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#A COMMENT SAID: NOT THOSE 40S TASTE BUDS
widowsofchaos · 3 years
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He’ll be fine, he grew up with crack in his soda. They did it on purpose tho.💀💀💀
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majesticbrownjawn · 4 years
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The Best Man
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Things get complicated when the best man looks like him ⬆️ But probably not complicated in the way you’re thinking.
Oldie from Wattpad. ‼️Chris=Erik‼️ I ain’t feel like going thru and changing his name. Deal with it. I wrote it with Erik in mind though. Enjoy boos❤️
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His hands unashamedly gripped her ass, making her jump in shock.
"We can't do this Chris..." her voice faded out in the most unconvincing way, letting him know she was enjoying the moment as much as he was. When he pressed his lips against hers, she kissed him back, forgetting where she was and focused on his tongue entering her mouth. Ms. Johnson was quickly brought back down to Earth when her phone started vibrating in her hand, reminding her it was almost time for the mother/son dance. Sanai was a stickler for things being on schedule and wanted everything to be perfect for Bryan's big day, which to her meant keeping to the strict time table she mapped out.
She finally broke away from the younger man, staring him down with a frustrated look before disappearing into the large crowd of people to find her pursuer's best friend and the groom--her son.
***
Sanai Johnson was a woman with a plan, well, at least since she had become a mother at the age of 16. She fell in love with her son's father, August, and she thought he felt the same until he disappeared six months into her pregnancy. He was from the other side of the tracks, the "right" side. His parents were wealthy and he had earned a scholarship to a prestigious university a few hours away. When he finally showed up fours years later begging for Sanai to take him back so they could be a family, it was way too little, too late. From the moment he stepped back into their lives, he proved to be a great father to Bryan, and that was all she wanted from him. He on the other hand, had just stopped confessing his love for her just over a year ago before their son's 25th birthday--when he showed up to Bryan's party with a woman who looked just a few years older than the birthday boy himself.
It was funny, after all these years of refusing him, Sanai was actually contemplating giving August another chance and then he shows up with with some young girl. Oh well, she thought. She had bigger fish to fry, like planning the wedding she never got to have. It's not that she couldn't have gotten married in the past or sometime in the future for that matter, she was still in her early 40s, but could easily pass for someone a decade younger. She'd loss count of all the times people mistook her for Bryan's sister. Her buxom figure, glowing skin and beautiful features added to her appeal, but she always fell just shy of being completely confident in her appearance.
Where she lacked confidence in the physical, she made up for it in business and street smarts. While August was doing God knows what those four years in college, she graduated from high school early and started working at a museum. Little did she know she'd fall in love with art history and would later become one of the most sought after and well paid art curators in the country. She got to where she was by working hard and staying focused, which for her didn't leave much room for romance.
The wedding weekend had finally come and the guests had started to arrive at her large estate. She planned a series of events designed to make the large 250 person guest list feel a little smaller. This first event, brunch, was purposely hosted at her home to make everyone feel a little more comfortable mingling and getting to know each other.
"Chris!" Bryan was ecstatic to see his best friend who was more like a big brother to him. He flew across the foyer and embraced Chris, who he hadn't seen in almost three years. The two met when Bryan was in the 7th grade and Chris was in the 10th grade at a basketball camp. Chris was Bryan's counselor and the youngster immediately took to the older boy, following him around and following his lead in almost anything he did, except when Chris moved to China. Ms. Johnson wasn't having that. Both men studied business at the same university and started learning Chinese in high school, continuing through college. After graduating, Chris decided to take a job in Beijing making just under seven figures at a budding tech start-up.
"It's been too long, man." Chris was just as excited to see his friend, but was always more reserved than him, being careful to save his energy for just the right time. He knew this weekend would be full of exciting and possibly emotionally draining moments, so he decided to ease his way in.
"So your mom got it like this now? No wonder she invited the wedding party to stay here. This place is massive." He looked around absolutely impressed with his surroundings.
"I know right? When's the last time you've seen her? Like right after I graduated?"
"Yea--high school, I think. Maybe when you moved into your dorm freshman year."
"Well, she's around here somewhere. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Let me show you where you'll be staying."
***
Sanai was the kind of woman who always had things under control, but her son's wedding had her out of sorts. She was so hell-bent on everything being perfect that she was stressing about every little detail. She did a self-check about 30 minutes ago, realizing her worries were affecting the time she was having, so she took a couple mimosas to the head to take the edge off.
After settling in, Chris made his way back downstairs and gave himself a tour of the home. Along the way, there was a woman who he couldn't stop looking at from afar as she weaved in and out of the crowd. The red dress she wore was what caught his eye first. Then as he closed in on her, her familiar smile pulled him in, making him wonder if he and Bryan went to college with her because she seemed to know a lot of people here. He approached her from behind, placing his hand on the small of her back and leaned into her, introducing himself.
"Hi, I'm Chris. Do I know you? You look so familiar." When she turned around and he finally got an up close look at her, he immediately knew who she was. "Ms. Johnson?"
She smiled and answered, "In the flesh." Instead of letting her go, he froze, still holding her close as she now faced him.
"Uh, uh--it's good to see you," he finally spoke up, his arm still holding her tight. "You haven't aged a day. You're so...beautiful," he blurted out. It was like he was seeing her for the time. In a way he was, this was his first time seeing her as a man.
"Thank you, Chris. It's good to see you too," she replied blandly, gently patting him on his chest, trying to release herself from his grip. Despite trying to get away from him, Sanai certainly noticed what a handsome man Chris had become. She was on the taller side for a woman, but he easily towered over her at 6'4". His frame was full, with just the right amount of grown man thickness she liked. The rest of brunch Sanai was slightly distracted by Chris, partly because she was so shocked at how much he'd grown up and also because she thought she caught him watching her. It was probably just her imagining things.
That night after dinner at the house with the bridal party, Sanai was cleaning up the living area when she felt a quiet presence enter the space.
"Can I help, Ms. Johnson?"
"Oh, please call me Sanai, you're grown now, Chris."
"Ok. So tell me Sanai, what's your secret?" She looked at him confused. "I meant what I said earlier. You haven't aged. It's incredible. You look incredible." He didn't try to hide the fact that his eyes couldn't stop taking her body in.
She blushed at his comment but tried her best not to act phased by his repeated mention of her looks.
"Well, you certainly have changed."
"I hope that's a good thing," he smirked. "How are you dealing with Bryan getting married? I assume it can't be easy to let go of your only child. And you're single, right? I'm sure you've thought about how lonely it may get, him not being around as much."
"Bryan has been on his own for a while now. I'll manage."
"How?"
"How what?"
"How will you manage, Ms. Johnson?" His tone seemed a bit suggestive, but she figured maybe it was the wine she drank playing tricks on her.
He was, of course being suggestive in the slightest way. His immediate attraction her earlier today threw him off initially, but that wasn't going to happen again this weekend. He decided everything else he'd say and hopefully do to her his weekend would be very deliberate.
"I mean, I'm sure you have needs, right?" He moved closer to her, so close that she had no choice but to look at him As his tilted his head sideways at her seductively.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"I think you know exactly what I mean, Sanai." Chris' hand slowly traced up the side of her body, carefully following the curve of her hip upwards, stopping just below her bust. She watched his hand closely, allowing his touch to send a shiver up her spine.
"Your behavior is so inappropriate Chris." She said it so sternly that he momentarily forgot he was a grown ass man now who could pursue her without worrying about getting in 'trouble.'
He lifted his hands in surrender and openly watched her as she nervously cleaned up a few more things before heading upstairs. He noticed the way her breathing picked up when he touched her. The goosebumps on her arms told him she enjoyed his hands on her, despite her calling his actions "inappropriate." Chris laid in the bed that night, thinking about her and trying his best to ignore the nagging feeling of his dick hard-pressed against his shorts. The hornier and unsatisfied he was, he figured, the more persistent he'd be about getting a taste of Ms. Johnson.
***
The following afternoon, the bridal party gathered in the foyer of Sanai's home to learn the tango for the reception. After the instructor paired everyone up, Sanai noticed Chris was missing, but remembered he didn't have a partner because as the best man, it was his job to walk the grandmothers and her down the aisle.
"Looking for me?" She jumped at the sound of his voice.
"No, Chris. Why would I be?" She figured if she acted like she was uninterested in his attention that he'd leave her alone. She had another thing coming though. The more time Chris spent in her presence, the more his desire for her increased. Even if he wasn't able to see straight through her hard-to-get act, it wouldn't have stopped him from doing all he could to get her.
He bent down and bowed, lifting his hand to hers, "May I have this dance?" He grabbed her hand but she quickly yanked it away.
"Come on, don't be like that, Sanai."
"Maybe you should call me Ms. Johnson after all."
"I'll call you whatever you want. Just dance with me. Please." He was a little surprised when she took his hand and stood close to him. He took the lead, already familiar with the sensual dance. His hand rested low on her back and he used it to push her lower half into his. Front to front, Sanai could feel Chris' bulge brushing up against her as they moved across the foyer.
"You know I had a crush on you back in the day right?" He whispered closely to her face.
"Excuse me?" She cackled at his comment but he pulled her closer, feeling like she'd walk away from him at any second.
"Honestly, I wasn't even tryna be Bryan's friend at first when we were kids...I just needed an excuse to be around you," he continued. "You were just so creative and kind. I didn't know a mother could be so damn beautiful." Sanai blushed at his memory of her.
"I used to love to come over so I could see you walk around the house in those baggy t-shirts with no bra. Watching you in them little ass shorts had me on hard every time. I can't tell you how many times I had wet dreams about you, Ms. Johnson."
Sanai could feel Chris' excitement pressing up against her. Wisdom urged her to break away from him, but her body begged her to stay put. It had been so long since she allowed a man to be this close to her. And he just smelled and looked so good.
"Are you serious? Why are you telling me this now?" She shouldn't have asked, but her curiosity and her attraction to him was getting the best of her.
"Because it's the truth...and because I always fantasize about being close to you, just like this." The pair was face to face, their foreheads pressed against the other's. Lucky for them, no one would think anything of it because the tango called for that intimate positioning.
"You always fantasize? Or you used to?" She asked her question while looking him square in the eyes.
"Can I cut in?" Bryan's father looked at Chris suspiciously for a moment before taking Sanai's hand and trying to shake off the notion that his son's best friend was doing what it looked like he was doing—pushing up on Sanai. Their interaction would have looked innocent to the average person, but August recognized game when he saw it. He stayed close to Sanai the rest of the day just in case his suspicions about Chris were correct.
***
Hey, can you come downstairs for a minute please?
The text came in to Sanai's phone after 1 a.m. that night.
Who is this?
Guess 😈
I don't have time for games. Who is this?
It's Chris. I want to apologize.
Sanai made her way downstairs cautiously, as not to wake anyone in the house. When she laid eyes on him, she immediately knew she was in trouble. Chris wore a pair of silk pajama pants that left little for her to imagine about how girthy he was and the way his arms looked in the wife beater he wore was already doing things to her.
"He's Bryan's best friend..." She reminded herself as she approached him.
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
"Don't be cute, Chris."
"I hope I'm cute to you."
"I thought you want to apologize for your behavior?"
"Oh yea, I do." The pair was whispering trying not to wake anyone, especially Bryan. It would be hard to explain why they were down here whispering at this hour. Her home was large enough that no one would have heard them anyway, but that fact eluded them both in the moment. "Is there somewhere we can talk without having to whisper?" he asked.
She looked him over trying to decide if she could trust him being alone with her. He'd been so bold the last few days.
She decided she probably couldn't trust him, but still answered, "Sure, follow me."
***
So there are three, maybe four 🤔completed parts to this miniseries but the series itself isn’t completed. Hopefully posting this here will motivate me to finally finish it (it’s been like two years 🥴) I know y’all are waiting on Delicte part 4. Wrote on it some tonight and plan to have it up in the next week. Thanks for reading🖤
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ganniehamm828 · 4 years
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Indoor Grill
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In the event that you are a stalwart enthusiast of barbecued food, yet aren't exactly fanatic enough to remain outside in the downpour, day off, dim, the ideal method to fulfill your strive after a delightful, delicious burger is to put resources into an incredible indoor flame broil. There is nothing similar to the flavor of a barbecued burger, steak, chicken, or frank - or flame broiled veggies for the non-meat eaters among us; its absolutely impossible to copy it inside, and when you are longing for a grill in the profundities of winter or in a downpour storm, you can have the taste you hunger for. What sort of indoor flame broil is directly for you? What will give you the taste and smell you need? This guide will take a delicious glance at these extraordinary grills.Why Get an Indoor Grill? - You love flame broiled food.
 That is the reason you ought to get an indoor barbecue! Yet, why not simply take your open air barbecue inside and do it that way? You'll set aside some cash. Yet, you'll additionally uncover yourself and your friends and family to a lot of executioner carbon monoxide. Consistently, around twelve individuals are murdered when utilizing their outside barbecue inside. Also, no, you can't place it in the carport either. An indoor flame broil kills the danger of breathing in poisonous gas - that is continually inviting. Barbecuing is likewise a fun, charming approach to cook, and a significantly more pleasant approach to eat. 
You can discover open-top indoor barbecues and frying pans that look fundamentally the same as your outside flame broil and you can discover models with joined covers. At the point when you close these, they cook the two sides of your food. The George Foreman Grill is presumably the most notable of these specific models. You have most likely heard promotions for the George Foreman indoor barbecue that guarantee that meats cooked on these flame broils are more advantageous and that the fat substance is decreased. Shopper contemplates have demonstrated this isn't generally obvious. Indoor flame broiling lessens fat just marginally more than searing. We're not disclosing to you this to stop you from purchasing an indoor flame broil, just to give you the entirety of the data you have the right to settle on an educated decision. On the off chance that you need solid, lean barbecued meat, you need to begin with sound, lean crude meat. That being stated, there are a large group of different advantages that your indoor electric barbecue will offer:
*You get a good deal on propane or charcoals.
*You don't need to head outside and man the barbecue vulnerable.
*With an appended cover model, you can make paninis or flame broiled cheddar sandwiches.
*You can utilize them in RVs or in lodging networks were barbecuing is confined.
*They are helpful, quick, and simple to-utilize.
*You can barbecue one burger - on a flame broil, you can't generally fix yourself a snappy tidbit.
*Indoor barbecues are low-support and simple to clean.
*They make a wide scope of unfathomable food. Why not make yourself sweet and zesty pork slashes or garlic and spice portabella mushrooms? It's similarly as snappy as microwaving something or warming up a pre-made feast, and it is so much better.Indoor barbecues and indoor frying pans come in all shapes and sizes as this strategy for cooking turns out to be always well known. Nobody has the opportunity to get ready tasty, adjusted suppers consistently, yet with an indoor barbecue, it turns out to be a lot simpler. Search for the highlights you need, similar to the appended top, cooking zone, temperature controls, compatible plates, cost, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. 
From the fundamental to the sleekest gourmet model, you can locate the most ideal approach to prepare your food and get your flame broil fix even in the winter. Beginning with the essential finish of the range first. BBQ.About doesn't hold back in their audit of the George Foreman Gr10abw Champ Indoor Grill. About direct Derrick Riches states, "While is anything but an incredible barbecue, it is modest and simple to utilize." Thanks for your trustworthiness, Derrick. However, this is an extraordinary survey since it gives you precisely the data you need. The George Foreman indoor flame broil is a moderate decision for the individuals who need to cook a speedy chicken bosom or cheeseburger after work. It's truly not intended for those individuals who need to make culinary show-stoppers - and that is fine. 
Now and then that is simply not what you need. On the off chance that you need a simple, snappy approach to prepare food, the Gr10abw will do it for you. commentators are overwhelmingly certain about their buy, concurring that it makes speedy and scrumptious food and is a lot for $25 (View all George Foreman indoor barbecues here). How about we hop to the opposite finish of the indoor barbecue range to the Cuisinart Griddler GR-4. This was a top pick of BBQ.About and Good Housekeeping considered it the best "Rampage spend for the Gourmet Griller." Cuisinart, one of the top names in home machines, takes a stab at indoor barbecuing - and they make a breathtaking showing. The Griddler can make anything from larger than usual cheeseburgers to steak to paninis. The 5-in-1 machine is a contact barbecue, panini press, full flame broil, full frying pan, and half barbecue/half frying pan. 
It includes an excellent brushed hardened steel lodging, tough panini-style handle, coasting spread so you can cook nourishments of differing thicknesses, removable and reversible nonstick cooking plates, oil channel, incorporated dribble plate, customizable temperature controls, marker lights, scratching device, gourmet plans, and a 3-year restricted guarantee. This is an extraordinarily flexible machine. It is pricier than the George Foreman flame broil, yet it takes into account more alternatives and more artfulness in the culinary office. The Cuisinart indoor flame broil is $95. At last, we'll get comfortable the center with the Sanyo HPS-SG3 200-Square-Inch Electric Indoor Barbeque Grill. 
This smokeless indoor barbecue was one of BBQ.About's top picks; the Wall Street Journal said it was the "best generally speaking worth"; and it was evaluated in America's Test Kitchen. The Sanyo is more similar to an outside barbecue that is come inside. It has a sufficient 200-square-inch nonstick cooking surface controlled by 1300 watts. It highlights customizable temperature control with marker light, cool-contact handles and base, removable dishwasher-safe trickle container, and formula direct. A survey in CNET lauded the flexibility, saying, "It may not be fit for cooking seared chicken and waffles, yet that doesn't mean you can't check steak and hotcakes out. Let your creative mind go out of control." Your taste buds will follow. The Sanyo smokeless indoor barbecue is $40. Other top indoor barbecue and indoor frying pan brands incorporate Hamilton Beach, Zojirushi, DeLonghi, Wolfgang Puck, Krups, and Minden.
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Demon Clauneck gave me a ton of money, then he took this away. Crazy true story!
This is a true story about working with the Demon Clauneck. It happened a little while ago, back when I was still learning about summoning. I still am learning, by the way, but these days I have a better idea on what to expect.
To set the stage, I have a monetized youtube channel. It's doesn't have millions of hit, and I won't say I am a youtuber because of this channel. I would take material that are in the public domain, using simple editing, and turn them into compelling story. I would also take content that are clearly off copyright, by that I mean, the copyright holding company either went bankrupt,  or in cases of content owner being difficult to determine, usually footage from 80's and 90's.
The channel was a pet project, it yields about 30 to 40 dollars a month. Nothing to write home about. However, I figure if I only take the money out once year, it usually comes out to an extra 500 dollars every Christmas. A nice year end bonus I gave myself every year. In any case, I only log in once a month to do some simple maintenance.
Going back to the occult experience. I got to know Clauneck while searching for the best Demon for money. Clauneck was a surprise hit because he is from Grimorium Verum. I was obsessed with Ars Goetia at the time, so Clauneck was an extra extracurricular spirit, so to speak.
According to the Grimorium Verum, "Clauneck has power over, goods, money, and finances”, “can bestow great wealth”, and finally, “he is much loved by Lucifer”. Clauneck “much loved by Lucifer” is an agent thereof, and so entrusted with accessing astral bank vault. Clauneck is who a myriad of modern-day Hermetic occultists demand or beg money from, and while rightly so this is where their understanding of Clauneck’s vast dominion begins and ends. that was a quote from Wikipedia.
I did my research, I did the summoning. I didn't know about offering at the time, so I didn't have any. I am the type who have a difficult time evoking spirits into life, as in, I am unable to see spirits. But from time to time, I get a prompting, and I would intuitively interpret those signs, sort of a download and decode process.
A few weeks went by and nothing happened. I did feel the urge to start an instagram page promoting one of my other side hassle business, which is writing erotic fiction and publishing them as ebooks. I interpret that as an advice from Clauneck, and so I did exactly that. My instagram is nothing glorious, but I do notice an uptick in sales, with a lot fresh costumers who is exploring my work for the first time. So there, success story.
The end.
Not so fast, during one my routine maintenance check on my pet channel on youtube, I was shocked to notice the analytics went off the chart. One of my video has gone viral! I am not talking about double or triple the hits, I am talking about going from a few hundred hits a day, exploded to a few hundred thousand hits an hour. It went from 8000 hits to 2 million hits, and it was still going strong.
At first I thought the numbers were wrong. Youtube must had gone haywire. but upon checking the traffic source, everything seems legit. Also, the video are getting hundreds of comment per hour. That proofs that the traffic is organic in nature.
It turns out, by happen stance, youtube had place one of my video on the front page in India. Youtube analytics actually tells you where the traffic came from. Also, all the comments are in Panjabi, so that's also a dead giveaway.  
I don't know why, though, my video had nothing to do with India.
This little channel, barely yield 500 dollars a year, and only a few dollars a day, and that's if I was lucky. On the first day it went viral, it yielded a thousand dollar. I thought it was a random spike, but second day came by, another 700 to 800 dollars.  The hits just kept coming. Subscribers too. It went from a few thousand subscribers  to twenty thousand subscribers in 2 days.
It was like a glitch in the matrix. This channel was never destined to accomplish anything great, yet here it is, racking in millions of hits and thousands of dollars.
It was too good to be true, the gravy train has to stop, right? It did. Turns out you can have too much of a good thing. This viral explosion in revenue caught youtube's attention, which prompt them to take a closer look at my channel. Remember how my contents were, ahem, borrowed? Turns out youtube hates it.
On the 3rd day, I logged in to find my channel demonetized. That means it will no longer have advertising, and the channel got kicked out of the partnership program. They said I am welcome to reapply for monetizing once I can show some original content on my channel. I will receive the money I have already made, but no new money would come in.
Effectively, that channel is dead.
The battle is over. What's the body count? I made about two thousand dollars in the spend of 2 days. The channel would had made about 500 dollars that year. With the way youtube is going with small channels, probably less revenue than previous years. On a positive note, I now have a cult following in northern India.
In short, Clauneck gave me a wind fall of cash. It's like winning a mini lottery. Not the jackpot but like 3 or 4 number hit.  I made more money in that short span of time than I would have made in 5 years. But Clauneck also took away one of my youtube channel that took years to grow. It is like an adult taking a tricycle away from child.
I am in full gratitude for Clauneck. I am writing this testimonial as a heads up for other black magician, whenever a Demon gives you something, he would also take something away. That is their nature. It's like eating spicy food in a Thai restaurant, you will be sweating like a foundation and your taste buds would be burnt for weeks. You can't complain because that is what you ordered.
Months later, I came across Morino Ravenburg's youtube channel. He is an expert occultist who like to share his authentic experiences. In one of his video, he talked about his experience with Clauneck.  He also experience the same turbulent energy when working with this same demon, where he described his professional life was turned upside down, but at the end, he was at a better place financially from working with Clauneck.
As did I.
Would I recommend Clauneck? One thing for sure, he delivered results, it is a bumpy ride. Give me an exhilarating experience, also made me depressed for a few days. On a positive note, My instagram account, which was created on Clauneck's nudges, is still alive and drawing new costumers.
E A Koetting once said, "Demons don't care about your comfort."
I am very appreciative of the new experience I gain from working with Clauneck. He feels like a brother to me.
I have worked with other sprits before, and in time, I would like to share those stories too.
Looking online, I haven't found a lot of people who have specifically worked with Clauneck. There are a lot of talks about him, but very few true story I can count on to reference. Do you have an experience with this entity? Share your experience on the comments below.
One last thing, if you are a youtuber or have another blog, and you enjoyed this story, which is 100% true, please share it on your channel. Clauneck would appreciate the attention. Good things happens to people who gain the favor of this powerful spirit.
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maepolzine · 6 years
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When Jeffree Star announced his summer collection for 2018, I was torn. I have been going through my collection and got away around 40% of my liquid lipsticks. And a good percentage of my eyeshadow palettes (I didn’t compare it before and after) to save space while I’m planning on moving. But after a few weeks of its release, I couldn’t help myself I had to get it. And this is the first time I’ve actually purchased one of their palettes, though I’ve had the others on my wish list for a while.
All of the packaging is a vibrant orange with little rain drop textures overtop. The Thirsty Palette also includes a Popsicle design with a wood grain appearance on the inside.
Thirsty Palette
This palette includes 15 shadows including 10 mattes and 5 blinding ultra-metallics. Also he tried to formulate this palette specifically to have minimum fallout with an array of bright colorful and neutrals. The palette itself is $48 and each shade has 0.069 oz or 1.95 g. Since the palette is vegan three of the shades are considered not suitable for the immediate eye area those being: Taste Buds, Biiiitch!, and Splash. This is why it’s considered a pressed pigment palette rather than a pressed shadow palette, since it’s up to the customer to listen or ignore the warning about the shades that may stain the eye or cause irritation due to the dye.
Now this is the first time I’ve tried Jeffree Star’s eyeshadow formula so looking at the ingredients I do find it interesting that a good majority of the shades have the first ingredient being Talc which is known for being more chalky. While the new formula of the ultra-metallics is either mica or polyethylene terephthalate. Now a lot of brands use talc including ColourPop and Urban Decay, while others like Anastasia Beverly Hills does not (at least not in Modern Renaissance and Soft Glam Palette as those are the ones I looked into for comparison). I’ve just been getting more interested in formulas and ingredients as I’ve been debating on testing the waters myself with making my own makeup (not to sell to others at the moment) and have been doing a lot of research into the subject. So I was really curious to test out this formula from Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
The first time I used the palette, I took the Lick across my lid using my fingers and while I noticed pigment on my finger almost nothing transferred to my lids. Which made me really nervous that I destroyed the product by causing it to seal into the pan. On that use, I only had concealer down on my lid that was set with the shade Parched. Now just because it wasn’t pigmented, did not mean I could build it up and it did last the entire day. But I’m positive it wasn’t performing right, so I wasn’t going to give up on the shade since I spent a good amount of money on the palette. When I got home after wearing the shades all day I decided to do some experiments with the ultra-metallic pigments. Here are my results:
Applied over bare skin with a finger: Barely any pigmentation.
Applied over bare skin with a brush: More pigmentation with a brush, needs to be built up.
Applied over primer (NYX Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone) with a brush: A little pigmentation more just the glitter with the base coming through than the shade itself.
Applied over glitter base with a brush:  Stunning pigmentation!
Lesson learned, use a glitter primer and a brush to get the full pigmentation out of the shadow. As I said, it can be done you just have to find the right combination. So I need to remember that when I use these shadows since typically I apply these type of pigments with my finger, but that doesn’t work with this formula. For the swatches below, the ultra-metallic shades are over a glitter base.
Pressed Pigments/Shadows in the palette:
Parched: matte fair beige
Tastebuds: matte baby coral
Biiiitch!: matte flamingo pink
Kumquat: matte bright orange
Stroke: matte terracotta
Divine: metallic silver
Filthy Rich: metallic gold
Lick: metallic topaz
Snatch: metallic pink champagne
Plunge: metallic copper
Subtle: medium cool-toned brown
Quench: matte bright yellow
Submerge: matte bright blue
Splash: matte aquamarine
Drizzle: matte warm chocolate brown
Velour Liquid Lipstick
In the summer 2018 collection, there are eight new limited edition velour liquid lipsticks that range from everyday nudes to reds to bold metallics. Each are available for $18 and contain 0.19 fl oz or 5.6 ml, or you can get all eight together for $105. All of them are also paraben and gluten free.
Shades in the collection:
Cherry Wet: Vibrant red/pink.
Fudge Pop: Warm-toned metallic brown with glitter reflects.
Huntington Beach: Bright teal.
Thirst Trap: Metallic beige champagne.
(818): Bright pink/coral.
Yummy: Burnt orange with a subtle glitter.
Coral Fixation: Vibrant Coral.
Soft Serve: Peachy nude.
Overall Thoughts
The Thirsty Palette is really nice but make sure you don’t use the metallic shadows with your fingers or you won’t have any pigmentation with the shadows. Otherwise, they look wonderful on the eyes and will last all day long. Comparing the shade Splash to Kiki from the Lunar Beauty Life’s A Drag palette, it is so much easier to work with since it’s hella pigmented. And I love that… I still don’t know how to use it in a look, but it’s more what I was expecting from that shadow from the palette. And that gets major points from me. As for the velour liquid lipsticks, I’m probably only going to be wearing Soft Serve and Cherry Wet on the lips but the rest will be used for my eyes as shadow or liner. Or for any fun looks and Instagram photos… but not on the regular basis as coral and orange does not look good at me at all. If you’ve tried this collection, what are your thoughts? If not, would you get any item from it in particular?
Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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                Jeffree Star Cosmetics Thirsty Summer Collection Review & Swatches When Jeffree Star announced his summer collection for 2018, I was torn. I have been going through my collection and got away around 40% of my liquid lipsticks.
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plinerkhamarion1996 · 4 years
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What Does A Grape Trellis Look Like Incredible Unique Ideas
This is, because such kind of wood has an untidy appearance with a lot of room for your living area.The fruit it bears are small, thick skinned and contain more sugar.But with proper guidance and sufficient knowledge you can.You do not know the answer if your soil analyzed.
As the plant needs to have a thriving vineyard.Before planting it is a thing you need to know how to trim them back.Yet He was clearly delighted to be watered regularly until the last part of growing vines; however they are not trimming your vines near trees and other gardening materials.You'll start training the plant must be followed closely for success.If you still can't buy any grape planter is the most extreme weather conditions.
Usually you will always be ready and available 24/7.Vitis vinifera grapes, which are being grown by growers around the world because of the trellises should be placed on top and allow them to go.Cuttings work much better, and your hard work and effort, you'll surely end up with a large portion of the soil if it is time to prune the grape growing is actually not that easy; it takes about three years for a successful grape growing, and having the aroma of the particle.Grape growing is to pick a spot for your children, or perhaps the most adaptable plants in check and remove the previous post, can result to failure.Even if the topsoil is underlain by poor subsoil, vine roots will work, given that you can tie them together.
Sometimes buds will possibly grow for years to master it.If your soil is better suited to grow upwards on its own.Don't put it in with rich soil and climate.For those who are looking for grape growing in your area, these above examples are enough to contain them.Follow these simple techniques and tips to plant them immediately after buying, place them there permanently.
Like each and every stage of purchasing an existing vineyard or nursery will buy grapevines in shady regions can ruin your entire growing area as you plant the same time.Growing your own wine variety to plant grapes.When you do not thrive well in really wet areas.Also the hole and begin growing in order to be planted.These should be able to effectively remove year or two in your area about the cultivars that have the same time, if you are guaranteed to be very high cost of food, bills and other non-biodegradable materials in the market.
Such grape vines is essential to grape production, so position your plant and into the grape vine growing with a grape growing methods.Grape planting is to plant your grapes are dormant, remember to work with, especially the posts no more a question why there are a lot of people, the thought of having unsold batches of grapes that can drag your homemade wine you make a recommendation, don't start with and is mildly acidic is ideal for grape growing, it is imperative that you know that growing the grapes are used mostly for hot climates.General rules for growing grapes requires accurate knowledge and skills with regards to the climate you live in such way that the tools and processes in place, you will increase your chances of success.Average temperatures, maximum highs and lows, rainfall and number of sunny days in a manner that pays well.This ensures that there million of very small and hard, remove some of the shoot as a healthy patch which will help you out with these questions.
And though most Muscadine cultivars need cross- pollination with a round of applause.Multiple resources teach people of today's time and with proper attention and time.If this is not hard as you tap the soil is a lot of sunshine is more suitable for wine making down, it would become easier for these fungal diseases in the months of March through September.It is advisable to plant more, you will need to find a structure where the vines can meet its optimum growth if the grapevine and the production of sizable grape crops.As the foundation for the trellis as it can be an average of 2 ft into the confines of a particular grape variety is used for larger wood on the available garden space gets at least a six feet above the final step, and it's also the drink for romance, for intimate candlelight dinners beneath the blister on the person to do things he/she has not done before.
Having a climate that governs a district's ability to make sure they are eaten.More often than not, growers have commented that a grape variety that was strong enough to have PVC or steel post to ensure good harvest in the region where you live.And then there are other considerations that must be avoided at all to successfully grow grapes!There are a novice at growing grapevines in your own vineyard and you wouldn't even think of beforehand is the time, this is the most difficult activities that home grape grower, I am the true vine, and My Father is the soil must have good drainage system.Normally takes place around 40-50 days after bud break.
How Long Does It Take For A Grape Vine To Grow
Moreover, they should be sufficiently exposed to sunlight for growing table grapes, after a year old wood to iron depending on your grape and wine producers.Using a trellis is support structures specially built to accommodate the root structure to support the grapevine has better overall exposure.Popular white varieties include Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon include the Thompson seedless and easy to purchase a trellis.If you think you can make the mistake of re-planting the already developed grapevines.The ground is what is the said effects of red grapes, this variety of grape will not be planted for his research, Bull discovered the Concord is from the ground that is deficient in nutrients.
In addition, you need is a well known types such as stainless steel, PVC pipes or aluminum.Grape growing requires two types of grapes will ensure that you need to choose the kind of grape growing should have a good sign of proper fertilizers, watering, scrubbing the dried and then take a few things about a week of fermentation the wine turns out heavily depends on it.You will certainly take pride in yourself if the vine as they get ample of sunshine are among them. It is a wrong treatment given to your plants.You can choose the sweet taste and will improve your family's health.
Some planning is required because these grapes do not want to produce.If this sounds like a lawn or garden 3 inches long.A simple pH testing kit from gardening stores.Furthermore the ripening of the manure that you have?As you know, more than 20 000 known grape varieties prefer a more expansive setup, requiring a horizontal growing area; and some take longer.
The sweet flavor makes the reward in the skin.You need to be looked upon such as wine, grape jam, grape jelly, and some patience.Several companies like Welch's have grown to about four buds.The European grape varieties or cultivars that are healthy, and of poorer quality if you follow these basic guidelines will focus on your way to grow in.The process of growing grapes, whether your making wine with your grape vine, which is slightly indicative of a lot of profits and delights to its sweet yet bitter taste.
When choosing grape varieties, home gardeners tend to a small number of canes removed.This is because concord grapes instead of the world's grapes are processed, they naturally produce excellent results in a shady canopy and removing leaves around the root is what is now in your area.Generally, anything in the spring and summer.The four-cane Kniffin or six-cane Kniffin method is known to be sure of the right time and effort it will force you to follow to ensure optimal growth.Some grapes will surely offer you better grapes in the day, as people more and more people are growing your very own wine.
First you need no matter what method you choose, both are great for healthy vine varieties.Reading some books, magazines, e-books and others regarding trellis styles available is worth your investment since you have a sandy soil.Then, dig holes with some of the final step, and it's also the best quantity grapes.Learning how to grow in an area that has been planted, it will take time to prune.A suitable climate is suitable or not it will take about three years for the roots of your vine.
Make Your Own Grape Trellis
The gardener growing grapes are grown for your crop, you will be to sip from your garden or chosen location is enjoying a lot of watering.Take note that these canes are pruned and tied to the grape variety.This is why grape growing information that you are going to be difficult.You can make cheap grape product alternatives for the sake of time before you add nutrients that your grape vine.The type of grapes go through the soil needs to be as pleasant as they build up sugars.
The word raisin comes from the cold north winds in winter.Now, if you want to perform a soil with pH level of the most rigid shoots from one of the garden.Concord grapes are given adequate amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium your soil has a lot to do this it would become easier for you to know the answer if your home in your own vineyard at home.Once the grapes are preferred and demanded form of support since the vines as it will do your research before just planting.Here are some common understanding between vineyard experts that will probably go for AquaRocks that help in attaining a good site for getting an external trellis installed.
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maslife · 6 years
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We were about 4 miles out from the finish line with about 45 minutes to spare in order for me to finish under 21 hours at the 2017 Javelina Jundred. I was in a dark place. John, my husband and pacer, was trying to pull me out of it.
“Dig deep, Maria,” he said. “Your well of reserves is bottomless. Keep pulling from it.”
Ms. Cranky-Pants wasn’t really feeling the guru session.
“I’m at mile 96 of a 100 mile race. I AM digging deep,” I pouted. I might as well have stomped my feet, but at that point, I was feeling too beat to take the extra effort, so I just kept shuffling instead.
It was not my finest moment.
But, wait, I’m getting waaaaayyyyyy too far ahead – I mean there’s 96 miles before this moment when I had a choice to make: go for it – or give in.
I know it’s been said elsewhere, but running 100 miles is very much like living a lifetime in one day. You can learn so much about life and who you are by running 100 miles.
The day before the race at packet pickup, from left to right: John, my husband, me, our friend Eric, who was also running the race.
The Sun Comes Up
Sunrise in the desert is a magical time. At first, the rays peak cautiously over the shadowy mountain tops, until the sun spills everywhere over the sandy bottom.
When I signed up for Javelina this year, I remembered the sunrise moment from the first time I did the race back in 2015. I was looking forward to this moment, to staying present, to looking around at the unique beauty that is the Sonoran desert, and to soaking in the experience as it happened.
And so it goes with life. We are so frequently waiting for the “next thing” to happen, or what we need to do later, tomorrow, or next month. In chasing the future, we miss the moment we are in as it spills over us. More so than any other distance I’ve done, running 100 miles slows my focus, despite a life that is otherwise jam-packed with busy-ness.
John took this video the day before the race. It gives a good sense of the beauty of the desert as the morning sun wakes up.
Cycles & Loops
I lived some amazing moments during Javelina Jundred, where I felt like I could run forever. Then, there were times when I thought I would never get to the finish line, and thus be forced to run forever.
Coming in from the 2nd loop. The thin-lipped smile is a dead giveaway: I’ve felt better.
Then, I would cycle back to amazing joy.
And, then, again, bottomless misery.
And so on until the finish line, which of course, equals joy.
I felt my worst during the second loop of the race, which is roughly miles 22-40–in particular miles 30-40 were rough and ragged. The sun was high. The heat was on. My stomach had heat-induced yuckiness. And, my legs felt sore…already. My revel in the early morning rising sun was now a battle not to curse its fiery existence.
How was I going to make it to the end?
As I passed through Javelina Jeadquarters to start out on the third loop, John said: “Okay, keep yourself cool, this will be the hottest loop.”
Ugh. Seriously? I was already SO HOT.
I trotted off with ice in my handkerchiefs. In my hat. In my hands. In my camelback. In my shirt. In my…all-the-places.
The strange and wonderful thing about this distance is that it is so long. So, if you just stick with the effort, 9 times out of 10, you WILL actually feel better. Case in point: that third loop was not worse than the second one. I felt better.
Signs to help you keep your head straight for direction direction to run in the washing-machine style loop course.
And I felt better still on the fourth loop. I clocked some of my fastest miles between 70 and 80 miles!
I sailed into Javelina Jeadquarters at the end of the 4th loop, feeling fresh! It seems unbelievable – but that’s how it happens.
Life cycles up and down too. I’ve experienced heartbreaking misery, stings of sadness so sharp they felt like they cut me open. Yet, in pushing through these moments, giving time to pass through the misery, I have had times of intense joy, extraordinary blessings and deep emotional connection.
We just can’t cycle through the beauty, without rounding a bit through the shit.
Coming in to the end of the fourth loop. I had managed to catch up with our friend Eric, and we ran some of those last miles together. What was I saying to John here? Its a mystery… but he seems to think I was saying, “Hey sexy stud, let’s get our run on!” It’s likely…
Don’t stop believing.
I know. This is a lesson I’ve spoken of so many times before. But, really: Don’t. Stop. Believing. Ever.
When I came in from the 4th loop, I picked up John as my pacer for the final 20 miles. At this point, I had miles and miles of listening only to the voices in my head, which are fine, but after 80 miles, a real voice is also cool. I was ready to chat it up. I had stories to tell about the coyote calls, the crazy costumes, the way I felt throughout the day.
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  The first half of the final loop went well. But, I was hungry. At some point during the 4th loop, I started eating grilled cheese squares at some of the aid stations, and storing them in my camelbak pockets to eat as I went along. (Side note: When we came home, and I cleaned out my gear, there was actually little pieces of cold and very old sammiches in there. Flavor savers!)
The first aid station we came to didn’t have any grilled cheese, but they did have cheese quesadillas. SOLD to the hungry lady running 100 miles! More flavor savers in my pockets.
Then, we made our way to the next aid station, which was about 6 miles further – and at the halfway-ish point of the loop (Jackass Junction, see video below). They did not have grilled cheese or quesadillas or anything that made me want to eat it – despite a variety of choices.
I was on Team: Grilled cheese or die.
Regrettably, I made a bad choice at this point to choose death. Okay, maybe not death, but calorie-deficiency.
I’ll be fine with my clif bars and tailwind until the next station, I thought.
And, off we went, skipping into the night, at this point, with about 10 miles left to go. I bit into my clif bar.
Uh, no. Apparently, there was a limit on how many of those I could manage to sneak by my taste buds in a day, and I had just exceeded that limit. It was a no go. My stomach was fine. My mouth just refused to make saliva to process a bar that seemed to be made of talcum powder and chalk dust.
The funny thing is that maybe 2 hour prior to starting on the grilled cheese and quesadillas, this bar tasted like magic. Cycles, indeed.
Above is video (not taken by us) from Jackass Junction which was the mid-way aid station. It’s pretty funny to see all this life and drunkenness in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the night when you come stumbling through. This video was taken in 2016, but the scene in 2017 (and 2015) was exactly the same. 
  So, I kept sipping on my tailwind, which was maybe going to get me about 100 calories an hour. Not enough. My stomach growled, and then the hangries set in.
And now, I bring you back to the beginning of this blog post, when the depths of my caloric-deficit were their sharpest, and my hangries were the hangriest they had been. Ms. Cranky Pants was in full effect at mile 96ish.
John was dealing with a petulant child who just wanted her grilled cheese. (Those who have crewed me in the past will tell you: DO NOT TOUCH MARIA’S GRILLED CHEESE.)
Our magic toolbox of calories makes crewing so much easier – especially for point to point courses where you need to pack in to aid stations. The secret: a toolbox! Sadly, there was no talking me in to any of these calories in the wee hours. I wanted GRILLED CHEESE!
In that moment, I didn’t necessarily recognize what I was feeling as the need for calories, but that’s what it was in hindsight. The crankiness really should have tipped me off.
I felt tired. My legs hurt. I felt my super-secret goal slipping away from me. Wah. Wah. Wah. Wah. Somebody call the waaaahhhhmbulance; this girl is a goner.
After we passed through the final aid station on the loop, we had roughly 3.7 miles left to go, with 45 minutes to make the super secret goal happen. I had slowed so disappointingly between mile 90 and that point. My sub-21 hour “cushion” was threadbare, crushing my dream that I might actually crush the super secret goal.
I needed to run about a 12 minute mile at this point to finish under 21 hours. Earlier in the day, this was easily accomplished – even with stops at aid stations, bathroom breaks, etc.
Now, a 12 minute mile seemed akin to a 6 minute mile.
John cajoled me. He ran a little bit ahead of me, trying to convince me to keep up. (Side note: If you want to poke the grizzly bear, just run ahead of her.) He spoke inspirational mantras, to which I replied with nasty rejoinders (in hindsight, most of which were pretty funny). He gave me gels, which I choked down.
And, through all of this, we ran. Each step, feeling like 1,000 hot pin-pricks through my legs, butt and hips.
I wanted to walk. I wanted to slow down. I wanted to stop. Those final 4 miles felt like the longest of the entire day.
But I didn’t walk. I didn’t slow down. I did not stop.
Each step was a conscious choice that I was not giving up on my super-secret goal. Each step was a conscious choice that I would not give in – I would get on. Anything worth having should not come easy. This challenge, this moment – this is exactly what I signed up for.
It was time to dig from my bottomless well. So, I got out the shovel.
We played a game in which I would surge for about 20-30 seconds, then go back to my trot. Those surges, over about a mile or so, brought some life back into my tattered legs. Those surges made the difference. I didn’t want to do them, but I’m glad I chose the hard option. I’m glad John helped me make that choice.
When we got within a mile of the finish line, we could hear the music thumping from Javelina Jeadquarters. That place is a full-blown PAR-TAY in the night time.
“Do you hear that, Maria? That’s the finish!” John’s face was excited, yet pleading. “You can still do this!”
While I had my doubts, I forced myself to hold on to the “speed” from the surges, and we were running just a tick faster, then a tick more.
  The buckle shot.
When you come into the Jeadquarters after each loop, you run a roughly 400-meter loop around the make-shift village. When we came in to the loop, John looked to his left, and could see the clock. I had about 2 minutes to make the finish under 21 hours.
“Maria: we have to go NOW. You can do this.”
And, that’s the story of how a finished a 100 mile race with a hardest sustainable 400 meter sprint – in 20 hours 59 minutes and 31 seconds. I was the 6th female across the finish line, and the 39th overall finisher. I set a 32 minute PR for the 100 mile distance.
I was hurting. I was hungry. But, I lived a good lifetime in this one day, so I was happy.
Dig From the Bottomless Well: 2017 Javelina Jundred Race Report We were about 4 miles out from the finish line with about 45 minutes to spare in order for me to finish under 21 hours at the…
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xranker · 5 years
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Questions About Hell I Never Thought to Ask When I Was Christian
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0 Comments Questions About Hell I Never Thought to Ask When I Was Christian June 4, Hi and welcome back! As y’all know, I grew up as a very fervent Christian before deconverting around 1994 I deconverted because I found out the religion’s main claims simply aren’t true That said, for years afterward I kept finding more and more Christian claims that turned out to be equally untrue! Deconversion opened up a whole new capacity to make observations and ask questions that I’d never imagined while I was Christian And a lot of those observations and questions came up around the topic of Hell Join me today for a romp through the stuff about Hell I never even thought about till after leaving Christianity! ( James Lee ) The photographer isn’t kidding! — See here for a list of cities named for some variant of Hell This one’s in the Cayman Islands (I decided we’ll need a second part to this post about similar questions about Heaven Stay tuned for that one on Saturday. Also, it is very important to me to note that most of the following questions have hand-waving answers I guarantee any Christians reading this post that I’ve heard these false answers since deconverting. I consider them unsatisfactory Yes, even that one And that one) The Most Sickening, Cruel, and Evil Doctrine in a Religion Full of Contenders for the Title A lot of the really disgusting, grotesque, evil, cruel, stomach-churning gruesomeness in Christianity gets glossed over with centuries of iconography, re-framing, and very fine art and architecture Nonetheless, Christianity remains a very ugly ideology containing largely very ugly foundations Some Christians these days seek to de-fang and redeem this dreadful religion I don’t think it’s possible, but it’s their one lifetime to spend however they wish ( an it harm none ) And usually, they zero in quickly on Christianity’s most repulsive, sickening, and evil doctrine of all: the idea that a good and loving god who cherishes justice and compassion could ever send anybody to the afterlife commonly known by Christians as “Hell” Out of every evil doctrine contained in Christianity, Hell stands supreme as the worst of all of them The moment I know that a particular Christian believes in Hell as a destination for noncompliant humans, I know quite a bit about that person that they really shouldn’t ever want anyone to know Belief in Hell drives humans to do and accept evildoing that chills good people to the bone–and not only to excuse it in their own god, but to revel in the idea of him doing this to their enemies It also cows good people and terrorizes them into bending knee to this evil ideology and those who promote it No wonder early Christian evangelists pushed the idea of Hell so hard No wonder at all It allowed them to work all the dark deeds they craved, to brutally control those who might otherwise oppose them, and to gain power they did not otherwise deserve to wield Oh yes Hell, as a concept, has been most useful to Christian leaders–most useful indeed That’s why they push it hard even today– like John Piper recently did to parents , hoping they’ll impress their young children with the horrors he imagines exist in Hell (Check out his herpy-derp Jesus smile in the pic at that link Sick!) And Yet Hell-belief isn’t universal among Christians–even among the most extremist of them You’d think that evangelicals, having fused completely with fundamentalists by now, would be nearly-unanimous there However, according to the 2015 Pew Religious Landscape Study , only about 82% of them hold that belief The demographics involved are interesting, to say the least In 2016, LifeWay put out their own ( poor-quality ) survey about general Americans’ Hell-belief In it, they discovered that only 40% of survey respondents agreed with their official party line about Hell I don’t take this survey nearly as seriously as I do Pew’s, but it’s useful to gain an idea of general trends Chances are good that America is heading in the same direction as Western Europe in terms of beliefs It all makes me wonder if maybe people are starting to ask some serious questions about a belief that back in my day seemed as universally accepted as, say, belief in Germ Theory Back then, I didn’t even think about some of this stuff I didn’t even know how to formulate these concerns, much less ask serious questions about them First Off, Which Hell? First and foremost, I had no idea how many visions of Hell there are in religions from humanity’s past and present I thought only Christianity had a real Hell As it turns out, however, plenty of religions divide their afterlife into pleasant and unpleasant sections, sending the deserving to the pleasant one after death–and everyone else to the other Wikipedia presents us with a list of some of these Hells: Kur: the Sumerian afterlife Dark, dreary, and unpleasant A lavish burial and libations from family members could alleviate the unpleasantness A lake of fire: Egyptians believed that people who misbehaved in life were thrown there Ammit, a demon goddess called “the devourer of the dead,” ruled it Tartarus: the Greek religion’s place of torment for immoral people Anaon: a sort of Hellish place in old Breton folk religion , where the damned do penance Peklo: an old pagan Slavic Hell where souls atoned for their crimes Rotaimo: the realm of the dead of Sámi shamanism , ruled over by the god Ruohtta Anyone who didn’t live according to the religion’s principles ended up there forever Naraka: in Hinduism, where souls go for expiation of sins Hetgwauge: in the First Nations’ Haida mythology , bad people go to this dismal, unpleasant place to be tortured Among other punishments, souls there get to watch the lord of that realm eating their dead body. I could go on and on and on With so many hells to choose from, why would someone fear Christians’ Hell but none of the others? What makes Christianity’s Hell correct, and all these other Hells incorrect? And I should have wondered this I read mythology voraciously as a child–my family had books around like Bullfinch’s Mythology and the like Somehow, though, it never occurred to me to wonder why the Hell that my society overwhelmingly believed was real just happened to be the one worth fearing over all others How Does Eternal Torture Work Out to Justice? Most Christians who buy into the idea of Hell consider it to be an eternal destination full of absolutely nothing but torture . These same exact Christians also tend to think that when children die young or get born with catastrophic congenital conditions that are completely incompatible with life, all that horrific stuff happens for a reason–even if they don’t know what that reason might be Some of them punt to mystery Others default to sin nature (the idea that the supposed wrongdoing of Adam and Eve passed down to their children for all time; we’ll cover this bizarre, crazymaking notion in more detail soon) What Christians don’t tend to do is insist that these children deserved to suffer and have brief, horrific lives of pain. Such an idea is monstrous, even to them They also don’t tend to believe that these infants and children who die so young end up in Hell There’s a reason why so many Hell-believing Christians issue children a get-out-of-eternal-torture-free card Hell, as it stands, represents the most obscene injustice imaginable It lasts forever Those stuck there can never expect pardons Its pain is purely punitive, not rehabilitative, so it exists purely as a form of vengeance for what largely exist in Christian mythology as thought crimes (such as disbelief in the mythology itself ); going there hinges surprisingly little on how good and decent a person is during life Christians want the people who go to such a cruel fate to deserve it somehow –otherwise their god is unjust And even the TRUEST of TRUE CHRISTIANS™ know that infants did nothing to deserve such a fate Even to suggest such a thing around a dead child’s grieving family would likely provoke a reaction that’d end up on the evening news Why did I never wonder how an eternity of punishment for a finite lifetime’s offenses works out to divine, ultimate justice? Tasting Without a Tongue Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself bigtime. Nobody has ever found any objective support for the idea of any afterlife, much less the Christian conceptualization of it Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) remain subjective and highly-dependent upon their experiencers’ cultural beliefs about the afterlife The fact that finally broke me of the notions of Heaven and Hell is simply this: everything we think, feel, sense with our five senses (or six, as some scientists reckon it, adding in proprioception ) comes from the physical nature of our bodies These bodies, specifically The pleasure we feel from sex, eating, dancing, sleeping in, partying, cuddling our pets, running ultra-marathons, you name it: it derives from pleasant sensations striking our nerve endings, taste buds, visual cortex, and whatnot By stimulating our brains or feeding them chemicals of various sorts, we can be made to feel very strong and pleasant emotions We can do the same to alleviate many unpleasant emotional states. But our bodies die–and what makes us us no longer occupies them afterward In many old religions– like that of the ancient Egyptians –eternal life depended absolutely on the preservation of the body, because the soul reunited with it after death Christians generally believe that they’ll get all-new bodies upon reaching Heaven (though they can’t explain what age, gender, or appearance that body will have without making wild guesses) The problem with that idea is that a lot of what makes us us comes from quirks of DNA and conditioning of the bodies we possess right now And a lot of what many people like in this life, like sex, is stuff that the Bible tells us won’t happen in the afterlife The facts remain: we know of no way for people to sense things without a body We remain unable to demonstrate any human sensory perceptions that exist independently of our bodies Why did I not wonder how I’d feel anything without a body to provide the sensations to me? And why did I not wonder how losing this body I occupy now would radically change who I am as a person? Why Were the Christians Around Me So Sure About Who Was Going to Hell? Speaking of a dead child’s grieving family … When powerhouse Christian evangelist Billy Graham died , all kinds of other Christians knew exactly where his soul went afterward Most felt positive that he’d ascended to Heaven A few others, seeking notoriety, loudly insisted that he’d landed in Hell Ask Christians if a truly evil person is in Heaven or Hell, and usually they insist that this person went to Hell They do this even if that person experienced a miraculous conversion before death, like Jeffrey Dahmer did They don’t like imagining themselves sharing Heaven with serial killers, any more than they like imagining a Hell filled with the souls of those who died all too young Christians all appear to have very strong opinions about who is and isn’t in Hell When it’s the fate of someone they love, they’ll generally abstain from judgment or hope for the best Otherwise, they seem quite certain Indeed, I saw many of my peers gloating about the idea of people going to Hell They still do gloat about it , just like they have for many centuries Why didn’t I notice just how self-serving Christians’ opinions were when it came to who was heading for Hell? Why didn’t I notice how often their opinions meshed with their own desires and worldview? Not Without My Mother Now we arrive at possibly my biggest sticking point with Hell-belief This is the one I truly wish had driven me from Christianity, the one I wish had been my dealbreaker I wish it’d been my line crossed–my stentorian roar, my barked-out this far and no further It wasn’t But I wish I’d had the integrity, strength, and compassion back then for it to have been so Why did I not value my loved ones more than I did? Why was I willing to allow Christians to use my fear to separate me from those I loved most? These questions represent a regret that drives me to tears sometimes Every so often, it makes me bite my knuckles, moan fitfully to myself in near-sleep, shake my head as if doing any of this could ever deny those thoughts access to my mind Sometimes, it even works I was just a kid , FFS , so I try to be as gentle as I can with myself Immediately and always and at the end, Mom forgave me The least I can do is try to forgive myself Still, it gets to me sometimes I know damned well what she would have said if someone had tried telling her to abandon her daughters to Hell and enter Heaven without us She’d’a told ’em to stick it! But I folded immediately Why didn’t I notice anything weird about the way so many Christians utilize terror to sell a god of love? Seriously, THIS Is the Best This God Could Do? Part of what I’m talking about today is the Problem of Hell Christians named it that because they can’t satisfactorily answer it So they capitalized it and largely declared the whole shebang too mysterious to answer. Basically, it runs like this: Given that Hell is monstrous, evil, unjust, and in every way antithetical to the values of love, mercy, justice, and compassion, how in the world can any god who values that stuff allow anyone to go to such a realm? I can really see why some Christians opt out of the whole mess by renouncing the entire concept But Jesus clearly believed that Hell was a real place He also taught that it was somewhere people could end up going –even if they were positive they were going to Heaven But the idea of Hell gets even worse than that when we start wondering how an omnimax god could even have designed a cosmology involving Hell I’m not even a god and I could do a lot better than what Christianity has evolved over the centuries It’s beyond painfully obvious to me now that Hell exists in Christianity because its hucksters couldn’t sell the religion without it They still can’t. Hell: The Cage of Feral Rats, Lowered Over Christians’ Heads It hurts to think that anything could have terrorized me so much that I would ever forget what is most important I forgot every single value important to me: objective truth, compassion, kindness, community, integrity, all of it No more Not ever again Christians can keep their evil god and their disgustingly perverse doctrine of eternal torture for noncompliance They can use it to sever ties of their own–to rend mother from child, brother from sister, and lovers from each other But I know the tactic for what it is now Woe betide the next charlatans seeking to induce terror in me, hoping that fear will ensure an easier sale of whatever snake oil they’re selling See, thanks to Christianity, I now know exactly what questions to ask about whatever pitch they try NEXT UP: A quirky little 80s cartoon becomes relevant again–somehow What in the world?!? Join me next time and find out! Then we ask the big questions wondered about when I was Christian Read the full article
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wispyrainbow · 5 years
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Can You Help Me with These Chocolates?
"Ugh, another day, another few hours being counted down until I can go home," Dylan said, sighing as he got off the bus and headed towards his workplace: Pageview. It was one of those rare days where Dylan was called into work, regardless of him being able to just work at home. Stifling a yawn, Dylan soon made his way, spotting one of his coworker, Alicja, dressed as a mascot(A strange creature with mannerisms and looks identical to a fox decorated in hearts with a large clown-like noise, x eyes and an axe;located in its head) promoting one of their new comics "Everlasting Love... Not really". As soon as Dylan passed by her, Alicja waved. "Hey, Dylan! Another day, another few hours of fun, wouldn't you say?!" "Yea, sure. Personally, I can't wait to leave...," Dylan mumbled to her. "Oh yeah, I know. I can't wait to go home so that I can go to sleep and wake up tomorrow for the Valentines Day Party!!" "Oh yeah, that event... Sounds kinda like fun. I probably won't be there long, but sounds fun." "Uh huh! Oh, and before I forget, I have a birthday gift for you on my desk! Don't open it until tomorrow though! But if you simply can't wait, you can open it today!!" "Oh ok, you didn't have to though." "Nonsense! Anything for a coworker!! Have a wonderful Dylan, and see you at the party tomorrow!!" "Yea, you too," Dylan said, before walking inside, leaving Alicja outside to keep on promoting. Once inside the small building, Dylan passed by several decorations of hearts and kisses on the windows and some more decorated on the small, sitting area, computers, and desks. Dylan couldn't help but admire the few decorations strewn about before locating Alicja's desk and picking up the medium-sized red-wrapped package with a small piece of a folded tag on top. "Hey, Iggy Akiyama!" Dylan groaned a bit as he noticed George, his other coworker(who he couldn't really tolerate with blonde, short hair), walking towards him. He was wearing a red vest with a pale pink tie, a white button-up long-sleeve shirt, a pair of black work pants and dark grey shoes. "Oh... hey George. Nice...outfit?" Dylan said, trying not to sound bored/disgusted by him. "Ah thank you. But, you have no need to tell me though. I KNOW I look good," George said, posing a bit, which caused Dylan to roll his eyes "Yea...sure." "And you have a... nice outfit as well. And by nice, I mean the same outfit you've been wearing since you started working here. Couldn't find anything with red and pink huh?" Dylan looked down at his outfit: a blue and black striped sweater over a black tie and white buttoned shirt, with black loose, ripped jeans and blue and white sneakers. He looked back up at George and gave a slight glare. "No... I didn't. But that shouldn't be a problem though...." Dylan said, obviously trying hard not to get annoyed at his co-workers' dumb comments. "Eh sure, I guess its not a problem for you. But, that's not what I came over to talk to you about." "Than what are you here to talk to me about?" "Mr. Agnew wanted me to tell you that he wants to speak to you about something important." "What's so important that he just couldn't come out to tell me?" "I don't know. But he says to just come anyway." "Ugh, fine." Dylan soon passed George and made his way towards where his boss was, a small door with a cheaply made sign that said: "Boss Agnew: Come in of your Admission... Or If You Still Want To Come In, That's Fine Too ". Dylan soon grabbed the doorknob and opened it up... Only to be met with some resistance from the other side. "What the... Agnew? Hey Agnew!" "Huh? Dylan is that you?! Uh, hold on a minute!! I just got to move some boxes!!" Dylan paused, hearing the noises of boxes being placed in different parts before the door finally opened all the way, causing Dylan to fall forward and down on the floor. "Oh shit Dylan! You ok?" "Y-yea just tripped a bi..." Dylan started saying before trailing off as he took in the sight of his boss's office. Now, even though Agnew's office had always been a less than pleasant clean, it seemed to be way more cluttered than before. There were about 40 heart-shaped boxes strewn about on the desk, floor and some of the shelves. Each of them was decorated with several different colored bows, and several tags attached to them. His boss was on one knee looking at Dylan with one hand extended, looking quite disheveled. Agnew's hair was a greying mess, hair not in its usual ponytail and hanging off his sides and back. His outfit was even more messy than usual, his red Hawaiian shirt half-tucked in and unbuttoned at the top while his pants were more dirty and raggedy, and the only thing that didn't seem off on him was his sandals. "Uh, Agnew... What's with all the boxes?" Dylan asked, taking Agnew's hand in order to be lifted back onto his feet as he kept looking around, all the while Agnew rubbed the back of his head with one hand as he looked sheepishly at Dylan. "Heh, o-oh yeah... Wellllllll, they're all from... my wife. You remember, Florence? She came here a couple of times?" "Oh, yea. I remember her. Wasn't she the one who brought in that giant, 3-foot cake celebrating the anniversary of you starting Pageview?" "Yea, such a beautiful cake," Agnew said, a loving smile on his face as he remembered his wife's proud look as she bought it in, before snapping back to reality to share the same sheepish discomfort from before. "Y-yep, the same. She's a baker, part of one of the small chain of bakeries scattered around NewDugWood and for Valentines Day, she decided that she wanted to give me more than just a card. So she decided to spice up by making me different-shaped/colored chocolates with different fillings." "Wait, that's what's in all these boxes?!" "Yea... Florence can get a little crazy when she starts baking, but she definitely means well. However, that's where the problem lies." "Problem? What problem?" "Well, you see... I have the suspicion that Florence may have filled up some of the chocolates with nougat. And if you don't know, my digestion system and nougat... Are not friends. Even the taste of it is enough to cause my taste buds to recoil. And since I don't know which box contains the confectionaries in question, and taste testing them is not an option, I'm afraid my wife's treats might have to be forced to melt in order to understand which is which." "Ah, I see... Well, if that's the case, why do you need me exactly?" Dylan asked, to which Agnew looked at Dylan with a bit of a sparkle in his eyes as he clasped his hand on Dylan's shoulders and looked at him with a smile. "Well, that is where you come in! You see Dylan, I need you to taste the chocolates in each of the boxes and tell me if any of them contains nougat!" "Oh... wait, what?! You want me to taste all the chocolates in all of these boxes?!" "Not all the boxes, just until you get to one that doesn't contain nougat! This will make it easier for me cause than that will mean I won't have to watch Florence's beautiful creations melt and I won't have to tell her I wasn't able to eat any of them, risking to see her disappointed reaction!" "Ok, that's good for you... But not for me! What's the point of eating all these anyway? Wouldn't it be easier to just save these until later on in life?" "Noooo, that is not an option here! That's essentially deeming these sweets as just leftovers, and no one wants to eat the leftovers that someone else had!" "...That makes no sense Agnew..." Dylan said, to which Agnew soon took Dylan's hands into his own and started pleading with him down on the ground on his knees. "Please, Dylan! If you help me with this, I promise I'll give you the rest of the day off!" "I-I don't know..." Dylan said, despite the promise of being able to go home seemly a wish come true. Agnew didn't say anything but simply looked with eyes glistening(looking like he'll cry) and small whimpers seemly emanating from his mouth. Dylan tried looking away but ultimately failed as his shoulders slacked and he sighed. "... 2 days..." "Huh?" "Two days off from work. You agree to that, and I'll help you with your chocolate situation." "Uh, s-sure! Ok!" Agnew said, a bright smile on his face as he got up, grabbed a box of chocolates and gave it to Dylan as if to say "Start!" Dylan gulped and opened the box up. Each of the chocolates was shaped differently, with the top row square shaped, the middle row heart-shaped, and the bottom row in oval shaped with lines of white and dark chocolate decorated on top. Dylan couldn't help but admire the carefulness and decoration that was put on, that he almost felt bad about eating it. Almost, as he picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth. His teeth soon bit on to the shell as he chewed before swallowing, noting the taste of something that was a mix of honey and sugar which Dylan recognized as... "Taste like nougat." "Ah ok... So then that means that box might have fillings of nougat in each piece, so... Can you please eat the rest of them?" Dylan rolled his eyes but complied, eating and swallowed the rest of the pieces before placing the box down. Just as quickly as he was done finishing the box, another was plopped in his hands. Dylan opened it up and admire the now just milk chocolate triangle-shaped chocolates with different messages of "I Love You", "Be My Valentine", and other cheesy, loving messages, before picking up a piece and chewed. The first piece was a little hard to tell, so Dylan popped in a couple more, which raised Agnew's hopes up that maybe this box contained non-nougat, until... "Hmmm... this one also has nougat in it," Dylan said, mouth still chewing the pieces. "Damn! Alright, you can finish the pieces..." Agnew said, disappointed. Dylan complied and went ahead, finishing the box just a bit faster before the next one was popped into his hands. The process continued with at least 4 more boxes, with the 5th one... "Oh hey, I think this one has cherry filling in it..." "Really?! Ah yes!!" Agnew said as Dylan handed him the box as he chewed on the first piece before swallowing, a small burp erupting from his mouth as a feeling of fullness started in his stomach. Unfortunately, he was far from done as Agnew soon gave him another box. "Ah, Agnew... I don't think I can eat another box, I'm already kinda full..." "Noooo! Please don't stop now Dylan! Just try a few more boxes for me please!!!" "Ummm..." "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee?" "...'Sigh' Ok." Agnew let out a bit of a squeal before giving him another box, the process picking up again. At least 10 of the boxes contained nougat, while about 5 more contained other fillings like hot fudge, blueberry(which Dylan took two pieces from them to chew, much to Agnew's dismay), marshmallow(another two pieces eaten by Dylan), etc. During that time, about 20 boxes were inspected, and during that time Dylan was starting to go from being full to slight discomfort. His stomach was now started to try and make some form of room for the pieces, and in the end, was starting to push out more from underneath his shirt. Soon Box number 21 was finished(another nougat) and Dylan was trying hard not to let loose any more prolonged burps and ignoring his pants now starting to cut into his expanding flesh. Box 22 was placed in his hands and Dylan had to stifle a groan. "Huh? Is something wrong Dylan?" Agnew asked, a bit of concern on his face. "Ugghh... Its n-nothing Agnew... 'Burp!'" "You sure?" Dylan just nodded as he opened the box and picked up a piece, sighing as that one was proven to be nougat too. His stomach gurgled and groaned as more pieces were digested and it started pushing out again, raising the hem of his sweater up to where slivers of his white buttoned up shirt could be seen. "Ah, that was all nougat huh?" "Yep...'BRAP!' Excuse me..." Dylan felt sick. His stomach felt heavy, the button cutting into it as Dylan's hand tried unconsciously to rub it in order to make it better. It was at this point that another box was given to him and Dylan took slowly. While that box proved different flavors(one was raspberry cream), the next few were, as expected nougat. Dylan could feel his stomach painfully stretch out, the buttons now starting to strain against. By the time, the number had dwindled down to a reasonable amount, Dylan was now starting to consider unbuttoning his pants button in front of his boss, but decided not to. Soon there were only 5 boxes left. Dylan groaned, one box already in his hands as he opened it up slowly and chewed. Nougat, Nougat, Nougat, Buttercream. And all the while Dylan's stomach was at this point begging him to stop as his sweater now sat on top of his shirt. "Ok, Dylan... Just one more box, than you can go home for at least two days," Agnew said, worried about what might happen to Dylan, considering he was starting to look sick. Dylan didn't say anything but took the box, and opened it, not caring about what they look like, just that he wanted to finish. He picked up a piece and plopped it in his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing. It took a while before he finally said... "This one is... Pistachio..." "Pis-PISTACHIO?! Oh, I LOVE pistachio!!! Alright, great job Dylan," Agnew said as he gave Dylan a nice pat on the back, all the while Dylan was busy burping and holding his stomach tightly, feeling sluggish and like a rock. Though Agnew, if he could, hardly noticed. "Alright, Dylan! Thanks for your help!" "N-No problem..." Dylan burped out before finally walking away, closing the door behind him as he leaned back against and rubbed his stomach, moaning as more burps erupted from his mouth. Examining his gut, it was struggling against the buttons on both his white shirt and the button/belt of his pants. He held his stomach close and prayed that he would get home before his stomach would immediately pop off the buttons in question. "Iggy Akiyama! What did the boss want you to do," George called out, oblivious to Dylan's discomfort. "Uggh..'BURP!' Nothing... L-listen, I'm going home right now... And don't even bother asking why cause I'm just going..." Dylan said quickly before rushing towards the door before George could say anything else, hoping to take the bus as a quicker way home in order to relax and hopefully sleep off the pieces before vomiting. At the least, he wouldn't have to worry for two more days of work to come, though it was going to be anything but relaxing. "Uggh... Note of advice, never do anything for your bo- 'BURRRP' boss... Ever again..." Dylan said to himself, hoping that in the future this would stick... But probably not...
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babbletop · 5 years
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Here's a list of 10 Snacks That You CAN'T Find Outside Of America (Part 2). America has so many snacks to choose from, and these are 10 snack foods you can only get in America. ➡️ Subscribe to BabbleTop: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg?sub_confirmation=1 What American childhood isn’t peppered with memories of snacks like Nutter Butter, Tootsie Roll or Lucky Charms? And some of these snacks seamlessly make the transition to adulthood too. Favored by children and grown-ups alike, check out these 10 snacks that you can’t find outside of America - part 2! If you enjoyed this list of 10 snacks that you can't find outside of America (Part 2), then comment: #Snacks #America #Top10 TIMESTAMPS: 0:23 Sriracha Popcorn 2:15 Birthday Cake Oreo 3:58 Hostess Twinkies 5:28 Nutter Butter 6:48 Flaming Hot Cheetos 8:24 Tootsie Roll 9:28 Cheeze Itz Crackers 10:56 Chex Mix 12:22 Combos 13:42 Lucky Charms SUMMARIES: - America’s obsession with hot sauce is as legendary as its obsession with peanut butter. We would take any excuse to put hot sauce on almost anything edible, even popcorn! And ever since America was introduced to Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. - Oreos are America’s favorite sandwich cookie. Period. And if you don’t like Oreos, you probably need a new set of taste buds! Synonymous with cookie sandwiches across America, Oreos are the stuff of legends. - Deeply rooted in American culture, Hostess Twinkies are the stuff of legends. They are said to last forever and rumored to be able to survive any war, even a nuclear one. There was so much rumor and controversy surrounding the Twinkies, that at one point of time, Americans are said to have stockpiled Twinkies in their war shelters! - Another snack that illustrates America’s love for peanut butter is the Nutter Butter cookie. Which American kid hasn’t had one of these (or several) as an after-school snack, on-the-go snack or any other kind of snack? - The only thing that can match America’s peanut butter obsession is its obsession with cheese and all kinds of cheesy snacks. And Cheetos sits right at the top of the list of America’s favorite cheese snacks. Those orange sticks of cheesy deliciousness, Cheetos, are what every American reaches for when they need a quick snack. - A little bit like soft caramel, a little bit like taffy, but not exactly like either, that’s exactly how one can describe a Tootsie Roll. There’s also a bit of a chocolate taste in the Tootsie Roll, but nobody has been able to pin down the exact flavor profile of this strangely delicious candy. - Is there anything better than a crispy cheesy cracker that is just the right size for snacking? Cheez-It crackers are just that – perfectly square, bite-sized, made with real cheese and dusted with salt to give you a burst of flavor and crispiness in every bite. - A staple bar snack, party snack and anytime snack, Chex mix is the ultimate American snack mix. Containing a mix of many kinds of delicious variety snacks like pretzels, mini breadsticks, corn Chex, rye chips and wheat Chex, Chex mix is a typical American assorted snack. - Combos describe themselves as stuffed bite-size snacks jam-packed with deliciousness, which is actually a very accurate description of what your getting with this snack. They come in various outer shells, usually to match whatever flavor they are paired with. - A bowl of cereal is right at the top of the list of easy breakfast options for Americans. And almost every American has their preferred choice of cereal. Cheerios, Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or plain old Cornflakes ➡️ SUBSCRIBE to BabbleTop! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg?sub_confirmation=1 🥳 JOIN and become a BabbleTop member! https://www.youtube.com/babbletop/join 👕 Check out our MERCH! https://ift.tt/2xcFumO 🔥 Our Most Popular VIDEOS! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOvb3ZRIwh0&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg Top 10 Saddest McDonald's Happy Meal Toys Ever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXjSIxWR9Jo&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg&index=63 Top 10 Most Popular Secret Menu Fast Food Items https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEDoWmFKBWI&list=PL2AXIR2uRsIlSkW5W0YF4gcw66jKxXUCy&index=13 Top 10 Candy Bars America Wished They Had https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiVIx10iBgc&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg&index=40 10 Coca-Cola Drinks That Embarrassed The Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEqcMBAbur4&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg&index=15 10 McDonald’s Items That Would Make America Great Again https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksU5Ki0SW4&list=UUX--mGSg0UwDjl7MDL8H5Jg&index=9 All clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).
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readexplorerepeat · 6 years
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Punta Cana: A guide to an all-inclusive family vacation
When hubby said "we are going to Punta Cana" I was excited, but not incredible thrilled as I've been with other trips, but the truth is that I didn't know what to expect.  Either way, we pack our bags and headed to Dominican Republic, an island shared with Haiti, located between Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, in the beautiful Caribbean ocean.  
First things first.  We always look for the best travel deals and family friendly spots.  For more information on how to travel on a budget read this first.  
When you budget for a vacation, it is important to remember a few factors.  First, how many are traveling.  Not to be obvious here, but the more people the more expensive it can get, but even with large families, there's always the option of Airbnb.  
This time, we wanted to do an all-inclusive type of hotel.  Dominican Republic is known for its many resorts and beautiful beaches, so we gave it a chance.  We found an amazing deal (expedia unreal deals are great sometimes) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.  
Granted that sometimes, if you book your hotel directly with the hotel's site, you can find even better deals.  Sometimes this hotel (depending on the season) has up to 40% and kids stay free.  Of course, they do these types of deals when kids are in school and chances are that you will only find adults there, but hey! If you can afford taking your family on a school week without missing any important tests or projects, this can be a very affordable option.  
Either way, we always pack light.  Even when kids are traveling.  I've adopted a minimalist way of traveling and I'm loving it.  For a list of things to pack when traveling with kids, check this out.  
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE PUNTA CANA AIRPORT
It is hot.  The plane landed and we got off the plane and into a bus, which took us to their immigration port of entry.  Lines were long, so be prepared to wait.  Have your immigration AND customs paperwork filled out and ready.  Once we went through immigration, you proceed to pick up your luggage and go through customs... which is technically just an officer collecting your form.  They might do a random baggage search, but we didn't see any of that.  In fact, there are people that work at the airport for a tip that will help you get your luggage and through the side so you don't stay in line...most of them know the custom's officers and they let them bypass the crowd.  Weird, yes, but it worked for us.  
Make sure you have transportation set up in advance. 
We were recommended Dominican Plus, and we are glad we used them.  Very reliable, incredibly friendly staff, and we felt safe the entire time.  Not to mention, very much affordable.  You can rent a van just for you and your family and they will pick up at the airport, and take you straight to the Hotel.  Round trip.  No other stops, no other people in with you.  Private van for a very affordable price.  You can go to their website or check them out on Viator (which by the way is highly recommended) to see their tours and other services while in Punta Cana.  
A TIP GOES A LONG WAY
One of the good things about an all-inclusive vacation is that tip is included in the price…well, that’s what they tell you. In fact, it is written on what’s included with your trip. But, look at it this way: yes, you might’ve paid enough to get there and have your dream vacation, so yes, it should be included in the price, BUT these people make no money out of it, and work incredibly hard every single day. They will not get rich if you tip them a little here and there, in fact, they will treat you like a VIP.
Here’s what you do: Always tip your drivers and bell-person at the hotel. Pick your favorite bar and get to know your bartender or poolside server. Tip him/her well ($10 might not be a lot for you, but it is for people in other countries), that tip, at the start of your day will create a ripple effect… Your glass will not be empty, you will feel like a VIP, because they will treat you differently from those who do not tip, IF you are drinking alcoholic beverages (why not! it is all-inclusive!) they will make sure your drink is better than all others. Don’t believe me? try it. You will be treated like royalty…it is your dream vacation after all.
HOTEL EMPLOYEES ARE HUMAN TOO. BE KIND.
This is something that you would think is obvious, but I was surprised by how many people treated Hotel employees and drivers like they were trash. It was sad. Yes, they are there to help you and make sure you have a great time, but please remember that a kind word, a smile, and a simple thank you can make a difference in the day of others… and it will give you good Karma points.
TRY ALL THE DRINKS
It’s free! Yes, if you are drinking a Pina Colada, and suddenly your taste buds decide you need something more dry…Do it! No outrageous-cocktail-price guilt attached. And after that try a specialty coffee to wake you up before Karaoke night. Yes, you get the idea.
TAKE CASH
We are all so used to plastic, that it’s easy to forget to withdraw some cash before your trip. Take cash with you because you will need it. American dollars are OK. It comes in handy when you tip or when you want to buy a quick souvenir. Keep in mind that most of these resorts have many stores and many choices to find small (or big) gifts.
PACK SOME FANCY CLOTHES
If this is your first time at an all-inclusive resort, you probably think that all you need is your swimming suit and flip flops. Well, yes, that is great if all you plan to do is to stay by the pool. But the truth is that you are going to want to try the amazing gastronomy that these resorts have to offer… INCLUDED IN THE PRICE.
Side note: to eat at some of these restaurants, you must dress up… a little. So pack a nice dress or two, and fancy flats or sandals. You will regret it if you don’t. By the way… it doesn’t really have to be so fancy, just something other than shorts and a tank top.
DO KARAOKE, GO TO THE DANCE BAR, GO SEE A SHOW
But, I have the kids with me! Yes, I know. We did too… Besides the Casino and specific adult-only designated areas, Most all-inclusive hotels that allow children are very family oriented and kid friendly. So, things like Karaoke, shows, and dance night are open to all ages. They might have a curfew for kids, but it’s usually by midnight. Believe me, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy yourself and your kids will love it too.
USE YOUR POINTS
When you book at certain hotels, most have a reward system or point system that gifts guests with incentives. Get informed about their rewards and use it! You may think that it’s a scam to lure you into buying extra amenities or packages..blah blah. Not always. We used our points (given to us by just booking on certain days) and used them towards excursions. All you have to pay is tax. We were able to swim with the dolphins and snorkel in the Caribbean ocean for next to no money! Thanks to the points we cashed. No questions asked, no extra spending. USE YOUR POINTS! If you don’t like excursions, you can also use points towards the Spa or even to buy souvenirs.
A side note: I did notice that the actual city of Punta Cana is quite dirty. The touristic sites are kept well and clean, but the rest of the city and streets are extremely dirty and full of trash. That sight made me double pledge to keep trash in bins and recycle ALL my plastic at home.
RELAX BY THE BEACH
Chances are your resort is on the beach. If so, take advantage of the privacy (or semi-privacy) that all-inclusive resort locations have to offer. Depending on the location, you might find paradise in your back yard. It is easy to get lost in the amenities that resorts have to offer, just take at least a few hours to admire nature and put your toes in the sand.
RELAX BY THE POOL
This one is pretty straight forward. Just pick a pool and enjoy. Most likely whatever all-inclusive you pick is going to have several pools to chose from. The best thing to do is wake up early, have breakfast and head to the pool of your choice to reserve a chair. Pools get pretty packed starting mid morning and after noon. But if you know that you will be spending your day doing nothing, sun bathing or enjoying cocktails while you read your favorite book (see suggestions here!), pick your pool and claim your seat. Get to know your bartender and/or poolside waiter, tip them well, and you will LOVE your day.
ALSO, HAVE FUN BY THE POOL
In many hotels, they reserve the main or central pool to conduct family friendly pool activities. Take a day or afternoon to get our of your shell and release your inner weirdo… in a good way, and not in a creepy way. Pool entertainers are usually pretty outgoing and with a contagious sense of adventure, get lured and participate. Fall off the giant inflatable in front of everyone, rock on in a pool of foam, paddle across the pool competing for best time, play polo or water sports. Just do relax, and have fun.
LAST THOUGHTS
All inclusive resorts are great if you have a budget and a family. You can drink, eat, and have fun without the guilt of overspending as everything is pre-paid. Want some ice cream at 10 pm? get it! Decided to try all flavors of coffee and accompany them with different pastries…do it! No-guilt attached… other than the overload of calories you will intake, your wallet won’t suffer.
GO ahead! Find your best choice for your family and do it. Looking for deals might be a tedious task sometimes, but it is sooooo worth it when you finally hit the jackpot. Piece of advice: search on Wednesdays and/or Thursday nights, since I’ve found that many deals are released on those days. If you search for vacations on the weekend, chances are that you will pay more… this is not always the case, but it’s worth the try.
ENJOY YOUR VACATION!
Do you have any other tips or recommendations? comment below! I would love to hear about it.
Always,
Mia
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ianmkeenan · 6 years
Text
Red Diesel
Information about Red Diesel:
Effects
Fragrance
Flavors
Adverse reactions
Medical
Growing
Flowering time
NYC Diesel, tracing its roots from Afghani and Mexican landrace varieties, has won the Cannabis Cup five times. From its profound cerebral high to the deep relaxation it provides, it is arguably one of the best hybrids in the world. Even so, the breeders at Barney’s Farm thought they could improve its potency. So, they set out to develop a new hybrid called Red Diesel.
Introducing new genetics to an already illustrious hybrid is not a matter of picking one that has the wanted traits. So, the selection of an appropriate strain is as crucial as the breeding process itself. In the end, they decided on California Orange. Known for its exceptional mental and body effects, it also boasts of a delightful citrusy orange aroma.
Once released to the market, Red Diesel quickly gained traction in the cannabis community with its unique fragrance. Like its contrasting scent, it also induces the best of both worlds. Like its predecessors, it first brings people on a euphoric high before settling down in relaxation.
Information about Red Diesel:
ORIGINNYC Diesel and California OrangeEFFECTSHungry – 10 Happy – 9 Euphoric – 8 Uplifted – 6 Relaxed – 6ADVERSE REACTIONS (NEGATIVE)Headache – 10 Dry mouth – 4 Anxious – 3 Paranoid – 2 Dry eyes – 1FRAGRANCEEarthy, diesel, spicy, minty, citrusyFLAVORSEarthy, diesel, citrusy, orangeMEDICALStress – 10 Depression – 8 Pain – 8 Fatigue – 6 Lack of appetite – 3FLOWERING TIME INDOORS9 to 10 weeksFLOWERING TIME OUTDOORSmid OctoberPLANT HEIGHT3 to 3-1/2 feetTHC CONTENT %19%CBD %0.9%INDICA / SATIVA %40%/60%INDOOR YIELDUp to 21 ounces per square meterOUTDOOR YIELDUp to 21 ounces per plantCLIMATEwarm climateGROWTH LEVELExperience needed to grow
* 10 is the highest * 1 is the lowest
Effects
Typically, people describe the effects of marijuana as mentally stimulating or relaxing. In the case of Red Diesel, it is both and then some more. One thing that users should know ahead of using it for the first time is that it can cause a severe case of the munchies. Having said that, it is best to have some food nearby.
TIP: Looking to buy Red Diesel seeds? Check out this marijuana seed shop
A balanced hybrid, the onset of Red Diesel begins with a euphoric mental buzz. While profound, it is also not overwhelming. Besides stimulating the mind, it also ushers unlimited energy. It promotes mental clarity and inspires creative thinking. Consequently, it motivates people to stay active and productive.
Red Diesel Effects – Image powered by Seedfinder.eu
Throughout the mental high, the physical effects of Red diesel work itself into the body gradually. In time, as users feel relaxed, it also enhances the mood. In fact, many users think this hybrid is among the best mood-enhancing strains worldwide. Used within limits, it is not likely to lead to a couch-lock. For these reasons, it became a popular strain served in the infamous Amsterdam cafes.
Users should never underestimate Red Diesel though. While it typically does not induce an extreme psychedelic experience, it is nevertheless a potent strain. With up to 19% THC, it can become overwhelming if some people end up using too much.
Fragrance
A love affair with a strain begins with its smell. Red Diesel comes with the classic earthy and fuel odor with a spicy and minty note. Obviously, it is an influence of NYC Diesel. The introduction of California Orange to its genetics also brought about a slight citrusy aroma.
Flavors
The same captivating aroma of Red Diesel is apparent in its taste. A little less pungent, its citrusy orange flavor is more profound and certainly pleasing. While not harsh, its smoke can deliver an intense hit when drawn.
Adverse Reaction
If there is a weakness, then it is that Red Diesel may cause a mild headache. Additionally, it is not exempted from other typical adverse effects such as dry mouth and eyes.
Red Diesel Adverse Reaction – Image powered by Barneysfarm.com
One thing to note too is that due to its potent Sativa effects, it may also cause some people to feel a little paranoid or more anxious.
Medical
For many people, the best of use Red Diesel is to wipe out stress. Like recreational users who wish to unwind or chill, it benefits those who are undergoing a tremendous amount of pressure. Not only that, its mood-enhancing properties makes depression and similar conditions easy to manage.
TIP: Looking to buy Red Diesel seeds? Check out this marijuana seed shop
Although it is not known to be an excellent pain reliever, it does help but only in mild cases.
Red Diesel Medical – Image powered by Marijuana.com
As mentioned earlier, Red Diesel can cause munchies. As such, it becomes beneficial to people with a need for an appetite stimulant.
Growing
Red Diesel, for all the beautiful traits it brings, is not for beginners in cultivating marijuana. However, that is not to say that it is impossible unless one has the requisite knowledge. It does need attention and lots of care much more than the easy-to-grow strains.
Barner’s Farm, besides improving the potency of NYD Diesel, also developed Red Diesel to have heavier buds. As such, it may need support during the flowering period.
Flowering Time
Indoors The Red Diesel’s flowering time indoor is 9 to 10 weeks that is typical of Sativa plants. Its production though is off the charts. Cared for properly, it can product up to 21 ounces of buds per square meter.
Outdoors Expect the flowering time of this gem during the second week of October. In a warm environment where it thrives best, each plant can product up to 21 ounces of buds.
Have you ever smoked or grown your own Red Diesel? Please let me know what you think about this marijuana strain in the comments below.
Robert
The post Red Diesel appeared first on I Love Growing Marijuana.
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s0022548a2 · 6 years
Text
Post T. Creative Investigation first Draft
Essay Draft
 My hypothesis going into the creative investigation was that director Hal Ashby, was and still is an auteur, investigation this through three subtopics:
 Can Hal Ashby be considered an influence during the 70’s New Wave Cinema and beyond?
Ashby considered himself a collaborator, how did collaboration influence his most successful film?
How does Ashby represent class in his films?
Hal Ashby and his films are all to often overlooked in the grand scheme of successful filmmaking history, perhaps because he had a relatively small filmography.  
“Ashby did not direct his first film until the age of 40, so the body of his work as a director is relatively small. But the films that he made show a remarkable visual sense of black humour and irony, a consistency of theme and characterization, and an innovative use of music and editing.”
”Indeed, Hal Ashby produced an extraordinary group of films over a short period of time and his status as a pre-eminent director during the 1970s should be acknowledged and the fine films that he made during this period remembered.”[1]
In this essay I am going to investigate how Ashby influenced cinema during the 1970’s, The Hollywood New Wave, and what part his work has played in contemporary directors. Authorship will also be questioned, in terms of how and whom Ashby collaborated (with.) Focusing specifically on my three focal films I will analyse theme, bringing to the forefront of my investigation, the representation of class.  
Can Hal Ashby be considered an influence during the 70’s New Wave Cinema and beyond?
From late 1960’s to early 80’s a new generation of filmmakers and their films were emerging, films like, The Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde were in the vanguard of American cinema, and it was at this time that Ashby made his mark on cinema history. Ashby’s most successful and inspiring films, including my three focal films, Harold and Maude, Being There and The Last Detail, overlap the 1970’s, the time period were Hollywood focused on more complex, challenging and unique films than previously. Writers and directors alike became more daring with their ideas. Director of an upcoming Hal Ashby documentary commented, “His rise as a director coincided with the brief but glorious period in American cinema when difficult, complex films were actually supported and encouraged by studios.”[2] An example of this from my focal films is undeniably Harold and Maude, Diablo Cody, writer of Juno, understood the unusualness of they storyline and how it was presented; “To see the character of Maude, who was the love interest she was the female lead and she was in her eighties and she sparkled and was presented with such affection.”[3]
Harold and Maude, caused controversy because of the romance between the pair, however Ashby frames this romance as appropriate and something that helped the characters Harold and Maude, discover themselves and a better life. One scene in particular conveys this, the scene in Maude’s caravan, where she sings to Harold, Ashby manages to achieve romance, humour and a sense of surrealism, perhaps making the idea of their relationship more ‘palatable’ for an unsure audience. Mise en Scene is used in the scene to communicate surrealism, a distorted image of Maude is seen through a strange pane of glass, Harold going to her presented as this swirled image, could represent the dream and freedom Harold sees in Maude. This links with my subtopic as Ashby presents the strange story in affectionate and tasteful way as to not cause disturbance in the viewer.
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“You can’t imagine a director more perfectly suited to the project: a middle-aged man who’d fully embraced the swinging Sixties, a humanist whose films never shied from the darker side of life, the film’s central characters feel like Ashby’s been split into two different figures. He didn’t write it, but it’s the film we’ll always associate most closely with the director.”[4] This quote from Hal Ashby: A Retrospective, emphasises the reputation Ashby built up as he tackled unconventional films, this quote focuses on Harold and Maude, and although critics often didn’t appreciate his films in their writing; “After all, while Harold and Maude had alienated the majority of critics and cinemagoers, it had also sent out a message that Ashby was an accomplished filmmaker with a light touch willing to take risks and push boundaries.”[5] They attracted the quirkiest and perhaps the best kind of filmmaker, those willing to explore the unknown. The quote also expresses that it was almost as if Ashby put himself in his characters, attributes being shown in Maude as well as Harold, the undeniably contributes to the argument that Ashby was an auteur, the film is associated with the director, and people can see Ashby in the characters. In relation to my hypothesis, that Hal Ashby can be considered an auteur, I feel that his influence on the new wave of cinema is a key factor in recognising his authorship over his films. Film critic Grant, argues that it’s the director that gives a film “any distinctive qualities it may have.” In Harold and Maude, the distinctive qualities are the characters, and although this could be argued that the actors portrayed and presented the characters this way, the director, in the words of films critics, the director teases out the actor’s performance. Now this may not be the case for Ashby but I do know he worked closely with Bud Cort, who plays Harold, mentoring the young actor, preparing him for the role. The previous quote implies that Ashby put himself in the characters, ‘like Ashby’s been split into two figures’ and if the characters are they ‘distinctive quality’ to the film surely  this put the director at the heart, personalising the authorship, as Syd Mead said “the director is God.”
 Hal Ashby broke directing conventions in his films and his social life, moving from wife to wife almost in synchronisation to his films, he smoked weed, he was a ‘hippie’ and he employed hippies to crew on his films. Signifying the ‘new wave’ of cinema.Aclaimed film critic, Andrew Sarris belived that the second premise of auter theory is the distinguishable personality of t he director as a criterion value. Ashby definalty had personality, this quote from Being Hal Ashby by Nick Dawson shows the extent that Ashby went to do things perosally; “He spent his days meeting actresses and his nights partying with staff from paramount’s Uk office.”[6]
“Hal Ashby personifies, better than any other director, Hollywood’s Film Renaissance of the 1970s: its moral ambivalence and political rage, its stylistic audacity and deeply human voice.” [7] This quote from Darren Hughes, from Senses of Cinema, supports that Ashby was a influence during and after the 70’s film renaissance, it also pin points aspects of his work that directors before hand hadn’t paired when producing a film, my other focal film Being There, circulates around the motif of political debate and corruption, sometimes clearly other more subtlety. It addresses this topic with audacity, portraying the idea that a simple man, protagonist Chance, can have a huge influence and input into the U.S government by simply talking about gardening.  
“Younger filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Judd Apatow, Noah Baumbach, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell and many more not only absorbed his influence, but vocally championed the director as an important impactor on their work.”[8]
“But watching the film will reveal its influence over modern moviemaking as being much broader (Wes Anderson in particular did some heavy plundering here, borrowing the films center-of-frame compositions, deadpan humour”[9]
After the Hollywood New Wave to contemporary cinema, it is clear, after investigation that Ashby is still a strong influence now, supporting the idea that he is an auter (theory) researching into modern successful filmmakers influence, such as Wes Anderson, Seth Rogan and Cameron Crowe:
“All off those song are so well known, but Hal’s work is so personal, that the songs feel that they were written for Hal’s movie”[10] this quote from Crowe actually addresses Coming Home, another of Ashby’s successful films, but I think it can be applied to Harold and Maude as well, as Cat Stevens produced the whole soundtrack to Harold and Maude. This collaboration is elaborated on further in they next section.
 Ashby considered himself a collaborator, how did collaboration influence his most successful film?
Hal Ashby, throughout his career rejected the auteur label, he consistently vocalised his reliance on collaboration and the contributions his cast and crew had on the authorship of his films. He was huge on collaboration, giving young actors and editors such as Bud Cort, Randy Quaid and William A. Sawyer a chance to act and crew on his films. It wasn’t until after Ashby’s death that he was even considered to be an auteur, although this idea may seem to contradict my hypothesis it is understood that collaboration was and still very much is an unavoidable part of filmmaking, even for ‘auteurs.’ The authorship label often follows a director’s death, as was the case with ultimate auteur, Alfred Hitchcock.  ”Ashby’s quiet, compassionate and funny humanist dramas, and his gentle approach to directing which endeared him to everyone he worked with, didn’t ever receive its due until years after his death.” [11] Perhaps this recognition came with the ability to truly reflect on his films, on the controversial topics he covered and the short time he made so many successful ones in. Ashby started as an editor working closely with Norman Jewison, and so editing influence continued throughout his directing career, often firing editors and doing the edit himself.In my focal film The Last Detail, especially my key scene, editing has a huge influence on the mood and conveyance of the scene and the acting.
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In my focal film key sequence notes I investigated:
“The wipes and fades, makes the scene stand out amongst the rest of the film, the fade between shots show the reaction of the Buddusky, especially when Mulhall is shouting/ speaking to him. These transitions make the scene smooth and continuous, touching on character expression and reaction as well as the surroundings of the train and landscape. Focusing on the transitions at this point, I realise that, although Ashby had influence, this would have been up to the editors to decide on the transitions. Although this doesn’t help with the argument of Ashby being an auteur, it does in fact emphasis the position of character, camera movement and shot type.”
However after my creative investigation and reading Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel by Nick Dawson I now realise that Ashby couldn’t help himself in the edit and almost always helped in the edit, “he again found that he couldn’t stay away from the cutting room. He desperately wanted to be rid of the responsibility but couldn’t trust anybody completely with his film, All the editing was now being done at his house.”[12] This shows that although he did collaborate and put emphasis on this he had influence many of the really important processes that make a film successful, like editing.
One part of the important creative processes that he didn’t really have was the writing and the screenplay, for example on my focal film Being There, Jerzy Kosinski, wrote the original novel, and the adaptation based upon it. In terms of authorship, David Kipen argues that the writer is responsible for creating the world of the movie and is therefore the author. This contrasts my hypothesis, implying that Kosinski is the true auteur of Being There, taking away authorship from Ashby.
Ashby did not build strong or loyal relationships with producers or production companies often arguing and feuding, as Ashby wasn’t in it for the money, Ashby wanted things done his way. “His hands seemed to have been bound creatively by the money guys that he made those later films with — which was a really crippling process for an artist like Hal.”[13] This perhaps prevented Ashby from truly making his authorship mark on his films, for example, Paramount would not approve Harold and Maude unless hal cut a love scene between the two main characters. Ashby has been named an artist many a time, Sarris talked about artistic authorship, and that auteur theory served to gives films value as works of art, Ashby, arguably being an artist makes work of art.
“Cort and Ashby grew close over the production. After filming, says Cort, Paramount took control of the edit from Ashby, so Cort went to a publicity meeting with the studio and told them he’d refuse to promote the film unless they gave control back to a devastated Ashby, which they did.”[14] This opposes the argument that Ashby is an auteur as his collaborator, Cort, had influence over the film and its publicly, it could be argued that Ashby relied on Cort in this situation, Cort holding responsibility for the end result of the film, as if Ashby himself hadn’t had main input on editing, the film may have been totally different, a tale of friendship instead of romance between the unlikely pair, as the production company wanted.
 How does Ashby represent class in his films?
 The representation of class is a less obvious pattern that appears throughput Ashby’s films, but it is one that I have noticed and through his 1970’s new wave films, the motif is prominent, especially in Harold and Maude and Being There.
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Being There is centred around a political motif, it portrays the U.S political system and hierarchy as corrupt and whimsical, as protagonist Chance, moves swiftly and easily up the political ladder by simply talking about gardening, now often these are beautiful metaphors for political movements but mostly the politicians take everything Chance says literally, and putting him at the forefront of the U.S government.  By representing these political issues in this film, he also addresses the representation of class, especially by including the contrast of poor and rich and Chances indifference to the split, perhaps conveying Ashby’s own thoughts on the class divide.
 After being asked what he thinks Being There is about, Peter Sellers, who plays protagonist, Chance responded “I think it’s Jerzy Kosiński’s comment on power and corruption and the triumph of the innocent man” Actor Peter Sellers had undeniable influence over Being there, perhaps making more people go see it in cinema and that his acting as Chance was labelled ‘his best yet.’ However he also understood the meaning behind the film, a shout of corruption and class, interwoven with humour and metaphors. He also described it as “The triumph of the simple man over power, over wealth, over corruption.”[15] With wealth comes class and through Being There Ashby has managed to present an interwoven message that with higher class comes arrogance and manipulation, but subtly, and not too controversially.
 In Harold and Maude, Harold and his mother are upper class, his mother stereotypical, looking down on ‘lower class’ cars and people, whereas Harold breaks the conventions and finds freedom from the class restrictions in the free spirit of Maude, a working class woman who lives in a caravan. An example of this conflict between class could be Harold rebellious and transforming the posh, expensive car that his mother got him into a hearse style, a symbol of death and mourning, completely reversing the original, smart style his mum gave it to him in. This could represent Harold’s rebel against the class conventions that his mother poses upon him.
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In conclusion, my hypothesis, that Ashby is an auteur, his been both supported and contradicted. His influence, during the 1970’s is clear, he made unusual films on unusual topics, changing film goers expectations and experiences, his films are art, and with this comes artistic authorship over his films. However Ashby collaborates openly and repeatedly, often working with the same people, such as Nick Jewison, he does manage to retain a distinct styel and pattern in the narratives he represents through the films he makes. Such as the theme of class.
[1] J.A. Davidson, The films and career of Hal Ashby, 1998, http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue08/features/halashby/halashby-nf.htm
[2] A.Scott, Filmmaker Magazine, 26 May 2014,  http://filmmakermagazine.com/86085-director-amy-scott-on-her-upcoming-doc-once-i-was-the-hal-ashby-story/
[3] D.Cody, in interview for An Academy salute to Hal Ashby, 20 March 2014,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK5THYZuvXM
[4] O.Lyttelton, The Filmsof Hal Ashby: A Retrospective, may 2011 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/05/the-films-of-hal-ashby-a-retrospective-118773/
[5] N.Dawson, Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, October 2017
 [6] N.Dawson, Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, October 2017
 [7] D.Hughes, Senses Of Cinema, http://sensesofcinema.com/2004/great-directors/ashby/
 [8] O.Lyttelton, The Filmsof Hal Ashby: A Retrospective, may 2011 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/05/the-films-of-hal-ashby-a-retrospective-118773/
[9] O.Lyttelton, The Filmsof Hal Ashby: A Retrospective, may 2011 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/05/the-films-of-hal-ashby-a-retrospective-118773/
[10] C. Crowe, An Academy salute to Hal Ashby, March 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_cdMSh6LJI
[11] O.Lyttelton, The Films of Hal Ashby: A Retrospective, may 2011 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/05/the-films-of-hal-ashby-a-retrospective-118773/
[12] N.Dawson, Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, October 2017
 [13] A.Scott, Filmmaker Magazine, 26 May 2014,  http://filmmakermagazine.com/86085-director-amy-scott-on-her-upcoming-doc-once-i-was-the-hal-ashby-story/
 [14] A.Godfrey, The Guardian, Bud Cort: ‘Harold and Maude was a blessing and a curse,’ July 2014
 [15] FilMagicians, Peter Sellers interview about Dr. Strangelove, Pink Panther, Being There & more, April 2017,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-5_4NBpkQ
0 notes
dineson66 · 7 years
Text
Thai One On
This review also appears on our sister food blog Foodarillo.
I have eaten in some pretty unlikely places. I have taken chances at places most folks from the suburbs wouldn’t dare visit. Some of my best dining experiences have happened in those off the beaten path holes in the wall, because it is there that you taste the real culture and delicacies of a town.
Not in a corporate chain beside the freeway. We’re doing Thai this time around, and we wanted to see another part of town.
Like that time in 1982 when some of my MBA school buddies and I dropped in at Nick Tahou’s in Rochester NY (that’s Rah-cha-cha to locals). Of course, I was still a carnivore back then, so when I ordered up their famous Garbage Plate (a messy mash-up of red hots, white hots, fries, and sauces), I knew I was in for a real treat, not to mention a few thousand calories. Oh, was it good. And fattening.
Amarillo has plenty of places like that scattered across town, and especially along the Boulevard. This busy 4-lane city street once carried Route 66 traffic, and featured dozens of motels, restaurants, and shopping centers. It was, for all intents and purposes, Amarillo’s Main Street.
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But the coming of the freeway in 1968 changed all that, and the Boulevard was left to urban decay. Today, many of Amarillo’s ethnic groups live on or near the Boulevard, and the dining scene reflects the changing of one neighborhood to the next as you crawl through the many stop lights. Route 66 tourists often overlook the Boulevard, maybe because some have heard it isn’t safe, maybe because they focused on the fabled “Sixth Street” area between Georgia and Western, or, more likely than not, they just got a steak and spray painted a few old Cadillacs on their way out of town.
While the Boulevard may not look or feel like some of squeaky clean neighborhoods on Amarillo’s southwest and northwest sides, I have a hard time thinking that Amarillo has any unsafe areas. I’m from Chicago, so it’s all relative. You want unsafe? I can show you some that would make Amarillo’s worst look pretty desirable. Get out of your comfort zone and see what else this town has to offer.
The far east end of the Boulevard is an amazing amalgam of cultures and languages. African and Asian shops and diners of many stripes often sit side by side, occupying 50-60-year old buildings and strip centers. The rent may be lower and Route 66 in our rear view mirror, but that doesn’t mean the food isn’t good.
Thai House (5601 East Amarillo Boulevard) is one of those places. Housed in a building that no doubt has been home to many other restaurants through the years, Thai House is about as unassuming as they come. Given Amarillo’s many Thai and other Asian diners, it would be easy to miss among the crowd. But if you did, you’d be missing out on a real treat.
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Deanna and I found ourselves there one Saturday for lunch. We were the only non-Asians in the place (which we took as a vote of confidence from the Thai/Asian community). There are a couple of pool tables in the back, and dark and rather dingy looking bar with 8-liners off to the west side, a variety of Asian artifacts throughout, and uneven light-to-dark areas. In other words, what it lacked in suburban pretense, it made up for in authenticity. This is exactly what I experienced in Asia, and why we rather liked the look and feel. Oh, and we chuckled that the mandatory Choking signage was actually in plain view right by one of the pool tables. Good to know, because most places hide that sign.
Deanna ordered the Vegetable Fried Rice, while I opted for the Veggie Pad Thai. I have eaten at enough Thai diners to know that there can be enormous variation in these basic dishes from one place to the next, but that it also takes a little inventiveness to make them stand out. These are the meatloaf and mashed potatoes of Thai cuisine, and it’s easy to fall in line with the bland band.
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We knew that wasn’t the case after only a couple of bites. “That’s the best fried rice I have ever had!” Deanna exclaimed. She had been a little reluctant to venture onto the Boulevard in the first place, but was instantly gushing about how much she liked the place. You know. As if it were her idea to come here all along.
Ah, but I digress.
And she was right. Ours were not plates full of cheap rice and noodles, and the occasional overcooked sliced carrot. No, the veggies were abundant, cooked yet crisp, and actually had taste. All too many times we encounter these staples with no taste at all, screaming for Sriracha or soy sauce if only to make it taste like something. But ours actually stood up on the table and danced.
OK, maybe not, but you get the point. If a Chicago boy and Florida gal can rave about Thai food in Amarillo, it must be something to write home about.
Our service was plenty fast, which was perfect since we were on a limited time budget. As with all Asian restaurants, being vegetarian-friendly is a given. Just tell them to hold the meat. Sure, an aging property like this could use some scrubbing in places (like the bathroom walls and doors) and updating, but at the same time, it might just lose a bit of its ambience. Sometimes good enough is best left alone.
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As for the bar, Thai House has typical American beer (read: Bud, MillerLite, etc.), Heineken, and a token entrant from Thailand, Singha. Being a beer snob and devotee of the brewer’s art, I opted for the Singha. But, alas, I found it to be like nearly every other beer from Asia I have tried: weak copycats of our worst beers. Next time I will just have hot tea.
As for Deanna, she has already been asking when we can go back. I took that as a great sign, because I think she’s ready to visit some more places on the Boulevard. And maybe one day we will find Amarillo’s version of the Garbage Plate.
Because this is about the chase for good food, the adventure of dining outside one’s comfort zone, the willingness to try things you don’t normally eat at home or away. We’ll see you out there.
Would We Go Back: “Definitely,” said Deanna. “This was really good.”
Price: $
Dress: Casual
Comments: Don’t let appearances or neighborhoods scare you. I realize that for those of us who live south of Downtown, I-40 is almost like an invisible brick wall. It is a perceptual speed bump that tends to keep us corralled on only one side of town. Amarillo has some delightful diners, but they’re not all out by The Colonies. It’s worth escaping from the same old-same old.
Map View of DinesOn66 locations.
0 notes
foodarillo · 7 years
Text
Thai One On
I have eaten in some pretty unlikely places. I have taken chances at places most folks from the suburbs wouldn’t dare visit. Some of my best dining experiences have happened in those off the beaten path holes in the wall, because it is there that you taste the real culture and delicacies of a town.
Not in a corporate chain beside the freeway. We’re doing Thai this time around, and we wanted to see another part of town.
Like that time in 1982 when some of my MBA school buddies and I dropped in at Nick Tahou’s in Rochester NY (that’s Rah-cha-cha to locals). Of course, I was still a carnivore back then, so when I ordered up their famous Garbage Plate (a messy mash-up of red hots, white hots, fries, and sauces), I knew I was in for a real treat, not to mention a few thousand calories. Oh, was it good. And fattening.
Amarillo has plenty of places like that scattered across town, and especially along the Boulevard. This busy 4-lane city street once carried Route 66 traffic, and featured dozens of motels, restaurants, and shopping centers. It was, for all intents and purposes, Amarillo’s Main Street.
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But the coming of the freeway in 1968 changed all that, and the Boulevard was left to urban decay. Today, many of Amarillo’s ethnic groups live on or near the Boulevard, and the dining scene reflects the changing of one neighborhood to the next as you crawl through the many stop lights. Route 66 tourists often overlook the Boulevard, maybe because some have heard it isn’t safe, maybe because they focused on the fabled “Sixth Street” area between Georgia and Western, or, more likely than not, they just got a steak and spray painted a few old Cadillacs on their way out of town.
While the Boulevard may not look or feel like some of squeaky clean neighborhoods on Amarillo’s southwest and northwest sides, I have a hard time thinking that Amarillo has any unsafe areas. I’m from Chicago, so it’s all relative. You want unsafe? I can show you some that would make Amarillo’s worst look pretty desirable. Get out of your comfort zone and see what else this town has to offer.
The far east end of the Boulevard is an amazing amalgam of cultures and languages. African and Asian shops and diners of many stripes often sit side by side, occupying 50-60-year old buildings and strip centers. The rent may be lower and Route 66 in our rear view mirror, but that doesn’t mean the food isn’t good.
Thai House (5601 East Amarillo Boulevard) is one of those places. Housed in a building that no doubt has been home to many other restaurants through the years, Thai House is about as unassuming as they come. Given Amarillo’s many Thai and other Asian diners, it would be easy to miss among the crowd. But if you did, you’d be missing out on a real treat.
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Deanna and I found ourselves there one Saturday for lunch. We were the only non-Asians in the place (which we took as a vote of confidence from the Thai/Asian community). There are a couple of pool tables in the back, and dark and rather dingy looking bar with 8-liners off to the west side, a variety of Asian artifacts throughout, and uneven light-to-dark areas. In other words, what it lacked in suburban pretense, it made up for in authenticity. This is exactly what I experienced in Asia, and why we rather liked the look and feel. Oh, and we chuckled that the mandatory Choking signage was actually in plain view right by one of the pool tables. Good to know, because most places hide that sign.
Deanna ordered the Vegetable Fried Rice, while I opted for the Veggie Pad Thai. I have eaten at enough Thai diners to know that there can be enormous variation in these basic dishes from one place to the next, but that it also takes a little inventiveness to make them stand out. These are the meatloaf and mashed potatoes of Thai cuisine, and it’s easy to fall in line with the bland band.
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We knew that wasn’t the case after only a couple of bites. “That’s the best fried rice I have ever had!” Deanna exclaimed. She had been a little reluctant to venture onto the Boulevard in the first place, but was instantly gushing about how much she liked the place. You know. As if it were her idea to come here all along.
Ah, but I digress.
And she was right. Ours were not plates full of cheap rice and noodles, and the occasional overcooked sliced carrot. No, the veggies were abundant, cooked yet crisp, and actually had taste. All too many times we encounter these staples with no taste at all, screaming for Sriracha or soy sauce if only to make it taste like something. But ours actually stood up on the table and danced.
OK, maybe not, but you get the point. If a Chicago boy and Florida gal can rave about Thai food in Amarillo, it must be something to write home about.
Our service was plenty fast, which was perfect since we were on a limited time budget. As with all Asian restaurants, being vegetarian-friendly is a given. Just tell them to hold the meat. Sure, an aging property like this could use some scrubbing in places (like the bathroom walls and doors) and updating, but at the same time, it might just lose a bit of its ambience. Sometimes good enough is best left alone.
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As for the bar, Thai House has typical American beer (read: Bud, MillerLite, etc.), Heineken, and a token entrant from Thailand, Singha. Being a beer snob and devotee of the brewer’s art, I opted for the Singha. But, alas, I found it to be like nearly every other beer from Asia I have tried: weak copycats of our worst beers. Next time I will just have hot tea.
As for Deanna, she has already been asking when we can go back. I took that as a great sign, because I think she’s ready to visit some more places on the Boulevard. And maybe one day we will find Amarillo’s version of the Garbage Plate.
Because this is about the chase for good food, the adventure of dining outside one’s comfort zone, the willingness to try things you don’t normally eat at home or away. We’ll see you out there.
Would We Go Back: “Definitely,” said Deanna. “This was really good.”
Price: $
Dress: Casual
Comments: Don’t let appearances or neighborhoods scare you. I realize that for those of us who live south of Downtown, I-40 is almost like an invisible brick wall. It is a perceptual speed bump that tends to keep us corralled on only one side of town. Amarillo has some delightful diners, but they’re not all out by The Colonies. It’s worth escaping from the same old-same old.
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ianmkeenan · 6 years
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Irene OG
Information about Irene OG:
Effects
Fragrance
Flavors
Adverse reactions
Medical
Growing
Flowering time
Irene OG is a sour smelling plant with hybrid genetics that is said to have been created in the deep south of the United States. This plant has an earthy and sour aroma, with a strong hint of diesel that can be enough to get you riled up for the experience.
Irene OG is a 60% sativa dominant hybrid strain that originated in the United States. While it’s exact parentage is highly disputed, it is believed that the strain was created out of OG Kush genetics, which would explain its overall aroma and flavored, which can only be described as sour and pungent.
The strain creates an invigorating body still on, mixed with a light and cerebrally stimulating high that will make you feel good four hours. Irene OG is highly energizing and can also be used as a morning strain in order to overt symptoms of chronic medical conditions that need to be managed.
Information about Irene OG:
ORIGINOG KushEFFECTSrelaxed – 10 creative – 9 giggly – 8 hungry – 7 talkative – 7ADVERSE REACTIONS (NEGATIVE)dry eyes – 10 dry mouth – 2 paranoid – 1 headache – 1 anxious – 1FRAGRANCEdiesel, earthy, pine, pungentFLAVORSearthy, pungent, lemon, berry, buttery, citrus, diesel, spicyMEDICALdepression – 10 lack of appetite – 9 spasticity – 9 stress – 2 fatigue – 2FLOWERING TIME INDOORS8-9 weeksFLOWERING TIME OUTDOORSmid OctoberPLANT HEIGHTTallTHC CONTENT %23%CBD %1%INDICA / SATIVA %40% / 60%INDOOR YIELD16oz/ m2OUTDOOR YIELD18oz/ plantCLIMATEdry and warm outdoor climateGROWTH LEVELeasyRESISTANCE TO DISEASEresistant to common molds and mildew
* 10 is the highest * 1 is the lowest
Effects
Irene OG has many interesting and enjoyable effects, but is most known for the relaxing high that it can create, which will influence both your cerebral as well as your physical state. This bud is very relaxing despite being a sativa hybrid, and can be used during the day in order to keep your nerves in check.
TIP: Looking to buy Irene OG seeds? Check out this marijuana seed shop
This hybrid is highly recommended those who are looking for creative inspiration in a strain, as this but can allow you to come up with more inspired ideas. Irene OG can make you think outside of the box, and potentially influence you to visualize your best ideas yet, or at the very least push you to be more forward thinking.
Irene OG Effects – Image powered by Ganjababy420.com
Irene OG can also make you feel extra giggly and in a good mood, and if you are out being social you are very likely to be more talkative and ready to be your most social self. This plant is very likely to make you feel hungry over time, so you should be prepared for the munchies at all times with this bud.
Fragrance
Irene OG is very aromatic, and will make its presence known from the very beginning, as it is very pungent and smells like diesel. This strain contains notes of pine, mixed with a touch of earthiness that will make the strain seem extra mellow.
Flavors
Irene OG can taste quite strong on the first inhale especially, but over time you will notice how sweet and fruity its flavors actually are. This bud also taste like lemon and berries, and its smoke has a buttery finish to it. On the exhale you will notice that it has a hint of spice, combined with a slight touch of citrus.
Adverse Reaction
Irene OG has some adverse reactions that will affect those especially who are not used to this strains high THC levels. This bud can make you feel dry I’d, leaving your eyes to feel itchy and irritated due to dehydration.
Irene OG Adverse Reaction – Image powered by Topdank.com
This bud can make your mouth feel dry as well, which is easily remedied by constant rehydration. Irene OG can in rare cases make you feel a touch paranoid, or even give you a bit of a headache. Some users have also complained of feeling extra anxious when smoking this strain.
Medical
Irene OG is known for being very effective in the treatment of conditions such as chronic depression and other mood related conditions. This strain can thoroughly lift your mood and allow you to think more clearly and go on about your day-to-day challenges with less panic and heaviness.
TIP: Looking to buy Irene OG seeds? Check out this marijuana seed shop
This bud can also come in handy for any patient who is struggling to restore their appetite to a healthier level. Irene OG is especially useful to cancer patients who have a hard time maintaining a regular diet due to the chronic nausea that may have been caused by chemical treatments and radiation.
Irene OG Medical – Image powered by Twitter.com
Irene OG may also help patients who have spasticity issues, especially when used on a regular basis. This is a plant that can help those who suffer from chronic stress, as well as chronic fatigue as it can allow them to feel energized and motivated, without feeling frantic or tired.
Growing
Irene OG can be easy to grow and is a good choice for novice growers to cultivate. This particular strain is highly resistant to common mold and mildews and prefers to be kept in a dry and warm outdoor climate
Flowering Time
Indoors Irene OG grown indoors can produce a yield of about 16 ounces per square meter, and should take around 8 to 9 weeks to finish flowering before harvest.
Outdoors Irene OG grown outdoors can produce a yield of 18 ounces per plant on average, and should be ready for a generous harvest around the middle of October
Have you ever smoked or grown your own Irene OG? Please let me know what you think about this marijuana strain in the comments below.
Robert
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