#tire-derived fuel

[chemicalmarketwatch-sp]

Tire Recycling: Navigating a Path Toward Sustainable Growth and Innovation

The tire recycling market is undergoing significant change, driven by the dual forces of environmental concern and advancing technologies. With over 1 billion tires reaching the end of their useful life annually, the challenge of disposal is substantial, and the solutions are becoming more innovative and essential. Recycling these used tires not only helps combat environmental hazards but also taps into a potential wealth of resources that can fuel a wide range of industries.

Why Tire Recycling Is Essential

Discarded tires pose serious environmental threats. Due to their durability and chemical composition, they are not biodegradable, and when left in landfills or storage piles, they present risks such as fires that can burn for extended periods and release harmful toxins. They also create ideal conditions for the breeding of mosquitoes, contributing to public health issues.

However, through recycling, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities. Recycling methods not only address environmental concerns but also create useful products from waste materials, such as crumb rubber, tire-derived fuel (TDF), and various raw materials for infrastructure and construction industries. As sustainability becomes a higher priority across industries, tire recycling is moving from a niche concern to a critical element of broader environmental strategies.

Emerging Trends in the Tire Recycling Market

Regulatory Pressures and Incentives for RecyclingGovernments worldwide are implementing stricter regulations and incentive programs aimed at minimizing tire waste. In many regions, extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs mandate that tire manufacturers manage the end-of-life disposal of their products. These regulations encourage businesses to adopt circular economy principles, turning waste into a valuable resource while adhering to environmental standards. Alongside this, financial incentives such as tax credits or grants are being introduced to support companies investing in recycling technologies and infrastructure.

Pyrolysis Technology AdvancementsPyrolysis, the process of breaking down tires at high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment, has been gaining momentum in the tire recycling sector. The method produces valuable byproducts, including oil, gas, and carbon black—all of which can be repurposed for industrial use. Innovations in pyrolysis have made it more energy-efficient and cost-effective, making it a practical solution for transforming scrap tires into valuable resources. With further advancements, this technology has the potential to significantly reduce waste while providing materials for energy generation and manufacturing.

Expanding Applications for Crumb RubberOne of the most common products of recycled tires is crumb rubber, which is made by grinding tires into small particles. Crumb rubber is used in a variety of applications, such as playground surfaces, sports fields, and asphalt rubber for road construction. Its durability and shock-absorbing qualities make it a valuable resource in infrastructure projects. The market for crumb rubber is expanding as new applications are being explored, including its use in roofing materials, synthetic turf infill, and even as a substitute for certain traditional rubber products in manufacturing.

Tire-Derived Fuel (TDF) as a Growing Energy SourceTire-derived fuel (TDF) is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to coal in industries such as cement manufacturing and pulp and paper production. TDF provides a higher energy output than coal and produces fewer emissions, making it an attractive option for industries looking to reduce their carbon footprint. As energy companies and manufacturers seek more sustainable fuel sources, the demand for TDF is expected to grow, potentially creating a substantial revenue stream for tire recyclers.

Embracing the Circular EconomyThe concept of the circular economy is becoming central to the tire recycling industry. Companies are focusing on designing products that can be recycled at the end of their life cycle, ensuring that valuable materials are reused rather than wasted. This approach reduces the consumption of raw materials and creates closed-loop systems where tires can be continuously recycled into new products. As part of this shift, companies are investing in research and development to improve the quality of recycled materials, making them suitable for use in manufacturing new tires and other high-performance products.

Opportunities for Growth and Innovation

The tire recycling market is projected to reach USD 8.92 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 3.7% from USD 7.44  billion in 2024.

The evolving tire recycling market offers numerous opportunities for businesses willing to invest in innovation and sustainability. Here are several ways companies can leverage these trends to grow and thrive:

Investing in Advanced Recycling TechnologiesThe advancements in technologies like pyrolysis and devulcanization (a process that breaks down the rubber in tires to make it reusable) are opening new doors for tire recycling. Modern recycling plants that incorporate automation, AI-driven sorting systems, and more efficient processing methods can dramatically increase the output and quality of recycled materials. By staying ahead of these technological trends, businesses can improve operational efficiency and profitability.

Expanding into Emerging MarketsAs urbanization and industrialization continue to grow rapidly in developing regions, particularly in Asia and Africa, so does the demand for tire recycling services. Many of these areas face significant challenges with tire waste management due to the lack of infrastructure. By expanding operations into these markets, businesses can help address these issues while tapping into new growth opportunities.

Focus on Sustainability and Corporate ResponsibilityWith increasing attention on sustainability from both consumers and investors, tire recycling companies can differentiate themselves by showcasing their commitment to environmentally friendly practices. Transparent reporting on sustainability efforts, participation in green initiatives, and the development of products made from recycled materials can enhance a company’s reputation and help attract eco-conscious partners and customers. Additionally, aligning with sustainability goals can lead to cost savings through reduced waste and more efficient use of resources.

Collaborative InnovationPartnerships between tire recyclers, manufacturers, and research institutions can drive the development of new products and applications for recycled tire materials. By pooling resources and expertise, these collaborations can lead to breakthroughs that benefit not only the businesses involved but the entire industry. For example, the development of new compounds from recycled rubber could lead to its use in more demanding applications, such as high-performance tires or industrial rubber products.

Consumer Engagement and EducationRaising awareness about the benefits of tire recycling is crucial to driving demand for recycled products. Engaging with consumers through educational campaigns, social media, and community outreach programs can help increase the collection of scrap tires while fostering a sense of environmental responsibility. Additionally, companies can develop tire return programs to make recycling easier for consumers, further ensuring a steady supply of materials for processing.

Download PDF Report : 

A Sustainable Future for the Tire Recycling Industry

The tire recycling market is on the verge of significant growth, with emerging technologies, regulatory shifts, and increased consumer demand driving the transformation. As businesses in this space embrace innovation and sustainability, they can unlock new revenue streams while making a positive environmental impact. With opportunities for expansion, investment in advanced technologies, and participation in the circular economy, tire recycling is set to become a key pillar in the global push for sustainability.

By keeping pace with these trends and proactively seeking out growth opportunities, companies in the tire recycling industry can not only ensure their longevity but also contribute to a more sustainable future for the planet.

[bharat059]

Tire Derived Fuel Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Tire Source (Light Motor Vehicles, Heavy Duty Vehicles, Motorcycles, Aircrafts, Bicycles), By Type (Cement Industry, Power Plants, Pulp & paper mills, Utility Boilers), By Application and Geography Forecast till 2022-2029

[cuttyclowngirl]

Daima EP.4 (Spoiler) review/theories

• My bad Glorio, I wasn't familiar with your game. He actually can fly & is a league stronger than I thought. I was wrong. Good. He's even more fascinating than before. How does a demon from the 3rd world obtain such strength? Why would he need it if he was a simple bounty hunter/assassin as viewers suspect? All that & he can't sense ki?

• Glorio & Shin's (Supreme Kai's) "U can't fool me" dynamic continues to grow ever more tense. Who's going to crack first?

• Glorio sorta gave up on on finding his plane almost immediately in favor of finding a new vehicle. Was the plane even his to begin with? He also doesn't seem to care that about being late to see King Kandan. The nearest Tamagami is miles in the opposite direction they've been heading so far & Glorio still insisted they just gather the balls instead of prioritizing the meeting with Kadan, which tells me he never actually intended to see the 3rd world King & probably wasn't sent by King Kadan.

• Glorio suddenly switching up & almost insisting they gather the balls, coupled with that "All according to plan" smirk/hmph is further feeding into my theory about him working for Dr Arinsu. (There were two shots in the conversation where Glorio's eyes are suspiciously off screen) She was probably watching on a Magic Monitor & sent Glorio a telepathic message/order.

• The shopkeeper couple are absolutely lovely "one & done" type silly characters. Love their designs, their bits, their voices & interactions. I hope they'll be featured in future video games. (Glorio is such an experienced haggler, he even saw through a not so obvious deafness trick. Tells me Glorio socializes a lot.)

• "Medi Bugs". Toriyama never missed an opportunity to remind everyone that JRPGs were one of his special interests, huh? Revive Bug restores stamina. (Compared to Senzu, but wasn't stated to have healing properties. Let's remember that.) Achichi Bug heals burns, Zutsu Bug cures headaches, Beaut Bugs make your skin silky. JOIN BUG: "Feed halves to 2 people & they can fuse for a while". Introducing a Demon Realm exclusive type fusion. Can't wait to see what it looks like.

• Aside from the multiple unnamed Medi Bugs Goku made Glorio ("Goliro" lmao) buy, which we saw in his bag, the shopkeeper lady said they had "most of the different types of Medi Bugs", meaning even more might be introduced later. She also called the Medi Bugs "souvenirs" so they're clearly not rare/hard to find.

• The heavy air yields yet another obstacle in the form of even lower mobility in any attempt at flying at high speeds. "It expends a lot of energy & will tire you out quickly".

• Poor Shin has to keep Goku on task like a kid on a leash, reminding him that the main mission is rescuing baby Dende.

• As I had hoped, the Tamagamis are strong, even by Glorio's standards to the point he's never heard of anyone gathering all 3 balls. So Goku & crew will be the first in ages to do so.

• Demons apparently believe their set of D balls are the originals. Fandom discourse fuel right there.

• "Sky seeds". Shin said he's never heard of one, meaning the "Great Fiend Flower" & their Sky seeds are 3rd world exclusive. The whimsical orchestral cover of Jaka Jann coupled with Goku's attitude throughout the Sky seed riding sequence was pure dragon ball charm. (I got a lil emotional.)

• The Supreme King's military police are called "Gendarmerie" a word derived from the medieval French phrase "gens d'armes" meaning "Men-at-arms".

• Finding out that the red Magic Collars we've seen several demons already wearing are actually oppression devices really hurt me when I remembered that those lovely shopkeepers were wearing them too... I think the scarf Panzy wears is either hiding her collar or concealing an awful scar caused by her manually removing her's that she'd rather no one see.

• What could the life force sucked out of poor demons by that awful machine possibly be for? Keeping the Supreme King young and strong? Like in "Go Go Ackman" where the souls of dead humans kept the demon king young & strong?

•Goku & crew are fugitives now. The obstacles just keep staking. (Bulma's def gonna yell at someone.)

• Panzy seems to be your classic plucky eccentric rebel who's inventions only work half the time, which already sorta sets her apart from Bulma the giga genius & GT's Pan. I look forward to her future antics & discovering her motivation for traveling with Goku & crew. (She should either learn how to fly or make herself a pair of roller skates for quick getaways.) There seemed to be some focus on her eyes. Could her eye color be an additional plot point? I don't remember any other demon having purple eyes like her's specifically, but I'm probably reading into it too much.

[activists-hope]

[Copied and pasted]

It’s important we squarely face Trump’s victory and what there is to do about it.

Trump has already signaled the kind of president he will be: revengeful, uncontrolled and unburdened by past norms and current laws. I won’t go through the litany of awful things he’s pledged to do, since that’s been well-established with his words, Project 2025 plans and excellent analyses from authoritarian experts.

Looking into an even more destabilized future is not easy. If you’re like me, you’re already tired. The prospect of more drama is daunting. But authoritarianism isn’t going away no matter the election results. So here’s some thinking about ways to orient so we can ground ourselves better for these times ahead.

I am blessed to have spent time writing scenarios about what might happen, developing trainings for a Trump win and working alongside colleagues living under autocratic regimes. One of the things they keep reminding me is that good psychology is good social change. Authoritarian power is derived from fear of repression, isolation from each other and exhaustion at the utter chaos. We’re already feeling it.

Thus, for us to be of any use in a Trump world, we have to pay grave attention to our inner states, so we don’t perpetuate the autocrat’s goals of fear, isolation, exhaustion or constant disorientation.

[rest of article under cut]

1. Trust yourself

I started writing this list with strategic principles (e.g. analyze your opponents weakness and learn to handle political violence), but actually the place to start is with your own self.

Trump is arriving at a time of great social distrust. Across the board, society has reduced trust in traditional institutions. Yes, there’s more distrust of the media, medical professionals, experts and politicians. But it extends beyond that. There’s reduced trust in most community institutions and membership groups. Whether from COVID or political polarization, a lot of us have experienced reduced trust in friends and family. Even our trust in predictable weather is diminished.

Distrust fuels the flame of autocracy because it makes it much easier to divide. We can see that in the casual nature of Trump’s rhetoric — telling people to distrust immigrants, Democrats, socialists, people from Chicago, women marchers, Mexicans, the press and so on.

This is a social disease: You know who to trust by who they tell you to distrust.

Trust-building starts with your own self. It includes trusting your own eyes and gut, as well as building protection from the ways the crazy-making can become internalized.

This also means being trustworthy — not just with information, but with emotions. That way you can acknowledge what you know and admit the parts that are uncertain fears nagging at you.

Then take steps to follow through on what you need. If you’re tired, take some rest. If you’re scared, make some peace with your fears. I can point you to resources that support that — like FindingSteadyGround.com — but the value here is to start with trusting your own inner voice. If you need to stop checking your phone compulsively, do it. If you don’t want to read this article now and instead take a good walk, do it.

Trust all these things inside of you because trust in self is part of the foundation of a healthy movement life.

2. Find others who you trust

I promise I’ll head towards practical resistance strategies. But the emotional landscape matters a great deal. Hannah Arendt’s “The Origins of Totalitarianism” explored how destructive ideologies like fascism and autocracy grow. She used the word verlassenheit — often translated as loneliness — as a central ingredient. As she meant it, loneliness isn’t a feeling but a kind of social isolation of the mind. Your thinking becomes closed off to the world and a sense of being abandoned to each other.

She’s identifying a societal breakdown that we’re all experiencing. Under a Trump presidency, this trend will continue to accelerate. The constant attacks on social systems — teachers, health care and infrastructure — make us turn away from leaning on each other and towards ideologically simple answers that increase isolation (e.g. “distrust government,” “MAGA is nuts,” “anyone who votes that way doesn’t care about you”).

In extreme cases, like Chile in the 1970s and ‘80s, the dictatorship aimed to keep people in such tiny nodes of trust that everyone was an island unto themselves. At social gatherings and parties, people would commonly not introduce each other by name out of fear of being too involved. Fear breeds distance.

We have to consciously break that distance. In Chile they organized under the guise of affinity groups. This was, as its name suggests, people who shared some connections and trust. Finding just a few people who you trust to regularly act with and touch base with is central.

Following Trump’s win: Get some people to regularly touch base with. Use that trust to explore your own thinking and support each other to stay sharp and grounded.

For the last several months I’ve been hosting a regular group at my house to “explore what is up with these times.” Our crew thinks differently but invests in trust. We emote, cry, sing, laugh, sit in stillness and think together.

I’ve written an agenda for such gatherings right after a Trump win that you can use.

All of us will benefit from actively organized nodes to help stabilize us. In a destabilized society, you need people who help ground you.

3. Grieve

No matter what we try to do, there’s going to be a lot of loss. The human thing to do is grieve. (Well, apparently humans are also very good at compartmentalizing, rationalizing, intellectualizing and ignoring — but the damage it does to our body and psyche is pretty well documented.)

If you aren’t a feelings person, let me say it this way: The inability to grieve is a strategic error. After Donald Trump won in 2016, we all saw colleagues who never grieved. They didn’t look into their feelings and the future — and as a result they remained in shock. For years they kept saying, “I can’t believe he’s doing that…”

An alternative: Start by naming and allowing feelings that come to arise. The night that Donald Trump won in 2016, I stayed up until 4 a.m. with a colleague. It was a tear-filled night of naming things that we had just lost. The list ranged from the political to the deeply personal:

“Trump will leave the Paris Climate Agreement and that means much of the world will soft pedal its climate plans.”

“Ugh, I’m gonna have this man in my dreams. We’re all going to sleep less and wake up to bat-shit crazy headlines each morning.”

“Trump’s gonna constantly attack immigrants — the wall may or may not happen, but he’s gonna raise the threshold for racism. I don’t think I can take it.”

“Friends I know who signed up for DACA are never going to trust government again.”

And on and on. It wasn’t only a list, but it was finding the impact inside of us of sadness, anger, numbness, shock, confusion and fear. We alternated between rageful spouts and tears. We grieved. We cried. We held each other. We breathed. We dove back into naming all the bad things we knew we’d lost and things we thought we’d be likely to lose.

It wasn’t anywhere near strategizing or list-making or planning. It was part of our acceptance that losing a presidency to an awful man means you and your people lose a lot. Ultimately, this helped us believe it — so we didn’t spend years in a daze: “I can’t believe this is happening in this country.”

Believe it. Believe it now. Grief is a pathway to that acceptance.

4. Release that which you cannot change

Growing up my mom had a copy of the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” Notably, that prayer comes from theologian Reinhold Niebuhr as he was watching the rise of Nazis in Germany.

Trump’s first day likely includes pardoning Jan. 6 insurrectionists, reallocating money to build the wall, pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and firing 50,000-plus government workers to begin replacing them with loyalists. There’s little reason to believe that day two will get much quieter.

Under a Trump presidency, there are going to be so many issues that it will be hard to accept that we cannot do it all. I’m reminded of a colleague in Turkey who told me, “There’s always something bad happening every day. If we had to react to every bad thing, we’d never have time to eat.”

An elder once saw me trying to do everything and pulled me aside. “That’s not a healthy lifelong strategy,” she said. She’d been raised in Germany by the generation of Holocaust survivors who told her, “Never again.” She took it personally, as if she had to stop every wrong. It wracked her and contributed to several serious ongoing medical conditions. We can accept our humanity or suffer that lack of acceptance.

Chaos is a friend of the autocrat. One way we can unwittingly assist is by joining in the story that we have to do it all.

Over the last few months I’ve been testing out a terribly challenging tool. It’s a journaling exercise that invites you to reflect on which issues you’ll spend energy on. It asks: what are issues you’ll throw down on, do a lot for, a little for, or — despite caring about it — do nothing at all for? That last question can feel like a kind of torture for many activists, even while we’re intellectually aware that we cannot stop it all.

Unaddressed, this desire to act on everything leads to bad strategy. Nine months ago when we gathered activists to scenario plan together, we took note of two knee-jerk tendencies from the left that ended up largely being dead-ends in the face of Trump:

Public angsting — posting outrage on social media, talking with friends, sharing awful news

Symbolic actions — organizing marches and public statements

The first is where we look around at bad things happening and make sure other people know about them, too. We satisfy the social pressure of our friends who want us to show outrage — but the driving moves are only reactive. The end result wasn’t the intended action or an informed population. It’s demoralizing us. It’s hurting our capacity for action. Public angsting as a strategy is akin to pleading with the hole in the boat to stop us from sinking.

Symbolic actions may fare little better under a Trump presidency. In whatever version of democracy we had, the logic of rallies and statements of outrage was to build a unified front that showed the opposition many voices were opposed to them. But under an unleashed fascist — if it’s all you do — it’s like begging the suicidal captain to plug the hole.

Let me be clear. These strategies will be part of the mix. We’ll need public angsting and symbolic actions. But if you see an organization or group who only relies on these tactics, look elsewhere. There are other, more effective ways to engage.

5. Find your path

I’ve been writing scenarios of how a Trump presidency might play out. (You can read the scenarios written as a choose-your-own-adventure-style book at WhatIfTrumpWins.org or order the book.) The initial weeks look chaotic no matter what. But over time some differentiated resistance pathways begin to emerge.

One pathway is called “Protecting People.” These are folks surviving and protecting our own — especially those of us directly targeted, such as trans people, folks choosing abortions and immigrants. This might mean organizing outside current systems for health care and mutual aid, or moving resources to communities that are getting targeted. Further examples include starting immigrant welcoming committees, abortion-support funds or training volunteers on safety skills to respond to white nationalist violence.

Another pathway is “Defending Civic Institutions.” This group may or may not be conscious that current institutions don’t serve us all, but they are united in understanding that Trump wants them to crumble so he can exert greater control over our lives. Each bureaucracy will put up its own fight to defend itself.

Insider groups will play a central battle against Trump fascism. You may recall government scientists dumping copious climate data onto external servers, bracing for Trump’s orders. This time, many more insiders understand it’s code red. Hopefully, many will bravely refuse to quit — and instead choose to stay inside as long as possible.

Institutional pillars understand a Trump presidency is a dire threat. The military, for one, is well aware that Trump’s potential orders to use them to crack down on civilian protesters would politicize them permanently.

These insiders will need external support. Sometimes it’s just folks showing compassion that some of our best allies will be inside, silently resisting. A culture of celebrating people getting fired for the right reasons would help (then offering them practical help with life’s next steps). Other moments will need open support and public activation.

Then there’s a critical third pathway: “Disrupt and Disobey.” This goes beyond protesting for better policies and into the territory of people intervening to stop bad policies or showing resistance.

Initially a lot of that prefigurative work may be purely symbolic. In Norway, to create a culture of resistance during World War II people wore innocuous paperclips as a sign they wouldn’t obey. The symbolism is to build preparation for mass strikes and open resistance. In Serbia, protests against their dictator started with student strikes before escalating to strikes by pensioners (which were both largely symbolic) before finally escalating to the game-changing strike of coal miners.

In effective “Disrupt and Disobey” type actions the ultimate goal is paving a path for mass noncooperation: tax resistance, national strikes, work shut-downs and other nonviolent mass disobedience tactics — the most effective strategies to displace authoritarians. (Training on how to do that in a new Trump era can be found here.)

Lastly, there’s a key fourth role: “Building Alternatives.” We can’t just be stuck reacting and stopping the bad. We have to have a vision. This is the slow growth work of building alternative ways that are more democratic. It includes grounding and healing work, rich cultural work, alternative ways of growing food and caring for kids, participatory budgeting or seeding constitutional conventions to build a majoritarian alternative to the Electoral College mess we’re in.

Each of us may be attracted to some pathways more than others.

Myself, I’m attracted to “Disrupt and Disobey” — though I know when certain moments hit I’ll be pulled into some immediate “Protecting People.” I’m perhaps too impatient for most “Building Alternatives” and too unhappy with the status quo to do “Defend Civic Institutions.” However, I’m delighted others will do that work!

I’m reminded of another way of finding your role that comes from my friend Ingrid’s grandfather, who lived in Norway under the Nazi regime. He learned that the resistance was hiding people in the basement of a church near a cemetery. As a florist he already traveled to and from the cemetery — so he found a role smuggling messages in funeral wreaths, delivering them all over the city.

He didn’t go out designing his perfect role. In fact, I’m not sure he would have looked at the list of possible “roles” and found his political path. Instead, he found his space by circumstance.

In other words: Your path may not be clear right now. That’s okay. There will be plenty of opportunities to join the resistance.

6. Do not obey in advance, do not self-censor

The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times’ cowardly refusal to endorse a political candidate is, it appears, a classic example of self-censorship. Trump did not have to make a direct threat to these media outlets. Their own leadership told them to “sit this one out.”

Why? Because they wanted to stay safe.

If autocrats teach us any valuable lesson it’s this: Political space that you don’t use, you lose.

This is a message to all levels of society: lawyers advising nonprofits, leaders worried about their funding base, folks worried about losing their jobs.

I’m not coaching to never self-protect. You can decide when to speak your mind. But it is a phenomenally slippery slope here we have to observe and combat.

Timothy Snyder has written a helpful book called “On Tyranny” — and turned it into a video series. He cites ceding power as the first problem to tackle, writing: “Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

Put simply: Use the political space and voice you have.

7. Reorient your political map

A few months ago I sat in a room with retired generals, Republicans like Michael Steele, ex-governors and congress people. We were scenario-planning ways to prevent using the Insurrection Act to target civilian protesters, playing step-by-step who would give the orders to whom and how the worst could be avoided.

For a committed antiwar activist, the phrase “strange bedfellows” doesn’t begin to describe the bizarre experience I felt.

I came out of it realizing that a Trump presidency reshapes alignments and possibilities. The bellicose, blasphemous language of Trump will meet the practical reality of governing. When you’re out of power, it’s easy to unify — but their coalition’s cracks will quickly emerge. We have to stay sharp for opportunities to cleave off support.

How we position ourselves matters: Are we interested in engaging with people unhappy with the regime — whether because they love the current institutions or are unhappy with Trump’s policies on them? Are we able to tell a story that explains how we got here — and do political education? Or are we only interested in maintaining ideological purity and preaching to our own choir?

Even if you don’t want to engage with them (which is fine), we’ll all have to give space to those who do experiment with new language to appeal to others who don’t share our worldview of a multiracial true democracy.

Empathy will be helpful here. I write all this with a particular moment in mind: At the end of the scenario day, we whipped around the room with conclusions. The generals said “The military cannot stop Trump from giving these orders.” Politicians said “Congress cannot stop it.” The lawyers said “We cannot stop it.”

I could see a lot of pain in high-ranking people of great power admitting a kind of defeat. I felt a level of compassion that surprised me.

Only the left activists said: We have an approach of mass noncooperation that can stop this. But we’d need your help.

I’m not sure that projected confidence was well-received. But if we’re going to live into that (and I’m far from certain we can), we have to get real about power.

8. Get real about power

In Trump’s first term, the left’s organizing had mixed results. With John McCain’s assistance, we were able to block Trump’s health proposal. Rallies proved less and less effective as time went on. The airport shutdowns showed that disruptive action can activate the public and helped pave the way for the court’s dismissal over the Muslim ban. But Trump was still able to win huge tax cuts and appoint right-wing Supreme Court judges. The narrative lurched, and sizeble chunks of the population have now been captivated by the “Big Lie.” It was elections that ultimately stopped Trump.

This time will be much harder.

The psychological exhaustion and despair is much higher. Deploying people into the streets for mass actions with no clear outcome will grow that frustration, leading to dropout and radicalized action divorced from strategy.

Trump has been very clear about using his political power to its fullest — stretching and breaking the norms and laws that get in his way. The movement will constantly be asking itself: “Are you able to stop this new bad thing?”

We’re not going to convince him not to do these things. No pressure on Republicans will result in more than the tiniest of crumbs (at least initially). We’re not going to stop him from doing these things just by persuasive tactics or showing that there are a LOT of us who oppose them.

It will be helpful to have a power analysis in our minds, specifically that’s known as the upside-down triangle. This tool was built to explain how power moves even under dictatorships.

The central tenet is that like an upside-down triangle, power can be unstable. It naturally topples over without anything supporting it. To prevent that, power relies on pillars of support to keep it upright.

Casually, the left often focuses on pillars of support that include governments, media, corporations, shareholders and policy makers. Describing the pillars of support, Gene Sharp wrote:

By themselves, rulers cannot collect taxes, enforce repressive laws and regulations, keep trains running on time, prepare national budgets, direct traffic, manage ports, print money, repair roads, keep markets supplied with food, make steel, build rockets, train the police and army, issue postage stamps or even milk a cow. People provide these services to the ruler though a variety of organizations and institutions. If people would stop providing these skills, the ruler could not rule.

Removing one pillar of support can often gain major, life-saving concessions. In response to Trump’s 2019 government shutdown, flight attendants prepared a national strike. Such a strike would ground planes across the country and a key transportation network. Within hours of announcing they were “mobilizing immediately” for a strike, Trump capitulated.

Another example comes from the recently deceased long-time activist Dick Taylor. In his book “Blockade,” he writes about how he and a tiny group changed U.S. foreign policy by repeatedly blocking armaments sent to support Pakistani dictator Yahya Khan. The ragtag crew sent canoes to block mighty military shipments leaving from East Coast ports until eventually the International Longshoremen’s Association was persuaded to refuse to load them. This broke the back of national policy.

For larger system change we have to look outside of recent U.S. organizing. A good place to start is with Waging Nonviolence’s recent interview series with folks sharing key lessons on fighting autocracies and aiming for system change.

In our country, pressuring elite power is reaching its end point. Power will need to emerge from folks no longer obeying the current unjust system. This tipping point of mass noncooperation will be messy. It means convincing a lot of people to take huge personal risks for a better option.

As a “Disrupt and Disobey” person, we have to move deliberately to gain the trust of others, like the “Protecting People” folks. Mass noncooperation does the opposite of their goal of protection — it exposes people to more risk, more repression. But with that comes the possibility that we could get the kind of liberatory government that we all truly deserve.

9. Handle fear, make violence rebound

Otpor in Serbia has provided an abundance of examples on how to face repression. They were young people who took a sarcastic response to regular police beatings. They would joke amongst each other, “It only hurts if you’re scared.”

Their attitude wasn’t cavalier — it was tactical. They were not going to grow fear. So when hundreds were beaten on a single day, their response was: This repression will only stiffen the resistance.

This is attitude.

They were also practical. They would follow their arrested protesters to jail cells and insist on making sure they were being treated well. They would target police who beat them up — showing up outside their houses with pictures of the people they beat up. Their call was rooted in the future they wanted: “You’ll have a chance to join us.”

Handling fear isn’t about suppressing it — but it is about constantly redirecting. One activist described to me two motions in the universe: shrinking or expansion. When Donald Trump directs the Justice Department to use sedition charges against protesters or arrest his political enemies like Jamie Raskin or Liz Cheney, what’s our response?

Activist/intellectual Hardy Merriman released a studied response about political violence that had some news that surprised me. The first was that physical political violence hasn’t grown dramatically in this country — it still remains relatively rare. The threats of violence, however, trend upwards, such as this CNN report: “Politically motivated threats to public officials increased 178 percent during Trump’s presidency,” primarily from the right.

His conclusion wasn’t that political violence isn’t going to grow. Quite the opposite. But he noted that a key component to political violence is to intimidate and tell a story that they are the true victims. Making political violence rebound requires refusing to be intimidated and resisting those threats so they can backfire. (Training on this backfire technique is available from the HOPE-PV guide.)

We can shrink into a cacophony of “that’s not fair,” which fuels the fear of repression. Or we take a page from the great strategist Bayard Rustin.

Black civil rights leaders were targeted by the government of Montgomery, Alabama during the bus boycott in the 1950s. Leaders like the newly appointed Martin Luther King Jr. went into hiding after police threats of arrest based on antiquated anti-boycott laws. Movement organizer Rustin organized them to go down to the station and demand to be arrested since they were leaders — making a positive spectacle of the repression. Some leaders not on police lists publicly demanded they, too, get arrested. Folks charged were met with cheers from crowds, holding their arrest papers high in the air. Fear was turned into valor.

10. Envision a positive future

I don’t feel certain, and I’m not predicting we win. But we’ve all now imagined storylines about how bad it might get. We would do ourselves a service to spend an equal measure of time envisioning how we might advance our cause in these conditions. As writer Walidah Imarisha says, “The goal of visionary fiction is to change the world.”

In my mind, we’ll have to eventually get Trump out of office. There are two paths available.

The first: Vote him out. Given the bias of the electoral college, this requires successfully defending nearly all local, state and national takeovers of elections such that they remain relatively fair and free.

Winning via the path of electoral majority has a wide swath of experience and support from mainstream progressive organizations and Democratic institutions. It’s going to be a major thrust.

In my scenario writing I’ve explored what that strategy could look like, including preparing electoral workers to stand against last minute attempts by Trump to change election rules and even stymie the election with dubious emergency orders. They don’t obey — and go ahead with elections anyway.

The second strategy is if he illegally refuses to leave or allow fair elections: Kick him out. That means we are able to develop a national nonviolent resistance campaign capable of forcing him out of office.

I’ve written several versions of this: One where large-scale strikes disable portions of the U.S. economy. If you recall from COVID, our systems are extremely vulnerable. Businesses running “just in time” inventory means small hiccups in the system can cause cascading effects.

Sustained strikes would face deep resistance, but they could swing communities currently on the fence, like the business community, which already is concerned about Trump’s temperamental nature. Trump’s own policies might make these conditions much easier. If he really does mass deportations, the economic injury might be fatal.

In another scenario I explore another strategy of taking advantage of a Trump overreach. Autocrats overplay their hands. And in this imagined scenario, Trump overreaches when he attempts to force autoworkers to stop building electric vehicles. UAW workers refuse and keep the factories running. Eventually he’s unable to stop them — but in the process he’s publicly humiliated.

A very public loss like this can cause what Timur Kuran calls an “unanticipated revolution.” He noted many incidents where political leaders seem to have full support, then suddenly it evaporates. He gives as an example the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79. “None of the major intelligence organizations — not even the CIA or the KGB — expected Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s regime to collapse. Right up to the revolution, they expected him to weather the gathering storm.”

Kuran’s analysis reminds us to look at Trump’s political weakness. Political hacks like Lindsay Graham appear to be sycophants — but if given the chance to turn their knife in his back, they might. This means exposed political weaknesses could quickly turn the many inside Trump’s campaign against him.

That feels far away from now. But all these remain possibilities. Practicing this future thinking and seeing into these directions gives me some hope and some strategic sensibilities.

On the days when I can’t sense any of these political possibilities (more than not), I zoom out further to the lifespans of trees and rocks, heading into spiritual reminders that nothing lasts forever.

All of the future is uncertain. But using these things, we’re more likely to have a more hopeful future and experience during these turbulent times.

[thrawns-babygirl]

Insufferable Pt 2 (Crosshair x F!Reader)

Writers block is killing me lmaoooo so I decided to make a part 2 to one of my first fics i ever wrote because its been sitting in my drafts for way too long. Hope Yall enjoy, let me know what you think. Likes, Reblogs and Replies fuel me so pls dont hold back. Thinking of writing a part 3 but idk yet lol

I proofread it but im tired as hell so let me know if i missed anything

Rating: (E (18+) Warnings: Gags, Unprotected PiV, Creampie, Oral (F!Receiving), mentions of drawing blood Word Count: 2600+

Masterlist

It’s been weeks since the Batch landed on Kamino. Weeks of tests and poking and prodding and nothing to do but wait for orders to come in. It’s been a while since the batch had been on Kamino for this long in between missions and tensions were running high. Hunter had snapped at Wrecker, Tech had snapped at Hunter, Wrecker was trying to keep his head down and Crosshair? Crosshair was being the most unbearable of them all.

The Batch were used to his clipped replies and scathing remarks by now, but at the moment it’s like he was trying extra hard to be a snarky prick and the others were sick of it. They had gotten a brief reprieve when Crosshair was called down to the shooting range for an evaluation by Nala Se and a couple of other doctors and scientists but according to Tech’s findings in the Kaminoan data base he performed ‘sub-optimally’ and was sent to medical for an examination.

The Batch shared withering stares, knowing that if Crosshair was being intolerable now then the results of todays evaluations were only going to make the sniper ten times worse to deal with. A new mission could not come soon enough.

Crosshair was stalking down the halls of Kamino, and if looks could kill, any reg that he passed would have dropped dead had he been brave enough to make eye contact with the furious sniper. He was seething to himself as his legs dragged him down to the medical wing, towards the one person he wanted to see less than anyone else on this maker forsaken planet at the moment, you.

Ever since he made the grave mistake of giving in to his sordid desires with you on his mind, he could barely look at you, not that the two of you had a good relationship to begin with, but now it was worse.

Any time he looked at you he would be reminded of how he debased himself to the thought of you. How he couldn’t even control himself enough not to give you the smallest amount of power over him, and he hated it. The worst part? It wasn’t even the one time. After the metaphorical seal was broken, he couldn’t stop. Every night since he would bring himself to mind-blowing, leg shaking orgasms by his own hand in the ‘fresher, your name threatening to escape him in the form of strangled groans as he bites down on his fist to stifle his sounds. Those same nights he would wake up, panting, painfully hard as your form invaded even his subconscious.

He knew his brothers were on the receiving end of his short temper more than usual, but they had luckily chalked it up to their lack of action recently and being cooped up together in a tiny barracks on Kamino. He’s not sure how he would deal with it if they had any idea of the real reason he was so short tempered with them.

He’s shaken from his reverie as the door to your office slides open, he was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even realise he was just standing outside your door. You look up at him, datapad in hand and give him a sickly-sweet smile. A brief look down at the pad in front of you shows the results from his lacklustre performance at the shooting range as well as some requests for certain medical examinations to see if the cause of his frustration is physical or mental.

He barges past you into your office without uttering a word and takes a seat in front of your desk.

“Well hello to you too Cross” you beam at him. It’s like you enjoy watching him suffer, like you derive some sick pleasure from watching him fail. He can’t stand it; he can’t stand you. So why is his cock reacting to your taunting smile? Why does he have to actively resist the urge to push you up against your desk and shut you up himself? He still doesn’t say a word, just glares at you while he pops a toothpick in his mouth.

“Just a couple of things today before I move your ungrateful behind onto a specialist, shed your armour and take your top off so I can draw some blood” He’s totally silent as he removes the top half of his armour and blacks, revealing the planes of his scarred chest. You quickly and painlessly draw some blood from his arm before running it through a machine to test his hormone levels and to test for any diseases.

“Have you been sexually active in the last 6 cycles?” You ask while looking down at the machine readout that’s coming up on your pad. The question startles him, he knows it’s standard, its not even the first time you’ve asked him, but while his traitorous cock is trapped against his body and his codpiece the question feels… different. He concedes that he can’t remain non-verbal the entire appointment and the sooner he gets through this the sooner he can… relieve himself.

“Yes” his reply is clipped, he’s still refusing to make eye contact, preferring to look around the sterile white room. You give a light snort, before looking up at him from your pad.

“Something funny?” he grits out at you, teeth clenching down on the toothpick in his mouth.

“Oh just with your sparkling personality I just wasn’t sure how lucky you were wooing the ladies, or men, no judgment, you’re just a little… how should I say this… abrasive?” the machine has finished uploading the data from his blood samples to your pad and you continue flicking through the results to see if there are any anomalies.

“I’m nicer to people who don’t piss me off Doc” he’s looking away again, out the small window near the back of your office, watching the ever-present Kamino rain. “Besides working for the GAR you get a lotta ladies hanging around bases looking to have some fun with a clone or two. But I’m sure you know all about that don’t you?” he turns to face you, a cocky smirk painting his features.

You balk, gripping your pad, brows furrowed as you look for something to say. He’s not wrong after all, you have had a rendezvous with a few clones in your time serving as a doctor on Kamino. It gets lonely and the donor was a very attractive man, so naturally things were bound to happen.

“Jealous Cross?” you’re still inputting the results of his blood test into the system, refusing to make eye contact as you try to recover from being called out.

“Not at all, why would I need some reg’s sloppy seconds when I’ve got lines of women ready to throw themselves at me and my ‘sparkling personality’ any time I’m off world” he finally has the upper-hand again and you’re scrambling to keep up. You simply decide on staying quiet while you gather the instruments required for the rest of the exams and will the rising blush away from your cheeks. “Out of the rest of your armour and on the bed” you grit out at him, still refusing to look him in the eye.

“Oh Doc, you gotta woo me a little better than that if you want me in your bed” you can hear the cocky smile in his voice breaking through over the clatter of his armour hitting the hard floor of your office as he follows your instructions and sits down on the cot in front of you. “If I wanted a cocky di’kut in my bed I’d ask any of the clones from Tango Squad to join me, not you, now lie down so we can get this over with and you can be a pain in your brother’s asses instead of mine” you move the scanner over him, adjusting the settings before running it over his whole body, watching the readouts closely searching for any abnormalities.

“Those shinies wouldn’t know how to please a woman if it hit them in the face” he drawls, eyes trained on your form leaning over his body. You let out another involuntary laugh “Oh and you would hotshot?” your eyes don’t leave the readout in front of you, if they did you would see the tent that Crosshair is pitching in his blacks as his eyes rake up and down your form.

Every single lewd thought the sniper has had while touching himself in the refresher coming to the surface now that you’re so close, the confirmation that you have indeed slept with regs making his blood boil. He could make you feel better than any of those regs could ever dream of, he would make your body sing for him, and he’s certain you would let him.

 “I would” he states simply and watches as a blush spreads its way up your neck to the tips of your ears, your throat bobs slightly as you swallow, and he knows he’s got you right where he wants you. You finish your scans, moving the machinery away and begin busying yourself with your datapad again. Without looking up you walk over to your office and punch in a code to the door panel locking it before walking back over to where Crosshair sits on the edge of the cot, leaning back with his hands planted on the fabric behind him, lets spread, rolling the toothpick in his mouth from one side to the other.

“Prove it then” you finally look up, placing your data pad on the desk.

“Now now Doc, who says I want to prove myself to you?” his voice dropping an octave as you saunter over to him. Your eyes land on the bulge caged by his blacks and you smirk up at him “Your body betrays you trooper, but if you don’t want to I have plenty of fine men on the other side of that door I can mmphh-” he silences you by slamming his lips against yours, his hands moving to your hips and pulling you against him as he runs his tongue along your lower lip, you open your mouth slightly and he slips his tongue inside, swallowing any sound that threatens to escape you.

You reluctantly break apart for air, panting slightly with kiss swollen lips as Crosshair stands up off the bed and slowly starts peeling your uniform pants and panties down your legs. “You talk too much Doc” he grunts out spinning you and placing your now naked ass on the bed that he was just occupying. “and what are you going to do abou-” you’re once again interrupted as Crosshair shoves your panties into your mouth and you look at him incredulously. “Much better” he growls as he lowers himself down to his knees, running his hands along your bare thighs before spreading them and gazing at your slick entrance.

“You’re already so kriffing wet doc, those regs mustn’t be treating you right if you’re already this soaked for me” you can feel the warm puffs of his breath fanning over your sensitive entrance as he talks. He looks up at you, not breaking eye contact as he licks a broad stripe up your cunt, swirling the muscle around your clit before diving in and eating you like a man starved.

Your groan is stifled by the fabric shoved in your mouth, saliva is threatening to spill around your lips as Cross laps at you. You close your eyes and lean your head back, indulging in the feeling of his tongue slipping inside you. You didn’t want to admit it but the clones you have been sleeping with have been somewhat lacklustre recently, with you often having to finish yourself off after they excused themselves back to their barracks. Tonight however, you can tell by the rapidly tightening coil in your stomach that that will not be an issue.

Cross groans into your cunt, and the vibrations of his voice send electricity shooting down your spine, winding the coil tighter. You open your eyes and glance down, the Sniper has freed himself from his blacks and his using his free hand to stroke his hard length vigorously. The sight sends you over the edge, your thighs wrap themselves around his head as all of your muscles tense and your orgasm washes over you and down onto his chin, your loud moans of his name muffled by the now soaked fabric still stuffed in your mouth.

Crosshair continues lapping at your juices, bringing you to overstimulation before extracting himself from your thighs and wiping your slick from his face. His smirk has evolved into a cocky grin as he stands and lines himself up with your entrance.

“You ready for the main course doc?” you nod vigorously as he runs the tip of his cock along your soaked entrance, teasing your clit before pushing forward enough for just the tip to slip inside only to pull it back out and continue teasing you.

You groan through your gag and tilt your hips upward hoping that he will get the hint and fuck you already. “Oh if only they could see you now, the high and mighty Doc just begging to be filled by a defective clone… if only they could see how much of a slut you are for my cock-” he punctuates his statement by finally slipping himself inside of you in a single swift thrust.

The feeling of your tight walls rips an uncharacteristically loud groan from the sniper, you felt divine, and after so long fantasizing about fucking you, he’s certain he’s going to bust early like some damn shiny losing his V card. He stays still for a moment, one hand gripping your thigh and the other reaching between the two of you to start toying with your already sensitive clit, causing your head to loll forward. Slowly, after acclimating to the way you stretch around his girth, he starts moving, his cock reaching perfectly inside to that sweet spot that has you rapidly approaching your second orgasm quicker than you anticipated.

You’re lucky your office is soundproofed, the loud moans that make it through your gag and the sound of his hips slapping against yours would paint any passer-by a very vivid picture of what exactly is going on behind closed doors. The drag of his length against your walls is heavenly, the tight circles he’s drawing against your clit with his fingers cause your muscles to clench around him, strangling his cock as your orgasm washes over you. You pant through your nose, squeezing your eyes shut as your peak engulfs you, loud moans of his name caught on the makeshift gag still stuffed in your mouth.

Placing both of his hands onto your hips and resting his head in the crook of your shoulder he chases his own peak, hips slamming into yours as he latches his mouth against your neck sucking a dark mark against your skin as his cock throbs inside of you, spurting ropes of hot cum into your abused pussy. Thrusting a few more times before stopping and resting his forehead against yours in a surprisingly intimate gesture.

You’re both panting, as he finally reaches up to remove the soaked fabric from your mouth. He slowly extracts himself from you, watching as his release starts spilling out of you onto the white bed beneath you and begins to redress. “I think I’ve proven my point doc; anything comes up on the scans let me know” he says as he continues clipping the hard plastoid of his armour into place. You nod, still somewhat at a loss for words as you watch him tuck your panties into a pouch on his belt. He gives you a three-finger salute before unlocking the door to your office and making a quick exit before you get a chance to say anything to him. Leaving you to redress alone and figure out what the fuck just happened.

@where-is-my-mind-tho @starborncyare @antishadow2021 @healingskywalker@crosshairlovebot

[neonmetro]

Hey chat I'm sick and the day is definitely not going as well as I thought it would so. . .I ever so kindly beg for a Uly. . .

Honestly this guy needs an award because he is working a full time job in my head with no breaks !!!! Like this man can't even call out sick. . .it's so cute. . .the silly ever. Honestly I think this is going to be Ulysses appreciation because what makes someone feel more better than talking about some silly blorbos. . . NOTHING !!!

He's so pathetic and awful I love it. . .

*slams fist on table* GET ME ALL THE ULYSSES YOU HAVE !!!! STAT !!! /SILLY

-Ulysses loving anon

IT TRULY IS A 24/7 365 DAY JOB HAVING ULY IN YOUR BRAIN THAT GUY JUST INFESTS YOUR GOD FORSAKEN BRAINWORMS!!!!!!

he truly is just. absolutely tired and done with everything. life is just dull without Her, and without Her, he is noman.

i was actually talking about his gender w a friend semi recently and its really interesting part of him... most of his identity really does align with traditional masc expectations, wanting to protect those closest to him and be able to support a family and he's essentially just a trans straight guy but his relationships with sapphics is just different. he doesn't sees them as another facet to himself or a missing piece (even though literally everyone he was close to has died and its his fault he doesn't think he's less of a man gender wise he just doesn't think he's a human period (tho his it pronoun doesn't derive from this. to be clear))

ALSO. pivoting to his friendships. he, polites, and eurylochus have matching hair ribbons...

when polites dies, eurylo takes it while uly takes his out. he can't pretend he deserves it now after what he's done to polites, and eurylo is like "ah... i'll take it for safe keeping, if you ever think you want it again."

NOW. ONTO MINVERVA. IT GETS FUCKED.

the founding purposefully have kids and champions that aren't apart of the founding's bloodline just so they can later use their souls to fuel the palladium to keep their powers/immortality. and they Want contracts w other people so they'll be able to provide better powers/last longer. so having multiple champions, like in the case of minerva (ulysses and diomedes), isn't unusual, its just "efficient"

isn't it fucked that he was slated to be a pig sent to the slaughter and the only way to get out of that fate is to butcher his friend first. isn't that crazy (the friend being minerva or polites is up to audience interpretation)

his relationships with his kids are also really fucked.

telemachus obv is the closest with him and he actively tries to talk to him the most. but also his feelings on his dad are weird. on one hand he's PISSED at him for leaving him and his mom alone and making him suffer so much just because he wasn't there physically or emotionally causing so much repression. but on the other, if he doesn't loves uly, who will? he kind of feels an obligation as uly's oldest kid to set an example for the rest of them for how they should feel about their father.

because telegony (their name is actually telegony but i'll tag them as telegonus bc i don't want to tag that god forsaken book) absolutely DESPISES ulysses. joined enosichthon corp. out of spite. rose through the ranks. out of spite. intruded on a picnic w/ uly and telemachus. out of spite. they spent the absolute least amount of time with their father and it shows. they hate ulysses with all their guts and ulysses just accepts it which makes telegony even *angrier*.

nausinous spent a lot of their childhood with ulysses, so they have a sort of attachment to him... they don't hate them but they see how their half sibling reacts to him and wishes to just... not have him kill himself in front of everyone.

ANYWAYS THAT'S YOUR DESIGNATED ULY CONTENT !!!!! I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON BTW...!!! (ik this is late... hopefully you feel better soon tho ^^)

[s1m0n-gr4y]

Weight Loss Decoded: Your Essential Guide to Success

Intro

Are you tired of trying different weight loss methods without seeing any real results? Do you find yourself constantly struggling to shed those extra pounds? Well, look no further because in this ultimate guide to effective weight loss, we will decode the secrets to successful weight loss. Whether you're looking to lose a few pounds or make a significant lifestyle change, this guide will provide you with the essential tools you need to achieve your weight loss goals.

Understanding the Science of Weight Loss

Delving into the science of weight loss illuminates the fundamental principle of calorie consumption versus calorie expenditure. The body needs a certain number of calories to maintain its current weight. When the intake of calories falls below this maintenance level, a calorie deficit is created. This deficit is the linchpin in the weight loss process, compelling the body to tap into stored fat reserves for energy, thereby leading to weight loss.

 It's not just about eating less but about eating smart. The types of calories consumed can influence satiety, metabolic rate, and nutritional intake, all of which are critical in the weight loss equation. Additionally, physical activity enhances this process by increasing the number of calories your body burns, making exercise a pivotal component of effective weight loss. It's this synergy between diet and exercise, underpinned by a calorie deficit, that drives the science of shedding pounds. Understanding this balance provides a clear roadmap to achieving weight loss goals, emphasizing that success hinges on more than just diet or exercise alone but on a comprehensive approach that marries the two.

The Role of Nutrition in Achieving Your Weight Loss Goals

The pivotal position of nutrition in the landscape of weight loss cannot be overstated. A meticulous approach to what fuels your body is fundamental to tipping the scales in your favor. Embrace a diet replete with whole, nutrient-rich foods—fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and grains—that not only satiate hunger but provide a powerhouse of nutrients without excessive caloric load. The art of portion control is another critical skill, allowing you to enjoy a variety of foods without overindulging. Steer clear of processed and sugary temptations that derail progress, focusing instead on meals that are both nourishing and satisfying. This strategic approach to nutrition not only supports a calorie deficit necessary for weight loss but enhances overall health, casting a spotlight on the quality of calories rather than quantity alone. Engaging with your diet in this way transforms eating from a mundane task to an integral part of your weight loss journey, each meal bringing you a step closer to your goals.

Crafting an Effective Exercise Routine

Creating an effective exercise routine is a cornerstone in the architecture of weight loss. It's not just about calorie burning; it's about sculpting a regimen that harmonizes with your life and aspirations. Engaging in a diversity of exercises ensures a holistic approach to fitness. Cardiovascular exercises elevate heart rate and enhance calorie expenditure, while strength training builds muscle, boosting your metabolic rate even when at rest. Flexibility exercises, often undervalued, are crucial for maintaining mobility and preventing injuries, allowing for sustained physical activity.

The magic lies in finding the blend of activities that resonates with you. Whether it's cycling, swimming, yoga, or hiking, the joy derived from these activities increases adherence and fosters a positive attitude towards exercise. Consistency is the bedrock of progress; thus, it's essential to select exercises that are not only effective but enjoyable and sustainable. Tailoring your routine to fit your unique preferences and lifestyle ensures that exercise enriches your life rather than becoming a chore. By integrating variety and pleasure into your exercise regimen, you set the stage for a successful and enduring weight loss journey.

The Psychological Aspect of Losing Weight

Navigating the mental terrain of weight loss is as critical as the physical journey. Adopting a mindset steeped in resilience and determination sets a solid foundation for enduring success. It’s about cultivating a perspective that views setbacks not as failures, but as stepping stones to greater self-awareness and adjustment. Embracing realistic objectives and breaking them down into achievable milestones can transform an overwhelming path into a manageable and rewarding journey. Equally important is the practice of self-compassion. Recognize that perfection is an unrealistic goal and that progress, no matter how incremental, is a significant victory. Establishing a support system of friends and family who offer not just encouragement but also accountability can amplify your efforts and provide a safety net during moments of doubt or stagnation. Engage in reflective practices, such as journaling, to maintain focus and clarity on your goals, celebrating victories along the way to fuel motivation. It’s this harmonious blend of persistence, realism, and self-support that navigates the intricate psychological landscape of weight loss, turning aspirations into achievements.

The Importance of Sleep and Stress Management

The underappreciated allies in the battle against weight gain are sound sleep and effective stress control. Compromised sleep patterns can wreak havoc on the body's endocrine system, skewing hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, which can lead to increased appetite and diminished satiety. This imbalance underscores the necessity of securing 7-9 hours of restorative sleep nightly, not just as a luxury, but as a strategic component of weight management. Similarly, the role of stress cannot be underestimated. Chronic stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that not only encourages fat storage, particularly in the abdominal region, but can also prompt mindless eating or the selection of high-calorie comfort foods. Integrating stress-reduction strategies—be it through mindfulness meditation, deep-breathing exercises, or yoga—can substantially mitigate these effects, aiding in the adherence to dietary and exercise plans. Furthermore, embracing practices that promote relaxation and mental tranquility contributes to a holistic approach to weight loss, one that nurtures the mind just as conscientiously as it does the body. This dual focus on sleep and stress management not only accelerates the journey toward weight loss but also enhances overall health and vitality, making it an indispensable part of any comprehensive weight loss strategy.

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[weebtwig]

I finished reading the HNK manga and watching the anime a while ago but I still have the notes on many chapters without much context, so...I thought that some people may wanna read 'em? This will contain spoilers for the entire series.

I think that the main message is : Be careful what you wish for and be grateful for what you have.

Something I'm upset with is the Fu...A...N? bit getting lost in translation. Yk, when Phos strangles the tsukijin, accidentally blocking their airways? And then Phos is in the library, thinking about what the tsukijin said and Ghost scares them? "fuan" means "anxiety/uneasiness/apprehension" etc. and I think that moment has a unique feel to it that also helps cement Ghost's character.

CH39

Phos' gold expands in their head and explodes because of the trauma caused by the Antarc incident.

Cairngorm understands Phos' situation with the gold arms because they themselves have lived beneath Ghost Quartz's skin. Phos' gold, just like how Cairngorm has lived, has a mind of their own.

And it's likely the arms that acted up and called Cairngorm "Antarc".

When beneath Ghost's surface, Cairngorm did something as reckless as trying to get caught by the tsukijin because of Lapis being taken away, similarly to what Phos did because of Antarc

CH42

THE TSUKIJIN LEARNED TO CHUCK BITS AND PIECES OF GEMS AS WEAPONS BECAUSE OF THE TIME WHEN SENSEI DID

CH43

THE FORESHADOWING

F U M I N G .

CH45

Whenever the alloy kept expanding and contracting, Phos would crack and chip away because their memories were affected by the trauma.

CH46

Guess who's gonna go to the moon...(it is Phosphophyllite)

CH47

Lapis looks kinda evil

CH58

Phos is going to feed every gem the information said gem wants/needs little by little. They are going to maintain the original personality in order to attract no suspicion.

CH59

You're gonna hate that love because you don't understand it??

CH67

Is the prince offering false freedom?

Also, having your old self eat away at you, making you unable to progress is a beautiful message.

Cairngorm would've been more hostile towards Phos if it weren't for Ghost's influence. Cairngorm was like that in the beginning because they had more control over themselves, likely due to the strong emotions caused by Ghost being taken away.

CH71

Cinnabar decomposes into Hg and S at a minimum of 235°C. That means that either the Earth's atmospheric temperature is as high as that, or Cinnabar's internal body temperature is. And that's how they create that "poison" floating around them, which is definitely mercury. Or maybe they can make it float, like Phos can control the alloy that makes up their arms?

Phos may be more fortunate than Cinnabar, yet the latter appreciates themselves enough to not be eternally greedy and obsessed with changing themselves.

+Cairngorm new fit kinda looks like a chess piece maybe

CH72

Teetering at the edge between two extremes, Phos can't fit in anywhere.

CH75

The way that they're forcing gender norms on a genderless gem makes me feel uncomfortable on a deep level.

CH76

People go along with Phos out of convenience and because their ideas slightly align, not because they care about the gem. However, the gems on Earth care about both Euc and Kongō, hence why they happily stick around

CH78

I don't think anyone who's on the moon reeally misses Phos...

CH79

NIGHTMARE FUEL.

Phos lost "Phos", so of course "Phos" was not memorable to the other gems after a long time has passed. Also, what a Frankenstein. Get boxed.

Phos must tired because of the lack of sunlight.

So now they want Kongō's light? After rejecting it??

CH80

The Lustrous may be pure and kind in all they do and are, just like the prince is saying. Going by that logic, Phos has always had good intentions but has been a mess since from start to finish.

CH99

Phos resembles a sea angel to me...which is kinda interesting, since they both hail from the sea. Phos also looks like a combination between the 3 races that derived from humans and none of them at the same time.

Some extra things I want to add:

After CH99 I kinda just started binge-reading everything that was left and I was too impressed by everything that was happening to actually have any thoughts about it. I just felt at peace reading it, somehow.

Anyway, a nice touch that the ending had was Phos disintegrating, essentially "peeling" every layer off and returning to their original state...I got very emotional.

Also, I hate Aechmea with a burning passion. At first I thought they were this evil guy but in the end they were relatively harmless but GROSS AF. I had to force myself to get through all the chapters when they were interacting with Cairngorm because I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE ON SO MANY LEVELS.

Regardless, thank you for reading if you did 🫶

[milune-vox]

The Dawn of Redeeming Grace

previous chapter <=> next chapter (coming soon)

Chapter 9:

It has been a hard couple of weeks. In his long life, he's faced more than his fair share of hardships. Yet, he has always found a way to savour life’s pleasures and appreciate every little thing: a nice meal, a warm fire, the first rays of the sun after a long, dreadful night.

Over time, one becomes convinced, rightfully, that they can survive anything. He could simply wait out any storm, knowing he has infinite time. He’d always outlive his sorrows.

Despite this knowledge, the rational part of his brain having taken a hiatus, he finds his heart screaming in his chest with such strength and constancy that it drowns out everything else. Truly, he can’t find a reason to carry on anymore, can he? He has experienced so much, loved so many, and yet this—this is what has driven him all this time, isn’t it? The sight of his Stranger, the sound of his voice, the delight in meeting him century after century. His one and only constant. His truest friend, the one who remains, the one his heart keeps yearning for. Among all the lovers he has taken over the years, this one shadow always lingers in the back of his mind, calling his truest name in a mellifluous voice, “Hob Gadling.”

When he finally saw an opportunity to see his dreams come true, when his friend let himself get closer, let himself feel and partake in more meetings with him… he ruined it all. He can't fix it, can't simply ring him up and ask, “Hello, old friend, love of my life, how did I offend you this time? Are you aware of my feelings for you?” He feels bitter and desperate, ever so tempted to drink himself stupid, to forget about it all and drunkenly cry and shout into the night. But he doesn’t, not yet, because he has a life carefully crafted here, a facade to maintain. If a few students, colleagues, or regulars at the New Inn notice something is off and ask about it, he easily placates them with a shrug and a “Nothing much, just a bit tired is all.”

He would have kept going. He is resilient, stubbornly so. It is his pride and the core of his identity. What else is there to derive pride from when everything is made of ache?

He would have been fine, eventually. He would have made it to the other side, like an athlete or a trapeze artist, a circus performer laughing and smiling while putting his body through absolute torture to please the crowd. He would have been okay.

But one sleepless night too many, and one rude customer, and suddenly the dam breaks.

It has been a long day. Exam week seems never-ending. He is a heartless robot, fueled by coffee instead of gasoline. Upon returning home, the New Inn has been filled to the brim with people. His staff is panicked and breaking down. Nearby, an event has been organized. They haven’t been warned. This rush is unexpected, unforgiving. Collection cars and motorbikes parade the surrounding streets. The sound of motors sputtering tries its hardest to make him jump out of his skin. Once again, he clenches his teeth, smiles, and runs around helping his staff by dispatching orders from one side of the room to the other, his gestures certain, precise, and quick.

They are almost done with the fifth wave of people when the man he has just served stops him.

“Oy mate, I’d like some fries with my salad.”

“Sure. With the fries, it’ll be—”

“Nah man, every time I come, they give them fries for free!”

“Well, the rule is the rule, mate. I’ll—”

“I know the boss! He’s a friend of mine. He gives me two servings of those whenever I come around!”

“I mean, you can try asking him, if you want.”

He waits with an eyebrow raised. He knows the man is lying—he is the boss, after all. Even if the man is referring to Jenny, well, she is a she, not a he.

The sheer nerve of it all would have amused him, were he not exhausted out of his mind and strictly functioning on caffeine and adrenaline.

The guy keeps spewing a string of lies, so he nods, bolts away, and brings him the salad.

“What about the fries?” comes the offended response.

Hob’s voice is short, and his smile is tense as he answers, “Once again, it is not free, but you can order it.”

The man fumbles in his pockets, muttering, increasingly red in the face. He takes his wallet out and grumbles, “Sure, just take my money, you dunce.”

He throws coins on the ground and shouts, “PICK IT UP THEN.”

He stops in his tracks. At first, he feels nothing but a sort of wild electricity, a confused sensation. Then, a righteous, all-encompassing anger floods his veins, setting his nerves on fire.

In an instant, he remembers all the ways he can kill a man.

There are several ways to react to bad situations. The three Fs are a fairly accurate theory, he always thought from the first time he heard of it: Fight, flight, freeze.

For now, he is frozen. He can fight. He knows how to. He just stares at the man in silence. Then, “Fuck this shit, I’m out,” he thinks, and also says, and walks away.

“We’re closing for tonight, Jen. Say there’s an electric problem or something. We’re not taking any more orders.”

She nods, relieved, and starts spreading his words to the staff.

He goes out.

He could have gone upstairs.

He should have gone upstairs. Locked himself in his bedroom and yelled into a pillow.

His hands are shaking.

He hates that man. He hates the university and its intricacies, its shortcomings, and the sheer trauma it inflicts on teachers and students. Where there should be knowledge and growth, there are only overworked individuals trying not to off themselves by going on sick leave as often as they can, and students rioting every other day.

He hates Dream.

He hates Dream so much. He hates how Dream has ripped out his heart and probably doesn’t even care. Probably doesn’t even realise. He hates how much he loves him, how much it hurts to love him, how stupid it is to feel this way for a being older than gods, and frankly, everything about this is ridiculous. He is ridiculous. Maybe he should have picked up the damn coins. Why would he get anything from Dream? He is nothing. He has everything already—immortality is enough. This should be enough. He shouldn’t yearn for things out of his grasp, but he is human. He is human and he wants, he wants, he wants so much that it hurts. And fuck Dream and his stupid beautiful face, his wits, his cluelessness in social settings, the ever-so-endearing way he—oh, shut the fuck up.

Like a worm, a thought he’s been trying to suppress crawls to the top.

What if Dream isn’t brooding? What if he is in trouble? What if he is locked up somewhere again?

He can’t do anything then, and he can’t do anything now. He is out of his depth. He is useless.

He finds himself in a park and punches a tree to try and make his thoughts stop.

There is a crack. Pain flares up along his nerves and he bites down a choking noise.

He definitely broke something in there.

Laughter bubbles in his chest.

He feels his bones pop back into place, so he kicks again, and again, and again, until he doesn’t feel it anymore. Just the pain, searing white, clarifying.

He is fine now.

He looks at the bark, covered in blood, glistening with the orange light of the streetlamps. He looks at the grass, midnight dew sparkling. The rocks under his feet, wet, cold, dirty. Cigarette butts, plastic litter. Insects crawling through the mud.

He sighs deeply, his breath escaping in wisps and rising to the opaque night sky. He breathes in and flexes his fingers. His bones click into place. He breathes out.

He rises slowly, careful not to keel over.

A figure stands in the shadows, among the trees, unmoving, watching. He doesn’t pay attention to it. He just wants to go home.

So he does. Walking back to his place, he takes his time to enjoy every single detail of the night: the way the moon plays on the shimmering flows of the Thames, the caress of the swirling wind on his damp cheeks, the constant hum and grate of the cars driving through the city. He doesn’t cross many people’s paths. They escape his gaze. He’ll never know them. As he hasn’t known many before, and won’t know many after. So many intricate threads, never touching. So many worlds, whole universes, up and out like small embers on a cold winter night. There are footsteps near him. He ends up throwing a glance behind him, curious, if a little weary—he’s had enough emotions for the day, and many after that.

The street is empty. He shrugs to himself and keeps walking at a faster pace. When he makes it home, he quickly rinses his bloody hands, then helps close up. Finally, when he gets back to his apartment, he doesn’t bother eating or showering and just collapses into bed, out like a light.

He doesn’t dream. He hasn’t for a while.

The next day, he is staring at the leaves above, cutting patterns into a perfectly blue sky. The trees on campus, much like every other in the city, are surrounded by cement, kept in place in solitary squares, straight and arranged in the most boring, geometric topiary art possible.

He tries very hard not to weep as visions of the wild forests of days past fill his mind with the smell of fresh, humid soil and decaying leaves. This is one of those days. One of those days when his impeccable balance tilts too much on the emotional side. Such is life. Waking up not fully rested, breaking two glasses, losing time looking for a hairband, burning himself on a cup of coffee, arriving late despite his best efforts, getting drenched in a cold shower of rain with no umbrella or appropriate clothing. Silly, insignificant things creep up on his mood. His mood creeps up on his memories. His memories creep up on him.

It suddenly dawns on him what he must do:

He has to leave.

He has to start over somewhere else. This life he has built, the New Inn: it is all for Dream. And Dream—he is always going to leave.

Perhaps, for once, he ought not to be the one waiting.

Perhaps, for once, he ought not to be the one seeking, reaching out.

And maybe he will come to regret this decision.

But this is like in 1889, isn’t it? Not in so many words, but.

It is still Dream leaving, and him challenging Dream.

So, yes.

He has decided now.

He is going to put his affairs in order. He is going to pick someplace on the planet where he can still see the stars, have a bit of greenery, and fresh, breathable air, with the minimum number of people.

He is going to change his name, change his ways. If Dream comes back, it will be because his friend decides to find him, not because he has erected a building and drawn arrows leading to it, spending every other afternoon waiting patiently for thirty-three years.

Yes.

He is not waiting anymore. He is moving forward—he is running from here. If Dream ever comes after him, then good. If not, well.

A group of students crosses a path nearby. Some recognize him and nod. He waves at them enthusiastically.

He will be gone soon.

Better enjoy things while they last.

Everything goes splendidly, oddly enough.

Perhaps it has been going too splendidly. Perhaps it has been a clue that something is afoot. Perhaps he should have paid more attention. Attention to the sound of footsteps at night. Attention to the car that’s been parked down the street for a while now. He has been distracted recently. Christmas has passed, then New Year’s Eve, on his own. The rest of the year steadily progresses. June arrives quickly. He has made his peace with his decision to leave—it always breaks his heart, but he keeps mementos where they matter and leaves the rest to be carried away by the winds of time.

He bids adieu to all that matters. A quiet adieu, one that he can’t make honestly, one he has to keep silent, close to his heart. The students, the colleagues, the friends. The streets, as they are, for the next time he is here, they will have changed, without a doubt. Goodbye to the trees, as they are. Goodbye to the birds, and their so fleeting lifetimes. Goodbye to the smells and the sounds and the way the light brushes against the surfaces with a glint of life ephemeral.

With a set and heavy heart, he finalises the steps. He only needs to fake his death, and then he shall be free. Free from the grasp this place has on him, from the identity he has built here, from the goddamn “temple” he has built.

Finally, he needs papers to back up his new identity.

The bloke handling it, he has found through the various contacts he has kept an eye on over the years. There is scarcely anything money can’t buy.

He is confident when he goes to conclude the transaction, meeting with his contact.

It’s a frankly inhospitable part of town, reeking of mildew and kerosene. The man he is facing looks like any mid-fifties clerk; only details betray his way of life: luxury watch, real gold necklace, real gold teeth, limited edition sneakers. He’s a bit of a stereotype in that way. It makes him smile a bit. He feels at ease. This part of his long existence is coming to an end tonight.

He doesn’t expect, once he hands over the money, for the guy to give it back with a pained wince on his face.

“No thanks, mate,” he says, and Hob knows in that precise moment something is going wrong, terribly wrong. “See, this is pocket change compared to what this other guy offered me to, well, hand you over. No hard feelings, business as usual, eh?”

His own startled question never leaves his lips. He is struck by an electric shock and immediately loses consciousness.

When his brain starts working again, his first thought, accompanied by a lingering smell of burnt flesh and hair, is that the voltage used must have been off the charts.

He doesn’t recall anything else until he wakes on a cold, metallic table in a sterile room, an indistinguishable amount of time later.

Just beyond his sight, a man is appraising him. He’s wearing gloves. He’s got a gun on his hip.

Further away still, somewhere in a shady downtown bureau, a balding man counts bills from an envelope. “Well, he doesn't need those anymore, so might as well,” he snorts self-satisfiedly.

In a dark corner of the room, two points of golden light shine brightly. Lips red as blood forms into these words: “Why, good job there darling! I shall leave you to it now.”

“No—come back!”

The man looks at his riches, emptied of any desire to spend them. Desire itself is gone, leaving him hollow. He starts walking, empty-eyed. He goes up, up.

A few hours later, a panicked passerby calls emergency services, and soon, paramedics surround the broken corpse of a man in his mid-fifties, unidentified, with golden teeth, brand new sneakers, and a bunch of cash flying around him.

“Whatever do I owe this gift to, my dear twin?” asks Despair in her realm, looking at the scene through one of her mirrors.

“Just a bit of fun getting rid of witnesses. You’ll see. You’ll feel it. He’s already close to yours now, isn’t he? Our dearest Dream. He’ll only get closer.”

Despair starts smiling, and her expression morphs into deranged, ecstatic pain as she stabs at her cheek with a hook and pulls, and pulls.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she says in an amorphous tone of voice.

Desire’s laugh rings and ripples across the mirrors. Their cold surface shivers. As does Hob, strapped to a freezing steel tray, skin prickling with goosebumps. “... Fuck.”

[starsarefire824]

Okay, so I don't really understand vore, but from what I've seen people were mostly concerned because of the anon going around.

Like, they were essentially asking people to write porn? Which, you know, maybe don't do unless they've specified they're okay with it?

Also, I guess the cannibalism AU (which I don't get either, so take this with a grain of salt) involves more than just the act, like the serial killer aspect of it, for example. Which all goes back to anon just asking for porn out of nowhere.

At least, that's how I took it 🤷🏽‍♀️

I can't say I am well versed in vore or cannibalism as kinks tbh. It's just not my personal cup of tea as far as reading for fanfic. Or any genre of story.

But from what I saw the vore anon had put *non sexual* in most of their posts when they asked. As well as when they talked to me expressed there being more to it; such as a demon au would be something they'd want to read. Which in my mind makes it a little more of something that's not any different than what we've seen in films or read in books, or....in a show called Stranger Things.

Violence is violence. This is just a different version of a human being mutilated. And again, I don't see any difference in wanting to read a vore fanfiction and reading the Hannibal Lecter novels. You're getting inside the head of someone who on some level gets sexual gratification from consuming human flesh. And okay fine---most humans reading it probably don't get off on it---but I know for a fact that there are people who DO.

And to me, as long as this is just a fantasy in their head, that no one is hurt in the process, in REAL LIFE, than there isn't really anything wrong with it. In fact, it's a healthy and safe way for people with extreme kinks to explore their fantasies without violating consent or causing harm.

So Idk, in all fairness, yeah maybe anon should have vetted the blogs they chose to ask better. Bu I just think instead of shunning, making fun of, and running people off the internet, why not just ask a couple questions. It was pretty simple to get to what the anon was looking for after a few questions. And their request, in the end, really is about something entirely different than getting off sexually.

So, even tho I personally don't give a flying f*ck what fuels people's jets. You do you boo. My main point is how this fandom treats violence vs. sex, and the people who derive different things from their fandom experience. It's become super tiring and I've never experienced this level of gatekeeping and purity culture in any other fandom I've been apart of.

Thanks for offering intelligent, calm discussion. 🖤

[bharat059]

Tire Derived Fuel Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Tire Source (Light Motor Vehicles, Heavy Duty Vehicles, Motorcycles, Aircrafts, Bicycles), By Type (Cement Industry, Power Plants, Pulp & paper mills, Utility Boilers), By Application and Geography Forecast till 2022-2029

[yellingyokes]

So Much For Karaoke

The crispness of the cold night air was gradually being overtaken by the warmth flowing from the car's air vents, filling the interior with a comforting heat. The black leather seats were heated, adding to the cozy ambiance within the vehicle. Bo sat reclined in the driver's seat, one hand casually resting on the steering wheel as he navigated the city streets by muscle memory. A soft, melodic tune played on the radio, creating a soothing atmosphere for the ride.

Emmie lounged in the passenger seat, her posture relaxed as she idly toyed with a phone that didn’t belong to her, scrolling through its contents with casual curiosity.

In the back seat, a middle-aged man was bound with his hands tied behind his back and duct tape plastered over his mouth. Two seatbelts were secured tightly around him, keeping him immobilized in the middle seat.

“So, what's the plan after this?” Emmie asked, her voice light and playful as she waved the phone. “I was thinking maybe we could go to karaoke…” She glanced over at Bo, scrolling through the phone's options before pointing the screen towards his face, a mischievous glint in her eye.

With a deafening BAM, the serenity of the night was shattered by the unmistakable sound of a gunshot and the shattering of glass as the back window of the car exploded into a million glittering shards, showering the bound man in the backseat. He let out a muffled scream of terror and pain, his eyes wide with fear and sudden adrenaline.

The piercing glare of headlights from the pursuing vehicle flooded the car's dark interior, casting stark, angular shadows that danced menacingly across the confined space. Shouts and curses echoed through the night as the figure of the thug in the backseat became visible to the pursuers The air was thick with tension, the threat of danger tangible.

They had been followed, and now they were under attack.

“How about we discuss our plans after we deal with this?” Bo suggested, his voice edged with urgency.

“Let’s speed this up then!” Emmie replied, her voice tinged with determination and a hint of adrenaline-fueled excitement.

Without waiting for Emmie to finish speaking, Bo slammed his foot down on the gas, the engine roaring to life as the city lights began to blur into streaks of color, flying past them in a whirlwind of motion.

Emmie twisted around in her seat, swiftly pulling a sleek black handgun from inside her coat. With a swift, almost polite shove, she pushed the bound man into the floorboard, making room for her to aim. With deadly precision and cold efficiency, Emmie opened fire, sending a barrage of bullets toward the oncoming vehicle. “Oh my god, I love this song!” Emmie's voice, cheerful and upbeat, was a jarring contrast to the chaos and danger that surrounded them. With an air of casual nonchalance, she continued firing at the car tailing them, her gunshots ringing out, clashing with the different tune deriving from the car's speakers.

One of Emmie's bullets found its mark, piercing the front tire of the pursuing vehicle. With a screech of metal against asphalt, the car spun wildly out of control, swaying off to the side before crashing into the glass front of a nearby building, shattering the windows in a spectacular explosion of glass and debris.

"Do me a favor and turn this up!" Emmie called out, her voice tinged with excitement and adrenaline as another vehicle quickly took the place of the wrecked car, continuing in the unwavering pursuit for the man in their backseat.

Responding swiftly to Emmie's request, Bo reached over and cranked up the volume on the car's sound system. The music blared louder, filling the air with pulsating rhythms, creating a surreal and almost unreal backdrop to the high-speed chase unfolding through the usually bustling, but densely populated city streets.

With unflinching and lightning-fast reflexes, Bo skillfully swerved and maneuvered the car through the maze of brightly lit streets, his focus unwavering despite the adrenaline-pumping intensity of the situation. The city lights streaked past in a blur of color and motion, as the chase continued to escalate.

"Em, hold onto something." Bo's voice was firm, laced with urgency as they rapidly approached a sharp turn. Heeding Bo's warning, Emmie quickly ducked down, wedging herself between the front seats, bracing for the impending maneuver.

Bo gripped the steering wheel tightly, his hands moving with practiced precision as he expertly executed a high-speed drift around the corner. The car's tires screamed in protest, the pungent scent of burning rubber filling the air.

The moment the car's momentum stabilized, Emmie sprang back into action, popping up from her crouched position. She unleashed a rapid barrage of gunfire at the pursuing vehicle, which had narrowly managed to navigate the turn in time to avoid crashing into a nearby wall.

“Are we almost in Ma’s territory yet!?” Emmie's voice was almost drowned out by the various shouts, gunshots, and screeching tires that filled the air around them.

Bo glanced up into the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. With a swift, fluid motion, he released his right hand from the steering wheel and drew a sleek revolver from his coat. Shifting his grip on the wheel, he turned to face the pursuing car, which was now speeding up alongside them.

With calculated movement, Bo slammed on the brakes, catching both Emmie and the bound man in the backseat off guard. Emmie was thrusted backward nearly tumbling onto the dashboard, while the man in the backseat lurched forward, slamming into the back of Bo’s seat with a thud as the car screeched to a sudden halt. The pursuing vehicle, caught off guard by Bo's abrupt maneuver, flew past them in a blur of motion coming to a halt to turn around in front of them.

Seizing the opportunity, Bo swiftly raised his revolver and fired three precise shots in rapid succession.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

With deadly accuracy, Bo’s bullets found their mark. The passenger window of the once-pursuing car was as shattered as the men who sat in the front seats didn't move from their slumped positions.

As the echoes of the gunshots faded, Bo calmly brought his left arm back into the car, tossing the revolver onto his lap as he regained control of the wheel and drove away from the scene of the confrontation.

“Yes, we are,” Bo replied, his voice steady and composed, the tension in the car dissipating as the immediate threat was eliminated. The city lights continued to blur past them, but now the car moved through the neon-lit streets in a tense silence, the adrenaline-pumping chase replaced by an uneasy calm and a renewed sense of control.

Emmie let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief as she repositioned herself in her seat, her body visibly relaxing as the immediate threat subsided. Slowly, she turned her head to the side, fixing the bound man in the backseat with a piercing, condescending glare that sent a shiver down his spine.

The mission had started off as a seemingly straightforward operation: capture the target and make a swift exit. But what was supposed to be a simple in-and-out job had quickly escalated into a lively street chase, thanks to the unexpected interference of the target’s loyal henchmen.

“Those guys of yours really gave us a run for our money,” Emmie’s voice, once cheerful and playful, now held a chilling edge to it that sharply contrasted with her earlier demeanor. The atmosphere in the car grew thick and oppressive, the tension noticeable as Emmie raised her pistol, her finger hovering ominously over the trigger, preparing to deliver her own brand of fairness to the situation.

However, before Emmie could speak another word, Bo interjected, his voice calm yet firm, a subtle warning lacing his words.

“We’re in the boss’s territory now, Emmie. Let’s try to keep a low profile.”

Emmie lowered her gun, her expression shifting from one of fierce resolve to crooked amusement.

“That’s rich,” she replied sarcastically. “It’s not like we didn’t just leave a trail of destruction with two totaled cars a few blocks back.” She shook her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Besides, with all the commotion we’ve caused, I doubt we’ll even get the chance to unwind with some karaoke tonight.”

The tension in the car eased slightly, replaced by a sense of weary resignation as they navigated the familiar territory.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Authors' Notes:

JXKSHDKSUHHAUJ THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING THISSS! If you have any questions about this AU PLEASE ASK- our ask boxes are open!!!! - kit

I hope you guys enjoy this as we are having fun making it!!! :] - Kat

[redpillfuturist215]

Screenshots of 1 of my Twitter threads on nuclear energy, and a little ranting

Added content below

Nuclear power done right with proper safeguards produces the cleanest, cheapest, safest and most reliable energy source. 8-9 million people a year die from fossil fuel derived pollution. The total death toll from nuclear power incidents and leaks is under 5,000, and that's ever. Sure a disaster is bad but how different would that be from a super cell or volcano, which can kills thousands or millions of animals in one fell swoop. Solar and electric vehicles relies on slave labor. Commercial windmills kills millions of flying animals. Neither of these can really be recycled and many have toxic components that unlike nuclear materials, don’t really have proper disposal regulations. The cost of nuclear waste is also factored into the entire lifetime of a plant, spread out over decades.

Time posted an article about nuclear on Twitter about the safety of nuclear energy Some dude commented “Safe like Fukushima” I'm so tired of people demonizing nuclear energy over a few isolated incidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Fossil fuel pollution alone kills several million people each year.

Nuclear is also by far the most reliable source. Links

[koffeetips]

25 Most Quirky Facts About Coffee That Will Blow Your Mind

What Are The Quirky Facts About Coffee? Quirky Facts About Coffee: Coffee Drinkers Live Longer Than Non-Coffee Users. Research shows moderate intake (about 3–4 cups per day) may lead a person to a longer life ( Harvard Health Publishing ). Coffee may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's. Two chemicals in coffee, caffeic, and chlorogenic acid, reduce inflammation. They increase the level of antioxidants in the body and decrease oxidative stress within cells. These acids in the coffee can slow down and prevent cell damage by reducing free radical activity. Decaf Does Not Mean Caffeine-Free. An eight-ounce brewed cup of decaf coffee contains two to 12 milligrams of caffeine based on a Mayo Clinic study. A standard cup of coffee has between 95 and 200 milligrams of caffeine, while a can of cola contains between 23 and 35 mg. Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process where the caffeine is taken out of the beans. These coffee manufacturers then sell the caffeine to soda and pharmaceutical companies. Drinking decaf coffee fuels the soda industry.

Decaf Coffee Is NOT Caffeine Free Coffee Wasn’t Always A Drink, Coffee Was Originally Chewed. Before people learned how to brew coffee, east African tribes mixed coffee berries with animal fat and chewed them as food. They would also ferment the pulp to make a wine-like drink.

Coffee Was Consumed As Food Originally Drinking Coffee Was Once Punishable By Death! In 1511, Mecca rulers believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and banned the drink. During the same period, some Italian clergymen also tried to outlaw coffee because they believed coffee to be "satanic." Yet, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600. In the 17th-century Ottoman Empire, the government believed that coffee contained mind-altering effects. The emperor outlawed coffee from public consumption believing it to be a type of narcotic. In 1746, Sweden's King Gustav III took things to an extreme when it banned both coffee and coffee paraphernalia, including cups and dishes. The Boston Tea Party Helped Popularize Coffee In America. Around the American Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to drink coffee instead of tea.  Also, the Civil War made coffee more common because it helped to energize tired troops.

Bostonians Dumping Tea In The Boston Harbor The Word "Coffee" Comes From The Arabic Word For "Wine". The word 'coffee' comes from the Arabic word 'qahwah' which refers to a type of wine. The Ottoman Turks then used the term “kahve”, which was followed by the Dutch word “koffie”, from which the English name was derived in 1582. One Cup Of Black Coffee Only Has One Calorie. Sweeteners, cream, and other mixes to the coffee can load up the total calorie. A Venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks contains 53 grams of sugar and 530 calories, which is almost equal to a McDonald's Big Mac's 590 calories ! Teddy Roosevelt Did Not Coin Maxwell House's Slogan. Some articles report that Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president, loved coffee very much. In 1907, on a trip to Andrew Jackson's former estate, the president called a cup of Maxwell House coffee "good to the last drop".  This catchphrase is still used today. The truth is that ‘Good to the last drop’ is not presidential, just savvy marketing.

A Photo Portrait Of Teddy Roosevelt Hawaii Is Not The Only State That Produces Coffee. Hawaii is best known for its world-famous Kona coffee originally grown in the Kona region of the Big Island. With its tropical climate and areas of mountainous terrain,  Puerto Rico offers suitable conditions for coffee growing. Recently, in Southern California, small coffee-growing farms produce experimental coffees which are quite pricey.

Hawaii Was the First State to Grow Coffee Commercially In The US The Coffee Grounds Can Beautify Your Skin. Coffee grounds can lift off dead skin cells, making skin feel smooth and look fresh. Caffeine is believed to improve blood circulation in the skin. A few cosmetics brands use coffee grounds in their beauty products, though there has not had enough clinical data on its use in topical products.

Hawaii Was the First State to Grow Coffee Commercially In The US Coffee as Biofuel. Scientists are turning the oil from waste ground coffee into biodiesel. One day coffee may be fueling some lucky ones’ cars, it might be a better alternative to EVs. People get to enjoy the coffee aroma from the car exhaustion mufflers.

Coffee Biofuel May Be A Reality In the Near Future Cream Keeps Your Coffee Warm Longer. Coffee stays warm 20% longer when adding cream. Simply, because the cream thickens the coffee, and adds viscosity, so coffee evaporates slower, avoiding a lot of heat loss. Beethoven Might Not be A Torture to Baristas. Beethoven was a coffee connoisseur, he, sometimes, could have six cups of coffee a day together with Haidn who was his music teacher. The legend that he would count 60 beans exactly per cup before making his brew is more of a story than there is any real record or evidence .

The Only Oil Painting Of Beethoven By Joseph Karl Stieler Expensive Coffees From Cat Poop And Elephant Dung. In Indonesia, the local adorable weasel-like critter, the palm civet eats the coffee cherries. A unique fermentation process occurs as the beans (rather seeds, to be precise) travel through the civet’s digestive tract. Some brave coffee farmer collects the beans from the civets’ droppings. This special coffee, after roasting, has a smooth finish and a very distinctive flavor to the final brew. Thus, Kopi luwak is known as "cat poop coffee." With prices ranging from about $100 to $600 a pound. 

A Lovely Civet Cat Hanging From A Coffee Bush Branch Yet, the priciest coffee in the world is Black Ivory Coffee. It costs about $1000 and up per pound. This coffee is produced from part-digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by Thai elephants . Oldest Cat Ever Loves Coffee. The "Oldest Cat Ever," a 38-year-old cat named Creme Puff, according to the Guinness World Record, drank coffee every week her whole life . Its owner, Jake Perry also raised another long-life cat, a 34-year-old, named Grandpa Rex Allen. Jack fed the same diet to Grandpa Rex Allen. This might be a coincidence, considering the average cat’s life is about 18 years. How Much Coffee Do Americans Drink A Day? Americans consume about 400-600 million cups of coffee every day, which is about 2 to 3 cups of coffee every American per day. Feel Gloomy? In a study of 263,923 people, the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the AARP ( American Association of Retired Persons) found coffee may lower people’s risk of depression. Those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day were almost 10% less likely to become depressed than those who drank none .

A French Bulldog Lays Gloomily On A Piece of Dark Rug 100 Cups Of Coffee May Kill A 150-Pound Person. Medical studies estimate that roughly 10 grams or more of caffeine would be a lethal dose for an average 150-pound adult. 10 grams of caffeine equals 100 cups of coffee to be down in a very short period . Bees Love Coffee. Coffee plants have very sweet nectar-like flowers that are pollinated by bees. The flower also contains caffeinated nectar .

A Bee Is Busily Feeding On The Nectar of A Coffee Bush Flowers You Don't Need To Drink Coffee In The Morning. The human body produces cortisol naturally as soon as one wakes up. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning tricks our body into producing cortisol when it doesn’t need it. It is better to have a cup of coffee after lunch when one’s cortisol level drops and feels less alert and energetic . Coffee Shops Boost Your Creativity. The coffee shop's aroma and the soft background music may help people to think creatively. The coffee smell plus the atmosphere increase a person's openness and encourage a flexible mindset. Read the full article

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Today’s compilation:

The Sun CD Collection: Rock & Roll Originals Vol 1 1987 Rockabilly / Rock & Roll

Utmost respect for Sam Phillips and the early rock & roll and rockabilly empire that he was able to build at the Memphis-based Sun Records in the 50s. His label had Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins all on its roster during that decade. Just a total murderers' row of 50s rock that was highly integral to the history and evolution of popular music as we know it. Really can't beat it.

But this 1987 CD isn't just some tired, cash-grabbing retrospective that consists of some of Sun's biggest hits, although some songs on here, like Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," did achieve great commercial success. What this release does is gather eleven separate 45s from the Sun archive that originally came out in the mid-50s and provide them on CD, many of them for the first time ever. So, purely for the sake of posterity, this is a pretty important disc.

However, while I'm sure these songs sounded fresh and newfangled when they first arrived, most of them don't really seem to have that same sparkle and luster today that they had six-plus decades ago. There's really just a lot of rock and roll and rockabilly on here that now sounds rudimentary and unimpressive. It's sort of like that scene in that Will Ferrell basketball movie, Semi-Pro, when he participates in the first ever alley-oop. It was quite a feat when it first happened, but you can see a bunch of alley-oops every night during the NBA season now. Those plays might not even make a highlight reel anymore. And lots of 50s rock compositions have a way of feeling similar as time passes on.

Some of these tunes still have the juice though, like both sides of Sonny Burgess' 1956 debut record, "Red Headed Woman," which was backed with "We Wanna Boogie." Burgess was given the nickname "The Wild Man From Arkansas" for a reason. He was responsible for making that 50s-type of rock and roll music that I love: the raucous, trashy, unpredictably raw kind; the primordial ooze that would go on to fuel to garage rock and then punk. Burgess' two songs here exemplify that freewheelingly nutty rock and roll spirit to a T. Plus, there's a uniquely froggy and gravelly fullness to his somewhat bizarre wailing. And he screams too. Gotta love it.

And another song worth talking about here is Smokey Joe's "The Signifying Monkey." It's the A-side to the only release he ever put out on Sun. Sam Phillips signed him because he thought his gravelly rasp could appeal to a black audience, despite the fact that Joe himself was white. And apparently it ended up fooling a lot of people, because the guy got invited to perform the song at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem! Imagine how that phone call must've went down when the jig was finally up 😂. And what appears to have made the whole ruse even more convincing is that Joe derived the story in his song from African folklore. Still though, despite all the controversy behind this novelty that'd get you lickety-split canceled if you tried to pull a fast one like it today, it's still a well-made early rock & roll tune.

Not blown away by most of the songs on this CD, even though over a third of them come courtesy of two of Sun's most important artists—Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison—but still managed to find a few that I can rock with almost 70 years after they were originally rolled out.

Highlights:

Smokey Joe - "The Signifying Monkey" Sonny Burgess - "Red Headed Woman" Sonny Burgess - "We Wanna Boogie"