#With A Coveted Mark | Dash Games

[hazmoonxmuses]

god ok ill reformat these tags finally

[neighborhood-nori]

To 21 - A LeviHan Basketball AU

This fic is a gift for the amazing @les4levihan AKA Makiscurse on discord, for the Xmas in July event in the Levihan University discord server. I hope you enjoy the gift friend! I saw you like the rivals to lovers trope, and summer sports, so I put together a little LeviHan high school basketball AU! Hope this is to your taste! Merry Xmas in Julyyyy 

--

“Travel!” Levi called as Hanji dashed past him dribbling the basketball.

“How was that a travel?” Hanji kept bouncing the ball from hand to hand.

“That was three steps, easy.”

“No way, Ackerman.”

“Yes-way, Zoe.”

“You’re just heated because you're down by two points.” She stopped dribbling and held the ball under her arm, resting it on her hip. 

“I’m heated because it’s 95 degrees out here.” Levi swiped his forehead of sweat with the back of his hand. “And because you traveled.” 

“I didn’t travel.” Hanji narrowed her eyes at him. “I never travel.”

“Tell that to every referee who has ever called you on it.”

“I think you must be mistaking me for you.” Hanji huffed. “But, fine. If you’re going to get pissy about it.” She tossed the ball directly at Levi’s head, but he deftly caught it in one hand. She rolled her eyes at the smug look he shot her afterward. “Your ball.”

Levi dribbled to half-court, turning so he could check the ball to Hanji. Before she tossed it back, she said indignantly, “I play by the rules.”

“Oh yeah?” Levi challenged. “Like in that game last season when you pushed that girl from Sina High out of bounds?”

“Okay, she was being obnoxious. She kept putting pressure on me starting from the first time I brought the ball down the court.”

“Yeah well, get used to it. When you’re good, people make you a target.”

“Oh, so I’m good now? See, just the other day you said my free throws are trash.” 

“Your free throws are trash. You have a 60 percent success rate.” Levi nodded and received another ball to the face. This time, he barely swiped it away in time. “Watch it!”

Hanji stuck out her tongue, raising her hands up, ready to defend. “Bring it, Ackerman.”

Levi narrowed his eyes before focusing on the game at hand again. He was down by two points, and Hanji was only one point away from reaching 21. He had to catch up. 

He threw the ball down, starting to dribble, watching as Hanji locked her eyes onto his hips. She always swore she could tell which direction a player would go just by watching their hips. He had to admit it was always extremely difficult getting past her, and a bit distracting as he watched her watch him. 

Both he and Hanji were their high school basketball team’s respective point guards, Hanji for the women’s team and he for the men’s. 

Levi remembers freshman year tryouts, when the girls had half the gym and the boys the other, his attention was constantly being caught by this tall, gangly brunette who kept getting in layup after layup, even against senior defenders. She was ambidextrous, easily switching from left to right-handed shots, and she was agile, her skills handling the ball were college level at least. She was a shoo-in for the women’s team, and over the years she had only improved. Senior year, it was an easy decision for Coach Erwin to make her team captain.

Meanwhile, Levi more than held his own on the men’s team. He was one of the best all-around shooters and defenders. He had the best free throw success rate, and the highest stats for three-pointers and assists. He could always execute a play to perfection and he was a rock for all his teammates. 

Two incredible players, not in direct opposition. One would think that they would get along great. However, Levi and Hanji most certainly butted heads over the years. They were in fact, infamous for their squabbles on both their teams, especially after they both were named captains of their respective teams senior year.

Oftentimes, they fought over court space, who got the better time slots in the gym. The morning slots on the weekends were the most coveted, as each team wanted to get their practice out of the way early so as to have the rest of the day free. Unfortunately, Paradis Academy was a small school, with only one gym, with one basketball court.

Hanji had once proposed that both teams just practice together at the same time. That had been an absolute disaster that ended in a near-death match between her and Levi, wrestling each other to the ground, with their teammates cheering them on until the coaches had to get involved and pull them apart. Levi still had the bite mark on his calf from where Hanji had decided to fight dirty. 

Now, the issue was solved by a simple one-on-one match between Hanji and Levi every Friday afternoon. The first person to score 21 points against the other won the morning time slots for the weekend. 

They had played these one-on-one games ten times now and were evenly matched, Hanji winning five and Levi winning five. Hanji was ahead currently, but Levi was determined to beat her. The other guys on the team would ream him if he lost for a second week in a row.

He dribbled the ball a few more times, before faking right quickly and then actually going left. Hanji predicted his movements perfectly, however, and she was on him in a second, putting pressure on him as she used her height and long arms to prevent him from moving forward. Levi turned his back to her, dribbling the ball slightly away so she couldn’t smack it out of his hands. He pressed his hips back into her, trying to box her out.

“You’re not getting past me, Ackerman.” Hanji leered.

“Yeah?” Levi stepped directly between her legs, then twisted his body around so his other foot could step on the outside of one of hers, he pressed his hips back into her and threw her off balance just enough to get her arms down so he could turn and get in a clean jump shot. 

“19-20 four eyes.” Levi recited the new score.

Hanji shot him with a death glare before she went to retrieve the ball. 

“So we’re playing dirty now?” Hanji walked to half court and checked the ball into Levi. 

Levi checked it back, shooting her a rare grin. “That wasn’t dirty. That was just a good play.”

Hanji narrowed her eyes as she began dribbling the ball. Levi learned after watching her and playing against her over the years that Hanji tended to strategize a lot before making any moves. Even if she made a play quickly, there was a lot of thought that went into each and every one of her movements. Unfortunately, she was still rather unpredictable. Hanji was incredibly smart, both on and off the court, and could come up with a new strategy on the spot, much faster than the average player. 

Levi watched her in anticipation, keeping himself on his toes, ready to defend any possible offense Hanji might throw at him.

He never could have predicted what Hanji did next.

She dribbled directly up to him, so they were almost toe-to-toe. She stopped and caught the ball in her hands, holding it to her side as with the other hand she grabbed Levi’s collar and pulled him closer to her. 

The next thing Levi knew, her lips were against his, warm and soft, tasting of the slightest hint of mango mixed with salt from the sweat on her skin. His eyes closed automatically, like a reflex, as he leaned closer towards her.

But just as quickly, Hanji pulled away from him, leaving his lips feeling suddenly cold.

He didn’t even notice as Hanji positioned the ball in her right hand, balancing it with the left, and took a shot. The tell-tale swooshing sound of the net behind him alerting him that she had scored.

“And that’s 21, shortie.” Hanji grinned.

Levi's mouth hung open as Hanji started to do her trademark victory dance, where she threw her hands up in the air and did an awkward-looking hip wiggle.

"There's no way that counts." Levi started to argue.

"How so?" Hanji countered. "I didn't break any rules." 

"There's-" Levi sputtered out. "That has to be illegal."

"Kissing your opponent isn't explicitly stated as illegal in any basketball rulebook I know of."

"I'm reporting this to Coach Zackly." Levi huffed and stormed over to where his bag sat on the side of the court. 

"Okay, but when you tell him, tell him you kissed me back!" Hanji retorted.

"I didn't-" Levi blushed bright red. "You kissed me!"

"And you liked it."

"I-" Levi pressed his lips together tightly, which was a mistake as he caught another taste of Hanji's lips on his own, making him blush an even deeper shade of red. 

Unfortunately, and very confusingly, for Levi, he did like it.

--

[mystery-salad]

For the ask game : 7, 8, 12, 15, 24, 32

So many questions thank you!!! Putting this one under a cut to save my dash at least a little 💜

7. How does an average Sylvari’s average day look like?

Hard thing to pin down, but how about the standard life of a sylvari that has decided to specifically remain in the grove or caledon forest?

An average grove sylvari: would wake up according to their cycle that makes them most comfortable, spends time socializing with others waking up or going to bed, off to do whatever job they’ve taken on (warden/gardener/mentor/etc), break for lunch and more time socializing with those around them, a shift switch with others working the same or similar jobs leaving their afternoon open to enjoy what the grove and surrounding forest has to offer. An organized life, but one with much freedom to it and time to be yourself and explore~

8. How does an average Charr’s average day look like?

Also hard to define, each legion likely has their own “standard” schedule and then there’s the olmakhan and likely other offshoots as well! But for an overarching and vague description, a typical legionnaire would probably be along the lines of:

Wake up early, eat a full breakfast, do some training and warmup stretches for the day, receive their warband’s mission and go through briefing, set out on the mission until it is complete, return to debrief, eat with the warband, train some more to keep everyone on the team sharp together, and a little downtime before bed.

12. How distinct are the “classes” of magic? Do an elementalist and a necromancer create the same magic ice? Are the Berserker skills elementalist magic?

This one I’m gonna direct back to an old ask I answered because I still love my answers here and fully intend to eventually expand upon it in its own unique post some day soon!

15. A headcanon about a minor race, like Quaggan or Dredge.

I already had my whole grawl rant, but another minor race I’m really interested in is the Krait! First off, they don’t have boobs. The boobs are stupid, they’re fish/eel people. No boobs or pecs, those are smooth chests and any adornments that are clothing-like are purely ornamental or to mark the job/status of a krait.

Along with that, their eyesight is very poor and the function mostly off of sight and electrical sensory (similar to sharks. They have those sensory pores on their noses and krait do too), they can detect the faint electrical currents that come off of other creatures when in the water. These are a race from the depths of the oceans, displaced only relatively recently by Bubbles not turning their heavy metal music down in the depths. If the Krait had lived that deep, they would have little use for eyesight and benefitted much more form other methods of hunting and catching prey, so their eyesight is their least valued sense, and the sunlight of the surface waters washes out what little sight they would’ve had down in the depths.

24. Wild card slot. Just anything that’s on your mind.

Personally I see most of the more wild Mount skins as being non-canonical, no pegasus unicorns or soft fox-raptors, but could you fuckin imagine the evolutionary niches needed to create those things??? Insane I love it, maybe I’ll make a world where they somehow canonically make sense one day for the hell of it

32. We’ve seen the unchained Risen in Siren’s Landing, and how some appear to have a limited intelligence and gather other Risen around them. How do you think Mordremoth’s and Kralkattorik’s minions fare after their masters’ demise?

The majority similarly to the risen (barring Mordremoth and Primordus, we’ll get to their respective minions next but this goes for everyone else’s that we’ve seen so far in plot)! Branding and dragon corruption seem...rough at best. I’d wager any mind left in there, despite coming from a living being rather than Zhaitan’s long dead corpse minions, would be pretty broken. The body in its entirety goes through what has to be a monumentally painful forced transformation and a complete submission of will to a being that just shocked your system with like 1000 volts of pure magic to change you to their element. Once the dragon is dead, some just collapse and stop from the weight of all that exertion, while others continue as the chaotically dangerous minions they were, too fried to do anything else and unable to stop. It’s a tragic end for most, to be corrupted. There’s not a silver lining unfortunately to such a traumatizing event forced upon mortals.

Mordremoth’s minions though! Created entirely by himself, cultivated and grown and never needing that horrible blast of magic to permanently alter their forms. They’re already crafted as intended after all! All that’s needed is to submit to his will, which falls more under subjugation, suppression, and hypnosis rather than a full traumatizing transformation. Most of his minions can either return to or learn to begin lives of their own with him dead, freed from the dragon but still retaining their completely natural bodies they’d been born/created with. Sylvari and many mordrem alike can choose whether to try to be a threat or move forward in new directions, to be themselves again. Not too different from before the dragon awakening tbh! Though if mordremoth had perfected his attempt to begin converting and cloning other races, well...then we’d have some more standard TraumaTM minions on our hands.

(HEADS UP I HAVE A PRIMORDUS META POST I’M ACTUALLY PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON TO POST IN A FEW DAYS so this is essentially a tiny excerpt of one point from that enjoy the sneak peek🔥✨)

Primordus has always been interesting to me in that, despite his minions having names akin to some living creatures, they’re simply made from the ground itself, the lava that is Primordus’ coveted elder dragon element. They are not creatures, they are extensions of his will, of his very being. When he ceases to exist, so do they, crumbling to the ground and cooling off into a pile of ash.

[ryuspike]

DnD 5e Race: Vulpine

Here it is. The race information for my version of fox-folk. I designed most of them off of their real life counterparts and what they are associated with most. I also went through a lot of balancing so that the subraces don’t feel over- or under-powered compared to the others. Though one subrace is clearly a bit more powerful for obvious reasons.

I originally created this because a friend of mine wanted to play a fox character but the best they can find are reskinned Tabaxi race traits. Feel free to try these out in your own games (with DM consent) and see how it plays out. I’ll love to hear your thoughts.

Vulpine Race

Terminology. Vulpine have special terms for each other. Vulp is a shorthand for vulpine and vulps is the plural tense of that word. Vulpine children are often called kits or cubs. A female vulpine is usually referred to as a vixen and a male vulpine is called a tod.

Lore. Long ago, spiritual beings that take the form of foxes ran wild in the world. The gods discovered these creatures, and some have tamed them as their personal messengers to the mortal realm. The constant contact between them and mortal led to some of these foxes to start families with them. Children sired by these foxes tend to carry on their traits like long noses, narrow faces, or squinted eyes. The most extreme, however, bore foxlike appendages and some even looked entirely like the animal. This led to many of them being shunned by families and neighbors as they are driven out from society. Not even the gods shown them much mercy as they leave these outcasts in fate’s hands.

Not many of fox spirits went out of their way to protect their children as they were either too scared of the mortals’ or gods’ wrath, or just too selfish to care about their offspring’s misfortune. Eventually, a goddess and an entourage of caring fox parents gathered the forsaken fox children and led them into a hidden paradise. There, the people lived in peace and harmony. Their vulpine traits became unified as they formed families together and inherited their parents’ fox appearance. Several centuries gone by and their numbers grew too great for the paradise to sustain them forever. The gods knew that it was time for their chosen children to make an important decision: stay hidden in their paradise and risk over population or go out into the world and endure the hardships it brings.

Many had argued over what is the right choice to make. Those that wanted to stay still remember the hatred their families were subjected to and refused to be part of that world. Countless others, however, felt like they are ready to rejoin the world and sate their growing wander lust. Arguments raged on until it was finally decided that the vulpine people will split off from each other. Those that wanted to stay and those who chose to leave for knew lands. The pilgrims soon after built boats and set off into new lands as they left their home behind.  Many of them splitting off from each other as they seek to populate across the new world.

Age. All vulpine live an average lifespan of 90 to 100 years. The zao vulpine, however, are said to live up to 150 years due to their close connection to the vulpine gods.

Language. All vulpine can speak common and their ancestral language of Vulpanese. The dialect is often different between cultures little change in the actual language. (If DM doesn’t agree with this language choose, the language can be anything else of your choice)

Darkvision. Nocturnal by nature, you have excellent vision in dark places. You can see dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fox’s Cunning. Your keen mind gives you proficiency with Perception and one of the following: Deception, Survival, or Stealth.  

Fox’s Claws. Your claws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of bludgeoning damage normal for unarmed strikes. Russet and arctic vulpine can use their claws to move with 20 feet of climbing and 10 feet of burrowing speed. Fennec vulpine claws give them climbing speed of 10 feet and burrowing speed of 20 feet.

Russet Vulpine

Lore. The most common of the vulpine races, the russet vulpine had integrated themselves among the other races of the world. They still had to face with plenty of prejudice as many races assumed that the vulpine are not trustworthy due to their more angular and sly features. Others saw they as much larger foxes whose fur would fetch a high price on the market. During the early years of some countries, it was legal to hunt and kill vulpine for their fur. As society grew, such barbaric practices were treated like sporting events for noble families. This led to the russet vulpine to learn how to adapt quickly with their surroundings so to better escape from these hunts.

Due to being foreign travelers, it was rare to see a russet vulpine given a high-ranking position in any government that wasn’t headed by their own people. This makes vulpine one of the largest members of the lower class in the world. Many of them either forced to live in the streets of cities or out in the wilderness or rural areas. The vulpine are often given jobs that do not give out much pay so a good number of them resort to stealing in order to feed their families. The few vulpine that find themselves in noble or governing positions tend to either attempt to use their position of power to aid their people, or allow the unfair system to continue as the live a life of luxury.

Russet vulpine are solitary creatures. Sticking to small family units and protecting their own. Thanks to the constant hunting of their people, they learned to be craftier and faster those seeking to take their fur. Parents often instructing their children the layout of the land so that they can always have an escape route to head for. Common vulpine children games are used as learning tools as they involve one child trying to hunt down the others until they either give up or all the other children are “dead”. These cautionary games helped many young vulps survive out in a harsh world that seeks to harm them.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Alignment. Most of your kind are neutral good as they want to benefit their societies. Some will branch out depending on their life choices.

Appearance. You resemble the most common of fox breeds with a fur coat that falls under the warmer shades of color like red, orange, yellow, brown, and gray. Various black and white markings can often be found around your ears, muzzle, chest, arms, legs, and tail. You have a long, bushy tail that is highly coveted by others.

Size. Your adult height is often found between 4 and 5 feet. You weigh as much as an average humanoid of that size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet

Terrain Traveler. When taking your Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you any extra movement. Climbing, swimming, and burrowing use normal movement.

Leaping Dodge. When a creature targets you for an attack that requires an attack roll, use your reaction to move to an unoccupied 5-foot square space adjacent to you. If the path to that space is not blocked by anything, the attacking creature automatically misses and attacks of opportunity are at a disadvantage while you move to that space. You can’t use this trait again until after a short or long rest.

Arctic Vulpine

Lore. Up in the far north, early vulpine settlers were met with a harsh environment that killed many of them. Those that survived kept themselves alive as they learned to combat the cold and avoid its dangerous creatures. Over generations, these vulpine evolved to survive the cold and rugged terrain. They developed tribes and soon fully functioning villages. Some became travelling nomads who move with the hunt while those that settled learned to raise cattle to sustain themselves. The two groups are often friendly and would trade among each other so to improve both their lifestyles.

Arctic vulpine are solitary creatures, more so than others of their race, and do not traditional have large family groups. After a vulpine has become of age, they are immediately thrusted out into the world. They are encouraged to either take on a job that will benefit their community or go out on their own to discover their own purpose. This fast track to adulthood causes many arctic to seemingly mature faster than most other races as they come to value independence for the sake of their own survival in a harsh world.

While arctic vulpine families are not often living together, they do still hold a bond with each other like many other races. During the winter solstice, there is a tradition amongst their people to have families gather to celebrate the longest winter together. Families often travelling great distances to the homes of their eldest family members. If that elder or family member had passed away since the last solstice, the gathered families would hold a ceremony to honor all who had past before moving on to more joyous festivities.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Alignment. The harsh tundra climate has made these vulpine true neutral creatures. Survival is a large part of their society and only strong personal connections are valued over strangers.

Appearance. You resemble the arctic fox and share many traits with it. In colder climates, you gain a thick coat of white fur that often blends in with the snow. During summer seasons or warmer climates, your coat with turn a gray or brown color. Some rare individuals keep their white fur all year around no mater the climate they are in.

Size. Your adult height is often found between 4 and 5 feet. You weigh as much as an average humanoid of that size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet

Tundra Coat. You have resistance to cold damage due to your thick fur coat. You also have advantage on Stealth checks when in snowy terrain while your fur is white and rocky terrain while your fur is gray or brown.

Arctic Endurance. You have advantage against saving throws from spells with cold effects or from extremely cold weather conditions. You are unable to die from exhaustion caused by cold weather.

Fennec Vulpine

Lore. In the harsh, dry lands of the desert, the fennec had made a home among the rock and sand. Ever since their people first traversed these sands, they learned the plentiful bounties that lay hidden in the hot sands. Over the generations, they adapted to better survive in these harsh lands. Their ears had grown to great size so to allow them to hear what lays underneath. Their bodies changed so that they don’t suffer from thirst during long treks across endless dunes. They can still drink water if they wish, they mostly retrieve their hydration through the food that they eat. This amazing biology made them perfect desert dwellers.

Fennec vulpine do not tend to settle in one location. They are nomadic by nature and move from place to place after several seasons. In their travels, they would put their ears to the ground and listen carefully to the sound of the earth. Most nomads are treasure hunters who dig up rare artifacts and sell them to highest bidder. Due to dealing with all types of people, the fennec vulpine have a strong deal making sense. They can always tell who has the most coin in their purse thanks to their giant ears. Shifting from super friendly to extremely aggressive at a drop of a hat if it suits their negotiations.

Their small size and large ears tend to make them the most beloved of the vulpine races. People finding both features to be very adorable. Some fennec find this insulting while others take advantage of their cuteness to get what they want. Either way, they found a niche area in society that gives them a social advantage above other vulpine. The fennec vulpines developed two different “faces” it wears in social situations. One worn when with their own kind or those they are close to, and the one they wear for everyone else.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Alignment. Your kind are traders and nomads by nature. They are often lawful good or neutral as they believe in following the one’s own beliefs over the beliefs of others.

Appearance. Your appearance is that of a fennec fox. You are small with large bat-like ears, and small dark colored eyes. You have short, sand colored fur with little distinguishing marks. Your tail is less bushy than other vulpine.

Size. The fennec vulps are much smaller than their medium sized cousins. As adults, they are about 2 to 3 feet tall and weigh between 25 to 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Bat Ears. You have advantage on all Perception checks that require hearing.

Desert Survivor. Due to fennec vulpines living in such a dry environment, you do not require to drink water to survive. When travelling through a desert or any terrain with similar environmental conditions, you do not suffer any exhaustion from it.

Zao Vulpine (aka the Kitsune subrace)

Lore. Many years ago, the vulpine race was given the choice of staying in their hidden home or explore the open world. Those that stayed continued in their traditions and ancient practices. Over time, they began to resemble more and more of their spiritual ancestors that first created them. The zao vulpine had begun the practice of channeling their divine power that was granted to them by their bloodline. Over the generations, young vulps were taught how to access this spiritual energy and manipulate it to do their will. Only a gifted few have learned to master it to the point of achieving abilities and traits that their mystical ancestors possessed.

At a young age, vulpine are trained to tap into their ancestor’s power, and the first sign of a potential candidate is the creation of fox fire. It is when this happens, the youth is brought forth to their elders and given a path to follow in life. Most become devote followers to their gods at a sacred shrine while others are given the path of the warrior. Some are even tasked to become weavers of magic or scholars. Once their path has been chosen, they are immediately sent off to be trained by a master to improve their skills.

Zao society is layered with strict guidelines and traditions that are expected to be followed. Those that do no follow these expectations are often treated like outcasts while those who are deemed “honorable” are often the most highly regarded members of their society. Large and influential families often maintain their strength by having a tight grip on these traditions. Family members that often don’t live up to their own families’ expectations find themselves in desperate situations. It is not uncommon to hear rumors of children of such families either being disowned or sent far away until they can prove themselves worthy. Often or not, they are sent out on quest to the outside world to retrieve a lost artifact and return it to their people as a form of restoring their family’s honor.

Vulpine that live in the hidden homeland of their people are forbidden to ever leave it. The older generation believe that their kind has no place among those that once shunned them. Others developed a sense of superiority over the outsiders due to their close attachment to their ancient ancestors. The only times when any of their kind is allowed to leave is either to retrieve something that had been lost, or they were banished. Some curious young folk would sneak out on their own to satisfy their curiosity. This is often met with anger from the elders who would often bar them from ever returning home. Only those from a highly regarded family with strong political ties are allowed back inside. Often, trained seekers would go after and forcefully return them to their families.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.      

Alignment. You have a deep connection with your celestial ancestors and therefore share your alignment with their own. Fox spirits that work alongside gods tend to be extremely lawful towards that god’s alignment while the wilder spirits lean on being chaotic.

Appearance. You appear to be like any other fox with some key differences. Your fur is attuned to the weave of magic and easily manipulated to take on many colors. Common base colors among your race is gold, silver, black, white, and other bright colors. Young kits often have their parents paint their fur with a magic brush so to match their family’s colors and insignia. As they get older, a vulpine can decide on how they should appear.

Size. You are slightly taller than most other vulpine, ranging between 5 and 6 feet at adult size. You weigh as much as an average humanoid of that size. You are a Medium sized creature.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet

Splintered Tails. Through your spiritual ancestry, you inherited a tail with mystical properties. Starting at 5th level, a new tail will split off from your original that is either visible or invisible from everyone except those with true sight or other zao vulpine. Theses tails can move independently or in unison. A new tail will grow every two levels after the 5th (levels 5, 7, 9, etc.) to a maximum of nine tails.

Fox Magic. You have the innate ability to cast certain spells with Charisma as your spellcasting ability. At 1st level, you know the Dancing Lights cantrip. When cast with this trait, the spell assumes the form of ghostly fire that when combined takes on either a humaniod or fox shape. When touched by other creatures, the flames deal 1d4 fire damage unless you will them to be harmless. At 3rd level, you can use a leaf to cast Disguise Self and appear as either a person or object. If you turn into a weapon, you have the heavy property and deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage. When inspected, your illusion can be touched by another creature, but it doesn’t feel natural. Your ears and tail will immediately appear for all to see if you are discovered, damaged, intoxicated, frightened, exhausted, or unconscious. At 5th level, you can learn to cast either Phantasmal Force or Mirror Image as part of this trait. You can use both Disguise Self and your chosen spell up to a max number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) before needing a long rest.

Hoshi no Tama. At 3rd level, you will manifest a magic item that appears to be a shining round jewel containing your spiritual essence. This “star ball” can be used as an arcane focus which allows you to exhaust one of its charges to cast a 3rd level or lower spell at its lowest level instead of a spell slot. You can also exhaust a charge to cast a spell from your Fox Magic trait if you ran out of uses for it. The max amount of charges this item can hold is equal to the number of tails you possess from your Splintered Tails trait (to max of 9 charges). During a short rest, you can spend Hit Dice to recharge this item by one charge per die spent. This item can only be used by the one who manifested it, and if it is destroyed, its creator will suffer three levels of exhaustion (to max of 5 levels). A new star ball is manifested 1d12 days after its initial destruction.

So again, feel free to use this in your own games. If you don’t like some of the traits I’ve given, let me know which ones and tell me why. I plan to add this race to the DnD Beyond site and I want to have the best version of this race represented on it. So your comments will help me consider what I need to do to improve this race.

As for why I named the kitsune subrace “Zao”, it is because their home in the lore has been heavily based on Japan’s Miyagi Zao Fox Village. A place in Japan where foxes are rescued from being slaughtered. Figured that would be an appropriate tribute for in-game lore.  You can, however, refer to them as Kitsune on your character sheets.

[addictedforbooksquad]

P I C K (S)  O F  T H E  M O N T H: F E B R U A R Y

The Risk by Elle Kennedy 

Dream by Natalia Jaster

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Enchantèe by Gita Trelease

Huge Deal by Lauren Layne

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Risk by Elle Kennedy

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Sports Romance

Synopsis:

A sexy standalone novel from New York Times and international bestselling author Elle Kennedy. THE RISK takes you back to the world of hot hockey players, feisty heroines, bro banter, and steamy scenes... Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team. And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me. I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend. For every fake date…he wants a real one. Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him. That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

Why we love it:

a great mix of romance, banter and funny moments

individual arcs on par with the romance development

Brenna is just THE BEST and so is Jake, to be honest

100% lived-up to the hype

kept us intrigued about secondary characters and their stories, especially Hunter and Bubble Butt xD

Trigger warnings: n/a

Dream by Natalia Jaster

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, New Adult

Synopsis:

Lyrik is a rogue with skills. In the Kingdom of Winter, he’s a swaggering potioneer who hunts for wisdom—a brew that will shake the world. It’s the only secret he craves. Except for the one boy he can’t have. Nicu is a dreamer with hopes. He’s an impish Royal who hunts for wishes—a legendary star that grants yearnings. It’s the only mystery he desires. Except for the one boy he can’t stand. It’s been three years since they clashed, never wanting to see each other again. But in a land of glittering frost, they might discover something more than wisdom or wishes. Something far more exquisite—and painful.

Why we love it:

as always, Natalia's writing is beautiful, poetic and full on imaginery

story told in alternating 1st person and 3rd person limited POVs which should be a bit tiring but somehow works perfectly

Nicu's POV is delightful to read and it's an amazing journey to see the world through his eyes

all the characters are back together and it's AMAZING

Nicu and Lyrik's story is full of angst but in the end, they just fit together

a beautiful, touching, heart-warming conclusion of the series

Trigger warnings: ableism

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance

Synopsis:

Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he's a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband's life a misery, and she'll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself...as none other than West Ravenel. West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire...not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn't bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She's the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England. Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past? Only the devil's daughter knows...

Why we love it:

Sebastian Challon, Duke of Kingston, former Lord St. Vincent, aged like a fine delicious wine and any appearance he makes in this book is a delight

all the side characters and family/friends dynamics between Ravenels, Challons and Westcliffs are so much fun!

West and Phoebe's connection is electrifying and West's scenes with Phoebe's children are THE SOFTEST

Lisa Kleypas at her best

Trigger warnings: n/a

Enchantée by Gita Trelease

Genres:  Romance, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians... When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible. But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she's playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

Why we love it:

historical fantasy set in 1700s Paris

a game of high stakes played out in the French court of Marie Antoinette

bond between two sisters fighting their way out of poverty with the use of magic

beautiful story

telling and detailed descriptions of Paris life

a great debut novel from Gita Trelease that makes us look forward to her future books

Trigger warnings: n/a

Huge Deal by Lauren Layne

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Even for a top-gun banker, temptation this hot is quite a gamble, in a sexy Wall Street romp from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne. An alpha among the wolves of Wall Street, Kennedy Dawson rose to the top of the pack by striking the right contracts at the right times. But there’s one deal that’s been giving him a run for his money—a pact to never again let his assistant, Kate, get under his skin. She may be smart, gorgeous, and sharp as a whip, but she’s definitely off-limits. Kate Henley isn’t a banker, but she knows a thing or two about risk management—specifically, about managing her attraction to her smolderingly sexy boss. She already fell once, and Kennedy showed no sign of paying a return on her investment. So when Kennedy’s brother starts pursuing her, Kate figures she has the best of both worlds. Jack is charming, rich, very attentive, and the spitting image of his older brother. It’s also making Kennedy think twice. But to win Kate’s heart, he’ll have to broker the deal of a lifetime…and prove he’s worth the risk.

Why we love it:

office romance

slow burn

A++ family dynamic

interesting platonic relationships

a good ending of the series

Trigger warnings: n/a

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance

Synopsis:

Can a pirate learn that the only true treasure lies in a woman's heart? Widowed Silence Hollingbrook is impoverished, lovely, and kind--and nine months ago she made a horrible mistake. She went to a river pirate for help in saving her husband and in the process made a bargain that cost her her marriage. That night wounded her so terribly that she hides in the foundling home she helps run with her brother. Except now that same river pirate is back...and he's asking for her help. "Charming" Mickey O'Connor is the most ruthless river pirate in London. Devastatingly handsome and fearsomely intelligent, he clawed his way up through London's criminal underworld. Mickey has no use for tender emotions like compassion and love, and he sees people as pawns to be manipulated. And yet he's never been able to forget the naive captain's wife who came to him for help and spent one memorable night in his bed...talking. When his bastard baby girl was dumped in his lap--her mother having died--Mickey couldn't resist the Machiavellian urge to leave the baby on Silence's doorstep. The baby would be hidden from his enemies and he'd also bind Silence to him by her love for his daughter.

Why we love it:

good historical romance

pirates!!!

enemies to lovers trope

good girl/bad guy trope

A++ character development

Trigger warnings: n/a

[totalsoccer]

Liverpool fans continue Premier League-winning celebrations

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PROFANITY OVERHEARD SHOWS: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 25, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. FANS LIFTING UP REPLICA PREMIER LEAGUE TROPHY 2. VARIOUS OF FANS CHANTING 3. LIVERPOOL FLAG WITH END OF FIREWORKS 4. FANS CHANTING 5. WOMAN WAVING LIT FLARE 6. WOMAN CHANTING 7. FANS CHANTING 8. LIT FLARE IN DISTANCE ON KOP-END SIDE OUTSIDE ANFIELD 9. FANS OUTSIDE KOP-END SIDE OF ANFIELD 10. FAN WITH LIVERPOOL LIVER BIRD TATTOO ON BACK / FANS CHANTING AND SINGING 11. FAN WEARING AN EVERTON T-SHIRT CHANTING 12. CHILD CELEBRATING AMONG ADULTS 13. FAN HOLDING CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF PREMIER LEAGUE TROPHY 14. FAN WEARING JUERGEN KLOPP MASK / FANS OUTSIDE KOP-END SIDE OF ANFIELD 15. FAN HOLDING LIVERPOOL SCARF 16. VARIOUS OF FANS CELEBRATING AROUND CARS 17. FANS ON CAR 18. FANS STORY: Thirty years of hurt came to an end for Liverpool when they were confirmed as Premier League champions on Thursday (June 25) courtesy of second-placed Manchester City's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea. The result at Stamford Bridge means Liverpool have an unassailable 23-point lead over City with seven games left. Liverpool were last champions of England when they won the old First Division title in 1989-90 after which a decline in fortunes saw Manchester United and Arsenal, then Chelsea and Manchester City seize power. Inspirational manager Juergen Klopp has rekindled the Anfield flame though and delivered the club's 19th top-flight title, one behind arch-rivals United's record of 20, after finishing runners-up to City in a thrilling race last season. As the Chelsea game moved into stoppage time at an empty stadium in London, 350km away outside Anfield, Liverpool fans began lighting red flares as the celebrations began in earnest. HAPPY DAYS In the last 12 months Liverpool have won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and World Club Cup, but regaining their status as top dogs in England, something that was almost a given in the 1970s and 1980s, was the priority. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a three-month suspension of the season and delaying Liverpool's coronation, they have won the title with a record seven games to spare. They eclipsed the mark jointly held by Manchester United (2000-01) and Manchester City (2017-18), who sealed their respective titles with five games left. City manager Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Liverpool. RECORD PACE Had it not been for the unprecedented stoppage, Liverpool were on course to smash the record for the earliest clinching of the league title. Instead, they are now the first team to lift the coveted trophy as late as June. Liverpool finished last season with nine straight league wins and, after claiming the Champions League by beating Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, began the new campaign in relentless fashion to leave rivals trailing in their wake. With 28 wins and one defeat in 31 games, Liverpool have set a record-breaking pace and were 25 points clear in February -- the biggest lead in Premier League history. When they beat West Ham United that month it was their 18th successive top-flight win, matching Manchester City's record, before their hopes of an unbeaten season were dashed by a 3-0 defeat at Watford, a result that was merely a blip. Leading the charge has been Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian forward who is the first Liverpool player to score at least 20 goals in all competitions in three consecutive seasons since Michael Owen at the start of the millennium. Salah scored on Wednesday as Liverpool thrashed Crystal Palace 4-0 at Anfield -- a result that meant City had to beat Chelsea to delay the inevitable for a while longer. City were the first team to breach the 100-point barrier in the Premier League two seasons ago but Liverpool are on course to shatter that mark, as well as records for most points at home (55) and most wins in a season (32).

source https://sports.yahoo.com/liverpool-fans-continue-premier-league-001821101.html?src=rss

[hazmoonxmuses]

How are you ruined?

Ruined by Apathy

You cant bring yourself to care. you hate that you cant feel what you used to be able to feel. you hate that you cant be happy. you hate that you cant bring yourself to actually hate. your apathy has swallowed you and immersed you in a well of nothingness. you cant feel what you cant forget. you cant see what you close your eyes to. you choose to feel nothing, and you have lost everything because of it.

Ruined by Loneliness

You are so lonely. you are  miserable in your solitude. you hate that you cannot bring yourself to  reach out, to ask for help. you will be forgotten by all who never knew  you. your biggest fear is that you will die alone, and you know this  fear will be seen to fruition. you refuse to extend yourself beyond the  box that others put you in. and it is a box that no one dare come near.  you are lonely because you are afraid of yourself.  

[junker-town]

The 4 kinds of prospects you’ll want to watch at the NFL Combine

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

From Tua Tagovailoa’s medical evaluation to must-see workouts, these are the player storylines to follow at the combine.

Here’s the thing about the NFL Scouting Combine: It is the single strangest event on the sports calendar. There is nothing normal about this job interview process. Still, it’s a major part of the lead up to the NFL Draft.

Players will be interviewed by the media and teams — you decide which is more laborious. They’ll be poked and prodded by medical staffs, and their medical information will get put online. They’ll take the Wonderlic test, and that too will find its way online. Finally, the players will work out in their underpants where anything can happen.

Mostly, though, it’s about the prospects themselves. Here are a few key things to watch for at the 2020 NFL Combine:

The players who have the most important medical tests

The combine started as a way for NFL teams to get medical information on the players they might draft. Here are a few players with injury pasts that will be worth watching — none more paramount than the first name on this list.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Tagovailoa, who fractured his hip in November, said his doctors are expected to fully clear him by March 9. The greater issue, though, is the quarterback’s long-term health.

If teams are concerned that Tagovailoa can easily re-injure his hip, they will check him off their draft list. There’s also Tagovailoa’s ankles. He underwent a procedure called tightrope surgery on both ankles in different years following sprains. That is not normal. Tagovailoa’s health report will be fully scrutinized this week.

2. Netane Muti, OG, Fresno State

In 2017, Muti had the look of a future first-round player at a position that typically doesn’t get taken that highly. He manhandled defenders with ease. Then injuries set in. In 2018, he ruptured his left Achilles. In 2019, had Lisfranc foot surgery. But if he can move around in drills fairly well, he’s the type of player who will benefit from the combine.

3. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota

There is a lot to like about Winfield. He was an All-American last season after finishing the year with seven interceptions and 83 tackles. He plays physically and will wallop the ball carrier from his safety position. Despite going pro after his redshirt sophomore season, Winfield was in college for four years after playing in just four games in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He he had a serious hamstring injury in 2017 and tore a ligament in his foot the next year.

4. Trey Adams, OT, Washington

Like Muti, Adams looked like a first-round pick early in his college career until injuries hit. A torn ACL cost Adams part of his 2017 season and back surgery shortened his 2018 season. Both are serious injuries, and teams might be wary of Adams because of his health.

5. Lucas Niang, OT, TCU

Niang has an outside chance of being taken in the top 64. The medical evaluation process will be critical for him. He tore his hip labrum as a junior and played through it. However, the injury caused him to end his senior season early for surgery. When he was healthy, Niang projected as a first-round player.

The players who could impress during workouts

With the combine workouts moving to primetime, the NFL has to be expecting some insane numbers. These are a few guys who could put on a show.

1. Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

The 40-yard dash is the most popular combine event, and this year some players will get close to John Ross’ record of 4.22 seconds. Texas receiver Devin Duvernay should time well, but Ruggs probably has the best chance of breaking Ross’ mark. Ruggs ran a 4.26-second 40 at Alabama’s junior pro day last year, and has spent the run up to the combine working on his times.

2. K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

While he won’t break any 40 records, Chaisson’s workout will be must-see television on Saturday night — and it should make people forget his pedestrian 6.5 sacks last season. He could come close to 4.5 flat in the 40-yard dash and should have one of the better vertical jumps in his position group. All of those things equal athleticism and explosiveness, something NFL teams covet in a pass rusher.

3. Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma

The combine’s most impressive workout should belong to Gallimore. At 300 pounds, Gallimore is a crazy athlete, and there are some expectations he could get below 4.75 seconds in the 40. Gallimore was second on Bruce Feldman’s annual freaks list for good reason. As Feldman pointed out, Gallimore can bench press 500 pounds and squat 800 pounds.

4. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Just ahead of Gallimore on the freaks list was Wirfs. The first true freshman offensive tackle to start for Kirk Ferentz was a star at Iowa. Wirfs, who is my top offensive tackle in the draft, has everything you want in a blocker. He’s a good athlete, has incredible strength, and stands 6’5 and 320 pounds. He could blow people away with his workout. He’s already penciled in as a top-10 pick. A big week in Indianapolis could make him him the consensus No. 1 at his position.

The players who could break out

Every year, there’s at least one prospect whose draft stock shoots through the roof. Who could it be this year?

1. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri

This draft is begging for someone to step up in an otherwise dull tight end class. Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet is the top tight end in the draft, but he might not be the best athletic tester. That could open things up for a player like Okwuegbunam, whose name I had to look up the spelling on twice while writing this portion. Okwuegbunam had just 26 receptions for 306 yards and six touchdowns this past season, which is nothing special. But in 2017, he had 11 touchdowns and averaged 14.3 yards per catch. If he can test well, he should rise.

2. Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford

Parkinson is another tight end who could make a big leap this week. At just over 6’7, he’s the tallest tight end at the combine this year. He’s not some lumbering buffoon, either. Parkinson glides around the field and stretches the seam. Stanford’s quarterback play has been suspect, so Parkinson could be a classic “better as a pro” type of prospect.

3. Jacob Eason, QB, Washington

How sold are you really on Utah State’s Jordan Love or Oregon’s Justin Herbert? After Joe Burrow and Tagovailoa, those two are considered by many to be the next two quarterbacks taken in the draft. But Eason could squeeze into the discussion. I had him going to the Patriots in a recent mock draft, and the next week ESPN’s Mel Kiper did too.

Eason’s college career was less than straightforward. He played his first two seasons at Georgia and lost his job to Jake Fromm his sophomore season when he sprained his knee. Eason then sat out 2018 as a transfer and played just one season at Washington. Eason’s 2019 stats (3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns) didn’t wow, but it’s hard to quit a massive 6’6 quarterback with an even more massive arm. It only takes one team to love Eason, and he could catch someone’s eye in his workout session.

The players who most need a good combine

Some prospects need a strong performance at the combine to show teams who they really are. Here are four such players this year:

1. Cam Akers, RB, Florida State

The Seminoles have just two players at the combine this year: Akers and cornerback Stanford Samuels, both juniors. That should tell you something about the state of the football program in Tallahassee. Akers was a blue-chip recruit for Florida State, but the team’s offensive line was so bad he never dominated as expected. That makes him somewhat hard to judge. He’s also not the best pass catcher, so teams will be watching how he catches the ball.

2. Raekwon Davis, DE, Alabama

Was Davis asked to not get after the quarterback, or was he just not that good at it? That’s what teams will be trying to find out at the combine. Despite playing in 12 games and finishing sixth on Alabama in tackles in 2019, Davis had just a half a sack on the season. Sure, sack totals can be misleading, but he just didn’t get into the backfield. Davis is good playing the run, and will be decent enough in three-man fronts. But he can help fix his draft stock with good timing numbers.

3. Jeff Thomas, WR, Miami

If you value high school football ratings, you probably expected big things out of Thomas. He was rated higher by 247 Sports than players like Ruggs and Jalen Reagor in the 2017 class. But his career at Miami didn’t go as planned. Thomas was suspended multiple times at Miami and had just 1,316 yards in three seasons. That includes only 379 in 2019. Still, he’s at the combine because teams are intrigued by his athleticism, even though they do have questions about his maturity.

4. Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee

Jennings is a complex case. On the surface, he’s the complete package at receiver. He has size, measuring in at 6’3 and 215 pounds, and had good stats in 2019 with 59 receptions for 969 yards and eight touchdowns. Most incredibly, on those 59 receptions, Pro Football Focus says he had 30 broken tackles. And he has a penchant for wild catches, like this one against Florida. The problem is that there are some character questions Jennings will have to answer. He was temporarily kicked off the team in 2017 and suspended for part of a bowl game after planting his foot into the face of a Vanderbilt player.

[meredithandre-blog]

Kitchens of the Great Midwest - J. Ryan Stradal | Literary |934620704

Kitchens of the Great Midwest J. Ryan Stradal Genre: Literary Price: $11.99 Publish Date: July 28, 2015 “A sweet and savory treat.” — People "An impressive feat of narrative jujitsu. . . that keeps readers turning the pages too fast to realize just how ingenious they are."— The New York Times Book Review , Editor’s Pick “Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a terrific reminder of what can be wrested from suffering and struggle – not only success, but also considerable irony, a fair amount of wisdom and a decent meal.”—Jane Smiley, The Guardian As seen on The Skimm : "Warning: this will make you hungry. . . . You won’t be able to put it down. And it will up your kitchen game." Kitchens of the Great Midwest, about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the iconic chef behind the country’s most coveted dinner reservation, is the summer’s most hotly-anticipated debut.   When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience.   Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal’s startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life—its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent. From the Hardcover edition.

[a-breton]

2019 SEO Keywords and Google: What’s in Your Poker Hand?

Strap in tight. 2019 will be a rough ride for keyword rankings and SEO professionals will feel the squeeze each time Google downplays traditional search engine results.

Google already promotes no-click search results, often providing answers without the need to click for more details.

The no-click (also known as zero click) searches will remain a factor for marketers. Referencing data from Jumpshot, Rand Fishkin of SparkToro last year found that 61.5% of Google mobile searches are no-click (34.3% with desktop searches).

61.5% of Google mobile searches are no-click (34.3% with desktop searches) via @jumpshotinc @sparktoro Click To Tweet

Additionally, voice search will have an impact, especially with smart speaker products like Google Home and Amazon Echo. Econsultancy does a good job sorting through voice search projection interpretations.

If your natural search engine traffic took a hit last year, expect more of the same unless you take steps to recover from traffic dips. Even if you’re fine now, you might want to reinforce your footing.

If your organic #SEO is taking a hit, see what you should be doing to recover from traffic dips. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

OK, Google: How Do I Optimize My Content for Featured Snippets?

Should You Worry About Your SEO and Google’s Mobile-First Index? 

1. Learn to appreciate that SEO is like a giant poker game

Picture a virtual table with thousands of people playing at the same time in scores of places.

In this game, instead of collecting winnings from your fellow players, you’re seeking Google rewards. With each of your “keyword” hands, Google snickers at what you’re holding or rewards you with the top positions among the search engine results pages (SERPs).

When you target another keyword phrase, you’re dealt a new set of cards. Unlike real poker, this hand is not random. You end up with cards based on what you bring to the table.

What are your SEO strengths that will give you a good hand?

Rather than list all of the ranking factors, I’ll cite a few that should shape your keyword choices.

Domain and page authority

Based principally on backlinks, your score will influence your rankings. Moz tracks the data, and websites fall somewhere between 1 and 100. Do you even know how your site scores? Higher scores increase the odds of higher rankings.

Content and website size

Websites with some pages (like maybe 10 or 20) won’t fare as well as websites with hundreds or thousands of pages, which signal to search engines that they’re serious players. More pages make it easier for websites to play up key themes, attract backlinks, and add additional pages to target coveted keyword phrases.

More pages make it easier to attract #SEO attention w/ themes, backlinks, keyword phrase pages. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Oops! 17 SEO Misfires to Avoid With Website Content Marketing

Domain name

Online marketers debate its value toward your rankings. My sense is that its importance has waned, but it’s clearly a factor. If your domain includes part of your keyword phrase, you have an edge.

If your domain includes part of your keyword phrase, you have an edge, says @mikeonlinecoach. #SEO Click To Tweet

Other SEO essentials

You can’t afford to have issues with basic website structure. Is all of your content indexed? What about the following:

Content headers: Do you use H1 tags with the text?

SEO page titles: Can you customize them on a per-page basis?

Page URLs: Can you keep them short and use dashes to separate words?

To underscore the possibilities for 2019, I identified three companies through LinkedIn to see how well they’re already doing with SEO and to show ways we can learn from their efforts (good or bad).

Catalant – Identification of talent through technology and programs for companies Taboola – Content discovery platform Jellyvision – Creators of ALEX, employee communication software

Taboola is probably in the best shape with a domain authority of 72 (Jellyvision is 43 and Catalant is 36).

Although Taboola has first-page rankings on Google, several keywords aren’t hitting the mark and the best ones could do better.

Taboola (like many websites) would benefit from iterative SEO, meaning its team should make distinct revisions to the SEO page titles, content headers, and other text to see whether rankings improve without hurting their top positions. But they shouldn’t make too many changes at one time or they won’t know what worked and could disrupt rankings. They could monitor rankings after testing keyword-placement scenarios. (Most website pages are indexed within days or a couple weeks.)

For example, Taboola might avoid going after both “native content” and “native advertising” on the same page. “Native content” ranks No. 11 with 590 searches, but “native advertising” is No. 12 with 5,400 monthly searches. Both phrases rank well, but “native advertising” may not get much higher with “native content” having a strong presence.

Fortunately, Taboola used an H1 tag with “native advertising,” but it’s possible that phrase is on the page too many times (sorry, there isn’t a foolproof formula). With the high search volume, it might be worth tinkering with the text and the number of keyword references over a couple months.

As for “native content,” Taboola may want to use that on another page or create a new page. Adding content is always a good approach to support a target keyword phrase.

Jellyvision should seriously consider that option. The business only has a few good rankings for low-volume keyword phrases. I’m actually a fan of keywords that aren’t searched often. They can yield good prospects for sales to help the bottom line. But more pages are needed.

Target low-volume keyword phrases for #SEO. They can yield good prospects for sales, says @mikeonlinecoach. Click To Tweet

The website has a strong collection of content. Jellyvision understands how businesses can convey critical information to employees. But that content often doesn’t relate to relevant keyword phrases. Sometimes its content keywords aren’t searched at all.

One of its content headers and SEO page titles is: Why Understanding the Four Major Learning Styles Will Help You Reach More Employees This Open Enrollment. The highest ranking for that page is 23rd for the phrase “benefits of learning styles” (30 monthly searches), which appears on the third page of Google. Maybe it’s good content – just not an effective string of words for SEO.

One of their best rankings is “extra space storage” – No. 14 with 135,000 monthly searches on Google. But it’s for a case study featuring a client. I doubt that website traffic helps much with conversions because people searching for “extra storage space” won’t find anything meaningful to them on this page.

Catalant struggles with SEO – at least with its apparent target keyword phrases. For starters, it is centered on a narrow topic – focusing on agility to connect with the right talent. The company has accolades from Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Financial Times. However, Catalant’s site can’t seem to rank well for words it cares about. If you can’t rank in your niche, you have a problem.

Sometimes it’s useful to branch out and look for related keyword phrases that are relevant but not as competitive.

It’s useful to look for keyword phrases that are relevant but not as competitive, says @mikeonlinecoach. #SEO Click To Tweet

The existing content may speak to core audiences, but it isn’t producing many strong organic results. For example, the content header Capitalizing on the Right Skills at the Right Time With Business Agility may seem OK, but it doesn’t include a keyword phrase within striking distance. The lengthy URL doesn’t help matters. Extraneous words prevent any focus and the URL is bogged down by “business” and “agility” duplication:

Capitalizing on the Right Skills at the Right Time With Business Agility

Catalant still has some hope. It could revise SEO page titles (even doing that can make a difference) and add new pages with keyword-focused content headers, short URLs, and effective SEO page titles.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

4 Steps to Speed Up Your Website and Look Better to Google

How to Optimize Your Website for Audio Search

SEO and Website Image Optimization 10-Point Checklist for Marketers

Featured snippets

Beyond these companies, some marketers will win out if they can qualify for a featured snippet that appears after the paid ads on Google. They’re not easy to get.

You can potentially land some by providing good explanations about a topic. Content built around questions can help (you don’t necessarily need a Q&A format). Although there are no formal requirements to improve your odds, some marketers suggest including details in tables, lists, and numbered steps.

Keep in mind that many featured snippets are for keyword phrases with low volume. Oddly, websites that struggle to rank for many keywords sometimes earn a featured snippet.

#Content built around questions can help your site land a Google featured snippet, says @mikeonlinecoach. Click To Tweet

Just like other search results, featured snippets come and go. You won’t always be the winner and you can quickly get one back after losing it. Stone Temple Consulting in 2018 explored the volatility and other trends around featured snippets. In 2017, Ahrefs released a study saying featured snippets appear in 12.29% of results.

Again, keep in mind that Google continues to alter SERPs with its Answer Box, People Also Ask, tweets, Image Pack, and more. Your rankings also will often change based on geography when Google introduces different results based on the most relevant searches.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

15 Search Intent Tips, Examples, and Resources for SEO Keywords

3 Keyword Research Trends to Reshape Your Content Optimization

2. Create and modify content for SEO

Not all content will have SEO implications. You still produce videos, infographics, white papers, and blog posts to reinforce your status in an industry while supporting social media, e-mail, and other marketing efforts.

However, if you’re counting on SEO to drive traffic, I wouldn’t recommend producing less content. You might say, “Isn’t quality what matters most?” Of course, quality is important. But I wouldn’t scale back content that could be used for SEO.

Your best bet is to tailor new content to keywords that can rank. If you can get your keyword phrase in the bulk of the page header, you’re golden.

But here’s the deal: Do you even deserve high rankings? I’m all about what I call the SEO keyword “sweet spot.” But you have no business going after keyword phrases searched 1,000 times a month when you can’t even manage to rank on the first page of Google for keywords people search for 50 times.

Remember, SEO is a poker game and it’s all about what gives you an advantage. Look at your keywords and see how many are on the first page of Google. What’s the average search volume? You’ll get a sense of your sweet spot – defined by top rankings and search volume.

With your SEO strategy, you can be a little aggressive. If your average search volume sweet spot is 100, maybe target keywords searched 200 times a month. Why? You can assume your current SEO efforts had fallen short – the wrong combination of keywords in page headers, SEO page titles, etc.

In a few cases, see what happens if you make more risky changes. I’m working with a website that wasn’t even in the top 100 positions for many of its 20 strategic keywords. Based on some data, it looked like the client’s sweet spot for keywords may be in the 10 to 30 range for average search value. We targeted one phrase with 700 searches a month. It’s now ranking No. 12 on Google after making two sets of SEO changes on one page. Ultimately, the client may need a new page to grab a spot among the top 10 positions.

Keywords with low search volumes shouldn’t be overlooked anyway. Collectively, these search queries can drive relevant traffic and leads. Think about what you’re selling, your margins, and the lifetime value of new customers. You might sell a $10,000 or even $50,000 service or product based on low-volume keyword phrases.

Selecting keywords isn’t just about search volume and rankings. You also need to consider searcher intent and where the existing or new content falls within the buyer’s journey.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

If You Aren’t Using Website Videos, You’re Missing These 3 Benefits

How Topic Modeling Can Strengthen Your SEO and Content Marketing Strategy

3. Pursue backlinks

Google has identified backlinks as a top linking factor. Stone Temple Consulting recently updated its in-depth study that details the strong correlation between backlinks and ranking.

Here are a few quick link-building ideas:

Build relationships with influencers.

Explore your team members’ own connections.

Use PR strategies and tactics to connect with notable news media.

Become members of more groups that are even loosely tied to what you sell.

Launch a series of surveys or industry studies.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

34+ Link-Building Tips, Tools, and Examples for SEO and Website Traffic

How to Make an Amplification Strategy With Shares AND Backlinks

4. Take care of the small stuff

In 2019, there is no reason to neglect the small items that impact search engine rankings. Though they’ll never compare to the impact of content, content headers, and backlinks, they still get a lot of play. Consider:

Page load speed

Image file names and alt text

Internal links

Mobile friendliness

Structured markup (i.e., org)

User engagement based on quality content and exceptional design

Take care of the small stuff for #SEO – page load speed, internal links, mobile friendliness. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

I like how Neil Patel emphasizes that Google can look at an array of metrics like how long people spend on your website compared to other websites and whether users quickly leave your website and return to Google.

“If you want to beat Google, you have to shift your mindset. It’s not about understanding Google, it’s about understanding users,” Neil writes in How Digital Marketing Will Change in 2019.

How will you survive SEO in 2019? Modify content already in place and be strategic as you create new content that you expect to perform on search engines. What kind of cards have you earned for the next poker game?

Get a better grasp on the interplay of content and technology this April at ContentTECH Summit. Register today using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

from http://bit.ly/2WONUfU

[lucyariablog]

2019 SEO Keywords and Google: What’s in Your Poker Hand?

Strap in tight. 2019 will be a rough ride for keyword rankings and SEO professionals will feel the squeeze each time Google downplays traditional search engine results.

Google already promotes no-click search results, often providing answers without the need to click for more details.

The no-click (also known as zero click) searches will remain a factor for marketers. Referencing data from Jumpshot, Rand Fishkin of SparkToro last year found that 61.5% of Google mobile searches are no-click (34.3% with desktop searches).

61.5% of Google mobile searches are no-click (34.3% with desktop searches) via @jumpshotinc @sparktoro Click To Tweet

Additionally, voice search will have an impact, especially with smart speaker products like Google Home and Amazon Echo. Econsultancy does a good job sorting through voice search projection interpretations.

If your natural search engine traffic took a hit last year, expect more of the same unless you take steps to recover from traffic dips. Even if you’re fine now, you might want to reinforce your footing.

If your organic #SEO is taking a hit, see what you should be doing to recover from traffic dips. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

OK, Google: How Do I Optimize My Content for Featured Snippets?

Should You Worry About Your SEO and Google’s Mobile-First Index? 

1. Learn to appreciate that SEO is like a giant poker game

Picture a virtual table with thousands of people playing at the same time in scores of places.

In this game, instead of collecting winnings from your fellow players, you’re seeking Google rewards. With each of your “keyword” hands, Google snickers at what you’re holding or rewards you with the top positions among the search engine results pages (SERPs).

When you target another keyword phrase, you’re dealt a new set of cards. Unlike real poker, this hand is not random. You end up with cards based on what you bring to the table.

What are your SEO strengths that will give you a good hand?

Rather than list all of the ranking factors, I’ll cite a few that should shape your keyword choices.

Domain and page authority

Based principally on backlinks, your score will influence your rankings. Moz tracks the data, and websites fall somewhere between 1 and 100. Do you even know how your site scores? Higher scores increase the odds of higher rankings.

Content and website size

Websites with some pages (like maybe 10 or 20) won’t fare as well as websites with hundreds or thousands of pages, which signal to search engines that they’re serious players. More pages make it easier for websites to play up key themes, attract backlinks, and add additional pages to target coveted keyword phrases.

More pages make it easier to attract #SEO attention w/ themes, backlinks, keyword phrase pages. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Oops! 17 SEO Misfires to Avoid With Website Content Marketing

Domain name

Online marketers debate its value toward your rankings. My sense is that its importance has waned, but it’s clearly a factor. If your domain includes part of your keyword phrase, you have an edge.

If your domain includes part of your keyword phrase, you have an edge, says @mikeonlinecoach. #SEO Click To Tweet

Other SEO essentials

You can’t afford to have issues with basic website structure. Is all of your content indexed? What about the following:

Content headers: Do you use H1 tags with the text?

SEO page titles: Can you customize them on a per-page basis?

Page URLs: Can you keep them short and use dashes to separate words?

To underscore the possibilities for 2019, I identified three companies through LinkedIn to see how well they’re already doing with SEO and to show ways we can learn from their efforts (good or bad).

Catalant – Identification of talent through technology and programs for companies Taboola – Content discovery platform Jellyvision – Creators of ALEX, employee communication software

Taboola is probably in the best shape with a domain authority of 72 (Jellyvision is 43 and Catalant is 36).

Although Taboola has first-page rankings on Google, several keywords aren’t hitting the mark and the best ones could do better.

Taboola (like many websites) would benefit from iterative SEO, meaning its team should make distinct revisions to the SEO page titles, content headers, and other text to see whether rankings improve without hurting their top positions. But they shouldn’t make too many changes at one time or they won’t know what worked and could disrupt rankings. They could monitor rankings after testing keyword-placement scenarios. (Most website pages are indexed within days or a couple weeks.)

For example, Taboola might avoid going after both “native content” and “native advertising” on the same page. “Native content” ranks No. 11 with 590 searches, but “native advertising” is No. 12 with 5,400 monthly searches. Both phrases rank well, but “native advertising” may not get much higher with “native content” having a strong presence.

Fortunately, Taboola used an H1 tag with “native advertising,” but it’s possible that phrase is on the page too many times (sorry, there isn’t a foolproof formula). With the high search volume, it might be worth tinkering with the text and the number of keyword references over a couple months.

As for “native content,” Taboola may want to use that on another page or create a new page. Adding content is always a good approach to support a target keyword phrase.

Jellyvision should seriously consider that option. The business only has a few good rankings for low-volume keyword phrases. I’m actually a fan of keywords that aren’t searched often. They can yield good prospects for sales to help the bottom line. But more pages are needed.

Target low-volume keyword phrases for #SEO. They can yield good prospects for sales, says @mikeonlinecoach. Click To Tweet

The website has a strong collection of content. Jellyvision understands how businesses can convey critical information to employees. But that content often doesn’t relate to relevant keyword phrases. Sometimes its content keywords aren’t searched at all.

One of its content headers and SEO page titles is: Why Understanding the Four Major Learning Styles Will Help You Reach More Employees This Open Enrollment. The highest ranking for that page is 23rd for the phrase “benefits of learning styles” (30 monthly searches), which appears on the third page of Google. Maybe it’s good content – just not an effective string of words for SEO.

One of their best rankings is “extra space storage” – No. 14 with 135,000 monthly searches on Google. But it’s for a case study featuring a client. I doubt that website traffic helps much with conversions because people searching for “extra storage space” won’t find anything meaningful to them on this page.

Catalant struggles with SEO – at least with its apparent target keyword phrases. For starters, it is centered on a narrow topic – focusing on agility to connect with the right talent. The company has accolades from Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Financial Times. However, Catalant’s site can’t seem to rank well for words it cares about. If you can’t rank in your niche, you have a problem.

Sometimes it’s useful to branch out and look for related keyword phrases that are relevant but not as competitive.

It’s useful to look for keyword phrases that are relevant but not as competitive, says @mikeonlinecoach. #SEO Click To Tweet

The existing content may speak to core audiences, but it isn’t producing many strong organic results. For example, the content header Capitalizing on the Right Skills at the Right Time With Business Agility may seem OK, but it doesn’t include a keyword phrase within striking distance. The lengthy URL doesn’t help matters. Extraneous words prevent any focus and the URL is bogged down by “business” and “agility” duplication:

Capitalizing on the Right Skills at the Right Time With Business Agility

Catalant still has some hope. It could revise SEO page titles (even doing that can make a difference) and add new pages with keyword-focused content headers, short URLs, and effective SEO page titles.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

4 Steps to Speed Up Your Website and Look Better to Google

How to Optimize Your Website for Audio Search

SEO and Website Image Optimization 10-Point Checklist for Marketers

Featured snippets

Beyond these companies, some marketers will win out if they can qualify for a featured snippet that appears after the paid ads on Google. They’re not easy to get.

You can potentially land some by providing good explanations about a topic. Content built around questions can help (you don’t necessarily need a Q&A format). Although there are no formal requirements to improve your odds, some marketers suggest including details in tables, lists, and numbered steps.

Keep in mind that many featured snippets are for keyword phrases with low volume. Oddly, websites that struggle to rank for many keywords sometimes earn a featured snippet.

#Content built around questions can help your site land a Google featured snippet, says @mikeonlinecoach. Click To Tweet

Just like other search results, featured snippets come and go. You won’t always be the winner and you can quickly get one back after losing it. Stone Temple Consulting in 2018 explored the volatility and other trends around featured snippets. In 2017, Ahrefs released a study saying featured snippets appear in 12.29% of results.

Again, keep in mind that Google continues to alter SERPs with its Answer Box, People Also Ask, tweets, Image Pack, and more. Your rankings also will often change based on geography when Google introduces different results based on the most relevant searches.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

15 Search Intent Tips, Examples, and Resources for SEO Keywords

3 Keyword Research Trends to Reshape Your Content Optimization

2. Create and modify content for SEO

Not all content will have SEO implications. You still produce videos, infographics, white papers, and blog posts to reinforce your status in an industry while supporting social media, e-mail, and other marketing efforts.

However, if you’re counting on SEO to drive traffic, I wouldn’t recommend producing less content. You might say, “Isn’t quality what matters most?” Of course, quality is important. But I wouldn’t scale back content that could be used for SEO.

Your best bet is to tailor new content to keywords that can rank. If you can get your keyword phrase in the bulk of the page header, you’re golden.

But here’s the deal: Do you even deserve high rankings? I’m all about what I call the SEO keyword “sweet spot.” But you have no business going after keyword phrases searched 1,000 times a month when you can’t even manage to rank on the first page of Google for keywords people search for 50 times.

Remember, SEO is a poker game and it’s all about what gives you an advantage. Look at your keywords and see how many are on the first page of Google. What’s the average search volume? You’ll get a sense of your sweet spot – defined by top rankings and search volume.

With your SEO strategy, you can be a little aggressive. If your average search volume sweet spot is 100, maybe target keywords searched 200 times a month. Why? You can assume your current SEO efforts had fallen short – the wrong combination of keywords in page headers, SEO page titles, etc.

In a few cases, see what happens if you make more risky changes. I’m working with a website that wasn’t even in the top 100 positions for many of its 20 strategic keywords. Based on some data, it looked like the client’s sweet spot for keywords may be in the 10 to 30 range for average search value. We targeted one phrase with 700 searches a month. It’s now ranking No. 12 on Google after making two sets of SEO changes on one page. Ultimately, the client may need a new page to grab a spot among the top 10 positions.

Keywords with low search volumes shouldn’t be overlooked anyway. Collectively, these search queries can drive relevant traffic and leads. Think about what you’re selling, your margins, and the lifetime value of new customers. You might sell a $10,000 or even $50,000 service or product based on low-volume keyword phrases.

Selecting keywords isn’t just about search volume and rankings. You also need to consider searcher intent and where the existing or new content falls within the buyer’s journey.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

If You Aren’t Using Website Videos, You’re Missing These 3 Benefits

How Topic Modeling Can Strengthen Your SEO and Content Marketing Strategy

3. Pursue backlinks

Google has identified backlinks as a top linking factor. Stone Temple Consulting recently updated its in-depth study that details the strong correlation between backlinks and ranking.

Here are a few quick link-building ideas:

Build relationships with influencers.

Explore your team members’ own connections.

Use PR strategies and tactics to connect with notable news media.

Become members of more groups that are even loosely tied to what you sell.

Launch a series of surveys or industry studies.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

34+ Link-Building Tips, Tools, and Examples for SEO and Website Traffic

How to Make an Amplification Strategy With Shares AND Backlinks

4. Take care of the small stuff

In 2019, there is no reason to neglect the small items that impact search engine rankings. Though they’ll never compare to the impact of content, content headers, and backlinks, they still get a lot of play. Consider:

Page load speed

Image file names and alt text

Internal links

Mobile friendliness

Structured markup (i.e., org)

User engagement based on quality content and exceptional design

Take care of the small stuff for #SEO – page load speed, internal links, mobile friendliness. @mikeonlinecoach Click To Tweet

I like how Neil Patel emphasizes that Google can look at an array of metrics like how long people spend on your website compared to other websites and whether users quickly leave your website and return to Google.

“If you want to beat Google, you have to shift your mindset. It’s not about understanding Google, it’s about understanding users,” Neil writes in How Digital Marketing Will Change in 2019.

How will you survive SEO in 2019? Modify content already in place and be strategic as you create new content that you expect to perform on search engines. What kind of cards have you earned for the next poker game?

Get a better grasp on the interplay of content and technology this April at ContentTECH Summit. Register today using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post 2019 SEO Keywords and Google: What’s in Your Poker Hand? appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.

from https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/02/seo-keywords-google/

[theleaderdotinfo-blog]

Montgo GS defy the odds has been published at http://www.theleader.info/2018/09/11/montgo-gs-defy-odds/

New Post has been published on http://www.theleader.info/2018/09/11/montgo-gs-defy-odds/

Montgo GS defy the odds

On Friday 7th of September ten determined Montgo players set out to defy the odds and get in a game of golf.  In spite of extreme maintenance activities and a dreadful weather forecast these mighty ten gathered, clubs at the ready, to battle it out for the glorious prizes on offer by the society.  A fine sight they were too as the day had been declared a ´Free dress Friday´.  However none of the boys were brave enough to wear a dress, for which the ladies present were extremely grateful.  Keeping the day informal we played a blind pairs stableford with generous ´gimmes´ due to the rough terrain of the greens.  We thought we were defeated by the weather as the heavens opened as soon as the first group T´eed off.  Glumly a retreat was sounded and the ten headed for the club house for a fortifying shot of caffeine.  Turns out this was only round 1.  Soon the rain ceased and our intrepid few set off for the fairways and the game commenced. Round 2 was just a few minor showers in the early half of the game.  Although threatening to turn into something more, we persevered, determined to finish.  On reaching the halfway mark Round 3 was thunder rolling across the sky but we laughed it off.  For Round 4 the fates brought out the big guns as lightning strikes lit up in the distance.  Relying on Oliva´s management to stop us if it got too close we made a dash for the final few holes. Success!  We finished our game, almost dry, and very happy.  And despite all the trials and tribulations there were some pretty good scores with all but two in the thirties.  First place honours went to Jim Hayward and Dave Fotheringham with a joint score of 70 points.  In a close 2nd place Glenys Cuming and Neil Carter had 69 points, while Richard Fox and Peter Gardiner had 64 points.  Both NTP prizes went to Richard Fox, he also managed a proper two with no gimme for a coveted ball.  The remaining four players received a packet of crisps each just for turning up. Next weeks competition is a stableford sponsored by Derek Hall.

[hazmoonxmuses]

BOLD any which apply to your muse! Italicize any that apply to an extent. Remember to REPOST! Feel free to add to the list!

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green.  apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. slender. trained. piercing. tattoos. strong. weak.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. sword. dagger. spear. scythe. bow and arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. energy. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. powered armor. cannons. ballistics. lasers.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. marigolds. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. tigers. black panther. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. fencing. archery. riding. writing. reading. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. engineering. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. cello. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. trumpet. flute. drums. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. running. sightseeing.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. suit. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. neck tie. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. body suit. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sun glasses. visor. athletic wear. eye contacts. makeup. bow tie.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. landscape. cosmos. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. realism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs.

[ COLORS ] red. brown. orange. yellow. green. blue. purple. pink. black. white. teal. silver. gold. grey. lilac. metallic. matte. royal blue. strawberry red. charcoal grey. forest green.  apple red. navy blue. crimson. cream. mint green.

[ ELEMENTS ] fire. ice. water. air. earth. rain. snow. wind. moon. stars. sun. heat. cold. steam. frost. lightning. sunlight. moonlight. dawn. dusk. twilight. midnight. sunrise. sunset. dewdrops.

[ BODY ] claws. long fingers. fangs. teeth. wings. tails. lips. bare feet. freckles. bruises. canine. scars. wounds. burns. spikes. feathers. webs. eyes. hands. sweat. tears. feline. chubby. curvy. short. tall. normal height. muscular. slender. trained. piercing. tattoos. strong. weak.

[ WEAPONS ] fists. sword. dagger. spear. scythe. bow and arrow. hammer. shield. poison. guns. axes. throwing axes. whips. knives. throwing knives. pepper sprays. tasers. machine guns. slingshots. katanas. maces. staffs. wands. powers. energy. magical items. magic. rocks. mud balls. powered armor. cannons. ballistics. lasers.

[ MATERIALS ] gold. silver. platinum. titanium. diamonds. pearls. rubies. sapphires. emeralds. amethyst. metal. iron. rust. steel. glass. wood. porcelain. paper. wool. fur. lace. leather. silk. velvet. denim. linen. cotton. charcoal. clay. stone. asphalt. brick. marble. dust. glitter. blood. dirt. mud. smoke. ash. shadow. carbonate. rubber. synthetics.

[ NATURE ] grass. leaves. trees. bark. roses. daisies. tulips. marigolds. lavender. petals. thorns. seeds. hay. sand. rocks. roots. flowers. ocean. river. meadow. forest. desert. tundra. savanna. rainforest. caves. underwater. coral reef. beach. waves. space. clouds. mountains.

[ ANIMALS ] lions. wolves. tigers. black panther. eagles. owls. falcons. hawks. swans. snakes. turtles. ducks. bugs. spiders. birds. whales. dolphins. fish. sharks. horses. cats. dogs. bunnies. praying mantises. crows. ravens. mice. lizards. werewolves. unicorns. pegasus. dragons.

[ FOODS/DRINKS ] sugar. salt. candy. bubblegum. wine. champagne. hard liquor. beer. coffee. tea. spices. herbs. apple. orange. lemon. cherry. strawberry. watermelon. vegetables. fruits. meat. fish. pies. desserts. chocolate. cream. caramel. berries. nuts. cinnamon. burgers. burritos. pizza. ambrosia.

[ HOBBIES ] music. art. watercolors. gardening. smithing. sculpting. painting. sketching. fighting. fencing. archery. riding. writing. reading. composing. cooking. sewing. training. dancing. acting. singing. martial arts. self-defense. electronics. technology. engineering. cameras. video cameras. video games. computer. phone. movies. theater. libraries. books. magazines. cds. records. vinyls. cassettes. piano. violin. cello. guitar. electronic guitar. bass guitar. harmonica. harp. woodwinds. brass. trumpet. flute. drums. bells. playing cards. poker chips. chess. dice. motorcycle riding. eating. climbing. running. sightseeing.

[ STYLE ] lingerie. armor. cape. dress. suit. tunic. vest. shirt. boots. heels. leggings. trousers. jeans. skirt. jewelry. earrings. necklace. bracelet. ring. pendant. hat. crown. circlet. helmet. scarf. neck tie. brocade. cloaks. corsets. doublet. chest plate. body suit. gorget. bracers. belt. sash. coat. jacket. hood. gloves. socks. masks. cowls. braces. watches. glasses. sun glasses. visor. athletic wear. eye contacts. makeup. bow tie.

[ MISC ] balloons. bubbles. cityscape. landscape. cosmos. light. dark. candles. war. peace. money. power. percussion. clocks. photos. mirrors. pets. diary. fairy lights. madness. sanity. sadness. happiness. optimism. pessimism. realism. loneliness. family. friends. assistants. co-workers. enemies. loyalty. smoking. drugs. kindness. love. hugs.

[jonathanbelloblog]

First Drive: 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

NÜRBURG, Germany — A flimsy air fence is the only thing separating my borrowed Porsche 911 GT3 RS from the baddest-ass racetrack on earth. The proximity is so tempting, you could hardly blame me for my smoldering fantasy to ditch the Nürburgring’s sterile Grand Prix circuit and hit the hallowed Nordschleife, unfettering all 512 horses on the forest-lined über track.

I’m officially here to test Porsche’s newest RS model, but given the new Porsche’s large-scale aspirations, the Grand Theft Auto-style “What if?” becomes an irresistible reverie. The 690-hp 911 GT2 RS that plays big brother to the GT3 RS is the reigning king of the ’Ring, with a blazing lap time of 6 minutes, 47.25 seconds, but the non-turbo GT3 RS, the most powerful normally aspirated 911 ever, is only nine seconds behind the twin-turbo range-topper. With a lap time of 6:56.4, it’s a shocking 22 seconds quicker than its predecessor and holds the third-quickest production car ’Ring lap in history, ranking on top of the late, great, 887-hp 918 Spyder. Only the GT2 RS and Lamborghini Huracan Performante (6:52.01) have gone quicker here. Strange days, indeed.

Comprehending the essence of the new GT3 RS requires a bit of mechanical context. Though this squat, big-winged, NACA-ducted and vented track rat bears more than a passing resemblance to the GT2 RS, its philosophical intent diverges significantly. Both cars fall under the lightweight RS (rennsport) category, claiming Porsche’s most aggressive, motorsports-derived engineering which gives it more in common with a purpose-built Cup car than a roadgoing passenger car. In fact, the GT3 RS produces 20 more horsepower than its race counterpart. Unlike the track car, the street model also packs niceties like air conditioning and a front axle lift system. But while both are configured with a purist-satisfying rear-drive layout, the GT2 RS saunters with a bit more exclamatory swagger.

“We have [customers] that are into GT cars because they like the intimacy, the immediacy of the cars,” explains GT line director Andreas Preuninger. “But there is a certain clientele for turbo and non-turbo engines. Some GT customers love the turbo punch—this animal, this King Kong car—and that’s the definitely the GT2 RS. The GT3 RS is used more as a track tool, a sport instrument. It’s more purposeful.”

The mechanical differences beyond forced induction are incremental. The GT2 RS carries some 66 more pounds at the tail not just because of its massive variable-geometry turbines, but because the exhaust headers must act as a load-bearing element for the turbos and thus are constructed of cast iron for strength and improved heat dissipation. Damping rates are modified, and the four-wheel steering calibration is custom tuned for weight distribution. An overall philosophy of weight reduction is shared across both platforms, and track-focused hardware includes a rear-seat delete, carbon-fiber body panels, fully adjustable suspension with ball joints, and an adjustable rear wing and removable front diffuser that can create up to 1,100 pounds of downforce at 186 mph. A Weissach package adds further featherweight carbon bodywork, carbon anti-roll bars and coupling rods, and magnesium wheels.

To Preuninger’s point, the GT3 RS does indeed feel purposeful as it rumbles out of pit lane and onto the GP circuit. Grip the Alcantara wheel and bury the pedal, and the engine winds its way upward on a long-winded, 9,000-rpm trajectory. Unlike the GT2 RS, which emits unapologetically turbocharged wheezes, whirs, and burbles, the naturally aspirated engine explores its powerband with a linear, predictable escalation. Squeeze the six-piston carbon ceramic brakes, and there’s a deep well of stopping power available; do so gently though, because here on the slightly damp track, progressive inputs are key to going fast, as evidenced by hot laps with none other than rally and race legend Walter Röhrl and Formula 1/LMP1 veteran Mark Webber. But while the smoothness of the pros inspires awe and confidence from the passenger seat, the effect is eerily mirrored from behind the wheel as well. Unlike my GT2 RS experience at Portimão, which also involved a dash of inclement weather (and admittedly a heavier downpour), the organic relationship between the non-boosted engine and wet tarmac is relatable enough to encourage relatively aggressive driving.

Cornering is an equally facile trick: turn-in with a progressive tug of the wheel, and the 3,153-pound car obeys submissively. There’s no four-wheel steer-induced exaggeration, no fat anywhere in the connection between the steering wheel and the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires—which has something to do with the rubber, but a lot more to do with the rear axle. Equipped with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV), the electronic rear differential stabilizes the tail under hard braking and enhances front-end grip. The sensation of intense front-end bite is absent in manual transmission-equipped non-RS GT3s, which lack the PTV function; here, the turn-in is prescient, enabling enough entry speed to egg on the driver and hit corners harder. Though this test car is setup for less aero (producing only 317 pounds of downforce at 186 mph), there’s still a palpable sense of preternatural grip in higher-speed corners, aided by the sticky Michelins. The effect is noticeable enough that, finally after several confidence-inspiring laps, I can finally experience some tire scrub and slip in lower-speed corners. But it isn’t terrifying.

In fact, the GT3 RS approaches its limits with a level of obedience that makes the whole package just make sense. The PDK responds with near-instantaneity, and its own internal shift logic in automatic mode is eerily proper. And yet you’re still probably wondering, why not offer a manual gearbox on this otherwise analog-oriented sports car? “We could have done it,” Preuninger says, “but we want to be hygienic about what we make as an option, and it has to fit this car character-wise. This is a rennsport; it’s a track tool. People want to be fast, and with a manual against a PDK, the PDK would gain on it even on a short straight.” Okay, we get it. But to drive the point home, he adds, “Tell me one race car besides a NASCAR that shifts manually these days.”

Despite the supernaturally quick shifting, I see that while I’m clearly not on pace with Röhrl and Webber, the GT3 RS somehow manages to feel connected to my intentions in a deep and manageable way that the GT2 RS didn’t. Then again, full disclosure regarding my experience with the GT2 RS at Portimão: When asked, some four months later, about its tendency to rotate quickly mid-corner, Preuninger reveals that “Portimão was sub-optimal; the mechanics weren’t good about getting the tire pressures right. The cars went out with too much pressure at the rear, which made the cars harder to drive.” He goes on to say the rears should have been set at 2.4 bar, not 2.6 (the fronts were at 2.0). Fair enough; maybe the turbocharged car is, at its core, more drivable than I experienced. But the GT3 RS, despite its (nearly) equally stratospheric performance levels, feels far more approachable than you might expect.

Session two on the track reveals more … well, everything. With a better understanding of the short course’s 10 right and seven left turns, the GT3 RS exudes an easy athletic ability that enables it to be pushed harder, and respond with even more physical prowess. Up the pace, and everything just seems to amplify: the braking capacity, the turning ability, the acceleration. It’s almost video game-like, except for the fact that the engine, whose intuitive responsiveness encourages a finer line to be drawn at that crucial limit when you lay on the throttle coming out of a corner. Unlike the torrent of torque on-hand with the GT2 RS, the GT3 RS feels like a dragon that’s more tame-able, one that won’t spit fire in your face if you dip the pedal a few millimeters too far.

After a rocking, rollicking, and an all-too-brief double stint on the GP circuit, I wheel the GT3 RS back into pit lane, exhilarated and intrigued by the depths of its talents, of which I’ve barely scraped the surface. Does the Nordschleife hold the same allure as it did when I first strapped into this 512 horsepower two-seater? With a juicy 3.2-mile filet within arm’s reach, maybe I don’t covet the 12.9-mile side of beef quite so compulsively. But then again, it sure would be nice to try.

2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $188,550 (base) ENGINE 4.0L DOHC 24-valve flat-6/512 hp @ 8,250 rpm, 346 lb-ft @ 6,000 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 2-passenger, rear-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 179.4 x 77.87 x 51.06 in WHEELBASE 96.57 in WEIGHT 3,153 lb 0-60 MPH 3.0 sec TOP SPEED 193 mph

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[elizabethrus-blog]

Kitchens of the Great Midwest - J. Ryan Stradal | Literary |934620704

Kitchens of the Great Midwest J. Ryan Stradal Genre: Literary Price: $11.99 Publish Date: July 28, 2015 “A sweet and savory treat.” — People "An impressive feat of narrative jujitsu. . . that keeps readers turning the pages too fast to realize just how ingenious they are."— The New York Times Book Review , Editor’s Pick “Kitchens of the Great Midwest is a terrific reminder of what can be wrested from suffering and struggle – not only success, but also considerable irony, a fair amount of wisdom and a decent meal.”—Jane Smiley, The Guardian As seen on The Skimm : "Warning: this will make you hungry. . . . You won’t be able to put it down. And it will up your kitchen game." Kitchens of the Great Midwest, about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the iconic chef behind the country’s most coveted dinner reservation, is the summer’s most hotly-anticipated debut.   When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience.   Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal’s startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life—its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent. From the Hardcover edition.

[junker-town]

Vikings vs. Packers 2017: Time, TV schedule for Saturday night football

Minnesota is laser-focused on a first-round bye in the postseason after its NFC North title win last week.

Two teams who have had to rely on backup quarterbacks for much of the 2017 season — one much more successfully than the other -- will come face-to-face in the second-to-last regular season matchup of the year. The Green Bay Packers will play host to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC (live stream).

Green Bay’s savior was finally cleared after breaking his collarbone earlier this season and was right back in the lineup in last week’s nailbiter of a loss to the Panthers. Despite Aaron Rodgers’ return, the Packers weren’t able to complete their often-successful come-from-behind win, and fell to Carolina, 31-24.

Rodgers’ return to the field was, however, short-lived. As the team’s playoff hopes were dashed after the Week 15 slate, the Packers decided not to rush the quarterback’s rehab, and for the second time this season, placed Aaron Rodgers on injured reserve. Green Bay subsequently signed Joe Callahan to the active roster, and will once again place their fate in the hands of Brett Hundley.

Green Bay has a lot of film to review ahead of the Vikings matchup. The embarrassing loss to the Panthers included Panthers quarterback Cam Newton making Clay Matthews look silly by calling his shot, the Packers giving up a touchdown thanks to a butt cheek, and a hotly debated catch and fumble.

The Packers weren’t the only team to welcome back a franchise quarterback last weekend — after a very extended recovery time, Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater finally got back on the field — during garbage time against the Bengals. For the first time since Jan. 2016, Bridgewater was back under center calling plays for the Vikings, and the crowd could not contain their excitement. The game was already over before the former starter made his way into the game, but the team finished its Week 15 matchup having clinched the NFC North title.

With only two games left to play in the regular season, both teams already know their postseason fate. With the Falcons’ win last Monday, the Packers are officially out of contention, marking just the second time in Rodgers’ career as a starter that the team won’t be making a postseason appearance. The Vikings on the other hand, are still playing for a first-round bye.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.

TV: NBC

Streaming: FuboTV

Odds: Vikings are favored by 9

Vikings vs. Packers news:

Sam Bradford could return from IR in time for the postseason, but that would leave Minnesota with eleventy billion QBs on roster.

Packers receiver Davante Adams is (rightfully) mad about the cheap shot he took last week, resulting his second concussion of the season. Especially since the injury will likely play into his contract negotiations this offseason.

Vikings QB Case Keenum and his wife, Kimberly, have not been shy about letting people know that they would like to stay in Minnesota beyond the 2017 season.

The Packers’ pass defense has a way of turning mediocre quarterbacks into Tom Brady lookalikes.

Playing against good quarterbacks is a problem for most teams. That’s why they’re good quarterbacks. But a good defense has to be able to make a mediocre or bad quarterback look like one. Green Bay’s can’t and in fact goes the other way, allowing just OK players to be good, and decent players to be great.

Just because Bridgewater is back, doesn’t mean the Vikings are taking the starting spot away from Keenum.

He’s started in all but two games this season, where he has a 9-3 record with over 3,100 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Many expected (and if you’re a Vikings fan, wished) that he would be a formidable game manager. With a defense that’s one of the best in the NFL, the Vikings have just needed Keenum to not turn the ball over, and find the end zone a couple of times a game. He’s proven on multiple occasions that he can do more than that.

Vikings vs. Packers predictions:

With the postseason in their grasp, and more quarterbacks than they know what to do with, the Vikings get a much coveted win at Lambeau Field. The Packers will keep things close in the first half but ultimately fall short late in the game. That’s about what our experts see as well. Six of eight took the Vikings in their Week 16 picks. OddsShark’s computer sees Minnesota winning, as well.