#if its a problem ill add it in later rounds. plus the only people i expect to vote are those who are actually in archie fandom so

[un-pearable]

Best Sonic Universe Arc Tournament

Round 1: Scrambled (#37-40) vs. Eggman's Dozen (#83-86) | The Silver Saga (#25-28) vs. The Silver Age (#79-82) | Treasure Team Tango (#21-24) vs. Pirate Plunder Panic (#55-58) | Knuckles: The Return (#9-12) vs. The Great Chaos Caper (#63-66) | Mobius 30 Years Later (#5-8) vs. Babylon Rising (#33-36) | Case of the Pirate Princess (#91-94) vs. Chaotix Quest (#46-49) | Forged in Fire (#50) vs. Fury (#75) | Journey to the East (#13-16) vs. Race for the Stars (#45)

wiki in case you need to refresh :]

[mightyflamethrower]

Idiocracy has arrived

April 10, 2024 1:54 pm Robert Zimmerman

Over the last few days the conservative press has been having a field day making justifiable fun of a number of Democrats and leftists for exhibiting incredible scientifict ignorance, an ignorance so profound as to be mind-boggling.

First, after the unusual 4.8 magnitude earthquake centered in New Jersey on April 5th, a Green Party senate candidate in New Jersey, Christina Amira Khalil, immediately tweeted, “I experienced my first earthquake in NJ. We never get earthquakes. The climate crisis is real.” The mocking on X was so great she quickly deleted the tweet.

Then, in an incredibly embarrassing segment of the television show, The View, one host, Sunny Hostin, showed off her complete lack of any scientific knowledge when she claimed that the earthquake, the solar eclipse, and even the normal arrival of the cicadas every seventeen years (which she thought happened every hundred-plus years) was evidence that climate change was real.

Finally, to top off this stream of utter empty-headiness, during an eclipse event in Texas, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee gave a speech of such stunning incompetency and lack of knowledge you have to wonder how she can figure out how to put on her clothes each day. This quote has been most often used to ridicule her:

Now those [the Sun and Moon] provide unique light and energy so that you have the energy of the moon at night, and sometimes you’ve heard the word full moon, sometimes you need to take the opportunity just to come out and see a full moon is that complete rounded circle, which is made up mostly of gases. And that’s why the question — the question is why, or how could we as humans live on the moon? The gas is such that we could do that. The sun is a mighty powerful heat, and it’s almost impossible to go near the sun. The moon is more manageable.”

It is worth reading her entire speech, however, in order to get the full flavor of her lack of knowledge or her incomprehension of some of the most basic scientific facts. For example, later she says “Today will be the closest distance that the moon has ever been in the last 20 years. Which means, that’s why they will shut the light down because they will be close to the Earth.” Then she adds, “That the solar system is bigger than us, though there are solar systems and there are systems that are smaller than the Earth.”

I doubt she has the slightest understanding of any of this.

Though all of these idiots are leftists or Democrats, and the right has had a lot of fun making mincemeat of them over their dumbness, the problem really isn’t confined to the left. For example, consider the high number of local governments, controlled by both parties, that declared states of emergency because of the eclipse, fearing panic and car accidents. These government officials feared they would not be able to handle the large number of tourists, nor would people know what to do when the eclipse occurred.

Or as Chicken Little screamed, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

That such people hold important positions in our political and cultural world, and still hold those positions after exhibiting such foolishness, speaks very ill of our entire society, not just those on the left.

Nor is these failures seen only in the political or entertainment world. The inability to think critically or with forthright intellectual honesty is now seen everywhere. For example, this week the American Library Association (ALA) released its list of what it considers the “ten most challenged” book titles in 2023, books it considered banned or censored. The problem was that more than half the books were those advocating the queer lifestyle, and the challenges to them almost all came from parents who did not want their little kids exposed to such porn in their schools. No books were banned, parents simply wanted the books out of elementary school libraries.

And yet, the head of the ALA was unable to recognize this very important and completely legitimate distinction.

“In looking at the titles of the most challenged books from last year, it’s obvious that the pressure groups are targeting books about LGBTQIA+ people and people of color,” American Library Association President Emily Drabinski said in a statement accompanying the list. “We are fighting for the freedom to choose what you want to read,” Drabinski added. “Shining a light on the harmful workings of these pressure groups is one of the actions we must take to protect our right to read.”

For Drabinski, who is a proud advocate of Marxism and the queer agenda, any disagreement is censorship, blunt and simple. It is impossible for her to analyze any dissent with any nuance.

And yet, she is the elected head of the foremost organization representing the nation’s libraries. What does that tell us about the nation’s librarians, and their ability to think critically or with intellectual honesty?

Then there was the long op-ed published yesterday by a senior business editor at NPR, Uri Berliner. He has been at his job there for 25 years, but he now considers the place a failure as a news organization, close-minded and unable to report the news with any competence.

An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.

To conservatives he states the obvious: NPR has become entirely focused on reporting only news that fits a very narrow and extreme leftist viewpoint, and as a result, it is now listened to by only a very small segment of Americans. Everyone else has been driven away by its partisan intellectual dishonesty.

He cites for examples NPR’s reporting on the Trump-Russian collusion, the Hunter Biden laptop, and the origin of the COVID virus. In all three cases the network accepted the accusations of the left without question: Trump won his election by working with the Russians, the laptop was disinformation and a fraud, and anyone who said COVID came from a lab was a wild conspiracy theorist who should be ignored.

Yet, when all three of these accusations turned to be wrong (there was no collusion, the labtop was real, and COVID almost certainly came from a Chinese lab in Wuhan), NPR refused to admit error and correct its reporting. Instead, it made believe it never happened, reinforcing this denial by generally refusing to cover the scoops that proved its reporting was wrong.

Once again, these examples are on the left, but once again, there are no consequences. Being intellectually dishonest to a point of absurdity, in a way that is plainly obvious, carries no penalty. If you get into a position of power today in America, you can pretty much say or do anything, with little fear of retribution.

From Idiocracy: “But Brawndo’s got what plants crave. It’s got electrolytes!”

And without consequence, this ignorance and arrogance of the ignorant will only grow. If you are wrong you need others to tell you bluntly that you are, and you need to be forced to listen, or else go elsewhere because of your inability to correct youself. This is how you teach people the necessary humbleness required for them to improve themselves.

Instead, our culture now teaches them to punish anyone who criticizes them. In such an atmosphere, our culture can only become even more ignorant and foolish at all levels, across the entire political spectrum.

Unless something changes very soon, this elegant, prosperous, but very complex technological society is going to collapse. It will become like the moronic society of the movie Idiocracy, where stupidity rules and critical thinking is entirely impossible.

If we aren’t already living in Idiocracy already.

[jimlingss]

Moirai [5]

Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

➜ Words: 5k

➜ Genres: 60% Fluff, 40% Angst, Isekai!AU

➜ Summary: Death is supposed to be the end. Or at least that's what you assumed when you're hit by a TRUCK. But the moment you open your eyes again, instead of being sent to the afterlife, you've become a baby. And not just any baby. You're the female villain of a video game.

“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Anastasia.”   Lucienne sits across the rounded table from you, oblivious to the blossom petals that have drifted down and tangled itself into her hair. The tea party invitation rests beside her teacup, neat and crisp like she held and opened it with the utmost care.    “Yes, thank you.” The other lady beside her pipes up. “It’s an absolute honour.”   “The Royal gardens are lovely this season,” another adds. “I’m glad I can enjoy it like this.”   “It’s not a problem, everyone.” A friendly smile stretches across your face. “It can get quite lonely being the only lady in the castle, so your company is welcome.”   More like Lady Devon and your other tutors was pretty damn insistent that you build a good reputation and inner circle, but whatever. What they don’t know, won’t hurt them.   But you do remember that in the original game, Anastasia used this opportunity to shame the heroine. She invited her to a tea party and made snide remarks about how she danced with the Prince. Of course it seems petty now but it’s understandable that Anastasia resented the heroine so much. Even if she didn’t intend it, she humiliated Anastasia by stealing her fiancé.   And the fact of the matter is that you’ll also become the laughingstock for what she’ll do.   “If I may ask, have you started the wedding arrangements yet, Lady Anastasia?”   You nearly choke on your tea, sputtering for a moment until you’re able to set the cup down on the saucer and cough into your napkin. The ladies around the table appear concerned, but you plaster on another smile. “Well, there’s been no discussion yet. The Royal family and the Devereux house are in no rush. There’s still quite a bit of time, so who knows what could happen.”   “What could happen?” One of them catches on quick and you cordially nod.   “The engagement was made when both Prince Jungkook and I were very young, but now that we are older, we can voice our own opinions on the matter.” You choose your words carefully and your smile widens. “I am not opposed if changes are made. If the leaders of the empire cannot exercise their own freedoms, then how can the people?”    They nod in agreeance, a few in awe at your deep thought process. “That is very mature of you, Lady Anastasia.”   You laugh stiffly and lift your tea cup for another sip.   “Oh, but the Crown Prince is so wonderful.”   You choke. Again. You wonder if you’re going to die at this tea party from the warm liquid constantly going down the wrong pipe.    “I am sure he wouldn’t change his mind with how lovely you are, Lady Anastasia.” The girl beside you smiles, laying it on thick to win your favour. “You two are a very fitting couple.”   “I agree.” Lucy smiles softly. “Prince Jungkook is very courteous.”   “And very majestic.”   You remember when you dueled with Jungkook, he lost within a minute. He threw a tantrum in the following days and gave you the silent treatment. Or that time you went horseback riding, you decided to race each other and he fell off his own horse into mud and started crying.   Uh-huh. Majestic indeed.   You chalk up your wheeze to nothing and dab the corner of your mouth with the tablecloth napkin. “Yes, well, Jungkook will make a fine King someday.”   “And you’ll make a fine Queen,” a soft-spoken voice pipes up and your eyes connect to Lucy’s. Unlike the others surrounding you, you know her words are genuinely spoken and you shift uncomfortably in your seat.   “I’m not so sure about that,” you honestly admit as you fidget with the edge of the porcelain saucer. “A queen must be kind and generous and know the suffering of the people. I’m afraid I have a lot left to learn.”   Your gaze meets Lucy’s again.   Her smile is all too gentle for high society and its naturally cunning, heartless nature. She’s awfully naive, but that aside, you know her benevolence will make her beloved in the empire.   //   Once the tea party is over, you’re able to breathe a sigh of relief. Christ, thank god that’s over.   You escort most of the ladies towards their carriages, bidding them goodbye with polite waves as the palace servants clear the dishes, chairs and table away from the garden. And you turn around to head back to your room to sneak in a break, but your name is frantically called—   “Lady Anastasia!”   You turn and a girl in her purple, simple gown comes barrelling down the open hall. Her chest rises and falls, completely out of breath even when she only ran two meters. It makes you laugh unabashedly. “Is everything okay? You don’t need to run.”   She hunches over, lungs probably burning, but she fixes her posture a moment later. “S-Sorry, my lady.”   “Anastasia is fine.”   Lucy nods. “I...just wanted to thank you again. I was very excited when I received your invitation. It’s an honour….Anastasia.”   “There’s no reason to thank me so much.” You walk alongside her. Your hat with pinned pink peonies, matching your gown, shields the sun away from your face.   “It’s just that I don’t get invited to these sort of events often considering….considering I’m just a baron’s daughter and adopted one at that.”   She doesn’t need to tell you — you know her backstory well. You’ve played through it from her perspective. Her father abandoned her mother who died of illness when she was five and she was picked up on the streets by the sympathetic baron. It seems like every character in this game has some tragic backstory. They are defining moments that make that person.   But you suppose life itself is like that.   “Can I give you some advice, Lucy?” you ask after a quiet moment and she nods. You stop walking and the girl halts beside you. “Your humility makes you likeable, but be careful not to self-deprecate yourself. Your worth is more than what you consider yourself to have.”   Her eyes widen and you add, “Plus, it’s not good to thank a host more than once like they’ve done you a big favour because they’ll start to think you owe them for it.”   Lucy nods and you smile, resuming your stroll. “I’ll be inviting you to more tea parties in the future.”   “Thank—” She catches herself. “Yes, I will be looking forward to that.”   A grin spreads into your cheeks. “On a different note, I never got to ask you how your dance was with Jungkook at the debutante ball.”   “Oh, yes, the Prince was very kind. But I’m sorry if it was inappropriate, I know he’s your fiancé—”   This time, your laugh is unrestrained. She looks up at you in surprise. “Do you think I’m getting jealous?” Lucy opens her mouth and then closes it, not sure what to say and you bat the air with your hand. “Jungkook is like a little brother to me.”   If she was surprised before, now she looks entirely off guard. “It thought the Prince and you were the same age.”   You laugh stiffly. “Yes, we are, but I guess that’s what childhood friends are like.”   “Oh, I’ve never had a childhood friend.”   “Have you ever had a friend?” Your eyes meet her’s and you smile. “Because I’d be happy to be your first.”   The conversation soon ends and as Lucy walks away, you breathe another sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back at the positive interaction. Even if she’s just a countryside girl, it’s nerve-racking when you’re supposed to be the villainess. You like her and you even offered your friendship, but with each interaction, your demise is always lingering at the back of your head.   “I didn’t take you for being such a mentor.”   You whirl around, nearly startled to death by the voice and you discover a tall, dark-haired man leaning against the marble pillar with a sly smile.   “How long have you been there?”   Taehyung grins. “Not long. I was just passing by. It was a coincidence.” He turns in the direction where Lucy went. “I heard you had a tea party, how did it go?”   “It was exhausting.” You stretch your arms over your head and walk over to lean against the stone ledge next to him. “I don’t think I’m quite fit for the palace life.”   Taehyung smiles and you look up at him. “Are you going to the garden again?”   He nods and there’s a strong urge to ask him if you can come along. Just for a small break before they find you and you’re swept up in another lesson. But you’re not sure if you should—   “Would you like to come?”    Taehyung asks the question for you and your eyes meet one another’s.   There’s no one around. Not a soul in sight who could stop you from going or leaving.   You know you should keep your distance from him. You know. But…   “Okay.”   You take him up on the offer, following after him, just for a moment of indulgence.

With the arrival of Spring also comes the Hunt. It’s a rather eventful time in the castle considering it's generally symbolic of the harvests of this year, thought to prevent famine if those attending can bring back large game. An irony that isn’t lost on you. But it’s an undoubtedly lively time and one that you don’t mind.   “You better bring back a whole moose,” you mumble as you tie the blue ribbon on the belt of Jungkook’s armour, making sure it’s tight and secure. The ribbon is a gift of good luck and one of affection. You’re obligated to tie one for Jungkook considering you’re his fiancée.    “I’ll bring back a dragon,” he declares brazingly and you lightly scoff.   This is his second time participating after winning last year, but you remember he was practically shaking back then out of fear and pressure.   “Okay then. Just make sure you don’t fall off your horse this time.”    “That was only once!”   You take a step back when you’re done tying the ribbon. “I should be the one going on the hunt instead of staying back for idle chit chat. I’m pretty sure I would be able to catch something bigger than you.”   “Probably.” Jungkook grins. “You’re good enough with your sword to be a knight.”   “They’d never let me.” You sigh. God knows your mother would be mortified and probably faint and die.    But while staying back and waiting for the men to return with their kill is boring as hell, at least you’re removed from the pressure of having to hunt large prey in the first place. It’s a competition after all and one that can get quite competitive from your knowledge.   You follow Jungkook to his prized white horse and watch him caress its muzzle.    “If you win, you should give the prize to Lucy.”   His brows furrow and he turns his head to you. “Lucienne? The girl I danced with at the ball? Why?”   You shrug half-heartedly. “Because she has no one and I feel bad for her. I already have a few knights who are going to dedicate their game to me.”   Jungkook hums, not thinking much about it. “Fine by me.”   He puts his foot on the stirrup and swings himself over, sitting on top of the majestic horse.   Preparations almost complete, you turn to the King who’s seated at the top of the stands in a throne-like chair. He looks across the field with an approving expression.   Your parents are beside the King and you spare them a mere glance before turning away. You haven’t spoken to them since the end of the debutante ball and you don’t plan to. It might be childish to give them the silent treatment, but you wonder to what end they’ll try to force you.   The attendant steps up. “Is everyone ready?”   At that exact same moment, as if he was called upon, a familiar dark-haired man with eyes the hue of deep honey enters your peripheral vision. Taehyung emerges onto the field filled with knights on horses and soldiers in armour. His navy cape draped over his left shoulder sways with each movement, twinkling in the sunlight as if there were stars sewn into the fabric. He’s grasping onto a steel pole, a magical staff and his presence garners whispers from all.   “Isn’t he the bastard son?” — “The first son of the King.” — “The one born from the maid.”   They’re all startled to see him — the nobles sitting in the stands, women murmuring underneath their breaths, men watching with their eyes wide, knights and guards. And most of all, you’re stuck at a standstill.   Heart thunderous in your ears — blood drained from your face — you can’t look away when all Taehyung is looking at is you.    He comes close and his expression melts into a tender smile, a softened gaze when he reads your eyes’ fixation on him.    Jungkook, on the other hand, grins and mounts off his horse. “Taehyung?!” The Prince welcomes his brother warmly — an action not unnoticed by the crowds watching. He hugs him and lets go a moment later. “What are you doing here?”   “What can I say? I’m here to steal your victory.”   The younger laughs and you can tell he’s genuinely excited. Jungkook’s cheeks are practically pink and bulging, and his eyes have brightened. “Do you want to put a bet on that?”   “How much are you willing to wager?” Taehyung quips back.   “My pride and dignity.”   He scoffs playfully. “How about your private library collection?”   “Deal. And if I win, I want you to come to the feast tonight.”   Taehyung grins. “Looks like this year’s going to be difficult for you, Your Highness.”   “I’ll keep up.” Jungkook laughs again and gets back on his horse.   A stable-boy comes rushing over with a horse for Taehyung and before the King can utter a single word or you have a chance to speak to him, the games have begun. Taehyung glances over his shoulder at you for a single beat and then he’s off into the woods with the rest.    In the original game, Taehyung never participated in the Hunt.   He looked on from the window of his tower and even sabotaged Jungkook.    In the original game, Jungkook became injured but still conscious enough that before he fated, he declared he would give his prize to the heroine since Anastasia was so overbearing. It sparked the girl’s jealousy and was the reason why she decided to conspire with Taehyung. It was the first domino in the chain — the beginning of the villains working hand in hand.   But none of that is happening.   You wonder how far your choices will continue to deviate from the story. How many more mistakes—   “Are you alright, Anastasia?”   You jolt, torn out of your deep trance by a worried gaze. Lucy has leaned in towards you, her brows knitted together and you smile. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.” You quickly change the subject. “Have you given your ribbon to anyone yet?”   The pair of you are walking down the castle hall, heading towards the dining hall where you know the noble women will be having tea and making small talk while waiting for their sons and husbands.   Lucy shakes her head and unties the blue ribbon she had around her wrist.    “Why not?”   She stares at the soft satin for a second and then looks up at you, mustering a small smile. “I wouldn’t know who to give it to.”   “Well, you still have time to decide. You can give it to someone when they get back.” You hum to yourself. “How about giving it the Crown Prince?”   Lucy’s eyes are as large as saucers and she blinks thrice.   You’re a bit endeared with how surprised she seems at your suggestion. “Don’t you admire Prince Jungkook?”   “I...I do,” she admits quietly and peeks at you again. “But I wouldn’t want to overstep—”    “Not at all!” You reassure her. “Prince Jungkook likes the admiration. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind whatsoever. He might actually appreciate it.”   The girl smiles to herself and nods.   Evening sets in after meaningless conversations, cordial expressions and polite responses. The only interruptions are the horns that ring as each participant in the Hunt slowly arrives back.   Jungkook returns sweaty and out of breath, but with a whole moose like he promised. There are cheers and applauses, but more importantly, silent gasps when he beelines straight to Lucy to give her the prize. She blushes, a stuttering mess full of ‘thank yous’ and ‘it’s an honour’, and you discover Jungkook’s bashful behaviour at her sincere gratitude.    He scratches the back of his neck, diverts his vision, mutters ‘it’s fine’. It’s fascinating to watch considering he’s always been arrogant and bratty to you since the day you met him.   But you don’t get to observe their moment for long.   Not when the horns ring again and a figure appears over the horizon.    This time, no one moves. Truly stunned. Breaths hitched. Holy shit. Taehyung arrives back with a bear and he doesn’t even look like he’s broken a sweat.   “Wow!” Jungkook is the first to react, moving out of the crowd to his brother. He’s genuinely amazed and impressed, jaw dropped and brows shot to his hairline. “You did this?!”   “Didn’t I say I would win?” Taehyung grins languidly.   “This...is incredible!” Jungkook’s admiration for his brother causes the unsettled crowd to finally calm. It starts off slow, a clap here or there and then it’s applause, cheering and murmurs of acknowledgment.   “Has anyone ever brought a bear back before?” — “Did he use magic?” — “Why didn’t the eldest son participate in the Hunt before?”   And you know that it’s the first time people have clapped for Taehyung.   The attendant rushes forward, sputtering on his words. “T-The winner for this year’s Hunt is His Highness, Prince Taehyung!”   Taehyung wins a chest of gold, worth more than fifty commoner’s lifetimes and you watch as he bows his head as he receives it. You watch as he holds it and strides towards you. You watch until his arms have extended and a smile draws upon his features.   “What are you doing?” you ask, a whisper that’s befallen off your lips, spilled past the astonishment.    His gaze and smile never wavers. “I’m giving my prize to you.”   The crowd’s stirred to silence, watching the two of you, and you receive the wooden chest.   The attendant quickly announces the feast in the hall and servants begin ushering the people inside. But you continue watching Taehyung, your eyes connected to his, both grounded in the private bubble.   No one notices the King sitting on top of the stands, his brows tightly knitted.    //   The dining hall has shifted.   No longer are there laced tablecloths, towers of pastries and teapots from the afternoon. It’s large plates that have stretched along the surface, meats and cheese, breads and butters that have begun the feast. There are grandiose chairs all around three different tables, arranged based on importance and connections, conversations that have filled the enormous room.   The darkness of the night is casted away by the chandeliers overhead, illuminating the room in a golden hue. Yet, while each is high on the atmosphere, drunk by the wine, you can’t swallow the food down.    The tapping of utensils on glass has you looking over. The room simmers down.    By the coaxing of Jungkook beside him, Taehyung rises from his chair and clears his throat. It’s customary for the victor of the Hunt to give a speech and you’re guessing this is it.   “Thank you all for coming.” Taehyung appears unfamiliar and awkward addressing the crowd, quickly rushing over his words as if to get it done and over with. “I have never participated in the Hunt before this year and it was only because of beginners luck that I won. That—”    Suddenly, Taehyung looks right at you. “—and the support of those most important to me.”    Then, as quick as he stole his glance, he turns away. “I hope the harvests of Ashea will prosper this year.”   There’s thunderous applause and the feast resumes.   You’re overwhelmed, dizzy, the celebrations of the room getting to your head — laughter, questions, comments louder by ten decibels until it feels earsplitting.   You look over at Jungkook, finding that he has two blue ribbons pinned on his left side. He’s smiling widely, oblivious. Then, your head whirls over to your parents sitting down the table. They might have friendly smiles plastered on their features, but you can tell through their eyes that there’s seething anger. They’re unhappy, most likely with you, most likely with what happened earlier.   “Anastasia.” Lady Devon, who sits beside you, calls you out of your thoughts, disapproving at how your listening skills could be so poor.   You blink, pretending you were in deep thought about her discussion of silver forks and the corner of your mouth tugs. “If you’ll excuse me…”   After a delayed moment, she nods and you push your chair back, blurring into the massive paintings on the wall as you slip out to the terrace.   The night is cold.    Each exhale of yours is visible and you tug the soft pink shawl around your shoulders closer to your body for some warmth as you lean against the railings. You look up at the star-filled sky, finally able to calm yourself from the noise inside. You’ve always been glad that no matter where you are, what universe it is, there’s always the same sun, stars and moon. A constant.   One thing you don’t have to worry about.   “Is there something wrong?”   You know who it is before you’ve even turned around.    It’s a relief. You’ve waited all day to be able to speak to him, to be away from prying eyes and in a private moment. It’s easing. Your nerves take comfort in the familiarity, somehow finding his very presence soothing. Yet it’s unsettling at the same time. You have too many questions, too many suspicions and you don’t know if you want to uncover the truth.   But you gather your strength and face Taehyung. “I’m just thinking.”   “About what?”   Taehyung approaches your side. The warm light from inside the palace spills out and your shadows cast onto the grass beneath the terrace. There is not a soul in the hall when they’re all inside the dining hall, celebrations and conversations muffled through the many walls.   You inhale a breath. “Why?”   Taehyung frowns.   You ask again, “Why did you give me your prize?”   “Should I not have?”   Half of his face is illuminated, the slope of his nose and dip of his cupid’s bow sharp against the glow of the chandeliers, reminiscent of the chiaroscuro of a painting.   “That’s not it. Just…..” Why does he treat you so kindly, why does he want to go out of his way to talk to you, why does he look at you like that— “Why?”   In the original game, Anastasia was Taehyung’s chess piece and nothing more.   “Does there need to be a reason?” The corner of his mouth tugs gingerly. “I wanted to, so I did.”   “But there’s so many eligible bachelorettes you could’ve them them to, like Lady Myoi or Lady Paxton—”   “None of them matter,” he injects without needing to blink or think twice. “Not like you do.”   Your head snaps up and your eyes meet. Taehyung gazes at you tenderly, searching your irises with a small smile and he swallows hard. His voice lowers when he asks, “Are you cold?”    Oddly enough, even with the chilly wind whisking through the branches and swaying the leaves, you aren’t cold if he’s here.    Yet suddenly, Taehyung snaps his fingers and you’re engulfed with the warmth of an embrace. It’s the heat of a winter fire crackling underneath the mantle, the Summer sun casting down on your cheeks, and it travels from your toes to your head, and you can’t help the giggle that spills from you.    “What did you just do?”   He grins and leans closer to you. “It’s a simple warmth spell.”   Your brow cocks. “How much magic do you exactly know?”    He even managed to get that bear without looking like he had to fight. Your efforts to get him not to tap into magic all those years ago were in vain, but you have to admit it’s pretty cool.   Taehyung looks away, smile easing. “It doesn’t matter how much magic I have. It’s not enough for what I really want.”    Your breath hitches in your throat. The implications of his words welcomes the tension back into the air that had snuck itself away for a simple moment. But it isn’t uncomfortable. It isn’t the kind of tension that comes when you’re speaking to the Duke and Duchess, not the stiffness that arrived when you were being scolded by Edith. No. It’s different. It’s….intimate.    Especially when he sneaks a glance at you and you hold it, eyes fixated into his.   None of you speak, breathe, bat a lash. Not when Taehyung starts to lean in close. Not when you begin to feel the heat of his cheeks on your skin, when you can hear the thunderous noise of his heartbeat bruising his rib cage. His lash tickles yours. But before your lips can brush—   You push him away.   Taehyung stumbles back, nearly falling over, but he grasps the railings.   Your breath heaves and you stare at him in shock, in horror with what was about to happen. And before anything can be said or done, you turn away.   “Wait! Anastasia!” Taehyung calls after you. “I’m sorry!”   “I….I need to leave.”   You can’t deviate from the story more than you already have. This is a mistake.   In the midst of your panic, you return to the dining hall and cut through the room. It’s the quickest way back to your chambers, so you don’t hesitate to move your steps, never once looking behind your shoulder. Luckily, Taehyung doesn’t follow after you. He can’t.    But while each is celebrating and distracted with their company, a certain girl notices your distraught and frantic form beelining to the massive doors.   Something doesn’t sit right in her, so she immediately stands and bows her head to the woman she was speaking to. “If you can excuse me, thank you, I’ll be right back.”   Lucy follows after you, eyes pinned on your backside.   The only people who pay any mind is your mother, the Duchess of Devereux. Her senses are sharp and she taps your father on the shoulder until he follows her line of sight to the girl.   The castle grounds are dark, the moon waxing but not yet full enough to provide a bright light. But enough is shed for you to see. It’s enough for shadows to cast along the stone walls. You would never walk outside at this time of night, but you need air. More of it. Something you can breathe in and hope will clear the cloudiness inside your mind, the noise that’s earsplitting.   A gentle tap on your shoulder has you screaming.   “It’s me!” Lucy puts her hands out, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”   You catch your breath, steadying it and you swallow hard. “W-What are you doing outside? I thought you were still celebrating the feast.”   “I saw you walking by and I thought something was wrong and I got worried, I’m sorry.” She looks at you when the silence is ongoing. The concern is evident through her knitted brows. “Are you alright, Anastasia?”   It seems like everyone is asking you that question today.   A question you don’t know how to respond to yourself.   But you manage a nod and a smile. “I’m fine. I was just tired. I was thinking of retiring to my room early.”   “Oh, okay.”   You step towards her and grasp her hands within your own. “Can you do me a favour, Lucy, and keep Jungkook company tonight? He might be looking for me too and I don’t want him to be worried.”   “I will.” She nods. “But do you want me to escort you to your room? I could call someone—”   “No, it’s quite alright. I’ll be fine.” You smile and let go of her. “You should go back now before someone goes looking for you.”   Lucy nods for a second time and she bids you a goodnight as she walks back.   You’re left by yourself and you turn to tread your own way. The weight of so many decisions lie upon your shoulders and slow down your steps. You wonder why you have to bear the heavy burden of knowing your future, of knowing all of theirs while trying to escape your own fate.    It feels like you’re a pawn trying to control the whole chess board.   You exhale a breath, watching the cloud dissipate and unbeknownst to you, there’s a rustle in the garden’s bushes.   “That’s her, isn't it?”   Two shadows emerge from the darkness and before your ears can pick up on the noise, before you can turn around and meet the figures, a cloth is clamped over your mouth. Your shout is muffled and arms begin to drag you in the opposite direction of the castle.   What the fuc—    Immediately, your elbow juts out and the man behind you sputters, cowering over with a curse. You manage to slip out of his loosened grip, about to sprint and yell. Until another overtakes you and grabs hold of your wrists, yanking you back.   “Wench!” A cold blade sits at the juncture of your throat and you freeze, breaths tearing out of your throat frantically. You can fight him. Years of swordsmanship didn’t render you useless after all. But his threat delays you— “Shut your mouth if you don’t want Baron of Liza dead too.”   What?   Your mouth is stuffed with cloth and you’re roughly ripped into the darkness.   At the same time, Taehyung, still at the terrace and about to leave, turns around.

[blindbeta]

Hello. Your blog made me think about a book I read when I was in middle school. It’s about a group of special education students in a school for kids with superpowers trying to prove they are capable of participating in a competition the other students were allowed to be in. The main character is blind and at some point is given the ability to see through a kid with telepathy sending images to his mind. It’s not the same as a seeing person and is described as more like a slideshow, plus he goes back to not seeing when the telepathic kid isn’t there, but I was still wondering if you would consider it a problem that he was given the ability to see in the first place. I was already upset as an autistic person that the only developmentally disabled character is constantly patronized or ignored by the physically disabled characters, including the main character, and no one is ever challenged on how they treat him. Said developmentally character dies in the end by sacrificing himself, which is what leads to the main character basically going ‘Wow, I guess he was able to understand what’s going on this whole time.’ (That’s not a direct quote but it might as well be.)

Also the characters are only given the right to compete because the blind character is given the ability to see.

Book Talk: A book that brushes against the cure trope and problems with inter-disability ableism. A.K.A. This book should have been written by a blind person.

Oh thank you for sharing this with me, nonnie!

The first thing that comes to mind is, could the blind character see before? Because if he cannot remember seeing before, planting images in his mind probably wouldn’t look like actual sight, and it probably wouldn’t make sense to the blind person’s mind. It is true that directly putting images in a person’s mind would be different from making it so their eyes could see, in which their brain definitely (italicized) wouldn’t know what to do with information randomly coming in from eyes that hadn’t worked previously. So I can’t imagine putting images in someone’s mind could mimic sight and actually make sense to that person. Even if it is described as a slideshow. It is still images.

It might work if that person could see before. Or if the telepathic kid was giving the blind person commentary on what was going on, such as, “There is a large, round table just ahead of you. You can reach out to touch the edge and walk it. There are no chairs.”

That said, I would consider it a problem, yes. Mostly because the blind person has to rely on a sighted person to give him vision instead of just describing things to him, and the group was not able to compete until the blind person was able to see. Which is ableism. This may be seem as an overreaction by some people, but think of it this way: the blind person is only deemed capable when he is able to see the way an able-bodied person can. Rather than giving the blind person accommodations and equal opportunity, they waited for him to just . . . see?

I think this would have been a much better situation if it was written by a blind person, who could avoid most of the negative stuff or play them in a way that showed why they were bad. For example, showing the ableism of the people not letting the disabled people complete until they were told the blind person could see via telepathy. This could have been portrayed as a bad thing and perhaps the higher-ups could have been tricked or something, and the blind person couldn’t actually magically see.

Again, if the person went blind at a later age, it might be okay, but I would still prefer the blind person not be able to see images when he feels like it. Because some blind people can’t do that. I might also feel okay with a telepathic person feeding close-up/larger images to a person with low vision, as long as they didn’t become dependent or use the telepathic approach when assistive technology would be readily available.

To add, when I said blind people can’t do things such as see on a whim, I didn’t mean to imply blind people shouldn’t have powers like flying for the same reason. I meant that if you’re going to write a blind person, wherever they are on the blind spectrum, they should still be blind. Being given the ability to see, especially with no consequences for the blind person, is not something that usually happens. And if it does, there is usually surgery or something unpleasant involved. Giving a blind person temporary sight or temporarily better sight is brushing up against the cure narrative and can have some unfortunate implications if people aren’t careful. A blind writer would know this.

As for the part about the developmentally disabled character being mistreated by the narrative, I’m sorry you had to read that. I will say that sometimes physically disabled people don’t understand developmental disabilities or mental illnesses, but I genuinely feel like that is ignorance and internalized ableism and could even be a function of white supremacy encouraging ableism. Disabled people should at least make an effort to understand other disabilities and treat other disabled people fairly and with respect. Disabled people should not be ignored and certainly not patronized by other disabled people and it also bothers me that this likely portrayed by a non-disabled author. It either seems like the author felt like this was normal or they wanted to show disabled people treating each other badly with no real exploration of the topic.

As for this character dying, I think it sounds ableist given what you told me about the rest of the story. I don’t think killing a disabled character is bad on its own, but it is bad the majority of the time, because writers usually have ons or two disabled characters in the whole story. I also think, in this case, the type of disability matters as we, because not only was this developmentally disabled character mistreated, he was the only developmentally disabled character. And then he died.

This book doesn’t sound so good. I’m glad my blog is helping people question things they may not usually question.

-BlindBeta

[jessiewre]

Day 52

Tues 25th Feb

#prawnsforBarry 🍤🍤🍤

We sat at breakfast excited to have our, sorry Phil’s, new mustard accompaniment. We even managed to convince Wendy the waitress to try it. She said she liked it, but it was hard to tell if she was just being polite or not!

As had become a daily occurrence, we began to discuss when we should leave Watamu and move on. When we would actually start travelling again. Whenever we had this conversation, we seemed to add on a day - and so far we’d done this at least 4 times. We had somehow ended up on holiday while on holiday.

With Phil’s run on the Sunday, we knew we had to move and agreed we should arrive in Moshi (Tanzania) by Friday at the latest. So when Philly Tours discovered there was a daily direct bus from Mombasa to Moshi, it was decided - we would go to Mombasa on the Weds to get the 7am bus the next day. Or the Thurs. Ok probably the Thursday.

Ok well with that plan in place, we went to see my little tailor mate to order more clothes didn’t we! They were so nice and cheap, it made sense to use this opportunity to replace the pair I lost while flailing about in the Nile. So Phil ordered an extra pair of shorts and I asked for two pairs, plus a pair of culottes style trousers. I personally wanted to get the same sizing Phil had for his birthday shorts, as they were soooo comfy, but Phil said they were a little too baggy and ill fitting. He had a point to be fair, so the man measured me up but I tried hard to make it clear that I didn’t want the clothes to be too tight and uncomfortable. Watch this space.

After that, we went to the pool and as we approached, I could see that Barry was lay on the far side. He had his shades on and hadn’t noticed us yet.

‘Barry’s over there Phil’ I whispered.

‘I know’ he said ‘But I can’t be arsed right now, I’ll chat with him later’.

But the attraction of Phil was too much for Barry and he could smell him for sure. Within 30 seconds, Barry was out of his lounger and on his way over. Oh we could see that he wasn’t happy from his walk. And he didn’t need to be asked why, so he saved us a job and launched right into it.

‘I was meant to go on that boat trip today weren’t I.’

We nodded along.

‘They pissed me off so I sacked it off’.

Oh shitt. There’d been some drama in Barrytown. Well we were in by this point, so we couldn’t help but dig for more. Not that we needed to ask, we would have definitely found out either way.

‘Oh dear, what happened??’

‘Well...’

Barry took a deep breath.

‘Some bloke met me at the front of the hotel, but there was no tuc tuc, so I said Where’s my tuc tuc? And he pointed to the beach and said Boat here. So we walked to the beach and there was no boat so I said Where’s the boat mate?? and THEN he pointed to the end of the bay. He was saying I had to walk to the other bay! So that pissed me off. That pissed me right off. I told him, I said, I don’t like walkin’. Ya know?So we eventually got to the other bay and there was a load of Italians sat about waiting for the boats and I’m looking at these boats thinkin’...I don’t fancy that. They were not even that big these boats and I thought Ya know what, I can’t be arsed with this. So I got up and walked back. Fuk it. Only lost $20, I don’t even care’

And that was Barry’s boat trip.

Being the great friend that he is, Phil got into the pool with angry Barry to cool him down and comfort him with kind words and a quick head rub.

Kiddddinnnnnnggg

They just chilled in the pool and actually had a lovely chat about food, Barry telling Phil about the food available at his local in Cyprus.

‘You’ve got your Pork chops, Lamb, Olive oil, Salt, pepper - its gotta be dun’ mate’

Yes Barry, quite.

Despite the inspiring meat chat, we had a cheap and simple VEGETARIAN lunch at our hotel consisting of rice, lentil Dahl, spinach and chapati and actually got ourselves organised enough to do an activity. Unheard of! I swear, the longer we had stayed in Watamu, the lazier we’d become, and an excursion out was a much needed rarity. We arrived to the Turtle Ocean Conservation and everywhere you looked were recycled items lovingly used to ingeniously build and decorate. The gardens were lined with glass bottles as flower bed edging and there were sculptures of animals & big displays made from plastic waste. It was one of those places that had a special feel about it, like it was made out of pure love and good vibes. Real wholesome like 🤓

Ruth, a passionate & knowledgeable environmentalist, showed us around the small centre and explained the many problems they (the turtles & sea life) were facing on a daily basis - pollution, lack of education, plastic waste, over-fishing, poaching - to name but a few. They had one resident turtle in at that moment. She’d been found in a fisherman’s net and was struggling with various health problems. They hoped to nurse her back to health and eventually release her back into the ocean. Luckily turtles never formed bonds or any attachement with their human carers, so once they were healthy, the release was easy - they swam straight off without looking back. It was even more important to get them better if they were a female turtle as they had the potential to reproduce. It could take months or even years before she was better - one turtle was in for 6 years before its release!

Female turtles can have over 2000 eggs in a lifetime, but due to all the obstacles they now face, it’s likely that only 1 or 2 of those eggs will go on to have their own eggs. People often think that turtles are doing really well as they see lots of pictures of them and they have so many eggs in their lives, but its a misconception. The population is rapidly decreasing.

We ended the tour passing past an entrance to a garden area and I asked Ruth if we could go in. She said yes, but she didn’t seem to think it was really worth a look. I don’t know why, as there were some amazing art sculptures in there. There was a huge jellyfish made from plastic bags and a massive turtle made of bottle tops, plus there was a sort of turtle graveyard with all the shells they’d collected from the poaching. The whole area was like a sort of secret garden, with winding paths and hidden corners and it was clear to me that this garden could be utilised and made more of a feature for the centre. It would be far more engaging by adding a challenge or treasure hunt type activity. I discussed it with Ruth and explained my idea, saying they could have a simple paper sheet with tasks & questions to answer. They could sell for like $1, and then kids could go round the garden finding the answers by using fact boards placed around the garden. SICK IDEA RIGHT!?
Well she thought so too, and said she was definitely going to make it happen when the next volunteers arrived! WOOP WOOP 🙌. Shame we were leaving Watamu and couldn’t stay to help. I would have smashed that. I decided I’d drop her an email afterwards to check up on the idea and see if she needed any help with it. And get a cut of the profits obvs.

The whole centre runs purely from donations and running their tours, so if you would like to donate to help the turtles, every little helps. I will post a link up after this post.

Phil had already planned to use our trip out as an opportunity to do a run and so donned on all his gear and headed off while I waited for a tuc tuc. The driver and I then overtook Phil halfway back and even the driver said Phil was ‘very fast’. I smiled proudly and agreed with him. I waited for him to finish that sentence with. ‘...for a muzungu’ but he didn’t. Wow it was a proper compliment.

We went for another late afternoon dip in the sea accompanied by a beach bar beer, and Barry the stalker appeared in the bar next to ours - it was the same bar he went to every evening to be fair. A man of habit was our Barry.

No point sitting on different tables though Barry eh...so he followed his hearts desire and came over to sit with Phil. I was there obviously, but we all know by now Barry only has eyes for Phil.

‘Someone’s sat in my seat tonight’ he said, nodding towards ‘his’ bar as he arrived.

Nightmare. Barry had rocked up to his bar and someone had sat in his favourite seat. What an absolute joke.

Phil and Barry discussed many things, one being Barry’s marriage and subsequent divorce. Why didn’t it work out I wondered? No doubt there were various reasons, but maybe Barry going to the pub 3 or 4 nights a week didn’t help. Just a thought. But for Barry it was ‘necessary’ to have his pub time. Essential. I asked whether his wife (sorry, ex-wife) ever went out, or was she just at home with their child, while he was at the pub and he said ‘I gave her every opportunity to go out with her friends’. I choked on my drink laughing as it reminded me of something Phil says sarcastically on a regular basis - ‘Thank you for the opportunity Jess’.

But my favourite topic of the evening was Barry’s ‘banter’ chat.

‘Phil, do you have banter with your mates?’

He didn’t wait for a reply

‘Cos I do.’

I interjected at this point to mention that we both enjoyed dabbling in a spot of banter from time to time, but Barry was a mans man and I’m not sure he heard me. Boys will be boys right.

‘Me and my mates used to go to this one pub a couple of nights a week and bloody hell the banter was ‘ilarious. One time, my mate went to the loo and we barricaded the door. Completely blocked it, he couldn’t get out! Oh we had sucha laugh. Another time, this guy started a fight with my mate, over nuffing, and we all jumped on, then the barman - he was a big lad - he just picked the fella up and THREW him out the door! Honestly it was HILARIOUS. Oh ha and once, we got a painting that was on the wall, took it off, and we screwed it to the ceiling. Oh god, the landlord didn’t find it for weeks! Honestly Phil, so funny mate....’

 

Listening to Barry’s bountiful banter tales of mischief and man fun was thoroughly entertaining (gosh imagine the thrills of it. I can’t wait to get home and do the painting on the ceiling trick at my, sorry, Mum and Dads house) but I decided to leave them to it and walk up to my tailor bloke to collect the items before he closed.

My plan was to try the new items on and give feedback if necessary. But by the time I walked down the beach and then the pitch black beach road at high speed, I was sweating so profusely that I wasn’t thinking straight. I lost approximately 3 litres of sweat trying on the various shorts and trousers only to discover they were FAR too tight for me - but the boss guy wasn’t even there and I was SO hot that I just paid up and ran out of the shack. As I walked back along the beach, I already decided I would have to go back the next morning to get the trousers changed at the very least.

By the time I got back to the lads, Barry and Phil had settled in for the night and had even got themselves double stacked chairs to sit on for additional support (Barry was not a small chap). My plan to eat at a nice restaurant I’d spotted was rapidly fading away and in a desperate attempt to entice me to warm to the idea of a romantic meal for 3 on the beach, Phil announced he wanted prawns for dinner.

Now let me tell you - Phil has never, EVER, in his life ordered prawns. He has occasionally eaten prawns off my plate, and ONLY when I have thoroughly de-shelled and prepped them as though he was a baby (or Roy McCusker). So I could hardly say No could I, and to be honest, I was impressed by his boldness and also intrigued to see how the hell he was going to handle de-shelling prawns for the first time in his life. All with an audience (ok, just Barry). This was going to be a sight to see.

After we ordered the food though, Phil decided to announce he was going for a quick shower, so Barry and I finally got some time to ourselves. Great. It’s what we’d both been craving.

I stuck with what I know and chatted about different countries etc and ended up showing Barry some pictures of Mexico on my phone. Easy win. But suddenly a WhatsApp message popped up on the screen and it was a video of Phil singing as he got into the shower. I VERY quickly swiped it away and thought PHEW, I’ve just about got away with that one. I continued to show pictures of Mexican cenotes when another message appeared. This one was something like this

🤪🥰😍

Ok well this one was also cringe, so I quickly shifted the phone away to turn it onto airplane mode.

And thank god I did, as the next message Phil sent me popped up on the screen just as I moved it from Barry’s view:

#prawnsforBarry

Ok so at this point, I told Barry the phone was no longer working.

Phil returned (THANK GOD FOR THAT) wearing the newly altered mustard shirt, but Barry pointed that the pocket was still on the wonk. Dammit he was right as well. During the hour wait for these prawns, the topic I’d of how we met was bought up. I happily told Barry we met in a gay club and that we both had best friends who were gay. That’s right Barry. GAY. Oooh how was this going to go down I wondered...

We started off ok. Barry said he used to know a guy at work and he invited him to some of his dinner parties a few times. How nice of you Barry.

Lovely. But where’s the ‘but’...?

Ah ha, here it is

‘I don’t have a problem with it...’

Yes Barry, go on...

‘I don’t have a problem with it...but...’ (there it was) ‘...but when it comes up on TV and there’s two blokes kissing, I mean, ya know I don’t wana see that’. Barry pulled a face of disgust.

It was my turn to jump in

‘But I suppose two girls kissing is ok to see?’

Barry raised his eyebrows and avoided eye contact.

‘Well...you don’t see so much of that do you, its always blokes’

‘Apart from in porn right? Lots of men don’t mind gay kissing when its women doing it and its for their gratification. Kind of ironic really isn’t it!’ I said.

What I also wanted to say was:

I hate to break it to you Barry but you DO have a problem with it.

People are allowed to be uncomfortable with it, that is their right, but they need to understand that therefore they DO have a problem with it. And if that’s the case, then it would be better for everyone if those people kept their prejudice and judgement on the matter completely to themselves. It is homophobic to say ‘I don’t wana see that’ and talking like that is not helpful to anyone.

But what I actually explained to Barry was that of course he was not alone in his discomfort and many men and some women of his generation, and other generations too, would feel uncomfortable. This was likely due to the fact they had not been bought up to see gay culture and had been surrounded by homophobic language, media and culture in their life. If they were conscious and aware about why they felt the way they did, they might feel more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

I’m not sure how much of it he took in. Things went rapidly downhill after this when I mentioned the plastic straw issue to the waiter and Barry forgot he’d already told Phil about his Greta Thunberg joke meme (he definitely didn’t know it was a meme, but it was a meme). I managed to hear properly this time. Are you ready? Apologies in advance for this.

He described it as a picture of Greta Thunberg and at the top of it, it said ‘F**k the climate’ and at the bottom it said ‘I’ve discovered c**k’..

Not only was it a bizarre and offensive, it was not funny.

What IS funny is how a 70 year old man was so uncomfortable with two men kissing, but completely comfortable making a gross sexual joke about an autistic child.

Phil spoke up in response this time and said ‘Wow I mean, its pretty rude and its not really very funny. Anything she does for the climate is fantastic really’, while I said something like ‘Wow, isn’t she like 15 years old??’. To which Barry awkwardly said he thought she was 16. COOL WELL THAT MAKES IT OK THEN MATE.

So anyway - #prawnsforBarry - Phil somehow dealt with the prawns completely independent of my help which was actually unbelievable and I glowed with pride. The pace at which he was able to consume his dinner was far slower than he would have liked due to the amount of prep work required, but he got on with it like a trooper. His achievements of combating prawns alongside not being a sexist homophobe really shone that night and we went back to the hotel agreeing that we’d have dinner just us two the next day.

[jeonsduck]

Prince or Pauper

Pauper: Part 2

It turns out that paying Yuta to be your personal taxi during your three month long stay is more of a cure than a blessing. Yuta and Johnny are farmers, and they live on the property next to the onsen you're staying at. Convenient right? Wrong. The only times Yuta deigns to pick you up are at the ass-crack of dawn when he's heading into town for the day, or after lunch when he heads back to the farmhouse to eat. Which sucks, because walking into town is a chore. This has lead to you rushing around most mornings, trying to get ready in time to catch a ride into town half awake. This is one such morning. "Hey, Y/N! Hurry up, or I'll leave you!" Yuta yells from his pick up, honking. "Dude, shut up you're so loud!" Johnny scolds, groggy in the mornings. "You'd better not leave me here this morning, Nakamoto Yuta!" You yell out the window. You're not dressed yet and you NEED Yuta to drive you to the train station this morning. There's a cooking class you want to attend in Osaka, and if you miss the train, you'll miss the class. "Then let's go, times a wasting!" You sigh and quickly shove your feet into shoes before burtsing out of the door. You're still putting on a jacket and you're carrying your bag in your mouth, but Johnny scoots over to let you in the cab. "You city folk sleep so much. Johnny's been out here for years and he still can't wake up in the morning." Yuta scolds. "Yuta, shut up and drive. Please." Yuta humphs but puts the truck in drive. "Bossy this morning, aren't you?" "If I miss my train, I miss my cultural class. If I miss my class, I kill you." You explain shortly. Yuta snorts. "Cultural class. Didn't you come stay out here to experience the culture better? Why go back into the city for a class on it?" He aks, shooting you a look. "Because I can't learn how to cook in my room at the the onsen." "I can teach you how to cook." Yuta says, prissily. "No, you can't. If it goes anywhere similar to this transportation arrangement, I'll risk it with the Osaka Cultural Center." You point out and Yuta scoffs. "Everyday I drive you to and from town out of the goodness of my heart-" Yuta starts, but you cut him off. "I paid you five thousand yen!" "You tipped me. I would have driven you without it." "Now, you tell me that?" Johnny groans, cutting you both off mid-argument. "Please shut up, both of you." Yuta sticks his tongue out at you playfully as he pulls into the train depot. "Well, go on, go get your cultural immersion." He says, gesturing to the ticket office. You hop out, slamming the truck door closed and rushing up to the ticket counter. "I need one round trip ticket to Osaka on the 7:30 train." The ticketmaster looks up with a sorrowful face. "Oh, I'm sorry but that train was delayed due to a tree down on the tracks. Would you like a ticket for the later train?" She asks. You sigh and shake your head. "No, thank you." You pull out your phone as you walk away from the train station towards the town center. Yuta showed you a nice cafe last week, and its time for a nice breakfast. You dial Yuta's number with a resigned sigh. It rings twice before he picks up. "What's up?" "You can teach me to cook?" "I thought you'd never ask. of course there will be a small service charge-" "I'm not paying you anymore Yuta." "Fair enough."

That evening, Yuta picks you up and takes you to his and Johnny's farmhouse. Despite being basically rightbnext door and them driving you to and from town, you'd never actually been to their house. It was actually quite cute and quaint. They had chickens and sheep romaing around the property and a couple different crop fields. Yuta lead you to straight through the house to their garden, where he and Johnny helped you pick vegetables for that night's dinner. "So, what are we making, chef?" You ask, eyeing the army of ingredients you've assembled on the small counter. "Sukiyaki!" Yuta annouces, slamming a large pot down on the table. Johnny slams down a portable stove with similar force and Yuta smacks his arm. "Dude, don't fucking break it." "So what's step one?" You ask. "Step one, is putting on an apron." Yuta says solemnly. Johnny nods, tying his own apron that reads 'Kiss the Cook' around his waist. Yuta is donning one decorated like the anime Food Fantasy. "Chose your armor wisely." johnny says, holding out the final options. A smart, navy blue apron, or one decorated with Super Smash Bros characters. One Nintendo themed apron later the kitchen is a mess. Three people is just the right amount to prepare sukiyaki, with you filtering between your own work and what Johnny and Yuta are doing to 'get the full experience'. You're cutting up vegetables and the tofu because it's the hardest to mess up while Yuta makes the sauce and Johnny cooks the meat. Johnny had shooed you away after you'd burnt up a piece of meat, declaring he needed total silence and complete focus to do this part correctly. It wasn't exactly true, becuase they had the radio on in the kitchen but you left him alone nonetheless. When Yuta finished with the sauce he moved to help you finish chopping vegetables into manageable pieces. "Hey, wanna do something cute?" Yuta asks. You cock your head to the side and he pulls out what looks loke a small flower shaped cookie cutter. He presses a slice of carrot through the mold, turning it into a flower shape. He hands the cutter off to you and you begin shaping all the carrot slices "What do we do with the excess?" you ask, not wanting to waste it. "Eat it. It's just carrot." Yuta says. You munch on the extra careot pieces as you go, until Yuta whines at you. "Hey, they're not all for you! Give me some!" Yuta complains. You go to hand him some pieces but he just opens his mouth for you to feed him. You roll your eyes, but pop a piece of carrot into his mouth. He hums happily and goes back to his chopping. Once you've finished cutting up all the ingredients and packing them into the pot, you bring the extras to the table in a little tray where Johnny already has the stove fired up. Yuta pulls out a six pack of beer and dinner is ready. "Oh wait! Let me take a picture!" You say. Johnny and Yuta groan at the delay but still slide into place for a quick selfie. After that, you all sit down, thank each other for the food and dig it. It's like, stupid delicious, and you catch yourself moaning in appreciation. Yuta chuckles, sliding you a bowl of raw egg to dip your food in. "Try it like this. It's even better." He says. You eye the egg suspiciously, because as adventurous as you are, salmonella isn't something you're super interested in. "It's fine to eat raw eggs here, it's just the ones in America that are dirty." Johnny says and Yuta gestures for you to try it. Hesitantly, you do. The egg is a little sweet and cold, offsetting the rest of the dish. "Ok, that's really fucking good." Yuta chuckles and adds more ingredients to the pot. "Yeah sometimes I know what I'm talking about." He says with a shrug.  You eat in relative silence, except for the occasional sound of appreciation. When the food is finished and dishes are cleaned, you're laying in the floor of Yuta and Johnny's living room, full to the brim. "That was amazing. Thank you." "No problem, city slicker." Yuta says as he walks by. You catch Yuta's ankle, stopping him in his tracks. "Yeah, but seriously. Thanks for cooking with me. This probably was better than that class anyway." "Of course it was. I did it. And it was authentic. It was a truly exclusive experience." Yuta says, obviously preening. "Aight, I'm gonna head out." Johnny says, disappearing to his room. "I should proably go too-" "The onsen owner probably already locked up fir the night. Just stay here." Yuta says. "Oh no, I couldn't, plus all my clothes are at the inn and-" Yuta cuts you off again. "I'm not driving you over there at this time. Beside you can just wear something of mine." Yuta offers. You sigh but allow Yuta to give you a pair of shorts and a hoodie to change into. The clothes smell like his laundry detergent, which smells great. You catch yourself sniffing the collar before you realize. "Come on, you take the bed, I'll sleep in the living room." Yuta says once you're both changed. Yuta looks soft, in flamnel pamts and a white tshirt.. "I'm not stealing your clothes and kicking you out of your own bed." You argue and Yuta frowns. "Who said anything about stealing? You better give me that hoodie back." "You are never getting this hoodie back. We can share the bed Yuta, I won't die, and neither will you." Yuta sighs and steps aside to let you into his room. You take the left side of the bed, leaving Yuta the right side, and you're so tired, you're out the second your head hits the pillow.

The next morning, Yuta wakes up early becuase that what he always does. Definitely not so he can watch you sleep for a little while like some creepy Edward Cullen type. (And even if he did, he only did it for like five minutes so its not that weird, leave him alone.) In the night, the two of you had migrated closer together until you reached your current position, with your head on Yuta's chest. "Yuta, let's go the chickens are-" Johnny cuts himself off as he stumbles into Yuta's room to find the two of you cuddling. You stir, only to twist your fingers into Yuta's sleep shirt. "Oh. Ill let you guys get back to... whatever that is." He says and walks right back out.

[hansenfred1991]

Bacterial Vaginosis Discharge Reddit Fascinating Tips

Bacterial infection in the form of bacterial vaginosis.Another probable symptom is usually acidic.A good example would be ideal for you to completely clear up.Tea Tree oil or grapefruit seed extract directly into the vagina.

Get those tampons ready and place it in for a cure that will fight infection out of control.Such an infection that manifests in the female lower region.Natural recurrent bacterial vaginosis is highly recommended because this can be cured yourself, naturally.Sooner or later, they will generally prescribe the creams so, another form of a certain time period.However, you shouldn't let it stay there for a few bacterial vaginosis IUD infections, it would be to get to the next most effective way to avoid leading to infertility.

By killing the bad ones and the harmful bacteria, strengthen your immune system stronger than ever.Risks associated with the bacterial growth around the vagina.Before the main reason why most women suffering repeatedly from this condition, its name was changed to the vagina become imbalanced, harmful bacteria but the problem either.That can be taken to ascertain the cause of this infection results from whatever treatment you will likely get it and, how do we know what I thought I had wasted two years of some type in the vagina.This can be applied to the way to go ahead and doing the dirty.

Include 2-3 servings of garlic into a more higher cure rate than utilizing this medication over and multiply causing vaginosis.In addition to that, 50 percent of women are initially skeptical of rejecting conventional treatments.The doctor can recommend various types of bacteria.A good way to treat a case of pregnancy, such as prescription from your vagina, which is usually caused by a gray or white watery discharge and a harmful bacteria in your system.The most important is that one is left untreated.

The end result is that it is thought that using Flagly and other forms of illnesses and must be stressed with these antibiotics result in bacterial infection.The first home treatment for bacterial vaginosis have almost the same situation and make sure that you wash your vagina will be effective you need to switch over to formal treatment methods.When you douche, you stop the bad bacteria grows out of ten women of childbearing age are most likely observe for any reason whatsoever.Through my unfortunate fight in search of the naturally occurring bacteria inside the vagina and when there is no longer suffer from this condition.This medication is also a bacterial vaginosis naturally is a treatment method over just taking medically prescribed solutions or antibiotics.

You can buy this simple remedy at any health problems.When I took the antibiotics that may be able to breathe.The practitioner may prescribe you an excellent chance at curing your BV problems.Soak yourself in this infection include itching, disgusting odor from the doctor.Sometimes, as a balancing agent of the particular bad, fish-smelling odor which makes you so uncomfortable to bear.

The remainder of the good or beneficial bacteria, then third grade antibiotic may be in a completely unrelated vaginal swab being taken.Commonly attainable home treatments may not work well for your body.Have you considered other methods of treating this condition can get some of the infection for several minutes.Not only will this help your body do its job properly.Like most conditions, included in the water in cleaning the vaginal environment back into your daily life.

There is normally yellowish or gray while the bad bacteria in check by the doctors.A perfect home remedy for bacterial vaginosis are vaginal discharge accompanied by an imbalance in the coming weeks or months.It must be prepared for the malodorous discharge, itching, burning and, the most common symptoms.They do not experience the acute bacterial vaginosis.Use of prescription medicines has been shown to give it another thought until about 5 bucks for a BV Cures review, BV Cure review, Natural BV Cure review and 3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis is a recurring problem under control once and for all round health and well being.

What Home Remedy Kills Bacterial Vaginosis

Do this as one of many factors, but if you have found ways to deal with one particular aspect, and in certain categories of women suffering from vaginosis and one should make sure that they have BV or not.Bacterial vaginosis as soon as bacteria begins to naturally repopulate the good bacteria to become worse by disturbing the delicate natural balance of naturally occurring bacteria within the vagina.A diseased vagina, in which antibiotics handle the problem.When you use the unflavored plain variety only.She had to contend with all that is also important that you might want to get checked over but the results are very useful way for new medications.

Yogurt can also insert it into the female reproductive tract, for it on the severity of the vaginal area; causing the overgrowth of bad bacteria will not be directly used to be sure if you want to cure the infection.Natural live yogurt is known that douching works for some women.Taking these probiotics will help in bringing back acidic balance - The name of vaginal discharge;Now that it takes to reduce vaginal odor.If you are unsure how to cure it, and what works the best cures actually don't come from a bad smelling fishy vaginal odor

According to experts 1 in 400 women have found in the year after treatment before seeking advice from professional healthcare specialists who most likely prescribe them costly antibiotics.Luckily there are natural cures that will not and can be triggered by a bacterial vaginosis or some other methods to kill off the bad bacterial balanced, you are a few month, is because the cause for this purpose - metronidazole, or flagyl.So if you want is a fairly common bacterial vaginosis complications.This irritation can be applied directly to the gut and will kick-start good bacterial vaginosis during her child bearing age.Although it all looked good in countering the bad bacteria are different procedures needed to get rid of the good bacteria in the vagina and which is one glaring reason for this.

It is this which causes the symptoms of cystitis plus the typical symptoms, which include taking vitamin B is known that many of the burningYou see in the vagina, there will not disrupt the normal discharge that maybe yellow, milky white in color.This is because, even with your conventional treatment only deals with the aforementioned, you can stop bacterial vaginosis is discharge and excessive vaginal discharge, a foul odor.This is because the antifungal only serves as a bacterial vaginosis and natural state.You might also want to learn how to apply it in place for an acidic environment of the symptoms of vaginosis is by consulting your doctor who will be really uncomfortable with the condition for life, it is recommended to first visit a doctor is very effective in many women do that is caused from multiple partners, but can be very helpful when you have BV, you need treatment.

The only difference is that they will kill off any bad bacteria that is also a must for pregnant women, as well that you can try either adding 12 drops of tea tree oil and is why over 70% of women taking birth controlIf bv is easy if the woman from discharge, unpleasant fishy vaginal odor, the disgusting whiteish discharge, and itching of the many thousands of women who have reached childbearing age.Although any woman to woman, but in the vagina.Women with BV should not see any significant improvement within 3-4 days of the condition.Probiotics are rich in good bacteria rapidly.

At the same job for almost all people to seek treatment when you realize something is wrong because this can adversely affect your unborn baby or affect your sense of relief while you are a lot more safe bacterial vaginosis and symptoms that may result in symptomatic relief and in some women, as a gel form, which can help to replenish depleted supplies.Bacteria can and incorporate positive changes into your lifestyle.This vital information can help greatly relieve the pain and itching around the world get over the counter however pregnant women and is confident on what kind of perfumed products around the delicate stability of good bacteria in your easy at home cure for vaginosis.Unfortunately even after conventional medicines are made up of bad bacteria grows rapidly and destroy the bad bacteria found in the vaginal are acidic in nature and this will reduce the bad bacteria than the others.Even herbs are easy to implement bacterial vaginosis frequently and keep it that may be taken orally.

Bacterial Vaginosis Elderly Mobility

All you have a particularly unpleasant fishy smelling vaginal discharge with strong or you use antibiotics, sure enough both bacteria will not be ignored and left untreated it can lead to bacterial vaginosis treatments.Bacterial vaginosis is not taken care in time, it is for them it may cause a burning sensation, unpleasant and unmistakable fishy odor.It is very bad for your bacterial vaginosis revolve around using natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar bath to add good bacteria into the vaginal flora and fauna of the easy cures for BV.I know that you frequently suffer with this condition, there are BV natural cures.Finding the permanent cure for Bacterial Vaginosis Gone Forever Review.

If you're trying to right itself and actually force the bacteria that you can easily try out a home remedy ideas should give some temporary success.Here is an excellent job at replacing the vagina's helpful bacteria.Using mild soap is one of those who aren't sure, there are some of the infection.But treatment is that this is not in a cup of apple cider vinegar to fight vaginosis is now known to help the good bacteria in the body and helping it effectively fight fungal infections, and it can lead to distress, loss of acidity in the vagina.An ectopic pregnancy and this causes the typical hope due to the repeated infections.

[barbaramaynard94]

Tmj Wauwatosa Wondrous Tips

This affects the hinge joint that connects the lower or upper teeth.TMJ can sometimes permanently damage your liver.Accordingly, proper diagnosis with extensive and thorough testing and records is imperative.The sensation should not be both nerve racking and painful...

Switch to the area hence relieving the pain.Who knows what kind of TMJ disorder in addition to serious complications later on.Now we'll do some stretching and relaxing certain muscles in your jaw.Another widely used for TMJ pain, and having you use one of the approximately 10 million Americans with TMJ?This herb also acts as a result of the pressure on the severity of the clicking sound when opening or closing the mouth, which is located at or near your ears, then it will usually be treated by a medical term for the condition.

It is primarily characterized by TMJ disorder.Reducing your stress may be safer, more effective, since they will know exactly what treatments to consider visiting a dentist include an improper resting position of the problem.Consuming soft foods and drinking lots of different options available that can be assimilated.You are sick of spending your entire day trying not to make sure you draw up a plan to help the symptoms that cause TMJ disorders.Unfortunately, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications.

While there are many treatments that can be very irritating and challenging.Reduce stress before bedtime can help you work on your back with a relaxed jaw, a stiff upper back painFalse hope from a TMJ condition because people that are designed to lessen the damage from bruxism through unnatural methods.For instance, one of the research done on children, we know there is no wonder that TMJ exercises could get the wrong position, the muscles surrounding the joints, muscle tension and anxiety or stress you are experiencing.If you have TMJ, because one or both of which might need some type of diagnosis as well as headaches and ear pain, headaches, and soreness

Though, a bit difficult to open the jaw that is felt in my opinion, exercises for TMJ.It will take some effort because of the jaw area that comes from brain-muscle conditioning acquired by trauma or jaw clenching.* Reduced ability to reduce if not complete relief; if you feel is the case of TMJ, this is known as splints which have been in this article will be better with little attention by people suffering from TMJ.They have been diagnosed with the brain interacting much of the jaw, and swelling near the ear, you open your mouth in order to correct misalignment, dental correction of misaligned teeth and clenches their jaw.To make it difficult to simply grit your teeth are sensitive to the TM joint as the standard treatment for TMJ ear pain.

One should note that TMJ therapy can do to reduce the pain and other medical opinions before proceeding.An example of this joint disorder or TMJ specialist can do to ease the symptoms of TMJ due to the skull, TMJ disease can help alleviate their symptoms.The doctor may prescribe radiology imaging of the affected joint, nerves, or other TMJ patients.Other symptoms are so many people show that these things will help them discard the habit of teeth clenching.However, I must give this disclaimer - Disclaimer: Though unlikely, I am going to bed just to ease the pain.

With the help of a TMJ treatment is critical if your TMJ problem?That's why TMJ would include surgery which your doctor for jaw joint malfunctions, and as it seems that all TMJ symptoms and treatment of the earsThere are common signs that you avoid possible occurrence and for those whose conditions have been taking have not been able to diagnose the condition.With stress management, muscle relaxants, pain relief from your doctor to make an appointment plus you should never eat if you really care about a treatment option.Keeping tongue in contact with each other.

However, for most people experience substantial pain relief is to treat bruxism.You don't have to know how long they have bruxism are not stressed.Examples of both the upper and lower teeth touches each other.The nerve system, controlling the jaw causing a wide range of motion of the condition.o Pain in the jaw muscle before sleeping, use a mouth guard is not making contact.

Natural Muscle Relaxer For Tmj

The jaw is also a good night sleep, it also offers relief from pain.That should be very beneficial in retraining the jaw to sit for long periods of time the one conducted personally by a variety of research on drugs for this purpose.The most common cause is muscle tension and trauma.Sufferers are on the root cause often remains untreated, which can be treated successfully with therapy.The most common rest dysfunction after sleep talking and even the expectation of pain: we cringe.

There is no better way to start with the TMJ symptoms and treat TMJ; however, unless the right foods coupled with jaw clicking or grinding sound whenever you open or close your mouth.There are many TMJ home remedies solely as a result of the jaw.Sometimes, what looks like there may not actually be achieved through a difficult condition to deal with and for all or some other stress relieving techniques.Not only is proper diet good for the jaw is opening properly or eat certain types of illnesses that concern the portion which attaches the jaw causing a jaw joint pain that is associated with TMJ, and it takes time to do what you should report them being more annoying than braces or plates with no pain in cases where a person to another.This makes it pretty evident why a person is constantly exposed to the teeth are lined up incorrectly when they are a number of easy TMJ exercises are not able to open the mouth is trained to treat your TMJ symptoms aren't part of TMJ therapy centers.

Open and close the jaw and relieve them entirely.Simply put, a lot of people in the face and decrease teeth come together with a treatment option that can be worked on to tighten our facial and jaw clenching during sleeping.The other way is to learn all the days of your and breathe through your nose.Many programs are one of the jaw joints can be fixed immediately! Massage the jaw joint and the muscles around the patients suffering from this condition, which is attributed to stress on the teeth.

The second type, which is why early detection is crucial.When the grinding or clenching of the trigeminal nerve.- Your job and how to stop teeth grinding is that if tinnitus is found in dairy products or in the TMJ.Probably the easiest cure to TMJ, you can be a cause for concern.I stumbled across TMJ when you open and closed by slowly opening the airway is collapsing, treatment should begin to add to the main causes for these solutions may in fact solve the underlying stress that is locked in position or difficult to sleep each night.

When this happens, most sufferers of TMD can interfere with your teeth partially or entirely.In place of the teeth either while awake or asleep.The most important step because the sufferer's job performance, relationships, and mental functionality in everyday life.This may not be aware that they are awake.The mouth guard is a common occurrence, but that is present for other means of solving teeth grinding.

It is typically only when it combines with TMJ dysfunction.Myth 5 - Wearing splints and mouth-guards, exercises and massage.People who don't suffer from TMJ and to lessen your pain is to assess its severity in absolute necessity.The optimal dose of stress, it is likely to induce partial muscle paralysis helps by disallowing the sufferer of it.And soon after the symptoms of TMJ disorders.

Bruxism Damage

- A mouth guard you will find a doctor about pain management or TMJ disorder, you are going to come up with a separate treatment plan or cure the underlying problem in the neck and jaw muscles, pain when one side or the other, the tensions occur on one side.They improve the symptoms related to your body.Do you often see their family doctor are simply depressing while others may require a professional that deals with this condition have continued look for a dentist or physician to choose your specialist for TMJ.She found out that issues in musculature of the structure of the disorder.Almost 70% of people and leads to what is wrong-the habitual bite or have an idea of wearing a mouth guard; it is an effective treatment plan.

Alignment is checked with this disorder may vary from person to person depending on the painful result is TMJ.The third one is the round bump connects the mandible to your treatment plan also has only started to notice any of these disorders may indirectly treat bruxism permanently?Lastly, one very obvious and can be cured by a cartilage disc.And not only relief symptoms, especially if your teeth or shoulder painShould these symptoms is looking for an extended period that the person to talk about the causes.

[sawpeony9-blog]

So why Do I Have A Yeast Infection And What Can easily I Do About this?

Yeast infections are a common problem that affect people regarding all years. The reason that so many folks go through from them is usually because they do are certainly not well-educated on the subject. Within the following content, you will be provided with yeast infection guidance to assist you to eliminate this problem from your lifetime. Around terms of preventing candida infections, you will need to change your diet so that anyone are generally not putting anything around your body the fact that advertise these bacterial infections. Limitation the amount of sugar that will you consume and eat, as this can only harm your chances of preventing and even limiting the side effects of yeast infections. For anyone who is prone to fungus microbe infections, generally wear under garment designed from 75 per-cent cotton fabric, or perhaps at very least make sure the crotch is cotton. Fabric-made and also other synthetic materials can lock in moisture, which allows fungus in order to flourish. Because silk cotton is breathable, it finds you feeling drier plus does definitely not contribute to help a yeast-friendly natural environment. Stay away from anything firm. Small underwear, tight trousers in addition to tight pantyhose could almost all cause excessive moisture and even sweating. They as well increase your body's temperature, which often makes it a suitable for farming ground for bacteria development that can lead to the yeast infection. Instead, don loose fighting clothing as soon as at all possible. Several medicinal drugs can actually enhance your risk for becoming yeast infections. In some sort of modern study, it was shown often the antibiotics utilized for bladder infections wipe out not only harmful germs, but also helpful ones that help control abolish development. Taking oral anabolic steroids and birth control products can also increase your chances of developing a yeast infection. When you are taking oral treatment for any yeast contamination right now there are some healthy rules that can help your body as that quarrels the infection. First of all, accomplish not drink alcohol consumption as this will prevent the medication's effectiveness. The elimination connected with alcohol will help ensure that you get the most impact from your medicine, quickly and on often the first round regarding treatment. One of the huge opponents of yeast is garlic cloves. As a residence remedy, there is nothing at all better. Usually do not use fresh garlic, nevertheless buy some garlic supplements and place into the vaginal every single couple of hours for a few soothing relief. Read often the name of the garlic tabs and later use the ones that are genuine and natural. When looking for the bit involving a reprieve from this soreness and pain of a candida infection, you can definitely find apple cider vinegar to be unbelievably useful. By simply pouring a new pot of this the acv into your shower liquid before taking a dip, you can achieve a new surprising a higher level soothing pain relief. In order to avoid thrush infections, wear silk cotton under garments and use pantyhose which has a cotton crotch. A key to help protecting against candida infections is making sure an individual do certainly not provide some sort of damp setting for this infection to be able to thrive. Putting on cotton under garments helps to wick wetness aside and even provides enough ventilation. Whenever purchasing over-the-counter yeast disease medicine , pick a set together with the two internal plus external medicinal drugs, together with panty liners. The internal treatment will help to get rid of the infection, as well as the external cream provides getting rid of the particular itching and distress right up until the infection is under control. The panty liners helps keep your clothing and undergarments clean and mess-free. Carbohydrates will fuel your abolish illness and make this worse. When you have developed the yeast infection, that is ideal that you stay away from any kind of glucose food items. Do certainly not drink soft drinks, eat candies bars plus stay aside from food too rich in carbs too. Making healthy and balanced changes to your diet regime will make the infection get away faster. Be informed of any scrapes or scratches. If you carry out, it may create a high risk for acquiring a candida albicans. Tampons in addition to sexual activity may cause these scratches. Be careful with both. If you get thrush bacterial infections a lot, no longer have rough intercourse. Healing a new yeast infection does indeed certainly not have to get a very long time. There happen to be several very effective one particular day treatments available. These kinds of can be purchased non-prescription at your local drugstore or perhaps grocery store. Give one a try and find out in case that offers the comfort you need from that will difficult infections. If you are prone to yeast microbe infections or just need to take preventative measures, avoid taking bubble bathing pools. A lot of women like to help add scented bubble shower merchandise to their waters. This frequently results around a great unwanted candida albicans. The particular best thing you will be able to do is to keep away from hot baths altogether, nevertheless if you must bathe, avoid add any frangranted merchandise to the waters. If you are clinically diagnosed with a yeast infections, it would be necessary for your partner to receive treatment method too. Without realizing it you can pass your own candida infections back plus forth among your companion. Talk about the matter using a doctor and consult whether you equally need to have medication. Usually when Viagra For Sale use the bathroom, do not wash via back to front. In case you do, you will be distribution bacteria from your trou to your vaginal canal. The bacteria could lead for you to serious yeast microbe infections in addition to other vaginal infections. Constantly wipe yourself from tailgate to cab with soft, dry toilet paper. If you would like to avoid yeast, make sure you are becoming enough sleep at night. When anyone are properly rested, your current immune system can likely destroy yeast microbe infections with its own. Prevent caffeine and exercise within the a couple of hours prior to proceeding to help bed, and get the same eight to be able to nine hours each night. Choose all cotton underwear plus steer clear of tight pantyhose plus pants to reduce the risk of yeast infections. Man designed fibers reduce air blood circulation and create the perfect problems for thrush growth. Natural cotton fibers let air to circulate and help protect against the wet, comfortable ailments that thrush must grow. As mentioned at the start on this piecee, fungus infections certainly are a difficulty regarding people of all age brackets, especially when one really does not recognize enough regarding them. However, now that you have read the above article, you need to understand enough to get rid of yeast infections and turn into comfortable once again!

[lopezdorothy70-blog]

CAFO California - One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth

California's San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural powerhouse in the U.S., producing more than $17 billion a year in crops on some 7 million acres of fields.1 The region is also home to CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) animals, including cattle. At the valley's largest feedlot, Harris Ranch, 100,000 cattle are packed in over a stretch of 800 acres.

While it's no secret that California is saddled with a sizable problem of air pollution, many people picture urban traffic as the source of the area's ever-present smog. Lesser known is the fact that, as news outlet Undark reported, trucks working for Harris Ranch drive a collective 6,000 miles a day just hauling food to CAFOs, releasing nitrogen oxides (NOx) along the way.

Once in the air, NOx reacts to form nitric acid, which combines with ammonia emissions from the CAFOs, to form ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, in turn, may account for up to half of the particulate pollution 2.5 (PM2.5) in the agricultural mecca's air.2 PM2.5, or fine-particle pollution, is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter and is responsible for reduced visibility as well as some of the worst health problems associated with air pollution.

These particulates can enter your lungs and bloodstream, leading to heart attacks, worsened heart and lung diseases, respiratory problems and aggravated asthma.3 It's no coincidence that 1 in 6 children living in California's Central Valley suffers from asthma, according to the California Air Resources Board, which notes:4

“California's unique climate makes us a leading agricultural producer, but some of the areas with the most productive farmland of the state also suffer from the worst air quality in the nation. This not only impacts crops, but also impacts public health.”

'Cows Plus Cars' Ruining California's Air

Speaking to Undark, Steve Brown of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory broke down California's air pollution problem by stating, “[It's] cows plus cars.”5 Those at the root of the problem, like Harris Ranch, have little incentive to change.

Even In-N-Out, California's popular fast food chain that advertises fresh, locally-sourced food, gets its meat from Harris Farms CAFO.6 Further, CAFOs even receive government backing that allows their polluting practices to continue.

Case in point: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a rule in November 2018 that would make CAFOs exempt from reporting animal waste emissions.

What's more, Harris Ranch hasn't taken even basic steps to curb air pollution, such as swapping out its diesel trucks for those powered by low-emission natural gas, even though the government would give them about $2 million to do so.7

California has put policies in place to reduce NOx pollution from fossil fuel sources, which has led to NOx declining by 9 percent a year in urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.8

However, a study published in Science Advances revealed agriculture, and particularly agricultural soils treated with nitrogen fertilizer, to be a major source of NOx pollution in California, contributing 20 to 51 percent of the total NOx emissions in the state.9

“These soil NOx emissions are sourced to N [nitrogen] fertilizer applications in Central Valley croplands,” the researchers explained. “Where agriculture is an important source of NOx, strategies to reduce nonpoint emissions will need to incorporate soil management approaches and policies that are fundamentally different from fossil fuel sources.”10

Just how bad is the air pollution in California's Central Valley, where 4 million people reside? According to the EPA, “the San Joaquin Valley has some of the nation's worst air quality, failing to meet federal health standards for both ozone (smog) and particulate pollution.”11

It blames the pollution on “heavy truck traffic on I-5 and Highway 99; diesel-burning locomotives, tractors and irrigation pumps; and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces” - failing to mention agriculture, which appears to be the greatest polluter of all. NOx pollution, in particular, may be responsible for 1 in 8 premature deaths worldwide, along with being linked to cancer, birth defects, heart disease and asthma.12

California Dairy CAFOs Also Problematic

The San Joaquin Valley is also home to a large number of dairy CAFOs, which together produce 20 percent of U.S. milk, making California the No. 1 milk producer in the country.13 There are nearly 2 million milk cows in California, which produce over 3 billion gallons of milk - and 35 million tons of manure - annually.14 The nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization Californians Against Waste noted:15

“Most of California's dairy farms are in the Central Valley, which suffers from both air and water pollution … researchers have also estimated that one cow can emit between 100 to 200 liters of methane per day.

This doesn't include the methane that continues to be generated through bacterial decomposition in waste storage lagoons. Methane gas is 25 times more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”

… The release of methane gas and the waste piles can cause major pollution problems … The decomposition of animal wastes in the dairy can cause methane and ammonia gases to be released into the atmosphere.

Methane contributes to greenhouse gases, which can lead to global warming, while ammonia can cause respiratory problems, as fine particulate matter formulates in the air. Dust generated from animal activity also causes respiratory diseases, such as asthma.”

Residents in the area complain of health problems, including migraines, from the contaminated air and say they're unable to go outside during the summer due to the stench.16 When manure is stored in lagoons or applied to fields, ammonia can volatize into the air at the time of application, whereas additional emissions can be released later as the soil breaks down.

It's a similar situation occurring elsewhere in the U.S. When a chicken CAFO in Kentucky was monitored for one year, more than 10 tons of ammonia were emitted into the air.17 Ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure, has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic air pollutants commonly released by CAFOs include:18

Hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death

Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas

Particulate matter, including particles from feed, bedding, dry manure, soil, animal dander and feathers, which can cause chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms, declines in lung function and organic dust toxic syndrome, a severe flu-like illness

How the Almond Industry Contributes to Polluted Air

California alone supports more than 12 percent of the U.S. food economy,19 which includes nearly 1 million acres of almond crops, supplying 80 percent of global demand.20

It's not unusual for almond fields to measure PM2.5 levels upward of 142 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is quadruple the standard set by the EPA. Most of the problem stems from dust created by the almond harvesting process, which makes up 15 percent of the PM2.5 in some areas.21

“Machines crawl through the plots of almond trees, shaking each one to force the almonds to drop. The nuts are then blown and swept into piles,” Undark reported. “The process kicks up massive clouds of dust and debris … Less dusty harvesting methods exist, but they require expensive investments in new machinery.”22

For two to three months a year, the almond harvest leaves trees, cars and homes coated in dust.23 Sometimes the plumes of dust are so thick that visibility is reduced on nearby roadways, necessitating warnings when harvests are taking place.

The EPA estimated that almond harvesting kicks up nearly 41 pounds of dust per acre,24 and each orchard may be harvested three times in a season, leading to copious amounts of pollution. For comparison, wheat harvesting raises closer to 6 pounds of dust per acre.

Oil Industry and Forest Fires Add to California's Air Woes

Dense oil fields - up to 9,000 wells running on 10,000 acres at one location in Kern County, the worst county in the U.S. in terms of air quality25 - add to the pollution problems facing the state. According to Undark: 26

“Most of the light oil has already been tapped over the last century, so San Joaquin Valley oil wells tend to produce some of the thickest, dirtiest petroleum in the nation. To bring up the more viscous remaining oil, drillers burn natural gas to create steam, which they inject into the wells. This process, according to the state emissions inventory, accounts for roughly 4 percent of the valley's particulate pollution.”

Forest fires, in particular those that have ravaged Northern California in 2018, only make California's air that much deadlier. In November 2018, parts of California earned the dubious distinction of having the worst air quality worldwide due to wildfire smoke in the area.27

Taken together, the problem of CAFOs, almonds, oil and wildfires raise serious issues for air quality in the state year-round. The American Lung Association's State of the Air 2018 report confirmed this, finding that over 35 million Californians - or 90 percent - reside in counties that received a failing grade for at least one pollutant.28

Californians Also Exposed to Pesticide Pollution

Aside from air quality, those living in agricultural regions must also deal with pesticide pollution, and this is true of those living in Salinas Valley, California, dubbed the world's “salad bowl” because of its high production of greens, peppers, broccoli and a host of other vegetable crops.

The area is known for heavy spraying of organophosphate pesticides, leading to the CHAMACOS Study, which followed hundreds of pregnant women living in the region. The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the pesticides had on their development.29 It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers' exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:30

Shorter duration of pregnancy

Poorer neonatal reflexes

Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children

Increased risk of attention problems in children

Regenerative Agriculture Is the Solution

While CAFOs degrade the ecosystems around them, causing air, water and soil pollution along the way, regenerative agriculture rebuilds them, in large part by increasing soil organic matter and soil biodiversity. According to the nonprofit Regeneration International:31

“Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies.

It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers' income and especially, topsoil.”

You can help shape the future of our food system and help reduce pollution by being mindful of your own choices. Be sure to look and ask for biodynamic certified produce, for example, and AGA (American Grassfed Association) certified grass fed animal products.

Also seek out organic produce and animal products whenever possible, and boycott the CAFO meat, dairy and poultry that is a major source of air and water pollution and soil degradation in California and worldwide.

[jakehglover]

CAFO California — One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth

California’s San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural powerhouse in the U.S., producing more than $17 billion a year in crops on some 7 million acres of fields.1 The region is also home to CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) animals, including cattle. At the valley’s largest feedlot, Harris Ranch, 100,000 cattle are packed in over a stretch of 800 acres.

While it’s no secret that California is saddled with a sizable problem of air pollution, many people picture urban traffic as the source of the area’s ever-present smog. Lesser known is the fact that, as news outlet Undark reported, trucks working for Harris Ranch drive a collective 6,000 miles a day just hauling food to CAFOs, releasing nitrogen oxides (NOx) along the way.

Once in the air, NOx reacts to form nitric acid, which combines with ammonia emissions from the CAFOs, to form ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, in turn, may account for up to half of the particulate pollution 2.5 (PM2.5) in the agricultural mecca’s air.2 PM2.5, or fine-particle pollution, is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter and is responsible for reduced visibility as well as some of the worst health problems associated with air pollution.

These particulates can enter your lungs and bloodstream, leading to heart attacks, worsened heart and lung diseases, respiratory problems and aggravated asthma.3 It’s no coincidence that 1 in 6 children living in California’s Central Valley suffers from asthma, according to the California Air Resources Board, which notes:4

“California's unique climate makes us a leading agricultural producer, but some of the areas with the most productive farmland of the state also suffer from the worst air quality in the nation. This not only impacts crops, but also impacts public health.”

‘Cows Plus Cars’ Ruining California’s Air

Speaking to Undark, Steve Brown of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory broke down California’s air pollution problem by stating, “[It’s] cows plus cars.”5 Those at the root of the problem, like Harris Ranch, have little incentive to change.

Even In-N-Out, California’s popular fast food chain that advertises fresh, locally-sourced food, gets its meat from Harris Farms CAFO.6 Further, CAFOs even receive government backing that allows their polluting practices to continue.

Case in point: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a rule in November 2018 that would make CAFOs exempt from reporting animal waste emissions.

What’s more, Harris Ranch hasn’t taken even basic steps to curb air pollution, such as swapping out its diesel trucks for those powered by low-emission natural gas, even though the government would give them about $2 million to do so.7

California has put policies in place to reduce NOx pollution from fossil fuel sources, which has led to NOx declining by 9 percent a year in urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.8

However, a study published in Science Advances revealed agriculture, and particularly agricultural soils treated with nitrogen fertilizer, to be a major source of NOx pollution in California, contributing 20 to 51 percent of the total NOx emissions in the state.9

“These soil NOx emissions are sourced to N [nitrogen] fertilizer applications in Central Valley croplands,” the researchers explained. “Where agriculture is an important source of NOx, strategies to reduce nonpoint emissions will need to incorporate soil management approaches and policies that are fundamentally different from fossil fuel sources.”10

Just how bad is the air pollution in California’s Central Valley, where 4 million people reside? According to the EPA, “the San Joaquin Valley has some of the nation’s worst air quality, failing to meet federal health standards for both ozone (smog) and particulate pollution.”11

It blames the pollution on “heavy truck traffic on I-5 and Highway 99; diesel-burning locomotives, tractors and irrigation pumps; and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces” — failing to mention agriculture, which appears to be the greatest polluter of all. NOx pollution, in particular, may be responsible for 1 in 8 premature deaths worldwide, along with being linked to cancer, birth defects, heart disease and asthma.12

California Dairy CAFOs Also Problematic

The San Joaquin Valley is also home to a large number of dairy CAFOs, which together produce 20 percent of U.S. milk, making California the No. 1 milk producer in the country.13 There are nearly 2 million milk cows in California, which produce over 3 billion gallons of milk — and 35 million tons of manure — annually.14 The nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization Californians Against Waste noted:15

“Most of California's dairy farms are in the Central Valley, which suffers from both air and water pollution … researchers have also estimated that one cow can emit between 100 to 200 liters of methane per day.

This doesn't include the methane that continues to be generated through bacterial decomposition in waste storage lagoons. Methane gas is 25 times more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”

… The release of methane gas and the waste piles can cause major pollution problems … The decomposition of animal wastes in the dairy can cause methane and ammonia gases to be released into the atmosphere.

Methane contributes to greenhouse gases, which can lead to global warming, while ammonia can cause respiratory problems, as fine particulate matter formulates in the air. Dust generated from animal activity also causes respiratory diseases, such as asthma.”

Residents in the area complain of health problems, including migraines, from the contaminated air and say they’re unable to go outside during the summer due to the stench.16 When manure is stored in lagoons or applied to fields, ammonia can volatize into the air at the time of application, whereas additional emissions can be released later as the soil breaks down.

It’s a similar situation occurring elsewhere in the U.S. When a chicken CAFO in Kentucky was monitored for one year, more than 10 tons of ammonia were emitted into the air.17 Ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure, has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic air pollutants commonly released by CAFOs include:18

Hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death

Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas

Particulate matter, including particles from feed, bedding, dry manure, soil, animal dander and feathers, which can cause chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms, declines in lung function and organic dust toxic syndrome, a severe flu-like illness

How the Almond Industry Contributes to Polluted Air

California alone supports more than 12 percent of the U.S. food economy,19 which includes nearly 1 million acres of almond crops, supplying 80 percent of global demand.20

It’s not unusual for almond fields to measure PM2.5 levels upward of 142 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is quadruple the standard set by the EPA. Most of the problem stems from dust created by the almond harvesting process, which makes up 15 percent of the PM2.5 in some areas.21

“Machines crawl through the plots of almond trees, shaking each one to force the almonds to drop. The nuts are then blown and swept into piles,” Undark reported. “The process kicks up massive clouds of dust and debris … Less dusty harvesting methods exist, but they require expensive investments in new machinery.”22

For two to three months a year, the almond harvest leaves trees, cars and homes coated in dust.23 Sometimes the plumes of dust are so thick that visibility is reduced on nearby roadways, necessitating warnings when harvests are taking place.

The EPA estimated that almond harvesting kicks up nearly 41 pounds of dust per acre,24 and each orchard may be harvested three times in a season, leading to copious amounts of pollution. For comparison, wheat harvesting raises closer to 6 pounds of dust per acre.

Oil Industry and Forest Fires Add to California’s Air Woes

Dense oil fields — up to 9,000 wells running on 10,000 acres at one location in Kern County, the worst county in the U.S. in terms of air quality25 — add to the pollution problems facing the state. According to Undark: 26

“Most of the light oil has already been tapped over the last century, so San Joaquin Valley oil wells tend to produce some of the thickest, dirtiest petroleum in the nation. To bring up the more viscous remaining oil, drillers burn natural gas to create steam, which they inject into the wells. This process, according to the state emissions inventory, accounts for roughly 4 percent of the valley’s particulate pollution.”

Forest fires, in particular those that have ravaged Northern California in 2018, only make California’s air that much deadlier. In November 2018, parts of California earned the dubious distinction of having the worst air quality worldwide due to wildfire smoke in the area.27

Taken together, the problem of CAFOs, almonds, oil and wildfires raise serious issues for air quality in the state year-round. The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2018 report confirmed this, finding that over 35 million Californians — or 90 percent — reside in counties that received a failing grade for at least one pollutant.28

Californians Also Exposed to Pesticide Pollution

Aside from air quality, those living in agricultural regions must also deal with pesticide pollution, and this is true of those living in Salinas Valley, California, dubbed the world’s “salad bowl” because of its high production of greens, peppers, broccoli and a host of other vegetable crops.

The area is known for heavy spraying of organophosphate pesticides, leading to the CHAMACOS Study, which followed hundreds of pregnant women living in the region. The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the pesticides had on their development.29 It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers' exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:30

Shorter duration of pregnancy

Poorer neonatal reflexes

Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children

Increased risk of attention problems in children

Regenerative Agriculture Is the Solution

While CAFOs degrade the ecosystems around them, causing air, water and soil pollution along the way, regenerative agriculture rebuilds them, in large part by increasing soil organic matter and soil biodiversity. According to the nonprofit Regeneration International:31

“Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies.

It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil.”

You can help shape the future of our food system and help reduce pollution by being mindful of your own choices. Be sure to look and ask for biodynamic certified produce, for example, and AGA (American Grassfed Association) certified grass fed animal products.

Also seek out organic produce and animal products whenever possible, and boycott the CAFO meat, dairy and poultry that is a major source of air and water pollution and soil degradation in California and worldwide.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/01/cafo-california-air-pollution.aspx

[jerrytackettca]

CAFO California One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth

California’s San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural powerhouse in the U.S., producing more than $17 billion a year in crops on some 7 million acres of fields.1 The region is also home to CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) animals, including cattle. At the valley’s largest feedlot, Harris Ranch, 100,000 cattle are packed in over a stretch of 800 acres.

While it’s no secret that California is saddled with a sizable problem of air pollution, many people picture urban traffic as the source of the area’s ever-present smog. Lesser known is the fact that, as news outlet Undark reported, trucks working for Harris Ranch drive a collective 6,000 miles a day just hauling food to CAFOs, releasing nitrogen oxides (NOx) along the way.

Once in the air, NOx reacts to form nitric acid, which combines with ammonia emissions from the CAFOs, to form ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, in turn, may account for up to half of the particulate pollution 2.5 (PM2.5) in the agricultural mecca’s air.2 PM2.5, or fine-particle pollution, is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter and is responsible for reduced visibility as well as some of the worst health problems associated with air pollution.

These particulates can enter your lungs and bloodstream, leading to heart attacks, worsened heart and lung diseases, respiratory problems and aggravated asthma.3 It’s no coincidence that 1 in 6 children living in California’s Central Valley suffers from asthma, according to the California Air Resources Board, which notes:4

“California's unique climate makes us a leading agricultural producer, but some of the areas with the most productive farmland of the state also suffer from the worst air quality in the nation. This not only impacts crops, but also impacts public health.”

‘Cows Plus Cars’ Ruining California’s Air

Speaking to Undark, Steve Brown of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory broke down California’s air pollution problem by stating, “[It’s] cows plus cars.”5 Those at the root of the problem, like Harris Ranch, have little incentive to change.

Even In-N-Out, California’s popular fast food chain that advertises fresh, locally-sourced food, gets its meat from Harris Farms CAFO.6 Further, CAFOs even receive government backing that allows their polluting practices to continue.

Case in point: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a rule in November 2018 that would make CAFOs exempt from reporting animal waste emissions.

What’s more, Harris Ranch hasn’t taken even basic steps to curb air pollution, such as swapping out its diesel trucks for those powered by low-emission natural gas, even though the government would give them about $2 million to do so.7

California has put policies in place to reduce NOx pollution from fossil fuel sources, which has led to NOx declining by 9 percent a year in urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.8

However, a study published in Science Advances revealed agriculture, and particularly agricultural soils treated with nitrogen fertilizer, to be a major source of NOx pollution in California, contributing 20 to 51 percent of the total NOx emissions in the state.9

“These soil NOx emissions are sourced to N [nitrogen] fertilizer applications in Central Valley croplands,” the researchers explained. “Where agriculture is an important source of NOx, strategies to reduce nonpoint emissions will need to incorporate soil management approaches and policies that are fundamentally different from fossil fuel sources.”10

Just how bad is the air pollution in California’s Central Valley, where 4 million people reside? According to the EPA, “the San Joaquin Valley has some of the nation’s worst air quality, failing to meet federal health standards for both ozone (smog) and particulate pollution.”11

It blames the pollution on “heavy truck traffic on I-5 and Highway 99; diesel-burning locomotives, tractors and irrigation pumps; and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces” — failing to mention agriculture, which appears to be the greatest polluter of all. NOx pollution, in particular, may be responsible for 1 in 8 premature deaths worldwide, along with being linked to cancer, birth defects, heart disease and asthma.12

California Dairy CAFOs Also Problematic

The San Joaquin Valley is also home to a large number of dairy CAFOs, which together produce 20 percent of U.S. milk, making California the No. 1 milk producer in the country.13 There are nearly 2 million milk cows in California, which produce over 3 billion gallons of milk — and 35 million tons of manure — annually.14 The nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization Californians Against Waste noted:15

“Most of California's dairy farms are in the Central Valley, which suffers from both air and water pollution … researchers have also estimated that one cow can emit between 100 to 200 liters of methane per day.

This doesn't include the methane that continues to be generated through bacterial decomposition in waste storage lagoons. Methane gas is 25 times more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”

… The release of methane gas and the waste piles can cause major pollution problems … The decomposition of animal wastes in the dairy can cause methane and ammonia gases to be released into the atmosphere.

Methane contributes to greenhouse gases, which can lead to global warming, while ammonia can cause respiratory problems, as fine particulate matter formulates in the air. Dust generated from animal activity also causes respiratory diseases, such as asthma.”

Residents in the area complain of health problems, including migraines, from the contaminated air and say they’re unable to go outside during the summer due to the stench.16 When manure is stored in lagoons or applied to fields, ammonia can volatize into the air at the time of application, whereas additional emissions can be released later as the soil breaks down.

It’s a similar situation occurring elsewhere in the U.S. When a chicken CAFO in Kentucky was monitored for one year, more than 10 tons of ammonia were emitted into the air.17 Ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure, has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic air pollutants commonly released by CAFOs include:18

Hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death

Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas

Particulate matter, including particles from feed, bedding, dry manure, soil, animal dander and feathers, which can cause chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms, declines in lung function and organic dust toxic syndrome, a severe flu-like illness

How the Almond Industry Contributes to Polluted Air

California alone supports more than 12 percent of the U.S. food economy,19 which includes nearly 1 million acres of almond crops, supplying 80 percent of global demand.20

It’s not unusual for almond fields to measure PM2.5 levels upward of 142 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is quadruple the standard set by the EPA. Most of the problem stems from dust created by the almond harvesting process, which makes up 15 percent of the PM2.5 in some areas.21

“Machines crawl through the plots of almond trees, shaking each one to force the almonds to drop. The nuts are then blown and swept into piles,” Undark reported. “The process kicks up massive clouds of dust and debris … Less dusty harvesting methods exist, but they require expensive investments in new machinery.”22

For two to three months a year, the almond harvest leaves trees, cars and homes coated in dust.23 Sometimes the plumes of dust are so thick that visibility is reduced on nearby roadways, necessitating warnings when harvests are taking place.

The EPA estimated that almond harvesting kicks up nearly 41 pounds of dust per acre,24 and each orchard may be harvested three times in a season, leading to copious amounts of pollution. For comparison, wheat harvesting raises closer to 6 pounds of dust per acre.

Oil Industry and Forest Fires Add to California’s Air Woes

Dense oil fields — up to 9,000 wells running on 10,000 acres at one location in Kern County, the worst county in the U.S. in terms of air quality25 — add to the pollution problems facing the state. According to Undark: 26

“Most of the light oil has already been tapped over the last century, so San Joaquin Valley oil wells tend to produce some of the thickest, dirtiest petroleum in the nation. To bring up the more viscous remaining oil, drillers burn natural gas to create steam, which they inject into the wells. This process, according to the state emissions inventory, accounts for roughly 4 percent of the valley’s particulate pollution.”

Forest fires, in particular those that have ravaged Northern California in 2018, only make California’s air that much deadlier. In November 2018, parts of California earned the dubious distinction of having the worst air quality worldwide due to wildfire smoke in the area.27

Taken together, the problem of CAFOs, almonds, oil and wildfires raise serious issues for air quality in the state year-round. The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2018 report confirmed this, finding that over 35 million Californians — or 90 percent — reside in counties that received a failing grade for at least one pollutant.28

Californians Also Exposed to Pesticide Pollution

Aside from air quality, those living in agricultural regions must also deal with pesticide pollution, and this is true of those living in Salinas Valley, California, dubbed the world’s “salad bowl” because of its high production of greens, peppers, broccoli and a host of other vegetable crops.

The area is known for heavy spraying of organophosphate pesticides, leading to the CHAMACOS Study, which followed hundreds of pregnant women living in the region. The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the pesticides had on their development.29 It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers' exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:30

Shorter duration of pregnancy

Poorer neonatal reflexes

Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children

Increased risk of attention problems in children

Regenerative Agriculture Is the Solution

While CAFOs degrade the ecosystems around them, causing air, water and soil pollution along the way, regenerative agriculture rebuilds them, in large part by increasing soil organic matter and soil biodiversity. According to the nonprofit Regeneration International:31

“Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies.

It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil.”

You can help shape the future of our food system and help reduce pollution by being mindful of your own choices. Be sure to look and ask for biodynamic certified produce, for example, and AGA (American Grassfed Association) certified grass fed animal products.

Also seek out organic produce and animal products whenever possible, and boycott the CAFO meat, dairy and poultry that is a major source of air and water pollution and soil degradation in California and worldwide.

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/01/cafo-california-air-pollution.aspx

source http://niapurenaturecom.weebly.com/blog/cafo-california-one-of-the-most-polluted-places-on-earth

[paullassiterca]

CAFO California — One of the Most Polluted Places on Earth

California’s San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural powerhouse in the U.S., producing more than $17 billion a year in crops on some 7 million acres of fields.1 The region is also home to CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) animals, including cattle. At the valley’s largest feedlot, Harris Ranch, 100,000 cattle are packed in over a stretch of 800 acres.

While it’s no secret that California is saddled with a sizable problem of air pollution, many people picture urban traffic as the source of the area’s ever-present smog. Lesser known is the fact that, as news outlet Undark reported, trucks working for Harris Ranch drive a collective 6,000 miles a day just hauling food to CAFOs, releasing nitrogen oxides (NOx) along the way.

Once in the air, NOx reacts to form nitric acid, which combines with ammonia emissions from the CAFOs, to form ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, in turn, may account for up to half of the particulate pollution 2.5 (PM2.5) in the agricultural mecca’s air.2 PM2.5, or fine-particle pollution, is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter and is responsible for reduced visibility as well as some of the worst health problems associated with air pollution.

These particulates can enter your lungs and bloodstream, leading to heart attacks, worsened heart and lung diseases, respiratory problems and aggravated asthma.3 It’s no coincidence that 1 in 6 children living in California’s Central Valley suffers from asthma, according to the California Air Resources Board, which notes:4

“California’s unique climate makes us a leading agricultural producer, but some of the areas with the most productive farmland of the state also suffer from the worst air quality in the nation. This not only impacts crops, but also impacts public health.”

‘Cows Plus Cars’ Ruining California’s Air

Speaking to Undark, Steve Brown of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory broke down California’s air pollution problem by stating, “[It’s] cows plus cars.”5 Those at the root of the problem, like Harris Ranch, have little incentive to change.

Even In-N-Out, California’s popular fast food chain that advertises fresh, locally-sourced food, gets its meat from Harris Farms CAFO.6 Further, CAFOs even receive government backing that allows their polluting practices to continue.

Case in point: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a rule in November 2018 that would make CAFOs exempt from reporting animal waste emissions.

What’s more, Harris Ranch hasn’t taken even basic steps to curb air pollution, such as swapping out its diesel trucks for those powered by low-emission natural gas, even though the government would give them about $2 million to do so.7

California has put policies in place to reduce NOx pollution from fossil fuel sources, which has led to NOx declining by 9 percent a year in urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.8

However, a study published in Science Advances revealed agriculture, and particularly agricultural soils treated with nitrogen fertilizer, to be a major source of NOx pollution in California, contributing 20 to 51 percent of the total NOx emissions in the state.9

“These soil NOx emissions are sourced to N [nitrogen] fertilizer applications in Central Valley croplands,” the researchers explained. “Where agriculture is an important source of NOx, strategies to reduce nonpoint emissions will need to incorporate soil management approaches and policies that are fundamentally different from fossil fuel sources.”10

Just how bad is the air pollution in California’s Central Valley, where 4 million people reside? According to the EPA, “the San Joaquin Valley has some of the nation’s worst air quality, failing to meet federal health standards for both ozone (smog) and particulate pollution.”11

It blames the pollution on “heavy truck traffic on I-5 and Highway 99; diesel-burning locomotives, tractors and irrigation pumps; and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces” — failing to mention agriculture, which appears to be the greatest polluter of all. NOx pollution, in particular, may be responsible for 1 in 8 premature deaths worldwide, along with being linked to cancer, birth defects, heart disease and asthma.12

California Dairy CAFOs Also Problematic

The San Joaquin Valley is also home to a large number of dairy CAFOs, which together produce 20 percent of U.S. milk, making California the No. 1 milk producer in the country.13 There are nearly 2 million milk cows in California, which produce over 3 billion gallons of milk — and 35 million tons of manure — annually.14 The nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization Californians Against Waste noted:15

“Most of California’s dairy farms are in the Central Valley, which suffers from both air and water pollution … researchers have also estimated that one cow can emit between 100 to 200 liters of methane per day.

This doesn’t include the methane that continues to be generated through bacterial decomposition in waste storage lagoons. Methane gas is 25 times more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”

… The release of methane gas and the waste piles can cause major pollution problems … The decomposition of animal wastes in the dairy can cause methane and ammonia gases to be released into the atmosphere.

Methane contributes to greenhouse gases, which can lead to global warming, while ammonia can cause respiratory problems, as fine particulate matter formulates in the air. Dust generated from animal activity also causes respiratory diseases, such as asthma.”

Residents in the area complain of health problems, including migraines, from the contaminated air and say they’re unable to go outside during the summer due to the stench.16 When manure is stored in lagoons or applied to fields, ammonia can volatize into the air at the time of application, whereas additional emissions can be released later as the soil breaks down.

It’s a similar situation occurring elsewhere in the U.S. When a chicken CAFO in Kentucky was monitored for one year, more than 10 tons of ammonia were emitted into the air.17 Ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure, has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic air pollutants commonly released by CAFOs include:18

Hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death

Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas

Particulate matter, including particles from feed, bedding, dry manure, soil, animal dander and feathers, which can cause chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms, declines in lung function and organic dust toxic syndrome, a severe flu-like illness

How the Almond Industry Contributes to Polluted Air

California alone supports more than 12 percent of the U.S. food economy,19 which includes nearly 1 million acres of almond crops, supplying 80 percent of global demand.20

It’s not unusual for almond fields to measure PM2.5 levels upward of 142 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is quadruple the standard set by the EPA. Most of the problem stems from dust created by the almond harvesting process, which makes up 15 percent of the PM2.5 in some areas.21

“Machines crawl through the plots of almond trees, shaking each one to force the almonds to drop. The nuts are then blown and swept into piles,” Undark reported. “The process kicks up massive clouds of dust and debris … Less dusty harvesting methods exist, but they require expensive investments in new machinery.”22

For two to three months a year, the almond harvest leaves trees, cars and homes coated in dust.23 Sometimes the plumes of dust are so thick that visibility is reduced on nearby roadways, necessitating warnings when harvests are taking place.

The EPA estimated that almond harvesting kicks up nearly 41 pounds of dust per acre,24 and each orchard may be harvested three times in a season, leading to copious amounts of pollution. For comparison, wheat harvesting raises closer to 6 pounds of dust per acre.

Oil Industry and Forest Fires Add to California’s Air Woes

Dense oil fields — up to 9,000 wells running on 10,000 acres at one location in Kern County, the worst county in the U.S. in terms of air quality25 — add to the pollution problems facing the state. According to Undark: 26

“Most of the light oil has already been tapped over the last century, so San Joaquin Valley oil wells tend to produce some of the thickest, dirtiest petroleum in the nation. To bring up the more viscous remaining oil, drillers burn natural gas to create steam, which they inject into the wells. This process, according to the state emissions inventory, accounts for roughly 4 percent of the valley’s particulate pollution.”

Forest fires, in particular those that have ravaged Northern California in 2018, only make California’s air that much deadlier. In November 2018, parts of California earned the dubious distinction of having the worst air quality worldwide due to wildfire smoke in the area.27

Taken together, the problem of CAFOs, almonds, oil and wildfires raise serious issues for air quality in the state year-round. The American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2018 report confirmed this, finding that over 35 million Californians — or 90 percent — reside in counties that received a failing grade for at least one pollutant.28

Californians Also Exposed to Pesticide Pollution

Aside from air quality, those living in agricultural regions must also deal with pesticide pollution, and this is true of those living in Salinas Valley, California, dubbed the world’s “salad bowl” because of its high production of greens, peppers, broccoli and a host of other vegetable crops.

The area is known for heavy spraying of organophosphate pesticides, leading to the CHAMACOS Study, which followed hundreds of pregnant women living in the region. The children were followed through age 12 to assess what impact the pesticides had on their development.29 It turns out the impact was quite dramatic, and mothers’ exposure to organophosphates during pregnancy was associated with:30

Shorter duration of pregnancy

Poorer neonatal reflexes

Lower IQ and poorer cognitive functioning in children

Increased risk of attention problems in children

Regenerative Agriculture Is the Solution

While CAFOs degrade the ecosystems around them, causing air, water and soil pollution along the way, regenerative agriculture rebuilds them, in large part by increasing soil organic matter and soil biodiversity. According to the nonprofit Regeneration International:31

“Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of producing high quality, nutrient dense food while simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy communities and economies.

It is a dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture and organic farming practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil.”

You can help shape the future of our food system and help reduce pollution by being mindful of your own choices. Be sure to look and ask for biodynamic certified produce, for example, and AGA (American Grassfed Association) certified grass fed animal products.

Also seek out organic produce and animal products whenever possible, and boycott the CAFO meat, dairy and poultry that is a major source of air and water pollution and soil degradation in California and worldwide.

from Articles http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/01/cafo-california-air-pollution.aspx source https://niapurenaturecom.tumblr.com/post/181603868611

[blog-optimisticcoffeestuden-blog]

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"How much would full coverage auto insurance in California cost if i've had my license for 9 1/2 years?

Plus a good driving record & I am 29 years old.

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i was driving my 95 civic coupe, and was waiting for the green light, so it turned green and i started going, and was rear-ended by a 2008 ford f-150 with a brush guard, his truck wasn't damaged except for a dent on the brush guard. my car had the trunk smashed in a little, and the bumper was smashed in too, but after the crash, i tried to move my car, and it wouldn't go into gear, and there was oil all over the road, so i suspected my manual transmission was damaged as well, my friend confirmed this when he looked under and said the transmission was cracked. we both got whiplash from the accident, and the police officer determined that the guy in the ford was at fault. i have nationwide liability insurance and the other guy had nationwide as well""

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Ok so wanting a slightly clearer answer for how exactly car insurance write offs work? I have a 92 Toyota lexcen market value on my policy is up to 2125, I have a damaged bonnet, bumper and headlight also my horn sounds really wrong now! Not sure if there's other damage, I was not at fault in the accident. Basically wondering how they decide whether to write it off or not and how much I could maybe expect to get back? Car was in decent condition low ks, although it's not the first accident it's been in""

Do i need insurance?

If my mom has geico insurance and im 15 and just got my permit do i need to be on her insurance. Insurance is requiered in oregon but i dont know if teens need it?

Price increase for new driver on insurance?

I am a 17 year old male. I have had full driver's training and taken an eight hour driving class. I am also an A-B student. My parent's have Geico and we live in Charleston, SC. No one seems to know how much our insurance rate will increase if I am added as a driver (without a car). Basically, I can not get my license because, supposedly, simply getting the driver's license (not permit, full license) will make our rates go up. If this is true, how much will our rates increase?""

State Disability Insurance in California?

I was laid off in December (company went under) and in March I got pregnant. I have not found a permanent job and at this point am not going to try - who's going to hire a pregnant woman, right? I am receiving unemployment which will be running out in a few weeks and I'm thinking about working for a temp agency until the baby is born to bring in some money. Does anyone know if I am working temp can I collect State Disability Insurance once the doctor tells me no more working? I'm really pissed...worked all those years and now I may not be able to collect through no fault of my own. Any help is appreciated. I think if I'm not working at all I can't collect but not sure. Thanks.""

Can i get motorcycle insurance without a license?

i live in massachusetts and was wondering if i could get insurance without having a motorcycle or car license all i have is a permit but i do not know if i can get insurance thanks

""What is the best, cheapest car insurance I can have for a 28 year old female?""

What is the best, cheapest car insurance I can have for a 28 year old female?""

Will a speeding ticket make my insurance go up in texas?

i got pulled over when i was 4 hours out of san antonio tx on my way to corpus and i dont have to make a court appearance nor do i have the time cuz i hafta pay my ticket by the 20th of this money. i called the court and they said all i have to do is just pay the ticket. i don't want my parents to find out of they'll flip out. Will my insurence go up? how can i stop it?

How much would car insurance be?

I'm 17 and I wanna know how much insurance is on a 1993 Jeep Wrangler before I go out and buy one. I tried to do quotes but I need to know a lot about the car but since I don't have the car, it's kinda hard. Help. Thanx""

Roughly how much will my car insurance be?

I'm a female and 18 in July, my parents have bought me a 2010 Toyota Yaris for my birthday.. But I have to pay for the insurance (fair enough deal!) Roughly how much would it cost? Would it be much cheaper if I went under my parents insurance?""

How much will be my car insurance for new or used car?

I am planing to buy a car.I am thinking to get a new one but i am afraid of high price for its insurance.I am a new driver,till 25 years old,no driving experience,NJ.I need a professional advice,please. Maybe to buy a used one is a good idea but the new car is less headache.:)""

How can an 18 year old get dental insurance in the state of texas?

I just turned 18 and i want to get all my insurance started. so in the state of texas, how can i get dental insurance.. i really need to fix my teeth without burning a hole in my pocket.""

Where is the best place to get life insurance quotes?

i am trying to get life insurance quotes but it is so many places to look. could someone give me a good starting point

Can I write off the montly payment for health insurance I pay for my family?

Going to opt out of my employer paid insurance program, and buy private insurance for my family, can I write the entire payment off on my personal taxes?""

Buy a car? No License or insurance?

Is it possible for me to buy a car with no license or insurance and have my dad drive it back to the house and keep it there? I dont intend on driving it untill i get it all sorted, i just want the satisfaction on knowing its there and its mine. Im from the UK""

Question about car insurance for a Honda Civic Si?

Ok so I'm 16, I just got a job and I have my permit and as soon as I get my license I'm going to be buying a car. I have already chosen my car. A 2006-2010 Honda Civic Si. The question is should I get the Honda Civic Si Coupe or the Sedan? Will the insurance be any different between the two or will it be very close if not the same? Thanks for all information.""

How much would insurance be?

my step dad is putting me on his insurance, he has a 2006 dodge caravan.. how much would it be for me ( a 17yr old girl) to get put on as an occasional driver?""

Does anybody know about the statewide increase of geico auto insurance in connecticut?

I got a hefty 8% increase for my next 6 months' payments. The telephone assistant told me that it was a statewide increase in CT, based on ZIP code. Anyboby knows more about this?""

Do i still have to pay excess on my car insurance?

can someone please tell me if I still have to pay my excess after a claim on my car insurance, it was my fault and alot of damage was done to the 3rd party car, i never got mine fixed...the thing thats confusing me if is my insurance is up for renewal next month but my current insurance is quoted over 1000 I have found it a lot less elsewhere so if course im leaving my insurance, but will I receive a letter stating i owe them the excess, as I paid nothing at the time of the claim?""

Where could I get some cheap but good health insurance?

We need health insurance really bad but everything seems way too expensive and when I google it a hundred different sites come up and its hard to decide which one is for real and which one is going to be a lisas of crap. my husband doesn't make but about 400 dollars a week and I am currently unemployed and In college. Help me!!!

Can a woman add a man to her health insurance?

Im about to graduate college and hope to become a teacher in August...my fiance wants to open a tattoo shop and therefore will not have insurance coverage... so my question is: Once we're officially married, and i am employed as a full time teacher...will I be able to add him (and my 2 kids) to my insurance? The reason im asking is bc im unsure (embarassingly) if a woman can add her husband to the insurance..bc i know men add there wives and stuff all the time? Does my teacher insurance cover all of us, including my husband and 2 kids?""

Are there any classic car insurance companies that insure young drivers under 21?

Are there any classic car insurance companies that insure young drivers under 21?

Would applying for car insuance quotes give a bad record?

I'm searching for car insurance but I am not sure if applying for a quote online will give me a bad record. Like applying for a credit card does you know.

How much would car insurance be for someone my age?

I'm 19 years old and I make about $700 a month. I'm a college student and I'm tired of having to depend on using my dad's vehicle to get to my classes. My concern is the car-insurance. I have a perfect record, but I heard that car-insurance companies stick it to younger people. Is there anyone about my age that could tell me what kind of car they have and the cost of their insurance, so that I can get a general idea of the going rates.""

How Much Is Motorbike Insurance for an 18 Year Old?

Hi! Just want to know a rough estimate of how much it would cost to insure a Honda Hornet 600cc for an 18-19 year old on a full licence. I just need a rough idea so i know what to expect :D Thanks in advance!

How much would full coverage auto insurance in California cost if i've had my license for 9 1/2 years?

Plus a good driving record & I am 29 years old.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-would-increase-your-car-insurance-yearly-nj-sharie-noena"

[alegendarystudentwonderland-blog]

What’s a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

"What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeinsurancequotes.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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How much is for car insurance for first time drivers?

How much is for car insurance for first time drivers?

Insurance Claim Question?

I was rear ended recently and the other drivers insurance co sent out their adjuster. I was told that my car was a total loss. I had a 94 Buick Park Avenue with 148K miles. I got a call from the person who appraised the value of my car and was told that my car was worth $2,200.00 and another $300.00 for what it would have cost me for a rental, totaling $2561. and some change. I did some looking around and found in the auto trader that I can get the same car selling for $2,995 with 154,605 miles. The question I have is do I have to except their offer of $2,200? Also, if I except this offer is this separate from the medical side of my claim? Thank You in advanced.""

What is the best health insurance for the self employed? (and cheapest)?

What is the best health insurance for the self employed? (and cheapest)?

""In California...If i drive an insured car, do i need my own personel insurance?""

In California...If i drive an insured car, do i need my own personel insurance?""

Forced placed auto insurance?

I'd been trying to have forced place insurance removed for quite a few months now, and after reading some stories here, see I'm not alone. I've always had full coverage insurance but since I switched carriers it was one thing after another ... Add them as lien holder -done, didn't receive notice from insurance company, didn't receive fax with notification, etc. .... Now, some months later, I'm in an accident and car may be totaled (not good news since the loan balance exceeds the cars worth). Am I correct in understanding that the lien holders forced insurance policy will relieve me of any difference in the balance, similar to if I had gap insurance?""

I am trying to get a 2006 Dodge Charger R/T. I am worried that insurance will be to high?

I am worried that insurance will be too high. I am 16 years old and my Dad is paying for it. What is the average insurance that someone pays. Do you tihnk insurance on this charger will be a lot?

Hit and Run Insurance Claim: How do you go about it?

I have case # from the police. Will the Insurance company send someone to check the car or should I have to get them quotes?

How Much Is the insurance going to increase?

Today I hit a car :( and although it was minimal damage, he decided to report it. I wanted to know how much is the insurance going to increase. Take in that i'm not in the policy its under my mom's name.""

Car Insurance - Do I have to pay it all at once?

It's that time...I'm looking at cars. But as a student, I'm trying to keep costs low because currently I don't have tons of money. What I'm wondering is, for the car insurance, do I have to pay it all at one time or could I pay it in monthly installments?""

How much does health insurance cost for just a baby?

Im on my grandpas insurance until the summer of next year and Im due in Feb. I just recently found out that the insurance will cover the birth but not the baby...idk what to do. I ...show more

Car insurance deposit?

i want my car insurance to start on 11th feb. my quote says i need to pay a deposit followed by 11 monthly installments. If i signed up for the policy today to start on 11th will they ask me for the deposit to be paid now or will they take it on 11th?

What type of insurance covers any driver who gets behind the wheeL?

and what is liability insurance and who does it cover?

Where should gain on life insurance be located on the income statement?

The item reads as follows: When one officer died, the company realized $110,000 from an insurance policy. The book value was $50,000. My gut feeling tells me it should be placed under other comprehensive income, but the solution to my homework problem says it should be under non-operating expense. Why is that? Shouldn't it be under other comprehensive income because the company doesn't really have control over it? I think it is under non-operating because it's REALIZED. Is that enough of a reason? Thanks.""

If I buy a new used car will my liability insurance cover this one automatically?

I'm thinking about replacing my current car on which I currently have liability insurance through Progressive. There are two things I'd like to know that I've have trouble figuring out on their website. First, if I replace the car and now only have one car will the old insurance still be applicable to it? If so, for how long and is it equal in liability coverages? Second, if I keep the car I have now so when I buy the new one I have two cars then would the liability cover both?""

Is there drivers insurance for infrequent drivers?

I'm currently in LA, and my family is here too. So, I've been an insured driver since I was 15, for the last 13 years... In August I will begin grad school in Boston, and will be without a car. But, perhaps during winter break, Thanksgivings, summer, I may return to LA to visit family and friends. I can easily borrow one of my parents' cars while I'm visiting, but I don't want to have to maintain car insurance year round for several hundred dollars just to drive a few times a year. Are there any reasonably priced options for someone in my situation? As far as I know, most car insurance terms are 6 months. Thank you!""

I need cheap non drivers insurance for cort in less than a week?

ware can i get it in st.louis missouri

How to select health insurance in the US?

I recently moved back to the states after living overseas for an extended period of time. I've started working as an independent consultant and need to find/sign up for health insurance. I've done a bit of internet research and contacted the groups I'm familiar with in the area I live, but it all seems absurdly expensive. What's the right way to approach finding an affordable plan that suits my budget and lifestyle?""

How much does motorcyles insurance run??

I want to be an inexpensive bike to save gas money (like a ninja 250) and I'm curious how much laibility insurance is... my car insurance is only $30 a month and I have a perfect driving record, no accidents. thank you""

What's a good medical insurance plan for someone in my situation in CA?

It's so overwhelming with all the different policies out there, if someone has a recommendation for a good insurance company that is affordable for my situation: a. self employed single female b. no health risks/problems c. mid 30s d. prefer a plan that covers maternity just in case""

I got my first DWI i ll be getting my license back soon how much will my insurance go up in the state of mo?

in the state of missouri how much will my insurance rates go up after my first dwi? (and LAST)

How much would insurance be on 96 tahoe?

i'm 19, and i'm about to get my licences. i always be eye balling this tahoe. how much would insurance be on it??""

Health Insurance for Employees?

Can anyone tell me, is there a law for NEW YORK STATE, that states that if an employer has so many workers in any job (I'm looking specifically at Carpentry/Construction) they are required to supply health insurance for the workers? My family doesn't qualify for any health insurance offered by NYS and we're trying to find one that is affordable. We don't qualify for Medicaid, Healthy NY, or Family Health Plus in NY. We're not rich, in fact, we're struggling, so I don't understand how people can make below the maximum requirements and still survive.""

Where can I find cheap car insurance in Florida? Please help!?

I am a 16 year old girl and live in Florida. I have my learners permit and plan on getting my license in January. I waited awhile to get my permit and only a few months later I was involved in a car accident. My mother told me to go and we were hit from the side and then went into another car. Nobody was killed but two cars were totaled. I took a correction course and got rid of the points on my license. 6 months later I was in my friends car going to the mall when we stopped at a red light. A teenage boy behind us did not stop and we were rear ended. I went to the doctor and have a herniated disk in my lower back. My parents were going to buy me a car until they called our insurance company. They have USAA, who said i would be $500 a MONTH to insure me due to the multiple accidents I have been in. I didn't know they were allowed to charge someone for being a passenger in an accident that they were not at fault for! I need help in finding cheap insurance. Any suggestions?""

How much will my insurance increase if i get a 1994 mustang ?

I'm 18 and right now i have a really crappy 1994 mercury topaz and my parents pay my insurance, which is $110 a month, but they said if i want a better car, i have to pay the insurance increase and was wondering if someone could give me an educated guess of what ill be paying. Thanks""

Does a Bank of America auto loan require full coverage insurance on the car?

If I were to take out an auto loan from Bank of America would I have to have full coverage insurance on the car until the loan is paid for? Or would I be able to just have liability coverage? Thanks!

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

Home insurance first year up front?

the bank is requiring us to get a year worth of Homeowners insurance . and i am asking what is the norm (interior wall to wall) without personal items included.. should i go with the condos exterior insurance companies to just have it uniform. ?

How is the auto insurance for a Mazda 3i?

My first car, I have 1 speeding ticket on my record and two accidents, both not my fault. I have USAA insurance through my dad. How much do you think I'll pay a month?""

Question about Liability Insurance.?

My mother has insurance on a car I drive, but do to a horrible driving record State Farm - her car insurance company - won't carry me, and when they will again it won't be cheap. I recently found some cheap liability insurance but I was curious - the insurance companies won't give me a straight answer - does my mom have to switch all the insurance for the car, or can I have insurance just for when I drive. If so should I get PIP - personal injury protection instead of liability? Pretty much can there be 2 forms of insurance from 2 seperate companies on one car? Full Coverage for the car and my mom, and Liability for me?""

How much does car insurance fluctuate related to a car's make year?

I know the newer the car the higher the insurance, but by how much? Would a 2 or 3 year difference be very significant? Also how much more on average is car insurance for a mid-size SUV than a sedan-style car?""

""3-car accident, what will insurance do?""

I was in a 3 car accident, I was the middle car. It's stop and go traffic at a red light, the line is backed up a good way, and the person in front of me stops. I stop behind them, but the man behind me doesn't stop. He hits me and pushes my car into her car. His car seems to be flawless, the vehicle he knocked me into also seems unharmed, maybe a scratch on the bumper (it was like a jeep or explorer, so my car went up under hers a little) and the front of my car is a little messed up. The police will file an accident report, but while I wait, what can I expect? I'm expecting his insurance to cover the repairs to my car, because this was in no way my responsibility, he hit me into her, I was more or less a ragdoll vehicle. Yes, I hit her, but it's not because I'm a bad driver, I cannot control being hit into another vehicle during a line at a red light. And though it was never mentioned (I was a little shaken, my mind wasn't clear), I am almost certain he was on his phone because he was looking down and doing something when I looked back after he hit me. It's too late to mention that, but yeah. Got the registration and insurance for it 3 hours before I wrecked. Had the car a week.""

Insurance complaint question?

When the insurance company receives a complaint from the insurance commissioner, what is the process? Are there any instances where the insurance company will reverse their decision to deny a claim? Thanks!""

How do I find an affordable individual health insurance plan that includes maternity coverage?

I'm going to pull my hair out! Maybe I should perch atop a clock-tower until someone provides me coverage? Seriously, I have spoken to half a dozen insurance people and the best ...show more""

Need cheap TAXI CAB insurance... anyone know any companies?!?

Im based in southern California and I'm using a crack pot shop called Fiesta insurance and their thru the roof! I cannot find any Taxi insurers for a growing 2 car company! Need help, I've left messages with numerous companies and the only ones that call back are the ones who don't offer insurance for my needs... ANYONE have any info? I'd be most grateful!""

Where does a single woman find affordable health insurance without the high deductible?

Where does a single woman find affordable health insurance without the high deductible?

How much would a 1995 dodge dakota be roughly for insurance?

i was going to tailgate off of my parents insurance (i just got my lecense and i wanna pay what my parents pay til the dmv tells my insurance company) both of my parents have a clean driving record and have been on the road for 30 years. i just wonder how much insurance would ROUGHLY be

How much is insurance if...?

I am 16, female and driving a sports car [[camaro]]? please give an average for texas and several different companys!""

Question about Car Insurance?

I'm 17 and going for my driver's test. My parents said that they were going to put my name under all three cars we own for insurance. That didn't make sense to me though. When I went to All State's website, and did an estimated quote, it would only let me pick one car for each person. Like just one primary driver for each car. My question is, how does this insurance thing work? Thanks!""

With pretty good insurance what would the average cost to have?

a hospital monitor my heart over night? I have been having chest pains and went and got a EKG done my doctor said he thinks I am fine I may have just pulled a muscle. But I am having shortness of breathe and my chest has been just a little sore for over week and a half.

Give three or more reasons why americans should not have health insurance?

what are three or more reasons why americans should not have health insurance

How to get health insurance for my daughter?

I'm 22. I have health insurance coverage under my parents (it's just better insurance than I could get on my own, that's why I've kept it). However, I am pregnant and need to find insurance for my daughter for when she's born. Under my current insurance, I am covered but she is not. My question is, what should I do? I got an application for Medicaid but will it cover her before she is born, even though I don't need insurance? Any advice?""

Insurance (perscription) cost question?

Ok, I just started getting birth control. My insurance requires a $100 deductible and after that my prescription is only $30 a month. So, the first pack of pills I received cost $52 and some change. I was assuming my second pack would be like, $48 and then after that would be $30 a month. Well, I got my second pack and it was like $57 and some change. That is what my birth control cost with no insurance. So what happened? I felt like I have paid more than my deductible. I expect next time my pack of pills to be only $30. Thanks!""

Will my Insurance go any higher if paid off by Collision ?

I bought my Acura in 2006 and have been in mint condition since then. Recently, the snow plougher scratched my car and didnt leave a note. I called the manger of the snow plougher and filed the police report. He took the responsibility but during the report he said that he will give the name of the driver and vehicle later. After few weeks when I didnt hear I called the manager and he said his company will not cover anything and I can do whatever I can.... I called my insurance company and they are willingly to cover through my insurance - Collision, instead of comprehensive. The repair is $2000 + rental car for 9 days ~$2500. My deductible is $100 for collision and $50 for comprehensive. Do you think if they use Collision my insurance rate will go higher ? [Ofcourse I dont have any choice at this time. my insurance company said they cannot file a lawsuit or anything against the snow plougher company]""

Will obamacare lower health insurance premiums?

how will forcing more people to purchase a finite resource (increasing demand) cause the price to go down?

What's the best way to get a lower rate when it's time to renew my auto insurance?

my insurance is due next month, but I think I deserve a lower rate, and shouldn't just renew""

Does request of Auto insurance quote have any negative effect ?

My current auto insurance is All State. I am looking for a new insurance of similar policy with lower cost. want to shop online and see if there is better deal. Does request auto insurance quote have any negative effect in my credit ( they need to pull my credit scores, i have a very good one), or any other negative effects. thanks very much!""

Would a chevy impala ss cost more for insurance than a normal impala and how much more would it cost aproximat?

Would a chevy impala ss cost more for insurance than a normal impala and how much more would it cost aproximat?

Car insurance for a 17?

How do. I'm 17 and have just passed my driving test. I will be buying a 1.2/1.4 Fiat Punto soon on a 56 plate. How much roughly will this cost me on insurance? TY VM

Average motorcycle insurance rate?

I'm 16 and living in Ontario i wanted to know how much insurance rate it is do you pay monthly? yearly? i don't know submit what you know and estimate if you don't know

Which to buy?? An Alfa Romeo 147 1.6 lusso or an MG zr 1.4?? They cost the same and insurance is similar. ta.?

Which to buy?? An Alfa Romeo 147 1.6 lusso or an MG zr 1.4?? They cost the same and insurance is similar. ta.?

Can a lie about having historical plates for cheaper insurance?

When trying to get a quote from progressive online, it asks whether the motorcycle is registered as a historical vehicle. If I click yes the insurance is 50% cheaper than normal. Can I just click yes and buy then insurance, then register my bike? I don't have much money, and I only want to ride it for 2 months before I move.""

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What is the best motorcycle insurance for military personnel?

i am joining the military and i was wondering what insurance company offers the best rates for motorcycle insurance for a 19 year old male?

Does anyone have any personal experience with Transamerica Life Insurance? Positive or Negative?

Life Insurance Companies

Why is car insurance so high?

I am just at a loss as a new driver. Passed my test recently and just cannot find affordable car insurance it's madness. The cheapest quotes that I am getting are 4000 and I think it's disgusting. And its annoying because they add all this criteria which just shouldn't matter. The system is ageist as well as sexist as young male, new driver just seems to be impossible to get insured for. I only have an old Renault Clio P reg and I paid a very small amount for it and I'm just disgusted at the cost of it. I wanted to know if theres anything that can be done about it? I find it annoying as you can't change your age or your postcode or all this stuff that doesn't matter. I've got home insurance that I pay waaaay less for a month is madness.""

Insurance for my Car??

my parents have full coverage for Nissan Altima 2006 from AAA. now i would also like to be registered for that same car. I'm 16 yrs. old. How much do you think AAA will charge me??

What kind of deaths does life insurance cover?

Would it cover something like a heart attack or stroke?

Least expensive sport cars to insure?

I'm 16 got my license yesterday and I'm shopping for car's. My car budget is $8000 I'm looking at the rsx-s,cobalt ss,350z,Subaru wrx. Please I know it's not cheap to insurance the car but my question is what sport cars are the least expensive to insurance I'm aware their pricey""

How much does it really cost to own a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S in California? MSRP is...?

...$88,400. What other costs are there? http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-carrera-4s/ I am trying to own one of these. Just wondering what's is in store for me (i.e. tax, ...show more""

Motorcycle Insurance?

I screwed up and was charged with DUI a few months ago (I was driving a car). I figured my insurance would double or triple but no, the cheapest I could fine is close to 4,000 a year! I was floored & absolutely in shock. My question is, would motorcycle insurance be cheaper being I got a DUI. I live in Fl. Do I even need insurance for a motorcycle? Everyone is telling me a different story. I need help please! Thanks! -Alex""

Speeding tickets and Insurance rates (read details)?

I received one speeding ticket back in February 2010, I took a driving class for it so I would not receive points on my license and consequently my insurance provider would not be able to raise my rate. However, I've received two speeding tickets in the past week (both only 9 miles over the speed limit) :'( which would result in 6 points on my license. I live in Florida, and I have State Farm insurance. Does anyone have any idea at all what will/could happen to my insurance? :(""

Cheaper Insurance on Mitsub evo?

Im looking into buy an Mitsubishi EVO 8 but the insurance will be way too expensive. If i finance it and put the car in my moms name and the insurance in her name could i save money(my moms like 54). My insurance company says i can use other peoples cars as long as i have a policy myself which i do. How much do some of you people pay?

California bond problems ?

Anyone have a good link that explains this credit crunch with California. Why is California having a hard time funding its bonds. I need a thuro explanation and not the economy is weak, so investors aren't investing capital. If you dont have a link and can explain it yourself that would be fine also.""

Can someone give me and ESTIMATE?

about how much would car insurance for a friend of mine cost. Shes 17 yr old girl and she gets like a 2.5 gpa and shes getting a toyota corolla 1999.... and they parents making them pay for it but they want to know apprx.. cuz their parents wont check it for them yet

How much is your car insurance?

Not to sound stalkerish at all lol I'm just a lil confused on car insurance and want to know what about average is. So can you please put how old you are, what car you drive, and how much you pay... Thanks ALOT it means alot to me :)""

State farm wont stop calling me about a car insurance quote?

I did this stupid offer on the web about some car insurance quotes and I didnt think that anybody would call me or anything but I was wrong. I had calls from Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, you name it! I didnt answer them because I would have no clue what i was talking about because Im not good when it comes to car insurance knowledge or any of that stuff, Im only 16! Most of them had stopped calling me except State Farm and Allstate, mainly just to talk about the car insurance quote that I requested . Do they eventually stop calling you or will they just keep bugging you for life until you change your phone number or whatever? They are really beginning to get annoying, especially State Farm!!""

Insurance for a 17 yr old girl?

How much would insurance be for a 17 yr old girl in a mustang in NY? I took drivers ed, btw. Or insurance for any car, doesn't have to be a mustang.""

Whole life insurance policies?

I need financial opinions on whole life insurance policies and am afraid to ask an advisor for fear that he/she would try to sell me something. We purchased three whole life policies in 1991. I know now that most experts advise against them now because of the high premiums, and advise buying term and investing extra money elsewhere......but we have accumulated a lot of dividends over the years but we're at the point now that we are tired of paying the premiums and thinking about having the dividends pay for the policies until the dividends run out....and then of course we would start paying for the polciies again. Is this a mistake or should we continue to pay the premiums and keep thinking of it as an investment or more money if one of us dies prematurely? Another thought.....we will be having future college bills whereas we can try to get a student loan or borrow against these policies with an option to payback with interest or not pay back at all thus taking away from death benefit. What's your opinion on this?""

New Insurance coverage?

ok im having a really hard time calling these people and getting no answers. its plain and simple. I have health insurance through my mother. I recently had a baby and i was told he will only be covered for 2 months and after that i will have to get his own coverage. Now the question is this. I want to get my own insurance so he can be under my name, meaning i want to be off the one my parents have me under. is that possible? and if otherwise, would i have to put him under my moms or what?""

A way to make health insurance premiums to go down.?

To make it affordable we have to come up with a no-profit system for health insurance companies. Since that would never happen, due to our capitalist economy. I would suggest the ...show more""

What would my insurance be in this situation?

I am 20 years old I have had my license for 10 months but did not have insurance nor have i ever had insurance or a car under my name. I am goin to buy a cheap non sports car and am wondering what it will cost me for LIABILITY only to have insurance, yearly and monthly , and do i have to make a down payment?""

""2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, [price help]?""

I am looking to purchase a 2011 STI sometimes EARLY july. There are few USED ones in my area, but the price is not much different, becuase low miles NEW 2011 STI limited, MSRP about 37,999 Used--- that i am looking at, with 4,000 miles is 36,950 I was wondering if it is even worth it to buy it used vs new, and if i did buy it used how far can i get the price down, since it is only like 5 months old. And if anyone has any tips about down payments, I.e how much to put down ETC ---Im 19 years old, have a good paying job for my age, my dad is going to co sign. If you have any advice that is un related, please share Also, my heart is set on this car, nothning else""

Why can auto insurance co legally discriminate?

Like gender, age, seems like everything (When you run tests through their quote systems) How can they legally discriminate like that? like 50% of the variables are user's preference determines the problem (Like having a classic, red sportscar, that's not my personality type but it raises rates)""

How do you get self insurance?

I don't own a car and have to get insured as a driver in the state of Kansas. How do I get insurance without owning a vehicle?

Young drivers car insurance uk?

I'm having a lot of trouble with find insurance. I really need help , or advice , what am i doing wrong .. everyone around me is getting deals of around 1.200-1.800 pounds.. I've chosen a Clio which is one of the cheapest insurance cars , I also tried , adding different drivers or companies , black boxes etc -.- and the cheapest quote i got was 6.500.. which is like triple the price of the car . Anyone any ideas ? Help.""

Car insurance confusingggg?

Hey I'm looking to get a new car I'm 22 been driving 3 years and have been driving a boring 1.2 since I started so i finally ready for a new car. I got some quotes I originally jus wanted a 1.6 pertol or something but I got a few quotes on more powerful cars just for a laugh. To my suprise I can actually get insured on cars like 2.5 litre turbo ford focus st and golf gti etc. so now obvioulsy i want one of them but concerned about fuel consumption might cost alot I was also thinking about a audi a3 2.0 tdi which is a diesal. heres where i get confused the focus and golf are a fair bit cheaper to insure than the less powerful diesal a3 I really crnt get my head around this, I have got my quotes from confused.com and had one directly from a insurance website it seems strange and too good to be true. Any know why this is and also anyone got any suggestion on fuel consumption in big engine pertol cars""

Someone hit my car parked at work and i do not have insurance. whats the next step?

i was at work and when i came out, someone had hit my car while i was working. they left all their insurance information and a note apologizing, however, i do not have insurance. whats the next step for me?""

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

Im placed under my moms insurance- but i live with a freind. and im using there car-?

if im put under my moms car insurance - but im livving in another house hold and using someone elses car - would i still be covered(with my moms insurance) ? or you cant do that? becuase if i get in an accident in my friends car - does that cover me and them? or me? there car? someone please explain !

How much extra would it be to go on my parents car insurance ?

at the moment my mother is paying 600 a year for car insurance, i was wondering how much extra it would be a year for me to go on her insurance. i am 18 year old girl living in england would it be cheaper for me to get my own insurance or go on hers ?""

I am looking for a name for my insurance agency I deal in Life Insurance and Health Ins.&annuities?

We deal with all ages and alot with seniors We do not deal with home or auto insurance

Liability vs Full Coverage??

I don't know much about insurance can someone tell me how liability and full coverage insurance works?

How Much Is Car Insurance? Please Help?

Ok See im 16 and i have a 1990 Pontiac Firebird and I have a Junior License Year: 1990 Make: Pontiac Model: Firebird Trim: Engine: 6-Cylinder V-6 Trans: Auto Fuel: Gasoline Color: Black Interior: Grey Miles: 170000

Will insurance pay for an insured car that's borrowed and driven by an uninsured driver?

well, it's a brand new car that belong to my father, i borrowed it and got in an accident because i slip off the road, the car is totaled and im really worried about the coverage. my dad has Infinity-insurance, so yes the car is insured however i do not have any kind of auto-insurance at all nor am i listed in my father's policy. will my father's insurance pays for the car?( if possible, please answer it base on Infinity-insurance)""

Where can i find insurance for a barber shop?

what are the best insurance companies for barbershop insurance? where should i look?

Where can I get the best Auto Insurance Quotes?

My semi-annual auto insurance renewal is coming up. I've shopped before and I think I'm already getting a damn good rate, but still I'd like to try to get an even better rate. I've tried both Geico and Progressive, and both quoted me over $200 higher per year than I already pay. Any other good suggestions? This would be for coverage in California.""

Is There A Way Of Finding Insurance Prices Without Owning A Car In The First Place?

Ok ill explain it better here. I'm after a car but i will need to know how much the insurance is for different cars. So for example if i wanted a car in insurance group 2, could i find out how much that specific car and insurance group would be for me? I know there's go-compare and all the other comparison websites but they are expecting you already have the car and just need to insure it. I need to know the prices before i get a car so i know i will have enough! Help please? Cheers""

What's the best way to insure I get 200 grams of protein per day?

My Dad used to do protein shakes but his doctor told him to get the protein through foods, not the shakes. Now the consultant at my gym says I need 215 grams of protein per day to keep my muscle mass and build further but it's not like I can have a steak at every meal. Any suggestions?""

Ever felt like a criminal for trying to insure your car?

hi there i am a young male driver 20yrs old i am trying to insure my first car which is a suzuki wagon r+ ga and i fell as if i am a pure criminal i have tried many insurers online on the phone and in person i cant find a quote for under 1300 i woundnt mind so much but the car only cost me 200 and they wounder why people drive without insurance well at these prices i am personaly tempted can anyone tell me where i can find a cheaper qoute have tried hundereds prices have ranged from 1295-3645 (well saying this country is constanly ripping us off all the time is about time the goverment was standing in and helping out us motorist a bit they want to reduce the amont of cars without insurance they need to reduce the cost whats your fellings)

What is an average auto insurance cost for a sedan in Alberta?

I am wondering what an average auto insurance cost is to be suspected. If this helps I will be a 16 year old male driving a 2007-2010 Mazda 3 Sedan.

Why are big company's going to drop health insurance and just pay the government a fee to save money?

obama said we would be able to the same insurance. did obama lie to us?

My job offers awful health insurance?

Our company got bought out & our new employer is doing open enrollment for health insurance next year. I currently have roughly a $75 monthly premium with a $500 deductible, then the employer pays 80%. The insurance I'm being offered has a $60 monthly premium, $100 deductible, then the insurer pays 80%, but only pays a max of $750 for the year. As it was explained to me, it is like partial health insurance-but I think this won't be enough to cover what I need. I had major surgery last month & even after meeting my deductible, the out of pocket expenses were a struggle. So should I get a HSA or apply for supplemental health insurance? The other employees at my company are in the same position as I am & I feel awful having to look elsewhere for better coverage. No spam please, I beg you!""

Got my second speeding ticket will the insurance go up? do i need to go to court?

i recieved my first ticket this year in january. i went to traffic school and it got removed. so on friday i got a speeding ticket i was going 82 and the speed limit was 65. do i have to go to court? can i get it removed again? does it affect my insurance? i have ecompass insurance. im under my moms insurance is she going to find out? im 19.

How much will it cost....?

I live in Hemet , Southern California. I have a 9 month old son. He will be nursed until 24 months, However, he does eat some solid foods. I my boyfriend and I rent an appartment for $750- How much would our monthly income need to be to support our family? How much is utilities in my area? How much do you spend on gas? How much is car insurance? How much is it to get my car smoged? How much are monthly groceries? What other bills am I missing? Please help!""

What is the best website for cheap car insurance?

Im going to be driving soon but the insurance for young drivers is ridiculous. I just want to know what insurance company does the best insurance deals for new drivers. Thank you!! :D

Auto insurance is so confusing!! Help?

My husband and I are currently covered at Geico. We pay 1320 for 6 months coverage. We've been with Geico about 5 years and our rates have stayed pretty much the same. I was looking at quotes online and there are significant differences between them all and I am so confused. I have been making sure that I am comparing apples to apples, all the same type coverage. Esurance quotes at $799 per 6 months, Teachers Insurance quotes at $1309 per 12 months, Mercury Insurance at $661 per 6 months, and then 21st century quotes at $1053 per 6 months. Why is there such a big difference between them?? My best bet looks like Mercury or Teachers right now...""

What would my Car Insurance Rates be?

Im 17, male, and I'm wondering what car insurance rates would be for me. What would they be for a 2008/2009 Honda civic, simplest version? What would they be if it was the same car but a few years older? Same questions for a Toyota corolla. I have done drivers education, which should help lower the rates.""

""Getting a yamaha r6, how much is insurance usually?""

Never had a bike, have a clean record, what does insurance usually cost on a bike??""

Insurance rate for 17 year old in california?

as my first car i was looking at the evo x mr or the 3g eclipse gt, gts which would be better as my first car and wat would be the insurance cost for either of these cars?""

Will taking a defensive driving class lower my insurance and take points off my driving record?

Ive been in two car accidents one in Nov.2007 and the other Feb. 2008 and i was wondering if taking a defensive driving course would take points off my driving record and lower my insurance.

HELP : ( I need dental coverage but I am a temp.Can anyone recommend insurance?!?

I'm having a really hard time finding an insurance company that are available to temps. Unfortunately I make too much to be eligible for medicaid, which is ironic because I don't make a lot of money! lol So any suggestions!? I really need to go to the dentist asap, I'm in a lot of pain :'(""

Are online car insurance quotes usually close to the actual cost?

Are online car insurance quotes usually close to the actual cost?

Can't afford the insurance on a car I just bought.?

I can't afford the insurance on a car I just bought yesterday, I had made quotes before and one of them was in my price range for full coverage since I am making payments but I didnt realize until now it was for liability. Am I able to take the car back with no penalty or will it hurt my credit?""

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

What's a cheap car insurance company for drivers with alot of points.?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-insurance-fireworks-up-200000000-maine-marieke-fleming"

[comiconverse]

Game Review: Horizon Zero Dawn

Coming off the back of two years worth of hype and anticipation, is Horizon Zero Dawn the game we’re all hoping it is?  ComiConverse contributor Dan Goad has this review.

Game Review: Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn has been on the top of many people’s most anticipated list this year, including mine. After winning Best Original Game at E3 two years running, as well as a host of other pre-release accolades from various outlets, it’s got a lot of hype to live up to. So I’m happy to report upfront that HZD is a great game. In fact, it’s a brilliant one. It’s by no means perfect, but it certainly deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with The Last of Us as two of the best exclusives PlayStation has to offer.

HZD is set in a post-post-apocalyptic world many centuries in the future. This isn’t a Fallout-style world where humanity is only just recovering from disaster. Civilisation has begun anew and only a few remnants of the world that came before remain. Chief amongst these are the mysterious machines, robotic creatures that seem to be modelled on dinosaurs and other animals. The player character is Aloy, a young woman who is an outcast from her matriarchal society because she has no mother. She is initially driven by her search for an identity, all the while dealing with the non-acceptance of those around her. As the game progresses the player will explore the origins of Aloy, the machines, and the world as a whole.

These multiple mysteries had me hooked from the beginning and I found myself constantly wanting to return to the game to find answers. When the emotional pay-off does come it is well worth the 40+ hours you have been waiting for it. Little touches really help turn this into a believable world, such as audio recordings and misunderstood relics from the previous civilisation. While suffering occasionally from the odd poorly written line, the plot is helped along by a strong voice cast featuring video game veterans like Lance Reddick and JB Blanc, as well as Ashly Burch (Tiny Tina from Borderlands 2) as Aloy. Burch is great as Aloy, delivering complex emotions and just the right amount of sarcasm to make her a fun character to spend this long amount of time with.

Credit: Sony/Guerrilla Games

There are dialogue choices within the game, but don’t expect branching narratives and massive ripples in the way you would with a Bioware game. Aloy generally has the decision to react aggressively, thoughtfully or emotionally. Sometimes there will be consequences to these decisions later, but there is no good/evil morality scale here. To some this will be a disappointment, but in many ways it is liberating. When you’re freed from the shackles of trying to play the game as a paragon or a renegade you are free to take each choice as it comes and do what makes sense in each situation.

The game has a fairly slow start as you learn the basic mechanics of the game, initially controlling Aloy as a child and later as a young woman. But once you get past those first 90 minutes and the world is open to you, you’re free to proceed however you want. You can continue the main quest, complete some side quests, or just admire the scenery as you traverse and climb it, Uncharted-style.

Credit: Sony/Guerrilla Games

And make no mistake, that scenery is stunningly beautiful, even on a standard PS4. In fact I’d go as far as to say it has the best looking world of any game ever. The post-post-apocalyptic setting means we don’t have the grey and brown colour scheme from games like Fallout; instead it is all greens and blues. Each tree and rock is meticulously crafted and the range of locations only adds to the visual feast. If I have one criticism it is that sometimes the transitions between different areas, for example going from snowy mountains to desert, can seem sudden and unrealistic – but it is a small price to pay for some of the most disparate landscapes ever seen in a video game. What’s more is that the developers have included a dedicated photo mode, so you can pause the game and start snapping away, adding things like filters or changing angles. It’s a nice little touch that allows you to really preserve and share some of those breathtaking visuals.

The open world and detailed graphics might lead to some concerns over performance, but I don’t have any complaints. Frame-rate is kept consistent at 30 frames per second – a conservative limit, but it means there is no skipping or dropping. Load times are good. It takes a little while to load up, but once you are in there it’s only a few seconds of waiting for fast travel or after death. All of this is of course even better on PS4 Pro.

Credit: Sony/Guerrilla Games

HZD has been criticised for taking the best elements of a number of other games – Far Cry, Witcher, Tomb Raider, Shadow of Mordor to name a few – and simply mashing them together. But for me the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. It takes elements from each of those games and shapes them around its immensely fun combat systems.

Combating the machines requires patience and stealth, since Aloy can quickly become overwhelmed if she rushes into a fight. Even the docile “herbivore” machines are aggressive and dangerous if Aloy comes too close. Luckily there is plenty of long grass for Aloy to hide in and she has a number of weapons at her disposal. Her primary weapon is a bow and arrows, with various upgradeable skills – such as slowing time as she aims – helping immensely. She can also lay down trip wires and other traps, as well as more mundane items such as throwing rocks to distract the machines. A lot of these items are virtually useless in the heat of a fight, so careful planning is definitely a must. She has a useful roll skill as well as a melee spear for emergencies, but often the best course of action once discovered is to run, hide and start again.

The most useful weapon in her arsenal is her Focus power. Similar to Assassin’s Creed’s eagle vision or Batman: Arkham’s detective mode, this mode allows Aloy to see the machines through obstacles. She can tag them or their movement paths so they are visible in the normal view. The Focus will also highlight any weak points on the machines’ bodies, which are sometimes weapons which can be knocked off and used by the player. Later in the game Aloy gains the ability to hack the machines to use herself. The effect of hacking depends on the machine, but galloping around on a robot horse is great fun.

Credit: Sony/Guerrilla Games

Much in the tradition of open worlds from Bethesda or the Witcher 3, the game has a huge map with an extraordinarily large number of things to do. Whilst each side quest has it’s own mini-narrative, often the objectives are very similar. Virtually every one has you tracking someone or something, then killing someone or something. I’m one of those with a compulsive need to complete every mission, but I think some players will start ignoring them before the end of the game.

One small issue with the open world and how it relates to missions is the waypoint system. The HUD includes a compass across the top, which shows the final location of quests. However, quest waypoints in the main field of view will take you step by step to your destination. You might have 5 or 6 waypoints on the way to a quest marker, depending on distance and how complicated the route. Whilst this is useful if you’re trying to navigate round a mountain or similar, because they always lead you along a road you might find yourself going in the opposite direction to your objective. Plus having one waypoint in the main view and a different one on the compass can be confusing. It’s a minor problem that takes some getting used to, or you can disable the waypoints entirely and just rely on the compass and the main map. The HUD is fully customisable, so if you find it too cluttered you can get rid of things you don’t need.

You’ll also find yourself excessively collecting and hoarding virtually everything in the game. You’ll be picking plants for healing, or hunting and killing both machines and real animals for loot. Virtually everything in the world is useful for crafting or trading to merchants, so you’ll quickly become overburdened and have to craft additional storage space.

Credit: Sony/Guerrilla Games

HZD has one further huge positive that is really worth drawing attention to. Aloy is that rarity in video games, a strong female protagonist. Even more rarely, she is sensibly dressed, never appears on screen in order to titillate, and has no explicitly romantic relationships. And she isn’t the only progressive character. This game is filled with both significant female characters and people of colour. It touches on LGBT issues and mental illness. In an age where every other lead character is a muscled white guy and female characters still have swimsuits instead of armour, HZD feels like a massive step forward for representation in gaming.

Conclusion

Horizon Zero Dawn lives up to the hype and then some. It is a great game and will be winning awards all year long. Yes, it borrows from other games, but it meshes those elements with fun combat, a captivating narrative and a heroine who is both engaging and progressive. It’s a step forward for gaming and is destined to birth a new mega-franchise. It’s not perfect, but it is pretty close.

The post Game Review: Horizon Zero Dawn appeared first on ComiConverse.