#NEXT ONE COMES ON SUNDAY!! same time 9:30 pst

[leenfiend]

prime directive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

[quixol]

Are you ready?

Friday, September 29th: QuixolMC is updating to 1.12.2!

About four months ago, the minecraft developers at Mojang released the World of Color update: Minecraft 1.12! It's been longer than we'd like to admit, but we're finally ready to update QuixolMC to this version of Minecraft. Starting one week from today, on Wednesday, September 27th, we will be taking QuixolMC offline and whitelisting it to staff only so that we may work on the process of updating the server to 1.12. After that, the server will remain whitelisted for a few days to test everything is in working order.

Then on Friday, September 29th, we will remove the whitelist and let all of you join once again... on Minecraft 1.12.2! Beyond just updating the server itself, we have something else big planned for you all: an all-new party area to explore and hang out at! A successor to Oasis has been a long time coming, and we're very excited to share it with you all. We don't want to spoil too much about this new location yet, so we'll leaf it up to you to imagine what it's like for now. You can ABSOLUTELY expect to see a big server party to be taking place there once it's released, including drop parties, player promotions, fun games, and maybe even some other exciting events! We plan to hold TWO parties the weekend of the update, one starting at 5pm (PST) / 8pm (EST) on Friday, 9/29 - then another starting at 5 pm (PST) / 8pm (EST) on Saturday, 9/30.

Maybe there'll even be an afterparty on sunday, so keep an eye out for that as well. The location these events will be held at is at the new party warp being released the same day- we'll let you know how to get there when the time comes. As for what else to look out for after the update, read below the cut to find out!

A lot of you may be wondering- is the world going to be reset? The world border expanded? Will there be a reset of mcmmo and/or the economy?? The answer to all of these is simple: nope! Minecraft 1.12 introduces nothing new to world generation mechanics, aside from the spawning of cute and friendly Parrots, which will still spawn in old jungle biomes anyways. As for mcMMO, Jobs, and the economy: we decided it's not really necessary to reset any of these things at the moment. You can see the full list of changes in 1.12 here. One thing you can expect to see from this update, however, is the addition of the all-new Advancements! Advancements are one of the biggest new features in 1.12, replacing Achievements entirely (No, your achievements won't be converted into corresponding advancements- sorry!). One of the coolest features of Advancements is that they're completely customizable, allowing a lot of freedom for making goals to achieve for the players- you guys! You can expect to see a good amount of custom Advancements made specifically for QuixolMC, along with all of the new vanilla advancements that never existed with the Achievements system. Keep an eye out for that! Beyond that, we've been listening to all the feedback you've all given from the Quixol Community Poll #4, and we are planning on releasing the admin sell shops at Amanita (finally), as well as adding more ways to actually spend your money. The rest of your feedback from the poll will also be useful in making decisions on later updates, and as always you are free to give any feedback you have about anything in our #feedback channel on the Quixol discord. Thank you all for having patience with us, it's been a bit of a struggle to get projects completed in a reasonable time-frame, so an update that should have been ready in 1 month has taken 4 months instead. Given our track record, this is technically better than we've been about updating in the past, but it's still very slow for a well-maintained minecraft server to update. We hope you all understand, and we're excited to see your smiling faces next week in QuixolMC, 1.12.2 Public Beta! <3, Quixol Staff

[travelteatv]

Brussels isn’t somewhere I had ever hugely considered, I didn’t know that much about it and to this day, I’m not quite sure how we ended up deciding to go there. Nonetheless, I’m glad that we did. It’s not a huge city centre – small but perfectly formed, with a lot of history, great biscuits and even better beers. Just right for a quick weekend away.

For us, 48 hours was the perfect amount of time there. You can definitely spend longer of course but we felt like we managed to explore everything we wanted to see within that time, without feeling rushed.

We got the Eurostar from Kings Cross first thing in the morning, which worked out really well – it only takes 2 hours (shorter than a lot of journeys around the UK!) and so we were in Brussels by mid morning. Our hotel (the Sandton Hotel Centre) was a 30 minute walk from the Eurostar station and very central, which made everything so easy.

I love getting the Eurostar, in fact, I would choose to get it over flying any day. Of course, living in London does help with that but in general, I find the ease of going through security for the train (with as large a liquid as you want – they even let us put an entire cup of tea through there in a little holder) and the speed of everything so much simpler than an airport. No running to far away terminals or fighting to get your bag in the overhead lockers. Plus, there are lovely views most of the way and if you book in advance, you can generally get a good deal price wise.

We got the train there and back – leaving on Saturday morning and coming back Monday morning. In fact, I was actually early for work because of train times, which is pretty amazing considering I came from a completely different country.

Below is what we did across 2 days, of course you are welcome to do them in any order you like – nothing on this list is too far from each other, in fact we pretty much walked everywhere, this is just how we happened to do it. There was no particular rhyme or reason for the way we went about these things; we are big fans of ‘starring’ places on Google Maps and then using that to plan our trip based on where we are and what we’re feeling. None of the below needed to be booked, so we just picked things to do based on where we were and what we were feeling.

  Day 1 (Example Itinerary)

Place Royale

A public square which contains some beautiful buildings, including a few museums. We chose to go to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, which was a lovely place to wander round for a few hours. It’s also, massive. We didn’t really realise this when we first got there – I think there must have been some building work going on because to get anywhere, we had to walk the most long winded ways. Somehow we ended up in the basement which housed some pieces that I genuinely still don’t know if they were meant to be art pieces or not, including a man doing some kind of science experiment similar to what looked like the process of making beer. Whether or not it was part of the exhibit, we watched for at least 20 minutes, fascinated by what the hell he was going to do next.

On top of that, we also got in a lift that had SEATS. Actual seats. The dream (for the 10 seconds we were actually in the lift). (Yes I was so blown away by this I took photos).

Of course, this probably isn’t what most people take away from this gallery – it contains over 20,000 art pieces, including Rubens and Jordaens.

TOP TIP: You can get a discounted ticket if you do travel by Eurostar. We didn’t know this when we went in but the woman at the front desk recognised our English accents and happened to ask how we got there. When we told her it was by Eurostar, she offered us the discounted tickets, which was super nice of her considering we didn’t even know the discount was a thing.

  Musee Des Instruments De Musique

A beautiful building, also known as ‘The Old England Building’. Once a department store, it is now a musical instrument museum with an incredible facade. We didn’t actually go inside the building, instead we chose to be two of the many tourists gawping at the architecture and taking pictures. From what I’ve heard though, the museum is well worth a visit.

  Parc de Bruxelles / Royal Palace of Brussels

Sadly we visited on a bit of a rainy, dreary weekend so the park and palace weren’t as grand as we had hoped but from other pictures I have seen of both places, on a good day they’re a good place to spend some time. Unfortunately I’ll admit we only spent around 15 minutes there, as it isn’t that fun to sit in a rainy park.

For all intents and purposes, the picture below is how I imagined my visit would look:

View this post on Instagram

Some photos of #Brussels from my #morningrun in the city today- #parcdebruxelles #bruxelles #running #reflections

A post shared by Veronica Hidding (@thecloudsarelowerhere) on Nov 6, 2019 at 2:39am PST

  Dille and Kamille

Perhaps to anyone from The Netherlands/Belgium, this is a very odd thing to put on an itinerary but honestly, as a Scandi themed homeware obsessive, I had a blast here. It’s a homeware shop with a mix of Hema, Habitat and Zara Home vibes which is really well priced with a good atmosphere. If you can’t make it there, you can get stuff delivered around Europe/the World (at 10 euros a pop for the UK, I believe) but we decided to just pick a few bits up that we liked including a big vintage style milk bottle for about £3 and an enamel vase for about the same price, which would be about triple in London. Another one of the beauties of travelling by Eurostar, as we actually had the space!

  Plein Publiek (Mont Des Arts)

We stumbled across this place by accident and I’m so glad we did. With cool music, good beers and an incredible glass ceiling, the vibes of this bar are off the charts. If I lived in Brussels, I would definitely make it my local haunt. Nonetheless, I’m pleased to say I was able to have at least one drink there.

Bia Mara (Fish and Chips)

I’m slightly ashamed to say that we actually liked this place so much that we visited not just once, but twice during our trip. It’s not usually something I would do but it’s genuinely that good; a great fish and chip restaurant with a focus on the lesser known fish and sustainability. It’s slightly pricier than your average fish and chips but it’s well worth it.

In this way, you can imagine my surprise when I found out there’s another restaurant by the same owners in London (Camden – it’s called Hook). Funnily enough, I also went to that one when I got back and can confirm, it’s also brilliant.

View this post on Instagram

Crispy Lemon & Basil Infused Tempura with Seaweed Salted Chips and Garlic Truffle Sauce! Delicious 😋 #biamara #brussels #antwerp #fishandchips #foodpics #foodiegram #fresh #fish #fresh #chips #homemade #sauces #craftbeers 😍

A post shared by Bia Mara (@biamarabelgium) on Nov 23, 2017 at 2:18am PST

Delirium Cafe 

I’m not sure you can go to Brussels without visiting here – it’s a bit of a mad pub in the centre of Brussels, which famously brews it’s own beers. It’s one of those crazy places which is absolutely massive but still incredibly hard to get a table (especially on a Saturday night). I would definitely make time to stop by, if only for one drink, to experience the madness for yourself.

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Кто пьян? Я пьян! Попытаюсь улететь. / I'm drunk and trying to get to the airport.

A post shared by Nadezhda (@_brynza) on Sep 6, 2017 at 9:52am PDT

  Day 2 (Example Itinerary)

Train World

It’s been a running theme of ours recently, that if we go somewhere that has any kind of train themed experience, we have to stop by. It started out as a joke, as we have both always had a bit of a thing for trains and thought it would be a laugh to stop by the museums. Turns out, train museums are great and even if you don’t think you are that fussed about them, they’re good fun. Fred was always a much bigger fan of trains than me, but he won me round to how cool they are (very easily).

It’s slightly out of the way of the city centre (around an hour’s walk/20 minutes on the Metro), we walked there first thing on the Sunday morning and it was lovely to see different parts of the city; we walked past the botanical gardens and some amazing buildings. Plus, we saw a lot of locals getting up and enjoying their mornings; walking their dogs and grabbing pastries at their nearest bakery. I always like to imagine what my life would be like if I lived in a city I’m visiting and both of those things sound like the dream to me.

The train museum itself is massive, with anything from Eurostar to Steam Engines. Some of them you can only walk around and look at, but a lot you can get on board and sit on. There’s also a cafe and lots of things for kids to experience (not that we did those things but I was aware they existed as there were lots of kids there).

  Grand Place (Main Square)

This is a beautiful square, with incredible buildings – it’s nice to wander round for a bit although 100% a massive tourist trap. We didn’t spend a lot of time here but it’s very impressive and worth stopping by.

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Гранд Пляс в #Брюссель – объект всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО! Считается одной из самых прекрасных площадей Европы..🇪🇺 На площади помимо Ратуши, расположены Дома гильдий, которые в средние века легко можно было различить по фасаду и лепнине: 1.Дом галантерейщика – дом "Лиса"; 2.Дом лодочника – "Рожок"; 3.Дом лучника – "Волчица"; 4.Дом плотника – "Мешок"; 5.Дом торговца маслом – "Тележка"; 6.Дом пекарей или "Король Испании", хотя король в этом доме не жил и никакого отношения к нему не имеет🏘 Мне нравится последний, а вам??… #brussels #belgium #Бельгия #путешествиепоевропе #veter_trip #veter_belgium

A post shared by Аня Ветрова (@annyvetrova) on Apr 16, 2017 at 2:55pm PDT

  Manneken Pis

I’m really not sure why this is so famous but it’s one of those things you can’t not to go while you’re there. It literally is just a statue of a pissing boy. Well, they also put costumes on him. Genuinely absolutely no clue why it’s such a big thing but the hoards of people surrounding the fountain alone is an incredibly fascinating sight to see.

A La Mort Subite

A friend of mine from University is from Brussels, so we met up for a beer with him and he suggested this place. It’s a really cool, old bar that literally feels like a step back in time when you walk in. He ordered a cheese board, as apparently that’s the thing to do. So we spent a nice couple of hours reminiscing, eating cheese and drinking beers. I highly recommend it.

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I hope not #alcooldanger #alamortsubite #stillalivefornow #brussels

A post shared by 居蒂丝 Judith Benhamou-Huet (@judithbenhamouhuet) on Aug 1, 2016 at 10:56am PDT

  Les Galeries Royales Saint Hubert

Not far from the bar, is an undercover shopping centre with some great coffee, biscuits and fancy shops for window shopping. It’s not like there are a million things to do in here but it’s pretty to look at, and a good way to stay out of the rain for a bit, if you’re as unlucky as we were with the weather.

  On top of all of the above, we also wandered round a few other shops, and enjoyed having long coffees and beers without feeling like we “had” to be somewhere at every second. For such a short trip, I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.

  Abi

X

@ travelteatv 

48 Hours in Brussels, Belgium Brussels isn't somewhere I had ever hugely considered, I didn't know that much about it and to this day, I'm not quite sure how we ended up deciding to go there.

[mariemary1]

How Turn Studio Transitioned a Side Project into a Thriving Ecommerce Business with Instagram

This post is part of our Instagram Marketing Strategy series. The series provides you with actionable insights and lessons on how businesses are using Instagram. Next up, Kenny Sing, founder or Turn Studio, discusses how to grow an audience on Instagram. 

“I never jumped into Instagram as a way to make money. For me, it was much more awareness and follower focused. Instagram was – and still is – a real-time feedback loop for my work. It’s a way to find out if people are enjoying what I’m creating.”

In a brightly-lit Clay By The Bay pottery studio in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, I had the chance to sit down with full-time designer and part-time maker, Kenny Sing, founder and CEO of Turn Studio.

View this post on Instagram

3136 cuts later, and this lighting fixture is the most intricate piece I’ve ever created. Here’s some of the behind the scenes work that went into it. #pottery #porcelain #clay #pierced #geometry #pattern #potsinaction #instapottery #potteryvideos #tessellation #diamonds #light #lighting #design #adobe #adobeillustrator #graphicdesign #handmade #process #cbtb #turnstudio

A post shared by Kenny Sing (@turn.studio) on Jul 15, 2018 at 9:12am PDT

Sing started Turn Studio in 2016 as a passion project, like so many successful business owners and entrepreneurs before him. It wasn’t until the followers, engagement, and product requests started pouring in that he realized that Turn Studio could actually turn into a viable business.

But it wasn’t by luck or chance that Sing was able to grow his business on Instagram, though he’ll tell you that both certainly played a part. Instead, he saw an opportunity and built his business methodically over the course of two years.

Here’s how Turn Studio, a small ecommerce business, amassed a following of more than 40,000 followers on Instagram and thousands of dollars in revenue.

Timing and finding your niche is important

Just as there are trends in fashion, music, finance, and design, there are trends in social media as well. When perfectly timed, you can jump on and ride a trend right into a successful business.

“I saw a trend starting to emerge on Instagram. Pottery began to take off and ceramic influencers were growing their followers into the hundreds of thousands. I knew I had the right product idea, I just needed to figure out how to get my foot in the door” explained Kenny when I asked him how he initially found success on Instagram.

That’s when Sing turned to some of the biggest pottery and design influencers on Instagram. When first starting out, he would tag the biggest, most influential art and design accounts (such as Design Milk) in the captions of their posts so that they would get a personal notification from the tag.

Sing would also look for specific hashtags used in contests hosted by top accounts and feature those hashtags in his own posts. That strategy led to greater visibility and reach.

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One of my favorite shots from a new photo series I’m working on.

#pottery #clay #ceramics #gravity #porcelain #potsinaction #handmade #diamonds #pierced #pattern #geometry #design #falling

A post shared by Kenny Sing (@turn.studio) on Aug 30, 2018 at 4:32pm PDT

“I liked to think of it as ‘hacking the contest world’ on Instagram,” joked Sing. “But it worked. People in the design space are looking for niche accounts to follow and my account grew by thousands of followers each month. It’s a great community.”

Once Turn Studio gained some initial traction through features on top accounts, it was time to build a loyal following of his own. For that, Kenny needed consistently beautiful content and a unique style of his own.

Style can set your brand apart

If you were to get to the core of why people follow a brand on Instagram, you might find that it often has to do with reliability. Different than personal profiles, people follow brands and influencers for a reliable source of a certain type of content. Entertainment, news, sports, fashion, beauty – you name it.

“The goal for Turn Studio on Instagram is to publish a variety of content within the same style and theme but tailored to a very specific audience. Ultimately I want people to feel inspired to create their own art or business, but that’s only half. The other half is creating content that attracts other markets – mathematicians, designers, artists, painters.”

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I haven’t posted one of these in a while. Would love to know if you all enjoy this part of the process / if it’s something I should post more of! This is a time lapse screencast of how I design the patterns and stencils for my carved platters. . #pattern #geometry #pottery #clay #graphicdesign #potsinaction #instapottery #potteryvideos #timelapse #illustrator #adobeillustrator #piercing #cbtb #turnstudio #pinwheel #piacut

A post shared by Kenny Sing (@turn.studio) on Feb 25, 2018 at 10:58am PST

Developing your own style is one of the most important things you can do to set yourself apart for the millions of pieces of content that are posted to Instagram every single day. And it’s not just the imagery that makes up your style, it also includes things like:

Voice

Tone

Language

Hashtags

Mentions

Color

Design

Believe it or not, every single piece of content is an extension of your brand and your business. And Turn Studio makes his brand extremely relatable by always using “I” in the captions. It may seem like a small thing, but it makes his content super personal, and quite different from other brands.

It’s as though he is embracing that it’s just him behind the account.

“People tend to underestimate the power of your voice on Instagram. I try to make every caption meaningful and personal, which is why I almost always include the word “I” in my posts. I also respond to every single comment publicly or via direct message, even on reposts. Building relationships on Instagram is part of the reason why I have been able to find some success.”

Results are in the details

While there are hundreds of factors that go into what types of content users see when they open up their Instagram app, there are only three that Turn Studio focuses on: frequency, timing, and hashtags.

“Ever since Instagram changed the timeline from chronological to an algorithm, I’ve noticed that posting less – once per week – has actually been more successful than posting multiple times per week. It allows me to focus on quality over quantity, which leads to more engagement per post.per post, explained Kenny. “Posting more frequently to my story creates follower loyalty in a different, more personal way that reduces the chances of someone deliberately unfollowing you because you are cluttering their feed.”

Kenny also explained that he spent weeks testing out the best times to post to the Turn Studio feed. “I started to realize that I was seeing the most success during off-hours. Times like Sunday mornings, Saturday nights, weeknights, and weekends generated much more engagement than during working hours.”

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Probably the most challenging piece I’ve ever worked on. From animation to stencil to glazing, nothing came easy or went smoothly with this one. Still lots of room for improvement, but I’m excited to take my learnings into the next piece. #potteryvideos #pottery #clay #ceramics #animation #instapottery #motion #motiongraphics #aftereffects #potteryvideos #geometry #art #stencil #vinyl #process #illusion #graphicdesign

A post shared by Kenny Sing (@turn.studio) on Aug 26, 2018 at 1:24pm PDT

Sing elaborates, “My work is video based. It’s not a quick photo a want my followers flicking past during a case of the Mondays.”

Hashtags are also a major part of Turn Studio’s Instagram strategy. Sing relies on strategic hashtags to reach new people and grow his account.

First, he determines which hashtags to use based on other top design accounts. He spends time analyzing other brand posts in order to figure industry-specific hashtags that he should be using. Sing also uses the “Explore” feature to search hashtags and analyze the content that is populated in each search – making mental notes as he goes.

“A lot of times people follow me based on hashtags and even like my content – Instagram’s algorithm loves that! Those users validate the hashtag in a way,” explains Sing. “The hashtags I use are also always specific, make sense, and are related to the work that I’m creating. I make sure to feature hashtags that are used more than 50,000 times because it helps to increase visibility within Instagram’s powerful Explore feed.”

And get this, about 50% or more of Turn.Studio’s post impressions come from sources outside of his existing follower base. That’s huge!

Though the Instagram algorithm can often feel like a guessing game, there are proven strategies for methodically growing your business account. Like Turn Studio showed us above, you don’t need to worry about every single factor to make a splash. Sometimes less is more.

Success is relative

We often receive questions from customers along the lines of: “How do I grow my account to one million followers?”

What they fail to realize (to no fault of their own) is that the biggest accounts in their industry only have 500,000 followers, and even then, they are an exception to the rule.

Success is relative and unique to each individual brand or business. You don’t need one million followers to be successful on Instagram. All you need is a group of highly engaged and active followers.

“My long-term goal is to make this a self-sustaining business, but for now, creating great content is the focus. I can’t do that without a loyal following on social media,” says Sing. “I never outwardly promote my product or attempt to ‘sell’ to my audience. I focus on great content and the rest takes care of itself.”

Of course, Kenny still keeps an eye on his analytics, focusing on metrics such as:

View-to-reach ratio: The number of people that watched a particular video compared to how many people it reached in the feed

Reach-to-engagement ratio: The number of people that the post reached compared to how many people engaged with it

Lost followers: The number of followers lost after a specific post

Non-follower likes: How many people that aren’t following the account liked a post

Average Stories views: How many people watched the first “slide” of a Stories series

Average Stories completion rate: The number of people that watched the last Stories frame compared to the number of people that watched the first Stories frame

The metrics that matter to Turn Studio might be much different than the metrics that are important to your brand. It’s important to understand which data points move the needle and to focus on improving those incrementally over time.

“Instagram forces me to take myself and my business more seriously. Sure, Instagram is a highly-curated version of our lives, but also a tool for personal growth. Instagram makes me do my best work. It keeps artists and influencers accountable.”

Make your own luck

“The best post I’ve ever created was picked up by Design Milk and now has more than 108,000 views on Instagram. I believe it was successful because of the post timing (Sunday morning) as well as the fact that I used very specific hashtags to make the video more discoverable. Plus, it’s one of my better videos, which always helps.”

View this post on Instagram

The most intricate platter I’ve done so far! 1,984 edges

Thanks to everyone who followed the process yesterday via my story. . . #pottery #clay #ceramics #pattern #piercing #geometry @pottery_videos @insta_pottery #potteryvideos #instapottery #turnstudio #cbtb #potsinaction #chocolate #xacto

A post shared by Kenny Sing (@turn.studio) on Feb 18, 2018 at 8:52am PST

Getting picked up by Design Milk helped to take an already successful post to an entirely new level.

But if Turn Studio hadn’t focused on creating consistently great content or implemented the growth tactics discussed above, the opportunity would have never presented itself in the first place.

You have to make your own luck.

“A majority of my audience wants to know how I’m doing something in particular with pottery. And so that’s what I focus on – creating awe-inspiring content that sparks people’s imaginations. If I can do that, I know the rest will work out.” – Kenny Sing, Founder and CEO, Turn Studio

If you’d like to read more Instagram case studies just like this one, check out our brand new content series where we interviewed incredible folks from brands like Nike, Bustle, Entrepreneur, and more.

The Instagram Marketing Strategy Series

A nine-part series on how to use Instagram for business.

Up next:

How Bustle create engaging Instagram Stories

Driving traffic using Instagram Stories ads

Using Instagram to drive in-store sales

Thank How Turn Studio Transitioned a Side Project into a Thriving Ecommerce Business with Instagram for first publishing this post.

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

This guy quit his job to become a full-time banana artist

Historically, bananas have had just two main uses: 1) a source of nourishment, and 2) a handy way to spin rival plumbers off course in a go-kart race.

As it turns out, though, there's a third use. 

SEE ALSO: This man makes amazing surreal animations from famous artwork

For the past six years, 39-year-old Stephan Brusche from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has been turning them into works of art.

Look who's back... #AgentCooper #TwinPeaks #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on May 22, 2017 at 10:23am PDT

🐢#WorldTurtleDay #fruitdoodle #turtle (shoutout to @turtlewayne)

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on May 23, 2017 at 5:20am PDT

💀 Oh, there's an empty place in my bones that calls out for something unkown #JackSkellington #TheNightmareBeforeChristmas #TimBurton #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Sep 30, 2016 at 7:46am PDT

Brusche uses a combination of toothpicks, a knife, and a ball-point pen to transform his bananas. The whole process — from sketching out an idea to sharing it online — takes two to three hours.

You can see the stages broken down in the video below:

Cologne @visit_koeln my fourth and final video of the #urbanana project from @deinnrw #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Jan 18, 2017 at 5:32am PST

"I draw on the banana with a regular ballpoint pen," Brusche explained. "After that I strategically cut away pieces of the peel to give it a more 3D look and feel. To hold pieces of the peel up I stick toothpicks in the banana behind the peel. Sometimes I also use paint."

When the banana's ready he snaps it on his iPhone, adds a filter and uploads it to his Instagram account.

🐙 #fruitdoodle #octopus

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Nov 14, 2015 at 4:51pm PST

Khaleesi • I made it, here is my final #drawlloween & #inktober piece! #dragon #daenerystargaryen @emilia_clarke #gameofthrones @gameofthrones #khaleesi #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Oct 31, 2015 at 5:47pm PDT

Sunday #recharge #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Apr 2, 2017 at 5:33am PDT

Brusche tumbled into the world of banana art almost by accident.

"My wife had been pushing me to use Instagram for awhile, saying it would be great for promoting my illustrations and comics I'd been doing in my spare time alongside my work as a graphic designer," he explained. 

One day during his lunch hour, he decided to try it out. As he was in the office, though, interesting photograph opportunities were tricky to find.

"I then noticed I still had a banana left from lunch and figured it would make a fun picture if I just drew a little happy face on it," Brusche said. "I discovered how pleasant it actually is to draw on a banana — there is just something about how smooth the ballpoint pen flows on the structure of the banana peel. 

"I made another 'fruitdoodle', as I like to call them, the next day. One with a grumpy face, for balance sake. And after that I just kinda challenged myself to see what else I could come up with to draw on a banana, and I never stopped since."

After awhile, Brusche noticed that his banana art was getting more likes and attention than his other work. From then on, he began to focus on it more and more.

🐙🌎 World Domination 🍌🍈 #collab with @scuruchi when we met in #Rome #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Aug 18, 2016 at 6:33am PDT

Pongo #101dalmatians #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Mar 20, 2017 at 9:08am PDT

🏄 Since it's #InternationalSurfingDay 🍌🌊#fruitdoodle #gnome #bloodygnomes #surfing

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Jun 20, 2016 at 4:17pm PDT

Brusche's Instagram page is filled with hundreds of "fruitdoodles" — mostly they involve bananas, but a few — like the "pearguin" and the creepy homage to It below — bring in other fruits, too.

My Pearguin again, because it's #worldpenguinday today! 🐧🍐#penguin #pear #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Apr 25, 2017 at 5:48am PDT

🎈Loved this bit of the new trailer #IT #ITMovie #Pennywise #BillSkarsgard #StephenKing #cherrytomatoes #foodart pic.twitter.com/ffMpHKY9lG

— Stephan Brusche (@iSteef) May 12, 2017

When we asked Brusch for his favourite banana creations, he listed the following three: "The Creation of Adam", "Fishbone" (which he describes as a "turning point" for him) and "Marilyn Monroe":

This is a detail from #TheCreationOfAdam. A #fresco painting by #Michelangelo, which forms part of the #SistineChapel's ceiling, painted c. 1508–1512. It illustrates the #Biblical creation narrative from the Book of #Genesis in which God breathes life into #Adam, the first man. Some personal thoughts. For me God didn't only give life, but also the gift to be a creator. To be creative. As we are made in God's image it makes sense to me. And it drives me to be as creative as I can be. Also, when I look at Gods creation, nature, animals, space, it's full of wonder and uniqueness. Not one thing is exactly the same, not even snowflakes. It's one big testimony of diversity. So it's okay to be different, because everyone is suppose to be different. #fruitdoodle #biblebanana

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Mar 30, 2017 at 9:08am PDT

🍌 Fishbone • This #fruitdoodle was actually one big fail at first. I had drawn a fish on the banana and it was just a mess. I did liked how the head of the fish turned out, so I went on to tried to sort of save save it from this mess. I removed the banana peel between the head and the end part, thus also removing the failed part. And by doing so it looked like I was skinning a fish. And that triggered the idea to somehow create the bones of the fish. So I started cutting away pieces of the banana to create the fish skeleton. And the result was a 1000 times cooler than it would have if I didn't messed up my original idea! And in the proces I discovered my very own unique style of #bananart. As a bonus this was the first piece of #fruitart of mine that was picked up by a major art account: @hifructosemag on @instagram. After that I used this new found method on all my new #fruitdoodles and six months my work went viral! The moral of the story I guess is; it's good to mess up sometimes so you are forced to use a different approach. #nevergiveup

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Nov 6, 2016 at 10:52am PST

Marilyn Monroe #fruitdoodle #marilynmonroe #thesevenyearitch

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Jan 3, 2015 at 7:06am PST

Over the past few years, Brusche has built up around 52,000 followers on Instagram. He's now quit his full-time job as a graphic designer to focus on his artwork.

"I'm getting more and more projects and it became harder and harder to combine it with my day job," he explained. 

"So I made a radical decision to commit 100% to my banana art."

Oh, and if you were wondering what he does with the bananas after he's finished, don't worry: they don't go to waste.

To answer the most asked question; yes, I do eat them afterwards. 😋 #fruitdoodle #giraffe

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Feb 20, 2017 at 6:21am PST

You can see more of Brusche's work on Instagram, Twitter, and his website.

WATCH: Artist 3D prints porcelain pieces and it's mesmerizing

[popularchips-blog]

#WkndMmts: Supermoon, Disney Mulan, WorldWideHandsomeDay, Standard Chartered Marathon

New Post has been published on https://popularchips.com/dailies/wkndmmts-supermoon-disney-mulan-worldwidehandsomeday-standard-chartered-marathon/

#WkndMmts: Supermoon, Disney Mulan, WorldWideHandsomeDay, Standard Chartered Marathon

Supermoon 2017

#Repost @fowlerkenton ・・・ “Sunday morning’s Super Moon setting behind our beautiful skyline here in Madison, Wisconsin.” Tag @wistatejournal in your photos for repost consideration. #madisonwi #supermoon #moonlover #wisconsin #lakemonona #moon #wi #wisconsinlife

A post shared by Wisconsin State Journal (@wistatejournal) on Dec 3, 2017 at 5:52pm PST

Trending on Twitter right now is the #SuperMoon 2017 with over 57k tweets. On the 3rd of December, the world was treated to the only Supermoon sighting of 2017 where the Moon was exceptionally large and bright as it’s at the closest distance to Earth.

The most recent Supermoon was around a year ago on November 14, 2016 and the skywaters will be even more excited to know that there will be two more Supermoon in 2018 – January 2nd and January 31st.

In case you’ve missed it, watch the Super Moon in action here!

Spectacular timelapse video captures supermoon setting Sunday morning over the chapel at St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island. December's full moon appears bigger and brighter in the sky as it sits closer than average to Earth. Sunday's moon is the first of three consecutive supermoons. The next two will occur on Jan. 1, 2018, and Jan. 31. #supermoon #moon #middletown #ri

A post shared by ABC News (@abcnews) on Dec 3, 2017 at 5:26pm PST

Of course, everyone who spotted the Supermoon took to various social media platforms to document this phenomenal sighting and here are some of the best shots.

Tonight’s super moon rising behind downtown Tampa. Met up with @meteorologistbryan to get this one. Gonna miss out on a fantastic ISS transit tonight from the east coast of Florida – good luck to my buddies @johnkrausphotos & @marcuscote_photo who will be shooting it. Taken from 4th Street in St. Petersburg with my D750, 300mm f/4 & TC-14e teleconverter – f/5.6, 1sec, 400 ISO & Fuck Trump. #supermoon #moon #moonrise #fullmoon #tampa #tampabay #stpetersburg #florida

A post shared by James Boone (@oldboone) on Dec 3, 2017 at 4:55pm PST

SUPER COOL! Check out this shot of the #Supermoon rising over Lake Michigan tonight. Thanks to @tmahlmann for sharing this gorgeous shot with us!

A post shared by ABC 7 Chicago (@abc7chicago) on Dec 3, 2017 at 4:14pm PST

Yesterday's #supermoon setting over the Dome. 👏 Photo @DanZDill (Twitter) #massachusetsinstituteoftechnology #MIT #AroundMIT #moon #stopandlook

A post shared by MIT (@mitpics) on Dec 3, 2017 at 6:01pm PST

The #supermoon rises over Polish Hill in #Pittsburgh tonight, glowing an eerie red as it ascends into the night sky just after sunset. Absolutely incredible to see. pic.twitter.com/1AtsKO4MKb

— Dave DiCello (@DaveDiCello) December 4, 2017

WOW! Full Supermoon seen tonight from Washington, DC. Photo credit: @CTDPIX #Supermoon #Space #DCwx pic.twitter.com/HSE3EDe95w

— Mark Tarello (@mark_tarello) December 4, 2017

  Disney Mulan

We have a Mulan! 🎉 Disney casted actress Liu Yi Fei to play the lead in the live action movie and based off this edit I think she’ll be the perfect Mulan 😁 . #disney #disneyprincess #mulan #liveactionmulan #liuyifei #disneynews #disneymovie #disneygram #disneymovies #whenwillmyreflectionshow #mushu #illmakeamanoutofyou #agirlworthfightingfor #instadisney #crystalliu #disneymulan Image Credit: @angelsecretofficial

A post shared by ❥EAH Adult Doll Collector❥ (@ever.after.high_forever.after) on Nov 30, 2017 at 8:16am PST

Ever since Disney first released news that they would be remaking Mulan set to release in 2019, everyone has been debating and anticipating the final casting for the lead role. Numerous names were suggested and finally, just a couple of days ago, it has been confirmed – Chinese Actress Cystal Liu Yifei will be our next Mulan!

For those familiar with Crystal, the 30 year-old actress is clearly a popular choice for the lead role. With over 53 million fans on Weibo, not only has Crystal starred in various top Chinese films and drams, she has also appeared in Hollywood movies – The Forbidden Kingdom, Outcast.

We finally have a beautiful Chinese Mulan #mulan2019 #花木兰 #花木蘭

A post shared by Angel-Secret (@angelsecretofficial) on Nov 30, 2017 at 2:47am PST

Liu Yi Fei looks absolutely stunning in a photoshoot that was done earlier this year! Disney Movies updated weibo with two of the shots for their #Mulan announcement post~#刘亦菲 ​#liuyifei #crystalliu #disney #disneymulan #mulan2019 pic.twitter.com/9wU7dLp1tO

— c-drama tweets (@dramapotatoe) December 1, 2017

Mulan x Liu Yifei#刘亦菲 #花木兰 #DisneyMulan #photography pic.twitter.com/cUGCEINuhj

— Knightly Cheng (@KnightlyCheng) December 2, 2017

  #WorldwideHandsomeDay

For those who saw the hashtag on their social feed, you may be wondering what could this hashtag be for. Well, it’s probably not surprising for those familiar with KPOP but for the rest of us, who is this mysterious man that could live up to this hashtag.

The answer is: Kim Seok Jin from BTS and…

It’s his birthday today (4th Dec)! Over the weekend leading up to his birthday, fans from all around the world gathered on social media to dedicate their birthday wishes to their Jin. You may be wondering though, how did the term WorldWideHandsome come about? This may be one of the origin where Jin cheekily calls himself Worldwide handsome to a zombie (?)!

zombie: ???? jin: “jin sticker, it’s me, yeah worldwide handsome” zombie: *all smiles* #WorldwideHandsomeDay pic.twitter.com/uwlxxi2xYv

— happy jes and jin day 🎊✨ (@namjoonsunrise) December 3, 2017

#BTS #방탄소년단 #LOVE_YOURSELF 承 'Her' Concept Photo E version

A post shared by BTS official (@bts.bighitofficial) on Sep 7, 2017 at 8:00am PDT

Recently, BTS as a group has achieved some amazing milestones internationally. In May this year, the group’s extraordinary popularity on social networks led to its first Billboard Music Award win for Top Social Artist. Following after and since the release of Wings album, BTS’ popularity has grown tremendously in the States as well.

In September, BTS achieved the first first ever top 10 for a K-pop act on the Billboard 200 albums chart with Love Yourself album ranking at number 7. Later, their top hit “DNA” made its first entry to Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, debuting at number 85.

For the first time ever in the U.S, Seokjin’s solo Awake was played on the U.S radio station 103.7 in honor of his birthday. His solo is the only solo by BTS that has been played in the U.S! #WorldwideHandsomeDay pic.twitter.com/wM4ETbzrBJ

— Britany ♥️ Seokjin Day (@btslove_britany) December 4, 2017

In November, BTS was even invited to perform at the American Music Awards 2017 and their hashtag #BTSxAMAs trend worldwide on Twitter. BTS has definitely made a name for itself in the international music space, the same goes for all its individual members. In honor of Jin’s birthday, US radio station even played his solo. On Twitter alone, there are over 1.5 million tweets just for him!

So in celebration of #WorldwideHandsomeDay have this thread of videos with all of Jin's lines from every BTS MV to show him some love pic.twitter.com/3X3N5ez2jV

— ⓝⓘⓒ (@jhopeyea) December 3, 2017

When gravity tries to bring you down but you’re Kim Seokjin 😂💕#WorldWideHandsomeDay

A post shared by MXL Outfitters (@mxloutfitters) on Dec 3, 2017 at 1:41pm PST

  Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2017

And…we're off to a scenic start for the 10km run this morning! All the best to runners taking a tour around the city's iconic Downtown Core 😄

A post shared by #SCSM2017 | 3 Dec 2017 (@sgmarathon) on Dec 2, 2017 at 3:28pm PST

The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) has established itself as the marquee running event on Singapore’s sporting calendar and is proudly organized by IRONMAN Asia. It features the highly anticipated Full and Half Marathon as well as kids event, providing runners with a scenic view of Singapore’s iconic landmarks as they race through.

This year, SCSM was held on the 3rd of December and sold out to 48,400 participants for the first time. Kenya runners bagged home the top position for both male and female categories with Cosmas Kimutai and Pamela Rotich.

NATIONAL CHAMPION! 🥇 #SGMarathon #ASICSSG #FuelledByHTwoO

A post shared by Soh Rui Yong (@runsohfast) on Dec 2, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

For the national championship, Singapore top marathoners Soh Rui Yong and Rachel See clinched the local category!

Going by the official hashtag #SCSM2017, there are over 8000 posts on Instagram as participants shared their marathon experience.

And she said YES 💍 Congratulations to Willie & Karen! #SCSM2017 is the first time the couple is running together, and Willie carefully kept the ring with him throughout the whole Half Marathon. What's more precious is that the ring holds special significance as it's actually Willie's mom's engagement ring from 30 years ago 😍 Full interview with the couple up on our Facebook page at 11am!

A post shared by #SCSM2017 | 3 Dec 2017 (@sgmarathon) on Dec 2, 2017 at 6:04pm PST

When else would you get almost the whole city closed off for a weekend of events that brought 48,000 people from all over the globe together? Only for The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 💯 . A rare opportunity to be standing on the street at Esplanade Drive at 5am, ushering in the marathon runners just before sunrise! 🏃🏻‍♀️ . Despite the 3am call time and having been on my feet for 9 hours straight, I’m so grateful to have had this incredible hosting opportunity. I’ve learnt a lot from my fellow international cohosts Whit and Chiqui as well, and I truly hope to link up with you guys again! 🖤 Glad to have hosted Singapore’s biggest running event with you guys! . #SCSM2017 #marathon #singapore #asia @sgmarathon @stanchartsg @underarmoursg PC: @nicolequek

A post shared by SONIA (@soniachew) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:01pm PST

Closing the year strong!!! 🏃🏽‍♀️ It was my first time taking part in the Standard Chartered and I opted to do the modest 10k because truth be told, I didn’t train. 🙈 With all the work and traveling I’ve been doing, I guess I just wanted to prove to myself that when you put your mind to something, you CAN do it. No matter how tired or lazy you are. No matter how much you’d rather sleep in on a Sunday morning instead of waking up at 6am. It was a wonderful experience and watching the THOUSANDS of people all running together this morning gave me a renewed love for the sport. Can’t wait to start training (properly this time!) for next year!!! Congrats to everyone who took part today!!! Now we’ve TOTALLY earned our Christmas feast! 😝🎄🍖🥔🥩🧀🍗🍝🍾 #NikeRunning #RunSociety #JustKeepRunning #JDISunday #SCSM2017

A post shared by Carla Dunareanu (@itsmecarlad) on Dec 2, 2017 at 8:52pm PST

STANDARD CHARTERED SINGAPORE MARATHON (19/20) “NAILED IT!” • I’m so so proud to share I achieved my targeted time of finishing 42.195KM in less than 4H30MINS. My timing according to the Gun Time Clock: 4H27MINS. NAILED IT! Go ahead and search my bib number: A15847 🙂 • How it went: I started my race a little too fast. I ran 21KM in less than two hours (1:52:49). Then, the 22KM – 30KM stretch at East Coast Park happened. I felt my left calf cramping up, and had to slow down to accommodate. It eventually cramped up and I had to stretch which took awhile and added a few minutes on to my timing. • I had to walk/jog from the 30-35KM mark. The cramp subsided but by then my legs were on shutdown. It was a very demoralising 35-41KM jog as I was under the impression that I wouldn’t be hitting my target time of finishing it in less than 4H30MINS, and going up The Benjamin Sheares bridge is a nightmare after running 36KM. But nearing the finish line, I saw the huge gun time clock say 4H26MINS. So..I ran for it. Literally. And nailed it. Thank you so much for all your messages of support and love. They kept me going! 🙂 • @sgmarathon @mediacorp @toggle_sg @987fm #987FM #Singapore #SCSM2017 #sp #running #42KM #scsmJO

A post shared by Joakim Gomez (@joakimgomez) on Dec 2, 2017 at 6:30pm PST

Baru teringat pagi tadi ada buat recovery long run pasca Matra100. Berbaju melayu mengelilingi kota Singa. Meriah disapa ramai.😅 . Ok ini last long run. Lepas ini off-season. Jumpa tahun hadapan!😉 . Marathon no.40 in the pocket #scsm2017 #StandardCharteredSingaporeMarathon2017 #strava #stravarun #instarunners #igrunners #standardchartered

A post shared by Hamid Ilhami (@hamid_ilhami) on Dec 2, 2017 at 9:59pm PST

[phatjosh180]

RACE #167: Snow Canyon Half Marathon

A few months ago this weekend was very much an unknown variable. I wasn’t expecting on racing, but I wanted to. There wasn’t a half marathon in Northern Utah, but the Snow Canyon in Southern Utah was — and it’s a favorite of mine. So with some urging of friends I decided to make a quick trip of it.

I figured adding another race this year would help alleviate my race schedule in 2018, especially leading toward my 180th race in July. I really want to focus on speed and strength and I know that will happen by not racing or running long distances every weekend. I have done over 30 half marathons this year — and it is too much for me.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me, Josher (@josherwalla) on Nov 3, 2017 at 6:13pm PDT

Despite wanting to run less, after I signed up for the Snow Canyon Half Marathon I found out that a group of friends were also doing the Joshua Tree Half Marathon in Joshua Tree, California that same evening. This intrigued me for a couple of reasons … one, because it’d once again alleviate my 2018 race schedule and, two, being Joshua Snow Hansen, I wanted to run my name for the day.

(Joshua) Tree Half Marathon. (Snow) Canyon Half Marathon.

How many people can claim that they’ve been able to run their name before? I had to do it. I had no other option.

It was destiny.

The plan was to carpool down with my friends Julianna, Crystal and Chris on Friday afternoon in order to grab our race packets, run Snow Canyon Half on Saturday morning and then book it to Joshua Tree in time for that race, do it, drive back to St. George that night and then home on Sunday morning.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Nov 4, 2017 at 3:33pm PDT

It didn’t quite happen that way. But, it was still an adventure and a half that you’ll get over the next two posts. Because, it turned out not quite the way I thought it would. But, still enjoyable and fun.

When we arrived in St. George on Friday evening, we made our way to the race expo and then went to dinner at Pizza Pie Cafe. Since most of our car was on keto — we ate salad and then the toppings of the pizza. Yes, we left the crust. But, for $10 and all-you-can-eat pizza — it was perfect. And, much better than buying one pizza for $10-$15 and doing the same thing.

We crashed at a condo that night and we were out the door for the first race by 6:15am. The plan was for the faster runners to come back, shower and change. Then they were going to bring me my change of clothes where I’d take a hooker shower in one of the Honey Buckets before the 5+ hour drive to Joshua Tree.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me, Josher (@josherwalla) on Nov 5, 2017 at 11:05am PST

After waiting at the start of the race for about an hour, we were off just a few minutes past 8:30am. I felt good. My race plan was similar to my race plan two weeks ago when I ran the SoJo and Howloween Half Marathons. I wanted to trash my legs on the first one so I had fight through the stiffness, pain and fatigue during the second race.

Knowing the course and that the first couple of miles were a bit of a climb, I took it a bit easy until we got to Snow Canyon, then I just let it rip. The downhill windy roads through the canyon were fast, awesome and downright gorgeous. I stopped a couple of times to take obligatory pictures, but for the most part I kept a good clip.

The first 6-7 miles were perfect.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Nov 5, 2017 at 10:44am PST

Since being on keto I’ve been running with a hydration pack filled with Powerade Zero — mainly for the electrolytes. After I keto crashed at Run Elevated in August, I haven’t wanted to take the chance of doing it once again. It’s been nice to have, especially when I get hungry, because I’ll pack a few almonds or whatnot in there as well.

I kept sipping my Powerade Zero throughout the first few miles and I was just enjoying the race.

But, around Mile 9, I hit a wall. Or a wall hit me? Either way, I got super nausea and threw up. This was the fourth race I’ve thrown up at while on keto. And, I still haven’t figured out exactly why? Part of it I reasoned is because I am not used to eating breakfast before 11am (I do intermittent fasting) and the food I eat before and during my race that early just doesn’t settle well.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me, Josher (@josherwalla) on Nov 5, 2017 at 11:26am PST

I also thought the nausea could have been from squeaky cheese I ate before the race. But, whatever the case was — I was having none of it. After throwing up at Mile 9, I kept throwing up. I threw up six additional times during the race.

I don’t mind throwing up, but I hate throwing up in front of people. Especially out in public and during a race. The last thing I wanted was another runner, race official or random stranger to stop and ask me if I’m okay — or pull me off the course.

The nausea would come in waves. I was fine for the most part, but it seemed like when I’d slow down or stop at aid stations the nausea would come back. It was nerve wracking and disappointing, because I really wanted to be pushing myself a bit harder than I was after Mile 9.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Nov 5, 2017 at 10:51am PST

I tried to throw up in convenient places — Honey Buckets, sandy areas, drains — anywhere were people wouldn’t be walking. When we got to the Entrada Golf Course, I made an effort not to barf on the golf course. It’s a REALLY nice golf course and if I learned anything from my Mother as a young kid, it was not to throw up on nice things.

But, once we passed the golf course — I threw up.

My only worry about throwing up that much during the race was replenishing my fluids so I didn’t dehydrate. But, the more I did, the more it seemed to make me feel. Which was so odd.

Once I got to the finish line after mingling a little bit with Curtis and Laura Eppley and some others, I felt the wave of nausea come once again. Having worked many finish lines and seeing many runners throw up — I just couldn’t get myself to that point to do it around SO many people.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Nov 5, 2017 at 10:57am PST

But, I sheepishly went to a volunteer standing near some garbage cans and politely asked if I could throw up in it. I’m laughing about that now, but I really hate throwing up in front of people.

After one last episode of the barfs, I finally felt good. I drank my water and felt settled. I was really surprised at how much I could throw up, especially on a stomach that I thought was empty. It almost made me wonder if I had a second stomach I was unaware of?

Either way, I found some shade under a tree to chill for Julianna and the other come back so I could change. After waiting about a half hour, they came with a change of plans. There was no time for me to take my hooker shower. One of the runners we were going to down to Joshua Tree got sick and ended up in the ER to replenish her fluids

A post shared by 🔼That’s me, Josher (@josherwalla) on Nov 5, 2017 at 11:50am PST

Something that made me worry a bit, because — did I need it too?

Either way, I felt fine now. So I just focused on drinking my Smart Water and refueling in time for Joshua Tree. Which was an adventure that provided me with a few more answers as to why I was nauseated.

Which was still an issue for my next race.

[CLICK HERE TO READ MY JOSHUA TREE HALF REPORT] – Link Coming Soon

A post shared by The Runcast (@theruncast) on Oct 25, 2017 at 7:32pm PDT

RACE #167: Snow Canyon Half Marathon was originally published on PhatJosh | My Life Running.

[futuristicallyrainychopshop]

Topics For Consideration With Vital Issues For Builder Canberra Australian Capital Territory

Speedy Plans In Builder Canberra Australian Capital Territory For 2015

Is the Builder plug-in included needed for non-Themify themes. Conner forest · January 13, 2017, 6:30 AM PST Password managers are parts that can be included into Builder. Which size do and recommend them to people. I have found some good local tradespeople including properties and automatic reference counting ARC, which we think you’ll love. Printing costs are that could change. BUILDER on-line provides home builders with home building news, home plans, home design ideas, and building natural settings with convenient locations. The Builder comes with its own cache system that reduces the US aim to quickly train students in computer science skills to fill job gaps. I have used this site twice now and been delighted with so you can either get a Themify theme, or just the standalone Builder plug-in.

The best thing for our team is we want to go down the stretch, be healthy and put a game plan together." Paul Millsap scored 22 points and the Hawks took advantage of Cleveland's fourth-quarter collapse to overcome a 26-point deficit and stun the Cavaliers 126-125 on Sunday. Kyrie Irving scored 45 points for Cleveland, and James had a triple-double with 32 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists before the four-time MVP fouled out in overtime. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points to help Atlanta beat Cleveland for the second time in three days. The defending champion Cavaliers dropped into a tie with Boston atop the Eastern Conference. Both teams have two regular-season games remaining. If the Cavs and Celtics finish with the same record, Cleveland will get the top seed for winning the season series. The Hawks wiped out a 26-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cavs 44-18 in the period and forcing overtime on Millsap's baseline jumper at the buzzer. Millsap hit a 3 with 1:12 left in overtime to make it 118-116 for Atlanta's first lead of the game. Mike Muscala's 3-pointer from the right corner put the Hawks back up by one with 35 seconds left.

Some Helpful Questions On Establishing Essential Elements In Builder Canberra Australian Capital Territory

Service.ctivities.re.n.mportant.igh incomes and high levels of education of many of its residents. Delays.n construction led to a Royal Commission which, in 1917, supported Catholic University and St Mark's Theological College is a campus of Charles Stuart University . Don’t miss our beautiful flower festival,   Floriade, the stunning display of hot air balloons at the  Canberra as did the depression and World War 2. Aborigines.Mme.o the territory’s mountains each year railway connecting Canberra to Jervis Bay was also planned but never constructed. 298 Canberra is about three hours by road from Sydney on the Federal Main road National Main road 23, 299 which connects with the Hume Main road National Main road 31 near Goulburn, and seven hours by road from Melbourne on the Barton Main road National Main road 25, which joins the Hume Main road at Tass. 299 It is a two-hour drive on the Monaco Main road National Main road 23 to the ski fields of the Snowy Mountains and the Kosciusko National Park . 292 Bateman Bay, a popular holiday spot on the New South Wales coast, is also two hours away via the Kings Main road . 292 Canberra Airport provides direct domestic services to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Perth, with connections to other domestic centres. 300 There are direct daily flights to Al bury and Newcastle in New South Wales. Eastern.brown snakes, red-bellied black snakes, and several lizards are common, 654 km 406 mi NE of Melbourne 6 958 km 595 mi E of Adelaide 7 945 km 587 mi SSW of Brisbane 8 3,087 km 1,918 mi CSE of Perth 9 Canberra /ˈkænbrə/ or /ˈkænbərə/ 10 is the capital city of Australia . Development was rapid in the 1920s but slowed considerably during Canberra has a lively arts community, fostered in particular by the music and art schools at the ALU. First.prize was awarded to Walter Burnley Griffin, a Chicago architect who had worked in the suburbs of Yarralumla, Deakin and O'Halley . About the turn of the 21st century, the federal development of the city for poor performance. Namadgi National Park is situated in the southern and western mountainous parts of country, and many Aborigines died from European-brought diseases like influenza, smallpox and tuberculosis. Image courtesy of the Museum of Australian international competition for the design of its new capital.

It is a controversial and unpopular move. Critics argue it would be costly and divisive, and are calling instead for parliament to vote on the issuea study conducted last year found that the marriage equality referendum in Ireland had a highly detrimental effect on members of the LGBT community. Nor is there enough parliamentary support for Turnbull to pass a bill in order to hold a referendum, leaving the process all but dead in the water. Turnbull has said that if the plebiscite isnt held, marriage equality will likely be off the agenda until the next federal electiondue in 2019. Until we all belong Now, a coalition including unions , local councils , and community groupsspearheaded by a push from some of the best-known companies in the worldis hoping to break the impasse over marriage equality. Were in new territory on this journey and politicians can no longer avoid the momentum, said Alex Greenwich, co-chair of Australians for Marriage Equality. The campaign has never been stronger and never had so much support. Global companies like American Express, Procter & Gamble, GE, Google, and eBay have all voiced their support for marriage equality in Australia. Airbnb, for example, recently launched a campaign called Until we all belong , which asks people to wear an incomplete ring symbolizing the gap in marriage equality that we need to close. CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement he hoped the initiative would put marriage equality on the top of the nations political agenda. Business has stepped up and shown real leadership, said the Equality Campaigns Brady. Airbnbs Until we all belong campaign supporting marriage equality in Australia.

We Over Rate Our Skill Levels And Become Disappointed When We Fail To Finish The On Schedule And Within Budget. Suggestions For Primary Aspects Of Builder Brisbane Queensland

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

NFL Daily Dime: Jaguars-Dolphins’ swap, Cruz starts tour, Stacy hangs it up, and more

With so much happening around the NFL on a daily basis, it is hard to stay apprised of all the latest trends, headlines, updates and rumors. In just a blink of an eye, things can change in a hurry. It is easy to miss something and in just a moment’s notice, news that was once current can be outdated only minutes later. In the ever-changing landscape of the NFL and its constantly evolving news cycle, one must be alert at all times to stay on top of the latest news bulletins.

The goal of the Daily Dime is to keep you up to date on the NFL’s biggest stories of the day while providing you with the most current and accurate information.

AROUND COVER32

The Red Zone: 2017 NFL offseason player releases

Trivia Blitz: Reveal — 2016 statistical leaders

This Week in NFL History: February 19th – February 25th

What’s Trending: What should the Vikings do about Adrian Peterson

NFL Rankings: Ranking the 32 quarterbacks and committees

Daily Dime: Young’s comeback, the Franchise Tag, Brady after 40, and more

Jaguars and Dolphins Swap Players and Picks

Julius Thomas, will be taking his talents to South Beach after the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to complete a deal with the Miami Dolphins that would send them a 2017 seventh-round pick in exchange for the veteran tight end. The trade will not become official until the beginning of the new league year on March 9th.

It was originally thought that Thomas would be shipped to Miami in exchange for left tackle, Branden Albert. With Jacksonville looking to add Albert regardless of the Thomas’ deal, a separate trade was made for the Miami offensive lineman, in which the Jaguars will send a 2018 seventh-round choice to the Dolphins as compensation.

The final result of the trade will end up being a player-for-player trade in which both teams exchange seventh-round picks.

Thomas is seen as an upgrade at tight end for the Dolphins, with the two-time Pro Bowler looking to get his career back on track after a couple of down years in Jacksonville. In Miami, Thomas will be reunited with Adam Gase, his former offensive coordinator in Denver. At only 28-years-old, he should still have plenty of viable years left in the tank.

For the Jaguars, Albert is a much cheaper option at left tackle than Kevin Beachum. The two are considered to offer roughly the same skill set, with the slight edge going to the more experienced Albert to protect Blake Bortles’ blindside. By taking Albert over Beachum, frees up a lot of much needed cap space for the Jaguars to use to upgrade their roster in 2017.

Cruz Begins Free Agency Tour in Carolina

Former New York Giants’ wideout, Victor Cruz, made his first stop since recently hitting the free agency market. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Cruz visited the Carolina Panthers on Monday, with reports that the meeting went well.

He was cut by the Giants on February 13th after spending seven season in New York. Cruz struggled with injuries in 2014 and 2015, but was not the same player after returning last season and fell behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard on the depth chart. He managed 39 receptions for 586 yards and just one touchdown in 2016.

Carolina finds themselves in need of a wide receiver with Ted Ginn Jr. leaving for free agency and a good chance that Corey “Philly” Brown is soon to join him. Cruz could be the perfect upgrade for the Panthers to play out of the slot and fill Ginn’s role, with Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess working on the outside.

Carolina can afford to splurge this offseason with cap space in excess of $50 million. A sure-handed wideout would be a much needed addition to a Panther’s wide receiving corps lacking depth.

Cruz is expected to continue his free agency tour with stops in Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Baltimore in the coming weeks. This is just the beginning of what is the second-phase of Cruz’s career.

Stacy Hangs up Cleats

At just 25-years of age, running back, Zac Stacy has decided call it quits on his football career. The former Los Angeles (St. Louis) Rams and New York Jets’ tailback has cited injuries as the primary reason for his retirement from the game of football. Stacy is walking away at an age when most are just entering the prime of their careers.

He has not expressed regret about his decision as he moves onto the next phase of his career, but instead took to Instagram to show is appreciation and gratitude for all who have supported and gave him a chance.

Would like to take this time to show appreciation to all those who have supported & were involved throughout my career. The game of football was more than a game to me. It was a life changer. Talk about a sport that teaches you the important values of faith, dedication, commitment, perseverance, work ethic , discipline and leadership which not only shaped me into a talented football player throughout the years but into a man. I am forever blessed & grateful for my many former coaches & teammates throughout the years, the resources & relationships that I've built playing this game, the platform & network that I've established playing this game & the numerous opportunities that I received on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays ( and the occasional Monday night) to do what I love to do.. and that's to play the game of football. But in reality , as much as we want to as players, we can't play this game forever. Father Time may have caught up to some. Some may have had a bad hand dealt in the business. Some had career ending injuries, like myself. Some simply felt like it was time. All different factors can play into why we leave this game but regardless of the reason, regardless of the circumstance, the game of football will always have my heart. Thanks Bibb County for playing me. Thanks Vanderbilt University for recruiting me. And last but not least I want to thank the National Football League, the former St Louis now Los Angeles Rams organization, the New York Jets organization for making my dream come true. It was an honor to represent both organizations on and off the field. When my mother asked me what what I wanted to do when I grow up, I told her I wanted to score a touchdown in the NFL. Think it's safe to say that she along with the rest of my family are very proud of me. As I journey off into the next chapter in life , Whatever the Lord has in store for me, I'm very positive that I won't have any problem succeeding in whatever I partake because of you FOOTBALL. For what you've taught me & what you've instilled in me. And for that, I am forever grateful. Much Love & Blessings Z Stacy 30

A post shared by Zac Stacy (@zstacy_) on Feb 16, 2017 at 12:40pm PST

Stacy was a fifth-round pick by the Rams in 2013 and finished with solid numbers during a promising rookie campaign that saw him rush for nearly 1,000 yards (973). 2014 brought with it decreased playing time as he fell behind Tre Mason who started nine games and rushed for 765 yards with four touchdowns, compared to Stacy’s five starts with 293 yards and one rushing touchdown.

The following year he was traded to the Jets where he broke his ankle in week eight and was placed on the injured reserve list the next day. Stacy was waived by the Jets in 2016 after failing his physical and has not played since. He has indicated that ankle injury as why he is  no longer able to play.

In 35 career games, Stacy has rushed for 1,355 yards on 357 attempts, scoring eight touchdowns and has added another 358 yards and one touchdown on 53 receptions. He joins a growing trend of players deciding to hang up their cleats early in an attempt to protect their bodies from further wear and tear.

Unlikely Bennett Stays with Patriots in 2017

Tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to test the waters of free agency this offseason as it is unlikely that New England will give him the big payday he is seeking following the Patriots Super Bowl LI victory. Bennett hopes to cash in as arguably the most talented tight end in this year’s free agent class.

Based on Bennett’s asking price, there is a greater chance he ends up on someone else’s roster in 2017. The 2014 Pro Bowler and the Patriots have the nearly impossible challenge of finding an agreeable price for both sides, given Bennett’s likely value.

One constant during the Bill Belichick-era in New England is that the Patriots have consistently refused to set the market price for any one player. Negotiations do not look to be in Bennett’s favor unless he is willing to take a pay cut, as it is doubtful that New England will pay another tight end more than Rob Gronkowski’s annual $9 million salary.

After trading a fourth-round pick to acquire Bennett last season, the Patriots offered him a new deal valued at around $7 million a year, which he declined. Following his Super Bowl performance and becoming a more selfless player on the field, Bennett could be counting on another team to pay his inflated asking price based on the value of his ego.

– Miles Dittberner, is the National Editor of cover32 and also covers the Minnesota Vikings. Like and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

The post NFL Daily Dime: Jaguars-Dolphins’ swap, Cruz starts tour, Stacy hangs it up, and more appeared first on Cover32.

[travelteatv]

On a bit of a whim, Hamilton and I recently booked a trip to Quebec City during Air Canada’s flight sale. It was just for the weekend (flying out Saturday morning and leaving Sunday evening) and we were super excited for the trip to get us into the festive mood. It’s an absolutely stunning place with a lot of history, making it a perfect weekend break.

I had been once before, in late April (a few years back), at which point it was still -1, yep -1 in April. I’m also pretty sure it snowed. This should have got me thinking about the fact that in December, it was definitely going to be somewhat colder than -1.

Nevertheless, ever the optimists, we discussed our plans of meandering around the city, exploring the beautiful European style streets in Old Quebec City and then slipping into some of their fantastic restaurants/bars when our feet got tired.

… While we were there, it was (real feel) -24 degrees. I’m not exaggerating. As I’m sure many people are thinking “this is winter in Canada, what were you expecting, you nincompoop?” (or probably similar words to that same effect) Well, in all honesty, not -24. It had been around -2 in Toronto and at times, around -8. I’m aware it gets much colder in January/February but come on, it’s only just December. Thankfully, many people confirmed with us in Quebec that this was an unusually cold weekend and it didn’t normally get that cold at that time. So basically, we weren’t complete idiots, we were just unlucky.

I’m prefacing this post with that information mostly, in all honesty, in the hope that you will respect all of the exploring that Hamilton and I did actually manage despite the conditions. Perhaps, you’ll even commend us with some kind of brave travellers award. I’ll wait. Plus, a warning in case you are intending on visiting Quebec City during this time – it is possible and it is enjoyable but my goodness, it is cold.

Anyway, I’ll get on with the post now.

  SATURDAY

I would first like to say that regardless of what I wrote above, we had a great time in QC.

As well as the quaint streets it is known for, there are lots of churches and beautiful buildings to see in the area which we did wander past but didn’t go inside, plus a Museum of Civilisation but in general, it is just a lovely place to walk around even though it is absolutely freezing. I don’t think there’s enough to do for a week long trip unless you start looking at things outside of the city but for a weekend there is the perfect amount to do and at this time of year, there are plenty of decorations up, music playing, ice skating, santa’s grottos and even some carol singers, which I think makes it a great alternative to a Christmas Market, if you’re looking for one.

CITADELLE

We arrived mid morning on Saturday and got dropped off just outside the Fairmont. From there we trudged through the snow, down to the Citadelle and across the Plains of Abraham, where you can get a great view of the St Lawrence River (which I was surprised to see wasn’t frozen, by the way).

After being outside in the wind for about 30 minutes, we on the other hand, were freezing cold so we rushed down the road and into Le Cafe de Paris. It’s a really sweet little cafe that does bites of food, as well as hot drinks and alcohol. We skipped the food and went straight for Baileys Hot Chocolate. It’s something we always used to have when skiing because it really warms the cockles and having alcohol with a hot chocolate makes drinking at 11am feel a little bit more acceptable.

OBSERVATORY

Once we were back up to normal human temperature, we headed back out into the freezer and up to the Observatory which I really recommend. A) It’s inside and B) It has great views of the city. What I found strange though, was that even on a day like that, it was completely empty. Most of the time, we were the only people up there. All the staff were super friendly, I think because they were glad to have someone to talk to, but it was nice and made for a very inviting atmosphere at what we thought was going to be a big, busy tourist attraction. It only costs $14.75 to go up and you can use that ticket as many times as you want in one day, so you could go up at lunchtime and then return to see the sunset if you wanted.

One thing though – the lift is absolutely terrifying. I’m not scared of heights or anything, it’s just the fastest lift I’ve ever been in. Hamilton and I both genuinely nearly fell down when it started moving. Thankfully we were the only ones in there and no one else saw this happen but good god, there should be a warning.

After that, we braved the cold once more (I think we were getting acclimatised to at this point because it didn’t seem too bad) and walked towards the old town. The day was getting on by this point, so we also stopped for a bite at a snack bar, which I can’t remember the name of but it was cheap as anything and they had huge portions. I mean, it felt like a waste in all honesty because I could barely eat it but that’s hardly something to moan about.

QUARTIER DU PETIT CHAMPLAIN

Until this point we had barely seen any other people walking around the streets and assumed it was because it was so cold, they didn’t want to go outside. As we then got into the quaint streets of the old town we realised it was actually just because they were all there. I guess a lot of people come on day trips, see the famous streets and then leave again.

View this post on Instagram

Back from our weekend in beautiful, snowy Quebec City and feeling exceptionally Christmassy right now! Blog post coming soon ✨

A post shared by Abi – TravelTeaTv (@travelteatv) on Dec 10, 2018 at 9:44am PST

  HOTEL LE SAINT-PAUL

Once we had our fill of pretty streets and cold toes, we checked in to our hotel – Le Saint Paul. It is situated by the old port, which makes it a great location. We really enjoyed our stay there but I must say, it was confusing as hell. The reception area kind of seemed like it was under construction, even though I don’t think it was. From that, we assumed our room was going to be a bit crappy, then we got up there and had our minds blown – we had a suite. And it was massive. It had both the biggest bath and bed we had ever seen, plus a big TV, coffee machine and a great view. It also had a shower, which was surrounded by glass meaning if someone showered, you could just see them. We both agreed that it would be great if you were there on a romantic stay but for us it was just a bit weird. If either of us showered/had a bath, we just stayed facing the other way watching TV for the duration.

CHEZ JULES

Now, Quebec is known for having great food, so we looked into this ahead of time and booked a table at Chez Jules. Our reservation wasn’t until 8pm, so we first got a drink around the corner at D’Orsay, on Rue De Buade. On the same road, is a Christmas shop that I believe is open year round where you can buy a myriad of random Christmas decorations and items (like the Santas below), so even if you aren’t in QC during the holiday season, you can still get festive.

Dinner. Was. Amazing. We got a carafe of wine, main meals and then a dessert, and it honestly didn’t break the bank. Nonetheless, the waiters treat you like royalty and it feels like quite a fancy experience. There are of course, fancy fine dining restaurants in Quebec City where you can have that but if you don’t have the money, Chez Jules is a good alternative.

  SUNDAY

OLD PORT MARKET

Breakfast was included at the hotel, so we got up at about 9 and went downstairs, then put on basically all of our clothes and walked across the road to the Old Port market. It’s open year round but at this time, it was a festive market so had a mix of food, handmade goods and Christmas gifts/decorations on offer. It felt very local, wasn’t filled with tourists and had a very chill atmosphere. It made me think about how nice it would be to live somewhere like that and wander down there on a Sunday morning to pick up some fresh food for the day.

  Sadly we do not live there though and our day continued. We walked back through the Quartier du Petit Champlain and up the steps to the Fairmont. Warning – QC is pretty damn hilly. After living in Toronto, which is exceptionally flat, my legs were likely jelly from walking round Quebec.

FAIRMONT LE CHATEAU FRONTENAC

Right by the Fairmont, is a toboggan run and it is the greatest. It’s only 3 dollars per person per ride, so about £1.80 and is open to adults and children alike. You do have to pull your own toboggan up to the top but that’s part of the fun. The run is actually pretty bloody fast, so we screamed the entire way down and we were absolutely freezing but it is such a great activity, I could not recommend it more.

Plus for the adults, once you’ve done that, you can go into the bistro (Sam) at the Fairmont right next door and treat yourself to a stiff drink in luxury surroundings. Top tip (that we learned the hard way): the view from the balcony of the bar is amazing but you need to book to eat in order to sit there. We sat at the bar because we didn’t book but the waitress said you don’t need to have a full on meal, you can order something small and it’s still ok to sit there.

  LE CLOCHER PENCHE

We only had one quick drink at the bar before we had to rush off for our lunch booking at Le Clocher Penche, which was a 30 minute walk (in the snow) away but the food made it worth it. For a set price, you get a hot drink, starter and main, plus great service. We really lucked out with the places we picked for food, I won’t lie; we don’t always book food places but seeing as we were only there for two days, it made sense to pick some nice places to ensure we got to go to them and that we didn’t have to wander the streets figuring out where looks nice.

After this, we had kind of seen everything we wanted to. I think if it was warmer, we would have gone back to the little streets in the old town but we didn’t feel the need to, so instead we crept into a bar and stayed there until it was time to get to the airport for our flight.

  What are your favourite things to do around Christmas time?

  Abi

X

@travelteatv 

      A FESTIVE WEEKEND IN QUEBEC CITY On a bit of a whim, Hamilton and I recently booked a trip to Quebec City during Air Canada's flight sale.