#becoming the ice king just has the added benefit of being useful to other people like fionna and cake

[petr1kov]

simon was willing and ready to get captured and erased from existence. two minutes later, he agreed to become the ice king again. same thing to him, in the end

#becoming the ice king just has the added benefit of being useful to other people like fionna and cake #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #at

[barnesbabee]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ - ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ

WONDERLAND MASTERLIST ⇜ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ - ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ-  ɴᴇxᴛ ⟿

CHARACTER LIST: White Rabbit - Choi Jongho Absolem (Blue Catterpilar) - Kang Yeosang Cheshire Cat - Kim Hongjoong Mad Hatter - Choi San Haigha (March Hare) - Jung Wooyoung Tweedle Dee - Song Mingi Tweedle Dum - Jeong Yunho Bloody Red King - Park Seonghwa

ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ: @myunvillage @mirror-juliet @jess-1404 @earth-to-leiki [Send me a DM, an ask or comment to be added to the tag list]

"Teach you what?"

"How to be a better man, how to have mercy, and compassion."

Unbeknownst to you, a little purple and pink cat watched every step you took. Of course, it wasn't because he cared. Cheshire (unlike many other Wonderland villagers) genuinely wasn't affected by your presence, or lack there of, but the Hatter had asked him, in exchange of a hefty reward, of course, to keep an eye on his beloved Y/N.

While watching over you Cheshire just did a whole bunch of growling and nose scrunching. He hated the sight of the King, and even worse, was the sight of such a man in love.

"Such a shame to be the bearer of bad news dear friend," Cheshire said, not at bothered by the fact that he had bad news to tell "but it seems as if Y/N will be our new Queen."

The cat twirled a strand of his coloured hair around his index finger, as he fell down onto one of the many chairs along with the Hatter's never-ending table.

The Hatter's eyes widened and so did his toothy smile.

"She's carrying on with the plan! She will decapitate him herself and become our Queen! Oh but I'm so happy I could dance the Futterwacken again!"

He clapped feverously and suggested a toast, clearly missing the meaning of Cheshire's words.

"I'm afraid you missed what I meant, Hatter. She will be our Queen, because she will be marrying the King."

The atmosphere suddenly became silent, eerie even. The Hatter's green, sparkly eyes transformed into an ugly, rage-filled, yellow. The man gripped the teacup on his hand so hard it broke, but the rage, disappointment, and growing heartbreak fogged his brain to the point where he didn't even notice the pain, nor the blood trickling down his palm.

The Hatter was rarely angry, but when he was, it was enough to scare poor Cheshire, who didn't hesitate in disappearing into thin air. Or he tried to. Before every bit of his body could be gone, the Hatter grabbed Cheshire's hair, making the cat groan in pain, and threw him on the ground.

"What has he done to her!? Was it a curse!?"

Cheshire caressed his head and stood up to look at the Hatter.

"It wasn't a curse Hatter, she fell in love. After you deceived her and the King showed her nothing but truth and love, the choice was pretty evident."

The reasonable explanation seemed to calm down the Hatter, whose eyes morphed back into their greenish colour. However the dread and panic in his face were still evident. Cheshire, still quite upset at Hatter's tantrum, could see on his friend's face an expression of someone about to spew a terrible, terrible idea.

"We must get her away from the Palace. It's gotten into her head. Let's get her back to us!"

The man-like cat floated back to his usual place in the air, twirling in the process. He chuckled audibly, showing his sharp canines in the process.

"Hmm yes, let's steal her away from the man she's come to love, so she could be with us, the people who lied to her for our own benefit. Sounds like a party if you ask me..."

"A party!?" Haigha exclaimed, his left eye twitching as he smiled widely at the mention of his favourite hobbie.

"That's where the King's behaviour comes in our favour," the Hatter said, patting Haigha's head so he'd sit back down "once he sees her take her beloved Queen away, he will show his true colours, Remember how scared and freaked out she was last time we saw her? She said he seemed really sweet while talking to her until he eventually snapped. Once he snaps, he will freak out and bring out the tyrant's behaviour and scare her away."

It was hard for Cheshire to admit, but his mad friend's plan wasn't so mad after all. It was possible to accomplish what the Hatter suggested, and there was nothing to lose, you already hated them anyway.

The Hatter slapped his thighs and stood up, fixing his big top hat in the process.

"Shall we go?"

Haigha was already standing up from his seat when Cheshire stopped them.

"Perhaps we should discuss the plan further... Something tells me we might need some help from Absolem and Bayard..."

Sneaking you out past the Card Knights would take a lot of help, and Cheshire had already worked out in his head the escape plan. It would take a little pressure on Absolem, as he managed to care even less about the people around him than Cheshire did, but the cat was sure he could get a shrinking cake out of the blue catterpillar. After shrinking you and hatter down to the size of a strawberry, Bayard (the loyal dog friend of Hatter's, that Cheshire tried his best to keep a distance of) would bring you to the White Rabbit's house, as it would be too obvious to come back to the Hatter's cabin.

The cat had no intention to help you, but he did like to see some drama and commotion in Wonderland once in a while, and this was his chance.

Whilst all of the furious planning went on on the greenlands of Wonderland, in the Palace you and the King sat opposite of each other on his bed, gossiping like two high schoolers.

"And then my best friend at the time, Anna, slept with my boyfriend and said it was 'because of a dare'. I forgave her because we had been friends for so long but then she told my crush that I smelled so I stopped being her friend."

The King nodded along and listened attentively (trying his best to cross his legs just like you, but failing miserably) to your story.

"Hm yes, yes, I understand. My best friend ate one of my tarts so I cut off his head."

You couldn't help but scoff at the way he compared the situations, although you reprehended him right after for the heartless act.

He had asked to know of your previous life, how it was back in your world, and so you sat there reminiscing your past for hours on end. Most people in Wonderland came from other places, but Seonghwa had never been elsewhere, as he was born in the Kingdom.

"So this establishment you call 'school', was it like a club you went to where you reunited with your peers?"

"No, no. School was a mandatory thing for all kids, we went there and a bunch of teachers taught us about different things."

"Hm, but all you've told me so far were anecdotes about these friends of yours, what were these classes like?"

You blushed slightly, realizing that in fact, you didn't remember shit from school, aside from past dramas.

"Well, they told us many things about earth, about what makes the world move, about how society works, and what makes things work. We learned about gravity, about numbers, about stars-"

"Stars!?"

The King's eyes lit up as if he was a child whom you had promised ice cream to.

"Yes, stars. Why?"

Seonghwa stood up from the bed in such a violent manner, he nearly fell. The man ran over to his closet, from where he retrieved an old book. The hard cover was beginning to tear, and the once white pages had become a weird mix of brown and yellow, but you took it in your hands nevertheless.

"This book once fell into the Wonderland when I was a child. I was alone most of the time, so it kept me company. I can tell from the images it talks about the stars, and I think I learned a lot from it since I stared at them a lot, but I cannot comprehend the alien language."

The King leaned against the headboard, and you laid beside him, placing your head on his chest, so you could hear his now nervous heart beating fast from the contact. Out of instinct, the King placed his arm around you and pulled you closer, as you opened the book.

You chuckled slightly, after seeing the author of the book and opening its pages.

"Seonghwa this isn't an alien language, it's Italian. Well, I guess it's an alien language to you, but it was funny that you said it that way... The person who wrote it was very influential back where I'm from, he taught the people of Earth many things about our space."

The male listened carefully as you tried your best to explain the things in the book as best as you could.

"This here is what we call the Solar System. It has nine planets, but only one of them has people, this one, where I live." You told him, pointing towards Earth.

Seonghwa noticed how your posture changed, after you remembered once more that you would never return home again, and panicked for a second. He disliked many things, but your tears had definitely gone up to his number 1 on the list.

"How about I ask for a picnic to be arranged in the garden, and at night we can watch the stars."

You turned to face him and smiled as you nodded. Seonghwa's thumb caressed your arm, and you couldn't help but to place a soft kiss on his lips, as a 'thank you'. No matter how many times you did that, the King never seemed to get used to it. He would always feel butterflies in his stomach and fireworks exploding on his chest. Sometimes you felt perverted, thinking of how he'd react if one day you decided to take it... further. You imagined how pretty he'd look... But you decided to take your time. Baby steps...

The King couldn't wait for dinner time, and you could tell from the number of times he had gone up to the window and pushed away the blinds to see if the sun was finally setting.

As he was staring out the window, you came behind him and wrapped your arms around his figure.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Seonghwa looked around, to make sure no one was nearby eavesdropping. He wouldn't want your secret to being known.

You tiptoed so your lips could be leveled with his ear.

"You're adorable."

Once you got back down and looked into his gleeful eyes, you smiled.

"Let's keep this secret between us!" He joked along.

"Yes, I wouldn't want the other ladies to know and steal you away."

Seonghwa held your face and lovingly placed a kiss on your forehead.

"The other ladies don't stand a chance next to you princess."

Your cheeks heated up and you slapped his chest out of embarrassment. The King's face grew worried and confused.

"Why did you hit me? Have I done something wrong? It was meant to be a compliment I'm sorry I compared you to-"

You grabbed his face and squished his cheeks, making him form an adorable pout with his red lips.

"Seonghwa, it was a good thing. I slapped your chest because I was embarrassed, I was really touched by your compliment."

Once you let go of his face, the King tapped his chin with his index finger, in a pensive manner.

"I have much to learn about our future interactions, I do not understand many things."

You just chuckled and took his hand in yours.

"We have many years ahead of us, you will learn someday."

The small acknowledgment of your future made Seonghwa very happy. Never in his pitiful life had he even thought of being this happy over small actions... Last week the only thing that brought him joy was the sound of a traitor's head hitting the concrete floors of the palace's main area, but since you arrived, a smile was all it took for his cold heart to start beating again.

It didn't take long before one of the frogmen knocked on the door to inform the picnic was ready. Seonghwa didn't let go of your hand as you walked outside, to sit among the red roses.

You had finally come to terms with Wonderland's weird food. You had no choice really...

"Have you never been attracted to anyone, Seonghwa?" You asked as you munched down on a sandwich of... whatever it was.

Seonghwa's expression faded a little.

"Once. I had just become King and I thought that the next step would, logically, be the find a Queen. Every woman displeased me. All but one. She was beautiful, hair as dark as the night sky, tanned skin from the sun, and a beautiful mole under the eye. But she was cold, evil... I thought that it was a perfect match. After all, I wasn't the most caring person. But she would treat me like a servant. Our relationship was purely to serve a purpose to the Kingdom, nothing else. We slept in separate rooms and spent the day apart. We only dined together, but since I saw the same behavior from my parents I thought that that was love. Our wedding had been scheduled long before she moved into the castle, we were simply waiting for the preparations to be finished. Everything was custom made, from the clothes to the flowers on every table. The day before the wedding I walked to her bedroom and found her laying with a servant of mine. You know, back when they weren't... Frogs. I had them both decapitated, of course. And I swore off love forever. That is until you came along."

You flashed him a sad smile and set down your food. He looked awfully confused as you climbed onto his lap, but he didn't protest.

You brushed his dark hair away from his eyes. Both of them. He suddenly felt very exposed and insecure, but you kissed his cheek, reassuringly.

"Ever since I came down here you've shown me nothing but love, and honesty. You didn't try to sugarcoat who you are, or what you've done, and I appreciate your honesty. My place in Wonderland is with you."

The male smiled, and kissed you, a little more passionately than all of the previous times. The male's hands trailed down your ass, and pulled you on top of his growing erection.

"For someone who has never been with anyone you're quite good at this."

"Well I... I lied. I had a fiancé after all, and we laid together but we didn't get far. There was no kissing involved, she just wanted to get it over with since I was the one who suggested we should... do it. But she made fun of me for not being good at it and I became... insecure. I was insecure and for the longest time I've wanted to try it with you, because you give me those special butterflies but I was afraid I'd disappoint you."

"What a cold, heartless bitch!" You thought to yourself. No wonder he was so bad at human interactions, every relationship he had was a trainwreck!

You grabbed his face and placed a long kiss on his lips.

"Well then, let me lead at first. If you start feeling more confident, you can take the lead, if not, I'll stay in control, okay?"

The King simply nodded and kissed you once more. This time deeper than he had ever kissed anyone. Tongues fighting so intensely the King nearly missed the way your hand expediently undid his trousers. Your hand slipped inside his boxers and took out his length. You looked down at the dick in your hand and widened your eye.

"Well aren't I a lucky girl."

You spat in your hand and kissed him again, as your hand worked up and down his shaft. The King was surprisingly very vocal, and he didn't try to hide or suppress any of his pretty moans (and for that you were thankful.

You stopped your hand, right as he was getting riled up.

"Ready for something better?"

The King watched you strip from your panties, and he cursed the frilly dress that covered your womanhood, but as soon as you sunk down on his cock, all of his worries and anguishes washed away. It was automatic, the way he gripped your hips and made you bounce on him as he snapped your hips against yours was something he did naturally as if he truly knew what he was doing. You brought out something different in him, and the King was simply doing was his body was telling him to do.

You gripped his shoulders, overwhelmed with the feeling of having him inside you.

"S-shit Seonghwa, you're good, r-really fucking good."

"Oh yeah?"

He flipped you two around, so he could pound into you with all the strength he had. Your words of encouragement were all he needed.

Your consistent (and loud) moans got him on the edge quickly, and he knew he wouldn't last long.

"Y/N forgive me, but I don't think I can last much longer."

Your hand reached down and began circling your clit, so when he came inside you, filling you up with his cum, you came right after, with a loud cry for his name.

Seonghwa laid on top of you, his face nuzzled on the crook of your neck, trying to regain his breath. You ran your hand through his hair as you did the same, looking up at the sky.

"The stars sure look beautiful today."

#ateez #ateez fic #ateez reader insert #ateez fanfiction #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop reader insert #kpop fanficiton #soenghwa #park seonghwa #seonghwa fanfic #soenghwa smut #seonghwa fluff #seonghwa reader insert #san #choi san #san smut #choi san smmut #choi san smut #ateez wonderland #ateez alice in wonderland #mingi #mingi fluff #mingi smut

[confettipizza]

Lunar Recap

How it started. How it’s going. How it ended for the last lunar cycle of 2020.

This lunar cycle began with the New Moon on Jan. 12, 2021 @ 11:01 PM CT (Jan. 13 @ 05:01 UTC). It was the 13th Moon of 2020 according to the lunar calendar. And it ended Feb. 11, 2021, just before the 1st Moon of 2021! Happy Lunar New Year 2021, Year of the Ox!

South Korean Court Orders Japan to Compensate Women Forced into Sex Slavery

Colorado AG Opens Grand Jury Probe of Police Killing of Elijah McClain

Guantánamo Bay Prison Starts 20th Year of Indefinite Detentions

Pfizer to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Output as WHO Warns of Vaccination Inequality

Lawmakers Catch COVID-19 After Sheltering in Room Where GOP Reps Refused Masks

FBI Warns of “Armed Protests” in All 50 States and at Biden’s Inauguration

Tomorrow is Sun conjunct Pluto. Something that’s been lurking in the shadows bout to jump out. Might be pretty big, but there’s also the individual personal experience of this event and might feel more like an early Full Moon for you.

House to Impeach Trump as GOP Shows Signs of Backing Removal

Well this is dumb. Sun conjunct Pluto?

The $3,000-a-month toilet for the Ivanka Trump/Jared Kushner Secret Service detail

I also remembered/realized how much I really love Anna Sui designs since I was a kid which is pretty random to pop up on my radar, but this woman gets that all I want is sparkly heart shaped objects in lacquered black and flowy hippie dresses

Trump Tells Aides Not to Pay Giuliani’s Legal Fees as Bid to Overturn Election Fails

All I know is talking about dreams and discussing them with others makes you feel better. The tarot angle is there to shed some light on what the dream is actually telling you.

Joe Biden Unveils $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus and Economic Relief Package

ICE’s Acting Director Resigns After Two Weeks on Job

Found out today the woman at the car mechanic I've been faithfully taking my car to for the past two years can speak to the dead and had some messages for me from my dad who passed in October-

Intuitive guided tarot card pull.

Waxing crescent into Aries Monday, January 18, 2021 at 1:06 AM CT Today’s Astro x Tarot forecast valid for the next 24 hours: Feelings are flaring up for you to make a statement, a very zippy move or a quick decision about someone or something.

So long as you remain flexible and agile, whatever you choose to do with them will work to your advantage. If you decide not to impose hyper-agility into your decision making rn, then kudos to you! You’ve gained practice points in self-control experience.

More Than 760,000 Pounds of Hot Pockets Recalled

‘I Answered the Call of My President’: Rioters Say Trump Urged Them On

Raphael Warnock and the Legacy of Racial Tyranny

The Extraordinary Courage of Aleksei Navalny

Whoa, I was like a cycle early on celebrating the lunar new year! I’ve been a month into the future for a week now. My bad! I apologize for any confusion.

I was thinking that the soul's law of attraction is probably pretty unstoppable even concerning partners, so like, if someone didn't love you back then it's not some mistake or human misunderstanding that you or they need to fix.

To find one's soulmate looks something like 2 souls flying towards each other from opposite ends of the galaxy to join their physical selves together in a collision force so brutal you're stuck like that and if that's not what yours looks like then maybe that ain't your soulmate?

All the men going to jail for their poop smearing Capitol rioting have online dating profiles and that’s reason no. 2 I do not date online! Reason no. 1 is ain’t nobody cute on there.

The Witch’s Myth: The true story of the crane husband

Where are your witch stars, Circe and Hekate, located? Their location can explain your relationship to witchcraft. Circe is in my 1st house influencing my outer appearances and Hekate is conjunct Jupiter influencing my domestic style and home to be distinctively witchy.

Sun into Aquarius Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2:33 PM CT Here is your Sun into Aquarius forecast effective for the next several weeks of Aquarius season. 

Down to earth and grounded is our most qualified position to receive everything we need and use everything we receive. This is the reality of ourselves, the human condition.

We love reality based reality.

Get ready for reality-grounded White House press briefings

Why do people believe the lies they’re fed? Because those lies are designed to be more palatable than reality. Lies offer a quick easy patch, but what you’ve gotta ask yourself is are those lies actually designed to support the flow of all things into your life?

~* First Quarter Jan. 20 3:02 PM CT (21:02 UTC) *~

Biden and Harris Attend Memorial to Honor 400,000+ COVID-19 Victims in U.S. on Eve of Inauguration

Steve Bannon Among Final Trump Pardons and Commutations

Trump Admin Declares Multiculturalism Is “Not Who America Is” as WH Releases Racist, Revisionist Report

4,000+ Columbia Students Back Largest-Ever Tuition Strike

Today, whatever you’re doing or are wishing to become will be to the benefit of this unifying, love-aligned uprising.

Joe Biden Sworn In as 46th President of the United States, Ending Trump Era

Good inauguration Astro climate this morning feels like. #BidenHarrisInauguration

“What has shaken the U.S. population so badly, this assault on the Capitol yesterday, is really nothing by comparison to what U.S. operations have done in Latin America, in Asia, in Africa, in the Middle East, to other democratic movements and elected governments over the years.”

Progress towards wholeness can’t be made until we own up to the roles we’ve played in the past.

Read the full text of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem ‘The Hill We Climb’

When did politics get so vibrant and fashionably uplifting? Please and thank you! #Inauguration2021

The two of wands says to review your options, do your research, crunch the numbers, imagine the outcomes, but there’s no need to force making a choice if you don’t have to. Buy yourself some time and let the plans for a resolution find you, not the other way around.

Donald Trump Leaves Office and Washington, D.C., Threatens “We Will Be Back”

Watchdogs Demand Transparency as Corporations Pour Millions into Biden-Harris Inauguration

Senate Dems File Ethics Complaint Against Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley over Jan. 6 Insurrection

Federal Forces Arrest Ex-Marine for Beating Officer with a Hockey Stick During Capitol Riots

It’s Friday and it just feels good to be alive, a socialist and calling Bernie Sanders cute on Inauguration Day week! What a difference a pandemic makes.

Instacart Lays Off 2,000 Workers, Including Group Who Started Company’s First Union

Mars square Jupiter January 23, 2021 @ 1:49 AM CT (7:49 GMT) Someone wants you to know that you are ready to conquer your perceived limits to arrive at expansion in your thoughts, feelings, emotions and understanding today.

Waxing gibbous into Cancer January 25, 2021 @ 12:51 PM CT (18:51 GMT) It’s a supportive Moon for dreaming for mental health and well being. Begin a dream journal or review your latest dreams, reflecting on them for a few minutes today.

You are opening yourself up to an emotional practice that includes care for yourself in ways no one else (besides you and your connection to the Moon) can provide.

And too my Tarot Dream Readings are open if you would like guidance or support on a particular dream. See my pinned tweet for how it works.

When one’s soul is allowed to lead one’s life, working in the dark shadows, the invisible silence, the soul’s manifesting results are way more lasting and way more powerful than egocentric anything.

Good morning, self! A reminder my ego has never done a thing for me my soul can’t do better.

National Guard Deployment at U.S. Capitol Becomes COVID-19 Superspreader Event

Russia Violently Cracks Down on Protesters Calling for Release of Alexei Navalny

Trump Plotted to Oust Acting AG, Use DOJ to Force Georgia to Overturn Election Results

Hunts Point Market Workers in the Bronx Win Wage Increase After Week-Long Strike

This mourning brooch is a mindful way to mark the death of a loved one while paying tribute to the impact it has had on you. Bring back this Victorian trend!

Veteran Talk Show Host Larry King Dies After Hospitalization for COVID-19

Hank Aaron, Who Overcame Racist Barriers to Become Home Run Record-Holder, Dies at 86

We don’t give our bodies or our intuition enough attention and nourishment a lot of the time, so today’s the day we practice finding and sitting quietly with our inner voice.

~* Full Moon Jan. 28 1:17 PM CT (19:17 UTC) *~

House Delivers Article of Impeachment to Senate, Triggering Trump’s Second Trial

Dominion Voting Systems Sues Rudy Giuliani for Lying About 2020 Election

President Biden Increases U.S. Vaccination Goal to 150 Million Shots in 100 Days

President Biden Reverses Trump’s Transgender Military Service Ban

Biden Restores Plan to Feature Abolitionist Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill

Value is further added the more you mint your words with a most whole and complete love. Love is the greatest asset we can let appreciate in our lifetimes.

This Full Moon tomorrow sends a flash point that reminds you to circulate this wealth because it’s the greatest emotional gift we can bestow upon our loved ones, family, friends, neighbors, elders, members of our community, etc.

Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn January 28, 2021 @ 10:18 AM CT (16:18 GMT) Going through your day today uncovers a forgotten desire or creative goal. You find yourself asking something like: Remember when I wanted to become a pastry chef?

Although you decided to pursue a different course, take a moment to focus on and honor this memory when it arrives and then release it. What did you become instead and why?

45 Senate Republicans Back Dismissal of Trump Impeachment Trial

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Supported Violence Against Pelosi and Others in 2018 Facebook Posts

Taking the time to recognize and honor your past desires gives the respect these memories deserve and it integrates them into the whole wider scene of the individual, both shadow and light on your path builds confidence in your steps, confidence in yourself.

You are who you are for a reason.

Had no idea how literal this grassroots King of Pentacles card was gonna materialize today, but here it is folks! When a subreddit takes down a hedge fund!

Leader of Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, Was a Government Informer

U.S. Freezes Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Reviews Deal with UAE Made Under Trump Admin

Poland Enacts Near-Total Ban on Abortions, Triggering More Protests

Honduras Locks In Total Ban on Abortions, Attacks Marriage Equality

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Confronts Parkland Survivor David Hogg in Newly Resurfaced Video

The stock market this morning: Sh*t! Normal working class people read the market and figured out the game! Time to change the rules again. Let’s write it in ancient Babylonian hieroglyphs this time. They’ll never figure that sh*t out.

A message crucial to promote the awareness of your personal role in the collective will become evident over the next three weeks. You will come to ask yourself, What am I doing with my life?

If you aren’t familiar or comfortable with seeking your inner journey, then the greatest clue I can offer you at the start is to become open to the invisible world within you. How you learn to relate to it is completely personal and uniquely your own

Speaking in more concrete terms the next few weeks may manifest a life event for you where you must apply both logic and feeling in order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion concerning an interpersonal relationship or the question what am I doing with my life?

This Mercury retrograde should be a cinch, but during it don’t buy tech if you don’t have to. And remember to triple check communication before hitting send. If you arrive at conflict be quick to apologize and say no more until tomorrow 

President Biden Expands Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

House Speaker Blasts GOP for Assigning Racist Conspiracy Theorist to House Education Committee

Lawmakers Demand Probe into Trading App Robinhood After It Blocked Stock Sales That Hurt Hedge Funds

Pioneering African American Actor Cicely Tyson, Winner of Two Emmys, Dies at 96

Sun in Aquarius square Mars in Taurus February 1, 2021 @ 4:33 AM CT (10:33 GMT) The warrior’s edge has melted away and now you can take the scenic route through a field of wildflowers and mushrooms instead of blasting your way through a hillside of obstacles.

This energy catalyzes a scene that supports growth through varied experiences and it encourages everyone to seek their own way to resolutions, conclusions and understandings that are uniquely their own. Searching out your own way illuminates a strategic aspect of your purpose.

Happy Venus in Aquarius! The idea to refresh your wardrobe, hairstyle or redecorating by public opinion can be too hard to ignore under this influence. Your personal style will be influenced by the collective for the duration.

Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi

FBI Uncovers Evidence Jan. 6 Attack Was Premeditated as More Far-Right Rioters Face Charges

Trump Faces More Businesses-Related Woes as His Legal Team Departs a Week Before Impeachment Trial

It’s only the 21st day of the lunar cycle and already we’ve gone from the end of a rotten presidential era to the people’s revolution of the stock market, ok? And this moon ain’t even finished yet!

~* Last Quarter Feb. 4 11:38 AM CT (17:38 UTC) *~

U.S. Tops 26 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots, Surpassing Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

Moon Last Quarter in Scorpio February 4, 2021 @ 11:38 AM CT (17:38 UTC) A time for Descending, settling, closure, receiving compliments for doing a good job. Prime time for tying of loose ends and wrapping up unfinished business.

Democrats Say Trump “Singularly Responsible” for Jan. 6 Insurrection in Impeachment Brief

With consciousness humans are able to transcend the unconscious and reconfigure our relationship to it.

Though we can transcend the unconscious through viewing ourselves objectively, we are still apart of the the unconscious. Those rules still apply to us even as we contemplate their logic.

Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon CEO After Amassing Huge Personal Fortune

Amazon to Pay Contract Drivers $61.7 Million After FTC Probe Finds It Stole Tips to Pay Wages

Republican Leader Won’t Punish Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over Racist and Violent Rhetoric

Prosecutors Seek Rearrest of Kyle Rittenhouse, Wisconsin Teen Charged with Killing 2 Protesters

Sometimes the right thing to do is protect your one actual valuable thing not by defending it, but closing up all the channels the valuable thing is being attacked from the outside. Sometimes you just gotta block, delete or remove your account and move on with/to what's good.

What if we wake up one day and COVID has disappeared, like poof! It vanished into thin air? Maybe it’s the moon opposed to Uranus that’s got me wishing wild problem solvers would pop up overnight.

Poll Reveals 25% of U.S. Adults Plan to Gather at Super Bowl Watch Parties

VP Harris Casts Tie-Breaking Vote to Move Ahead with Democratic COVID Relief Bill

House Removes Marjorie Taylor Greene from Committees over Violent, Bigoted Rhetoric

Smartmatic Sues Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell for Election-Related Lies

I unfollowed some lawmakers this morning after feeling second hand anxiety over the handling of their interpersonal conflicts. Realized they were me on IG two years ago and I’ve moved on since. Can relate, but don’t wanna relive, thanks!

I just want to let y’all know that I’m coping w insufficient candle syndrome & will be studying the art & science of candle making to save myself potentially hundreds of thousands of $$ by making my own delicious smelling coconut wax babies in diy terra cotta flower pots.

Wyoming GOP Censures Rep. Liz Cheney for Backing Trump’s Impeachment

Mass Protests Continue in Burma Opposing Military Coup, Removal of Aung San Suu Kyi

You may tell others like it is today, but hopefully this inspires you to check in with yourself and be honest/come clean about something you've been overlooking.

Indian Farmworkers Blockade Roads as Mass Protests Show No Sign of Slowing Down

Black Sheriff’s Deputy in Louisiana Dies by Suicide After Condemning Police Violence and Racism

Amazon Workers in Alabama Begin Historic Vote on Unionization

Second Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump Opens in the Senate

Georgia’s Secretary of State to Probe Trump’s Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election

Mercury square Mars February 10, 2021 @ 6:14 AM CT (12:14 UTC) Still talking about talking, it’s also Dark Moon time to shape or let a habit form. This practice can come from breaking free of outdated relationships with yourself or with others in order to spur growth.

Dreamed Jungkook was correcting my pronunciation of Korean last night. I’m sorry! I’ll try harder to take this lesson seriously

Senate Votes to Proceed with Impeachment as Managers Present Harrowing Video of Jan. 6 Insurrection

Gov’t to Send Vaccines to Community Health Centers as U.S. Continues Ramping Up Vaccinations

WHO Team Confirms COVID-19 of Animal Origin; Ghana Shuts Parliament After Outbreak Infects Lawmakers

Journalists Decry Raid on Progressive Indian News Site NewsClick

U.S. to Pursue Extradition of Julian Assange as Press Freedom Groups Warn of Dangerous Precede

Fossil Fuel Pollution Causes One in Five Global Deaths

Four Louisiana Officers Arrested over Police Brutality Cases and Other Misconduct

Two NYT Journalists Exit Paper Following Revelations of Improper Conduct

Venus conjunct Jupiter February 11, 2021 @ 8:59 AM CT (14:59 UTC) Receive the overflow of creativity into your life. Welcome it even if you aren’t sure what to do with it. Write down project ideas if you don’t have the energy to start on them now. You can work on them later.

I'm cool with double masking, but a lot of folks still aren't even doing the one :|

“The Inciter-in-Chief”: Democrats Accuse Trump of Being “Singularly Responsible” for Insurrection

U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 471,000; Half of All Deaths Occurred Since Nov. 1

Saudi Women’s Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released After 1,001 Days in Prison

Biden Administration to Continue Trump-Era Policy of Turning Away Asylum Seekers at Southern Border

Sen. Bernie Sanders Grills Neera Tanden, Biden’s Pick to Head OMB

Sen. Bernie Sanders: “According to The Washington Post, since 2014, the Center for American Progress has received roughly $5.5 million from Walmart, a company that pays its workers starvation wages; $900,000 from the Bank of America; $550,000 from JPMorgan Chase; $550,000 from Amazon; $200,000 from Wells Fargo; $800,000 from Facebook; and up to $1.4 million from Google. In other words, CAP has received money from some of the most powerful special interests in our country. How will your relationship with those very powerful special interests impact your decision-making if you are appointed to be the head of OMB?”

Neera Tanden: “Senator, I thank you for that question. It will have zero impact on my — on my decision-making.”

#lunar #news #headlines #tweets

[writersrealmbts]

Frosted Glass: Part 4

Description: Yoongi is in love with the princess of another land, and he’s given the opportunity to court her, with the help of his brothers. You are the princess of the country south of the frozen kingdom, but you’ve gotten a deadly disease and your only home is to venture and live in the icy north. Will Yoongi be able to win your hand with the help of his brothers?

Warnings: N/A

Posted: 02/21/2020

Tags: Yoongi x reader, Prince!Yoong, Prince!Jaebum, Prince!Yesung, Prince!Yeonjun, Prince!Hwall, Frost Prince, Jack Frost! Yoongi

1,324 words

A/N: I wanted to post something else because the ALBUM SDFKSKFKDL. But this all I’ve got that’s ready to be posted and I want to finish this, and then I have a third part to DTLW, plus drabble requests in my inbox, a second part to Different Skin, and more Treasured Hoard. 

You were surprised at how easy it was to become comfortable in the castle, but some things reminded you of how different it was.

Like how Yeonjun’s hair would go from silvery to black to sometimes blue from day to day, or when you got hit in the face with a magic snowball when you walked into the library one morning and the youngest two hadn’t seen you enter, or when you saw frost spreading around any of the princes. The way their skin always felt like ice, even when warming themselves by the fire.

And the fact that the frozen flowers out in the ‘garden’ were still growing. Never as large as those in your country, obviously, but they still grew, new frozen blossoms appearing even after the staff have harvested bouquets.

The town felt cozy, the people seemed warm and inviting….

To Eira and Yesung.

They were a little chillier with Yoongi, but they hid it well around you, and seemed to take his presence as a silent threat not to treat the youngest three in that way since they were greeted almost as warmly as Yesung.

“I am…surprised at the behavior your people display towards you,” You said, walking with Yoongi to the frozen fountain in the center of the town square. Was there something about him that you didn’t see yet?

He shrugged. “I would rather they treat me like that than Yeonjun or Hyunjoon. They’re so young, to be rejected by our people would hurt them. It was only because our mother, my father’s second wife, was not a princess from the ice mountains. Yesung’s mother was.”

“Oh? And how would one of you marrying me affect their opinion of all of you?”

He frowned, looking away. “It benefits the country, an alliance with yours. It’s only traditional for the future king to marry an ice princess. Not the other princes.” He met your gaze and offered a shy smile. “Not to mention the wedding of any prince leads to extra business in the towns, and are always cause for feasts throughout the kingdom, paid for by the royal family. I earned every ounce of respect that they give me now. And I’m sure they will grow to love you quickly. I’ve heard tales from your kingdom about how well your people love you.”

You looked up at him, and again had such a sense of déjà vu. But this time you could place it. A young boy, showing you how to skate and laughing when you worried the ice was too thin. Building snowmen with you and introducing you to all of the village kids, though they never seemed to know him.

His eyebrows came together and he looked curiously at you. “Everything okay?”

“You…remind me of someone…” You replied, looking up at him. “From my childhood. We called him Jack, because he seemed to know a little bit about everything. Everyone in town called him Jack Frost.”

He was immediately nervous, looking away. “Oh?”

You smiled, looking away. “Your drawings have gotten better over the years.”

He looked at you, surprised.

You shook your head. “Do you honestly think that I wouldn’t recognize the only friend I had for several years? Or that I wouldn’t notice that all of your brothers fully intended for me to marry you? Or the way you’ve ensured that I have flowers from home in my sitting room every morning? The maids know everything,” You added when you saw his surprised expression. “And I don’t think Eira knows how to lie just yet.”

He cracked a smile. “She really doesn’t.” But he still looked so shy.

You looked around, then stood again. “Yoongi, could you show me some of the hidden places of your country?”

He tilted his head, but offered you his arm. “I could show you the caves.”

You smiled and nodded.

He led you to the horses, helping you up and then getting his own horse, leading the way. He was quiet, always somewhat quiet, though you had seen how he could get goofy and loud with all of his brothers when they were all having a snowball fight in the ballroom. But his quiet was comfortable to you. Companionable.

He led you through snow drifts and frozen forests to a lake that wasn’t quite frozen before dismounting.

You dismounted as well, looking around the frozen world surrounding you. You’d asked him to show you places around his country, wanting to get to know him better if they were intending for you to marry him, but also wanting to know the countryside. Where you could escape.

He bowed slightly, offering you a hand.

You took it, noticing that the snow was deep, and allowed him to help you through the snow drifts and into frozen caves.

He guided you around icicles that reached from the cave ceiling to the floor.

You dropped his hand turning to the cave wall and touching the ice, feeling the cold through your gloves. “It’s beautiful.”

“I suppose so,” He answered, sounding uncertain.

You turned to him, finding him staring at you with a strange expression on his face. You dismissed your curiosity at his thoughts, gesturing around you. “The way the light glints and shines, and how is it warmer in here than out there? I can’t imagine it always is, because obviously it gets cold enough to freeze all of this. Maybe because of the wind?”

He nodded, looking around. “The wind has to be at a certain angle to get in here. Build a fire in here, and it would warm up fairly well. It probably wouldn’t melt that—” He gestured to the wall of icicles that had merged together, blocking part of the entrance. “Yesung-hyung used to tell us that an ice-dragon made its home here for years, and that the walls of this cave weren’t stone, but ice so thick that it looked like stone, burying the hibernating dragon so deeply, that should he ever awaken and try to shake the bonds of ice that have covered him, he would be stuck for decades before he broke loose. Would warn us not to wake the dragon by being loud. Really, he just didn’t want our nannies to find us for a while and that meant keeping us quiet.”

You smiled. “I read once that the magic of this country came from ice dragons that settled here to hibernate for a season, but they slept too long. Then one of their daughters that hadn’t made the journey with them, came searching, and when she found them sleeping forever, she was so distraught that she turned herself into magic dust in the well-spring of Godeuleum—the oldest spring in the country—and she flowed down the mountain and covered her family, preserving them for eternity in ice. And now, the waters from that spring flow under the ground, unseen and untouched by all….” You turned to him. “Except the royal family. It’s said that the waters gave them the powers to care for the people of this land. The residual magic from the spring grows the crops of the people, adapting them to climate of the land, but the waters are only consumed by the royal family, and the ice-princesses of the mountains.”

Yoongi was smiling. “Yes, that is one of the legends of our country.”

A smile looked good on him. Everything looked good on him. One thing the princes had going for them was that they were all very handsome, but you thought Yoongi was the handsomest.

“Any truth in the legends?” You asked, smiling as you studied the gentleness in his eyes.

He looked away, still smiling. “You’d have to marry me to find out.”

You turned away, studying the blue of the cave. “I will consider it. Give me time to think over the offer?”

“As long as you need, Princess.”

–

Previous.  Next.

Masterlist.  Yoongi Masterpost.

Tagging: @alex--awesome--22​  @bryvada​  @missmoxxiesworld​  @knjhe​ @agustdgeniuslab​

(Please remember to comment on the Taglist masterpost if you want to be tagged)

#yoongi x reader #reader x yoongi #suga x reader #bts fic #bts #min yoongi #suga #bts x reader #prince!yoongi #Jack Frost!Yoongi #frost prince!yoongi #jack frost au #magic!au #royalty au #princess!reader #Im Jaebum #prince!jaebum #choi yeonjun #prince!yeonjun #prince!hwall #hwall #prince!yesung #kim jongwoon #yesung

[one-leaf-grimoire]

“triad”

Chapter 3: the wager

Why do I do this to myself. Here’s a link to the Ao3 chapter.

Ch Summary: The election of the 29th Wizard King continues. MC (Lisa? Idk what to call her at this point) finally has the attention of all 9 captains, and she’s going to hold it until the votes have to be cast. Who will be the first to obtain the required 5 votes?

No one dares speak for the next few moments, the weight of my words finally sinking in slowly but surely. Then, the first person to move is William, who hasn't looked up from the table since he gave up his candidacy. He doesn't say anything, and his face barely betrays any emotion but... interest. But it's the first movement after I made my move, a movement that's opened the door for more.

Several people start talking at once, faltering once they realize that they're all talking over each other before starting up again. The only people not talking are Yami and William. William just stares at me, while Yami just closes his eyes and starts to laugh, adding to the growing dihn.

"You?"

"Ka ka, you really just said that to a room full of captains?"

"Wah! That was just out of left field!"

"Did you and Julius talk about this beforehand?"

"Hold on, hold on! Let me explain myself!"

I hold up a hand and, to my delight, they immediately fall silent. I raise an eyebrow at the weirdly-quick response, then let a smile grow on my lips. Maybe they're just afraid to offend me because I'm a widow now or something... but I'm going to spin this as hard as I can. "See? It seems like you all already hold a little bit of respect for me. After all, most of us have been comrades for years and years, right?"

A few of them nod. Charlotte doesn't speak again, but is obviously sizing up my every move. Jack leans back in his chair, tapping his long nails on the arm. Kaiser fiddles with his mustache, distracted, but doesn't take his eyes off me.

"So... how long have you had this in mind?" Fuegoleon is the next one to speak, leaning forward slightly on the table, his one flickering arm of fire reflecting off the shiny wood surface. His eyes are hardened, almost... pained? I hope I didn't actually hurt his feelings or something, but I can't blame him for being shocked by my declaration that I was serious about this. Because, at the end of the day, it wasn't premeditated. Not... technically.

"Not long at all. If you think this was something I've been plotting for a while, I'm sorry to disappoint you." I fold my hands neatly on the table, glad that I seem to be staying calm for now. "It wasn't until... well..." How do I explain that I talked to Julius in the afterlife? That's going to sound fake... So, I decide to lie. "Right before the operation with the Royal Knights. I... I told him that, if something were to happen to him, I would be willing to step up and take his place, and he agreed." That part isn't a complete lie, because he did answer "good" when I told him. "Trust me, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was in the Kingdom's best interest."

"The Kingdom's best interest..." Nozel coldly repeats my last phrase. "Care to explain why you think it is?"

"Why yes, no need to be so harsh, Nozel." I keep my smile on my face, remembering how Julius always managed to be kind to people who were pissing him off. Nozel is far from the worst people I've ever met, but his sudden hostility is off-putting, especially since he seems to be dragging Fuegoleon along with him. "I don't doubt that you or Fuegoleon would do great, but this is a tricky situation."

Fuegoleon's eyes narrow even more. "How so?"

"Well, just look around-" I point out the window. "The Kingdom is in shambles. We're more fragmented than ever before, and that makes us vulnerable to attack. I wouldn't be surprised if the Diamond or Spade Kingdoms started an invasion campaign within the next few months. We need someone who can hold this all together, and provide the most important strength we can get... continuity." I can tell I have their attentions now, so I don't let go of my audience while I have this chance.

"On average, the Wizard King rules for 17 years. Julius only got 8, not even half of what's normal. This kind of transition is rough, so the prime candidate to succeed him is someone who worked closely with him, who understands Julius's kingdom better than anyone else. And that person is me."

"So? Anyone could do that," Dorothy finally decides to speak up, a little smile on her face. I have a feeling that she's just throwing her opinion into the fray for fun. "We're all part of the upper echelon of power here, don't you think we all have a good understanding?"

"Good point!" I hold up my hands sheepishly. "But that's the thing- Now more than ever, we shouldn't remove a Captain from their post."

"What? Why not? For continuity?" Nozel asks before I can explain further. "The Wizard King has always been promoted from Captain. It's been that way for years."

"Yes, yes, I know! But think about it," I insist. "We need experienced captains in charge of their squads right now, changing anything that important right now could cause problems down the road. We need stability in our squads if we're to have stability in our Kingdom, so removing a Captain would be irresponsible."

"Irresponsible? That's a bit bold of you." Kaiser chuckles, shaking his head. "Even if you're right about this attack, do you think you'd be approved by the King?"

Uh oh. I was afraid they would bring this up. My history with Augustus is... rocky, to say the least. "Are you saying that just because I'm a commoner, Kaiser?"

He shrugs. "No... well, that's definitely a factor to bring up-"

"Well, I am a commoner. But I'm a commoner that has a more intimate understanding of this Kingdom than any of you do." I don't mean for my words to come out so harshly, but he hit a nerve that's pretty close to my heart."

Ka ka, intimate, is that because-"

Jack makes the wise decision to shut up when I shoot him a glare.

"You've all seen my magic, right?" Everyone nods one after the other, all staring at me with the same look in their eyes. For a moment, that look makes me want to shrink down into my chair and disappear under the table.

It's like... they're afraid. Not afraid of me, but afraid for me.

"Then you know... I can use Julius's time magic, because of this magic mark on my head." I point to the mark, my voice soft and metered despite the waves of emotion tumbling within me. "That's not the only thing of his I have... because of my Dyad spell, I have a shard of his soul within me. And along with that, his memories. The last part of him left on this earth... I'm the one who carries it."

Well... it's not the only thing of his left. Under the table, I let my hand drift up and ghost over my stomach softly, protectively at the reminder that I carry another shard of his life there.

"I know I'm just a commoner, part foreigner, someone who was even kicked out of the Magic Knights. But despite all that, Julius trusted me with everything he had. So... make me the Wizard King. I'm the one who can lead this Kingdom back to our peak."

There's really not much else I can say. The second phase of my plan will have to commence after the first vote... which, if everything goes according to plan, will not result in my victory. In fact, it won't result in anyone's victory. That's the wager I'm making, and there's just a few moments left before I have to spring back into action.

"Well, if we're ready, we'll vote." Marx finally steps in to keep things in order before more people can challenge me. "I'll conduct the election, since I'm er- impartial." He shoots me a glance, but I know he's just as powerless as me in this situation. "You ready?"

"But first-" I look over to see Nozel pointing at me. "You can't be in here."

My mouth nearly flops open at the order. "C-Captain Nozel, she's a candidate, she has as much right to be here as you-" 

"I don't want anyone other than those casting the votes and you to be in here-" Nozel cuts him off, his voice like ice. It takes everything I have to keep from wincing- his words hurt just like the icicle I just referred to. "I wouldn't want to do anything to corrupt the legitimacy of this decision."

I finally let my displeasure show on my face. Nozel is pushing me to my limit. "Excuse me, bt-"

"Nozel, don't make trouble." We're both interrupted by Fuegoleon, who has closed his eyes, giving in. "I just want to get this over with."

Nozel sniffs in a long breath before nodding. "Fine."

"Yeah, after all, braid boy-" Yami finally speaks up, smirking around his cigarette. "You'll probably have to call her King soon. Now's not the time to burn bridges, hehe."

Everyone stares at him as if he grew a second head. Oough... that's not a good sign. "...Y-Yami..." Charlotte whispers, her eyes wide. "You want to vote for her?"

For some reason, that statement from Charlotte hurts more than anything anyone else has said today. Just a few weeks ago, she and her were shopping together for my wedding dress, and I was teasing her about her crush on Yami. But... even she won't give me the benefit of the doubt? So... the captains are just that hostile to the thought of an outsider becoming Wizard King. Well, if that's really the case, it makes me want it even more. 

"Why not? She made a good case." Yami leans back in his chair, a shit-eating grin on his face. "It'll be fun, anyway."

I give him a small smile, but Marx butts in before I can say anything else. "Alright, alright, if that's settled, we'll begin the voting." Marx produces a paper and pen before taking a deep breath. "We'll go clockwise around the table... starting with you, Fuegoleon."

I quickly give the table a once-over, seeing what order the voting will happen in. Ooh! This is good... All the important votes are earlier on...

"Fuegoleon?"

"I vote for myself."

"Nozel?"

"Also myself."

"Yami?"

"Forehead girl."

"Please use proper names. Dorothy?"

"Nozel!"

"Kaiser?"

"Lord Fuegoleon."

"William?"

"...."

"...William?"

William closes his eyes.

"Abstain."

"Huh? You can't do that!" Yami points at him accusingly. "You're going to mess up our quota!"

"Quorum," Marx corrects, staring at William with concern. "Captain... are you sure about this?"

William nods. "Yes. Please."

"...alright, then." Marx gulps nervously before marking something down on his paper. "Julius didn't leave instructions behind for this situation... so we'll move on as usual. The winner will still have to get 5 votes. So-" He looks up. "Rill?"

"Ahhhhh.... er..... umm.... Fuegol-"

"Got it. Jack?"

"Fuegoleon, I guess, ka ka."

"And Charlotte."

Charlotte stares at the table as if it's the most interesting thing she's ever seen. "...Nozel."

"Alright then, the results..." Marx holds up the paper, and I turn in my seat to see it a little clearer.

Alright... I expected at least two votes, but this should be okay...

One vote for me. Three for Nozel. And 4 for Fuegoleon.

That was close...

"So, what now?" Nozel asks, glancing at Fuegoleon, who is smiling a little to himself. This isn't good. One slip up and he'll get the last vote he needs.

"Now, we discuss it more, and vote again," Marx answers, holding up Julius's will again. "The winner has to get five votes."

"I have an idea!" I blurt out, putting a smile on my face as I suddenly stand up, catching everyone's attention. "Why don't we take a break... let's all go off on our own to figure out our strategies and get votes, hmmm?"

"We don't have that kind of time," Fuegoleon reminds me. "Remember? We're all supposed to be helping with the cleanup-"

"I told you, didn't I? I sent orders to all your squads before I called this meeting," I retort. "They'll be fine for the rest of the day."

"Damn. See? She's on top of it-" Yami chuckles and points at me.

"Right... do you even have that kind of authority, though?" Kaiser asks me. "I mean... they are our squads."

"Of course I do." I give him a smile despite how his words are slowly but surely pissing me off. So entitled... "Who do you think has been holding this place together these past few days? Now-" I back up towards the door, giving them a wave. "I'm going to walk around and think about all this. You know where to find me."

Without another word, I turn and push open the door, and walk off down the hallway, a little smile on my face.

Good... now...

"Wait! Hold on!"

I turn to see Marx running up, and a few other Captains leave the room and walk off out of sight. "Look..." He skids to a stop, a worried expression coming onto his face. "I get what you're trying to do here, and honestly, I'm all for it. I think I could work better with you than any of them, after all."

"Oh, how nice of you Marx." I pat him on the shoulder, but to my surprise he winces. "What, is there some other problem? Enlighten me."

"... just... listen to yourself."

... huh?

Marx's eyes turn from concerned to just... sad. I recognize this look, it's the same look all the Captains gave me earlier.

"Marx... don't tell me you're afraid for my well-being or something."

"Well, I am!" Marx bursts out. "Listen! I've known you for 8 years! Every time something bad happens, you shut down like this, you avoid the problem... but it's never been this bad. I haven't seen you cry, not once."

"Cry? Marx-" I cross my arms, gritting my teeth a little. 

Don't think about it don't think about it-

"Do you think I should go in there and cry? Do you think that will convince them to vote for me?" I demand. "I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation-"

"Well, you're freaking everyone out."

We both turn to see Yami saunter up. All playfulness is gone from his eyes. "All I'm saying is that you're acting awfully ambitious for someone who's husband just kicked it."

"Yami, you voted for me," I remind him.

"Yeah, because I think you should be the Wizard King. But I don't think you should keep acting like nothing happened." Yami's eyes crinkle with concern. "I don't want to see you isolate yourself from this... it has to hurt, right?"

...

I didn't realize it before, but I've been clenching my fists so tight that my nails start to leave a mark.

"...of course it hurts."

I suck in a deep breath. Then another. And another.

...J-Julius...

The moment passes.

"But if I acknowledge it now... I'll fall apart. So... I won't. Not until I've achieved my goal."

Then, Julius... I'll go visit you. I promise.

I don't let either of them say another word, I just turn and walk away. They both let me go. Once out of sight, I reach up and wipe away a tear that somehow managed to escape the tight, dark prison I confined it in before.

Keep pushing forward.

I look up, feeling determined once again.

It's time to get those three crucial votes.

A wager has been made, but will MC be able to pay it off? Find out next time in Chapter 4: the three votes

#nozel and fuegoleon are not actually assholes #they just don't know what to do once a third rival joins the fray lol #meanwhile #Lisa's just imploding #oops #triad #fic

[yeniayofnymeria]

Arya Stark and Black Swan

(I don't know who the picture belongs to, I found it a long time ago.)

Hello/Selam,

In fact, as you know, Arya is one of the biggest five of GRRM. She has a key role in the books. The problem is that it's hard to predict exactly what this role is. I've been trying to piece together her puzzle pieces for years. The result I have achieved so far; Arya is on the side of the ice in the Battle of Ice and Fire alongside FM / Great Other ... Most people see this story as a classic good-bad battle, but I don't. The reason I think so is GRRM's statements.

Men are still capable of great heroism. But I don’t necessarily think there are heroes. That’s something that’s very much in my books: I believe in great characters. We’re all capable of doing great things, and of doing bad things. We have the angels and the demons inside of us, and our lives are a succession of choices…[Woodrow Wilson] was a racist who tried to end war. Now, does one cancel out the other? Well, they don’t cancel out the other. You can’t make him a hero or a villain. He was both. And we’re all both. - GRRM

...

Much as I admire Tolkien, and I do admire Tolkien — he’s been a huge influence on me, and his Lord of the Rings is the mountain that leans over every other fantasy written since and shaped all of modern fantasy — there are things about it, the whole concept of the Dark Lord, and good guys battling bad guys, Good versus Evil, while brilliantly handled in Tolkien, in the hands of many Tolkien successors, it has become kind of a cartoon. We don’t need any more Dark Lords, we don’t need any more, “Here are the good guys, they’re in white, there are the bad guys, they’re in black. And also, they’re really ugly, the bad guys.” - GRRM

So I don't see the side of ice and fire pure good and pure bad. They're both. Just like the Stark and Lannister war. So I don't see any problem putting Arya on the ice. After all, she's a Stark, and the Stark family is portrayed as "ice."

Lets continue.

The post was created using multiple topics(I combined them.): u/DutchArya 's https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/146440-arya-the-singing-bird-stark/ post and u/Arya1100's https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/7vw332/spoilers_extended_black_swans_and_arya_stark_an/ post.

It's an old theory(of theirs), but it's been a year or so. I wanted to resurrect. I just added a few things. And I commented in my own words.

Black Swan Theory

The black swan theory or theory of black swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact with the benefit of hindsight**.** The term is based on an ancient saying that presumed black swans did not exist – a saying that became reinterpreted to teach a different lesson after black swans were discovered in the wild.

The theory was developed by Nassim Nicholas Taleb to explain:

The disproportionate role of high-profile, hard-to-predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations in history, science, finance, and technology.

The non-computability of the probability of the consequential rare events using scientific methods (owing to the very nature of small probabilities).

The psychological biases that blind people, both individually and collectively, to uncertainty and to a rare event's massive role in historical affairs.

Unlike the earlier and broader "black swan problem" in philosophy (i.e. the problem of induction), Taleb's "black swan theory" refers only to unexpected events of large magnitude and consequence and their dominant role in history. Such events, considered extreme outliers**, collectively play vastly larger roles than regular occurrences:**xxi More technically, in the scientific monograph 'Silent Risk', Taleb mathematically defines the black swan problem as "stemming from the use of degenerate metaprobability" - From wikizeroo.org

Black Swan in summary = A term used to refer to an unexpectedly large event, effect, event.

Arya Stark is thought to have a connection with the Black Swan... This is both a “theory i'm issue I mentioned above and a kind of ugly duckling that turns into a beautiful swan.

Black Swan

Arya felt as though the lake were calling her. She wanted to leap into those placid blue waters, to feel clean again, to swim and splash and bask in the sun. But she dare not take off her clothes where the others could see...

From up here, she could see a small wooded island off to the northeast. Thirty yards from shore, three black swans were gliding over the water, so serene . . . no one had told them that war had come, and they cared nothing for burning towns and butchered men. She stared at them with yearning. Part of her wanted to be a swan the other part wanted to eat one. - (Arya, A Clash of Kings)

The important thing in this quote is that he sees “3 BLACK SWAN as I mentioned above. In fact, the Europeans did not know Black Swan until the 1697s, and I think that this is the basis of the theory that I mentioned first. So, in essence, these animals are a very rare species. Considering that the ASOIAF universe is a kind of a different version of Europe... In other words, the author added a “black swan" instead of the common white swan.

In the next book (book 3) Arya meets some of the Brotherhood and Lady Ravella Smallwood. She treats Arya well, washes and dresses her.

It was even worse than before; Lady Smallwood insisted that Arya take another bath, and cut and comb her hair besides; the dress she put her in this time was sort of lilac-colored, and decorated with little baby pearls. The only good thing about it was that it was so delicate that no one could expect her to ride in it. So the next morning as they broke their fast, Lady Smallwood gave her breeches, belt, and tunic to wear, and a brown doeskin jerkin dotted with iron studs. "They were my son's things," she said. "He died when he was seven."

"I'm sorry, my lady." Arya suddenly felt bad for her, and ashamed. "I'm sorry I tore the acorn dress too. It was pretty."

"Yes, child. And so are you. Be brave."

This woman from House Swan. Their sigil is so interesting 

Battling swans black and white and so is the House of Black and White and that is where Arya is being reborn at every dark moon.

In the books Black and White was often touted as the struggle for darkness and light; therefore, we may interpret the question of swans as the struggle between dark and light parts of Arya or some kind of foreshadowing, which expresses an "enemy" in the future. In another comment 3 black swans; 3 can not be predicted to affect the story, may also express the great effect.

Water Dance

Arya stands on her toes, on one leg. This is indeed reminiscent of ballet. Ballet dancers learn to stand upright, on the tip of their toes, often on one leg. It's explicitly linked to the water dancing. So, "water dancing" = "ballet" and Swan Lake is a ballet that also has narrative similarities to Arya's story.

Ned stopped and looked at her. "Arya, what are you doing?"

"Syrio says a water dancer can stand on one toe for hours." Her hands flailed at the air to steady herself.

Ned had to smile. "Which toe?" he teased.

"Any toe." - (Eddard V, aGoT)

Later on, Arya wishes she could dance on water. This is what the Swan ballet dancers do!

Skinny as they were, her legs were strong and springy and growing longer every day. She was glad of that. A water dancer needs good legs. Blind Beth was no water dancer, but she would not be Beth forever. - The Blind Girl, ADWD

...

She was not far from the Gate as the crows flies, but for girls with feet instead of wings, the way was longer. - Mercy, Winds

Ugly Duck and Beautiful Swan

You all know the story of the ugly duckling. The swan, which started life as an ugly duck, is considered by all to be ugly and excluded. But one day something happens that when the ugly duck grows up, it turns into a beautiful swan and amazes everyone.

Readers think that the swan motif is also one aspect of it, which I'm sure everyone who reads the books carefully noticed it.

Arya considered herself ugly from the very beginning, and Sansa and Jeyne mocked her long face and subjected them to “Horse-faced” insults. According to Arya, her mother told her; if she wore beautiful dresses like Sansa and combed her hair, she could have been as beautiful as her sister.

But Jon and Ned always said she was beautiful; his father stated that she resembled his sister Lyanna, who is said to be a very beautiful girl. On the other hand, as she grew up during her adventure (such as Lady Smallwood), some began to emphasize that she was “beautiful.. For example, we have recently seen The Gentle Man said to her face is beautiful.

There is also a reference link to the swan and beauty in the series.

Arianne touched the pin that clasped [Balon’s] cloak, with its quarreling swans. “I have always been fond of swans. No other bird is half so beautiful, this side of the Summer Isles.”

“Your peacocks might dispute that,” said Ser Balon.

“They might,” said Arianne, “but peacocks are vain, proud creatures, strutting about in all those gaudy colors. Give me a swan serene in white or beautiful in black.” - The Watcher, ADwD

Thank you for read.

#AryaStark #black swan #asoiaf #JonryaWeek2020

[nayrusfountain]

Expanding Clock Town: Fan Ideas

Welcome to my newest blog. This will be a series of neat ideas that I will randomly pump out for your enjoyment as well as discus what can improve our overall experience with the games we love. Today we will look at...

                                              Clock Town

Clock Town is a fun little city in the heart of Termina that I always look at fondly. With its cheery music and colorful visuals as well as a great cast of characters, there is a special charm to this town that I feel no other settlement in the Zelda series evoke on me. 

But I'll admit its a little lacking in attractions among other things.

With only three main gaming stores plus the Deku Playground, I think its safe to conclude that Clock Town could use a little funding to create new points of interest and the like. But what can they built exactly? Well let's dive in and spice up this cute little town!

                                              A Few More Inns

The Stock Pot Inn is the only source of a motel that the city has, and this is a big no no in my honest opinion. Originally a cafeteria back in the days, the now old and outdated Inn is of poor quality and not up to par with Inns you find in BotW, which is strange because some great inns were in a small post apocalyptic town while Clock Town is fairly well off. The room with the performers hold no such luxuries aside from bunk beds and a card table, and disgusting creepy crawlies are an example of a building in need of pest control.The first class room is falling apart, with a large unkempt hole glaring back at its guest as it allows one to access the private conversations of the next room without consequences.

The place doesn't have electricity and must rely on old fashioned candles to lit its halls. I say this because places like the Milk Bar have ceiling fans, and along with other stores, electricity generated lights (study the game closely and you'll see what I mean.) There is also a random man stuck in the toilet of a doorlees restroom, forever ignored... Alas, these issues doesn't stop the Inn from getting booked, for it is the only option in Clock Town...

But not anymore.

Various Inns would be places in all four sections of the city, each one reflecting the theme of the providence from the 4 corners of the world; South Clock Town would be Swamp Theme, North Clock Town promotes Snow Theme, and West Clock Town embraces an Ocean Theme. Each one would offer a different level of costumer service as they compete with each other. One could have a beautiful high quality hotel, but the staff are stingy and rude, while a less flamboyant option would reward Link with friendly employees. Not only that, but they could be run by various races like Zoras and Deku Scrubs depending on the inn. This will affect Link in the long run as there are perks to staying in each inn, such as how many hearts he gains for his stay. A side-story should be implemented for each Inn as well, seeing as that's where the game shines.

While the Stock Pot Inn are of poor mainaince and constantly overbooked, the Southern Inn could be struggling to gain costumers due to Deku being unpopular among Hylians. However, the Deku themselves are nice people and openly optimistic, determine to erase the stereotype of their race. If wearing the Deku Mask, some of the staff members will recognize you as the son of their King's butler, and it is here where the lost son's backstory will unfold.

On the contrary, the Western Inn is popular for its wealthier ascetic, tropical themes, and beautiful design both internally and externally. Plus there is the added benefit of being closer to the ocean where the Indigo-Go's resides.

However the Zoran staff are snobbish and vain, refusing to serve costumers if they do not hold their standards or have enough money. But they will instantly serve celebrities like members of the Indigo-Go's with the best costumer service. Link would either have to grind to add money to his bank account or wear Mikau's mask for easy access and better treatment. As Mikau, Link is offer the best room, best food, and invited to participate in Zora based mini games, concerts, parties and of coarse side quests. Also, sidequests are only done with the Zora Mask.

Goron Link will either be dismiss without a second thought, or offer a less then fabulous room for his stay and limited access to games. And Deku Link will be yelled at to "get lost!" The staff reveals their struggle to provide happy costumers after many had file complaints against them, and mentions the personal problems and racial insecurities affecting their attitude. If Link beats Gyorg before the third day, the band will be found in the hotel after their performance back in the hall. As a bonus, if he helps the hotel staff, they'll soften up and change their strict policies to appeal to everyone equally, and reward Link a special mask.

I think that by applying more hotel opinions with different benefits can really enhance the gameplay and story, and having them all compete with each other would make things quite interesting.

                                         Happy Mask Shop

I'm honestly shock there isn't a mask based shop in Clock Town, especially considering how influential masks are to their culture. I know that people traditionally craft their own masks and such for festivals, but it would be great having a store center around these artifacts. The shop's sidequests would require the player to build their own original masks and customize existing ones with added perks, transformations included. Link would have to explore Termina for certain materials to craft his own handmade mask. However, players would have to be wise with how they spend their limited products; would they use up the items to create a new and unique mask with unknown functions, or use those resources to upgrade existing ones with increased benefits?

For instance, using certain materials on the Zora Mask will give Mikau ice abilities and resistance to it. Upgrading the Goron Mask will make Darmani burst to flames when fighting and send explosive shock waves to surrounding enemies. Enhancing the Deku Mask will boost its durability in fights and spit acid bubbles. You know, little examples like these. This could give previously useless masks a new use in the game while creating new ones to add to Link's arsenal.

                                 More Game Shops and Stores

Nothing much more to say aside that the city can use more gaming shops across the town. Things like the bombchu game from OoT, racing, horse and Zora riding, diving, sword fighting tournament, etc. The games should not be limited to Link as each activities can be play as his different forms depending on the theme of them. Have them either spread out or in different corners of the town.

Stores full of goodies are also welcome, and certain gear will only become available after completing a dungeon. Stores should also be expanding across Clock Town and the rest of Termina populated by shoppers trying to buy supplies in preparations for the end of the world. Over the 3 days the amount of shopper dwindle, until by the Final Night the shops are devoid of life entirely. Little things like these should add more to an already wonderful game.

                                     Homes and Neighborhoods

Finally, I want to see a variety of houses like in OoT's Hyrule Castle Town which we have access too. Here we can interact with the characters privately as they dwell on their thoughts concerning the falling Moon. We can enter the homes of the commonfolk via the alleyways and the residence of the more wealthy in the area around the Mayor's office. To make it easier for the dev team, the homes of the people can be designed like apartments for the poor and condominiums for the rich. That way the Zelda Team can save environmental space.

What can we do?

Perhaps we can rent or buy an apartment/condo via sidequest. When Link obtains the apartment, he will received a stamp that will travel with him through time similar to the bank stamp. The stamp is proof of ownership for that home, meaning the player is all set and doesn't have to do that quest again. Renting/buying can provide certain benefits like regenerating health when at the residence or storing deletable items like arrows and bombs for the next cycle. This is basically a storage space and can vary greatly depending if you buy or rent. Renting is more limited, only allowing you to store a certain number of every items. Buying, which can only be done by after obtaining the Adult Wallet, can boost the number of perishable items dramatically and even display your masks as you have more freedom to arrange your home how you like. Also, the basement can be served as a minidungeon were goodies can be obtain from completion.

Epona can also be allowed in this section on the city, but only if Link has a private property.

Of coarse, living in a neighborhood require interacting! That means sidequest galore, as Link will communicate and solve the problems of mismatched people going nuts over the moon. Rewards include weapons, items, gear, rupees, access to games and masks. Link basically becomes a neighborhood hero and wearing the three main masks can generate different missions and misadventure. Also it would generate funny reactions from random neighbors.

The Captain of the Guard Viscen, impressed with his righteous heart, will offer Link a brief position in the guard allowing more story quests and missions to unfold.

Just imagine a chase scene across the streets on horseback tracking down a criminal with the guards as backup?

One sidequest however can have an dire impact on Link himself and effect the player's playthough. If Link doesn't lock the doors when at night and sleeps, Sakon will break in at 12:00 am and steal his Transformation Masks. If this were to occur Link must immediately give chase before the thief sells them off for profit. He would have to track him down through the alleyways, but only have till morning before Sakon makes off with them to his hideout. And considering that the mask contains the souls of the fallen, it doubles as unintentional kidnapping!

Viscen would appear roaming the streets on his night patrol and confronts Link during the chase. He would then accompany Link as they go after Sakon on horseback and hunt him down. If Link succeeds, Sakon will be arrested and his magical masks with be back in safe hands.

If he fails and Sakon escapes with them, the thief will flee to his hideout and bid them for high prices. Link and Viscen would then proceed to travel to Ikana and sneak their way into his lair. A stealth mission begins, and the duo must avoid the security to reach the room where the precious items are held. Once they pass this, they break into the audition and confronts Sakon. The thief will send out Wolfos and monsters to hold them off as he once again try to escape, but by defeating the enemies Link will face him one on one and quickly wins. Sakon would then be apprehended by Viscen, and the audition quickly scatters. As Link gets his Transformation Masks back, Sakon reveals that he knew of their magical transformation powers the whole time as he had been spying on Link. He further admits that he planned to make a fortune off of them for that reason alone, saying there are nothing else like them in Termina. Viscen silence him and the screen fades white, where we see Sakon being sentence to prison. Viscen congratulates Link and offers him a guard's mask as a reward for his trouble, a mask that enables him to directly help more people across Termina.

This should be a Fanfiction. I need to write this now.

                                                Conclusion

Although I love Clock Town dearly, after playing Ocarina of Time I found myself really wishing that Nintendo took the time to include a small section of neighborhoods in the town. All the possibilities are just screaming to come to life!

#RemakeMajora'sMask4HomeConsoles

That is it. I have nothing more to say. This is how I would expand Clock Town if I were part of the Zelda Team. I sure have an active imagination. A switch remake would defiantly have the power needed to render all of this. How would you improve Clock Town? Tell me what you would add to Majora's Mask should you be given the chance!

Thank you for taking your time to reading this. I'll share more ideas on other Zelda games like Breath of the Wild. Will it be a mini series? Maybe. It depends whether an idea spark in my head. I do have a sidequest idea for BotW, so it'll be posted next time!

#legend of zelda #majora's mask #termina #clock town

[nuttystrawberrysalad]

Rethinking the bottle

When I was younger, wine came in a glass bottle, and—outside of a few value-priced boxed options—that was that. But now, quality wine comes in all sorts of packaging: boxes, cans, pouches, even slim wine bottles that can fit through a mail slot. Of course, the bottle is still king—but even that classic container isn’t beyond innovation. The British company Frugalpac has just launched a standard-sized wine bottle made mostly out of recycled paper.

The Frugal Bottle is a 750 milliliter bottle “made from 94 percent recycled paperboard with a food-grade liner to hold the wine or spirit,” according to Frugalpac. Not only is it “comparable in cost to a labelled glass bottle,” but it can also “be refrigerated and keeps the liquid cooler for longer.”

Naturally, the company offers an environmental pitch, as well. “Our mission is to design, develop and supply sustainable packaging. The Frugal Bottle is up to five times lighter than a glass bottle, has a carbon footprint up to six times lower and is easy to recycle again,” explained Frugalpac chief executive Malcolm Waugh. “We’ve had fantastic feedback from people who’ve trialed the Frugal Bottle. As well as the superior environmental benefits, it looks and feels like no other bottle you have ever seen.”

Digging into the specifics, a Frugal Bottle weighs about 3 ounces, whereas burgundy bottles can weigh about a pound. Additionally, Frugalpac says that beyond offering a carbon footprint that is 84 percent lower than a glass bottle, it’s also “more than a third less than a bottle made from 100 paper recycled plastic,” with a “water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.” And, yes, the paper bottle is easy to recycle—because the liner inside is removable: “Simply separate the plastic food-grade liner from the paper bottle and put them in your respective recycling bins.”

The new Frugal Bottle has debuted with Italy’s Cantina Goccia who is using it for their 2017 3Q wine—a Sangiovese retailing in the UK for about $16. On top of its other benefits, this first bottle shows off another intriguing trait: The artwork can easily cover the entire surface.

“When some of our top hotel customers saw samples of our paper wine bottle, there was no hesitation in their minds that this type of bottle would be well received in their dining rooms,” said Cantina Goccia owner Ceri Parke. “It’s much lighter than glass, easier to transport and friendlier to the planet."

As of right now, Frugal Bottle doesn’t appear slated to arrive in the United States in the near future, but that could easily change. Frugalpac is currently taking orders for the machines used to produce the bottles, with delivery planned for next year—and though right now interest is primarily in the U.K. and Europe, nothing seems to preclude American companies from getting on board.

“Frugalpac’s business model is to supply Frugal Bottle machines for wine producers or packaging companies to manufacture the bordeaux bottles on their site, cutting carbon emissions even further,” Waugh added. “Materials can be purchased locally through existing paperboard printers to give maximum freedom of design and the best commercial offering.”

Naturally, the company offers an environmental pitch, as well. “Our mission is to design, develop and supply sustainable packaging. The Frugal Bottle is up to five times lighter than a glass bottle, has a carbon footprint up to six times lower and is easy to recycle again,” explained Frugalpac chief executive Malcolm Waugh. “We’ve had fantastic feedback from people who’ve trialed the Frugal Bottle. As well as the superior environmental benefits, it looks and feels like no other bottle you have ever seen.”

Digging into the specifics, a Frugal Bottle weighs about 3 ounces, whereas ice wine bottles can weigh about a pound. Additionally, Frugalpac says that beyond offering a carbon footprint that is 84 percent lower than a glass bottle, it’s also “more than a third less than a bottle made from 100 paper recycled plastic,” with a “water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.” And, yes, the paper bottle is easy to recycle—because the liner inside is removable: “Simply separate the plastic food-grade liner from the paper bottle and put them in your respective recycling bins.”

Shops in Scotland have become the first place in the UK to stock wine in paper bottles in a move which aims to reduce the carbon footprint associated with glass bottles.

Three Scottish off licences will sell the Italian wine in its new lightweight, recyclable container, which the manufacturers say has a carbon footprint up to six times (84 per cent) lower than a glass bottle and more than a third less than a bottle made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.

The 75cl bottle, manufactured by Ipswitch-based company Frugalpac is made from 94 per cent recycled paperboard and has gone on sale for the first time at Woodwinters Wine and Whiskies stores.

The wine is from Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia and is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

But the manufacturers said the bottle can also be used for spirits such as whisky, gin, vodka and rum, and has already sparked a interest in a drinks industry keen to cut their emissions and appeal to a new audience of consumers interested in sustainability.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.

https://www.ft.com/content/a5cf1075-5bc1-4214-9a2e-6e06214111f4

For many of us wine drinkers, our first conscious act towards saving the planet was to separate champagne bottles from the rest of our rubbish. It made us feel pretty good, even though most of us were — and continue to be — shockingly ignorant about what then happens to them.

Today, few really understand the relative merits of different forms of packaging for wine in terms of sustainability. And this is hardly surprising, since even those whose job it is to study such things admit that the whole subject is hugely complex and definitive statistics are extremely difficult to come by.

To the average consumer, a glass bottle may seem virtuous because they generally assume that it’s both recycled and recyclable. Hence when the European glass manufacturers association, FEVE, commissioned a consumer research project last year involving 10,000 15-minute interviews in 13 European countries, it was able to boast that 91 per cent of interviewees agreed glass is the best packaging material for wine. (Brits are the most sceptical about glass, apparently — only 82 per cent of us agreed.)

On the strength of this research, Europe’s glass manufacturers have come up with a new hallmark on bottles that, as far as I can make out, merely confirms that the bottle you have in your hand is indeed made of glass, even if the design of the logo vaguely suggests recyclability.

The official online presentation of this innovation last November skipped lightly over the massive carbon footprint of producing and transporting glass bottles, the biggest factors in any winemaker’s carbon audit. A greener sort of furnace, which relies more on electric power than fossil fuels, is being piloted in Germany over the next few years, yet it will require considerable effort and investment for bottle manufacturers to reach FEVE’s ambition of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.

https://www.ft.com/content/a5cf1075-5bc1-4214-9a2e-6e06214111f4

One of the keys to this is, of course, recycling rates. The figure FEVE likes to quote is that Europe’s “average glass collection for recycling rate” is 76 per cent (which it would like to see reach 90 per cent by 2030), though it acknowledges that not all of this will ultimately be recycled.

In the UK, each local authority is in charge of contracting waste management, which means that standards and practices can vary enormously from place to place. Overall, only 68 per cent of all glass containers in the UK are recycled, compared with well over 90 per cent in Switzerland and Scandinavia. (Swiss citizens are incentivised by a combination of free glass collection points and a tax on bags for general rubbish.) The British Standards Institution, which sets national standards for everything from financial services to medical devices, would like to see recycling protocols harmonised.

Recycling bottles is complicated. They come in all sorts of colours which have to be separated from each other, while labels and foils have to be removed. The farsighted Torres winemaking family in Catalonia is pressing for a standard wine bottle that could be recycled and reused anywhere in the world — or at least anywhere in Europe to begin with.

Yet this would require EU legislation, admits Miguel Torres, which seems a very distant possibility to me, when so many wine producers choose to use bottle design and weight — especially weight — to try to carve out a distinctive identity for their wines. (It was notable in a recent online forum on the future of wine that the greatest opprobrium was directed towards those who use heavy bottles unnecessarily.)

Increased awareness of sustainability issues has also resulted in a flurry of new designs for wine packaging. These include a replica of a standard bottle from Frugalpac, which is made from 94 per cent recycled paperboard (and “a food-grade liner”) that can in turn be recycled.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.

https://www.ft.com/content/a5cf1075-5bc1-4214-9a2e-6e06214111f4

One of the most energetic and thoughtful innovators on this side of the Atlantic has been Santiago Navarro, chief executive of Garçon Wines. He has designed an almost flat wine bottle that can fit through a letter box and is much lighter, considerably more space-saving and less fragile than the traditional glass bottle. If the option of an active oxygen scavenger is applied, the wine will stay fresh for more than 12 months before opening, he claims.

A keen diver, he is well aware of the problems of plastic waste, as highlighted so vividly by David Attenborough in his Blue Planet series. Even though the food-friendly PET plastic from which Navarro’s smooth, olive-green bottle is moulded has already been used once — and in general plastic has a much lower carbon footprint than single-use glass — some consumers are convinced that all plastic is evil.

In fact, there are many different forms of plastic, of which PET is arguably the most sustainable, and Navarro treasures the letter he received from Sir David congratulating him on his novel design.

The problem with plastic is not so much the material itself but how to manage it after use. According to the British Plastics Federation, about 50 per cent of all plastic in the UK is recycled. Yet unlike glass, which can be recycled many times, plastic can be recycled effectively much less often because it degrades — though work is ongoing to improve this.

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.

https://www.ft.com/content/a5cf1075-5bc1-4214-9a2e-6e06214111f4

Wine in cans is becoming popular in the US, where a high proportion of all drinks is sold in cans already. They tend to be much smaller than a regular bottle and, let’s face it, there are some pretty huge disadvantages to the 75cl bottle. It’s way too much for one person, often too much for two at a single sitting, and the unit price is far higher than a can’s, which some younger potential wine drinkers in particular find off-putting. Cans are convenient: they can easily be popped into a picnic bag or even, should we return to office life, a briefcase.

Made from steel or aluminium, they can also be recycled almost infinitely. Still, like glass, the manufacturing process is heavy on energy and resources.

Glass, so usefully inert, will surely remain the material of choice for fine wine that deserves long ageing, but for the sake of the planet we do need to look more favourably on the alternatives for that which is drunk within days or weeks of purchase — which constitutes by far the majority of all wine sold.

Borough Wines in London deserves mention for its work founding Sustainable Wine Solutions, which offers a bottle return scheme, a refillable box (a “zero-waste alternative to bag-in-box”) and what it claims are “the UK’s only 100 per cent reusable kegs”. The latter are a fine solution for restaurants and bars — should they ever be in business again.

This article has been amended since publication to make clear that latest government figures show 68 per cent of glass in the UK is recycled, not 50 per cent as originally stated

Tasting notes on Purple Pages of JancisRobinson.com

Follow Jancis on Twitter @JancisRobinson

Follow @FTMag on Twitter to find out about our latest stories first. Listen to our podcast, Culture Call, where FT editors and special guests discuss life and art in the time of coronavirus. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

[your-dietician]

Bare Feet, Beer and Heavy Metal Bangers: Golf Chills Out and Gets Cool.

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/golf/bare-feet-beer-and-heavy-metal-bangers-golf-chills-out-and-gets-cool/

Bare Feet, Beer and Heavy Metal Bangers: Golf Chills Out and Gets Cool.

Golf is one of the world’s oldest sports, with treasured traditions honed across several centuries. But increasingly over the last decade, many people have come to see golf as just plain old. And not in a good way.

The number of devoted recreational golfers in the United States has hovered at about 25 million, but the cohort is aging and more than 1,600 American golf courses closed in the 2010s. In 2004, and over the next 14 consecutive years, participation on courses waned.

These days, however, a fresh breeze is billowing through golf’s fusty clubhouse. It is not a stretch to call this movement the new golf. And new golf just might save old golf from itself.

It has helped power three successive years of participation growth that has reshaped the demographics of junior recreational golfers, who are now twice as likely to be female and four times as likely not to be white.

New golf has led to radically revised six- or 12-hole courses that reduce costs, land use and the time it takes to play a round. It has fostered a host of off-course experiences, including bustling entertainment venues that mix the vibe of a driving range and a sports bar, attracting a clientele with an average age of 31. It has meant golf courses with built-in sound systems playing music and with rounds in which no one keeps score — or cares to. Most conspicuously, in a sport in which 75 percent of the rounds are played on public golf courses, old-school protocol has been relaxed to stimulate a spirit of inclusion.

On a sunny evening this spring in northern Florida, Mike Miles, a 59-year-old former PGA Tour player who helped convert a failing conventional golf course into a quirky 12-hole public golf playground called The Yards, gazed out his window and noticed a young man on the first tee in bare feet.

“I’m thrilled to see him,” a smiling Miles said of the golfer, who was in his 20s and beginning a three-hole round known as the beer loop because it starts and ends next to the clubhouse bar. “We have to make golf not so serious.”

Top players agree.

“Whatever they want to do, they’re playing golf and that’s great,” said Jordan Spieth, who is 27 and has won three major championships. “I’ve got friends from high school and college, and they don’t keep their scores. They’re just going out to play music and have a few beers. They love it.”

Though such change might have been viewed as a threat to traditional golf 10 years ago, the sport’s leaders have now embraced relaxation.

“Offering more flavors of golf is tapping into evolutional demands,” Joe Beditz, the longtime president and chief executive of the National Golf Foundation, said. “It suits the predominant culture and is good for the game.”

Ashleigh McLaughlin, a former college golfer, is an executive with Youth on Course, a program that has subsidized more than one million rounds, bringing prices down to $5 or less. She said that conventional golf was being expanded, not replaced.

“Like most corners of the world, golf has had this kind of awakening when it relates to diversity and inclusion,” said McLaughlin, who is Black. “People can play golf in traditional ways, but there’s other ways to enjoy the game, whether you play barefoot, play music and don’t wear a polo shirt. There’s no judgment for that within the golf space.”

Like all uprisings, the sport’s mini-rebellion had a birthplace: Northern Virginia, where a golf entertainment company named Topgolf made its American debut in 2005. It has since swelled to 64 locations, the majority in or near urban areas. Topgolf facilities, which average more than 20 million customers annually, have the feel of a 1950s-style bowling alley set in a 21st century science fiction film.

While a Topgolf complex resembles a routine golf driving range, albeit one with multiple floors, it is meant to be a social experience. The goal is playful competition at each oversize driving bay, where a wait staff keeps customers plied with food and drink. Players choose from a full set of clubs to aim at targets of varying distances — from 50 to 250 yards — and sensors read a microchip embedded in each golf ball. Points are awarded according to how close the balls come to the targets and are displayed on large touch-screen monitors in each bay.

Laughter, not the imposing silence at a typical golf tee, is the prevalent soundtrack.

The secret to Topgolf’s booming popularity is a come-as-you-are atmosphere that has attracted people who don’t play the traditional game. Industry leaders once spurned Topgolf as “not real golf.” They now realize that Topgolf found a way to capitalize on a latent interest in the sport. (Television ratings for golf tournaments have been strong for decades even as it was understood that a large portion of the viewing audience did not play.)

“Topgolf took the friction out of the entry to golf and made it easy for people to satisfy their interest in the game without making a big investment,” said David Pillsbury, chief executive of ClubCorp, which owns or operates more than 200 golf clubs.

Pillsbury and his brethren in the golf community now view every Topgolf as a recruiting outpost, because industry studies have shown that a substantial number of first-time golfers got their start at a Topgolf or one of its many competitors, like Drive Shack, Big Shots and indoor simulators. The growing customer base at such sites is nearly 13 million and 45 percent female, according to the National Golf Foundation, and is increasingly drawn from more diverse and urban neighborhoods.

Next year, Topgolf, which recently merged with Callaway for $2 billion, will take a symbolically important step when it opens its first facility in partnership with an established, if flagging, nine-hole municipally owned golf course west of Los Angeles.

The course, in the coastal city of El Segundo, Calif., has been redesigned, and floodlights will be added for nighttime play. The property may become a model that proves that a modern golf entertainment venue can convert its customers into green-grass players.

The innovative spirit of the El Segundo project reflects a nationwide yearning for places to play that are unlike the stereotypical country club.

At Quicksands, a par-3 course positioned atop a stretch of sand dunes in Central Washington, the music of Metallica emanating from widely scattered speakers hints that a round will not follow tradition.

So might the advice that using a putter off the tee is the best option for the longest of Quicksands’s holes, which drops steeply downhill for 180 yards from tee to green. The entire layout, linked to the 18-hole Gamble Sands resort, can be traversed in 90 minutes with only a few clubs in hand.

A sign near the entrance sums up the vibe: Imagination on display.

Even Tiger Woods, sidelined by serious injuries sustained in a February car crash, is in on the alternative golf boom. He has become the co-owner of an expanding, technologically advanced chain of mini-golf courses. Each of Woods’s Popstroke putting courses, with multiple holes that incorporate bunkers and rough, offers food, craft beer, wine and ice cream that can be delivered to participants during play. There are two venues currently open in Florida, and this month Woods announced that his company would develop seven more courses, including sites in Texas and Arizona.

If Woods is the headliner in the experimentation category now overtaking recreational golf, Rob Collins, once a relative nobody, might now be the guru of the movement.

Seven years ago, Collins emptied his bank account to build an architecturally distinctive nine-hole course in eastern Tennessee, which was no one’s idea of a golf mecca. Collins did not have the money to build a clubhouse for his new course, called Sweetens Cove. Nor could he afford a bathroom. A portable toilet and a 20-foot-by-10-foot aluminum shed greeted golfers on opening day in 2014.

Business was slow, but another phenomenon — social media — helped spread the word of Sweetens Cove’s eccentric charm, which is a mix of playability and winsome challenges for golfers of all abilities. Influential golf websites like The Fried Egg and the popular Twitter account No Laying Up raved about Sweetens Cove’s unconventional allure and minimalist approach.

A cult attraction was born, as golfers from around the world happily made the pilgrimage into the Tennessee countryside 30 miles west of Chattanooga. Soon, Sweetens Cove was ranked among the top new American golf courses.

In March, when Sweetens Cove opened its online booking system for this year, it took 31 minutes for every available tee time Thursdays through Sundays from April 1 to Oct. 31 to sell out.

“We’ve become an international golf destination without the benefit of food and beverage, lodging or indoor plumbing,” Collins, 46, said with a laugh in May. “Led by younger generations, golf is refocusing. They crave compelling golf, and old assumptions about location, length and the configuration of the golf holes no longer apply.”

Collins and his design partner, Tad King, have become hot commodities with a slew of projects completed and planned.

“In those dark days around 2016, I never would’ve guessed that would happen,” Collins said. “But here we are.”

Buttressing the new golf movement has been a surge in the number of junior golfers who are flocking to restyled instruction programs. About 34 percent of junior golfers are now girls, compared with only 15 percent in 2000.

Jennifer Bermingham heads a step-by-step junior academy program called Crush It, which has been established at nearly 120 Club Corp courses from Virginia to California. Though the instruction is for boys and girls, Bermingham has girls learn in female-only groups.

“Girls like to work together and become friends and want to have a social element to the game and to practice,” said Bermingham, who is a certified P.G.A. and L.P.G.A. instructor. “There are always exceptions, but boys like to compete with each other and want to see who’s the winner. There’s a mentality that is just slightly different.”

New programs like Crush It have bolstered longstanding ones like The First Tee and Girls Golf, a partnership of the L.P.G.A. Foundation and the United States Golf Association that has taught the game to millions of young golfers in more than 2,000 locations.

According to data compiled last year by the National Golf Foundation, more than 25 percent of junior golfers are nonwhite, whereas just 6 percent of young golfers 21 years ago were.

Golf’s cultural revolution can be seen in every facet of the game, perhaps most noticeably in the relaxing of dress codes. Once demanding collared shirts, women’s skirts of a certain length and no hats turned backward, golf is chilling out.

Rules are being rewritten around the nation, most especially at the public courses that make up three-fourths of the sport’s inventory. To be sure, not every country club has altered its restrictions, but in many cases, only denim pants and tank tops are prohibited.

“Having to tuck in your shirt or turn your hat forwards, those things have to go away,” said Laura Scrivner, general manager of the Capital Canyon Club in Prescott, Ariz., which is operated by Troon, a worldwide golf management company. “There has to be a lighter touch now.”

Scrivner is particularly dedicated to rethinking golf’s protocols — she once ran a golf tournament called “Meet, Greet and Cheat,” which encouraged players to break every golf rule — and she has not let convention stand in the way at Capital Canyon, which is private.

JP Sipla, a 44-year-old member, is one of those golfers who plays his rounds barefoot. He calls himself a golf purist and plays to an enviable seven handicap, but his first question before joining Capital Canyon was whether he would be forced to wear shoes.

Assured there were no footwear regulations, he found himself on the club’s first tee not long afterward.

“There might have been someone cracking a joke about being barefoot, but it was lighthearted,” Sipla said in a telephone interview. “I’ve been here about a year now. Everyone knows me and they lovingly call me ‘Barefoot.’”

One of Sipla’s fellow members, Dave Dove, who is 89 and was introduced to golf by his father in the 1940s, welcomes the change he has seen in the game he still plays three times a week.

“You don’t want everybody to look the same and act the same,” Dove said. “That’s not what life is like. A golf course is a big place, there’s plenty of room for everybody. We’re just out there to have a good time.”

Source link

[gottasleepcanada]

Weight Matters The Weighted Blanket Weight Guide [2021]

Weighted Blanket Weight and Types

Weighted blankets have been around for centuries, but recently they've become popular again. Why? They are a natural way to relieve anxiety and stress during the day or before bedtime.

With so many options on the market these days, it can be overwhelming when deciding which weighted blanket is right for you! Read on in this article to learn about weight recommendations, types of weights used in weighted blankets, how to determine the proper size weighted blanket based on your height and weight.

Weighted Blanket Benefits

Keep your body cool (iced weighted blankets only) and calm

Get out of bed feeling refreshed each morning

Prevents tossing and turning

Helps with insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes; perfect for people who struggle with sleep.

Help to reduce stress

Hush Weighted Blankets are built with proprietary bamboo and cotton blend

Weighted Blankets are proven to lower cortisol levels, up serotonin levels, and make the person using it feel sleepy.

Help regulate your body temperature.

Keep you calm with the natural pressure of weight on top of you.

Reduce cortisol levels and make serotonin levels more active.

Make it easier for someone who struggles with insomnia or hot flashes.

Help someone who has mild anxiety with their symptoms

How much should a weighted blanket weight for adults?

A weighted blanket should be 15 LB to 35 LBs depending on your weight. The optimal weight is 10% of your body weight. Depending on preference, you may want to add a pound or two. Adding more weight than this can make sleepers feel pinned and cause discomfort.

What weight should I choose for a weighted blanket?

A weighted blanket is recommended to be ideal if the weight is 10% of your body weight. Depending on your preference, an additional 1 or 2 pounds may be beneficial. Weight blanket above this weight might cause discomfort.

How to determine the right size weighted blanket?

Weighted blankets can be a terrific addition to your bedtime routine, but it's important to know how to use one. The most common mistake is using the blanket too tightly and not giving yourself enough space. Remember that you should have about 12 inches of space between your body and the edge of the blanket, so it doesn't feel like you're being smothered by it!

Can you use a weighted blanket with sleep apnea?

If you have sleep apnea, it's not a clever idea to use one weighted blanket on top of your pillow. This can cause the airways to get blocked and make breathing more difficult while sleeping.

How long is a weighted blanket supposed to last?

It really depends how often you wash them! If they are washed every week or two with cold water and hung to dry, then they should last about 18-24 months before showing signs of wear/tear. They may also be safely machine washed in warm water if necessary (just don't put heavy clothes like jeans in the washer at the same time).

Are weighted blankets safe during pregnancy?

You might be pregnant and feel like you're being watched. You may have an overly sensitive sense of smell or taste. Your body's temperature regulation is more difficult than usual, and your hormones are making everything worse. One of the things that most people don't know is that there are some safety concerns when using a weighted blanket during pregnancy; specifically, if it's too heavy you could overheat which can lead to fetal overheating as well as maternal hyperthermia (a condition in which the mother's core body temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit).

What size weighted blanket for 6-year-old?

For your six-year-old? The answer is not so easy!

The first step in buying the best weight blanket for your child is figuring out their height and weight. Add another two feet on both sides to make sure the blanket will cover them. For the weight, you should stick to 8-10% of their weight. If they are 80 lbs, then an 8 lb weighted blanket or less is best.

What weighted blankets are for sale in Canada?

A weighted blanket, also known as a gravity blanket, has the ability to provide deep pressure touch stimulation that calms and soothes.  When choosing a weighted blanket, review and select a standard, iced or kids weighted blanket.

How heavy for a weighted blanket?

A weighted blanket is recommended to be ideal if the weight is 10% of your body weight. Depending on your preference, an additional 1 or 2 pounds may be beneficial. Weight blanket above this weight might cause discomfort.

 What weighted blanket weights are available?

·        5 LB Children

·        15 LB TWIN

·        20 LB TWIN

·        20 LB QUEEN

·        25 LB QUEEN

·        30 LBS KING

·        35 LBS KING 

What is the best weighted blanket for 30 lb child?

For a 30 lb child over 2 years old, the best weight is likely the 5 lb Kids or Children’s Weighted Blanket.

Hush weighted blanket washing instructions | What is a washable weighted blanket in Canada?

You can wash all Hush weighted blanket covers with a soft detergent. Do not use bleach or fabric softener. Use a cold wash and be sure to wash your blanket cover by itself for optimal care.

Hush weighted blankets have a breathable cover which is comfortable and soft. To keep it looking good, you can wash both the covers. This is super convenient as not all weighted blankets are machine washable and can be washed at home.

Cooling weighted blanket Canada

Have you ever tried a weighted blanket? It is like the most comfortable thing in the world. You put it on your body and it hugs you, making you feel calm and secure. We offer a variety of different blankets that are all designed to be unique for every person's needs. One of the best cooling weighted blankets is the Hush Iced Weighted Blanket.

What is a weighted blanket?

Weighted blankets are a new trend in the sleep industry and they have been gaining popularity over the past few years. They are designed to help people with sensory processing disorder, anxiety, stress or insomnia by applying deep pressure touch stimulation. The purpose of using this type of blanket is to provide calming comfort and pressure on the body which can be used for anyone who would like an extra weight while they sleep.

How to use your weighted blanket

Weighted blankets are typically used to give a feeling of comfort and security. They have been shown to help people who suffer from anxiety and stress, as well as those with sensory processing disorder. However, not everyone is aware of how to use their weighted blanket properly.

Weighted blanket weight recommendations

Have you ever experienced the comfort of a weighted blanket? They are typically used by people with sensory processing disorders or those who struggle to calm themselves down. I have always been intrigued by these blankets, but never knew how much they weighed until recently. The weight recommendations for these blankets range from 10-30 pounds depending on your height and weight. It is important to find the right weight for yourself in order to get maximum benefits from this product!

Recommended Weighted Blanket Weight for Adults

10% to 20% of the person's body weight (or 15 pounds)

How long does a weighted blanket take to ship?

•            Weighted Blankets ship out in 1-4 weeks

  How to Wash a weighted blanket from Walmart?

It is recommended that your machine wash your weighted blankets about every other time it's used. You can tumble dry the blanket on low temperature or air dry for best results. If the instructions say to put in the dryer, use LOW heat with NO DRYER DETERGENT to avoid damaging the fabric fibers! How often should I change my weighted blanket? That varies depending on how much you weigh and how often you sleep with it. A good rule of thumb is every six months if not used more than twice per week.

Weight Recommendations

A weighted blanket should weigh somewhere between 11-15 pounds. This is based on the individual's size and weight, so it may vary depending on how big or small you are. You'll want to be careful not to make the blanket too heavy as this can lead to neck or back pain if moved incorrectly while sleeping. If your doctor approves of using a weighted blanket for treatment, they will provide specific guidance about what weight would work best for you. This weight recommendation also applies for adults that need help regulating their body temperature or calming down after an episode of panic attacks.

Can a 1- or 2-year-old use a weighted blanket?

Weighted blankets are not recommended for children under the age of 2 years old. So, when we refer to toddlers in this article, we are referring to children ages 2-3 years old. Keeping this in mind, be sure to use a safe weight.

source https://gottasleep.com/blogs/sleep-talk/weighted-blanket-weight-guide

[charliedoesfanarts]

IDK why, but I have been plagued with the thoughts of this AU on and off for three months so it is now time for other people to deal with this too. I can’t even play the game, what the hell am I doing???

Basics So, the idea is that each of the Astrals have a “Herald” within Noctis’ group. This does include an OC whos plot info will be at the very bottom so it is easy to skip. Slight mentionings in Luna’s portion but with no real detail The Astrals can see inside of people's “Souls” and chose a Herald based upon their role to Noctis, personality, and history. Noctis is still the summoner, with ties to all of the Astrals and able to have them lend him their powers. However, it is noted that these summons are easier and more powerful when their respective Herald is around. The Herald list is this: Noctis - Bahumat. He does not get any “benefits” from this until the final battle, but it could be considered that his connection to Magic and the crystal is the blessing. Gladiolus - Titan. The steadfast protector, Titan has granted him additional strength and endurance. Jokingly, he has noted that he has not felt any difference. Ignis - Ramuh. The intelligent advisor, Ignis has noted he feels a bit more quick on his feet after Noctis had completed his trial. Lunafreya - Shiva. She had become Shiva’s Herald long before the events of the game. The two have a closer relationship than any of the other Heralds. Prompto - Ifrit. The last to become a Herald proper, Ifrit chooses Prompto after Bahumat helps Noctis defeat him and Ardyn. OC - Leviathan. She becomes the Herald of Leviathan during the events in Altissia.They bond over a growing hatred of the situation. Each of the Astrals give the Herald access to a specific type of magic, and some abilities associated with their given element. The Heralds only have a limited amount of mana, exceptions being Luna and Noctis whos blessed bloodlines allow them their own personal mana reserve. The more intune a Herald is with their Astral, the stronger they are and the stronger Noctis’ summon is.

More under Readmore

Noctis Noctis, being the Chosen King, is born as a Herald of Bahamut. This is not terribly different from his in-game kit. He can summon weapons and use light based magic. See, not different. Honestly, this part is very boring, sorry!

Gladiolus Titan has spent a lot of time asleep because of the Meteor that he protected Eos from. Looking upon the dedicated guard, he sees this as an easy choice. This makes Gladio the first of the party to “become” a Herald. This started off subtly, since the physical benefit is great strength and heightened endurance. Gladio “The Fucking Tank” Amicita did not notice a fucking thing. He thought it was just a benefit of his working out. Then he manifests his first instance of Earth Magic Noctis: I didn’t give you a flask for that? Gladio: *Sword encompassed with a rock that allowed him to hit the MT twenty feet away* Gladio: I’m not complaining Most of his magic is used to accent his own physical abilities. Rock formations on shields for added armor The same on swords to create mauls. If he practiced at his magic, he could cause small patches of earthquakes. Gladio does not particularly like using large spells. It costs his limited mana and he trusts his skills in fighting far more. However, he had once caused rock pillars by accident in a cave, crushing their enemies at the top of the cave. That was cool and he wishes he could do it again.

Ignis Ramuh is the law bearer, and it made sense to him to give Ignis the most chaotic of the Astral’s magic. He would be dedicated enough to keep it from overwhelming himself. There is no major physical abilities for Ignis. He notes that he swears the wind is pushing him along when he runs. His benifit is in two types of elemental magic: Wind and Lightning. The wind magic is often used to help flasks and grenades fly properly. Or not, depending on who throws them. He has also figured out how to help Noctis during jump attacks. Lightning is used in a more aggressive manner. Stick daggers into the target then use them to guide the lightning. It is quite effective. And sometimes smells like barbecue He still prefers to use the flasks, and have the mana on reserve for emergencies. The largest spell he had cast was when he was the last one standing against a troop of MTs. It was a large storm, though not as powerful as Ramuhs. Still killed them all though. And it was quite terrifying.

Lunafreya While she is the third Herald in the party, she is the second to be chosen. She is chosen during her time in the Niflheim empire. Shiva knew that she needed a Herald, and she was certainly the best choice. Her compassion made Shiva certain that the powers would be used for good. Luna does not get cold. Like, she does not shiver or catch colds. It was a little amazing, really. Her magic relies upon Ice and Light She is a skilled Illusionist, but keeps this close to her chest. Wields polearms and swords, Mainly the trident or a rapier in battle. She can create these out of ice. She relies heavily upon her magic, as she is not always in a good state to fight. Being intune with Shiva and her own personal mana makes it viable for her. She does survive the events of Chapter Nine: Her friend, the OC, convinces her that protecting Noctis may be important but doing it out in the open with a pissed off Astral and the Empire attacking might not be a great idea. The OC is following Luna’s lead, with Luna switching their appearances. She is pissed when Ardyn “kills|” her friend, and rushed towards her when Ardyn departs. Soaking wet and pissed by the end of the Chapter, she joins the boys to help them defeat Ardyn and stop the star scourge. While still capable of healing the Star Scourge, it is not a magic gifted to her by Shiva. People are worried about her fighting. It’s okay, she’ll do it anyway. Noctis: You still need more training. Luna: I can use my Illusions to hide while I fight. Gladio: Not good enough, Ma’am. Stay back. Luna: (ง'̀-'́)ง She can team up quite well with Ignis for magic, creating a stronger Ice Storm. It is really terrifying for enemies, but they can’t do it often because of the Mana requirements.

Prompto Was the last of his friends to become a Herald. It was a serious blow to his self-esteem. Ifrit had thought that Ardyn was his Herald. The best possible person to reflect his intentions and feeling. The deamon side was a large part of this. When Shiva destroyed his body, it freed him from that side. While not a friend of humans, he had a vested interest in stopping the Star Scourge. However, Prompto reminded him of who he was before. Even with everything weighing him down, Prompto still tried to shine a positive light upon it. This means that for a small period of time, Prompto was in tune with Fire Magic. It did not take him long to get his guns firing stronger, fire infused magic.

OC - Mare Aecor Bit of backstory: Member of a highly stationed family in Niflheim, her father being the head of the Navy. When the Flueret family fell into Niflheim’s hands, she was brought to Luna to keep her company. If she had a friend in the Empire, she might be happy enough to keep people loyal. She specifically was chosen because of her reputation of being an exceedingly stubborn child. Her will needed to be able to match Luna’s. She trained with her father, and has self appointed herself as Luna’s guardian. Does know of Gentiana, but has never seen her. Loves the dogs very much. A very passionate woman. She was chosen by Leviathan during the events of Chapter Nine. Luna had garnered the Astral’s respect when she stood her ground, but Mare earned her title when she was able to convince the Oracle to stand down. Her Heraldhood was in effect when Ardyn “killed” her. Her body was thrown into the sea, which was the first time her magic took effect. Her magic is centered around Water and Healing. This makes most of her magic supportive in nature, but she is stubborn and capable of making it offensive as well. Uses swords and rifles in battle. Trains with Luna in their swordsmanship. Commonly a saber. Since she was raised in the Empire, she hands herself over upon discovering her abilities. She hopes that they can be used to calm the people and help cure the Star Scourge. Instead, she gets taken to a lab to study the abilities. It is at this point that she learns she can drown people. And that she can produce water from wounds. And that she can breath under water. She gets saved between chapter 9 and 10, but not after she has developed her own hatred towards mankind. Only the MTs had survived her abilities, by her own choice. Because of their shared traits, her connection to Levithan is strong. This gives her a large amount of mana. She does not use it often though, not liking to heal more people to cause trouble.

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #ffxv au #heralds au #what am i doing??? idk but now other people can think about this too

[go-redgirl]

The History of Presidents Using Military to Restore Order Within US Fred Lucas / @FredLucasWH / May 31, 2020 /

Minority-owned businesses are among the worst-hit targets of looters and rioters who rampaged in Minneapolis and then other cities after a black man died in police custody, according to news reports.

“Expressing grievances to our elected officials in the form of protest is a time-honored tradition,” Stacy Washington, co-chairwoman of the board of Project 21, a black conservative group, said in a public statement Monday.

“But what we are watching unfold across the country is a coordinated effort to destroy the rule of law and order in our communities and to gin up racial tension,” Washington said. “In video after video, we see masked white protesters dressed all in black destroying property in black neighborhoods. And it’s blacks who are trying to stop the Antifa protesters from defacing small businesses.”

During remarks Monday evening in the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump noted: “The biggest victims of the rioting are peace-loving citizens in our poorest communities, and as their president, I will fight to keep them safe.”  

The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >>

Prosecutors charged Derek Chauvin, 44, with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, 46, who was being arrested Memorial Day evening on suspicion of passing a counterfeit 20-dollar bill.

Cellphone video showed Chauvin, at the time a Minneapolis police officer, with a knee pressing into the neck of Floyd, prone and handcuffed on the pavement, for nearly nine minutes.

Floyd, who was black, could be heard begging Chauvin, who is white, to allow him to stand and saying “I can’t breathe” before he fell silent.

A medical examiner determined Monday that Floyd’s death was a homicide. Outrage over his death has united Americans across political divides, as well as police chiefs and police unions.

“I understand the anger, but I do not understand destroying your own neighborhood to protest an innocent man’s murder,” Marie Fischer, an information technology specialist and Maryland political consultant who is black, said of those looting and setting fires.

“I do not understand many who are bailing out these ‘protesters’ as a sign of support. How about you fund the minority business owners whose stores and businesses have been destroyed by rioters?” said Fischer, who also is a member of Project 21. “They should fund those who were and are building these communities instead of the ones tearing them down under the guise of social justice—which in this case is neither social nor just.”

Here are six examples of minority-owned businesses across the country that were vandalized, desecrated, or destroyed by rioters.

1. Minneapolis: Where Unrest Began

Luis Tamay, an immigrant, reportedly saved for more than 10 years to open his Ecuadorian restaurant, El Sabor Chuchi, in Minneapolis seven years ago.

After guarding his restaurant during the first couple of nights of unrest,  Tamay obeyed the city’s curfew Friday night and went home, believing the Minnesota National Guard would keep order.

When Tamay arrived at his restaurant Saturday morning, it was burned to the ground, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported.

“Seventeen years of work is gone,” he told the newspaper.

Nearby, a Spanish-language radio station, La Raza, also burned down. Station owner Maya Santamaria wrote on her GoFundMe page: “Small, minority business owners found themselves with the businesses that they worked their fingers to the bone building destroyed, looted, vandalized and burned down. Some had no insurance. Others have no resources.”

Jeff Lusuer, a Minneapolis barber who is black, had two shops. One was burned down; someone broke into the other and stole supplies.

Still, Lusuer expressed empathy for the looters after what had occurred in Floyd’s killing, saying he is fed up with police.

“Even though it hurt my businesses, I understand,” Lusuer told the StarTribune.

Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, and peaceful protests began there before others turned to violence, looting, and arson.

The StarTribune reported: “The riots and arson that followed protests of George Floyd’s death have devastated organizations and businesses that serve communities of color.”

The newspaper reported Monday that looters burned a nonprofit center for American Indian youth.

La Michoacana Purepecha ice cream shop lost power as a result of the riots, and employees tried to give popsicles away.

“People right now are going to want to stay away from Lake Street, and that is understandable,” business owner Ricardo Hernandez told the newspaper, referring to the location of his ice cream shop.

“It’s very hard to see your whole life savings go down like this,” Hernandez said. “We used up all our money to build something nice for … not just the Latino community, but everybody.”

2. Atlanta: ‘A Very Sad Day for Us’

Atlanta has a strong legacy in the civil rights movement as the one-time home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who promoted peaceful resistance to injustice in the 1960s.  

Still, the city erupted in riots as badly as any other in the nation over the weekend. Some of the stores that were broken into and damaged were black-owned businesses, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

The TV station highlighted Attom, the first black-owned business to operate in an outdoor mall called The Shops at Buckhead, known for high-end retail stores.

“I don’t know if people know we’re owned by a black man because we don’t put it on the front of the business,” Attom owner Zola Dias told the station. “But this is a very sad day for us.”

The store is boarded up, like most of the other shops in the outdoor mall, Fox 5 reported.

“I’m a black man, I’m young, but there is another way to go and protest,” Dias added.

A group of black women set up a fundraising effort to assist black-owned businesses that were destroyed or vandalized, the station  reported.  

3. Looting in Texas Capital

Looters targeted a black-owned salon over the weekend in Austin, Texas, NBC affiliate KXAN reported.

The owner of Private Stock Premium Boutique set up a GoFundMe page and as of Monday had raised more than $60,000 to help rebuild.

Another black-owned business, World Liquor & Tobacco, was looted twice Sunday, KXAN reported.

4. ‘Frustrating’ Vandalism in Denver

A Denver restaurant called Buffalo Bills Wings and Things, owned by Zac Gabani, was a target of vandalism.

“It is frustrating,” Gabani told CBS4 in Denver, adding that breaking things “is pretty counterintuitive.”

Gabani’s eatery reportedly was one of the few businesses that tried to remain open during both the riots and peaceful protests in Denver.

“We were the only place open to feed them,” Gabani said. “We like to support the community; we just wish they would help support us as well.”

5. Milwaukee: ‘Not a Way of Finding Justice’

Dozens of minority-owned businesses in Milwaukee were ransacked by looters, Fox6 Milwaukee reported.

Sam Rahami, owner of the store Trend Benderz, smashed over the weekend, told the TV station:  “Destroying somebody’s business, somebody’s livelihood, is not a way of finding justice for anyone.”

Another store owner, not identified by name in the news story, complained to the station that the destruction was counterproductive.

“What they’re doing is against their benefit. We are here to be part of this community,” the owner of a Cricket Wireless store that was looted and damaged said.

6. Philadelphia: ‘For My Own Community to Do It to My Business’

Black leaders in Philadelphia held a forum calling for peace and in part highlighting that many black businesses were being destroyed, ABC-6 reported.

The forum included black clergy in Philadelphia as well as Human Rights Coalition 215 and Philadelphia Community Stakeholders.

Among those speaking at the event this week were Elliott Broaster, owner of Smoke N Things, a shop that was burned down.

“When I got home alone, I shed a few tears. I saw my business burn down and it hurt me a lot. And especially for my own community to do it to my business, that’s what really [hurt],” Broaster told ABC-6.

The news station reported: “What took years for this Temple grad to build was destroyed in a matter of minutes.”

Dear Readers:

With the recent conservative victories related to tax cuts, the Supreme Court, and other major issues, it is easy to become complacent.

However, the liberal Left is not backing down. They are rallying supporters to advance their agenda, moving this nation further from the vision of our founding fathers.

If we are to continue to bring this nation back to our founding principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism, we need to come together as a group of likeminded conservatives.

This is the mission of The Heritage Foundation. We want to continue to develop and present conservative solutions to the nation’s toughest problems. And we cannot do this alone.

We are looking for a select few conservatives to become a Heritage Foundation member. With your membership, you’ll qualify for all associated benefits and you’ll help keep our nation great for future generations.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

OPINION:  Well, no-one can blame President Trump for all these unfortunate out of control people that are destroying their own communities which does not  make any sense.

Where is ‘ole’ big Mouth Al Sharpton, Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson and others that always complaining about everything but don’t have the gaul or ba**s to try to calm down these young Black Americans running through this country destroying ‘Black Own Businesses’ in their anger of a man that was murdered by a Police Officer in his community.

Certainly they are mis-guided and its certainly not a way to handle such and awful situation.

Our prayers going out to his family and friends! 

[naturecoaster]

Nature Coast State of Emergency Options

What should one do in the Nature Coast State of Emergency? With nearly every public facility, event, and meeting being closed through the end of March, NatureCoasters' lives are being disrupted in a BIG way. Still, panicking is not a good option. Prayer is a good option. Staying in one’s home can get mundane, so what is a NatureCoaster to do? There are many outdoor activities in our area that will allow safe space and provide excellent recreational opportunities. This is a great time to indulge in that kayak trip you have been putting off.

Kayaking opportunities about on Florida's Nature Coast. Here is an image from Pat Manfredo from her trip on the Pithlachascotee River. Walk in the State Forest or any one of our wonderful parks. Take a bike ride on the Withlacoochee Trail. Have you tried walking Brooksville's new Florida Mermaid Trail? Ride a horse. Go fishing. Rent a boat and tour the seas.

This little angel has just helped her mom, brother and grandma pick a bucket of strawberries at JG Ranch, a u-pick farm in Brooksville that offers strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, corn, and assorted produce in season, as well as fresh eggs and locally-made items at their produce stand on the farm. Joan and George Casey, as well as Jeff and Debbie Casey, and their children, run this family farm. Image by Diane Bedard. Go to a u-pick farm. There are several u-pick farms in Florida’s Nature Coast, and this is a great activity with delicious and nutritious benefits. Blueberry season is only a few weeks away. Strawberry season is winding up and several vegetables are in season now. Be sure to call before you venture out for hours and availability. You have choices that fit the parameters of COVID-19 safety guidelines You have the opportunity to make this a special time where you might work on gardening projects, paint or draw, read a book, write a poem or a story, or any myriad of hobbyist activities. Take a minute to inventory what is available in your location and fight the tendency to panic. Deep cleaning and organizing is always an option. You are not alone.

Always good food, good friends and great coffee at Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters on Tompkins Street. Cattle Dog's five Citrus County locations are open for business, following CDC guidelines and now offer curbside pickup with online orders. Image by Margaret Bronder. Restrictions for Restaurants, Bars & Beaches On March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day, Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis, sent an Executive Order effectively shutting down sales in bars that receive 50% or more of their revenues from beer, wine and liquor sales for 30 days. BOOM Restaurants are allowed to stay open now but must institute a safe space policy of 50% of their capacity. This means that every other dining table is open for business if a restaurant chooses to continue serving food providing the six-foot space we need to keep while under our State of Emergency. Many restaurants are now offering curbside pickup and may have special procedures for that service. For example, Cattle Dog Coffee Roasters began curbside pickup service, but orders must be placed and paid for online. Please call ahead.

If you get out to a restaurant, please tip your servers very generously if you can. Image courtesy of Robin Draper. Servers are being hit hard. If you choose to eat in a restaurant or get take out food, please tip generously – ridiculously generously. That may be what keeps their lights on. Beaches are not closed, but visitors must keep a six-foot distance between each party. Parties should be limited to ten. Gatherings should be less than 50 and outdoors is preferred.

The Valerie Theater in downtown Inverness is one of many public facilities that was temporarily closed to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus on Florida's Nature Coast. Image by Diane Bedard. Nature Coast Libraries, Schools, Courthouses, and Public Buildings All Nature Coast schools were closed in the last week through the end of March (more or less – check your school’s website for specific dates). Children are home and many parents are working from home. Most public buildings and libraries are closed to the public for indoor activities, like paying bills, renting books and movies and Wi-Fi access. Cultural programs are closed. Movie and live performance theatres are closed. Museums are closed. Libraries are offering Wi-Fi outdoors, but no public computers. Books can be reserved online and picked up at library locations, but there is no indoor service. Jury trials are suspended in the courts and all government offices such as tax collectors and driver license bureaus can be managed online. Please do so.

Navigating the challenges of working from home with your children present requires a new style of balance. Image courtesy of Pixabay. How to Work from Home with your Children there When I was in my early 30s, I started my entrepreneurial journey with two toddlers (Irish twins) at home. It was truly a challenge to manage work around their schedules, but I learned a lot. I want to share some of that knowledge with those of you who are suddenly thrust into the work from home scenario. Balance is key. Children do not innately understand why anything is more important than their immediate “needs.” As they get older, they learn to put others first. This means they don’t understand why you are staring at that computer now instead of playing with them. Try to schedule time for both in the workday.

Sometimes the schedule has to be foregone to keep the balance. Image courtesy of Pixabay. When my children took a nap, I worked. If someone called during the awake hours and I was disrupted, I would say, “Oh, that’s my management team. They’re being cranky.” This would make the client/boss and I laugh. We would reschedule or muddle through depending on the situation. The laughter broke the ice and made things much easier to resolve. Now is a time to give each other lots of grace – including ourselves and our families. Why outdoors?

Get outdoors and get healthy with Florida sunshine and fresh air. Image by Diane Bedard. The Florida Sunshine provides health benefits to our bodies. Our skin absorbs vitamin D from sun exposure. It is good for us. Here is an interesting article on Coronavirus and the Sun by Dr. Richard Hobday, an internationally recognized authority on health in the built environment. Fresh air is a proven aid in the healing process. Indoor air is recycled, so germs are recycled too. Apparently fresh air lets the germs go away – maybe through photosynthesis. Maybe through rain and dew. I don’t know why or how. I just know it works.

When finances look bleak, be sure to ask your creditors for grace. Often by being ahead of the problem, you can work out a solution and skip the sleepless nights. Image courtesy of Dean Moriarty via Pixabay. What about Income? I believe we will all be affected financially by this crisis. Still, panicking does not help. I have read news stating that Congress and the President are talking about printing money and sending each of us $1,000 or so. That will surely help, but I don’t recommend waiting for it. If and when it works out, we will know what to do with it. If it looks like you are going to be short in an area of debt, contact whomever you owe and work out an alternate payment plan. This is a temporary situation. Maybe you can skip this month’s payment, and have it added to the end of the loan? No-one wants to make it worse. Being proactive in this area can save you sleepless nights and credit score drops.

Image courtesy of Pixabay. What Can a NatureCoaster Do? If you are able to help someone out, please do so. Share a roll of toilet paper or two. Call those who are stuck in facilities and cannot have visitors. Mail letters and cards. Donate blood. There is a real shortage right now. Can you volunteer remotely? Nonprofits are sending NatureCoaster updates saying they are planning to continue offering services, but they may be implemented differently. If you can donate time, money or resources to a nonprofit, now is a great time to do so.

What to Do in the Nature Coast State of Emergency

Anglers of all sizes love Homosassa's fishing! Residents of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco Counties are blessed with many outdoor activity resources. Our park systems are large and, although events and gatherings are canceled, the parks, forests, rivers, lakes, and Gulf are still open and ready for you to enjoy. Get outside, while minding your Ps&Qs to thoroughly wash your hands, stay 6 feet from others, and pray for each and every human in this world – may we become better people in a better society through the challenges we rise up to today. There many outdoor activities in Florida’s Nature Coast that allow safe space and provide excellent recreational opportunities.

The Hunter Springs Park beach provides a wonderful launch for any kayaking adventure with the Hunter Springs Kayak team. Image by Diane Bedard. This could be a great time to indulge in that kayak trip you have been putting off. Walk in the State Forest or any one of our wonderful parks and botanical gardens.

Sunset Landing Marina in Port Richey has beautiful pontoon boat rentals to help you catch a coastal state of mind. Ride a horse. Go fishing. Rent a pontoon boat and enjoy the gulf breeze. Go to a u-pick farm. Blueberry season is only a few weeks away. Strawberry season is winding up and several vegetables are in season now. We welcome a new NatureCoaster this week with The Dolan House in Brooksville. Perhaps a stay-cation with Debra and Roger King providing a respite from your home would be in order? They make one heckuva breakfast – and pastries!

Perhaps a staycation at The Dolan House to clear the head? Their motto of ABC of Always Be Clean makes for confidence in their historic B & B. Image courtesy of The Dolan House. If you have small businesses that you patronize regularly perhaps it would be nice to check on them. Shops are still open for business in most cases, as are many restaurants with take-out and limited hours. Florida’s Nature Coast is woven with the fabric of small businesses and we all need each other to make it through the tough times. Take a minute to inventory what is available in your location and fight the tendency to panic. You are not alone. Let us know how we can help you. We are going to feature some local images in the next few weeks as part of our ezine for inspiration. Useful Links courtesy of the Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce: Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 - Click Here U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Regional offices closed - Click Here Families First Coronovirus Response Act - Tax-Related Provisions - Click Here Hernando County - Upcoming BOCC Meeting - Click Here NAMI Hernando - Virtual Support Groups - Click Here   Read the full article

#coronavirus #covid-19

[serenavangstuff]

Juniper Publishers-The Exercise Continuum and the Role of Doctors

Introduction

Everyone can be placed somewhere on an exercise continuum with the idle at one end and the hyperactive at the other. At both extremes, health suffers. Exercise is essential to health and managing it is the responsibility of individuals but few know what they should do. Doctors seldom teach how to be healthy and act only when repair is needed.

The Idle

In the oceans, lakes and rivers are creatures that stay in one place and water flows over them bringing food to their open mouths and removing waste from the opposite end of their bodies. Of all land animals, humans are the only creatures able to exist by the same idle method. The human brain can contrive a situation in which other humans care for idle ones and this is not about looking after a patient in bed, it is feeding an idle person who commands others. That image, perhaps of ancient kings, is seen by many to represent ultimate ambition; servants supplying all needs. The reality is that the idle one is the one that suffers and those scurrying around have more benefits.

These days, physical inactivity is available to all, rich and poor and some of the poor appear to love it. Getting food has become no more arduous than opening a packet. Ordering and paying for it is done by pressing buttons on a smart phone and getting the money in the first place is in some countries only a matter of getting state aid on the grounds of unemployment or being unable to work. The more idle they are, the less they are able to work. The consequences are obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Muscles weaken and joints are unable to carry the added weight. Generally, idleness is accompanied by little mental stimulation which leads to further decay of the body. Doctors are then asked to make repairs. In go the drugs, up go the pharmaceutical profits and up go the costs to insurers and governments. Should the doctor take the smart phone away, ban them from television and send them swimming three times a day because swimming is less damaging to fat limbs than walking and to run is impossible? Such hardship would help the patient and in some rare cases it is being done. Usually they get drugs and a suggestion that they should exercise but no enforcement. This is the situation in the prosperous countries in recent years.

The Hyperactive

In racing sports, they talk of going through the pain barrier. The margin of safety is considerable. Grin and bear it and you will win. By that means, it was not always the strongest who won but the person who could tolerate most suffering. When drugs became available, the pain barrier ceased to be a barrier and the body lost its protection. The determination to win would expose the body to excess stress that could be fatal (Figure 1).

I took this photograph of a bicycle hill climb in 1965. Almost certainly no performance enhancing drugs were used. At the finish line, all the competitors were gasping for breath and some lay on their back to recover but they were up again in a few minutes grinning and eager to find out their time. The winner I knew well back in those days and he went on to become the National Hill Climb Champion. He was only a year older than me and, from what I have been able to find out, he died some years ago of a strange illness. He had suffered a crash in a race and had never properly recovered. This, as I see it, is a danger. He had pushed himself too far, not just in physical effort but by taking chances. It was a risk he would not ordinarily have taken but, in a race, where everything is about winning it becomes combat.

The drugs scandals at the Olympic games and in the Tour de France cycle race are now headline news. That competitors will sacrifice their lives for the vanity of winning shows the danger of sport at this level.

Amongst amateurs, dangers abound. There are combat sports that were encouraged because they prepare soldiers for battle. With less hand to hand fighting in modern armies and more alternatives in schools that are threatened by lawyers there is less boxing but rugby is still popular especially in fee- paying schools. A young boy's father will tell him that the rough treatment in a game of rugby will make a man of him. If the boy is stocky enough and determined, it is very likely he will have a life changing injury before he is thirty. Physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons specialising in joint replacements are grateful to football, squash and tennis for the business it brings. Footballers get kicked as well as adding pressure to their knees and hips. Racquet games twist the knees more violently than straightforward running with the result that a titanium implant is offered as the easy repair. The fact that a revision (another replacement) will be needed ten to fifteen years hence is seldom mentioned.

At the extremities of all sports there are dangers even in those that are danger-avoidant. Rock climbing is all about fall prevention until the glory of not using a rope takes over and then there is no back up. Mountaineering is safe until risk taking becomes more attractive than the scenery and the threats of bad weather, an avalanche or thaw (the ice giving way) are pushed to one side believing that these hazards have been overcome before. Confidence leads to invincibility, a concept that has never been proven.

Over confidence is as much a danger as depression. The role of exercise in combatting depression with the suicides and anger that arise are seldom appreciated. Mental health benefits from exercise as much if not more than bodily health.

There are many activities classed as sports that do not involve muscles and cause damage to the participants and even more so to spectators. Motor racing is a major culprit. Deaths on the track are less than they used to be but they instil a culture of speed which on the public road will kill. It was often commented years ago when people went to the cinema that after a James Bond film the cars were hurtling away a break neck speeds with the drivers inspired by what had enthralled them half an hour before. Motor racing is nonsense. The winner is not the most skilful but the one prepared to take most risk. Is that meritous? It is not even a sport. Shooting must be equally condemned. Just as the ancient Greeks may have delighted in wrestling and the Romans in gladiator fights, those sports gave way to fencing and when those weapons were superseded by guns it was shooting that was applauded. To aim, it is necessary to be fit, so the argument goes, so that one can hold one's breath when firing to keep the gun steady as one breaths. Does that compare with the fitness of a swimmer or any athlete? When the target for shooting is an innocent wild animal or bird, the claim that this is a sport is hard to sustain.

It is a fact that most people are impressionable; they are followers and do not question those they admire. This gives role models a responsibility many of them do not understand. A star footballer is seldom an intellectual. From being groomed at school to being paid to play the game, he has learned only that what he does is right; it must be because he is paid a lot to do it and whatever he does must be right. He has a licence to do anything because at the extreme end of the exercise continuum he excels. Brawn beats brain and entertainment damages a thoughtless majority. Doctors are left to pick up the pieces. Could they have advised so that the damage is avoided?

The Importance of Exercise

Between the extremes of immobility and hyper-activity is where we should be but where is it? A good observation is a report on cycling to and from work:

Kevin Murnane writes: The effects of walking and cycling were measured by comparing them with the Non-active mode of transport. Cycling to work was associated with very large health benefits. Commuters who cycled to work had a 41% lower risk of dying from all causes than people who drove or took public transport. They also had a 46% lower risk of developing and a 52% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and a 45% lower risk of developing and a 40% lower risk of dying from cancer.

This is a study of ordinary people doing what everyone does, getting around as easily as possible. When it involves exercise, there are great benefits - listed in the article:

a) Cycling makes you happy

b) You lose weight

c) And build muscle

d) Without worrying about over eating

e) Good for the lungs

f) Cuts heart disease and risk of cancer

g) Less damage to joints

h) Saves time and money

i) Mental skill of route finding

j) Better sex

k) Better sleep

l) More brain power

m) Improved reactions and responses

n) Better immune system

o) More friends

Each one of the above would be a medical breakthrough. To get the lot for free is astounding and true.

In richer countries in the last decade cycling has become more popular and is said to be the new golf. For those who have always cycled, it is flattering to be recognised as sensible and not shouted off the road as used to happen. When the scientists investigate, they explain what to the cyclist is obvious.

Michelle Arthurs-Brennan reports that a study followed 125 long-distance cyclists. The riders are now all in their 80's but their immune system function is similar to that of 20-year-olds. The research, published in the Aging Cell journal, showed that the ageing cyclists produced the same number of T-cells - which help the immune system respond to new infections - as adults still in their 20s, and a separate study revealed that cyclists didn't lose muscle mass, strength, or gain body fat in the same way as non-cyclists.

Co-author of the report, Prof Norman Lazarus of King's College London is 82 himself; he told the BBC: "If exercise was a pill, everyone would be taking it. It has wide-ranging benefits for the body, the mind, for our muscles and our immune system."

In parallel, the same journalist presents a report on the sex lives of female cyclists:

Saddle discomfort is mentioned and the solution is a well- made lady's saddle of which there are many on the market. They have a slot along the top to avoid pressure on the genitalia. Usually the nose of the saddle is angled down for a lady whereas a man will have the saddle horizontal. Every woman should be able to ride comfortably. If you have a problem, a good bike shop will help you. (BioFlex O-Zone Gel Womens Saddle - Black).

The reports about Robert Marchand are incredible. He is the first of many in his category. One year after setting a new Hour Record for his age category, centenarian cyclist Robert Marchand has decided to hang up his wheels and retire from competitive riding at the grand old age of 106. A multiple record holder for age-group events, Marchand has now been advised not to take on any further competitive events on medical grounds. He can continue cycling but should stop racing. Read the report and note that there is nothing extraordinary about Robert other than he is doing what others half his age could not do. If he can do it, others can. Born in Amiens in 1911, Marchand started riding at the age of 14, but gave up the sport only to return to cycling in 1978 aged 67. Since then he has maintained a daily routine of riding and stretching, eating plenty of vegetables and little meat, not smoking, and generally avoiding alcohol.

Here is a report on a study of aging published on 6th January 2015 in The Journal of Physiology:

a) Emeritus Professor Norman Lazarus, a member of the King's team and also a cyclist, said: "Inevitably, our bodies will experience some decline with age, but staying physically active can buy you extra years of function compared to sedentary people.

b) "Cycling not only keeps you mentally alert but requires the vigorous use of many of the body's key systems, such as your muscles, heart and lungs which you need for maintaining health and for reducing the risks associated with numerous diseases."

c) On the 8th March 2018, Prof Lazarus's team published another study in Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. and appears to be a similar group of people, maybe the same.

d) Study confirming old cyclists same as healthy young.

e) The benefits of exercise all one’s life has always been known. The biological data is now measured in the Aging Cell report of the study by Birmingham University.

f) Dr Ross Pollock, who led the team of scientists from King's College London, warned that most of us are inactive, which causes 'physiological problems at any age'.

Study of cyclists found they were physically younger than most their age Underwent extensive tests of their heart, lungs and exercise capacity Researchers found they had muscle strength similar to younger people Say it proves cycling keeps the body and the mind staying young Aging and Physical Performance.

Mind and Body

If the articles referred to above suggest that all that is needed to get all the benefits is to move muscle, think again. The mind and body are inseparable. In a paper published last year on The Body’s Operating System, I discussed the effect of mind on body. The interaction is also body on mind. The Birmingham and Kings Studies accurately report the biological effects of exercise. It should be obvious that the same effect will apply to runners, walkers, swimmers and all active people. In these studies, cyclists formed a convenient group that could be identified and measured. Kevin Murnane's article listing 15 benefits is correct. This includes mental health. One cannot cycle without thinking. The machine has to be maintained. It can fail when you are miles from home and you have to fix it. Problem solving is where our brain excels. It distinguishes us from other animals and has got us to the stage where we can disrupt our environment; to solve the problems we have created (Figure 2).

The man repairing a puncture became the British National Hill Climb Champion. With modern tyres and less glass on the road, punctures are not as common as they were. We used to always repair the puncture, not just fit a new tube, and competed to see how many patches were on a tube before it was eventually discarded. You will see that his friends are there to tell him what to do even though he would do better without their distraction. This is social interaction at its best. The group broke up as members dispersed to study and work, married and, in some cases, died. I am still cycling and, if this article makes sense to you, am still fit and cognitively active. The Birmingham-Kings studies required the old cyclists to be able to ride at ten miles an hour for over six hours. Believe it or not that is very easy. Normal cycling speed is 14 mph and a club (chain gang) can be doing evens (20 mph or more). For 10 mph to make the difference between being as fit as a person 40 years younger is very interesting.

This shows that the discovery is not that exercise helps, it is that no exercise is damaging. To exercise always all one's life is normal. To refer to the cyclists as a remarkable minority is to forget what we are, animals born to forage and hunt from dawn to dusk. To feed, we had to exert. When people are astounded that I can ride a hundred miles (160 km) a day, I tell them it is only ten miles an hour for ten hours. If there was more time available, I would be able to cover longer distances. It is not a matter of strength. A normal person is well capable of these distances. The pity is, they don’t know it.  Nevertheless, more people are discovering they have hidden talent. Often a bicycle is daunting and they do not live where there are quiet roads. They make go walking, Scottish dancing, swimming or just flogging themselves in the gym.

Resistance

Look at again at the photo of the puncture being repaired. This was before most wheels had quick release hubs. He has taken the tube out of the cover without removing the wheel to avoid getting his hands dirty on the oily chain but he is still going to end up with the grime of the road and aluminium oxide from the rim on his hands and nowhere to wash them. The simple answer is to peel and eat an orange. We were never ill. In the summer of 1966 I cycled from Graz to Athens on unsurfaced roads through the Balkans averaging over a hundred miles a day. There were no plastic bottles of water for sale in shops back then. The water bottle carried in a cage on the bike frame was topped up at roadside wells and pumps. I never had diarrhoea and I drank a lot cycling in the heat through Greece. Nowadays, our exposure to germs is no less but our resistance is far less. Go on an airline flight for a few hours and breath the air expelled by your fellow passengers and be prepared for a sniffling cold for a few days afterwards. These are serious dangers.

Exercise in the open air, away from cities and pollution and your immune system improves not just from exercise but from the simple relationship with your environment, a relationship with which we have evolved. India has a campaign for indoor toilets to be flushed clean by water and proper sewage management. Outdoor defecation that had served for centuries became impractical as population density increased and privacy, especially for the girls and women, became difficult. They are moving to a modern system in which chemicals will certainly be used to solve one problem and cause others. The immune systems will adapt maintained by exercise, sleep, diet and a balanced approach to hygiene. We can be too careful.

Sunshine

Use of gyms is growing and is to be encouraged. For a traditionalist and outdoors man like me, a gym is hard work and uninspiring. In some climates, extremes of hot and cold, it can be the only option. In temperate climates the smell of fresh air, birds singing and wind in the face is pleasure. What the scientists investigating the improvement to the immune system did not record is the vitamin D from sunlight. You don't get it in a gym and the modern practice of protecting the skin from the sun reduces the essential vitamin intake. Sunglasses are worn too often. There appears to be a belief that they protect the eyes. If that were true, I should be blind by now. Bright sunshine tells the skin to beware, it changes and adds protection. People outdoors all the time seldom have the skin cancers that attack those exposed infrequently to unfiltered sun. In high altitude Switzerland and under the thin skies of New Zealand and the southern hemisphere, the conditions are dangerous and protection is essential. Under the haze of The Gulf, sunburn is less a risk.

Diet and Drinks

The old cyclists who have cycled almost all their lives learned what to eat and what to avoid. Very few smoked and that made them outcasts in the 1950s and 60s when the majority of people smoked. You did not need to be a scientist to see that the smoker had not got the puff to pedal. In other words, his lungs were being damaged by smoke. In those days, and I remember them well, almost all doctors  smoked. In their ignorance, they gave their patients bad advice.

Food was frequently discussed. We had large appetites. There was more organic food fifty years ago and it was fresher because transport was less efficient than today; food had to be grown locally. Knowing what was best to eat was understood by all and we worked it out empirically. One rider worked as a window cleaner during the week and cycled at the weekend so he was physically active outdoors every day in all weathers. He was our advisor and paid little attention to books. His knowledge came from experience. He never added sugar to his drinks or salt to his food and his explanation made sense to all of us. There was enough carbohydrate in a balanced diet and too much sugar meant too little roughage. Bran and the bike kept him regular. The amount of salt added to bread was more than enough in a temperate climate. Maybe in hot weather when sweating increased the water through-put there is a case for additional salt and more fluids but for the mileage we were doing, about 80 miles on a Sunday run, no additives were needed.

We learned to not be on the road after 10 o'clock at night because the drinkers would be driving away from the pubs drunk. It was not illegal to be drunk driving a car. Indeed, when there was a crash, the defence was that the alcohol made the driver incapable so it was only an accident, not deliberate bad driving. If the driver was incapable, he could not be blamed. Eventually this nonsense led to laws banning drivers from drinking alcohol and there seems to be a recent understanding amongst the general population that alcohol damages health. Cyclists knew it many years ago and by avoiding alcohol they have maintained good health. People have to be told. Is that the duty of doctors?

Resilience

Whether you are on a mountain ridge in the mist or miles from anywhere on a bicycle, you have only yourself to depend on. You may have companions and they look to you for leadership. You have no choice but to be resilient and carry on, map reading, apportioning your energy, not taking risks. It is all about survival. Move then to a city job and your mental attitude goes with you. Exercise maintained your health mentally and bodily.

The Role of Doctors

Clinical evidence that the minority group of old cyclists have an immune system comparable to people in their twenties is proof that the majority of people are in poor health because they do not exercise. If a doctor’s duty is to improve people's health, then the doctor has to tell them to exercise and say it before the deterioration goes too far. On the other hand, if a doctor is there only to repair the damage however caused, the doctor can let people make mistakes through ignorance and this will keep the doctor busy and prosperous. Do we not argue that in an ideal world there need be no police? By the same reasoning, doctors should not be needed if people live properly.

Has science got us to the stage where all illness is a mistake? Humans live and work in communities with many specialising thanks to their education. Theoretically we can prevent all illness and injury by education, control and prevention. For example, from the earliest age, teach and practice the benefits of exercise. Avoid the dangers of extremes. Control individuals by implanted chips so that everyone is answerable to an artificial intelligence central computer thereby eliminating the benefits of crime and war (and I would resist this being done to me and demand that it be done to others, such is hypocrisy and was well foretold in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell). Ensure that the makers of pharmaceuticals and machines serve the majority in the world and not just the rich. Ebola can be controlled. Cancer is avoidable.

Guidance on these policies can only be given by those who understand the body and mind and they are doctors. Now is the time for doctors to work towards making themselves redundant. I am sure that  will never happen but it ought to be an objective. The police do little to prevent crime. They advise people to lock their doors but does nothing to change the motivation of potential burglars other than apply threats of punishment. Similarly, doctors prescribe drugs on top of drugs without getting to the source of a patient's problem. People respond to carrot, not stick. The evidence is clear. Most people can be maintained in good health by simply changing their lifestyle so that they exercise as much as their bodies have evolved to do. You are a doctor so tell your patient the blunt truth and when you say to them you don’t want to see them again, you mean it in the friendliest way.

To read more articles in Journal of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine

Please Click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/oajggm/index.php

For more Open Access Journals in Juniper Publishers

Click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/journals.php

#Juniper Publishers #Juniper publishers group #Elderlycare #Aging #Geriatrics #Open access journals

[x-enter]

How Kanye West and Kim Kardashian use their public love of chains like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A to get rich off of low-brow culture

Kanye West's Chick-fil-A-inspired song "Closed on Sunday" is just the latest in his and Kim Kardashian West's long relationship with fast-food chains like McDonald's and In-N-Out. 

Kim Kardashian West used partnerships with fast-food chains like McDonald's and Carl's Jr. to become a household name, with Carl's Jr.'s then-CEO saying that Kris Jenner begged him to put Kim in an ad.

Kanye has long been obsessed with fast food from a branding perspective, once tweeting, "McDonald's is my favorite brand." 

Today, Kim charges brands up to $500,000 for a single Instagram post. But, she continues to highlight her love for fast food on social media and in paparazzi photos. 

Fast food is one of the few connections that Kanye has with the average American in 2019, as the millionaire rapper faces controversy after controversy. 

Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru, to get more stories like this in your inbox. 

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I have listened to the fourth track on Kanye West's new album, "Jesus Is King," at least a dozen times since it was released on Friday. 

"Closed on Sunday," West raps, "You my Chick-fil-A." 

The song continues with its semi-dreary, semi-desperate rhythm, rising and falling, then ending abruptly when West yelps — there is no other word but "yelp" — "Chick-fil-A!" 

As someone who reports on fast food, I pay close attention to chains like Chick-fil-A and McDonald's. Over the years, I have come to realize that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West do, too. Understanding fast food is key to understanding the Kardashian Wests — and how they're making millions of dollars a year. 

Kim Kardashian is a longtime fast-food fanatic

Kim Kardashian's ties to McDonald's span more than a decade. Back in 2008, she and Khloe attended McDonald's "Big Mac 40th Birthday Party at Project Beach House." It is an event I have thought about at least once a month since I discovered it while looking for McDonald's photos on Getty Images back in 2013. 

At the time, Kim was far from the international celebrity she is today. Kim and her mother/manager Kris Jenner used fast-food partnerships to turn Kim — who was largely known for her leaked sex tape and for being Paris Hilton's reality show sidekick — into a household name.

Back in 2015, the then-CEO of CKE Restaurants, Andy Puzder, told me that Jenner called him to try and score Kim a coveted spot in a Carl's Jr. commercial, hoping to launch her daughter into mainstream fame. 

"The Sports Illustrated swimsuit models that we use in our ads, like Hannah Ferguson and Samantha Hoopes … tell me that the girls actually talk about 'How can we get on a Carl's Jr. ad?'" Puzder said. "Kim Kardashian, her mother Kris called me, and said, 'Can we get Kim in an ad?'"

Puzder, whom President Donald Trump would later nominate as labor secretary, said that starring in a Carl's Jr. ad was seen as a massive career boost for young models or actresses. Fast-food brands have greater reach than almost any other industry, with customers developing strong connections with and opinions about the brands.

The McDonald's arches are the most recognizable symbol in the world. Kris and Kim were gunning for the Kardashians to be the most recognizable family in the world. As their social media follower counts grew and Kardashian coverage ballooned, fast-food name drops on social media and in interviews continued — a symbiotic relationship where both Kardashians and fast-food giants benefited from the press. 

Kanye West has his own fast-food obsession

It should come as little surprise that Kanye West, a man obsessed with how he brands himself, had his own appreciation of fast food before ever meeting his future wife. 

Kanye has songs that name-check chains — "Says she want diamonds, I took her to Ruby Tuesdays, If we up in Fridays, I still have it my way." Others talk about working in restaurants — "This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries." In 2008, West bought the rights to open 10 Fatburger locations in Chicago.

His 2014 marriage into the Kardashian family brought a new level of scrutiny, even as he attempted to avoid appearances in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." Kanye reportedly bought Kim the rights to open 10 Burger King franchises located throughout Europe as a wedding present, though no locations were ultimately opened in the Kardashian West name.

The name drops continued. "Beggars can't be chooser, b----, this ain't Chipotle," Kanye rapped in 2016. He penned a poem in 2016 called "The McDonald's Man" in a magazine written to accompany Frank Ocean's sophomore album,"Blonde." 

Kanye portrays fast food as both a symbol and as sustenance. In 2016, the rapper tweeted: "McDonalds is my favorite brand." In 2018, he tweeted: "McDonald's is my favorite restaurant."

The division between high-brow and low-brow is dead

Around the time they were getting together, Kimye was a brand comparable to many fast-food giants. Many people described "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" as a "guilty pleasure." Kanye was still recovering from becoming public enemy No. 1 after the Taylor Swift incident. Both Kanye and Kim were wildly popular, even if they weren't always respected. 

But, Kim and Kanye didn't just want the fast-food kind of fame, the fame of being something most people like, but feel ashamed about liking. They wanted fine-dining, New York Times' Food section-reviewed, high-brow approval. They wanted to be Vogue cover stars — and, despite plenty of backlash, they got it. 

Pink Polo Kanye and trashy-chic Kim needed to disappear. So, they put out fashion lines, attended the Met Gala, and schmoozed with tech executives. Anna Wintour reportedly signed off on their decision to name their first born North West. Kim is going to be a lawyer! Both of them have met with the president! 

Like celebrities desperate to appear relateable by scarfing down In-N-Out after the Oscars, Kim and Kanye continue to keep their public love of fast food alive. 

Kim's fast-food consumption feels both deeply performative and — because of her decade-long dedication to the game — surprisingly genuine. Chains like McDonald's and In-N-Out somewhat frequently turn up in Kim's interviews, Instagram posts, and Snapchat. Paparazzi shots of her leaving McDonald's with a $1 ice cream cone are viewed by millions, providing Kim with a press cycle about how low-key and relatable she is and the fast-food chain with significant free advertising. 

Kim Kardashian's approval is worth millions of dollars

It's clear the chains appreciate the love Kim gives. Back in 2016, McDonald's sent Kim a Givenchy wallet filled with gift cards to the fast-food chain. After all, Kim typically charges $300,000 to $500,000 for a single Instagram post.

"Because a significant portion of my business involves the licensing of my name, trademarks, and images, I work very hard to ensure that my brand means something to my fans and to the public, who view the use of my name as the stamp of approval by me," she said in a 2019 lawsuit. 

Kim wouldn't be spotted with a brand if there wasn't something in it for her. Today, Kim's reputation is more precious than anything money can buy. 

Again and again, Kim Kardashian gives fast food the stamp of approval. Fast food helped make her a household name. Now, it keeps her semi-relatable as she travels the world and racks in millions of dollars a year. 

Why Kanye is drawn to Chick-fil-A

Kim's approach to fame has been to try to have it all, aiming to dominate the high-brow and the low-brow until there is no divide between the two. Kanye's has been darker.

The rapper has publicly discussed his mental health issues, and he faced backlash for his controversial statements and support for Trump. 

In that way, it makes sense that Kanye's newest fast-food obsession would be Chick-fil-A. In an industry where most chains aim for widespread acceptance, Chick-fil-A remains polarizing. Its first location in the UK sparked massive backlash due to its anti-LGBTQ reputation. But, it is also incredibly beloved — teens and basically everyone else in America consider it their favorite chain. 

In "Closed on Sunday," Kanye advises against the sins of modern fame, pushing a religious message. But, even at his most pious, Kanye doesn't only turn to God. He turns to a fast-food brand.

Chick-fil-A is a symbol for Kanye. If McDonald's was Old Kanye — a classic American brand — the New Kanye brand is more similar to how Kanye and other Chick-fil-A supporters interpret Chick-fil-A's identity: controversial but driven by conviction.

"Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," Kanye raps. "You're my number one, with the lemonade. Raise our sons, train them in the faith. Through temptations, make sure they're wide awake." 

Kim has been cashing in on fast food as a sponsored-content icon since before the rise of the influencer. Kanye, on the other hand, attempts to use brands to connect with people.

As Kanye continues to lead a life that's increasingly divergent from the average American, Chick-fil-A represents a common touchstone that everyone has a take on. We may not be making $150 million a year, living in $60 million mansions and hosting invitation-only spiritual gatherings.

But, the feeling of craving a chicken sandwich, then realizing it is Sunday and Chick-fil-A is closed — that is something people can still relate to.

SEE ALSO: Backlash didn't actually kill Chick-fil-A's UK expansion, with a location quietly opening in Scotland and more likely on the way

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A pair of Air Jordans can resell for up to $2,000. Here's why these iconic Nike sneakers are so expensive.

source https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-use-chick-fil-a-mcdonalds-2019-10

#Entertainments

[sethmvxj816-blog]

Some People Excel At Nutrition And Some Don't - Which One Are You?

Are you thinking of skipping breakfast? If yes, you might be missing advantages. Items like breakfast foods including cereals are an easy way to start out your day with vitamins and minerals.

Breakfast being the first meal of the day is the most important one. Haphazardly having breakfast or skipping it might affect our health and wellbeing. It is very important you can eat regularly slowly etc you know what your momma mentioned to chew your dang food close orally wipe see your face. Its what mom didn’t understand that expanded our waistlines Sugar, Butter, Lard, Fried foods, Burgers, Red Meat, Cookies, Candy, Cakes all ok in certain small dose but as a regular diet NOTHING IN THE MENTIONED FOODS HAS ANY SUBSTANTIAL FIBER CONTENT. Try adding the theifs to Cold or Hot Cereal to incorporate variety and flavor that’s simply not as sugary as sugar.

Improved concentration and reduced fatigue are some in the benefits of eating breakfast. The benefit includes weight loss as eating breakfast forces you to feel less hungry throughout the day. Whole-grain cereal is one of the most healthful breakfast. Cereal Marshmallows would be the best option if you might be looking for starting every day right.

History

Marshmallow Leaf/Root: Marshmallow can be an herb loaded with mucilage.

Traditionally, the marshmallow leaf/root was used to assuage the intestines.

These are helpful to get reduced cough and irritated throats.

Mallow seemed to be used being a remedy for your respiratory tract in the case of irritating coughs having bronchial congestion for the expectorant and demulcent properties.

Marshmallow root and leaf both contain natural gummy substance- mucilage which is insoluble in water. When encountered with fluids, marshmallow swells up and becomes slick.

This slippery material helps with relieving irritation in the throat and controls coughing when get coated while using linings of mouth, throat, and stomach.

Marshmallow been specifically useful for treating sore throats and in alleviating heartburn.

It is said that marshmallow also possesses anti-effective and immune-boosting properties.

Now people use Marshmallow in a very Variety of things Kraft Cereal Marshmallows AKA Marbits are perhaps the most additive on the planet.

Cereal Marshmallows

The unique and also the new product for the shelves is Cereal Marshmallows.

These differ from normal marshmallows because they are hard because all of the moisture in Cereal Marshmallows is sucked out when they undergo a freezing drying dehydration process. Making them dehydrated Marshmallows

Cereal Marshmallows are tasty and in addition supply a taste to the cereal when combined with oat bran or wheat bran to make an alternative for children and adults to savor eating healthier cereal. Remember the picture with the food pyramid while using whole-grain toast bowl of cereal and juice? Well, that’s pretty much how simple it really is. With all the choices on the local supermarket inside the Cereal aisle, it's very an easy task to choose a cereal loaded with nutrients and more importantly Fiber. Some Cereals will be as much as half your fiber intake for your day. Just the honest ones don’t always taste so competent so only a tad amount of Cereal Marshmallows will make perhaps the worst Cereal taste Great. Do your research by reading your Nutritional Facts labels on your food and you should see our Daily Diet is plagued with Sodium, Carbohydrates, and Fats and most foods having lower than 1 percent of the fiber

Another option to try Cereal Marshmallows has been hot cocoa, cappuccino or mochas.

Cereal Marshmallows can even be included with any of one's favorite recipe of cookie or brownie.

Importance / Benefits of Cereal Marshmallows

Studies illustrate that eating cereal for breakfast is vital.

The nutritional benefits of having Cereal Marshmallows are:

1 Key nutrients: All key nutrients are mixed together n cereals

2 Higher vitamin intake: People who have cereals frequently have higher intakes of iron, calcium and other vitamins as compared with those that eat cereals usually.

3 Less fat & cholesterol: People who eat cereals frequently consume less fat and cholesterol.

4 A top way to obtain cereals: Cereal marshmallows are the top source of whole grain products specifically children and offer numerous health advantages.

5 Healthy body: Those who have cereal inside the breakfast are less likely to get overweight.

6 Healthier Body Mass Index: Cereal eating children/adults tend to have a healthier BMI (Body Mass Index).

Apart from your above-mentioned benefits, whole grain/ cereal contains the 3 parts in the kernel. They are outer bran, inner endosperm, and germ which can make it filled with all healthy fiber and important nourishment.

Ideas of how to utilize Cereal Marshmallows

1 In any type of cereal, you want to add these to. Makes even blandest whole-grain cereals taste more often than not better. Try in Hot or Cold Cereal.

2 As a Candy Substitute, the Unique way the Sugar if puffed brimming with air then dehydrated helps make the Cereal Marshmallow one of the best Candy Substitutes ANYWHERE without actually letting go of sugar. Since the Marshmallows are air-filled in case you compare a package of Cereal Marshmallows in your average king size Candy Bar you'll see that this marshmallows you will get eight times more volume meaning the package of marshmallows is 8 times bigger making it easier you can eat less. If you had in 1 hand a bag of Cereal marshmallows and inside other, the same level of chocolate in 1 hand take into account there's still more marshmallows than chocolate but you want to at under 40 calories no fat vs over 500 calories resulting in half of the fat for your day

3. As a weight loss aide to

4 As a stop smoking aide

5 Added to ANY Recipe from cookies, cake, chocolates, frostings,

6 As an Ice Cream additive

7 Add in your Yogurt

8 In Hot Cocoa, Coffee, Mocha’s, etc

9 IN ANYTHING

10 JUST BY THEMSELVES

#nutrition #health #diet