#my precious Nima

[vortship]

@normalestxhumanxzim​ con’t from discord

Zim stared as she spoke, Zim stared for what felt like almost TWO YEARS, eleven months, and TEN DAYS. Perhaps it even was that long to him. He listened, though as Zim did it was mostly for the sake of finding any moment and any reason to interject. After all, Zim's best method of convincing people to do what he wanted them to do was to just insult them repeatedly. To his credit, this mostly worked, but not for the reasons perhaps he thought they did. Nevertheless, Hal was allowed to explain herself. He partially also had to consider what a dweezil was. Perhaps it was good actually? He'd have to look into it.

"GRRRR, I KNOW WHAT YOUR NUMBER IS!!!" The irken shouted back, narrowed angry eyes glowered directly into her soul. He had no idea what her number actually was and paused for a moment, expecting her to call his bluff for some reason. A bluff that was only particularly relevant to him and him alone.

Seemingly punctuating Zim's statement, one of the nacelles had fallen off of voot, collapsing off of its hull unceremoniously and simply rolling off the landing pad and exploded, much to Gir's apparent joy. The invader exhaled a brief sigh of exhaustion before gathering himself and continuing. "Anyway, heheh... I'M NOT GETTING ANOTHER SHIP!!!"

Zim exploded, edging closer to Hal. "Children like you these days have NO concept of value! Though perhaps nothing else could have been expected from a... Filthy VORT!" It was clear Zim had to think for a moment on which xenophobic insult to use, he really settled on that, huh? "The V2 may be an older ship, but its strategic value is unparalleled. You don't need personality matrixes if you're a skilled enuff pilot anyway!" Zim recalled singlehandedly piloting super amazingly through an astroid field, keeping up with Tak. Forgetting the parts where he almost died. "Besides, back before you were even born I was modifying my voot, piece by piece. To say that it even resembled the V2 is sheer ignorance. Besides, when I was being chased by those HORRIBLE, horrible space monkeys on Lebuloan nine, IT TOOK OUT THEIR WHOLE INTERCEPTOR FLEET!!!" Clearly, he was quite proud of this thing. "We're fixing it and YOU'RE HELPING!!!"

Her number... now that she thought about it was that even a thing? They'd always just barked 'Nima!' at her when the guards wanted her attention; tall, intimidating Irken soldiers. Sometimes it was hard to remember Zim himself was one of them, minus the tall part. Perhaps her mind should be falling on that whole gratitude thing again. It could be worse, it could always be worse. Zim might be Irkens at their most maniacal, but he wasn’t Irkens at their most awful. 

Ones and zeros... ones and zeros. 

That’s all they were, right? No matter how much they seemed like people. They were nothing but vessels of war and misfortune, this one was no different. Folding her arms, the child flinched as a piece of Zim’s precious Voot exploded right in front of them. A look of shock turned into an annoyed glance at her screaming ‘boss’.

“You need another ship! What’s wrong with just getting their ‘snackliests’ to send you one!?”

For that matter, why did their ‘snackliests’ never check in much? She had a lot of questions, none of which she at all trusted Zim to answer. What did they want with Earth anyway? It was so far from basically everything. It didn’t even have any other habitable planets around it! And it’s people could barely visit their own moon. She quirked a brow at Zim’s reminiscing. Everybody knew Irken tech was just Vortian tech with red paint, running about a hundred cycles behind. 

“Children like me? You sound like a sad old man.” she teased, “I never said anything about the personality matrix! That would just make more you... which sounds awful!”

Her mind wandered to Halship and she shuddered. No. No personality matrixes ever. Ugh, now he had her yelling. Just a big yell-off. They happened at least once a day. Before she was even born, huh? Zim in a Hal-less world. It was probably much quieter. She wondered if he’d hated Vortians back then too, or if it was a hivemind thing brought about from conquering them.

“Ugh fine.” what choice did she have, really?, “But we’re listening to K-Pop the entire time, really loud.” 

[teresabeadle5]

My beautiful dream... by Skye McLeod Fairywren, Blogger Via Flickr: Bento Mesh Head: LeLutka Ubon EVO-X Bento Mesh Body: Reborn by eBody Face/Body: Precious (ghost) by Boataom Body Tatt: Unseelie Fae (mauve) by {GHOSTED} Elemental Hair by Clover Evoker's Gaze (eye thingies): [unstable.] Blooming Blush: CAZIMI Nima Nails: LIVIA Ear Blushing: VENGE Ensemble: Te Moana AETHER by [AURO] mod for {aii & ego} Riptide mermaid tail now @ The Enchantment: Aetherium Nexus @ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Nymphai/69/74/3519 Riptide Mermaid Tail: {aii & ego} Underarm Fins: & Webbed Hands: {aii & ego} Mermaid Boudoir // TOP: :Moon Amore: Unicorn Story - Fly High: +Half-Deer+ POSE: Mermaid 6 by Lush Poses SIM: Storybook, Lost Unicorn @ maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lost%20Unicorn%20Gallery/2...

[chocokeiiki]

Kikiiiiiiii~. I hope you’re well! For the character meme: Daichi from Haikyuu. (Djdjdjd remember when I matched you with him? Hahaha💕)

Nima~! It’s always so great to hear from you! And ofc I remember!!

But alrighty let’s get ‘er done!

Three Things We Have in Common

1. I usually have to be the mature and responsible one within my group of friends too o v o”

2. We both wear black and white shoes!! 

3. We’re the oldest of our sibling(s). 

Three Reasons Why He’s Better Than Me Differences

1. He’s actually taller than average height. 

2. He’s good at sports and physical activities in general volleyball.

3. His intimidation tactics actually work lmao 

[fuzzy-melonlord]

@bruh-im-aggro So I forgot I made this this thing when I finally finished my 6th OC

So the big pic is Asra's mc named Piroska "Piri" Kardos. She is a precious bean who is the mom friend. I did a masquerade variant for her and wanted to do her wedding outfit too

The one in the red shirt on the right is Nima Qadir, they are Julian's MC. Chaotic gremlin who is a thief and will basically steal anything shiny. 1/3rd of chaos crew (I also did a wedding varient for her with a Julian and an Asra. We got a spicy-ish photoshoot thay i can pm the pics for if you want!)

The one with the white hair is Mar, they are Muriel's MC. They didn't tell Asra their real name before they died so they never relearning it when coming back.

The blonde with the face markings is Yulia. She is 2/3s of my chaos crew. She's Nadia's MC. And the only person she listens to is Nadia.

The black haired one is Tsiuri, she was Lucio's MC. She's a 💫whore💫 and we love her. She also dances and is the 3rd member of the chaos crew

And last is the pink haired one is Fariha who is portia's mc. When they were brought back the devil was able to hold an influence on them kind of like a sleeper agent.

But these are all of my babies

[thatgirlonstage]

Reading Challenge 20/7/18

Manga: Boku no Hero Academia by Horikoshi Kohei

Read: Ch191, p1-17 (caught up), 17% of goal

Favorite Passage:

Book: Welcome to Night Vale Episode, Volume 1: Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

Read:  p65-73, 16% of goal

Favorite Passage:

“Silence is golden. Words are vibrations. Thoughts are magic.”

See my full review of Episode 8 - The Shape in Grove Park here!

Fanfiction: See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil by galaxymilk

Read: Full one-shot, 8984 words, 90% of goal

Favorite Passage:

“Keith typed for a moment before the star charts flooded the room. Constellations and planets danced around them. The lights around Lance zoomed by as the milky way was brought into view before engulfing him. Then, his precious planet greeted him. The contours of his home country were displayed before him, front and center. Any thoughts of the Galra or his situation were erased for a moment.

Keith quietly sat next to him, wrapping his arms around his knees. His body radiated heat, Lance wanted to be smothered in it.

‘How’d you know?’ Lance spoke for the first time since Keith had found him.

Lance felt him shrug, more than he saw it.

‘Coran mentioned once that you come here when you feel homesick,’ Keith placed his chin in-between his knees. He wouldn’t meet Lance’s eyes, but Lance could see pink dusting his pale cheeks. ‘I thought it might make you happy, or something.’”

Total Read: 123% of goal

Ongoing reading projects:

Bolded means I read the most recent update today! Strikethrough means I’m caught up and waiting for an update. Plain text means I’ve fallen behind lol, or that I’m in the process of reading through it.

Original Webcomics:

Aerial Magic | Ava’s Demon | Awaken | Balderdash! | Beyond the Canopy | The Boy Who Fell | Cucumber Quest | Hearstopper | Monsterkind | Namesake | Paranatural | Wilde Life

Fan comics:

Bark and Bite | Blue Paladin’s Journey | SVTFOE Ship War AU | The Tale of Tashi and Nima | Wavelength AU

Manga/Print Comics:

Boku no Hero Academia | Boku no Hero Academia: Illegals | Providence | Sandman

[wolfie-rood]

Worlds Apart 2 - Revali x Reader Oneshot

Hey Ya'll! This is part two of Worlds Apart! Just thought you'd like the heads up.

~~

"Good, but faster next time."

You glanced at the arrow on the ground that nearly shot you before smirking towards the Rito Champion. "Oh, is that what you tell all the ladies?"

Revali scoffed. "Honestly, you Yiga members really do live under a rock somewhere." He adjusted his scarf before reloading another arrow into his bow. "That is what women tell me." He let his arrow fly toward you.

You laughed and jumped to the side gracefully; turning your arm just slightly to help maneuver through the air. This time faster than before; just as he demanded. "Big talk coming from a giant cuccoo." You teased while picking up his arrow and tossing it back at him. "Even though I've been here for quite some time, not a single girl has swooned over you. Strange, wouldn't you say?" You wondered with a smirk.

"Oh, please. You obviously haven't been paying attention." Not many would be able to see it, but you could tell just how bad Revali was stumbling over his words. Yeah, you thought with a smirk. Keep making excuses for yourself.

"Whatever. Now, are you gonna teach me how to disarm an archer, or what?" You questioned. This was certainly something you'd been dying to learn. Bows are a Yiga's weakness since an arrow can shoot them down before they can pull a disappearing act, so this information could be crucial.

The warrior waved you over to him. "When disarming a long-ranged weapon, staying out of aim is key. You cannot take my bow if I shoot you dead before you can even get over here." He pulled the string back as if he were preparing to shoot you. "You're going to want to aim the bow downward as quickly as possible. Then, you're going to grab the arm not holding the string and rip it from the bow. Once that's done, flip me onto the ground."

"... onto the ground." I repeated skeptically. Was this bird really gonna let me do that?

He sighed. "Most people who use long-ranged weapons tend to have less strength and smaller body mass." He paused before adding. "Just don't scratch my face."

"Yeah, whatever." Such an ego.

You ran to Revali at full speed; strafing back and forth to stay out of his aim. Once you got to him, you swiftly grabbed his left wrist and pulled the bow downward. Finally, you used all your strength to pick him up over your shoulder and slammed his back into the grass. By the end of it, you were holding onto his precious bow.

With a deep breath, you asked, "How was that?"

He groaned slightly in pain before smirking. "A bit slow on the uptake if you ask me. Could have thrown me a bit harder, too."

"Shut up!" You giggled and fell down beside him; your blue cloak bunching up around you.

~~

"Almost. But, don't be afraid to hurt me when you flip me, okay?"

"(Name), we've been at this for hours! Can't we just take a break"

You got off the dirt ground and sighed. "No, Kona. We're going to cut off a caravan tomorrow morning! You need to get this right, or someone's gonna shoot your head off!" You walked over to your friend and put your hands on her shoulders. "I will not let you get shot between the eyes tomorrow. Now, let's go again."

"... Where did you even learn to do that anyway?" Kona asked.

Your throat became dry at the mention of your training. "I... I don't want to talk about it..." I mumbled quietly.

Kona groaned and put her arm around you. "Lemme guess; you learned this during your mysterious time at Hyrule Castle?" She then got serious as she squeezed your arm. "You never want to talk about it, but I can tell it's eating you up inside. Just know you can talk to me whenever." She assured you. "We might be trying to destroy Hyrule, but we're not assholes."

"I know, it's just..." You looked up a bit more determined. "It's nothing. C'mon, let's go again."

~~

During the night, you and Kona headed out toward the Nima Plains in the Ridgeland Region. After waiting for daylight, the caravan holding unknown contents finally arrived in the morning. You gave Kona the signal, and you both jumped in front of the large wagons to make them stop. On queue, a few archers jumped out of the caravans and began shooting. The two of you took care of them as swiftly as possible. Once they were out of the way, you took care of everyone else. Soon, there was nobody left who was conscious.

Kona looked around the area before glancing at you. "Okay, is it just me or was that too easy?"

She was right; the knights were usually much stronger than this. It felt as though they walked right into a trap. The only question was what kind of trap? Before you could figure it out for yourself, another voice answered for you. "Is it just me, or is the Yiga Clan losing its touch?" You looked up on one of the wagons to see a certain Rito Champion sitting there comfortably. "You didn't even check your surroundings thoroughly." He scolded.

Awesome.

'Go.' You signed to Kona with your hands. 'I've got this covered.'

She sighed and jumped backward; getting ready to use her warping ability. 'He's gonna kill you.' She replied with her hands before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Telling your friend to leave? What a shame; I was looking forward to getting rid of both of you. Though, one will do, I suppose." Revali sighed while jumping onto the dirt path. Did his snark ever have an off switch?

Revali shot an arrow, and you dodged it much like how you did during your practice sessions. You're positive that your unique movements tipped him off, and you mentally cursed at yourself. If he finds out your identity, you're sure he'll kill you without a second thought.

You saw the fire in his emerald eyes and time stopped. He couldn't see your face, but he could tell you were staring. Such an arrogant and determined look in his eyes would make any girl melt. You didn't melt, but you were certainly mesmerized. You realized just how much you missed that look.

You quickly snapped back to reality as your feet landed in a patch of grass. Damn it all! If I don't get moving, he'll kill me for sure!

With a shaky breath, your swiftly ran towards Revali; strafing side to side so he wouldn't shoot you. He seemed shocked when you got close and grabbed him before flipping him over onto the soft grass.

Instead of getting up for round two, he stayed there and laughed; almost relieved. "I've been looking for you for quite some time, (Name). A bit rude that you'd make me search high and low like this, but I suppose it was worth the effort." He chuckled. You stayed silent as tears welled up in your eyes. Dammit, Revali. "You haven't the slightest clue, do you? How much I yearn to hate you. How much it pains me to simply think of you. And as much as I want to throw your corpse into death mountain after letting a horde of silver bokoblins eat you alive," Revali sat up and stared you down with that everlasting smirk of his. "I simply cannot."

You hesitated; wondering if you should just leave and regroup with Kona. But instead, you bent down and pulled your mask off. Hair was stuck to your face from sweat and tears, but you still managed a goofy smile. "Well, what's not to love?" You joked.

"Well, that ridiculous bun your hair is in, for starters." He replied.

You scoffed. "Oh, right. Because you can do better."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I--"

As fast as lightning, a knife was held up to Revali's throat. Behind him was a thin Yiga with her mask still on. "Kona!" You yelled angrily.

"(Name), what the hell are you doing?" She screamed. Strangely, Revali was calm, even a bit bored, during the whole ordeal.

You took a breath to calm yourself. You needed to stay level-headed if you wanted Kona to listen. "Kona," you started slowly. "Let him go."

Kona was breathing heavily with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Why? Why are you talking to this Champion like he's your friend? And why in Calamity should I let him live?"

You were slowly beginning to panic; Kona wasn't hearing a word you said, and Revali was going to die if you couldn't make her listen. Your lungs started to ache from all the heavy breaths you took in. But you saw them; those calm, green eyes. They shined with affection that made your heartbeat even out. He trusted you to fix this. Even after all the hell you put him through, Revali still trusted you. His calm demeanor helped you slow your breaths and relax.

Your newfound determination urged you to stand up and glower down at Kona; something the princess taught you. It was very effective for scolding, even though you never actually saw her do it. Your voice dripped with authoritative anger as you began lecturing Kona. "I am your superior, Kona. You will listen to me right this second: Let. Him. Go." Her grip loosened on the knife, but not because she was listening. She was simply shocked by the way you sounded. Thankfully, it was just enough for Revali to grab her arm and flip her. The impact on her head was enough to make her pass out, but she'd be okay otherwise.

"See?" Revali said while standing and dusting himself off. "It works on knife-wielders, too." He walked over to you, and you instantly remembered the height difference between you two. "So I can only assume you're going to refuse to come with me."

You sung your arms loosely while looking down. "You see how she is; Kona is dead without me." Your eyes wandered to stare at anything besides the Rito in front of you. "I can't go back... not after everything I've done."

"Would it be considered kidnap if you're technically the enemy?" He wondered.

You laughed. "Um, yes. I think it would still be kidnap."

"Fine... you do understand that I will make it my personal goal to meet you like this as many times as possible. At least until you agree to come with me." Revali said in a serious tone.

"I don't think I'll mind that too much."

"As long as you keep that one away from me." He said while pointing down at Kona.

You laughed. "What? No way; she's completely harmless... when she's asleep."

"Yes, well, I don't feel like repeating this little knife incident." He stared at you as silence fell between you.

So much raced through your mind at once. Why was he still here? Why was he so adamant on bringing you with him? Why did he care so much?

Why couldn't you just stop thinking about him?

Suddenly, Revali stepped toward you; wrapping his feathery arms around you. The wind had stopped, and you were able to feel his gentle breathing in your ear. The deafening silence allowed you to hear his rapid heartbeat. You could only assume he was able to hear yours, as well. "This is your fault." He whispered. "If you hadn't tried to kill the princess that night, I'm positive I wouldn't be completely infatuated right now..."

You could only let out a shaky sigh in response. You almost completely lost your composure when he started tracing circles on your arm with his thumb. Before he could allow things to escalate any further, he stepped away.

Finally, you found your voice. "I suppose I'll be seeing you around, then..."

"Well you certainly don't have a choice."

I smirked and rubbed my nose. "Well, I would say goodbye, but I'd actually have to care I was leaving first." I joked. Quickly, I threw Kona over my shoulder and took a few steps back. Before warping away, I smiled sadly. "Goodbye, Revali."

~~

Later in the afternoon, Kona began to stir in her bed. She'd been unconscious, and you had been sitting at her bedside until now. Your friend groggily sat up and rubbed her head in pain. "Hey there, Kona. How's your head?" You questioned.

"Oh you mean besides it pounding to the point of exploding?" She asked sarcastically. "Just fantastic."

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. "I did tell you to leave. You were the one who came back and got your ass handed to you..."

"Yeah, I guess..." The room fell silent as you recounted the events of this morning. "That Champion; you knew him, didn't you?" Kona questioned quietly while staring down at her hands.

You nodded sadly. "Where do you think all that kickass combat training came from?" You paused for a moment. "He said he's... he's infatuated." You mumbled. That's when you realized the wetness in your eyes.

"With you?" You nodded again; more hesitantly. "Shit."

"No kidding..."

Kona was reluctant, but continued with her little interrogation. "What about you? What do you feel?" She wondered. Kona moved over a bit to let you sit on the bed with her. "It's okay."

With those words of consolation, the tears came pouring down your face. You wiped one away only for two more to take its place. Kona held you close to her as you cried your eyes out. She didn't understand everything you said, but you still made an effort to speak. "I-I-I... I don't know anymore. I Th-th-thought it would b-be easy to leave, but h-he makes it so h-h-hard!" You took a few minutes to let every emotion out until you were just a snotty mess. Once your stutter was lost, you clung to your friend; physically and emotionally exhausted. "... I love him. I love him, and I hate him for making me love him." You finally admitted to yourself. You'd been ignoring it for months, but you couldn't keep running; especially when Revali said himself that he'd chase after you. And now, you couldn't stop yourself from believing you were just as infatuated. You just wish you didn't say goodbye. Because saying goodbye meant you cared...

You didn't want the courage to say goodbye.

~~

I. Am. An asshole.

I've been gone for the longest time with no explination. And honestly, I don't have one. I mean, I guess school, but that's just lame. I'm sorry for being a douche. I'll try to be more active.

[michaltniel]

My baby boy, my precious son, I hope your day is filled with fun. As the times go by, you already change in many ways but one thing stays true through all these days: You'll always be forever the little boy who has my heart just like you did right from the very start. Happy Birthday Mr. Dom ONEderful 😘🤗 Nima love you ❤ https://www.instagram.com/p/B6uyjmCpva_K7g9Fa00Wai7m0P4RtV3ljYgM6U0/?igshid=4izrt5urbgms

[manjushriwisdom]

How Tara Save Garchen Rinpoche life 8 times

How Tara Saved My Life Eight Times Part 13 We could buy whatever we wanted, and they helped us in every way. Everyone greeted us: everyone liked us very much. However, people said that there was a tradition in Pemakod of killing people by mixing poison with their food. Many people had been killed that way. There are even stories of women trying to poison their husbands and if he survived, his wife would just continue to live with him - very strange. They would give poison to anyone they wanted to kill. Chin Jyam told me to be careful about being poisoned but my mother said, “Don’t worry, no one will poison you.” She had no concerns whatsoever. It is mentioned in my story that in our home town in Tibet, people never saw my mother angry. She was famous for that; she was like a bodhisattva. In Pemakod, everyone - the children, the officials would call her Mother Dega. People would go to her house to eat and she would give them whatever she had. One day during our stay, someone offered some food to me. Not knowing, I ate it and suddenly got sick with a fever and had diarrhoea with blood in it. I got very sick. I only had permission for one month there so I had to return to prison very soon thereafter. On my way back, I was able to obtain very precious medicine in Lhasa. After taking various medicines, I was saved from the threat of food mixed with poison. That was the first time I got food poisoning. The second time was in 1988. That time Bu Nima and I had gone to Pemakod together. I fell ill again similar to the previous food poisoning. The residues from that poisoning along with my current fever caused me to fall ill. I was saved both times I got poisoning in Pemakod. At that time, Bu Nima was with me and I held a position in the government. I didn’t have any political authority but I was a government official with a salary. There are such strange positions in China’s bureaucracy. When I was going to Pemakod, I had a little more freedom than before. The county assisted me. They sent a car to drive me there. 🌼

[ngakpakonchokdorjetsondonmystic]

How Tara Save Garchen Rinpoche life 8 times

How Tara Saved My Life Eight Times Part 13 We could buy whatever we wanted, and they helped us in every way. Everyone greeted us: everyone liked us very much. However, people said that there was a tradition in Pemakod of killing people by mixing poison with their food. Many people had been killed that way. There are even stories of women trying to poison their husbands and if he survived, his wife would just continue to live with him - very strange. They would give poison to anyone they wanted to kill. Chin Jyam told me to be careful about being poisoned but my mother said, “Don’t worry, no one will poison you.” She had no concerns whatsoever. It is mentioned in my story that in our home town in Tibet, people never saw my mother angry. She was famous for that; she was like a bodhisattva. In Pemakod, everyone - the children, the officials would call her Mother Dega. People would go to her house to eat and she would give them whatever she had. One day during our stay, someone offered some food to me. Not knowing, I ate it and suddenly got sick with a fever and had diarrhoea with blood in it. I got very sick. I only had permission for one month there so I had to return to prison very soon thereafter. On my way back, I was able to obtain very precious medicine in Lhasa. After taking various medicines, I was saved from the threat of food mixed with poison. That was the first time I got food poisoning. The second time was in 1988. That time Bu Nima and I had gone to Pemakod together. I fell ill again similar to the previous food poisoning. The residues from that poisoning along with my current fever caused me to fall ill. I was saved both times I got poisoning in Pemakod. At that time, Bu Nima was with me and I held a position in the government. I didn’t have any political authority but I was a government official with a salary. There are such strange positions in China’s bureaucracy. When I was going to Pemakod, I had a little more freedom than before. The county assisted me. They sent a car to drive me there. 🌼

[fyourself-literally]

     Hello, mi gente! I am back. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA but the semester was kicking my ass and I couldn’t risk falling behind because it was my last semester—not including the month-long summer semester which was probably the hardest semester ever—before I graduated. But I am free from university (not counting the online classes I’ll be taking to get certified as medical interpreter) and at the moment jobless so hopefully, I’ll be able to go back to posting regularly. Who am I kidding? I never posted regularly but I am going to try. Today I’m doing a very late Mid Year Freak Out Tag. I love this tag and I believed I’ve never done it before and I am so ready.

     The original tag was created by Chami from Read Like Wildfire and Ely from Earl Grey Books. The links are to Chami’s channel since the original video is unavailable and Ely’s original video 

     I’m going to start by saying my goal was to read 29 books and I’ve surpassed by reading 52. This means it will be very hard to choose just one answer so most of them will have multiple answers.

Question #1: Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

Such a strong start to this tag. This is one of the questions that I just can’t choose one so I choose five. Fight me!

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

      I must say that as intrigued as I was by this book I was also nervous which why I opted for the audiobook because it was on Scribd. I was nervous because I hated The Female of the Species—an unpopular opinion, I know. But my God was this book addicting, I couldn’t stop listening to it. The story was amazing and so was the audiobook. I definitely recommend going the audiobook route. It made the book even better, it made it feel more real like this was an actual person telling you their story. It’s definitely one of my favorite audiobooks of the year. This is the story of a high school athlete who gets injured on a car accident and start taking pain medication for it. This is her story as she becomes addicted to them until, like the title says, she gets addicted to heroin. This was so heart hitting and I loved it. It’s weird saying I loved such a sad book but I did. I don’t know what that says about me but yeah.

     I must say this book is extremely graphic so if you’re struggling with an addiction or are a recovered addict PLEASE stay away from this book.

Add it on Goodreads

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

    Mi gente, this book was also so addicting. I couldn’t stop reading it until it got to a point that I didn’t want to read it anymore and ignored it for like a week because I didn’t want it to end. It’s a problem, I know. What can I say about this book? If you’re a lover of science you will love it. If you’re not or like me you only have very basic knowledge of it, you might get confused at times. This didn’t stop me from loving it though. This sci-fi thriller is about a genius scientist who wakes up one day to find out that his wife was never his wife, that he didn’t have a son, and that it seems like the life he knows never existed. We follow him as he tries to figure out what happens and tries to go back to the life he knows and loves. I truly, truly, truly recommend.

Add it on Goodreads

My Brother’s Husband Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii

    This is the cutest most heartwarming book ever. Like all the books on this list, I completely adored it. This is a manga about a man whose brother came out as gay and then moved out to Canada where he married a man and lost touch with his twin brother. Then he dies and his husband travels to Japan to get to know his family and their culture. This book is about this man struggling to accept that his brother was gay and that he married a man. The cutest part of this story was not him but his daughter that accepts her uncle right away and creates a precious bond with him. She was so proud of him that it made my heart happy. As you probably know Japanese culture isn’t exactly the most accepting of queer people, so this is book gives a message of hope to those that feel oppressed. A message that one day things will change. I can’t wait to read vol. 2, it’s definitely on my TBR. Please read it.

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Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

    This is a very polarizing book. I’m going to start by saying that. You either love it or hate. Well, I fell on the love it side. I’m not a fantasy lover but I fell head over heels for this book. I know some say they expected it to be darker and that they didn’t connect with the characters but it was dark enough for me and I did connect to the characters which is why I adored it and why I was destroyed by the end of the book. It took me a long time to get over it. 

     This is a fantasy world where two kingdoms are at war because one side, the very religious one that worships the gods, consider the other side heretics because of their use blood magic and the other side just wants magic and control of their enemies’ lands. In it, we have a girl who can speak to the gods, a prince that is very powerful and just wants to catch her and win the war, and someone who’s secretly a villain. I must say that I don’t recommend that you read the synopsis as it spoils it. 

     This book got very confusing at times. I thought it was me but after hearing other people talk about it, I realized it was the book. This made it hard to get into it a time but by the end of it, I was completely in love. 

Add to Goodreads 

Birthday by Meredith Russo 

    This is “a love story eighteen years in the making.” This is definitely the best way to describe to book. But to convince you I want to give you more details. This is an own voices story about a trans girl and her trying to come to terms with it while her best friend, that she’s into and who she has been her best friends since the moment they were born, struggles with his attraction towards her as he is straight but knows her as a boy. This book is told through their birthdays from the moment they turned thirteen to the moment they turned eighteen. 

     Mi gente, this was so heart-hitting. I just wanted Meredith Russo to give my girl Morgan a break but she wouldn’t. She would just hit her with one thing after the other with only sparks of happiness. But life as a trans person isn’t easy especially for those living in very conservative towns and I’m sure that she speaks from her experience.

     I got to say that this, like her other book If I Was Your Girl, became one of my all-time favorite books. Actually, most of the books on this list did. This book is important. Please read it!

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You by Caroline Kepnes

This is a story about a man who meets this woman and becomes obsessed with her to the point that he starts stalking her. This book tells the story of everything he does to be able to get her to be with him. One of the thing that makes this book both interesting and creepy is that he narrates the story as if you were her. So, all the time he’s like you did this, you looked this way, I watched you, I followed you*, etc. The weirdest part is that the “love interest,” if you can call it that, is so unlikeable that you kind of root for him.

I am obsessed with this book, pun not intended, it was so crazy and honestly, scary. It made me realize how public my life is thanks to social media and how it just needs a little research to find out everything about me. If you need the motivation to make your life more private on social media and to be a little more careful about what you do in real life, I recommend this book. It definitely worked for me.

Theme song for this book: Sucker by Jonas Brothers. Yup, I just totally ruined the song for you. You welcomed.

*Fun fact I’ve heard the audiobook makes it even creepier.

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Question #2: Best sequel you’ve read so far. 

Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joëlle Jones  

    So, I’m not a fan of series, therefore, I rarely read sequels to the point that this year I’ve only read graphic novels sequels. From those, it’s hard to choose one ‘cause I can’t tell them apart. So, I think I’m going with Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joëlle Jones. What can I say? I adore this series and it breaks my heart that there’s no news for a third volume. This series is about a homemaker in the 60s whose also a paid assassin. It is as good as it sounds but it ended on a cliffhanger which both makes me mad and tore me apart. I truly recommend this series. Plus, LOOK AT THE ART! Swoon. 

 Add Vol. 1 on Goodreads

Question #3: New release you haven’t read yet but want to.

     Choosing an answer to this is both hard and easy. I usually get to new releases way after they’re published but there are some that I want to get to before the end of the year and those are:

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

      This story is about Reza an Iranian boy who’s gays in the 80s during the aids epidemic. This deals with him being terrified of someone finding out since the only things he’s seen in the media is about gay men dying from aids. Then we have Judy who’s an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle who’s a gay man living with aids. She never imagined romance until she falls for Reza and they start dating. Then we have Art who’s Judy’s best friend and the only out and proud gay teen at their school. As Reza and Art get closer, Reza is looking for a way to stop the deception without breaking Judy’s heart. Or at least that’s I believe it’s about. I skipped a lot of details so this post won’t be a thousand pages long. 

I mean, doesn’t this sound amazing? Not only does it sound great but it also has a gay main character who’s also a person of color. AAAHH! I can’t wait to read it. If you’ve read it please let me know your thoughts.

 Add it on Goodreads

Kings, Queens, and In-Between by Tanya Boteju

    This book is about Nima Kumara-Clark who’s in love with her straight best friend and trying to move on from her mother’s unexpected departure. She then discovers the world of drag and gets immersed in it.

Drag queens, kings, in between AND a lesbian main character? Sign me the F in! I’ve always wanted to venture into this world and may even try drag so I’m excited. The fact that one of my good friends used to do drag makes me even more excited. I want to see a little into his world. If’ you have read it let me know your thoughts.

 Add it on Goodreads

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

    This is the story of Rukhsana Aline who’s secretly gay and trying her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations. One day her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend. They then send her off to Bangladesh “where is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition.” But only through reading her grandmother’s old diary she is able to gain perspective.

I know the reviews haven’t been the greatest but I’m still very excited. I feel like most queer books feature white main characters so I’m always on the search for queer books with intersectional main characters. But I’m not excited just because of that but because the premise has me intrigued. If you have read it let me know what you think.

 Add it to Goodreads

      Don’t these just sound amazing? I just can’t wait to get to them.

Question #4: Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

      I don’t know many new releases but these are ones that I can’t wait for. 

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 

    I am so hyped for this book. This is either a sequel or a spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale, the synopsis has me a bit confused about which of these categories this fit. I must admit that The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t the most entertaining book ever but it was so interesting and I am just so ready to know more about this world.

 Add The Handmaid’s Tale on Goodreads

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

     This is the sequel of Skyward which is why I can’t give details of what it’s about. Just know that I liked Skyward enough to get me to continue with the series and that never happens. This is why I prefer standalone novels because usually even if I like the first book, I normally can’t commit to the rest of the series. But this series is the exception and I can’t wait to continue it.

Ps that cover has me dead. Definitely one of the prettiest cover I’ve seen this year.

Add Skyward on Goodreads

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 

     This is about a lesbian necromancer in space. That’s all I have to know. Count me the hell in. But seriously this just sounds so amazing and different to what I normally read—if you don’t count Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh. And apparently, I’m really into stories about women necromancers (saying female excludes people from the trans spectrum that identifies as women) who likes other women. And I know I’m not the only excited. This seems to be on many people’s most anticipated releases TBR. 

Add it on Goodreads

Question #5: Biggest disappointment

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal     

    Sadly this was the easiest answer. My biggest disappointment was Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal. I was so hyped. I mean, it’s a story written by a Puerto Rican author with Puerto Rican main characters set in Puerto Rico about el cuco. It’s a freaking horror-thriller!!! This was supposed to be good and Puerto Rican af but the representation was way off. The author was not born and raised in Puerto Rico, at least that’s what I think, and you could totally tell. It definitely felt like it was written by an outsider in the sense that the image it had of Puerto Rico and its people and culture is one from someone who isn’t from here—expect a post with more details—still, I can see why some people might like it. 

*I’m not saying that you’re not a real Puerto Rican if you aren’t born and raise in Puerto Rico but it’s just the image we each have is usually not the same. Please don’t feel offended.

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Question #6: Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

     This was so easy to answer. Ashley Herring Blake is officially an auto-buy author for me. I’ve read three of her books this year and I have adored every single one of them. I’m not a fan of middle grades but hers are so amazing. The fact that she writes queer books, even her middle grades, just makes me love her even more. If you haven’t read a book by her, you must. 

 Question #7: Biggest surprise

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake      

    To answer this question we have to go back to Ashley Herring Blake. I was expecting to like The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James but I didn’t like it, I adored it. It is a book I will forever recommend. Even if you don’t like middle grades you need to give it a chance. This is about a girl who gets a heart transplant and decides she wants to truly live her life and she has a plan. On that plan there are two important things 1) make a new best friend. 2) kiss a boy 3) do awesome things. She then meets a Puerto Rican blue-haired girl (!!!!) and they instantly became best friends. But what happens when she realizes that she might also want to kiss a girl the same way she wants to kiss a boy. This book also deals with her mother coming back after giving her away and how she deals with it. Please, please, please read this book.

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Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

     But that’s not the only surprise Wicked Saints, the book which I gushed about in question #1, was a total surprise. I was intrigued by the synopsis but what truly called me was the cover—call me shallow, I don’t care—but since it was a fantasy I wasn’t sure if I was going to truly love it but I did. I am so freaking glad I gave it a chance because I am obsessed. You can see me gushing about it on my highlight on Instagram. 

Add it on Goodreads

Question #8: Newest fictional crush

I never get fictional crushes so next question.

 Question #9: Newest favorite character

      This one is easy. My newest favorite character is the girl, whose name I can’t remember, from My Brother’s Husband. She was just so accepting and adorable that I couldn’t handle it. Oh, and also Quinn from The Might Heart of Sunny St. James and not just because she’s Puerto Rican. She’s just so smart, adorable, and a great friend.

Question #10: Book that made you cry

     So I rarely cry with books but this year two books have made me cry and of course, they were Ashley Herring Blake’s books. To be more specific both of her middle grade. The first one was  Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World which is about a girl who loses her house to a tornado and then loses her notebooks where she had drawn pictures of girls holding hands. Then someone starts putting her drawing on her lockers while asking her to please open up and talk to someone about it. The scene between her sister and her just destroyed me. I’ve realized that I get really emotional when I read those kinds of scene as I am very close with my older sister. The other is  The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James which I have already explained what it’s about. Now this one affected me even more. I was crying nonstop during the last sixty pages and that NEVER happens. I just adore that book.

   Add Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World on Goodreads

Add The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James on Goodreads

Question #11: Book that made you happy

      I have a couple of books that fit this and those are:

     My Brother’s Husband which I have already gushed enough for you to get the picture. 

     The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James which you’re probably tired of me talking about it.

    Aurora Rising which is about the star student on a space pilot academy that after missing the choosing ceremony gets stuck with the misfits, the one no one wanted. But the reason he missed it was because he rescued a girl that has been in cryo sleep for two centuries and who might be a catalyst for a war millions of year in the making. This sci-fi book is so hilarious that it was constantly making me laugh out loud in public which probably made people think I’m crazy. In here we have a disabled character who might also be bisexual and that’s always a plus. 

Question #12: Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

     This goes for both Wicked Saints and Aurora Rising. I mean, look at those covers!

Question #13: What books do you need to read by the end of the year

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak     

    Pretty much every single book on my TBR. But to actually answer the question with a book I’m going with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I own both the book and the audiobook ever since the movie came out. I loved the movie and usually, the books are better than the movies so I don’t know why it’s taking me forever to get to it. This is historical fiction set in World War II about this girl that stars stealing books and how the family she’s staying in is hiding a Jew in their basement.

Add it on Goodreads

_____

If you’re still here, THANK YOU! So that’s my very late Mid Year Freak Out Tag. I hope you enjoyed it and that I have convinced you to give some of these books a chance. Thank you for reading and

HAPPY READINGS!

  A VERY late Mid Year Freak Out Tag      Hello, mi gente! I am back. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA but the semester was kicking my ass and I couldn’t risk falling behind because it was my last semester—not including the month-long summer semester which was probably the hardest semester ever—before I graduated.

[tripstations]

The best travel documentaries on Netflix

By James Jayasundera on Jul 12, 2019 in Asia, Food and Drink, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Photography, Regions, Travel Equipment, Travel Miscellany, Videos

Escape into the real world with some of our favourite travel documentaries showing on Netflix. Our globe has more adventure and magic than any fictional show. We have delved into the world of wanderlust to discover astonishing sights waiting to be explored. From the islands of Japan to treasure hunting in South India’s Golconda diamonds mines, ignite your imagination and let the tales below be a catalyst for planning an adventure of a lifetime.

Children of the Snow Lands

Telling the moving story of children in the High Himalayas of Nepal, this documentary follows the footsteps of young students returning to their mountain homes after over a decade spent away at schools in Kathmandu. Filmmakers Zara Balfour and Marcus Stephenson tread lightly alongside this emotional pilgrimage home, never moving from sensitivity and a deep bond forged with the subjects.

We meet one girl who was carried on her aunt’s back to Kathmandu aged four and her emotional reunion, now aged 16, with her mother, alongside 17-year old Nima whose journey home is fraught with danger, travelling through high avalanche-risk valleys to his village in the highest inhabited region on Earth. This is an unforgettable story, called “incredibly inspiring” by Bear Grylls, of hope, endurance, family and sacrifice played out against the starkly breathtaking scenery of the Land of the Gods.

Parts Unknown: Myanmar

The late, great Anthony Bourdain set off on a journey with CNN to sample some of the best dishes to be found in lesser-known regions of the world. His unique style, infused with wit and a deep passion for food, takes us on a magic carpet ride of ingredients and personalities.

Travelling through the still relatively undiscovered landscape of Myanmar, Bourdain has a series of breakfast and lunch dates with an intriguing cast of characters as a backdrop to the highlighted dishes. From a breakfast of mohinga (fish-based soup with rice noodles) with a veteran Burmese journalist, to savouring chicken necks and cold beer with New York restauranter Philippe Lajaunie, and tea leaf salad in Yangon with renowned astrologer and ex-prisoner San Zarni Bo, this smorgasboard of stories brings Myanmar alive in a most memorable way.

Chef’s Table: Asma Khan

Asma Khan is nothing if not a one woman phenomenon. From first ventures into the world of food, hosting successful supper clubs at her Kensington home to opening a string of critically acclaimed Indian fusion restaurants across London, the lawyer-turned-entrepreneur is passionate about both sharing her culinary heritage and empowering women. Her kitchens are all-female and Khan travels the globe supporting and sharing the cause of women’s rights.

As the first British chef to be featured on Netflix’s famed series Chef’s Table, Khan takes us to her native city of Lucknow, India. We sit in the arching drawing room of her family palace and travel through time to worlds of purdah, dignity, family pride and a deep-rooted sense of belonging. “When you share food, it builds a bridge between you and the other person, who may be from a different cultural background from you,” says Khan. We delve deep into the nuanced layers of Muslim Indian society led hand in hand by the gracious and warm chef who brings an effortless magnetism to the screen.

David Attenborough’s Our Planet

Opening with a line from one of the most famous voices on earth, David Attenborough, “For the first time in our history, the stability of nature can no longer be taken for granted. All across our planet, crucial connections are being disrupted, the stability that we and all life relies upon is being lost. What we do in the next 20 years will determine the future for all life on Earth”.

Newly released and a heart cry for the urgency of conservation, David Attenborough’s Our Planet is an 8-episode explosion of some of the most awesome photography ever seen. At its core is a message we all need to hear – every species on earth, including humans, are interconnected and the destruction of any poses a grave risk for all. Weaving the issues of today’s planet, including global warming and environmental degradation is deeply impacting and a bold move away from the familiar cosy Attenborough narrative into darker territory. Lines such as “we have destroyed half the forests on earth” cannot fail to shock. This series has a clear purpose to shake all of us out of passivity and engage with the struggle to help our planet rebalance itself for future generations. A must-see!

Wild Japan – BBC Earth

Michelle Dockery, of Downton Abbey fame, takes the viewer on a memorable trek through some of approximately 6,800 islands of the sometimes mysterious Japan. Beginning at the largest island Honshu, home to Tokyo, where 100 million people live in an area one-sixth the size of France, we discover the central Japanese Alps, balmy summers and sub-zero winters alongside Black Bears and unique species.

Further afield lie a jewel box of scattered islands, each with a unique quality and identity, Kyushu has an active volcano, Yakushima sports millenia-old cedar tree forests, utterly magical and given UNESCO world heritage status while Okinawa has the world’s smallest wild boars, green turtles and hauntingly beautiful Iriomote mangrove forests. Hokkaido, once part of Siberia, is another intriguing subject explored, formerly ruled by the indigenous Ainu tribes until 19th century Japanese settlers created an agricultural paradise. These far eastern islands are a scenic and dramatic destination with many stories uncovered.

Street Food – Netflix Original

There is surely no better way to get under the skin of another land and people than through the scents, tastes and zing of street food. Called “a chaotic paradise of food”, this fast-paced and emotive Netflix Original series, from the creators of Chef’s Table, traverses the lanes and alleyways of Hanoi, Mumbai, Manila, Bangkok and other pulsating cities.

Real stories are shared through the lick of flames, the cracking of beer bottles and the joyful smiles of nocturnal street diners. This is humanity stripped of pretense and barriers, coming together to share the olfactory and taste pleasures of some of the most authentic and best food on the planet. Voices and eyes narrate tales of hardship, perseverance and success against all odds. This is inspiration and the purest form of travel – that of sharing a plate with a stranger and joining in his journey. A star!

Tales By Light

“Behind every powerful image is a powerful story”. This is the premise behind this extraordinary documentary by Sydney cinematographer Abraham Joffe who spent 12 months travelling the world with five prominent photographers as they journeyed in search of the perfect image.

From Buddhist monks and fire ceremonies in Bhutan to tribal life on Papua New Guinea’s remote Sepik River, Humpback Whales in Tonga and lions in the African deserts, this is an enthralling and sometimes heartstopping reveal into what it takes to be a travel photographer. Following the likes of National Geographic’s Art Wolfe, Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Photography author Richard I’Anson, Tales By Light is a true showing of masters in action.

The Lost Treasure Hunters: Golconda

Imagine embarking on an Indiana Jones-style escapade in search of diamonds at the world’s former greatest mine. This is exactly what Sam Speerstra does in the Discovery Channel show “Lost Treasure Hunters” as he ventures into the heart of India to the famed Golconda Mines, a place of legend, curses and untold wealth.

Along with Rob Towner, an expert gold miner and diamond hunter, Speerstra takes on deadly vipers, cobras, local superstition and an impending monsoon to search for the precious stones at a source that has produced more diamonds than anywhere on earth. From vacuuming diamonds off the bottom of the Krishna River, one of the longest rivers in India, to dredging waters with an elephant barge, translating Sanskrit maps and overseeing an animal sacrifice to appease river gods, this is an action-packed, compelling and occasionally close to the bone glimpse into the world of extreme prospecting and India’s real life lost jewels.

Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

Comedian Jack Whitehall kidnaps his conservative father, theatrical agent Michael Whitehall, for a true “odd couple” escape across the glorious landscape of Southeast Asia in this six-part travelogue. A joyful, madcap whirlwind where Whitehall senior packs his Garrick Club tie “in case I meet an ambassador” and confesses that his idea of an odyssey is crossing Putney Bridge.

The episodes reveal as much about the father and son dynamic, revelling in their contrasting characters and shared sense of the ridiculous, as the pair navigate the landscapes. From elephant polo to ladyboy entertainers, the Orient Express and the mystical Angkor Wat, Jack and Michael are game for anything and the cultural differences are made even more hilarious by the soundtrack of dry British humour.

James Jayasundera is Founder and Managing Director of Ampersand Travel. Ampersand Travel create bespoke and luxurious travel experiences to Asia, the British Isles and Southern Africa.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

The post The best travel documentaries on Netflix appeared first on Tripstations.

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[Udemy] iOS12 Bootcamp from Beginner to Professional iOS Developer

iOS 12, swift 4.2, iOS for beginners, iOS bootcamp, learn iOS development, swift for beginner.   What Will I Learn?   We will start from beginner level and build simple apps and slowly move to more advanced applications along the way. This course will cover many applications and many aspects of iOS development. By the time you finish our iOS course, you will be able to build iOS Apps and start making money from your new skills Build fully-functional apps for your startup or business Work from home as freelance iOS Developer Get your portfolio ready to apply for a iOS developer job. Requirements Computer running latest Mac OS. xCode (free from AppStore) We will walk you through, step-by-step how to get Xcode installed and do necessary set up Description The course is being updated with new content every few days! In iOS 12 Bootcamp we are going to teach you how to become an iOS developer in few weeks. This course is designed for absolute beginners as well as intermediate developers. If you want to learn how to Develop iOS Apps, you have come to the right place. Our complete iOS12 BootCamp teaches you how to code using Swift 4.2 and build iOS 12 apps. Even if you have ZERO programming experience, this course is for you! We are going to start from ZERO level and gradually learn the basics of the Swift programming language and building apps in xCode. First we are going to learn the theory and then use the things we learn in a project so you can practice the new material in a simple applications that we will do together. As you learn more and more the course will gradually become more advanced where we are going to build more advanced apps. By the end of this course, you will be fluently programming in Swift 4.2 and be ready to write iOS applications by you own and start a freelancing job as an iOS 12 developer. We are going to have many challenges in the course and I am going to provide you with a lot of reading material as well. But remember the if you want to become developer, you have to actually type the code yourself. This is the best way of learning to code. You may read 100 books on iOS Development, but if you never type the code, you will not learn how to code. From beginner to iOS 12 app developer with just one course! This course will cover all the parts of iOS and Swift development you will need. Also, in this course i will spend quite a lot of time on errors and debugging the problems. This is one of the most important areas of the software development. If you cannot debug and find the problems in your code, you will never become a developer. So this is very important aspect of the course. We will cover some of the basic most common errors in the beginning of the course and then dive dipper when we learn more and more about Swift. So by the end of the course, you’ll completely understand: Concepts of Object Oriented Programming and Model View Controller: The type system, variables, functions and methods, inheritance, classes and protocols. Data Structures, how to work with collections, arrays and dictionaries. Software Design, how to organise and format code for readability Networking, how to make asynchronous API calls, store and retrieve data from the cloud, and use the JSON format for server communication. Machine Learning, how to make artificially intelligent apps using iOS 12’s new CoreML framework.   Core Data, Realm, UserDefaults and other ways of persistent data storage. Don’t waste your time on low quality courses Your time is precious. We offer the best video courses with carefully crafted content, we are learning by coding! Don’t just take our word for it, check out our other courses and what other students have to say about our courses!   “This course is so far the best course I took in UDEMY. I really learned something. Totally worth the time. Won’t regret it. The instructor was responsive too and the course is new and knowledgeable."  J Nima "A excellent Tutorial by david. Very good explanation” Tapan Kumar Raut “There is nothing on Udemy like David’s courses! I cannot recommend his courses enough. Best teacher out there, very responsive as well. ” Kris “I really do love the approach, the structure of the course gives you the ability to move forward smoothly, and efficiently gain as much knowledge as possible, the instructor really goes in-depth, it’s incredibly comprehensive, not to forget that this is a real world project, and the advanced concepts gained here make me all confident that i’ll be able to build my own apps in a very effective way. the course is well taught, and it really deserves the 5 stars, the instructor as well, he explains things in a very clear, clean way. Definitely enjoying the Course. and definitely Thumbs Up.” Yen Loo “This is one of the most complete and comprehensive iOS projects on Udemy! Everything works! No broken code! You learn Firebase, Onesignal and Backendless in one project. The instructor is always accessible, he goes for quality not quantity. I still have a way to go, but so far it has kept me completely engaged and focused! I wish there were more courses like this! I will definitely purchase another from David.” antr8tr   We are so confident that you’ll love this course that we’re offering a FULL money back guarantee for 30 days, No Questions Asked! So it’s a complete no-brainer, sign up today with ZERO risk and EVERYTHING to gain. So what are you waiting for? Click the Buy Now button and join the best iOS 12 BootCamp app development course. Who is the target audience? If you are an absolute beginner to coding, then this course is for you. The course is designed for students who never used iOS and Swift If you are beginner or intemediate software developer, this course will help you to advance your skills in iOS app development source https://ttorial.com/ios12-bootcamp-beginner-professional-ios-developer

source https://ttorialcom.tumblr.com/post/176984853438

[ttorialcom]

[Udemy] iOS12 Bootcamp from Beginner to Professional iOS Developer

iOS 12, swift 4.2, iOS for beginners, iOS bootcamp, learn iOS development, swift for beginner.   What Will I Learn?   We will start from beginner level and build simple apps and slowly move to more advanced applications along the way. This course will cover many applications and many aspects of iOS development. By the time you finish our iOS course, you will be able to build iOS Apps and start making money from your new skills Build fully-functional apps for your startup or business Work from home as freelance iOS Developer Get your portfolio ready to apply for a iOS developer job. Requirements Computer running latest Mac OS. xCode (free from AppStore) We will walk you through, step-by-step how to get Xcode installed and do necessary set up Description The course is being updated with new content every few days! In iOS 12 Bootcamp we are going to teach you how to become an iOS developer in few weeks. This course is designed for absolute beginners as well as intermediate developers. If you want to learn how to Develop iOS Apps, you have come to the right place. Our complete iOS12 BootCamp teaches you how to code using Swift 4.2 and build iOS 12 apps. Even if you have ZERO programming experience, this course is for you! We are going to start from ZERO level and gradually learn the basics of the Swift programming language and building apps in xCode. First we are going to learn the theory and then use the things we learn in a project so you can practice the new material in a simple applications that we will do together. As you learn more and more the course will gradually become more advanced where we are going to build more advanced apps. By the end of this course, you will be fluently programming in Swift 4.2 and be ready to write iOS applications by you own and start a freelancing job as an iOS 12 developer. We are going to have many challenges in the course and I am going to provide you with a lot of reading material as well. But remember the if you want to become developer, you have to actually type the code yourself. This is the best way of learning to code. You may read 100 books on iOS Development, but if you never type the code, you will not learn how to code. From beginner to iOS 12 app developer with just one course! This course will cover all the parts of iOS and Swift development you will need. Also, in this course i will spend quite a lot of time on errors and debugging the problems. This is one of the most important areas of the software development. If you cannot debug and find the problems in your code, you will never become a developer. So this is very important aspect of the course. We will cover some of the basic most common errors in the beginning of the course and then dive dipper when we learn more and more about Swift. So by the end of the course, you'll completely understand: Concepts of Object Oriented Programming and Model View Controller: The type system, variables, functions and methods, inheritance, classes and protocols. Data Structures, how to work with collections, arrays and dictionaries. Software Design, how to organise and format code for readability Networking, how to make asynchronous API calls, store and retrieve data from the cloud, and use the JSON format for server communication. Machine Learning, how to make artificially intelligent apps using iOS 12's new CoreML framework.   Core Data, Realm, UserDefaults and other ways of persistent data storage. Don’t waste your time on low quality courses Your time is precious. We offer the best video courses with carefully crafted content, we are learning by coding! Don't just take our word for it, check out our other courses and what other students have to say about our courses!   "This course is so far the best course I took in UDEMY. I really learned something. Totally worth the time. Won't regret it. The instructor was responsive too and the course is new and knowledgeable."  J Nima "A excellent Tutorial by david. Very good explanation" Tapan Kumar Raut "There is nothing on Udemy like David's courses! I cannot recommend his courses enough. Best teacher out there, very responsive as well. " Kris "I really do love the approach, the structure of the course gives you the ability to move forward smoothly, and efficiently gain as much knowledge as possible, the instructor really goes in-depth, it's incredibly comprehensive, not to forget that this is a real world project, and the advanced concepts gained here make me all confident that i'll be able to build my own apps in a very effective way. the course is well taught, and it really deserves the 5 stars, the instructor as well, he explains things in a very clear, clean way. Definitely enjoying the Course. and definitely Thumbs Up." Yen Loo "This is one of the most complete and comprehensive iOS projects on Udemy! Everything works! No broken code! You learn Firebase, Onesignal and Backendless in one project. The instructor is always accessible, he goes for quality not quantity. I still have a way to go, but so far it has kept me completely engaged and focused! I wish there were more courses like this! I will definitely purchase another from David." antr8tr   We are so confident that you'll love this course that we're offering a FULL money back guarantee for 30 days, No Questions Asked! So it's a complete no-brainer, sign up today with ZERO risk and EVERYTHING to gain. So what are you waiting for? Click the Buy Now button and join the best iOS 12 BootCamp app development course. Who is the target audience? If you are an absolute beginner to coding, then this course is for you. The course is designed for students who never used iOS and Swift If you are beginner or intemediate software developer, this course will help you to advance your skills in iOS app development source https://ttorial.com/ios12-bootcamp-beginner-professional-ios-developer

[sherristockman]

New Technologies Offer Hope in Creating a More Transparent and Sustainable Food System Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Modern-day food practices are reliant on a series of unsustainable methods — including fossil fuels and chemical-dependent genetically engineered (GE) organisms — that pollute Earth's valuable resources such as our air, soil and water, as well as damage public health. Our current food system, heavily treated with crop chemicals, is linked to myriad health problems including food allergies, gluten intolerance, gut and neurological dysfunction, immunodeficiency disorders and more. Making healthy food choices is incredibly important, but can be a daunting task due to the extreme disconnect many of us have with the food we eat, as illustrated in the featured documentary "Digital Food." 'Food has Become a Black Box' Food journalist Michael Pollan, who's authored many books and articles explaining how nature and culture intersect on our plates and in our farms and gardens,1 says not knowing where our food comes from creates a vicious cycle of unhealthy choices that results in sickness and disease not only for humans, but our planet too. "Food has become a black box," says Pollan. "When you're buying a pound of hamburger, you know very little. You don't even know what kind of animal it is." Most of the time, consumers have little to no details about the food they eat, including how the animal lived, where it came from, what it ate or how long ago it was slaughtered, says Pollan, who through his many thought-provoking books has educated millions about the downfalls of our current food system. "It's always been my conviction that the more people know about how their food is produced, the better choices they will make," says Pollan. "That can be very disruptive to the food industry," he adds while being interviewed in the featured film, which explores the potential new technologies have in bringing transparency to our food system. Two Children in Every US Classroom Have Food Allergies About 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes to buy processed food. What's worse, new research shows that, astonishingly, more than half — nearly 60 percent, in fact — of the food Americans eat is ULTRA-processed meaning the food could be purchased at a gas station. The implications of this, in terms of public health, stretch far and wide. Researchers estimate that about 15 million Americans now have food allergies.2 This condition, which can be deadly, affects 1 in every 13 children in the U.S. or two in every classroom, resulting in an economic burden of roughly $25 billion per year, according to Food Allergy Research & Education.3 Food allergies among children increased about 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, according to a 2013 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.4 This steep increase in food-related illness has caused consumers to lose faith in the food system and, as a result, to grow very fearful, says Julian Baggini, author of "The Virtues of the Table: How to Eat and Think." "They're worried about being poisoned and about their health," says Baggini in the film, adding that there's this interesting tension between the desire for cheap and plentiful food and at the same time, also a desire for clean, healthy food that's produced sustainably. Silicon Valley Sets Its Eyes on Food Technology In an attempt to help consumers regain their trust in food, companies such as San Francisco-based Nima Labs, featured in the documentary, are working to develop new technologies that allow consumers to avoid foods or key ingredients such as gluten that may trigger an allergic reaction. Shireen Yates and Scott Sundvor, both of whom suffered food allergies and sensitivities for years, founded Nima Labs in 2013. Tired of wondering whether a food was safe to eat, Yates and Sundvor created a portable device that allows consumers to test liquid and solid foods for gluten in about two minutes.5 The Nima Starter Kit, costing around $300, allows users to insert a tiny sample of food into a capsule that uses chemical measurements to determine if there is 20 parts per million (ppm) or more of gluten in your food sample. "The sensor combines an electronic sensor with antibody-based detection in a disposable capsule. This process turns a complicated eight-step laboratory food testing process into an easy three steps," according to the company's website.6 "Nima also syncs to an app that will record test results and restaurant reviews for future reference and community sharing." Please note that this is merely a review of technology featured in the documentary, and I have not investigated its validity. The device is one of many new technologies aimed at empowering consumers to make healthier and more confident food choices. Other emerging technologies include devices that measure anything from calories to pesticides to antibiotics, notes the film. The Preference for Health Food Isn't Just a Trend; It's a Lifestyle More than ever before, consumers have a heightened awareness regarding the food they eat, as well as an increased preference for organics and grass fed beef and dairy. In the U.S., the organic sector grew 11.5 percent in 2016, while grass fed increased about 50 percent. As a result, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the amount of GE crops grown around the world has decreased in terms of acreage. This preference for health food isn't just a trend; it's a lifestyle — and for good reason. Studies suggest that organic fruits and vegetables may contain as much as 18 percent to 69 percent more antioxidants than pesticide-treated produce. As antioxidants play a critical role in the prevention of diseases and illnesses, these higher levels of nutrients, in combination with a lower toxicity level, make organically grown foods a superior choice. One of the strongest selling points for eating organic foods had been to reduce your exposure to pesticides and insecticides. Now, a recent study demonstrates that organic foods hold more benefits for your future health and the health of your children. The study conducted by the European Parliamentary Research Service reviewed existing research and made several determinations.7 From their analysis they concluded that eating organic foods reduces pesticide exposure, improves the nutritional value of the food, lessens disease risk and improves early childhood development.8 They also found those who ate organic foods tended to have healthier dietary patterns than those who ate foods treated with chemicals. Conventional Food Production Accounts for Up to 30 Percent of Manmade Greenhouse Gases Organic and grass fed beef and dairy products aren't only better for human health, but for the planet too. Organic and regenerative agriculture involves holistic land management practices that improve soil health, biodiversity and water scarcity, while also mitigating the effects of climate change. "Regenerative agriculture keeps the natural cycles healthy — like water and carbon — so that land can keep growing food and keep carbon and the climate in balance," said Tim LaSalle, Ph.D., former head of the Rodale Institute and co-director of the Regenerative Agriculture Initiative at California State University, Chico.9 Put another way, organic food keeps people healthy, and regenerative agriculture keeps the planet healthy, said Ronnie Cummins, founder of the Organic Consumers Association.10 Moving toward a system where 100 percent of food is produced using organic and regenerative agriculture practices is imperative for regenerating our planet's precious resources, on which human survival depends. Unfortunately, our current food system remains largely dependent on nonrenewable resources that, when used, have adverse effects on human health and the environment. "The food system is responsible for somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of the greenhouse gases we produce," says Pollan in the featured film.11 Consumers are aware of the environmental impacts of the burning of fossil fuels when it comes to the cars they drive and the homes they heat, but are much less aware about the role fossil fuels play in food production, he adds. Sustainable Food Production Relies on Human Innovations, Not Chemicals "We turn fossil fuels into food in many ways. The main ingredient in fertilizer — ammonium nitrate — is a fossil fuel product that's spread all over the world. The process of making it consumes a lot of fossil fuels and then when it leaches into the atmosphere, it is a very potent greenhouse gas itself," says Pollan. Our modern-day food system also relies on nonrenewable energy inputs to ship products around the world, but the most damaging aspect is fossil fuel fertilizer, he adds. "It takes 26 ounces of oil to produce that one hamburger — an astonishing amount of oil," says Pollan. Sustainable agriculture, such as organic and regenerative agriculture, requires far less inputs. "The most sustainable farms buy the least amount of stuff," says Pollan. "Are the solutions in your head or in a bottle?" he asks. "The most important solutions are in the farmer's head." Producing Food Without Fossil Fuels One way to produce food without fossil fuels includes gardening indoors through the use of LED lighting. Based in the Netherlands, Deliscious produces food using LED lighting in a greenhouse equipped with seven layers, one on top of the other, of various types of lettuce. Started by twin brothers Roy and Mark Delissen, the company is the first in the gardening business to move a part of their cultivation to a completely closed space.12 The brothers, who together share a background in logistics and plant cultivation, say their seven-layer design (area-wise) is seven times more efficient than a traditional greenhouse. In nature during the winter, it can take plants up to 100 days to reach 4 inches tall from the moment they are sown. But in the LED cells at Deliscious, the plants never need more than 30 days to go from a seed to 4 inches, expressed Mark Delissen in the film "Digital Food." Together, the brothers have perfected the right light recipe to support optimal growth. "In the end you need red, blue and far-red for photosynthesis," says Mark Delissen, adding that the right combination of colors — which took the brothers four years to identify — optimizes growth. "You can even manipulate the flavor by using more blue or red. But it's only just now that people are starting to research this," he adds. "Every color has its own effect — and the plants are very sensitive to this. So we use blue, red and far-red. The combination of these three makes the lettuce grow the way we want," says Mark Delissen. "But if you add just a bit more blue, you would get very different plants. It's amazing how nature responds to this." Growing Plants Indoors With LED Lighting The brothers say the best part about gardening indoors with LED lighting is that you're in control, meaning you can manipulate the plants with different kinds of lights. For example, adding more blue light causes the plant to be longer and stretch more. While vastly different than outdoor agriculture, the brothers stress that plant knowledge is still necessary and predict that in the future farmers will go from being growers to engineers. "You still need knowledge of plants, but there will be more technology," says Mark Delissen. Growing plants indoors using LED lighting certainly has its advantages, including the fact that no pesticides are needed during cultivation. Another great advantage is that the process uses far less water; the Delissen brothers say they use 80 percent less water, in fact. It would also allow the crops to avoid any rain that is contaminated with glyphosate. However, there are also downfalls associated with gardening indoors with LED lighting. Firstly, LED technology is still relatively new and therefore expensive. "It's like computers in the 1980s," says Mark Delissen. Secondly, growing plants indoors with LED lighting does not include soil, which is a natural and important part of the food-growing process. Because they aren't grown in soil, the plants cannot be certified organic, either. Thirdly, gardening indoors with LED lighting does nothing to combat climate change because the growing process does not involve soil. As discussed previously, soil-based agriculture — including organic and regenerative agriculture — is extremely important for combating climate change by building healthy soils capable of drawing down excess carbon in the atmosphere.13 Why Our Current Food System Must Evolve As technology continues to advance, hopefully so will our food systems, and in a way that's healthier for the planet and us. Like Pollan said, the ideas are in our heads and not in a bottle of Monsanto's Roundup. While the U.S. government has done little to nothing to support a healthier and more environmentally conscious food system, an improved model continues to emerge through methods like organic and regenerative agriculture — a phenomenon made possible only through consumer demand. "This is because people understand this public health crisis has now spread worldwide, and this environmental crisis and its relationship to the climate crisis are all due to an out-of-control, industrial, chemical-intensive GMO agriculture," said Cummins in response to the sharp growth in organics and grass fed farming. "People are turning away." Most everyone can agree that our current food system model is failing miserably and won't hold up much longer. However, the key to fixing our broken food system relies on a combination of old, less environmentally impactful techniques and new technologies that allow better use of our natural resources.

[chocokeiiki]

Kikiiii~! I've been throwing questions at people involving which fictional guy they'd rather pick for their bf~! For you...I say: Peter Parker or...Bakugo!

Bakugou or- PETER PARKER!! 

If I haven’t already made it super obvious, I would choose Peter. Hands down. In a heartbeat. No need to even think about it. He’s the #1 Hero in my life, book- just everything. Honestly Bakugou doesn’t even come close (please don’t tell him that I said that) xD I love Peter Parker. I love how huge of a nerd he is and how strongly he adheres to his own code of morals. But even with all of the superpowers, he’s still vulnerable like a normal person and he knows it. 

All of the jokes and quips are part of a coping mechanism for him, and as much as I love all of his dumb jokes and quips, I can’t help but admire him more for it? He gets scared. He wants to back down sometimes. But he never does. 

And I just realized I went off on a long tangent on some of the things I love about Peter when I could’ve just answered this with one statement: So many aspects or Peter’s character make him dream boi material for me, I could die happy if I ever meet someone like him meanwhile Bakugou’s bad attitude would likely drive me crazy from the get-go because I can’t stand rude people who believe that they’re entitled in reality. 

Maybe I took this too literally? xD Either way, if it’s a choice between Peter Parker or anyone else, I can say with absolute certainty that my choice would be Peter Parker. Even Trafalgar Law…Sorry ultimate animu bae xD

[chocokeiiki]

For yoooooou: angel, princess, peach, boo!!

awwww thanks, nima!! also don’t think i didn’t notice you sneakin’ in princess peach there (❁´◡`❁)

Angel ; what’s one character trait you like about yourself?

my adaptability! i've gotten a lot better at dealing with spontaneity over the years and these days i find myself actually being eager to face something new and unexpected! definitely an exciting challenge that helps keep me on my toes.

Princess ; if you could live in any other time period, which would it be?

gosh i thought quite a bit about this one! like...i know modern medicine greatly impacted the quality of life and survivability on this planet but...i guess i’d really like to see what it was like to live during the time of the renaissance! it was the rebirth of culture. art, music, and literature were huge during that time too so maybe i’d have more friends lol 

Peach ; what’s your ideal aesthetic?

ooooh, i’m not entirely sure how to answer this one but i suppose i’m more of a minimalist? i really like the modern home decor look with all the black and white. it looks super neat and sleek! stars and rain are super gr8 in my book too! my aesthetic is anything that helps me chill out lmao

Boo ; what’s your dream date?

hmmm...i want to go out but i also want to stay indoors! something like going to an aquarium, visiting an art museum, or even watching a live orchestral concert. i really like the idea of having a more lax pace with things so i can really take the day in and share it all with my significant other ♥