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MyLifeSecret: Flint brothers relaunch popular tell-all, anonymous website – The Flint Journal

FLINT, MI — The secret came in anonymously, like they all do.

“He posted something like, ‘I’m not ready to die, but when I am I want to sacrifice my life to save someone else’s,’” said Philip Pirkovic.

Secrets like this were the point of the site Pirkovic and his brother, Saso, launched last year. But something about this one made him think about the possibility of what they had created.

“I don’t know who he is, where he’s from,” Pirkovic said of the man behind the secret. “But he’s got this selflessness.”

my_life_seceret_0002.JPGView full sizePhilip and Saso Pirkovic, both of Flint, pose for a portrait. The brothers started a website called mylifesecret.com where people can anonymously submit secrets to be posted online.

The two put up MyLifeSecret as a kind of experiment. As the Internet moves further from the anonymity of its early days — with social networks and search engines seeming to track users’ every move — would people turn to a new site to share the deep corners of their lives?

Turns out, they would. Hits to the site came by the thousands.

“Our best month, within a period of about 3.5 weeks we got about 20,000 hits,” said Philip Pirkovic, 22.

Though the Flint siblings did little outside of tell their friends about the site, hits came in from everywhere. Though the site is anonymous, their analytics reports showed clicks coming in from all 50 states and every populated continent. There were visitors from China, Russia, every country in South America.

Someone in England with a huge web following shared the site one day. Philip Pirkovic’s phone buzzed nonstop with e-mail reminders signaling new secrets posted.

“My phone died because we got about 1,200 secrets within 24 hours,” he said.

The popularity was becoming too much for the site’s rudimentary framework. They needed a new site and a thorough business plan if they wanted to keep this going.

So earlier this year, the two put the site under construction to build a revved-up version they plan to launch at noon today.

They turned to Kettering University’s TechWorks program to help iron out a business strategy and even teamed up with Kettering web developers to build the new site.

The concept of the site will be the same: anyone can visit and write a secret for all to see. Secrets are reviewed and approved before going online. No names or other identifying information for anyone is allowed, attacks and hate speech is not allowed.

People generally follow the rules, the Pirkovic brothers said. Many of the secrets posted have been very personal, often dealing with depression, even suicidal thoughts.

“People were admitting these really deep things,” Philip Pirkovic said.

They worked a section into the site pointing users to organizations offering help. With the new launch, they hope to also spread an awareness campaign for issues like suicide, bullying, depression. They’re calling it the SHHHHH movement and have made t-shirts emblazoned with the letters. They’re reaching out to local celebrities to help spread the word and proceeds from the sales will go to a relevant charity of the buyer’s choice.

“I told a boy that I didn’t like him, when I was madly in love with him. I thought I saved myself from being hurt, but now I wake up and go to bed everyday wishing I could take back what I said,” read one secret.

“I tell people “I love you too” if they tell me “I love you” even if I don’t really love them back,” read another.

And another: “I am in love with my ex-boyfriend. We broke up over a year and a half ago. I’ve had 2 serious relationships since then and at least 6 other guys I’ve dated casually. I’m afraid that I’ll be in love with him forever and all relationships in my future will feel as pointless as they’ve all felt. I hate him for this.”

The two are both from Flint. The older Pirkovic graduated from University of Michigan-Flint last year and Saso Pirkovic will finish his degree at the same school this year.

Eventually, they hope to turn the movement into an official non-profit organization. They also hope to launch a book based on the secrets as a way to fund the operation. The site has no advertisements and the team doesn’t plan to have any.

“I’d just feel bad making money off of advertising because people are coming to the site for help,” Philip Pirkovic said.

Not all the secrets are serious. Some are just meant to be entertaining and funny.

“One of the first ones we had was the ‘Avatar’ one,” said a laughing Saso Pirkovic, 21.

The secret came during the height of the movie’s popularity. It went something like “I tell everybody I’ve seen “Avatar,” but never did.”

The real reward from the site is watching people comment on secrets and help out a stranger for no reason other than being the right thing to do, the brothers said.

“It gives you hope,” Philip Pirkovic said. “It’s reassuring.”

Blake Thorne covers K-12 schools and higher education for The Flint Journal. Contact him at bthorne1@mlive.com or 810-347-8194. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

Family trauma from a labour of love

Hannah Richell.

Close to home … ”If I’m going to write something, I’ve got to feel it,” Hannah Richell says.

This debut novel found the light of day through the domestic fug of a family household, complete with newborn.

Hannah Richell writes from her kitchen table in a quaint cottage off a dog-legged alley in inner-city Sydney. Tucked at one end is a high chair for Gracie, 1. Pinned to the fridge door with mother’s pride are photos of Jude, 4, wearing a Cheshire Cat grin.

For the three days Richell’s two children are in childcare, she taps at her keyboard looking out to a brick-paved courtyard scattered with kids’ bunting.

As a rule, Richell tries not to write when the kids are with her. Sometimes, when inspiration strikes, she tries to get something down, fast. ”I’m realising I can’t be too precious about creative time … it’s probably no coincidence that’s usually the moment the dinner plate gets hurled to the floor or a squabble erupts over toy sharing,” she says.

emSecret of the Tides/em by Hannah Richell. Hachette, $29.99.

Secret of the Tides by Hannah Richell. Hachette, $29.99.

Only recently did the weight of the daily juggle send her looking for a desk at the Sydney Writers’ Centre for some shared solitude.

Richell’s debut book, Secrets of the Tides, was started in a domestic fug, a few weeks after Jude’s birth. Fortunately, Jude was a good sleeper. All the same, it seems a strange thing to think of Richell pregnant with novel and child. One might inspire the other. Rarely are they achieved simultaneously.

”I wasn’t writing anything but for me,” British-born Richell says. ”I was on maternity leave and I just wanted a project to keep my head working while I was home with the baby. It became a habit where I’d put Jude down to sleep and then run down to the kitchen and write and then at night was good thinking time for me. I could mull over ideas and the conversations the characters could have.”

Secrets of the Tides doesn’t stray far from the family hearth. Dora, the middle child of Richard and Helen Tide, is pregnant and unable to accept impending motherhood until she has dealt with the events of 11 years ago, when she and her siblings experienced a devastating loss on the Dorset coast.

”I thought if I’m going to write something, I’ve got to feel it, really believe it,” says Richell, a slender woman with intense blue eyes and enviable focus. ”What would it take to break the bonds of the closest family was my starting point.”

A dark thread of suspense underlies the narrative as the book jumps between the past and present, gradually untangling the deceits surrounding those terrible events that cast the three central characters adrift.

On its cover, the British edition of Secrets of the Tides, newly arrived in the mail, depicts an old farmhouse bathed in eerie light. The Australian edition has a nostalgic tone and stresses the relationship-centric nature of the novel with a sun-bleached image of two girls scrabbling for shells.

It is with a professional eye that Richell, 36, notes the different approaches and depictions of place. A former marketer for Pan Macmillan, Hachette and Hodder Stoughton in Britain, she knows better than any author what it takes to turn good page-turners into commercial successes.

Jodi Picoult, another who specialises in the types of novels in which bad things happen to children in middle-class homes, and Stephenie Meyer of the Twilight series owe a small part of their profile to Richell’s marketing skills.

Richell’s polished manuscript was picked up within 24 hours of it being sent out by her London agent. ”I never expected an auction. I never expected a two-book deal. I certainly never dreamt of foreign translation deals,” she blogged when she emerged with a deal big enough to treat writing as a profession.

Industry knowledge helped crystallise her interest in the genre of popular women’s fiction but it was only after Richell came to Australia in 2005 and found work outside the book-publishing industry that she discovered a desire to write. The anonymity of a new home and a married surname overcame her self-doubts.

For an author who writes about families brought to breaking point by personal trauma, Richell’s was middle-class and happy. Born between siblings Jessica and William, the academic middle child grew up ”surrounded by books; they were everywhere”. ”When I think of my mum and my sister I think of them with their heads in books. As a child I loved fairytales and Greek mythology and adventure stories.”

While she might appear an overnight success, her second novel is taking time to come together. Self-doubt has been replaced by worry she might let her publishers down. ”I hope my novel might make readers think a little and draw their loved ones that little bit closer,” Richell says.

Hannah Richell is a guest at the Sydney Writers’ Festival this week. See swf.org.au.

Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell is published by Hachette, $29.99.

‘The Secret Circle’ Season 2: What to expect if the show gets renewed

By Carina Adly MacKenzie

    

May 11, 2012 3:31 PM ET

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“The Secret Circle” has yet to be renewed (or canceled) for The CW’s Fall 2012 season, but after last night’s epic season finale, it’s clear that executive producer Andrew Miller has some big plans should the show go on.

After a slight ratings dip, the viewership did rise again and remained steady for the Season 1 finale. Creatively, the finale offered an incredible launch for a series of fascinating storylines, so we’re hoping that The CW recognizes that and gives the show another chance. We’ll find out for sure in just a few days, when The CW announces their Fall schedule, but in the meantime, we wrestled as much information as we could from Miller, so here are 5 things to expect from Season 2.

[Update: The CW has officially canceled "Secret Circle." Here's what could have happened, had it gone another way.]

1. Faye will discover that having her individual magic isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Phoebe Tonkin asked Miller to give Faye a “Matilda” moment in the finale, hence her champagne celebration with Melissa — but this is television, and the celebration can’t last too long. “Next year, The Circle will be completely fractured,” Miller says. “They know what it is to be bound, they’ve struggled through being connected to people when you don’t want to be, and this next people is about being apart and finding strength that way. Faye is going to very quickly run out of ‘Matilda’ moments, because it won’t be enough, especially with Cassie and Diana having so much more power than her.”

2. The Balcoin kids are going to add a whole new element to the show. That shot of the four figures overlooking Chance Harbor was a perfect tease. So what kind of people will these new characters be? “A. Sexy, B. sexy, and C., interesting,” Miller laughs. “Those four characters are not all Balcoin. We’ll find that this goal of putting a perfect circle together won’t be as easy as Blackwell had hoped. They’ll bring some moral ambiguity to the battle between good and evil in Chance Harbor at a time when the witches that we have are at a crossroads with their own sense of right and wrong.”

They’ll be particularly intriguing to Faye. “She’ll be the lynchpin between these Balcoin kids coming in and the existing Circle. She’ll seek out the Balcoins, she’ll utilize the Balcoins and their power in a very manipulative way.”

3. Jake will take his grandfather’s note very, very seriously. “Royce was more right than anyone wanted to believe, though he was still a bit crazy. Jake is going to take up his struggle to stop the darkness from seeping into his world and the people he loves. The warning is going to position Jake to be the most badass good guy of all time. An avenging angel with the kind of anger issues that Jake has is going to be really fun to see once he faces the Balcoin kids.”

4. Adam’s vulnerabilities will bring his dark side to the surface. As Jake fights the darkness, Adam has, interestingly enough, invited it in. When we first met Adam, he was the good guy. He always did the right thing. “When push came to shove, and he went to rescue the two huge loves of his life, Cassie and Diana, he was a useless piece of s*** to Blackwell’s dark magic. It was like he was the skinny kid on the beach getting sand kicked on him by the bullies, and he sends away from the back of a comic book to be a muscle man so he can never be in that position again. They thought that he was the best guy to take care of the skull, but in fact, he was the worst. He was the most emotionally vulnerable, the most fragile, and the most susceptible to the seductive power of that skull.”

5. Grant is genuinely a nice guy… but he’s got some secrets. We love Diana’s sweet, rom-com love affair with the hot yacht guy, and though Miller tells us that Grant won’t suddenly be revealed to be an evil witch, he is involved in some shady stuff. “I couldn’t break Diana’s heart that much by turning him into a complete bad guy,” he says. “However, I can tell you that Grant works on a yacht for some guy who seems to be coming in and out of Chance Harbor more than anybody with a yacht should be coming in and out of Chance Harbor. Grant is involved with more than he’s letting on, and the people he’s working with are perhaps more interesting than you’d expect.”

We’ve got more Season 2 scoop for you on the way… and of course, we promise to update you immediately when we get word of whether there will be a Season 2. Keep those fingers crossed!

Loving ‘As You Like It’

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KEEPING SECRETS – Rosalind’s got a secret and Orlando doesn’t know it yet, but all will be revealed in the Barnstable High School Drama Club’s production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, featuring Dylan Byrnes as Orlando, Danielle Parkka as Celia, and Molly Kirk as Rosalind.

Tackling Shakespeare is a daunting task for even seasoned thespians, but the actors and actresses at Barnstable High School just seem to get it right again and again. Their latest production, As You Like It, is no exception. The trouble is, where does a reviewer begin?

Do I rave about the troupe’s firm grasp of Shakespearian verse, or do I wax poetic about the immense talent of this diverse cast? Do I offer praise for their excellent comedic timing, or do I highlight the uncanny ability of high school students to make Shakespeare shows not only enjoyable but something to look forward to each spring?

The answer to each question is a resounding “Yes.” Having seen Shakespeare shows at other theaters, I feel skilled enough in my own experiences to know that Shakespeare shows at BHS are something special.

The 2012 show simply continues a tradition of greatness and shines a well-deserved spotlight on the rich talent on the stage of the Knight Auditorium.

The show spins the story of battling brothers, a banished duke, a complex love tangle, a woman disguised as a man, a vibrantly dressed court fool, a wrestler and several cheeky sheep.

Dylan Byrnes tackles the role of Orlando, one of the battling brothers and a lovesick lad who has fallen hard for the fair Rosalind, played by both Molly Kirk and Kathryn McDonald.

Byrnes is stellar as Orlando, genuinely conveying the blush of first love, while at the same time bravely donning a wild pair of blue tights.

Both Kirk and McDonald are fantastic as Rosalind, whose own banishment inspires her to conceal her identity by posing as a man. The role, with nearly 700 lines, is hefty, but both actresses rise to the challenge of the role marvelously, delivering their lines as if they utter Shakespearean dialogue daily.

Also terrific are Greg Gianno as Oliver, the second battling brother; Jeremy Peacock, hilarious as the fool (love the palm tree pants!); and Haydn Higgins as the banished Duke Senior.

Proving his own prowess onstage is Caio Thé as Duke Frederick, an initially angry man who has a major change of heart. Thé is spectacular in his portrayal of Frederick, from his conveyance of intense anger and bitterness to his revelation of a kinder heart.

As Celia, Frederick’s daughter and Rosalind’s closest friend, Emma Boudreau and Danielle Parkka are super, both bringing a certain charm to the role.

Johnny Robinson, making a name for himself on the BHS stage, draws hearty laughs as both an aging servant to Orlando and Silvius, a shepherd with a serious crush on Phoebe, wonderfully played by Kayla Crook, who shares the role with Lynne Hibbard.

Seth Garcia takes being melancholy to a new level as Jaques, while Isabella Macallister is delightfully funny as Le Beau, a role she shares with Alicia Pierozzi. Cam Lariviere is also a riot as both Charles the wrestler and William, a simply country fellow.

While space prevents me from mentioning the full cast, I would be remiss if I didn’t spotlight the adorably mischievous sheep played by Amelia Bielkus, Eamon Welch-Vines and Harry McDonald.

Kudos also to the creators of the functional and eye-catching set, to Charlie Nash for great lighting, to Maura Shanahan for the clever costumes and of course to director Ed O’Toole for his dedication to the craft.

All of the students involved in this production have obviously put in long hours of preparation. Their greatest reward would be filled seats each night of the show’s run. Trust me – you won’t be disappointed; not even with those super-preppy palm tree pants.

As You Like It can be seen onstage at the Knight Auditorium at Barnstable High School May 11, 12, 17 and 19 at 7 p.m., and May 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, and $2 from every ticket sold will benefit CHAMP Homes in Hyannis.


Joys, tragedies, secrets shared in ‘Steel Magnolias’

Much like Las Vegas, what happens in a Southern beauty salon, stays there.

That’s why the characters in the next production at the Sioux City Community Theatre can be so honestly open about their joys and tragedies.

The story of family and friends, “Steel Magnolias” portrays loyalty and love and eccentricity, in a small-town beauty parlor.

The play begins by presenting the loving, sometimes highly emotional, mother-daughter relationship between M’Lynn (Lisa Swanson) and Shelby (Lindsay Washburn) as they primp for Shelby’s wedding at the beauty salon of Truvy (Amy Konda). Annelle (Genevieve Radosti) ultimately assists at the salon, where clients Clairee (Marci Broyhill) and Ouiser (Susan Jenkins) bring their own Southern style, illustrating through the title, that although they may all appear delicate as magnolias, they are tough as steel.

The 1989 successful film, starring Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts, is based on Robert Harling’s play, which, in turn, dealt with the experience of the death of his sister, explained director Dave Washburn.

“Harling also wrote the screenplay for the film, giving him a broader canvas to paint on,” he said. “He was able to expand the action of the story and add characters. For example, none of the male characters from the movie appear in the play. The men are all discussed, but never seen. And, unlike the film, all the action in the play takes place in Truvy’s beauty shop.”

Washburn acknowledged because the film was and continues to be so popular, that does create challenges for the actors portraying these characters.

“We won’t be doing impersonations of the actors in the film,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed working with our talented cast to bring their unique takes on these characters to life.”

One of the elements in this show is the whole beaty salon experience, with hair being washed and styled; however, Washburn hesitated to share how that will be done for this production.

“I guess you could say that the hair is the seventh member of the cast,” he quipped. “We are planning some special touches, but audiences aren’t coming to see a hair-styling exhibition. The patrons are coming to see this touching story about these six wonderful characters.”

ULTA Beauty Welcomes Love Your Hair


CHICAGO, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Anyone can have shiny, gorgeous hair if they know the tricks of the trade! And the experts at ULTA Beauty are ready to unveil their hair secrets. ULTA Beauty kicks off Love Your Hair, a 14-day celebration of absolutely fabulous hair, taking place in ULTA Beauty stores nationwide from May 13, 2012 to May 26, 2012. For two weeks, ULTA Beauty will provide insider tips, tricks, and FREE demonstrations showcasing the best tools, products and styles for beautiful hair.

Each day throughout Love Your Hair, ULTA Beauty will highlight an on-trend, styling tip-of-the-day, offering guidance on a variety of ubiquitous hair care needs, including tips for taming those oh-so-annoying fly-aways, boosting volume for flat hair, restoring moisture for overly dry hair, combating hard to tame frizz, amplifying shine and much more. ULTA Beauty will also showcase recommended products and offer exclusive daily deals, ranging from free gifts to special discounts.

Participating hair care brands include:


        Redken       CHI     Fekkai  Hot Tools    Sebastian    Deva Curl
        Ouidad       Matrix  Conair  Bed Head     Sexy Hair    Wigo
        Ojon         Rusk    Biolage Oscar Blandi Kenra        Pureology
        KeraStraight Brocato Alterna Joico        Living Proof Sedu

FREE WORKSHOPSULTA Beauty professionals will also offer Love Your Hair workshops at The Salon at ULTA nationwide, featuring free expert demonstrations of this season’s hottest trends, including:

Seriously Sleek Smooth: Stop in for quick tips and trends to achieve the latest sleek and smooth looks

Thursday, May 17th from 5-8pm, nationwide

Love Your Curl DemoStop in for quick tips and trends to achieve the latest curly hair styles

Monday, May 21st from 5-8pm, nationwide

Braided Beauty DemoSee the latest braid styles and techniques

Wednesday, May 23rd from 5-8pm, nationwide

CHI Blow Dry Boot CampLearn how to blow dry your hair like a pro! ULTA stylists will show you blow drying made easy with step-by-step instructions. See the newest innovation in dryer technology – the CHI Touch Control Dryer used exclusively by stylists at The Salon at ULTA! Call your nearest ULTA Beauty location to book an appointment.

Saturday, May 19th at 8am 9:30am, nationwide

For a more information, and the complete list of Daily Deals and events, visit
www.ulta.com/loveyourhair .

About ULTA Beauty

ULTA Beauty is the largest beauty retailer that provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. ULTA Beauty provides affordable indulgence to its customers by combining the product breadth, value and convenience of a beauty superstore with the distinctive environment and experience of a specialty retailer. ULTA Beauty offers a unique combination of over 20,000 prestige and mass beauty products across the categories of cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, bath and body products and salon styling tools, as well as salon haircare products. ULTA Beauty also offers a full-service salon in all of its stores. As of January 28, 2012, the company operates 449 stores across 43 states and also distributes its products through the company’s website:
www.ulta.com .

SOURCE ULTA Beauty

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

‘I love natural beauty looks’: Kate Moss reveals her make-up secrets as she …

19:36 EST, 7 May 2012

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01:36 EST, 8 May 2012

She’s an icon to millions of women around the world.

But despite being admired for her style and beauty, Kate Moss rarely shares her secrets… until now.

The supermodel has given fans her tips for looking good and her essential make-up items in a rare interview for the June issue of InStyle UK magazine.

Bronzed: Kate Moss reveals her make-up secrets as she poses for the June issue of InStyle magazine

In contrast to her natural complexion on her downtime, the mother-of-one looked bronzed with a gelled back hairdo as she poses for the monthly glossy.

She admitted she prefers to go natural because she wears so much make-up at work, but reaches for kohl eyeliner when she does wear make-up in her own time.

When asked what her essential item was, she replied: ‘Black kohl – it’s essential for creating a classic smoky eye.’

Country girl: Despite her rock chick image in the photoshoot, Kate admitted she loves cooking at her Cotswolds home

For the full feature see the June issue of InStyle out now

For the full feature see the June issue of InStyle out now

She explained: ‘I
love natural beauty looks, but I’ll glam it up a little if I’m heading
out with my girlfriends… depending on where we are going. I’ll either
wear a light beige or a glamorous shiny bright red lipstick.’

When asked about her most valuable make-up tip, she admitted: ‘To always use eyelash curlers before applying mascara to really open the eyes.’

Despite her love of partying and sunbathing, Moss spends a lot of time looking after her skin.

She said: ‘I just use a really good moisturiser
regularly and sunscreen. I also love to have a facial when I have the
time and I drink lots of water.’

And despite being a slim supermodel, Moss admits one of her favourite pastimes is cooking for her husband Jamie Hince and daughter Lila Grace at their Cotswolds bolthole.

She enthused: ‘(I’m at my happiest when) I go to the country and spend time with
my daughter and husband.

‘I love cooking, especially when I’m there and
have more time. What matters the most to me are family and love.’

For the full feature see the June issue of InStyle out now.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

She’s got more than beauty, she’s got personality and charisma and intelligence. That’s what gets you somewhere.

in reality, a rather plain old bonebag.

Still the perfect woman in my books!

Photoshop…..the new ‘natural look’ what a joke.

photoshopped, she looks much more wrinkly in real life.

Loves the natural look, well when will we ever see her looking fresh and natural? She always looks when not working, well rather rough I will say, always looks like the dragged through the hedge look, yes she looks good on the front page of a magazine, well many women would too with all the help she gets, air brushing , professional make up, clothes etc., There are so many other women out there who could step into her shoes right now, prettier, and natural looking too without having help.

She’s very beautiful

Sorry – I’ve seen her in the flesh and she is airbrushed to the HILT in those photos.

All well and good but the best thing she can do for her skin is to sack the ciggies, they will take their toll in time.

photoshopped

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