. I chose the second option cos that was more logical to me and like I have stressed, that's what I could afford.

Here's my point in all of this, sometimes we are faced with many decisions especially with our finances and with the way the world is moving, it's hard to keep up, new things become obsolete very fast, almost immediately. Most of us get caught up in trying to keep up the pace, that we end up going bankrupt and if we do sit down to count the cost or take account of what we actually spent the money on, it was not for something we really needed at the time. Have you ever had that feeling where you pine for something so much, you eventually get it and then after about 5 minutes of satisfaction, you are like "so, this is it? this is what it's all about? why did I waste my time?...bla...bla...black sheep." We really have to get a grip on how we spend, if we have to, and focus on investing in things that would yield good returns.

An Aristocrat prefers to invest his/her money in what may make him lose some comfort today but would make him ride in style in the future. It's not blue-blooded to invest in something that would make you appear comfortable now but poor and stupid sooner or later. Be kobo wise and naira wiser...
What do you think?

Remember, it's all about the attitude...
xoxo.

HARD AS WE MIGHT...

Most of the time, we struggle to keep or maintain the balance especially because we juggle a lot -- school, work, relationships etc. As a blue-blood, you try to live up to the expectation of the effortless, "right everything" lifestyle. I know it's hard, I try to do that almost everyday. Let me take you through an experience I had earlier today and what I made of it.

    

I slept rather late, at about 4.30 am, had to wake up for devotion at 6am. I heard a familiar voice calling my name and since my subconscious is already "programmed" to answer, I just said "Yes, I'm coming" and like always, I snooze for extra five minutes because I'm thinking, "before everyone gets down there, I'd have had extra five minutes of sleep". The next thing, I woke up after maybe ten minutes and realised that the singing had begun. I jumped up, quickly made use of the loo and started running downstairs. That was when my friction-less slippers gave what was supposed to be my subtle devotion appearance/entrance, away.... And SPLAT! My rear is on the staircase, bouncing about three more steps forward before I got that balance... There was a rush of "are you okay?", "hope you didn't hurt yourself?" and one funny one "what is wrong with you now? do you want to injure yourself?"  I replied with "I'm okay, no problem".

Although I was in the presence of my family members but I was embarrassed for about...a second, cos everybody thought that I fell off cos I was sleepy and truth is, I was wide awake considering how I jumped off the bed...or so I thought. That's how it is with us most times, we try so hard to paint the perfect picture of our lives and we fall flat on our faces and everyone can see that you are actually struggling with something... Something that you could have easily talked to a trusted friend about. The deal is, it's okay to be normal and process pain or stress like a human. Sometimes, it allows people see the "fleshy" you and not the metallic, "Bree Van de Kamp" you. Sometimes, you can cry, that doesn't make you a weak person, it just shows that you've got blood in your veins and you aren't one of the Avengers. Besides, you never know who may lend a helping hand.

So be in touch with the human aspect of you. Most times, allowing ourselves take part in those emotions can release us into taking the next course of action. I'm not saying be a whiny, emotional wreck, I'm saying admit the way you feel instead of putting on a show or living according to how people expect you to live....and just take it from there. I'd like to add at this point that truly admitting our feelings concerning issues we face gives us stronger answers and steps to take than ignoring them all together.

Funny enough, I find this post very beneficial to me....lol! 

Have a lovely day and Stay blue-blooded. xoxo

WELCOME ABOARD!

Welcome to the blog that empowers you with a sense of style, class and worth. The three prominent traits of a true aristocrat.

Just looking at it, everybody wants to be called an aristocrat which according to the Encarta dictionary is either a member of the highest social class, a superior person or a member of a governing aristocracy. Truth is, not everyone can be called that because many of us don't "fit" into these particular descriptions of an aristocrat.

Just a few things to note...

• First of all, its not pride to think of yourself as superior. I'd rather be superior than inferior. I don't suggest cockiness and condescending attitude, I mean, having a sense of worth is far better than having none.
• Another point is that, you exude what is on your inside. Therefore, if you want to be considered an aristocrat, it starts from your lifestyle- your attitude, appearance, mannerisms even to the littlest detail.
• Your thought process is tres important. Thoughts translate into words which translate into attitudes which translate into habits which translate into character which is the general makeup of one's personality or in the bigger picture, one's life.

We are blue-bloods. Let's live up to that standard. By taking the step to read following posts, let your thought process be transformed. It's all for that ARISTOCRATIC you to come out...it has been in there all along, waiting for you to tap, tap, tap.

AS YOU APPROACH THE FINISH LINE...

I’ve walked on this planet but for a short time, yet, if there’s anything I've learnt so far, it’s that the choices you make affect your tomorrow. (I know what you think, tale as old as time, but with recent events in my life, I have seen that the decisions that you make…you don’t even have to think of the long run, for example, it affecting your children. The immediate effect can be as terrible as the sting of a bee, even worse). So, it’s high time you made the right decisions. I’m going to try to make this as fun as possible so that you don’t yawn more than you already have and I have a certain group of people in mind---- Final Year Students.

          I recently graduated from a prestigious university and I’m glad to say that I saw, fought and conquered (abi! How do they say it?). It’s no normal university where they aint faking it here. I learnt so many lessons about life in the short five years I spent (although I was not saying that when I was in my first year) but the most profound of them all were learnt in my final year. I would highlight as much as I can remember;

1.      You need intrinsic motivation- OK, I've been taught that there are two ways people get gingered- from external sources (extrinsic) and from within themselves (intrinsic). Prior to my final year, I was a people-pleaser, I loved my friends to death (not like I don’t still do…to an extent…lol), I was loyal, let’s just leave it at that, still am tho. When I got to final year, (I so love my father for the life lessons he taught me on rides to different places and my mother in her subtle way of extending devotion for 2 extra hours in the name of bonding…lol. It paid off), not like I didn't know already but the real meaning of O.Y.O (on your own), was spelt out. That’s when it wasn’t about whether your friends where ready to go to class, once you were ready, you left. If you were nice enough to say “see you in class”, then you are a terrific friend. I am someone who takes my time, and I mean t-i-m-e, to even bathe, so I got left behind a couple of times and at first I felt bad but then I sucked it up and told myself, “that is life and everyone has his to live”...and puhleeze! I can’t reduce my minutes of bathing, the skin don’t stay fresh by willing it to, *flips hair*. Back to the subject, there were times I even told myself that “It doesn’t matter if I pant to the finish line or look like a broom when I get there, as far as I got there, aint nobody got time for that.”  Blue bloods, sometimes, you won’t even have time for makeup, so if you are an addicted “makeup-er”, you could tone it down and establish harmony between your au naturel look and your diva look (watch out for tips later). Do all you can to encourage yourself and make sure you get to that finish line, it may look long but at the end, the sacrifice, the nights of not "crashing" on time and waking up like Godzilla will all be worth it, cos trust me, you won’t remember them, all you would say is “I’m glad it’s over”. Work as hard as you can, hmmm; I’m stressing it now oh. My friend used to say “hey, I heard you were the agile one” (lol!) but my dear, if agility works 4 u, better grab it by the horns, in fact, you should try to be remotely agile. Need I stress the DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF mantra, in case, you aren't so buoyant in the academic field, make sure if it’s something you can work on, you get it done on time. Don’t fool yourself and join the band wagon, cos it’s just you with that matriculation number. Please don’t belong to that class that says “if it aint broke, it don’t need no fixing.” Try your very best to make sure that you get your issues straightened out and on time, not at the dying moment.

2.   Take lectures seriously- Please be on time for lectures and make sure that you get front seat, it is gold. Cos the first day of a particular course is essential, so much that, if you don’t understand the first lecture, the entire course won’t make sense to you. If you are not a fan of writing, now is the time to invest in it, write and jot as much as you can. Let’s not forget the courses that have weigh a ton, you should know by now they are boosters, try your best to understand, even if you don’t, get a friend or course mate that will teach you (now is the time to famz, pride don’t cut it here). If you are silly enough to form for anybody at this level, it won’t be funny when you have to re-take the course(s). At this point in time, you will have most of the lectures with your course mates, please, you have been with these people, for what, 4-5 years approx., how stupid can your question be? Even if, no knowledge is wasted. So ask that lecturer a question.
Reminder: Your assignments and class tests really count, so study hard for them and maximise the opportunities to do so. Try not to do them last minute as well, it can be very stressful doing that especially when you have an 8 am lecture which you may have every day of the week.

3.   Projects- At this point in time, you must have heard of the different kinds of supervisors available in your department or faculty. There are the “good” ones and the "not-so-good" ones as well. I’d like to stress at this point, that no matter how good your supervisor may be they hate people who have the "lazy odour" thing going on. Like I said earlier, this is no time to slack in whatsoever manner. Get to know your supervisor on time, famz appropriately, always go to his/her office and register your identity, lest thou be denied on the day of defence. My supervisor is one supervisor you can be blessed to have but show your face, it is very necessary, right from when they have pasted the list of supervisors and supervise-es, you would do yourself good to start the famz-ing on time. Take your project seriously and from time to time, go and meet your supervisor and show him/her how far you have gone and ask for suggestions in areas you need help. Even if he/she is like stone, at some point, the “persistent widow” style works (after all, we all use it to get stuff from les parents or friends).
This excerpt is for those who will fall under my supervisor-
A. Start famz-ing on time.
B. Start working on your project on time.
C. Give him progress reports.
D. Even if he gives you an email address, please print out your abstract to conclusion at every step and give him to read to make the necessary corrections, unless you have all the time in the world for clearance.

4.    Use the library- That’s for people who don’t see the quietness of the library like some kinda yoga moment. I kinda noticed that, the total number of times I went to the library to read in my final year was more than the total number of times I went from my 1st to 4th year. This is because at this point, I realised the hall was just for sleeping. Don’t be surprised that you may fall asleep, so try to go with a friend or tell that person next to you to wake you up, just don’t drool beside the person. If you are not a fan of the library, in your departments, there would be free classes especially on Fridays because as final year students, you shouldn't have a clogged up timetable, you may have one day that’s fully booked but not all days will be like that. So maximise every free time you get. Don’t waste it in the hall; time is short, like really brief. Even if you read for just 2 hours, which may not be enough, you have done something good, it will help in the day of “trouble”.

5.   Write out a daily plan- this may be hard to do but it helps you evaluate your day at the end and helps you prioritize and manage your time. You could write it as bullet points with the time you want to start or the time that task should have been accomplished.

6.   Stick to the ethos of your institution- I sound all lawyer-ish…ha-ha!! But really, stick to the school rules as much as you can. Try your best not to flout any, 'cos for some reason, final year students are like tasty feed to some wolves. So, please don’t fall victim. It doesn’t make sense for you to come this far, especially if its engineering or medicine (not undermining four year courses) to end up getting kicked out. Sometimes you don’t bite as much as you can chew 'cos there’s just a tendency that your brain fools you into overestimating what your mouth can take.

7.    Be mindful of the company you keep- I sound old but this is true on many levels. Don’t deceive yourself by surrounding yourself with as many cushion pads as possible, in the name of friends, you are on your own. What is good for the goose isn't necessarily good for the gander. As I have found for myself, what may work for everybody doesn't work for me, and I’m glad I am Miss Unique. I've gotten into more trouble in times where I haven't followed my heart or gone with my guts but listened to what some people had to say. If your friends will pull you back from the finish line as at when due or get you sent out of the race, then, tactfully remove yourself from the crew, after all said and done, you came to Earth and probably that school on your own and may not see donkey years after, that’s if, you’d see them ever again in life. There’s no clique on the graduating list, just so you know. And as I've been told by a wise man, “20 children don’t play for 20 years”.

8.   Your mess is yours to fix- Never ever leave yourself at the mercy of anybody. As much as it depends on you, make sure that you try your best for yourself as it concerns only you at the end.

9.    Pray hard and Rest adequately- I would have said be spiritual but the pastors would tell you more on that. My final piece of advice is that you pray hard. You are at the tail end; so many things go wrong at this time. It’s at this time, some people face the first disciplinary panel or get sick or worse, die. This is not to scare you. Real is your adversary; more real is your God. Talk to Him, pray hard. Tell your parents and loved ones, not to shout your fame and tell the whole world you are in final year. The more ignorant your enemy is of your achievements, the safer you are.

Rest is something that we all need. You may not get enough time to rest and even if you do, it won’t be for the amount of time you are used to. When you get it, maximise it, cos you’ll need the energy from it, later during the day. Even those power naps (about 30 minutes- 1hour) go a long way.

Blue bloods, as you approach the finish line, I beg you, don’t let anything distract you or keep you from reaching it. At this time, it will seem like forces of sleep, time, relationships etc. are against you but just develop a tortoise’s back and let it roll over. Yeah, you may reach your breaking point, that’s the time to stretch your elastic limit even more. Maximise every moment you have with your books, your REAL friends, because every moment counts. Be happier. Surround yourself with positive energy and thoughts of peace.

I’m looking forward to reading your own guide to final year students, this time next year. I hope this guide speaks to you and that you make the best use of what you’ve read as I wasn’t privileged to have one.

I would like to state at this point that this article is also suitable for as many that don’t fall under this category but happen to be spoken to by it. Feel free also to chip in your piece of advice.

Loads of love…xoxo

Stay blue-blooded.