#Also can I call you chip. Like a shortened version of your name but also a sonic unleashed ref

[polkad0t1]

actually going insane over this thanks

You’re welcome!!

[kuroko-no-cuties]

GOM + Kagami Headcanons: Nicknames for you 💝

AKASHI ✂️

Elegant nicknames. Will call you things like

My love, darling, beloved, empress, my queen,, cherry blossom.

Man makes sure you feel as if you’re being treated like royalty because you are nothing less in his eyes.

“Good afternoon, my empress. How has your day been? My my, what’s with the red face? Don’t tell me your nicknames still get you flustered after all the times we’ve been together. Well I suppose I’ll just have to use them more often so you can get use to it..”

MIDORIMA 🍀

Can definitely see him going for more traditional nicknames

Dear, love, darling, sweetheart, my pet, when he’s feeling especially dominant help

Uses them rather sparingly because he knows how much you like them and he loves to tease you freaking tsundere and he also got flustered the first few times he said them to you bless him.

Takao once overheard him calling you darling while all three of you were out together. Midorima didn’t hear the end of it for a week. Every once in a while Takao will bring it up to see Midorima blush. It’s totally worth the bombastic side eye and occasional head smack he gets afterwards

“Going to spend the afternoon with your Darling, Shin-chan~ 😘”

“Shut your mouth, Takao!”

AOMINE 🧢

Ofc he gives you very flirty and sexy nicknames.

Babe, hottie, baby girl, sexy, kitty, mama, cutie, babydoll ok I’ll stop😮‍💨

Will call you them often either in public or in private he doesn’t care. But he’ll live for how flustered you get when he uses them especially if he uses them in front of his teammates.

Speaking of which he’ll make sure to lay it on thick if he sees one of them being a little too friendly with you

“Hey there babydoll~” a deep voice purrs into your ear as you’re in the middle of a conversation with Sakurai. You tilt your head up to see dark blue eyes boring hungrily into you. “I’m getting bored so, why don’t you meet me up on the roof so I can finally get some excitement?…” his suggestive tone immediately sends a fiery blush along your cheeks. You begin to quickly dismiss yourself from the brown headed boy in front of you only to find that you have no need.

Aomine wasn’t even trying to be subtle when he spoke with you, and the apologetic mushroom had already sped off while stammering a muddled apology for taking up too much of your time.

MURASAKIBARA 🍇

Doesn’t really bother too much with cutesy nicknames, but when he does decide to call you by a cute nickname it’s usually teasing you about your height because ofc.

Yeah unless your literally built like Shaq, he’s most likely gonna tower over you, even if you are taller than the average gal you’re still a squirt to him

His nicknames will include the following: chibi-chin, tiny, shortie, peanut, munchkin, little girl, baby-chin

“Mmm~ chibi-chin, give me some of your chips~” “No way you just ate a whole family bag you glutton!”“Hah? Peanut’s being greedy. How rude…~”

KUROKO🩵

Rarely ever uses nicknames. Even when you two become a couple he’ll still address you by your last name with the specific honorific.

You literally have to beg him to finally address you by your first name

But when he is a feeling a little flirty, he’ll address you by: a shorten version of your first name, dear, honey, and maybe if you really get his gears going: vanilla

He’s a sweet simple boy in everything he does.

“Here’s your milkshake Tetsu”~ you chirp happily as you slide beside him in the Maji Burger booth. “Thank you, Vanilla”

“Of course it’s vanilla, silly. I know you’re not fond of the other flavors.” You smile as you nudge him gently with your shoulder.

“Oh well, thank you, but I was calling you vanilla, Vanilla.”

“Oh… I see ☺️ Well your welcome, my fuzzy blueberry.” You gush as you ruffle his heart causing your Blueberry’s face to adopt the hue of a strawberry.

KISE✨

Every nickname in existence and then some

honey, baby, babe, sweetie, sweetheart, snookums, muffin, honey bunny, doll face, Snoopy, cutie

He’ll also make up some of the most ridiculous ones you’ve ever heard

shmoopy, cutie patootie, boo boo keys, shtunky, star eyes, shmooshy, peewee, foofoo , momo, kitten whiskers- you get the idea

A lot of times to two of you just battle to see who can come up with the stupidest nickname and make the other one laugh first

“How are you today, cutie?” “I’m fabulous, legally blonde bombshell!”

“Love that for you, kitten whiskers!” “Thank you very much, smoopy poo!”

“Would you like to walk to the convenience store with me, boo boo keys?” “Of course shmooshy-“

KASAMATSU: “WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP ALREADY?!”

KAGAMI❤️‍🔥

similar to aomine with the hot nicknames

mainly uses babe, baby, doll/dollface Rarely uses your actually name - 9/10 if he wants your attention he’ll uses either babe and baby

but occasionally you’ll get momma, hot stuff, cutie, missy, or little girl out of him - mainly when he’s trying to fluster you 🫣

The two of you were spending the afternoon at the basketball court. Kagami using this time to practice, while you chose to sit on the bench and observe your hot boyfriend work up a sweat.

While gawking at Kagami was certainly an enjoyably pass time, you decide this was also a good time to break out the new over ear headphones you had purchased that morning. Choosing your current favorite tune from your library, you get lost in your world of music.

Meanwhile Kagami had decided to call it a day after sinking one last free throw. He quickly went through his mental checklist and proudly found that he was able to go over all the things Riko told him to focus on.

His thoughts were soon halted when his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that the two of you still hadn’t decided on what to eat for dinner. He uses the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face as he tilts his head in your direction to ask,

“What’re you in the mood to eat, babe?” After a few moments of silence, he raises an eyebrow and walks closer to you

“Babe?” He questions again. After closing a bit of the distance between the two of you, he sees why you’re leaving him on unanswered. You’re too busy dancing in your seat - eyes shut, head bopping - completely oblivious to the world. A short laugh leaves him as he makes the executive decision to have some fun with you while you are distracted. He quickly makes his way behind you and gently lifts your earphones off your head.

“Having a fun concert by yourself, doll?” He bites back a snort as you jump violently, almost it falling off your seat, as you whirl around to face him.

“Oh…ha..s-sorry..” you stutter, getting shy at your boyfriend’s intense gaze boring into you. Kagami chuckles and, now feeling cocky at the reaction he got from you, leans in closer to press a passionate kiss against your lips.

“You’re adorable mama…” he mutters against your mouth - the nickname sending a delicious shiver to trek through your spine. You can’t help but melt into the red-head’s passionate kiss.

Unfortunately, the moment was cut short when another loud growl emanated from his belly. He pulls back with an embarrassed groan as you giggle at the light blush that spreads across his cheeks. “Alright, fine.” he relents as he give a harsh pat to his toned abdomen.

“To be continued. Let’s go eat babe. I’m freaking starving,” he leans forward gives a short kiss to your lips, pulling back with the similar playful glint from earlier sparking in his fiery red eyes.

“And I can’t wait to have you for dessert”.

Bro I went so try hard on Kagami’s part idk what came over me 🫣kinda proofread kinda not I just wanted to get this posted

[hauntedhopeghost]

Could you perhaps tell a bit about your ocs? They sound cool <33

Oh! Hi! I wasn't expecting anyone to ask about them but alright ^-^ /pos

There's a lot of triggering subjects and things that have happened with them (heh trauma) but I'll keep the bulletpoints lighthearted, just some random facts about them :3 (if you want to hear something else about them feel free to ask)

Lauren and Lina have been really close friends since childhood

The Main OCs from oldest to youngest (where the main events take place, they age up older than that): Elita (18) -> Jaz/Lina (17) -> Lauren/Mitsaki (16) -> Kira/Cassie (15)

However, as stated above they do age older than that, that was my first thought while creating them.

Lina's full first name is actually Carolina, but nobody calls her that. She doesn't even refer to herself that way. The only one who does is her mother.

(Speaking of shortened names, Jaz's full first name is Jasmine and Cassie's full first name is Cassandra)

Cassandra was actually based on a persona in seventh grade I came up with to cope with severe mental health issues. Almost my imaginary therapist/friend, in a way XD

So she has a lot of similar issues that I suffer with, but everyone else has trauma too. (trauma :3)

Jaz has a tattoo on their right shoulder that they got the moment they were old enough (a pair of wings)

Kira's cousin (and their guardian) calls them Liz, in reference to their middle name Elizabeth

Cassie would not shut up about potato chips. Especially sour cream flavor.

Lauren goes overboard when it comes to gifts on any holiday.

Mitsaki is the type of person to tease someone for doing something and then be caught doing that exact action himself.

Lina adores coffee. Mainly iced coffee/cold brews. She likes caramel the most, followed by hazelnut.

The song "labour" applies to a lot of these OCs. Especially Cassie, Jaz, and Kira.

Everyone here has a dysfunctional found-family dynamic, though few stand out. (specifically best friends/enemies/couples, I'll make a chart detailing their exact relationship with each other when I have time)

Lauren has two brothers, both older than her.

Elita is your burnt-out perfectionist in deep denial about being a burnt-out perfectionist. Cassie is also that but if your burnt-out perfectionist gets thrown into responsibilities and used as a free therapist to trauma-dump.

Kira can be considered a pacifist and constantly breaks up fights between Mitsaki and Jaz.

The latter two were former friends-turned-enemies. Due to an incident and both of them being jerks specifically towards each other.

There are two versions of the OCs: one with powers, one without. As much as I love the one with powers there are some that have to be expanded upon <3

Cassandra lies about her age to everyone when they first meet. Not because of any exterior reason but so they'd feel more mature about herself.

Kira lets Mitsaki rant about life. The latter used to be homeless and the former would sometimes bring him food, but Mitsaki often disappears after those rants. For months Kira didn't even know his name. Which bothered her a lot.

Almost all of them are neurodivergent and/or queer

There was a side plot with Lauren's older brother and Kira's cousin where it's your love triangle with one other girl, who happens to be Cassie's tutor.

But the girl is aroace. And the two guys were actually crushing on each other the whole time. (Nadia, who is the aroace girl is completely supportive of their relationship)

I never planned to write it XD. but I thought it was interesting to add.

All of them are WIP, and most were made earlier this year <3. So a lot of things will change.

There are more triggering subjects that were left out :3 but angsty character lore will be tagged as such if I expand on them.

[allons-y-to-hogwarts-713]

Hey there! Sorry for the silence for the past few days! I had quite the hectic week. I'll get started on your present veerrryy soon, so if there is anything that is on top of your wishlist for a fic, please do tell me! :) You should definitely go with them if they ever go back to Amsterdam! Though there a lot of nice places outside the city as well :) Those are some wonderful things you mentioned about CS, I love those too. I just googled the outer banks and they are gorgeous!! [1/?]

What are some of your favourite foods? I love to try different foods when I'm travelling! I've only ever been to the westcoast of the US, but I'd love to see more! New York is very high on my wishlist. Some of my favourite places I've been are Edinburgh and Napoli! I old cities, it's almost like you can feel the history. I always try to imagine what it must have looked like hundreds of years ago [2/?]

Some of my favourite things about CS is how they fight for each other, and defend eachother. They can be so soft and sweet to eachother, and then in the next moment call the other out on their BS. Also the loving and stupid smiles, the leather jackets, the 'making eyes'. Basically everything! Did you make any more Christmas cookies? I'll hop by again later to talk about Christmas and to tell how you my prep of you gift is going [3/3]

Hi, Santa!

sorry, I saw the parallel when I added the Snow Miser gif and I had to

No problem, I totally understand, and I apologize too for the very late response.

Surprise me! Whatever you like to write. :)

I love a lot of food lol. It would probably be easier to name foods I don’t like. XD Honestly though, I could eat good ol’ mac ’n’ cheese any time. If it involves potato and/or dough and/or is fried, I probably like it too lol, especially potato pancakes, pierogi, and pizza. I also love Chinese food, though I guess I’ve mostly had Americanized versions of it. There’s one place around here that my sister-in-law said is a little more authentic than others for the most part though and their food is delicious, and her mom traveled here once and we made hotpot and dumplings together, which was great. What are some of your favorite foods?

I’ve never been to the west coast, but I’d like to see it eventually if I ever get the chance. One of my friends went to Edinburgh once or twice and loved it there. Old cities are cool. Even places that aren’t really that old but aren’t what they used to be are interesting to me. Like the main street in the town where I used to live, a lot of the stores and little restaurants were closed even when I was a kid and nothing ever reopened there, and it’s only gotten more empty since then. I always wonder what it was like when the buildings and businesses were new and the paint was fresh and the street felt alive just a few decades ago.

Yes yes all those CS things are great!

I did, I made sugar cookies, which I have to finish icing at some point. My mom made snickerdoodles, ginger snaps, and “monster cookies” which use oatmeal, peanut butter, and M&Ms. I want to make chocolate chip cookies and more butter cookies, and my mom wants to make pecan cookie balls, anise cookies, and Oreo cheesecake cookie ball things, but we’re almost out of some main ingredients (including butter) and we haven’t gotten to pick up more yet. I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses shortening, but I like the butter one better if I can make it. Do you like to bake? Have you made any cookies?

Are you ready for Christmas? I’m definitely not, and it’s so close!

[dailyofficereadings]

Daily Office Readings October 02, 2020

Psalm 102

Psalm 102

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help

A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call.

3 For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. 4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass; I am too wasted to eat my bread. 5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my skin. 6 I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places. 7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop. 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. 9 For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink, 10 because of your indignation and anger; for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside. 11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations. 13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it; the appointed time has come. 14 For your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust. 15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory. 16 For the Lord will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord: 19 that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die; 21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, 22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. 24 “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away at the midpoint of my life, you whose years endure throughout all generations.”

25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end. 28 The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 107:1-32

BOOK V

(Psalms 107–150)

Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.[a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; 7 he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town. 8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 9 For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, 11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12 Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. 13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 14 he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. 15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 16 For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.

17 Some were sick[b] through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; 18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. 21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Footnotes:

Psalm 107:3 Cn: Heb sea

Psalm 107:17 Cn: Heb fools

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hosea 10

Israel’s Sin and Captivity

10 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars. 2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord[a] will break down their altars, and destroy their pillars.

3 For now they will say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and a king—what could he do for us?” 4 They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. 5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf[b] of Beth-aven. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail[c] over it, over its glory that has departed from it. 6 The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king.[d] Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.[e]

7 Samaria’s king shall perish like a chip on the face of the waters. 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars. They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah? 10 I will come[f] against the wayward people to punish them; and nations shall be gathered against them when they are punished[g] for their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will make Ephraim break the ground; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself. 12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your power and in the multitude of your warriors, 14 therefore the tumult of war shall rise against your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. 15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel shall be utterly cut off.

Footnotes:

Hosea 10:2 Heb he

Hosea 10:5 Gk Syr: Heb calves

Hosea 10:5 Cn: Heb exult

Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb to a king who will contend

Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb counsel

Hosea 10:10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb In my desire

Hosea 10:10 Gk: Heb bound

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Acts 21:37-22:16

Paul Defends Himself

37 Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune[a] replied, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40 When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew[b] language, saying:

22 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”

2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew,[c] they became even more quiet. Then he said:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

6 “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth[d] whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ 11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.

12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; 15 for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’

Footnotes:

Acts 21:37 Gk He

Acts 21:40 That is, Aramaic

Acts 22:2 That is, Aramaic

Acts 22:8 Gk the Nazorean

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Luke 6:12-26

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Blessings and Woes

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you[a] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Footnotes:

Luke 6:22 Gk cast out your name as evil

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[littledonkeyburrito]

No, I do not know Mr Ikea

1. Have you ever painted a car? No.

2. What’s the brand of your sneakers? I’m not currently wearing any but most of the shoes I own are converse.

3. Are there any gnomes in your yard? What yard?

4. When was the last time you were somewhere that offered free Wi-Fi? Probably the last time I went to a bar or maybe shopping centre??

5. Do you ever have to write down a phone number to remember it, or not?Does anyone actually remember phone numbers in this day and age?

6. When was the last time you were stung by a bee? What kind was it? Never. It was always a little fear in the back of my head that I’d get stung by a bee or wasp for the first time when I was at work on nightshift on a site with nobody else around and realise I’m allergic and die.

7. Are you gonna buy lottery tickets when you’re old enough? I have been old enough for like 5 years and I’ve never bought one. (this was so written by a 14 year old)

8. What’s the last thing your parents yelled at you about? My parents don’t yell at me because if things go wrong it’s my own damn fault and my own damn problem. Part of being an adult.

9. Have you ever been into a real cave? Yeah I went to a couple in Tasmania last year.

10. Does your local museum permit free entry to students? No idea but most of them do free entry one sunday per month.

11. When your picture is being taken, do you smile with/without teeth, or do you not smile at all? Depends on the photo and my mood at the time.

12. What’s your favorite type of seafood? Prawns. Honestly, prawns are a gift sent from heaven. 

13. Have you ever been to Florida? No

14. Do you have a funny last name? Does anyone make fun of it? Nah it’s not really uncommon. When I was in grade 8 there was a kid who started calling me a sort of shortened nickname version of my last name which, from an outside perspective, could sound racist. Anyway, this kid was a dick and a teacher heard him call me that once and gave him detention.

15. Have you ever told someone, besides family, that you love them and meant it? Every dog that I’ve ever met.

16. Are the blankets that are on your bed now made by someone you know in life? No, I do not know Mr Ikea

17. Would you ever have a child just to get someone to fall in love with you? That is a horrible reason to have a child. So manipulative and super hurtful to everyone involved. Don’t ever do this.

18. Have you ever personally witnessed a drug deal before? Yeah.

19. Have you ever been pulled over by the cops for speeding? Yeah, I got a ticket a few years ago.

20. What time is it where you are currently? 9:04pm 21. Have you got any half or step siblings? No

22. When was the last time you had wet hair? When I had a shower a couple of hours ago

23. Do you like kids’ movies? Sometimes

24. When was the last time you were sick and what illness did you have? I got a mild cold when I got back from central america. Long haul flights are the worst for cold and flu

25. When did you last wash your hair? A couple of hours ago

26. Have you ever been kicked out of somewhere? Yeah, one time my friends and I got kicked out of a clothing store for mocking their stock and taking selfies wearing all their hats.

27. Who did you last speak aloud to and what did you say? I think it was when I spoke to my neighbour like 2 days ago about our electricity bill. I don’t go out much...

28. Do you have any homework to do? No. I don’t go to school and currently am not taking classes for anything. I think I last had homework in March.

29. What were you last at the doctor for? I needed a vaccination for Yellow Fever and some prescriptions for travel medication.

30. Have you seen all the Lord of the Rings movies? Back in the day

31. What is the strangest food combination that you enjoyed as a young child? I don’t think I necessarily enjoyed the combination but I loved the individual components so much that I kept eating them together anyway. As a kid I ate spicy salami with nutella.

32. Have you ever had to call the cops on someone else before? Yeah that one time my neighbours at the time were fighting and it sounded like she was about to straight up murder him. 

33. What kind of phone do you have? Samsung S6

34. Name a site that you visit everyday. Until I read the previous person’s answer on this I didn’t realise you meant website. I was thinking of like work, the shops or whatever. 

35. List all the things you had to eat/drink today: Spicy noodles, some cheesy breadsticks, a banana, milk and some coke.

36. Best one: Alcohol overdose or jumping out of plane with no parachute? Bro, wtf? Probs drinking because it’d be fun up until I get sick.

37. Are you a fast walker, or do you take your time? In my city I walk fast and the slow tourists frustrate me.

38. Ever felt utterly ashamed of something or someone? Not really but there’s certainly a few cringey drunken memories in there. 

39. Do you find it difficult to sleep on your stomach? Yeah bc I got big tiddies

40. Have you ever drunk/eaten a substance in the science lab? Lmao yes this one time in year 12 chemistry we were trying to make icecream using dry ice but my group mixed ours too much and it pretty much came out like sweet butter so one of the girls got some crackers out of her locker and we ate them with the butter stuff. Also in that same semester we made wine and then sat around in the classroom drinking it with our teacher at 10am even though all the students were still 17.

41. Do you believe in the army, it’s disgraceful to improperly salute? I read the first half of that and was like, “Umm yes the army actually exists, it’s not some fucking cryptid.”

42. Would you rather play an instrument or be the singer? Instrument - drums.

43. You must change your name to either Ethel or Gertrude - which do you pick? Ethel 44. Form a sentence in which each word begins with the letter “H.” Harry hopped happily hacia (spanish meaning towards) his house. That’s a little bilingual one for you. 45. Would you be comfortable at a nude beach? Probably not. 46. Do you own anything that is glow in the dark? No.

47. In front of you is a chocolate brownie and a slice of apple pie - pick one. Brownie please  48. What is your least favorite breed of dog? No, they’re all good. 49. Would you rather battle a shark or a lion…why? I’d fight a shark on land. 50. How important is money to you? I like money a lot. Mostly I like it because travel is expensive 51. Find the item closest to you; what do you use it for? That would be my phone, a notebook and pen, and a can of beer. All fairly self explanatory.  52. Have you ever been told that you talk too fast? In english, yes. Spanish, definitely no. 53. Are there any stores near you that are open 24 hours? I honestly have no idea. 54. Do you know any songs by Fall Out Boy? Yes, and that reminds me that they have a new album out that I should buy. Also Foo Fighters and I think Maroon 5 (or maybe it’s out soon) 55. Have you ever given your phone number to somebody you met online? Yes, I have given my number to a couple of people from tinder because it’s much easier to chat on whatsapp. 56. Have you ever had a crush on somebody who was 10+ years older than you? I guess so, yeah. 57. In your opinion, are leggings appropriate to wear as pants? Maybe not in an office/formal environment, but casually, you do you man idgaf 58. On average, how much does gas cost where you live? No idea, I’ve never driven here so I’ve never felt the need to check prices. 59. Do you know anybody who can play an instrument? Yes 60. What store did you buy the shirt you wore today at? I bought it at cotton on in Toowoomba way back when I was still at uni. It’s my pyjama shirt these days. 61. Do you prefer minty or fruity flavored gum? I don’t like gum, but I do like to have breath mints around. 62. When I say the word “Luxury” what comes to mind? idk why exactly but I pictured a purple leather sofa with gold along the backrest. 

Like this ^^ design but purple leather instead of the beige and gold instead of the white. In a dimly lit room. Probably with a fireplace roaring nearby.

63. How old were you the year your favorite movie came out? idk if it’s still my favourite but I was 16 when it was released.

64. Whose birthday is coming up soon? @aturinfortheworse in a bit over a month. Oh wait, my dad’s is before that.

65. What’s your favorite place to get sushi? Not in most countries bc it’s super expensive. But Japan or Aus are good.

66. What’s your favorite Paul Rudd movie? Probably Antman

67. Do you know anyone who lives in Hawaii? No.

68. What’s your favorite way to eat a potato, ex.: chips, fries, baked, etc.? Raw like an apple. Straight from the ground, don’t even wash the dirt off.

69. What’s the closest thing to you with someone’s handwriting on it? The notebook sitting on the end of the couch. I’ve been writing down the companies I’ve been sending my CV to.

70. What’s the most important key on your key ring? There are 3 keys to get into my apartment and those are the only keys I have.

71. Do you have Spotify and if so, what’s the last song you listened to on it? I do not.

72. How spicy do you like your food? Very. Just fuck me up fam.

73. When was the last time you walked through your front door? A couple of days ago when I went to the corner store to buy beer.

74. What would you do if you accidentally got pregnant? I’d panic first, and then abort.

75. Bats: cute or gross? So goddamn cute.

76. Are you going to or did you see the new Star Wars? Yeah I’ll probably go see when it comes out.

77. What’s your favorite Netflix show? My fave netflix original is probably Club De Cuervos 78. What is the last thing you said to the person you like? "If I had more money I’d definitely be travelling right now” 79. What was the last thing to annoy you, even the slightest bit? When you apply for a job online and you attach your resume but then they still make you fill out that whole questionaire thing that takes like 30 fucking minutes and it’s literally all information that is written in your resume. 80.  Would you rather go back a week or go forward? Neither of them are going to make a difference. 81. Could you go out in public looking like you do now? No thanks 82. Who did you like on New Years? I was very attracted to the guy I was seeing at the time but I didn’t actually like him as such. I did have a bit of a crush on my spanish teacher though 83. What did you have for breakfast? I did not. 84. Have you had sex in 2017 yet? Yeah it’s been a pretty fun year tbh 85. What kind of booze did you last take shots of? Last time I had a shot would have been in Panama when I was quite hungover so the panama guy took me to a bar and gave me a beer and a shot of white rum. The rum did not go down well but the beer was nice. 86. What are you wearing currently? Pyjamas and socks 87. What colour hair do you find sexiest on the opposite gender? Dark brown or black usually 88. Have you slept over at a member of the opposite sex’s house in their bed? Yes. (this section must have also been written by a teenager) 89. Who last slept in your bed besides you? Guy that visited a few weeks ago 90. What time did you wake up today? Around midday 91. If the last person you had sex with asked you to date them, would you? Bit difficult since we live on different continents. If we lived in the same place, then yeah I’d probably give it a go 92. How long until your birthday? 7 months 93. When you lost your virginity, were you sober? I was not anywhere close to sober 94. Has anyone of the opposite sex ever told you that you were sexy? Yeah. 95. When did you last consume something that had peanut butter? I have absolutely no idea.

[pogueman]

Apple polishes up 23 features in Mac OS High Sierra

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, speaks about High Sierra operating software during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., Monday, June 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Let’s be honest: The biggest Mac news from Apple’s developer conference Monday wasn’t about software features—it was about new hardware.

All Apple (AAPL) laptops and iMacs will gain Intel’s latest, fastest processor, known as Kaby Lake. The new iMacs will get huge bumps up in available storage, memory, and graphics power. And in December, Apple will see just how much it can pack into an iMac by releasing the iMac Pro: the most powerful Mac ever made. Dark gray metal, 5K screen, an Intel Xeon chip with up to 18 cores, 128 GB RAM, 4 terabytes of solid-state storage, and a 10 GB Ethernet jack. $5,000 and up. A truly monster machine—and yet it’s not the long-awaited update to the Mac Pro; that’s coming, too, Apple says.

But there was a software unveiling, too—of the next free Mac OS version, coming this fall. It will be called Mac OS High Sierra, and the name suggests exactly what it is: a set of refinements to the current Mac OS, called Sierra.

What you’ll soon discover is that (a) it’s a whole lot of miscellaneous, and (b) it’s a lot of stuff that’s also coming to iOS 11 on the iPhone this fall.

Still, there’s a lot of useful stuff. Here’s what you can look forward to.

Safari

Apple has continued to work on Safari, its web browser—and says that the new version will be the fastest desktop web browser in the world.

It will also use less power. Apple claims that you’ll be able to watch Netflix (NFLX) for two hours longer in Safari than other browsers.

Maybe even more thrilling to the world’s internet surfers (and less thrilling to advertisers), Safari will be able to auto-block auto-play videos. Now, no video will begin playing unless you click it. (You can grant certain sites permission to autoplay every time, if you like.)

That’s not the only way Safari will frustrate advertisers. Apple says that “Safari now uses machine learning to identify advertisers and others who track your online behavior, and removes the cross‑site tracking data they leave behind.”

This is cool, too: You can create different viewing settings for different sites. You might like the New York Times site to appear with larger text, ad blocking turned on for Dilbert.com, and so on. (Page zoom, location services, notifications, and ad blockers are among the settings memorized for each site.)

And if you like the Reader view—which hides all ads, navigation stuff, blinking stuff, competing colors and fonts—you can now tell Safari to use it for everything. Every time you open an article that works with Reader, it pops into that format automatically. You end up with far fewer migraines from just trying to surf the web.

Apple File System

The file system is the underlying software that organizes all your documents, photos, mail, and so on. The one driving the Mac is now 33 years old.

So the big-ticket item underneath Mac OS High Sierra is the Apple File System, developed for the new era of solid-state drives and increased security threats.

All of this is probably very satisfying to programmers. But you, the average person, will probably notice only a couple of changes: First, when you duplicate a file or folder, it happens instantly. There’s no progress bar, no wait. Second, getting the size of a folder is also instantaneous.

Photos

The Photos app has received a lot of work. Now, the left side has an ever-present sidebar, showing your photo groups. A new Imports view shows not just the latest batch of imported photos, but the batch before that, and the batch before that, and so on.

You can now filter your view by Favorites, photos you’ve edited, only movies, only stills, and so on. The Faces feature, which knows who’s in each photo, has been improved, and the face-categorizing you’ve done on the Mac gets auto-synced to your phone.

New editing tools bring Photos ever closer to Photoshop. You can now manipulate the Curves of a photo’s histogram, or edit only the reds (for example) in a photo. And, inevitably, there are now Instagram-style filters.

Editing in the Photos app is getting more sophisticated.

Better yet, you can now send a photo to Photoshop (or any other external program) for editing, just as you could in iPhoto. Better yet yet, the changes you make in that app are non-destructive—you can undo them at any time. In other words, you can use Photos for its superior organizational and sharing tools, but Photoshop for editing.

Round-trip editing is back!

The Photos feature called Memories (automatically grouped and curated slideshows with music) are much smarter now. Instead of grouping photos only by event or location, they now auto-recognize and auto-build slideshows of your pets, babies, outdoor activities, performances, weddings, birthdays, and sports games.

Finally, Apple introduces some editing options to Live Photos: weird, three-second video clips that the iPhone can capture. In iOS 11, you can now shorten a Live Photo, mute its audio, or extract a single frame to use as a still photo. Photos can also suggest a “boomerang” segment (bounces back and forth) or a loop (repeats over and over). And it has a new Slow Shutter filter, which (for example) blurs a babbling brook or stars moving across the sky, as though taken with a long exposure.

Notes

The Notes app continues to develop:

Pin your best Notes. In the Notes app, you can now pin your most used notes (to do lists, grocery lists, etc.) to the top of the list, so they don’t get sorted down chronologically as they do now.

Tables. Yes! You can now add a table to a Note. Great for bake-sale assignments, sports scores, and so on.

Notes picks up pins and tables.

Misc

Smaller multimedia. Apple is adopting new file formats for photos (HEVC) and videos (H265), which look the same as they did before but consume only the half the space. (When you export to someone else, they convert to standard formats.)

Mail enhancements. When you search in Mail, a Top Hits section presents the messages Mail thinks are the best matches (based on Read status, senders you’ve replied to, your VIPs, and so on). Mail also offers a split-screen view when composing new messages in full-screen mode. And it stores your messages in 35% less disk space. More space is always welcome.

A new voice for Siri. The new male and female voices sound much more like actual people.

iCloud file sharing. Finally, you can share files you’ve stored on your iCloud Drive with other people, just as you’ve been able to do with Dropbox for years.

Capture a FaceTime moment as a Live Photo. You can snap a 3-second snippet of a video chat—a Live Photo—for later sharing. (You can’t do so secretly, however; the other person knows.)

Messages in iCloud. When you sign into any new Mac, iPhone, or iPad with your iCloud credentials, your entire texting history gets downloaded automatically. (As it is now, on a new machine, you can’t see your chat histories.) Saving the Messages history online also saves disk space on your Mac.

Family storage sharing. You can now share an iCloud storage plan with family members.

More Spotlight wisdom. The Spotlight search feature can now provide flight arrival and departure times, terminals, gates, delays, and flight maps. It can also return multiple Wikipedia results on a single screen.

Developer goodies. Apple now offers development kits for virtual reality and augmented reality, hoping to jump-start new apps in an area where Apple is now way behind. There’s a new version of Metal, too, the Mac software that addresses your graphics card.

Hi, High Sierra!

This is one of those off years, where Apple takes a breather (and gives us a breather). Instead of piling on new stuff to find and learn, it cleans up what it’s already got.

There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, the world probably wouldn’t mind if more companies adopted that schedule.

More from David Pogue:

Inside the World’s Greatest Scavenger Hunt: Part 1    •  Part 2   •   Part 3  •  Part 4  •  Part 5

The 27 most interesting features in iOS11

The DJI Spark is the smallest, cheapest obstacle-avoiding drone yet 

The new Samsung Galaxy does 27 things the iPhone doesn’t

The most important announcements from Google’s big developer’s conference

Google Home’s mastermind has no intention of losing to Amazon

Now I get it: Ransomware

Google exec explains how Google Assistant just got smarter

Amazon’s Alexa calling is like a Jetsons version of the home phone

David Pogue, tech columnist for Yahoo Finance, welcomes nontoxic comments in the comments section below. On the web, he’s davidpogue.com. On Twitter, he’s @pogue. On email, he’s poguester@yahoo.com. You can read all his articles here, or you can sign up to get his columns by email. 

[icarusdusoleil]

So, it occurs to me that I never finished Ancestor Torramh’s story before I closed my Journey RP blogs… It’s something that has always been in the back of my mind and I regret never finishing his story. Maybe one day I’ll go back to complete it (with updated art and writing…), but for now I’ll just write down what I had planned for the ending. Strap yourselves in… this is gonna be long.

For any of you interested in reading what I had so far, here’s the first part of the story that I still have archived on my RP blog. TL;DR version: Torramh is a young monk who foretells the end of the world. He witnesses strange events of rogue guardians attacking travelers and cities and starts to see the signs of the world itself falling apart. His pilgrimage takes him on a journey to warn the people, but they do not believe him at first. As his journey continues, the end of the world draws nearer as well and people start to believe. Torramh is gravely injured as he travels to meet with the prophet Banh Fhaidh, whom he hopes will help give him a sense of what he can do. She tasks him with guiding refugees to the mountain, where they can hopefully out-live the end of the world and the pursuing guardians. Torramh receives white cloth as a sign of purpose and prepares for the difficult task ahead of him.

Part two starts to tie in my little red cloak, the lost wanderer (whom I will start calling TLW for the sake of shortening his name). Also, I’m going to switch between Torramh and TLW’s povs… so I’ll put TORRAMH POV and TLW POV to indicate who the narration is following at that point.

TLW POV: As his name suggests, he is lost in the desert and can’t seem to find his way to the mountain. However, he starts to see a strange figure seemingly beckoning him to follow…

The lost wanderer saw the figure. It stood at the top of a tall dune in front of him, lantern held high and white cloak billowing in the breeze. It was silhouetted perfectly by the mountain and the lost wanderer was mesmerized. His breathing slowed and his ears rang.

The white cloaked figure was calling to him; he could hear the chimes and see the sand ripple. This was the call. The lost wanderer took his first step towards the mountain…

TORRAMH POV: It has been nearly a year since Torramh received the white cloak and his calling from Banh Fhaidh. He and the other monks have been tirelessly working to guide refugees from the deserts and sunken cities up to the mountain. The guardians and natural disasters are making quick work of the cities and people are dying from the perilous journey. But they carry on with grim determination.

Torramh and the monks are now escorting the last of the desert dwellers up to the mountain, but the fleet of rogue guardians are in hot pursuit. When they reach the gate, they try to close it in an effort to stop the guardians, but they can only close it from one side. So, Pìos (a monk who was a close friend of Torramh’s) stays behind and sacrifices himself to close the gate.

Pìos tells Torramh, “May the path be ever clear for you, may the sands lay ever still for you, and may the ancestors watch over your journey, brother.”

Torramh is distraught, but they must move on.

TLW POV: TLW comes up to the first gate and sees the ghostly figure hang its head as it walks through the bars. As TLW approaches the statue of the ancestor, he hears faint and friendly whispering, calling the name “Torramh” and saying “it’s good to see you again”. TLW isn’t sure what it means, but he touches a hand to the statue before he keeps going.

TORRAMH POV: The bridges leading up to the gate are crumbling and the guardians are attacking the refugees. The refugees hide as Torramh and the other monks run around trying to distract the guardians and beg the cloth fish to make a bridge for them. After a while, the cloth fish form a bridge which allows the refugees to get across, though not without some losses. They must leave another monk behind to close the gate.

TLW POV: There is no danger for TLW, but he feels a sense of dread when he sees the shells of the guardians. The cloth fish are happy to see him and joyfully make a bridge for him to cross. The statue of the ancestor at the gate also calls the name “Torramh” and wishes him well on his journey. TLW is confused, but continues.

TLW doesn’t see the mysterious figure in the pink sands. The heat of the day and the loose sands make progress difficult, but he comes across some cloth dolphins who help him along. He explores the pink sands, looking desperately for the figure and frightened of the mountain looming ahead of him. The dolphins keep him company though and they eventually find the factory, which is shrouded in a sandstorm. TLW sees the figure down below and he follows.

TORRAMH POV: A terrible sandstorm picks up as the refugees approach the next gate. There is a derelict factory that once built guardians in front of the gate and they must climb it. As they’re climbing, Torramh and a few of the refugees fall through some crumbling mesh and accidentally activate the machinery. They run for their lives as some half-built guardians attempt to pursue, but run out of power before they can attack. Torramh finds essentially an instruction manual for the guardian handlers that says how to tame the guardians—like a certain chime frequency or a forceful thought or something. Torramh makes a mental note and he helps the refugees up to the top of the tower, where the gate is closing. They rush to make it through the gate with the help of some rescued clothing dolphins, but they have to leave another monk behind.

TLW POV: He isn’t afraid when he climbs the guardian factory—in fact, he’s intrigued by the guardian masks. The whispering here is strong, but it’s not the same sort of whispering that he hears from the ancestor statues. This whispering is different: darker, demanding… and it seems to come from the guardians themselves. TLW gets to the top of the factory and finds that the bridge and gate in his visions are gone, but the cloth dolphins help carry him across the gap.

TLW slides down into the sunken city and gets visions of what the place once looked like—bustling and beautiful, not crushed and overrun with sand. The figure is always ahead of him and TLW is never able to catch up. When he gets to the underground tunnels his visions show another gate close and another person is left behind. The statue whispers to him, using the name “Torramh” like all the others and telling him to be careful and that there isn’t very much time left. TLW is thoughtful. He’s starting to think that the figure must be Torramh, but why are the statues calling him Torramh?

Nevertheless, the pull towards the figure and the mountain is stronger than ever and TLW presses on. He feels uneasy as he navigates the tunnels, especially when he sees the guardians. But the statues of guardians along the walls have the same whispering as the ones in the factory. They seem to call at him just as loudly as the mysterious figure that TLW is following.

TORRAMH POV: Torramh realizes that going down into the tunnels was a mistake, because there are guardians everywhere. They run for their lives as the guardians pursue and attack. They’re chased through the tunnels and reach the gate with the guardians hot on their heels. As the refugees rush through the gate, Torramh remembers the glyph he saw in the factory about how to tame the guardians.

Torramh steels himself and closes the gate, despite the protests of the other monks. The guardians are fast approaching and Torramh takes a deep breath and lets out a loud chime. Sand ripples, the walls tremble, and his head aches with searing pain. He feels hundreds of voices screaming in his head and the guardians swarm around him. Torramh suddenly sees himself from the view of the guardians—hundreds of eyes looking at him, hungry and angry. But he stands firm and takes another deep breath and lets out another chime.

The refugees behind the gate sing too, offering their voices to aid. There’s singing on the mountain, there’s singing from the cloth fish and dolphins… Torramh’s nose starts to bleed and his eyes shine blue. The guardians’ eyes turn from red to blue and Torramh has control. The guardians calm and they line the walls to hibernate. Torramh feels exhausted, but peaceful. He fulfilled his duty. The people were safe… no guardian could pass that point.

Torramh collapses at the base of the statue and looks up to the ceiling of the tunnel. There’s a hole in the roof and snow gently drifted through.

I’m not afraid to die.

TLW POV: Watches as a vision of the guardians swarm around the figure at the end of the tunnel and suddenly vanish as if they were never there. The figure is gone too… there’s only the statue before the gate. A couple guardians coast above the tunnel and TLW runs past them, screaming. But the guardians shy away from the ancestor statue and the air around TLW glows.

TLW is filled with a sudden sense of purpose and peace when he approaches the ancestor statue. He looks up and the figure stands before him, clear as day. For once, there are no whispers but TLW and the figure stand and look at each other with a sense of deep understanding. The two bow to each other and the figure fades away. TLW continues through the gate alone with a feeling of purpose to finish what he started.

TLW rises through the water level quickly and the cloth animals are extremely interested in his presence. The ancestor statue at the top whispers a surprised “Torramh!”. TLW continues onto the mountain. It’s biting cold and he’s dismayed to find that his scarf is slowly freezing and chipping off, but he keeps going. He must finish Torramh’s journey.

As he passes through the valley of the guardians, the giant machines see him, but instead of attacking, their eyes turn blue and they shy away. The guardians follow him as he continues his trek, but not out of hunger… more like they’re acting as protectors, as their name suggests.

The storm worsens and TLW loses track of his guardians. He’s completely alone and eventually there’s nothing but white around him. The wind stops howling and it seems calm and serene… and he collapses. TLW looks up at the sky and sees the snow gently fall. Just as Torramh said before his death, TLW says his first words: “I’m not afraid to die.”

TLW stands in a white space with seven, tall robed figures in front of him. A figure steps forward and bows its head deeply. The figure shimmers and turns into the young monk, Torramh, who takes off his hood smiles at TLW. Torramh has his scars and his eyes are silvery from when he took control over the guardians. He looks like TLW, just older and wiser.

TLW remembers everything—Torramh’s life and struggles—and TLW remembers his own life and who he is and what his purpose is. He understands and he is enlightened.

TLW takes Torramh’s hand, closes his eyes, and bows deeply. His scarf grows and he flies, shooting past the guardians as they shed their stone exterior to reveal the cloth whales trapped inside. TLW soars through the crisp and snowy peak, playing with the whales, fish, and dolphins. He reaches the end, his scarf is gone, and everything is quiet. He takes a cautious step, unsure what will happen next. But he knows, somehow, that everything will be alright. TLW walks into the light with no one beside him, but he knows that he is not alone.

A star flies off the mountain, twists through the tunnels, and cascades over the desert. It lands with a soft chime. A red cloaked wanderer stands and opens silvery eyes. He remembers everything.

His name is Tùr.

WHEW OKAY. Congratulations if you got through that. I’m mostly posting this because I think some of the Journey comm peeps who still follow me might want to know the end? But yeah, that’s basically how I wanted the rest of the story go. As for TLW’s name, it actually has a huge significance in the meaning! Both Torramh and Tùr are Gaelic words. Torramh means “pilgrimage” and Tùr means “understanding”.

I wanted Tùr to essentially be like Torramh’s restless spirit who wandered the deserts because he wasn’t able to complete his journey. And so Tùr would complete Torramh’s journey and reach enlightenment when his ancestor wasn’t able to. Tùr always had a special connection to the cloth creatures, as I always drew him surrounded by the dolphins and fish, so he was able to forge a deep connection to the guardians because they contained cloth inside of them.

Tùr would continue on in Torramh’s footsteps by providing aid and guiding those who need it. But, he’d still be the fun-loving and goofy kid. Also now y’all know why that ancestor statue in the underground tunnels after the guardians chase you is super important to me! And why I always faceplant at the statue’s feet...

SO YEAH. I’m a little disappointed that I was never able to completely finish Torramh and the lost wanderer’s story, but that’s what I had planned. Thanks for reading! <3

[lovingrot]

A- Age: Liddle Baby

B- Biggest fear: Yea

C- Current time: 10:58

D- Drink you last had: piss 👌👌👌

E- Everyday starts with: Bad

F- Favourite song: uhhh it changes a lot but i think my favourite for most of the time is “Nights In White Satin - Moody Blues either the Extended Version or the Shortened Version bc theyre both good lol the extended version just has like a poem or smth at the end

G- Ghosts, are they real: duh

H- Hometown: nowhere

I- In love with: Yea

J- Jealous of: Nothin lol maybe envious of sumthin tho

K- Killed someone: yea

L- Last time you cried: im never not crying wym  

M- Middle name: which one

N- Number of siblings: zero but also a million ya feel me?

O- One wish: Love

P- Person you last called/texted: ???????

Q- Questions you’re always asked: “you high?” “you smoke weed?” you do acid?” “wanna suck my dick?” “bitch can i copy ur homework lol” “wanna go steal sum chips frum the dollar store and hang at the lake tonite?”

R- Reasons to smile: when he say he lov u n calls u babie boi

S- Song last sang: Moonchild - King Crimson

T- Time you woke up: dibmt sleab...

U- Underwear colour: black, blue-grey satin, lace

V- Vacation destination: idk but: dark lake, foggy, night time forever, bag of bbq chips, horchata, thin sheet, Boyfirend

W- Worst habit: literally any number of my self destructive habits, lookin at pics of my friemds havin fun w/o me LOL , thinkin abt how much my friends hate me,  A BUNCH OF STUFF LOL

X- X-rays you’ve had: nNo

Y- Your favourite food: sushi amd , ,  , melon ramune . .

Z- Zodiac sign: libra scorpio cusp, virgo moon, cap rising (still,, domt kno wht tht means....)

i tag @wembleyfraggle​ @vizroy​ @raspberry-piss​ amd anyone else whom wanna do It

[demonologist-in-denim]

About “At The Crossroads”

I didn’t want to post a whole long author’s note on AO3 for this fic, and I didn’t want to muddle the fic by posting a second chapter. So instead, here are just some random ramblings I wrote up as I was working on At The Crossroads.

Another Long-Ass Author’s Note (That You Should Not Feel Obliged To Read)

How The Hell Did We Get Here?

I don’t actually know where this fic diverged from the canon, what events transpired that Crowley opens a pub, of all things. It feels like whatever happened, happened in late-season 10, and this fic picks up in season 13-14? Here’s what I do know for sure: Something very bad happened.

While he’s grateful for it after the fact, Crowley likely didn’t consent to the cure the second time any more than he did to the first. I’m not sure what circumstances would arise that the Winchesters forced the cure on Crowley a second time, and then unkindly prodded him along in his humanity. “You bloody well beat it into me, didn’t you?” Likely Crowley wasn’t very far along in his new life, still struggling with the crushing weight of his actions, but beginning to find purchase in a friendship with Dean, when they lost Dean to whatever happened. Dean somehow became a demon, and abandoned the others to wreak havoc in the world. He’s been gone for some time, and their failing to save Dean did some serious damage to the others. Dark days all around, is all I can imagine. And that’s all I have for you.

The Besotted Wandered & The Resigned Enabler

It was unintentional, but Cas’ and Crowley’s relationship became the heart of this fic.

I originally just kind of wrote Cas in as slumped across the end of the bar, occasionally visiting, being this emotionally distant connection Crowley has to his past with the Winchesters and demonhood. But in the initial draft, I typed out that the cure would take some time, and the only thing Gus needed was to keep everyone else – the pub regulars, hunters, the extended Winchester network – from complicating things by learning he’s captured the demonic Dean. And then the next sentence just had Cas stumbling into the pub. So there they were, the two of them, and suddenly a fic that had been about Crowley getting to be some other version of himself became about Crowley making due as some other version of himself, and all of them leaning on one another, stumbling their way towards their shared humanity.

And as I wrote it, I loved the new dynamic between Cas and Crowley. “…their previous roles as divine retribution and smarmy toad” when they were an angel and a demon, their more recent roles, not so much reversed as juxtaposed, as “besotted wandered and resigned enabler.” Just that image of Crowley as the resigned enabler defined everything about his relationships and his identity in this fic.

And ultimately, Crowley would not really have succeeded alone. He would have cured Dean, eventually, but I’m not sure Crowley alone could really pull Dean out of the darkness that would have lingered even after his humanity had been fully restored. I don’t think Cas could have done it on his own either, too forgiving, too loving to deal out the necessary “tough love” that comes from Crowley’s own experience. In this fic, Crowley is the one who does not need saving – it’s Cas and Dean that need to be saved, but they had to do it together.

And Don’t Call Me “Gus”

At the Crossroads is one of those fics that germinates from a small concept into something much larger. I was thinking about whether or not Crowley, after completing the cure and joining the Winchesters, would need to go by a maligned alias when around the demon-hunting portion of the supernatural community.

We know from canon that Crowley hates the name Fergus, and Rowena’s mocking use of the name certainly didn’t help endear it to him again three hundred years later. But the matter remains that had Crowley closed the Gates of Hell, completed the cure, or in any other way joined the Winchesters, being known by the name “Crowley” could have put him in a bit of hot water in the supernatural community. There might have been hunters or witches or whoever who heard the name and recognized it from when he was doing dark, demonic deeds. For his own safety, as well as to earn the trust of others, he might have needed to go by a different name.

Do I want him to go by another name? Absolutely not. Do I think he would have actually chosen to go by Gus? Absolutely not. I imagine he started going by Fergus MacLeod again – when around other hunters and working in the supernatural community – and being Americans, they shortened it to Gus, and it stuck. To his annoyance, and eventual resignation.

But that is just for this fic. I honestly think that if Crowley had become one of the boys, he would have kept on using his chosen name, and dealt with the consequences. Because that’s one of the many things spn is (supposed to be) all about, isn’t it? Self-determination and consequences? Crowley chose that name for himself, it’s who he is now, not Fergus. And yes, he is still responsible for all the “horrible, evil, messy things” he did. And when encountering someone who recognizes that name as belonging to the King of Hell or a demon they had dealings with, Crowley would have needed to deal with the emotional and relationship consequences of that.

For this fic, I just enjoyed the thought experiment of him going by a nickname, having grown into it over the years. With the Winchesters gone from his life, and Cas only an occasional visitor, it would have allowed him to explore who he is now entirely removed from his past. (I also wrote a little ficlet here about how he comes by that nickname through Eileen in my other works, and hates it, but puts up with it for her sake. He doesn’t so much grow fond of it as sees it the same way as Dean and Sam eventually accept “Moose” and “Squirrel” as terms of endearment.)

Why Didn’t The Cure Just Work?

For this fic to really work, the cure needed to take time. And because I really enjoyed the idea that neither Crowley nor Castiel’s blood is human enough or “pure” enough to cure a demon. In the show, it’s never made clear how the process of repentance “purifies” someone enough to make their blood suitable for the cure. The show writers just cobbled it together from more obscure Judeo-Christian conceptions about prayer and forgiveness and omnipotent moral judgement. How much penance is enough? What if the “greatest sin” you confess isn’t what that obscure, divine moral judge (ugh) believes or knows to be your greatest sin? So forth and so on in the questions and uncertainties.

So I really like the idea that Crowley, even being human, with everything he’s done can never quite be pure enough to just perform the cure in one 8-hour session. He’s got to keep delving back into the black pit of his own atrocities that he had thought he’d left behind him, face what he’s done, bear the weight of that, repent it, and then is clean enough to administer another dose. Really dragging out the whole process for both him and demon!Dean. And Cas? I just really liked the idea that whoever he is now, whatever he’s become after losing Dean and becoming human, it hasn’t been good. He’s got a lot to make up for as well. None of them are clean, none of them are innocent, and all of them – even the two that are currently human – are all on this road towards humanity together.

Chekhov’s Gun Never Went Off

I broke a cardinal rule of storytelling in this fic, and I’ll be honest, it’s not sitting well with me. The principle of Chekhov’s Gun, if you’re not familiar with it, is that if there is a gun present in the first act of a play, it must go off by the third act. In essence, a good storyteller does not make false promises. In At The Crossroads, I present and never fire the gun that is the British Men of Letters and their unwelcome dominion over American hunters. Making as many references to that situation as I did, the reader would be right to expect that the British Men of Letters would play at least some part in the later events of the story. And the fact that they do not is something of a narrative let down.

I intended to write the British Men of Letters into the story, I really did. They became relevant through a smaller story arc of one of three pub regulars, each one a fully developed character who served to demonstrate to the reader the ways Gus was involved in the supernatural community, and how his and Cas’ broadening partnership in the later half of the fic changed the atmosphere of the pub. But those smaller arcs cluttered up the story, so I sadly felt like it was necessary to cut them out. (Maybe I can write a separate little fic based off this one, where we get to meet them? After all, they’re not actually OCs.) The references to the British Men of Letters stayed, because they are very much a part of the background of the world in which Gus was living and in which this story takes place. So while it doesn’t sit well with me that this particular Chekhov’s gun never went off, I hope it’s understandable why that happened.

Where Are The Chips/Steak Fries To Go With This Pint?

Recently, I’ve written a lot of fics about Crowley making food in some form or another. And since The Crossroads is a pub, and pubs (unlike most bars) typically serve some food, why didn’t I write Crowley making and serving food in this fic?

Because the Crowley in At The Crossroads is not a happy Crowley. He is making the best of a bad situation. The people he cares for are either lost to him, or are in a mad spiral of self-destruction and do not want to be saved from it. As much as The Crossroads is a communal space for the supernatural community, it is not communal for Crowley in the way that the bunker is in my other fics. In this fic, he’s found other, less personally demanding ways to care for people. He’s emotionally drained, and doesn’t have it in him. And that’s why there is very little mention of “cooking with Crowley” in this fic, other than towards the end as things begin to improve.

[thegloober]

Dog Treats: Buddy Delights from Buddy Valastro Pets: “The Cake Boss” is also the “Dog Treat Boss”! (Give-Away!)

Hi my furiends!!! It’s Dakota barking out today and I am spinning with Sheltie excitement over brand new treats  that I was sent by my new furiends at Buddy Valastro Pets. 

They are called Buddy Delights and they are DELIGHTFUL!!

For those of you who are Food Network junkies like my Mom the name Buddy Valastro should be quite familiar to you! Buddy is the world-famous “Cake Boss”!!!!! Buddy Valastro is a celebrity chef, New York Times bestselling author, television personality and now, the creator of Buddy Valastro Foods and Buddy Valastro Pets.

When I was contacted to see if I would be interested in trying Buddy Delights from Buddy Valastro Pets, based on his “pedigree” I JUMPED at the chance!

Look at all of the bags of treats they sent to me! I couldn’t wait to try them!

Buddy Valastro Pets

“After noticing the family dog, Baci, watching intently as Buddy Valastro whipped up goodies for his wife and kids in their home, the eagerness to share traditional Valastro recipes in a way that would be both safe and delicious for his furry friend grew.”

“Buddy’s treats are hand-baked in the USA, Buddy Valastro Pets provides dog lovers with the opportunity to provide the ultimate reward to their four-legged friends in a truly unique way: in the form of Buddy Valastro’s most celebrated goodies. While featuring the look and feel of these indulgent goodies, the pet products are reinvented to contain ingredients safe for dogs sure to keep them begging for more. The collection of 100% natural dog treats, free of corn or soy is comprised of signature bakery treats such as crumb cake and peanut butter and carob cookies and savory Italian-inspired recipes like meatballs and pizza bites.” 

There were sooo many treats I didn’t know where to begin! I was so excited! Wait til you hear the assortment that I received! Buddy Delights comes in a variety of DELIGHTFUL flavors!!

Pork & Chicken Meatball Recipe

Ingredients: Pork, barley, rolled oats, coconut glycerin, chicken, brown rice syrup, palm shortening, flaxseed, whole eggs, coconut oil, parsley.

Peanut Butter Recipe

Ingredients: Oat flour, rolled oats, peanut butter, canola oil, peanut flour.

Pizza Bite Recipe

Who doesn’t love Pizza?

Ingredients: Barley, pork, rolled oats, palm shortening, brown rice syrup, parmesan, flaxseed, coconut glycerin, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, coconut oil, basil, parsley, oregano.

Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Buddy is also known for his Classic Italian dishes and now we woofies can enjoy them too!

Ingredients: Barley flour, chicken, oats, coconut glycerin, parmesan, palm shortening, tomatoes, coconut oil, basil, parsley, oregano.

Peanut Butter & Carob Recipe

We woofies can’t have chocolate so carob is a safe version!

“Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic duo. Since dogs can’t have chocolate, carob is the next best thing. Carob is healthy and safe for dogs and gives them the sweet taste that everybody loves so much.”

Ingredients: Barley flour, oats, palm shortening, peanut butter, honey, canola oil, carob chips (carob powder, nonfat milk powder, whey powder, fractionated palm kernel oil, lecithin), whey, dried eggs, vanilla.

Crumb Cake Recipe

Woofies can eat these while watching Cake Boss!

Ingredients: Barley, rolled oats, palm shortening, pumpkin, canola oil, dried eggs, whey, vanilla, cinnamon

Today happens to also be World Smile Day , a day where you are supposed to “do an act of kindness and help one person smile”

and receiving these treats made me flash my famous Sheltie smile!! You know the treats that I mentioned above weren’t the only flavors that I received! Yep there are MORE!! I also received:

Chicken and Veggie Recipe

Ingredients: Chickpea flour, potato flour, chicken, tapioca, canola oil, carrots, peas.

Oh my Dog were they ever delicious!!

But, there is a package of treats that I received that is extra special. You see, my Mom is born in October and the day I joined my family is also in October and there are special treats to commemorate these special days! They are the:

Party Cake Recipe

This treat is inspired from Buddy’s very own recipes but are made healthier for dogs! The treats even have party sprinkles in them!!! They are perfect to celebrate “Bark Days”, “Gotcha Days” and even if you want a treat while your human is celebrating their birthday!!

Ingredients: barley flour, rolled oats, palm shortening, honey, coconut glycerin, eggs, vanilla, sprinkles (sugar, vegetable oil, corn starch, soy lecithin, confectioner’s glaze, dextrin, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, carnauba wax).

These are so much fun!!! I give Buddy Delights  4 PAWS UP AND A BUNCH OF SHELTIE SPINS THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE!!!

Woofies you have to be dying to try these after reading this post and seeing the photos of these delicious treats and you are in luck! You can Shop online today.   !!

And….we have a GIVE-AWAY!!!

Our new furiends at Buddy Valastro Pets is allowing us to have a give-away!! ONE READER who lives in the U.S. and who is 18 and over will receive ALL EIGHT BAGS OF BUDDY DELIGHTS like I did!!! (They are $9.99 per bag so that is an approximate $80 VALUE!!) That is extremely generous!

Entering is super easy, just enter on the Rafflecopter below, good luck and Happy World Smile Day!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

        FTC DISCLOSURE: We received eight  packages of Buddy Delights Treats in exchange for our honest review. We received no financial compensation. Buddy Valastro Pets is not responsible for the content of this post.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/dog-treats-buddy-delights-from-buddy-valastro-pets-the-cake-boss-is-also-the-dog-treat-boss-give-away/

[smoothshift]

The truth about Chip-Tuning (VERY long read!) via /r/cars

The truth about Chip-Tuning (VERY long read!)

First off, this is an article from a austrian blog (MotorBlock).

I just took some time to translate it to englisch (as good as i could)

All credit goes to Philipp Stalzer from MotorBlock (article is in german!) Source article

I think many people on here might want to read this, it contains a ton of interesting information on why chiptuning is more bad than good.

I had the thought of tuning my future car as well, but after reading this i think i'll skip that and just let it be stock, since i plan to drive it several years.

____________________________________________________________

The truth about chip-tuning, by Philipp Stalzer

An often discussed Topic, with almost no real technical background or tangible details to make a decision if you want to mess around with your Engine electronics or not. A text that popped up in the internet and with my understanding of Engines it tells us: Stay away from manipulating your ECU! Unfortunately this knowledge does not come around enough, and this is very important for a specific industry. A lot of money is paid for "chiptuning" that would be better invested in getting the bigger engine right from the start.

Truth about Chip-Tuning: in almost all cases, don't do it!

Of course, this text does not apply to all engines out there. There are some Manufacturers that assume that their clients want to get quite more power out of their engines, for example many japanese brands. In a time where cost-reducing was not such a big topic, engineers sometimes used "over-sized" parts in the process. This changed with "Computer Aided Manufacturing" and the growing interest to safe more money in the production of cars/engines.

Infos from a BMW Engine-Technican

Although Manufacturers keep it low when it comes to this topics, a reader of this blog took some time to gather quite some statements of a BWM-Engineer posted in various forums etc. and sum it up. A shortened, but technical very informative and detailed version of this text regarding negative effects of chiptuning (based on BMW diesel-engines) is worth reading for everybody who is planning to chip his engine:

(This part contains some very deep technical info and very specific names wich i can't really translate that well so i simplified this part, some words might sound weird since i could not find proper translations, sorry for that)

I've been working for about 20 years in the engineering of BWM Diesel-engines. The engines of the model series M47/M57 as well as their successors N47/M57 are a bit like my "kids", about 3 patents of those are on my name.

In former times it was possible to engineer an own engine for each car, sometimes even whole lineups for a single car. Today this is not possible anymore. Nowadays you are reliant on so called "equal-parts" - this is the only way to produce engines at a reasonable cost. BMW only produces 6 cylinder engines with 3 liter. To sum up that all of these engines are the same, solely because they have the same displacement, is narrow-thinking and sadly the thinking of the "tuners".

In 1993 the development of modern, direct-injection Diesel-engines began. For this you did not build whole engines, rather there was a so called "master cylinder". For all BMW Common-rail-diesels it was 84mm drilling and a 90mm stroke. Four of those become a 2L Diesel, six get a 3L and eight of them - you guessed it - gets you a V8, that was used for example in a series 7 BMW.

Today there are 3 versions of this cylinder: UL, OL and TOP.

UL stands for lower-performance, the piston is made out of a simple aluminum-alloy, the crankshaft is simple-forged and uses a sintered connecting rod. It can cover up to 25kw/75nm per cylinder and is used in models like the x16d, x18d and x25d (exept the f10 model after 2011)

OL stands for upper-perfomance, the cylinder path is honed several times, it has forged connecting rods and the bearings of the rods and crankshaft are sputtered bearing. It can cover up to 35kw/100nm and is used in models like x20d, x30d.

TOP is for high performance, including a special treated crankshaft as well as laser-treated cylinder-paths. With this it is possible to increase injection-pressure and rated speed. This cylinders are used in models like x23d, 525d (after 2011) and x35d/x40d.

The engines have exact mechanical measuremants, but are different in materials.

For example the OL piston has a higher amount of copper and chrome. The higher amount of copper dissipates heat better out of the chamber into the piston floor cooling. Chrome makes the piston more stable at higher combustion-pressure inside an OL-engine.

Since the pistons are exactly the same sizes, you can however use a OL or TOP piston in an UL engine when doing repairs. This helps saving costs even more by reducing stocks and the prices regarding spare parts are more secondary.

It is correct that manufacturers limit the power output via the ECU (for example in an 25d), but they have to, since the used components are not made for higher hp/nm outputs. Almost every turbocharged diesel-engine is capable of generating more thermal energy than it can handle mechanically, and this is what chiptuning is relying on.

Now here come the tuners with their chips, because they can fetch data/part numbers from After-Sales-Programs (at BMW you can access it without any further requirements) and think all 3L engines are the same. It is true in terms of repairs, but not with newly shipped cars. You can use a piston of a 535d in a 316d and it will fit and work perfectly (same size) but is indeed "overpowered" in terms of materials. In this particular case it will be no problem since a 316d puts out less power than a 535d.

To get a sense of how much money can be saved by using a master cylinder for a complete engine lineup: if a piston "148" for the upper performance costs 12€, an M124 only 8€ that this makes about 24€ per car. For a production capacity of 200.000 cars 525's with 6 cylinder you're looking at a whopping 4.8 Million Euro. And the piston isn't the only thing where money is saved. Because of this, the customer pays less for a 116d as for a 123d, even though they both have a 2L engine wich are basically built the same way. The 116 just has less heat resistant and cheaper materials built in.

No manufacturer limits the power only by electronics. It is the media and especially the tuning-scene that spread this rumor. The differences nowadays not only come down to engine size, it also goes as far as material and single production processes. Same-Part strategy does not mean that the parts are exactly the same, only that the measurements and weights are the same. Also the thermal characteristics are different.

Interesting from a different area: Bosch does the same thing with their machines. You have the green series (for the little handyman at home) and blue series (professional). Products look the same (expept housing color) but here we also have different materiels used. A drilling machine from the blue series has a better hardened transmission, switches are built for far more cycles, overload protection is higher, thicker cables.

Regulating the power output via electronic serves the purpose that the engine with it's simple materials doesn't get overused. Through supercharging you can give any amount of power to a engine, but it will not be able to handle it. So when you think your 118i with its 170hp could do way more, but the stupid people at BMW are just to lazy to get more power out of that engine let me tell you: a 118i is capable of over 300hp, even keeping all emissions in the green zone, but he won't make that for long.

Basically in the automotive industry you can say:

not everything is at it seems

wenn there is a way to save €, it will be done

espacially in the automovie industry many facts from media or magazines/books are incorrect

The statement "how long does my engine last when I chip it" can't be said in miles/km, because a engine does not know the term miles/km. If a M124 operates on the potential of a 30d, but you never or only rarely request the full power, the life expectancy won't change at all. If you floor it a lot and request the full power often, it will come to slight structural changes. Depending on further circumstances your engine can fail after a few minutes, or maybe 1.000 operating hours.

The combustion inside the engine can reach up to 2000°C, aluminum melts at 660°, so it should totally melt, right? Not really, since the peak temperature only last for a very short time and then the piston has an about 10 times longer period to cool off. Above 400°C aluminum looses a lot of its strenght, so the piston temp should be under 400°C at all times. How much it heats up depends on the intensity of the combustion. It peaks at full load and maximum torque, and with chiptuning this only gets much higher. To compensate this you do the following: you increase the amount of copper and chrome in the piston, this gives it better strenght at 420°C. So you can say, that in stock motors with more power there are better alloys used. A quick "tune" via ecu or plugging in a "race chip" can't do that. The thermal capacity of the engine is exhausted, the piston gets weaker the more power you give it in overload range. Worst case is that the top land breaks, and your engine is complete toast.

Regarding damage, these mostly occure long time after the tuning. Usually after 50k-80k km the problems start. Many people do not own the cars anymore by that time, and the subsequent owner doesn't know about the bad suprise that might happen. If a damage is found in the repair shop, they often just change the part and thats it. Often nobody suspects a tuning chip as the main reason (you know.. tuners say "its all good man!)

Also many tuners (and others) love to say the damage comes from weared parts, for example a turbocharger. But that's not it!. Turbos do get damaged by tuning and wrong handling.

I can understand the side of the customer. There comes somebody and puts a little thingy in your car, not even that expensive and suddenly you have a lot more power and more fun. You don't see it, but you feel it. With the thought in the head, that all engines are the same, you think that nothing could go wrong. The tuners do their part to the story... why should they report any damage caused by their tuning, that would ruin their business.

Chiptuning has somewhat in common with smoking. Cigarette-Manufacturers won't tell you that smoking causes lung-cancer. Smokers argue that they know people that smoked for long time and got 80 years old. Is that the evidence that smoking is unhealthy? Also here: Business with curing diseases related to smoking is huge.

All this statements should be valid for almost all Car-manufacturers, i personally don't know any brand that does not use the same-part strategy. Better safe than sorry.

____________________________________________________________

Hope you enjoyed this, and sorry if there are mistakes in translation or grammar.

Drive safe!

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly win a $300 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter the Prepper Journal’s Writing Contest today.

//

One of the challenges that regularly comes up when we talk about bug-outs is food for our bug out packs, and even food to stash in caches along the way. Food preservation can be a complicated issue, comparing water needs, calories and nutrients, camping meals or supermarket granola bars, and even if we actually need trail food for a journey of 3-5 days.

Then it expands past a bug-out or initial evac kit, to ways to make or stock foods that can be used for overnight and three-day trips after a disaster has struck. In some cases that proposed trip is following a 3-6-12-18 month shelter-in-place scenario, waiting for a die-off or for calmer times. In other cases, it’s looking at the fact that humanity has always made trips – to the coast, to hunting grounds, to and from winter and summer camps, away from danger, for fishing, for trading, even to visit family.

Happily, those journeys of the past, in peacetime and in war, can help us solve our travel food challenges. In some cases, they’re also methods we can use to just preserve foods, and let us preserve the convenience of dropping something in water to create a meal.

Pemmican

Pemmican is a great travel food that will store well for months in just paper, a full year if kept cool.

Pemmican is one of those well-known long-storage travel foods. The proteins and fats, and the precious calories from those fats, were hugely important to people who were in some ways very nomadic, and to those who might be largely sedentary, but whose opportunities for fats and meats came in very short bursts through the year.

By first separating very lean meats from fats, then processing those into the separate entities of dry beef and suet, they can be recombined into a travel food that will store well for months in just paper, a full year if kept cool. That food can then be eaten as-is, or used to make a soup.

Many, many modern pemmican recipes include “wet” dry fruits like raisins, craisins and currants  – that’s going to significantly shorten the shelf life. A lot of the recipes I see floating around also include a lot of dried fruit, even though some of it is the dry-dry “leather” or “plastic” level of fruits. In some, there’s almost equal ratio of fruit to meat or fats.

That’s not actually how I learned to make it. What I learned is a bit more like this.

My only ties to natives are from the upper East Coast and the Deep South Cherokees who were moved west. So maybe there are tribes out there that really do use as much fruit as meat, and it’s distinctly possible that something got lost in translation in Oklahoma and Wyoming or as tribes merged and disappeared.

I learned to make it at a ratio of about 3-4 parts dried meat, 1-2 parts suet or rendered fat, and at most 0.5-1 part dried vegetation – dried to the point when they, too, can be pounded into a powder.

Undoubtedly, the inclusion of a little bearberry or strawberry leaves would have boosted the Vitamin C, which would have been a huge aid to staying healthy in deep cold and deep snows, and while on the move. There’s also probably to-taste twitches that were used by individuals and groups to improve the palatability.

Some tribes and individuals probably used fruits, or a higher ratio of fruit.

However, once mixed into pemmican, the application of dried fruits, leaves, and roots would have become limited: to food, and to a specific type of food. It no longer would have been possible to doctor them into the drinks, sweets, and herbal remedies that natives regularly used.

So I’m inclined to think that probably the truth from history lies somewhere in the middle (where it usually does), if not leaning just a little towards the “less fruit” side of the house. Some tribes and individuals probably used fruits, or a higher ratio of fruit. Some tribes and individuals probably used a minimum of fruit or none at all, packing more of the preserved harvest of spring and summer separately.

Natives wouldn’t be the last to separate their meat and vegetables for long trips and long storage, if so.

Instant Soup in the Old Days

Portable soup tends to vary from a veggie-based medley to a meat version

Also called pocket soup, portable soup was made back in the days of the colonists and explorers of old. It was the equivalent of the broth base we can get in cubes and powders today – fast and easy, and with the potential to be not only flavorful, but to boost nutrients the way a bone broth can.

The descriptions given for pocket or portable soup tends to vary from a veggie-based medley to a meat version, such as the one demonstrated by James Townsend.

Lewis and Clark’s expedition wasn’t overly fond of theirs, which to me sounds similar to desiccated vegetables, but during the American Revolution, others took a more kindly view.

Either recipe gives us a way to produce our own instant soups and broths for convenience at home, and have something hearty in our pockets to dissolve into a warming drink or meal, now and in a potential future where supply chains are disrupted.

Desiccated Vegetables

Mmm, sounds yummy, right? We’re not just talking dehydrated/dried veggies here. Desiccated vegetables are a combination of starchy veg and leafy root veggies, either minced and mixed up or layered, that are pressed under high pressure to remove moisture.

Most of the references to its use are from the Civil War here in the U.S. , with citation back to the Crimean War about fifty years earlier. It was highly recommended by the author of “Prairie Traveler” in the 1940s. There are sometimes mentions of it or similar-sounding ship’s food in naval journals from the same general pre-Antebellum period, where the cakes or planks of desiccated vegetables served the same purpose – providing much-needed vegetables to prevent scurvy in forces that were largely eating hardtack or similar foods for long periods of time.

Some recipes list the inclusion of beans or peas, most likely lentils and the starchier peas once grown far more widely. In all likelihood, these were collected green or were pre-soaked or cooked to soften, as opposed to pressed in as hard and dry legumes. It’s possible, though, that they were pre-ground separately.

The mash that resulted was indented or separated into disks before drying, to allow for apportioning either on an individual basis, or by some accounts, into servings for four or five or eight souls. It wasn’t always a preferred food, but it definitely did its job of keeping folks healthier.

Long Live Desiccated Veggies!

You can make leather or chips or thin cakes out of darn near anything.

We might not go for a monster press to create a handful of cakes for our backpacks or caches, but we can apply some of the ease of a full-meal drop-in if we want, cooking and then dehydrating molds of mixed veggies made using our ice-cube trays.

Some of us already dehydrate mini black bean patties and cooked slices of sweet potato to make serving-sized portions. There’s also a common backpacking trick of dehydrating everything http://www.backpackingchef.com/dehydrating-food.html from fat-free refried beans to spaghetti sauce, applesauce to mashed potatoes, turning it into thin, flexible leathers or hard chips.

Spin it through a blender (with some water if necessary) and spread it thin on waxed paper or butcher’s paper, and you can make leather or chips or thin cakes out of darn near anything. They typically don’t store as long as those 1800’s lumps, though. For many, we’re looking at a handful of months, especially if we aren’t super careful about the inclusion of fats.

There are commercial alternatives, if we’re not interested in making our own.

Pocket Soup Still Going Strong

Erbswurst is compact rolls of five or six disks that dissolve into a pretty tasty and surprisingly textured lentil soup

I ran into Erbswurst while deployed in a multi-national force. They’re compact rolls of five or six disks that dissolve into a pretty tasty and surprisingly textured lentil soup (never add as much water as a soup manufacturer calls for). It does better if you bash it a couple of times to increase surface area, or you can stick it in some water and over a fire, and usually about the same time it starts simmering, it’s started to dissolve.

It’s tougher to find in the U.S. but as the internet shrinks our world, we can pay the shipping for it, or, we can look at similar soup options.

It might not be quite as compact, but we can absolutely portion out things like Bear Creek’s split pea soup when we’re ready to roll or from the get-go. Dr. McDougall has some of those instant cups and packets of split pea and barley that we can store for a good while or repackage for longer shelf life.

So, why am I name dropping those specifically, and sticking to split pea and lentil soups?

Because they have no dairy or meats in them to go rancid early in storage or due to temperature fluctuations. Lentils aren’t calorie powerhouses, but compare a lentil or pea soup to the same serving size of non-dairy instant veggie-based soups. You’ll find that there’s a pretty significant difference there. There’s a whole lot more calorie – and nutrients – than ramen, and it’s in a far more compact form than noodles. They cook faster than the just-add-water offerings that have beans and lentils in them, and even rice in a lot of cases. Those particular options are also satisfying; textured, as opposed to others that are just broth or some of the other pureed and creamed soups on the market.

We can absolutely make our own dry mixes, and we have ways of making especially flaked beans cook faster, or we can prepare something, blitz it in the blender, and dehydrate it in cubes or patties. If we’re going to buy, though, we might as well make sure we’re buying something that checks as many blocks as possible.

Calories, protein, vitamins, fiber, and lasting satiety from food is something I tend to consider, whether I’m sticking it in a backpack for a fun weekend, packing it away so there’s something available on a trail later, or sticking it in my pantries to make fast and easy meals, now or later.

Trail Foods from History

Whoa, whoa, whoa, cowboy; you can’t sum up yet, you missed hardtack. – I skipped hardtack. I gave my opinion about hardtack in an article about bread options for disaster cooking. I don’t really consider fully dried hardtack much of a trail food (although we could carry peanut butter jars to soak it in daily).

And that’s what we’re talking: Trail food.

There are a lot of reasons we might hit the trail and live out of a bag or off caches in the coming years. Pleasure packing, exploration, intelligence gathering, evacuations, hunting trips, relocation, travel for family reunions – they were done in all of the preceding centuries of recorded history, and they’ll continue to be done for the foreseeable future, no matter what it’s course. Happily, history provides a number of to keep us well-fed during our travels, things we can make at home now or later, and in some cases, readily available commercial options for the less DIY crowd.

In some cases, foods that were traditionally for the trail can also just give us a faster, easier meals – as we’re accustomed to – compared to preparing everything from scratch.

Historic trail foods also have another major benefit: They largely use heat at some point, but otherwise, there are few or no preservatives, and there is no need for fresh canning jar lids. That means if we’re running short of salt, sugar, vinegar, or pectin, or a pressure canner goes down, we still have viable means to get our foods from one harvest season to the next, just as some native tribes and northern explorers once did.

The post Trail Foods from History – Food Preservation Ideas appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[dailyofficereadings]

Daily Office Readings October 05, 2018

Psalm 102

Psalm 102

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help

A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call.

3 For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. 4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass; I am too wasted to eat my bread. 5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my skin. 6 I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places. 7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop. 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. 9 For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink, 10 because of your indignation and anger; for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside. 11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations. 13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it; the appointed time has come. 14 For your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust. 15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory. 16 For the Lord will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord: 19 that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die; 21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, 22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days. 24 “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away at the midpoint of my life, you whose years endure throughout all generations.”

25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end. 28 The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 107:1-32

BOOK V

(Psalms 107–150)

Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.[a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; 7 he led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town. 8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 9 For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, 11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. 12 Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. 13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 14 he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. 15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 16 For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.

17 Some were sick[b] through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities endured affliction; 18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; 20 he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. 21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 22 And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices, and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Footnotes:

Psalm 107:3 Cn: Heb sea

Psalm 107:17 Cn: Heb fools

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hosea 10

Israel’s Sin and Captivity

10 Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased the more altars he built; as his country improved, he improved his pillars. 2 Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The Lord[a] will break down their altars, and destroy their pillars.

3 For now they will say: “We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord, and a king—what could he do for us?” 4 They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so litigation springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. 5 The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf[b] of Beth-aven. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail[c] over it, over its glory that has departed from it. 6 The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king.[d] Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.[e]

7 Samaria’s king shall perish like a chip on the face of the waters. 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars. They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us.

9 Since the days of Gibeah you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah? 10 I will come[f] against the wayward people to punish them; and nations shall be gathered against them when they are punished[g] for their double iniquity.

11 Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck; but I will make Ephraim break the ground; Judah must plow; Jacob must harrow for himself. 12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your power and in the multitude of your warriors, 14 therefore the tumult of war shall rise against your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. 15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel, because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel shall be utterly cut off.

Footnotes:

Hosea 10:2 Heb he

Hosea 10:5 Gk Syr: Heb calves

Hosea 10:5 Cn: Heb exult

Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb to a king who will contend

Hosea 10:6 Cn: Heb counsel

Hosea 10:10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb In my desire

Hosea 10:10 Gk: Heb bound

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Acts 21:37-22:16

Paul Defends Himself

37 Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune[a] replied, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” 40 When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew[b] language, saying:

22 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.”

2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew,[c] they became even more quiet. Then he said:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

6 “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth[d] whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ 11 Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus.

12 “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. 14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; 15 for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’

Footnotes:

Acts 21:37 Gk He

Acts 21:40 That is, Aramaic

Acts 22:2 That is, Aramaic

Acts 22:8 Gk the Nazorean

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Luke 6:12-26

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Teaches and Heals

17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Blessings and Woes

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you[a] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Footnotes:

Luke 6:22 Gk cast out your name as evil

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[seasonsofreckoningrp-blog]

Congratulations, Sophie! You’ve been accepted for the role of Sinclair Meas. Please make sure to check our checklist, and you have twenty-four hours to send us your character’s blog. We’re really happy to have you in our family!

We could feel your connection with Sinclair not only through your sample app but through the headcanons you had for her. “Having one truth revealed, only for it to be entwined with another lie would have been a twist of the knife that had already found itself in Sinclair’s heart,” was the sentence that really got both of us. The buildup of anger and resentment throughout the sample touched on all parts of her personality without going into a character study, and the very last sentence came full circle and tied everything together perfectly!

Introduction

Sophie, 19, GMT (UK), She/Her

Activity level:

Over the summer, after 1st June, I can be pretty active (8/10), but I do have exams from 19th May to 1st June, so I’m only free to be active after those have passed. After summer, I’m either continuing with university, or taking a year out to get some work experience, so I’m unsure of how active I can be once one of those two things have started. Probably 6/10 if I continue my course.

Further contact:

[Removed]

How did you find the roleplay?

I searched supernaturalrpg in the tumblr search and it popped up!

Roleplay experience:

I’ve had minimal experience roleplaying on tumblr, but roleplayed for a few years on quotev.com, with most of it revolving around characters and concepts from the Shadowhuters Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. I did use harrylloydisnotblond.tumblr.com to roleplay with a group on tumblr last year, but I didn’t really gel with the group, or my muse, so remained fairly inactive. The old posts are still there though, buried underneath all the gifs and stuff I’ve recently reblogged.

Triggers:

[Removed]

Anything else?

[Removed]

IC INFORMATION

Desired character:

Sinclair Meas

Faceclaim:

N/A

Why did you choose this character?

Sinclair seems like a woman who can hold her own in the world, whether that world be it mundane or supernatural. Her tough skin developed through the years could make it interesting when it comes to Sinclair making friends on Moon Island, although I feel like she’d be the kind of person to keep everyone at arm’s length, or abide by the motto ‘keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’.

The discovery that she was never her parent’s child was one blow, but one that she could have recovered from had she never found those journals. Having one truth revealed, only for it to be entwined with another lie would have been a twist of the knife that had already found itself in Sinclair’s heart. The betrayal she experienced would scar her forever, and guilt would consume her for loving the people that killed her birth parents. The baggage that she carries is something I’d love to explore, and discover how it impacts on her now, despite the years since that fateful day she left.

I want to watch her build that courage to finally undertake that task she’s been aching to complete for years, to rid her of shackles that the shame has bound her in. Would she put down her hunting gear if she did ever kill them? That’s another avenue I’d love to explore.

I want to see if anyone does get through that toughened exterior of hers, if she’ll ever tell anyone her story. I can imagine it’ll take some work to chip away at her, but I’d love to see her forge a true friendship with someone, the kind that could last for years, no matter how frequently they spoke.

Para sample:

Heat, insufferable heat. That is what she felt. But there was only darkness. Darkness pushing down on her. Shadows. She tried to look around, but there was nothing to be seen. She inhaled, and drew smoke into her lungs, coughs exploding from her lungs as she curled into a tight ball. The heat was getting closer now, a glimmer of light illuminating what appeared to be a doorway.

A scream in her mother-tongue resounded through the room, in her head, the voice so familiar, yet there was no face to it. She tried to remember, but her fingers slipped through the fog of her mind, lost in the labyrinth of her memories. Then her name, Sinclair, pulsing through her head in that voice again.

Flames licked beneath the door now, tasting the floor, the edges of the door, crackling with their victory as the ceiling groaned with defeat. This was it, she thought as the wicked, beautiful fire consumed the door, the wood flaking into ash that drifted towards her like snow, just as the ceiling surrendered and fell.

Sinclair woke with a start, her hand instantly going to the knife she kept beneath her pillow, just in case. She was drenched in sweat, her chest rising and falling with each gasp of air she took. There was no smoke. There was no fire. The door was unharmed, and light slipped between her curtains, daylight not firelight. It was just another nightmare, one that had not haunted her dreams for a long time now. The room had been just like her bedroom in Paris, but it wasn’t that witch screaming her name. That voice… She worried that it was not how her mother had truly sounded, but it was all she could gather from the vague fog of her memories as a baby.

With a deep breath, she swung her legs from her bed, both feet thudding on the cool hardwood floor. There wasn’t a fire, she thought, not yet. But there would be another fire, she hoped. One where those damned witches burned, and finally went to hell, where they belonged.

EXTRA

Personality traits:

+ FOCUSED – Sinclair is focused on her job, or whatever the task at hand might be. If there is a supernatural who is striking her as suspicious, she will put all of her energy into finding out what’s going on, and build up to the eventual kill.

+ OBSERVANT - Knowing what’s going on around you is part of being a hunter. Sinclair is observant, which stemmed from her great discipline. She’s aware of everyone around her, and what they are. If there’s a supernatural being on the street, Sinclair is the first person to realise this.

+ GRATEFUL – Having come from the poverty of Cambodia, Sinclair is grateful for everything that the Western world has offered her, even if the beginnings weren’t as sweet as she’d initially come to believe. She appreciates the little things in life: being able to go grab a coffee, visit the bakery and suchlike.

- DISTRUSTING  - After what happened with her ‘parents’ killing her true parents and lying to her for almost two decades, Sinclair trusts few people in the world, if any. Now surrounded by new people, Sinclair trusts no one on Moon Island, and won’t unless they truly prove themselves to be worthy of her trust.

- STUBBORN – As Sinclair grew into adulthood, and became more certain of her views on the world, she became more and more stubborn. She will listen to people, but rarely will she change what she thinks on a matter. If she believes something, she believes it with her whole heart and will never let that belief go.

- IMPULSIVE – Despite her discipline, Sinclair finds that she goes into things too hastily at times. She knows she’d be better off with a plan, but sometimes the urge to make the kill takes over, which has created some rather sticky situations for her. She’s also impulsive with regards to travelling, and going to places also. No matter the time of day, sometimes she just wants to go out for a walk somewhere, or go to a certain shop or place, and she follows that impulse, rather than quashing it.

Headcanons:

Asexual – Sinclair realised during university in Paris that she didn’t care in the least about sex. Her small circle of friends might talk about a lover they’d taken, and how amazing last night with some guy or girl was. They’d tried hooking her up with some mutual friends, but Sinclair hadn’t wanted anyone to touch her like her friends had described. Those feelings were only amplified when she discovered the lies her so called ‘parents’ had told her. She doubts she would ever trust anyone to be that intimate with her, even if she wanted to be.

Hates nicknames/pet names – What could be more stupid? Sinclair wonders as she hears a variety of shortened versions of all sorts of names. Deep down, Sinclair hates nicknames and pet names because her ‘parents’ used to use them all the time, especially when she was younger. ‘Clair’, they used to call her and it stuck with everyone, including her friends at school, through to university. She stopped using the nickname the day she ran away.

Doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke – Sinclair doesn’t want to be dependent on anything, including alcohol and cigarettes. She had a cigarette once, back in Paris when she was 18, but hated the smell, how it clung to her clothes and claimed her breath. So she never touched one again, never let the addiction take hold as it had some of her old friends. She also doesn’t drink because she doesn’t want alcohol clouding her head, especially in a town full of supernaturals that she doesn’t trust in the slightest.

MOCK BLOG https://meas-sinclair.tumblr.com/

[pogueman]

David Pogue tested 40 Bluetooth earbuds to find the best of the best

Admit it, my people: the way of the world is to go wireless.

First phone cords went away, then internet cables, then printer cords; power cords’ extinction is coming soon.

So why, then, are we so upset about losing earbud cords?

Yes, yes, OK: It’s a pain to have yet another battery to charge, and you get much better sound quality for the dollar.

But wireless earbuds have compelling advantages, too—for example, they’re wireless. You don’t have to fish out a wiry mass from your bag, untangle it, avoid catching it on your clothing or furniture, or figure out how to thread it so it doesn’t drive you crazy when you’re working out or running.

Soon enough, the decision will be made for you. Motorola (MSI), LeEco, and Apple (AAPL) have begun eliminating the headphone jacks from their smartphones, and other phone makers are following suit.

When Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, a popular cry was, “They just want to force us to buy their $160 AirPod wireless buds!” And yes, Apple would love that, but it’s not mandatory. The world is teeming with wireless earbuds that don’t come from Apple. Many are better, less expensive, or both.

How do I know? Because I’ve tested them out. Forty of them (40). My ear canals are practically bleeding at this point.

I’ll try out 40 pairs of earbuds for you. No problem.

But you know what? You’re worth it.

What to expect from Bluetooth earbuds

Most of today’s earbuds use the Bluetooth 4.1 technology, which is pretty great. It eliminates the lag between the video you’re watching and its audio, and it lets your earbuds remain “paired” (wirelessly connected) to two devices simultaneously, like your phone and your laptop. (You hear sound from only one at a time.)

Almost all of the candidates come with a Micro USB charging cable, which you can connect to your computer or, with a USB “wall wart” (not included), to a power outlet. The earbuds get between 4 and 18 hours of music playback time, and you can wander between 30 and 100 feet from your phone before the music begins to drop out.

The good ones come with cases to protect them and an assortment of rubber or foam ear tips; it’s super important to find the ones that fit you best. Since these are in-the-ear-canal buds, a snug fit blocks outside noise and gives their generally feeble bass a fighting chance to reach your brain.

These days, wireless buds come in all kinds of crazy incarnations; it’s as though you gave some guidelines (“battery, circuit board, two earbuds”) to six different aliens and then watched how many approaches they came up with. In general, they break down like this:

Completely detached. On these, there are no wires—not even between the earbuds. They’re two separate pieces; you can hand one to a friend, if you like, for simul-listening. For about 80% of the population, they stay in place even during running, but it may take you a long time to get over the feeling that you’re going to lose one. Most are kind of heavy, and all of them look bizarre in your ears. Most, like Apple’s AirPods, come with a battery-equipped case that recharges your buds. Controlling volume and skipping tracks can be tricky on these, since there’s no remote, and phone calls generally aren’t great, since the microphone is nowhere near your mouth.

Cord style. The huge majority of Bluetooth earbuds still have one wire—between the buds. That way, you’re a lot less likely to lose one. The good ones offer some way to shorten that wire behind your head so that it doesn’t slap as you run. There’s usually a remote control with three buttons—volume up, volume down, play/pause—that also contains the microphone for calls and Siri/Google Now. Usually, you have to memorize patterns of short, long, double, and triple-clicks of these buttons to perform all the functions of music playback and call management.

Collar style. You’re seeing this style crop up in offices these days: a lightweight plastic collar that hangs around your neck all day long, with thin earbud wires coming out of it. That extra real estate means more buttons for dedicated features, beefier batteries, and a vibration mode that lets you know when a call is coming in. Calls sound great, of course, because now the microphone is positioned right below your mouth. You may not be so crazy about the collar style if you run, though; it’ll bang on your collarbones.

In the endless scrolling pages below, I’ll show you my notes for each of the 40 earbuds I tested. But in the event that you actually have a life, here’s the short version: the winners in each category.

The winner: Detached earbuds

The Apple AirPods ($160) take it. Their design is far slimmer, and somewhat less goofy looking, than their bulky rivals, which look like you’ve jammed wine corks into your head. Each AirPod plays music for five hours on a charge, but when you slip them magnetically back into their little dental-floss box/case, they get a fresh charge—24 hours’ worth in all.

If you’re prepared for the downsides of detached buds, the AirPods are great.

They really don’t fall out, as you’d expect them to, and they sound fantastic, even on phone calls. (The little stem points the microphones at your mouth.) Unfortunately, they have no buttons, so you can’t adjust the volume or skip tracks without speaking Siri commands or picking up your phone.

The AirPods contain what Apple calls the W1 chip, which confers several advantages. First, the “pairing” process with an iPhone is absurdly easy: Just open the case. Instantly, the phone acknowledges their proximity and offers a Connect button. The Beats X and Powerbeats 3 also contain the W1 chip, and the pairing process looks something like this:

(If you have an Android phone, you pair the AirPods the usual way, using your Bluetooth settings.)

The W1 also means that once you’ve introduced the AirPods to your iPhone, it’s automatically listed as available to your Mac or Apple Watch, too. It also boosts the Bluetooth signal considerably; you can walk really deeply into your home without worrying that the sound will cut out.

Important note: Since you have no option to choose different tips, AirPods aren’t comfortable for everyone.

The winners: Corded earbuds

The world offers hundreds of corded Bluetooth earbuds. No-name Chinese corded earbuds fill the pages of Amazon.com like grain in a silo.

I have buddies who don’t care about sweat resistance, Bluetooth range, elegant controls and all that jazz; they just buy super cheapies (you can find ‘em for under $15), good enough for listening to podcasts and YouTube, and don’t care when they die or get lost.

But if you do care about comfort, battery life, music quality, Bluetooth range, looks, sweatproofness, and features, then you can’t get wrong with today’s winner, the Jaybird X3s.

Among the finest of many, many fine corded Bluetooth earbuds.

They come with nine pairs of tips, including Comply foam tips (squish, insert, wait for them to expand) and wingtips, which hook into your cartilage to hold the buds in place. You can thread the cord either over or under your ears; a clip lets you shorten the cord to prevent slapping while running. Eight hours of playback time. All of this for $130.

A nice alternative, by the way, is the Optoma NuForce BE6i. It offers a clone of the Jaybirds’ list of virtues—eight hours, eight pairs of tips, $130—but offers voice prompts with a cute British accent, a flat, tangle-resistant cable, and a little less bass and Bluetooth range.

The winners: Collared

OK, this stunned me: For some reason, Samsung is selling a full-featured collar-style Bluetooth earbud set for $33 on Amazon: the Level U. It sounds fine, it’s got incoming-call vibrations, it has a tremendous Bluetooth range, and it’s $33. What am I missing?

Clearly, it’s not the best collared set you can buy, but it’s by far the best for the money.

At the opposite extreme, there’s the $400, super-deluxe, leather-wrapped, Klipsch x12. I mean, 18 hours of battery life. Splash resistant. Carrying case, six pairs of tips, and ridiculous Bluetooth range. And the sound—holy moly: spectacular clarity, weighty bass, detailed highs, solid midrange. You’ll think you’re listening to fancy wired headphones.

From left: Samsung Level U ($32), Klipsch x12 ($400), LG Tone Infinim ($67).

In a more practical price range, I really liked LG’s line of collars, like the Tone Infinim, the Tone Active+, and the Tone Platinum. They have retractable, spring-loaded earbud wires, which are tidy and brilliant (above, right).

The Tone Active+ collar even has external speakers in addition to the retractable buds. Their power won’t shatter any wine glasses. But since they sit just below your ears, they’re perfectly listenable as you putter around the house, take a call at your desk, or share a song with a couple of friends sitting nearby.

Besides: having nothing in your ears is the most comfortable of all.

Lots of wireless buds offer excellence in one area or another (see below), and very few are outright stinkers. But for most people—especially those for whom money doesn’t grow on trees—the models listed above are the most likely to bring happiness.

I know, because I did the exhausting research and testing for you. You’re welcome.

The 40 contenders

Here are my notes on the 40 wireless earbuds I tested.

The little graphs for price, battery, Bluetooth range, and number of ear tips show you where they fall relative to their competitors.

For example, if you see “Battery hours: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦,” then this model can play music for only four hours, whereas the best models last 18 hours (18 diamonds).

Unless otherwise noted, they all sound basically alike: fine for watching videos, making calls, doing Skype or FaceTime—just not so great with bass.

Adv.Sound Model 3. They’re billed as “high-resolution music monitors,” and by golly, they sound fantastic. Putting them on takes some training, though, because one loop of wire goes around your head, and another down your torso.

Adv.Sound Model 3: Exceptional sound, not so great for workouts.

Amazingly, these wireless buds can become wired buds when the battery dies or you want all the quality you can squeeze out—no other buds do that. But they’re not for working out, since they’re not sweat-resistant.

Style: Cord

Price: $80 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Apple AirPods. No other earbuds have this design, or these pros/cons. Terrific sound, battery life, pairing simplicity, range, as described above. Double-tap to get an immediate, crisp “I’m listening” chime from Siri—and then you talk. Just ridiculous amounts of cool technology packed into tiny space. (Here’s my full review.)

AirPods. Amazing, but not suitable for all ear canals.

Style: Detached

Price: $160 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 5 (with case, 24) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 1 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Beats Powerbeats 3. Apple owns Beats, so it’s no surprise to find the W1 chip in these corded earbuds—so you get the insta-pairing with an iPhone and the insane range. These are made for working out: they’re sweat-resistant, hook over your ears, and allow ambient sound. These babies aren’t going anywhere. They have unusually good battery life. If you’re rushed, five minutes of charging provides one hour of listening. A clip can shorten the cord.

PowerBeats 3, complete with W1 chip.

Style: Corded

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Beats X. Another Apple-owned product—with that nice W1 chip. A standard earbuds-and-cord design, but there are three pods along the cord instead of the usual one. One has the playback controls, one has the power button, and one’s there just to confuse you. Magnets keep the buds together when you’re not listening. Requires a Lightning cable to recharge (included); five minutes gives you two hours of juice. Not much bass (yes, even though it’s Beats).

Style: Corded

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 48 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Bose QuietControl 30. These are the buds you want on a plane; they’ve got Bose’s famous noise cancellation technology, which shuts up the engine roar amazingly well (though not as well as Bose’s wired models). That helps with the sound quality, which is leaps better than the cheapy buds. You can control how much outside noise you want to admit, using either buttons on the controller or a companion app—handy when you’re biking or running. Pairs with NFC, if your Android phone has it. Gorgeous build quality; sweat resistant and pricey.

Bose QuietControl 30: Best noise cancellation you can buy.

Style: Collar

Price: $300 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Bose Soundsport Wireless. Here’s Bose’s take on corded workout buds. Splash/rain resistant, a clothing clip, and terrific bass. The little globules stick way out from your head, though, so you can’t put a helmet on over them, and they look a little goofy.

Bose Soundsport—good sound for athletes.

Style: Corded

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Bragi The Headphone. Totally detached—a followup to the Bragi Dash (a do-it-all in-ear doodad that purports to measure your heart rate). The right earbud contains three tiny control buttons that are no picnic to operate; the left one has only one big button. Sound quality isn’t great, and the real heart-breaker is that the charging case doesn’t also have a battery, as rivals do, so the buds don’t recharge except when the case is plugged in.

Bragi The Headphone. Totally detached.

Style: Detached

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 30 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Decibullz Custom-Fit Wireless. Cheap, pretty bad earbuds (the shortest battery life, and shortest range, of this roundup)—with a clever gimmick: The earbuds melt into pliable goo when boiled in water. You’re supposed to mash it into your ear as it cools, so that it perfectly fits your nooks and crannies. It really works—it helps out with sound, fit, and comfort, and easily accommodates a helmet—but looks bizarre. (You can also buy the mashable plastic portion separately to use with better earbuds.)

Style: Corded

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Jabra Halo Free. OK cheapo buds. Dedicated button for Siri or Google Now. An app that offers additional features, like a map that shows you the last place you had them turned on, and a voice that can read your messages. Water resistant. The protruding bulb blocks helmets.

Style: Corded

Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? No

Jabra Halo Smart. Amazingly cheap, super lighweight collar-style buds with astonishing battery life (15 hours). Magnets for bud-clicking; vibration for incoming calls; mediocre, bass-free sound. Companion app tracks last known location.

Style: Collar

Price: $50 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 15 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Jabra Sport Rox Wireless. Nice, steel buds. Magnets on the buds that auto-pause your music (why didn’t anyone think of this before?). Rain, shock, dust resistant. NFC pairing.

Style: Corded

Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 5.5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 7 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Jabra Halo Fusion. Nice to have a dedicated power/Siri button on one of the collar’s two lobes; otherwise, cheap and basic.

Style: Collar

Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 6.5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Jaybird Freedom. Tiny, sweat-resistant, metal buds, helmet-friendly; very bright sound. Charges from a tiny cradle that snaps onto the remote on the cord—a blocky, bulky arrangement, but the cradle has a 4-hour booster battery inside. Loaded with features and cord-draping options. App lets you adjust the sound character.

Jaybird Freedom. Super tiny and light.

Style: Corded

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 4 (plus 4 in the cradle) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Jaybird X3. The champ. For $130, you get it all: category-leading sound, battery, and range; helmet-friendly size; sweat and water resistance.

Jaybird X3—the sweet spot.

Style: Corded

Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

JBL Reflect Mini BT. Reflective cables—a great idea for night joggers. Sweat/water resistant. Weak range, no case. They don’t turn off automatically after you stop using them.

JBL Reflect Mini: Reflective cords. Good idea.

Style: Corded

Price: $90 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 20 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? No

JLab Audio Epic2. An over-ear memory-wire hook keeps these babies in place. Sweatproof and even rinse-able. Impressive battery life.

Jlab Audio Epic 2: The memory wire forms to your ear tops.

Style: Corded

Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 26 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Klipsch x12. Almost absurdly overbuilt: leather band, copper accents, black chrome. 18-hour battery life, huge distance range, vibration mode for calls, crazy great sound. Super comfy, thanks to the unique oval-shaped silicone ear-canal plugs. 6 tip pairs, including Comply foam ones.

Luxury comes to earbuds: The Klipsch x12.

Style: Collar

Price: $400 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

LG Tone Infinim HBS-910. Inexpensive, likable collar-style. Sturdy yet flexible plastic collar. Press buttons on the inner collar to make the retractable earbuds snap back inside to avoid tangle and clutter. Dedicated buttons for volume, track forward/back, calls, power. No case, not sweat resistant.

LG Tone Infinim HBS-910: Retractable buds.

Style: Collar

Price: $80 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

LG Tone Active+. External speakers—not powerful, but very handy (calls, listening to music without anything in your ears). Retractable buds (tug on them rather than pressing a button). Sweat/water resistant. Tone & Talk app can read your notifications and texts, and let you customize the button controls.

LG Tone Active+. External speakers!

Style: Collar

Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

LG Tone Platinum HBS-1100. LG’s top-of-the-line Bluetooth collar. Great dedicated buttons. Earbuds retract with buttons. Tone & Talk app. Not sweat-resistant. (Clearly, LG offers a huge range of these collar-style buds—for help in telling them apart, here’s a chart.)

LG Tone Platinum HBS-1100 collar style.

Style: Collar

Price: $200 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 10 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

LG Force. LG also makes this standard corded earbuds, distinguished by the ear-shaped loops. Takes a little effort to put on, but they stay on. Incredibly light (under an ounce); nice sound. Dedicated power button. Sweat/water resistant.

LG Force. These babies won’t fall off unless your ears do.

Style: Corded

Price: $100 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 6 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 39 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

MEE Audio X7 Plus. Memory-wire loops route over your ears and stay in place. Cable shortener included. Great range. Sweatproof.

MEE Audio X7 Plus. Memory wire for added eargrip.

Style: Corded

Price: $90 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 35 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Monster iSport Victory. The cable is coated with rubber, for a weird, non-tangling feel. A shortener is built in. It has above-average sound, and the buttons on the remote are much more feel-able than on most. Sweat resistant. Short Bluetooth range.

Monster iSport Victory, with its weird cool rubbery cords.

Style: Corded

Price: $57 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 11 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Motorola VerveOnes+. Fully detached, sweat/waterproof earbuds. The bulky outer pod may or may not nestle neatly into your particular ears. You have to learn the meanings of various clicks, double, triple, and long presses on each side. Great sound. Long delay before Siri. Have to pause the  music before you can use Siri or Google Now. Case is also a recharger, providing a total of 12 hours of playback.

Moto VerveOnes+, shown in their little recharging cylinder case.

Style: Detached

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 3 (12 in charging case) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? NO

Case included? Yes

Motorola VerveLoop+. Super light, waterproof/sweat-proof. Companion app notes the last connected location—a sort of “Find my buds.” Protruding bulge not helmet-friendly.

Moto VerveLoop+: a fine choice.

Style: Corded

Price: $57 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 9 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? No

Motorola VerveRider+. Super light, water/sweat-proof, excellent battery life. Bright orange for visibility. Magnetic tips. Companion app for locating or turning notification vibrations on and off.

Moto VerveRider+, in “don’t hit me with your car” orange.

Style: Collar

Price: $85 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 12 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Optoma NuForce BE6i. Magnetic, aluminum-construction buds; sweat-proof; voice prompt has a cute British accent. Have to pause music before triggering Siri/Google Now. Flat, no-tangle cable. Everything included. Overall, a superb pair.

Optoma NuForce BE6i: Competent and satisfying all the way around.

Style: Cord

Price: $130 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 7 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Phiaton BT 220 NC. Strange design: The wires connect to a control box that dangles on your torso—will drive runners crazy. Supposedly has noise canceling, but it’s very, very weak. Amazing battery, poor range.

Phiaton BT 220 NC: The stethoscope design doesn’t really help.

Style: Cord

Price: $125 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 16 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth. Super minimal and light. No remote on the cord; the buttons are on the buds themselves. Thick rubberized cord wraps over your ear—stays in place. Sweat/waterproof. Reflective armband case. Lets in ambient sound for running/biking safety (plugs don’t seal ear canals). Bluetooth 3.0, alas.

Plantronics BackBeat Fit. Minimalist, waterproof, rugged.

Style: Cord

Price: $78 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 1 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 13 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Roam Ropes. Radical, somewhat tangly stethoscope/pendant design, created by the guy who originally developed the Beats headphones. You’re supposed to let it just hang around you when you’re not using the buds. Painful treble when cranked. App lets you adjust the sound signature.

Roam Ropes. OK, what?

Style: Stethoscope

Price: $200 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 9  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 5 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 18 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Samsung Level U. Stunning value for the money. Vibration for calls, magnets for buds, amazing range.

Samsung Level U: Cheap and good.

Style: Collar

Price: $33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 11  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 45 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? No

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 Wireless. Removable rigid neck channel for the wire, to give the neck portion some rigidity (if you like). Super crisp highs.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds 2 do not actually smoke.

Style: Cord/collar hybrid

Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 7  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Skullcandy XTFREE. Big box attached to each bud—no go for helmets or looking normal. Short, behind-head cord. Sweat resistant.

Skullcandy XTFREE: Earboxes aren’t so trendy.

Style: Cord

Price: $70 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 6  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? Yes

Case included? Yes

Skullcandy Ink’d. Very inexpensive. Light, flexible collar; you can roll it up. Limited tip options—no wings.

Skullcandy Ink’d, from the bargain bin.

Style: Collar

Price: $40 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 2 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Skybuds. Incredibly tiny, detached-style separate buds. You have to turn the right and left buds on separately. There’s an app to find your lost bud, and it has great sound. The case recharges the buds. No way to adjust volume without using your phone.

Skybuds: Detached and tiny.

Style: Detached

Price: $160 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 4 (with case, 24) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 3 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? Yes

Sol Republic Shadow Wireless. Great-looking hybrid design: a thickened band around your neck. May bounce out of your ears when running. Water/sweat resistant. Bluetooth 4.0 (not 4.1).

Sol Republic Shadow Wireless: Sharp-looking.

Style: Semi-collared

Price: $60 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 8  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 33 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

Sol Republic Amps Air. Detached-style. Entire outside panel is a button—hard to avoid hitting accidentally. The remarkable recharging case is a huge battery: can recharge the buds 15 times, or recharge your phone! Just put buds in case to turn them off; take out to turn them on. Case can charge buds 15 times or be a backup battery for phone! Case has charge LEDs. No volume control or track controls on the buds. Real bass.

Sol Republic Amps Air: Detached, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Style: Detached

Price: $150 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Battery hours: 3 (with case, 45) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear tip pairs: 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Range, in Poguesteps: 25 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Ear wings included? No

Case included? No

  You have no shortage of options. Go forth and shopify!

David Pogue, tech columnist for Yahoo Finance, welcomes non-toxic comments in the Comments below. On the web, he’s davidpogue.com. On Twitter, he’s @pogue. On email, he’s poguester@yahoo.com. You can read all his articles here or you can sign up to get his columns by email.