B.O.S.S. CODE MAGAZINE ISSUE 25 : simplebooklet.com

Creative independence is the pulseof America and every free nationalike. It’s the job of the currentgeneration to not only learn fromthe past, but to be innovativetowards the future. Every idea hasvalue and potential in our everchanging world and every creativevoice deserves to be heard.B.O.S.S CODE is committed tohelping the motivated of the worldexercise their potential, as well ashelping the unmotivated find theirpotential and drive within. With ourBusiness over social stressmentality, we are creating a wavewith our motto “Greatness Is ADecision.We are a group of artists, businessminds and motivated individualswho became fed up with the limitedavailability of platforms for theindependent lifestyle. So what doyou do when you are fed up? Youtake matters into your own hands.In 2013 we established B.O.S.SCODE MAGAZINE as a trial run totest the waters. We learned thatthere were so many people all overthe world just wishing for someoneto listen to their story and givethem a chance for their voice to beheard. We found musicians,inventors, models, businessowners, authors and agenda drivenpeople with a hope and taste for abright futureBreaking the norm we havemanaged to promote a lifestyle ofindependence while stillestablishing relationships withwell known celebrities,corporations and individuals. Wehave created a platform thatenables the independent lifestyleand the corporate lifestyle tocoexist and network with oneanother. As we continue to moveforward we bridge new countries,cities and states together to notonly grow our community andreach, but to allow our readersand clients to grow together.We are inspired by everyone wework with and strive to providequality work for your promotionalneeds. We have a great teamwho are driven to share yourstory, business or dream in ourmagazine or on our website.Dreamers and innovators are thefearless bunch of the world andwe are ready to walk fearlesslywith your next big idea, vision orcreation.CONTACT US TODAY1 (888) 721-2287WWW.THEBOSSCODENETWORK.COM

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If overthinking can pass for talent orskill, then a lot of people areoverqualified for it. Overthinkers wishfor every thought that replays in theirheads to be converted to cash. If this isthe case, they would all be wealthy!Healthwise, they can never earnsomething out of overthinking. It is abad habit that disrupts them fromtheir normal day-to-day routine, and itis just a waste of time.If you are one of those overthinkers,take note that one of the great ways tostop overthinking relies on the art ofnot caring. Meaning to say, you shouldput an end to making a big deal out oflittle things or making a problem outof simple things. Don't waste your timeand energy thinking about thoughtsthat will only stress you out. With this,here are three ways on how you canmaster the art of not caring:1. Stay Focused on the PresentOverthinking happens because youthink in advance. "What ifs" keep onflooding your brain to the point that itbecomes stressed. If you focus on thepresent, you dedicate yourself to whatis actually happening "at the moment".Replaying scenarios from the past orthinking in advance about the futurewould only hinder you from trulyliving in the present.2. Declutter your thoughts by writing.If your brain is flooded with negativethoughts, drain it away withjournaling! Write down the thoughtsthat keep on bothering you and find asolution to them if you think you cancontrol the scenario. If you think it isbeyond your control, distract yourselfby writing down positive affirmationsor things that you are grateful for.3. Find a DistractionDo you have a project in mind which canhelp other people? What hobbies do youhave which you enjoy doing? Engage inthose activities, and the next thing youknow, you will forget about overthinking.For example, you constantly blameyourself for not being good enough sinceyou received a failing mark in the finalexam of a certain subject. Instead ofwasting your time worrying about it, youmay opt to reward yourself for "trying", bywatching your favorite tv show at the endof the semester. Battling against overthinking is not assimple as 1,2,3... You don't have to pushyourself way too hard. But instead, youshould start little by little and work yourway up. Keep in mind that each personhas their own unique progress in terms ofmastering the art of not caring.

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Jo King: I have about six months left to doafter being sentenced to three yearsprobation. I was charged with disorderlyconduct, resisting arrest and assault on apolice officer. On the day in question, I was ata Chevron gas station in Willows, California.The security cameras showed that I did notresist arrest and that I was physicallyassaulted. The officer tripped me on theground. In a split second, I tried to break myfall but instead, I broke my hand and my facewas busted open. While all the evidenceproved my innocence I was repeatedlytreated by police after the fact and felt like Iwas forced into pleading guilty. So that'swhat happened. Anita: Police brutality is something big herein the United States. Do you have any adviceon how the police should handle situations? Jo King: They shouldn't racially profile orjudge people. They are to serve and protect.We can see that's far from what they do. Andhonestly, I don't think police can get a betterrap. The damage is done and the people areupset. My only advice is that we need change.Less force and maybe nonlethal ammunition.Anita: That's terrible what happened toyou. And your right it happens more oftenthan not. Jo King: True, true. It's bad to know thatwhen you are innocent you are guilty nomatter what. You have to piss in a cup,can't leave the county or state. It justcreates more obstacles. It's verydemeaning. I've done wrong things in mylife. We all have. But to those who areinnocent, it's terrible how the legal systemscrews the people. Anita: What is it like being on probation? Jo King: Probation is bad itself. I've hadgood and bad P.O.'s but a majority justtreat you like dirt. The terms andconditions are the worst part. Sometimesyou have to do domestic violence classes.I've had to twice. Going in there, I meancome on. If you are not guilty you have tohear what these other people have done.And then think we'll why the f$%& am I inhere. I didn't do anything to anyone. If Idid, I would own up to it. Anita: I understand, OK let's move on. Anita: I heard you have a couple of movies thatyou are doing. Care to tell us a little aboutthat?Jo King: Absolutely. So, I'm playing JasonFields in the film The Abortionist. He's seekingrevenge for what he feels the doctor has takenaway from him. Anita: And you co-wrote this film?Jo King: Yeah. I was given the opportunity so Isaid let's do it. I wasn't thinking about beingcast in it at the time but I'm honored to take onthis lead role. Anita: Sounds very interesting. Jo King: I'm going to be in another film calledBBW. The title can be misleading. It's about afemale who has been traumatized from pastexperiences and ends up let's just say finds herway to cope. I play Carlos an ex-gang memberthat detectives believe is the reason behind abunch of murders. Anita: I can't wait to see these films. Well, we’recoming to the end of the interview. Is thereanything else you’d like to tell us and yourfans?Jo King: I have another album coming out in2022. It’s called The After Life. I also have asingle out called Love Loss which is gettinggood feedback. I want to thank the fans forsupporting me these past seventeen years. Ilove yall. And this is just the beginning. I planto keep going. As CEO of Kings CornerEntertainment, my goal is to see these actorsand musicians reach their dreams. While itmight be Kings Corner just know the King isalways in your corner. You don’t have to beasleep to live your dreams. You are never tooold to accomplish what you set out to do. Youcan do it. No matter what they say. No matterwhat they do. Live your dreams.Anita: Very powerful words Jo. Thank youagain for taking the time out to do this.Jo King: It's my pleasure. Thank you Anita andthank you Boss Code Magazine. Till we meetagain.Instagram: @joking.inquiries Email: joking.inquiries@gmail.com

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Once these four categories are set,discussing how to allocate the money withthe child can be an excellent teachingopportunity. It is important that during thediscussion the child must be allowed tomake their own decision on how to divideand spend their money.Allow the child to make a purchase, even ifyour opinion is that it is unwise. A monthafter the item was bought, ask the child ifthey are pleased, they spent their money onthe item. Ask if the item was as good as theythought it would be. Reflecting on pastpurchases will help the child in futuredecisions about what is worthwhile. The aim of teaching children about moneywhen they are young is to teach them thatmoney has value. You attempt to teach themways of saving and spending in aresponsible way. Financial literacy canassist them in adulthood. This is vital today,as money often changes handselectronically, and the child rarely gets tosee money change hands.In the past, where the child witnessedphysical money change hands in exchangefor goods, money had a clear value. Todaywhere transactions involve a swipe, there isa reduced connection between money andpurchasing power.High School AgeWhen children reach high school, takingfinancial literacy further is appropriate.For example, taxes, insurance, andinvestment should be brought into theconversation as naturally as possible.When a child is considering some part-time employment, taxes should bediscussed. When learning to drive, then aconversation about insurance isappropriate.One of the factors that will decide howhappy a life your child will enjoy is the waythey handle their finances as an adult.Having financial stability has a hugeimpact on the future, and as a parent, thisshould not be ignored. In an ideal world,financial literacy should be taught inelementary school, before habits becomeengrained, but most school districts onlycover it at the high school levelSlightly less than one-third of youngpeople join the workforce after highschool with inadequate financialskills. Even those that go on to furthereducation are rarely offered anelective in personal finance. Inconclusion, to provide betterfinancial education, the earlierparents and school begin, the better.

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Capone, we want to thank you for being such aninspiration to the Hip Hop Community. You areforever a part of the bigger picture of Hip Hop,which has raised so many people. How can youdescribe the feeling of being such a big namewithin the golden age of Hip Hop?You know just being from queen’s bridge and justseeing other artists prosper. That’s who I wanted tobe like the Nas the Mobb Deeps, the MC Shans, theCraig Gs the Tragedy. So, to finally get on I had apoint to prove. Yes, I had a point to prove, I can’tcome from that and not be an offspring of that. So,when we did the war report we was like we are goingto make a name for ourselves, we wanted people toknow our names. Unfortunately, right before thealbum came out, I went to jail but you know it madea presence. It made a presence for me while I was injail and it made a presence for me when I camehome. So it was all about being amongst the peoplein Queens Bridge, I didn’t care about anybody else inHip Hop at that time. I just wanted to make sure thatI upheld the legacy of the people that came beforeme in Queens Bridge.That’s interesting that you were locked up whenyou first got your fame. What was it like to be injail knowing what was waiting for you when yougot out?It was crazy, I went literally from people saying Iheard of you, I think I know your songs, I think Iknow who you are, to MTV coming to interview me injail. My jail life changed DRAMATICALLY, in 24hours yea my life changed in 24 hours. I had thehating COs and the COs that was like oh a rapsuperstar, so my life changed for the good and thebad. To go from people calling me by my last nameto people calling me Capone in 24hours was crazy.Currently, the world is still facing strange timeswith limitations that have arisen due to thepandemic. As an artist and entrepreneur, howhave you managed to maintain control over yourgoals and creative agendas?Yea you know what? It’s crazy, it’s like a double-edged sword. You have the venues that will let youperform and the venues that won’t let you perform.The one thing they can’t take away is social media.Once the pandemic hit everybody turned to socialmedia, so my thing was I decided to do as manyinterviews and talk to people as much as possible. Speaking of staying busy, tell us about the AkasiCollection clothing line. What was theinspiration and intention behind this brand? I always was a clothes dude and coming up I wasknown for the things that I wore. So, then I had theopportunity to branch out into the clothing business.Akasi is my government name that’s my middlename. It's my middle name, it's my cousin's middlename, and it’s also his son's middle name. Itsgenerations you know what I’m sayen? That’s why itsays established 1976 because that’s my birth yearand I've had that name since birth.Now that you have created your own clothingline; what would you say is more difficult tobreak into? The clothing industry or the musicindustry?The clothing, definitely the clothing, because withclothing you don’t have the same push, but the thingwith clothing is you can make the same type of goodmoney that you make in music. If you notice, mostfashion designers are filthy rich. If you do it rightclothing sells just like records. You can get aclothing deal and then you charge per unit, and theygive you advances and license your clothes. It’s thesame thing as a record deal. If you look at brandslike Rocawear, Baby Phat, Phat Farm, Sean Jean.All these brands came out in 98, 99 and 2000’s butrecently they are all getting their brands back. Backin the day, everybody was getting 30 to 40 million fortheir clothing deals, they just license them just likean album. For the last two years, everybody hasbeen getting their brands back. If you go down toMarshalls you will see Apple Bottom Jeans and PhatFarm because they all got their brand back.What inspires you the most about the clothingindustry? Also, are you as inspired by clothingas you are by music?Nah I think music is still more inspiration for me butwhat I like about clothing is you can make animmediate impact. You can leave your house andwear something that inspires someone right thenand there. I could just put something on tomorrowand that could become a look. Let me tell you, thethree necessities of life are food, CLOTHING, andshelter. People need clothing, they will buy it and ifthey like it, they will buy it again.Music has changed a lot over the years, not justHip Hop but every genre of music. At times thereseems to be less passion and thought put intomusic these days. That would also depend onwho you would ask. Do you still feel the passionfor music as you did when you first started inthe industry?Definitely, people say at a certain age you shouldstop rapping but I think if you can do it and youhaven’t lost a step or two then do it. It's likebasketball or football if a player loses a step or twomaybe he should stop but if I can still do it and sparwith anybody I’m going to keep doing it. Old is thenew young right now from trends to clothes,everything.I feel like guys like you, Cormega Nas, AZ Etcare giving us an introduction to what oldermature Hip Hop Sounds like because you keepdropping musicYea it's good for Hip Hop as long as you aren’ttalking about the same thing you were talking about20 years ago. I like the new artists too, I’m not ahaterI notice that you and Daz Dillinger have beendoing a lot of collaborations which is a beautifulthing. How did you develop this coast-to-coastartist relationship?We saw each other in New York in like 2005 orsomething and we just connected. I was there doinga show with the cheddar boys from Detroit and Dazwas there with Snoop and we connected. We didn’tsee each other again for probably 10 years. Thenext time we saw each other we were in Vegas forJack Thrillers' birthday with Tony Yayo, Dru Hill,N.O.R.E, Kurupt, and some other people. So, fromthere we were like let's do a record, we went off onour own and did a record. Then we both flew backhome and hit each other up like let's do anotherrecord, and then another record. We did a few morerecords and then the next thing you know I flew toLA and we just started working. We got music,Prerolls and we got a clothing line coming.You are 1 half of the legendary group CNN“Capone N Noreaga” I always thought that CNNwas one of the most creative names for a rapgroup, and when The War Report came out in1997 it all made sense. The American newsChannel CNN was giving us filtered world newsand C-N-N was giving us that raw and real warreport from the streets. What was the energy likewhen creating this classic album?The energy was crazy, it was a whole differentenergy. I already knew I had to go to jail. Whilemaking that album that year, I lost my mom, gotshot, went to jail all in the same year. Recording thatalbum was a breath of fresh air but I wasn’t totally allthe way focused. I just had so much going on, but Iwas focused when I needed to be. I’m not going tolie there were times when I wasn’t because I justhad so much going on. I lost my aunt and my uncle,96 was a whole crazy year, I got through it. Thatalbum helped me a lot, it got me out of the hood andit just got me away to not have to deal with certainthings.I want to talk a bit about the changes we haveseen in the music industry and the newfoundpower of the independent artist. Are artists outof their mind for chasing record deals in the eraof independence? or do the perks of the recordlabel machine still outweigh the potential ofindependent success.You gotta have some type of support system, that’slike in life. So a lot of people got good streetmachines but there is nothing like general motors.You can have a whole car dealership but when youget your stuff from the Factory that stuff is different.So I look at the game like that there is a lot ofindependent labels but Def jam is still a machine.They have territories that you can’t reach. Also it'sabout physical relationships. . Back in the day, MaryJ Blidge changed the game because the recordcompany would ship 1 million records to stores herfirst week. They would call it certified platinum thefirst week because a million records were shippedout to stores but she wouldn’t be truly platinum untila year, 6 months or whatever later. But they stoppeddoing that. Having a machine or being independentis like do you want to look good or feel good.

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As we enter a new year are you looking tofocus more on the music industry orclothing?Both, both are priorities for me. I got twosongs dropping for my solo project and meand Daz have as solo project at the end ofFebruary. We will have to catch up again forthat one. We are dropping a documentarytoo because during the process of the albumwe just been hanging out together. So, wewant to share us in the studio, me at his crib,having fun, recording and just being usduring the process.B.o.s.s Code stands for “Business OverSocial Stress”, our goal is to motivate ourreaders to focus on their goals andendeavors while resisting the temptationof drama, chaos, wasted time, andunhealthy social behaviors. How can yourelate to this within your life’s journey?Hey man you just gotta focus, you gotta justtap out all the negative energy and just focuson positive energy and the things that will getyou forward in life. You have to make thebest choices and rub hands with the bestpeople. You have to control the things youcan control, somethings aren’t in your controland you just have to go with it.What else would you like our readersto know about you?Yea I just started my own label Akasimusic group, that’s going to besomething big. I got my artists that I’mfocused on right now. I will be sure tosend you some music from themCapone, once again we appreciateyour time and willingness to talk withus. Thank you for all that you havebrought to HIP-HOP and the world asa whole. We look forward to seeingand hearing all of your next moves.Hey man youjust gotta focus,you gotta justtap out all thenegative energyand just focuson positiveenergy and thethings that willget you forwardin life@CAPONEQB4LIFEClothing OrderS contact:Devlaree@akasicollection.comBusiness contact: Tremel@akasicollection.com@CAPONE

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Tell us a little about yourself Well, I’m from Arkansas. I’m working to be the BlackStephen King. The next H.P. Lovecraft, Wes Craven, andJordan Peele. When I’m not writing or drawing, I amworking my business, The Best Touch CleaningServices, and my wife has an Etsy shop, Leena StoneCreations, where screen t-shirts with my originalquotes will be available shortly. You should check it outand thank you in advance. Being a horror author, you must have a passionfor horror movies. When did you develop apassion for the horror industry?It started as a young child. I nearly scared myself todeath watching the 70’s horror, science fiction, andfantasy films without knowing what I was watching. All Iknow is that it scared the crap out of me and I loved it!That experience led me to this day. Now my purpose isto have everyone have that same scary frightfulexperience with my stories. As a child growing up Ichallenged myself to scare the hell out of people. Thatfed my love for horror until I began to write. When and how did you become a writer? Also, did your writing start somewhere else, or was italways inspired by the Horror Industry? Both. It startedwhen I was about 13 years old. I learned that horror isthe best teacher and tells more truth than the bible.After horror, it was comic books. Comic books gave methe science fiction and fantasy experience with abalance. That sparked the creative imagination that Ididn’t know that I had and it opened the door toendless ideas. Horror and comic books became my Yinand Yang and my Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When did you decide that you were going to startwriting books? That was when I was in high school. I was being told somuch about my insane, unbelievable, creativeimagination and was encouraged to become a comicbook or a horror writer. I took their advice and now therest is history. What is your inspiration when writing a newthought-provoking story? Everyday life, nature, creation, and the universe. Theyspeak all of the time. You just have to listen. They senda thought or an idea every day. Imagination is justknowledge not yet seen or experienced yet. I find it very intriguing that your goal is to getyour readers to read on a mathematical level.Can you give us an example of this?I was taught mathematical thinking growing up.Mathematical thinkings are the laws and principles ofcreation and nature applied to and for self-mastery.When you apply law and math to life it produces aim,direction, and purpose. You express yourself with factsand what already exists. Now apply that to horror. Noone gets away from what one’s hands have done.That's real horror! Your actions and your guilt becomethe monsters, aliens, and creatures that you can’t kill orrun away from. That's the purpose of my horror stories.That's how I scare the hell out of you. What type of thought and planning went intowriting your first book? Being patient and planning well in advance. Having thepurpose in motion and the drive for completion andaccomplishment. What type of tips can you give any new authorswho are wanting to dive into the world of horror?Horror, comic books, and video games rule the worldnow. And the world is looking for and wanting newideas. You have them and don’t be afraid to show,share, and express them. You have rewards, awards,and blessings already waiting for you when you takethat first step.

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The riveting modern horror anthology, unsettlingyet unputdownable. Stylistic horror, full of shocksand surprises. Frederick Williams has mastered theart of sardonic writing and palpable storytelling withstories such as No One Gets Away, Master A Being,The Last Nation, Masters of Self Saviors, The Last DayFor All, and many more. A diverse collection ofliterary thought-provoking and disturbing shortstories. The author begins his stories with “fairlymundane” details and when you’re least expecting it,hits you with a hammer right on the head. Storiesthat will scare and take your soul. Unbelievable, terrific, pure horror blood bathing and cold bodiesare a few of many words you will be driving into from FrederickWilliams’ Two Sentence Horror Stories. It’s a tale of forty differentTwo Sentence horror stories that are more than enough to keepyou scared awake at night. These tales will start gripping your soulone by one as you keep reading. And before it ends these TwoSentence horror stories take your soul and never let go. Themoment you slip in through this Author’s horror world, it does thejob to create something you will never forget. Unbelievable, terrific, pure horror blood bathing and cold bodies area few of many words you will be driving into from FrederickWilliams’ Two Sentence Horror Stories. It’s a tale of forty differentTwo Sentence horror stories that are more than enough to keep youscared awake at night. These tales will start gripping your soul oneby one as you keep reading. And before it ends these Two Sentencehorror stories take your soul and never let go. The moment you slipin through this Author’s horror world, it does the job to createsomething you will never forget. JUSTICE & JUDGMENT TALES HORROR TALESTWO SENTENCE HORROR STORIES TALES FROM THE RAPERS

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As an author what has been the standoutmoment of your career? The moment my books were published. The hardand long work is over now.What’s most important to us is that weshowcase and connect with those aroundthe world who are finding ways to live andinvest in their dreams. How do you staymotivated and focused on your dreamsamid daily life obligations? Mine is having the path and purpose of self-mastery and then the path of perfection. I don’thave dreams. I have a purpose to master and thewill and the why to write horror and become amaster of horror like others before me. I have afocus and discipline to do just that and I must bepatient to do that and be that. We spoke about your passion to inspireother future black horror authors. How doyou think writing horror could benefit a newauthor? My purpose is to get young and old black peopleto see black horror on the same or higher level ofblack rappers. We do and say somewhat thesame things. We tell stories and share ideasabout our experiences and share our imaginationexcept one is about horror. Compared to blackrappers in America we need way more blackhorror authors to tell more stories.What sense of power or responsibility doyou feel as an author?If or to be allowed to be seen as a teacher or anexample of and for black horror authors or anyauthors is power and responsibility. It would be agreat honor to accept that for future young andolder authors. B.O.S.S Code stands for “ Business Over SocialStress.” We believe that a steady focus ongoals and fewer distractions will allow morepeople to continue to make their dreams areality. How can you relate with this as anauthor, or just as a motivated individual inlife? I would tell future authors to not have dreams andthat distractions don’t exist. Instead have your plan,your purpose, and have the will to make it happen.Have focus with discipline to see your futurereward or blessing and have that as youraccomplishment. Fear doesn’t exist. You are theonly one who can stop you!. Even the world or thisplanet can not stop you when you do it right andyou respect your plan and your purpose. This isguaranteed success.Is there anything else that you would like ourreaders to know? I want to thank B.O.S.S. Code Magazine and thefamily and fans for allowing this interview. I pray tohave your support on my horror author career. As Iwork on more horror stories I plan to start a writingcoach and consulting business specializing inhorror. I hope you all support that as well and againthank you all so much for this blessing

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You don't have to change everything about yourhome to make it a completely new place. You canchange the look, the feel, and the whole experienceof a space with just a few adjustments.To begin,the most important question to askyourself is “How do I want this space to feel?”We are on the 2nd article of our living room series.For the 1st article, check out the last issue ofB.O.S.S. Code magazine! In the last issue we talkedabout how to better the living room seating. In thisarticle, our focus is going to be on everything elsein the living room.Start by taking a look around. Everything in theroom should serve a purpose. It either needs to beuseful, or enjoyable (but our goal is for it to beboth of those things). Anything in your living room that is not helpingyou or isn't enjoyable, needs to be either: 1.Moved,2. Removed or 3. ChangedLet's start with the moving and removing. Remember: The space AROUND the pieces in a room is just asimportant, if not more important than the piecesthemselves. A home needs to have adequate space for LIFE.Your possessions shouldn't be living in more ofyour home than you are. To decide whether or not an item needs to bemoved or removed, walk through the room. Arethere things preventing you from walking freelythrough the area? Are there things you have tododge or duck around? Is there a clear path to walkfrom one side of the room to another? Is thereroom to sit or lay down the way you would like to?Are you able to actually relax or is there too muchclutter and stress?hen there is too much in a room, you can no longerrelax in it. It's just like when you have too many thoughts inyour mind. Too much to think about, look at, andmaneuver around isn't good for anyone's peace. I have a famous phrase in my home when mychildren are all over me, wanting a million thingsand asking me question after question. I tell them,"I need to think my own thoughts for a minute."Being surrounded by clutter, both mental andphysical clutter, keeps you in a state of constantlyhaving to address what's AROUND you rather thanbeing able to address what's IN you. There needs tobe a time and place for you to think your ownthoughts and just BE. When deciding to move or remove something, askyourself: Is the space I have worth sharing with this?" and Ishaving this here adding anything positive to myexperience?" If you answer no to either of these questions,whether the item is a piece of furniture, a toy, apillow or any other possession, it needs to beeither moved somewhere else, or removedcompletely. As far as furniture goes, you don'tnecessarily need to ask yourself if the item isattractive because the appearance and style of anypiece of furniture can be changed. So look aroundand ask yourself these two questions abouteverything in the room. If it's not importantenough to take up your valuable living space, tossit or find another place for it where it would bemore useful or make for a more pleasantexperience. Keep in mind the size of your room.You may have beautiful pieces, but if they are toobig or if you have too many, they may be takingaway from you more than they are giving you. Maybe your issue isnt furniture. Maybe it’s “stuff.”Some of us just have too much stuff. These are thecases when we need to remove items completely. Iknow it’s hard but you will be glad you did. Someof us, on the other hand, have a reasonableamount of stuff, but we have it all stacked on topof every surface in our home. In this case, we mayjust need to move things. Everything needs ahome. Those of us with children especially knowwhat I mean when it comes to this.Toys all around the house can be complete chaosif they don't have a place to go back to when thekids are finished with them. I don't care what yourlife situation is, EVERYBODY benefits fromstorage space. You can find a lot of ways to addstorage. Some people may simply want to place abasket on any surface that gets cluttered. Thisway, anything that would normally get piled up,goes in the basket, keeping it tidy. Some peoplemay benefit from shelves or a cube storage unitwith separate cubbies for different things. Alwaysremember vertical space! There is so much spaceABOVE all the items we set on the floor. There’s noneed to waste it. Especially in smaller homes,remember taller storage units rather than widerones, or think about adding some shelving aboveother pieces you already have. Take some time,create some space, and reap the benefits of apeaceful, decluttered home. Now, once you've decided something is worthkeeping, THEN we decide if it's adding to thedesign of our home or taking away from it.That's when we get to tap into our creativesides and make magic happen. You can takeanything that's ugly (well..almost anything..)and transform it into something fantastic.Whether you have ugly end tables,unattractive coffee tables, or dysfunctionalstorage solutions, we can find a way to makethem work for you. Here are some ideas:Paint! The most obvious and most dramatic way tochange a piece is to paint it. Paint is so versatile.You can make something neutral that oncestood out, or you can make something stand outthat was once neutral. You can do solid colors,patterns, designs, whatever you desire. If you like the furniture you have, and just wantto freshen it up, try something simple like justpainting the bottom. It will look like you boughtit that way! If you’re looking to really liven things up, trypainting the whole piece. An ombre is a fantasticway to have a lot of color without it being toomuch.BY ALLISON JACKSON

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If you’re really adventurous, try aunique design or geometric pattern. Iam all about making a statement. Ifyou are too, check these ideas out: Sometimes the smallest amount of paintcan have the biggest impact! Stick it on! Wow, oh, Wow. If you have just a little bit ofpatience and want to completely renew yourfurniture, try out some contact paper, peel andstick wallpaper, or vinyl stickers. If you’re looking for some excitement, trya patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper. Never underestimate simplechanges. Just adding some vinylstickers can take something fromordinary to extraordinary.Try out some marble-look or wood lookcontact paper to really make it look like youbrought home a brand new piece of furniture.NewHardware! The fixtures on an item can change theentire look of it. When you have oldcupboards, sometimes just changingthe handles is all you need to bringthem into the present. Even addingunnecessary hardware as a decoration,like upholstery tacks or decorativenails, can give you something brandnew without paying more than a fewdollars. Combining some decorative nailsalong with unique drawer pulls makefor a one-of-a-kind show stopper. There are so many unique door and drawerknobs and handles. You can look online, at alocal store, or even make your own. You can findANYTHING you could imagine. Don’t settle foranything other than amazing.Rid your home of clutter, either byremoving items you don’t need, or byadding some storage solutions.Your possessions should be adding toyour life, not taking from it. You can freshen up almost anything. Nomatter how old, tired, or ugly it is, there’sa good chance you can turn it intosomething wonderful. Summary: There are tons ofgreat ideas toupdate andbeautify yourhome.

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Living through a pandemic situation is something I neverthought or expected would happen in my lifetime. When Iwas making plans for the future, making my way throughcollege, there was one thing that smacked the lunch tray outof my hand and pulled the underwear over the back of myhead, atomic style. An unexpected specter of hardship anduncertainty: illness. During the global pandemic I was suffering from TopicalSteroid Withdrawal, often referred to as RSS (Red SkinSyndrome.) I was itchy and scab-covered for almost 7months straight. My skin was raw and seeping, and still is,almost 15 months later. No breaks, just itch and repeat. Mygirlfriend had just been diagnosed with Hodgkin'sLymphoma, so she was suffering through cancer treatment.All the while it seemed the world was crumbling andeveryone was dying of Covid-19. I’m becoming increasingly skeptical of our ‘modern’medicines. I was prescribed topical steroids by doctors forover 14 years. These creams are very powerful cortisolsteroids, which I didn't understand as a kid nor did I care.They were doing their job, which was to keep my eczema atbay. I was able to be a relatively normal teenager, withouthaving huge blotches of bloody scaled skin while I was tryingto get my mack on. This is a long story I hope to get intosoon, but for the sake of time, I’ll pare things down. My lotions stopped being effective and Googled why. It wasvery difficult to find information, (because I believe it’sactively suppressed for one reason or another) but I didstumble on some UK URLs selling skin balm. I started reading the few British articles I could find, watcheda couple of American YouTubers on the topic, and a wave ofpanic and relief ran through me. All of the information I foundwas published within this decade. It had come to the pointthat my body was dependent on steroids, and would reactwith a rash when my skin wanted more. My body was addicted to the cortisol steroid and the bestremedy was to quit cold turkey, and monitor the symptomswith my doctor. I just want to be clear, the lotion I was usingto treat my rash, was actually causing the rash. I knew this iswhat I needed to do to fix my skin. I felt it deep down insideof myself. Which was not a suggestion from the handful ofdermatologists and allergists I had seen over the years. Istopped using the lotion and went through a withdrawalprocess comparably agonizing to heroin withdrawal (mostpeople say it's significantly worse). If i hadn't found thisinformation, I would have been on the hook, monthly, to thiscompany, for the rest of my life. From what I can tell, the Mayo Clinic has found thatsomewhere close to 7 out of 10 Americans have at least oneprescription medication daily, 50% are taking at least two, and20% are taking 5 or more. This seems absolutely bonkers tome. 70% or more Americans' bodies cannot function properlywithout a daily pill? It makes me wonder what’s different aboutour physiology that humans, who just a few hundred years agosurvived, lived healthy lives without needing to start the daywith a handful of manufactured chemicals. You might arguethat we have a longer lifespan and die of less trivial diseases,but from what I can tell our modern solutions are taking usfarther away from the incredible self-healing powers of ourbodies.Our lifestyles are literally killing us faster on a scale greaterthan you can imagine. But we can’t focus on that because itwould mean we are admitting that our consumerism onoverdrive model and sitting inside staring at a screen all day iscounter-productive to having a healthy, fulfilling life. There are so many health issues caused by overmedication,but it isn't examined because a lot of people stand to lose a lotof money to admit their wonder drugs are causing problemslong term. Also, it takes some serious effort to adjust lifestylehabits. I will not go without mentioning that. It’s nearlyimpossible with how our culture is currently constructed. When you start to peel back the layers you notice that a lot ofmedications people are taking are just to counteract the illeffects of the other medications. If I was selling someone aproduct, and they needed to buy a second product to make thefirst product work, I’d be a very good businessman forconvincing people to buy 2 products. There’s an epidemic of all sorts of vitamin and mineraldeficiencies, oftentimes this is caused by prescriptionmedications. Again, each of these topics will be expanded on,but Prilosec, a popular Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), causesiron deficiencies because it interrupts the process of ironabsorption, among other harmful side effects. If you’re very lowiron they won’t take you off of the PPI and tell you theproblems can be solved with lifestyle change (diet exerciseand natural supplements). They will likely prescribe moremedications or more extreme and costly interventions like ironinfusions. But don't worry, you’re already paying for insurance.

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You might say, people are sick! These pharmaceuticalcompanies are saving lives and helping people that wouldotherwise be suffering. Sure, this is true in many cases. Butwhen you stand to make so much money on people beingsick, it’s a difficult situation of moral choice, I’m sure. Just thelarge Pharmaceutical companies (top 35 earners) clearedover $1.9 trillion NET PROFIT in 2020...That’s after costs likesalary and production.My main concern is the general lack of interest in how ourbodies work and the wealth of natural solutions to many overmedicated problems. For instance, I didn't need to flood myhormone system with a stress hormone. If I wasn't mentallystrong, and did not have a great support system, I neverwould have come off of topical steroids. Had I known I hadfood allergies and teenage eczema, I could have savedmyself years of discomfort, thousands of dollars in co-pays,and increased insurance costs because of pre-existingconditions.In the context of Covid-19, this is a very importantconversation. The people that are dying of Covid have whatwe’ve all heard referred to as comorbidities. These areconditions that contribute to the sickness or death ofsomeone who has contracted Covid-19. Obesity seems to bea very prominent one, along with heart disease. Both ofthese conditions can be solved in most people with diet andexercise change. Another prominent cause for illness in most people in theUnited States today is Vitamin D deficiency. Recent studiesshow that upwards of 40% or more are Vitamin D deficient.The best way to increase your Vitamin D levels is throughnonenzymatic dermal synthesis (through the skin) throughexposure to ultraviolet rays. Vitamin D deficiency can causeproblems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes,osteoporosis, and fractures. All of which we are convinced totreat with hundreds of thousands of dollars of Chemo, or adaily synthetic drug, which robs our bodies of autonomy andstunts natural processes we need to be healthy, causingmore medically treated issues down the line. I could go on and on about how making sure our diets workwith our bodies, and how important daily exercise is. I couldtalk about how birth control causes massive side effects on awoman's endocrine system, or how using formula prevents ababy from assuming immunities from the mother, anessential feature for our immune system to stay ahead ofviruses and bacteria. "From what I read,the Mayo Clinic hasfound thatsomewhere close to7 out of 10Americans have atleast oneprescriptionmedication daily"All of this has been turned into a cliche, each of theseexamples people nod and dismiss because their specificsituation is unique. Or certain solutions have been politicized,so we cannot have honest conversations about health andwellness. But that's no excuse to avoid doing everything withinour power to fight sickness before we get another prescription.Before long, I fear we may lose the evolutionary advantage ourimmune system has on disease. We will have sterilized andused antibiotics to fix problems in the short term, while stuntingour incredible defense mechanism, for years to come. I'm notsuggesting tearing down our medical system as it stands, I’mcalling for us to come together, and learn as much about ourbodies' amazing self healing system as we can. Written By Joseph Perez

B.O.S.S. CODE MAGAZINE ISSUE 25

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