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[tapmagicie]

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[valhallamercury]

the starry eyed | boh rhap!brian may x f!reader

Request(s): Well can you write something where the reader is the lead singer for a popular disco band and somehow Brian ends up going to the readers show and falls in love

The reader is in the band (she plays the piano) and she is doing an interview with MTV and ends up stealing a lot of hearts with her cuteness!

Summary: After seeing Y/N’s interview and her band, The Starry Eyed, on MTV, the boys decide to check out one of their shows (even though it’s bloody disco, according to Roger). They never anticipated their rocker guitarist to fall for the lead disco singer.

A/N: I’ve decided to combine these two requests, considering they’re very similar. I haven’t written a lot for Brian, so I hope that this is a pretty good reflection of his personality! The year is set around 1981 and the reader is around 28-29. Please tell me if you’d like a part two (or possibly a series?)

Warnings: Swearing, Brian being hashtag whipped for the reader.

Word count: 2,423

Tagged: @80s90steen @thefeetlesfan

Brian hated the cold. He hated when his cheeks were flushed due to the wind, he hated when his bouncy curls whipped around his face so he could hardly see, he hated when his fingers felt numb and he could hardly bend them. But, as he walked through the icy winds with his best mates on a journey to his apartment, he couldn’t help but love the cold as John dumped snow under Roger’s coat, on to his back. He laughed as Roger squealed, shaking violently to get rid of the cold substance trailing down his spine.

Brian turned to Freddie, seeing the man give a toothy grin back at him. “Now that, darling, is a sight.” He pointed to Roger, shaking the last remains of the snow from his coat while glaring at John. John on the other hand, smiled innocently at Roger, as if he had done nothing wrong.

Brian might have hated the blistering cold, but these moments with his friends made them worth it. Queen was skyrocketing to success, and between tours and making albums, it was hard to fit in free time with the four members without it leading to coming up with new song ideas or planning melodies and such. But, on lucky moments, Freddie, Brian, John and Roger were able to come together and relax as friends, not for work purposes or parties.

As Brian entered his apartment, his friends toppled in behind him. They kicked off their shoes, setting them against the wall as Brian had instructed them many times after too many trips from the hazardous objects. Brian headed to his kitchen to make tea, instructing Freddie to “turn on the Telly!”

“MTV sound good, Bri?” Freddie called to the tall man, even though he wasn’t really going to listen if he wanted it or not.

“That’s fine!” He called, pouring the boiling liquid into four cups. He grabbed each cup and set it on a small tray before walking out to his living room, where the three other boys were already cuddled up together on the old brown leather couch. He chuckled softly at his friends, setting down the tray before taking his rightful spot next to John.

“It’s just a bloody disco singer.” Roger grumbled, leaning back against the arm of the couch. Brian turned to the tv, only to see a beautiful woman be blessed upon his eyes.

Her hair was tied up into an immaculate hairdo, her eyes being decorated with bright blue eyeshadow and she wore a white low cut, bell sleeved shirt, a pleated baby blue skirt, and white platform shoes. She was obviously quite nervous, but she composed herself in such a way, that only someone very good at reading body language could have noticed. He was enchanted by this woman, but he couldn’t tell why.

“Today, we have Miss Y/N L/N of The Starry Eyed! Tell me, how are you feeling today?” The interviewer spoke, smiling kindly at the seemingly calm girl.

“I’m great! Wonderful, actually.” She giggled. Brian noticed how she gripped her skirt between her fingers and fiddled with the fabric.

God, even her voice was perfect, he thought to himself as the interviewer started speaking again.

“So your band’s newest single, Every Day, has reached number five on the charts. How do you feel?” The older woman asked, leaning forward in his seat. Brian couldn’t help but mimic her actions.

“It’s like a dream, honestly. The rest of the band and I, we’ve been dreaming about this moment since the day we all learned how to play cohesively,” Y/N paused to laugh for a moment. “I never thought I would be here at this very moment.” She admitted, now fiddling with the silver chain that was wrapped around her neck.

“So in the song, you’re doing majority of the vocals and the piano work, correct?” The interviewer paused, waiting for Y/N to nod, before continuing on. “Was there any inspiration behind the song? Specifically any artists or composers, perhaps?”

“Well, we, as a band, do take musical inspiration from several different sources. Reggie, our guitarist, he prefers Zeppelin and Toto. Karina, our bassist, loves ABBA and Fleetwood Mac. Julio, the drummer, he loves The Temptations and The Beatles. Audrey, our backup vocalist, she enjoys Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin. Me, I’m more of a Queen girl myself. We take each of those inspirations and try to mesh it into some beautiful, beautiful disco music.” She smiled into the camera, giving a small wave. It took everything in Brian not to wave back.

“I’m more of a Queen girl myself,” rang through Brian’s head like the most beautiful guitar solo he had ever heard. He couldn’t believe his ears. Y/N L/N listened to Queen. He needed to meet this girl, at whatever cost.

“So, are the rumors about an international tour true? Are the Starry Eyed finally going across contents?” The older woman persecuted the answer from the younger girl, leaning her elbows against her knees and leaning forward, an intent look in her eyes.

“Yes, it is true. We’ll be touring from the UK, Ireland, Paris, Italy, Japan, Korea, South America, North America and Canada.” Y/N listed and Brian’s eyes lit up with hope. Maybe he could meet this dream girl after all.

“Quite a busy schedule for you all.” The two women shared a laugh, before the older of the two turned back to the camera. “Well this has been, Miss Y/N L/N of The Starry Eyed, and up next, their new music video for Every Day!”

“You ‘ear that boys, we’re famous to even disco artists!” Deaky grinned at the others, but Brian’s eyes were still glued to the tv. He watched Y/N give a firm handshake to the interviewer, then wave to the crowd and walk off stage.

“Well it seems we must have to go to their concert now. Brian’s developed quite a large crush on Miss Y/N.” Freddie teased, snapping Brian out of his gaze.

“What!” Brian cried, like it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. “I do-I do not have a crush on the singer.” He stammered, his eyes growing large and his cheeks growing pink, only this time not from the cold.

“Why so defensive then, Bri?” Roger grinned; teasing Brian was his favorite pastime. “Could it possibly may have a crush on the disco woman?”

Brian shot Roger a death glare, earning him a cheeky grin in return. Freddie simply clapped his hands together, an eager smile upon his face.

“That settles it! We’re going!”

As much as Brian wanted to argue, he knew in his heart that he wanted to go. He wanted to meet her. This girl that was so far out of his league that she seemed to reach the stars. He just had to meet her.

About a month or two later, Brian sat in one of the box seats of the venue for one of The Starry Eyed’s UK concerts. Fred, of course, had gotten great seats with exclusive VIP passes. Brian was definitely going to repay him for that.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, almost to the exact same rhythm of the drums. There you stood, clad head to toe in a silky red dress; it was low cut, with long angel sleeves and two slits on each side that exposed your legs. He then noticed that each member had their own designated color, or what he assumed was their designated color.

The lead guitarist, Reggie, wore his long hair in dreads that were decorated in green beads. He had a lime green blazer and matching striped socks. Audrey, who Brian soon recognized to be Reggie’s sister, wore a bright yellow dress that sparkled nicely against her dark complexion. The drummer, Julio, was clad in all blue: from his jeans, to his slightly opened shirt, to the blue streaks that had been painted across his tan arms and face. Karina, who played bass, was dressed in a purple pantsuit while her silky black hair was pushed back with lilac clips. The show truly was a sight. But Brian’s eyes were focused on the lady in red.

You were enchanting to watch, it was almost like he had been put under your spell. The way you moved on stage, it was something he had never seen before. You were elegant and mysterious, the way you swayed your hips made his face go hot and the way you traced your fingers gracefully against the mic ran a shiver down his spine.

As the show came to an end, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned, seeing a large man standing behind him.

“VIP guests are to head backstage now.” His gruff voice told the four men. Brian nodded, hearing his heartbeat in his ears. He left his seat, trying to avoid the teasing glances from his friends. He walked out from the box seats, trailing behind the large man.

“You excited, darling?” Freddie asked, a familiar grin gracing his lips. Brian smiled kindly at his friend, clapping his hand against his shoulder.

“I owe you, Fred.” He whispered to the flamboyant man. Freddie nodded, giving him a fond look.

“Don’t waste this moment then, Bri.” He grinned teasingly. Brian chuckled, looking down at his feet before back at the security guard in front of them.

He led them to a back door where he heard the voices of multiple people. He took a deep breath, feeling a soft pat on the back, from who he assumed was Freddie.

The man knocked three times, the door being opened by Karina, monolid eyes glaring at the five men before softening. A grin broke out across her face, looking at the security guard. “Y/N’s gonna flip.” Brian heard her mumble as she let them through.

“Y/N! You have guests!” Karina called, a small smirk tugging at her lips. Y/N walked out, she had already changed from her red dress to more comfortable clothes. Her eyes grew wide and her hand reached to cover her mouth which formed the perfect ‘o’ shape.

“Holy shit.” She whispered, making the four men in front of her chuckle. “Oh, oh, my god.”

“Any words for us darling, or are you going to keep stuttering?” Freddie teased, a toothy grin appearing on his lips.

Y/N lowered her hands, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. “Oh, my god. Sorry, I’m acting like, like a damn fool. You’re all just, so cool, legends really. Wow, I sound like such a groupie, I’m so sorry.” She apologized, a bashful look dashing across her features. Brian couldn’t help but smile fondly, he might’ve developed a crush on the charismatic girl on television, but he was falling head over heels for the awkward girl standing in front of him.

“What Y/N means to say, is that she’s a big fan, and you’re very inspiring to her and us as a band.” A man, who Brian recalled to be Reggie, stepped out from behind Y/N and wrapped an around her shoulders. Y/N rolled her eyes, playfully pushing him off.

“Thank you, ever so much Reginald.” She deadpanned, turning back to the group with a sheepish smile.

“Well, if you’d really like to show us your appreciation, maybe you could show us a good place around here to get drinks?” Roger stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans, a boyish grin plastered on his face. Brian knew that Rog had already snuck in a few drinks into his system, hiding them from the watchful guards who explicitly warned them of “no food or drink in the theater.” But, Brian wouldn’t mention it if it meant he may or may not have a chance to talk to you.

“There’s a bar not too far from here, actually. Didn’t look too busy. Plus I heard they had something called a ‘Dancing Queen Daiquiri’, and quite frankly it sounds like a hit.” Audrey mentioned as she rose from her chair, smoothing down her yellow skirt.

Y/N nodded quickly, glancing between her band mates back to her idols. “We were going to head there after the show anyways. You’re all very welcome to join us. It’d be my treat.” She mentioned quickly, taking her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Can never go wrong with free drinks.” Roger declared. Deaky nodded feverishly. He was tired of trying to sneak past the beers from the guards, too.

“Sounds fabulous, darling! What do you think Brian?” Freddie turned to the tall man. Brian glanced between Freddie and Y/N, feeling his cheeks heat up. He didn’t realize that he had just been staring at Y/N the entire time they were here instead of actually speaking.

“Yeah, yeah. Drinks sound great.” Brian’s voice cracked, but he played it off as a simple cough.

“Great! I’ll get my coat and we can head out!” Y/N declared, a brilliant smile dazzling Brian’s eyes.

As they walked down the street, Brian tried to think of something to say. But, everytime he tried to make the words come out, his voice got caught in his throat. He walked in silent agony next to Y/N, until him clearing his throat caught her attention.

“Hm? Did you say something?” She asked, looking up at him with expecting eyes.

“Oh, well, I, I really liked your song. The guitar riff, it’s nice.” He began, tripping over his words like how he often tripped over his own two feet. A bashful smile crossed her face though, her eyes gleamed with awe.

“That’s, that’s so crazy. I mean! I mean, thank you.” She stumbled through her words as well, making him feel comforted by her own awkwardness.

“You don’t have to act like I’m some big superstar or something.” Brian chuckled, pushing his curly locks back with his hand. “I’m just Brian May.”

“I’m so sorry, I must be making you feel so bad by not treating you guys like actual humans. I’m so sorry, I get too excited.” She apologized repeatedly, making Brian smile kindly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

“Y/N, Y/N, you’re okay.” He spoke softly, trying to keep his tone calm and comforting. And it worked. She glanced down at her shoes and back up at him, the apologies collapsing in her throat and only a toothy smile appearing through her lips.

“At least let me pay for your drinks. It’s the least I could do.”

“You got yourself a deal.”

[thelightofthebane]

A rainbow for you

Summary: Alec challenges himself at making a very magical gift for his husband. What could go wrong, right? Pairing: Magnus Bane/Alexander Lightwood

You can also read here: ao3

So, this is a gift for @aria-lerendeair because she deserves a lot of sweeties and much more. (°◡°♡).:｡

________________________________________

Yellow.

Joy, brightness, hope.

Petals of sunflowers to shine as the sun, of daisies and buttercups to bring the freshness of Spring, of yellow zinnia flowers for the fond memories they share since day 1.

Alec plucks them out, one by one, with utmost care and thoughtfulness. His calloused fingers brush the soft texture for a moment before ripping tiny pieces inside the wooden bowl.

Green.

Prosperity, health, resilience.

Petals of bells of Ireland for good luck, of green zinnias to brighten everything up, of green spider flowers for liveliness like the very core of his husband – even in the bad days –, of green cymbidium orchid for a little bit of naughtiness.

He smiles while crunches the petals and mixtures them with a sandalwood oil he spent the last week brooding. It was easy when your instructor was one of the smartest warlocks in the world, but like training, it could be a bit… distracting, not wanting to kiss your instructor all the time. So, he is doing everything alone now.

And because it’s a surprise for Magnus.

Purple.

Power, wisdom, creativity.

Petals of purple roses for calmness, of lavender for serenity, of violets to remember everything they had to go through to be together, of purple lily to remember that even though Magnus is the royal child of a demon, his grandioseness didn’t come from his blood, but from his heart. And, well, he would always be the king of Alec’s heart anyway.

Alec waits for the water to boil a bit more while checks a heavy book of spells. Most of it is written in some languages he doesn’t understand. Mundane ones, warlock ones. He needed to ask Madzie to translate a specific spell for him since Max is still training at the Spiral Labyrinth. The spell is relatively simple and it’s only required to add final touches to what he is creating by himself. When a spiral scent of grass and nectar tickles his nose along a silver line of smoke, he resumes his work.

Black.

Strength, mystery, uniqueness.

Petals of black pansies for all the dramatics, which is certainly another one of his husband’s traits, of black petunias to reinforce that black goes well with everything (and hell, Magnus was a living proof of that – black eyeliner, black eyeshadow, black nail polish, even black attires with all that jewels), of bat orchids because these ones in special Magnus brought from Malaysia, after a quick trip to Indonesia where they visited his husband’s homeland.

Alec stops for a moment to admire the flower. Magnus is still healing. His mother’s demise is a scar too deep to cure once for all, but he is getting better. Now he can go there for one or two days without cracking. He can put flowers inside a bamboo garden where his mother was buried centuries ago. He can pray without shattering, just wishing she is well – wherever her soul is – and not hating him anymore.

White.

Beauty, spirituality, new beginnings.

Petals of white hydrangea for unconditional devotion, of white magnolias for unconditional love, of white roses as a symbol of true love, the very one he shares with the man who is his home, his heaven, his life, his everything.

Their garden is full of these little ones. Magnus has always liked to maintain a certain variety from all over the world, but it was Alec’s request to spare a corner for just them. For someone who had spent most of his life in the shadows, wearing black, being able to see something brighter is some kind of relief. Of new perspectives. For Shadowhunters, it is a color for mourning. For him, it is the reminder of a rebirth to a better self.

Pink.

Grace, elegance, passion.

Petals of pink dahlias for kindness and commitment, of stargazers for everlasting love, of astilbes just because it’s also called false goat’s beard, thus reminding him of Magnus’ goatee.

Alec smiles fondly, tapping another book, one with flowers’ meanings. His choice of them has nothing to do with their magical properties (hence why he guaranteed they wouldn’t interfere in his project’s result), but only with their meanings. For all the colors he needs, he could just pick any flower, but he thinks it’s much more special choosing the ones who convey the best everything you feel for the one you love.

Orange.

Courage, excitement, warmth.

Petals of marigold for blissful joy, of cockscomb for silliness and laugh (and the delights of all the memories he has from non-official missions with Magnus that just proved how dumb they can be together), of ranunculus for all the charm his husband is overflowing. Like he doesn’t need an ounce of magic to make Alec feels like he is enchanted.

A weak puff of gold escapes the caldron. Almost there. He just needs to crush some more petals, cast the last binding spell and it would be done. Luckily, it would be finished before Magnus is back from one of his outside requests. That morning, he said something about Hong Kong and a problem with a warlock teenager who was trying to conjure real dragons to be her pets. And then he would go to the Veneza Institute to talk with Rafe. Their son is currently there for some internal affairs as co-Head of the New York Institute with Izzy’s eldest daughter. Alec couldn’t be more proud of his family.

Red.

Love, life, desire.

Petals of amaryllis for determination, of red tulips for timeless pure love, of red poppies for a statement that they’ve fought a lot of wars, prejudice, greater demons, and a whole society just to be together. Oh, and some petals of red roses, the ultimate symbol of love, because after thirty years of marriage Alec could be a bit sappy.

Magnus’ apothecary resembles a giant flower bed. Petals and flowers stem everywhere. Alec scratches his left brow for a moment, taking in all the mess. It wouldn’t take much to clean everything, but somehow it makes him recalls memories from when Max and Rafe were still kids, turning the loft upside down. He misses that. Perhaps he could suggest expanding their little family…

Puff.

Oh, it’s almost done!

Blue.

Serenity, inspiration, intimacy.

Petals of morning glories for the duality they represent, something both Magnus and Alec has to endure all the time as they navigate between being leaders and husbands, dark and light, demons and angels. Petals of hyacinth for trust and clematis for loyalty. And, at last, petals of blue rose. A rare one.

For immortality.

Moreover, for having the same mesmerizing beauty as Magnus’ magic.

Their magic.

Blue sparkles dances around Alec’s hands, warming them. Thanks to the enhanced and permanent Alliance Rune, he shares Magnus’ soul, power and vitality. They share a forever together.

Alec uses the magic he kick-started and pours into his creation, concluding it. Another puff and it’s finished.

A whole pot of magical and homemade glitter.

He smirks, proud of himself. It is a self-sustained glitter that replenishes by itself, can be used with anything and can turn into whatever color and exhales whichever flower fragrance the owner desires.

Just in time, he hears the opening of a portal at the loft entrance and knows that Magnus has arrived. Smiling like a mischievous kid, he puts a handful portion into a glass bowl and strides towards his husband to show him.

“Hello, darling!” Magnus smiles brightly, even though the tiredness of a lot of portal traveling has clearly worn him off.

“Hi,” Alec greets back, grinning and holding the bowl near his chest, then extending it towards Magnus. “I made this for you. My first attempt alone at breeding a substance induced by a shape-shifting spell.”

Magnus stares to all that colorful and vibrant glitter in awe. It took over a decade for Alexander asking him how to make potions, and even if in the beginning he had a lot of difficulties to get used to, his stubborn Shadowhunter was never one to give up a challenge. He isn’t a genius like Izzy, but he is smart and focused enough to hold up the game.

“Hmm…” Magnus takes a moment to appreciate his husband’s sweet gesture. The glitter has a distinct spectrum of colors more intense and brighter than the mundane one. Magnus smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners with tenderness. “I loved it, Alexander. Thank you.”

“It has a perfume of your choice, too.”

“Oh?” Magnus approaches his face to try and smell when something tickles his nose and he sneezes.

And then there is glitter in the air, on their faces and clothes.

They stare at each other for a moment, too shocked to say or do something. They are positively sparkling more than any fairy they have ever met.

Alec is the first to come to his senses, clearing his throat as he reaches for Magnus’ face.

“Here, let me…” he trails off, not sure what to say, when Magnus squirms under his touch. Alec’s hand freezes in the air as he stares at his husband with a shocked expression. Then, he tries again, and Magnus does the same thing, though now he also giggles. “What the…”

After calming himself and organizing his thoughts, Magnus also extends a tentative hand, brushing alongside Alec’s ribs. The result is some kind of jolt and a strangled sound from his throat, as if Alec is trying to not laugh.

“Darling, did you put roses in this glitter?”

“Yes.”

“Different colors?”

“…Yes. Why?”

Magnus hums, understanding.

“Roses have strong magical power, especially the blue ones. If you mix them together, the shield spell to neutralize their mystic effects will eventually crack after some time. One of the side effects of so much flowery powder is body sensibility. To pain or…”

Alec mischievous grin returned.

“Tickles,” he lifts his hands and wiggles his fingers towards Magnus, who backs off instinctively.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane, don’t you dare…” Magnus says cautiously, narrowing his eyes.

“Why? After all, I do have magical fingers now. Very, very magical,” he smirks, approaching his husband like a predator.

“Don’t you try this bullshit of pun with me.”

“Why?” Alec repeats, finally cornering Magnus. “I learned with the best. A medium-rare one.”

“You will never let me forget that, will you?” He gritted his teeth. “It has been 31 years, Alexander. 31!”

“Never.” Alec finally grabs Magnus and spins him around, his fingers pressing the most sensitive spots of Magnus’ body that Alec memorized with utmost pleasure. His husband squirms again, tries to run away, but end up turning into a mess of giggles and laughs.

Somehow, after some time, Magnus is able to have his sweet revenge, and both engage in a very childish fight of who can make the other laugh more, stealing breathless kisses between fingers’ attacks and teasing words.

They could wait for the spell to wear off or try to make an antidote, but for now they would enjoy the contentment of their love’s smiles and laughs.

[weaselle]

I put them both in one post.

I have a brother 10 years older than me and a younger brother and sister 5 and 7 years younger than me respectively. I call the older by his name, and also “dude” a lot. You know those twisty metal puzzles you have to figure out how to take apart or put back together, like puzzle rings and shit? He can do those in seconds without even thinking about it, like, idly while talking to you. He’s a daredevil bombs and blades tinkerer, and a practical joker. Once he told me he was getting out of the lake because it was noon and that’s when the sun shone straight down to the bottom and woke IT up, and then got out and snuck halfway around the lake to climb back in and swim up from underneath me to wrap a hand around my ankle and suddenly yank me down about ten feet at an angle toward the center of the lake. He went to jail for building a bomb, it’s a good thing they never found his other homemade weapons, like arrows with exploding tips, or the underslung potato gun mounted to the frame of his car. And I SAY potato gun but I saw him use his tester model to launch a wad of duct tape through a truck camper shell at the junk yard in the R&D phase, and he use to load it with a wad of something for batting topped by a snapple cap and a handfull of roofing nails and disintegrate mail boxes with it. He is a good wood sculptor and has a surprisingly delicate yet raw style when drawing with charcoal or graphite. He can take apart and put together almost anything. I could just write a whole book about his antics.

With my younger brother it’s mostly his name and “dude” quite often. Every once in a while, I will call him bro, or brother, but usually when I am low-key reinforcing our age difference. Like if he thought mom would react one way to something, but I had seen her reaction to that same thing before he was born or whatever, like, brother, I’ve known her longer. He is one of two people I know personally who may be legit geniuses. He used to play video games in the early 90′s by hacking their code and modding them - I’d walk in and he’d be 12 years old like “Instead of cannon balls, I made the cannon shoot cows that bounce around randomly a few times and explode, and I’m trying to make it so that each time a cow bounces, it spawns another bouncing cow bomb”. He has a… I want to say a Masters in Physics. His math teacher in high school tried to hold his interest by having him teach the first 15 minutes of each class. Once when the rest of us siblings were all standing around talking about sneaking out of the house, we asked if he ever did and he was like “why would I sneak out in the middle of the night… that’s when I sleep.” Now he’s a very mellow polyamorous hacker who brews his own beer and “isn’t allowed to tell you where I work, it’s so silly”

Our youngest I call by her name, and dude a fair amount, and a combination of the word sister and her name (like if her name was Brittany I would call her Sisttany) I do call her sister more than I use brother for my fraternals, but she calls us all brother quite a bit.  I think there are some complex reasons for that, but it boils down to her having been teased terribly and given a very hard time growing up by us, her brothers, who had a certain alliance against her. Of course by now we’re forced to admit that she is awesome and special and maybe the best of all of us. Certainly the coolest. Like, my younger brother is hella cool on paper, but when you’re in a room with him, he’s a little.. the only way he pulls it off is by truly not giving a fuck if people think he’s cool, which, as we all know, instantly awards coolness to whatever you’ve got going. On the other hand, when my sister is in a room, people laugh when she decides something is funny. Someone else is often making the decisions, but everyone only agrees to go along with them if sheagrees with them. She’s not wearing those clothes because they are cool, those clothes are cool because she’s wearing them, Once she worked at the same hotel I did for a while, and I asked her what she thought of it, and she said “I only ever want to work in a hotel again if I OWN it”. She was 19. She once knocked out her (now ex) boyfriend for forcefully taking his car keys away from her too roughly when he’d been drinking. He realized what he’d done too late to save him and she pulled him down from the fence he was climbing to get away from her so she could lay him out. She ran her own business for a while doing marketing stuff for publications and wineries and things, but she felt she was working too hard for the return she was seeing, and now she works for some firm overseeing the people who manage their social media or something.

And then there’s me, the Bard of the group, basically. I travel around on lots of adventures (I was arrested by the US airforce in Germany, I got stuck in England for a summer when they took my passport away from me at Heathrow - I stayed at a circus school with a few of the circus students who had no real home to go back to for the summer, and I put together a circus busking group with some of them and that’s how I made enough money to eat every day.) I used to write and produce full length comedies for the stage. I was SO sure I was going to be a con-artist, so I studied slight of hand and magic ( I ran a crooked poker game at recess) but as a young adult, when I picked my first pocket, I found I had no taste for stealing from real people (I’ll fuck up Coke any day, where’s Amazon’s pocket? Side note: I tapped the guy on his shoulder and handed his wallet back to him and said “I think you dropped this” and never picked a pocket again, but I can still do some pretty interesting stuff with cards and coins and things, Juggle knives and torches. that sort of stuff). Anyway, I adventure, and I write songs and stories, and my siblings mostly call me by my name, and very occasionally, dude. Also, my origins are steeped in mystery and my siblings are actually my cousins by blood, but that’s another story. Okay, here is that story.

My Grandmother was left-handed and the reason I love cooking and definitely some kind of Being. Her title was The Grandma. She had 4 great grandchildren by the time she died, and so her daughters became Grandma, but she was THE Grandma. She had this way about her, like she was incredibly present, but also paying attention to everything in the whole world. And then sometimes (notably when you fucked up) it was like she pulled her attention off all those things and put the whole thing on you; it was very unsettling. And she had the Voice, which she almost never used.

The last time Grandma traveled on an airplane with us, we were going though security and she couldn’t go through the metal detectors because by then she couldn’t get out of the wheelchair for longer than twenty seconds at a time. The TSA agent said she was going to search her or pat her down instead, and reached for my Grandmother. And Grandmother said, in the Voice

“Don’t touch The Grandma”

The TSA agent blinked and looked at grandma’s eldest daughter (a celtic witch if ever there was one) who merely shrugged and said “…don’t touch the grandma”.

TSAgent hesitated as if about to reach forward and insist, thought better of it, called TSA Supervisor over. TSA Supervisor explained everything to The Grandma - it’s just a quick pat-down, everybody who can’t go through the detectors has it done, they won’t even ask her to stand - and then reached forward to pat down my grandmother

“Don’t. Touch. The Grandma”

TSA Supervisor’s hands stopped as if hitting glass. She looked confusedly back and forth between the TSA agent and my grandmother for a second, and then the confusion left her face and she stepped aside, looked at the TSA agent and said “Don’t touch the Grandma” and waived us through security. They didn’t even scan the rest of us

It’s a shame she couldn’t fly anymore after that, she loved to fly; when her first husband died, she married P, a WW2 B52 crewman who taught her to pilot small planes, and they would fly up and down the coast to any cities they wanted to visit - she knew the West Coast in a way few people do.

One morning in the deserts of Nevada a year after P’s death she woke me up and said “get dressed, were going to into town to the casino; P visited me in a dream last night and told me I’d win a video poker jackpot with a royal flush today” and we drove into town so she could spend fifteen minutes playing video poker. I say fifteen minutes, because after fifteen minutes she hit her jackpot with a royal flush in hearts, and we went back home.

She used to sit in her chair in her living room with her back to the kitchen wall, and I’d go to leave the kitchen and I’d hear her from the other room “don’t you leave my kitchen mat like that” and I’d look over my shoulder at the mat in front of the sink, and sure enough, it would be all rumpled up; sorry grandma.

Grandma and I shared a birthmark, a red stain I won’t describe fully. And my grandmother and I were both adopted. Let me explain.

My Grandmother was adopted by a nice family.

And then that family all died, and she was adopted AGAIN.

She grew up and married a man whose Irish father I am named after: K, who came here from Ireland to work the Alaskan gold rush. She and her husband lived with his father K for a while, and this is a story about that:

Every Sunday. great grandpa K would go off on his own for a couple hours to “walk in the woods”. Grandma followed him one day. K walked into the woods, packed a pipe, sat down with his back to a tree, and took a small handful of nuts and seeds and fruits and leaves out of his shirt pocket. He scattered them around. Soon, as if expecting him, several animals came and helped themselves. The squirrels climbed all over him, on his head even. The raccoons sat in his lap. The birds sat on his knees and shoulders and in his beard and peered into his face. The deer checked his jacket for more snacks. After they hung out for about an hour, they all went on their way. Then K smoked his pipe and went home.

Grandma and K’s son had 5 kids.

One died as a child.

The eldest became an ER nurse and a savant witch. She would never admit she is a witch, but there’s a horseshoe over her door (not the front door, mind you, but the door she actually uses) and she’s the one who taught me to always leave a single spider in your house when you clean. She has a natural way with plants and animals -  the deer eat everything but her herb garden, which isn’t even fenced. This year one of them stayed in her backyard for nearly two months raising twins to be big enough to take back to the herd. She recognizes the individual squirrels and birds in her yard and knows their personalities and habits and things about their families. And of course as an ER and ICU nurse, she’s a hell of a healer.

The youngest was a witch, but sadly neglected, remained immature. Still, she had talents. She could fool people and make them laugh as easy as breathing, like some kind of glamour. Every long line of strangers she ever waited in became a party among friends. Could literally smell if you were lying to her. As in, she’d lean close and take a couple deep sniffs and then be like “Nope. Tell me, where did you really go after school?”

The only brother became a wandering holy man of sorts. Used to hitch-hike around the country in robes and junk, with a small, like, cult; then he quit them to just grow his own holy experience. He died in his 30s.

And the middle sister was my mother. She was double jointed and very dyslexic, and everyone says she was incredibly gifted in many ways. She did intricate artwork in ink, fractal gardens and faux woodgrain that was made of salvador dali faces, stuff like that. She was self taught on the piano, used to just walk up to a piano and play songs she made up on the spot that sounded how she was feeling and little crowds would gather. Made her own exercise equipment. Could pick up an accent within minutes and become semi-conversational in days. She had me with a half Japanese guy in the Air Force (he didn’t stick around). Then when I was about three, she sent me to live with her eldest sister, because her life got too, ah, interesting. Like, her partner had a hit put out on them. It wasn’t safe for me. By the time I was six it all caught up with her, and she died in an accident when she jumped out of the passenger side of a car and tried to run away as it stopped at a red light.

That’s when her eldest sister adopted me. The paperwork was messed up and my name is different on my birth certificate, my SS card, and my ID. Then, the person who filled out the “messed up” paperwork was fired, but I’m still a mystery to the bureaucratic world.  

So here I am, same birthmark as my psychic grandmother, orphaned son of a savant creative criminal and a Japanese-American soldier, named after my Irish, gold hoarding, bearded, pipe-smoking beastmaster great-grandsire; raised by a celtic witch, hidden away from the official world. Sometimes I feel like all those hero origin stories are trying to call me out of hiding. More about my adventures soon.

[daughterof-chaos]

Stargazer

Author’s Note: This is Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz imagine based on All of the Stars by Ed Sheeran as requested by a lovely Nonny, and imagine #5 for week 5. I tapped into my angst for this one, it couldn’t be helped. You have been warned. Enjoy!

This is my work–originally posted to my old blog @callmemrskozik which is no longer in use. Just wanted to put it out there so people don’t fill up my inbox accusing me of plagiarism.

Stargazer

-XX-

It’s just another night And I’m staring at the moon I saw a shooting star And thought of you I sang a lullaby By the waterside and knew If you were here, I’d sing to you You’re on the other side As the skyline splits in two I’m miles away from seeing you But I can see the stars From America I wonder, do you see them, too? So open your eyes and see The way our horizons meet And all of the lights will lead Into the night with me And I know these scars will bleed But both of our hearts believe All of these stars will guide us home

-XX-

‘I’m counting down the days Juan, until I can finally be home with you again. Ireland is beautiful, but it isn’t home. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. Counting on the stars to guide me home.

Loving you always and missing you more,

Lana.’

He reads the words, lips curving at the sight of her flowing handwriting on the back of the postcard, and pressing it to his lips, he swears he can taste her. It’s been a long six months since Lana was asked to go help her family in Belfast, but he’s ready for her to just be home already.

He sighs, tucking the postcard into the pocket of his Cut and digging into the other pocket he pools out the small notebook he’s used to scribble letters to her every single day she’s been gone. It would be easier to face time her, or to text at least, but she doesn’t want that, and remembering the way she broke down the one and only time they spoke over the phone he understands.

“It’s too hard to hear your voice Juan, and not be able to be with you, I’m sorry,” her voice shook with tears and closing his eyes he tries to forget it. It hurt not being able to comfort her. So he resigned to writing letters, and even though it seemed to take forever for a response, he cherished every single one.

::

Lana’s heart aches in her chest as she stares at the calendar in her room. Single digits. They made it to the single digits.

“Eight days Juan,” she says, her voice filling the silence, “eight days and I’ll be home again.” She lets out a breath before pushing to her feet. She gathers her bag and brushing her lips against her fingers she presses them to the framed picture beside her bed. “See you soon baby.”

The day went quick enough, as they usually do. Full of small talk with the usual customers, as well as a handful of tourists in search of a cold drink and directions. She doesn’t mind the work, and she loves the people but when at last the hour grows late she smiles, stopping to lean against the door of the shop. Her face turns up to the sky, her hand coming to rest on her chest as she watches the stars wink to life in an ink black sky.

“Watching the stars again?” a voice calls from behind her and with a smile she turns to see her cousin Clara standing behind the counter, counting the till. “What is it that you always write in those letters back to your man in Charming?”

“That would be none of your business Clara,” she says smiling as she sets to sweeping. Clara means well, and even if she won’t say it out loud her teasing is partially due to jealousy. Clara’s never been outside of Belfast; oh she had dreamt of it when she was young, but life had other plans for her, plans that involved leaving her parentless at the tender age of eighteen, with nothing but a shop to her name. “Why don’t you come to Charming with me?”

“Oh, and just leave the business to die,” Clara scoffs and with a smile she shakes her head, “no, Mum and Da would roll in their graves if I just up and left, besides, if I came to Charming with you I’m afraid I’d steal all your fancy Old Men from their women.”

“Oh I’m so sure,” Lana says rolling her eyes, and reaching over the counter she lays her hand over her cousins, “just remember, the invitation is there should you want to ever take me up on it.”

“Look at you, getting me all soppy with feelings. You go on home Lana, I’ll close tonight, and I’m sure you’ll want to read the latest letter for your Juan,” Clara says so nonchalantly that it takes a few seconds for the meaning behind them to sink in.

“I’ve a letter?” she asks fighting with her apron as Clara laughs and nods, and tossing it onto the counter Lana snags her bag and as she runs she calls a quick good bye, her cousins laughter fallowing her into the night.

-XX-

I can hear your heart On the radio beat They’re playing ‘Chasing Cars’ And I thought of us Back to the time, You were lying next to me I looked across and fell in love So I took your hand Back through lamp-lit streets and knew Everything led back to you So can you see the stars? Over Amsterdam You’re the song my heart is Beating to

-XX-

Any time his weekend starts with their song coming on the radio told him it was going to be a good weekend, and smiling he tips the beer to his lips.

They are nearly in the home stretch now, and looking at the clock he does some quick math to determine what she’s doing right now, and since it’s one a.m. in Belfast, his best guess is she’s probably out with her cousin, or tucked up in bed fast asleep. Secretly he hopes it’s the latter as he hates the idea of her being out in crowds, the idea of men hitting on her enough to make his blood start to boil.

He takes a steady breath and makes a conscious effort to think of something else, anything else, and when he hears the ring of feminine laughter coming from across the club house he immediately thinks of the day he realized he was in love with Lana. They’d been together for only a few months, and she slid into his life so effortlessly, getting along with all of his brothers, and probably more importantly the Old Ladies, save for Tara who, as of late, wasn’t in the mood to get along with anyone.

She sat across the bar from him, deep in conversation with Bobby about something, music probably, and she let out a laugh, so loud and long that her shoulders shook with it as she pressed a hand to her chest, and he fell for her right then and there.

Lana feared nothing; she took life by the horns so to speak, and just enjoyed the ride.

And God, he missed her.

He slides from his barstool and carrying his beer outside he settles onto one of the tables. He lays back, hands tucked behind his head as he stares at the stars above him, and he hopes she’s watching the stars too.

-XX-

So open your eyes and see The way our horizons meet And all of the lights will lead Into the night with me And I know these scars will bleed But both of our hearts believe All of these stars will guide us home

-XX-

“Open your eyes Lana,” Juan’s voice is soft as he murmurs in her ear, but she keeps them closed, smiling.

“I can’t,” she murmurs, her hand coming up to rest against his face. She doesn’t have to see him to know he’s smiling, she can feel his lips curved against her skin.

“You have to Lana,” he says his fingers digging into her skin, “you need to see the stars tonight.”

“I can’t,” her eyes burn with tears as they slide from the corner of her eyes. “I can’t Juan, because if I do, if I do, you won’t be here.”

“I will baby. I promise, I promise. Just, open your eyes. Open your eyes,” his voice rings with desperation, and she swears she can feel his hands cupping her face.

Her eyes slide open and she swears she sees his face, if for only a second but then he disappears.

“Lana, oh my God, Lana, can you hear me,” Clara’s face swims into view, “say something, please.”

“St-stars,” she doesn’t even recognize her own voice, but she lifts her hand to the sky, a soft smile on her lips. “I see the stars…”

::

His footsteps are heavy on the tiled floor, and his hands bunch tight at his sides.

They said they’d send her home, and as much as the thought of her alone, tucked up with the luggage makes his stomach roll he needs to be the one to bring her home, he has to to see her for himself, it’s the only way the truth will sink in.

He’s heard the words, from Chibs, from Tig, from Jax, even Clara…but, he can’t believe it. He has to see her. He has to know.

He paces back and forth, unable to bring himself to go through the doors, because going through the doors means seeing her, and seeing her makes it real.

It can’t be real.

“Mr. Ortiz,” a voice draws his attention and lifting his head he’s greeted by a man dressed in scrubs. “Right this way.”

::

He sits under Lana’s favorite tree, and with a smile on his lips he remembers the very last time he saw her. No, not the shell of her that he picked up from an Irish morgue; he remembers the real her. The vibrant, full of life, breathing her.

Of all the places in Charming that reminds him of her, and there are a lot of them, this is the one place he swears he can hear her voice on the wind. The sun sinks low and as the stars start to wink to life he closes his eyes.

“I hear you Lana,” his voice is soft as his eyes slide open, “I’m looking baby, I see the stars, and God, their beautiful, just like you.”

-XX-

And, oh, I know And oh, I know, oh I can see the stars From America

-XX-

[tapmagicie]

Why Quooker Kitchen Tap Ireland is the Perfect Addition to Your Kitchen

When it comes to elevating the modern kitchen experience, Quooker kitchen tap Ireland has taken things to a whole new level. Imagine having instant boiling water, filtered cold water, and sparkling water all from one sleek tap—this is the future of kitchen technology. In our experience, investing in a Quooker tap not only enhances convenience but also transforms your daily routine, making cooking, cleaning, and hydration easier and faster.

Quooker Sparkling Water Tap: Convenience and Refreshment

The Quooker Sparkling Water Tap is one of the most innovative features we’ve ever used. Gone are the days of buying bottled sparkling water, which means less waste and fewer trips to the store. With a simple twist, we can enjoy chilled, filtered, and sparkling water directly from the tap. This tap is perfect for those of us who love to entertain guests, or even just enjoy a refreshing glass of sparkling water at home.

Benefits of the Quooker Sparkling Water Tap:

Environmentally friendly by reducing plastic waste

Unlimited sparkling water at your fingertips

More counter space, as you won’t need extra appliances

Quooker Flex Tap Ireland: The Ultimate All-in-One Solution

The Quooker Flex Tap Ireland is a multifunctional tap that combines boiling, cold, hot, and filtered water in one. What sets the Flex Tap apart is its flexible pull-out hose, which is fantastic for filling large pots, rinsing vegetables, or cleaning hard-to-reach areas in the sink. The design fits perfectly into any kitchen, whether it's a sleek, modern setup or a cozy, traditional space.

Why We Love the Quooker Flex Tap:

Saves time when cooking or cleaning

Child-safe design with a double-push mechanism to prevent accidental burns

Flexible hose for greater reach and versatility

Quooker Tap Reviews: What Customers Are Saying

When looking at quooker tap reviews, one thing is clear—people love the convenience and performance that Quooker taps bring to their homes. In our own experience and from what we've read, customers appreciate the sleek design, ease of installation, and reliability of the taps. Many users highlight how much they save on water, energy, and time.

Common Themes in Quooker Tap Reviews:

Efficiency in boiling water instantly, cutting down cooking time

The eco-friendly nature of the taps, reducing water waste

Easy-to-use controls that are safe for the whole family

How Often Does a Quooker Tap Need Servicing?

One of the common questions we get is: How often does a Quooker tap need servicing? Like any appliance, regular maintenance ensures your Quooker tap performs optimally. From our research and experience, it’s recommended to service your tap every 1 to 2 years, depending on usage. The primary components that may need attention include the filter and CO2 canister (for sparkling water models).

Key Points for Quooker Tap Maintenance:

Filter Replacement: The water filter should be replaced every 12 to 18 months.

CO2 Canister: For sparkling water taps, the CO2 canister needs changing after approximately 60 liters of sparkling water use.

Regular Cleaning: Keep the tap clean to maintain its sleek appearance and avoid any buildup around the spout.

By following these maintenance tips, you can ensure your Quooker kitchen tap Ireland continues to operate at its best for years to come.

In conclusion, whether you're upgrading your kitchen or looking for the most advanced water tap on the market, Quooker kitchen tap Ireland offers unmatched versatility and convenience. From the Quooker Sparkling Water Tap to the Quooker Flex Tap Ireland, there's a perfect option for every household. With glowing quooker tap reviews and easy maintenance, it’s clear why more and more people are making the switch.

[sciencespies]

The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed

https://sciencespies.com/history/the-most-irish-town-in-america-was-built-on-seaweed/

The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed

A lot of us start our days with seaweed, whether or not we know it. From toothpaste to moisturizer to yogurt, a compound derived from seaweed called carrageenan is responsible for adding smoothness and suspension to some of our favorite products. Now a global industry, carrageenan production in the United States had its unlikely beginnings over 150 years ago when an Irish immigrant spotted a familiar plant off the side of his sailboat. Although most of today’s carrageenan–containing seaweeds come from China and Southeast Asia, this discovery leaves behind a legacy in what is claimed to be the most Irish town in America.

Around 1847, Daniel Ward was sailing off the coast of Boston when he spotted gold—at least in seaweed form. An immigrant from Ireland, Ward had been working as a fisherman when he saw red algae beneath the ocean surface that he recognized as carrageen, or Irish moss. Back home in Ireland, the Irish harvested this seaweed for uses like making pudding and clarifying beer. Ward immediately saw an opportunity to tap into this unknown resource in his new country, and soon abandoned fishing to settle on the beaches of a small coastal town called Scituate, midway between Boston and Plymouth.

Irish moss, formally known as Chondrus crispus, is a type of red algae seaweed found on the Atlantic coasts of North America and northern Europe.

(Carl & Ann Purcell/Corbis NX/Getty Images Plus)

Prior to Ward’s arrival, Scituate was unpopulated by the Irish. This proved to be an advantage, since the locals—mostly farmers and fishermen—had no interest in Irish moss and thus welcomed Ward and his friend, Miles O’Brian, and their entrepreneurial endeavor. As Ward began building the industry, Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine from 1845 to 1849 caught word about the opportunity overseas and came to Scituate to take part in this growing business. “By 1870 there were close to 100 Irish families..[and] by the early 1900s other Irish families that maybe weren’t harvesting the moss, but had relatives that were, knew about the town and moved here,” says Dave Ball, president of the Scituate Historical Society. “You can trace the roots of the whole influx back to Irish mossing.”

Irish moss, formally known as Chondrus crispus, grows on the surface of undersea rock formations. Harvesting is traditionally done by hand, using a 12-foot rake to pry off the broccoli-like tops of the moss, being sure not to rip out the stems or “holdfasts,” which would prevent the plant from growing back. Mossers tended to travel alone on their 16-foot dories, usually for two hours before and after low tide so that the water is shallow enough to scope out algal prospects.

Proper preparation of Irish moss is just as critical as its harvesting. During Ward’s time, mossers dried their harvests on the beaches, a process that took several days with the help of their wives and children. “It was a family affair,” says Ball. Weather was also a game-changing factor. Fresh water breaks down Irish moss in a process known as bleeding, turning it to a useless mush. “If it was going to rain, they would have to put the moss in a pile and cover it with a tarp,” explains Ball. “That would be the responsibility of the kids and wives.”

Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine from 1845 to 1849 caught word about the opportunity overseas and came to Scituate to take part in this growing business.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Once dried, Irish moss was sold to companies for a variety of uses. The moss was first boiled and broken down in fresh water, and then turned into a white powder through alcohol treatments and drying. At the time Ward started his business, carrageen was already recognized as a useful emulsifying and suspending agent. For instance, an 1847 patent in England claimed a carrageen gelatin for manufacturing capsules, while an 1855 patent from Massachusetts suggested using Irish moss to coat wool prior to carding in order to loosen the fibers and reduce static electricity. The latter cited that Irish moss was an ideal candidate due to “the abundance and cheapness of the material, it being an almost worthless product on most parts of our sea-coast.”

The seasonal conditions of mossing also paved the way for a new occupation: lifesaving. Harsh New England winters could destroy incoming boats, and crews often died from hypothermia. In 1871, the United States Lifesaving Service was formed to rescue these shipwrecked sailors. Since the peak season for mossing runs from June through September, mossers were free to join the Lifesaving Service as “surfmen” during the perilous winter months, allowing them to save lives along with their paychecks.

During World War II, the mossing industry boomed, also spreading into Canada. In just one year, the Canadian production of Irish moss rose from 261,000 pounds (dry weight) in 1941 to over 2 million pounds by 1942. Agar, a competitive gel product that was predominantly made in Japan, had been cut off as a result of the conflict. This gap allowed carrageen moss to take center stage. By 1949, there were five American companies that produced the purified Irish moss extractive, including the Krim-Ko Corporation in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Kraft Foods Company in Chicago.

Mossing in Scituate continued to provide jobs well through the 1960s.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Thanks to widespread manufacturing, Irish moss found a whole slew of new applications, such as stabilizing chocolate milk and being combined with ascorbic acid to form a preservative film over frozen foods. “Many more useful properties are still waiting to be explored,” wrote a chief chemist from Krim-Ko in a 1949 report in Economic Botany. “It is the attainment of this phase of application research that insures Irish moss its position as a raw material for an American industry.”

The war also changed perceptions of who a mosser could be. Prior to World War II, women rarely mossed on their own boats, instead sticking to the shores to collect remnants that had washed up. The one notable exception was Mim Flynn, the “Irish Mossing Queen”, who rowed her own mossing dory in 1934 at just nine years old as a way to make money during the Depression. Standing at only 5’2”, Flynn became a sensation and was covered by newspapers as far as Canada. “She was written up everywhere,” says her daughter Mary Jenkins, whose father came from the MacDonald family, early mossers who moved to Scituate in 1863. “But that’s what fascinated people—you know, here’s this little sprite out there mossing and making a business out of it.”

Although her mother was a socialite who didn’t approve of mossing, Flynn started a trend that expanded during the war. “I think one of the things that got women more involved was the number of articles being written about my mother, because she was so young,” says Jenkins. “And then World War II happened, and there was even more reason to try and figure out different ways of bringing an income in.” While most working men were serving overseas, women picked up the rakes and began hauling harvests of their own.

Hawk Hickman mossed for over 30 years and has written two books on the subject.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Mossing in Scituate continued to provide jobs well through the 1960s under Lucien Rousseau, a local buyer and “Scituate’s last Irish moss king.” Hawk Hickman, who mossed for over 30 years and has written two books on the subject, recalls his days on the ocean after Rousseau provided him with a boat and a rake. “You worked for yourself,” he reminisces. “The harder you worked, the more you made. You had fabulous comradery with all of your buddies you went out with, you had the best tan of anybody in town… You were part of a 130-year-old tradition.”

Over the next 30 years, the price of moss rose from 1.75 cents per pound in 1960 to over 10 cents per pound by 1990. But beneath this success, the game was quietly changing. Mechanical dryers (“Think of oversized clotheshangers,” says Ball) were introduced; smaller companies merged to form larger ones; and, according to Hickman, “more and more youngsters got motors instead of rowing out every day.” Most significantly, large companies started to look for cheaper sources of carrageenan, like seaweed farms that were popping up in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Seaweed farms, like this one in Palawan Island, Philippines, are the biggest sources of carrageenan today.

(Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images)

Suddenly, around 1997, Irish mossing in Scituate ended as abruptly as it had started. “Lucien died [in the early 1980s] for one thing,” explains Hickman, “and there was no one readily available to take his place because he was sort of a unique person who could fix any kind of machinery and keep things going.” Another family briefly took over the business, but Ball says that they ran into problems with their mechanical driers and couldn’t recover. “They told the mossers to go home,” he recalls. “And that was the end of it.”

In this way, the rise and fall of Irish mossing in Scituate echoes the fates of so many other cottage industries in America. Hickman compares it to blacksmithing. “Like many manual industries, there were a combination of factors that led to its demise—foreign competition, people unwilling to do it anymore,” he claims. “If you look at the horseshoeing industry, when we switched over from horses and carriages to cars, gradually most of the blacksmiths disappeared, [except] a few that specialized in it just for the people who were going to have horses as a hobby.”

Neither Hickman nor Ball think a return to Irish mossing in Scituate is likely, citing a combination of factors, including today’s safety regulations and seafront properties taking up any potential drying space. “The new yuppie wealthy people would start hollering about seaweed on the beach,” jokes Hickman.

But even without a daily fleet of mossers, the effects of the industry are still palpable throughout Scituate. According to Ball, the 2010 census showed that Scituate had the highest number of people claiming Irish ancestry than any other town in America, almost 50 percent of its roughly 18,000 residents, earning it the nickname the “Irish Riviera.” Ball also manages Scituate’s Maritime and Mossing Museum, which opened two weeks after the mossing industry officially ended in 1997. Once a year, every third grade public school student in Scituate visits the museum to learn about the town’s nautical history, including the contributions of Irish mossing and the characters behind it.

The museum also hosts Irish mosser reunions, where veteran mossers come back to share stories and hear about the industry today. Hickman even brings his old dory to complete the experience. On a graffiti wall inside the museum, mossers can write their name and their record harvest for a single day. “Some of them lie about it, of course,” Ball tells me.

While Scituate has since found other industries and college students now look elsewhere for summer jobs, Irish mossing undoubtedly leaves behind memories of its salt-crusted Golden Age. “Some people I mossed with went on to high profile careers,” says Ball, “and they would still tell you the best job they ever had was mossing.”

#History

[jamsoft12]

Miraculous impact of activated carbon filters on tap water

Many of us know the activated carbon as the teeth whitener and for skincare. There are also miraculous impact of activated carbon filters on tap water. Moreover, activated charcoal helps in improving the overall health of the human body by improving the kidney functions, digestive system, and as an essential detoxification substance. The activated carbon filters remove the alarming chemicals from tap water. Let’s explore how do they perform tap water filtration.

Charcoal filters

The activated carbon is also known as charcoal filters because when water passed through charcoal, harmful chemicals stick to carbon. It results in clean and pure water. The activated charcoal filtration is all dependent on temperature and water flow. For example, if you are using the small activated carbon filters, then water must be cold and flow with low pressure. You can get the miraculous impact of activated carbon filters on tap water if you have the proper knowledge of the surface area. The parameter like area and pressure matters a lot during tap water filtration through activated charcoal.

The size of activated carbon particles matters a lot as if the size is small; then water will not pass correctly through it. The filtration will not be as pure as a block of activated carbon can do.

Chemicals and contaminants removal

The activated carbon filters pure the tap water from hundreds of harmful chemicals and pollutants. Here is the list of chemicals which get remove from tap water after performing activated carbon filtration.

Weedkillers

The agriculture sector uses weedkillers to stop the growth of unwanted plants. The residues of weedkillers remain in water and food, leaving the harmful impact on the human body. Activated carbon filters for tap water removes herbicides, making it safe to drink.

Perfluorooctane Sulfonate

The drinking water contains the amount of stain repellent and fire fighting foam chemical known as PFOS (Perfluorooctane Sulfonate). The reverse osmosis and activated charcoal water filters found as one of the most effective solutions in removing PFOS chemicals from drinking water.

Microplastics

According to recent researches, found that microplastics are present in tao water, freshwater, air, and wastewater. The microplastics, when exposed to oxygen and sun rays, break down into ting particles. We can not see these tiny particles in tap water and can affect human health to some extent. The activated carbon helps in removing the microplastics from tap water.

Pesticides

The pesticides such as glyphosate, nitrate, Heptachlor, and chlordane adds up in the tap water. Recent tests declared activated carbon as the best filter for the removal of these pesticide residues from tap water. Out of all the pesticides, nitrate has a disastrous impact on the human body because of blue baby disease. A little nitrate particle amount is not harmful, but researches confirm the high presence of nitrate in tap water. The activated carbon filers are capable enough to remove nitrate from tap water.

Chlorine and it’s bi-products

Many countries use chlorine to make the tap water safe. The added chlorine makes the water safe to drink but leaves an odor and a bad taste too. So, activated carbon filter systems remove the chlorine and bi-products. The chlorine bi-products such as THMS declared as carcinogenic chemicals; activated charcoal filtration is beneficial in removing these hazardous chemicals.

Conclusion

The activated carbon filters are excellent in removing all the harmful chemicals, improving the taste of tap water. It is also useful at removing phosphate, chloride, and pharmaceuticals from tap water. The special activated carbon filters, such as activated catalytic carbon, remove limescale, chloramine, copper, and microbial cysts as well. Overall there are miraculous effects of activated carbon filters on tap water.

If you have the limescale problem in Ireland, then contact Nature’s water LTDhttps://natureswater.ie/. We provide electronic water softener and filtercal limescale systems to solve the limescale problems. Resolve Irish water treatment issues with the latest pieces of equipment and safe methods. We provide high-quality water analysis and treatment. Boiling water alone is not enough, so filter water and filter your body from various diseases. We provide the best installation of Distillation and reverse osmosis filtration. Contact Us: info@natureswater.ie

[lauramalchowblog]

The Definitive Guide to Tea

Tea can mean a lot of different plants. There’s maté, the bitter South American shrub steeped in boiling water to extract the caffeine-like compounds contained within. There’s rooibos, the “red tea” made from a polyphenol-rich bush native to South Africa. There’s coca, the South American plant also used to make cocaine. There are the unnamed wild bitter root and herb teas used by the Maasai, the evergreen tip teas used by American natives to obtain vitamin C, the nettleleaf teas used across Europe.

For today’s post, I’m focusing on the actual tea plant—Camellia sinensis. All of the classic teas come from the same basic plant; the differences lie in how they’re processed after harvest. Most tea undergoes controlled oxidation to develop flavor and different bioactive compounds. The more oxidized, the darker the tea. The less oxidized, the lighter.

I’m also going to focus on the health benefits of tea, rather than get into the nitty gritty of tea grading, the endless bespoke varieties, the optimum temperature—tea expert stuff. I enjoy tea, but I’m not a connoisseur. I can tell you about the health effects, and I imagine that’s what most of you are here for anyway.

Types Of Tea

Even within “true tea,” there are multiple varieties.

White Tea

White tea is made from tea leaves that are very lightly processed without any oxidation. Studies show that it’s “lower” in antioxidants than green or oolong tea, but that doesn’t mean it’s “worse.”

White tea possesses compounds that inhibit the absorption and digestion of glucose, thereby lowering blood glucose levels.

White tea also shows a unique ability to fight amyloid plaque linked to Alzheimer’s disease (albeit in test tubes, not live people so far).

Green Tea

In Japan, green tea is lightly steamed. In China, it’s quickly toasted under dry heat. The result with each is light oxidation. It has a “grassy” flavor and, in general, the most antioxidant content—the catechins. In one study looking at the antioxidant content and effect of 30 different teas, the top 2 and 6 of the top 10 were green teas.

Most studies find that green tea is associated with the most health benefits among all the teas, but I take that with a grain of salt. For instance in this study, green tea was associated with better health outcomes than black tea among adults in the Mediterranean, but they failed to control for physical activity. Green tea drinkers had more physical activity, which the authors suggest is a benefit of green tea but I suggest is a feature of the “healthy user effect.” Green tea drinkers did more healthy stuff like exercise, while black tea drinkers were less likely.

There are consistent links between green tea and lower cognitive decline. We don’t see this as much in other teas (or coffee, for that matter).

Oolong Tea

Oolong is “halfway between” green tea and black tea: more heavily oxidized than green, less oxidized than black. Oolong also ranks highly for antioxidant content; in that same 30-tea antioxidant study, oolongs took 4 of the top 10 spots.

Black Tea

Black tea is fully-oxidized tea. It’s the highest in caffeine and rich in a class of antioxidants known as theaflavins.

Theaflavins in the 50-100 mg range (4-8 cups of black tea) reduced body fat and increased muscle mass in Japanese women, while green tea catechins had no effect.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh tea undergoes an additional level of microbial fermentation. It develops intense flavors and unique bioactive compounds.

For example, pu-erh contains alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors that reduce the absorption of dietary glucose and lower blood glucose levels, particularly after eating.

Animal studies show protective effects against metabolic syndrome, hyperglycemia, obesity, and fatty liver. It seems to reduce liver fat, but by a strange mechanism: by increasing de novo lipogenesis (fat creation) in the visceral adipose tissue. Rodents in the study lost weight but gained visceral fat.

Matcha Tea

Matcha green tea is made from powdered, shade-grown tea leaves. Well, “shade-finished” might be a more accurate descriptor; a few weeks before the harvest, matcha-designated tea plants are covered with shade. This slows the growth, sweetens and deepens the flavor, and increases the amino acid content of the leaves (specifically L-theanine). Pulverizing the tea leaves into a powder increases the surface area and makes for a stronger, more potent brew. Plus, when you drink matcha, you’re consuming the leaves and all their polyphenols and amino acids themselves. The powder doesn’t get strained out like normal green tea leaves.

This seems to increase the antioxidant activity. First, there’s more L-theanine available. I’ve discussed the stress-reducing benefits of L-theanine before, but it’s also good against anxiety and pairs well with caffeine (more on that later). Plus, a 2003 study found that the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was 137 times more bioavailable in matcha than a traditional leaf-based green tea, and more than three times as bioavailable as the “largest literature value of other green teas.” My guess is that the increased bioavailability is explained by the fact that you’re consuming the powdered tea itself rather than steeping and discarding the leaves. Another advantage of matcha is that because it’s so potent, you need much less of it, rendering any of the potential downsides of tea, like fluoride content, less troublesome.

(Can you tell that matcha is my favorite?)

The Health Benefits Of Tea

In general, tea is a rich source of bioactive polyphenols with suspected health benefits. Some of the potential anti-cancer effects reported by the study:

Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD): In Korea, drinking more than two cups a day of green tea was linked to lower rates of COPD.

Colon cancer: Among Korean patients who’d had colorectal adenomas (benign tumors) removed, taking green tea extract reduced the recurrence of them at one-year post surgery.

Prostate cancer: In Hong Kong, green tea consumption was linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. However, follow-up controlled trials in men with prostate cancer had mostly null results.

Skin cancer: Among whites, both caffeinated coffee and tea consumption were linked to protection against basal cell carcinoma (although coffee had the stronger relationship).

Most of the cancer studies in humans are merely observational. More interesting are some of the other effects.

Most tea varieties have mild anti-hyperglycemic effects, most likely caused by the ubiquity of substances that inhibit the effect of glucose digesting and absorbing enzymes. In other words, drinking some tea with your meal will generally reduce the amount of carbs you absorb.

Tea polyphenols are among the best at inducing a beneficial hormetic response—the one where your body responds to the presence of “toxins” by upregulating its own defense capabilities and triggering a net beneficial cascade of health effects. It’s up there with coffee, chocolate, and red wine. Green tea, for example, triggers the Nrf2 pathway, causing an increase in glutathione and other antioxidant pathways our bodies use to reduce oxidative stress and nullify reactive oxygen species.

The (Few) Negatives To Look Out For…

Fluoride

I’ve covered fluoride before, and I’m still not sure of it. It seems to have some benefits for topical application to teeth, but systemic ingestion poses problems. For instance, women who consumed the most fluoridated water (and tea) during pregnancy give birth to kids with depressed IQs. Tea is very high in fluoride. The plant itself is quite good at yanking fluoride from the soil, and soil fluoride in tea-producing countries is on the rise due to industrial pollution.

High quality tea made from younger leaves is more likely to be lower in fluoride, since the plant won’t have had as much time to deposit soil fluoride into the leaves. The lowest quality, cheapest brick tea is made from the oldest leaves and will be higher in fluoride.

White tea is generally low in fluoride, since the leaves are picked when still very young. Green, oolong, and black tea leaves all stay on the plant long enough to pick up measurable levels of fluoride.

In Ireland, the only European country with legally mandated water fluoridation, the average fluoride content of brewed tea was 3.3 mg/L, with the highest levels hitting 6 mg/L. Based on Irish tea consumption, the authors suggest that “the majority of the population in Ireland are at risk of chronic fluoride intoxication.”

Organic Japanese-grown matcha green tea is a good option for fluoride minimization, as Japanese soil tends to be quite low in fluoride.

Microplastics

If you use plastic tea bags, your tea will be full of microplastics. Stick to loose leaf or paper tea bags.

 How to Brew It

Okay, so how should you brew your tea?

Duration: If you’re trying to maximize antioxidant extraction, longer is better.

In one study of bagged and loose leaf black tea, longer brew times extracted more antioxidants.

For bagged tea, 5 minutes produced the most antioxidants.

For loose leaf tea, 60 minutes produced maximum extraction. However, the first 10-15 minutes were where the vast majority of antioxidants were obtained. Longer brew times extracted more, but the rate of extraction dropped off a cliff. The difference between 15 minutes of brewing and 60 minutes of brewing probably isn’t enough to justify waiting an hour for your tea.

Water choice: A recent study compared green and black tea brewed with three different waters: tap, bottled, and deionized. Tap water with higher levels of minerals produced the best tasting tea with the lowest amount of antioxidants. Bottled and deionized water with lower levels of minerals extracted the most bitter compounds, leading to a higher antioxidant level but harsher taste.

Water temperature: I’ve read and heard a lot of different “rules” for brewing tea. Some say to “never boil the water.” Others say the opposite. All I know is that I’ve never noticed a big difference—but I’m no expert. What I do know is that both low and higher water temperatures seem to extract and preserve a good amount of antioxidant content:

In the black tea study above, they used water at 80 degrees C or 176 degrees F. That’s well below boiling.

In the study comparing 30 varieties of green, black, oolong, white, and pu-erh teas, they used water at 98 degrees C or 208 degrees F. That’s almost boiling.

A Few Ways To Enjoy It

Collagen Matcha Latte: Read this post for directions.

Coffee Matcha: Sometimes I’ll make a batch of French press coffee and throw a spoonful of matcha powder in with the grounds. I’ll add some hot heavy cream to the brew. This is a great way to get caffeine and L-theanine at once, a synergistic combo shown to improve cognitive performance. Many find that theanine takes the jitter away from the caffeine buzz.

Creamy Turmeric Tea: Read this post, and add some black tea.

And…I’ve got a couple new ways that takes the work out of the above. For those looking to get out the door quickly in the morning, tea in hand, check out the new Primal Kitchen® Matcha Keto Collagen Latte and Chai Keto Collagen Latte. I’m excited about them. Let me know what you think.

Summing It Up

Like everything else, tea is no super-substance that will save you from cancer, diabetes, and obesity. But it’s a drink that’s consistently (and sometimes causally) associated with better overall health, has a long tradition of usage, and can complement an otherwise healthy diet and lifestyle. All teas appear to have some benefits, so drink what you like most.

What kind of tea do you drink? How do you make it? How do you take it?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care!

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[jesseneufeld]

The Definitive Guide to Tea

Tea can mean a lot of different plants. There’s maté, the bitter South American shrub steeped in boiling water to extract the caffeine-like compounds contained within. There’s rooibos, the “red tea” made from a polyphenol-rich bush native to South Africa. There’s coca, the South American plant also used to make cocaine. There are the unnamed wild bitter root and herb teas used by the Maasai, the evergreen tip teas used by American natives to obtain vitamin C, the nettleleaf teas used across Europe.

For today’s post, I’m focusing on the actual tea plant—Camellia sinensis. All of the classic teas come from the same basic plant; the differences lie in how they’re processed after harvest. Most tea undergoes controlled oxidation to develop flavor and different bioactive compounds. The more oxidized, the darker the tea. The less oxidized, the lighter.

I’m also going to focus on the health benefits of tea, rather than get into the nitty gritty of tea grading, the endless bespoke varieties, the optimum temperature—tea expert stuff. I enjoy tea, but I’m not a connoisseur. I can tell you about the health effects, and I imagine that’s what most of you are here for anyway.

Types Of Tea

Even within “true tea,” there are multiple varieties.

White Tea

White tea is made from tea leaves that are very lightly processed without any oxidation. Studies show that it’s “lower” in antioxidants than green or oolong tea, but that doesn’t mean it’s “worse.”

White tea possesses compounds that inhibit the absorption and digestion of glucose, thereby lowering blood glucose levels.

White tea also shows a unique ability to fight amyloid plaque linked to Alzheimer’s disease (albeit in test tubes, not live people so far).

Green Tea

In Japan, green tea is lightly steamed. In China, it’s quickly toasted under dry heat. The result with each is light oxidation. It has a “grassy” flavor and, in general, the most antioxidant content—the catechins. In one study looking at the antioxidant content and effect of 30 different teas, the top 2 and 6 of the top 10 were green teas.

Most studies find that green tea is associated with the most health benefits among all the teas, but I take that with a grain of salt. For instance in this study, green tea was associated with better health outcomes than black tea among adults in the Mediterranean, but they failed to control for physical activity. Green tea drinkers had more physical activity, which the authors suggest is a benefit of green tea but I suggest is a feature of the “healthy user effect.” Green tea drinkers did more healthy stuff like exercise, while black tea drinkers were less likely.

There are consistent links between green tea and lower cognitive decline. We don’t see this as much in other teas (or coffee, for that matter).

Oolong Tea

Oolong is “halfway between” green tea and black tea: more heavily oxidized than green, less oxidized than black. Oolong also ranks highly for antioxidant content; in that same 30-tea antioxidant study, oolongs took 4 of the top 10 spots.

Black Tea

Black tea is fully-oxidized tea. It’s the highest in caffeine and rich in a class of antioxidants known as theaflavins.

Theaflavins in the 50-100 mg range (4-8 cups of black tea) reduced body fat and increased muscle mass in Japanese women, while green tea catechins had no effect.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh tea undergoes an additional level of microbial fermentation. It develops intense flavors and unique bioactive compounds.

For example, pu-erh contains alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors that reduce the absorption of dietary glucose and lower blood glucose levels, particularly after eating.

Animal studies show protective effects against metabolic syndrome, hyperglycemia, obesity, and fatty liver. It seems to reduce liver fat, but by a strange mechanism: by increasing de novo lipogenesis (fat creation) in the visceral adipose tissue. Rodents in the study lost weight but gained visceral fat.

Matcha Tea

Matcha green tea is made from powdered, shade-grown tea leaves. Well, “shade-finished” might be a more accurate descriptor; a few weeks before the harvest, matcha-designated tea plants are covered with shade. This slows the growth, sweetens and deepens the flavor, and increases the amino acid content of the leaves (specifically L-theanine). Pulverizing the tea leaves into a powder increases the surface area and makes for a stronger, more potent brew. Plus, when you drink matcha, you’re consuming the leaves and all their polyphenols and amino acids themselves. The powder doesn’t get strained out like normal green tea leaves.

This seems to increase the antioxidant activity. First, there’s more L-theanine available. I’ve discussed the stress-reducing benefits of L-theanine before, but it’s also good against anxiety and pairs well with caffeine (more on that later). Plus, a 2003 study found that the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was 137 times more bioavailable in matcha than a traditional leaf-based green tea, and more than three times as bioavailable as the “largest literature value of other green teas.” My guess is that the increased bioavailability is explained by the fact that you’re consuming the powdered tea itself rather than steeping and discarding the leaves. Another advantage of matcha is that because it’s so potent, you need much less of it, rendering any of the potential downsides of tea, like fluoride content, less troublesome.

(Can you tell that matcha is my favorite?)

The Health Benefits Of Tea

In general, tea is a rich source of bioactive polyphenols with suspected health benefits. Some of the potential anti-cancer effects reported by the study:

Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD): In Korea, drinking more than two cups a day of green tea was linked to lower rates of COPD.

Colon cancer: Among Korean patients who’d had colorectal adenomas (benign tumors) removed, taking green tea extract reduced the recurrence of them at one-year post surgery.

Prostate cancer: In Hong Kong, green tea consumption was linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. However, follow-up controlled trials in men with prostate cancer had mostly null results.

Skin cancer: Among whites, both caffeinated coffee and tea consumption were linked to protection against basal cell carcinoma (although coffee had the stronger relationship).

Most of the cancer studies in humans are merely observational. More interesting are some of the other effects.

Most tea varieties have mild anti-hyperglycemic effects, most likely caused by the ubiquity of substances that inhibit the effect of glucose digesting and absorbing enzymes. In other words, drinking some tea with your meal will generally reduce the amount of carbs you absorb.

Tea polyphenols are among the best at inducing a beneficial hormetic response—the one where your body responds to the presence of “toxins” by upregulating its own defense capabilities and triggering a net beneficial cascade of health effects. It’s up there with coffee, chocolate, and red wine. Green tea, for example, triggers the Nrf2 pathway, causing an increase in glutathione and other antioxidant pathways our bodies use to reduce oxidative stress and nullify reactive oxygen species.

The (Few) Negatives To Look Out For…

Fluoride

I’ve covered fluoride before, and I’m still not sure of it. It seems to have some benefits for topical application to teeth, but systemic ingestion poses problems. For instance, women who consumed the most fluoridated water (and tea) during pregnancy give birth to kids with depressed IQs. Tea is very high in fluoride. The plant itself is quite good at yanking fluoride from the soil, and soil fluoride in tea-producing countries is on the rise due to industrial pollution.

High quality tea made from younger leaves is more likely to be lower in fluoride, since the plant won’t have had as much time to deposit soil fluoride into the leaves. The lowest quality, cheapest brick tea is made from the oldest leaves and will be higher in fluoride.

White tea is generally low in fluoride, since the leaves are picked when still very young. Green, oolong, and black tea leaves all stay on the plant long enough to pick up measurable levels of fluoride.

In Ireland, the only European country with legally mandated water fluoridation, the average fluoride content of brewed tea was 3.3 mg/L, with the highest levels hitting 6 mg/L. Based on Irish tea consumption, the authors suggest that “the majority of the population in Ireland are at risk of chronic fluoride intoxication.”

Organic Japanese-grown matcha green tea is a good option for fluoride minimization, as Japanese soil tends to be quite low in fluoride.

Microplastics

If you use plastic tea bags, your tea will be full of microplastics. Stick to loose leaf or paper tea bags.

 How to Brew It

Okay, so how should you brew your tea?

Duration: If you’re trying to maximize antioxidant extraction, longer is better.

In one study of bagged and loose leaf black tea, longer brew times extracted more antioxidants.

For bagged tea, 5 minutes produced the most antioxidants.

For loose leaf tea, 60 minutes produced maximum extraction. However, the first 10-15 minutes were where the vast majority of antioxidants were obtained. Longer brew times extracted more, but the rate of extraction dropped off a cliff. The difference between 15 minutes of brewing and 60 minutes of brewing probably isn’t enough to justify waiting an hour for your tea.

Water choice: A recent study compared green and black tea brewed with three different waters: tap, bottled, and deionized. Tap water with higher levels of minerals produced the best tasting tea with the lowest amount of antioxidants. Bottled and deionized water with lower levels of minerals extracted the most bitter compounds, leading to a higher antioxidant level but harsher taste.

Water temperature: I’ve read and heard a lot of different “rules” for brewing tea. Some say to “never boil the water.” Others say the opposite. All I know is that I’ve never noticed a big difference—but I’m no expert. What I do know is that both low and higher water temperatures seem to extract and preserve a good amount of antioxidant content:

In the black tea study above, they used water at 80 degrees C or 176 degrees F. That’s well below boiling.

In the study comparing 30 varieties of green, black, oolong, white, and pu-erh teas, they used water at 98 degrees C or 208 degrees F. That’s almost boiling.

A Few Ways To Enjoy It

Collagen Matcha Latte: Read this post for directions.

Coffee Matcha: Sometimes I’ll make a batch of French press coffee and throw a spoonful of matcha powder in with the grounds. I’ll add some hot heavy cream to the brew. This is a great way to get caffeine and L-theanine at once, a synergistic combo shown to improve cognitive performance. Many find that theanine takes the jitter away from the caffeine buzz.

Creamy Turmeric Tea: Read this post, and add some black tea.

And…I’ve got a couple new ways that takes the work out of the above. For those looking to get out the door quickly in the morning, tea in hand, check out the new Primal Kitchen® Matcha Keto Collagen Latte and Chai Keto Collagen Latte. I’m excited about them. Let me know what you think.

Summing It Up

Like everything else, tea is no super-substance that will save you from cancer, diabetes, and obesity. But it’s a drink that’s consistently (and sometimes causally) associated with better overall health, has a long tradition of usage, and can complement an otherwise healthy diet and lifestyle. All teas appear to have some benefits, so drink what you like most.

What kind of tea do you drink? How do you make it? How do you take it?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care!

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[stevenhwicker]

Steam Boiler Fuels Major Expansion At Magic Rock Brewing

Huddersfield-based craft beer specialist, Magic Rock Brewing, has installed a 100hsp 4VT Steam Boiler from CFB Boilers to generate steam for a number of vital steam-powered processes at its new site. The energy-saving boiler, which comes with future-proof steam capacity, is already helping this highly successful brewery towards its aim of quadrupling output within the space of just two years.

Magic Rock has come a long way in a short space of time. Brothers Richard and Jonny Burhouse, aided by head brewer Stuart Ross, were inspired to start the brewery in 2011 by their love of great beer and the burgeoning US craft beer scene. Initial reaction to the beers exceeded expectations and a fantastic first six months culminated in the company being named ‘2nd best new brewery in the world 2012’ on the independent review site, Rate Beer.

Exceptional demand in the first few years necessitated an expansion in 2015 to a new 25,000 sq ft facility close to Huddersfield town centre. The move led to considerable investment in new brew kit, much of which is steam-powered. For instance, steam is used in the brewing process for heating and boiling wort in the kettle. It is also deployed for heating the detergent bath and steaming the casks at the end of the cleaning cycle. Further use for steam includes heating a series of CIP (clean-in-place) tanks, which provide heated detergent and water for cleaning the brewing vessels.

Steam, “the best option”

“The output capacity at our previous site was only 5,000 hectolitres a year and quite simply we needed to move in order to meet demand,” says Mr Ross. “Steam was our best option at the new site as it’s better and faster at performing the heating function. We are now on course to output 15,000 hectolitres this year, and 20,000 in 2017, which will represent a four-fold increase in around 24 months. The new location has also allowed us to introduce a canning line, which adds to our cask and keg portfolio, and open our own 4,000 sq ft bar, The Tap, where beer fans can sample the Magic Rock portfolio as close to the source as possible.”

Magic Rock and CFB Boilers were introduced via social media; at the time of its relocation, Magic Rock issued a tweet saying it was expanding to new premises. This was immediately seen by on-the-ball CFB Boilers, who replied asking if the company required steam? Magic Rock tweeted back “yes”! A subsequent site visit determined that Magic Rock required a 75hsp boiler, however CFB Boilers had a completely refurbished, pre-owned 100hsp 4VT Steam Boiler ready at its manufacturing facility in Essex, and was able to offer the larger boiler at a similar rate to a newly manufactured smaller model.

“When we heard CFB Boilers’ proposal we realised we could get extra steam capacity from the 100hsp 4VT, which would make us future-proof in the event of further expansion, but at the same price as a new 80hsp 4VT Steam Boiler. It was a perfect solution for us,” says Mr Ross.

Steam boilers offer numerous advantages over their electric counterparts. For instance, not only are they much cheaper to run (electric is almost five times more expensive than natural gas), but steam offers far better temperature control, which is very useful for brewing processes such as heating and boiling wort. Wort is the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer. It contains the sugars that will be fermented by the yeast to produce alcohol.

Boiling wort requires a lot of energy and it is wasteful for this energy to escape into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is common with conventional vessels featuring integral coils, which lose heat energy via the flue. In contrast, the 4VT Steam Boiler has a special line that returns condensate to the boiler’s steam chamber at a temperature of around 70-90oC. This heat recovery function means that the water requires less energy and time to heat, which is a valuable feature for breweries that manufacture multiple beers, where the time it takes for a vessel to complete a cycle needs to be as short as possible.

At Magic Rock, this technical advantage is exploited to produce a host of ales and stouts with colourful names such as Ringmaster, Rapture, High Wire, Dark Arts and Cannonball, not to mention an array of specials that include, Bearded Lady, Magic 8 Ball, Carnival, Big Top, Simpleton and The Great Alphonso.

All of these beers now benefit from the use of the 100hsp 4VT Steam Boiler from CFB Boilers, which was installed in June 2015.

“Steam boilers are cheaper to run than electric boilers and this efficiency will help us achieve a quick return on our investment,” says Mr Ross. “It is also more cost effective than having separate gas heaters on each jacketed vessel.”

For breweries with steam-fired jacketed vessels, the 4VT Steam Boiler offers a distinct energy efficiency advantage over similar vertical boilers due to its four-pass technology. Unlike two- or three-pass designs offered by other boiler manufacturers, four-pass technology means that combustion gasses pass generated heat over water heating surfaces four times, which maximises the opportunity for heat transfer. The result is exceptional efficiency and low exit flue temperature.

“We also like the fact that the boiler switches itself off when it’s not being used, thus saving further energy,” states Mr Ross. “Additionally, the 4VT is well insulated and can distribute heat more effectively.”

Another impressive feature of the 4VT is its steam chamber, which is approximately 30 per cent larger than most other vertical steam boilers. This not only ensures that the boiler can more efficiently fulfil variable steam load requirements – dealing effectively with peaks and troughs – but virtually eliminates boiler priming by preventing excessive moisture being carried over in the steam. Reducing moisture levels in the steam that is produced extends the boiler life and reduces the need for frequent descaling.

The 4VT Steam Boiler is manufactured by CFB Boilers at its purpose-built facility in Essex. Prior to installation, the 100hsp pre-owned boiler supplied to Magic Rock had been completely refurbished by CFB Boilers, with all the original burners and controls replaced, and new cladding installed.

Cost-saving installation solution

Magic Rock describes the installation process as “straightforward”. In fact, the same CFB Boilers’ engineer who installed the boiler when it was new, 10 years ago, fitted it in place at Magic Rock.

In addition to cost-savings associated with the 4VT’s energy efficient operation, CFB Boilers also helped Magic Rock save over £13,000 during the installation process by assisting Magic Rock on the positioning of its gas meter and developing a solution to negate the need for a gas booster. The gas supplier was asked to move the meter closer to the boiler, rather than where originally agreed, thus avoiding the need to cover the piping in stainless steel over ground. With the gas meter closer to the boiler it was possible to bury plastic piping into the ground, saving around £8,000 in the process.

A further saving arrived thanks to not requiring a gas booster. At Magic Rock’s new site (which was not previously served with gas), the new gas supply pressure is low at 21mlbar. Although this is insufficient to run the 4VT Steam Boiler, which requires 30mlbar, switching to a different gas valve meant it could be run at 18.9mlbar, saving around £5,000 on the cost of a gas booster – not to mention the costs associated with servicing such a device. Commercial boiler

With its 4VT Steam Boiler in place, Magic Rock is now ramping up output across its cask, keg and can portfolio. The company sells its beers to almost every conceivable type of outlet, with the exception of supermarkets. Beyond the UK, Magic Rock beers can now be found in countries that include Ireland, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and the USA.

[qubemagazine]

New Post has been published on Qube Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.qubeonline.co.uk/why-the-obvious-solution-isnt-always-the-best/

Why the obvious solution isn’t always the best

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

It’s a well-known fact that hydration in the workplace is an incredibly important consideration. With research showing that a properly hydrated workforce is happier, healthier and more productive; providing a high-quality drinking water system to encourage hydration is a simple way to give a big boost to a business.

As creators of the world’s most advanced drinking water systems, Zip Water UK knows the importance of encouraging employees to stay hydrated. Here it looks at why facilities managers should consider a mains-fed filtered drinking water system over a traditional water cooler.

Why is hydration important?

Water has a huge impact on our bodies, which isn’t hard to believe considering our brains are around 70 percent water and bodies 50 to 70 percent.

Drinking regularly helps to regulate our body temperature, protects our organs and tissues and helps to dissolve minerals and nutrients to then carry them to cells in the body.

In contrast, not being adequately hydrated can be more detrimental than you might believe. Studies have shown that your hydration level can affect cognitive function, cause negative moods, fatigue and reduce alertness . Even a mere one percent drop in hydration can lead to a 12 percent drop in productivity.

What’s the solution?

With a kettle and a tap often not suitable for the needs of busy workplaces, for many facilities managers, a traditional water cooler springs to mind. It might tick the ‘tastes better than tap water box’ but there are many other considerations it just doesn’t fulfil. To get the best quality filtered drinking water, a mains-fed system is the way to go. Able to be retrofitted or designed into a new project, these systems are the most beneficial for the user, the customer and the environment.

Why a mains-fed system and not a water cooler?

Many water coolers require the use of five-gallon containers. To avoid running out of water, several containers at any one time will need to be stored on the premises. Not only do these take up storage space, but the awkward shape and heavy weight makes them hard to transport across the office.

In contrast, mains-fed filtered drinking water systems that work in place of, or alongside regular kitchen taps have under-counter units, so counter space stays free and functional and there’s no need for storage cupboards filled with large containers.

Additionally, replacing the containers themselves can be an expensive business. Those low up-front costs will soon begin to build with the rate in which water is consumed. Plus, any issues with the delivery being delayed may mean access to drinking water could become restricted and productivity may be impacted.

And it’s not just the practical viewpoint that needs to be considered; a water cooler can also have a negative effect on the social atmosphere of an office.

A social and collaborative environment can be crafted with simple changes such as creating a welcoming communal kitchen. Contrastingly, the lack of social space created by installing a water cooler in an available corner of an office floor can have the opposite effect.

Open and flexible spaces encourage collaboration, creativity and interaction between staff, which can be easily achieved by utilising the communal areas such as the kitchen. A well-designed kitchen with a mains-fed filtered drinking water system at the centre can act as both a place for work and socialising; creating a setting where conversation can flow, and ideas can be nurtured.

Why the environment should be front of mind

In today’s world, perhaps the most important consideration should actually be the affect our actions have on the environment.

The use of plastic containers that come with the majority of water coolers is incredibly damaging. With a regular plastic bottle taking 450 years to decompose, a quick decision to purchase a water cooler will continue to affect our planet for centuries.

And it’s not just the plastic that’s damaging either. The extra fuel used to carry out the deliveries of replacement containers will fill our atmosphere with even more CO2 pollution.

However, with a mains-fed drinking water system, regular deliveries aren’t needed and by providing refreshing, filtered water and reusable bottles or glasses, staff have no need to go out and buy plastic bottles, so the need for single-use plastic is cut out completely.

The environment is also important to consider particularly if you are looking for your office building to gain sought-after accreditation such as BREEAM or The WELL Building Standard. A mains-fed drinking water system that uses energy saving technology and cuts out the use of single-use plastic would meet some of the sustainability criteria, helping you to achieve those accreditations.

The conclusion?

When you stop to look at the whole picture, it’s clear that the go-to water cooler may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

At Zip Water UK we offer the widest range of drinking water systems and water options on the market, giving you the choice and flexibility to specify the perfect solution. Our WRAS-approved HydroTap range allows you to select your preferred combination of instant filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling water, from a single tap. We can even provide a 5-in-1 option which includes unfiltered hot and cold water, as well as filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling. The convenience of boiling water at the touch of a button means that staff no longer have to wait for the kettle to boil and queue for drinks – another great way of increasing productivity. Plus, it’s more energy efficient too.

In order to choose the right drinking water solution for the business you’re working with, it is vital to work with an expert supplier that will be able to advise on which system will suit the requirement best. It’s important to take into account the number of employees, the level of demand and the space available. By making hydration a critical part your wellness strategy, you can help to ensure that you not only meet your legal obligations but also create a healthier, more productive workforce that will enhance the business’s ability to compete in the marketplace.

Having to worry about essential filter changes, servicing and scale management is less than ideal – so we’ve designed our HydroCare service plan to look after all of this for you. Regular pre-scheduled visits mean you can be sure your Zip HydroTap will stay in peak condition. With more than 90 directly-employed engineers around the UK and Ireland, you can rest assured that support is on hand when you need it.

With all these benefits and more, it makes sense to thoroughly consider all the options available so you can choose the best possible drinking water system for your office and gain complete peace of mind.

  Why the obvious solution isn’t always the best

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DIY: Effective, Natural Recipes for Colds, Flu, Sinus Congestion

NOTE: This article has multiple DIY: Effective, Natural Recipes for Colds, Flu, Sinus Congestion. To make it easier to navigate, use the Table of Contents button to your right!

Hot Toddy Recipe for Colds

1. Pour hot steaming boiling water into cup. 2. Add 2 tsps. lemon juice. 3. Add 2 tsps. honey (any kind, although raw honey is best). 4. Lightly dip one herbal tea bag (any flavor, but we recommend Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care tea to be used in a hot toddy recipe for colds) in cup. If you are using the Gypsy Cold Care tea, steep, covered, for 10-15 minutes before drinking. 5. Sip slowly. Repeat every two hours (or as needed) for cold/flu.

Optional:

Add 1 tsp. of rum, brandy, whiskey, or cordial to this hot toddy recipe for colds. When I was a child, my mom's ‘go to' cough syrup was whiskey, lemon, and honey in equal amounts. We'd get about a tablespoon per dose. I used the same for my children as they were growing up and it is, in my opinion, the best cough syrup around. This hot toddy for colds can work in much the same way!

NOTE: The purpose of this hot toddy recipe for colds is threefold:

1. The hot steam from the boiled water will help loosen the mucus in your nose and throat and enable you to breathe more freely.

2. The lemon dislodges the mucus from your throat and adds much-needed vitamin C.

3. The honey not only coats your throat to prevent redness, but also soothes the throat irritation from the dislodged mucus, as well as adding nutritional benefits.

4. If you add the alcohol, it helps to “sweat” out whatever fever you may have and helps you sleep better.

Adding the tea to this hot toddy recipe for colds is not absolutely necessary unless you want additional flavoring, but do not use regular tea as most are caffeinated. Gypsy Cold Care by Traditional Medicinals is my personal favorite for this remedy, with green tea being a close second.

Hot toddies have been around for centuries, especially in England and Ireland. What I've particularly noticed is that upon drinking two or three cups of this tea (spaced two hours apart), my cold symptoms are reduced dramatically within 24 hours. We hope this hot toddy recipe for colds helps you feel a whole lot better!

Combating a Cold with Essential Oils

Orange, – 20 drops

Eucalyptus – 10 drops

Juniper berry 10 drops

Pine Needle – 10 drops

Basil – 6 drops

Rosewood – 6 drops

Ginger – 4 drops

Blend all together and use in a Diffuser or a few drops in a bath to help alleviate cold symptoms.

Cranberry Soup for Colds and Flu

1 cup Cranberries

2 cups water

Honey to taste

1 tbsp potato starch

Heat Cranberries and water together until cranberry skins open. Strain and add honey to taste. Bring mixture close to a boil, then remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix starch with 2 tbsp cold water. Slowly add this mixture to the cranberry juice – stir vigorously.

Return mixture to heat and bring to full boil, stirring until it thickens and becomes slightly transparent. Store in refrigerator in a covered container. Serve w/ warm cream. Soothes colds, and is a good source of Vitamins C and B.

Herbal Cold Care Bath Formula

Yield: 3 1/2 ounces

2 tablespoons dried Lavender flowers and leaves

2 tablespoons dried Rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon dried Gingerroot powder

2 tablespoons dried Eucalyptus leaves

Fresh Eucalyptus leaves, Rosemary leaves to float in bathwater (optional)

Mix together dried herbs. Place them inside a square of natural fabric or a metal tea ball. Secure your bundle by tying the ends with a bit of sting.

To use:

Hang the herb bag under your water tap. Fill the tub with warm (not too hot) water, letting the water flow through the Herbs. Get in the bath, squeeze out your herb bag and place it behind your neck as you bathe. You also may use it to scrub your body with a bit of soap.

Essential Oil Blend to Ease Sinuses

2 drops Eucalyptus

2 drops Peppermint

2 drops Tea Tree

Boil a pot of water and remove it from the stove. While it is still steaming, add 2 drops Peppermint, 2 drops Eucalyptus and 2 drops Tea Tree, immediately cover the pot and head with a towel and inhale for 3 minutes. Keep Eyes Closed.

Honey Thyme for Colds and Flu

Cold and Flu season is upon us, but we have an ancient remedy for congestion, coughs, and Sore Throats that is simply the bees's knees!

It calls for honey, the sweetest of healers, and Thyme, a wonderful herb with Antibacterial properties that had been used by Wise Ones for centuries to alleviate the miseries of colds and flus. Easy to make and delicious to use:

1 cup honey

1/2 cup fresh Thyme or 1/4 cup dried Thyme

In a small saucepan, combine the two ingredients and heat gently over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, being sure not to let the honey boil or scorch. Remove from heat and allow the honey to cool. Strain out the Herbs, then bottle the honey and label it.

To relieve colds, coughs, and Sore Throats, take 1 teaspoon of this Thyme-infused honey three times a day. You could also add a teaspoon of it to a cup of regular hot tea and sip slowly.

  Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Sinusitis Tea

1 part Echinacea

1 part Goldenrod

1 part Goldenseal

1 part Marshmallow leaf

Mix all ingredients together and use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes and drink 1 cup every 2 hours. This tea is also amazing for the immune system!

Cough and Cold Treatment Bath

3 d. Tea Tree oil

2 d. Lemon oil

2 d. Pine oil

Soak for at least 15 minutes in bathtub to relieve tightness and congestion.

Essential Oil Nasal Spray Recipe

1 teaspoon Eucalyptus Oil

1 teaspoon of Marjoram

1 tablespoon of water

Use less Essential Oils if it burns too much. Don't blow your nose for at least 5 minutes after using the spray. The formula should last for several hours.

Zesty Cider Cold and Flu Formula

Several healing ingredients make this tasty formula one that you can drink at the first sign of a cold or Flu to help open up your sinuses and bronchial passages. You can also gargle with it for relief from Sore Throats. Here's the recipe:

25 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dried or 3 tablespoons fresh Echinacea root, grated or chopped

1/3 cup fresh horseradish root, grated

1/4 cup fresh Gingerroot, peeled and sliced

1 large white onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper powder

Honey to sweeten, if desired

Raw apple cider vinegar, 1 quart or less

Place all dry ingredients in a 1-quart wide mouth jar. Fill to the top with vinegar. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, then screw on the lid. Refrigerate for 6 weeks so the flavor can develop and soften. Shake daily. There's no need to strain and bottle it unless you want to. The flavor keeps getting better and bolder the longer the formula is allowed to steep.

At the first sign of a cold or Flu, take 2 tablespoons of this formula with a warm water chaser. Rinse mouth out well after swallowing the cider. Repeat once or twice daily for the duration of the illness. You should feel your sinus and bronchial passages quickly open and your breathing become easier.

For a Sore Throat, gargle with the formula for 60 seconds, spit, then rinse out your mouth. You should feel immediate relief.

Cold and Flu Resistance Builder Home Remedy (Recipe)

(Massage Oil)

2 drops Lavender

1 drop Bergamot

2 teaspoons Massage Oil.

Sniffy Bath for a Cold

Combine 5 parts Eucalyptus Oil to 1 part Peppermint Oil. Add 6-8 drops of the blend to your bathwater when you feel a cold coming on.

Stuffy Sinuses Oil Blend Recipe

6 drops Eucalyptus

3 drops Lemon

3 drops Neroli

Eucalyptus breaks up congestion while Lemon and Neroli harmonize and balance body and mind. Add to bathwater as you enter, soak and breathe in the aromas.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Sinus Headache Bath Salts

2-3 cups epsom salts (or salts of your choice)

1/3 cup peppermint

1/3 cup spearmint

40 drops peppermint eo

20 drops eucalyptus eo

I ground the mints in my mortar and pestle, then sifted them through a mesh kitchen strainer, and added them to the salts. Actually, I didn't really measure the amount, it was just a good handful of each.

This seems to work pretty well, and if you still need to clear out your sinuses, get a half cup of pepper/spearmint, put it in a bowl, and toss in a cup or so hot water. Let it sit covered for a bit and then carefully start breathing the steam. (I found out how potent this was when I was making peppermint ‘tea' for a m&p!!

Use about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of this mixture per bath. I went through the ‘batch' within 2 weeks, but someone suggested to mix the salts and dried herbs beforehand, and when the need for the bath arises, to add the eo's then to guarantee potency.

A decent amount would probably be 4 drops peppermint, 2 drops eucalyptus per bath. Some people may be more sensitive to the peppermint, so be sure they don't have an adverse reaction before using these salts.

Chest and Sinus Congestion Essential Oil Blend

2 drops Lavender

2 drops Tea Tree

2 drops Eucalyptus

Boil a pot of water and remove from the stove. While still steaming, add 2 drops Eucalyptus, 2 drops Lavender and 2 drops Tea Tree. Cover bowl and head with towel and inhale for at least 3 minutes. KEEP EYES CLOSED.

Herbal Tea Remedy for Cold and Flu (Recipe)

3 parts Echinacea

3 parts Goldenseal Root

2 parts Pau D Arco

2 parts Peppermint leaf

2 parts Mullein

1 part Ginger Root

Combine all of the Herbs together. Place 2 Tablespoons of mix in jar that can be completely covered. Pour 6 ounces of hot water over the Herbs and seal.

Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain Herbs. Drink 1 cup 3 times a day. Inhale the tea to relieve sinus congestion.

Nighttime Formula for Colds and Flu

2 drops Lavender

2 drops Tea Tree

Add 2 drops lavender and 2 drops tea tree to a steaming bowl of water – let stand so that the steam diffuses into the room (or add same essential oils to a tea candle diffuse

Cold Care Bath Essential Oil Blend

5 drops Eucalyptus

2 drops Peppermint

2 drops Lavender

For Bath: Add oils directly to a tub full of warm water and mix well.

As Inhalant: Add blend to a simmer pot in a sick room. Be sure to watch the water level.

For Massage Oil: Add blend to 1/2 ounce base Massage Oil and massage into the chest.

This pungent blend opens the nose and soothes aching muscles. It is effective when a cold is coming on. Before using it, apply to a small patch of skin on the inside of the arm to test for skin sensitivity. Never apply pure essential oils “neat,” or undiluted, without testing them first.

Natural Help for a Head Cold

A head cold is a most uncomfortable feeling which affects nasal and sinus passages, accompanied by pain and tenderness.

Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil to 4 cups of water, drape towel over pot and inhale. At night add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil to a vaporizer. You can also rub a few drops of Tea Tree Oil on the nose and forehead areas.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Daytime Cold and Flu Formula

2 drops Eucalyptus Oil

2 drops Lavender Oil

2 drops Peppermint Oil

2 drops Tea Tree Oil

Add 2 drops Eucalyptus, 2 drops Lavender, 2 drops Peppermint and 2 drops Tea Tree to a steaming bowl of water – let stand so that the steam diffuses into the room (or add same essential oils to an oil Diffuser). You can also drape a towel over your head and inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes to help with cold and congestion symptoms.

Herbal Blood Purifier Recipe for Treating a Cold

2 oz. Echinacea root, 1 oz.

Yellow Dock root

1 oz. Golden Seal root

1/2 oz. Ginseng root

Powder herbs and mix together. Put into size 00 capsules and take 2 capsules 3 times a day for 10 days. This combination is good for just about any illness.

Nasal Congestion Quick Fix

Nothing works faster to clear clogged sinuses than horseradish. The oils in this plant boost circulation in your nasal passages, which then loosens mucus.

Mix a teaspoon of grated fresh horseradish with a little apple cider vinegar or honey, and eat it on toast (the vinegar and honey take the edge off the potent horseradish taste). Inhale deeply as you grate the horseradish; the fumes alone will start breaking up your congestion.

Oil Blend Recipe for Colds and Flu

10 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

10 drops Pine Essential Oil

Add to the bath or put on section of paper towel so you can benefit by inhalation. Inhale frequently. Place on pillow beside nose. This opens the sinuses and helps clear the head of congestion. Eucalyptus is also a natural antiseptic.

Royal Herbal Tea for Severe Colds

Useful to treat severe cold symptoms.

1 cup – dried Pennyroyal

1 cup – dried Catnip

1 cup – dried Horehound

1 cup – dried Spearmint

1 cup – dried Sage

1 cup – dried Verbena

1 cup – dried white Yarrow

Honey to taste

Mix the Herbs. Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 2-1/2 tablespoons of the herb mix. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Strain. Sweeten with honey. Reheat and drink 1 cup every 2-3 hours. Use more often if Sweating is desired.

Cough and Cold Herbal Infusion Recipe

1 pint water

2 Tbsp dried Chamomile

handful Red Clover dried

1/2 tsp. Slippery Elm

1 tsp. Mint dried

Bring water to a boil, remove from heat. Add Herbs. Steep covered for 20 minutes. Strain, add honey for taste.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Tried & True Herbal Home Remedies for Colds and Flu

Colds with Flu Symptoms

Mix 1 cup each of plantain, black Elder flowers, juniper berries, rosemary, Irish moss and peppermint, Steep 1tsp. of the herb mix in 1 cup boiling water for 15 min., strain reheat and sweeten, drink twice a daily.

Flu Symptoms

Pour 2 quarts boiling water over 1 ounce of dried sage, add the juice of lemon,1 orange, and 1 ounce of honey, mix well, cover and steep for 1 hour. Strain and drink as often as desired, reheat as needed.

Flu Remedy

Pour 1 pints of boiling water over 1 ounce of elder flowers and 1 ounce of peppermint leaves, cover and let steep 15 min. strain and sweeten give 1 cup warm every hour to produce sweating.

For Flu

Put 1 tbsp. each of white yarrow, boneset, and skullcap in 1 pint of water, simmer for 30 min….strain, add 1tbsp. of this liquid and 1tsp. of psyllium seed, flavored to one cup of boiling water, sweeten w/corn syrup, drink every 30 min. this takes care of backaches and headaches too.

Congestion with Cold

Add 1 ounce of comfrey root(cut up fine) to 1 pint of water, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 min…strain and sweeten take this 3-4 times a day by the cup, comfrey reduces the inflammation in the bronchial and alimentary system. It acts as an emollient, demulcent and expectorant, it also has pain relieving properties.

Chest Congestion

Mix 1/2 cup each of powdered slippery elm, corn starch, and crushed black mustard seed, wet the mixture just enough to make a thin paste, grease chest w/olive oil. Place the mixture on a warm flannel cloth and apply to the chest, cover to keep warm, keep on until chest skin begins to turn red.

Congestion Treatment

Mix 1 cup warm almond oil, with 1/2tsp. of peppermint oil, massage the chest and back to relieve chest congestion, keep warm and give plenty of peppermint tea to produce sweating. (this works well also for children)

Bronchial Problems

Heat 1 cup of milk,add 1tbsp. dried bee balm to the milk, allow to steep 15 min….strain and reheat, drink several glasses a day until improvement is noticed.

Comfrey Bronchial Infusion

Put 1/4 once of comfrey leaves in 1 pint of boiling water, cover and steep(covered) 30 min…strain and sweeten with honey, drink at least 2 cups per day.

Parsley Cough Treatment

This is good to use for persistent stubborn coughs.

Pour 2 1/2 cups of boiling water over 2tbsp. of dried Agrimony flowers or leaves and 1tbsp. of dried parsley, cover and steep until the mixture is cool, strain…use as a gargle to soothe throats, to stop persistent coughs take 2-3tbsp's of the infusion morning and evening.

Cherry Cough Syrup

Place 1 pint of cherries in a pan and add just enough water to cover , add several lemon slices and 1 pint of honey, simmer the mixture until cherries are soft, remove from heat. Remove the lemon and cherry pits from the mixture, refrigerate and take several tbsp. as needed for coughing.

Thyme Cough Syrup

Pour 1 pint boiling water over 1 ounce of dried thyme, cool to room temperature strain and add 1 cup of honey, shake to mix well, keep in refrigerated, take 1tbsp several times a day for sore throats, colds and coughing.

For Colds, Chest Complaints and Asthma

To stave off infections:

Hyssop tea is used on a regular basis is said to help keep away infections; add several teaspoons of the chopped leaves to 2 cups of boiling water and allow to steep 15 minutes, strain and sweeten w/honey, take several cups a day if fighting a cold or infection.

Traditional Peppermint Cure

Mix 1 tablespoon of elder flowers,1tbsp. peppermint,1tbsp. white yarrow,1tbsp. feverfew flowers, pour 2 cups boiling water over mix, let steep for 15 min. strain, sweeten and drink hot, this will help break fever by perspiring. Yarrow acts as a pain reliever.

Cold Treatment

Mullein flower tea has a pleasant taste and is good to soothe inflamed conditions of mucous membrane lining of the throat, also relieves coughing, put a small handful of the mullein flowers in 1 pint of boiling water, allow to steep for 15 min., strain and sweeten w/honey.

For cold treatment: chop several leaves of comfrey and add 1/2 cup of elderberries, add 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of water, simmer for 30 min. …strain and take as needed to produce perspiration and reduce fever, comfrey leaves produce an aspirin like substance and help to ease discomfort of a cold as well as soothes inflamed mucous membranes of the throat., elderberries serve a diuretic to flush the system.

Royal Mix for Severe Colds

Mix 1 cup each of dried white yarrow, spearmint, sage, catnip, horehound, verbena, and pennyroyal. Pour 1 pint of boiling water over 2 1/2tbsps. the herb mix. Cover and let stand 10 min…..strain and sweeten…drink 1 cup every couple of hours, use more often if sweating is desired.

Rice Tea:

This remedy is for kids and adults (both will love) simmer 1/2cup of rice in 1 1/2 quarts of water for 15 min., strain and add a few drops of vanilla flavoring and sugar, sprinkle w/cinnamon for extra flavor(drink warm) this settles an upset stomach quickly, stops vomiting, diarrhea fast.

Rosehip Tea

Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon of crushed rosehips and 1teaspoon of dried lemon peel, let steep 15 min. strain and use honey to sweeten, drink this tea whether you have a cold or not, the extra vitamin c is good or you anytime.

Cold Treatment

Boil 8 cornhusks in 2 pints of water for 30 min…strain and drink, said to relieve headaches and stuffiness of the nose during cold.

Cold Remedy

Put one gallon of water in a large pan, adding 3 ounces softened ginger root, 3 cups honey, and 1/4 pound seedless raisins, bring to a boil, simmer for about an hour(top will need to be skimmed every once in a while)cool, strain and place in a tightly closed container overnight in the fridge.

The next day, squeeze 6 lemons,4 oranges and add to the mixture, mix well and drink 2-3 glasses per day, will get rid of the symptoms pretty fast and clean the system.

Get your dried, organic herbs, organic essential oils, bulk spices, loose leaf organic teas and aromatherapy supplies at the place where we shop – StarWest Botanicals!

Natural Remedies for Cold, Flu Symptoms:

Beta Glucan – Natural immune system booster to strengthen immune system health and protect the body against viral and bacterial infections Mucus-Clear – Homeopathic remedy reduces phlegm and thick mucus plus relieves throat congestion InstaClear Sinus Relief – Herbal remedy instantly clears sinus congestion SinusSoothe – Homeopathic medicine for temporarily relieving sinus pressure and nasal congestion RespoSoothe – Homeopathic medicine to assist with temporary chest problems such as tight chest, wheezing or bouts of bronchitis Immu-Stay – Natural supplement boosts the immune system

[marilynngmesalo]

UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov could face fine, suspension for post-fight fracas

UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov could face fine, suspension for post-fight fracas https://ift.tt/2ymlCxR UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov could face fine, suspension for post-fight fracas

LAS VEGAS — Khabib Nurmagomedov was the calm, glowering foil to Conor McGregor’s antics for six months while the loquacious Irishman built a frenzy of hype around their UFC lightweight title fight.

When Nurmagomedov forced the biggest star in mixed martial arts to tap out Saturday night to end what’s likely to be the most lucrative show in UFC history, he had fashioned the perfect response to McGregor’s verbal insults and physical attacks.

But when Nurmagomedov promptly hurdled over the cage and fought with McGregor’s taunting cornermen while his own teammates ambushed McGregor in the octagon, the Russian champion and his friends might have seriously damaged careers that were just about to take off.

Here's the best view of the Khabib-McGregor aftermath from a fan#UFC229 🎥 yeroview | Instagram pic.twitter.com/0a8FLfTj3o

— SB Nation (@SBNation) October 7, 2018

“These guys are in big trouble,” UFC President Dana White said. “It is going to be ugly.”

Executive director Bob Bennett said the Nevada Athletic Commission intends to file a complaint following its investigation into the actions of Nurmagomedov and his team for setting off a post-fight melee at UFC 229 immediately after McGregor submitted to Nurmagomedov’s choke in the fourth round. Nurmagomedov’s $2 million purse has been withheld, and he could face a hefty fine along with a lengthy suspension.

White said three members of Nurmagomedov’s team were detained by police, but released after McGregor refused to press charges. White acknowledged Nurmagomedov’s lightweight title could be stripped if his actions result in a significant suspension.

“There’s going to be fines,” White said. “There’s going to be God knows what. Can these guys get visas to get back in the country? We’ll see how this plays out, but I’ve been doing this for 18 years, and this is the biggest night ever, and I couldn’t be more disappointed.”

McGregor’s $3 million purse was not withheld after commission officials examined video footage and determined his side had done nothing wrong in the melee. While Nurmagomedov brawled with McGregor teammate Dillon Danis outside the cage, a few men from Nurmagomedov’s camp — at least two of whom appeared to be UFC fighters, although the promotion and the commission haven’t formally identified them — climbed into the cage and confronted McGregor, who defended himself while getting sucker-punched from behind.

McGregor’s first public response to the drama came on Twitter early Sunday morning: “Good knock. Looking forward to the rematch.”

Good knock. Looking forward to the rematch.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 7, 2018

By following his masterful victory with a reckless response to McGregor’s lengthy campaign of verbal and physical aggression, Nurmagomedov showcased the best and worst sides of mixed martial arts in a 30-second span. The Dagestan native who trains in San Jose, California, also overshadowed his years of steady progress to become one of MMA’s top pound-for-pound fighters.

But Nurmagomedov said he had been brought to a boil by McGregor’s behaviour since April, when McGregor infamously attacked a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and several other UFC fighters. McGregor was incensed after Nurmagomedov confronted a member of his team in New York earlier in that week, which ended with Nurmagomedov winning the UFC 155-pound belt.

“I don’t understand how people can talk about I jump on the cage, you know?” Nurmagomedov said after apologizing to the Nevada commission during a brief post-fight statement to reporters, his title belt displayed on the dais before him.

“What about he talked about my religion, he talk about my country, he talk about my father? He come to Brooklyn and he broke bus. He almost killed a couple of people. What about this? … I don’t understand. I’m respectful. My father teaches me, ‘Hey, you have to be always respectful.”‘

After McGregor agreed this summer to return from a 23-month UFC absence for this highly lucrative bout , Nurmagomedov absorbed the Irish superstar’s gleeful taunts related to his family, friends and Muslim faith during their fight promotion.

McGregor crowed when Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the champion’s beloved father and a longtime wrestling coach, couldn’t attend UFC 229 because he couldn’t secure a U.S. visa in time. McGregor called Nurmagomedov’s father a “quivering coward” during a boisterous news conference.

On Thursday, McGregor referred to Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, as a “snitch terrorist rat.” McGregor appeared to be referring to a book written several years ago which claimed that Abdelaziz once worked as an informant for the NYPD and FBI among U.S. Muslims in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

McGregor’s barbs were pointed, as usual for a fighter who built his massive fortune both with heavy fists and cutting words. White knew that Nurmagomedov and his teammates took it all very personally, but he was shocked by their response.

Conor McGregor of Ireland is escorted out of the octagon after being defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia in their UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

“This isn’t the last time guys are going to say mean things to each other,” White said. “This is the fight business. That’s how it works. People have been saying mean things to each other for 18 years here in the UFC. Nothing like this has ever happened.”

White was at Mike Tyson’s fight with Evander Holyfield in 1997 when Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear and went on a rampage that spilled into the stands. The UFC 229 scene also recalled Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Zab Judah in 2006, in which the fighters’ trainers brawled in the ring between rounds and nearly set off a riot; the post-fight fracas between entourages and fans at heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe’s fight with Andrew Golota in 1996; and a Strikeforce MMA show in Nashville in 2010 which ended with a post-fight brawl carried live on CBS.

McGregor’s fame attracted attention to UFC 229 from millions of people who don’t watch MMA regularly, and the embarrassing post-fight events fit neatly into many casual stereotypes of the sport as a barbaric, exploitative spectacle. In truth, such displays of poor sportsmanship are fairly rare in MMA.

“I promise you this is not what a mixed martial arts event is normally like,” White said. “When you have such an amazing event that we’ve worked hard to build for several months, and it goes perfect … this is not what we’re about. This is not what we do. This isn’t how we act.”

Dana White: Post-fight brawl at UFC 229 'isn't sport'

UFC 229: Brawl overshadows Khabib win over McGregor

Although White said he was “disgusted” by McGregor’s behaviour in Brooklyn, the UFC promoted this bout using video footage of McGregor’s violent attack, which traumatized strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and left two other fighters unable to compete due to injuries from the shattered glass.

When asked about the UFC’s exploitation of the bus attack, White said he would do it all again, calling it “part of the story.”

And whatever punishment Nurmagomedov faces, his drawing power will be increased exponentially when he returns to MMA. The gifted grappler from a little-known republic on the shores of the Caspian Sea acquired enormous cultural notoriety with his renegade actions and the show’s success.

UFC 229 shattered the promotion’s previous gate record with $17.2 million in ticket sales at T-Mobile Arena, and White expects the pay-per-view sales to break the promotion’s record as well. That massive audience saw Nurmagomedov put on a beautiful display of well-rounded fighting against the biggest puncher in MMA.

“He had the opportunity to walk out of that place a champion,” White said. “He would have looked like a stud, instead of flying over the cage and doing the things that he did. It should have been a very different night for him.”

Canoe Click for update news world news https://ift.tt/2Cyl8cg world news

[sciencespies]

The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed

https://sciencespies.com/history/the-most-irish-town-in-america-was-built-on-seaweed/

The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed

A lot of us start our days with seaweed, whether or not we know it. From toothpaste to moisturizer to yogurt, a compound derived from seaweed called carrageenan is responsible for adding smoothness and suspension to some of our favorite products. Now a global industry, carrageenan production in the United States had its unlikely beginnings over 150 years ago when an Irish immigrant spotted a familiar plant off the side of his sailboat. Although most of today’s carrageenan–containing seaweeds come from China and Southeast Asia, this discovery leaves behind a legacy in what is claimed to be the most Irish town in America.

Around 1847, Daniel Ward was sailing off the coast of Boston when he spotted gold—at least in seaweed form. An immigrant from Ireland, Ward had been working as a fisherman when he saw red algae beneath the ocean surface that he recognized as carrageen, or Irish moss. Back home in Ireland, the Irish harvested this seaweed for uses like making pudding and clarifying beer. Ward immediately saw an opportunity to tap into this unknown resource in his new country, and soon abandoned fishing to settle on the beaches of a small coastal town called Scituate, midway between Boston and Plymouth.

Irish moss, formally known as Chondrus crispus, is a type of red algae seaweed found on the Atlantic coasts of North America and northern Europe.

(Carl & Ann Purcell/Corbis NX/Getty Images Plus)

Prior to Ward’s arrival, Scituate was unpopulated by the Irish. This proved to be an advantage, since the locals—mostly farmers and fishermen—had no interest in Irish moss and thus welcomed Ward and his friend, Miles O’Brian, and their entrepreneurial endeavor. As Ward began building the industry, Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine from 1845 to 1849 caught word about the opportunity overseas and came to Scituate to take part in this growing business. “By 1870 there were close to 100 Irish families..[and] by the early 1900s other Irish families that maybe weren’t harvesting the moss, but had relatives that were, knew about the town and moved here,” says Dave Ball, president of the Scituate Historical Society. “You can trace the roots of the whole influx back to Irish mossing.”

Irish moss, formally known as Chondrus crispus, grows on the surface of undersea rock formations. Harvesting is traditionally done by hand, using a 12-foot rake to pry off the broccoli-like tops of the moss, being sure not to rip out the stems or “holdfasts,” which would prevent the plant from growing back. Mossers tended to travel alone on their 16-foot dories, usually for two hours before and after low tide so that the water is shallow enough to scope out algal prospects.

Proper preparation of Irish moss is just as critical as its harvesting. During Ward’s time, mossers dried their harvests on the beaches, a process that took several days with the help of their wives and children. “It was a family affair,” says Ball. Weather was also a game-changing factor. Fresh water breaks down Irish moss in a process known as bleeding, turning it to a useless mush. “If it was going to rain, they would have to put the moss in a pile and cover it with a tarp,” explains Ball. “That would be the responsibility of the kids and wives.”

Irish immigrants fleeing the Potato Famine from 1845 to 1849 caught word about the opportunity overseas and came to Scituate to take part in this growing business.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Once dried, Irish moss was sold to companies for a variety of uses. The moss was first boiled and broken down in fresh water, and then turned into a white powder through alcohol treatments and drying. At the time Ward started his business, carrageen was already recognized as a useful emulsifying and suspending agent. For instance, an 1847 patent in England claimed a carrageen gelatin for manufacturing capsules, while an 1855 patent from Massachusetts suggested using Irish moss to coat wool prior to carding in order to loosen the fibers and reduce static electricity. The latter cited that Irish moss was an ideal candidate due to “the abundance and cheapness of the material, it being an almost worthless product on most parts of our sea-coast.”

The seasonal conditions of mossing also paved the way for a new occupation: lifesaving. Harsh New England winters could destroy incoming boats, and crews often died from hypothermia. In 1871, the United States Lifesaving Service was formed to rescue these shipwrecked sailors. Since the peak season for mossing runs from June through September, mossers were free to join the Lifesaving Service as “surfmen” during the perilous winter months, allowing them to save lives along with their paychecks.

During World War II, the mossing industry boomed, also spreading into Canada. In just one year, the Canadian production of Irish moss rose from 261,000 pounds (dry weight) in 1941 to over 2 million pounds by 1942. Agar, a competitive gel product that was predominantly made in Japan, had been cut off as a result of the conflict. This gap allowed carrageen moss to take center stage. By 1949, there were five American companies that produced the purified Irish moss extractive, including the Krim-Ko Corporation in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Kraft Foods Company in Chicago.

Mossing in Scituate continued to provide jobs well through the 1960s.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Thanks to widespread manufacturing, Irish moss found a whole slew of new applications, such as stabilizing chocolate milk and being combined with ascorbic acid to form a preservative film over frozen foods. “Many more useful properties are still waiting to be explored,” wrote a chief chemist from Krim-Ko in a 1949 report in Economic Botany. “It is the attainment of this phase of application research that insures Irish moss its position as a raw material for an American industry.”

The war also changed perceptions of who a mosser could be. Prior to World War II, women rarely mossed on their own boats, instead sticking to the shores to collect remnants that had washed up. The one notable exception was Mim Flynn, the “Irish Mossing Queen”, who rowed her own mossing dory in 1934 at just nine years old as a way to make money during the Depression. Standing at only 5’2”, Flynn became a sensation and was covered by newspapers as far as Canada. “She was written up everywhere,” says her daughter Mary Jenkins, whose father came from the MacDonald family, early mossers who moved to Scituate in 1863. “But that’s what fascinated people—you know, here’s this little sprite out there mossing and making a business out of it.”

Although her mother was a socialite who didn’t approve of mossing, Flynn started a trend that expanded during the war. “I think one of the things that got women more involved was the number of articles being written about my mother, because she was so young,” says Jenkins. “And then World War II happened, and there was even more reason to try and figure out different ways of bringing an income in.” While most working men were serving overseas, women picked up the rakes and began hauling harvests of their own.

Hawk Hickman mossed for over 30 years and has written two books on the subject.

(The Scituate Historical Society)

Mossing in Scituate continued to provide jobs well through the 1960s under Lucien Rousseau, a local buyer and “Scituate’s last Irish moss king.” Hawk Hickman, who mossed for over 30 years and has written two books on the subject, recalls his days on the ocean after Rousseau provided him with a boat and a rake. “You worked for yourself,” he reminisces. “The harder you worked, the more you made. You had fabulous comradery with all of your buddies you went out with, you had the best tan of anybody in town… You were part of a 130-year-old tradition.”

Over the next 30 years, the price of moss rose from 1.75 cents per pound in 1960 to over 10 cents per pound by 1990. But beneath this success, the game was quietly changing. Mechanical dryers (“Think of oversized clotheshangers,” says Ball) were introduced; smaller companies merged to form larger ones; and, according to Hickman, “more and more youngsters got motors instead of rowing out every day.” Most significantly, large companies started to look for cheaper sources of carrageenan, like seaweed farms that were popping up in the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Seaweed farms, like this one in Palawan Island, Philippines, are the biggest sources of carrageenan today.

(Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images)

Suddenly, around 1997, Irish mossing in Scituate ended as abruptly as it had started. “Lucien died [in the early 1980s] for one thing,” explains Hickman, “and there was no one readily available to take his place because he was sort of a unique person who could fix any kind of machinery and keep things going.” Another family briefly took over the business, but Ball says that they ran into problems with their mechanical driers and couldn’t recover. “They told the mossers to go home,” he recalls. “And that was the end of it.”

In this way, the rise and fall of Irish mossing in Scituate echoes the fates of so many other cottage industries in America. Hickman compares it to blacksmithing. “Like many manual industries, there were a combination of factors that led to its demise—foreign competition, people unwilling to do it anymore,” he claims. “If you look at the horseshoeing industry, when we switched over from horses and carriages to cars, gradually most of the blacksmiths disappeared, [except] a few that specialized in it just for the people who were going to have horses as a hobby.”

Neither Hickman nor Ball think a return to Irish mossing in Scituate is likely, citing a combination of factors, including today’s safety regulations and seafront properties taking up any potential drying space. “The new yuppie wealthy people would start hollering about seaweed on the beach,” jokes Hickman.

But even without a daily fleet of mossers, the effects of the industry are still palpable throughout Scituate. According to Ball, the 2010 census showed that Scituate had the highest number of people claiming Irish ancestry than any other town in America, almost 50 percent of its roughly 18,000 residents, earning it the nickname the “Irish Riviera.” Ball also manages Scituate’s Maritime and Mossing Museum, which opened two weeks after the mossing industry officially ended in 1997. Once a year, every third grade public school student in Scituate visits the museum to learn about the town’s nautical history, including the contributions of Irish mossing and the characters behind it.

The museum also hosts Irish mosser reunions, where veteran mossers come back to share stories and hear about the industry today. Hickman even brings his old dory to complete the experience. On a graffiti wall inside the museum, mossers can write their name and their record harvest for a single day. “Some of them lie about it, of course,” Ball tells me.

While Scituate has since found other industries and college students now look elsewhere for summer jobs, Irish mossing undoubtedly leaves behind memories of its salt-crusted Golden Age. “Some people I mossed with went on to high profile careers,” says Ball, “and they would still tell you the best job they ever had was mossing.”

#History

[therappundit]

August/Labor Day 2018 -*PlayLi$t of the Month*

A summer that began with fireworks is now a wrap...

Folks, the last month of the summer for me has been busy. Between work, family, and a beautiful vacation to Ireland, I have not had a lot of time to write, or even truly absorb so much of the new music that has dropped in the last two months. That being said, there were more than enough potent releases in late July/August to warrant a summer close-out list with plenty of fire power!

It is ironic that a summer that kicked off with a Drake vs. Pusha T beef dominating the headlines, has drawn to a close with some of the pettiest of mainstream squabbles in recent memory. So here’s some straight talk from The Pundit: I couldn’t care less about any “feud” between Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott, and I wasn’t really moved by either of their albums. Nor do I care about Eminem trying to turn back the clock to be regain former glory at this point in his career, because I find Kamikaze to be a boring album of rants and forced threats over forgettable production, and it fails to capture even a glimpse of the greatness he showcased on his early work. 

But I digress.. :-) While the mainstream may have been mostly “meh”, the underground realm was boiling over with a wealth of talent in August. I invite you to enjoy my SUMMER SLAM 2018 EDITION, LABOR DAY PLAYLIST...

1. “Cognac Colada” - Termanology feat. Willie the Kid & Crimeapple

http://www.dotgotit.com/archives/60381

(Term’s new album is stacked with plenty of bangers, but this one takes the cake. The underground veterans contribute stand-out verses, but it’s Crimeapple closes the track out with one of the summer’s strongest verses. Keep an eye out for Crimeapple, he has already accumulated an impressive set of spotlight stealing appearances this year.)

2. “Golden Fleece” - Ka & Animoss a.k.a. Hermit and the Recluse

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/hermit-and-the-recluse-golden-fleece/

(Only a gifted writer like Ka could pull off multiple dope thematic rap albums without sounding preachy, or sacrificing musicality, so the high quality of Orpheus vs. the Sirens should come as no surprise. The whole project is fantastic, and the lyrics are a feast for the ears throughout, but Animoss delivered one of his finest instrumentals with “Golden Fleece”.)

3. “Wet Ear Yungin” - Tuamie & Koncept Jack$on feat. Nickelus F

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh0UPcjUP8c

(Mutant Academy had a HUGE month. Tuamie’s steady hand helped insure that Emergency Raps Vol. 3 was one of the Virginia-based collective’s strongest efforts. A verse from Richmond’s own Nickelus F is more than enough to secure a placement near the top of my list, but it also doesn’t hurt that Koncept is rapidly becoming one of the best MCs in the underground scene right now.)

4. “Rosemary” - ElCamino

https://elcamino1.bandcamp.com/track/rosemary

(Camino remains one of Griselda’s secret weapons, and he more than proved his ability to stand on his own two with this new Walking On Water project. “Rosemary” is an emotional dedication to Camino’s late grandmother, and a great example of how even on a low budget, raw honesty over a simple, soulful loop can make for impactful music.)

5. “Sirens” - Ka & Animoss a.k.a. Hermit and the Recluse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPzyQXR1XG8

(Such a gorgeous intro to a terrific new album.)

6. “Mood Ring” -  Reese LaFlare feat. Pusha T

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/reese-laflare-mood-ring-ft-pusha-t/

(I wish Astroworld had more joints that sounded like this one...experimental, but focused production that doesn’t come at the expense of rap skills. Atlanta’s Reese LaFlare doesn’t bring a new set of skills to the trap table, but he’s strong enough as a rapper with an ear for beats to grab anyone’s attention with songs like “Mood Ring”. And a new verse from Push certainly helps!)

7. “Talk In Code” - Fly Anakin & Big Kahuna OG

https://mutantacademyrva.bandcamp.com/track/talk-in-code-prod-ohbliv

(Still so much to digest from the Mutant Academy this month - fans know that they unleashed more than one dope tape in August - but two of the crew’s frontmen, Fly Anakin and Big Kahuna OG, were so potent on this joint I could not allow just one Mutant Academy track on this month’s top ten.)

8. “The Soul” - REASON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtzbvUu3pEc

(TDE’s newest signing has a very bright future ahead. After making an impression on the Black Panther Soundtrack earlier this year, Reason proved he can easily carry a solo track with “The Soul”.)

9. “Brooklynn Love” - PR Dean feat. Marz Money, Rome Streetz & Estee Nack

https://soundcloud.com/hardtimesrecords/pr-dean-feat-marz-money-rome-streetz-estee-nack-brooklynn-love

(What’s more timeless than a straight up underground posse cut? Rome Streetz and Estee Nack remain two of the dopest MC’s in the biz today.)

10. “Black Balloons” - Denzel Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSnkPxDjQSY

(For anyone that still believes today’s mainstream rappers are all mumble with no substance, you really need to give Denzel Curry’s TA13OO a chance. The Carol City rising star knows how to balance his work to appease both the lyrical substance mavens, as well as the kids that just want something to bounce to, and this joint is a quintessential example of Curry’s increasingly high ceiling.)

*Bonus - Honorable Mention (extended SUMMER BLOW-OUT EDITION)*

“Mob Days” - Willie The Kid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9IwCnkyHY

“Black Snow Beach” - DJ Muggs feat. Raekwon & Meyhem Lauren

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-oO2HeVPrg

“Roots of a Thug” - Knowledge The Pirate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ON9YPF8Ou8

“Sicko Mode” - Travis Scott feat. Big Hawk, Swae Lee & Drake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-JBBNg8YKs

“Car Confessions” - Young M.A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiodueMmk6s

“666” - YG feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQcaMBzgYWY

“Sundown” - Jack Harlow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2-dqe8qweY

“Fatigue Coat” - zoomo feat. Benny The Butcher

https://zoomoguy.com/track/fatigue-coat-feat-benny-the-butcher

“Germ” - DrxQuinnx feat. Denmark Vessey

https://soundcloud.com/drxquinnx/germ-ft-denmark-vessey

“No Documents” - zoomo feat. Estee Nack & Sadhu Gold

https://zoomoguy.com/track/no-documents-feat-estee-nack-sadhu-gold

“Myself” - Bun B feat. Run The Jewels

https://pitchfork.com/news/bun-b-taps-run-the-jewels-for-new-song-myself-listen/

“Mr. Lathe Cut” - $auce Heist https://soundcloud.com/user-426145243/mr-lathe-cut

Happy Labor Day everyone, and BRING ON THE FALL 🙌

[ICYMI: Last month’s list below]

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/175697038546/july-2018-playli-t-of-the-month