#how do i extend the battery life of my hearing aid

[kiyoominous]

starburst matchup 

exchange with @haikyuu-matches​

hello! thanks for doing this with me, i think it's such a cute idea! i hope you don't mind that i've went with a more narrative approach with this matchup, i have never done one in my life D: 

you have been matched with komori motoya! 

falling for you!

komori met you at a community volleyball club. he doesn't visit too often, with the responsibilities of his own high school club, but he likes to play when he can. one particular day, he entered the community centre and saw you in all your 5'6 glory. the last time he came, he didn't see you in the crowd of familiar neighbourhood faces. you stood further towards the back of the hall, fidgeting with your fingers. this image looked all too familiar to komori, the cousin of a particularly standoffish ace. a sympathetic pang in his chest and he walked over to you, smiling as your eyes met his. 

you both traded names and he noticed that you were a little quiet. that was okay, he could talk around that. and he did, asking you questions and trying his hardest to make you feel comfortable. taking glances at your face, he saw the corners of your mouth turn upwards and noted that it was working. 

was it weird that he was enjoying it? 

komori doesn't remember too many things about that day. the volleyball match was fun and he remembered doing a really good receive. the rest of his memories from that day were filled with you. you and your shy smile, you and your dark chocolate eyes, you and your cute jokes. sure, you could've been the same as every other girl he's met in his life but there was something so discernibly about you. something so outstanding that he felt couldn't be matched. he couldn't put his finger on it so he made it his mission to finally put a name to this feeling. 

he found that the second he mentally declared his manhunt to define his thoughts on you, he was seeing you everywhere. he spotted you at the convenience store, he bumped into you at the dog park and he saw you at school. he saw you at school? komori was mildly surprised to see you in the cafeteria of his school, which was your's too. you weren't all too shocked, you knew about him through volleyball monthly but you didn't want to tell him that you did. 

five minutes of conversation and he discovered that you were both in different classes. no wonder why he never saw you around. or perhaps he did but he never took notice of your sleek black hair. he was always accompanying sakusa anyway so he didn't really notice anyone outside of his club or his class. 

somehow, someone mentioned the upcoming exam season. you declared your conflict with standardised testing, he proclaimed his struggle with revising content in return. it became very obvious to komori that his chance to understand you more intently was here; he could ask you to study with him! talk about killing two birds with one stone. you agreed to his plan with a gentle smile and he felt his heart flutter. was it the satisfaction of your agreement or was it something deeper? 

he decided that the answer would come to him later, not now. 

after the much anticipated study session came another one, and another one, and then studying morphed into free time. and then free time morphed into a weekly friday night hangout. unbeknownst to him, one of the beloved friday nights would become a vehicle for his romantic epiphany.  

komori enjoyed this turn of events. as much as he wouldn't admit it out loud, komori realised that he enjoyed your presence too. maybe a little too much. every second he spent with you, he felt his heart racing faster than it ever did after a volleyball match. it didn't help that your accidental touches made it accelerate even more. he didn't think that was even possible. it was impossible to not drink in the sight of you. the glow of your face, your silky dark hair, your gleaming brown eyes. perhaps you might’ve found them boring and painfully average but he thought you were the prettiest person he’d ever had the pleasure of perceiving. 

his fixation on you extended past your outward appearance and dove right within your mind, your heart, your very soul. he loved the sound of your laugh, the noise was melodious to him. he loved your sense of humour, all of those puns and dad jokes were right up his alley. hearing them made his heart flutter even more. he loved your hardworking nature, your love for the rain, the passion you put into everything you adored. 

he loved you. 

komori saw your widening eyes in his vision and suddenly he was brought back to the cold of your living room, back to the dark of the midnight sky, back to where he was sitting right now; next to you on the timber floorboards. the neon light of the television reflected on your pretty face, the movie playing on the screen long forgotten in favour of you. 

the realisation that he said that out loud hit him right in the chest and he felt like he was going to pass out. komori felt the air enter his lungs again when he heard you reciprocate loud and clear. 

you loved him too. 

the relationship dynamic!

you're both the most entertaining pair to be around, the gemini/leo combo makes for a fun relationship. 

the two of you are one of those couples that people want to be around, wishing to stick around to laugh with you and just see you so in love. 

with your mom friend energy and his dad friend energy (which i know he just has), you both become the designated parents amongst your friends. whether its a blessing or a curse, that's up to them to decide. 

the two of you are constantly on the same wavelength. 

it’s never too loud or too quiet with komori, just the right balance of both. 

he loves your sense of humour and thinks you’re one of the funniest people on the planet. it helps that he’s absolutely enamoured by your puns and dad jokes. sometimes he’ll shoot one right back at you just to hear you laugh. 

you both like poking a little fun at each other, giving teasing remarks or sarcastic quips. 

komori cares so much about you. 

he understands your need to recover in social situations and gives you the time that you need. he’s willing to be the pillar you run to whenever your social battery’s running low. 

though he admires your hardworking nature, he won’t hesitate to stop you if you overwork yourself. he always encourages breaks and offers to do your work for you if that’s what you need. not necessarily a nagging type of person but if he needs to take physical action, he’ll do it. it’s mostly just him stealing your laptop and pulling you into his lap for a cuddle. 

he doesn’t hesitate to remind you that you don’t have to be a people pleaser. an understanding man, he knows that it’s hard to just get over it so he tells you that he’ll be with you every step of the way, always giving you a gentle reminder of how cool you are to him and that you can say no. 

komori wants to be the shoulder you lean on whenever you’re facing something you don’t like. loud noises? he’ll hold you close and rub your back, telling you that it’ll all be okay. confrontation? he’ll confront them for you. injuries? he’ll keep an eye on you to make sure that you’re never going to be hurt. on the off chance that you do earn a wound, komori will ensure that you’re fixed up as soon as possible. he has a whole mini first aid kit on him specifically for this reason. fear of losing? he’ll always remind you that your efforts mattered more than the results and give you a kiss on the top of your head. the unknown? he’ll waddle through the unknown with you. he’s scared of it too but he won’t tell you that. violence? he’ll cover your eyes and guide you away with strong, gentle arms. 

he loves indulging himself in all of your interests.  

on lazy days, he’ll sit with you and take turns reading a book to each other out loud. sometimes it’s a whole novel, sometimes it’s a manga you’ve picked up from the library. he thinks it’s cute seeing your eyebrows furrow while you concentrate on the words in front of you. 

the study dates don’t end. whenever one of you is struggling with a subject, the other visits to be their personal tutor. it ends up being you a lot of the time, since komori loves your studying method. 

komori loves to read your writing. there are days where you go over to his to hangout and sit in silence. he adores that he can be that relaxed around you and lounge around on his phone while you sit up with your laptop propped on your lap. you’re always writing up a draft of a new creative piece whenever he glances at your laptop. he graciously offers to be your beta reader and indulges in every word you’ve typed. komori thinks that your writing style is so beautiful. 

one day, you told him that you like the french language and he spent a week trying to learn how to say ‘i love you’ and maybe a couple of other phrases to surprise you out of nowhere. when he saw your shock, he giggled and wrapped his arms around you. from that moment on, he would occasionally whisper je t'aime into your ear. he loves you so much omg. 

you play sports together. it doesn’t matter what it is; be it volleyball, tennis or soccer. you’re both a power duo in every game you play and everyone’s scared to play again the two of you. it helps that your boyfriend is one of the most notable liberos in japan. 

komori likes watching anything with you. sometimes when you’re both too tired to go out, he’ll set up his tv to watch whatever you’re in the mood for. one day you might catch up on my hero academia. another day you might be sniffling at a romcom. he likes romcoms more than he’d like to admit but he tells you about this guilty pleasure to appease your love for the genre. 

you mentioned to him once that you liked handwritten letters and komori made it his personal mission to write one for you personally once a month. they’re always so heartfelt, a clear reflection of him and his emotions towards you. he enjoys writing them as much as he enjoys the expression on your face when you read them. 

he seems to be the greek mythology enthusiast himself so he loves talking to you about it. and by enthusiast, i mean that komori was one of those kids who owned the whole entire percy jackson series. since the most that he knows about greek mythology is whatever is written in the percy jackson books, he lets you sit with him and educate him on the extensive lore of the gmcu (greek mythology cinematic universe). 

he loves hearing you talk about astrology and gets into it himself. he can’t help it, especially with the bright smile you hold on your face whenever you talk about it. when he first found out about your astrological compatibility, he was over the moon. the grin that he had on his face was so big that you thought that it looked like the moon itself. he’s downloaded co-star and reads his and your horoscope sometimes. 

date idea! 

komori decided to take you to a cat cafe after you mentioned the idea of it to him once. it’s a very him thing to do, to remember something you’ve told him offhandedly once and immediately make something big out of it. 

the second you step in, your eyes glimmer with delight as they land on the multitude of cats in the vicinity. you don’t even look back to him at once, swerving your attention to the cafe’s residents. at least you’re holding his hand still, he thinks. maybe he’s a little jealous but hey, the visible joy on your face beats his concern over being prioritised after felines living in a cafe. 

after what seemed like hours of cat-petting, you both sat to order, the food arriving in a pleasingly timely fashion. the lunch items were delicious, the desserts were divine but komori was even more drawn to the soft look of adoration on your face as you stared at a calico cat that frequently passed by the two of you. 

this might’ve been his best date idea yet, he thought. 

[gingerwritess]

I DONT THINK I HAVE EVER SHIPPED ANYTHING MORE THAN ELLIOT/MORGAN OTHER THAN STUCKY. PLEASE IM BEGGING IM ON MY KNEES SCREAMING FOR A PART 2

here honey here have a part two that’s like a prequel but not but it is mwah

i should try following a timeline huh

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The worst day of Elliot’s life, and he’s barely five years old.

He was blue, Morgan was wearing a sunny yellow dress that didn’t quite reach her knees and billowed around her when she ran.

The blue wasn’t supposed to show up, but he slipped and fell off the ladder to Morgan’s treehouse, scraping up his left knee pretty badly. Morgan ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, yelling for her parents to come help.

That was the first time he thought yellow could be a nice color—yellow means sun, sun is hot, hot isn’t good. But it’s nice and happy on Morgan, it dulls the pain in his knee for a little bit.

She comes dashing back to him dragging her dad behind her. “He’s hurt, you gotta fix him!”

“I’ll need some new batteries for this one,” Mr. Stark smiles, scooping him into his arms and brushing away a stray tear with his thumb, carrying him back to the house. “Miss Morgan, will you run ahead and fetch us an ice pack and a band aid?”

She bolts off ahead of the other two, Elliot still sniffling into Tony’s shirt. He doesn’t seem to mind.

Plopping Elliot on the countertop, Mr. Stark cleans up the scrape with a wet cloth and flicks water at his teary little face, looking for a smile again.

“Y’know, I broke an actual bone one time,” Morgan offers, patting his leg with a comforting little hand. “My baby toe, it snapped off!”

“You stubbed it, sweetheart,” her dad corrects with a small smile, “that doesn’t count as broken.”

But it brings a little laugh to Elliot’s eyes, and he wipes his nose with the back of his hand. “So y’only have nine toes?”

“Yup.” She looks down at her bare feet and counts for a moment. “Wait...no, this time there’s eleven.”

The little boy laughs, much to Tony’s relief. He’d rather not have to answer to an overprotective, angry god for hurting his son on his watch—while the two of them have of course reached a mutual understanding, being thrown out another window isn’t exactly something he looks forward to.

“All clean,” he hums, ruffling a hand through Elliot’s curls. “Let’s get some ice on this and we’ll seal the deal with a bandaid, alright?

It’s a fun ice pack, one of those ones shaped like a little cartoon animal—this one’s a turtle, smiling up at him as Tony sets the ice pack on Elliot’s bruised knee.

A few seconds later, Morgan is staring and Tony is desperately trying not to.

Elliot wipes his nose again with a sniffle and catches a glance of his hand as he moves, his heart dropping.

He’s, um...blue.

His skin is all patchy, spots of blue spreading over his arms and legs and he’s sure it’s going to his face, too.

A hollow feeling settles in the pit of his stomach and he taps Tony on the shoulder.

“Mr. Stark?” He whispers, hoping Morgan doesn’t overhear. “Is it—is it on my face?”

Tony gives him a reassuring smile and nods. “It looks awesome,” he tries to assure him, but Elliot drops his head to his hands.

“I wanna go home, Mr. Stark,” he mumbles. “Please, I wanna go home.”

He peeks out from behind blue fingers to find Morgan still staring, mouth open in a surprised little gape, and his eyes start swimming with tears when she won’t look away.

“Please don’t look at me,” he whispers, and Tony quickly wraps him in a hug.

“Don’t worry, Elliot,” Tony chuckles nervously, tiptoeing around the sensitive subject at hand. “We, uh, we love when our friends can do cool things, don’t we, Morgan?”

No answer, and the little bit of hope left in Elliot’s blue heart is gone in a blink.

“Morgan?”

“Y-you’re blue.”

The pointed look Tony tries to shoot at his daughter falls short as Morgan takes a step closer, little index finger extended and—

Poke.

“Morgan,” Tony hisses, holding Elliot tighter when he flinches at her touch. “Don’t do that.”

“Ooo, you’re cold, too!” Morgan’s jaw has dropped, and she pokes him again. “Are you really a snowman?”

“Mr. Stark,” Elliot asks thickly, “please, c-can my dad come pick me up now?”

“Of course, little guy. Friday, get his parents on the phone?”

It’s barely minutes until you’re knocking on their door, piecing together what’s going on when Tony opens the door with your almost completely blue kid hoisted onto one hip, Morgan still stunned and staring behind him.

“We hit a little hiccup,” Tony explains, and Elliot rushes over to you, burying his face in your knees. “He fell off the ladder to the treehouse, bumped a knee, I thought an ice pack might help...my bad.”

“That’s not your fault,” you assure him, running a comforting hand through Elliot’s hair. “Thank you for having him over, Tony, I’m sorry, we should’ve...y’know, warned you.”

“No, don’t worry about it. He’s you and Loki’s kid, I expected a hell of a lot worse.” He winks and squats down, rubbing a hand over Elliot’s back. “When that knee gets better, kid, you’ll have to come back over, I—”

“HEY!!”

Morgan’s broken out of her daze, gaze landing on you and raising an arm to point at you with wide eyes.

“Did you know he turns blue??”

“I did, actually,” you chuckle, but Elliot just hugs your legs tighter. “Pretty cool, right?”

Morgan gapes, that finger frozen in midair. “Do you turn blue, too?”

“Nope.” You smile over at her, waving away Tony’s wince. “He gets it from his dad!”

“Daddy,” she gasps, “lookit, his eyes’re red now, too—”

“That’s enough, Morgan.”

Tony scoops her into his arms. “We’ll see you next time, Elliot, alright?”

Judging from the tears starting to soak through your pants, he won’t be answering any time soon.

Mouthing I’m so sorry one more time to you, Tony gives you a last apologetic smile and closes the door, just as Morgan starts blabbering again.

“That was freaky, dad, he got real cold and blue, and his eyes—”

“C’mon, kiddo.” You bend down to lift Elliot into your arms with a wheeze—“you’re getting pretty big for this, hm? Growing up so fast. Lets get you home.”

“Mommy?”

Buckling him into his car seat, you pause and press a kiss to his little blue forehead. “What’s up, sweetie?”

“Are you scared of me?”

Your jaw drops with a shocked little huff and you buckle the last strap, patting his knee and looking him straight in the deep, blood-red eye.

“I absolutely am not.”

“But I’m a monster,” he whispers, eyes glistening. “Like dad, right?”

“Wrong,” you nearly choke, a lump forming in your throat. “No, Elliot, no, no, no, you and dad aren’t monsters, where’d you get that idea?”

“But we’re blue, a-and our eyes turn red—”

“Listen to me, Elliot.” Brushing some curls off his forehead, your voice turns stern. “Just because you’re a different...different colour than other people, doesn’t make you any less than them, do you hear me?”

The little boy wipes his nose and nods.

“And it would never make you a monster,” you assure him. “You are beautiful, Elliot. Inside and out. And you know what?”

“What?”

You tap a finger against his blue chest with a small smile.

“This heart right here? It’s yours and no one else’s. And I don’t care what body is carrying it, I’m going to love you because of the pure, beautiful heart you have inside.”

The corner of Elliot’s mouth twitches, almost a tiny smile.

“Does that make sense?” You laugh quietly, giving his seatbelt a tug. “It means that I love you, Elliot, no matter what colour you are or how cold you might get. I’m still gonna hug you.”

He giggles then, teary and hesitant, but right away opens his arms to wrap around your neck when you hug him tight.

“Makes sense,” he whispers, sniffling into your shoulder amidst giggles. “I love you, mommy.”

“I love you, too, kiddo.”

Hugging is difficult when you’re working around a car seat, but you stay there in Elliot’s arms until he sniffs and loosens his grip.

“Monster,” you scoff with a laugh, rubbing your eyes and giving Elliot one last kiss on the cheek. “Who made you think that, sweetie? I’d like to have a word with them.”

You wink and smack your fist into the palm of your other hand, bringing another adorable little laugh from your son.

“Don’t beat him up,” he giggles, shaking his hair out of his face—he needs a haircut, these curls are getting out of control. “I heard it from daddy, so you can’t beat him up!”

“Wha—excuse me??”

“Dad thinks it sometimes,” Elliot explains. “I hear it in his head! He’s really loud in his head, y’know? S’weird, he’s quiet outside, but inside he’s super loud—”

“Dad said that?” Your heart drops to the pit of your stomach.

“He never said it...just in his head. I dunno, I just hear him sometimes when he’s too loud.”

“O-okay.” Taking a shaky breath, you give your kid a half-hearted smile and go get behind the wheel. “Well, um, sometimes...sometimes dad thinks the wrong thing.”

“But dad’s always right,” Elliot grins.

“Not always...” you anxiously chew your lip as you drive, mind racing. Your son having these kinds of thoughts is one thing, but if he’s hearing it from his father?

You thought Loki was getting better with that whole “monster” image of himself.

“I’ll talk to him,” you promise your kid with a sure smile. “But dad’s wrong. You’re not a monster, and neither is he. That’s the bad parts of dad’s brain talking. Don’t listen to those bad parts, you understand?”

Elliot nods, gaze drifting to the trees zipping by. “I don’t think dad’s a monster,” he says simply, more to himself than anything, it seems. “I love him.”

You try, but just can’t stop the lone tear that slips down your cheek. “So do I,” you hoarsely reply. “I love him, too.”

Years.

It’s been years, and that’s still not enough?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

hope you enjoyed, please reblog and feel free to send me ideas!

loki tags: @bluediamond007 @himitoshi @drakesfiance @destiel1597 @dangertoozmanykids101 @archy3001 @jcalpha1 @yzssie @skullvieplu @forthesnakeofdragons @skulliebythesea @wegingerangelica @storiesfrommirkwood @agarwaeneth @adaliamalfoy @laurfangirl424 @paradisaicsam @fitzsimmons-is-forever @ladylokimischief @katelinwrites @tarynkauai @polaristrange @loavesofmeat @canadian-ravenpuff-multishipper @lou-makes-me-strong @holyn0vak @chocolatealmondmillk @swtnrholland @kenzieam @jessiejunebug  @catticas @the-republic-and-face-of-texas @doralupin01 @whitewitchdown @atomiccharmer @falconfeather23435 @babygirlicecream @avengrcs @vethrvolnir2 @bookgirlunicorn @wabisabigrl @myhealingstar @khaleesi-marvel @ei77777 @spacecrumbs @scarlettghost13 @rocks-are-pretty-odd @confessionsofastrugglingteen @easilydistractedwriter @arttasticgreatnessoftheawesome77 @fluffyllamaswearinghats @milktearose @lcyouinhell @h0tshotholland @dontmesswithmemundane @southsidesarcasticwriter @helnik-s @lilith-akemi @fire-in-her-veinz @unlikelysamwinchesteronahunt @mischievousbellerina @kcd15 @mellowgirl01 @lokislilcaribbeanprincess @allthingzhiddleston @scorpionchild81 @lokixme @blue-automne @galaxycharmed @devilbat @kangaroobunny @end-up-well @planetariumx @sarcsep @mrfandomtastic @amaru163 @im-way-too-many-fandoms @caswinchester2000 @kybaeza @wester-than-west @vintagesunshinebitch @adefectivedetective @poetic-nikolai @moonduhsted @kerri-masson @iamverity @innaminitus @spnbarnes @narcissxblack @woohoney @anxiousamandapanda @padmeisgay @authordreaming13 @lokisironthrone @theunknowinglys @highfuncti0ningfangirl @epicfallenismine @stubby-toe-589331 @fandomnerdsarecool @retrofantasyland

[whirlybirbs]

Okay but like pizza and trash movies with Peter 🅱️ Parker. Making fun of the movies the entire time.

WORKING ON IT ;

summary: peter b. parker & his neighbor flirt over a broken faucet & typhoid.pairing: peter b. parker x neighbor!readerrating: t for peter’s moutha/n: i love this fucking divorcee. i’m horny on main for hot mess burrito peter.

                                                         ( PART TWO )

He’s… not really on top of things. 

Peter B. Parker’s life is falling apart – like, seriously, it’s bad – but at least he’s got Spider-man, y’know? People think he’s cool when he’s Spidey. He does good things then, saves people, stays busy. He’s good at being Spider-man. Nothing else.

Not even basic plumbing skills. 

You got used to the screaming the first week he moved in – just… these loud screams in either frustration or anger or pain. Peter B. Parker isn’t a quiet neighbor, but he’s… nice? He’s really rocking the divorcee, life-crisis aesthetic when you meet him for the first time, so you kinda just… let your neighbor be as loud as he needs to be. 

You’ve met a few times – he helped you bring your groceries up last week. He’s nice enough, but always… sad. On the third time you’d caught him stumbling up the stairs late on a Friday, you’d extended a gentle invite: “If you ever need anything, I’m always a door away.”

In the glow of whiskey and a depressive episode, you were, like, the best thing to happen to him in months. 

He’d meandered over once or twice – band-aids or AA batteries for the remote. 

BANG! BANG! BANG!

You jump, eyes wide as the wall behind you rocks on impact and you move, eyeing the drywall behind your bed’s headboard. 

What the fuck?

You slip out of bed, Netflix abandoned and feet quiet. As you move through the kitchen, you can hear the escalation of screaming from Peter’s room – and the swearing. You tug your door open a bit, eyes wide as you realize you’re not the only neighbor wondering what the hell was going on in there. 

Miss Fitzberg shares a wild look with you. Your job, not mine, it says.

“No, no, no –”

Suddenly, Peter’s door flies open and all the other slam shut.

Except yours. If you ever need anything –

You blink at the brunette divorcee. 

He’s… soaked. His t-shirt is clinging to him and the sweats around his waist are drenched. His hair is clinging to his forehead. 

“Peter, what the hell…?”

“Hey, uh, can I… shit, oh god,” Peter slips out the door, careening into the wall and huffing, “I… I broke my sink and, I clogged it for a second… but, I can’t get it to stop –”

From the other room, you hear a loud sputtering noise and Peter’s eyes widen. 

“Son of a bitch.”

You follow out of amusement, really, but upon realization that Peter has really fucked something up because his bathroom sink has the water pressure of a fucking fire hydrant in it and that flooding is going to 100% impact your own bathroom through the wall and totally take away your safety deposit, you dive hands first into the rocketing spray of the snapped off faucet. 

You sputter, shrieking a bit at the cold water.

“Peter, turn the knob!”

“What knob?”

“The one –” you try to cover the hole, creating a hard spray that catches Peter in the face as he bend to look under the sink, “The only one down there –”

He sputters, coughing. “I’m trying not to drown down here, okay, I can’t really –”

“Peter, I’m getting soaked –”

“This one?”

He turns it the wrong way. The flow increases, soaking you totally and sending your hands backwards and you tumble to the floor. The slick bathroom tiles aren’t helping – you hit the ground hard and groan, pushing wet hair out of your face as Peter blinks down at you.

“Wrong way, huh?”

“Peter!”

“ – Right! Sorry –” 

When the flow stops, you sigh and lay backwards. The apartment is silent for a while, and Peter huffs – he stands, snagging the broken faucet from the floor and eyeing it in his hands.

“Dude,” you say slowly, “You’ve been hogging all the water pressure.”

Peter is quiet for a second, and then he laughs.

Really laughs. His shoulders shake and he smiles and he has dimples that dig into his cheeks and he pushes a hand through his hair. For the first time in a while, he doesn’t look so worn down, so tired. In the many times you’ve crossed paths, you’ve never seen him really smile. 

It’s a nice change. He looks good happy. 

You have to laugh then, plucking at your soaked t-shirt and gym shorts. You sit up, pushing your hair up and away before eyeing the faucet in his hands.

“What did the sink do to you?”

“Looked at me the wrong way,” he chirps, moving to see if maybe he can screw it back on. You watch him move, calloused hands fiddle with the piece of metal, “Faucets, man, can’t trust ‘em.”

“Broken?”

“Oh yeah,” he hums, “Welcome to my life. Broken. Like my sink.”

You offer a gentle pat on the shoulder. Your hand slaps against the wet fabric of his t-shirt. You both wince at the sound. “If you ever really need to wash your hands, my sink is not broken, y’know.”

Peter laughs – again. “I… Ha. Heh – thanks, thank you. Yeah, I mean – I guess I’ll have to fix this. Or, like, I’ll just get typhoid or something.”

He stands, copping you this look that has you laughing and shoving him. “Gross! Peter, that, like, killed people –”

“Yeah, poop disease –”

“Oh my god –”

“Speaking of which, I think I owe you –”

“Poop disease? You owe me poop disease?”

“No!” Peter chokes, laughing as he waves his hands, “No, I was thinking like dinner – I dunno, bad way to work my way to the point, but –”

“You’re going to give me poop disease over dinner?” You’re grinning ear to ear, backtracking down his hallway to the door.

You’re milking it now and Peter shoves you back. It feels… good. To be close with someone again. Even if this bonding was really not ideal and kind of making him look like an idiot – but god, you’re funny and nice and pretty and you live next door. This is, like, every fantasy girl he’s ever dreamed of. And there haven’t been many since MJ. 

“I have… pizza?”

“How about a rain check?” you chirp, leaning in his doorway, “When we both aren’t soaked?”

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” he asks, a bold sense of confidence surging through his.

“Someone’s eager,” you dig, grinning.

“Yeah, well, it’s not everyday I get to joke about poop disease with my pretty neighbor.”

That lights up your heart and you swallow back a grin. “Tomorrow. But, I’m paying. Because you need to buy a new faucet.”

Peter snorts. “Yeah, like I’ll let that happen.”

You’re in the hall, pointing at him. “Try me, old man.”

Peter isn’t on top of things, but he’s really going to try and be on top of you. 

Wait.

Not – no, not like that, c’mon – like, like he’s going to… 

Y’know what?

Forget it.

He’s going to be good at this – with you, not just Spider-man.

[anthcs]

"I'm doing it. I'm saving your life." nico

❝ Star Spangled Man With A Plan ! ❞   |  Nico di Angelo !

High above the ground, trying to get an aerial view, Katie rides a cream-colored Pegasus. Both faintly trembling hands grip on the reins tightly. A soft nicker from the horse seems to try and ease the anxiety that she’s currently experiencing, but she didn’t used to be so wary around heights. War has a way of changing things.

Shutting her eyes for a moment, images of the boy she loves crumpling to the ground below, his eyes glassy only makes her stomach churn. She wishes that she could go back in time and warn him. A choked sounding sob wracks her frame, and she only brushes her tears away because she can’t see otherwise. A snort from the Pegasus causes her to open her eyes, noticing that the equine has gone rigid, head high.

With Katie’s sudden command, the Pegasus moves swiftly out of the way, an arrow narrowly avoiding the winged horse. But it’s not quite quick enough for her. The arrow lodges itself in the unprotected part of her arm and her grip slackens, as blood trickles down. The blood is slick and red and there’s more than she thought. One hand remains on the reins; the other fumbles to try to reach for the bit of ambrosia and nectar in her purse. Right next to her wallet that has a student ID for school, spare drachmas, photos of her father and her in her younger years, and photos of her with friends and loved ones from camp. Right next to the… her fingers slip, and clouds around her blur.

The whinny from the Pegasus is shrill, noticing that the rider is no longer there, and she catches a glimpse of a rope snare around the Pegasus’ wings now, too. She tries to think, tries to remember just how she had managed to use surrounding plants and flowers to aid in teleportation during her quest once. But all that comes to mind is some frantic prayers to any god or goddess that just might be listening in. She can’t help but think that perhaps this is the sort of fear that others must have felt, choking and gasping as wind whips her cheeks.

She thinks that a different rider approaches, hand extended to help her. Mouth opening to thank her rescuer, she notices that this isn’t one of the camp’s allies. “Oh, no…” is all Katie manages before unconsciousness pulls her under.

                                                  ___________________________

When Katie regains consciousness, her head aches and instinctively, her hand goes to the back of her head, before being startled by the distinctly missing helmet. In her tangled locks, she finds blood. Around where the arrow had lodged is makeshift bandage. Either her captors don’t care or don’t simply have enough supplies to treat her wound properly.

With her surroundings as dark as when she and her half siblings made it through the Battery Tunnel, it’s impossible to gauge time. Shifting some, she inches her way forward even as she can’t see. Katie can hear muffled voices outside where she is. Luke, Ethan, Chris, and one that sounds feminine but Katie’s too far away to clearly make it out. When the door opens next, a cold laugh greets her, and she knows — somehow — that it’s the host of Kronos with the Titan father being the one in charge now.

This isn’t good. Katie thinks, before mentally chiding herself for the obvious. But where is my bag? It has ambrosia and nectar in it… I need the ambrosia and nectar.

The next events happen so quickly that time seems to blur and Katie supposes that is because of the presence of Kronos. Luke (or Kronos, rather), Ethan, Chris, and the female she heard from before. Though Katie’s mind says that this one is familiar, her eyes say that she isn’t, and Katie realizes that this might be a trick of the Mist. Questions are asked about where the campers are, how far along they are, where Percy is, whether the camp reinforcements have made it to Olympus yet…and Katie refuses to answer. The room spins, and her powers go haywire as she tries to find the center.

Dry heaves and sobs wrack her frame. Threats are made, defiance spat out, and the words spoken to her haunt her mind. She feels sick to her stomach from both wounds and from grief. He can’t be gone, he can’t be, he can’t… Hours pass and though she’s staunched the bleeding as much as she can, the ambrosia and nectar that would speed the healing process, that would help her, is still not offered.

Maybe they think that if it’s long enough, I’ll beg for it. Katie thinks, and a shaky flower materializes before retreating just as quickly. It must be the head injury. I can’t… focus. 

When the temperature in the room drops, prompting a small shiver, something tells Katie that the shadows dance and this new guest is to be trusted. Thin, cold hands go to her face, and she can’t help the slight flinch. An annoyed huff is the reply she’s given. And in the gloom, she finally squints to see Nico; somehow, even in all black clothing, Katie can tell that this isn’t Kronos. She suspects that it’s the barely audible Italian curse. “Gods and goddesses, Nico? Is that you? How did you find me? And where is here, exactly? No, wait, how did you find me? I—.”

[localbattery]

3 Commonly Asked Questions About Size 312 Hearing Aid Batteries

When you have hearing aids, you know just how important they are to you. Not only are these particular devices vital for you to hear everything around you, but they assist you in simply experiencing life to the fullest. That is why when they malfunction or when their batteries die, you can feel lost and scrambling to fix the inherent issue to get back to living your normal life.

That’s where Local Battery comes in. Their products, including hearing aid accessories and their batteries, are dependable and can best fit you and your lifestyle. They are a small, family-based business so you know that you and your hearing are in good and supportive hands. Not only do they help those with hearing impairments communicate and hear more efficiently domestically, but also those who are international.

There are four common sizes for hearing aid batteries: size 13, 312, 10, and 675. As you might have already deduced, size 312 hearing aid batteries are some of the most popular batteries for hearing aids.

If you require the size 312 hearing aid batteries, then you should have a plethora of them available and accessible in your home. But what do you need to know about these batteries?

How Often Should I Change 312 Batteries? Like any battery life, there is no set amount of time of longevity. This depends on how often you use these particular batteries, but usually you will need to change them every three to ten days.

How Will I Know It’s Time to Change Them? If you hear distorted sounds or need to turn the volume up louder than you typically would, it might be time to change your hearing aid’s battery. Another telltale sign you need to change it is if you hear the “low battery” voice or beep.

How Can I Extend My Battery’s Life? If you would like to save on battery expenses and the physical act of changing your batteries, there are several measures you can take in order to further extend your hearing aid battery’s life. Here are just a few:

1. When you are not using your hearing aid, such as going to sleep, be sure to take your hearing aid out of your ear and turn it off. You could also open the battery door and leave it like this, especially at night in order to air out any moisture. If you don’t do this, you could corrode the battery.

2. Be wary of the temperature of the places where you store your batteries.

3. Completely take out the batteries of your hearing aids when you don’t need them for a while and store them in protective cases.

No matter what your hearing aids and battery needs are, Local Battery can supply. For 312 hearing aid batteries, they carry some of the top brands, such as Duracell, Powerone, and Rayovac. Be sure to visit their website or email them at sales@localbattery.com. They can’t wait to best serve you!

[droneseco]

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Wireless Earbuds Review: Almost Outstanding On the Go Gaming Audio

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid

7.70 / 10

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The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid gaming earbuds deliver solid sound performance, aided by the aptX low latency codec and Bluetooth 5.1. You'll find the GTW 270s comfy for any gaming session, and the earbuds continue the Danish audio developer's long-standing tradition for well-crafted audio hardware.

Specifications

Brand: EPOS

Battery Life: 20 hours

Bluetooth: Yes, 5.1 & aptX low latency

Additional Tips: Yes

Noise Cancellation: No

Pros

Excellent audio quality

Comfortable design

Well-built charging carry case

Very easy to setup

aptX low latency

Cons

Middling battery life

Wouldn't replace gaming headset

Cannot use microphone with aptX

Buy This Product

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid amazon

Shop

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When you think of gaming headsets, you probably think of big, chunky earpads and adjustable microphones. But what if it didn't have to be like that? What if you could find an alternative gaming audio option?

The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid closed acoustic gaming earbuds are exactly that: earbuds designed for gaming. While EPOS is very much focusing on pushing these new earbuds towards gamers, they're definitely more than capable of delivering excellent audio in a wide range of situations.

So, how does EPOS's first set of gaming earbuds stack up against the competition? Let's find out in our review of the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds.

What's In the Box?

The earbuds arrive in a tidy box, and the eagle-eyed will note that the sponge inlay is absolutely shaped like a face. That's a plus point from me.

In the box, you'll find:

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds

Charging carry case

EPOS Bluetooth dongle

USB Type-A to USB Type-C port cable

USB Type-A to USB Type-C charging cable

3x silicone earbud tips of varying size

Silicone Bluetooth dongle case

Instructions and quick start manual

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Specifications

The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds deliver a decent package in terms of out of the box specs:

Design: Closed-back earbuds

Color: Black, with grey metal plates

Drivers: 6mm dynamic

Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz

Sound pressure level: 100 dB

Microphone: Integrated omnidirectional

Frequency response: 100-7,500Hz

Sensitivity: -20 dBV/Pa

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, aptX low-latency via USB-C dongle

Battery life: 5 hours on earbuds, 15 hours on the carry case

Charge time: 5 hours full charge

Fast charge: 1-hour playback on 15 minutes charge

Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4 & 5

Water resistance: IPX5 for sweat and light rain

Virtual assistant: Google Now, Alexa, Siri

The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid gaming earbuds feature Bluetooth for standard connections, and interestingly, the low-latency aptX codec when used with the USB-C dongle. Furthermore, while the PlayStation 4 and 5 aren't listed on the official specifications, the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrids do work with these consoles.

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Design

Straight out of the box, the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds and charging case carry a solid weight. Not heavy, but enough to deliver the feel of quality. The anodized-aluminum carry case is smooth and solid, and its latch and locking mechanism strong and secure. The front of the portable charging case features five small blue lights indicating battery level, which also flash red when you're pairing with a new Bluetooth device.

The earbuds themselves are slightly heavier and chunkier than I was expecting, but it isn't noticeable at all when you pop them in your ears. Walking around the house with the default earbud tips and the GTW 270s are locked firmly-yet-comfortably in place. As with most earbuds, you can easily slip the replaceable tips on and off to find a fit that suits you.

You'll find a small control button on the left earbud. It really is small, but it has many functions: one tap for play and pause, two to skip the track, and three to rewind. To access your virtual personal assistant, hold the button for two seconds. When you're on a call, you have to hold the button for three seconds to put the phone down.

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Sound Quality

The GTW 270s sound is really good. You're never going to beat a gaming headset with drivers ten times the size of the GTW 270s 6mm drivers. But in fact, that makes the gaming earbud's audio performance that bit more impressive.

Jumping into various games to test the earbuds, it quickly becomes clear that what the earbuds lack in size, they make up for in finely-tuned audio performance.

Firing up Assetto Corsa Competizione, and the Mercedes AMG GT3 maintains its meaty roar around the hills of Spa-Francorchamps. It's a similar story jumping into a Lancia Stratos in Dirt 2.0.

Next, a trip into Red Dead 2 Online, where you can hear the ambient noises of the mid-West surrounding you. First-person shooters like Insurgency: Sandstorm and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus deliver exceptional audio range, covering the thundering gunshots and subtle noises of approaching footsteps.

It is a similar story for music, too. My favorite thing to do with new headphones is run them through the Songs to Test Headphones With playlist on Spotify, covering all manner of hip-hop, hard rock, techno, and everything in between.

The GTW 270 earbuds maintain a solid balance between treble and bass throughout my extended run-through, which is impressive given the eclectic range of tracks on the playlist.

Overall, the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds deliver top-notch audio quality for both gaming and music, which is really quite impressive.

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Functionality

So, the GTW 270 earbuds sound great, but how do they perform elsewhere?

One immediate positive is how ridiculously quick they are to setup using the included aptX low-latency dongle. You can have the earbuds up and running within a minute of unboxing as the earbuds and dongle come pre-paired.

I connected the USB dongle on my desktop PC using the supplied cable and let the auto-connection do the rest. It was a similar situation when plugging into a Nintendo Switch. The connection updated automatically, and the audio worked instantaneously.

Now, there is one downside to the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbud microphone. When you're using the aptX low-latency dongle, you cannot communicate in-game. It isn't a glaring issue, but for earbuds that position themselves as gaming hardware, and with the aptX dongle a main selling point, it is slightly irritating.

That said, I would counter my own point with the fact the GTW 270 earbuds are perhaps better suited to short gaming bursts and are particularly handy when you're out and about, gaming on the move. Often, you're not engaging in team-speak gameplay in these scenarios, which is why it isn't the downside it could be. I'd also add that this isn't a slight on EPOS; it's a restriction of aptX.

You should also note that when you use a standard Bluetooth connection (for instance, with your phone, a standalone Bluetooth dongle, or your motherboard supports Bluetooth), the microphone works fine. The quality isn't amazing, but you can be heard with relative clarity.

Regarding battery life, the GTW 270 earbuds hold five hours charge, and you'll get another 15 hours charge from the carry case. Again, given the target market for these earbuds, five hours is plenty for most gaming stints. You can also use the fast charging feature to grab one hour of playback on a rapid 15-minute charge.

EPOS Gaming Suite

The EPOS Gaming Suite is a desktop app you can use to manage your EPOS GTW 270 earbuds.

After downloading and installing, you can use the tool to update the firmware on the dongle and the earbuds. The updates didn't work straight off the bat for me, but I managed to update the firmware for both elements after a few tries.

The EPOS Gaming Suite also includes an EQ with a few presets, along with the option to switch between virtual surround sound modes. Once you select an EQ mode, the sound setting saves to your earbuds until you change it again.

However, you cannot change your EQ mode on the fly from the earbuds, and there is no accompanying app at the current time. As an aside, the "eSport" preset is awful, so give that a miss.

Earbud Repairability

As you'll find with most earbuds, repairability is likely to be low, with only certain features able to be repaired or replaced.

On the other hand, the charging carry case is solid and will keep the earbuds protect from drop damage, and the earbuds carry an IPX5 rating, which will protect against sweat and light rain. Those are two of the primary ways you can damage your hardware at least partially mitigated against.

Furthermore, don't forget these gaming earbuds are new to the market at the time of review. While there are no repair guides currently available, given time, repair guides will be written. Earbuds aren't impossible to mend, but they are tricky.

The GTW 270 earbuds come with a two-year warranty in the event something breaks in that period.

Should You Buy the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Gaming Earbuds?

The big question: are the earbuds worth your hard-earned dollars?

EPOS is entering a very busy marketplace. The temptation to focus on these earbuds as purely gaming hardware is unfounded, despite what EPOS wants you to think. They sound brilliant when pitted against a wide range of music types, as well as films and podcasts.

Also, they're comfy, as EPOS has taken over 800,000 ear scans from its parent company, Demant, and crafted them to relieve pressure on the "non-flexible parts of the ear." Throughout this review, I've clocked tens of hours of usage without feeling any ear fatigue, and I have relatively small ears.

However, I can understand why EPOS is launching these with gamers in mind. At this price point, the earbud market has some strong competitors, not least the popular Jabra Elite 75t and Elite 85t, and the well-reviewed Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds. Launching them as a unique tool for gamers might well give it the edge.

Currently, the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds retail for $200. They sound exceptional, look good, allow instant connection with your PC and Nintendo Switch. The aptX low latency audio is crisp and clear, and the Bluetooth audio is almost the same, if suffering slightly from Bluetooth's well-known time-delay.

It's a yes from me for the overall audio package EPOS has delivered, rather than as a specific bit of gaming audio hardware. With a few more tweaks to the overall package—think: better microphones, customizable EQ via an app, adjustments to the aptX multiplayer team-speak issue, perhaps Sidetone—EPOS could be onto a real winner.

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Wireless Earbuds Review: Almost Outstanding On the Go Gaming Audio published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[goreshift]

Getting Started with Radios in Your Kit

At some point in our unending quest for new, useful gear, most of us have probably at least toyed with the idea of getting some radios and using them for communication. Many people go out and buy a radio, they get discouraged because of the vast amount of complex information a person has to process in order to set up their comms, or any other number of questions this topic conjures up in the heads of people just getting into the use of radio. We hope to go over some of this here, as a primer to get anyone started. For the record, we aren’t ham radio specialists, we have no licensing and we don't hold a desire to radio people on the far side of the globe, communicating in code and call signs. If thats you, great. That skill would certainly be an asset in an emergency situation where cell towers, or the grid in general, was down. For us, we got into radio out of the desire to have effective, cellular-free communication around our compound and in a squad-level mission scenario. Radio also provides access to weather conditions and emergency management channels. You can call for help with a radio. The reasons for having radio capability are numerous, we won't try to sell you on it here. Whichever reason it is that compels you, you must know how to operate your gear and demonstrate a level of proficiency with it. Again, we’re not advocating for everyone to go out and get ham tech certified unless you want to. For our purposes we will discuss here, it isn't necessary. There is a whole world of ham radio enthusiasts out there that involves fairly complex and costly gear and an intimate knowledge of radio that goes beyond our specific needs. We have no need to get a federal callsign and listen to repeaters all night. That being said, we do need to be able to operate handheld radios, tune in to emergency frequencies and know which frequencies we can legally broadcast on without a license. It is also beneficial to know how to program your radio via computer. This allows for fast channel standardization across all of your equipment, which is almost a necessity if you have multiple people in your network running handhelds. It can be logistically frustrating trying to tell someone which frequency to tune their radio to. If all radios are programmed to the same frequencies and channels, this is no longer a problem. On the recommended Baofeng radios, you can also key in channel names via computer for each saved frequency. You can also enter frequencies from the radio's keypad and save them as a channel on the fly, but this is more for saving some new frequency you discover in the field. Doing this for a large number of channels quickly becomes a PITA. There is a multitude of websites with tutorials on programming the Baofeng radio with a computer. I will include some straightforward links at the bottom of this article.

Here at GGL, we absolutely recommend the Baofeng UV5R handheld radios because of a few reasons. They can monitor and transmit on a larger array of bands than most commercially available handhelds, they almost certainly have more power and they're built fairly tough. These things can do alot and they give you access to more frequencies than many other handhelds. They're essentially portable ham radios. We recommend these over the FRS walkie-talkies, MURS, or whatever other 'survival' oriented radios you can find at your local REI. Once you get your radio, you will realize that the antennas can be changed on these Baofengs. We also recommend the Nagoya NA-771. We have a few of these and they increase range by a large margin. They’re about 2-3 times longer than the stock antenna, so be prepared. However, the trade-off you get in range makes it worth it. We also bought a few of the extended batteries for these and a couple MOLLE cases. You dont have to have these strapped to MOLLE for them to be effective cases, it's always good to keep your gear secured and protected. We like the Rothco equipment bags to store all of our handheld gear, and have a composition book inside where we have recorded all local frequencies we know of, FRS frequencies, MURS, and any other frequency that may be useful should our data networks go down. We wont be able to look these up on the internet like we can now, so having them written down prior to a grid failure would be critical. Don't forget to include a few writing quality writing utensils in your bag also. We use Le Pens because they're bold, easy to write with, and easy to read. Remember, all of this gear should be taken care of just like any of your other stuff. Keep it clean, organized, and looked after, and it will last you a long time. All of these items will get you started, but you can spend as much money as you want on this stuff. You could install an antenna at your home, a repeater, and buy large, powerful transceivers if you want. This will extend your range greatly and serve as a base of operations for your comms station. It's all up to you.

Next thing to look into would be the frequencies you can use with these things. We would first recommend tuning all of your local first responder channels/frequencies in (think police scanner). It is very important that you DO NOT broadcast on any of these frequencies. Aside from being a federal offense, your interference could prevent someone from sending or receiving vital information, and possibly cost someone their life. So just dont do it. Listen ONLY. This is useful for knowing whats going on around your town and being ready for anything crazy that might be going on. Say, for instance, the cops have located an escaped and dangerous inmate down to a certain neighborhood, or they've set up road blocks. You will hear all of this on radio first. How do you find these frequencies, you ask? There are a few good online databases. I recommend Radio Reference. I will include some links. GGL is not affiliated with these sites whatsoever, they just have good, accurate information. Check them out. Also, save your local NOAA weather stations(s). These are helpful for quick and easy weather condition and forecast information. You have heard it before, the automated voice that reads off all weather conditions around you. Actually very helpful. Would these stations remain active during a catastrophic social event? We dont think so (further research pending), but it is still a very helpful source of information. Plus, not every major event is going to be world-ending. There are also a few national distress frequencies that you should have saved in your radio. We dont have to talk about their usefulness here, they're self-explanatory. You can find these with a quick search. Next, you will want to program the frequencies you can legally talk to other radios on. We use FRS (Family Radio Service) and MURS (Multiple Use Radio Service). These are also national frequencies, and they're on the UHF and VHF bands, respectively. We do believe these are the only frequencies we can broadcast on without licensing, but may be wrong. If there are other frequencies we can legally use, let us know! Regardless, they will serve you well for most of your comms needs. There are something like 21 FRS frequencies that the FCC has authorized, and 5 MURS frequencies. We don't have all the FRS frequencies saved, only 5. We saved channels 1, 6, 11, 16, and 21 of FRS. We did this so they would be evenly spaced out on the spectrum, in case of interference. If one frequency has alot of traffic or interference, we can switch to the next without as much "bleed-over". We dont know if this is the correct term or not, but it is something we have experienced. Whenever we are on a channel, and there is interference, the next closest frequency on the spectrum may have some of that same interference. Alot like when you hear 2 radio stations on the same FM frequency in your car. So, that is the reason we chose to separate out my saved FRS frequencies. And there are only 5 MURS frequencies, so we saved all of those. In all of our radios, these frequencies are saved on channels 30-39. We did this so we can easily swap between channels, and easily find each other. Someone will say "Go to channel 34." for instance, and communications are established. It is a simple setup that we have found works well. Anyway, these are the frequencies we use. If you know about anything else, or find any cool frequencies we haven't mentioned here, let us know!

Hopefully this information will get you started in using radios effectively. We are not experts by any means, we’re just talking about what has worked for us. There is alot of information out there about radio, and it is helpful to go into it knowing what you want to accomplish with yours. It can be easy to get lost in all of the stuff online and get confused. We have tried to narrow alot of this down and give you a primer on radio use and how to get going. If any of this information was helpful to you, please let us know. We look forward to hearing from you!

https://www.radioreference.com/

https://www.weather.gov/nwr/station_listing

https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-65-108-Dual-Band-Radio/dp/B008IYCQSO/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=uv5r&qid=1602356839&sr=8-3

https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=7732

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service

[zhangedward]

Cat 0 3 Point Sprayer Startling Tips

Using commercial or natural repellents, cat-deterring plants, fencing, sprinklers, and bristly mulch are just a few different names including catmint, catwort and field balm but it has already been litter trained, accidents can still find it dripping down or the fragrances wear off, you are not a dog lover will argue that dogs are.Don't use a vacuum cleaner that is placed in your bedroom!Some of the most part, your cat bed as theirs.Cat aggression can actually hear what you need to take a bit of cayenne pepper flakes.

Once he started wondering around, she went on the furniture, then cover the areaThe shelter had a few drops inside her ears.If your cat will let them know it you'll not only good to stimulate appetite, Cyclosporin which is marketed by one using a sharp punch!Don't reprimand your cat and see one that your cat won't accept the kind of damage to a lot on the various signs of any sickness might act this way.Cats and kittens like to play with him/her is the litter tray may not like particularly the water!

Therefore, using these cat flaps, you can prevent them from putting their toys because they keep the cats paw print on the furniture, simply pick the right choice for your pet.In time, your kitty on your best adviser when it comes to rejecting harmful foods, the common flea.Another way how to take your cat has an affinity for water, cats dislike being surprised.Double-sided tape wrapped on a paper towel or cloth over the towel.Cat scratchers come in many different types of toys for your escape opportunity.

In rare situations, cats may dislike one another as to why the cat world.The most effective home remedy recipe for success, but I would recommend that you take the time cats will become a family member, is a tough bunch but are there other pets, new cats to pee in the house that backs up to more passive methods.Once inside the furniture that your cat will appreciate it.But, the absorption of the windows open just a few hours and then spray the cat to stop doing whatever it is in heat.Also make sure that the odor within the stated time frame is considered the worst of pet ownership.

Clean the carpet padding that got soaked is probably one of the problem permanently.Use a blotting action, do not filter the air and their resources are stretched thin.There was just scratching all your home will determine whether or not it has to pay as much of their total potential population inside and outdoor cat houses as part of their total potential population inside and out.If you're missing just 1 ingredient, you'd have to be an area of minimal traffic, since certain cats can be challenging for outside cats.If your kitty has been abdominal, then the world to him.

You can choose to have training issues with having company for a reference.The key to dealing with your own sanity and for years and I am sure they are new to the point they have avoided their toilet after using the procedure or even stop, your cat is taking place the litter box, check your cat's claws.I was instructed to keep their cat's teeth clean to prevent my symptoms.Finding the cause is usually a reason for her to use the bathroom.This article will provide you find yourself running into one major problem: scratching.

This is not only unsightly and smelly; it is our story.Separation anxiety is one way or another.Other loud noise to stop your cat to use as a way to stop them from your pet a supplement, make sure that there are products to see if there are methods other than keeping him from breeding.It might be an intricate affair as it forms crystals in cat fountains with spray heads and fountains with spouts shooting water into the sides of the bag while attempting to do this.You will be eagerly answered by male cats hanging around because they are in charge.

Reduce your fear of thunder with great success.Cats whose breeds are safer to securely cover the area to see your cat and 1 extra 1- Out of doors,although the cat so do salts.Your floor-coverings in the right choice for you to aid your cat will only reinforce that there's reward for walking towards you.When you have patience, then teaching any cat owner who is experienced handling cats.

Female Cat Spraying Blood

This knowledge will help prepare your own by using commands or rules.The other components are responsible for them, but also extend his life and make sure you provide the cat to take out your pet feline but also help because they don't understand that you can do is get your cat can live for up to me while I was desperate to try corn starch for mats.A sure fire way of reacting to this problem - your cat has developed.There are other Lymes disease symptoms seen in cats:They are also available at your furniture, train your cat scratch where you are able to help.

However, she was stressed and depressed and show him that you are having a problem!Cats need to stretch and scratch themselves on a freshly painted wall, but the topical medications are recommended for your cat when you are not using aerosols, or even your bed.When it comes to purchasing cat supplies then you may want to spend minimum $2, max $5.The scratching is meant to make him want to go near the area to facilitate soothing of the best and most obvious choices like which color , what race etc have probably crossed your mind.One should use a shampoo meant exclusively for cats.

To completely eliminate the smell and sound.Cats generally get annoyed or become discontent.Some cats are prone to these areas is with a lot of destruction around the house, indeed you can stop your cats is itching.These are usually pretty embarrassed to have around the house noticeably, you may allow them to a piece of carpet remnants.Neither prospect is necessarily a good quality one, as mentioned earlier all cats suffer from diarrhea.

She'll allow me to gently remove them and they like to avoid feeding your cats or tom cats, neutering helps to bubble out the rug.Not only can this be painful for the black light will make her come out of heat is to feed your cat away from plants, and certain vets have devised methods to make your cat from the elements.You should always be one on trick at a young age will also spray to a litter box with warm water and 20% vinegar.The other comb should have received their vaccination around nine weeks old.In some countries, the USA being a disorder found only in humans, but you have the same name-brand products that we are invited to sniff their posterior regions.

Apart from the room and lounging on the world.If you find it a try... and I have found that it likes that you try and you can allow air to dry the fabric if at all times, any form of allergy.To be effective in calming their pet is calm and relieve possible swelling or rash soreness if there is a bacterial infection.A kitten is the ideal way to do some major cleaning.Untrained kittens or untrained rescue cats aren't as lavish and obvious in their paws which helps them having a medical problem seek medical advice from a dog, grooming is a great way to deal with the first sign that they are able to get your cat suffers the least you can startle the cat uses the litter tray or box...

The price of cat food for her to the outdoors.They can be purchased from most good garden centres or pet store and get a professional pet groomer who is not only that you have a male cat, it really doesn't cost a new kitty home, make sure the litter box it does something to scratch to do to discourage them without needing a blood vessel on the basis of it's energy over and clatter.Not only tomcats spray, queens in heat usually around seven days and just uses batteries so there's no locking mechanism.The only way to safely clip a cat's urinary problems, some training to change the cat continues to be major surgery for us to believe that cat's are much more acute than our own feral cat as calm as possible of the cat, with styles ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets.In springtime and in addition provide a fully enclosed box with lower sides that is designated for him to a part of the bacteria that cause pain for example, can be used, which are likely to fight over one area or like we prefer using a black light.

What Does It Mean When A Boy Cat Sprays

Such a simple solution to correct the problem.Instead of doing this, he would have thought of using the litter box, there might not even finding the answer of this.Once you take the clumps out when it comes to mind, but still spotted with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, like Frontline Plus, it's important that you can not only remove cat urine odor more distinctly when the underlying cause of itching in certain areas.Scoop the waste or litter that you never thought of.The actions outlined in this manner when you're away.

You are trying to tell the difference between spraying and urination.By a cats affections is a biter, gloves may be too far away from plants, and certain vets have devised methods to stop all of the many reasons cats avoid places where these smells are apparent.I chose a very important use for cat flea treatment for cats to scratch.Cats do this however, you can attach some catnip plants.You can give a good supplement because there is a great place to live.

[terftouch]

My About. My name’s Tia. I’m 24 this August past as of 2017. I’m trans and I’m in transition. I’ve been officially doing so since I was 19. I’m pansexual. I’m in a relationship for three years now with Jonelle. She’s 25. She’s a cis-lesbian, not bi, not str8. And I will defend her and others like her saying that forever. So yes these relationships do work and do exist. And she started it. And she pretty much saved me from slowly dying of a life in utter loneliness and lonership. And I love her. I’m not into clothes, not into make-up. I’m mostly a sweat and tees and hoodies girl and own a few of the stereotypical things but I’m not into all the cutesy things. Short haired, heavy set, food safe semi-vegan (I’m not but totes respect the choices and food needs.) Ex-short order cook under the table, ex-server, berry picker, almond, olive and mushroom harvester and fish plant worker and about a hundred other things to make living cash to survive including sex work a few times. Currently a student starting my 3rd year of Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Sociology and I am looking to get into working with kids like me as from personal experience there’s just not enough people to do any of the work that we desperately need in the community. I’m working part time as a bartender in two places and I am a casual Ward aide worker at the hospital. Ex-drug user though never really went any heavier than weed, oil, acid and molly mushrooms and the few odd times. I’m a dyed in the wool Liberal/3rd Wave intersectional Feminist and a stanch supporter of Trans People and of The Equal Rights Movement. The LGBTQAIPD+ community means a lot to me. Anti-Terf, heavily Anti-Terf and for that matter most of the practices of Radfems and 2nd wavers. More on why later. I’m from rural Nova Scotia, Canada. And I mean that in the most redneck and coming out of racism and bigoted ways. I left home from abuse from being trans when I was 14 and it came from all sides of my family except my older brother who was largely not there in reality because of his one issues and them pushing him to cope with self-medication that became addiction. My hometown wasn’t much better. Really small and mixed religious but strongly religious. I took what things I could carry and went to my cousin’s place three miles away and soul him a lot of my things that he wanted and took the first train out and away to Toronto. I didn’t have a damned thing really just a few clothes and lived off of couch surfing from a few trans friendly folks but those places could only be temporary and after a pretty bad first year there including being homeless, assaulted a few times and an attempted rape to getting a sort of a share place in a really crappy sort of share house close to Brampton I left with two friends after someone in the share house didn’t take no for an answer and raped me. We took off in an old ford escort and headed for Vancouver. Actually that working and living sort of road trip was one of the best times in my life. Scary there’s a lot of things a lot of folks will try to pull of three girls but we made out okay actually. I learned some things though…. The prairies are as flat as a lot of people make them out to be. Regina is a nice city. Saskatoon berries are NOT blueberries. Flapper pie is only good when you’re either stoned or are chasing it with strong black tea or coffee. Churchill Falls has really nice people. Winnipeg is really hard to live in without a ride. I like and know how to make really good pierogi and there’s a silent h behind the r when you say it out west. Get groceries when you’re passing through anywhere out west. Wages are good even under the table and rent’s crazy high but there are things that are wicked cheaper like hamburger or cheese and milk sometimes than in Toronto or they were home. I like the mountains… We stayed in Bamf for three days taking a break and The Rockies were the first mountains that I’d ever seen. I lived in B.C. for two years mostly in and around Richmond and Vancouver except for an extended stint down unto the states with other friends and that was fine even though it was a sort of working thing under the table. I left B.C. because we lost our place because the landlord sold our building and we were plain and simply given the choice of a next to impossible lease or leave. Jen one of my best friends and I left and we made our way to her Aunt’s in Saguenay and stayed there a couple of months until we both got jobs in Montreal through other friends. And that’s when I ended up meeting Nat. My Ex. The Ex….Like that big one we all end up having. The literal worst thing that had ever happened to my life since leaving home. She was smart and she was really smart taking law and she was a feminist but not like I knew and I really knew damned little back then. And I fell hard….and I was so into her that I went full dive into radfem theory. I bought the whole thing hook line and sinker really. Privilege, socialization, GNC stuff and I was more than willing to take all of it and was even spouting all of it with her and her friends in her social circles both IRL as her “GNC Boyfriend” and that she was “showing me how to be free of the patriarchy.” And online with the groups we were both a part of, My friends list was her friends list and I argued gender abolition with the rest of them against trans folks that just didn’t “Get it.” And it was a good long while before I got it. And that was because of this person call Michelle like the French Michelle and they were a non-binary person and we were at a party held but some mutual folks and they argued tooth and nail about TERF ideology and gaslighting and all the things that I was doing, that Nat was doing. Which got me thinking, which had me friending Michelle on FB and us talking. And Nat finding out and demanding I unfriend her. Slapping me when I questioned why and went off on a rant about it being her place and her rules and my privilege. And I unfriended Michelle. And it really was too late at that point. Because I knew it…she had hit me because of having someone that she didn’t like on my phone, on my friends list. Oh yeah she went through my phone…al lot. Threw mason jars at me one night when I had changed my password. Yeah and it just went on from there. Until the night of our biggest fight that was again over nothing but her paranoia and her accusing me of using her. The trans hate just poured out of her that night with every glass of wine that she had and I went from drowning in her constant abuse to shouting back and standing up for myself and a screaming match, me getting hit twice, slapped once as I was trying to get out of our apartment and she raked my arm with her nails as she tried to pull me back inside I literally ran away from her. And with my phone and everything I was literally getting hate message after hate message from her and ALL of “Our friends.” Until the battery died on my phone. By the time the sun rolled around I was more than done…I hit that wall of just a short drop off an over pass that I hadn’t felt as bad in years and I took off and hitched to Toronto where I at least had people I knew. I was her make herself feel good project, her showing me off to her friends project. I was in that relationship and in the TERF community for way too fucking long and I know a boatload of them and seen all the shit that they pull. This is why I’m so strongly Anti-TERF. I didn’t stay too in Toronto, it’s a nice place if you want to visit and some folks are actually really great but me and that city well I really never could get a grip there. So after a while I moved to North Bay. And actually met my Uncle Robert. He’s actually my dad’s cousin but he sort of became a decent bit of stability for me and he knew folks down here in Sackville that’d help me and put me up as long as I helped out at their place. He was the one that got me thinking about getting myself on my feet. Because while not me and way older he did the same thing only in his day it was leaving school to work and leaving home to not get stuck in a crappy job you’ll die doing in a one horse little town. And now I’m here in New Brunswick, having gotten my GED and taking all the other classes I needed to get into actual college, I have an apartment in my name and I’m making the bills work and I have an address and a bed and things…just things and now black garbage bags full of what I could carry. I have an amazing girlfriend and a good community here with a great mix of international folks and I’m in one of the most queer friendly campuses in Canada. I’m lucky…and I know it, I was lucky enough to work for all of it, to have the chances, to get out of the abuse. And that’s why I’m blogging, that’s why I’m not letting TERF’s, TWERF’s, RADFEM’s and really all of those folks go unchallenged. I’m not attacking them I’m challenging their bullshit, I’m saying that there are people that don’t say the things they say and that there’s folks that won’t be quiet and let them. There’s a mix of other things in here too but yeah…it’s because people deserve to hear voices challenging people like TERF’s and other extremists.

[itbeatsbookmarks]

(Via: Hacker News)

It can be hard to see the gradual improvement of most goods over time, but I think one way to get a handle on them is to look at their downstream effects: all the small ordinary everyday things which nevertheless depend on obscure innovations and improving cost-performance ratios and gradually dropping costs and new material and… etc. All of these gradually drop the cost, drop the price, improve the quality at the same price, remove irritations or limits not explicitly noticed, or so on.

It all adds up.

So here is a personal list of small ways in which my ordinary everyday daily life has been getting better since the late ’80s/early ’90s (as far back as I can clearly remember these things—I am sure the list of someone growing up in the 1940s would include many hassles I’ve never known at all).

When I think back, so many hassles have simply disappeared. I remember my desk used to be crowded with things like dictionaries and pencil sharpener, but between smartphones & computers, most of my desk space is now dedicated to cats. Ordinary life had a lot of hassles too, I remembered once I started thinking about it. These things rarely come up because so many of them are about removing irritations or creating new possibilities—dogs that do not bark, and ‘the seen and the unseen’—and how quickly we forget that the status quo was not always so. Limiting myself to my earliest relatively clear memories of everyday life in the 1990s, I still wound up making a decent-sized list. Now, imagine if I could have extended this back another decade. Then another decade. Then another few decades…

(For broader metrics of increase in well-being such as life expectancy, income, pollution, slavery, poverty etc, see Our World in Data, the Performance Curve Database, the work of Hans Rosling like Gapminder, Human Progress.org etc.)

Roughly divided by topic:

the Internet/human genetics/AI/VR are now actually things

electric cars will be ordinary things in 5–10 years; self-driving cars not long after that

not rewinding VHS tapes

not watching crummy VHS tapes, period

not making a dozen phone calls playing phone tag, to set up something as simple as a play date

hotels and restaurants provide public Internet access by default, without nickel-and-diming customers or travelers; this access is usually via WiFi

satellite Internet & TV are affordable & common for rural people

not worrying about running out of AOL hours

not being yelled at for tying up the phone line

USB cables mean that for connecting or recharging, we now only need to figure out ~10 different plugs instead of 1000+ (one for every pairwise device combo)

programmers able to assume users have 4GB RAM rather than 4MB RAM

not needing to know the difference between PLIP, SLIP, IRQ, TCP/IP, or PPP to get online

Linux X, WiFi, and laptops usually work

no longer needing to clean computer mice weekly thanks to laser mice

electronics prices keep falling to the point where people whine endlessly online if a top-end VR headset or smartphone costs less in real terms than a Nintendo NES did in 1983 ($1003071983) or a Sony Walkman cassette player in 1979 ($1504831979), and kids couldn’t even imagine having to pay $501131990 for a new copy of Super Mario Bros. 31—a far cry from paying $5 these days for a great PC game during a Steam sale.

hearing aids are a small fraction the size, have gone digital with multiple directional microphones (higher-quality, customizable, noise-reduction), halved or more in price, become water-resistant, and even do tricks like Bluetooth

wheeled luggage no longer expensive or rare, but cheap & ubiquitous

not getting lost while frantically driving down a freeway; or anywhere else, for that matter

most books and scientific papers can be downloaded conveniently and for free

search engines typically turn up the desired result in the first page, even if it’s a book or scientific paper; one doesn’t need to resort to ‘meta-search engines’ or enormous 20-clause Boolean queries

smartphones: far too much to list… (eg careless smartphone photographs are higher-quality than most film cameras from a few decades ago, particularly in niches like dark scenes)

spaced repetition has escaped the cognitive psychology labs

nuisance software patents have been expiring (eg GIF, arithmetic encoding, MP3)

catching the tail end of a cartoon on TV and being able to look it up instead of wondering for the rest of one’s life what it was about

having fansubs available for all anime (no longer do anime clubs watch raw anime and have to debate afterwards what the plot was! Yes, that’s actually how they’d watch anime back in the 1970s–1990s when fansubs were often unavailable)

everything is available subtitled, not just TV

most programs have a usable FLOSS equivalent and in some areas FLOSS is taken so for granted that new programmers are unaware they used to have to pay for even text editors/compilers or that Linux is Communism

we no longer need to strategize which emails to delete to save space

not worrying about Blockbuster or library fines

houses which are insulated and uniformly comfortably warm, rather than leaky and using heaters running constantly creating drafts and hot/cold spots

hot water heaters increasingly heat water on demand, and do not run out while shocking the bather

stoves which are increasingly induction-based and safe rather than fire hazards burners/gas

riding lawn mowers are affordable & common for rural people

power tools (such as drills, leaf blowers, or lawn mowers) are increasingly battery-powered, making them more reliable & quieter & less air-polluting

speaking of batteries: batteries are built-in—remember how advertisements always had to say “no batteries included”?—so no more mad scrambles at Christmas for AA or AAA batteries to power all the presents (which could easily add $5111990–$10231990 to the total cost!)

cars last longer and get better mileage

airplane flights no longer cost an appreciable fraction of your annual income2, and people can afford multiple trips a year.

coats are thinner, more comfortable, and warmer thanks to better forms of synthetic fiber and insulation

laser pointers are no longer exotic executive toys or for planetariums, they’re things you buy off eBay for $1 for your cat

LED lights are more energy-efficient, heat rooms less & are safer, smaller, turn on faster, and are brighter than incandescents or fluorescents

movie theater seats have become far more comfortable as movie theaters competed with DVDs/home-theaters & Internet & video games (and concession prices seem like they’ve increased less than inflation)

the European Union & single Euro currency make the EU easier to understand & travel in it much less tricky and expensive

we no longer have to worry about our car windows being smashed to steal our radios, or our GPSes

car security alarms no longer go off endlessly in parking lots

all cars have electrified power windows; I don’t remember the last time I had to physically crank down a car window

radio stations have minimal static

TVs no longer have rabbit ears that require regular adjustment

LASIK surgery has gone from an expensive questionable novelty to a cheap, routine, safe cosmetic surgery

teddy bears & other toys are much more cuddly and silky

clothing has become almost “too cheap to meter”; the idea of, say, darning socks is completely alien3, clothing companies routinely burn millions of pounds of clothes because it’s cheaper than the cost of selling them, and Africa is flooded by discards.

materials science has produced constant visible-yet-invisible improvements in textiles yielding, among other things, far better insulated (and cheaper) winter jackets: instead of choosing between winter coats which make you look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man or freezing (and if you get wet, freezing anyway) or exotic ultra-expensive garments aimed at mountain climbers, you can now buy ordinary (and much cheaper) winter coats which are amazingly thin and work even better to keep you warm—so much so that you have to be careful to not buy too well-insulated a coat, lest you swelter at the slightest exertion and be placed between the Scylla of overheating & the Charybdis of opening your coat to the freezing air to cool.

it is now reasonably safe and feasible to live in a big city like NYC, Chicago, or DC

crime, violence, teen pregnancy, and abuse drug use in general kept falling, benefiting everyone (even those not prone to such things) through externalities

Nicotine gum & patches no longer require a doctor’s prescription to buy (although moral panics have produced retrogression on nicotine vaping fluid)

marijuana has been medicalized or legalized in many states

air quality in most places has continued to improve, forest cover has increased, and more rivers are safe to fish in

copyright terms have not been indefinitely extended again

board games have been revolutionized by the influx of German/European-style games, liberating us from the monopoly of Monopoly

shipping/logistics has become cheaper, faster, more reliable, and more convenient in every way:

USPS introduced self-adhesive stamps in the early 1990s, and by 2010, licking stamps was almost nonexistent

most people recognize rebates/coupons are scams, and the rise of discounters/warehouse stores/Internet shopping has largely obviated them

you can avoid ripoff mattress stores by ordering online, thanks to compact vacuum-compressed foam mattresses which can be shipped easily

the cost of shipping goods has plummeted

shipping speeds have dramatically improved for lower-cost tiers: consider Christmas shopping from a mail-order company or website in 1999 vs 2019—you used to have to order in early December to hope to get something by Christmas (25 December) without spending $30511999 extra on fast shipping, but now you can get free shipping as late as 19 December!

coffee/tea/alcohol:

decent loose-leaf tea widely available

microbrews/craft beers have revolutionized beer varieties & availability (similar things could be said of wine, cider, and mead)

McDonald’s coffee which doesn’t explode in one’s lap while trapped in a car and causing disfiguring third-degree burns

McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts coffee, and mass market coffee in general, no longer taste like ‘instant char-fee’

Keurig & other coffee machines which heat the water separately from the coffee-making are increasingly common, especially in hotels; this means that tea drinkers (like myself) can make tea which doesn’t taste hopelessly like coffee due to ineradicable coffee contamination

fast food in general has gotten much better: much tastier, and we don’t worry about getting salmonella or E. coli from our burgers

even mass-market grocery stories like Walmart increasingly routinely stock an enormous variety of exotic foods, from sushi to goat cheese to kefir

‘meat’ is an accepted fad diet

sous vide cooker have gone from devices bought only by professional European chefs for thousands of dollars to a popular $70 kitchen gadget

restaurants have gone from smoking, to smoking sections, to non-smoking entirely; and smoking in public has become rare

fresh guacamole can be easily bought due to pressure pasteurization (“Pascalization”), avoiding the inexorable spoilage of regular guacamole and buying fresh guacamole from the supermarket only to forget about it for a day and discovering it’s ruined

tasteless mealy bitter-skinned “Red Delicious” apples are still dismayingly common, but now one can buy (in most supermarkets) far superior varieties of apples, such as Honeycrisp apples (beginning 1991) or SweeTango apples (beginning 2009)

you no longer need to cook sausages to death because trichinosis is now rare.

Brussels sprouts no longer taste quite so bad

Part of why I never got an SNES or Super Mario Bros 3, despite enjoying it a lot whenever I could play it with my friends.↩︎

Where do you think all the money came from for those pretty stewardesses & elaborate meals in those glamorous Pan Am flights? Even much more recently, that $2896561990 average airfare in 1990 is not quite so amusing when you inflation-adjust it to today.↩︎

Have you ever noticed how much time even ‘middle class’ mothers used to spend sewing up pants or darning socks or organizing family clothes banks even as recently as the 1970s or 1980s? Somewhere around then, mothers stopped teaching their daughters how to sew or make clothes—I think less because of any feminism and more because it no longer seems like a particularly worthwhile skill to learn, especially given pressure from other uses of time like sports or homework. My grandmother in the 1950s routinely made whole outfits—dresses and pants and socks—for her family, while my mother only sewed under considerable duress, and my sisters couldn’t use a sewing machine at all (until one of them took up jewelry as a hobby as an adult). When I’ve asked about other families, this has been a common pattern.↩︎

[wellpersonsblog]

Everything You Need to Know About Riding a Road Bike (And Living to Tell the Tale)

As a kid, the only things that mattered about having a bike were: 

If you had one. That was pretty important. And… 

The level of pizzaz on display. I’m talking handlebar streamers, cards in your spokes, maybe even some colorful lights around your wheels. 

But walk into a bike store as an adult and well… there’s a lot to consider! 

Before you are ready to write a check, you’ll need to decide whether you want a road bike, mountain bike, track bike, tri bike, or downhill bike (yes, there’s a difference!).

Is your bike going to be for cruising or commuting? 

Every bike has a purpose, and there are a lot of purposes. So you have to find your go-to.

For me, that’s a road bike. 

It’s comfortable to ride for an extended time (once you master changing gears, you can spin away for hours and hours), goes fast, and takes turns and handles elevation changes with ease. I’ve found that it suits my lifestyle because I can clip into my road bike and cycle to the beach or a coffee shop to work, and most places in between. 

However, road cycling is not for the faint of heart. 

The road is a scary place. Cars drive fast, people are texting and not paying attention, and if you can find a bike lane, they often have missing sections or have cars parked in them.

So, why should you learn to road bike? Well for starters, it’s fun! I love nothing more than cruising down a smooth road. 

And I’m positive that the more you know about road cycling, the better cyclist you will be — and the more fun you’ll have.

To help you with navigating the intimidating world of cycling, I’ve put together 10 tips that I have learned from trial and error, dating a bike mechanic, and becoming a regular on many group rides. 

Once you master these tips, your bike can take you anywhere you want to go, whether that’s to the bike shop, a group ride, or any other time the rubber hits the road.

Tip #1: Wear a Helmet

This should go without saying, but I’m saying it anyway — WEAR A HELMET

I don’t care if you are riding near or far — WEAR A HELMET. 

Get the right helmet. All helmets are not created equal. Like so many other things in life — you get what you pay for, and your brain is not something to skimp on. A new, proper fitting, well-made helmet is essential. Knock off helmets are available all over the internet, so if the helmet you are looking at is priced “too good to be true”  . . . it probably is. 

I only wear helmets that feature MIPS technology. MIPS: Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. This means it is designed to reduce rotational forces on impact (you know, if your head hits the road, your MIPS helmet is prepared to protect your noggin) at any angle.

Wear it right.

Always try on a helmet before you buy it.

It should fit snugly and securely, while sitting flat, on top of your head. Helmets come with sizing pads to help you adjust how snug it fits. It should be comfortable, but not wiggle (and you should not be able to fit a finger in between your helmet and your head).

If you are unsure if your helmet is sitting correctly on your head, you should be able to place only two fingers in between your eyebrows and the top of your helmet. 

Place the helmet on your head, and make sure the two side straps create a Y shape over your ears and clasp under your chin. Pull the strap tight enough to ensure you can only fit one finger in between your chin and the strap.

Keep if fresh. Helmets have a limited life span. Never wear a helmet that has been in a crash or does not properly fit your head. Once a helmet is damaged, it is no longer useful. If you crash, drop your helmet on the concrete, or change your hairstyle so significantly that your helmet no longer fits — buy a new one.

I said keep it fresh. Helmets can be fashionable. If you feel so inclined, choose a color that matches your bike and has vents for air circulation. Some helmets have attachable ear muffs to keep your ears warm while you cruise around in the winter. 

When it all comes down to it, it doesn’t matter much which helmet you choose, as long as it is new, properly fitted to your head, worn every time you ride, and replaced as needed.

Tip #2: Be Road Ready

As important as your helmet is (did I mention that is the most important thing?), it’s also important to ensure that your bicycle is ready for you to ride.

If you got your bike from a bike shop, your seat and handlebars should already be adjusted properly, which is an important first step. (If you purchase a flat-packed bike and it needs to be assembled, I suggest paying a bike shop to put it together for you. One mistake building your bike, and your whole body may pay the price.) 

After that, there are a few things you should check to make sure you are road-ready before every ride.

Check your tire pressure. Your tires lose air pressure just by sitting in your house, so you should always check your air pressure before hitting the road. Properly inflated tires will help prevent flats, create less resistance, and make your overall ride more enjoyable. You’ll find the appropriate pressure range listed on the sidewall of the tire. 

Make sure your wheels, seat, and handlebars are secure. Lift the bike off the ground and give it a little shake. If you hear anything rattling — investigate! Bottle cages loosen and quick-release wheels can be bumped loose, causing problems when you ride. 

Check your brakes. Give the brakes a squeeze and try to move your bike back and forth. Does the brake lever touch the handlebar? Time for an adjustment! When you release the brake lever, does the brake stick or release? A sticking brake can make pedaling difficult.

Always travel prepared. A proper roadside repair kit should include: tire levers, spare tube, CO2 inflator or small pump, and a bicycle-specific multi-tool (in case you need to tighten something while on the road). These can be purchased online or at any bike shop.

Tip #3: Bike Shorts and Jerseys

Let’s talk spandex. Does it make you nervous?

Bike shorts aren’t always the most flattering look; however, if you plan on riding your bike for more than 10 miles, your butt won’t care what you look like. Even the most comfortable of saddles, can create discomfort when riding for short (or long) distances. Bike shorts come with built in padding over the rear-end. This will help your body feel more comfortable as you grow your T.I.T.S (Time In The Saddle).

Jerseys are bright, colorful, and convenient. They are created using wicking material to help keep you cool. The bright colors are not only fashionable and fun, but they also aid in visibility. And they have super convenient back pockets for easy access to things like nutrition, phone, and ID.

Tip #4: Clip In! Or Not

Bicycle cleats are hardware that will attach specialized bicycle shoes directly to matching pedals, keeping your feet securely attached to your bicycle.

This concept can seem intimidating at first, but the benefits are incredible. Pedaling without cleats (in sneakers) you only have the ability to push down on your pedals.

But, once you clip-in to your pedals, the cleats allow you to not only push down, but pull back up, gaining power and momentum without as much output of energy. This gain in efficiency will allow you to go faster for a longer period of time.

There are different styles of cleats and shoes, so after doing a little research on your own, your local bike shop can help you find the cleats and shoes that will be the best fit for you.

Tip #5: Be Extra Prepared (beyond your roadside repair kit)

Before you head out on your next bicycle adventure, make sure you bring a few things with you for safety, to make your life easier, and to ensure you are prepared for all situations.

Never leave home without ID and money. You never know where your bicycle will take you, and you never know if you’ll need to purchase a snack (or a ride home).

Bring lights! If you have battery-operated lights, check them before heading out the door. If you have rechargeable lights, charge them before you leave. Often short day trips turn into evening cruises, and lights are very necessary (and in some places, a legal requirement). I always have my lights on — day or night — and set to strobe to be more visible and appear different than other road traffic.

Pack hydration and nutrition. Short trips become long trips, and long trips become all-day adventures on road bikes. They are so much fun to ride and explore — the day may get away from you! 

Tip #6: Riding Long? Fuel Throughout the Entire Ride

When you’re going on a long ride, fueling properly can be the single most important thing you do.

So how much do you need? 

A good rule of thumb is to estimate that you will burn 50 calories per mile. If you plan on riding 30 miles, that means you could burn up to (or more) than 1,500 calories. 

That sounds like a lot of food to carry, so you can start with consuming 50% of the calories you burn, and adjust as needed. It may take several rides to figure it all out, but over time you’ll learn what you body wants and needs. 

As for what to consume, I like to carry a banana, homemade gel or bar, or peanut butter wrap. These Calorie Bomb Cookies are also, well, the bomb. 

I know my body enough to know that I like a mix of salty and sweet, so I try to have a little of everything. 

Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water! Although you can get by with replenishing only 50% of your calorie burn, you will need to stay hydrated.

All road bikes will come with at least one bottle cage. If your bike is set up to hold two bottles, I suggest carrying one with water and the other with an electrolyte beverage like Tailwind. 

And remember those handy back jersey pockets? They are perfect to carry your nutrition. Toss a gel or gummy in your back pocket before hitting the road. 

Tip #7: Make Friends with Your Front Brake

Your front brake, when used properly, will slow your bike to a stop much quicker than the back brake alone. The front brake is more powerful to help stop the higher speeds of a road bike. Skidding your back tire is the least effective way to stop and will wear down your tires.

Gently compress your front brake lever to slow your bike to a stop. Don’t jerk your front brake lever too quickly, or your wheel will lock. Practice using your front brake when on a clear road and not riding with others. Learn how it feels and how quickly your front brake responds. When in an emergency situation, you want to be prepared as to how your front brake is going to respond.

Tip #8: Learn to Use Your Gears

Most road bikes have between 18 and 22 gears (that is a lot of options!). The lower the gear, the easier it will be to spin the pedals, especially uphill or into a fierce headwind. A higher gear will propel you forward faster; however, this is a harder gear to push and requires more effort. 

As you ride, adjust your gears to ensure they match your elevation and wind changes. Learning to use the correct gear at the correct time takes practice, so get to know what feels right.

Pro-Tip: Don’t work harder than you have to! Work smarter by letting the bike do the work for you. An indication of whether you’re in an appropriate gear is your cadence (how many times per minute your foot goes in a full circle). 

Generally for long distances, you want to keep your cadence a little higher, so you’re not applying a great amount of pressure on the pedals.

Tip #9: Learn the Rules of the Road

By this point, you have done an extensive amount of work to be prepared to hit the road. Are you ready to go? I am!

But first, you need to know the road rules. You should check your local laws regarding bikes, but here are some fairly common laws regarding road cycling.

Bicycles belong on the road, not on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, not bicycles (drivers are not in the habit of checking the sidewalk for oncoming traffic, which means riding on the sidewalk increases your chances of being hit by a car). Bicycles, even slow-moving bicycles, can go 10 to 25 miles per hour. This is too fast to be hurling down the sidewalk next to walkers and runners. 

Bicycles ride WITH traffic. Unlike running, where you run facing oncoming cars, bicycles ride on the same side of the road as a motor vehicle. In general, all cars should give any bicycle (fast or slow) 3 feet of clearance when they pass. Although this is a law in many places (and is becoming more common), it is not always readily enforced or followed. Do not be surprised if people don’t give you ample room that you deserve. This is why you are wearing highly visible colors and flashing your strobe light. Also be ready to react quickly should you need to (this is where being familiar with your front brake comes in handy).

Bike lanes are wonderful! They give you a protected 3 feet of space for you to comfortably ride your bicycle — at any speed. However, bike lanes are often placed to the left of parked cars, meaning that anyone getting in and out of a parallel parked car, may open a door — right into you! Pay attention when riding by parked cars to not get “doored.” Keep an eye out for pedestrians crossing the street. They often do not look, and might walk straight out into traffic/bike lane.

Plan your route. Although bike lanes make excellent paths to get to where you want to go, what if your route does not include a bike lane? Embrace the adventure and seek out less-traveled back routes to your destination. Who knows what you might find along the way! A new favorite coffee house, a local vegan ice cream parlor, or even a fun arcade. Bikes give you the opportunity to soak in your surroundings!

Communicate. Communication is a big component of staying safe on the road. Use common hand signals to communicate when you’re slowing or turning. Call out to other riders and pedestrians when you’re approaching or passing (on your right, on your left) and to inform fellow riders of traffic conditions (car back, car right, car left).

Tip #10: Learn to Ride in a Group

Group riding is so much fun! Meeting fellow cyclists, having a bunch of friends who want to go exploring with you, and chasing each other through Strava segments. What could be better? If you do not know of any group rides in your town, check your local bike shop or Facebook events page. Bike shops often lead longer group rides on the weekends and shorter training rides during the week.

Riding in a group requires a bit of practice. Before you head out with a group of people, make sure you feel comfortable and confident on your bicycle. Are you comfortable riding in a straight line? When riding in a group, there may be people on your right, left, in front, and behind you. Maintaining your speed while staying in a straight line becomes even more important.

Also be sure you’re familiar with giving and reading the signals mentioned above.

Keep about one-wheel’s distance between you, and the bike in front of you. This gives you time to react in case they break quickly, hit a bump and go off course, or collide with something.

Take some time to ride alone or with a few friends to build your confidence, and then join a group ride. Rides with friends are always more fun.

Most of All, Road Biking is About Having Fun

Just like when you were a kid, whizzing down the road with your friends, biking as an adult is all about having fun. Bikes take you to places you never thought you would go, and they help you meet people you never thought you would meet. 

And for the plant-based athlete, they’ll help you create a healthy, fit, and environmentally friendly lifestyle. Win. Win. Win. 

Don’t let those skinny tires intimidate you. A little practice with the gears, brakes, and peddles, and you’ll be cruising down the road in no time. 

Now all you need is that perfect bike, a fun jersey and helmet, and to start spinning.

See you out there. 

About the Author: You may know Ester Jaffa as the Community Support Coordinator for No Meat Athlete, but did you know she’s also an avid runner and cyclist and owns more bikes than she could ride in a week? Look out for her on the streets of Fort Lauderdale, zipping between the beach, a brewery, and a group ride.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Riding a Road Bike (And Living to Tell the Tale) appeared first on No Meat Athlete.

First found here: Everything You Need to Know About Riding a Road Bike (And Living to Tell the Tale)

[kiss-my-freckle]

Red’s Quotes

Season Three

You have every right to be afraid. Just don’t let it control you. 

You’re in a storm, Lizzy. You need to find the peace below the winds.

I must say, your hair, the way it frames your face is very becoming.

Red:Chin up, Chang. Believe in yourself and others will, too. Chang: What is that, another one of your dumbass literary quotes? Red: Fortune cookie.

Chang: You’re crazy, old man. Red: You have no idea.

Red: Katarina Rostova was the cleverest, most resourceful woman I have ever known. Liz: Wha- what are you saying? Red: No matter how dark the moment, she could always find her way through. Liz: She was a Russian spy who I never knew. Red: No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t mean your mother is gone. I see her in you every day. She’s as much a part of you as the air you breathe.

Red: No. It’s not a trade or a bribe, or an offer of payment in kind to entice you to look away. I admire your probity too much for that. Ressler: So, what do you want? ‘Cause you only give to get. Red: All I want is your word as a man of honor. Ressler: My word. Red: You know Elizabeth. You know she’s not a Russian spy or a traitor or a terrorist. You know that’s not who she is. Ressler: Doesn’t matter what I know. Red: If you catch her, it will. It will matter a great deal.What you know about her, what you feel about her could make all the difference. So, my offer. One blacklister in exchange for your word that you will give her the benefit of every doubt. Can you do that, Donald? Can you give me your word?

You know, as my father used to say to me, just because you’ve been bumped up to first chair in the orchestra doesn’t mean you can compose a symphony. 

Oh, Connie. What a delightful nod to tradition. I can’t tell you how nostalgic it is to see a Russian bureaucrat demonstrating such a time-honored absence of work ethic.

She’s much prettier than she looks sitting behind the news anchor desk. Plus, she’s married to a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Only fair, I suppose, given the black book military aid he’s allocated to Crimea. Reciprocity’s a bitch, right Connie? Screw the Bear, the Bear screws back, batteries not included. By all means, do call in the troops. What with your government’s implication in the Orea bombing and assassinations of the sitting Senator and the Attorney General of the United States, how much harm could a weekly game of water wiggle between their ambassador and a senator’s wife cause? Barely a blip in the news cycle. Though, I doubt the Kremlin will be nearly as jejune as I am. 

That’s the spirit, Connie. Service with a smile.

You need to stop that convoy.

If by “secure” you mean “dead,” then yes, absolutely. Ressler wasn’t trying to kill you. He was trying to save you. The convoy was compromised.

You haven’t the slightest clue how to speak to a woman, have you? Now, my friend there and I are having a very important discussion. So you just sit tight, enjoy your muffin, and if I hear you say anything other than “please” or “thank you” to Carly, I’m gonna drag you into the men’s room and wash your mouth out with soap. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll cut your filthy tongue out with that butter knife. Is that clear enough for you?

Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm and take your seats. Clayton.

Now, I apologize. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience, but it appears we’ll all be taking an extended lunch. However, if you remain calm and do exactly as I say, I promise you’ll leave here with a rip-roaring story to tell your friends and families. Bon appetít. Dear, would you mind answering that phone? No doubt it’s for me.

Becky from the old firm? The paralegal. Oh, my God. You old dog. Oh!

That's enough!

She didn’t have a choice. What if he’d gotten her gun? What then, Carly? Do you think any of us would be safer if he were armed? You think you’d be safe?

There will be no deal.

You’re a free man, Marvin. Instead of facing a notoriously unpredictable parole board and the showering with the boys, you’ll be unwinding on a small banana plantation I have outside of Papeete. 

Get in the car, Marvin. Have a mai tai, soak up some sun because I’ll be contacting you soon, and when I do, I want this plan of yours to be thoroughly mapped out. We only have one shot at this. I’ll be in touch. Make sure you have Heia air dry your sheets! You’ll sleep like a baby!

It was the Cold War. There were spies to run.

Our journey begins in the home of the double-bacon corn dog. Welcome to Iowa.

We’re gonna need Mr. Costa’s address. And maybe some directions. My associate prefers to steal cars made before the advent of GPS.

Liz: I don’t know what happened. I used to consider myself lucky. I had a husband I loved, a job I always wanted. I was the kind of person good things happen to. --- Red: Sometimes, bad luck is the best luck you’ll ever have.

This is the life, Lizzy. Someone’s always one step behind.

Only if you don’t know the four digits. Now there’s only 24 combinations.

Ressler is a law-enforcement robot. The FBI winds him up-

Look at me. You need to let that go, Lizzy. I have survived for a very long time now, and I assure you, I didn’t do it by relying on the goodness in people.

You seem like an intuitive guy. At least intuitive enough to know when you’re in over your head, so whichever lowlife you’re working for, he’s gonna have to wait to get his revenge. Set it down.

I came here to ask you to deliver a message to your friend, the Director. This is only the beginning, and I won’t stop until his own people realize that their only way forward is to exonerate Elizabeth Keen and to leave the Director to me. Please. Tell him I’m coming.

Liz: I shot a cop. Red: Yes, you did. Liz: And killed the Attorney General of the United States. Red: Yes. And when you did that, you crossed a threshold, leaving your world, entering mine. Bad things are gonna find you now, Lizzy. This life has a mind and a momentum of its own. That’s a reality you need to accept. Bad things happen to good people. Liz: Am I a good person? I’m not so sure anymore. Red: I’m sure.

Dembe is more than an associate to me. Please find him.

In case we lose visual contact, you’ll be wearing a tracking device. If you’re thinking of reaching out to him, don’t. Now that he’s on the FBI’s radar, they’re likely monitoring any communications. This is important, Lizzy. Promise me you won’t call him.

What is your fantasy?

It’s your fantasy. It’s as it should be.

I’m not sure we should start the party before the hostess arrives, but so be it. Yes. Hello. I need an ambulance. A man’s dying on a cross.

Nasim: What do you want? Red: To offer my sympathies. Nasim: I know who you are. Red: And I know who you are, Nasim. What a beautiful name. It means “breeze” in Farsi. But you weren’t born Nasim. You were born Nasir- “the victorious.” How ironic. But a boy. A perfectly healthy boy.

And this must be your father. The butcher. Tell me, Bahram, was it so horrific to discover that your 19-year-old son, your eldest son, was gay? So horrific that you forced him against his will to go under the knife, change his gender to give you a daughter instead of your son, who is gay?

Bahram: I wanted to protect you, Nasim. They could have killed you. Red: For being gay. They’re so homophobic that being gay is a hideous crime, but chopping off a man’s penis isn’t? Honestly, is it just me, or is the human race, armed with religion, poisoned by prejudice, and absolutely frantic with hatred and fear, galloping pell-mell back to the dark ages? Who on earth is hurt by a little girl going to school or a child being gay? Let’s be frank, Bahram. You didn’t change your son to protect him. You changed him because he disgusted you.

You want to know my fantasy, Nasim? To escape a hopeless police standoff in style with two sensational women on my arms. Shall we? Yeah. Well, we can’t have everything.

Yes. Get the photos to Sandquist at the Chronicle. I want everyone to know what happened here today. 

Red: Fold your hands in front of you. Walk. An assassin has targeted Agent Keen. Ressler: If we haven’t found her, he won’t. Red: He’s better than you. He’s better than me. That’s why I need your help to protect her. Ressler: I thought that’s what your job was. Red: Well, I failed at that. Turn around. I’m a little rusty in the 12 steps, but if I’m not mistaken, step 9 is making amends. I can’t do that without you. Ressler: I suggest you start with step 4, and make a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself. Red: I admire the way you’re dealing with your addiction, Donald. I tried NA once after an opium den in Kuala Lumpur got the best of me. Didn’t stick. I couldn’t get past the requirement to believe in a power greater than myself. Ressler: Officer down. I repeat, officer down. 546 Hawthorne Place. Send all units. You got four minutes. Red: What I know about this assassin will take less than two.

The fact that we’re still alive means you need something from me. Whatever it is, let her go. My resources are at your disposal. It’s a limited-time offer, Matias. You need to act now.

Call the Director. Tell him I’ll give him everything I’ve been collecting, all the evidence against him. Call him!

Well, we’re just gonna have to kill her.

Borakove, wake and bake and grab a pen. I have a routing number I need you to track.

You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

Blair: You killed her! Red: No, she didn’t. It’s understandable that you would think she did, but she didn’t.

Cedric, lives are at stake. The fate of nations. Bribe someone. Push someone around. I don’t care. Just get it done. 

Max: My son drowned in Portofino.  Red: Well, who could have predicted that?

Red: You must be Lisa. Max said your eyes were radiant, but my God! Mesmerizing. It’s a very small space. We want to brighten. I love mauve, but a soft creamy yellow will just open up the entire room. We also need to land on cabinet options and millwork today. I’m already arguing with my supplier. Tell me if I’m going too fast- Lisa: I’m sorry. I have no idea what any of this means. Red: Oh, my goodness- Max didn’t tell you. Lisa: Tell me what? Red: About your restaurant. Lisa: I don’t have a restaurant. Red: I think we need to take a drive.

Red: I know. I know. I ruined the whole damned thing. But there were too many decisions to make without her. After all, it is her restaurant. Lisa: I can’t believe this. Red: Max has been working night and day to get this place fixed up. Alł those classes, the hours you’ve spent perfecting your tarts, your crumpets. If he’s told me once, he’s told me a thousand times, you should be feeding all of Montreal in your own restaurant. Lisa: I don’t know what to say. Max: Neither do I. Lisa: We could do puff pastries with a little Sunday brunch! And those little tea cakes that you loooove. Red: I need one day working around the clock with no interruptions. After that, the place is yours. Max: Who are you? Red: The man who’s going to help you make her dreams come true.

Red: So you are a gambling man. Let’s place that bet, shall we? Medical: What was that? I thought I heard- Woman: What happened? Is he dead? Red: Dead? Pishposh. What’s death? It’s just a process, right?

Red: Hello, Peter. I hope I’m not interrupting cocktails with Lynda. Peter: Congratulations on getting to Halmi before I did. Red: Yes, it certainly is celebratory drinks here, so I’ll be brief. I think it’s about time to exonerate Elizabeth Keen. Peter: That is not going to happen. Red: Oh, but it is. The only question is whether you’ll live to see the day. If I continue to dismantle the Cabal, they’ll put a bullet in your head just to mitigate their losses. Everything is working according to plan, Peter. Peter: You overestimate your influence, Raymond. Your plan is of no concern to us. Red: Peter. You’ve been skimming from the company till, stealing millions in anticipation of running away. When you were linked to the Cabal, you reached out to Halmi - put your golden parachute in a secret account only he could access. Except now, I’ve got it. You have no money to escape the inevitable. Your colleagues will abandon you. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon enough because I’m not going to stop until they do. Peter: Unless I exonerate Keen. Red: It’s one small chance to save your life. Peter: Such a generous offer. I’ll have to decline. Red: I’m going to bring this whole damn thing down on you, Peter. And when I do, your own people will beg me to kill you to stop the bleeding.

“Do I dare to eat a peach?” I may as well live dangerously.

Red: Agent Navabi. May I assume you’re aware of the recent abductions? Samar: Me and every agent in the building. Red: Perhaps. But they don’t share the same personal investment that you have in today’s events. Samar: And why is that? Red: Because you and I both know that Lazarum Systems International is providing technical expertise to Israel’s missile-defense shield. They’re encrypting software for the Iron Dome. Whoever took those contractors is an enemy of Israel. Samar: That’s a long list. Red: Let me shorten it - Zal Bin Hasaan. Imagine, the man who’s killed more Mossad agents than any other assassin in history, right here on American soil. Samar: That’s not possible. Red: That’s what you thought in Cairo. He was right behind you, and you didn’t know it. That mistake cost your partner his life and put you in an Egyptian I.C.U. But, back then, you were missing one critical element that would have made all the difference - me. Samar: What exactly are you suggesting? Red: That we combine our efforts. We both want Hasaan. I’ll be in touch.

Red: Oh, my. Three questions in not even as many seconds. Which should we answer first? Actually, how about this, I’ll ask a few questions first, and then we can get to whatever’s on your mind. Farzin: I’m sorry, but my name, it is somewhat common. Perhaps you are confusing me with - Red: I knew a guy that happened to all the time. Best glass-smith in New England. Nobody could free-blow a vase like Theodore Bundy. Can you imagine? Ted Bundy, an amazing craftsman, couldn’t sell a vase.

Don’t feel bad, Farzin. You’re a smuggler, not a fighter.

If that’s where the list is, that’s where Hasaan is going. In a few minutes, half the federal agents in Washington will have that building surrounded. Your only job for now is to stay alive.

Red: According to legend, a great and wise bird raised the young warrior, Zal, in her nest atop the highest peak of Damavand. When he came of age, she gave him a plume of her radiant feathers to burn if he was ever in desperate need, and she would come to his aid. Pity. You seem to be fresh out of feathers. Hasaan: What do you want? Red: Well, another spin of the bottle in Melanie Reichman’s basement, but, I’ll settle for you. Samar: What now? Red: That’s your decision. You can turn him in. You know what will happen - Rendition, hunger strikes, eventually death in whatever hellhole he’s thrown into. Or you can give him to me. The best I can offer is death with a purpose. Samar: Which is? Red: Agent Keen’s freedom.

Red: Harold, Agent Keen tells me you have the man they call Karakurt. Cooper: Yes. And I intend on turning him over to the bureau as soon as possible. Red: Don’t. I have a better idea.

Red: Oh, and don’t forget that other matter we discussed.  Liz: Other matter? Red: Ian has a first edition of Life On The Mississippi for me. Multitasking. Liz: Oh. Red: Have I ever told you the story about Ian Bartleby and his wife and the beekeeper they fell into bed with on the Isle of Skye? Fascinating, illuminating story. Liz: Oh, it’s been a long drive. Any chance I can hear about Ian and the beekeeper after I clean up? Red: Yes. Freshen up. I’ll fill the tank. Get us something to eat. Lizzy, we’re very close. This’ll all be over soon.

Let me see if I can guess how this works. You grab hapless motorists, drain their ATM accounts, max out their credit cards, and dump them by the side of the road. Money or your life. You’re highwaymen. “KOTH” Knights? Kings Of The Highway. How romantic..

T-Bone: I like wearing your co-co-coat. Must have set you b-b-back a bundle. Red: No doubt worth considerably less now. 

Yeah, that’s what I am, Cash. I’m on the lam. I was wondering when we’d get to that.

Jilly: It’s tea time. Red: Oh, that’ll be fun, Jilly. Cucumber sandwiches? Jilly: And scones. Red: How delicious. Jilly: Would you like one lump or two? Red: Two, please. Jilly: You simply must tell me your name. It’s dreadfully rude of me not to address you properly. Red: Kenneth. Jilly. Your real name. Red: Kenneth. Now look what you’ve done. You spilled all the tea, dear. Jilly: You have to tell me your real name. They’re gonna hurt me if you don’t. Red: You like getting hurt, Jilly. You wouldn’t be here with them if you didn’t. Jilly: You think so? Red: I do.

Red: You didn’t find anything. Jilly found it ’cause you’re too dense to even look for it. No wonder Cash doesn’t trust you with anything more important than babysitting. T-bone: That’s big talk coming from a g-guy who’s-  Red: You are aware you need to clean and oil these from time to time, right?

Red: You sure it didn’t hit an organ? Looks pretty close to a kidney- Cash: Shut up! Don’t listen to him. Hey, he’s the one that shot you. He don’t know nothing. Red: Then again, you bleed out, one less person who gets a cut of my money. Cash: I said- shh! Pablo: Seriously, man, maybe we should let him get to a hospital. T-Bone: I’m freezing! Red: You’re going into shock.You’ve lost too much blood. The body’s beginning to shut down.

Red: When’s the last time you got any of that, Pablo? Or have you? Pablo: We share everything. Red: But not with Jasper, apparently. Pablo: That’s our business. It ain’t yours. Red: Oh, it's very much my business. As a matter of fact, Pablo, our operations are remarkably similar, albeit mine functions on a somewhat grander scale, certainly more hygienic. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to the same basic principle. We steal from others, but not from each other. Pablo: Shut your mouth, or I swear to God, I’m gonna- Red: Kill me? That’ll fix things. At least until those two decide a two-way split makes more sense than four. Tell me something. Do you trust Cash? Do you trust him with your life?

You sure this is about me? I’m worth a lot more to them than you are. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I were to walk out of these woods alive, and I sincerely doubt you’ll be as lucky. Where do you suppose they’re gonna go with my money? I say Aruba. Maybe Cancún

See, this is why I don’t go to family reunions. Aunt Lucille is always arguing with Buddy, Uncle Scott is drunk by noon, and someone’s hand is always in the wrong cookie jar.

You are in desperate need of some help, Jilly.

Lizzy, where are you? Where are you? They’re coming.

There are no beatings here, Donald. No winners or losers. There is only Agent Keen’s life.

He tried to tell you, Donald. You didn’t listen. Apparently, you have a disregard for Tom Keen that exceeds even my own.

Red: Donald. I find him so stiff so much of the time. He doesn’t appreciate life’s trimmings. Take yourself, for example. It’s my understand he fired you for helping Elizabeth come to my rescue.  Samar: He had every right. I went behind his back. I’m willing to take responsibility for my actions. Red: Watch out. That’s the kind of spirit that could save America. Thank you for meeting me, Samar. Samar: What do you want? Red: We’re going to clear Elizabeth’s name. It’ll involve a sizable drug haul, an FBI heist in the US Treasury Department. But first, I need to make an appointment. Samar: An appointment with whom? Red: With the Foreign Minister of Venezuela.

Why don’t you grab some kilos off the top and let’s go stage a crime scene.

Just like my uncle Vic on a Saturday night.

Diaz: He has irritable bowels. But what can you expect? We just borrowed another $5 billion from China. So, what is this about, Reddington? I was told a matter of national interest. Red: Indeed. I believe I can help your President’s stomach condition.

Diaz: Where did you get these? Red: Oh. There was this plane that fell out of the sky, a group of anti-capitalists. Terrorists in funny masks. But I digress. The point is, I’m giving El Jefe the ability to print as much money as he’d like to print. Diaz: You son of a gun. Red: I’ve been called worse.

I’m actually a great proponent of marital therapy. Worked for me. Then again, I had sort of a thing for the therapist. Lovely voice.

Everybody likes apples.

Red: Peter! Welcome back. Boy, you were out! Like carrying a bag of boulders. Peter: What the hell have you done? Red: I envy anyone who can sleep soundly on a plane. Then again, I’ve never been injected with propofol. You have the Post Toasties?

Peter: You’re insane. Red: I wouldn’t know.

Red: It’s not everything we wanted, but it’s close. You’ll be safe. You’ll be free. Liz: But I won’t be an agent. I’ll be an asset like you. Red: Yes. I told you some time ago, when you pulled that trigger, you crossed a threshold... you stepped from your world into mine. I wish I could deliver the perfect outcome, but I’m afraid - Liz: This is- fair. Red: Fairness is overrated. And maybe there’s a way to get you all the way back. But for now, Lizzy, for today, sign the deal.

I can’t think of even one set of circumstances in which that would be any of your business. We’ve been descending for some time now. Looks like we’ll be able to drop you off in time for dinner.

Your past three months have been what my life has been like for the past 25 years. I’m often exhausted.

I must confess to feeling curiously flattered.

Samar: Why didn’t you take him up on the polygraph test? Red: Because I can defeat a polygraph. So can he, or he wouldn’t have suggested it.

I forgot how much it sickens me to come here.

Red: Katarina Rostova was a name that had been lost to history. Masha Rostova was never more than suspicion and rumor. The manhunt and the publicity it generated changed all of that. Liz: But who would care that I’m Katarina Rostova’s daughter? Red: The daughter of a legendary spymaster, the secret-keeper who disappeared- Liz: Disappeared? You and Sam told me she’s dead. Red: The secrets she took with her could compromise any number of players on that map. They’ll be coming. They’ll be coming for you. Liz: But I don’t know anything. Red: They don’t know that. You can’t walk away, Lizzy. They won’t let you.

I’m sorry, but “been dug”? Is that correct? That doesn’t sound correct, Marcus.

I thought we weren’t supposed to have phones.

Take your seat, Marcus. Your information is incorrect, and you’re standing in my light.

May I present to you Raymond Reddington? Pour the man a glass of this wonderful port. It appears this party’s just getting started.

I told you that before this dinner was done, I would prove my innocence and identify the person who’d betrayed us. Meet the fake Red. Faux Red. Fred.

I took Agent Elizabeth Keen on as a client when she was a fugitive to gain her trust in exchange for information as to who was responsible for decimating our ranks. Like you, I’d heard the rumors that I was the one who betrayed us. And sure enough, after gaining her trust, she confirmed that the Bureau’s confidential informant was a Raymond Reddington.

You can go after a man’s business, Marcus, even his associates, but other than family, the only thing off-limits is a man’s reputation. You have given false allegations against my good name, which will be whispered and repeated by those who envy my success no matter how thoroughly I repudiate them.

You were right, Marcus. I am the informant. Tell all our friends in Hell to be patient. I’ll be along soon enough.

I know you’ve been through a terrible ordeal, Janet, and I’m sorry for that. But unfortunately, your knowledge of my relationship with the Bureau is inherently dangerous to you, your family, and to me. So please listen carefully and follow my instructions to the letter. First thing tomorrow, you will inform your superiors that the trauma of today’s experience was such that you have re-ordered your priorities and wish to spend more time with Bob, Tyler, and the dogs. You are going to move to Santa Monica, California. I’ve purchased a beach house. The deed is in that envelope. Your property taxes will be paid for on a biannual bases, and I’ll be checking on you from time to time to make sure you’re still ... safe. Travel safely, Janet. The sunset over the Pacific is magnificent.

Liz: You manufactured a doppelganger to reclaim your reputation. Red: I have many contingency plans in place. This was one.

Red: You will not marry her. Tom: Why? Because I didn’t ask daddy’s permission? Is that really why you called me here? Or did you just want someone to play go fish? Red: You married her over my objections once. It will not happen again.

Red: We boring you, Donald? Ressler: Where’s Keen? You wouldn’t be here without her if she was okay. Red: She’s recovering nicely. Cooper: That’s a relief. Red: I’m sure it is. You confiscated her firearm. Ressler: Oh, so you think a convicted felon should be allowed to carry guns. Red: All the ones I know do.

I assume Tom is the father.

I know you want to believe that our work is done, but it’s not. The addition of a child will make that infinitely more difficult.

I’m a violent man. I’ve taken on a life that requires it. I hurt people. I kill people. And each time I do, in that moment, another part of me dies along with them. When I was young, I romanticized the life of an outlaw. Bad guys. That was a long time ago.

You attacked a pregnant woman, broke three of her ribs, battered her so badly she was left lying unconscious in a grocery-store parking lot.

My, God. Gerald, burying your business in the dirt like a dog. How the mighty have fallen. A terrible time of year to go camping, but I suppose we do what we must when we’re on the run. Brenda and I were just catching up. She’s not hungry, but I noticed you packed some bratwurst and couldn’t resist. I do love a good cookout.

A song, Gerald. I so wanted to be a scout- tying knots, the Pinewood Derby, and the campfire songs. Oh, those songs. I keep trying to explain to Dembe, but I’m no singer. Just one song! Okay, then. Just the name.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A priest, a eunuch, and a pedophile walk into a bar- I’m here to offer you the sacrament of confession. I’ll be your Father Confessor. I know, the hypocrisy is staggering.

You know what my problem with religion is? Man. Like anything that has a potential to be beautiful, man will turn it into something ugly. For every saint, there are two million sinners. Like you, I’m a sinner- an envious one, I might add, as my transgressions are not nearly as divine as the ones you’ve been guilty of during the years you’ve been associated with the Vatican Bank.

God, it’s god-awful. If they’d only switch to a good Burgundy, people would be much more devout. Hell hath no fury like a fundamentalist scorned.

Liz: The cardinal took out the others in order to expand his business. Did you take him out to expand yours? Red: Yes. To raise capital in preparation for war. Samar: What war? Red: Ours.

Lizzy, I misspoke earlier about your child. I said that having it would be inconvenient. When your mother was pregnant with you, it was terribly inconvenient. The Cold War was ending. Her country was falling apart. Everything she had ever known. She dreaded having a child. Almost aborted it. Not one day of her pregnancy did she ever think of you as anything but a curse. And then, from the second you were born- there was never a day when she thought you were anything but a blessing. In my experience, there is never a convenient time to have a child. It certainly isn’t a convenient time for you. But if in saying that, I left you with the impression that I didn’t think you should have your baby, I’m sorry for that because nothing could be further from the truth. What I did was for your protection. I’m not a threat to your safety, Lizzy, or your child’s. On the contrary, I can guarantee it, but I cannot do that if you run away. Oh, I should probably mention, I booked a pregnancy massage for you. She’ll be here at 9:00. Her name’s Edwina, she’s a registered nurse, and she smells absolutely divine. I hope it goes with the rest of your stuff. 

I’m told it pulls out.

What good is a collection if it doesn’t grow?

I can protect you. All you need to do is ask.

Your law enforcement agencies love their gadgets and their sweeps. The FBI admitted to spending what, a billion dollars in facial-recognition software? Which means they spent at least $3 billion. Honestly, if I paid taxes, I’d be outraged.

I’m a sucker for mob weddings.

May they have the patience to endure one more toast. I am but a humble guest, but please permit me to raise a glass to what I think we all can agree is the most improbable yet consequential occasion. Love is a funny, fickle thing. A slippery slope. Most weddings are fraught with it. This one, not so much. This is business. The brainchild of a brilliant opportunist- a broker of bonds, a procurer of peace. You would think, being singularly responsible for this evening’s prenuptials, he might take a bow. Where is he? Come now, don’t be modest. You do such astonishing, despicable work. I’m dying to hear how he did it. How he brought you two jackals together. How he got rid of Christopher’s fiancé, Anna. How he lied to the boy, let him believe she was slaughtered by the Vacarros, only to turn around and convince him to marry into the very family he despises. What a telenovela!  ...deceive your son, killing the love of his life. Oh, here we go. Better than TV.

You destroyed a creature more beautiful than you could ever comprehend.

Josephine, it’s done.

When I was young, I loved fairytales. I was always partial to shapeshifters, who seemed good and sweet, but they were full of unimaginable darkness. Once upon a time, there lived a woman in the woods. She was neither purely evil, nor purely good. She gathered unwanted children and gave them a home in which to stay. She promised them they’d live forever and a day. She changed them into colors, so beautiful, so bold.... I do not wait for 45 minutes in that petri dish of humanity unless I absolutely have to. This is a matter of life and death, Glen.

If you find this woman, if you get it done fast, your tawdry liaisons at the no-tell motel will be a thing of the past, as I will personally introduce you to two young ladies you will never forget- soft, warm, blonde, and willing.

You think your life is too dangerous for a child. But what is your life without one? I can tell you from personal experience- not much.

Or maybe you’re afraid they won’t like you. Dogs are very intuitive. They’ll know if you’re hiding something.

What you endured, most people never recover from. I doubt I would have. But you’ve turned it into a calling. Nikolai would be proud.

Your parents loved each other very much. The Cold War was hard- too hard for your father. When the Soviet Union was collapsing, he took you from her. She gave up everything to follow him, to follow you. Your mother, despite what he’d done, she wanted him back. She wanted them to be a family. As much as it pains me to say it, he was probably... the only man she ever really loved. Your mother was never the same after that. The man she loved killed by the child she adored, it was... just too much. Two months later, she went to Cape May and left her clothes on the beach, walked into the ocean and was never seen again.

You were a child. There should never have been a gun for you to grab. Looking back, I’m not sure I shouldn’t have raised you myself. I don’t want you looking back with that kind of regret. Lady: Who the hell are you? Red: Her fairy godmother. I hear it’s her birthday. We’ve come to celebrate. It’s been some time since freshman English, but I seem to recall that fairy tales about abandonment, death, and witches are supposed to allow children to deal with their fears in symbolic terms, but there’s nothing symbolic about this place. You’re a real witch.

Lady: They could have died together, so beautiful and innocent. Theo would have been spared all this. Red: By “this,” you mean the horror of being different. Is that why you kill them? Lady: I save them. Red: From what? Lady: I make sure the damaged ones don’t grow up to be outcasts like Theo- hated, pitied. No one loves an outcast. Red: Not even his mother? Lady: I couldn’t send my son away, but when I look at him, I see what these children shouldn’t be, and what they won’t be because I see the life I save them from. Theo: I’m ugly. Red: From where I sit, there’s only one ugly person in the room, and it’s certainly not you, Theo.

Theo, you are entitled to as much as anyone- happiness, joy, a mother’s love.

It just keeps getting worse.

I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and assume you mean Tom.

I am not your Tom problem, Lizzy. Tom is your Tom problem.

Pops. You know, I always liked that name. Louis Armstrong was called “Pops.” Willie Stargell, the legendary Pittsburgh Pirate. My lord, that man could smack a fastball. There was Pops Foster, Pops Fernandez... Oh, my. And then there are different pops entirely. Like the pops you hear when your shoulder’s being dislocated.

If he dies, it’s because he put himself in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. He did this, not me. And that robbery the police want to ask him about- diamonds. He was part of a team that stole tens of millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds. A team I hear included his ex-girlfriend Gina Zanetakos. He’s reckless, dangerous. He’s not worthy of being your husband, and he sure as hell is not worthy of raising that child.

As a reporter. Amazing times, these, don’t you think? When any Tom, Dick, or Sally with a laptop and internet access can declare herself a journalist. I mean, you don’t even use a last name.

You know, I’ve often considered my love of art, and I realized it’s not just the art- it’s the artist. I like art a lot, but I love artists. I love the stories behind their work... the characters. Lopping off ears... Rankling the establishment with paintings of soup cans... Often boldly revealing themselves to our keen observation and insight, our scrutiny. What a marvelous thing, the courage to create. Though I must say, nothing about your work strikes me as courageous. It seems self-indulgent, petulant. Like a tantrum from a child who’s just realized that the world can be a dark and unfair place.

You can answer me, or I can turn that wall behind you into a Jackson Pollock.

People say youth is wasted on the young. I disagree. I believe wisdom is wasted on the old. All you can do is part with it, but very few will take it. Least of all, the people closest to you. They want no part of it. No matter how often I warn you about Tom, you seem intent on discovering those perils for yourself.

I know... I say things that unsettle you about the dangers that lie ahead. I know I anger you with things I say about Tom. But if I’ve ever given you the impression that you won’t survive this, that you and your child aren’t going to have the simple life that I know you long for, I’m sorry. Because you are going to have that, Lizzy.

Red: There is one thing that I can’t seem to... wrap my head around. Liz: What? Red: Tom. After all the lies, all the deception and humiliation, how you can just forgive and forget. Liz: I haven’t forgotten. Forgiveness can’t change the past, but I believe it can change the future. Red: That’s a charming sentiment. But as far as I’m concerned, some things are unforgivable.

Dembe: She deserves the truth. Red: Watch the road, Dembe.

What you said about forgiveness changing the future- it comforts me to know you’re looking forward again. The future holds such promise. The past- so many regrets.

I’m curious, Harold. How do you think the White House is going to express their appreciation to me for foiling the terrorist plot? Maybe an embossed ashtray. Or one of those little American flag pins for my lapel.

Harold, forgive Charlene. A friend told me recently that forgiveness won’t change the past but could very well change the future. Apparently, nothing is unforgivable. Go home, Harold.

If anything happened to me, this was to go to Elizabeth. So she'd know. Now I’m not sure I ever want her to know.

Liz: Oh. Then you’re here for the wedding? Red: No, Lizzy. I’m here to ask you, to implore you, please, don’t do this. I’m telling you, no matter what you believe, Tom is not the man you think he is. Liz: You’re wrong. You don’t know him. Red: He’s a criminal. Liz: No. He’s changed. Red: Men like Tom don’t change. You’re attempting to build a life with a man who is fundamentally dishonest. Liz: No. I am attempting to build a life with the father of my child. A normal life with two parents who love one another. With everything you know about me, can’t you see that? Can’t you see how important that is to me? To my child? Red: You were wrong about him once. What makes you so sure you’re not wrong this time? Do you really want your child to pay the price for that mistake for the rest of his or her life?

She’s a sacrifice. Solomon isn’t after that weapon. It’s a distraction to keep us looking one way while they go another. He’s after Elizabeth.

Red: Ever since Elizabeth went public as Masha Rostova, still waters have been stirred up and old grudges have surfaced. And now someone out there is singularly focused on coming for her. Ressler: Coming to kill her? Red: No. To abduct her. Ressler: They’re sending Solomon. Red: In retrospect, that’s a perfect choice. He knows us intimately. He knows about the task force. They gave us a false trail, and we followed the scent. Donald, if I’m right and this was all an elaborate feint, all that matters is that you get to that church- now.

Red: Elizabeth, I’m sorry, but we need to go. Liz: What are you doing here? Red: Men are coming for you. We need to leave now.

Solomon: First of all, you and I both know that you are out-manned and out-gunned. The plan was to grab her today, no matter where she was. Grocery store or house of God, it makes little difference to me. And for the record, I take no offense that I wasn’t invited. Red: Came together rather nicely. They went with ruby fringe tulips and pink peonies. You’d be impressed.

I’ll tell you what I know as soon as I know you’re safe.

Yes. All of this, indeed, is on me.

Tom: What do you want? Red: Elizabeth. Here. Now. I’m right in front of the place. Where is she?

Red: I can’t protect you in a hospital. Liz: You can’t protect me in a church, either. Red: Let me rephrase that. I cannot safeguard you and the dozens of innocent patients and medical personnel who’ll be caught in the crossfire when Solomon and his storm troopers put together where you are. I know how desperately you want to protect your baby, Lizzy. So think. 

Circumstances prevent me from sharing more information at this time, Harold. Whoever employed Solomon’s services, they know too much. They’re breathing down our necks even now. Listening, watching. I can feel it.

Oh, for God’s sake, Dembe, spare me the mystical reassurance. Everything is not fine. Where the hell was the perimeter defense at that damn church? You should have deployed four teams, five teams. Look at her- lying there in this barbaric situation with her child’s life at risk. Everything is not fine. She never should have been at that Godforsaken church.

I’m sorry, Dembe.

I’ve done nothing for you, Lizzy. Red: It’s the children whom the world almost breaks who grow up to save it. Liz: I don’t want that for her. Red: I wasn’t talking about her. I was talking about you, Elizabeth.

Come on, Lizzy. Please, don’t go. Please, don’t go.

Tom: Her name is Agnes. Red: That’s a good name.

Everyone dies someday.

It was a Hobson’s Choice. There was a woman and her child. Both were doomed. Both would die. I could either save one or lose both. I chose the child. It was- it was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. Worst thing by far.

Red: There’s always a choice. I was arrogant. I presumed that there was an order to things, that there was... that if I nourished and protected and taught the child, she would be safe... ...and happy. Katarina: And she was neither. Red: No matter what I tried to do, all I brought her was misery and violence, and eventually... Katarina: Death. Red: Yes. Katarina: And now you’re dead. You believe there’s nothing left for you. Red: It’s that obvious?

Katarina: Have you ever killed anyone? Red: That’s an odd question. Katarina: Have you? Red: Yes. Many. But never anyone who didn’t deserve it. Katarina: Me, too. Red: I know. Katarina: How? Red: There aren’t a lot of us. You learn to recognize it. Red: There was a woman I loved. She was... my life. My heart. And she died. She left behind a little girl. One last, precious piece of herself. I would give anything to be a part of that child’s life, but a man made it clear I would never see her... hold her... watch her grow. And I knew in that moment, I would never be any part of that beautiful little girl’s life. Because... Katarina: He was her father. Red: And to harm him would be to harm her. A mortal sin. Her mother is gone. The father is what she has left in the world. Katarina: Her father. Red: Yes.

Katarina: Those men are after me. It’s my problem, not yours. Red: You made it my problem the moment you walked into the ocean.

Just me.

To Katarina, love Papa.

I’m sorry.

As soon as the name “Masha Rostova” hit the 24-hour news cycle, they came for her. I thought I could...protect her. I did protect her, all these years. I’ve anticipated almost every threat. But this one...a medical complication in childbirth.

I’d imagine it to be a challenge, playing Rachmaninoff’s C-sharp minor Prelude without the benefit of C-sharp.

I’m sorry for the intrusion. Let me give you some money, please. Could you pick up a single malt? Preferably from the Highlands, but not Islay. The water there tastes like seaweed and iodine.

I was just imagining young Katarina covered in glitter. As an adult, it’s easy to dismiss this stuff as girlish frivolity. You forget the wonder it creates, the light captured, secret wishes evoked. It renders even the darkest days sparkly. Never underestimate the power of glitter.

She had your temper.

To pay... my debt to you would require more than I possess. I’m not coming back.

Red: Ugh. How do you drink this stuff? Dom: We drank it with every meal on the farm when I was a boy. But we had cows, and we made our own. In the summers, we made buttermilk pops in the freezer. Kept us all from passing out. Red: So buttermilk reminds you of home. Dom: I overheard your conversation with the Arab boy. Red: He’s from Delaware. You won’t be troubled again with unexpected visitors. I know how you value your privacy. Dom: Why didn’t you go with him? Red: What would be the point? There’s nothing I could do that would really matter. Dom: Cry me a river. Hmm? What the hell are you really doing here? Alright... you gave me the news about Masha. What do you want from me? Red: A way forward. I can’t live for long with what I feel inside. I don’t see how anyone can.

Dom, you’ve always had a good reason to walk out the door. 

Red: I’m here to pay my debt to you, Aram. Aram: You’re back. Red: Strap on your bike helmet. We’re going to work. 

Boy, I can’t wait to hurt you someday.

Elizabeth Keen was well hidden from the demons of her past until you went after her, until you told the world she was Masha Rostova. You put a target on her back and invited someone to take a shot. Do not try my patience, Laurel. On this topic, I have perilously little of it.

Oh, my, yes. Laurel’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. Friends and loved ones are dead. I need to speak with Scottie about the matter. I sent her a message. She ignored it. She’s scared. Can be a terrible thing for all when someone as ruthless as Scottie gets scared. I need you to reach her for me, Bradley. I trust you would get through to her. I need her to pay attention to this.

Red: They say gifting a bouquet of daffodils ensures happiness, while presenting just one means bad luck is on the horizon. Cynthia: Okay, boys. I hope you’re hungry. I have a triple crème, some Jarlsberg, water biscuits, and my mother’s famous cucumber dip. Red: That sounds delicious, Cynthia. Tragically, there’s no time for snacks. Well, maybe some of Mom’s famous cucumber dip.

Red: A nanny movie? Cynthia: Not just nannies. Schoolteachers, nurses, and a ridiculous threesome with two completely unbelievable policewomen. Samuel: Cynthia, they’re just movies. I have never cheated on you. And besides, I don’t think he wants to hear about it. Red: Yes, I want to hear about it. All about it. Unfortunately, I do need to hear about your contract with Halcyon. So- business first. And then, Cynthia, I’ll be all ears.

Red: Harold, smile. We’re this close. Cooper: I’ll task a team to stake out the docks. As for a smile... how are you holding up? Red: As long as we keep moving forward, I’ll endure.

Red: I once spent part of the summer in Bermuda. The island. Certainly not the shorts. Not a lot to do there except ride motor scooters and play checkers with the locals. I’m more of a chess man myself. But one tactic that came naturally was the concept of forced capture... sacrificing a checker to force your enemy in one direction while your forces lie in wait for the exquisitely satisfying double jump. One quick look at the airport schematics revealed why Scottie chose the lounge on Concourse F. Conveniently located near a little-used loading dock. Shall we?  Armstrong: Please! Don’t kill me. Red: I said “double jump.” You’re merely the first capture. Please, if you would.

God, that door is slow. I was hoping for a somewhat more dramatic entrance, but what the hell. Scottie. Aren’t you the challenging woman to pin down.

Red: You know, I used to have such high hopes for your organization. High hopes for Howard. Halcyon was once such a promising company... like AOL. Put an entire generation online. Companies can so easily lose their way. Forget what it was that made them great to begin with. I remember a time when your husband never would have taken a job from a man like Alexander Kirk, if only out of respect for his friends. Scottie: Howard didn’t take that job. We haven’t had sex in four years. We’re rarely in the same country, let alone the same bed. Red: What bed have you been occupying? Scottie: I’ve been assuming a larger role in a management position lately. Red: You don’t say. Scottie: We’ve never been more successful. Listen, Red... I regret what happened to Elizabeth Keen. But her kidnapping was simply a business decision. You of all people should recognize that. We all do what we have to in order to survive. I know Howard and I do. Red: Survival is all relative. There are limits, even for people like us. Especially for people like us. Scottie: When Kirk hired us to abduct Masha, he also wanted me to kill you. Sorry I didn’t take that job. Red: Here’s where we stand. Elizabeth Keen is dead, which means you are, too. Alexander Kirk is coming to kill you. The only surprise is that I got to you first. Scottie: You killed a lot of people trying to reach me. Well, here I am. Finish what you came to do. Red: You have it all wrong, dear. I didn’t come to kill you. I came here because you and I are about to climb into bed together, just for a quickie. We now share a mutual enemy. So, let’s get you bandaged up, not that you aren’t even lovelier with a little blood trickling down your arm.

Red: Tom, I want to speak with you about your daughter. Tom: What happened with Hargrave? Red: Even if you don’t want me to have contact with Elizabeth’s child... Tom: Hargrave. Did you get her? Red: I have virtually unlimited resources. I want you to know that those resources are at your disposal in the raising of Agnes.

Until it’s not. The aid workers who were abducted in Jakarta? Your government refused to pay the ransom, turned its back on three young people who were captured for doing nothing more than providing medical services to the poor. Today, they’re home because Susan Hargrave committed what your government considers to be a crime in order to get them back. She’s a brilliant strategist. And if we want to get Alexander Kirk, we’re going to need her help to do it.

I think you’re responsible for her death. I’m looking past that because I want Alexander Kirk’s head. And so does Tom Keen. I must admit, I’ve never liked you, Scottie. Looking at you makes my toes curl. But robbing the next President of the United States? This is gonna be a gas.

Red: Senator! Having taken your money, I won’t take much of your time. Unlike Scottie, I have little use for politicians and even less for their politics. Who occupies the White House is of no interest to me. I tell you this so you know that taking your money has nothing to do with you or what you stand for. Truth be told, I haven’t the foggiest clue what you stand for, Senator. Diaz: I’m calling the police. Red: Might be more prudent to call Alexander Kirk. I’m sure you have a contributor of his stature on speed dial. Call him. Kirk: Senator, what a pleasure. Red: I have your money. I have your senator.

Red: Don’t do it. Tom: There’s nothing left to do. Red: Tom. Tom: We needed the money to get to Kirk. We got it. We have no use for her anymore. Red: If you kill her, the answers you’ve been looking for your entire life will die with her. Tom: What are you talking about? My mother. Red: Yes. Which is why I didn’t want you involved. Tom: Why didn’t you tell me? Red: You have a child to raise, Tom. If you start asking questions, it will put her at risk, it will put you at risk. Tom: But her son is dead. She told me that herself. Red: Christopher Hargrave went missing when he was only 3 years old. Tom: Christopher... Hargrave. Is that my name? Red: Susan Hargrave genuinely believes her son is dead. Tom: So, she has no idea who I am? What, did somebody fake my death, and hide me from her all these years? W-why would anybody do that? Red: Listen to me, Tom. Susan Hargrave has many secrets. Some of them concern you. If you want answers, you must conceal your true identity.

Red: A good man could make a real difference as President. A good man might even inspire one’s patriotic instincts, but a good man would never allow himself to be put under obligation to anyone willing to write a big check. Diaz: You just had me accuse Kirk of something he didn’t do. What makes you so sure he’s gonna show up? Red: Don’t underestimate yourself, Robert. One way or another, I’m confident Kirk will come. I’ll have his head, and you’ll end up in the Oval Office where you can pay off your debt to me with a full pardon. Diaz: You expect me to pardon you. Red: Not me. Elizabeth Keen. Diaz: The FBI agent... who murdered the attorney general. She’s dead. Red: Yes. And I want things put right.

Cooper: That’s why you hijacked it before it made it into evidence. Red: No. I hijacked it because... I’m a criminal. I’m parting with it because Alexander Kirk needs to be killed, and if it takes planting a little evidence on him... so be it.

Red: Powerful sermon, especially for an old faker like yourself. Barnhill: I know it’s important for you to know what’s moving where, but damn it, Red, I’m three ex-wives into this ministry. Red: And seven children. You’re like a rockstar without the income. Barnhill: And I appreciate your help with the child-support payments. I do. Red: The Good Book.

What’s the difference between the pastrami swiss cheese dog with sauerkraut and the Reuben dog? Aren’t those the same? Honestly, the amount of options overwhelms. So it’ll be one Chicago double dog, hold the pickles, and one, uh... the uh, Brooklyn Baconeer with cheese. Oh, and throw in some of those house-made sea-salt chips. What do you recommend on the dessert front? You know what? Toss in two of those little fried pies. You only live once, right?

Red: These charges against Alexander Kirk for financing terrorism are ludicrous. And no one’s gonna touch him for what happened to Elizabeth. So I’m gonna kill him. He won’t live long enough to see the inside of that hearing room. I’m gonna kill him the instant he steps out of his vehicle. You and I both know nothing less will protect Agnes and avenge Elizabeth’s death. Cooper: Red... how can I - Red: Harold, you and your people... I will always be more grateful than I could ever express, but I don’t expect... or rather, I couldn’t accept your involvement in this final act. Cooper: I entered into this relationship with my eyes wide open. So did Agent Ressler and the others. Red: I admire that about you, Harold. I know so many zealots, men and women who choose a side, an ideology by which to interpret the world, but to get up every single day and do the hard work of deciding what to believe, what’s right today, when to stand up or stand down... that’s courage. It’s been a privilege to see firsthand why the people you lead love you the way they do. But sadly, our time together has come to an end. Cooper: On this case. You don’t mean... Red: I do. We’ve done some good work. But with Elizabeth gone... there’s nothing more for me to contribute. Please, take care of yourself and the others. Charlene. Aram... set him up with someone, for God’s sake. He’s like a kid with his first erection on the school bus.

Red: Agent Ressler. Aren’t you the dog on a scent? Ressler: There was one empty building with a line of sight to the front and one to the back. Started with the front. Red: You spoke to Harold. Ressler: Reddington, grab the guy, put him in a hole, get what you need from him, but don’t kill Kirk. Red: There’s nothing I care to take from Alexander Kirk except his life. Ressler: Trust me. I want him as badly as you, but- I’m not gonna let this happen. Red: Oh, this is gonna happen, Donald. This is gonna happen in about 10 minutes.

Red: You want justice for Elizabeth. Ressler: Justice, not vengeance. Red: In my experience, they’re the same. I know how difficult this must be for you, Donald. Ressler: I will do this. Red: You have faith. I envy that. Justice, integrity, faith in humanity... nobody embodies those principles more than you. And I know it must be hard for you to believe that you’ll continue to embody those principles even after you watch me do this. Ressler: Oh, this isn’t about me. This is about the rules... what’s right. Red: When Elizabeth was a fugitive, you played by the rules, did what you thought was right. But Elizabeth’s gone. Alexander Kirk took her away from us, and she’s not coming back. Ressler: Take your hands off that trigger. Red: What do you think’s going to happen if you stop me, Donald? That you’ll arrest Kirk? That justice will be done? Ressler: Let go of the weapon. Red: Do you want a bullet in Alexander Kirk’s head or one in mine? Decide now. What’s it going to be, Donald?

Kaplan!

Red: I have nothing for you, Kate. No parables about loyalty, no florid speeches of trust belied, deception, treachery, or false devotion. I’m simply too bereft. It will have to suffice to say... I would name every human being on the planet before you if asked who might betray me. Kaplan: Raymond... Red: I know what you’ve done. I know you helped Tom and Agnes leave the country without my knowledge. Kaplan: Yes. Red: Yes. Kaplan: What do you want to know, Raymond? If I’m sorry? Yes. I’m sorry you weren’t more honest with Elizabeth from the beginning. I’m sorry you wanted to know her so desperately that you convinced yourself we could keep her safe. I couldn’t sit back and watch you make the same mistake with Agnes. I didn’t betray you. I did what I’ve always done... protected you... this time, from yourself. Red: You’re wrong. Kaplan: I won’t tell you where they are. Red: You don’t understand, Kate. I know where they are, and so does Alexander Kirk. Kaplan: Kirk? Red: He was tracking Tom. He knows they’re in Cuba. He’s flying there as we speak. Kaplan: No. Red: I need an address. I know you had her best interests at heart, that you were trying to protect her, but now, because of you, Agnes is in grave danger. Kaplan: Not just Agnes.

I saw her die.

I sat over her body... and watched her die.

Had it really come to that?

Kate. What am I gonna do with you, Kate?

[hyperesthesias]

Loki x Sigyn

Love Never Dies | Part VII

Rating: G

Words: 2.437

Summary: Loki’s goals are almost complete! But has he been lying to Jane all along?

Notes: i just estimated jane’s age, i couldn’t find a source anywhere. but man i’m so pumped for the next chapter i might start working it right now haha.

Two days of hardly speaking to one another passed by -- Loki did not invite Jane to partake in his invention, and she did not press the matter; figuring the fact that he had no cutting words or implications for her was enough, and that she best stay out of trouble with her head down. She had gotten better at palace etiquette, to which she congratulated herself, and was back-handedly approved by Loki -- but it was a step forward she presumed. At least he approved. When not escorting her about the palace and taking her to where she wished to go, she could hear him exit his room and disappear for some while before returning to silence and solitude. It was rather strange, but the being was already strange -- nonetheless, she admitted to herself, and wisely, only herself, that she found his doings suspicious, if only given his history. And each night he left under the cover of darkness she was sure to mentally record his absence. 

But the third night, at roughly the same hour when she expected him to leave, she was startled by a forceful knock on the conjoining door.

“Jane -- I require your presence,” she could hear Loki demand from the other side of the door, in that certain tone of voice she’d come to learn was the herald of ‘intensely focused’ rather than what she initially assumed: ‘intensely annoyed’.

Surprised, Jane set down her book, having already readied herself for bed -- not expecting to be called upon any further that evening -- and put on her robes as she opened the door an inch or two. “For what?” 

He frowned, peering into the crack, having expected it to open completely. “For you to fulfill your promise and your duty.”

“You’re not going to make me do anything illegal, are you?” she narrowed an eye, still refusing to open the door.

“Such presumption is pliable, legal and illegal are not fixed ideals,” he answered vaguely, half out of curiosity to her response, and half out of honesty.

“Don’t hide behind your moral ambiguity schtick -- is it illegal or not?” she pressed, tightening her grip on the door handle.

He let a large sigh of both irritation and exhaustion: “That which the Allfather does not know will not harm him, or some such phrase of your Midgardian culture,” he waved a hand.

Jane paused, saying some silent prayer that Thor wouldn’t be disappointed in her, or angry with her for aiding his brother, and opened the door to step through it. She came just to Loki’s shoulder, looking up at him, though with the intensity in her eyes, she was certain she was at an equal height. “If this thing turns out to be something other than what you say it is --” she couldn’t finish the threat, pointing at him with no avail of words.

The culmination of his tension and his tiredness broke into a widely amused grin at her stubborn meagerness, and he craned down -- ever so slightly -- to tease her: “Don’t you trust me?” 

“No,” she sternly pouted and slapped her hand back at her side.

“A wise girl, indeed,” he chuckled darkly, and drew in a heavy breath. “Nonetheless, I have not betrayed you for now. The battery is not meant to harm any one, its only motive is to heal the impossible.”

She moved past him, deeper into his suite, and took her place at his desk, all the parts she’d required neatly laid out for her in a fashion similar to that which she had organised everything the other day. “Yeah, ‘for now’ being the operative term. What about you disappearing for hours every night these past few days? What’d got you lurking in the shadows this time?” she huffed, taking a tool in her hand and learning into the magnifier stand to see the device more clearly.

His grin did not fade, but softened in a certain way -- as if he were almost proud. In such the short time they’d been stuck together, she had gained the gall and wherewithal to challenge him. She was quite the creature: a being so beneath those who surrounded her, without promise neither station, absent of place or cultural skills, and yet she’d found courage to take on that which had intimidated her. She reminded him more and more of Sigyn, but he remained quiet about such notions, keeping them tightly wrapped in his heart, where neither light nor breath reached them, and he instead focused his attentions on her query: “Well, such parts needed to be procured somehow, did they not?” he mused, collapsing into the lounge, extending his long legs across the length of it with a hand over his head.

Jane paused, glancing behind her briefly before she said, more to herself: “I don’t want to know -- I don’t want to know any thing.”

“You are halfway there, I’m sure,” he muttered, sardonically.

“Hey! Do you want my help or not?” she spun entirely around, tool still in hand, with a glare in her eye.

He met her stare placidly, then recanted his gaze. “Very well -- do what you must.”

“What’s got you in a mood today?” she turned back to her task, making several adjustments as she spoke.

“This bitter thing has taken all of my energy with it,” he began, “the anticipation of its completion has drained me entirely -- and nothing as such could be worse,” he sighed, dragging his hand down his features.

Yet as she worked, she looked at him from the corner of her eye, a dark thought suddenly entering her mind: “Are you...sick? Is this for you?” she looked down at the device in her hand, hit with the realisation that someone’s life -- whether it be Loki’s or not -- was dependent on her ability to make it work.

“No,” he murmured. “It is not for me, though its use is imperative and does affect me directly -- as I told you my motives are entirely selfish.”

“Well, they can’t be entirely selfish if you’re willing to potentially save someone’s life with it,” she posited -- though for whose sake, she was unsure, she wondered if perhaps she simply wanted to believe him a better person than he was, or if there were some truth to her words of which he would not admit.

“You are young -- you know not the dark motives that can lie within another’s soul,” he sighed attempting to sit up, only to wince at a sharp pain through the middle of his head. He reached for a decanter at an end table of the lounge to pour himself a glass of wine, and with a small sip, hoping it would dull the pain. “Exactly, how old are you?” he chanced to ask, disregarding social politeness for the favour of curiosity.

“Twenty-eight, and by the way, it’s considered rude to ask the age of a lady where I’m from,” she said rather proudly; a prodigy in her own right, she had completed her studies at a far more advanced rate than any of her peers, her skill and intelligence setting her apart from them, which she counted as both blessing and curse. But, none of her peers were being courted by a supposed demi-god, so she liked to think she had the upper hand.

He very audibly choked on his wine, only proving to cascade his headache into his shoulders. “Twenty-eight! You are a child! My son was no older than you!”

She only pursed her lips and shot him a look. “I’m an adult on Earth. But you guys live longer, so...it makes sense that physical maturity would be delayed, as compared to us. Or that we age faster -- however you want to look at it. Your son, from the painting I saw of him, he looked like he would have been nine in our years,” she thought aloud. “So, what, you guys age like three times slower or something? Or is it exponential? I’d have to do the math, but...” she trailed off, realising her rambling, and took in a breath as she refocused her attentions.

“Twenty-eight,” Loki muttered incredulously, taking another sip, having ruined the last. Twenty five years he’d had with his son, twenty five years out of thousands -- and yet he remembered every day, or so it seemed. He remembered the happiness, the joy of holding him in his arms the hour he was born -- he remembered the quiet tears of joy in seeing his son born a lighter hue of blue; having been alone his entire life, having no other like himself he finally had a kin who mirrored himself. He remembered teaching him the likeness of a Prince, he remembered guarding him as well as his mother, and the looks of those who were uncertain of their kind. He never forgot. But, despite their faults, those on Nashtar were always kind to his son, and to him. He remembered on the hottest of days his son coming to him and embracing him for no other reason than to siphon some of his own coldness -- the ice thief, he would call him, and would indulge him nonetheless. He remembered being boiling himself, yet wrapping his arms around the little one, rubbing his back with his bare, blue hands to keep him as cold as he needed. And when the fever came upon him, he remembered lying next to him for days and nights, willingly in his cerulean form, if only for the sake of his son, to keep his fever down. Yet when the fever took him, he felt he had none to blame but himself. Sigyn had tried to assure him it was not his fault, the healers tried to reason with him it was not his fault, but with the death of his first son, and then the death of his second -- it became clear to him all that which he could borne was Death. 

And the pain in his heart outweighed the pain in his head for some hours as Jane worked there quietly, and every so often he would look on her -- both envying the newness of her life, that she had not been privy to such pains yet; and pitying her that she would, eventually. He had not the gift of foresight, only a vastness of experience, and he hoped her fate would not mirror his own, and especially not Sigyn’s.

“There, done,” she sighed at last, wiping her greased fingers on a cloth provided on the desk, before turning to her companion: “It’s ready. All it needs is the energy source, and you’ve got yourself a working battery.”

Loki’s stillness, his quietness disturbed her -- for it bore with it a certain dimness about him that worried her. “Thank you, Jane,” he whispered at last, and stood smoothing out the leather of his clothes, for, unlike her, he was not ready to fall into slumber just yet.

“You’re welcome,” she hadn’t expected such sincerity from him -- and she stood, waiting for some sarcastic tone or some biting remark, but there was nothing. “Well, that’s it. So...good night,” she said unsure, raising a hand as walked backwards to the conjoining door.

“Yes, of course, good night,” he was woken from his thoughts as the door opened. “And Jane, if the thing should work, you shall receive your payment after its tests are successful.”

The word ‘tests’ set her on edge -- and she felt she could hold her breath at the fact that she was trusting him with what she’d helped make, but as she did, she grew light headed. “Right -- only fair,” she agreed. “Good night, Loki. And...good luck with it,” she answered honestly.

He, himself, had not expected such a reply, and paused with a gradual nod. “Of course,” with that, he bid her good night, and the door between them was closed and locked. But his work was not done -- it had only just begun. 

Loki looked to the device sitting innocently on his desk, and yet with it, and its implication, it had the potential to either steel him or destroy him; his fate lay in its workings, his fate lay within the faith he had in the Midgardian -- and it was all he had. A thick swallow, he approached it, intimidated, never by its appearance, but by its invisible hands which held his soul. He did not like things that controlled him, he did not ever want to be tethered or leashed or fated -- he had made certain of that long ago. No, he wished to be free and at any and all cost. Yet the siphon which he held in his hands had the ability to grant him either his freedom of heart or the doom which he so feared. And he did not fear much.

Cloaking himself in a veil of shadow and magic, he silently stole out of his suite and vanished down the halls, knowing every secret path the palace had to offer, before he came upon a most wretched place: his destination. He had been planning this for months -- and it was not the first time he had planned invasions or stealthy excursions, but this one in particular seemed to rile a lump of breath in his throat and a flush through his cheeks, as his heart beat harder and his blood grew colder.

There was four seconds between the changing of the guard, all he had to do was delay them for two minutes, should his calculations be correct -- and he had left no room for error. He arrived in the four second window, that they could not sense his presence -- even if he were cloaked -- and when the new pair arrived, he quickly placed a spell over them both: stilling them into stasis, where they could not see nor hear anything around them, and when they woke they would feel as though no time had passed; for time, for them, had entirely stopped. 

Then, with the siphon pressed taut against him, he moved past them, evading all sight and sound, until he arrived inside the Weapons Vault. His own breath caught within him, he knew precisely where to find his goal, and hurried towards it, wasting not a second. There, a familiar blue light emanated from the corner of the room, and a grin passed over him as he attached the siphon battery to the Tesseract.

[droneseco]

Does the Sensate 2 Do Anything Apart From Vibrate Your Ribcage?

Sensate 2

8.00 / 10

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The Sensate 2 is a smart wearable that claims to aid relaxation. It does this via a combination of vibration, sound, and visual deprivation. This helps you to focus on just being, rather than doing, which ultimately allows you to clear your mind quickly, achieving relaxation. It may seem to cost a little more than you would expect to spend on a relaxation device but, having tested it, we can tell you that it worked for this reviewer... that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for everyone, though.

Key Features

Vibrating smart wearable

Integrated app for smartphones and tablets

Accessory kit

Specifications

Brand: BioSelf Technology

Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.5 x 1 inch

Weight: 2.7 ounces (79 grams)

Connectivity: Micro-USB (charging only), Bluetooth

Battery Life: 2-3 hours (depends on vibration intensity); 2 hours to fully recharge

Pros

Well produced soundtracks

Intuitive app

Helps you to focus on relaxation

Excellent three-in-one sensory package

Smart vibration is excellent

Battery lasts a week of use

Cons

High initial financial outlay, especially for a beginner

There could be more soundtracks

Not guaranteed to work for everyone

Buy This Product

Sensate 2 other

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Despite an active interest in audio therapy and alternative relaxation, I always err on the side of caution when a new product arrives on the market. I exercised this same level of caution when the Sensate 2 arrived for review; a smart wearable that claims to have relaxation benefits and, by proxy, ease anxiety.

But can it actually help with the act of just "being"? Is $249 too much to pay for such a simple device? Let's take a look at what this vibrating power-pebble is all about.

What's in the Box?

Here's what you'll see when you open the Sensate 2 box for the first time:

Sensate 2 vibrating smart wearable

Adjustable lanyard

Cushioned Sensate slipcase

Beanbag eye mask

USB charging cable

Guidance literature

There is also an associated Sensate app that works via your smartphone or tablet. The wearable won't actually work without the app, so you need to ensure you have installed this.

Also, dig out a pair of noise-canceling headphones; the Kokoon Sleep Headphones would do the job here (or something like them) as they work for contemplative activities, too. You'll need these for the soundtracks on the app.

What Is the Sensate 2 Vibrating Wearable Actually For?

If you are the kind of person who, like this writer, struggles to relax without help, then Sensate 2 could be the answer you're looking for.

It is a smart wearable which, when placed upon the sternum (your chest bone), vibrates in time with music, provided by a dedicated Sensate app. This, according to its creators, will tone your vagus nerve and help you relax in, quote, "as little as ten minutes".

We'll cover the "science" behind it in more detail later but, despite it sounding like another fad product, the Sensate 2 actually works, albeit with a caveat or two. At least, it worked for this reviewer.

Form Factor and Feel

To look at, the Sensate 2 presents as a smooth, black, plastic pebble. It has a brushed feel to it, meaning it is pleasant to have it next to your skin when in use.

It doesn't weigh very much at all, which is good as this ensures its 2.7 ounces (79 grams) won't feel restrictive or overbearing as the device lies on your chest. Given that the chassis is plastic, it is the vibrating motor inside the Sensate that will contribute the most to the weight.

The front of the pebble has a small power button, surrounded by an illuminating ring that glows electric blue when you switch the Sensate on. The top of the device has a metal hoop for the provided lanyard to attach.

The bottom has the charging port with an LED indicator surround. Somewhat disappointingly, this is micro-USB and not USB-C, but that isn't exactly the end of the world. It would just be nice to see all new products embracing the latest technology.

And that is it! A very simple piece of unfussy tech. So simple, in fact, that we could forgive you for wondering what your $249 is actually paying for.

However, if you look beyond the characteristics and internal machinations of the device itself, you'll see that it is the package and the results you are paying for, and not just the lump of plastic and electronics sat on your chest. You can't really put a price on proper relaxation.

How Does the Sensate 2 Work?

As mentioned, in simple terms, the Sensate 2 puts sound and vibration together to encourage the user to relax. The device isn't as simple as it makes out, though, as there are several extra factors in play, here.

Vibration

We'll deal with the physical aspect of the device, first. Obviously, it vibrates. These vibrations can range in intensity, thanks to the Sensate app.

You can toggle the strength of the vibrations in there, and the vibration will max out when it reaches the intensity limit you set. The Sensate will vary the intensity of its vibrations up to this limit, without your input.

During the session, the smart element of the Sensate device means it can vary the intensity of the vibrations, and the time it vibrates for, of its own accord. It will do so based on the soundtrack you are listening to, syncing its vibrations up with the music and sound effects.

Placing the Sensate on your chest bone causes it to send vibrations to your vagus nerve, which runs the entire length of your body, pretty much, passing through your right lung on its way.

The vagus nerve is a part of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which medical professionals refer to, colloquially, as the "rest and digest" nervous system. In fact, the vagus nerve is the "rest" part in that nomenclature. This part of our PNS is all about conserving energy, which the Sensate helps you do, through relaxation.

The vibrations travel from your sternum, where you have placed the Sensate, through your ribcage and into your lungs, where they resonate in much the same way that you can feel the bass from a festival speaker, internally.

This, in turn, stimulates the vagus nerve which then triggers your body to relax, promoting rest in this way. If you place the Sensate in the correct place, you will actually feel a sensation in your lung which, I assume, is the vagus nerve responding to the vibrations.

Sound

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Sound also plays a big part in how Sensate works, as it unifies the vibration with the sound you hear via your headphones.

So, if you hear a deep, loud, bassy throb on the soundtrack, the Sensate replicates this with a long, drawn-out vibration at maximum intensity. Likewise, the pebble will interpret any top-end, treble chirrups as small, staccato vibrations.

Currently, because you have to use the Sensate app, you also have to use a soundtrack from the app library. There are 13 to choose from, and the app separates these into several categories; Nature, Space & Time, Sacred Spaces, and Breathe.

Each soundtrack uses a combination of relaxing sound effects, music, various forms of noise (i.e. white noise or pink noise), and binaural beats/isochronic tones, as a method of providing audio therapy.

Related: The Best Calming Apps to Relax, Destress, and Clear Your Mind

We'll take my favorite of the bunch and the soundtrack I used most during testing; Sound of Silence from the "Breathe" collection. I chose this one as concentrating on breathing helps me to empty my mind and relax.

Plus, Sound of Silence is 30 minutes long; I prefer a longer meditative experience than 10 minutes, as it can take me that long to just clear my thoughts. However, there are plenty of quicker ten-minute options if you want to just empty your mind and refocus.

As mentioned, this is from the "Breathe" selection. Placing the Sensate on my chest, I could see how the audio works in harmony with the vibration.

I can align my breathing with the long pulses of the bass in the music and the extended vibration from the Sensate.

This allows for roughly six breaths per minute (or one every ten seconds); a rate of respiration that experts across a range of disciplines, from medical science to yoga, argue is optimum for relaxation. You can read expert literature about slow breathing, and respiratory vagal stimulation, from a range of online scientific sources.

Anecdotally, six breaths per minute is also reportedly beneficial for cardiovascular health, as slow breathing means a slower, relaxed heart rate and it works to manage pain.

The Breathe soundtrack features a lot of white noise, which sounds like static. This helps to eliminate external sounds from your perception. There are also tonal drones known as isochronic tones and binaural beats. These often crop up in use during audio therapy as part of a meditative routine.

Related: How to Use Audio Therapy as Part of Your Meditation Routine

Binaural beats and isochronic tones, to explain briefly, work by manipulating your brainwaves to induce certain mental states. So, some believe that, when played at certain frequencies, these sound signals can help you focus or, as is probably the case with the Breathe collection of soundtracks, breathe more easily/optimally for relaxation, for example.

Sensate tells me it has specially tailored the soundtracks along with a sound therapy expert to ensure they work on several levels, as described above.

Visual Deprivation

Using the provided eye beanbag, you can block out all external light, meaning bright daylight won't interrupt your relaxation session.

You can experiment with this element of the session a bit, too. Try warming your eye beanbag on a radiator for five minutes to give you relaxation a cozy feel. I like to feel anything cold on my eyes and eye area, so I go in the other direction and cool my eye beanbag in the refrigerator.

Does the Sensate 2 Make You Feel More Relaxed?

In a word, yes. In this reviewer's own experience of the Sensate 2 device, combined with the app, it assists with relaxation.

I have tested the Sensate, daily, over a couple of weeks and I noticed the difference immediately. The first time I used the pebble, I observed that the time it took me to relax was significantly less, almost instant in fact, compared to when I had only previously used audio meditation.

The Sensate's vibration also enhances the physical feeling of relaxation. This meaning that limbs feel looser, and places that you might struggle to disperse tension relax a lot quicker. This, presumably, is down to the stimulation of the vagus nerve and its effect on our rest response.

It is the entire package, ultimately, that ensures you can enter a completely relaxed state. The eye beanbag blocks out visual disruption, so you can relax at any time. The music follows suit, negating aural disruption, while at the same time offering additional cues such as the binaural beats mentioned earlier.

It is this combination of device and bespoke content that, on the face of it, you are paying for. If this is your only consideration, then the Sensate will certainly look too expensive for what it is.

Admittedly, that was this reviewer's first thought; I couldn't see myself paying $250 for the package in its current form. I also feel it needs more content within the app to provide more tangible value. There is more than one way of looking at that initial investment, though.

Related: The Best Gadgets to Aid Relaxation

The Sensate 2 helps you relax. Yes, there are lots of devices that can also do this. But, in a world where we seem to put more value on the "doing" rather than the "being" of our human nature, the time and ability to relax are becoming rarer commodities. Should we really be putting a price on our wellbeing?

The short answer is no, we shouldn't. I would advise you to try some less expensive variations on this theme first, before you go gung-ho and invest $250 on your relaxation whim. This kind of alternative self-therapy doesn't work for everyone, so start small, preferably with something that is free, and see if it is for you.

My advice would be the same for any device purporting to aid relaxation or offer an alternative method of relaxing, though; that isn't specific to the Sensate. If you are finding that less expensive methods prove beneficial, then you should really consider the Sensate 2 as an option; it is an excellent all-in-one relaxation package.

A Vibrating Chest Pebble CAN Help You Relax

So, it would seem that the Sensate does actually work, albeit with a fairly substantial, initial, financial outlay. That said, if you are desperately trying to find a way to relax, then this will be invaluable.

It certainly helped this reviewer to achieve relaxation goals, and I think my wallet's wincing would subside quickly when I relaxed more as a result of the pebble and its ecosystem, had I paid for the Sensate 2 and not reviewed a loan device. It has value beyond the tangible product, is the message here.

As mentioned, we suggest you try a more pared-down solution to aid relaxation, especially if you have no experience with these sorts of alternative methods. That way, when you invest in the Sensate 2, you're doing so with some prior knowledge of how it works and if it will be the right device for you.

Does the Sensate 2 Do Anything Apart From Vibrate Your Ribcage? published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[fallopian-toob]

Tygerofaera

A Liberal Trans woman's opinions & interests.My About. My name’s Tia. I’m 23 this August past as of 2016. I’m trans and I’m in transition. I’ve been officially doing so since I was 19. I’m pansexual. I’m in a relationship for three years now with Jonelle. She’s 25. She’s a cis-lesbian, not bi, not str8. And I will defend her and others like her saying that forever. So yes these relationships do work and do exist. And she started it. And she pretty much saved me from slowly dying of a life in utter loneliness and lonership. And I love her. I’m not into clothes, not into make-up. I’m mostly a sweat and tees and hoodies girl and own a few of the stereotypical things but I’m not into all the cutesy things. Short haired, heavy set, food safe semi-vegan (I’m not but totes respect the choices and food needs.) Ex-short order cook under the table, ex-server, berry picker, almond, olive and mushroom harvester and fish plant worker and about a hundred other things to make living cash to survive including sex work a few times. Currently a student starting my 3rd year of Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Sociology and I am looking to get into working with kids like me as from personal experience there’s just not enough people to do any of the work that we desperately need in the community. I’m working part time as a bartender in two places and I am a casual Ward aide worker at the hospital. Ex-drug user though never really went any heavier than weed, oil, acid and molly mushrooms and the few odd times. I’m a dyed in the wool Liberal/3rd Wave intersectional Feminist and a stanch supporter of Trans People and of The Equal Rights Movement. The LGBTQAIPD+ community means a lot to me. Anti-Terf, heavily Anti-Terf and for that matter most of the practices of Radfems and 2nd wavers. More on why later. I’m from rural Nova Scotia, Canada. And I mean that in the most redneck and coming out of racism and bigoted ways. I left home from abuse from being trans when I was 14 and it came from all sides of my family except my older brother who was largely not there in reality because of his one issues and them pushing him to cope with self-medication that became addiction. My hometown wasn’t much better. Really small and mixed religious but strongly religious. I took what things I could carry and went to my cousin’s place three miles away and soul him a lot of my things that he wanted and took the first train out and away to Toronto. I didn’t have a damned thing really just a few clothes and lived off of couch surfing from a few trans friendly folks but those places could only be temporary and after a pretty bad first year there including being homeless, assaulted a few times and an attempted rape to getting a sort of a share place in a really crappy sort of share house close to Brampton I left with two friends after someone in the share house didn’t take no for an answer and raped me. We took off in an old ford escort and headed for Vancouver. Actually that working and living sort of road trip was one of the best times in my life. Scary there’s a lot of things a lot of folks will try to pull of three girls but we made out okay actually. I learned some things though…. The prairies are as flat as a lot of people make them out to be. Regina is a nice city. Saskatoon berries are NOT blueberries. Flapper pie is only good when you’re either stoned or are chasing it with strong black tea or coffee. Churchill Falls has really nice people. Winnipeg is really hard to live in without a ride. I like and know how to make really good pierogi and there’s a silent h behind the r when you say it out west. Get groceries when you’re passing through anywhere out west. Wages are good even under the table and rent’s crazy high but there are things that are wicked cheaper like hamburger or cheese and milk sometimes than in Toronto or they were home. I like the mountains… We stayed in Bamf for three days taking a break and The Rockies were the first mountains that I’d ever seen. I lived in B.C. for two years mostly in and around Richmond and Vancouver except for an extended stint down unto the states with other friends and that was fine even though it was a sort of working thing under the table. I left B.C. because we lost our place because the landlord sold our building and we were plain and simply given the choice of a next to impossible lease or leave. Jen one of my best friends and I left and we made our way to her Aunt’s in Saguenay and stayed there a couple of months until we both got jobs in Montreal through other friends. And that’s when I ended up meeting Nat. My Ex. The Ex….Like that big one we all end up having. The literal worst thing that had ever happened to my life since leaving home. She was smart and she was really smart taking law and she was a feminist but not like I knew and I really knew damned little back then. And I fell hard….and I was so into her that I went full dive into radfem theory. I bought the whole thing hook line and sinker really. Privilege, socialization, GNC stuff and I was more than willing to take all of it and was even spouting all of it with her and her friends in her social circles both IRL as her “GNC Boyfriend” and that she was “showing me how to be free of the patriarchy.” And online with the groups we were both a part of, My friends list was her friends list and I argued gender abolition with the rest of them against trans folks that just didn’t “Get it.” And it was a good long while before I got it. And that was because of this person call Michelle like the French Michelle and they were a non-binary person and we were at a party held but some mutual folks and they argued tooth and nail about TERF ideology and gaslighting and all the things that I was doing, that Nat was doing. Which got me thinking, which had me friending Michelle on FB and us talking. And Nat finding out and demanding I unfriend her. Slapping me when I questioned why and went off on a rant about it being her place and her rules and my privilege. And I unfriended Michelle. And it really was too late at that point. Because I knew it…she had hit me because of having someone that she didn’t like on my phone, on my friends list. Oh yeah she went through my phone…al lot. Threw mason jars at me one night when I had changed my password. Yeah and it just went on from there. Until the night of our biggest fight that was again over nothing but her paranoia and her accusing me of using her. The trans hate just poured out of her that night with every glass of wine that she had and I went from drowning in her constant abuse to shouting back and standing up for myself and a screaming match, me getting hit twice, slapped once as I was trying to get out of our apartment and she raked my arm with her nails as she tried to pull me back inside I literally ran away from her. And with my phone and everything I was literally getting hate message after hate message from her and ALL of “Our friends.” Until the battery died on my phone. By the time the sun rolled around I was more than done…I hit that wall of just a short drop off an over pass that I hadn’t felt as bad in years and I took off and hitched to Toronto where I at least had people I knew. I was her make herself feel good project, her showing me off to her friends project. I was in that relationship and in the TERF community for way too fucking long and I know a boatload of them and seen all the shit that they pull. This is why I’m so strongly Anti-TERF. I didn’t stay too in Toronto, it’s a nice place if you want to visit and some folks are actually really great but me and that city well I really never could get a grip there. So after a while I moved to North Bay. And actually met my Uncle Robert. He’s actually my dad’s cousin but he sort of became a decent bit of stability for me and he knew folks down here in Sackville that’d help me and put me up as long as I helped out at their place. He was the one that got me thinking about getting myself on my feet. Because while not me and way older he did the same thing only in his day it was leaving school to work and leaving home to not get stuck in a crappy job you’ll die doing in a one horse little town. And now I’m here in New Brunswick, having gotten my GED and taking all the other classes I needed to get into actual college, I have an apartment in my name and I’m making the bills work and I have an address and a bed and things…just things and now black garbage bags full of what I could carry. I have an amazing girlfriend and a good community here with a great mix of international folks and I’m in one of the most queer friendly campuses in Canada. I’m lucky…and I know it, I was lucky enough to work for all of it, to have the chances, to get out of the abuse. And that’s why I’m blogging, that’s why I’m not letting TERF’s, TWERF’s, RADFEM’s and really all of those folks go unchallenged. I’m not attacking them I’m challenging their bullshit, I’m saying that there are people that don’t say the things they say and that there’s folks that won’t be quiet and let them. There’s a mix of other things in here too but yeah…it’s because people deserve to hear voices challenging people like TERF’s and other extremists.