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whiteqnn · 3 years ago

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PURE [5] - Corpse Husband x Fem!Reader

A/N: It’s been a while.

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

PURE [5]

“Did you guys find anybody?” Felix’s voice sounded out when the man repeated the same question for what seemed like the third time since he joined the call. The number of players showed 7 of them, which meant that they were still missing three people. Sure, they could start the game now, but it would be way more enjoyable and funny with a full lobby.

“Yeah, Toast will be here any moment. “Sykkuno replied right away. “He just texted me; he should join us in a few.”

“Cool. Anyone else?”

“I think Corpse was also supposed to join us, right? Not sure though why he isn’t here yet.”

“Oh, yeah, Corpse will be here soon too!” Jack suddenly chimed in with an explanation. “He said he needed to take care of something first, but he’ll be here before we start.”

“Great. But that means we’re still one person short.” Felix hummed when Toast’s little astronaut appeared in the lobby “Hey Toast."

“Hey man.”

“Do you have anyone coming?”

“I’m afraid not. I asked MrBeast, but he’s busy, so...”

“Well then, we can just start when Corpse is here, and maybe we’ll find someone in the meantime?” Dave suggested, earning a few hums of approval from the other players.

“Yeah, I think that’s the best option...” Jack agreed. But then his voice blared out in everyone’s headphones with excitement. “Ha! Corpse is bringing someone!”

“Who?”

“I dunno, he just texted me he has one coming and that’s all.”

“Hm, all right. Let’s wait then.”

***

Corpse fidgeted with his phone, glancing between its screen and the chat in his stream. People were already asking countless questions, but rather than answering them, he was waiting for Y/N to call him. He was nervous - the girl still hadn’t commented on his request.

The idea to invite her to the lobby wasn’t spontaneous. In fact, he’d been thinking about it for quite some time now, but never found the courage to actually ask if she would like to join them for the game.

It’s been almost a month now since that memorable phone call. A month since Y/N last played with her friends; a month since she considerably reduced her social media usage.

Sure, she was still active on her youtube channel, but not as much as before the whole haters situation. No matter how hard she tried to just ignore them and simply continue her career, she just couldn’t. There were still these nagging thoughts at the back of her mind, reminding her of all those people and their comments, their messages. It seemed like a good idea to take a short break and sort everything out.

Her fans understood it. They were obviously sad that her videos weren’t as frequent as before, but everyone knew what the situation looked like and that Y/N needed some time for herself.

Her audience knew it, and so did her friends. Especially Corpse.

The man kept his word and talked to the girl whenever she wanted to. Which, in the end, was almost everyday. Although at the beginning their conversations mostly focused on her current problem and dealing with it, their topics broadened over the time.

At one point though, Y/N started worrying that maybe she’s annoying him with her so frequent calls. She thought that she shouldn’t bother him that much - even if talking to him was what really helped her cope with her problems. He already had enough on his plate, and sharing her own concerns with him suddenly seemed like a very selfish thing to do.

But she quickly realized how wrong she was for thinking like that. When one day she didn’t call, figuring out that she should stop troubling him with her own issues, she was very surprised when Corpse reached out to her himself. He expressed how worried he got when she didn’t call, and when she explained what was the reason, he spent the next fifteen minutes lecturing her that she should never think she’s bothering him.

From that day on, they talked every single day. And they talked about almost everything.

Corpse enjoyed their late night-talks more than anything. He liked to listen to Y/N talk about the things she finds exciting, her hobbies, and her dreams. Hell, she could talk about what she ate for breakfast, and he would still listen with interest.

And even though they haven’t seen each other in person, even though she still hasn’t seen his face, they managed to get really close during those past weeks. For an outside observer (who also didn’t have access to Twitter) they would seem like a couple of very good friends.

But not for Corpse.

He couldn’t pinpoint when exactly did it happen. They were talking one evening and Y/N was telling him about the TV series she had finished watching recently. He listened intently and watched as her facial expressions changed from excited to frustrated, as she was enumerating everything she liked and disliked about the series finale.

And then he suddenly got this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, and simply couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He tried to play it off and act as if nothing changed, but he couldn’t stop his heart from doing backflips whenever she laughed at one of his dumb jokes or called him partner. It was still a running joke between them and among the group of their friends, but there was something in the way she said it that made him instantly smile like an idiot.

He also started paying more attention to the hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. #PartnersInCrime was still rather popular, even though it was a month since anyone last used this phrase on stream. Corpse also found out that #Y/Nforthebride was trending for some time; he even managed to stumble across a few fanarts.

There was this urge to send them to Y/N, but he was too nervous that it would make things awkward between them... After all, he didn’t know how she felt about that whole shipping thing.

That’s why he decided to just leave things between them as they are, and be happy that he’s at least her friend.

Corpse nearly jumped out of his skin, when he was brought back to reality by the sound of an upcoming FaceTime call. Y/N’s photo appeared on his screen, her smiley face which he had assigned as her contact photo. His lips corners curled up in a smile almost unwittingly.

“Hey Y/N/N” he said after answering the call.

“Hi Corpse” she smiled softly upon hearing his voice. Although the screen on her side was dark, she didn’t mind not seeing Corpse’s face. She respected his wish to remain faceless and enjoyed their conversations anyway.

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Just editing the new video. I guess I’ll upload it in the morning... but I’m not sure yet.”

“Well let me know then, I wanna be the first one to see it.”

“Sure thing, Corpse” she chuckled, lowering her gaze bashfully. Corpse just looked at her face for a moment, unable to stop smiling to himself. Then he remembered why they were talking in the first place.

“So... have you seen my text?” Y/N sighed at his question but nodded her head slowly. “And what do you think?”

“I don’t know, Corpse...” she ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. “...if that’s a good idea, I mean.”

“Well, it’s been a while. No pressure though, if you don’t wanna play then it’s totally fine.” he quickly clarified. “I just thought it would be fun if you joined us, even if just for a moment. I’m sure everyone would go crazy.”

Her smile widened slightly at his words, but she still didn’t look convinced. Sure, it was tempting to join them. She wanted to do it each time Sean or Felix bombarded her with messages and codes to the lobby, both inviting her to join the group in the game. But then she remembered how people reacted to her appearance in their streams... and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.

“We’re gonna play on Polus...” he added after a moment when she still didn’t say anything. “That one map with the planetary base... there’s a lava pit, y’know. Just saying...”

She laughed wholeheartedly at his words, remembering their last game when Corpse jumped into the lava for her.

“Sykkuno’s gonna be there as well” Corpse continued. “And I promise I won’t kill you this time.”

“Even if I’m the last player alive?” she joked.

“Even then, Y/N.”

Corpse stifled a laugh, as she cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly as if trying to spot him in the darkness.

“Are you streaming, Corpse?” she then asked.

“Not yet. I’m gonna start the stream as soon as you say yes, though.”

“Oh c’mon” she laughed at his words “That’s emotional blackmail!”

“Maybe. Is it working?” he asked.

Y/N let out a heavy breath and ran a hand down her face. Corpse watched in anticipation as she seemed to have some internal battle with herself. He hoped that she’s gonna agree, he really missed playing with her.

“All right, then.” she suddenly said, and his breath hitched in his throat. “I’m gonna stay for a few rounds I guess...”

“Wait, really?” he asked, a smile on his face only widening.

“Well, yeah, partner.” she replied, which made his cheeks go warm “Your imposter techniques haven’t been very effective lately... Someone needs to help you out, or you’re gonna lose your title of the king of the Imposters.”

“Oh, is that’s how it is now?” he laughed in fake shock. “I wouldn’t have to worry about losing the title if my accomplice hadn’t left me all alone!”

“All right, all right.” she giggled at his accusations. “Your accomplice is on her way to support you.”

Corpse smiled even wider at the sound of her laughter. Her eyes shined with happiness when she was giggling, which only brought out their E/C color. The fact that his stupid babbling was the reason for her smile was making him feel extremely proud of himself.

“But just so you know... I still have no idea how this map works, so I’m afraid I’m gonna need you to guide me around it...”

“Y’know you could as well just say you want to hang out with me...”

“Corpse!” she laughed, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment.

“Just kidding Y/N” he chuckled at her reaction. “Of course I’m gonna guide you, don’t worry.”

“Okay then...” she said after a moment, looking at the screen again. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. Will you send me the code, please?”

“Sure I will, Y/N”

“Okay. See you later, partner” she smiled brightly.

“See you, partner.”

When Y/N ended the call, Corpse let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair, before moving to sit behind his desk.

It was only after he started the stream that he realized he was blushing. Not only because Y/N would join them, but because there was also another thing he wanted to ask her about, but didn’t find the courage to yet...

***

By the time Y/N turned on her computer and started the game, Corpse has already sent her the code, and there was a Discord invite waiting for her as well. She bit her lip nervously as her heartbeat quickened.

Was she nervous? As hell.

She did everything she could to avoid being in unnecessary spotlight since she started receiving those hate messages. Perhaps escaping the problem wasn’t the best solution, but it definitely was a comfortable one. People wouldn’t have a reason to hate on her if she disappeared.

But then she couldn’t say no to Corpse. And truth to be said - she really missed playing with her friends. From what she’d seen on Twitter, the lobby would be filled with those she’d already played with, so she wasn’t that nervous before the game. What she was nervous about though, was how people would react.

Accepting Corpse’s request was something she did due to the sudden rush of courage. And now there was no coming back.

She knew Corpse would understand if she changed her mind... but she heard how excited he was when she had agreed. She couldn’t do it to him.

So, once she’d taken a deep breath and put her headphones on, Y/N accepted the invite and braced herself for the inevitable chaos that was bound to take place in the call. She decided to wait with joining the lobby though - at least until they realize she’s with them.

“..the fuck you’re talking about?!” Felix’s voice was the first thing she heard, which made her roll her eyes with a smile. “It’s not my fault I sound like that! At least I don’t have a liar voice like Rae!”

“HEY!” the girl yelled “I don’t have a liar voice!”

“You do, you’re using it even now!” Jack argued, much to Rae’s dismay.

“What is going on here” Corpse’s deep voice sounded out suddenly.

“Oh, you’re here! Finally” Sykkuno immediately welcomed him with his always happy voice.

“Yeah, sorry that I’m late guys.”

“No worries, man” Pewdiepie spoke up again. “We were just talking about playing the voice card and that you’re basically the only one who can do it.”

“Not fair at all!” Rae chimed in, making Corpse chuckle.

“The voice card...” he hummed after a moment, before adding. “I wouldn’t really say I’m the only one though...”

“Well who else then? Everyone else either starts laughing or have a liar voice” Dave asked, and Rae scoffed at the last words.

“Well what about my guest?”

Y/N inhaled sharply, realizing that now she should probably reveal herself.

“Oh, right! Who you’re bringing man?” Sean asked with curiosity.

That’s when Y/N typed in the game code, and her white astronaut appeared in the lobby.

“Wait, who’s- HOLY SHIT” Sean all but yelled, when realization hit him. Y/N laughed loudly at his reaction, and her voice only seemed to prove to everyone that she really was there.

“KIDDO WHAT THE FUCK” Felix reflected Jack’s response, yelling over his friend.

“Oh my god, hi!”

“What a surprise!” Y/N managed to catch Sykkuno’s words. “It’s so amazing to have you here, Y/N/N!”

“As I live and breathe.” another voice spoke up, and Toast’s little astronaut came face to face with her white bean. “My lifelong nemesis. Back here snap my neck again, huh?”

“Yeah, happy to hear you too, Toast” Y/N giggled at his words, then she adressed the whole group. “Hi guys.”

“Okay I did not expect that in the slightest” Sean laughed happily “You’re here kiddo!”

“I am” she smiled from ear to ear, even though they couldn’t see her.

“Wait- Corpse, is that the thing you had to take care of?” her best friend asked Corpse with suspicious voice.

“Well...” he trailed off and cleared his throat, making everyone laugh.

“That’s so great Y/N! We missed you so much!” Rae thundered over the bickering of the boys. “The game hasn’t been the same without you...”

“Agreed. I suddenly stopped dying.” Toast commented, making her roll her eyes with a laugh.

“I don’t know if I should be happy or fucking scared right now.” Felix laughed nervously. “With Corpse and Y/N? We’re fucked now, guys.”

“I promise I’ll go easy on you, I haven’t played in so long I think I forgot all my strategies...”

“Yeah, sure.” Toast’s forever suspicious voice made her smile wider. “Just don’t kill me in the first roung, okay? I won’t vote you off just stay the fuck away from me you little murderer.”

“Okay, I promise I won’t kill you...”

She couldn’t stop herself from laughing, and the smile remained on her face even when they started the game. It only seemed to widen, when she saw the sign Imposter on her screen.

Only to giggle hysterically when she realized that Toast was the other imposter...

And so the game went on with Y/N and Toast cooperating like perfect serial killers. Corpse did as he promised and guided her through the map, both of them being closely followed by Sykkuno. Because of that she’d just sabotage the map most of the time to give Toast opportunities to kill their friends, but eventually managed to sneak out when her two fellow crewmates were doing their tasks. It just so happen that Pewds was walking past her, and she might’ve accidentally snapped his neck...

“Goddamnit! I knew it! I fucking knew it was you!” Sean yelled once the game was over and Y/N saw the sign VICTORY on her screen, her small character standing next to Toast’s one. He was ejected at some point because Poki managed to walk in on him killing Rae, but Y/N remained undetected until the very end. Perhaps the fact that Corpse was one of the two crewmates who were left alive had something to do wtih it...

“That was rude” Pewds said in a whiny voice, clearly referring to their encounter which led to his death. “I was just happily walking around, doing my tasks like a good crewmate, and then boom! Y/N happened”

“I would say I’m sorry... but I’m really not” she laughed, making Felix gasp in shock.

“That’s what happens when you work with Toast!”

“Good game, Y/N. That was amazing” the man in question said appreciatively.

“Will you finally forgive me for killing you that one time if I say that being imposters with you was cool?” she laughed nervously.

“Actually... Yeah, I guess we can bury the hatchet now. AND we should team up more in the future.”

“Great!”

“Excuse me, what?” Corpse’s voice made the whole lobby laugh. “I don’t remember us cancelling our partnership, Y/N.”

“Corpse...”

“Are you trying to steal my accomplice from me Toast?”

“Well she’s a great partner in crime after all...” Toast deliberately used the phrase, making Corpse gasp.

“Hey! She’s my partner! Find yourself your own, Toast” Corpse joked, making Y/N laugh bashfully, her cheeks warming up at his words.

“Yeah yeah, I remember, don’t worry man. No one’s gonna take your partner in crime away from you...” Toast’s teasing voice made them all laugh, Corpse and Y/N included.

For the next few rounds Y/N played as a crewmate, running around the map with either Corpse or Sykkuno and doing her tasks. During meetings they joked and laughed, and for a moment, she stopped thinking about what people watching her friend’s streams might think about her presence. After all, there was at least a small chance that they didn’t think about it at all, and simply enjoyed watching their favoirte youtubers. Just as she enjoyed playing with her friends.

Oh, and by the way, Corpse kept his promise and didn’t kill her even when she was the last player alive...

It was soon time when everyone started slowly leaving the lobby, having played for over three hours. Y/N also said her goodbyes to the others and promised that she’d join them to play a game called Raft next week.

When she turned her computer off and threw herself on her bed, Y/N immediately grabbed her phone to call Corpse. He answered right away.

“Well hello, partner...” she rolled her eyes with a smile when he accented the last word. “Or should I say, traitor, instead?”

“Corpse... you know I would never betray you...”

“Well how can I be so sure, now that I know how cool it is to be imposters with Toast?” she knew he was joking, she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Not nearly as cool as it is with you, Corpse” Y/N grinned from ear to ear when Corpse scoffed.

“I spare your life so many times and that’s what I get in return? You cheat on me with Toast?” he said in disbelief “I’m disappointed, Y/N, I really am.”

“I would never!” she laughed through her words, even though her cheeks were now red because of Corpse’s words. “You’re the best partner in crime, Corpse, I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else!”

Not only in the game, she thought.

“Hmm, alright. Let’s say I believe you.” he said after a moment of thinking.

“I mean it, Corpse...” Y/N said after calming down from her laughter. “I... I really wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

“Well, first of all for inviting me to today’s game... I really had lots of fun, it was great to play and talk with the others. And I wouldn’t be in the lobby if not for you...” Y/N mumbled, before verbalizing her previous thoughts. “And I also wanted to thank you for just... you know... being my friend. My real life partner in crime. I just wanted you to know I’m really glad I met you...”

Corpse was silent for a good few moments, and Y/N started panicking that maybe she said something wrong, or maybe he found her spontaneous confession funny, or worse, dumb. She was almost ready to somehow laugh it all off, when his voice cut her off.

“Thank you, Y/N. It really means a lot to me too.” he sounded like he had some troubles with speaking, which made Y/N furrow her brows in worry.

“Is everything okay, Corpse?”

“Yeah, I...” he stuttered, then laughed nervously. “I just didn’t expect that and... yeah. It’s not something I hear on a daily basis, especially from someone like you.”

Someone like me?

“But what you said... it’s mutual.” he said after a moment, and Y/N couldn’t stop herself from grinning like an idiot. “You’re the best partner in crime I could ask for. And not only in the game.”

She could as well just pass out there and there...

“So uhm... there was one thing I wanted to ask you...”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if maybe... you know, if you’d have some time... and if you’d want to of course... would you maybe like to visit me here in San Diego?”

Yeah, passing out seems like a good idea.

***

This is not the last part.

TAG LIST:

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#corpse husband #corpse imagines #corpse x reader #corpse husband imagine #corpse husband x reader #youtubers x reader #imagine

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makeetelich92 · 4 years ago

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Vitamin D: What You Need To Know

Hardly a day goes by without some groundbreaking news about Vitamin D. Originally known for it's crucial role in maintaining calcium levels for bone health, it is rapidly becoming apparent that we have vastly underestimated Vitamin D's significant importance for our overall health and wellbeing. In short, judging by what I see in my practice and speaking with colleagues around the country, it's looking very much like we're facing an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency, with potential grave consequences. Nature's blend multivitamin with minerals FAQ will help to get you up to speed on this important topic.

What diseases are associated with Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in almost every major disease, including:

Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)

Heart disease

High blood pressure

Obesity

Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

Autoimmune diseases

Multiple sclerosis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Osteoarthritis

Bursitis

Gout

Infertility and PMS

Parkinson's Disease

Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder

Alzheimer's Disease

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Fibromyalgia

Chronic Pain

Periodontal disease

Psoriasis

What is vitamin D?

Although it's called a vitamin, vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin. Vitamins cannot be produced by your body, we get them from dietary sources, whereas hormones like vitamin D are made in your body. It's your body's only source of calcitrol (activated vitamin D), the foremost potent hormone within the body.

What will calciferol do?

Like all steroid hormones, vitamin D is concerned in creating many enzymes and proteins, that are crucial for protective health and preventing disease. it's the flexibility to move and have an effect on quite 2,000 genes in the body. It enhances muscle strength and builds bone. it's medicament effects and bolsters the immune system. It helps the action of hypoglycaemic agent and has anti-cancer activity. this is often why vitamin D deficiency has been joined with numerous of the diseases of contemporary society. owing to its huge array of benefits, maintaining optimal levels of D is essential for your health.

Where do I get vitamin D from?

The only 2 reliable sources of vitamin D are the sun and supplements. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way for your body to generate vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In fact, this is such an efficient system that most of us make approx. 20,000 units of vitamin D after only 20 minutes of summer sun without suntan lotion (or clothes!) That's 100 times more than the government recommends per day! There must be a good reason why we make so much in so little time.

You do not generate vitamin D when sitting behind a glass window, whether in your car or at home because these UV rays cannot penetrate glass to generate vitamin D in your skin Also sunscreens, even weak ones, almost completely block your body's ability to generate vitamin D.

The other reliable source is vitamin D3 supplements (not vitamin D2)

Only about 10% of your vitamin D comes from diet, so it is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your food.

What are the food sources of vitamin D?

1. Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil. Fatty wild fish like mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring2. Fortified milk, orange juice and cereal3. Dried Shitake mushrooms4. Egg yolks

But to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food, you would have to eat at least 5 servings of salmon a day or drink 20 cups of fortified milk

My Doctor told me to avoid the sun, what do you think?

There is an old Italian saying "Where the sun does not go the doctor does."

For about the last 25 years, doctors (dermatologists in particular) have demonized sun exposure and repeatedly told us it is bad for you and causes cancer. But is that true? In the last few years, numerous studies have shown that modest exposure to sunlight may actually be good for you, helping the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and protect against cancer, including skin cancer. Though repeated sunburns--in children and very fair-skinned people--have been linked to melanoma, there is no credible scientific evidence that moderate sun exposure causes it. Since it's almost impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food alone (including fortified milk and fatty wild fish), the sun is your best source. I'm not suggesting you go bake in the sun with your suntan oil or go to tanning salons. But getting some sun without getting sunburned makes healthy sense.

We evolved in the sun; we were made to get some sun, not to live our lives indoors and slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. If the sun is shining where you are today, get out and enjoy it, talk about a free natural treatment! All you need is a little common sense when heading outdoors, do it gradually and always avoid sunburn.

Special Note: Remember to take antioxidants when you sit in the sun, as these can help prevent skin cells from sun damage.

How much sunshine do I need?

All living things need sun, the key is balance. Too much sun exposure can cause melanoma and skin aging, while too little creates an inadequate production of vitamin D. The amount needed depends on the season, time of day, where you live, skin pigmentation and other factors. As a general rule, if you are not vitamin D deficient, about 20 minutes a day in the spring, summer and fall on your face and arms or legs without sunscreen is adequate. It doesn't matter which part of the body you expose to the sun. Many people want to protect their face, so just don't put sunscreen on the other exposed parts for those 20 minutes.

If you live north of 37 degrees latitude (approximately a line drawn horizontally connecting Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California) sunlight is not sufficient to create Vitamin D in your skin in the winter months, even if you are sitting in the sun in a bathing suit on a warm January day! The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate cholecarciferol}

How a lot of vitamin D do I need?

How much vitamin D you wish varies with age, body weight, % of body fat, latitude, skin coloration, season of the year, use of sun block, individual variation in sun exposure, and - in all probability - however unwell you are.

As a general rule, previous individuals need quite young people, huge people need a lot of that tiny people, fat people need more than skinny people, dark-skinned people need more than honest injured people, northern people need more than southern people, winter people need more than summer people, sun block lovers need more than sun block haters, sun-phobes need quite sun worshipers, and unwell individuals might have more than we tend toll people.

What I and lots of of my colleagues round the country are finding is that even people disbursal what we thought was adequate quantity of your time within the sun, are still appearance with low blood cholecarciferol} levels. i'm unsure why at this stage however there's a simple and low-cost solution...vitamin D supplementation.

How a lot of vitamin D ought to I supplement with?

Most necessary is that you simply take vitamin D3, (cholecalciferol) the active style of vitamin D. don't take vitamin D2 because it is not as biologically active nor as effective, and nor as safe as vitamin D3. And taking the right amount is crucial, most doctors tend to under dose. The current recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine: from 200 to 600 IU/day depending on one's age, are way too low. These values were originally chosen because they were found to prevent osteomalacia (bone softening) and rickets

Here are some guidelines

If your blood level is above 45ng/ml and for maintenance, I recommend 2,000-4,000 IU daily depending on age, weight, season, how much time is spent outdoors, where one lives, skin color and obviously blood levels

In other words if you are older, larger, living in the northern latitudes during the winter, are not getting sun and have dark skin, I recommend the higher maintenance dose.

If your blood level is 30-45 ng/ml, I recommend you correct it with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day for 3 months under a doctor's supervision and then recheck your blood levels.If your blood level is less than 30 ng/ml, I recommend you correct it with 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day under a doctor's supervision and then recheck your blood levels after 3 months. It takes a good 6 months usually to optimize your vitamin D levels if you're deficient. Once this occurs, you can lower the dose to the maintenance dose of 2,000 - 4,000 IU a day.

What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

There is no clear pattern of symptoms. In fact many people remain asymptomatic despite low levels. But here are some of the more common symptoms:

Fatigue

General muscle pain and weakness

Muscle cramps

Joint pain

Chronic pain

Weight gain

High blood pressure

Restless sleep

Poor concentration

Headaches

Bladder problems

Constipation or diarrhea

What about vitamin D toxicity?

It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and solely generate what it needs. though terribly rare, it's attainable to dose and become venomous with supplementation as cholecarciferol} may be a fat soluble vitamin and thus hold on within the body for extended periods of time. Therefore if you're taking 5,000 IU or a lot of daily, you must have your blood levels monitored or so each three months.

What biopsy should I actually have to visualize my vitamin D levels?

The only blood test that may diagnose vitamin D deficiency is a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25 Ohio vitamin D). Unfortunately, some doctors are still ordering the incorrect test, 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D. In fact a common cause of high 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D is a low 25(OH)D or vitamin D deficiency. So when doctors see the 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D is normal or high and tell their patients that they are OK, they are often vitamin D deficient.

Your doctor should do this test for you. Unfortunately even some of the labs, in particular Qwest, have had problems with correct results, usually giving erroneously high results.

If you don't want to go through your doctor, the ZRT lab does a blood spot test that you can order without going through a doctor.

What is the ideal blood level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D?

The current ranges for "normal" are 20 to 55 ng/ml. These are much too low!!! They may be fine if you want to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, but not for optimal health. The ideal range for optimal health is 50-80 ng/ml.

How often should I have a 25 hydroxy vitamin D blood test?

At least once a year especially at the beginning of winter. If you are supplementing, I suggest you monitor your vitamin D levels approximately every 3months until you are in the optimal range. If you are taking high doses (10,000 IU a day) your doctor must also check your calcium, phosphorous, and internal secretion levels each three months

My doctor prescribed Drisdol, 50,000 IU per week. what's it?

Drisdol may be a prescription of 50,000 IU tablets of cholecarciferol}2 or ergocalciferol. cholecarciferol isn't vitamin D however it's similar. D2 is not ordinarily found in humans and most studies show it doesn't raise a pair of5(OH)D levels additionally as (cholecalciferol or vit D3) does. If you're vitamin D deficient, the most effective issue to do, is to require vitamin D3.

Can I take cod liver oil to urge my vitamin D?

Although Cod liver oil contains a good quantity of vitamin D, it conjointly contains high amounts of nutriment A. vitamin A antagonizes the action of calciferol and may be venomous at high levels.

Why is there a deadly disease of vitamin D deficiency?

It is calculable that anyplace from thirty to one hundred pc of yankees, relying upon their age and community living environments, are deficient in nutriment D. quite 1/2 all American youngsters are vitamin deficient. purportedly nearly 3/4s of pregnant ladies are vitamin D deficient, predisposing their unborn children to all or any styles of problems. Worldwide, it's estimated that the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency affects one billion people. In my practice over 80% of patients whose vitamin D levels I check are deficient. No one is exactly sure why this is happening apart from the fact that we spend too much time indoors and when we go out into the sun, we lather sunscreen on ourselves. I think it must be more than that. But whatever the reason, the reality is we have a major epidemic on our hands.

What about the use of tanning beds to get my vitamin D?

I tend not to recommend them because we don't really know if they are safe. Because the light sources vary with totally different tanning beds, it makes them unpredictable associated presumably unsafe. In addition, most industrial tanning beds emit an unknown quantity of electrical phenomenon and since one is therefore on the brink of the particular bed, it's going to be an redundant high dose. in theory each these issues may be overcome, however really they typically are not.

#vitamins #exercise #diet #healthy living #health and wellness #health

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daeliariddle · 5 years ago

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In defense of Sonya Blade

Explanation: First of all, sorry if I read too aggressive. Sonya is my favorite since my childhood so I can read myself not very objective. And also, English is not a language I speak. I speak Spanish so it’s a little complicated for me.

Explanation 2: Some editions are not mine, owned by another great and biggest fan of Sonya Blade. The images I stole, cordially from Edu Queve.

Explanation 3 About Cassie. It’s just my personal impression. Other Sonya fans loves Cassie, loves Johnny, all CageBlade and the Cage Family. Do not be carried away by the impression I personally give you.Thanks.

Yes, finally I saw MKX and I LOVE SONYA BLADE MORE THAN BEFORE. I had already seen MK11, and although Ronda Rousey is lousy acting, at least with Latin dubbing is much more enjoyable. Not because it was Ronda Rousey who gave Sonya her voice means that General Blade is now a lousy character, that they have taken away her moves that made her unique: yes. And it’s the pitiful thing about everything.

What can I say? Sonya has always been my favorite. The only regrettable thing is that she, like Jax, and influenced by her daughters and Special Forces, is increasingly militarized, that’s boring!

The drones, the grenades, the turrets, the pistols. All that police and military arsenal that better give them to Jacqui, Cassie and Stryker. For clothing (and some accessories for Taunts and intros, and why not in kinematics) I like the military, I think many agree that Sonya’s best skin is the MK4/Gold (MKDA, MKSM and MKvsDC too), where he combines his classic and military outfit, and she looks beautiful!

Those costumes are sexy, military and have that light green color representative of Sonya from MK1. And let’s think, she even looked really cool and badass on her Ending with her motorcycle. If he had been better covered. That image would have been the best of the Ending, I vote for a Sonya rocker!

I need to see that Sonya again with her leg grab, her rising bicycle kick, the air throw in the air with her legs, the bone breaker, her front flop kick, Kartwheel. Flying Kick, Leg Slam. All those movements that told us, that’s Sonya Blade, not a generic soldier! Just like in MKX they could with Tanya to finally give her something cool, why not with Sonya?

The best thing for Sonya would be to have her "military" moves like the kiss (which can be pepper spray or something similar), her energy rings and her luminous garrote. They look great, they give her femininity! Although I do love Sonya like Tomboy.

The garrote cord is so fantastic! It’s one of the few "military" accessories that looks great, and it’s bright that makes it beautiful.

If they could at least mix her military style and her flexible movements and acrobats, Sonya would be GREAT! And come on, MK11 looks like we’re playing Round Rousey, not Sonya Blade. From the interactions of her character, the name of her chapter, where she fight! They missed a great opportunity to see Sonya fighting with her legs as they say in other interactions of her, when they take away her energy rings, why!

I don’t even like that Kitana has the Bo de Jade and the sais of Mileena, stop it! Stop extolling Cassie to put other female characters, especially your mother Sonya and Cassie, in a lower place. Cassie will turn into a lousy Mary Sue like Kitana! I feel like I’m reading like a Cassie Hater, but as an amateur writer tamed by the primary emotions of fans, when I read something that is so noticeable in PRO from a character that is disproportionately annoying. Like when on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with Ginny Weasley, The same thing! Passing the whole book on how a character was great more because of what one said than what one read, and even worse: that other characters say it; one thing: The obvious is not said.

I loved the development of her personality, many seem to have hated her, especially the fanboy/girls of Johnny and Cassie, people, please! Let’s see.

1. They were at constant war. And at the same time, she is one of the few characters who show the wear and tear and the desire not to fight anymore, although at the same time her famous phrase is: “It’s Kombat Time!” (in MKDOTR).

2. Sonya already lost important people to Kano, trusted Kano and betrayed her, making Sonya feel responsible for those deaths.

3. Her best friend became a revenant, and his daughter seeks her to become a soldier. Forming Cassie and Jacqui now part of the Special Forces. Her daughter and goddaughter there, with her, in a war, not to mention her ex-husband.

4. Sonya was always a character focused on her work hoping to get high to honor her father and to honor her fallen companions! Even though, as a human, she has had moments where justice was brought to her senses. Why say she’s a bitch obsessed with Kano but with Scorpion that’s cool? After all because of Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi Quan Chi he died when he was not yet fit! Hermann Blade father figure that Sonya admired, the same way Cassie sees Sonya and Johnny. We know of a partner close to her, and of her other brother, also deceased, can we assume that their deaths have also struck in Sonya’s psyche? Kano represents everything Sonya hates, and not just that. The mockery, the mockery that Kano has said about the death of her companions, the threat to people important to her. Kano and Sonya are not just rivals, enemies. One is the opposite of the other. It’s beyond the rivalry between Lin Kuei and Shirai-Ryu. Though I think Sonya and Kano could use new rivals.

5. Sonya knows when to dialogue and when to hand out fists. We know she hasn’t been the best mother, but we never have to question that she risked her life for the love of her daughter and her ex-husband Johnny. Sonya’s not the most patient woman, but who would be if she were in her place?

6. Having Johnny (when he doesn’t use his mood at the most inopportune time) helps soften Sonya’s hardened character by the years, to remember that before soldiers have a family. And that was especially noted in MK11.

7. She’s the one who set up the Kiss of Death. She was the first Lady Mortal Kombat and, without a doubt, an incredible protagonist, and all being A HUMAN, what many people find annoying or boring to me is incredible.

8. She doesn’t need to be a Goddess, Semi Goddess, Edeniana, Outworlder, she doesn’t need soul magic or blood magic, She doesn’t need to descend from a Mediterranean cult that bred warriors for the gods. Although I would like something similar, a pink shadow for her, but not so obvious.

9. The fact that Johnny is a charismatic and beloved character does not mean that Sonya should love him like the fandom does. Each character is different and you have to understand why. And what’s more, for them to believe that because of their interactions with other characters, do they really think that she wants Johnny bad, that she doesn’t? What needs to be read! It is so obvious that you don’t even need to write it down: Sonya really loves Johnny, despite the flaws of both the love you have is genuine and plausible.

10. Sonya always had a difficult, impulsive and strong character especially when it comes to Kano, in MKX. Or they forget that HE THREATENED HER DAUGHTER.

Besides, in case someone forgets it. Sonya is not his first wife. He’s already had a divorce, is Sonya really the one with the problem? Yes, now I need know Cindy Ford.

Sonya DOES HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR AND SHE IS IRONIC. But what, what does Sonya do? She’s an SF agent so, OBVIOUSLY STARTING IS SERIOUS. She has lost many companions to Kano and others, it is normal that she is a cold person, reserved and afraid to open up. Just because he treated Johnny the way he did at MKX doesn’t mean she hated him. You know what she was? It was a method of defense, of course he loves Johnny! But it is her method of taking him away from her and because she is also like that (a Tsundere). Or worse, remember. He had a daughter with Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn made her his wife (comics), Shang Tsung shows interest in her. Her former companion who died at the hands of Kano. Kano’s betrayal. Her relationship with Kabal and MKDOTR. Erron Black flirts with her. Yes, Cassie will be the concubine of Shao Kahn...but Sonya had the ring.

And while many hate her because she’s "boring" (please) or because "oh, she’s mean to Johnny," "obsessed with Kano, getting revenge," that’s just what I like about her. That makes her human, flawed. Not like MarySue. And the characters (as well as the people) are not gold coins for all of us to like. And that’s Sonya’s mentality.

(They forget that yes, Cassie tells him that Johnny’s changed, the Sonya who hasn’t met the new Johnny yet! Besides, let’s not exaggerate that Sonya is mean to Johnny, he was also a jerk and sexist to her. And that’s not easy to forget, he learned it first from Kano. But they could apologize.) Sonya is direct. badass. She’s not interested in being funny or liking me, fuck diplomacy and manners with Sonya Blade! She either invites you to the SF or she’ll put you in jail. She is not like Kitana SJW (the Ending of MK4/Gold of Kung Lao) who will sit down for tea and talk when the situation is exaggeratedly tense.

She is undoubtedly the original commanding officer, always in charge, always showing her leadership. I would have liked to see Sonya in Outworld commanding with Johnny the OIA, while in Earth Realm Cassie takes care of SF with Jacqui and the other KombatKids.

She has made mistakes, she has wronged her loved ones, hse has shown weakness, sadness. She has loved and seen her. She has sacrificed herself. EVERYTHING. It has a great evolution and a range of incredible emotions! And not just in games, in MKDOTR as well (Yeah, we know the show wasn’t very good, but This had his things going for it). Let’s not just stay with the Sonya video-games when there’s a lot of Sonya to enjoy, being or not really canon, exists and as fangirl of it since childhood, I really enjoy it. Every Sonya. Even Jeri Ryan has been a great and enjoyable Sonya Blade. Keeping her character focused on her mission.

And finally, at MK11 she’s opening up more, showing that she always loved Johnny, that her daughter loves her. He is dying because of Liu Kang Revenant! And we have Sonya young, who finally had a Mommy (young) moment with her daughter. And it was a beautiful moment. We could see that Sonya could understand her situation, that she accepts her death. That she is proud of her daughter. That hug, it was the time you needed and you see it in the Comics! Cassie already had it with Johnny on MKX now continued with Sonya). And “Private Pun’kin” is so cute!

It’s obvious that moms and daughters fight, and Sonya with Cassie would be no exception, but that gives MK realism. And like, at the end of all the fights between them, they’ll ALWAYS look like family. The worst thing is the foolish need of the fans, especially Cassie’s commentators to compare her to Sonya, that’s enough!

Cassie is great, she has everything that makes her a great character, and for the exaggeration and my disgust: too much. I feel like the character was lucky and very convenient argumentation (Her character I feel like fanservice). Cassie is the typical girl who wants to make herself known, just like Johnny. But Cassie still has to grow up. And that the argument chance of the writers, oh she has the same power as Johnny, INCREDIBLE! (Let the sarcasm be noted). For me, give everything from the SF to Cassie and Sonya leave me more classic with their legs, thank you.

It’s funny too, and call it what you want (“feminist complaint”) but do you realize that it’s easier to hate a woman with an unpleasant or difficult character (or hateful) than a manipulative killer? I also don’t see anyone complaining that Jax had the same thing happen to Sonya about having pure SF arsenal, and now having a daughter who wants to replace him. If you want to replace Sonya with Cassie well. Let’s replace Jax with Jacqui. Scorpion with Takeda. Sub-Zero with Frost and then.

I think my biggest problem with Cassie was that I felt her debut very quickly. First debut in MKX defeating just Shinnok, although I liked it better than having Kung Jin collided with her. It served as a rival, as an antithesis. I don’t see them as a couple, but it served to give Cassie flaws, insecurities, discomfort. After all, she was still young and training! For my part, I had her defeat Shinnok later, not her debut. Let’s see Jacqui, her evolution felt much better and more natural than Cassie. Though she «sins», and even worse of being for many the "female Jax". And also because I hate unnecessary comparisons of fans to love one another despise him because "she isn’t cool, she is unfriendly, she is better because she is more beautiful, has better X thing", evaluate the character superficially. I’m sorry. I feel like Cassie has to be the way she is so the fans don’t dislike her because, if she comes out as Sonya "Oh, she’s hateful." So make it like Johnny modernized and centennial with her phone, her bubblegum, her funny drone (And Sonya has a drone that has no charisma) and etc.

Because I know and I’m sure Sonya could have better fatalities than she has, her iconic moves, her intros. EVERYTHING. But they stuck so much to their military side that I can understand that playing with it can be boring, and it’s frustrating because for me, Sonya in other games IS GREAT. And what we have is a little. Let Sonya say it...!

{ Yes, I couldn’t get the gif.}

Come on, though, do men just talk about the tits he had on MK9? When all the characters looked like the porn version of the game, and worse, they had a horrible anatomy. I’m glad that’s finally changed. If we blame feminism for stopping sexualizing an SF agent, a respectable princess, a mother who was Queen of Edenia, we’re good (Besides, if those suits were still like that, Kano’s Ending on MK11 wouldn’t have been funny). And certainly, one thing that personally bothers me about fandom is the hypocrisy that some and others have to forgive by crucifying them based on the errors, successes, virtues and defects of the characters, tilting his scale toward his favorites and not being completely objective. Just because you don’t like a character doesn’t mean they invent faults or see every action of it as something "bad."

Hopefully in the next Mortal Kombat, if Sonya is back, they can shine their former splendor. Not because it is SF she YES or YES has to be a soldier. I am happy with that MK4/Gold Sonya or MKvsDCUniverse Sonya.And if she can model for Kerri Hoskins or Bridgette Wilson, I’m even happier. Imagine a Sonya MKDOTR, UMK3 and MKGold fighting. I DIE FROM FANGIRL AND LOVE! There it would be well defined to Sonya, without comparing her with her daughter. Also, that Sonya beat Cetrion, as he did with geras, the entire CageBlade family against the Elder Gods! I finally saw MKDOTR. Yes, I already mentioned a little bit of it, but I wanted to make a special separate point. The series is cheesy, did not have a great edition (in fact it was even bad). And there are several errors and missing characters. But come on, I think in characters, in their evolution and depth, it’s even better than MK11.

And I must say, this Sonya, played by Olivia d'Abo, is along with Bridgette Wilson my favorite.

The first chapters show us a stubborn, complicated, distrustful Sonya of all, especially of a Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) who joins them. Even, along with Jax, they’re very funny, especially watching them confront Raiden and being ironic with the Thunder God. Sonya proves that nothing is quiet, direct, rude, and sometimes even very impulsive every time she shouted "Kombat Time!".

And she’s been evolving, every chapter. Where she and Jax have been the biggest protagonists with their stories. Of even needing a female friend, and certainly her friendship formed with Kitana was really enjoyable.The relationship with her other companions, the apology to Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang), the tense relationship with Stryker. The great friendship with Jax, and from which sometimes, like every friendship, faltered. Along with others. And those loving moments you see with Kiba.

It would really be nice to see an alliance between Kitana and Sonya Blade, like this one:

But surely, the chapter where one can love and empathize with Sonya is with "Amends". Her alliance with Kabal is one of the things I would have liked to see on MK11 (but unfortunately the writers preferred that Kano lie to Kabal and that he never knew, just to make him fight with Sonya). Kabal is a great character in that chapter, with the feeling of The Phantom of the Opera, and how he ends, deciding to make his own way is great. And Sonya, understanding that even though it offers to be there. Regardless of her appearance, we even know Maggie, Sonya’s childhoodfriend who at age seven had been put in a wheelchair. It’s such a human and sweet side of Sonya’s character that it would have been nice to keep exploring it.

I like the way Sonya gradually becomes more open, relying more on his peers, as in the last chapter. It was a great change and evolution, being subtle. For me, she is a great character, and a great woman. And what better than what she said who played her in the film?

❝ 𝑆𝘩𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔; 𝑤𝘩𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝘩𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝘩𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝘩𝑒'𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑑𝑚𝑖𝑡. 𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐𝘩 𝘩𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝘩𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐𝘩 𝘩𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑖𝑔 𝘩𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝘩𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑠𝘩𝑒'𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝘩𝑒𝑟. ❞ —Bridgette Wilson.

The two most beautiful Sonya Blade of all. If Bridgette Wilson could have moved like Sandra Hess, or had Kerri Hoskins. Hell, what a beauty and stronger that would be! And that’s all, thank you for trying to understand my words. Sorry for bothering you with Cassie’s character, I love her because thanks to her there is the CageBlade mainly, excuse me. And besides Cassie’s style was better in MKX, it was more cool and realistic. In MK11, yes, the prettier doesn’t mean "better character" (sorry). I especially like them both not only because of their physical attractiveness but because they both have a strong, rude and sensual look like Sonya. Edit: To any character, with his/her virtues and defects, with his/her successes and errors that humanize him/hers we must leave behind the hypocrisy of forgiving some and others crucify them because "we like them". Let’s face it, targets. And let’s stop putting our favorites on an undeserved pedestal, and devalue the actions and feelings of those we don’t like. But fandom are hypocritical places. And besides, we’re fans and we complain about everything! No? One thing I did not add, two Sonya songs! The first one is already something known and the second one was really a pleasant surprise. Below are the links:

youtube

And Sonya, last words: ♥

Now yes. Thank you all for reading, for patience. ♥

#sonyablade Sonya Mk MortalKombat #CageBlade #SonyaBlade #Sonya #MK #MortalKombat

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junker-town · 4 years ago

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4 winners and 3 losers from Week 9 in the NFL

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

This difficult week is in dire need of new thinking.

This has been a difficult week. Emotions are high, there’s in-fighting between sides, some believe the system is so broken they’ve lost faith in how we all move forward. Millions are upset that Philadelphia might get to decide everything, and while it’s controversial to even talk about, I agree we need to start this whole process over.

We need to re-start the entire NFC East.

It’s an unusual move, sure, but nothing about 2020 has been normal. If we, as a nation, come together, reach across the aisle and remove the NFC East from our remaining NFL ballots, we can work together to give everyone hope in better football for tomorrow. There’s clearly something wrong. Never in the history of football has a division been this bad. How can the NFC East, once the proudest division in the NFL, now have more futility than the AFC South in its worst year? I have no proof of impropriety, but rest assured it doesn’t add up. The only fair way to process is segregate the NFC East and demand a recount.

With seven weeks left in the season we can do this. Every team can play a new two-game schedule against every opponent in the division. We give the division next week off to prepare, then the winner is decided by the divisional round robin.

It’s the only way to fairly choose a winner without the influence of states that don’t even understand what it’s like to live in Philadelphia, or Dallas, or New York, or Washington DC. Until we know if anyone really wants to win the east, there’s no way of ensuring the playoffs can be fair. The last thing we want is one of these flaccid, weak teams to have a chance at the end, and possibly give a deserving team an easier path to the Super Bowl.

Winner: Patrick Mahomes.

It’s so weird that we’ve all kind of overlooked Mahomes this season. I think it comes down to the weight of assumption where we all just expect him to be amazing, thus making it less necessary to pay attention to the Chiefs. We all know they’ll make it to the playoffs, probably killing most teams in the process.

While Kansas City survived a scare against the Panthers, Mahomes made history. He broke Dan Marino’s record, becoming the quarterback to reach 100 passing touchdowns the fastest. It took him 40 games, which is just ridiculous — breaking the record by four games.

Honestly, there’s nothing left to say about Mahomes. He’s the kind of transcendent phenom the NFL needed to usher in a new era. Watching him play is a joy.

Winner: Joey Slye.

Staying in Carolina vs. Kansas City, I gotta give a shout out to the Panthers kicker. To end the game coaches gave him a shot at kicking a 67 YARD game-winner, which he even has the distance to make. It was wide, Carolina lost, but when a team has enough faith to try and make you kick something from that distance, it deserves props.

all respect to slye, only steph curry is good from the logo

— Harry Lyles Jr. (@harrylylesjr) November 8, 2020

Loser: Detroit Lions.

It’s not like anyone really had high hopes for the Lions, but well, the Lions did. There was a defined sense that Detroit believed it could make a run, picking up Everson Griffin at the trade deadline — the kind of move that normally signals belief in a season.

Then Sunday happened. The Lions lost by two touchdowns to the Vikings, and while technically their season isn’t over, it sure feels like it is. They’re now last in the division. There’s no way Detroit catches the Packers, let alone the Bears. So we’ll be locked in another year of “well, there’s always next season.”

It’s tough to say much more about this hapless franchise. They just can’t catch a break.

Winner: Josh Allen.

This was a serious statement game for the Bills’ QB. Haters will point out that Seattle’s defense isn’t very good, and generally the process of distilling NFL games into QB battles is meaningless, but these kind of things are importnt for perception.

Allen was as perfect as a quarterback can be, really. He finished 31/38, with 415 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also used eight different receivers, proving he isn’t a passer who needs to lean on offensive talent as a crutch.

Loser: Russell Wilson.

This was a bad week to have a bad week. Normally Wilsons’ 390 yard passing, two touchdown, two interception day wouldn’t be enough to really slam him for, but this is a guy pushing for an MVP award.

There’s little doubt that Wilson took a massive step backward in Week 9, while his biggest competition, Patrick Mahomes was near-perfect. This really could foreshadow yet another season where Wilson just misses out. Time will tell here.

Winner: Dalvin Cook.

In the past two weeks Dalvin Cook has put up stats some running backs don’t hit in an entire season.

52 carries, 369 yards, 4 receptions, 109 yards — 6 touchdowns.

It’s not just the yardage Cook is eating up, it’s the efficiency with which he’s doing it. Nobody in the league is hotter right not that Dalvin Cook. The only down side is that his success now might hurt the Vikings later, as he’s responsible for pushing them lower in draft order and potentially keeping them from finding a star player.

Loser: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Just when you thought it was safe to start supporting Tampa Bay, this happened. Up to this point the Bucs have really been an iffy proposition. We know the team has more than enough talent to make the run, but there are pesky things like gelling and chemistry that can get in the way.

On Sunday Night Football the Bucs laid their biggest egg of the season on a national stage, getting blown out 38-3 by the Saints in a game where Tom Brady threw three interceptions. It was a total mess by every metric, and in the end it’s best to just sum this up with an image, rather than another 1,000 words.

pic.twitter.com/vwvjEgTTjh

— Brodz (@brodaaa615) November 9, 2020

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furmark6-blog · 5 years ago

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White Flourless Chocolate Cake

This white flourless chocolate cake is the perfect blond version of the most decadent, easiest dessert you can imagine. And it’s even naturally gluten free!

I find that white chocolate can be sort of a divider, rather than a uniter. The creamy texture is mostly universal, but the flavor tends to be love-it-or-hate-it. Maybe it’s the richness or the fact that many commercial white chocolates tend to be rather waxy and overly sweet?

I’m not really a white chocolate lover or a white chocolate hater. I’ll eat and enjoy nearly anything, and I find that the way a dessert or food is prepared and the quality of the ingredients can make all the difference. This white flourless chocolate cake, of course, is prepared in just the right way, with just the right ingredients.

How to prepare a flourless chocolate cake

Flourless chocolate cake is traditionally made by melting chocolate and butter, mixing them with granulated sugar and egg yolks and, then folding in whipped egg whites. Sometimes, for a bit more chocolate flavor, the egg whites are beaten with unsweetened cocoa powder.

White chocolate is unique, though, so it tends to behave differently than dark or even milk chocolate in baking. I’ve tried baking a white flourless chocolate cake by replacing only the dark chocolate with white chocolate in my easy flourless chocolate cake recipe. It was a total flop.

Baking a white chocolate cake using the same sort of ingredients as a dark chocolate flourless cake, I couldn’t get the cake to bake properly without burning on the bottom. It didn’t matter whether I separated the eggs and whipped the egg whites or not. Everything turned around when I added cream cheese to the mix, though.

White versus dark flourless chocolate cake

Since there’s no flour to stabilize a flourless cake as it bakes, often flourless baking recipes contain a nut butter or something like black beans or cooked quinoa. A traditional flourless chocolate cake has little more than chocolate, butter, sugar,��and eggs.

In making a white chocolate cake recipe, I found it even more difficult to make a batter that was fluffy enough to bake into a cake, not a pudding. Adding cream cheese to the batter made all the difference.

This cake is not a cheesecake. I had originally planned to make a dark chocolate flourless cake and just swirl in some cheesecake batter. I do think that would taste amazing. But I was dying to see whether or not I could make a white version of a flourless chocolate cake.

Since there’s also a tremendous amount of variation from one white chocolate brand to another, I do have to recommend using the best quality white chocolate you can. In this recipe, I used Ghirardelli’s white chocolate baking bar, which I find to be of consistently good quality.

(If you’re gluten free, though, please be sure to check the packaging. I understand that there have been times in the past when Ghirardelli’s white chocolate baking bar has stated that it may contain wheat.)

Do you need to use a water bath?

A water bath, or “bain marie” is simply a method for baking a cake in a larger pan with hot water that rises about halfway up the sides of the pan with the cake batter in it. It provides moist heat that otherwise isn’t possible in a traditional oven. It also maintains a more even, consistent temperature to the cake during baking.

I don’t really care for baking anything at all in a springform pan. Add in the trouble of a water bath, and I’m even more annoyed. Happily, although this recipe requires the springform pan, the water bath is entirely optional.

When I baked this cake with a water bath, I found that the cake rose and baked more evenly (no higher, browner “crust” around the edges). The texture was creamier, too.

When I baked the cake without a water bath, I did place a shallow pan of simmering water on the bottom rack of the hot oven during baking. That helps the cake bake more evenly and in a nice, moist environment. But it doesn’t slow the baking like submerging the pan in an actual water bath does. I found that the cake didn’t rise as evenly, but the texture was more cake-like.

Ingredients and substitutions

If you have other dietary restrictions beyond being gluten free, I’m afraid I don’t have very good news for you about this recipe. But here’s all the explanation I’ve got:

Dairy-free: You simply can’t successfully make this recipe dairy-free, at least not by making the usual substitutions. I have tried and tried (and tried!), and there just isn’t any proper dairy-free substitute for cream cheese. Some of them are able to nail the texture, but none of them has the proper taste.

The closest sub is probably Tofutti, but even that just doesn’t cut it for me. Personally, I’d rather have something else entirely than a near-miss. The butter should be able to be replaced with Melt, my favorite vegan butter replacement, but eliminate the salt in the ingredient list as it’s already plenty salty.

Dairy-free white chocolate that actually tastes good can be hard to find commercially prepared. But I do have a recipe for vegan white chocolate that I think would work just fine.

Egg-free: There are 4 whole eggs in this recipe, and they do some serious heavy lifting. For that reason, I know of absolutely no egg substitutes that would work.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: >45 minutes Yield: 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (with vanilla seeds, if possible)

4 eggs (200 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten

Whipped cream and berries, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a 9-inch round of parchment paper. If using a water bath, cover the bottom and sides of the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set the pan aside.

In a small, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped white chocolate. Melt either in the microwave (90 seconds at 50% power, and then for 30 seconds at a time at 50% power, stirring in between until melted and smooth) or over a double boiler (position the bowl over barely simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth). Set the melted chocolate aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whip on medium speed and then on high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Lower the speed of the mixer to medium-low, and add the eggs one at a time. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to whip until well-combined (about 2 minutes). Reduce the speed again to medium-low, and drizzle in the melted white chocolate. Increase the speed to high and continue to whip for at least 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, but fluffy. The whisk should leave a visible trail in the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula. If using a water bath, place the pan in the center of a large roasting tin and place the pans in the center of the preheated oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan while the pan is already in the oven (it’s much easier to move a pan around that doesn’t have hot water in it!) until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the top is lightly golden brown and the cake doesn’t jiggle more than very slightly when moved from side to side. That will take about 45 minutes if you’re using a water bath, and about 5 to 10 minutes less without a water bath.

Turn off the oven and prop the door open slightly. Allow the cake to cool in the oven for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. Remove the cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan to room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 3 days. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to ensure that the edges aren’t sticking before unmolding the chilled cake. Rinse a large knife under hot water, then dry it off before making each cut in the cake. The knife should glide right through the cake. Garnish with whipped cream and berries, and serve chilled.

Source: https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/white-flourless-chocolate-cake/

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

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309nyeon · 7 years ago

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[Pann] The Level of Hate that a Produce 101 Trainee is Currently Getting (Clean Version)

Source: 최근 까이고 있는 프로듀스 연습생을 향한 악플 클라스 (원글쓴이임) 크린버젼

This post got deleted again so I re-uploaded it again. I tried to censor the hate as nicely as possible, though it feels like covering the sky with your hands (t/n: not sure about this). Apparently, it got deleted because it contains violence, curses, and slanderㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Nate Pann, are you joking with me? All of the posts on Pann before were this badㅋㅋ Why were those posts acceptable, but my post which compiled all of the hate deleted? Ah, now you realize that it’s actually bad? Or did you not want people to know that you allowed those postsㅋㅋㅋ Though I’m sure my post got deleted because someone reported itㅋㅋ

Produce 101 is very trendy everywhere, which is why there’s a lot of talk about the trainees that appear on it as well. Recently, there’s a lot of interest(?) around Joo Haknyeon, a trainee who prepared Open Up, a concept evaluation stage.

He’s greedy even though he’s unskilled, he made mistakes onstage, he covered another trainee’s face onstage, etc etc. For all of these reasons, he’s getting hate. I can understand constructive criticism but the problem is that the hate has crossed a line and has become excessive..;;;

If you miss your dad so much, why don’t you just follow him? Why are you crying..

Just follow your dad.... the world’s air is wasted on you.

Just feel free to beat up the nuisance, pig bastard Joo Haknyeon

He’s ugly, untalented, and his personality’s trash. I was wondering why he was like that and it’s because he doesn’t have a dad.

His mom’s crying every night while having s** with pigs

t/n: Idk what the last two are saying.

As you can see, the comments towards his parents are so bad it’s hard to read;;;; Joo Haknyeon’s dad passed away last year;;;; It’s not only that but there was also a clarification post on him supposedly covering another trainee’s face onstage but...

t/n: People were saying that he covered Yongguk’s face on purpose because he wanted more spotlight. Someone wrote up a clarification post on Pann to clear up this misunderstanding but it still got a lot of dislikes. Here’s a translation of the post (original).

To sum it up, he was supposed to walk in front of that trainee to get to his ending position and the reason why he looked like he was covering the trainee’s face is because of the camera angle.

But all of the people who are just hating rather than giving constructive criticism completely ignore clarification posts like this. Look at all of the dislikes ㅋㅋ The post was only pointing out false assumptions and telling people to judge based on factsㅋㅋBut the haters responded with “the post is too long,” “so what?”, and “do you think that’s why he’s getting hate”

Haknyeon, you would just be better off working at a host bar. What are you even good at, you can’t even dance. Just give it up.

[+5, -0] What the hell... His chin is long and his stare is dirty but the Sangam fancamㅋㅋㅋ That fansite master (T/N: Aquamarine) is a con artist.

[+14, -2] I felt like Joo Haknyeon was acting like he was kind last week. At this point, he’s not even acting, he’s just straight-up evil.

I can’t even tell that he’s a face pick..; I can tell that Guanlin, Hyeongsub, and Jinyoung are all good-looking but they say that Haknyeon’s a face pick... they say that he has a refreshing charm and smells like hallabongs. He has a well-developed jaw and jutting chin so I’d at least accept it if they said he was a manly type instead of a refreshing type..;;

I’ve said this already but I can accept constructive criticism about his skills or greed. However, you hated on him for purposefully blocking a trainee’s face even though it wasn’t true. It doesn’t make any sense to me that he received hate and sexual harassment comments because of something that wasn’t true..

It’s not only Pann that’s like thisㅋㅋ Every online community has been attacking his looks and making terrible personal attacks to an excessive degree.

t/n: More here. They’re all just terrible comments about his face, body, skills, and personality. Comments about how they want to beat him up or nasty comments about his chin or shoulders. I don’t want to translate these anymore because they annoy tf out of me.

I’ve said this before, but I think constructive criticism about his skills or greed is acceptable. But all of the personal attacks, sexual harassment, and hate comments about him purposefully covering another trainee’s face.. even though this isn’t true..ㅋㅋㅋYou might think this only happens on DC Gallery because there are a lot of weird kids on there. However, the hate comments come from DC Gallery, Twitter, Facebook, Pann, online cafes and communities, and comments under videos and articles. These hate comments are everywhere.

I hope Haknyeon doesn’t search his name on the internet. The sexual harrassment and comments about his parents are too much..... It also seems like his agency is waiting for the right time (to sue).. I hope they accept the constructive criticism but deal with the sexual harassment, comments about his parents, and the like...

Overall: [+1124, -163]

---

1. [+422, -21] He used to smile constantly and proclaim that he’s Joo Haknyeon and point to his nametag to strangers, but now he doesn’t even smile and his expressions are dead whatever he does. What did he do that was so wrong? He’s not as skilled, yes, he expressed some greed, he made a mistake, but he quickly fixed his mistakes on M Countdown after being criticized. I was shocked that there were people bating their breath, waiting for him to make even one mistake on M Countdown. My heart hurt and I felt ashamed when people laughed mockingly and said that him being pushed around during the parts selection (t/n: not sure about this) was justified. His face was red and he couldn’t even hide how flustered he was. He’s only 19 years old. What kind of righteous, amazing life did you live that you’re so desperate to take him down? You need to stop it, for real.

2. [+414, -20] I’m honestly worried for Joo Haknyeon’s mental health.. I’ve never seen anyone from a survival show receive this much hate. Every community online has been attacking his personality, his skills, and his face to excruciating detail. Now they’ll curse him whether he smiles or cries.. They shame his fans for liking him so all of his fans seem like they’re hiding (I have never seen anyone taking his side). It’s to the point where people will say that they pity the other trainees because of Haknyeon or that it’s because of Haknyeon that so and so got eliminated. He gets hate just for breathing.

I didn’t even want to go to school after fighting with someone from my class, but as soon as he turns on the internet, they’re all hating on him so proudly I bet he wants to leave Korea. I’m so, so worried.. If he doesn’t debut, will people forgive(?) him?

3. [+412, -16] Didn’t he smile and say that he’s never been loved so much at the beginning of the show....ㅋㅋㅋ Do you realize how cruel this system is? The kids first say please love me and then end up saying sorry and don’t hate me...The kids need to go to therapy, and all of the people attacking these young kids with hate comments have terrible personalities... I copy-pasted this best reply from beforeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I knew this would happen^^

4. [+67, -2] After watching yesterday’s episode, I could tell that he knew that he was lacking in skills, and they even edited out scenes where he was practicing by himself. I just feel so bad for this 19 year old kid. He gets hated on just for breathing.. Don’t all kids at this age have lots of bravado, ambition, and playfulness? Is this something that deserves this much hate? Let’s not even acknowledge the people who think they know everything about a person based on a show. They won’t even listen to reason.. Haknyeon, hang in there.

5. [+67, -3] I’ve read this post several times already but I still can’t calm down. My hands and feet are trembling... I hope he’s never seen these hate comments...but he apparently looks at all of the comments...I’m really sorry, Haknyeon...I only wanted you to see pretty words.....ah....seriously.....Even though we’re the same human beings, these people are just so disappointing ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

6. [+59, -1] I’m so sadㅠㅠ just as the haters say, if Haknyeon really didn’t put any effort, would he have been able to perform Open Up in three days? Yes, Haknyeon does lack skills, made some mistakes, and is a slow learner, but I’m wondering if a 19 year old kid really deserves this much hate.

First Picture: When he was practicing by himself (during Right Round) Second Picture: He took detailed notes of Dongho’s advice on his singing. Third & Fourth Picture: He’s memorizing the lyrics during rest time.

7. [+57, -0] The worst thing is that fans of higher-ranked trainees would say that he'd be a nuisance to their picks while fans of lower-ranked trainees would pick on him because they were threatened by him. On top of that, they even made him out to be some kind of outcast among the trainees and said that him being treated like an outcast was justified. There wasn’t anybody who didn’t curse Joo Haknyeon, online or offline. Did he really do something that terrible? I was shocked by how everyone was relentlessly hating on him. It’s not even a matter of him debuting or not anymore. I’m worried if he’ll even be able to return and start a new life after Produce 101. Why are you guys so determined to take him down?

8. [+54, -1] If you’re human, at least have the decency to realize there are things you shouldn’t say. How can you hate on a kid who’s says he’s going to work hard when you haters would probably go through a mental breakdown if someone cursed you in real life? Do you have any right to act like this? He made a mistake? You’re just giving constructive criticism? He’s unlikeable? I can understand all of these, but this (t/n: referring to the post) is just character assassination. How is he supposed to live after this when he knows that are hundreds and thousands of people that hate and curse him to this extent? Let’s not be like this as human beings. I hope his agency sues these haters and they get what they deserveㅡㅡ

9. [+53, -1] I’m so angry I can’t sleep. I didn’t even hear Haknyeon’s voice in the sports day segment in last week’s episode. There are people saying that Mnet and Loen are on bad terms, and it’s definitely true (Cre.ker is a Loen subsidiary). Also, please stop making hate remarks about his personality. Even though he dropped from #10 to #18, he’s still a fragile kid who cried when they announced Yongguk was #21;;

(t/n: Haknyeon and Yongguk are close. They trained under the same agency together before, and Yongguk mentioned that he was close to Haknyeon in his Vapp live.)

10. [+47, -2] Whenever I see Joo Haknyeon, I’m reminded of Kim Sejung. I just feel somewhat sad for them because they both seem the type to smile by default. Whenever he makes a mistake, he smiles. Even though he was kicked out of Never, he smiled. When he was pushed around during the parts assignment for the final songs, he smiled even brighter. It just seems like he smiles to control his emotionsㅠㅠ This is something I felt since the first elimination round. By the way, I’m not a Haknyeon fan. My one pick is Hyeongsub.

11. [+46, -2] They really close their eyes and ears to everything

12. [+39, -2] Before this post, if we said that the hate was too much, they’d either shut us up by saying that 1) we’re Haknyeon’s fans or 2) that his actions deserves this much hate. Do you know what people said in response to the talk about Haknyeon being an outcast? They asked why the others would even like a guy like that. Do you like making out your faves to be bullies/bystanders and saying that Haknyeon deserves to be alienated? You’re all attacking him like you’re all just having a good time pissing on him.

13. [+38, -5] You have to debut. So I can see all of the haters choke.

14. [+34, -1] I’ve seen this post before but it got deleted.. why didn’t they delete all of the hate comments before then.. All of the haters will eventually get what they deserve... You’re being too much to a 19 year old kid.

15. [+31, -0] The comments make me want to throw up. Haknyeon’s not my pick but I just feel so bad for Haknyeon and his fans. He really didn’t get any screentime in the beginning and all of his fans looked for him in the corners and edges of the show and they stuck through with it for weeks. But starting from the 6th episode, there were lots of people who began to say that it would have been better if he just didn’t get any screentime... There was also shots where you could see him practicing alone in the corner, but they don’t show any of that. When they showed scenes of the kids playing with each other and showed who was close to who, they didn’t show any cuts of Haknyeon. Even now, it’s hard to find even a strand of his hair in bts videosㅋㅋ Because of this, there are people who’s saying that he’s an outcast or whatever, but how would we know that when they don’t even show him.. I’ve been getting a weird feeling about this since before, but after watching last week’s broadcast, I’m certain that the PD doesn’t like him. He was completely cut out of the sports day segment and the trainee’s talk time.

16. [+25, -0] I became a fan after seeing Haknyeon’s innocent, bright smile. These days, he doesn’t smile much, and when he’s smiling, he doesn’t even look like he’s smiling for real.. I’m sad because he’s not like how he was before. What makes me sadder is that he doesn’t express how he feels inside. I hate myself for thinking this, but I sometimes think it would have been better if he had received more PR training (he’s too innocent so he doesn’t know how to act on broadcast) or if he was a bit more sly and knew how to act accordingly to get more love from the viewers... I’m just very scared and worried that Haknyeon will change.. so please stop it with the hate. Just think of it as saving someone.. I just want to continue seeing Haknyeon’s bright smile that we saw at the beginning of the show.

17. [+25, -0] Haknyeon fans, don’t give up just because he’s #18. Vote even harder. The show doesn’t show any of Haknyeon’s relationships with the other boys so it makes sense that he dropped during 2-pick. It may have actually been a good thing. Now that I think about it carefully, they really didn’t show any of Haknyeon’s friendships on the show since the first episode and the bts videos. Now that it’s one-pick, continue to vote for Haknyeon. Just struggle for one more week. Vote furiously so that Haknyeon can achieve his dream of debuting.

18. [+25, -0] Creker needs to sue them. They think they can just say anything onlineㅠㅠ My heart hurts.

19. [+25, -0] He’s been hearing stuff like this, but he thanked (the national producers) for giving him the chance to be onstage again? I pity him. I’m worried for his mental health.

20. [+24, -0] I’m reuploading my comment because the post got deleted. You think the whole fuss that happened with Haknyeon’s Open Up fancam involved just a minority? For two hours, all of the best replies on Haknyeon’s fancam were reported and taken down. They didn’t even reach 500 likes before getting taken down. The hate comments and the fan’s comments were all too much. You’re the ones who posted on different communities, asking people to like the hate comments so that they can be the top comments on his individual cam. That’s why his fans were so desperate to make the positive comments the top comments on his video. You're the ones who wrote that Haknyeon’s fancam would be a hot issue and that everybody should go look for another mistake he made in his fancam. And you’re still claiming that you’re only “criticizing” him?

21. [+23, -0] Pann is hilariousㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ What were you guys doing just watching when everyone was maliciously attacking him? You’re all the same.

22. [+23, -0] Haknyeon’s not my pick but I’m upvoting this. A post like this should go up on the rankings. Not only Haknyeon but all of the trainees didn’t do anything to warrant comments like these. These people have no right to say such harsh things. They think they’re important because of the national producer label. Don’t fool yourself, you guys are nothing.

22. [+23, -0] This is a misunderstanding. Haknyeon didn’t cover Yongguk;;; Haknyeon’s supposed to walk in front of Yongguk to get to his ending pose, the camera angle was weird, and if you look at their picture on the official facebook page, he didn’t cover Yongguk.. Also, Yongguk mentioned Haknyeon as one of the trainees he was closest to during his Vapp live, and Haknyeon cried for Yongguk when he got eliminated. Would he really cover Yongguk on purpose?

23. [+21, -0] I thought he wasn’t a bad kid, seeing how the people around him have always come out to say something against the negative way the show portrays him. I knew that people were criticizing him, but I didn’t know it was this bad. Why don’t people know their limits..? This isn’t constructive criticism. This is just senseless hate.

24. [+21, -0] Eunki and Hwanwoong fans don’t even hate on Haknyeon because they know that Eunki and Hwanwoong are actually close to Haknyeon and that the editing was weird. It’s so obvious when people pretend to be Eunki and Hwanwoong fans to hate on Haknyeonㅉㅉ

25. [+20, -1] It’s goosebumps-inducing how you’ll hate on Haknyeon using the other traineesㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㄱ So, did you guys ever vote for Hwanwoong, Eunki and Yongguk? They’re actually close to Haknyeon and genuinely support him. It’s funny how you’ll make all these assumptions based on five minutes of a show.

26. [+16, -0] Haknyeon’s expression... He looks like he’s flustered and his heart’s beating fast and like he’s about to cry because he’s so surprised, but he’s trying so hard to hold it in... he’s swallowing with his mouth, and his eyes look like they’re at a loss. It’s a face that can’t decide on any particular expression. How flustered he must have been. In that short moment, so many thoughts must have run across his head.

#produce 101 #joo haknyeon #haknyeon

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sartle-blog · 7 years ago

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Guide to Your Best Summer Beach Bod

#beach body #summer #beach day #art #art history #swimming #very silly #thomas eakins #michelangelo #creation of adam #hieronymus bosch #garden of earthly delights #henry moore

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rjhamster · 5 years ago

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You are not "Just a..."

November 16

by Mike Deegan, Life Lessons Learned Through Sport

I’m just a small school baseball coach. It’s scary, I’ve used that sentence on way too many occasions. There have been times where I have said these words to others; however, my most frequent use is through self-talk. Have you used limiting phrases like this? Have you ever put yourself in a self-imposed box? Why?I’ve wrestled with why I, and I suspect many others, minimize their value. I came up with three reasons: 1. We pay attention to the noise. There are people who demean what others do. Some faculty members believe competitive athletics are not necessary to a well-rounded education. Some higher level coaches think lower division coaches are not knowledgeable. Some members of the community don’t see coaching as a real job. Somewhere along the line we start believing these “haters” are right. 2. We lack conviction and confidence. If you believe in yourself and your process it doesn’t matter what outsiders think. When we say, “I’m just a…” we are hedging. It gives permission to not hold ourselves to the highest standards and put forth our best effort. Why would I compete hard and strive for excellence when “I’m just a …..?” 3. We have false humility. When we minimize what we do we feel we are being modest or humble. We can’t mistake meekness with humility. I hope you understand and embrace that:* You are not “just an administrative assistant”. You are the front porch of the organization. Your best self can set the climate. The organization and writing skills you possess keep the group churning.* You are not “just a bench player.” The effort and approach you bring to practice demands everyone grow and improve. Your positive attitude is contagious and inspires the entire team and staff. The team cannot reach its ceiling without you.* You are not “just a teacher.” You are responsible for the learning, growth and development of our youth. For some kids, you are their source of safety and comfort.* You are not “just a small business owner.” You are a sign of zest and courage. You provide a product or service that improves the lives of the people within your community. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to interact with top leaders in various fields. A common thread amongst the people I admire most is they realize the importance of everyone and every profession. They are curious of what others do, they are appreciative of their sacrifices, and they admire driven people who are looking to make a difference. So, while you may say, “I’m just a….” high level people and achievers don’t see it that way! A Note to Leaders:This week may be the time to reset your approach. Are you providing the platform for everyone in your organization to utilize their strengths? Have you looked only to the leadership team or “key employees” for new ideas? Do your people feel heard, understood, and appreciated? Consider how powerful your group can be if everyone believes th have the ability to make an impact. Over 90% of people who read this will say, “yes, our people know they are valued.” But do they? Just writing, “thanks for all you do” or “I couldn’t do it without you” isn’t enough. It’s actions and behaviors that matter. What can you do today to inspire someone to share their true thoughts with you? Final Thought:I have come to grips that I’m not “just a small school coach.” Developing a culture that strives for excellence creates a learning platform. Life mirrors sports. The gut-wrenching losses and triumphant wins. The feeling of giving all you have and not receiving the outcome you want. The set-backs. Overcoming those setbacks. The difficult and sometimes painful conversations. Being there in times of need. Celebrating great news. Grieving in loss. “Just a coach” can’t create an experience like this. Playing it safe and bending to society’s pressure to be average is what “just a coach” would do. That’s not me.That’s not you. No Email tomorrowEnjoy your Sunday 😎Call someone you love

Make a difference today,

Love Clint

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web-novel-polls · 3 months ago

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Best Hater Lower Bracket

Please vote for whoever’s best at being a hater, not who you like the most. If unfamiliar with a character, check out the propaganda below the cut!

(Spoilers Warning below)

Su She from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

“Stop thinking so highly of yourself. Who told you I cursed Jin Zixuan in order to frame you? Back then, I wasn’t working for Sect Leader at all. I cursed him simply because I wanted to!” ….Su She, “Those as arrogant as him--I’ll kill every single one who comes my way!” - Su She to Wei Wuxian, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, EXR, Chapter 104

No propaganda submitted

Mod Propaganda: Haterism so bad he straight up made a new sect. Cursed Jin Zixun. Has beef with a guy who barely knows he exists.

Wiki Link

Yin Hanjiang from Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Submission: Second half of the novel YHJ in particular, hater energy unmatched! Righteous sects? fuck them up. His own sect? on eggshells. His best effort at not murdering someone is to start wiping his weapon with their clothes. General vibe of 'if anything happened to Venerable i'd kill everyone in this room and then myself AND SOMETHING JUST HAPPENED TO VENERABLE'. Anyway get their asses babe <3

#su she #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mdzs #mxtx #yin hanjiang #devil venerable also wants to know #dvawtk #cyan wings #polls #best hater lower round 3 #best hater lower bracket #best hater tournament #my polls #queue

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timclymer · 5 years ago

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Want a Nice Booty? Here Are Personal Trainers Top 5 Ways Of How to Get That Nice Booty!

Alright ladies, you say you want a nice butt. You talk about how you’re going to get your butt in great shape. At times you get envious when you see another woman walking around with a perfect butt. Well here’s your opportunity to get that butt that you’ve always desired. Get ready to have all those jaws dropping when you walk by and all those haters talking about your booty. Here are the 5 things you didn’t know about from Personal Trainers of how to get that nice butt! Check it out.

The Benefits of Glute Workouts:

Squats & Leg Press- The benefit to squatting & pressing is it activates pretty much every muscle in your lower body. You can focus more on Glutes and hams if you squat deep and wide and hold in a seated position for 5 to 10 seconds for the last 2 or 3 reps with that deep stretch. If you want to focus on quad development, then squat just to parallel and front squats are great too!

Lunges- Probably one the overall best lower body workouts. Great for quad and ham development and if you want to activate more of the glutes, you must lung deep and take a larger step and you can incorporate arm movement with it to attack your core. For all you women that want that amazing look this is exercise is a very important one to help you get there.

The Benefits of Bridging / Kickback Movements / – These movements keep the knees bent while they move the hips through a full range of motion. Because of the bent knees which decreases hamstring contribution and increases glute contribution and the emphasis on end-range contraction.

The Benefits of Dead lift / Good Morning Movements / Back Extension / – The movements work the hamstrings really well and they move the hips through a full range of motion while hitting the glutes pretty hard. If you want more glute focus try doing stiff legged dead lifts on a platform, so that you can get a deeper range of motion and stretch on those glute muscles.

The Benefits of barbell hip thrusts- The movement is almost like a bridge, but you focus solely on bringing your hips up through your heels and squeezing your Glutes. Try doing a bridge flat on the floor with a barbell across your pelvis and you’ll thank me later for your Glutes.

If I had to recommend 5 glute specific work outs, they would be:

Barbell hip thrusts & Single leg hip thrust

Deep-wide squats

Barbell glute bridge

Stiff legged dead lift on a platform

Box squat (high and low)

This is the way we transform a booty from sad to great!

Most women don’t understand what it takes to go from flab to fab in the glute region. Their butt’s are often wide and flabby, so the first thing that comes to mind is to somehow shrink it. The first idea is to basically starve themselves by putting their bodies in a huge calorie deficit and the second idea is do a ton of cardio thinking the butt will just magically appear after melting all the flab off. Though an individual does need to melt off that excess fat around the glute region through burning calories, they want to be careful and make sure its fat they’re oxidizing, not muscle tissue because they don’t want to be left with a flat soggy looking booty. In order to have a nice looking butt, a woman must have muscular shape to give it the sought-after round, perky, and lifted appearance. You want your glutes to grow from North to South, not East to West. It’s not easy to build glute muscle so they must train hard and intelligently. Some good news is glute specific exercises are difficult, so they are going to raise your metabolic rate as you workout. So the workout will burn fat off of the butt while simultaneously adding muscular shape. This is how you get a great butt!

Again, the best thing to do is you U-tube these workouts so you can get a good idea of how to do the workouts properly and be better educated on the form, or have them demonstrated by an expert. Safety comes first and you also want to make sure you properly warm up close to 20 minutes before you perform these exercises. Perform these exercises with single body weight first to get the feeling for them and advance to 2-3 warm up sets with light weight. These Glute exercises can also be incorporated into full body workouts, just choose three Glute workouts and add them in with your upper body workouts. Remember the rep schemes I talked about, be wise. I recommend working your Glutes out 2-3 days a week, but make sure you get at least 48-72 hours of rest in between to allow muscle tissue to repair. Hit them hard damn it! Don’t be afraid to use weights and get that booty you’ve always wanted!

There you have it! This is what we focus on in my personal training programs. That’s the secret how Durham’s Best Personal Trainers help make amazing Glutes! Now spread the word so we can live in a world with Kardashian’s, J- Lo’s and Vida Guerra’s. Thank you.

Source by Richard Stadnyk

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/want-a-nice-booty-here-are-personal-trainers-top-5-ways-of-how-to-get-that-nice-booty/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/187868210565 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

#Home Solutions FOREV

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homesolutionsforev · 5 years ago

Text

Want a Nice Booty? Here Are Personal Trainers Top 5 Ways Of How to Get That Nice Booty!

Alright ladies, you say you want a nice butt. You talk about how you're going to get your butt in great shape. At times you get envious when you see another woman walking around with a perfect butt. Well here's your opportunity to get that butt that you've always desired. Get ready to have all those jaws dropping when you walk by and all those haters talking about your booty. Here are the 5 things you didn't know about from Personal Trainers of how to get that nice butt! Check it out.

The Benefits of Glute Workouts:

If I had to recommend 5 glute specific work outs, they would be:

Barbell hip thrusts & Single leg hip thrust

Deep-wide squats

Barbell glute bridge

Stiff legged dead lift on a platform

Box squat (high and low)

This is the way we transform a booty from sad to great!

Most women don't understand what it takes to go from flab to fab in the glute region. Their butt's are often wide and flabby, so the first thing that comes to mind is to somehow shrink it. The first idea is to basically starve themselves by putting their bodies in a huge calorie deficit and the second idea is do a ton of cardio thinking the butt will just magically appear after melting all the flab off. Though an individual does need to melt off that excess fat around the glute region through burning calories, they want to be careful and make sure its fat they're oxidizing, not muscle tissue because they don't want to be left with a flat soggy looking booty. In order to have a nice looking butt, a woman must have muscular shape to give it the sought-after round, perky, and lifted appearance. You want your glutes to grow from North to South, not East to West. It's not easy to build glute muscle so they must train hard and intelligently. Some good news is glute specific exercises are difficult, so they are going to raise your metabolic rate as you workout. So the workout will burn fat off of the butt while simultaneously adding muscular shape. This is how you get a great butt!

Again, the best thing to do is you U-tube these workouts so you can get a good idea of how to do the workouts properly and be better educated on the form, or have them demonstrated by an expert. Safety comes first and you also want to make sure you properly warm up close to 20 minutes before you perform these exercises. Perform these exercises with single body weight first to get the feeling for them and advance to 2-3 warm up sets with light weight. These Glute exercises can also be incorporated into full body workouts, just choose three Glute workouts and add them in with your upper body workouts. Remember the rep schemes I talked about, be wise. I recommend working your Glutes out 2-3 days a week, but make sure you get at least 48-72 hours of rest in between to allow muscle tissue to repair. Hit them hard damn it! Don't be afraid to use weights and get that booty you've always wanted!

There you have it! This is what we focus on in my personal training programs. That's the secret how Durham's Best Personal Trainers help make amazing Glutes! Now spread the word so we can live in a world with Kardashian's, J- Lo's and Vida Guerra's. Thank you.

Source by Richard Stadnyk

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/want-a-nice-booty-here-are-personal-trainers-top-5-ways-of-how-to-get-that-nice-booty/ via Home Solutions on WordPress

#Home Solutions Forev

0 notes

bettingtipstech-blog · 5 years ago

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CS:GO. Prediction for ALTERNATE aTTaX — HAVU. LOOT.BET (19.08.19)

New Post has been published on https://betting-tips.site/csgo-prediction-for-alternate-attax-havu-loot-bet-19-08-19/

CS:GO. Prediction for ALTERNATE aTTaX — HAVU. LOOT.BET (19.08.19)

LOOT.BET Season 3 Lower bracket round 1

ALTERNATE aTTaX vs. HAVU Gaming best of 3

The beginning of the match: 19.08.19 at 16:55 GMT

In the bottom grid of the third season of LOOT.BET teams ALTERNATE aTTaX and HAVU Gaming. What able German players? The forecast used the line and the odds the bookmaker GG.bet.

ALTERNATE aTTaX

After eight months of ALTERNATE completely changed the composition, they are constantly harassed any problems. Of course, expect a strong game from тир3 band is not necessary, but they gave as many as 11 positions during August, which is superblock result for any level. Recent matches confirm my words — the Germans were disorganized Unique, being the undisputed favorites, and the Russians won quite easily.

In the confrontation with the Finnish quintet, ALTERNATE aTTaX can only hope to peak Mirage or Vertigo, but even they will need all of the power structure, because the opponents are very dangerous.

HAVU Gaming

Everyone knows that HAVU are unstable team, but their recent results can undermine the confidence of the most inveterate haters. The Finns outplayed DreamEaters, and the opponents like Unique and say nothing — the team is rarely wrong in such matchah. In my opinion, the current world ranking composition is completely untrue. The team is steadily declassified novamov and worthy of fighting against more powerful, sometimes allowing for misfires, like a battle with SJ.

Naturally, the Finns will come to a fight against ALTERNATE as obvious favourites and the whole point of the fight is contained in the fact whether the Germans take at least one card. I think HAVU Gaming quietly banned Mirage and get a good chance to “dry” victory.

Statistics

ALTERNATE aTTaX. Three wins and two defeats.

HAVU Gaming. Three defeats in five matches.

The account of personal meetings — 6-5 in favor of the Finns.

Forecast

I think we will see quite an interesting battle that will help to pass the time waiting majeure. Both teams can make a mistake and give the optional rounds, but ALTERNATE aTTaX is much worse than the one show HAVU. Yes, the Germans can cause problems to their opponents and fight on its peak, but the chance of such events is very small. My prediction — the “dry” HAVU Gaming win from the bookmaker GG.bet.

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dramafan5-blog · 6 years ago

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The Best Tinted Moisturizers With SPF: Drugstore to High-End

Affiliate links I am all about tinted moisturizers, especially in the summer when my makeup routine is more along the lines of subtle and natural.

I want a little coverage but not a full face of makeup and that’s why I swap out my favorite full-coverage foundation with a more lightweight and SPF-boosted version.

With summer in full swing, let’s talk about the best tinted moisturizers with SPF that combine lightweight coverage with hydrating skincare benefits AND sun protection to boot. They are a great alternative to heavier foundations and keep your complexion pretty (and protected!) but still allow skin to breathe and won’t congest your pores.

The best part is that none of these complexion perfectors will make a huge dent in your wallet…in fact all of these tried-and-tested favorites are under $35!

From Tarte to Neutrogena, here are the best tinted moisturizers with SPF that are perfect to tie your ‘less is more’ look together…not only for summer but all year round!

1. SEPHORA Collection Bright Future Skin Tint SPF 25 ($18)

Infused with antioxidant vitamin E, shea extract and rice peptides, this lightweight tinted moisturizer provides natural looking coverage that smooths and evens skin tone beautifully while adding a fresh, healthy glow. Great for all skin types, the formula offers long-lasting moisture without a heavy or greasy feel.

2. TARTE Tarteguard 20 Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 ($36)

This oil-free tinted moisturizer with SPF protects and perfects skin with natural, sheer-to-light coverage that corrects uneven skin tone and redness. It really evens everything out and blurs the appearance of blemishes and dark spots for a your-skin-but-better look.

The antioxidant-rich formula also provides daily UV defense with flashback-free, non-chemical sunscreen actives and essential hydration with a blend of sodium hyaluronate, vitamins A and E, plus fruit extracts.

3. First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Triple Protection Skin Tint with Goji Berry SPF 30 ($34)

If summer is synonymous with shiny t-zones for your complexion, you’ll fall head over heels for this ultra-light tinted moisturizer that offers glides on effortlessly for brush-free, buildable coverage. It has a satin matte finish that lasts all day without creasing and won’t emphasize pores.

Even better, the formula delivers a healthy dose of antioxidant-rich ingredients, including goji berry, astaxanthin and vitamin C plus SPF 30 (from pure mineral zinc oxide) to protect skin from sun and pollution. Being fragrance-free, it’s a great option even for sensitive skin types.

4. Cetaphil PRO Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 20 ($11)

When it comes to drugstore tinted moisturizers, this is one of the top-notch options that’s suitable for all skin types. Lightly hydrating with a smooth matte finish, its sheer neutral tint tones down redness while offering light coverage to even out your skin tone.

Along with gentle 100% mineral SPF, it also contains soothing antioxidants that help boost sunscreen’s effectiveness! I also featured this sensitive-skin friendly option in my list of best drugstore moisturizers with SPF. The only downside is that the SPF is on the lower side, as compared to the standard SPF 30.

Note: This product was previously called Cetaphil Redness Relieving Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 20.

5. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30 ($30)

If you are all about convenience with instant hydration and naturally radiant coverage plus reliable sun protection, this tinted moisturizer fits the bill perfectly! It has an elegant gel-cream texture that glides on like a dream and moisturizes while providing natural-looking light to medium coverage.

image credit: QVC

Because of its slightly dewy finish, those with oily skin might need some powder for their shine-prone areas. But overall, it’s the perfect pick for a fresh-faced look! Not to mention, it comes in an impressive range of 16 shades for fair to medium-deep skin tones.

6. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint ($12)

Enriched with hyaluronic acid for a healthy dose of hydration, this oil-free tinted moisturizer offers buildable sheer to medium coverage that doesn’t fade throughout the day. It blends easily with fingers for a smooth and moisturized but not dewy finish, which makes it a great option for almost all skin types.

It feels very comfortable on the skin and doesn’t settle into fine lines. The formula is also non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and comes in a good range of 10 shades to suit multiple skin tones.

7. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector SPF 20 ($10.29)

Aside from broad-spectrum UV protection, this silky-smooth tinted moisturizer hides imperfections and provides natural-looking light coverage with a satin finish that adds a touch of radiance. And it doesn’t disappear or go greasy as the day wears on! Even better, the lightweight formula is enriched with anti-aging retinol and a nice mix of antioxidants, so it makes your skin look better over time!

Though this tinted moisturizer has SPF 20, be sure to layer on a stronger sunscreen underneath if you plan on being outside for more than a few minutes, as retinol can make you more sensitive to sun damage.

8. Peter Thomas Roth Max Mineral Naked SPF 45 ($38)

Staying true to summer’s beauty mantra, this lightweight tinted moisturizer with SPF is the ultimate makeup multi-tasker! Perfect for lazy girls, busy moms or foundation haters, it blends like a breeze for natural coverage and packs a whole lot of skincare benefits including antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E.

The formula provides just the right amount of hydration without suffocating pores or settling into lines and leaves skin with a healthy glow (not oily or shiny). The best part? It offers solid sun protection (broad-spectrum SPF 45) with a mineral-only formula of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, making it perfect even for sensitive skin. Powerful sun protection with perks…yes please!

9. Pixi Beauty H2O SkinTint ($24)

Perfect for a fresh faced no-makeup look, this complexion-enhancing gel tint evens out skin tone while offering long-lasting yet lightweight hydration with moisturizing rose water.

The cooling and refreshing formula melts right into skin and feels much lighter & breathable than a traditional foundation. More to love, it also contains antioxidant-rich green tea, soothing english chamomile and relaxing lavender.

image credit: Pixi Beauty

10. W3LL PEOPLE Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29)

When you need a bit more coverage than an average tinted moisturizer, this vegan makeup/ skincare hybrid goes the distance without looking overly done. It feels great to wear, isn’t heavy at all, diminish imperfections and evens skin tone beautifully.

The satin finish isn’t dewy or matte, but adds a subtle radiance so the formula is best suited for normal to dry/combination skin types.

This multipurpose moisturizer also brightens and hydrates with organic coconut, pomegranate, aloe, ginseng, broccoli seed oil and a peptide complex. Plus, it provides broad-spectrum protection with 20% pure zinc oxide.

11. Physicians Formula Organic Wear Work It! Marathonista Tinted Moisturizer SPF 40 ($12):

This sweat-proof tinted moisturizer can last even through your toughest sweat session! It delivers heavy-duty performance without a heavy feel on your skin and stays put for well over 8 hours. The gym proof, water-resistant formula combines a blend of proteins and antioxidants vitamin A, C and E to boost hydration while also defending against sun damage with mineral sunscreen actives.

It offers sheer to light coverage with a natural dewy finish that is best suited for normal to dry skin types. Those with oily skin can also make it work by pairing this with a powder on top for better longevity.

What’s your current favorite tinted moisturizer? I would love to hear about your top picks in the comments below?

Shop this post…

Source: https://beautytidbits.com/2018/07/best-tinted-moisturizers/

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itsworn · 6 years ago

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Clawing for Traction in a 784-Horsepower FWD 2004 Monte Carlo

Brandon Furches’ 784hp, 3,600-pound, turbocharged LS4 2004 Monte Carlo SS gets a lot of heat on the internet, but it’s not what you expect. Though open-minded observers dig it for the innovative breath of fresh air that it is (let’s face it, how many more LS swaps can there be?), there are still naysayers. Brandon tells us, “The biggest pushback on my Facebook account [Furches Performance] isn’t from import and front-drive haters, but rather guys who say the car isn’t a real Monte Carlo.”

The Ludlow, Massachusetts–based hot rodder and 32-year-old owner of Furches Performance continues: “Typically, these statements are followed up with some ignorant reference to how the 1980s G-body Montes were the last real ones, or how my generation of Monte Carlo—the 1995–2007—is nothing more than a W-body Lumina with two fewer doors.”

That’s a surprise. Frankly, we were expecting Brandon to say knee-jerk trolls zero in on the front-drive factor and lump him into the import scene for summary execution. But no, G-body defenders are the ones throwing the most stones. C’mon, rear-drive Monte guys, show Brandon some more love! After all, if you’re a certain age, you’ll easily remember 1978 when GM “down sized” the third-generation Monte Carlo by 15 inches, 500 pounds, and made the 200-cube Chevy V6 standard equipment. People freaked out. To many, the 1977 Monte Carlo—all 3,700 pounds of it—was the last true Monte Carlo, not some shrunken-head Aerocoupe or L69 SS. Today, the pushback against the front-drive Monte just proves that everything is relative if you live long enough.

Getting back to our story, Brandon graduated from high school in 2005 and was in his formative years when showroom-fresh and lightly used front-drive 1995-up Monte Carlos were all over the roads of New England. Their sporty flair and front-wheel drive allowed year-round traction—with style.

The LS4 is the only member of the LS engine family with a single accessory drivebelt. This sheds length and allows transverse fitment between the strut towers. Chevy built 14,829 LS4 V8-powered Monte Carlos in 2006–2007, plus nearly as many 2006–2009 Impala SSs, 2005–2008 Pontiac Grand Prix GXPs, and 2008 Buick LaCrosse Supers. Donor engines or complete Gen 7 project vehicles are easily found.

Buyers agreed, from 1995 through the end on June 19, 2007, when the last Monte Carlo rolled out of GM-Canada’s Oshawa assembly plant. A total of 675,891 front-wheel-drive (W-body) Monte Carlos were built. They couldn’t have been that bad!

Brian agrees: “These were the cars that were new and exciting when I was a teenager and getting my license. In the early 2000s, GM had done away with the RWD F-body Camaro/Firebird platform, and at $44,800, Corvettes were way out of sight financially. But the Monte Carlos, Impalas, and Pontiac GTPs, these were the affordable domestic platforms of my generation.” With hard work, Brandon enjoyed his senior year at high school (2005) wheeling a used 2000 V6 Monte Carlo.

The cast-aluminum Edelbrock Pro-Flo XT EFI manifold doesn’t crack at 10 psi like the factory plastic LS4 unit. A charge intercooler is located inside the front fascia.

So when Chevrolet announced the LS4 5.3L V8 option for SS models in 2006, Brandon was curious. “It was the first V8-powered Monte Carlo since 1988 and was a rocket ship compared to the old-school Monte Carlo SS with its retro Quadrajet carburetor. But with list prices starting at $32,000, buying one new was out of the question.

The BorgWarner S475 turbo cranks out 24 psi and hasn’t yet hurt the junkyard-sourced LS4 long-block, which Brandon spins to 7,000 without fear. LS4s have the same “number 243” aluminum heads used on the LS6 Corvette, but without titanium valves.

This led Brandon to own and explore a string of used Monte Carlos with the next-best-thing L67 supercharged 3.8L V6 with 240 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. He says, “My supercharged V6s always walked away from the anemic, 305-powered G-body Monte SSs on my local scene. The blower whine more than made up for how it was turning the wrong tires. Plus, I was getting 30 mpg and toasting my ass with the heated leather seats.” Later, when Brandon added nitrous, tuning, and other tricks, his supercharged V6 front-drive street sleepers were running 12s and surprised plenty of Fox Mustangs, IROC-Zs, and even Buick GNs.

The LS4 crank is 13mm shorter than other LS units, 10mm at the snout and 3mm at the flange. Though LS4 blocks lack starter-motor mounting pads, they’re all lightweight aluminum with integral iron bore liners.

Mechanically, Brandon loves all front-drive Monte Carlos, but when it came to the body redesign that came along with the 2006 model year’s V8 option, not so much. “My 2004 is a so-called Gen 6, which ran 2000 through 2005.” For its final two years, 2006–2007, Chevrolet massaged the body, interior, and driveline options to render the Gen 7 configuration. And while the 5.3L V8 wasn’t available in the 2000–2005 Gen 6 Monte Carlo, it’s an easy swap—as we’ll demonstrate here.

Tune in as Brandon reveals what it took to install a 2006–2007 Gen 7 LS4 V8 into his 2004 Monte SS plus a transaxle upgrade trick straight from the Cadillac cook book!

Tech Notes

Who: Brandon Furches What: 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo SS Where: Furches Performance; Ludlow, MA Engine: Proving the astonishing potential of turbocharging—and the incredible strength built into the LS engine family—the R.A.D. Auto Machine Dynojet 248 chassis dyno registered several 784hp and 718–lb-ft pulls at the front tires. The source of it is a stock 2006 Monte Carlo SS junkyard engine that continues to serve without any rebuilding, except for resurfaced “234” heads. The stock 3.780×3.622-inch bore and stroke remain, along with the factory-issue powdered-metal rods and full-floating pins. The standard bore 10:1 LS4 hypereutectic flat-top pistons remain, and standard GM MLS-type head gaskets are used. All block fasteners are standard GM torque-to-yield, except for ARP 12-point head studs. The widely praised “234” heads retain their stock 65cc chambers, 210cc cathedral-port intake runners, and 75cc exhaust runners, without porting or polishing. The stock 2.00-/1.575-inch GM valves take Brian Tooley Racing double springs, steel retainers, and locks. A Comp Cams hydraulic roller cam and GM LS7 roller lifter set replaces the stock Monte Carlo SS displacement-on-demand equipment. Cam specs are 0.617/0.617-inch lift, 281/300 degrees duration at 0.006-inch lift, and 231/248 degrees duration at 0.050-inch lift. The cam centerline is 111 degrees. Stock LS4 1.7:1-ratio rocker arms and stands work with Brian Tooley pushrods. A stock LS4 oil pump supplies 1.25 ci of Rotella T6 5W40 oil with every revolution. Stock LS4 valve covers mount AC Delco coils and NGK TR18X spark plugs. Ignition timing is set at 18 degrees total at full boost.

Induction: An Edelbrock Pro-Flo XY intake manifold was repurposed to accept the boosted intake charge with a FAST 92mm Big Mouth throttle-body, 80-pound Ford Racing injectors, and a BorgWarner S475 turbocharger. A pair of Turbosmart 40mm wastegates and a 50mm blow-off valve restrict boost to 24 psi. The entire cold side of the turbo plumbing was fabricated using 3-inch aluminum tubing and a Summit Racing 3.5-inch intercooler.

Exhaust: The forward exhaust manifold is a stock LS4 unit with a reworked flange and 2-inch stainless-steel V-band. The rearward manifold is from the passenger side of a 2004 GMC truck (non EGR) that was massaged to accept a T304 stainless crossover tube. Adam Girard’s AG Designs helped immensely with the fabrication of needed flanges. A simple 4-inch aluminum elbow pokes through the hood skin to exhale spent fumes. Keep the breathalyzers away, this Monte has E85 on its breath!

Transaxle: Brandon isn’t the first to develop an LS-powered, front-drive Monte Carlo SS, but he is among the first to replace the factory installed weak link—the 4T65 transaxle—with the more robust 4T80E. And just as the internet has the power to pester and heckle, it can also build communities working together to solve common problems. Here, a Wiki page on Matt Happel’s Sloppy Mechanics Web page revealed to Brandon an electrical trick that makes computer-controlled 4L80E transmissions (RWD style) behave like a full-manual valvebody for quick, clean, driver-controlled shifts. Well, it so happens that the Sloppy Mechanic’s trick works just as well on the front-drive 4T80E transaxle. This allowed Brandon to mount a sure-shifting B&M Pro Ratchet shifter in the factory console.

Fuel System: The stock Monte Carlo fuel tank feeds E85 (108 octane) to twin Red Horse 340-lb/hr fuel pumps. Flexible -6AN braided lines feed the fuel to and from the Edelbrock fuel rails at 60 to 85 psi, depending on boost. An Aeromotive regulator monitors fuel pressure. At fill-up time, Brandon pulls up to any E85 pump, pops open the stock hinged flap, and gets to work. Though the E85 has a lower BTU content than straight gasoline, keeping the stock 17.5-gallon fuel tank instead of a small, race-only fuel cell negates much of the range reduction impact when cruising. Better yet, the W-body positions the gas tank ahead of the rear axle centerline, not behind it. This helps put a little more weight on the front tires for traction.

Electronics: The PCM controlling the engine is from a 4.8L/4T80E-equipped 2004 Chevrolet Express donor van. Brandon adapted it all to work with the Monte Carlo’s stock instrument cluster and other onboard systems. This way, all stock gauges work, including the gas gauge, turn-signal indicators, speedometer, and even the heated power seats. Brandon had some early hassles tuning the idle speed after installing the hot camshaft, but help from Matt Happel of Sloppy Mechanics saved the day. PCM fiddling is done via a HP Tuners system with 3 Bar Enhancement. A small battery box in the spare-tire well helps weight distribution.

Chassis/Suspension: All stock struts have been replaced by lighter, stiffer units from BC Racing. Smaller brakes from the GM parts bin allow the use of popular 15-inch rolling stock. The front spindles were shortened and re-drilled. No effort has been made to improve cornering prowess since this is a straight-line car. Ground clearance is close to stock.

Wheels/Tires: Brandon’s former 11.9-second 2014 Mustang GT donated its 10×15 Race Star rear rims and 28.0-10.5-15 MT ET Drag slicks to the front of the Monte, while a set of low-resistance 17×4.5 Race Star rims and M&H P185/55R17 tires cause many double-takes. The back-space measurements are 7.25 inches, front; 1.75 inches, rear.

Interior: This is no gutted rattle trap. Monte Carlos are personal luxury machines, and Brandon has kept his that way. The only thing missing is the back seat. Otherwise, the power windows, heated driver seat, leather upholstery, center console, and tilt steering wheel are all bone-stock—and work. And being an original Intimidator edition, the head rests of each bucket seat are embroidered with full color Earnhardt logos. The only missing items Brandon might worry about later are a rollcage, driver safety harness, and parachute. Yep, with traction, this puppy ought to nudge the 9s.

Exterior: Brandon could have saved himself a ton of effort, like the whole engine-swap thing, if he could only accept the looks of the Gen 7 Monte Carlo’s 2006–2007 body restyle. Then, all he’d need to do is swap in the Caddy-sourced 4T80E transaxle. The LS4 5.3L V8 would already be there for his add-on turbo. But, no, Brandon was stuck on the curvier Gen 6 (2000–2005) Monte Carlo, where GM never offered a V8. We dig the function-meets-form hood openings for turbo body and exhaust stack clearance.

Body: The 3,600-pound, all-steel Monte has no fiberglass or carbon-fiber replacement panels. Skip the paint, too. The body is covered in “Urban Jungle” adhesive wrap by Avery Graphics, applied by “Sam” at Peak Graphics (Enfield, CT). The front wheel lips have been slightly trimmed. We’d guesstimate that F/R weight distribution is about 65/35.

The post Clawing for Traction in a 784-Horsepower FWD 2004 Monte Carlo appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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thefinishedarticle · 6 years ago

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The World Cup in review

Russia 2018: better than they said it was going to be, but not as good as they will say it was. There has been much talk about this being the best World Cup in memory, but that memory must be a short one: in mine it doesn’t even surpass its predecessor, Brazil 2014. It’s definitely been unusual, and unique in many respects, but weird doesn’t always equal wonderful.

Don’t get me wrong: it has been a perfectly decent World Cup. The scare-mongering before the tournament proved unfounded, as it always does, and we’ve had many good games to enjoy against a backdrop of well-organised peace. For those who love knock-out competitions for giant-killings, it has offered up treat after treat.

After four-time champions Italy failed to qualify, four-time and current champions Germany finished bottom of their group, whilst Spain, Argentina and Portugal were equally limp and soon joined them at home. The games and groups were as close as they’ve ever been, and there was a sense that any team could progress. Even England made it to the semi final.

Free for all?

But the champions going out in the group stage shouldn’t surprise us any more. It was surprising in 2002, when previous winners France finished bottom of their group with just the single point. It was surprising in 2010, when both Italy and France were bottom of their groups after reaching the final last time out. It was surprising in 2014, when the 2010 champions Spain... also went out in the group stage.

With Germany this year, that’s four of the last five champions falling at the first hurdle in the defence of their title. We should be used to it by now. It’s a little odd, but perhaps not quite as surprising as it seems at first glance. National sides seem to run on a cycle: they build a team, see them grow together, and then the stars retire and the team has to be built again. The team’s ability increases as they age, and they tend to win something at their peak before a sharp decline or international retirement.

The same thing happens in clubs, we just tend to see more gradual change because they compete annually, whereas the World Cup is only every 4 years: in that time, the core of players at their prime will likely have moved on, leaving the side in what club managers would call a ‘transitional period’. Why do we assume they will still be just as good with largely different personnel?

Then there are other factors. Look at the Premier League: none of the champions of the last 10 seasons have yet managed to defend their title the following year, despite many of them winning by good margins. Man United followed their triumph in 2013, the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, with a 7th place finish the next year, whilst the last three seasons have seen reigning champions finish 10th (Chelsea), 12th (Leicester), and 5th (Chelsea).

Great managers can retire after a triumph along with their star players, leaving the squad in transition, but others can stay on and grow complacent. Contrast Ferguson with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. Managers can remain too loyal to the players who have helped them win before, reluctant to show the ingratitude of dropping them, even when they are no longer fit for purpose: a mistake made by Joachim Low for Germany this year. The same happens with tactics, not wanting to change a winning formula even as it ceases to win, as the game moves on and opponents adapt, a flaw now shown by Spain.

Success can bring complacency, loyalty, a loss of judgement, a lack of hunger, stagnation. None of that goes against what we know and regularly observe to be the case in club football and in tournaments gone by, so it’s hardly that exciting here. As for the other major scalps, remember that South Africa 2010 (Italy and France in their groups, Brazil and Argentina in the next round) and Brazil 2014 (Spain, Portugal, Italy, England in their groups, Uruguay in the next round) can claim at least as many.

The one thing that makes Russa 2018 stand out is that most of the big sides were assigned to one side of the knockout draw, giving a chance for some fresh faces to progress... but saying there were no past winners in 3 of the first round games and one quarter final is hardly incredible. The exact same could be said for 2014, and in 2010 we had no past winners in 4 first round games, one quarter final... and the final itself.

Besides, whilst everyone loves the romance of an underdog it’s also good to see the big names fight it out. One of the most entertaining group games was Spain’s draw with Portugal, not Iran’s narrow win over Morocco the same day. The best game in the first knockout round was France against Argentina, not Sweden against Switzerland. It’s fun to see creative talents letting loose, not compact, careful units grinding out results through doggedness. The latter are heartening to see, but they don’t make for brilliant entertainment.

On a similar note, it would have been nice to see some teams from outside Europe make it to the later stages: it’s supposed to be the World Cup, a colourful mixture of all sorts of teams, not a repeat of the European Championship. Some people have complained that this is because UEFA get a disproportionate share of the qualifying places (14 of 32), but that’s nonsense: 12 of the 18 qualifying non-European sides went out in the group stage, so lowering the bar further would just introduce even more sub-par teams, not a semi-finalist. It would just have been nice if one of the 18 had made it.

Free flowing?

The football has been more unusual than the cast. The number of goals has been cited, but whilst it leaves boring 2010 in the dust it’s still behind Brazil 2014. It’s also true that not all goals are equal, and this tournament has set records for the most own goals and the most penalties, helped by the controversial introduction of VAR which overshadowed much of the group stages.

This World Cup has trailed the previous five in shots on goal, but had more inside the box, more own goals, more goals from penalties, more goals from set pieces, more goals after 90 minutes (dramatic, but following one and a half hours of nothingness). That means that whilst we’ve seen a decent number of goals, we’ve seen a lower number of decent goals. It’s had the lowest proportion of intentional goals scored in open play during normal time, and still fewer than 2014 overall.

That tournament set the tone with Netherlands 5-1 Spain, a dramatic reversal of the previous final in a first round of matches which also saw Germany 4-0 Portugal, and culminated in Germany 7-1 Brazil. In the 2014 group stages we saw seven teams put 4 goals past an opponent; this year it only happened three times. Russia 2018′s tone wasn’t set by the hosts’ opening trouncing of Saudi Arabia, the worst team in the tournament, but by the next two games: 1-0 victories won in the 89th and 95th minute, the latter with an own goal.

Another of this tournament’s boasts was that it had the longest run of games before the first 0-0, but that was only because so many equally tight, closed defensive matches were settled by a late tap-in or penalty instead. We saw four fewer goalless draws than 2014, but five more games with just a single goal, and fewer goals overall. It’s effectively a choice between a 4-0 and a 0-0 or two scrappy 1-0s.

The games have been the tightest I remember, which is a good thing in its own way, but entertaining football over 90 minutes has been rare in matches between mostly cautious, defensive teams. One good stat is that this is the first ever World Cup where every team has scored at least two goals across their games, but fewer teams than before have scored two, three, four goals in a game. More egalitarian, but less fun.

Coming home?

Moving on from the objective quality of the tournament itself, we come to the subjective success of the England national team, one reason many fans here will have enjoyed Russia 2018 more than the early exits of tournaments past. England massively surpassed expectations in reaching the semi finals, and narrowly losing it in extra time after taking an early lead. It’s hard to be disappointed with that: they haven’t always played that well, and getting to the final would have been even more of an overachievement.

But have they really done that well? On the one hand, they've gone further than anyone expected, further than they have in ages, but on the other, they've only beaten Tunisia, Panama, Colombia, and Sweden, all ranked lower than them, and lost to the two good sides they've faced (Croatia once and Belgium twice). Should we be proud of that?

In a way, going out to Croatia in the semi finals is more embarrassing than losing to Italy and Uruguay in the group of death last time, or being thrashed by a much superior German side in 2010. It happened later on in the tournament, but still to a side who England fans would only ever see as an equal, if even that, whereas previously they have gone out with honour against big teams who were always the favourite. This time they were favourites and still lost.

Since 1970, England have been knocked out of major tournaments as follows:

1970 - Germany 1986 - Argentina 1990 - Germany (penalties) 1996 - Germany (penalties) 1998 - Argentina (penalties) 2002 - Brazil 2004 - Portugal (penalties) 2006 - Portugal (penalties) 2010 - Germany 2012 - Italy (penalties) 2016 - Iceland 2018 - Croatia

Is this semi final defeat not more similar to the defeat against Iceland, where England again went ahead in the first five minutes and were pegged back 2-1, than to the narrow, plucky penalty defeats against the best sides in the world that they used to be known for? All that’s changed is that it’s a couple of games later on: they’ve won two doable games, and then lost one. Is that better than winning one doable game and then losing a hard one? Is it even better than just losing a hard game straight away?

Those are the questions most pessimists and haters of the England team are asking. Is beating the likes of Tunisia and Panama an achievement? Is progress in a uniquely ‘easy’ half of the draw really something to be proud of? In short: yes. World Cups don’t have any ‘easy’ games. World Cups are hard. As mentioned above, just ask four out of the five last champions.

This year Germany, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and Argentina all went out after failing to win the 'easy' games against South Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Iran, Morocco, Russia, and Iceland in their groups and the first knockout round. England got the job done. Past England teams have always failed to win the 'easy' games. This side got the job done. They’ve only won the games they were expected to, but that in itself was unexpected. They’ve been exceptional, not in performing beyond their normal abilities, but in simply showing the abilities we all knew should be there.

Much was made of a first knockout win in years, even without the added rarity of a successful penalty shootout, but the real change started in the group stage. Whilst it’s true that England have usually fallen short in the early knockout stages, often that’s because they’ve limped out of their group and drawn a much better, more experienced side. The list above makes that clear enough: England have usually been dispatched by a better team, their comparative lack of progress to this year more to do with the luck of the draw than their relative performances.

It’s similar to the derision around Arsenal going out of the Champions League in the first round every year: it’s a shortcoming, but it’s also usually a result of being drawn against Bayern Munich or Barcelona, teams who they would never be expected to beat, whilst their rivals progress against much lesser sides. They aren’t awful at knockout games: they just tend to play teams who are incredible at them. There’s no shame in losing to them, whether you meet them then or in the semi final.

The shame usually came earlier, when Arsenal lost to teams like Olympiacos in the group (bizarrely, it was actually Olympiacos for four years in short succession) and scraped through in second place with no momentum to be drawn against the team who’d topped the next group on. The shame was in losing to the minnows to draw a giant, not in losing to the giant, so the idea that they had a problem with the knockout stages themselves was ill-founded.

The same has tended to be true with England. Before this World Cup, their last seven group games featured defeats to Italy and Uruguay, draws with Sweden, USA, Algeria and Costa Rica, and a solitary victory against Slovenia. Losing to Iceland in 2016 was an embarrassment, but so was failing to beat Russia or Slovakia in the group and finishing second to Wales. The idea that England had some specific issue with knockout games is nonsense. They struggled in the group first.

That’s why this World Cup was a success for England, not only when they beat Colombia, but from the moment they held on against that rough Tunisia team. In any other year they would have faltered to a draw, and then carried that nervousness on into the next game, rather than thrashing Panama as they did. The opposition wasn’t great, but it wasn’t any worse than it usually is, and it wasn’t worse than in the other groups where big teams struggled.

I don’t accept the idea that they played particularly well: they lacked creativity throughout, and relied on set pieces for most of their goals. They looked very open on the counter, and were mostly fortunate for their opponents’ poor finishing (and some goalkeeping heroics from Jordan Pickford) to not concede more. They had a tendency to try to see out games, making negative substitutions and passing backwards, which only gave the other team a way back into them.

Some players impressed, and others grew into the tournament, but as a team they weren’t as good as some of the hype would suggest. Even Harry Kane, returning with the Golden Boot and a hat-trick match ball from the Panama game (meaning that at least one football’s coming home), went missing shortly after then. Perhaps he realised it was almost August.

His telling stat was that he’d scored his 6 goals from almost as many shots, which was stated as if it was something impressive when in reality it’s anything but. Three of those shots were penalties which, although he took them perfectly, were given to him to score. His hat-trick goal after two of them was a deflection he knew nothing about. That means he otherwise didn’t manage more than one shot per game. In open play, England as a whole had the fewest shots on target of any team but Iran.

Special mention has to go to Kieran Trippier, who created the most chances of any player in the tournament, but that just highlights that the attacking players failed to put them away. He, with fellow defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire, who grew into the tournament impressively after a shaky start, managed two more goals than Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Danny Welbeck combined.

Coming of age?

The final statistic about England, heard often in the build up and even more now they’ve gone out, is that they had the youngest, least internationally experienced squad in the tournament. In this latter context, it is said to show how much fans have to look forward to: if they could get to the semi finals at this age, how well will they do when they’ve reached their prime, with England’s successful youth teams grown to join them?

I’ve written before about the common fallacy that players peak later in their careers, when in reality they often fade after their ‘potential’ has been hyped up because they actually peaked whilst young. I’ve also written about the equally flawed hope that success at youth level spells success at senior level later down the line: it’s true that England’s young sides have been doing exceptionally well (in 2017 they won the U20 World Cup, U17 World Cup, U21 Toulon Tournament and the U19 Euros, came second in the U17 Euros and third in the U21 Euros), but previous youth stars have failed to develop as adults or not been given the opportunities to do so.

But it is my write up of England’s opening match of Brazil 2014, a defeat to Italy, that I quote from now. Although they lost, I spoke of the promising signs shown by one of the youngest, least internationally experienced teams in the tournament. “Whilst we’re in a transitional stage now, England show a lot of attacking promise for the future,” I wrote, a fool. With young talents Sterling and Ross Barkley impressing, and “Sturridge, Henderson, Welbeck, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Wilshere all also under 25 but matching the world’s best, we should be in great shape for Russia 2018.”

Also giving hope were Luke Shaw (18), Chris Smalling (24), Phil Jones (22), and Adam Lallana (26). Where is that roll-call now? Of those 12 players, only four actually made the squad for Russia 2016, when they would supposedly be hitting their prime, and only two as more than squad players. Sturridge is no longer “continuing to transfer his excellent club form to the global stage”, having lost fitness and form soon afterwards and now barely getting a club game, just like the exciting Barkley, Welbeck, Wilshere, and Shaw.

When I hear fans echoing me now, “this year [wasn’t] our year, but the next two competitions just might be”, I can’t help but think of whether I will be saying the same in 2022, when this squad of players with an average age of 26 have an average age of 30. No doubt those north of that will be jettisoned, including those who have impressed the most: Trippier, Henderson, and all of the left backs, amongst others. Will the team be stronger then?

I suspect many of the young prospects will be forgotten, stagnated like those who came before: will we still remember who Trent Alexander-Arnold was, brought along to give him some experience for the future, just like I wrote would be a good thing for Luke Shaw? Will a 28-year-old John Stones still sit on City’s bench, forgotten? Will Marcus Rashford still be failing to force his way into United’s starting team, the Danny Welbeck of his generation?

Worst of all, they might just be replaced by even younger models, the latest bright prospects to emerge and show flashes of promise. Why bring these 27-year-olds who never really made it when you can give experience to a 23-year-old who might? Then in four years time, when they don’t live up to the hype you’ve given them, you just do the exact same thing again.

You don’t follow the cycle I described above, where teams are left to grow together. Instead you remain permanently in the ‘transitional’ phase, always replacing actual with potential, never winning anything but always leaving hope for Next Time, when these players are older and experienced... but actually replacing them with the next batch of empty promises, and getting praised for it, praised for building with an eye an imaginary future. Just like you were praised for it four years ago.

We’ll see.

Finally...

England conceded both the latest winning goal in terms of playing time (109 minutes against Croatia) and the latest goal in terms of a player’s life (Panama’s only scorer was 37 years old).

They scored the most goals in a single game, but also faced the joint-most clean sheets and suffered the joint-most defeats (although the third place play-off is to blame for that).

They were the only side to select players only from their domestic league, but then the English league system provided the most players overall.

A positive is their discipline: they had the sixth fewest yellow or red cards per match, despite the game against Colombia seeing the joint most. They also kept their cool against a rough Croatia, who saw the most cards of any team. Of that, at least, we can be proud.

#World Cup #Russia #England #football

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