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marauderundercover · 3 years

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Taking Chances Ch. 12: Resting at Home (Alt Prompt: Baking)

AO3

Waking up at five in the morning, feeling like you’re surrounded is disorienting. Waking up with a sore throat and shooting pain in her shoulder was also disorienting. Until she remembered everything from the night before. Adrien was not going to be happy. He’d begged her to tell him if she ended up going on patrol with her father, wanting her to be safe. She didn’t tell him, and now she was certain he was going to be angry. Unless she could get back to the hotel before he woke up. But it was still unlikely that he wouldn’t know. Plagg was a tattle tale. Sighing, she carefully gets out of the bed, maneuvering around her brothers’ sleeping forms on the floor. Walking out of the room, she instantly feels anxious. Deciding a glass of water might calm her down, she heads towards the kitchen.

“I believe you should be resting, Miss Marinette.” Alfred says, making her jump. She winces as her shoulder jostles, trying not to frown at the way Alfred’s lips purse. She knew he was worried. And she knew her family was going to be unbelievably overprotective for the next six months. Or maybe, six years. She’s not exactly sure how protective they actually are.

“I was going to get a glass of water.” She says softly, pointing to her throat. “I was also feeling a little anxious.”

“Very well. I was about to start the preparations for breakfast. If you promise to sit and refrain from straining yourself, you may come with.” He says. She grins, immediately falling into step with the man.

“Could we bake something for everyone for breakfast?” She asks, glancing up at him. “It doesn’t have to be anything too difficult. I mean, I’d prefer to make croissants the first time I bake for them, but there’s not exactly time to do that for breakfast.” She rambles as they walk into the kitchen. Alfred immediately walks over to a cabinet and grabs a glass, filling it with water before handing it to her and raising an eyebrow. She smiles gratefully and sips on the water, relishing in the coolness on her throat.

“I believe our agreement was that you would sit and refrain from straining yourself.” Alfred says, moving around the kitchen with ease. Marinette huffs but plops onto one of the stools.

“It doesn’t have to be anything difficult! It could even be….muffins! Muffins are popular for breakfast here, right?” She suggests, flailing her arms, wincing as she does so. It was going to be annoying remembering that her injury was there this time around. There was no Miraculous Cure when her opponent was just a bad guy, not a Miraculous holder.

“If I allow you to turn on the mixer and place the liners in the tin, will you be satisfied?” Alfred asks with a sigh. Marinette grins and nods. There’s comfortable silence as Alfred moves about the kitchen, measuring out the ingredients.

“Alfred?” She finally asks, glancing at the man who only hums in acknowledgement. “Who is Slade?” She asks. He pauses, the measuring cup positioned over the bowl. He takes a deep breath and dumps the ingredient in before straightening even more.

“He was part of the organization that Master Damian grew up in. He’s always hated both Master Bruce and Master Damian. And now, I imagine, you’re also on his list.” He says calmly, clearly looking at her for some type of reaction.

“So now another villain is after my Miraculous? Joy.” She says sarcastically, pouting as she slumps in her seat. “I was kinda hoping he was just some random guy. Not a legitimate villain.” She adds. Alfred simply shakes his head, sliding the muffin tin and liners towards her.

“I can assure you, Miss Marinette. Between your father and brothers, this man will not succeed in taking your Miraculous. Marinette frowns, hoping the man is right.

---

Sitting straight up in bed, Damian tenses. This was not his bed. Blinking, he looks around the room and lets his shoulders relax slightly. He was in Dupain Cheng’s room, of course. She had been attacked last night- He pauses. He frowns as he looks at her pillows, no sight of her. Leaping over his brothers, he knocks on the door for the bathroom attached to her room.

“Dupain Cheng?” He says lowly, frowning at the lack of a response. He pushes the door open. Empty. So she was missing. She could not have gotten far. And she had to have left of her own volition. No one could have made it past all of his siblings. Leaving the room, he decides his first course of action should be to ask Pennyworth. Judging by the time, he should be in the kitchen. Making his way into the kitchen (his technical ban should not be an issue since he was actively looking for Dupain Cheng), he pauses when he sees the girl he was looking for, slumped onto the island.

“Ah, Master Damian. Breakfast should be ready soon. Would you care to fetch the rest of your siblings?” He asks. Damian frowns, glancing at Dupain Cheng. Was she okay? Should she really be up and running around after yesterday? She might be one of Paris’ heroes, but surely she wasn’t used to being stabbed?

“Very well.” He says, instead of arguing. He would just have to monitor Dupain Cheng from afar. After all, she did take a sword meant for him.

---

Marinette sighs, pushing herself off the counter. She wasn’t sure how serious breakfast was for the family, but she certainly didn’t want to scare anyone with her bedhead. Hopping off the stool, she winces slightly.

“Miss Marinette, I do wish you would refrain from jostling your wounds so much.” Alfred says, a small frown on his face. Mari grins awkwardly.

“Sorry Alfred.” She apologizes before rushing back up the stairs. She glances into several open doors, suddenly wishing she’d counted earlier to know which was hers. She huffs, prepared to give up, when someone clears their throat. She whirls around, raising an eyebrow at Damian.

“That room is yours.” He says simply, pointing at a door. “Everyone has vacated your room in order to get dressed in their own.” He adds, turning around and walking into a room. Well that’s new, she thinks, surprised that he’s still talking to her. Sure they talked briefly last night, but she honestly thought it was a fluke. Not that she minded. She really did want a relationship with all of her siblings. After being an only child for fourteen years, it was amazing to have so many siblings. Sure they didn’t grow up together, but she was certain that they could all become close. Walking into her room, Marinette quickly gets dressed in clothes that had obviously been left in there by Cass, since they were much smaller than anything the boys could have worn. Smiling, she ducks into the bathroom to deal with her bedhead, squeaking in surprise as something flies into her face.

“Tikki?” She says, shocked at the way the Kwami flies at her.

“You could have died! You silly, silly girl! I could have lost you last night, Marinette.” She cries, flying at Marinette’s face and patting her with her tiny paws. And in that moment, Marinette swears her heart breaks.

“Oh, Tikki.” She says softly, bringing her hands up to cradle the trembling Kwami. “I’m okay, I promise. Don’t worry, I was with my family. They wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I’m right here.” She reassures her small friend, wincing as she continues shaking.

“I couldn’t have saved you, Marinette. It wasn’t magic. There would have been no cure. I healed your shoulder as much as I can without disrupting the balance, but it’s still going to take weeks to fully heal.” Tikki says, her big eyes watery.

“I know, Tikki. But I couldn’t just let Damian get hurt. He’s my little brother, whether he likes it or not.” She says, patting her friend’s head gently before moving to her brush.

“But-” Tikki starts, pausing when Marinette turns her full attention back to her.

“But nothing Tikki. I’m okay, you’re okay, and my family is okay. That’s all we can ask for.” She says, going back to her attempts to tame her hair. Her phone, which she had set on the side of the sink, starts buzzing incessantly. Without glancing at the caller ID, she answers.

“Marinette Dupain Cheng, where the hell are you? Plagg says you left late last night and didn’t come back!” The worried voice of Adrien Agreste leaks through the speakers. Oh, right. She forgot to text him. Oops.

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seedtreedb · 3 years

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Motto: "Automation literacy for all peoples."

SeedTree DB

build [event-driven] software you never thought possible

SCRIPTS-AS-DATABASES

Drastically simplifying event-driven programming with a lightweight module: easy-to-use JavaScript Object Notation with Function Objects included. The structure of JSON. The functionality of JavaScript. A bridge between stateless (halted) and stateful (non-halting) objects. This site is still under development. Please visit again soon for an improved experience. Or, sign up to our newsletter for updates. Thanks! Jump to: EXAMPLES | TEAM | LINKS

ABOUT

Hi, the SeedTree DB founder here. Event-driven programming is an incredibly powerful and extremely popular GUI and Web app software paradigm: well over 90% of all websites use JavaScript and JavaScript is event-driven. If an app is user controlled (has a UI) or communicates on the Web (uses APIs), it probably relies on event-driven scripts. However, event-driven development comes with major downsides. As Wikipedia puts it: "the event-action model leads programmers to create error-prone, difficult to extend and excessively complex application code." A few years ago, I made my first sophisticated event-driven program. It was an interactive e-contract Web app with jQuery to handle UI and REST events. I stopped working on the program when it became so complex, it was error-prone and difficult to extend. It became complex because it lacked unified hierarchical structure. I couldn't make another program like that. There had to be a better way! After years of first principles R&D, I've come up with SeedTree DB as the solution. SeedTree DB is a JavaScript add-on with a very small footprint that lets programmers adopt JSON-like tree structure within a program whenever they want. => SeedTree DB scripts are JavaScript Object Notation files/modules with working Function Objects; JSON document stores are JavaScript Object Notation files without Function Objects (unless stringified). We're in the process of conducting research to empirically show how much SeedTree DB lowers complexity and improves efficiency compared to the alternatives. In my experience, SeedTree DB drastically lowers complexity by giving each function the regiment necessary to fit into distributed-state compilations with simplicity and ease. As such, my SeedTree DBs don't have definition scope issues or control flow timing issues. Apps are fast to extend with very few and quick-to-fix errors to debug. With SeedTree DB, I've been able to build parallel, multithreaded event-driven order on top of order sans namespace collisions or problematic unmet promises/callbacks, far beyond what I was able to do without its graceful constraints. As soon as possible, we'll open up sliding scale subscriber Git repositories so you can start using this groundbreaking proprietary technology in your projects. The repositories will include working modules that you can use as-is or as templates to get you started.

** To sign up to our newsletter, please click here. **

Why is it that SeedTree DB is the first to develop something as fundamental as script/database hybridization? => Scripts define change whereas databases define order. We had to reimagine "irrational" number theory to find a way to harmoniously marry these two "opposing" concepts as one before we could properly visualize SeedTree DB.

EXAMPLES

Please visit this GitHub repository for an example of the grammar SeedTree DB uses. Though SeedTree DB was removed from this repository at publication, SeedTree DB scaffolded the code flow during construction. These examples are of the runtimes, not the scripts. Runtimes and scripts reflect each other. The scripts are easy to make. We'll have script demos ready soon. If you want, you can expand the following videos full-screen as well as pause on specific frames. Each video is at or under 1 minute long. Click here for a playlist with additional and real-world demo videos, including a Twilio/Raspberry-Pi e-ink programmable SMS pager example.

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(1) In the above example, we show the "x" tree-app and its children. Then we show the "x.tool" branch and its children. We show how the "x.tool.example" branch applies its schema and gives the user feedback about an input value that conflicts with its schema. Finally, we show a successful "x.tool.example" branch input. Note how each "x.tool.example" output is recorded as a greater than zero "$#" child leaf object in the "x.tool.example" namespace stack.

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(2) In the above example, we attempt to add a data object input to the "x.tool.example.$2" database leaf. The database successfully adds one of the data object input's key/values to a matching key/null leaf-destination cell in the database. The database refuses the other data object input's key/value because the key/value leaf-destination cell is already occupied in the database.

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(3) In the above example, we try to add a key/value without a preexisting key leaf-destination in the "x.tool.example.$2" database leaf. The database gives us feedback about our error. We respond by trying again with an 'o' option that overrides the default requirement that an entry can only be added to the database if the database already has an empty key/null cell available. We then try the previous example's key/value with an already occupied "x.tool.example.$2" key/value leaf-destination but use an 'n' option that overwrites the already occupied leaf-destination's cell-value.

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(4) In the above example, we make a successful "x.tool.example" branch input. After that, we lookup the output by entering its "x.tool.example.$3" leaf address. We try to do the same for "x.tool.example.$4" but, since the 4th "x.tool.example" output hasn't happened yet, the database returns no leaf. We try it for the "x.tool.example.$2" output, which has happened, and the database returns the leaf. We then lookup the "x.tool.example" branch and observe its "x.tool.example.x" key/value. We change its "x.tool.example.x" value to a different value. Finally, we make a schema-successful "x.tool.example" branch input and "x.tool.example" uses the new "x.tool.example.x" value to calculate its "x.tool.example.$4" output object.

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(5) In the above example, the "x.twil" progammable-database branch is a GET server calibrated for Twilio Programmable SMS Webhooks. When Twilio contacts the branch with an SMS, the branch's "x.twil.chat" child determines the SMS is a number and then, using the "x" namespace, sends it to the "x.tool.example" branch. "x.tool.example" processes the SMS input like any other input: applying its schema and additional calculations, then recording the output as the next "$#" child leaf object data entry in its stack.

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(6) In the above example, we look up the "x.tool.example.$0" metadata-header value determined by the database's kernel-module. We then change the "x.tool.example.$0.show" database metadata-header setting to on. After that, we try an input improper for the "x.tool.example" schema and the database gives us feedback about it. Finally, we lookup "x.tool.example" and see that, now with the show setting turned on, the "x.tool.example.$6" output we just made with our failed input attempt is visible in the "x.tool.example" namespace.

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(7) In the above example, we lookup the "x.tool.example" namespace constructor function, the namespace constructor function for each of the greater than zero "x.tool.example.$#" child leaf output objects of "x.tool.example" and, finally, the instructions "x.tool.example" uses to calculate the values of its greater than zero "x.tool.example.$#" child leaf output objects.

(∞) In the below example, a walkthrough of the above (1) to (7) examples.

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TEAM

Kyle MacLean Smith B.B.A., J.D. Founder & Inventor Victoria, BC, Canada For more about me, please visit my personal website linked directly below. besta.pe

LINKS

Facebook + Instagram + Twitter + YouTube

SeedTree DB

Motto: "Automation literacy for all peoples."

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euromaidanpress · 4 years

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[box title=”” align=”center”]No major violations have been recorded in the first couple of weeks of the ceasefire announced on July 27, 2020. However, both the JFO and OSCE SMM have reported variable rounds of “provocative firing” and extensive engineering, fortification and trench work by enemy terrorists directed toward Ukrainian military positions in all sectors.

Ukrainians soldiers deployed on the front lines express mixed feelings about this period and the truce. We spent three days and two nights with the Ukrainian forces to understand what the ceasefire actually entails and what individual soldiers serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces think about it.[/box]

“One hundred and thirty-five. Four-five-zero,” a Ukrainian soldier speaks into his walkie-talkie.

This is how Ukrainian fighters periodically report on the situation at their posts located along the front line. “Four-five-zero” means that everything is calm. It is more or less quiet now along the 410-kilometre contact line that separates the Ukrainian-controlled areas from the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.

Provocative and random gunfire… for the time being

Prior to the ceasefire, the Russian-backed militants fired at least six POM-2s (antipersonnel fragmentation mines) at Ukrainian positions near Svitlodarsk Bulge. If such a mine is not detonated, it self-destructs. According to JFO headquarters, this was done intentionally, to accuse the Ukrainian side of violating the ceasefire.

“In total, they dropped six POM-2s. We know the exact number because we heard the rounds of fire. They’re similar to the RPGs. But, we didn’t hear them land.

Yesterday or the day before yesterday, they launched 25 rounds of fragmentation grenades. Then, there was no more activity. We reported to the commander. The order was to “increase vigilance and observe the situation”. Maybe they thought that we’d respond, that something would start happening on our side. In general, it’s quite calm. Last Friday, we heard shooting on the right flank. They’re trying to provoke us…” says “Viktor”, a soldier deployed near Zolote.

“Sensei”, who serves near Svitlodarsk Bulge, says that his comrades understand very well that the enemy is just teasing them, trying to provoke them to fire back so that Russia can proclaim that Ukraine does not really want to adhere to the ceasefire, that Ukraine just wants to keep on fighting.

“Sensei” is deployed near Svitlodarsk Bulge. Photo: Maks Levin/hromadske

Responding to gunshots?

According to the ceasefire, the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not allowed to shoot at the enemy. They can only return fire after they have spoken to headquarters.

“Zhuk” (Beetle) points to his grenade launcher.

“See that small tube over there. It makes a lot of noise and I really enjoyed using it. Now, it’s stands over there, in the corner… shiny, spotless and worthless. Earlier, there weren’t enough shells, but now we’ve got lots, but we aren’t allowed to shoot!”

Soldier “Riddik”, who serves near Svitlodarsk Bulge, explains the procedure.

“If the enemy fires at us using heavy or small arms and we feel that there’s imminent danger, then a report is immediately submitted to headquarters. The soldier contacts headquarters, and gets permission to open fire. It doesn’t take long… maximum – 10 minutes.”

We talk with Rostyslav, deployed near Zolote, who says that the soldiers were warned that unmotivated fire would be punished. Rostyslav is a career soldier, on the front lines since 2014. He recently took a year off, but returned. “It keeps pulling me back,” he explains.

“If the situation becomes difficult, we first work it out and then discuss it. You can lose precious minutes or seconds. The time it takes to draw up a report and get a reply, it can cost a man his life!” adds Rostyslav.

On the way to the base, we hear an explosion. We ask him what it could be and how far it might be.

“No closer than two kilometres. It’s either a tripwire mine or a trench mine. We can often hear them detonating mines and digging trenches… at least three or four times a week,” he says.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Monitoring the ceasefire

Speaking about how the new ceasefire will differ from the previous ones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would make use of a mechanism for monitoring its observance. Thus, the supreme command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has appointed experienced officers to each brigade, where they will be responsible for monitoring the ceasefire and carrying out outreach programs with the fighters.

“We’ve been told that this will be a real ceasefire, and not something conditional… and that the enemy has also been instructed not to provoke our units. Apparently, they’ll also be punished if they open fire.

But, a ceasefire can also raise problems. If it continues, the soldiers are more relaxed; they become more laid-back. As the old saying goes: “A soldier who has nothing to do is a potential criminal”. That’s why we try to keep everyone busy – organizing competitions, fortification works. When there was more action, we were mostly engaged in combat training. Now, we work to improve our daily living conditions.” says “Riddick”.

“Vasyl” during night guard duty near Zolote. Photo: Maks Levin/hromadske

“A ceasefire in time of war is complete nonsense!”

During the night shift, we spoke to “Vasyl”, who is also based near Zolote.

“They used to fire from anything and everything… from machine guns to mortars. We were always ready to return fire. If we didn’t hit back, the shelling and gunfire would intensify. That’s the way it is. When you return fire, they seem to calm down a bit.

It’s more complicated now. When the enemy opens fire, you can pinpoint his location. Now, you’re in limbo. At any moment, they can crawl up closer, and you won’t have time to react!”

Mykhailo, who is posted nearby, shares his opinion. We ask him how long they think the ceasefire will last.

“I can’t say. But, I wonder to what point. How long are they willing wait [JFO command-Ed]? Until the enemy fires for the 200th time? The 300th time? Or will they say: “We’ve recorded the 200th attack, but it’s just provocation!”

In the meantime… on the other side

“They cover the areas where they work with camouflage nets. We can’t see what the enemy’s doing. Then, they move to a second point, and they cover everything again with a heavy net. Thus, they’re entrenched in their positions, and it’s certainly gonna be hard for us to smoke them out,” says “Viktor”, who serves near Zolote.

Andriy, who is on guard duty at a nearby post, says that the enemy militants are so convinced that the Ukrainian soldiers will not shoot that they have started walking around in full view.

“How are we supposed to put up with that?!” he says indignantly.

“Yarmak”, who serves near Svitlodarsk Bulge, says he often hears armoured vehicles from the occupied town of Dolomitne. He presumes that the militants did not withdraw their heavy equipment from this area.

“Yarmak” says that his comrades have been working hard for the past three months digging and solidifying their new positions, so now they have a chance to rest. However, he is convinced that the ceasefire will not hold.

“For six years, they haven’t been willing to make peace, so why should they now? The ceasefire will end soon… and tragically. One day, a mine will fly into the dugout, and that will be the end.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A politically-motivated ceasefire

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to defend their country. We swore allegiance to the people of Ukraine, and not to some clans or interest groups. Ukrainians must know that everything is under control; the ammunition is in place and our weapons are operational.” says Kostiantyn, a defender serving near Svitlodarsk Bulge in Donetsk Oblast.

He has been fighting since 2014, but says that this is the first time the ceasefire has lasted so long.

“This is unusual for the soldiers, because they’ve become so used to constant shelling and provocations by the enemy. A ceasefire in time of war is complete nonsense,” he shrugs his shoulders.

Kostiantyn is very surprised by this sudden silence and wonders what the militants were promised (or what ploys were used to scare them). After all, these Russian-backed forces have not been an outstanding example of virtue and discipline! However, he is more concerned about what is taking place in Ukraine.

“We’re on the verge of municipal elections, and someone somewhere’s shaping the situation for their own benefit. Throwing a spanner in the works…The government’s also fighting for the electorate. We don’t want politicians to use the army as a tool,” he says.

**********

Near Zaitseve, we stop to talk to “Doc”, a combat medic. He was a friend and colleague of Mykola Ilin, who was killed during an evacuation mission, when the Russian mercenaries opened fire on the evacuation team.

“They [the militants] were just lucky. If not for the ceasefire, we’d see another picture. But, it’s so, sadly enough…” sighs “Doc”.

In his opinion, the ceasefire is simply a component of the war, so it should not be considered a betrayal, nor should we place all our hopes on it.

“Doc” does not like the idea of withdrawing troops or weapons in the Zaitseve area. He concludes philosophically:

“I’m an ordinary soldier. I see a tree in front of me, but they [Ukraine’s political leaders-Ed] see a whole forest.”

Journey to the front lines. How the ceasefire impacts the Ukrainian army No major violations have been recorded in the first couple of weeks of the ceasefire announced on July 27, 2020.

#Ceasefire #war in Donbas

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fotium · 4 years

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The 10 Excellent PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS To Watch

Who doesn't love a good psychological thriller? They deliver a level of abject horror which rivals that of gratuitously scary movies, but their suspensefulness and intriguing character studies—often nuanced, and featuring the mentally deranged—contain carefully plotted subtleties that teeth-gnashing, murderous monsters and blood-soaked scenes don't fully capture. In the most understated tones, the best psychological thrillers deliver all the spine-chilling terror of horror movies, but they're also rife with plot twists and complex interpersonal relationships—and they keep you guessing every step of the way.

The 10 Excellent PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS To Watch

1. Terminal (2018)

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Terminal (2018)

A psychological thriller – film noir taking place in a train terminal at night. Add 2 male assassins, female assassin, waitress, teacher, janitor and crime boss. Add revenge. Who says mystery is a lost art?

Visually stunning. Not much plot line to it but that is not always a necessity in film. Great movie for capturing your attention for an hour and a half with colors the will captivate. Has a great golden age of Hollywood mixed with a futuristic feeling. Great for anyone who loves plots like “And Then There Where None?” or who appreciate movies for the visual.

Terminal (2018) Trailer

2. La cara oculta (2012)

La cara oculta (2011)

Shattered by the unexpected news of their irreversible break-up, an aspiring orchestra conductor is puzzled by his girlfriend’s mysterious and seemingly inexplicable case of disappearance. But, can he look beyond the facts?

It tricks you, at the beginning you just think you started to watch a cruel and tasteless movie about a ghost. But then, it turns into a very interesting story.

La cara oculta (2012) Trailer

3. Ghost Stories (2017)

Ghost stories

Skeptical professor Phillip Goodman embarks on a trip to the terrifying after being given a file with details of three unexplained cases of apparitions.

Purely English psychological thriller cinema, atmospheric, in the best traditions of horror stories, beautiful, local landscapes are fascinating, in places flavored with humor and though not innovative, but damn interesting. It is impossible not to mention the actors, not to carp, Martin Freeman liked the most.

Ghost Stories (2017) Trailer

4. The Girl On The Train (2016)

The Girl On The Train (2016)

A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

Proof that you should basically never watch a psychological thriller movie based on a Rotten Tomatoes score; The Girl on the Train is a fantastically constructed thriller with enough suspense to keep you guessing throughout.

The Girl On The Train (2016) Trailer

5. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.

10 Cloverfield Lane was an amazing psychological thriller continuing the film before. I did not expect the reviews when they came in. I knew it had to be good reviews, but they were better than good. I had no problems with it really except it didn’t….I’m not going to spoil it. John, Mary, and John G. did very well. I hope to see more Cloverfield movies soon.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Trailer

6. The Orphanage (2007)

The Orphanage (2007)

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

One of the best thrillers I’ve seen, good plot, and good acting. Their was even a scene where they bring a medium to the house which I always think is soo corny in other movies, but they did a good job of keeping you interested and guessing!

The Orphanage (2007) Trailer

7. Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

An Oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum, only to discover that the “revolutionary” new treatments are inhumane, and that there is more going on than meets the eye.

A very suspenseful and interesting psychological thriller movie. Loaded with above average actors, the performances were great. The plot is full of tension and intrigue. Has a nice ending.

Stonehearst Asylum (2014) Trailer

8. The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi) (2016)

he Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi) (2016)

A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her. The structure was genius, plot twists so good I thought I was being gaslighted. The visuals were all so lush and beautifully shot and the story that this romance is set amoungst might just make it the best piece of sapphic media I have ever seen!

The Handmaiden (Ah-ga-ssi) (2016) Trailer

9. Get Out (2017)

Get Out (2017)

A young African-American visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.

I loved this psychological thriller movie the first time I watched it before I even understood or recognized the deeper meaning and symbolism behind it. It was just a wonderfully entertaining and well-written horror film! Then once I learned what all of it represented and rewatched it, it went from great to brilliant in my mind.

Get Out (2017) Trailer

10. Marrowbone (2018)

Marrowbone (2018)

A young man and his three younger siblings, who have kept secret the death of their beloved mother in order to remain together, are plagued by a sinister presence in the sprawling manor in which they live. Wonderful acting, screenplay, directing. Suspenseful, sweet and sad.

Marrowbone (2018) Trailer

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scienceblogtumbler · 4 years

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Re less-hectic, healthier, safer living, is telecommuting an underutilized, undervalued asset?

By our very nature, we humans are a mobile lot. We move. It’s what we do.

But, the act of moving itself should not be confused with doing things and going places; a whole different – and other – ball game.

In the span of just a few short months, Americans witnessed miles of travel plummet, fallout, if you prefer, caused from the stay-at-home, shelter-in-place edict coupled to the novel coronavirus pandemic, one positive effect of fewer travel miles being cleaner – and perhaps even in some cases, clean – air. A sight for sore eyes, for sure!

However, with pandemic-related restrictions relaxing, miles of travel, most notably with regard to that done in vehicles on the road we could soon be back to square one, meaning a return to conditions present right up to the time of the disease outbreak: more than 3.2 trillion motor vehicle travel miles, annually.

In addressing some of the air-quality concerns, if air-quality improvement as it relates here comes in the form of less travel, less driving, then the work-from-home option holds some real promise.

Understanding that not all American workers and commuters are in a position to telecommute, for those that can, that option for many might just become the new reality.

Meanwhile, in a recent news story, attention was paid to whether it would be in-the-classroom or tele-learning or both come fall or late summer. So, for students, for the start of the next school year, what will it be?

It was in the interest of public safety and health in that report, that several options were being discussed.

One had to do with dividing learning into sessions: mornings for half of student attendees; afternoons for the rest. A second suggestion revolved around the possibility of conducting in-the-classroom sessions on split days: Mon./Wed. for one group and Tues./Thurs. for the second with Fri. declared distance-learning days for all. These examples are just two of the, if you don’t mind my saying so, schools of thought.

During this period of restrictions-easing, especially, there appears to be an overall preference for driving, with the understanding that those choosing this method are presumed to have, first and foremost, public and personal health and safety in mind.

But here’s the kicker: For large numbers, returning to the roads will mean heightened congestion. Some will invariably suffer long commutes. Add to this that due to congestion the average commuter will forfeit 44 hours, annually. Such can and does result in lost productivity, monetary loss, wasted fuel and, by extension, more pollution than what need be added to the air. Forty-four hours as it were is more than a workweek’s worth of time.

Teleworking, telecommuting, meanwhile, depending on the extent, could, in large measure, reduce these unintended consequences and their associated impacts and, as has been demonstrated, to the point that getting around has become much more fluid with the side benefit being better, healthier-to-breathe air.

With that said, in getting back to doing what matters most – getting back into the swing of things; a regular routine; a sense of normalcy, in other words – doesn’t necessarily mean subscribing to past ways. In moving ahead, forged could be brand new paths.

And, it is with this in mind, that what could be pursued in much more depth compared to what is the case currently, is the telecommuting option.

On that note and as it relates, the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) has put out a guide covering just this sort of thing.

The title of the ACT guide is: Supporting Commuters Returning to Worksites During COVID-19, and can be accessed here.

Moreover, in the guide physical commuting alternatives like public transportation, carpooling, vanpooling and the like are likewise covered.

Baltimore Light Rail, Baltimore

Image lower: AndrewHorne, Wikimedia Commons

– Alan Kandel

source https://alankandel.scienceblog.com/2020/06/02/re-less-hectic-healthier-safer-living-is-telecommuting-an-underutilized-undervalued-asset/

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Khabib Nurmagomedov appears in front of rapturous crowds for final time ahead of UFC 242

UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov appears for the delightful bustle for the last time for lightweight title fight against Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi … promising fans a & # 39; five round war & # 39;

Khabib Nurmagomedov defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier

The Dagestani star is undefeated in 27 fights and will attempt to add it to UFC 242

Nurmagomedov promised his loyal fans a & # 39; five round war & # 39; this afternoon

Khabib has not fought since defeating Conor McGregor in October last year

by Will Griffee For Mailonline

Published: 16:49 BST, 6 September 2019 | Updated: 16:50 BST, September 6, 2019

Khabib Nurmagomedov received a huge reception in Abu Dhabi when he appeared before Abu Dhabi the final time for the Saturday evening confrontation with Dustin Poirier on UFC 242.

The undefeated champion in these parts and his loyal army of Papakha-bearing fans embraced him with a deafening ear cheering before he promised them he was planning for a & # 39; five round war & # 39 ;.

They expect domination as usual, but there will be a hangover after the emotional high of beating Conor McGregor last year? You wouldn't bet on it. He is not someone for complacency, and on the stage in the Arena he said he worked well for 100 days.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has promised fans on & # 39; five round war & # 39; this Saturday night on UFC 242

The undefeated star of Dagestani defends his belt against interim champion Dustin Poirier

Malcolm Gladwell thinks it takes 10,000 hours to reach a world class level in a sport. The Dagestani has been struggling since the age of three in a gym built on the ground floor of his family home. So those 100 days are just a drop in the ocean of your life-long work.

You can only imagine the number of hours he has accumulated in total, but as an MMA grappler he is every level that you would rank as above world class.

That is the challenge that Dustin Poirier faces Saturday night. No one has succeeded in deterring Khabib from dragging them to the ground and even has the energy to talk to his opponents while he is doing it.

His 100 days lived in almost Spartan conditions of pure focus.

& # 39; I have read, trained, or slept, just waiting for my fight. I waited three months for this fight, but I was hungry, & he said. & # 39;

Khabib scared the money with 155 pounds for Saturday's title fight

This determined dedication can be influenced by the championship status and the story of fame, success and money is littered with those who crashed back to earth.

Khabib is aware of those pitfalls, however: & I like money, who said I didn't care about money? The most important thing is that not everything is about money.

& # 39; Of course I love money, it is very important. But at the same time, money can also be very dangerous. If money comes in your head, it's bad, but if you have it in your hand, it's good because you can help people. If money comes in your head, that's a problem. & # 39;

Khabib's entourage for this fight is huge because some of his close friends and family can rarely see his useful work in action.

& # 39; Many people from Dagestan come to Abu Dhabi, friends and family from my house who cannot come when I fight in the US. It is great that they have arrived, the plane tickets booked months ago and they are very enthusiastic.

The 30-year-old has not fought since beating from Conor McGregor in a mammoth fight last year

& # 39; The reception was great and my energy is very good because of the fans and people here to see my fight, & # 39; he continued.

Much was made from the father of Khabib, the original trainer and mentor who was there, but the son knows very well that there is only so much influence that his special guest can have.

& # 39; I am so happy that my father has been with me, but when I go to the octagon, my father will not be there with me.

& # 39; I don't know how the fight will go, Dustin is a tough fight man, he is a top man and he has a lot of experience and can fight five rounds. I don't know how he will handle my pressure, but I can concentrate on the first or second round, I am planning a five-round war.

& # 39; There is always pressure, he has it and so I but that does not mean that we do not get into the cage, that is what I have done all my life.

& # 39; Fighters can control the pressure, I can control it, look at all the cameras that are on. But as soon as the cage door closes tomorrow, everything goes away. & # 39;

Watch Khabib v Poirier exclusively live at BT Sport Box Office, Saturday, September 7. For more information on how to buy the fight, go to https://ift.tt/2LvxnIC cialis19459013 cialis cialis19459021]

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marymosley · 5 years

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Are Democrats Giving Trump An Excuse To Pardon Manafort?

Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the effort in New York to change constitutional protections against double jeopardy to allow prosecutors to charge former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort with state offenses. The effort is to guarantee that Manafort goes to jail if President Donald Trump gives him a pardon. The sight of politicians campaigning on the pledge to jail Manafort raises serious concerns of this highly selective effort. Moreover, the effort to change New York constitutional protection to get Manafort could give Trump precisely the basis for a pardon that Democrats are preemptively trying to deter.

Here is the column:

As Paul Manafort awaits sentencing next month, his viable options seem to be dwindling down to a presidential pardon. While the sentencing memorandum of special counsel Robert Mueller has not been made public, there is little question that Manafort is looking at a likely terminal period of incarceration after his cooperating agreement was tossed out for allegedly withholding information. His lawyers insist that Manafort, who will soon turn 70, is in failing health and cannot do a long stretch. Judge Amy Berman Jackson is unlikely to be particularly sympathetic, much like the judge who handed down a lengthy sentence to an older defendant who objected, “Judge, I am too old to serve all of that time.” The judge responded dryly, “I understand, just do the best you can.”

The best that Manafort can do seems to be getting worse by the day. New York politicians and prosecutors have been pursuing state charges to blunt any possible presidential pardon of the onetime Trump campaign chairman. Various accounts describe state prosecutors, who previously stepped aside so that Mueller could investigate unimpeded, as laying the groundwork for new crimes that would avoid constitutional barriers but still send Manafort behind bars for the rest of his life. The effort to pursue Manafort is wildly popular in New York and widely celebrated in the media as clever “insurance policy” fashioned by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The public discussion of looking for state charges against Manafort as insurance against a pardon by President Trump is becoming increasingly troubling and untoward. State prosecutors have campaigned for office on the promise to find ways to guarantee incarceration for one person. To do so, they are willing to remove state constitutional protections for all New Yorkers. This is much like removing all of the life preservers from an ocean liner to guarantee that one single passenger does not survive a sinking.

As a vocal critic of Manafort, I am not very easily inspired to care about his welfare. Manafort is one of the most corrupt figures in Washington, and he richly deserves a long prison sentence. Yet, there is something too tailored, too personal about the efforts by prosecutors to guarantee that he spends much of the rest of his life behind bars. For more than a year, New York politicians have been pledging to voters to move aside constitutional protections to allow Manafort to be charged with state crimes that are based on the same underlying transactions or activities.

The problem could be the bar on double jeopardy, the guarantee that people are not punished twice for the same conduct. Such guarantees originated in ancient Rome and were made part of our Constitution under the Fifth Amendment unless, it now seems, you are Paul Manafort. While civil libertarians have long warned of the erosion of this guarantee, New York has been the gold standard on this with a more protective provision barring redundant or related state prosecutions after federal convictions.

Then Donald Trump became president. Manafort was found guilty on eight counts related to financial fraud by a federal jury in Virginia then pleaded guilty to separate charges in Washington. During this time, speculation has been rampant that Trump may pardon Manafort, particularly after a series of sympathetic tweets. As a result, New York legislators called for clearing away rights that might be used by Manafort to protect himself.

James actually campaigned for office on that issue. That is right, a state attorney general was elected by campaigning to remove constitutional protections from all citizens. James was not alone here. Former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, before being forced out of office over sexual assault allegations, pushed the legislature to change the constitution and his successor, Barbara Underwood, then picked up the popular liberal cause to thwart the president by reducing double jeopardy protections.

Suddenly the double jeopardy clause was considered a “loophole” being used, to quote Underwood, to “thwart the cause of justice, rather than advance it.” Underwood told the New York legislature that it was urgent to change the state constitution in order to blunt the impact of a “politically expedient pardon.” While it is difficult to prove selective prosecution, Manafort seems to be in a criminal class of his own. Not only are these public pledges to go after Manafort building a possible defense for him, they also may be building a case for a presidential pardon from Trump. Manafort remains a tough candidate for pardon given his extensive criminal conduct and millions of ill-gotten gains. However, if Democrats are campaigning on changing the law to get at Manafort, Trump could cry foul and use the selective effort as a reason to pardon or commute on the federal offenses.

Manafort must feel like this is the start of deer hunting season, and he is the only deer allowed to be shot. The problem is not just the selectivity of these efforts but the fact that the other deer seem to have immunity by popular demand. Take Michael Cohen, former Trump attorney who has become a key witness against the president. There have been no similar calls to find state charges against Cohen to guarantee a long sentence.

While Manafort sits in jail awaiting a potentially long prison sentence, Cohen conversely secured another delay in serving a ridiculously short prison sentence for fraud and other crimes that netted him millions. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York had opposed leniency for Cohen and said he was a liar who withheld evidence. Judge William Pauley III described his history as a “veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct” but sentenced Cohen to just three years in prison.

Afterward, more allegations surfaced involving Cohen selling access and ripping off both the Trump organization and its contractors. He allegedly paid a firm to rig two polls in favor of candidate Trump and to create a Twitter account called Women for Cohen, to promote himself as a “sex symbol.” Cohen reportedly was given $50,000 by the Trump organization for that work but then gave the business, Red Finch Solutions, only some $12,000 in cash inside a Walmart bag along with a boxing glove from a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter. Cohen has since denied that account.

Nevertheless, Cohen has now found favor with many Democrats. Not only have people inexplicably given him hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to testify against Trump, but Democratic lawmakers also seem uninterested in what information he allegedly withheld from New York prosecutors or his other alleged criminal conduct. It is certainly true that Trump is more likely to pardon Hillary Clinton than Cohen at this point. However, that is the problem. The effort against Manafort is being driven by the prospect of clemency as opposed to the actual underlying crimes. Indeed, there is a debate about what crimes might be best brought to bypass constitutional challenges and cement the harshest sentences.

An alternative is to leave the constitutional protections alone. Manafort can be prosecuted for any evasion of state tax laws under New York law and existing precedent, but Vance and other prosecutors should show also equal vigor in pursuing any such crimes by Cohen. As for a possible pardon or commutation of Manafort, it still remains unclear whether the president would take such clearly unwarranted and inappropriate action.

What is clear, however, is that New York should not reduce protections for everyone in the state just to punish one man. Manafort is unlikely to finish even a modest sentence, given his declining physical condition. He is not worth undermining core due process and constitutional rights to add a few more years in prison as an insurance policy. There is more blind rage than blind justice behind the effort to amend the New York constitution.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.

Are Democrats Giving Trump An Excuse To Pardon Manafort? published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

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sassybrit · 5 years

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The “Alternative” Sassy Brit Book Cover Award 2018

Want your book cover featured? It’s free promo for a month and you get to win an advert on this site for a month. You’ll also be entered into the Book Cover of the Year Award! Click here to tell us about your book’s cover art and join in NOW!

(This link above takes you to a Google form where you can add your entry)

The “Alternative” Sassy Brit Book Cover Award

Book Cover of the Year 2018 NOMINATIONS!

A celebration of talent! Thank you to everyone taking part and all your entries over the course of the year. This is not entirely a year’s worth of winners, but they are the winning covers for 2018. Technically it’s not a full year, as we were plagued with problems, and I only started the return of these polls in April, however, I promised the winners a book of the year vote, and thought, hey, why not? It’s still fun!

Which do you think deserves to be the overall winner?

Once you have picked out your favourite cover, scroll down to the bottom to find the poll, and have your say. Thank you!

Romance, Sports, Comedy, and Mystery – I tried to incorporate everything a books needs!

Visit Artist / Designer Website : Dave

Buy Now! Goodreads / Author Website

The Lycan Chronicles

Following a year after The Daywalker Chronicles, The Lycan Chronicles finds Theo distraught when he finds out that his cousin, Matteo is facing some problems back home. Curious, he heads to Vancouver and soon finds out what’s happened and how bad it really is.

Buy Now! Amazon CAN / Author Website

Visit Artist / Designer Website : CreateSpace

Choosing Light: When an Earthquake Buried Me and My Family for 5 Days I Learned to Fully Live

Visit Artist / Designer Website : George Foster http://www.fostercovers.com

Trapped. Family Missing. Buried underneath tons of rubble, all he wanted was to find his family.

Buy Now! Barnes and Noble

Olivia’s Promise

Young woman who helps spirits pass over to other side, turns back on those who need her the most because of peer pressure, but must make a decision because of best friends tragic and sudden death. Will she have the courage to face her fears and save her best friend from a fate worse than death?

Buy Now!

Visit Artist / Designer Website : Fine Design ~ Contact email: [email protected]

Author Website: https://www.facebook.com/AngelinasSecretBook/

Mr Darcy’s Proposal: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

by Martine Jane Roberts

With her father’s consent, Fitzwilliam Darcy proposes to Elizabeth Bennet, but she is adamant in her refusal. Yet during his daily visits, as he slowly reveals his softer side, Elizabeth’s feelings begin to change. But then George Wickham appears, and with a secret accomplice threatens to destroy everything, including them!.

Buy Now!

Visit Artist / Designer Website: https://www.fiverr.com/jessicaecovers

The Poll

On the poll (below) you can click on the cover to see the image again.

To vote:

Choose the cover you want to win on the actual poll itself, and tick the box next to it.

Scroll down to the bottom of the poll to find the button that says ‘VOTE’ and click to vote!

Please note: You can now come back once a day to vote!!

Want to enter your book cover in the coming months? Go here to send me the details!

Need more info? Visit my ‘About Our Book Cover Award’ page. http://bit.ly/ARcovers

Any broken links, or queries, please let me know. Sassy.Brit @ gmail.com (without the spaces). Thanks.

N.B. Because of complaints, (the reason I stopped doing this in Aug -Oct) I have been looking into paid polls (polls which have more security) but for now I’m staying with the free version whilst I continue my search. However, I have changed this poll so no one can see the results until the end AND you can now vote once a day! That should help a little.

Take Our Poll

I’m an Amazon affiliate – some links and pics may be affiliate links. This is at no cost to you.

Hosted by:

The Book Cover of the Year 2018 #AltRead Alternative Book Cover Award Nominees! Have you voted for the winner of all winners? #BookCover #AltReadBCA2018 The "Alternative" Sassy Brit Book Cover Award 2018 Want your book cover featured? It's free promo for a month and you get to win an advert on this site for a month.

#Book Cover Award Nominees #Featured

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chriscope · 6 years

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They got it right, by God! They actually got it right! Indian Motorcycle Monday pulled the cover off the long-awaited FTR 1200 and higher-spec FTR 1200 S – finally revealing the kind of wildly fun not-a-cruiser motorcycle that many have been calling for since Polaris first took stewardship of the brand more than seven years ago.

HELP TMO DO MORE AWESOME STUFF Become a Patron of The Motorcycle Obsession

Weighing in under 500 pounds*, loaded with tech, and promising 120 horsepower and 86 pound-feet of torque, the FTR 1200 vanquishes the ghosts of Polaris’ Victory Motorcycles fumbles. This, as far as I’m concerned, is the real deal.

Indian FTR 1200 S and FTR

As someone who has long been a fan of Polaris, the FTR 1200 feels like the fulfillment of a promise, as well as an exciting step toward building an American brand that can really compete against the European makes that are serving as the heart of motorcycling at the moment (sorry, Japan).

“Our vision from the beginning was to be more than a traditional American V-twin brand,” said Steve Menneto, Indian Motorcycle president. “We continually seek to broaden Indian Motorcycle’s reach to a wider range of riders, and the FTR 1200 represents a significant step forward in that strategy.”

Indian FTR 1200 spec sheet

Indian FTR 1200 S spec sheet

Drawing its original inspiration from the FTR750 flat track racing machine that has been absolutely dominating American Flat Track over the past two years – both in the hands of Indian’s factory team and privateers – the FTR 1200 and 1200 S are powered by a souped-up version of the Scout’s 1203cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine, housed in a new trellis frame. Chain drive, Brembo brakes, inverted forks, and mono shock rear suspension all speak to a bike designed to be ridden with enthusiasm. And the 1200 S suspension is fully adjustable.

RELATED: Let’s Talk About the New Indian Chieftain

The bike’s sub-500lbs weight is benefitted by a petrol tank located under the seat, thereby keeping weight centralized and helping lower the center of gravity. Seat height is adjustable – ranging between 31.7 and 33.1 inches (805-840 mm), and Dunlop have produced a special street-focused version of its DT3 flat tracker tires for the bike.

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

The element I absolutely was not expecting is the amount of technowhizzbangery to be found on this bike. Both models benefit from full LED lighting, a quick-charge USB port, ABS, and cruise control as standard. The 1200 S adds three riding modes (Sport, Standard, and Rain), lean-angle sensitive stability control, traction control, “wheelie mitigation control,” and a 4.3-inch LCD screen running Indian’s admirable Ride Command system.

The FTR 1200 starts at US $12,999, while the FTR 1200 S starts at $14,999. For those of you reading in Her Majesty’s United Kingdom and Europe, I will try to get prices as soon as possible. The bike is set to reach North American dealers “in the first half of 2019;” I don’t yet know when they’ll be hitting UK/European dealerships.

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

If You Don’t Love This Bike There’s Probably Something Wrong With You

I mentioned previously that upon seeing pictures of the FTR 1200 I immediately got in touch with my local Indian Motorcycle dealership, seeking to put down a deposit. This bike is more than I hoped for – more power, better tech, and lighter. It’s faithful enough to the FTR1200 Custom in my opinion, with the differences between the two bikes being improvements. There are better brakes, the seat looks more comfortable, there’s more tech, and if you’re that damned desperate for thigh-burning high pipes just about any dealership/custom shop in the world will be happy to accommodate you.

KEEP READING: Popularity of Flat Track Booming: Can Indian, Harley Take the Credit?

Over the past week, Indian has offered more and more teasing glimpses of the FTR 1200 and I’ve been surprised by the handful of people choosing to shit on it. I have decided they are trolls; there is no way you can look at this bike and truthfully say Indian hasn’t done what it said it would do.

The FTR 1200 comes in basic black. It lacks the 1200 S Ride Command system and rider aids, and as such costs less. Considering it still has all the engine of the 1200 S, LED lighting, ABS, and cruise control, I’m willing to bet a lot of people will “settle” for the standard model.

As I say, this is a real-deal motorcycle. It has the real ability to appeal to riders who aren’t necessarily brand loyal; you don’t have to start from the position of already being an “Indian guy” to want to ride and own this motorcycle. I haven’t ridden it yet, obviously, but on paper it easily holds its own against a number of competitors. The bikes that I see it going against directly are the BMW R nineT Scrambler, the Ducati Scrambler 1100, Yamaha XSR900, and the not-yet-unveiled Triumph Scrambler 1200.

Indian does not call this a scrambler (perhaps because it doesn’t want to have to give me credit for the idea), but that’s effectively what it is. It would be unfair to try to pit the FTR 1200 against, say, a Ducati Monster 1200, or Triumph Speed Triple – those bikes have a different spirit and different purpose.

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

Going on US pricing, the FTR 1200 stands level with the BMW R nineT Scrambler and Ducati Scrambler 1100 – its price tag being a nominal $4 more. Odds are it will also be on par with the Triumph Scrambler 1200. The Yamaha XSR900 beats the group in terms of cost but falls short in a number of ways – fit and finish, aesthetics, and, especially, intangibles. If we assume Triumph stays true to form in power output of its 1200cc parallel twin powerplants, the FTR 1200 beats the whole group in terms of ponies. It also comes near top in terms of rider aids; I’m guessing the Triumph will have as much or more technowhizzbangery.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME: An Ode to the Scrambler

Meanwhile, Indian’s European team are bullish on their prospects with the bike and the cogs are spinning to increase the brand’s dealership coverage in Europe so as to be able to capitalize. I had a few beers with the EMEA team here in Germany last night (the first members of the public to see the FTR 1200 will be those attending Intermot this week), and they are palpably excited to get this bike into the hands of European riders. Their mood is infectious; I’m excited, too.

2019 Indian FTR 1200

Probably the only thing I’m not that excited about is the rear tire of the FTR 1200. Its 150/70/R18 sizing precludes it from being able to accommodate sport-touring tires like the Michelin Road 5, but I’ll concede that throwing sport tires on this thing probably would have altered the look/spirit of the FTR 1200 a little too much. As is, the FTR 1200 will take just about every dual-sport tire on the market, which will be good news for people eager to hustle it down a dirt road.

Regardless, my tire moan isn’t enough to keep me from putting down money for an FTR 1200 S. The future seems very bright for Indian right now and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.

FTR 1200 S IMAGES

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S and FTR 1200

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S and the FTR750 that inspired it

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S and the FTR 1200

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

LED lighting – 2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

Seat looks comfy enough. We look forward to testing it. – 2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

Inevitably people will complain about these pipes not being like those on the FTR1200 Custom. Personally, I like the Ducati-esque look. – 2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

The 2019 Indian FTR 1200 S comes equipped with a version of Indian’s commendable Ride Command system.

Fully adjustable suspension on the 1200 S

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

Dual front discs and Brembo brakes to offer plenty of whoa.

Chain-driven

Trellis frame

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

Finally the Scout engine gets to play

Wheelie-ready

2019 Indian FTR 1200 S

FTR 1200 IMAGES

2019 Indian FTR 1200

The Indian FTR 1200 comes in basic black. It lacks the 1200 S Ride Command system and rider aids, and as such costs less. Considering it still has all the engine of the 1200 S, LED lighting, ABS, and cruise control, I’m willing to bet a lot of people will “settle” for the standard model.

2019 Indian FTR 1200

Designer Rich Cristoph has previously confessed an admiration for Ducatis. Spotting that influence anywhere?

The standard FTR 1200 still gets top-level stopping power

The standard FTR 1200 keeps the current Scout clock.

2019 Indian FTR 1200

Dunlop have issued a special street-focused version of the DT3 tire for the 2019 Indian FTR 1200

–

* Well, that’s dry weight. Indian have stolen Triumph’s trick of giving misleading weights here. Probably best to add at least 20 lbs to get the actual running weight.

The @indianmotocycle FTR 1200 is finally here and it is awesome. If you don't love this bike there is something wrong with you. They got it right, by God! They actually got it right! Indian Motorcycle Monday pulled the cover off the long-awaited FTR 1200 and higher-spec FTR 1200 S – finally revealing the kind of wildly fun not-a-cruiser motorcycle that many have been calling for since Polaris first took stewardship of the brand more than seven years ago.

#awesomeness #Indian FTR 1200 #Indian Motorcycle #Modern Classics #Naked and Standard

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tagaytayliving-blog · 6 years

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“Where should I get a mani-pedi in Tagaytay?” is a fairly common question asked of us. We’re not just talking about the usual market share of female wedding guests, but also regular bakasyonistas just looking to relax and get pampered while in town.

A new nail salon has just opened in Tagaytay City: Nail Terminal 1 Family Salon.

Needless to say, Nail Terminal 1 is an adaptation of the country’s airport terminals. As inspired by the function of terminals to connect and exchange; and to create a theme that is relatable not only to domestic tourists but also foreigners who are trickling more often now in Tagaytay, a travel-themed nail salon is definitely a quirky, refreshing offer.

Nail Terminal 1, located at Vista Real Hotel in Tagaytay, is also a few steps away from the city’s busiest – Tagaytay-Calamba-Silang – crossing. It is a fitting placement for a nail salon which aims to not only provide high quality salon service but also create an atmosphere where families, friends and travelers can connect or re-connect. The salon is aesthetically designed to make clients feel that they are somewhere else relaxing yet it is somehow familiar while peeking through the glass walls as the busy life outside unfolds.

Beyond the clever name, Nail Terminal 1 offers many FIRSTS to the nail salon service in Tagaytay.

Nail Terminal 1 is the first to be driven by four key principles – Inclusivity, High Quality Service, Affordability and Accessibility. From the look and feel of the interior to the service tiers, the nail services are carefully positioned to cater to different demographics that have diverse needs. True to its promise of inclusivity – anyone can choose a simple no-frills service like the ‘’Express Nail Cut and Shape’’ at an affordable price.

This first travel-themed nail salon really takes it to the next level by giving a glimpse of the different iconic structures and representations of the world. Apart from the ambiance that will pique the interests of well-traveled clients or soon-to-travel-the-world-go-getters, the service packages are also crafted in different tiers that may sound all too familiar if you have traveled extensively.

The Service tiers include: Express Route, Seat Upgrade, Priority Pass, Concierge Services, Kids Itinerary, Add-Ons and Massage Stopover. Specific express services will suit a timeframe if you are in a hurry while other offers depend on pricing or emergency services like broken nail repairs and nail whitening to name a few.

Pedicure sinks and express manicure tables are also not common practice in Tagaytay. As a first disruptor to a relatively traditional market, the salon also introduced an “Express” manicure table similar to set-ups in other countries. It’s a different, more practical approach to gel polish, paraffin wax or men’s nail cut service. Meanwhile, the pedicure sinks which provide warm running water to accompany a foot spa and pedicure service not only ensure a well-sanitized environment but also a unique experience to first-timers.

Sanitation as top priority is not unheard of but often not practiced consistently. Nail Terminal 1’s nail technicians are first re-trained to adhere to strict sanitary guidelines specific to the salon more than anything else. The cleanliness of the whole salon, the implements, tools, towels, covers and the like are managed according to the highest standards and openly witnessed by clients themselves.

At the end of each “boarding’’, NAIL TERMINAL 1 ensures that you will have a unique, relaxing yet enjoyable experience. And if you wish to cross paths again with regular clients, enjoy a chat with us and avail of the services, you might as well sign up for a Passport!

Intrigued? Visit us soon!

NAIL TERMINAL 1 Family Salon Vista Real Hotel, 6B Tagaytay-Calamba Road Barangay San Jose, Tagaytay City, Philippines (+63 46) 409.2024 | SMART (+63 938) 331.1364 | GLOBE (+63 977) 055.4245 [email protected]

Nail Terminal 1 Family Salon "Where should I get a mani-pedi in Tagaytay?" is a fairly common question asked of us. We're not just talking about the usual market share of female wedding guests, but also regular…

#manicure #nail salon #Nail Terminal 1 #pedicure #Tagaytay nail salon

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mbaljeetsingh · 6 years

Text

Learning Gutenberg: React 101

Although Gutenberg is put together with React, the code we’re writing to make custom blocks isn’t. It certainly resembles a React component though, so I think it’s useful to have a little play to get familiar with this sort of approach. There’s been a lot of reading in this series so far, so let’s roll-up our sleeves and make something cool.

Article Series:

Series Introduction

What is Gutenberg, Anyway?

A Primer with create-guten-block

Modern JavaScript Syntax

React 101 (This Post)

Setting up a Custom webpack

A Custom "Card" Block (Coming Soon!)

Let’s make an “About Me” component

We’re going to make a single React component that updates the background color of a page and the intro text based on data you input into a couple of fields. “I thought this was supposed to be cool,” I hear you all mutter. I’ll admit, I may have oversold it, but we’re going to learn some core concepts of state-driven JavaScript which will come in handy when we dig into our Gutenberg block.

For reference, this is what we’re going to end up with:

Getting started

The first thing we’re going to do is fire up CodePen. CodePen can be used for free, so go head over there and create a new Pen.

Next, we’re going to pull in some JavaScript dependencies. There are three editor screens—find the JS screen and click the settings cog. This will open up a Pen Settings modal where you’ll find the section titled Add External Scripts/Pens. Right at the bottom, theres a Quick-add select menu. Go ahead and open that up.

From the menu, select React. Once that’s selected, open the menu and select ReactDOM. You’ll see that this has pre-filled some text boxes.

Lastly, we need to enable our ES6 code, so at the menu titled JavaScript Preprocessor, select Babel.

Now, go ahead and click the big Save & Close button.

What we’ve done there is pull the main React JS library and ReactDOM library. These will enable us to dive in and write our code, which is our next step.

Setup our CSS

Let’s make it look cool. First up though, let’s setup our CSS editor. The first thing we’re going to do is set it up to compile Sass for us. Just like we did with the JS editor, click on the settings cog which will bring up the Pen Settings modal again—this time with the CSS settings.

At the top, there’s a CSS Preprocessor menu. Go ahead and select SCSS from there.

When that’s done, go down to the Add External Stylesheets/Pens and paste the following three links into separate text-boxes:

https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/normalize/8.0.0/normalize.css https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Work+Sans:300 https://rawgit.com/hankchizljaw/boilerform/master/dist/css/boilerform.min.css

Those three in order give us a reset, a fancy font and some helpful form styles.

Now that they’re all set, go ahead and click the "Save & Close" button again.

Adding a bit of style

We’re all setup so this step should be easy. Paste the following Sass into the CSS editor:

:root { --text-color: #f3f3f3; } * { box-sizing: border-box; } html { height: 100%; font-size: 16px; } body { height: 100%; position: relative; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.4; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; font-weight: 300; background: #f3f3f3; color: #232323; } .about { width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; color: var(--text-color); transition: all 2000ms ease-in-out; &__inner { display: flex; flex-direction: column; height: 100%; margin: 0 auto; padding: 1.2rem; } &__content { display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; align-items: center; flex: 1 1 auto; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 1.2; > * { max-width: 30ch; } } &__form { display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; padding: 2rem 0; width: 100%; max-width: 60rem; margin: 0 auto; @media(min-width: 32rem) { flex-direction: row; justify-content: space-between; padding: 2rem; } > * { width: 15rem; } > * + * { margin: 1rem 0 0 0; @media(min-width: 32rem) { margin: 0; } } label { display: block; } } } // Boilerform overrides .c-select-field { &, &__menu { width: 100%; } } .c-input-field { width: 100%; } .c-label { color: var(--text-color); }

That’s a big ol’ chunk of CSS, and it’ll look like nothing has really happened, but it’s all good—we’re not going to have to worry about CSS for the rest of this section.

Digging into React

The first thing we’re going to do is give React something to latch on to. Paste this into the HTML editor of your Pen:

That’s it for HTML—you can go ahead and maximize your JS editor so we’ve got complete focus.

Let’s start our component code, by creating a new instance of a React component by writing the following JavaScript:

class AboutMe extends React.Component { }

What that code is doing is creating a new AboutMe component and extending React’s Component class, which gives us a load of code and tooling for free.

Right, so we’ve got a class, and now we need to construct it! Add the following code, inside the brackets:

constructor(props) { super(props); let self = this; };

We’ve got a few things going on here, so I’ll explain each:

constructor is the method that’s called when you write new AboutMe(), or if you write <AboutMe /> in your JSX. This constructs the object. The props parameter is something you’ll see a lot in React. This is the collection of properties that are passed into the component. For example: if you wrote <AboutMe name="Andy" />, you’d be able to access it in your constructor with props.name.

super is how we tell the class that we’ve extended to construct with its own constructor. You’ll see we’re also passing the props up to it in case any parent components need to access them.

Finally let self = this is a way of controlling the scope of this. Remember, because we’re using let, self will only be available in the constructor function.

Quick note for those readers not-so-confident in JavaScript: I found a deeper look at scope in JavaScript to result in a lot of “aha” moments in my learning. I highly recommend Kyle Simpson’s You Don’t Know JS book series (available for free on GitHub!). Volumes of note: this and Object Prototypes and Scope & Closures. Good stuff, I promise.

Now we’ve covered the constructor, let’s add some more code to it. After the let self = this; line, paste the following code:

self.availableColors = [ { "name": "Red", "value": "#ca3814" }, { "name": "Blue", "value": "#0086cc" }, { "name": "Green", "value": "#3aa22b" } ];

What we’ve got there is an array of objects that define our options for picking your favorite color. Go ahead and add your own if it’s not already there!

Your class definition and constructor should now look like this:

class AboutMe extends React.Component { constructor(props) { super(props); let self = this; // Set a list of available colors that render in the select menu self.availableColors = [ { "name": "Red", "value": "#ca3814" }, { "name": "Blue", "value": "#0086cc" }, { "name": "Green", "value": "#3aa22b" } ]; }; }

Pretty straightforward so far, right? Let’s move on and set some initial values to our reactive state. Add the following after the closing of self.availableColors:

// Set our initial reactive state values self.state = { name: 'Foo', color: self.availableColors[0].value };

This initial setting of state enables our component to render both a name and a color on load, which prevents it from looking broken.

Next, we’ll add our render function. This is a pure function, which does nothing but render the component based on the initial state or any state changes during the component’s lifecycle. You may have guessed already, but this is where the main body of our JSX lives.

Wait up! What’s a pure function? Welcome to functional programming, a hot topic in the React world. Pure functions are functions where, for input X, the output will always be Y. In an "impure" function, input X might result in different outputs, depending other parts of the program. Here’s a CodePen comparing pure and impure functions. Check out this article out, too, for more details.

Now, because there’s quite a lot of markup in this single component, we’re going to copy the whole lot into our function. Add the following under your constructor:

render() { let self = this; return ( <main className="about" style={ { background: self.state.color } }> <section className="about__inner"> <article className="about__content"> { self.state.name ? <p>Hello there. My name is { self.state.name }, and my favourite color is { self.getActiveColorName() }</p> : null } </article> <form className="[ about__form ] [ boilerform ]"> <div> <label className="c-label" htmlFor="name_field">Your name</label> <input className="c-input-field" type="text" id="name_field" value={ self.state.name } onChange={ self.updateName.bind(self) } /> </div> <div> <label className="c-label" htmlFor="color_field">Your favourite color</label> <div className="c-select-field"> <select className="c-select-field__menu" value={ self.state.color } onChange={ self.updateColor.bind(self) } id="color_field"> { self.availableColors.map((color, index) => { return ( <option key={ index } value={ color.value }>{ color.name }</option> ); })} </select> <span className="c-select-field__decor" aria-hidden="true" role="presentation">▾</span> </div> </div> </form> </section> </main> ); };

You may be thinking something like: “Holy cow, there’s a lot going on here.” Let’s dissect it, so don’t worry about copying code for a bit—I’ll let you know where we’re going to do that again. Let’s just focus on some key bits for now.

In JSX, you need to return a single element, which can have child elements. Because all of our code is wrapped in a <main> tag, we’re all good there. On that <main> tag, you’ll see we have an expression in an attribute, like we covered in Part 2. This expression sets the background color as the current active color that’s set in our state. This will update like magic when a user changes their color choice without us having to write another line of code for it in this render function. Pretty cool, huh?

Inside the <article class="about__content"> element, you’ll notice this:

{ self.state.name ? <p>Hello there. My name is { self.state.name }, and my favourite color is { self.getActiveColorName() }</p> : null }

This ternary operator checks to see if there’s a name set and renders either a sentence containing the name or null. Returning null in JSX is how you tell it to render nothing to the client. Also related to this snippet: we were able to run this ternary operator within our JSX because we created an expression by opening some brackets. It’s a really useful way of sprinkling small, simple bits of display logic within your render function.

Next up, let’s look at an event binding:

If you don’t bind an event to your input field, it’ll be read only. Don’t panic about forgetting though. React helpfully warns you in your console.

Remember, self is equal to this, so what we’re doing is attaching the updateName function to the input’s onChange event, but we’re also binding self, so that when we’re within the updateName function, this will equal AboutMe, which is our component.

The last thing we’re going to look at in the render function is loops. Here’s the snippet that renders the color menu:

<select className="c-select-field__menu" value={ self.state.color } onChange={ self.updateColor.bind(self) } id="color_field"> { self.availableColors.map((color, index) => { return ( <option key={ index } value={ color.value }>{ color.name }</option> ); }) } </select>

The value and change setup is the same as the above <input /> element, so we’ll ignore them and dive straight in to the loop. What we’ve done is open up an expression where we run a pretty standard Array Map function, but, importantly, it returns JSX in each iteration, which allows each option to render with the rest of the JSX.

Wiring it all up

Now that we’ve got our core aspects of the component running, we need to wire it up. You’ll notice that your CodePen isn’t doing anything at the moment. That’s because of two things:

We haven’t attached the component to the DOM yet

We haven’t written any methods to make it interactive

Let’s start with the former and add our change event handlers. Add the following underneath your constructor function:

updateName(evt) { let self = this; self.setState({ name: evt.target.value }) }; updateColor(evt) { let self = this; self.setState({ color: evt.target.value }) };

These two functions handle the onChange events of the <select> and <input> and set their values in state using React’s setState function. Now that the values are in state, anything that is subscribed to them will update automatically. This means that the ternary statement that renders your name and the background color will change in realtime as you type/select. Awesome. right?

Now, it would be recommended to make your code more DRY by combining these two as one change event handler that updates the relevant state. For this series though, let’s keep things simple and more understandable. 😀

Next up, let’s add the last method to our component. Add the following under your recently added update methods:

// Return active color name from available colors, based on state value getActiveColorName() { let self = this; return self.availableColors.filter(color => color.value === self.state.color)[0].name; };

This function uses one of my favorite JavaScript array methods: filter. With ES6, we can cherry pick array items based on their object value in one line, which is powerful stuff. With that power, we can pick the currently active availableColors item’s human-readable name and return it back.

JavaScript array methods are very cool and commonly spotted in the React ecosystem. Sarah Drasner made a seriously amazing “Array Explorer”—check it out here!

Attaching the component to the DOM

The last thing we’re going to do is attach our component to the DOM, using ReactDOM. What we’re doing is saying, “Hey browser, fetch me the <div id="root"> element and render this React component in it.” ReactDOM is doing all the magic that makes that possible.

ReactDOM is a really smart package that takes changes in your dynamic React components, calculates what needs to be changed in the DOM and applies those changes in the most efficient possible way. With ReactDOM’s renderToString() method, you can also render your React components to a static string, which can then be inserted to your page with your server-side code. What’s smart about this is that references are added so that if your front-end picks up some server-rendered React, it’ll work out which components are needed and make the whole chunk of static markup dynamic automatically. Pretty damn smart, huh?

Anyway, back to our Pen. Add this right at the bottom of your JS editor:

// Attach our component to the <div id="root"> element ReactDOM.render(<AboutMe />, document.getElementById('root'));

Now, you’ll notice that your preview window has suddenly come alive! Congratulations — you just wrote a React component 🎉

See the Pen About Me React Component by Andy Bell (@hankchizlja) on CodePen.

Wrapping up

In this part, you’ve learned about reactive, component JavaScript by writing a React component. This is relevant to your learning because custom Gutenberg blocks follow a very similar setup to a React component. Now that you’ve got a better understanding of how a React component works, you should be able to understand how a custom Gutenberg block works too.

It took me a bit to wrap my mind around the fact that, in terms of Gutenberg, React is only relevant to building blocks within the admin. In Gutenberg, React functions as a means of preparing the markup to be saved to the database in the post_content column. Using React on the front-end of a WordPress site to build something like this would be separate from what we will be doing in this series.

Next up in this series, we’re going to edit our WordPress theme so that we can build our custom Gutenberg block.

Article Series:

Series Introduction

What is Gutenberg, Anyway?

A Primer with create-guten-block

Modern JavaScript Syntax

React 101 (This Post)

Setting up a Custom webpack

A Custom "Card" Block (Coming Soon!)

The post Learning Gutenberg: React 101 appeared first on CSS-Tricks.

via CSS-Tricks https://ift.tt/2GLJi0C

#IFTTT #Feedly

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clusterassets · 6 years

Text

New world news from Time: ‘To Be Number One Is the Target.’ China’s Ding Junhui Is Taking on the World Snooker Championship

Ding Junhui isn’t wearing the requisite waistcoat and bowtie of the professional snooker circuit, but even dressed in a baggy jogging suit, he isn’t difficult to pick out of the crowd. Ball after ball vanishes as Ding glides around the green baize, wielding his cue with metronomic ease. “I’m trying to make my rhythm more relaxed so games are like practice routines,” he tells TIME between training sessions at his snooker club in northwest Beijing. “How to take off the pressure and just play is the hardest part.”

All top sportsmen must deal with the weight of expectation, though it’s hard to imagine a burden comparable to Ding’s. China’s most successful player has been hailed by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn as “the true superstar of the sport” in China, and more than a quarter of his homeland’s television viewing public — some 210 million people — tuned in to see his World Championship final defeat in 2016. (That’s double the viewers of last year’s Super Bowl.) The World Championship begins again on April 21 and Ding is determined to realize his potential by finally seizing the game’s top prize. (Eventual champion Mark Selby knocked him out at the semifinal stage last year.)

“To win the World Championship and to be world number one is the target for the next few years,” says Ding, his cherubic face and softly spoken demeanor masking inner steel that has seen him claim 13 ranking titles. “This is very hard, I know, because [snooker] careers are quite short. I’m now just over 30. There is just only one thing, to keep going and find more chances to win.”

Snooker is an unfamiliar sport for many Americans — a cousin of cue games like pocket billiards, though played on a surface about four times the size of your average pub pool table. Snooker has grown wildly popular in Asia following the success of Ding and Hong Kong’s Marco Fu. The winner of the World Championship takes home a cool $600,000 in prize money, which is many times the purse for the pool equivalent. About 70 million people are estimated to play cue sports in China each week, with thousands of snooker and pool clubs strewn across both big cities and donkey-cart towns.

Read more: How Snooker Swept China’s Sporting World

As a result, Hearn’s bold prediction that half of snooker’s top 16 will soon hail from China doesn’t look farfetched. “The future’s so bright, I should be wearing sunglasses,” five-time snooker World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan said of upcoming Chinese talent at last year’s Evergrande China Championship. A raft of top young Chinese players have joined the professional tour, many inspired by Ding’s achievements. Although Ding was briefly world number one, he currently ranks third. There will be four other Chinese players — Li Hang, Cao Yupeng, Xiao Gudong and Yan Bingtao — chalking up at the legendary Crucible Theatre this month. “I picked up the cue all because of watching him,” Yan, 18, has said of Ding. “He is like an elder brother to all of us. We worship him.”

There is a superhuman quality to mastering snooker; rounded pockets and a lightening-quick surface render the sport less forgiving than pool, with titanic concentration required to build large scores. It’s also a rare sport where true perfection is possible. Team games like soccer or basketball contend with myriad external factors, whereas even tennis and golf matches may turn on a gust of wind or peculiar divot. The snooker table, by contrast, is like a vacuum; every facet is controllable, every shot theoretically possible. Top players only ever really play against themselves, meaning defeat always entails an avoidable blunder. This adds a significant psychological burden. “With football, sometimes you don’t play well but your team mates are playing great, so you still can win,” says Ding. “With snooker you have to win everything yourself. It’s a more of a mental game.”

It’s one that Ding has been honing since he was just eight years old, when his father spotted his son’s potential on the communal pool table below the family’s apartment in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu. Before long his parents sold their home and grocery business and moved the family 1,000 miles south to Guangdong province — considered China’s snooker Mecca — so Ding could work with the nation’s best professional coaches. He was pulled out of school to concentrate solely on snooker at just 12 years old, winning the Amateur Championships at 14 and turning pro at just 16.

As a teenager, Ding was sent to the British steel-smelting city of Sheffield, where the World Championship takes place each year. Stepping off the plane alone without speaking any English was a jolting experience. “It was scary at first,” he says. “I was always very shy. Every day I just wished to see another snooker player to play with.” But Ding is sanguine about missing out on simple childhood pleasures, insisting that the only pressure he ever felt was from himself. “Everyone of the age 10 or 11 likes to have some childlike time, to play some games,” says Ding. “This is what I lost… now I am getting something back.”

Dan Mullan—Getty Images Ding Junhui of China looks on during his first round match against Kyren Wilson of England at the Dafabet Masters in London on Jan. 15, 2017.

Still, from diving and gymnastics to table tennis, China has a reputation for putting inordinate pressure on young athletes that can verge on abuse. Parents are lured to surrender talented children to state sporting academies on promises of national glory and future commercial spoils. There, kids train until tendons snap and retinas detach, while neglecting regular studies. Some 45% of former athletes in China fail to find work after retirement, according to a 2010 report by the state-run Nanjing Daily newspaper. The nation’s best snooker players are recruited by the CBSA World Snooker Academy in Beijing, where 30 pupils from six to 22 years old play from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, according to the BBC.

For Ding, spending endless days alone with a snooker table is ultimately counterproductive. He says Chinese players often lack tactical and defensive instincts because they are used to clearing up every ball in just one visit. “But if you lose your concentration, lose your plotting, you’ve got nothing left,” he says. But even more damaging can be the psychological toll of isolation on youngsters. After eight to ten hours a day with just a snooker table for company, “I would get outside and forget how to speak to people, because you spend all day alone in a room,” he says. “It’s too much.” Ding says the game quickly went from being an all-engrossing passion to feeling “more like a day job.” Today, though, “I try to enjoy it more,” he says.

Ding hopes rekindling his love for the game can help spur him to the world title. Today, practice sessions last just three hours a day, and he books regular free time traveling the world and not thinking about snooker. More importantly, he isn’t lonely on or off the green baize. His wife is expecting their first child — “I don’t know what to do, so I have to learn quick!” Ding says — though he balks at the thought of raising another snooker superstar in the family. “Snooker is so boring,” Ding laughs, “my first choice [for my child] would not be this, something else.” Ding says his father didn’t push him to excel at the sport, but rather supported his decision. “I chose this for myself,” he says of his freedom as a child. As for raising his own, “I think I will let mine do the same.”

— With video by Zhang Chi / Beijing

April 19, 2018 at 03:01PM ClusterAssets Inc., https://ClusterAssets.wordpress.com

#Time #world #news #ClusterAssets #ClusterAsset #Cluster Asset Inc.#ClusterAssets Inc.

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zeronan-blog · 6 years

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Visiting Las Vegas can be overwhelming (I just typed “whelming” and said it like Stewie Griffin says Cool Whhhip, now you did too didn’t you) because there is so much to do and more than likely you are here for only a very short time. Well never fear! I’ve lived here for a little over 2 years and before that I’ve been visiting this crazy awesome city for 13 years. You should consider me a pro (or glutton for financial punishment) and trust what I have to say.

I’m going to give you a list of top restaurants, sites and hidden gems (sorry ‘gents no strip clubs *cough Crazy Horse 3 cough*) while supplying you with a pretty awesome amount of information on the place, cost and my very own patented rating system! Before I begin though, this is longer than normal so I’ve placed pictures and videos right after the name of the place so you can quickly scan through and read the ones you think you’re most interested. In no particular order here they are!

Leatherneck Club of Las Vegas

A Marine’s Dream Come True, Bar $ out of 5 Rating:

Vegas Strong

Custom Marine Pool Table

1/2 beef burger with a Chesty

Custom Beer Taps

The Leatherneck Club of Las Vegas is a Marine Corps themed bar that sits in the middle of China Town (hilarious) at 4360 W Spring Mountain Road. If you’re a Marine or prior service member, from any branch, THIS IS A MUST. All are welcome! As soon as you walk in the first thing you notice are all the walls of the bar. They are covered in memories and artifacts from the previous wars that the Marine Corps has been involved in, from World War I to our current actions over seas. The next thing you’ll probably notice is a big burly man with a giant beard who goes by the name of Ghost. Ghost is the current owner, a Marine and a hell of an awesome host. Make sure you tell him hi and that I sent you! If you’re a prior service member mention it to one of the bartenders and the first 24oz (I think that’s the size, who cares it’s free!) beer is on the house! Fun fact, Tenaya Creek Brewery (local) allows Ghost to rename their beers not just because it’s a military friendly bar but also because the Leatherneck goes through more kegs than any other establishment in Las Vegas in any given month (shocker). Currently the beers on tap are named: The K-Bar, the Chesty, 1775, and the Grunt. I could go on forever about this place and all the amazing times I’ve had but I want you to experience it and enjoy it for yourself. Did I mention that those 24oz beers are only $5? Oh, and don’t forget your challenge coin 😉

“It’s a cool bar. Safe more importantly! They make you feel at home in there.” – Mariela V. (civilian, Patriots fan, works at Robert Irvine’s Public House ask for her)

Recommendations: Any of the burgers Chesty (hefeweizen) And the free games of pool! Friday and Saturday nights are busier BRING YOUR CHALLENGE COIN

Absinthe

Variety Show $$$ out of 5 Rating:

I have to keep this one short and sweet because I really can’t spoil the fun of the show for you. Think of Absinthe as, Deadpool meets Las Vegas (sans the nudity. And sex. And chimichangas). It’s gut bursting adult humor (funniest show I’ve seen). The acrobatics of the performers are absolutely insane! There isn’t a bad seat in the house because it’s small and intimate but if you choose a seat in the first two rows just be prepared, they are very interactive with the crowd! Oh, you probably should order tickets early because they sell out FAST! Out of the 6 times I’ve seen this show I think I’ve paid about $110 a ticket. WORTH EVERY DIME. If you go see a show in Las Vegas, this needs to be it.

Recommendations: Don’t sit in the front two rows (lol). It’s very close and intimate seating and a pain to move, so grab two drinks before the show starts.

Fat Choy

A Foodie Must Try $$ out of 5 Rating:

An Asian Fusion restaurant located at 595 E Sahara in Eureka Casino, only a few minutes off of the strip. When you pull up to this place you’re going to question my intentions, my credibility and me. I PROMISE YOU’LL BE OK! It’s when you walk into the casino that you should start doubting me, joking…kind of. But never fear! If you walk straight in you’ll run right into Fat Choy! This hidden gem that my oldest sister introduced me to has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and if you’ve seen it (video link below) that scrumptious little morsel that Guy is eating in the video is what I recommend! The Pork Belly Bao has a super soft bun that adds to the sweet and salty flavor of the pork belly! If you aren’t sure about eating the pork belly, just think bacon but better! This is one of the foods that is on a mandatory eat priority when my sister comes into town. The Duck Bao is just as good, just a little more dry. If you don’t want to get that adventurous then try their Fat Choy burger, it’s basically breakfast in a burger and I promise you won’t be hungry after! Overall I would make this a stop on your “To-Do” list if you consider yourself a foodie!

“I liked the diner feel and the food was awesome with a friendly staff.” – Sam L. (some sort of medical person, she has a great taste in beers, dances pretty good)

Recommendations: Pork Belly Bao Fat Choy Burger Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Video

Red Rock Canyon

National Park and a must for the adventerous $ out of 5 Rating:

Red Rock Deep Thinking

I’m Climbing in Ice Box Canyon

I’m Flexing At Red Rock

Red Rock National Park is a must see! Pictures do not do it justice and words can’t paint an image as beautiful. To enter the park for the day is only $8 and it takes you on a giant loop around the park. There are many stops to get out and walk, hike, climb and even spots for scrambling! Take note: you are starting out at 3,000+ feet above sea level and get upwards of 5,000! You will feel it in your lungs, I promise. I suggest taking the first stop if you want a little challenge and some great photo opportunities. The next one I highly recommend is Ice Box Canyon. Certain times of the year (March and April I believe) if you hike all the way to the end (2 – 3 miles) you’ll come across a waterfall. The snow from the mountains starts to melt and create this beautiful oasis. I haven’t seen the waterfall in person yet but I plan on seeing it this coming year! When I went this summer with my friends, Grant and Sam (congrats on your engagement, it’s about time Grant!) we totally found the spot and totally found no water. Safe to say the desert is a terrible place to expect to see water in the middle of the summer! To get out to Red Rock you’ll either need to rent a car for the day or know someone that is willing to drive you through it. A cab, Uber or Lyft is just not practical. If you have the means it’s a great place to take the family or your loved ones.

Recommendations: It’s cooler because of the elevation so check the weather Bring WATER Dress appropriately for hiking and climbing

Bomb Tacos

Foodie Heaven $$ out of 5 Rating:

Now to be fair, Bomb Tacos is off of the Strip, located at 3655 S Durango, but if you are headed to Red Rock Canyon then I highly suggest taking that detour! Chef Robert Solano gave me the opportunity to interview him and create the video above. So what makes this Taco Restaurant better than the rest? That’s easy. Chef Robert and his Wife Mailin, don’t just sell Tacos, they CREATE Tacos! For more on how they connect with customers read my blog post, Why Bomb Tacos is the Bomb! I challenge you, ask them about any taco or dish they serve and what it’s is going to taste like. They’ll go into the description of it and as they talk about it, it’s obvious they are very passionate. They serve traditional tacos like al Pastor, carne asada, chicken and my absolute favorite their fried fish taco but they’ll also serve marinated octopus! If you can actually get there while they still have some, ORDER IT! What ever you order, you’re not going to be disappointed with the flavors. Watch the video if you haven’t already and you can see why I love this place so much and why I’ll drive 30 minutes in traffic just to grab a lunch there. If you consider yourself a foodie, then you’ll make this trip! Did I mention that since I’ve moved here 2 years ago I’ve been looking for the best Taco Restaurant in Las Vegas? Well guess what…I found it!

Recommendations: Fried Fish Taco (personal favorite, the sour yogurt is the bomb! See what I did there?) Octopus Carne Asada and probably the best in town, the Al Pastor

Freemont Street

Everything $$$ out of 5 Rating:

Well you’ve seen the rating. Mind blown. If you’re staying on the strip, then there is no excuse for you not to jump in an Uber or a Lyft and get your ass down there! Obviously weekend nights are the busiest so that’s when I recommend going. Always at night too, that’s when the “people watching” is the best! If you’re anything like me, “people watching” is awesome! Aside from that there is so much more to it! You have the street performers that blow your mind, the thousands of people your surrounded by that are having a good time, the cheaper gambling tables at the casinos, the HUGE animated screen that sits above your head and plays with the music every so often, the bars, the free concerts that they put on and so much more! I literally could make another post just for Freemont Street and it would probably be twice as long as this one! Just go down there, experience it and if you have kids that is on you! Just be prepared to see EVERYTHING!

Recommendations: If you didn’t bring booze with you down there, stop into the Rite Aid (or Walgreens) and go by a few canned beers. Very cheap! Stop into the brewery that’s next to the Heart Attack Grill AND ENJOY THE PEOPLE WATCHING!

XS Nightclub

Remember “A Night At The Roxbury”? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ out of 5 Rating:

Of course I wasn’t going to make a list and not put in a nightclub. Normally I’m not a nightclub guy but this one in particular I’ll make an exception for. XS is one of the highest grossing nightclubs in America that have house DJ’s such as: Skrillex, David Guetta, Diplo, Marshmello, Yellow Claw, and so much more! Just with that description though you need to realize what it’s going to cost you. As an example, when I went on a Thursday night, the guys paid $45 to get in and the girls paid $20, not too bad. However no known house DJ was performing. You can expect to pay $85-$100 just to get in on those nights! When you walk in, you walk past the pool outside and towards the nightclub, you can already here the hype music and see the lights. When you walk in it’s like a frickin movie. Seriously, I felt like I was in Blade or that part in the Matrix when they are dancing underground to weird ass techno music. That part never made sense to me. I digress. By now you’re thirsty, so you walk to the bar and pass all the VIP seating, sometimes you’ll recognize famous faces and people depending on the night. I ordered a well vodka and Redbull. $20. My friend Wes, ordered 6 shots. $200. So yeah, go in drunk (not sure if I can say that), get one drink and THAT’S IT! Enjoy the loud ass music, the dancing and try to make friends with people that have a table so you can get some booze! Make sure you check the dress code because I know they are picky about that. Sure it’s a lot of money (like a college education for two drinks), sure it’s a different crowd than what you might usually roll with, and sure it’s a lot of money (I feel like I’ve said that a few times) but I do recommend checking it out. It really is an experience that I enjoyed and I hope you do too! Take your American Express Black Card.

Recommendations: Don’t buy more than one drink TREAT YO SELF!

Pho Kim Long

Vietnamese food that warms the soul $$ out of 5 Rating:

Do you like Pho? Do you like low priced Pho that is amazing? Then this is the place you need to come! Located not even a mile away from the Leatherneck Club, Pho Kim Long sits at 4029 Spring Mountain. The first time I visited Pho Kim Long was with my brother-in-law who’s Vietnamese himself. So for him to approve of this place and it be one of his favorites, you know they’re doing something right! In fact, they have become so busy that they extended their hours from 10 AM – Midnight, to 24 hours! That’s insane! What’s crazier is if you go at 2 or 3 in the morning, you’ll be waiting. No kidding. Granted I go during the busy hours but even so, I challenge you to find a place this busy, THAT’S NOT A BAR, at 3 in the morning! Their menu is huge, so unless you’ve been to a Vietnamese restaurant before, it can be a bit overwhelming (damn I did the Stewie thing again). I recommend sticking to the simple things that you are used to. At the end of the day you can’t beat their prices for the amount of food you get. Last time I went with a friend we only spent $35 dollars and that got us two bowls of Pho and their ridiculous chicken wings with Pho Kim Long sauce. We couldn’t finish any of it! If you’re wondering about the size of the Pho, don’t worry, I doubt you’ll finish it and for $8-$10 a bowl, you can’t beat that! This place is worth its weight in gold!

Side story: Once, my sister, her friend and myself came back 3 times in 24 hours. Sad I know.

Recommendations: Pho Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (put a little hoisin sauce in the peanut sauce, so good) Chicken Wings with Pho Kim Long Sauce Shrimp Spring Rolls Shrimp Spring Rolls (no, it’s not a typo)

Ellis Island Casino & Brewery

Beer, Food & Music Enthusiasts $$ out of 5 Rating:

Ellis Island Casino & Brewery is located just off the strip at 4178 Koval Lane and I’m ashamed to admit that I did not discover this. My friends Grant and Sam suggested this when they were visiting and man, they nailed this suggestion! Ellis Island has actually been voted #1 Brewery in Las Vegas multiple times and I can attest to that! With beer specials that are $2.50 for a 22oz (I think that’s the size), amazing steak specials and don’t forget the 5 wings and a shot of Jack Daniels for $5 (on certain nights, I’m to lazy to look so look yourself). The booze, the food and the gambling are really inexpensive but what a lot of people don’t know about this place is their karaoke bar! My gosh, you want to talk about the next American Idol? Come here! This place hides some of the best singers in Las Vegas! We were amazed at how good some of these people are, and they’re all locals! I’m telling you, if you think you’ve got the chops for it, I highly suggest coming to this place. Even if you don’t sing, it’s a great little location that has a home away from home feeling. To tell another secret, even locals frequent this casino!

“Ellis Island Casino and Brewery was a place we liked for good affordable Micro-brew beer and the great food. It’s more like a bar or restaurant you’d find in a smaller city.” -Grant P. (something to do with old people and medical stuff, looks like Neil Patrick Harris)

Recommendations: Attend the karaoke bar Drink their beer…all of it

Carson Kitchen

Foodie Heaven $$$ out of 5 Rating:

Carson Kitchen can be found at S 6th St Suite #100, not to far away from Freemont Street but don’t blink, cause you’ll miss it. What I love about this place is that it’s kind of hard to find and it’s not in a super great location. When you get there as soon as they open and they have a line, you know you’ve found a hidden gem! First time I came here was with my sister and brother-in-law and discovered this god like substance called “Bacon Jam”. That’s it. That’s all I’m going to say about that. You read bacon and you read jam. You don’t need any more of a description. The second time I came to this place was with my friend Beth and her mother (Beth is currently taking her time writing a 2-3 sentence description of why she likes this place, but I’m not annoyed with that or anything) and there are a few things that I want to point out. 3 people can run up a tab when you’re sitting there for several hours eating everything on the menu and trying all their premium drinks! I’m not complaining (thanks Beth’s mom, not sure my credit card could’ve handled that blow) by any means, in fact I’m praising this place. Our bartender (can’t remember his name but he’s a pretty built good looking guy and knows everything, not that I’m bitter or anything but it doesn’t help he’s super nice either…dick) was amazing. He paired the perfect drinks with each course that came out, explained what we should be tasting and looking for. Seriously I joke, but these servers and bartenders know their stuff! All three of us were amazed at how knowledgeable this young, good-looking man that had the perfect smile and an answer for everything, truly was (seriously not bitter). All joking aside, this hidden restaurant that seats a very limited amount of people is a foodie’s dream come true. Also, Bacon Jam.

(This is where Beth’s quote would be but I guess we will all wait for her) -Beth R. (also something to do with the medical field, pretty much an expert foodie)

Recommendations: Bacon Jam The Entire Menu And don’t let your loved one (man or women) converse with that Unicorn of a Bartender…seriously he’s pretty awesome. Tip him well! I’d have his name but Beth R. is taking her damn time.

Honorable Mentions

Axe Monkey’s (You throw axes and sharp things at blocks of wood, need I say more?) $$ out of 5 Grand Canyon (It’s big and kind of makes you think about life and stuff) $$$$ out of 5 Hoover Dam (It’s also big, doesn’t make you think about life but makes you hate heights even more) $$$ out of 5

My Final Words

If you’ve made it this far, I’ve got to thank you for reading! I hope this helps you in your decisions for the foods you eat, the beers you drink, the sites you see, the nightclubs that make you spend your child’s tuition money, and the strip clubs like Crazy Horse 3 and Sapphire that you definitely chose not to go to! If you have any questions or anything you’d like to add, please place it in the comments or email me at [email protected]. As always please remember to spay and neuter your pets!

(This is definitely not the interior of Crazy Horse 3)

Special thanks to: Tracy N. (for reading my content and telling me if it’s boring or it sucks) Grant P. (for finally proposing ;-), being a great friend and giving me your thoughts) Sam L. (for your dancing techniques, giving me your thoughts) Mariela V. (for your thoughts, the great cooking, and your loud ass mouth) Beth R. (for nothing. Literally you’ve contributed nothing yet. Thanks) George A. (for letting me use your photo as the featured image, please check out his stuff on Instagram, @alexander_the_3rd) My sister (for always paying) My brother-in-law (for always paying as well) Last but not least…Las Vegas (for being a fun and crazy city)

Not my normal blog post, but for my friends, family and visitors, here is my top ranked hidden gems in Las Vegas! Visiting Las Vegas can be overwhelming (I just typed “whelming” and said it like Stewie Griffin says Cool Whhhip, now you did too didn’t you) because there is so much to do and more than likely you are here for only a very short time.

#Beer #Entertainment #food #foodie #las vegas #marketing #music #National Parks #Nightlife #Site Seeing #Travel #Vacation

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eccentricandanachronistic · 7 years

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Why I Find It Difficult to Feel an Ounce of Patriotism this Independence Day...

Long story short, I feel thoroughly disgusted with, defeated by and in deeper distrust than ever of the system prevailing in my country; more specifically, the supposedly ‘new’, ‘streamlined’ Passport renewal process in India (implemented 2015, apparently) post going through it for my mother and myself during July-August 2017 at the Ghaziabad Regional Passport Office (RPO).

Here is the sequence of events, exactly as it happened:

25 Jul 2017: My mother and I go to Ghaziabad RPO for our Passport Renewal application appointment. From the moment we arrive at the RPO, we see no order being followed whatsoever. Our batch/sequence numbers have not been called out, and we keep waiting. Only after going to check a little while later do we realize that people from our Batch / Sequence numbers have already been queueing up for Biometrics. I stand in the queue for a good 20-25mins, before the person behind me says we need to get our Documents verified by another official first. No staff on duty around checked for this or informed about this. The person doing the Document verification does not let anyone in for quite a while as I stand waiting; moreover, there is no queue – people keep randomly coming in and some of those who come in later than me manage to get their job done first. I am instead shouted at (“आपको बोला न बाहर वेट करने को, सुनाई नहीं देता आपको??” / “ARE YOU DEAF?? DID I NOT TELL YOU TO WAIT OUTSIDE??”). Once my turn comes, he asks for address proof. I say clearly that the online Document Advisor said only the photocopy of the old Passport is needed for Renewal and with no change in address, only to be shouted at again (“ आपको ज़्यादा पता है?? नहीं आपको सब पता है तो आप ही बैठ जाइये य��ीं…” / “YOU THINK YOU KNOW MORE THAN ME DO YOU?? SIT HERE AND TAKE MY PLACE IF YOU THINK YOU’RE SO SMART…”). Thankfully, I have my Aadhar card which I brought just in case it’s needed, and I am asked to go get a photocopy done from the floor below, leading to further waste of time. Finally after getting it done, I queue up anew for Biometrics. Meanwhile, my mother’s turn comes for Document verification, and the same official starts questioning her over why her 'mother’s name’ is missing in the form. Because I had filled up her form online, I intervene from the other end of the room and tell him the 'mother’s name’ field was optional, and the mandatory fields of 'Spouse’ and 'Father / Legal Guardian’ have been duly filled in (refer to this news item, clearly stating the new rules allowing for one of both parents’ names to be mentioned). To this I receive yet another humiliating shouting at in front of at least 50-100 other people (“आप अपने आप को ज़्यादा समझदार समझते हैं?? मदर ऑप्शनल होती हैं?? अपनी मर्ज़ी से कुछ भी करेंगे आप??” / “YOU THINK YOU ARE REALLY SMART?? SO MOTHERS ARE OPTIONAL?? THE WORLD WILL RUN THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO, EH??”). I stay silent through all this humiliation because I do not want to create a scene, and just hope my job gets done quickly.

** **

8 Aug 2017: File numbers GZ04C4030624817 and GZ04C4030579417 of my mother and myself respectively show no change in status (“Passport application has been submitted along with applicable fees and supporting documents”) till this point, which is when I decide it’s high time and I tweet to Honourable Minister for External Affairs, Ms Sushma Swaraj

** **

9 Aug 2017: Ghaziabad RPO’s Twitter handle replies to my tweet (upon the Minister’s intervention I am sure, so thanks to her are in order), but fails to grasp the urgency of the situation, and tells us to visit the RPO again; I question why, can they not take action themselves

** **

10 Aug 2017: Application Status changes to “Passport application has been granted and Police Verification Report has been submitted. The applicant would receive an e-mail/sms once the passport is dispatched”. We heave a sigh of relief and think our job is done

** **

11 Aug 2017: We get an email saying “Police Verification Request(s) have been initiated on Post-Verification basis” for both our applications. We are surprised at this, for, from what we knew, this torturous exercise is no longer done for Passport Renewal Applications with NO CHANGE IN ADDRESS. Still, we figured as this would happen AFTER we get our passports, we can refuse to pay the imminent bribe

** **

15 August 2017: We have still not received our passports, and are not expecting it to come on a National Holiday; but what we were certainly not expecting was the police personnel (#892290624, Sh. Vinod Kumar, Noida Sector 58 Police Station) to arrive at 9.30am in the morning. Burly and with a big protruding paunch, he looks very well-fed indeed, and we are left with no doubt as to what's coming. He again asks for photocopies of our Passports and an additional ID document, which we say we have already submitted during the appointment. But he asks us to go and get the Copies done somehow (to repeat, at 9.30am on the morning of 15 August 2017, when no shop would be open; moreover, my father being out of town, I would not feel safe leaving the house and my mother in such a vile man’s company). We look hard for photocopies and luckily find them. We ask why is the verification being done even when there is no change in address, and he says, “अब भेज दिया है उन्होंने…” / “You don’t have a choice now that they have sent me...” (obviously arousing suspicions that the Passport officials may just be hand in glove with the system). He sits long, and at the end, shamelessly asks for a bribe of Rs 2200. I am hush-hushed by my poor, scared mother, who gives in, finally 'settling’ the 'deal’ at Rs 2000. While leaving, he assures us, “अब जल्दी आ जाएगा आपका पासपोर्ट…” / “Your passport will come soon now...” (when if at all this was meant to be 'Post-verification’). I keep the entire conversation recorded on my Phone as a reminder of the banal existence of the powerless common man that is us (forward to 14:45 in the Souncloud clip below), and of the irony of what was meant to be Independence Day...

** **

16 August 2017: We promptly receive an SMS that the Passports have been dispatched (Important to note the timing – SMS comes the very day after Police verification that should, I repeat, have happened on 'Post-verification’ basis, i.e., address verification happens after getting the passport in hand; but that clearly is not so, for if we did get our passports beforehand, we could have refused to pay the bribe!)

** **

17 August 2017: The postman arrives at around 4.30pm, and hands over the passports... against a bribe yet again, this time of Rs. 200. Here he is in the video below, turning my mother back to fetch another Rs. 100 after he wasn't satisfied the first time round. In his words: "मैं तो कभी होली दिवाली पे ना मांगता, मैं तो २००९ से हूँ आपके यहाँ" / "I don't ask for anything on Holi and Diwali, do I? I am here since 2009, you should know how things work here..."

youtube

** **

Long ago, I had sworn that, come what may, I will not ever give up my Indian citizenship and passport in favour of any other... and I stand by that promise - on principle. But can I really blame someone if they choose to take the first opportunity to surrender theirs and rid themselves once and for all of all the dirt that we have to put up with?? Am I the stupid, sentimental fool here?? Sushma ji, Modi ji, are you listening...??

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emmaeatsandexplores · 7 years

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Hi guys and welcome to a new series I’m trying out – Friday Favourites. My chance to fill you in on all the things I’ve been loving each week.

Through my blog I get access to some incredible products. I’m often approached by great small businesses who are out there creating amazing things but just don’t have huge marketing budgets. Hence the fact that you or I have never heard of them! I hope, through this series to be able to show you some new products that you might never have seen before. I also plan on sharing a bit more about my life. What I’m up to, where I’ve been etc. I’d love to hear about things you’re loving this week in the comments.

So what are my Friday Favourites this week:

The Autoimmune Fix by Dr Tom O’Bryan

I can’t put this book down – it’s a real page turner! I’ve found it so interesting. Written by Dr Tom O’Bryan, a specialist in autoimmune diseases and gluten sensitivity it explains how gluten intolerance and sensitivity affects many more people than ever thought. Anyone with a sensitivity may not know it but this book explains the damage it is causing internally. Autoimmune diseases are actually on a spectrum and anyone not experiencing complete body health may already be on the road to a full blown condition. If exposure to gluten continues it will almost certainly develop into an autoimmune disease and this book aims to reset your gut health and microbiome (the good bacteria in your system) before the disease develops.

Slightly too late for me, I suffer with the autoimmune condition Lupus, it made me realise what damage I was doing through eating gluten and other allergens and I wish I’d found this book earlier. I am however going to do his ‘re-set diet’ to help heal my gut so that things don’t get any worse. He also mentions that certain conditions are reversible so while I know Lupus isn’t, maybe a stronger gut will mean it doesn’t deteriorate further. The book has a 3 week plan for eliminating most major food allergens to heal the gut and I’ll let you know my experiences with it.

If you suspect that you may have a sensitvity to gluten or are experiencing any unexplained fatigue, brain fog or other symptoms this book is a must! It’s very accessible and easy to read and it may just save you from chronic health problems! Do something about it before it’s too late!

Holiday Dreaming

I’m off on holiday next week and it cant come soon enough! Dan and I have planned an epic Road Trip, starting in Bordeaux, France and ending in Bilbao, Spain. Along the way we’ll be travelling through Cap Ferret, Biarritz, San Sebastian, Rioja, San Vicente de la Barquera, Santander and Castro Urdiales. I’m so excited to see some amazing places, eat some fantastic food and taste some delicious wine! If you have any tips for any of these places, please leave me a note in the comments section. Restaurant recommendations and sight seeing ideas would be very welcome! And any holiday reads? I’m planning on a lot of beach time! Now I’m just praying for some fabulous weather!

Dr Gaye’s Super Golden Turmeric Tea

I’d never tried Turmeric Tea until Dr Gaye kindly sent me a pouch of Super Golden to try. I’ve heard all about the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric recently. I now take a turmeric capsule every day but I’d never had it in this form before. Boy was I missing out. It’s like a hug in a mug! It’s delicious, comforting, warming and I look forward to every single cup. It comes as a powder and you mix it with a bit of water to make a make a paste and then top up with hot water. Sweet and spicy at the same time and the ingredients are 100% natural and the powder only contains…

Coconut Milk Powder

Turmeric Powder

Cinnamon Powder

Ginger Powder

Cardamom Powder

Black Pepper

Chilli Powder

so it’s perfect for SCD, Paleo, in fact all diets. I love this turmeric tea so much I even took it on holiday with me when I went to the Lake District. Dan started off by calling it my ‘Thai Green Curry Drink’ (it does smell a bit like that) but now he asks for a mug too!

The ethos behind the company is great. Dr Gaye has created a range of healthy products to help you get all the vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins that you need in easy to use products. Everything is Raw, Organic, Vegetarian & Sugar/Grain/Gluten/Dairy Free. They make getting all you essential nutrients very quick and easy. Great for me as I definitely don’t have time in the mornings to prepare a healthy nutritious breakfast. I’ve tried the Super Super Cereal (a kind of grainfree granola) which I love on my yoghurt in the morning or on a smoothie bowl.

I also have the Super Porridge which I’m looking forward to trying and I’ll let you know what I think when I’ve given it a go. Dr Gaye is also about to launch a Summer Cleanse program if anyone is interested? 10% off her Super Shakes and daily personalised emails to help you achieve your wellness goals!

And they’ve even given a special discount code to my readers for any of their products! If you add the code EMMA at the checkout you can receive 20% off your total until the end of June!! Give it a try – I promise you wont regret it. Go for the Turmeric Tea!

My Mama

This weekend is my Mum’s birthday and I’m looking forward to some quality time with the woman who is not only the most amazing mother in the world but also my best friend. We’ve had our fair share of adventures and always have so much fun together…

In the last few years we’ve been to Madrid, Portugal, Dublin & Paris together and I hope there will be loads more girlie weekends away in the future!

I cant wait to spend a day celebrating her and treating her. Her love and affection for her family knows no bounds. I can honestly say she is the most selfless and giving person I know. Happy birthday Mama and I hope we all make it a day as special as you are. Love you always xx

What are you loving this week?

I’d love to know what you’ve been loving this week. Leave me a note in the comments and I hope you all have a fantastic week! Until next Friday…

Friday Favourites #1 Hi guys and welcome to a new series I'm trying out - Friday Favourites. My chance to fill you in on all the things I've been loving each week.

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