#❪ write women who find strength in one another ❫ b u .

[xiubaek-13]

Let Me In - Part 2

Prompt: “If I knock politely will you let me in? I’ll make it worth your while”

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Word Count: 4,950

Warnings: Vampire AU, smut, blood, mentions of death, murder & torture.

A/N: Part 1 was in my Halloween drabbles from a long ass time ago. I continuously got requests for a second part so it finally came into being today. Let me know what you think, comments help me greatly given the large breaks between posting for me, they help me work out if I’m still any good at this writing business.

“S-so, a-are you g-gonna k-kill me?” You stutter out, your fear making it hard for you to get the words out.

He smirks and steps back, freeing you from the wall. Before you can even think about regaining some semblance of composure he kneels on the floor and sinks his fangs into the dead man’s neck. Your eyes widen as you stand frozen to the spot, unable to blink, run, anything. It takes all you have just to remember to breathe.

He drops the corpse back to the floor when he’s finished feeding, licking his blood-stained lips as he sets his eyes on you again. “I think you’ve bought yourself some time.” He steps closer to you, caging your body between his arms, your back pressed back against the wall. “Convince me to let you live, but your case had better be compelling since you wasted my time earlier.” His dark gaze feels like its searing lines into your flesh as you feel it travel from your eyes to your lips, throat, & chest before raking back up to your eyes. “You still haven’t let me in.” He smirks.

What was that stupid saying that you used to say to your friends? Mark me down as scared and horny. That’s pretty much where you were right now. Terrified for multiple reasons (vampires were real, one sent a madman to kill you then killed said madman in front of you and was maybe, probably, most definitely doing to kill you) but also horny. It was impossible to deny how attractive Baekhyun was, both before when you thought he was human and now as he pinned you to the wall. Your mind is racing, jumping between freaking out about your impending death and lewd comments about his lips, hands, hips. If it had the capacity to take on anything else it might also be disgusted with itself for allowing lust to creep in at a time like this. 

Somewhere deep down in your psyche a thought sparks. Draw this out, stay alive as long as you possibly can. The longer you are alive, the closer you are to sunrise. Make it to sunrise and escape. It wasn’t much to go on but it was the best you could think of. There was no way that you would overpower him with strength. If you wanted to win here then you were going to need to be smart and bide your time. Use every advantage that you could and the sun was a powerful one. His ego might just be another.

“I want to know more about you.” He raises one brow in response.

“Why?” 

You inhale, steeling your nerves as you say the words that will change your life forever. “In the bar before, we talked. I liked that, liked getting to know you -” the words were not untrue. The bar had been nice. You’d captured the attention of the man every person, men and women alike, desired but he had only had eyes for you. You had been sitting at the bar enjoying your Old Fashioned when Baekhyun had first approached you. At the time it was immensely flattering but in hindsight you were probably just easy prey. You were alone and no one else had been paying much attention to you. “- but now that I know that you’re well, not human, I feel like that was all lies. Tell me about you first. Then I’ll let you in.” 

He shifts back and considers your words. “Why should I tell you anything at all? I could just compel you to let me in and use you until I’m bored of your body.” His tone betrays him. He might be impatient and used to getting what he wants but from the way his tone shifted when he said he could compel you, you could tell that doing so would ruin the fun for him. 

So you played with fire, figuratively speaking of course. Standard negotiating probably wouldn’t work here because a) you were terrified and b) impatient vampire. You weren’t trying to get out of sleeping with him either. You were attracted to him even through your fear and there was no denying that you wanted him. All you were trying to gain was time. The closer it got to sunrise, the higher your chances of survival were. 

So you tried to match his ego to unnerve him.“Where is the fun in that?” You shrug. “If all you want is a body to fuck, then why ask me to convince you to let me live? Surely it’s better for you with a willing participant.” You take a step forward, avoiding the dead body on the floor, and advance on Baekhyun as you continue to speak. “One that wants you, that begs for you, that needs you.” You lick your lips as you finish, your words affecting you more than you thought they would. “Why put it all of the effort at the bar when you could have simply locked eyes and told me what you wanted me to do? I think you enjoy the hunt so why spoil it now? What harm is there in telling me about yourself when I’m just going to die anyway?” You shrug. 

Baekhyun takes a few steps back and looks at you, really looks at you. His eyes narrow as he takes you in and tries to work out your ploy. “Interesting tactic little one. Futile though.” He smirks and turns away from you, heading off towards your kitchen. 

Left with the corpse just behind you, you decide to follow him rather than rush out the front door. Baekhyun has already proved that he is faster than you so you probably wouldn’t get very far and even if you got to a neighbour in time there is the very real possibility that they’d die and it would be your fault. 

As you enter the kitchen you spot Baekhyun mixing drinks. He points at the two armchairs you have in your makeshift reading nook, a place that has brought you comfort over the years. If there was ever a place for you to fight for your life then this would be the one place that would bring you strength. You make your way over to one of the armchairs and sink into its comforting embrace while you wait for Baekhyun to finish making drinks.

“I’ll play your game for now little one but don’t push your luck.” He says as he carries two drinks over, handing you one once he is close enough. You notice that he’s made the same drink that you were having at the bar. “You’re not wrong, compelling a mark kind of ruins the vibe but if I have to do it, I will.”

“Noted.”

“Asking me to tell you about myself is a bit vague given my lengthy existence so why don’t you try something more specific? I’ll let you ask as many questions as you want but there is a price for my answers.” He smirks.

“Name it.”

“Each time I answer you, you must remove an article of clothing. Once removed I’m free to touch the unclothed area. When you run out of clothing, your question time ceases and you submit yourself to me to have you as I please.”

You gulp as you try not to let on how appealing his price sounds. The logical part of your brain tries to yell over the burning lust that is taking over your senses about the dangers involved here but as far as you see it your options are die in pain or die in pleasure. Given the choice, you will avoid pain at almost any cost. He thinks he has you trapped, like a cat cornering a mouse but you aren’t so sure that you’ve been beaten yet. Not that he needs to know that.

“I accept your terms.” You say before taking a sip of your drink. The whiskey soothing any errant nerves. 

You see Baekhyun’s eyes darken with desire as he sits opposite you, a smug look on his face now that he thinks he’s won. “I’ll give you a point for not forcing an unnecessary negotiation or rebuttal upon hearing my price.”

“You said not to waste your time. Your terms are not unsurprising and it did not seem like it was up for negotiation when you delivered it.”

“Smart woman.” He relaxed into the armchair, swirling his drink in one hand as the other beckoned for you to begin your questioning.

“How much of what you told me about yourself at the bar was true?”

“All of it.” He states bluntly, chuckling at the surprised look on your face. “I do work at a law firm in town with 8 others, it’s how we exist in human society. I don’t have traditional family as such anymore as I’ve long outlived them. I do prefer to go out at night for obvious reasons beyond my control and I find great beauty in the night.” 

Baekhyun was right, he had told you the truth, just a very short version of it. Should that make you trust him any more? Probably not, but it did instil a small amount of something in you about him. He could have just lied about everything in order to lure you away but he chose the truth. In some weird way that counted for something. 

“No lies, you just never bothered to dig deeper at the time.” He purred, eyes roaming your body as he waited to see what you would remove.

You slipped out of your leather jacket and draped it over the back of your seat. Baekhyun groaned impatiently when he saw the long sleeves that remained covering your arms. Victory, it would seem, was not yet within his grasp. Begrudgingly he took another sip of his drink as you laughed internally at his reaction.

“Is your normal pattern to trick someone into letting you into their home then you kill them?”

“No. My clan and I have tried many things over the years. Let’s see. There was compelling which was just too easy and made our existence dull, posing as missionaries which weirdly enough worked better than it should have… not that I’ll ever let Suho know that. Next was outright frenzy where we razed a town, feasted and moved on - that was one of the early ones.” He grins as he reminisces. “Where was I, oh yes. We told people we were vampires - that one was particularly popular in the 2000’s, we’ve pretended to be injured or dead then attacked the person who was kind enough to try and help us, also too easy in my opinion but effective. You humans are gullible.” He chuckles. “We also tried to use blood banks but supplies could not sustain our hunger without detection, so then we tried setting up our own donor systems but that was a logistical nightmare and more red tape than you should ever have to deal with as an immortal. Roleplay was a fun one, biting is a real kink for so many people - who knew? - and now the current approach which is an amalgamation of past methods - seduction and pleasure followed by feeding.” He finishes his account of vampiric blood sourcing by licking his lips, his fangs hidden from your view. 

If you hadn’t seen them plunged into the neck of the now deceased man in your entryway you could be fooled into thinking that the man sitting across from you was just that, a man. But you had seen them and you knew they were real. You also knew the telltale signs of an impatient man and Baekhyun was most definitely impatient. 

For an immortal being who could remain as still at the night he was fidgeting and tapping his glass more than any vampire should. Whether it was hunger or something else causing it you didn’t know. The erratic movements were unsettling and causing your nerves to return. His gaze pierces yours as he waits.

You set your drink on the floor and stand, moving your arms behind you as you unzip your skirt, letting it fall to the floor, revealing a small amount of flesh at the top of your thighs, your garter belt and stockings covering most of the unveiled skin.

You hear him inhale, something he does not need to do. “You’re just going to leave it on the floor like that? Little one, it will crumple.” His voice is rough as he chides you.

You smirk and turn away from him before giving him what he wants. You step out of the skirt, bend at the hips and collect the discarded piece from the floor. You can feel his eyes on your ass as you bend forward, leaving little to the imagination. Only a small strip of fabric prevents him from your sex.

After you place your skirt on the back of the chair, on top of the jacket, you sit. Your brain doesn’t register the movement but before you can cross one leg over the other Baekhyun is there, kneeling between them, his hands on the uppermost part of your thighs where the skin is exposed. 

“You,” He growls. “do not know the fire with which you are playing with.” You can see the tips of his fangs now. Your body betrays you as you feel heat and want rushing to your core and your eyes close. His fingers trace patterns into your thighs, ghosting near the edge of your panties and down your inner thighs which only builds your arousal. 

“You’ll beg for me to fuck you before you’re fully undressed little one. Why deny yourself what we both know you desire?” He grazes his fangs along the column of your neck as your core clenches around nothing. 

When you open your eyes he is back in his seat swirling his drink like he had never moved. The absence of his touch left you wanting. Your stubbornness is the only thing keeping you from rushing through your questions because Baekhyun is not wrong, you want him - badly. “Are you going to kill me?”

He cocks his head as he ponders your question. “Honestly haven’t made my mind up yet. Before this current bargain I was just going to fuck you and drain you, the only variable there being if I let you enjoy it or if I let you feel pain. Now… I’m not sure. You might be interesting enough to keep alive for now. It all depends really.”

Your fingers expertly undo the buttons of your blouse and you shrug out of its sleeves, leaving you clad only in your underwear and heels. “On what?” You ask. The lines of this little ruse are starting to blur for you. The original plan to keep Baekhyun talking in order to reach sunrise is fading, leaving only images on the vampire taking you every which way, giving you pleasure you could only dream of. 

“On you little one.” Baekhyun’s voice comes from directly behind you. You feel his hands moving down your sides, one snaking between your legs and gripping your inner thigh and the other splayed over your stomach. You feel his fangs drag over your throat and you shudder. “You might just convince me.” You feel his presence disappear and know without turning around that he is no longer standing behind you. You can feel where his hands were on your body, the ghost of his touch remaining. 

As you look around you can’t spot him anywhere. You know he’s still in the house because why would he leave now? You make your way to the various rooms in your home as you search for the vampire but he is nowhere. You start to feel frustration overtaking your lust as you call out. “Baekhyun! Where are you?” 

His voice sounds from a room that you had already checked, your bedroom. “This game needs to continue in another room little one.” You make your way back upstairs to your room as he speaks again, his voice closer this time. “You are far too indecently clothed to be in a sitting room.” 

As you enter the room you see him leaning against your bedpost, his eyes roaming your body. Your ears register the sound of him moving past you but your eyes do not. The door closes behind you and he appears to have not moved. The fear inside you spikes back up as you witness a modicum of his power. You’ve been toying with him when all along he could just snap you like a twig.the thought terrifies you but you try to push your fear down. It will not help you now.

You saunter towards the bed only for him to hold up a hand and stop you. “I believe you asked a question little one. You know the rules.” Left with only a few options you step out of your heels and continue towards the bed.

By your count you have three questions left before this little game ends and you plan to use them to ensure that whatever happens after doesn’t hurt you and might just lead to you keeping your life. You aren’t going to bother with asking more about his past. You are pretty sure you know enough, he’s been undead for quite some time but from looking at him you would guess that he was in his 20’s when he was turned. He can be cruel - you have not forgotten the madman he compelled earlier - he is determined, overconfident, smug, impatient and alluring and he has made you crazed with lust. 

“How do you want me?” you ask sultrily as you reach the foot of your bed.

Out of the corner of your eye you see him remove his jacket and place it over the chair at your dresser. His shoes and socks are next, then he starts to unbutton his shirt as he moves behind you. You can feel him standing behind you but he does not touch you. He lets the anticipation build, he knows this game has almost reached its end, he is one step closer to getting what he wants from you.

“Naked and wanting.” He confesses. “Reveling in the pleasure I give you, begging for more.”

Your bra drops to the floor, making him groan. “And what will you do to me?” You ask, before he can say anything to alter your train of thought. Your mind is set on one path and one path only now. You want him. You want him to make you forget that you were ever afraid of him, that he ever posed a danger to you, that he is anything more than an incredibly attractive man with eyes only for you.

“Everything.” He whispers in your ear. His hands cup your breasts, fingers lightly pinching your nipples. “I’ll make you feel pleasure like you’ve never felt before. Make you beg for me to never stop fucking you, for me to bite you. And I will, once you beg for it.”

A moan escapes your throat, giving away just how aroused you are. Your hand brushes against his crotch as you move to undo your garter belt and you feel how hard he is for you. He stops your hand and completes the action for you, sliding the stockings down your legs and off your feet. He spins you and pushes you down onto the bed, removing the shirt from his shoulders and undoing his pants as he kneels at your feet. 

“Why me?” you manage to say as you watch him undress, your eyes taking in the lean planes of his body. He wasn’t wearing underwear you muse as your eyes are drawn to his cock, hard and waiting to enter you. His eyes follow yours and he grins when he realises where their gaze has not wavered. Shuffling back of the bed far gracefully than he has any right to, he moves back into a standing position so that he can remove his pants. 

Fully naked, he moves back to his position between your legs. “What’s the point of being immortal if you deny yourself the simple pleasures in life?” he responds as he kisses your ankle, before moving up your calf, to your thigh, hip, breast, neck before finally reaching your lips. “I find beauty in the night and I take what I want. Right now, that is you.”

His lips crash into yours in a kiss that is so desperate that you don’t register the ripping of your panties until you can feel him, all of him flush against your skin. His body doesn’t emit heat, rather it is cool to the touch but it isn’t a bad feeling. Rather it is refreshing in comparison to how hot you feel. His mouth works against yours, the lip ring providing a new sensation for the kiss.

When he breaks the kiss to allow you to breathe you see the dark fire in his eyes, his desire palpable. “You’re mine now little one. I told you your game was futile, that you would give in to me and here we are, your wet little cunt begging for my cock. Do you think you deserve pleasure after how long you made me wait?”

“Yes.” you breathe.

He looks amused. “Oh? And why is that?”

“I was scared of you. There was no desire to let you in before we talked more but now, now I want you even though I know part of the truth about you. You said it was better if the other person was willing, well, now I am.” You laid out the truth for him. You were no longer scared of him even though you knew he could still inflict the worst pain imaginable on you and kill you. What you felt now was desire so strong that nothing, not even fear of death, could break through.

He grinned, baring his fangs to you. “You, my dear, have proven to be far more interesting than I gave you credit for. There is one thing I didn’t tell you though, something that will make what is about to happen much more pleasurable for you. Vampires can direct the blood flow of any body that they are in contact with. You think you want me now? Wait until you feel as though you’re on fire, your skin burning with need as I taste you. You’ll beg me to drink your blood from wherever I please. And I will.” 

You shuddered at his words. Desire pouring through you, making you feel as though you were drugged. “Kiss me.” The words left your mouth without any thought. Baekhyun leaned down and his lips closed over yours gently, seeing if you were going to try and get away from him. When he realised that you weren’t going anywhere he intensified the kiss, increasing the pressure and igniting your senses. 

He ran his tongue along the seam of your lips until you opened your mouth, allowing your tongues to work against each other. You could feel his fangs grazing your lip but it did not scare you, rather it made you want more. His hands roamed your body as the two of you kissed, teasing your nipples and brushing near your core, never where you wanted the friction the most. 

“Please” you moan.

“What do you want little one?” he teases.

“Touch me.” His hands grip your thighs, spreading your legs wide for him. You try to roll your hips, desperate for any sort of friction but you don’t achieve the contact you’re after. You whimper as the frustration builds. You want him to touch you so badly, you need your release and soon.

“Patience little one.” He chuckles. “As flattering as it is to see just how badly you want me, I want to savour this. His eyes drift down. “You look delectable.” He shifts his body down the bed so that his face is level with your dripping centre. 

He slowly drags his fangs from your thigh, up your leg, and moves over your centre, to the other thigh. The sensation makes you whimper as you try to grind your hips, but he holds you down with his hands as you try to find some friction to help you along. “Please” You breathe.

Smirking he moves back to where you need him the most, flicking his tongue against your clit. Your mind goes blank at the sensation as he repeats the motion, deepening the pressure he’s applying until you moan loudly. If anything, it only serves to spur him on, attaching his lips to your clit as his tongue presses and swirls around it. Your hips would have been bucking into his face if he wasn’t holding you down.

He pauses for a moment to confess “You are fucking delectable, I could do this all night.” before resuming his feast. You bite your lip as he rolls his tongue against you, his fangs lightly grazing your clit and sending a whole new wave of pleasure flowing through you. You never expected his fangs to draw such a response from you but you felt yourself moan louder every time they grazed over your clit. You could feel his eyes watching you as he pleasured you, taking in every reaction and building his actions on that. Your arousal builds as he alternates the pace and pressure of his tongue, and increases the feel of his fangs against you. 

“Fuck” you whimper. The sensations are building too quickly and you can feel your release approaching with haste when he detaches his mouth from you. You look down at him and he smirks at you before you can utter a complaint, not breaking eye contact as he pushes one then two fingers into your wet heat. 

You can’t stop yourself from moaning his name as he starts to move his fingers back and forth in a steady rhythm. “You like that?” he growls as you clench around his fingers. “Little one, you are so wonderfully wet. Just for me. You love it don’t you? You love how my fingers feel, how my tongue feels and most of all you love how my fangs feel against your clit. Don’t you?” His pupils are so dark and blown out with lust as he lowers his skilled mouth back to your bundle of nerves.

The combined sensation of his long fingers, skilled tongue and sharp fangs become too much for you. He moans against you as he works, curling his fingers inside you and fluttering his tongue against your clit. You writhe on the bed as he increases his speed to a level that a mere human could never achieve and right before your orgasm hits, he sinks his fangs into you. The pleasure was so intense, so overwhelming that you sobbed his name as he helped you ride out your high. You were too far gone to realise that he was tasting you, really tasting you now that his fangs penetrated your flesh. You felt no pain, only white hot pleasure. 

When he released you he looked up at you, mouth and fangs dripping with a mixture of your juices and blood. Your body still tingles with aftershocks of your orgasm and you feel like you’re on fire. You should be spent but you only want him more. 

God you wanted to him to fuck you.

He flips you over, positioning you on your knees. He grunts as he enters you in one fluid motion. He meets no resistance given how ready you were for his cock. He grips your waist tightly as he sets a brutal pace, the only sounds in the room are of skin hitting skin and cries of pleasure. 

“You fit my cock perfectly. Look at how much you want this, at how badly you want a vamp to fuck the life out of you.” He grunts in between thrusts. 

“Baekhyun. Fuck” You moan when he hits your g spot. 

You had never felt pleasure like this before. You’d had great sex before but this was on a level of its own. Baekhyun had had an unknown amount of time to perfect this act and hone his skills and he was not disappointing. He moved between a pace that felt more like what you were used to and then a pace faster than you could have ever imagined. 

“This.” He growled, “Is how a vampire fucks you.” and lifted your body up so that it was flush with his, tilting your head so that your throat was exposed for him. He ran his tongue along your neck, making you moan deeply as you recalled the feeling of his fangs.

“You want it don’t you?” He asked as he pounded into you. “Want me to sink my fangs back into your flesh as I fuck you?” You couldn’t form words to respond to him, only moans of want and pleasure. He grazed his fangs along your neck and you writhed against the touch.

His fangs pierced the skin of your neck and the sensation barreled you over the edge. Everything was heightened and a feeling that you had never experienced before flooded your system. You felt full, alive, and like you were about to explode. You shuddered and cried out as your orgasm ripped through you harder than last time as Baekhyun chased his. 

The last thing you saw before you blacked out were his eyes, now a deep red as he stared down at your form and smiled. “I think I’ll keep you.”

[ramona-ratguider]

Scandinavian Folklore - Charms

1. If you're following after someone who is riding on a road, and you want to have his horse become lame so that he won't overcome you, take a nail and pierce it into the ground where the horse has trod (specifically it’s hoof-print).The nail should be from a coffin.

2. So that you will never lose a court case, take the tongue of an otter and put it in your right shoe under your bare foot, when you go to court.

3. To hit any target with a shotgun. Take the first feather in the wing of a cuckoo and chop up the cuckoo while the heart is warm, then stick the feather into the heart and put it together in a linen cloth. Put Rosmarinus officinalis into the cloth with the heart and hang it on a kettle hook over a stove for 9 24-hour days. Then take it down and tie it on your right arm.

4. To shoot and hit the target take bat's blood and apply it to the bullet or the shotgun.

5. To shoot with accuracy. Take a hoopoe bird and take the heart out of it and the tongue and carry it with you.

6. So that no wolf can do you any harm, say "Cristus est nattus, lapus est capttus intt nina Dnus"

7. Good for hunting. Take the blood out of your right hand and make a powder from it and mix it with the shotgun powder.

8. To shoot whatever you want. Take the heart and the liver of a bat, put it under the lead when you shoot bullets or shot, then you'll hit whatever you see.

9.  He who takes the eyes of a hoopoe bird makes a person agreeable to strangers. If one carries them about the throat over the chest to a trial, then all enemies with become good again.

10. When one boils a raven's egg, which you then put back into the nest, and they then go to lie on it again, then they'll fetch a stone, with which he will touch the egg. Then it will immediately become raw again. If one takes this stone and then puts a laurel leaf under it and then has it set in a ring, and the goldsmith shall make an oath, that he will say nothing about it if he doesn't want to die; and that ring is good if one is bound in iron chains or some other imprisonment: if one touches it with this ring, then he is free again. Whoever has this stone in his mouth, he can understand the language of birds

11. So that everyone will be fond of you. Take a stone that is found in a swallow's nest and carry it with you

12. Take the root of an Artemesia vulgaris plant and carry it on you, then no one is able to slander you.

13. How one obtains a swallow-stone. Take a swallow chick out of the nest and stab out its eye, and tie it in a silk thread around its throat and put him back into the nest. On the third day, go back there again, then you will get three stones, one white and one black and one red. When one has the white stone in one's mouth, then he'll neither hunger nor thirst; if the black stone is in his  mouth, then all women will be crazy about him; and if he has the red stone in his mouth and he kisses a virgin, then she'll fall in love with him over all others. The one who has the red stone with him cannot be harmed by anything.

14. To melt a steel binding between your hands. Take the root of the wolfberry, Atropa Belladonna, and tie it under your right arm.

15. If someone has done you ill, to know who did it. Buy some oregano spice {Origanum vulgare) at the pharmacy, tie it under the right arm and go to bed to sleep, then you'll see the one who has done you wrong.

16. So that the lady folk will lift up their skirts. Take the blood of a young hare and smear it on the candle there where they're inside.

17 To get the strength of 3 men. Take the root of Artemisia vulgaris and saffron and spread it all over your arms. 

18. So that no horse will throw you, then yell these words: "Astulis Astula Cosso forottis." Take a tongue of a young swallow, that hasn't been out of the nest yet, and put it under your tongue when you kiss a virgin so that your tongue goes into her mouth, then she'll not let go of you until she's had her way with you.

19. Another: take an otter's tongue with arsenic and carry it with you, then you will have favor with highborn men and others. 

20. To give to a horse to eat, so that no other horse can outrun him, Eberroot dug up on Bartholomew's day is good. If you eat it yourself, then no other will be able to outrun you. 

22. Tie a raven's tongue on the middle finger, as he lies and sleeps, then he will reveal all his secrets to you. 

23. Artemisia root, carry it around your neck, then no poisonous creature can harm you. 

24. The one who puts the powder of that root over their door, no harm will befall that house. 

25. The one who carries a hoopoe bird's tongue on themselves, will have no harm befall him, and all his enemies will like him.

26. The one who wants to ride out, should hang Verbena officinalis around the horse's neck, then he won't become tired. 

27. To make oneself invisible. Go before Saint Jakob's day to an anthill and pour warm water on it, then they'll all run out, and look into it and go a little bit away, and then return and seek in it, then you'll find a stone that has three colors; you should have that with you. 

28. Take an egg between 11 and 12 o'clock and put it in an anthill, and when you go back again, then you'll find a stone: you should take that with you. To get a virgin to lift her skirts. Take bat's blood and put it into a linen cloth, and when you are sitting with her, then light it on fire, then it'll work. 

29. To get the strength of 9 men. Take a heart of a wolf, 2 of a fox and 3 of a dog and sew them in place on the left side. 

30. To know where money is. Write these words on virgin paper: D. + . + . 8 . X . 3: d d U: W. 6. X. V. Z.

31. Take an old hen and clean it well and boil it together with oxmeat in a new pot. When it is cooked, take a new wooden plate and put it together with the oxmeat on it and bury it all deep in the earth at a fork in the road, and put another plate over it, so it is quite tight, so that no earth will come between, and let it sit for 9 days - it should be arranged so that it will be a Monday when it will be dug up again - then there will have been three spirits with it that ate it up: the first having replaced it with a table cloth, the second with a mirror and the third with a dice-piece. The table cloth when one spreads it on the table, means that one will have food enough; in the mirror one can see what is happening in the whole world; the dice-piece one can throw as much as one wants and never lose. One of these three things you should leave behind. 

32. To make yourself invisible. Shoot a raven on Maundy Thursday and take the tongue and tie it to the right arm. 

33. If one is captured, to get free. If one is in a stock or in irons, then they'll loosen and not harm one. Have these words on you: allb. +. Fellea +. ieyiga +:nex +. FanstiG + gennt + Sebortt + G + S + ff + ScHutAueG. 

34. So that no one will outrun you. Take quickroot and tie it under your right toe.

35. So that a horse can't throw you, then yell these words in his ear: "Alius as aba ara via capel."

36. So that no one can defeat you when you argue your case, and so that they will all escape. So that if one is preparing to go to court, then one won't lose. When the sun goes into the sign of Taurus, then seek a viper, that is a snake, and take the skin off it and burn it to a powder and carry it around your throat. It has virtue. It should be taken during the first 5 days when the sun is in the sign of Taurus: all of this should be done. If one has that powder, then when one argues, then no one can defeat him. And if it lies in a house where no one knows about it other than he, then no one can remain inside it. Third, when one has to go to court, put it into your shoes, so that it lies under your bare feet, then one won't lose. 

37. If you drink Rute water each morning on an empty stomach, then your eyes will become so clear that you will be able to see the stars in heaven during the daytime. 

38. To release a lock. Notice when the frog is out. Grab hold of it and put it in a glass and put a stone on it. Then there'll come a spirit and he will have an herb and hold it before the glass. With this it will burst asunder. If one holds it in front of a lock, then it will release and open.

39. To make a couple become enemies. Take an egg and boil it hard and write both of their names on it and cut the egg right in two and give the one half to a dog and the other to a cat. 

40. Take hare's blood and apply it to a haystraw and put it in a virgin's bed, then she won't give up until you go to bed with her. 

41. Tie a rabbit's foot to your right arm, then no dog will bark at you. 

42. So that you get what you ask for, then carry these words with you: + Los + pastor + avB 1 C. 

43. So that you are liked by everyone, then carry these words with you: pnu Sanilo Pro C Sanctus: Pro. 

44. So that no one is your enemy. Have these words with you: M. G. C. B. y. Jn nomino Pattris: et Fyly. x et. Spiritus amenque eta gramatam. 

45. If a wife runs away from her the husband, then take her right shoe and put it in smoldering coals. As long as the shoe smolders, then she'll have no peace until she comes back to him again.

46. Take a needle with which a corpse was sewn into a burial shroud, and stick into the underside of the table where you are sitting and playing cards, then you'll win. 

47. Carry a 'galdevedh '20 as it is called in German, put it in your right shoe, then you'll win at cards. 

48. If you want the strength of 9 men, then carry on your left side a wolfs heart or a fox's heart or a dog's heart. 

49. Take the heart a thrush, that is a small edible bird, and put it under one's head, then he'll tell you what he knows; or put it underneath you. 

50. Take a pea and put it on a frog. Stick out its left eye, and put the pea in its place. Bury it and then the pea itself will grow, and the peas that grow on that plant, if you take one of them and put it under your tongue, then you're invisible, as long as it remains there. 

In my personal craft I don’t like to hurt any living thing, these are mostly for interests sake and I hope you take it as the same, but to each their own.

[cxhnow]

Chloe x Halle Talk Police Brutality and Postponing Their Album

“The way our music has evolved is exactly how we're evolving as young women.”

Four days before the release of their sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, Chloe x Halle addressed their fans to let them know they’re postponing it. In a video posted across their social channels, sisters Chloe, 21, and Halle Bailey, 20, sat shoulder to shoulder at their home in Los Angeles, surrounded by hovering green trees, and tried to sum up their range of emotions after witnessing a global uprising against police brutality.“In honor of all of the lives lost in police brutality, we felt like it was right to postpone, and fully shine our attention and our work on them,” Chloe said, with both a shake and clarity in her voice, in the video to the duo's 2.7 million followers. Halle added, “Music has been used for a long time to bring us joy and healing in difficult times like this.” Just weeks before, George Perry Floyd, a Black man living in Minneapolis, died in police custody while a white officer’s knee was pressed on his neck. As video of his killing spread, and after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, protests sparked around the world demanding accountability and allyship with the Black Lives Matter movement. On the day Chloe, Halle, and I spoke by phone, Tony McDade, a Black trans man in Tallahassee, Florida, was fatally shot by an officer. In Los Angeles, where the sisters live, protesters strung their bodies together to temporarily shut down the 101 freeway. In Atlanta, where they were born, six police officers were charged after being accused of using excessive force on two Black college students who were tased and pulled out of their cars days earlier.During a time when fans are more critical of how celebrities engage in civil rights activism, Grammy-nominated musicians and actors Chloe and Halle Bailey don’t tiptoe. They urge fans to sign petitions, donate, vote, and recognize Black life, early and often. They celebrate Black joy year-round. This is what their followers have grown to expect from them. Chloe and Halle have always had something to say, and it just so happens to be an important time to speak up.

It’s hard to wrap your head around the unbreakable confidence it takes to be a female pop artist if you aren’t one. Thankfully, Chloe and Halle have each other. For decades, the bond among members of Black singing girl groups has given audiences soulful and fun music. In the '90s, groups like SWV, En Vogue, and Zhané made upbeat R&B music that made you want to dance with your homegirls. Now, contemporary duos like KING, Van Jess, and Ibeyi stand out for their rapturous vocals enveloped in dramatic production. Chloe x Halle add to this legacy by singing, writing, and producing ethereal music that resonates with the girl next door.Yet there are distinct differences in the duo’s vocal style; they don’t try to match each other’s voices to create some sort of uniformity. Rather, they play off of rhythm and song pacing to meld their voices. When they do sing choruses and bridges together, their voices, albeit distinct, create layered, otherworldly melodies.The duo’s sound is often described as angelic, giving leeway for some to describe them as two women without sin. Chloe and Halle want to shatter this idea because it’s not realistic. “For Ungodly Hour we were so excited to just flip the narrative of being the perfect angel and show the other side[s] of us.…," says Halle. "The dark side, the naughty side, the things that happen that you don't see behind the scenes.” 

The majority of the 13 songs on the album are about navigating messy situations — sometimes ones that you have caused. In the midst of trying to be a better friend or romantic partner, you know that you’ll always be imperfect, and decide to love yourself anyway.“I've always been a jazz head," Halle says. “I don't know why, but there's something about the pain and the love and the heartbreak that you can truly feel through the essence of those songs that are sung by Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald.” As of late, Chloe’s “really, really been inspired by '90s music and early 2000s production,” a vibe you can hear and see in “Do It,” the second single off of Ungodly Hour.“We wanted to show our sensual side because we are growing as young women, but we still kept it classy and cute,” Chloe says. “It was just really fun for us to do that. We also wanted to start dancing this era, and just something really simple. And it makes us so happy to see everyone doing that dance on TikTok.”Chloe expands on how the name of the album and title track came about after working with the U.K. duo Disclosure: “We wrote this song [the title track “Ungodly Hour”] with Disclosure, and we had the best time,” she recalls. “I forgot what I was watching, but I heard the phrase ‘ungodly hour’ and wrote it in my notes. [It] kind of stuck out to all of us, and we were like, ‘What can you say with this?’ We all came up with this sentence: ‘Love me at the ungodly hour,’ which means love me when I'm at my worst; love me when I'm not all dolled up and made up. Love me when all my insecurities are out on the table.”’

“We started writing about when you're in a situationship with a guy and the chemistry is there, and you know the love is there and your connection is so deep, but he's not going all in," she continues. "For some reason he doesn't want to commit. He's entertaining other options, and it's just saying, ‘You know what? I love myself enough to walk away and put the brakes on this and to pause this. So when you decide you like yourself, when you decide you need someone, when you don't have to think about it — love me at the ungodly hour.’”Other emotionally complex tracks on the album include “Forgive Me,” a haunting song inspired by Chloe’s own life, after she discovered a guy she was involved with was going back and forth between her and another young woman. “I Wonder What She Thinks of Me” is a song that tells the story of the new love, the one a man gets with after he’s broken up with his ex.The vocalists are eager to make music that grows with them and becomes more layered as they do. “The way our music has evolved is exactly how we're evolving as young women,” Chloe says. The chromelike wings they turn around and show on their album cover, worn with black, latex dresses, are symbolic of their strength and power.When I ask what they hope for in the future, the Bailey sisters seem at ease. Chloe would love to work with BTS: “They're performing — it's top-notch. I'll sit at my computer and watch all of their music videos and all of their performances.”“Awards would be nice," she adds. "Being at the top of these Hot 100 lists would be beautiful and amazing, but as long as I'm growing and I'm a better version of myself tomorrow than I was today, I am content.”

The duo is used to releasing music during times of political duress. Two years ago, when Chloe x Halle were part of our music issue for the release of their debut album The Kids Are Alright, the world was grappling with an immigration travel ban enacted by President Donald Trump, the #MeToo movement, and pressing climate change legislation. That album was an intonation from the sisters to young activists approaching human rights issues head-on: “Do it while you young. Don't let them turn you numb. Don't let them get you strung. Ooh, let me put you on,” they sing on their first album's title song.“I was 15 through 17, and Chloe was 17 through 19 during the making of the album,” Halle says of their debut project. “We were still very young. We were still trying to figure out what we wanted, and I think that showed in the music.”As artists, the singers say their first album was about proving they could play an active, hands-on role in the production of their own music in an industry dominated by men. As two teenage women, it was about showing the world that, although they didn't have all the answers and weren’t sure what was lurking around every corner, they had the guts to find out. At that point in their careers they had been signed to Beyoncé’s Parkwood for five years and had released one other project, the Sugar Symphony EP, in 2016. But aside from opening tour performances and high-profile appearances, they hadn't become household names.

Now, amid a health pandemic and a country in unrest because of its history of white supremacy, Chloe and Halle are navigating being famous and also having a distinct voice. While finding ways to take care of themselves, the sisters are also promoting an album from their home, in the rooms where they first honed their craft as writers, instrumentalists, and producers. “We've kind of gotten back to our roots and started doing what originally got us started," Halle says, "which is doing YouTube covers, interacting on social media, and connecting with our beautiful fans through there.” A lot has changed in their personal lives as well. They're private about the details, but say they’re learning more about guys and finding themselves in relationships and situationships. They’re experiencing more love, heartbreak, and the misguided antics of boys. "We have to take our power back as women and not allow ourselves to be played,” Chloe riffs.In January, the third season of their Freeform show, grown-ish, dropped. In the college-centered comedy, led by Yara Shahidi, Chloe plays Jazz and Halle plays Sky, ambitious twin sisters who attend the fictional state school Cal U. Jazz is balancing being in love with her boyfriend Doug (played by Diggy Simmons) and schoolwork; Sky is focused on being a track star while navigating her interracial relationship. Like the sisters in real life, their characters are witty, impeccably stylish, and proud of their Blackness. But unlike Chloe and Halle, they’re far more overt about their love lives — often kissing in hallways and openly discussing their sex lives — and unfiltered opinions.Before stay-at-home orders went into place, Chloe and Halle had been expanding farther into Hollywood, and pursuing separate film projects.In July 2019, it was announced that Halle is set to play Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid. Many saw Halle’s breakout feature-film role as a huge win for inclusion, but, like clockwork, people on social media found an issue with the revamped iteration of Ariel being played by a Black woman. Halle spoke out on the discourse, telling Variety at the time, “I feel like I’m dreaming, and I’m just grateful. I don’t pay attention to the negativity. I just feel like this role is something bigger than me. It’s going to be beautiful.”

Halle remains grateful, but says of the negative criticism, “We've always learned to just keep our heads up no matter the situation. No matter what anybody has to say about you...just keep pushing.”

Like Halle, Chloe is also expanding her acting chops in feature projects. In December, Chloe wrapped filming for her role in the horror film The Georgetown Project, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Simpkins. “I'm really protective of my energy, I'm very spiritual, and I love God,” she says about the thriller. “So I was constantly praying when I was on set. But surprisingly, the energy on set was so positive. And I learned so much by being around all of these Oscar-winning actors.”

Humility is a running trait between the sisters. They don’t hide their confidence, but are also God-fearing and incredibly gracious. They’re media-trained and polite, but also find a way to be frank. They say this album is a “whole different world” for them as they reveal more of their personalities, while exploring what it means to be grown women.

“We are learning to embrace who we truly are,” Chloe says about their music evolution. “Our insecurities, our sexuality, owning our power. I'm grateful that we are given a space where we can do that comfortably. And I'm grateful for our parents, because they instilled in us that we need to be strong and independent young women.”

[1shirt2shirtredshirtdeadshirt]

TOS Tag Game

OK for starters YAAASSS, feel free to tag me in these every time because I too want to talk endlessly about Star Trek TOS and am always excited to feed the fandom beast.

@burning--amber tagged me in this greatness -- I apologize for the delay but you know, I did have to find a publisher who would sign off on this fucking NOVEL. Because that is actually what I wrote in response. I am so sorry. 😂 When I say I’m here to talk Trek I MEAN I am HERE. To get up to the podium and PREACH THE GOSPEL. I encourage anyone following me who’s thirsty to talk TOS to jump aboard, tag me and give us the T! I want to hear from y’all! 

1. Which is the most defining moment for Spock and Jim as couple, in your opinion? One which left you most shaken?

Wow, yes. Ohhhh no. Let’s talk about this. (Who let me out of my cage?) There are so many strong moments in TOS, my GOD. Amok Time is the most infamous and blatant, you can’t really skate over that big guy because -- because -- YOU KNOW WHY. IT’S AMOK TIME. This is the elephant in the room which will stomp you to death if you ignore it. I can’t let myself write a paper with a works cited list on Amok Time right now, I just can’t. That episode -- I mean -- it was literally getting sucker punched in the junk with a slash fandom awakening. Kirk sacrificing command? His career? Risking his life?! Spock becoming completely void, utterly gutted, and a husk of a destroyed existence in the aftermath of what he believed to have actually done to Jim? I don’t know how it’s possible for anyone to watch that episode and not get steamrolled into a human pancake at how real and obvious the Spirk relationship became right then and there. IN THE 60′S! Yup just bros though, just bro things. 

I did let myself practically write a paper on how huge Devil in the Dark was for Kirk and Spock -- you get to see two individuals who each have a valid point, who both believe fiercely in their own standpoint, and who ultimately end up adopting one another’s views. It’s a beautiful demonstration of what they mean to each other as equals and as individuals -- how in sync they are and what a significant mutual respect they share. 

Throughout the series you’re hearing and witnessing Kirk’s rather open way of expressing affection for Spock. Plato’s Stepchildren is one of those rare opportunities where we get to see the depth of Spock’s feelings for Kirk via his own words and actions. And it is intense enough to make up for how difficult it can be sometimes to get a clear window into Spock’s perspective. It was all out there for anyone to see after Spock witnesses Kirk getting mistreated and nearly being made to inflict harm to Jim. You really get an understanding of just how powerful Vulcan emotion can be in that moment, and holy God, does he have strong feelings about Jim. 

But if we’re talking all-encompassing canon then for me the most defining moment for Spock and Kirk as a couple throughout the entire series has to be Spock’s epiphany in sickbay after making contact with V’Ger. We know something happened that catalyzed a rift and separation between Kirk and Spock, and this is the moment their whole relationship comes full circle. The look on his face as he’s lying there shaking his head and saying “Jim . . . I should have known.” Jim’s blatant desperation as he clasps Spock’s shoulders and begs: “Spock. What should you have known?” And Spock reaches for him. My heart drops through me every time he takes Jim by the hand, locking their grip as he stares him dead in the eyes and says: “This. Simple Feeling . . . is beyond V’Ger’s comprehension.” And Jim is overcome, bursting, and he wraps his other hand over their already entwined hands and just nods. Spock nods wordlessly back. That was acceptance. It was acknowledgement. It was forgiveness. It was walking through mental, physical and emotional hell with AND without someone and coming out on the other side again to find each other once more. It was fucking love. 

As for the one that left me the most shaken . . . it’s unquestionably the end of Wrath of Khan. From the moment that Jim looks over at that empty chair and you feel a shadow of that dread and realization, Jim pushing a member of his crew out of the way and the entire run down, having to take three men to hold him back from trying to go in there with Spock with tears in his eyes . . . I mean, when we love somebody -- truly, genuinely love somebody -- we might throw around the idea or firmly feel -- believe -- say -- that if given a choice, you’d die for that person. But in living that moment, Spock actually did exactly that out of love. He knew what had to be done and he decided to sacrifice himself for his own family -- for the whole crew of the Enterprise. But there was a reason that the sole person kneeling down in front of him weeping, reaching for him and seeking out his hand, hearing his last words, and sharing his last moments was Jim. It’s so powerful, so utterly heart shattering, such a raw and sad depiction of love, and it turns me into a hot human mess every time I see it. THE FRONT. OF THE SHIRT. IS SOAKED WITH MY TEARS. EVERY TIME.  Ahem. So uh, that just happened. There’s Chapter 1. I mean question 1. I swear to God I am not going to write chapter books for each one of these. *Wipes forehead nervously*

2. Which alien race deserved more? What do you think could have been improved upon?

Two episodes really stand out for me as outstanding in the quality of the story; I find Balance of Terror and The Enterprise Incident captivating.They sort of ghost around that decadent and dark history that Vulcans and Romulans share -- they let you see a bit of it, but there is a lot of mystery surrounding it. They pique your interest in wanting to get a better look at those cultures to understand them. Oh trust, I was beyond curious. I was frothing. I know that other Star Trek series have offered us more in terms of the Romulan backstory and history, but I really had a thirst to know more during TOS and I would latch onto whatever crumb they would toss out. Honestly, I would watch an entire series based entirely on ancient Vulcans and Romulans. I mean it, I am thirsty as hell. 

3. What is the most disappointing thing about TOS for you?

In all honesty? The fact that it got cancelled after three seasons!!! We were robbed. F u c k i n g   p i l f e r e d   b u t t   n a k e d. I’m sure there was so much ground to cover with the show that they never got a chance to bring into fruition and that frustrates me. If we’re talking some aspect within the show, those occasional moments with women that were so blatantly objectifying -- the ones that kind of jarringly reminded you that this was still made in the 60′s. I acknowledge the time it was made, but it still stings to see that sometimes if I am being entirely honest.

4. Who gets the Mr/Miss.Congeniality award if you were the judge?

I would have to say Uhura. She doesn’t get the kind of screen time that Kirk, Spock and Bones do, but I find the moments that she has with other characters to be very telling. How they react to her and treat her reveals a lot about how valuable and meaningful her presence is aboard the Enterprise. They all have such an immense love and respect for her. You just don’t really see confrontations with Uhura and other crew members -- it’s so rare compared to other members of the crew. She seems to be that person who brings brightness and light and joy to people who may be feeling very out of sorts, low on morale, or lonely in space. I also love that she canonically sings for the members of the crew to lift their spirits and help them unwind. There’s something so pure and warm about her character while also showcasing strength and professionalism in the same vein. 

5. Which section of Enterprise are you most curious to see which was never filmed?

The room, turbolift, or jeffries tube that Kirk and Spock would drag each other off to so they could make out, because we all know that it happened. (I digress. Truth be told, it was less about seeing a section of the Enterprise and more about getting a little more intimacy with the crew. I wish there had been more time for moments like seeing them getting ready before work, interacting with their rooms, showing us little glimpses of who they are and where they come from. So I guess having access to more on a personal level with the individuals -- the crew is the section of the Enterprise that I am most curious to see which was not filmed intimately enough to whet my curiosity about them.)

I have two questions.

1. What was the defining episode that you watched that made you go: Yup. I am 100% on board for this. WHERE ARE THE REST. I AM SOLD. THE CHEQUE IS CASHED, I HAVE MADE THE PURCHASE, GIVE ME THE STAR TREK.

Second . . . 

2. What. The fuck. Happened in the story between Season 3 and The Motion Picture. I legitimately live on a steady diet of fan theories about this and I’m starved to death. I don’t care if that dead horse has been beaten to glue, I can’t not talk about it. I love hearing what people have to say about that time period. Seriously. What happened between Jim and Spock. 

I WANT ANSWERS! I WANT THE TRUTH!

(You know that nobody could possibly know that and you also know that Gene Roddenberry passed away in 1991.)

*Grabs collar shakily* ASK HIM ANYWAY. 

ಠ▃ಠ . . . 

(¬▂¬) . . . 

I really should stop here. 

(No obligation, just love and admire your blogs! I’m curious what y’all have to say if you haven’t been tagged yet! <3: 

@queenofgol @ashayamspirk @thisisnotahetship @startrektrashface @demonicvulcan @pansexualspirk @homosexualspock @cptkirksnipples )

[the-blind-geisha]

B, U, V!

B - Apairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, butsomeone changed your mind.

Platonic relationship that I didn’t consider was that closeand I used to think was kind of one-sided at first: Ignis/Noctis because of howNoctis kind of ignores Ignis a lot of the time and seems to act cold towardshim. When I got to understand Noctis a little bit better through the relationof the game, I understand the way he acts isn’t intentional (as it’s even said Noctbecame different after the daemon attack, and I wager it’s depression no doubtthat only worsens as the game goes on), and he very much would be destroyed ifanything ever happened to Ignis even if he doesn’t outright show it through theprogress of the game in some moments. 

Not only did the fandom do a good job of changing my mind onthat, but so did SE with Ignis’ DLC to show how close the two truly are.

U - Three favoritecharacters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Noctis (FFXV) – Iwould die for this boy. Literally. I understand easily why the others gladlywill, but I would myself as he feels like my brother from another mother. I knowwhat’s going on in his head, and I know why he acts the way he does as I do thesame, I do know what shit he’s going through, and I do want to see him happy inthe end.

Jin the Wind Master(Yu Yu Hakusho) – When I was dying from an eating disorder in 2002, he wasthe one character to actually help me find strength in staying awake longenough to see his episodes and to find a reason to laugh. He breathed life intome (even for a minor character) to the point he was my muse for many years ofmy life. When I was falling asleep for extended periods as I dropped to nearly100 lbs, he was the main reason I was able to find my feet. I don’t write or draw himanymore, but I won’t forget what he’s done for me.

Thorn (Bone comic)– She was the first casual, everyday brunette farm girl with a hidden past shewas kept from in a streamline of big, busty, blond, beyond beautiful femaleleads that took me over the moment I read Jeff Smith’s Bone comics. For once, Ifound a character I could not only relate to, but found myself loving how I lookedand was without feeling inferior to how men portrayed women constantly in media(even cartoons/ comics/ ect). It was through Thorn’s portrayal that I foundOreana’s own life and story take form as well, and I changed Oreana from arandom blond to a brunette. She does have auburn type hair later on, but I dotry to make sure there’s more brown than red at times. lol

V - Which characterdo you relate to most?

Scary enough: Noctis:

We prefer our tea over coffee

We have shitty diet habits

We let our trash pile up till someone gets on our case aboutit

Quite possibly heavy with depression as am I.

Don’t care much for how we look at times though we can findourselves preening in private if we’re in public.

He can play the piano—so can I, but I am self-taught, and I don’tcare for the activity though.

Was always told by someone to read ‘actual books’ when wepreferred picture books or comic books more

While he is a fisher, I’ve only fished once or twice in myyounger years, so I cannot say for sure if that’s a favorite pastime I canagree with, but I do enjoy the moments of fishing sometimes.

Late risers who hate early mornings and will be vocal aboutit.

Night owls

Video gamers who adore Assassin’s Creed and will gladly nerdabout anything we enjoy.

He seems to have a closeness to Carbuncle, which is cute as Ihave a Carbuncle toy as I adore the critter in Final Fantasy games.

He seems to have vivid dreams as I do too

We seem to love animals more over people (or at least that’show people see us as when we go through hell and high water for animals but getgrumpy helping people lol)

Love our naps.

Love our chocobos—yes, please.

Are both hilariously blind when others are flirting with usand have to be told what an idiot we are when our friends see it better than wedo.

I am sure I could go on, but yeah—like I said: brother fromanother mother and another world. Q_Q

[thefudge]

You know what, you should rank TVD ships! It'd be fun to read and I think it's really difficult to decide which ships really are the best (all the non-canon Bonnie ships obvs 😂). But anyway, Idk if you feel like doing it but I wanted to request it because I'm a bit evil and also, I enjoy your rants and long text posts more than pretty much anything else on this hellsite!

bahaha, grl you always get me going

i don’t have time to rant too much but

0. the ship we were robbed of: bonnie/julian IM SORRY NEVER QUITTING CRACK

1. bonkai - he was all about her & he was a compelling antihero, we saw a new facet of her around him. first guy to really push her boundaries and make her rethink her choices. hotass couple, still going strong in the AU where julie plec isnt a racist.

2. bamon - they legit have so much history and development and that great transition from hate to love which isn’t phoned in or rushed. as that wise dude from stranger things poignantly said: “You’ve got chemistry, history, plus the real shit, shared trauma.”

3. klonnie - mainly because the show didn’t get its paws on it so it couldn’t actually ruin it. the potential is amazing tho. it would have made klaus bearable (have u guys seen him on TO??? what a self-important rube NOT SORRY) and it would have given us a conflicted bonnie. also i love it when the couple is equally matched in strength. 

4. bonenzo - this ship would be higher on the list if it had started circa season 5. because THAT’s when it should have started. their scenes are great and they do have lots of chemistry, but they also got the least exposure and build-up of any big tvd ships. which sucks ass. i needed more of them and written more consistently. also what’s up with season 8 bonnie? getting ready to sacrifice herself for him left and right? have we learned nothing from b*eremy? jesus. but season 7 bonenzo was lit. i just hate that they ushered in this ship at the last moment instead of giving it proper time to grow. in other news, is julie secretly alt-right? tune in to find out more 

5. kennett - oh, how my heart still softly sings for this gone too soon ship. it had a couple of smol moments, it could’ve been great. possibly as great as bonkai, because it would’ve been a sweet combo of bamon and bonkai. alas, julie is definitely flying a confederate flag. 

6. bonnie/tyler - yaaas, this would’ve been lit as fuck. because tyler is so good to his girlfriends, he’s attentive and cool and just a great guy. i can imagine them laughing in bed together, solid ship 10/10. 

7. bonbekah - i got swerved on this ship by @irresistible-revolution who writes fantastic oneshots about them. and rebekah would love to fuck (with) bonnie. speaking of which…

8. batherine - omg yall. remember those early days in s4 when katherine was teasing bonnie and trying to get under her skin? SIGN ME UP. what a hot crack.

9. stefonnie - love the vibe they have, although i think stefan became caroline’s dude circa season 4 and it’s hard to see him with anyone else. but i do love their early friendship and that intimacy that could’ve developed if julie and her team weren’t protesting outside with tiki torches.

10. bonnie/nora - i put this low on the list because we got fooled with this ship, namely that we’d get more of it. it was queerbait at its finest. i never learn. but the potential is amazing again. 

11. bonnie/silas - SIGH, this could’ve been great. imagine silas developing a thing not for elena doppelganger but for the descendant of the wife he scorned. amazing. ofc, he was an ugly beast/jeremy when he interacted and was interested in bonnie. he was only hot evil stefan when he killed her dad. julie is the zodiac killer, pass it on. 

12. bonlijah - sadly, elijah is all about katherine/elena/hayley in the TVD/TO universe. but it would have been a smouldering dynamic. 

13. monnie - they woulda been cute. slightly dull, but cute.

14. baroline/belena etc. - putting these low on the list because while i do love these dynamics in theory, in practice bonnie got shafted by my girls quite a bit. baroline is definitely the better of the two, seeing as elena tried to kill bonnie once or twice ugh. 

15. bonnie/shane - wasted potential. another dude in the long line of guys who *seemed* to be into her, only to trick her and cause her loads of pain. cuz ha, black women don’t deserve feelings, amirite?

16. bonnie/luka - low on the list cuz see above. and okay, luka was decent but had a screwy dad with a weird agenda. still, i think this one hurt more because bonnie was so happy around him. 

17. bonnie/ that rando guy in her cheerleading dream whom she stabs repeatedly - umm, hot? that dude gave her really good looks, like he dug getting killed by her.  but he also seemed kinda douchey so pass. 

18. bonnie/ben - or that waiter guy who tricked and hurt her back in season 1. in other news, julie likes steve bannon. 

19. beremy - fuck this ship tbh. 

20. bonnie/the gilberts in general - cuz fuck that too.

21. bonnie/alaric - omg yall, remember when we had that stupid scare pre-season 7? because all signs pointed to his sorry ass as her new love interest? canon show! alaric can bite my ass, he is dull and depressing. the only time i can ship this is in AU when @irresistible-revolution writes for them (which she did in a bonkai oneshot, bless her) that’s how specific it’s gotta be. 

22. bonnie/mystic falls - one good thing the finale did is send bonnie off somewhere else cuz that town is literally her death sentence. 

and that’s it! i think? if there’s anyone else, they’re probably somewhere between beremy and bonnie/the gilberts. hope u enjoyed!

*says she doesnt have time to rant, does it anyway*

[unwrittenarticles]

Top 50 Albums of 2019

1.  Grace Ives - 2nd

Slamming, kicking, pasting, tanning, beautifying, punching you in the gut.  No songs over 3 minutes, short-terse-dancy songs that fucking bang due to sheer bedroom anthemic production.  So wry and glib but intelligent and sensitive and adorable.  

2.  Faye Webster - Atlanta Millionnaires Club

Best ever breakup album of the year! Of all time.  Lovely, lovely, lovely vocals.

3.   Sharon Van Etten - Remind me Tomorrow

So sweet and intelligent, each song a captivating masterpiece.  I love her voice, which has a sadness and depth to it but her lyrics make you stop what you’re doing and pay attention.  Stunning album. 

4.  Cate le Bon - Reward

Genius lyricist possibly in the way of Joni Mitchell’s wit, beauty and sarcasm!!  I love her voice and her guitars.  

5.  Julia Jacklin - Crushing

Each song is like a novel, increasingly revelatory and suspense-filled, but also lovely vocally and totally immersive. 

6.  Purple Mountains - Purple Mountains

This is the hardest review of the year to write and still i am wavering.

7.  Big Thief - U.F.O.F    

8.   Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising

Another Joni-alike in the way of Cate le Bon, but also, adding this unique, acerbic analysis on subjects like ageing, improving yourself, gaining knowledge - subjects that interest me. 

9.   Sneaks - Highway Hypnosis

Such good rave music, but with wit and intelligence in the lyrics.  Metallic and cool synth sounds with great warmth to her post-punk-spoken word-soul-disco-r&b vocals similar to ESG.  Gutted I missed her play Glasgow last Feb due to working night shift.

10.  Sault - 5

Such a mystery to me how we don’t know the band members and the anonymity is so intriguing because this music is magnificent California soul, hip hop infused and beautiful vocals all mixed together.  Listenable yet intricate multi-instrumentalist tracks straight out of a 70s or future-film, can I place it?  No, I guess this is postmodernism and we haven’t quite hit peak saturation as I am finding such beauty in all this new music. 

11.  Maria Somerville - All My People

Sparse and dense, dark and light, such space on the vocals. Morbid and quiet yet warm and life-affirming.  I love this new female soundscape stuff!!  Power artists right now - Maria Somerville and Carla dal Forno, also Grouper as always - since 2006 who evolves completely with these new sounds.

12.  

13.  Ada Lea - what we say in private

Really enjoy listening to all these sassy and beautiful indie songs on this album

14.  Carla dal Forno - Look Up Sharp

15.  Prefab Sprout - I trawl the Megahertz

16.  Aldous Harding - Designer

17.  Sandy Alex G - House of Sugar

Gorgeous vocals and lyricism. I can’t stop thinking how there is some Elliott Smith intelligence and beauty in the vocals and similar depth and clarity but honestly how can anyone compare favourably with Elliott Smith? 

18.  Sasami - Sasami

19.  Big Thief - Two Hands

Earnest, reflective, filled with narrative and observation I like.  

20.  American Football - American Football 

Classy, delicate, self-aware.  Female vocal tracks (Hayleigh Williams, Rachel Goswell and Elizabeth Powell!!!!!) are exquisite. 

21.  Eartheater - Trinity

Where do I start?  Vocally sublime - some of the best vox I’ve heard in my life. Coupled with orchestral, trip-hop and synth sampling that add this lightness and buzzing music   Lyrically - empowered and intelligent but also some grunge and cool sounding hooks.  Could be cold and disorienting but it really works due to the strength of the vocals and lyrics.

22.  Equip - Cursebreaker X

So trippy and East/West and future/past sounds merging, being broke apart, sewn together and played all at once.  This is post-modernist, meta and self-aware.  This is what I imagine people listen to in Blade Runner, or insert future society here, want to say utopian though, because people will be loving all the vaporwave.

23.  Jessica Pratt - Quiet Songs

24.  

25.  Surfing - Emotion 

26.  Anemone - Beat my Distance

27.   Lana del Ray - Norman Fucking Rockwell

Should be a lot higher up but honesty I’ve been playing it to death my interest might be waning. Venice Bitch was one of my favourite songs last year, so that’s how long some of the tracks have been embedding themselves.

Oh Lana, there is so much to like.  Hyper-femininity, low and high notes, the old Hollywood feel to the lyrics on loving passionately and being adored, desire, jealousy etc.  

28.  Teen Body - Dreamo

Shout out to Negative Gemini’s brother being in this band.  I like the shoe gaze guitars and drums, male/female vocal interplay (swwooooon, this is a winning combination seen in MBV, Slowdive and Jorge Elbrecht tracks I like so much).  Nice lyrics, they’ve done a neat job on being intellectually interesting, but also narratively alluring, hedonistic and simplistic.  (I like simplicity sometimes). 

29.  

30.  Clairo - Infinity

31.  Catnapp - Break

32.  Better Oblivion Community Centre - Better Oblivion Community Centre

33.  Men I trust- Oncle Jazz

Combines vapor wavy 80s sax future trippy experimental synths with beautiful catchy, lusty vocals in a completely fresh way that intrigues me. 

34.  Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation

35.   Erika de Casier - Essentials

Bass bass bass.  Yes.  But then vocal perfection and introspection.  I am loving feminist narratives that are so well-produced and going to influence a whole generation of women in the way TLC and Destiny’s Child did - because ultimately they make great songs that appreciate kissing while asserting the right to a respectful relationship and are completely danceable and dark and light all at the same time.  

Oh lord, this description is garbled but I feel like a lot of feminists will know what I am talking about - it’s like yes looking good, feeling desire and being desired is extremely pleasant but so is being respected and valued and the two are not mutually exclusive and we should be demanding better lives for our women rather than hanging in the shadows while men take up all the space (!!!) 

36.  Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest

37.  Ariana Grande - thank u, next

I really liked this album due to various tracks with ace production sounding like shoegaze combined with pop and r&b and some excellent samples from 60s gal groups and soul musicians.  Ariana’s vocals are lovely and lift the tracks into absolutely ballin’ and relevant tracks.

38.  Jenny Hval - The Practice of Love

39.  Kedr Livanskiy - Your Need

40.  Stef Chura - Midnight

41.  Richard Dawson 20:20

42.  Hand Habits - Placeholder

43.  Lightning Bug - October Song

44.  Heaven - Truth or Dare

45 Barrie - Happy to be Here

46.  Bedouine - Bird Songs of a Killjoy

47.  Unloved - Heartbreak Instrumentals

48.  Meitei - Komachi

49.  EDDYEVVY - EDDYEVVY

Bring back the grunge!! Lovely vocals, sludgy guitars, nice lyrics. Lets all avoid eye contact at once, stare at the floor, dance from side to side and appreciate the beautiful vocals.  

50  Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

Her voice, her lyrics.  Would be a lot higher up, but it’s just not clicking yet.

Lark is the standout track, her voice so quivery and clear and certain all the time.  It depicts a sad song, “when we thought what we had was such a good thing”.  How her voice soars out so high.  I don't think anyone at the moment (maybe Lana if reaching) can do a high note as certain, uncertain and emotionally charged as Angel.

Jesca Hoop - Stonechild

Kornel Kovacs

Mega Bog - Dolphine

Hatchie - Keepsake

Nilufer Tanya - In Your Head

Cucina Povera - Zoom

Anderson. Paak - Ventura

Sarah Davachi - Pale Bloom

Anadol - Uzun Havalar

Lomelda - M for Empathy

Kelsey Lu - Blood 

Felix Lee - Inna Daze

To be released

Danny Brown

Sleater Kinney

Beck

This is an abundant, exciting era we are living in where female talent (which has always existed) is being increasingly represented and appreciated.  

[miniwolfsbane]

Copied from @andalite-angel post. Edited slightly.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, etc. are allowed.

Biospecialist, Marco/Rachel, Sam/Rahne, all cannon Disney Princess pairings, the two young kids Pacific Rim Uprising,  Lancitty, Evo Kurt/ Amanda,  Jott in Evo. Skyward??

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or ***** that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Fanfic writers and Evo romy, adult Jubilee x Gambit, others.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Never gonna be big on Evo Romy ever again, will forever hate Rahne x Roberto, Sam and Rahne with anyone but each other!!

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Evo Romy...somtimes. Because it does sorta make sense IN FANNON, but not in cannon. And Jean x Scott, because it’s so iconic, but I only like them in Evo, so...yah.

E - Have you added anything cracky crazy/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? 

See my fan fiction.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

The Little Mermaid and Star Trek have been there for 95% of my life.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, Sam/Rahne, Ariel and Eric (first when I was 5, even though I wanted to be Ariel), Rachel Tobias (first when I was actually gettin into fandom), Jake/Cassie (Animorphs), Clark/Lana, Clark/Lois (I think??) and Chloe/Ollie, Romy (even in Evo at a point!), and now Eliza and Goliath in Gargoyles. I keep saying I’m not a shipper, but I think I’m just a subtle one that pines and doesn’t read a lot of fanfic, but my heart swells over seeing my OTP on screen

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

TV Shows and Western (superhero) Animation mostly, but also a few animes.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

I was annoyed by the Agents Of Shield fandoms behavior for a while, but I’ve never stopped liking any fandoms because of Tumblr. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

SuperWhoLock, Riverdale...some other popular teen shows.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Tie between Sailor Moon and Gambit I guess, but I’m sure there are lots of others. Sailor Jupiter has a good arc as well, even though she doesn’t have a lot of character development TBH.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Roberto Dacosta’s super strength power is pretty cool and he’s a chill guy. And rich. (I just realized that a lot of X-Men characters are rich, actually. Gambit, Xavier, Warren and him. Holy crap.)

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon. TAS Rogue too, because she seems fun to hang with, and who wouldn’t like to be called “Sugah” all the time?

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

MORE GAMBIT (and comic Nightcrawler) IMAGINES!! And just more love and less fan wars across all fandoms, really.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Hero by Chad Kroger. Ship: Romy or Mollyx Remy. Character: Gambit or Angel.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

For any fandom? A mad scientist and a famous baker get together after the scientist contacts aliens, resulting in a warring invasion on earth.

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

To be perfectly honest, The Smurfs because we’re a Christain household and we found it had stuff in it we didn’t agree with. I was three.  Other than that, I’ve only given up one other fandom permenantly that wasn’t what I thought it was and chosen at a bad time. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Kurt and Kitty in Evo, and Logan and Kurt is cool, but I don’t actually pay much attention to it.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Hmmm. One that isn’t too boring? Remy isn’t (wasn’t? He is married now) particular about a woman’s height and is comfortable enough with himself to date a woman much taller or shorter than he is. (Remember, Frenzy was freaking 6′7 before she got rebooted to a normal height and it was implied they had history.) For a while it was a wish of mine they’d pair him with a short gal, because all X-women are physically clones of each other, minus Rahne, Kitty and Jubilee. Blargh. Oooh, just had an idea for a new art project to make the girls look individual! ^_^

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Besides the above? Uh...headcannon that Remy smells good and his hair is silky to the touch and yes I’m a sick, weird little person, I know. Haha, not really. I’m not much of a headcannon person. 

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

* Gambit: Hot, suave, lit, accent, good cook, romantic, my fictional ideal man (told you, I’m sick and weird). * Sailor Jupiter: Sweet, loyal, living on her own at bloody 14 years old, strong physically and emotionally, had trouble believing/finding her feminity like me, tall (not like me!), brunette character, thunder powers. * Tuvok (Star Trek): My second crush ever, calm, reflective, hot grandpa, sarcasm galore, strong, suffers emotionally and physically, POC and like the only black vulcan that I know of, cute little boy chest, that butt (XD), frakin’ hot.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Surprisingly, one I haven’t talked about yet and that I’m not really fandom-y about. Rapunzel from Tangled. When I saw the movie, I was attached to her immediately. I’d grown up homeschooled and at that point I’d been caregiving for one of my parents for six years at that point, unable to move out and get married and have much of a life, so I was always metaphorically in a tower too. I have childish interests, am artistic and creative, have done LOTS of self-insert art like her, and am a generally happy person (even if I don’t always show it and don’t smile enough). So, out of every character in my many fandoms, I relate to Rapunzel the most. Also, I have only 2 things of Tangled merch-the movie, the soundtrack, and a gorgeous bedspread that’s actually based on the show, but doesn’t look like it. (I don’t like it’s animation/character designs, so it’s been hard to get into it.)

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

OMG, do we have to go here? Anything over-sexualized or kinky or just plain gross/weird. (v***, gore, ect.) There’s this one X-Men:Evo artist on DA that would be brilliant, but I can’t stomach their gallery because they feel the need to do a few  v*** and bondage pics amongst otherwise G-rated pictures. *throws up* IT’S A SHOW FOR 7-YEAR OLDS!! 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Huge guy, Tiny girl! (but it looks...weird...in live action. *Good Luck Charlie flashbacks*.) Also age differences. Some people are put off by Usagi and Mamo’s age difference in Classic, but I think it’s cute and they were really chaste about it. Specifically, I liked the part where he told her to do well in school for some reason. 

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)? Holy crap, Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. No one on my dash is into them though, it’s a real life thing. Long story.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I have written more self-inserts than is probably healthy, but at least I’ve mostly gotten past my teenage phase of thinking anime guys are hot and it’s extended to Gambit as well. I’d much rather see him be portrayed by a living, breathing actor semi-bringing my fantasies to life than as a drawn character. Well, not that I’m not happy seeing him animated and his voice in Evo is still super hot, but that’s another thing. Anyway, on that note, I wish XM:E weren’t a dead fandom and I could get more reviews instead of just faves/follows. I get so frustrated, because I’m not writing my fics for myself, I’m writing them to finish the story and for the fans. I know OCs/SI aren’t everyones bread and butter, but when you work hard on something, you want people to enjoy and appreciate it on it’s own merits. My regulars dropped off the planet and the fandom is just not that active online. (It’s still kind of active though, otherwise the Gambit and other prints on Steven Gordon’s online store wouldn’t have sold out so fast.) I wish it had been as creative as the MLP fandom, but even that wouldn’t have saved it. Thankfully, there are a few people “keeping the faith”, like Coldfusion180 and some others. They haven’t abandoned it and people have made AMVs for it in recent years, long after the shows cancellation. I know we’ve all moved on in one way or another, but it’s still nice to see the love for the show and it’s characters going strong, even if we’re now a niche fandom, tiny, but there. And even if I don’t get another single review up until the last in the series, at least I can say I finished it, if nothing else. Even if your fandom is dead, keep supporting it. If we don’t keep the characters alive, they die and are forgotten. They need us.

https://fanfiction.net/~miniwolfsbane

[unhappyclient-blog]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article

[topscammers-blog]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article

[liarscheatersrus]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article

[bewarereport-blog]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article

[verifiedcomplaints-blog]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article

[ookamikasumi-writer]

The Non-Verbal Thesaurus

Don't need No Stinkin' "SAID!"

I write my dialogue without using "said" tags, unless I am actually describing a change in voice, tone, or volume in the same paragraph -- and even then I avoid them. I use the speaker's actions to define who is speaking to whom. I use ACTION TAGS.

“What the heck is an Action Tag?”

BODY LANGUAGE

Want to express how your characters really feel -- even when their lying -- without head-hopping? Cue their dialogue with their body-language!

Dialogue is Visual -- not just a bunch of words.

Watch the average conversation between two people. Over 90% of that conversation isn't in what's Spoken, it's in what they are DOING as they are speaking. It's in their Body Language. Body-language cues the reader as to what is going on in a character’s head – in ADDITION to dialogue and internal narrative.

Now that we’ve gotten that straight, here’s a handy-dandy List of Body Language associated with the most common Emotions displayed:

The NONVERBAL THESAURUS A Writer's Cheat-Sheet to BODY LANGUAGE CUES

ANGER

Annoyance, Resentment, Rage

a. Jaws tensed to a biting position; “I’m going to bite you!” b. Chest display, and/or hands-on-hips; “I’m bigger than you.” c. Cut-off and head-jerk cues; “I don’t want that.” d. Hand-behind-head. “I may or may not strike you.” e. Fists, palm-down beating gestures. “I will strike you!” f. Frowning and tense-mouth expressions; “Don’t make me bite you.” g. Growling voice tones; “Consider me a threat.” h. Staring; “I consider you a threat.” I. Gaze avoidance; the head is turned fully away to one side; “Run while I am not looking and I will not attack you.”

(Cover of Devil x Devil by Sachio Sawauchi)

DISGUST  

Revulsion, Loathing, Nausea

a. Curled upper lip, a retracted upper lip, and mouth movements. "I feel like vomiting." b. Digestive vocalizations of repugnance. Guttural sounds ("ach" or "ugh"); "I AM going to vomit!" c. Narrowed or partly closed eyes; “Don’t make me look at that!” d. Lowered brows of the frown face. "Ewww...gross!" e. Backward head-jerks and side-to-side head-shakes. “Keep it away from my mouth.” f. Visible protrusions of the tongue. “I can see that it tastes bad.”

(Art by ROYO)

FEAR  

Anxiety, Apprehension, Dread

a. Angling body away; “Don’t touch me.” b. Release of underarm scent; “Go away -- I stink!” c. Increase in breathing rate. "I'm going to run away!" d. Trembling and/or chattering teeth. "I want to run away!" e. Crouching. “Don’t hurt me!” f. Crying. “I’m hurt enough!” g. Displacement gestures; “How did I get here?” h. Fast eye-blink rate. “I don’t believe this!” i. Fear grin. “I’m friendly! Honest!” j. Widely opened flashbulb eyes. “I don’t believe this!” k. Unconscious escape motions designed to remove a body part, or parts, from danger (e.g., flexing the neck to lower and protect the head). "Don't hit me!" l. Freeze reactions; “Am I in danger?” m. Hair-bristling; “I feel danger!” n. Accelerated heart rate. "I'm getting ready to run away!" o. Tightened shoulder muscle tension; “Do I need to flee?” p. Screaming; “Don’t touch me!” q. Squirm cues; “Let go of me.” r. Staring eyes with dilated pupils; “How much danger am I in?” s. Sweaty palms. "Too slippery to grasp." t. Tense-mouth. “Don’t make me bite you.” u. Throat-clearing. “I do not approve.” v. Audibly tense tone-of-voice, either low and close to a growl, "I'm warning you..." or high to present a non-threatening sound. "I'm not a threat!" w. Yawning. “No fangs, see? I’m not a predator!”

HAPPINESS

Contentment, Well-being, Joy

a. Laugh or smile b. Crying; “I am overwhelmed.”

Unlike most other facial signs of emotion, the smile is subject to learning and conscious control. In the U.S., Japan, and many other societies, children are taught to smile on purpose, e.g., in a courteous greeting, whether or not they actually feel happy.

A true (i.e., involuntary) smile, crinkles the skin around the outside corners of our eyes, forming "crow's feet" or smiling eyes.

(Art by ROYO)

SADNESS  

Sorrow, Unhappiness, Depression, Gloom

a. Bowing postures; “I’m terribly sorry.” b. Cry face and lip-pout; “Please don't hurt me anymore.” c. Gazing-down; “I am not a challenge.” d. Slumped flexed-forward posture of the shoulders; “I give up.” e. Audible sigh; “I give up.” f. Compressed lips; “No, I don’t want that.”

The facial features constrict as if to seal-off contact with the outside world. In acute sadness, muscles of the throat constrict, repeated swallowing occurs, the eyes close tightly, and then tears.

(Art by ROYO)

UNCERTAINTY

Indecision, Misgiving, Doubt

a. Involuntary sideward eye movements; “Who is watching me?” b. Self-touching gestures; “Am I still in one piece?” c. Frown d. Hand-behind-head; “I don’t think so…” e. Side-to-side head-shakes “No.” f. Sideward head-tilts; “I don’t want that…” g. Lip-pout, lip-purse, and tense-mouth expressions “That tastes bad.” h. Palm-up gestures; “I surrender.” i. Shoulder-shrug; “Don’t touch me.”

Men will rub their chins with their hand, tug at the lobes of their ears, or rub their forehead or cheeks or back of the neck, in reaction to the increased tension. Male college students express uneasiness by changing their sitting posture to a more direct body orientation. “I’m going to to defend myself.”

Women will put a finger on their lower front teeth with the mouth slightly open or pose a finger under the chin. “I have no fangs, I am not a predator.” Female college students show uneasiness by sitting still and arm-crossing. “Dont touch me.”

(Art by ROYO)

SUBMISSION  

Acknowledgment, Compliance, Surrender

a. Turning away “No thank you.” b. body-bend, body-shift, and bowing “Please don’t…” c. displacement cues “How did I get myself into this?” d. facial flushing e. freeze reactions “Am I in danger?” f. gaze-down; “I am not a threat.” g. give-way; “I will not challenge you.” h. head-tilt-side; “Don’t…” i. Mimic of superior’s body movements “I will not challenge you.” j. laughing; “I will not challenge you.” k. palms-up; “I surrender.” l. exaggerated personal distance; “Don’t touch me.” m. pigeon toes; “I can't chase you, I am not a threat.” n. shoulder-shrugging; “Don’t touch me.” o. shyness; “Don’t notice me.” p. difficulty gazing directly at, or cross lines of sight with, a dominant individual. "I don't want to challenge you." q. higher vocal pitch "I'm weak, and helpless." r. yawning; “No fangs, see? I am not a threat.”

Note the considerable overlap between expressions of lower status (submission) and fear.

(Art by BROM)

DOMINANCE 

Aggression, Influence, Power, Control

a. Eyebrow raise; “Are you challenging me?” b. Hands-on-hips posture; “I’m ready for battle.” c. Head-tilt-back; “I dare you to bite me.” d. Palm-down gesture; “Do I need to strike you?” e. Swagger walk; “I’m stronger than you.” f. Table-slap; “I will strike you!” g. Lower tone of voice, close to a growl. "Don't make me bite you." h. Wedge-shaped chest display; “I’m bigger than you.” i. Direct stare; “I consider you a threat.” j. Looming with chin down; “I will bite you.”

Aggressive behaviors include the head brought forward toward another person, chin out and pushed forward, wrinkled skin on the bridge of the nose, and a sharp movement of the head towards the other person, as though in preparation to bite.

The Business Suit - Built-in Aggression

The business suit allows a powerful, influential ‘wedge-like’ silhouette for business and public affairs.

Exaggerated chest display Strength cues are tailored into every Brooks Brothers® suit. The coat's squared shoulders exaggerate the size and strength of the upright torso. Flaring upward and outward, lapels enhance the illusion of primate pectoral strength. Dropped to fingertip level, the jacket's hemline visually enlarges the upper body to gorilla-like proportions. Pads and epaulets cover inadvertent shrugs and slips of the shoulder blades, to mask feelings of submission or uncertainty in the boardroom or on the battlefield.

(Art by ROYO)

LOVE

Affection, Devotion, Attachment

a. Physical contact, including hugs and kisses. "You belong to me." b. Increased breathing rate; “I want to smell you.” c. Courtship behavior; “I want to make love to you.” d. Direct gaze with wide pupils; “I find you pleasing to look at.” e. Facial flushing "You make my heart pound." f. Head-tilt-side; “Are you looking at me?” g. Increased heart rate "I am aware of you." h. Mimic of behavior and/or appearance; “We make a set, we belong together.” i. Softened tone of voice; “Come closer.” j. Closing personal distance "I want to touch you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary of Facial Expressions

1. Nose: a) nostril flare (arousal)

2. Lips: a) grin (happiness, friendship, contentment) b) grimace (fear) c) lip-compression (anger, emotion, frustration) d) canine snarl (disgust) e) lip-pout (sadness, submission, uncertainty) f) lip-purse (disagree) g) sneer (contempt)

3. Brows: a) frown (anger, sadness, concentration) b) brow-raise (intensity)

4. Tongue: a) tongue-show (dislike, disagree)

5. Eyelids: a) flashbulb eyes (surprise) b) widened (excitement, surprise) c) narrowed (threat, disagreement) d) fast-blink (arousal) e) normal-blink (relaxed)

6. Eyes: a) big pupils (arousal, fight-or-flight) b) small pupils (rest-and-digest) c) direct-gaze (affiliate, threaten) d) gaze cut-off (dislike, disagree) e) gaze-down (submission, deception) f) CLEMS* (thought processing)

*CLEMS -- An acronym for "Conjugate Lateral Eye Movement." When the eyes move sideward (to the right or left) in response to a question. --Rightward movement is associated with symbolic thinking, or Memory, (what we KNOW.) --Leftward Movement is associated with visual thinking, or Creativity, (what we INVENT--lies).

Right = TRUTH -- Left = FICTION

Don't just SAY it! ~ SHOW IT!

Skip the dialogue "he said / she said" tags altogether by using Body-language cues and ACTIONS to SHOW what the characters mean when they say: "I love you."

Visualize this:

“I love you too. Oh yes, I truly do love you.”

Now, Visualize this:

“I love you too.” She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “Oh yes, I truly do love you.”

“I love you too.” She dropped her chin and pouted. “Oh yes, I truly do love you.”

“I love you too.” She glared straight at him. “Oh yes, I truly do love you.”

“I love you too.” She turned away and wiped the tear from her cheek. “Oh yes, I truly do love you.”

"I love you too." She raised her balled fist and smiled with bared teeth. “Oh yes, I truly do love you.” She thrust up her middle finger.

Can you SEE the difference?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This information gleaned and paraphrased from the research by:

The Center for Nonverbal Studies (CNS)

.

[wilfredopulido-blog]

4 Relevant Presents For Your Pal

Telugu Religious are those individuals that mainly develop from Andhra Pradesh in India. Our team have moved so far far from this, to some extent in reaction to legitimate worries for the welfare from kids operating in manufacturing facilities in the 1800s, and partly because of compulsory education, that our company are actually right now increasing a notable portion of the populace to adulthood without any experience of work, or maybe significant duties. Yet if you are actually solitary in Washington DC as well as are searching for concepts from the very best places to find men and women that you can possibly possess a future along with, below is a rundown from the kinds of locations people are coming across as well as their basic effectiveness fee. Smirking before the delivery is actually an additional adverse technique to utilize amusing quotes and also are going to destroy most of the result from the statement. Care needs to be taken when making use of amusing quotes this attribute that they perform certainly not end up being merely prejudiced, as an example. Attempt sticking the glow at night characters creating the words I LIKE YOU on the roof above her bed. Service providers that are entitled for Meaningful Make use of under the Medicaid program are actually exempt to settlement penalties, unless the service provider is also entitled under the Health insurance system. If you loved this post and you wish to receive details about yellow pages uk jobs - aiutodiproteinepervoi.info, generously visit our internet site. Coming from the perspective of the processes curricular credited expertise as well as previous expertise of the trainee, permitting a definitely meaningful discovering. There's a simple first-level answer: The search for purposeful work should be helped through where you search for meaning. Last but not least, if you desire to make up a significant eulogy for your dad, you likewise must feature some of your daddy's accomplishments or unique capabilities. I have actually never ever excellented at taking compliments, yet I chose that was actually time to learn to say thank you" to their kind words. Drop-off pick-up (DOPU) supplies a simple design for applications to send out CCDAs to patients (HealthVault customers) for Meaningful Use objectives. As opposed to receiving caught up in the purchasing craze from various other winter vacations, hang around pondering how to create your holiday season metaphysical and significant. Monitoring and also anticipating these are going to permit you to expand closer and construct additional significant partnerships along with the ones that are essential to you. To puts it simply: they can easily serve as sources or webs and also just associate distinct components; or even they may deliver an interpretation to these frequent affiliations, they can easily make all of them relevant. Certain fields coming from CCDA records obtained by HealthVault off Meaningful Use-enabled applications are used for the objective from querying and creating HealthVault Meaningful Usage files. The moment you've started regularly sending an e-mail e-newsletter, think about mailing out periodic physical newsletters, cards or even little presents to reveal your appreciation to your clients and also get in touches with. Since it is actually quick since that does not have very many terms considering that this is actually to the point, the text message is actually succinct. The pattern and also custom of delivering xmas phrases is also climbing but this possesses indeed ended up being a preferred technique from conveying your love as well as warm joyful wishes with the lovable words. They provide social media sites management so that they may get to the target market and engage them in a purposeful way. Yet another feature from purposeful work is that you identify its own relevance and also others will also. What gay guys prefer in a partnership is to become completely comfy along with their sex-related partners that want to defend methods in public. You could possess difficulty limiting down merely the appropriate label for your youngster as soon as you open up the globe of relevant infant titles. A research study off the online compensation- and benefits-tracking company PayScale found that, from all careers evaluated, physicians ranked their works as the absolute most meaningful. Rather you find entire phrases like dog, or perhaps whole entire key phrases like frankfurter", ice cream", or United States of America". Hence, everything points in the direction of sourcing and also applying EHR software application's that greatest provide unique requirements from varied process while likewise being compliant with the CMS directed on Accredited EHR Modern technology for attaining Meaningful Make use of requirement bench-mark. Phrases and pictures can aid you in keeping in mind things through bringing images in your scalp instead of simply words or amounts. This year, our holiday gifts could be phrases of real gratitude which will certainly possess genuine effect on our connections and make our holiday season one to remember. Starting in 2015, carriers which are actually qualified for the Health insurance Meaningful Usage program who do not successfully illustrate Purposeful Use will be penalized-- starting at 1% of Health insurance Component B reimbursements and enhancing annually to a maximum of 5%. There are going to be challenge exceptions for qualified providers. There are several write-ups that Dr. Peter Bender, kept in mind speaker, has actually posted connecting in wonderful information these personality types and also these works are actually available on his website; The 4 bird signs work with particular continuous qualities as well as attributes that prevail across these individuality kinds as well as people with usual personality styles, at times group with each other like birds carry out. A lot of primary corporations utilize this type from characteristic training to reinforce their management and also sales crews. It is my hope that you will recommit to finding meaning in the job that you carry out currently or discover a brand new career that is actually significant in order that you too can realize your very own possibility. Quick paragraphes are actually pleasing, properly relevant and caught on. Like becoming blended in interpretation the aspect you therefore uncomfortably prefer to make can be dropped when the peruse discovers his technique throughout from a long sentence. Really ur article gives adequate strength to any person to boost their lifestyle i am sending out an attractive smile to u additionally. Thus to select a child name that is actually purposeful in a legitimate technique, its greatest to connect the label to something the little one will certainly pertain to market value as he or she grows. That is why offering your child the title of an adored grandparent or somebody coming from family tree is incredibly relevant. There's a straightforward first-level solution: The search for significant job should be assisted by where you look for meaning. Finally, if you prefer to comprise a significant eulogy for your papa, you also have to include some of your papa's achievements or even unique capabilities. I've never excellented at approving compliments, but I decided it was time to learn how to say thank you" to their kind terms. But let's not allow the timepiece swing as well much in the various other instructions, and arbitrarily strip kids of the opportunity to make a payment which is actually relevant at an adult level, an addition which they are flawlessly able to make. Looking for Meaningful Food is an investigation task about what produces food meaningful.

[verifiedcomplaints-blog]

Faking all the way

According to the advertisements in the newspapers, I was going to learn “How to Live to Be 100 Plus!" "It’s free,” said one ad, “and if you are less than a century old, what have you got to lose?” So, since I am not quite that old, off I went, pen and notebook in hand, to a lecture in Tucson conducted by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D., “noted nutritionist, pharmacist, lecturer . . . and author of the best selling Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible." The lecture was sponsored by two Great Earth Vitamin Stores located in the Tucson area. Mindell helped found the Great Earth chain of health food stores, which, numbering about 200, is now the nation’s second largest. He has also written Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible for Your Kids, Earl Mindell’s Pill Bible, Earl Mindell’s Quick & Easy Guide to Better Health, and Earl Mindell’s Shaping Up with Vitamins—books whose total sales are in the millions. Mindell claims to hold valid credentials in nutrition. Although he does have a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from North Dakota State University, his Ph.D. is from the University of Beverly Hills, an unaccredited school which lacks a campus or laboratory facilities. During his speech, Mindell also said that he studied at Rutgers University, but representatives in Rutgers’ records office whom I contacted could find no record of this. Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was written while he was working toward his Ph.D. His adjunct faculty adviser for the project was James Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., who is currently a nutritionist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, California. Kenney reviewed the manuscript while tutoring Mindell and told him that it contained over 400 errors, more than 100 of which were important. Kenney told me that most of the errors remain in the published edition. The acknowledgements section of the book recognizes Dr. Kenney for his help and also thanks the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Dairy Council, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Nutrition Foundation, “without whom a project of this scope could never have been completed.” However, the fact that all these prestigious organizations would strenuously disagree with information in the book is not mentioned. In a section entitled “The Whole Truth,” Vitamin Bible tells what each vitamin and mineral can supposedly do for you and gives advice for self treatment with supplements of many of them. For example, it suggests pantothenic acid for tingling hands and feet, vitamin D for conjunctivitis, and calcium for menstrual cramps. This section also promotes substances which Mindell calls “vitamins” B10, B11, B13, B15, B17, P, T, and U. There is no evidence that any of these substances are essential to humans or that supplements of any of them are beneficial. Furthermore, B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) pose health risks. Another section of the book recommends self-treatment with supplements for more than 50 ailments and conditions including, acne, bad breath, baldness, headaches, measles, mumps, prostatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea and warts. In Vitamin Bible for Kids, Mindell advises parents who suspect that their child is deficient in any nutrient to consult a “nutritionally oriented doctor” or (if mineral deficiency is suspected) to obtain a hair analysis. Among other things, the book recommends vitamin supplements for acne, bronchitis, athletes foot, canker sores, chicken pox, clumsiness, colitis, dandruff, diabetes, forgetfulness, impetigo, insect bites, prickly heat, poison ivy, stomachaches, tonsillitis, and warts. For multiple sclerosis, it recommends orotic acid, which Mindell refers to as vitamin B13. And for children “whose little white lies are growing darker,” he recommends eliminating sugars, refined starches, and junk foods from the diet and supplementing with B-complex vitamins. Mindell is co-editor of Keats Publishing Company’s “Good Health Guides,” a large series of booklets promoting dozens of questionable supplements. His fellow editor is Richard A. Passwater, whose “Ph.D.” is from Bernadean University, an nonaccredited correspondence school that was never legally authorized grant any degrees. Mindell has also written information sheets that are distributed as educational material in health food stores. Although all of them warn that the information they contain “is not intended as medical advice but only as a guide in working with your doctor,” it is clear that health food stores are using them to boost product sales by making claims that would be illegal on product labels. The Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud has collected more than 60 of these articles dated between 1980 and 1984. Some of them describe how various vitamins, minerals and amino acids function in the body and provide tidbits on research involving these substances. Others promote such products as ginseng, bee pollen, chelated minerals, kelp (to help the thyroid gland), yucca extract tablets (for arthritis), papaya (to help digestion), octacosonol ("the amazing energy sustainer"), and golden seal root (for stomach and liver troubles). Most of the information sheets are misleading, and many contain errors. In #63, for example, Mindell states that research done at Temple University in Philadelphia found that rats fed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) lost weight. What actually happened, however, was that rats who received dosages 50 times greater than those marketed for humans did not lose weight but merely gained less than expected. Great Earth was one of many companies selling DHEA pills as a "fat fighter” until the FDA ordered all DHEA products off the marketplace in the spring of 1985 . Flyer #44B suggests that supplements of glucomannan (a plant fiber) are an effective appetite suppressant—which they are not. A previous version of this flyer claimed that studies conducted by Judith Stern, D.Sc., of the University of California at Davis, showed that subjects taking glucomannan lost more weight than control subjects. Actually, no significant differences were found between the two groups, and mention of Dr. Stern was deleted after she threatened to take legal action. Flyer #4B suggests that supplementation with lecithin can prevent heart disease, aid anemia, strengthen weak muscles, reverse psoriasis, improve memory and balance, and even “appears to help multiple sclerosis.” (Mindell sometimes calls lecithin “the Roto-Rooter of the nutritional world” because “it cleans out blood vessel walls.") Flyer #31 claims that superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an “anti-aging enzyme” which may be effective against arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer and senility. Even if this were true, SOD in pill form could not possibly be effective. Tests on animals have shown that oral supplementation does not affect tissue SOD activity—a finding easily predictable from the fact that SOD, like all other proteins, would be digested rather than absorbed intact into the body. Flyers #9A and #9B endorse the theory of Dr. Benjamin Frank that increasing intake of RNA and DNA through dietary measures or supplements will “reverse the aging process.” Nucleic acids, found in all living matter, are basic to cell reproduction. Like SOD, however, those that are eaten are digested and never reach the cells intact. Moreover, nucleic acids are like specific blueprints. If DNA and RNA from yeasts or sardines could actually work in humans, they would turn them into young yeasts or baby sardines Mindell says that everyone should take supplements. He claims that foods from the grocery store are depleted of vitamins and minerals and, therefore, are nutritionally inadequate. He says that smokers need extra vitamin C, those who drink alcohol need extra B-vitamins, and that women taking birth control pills need extra B6. During his talk in Tucson, Mindell said he personally takes “20-odd” supplements twice daily. He also said that “natural” vitamins like natural vitamin C with rose hips are better than synthetic ones. Even Linus Pauling, whom Mindell frequently quotes, has pointed out that there is no difference between the two in nutritional value. Mindell’s lecture included advice that is potentially dangerous. He said, for example, that vitamin A is safe in amounts up to 100,000 IU per day and that any potentially toxic doses carry warnings. Neither of these statements is true. Cases have been reported in which daily dosage with 25,000 IU of vitamin A has caused toxic levels to build up in the body over periods of months or years. And supplements of this strength do not contain warning labels. Mindell also recommended exclusive use of whole grains and said these cannot be harmful unless massive amounts are eaten. Whole-grain foods are perfectly fine for people who are healthy as long as they don’t eat too many of them. However, whole grains contain phytates, which can prevent mineral absorption. Americans with borderline intakes of some minerals could become mineral deficient by consuming excessive amounts of whole cereal grains and fiber. Mindell told the audience that 300 milligrams daily of zinc supplementation is safe, but research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that dosages of more than 150 milligrams daily may cause serious copper loss. According to Dr. Harold Sandstead, a major zinc researcher, people who take more than 50 milligrams of zinc a day should have their copper levels monitored. In fact, it has been reported that supplements of only 15 milligrams per day can cause above-normal copper loss . At one point during his talk, Mindell tried to persuade a member of the audience to follow his advice rather than that of his doctor by claiming that medical doctors are ignorant about vitamins. Now retired from active management of his stores, Mindell spends much of his time writing, lecturing and appearing on talk shows. Despite the astonishing number of inaccuracies he has been promoting—his ideas are rarely questioned by members of the media who encounter him. Read the full article