#If there's more women that read rc or choices

[masked-alien-lesbian]

I don't even know why people bother with some of these favorite character polls. Especially if it's a man vs a woman poll.

You have a basic mediocre white dude that looks like a dirty sock vs a goddess in human form and all these women vote:

Beautiful goddess incarnate: -0.3 votes

Basic dude found in the trash: 40875437 votes 😍😍😍 yhesohansome??😍😍😍 oh god I can't stand it, why isn't he real so he can belittle me in reality, he's so hot---😍😍😍

[in-silks-and-flesh-and-leather]

[wedding at the museum] i

Intro

Summary: Mills is tasked with carrying out an Exhibition – a hit – on the Museum’s behalf before his day is complicated by the arrival of a new prospective recruit. In the midst of blood, gore, corpses, and plane crashes, his attention is firmly set on the young woman giving him the cold shoulder.

A/N: I didn’t want to shoehorn in references to the time period, but the story begins in the early 90s and stretches for about a decade, from the time RC is recruited into the Museum to the time of ruined wedding. Just because that’s my favorite era for camp, technology and action.

CW: murder, death, gallows humor, alcohol, injury, manipulation, general flippancy and shithead behavior, a grown man going positively gaga – all my favorite things :)

WC: ~5k

*

Leaning on his elbow, Mill’s long body rested against the bar as he swirled the remains of his cognac in a glass. The airport was a roiling mass of excited vacationers, grinning as they pulled along their luggage, zipping past stern faced men and women in suits catching short flights and striding towards their gates with determined focus and no excess of cheer. The change in Mills’  plans for the day gave him an opportunity to relax and people watch just for the pleasure of it, something he seldom got to do these days.

Peering over the rim of his sunglasses, he waited for his secondary target to appear. She was placed as equally important on his roster for the day, but he personally prioritized the hits on the men currently milling around the airport, set to converge on his flight, over the babysitting gig he was saddled with.

Since Provenance took such exceedingly great care in selecting both targets and prospective operatives, Mills didn’t see why they shouldn’t take care of their travel arrangements as well, and not dump them on him in the middle of an Exhibition, as if he was some taxi service. Granted, it was the first time he was ever asked to diverge so drastically from the carefully planned Exhibition, but wary as he was, his immediate concern was for occurrences like these to become a trend. Vaguely, he wondered if he should be proud that the Board of Directors at the Museum decided he was capable enough to wrangle in a prospective operative and carry out his Exhibition at the same time.

He recognized her easily from the photos provided. She had a conspicuous irreverence about her that would have caught his eye even without having to look out for her. Blowing a pink bubble with her chewing gum, she stopped to take a look at the large clock hanging from the ceiling. Dressed in sturdy boots and plain jeans, torn at the knees in a way that didn’t make it altogether clear if that was a fashion choice or just a tattered piece of clothing, and an oversized flannel, she hoisted her backpack higher and continued on her way. He didn’t need to have read the short file on her to know that all her worldly possessions were in that small backpack, or at least the ones she considered of import. Mills had sported a not dissimilar look and bag one day, in another life, as he too was walking into the unknown. He had an odd, queasy feeling watching the girl, knowing she was more than likely to step off a precipice before the day was done, the same one that he was currently on the bottom of.

For a brief moment, he considered what type of female operative archetype she was supposed to fit into at the Museum. The bombshell? He couldn’t see enough of her figure to say so, but her attitude was evident and it certainly did not exude coy sex kitten. More likely to serve a purpose as a dominatrix for the discerning arms dealer/pervert than anything else. Perhaps her talents were of the less obvious sort, and she was brought in to train up and become part of Restorations – god knows good medics were always needed at the Museum - or even Provenance, if her mind and instincts about people were keen enough.

Mills pushed off the counter and walked in her direction with long, confident strides. He kept at a safe distance, strategically staying outside her eyeline, ducking behind pillars and corners as needed, riding the escalator she was not on, and looking for an opening.

*

One hand shoved in his jeans pocket, the other holding his brown leather jacket hanging off his finger, tossed rakishly over his back, he stood in her path and waited. In her distracted haste, boots thudding a steady, but swift rhythm, she walked bodily into him and let out a humph, as if she’d just hit a wall. She lost her balance for a moment and he let his jacket fall, catching her by the arm to steady her.

She looked up, confused as to why the wall that had materialized out of nowhere seemed to be reaching out for her. Her eyes traveled up from his chest, slowly climbing up to his eyes, where she just saw her own face reflected back in his sunglasses, eyes wide and lips parted.

He flashed his million dollar grin and took off the glasses, hooking them into the collar of his white T-shirt. “Sorry about that,” he said without much compunction. “I was looking at the floor as I was walking,” he shook his head and felt some loose waves fall over his face, in that way that made romantic young women want to brush them away for him. “I hate when people do that, and here I am – doing it,” he concluded and smoothed his hair back into place.

“Uh, it’s okay,” she extricated herself from his grip without being rude about it. “I do it all the time.” Yes, I know, he thought as he let one corner of his mouth smile again.

“Ladies first,” he said with a light touch of flirty sarcasm and stepped aside for her. He was rewarded with a knowing eyeroll from the girl and a huff of laughter.

“Thanks,” she tossed over her shoulder and, to his slight surprise, did not look back over that same shoulder to give him the usual once over. Mills wondered if he should be offended by that. He had constructed the casual look for her – simple enough not to look like he was trying too hard, while at the same time including small pieces of flair, like the weathered leather jacket and the sunglasses that should appeal to the rebellious young girl he deemed her to be. And nothing. She was walking away as though he had not just tossed not one, but two of the most dazzling smiles in his arsenal at her, touched her, and made a flirty little joke. He picked up the jacket he had tossed on the ground for her, as if to let her cross a puddle untainted, and hurried in the direction she walked off in.

*

She was already in her seat by the time Mills entered the cabin. The final pre-flight arrangements for his Exhibition were made and he paused in the aisle long enough for her to look up at the long shadow he was casting. Her eyes smiled at him in recognition and he reached up for the overhead, peacocking his full height and letting his shirt ride up just enough to flash a stripe of creamy skin as he looked down and grinned. “Small world,” he raised a brow and shifted his weight to one leg, trying to coax her eyes to his body with the flex of his defined muscles when she didn’t take the bait immediately.

“Yeah,” she nodded and adjusted in her seat, reaching out for a dog-eared book in her backpack, leaving him to smooth his clothes back down in growing frustration.

How did women do this? All they needed to do was flutter their lashes and they had men wrapped around their fingers. When he’d seen the directive to keep the girl engaged and predisposed to stick around with him, he read between the lines. Dip into his Museum-approved bag of tricks, give her some of the ol’ razzle-dazzle and have her eating out the palm of his hand. Yet, for all his preening, she was more fascinated by some second or third hand copy of Henry V than his overtures.

When the obvious ploy failed, he stewed in his seat, directly to her right and kept looking out of the corner of his eye at her, checking if she was doing the same. Having assured himself she was not, he gnashed his teeth, deciding to veer off course and try a different approach.

“I don’t mean to bother you,” he cleared his throat subtly and leaned over the aisle, trying not to catch anyone else’s attention. There were only half a dozen other people on the flight, all dotted around the cabin out of earshot, but he still needed to be careful and not provoke their suspicions too early. “I’m a very nervous flier and I’ve been sweating bullets all day,” he chuckled nervously and saw her guarded expression soften. Bingo.

“I’m sure you’re engrossed in your book, and the last thing you wanna do is be a distraction for some stranger…”

“It’s alright,” her forced kindness was convincing enough and that was as much of a foothold he needed to really start working on her. Mills found he was charmed when she stuck the receipt she was using as a bookmarker into the paperback before stuffing the book back inside her backpack.

*

Their conversation started in hushed whispers as they leaned over the armrests of their seats, until Mills pretended to organically and innocently have the idea of sitting next to her – if she didn’t mind, of course – and talking more freely. He played the nervous wreck for a few minutes and made himself cozy in her patient reassurance before relaxing with the help of a few drinks. Mills downed one instantly as he encouraged her to do the same in solidarity, and two more were drunk in quick succession. He had decided eliciting sympathy and getting her boozed up would be the winning combination to keep her pliant, and it seemed to be working.

Mills turned on the charm full force; did all the cheesy things you’re supposed to do to get young girls to spawn butterflies in their bellies. He declared himself somewhat of a chiromancer, reading her palm so he could touch her freely. The hand is full of sensitive parts. The tips of the fingers are five quivering clitorises if you know what you’re doing. And they don’t call that succulent, fleshy part at the base of the thumb the Mount of Venus for nothing. You can see a woman shudder, nipples peaking and pupils blowing wide like a detonation went off inside of them when you run your coarse fingers over it, or knead it with carnal intent.

She chuckled as the combined effects of alcohol and altitude took effect, and he explained that the mount signified sensuality, beauty, enjoyment of melody and art, or their absence. He flexed his hand in the air, still holding hers with the other one, to show how his was thick and overdeveloped, potentially indicating an overindulgence in those things, a weakness for sin, women, wine – where hers was perfectly balanced. That part wasn’t even bullshit, if you take palmistry to be at all reputable. And they had him down pat where sensuality was concerned.

To illustrate those flaws she laughed off, he offered an embellished version of the story of him riding a hog down the Amalfi Coast with nothing but a backpack and a passport that was about to expire. Of course, he left out the part about only being there in the first place to take out a drug trafficker who used, of all things, live pigs to smuggle drugs all over Europe and fund all sorts of criminal activity with his earnings.

He was about to lie and say that nothing happened with the local girl he had given a ride to on his last night there – and he had the distinct feeling she would not believe him - when the whole cabin lurched, sending people pitching forward and several overhead bins yawning open. Her backpack, that he had obligingly stored above her seat so he could sidle in next to her, came hurtling down. She tried uselessly to shield herself from the impact as Mills snatched it out of the air, arms bolting out lightning fast to catch it. Her eyes were lazy with booze and her jaw was slack as she watched him spring into action, so at odds with the unimposing, nervous figure he cut until moments ago. Her drink was spilled down her shirt and she didn’t seem to notice until he put the bag down and took the empty glass from her hands.

“Oh, shit,” she shuddered as she registered the cold lick of spilled drink down her chest and inspected herself.

“I’ll let you go clean up,” Mills offered and maneuvered his long body out of the way, all but pushing her towards the toilet. He had work to do now and she needed to be out of the way for it.

*

Mills took out one man with a syringe full of pentobarbital. The man gasped sharply and clutched at the side of his neck as the poison immediately took effect. A rapid succession of comatose state, respiratory depression, bradycardia and death would ensue as he thrashed uselessly and stared with horror-filled eyes at his surroundings. Another one’s head snapped back to see what caused the odd sound and snapped forward again as Mills pressed the silencer of his gun to his forehead and let off a silent shot. Two more sprung out of their seats and he was grateful they didn’t do the annoying macho thing of screaming as they charged him. The less noise they made now, the less containing he would need to do with the girl.

The airplane dropped down suddenly, sending his guts floating to his throat. The pilot and copilot were conked out by now and Mills didn’t need his piloting license to tell him they were rapidly losing altitude.

The man closest to him wound up an amateurish punch and Mills easily ducked it, grabbing him by the back of the neck and smashing his face into the overhead compartments. Bone and tissue left a pulpy mess on the unyielding compartments and the man groaned painfully through what was left of his face as he slumped to the ground. Mills stepped over him and moved towards his next opponent. He was short and stocky and Mills jerked back to avoid the rather limited reach of his arms, but another pair wrapped themselves around his neck, trapping him in a merciless chokehold before he could blink. The shorter man wasted no time in landing a few gut shots on Mills as he desperately clawed at the arm crushing his windpipe, fighting for the smallest bit of purchase.

The cabin shook again and the four men were caught in a chaotic mêlée, getting tossed up and down, and side to side as they fought for their lives. The one holding Mills tripped over the writhing man with the smashed face and his grip loosened. With a brutal snap back, Mills felt his skull collide with his nose and shatter it. Blinded with pain and tears that accompany this kind of injury, the man let go of him altogether. With a gurgling breath, Mills straightened and both he and the shorter man reached for their guns. Mills was a fraction of a second faster, firing off a bullet at the center of his forehead. The shuddering cabin threw off his aim and the bullet shot right through the man’s throat and exited out the back in a bloody spray. Mills fired two more bullets in quick succession, putting two more holes into his neck and chest.

Mills whipped around, feeling the hurried steps of the one who was choking him moments ago rear up on him, and he stumbled back just in time to miss the man’s blade burying itself in his chest. Instead, it pierced his side, right under the ribs and he felt each of the teeth on its serrated edge tear through him on the way in and out. He bit down on a growl and felt like his teeth would shatter from the force of it. Like a linebacker, he lunged at his attacker and caught him around the middle, slamming him bodily against the toilet door. Twisting his wrist until he groaned and dropped the knife, Mills grabbed the short hair on top of his head, crusty with gel, and slammed it against the door several times until he saw the man’s eyes begin to cross and uncross.

“Occupied, dude. Can you read?” Mills heard the deadpan voice of his girl inside and smiled broadly.

“Yeah, can you read?” he snarled lowly at the man, exposing his teeth, and gave the guy’s head one last decisive slam right under the Occupied sign to punctuate his question before letting him slide limply down.

The last two came back from their inspection of the cockpit to find four dead or dying scumbags littering the cabin. Mills sucked in a deep breath and smoothed his hair back into place, facing the last two targets as they reached for their guns in a panic.

*

When she came out of the bathroom, nothing much seemed to be out of place. The cabin still shook, but to the uninitiated, it could have appeared as regular turbulence.

Mills was leaning against the seat with two drinks in his hands, offering her one glass as she approached. She narrowed her eyes at him curiously and groaned as the cabin tilted and sent her hip first into the corner of an armrest.

“You seem…much more calm. Now that the flight is actually getting hairy,” she looked around nervously. Whether she could subconsciously tell there was something eerie and off about the flight, or if it was just the increasingly rough ride they were having, he could not be sure.

“Well, the magic potion helped,” he swirled the cheap vodka and the ice in the glass clinked. “You should take a seat,” Mills announced calmly.

She took the glass obediently and sat, eyes bright and curious on him. No doubt expecting another dumb, entertaining anecdote, or some of that coy, but undisguised flirting.

“I need to tell you something,” he started slowly, almost apologetically. It was not his job to break it to the prospective operatives what exactly they’d gotten themselves involved in. The Curators were in charge of that and they had all sorts of soft language and persuasion and tailor-made platitudes designed to charm the morals off of anyone they set their sights on. He was never trained for that. Now he had to tell this kid that they’re on a plane full of corpses that’s about to crash-land, and then she would be shipped off to a guild of assassins for processing like a piece of meat in an abattoir. Good luck, Mills, you’re gonna need it, he thought, lips pressed into a line as she looked up at him with rather heartbreaking innocence.

Out of some apparent reverence for the moment, even the plane grew quiet, leveling out for the time being and quieting the racket of the last few minutes. The door of the cockpit yawned gradually open and the movement caught her eye. It swung shut just as quickly, preventing her from getting a good look at the two men slumped over in their seats.

“Are we landing?” she frowned, bringing the glass to her lips.

“No, erm, not yet,” he whispered slowly, starting to really feel the wound in his gut. “The situation I’m about to relay to you is mostly contained, so there’s no need to worry.”

She arched a brow at him and sipped. “Contained? What situation?” her words were slightly slurred.

“We lost the pilots.”

“Lost ‘em? Where’d they go?”

“No, I mean, they’re dead. So are the rest of the passengers. I killed them,” he added for extra clarity, finding her eyes void of understanding.

“It’s all in a day’s work for people like me. Maybe you too one day.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Killing people?”

“Yup,” he popped the P into his glass and sucked his teeth as the drink burnt pleasantly down his throat.

She nodded a few times, keeping her face neutral. Then her chin quivered and her eyes crinkled, and out came the laughter. He smiled back, out of basic human instinct, hoping she would get the shock and denial out of her system quickly. The first wave of laughter subsided when he didn’t join in and reassure her that he was just making a bizarre joke. Her expression faltered, eyes seeking, inviting him to give it up and just admit he was trying to trick her. When he didn’t, holding her gaze with an awkward sort of apology on his face, she laughed harder, doubling over and grabbing his thigh for support. It was drunken, gleeful sort of laugh and part of him wanted her to be right. Wanted them to really be just two people who hit it off on a weird flight to nowhere, had too many drinks and made some fun mistakes in a dingy hotel room somewhere. The jostling sent a fresh sting of pain to his wound and he winced, returning to the moment and to reality.

She straightened up, oblivious, and covered her mouth with her hand, mindful not to disturb the people Mills had propped back up into their seats, still not realizing they were dead or dying. Wheezing now, her eyes started to fill up with tears and the laughter lost all sound. It was just a spasm in her gut and a rictus on her face as she struggled to catch her breath.

“I’m thrilled you’re taking all of this in stride,” Mills said and pushed himself up to his feet with a groan. “Makes my job a lot easier.”

“Where are you going?” she managed to ask when he was halfway to the cockpit.

“I’m just gonna land the plane right quick.”

“Sure, you do that,” she nodded, dissolving into more drunken giggles. The chiming noises of her girlish laugh echoed behind him and Mills grinned all the way to the door.

“Would you mind putting your seatbelt on for me? It might get bumpy for a few seconds.”

As a lark, she did, saluting his back as she settled into her seat. She was still sipping what remained of her drink and stifling residual giggles when she felt the plane tilt to one side. Seeking purchase with her feet, she finally dropped the glass into the empty seat next to her as she pushed off the cabin wall, struggling to stay in her seat.

The six men that sat in the seats around her all gradually tipped and eventually rolled out of their seats. At first, they looked asleep or knocked out. Except that on closer inspection, some of them were bloody. One had something sticking out of his chest. Another was doing the full Exorcist with his broken neck turning his face, hideous in death and agony, 180 degrees.

Warning signs flashed and masks dropped down, and it startled her out of her stunned reverie.

Without knowing how, not feeling her legs or the floor beneath her, she stumbled into the cockpit.

Mills was in the pilot’s seat, speaking into a large headset. “Mayday, mayday,” he was repeating dispassionately, “this is US Midland Air 77 heavy. We’re experiencing—“

“What the – everyone’s dead over there!” She stopped suddenly, and he heard the wet squelch in her throat, heralding impending vomit. He paused and turned, looking at her questioningly. She held it in and pressed her back harder against the cockpit wall, knees shivering as they dropped sharply. Good girl, he thought and nodded at her. Most of them retch the first few times.

“Where are my manners?” he picked up the dead copilot off the seat by the scruff of his starched shirt and dropped him to the side, rolling him out of the way with his long leg. “Have a seat, please.” Someone responded to his distress call and he snapped forward, giving her not a moment’s consideration more. “I’m declaring an emergency…”

She looked stubbornly ahead of her, refusing to look down at the two dead bodies cramped into the small cabin, trying with all she had to keep it together. “Are we going down?”

“Well, yeah, technically, I guess,” he shrugged and then tightened his grip on the levers that were shuddering dangerously under his hands. “Every descent is going down, if you wanna get philosophical about it. This one is a little more rapid than most.”

“Who are you? Are you a pilot?” she accused more than asked as she finally relented and swiftly climbed into the seat next to him.

“Sure,” he shrugged and threw her a reassuring smile. “I’m whatever you need.”

She nearly jumped out of her seat as another blast shook the cabin. Mills knocked the useless headset off, and craned his body closer to her, strapping her in. “Shoulder straps, click in here,” he explained out loud, as if to a child. “And voila.”

She watched with trepidation as he pushed levers all the way away or pulled them all the way towards him, with buttons and lights flashing red to the rhythmic blare of warning sirens. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to assess how dire their situation was and she grew deathly quiet.

The fog in front of them cleared and square fields, in lighter and darker hues, delineated by long straight roads cutting through and across them came into view.  

They landed roughly on a road and Mills barely managed to keep on it as the wheels under them spun out of control and broke off. Seatbelts held them in place, but cut deep into their chests and punched all their air out as they swerved sharply into a field and plowed through it until eventually their momentum petered out.

Flying down the road in the distance was a procession of sleek black cars, converging on the wreckage. “That’ll be the Custodians – they’ll clean up the scene. And hopefully a few people from Restorations too,” he unstrapped himself and pressed his hand against his hastily dressed wound as he got up.

He went to offer the girl a hand, but she was already out of her seatbelt and climbing out, avoiding stepping on the corpse that lodged itself between the two seats during the crash-land. Mills wondered if it would do any good to tell her that the man whose corpse she was trying to show some misguided respect to was a human trafficker. Best to keep that little tidbit to himself for now, he decided.

“You’re hurt,” she stated the fact without too much concern for him.

Well, gee, don’t sound too broken up about it, Mills snapped in his head, feeling the pain rankle away any genial aspect of his character. “Yeah, how about that?” he rolled his eyes. But all his bravado notwithstanding, he groaned from deep in his bones as he pried open the door to the fuselage and jumped down.

She stood on the edge of the wreck, sparking and guttering out in a groan of metal and electricity, looking for a safe way to exit. Julian held out his arms to her limply, expecting her to do the typical female thing and slap him away, in some useless attempt to show she was no damsel in distress and that he had caused her enough trouble already, yadda yadda yadda, all that usual crap. Engrossed in his mental scenario, he only just had enough time to lock up his elbows and support her weight when, to his utter surprise, she accepted his help and leaped into his waiting arms.

He tottered backwards and they stumbled a few awkward steps as the headlights of the approaching cars caught them in their spotlight glare. She was splayed against him, face inches from him and, with a sinking feeling, he realized she didn’t look scared at all. She had to be, he knew – he certainly fucking was and only an idiot wouldn’t be – but she was far too good already at staying stone-faced during a crisis. He understood then her life had been no cake-walk and mourned the fact that it would only get less easy going forward with the Museum.

“Julian, you hanging in there?” a male voice asked as he stepped out of the car.

“High and tight,” Mills shot a finger gun at the man and flipped his hair out of his face, suddenly at a loss as to what to say in parting to this bewildered young woman in his arms.

“Julian?” she asked, surmising he had given a false name earlier.

“Julian Mills,” he introduced himself, seeing realization dawn in her eyes at the similarity between the false name he had given her and his real one. “First thing they’ll teach you – use fake names with your real initials. John Mitchell. Jordan Malcolm.  If you ever get confused or start writing the wrong name on some document by accident, it won’t be such a glaring correction.”

“Miss, if you’ll come with me,” an older operative from Provenance, all social grace and grandfatherly familiarity, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and obligingly showed her to the car that had come to pick her up.

The girl left Mills without a second’s hesitation and, once again, gave him not a single backwards glance as she walked away. She let the operative open the door for her and sat in the back seat of the waiting car. Julian wondered if she jumped in her seat when the plane eventually exploded behind her in the distance, or if she was already inured to such unpleasantries. He was just glad he had managed to salvage her little backpack and her tattered little book. Surreptitiously, when he was sure no one was looking, he flipped it open and found a quote underlined. Act 3, Scene 7. That’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. With a pained smile, his whole side stiffening up like a board from pain, his eyes searched the distance for the firefly headlights of the car driving her away. He hoped she would prove to be that valiant flea that the Bard talked about.

*

@thegrislady @safarigirlsp @lumberjack00fantasies​ @queeniebee​ @mythrielofsolitude​ @vedavan​ @house-of-cadwyn​

[oyiiiii]

I don't romance M/F!Onyx but I heard that F!Onyx is way sassier than M!Onyx so if the writer could understand the subtleties between male and female character, like Arina and Wincy, I don't think GoC LIs it's gonna be a problem. Amy on the other....👀👀

I haven't romanced Onyx much myself but I've seen screenshots of some of their differences. Like for example when Onyx finds out Nova is flirting with other people, M!Onyx gets sad while F!Onyx gets angry. Or M!Onyx is bad at taking care of their plant but F!Onyx isn't. I'm sure there are more too. Wincy is also doing a great job with Threxia/Threxio and Walter/Cynthia. One example is when with the Cynthia version, Isolde recognizes that her daughter is into women and says she has no issues with it. Not sure about Amy to be honest. I don't trust her much in general, but I think it makes sense that she chose M as a GOC because the nature of their relationship has inherently romantic undertones.

Also there's no point of writing a whole textbook of differences between the male and female version anyway, because then you might as well write them as separate characters. The purpose of GOC is to "save resources" while trying to cater to both audiences, or more like the wlw players. Because let's be honest, if not for GOCs these would just be men. In an ideal world, for some of those who want more female lis, a non GOC li might be better. But there's no ideal (if you're a wlw 😜). Personally I really don't mind, and I have no issues like feeling like the female version loses from its authenticity because they're a GOC. That's because in RC the writers make sure to add these differences, so I've never felt that I was reading the wrong gender version of a li. Choices on the other hand...yeah. There was literally a love scene in Perfect Match with the female version and the text said "she pushed herself inside MC". And many other examples like that in every book of theirs.

[zhoras-bitch]

Overall, you are on point. Obviously, interactive fiction requires a lot of planning and revision. Even classic fiction writers regularly come back and rewrite earlier chapters of their stories for continuity reasons. And an interactive story with branching, meaningful choices, different mechanics etc.? It's no surprise that RC writers struggle to pull off a series finale.

I think one of the most shining examples of how detrimental RC model can be to the quality of the story right now is SOTCN. If you read the 2-3 chapters once every 2 months, it seems fine, but if you binge read the story now, the plot holes are incredibly obvious. For example, there is a scene in the beginning of season 1 with Amen talking to one of the hunters which seems to clearly suggest they don't know Remmao and his students are dark mages... Until the last update where we find out that no, apparently they knew Remmao was a mage all along. It’s so clear the author only had a very rough outline of the characters, plot points and ideas when the series began. This is why authors come back and rewrite things as the story develops. But RC model doesn't allow for such revisions, resulting in the issues we see.

Some additional thoughts.

Firstly, RC authors are expected to do a lot of work. There are the normal things that you'd expect, like researching the topic, creating the outline of the story and actually writing the chapters for every update, but they also manage the visual aspect of the story (finding references, interacting with the art team, making decisions as to how to allocate resources like the number of cut scenes etc.) AND they do the work of a game designer (figuring out the mechanics, the branching, doing the math). Game designer is actually it's own job with a skillset very different from a traditional writer! Of course, RC mechanics are way more simple, but it's still a lot of work that requires a diverse set of skills.

RC model does allow for a lot of creative freedom, but that too is a double-edged sword. RC writers have very strong voices and distinct styles. However, when the author is weaker in some areas, they don't have anyone to make up for it. You can see each of the author's strengths and weaknesses very clearly. For example, Jester (MB, LOTW & Psi), who is one of my favourite writers, has interesting worlbuilding, captivating plots, great romance... but his stories are very linear, more like a traditional book than an interactive game. Outside of the LI you choose, there is not much branching in the story up until the very end. Then you have Alexander Tepish (SIF, LFOS, LSE), also one of my favourites, who is a great game designer. His stories is where you have to think about the stats, which will affect the story, and there is a lot of different dialogue you can get depending on what you choose, which is super fun! But his characters are overall pretty one-dimensional, and his writing style is dry and plain.

Furthermore, you are not wrong, at least a few RC authors don't have a background in writing, nor in game development, as we know from their interviews. It's not necessarily crucial... but combined with the magnitude and diversity of their responsibilities, lack of editorial oversight, inability to come back and change something once you figure out the ropes... I'm sure you get why the quality of the stories can vary so much.

On an unrelated note, I wanted to add my two cents and say that visual novels are a recent genre, but not that recent. Like, compared to traditional fiction, they sure are, but RC is far from the first interactive story game. For example, my gateway to RC was through otome games (Japanese interactive fiction games targeted towards women), and those were around since the 1990s. Some of them have very linear plots similar to traditional novels, but others actually incorporate surprisingly complex mechanics more similar to quest games, not even close to anything RC has ever attempted. Level of branching and number of endings varies too. That being sad, the existence of these games won't help you much if you've never played them and have no background in game development, which, as we established, a lot of RC writers don't.

Why I Think RC Has Trouble Sticking Their Landings

(Or, a pantser talks about structure and DLS for like 8 paragraphs)

My short answer: Because these stories are first drafts

Longer answer: ⬇️

1) (Lack of) Developmental editing

RC's model has its authors write long stories 2-4 chapters at a time. As much as the authors might perfect these chapters, they have no way to change something later on if they realize a scene no longer matches the big picture. An author may revise and make a batch of 4 flawless chapters, but it still doesn't mean they will fit the story seamlessly.

Developmental editing, according to this article, "involves feedback on the big picture of a […] writing piece. A developmental editor will critique structural elements like the plot, characters, theme, and organization of ideas." They also say that this kind of editing is recommended after the first or second draft.

So this type of revision would help an author make sure every character has its place (too many LIs and uneven LI screentime could be fixed), that characterization is consistent, that the plot is clear and moving at a good pacing, etc.

In DLS, for example, things that might be revised after a developmental editing: Leo's introduction scenes not matching his characterization later on, the Leo/Vlad rivalry that seems a bit strange in hindsight, more prominent role and scenes for Sandra, a more consistent progression in Noe/Laia and Ezel/Laia routes, fairer distribution of LI scenes (🫠), Laia's character motivations, the plot mysteries might be revealed to the reader a bit earlier, etc.

But these stories are arguably first drafts that will never be revised holistically (like Choices stories are/used to be, as far as I'm aware), so problems that only become clear once you're further along might not be fixed satisfactorily (or at all).

What sort of problems? Well...

2) Structure, part I

So the visual novel medium is fairly recent, right? Choose Your Own Adventure stories have existed for a while, but, I'm pretty sure, not in the scale of RC stories. 3 seasons demand a lot of story. And the thing is, I'm not sure there is a lot of guidance out there regarding story structure for interactive stories? Not that I've found, at least.

This is a problem, I think, because even if these authors follow the existing material on story structure (Save the Cat, Hero's Journey, Classic 3 Act, Seven-Point Structure, etc.), they will have to do the work of adapting it for a visual novel that A) has 3 seasons as a default, and B) 3 seasons of more or less equal length.

Look, it absolutely can be done! But my point is, I think it's generally uncharted territory and requires a lot of problem-solving. It's not just figuring what must happen in this story for it to be satisfying, it's also deciding when each thing must happen in a way that fits the requirements of three seasons and their finales, which must all fit together, but also be individually exciting and balance setup and payoff. And there is no way to go back and fix it if you realize you messed up the pacing somewhere! Not to mention…

3) Structure, part II: Routes

Not only do they have to figure out plot and structure (without being able to revise the finished story as a whole), but they also need to figure out and balance at least 4 different dynamics. As in, when it gets established, how to keep those dynamics fresh even after they get together, and how to synchronize MC's development with that relationship and its milestones. And again, it's not like there is a manual or a right answer. You have to write and fix afterwards — except they can't 😀. So if an author realizes later on that x couple needed a scene earlier on, or that they rushed things, or any other problem, there is nothing to be done except maybe add more scenes that might stand out from whatever they're trying to correct.

A tiny example of this problem in DLS would be Leo and Laia telling Derya that they're dating, which is clearly a correction of the scene in 4x02 where Laia called him "a friend" because "[she] thought it went against local customs to make a show of pre-marital relationships". In 2019 Istanbul. It would just make more sense if she had just called him her boyfriend in the first place.

4) Authors

I'll admit I'm least informed about this one, but based on a few interviews I've read with the authors, it seems some of them have never written fiction or visual novels before…? I could be wrong! But! Imagine being new to this medium and having to figure all of that ⬆️ out, with the limitations that RC's model brings. I'm not sure how much training and/or assistance they get in this entire process. It just seems a lot for one person.

And I have no answers for any of this, by the way! I don't work there, I don't know how the company works or how it doesn't. This is just my tentative opinion based on my limited experience with writing. It's extremely hard, and I genuinely cannot imagine trying to do any of that ⬆️ in the first place, but especially if I had to get it right on the first try.

Every writing advice on Earth recommends multiple drafts on longform writing because it's impossible to make your story the best it can be on the first attempt. So I think the RC endings often being unsatisfying might be, mainly, a consequence of that.

[fallen-wing-magic]

I wonder why anti rhetoric is so common in interactive virtual story fandoms. Is it that the target market is typically 25-45yo middle-class white ladies?

Because I see it a lot.

I saw it with RC's Shadows of Saintfour because they let your teenage avatar (who you, an adult playing a game targeted at adults and steeped in 80s nostalgia, control) fuck the creepy monster villain man. If you want to. Honestly not one of RC's worst sex scenes, and yet there was discourse about fucking the monster man in the horror game.

There was also discourse about RC's Tiamat book because some people thought it was pedophilic. Is it any good? Not as far as I can tell, but lots of people seem to like it. Is the main character immature? Unbearably so but it reads like the kind of fantasy wish-fulfillment adult women with a thing for older men or didn't have fun teenage years tend to like. Maybe it's a kink thing! Who cares, the main character is an adult in the series. (just stop playing. That's what I did, but specifically because I don't like the writing or the love interests )

I also remember this one discourse from the Choices fandom, before it fell. I don't remember the love interest exactly but a clique headed by a popular blogger tried to cancel anyone who liked that love interest. I remember there was a same post about how crazy it was to bully people over a fictional man and how the clique reacted by tracking everyone who liked/rbed the post and adding them to a huge fandom block list. If you didn't block the people on the list you would get added to it. Utter nonsense but scary at the same time. Mob mentality is always horrifying to watch.

That and more.

And with all of this discourse about which characters you are 'allowed' to like and which pairings you are 'allowed' to ship and whihc games you are 'allowed' to play.... I rarely see people point out all of the incredibly alienating discrimination so prevalent in these games.

So I am curious where these attitudes come from and why they are so prevalent in these spaces.

[phelpsmcnamara51-blog]

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[xudiroco-blog]

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Purse

One of the biggest travel issues I have is how to conveniently carry everything I need without being bogged down, annoyed by, or frustrated with the unorganized mess of a travel purse I’ve put it all in. Finding the right travel purse was the best thing to happen to my travel satisfaction in a long time.

Over the years, I’ve bought many variations of travel purses for international travel that have all failed in one way or another. It’s not easy finding the perfect purse for travel when you don’t know how they’ll perform before buying it. Thus I went on a mission to find the best travel purse for international travel that I could find.

I’m going to give you a head start today, because I’ve already tried out many choices and narrowed down the winners.

To help you avoid the tribulations of finding the best travel purse, I’ve put together a guide to my top picks for best travel handbags to help you find them too!

Yes, we’re talking about travel handbags for ladies today, but we’ve also covered a few other travel issues you might be trying to solve, like how to find the best travel pants (which I now wear practically every day!) and our top carry on luggage choices for 2018. Also check out our guide on finding the best travel backpack.

How to Choose the Best Travel Purse 2018

There are definitely important criteria to look for in the best purse for travel. You’re going to be out and about most of the day carrying this bag, so you need it to be comfortable and effortless. The best travel purse holds everything you need to have with you in an organized fashion. It has a sturdy and comfortable strap that can’t easily be cut or snapped by a thief. And it’s weather proof.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing the right travel purse for you:

·        Comfortable to carry. If you load it up, is it too heavy to comfortably carry around all day? Does the strap dig into your shoulder? Is the weight distributed well?

·        Holds everything you need. Is it too small or too big for the typical items you want to carry? Do you find yourself stuffing things in because there’s never enough space?

·        Provides good organization. Are there enough dividers and pockets to organize items? Are they proportioned well and are they functional in the way you want them to be?

·        Sturdy, theft-proof strap. Is the strap flimsy or thin? Could the strap easily be cut by a thief walking by? Is the strap the right length to enable you to protect the bag against your body or does it allow the purse to dangle at your side?

·        Weather proof. If you were caught in a sudden rain storm, would the bag become drenched on the outside and inside? Are there adequate zippers and flaps to protect the contents?

Types of Travel Purses

To make this quest a little more difficult, there’s not just one type of purse out there. There are many. Here is a breakdown of the most typical types of travel purses.

» Crossbody Bag

If I were to choose one type of bag that’s best for travel, it’s a crossbody bag. These bags have straps that are long enough to be worn across your body, so you have the added protection of the bag not dangling off your arm. While it can still be cut and taken by a thief, it can’t be snatched off your arm. Wearing the bag this way also allows you to protect the bag against your body. (Read more about cross body bags.)

» Messenger Bag

These bags tend to be larger than I would typically take on a trip, but they hold a lot more. They are also usually worn cross body and have sturdier straps. The benefit of a messenger bag is that it has a flap that comes over the top of the bag, which gives added protection against pick pockets.

» Shoulder Bag

Shoulder bags have longer straps that are intended to hang from one shoulder. These are the least-best type of bag to carry for travel because they leave you vulnerable to thieves who are really good at zipping by and snatching or cut the bag right off your shoulder. Because they’re just hanging from your shoulder, there’s pretty much no way you’ll be able to defend against it.

Top Travel Purse Brands

I’m always tempted to check out the travel purses in bag stores in touristy areas, mostly because you can pick up the bag and look inside it before you decide to buy, and because there’s always so many of them (they know how to tempt us travelers!). However, I would highly recommend buying a trusted brand instead. I’m not saying you can’t find a good bag in a touristy bag shop in Tokyo. I’m sure you can. But you might also be getting ripped off, or be getting an inferior product. I like to stick with the brands I know can deliver.

Here are a few of the top travel purse brands that you’ll find on Amazon and in major retail luggage stores. I like to stick with these brands, but I do have a few bags from other companies, like Rosetti, Samsonite, and Kenneth Cole. I would not suggest taking a major designer purse with you while traveling, so those brands are out.

·        Baggallini

·        eBags

·        Travelon

·        Pacsafe

TRAVEL PURSE REVIEWS 2018

Our Choices for Best Travel Purse 2018

There are two charts below, for each category of travel purse. I’ve evaluated smaller, mini-type shoulder bags, and larger day bags. If you’re like me, you don’t like to carry a lot of things and have a heavy bag to lug around, so the smaller sizes will be best for you. But if you do want to carry a lot of things, be able to stuff a laptop, water bottle, rain jacket, etc into the bag, then the larger size is for you. More on the choices after the charts…

I like Amazon because they often allow free returns if an item doesn’t meet your qualifications, which can be a huge benefit when there are so many choices. Lucky for you, it’s easy to get your hands on an of the travel bags I chose through the links below (note: they are affiliate links so we receive a small bonus when you use our links).

Plambag Canvas Messenger Bag Crossbody

                        They call this bag “small” but to me it’s anything but small. In fact, this is one of the biggest bags on this list. It’s a messenger bag and I think it’s a good bag for men and women, because it’s not at all flashy or feminine.

The best thing about this bag is the organization it offers. There are 9 pockets (7 zipped pockets and 2 external side pockets without zipper). You can stuff a lot of things inside this bag, including a 10″ tablet and a water bottle. There are 8 credit card slots on the inside, along with a place to tuck pens, keys, etc. There’s even a little hole that you can thread your headphones through. The flap is held shut with velcro. The bag itself is made with sturdy canvas.

Pros: Amazing amount of space inside, great organization, sturdy, gender neutral Cons: If you only pack a few things, it feels enormous. The front zipper flap is a bit floppy and can be annoying.

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Baggallini Everywhere Travel Crossbody Bag

This is one of the best crossover bags for travel, in my opinion. There are two prevalant styles of purses, one that is tall and one that is wide. Depending on what you need to carry, one might be better than another. This Baggallini Everywhere bag is one of the few wide bags. It’s is 12 inches wide, versus the typical 9 inches.

There are multiple pockets in this bag, including two front pouches, one zips and one snaps. There’s a secondary front pocket, as well as the main compartment, which can easily fit an iPad and lots of other things. On the back of the purse, there is a thin pocket that spans the length of the bag that can be unzipped at the bottom that can slide on to the handle of luggage to hold it on in transport.

Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Messenger Bag

This bag has more protection against theft that includes an RFID blocker so your electronic cards can’t be read through the bag. It also has a slash-proof strap and material. The outside pockets have locking zippers. The strap is also hooked to the bag with a sturdy caribiner, so you can unclip it and secure it to something, like the table at a restaurant. For these reasons Travelon is one of the best bags to guard against theft.

The main inner pocket has a lot of space with pockets for organization. The back pocket has credit card slots and room for travel documents, including a dedicated passport pocket. There are also two side pockets. One can carry a small umbrella or water bottle, the other is good for sunglasses or a camera. I put my keys in there to keep them out of the way.

Pros: Strap can be shortened into regular shoulder-bag length, comes in tons of colors, has a passport slot, great theft-prevention. Cons: Strap may not come with the caribiner. Sizing seems inconsistent.

eBags Piazza Day Bag 2.0

Another great bag that includes RFID blocker, the eBags Piazza Day Bag 2.0 holds so much that it’s one of my favorite bags to have along on a trip when I need to have everything handy. The entire bag is lined with protective material, so everything inside the bag is RFID protected.

I also really love the soft material this bag is made of. It’s a soft nylon material that won’t get snagged or ripped easily. As I mentioned, there is a ton of space in this bag. It’s very well laid out with three exterior flat zip pockets, and two side pockets that are perfect for storing bottles of water or sunglasses. One of my typical gripes about purses is that the either the zipper or the pull tag on the zipper gets weak and breaks. The Piazza day bag has a well-made self-repairing YKK RC coil zippers, that promises not to break, and I’ve not had a problem with it yet, after many years of use.

Pros: Great RFID protection. Huge amount of space, with good organization. Convenient, slip in back pocket for easy access to mobile. Cons: Too big for some uses. Front flap can be annoying. Not available in the UK or Canada (substitution is given when you click our links).

Baggallini Pocket Crossbody Bag

The Baggallini pocket crossbody purse is just 8.5 inches wide and tall and 2 inches thick, but it comes packed with a zippered interior pocket, three exterior pockets and credit card slots for easy organization. It will fit a Kindle, but of course, not a tablet. It’s a great option because it’s streamlined and lightweight. If you’re expecting a lot of room, this is not it. The joy of this bag is how small it is.

This is one of the best crossbody bags for travel if you’re a light packer. The strap is adjustable so you can move it up or down for your comfort. It’s not an incredibly sturdy strap though, so you don’t have to be careful in certain situations. I really like that it has a removeable RFID wristlet included, so you can just carry your cards, if you want. The back pocket is just the right size to stash your smartphone so you don’t have to go through the interior pocket to get it.

Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Mini Shoulder Bag

If you’re worried about theft while carrying a purse, you can look no further than this Travelon Anti-Theft mini bag (if it’s too small for you, there’s a larger one in the next section). One of the features I love on this bag is the slash-proof strap. It has a locking main compartment and RFID card slots for added protection.

You know how you’re not supposed to leave your bag laying on the floor or on the chair in a restaurant, but it’s uncomfortable to rest it on your knee? The strap of this bag is made to be attached to a chair or small post so it can’t be stolen. This bag is also slightly larger than other bags in this category, with 9.5 inches of height, so you can fit a few more things inside. It’s not really large, but it does fit quite a bit inside, like passports, Kindle or iPad mini, smartphone, wallet, keys and sunglasses. There’s also a small LED light attached on the inside. AND the interior is a bright color so it’s easy to see what’s inside the bag.

Baggallini Triple Zip Crossbody Bag

This bag is the smallest that I’ve chosen for this list. I used to carry a bag like this one on every trip I took for more than 10 years and it served me well. It’s only 7 inches tall, so you lose an inch of space, but because it’s so small, it’s easy to pack into a backpack or another larger day bag, if necessary. The inner pockets aren’t bogged down with dividers so you can just stuff in what you need. It’s just the right size to fit a passport, a camera, keys and one or two other things.

The other unique thing about this bag is that the strap is detachable and there are belt loops on the back, so you can wear it as a side pack instead, or hook it onto another bag. Your smartphone will fit conveniently into the front zippered pocket.

eBags Villa Crossbody 2.0

This is one of the larger bags in this category at 10.5 inches tall and wide, and 2 inches thick. There is plenty of space inside for the essentials, even a book or tablet can fit inside. The bag has two zippered front pockets, a main top-zipping compartment and a u-zip rear compartments. If you’re looking for the best crossover travel bag for women, this is a very strong contender.

Inside the front compartment are two pockets that can hold your phone and sunglasses. One of them is fleece-lined, so you won’t end up scratching the face of your phone with your keys (like I’ve done before).

[because-its-important]

what’s the most annoying question to ask a nun* in 1967?

tl;dr - In 1967, a very long survey was administered to nearly 140,000 American women in Catholic ministry. I wrote this script, which makes the survey data work-ready and satisfies a very silly initial inquiry: Which survey question did the sisters find most annoying?

* The study participants are never referred to as nuns, so I kind of suspect that not all sisters are nuns, but I couldn't find a definitive answer about this during a brief search. 'Nun' seemed like an efficient shorthand for purposes of an already long title, but if this is wrong please holler at me!

During my first week at Recurse I made a quick game using a new language and a new toolset. Making a game on my own had been a long-running item on my list of arbitrary-but-personally-meaningful goals, so being able to cross it off felt pretty good! 

Another such goal I’ve had for a while goes something like this: “Develop the skills to be able to find a compelling data set, ask some questions, and share the results.” As such, I spent last week familiarizing myself with Python 🐍, selecting a fun dataset, prepping it for analysis, and indulging my curiosity.

the process

On recommendation from Robert Schuessler, another Recurser in my batch, I read through the first ten chapters in Python Crash Course and did the data analysis project. This section takes you through comparing time series data using weather reports for two different locations, then through plotting country populations on a world map.

During data analysis study group, Robert suggested that we find a few datasets and write scripts to get them ready to work with as a sample starter-pack for the group. Jeremy Singer-Vines’ collection of esoteric datasets, Data Is Plural, came to mind immediately. I was super excited to finally have an excuse to pour through it and eagerly set about picking a real mixed bag of 6 different data sets.

One of those datasets was The Sister Survey, a huge, one-of-its-kind collection of data on the opinions of American Catholic sisters about religious life. When I read the first question, I was hooked. 

“It seems to me that all our concepts of God and His activity are to some degree historically and culturally conditioned, and therefore we must always be open to new ways of approaching Him.” 

I decided I wanted to start with this survey and spend enough time with it to answer at least one easy question. A quick skim of the Questions and Responses file showed that of the multiple choice answer options, a recurring one was: “The statement is so annoying to me that I cannot answer.” 

I thought this was a pretty funny option, especially given that participants were already tolerant enough to take such an enormous survey! How many questions can one answer before any question is too annoying to answer? 🤔 I decided it’d be fairly simple to find the most annoying question, so I started there. 

I discovered pretty quickly that while the survey responses are in a large yet blessedly simple csv, the file with the question and answers key is just a big ole plain text. My solution was to regex through every line in the txt file and build out a survey_key dict that holds the question text and another dict of the set of possible answers for each question. This works pretty well, though I’ve spotted at least one instance where the txt file is inconsistently formatted and therefore breaks answer retrieval.

Next, I ran over each question in the survey, counted how many responses include the phrase “so annoying” and selected the question with the highest count of matching responses.

the most annoying question

Turns out it’s this one! The survey asks participants to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the following statement:

“Christian virginity goes all the way along a road on which marriage stops half way.”

3702 sisters (3%) responded that they found the statement too annoying to answer. The most popular answer was No at 56% of respondents. 

I’m not really sure how to interpret this question! So far I have two running theories about the responses:

The survey participants were also confused and boy, being confused is annoying!

The sisters generally weren’t down for claiming superiority over other women on the basis of their marital-sexual status.

Both of these interpretations align suspiciously well with my own opinions on the matter, though, so, ymmv.

9x speed improvement in one lil refactor

The first time I ran a working version of the full script it took around 27 minutes. 

I didn’t (still don’t) have the experience to know if this is fast or slow for the size of the dataset, but I did figure that it was worth making at least one attempt to speed up. Half an hour is a long time to wait for a punchline!

As you can see in this commit, I originally had a function called unify that rewrote the answers in the survey from the floats which they'd initially been stored as, to plain text returned from the survey_key. I figured that it made sense to build a dataframe with the complete info, then perform my queries against that dataframe alone. 

However, the script was spending over 80% of its time in this function, which I knew from aggressively outputting the script’s progress and timing it. I also knew that I didn’t strictly need to be doing any answer rewriting at all. So, I spent a little while refactoring find_the_most_annoying_question to use a new function, get_answer_text, which returns the descriptive answer text when passed the answer key and its question. This shaved 9 lines (roughly 12%) off my entire script.

Upon running the script post-refactor, I knew right away that this approach was much, much faster - but I still wasn’t prepared when it finished after only 3 minutes! And since I knew between one and two of those minutes were spent downloading the initial csv alone, that meant I’d effectively neutralized the most egregious time hog in the script. 👍

I still don’t know exactly why this is so much more efficient. The best explanation I have right now is “welp, writing data must be much more expensive than comparing it!” Perhaps this Nand2Tetris course I’ll be starting this week will help me better articulate these sorts of things.

flourishes 💚💛💜

Working on a script that takes forever to run foments at least two desires:

to know what the script is doing Right Now

to spruce the place up a bit

I added an otherwise unnecessary index while running over all the questions in the survey so that I could use it to cycle through a small set of characters. Last week I wrote in my mini-RC blog, "Find out wtf modulo is good for." Well, well, well.

Here’s what my script looks like when it’s iterating over each question in the survey:

I justified my vanity with the (true!) fact that it is easier to work in a friendly-feeling environment.

Plus, this was good excuse to play with constructing emojis dynamically. I thought I’d find a rainbow of hearts with sequential unicode ids, but it turns out that ❤️ 💙 and 🖤 all have very different values. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the data set

One of the central joys of working with this dataset has been having cause to learn some history that I’d otherwise never be exposed to. Here’s a rundown of some interesting things I learned:

This dataset was only made accessible in October this year. The effort to digitize and publicly release The Sister Survey was spearheaded by Helen Hockx-Yu, Notre Dame’s Program Manager for Digital Product Access and Dissemination, and Charles Lamb, a senior archivist at Notre Dame. After attending one of her forums on digital preservation, Lamb approached Hockx-Yu with a dataset he thought “would generate enormous scholarly interest but was not publicly accessible.”

Previously, the data had been stored on “21 magnetic tapes dating from 1966 to 1990” (Ibid) and an enormous amount of work went into making it usable. This included both transferring the raw data from the tapes, but also deciphering it once it’d been translated into a digital form.

The timing of the original survey in 1967 was not arbitrary: it was a response to the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). Vatican II was a Big Deal! Half a century later, it remains the most recent Catholic council of its magnitude. For example, before Vatican II, mass was delivered in Latin by a priest who faced away from his congregation and Catholics were forbidden from attending Protestant services or reading from a Protestant Bible. Vatican II decreed that mass should be more participatory and conducted in the vernacular, that women should be allowed into roles as “readers, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers,” and that the Jewish people should be considered as “brothers and sisters under the same God” (Ibid).

The survey’s author, Marie Augusta Neal, SND, dedicated her life of scholarship towards studying the “sources of values and attitudes towards change” (Ibid)  among religious figures. A primary criticism of the survey was that Neal’s questions were leading, and in particular, leading respondents towards greater political activation. ✊

As someone with next to zero conception of religious history, working with this dataset was a way to expand my knowledge in a few directons all at once. Pretty pumped to keep developing my working-with-data skills.

[inkyleaf]

TG 132: Determination - PART 2/2 (M2F + RC + AR)

PART 1!!!

             A few footsteps were heard before the perpetrator spoke: “Jack, you can come out. It’s me, Kaitlyn.” Jack didn’t believe her ears. She poked half of her head out, convinced that she was going crazy. The real Kaitlyn stood in front of the bed, wearing a black jumpsuit fitted with all kinds of tools and pockets. She had rolled a small luggage behind her, and her hair was tied into a perfect bun. Countless thoughts filled Jack’s mind, but she couldn’t utter a word. Over the next minute, Kaitlyn rolled her luggage to the nightstand and slowly sat down on the bed.

               “Jack, will you talk with me?” Kaitlyn asked in a soft, personal tone. Her sad, yet serious expression made her look vulnerable. “…Who are you?” was all Jack could muster, poking more of her head out from the covers. “Jack, I-I’m so sorry…” Kaitlyn sobbed. Tears filled her eyes faster than she could’ve expected. She leaned her body halfway toward the bed, bringing some of the sheets up to cover her face and absorb her tears. “K-Kait, what’s going o-on?” Jack swallowed, trying to keep a steady voice.

             “I did it all for him, Jack,” Kaitlyn began moments later. “It was for your son, Cameron.” The girls sat in silence for a minute as Kaitlyn calmed herself. “I will tell you everything from the beginning, Jack. Please listen to what I have to say,” Kaitlyn said. Intense emotions bubbled in Jack’s mind, but she remained silent. “I am a Japanese spy. I was deployed to America two years ago disguised as a college student. I-I knew nothing…” Kaitlyn bit her bottom lip, “I knew nothing of America at the time. I was even xenophobic. But one day, your son Cameron approached me. He offered to show me around town – apparently he was smitten with me months before, but was too afraid to approach. I accepted, viewing it as a chance to gather more intel from who I perceived as a dumb American.”

               Tears came back to Kaitlyn’s eyes as she continued: “B-but, he was so nice. So sensitive to how I felt. Even showed interest in my culture. His eyes were big and genuine… I brushed it off at first, but we spent more time together as weeks passed. Before I realized what I was doing, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I couldn’t say no. He singlehandedly changed my opinion on this entire country, Jack, and continues to do so. I love him with all of my heart, and I know he feels the same. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”

               Another minute of silence passed. Kaitlyn took deep breaths before continuing: “But, my time in America is almost up. I must return to Japan in 48 hours. I was born into my job, Jack. I grew up as a robot, training for this singular purpose. I cannot quit being a spy – I would be tortured if I even attempted. If given the choice, I would choose to stay here with Cameron. Unfortunately, I don’t have a choice,” Kaitlyn ended with a loud sob. Jack swallowed hard before speaking up: “So, what happened to me?” Kaitlyn turned to look Jack in the eye. “The drink I gave you last night, it was a serum developed by my country. It was made for torture, designed to mutate those who drank it. I spent months editing the formula. I eased the pain as much as I could, but the ultimate goal was to turn you…into me,” Kaitlyn said with a sad smile.

               Jack didn’t know what to say. Her questions were endless, but organizing them into sentences was impossible. “Oh, and I lied about giving the rest of your family the drink, so don’t worry,” Kaitlyn said. “Don’t worry?!” Jack suddenly snapped, sitting up with her bare chest revealed. “Kaitlyn, I’m not you! I can’t be you! I’m a husband, a father, and a goddamn engineer! You can’t do this to me!” Jack yelled, no longer able to control her emotions.

               “Jack,” Kaitlyn began in a soothing tone, “this project was months in the making. Everything has been accounted for. I went to your family today, and we discussed that I would be moving in. I told them my ‘parents’ were forcing me to be more independent. You will still live in the same house, Jack. And you getting off of work early yesterday was my doing as well… I wanted make sure you enjoyed yourself as much as possible. I’m sorry.”

               “Bu-but… Why? WHY?!” Jack screamed, grabbing Kaitlyn’s shoulders, now more sad than angry. “WHY DID YOU RUIN MY LIFE?!” “Because…isn’t it obvious…?!” Kaitlyn trembled with tears on her cheeks. “Because I love your son and I couldn’t break his heart!” she yelled back with equal passion. Kaitlyn buried her head into Jack’s shoulder, crying more than her doppelganger. The women wept on each other for nearly 20 minutes. Jack’s fury only came out as helpless confusion when she managed to speak after their tears had waned. “I can’t just be you,” she said, pulling away from Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn wiped a tear from her eye before speaking: “You can. Remember when I said everything was accounted for?” Kaitlyn hopped off of the bed and opened her luggage, revealing a full wardrobe of female clothes and accessories. Before Jack could react, Kaitlyn laid out her wallet, phone, and keys on the bed. “I’m going to teach you how to be a woman, Jack.”

               “…No. Absolutely not,” Jack said, looking through the frilly underwear and dresses. “Okay, you don’t have to start with skirts,” Kaitlyn said, putting the more girly clothing at the bottom, “but you need to know how to hook a bra. Stand up.” “You’re insane, you know that?” Jack said as she stood. “You think I can’t convince my family that I’m me?” she continued. Kaitlyn responded as she cupped Jack’s breasts in the bra from behind: “Jack, you’re very smart. I know you possess that ability. But think about what would happen. Please, think hard. Also, here you go.” Kaitlyn put the bra’s hooks in Jack’s hands.

               If Cameron knew it was me, Jack thought, hardly fiddling with the bra, he would demand answers. Even if I told him about the real Kaitlyn, he’d only be depressed, and my appearance would be a constant reminder… Nobody would win. Nora couldn’t love me either. She may still enjoy my presence, but our romance would die. What if she finds another man, Jack swallowed hard. She wouldn’t find another man if she knew I was in this body. I’d only hold her back…

               “Please, change me back,” Jack whimpered. She let the bra fall to the floor with no progress made. "Kaitlyn, please. I can’t do this.” Waterworks returned to Jack’s eyes. “I can’t do that, Jack. The resources don’t exist. Kaitlyn approached Jack for a hug, but Jack pushed her back. “Fuck you! Get out of here, I never want to see you again!” she shouted. Kaitlyn kept a calm demeanor, realizing that her presence would only hinder Jack for the rest of the night. “Okay Jack, I will leave. Good night,” she said, walking out of the room.

               This nightmare has to end soon, it has to, Jack thought, trying to find comfort in denial. She concurrently racked her brain for a solution to living with her family with her identity known, but nothing favorable existed. I’m going to wake up tomorrow, and all of this will have just been a bad dream, she thought before falling asleep.

               Jack woke up at dawn again and rolled over to check her phone. A lock screen showing a happy picture of Cameron and Kaitlyn popped up before the phone was unlocked with her fingerprint. This is Kait’s phone… Jack sat up, dismayed by the sight of the hotel room. The bra from last night was still on the floor next to an open luggage of clothing, but the phone, along with Kaitlyn’s wallet and keys, were placed on the nightstand. No way. Upon further investigation, Jack realized that her own phone and wallet were gone, as the cash from her wallet was placed on top of Kaitlyn’s.  

               After such a debilitating night, Jack didn’t feel angry, sad, or even surprised. “This is it, huh?” she said as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. “What a fucking joke.” She bit her bottom lip, giving her breasts another upset squeeze before going back to sit on the bed. Jack dug through Kaitlyn’s phone for almost two hours, reading her past conversations, scrolling through her Facebook feed, and looking at the photos in her camera.

               “She’s good. No one could’ve suspected she was anything other than a fun college girl.” As the sun rose higher and higher, Jack knew she had to bite the bullet and get dressed. “Damn it all, damn it all,” she muttered to herself, struggling to properly hook the bra around her back. “Get in there, c’mo-argh! Jesus!” Her breasts were pinched and prodded as she tried to securely fit them in the cups, unable to know what felt right or wrong. Jack shivered as she slid panties up her smooth legs, admittedly feeling much better in them compared to her boxers. After throwing on the blandest long-sleeved shirt, and, to her annoyance, skinny jeans, she felt a small sense of accomplishment.

               Rap rap. The knocks on the door startled Jack. “It’s me, Jack,” Kaitlyn said from the other side, feeling it was best to not let herself in this time. Jack opened the door and stared at Kaitlyn as she walked in. “Well, what do you want?” Jack asked, sitting on the bed. “I came to say goodbye, for good this time. Before I leave, would you like me to help you with anything? The man ‘Jack’ has already been checked out of this room, so feel free to leave whenever.” “What’d you do with my phone and wallet? Did Nora call me?” Jack asked, desperate to hear any potential last words she could’ve said to the man she used to be. Kaitlyn shook her head. “I do not know, but the phone and wallet were terminated. Jack is dead, you are Kaitlyn now,” she said as monotone as possible, hoping that Jack wouldn’t fly into another tear-filled rage. “So I am. So I fucking am,” Jack said, pausing before continuing: “So you’re just gonna tell my family that I’m dead and expect me to console them? You’re a fucking monster.”

               Kaitlyn turned her head, unable to deny Jack’s words. “Yes,” she whispered, trying not to cry again. She had originally wanted to teach Jack how to use makeup, and perhaps convince her that decreasing her age by a few decades wasn’t so bad, but now she knew it’d be impossible. Jack didn’t have to be yelling to show Kaitlyn that she loathed her. We really don’t get happy endings, do we? Kaitlyn thought before saying, “I’m sorry, Jack, for what it’s worth. I’m so sorry… Goodbye.” Kaitlyn briskly walked out the door, never to be heard from again.

               Jack lay on her bed, taking deep breaths and wishing that time would stop moving so fast. She grabbed a bagel on her way out of the motel around 9 AM and immediately noticed that her car had been replaced with Kaitlyn’s. Of course. Jack threw the luggage Kaitlyn had given her into the trunk and drove back to her house despite being terrified of facing her family under her new skin.

               “Welcome ‘home’ babe!” Cameron happily greeted Jack as she got out of the car. Jack was taken aback by the sight of being shorter than her son as Cameron squeezed her with a hug. “H-hey, Cameron,” she simply replied. Her tone and lack of makeup was quick to catch Cameron’s attention. “Something wrong?” he asked as they walked into the house. You have no idea. “…No, no, just a little tired. I’m going to miss my, uhh, parents,” Jack replied, then continued, “Where’s your mo-I mean where’s Nora?” “Early shopping, she wanted to buy some things for you since you’re moving in!” Cameron said with a grin.

               Jack spent most of the morning studying Kaitlyn’s work and college schedule in Cameron’s room since tomorrow was Monday, while Cameron played video games in the living room. “God, she’s busy for a college student,” she commented. “Five finance classes four days of the week with a part-time job overlapping a few of those, sheesh. Almost wish Cameron was this busy.”

               A car pulled into the driveway hours later. Oh God, Jack thought, is Nora OK? How has she been holding up? Jack ran downstairs to greet her, dying to see and comfort her wife more than anything. “Kaity! You’re already here!” Nora squealed in excitement, then continued, “I don’t know how much you brought from your house, but I picked up a lot of new clothes and makeup to make sure you feel right at home, okay sweetheart? Aaah this is so exciting!” Jack didn’t expect Nora to be so cheerful, and couldn’t help but smile at her welcoming. Maybe she hasn’t heard the news, Jack thought, quickly trying to erase the concept from her head.

               After Nora unpacked and organized her purchases, she jumped at the first opportunity she had to bond with her presumed to-be daughter-in-law. “Kaitlyn, sweetie, I know how self-sufficient you are with your style, but I would just looooove to be able to do your makeup today since I’ve hardly ever seen you with a clean slate before!” Jack was thrown off-guard. The mental dam she had built to block out her femininity was crumbling, but she couldn’t refuse. “Sure,” she replied, bracing herself for further emasculation.  

               “Open… Close… Liiittle wider,” Nora repeated simple commands out loud as she dolled up Jack’s face. “Aaand, voilà!” she exclaimed 20 minutes later. “I kept it simple, Kaity. What do you think?” Jack pursed her lips to spread the faint pink lipstick, getting a clear look at her face for the first time in 24 hours. “W-wow,” she breathed, knowing she’d have to give an over-the-top reaction to make Nora happy.

               “I absolutely love it, Nora! Thank you so much!” Jack cheered, giving Nora a hug, surprised at how convincing she sounded with Kaitlyn’s voice. “Hahaha aww, sweetheart, I’m so glad,” Nora chuckled, then continued, “We’re going to be eating out tonight to celebrate your moving in – at your favorite sushi place!” Jack wasn’t sure how enthusiastically she should’ve reacted, so she simply said, “Wow, I can’t wait!”

               As the day went on, Jack took the hints to change into nicer clothes before going out to dinner. She kept the jeans on, but traded the white top for a frilly short-sleeved T-shirt, even though the sight of Kaitlyn’s bare skin was still unsettling. The family prepared for a traditional Asian dinner, where everyone would happily take food from any plate laid on the table. Jack was hesitant to dig in, never having been a fan of seafood.

               “Don’t hold back babe, this night is for you,” Cameron said, handing Jack a pair of chopsticks. Here we go again, Jack thought, slowly bringing a sushi roll to her face. Her eyes widened as it squished between her tongue and the roof of her mouth – Kaitlyn’s taste buds adored the food, sending overwhelmingly positive energy to Jack’s brain. Oh my God, so good! “Aah it’s so good!” she blurted, scarfing down the food faster than the original Kaitlyn. “Whoa, save some for us,” Cameron joked. The family ate and chatted the night away, and Jack felt happiness for the first time in Kaitlyn’s body.

               “Ooooh my goodness, I’m stuffed!” Jack exclaimed, falling onto Cameron’s bed shortly after coming home. “Me too, me too,” Cameron replied. “Too bad we got school tomorrow.” Cameron began to undress, bringing Jack’s mind back to reality. Before she could react, Cameron crawled over her. “I’d love to rip that cute li’l shirt off,” he said in a low, husky voice. Jack’s heart began racing – she was nowhere near prepared for this. “I…I…” Jack’s voice cracked as she tried to speak up, “I-I really need to sleep, Monday’s are so busy…” she finished, sliding out from under Cameron to look for her pajamas.

               Fuck, fuck, fuck, no way in hell, Jack was practically panting in her thoughts. I have to change clothes in front of him, don’t I? Damn it all. The anxiety of her situation hit her almost as hard as it did in the motel. Cameron was noticeably grumpy, making Jack feel even worse. She remembered to wash her makeup off at the last second before turning in for the night, wondering if she could ever get used to being a girl.

               Jack drowned herself in her new workload over the week, pleasantly surprised by how refreshing the feeling of work felt. She did her best to embrace womanhood in small steps, and began to wear girlier clothing on Tuesday, followed by applying her own makeup on Wednesday. By the end of the week, Jack almost thought she’d regained control of her life.

               Tragedy struck when she came home Friday evening. Cameron and Nora were huddled on the couch, crying their eyes out. The sight alone was enough to make Jack’s eyes water. She silently approached them, joining their embrace on the couch.

               “He’s gone,” Nora eked out with a loud sniffle. “Jack’s gone. The search team pronounced him dead.” The words hit Jack like a truck – she buried her head into Nora’s shoulder, unable to stop her tears. I’m right here, Nora! I’m right here! was what she was dying to say. I never left you guys! The family sobbed together for what felt like hours before Nora spoke up again. She stroked Jack’s hair, saying “The funeral will be next week, sweetheart. I wish you got to know him more, he was such a loving husband and father…”

               I’m here for both of you. I’ll always be here for you guys. The same thoughts cycled through Jack’s mind throughout the silent night. Her resolve strengthened overnight, and the purpose of her life became clear. She was put on this earth for Nora and Cameron. Her sex didn’t matter, her age didn’t matter, and her appearance didn’t matter. Her family meant everything, and she was going to be with them until the end.

               “Cameron,” Jack began later that night once they were in bed together, “I know I don’t say this enough, but I love you and I’m very proud of you.” She wanted that to be her final fatherly line, knowing that she couldn’t keep viewing him as her son if she wanted to make either of them happy. “Thanks babe, love you too,” Cameron chuckled, kissing Jack’s lips.

               Jack woke up early that Saturday morning and gave Nora a hug from behind. “Nora,” she began in the same tone as last night, wanting to speak to her as a wife one last time, “I can’t begin to thank you for how much you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget any of it. I love you so much, and I will do everything I can to support our little family.” “Oooh, Kaitlyn, sweetheart…” Nora began, touched by her words. The women’s eyes watered as Nora turned to hug Jack properly.

               Jack continued to break down her mental barriers throughout the slow day, trying her best to think of herself as Kaitlyn. “I’m not Jack, not anymore,” she whispered to herself in the mirror, forcing a smile. “I’m Kaitlyn. I don’t need to be a man to keep my family happy… I need to be a girlfriend and a daughter. That is what I am. I am...Kaitlyn.” She ran her fingers down and around her body, accepting all of the feminine features she had been trying her best to reject over the past week.

               Later that night, Kaitlyn opened her legs for Cameron, knowing he needed the relief. Her body trembled as Cameron crawled on top, kissing and pinching her from head to toe before teasing her clit. You’re a good son, Cameron. You deserve this… Kaitlyn instinctively thought as she groaned from the foreign pleasure. He’s not my son anymore. Not my son, I’m a woman. Make me a woman, Cameron…!

               Kaitlyn screamed at the first hint of penetration. Cameron’s strong arms pinned her shoulders to the bed. One of her hands cupped a breast while the other stimulated her clit as Cameron rocked back and forth, slowly getting deeper. The schlicking, pounding, moaning, and squeaking of the bed became louder and louder, muffling her scattered thoughts. It felt like hours before Cameron pulled out and erupted all over her face, forcing her eyes shut. She howled as she finished her own climax minutes later as Cameron cleaned up, unable to feel or move her legs. Her mind plunged deeper into femininity, giving Kaitlyn another accomplishment from the experience.

               So this is how it feels… Kaitlyn smacked her lips, awkwardly trying to clean her face without swallowing any cum. Cameron helped before cuddling up next to her, ready to fall asleep. Kaitlyn fell asleep in his arms, silently appreciating his strong, warm security.

               Days flew by for Kaitlyn, as she was absorbed in her work and bettering herself for her family, always making progress toward becoming the person she had to be. Before long, she was getting mani-pedis with Nora and snuggling up with Cameron for movies. Many tears were shed at the funeral, but Kaitlyn stayed strong and uplifted her family as much as she could.

               As weeks passed, excitement grew for Kaitlyn’s college graduation. Cameron and Nora suggested all sorts of parties and vacations they could go on, but Kaitlyn shook her head. “As long as I’m with you guys, I don’t want anything big or special,” she said during the weekend they planned to celebrate. She got her wish – the family prepared a simple picnic that Saturday and headed out to the wilderness on Sunday to enjoy it.

               Excited as ever, Kaitlyn made herself extra attractive for the occasion. She wore a tight, low-cut, zebra-patterned tube top and a short dark skirt, loving the feeling of the sun on her skin. “You look so beautiful, babe,” Cameron commented as they walked, holding hands. Nora walked far behind them, enjoying nature. “Just for you, handsome,” Kaitlyn said with a cheesy wink. The couple exchanged a kiss and gazed into each other’s eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, hon,” Kaitlyn breathed, enjoying Cameron’s embrace.

               At the end of the picnic, Nora pulled saran-wrapped Teriyaki-glazed meatballs and small vegetables skewers out of the basket. Everyone understood the message, and enjoyed them with extra appreciation. Kaitlyn volunteered to clean up while Cameron and Nora took a lap on the trail to play Pokémon GO, giving her some alone time to reflect on herself. The tiring weeks were successful in fading her memories as the man, Jack, but the final meal brought many of them back to light.

               The more Kaitlyn thought about her previous life, the more she realized how successful she was in her goal. She didn’t see Nora as a romantic partner, and loved her solely as a family member and motherly figure. On the other hand, her romance grew for Cameron with every passing day. The notion of Cameron being her son felt preposterous, and she wanted nothing more than to grow old with him.

               Kaitlyn thought back to the first days of her transformation, remembering how much she hated seeing any trace of her body. And now she loved it. Like any girl, she adored looking good and feeling a fresh breeze blow between two slender legs. Touch my legs! Kaitlyn giggled at a thought from last week when she commanded Cameron to feel her just-shaven legs. You’ve done it, Jack. You’ve really done it, she thought. You’ve become a young woman through and through.

              “Hey Kait!” Kaitlyn heard Cameron call as he sprinted up to her. “You okay?” he asked, noticing that she had hardly put anything away from their picnic. “Oh, haha yeah. Sorry, I spaced out for a bit,” she responded. “Now what could a brainiac like you be spacing out about?” Cameron asked in a lower voice. “Well, I can think of someone,” Kaitlyn replied in a similar tone. She wrapped her arms around Cameron’s head and back as they made out, loving everything that her new life had to offer.

That’s a wrap~ There are very few stories I’ve worked on as long as this one, so I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading. Thank you so, so much. :)

Patreon || DeviantArt

RC = race change, AR = age regression

[loveestherstanleyus-blog]

Aloe Vera Sarees - Handloom Sarees With a Difference!

You might have heard about aloe vera gel to skin care or its own infusion for healthcare however, you'd haven't heard about sarees made of it! After being used forgiving magic glow to Cleopatra's medical and skin health to Alexander ages past, this herb has slid into the wardrobes of Indian women at the form of sarees!

Weavers at Anakaputhur suburb of Tamil Nadu are trying out aloe vera enzymes to earn colorful sarees. Till now, these weavers were making hand loom sales from conventional all-natural fibers such as silk and cotton. However, with the increasing prices of yarn, they all started finding other choices for making their sarees. "Barnes created from Aloe Vera fibre are sought after. Weavers today are earning well," as informed by Sekar, the President of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association. What's more? These are very cheap saris when compared with the conventional hand loom sarees. They could be purchased in as low a price as 700 rupees though in Tamil Nadu only. Hopefullythese sarees will undoubtedly be available in different parts of India and the world too!

Aloe Vera Textile in Other Regions of Earth

From the western countries like Germany and Spain, Aloe Vera enriched clothing is at the initial stages of development. It has been claimed that herb in garments prevent aging of their skin; rejuvenate skin tissues : and keep skin free from parasitic infections. Dermatology evaluations linked to the cloth uses of the fibers were conducted by means of a research university in Germany. Currently, these clothing are made at Barcelona, Spain. It's mainly used for manufacturing internal clothes, stockings etc. due to the promised additional functions like consuming bad odor, and supplying antibacterial features. Looking at the initial stages of development of garments out of aloe vera, then the achievement of Tamil Nadu weavers is actually commendable as they are making full fledged adorned sarees with it!

Deepa RC urges reading about handloom sarees at hottest saree style, the detailed directory of Indian women clothing businesses and also a wonderful resource for those who like to gather knowledge regarding Indian sarees, salwar kameez, lehnga as well as also other Indian dresses.

[dtphan824]

“How do you get to Tokyo Auto Salon?  How much is admission?  How do you apply for press passes?  Is one day enough to cover the show? ” This post is pretty much a guide to Tokyo Auto Salon and will be super informative if you’ve never been and plan to go sometime in the near future…

Tokyo Auto Salon – biggest Tokyo convention of modified cars, women, and perverts… I mean photographers… 

Never been to TAS before and plan to go in the future?  Cool, this is pretty much my guide of how to survive Tokyo Auto Salon.

Things to bring to Tokyo Auto Salon: –  Comfortable shoes (Don’t make the same mistake I did and only bring Van’s to Japan) –  Lightweight warm jacket (It will be warm inside the Event Halls but cool/cold outside) –  Backpack or a bag for free swag (You can use your gf or friend as a mule to carry stuff as well) –  Battery pack (At least 3350mAh, but I usually bring 26800mAh to last me half the trip) –  Cash (They have a Family Mart and bunch of restaurants where they don’t price gouge like venues in the states) –  Camera and lens (Wide angle lens at least 24mm for FF or 16mm for crop sensors)

If you’re there for media/press purposes: –  Of course your gear –  Passport (if you’re not from Japan) –  Approved press papers or email with QR code –  Business cards

Alright, these are the essentials I’d recommend for you to bring or have for the show.  I also like to travel light because carrying a bunch of stuff gets irritating when you’ve covered 8 halls in a day.

How do you get to Tokyo Auto Salon? TAS has always been held at Makuhari Messe in the Northwest part of Chiba Prefecture.  You have the choice of traveling by car (if you have a ride) or train, but it will be at least a 40 minute to 1 hour commute from metro Tokyo area, assuming you stay around there.

Don’t mind the starred locations and just click the photo for Makuhari Messe‘s location.  

How much is admission? Friday – General Special Public (Pretty much advanced tickets) Advance or Pre-purchased online is 2,600Y or $23-25 USD (depending on rate exchange) Day of show is 3,200Y or $28-29 (depending on rate exchange)

Saturday, Sunday – General Admission Advance or Pre-purchased online is 1,800Y or $16-18 USD (depending on rate exchange) Day of show Adult is 2,200Y and Teens/kids 1,700Y

Just check Tokyo Auto Salon site for ticket information there.

How do you apply for press passes? You can apply online for press pass usually around mid December.   Depending who you’re doing coverage for, they will either approve your application within 10-15 business days or ask for more information.   You will then need your passport and business card when picking up your media passes.

Is one day enough to cover the show? For the normal general public doing coverage or visiting, no you won’t be able to hit up all the Halls in the venue.  If you look at the map below, there are 11 Halls to go through, as well as a driving exhibition/demo area.  There are also special concerts that go on as well.

Very useful map from TAS 2017… if you can read in Japanese.

MuthafuckinPineappleApplePen Piko Taro was one of the opening acts at TAS 2017. 

If you’re special media or press pass holder and can sneak in Thursday night/day, that would be the best time to do coverage.  Booths will still be setting up but most cars should be ready.   If not, I would recommend arriving at 8AM to avoid the general public crowds.  If you have on comfortable shoes and took 2 of those 1o hr energy jelly packs, you might be able to cover the whole show.   If you do plan to cover the show in 2 days, I’d recommend walking around the parking lot as there will be a few hidden gems out there as well.

That’s pretty much it for my guide to Tokyo Auto Salon… now onto my favorite photos from TAS…

Also, if you haven’t seen my photo coverage for Front Street Media by Kyle Crawford yet, you can check out Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.  I sent the photos overnight to Kyle and had the article up within less than 24 hrs later.  Glad the photos didn’t sit around for too long either.  He did a great job and it almost felt like he was there at the show with me O_O.

Check out the coverage on Front Street Media by Kyle Crawford.

TAS wouldn’t be TAS without the models.  I can’t lie about that because who would go just to look at modified cars and parts….

There were a bunch of celebs at TAS.  Drift King or Tsuchiya was doing interviews all day… I actually got to see him in the media room chilling earlier, but didn’t want to bother him =/… 

SARD racing aero always being SARD…. The only thing I like is the CF wing… 

Liberty Walk had more than a dozen cars around TAS… 

These guys are always on the go.  2017 should be a good year for  Kenneth Li of Wekfest and Joey Lee of Stickydiljoe.com… 

The Subaru booth usually has their concept cars and what looks like GT BRZ Racecar…. 

Model from Vellano booth and some more models from Rohana Wheels…

ROBERUTA Lamborghini Huracan with a Super Trofeo aero look.  Not sure if it’s the real deal but check out the ROBERUTA lift kit in action HERE. 

Silk Blaze had a simple look for the Honda S660 and Miata ND MX-5. 

Every year D.A.D. always goes all out and blings out a Benz…

I believe this Mercedes SL600 is covered in real diamonds… 

I’m not even sure what this car is… but the grill is covered with screens and trunk lid full of speakers while the headlights rotated… o_O

The new AIMGAIN GT kit for the Toyota 86 Kouki… you can see Elvis of StanceNation napping in the back…

Didn’t even notice each side had different colored wheels…

Next to it is the new AIMGAIN GT kit for the new R35 GTR.

I’m not sure why the Event halls were packed with spectators… 

Because it made it super difficult for the working press… 

Luckily some of the booth cars were on a stage display… 

Like the new Honda Civic Type R seen here… 

Which would rotate every 30 seconds or so…

Caught Tein Dampachi and female pachi at their photobooth…

Caught Joey and crew again around TAS again…

326Power represented with aggressive stance and fitment as usual on this RC and S15…

This crazy model stood outside in the Hallway upstairs while it was freezing cold… god bless her soul…

International hall had some pretty awesome stuff in there….

Star Road S30, Nismo S30, Restored R30 RS, and a BNR32. 

Also a couple of FD’s… 

I believe this is the same Kamikaze 370Z from the Varis booth last year at TAS 2016…

Being a Toyota 86 guy, I had to check out the TRD kit for the new Kouki model… still not sure if I like it…

CWest also had a new lip for the kouki 86… not sure if I’m even feeling the new front bumper…

The Impulse kit for the AE86… in CF…

I walked into Pandem / Rocket Bunny territory at TAS 2017…

Daigo Saito was in attendance too… glad he didn’t mind me taking a photo… 

But he was staring pretty hard at this Pandem R32 for awhile…

Another Star Road S30…

Pandem all the things…

More drifters… 

More models…

Kuhl Racing always engraving and designing cool shit…

Photoshoot going on… with ladders and off camera flash.. 

I’m not even sure what time period that’s from… I guess 2017 from a different dimension…

  RE Amemiya FC3S RX7 with new aero

RE Amemiya RX8…

  Time attack FD RX7…  I believe CSG had some hand in building this… 

One of my favorite shots of Under Suzuki taking a look at how ridiculously huge that wing is… jk.

BN Sport revealed new kits for the FD RX7 and R35 GTR.  Both aggressive looking as usual…

Earlier next to the BN sports booth cars, this was going on… 

One of the BN Sports guys liked watching the spectacle…

Top Fuel S2000 (top left),  Mad Mike Redbull TCP Magic FD RX7 (top right), and VARIS Kamikaze booth cars…

Last but not least, this was my press desk area.  Check out the photo on the right… some guys would bring 2-3 monitors, a cpu, and edit.  I need to step up my game next year.

This post wasn’t supposed to be long, but I couldn’t help it with all the photos I took.  Even Kyle had a tough time choosing photos to post.  As always, thanks for actually reading or skimming through to the end.

http://www.danhphan.com http://www.danhphanphoto.wordpress.com http://www.instagram.com/dtphan

Gear: Nikon D750 Sigma 35mm f1.4 Nikon 85mm f1.8

  Journey to Tokyo: Part 4 – Tokyo Auto Salon Life "How do you get to Tokyo Auto Salon?  How much is admission?  How do you apply for press passes?  

[lauramalchowblog]

Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It

Olive oil is the great uniter of the dietary tribes. While your Ray Peatians might grumble at the 10% PUFA content and hardcore carnivores will balk at its vegetal origins, the vast majority of dietary camps—vegans, vegetarians, paleo, Primal, keto, Mediterranean, Weight Watchers, etc.—consider olive oil to be a healthy fat. I have it on good authority that Walter Willet oils his mustache with Croatian olive oil, Dean Ornish conditions his hair with Cretan olive oil, and Peter Attia keeps a bathtub full of Damascan olive oil behind a secret panel in his library that only unlocks if you complete a tabata session on his Peloton. I even saw Shawn Baker sneaking sips from a flask with green oily fingerprints when we recently hung out. Everyone likes olive oil. There are almost no exceptions.

This is about where I usually step in to make a contrarian claim about the super-popular food, citing some arcane study or pointing out an evolutionary argument against it.

Not with olive oil. As much as I love my avocado oil, I see no reason to question the legitimacy of extra virgin olive oil as a valid member of your diet. Personally, I include both. Here’s why….

Healthy Components of Olive Oil

Its MUFA content. Monounsaturated fats are pretty much universally lauded. Almost as resistant to oxidation as saturated fats, they raise HDL and lower LDL. Cellular membranes and mitochondria with a lot of monounsaturated fat function better than ones with more polyunsaturated fats. They’re the rock of the fatty acid world.

Its polyphenol content. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are the plant nutrients that act as antioxidants in the plant—protecting it from predators and oxidative stress and heat and light. They act as minor toxins in us, provoking an adaptive hormetic response that makes us stronger, fitter, and healthier. Polyphenols get mixed reviews from different dietary camps. Carnivores often call them outright toxins with no benefit. Conventional skeptics usually miss the whole “hormesis” thing altogether and assume proponents think polyphenols are antioxidants that directly block oxidative stress in us. My nuanced take is that polyphenols can be pretty useful, but that there’s likely a U-shaped relationship: Too little is suboptimal, and too much is too much, just like with exercise, sun exposure, and any other type of adaptive stress we experience.

Its prominent role in classic Mediterranean cuisine. Olive oil has been eaten (and used in cosmetics, to cleanse gladiator champions, etc.) in the Mediterranean (including areas of Africa, Europe, and Asia) for thousands of years. It’s got a good track record of human use.

Those are all good theoretical reasons to use olive oil. What do human studies say?

Research Supporting Olive Oil Consumption

Overweight women ate one of two breakfasts for a year. The first was supplemented with soybean oil. The second was supplemented with extra virgin olive oil. Both breakfasts were identical save for the fat source. At the end of one year, those who ate the EVOO breakfast had higher HDL, lower inflammatory markers, better blood pressure, and lower body weight.

Type 2 diabetics with bad blood lipids either took a statin or EVOO. The statin was slightly better at reducing LDL and increasing HDL, but not by much, and the EVOO didn’t impair any physiological pathways or cause any undesired second order effects. I’d take the EVOO every time.

Among a Mediterranean population, high EVOO consumption was linked to a reduced risk of fractures and osteoporosis. High consumption of regular olive oil was not.

Extra virgin olive oil, but not corn oil, reduces postprandial oxidative stress.

Women who ate high-polyphenol EVOO every day for 8 weeks enjoyed reduced oxidative damage to their DNA.

Dietary EVOO reduced the number of oxidized LDL and increased HDL in proportion to the phenolic content of the oil; the more phenolics, the greater the effect. Tested LDL was also more resistant to oxidation after being removed from subjects and exposed to oxidative stress. Similar effects were found in a more recent study, in which men were given either EVOO with high phenolic content or refined olive oil with zero phenolics present. Men consuming high phenolic EVOO had less oxidized LDL and more phenolics present in LDL, indicating that olive phenolics reach serum LDL and exert antioxidant effects in real live actual humans.

Tips For Incorporating Olive Oil

There aren’t many foods you can’t make better by topping off with a little olive oil. The flavor of a good olive oil is nuanced enough to elevate the simplest dishes, and that’s what I enjoy about it.Think everything from marinated nuts and olives to a light dinner of Cacio e Pepe zoodles.

Cream of garlic (or cream of anything) soup? Better with a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Savory Labneh yogurt? Also better “finished” with olive oil. And don’t forget olive oil sauces. I just shared one of my favorites this week: pesto. It’s a totally modular sauce you can make with your favorite oil, nuts and herbs, but extra virgin olive oil remains the traditional choice.

And salads? Like extra virgin avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil is good with anything you throw together, this Turkish Salad being one great example. Sardine Nicoise Salad is another. Speaking of canned fish, choosing those packed in genuine extra virgin olive oil can be a flavorful option. No need to discard the oil here, especially if you incorporate the oil into the dish itself like this Olive Oil Packed Tuna and Seared Tomatoes recipe does.

Okay, so drizzling extra virgin olive oil across your dinner salad is healthy, but isn’t olive oil sensitive to heat? Aren’t you supposed to avoid cooking with it? Actually, no. Extra virgin olive oil is resistant to low and medium heat.

Despite being heated at 180 ºC (356 ºF) for 36 hours, two varieties of extra virgin olive oil exhibited strong resistance to oxidative damage and retained most of their “minor [phenolic] compounds.” Another study added olive phenols to vegetable oil, then heated it. Adding the olive phenols made the vegetable oil more resistant to oxidation and preserved the vitamin E content, offering more protection than even a synthetic antioxidant designed to do the job.

It’s not just that nothing bad really happens when you cook with EVOO. It’s also that uniquely good things happen when you cook with it.

When you cook sofrito, that Spanish staple of sauteed onions, garlic, peppers, and tomato that forms the basis of many recipes, with olive oil, it gets healthier. Cooking sofrito using olive oil has been shown to protect and enhance the polyphenols found in the various vegetables increase the bioavailability of the polyphenols. The same thing happens to other vegetables cooked in olive oil. Tomato lycopene content, too, is enhanced after cooking with olive oil.

Now, how do I use olive oil?

How I Use Olive Oil

I’ll occasionally take a teaspoon straight up, if it’s good stuff (and I only have good stuff). I really relish that peppery bite you get in the back of your throat—that’s the polyphenol burn.

I drizzle it on cooked lamb—often marinated in nothing but the same olive oil—and follow with flaky salt. Lamb stands up well to more complex marinades, but it’s also great grilled plain and drizzled with good EVOO and salt. Nothing else.

Tomato and cucumber salad. Tomato, cucumber, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt. Nothing fancy.

If you haven’t noticed, I like to use good EVOO where I can taste it.

I love preparing fish with olive oil. There’s even evidence that olive oil and fish fat have a synergistic effect on blood lipids and oxidative stress, combining to exert greater benefits than either fat alone or through simple addition.

To sum up…

Olive oil is great for eating cold and dressing salads. This really brings out the flavors and preserves the polyphenols.

But olive oil is great for many cooking methods, too. Olive oil is resistant to heat damage in low and medium heat applications like slow roasting, baking and light sauteing, thanks to the stability of the fatty acids and antioxidant capacity of the polyphenols. It preserves and even enhances nutrient content of vegetables when used to cook.

Olive oil has been around for millennia, and it will continue to stick around. I happen to love Mediterranean food, so you’ll always find it in my kitchen.

In fact, when researchers tried to justify replacing EVOO with canola oil as the primary fat in the Mediterranean diet, they couldn’t do it. Wanted to, but couldn’t. Can you imagine? You’re on your honeymoon, traveling through Tuscany. You stop at a rustic vineyard. The proprietor, Giancarlo, wants to show you his prized homegrown oil, just pressed. He brings in a cask of the finest canola oil; you can still smell the hexane residues.

No thanks.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Do you like olive oil? How do you use it? What’s your favorite way to consume it?

Take care.

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References:

Galvão cândido F, Xavier valente F, Da silva LE, Gonçalves leão coelho O, Gouveia peluzio MDC, Gonçalves alfenas RC. Consumption of extra virgin olive oil improves body composition and blood pressure in women with excess body fat: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Nutr. 2018;57(7):2445-2455.

Khan TM, Iqbal S, Rashid MA. Comparison Of Lipid Lowering Effect Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Atorvastatin In Dyslipidaemia In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2017;29(1):83-86.

García-gavilán JF, Bulló M, Canudas S, et al. Extra virgin olive oil consumption reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the PREDIMED trial. Clin Nutr. 2018;37(1):329-335.

Carnevale R, Pignatelli P, Nocella C, et al. Extra virgin olive oil blunt post-prandial oxidative stress via NOX2 down-regulation. Atherosclerosis. 2014;235(2):649-58.

Salvini S, Sera F, Caruso D, et al. Daily consumption of a high-phenol extra-virgin olive oil reduces oxidative DNA damage in postmenopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2006;95(4):742-51.

Marrugat J, Covas MI, Fitó M, et al. Effects of differing phenolic content in dietary olive oils on lipids and LDL oxidation–a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2004;43(3):140-7.

De la torre-carbot K, Chávez-servín JL, Jaúregui O, et al. Elevated circulating LDL phenol levels in men who consumed virgin rather than refined olive oil are associated with less oxidation of plasma LDL. J Nutr. 2010;140(3):501-8.

Allouche Y, Jiménez A, Gaforio JJ, Uceda M, Beltrán G. How heating affects extra virgin olive oil quality indexes and chemical composition. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(23):9646-54.

Casal S, Malheiro R, Sendas A, Oliveira BP, Pereira JA. Olive oil stability under deep-frying conditions. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010;48(10):2972-9.

Fullana A, Carbonell-barrachina AA, Sidhu S. Comparison of volatile aldehydes present in the cooking fumes of extra virgin olive, olive, and canola oils. J Agric Food Chem. 2004;52(16):5207-14.

Esposto S, Taticchi A, Di maio I, et al. Effect of an olive phenolic extract on the quality of vegetable oils during frying. Food Chem. 2015;176:184-92.

Rinaldi de alvarenga JF, Quifer-rada P, Westrin V, Hurtado-barroso S, Torrado-prat X, Lamuela-raventós RM. Mediterranean Sofrito Home-Cooking Technique Enhances Polyphenol Content In Tomato Sauce. J Sci Food Agric. 2019;

Rinaldi de alvarenga JF, Quifer-rada P, Francetto juliano F, et al. Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Cook Vegetables Enhances Polyphenol and Carotenoid Extractability: A Study Applying the Technique. Molecules. 2019;24(8)

Ramírez-anaya Jdel P, Samaniego-sánchez C, Castañeda-saucedo MC, Villalón-mir M, De la serrana HL. Phenols and the antioxidant capacity of Mediterranean vegetables prepared with extra virgin olive oil using different domestic cooking techniques. Food Chem. 2015;188:430-8.

Vallverdú-queralt A, Regueiro J, De alvarenga JF, Torrado X, Lamuela-raventos RM. Carotenoid profile of tomato sauces: effect of cooking time and content of extra virgin olive oil. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(5):9588-99.

Hoffman R, Gerber M. Can rapeseed oil replace olive oil as part of a Mediterranean-style diet?. Br J Nutr. 2014;112(11):1882-95.

The post Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[jesseneufeld]

Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It

Olive oil is the great uniter of the dietary tribes. While your Ray Peatians might grumble at the 10% PUFA content and hardcore carnivores will balk at its vegetal origins, the vast majority of dietary camps—vegans, vegetarians, paleo, Primal, keto, Mediterranean, Weight Watchers, etc.—consider olive oil to be a healthy fat. I have it on good authority that Walter Willet oils his mustache with Croatian olive oil, Dean Ornish conditions his hair with Cretan olive oil, and Peter Attia keeps a bathtub full of Damascan olive oil behind a secret panel in his library that only unlocks if you complete a tabata session on his Peloton. I even saw Shawn Baker sneaking sips from a flask with green oily fingerprints when we recently hung out. Everyone likes olive oil. There are almost no exceptions.

This is about where I usually step in to make a contrarian claim about the super-popular food, citing some arcane study or pointing out an evolutionary argument against it.

Not with olive oil. As much as I love my avocado oil, I see no reason to question the legitimacy of extra virgin olive oil as a valid member of your diet. Personally, I include both. Here’s why….

Healthy Components of Olive Oil

Its MUFA content. Monounsaturated fats are pretty much universally lauded. Almost as resistant to oxidation as saturated fats, they raise HDL and lower LDL. Cellular membranes and mitochondria with a lot of monounsaturated fat function better than ones with more polyunsaturated fats. They’re the rock of the fatty acid world.

Its polyphenol content. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are the plant nutrients that act as antioxidants in the plant—protecting it from predators and oxidative stress and heat and light. They act as minor toxins in us, provoking an adaptive hormetic response that makes us stronger, fitter, and healthier. Polyphenols get mixed reviews from different dietary camps. Carnivores often call them outright toxins with no benefit. Conventional skeptics usually miss the whole “hormesis” thing altogether and assume proponents think polyphenols are antioxidants that directly block oxidative stress in us. My nuanced take is that polyphenols can be pretty useful, but that there’s likely a U-shaped relationship: Too little is suboptimal, and too much is too much, just like with exercise, sun exposure, and any other type of adaptive stress we experience.

Its prominent role in classic Mediterranean cuisine. Olive oil has been eaten (and used in cosmetics, to cleanse gladiator champions, etc.) in the Mediterranean (including areas of Africa, Europe, and Asia) for thousands of years. It’s got a good track record of human use.

Those are all good theoretical reasons to use olive oil. What do human studies say?

Research Supporting Olive Oil Consumption

Overweight women ate one of two breakfasts for a year. The first was supplemented with soybean oil. The second was supplemented with extra virgin olive oil. Both breakfasts were identical save for the fat source. At the end of one year, those who ate the EVOO breakfast had higher HDL, lower inflammatory markers, better blood pressure, and lower body weight.

Type 2 diabetics with bad blood lipids either took a statin or EVOO. The statin was slightly better at reducing LDL and increasing HDL, but not by much, and the EVOO didn’t impair any physiological pathways or cause any undesired second order effects. I’d take the EVOO every time.

Among a Mediterranean population, high EVOO consumption was linked to a reduced risk of fractures and osteoporosis. High consumption of regular olive oil was not.

Extra virgin olive oil, but not corn oil, reduces postprandial oxidative stress.

Women who ate high-polyphenol EVOO every day for 8 weeks enjoyed reduced oxidative damage to their DNA.

Dietary EVOO reduced the number of oxidized LDL and increased HDL in proportion to the phenolic content of the oil; the more phenolics, the greater the effect. Tested LDL was also more resistant to oxidation after being removed from subjects and exposed to oxidative stress. Similar effects were found in a more recent study, in which men were given either EVOO with high phenolic content or refined olive oil with zero phenolics present. Men consuming high phenolic EVOO had less oxidized LDL and more phenolics present in LDL, indicating that olive phenolics reach serum LDL and exert antioxidant effects in real live actual humans.

Tips For Incorporating Olive Oil

There aren’t many foods you can’t make better by topping off with a little olive oil. The flavor of a good olive oil is nuanced enough to elevate the simplest dishes, and that’s what I enjoy about it.Think everything from marinated nuts and olives to a light dinner of Cacio e Pepe zoodles.

Cream of garlic (or cream of anything) soup? Better with a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Savory Labneh yogurt? Also better “finished” with olive oil. And don’t forget olive oil sauces. I just shared one of my favorites this week: pesto. It’s a totally modular sauce you can make with your favorite oil, nuts and herbs, but extra virgin olive oil remains the traditional choice.

And salads? Like extra virgin avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil is good with anything you throw together, this Turkish Salad being one great example. Sardine Nicoise Salad is another. Speaking of canned fish, choosing those packed in genuine extra virgin olive oil can be a flavorful option. No need to discard the oil here, especially if you incorporate the oil into the dish itself like this Olive Oil Packed Tuna and Seared Tomatoes recipe does.

Okay, so drizzling extra virgin olive oil across your dinner salad is healthy, but isn’t olive oil sensitive to heat? Aren’t you supposed to avoid cooking with it? Actually, no. Extra virgin olive oil is resistant to low and medium heat.

Despite being heated at 180 ºC (356 ºF) for 36 hours, two varieties of extra virgin olive oil exhibited strong resistance to oxidative damage and retained most of their “minor [phenolic] compounds.” Another study added olive phenols to vegetable oil, then heated it. Adding the olive phenols made the vegetable oil more resistant to oxidation and preserved the vitamin E content, offering more protection than even a synthetic antioxidant designed to do the job.

It’s not just that nothing bad really happens when you cook with EVOO. It’s also that uniquely good things happen when you cook with it.

When you cook sofrito, that Spanish staple of sauteed onions, garlic, peppers, and tomato that forms the basis of many recipes, with olive oil, it gets healthier. Cooking sofrito using olive oil has been shown to protect and enhance the polyphenols found in the various vegetables increase the bioavailability of the polyphenols. The same thing happens to other vegetables cooked in olive oil. Tomato lycopene content, too, is enhanced after cooking with olive oil.

Now, how do I use olive oil?

How I Use Olive Oil

I’ll occasionally take a teaspoon straight up, if it’s good stuff (and I only have good stuff). I really relish that peppery bite you get in the back of your throat—that’s the polyphenol burn.

I drizzle it on cooked lamb—often marinated in nothing but the same olive oil—and follow with flaky salt. Lamb stands up well to more complex marinades, but it’s also great grilled plain and drizzled with good EVOO and salt. Nothing else.

Tomato and cucumber salad. Tomato, cucumber, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt. Nothing fancy.

If you haven’t noticed, I like to use good EVOO where I can taste it.

I love preparing fish with olive oil. There’s even evidence that olive oil and fish fat have a synergistic effect on blood lipids and oxidative stress, combining to exert greater benefits than either fat alone or through simple addition.

To sum up…

Olive oil is great for eating cold and dressing salads. This really brings out the flavors and preserves the polyphenols.

But olive oil is great for many cooking methods, too. Olive oil is resistant to heat damage in low and medium heat applications like slow roasting, baking and light sauteing, thanks to the stability of the fatty acids and antioxidant capacity of the polyphenols. It preserves and even enhances nutrient content of vegetables when used to cook.

Olive oil has been around for millennia, and it will continue to stick around. I happen to love Mediterranean food, so you’ll always find it in my kitchen.

In fact, when researchers tried to justify replacing EVOO with canola oil as the primary fat in the Mediterranean diet, they couldn’t do it. Wanted to, but couldn’t. Can you imagine? You’re on your honeymoon, traveling through Tuscany. You stop at a rustic vineyard. The proprietor, Giancarlo, wants to show you his prized homegrown oil, just pressed. He brings in a cask of the finest canola oil; you can still smell the hexane residues.

No thanks.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Do you like olive oil? How do you use it? What’s your favorite way to consume it?

Take care.

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References:

Galvão cândido F, Xavier valente F, Da silva LE, Gonçalves leão coelho O, Gouveia peluzio MDC, Gonçalves alfenas RC. Consumption of extra virgin olive oil improves body composition and blood pressure in women with excess body fat: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Nutr. 2018;57(7):2445-2455.

Khan TM, Iqbal S, Rashid MA. Comparison Of Lipid Lowering Effect Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Atorvastatin In Dyslipidaemia In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2017;29(1):83-86.

García-gavilán JF, Bulló M, Canudas S, et al. Extra virgin olive oil consumption reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the PREDIMED trial. Clin Nutr. 2018;37(1):329-335.

Carnevale R, Pignatelli P, Nocella C, et al. Extra virgin olive oil blunt post-prandial oxidative stress via NOX2 down-regulation. Atherosclerosis. 2014;235(2):649-58.

Salvini S, Sera F, Caruso D, et al. Daily consumption of a high-phenol extra-virgin olive oil reduces oxidative DNA damage in postmenopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2006;95(4):742-51.

Marrugat J, Covas MI, Fitó M, et al. Effects of differing phenolic content in dietary olive oils on lipids and LDL oxidation–a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2004;43(3):140-7.

De la torre-carbot K, Chávez-servín JL, Jaúregui O, et al. Elevated circulating LDL phenol levels in men who consumed virgin rather than refined olive oil are associated with less oxidation of plasma LDL. J Nutr. 2010;140(3):501-8.

Allouche Y, Jiménez A, Gaforio JJ, Uceda M, Beltrán G. How heating affects extra virgin olive oil quality indexes and chemical composition. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(23):9646-54.

Casal S, Malheiro R, Sendas A, Oliveira BP, Pereira JA. Olive oil stability under deep-frying conditions. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010;48(10):2972-9.

Fullana A, Carbonell-barrachina AA, Sidhu S. Comparison of volatile aldehydes present in the cooking fumes of extra virgin olive, olive, and canola oils. J Agric Food Chem. 2004;52(16):5207-14.

Esposto S, Taticchi A, Di maio I, et al. Effect of an olive phenolic extract on the quality of vegetable oils during frying. Food Chem. 2015;176:184-92.

Rinaldi de alvarenga JF, Quifer-rada P, Westrin V, Hurtado-barroso S, Torrado-prat X, Lamuela-raventós RM. Mediterranean Sofrito Home-Cooking Technique Enhances Polyphenol Content In Tomato Sauce. J Sci Food Agric. 2019;

Rinaldi de alvarenga JF, Quifer-rada P, Francetto juliano F, et al. Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Cook Vegetables Enhances Polyphenol and Carotenoid Extractability: A Study Applying the Technique. Molecules. 2019;24(8)

Ramírez-anaya Jdel P, Samaniego-sánchez C, Castañeda-saucedo MC, Villalón-mir M, De la serrana HL. Phenols and the antioxidant capacity of Mediterranean vegetables prepared with extra virgin olive oil using different domestic cooking techniques. Food Chem. 2015;188:430-8.

Vallverdú-queralt A, Regueiro J, De alvarenga JF, Torrado X, Lamuela-raventos RM. Carotenoid profile of tomato sauces: effect of cooking time and content of extra virgin olive oil. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(5):9588-99.

Hoffman R, Gerber M. Can rapeseed oil replace olive oil as part of a Mediterranean-style diet?. Br J Nutr. 2014;112(11):1882-95.

The post Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Primal Guide to Olive Oil: Why and When to Use It published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[seoulmatcs-blog]

60cm:Decathlon Triban RC 500 Disc review

Decathlon’s extensive Triban road bike range starts at £250 for rim-braked machines, but the RC500 is its cheapest disc-braked model.

The best cheap road bikes 2019: 10 great choices for £600 or less

Road bike groupsets: everything you need to know

The Decathlon Triban RC 500 Disc is one of our Bike of the Year bikes for 2019. To read reviews of the other contenders and the categories tested across road, mountain and women's bikes, visit our Bike of the Year hub page.

The 6061 T6 aluminium RC500 frame has a claimed weight of 1,780g in medium size, and sports a carbon fork with alloy steerer and a great specification. There’s a lifetime guarantee on the frame, bar and stem, plus two years on the fork, and it comes in five sizes.

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Mounts for mudguards and a rear rack expand the bike’s versatility, and it’ll take up to 36mm (measured) tyres without mudguards. Decathlon doesn’t state the maximum tyre width with mudguards, but we’d anticipate being able to fit 30–32mm rubber, depending on clearances.

The frame welds are neat, and sensible external cable routing means the down tube isn’t perforated, and is therefore stronger and less prone to water ingress. A large painted reflective patch on the upper part of the rear of the seat tube aids visibility too.

Decathlon Triban RC 500 Disc specifications

Sizes (*tested): XS, S, M, L*, XL

Weight: 10.89kg

Frame: Triban Evo 6061 T6 aluminium

Fork: Triban Evo carbon

Shifters: Shimano Sora

Mech: Shimano Sora 9sp

Chainset: Shimano Sora with 50/34 rings

Cassette: Microshift 11-32

Brakes: Promax DSK-300R disc calipers, 160mm rotors

Wheels: Triban aluminium, tubeless ready

Tyres: Triban Resist+ 28mm

Bar: Triban alloy

Stem: Triban alloy

Seatpost: Triban alloy

Saddle: Triban ErgoFit

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

[kayawagner]

Blast from the Past: D&D Rules Cyclopedia from 1991

Over the past few years, when I was looking more closely into old-school D&D, the OSR, the various retro-clones etc. numerous people recommended the Rules Cyclopedia to me. It’s basically a compilation of all the rules presented in the edition of Basic D&D which started off with the famous Red Box written by Frank Mentzer. Aside from all the rules it also contains a complete bestiary, and even a description of the world of Mystara aka the Known World. To my knowledge it’s the only D&D game which can be played as is, without having to buy additional books. It’s of course long out of print, but thanks to Print-On-Demand you can now get a print copy from DriveThruRPG.

Personally I have never played a Basic D&D game before. As far as I can remember the first edition of D&D I ever played was AD&D 2nd Edition. I didn’t like it at all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed playing with my friends, I just wasn’t too fond of the the mechanics. Often I had the feeling I had to fight against the rules to play the character I wanted. Certain concepts seemed impossible. With more experience as a player and GM under my belt, I recognize that a lot of the rules were optional and sometimes mere guidelines, but back in the day, we slavishly clinged to the rules-as-written. But enough about my history with D&D, and back to the topic at hand.

After reading countless retro-clones on a search to find a perfect version of D&D (a search which is essentially futile), I decided to check out one of the actual old editions of D&D. The Rules Cyclopedia was an obvious choice because it included everything needed in a single book, and so many people had recommended it to me.

And I wasn’t disappointed. The 27-years-old book looks pretty good. It has a clear three-columned layout, nice black-and-white artwork, and the rules are presented in a clear manner. The RC was AFAIK first and foremost meant as a reference book, but it still does a good job of explaining how the rules work, even though no examples are given. Please note that I haven’t read all of the 306 pages yet, so some of the later sections may be a bit more obscure, but my first impression is positive.

What really surprised me is that the artwork throughout the book is much more inclusive and less sexist than I feared. The characters depicted are wearing proper armor, women are not depicted overly sexualized, there are various non-white characters in the artwork.

Since it’s a Basic D&D product some of the concepts in the game may sound strange to modern gamers. In Basic D&D Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling are actually classes. Humans can choose from a more extensive list of classes including the iconic Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User and Thief. Two optional classes are included: the monk-like Mystic and the Druid. I was also positively surprised that the Fighter class includes the variants of Paladin, Knight and Avenger.

Overall Basic D&D has less of everything. Less classes, less rules, less spells. Compared to AD&D and its successors (D&D 3rd Edition was based on AD&D 2nd Edition and not Basic D&D) it’s a much simpler game. It also retains a couple of concepts later editions of D&D lack. For example there’s the idea that the game should change focus at certain levels. You start out by delving into dungeons, at level 9 characters begin to erect towers, build fortresses, and recruit followers. Now it’s more about carving out your place in the world. Eventually the heroes grasp at immortality and basically godhood. This was supported by the Immortals boxed set which is not fully included in the Rules Cyclopedia, but I guess most campaigns never ran that long.

I am not sure if I would have preferred Basic D&D over AD&D back when I started playing roleplaying games. I guess the race as class thing might have killed any interest in it – among other things. Nowadays I don’t mind as much. It definitely makes things a lot easier, and it also helps to make non-humans different. In a world with such rules, there might be demi-human (where does this term come from anyway?) clerics, but they obviously don’t get spells by their gods the way human clerics do, or there are just no adventuring Elven clerics. Works for me. One positive aspect of this is that you don’t have to deal with adventuring groups in which not even one character is human.

Overall the rules and their presentation have a certain charm which is hard to elude.  I can’t put my finger on it, but for some reason reading this book makes me want to play a Basic D&D game set into the Known World. For me it feels a bit like exploring a world which is totally new to me – which it actually is. For some of the old-school D&D grognards this might all be old news, but when I discovered tabletop roleplaying games Basic D&D was already a thing of the past.

Perhaps it’s a sign of a coming mid-life crisis but during the last years I have started looking back more often than before. I have been rewatching shows I loved as a teenager, I tried to reconnect with people I met during my university years, and I’ve started looking into games which were decades ago – even though I didn’t know about them at the time. The Rules Cyclopedia fits perfect into this fuzzy ‘80/’90s nostalgia-fueled romp and I can’t wait to get my hands onto my POD hardcopy which I ordered about a week ago. Sure, an original would have been better, but unfortunately the RC has become a much sought after collectors’ item. And even though it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I am not going to put 70 to 120 Euros on the table for this book.

If you made it this far, you noticed that this isn’t really a review, nor do you learn that much about the Rules Cyclopedia itself. But you learned a bit about my reasons why I picked up the book in the first place and why you might do as well. For a game that old it holds up surprisingly well and it tells of different times and a different kind of D&D. Sometimes I wonder how D&D would look like today if Third Edition was based on this instead of AD&D 2nd Edition…

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Blast from the Past: D&D Rules Cyclopedia from 1991 published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com