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lovemesomesurveys · 3 years ago

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What time are you starting this? It’s 3:49AM. Name? Stephanie. Nicknames? Steph or Sis. Date of birth? July 28th. Sex? Female.

Height? About 5′4. Eye color? Brown. Where were you born? Somewhere in California. Number of candles on your last birthday cake? 32. D; Pets? I have a 4 year old doggo named Princess Leia. Hair color? Dark Brown. Piercings? Just my earlobes. Town you live in? I’m not sharing that. Favorite foods? Eggs, ramen, chicken tenders, garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings from Wingstop, pastas, turkey or bologna sandwiches, potatoes in various forms, and pizza. Ever been to Africa? No. Been toilet papering? No, and I’d never participate in something like that. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes. Been in a car accident? No, fortunately. Croutons or bacon bits? Croutons. Favorite day of the week? I don’t have one really since my days seem to just blend together. Favorite resturant? I don’t have one. Favorite flower? I don’t have one. Favorite sport to watch? None. Favorite drink? Coffee, Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink, Coke, Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper, Cherry Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi... lol clearly I like the cherry flavored sodas. And *gasp* I like Coke and Pepsi, highly controversial I know. Favorite ice cream flavor? Strawberry, mint chocolate chip, birthday cake, cookies and cream. Warner Bros. or Disney? Disney. Favorite fast food restuarant? I guess Jack in the Box because I really like their chicken strips. Carpet color in your bedroom? Tan. Whom did you get your last email from? From one of the stores I’m subscribed to. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don’t wanna max out any credit cards. What do you do most often when you are bored? I do the same things regardless: scroll through Tumblr, do surveys, check social medias, watch TV, read, color, play The Sims... Most annoying thing to say to me? I hate being told to “calm down.” Bedtime? I fall asleep in the early morning hours. Favorite TV show? I have several. Last person you went out to dinner with?: I haven’t gone out to dinner in quite awhile. Been out of country? Once when I went to Mexico. Believe in magick? No. Ford or Chevy? Ford. What are you listening to right now? An ASMR video. Have you ever failed a grade? No. If you have, what grade did you fail? -- Do you have a crush on someone? No. Do you have a bf/gf? No. If so, what is their name? -- How long have you been together? -- What are you wearing right now? A t-shirt dress. Would you have sex before marriage? I don’t plan on getting married, I just want to be in a long-term committed relationship with someone I’m in love and feel comfortable with before engaging in that. Have you ever had a crush on any of your teachers? Nope. Are you a virgin? I am. Do you smoke? No. Do you drink? No. Are you a player? Np. What are your favorite colors? Pastels, rose gold, sea foam green, coral, and yellow. What is your favorite animal? Dogs and giraffes. Do you have any birthmarks? Yeah, one on my right elbow. Who do you talk to most on the phone? My mom. I don’t talk on the phone except for quick calls from my mom or sometimes from my brother who call to ask/tell me something real quick or my mom might call on her lunch at work to talk for a bit. They’re just brief calls. Have you ever been slapped? No. Do you get online a lot? Yeah, I spend a lot of time online. Are you shy or outgoing? I’m very shy. Do you shower? Yes. Do you hate school? I’m not in school anymore, but no I wouldn’t say I hated it. Well, not overall anyway. I definitely felt that way at times, but there were parts I liked. Do you have a social life? Nope. How easily do you trust people? I don’t really have a trust issue, I just have a hard time opening up and expressing myself to others. That even includes people I’m close to. Would you ever sky dive? Nooo. Do you like to dance? I don’t dance except for like nodding my head to the beat or moving my arms or hands a little. Have you ever been out of state? Yes, a few times. Do you like to travel? I do. Have you ever been expelled from school? Nope. Have you ever been suspended from school? Nope. Do you want to get out of your hometown? Yes. Are you a brat? I feel like I’ve been acting like one nowadays. I’m just so irritable and moody and snippy all the time. :/ Have you ever been dumped? Yes. Do you like snapple? Sure. It’s bee awhile since I’ve had it, though. Do you drink a lot of water? Not nearly enough. What toothpaste do you use? Sensodyne. Do you have a cell phone? I do. Do you have a curfew? No, I’m 32 years old. I actually never had a curfew, though. There was no need to set one because I didn’t go anywhere. Who do you look up to? My mom. Are you a role model? I wouldn’t say so. Have you ever been to Six Flags or Cedar Point? I’ve been to Six Flags several times. What name brand do you wear the most? I have a lot of Adidas clothes, shoes, and accessories. What kind of jewelry do you wear? I hardly ever wear jewelry, but if I do it’ll likely be bracelets. What do you want pierced? Nothing. Do you like takin pictures? Not of myself. Do you like gettin your picture taken? No. Do you have a tan? I have a slight tan from my beach trip earlier this month. Do you get annoyed easily? Yes. Have you ever started a rumor? No. Do you have your own phone or phone line? I have a cell phone. Do you have your own pool? No. Do you have any siblings? I have two brothers. Have you ever been played? Yes. Have you ever played anyone? No. Do you get along with your parents? I do. How do you vent your anger? By crying. Have you ever ran away? No. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. Do you even have a job? Nope. Do you daydream a lot? I suppose so. Do you run your mouth? No. What do you want a tattoo of? I highly doubt I’ll ever get one. What do you have a tattoo of? I don’t have any. Are you rude? I truly don’t mean or intend to be, but like I said I’m so moody, irritable, and snippy nowadays that I feel like I probably am kind of rude at times. :/ What was the last compliment you recieved? On my hair, I think. What is your lucky number? I don’t believe in luck, but my favorite number is 8. What does your hair look like right now? It’s really short. Could you ever be a vegetarian? No. Describe your looks? Really short dark brown hair, brown eyes, some freckles, thin, about 5′4... quite average, nothing special. Would you ever date someone younger than you? I’d much prefer someone older but in my range. I wouldn’t date anyone younger than 30. Would you ever date someone older than you? Yes. When was the last time you were drunk? Almost 10 years ago on my birthday. How many rings until you answer the phone? I don’t answer after a certain amount of rings. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No, and I have no desire to ever do so. If yes, when was the last time? -- When was the last time you went on a date? It’s been a few years. Do you look more like your mother or father? My mom. Do you cry a lot? I feel like such a crybaby nowadays. What phrase do you use most when on the phone? I don’tave a certain phrase I always use when on the phone. Have you ever been chased by cops? No. What do you like most about your body? Nothing.

What do you like least about your body? Everything. When did you have your first crush? When I was in 3rd grade. When was the last time you threw up? It’s been a few years. In the opposite sex, do you prefer blondes or brunettes? I don’t care. Do you ever wear shirts do show your belly? No. What about cleavage? No. Is your best friend a virgin? No. What theme does your room have? It doesn’t really have one. What size show do you wear? I wear a size 6 in women’s US. What is your screen name on AIM? Aw, rip AIM. How are you feeling right now? Tired and hungry. When was the last time you were at a party? Back in June for my bro’s grad party. Has there ever been a rumor spread about you? No. What is one of your bad qualilties? One of many is that I’m very stubborn. What is one of your good qualilties? I’m understanding. Would you marry for money? No. What do you drive? I don’t. What kind of music do you like? I like variety. Would you ever bungee jump? Nooo. What is your worst fear? Losing my loved ones, never getting better/getting worse, never doing anything with my life. Would you ever join the army? No. Do you like cows? Sure. If you were to die today, what would you do? Uhhh. If you had one last word to say to someone before you die, what would it b? I would tell them I love them and thank them for everything. Do you like to party? I like small, chill get togethers. Hearts or broken hearts? Uh, hearts. Moons or stars? Stars. Coke or pepsi? Both. Favorite scent? I have a lot. Favorite band? One will always be Linkin Park. Would you ever dye your hair red? I was dyeing my hair red for the past 5 years and plan on doing so again when my hair grows out more. How many languages can you speak? I’m only fluent in English. What time are you finishing this? 10:47AM. I fell asleep at some point so I finished this later.

#personal #text #survey #surveys #long survey

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babedur · 4 years ago

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Well, between "ADA gets a human body for some reason," "Maisie's mom time travels to the future somehow," and "Alex Hawthorne just shows up one day on the Unreliable," the last one won the fight for my brain today.

We’ll see who wins tomorrow.

Alex only hit the button because it was his only option, and braced himself. The scientists outside were yelling- at him, at each other, at the guards. The guards were yelling at him, too, and the scientists, and probably at each other, too, just to cap it off, except it was getting harder to hear over the whir of the machine he’d trapped himself inside.

If he lived, this was the last scientist job he was taking. No more scientists and corporate espionage. Smuggling and scavenging exclusively. Though he was certain to break this promise to himself, because, first of all, espionage tended to pay, and second of all, it was actually getting kind of difficult to hear himself, and everything was starting to tingle, and the tingling turned into needling, then piercing, and-

and he was in the dark, someplace a little cold and smelling a little bit like socks and the leftovers of a meal that involved hot saltuna, with a fine undercurrent of recycled ship air.

Alex patted himself down. All his fingers seemed to be in order and he could only assume the same for his toes. It was an odd feeling, going from extreme pain to extreme… neutralness, in an instant. He had the feeling it would be coming back at any moment to hit him like a ton of bricks. Or maybe a ton of bullets. Where the hell was he?

The lights flicked on. He had a moment of relief- the Unreliable’s galley, what were the odds- before ADA’s voice rang through the entire ship: “ALERT! INTRUDER in the GALLEY. I repeat, INTRUDER in the-“

“ADA,” Alex hissed. “It’s me! Not sure how, if I’m being honest, but-“

One of the closed doors in the unused crews quarters slid open. A guy with sleep-tousled curly hair, one sock, and a blade slid out into the hallway.

“What the fuck,” Alex said, lifting his pistol. “ADA, who the hell did you let onto my ship?”

“Hey!” the guy- the kid, really- barked. “How did you get onto our ship!”

“‘Our?’” Alex repeated. “This is the Unreliable. My ship, thank you.”

“I don’t understand,” ADA said, sounding lost. “I don’t- I don’t understand.”

Another door slid open. A short-haired woman aimed a bolter pistol right at his chest. “ADA,” she said, sounding half-asleep for all that her pistol hand didn’t waver as he switched his aim to her. “You falling asleep at the wheel? How the hell did we get two days away from Scylla and no one noticed we had a stowaway?”

“I don’t think that’s what happened,” ADA said.

“Damn right,” Alex muttered, and a third and fourth door opened- just how many people were here? Last time the Unreliable had had more than one person, it had just been him and Lucky, and even that had been too many people. ADA had complained for weeks about the intrusion. As it was, he was now being held at gunpoint in his own galley by four different strangers in various stages of asleep and unclothed, and most of them looked like they meant business.

“Drop the gun,” the woman with pink hair who apparently slept with a fucking axe said. She tried to circle around behind him.

“Since you asked so nicely, I’ll consider it,” Alex said, backing up to keep her in his sights. It wouldn’t last forever.

The redhead cocked her bolter and lowered her aim to his legs. “Don’t worry,” she said cheerfully, “I’m pretty sure I can patch up most of what we’ll do to you if that gun doesn’t hit the gun right now.”

Alex compromised. He put the gun on the table. The woman with pink hair immediately circled the table completely and started frisking him, finding his backup pistol and belt knife, then his boot knife. “Buy me dinner, first.”

“Is the captain awake?” A young woman with a big hammer asked.

ADA hesitated for a full two seconds. That was a long damn time, for an astrogator with ADA’s processing power. “Maisie is coming. Please standby.”

Okay. Okay. Current theory: ADA had been hacked while he was gone.

“ADA,” Alex said quietly, even as the redhead raised her gun in warning. “Do you recognize me?”

“Of course I do,” ADA said, her voice completely flat. “You’re Alex Hawthorne. But I don’t- I don’t understand. You’re dead.”

“Obviously not,” the woman with pink hair said. “You sure it’s him, ADA? You haven’t been hacked, somehow?”

“That’s my line,” Alex snapped. “Why else would ADA let anyone else onto my ship?”

Two more people- that made six, now- approached. He knew, with a sinking feeling of dread and violation, that they’d come from the captain’s quarters. The man was older, built like a tossballer and idly carrying a deadly-looking shotgun somewhat at odds with his pyjamas and slippers. The woman was older, too, with an eyepatch covering what looked like some real damage on her left eye, and acid scarring on her right cheek. Her remaining eye looked him over.

“Alright,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of questions.”

“You?” Alex snapped, kicking away the woman who was currently relieving him of his gunbelt. She just unceremoniously shoved him into one of the couches while the rest of the intruders formed a semi-circle. “You have questions? I’ve got a fucking question, lady, who died and made you captain of my ship?”

“You did, I think,” she said mildly. “Quick question, what day do you think it is?”

“Thursday, probably.”

Her mouth pulled in what could have been either amusement or exasperation. “What month and year.”

“March 3rd,” Alex said.

“And the year? 2355?”

“Of course. What other year would it be?”

“The current day,” the woman said, “is February 8th, 2356. I’ve been captain of the Unreliable for almost a year, in May, since her previous captain, Alex Hawthorne, died in the Emerald Vale by standing too close to an escape pod’s landing beacon.”

Alex blinked. And snorted. “Nice one,” he said.

“No,” ADA said. “She isn’t lying to you. That… happened.”

“It’s not possible. I was just…” he frowned. “Hey, ADA, did I get paid for the Cedar Springs job?”

“No,” ADA said. “As I recall, shortly after landing you decided that it was too risky and that your contact was, I quote, ‘a flaky son of a rungleech who didn’t have enough bits to make me piss on a sleeping UDL recruit, let alone storm an entire compound of them.’” (The young fellow barked a laugh.)

“That sounds like me,” Alex admitted. “But that isn’t what happened. I took the job. Got trapped inside. There was some big…” he gestured, outlining the platform inside the huge science-y cage thing. He received blank stares in return. “…science thing, and I pushed the button, figuring it would distract them.”

“And then…?” the captain- ugh, no, the woman- prodded.

“And then I was here, being threatened and robbed on my own ship.”

“Not quite time travel,” the woman mused, leaning comfortably on the back of one of the chairs. “Alternate universes?”

“That’s fairly far-fetched,” the older man said. “But if any company would try to research and monetize it, it would be UDL. Or, some clever hacker has convinced ADA that he matches the description of her deceased captain, and given her a fake memory or two to match.”

“Fuck you,” Alex snapped. “I put so much work into this ship I may as well have built her from scratch. You see that panel?” he pointed. Only the young woman and the guy actually looked, but that was beside the point. “I spent four hours behind it, wiring the cameras so ADA could see the table.”

“I could tell you had some trouble,” the young woman piped up. “Everything back there was covered in shrink wrap, like you’d had to strip back so far on the wire you needed to add more. A lot more.” Under his stare, she flushed. “I mean, uh, you got the job done, obviously, it’s just…”

“Great,” Alex muttered. “You stole my ship, suborned my astrogator, and now you’re insulting my engineering.”

“Let’s say we believe you’re Alex Hawthorne,” their leader said. “What happens now?”

“You put down your guns and kindly escort yourselves to the airlock?” Alex said hopefully.

The other captain shook her head. Behind her, her crew bristled.

“Worth a shot. Well, you’re the ones with the guns, you got any ideas on what to do with me?”

“You mentioned the airlock,” the redhead said thoughtfully.

“Absolutely not,” ADA said, calm voice at odds with the sudden increase in volume from her speakers throughout the ship.

“Message received,” the redhead said. “No spacing the ex-captain.”

“Ex-captain,” Alex repeated with disgust. “Current captain, thanks.”

“Do you have your ID cart?” the older man asked, which was the important question.

“Not on me,” Alex lied, and the other captain looked to the table. There it was, sitting on top of the things the pink-haired woman had filched from him, the ID cart designating him as the captain of the Unreliable. “Oh, that’s a fake.”

“I’ll just be taking that anyway,” she said, and there went one of his options for regaining control of ADA, right into her jacket pocket. The others would take more finesse and time, both of which were fragile things where you were a prisoner. “We’re currently on a job, but once we’re done with that, it seems we’re going to Cedar Springs. Any objections?”

“Who’s going to pay us for that?” the pink-haired woman asked.

“I’m sure we can find something Gladys will be interested in,” their leader said. “Or Phineas.” And that was something, that she was on first-name basis with Dr. Welles. “We’ll be solidly in the black once we collect on this one, anyhow.”

“What, after all this you’re just going to do me a good turn?” Alex said, as the crew read something in their leader’s body language which made them start to relax a little.

“Well, that’s part of it,” she said. “I know what it’s like, to wake up in a place you don’t really belong. On top of that, I’ve never met a horrific science facility that didn’t end up profiting me somehow. And, most importantly-“ she patted the pocket with his ID cart in it. “-in some other world, there’s a ship that needs a captain. I aim to return him to her.”

#the outer worlds #the outer worlds fic #towfic #my fic #snippet

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listerious · 4 years ago

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Top 12 Amazing Ishtar Gate Facts

The Babylonian Empire ruled over the area referred to as Mesopotamia in modern-day Iraq from the 19th until the 6th century B.C. Their capital was the intriguing city of Babylon, world-famous for presumably featuring one of the wonders of the ancient world, the so-called Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This civilization was well advanced and the city of Babylon, which was located just south of modern-day Baghdad, featured numerous fabulous buildings and monuments. In this article, we're going to take a closer look at some of the most interesting facts about the Ishtar Gate, one of the remains which give us a glimpse into life in the ancient city of Babylon.

1. It was constructed in the 6th century B.C.

The city of Babylon was built on the banks of the Euphrates River and was first mentioned long before the Babylonian Empire was established. The city was featured on a clay tablet during the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2334–2279 B.C.) of the Akkadian Empire. That's almost 2 millennia before the Ishtar Gate was actually constructed, something that happened during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II who reigned between 604 and 562 B.C. The gate was named in honor of a Babylonian deity named Ishtar, who was quite versatile as she was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, war, justice, and political power.

Ruins of Babylon / Wiki Commons

2. A replica is located in a famous museum in Berlin

The gate was first excavated in the 1930s by German archaeologists who were so astounded by what they found that they completely dismantled the ancient structure and brought it back to Berlin. An exact replica of how the gate looked back in ancient times can now be found at Berlin's Pergamon Museum, one of the famous museums located on Museum Island in the heart of the city.

Replica of the gate / Joyofmuseums / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

3. The gate we see today is not the entire original gate

This wonderful gate reached a total height of 15.24 meters (50 feet) and was approximately 30 meters (100 feet) wide built on solid foundations that went up to 13.71 meters (45 feet) into the ground. One of the most remarkable facts about the Ishtar Gate is that this isn't even the entire ancient gate. The original structure was a complex of two major gates of which the one in Berlin is actually the smaller frontal section. The second structure was the larger of the two gates and pretty much adjoined its smaller brother just behind it.

View of the 2 gates / Wiki Commons

4. The gate was part of one of the main festivals in Babylon

Like any other civilization that has ever existed, there was a yearly party in Babylon that lasted up to 12 days. This religious festival marked the start of the harvest season and one of the man events was the New Year's procession. The so-called "Processional Way" ran north of the Ishtar Gate and had a length of up to 800 meters (2,624 feet) and a width of up to 20 meters at some points (66 feet). That's quite the avenue! This entire ceremonial road was enclosed with brick structures that were heavily decorated with reliefs. These decorations featured a total of 60 lions on both sides that represented the goddess Ishtar.

Detail of the Processional Way that leads up to the gate / Wiki Commons

5. The gate was decorated with reliefs featuring gods and animals

Just as the buildings alongside the Processional Way, the gate itself was decorated with reliefs depicting 2 Babylonian deities taking on the form of the animals that represented them. The chief god of Babylon was named "Marduk" and took on the shape of a dragon with a snake-like head. The second god was "Adad," the storm and rain god in Babylon, who took on the form of an aurochs, a species of large wild cattle. These reliefs were added to a background of glazed bricks which had a distinctive lively blue color. The reliefs were also made of bricks of which the clay was molded into the form of the animals.

Detail of Marduk / Raffaele Pagani / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

More interesting facts about the Ishtar Gate

6. The Ishtar Gate was part of the Walls of Babylon and the 8th gate to the city. Because of its amazing design, it was originally one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It was replaced on that list starting in the 3rd century B.C. by the Lighthouse of Alexandria. 7. The remarkable blue color of the gate is probably a reference to another goddess named Inanna who was closely tied to the goddess Ishtar. The story about this deity mentions that she turned into lapis lazuli, a deep-blue color after being taken to the underworld. 8. The ancient city of Babylon not only featured a wall with enormous gates, but it was also home to various temples and palaces, all built with bricks. It's estimated that about 15 million bricks were used to build all the structures in this fascinating ancient city.

Actual ruins of the Ishtar Gate in the 1930s / Wiki Commons 9. An inscription was found on the Ishtar Gate written in Akkadian cuneiform script. This inscription was created at the same time as the establishment of the gate and, as you surely expected, glorifies both the gods and King Nebuchadnezzar. This inscription reads: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the pious prince appointed by the will of Marduk, the highest priestly prince, beloved of Nabu, of prudent deliberation, who has learnt to embrace wisdom, who fathomed Their (Marduk and Nabu) godly being and pays reverence to their Majesty, the untiring Governor, who always has at heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the first born son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon, am I.Both gate entrances of the (city walls) Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the street from Babylon had become increasingly lower. (Therefore,) I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars lengthwise over them. I fixed doors of cedar wood adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that Mankind might gaze on them in wonder.I let the temple of Esiskursiskur, the highest festival house of Marduk, the lord of the gods, a place of joy and jubilation for the major and minor deities, be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks.Inscription on the gate. 10. This inscription is 15 meters (49.21 feet) tall, 10 meters (32.8 feet) wide, and features 60 lines of writing. A replica of this inscription can also be found at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, even though it's uncertain where exactly this inscription appeared.

Inscription on the gate located at the museum in Berlin / Wiki Commons 11. The dismantling and reassembling of the Ishtar gate was one of the greatest archaeological achievements at that time in the 1930s. The bricks were carefully placed in 100's of crates and brought to Berlin. Fragments of bricks were pieced together with newly baked bricks. 12. Even though an exact replica of the gate can be found at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, segments of the ancient gate can be found in museums all around the world. These include: - The Detroit Institute of Arts - The Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden - The Louvre in Paris - The State Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich - The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna - The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, - The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York - The Oriental Institute in Chicago - The Rhode Island School of Design Museum - The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston - The Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut - The Istanbul Archaeology Museums - The Istanbul Ancient Orient Museum

Replica of the Processional Way / Jononmac46 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en Read the full article

#IshtarGate #IshtarGatefacts

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dfroza · 4 years ago

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Love seeks to teach us humility.

we see this throughout the Scriptures, including Today’s reading from the book of Matthew:

“Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father. So when you give to the poor, don’t announce it and make a show of it just to be seen by people, like the hypocrites in the streets and in the marketplace. They’ve already received their reward! But when you demonstrate generosity, do it with pure motives and without drawing attention to yourself. Give secretly and your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.”

“Whenever you pray, be sincere and not like the pretenders who love the attention they receive while praying before others in the meetings and on street corners. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like the Gentiles do, for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. Pray like this:

‘Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms,

may the glory of your name

be the center on which our lives turn.

Manifest your kingdom realm,

and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth,

just as it is in heaven.

We acknowledge you as our Provider

of all we need each day.

Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves

release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.

Rescue us every time we face tribulation

and set us free from evil.

For you are the King who rules

with power and glory forever. Amen.’

“And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

“When you fast, don’t look gloomy and pretend to be spiritual. They want everyone to know they’re fasting, so they appear in public looking miserable and disheveled. Believe me, they’ve already received their reward. When you fast, don’t let it be obvious, but instead, wash your face and groom yourself and realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret and will continue to reward you.”

“Don’t keep hoarding for yourselves earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves. Material wealth eventually rusts, decays, and loses its value. Instead, stockpile heavenly treasures for yourselves that cannot be stolen and will never rust, decay, or lose their value. For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.

“The eyes of your spirit allow revelation-light to enter into your being. If your heart is unclouded, the light floods in! But if your eyes are focused on money, the light cannot penetrate and darkness takes its place. How profound will be the darkness within you if the light of truth cannot enter!

“How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!”

“This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t your body more than clothing?

“Consider the birds—do you think they worry about their existence? They don’t plant or reap or store up food, yet your heavenly Father provides them each with food. Aren’t you much more valuable to your Father than they? So, which one of you by worrying could add anything to your life?

“And why would you worry about your clothing? Look at all the beautiful flowers of the field. They don’t work or toil, and yet not even Solomon in all his splendor was robed in beauty like one of these! So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—you of little faith?

“So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn’t your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require?

“So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

The Book of Matthew, Chapter 6 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 3rd chapter of Ezra that documents the starting point of the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem:

[The Building Begun]

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, the people assembled together in Jerusalem. Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brother priests, along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his relatives, went to work and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it as written in The Revelation of Moses the man of God.

Even though they were afraid of what their non-Israelite neighbors might do, they went ahead anyway and set up the Altar on its foundations and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it morning and evening. They also celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed and the daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings set for each day. And they presented the regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings for Sabbaths, New Moons, and God’s Holy Festivals, as well as Freewill-Offerings for God.

They began offering Whole-Burnt-Offerings to God from the very first day of the seventh month, even though The Temple of God’s foundation had not yet been laid.

They gave money to hire masons and carpenters. They gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians in exchange for the cedar lumber they had brought by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, a shipment authorized by Cyrus the king of Persia.

In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started. They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of God. Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad—all Levites—to direct the work crew on The Temple of God.

When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David king of Israel. They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to God:

Yes! God is good!

Oh yes—he’ll never quit loving Israel!

All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising God as the foundation of The Temple of God was laid. As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy. People couldn’t distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around.

The Book of Ezra, Chapter 3 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for monday, march 8 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons that looks deeper into this week’s Torah reading:

Shalom friends. This week we have a "double portion" of Torah: parashat Vayakhel (ויקהל) and parashat Pekudei (פקודי). Much of this material is repeated from the earlier description of the Tabernacle (המשׁכן) to underscore the importance of the sacrificial system (the altar) and to foretell the two advents of Messiah Yeshua. Note that God commanded Moses to assemble the Tabernacle on "the first month in the second year [from the date of the Exodus], on the first day of the month" (i.e., Nisan 1, or Rosh Chodashim, see Exod. 40:17). The new moon of Nisan, then, marks the beginning of the month of salvation (חודש הישועה), both regarding the Exodus from Egypt (and the establishment of the altar at the Tabernacle), as well as the greater Exodus the altar at the cross of Messiah (Luke 9:31).

Once the Tabernacle was fully assembled and all its vessels were accounted for and inspected, Moses anointed all its components with the sacred anointing oil, called shemen ha-mishchah (note that the word "mishchah" (משׁחה) comes from the same root as "Messiah" (משׁיח), indicating that the Mishkan (i.e., Tabernacle) would foreshadow God's plan of redemption given in Yeshua). Moses then formally initiated Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood, marking their hands and feet with sacrificial blood and “waving them” before the Lord to picture resurrection. The Divine Presence - manifest as the Shekhinah Cloud of Glory – then filled the Holy of Holies in the Tent of Meeting.

The Book of Exodus ends: “And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the Glory of the LORD (כבוד יהוה) filled the Mishkan (המשׁכן). Throughout all their journeys, whenever the Cloud was taken up from over the Mishkan, the people of Israel would set out. But if the Cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the Cloud of the LORD (i.e., anan Adonai: ענן יהוה) was on the Mishkan by day, and Fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys” (Exod. 30:35-38).

The Presence of the Glory of God that descended from Sinai upon the newly dedicated Mishkan represented a climactic moment for the fledgling nation, since the Sin of the Golden Calf had jeopardized whether God would indeed dwell within the midst of the camp of Israel... Recall that it was only after Moses had returned from Sinai bearing the second set of Tablets (on Yom Kippur) that the glow of the LORD’s redeeming love radiated from his face, and new hope was given to Israel (prefiguring the New Covenant). The King of Glory would accompany the people from Sinai to the Promised Land! (The narrative continues in the Book of Numbers, beginning exactly one month after the Mishkan was assembled.) [Hebrew for Christians]

3.7.21 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

March 8, 2021

The Dying Thief

“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

One of the most remarkable scriptural passages is that of the “deathbed” conversion of the sinful thief crucified with Jesus. Christ recognized his repentance, forgave his sin, and offered him eternal life as he died. As reflected in the hymn “There Is a Fountain,” salvation comes to sinners who repent, turn from their sin, and believe on Him, without any works involved or strings attached.

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

The “fountain” of blood flowing from the cross produces great rejoicing in those who have acknowledged His lasting work. “With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19), we can be forgiven and born into His family. We receive the ability for and privilege of living victorious, holy lives. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

All have chosen sin; all deserve judgment. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). But because of Him, we can be “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). JDM

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jasonwhorl73-blog · 5 years ago

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Vegan Des Moines: Options in Iowa’s capital

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Vegan Des Moines round-up including Brightside Kitchen, Zombie Burger, Ice Cream El Michoacano, Open Sesame, and vegan donuts at Whole Foods.

In recent years Des Moines has really stepped up its game where vegans are concerned!

It used to be that when I was visiting my hometown, it was a strain finding exciting vegan-friendly options. But nowadays, the choices are plentiful and growing.

Today I’m highlighting some of the vegan Des Moines options at restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores.

Brightside Kitchen

Brightside Kitchen is a vegan establishment owned by Deanne & Steve Bryce. It’s tucked away inside of Mercy’s Health & Fitness Center in Clive, Iowa.

They serve plant-based fare for breakfasts & lunches throughout the week. You can check them out Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 am and 2 pm. They also serve brunch on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The eatery focuses on whole foods, plant-based cuisine. Order at the counter and then you can eat it at one of the handful of tables or take it to go.

They offer smoothies, soup, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a bowl of the day that changes throughout the week.

On one visit, I ordered the special – a Mexican-inspired bowl. It was made with seasoned lentils, roasted vegetables, and a fresh green salad.

It was popping with flavor and incredibly fresh. There was enough left over for lunch the next day.

(I enjoyed it so much, I made my own vegan burrito bowl inspired by it when I got home!)

I also had one of their signature BBQ sporc sandwiches at an Iowa Farm Sanctuary event. It’s pictured at the top of this post.

In addition to making some delicious lunches & brunches, Brightside Kitchen offers vegan cooking classes & catering.

Zombie Burger

Zombie Burger is a Des Moines favorite amongst vegans & non-vegans alike.

They have locations in the East Village of downtown Des Moines, as well as locations in Jordan Creek, and the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

(You can read about the Coralville location in my vegan Iowa City post.)

One note about the East Village location – it does get busy. So if you’re going during a popular mealtime, prepare for a wait.

My favorite thing to order is the Undead Glenn, which is the Beyond Burger topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and vegan zombie sauce. (My husband orders this one with a double patty, like a vegan Big Mac.)

The zombie sauce is similar to a spicy Thousand Island dressing with sriracha instead of ketchup.

I’ve also heard high marks for the Lucile, which is the Beyond Burger topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, guacamole, and vegan chipotle mayo.

Zombie Burger really gets the Beyond Burger preparation right – crispy around the edges and meaty on the inside. Plus, the bun is nice and fresh. The downtown location also offers vegan cheese for an extra charge.

Order the burgers with a side of regular or sweet potato fries. Just make sure to get them without any non-vegan dressing.

Ice Cream El Michoacano

Ice Cream El Michoacano is a casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant on Merle Hay Road. There are tables for dining in at the restaurant. Or food can be made to go.

It’s a non-vegan restaurant. However, everything at Ice Cream El Michoacano can be made vegan. That includes flautas, sopes, empanadas, burritos, tacos, and velvety refried beans.

They have soy-based vegan meat, as well as vegan cheese that I’ve heard is Follow Your Heart.

You can ask at the counter for a vegan menu, or look on their website.

Vegan sopes are made with a layer of masa dough that’s been fried into a cup. It’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They are topped with a soy-based meat, beans, lettuce, and vegan cheese.

A super delicious & decadent option!

Vegan flautas are filled with mild potatoes. The fried tortillas are topped with non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. They are served with a fried jalapeño on the side.

Vegan refried beans are topped with non-dairy cheese and guacamole.

They said that typically they serve a thin avocado sauce as their guacamole. But if you want a chunky guacamole, just ask for the thick style.

The guacamole has lots of bright lime flavors and tastes very fresh. The refried beans are beautifully smooth.

Of course, you can also get tacos. They offer a variety of sauces & styles. My husband is especially a fan of their pineapple salsa.

Since “ice cream” is in the name, you may be wondering if they have vegan ice cream as well. It’s my understanding that they offer mango chile & lime non-dairy flavors. Although, I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring the ice cream case.

Vegan donuts at West Des Moines Whole Foods

Vegan donuts are a unicorn in Iowa – nearly impossible to come by. While other nearby states like Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota have vegan donuts fairly readily available, Iowa isn’t so lucky.

(Although, there is a donut shop in Cedar Falls & Waterloo that has rotating vegan options. I haven’t made it there yet to try them!)

But before you get in the car and start driving for hours to cure your donut cravings, visit Whole Foods in West Des Moines instead.

They are now selling vegan donuts in their bakery. You can buy them individually. Or they sell them in packages of six for $10.99.

FYI: These are not yeast-raised donuts. You won’t find a puffy glazed donut or cream filled vegan long john here. They are cake donuts. I’m typically not a cake donut fan. But for cake donuts, these are quite good & very fresh.

While you are at Whole Foods, pick up desserts from Chicago Diner in their bakery case, Beyond Meat sausages, and Miyoko’s cheese.

Open Sesame

Open Sesame Lebanese café is a located in the Des Moines East Village. It’s a small space, but decorated in such a way that feels like a special, hidden gem.

The vegan options are not marked on the menu. However, when we were there, the staff had no problem pointing us to vegan dishes and/or telling us how to modify non-vegan offerings.

I had the vegetarian sampler plate with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, and dolmas. It is vegan by default.

Everything was excellent, even the tabouli, which I don’t typically like. (I’m not a big parsley fan.) However, the tabouli had a perfect hit of lemon to balance the bitterness of the parsley.

They’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11-2, and for dinner from 5:30-9. They are closed Sunday & Monday.

Gusto Pizza Company

Gusto Pizza Company is a non-vegan pizza shop with lots of vegan topping options.

They have four locations – one on Ingersoll Avenue, two in West Des Moines, and one in Johnston. But I’ve only personally visited the Ingersoll location.

Gusto is a great place to go with a group, because there are plenty of long tables. And the menu is huge – meaning everyone can get exactly what they want.

Gusto uses Daiya cutting board shreds for their vegan pizzas. Regular Daiya isn’t my favorite. So I was really impressed by the big improvement of the mozzarella cutting board shreds on their dairy-free pies.

Their vegan topping options include: roma tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, kalamata olives, a variety of peppers, onions (red, green & yellow), Giardiniera relish, green olive relish, diced apples, capers, pineapple, black bean corn salsa, butternut squash, and artichokes.

5 Borough Bagels

One of my favorite low cost things to do whenever I’m visiting New York City is to walk into almost any random bagel shop and get a vegan bagel.

In places like Iowa, vegan bagel toppings are usually limited to peanut butter or hummus. But in New York City, non-dairy bagel spreads abound with fillings like olives and mixed vegetables in their vegan cream cheese.

When I’m in the city, I’ll pick up a toasted bagel, filled to the max, and walk to Central Park to sit on a rock and tuck into breakfast.

Now that experience can be repeated at 5 Borough Bagels in Clive. (Sorry. Central Park not included.)

When owners, Sarah & Toney Chem, moved to Iowa from NYC, they decided to take a doughy piece of the Big Apple with them.

They have two vegan filling offerings – spinach artichoke and cinnamon walnut. Both fillings are tofu-based and taste homemade.

The spinach artichoke spread reminds me of Kristy’s tofu chèvre with a definite taste of tofu and highlights of spinach and artichoke. The cinnamon walnut has big chunks of walnuts and some sweetness to make it more of a dessert-style filling.

They don’t skimp on the spread, which I appreciate. It pushes the bagel into meal category. They can be topped with additional vegetable slices as well.

Toney suggested adding cucumber, tomato, and spinach to my spinach & artichoke spread on an everything bagel. You know how I love a good bagel sandwich. This was perfection.

David opted for the cinnamon walnut spread on a sesame seed bagel, which he also enjoyed. The bagels were fresh and chewy, just like you want.

With the exception of the chocolate chip bagels and cheese bagels, the rest of the bagel options are vegan.

Toney checked with their bagel baker, and she confirmed that the seeded bagels do not include an egg wash. The seeds are applied right after the bagels are boiled.

They also have three types of non-dairy milk available for coffee drinks. Soy, almond, and coconut milk are on the menu. My husband ordered a black coffee, and I went with a soy latte. Both were full-bodied and delicious.

Des Moines Farmers Market

The downtown farmers market runs from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October.

It has a festive, fair-like atmosphere with food vendors, locally grown produce, live music, arts and crafts. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy the summer vibes.

Grab a smoothie, juice, or raw tacos at the Fresh Café & Market tent at the corner of 3rd & Court Avenue.

Malo

Malo is a Latin restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a nice outdoor patio and a few menu items that are vegan upon request – including a portobello taco & crispy onion and avocado taco.

The onion & avocado taco is vegan by default. It comes with fresh avocado, chipotle crema made with cashews, pico de gallo, and crispy onions like you might find on green beans at Thanksgiving.

The Portobello taco is vegan by request. (Just ask them to leave off the queso fresco.) It’s topped with guacamole and salsa roja. The Portobello mushrooms are marinated in a spicy chili sauce.

All of the tacos can be served on corn or flour tortillas.

I was prepared to have the avocado tacos be my far and away favorite, but the Portobello mushroom tacos came in for a surprising win. They had a good spicy kick to them and a well-rounded flavor.

Cool Basil

For more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, Cool Basil in Clive is a great option.

While this Thai restaurant isn’t entirely vegan, they’re happy to prepare dishes without fish sauce, oyster sauce, and eggs when possible. You just have to ask.

Plus, when you get your receipt at the end of the meal, the words “no fish sauce, no oyster sauce” are printed right on it. That gives some assurance that the message got through to the back of the house.

They don’t offer seitan. However, tofu is available or they can replace meat with extra vegetables.

I like to get something different every time I go, as there are plenty of vegan-izable options to go around to vary your order.

Fong’s Pizza

Fong’s Pizza has a few locations – downtown Des Moines, Drake area, Ankeny, and Cedar Rapids. It is a quirky, divey restaurant, specializing in unusual pizzas.

They have one listed vegan pizza on the menu, or you have the option of building your own. The white crust is vegan, but the whole wheat isn’t since it contains honey.

They offer Daiya for vegan cheese. Or you can go cheeseless, as is my preference. For the base, you can go with marinara or olive oil.

When we were there, we ordered one half and half pizza. Mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions on one side. On the other, sauerkraut and potatoes.

The potatoes taste like they are simply blanched and sliced, as opposed to being browned on the stove or seasoned in any way. The pizza was pretty bland.

But if you happen to be in Des Moines, the atmosphere is fun. And they have late hours, which is nice.

Another pizza option in downtown Des Moines is Blaze Pizza. They also have vegan cheese on the menu, and they cook them in a brick oven. Although it is a fast food-style pizza experience, I actually prefer the flavor of Blaze Pizza over Fong’s. Read all about Blaze Pizza in this post on vegan fast food.

Centro

For a sit-down option, Centro in downtown Des Moines has some vegan options.

Tofu gnocchi is on both the dinner and weekend brunch menus. The dish includes lots of vegetables in a coating of garlicky olive oil.

When I had this dish, I found it to be inoffensive but dull. It reminded me of something you might get a hotel restaurant, where they’re feeding a lot of guests from around the globe and don’t want to be too daring with flavor.

Although I almost never use one in a restaurant, I was glad there was a salt shaker on the table to add something. I’ve heard that asking for marinara sauce instead makes for a more tempting dish.

Centro has pizzas on offer, which can be ordered without cheese. David went that route and ordered a tomato, basil, and mushroom pizza. He also got a small salad on the side.

He liked the wood-fired flavor of the crust, but didn’t think it would be a pizza he’d go out of his way to get again.

Centro offers brunch on the weekend. And it’s one of the few places in town that has a tofu scramble. It’s served with potatoes & fruit.

Des Fresh Foods

Des Fresh Foods is a vegan food truck in Des Moines.

The menu & location changes, of course, but has included things like a chick sandwich, mac and cheese bites, summer squash tacos, street corn, and lotus cookie.

I recommend going early, as when I went it was near the end of the night. And they were running out of food.

Check out their Instagram or Facebook page to see where they are and what’s on offer.

Other vegan Des Moines resources & news:

Veg Life Des Moines

VegLife Des Moines is an awesome non-profit that hosts vegan meet-ups & potlucks, restaurant tours, and a yearly Vegan Fest.

Connect with them on their website or Facebook page to keep up with the events they are organizing throughout the year.

Dirt Burger

A new vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Burger, is slated to open on June 14, 2019 in the East Village. I’ll add details once I’ve had a chance to visit!

Originally posted June 2014. Content updated June 2019.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/vegan-des-moines-iowa/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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turkeyfeet8-blog · 5 years ago