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benisasoftboi · 5 years ago

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Unorganised thoughts on Silver Snow:

When I finished Golden Deer, I said that it had felt like a more traditional Fire Emblem story than Blue Lions. Silver Snow is that but even more so (though GD is still the most trad-FE cast, IMO)

Having already played those two routes, it felt very much like a whirlwind tour of them both, plus another battle thrown in at the end - a battle that probably should have been harder, but I (completely accidentally) built the bulkiest Byleth imaginable, especially resistance wise, plus high magic - and so, by pairing high defensive stats with Nosferatu, I tanked every attack that came my way

Gaming, for me, is just doing whatever the hell I feel like, stumbling into good results, and then pretending that I did it on purpose

I spent the whole battle with the Dragon Tales theme song stuck in my head. Kind of killed the mood

I really enjoyed that after wrapping up both the Edelgard and TWSITD plots, they basically Persona 4 you by trying to convince you that the whole game’s done now and all that’s left is to chat with everyone - though unlike in P4, there’s very obviously something left to do because they give you a whole month of prep time, rather than just one day

I felt the same way about this on Golden Deer - none of the characters are appropriately shocked by Rhea’s highly questionable actions

Also - she says she’s going to explain the whole truth! And she doesn’t! Only the Byleth creation stuff! The other revelations from Golden Deer are missing! Rhea! Why! Are! You! Like! This!

This is actually a problem I have with this game as a whole - they want to keep certain lore and secrets exclusive to certain routes, but it results in every story feeling in some way incomplete. Like, Fates gets a lot of crap, but at least you did get a full story from your half (third? never played Revelation) a game for the price of a whole one. Blue Lions gets the worst of it, I think

Plus, when you know some of said secrets, it makes characters who refuse to share them in other routes seem weirdly (and sometimes, contrivedly) cagey about things they really do not need to be cagey about. See: Claude refusing to tell Dimitri and Byleth in Azure Moon that he wants to End Racism, and instead vagueing about ��achieving his dream’. This is not Edelgard wanting to conquer Fodlan and dismantle the entire social structure, Claude, your ideals really are not so controversial that you need to be this coy. Dimitri and I are cool, we getcha

My one sentence review of the whole game is basically: Great characters, great world building, great gameplay - but really, really frustrating plot structure

I’m also really upset that Seteth does not have a dragon form

Speaking of Seteth, I married him this time around. I mostly decided to do it for laughs, but while Byleth/Dedue is still my number one Byleth pairing, I came to really, genuinely like them together. Seteth is one of my favs, now more than ever

It helps that romancing Seteth feels a lot less... creepy than romancing most of the students. I like Linhardt, but romancing him felt very weird to me because I couldn’t get over Byleth having first known him as a 16 year old under their care. Dedue, for the record, doesn’t elicit this response because he doesn’t really feel as much like a student to me? Role-wise he feels a lot closer to the knights, and it’s just that he's been enrolled as a student for convenience’s sake, which makes him and Byleth feel more equal than they do with most of the other kids. Helps that he’s also on the older end

Anyway, Seteth and Byleth would be the nerdiest couple ever, is the impression I got from their ending. The confession scene made me laugh in how ‘oh we’ve got a lot of work to do - btw wanna get married? - sweet, now let’s get back to work’ it was. Mark Whitten is a gem

It’s also the the first time I felt like the game was actually shipping me with a main lord (Seteth taking that role in the absence of the box lords on this route). Haven’t done Crimson Flower yet, so no opinion on the Edelgard/Byleth relationship yet, but regarding Claude and Dimitri my (pretty damn controversial, possibly a bad idea to put out there) opinions on them with Byleth are that

Claude and Byleth are platonic bros, regardless of Byleth’s gender. I just don’t get any feeling of romance from their relationship at all, and so pairing them off feels weird (to me, personally - I don’t hate the ship or anything, though)

Meanwhile Dimitri 100% had a crush on his teacher at school, but after more than five years of enduring trauma after trauma, and then half a year of beginning to heal (whilst fighting a war culminating in the execution of his step-sister), Dimitri is nowhere near ready for a romantic relationship. And when he is, I wouldn’t want him with any of the main cast, Dimitri x Village Girl OTP. I guess if it has to be anyone, I’d be okay with Mercedes, maybe Marianne - hell, maybe even Claude - but really, I just want him to get a fresh start. I think that’s the healthiest option for him, in the end

I do think it’s a pairing that could work in an AU where Dimitri doesn’t have any of the experiences he has in canon, though

And again, this is just my personal reading

I’ll also admit that I may be influenced by the fact that his two most popular pairings are with Byleth and Dedue, who I greatly prefer with each other. Mostly because I love Dedue with all my soul and his ending with Byleth is by far his happiest, in my eyes at least. It’s the only one where he puts some distance between himself and Dimitri and evens out the power balance in their relationship, which makes me happy because oh boy, the Dimitri/Dedue relationship is super interesting and compelling, but also (again, by my reading) all kinds of unhealthy as it’s presented for most of the game - power balance issues like I say, the fact that they tend to indulge, even encourage, each other’s worst instincts and behaviours, mutual guilt complexes - like I say, it’s fascinating, but damn screwed up. IMO, they’re one of the best examples I’ve seen of how unhealthy relationships aren’t always the result of one bad person, and how two good people can end up being very bad for each other

Though it is, again, a pairing I can see working (and actually being incredibly cute) in an AU where they’ve lived less horrible lives

And it’s not like I don’t want them to be friends, I just want them to also develop healthier boundaries and equal levels of respect

oh my god none of this has anything to do with silver snow what am I doing

But hey, speaking of Dimitri - I flip flopped on whether I thought his death was handled better or worse here than Golden Deer. It was given, I felt, more appropriate gravitas, but again suffered from ‘Dimitri’s dead! No, Dimitri’s alive! Oh wait, now he’s dead again’ in like, three successive scenes. And then you see his... ghost? I guess?

Dimitri really seems to get the short end of the stick on routes outside his own. Claude’s non-Deer roles were, in both cases I’ve played, much stronger and more fitting, and Edelgard is Edelgard

Maybe he’ll be good in Crimson Flower. Please. I miss Dimitri mattering. He’s probably my favourite of the three

There’s a point - obviously I don’t fully know Edelgard yet, but from what I got from the White Clouds section, above anything else she strikes me as an incredibly realistic depiction of a slightly edgy, extremely idealistic, but also highly naive and short-sighted teenager

Her whole goal, it seems, is meritocracy. She hates the crest system and the nobility, and she wants to create a system of equal opportunity. I can get behind that, but I really hope she’s prepared to accept the fact that true equal opportunity is basically impossible without recreating The Giver, as inequality is always more complex than one single factor being to blame for everything. Has Edelgard considered other limitations that make true meritocracy difficult to achieve? Has she been working on, say, a comprehensive benefits system? Or is she more of a libertarian type, and so primarily all about negative freedom and removing direct oppression? I hope Crimson Flower goes into detail on this, I’d be genuinely interested to know

I also find it interesting that she gets very angry about the fact that people hurt her and her family as a means to their own ends, so she decides that her own ends are to eliminate the system that lead to that happening - and she doesn’t care who she has to hurt in the process

This isn’t a CinemaSins *ding* plot hole observation, I genuinely think it’s interesting, and not actually that unrealistic

I also suppose her goal is no less naive than End All Racism By Being Nice To People, but Claude isn’t killing and persecuting people in attempt to achieve that, so it invites less scrutiny

I do wonder if I would have felt more strongly positively about her if she’d been my first playthrough. I do believe she’s a person that sincerely means well, and she’s certainly sympathetic, but - hmm. I’ll make my mind up when I finish CF

Anyway, paired endings. A few that I got include Raphael and Bernadetta (by far my favourite Bernie ending so far, seriously, what is that Caspar ending), Shamir and Leonie, which was cute and goofy (as Leonie’s endings tend to be, I notice, I do like that girl), Felix and Dorothea (not my favourite for either, but cute), Sylvain and Mercedes (the same but even cuter), Cyril and Petra (which felt wrong, partly because I love Cysithea a hell of a lot, and also because despite knowing there’s only about a year between them, Petra looks so much older pre-time skip), Ferdie and Marianne (super wholesome and sweet), and Linhardt and Caspar (my boyyyyssss that I refuse to ever separate again)

Not sure what I’m going to aim for on CF aside from keeping those boys together and also Ferdie/Hubert, as I’ve Heard Things

Flayn and Manuela have an A support so I figured they had a paired ending and it turns out they do not, which means Manuela was alone forever and Flayn ran away because apparently she hated having Byleth for a step mother I guess, rude

My Byleth (Myleth?) was prepared to be the best step mother in the history of the world, so offended

I realised ‘Javelins of Light’ is one of my absolute favourite tracks in the whole game. Mostly because it sounds like something out of Danganronpa, which made me nostalgic

I also like ‘Guardian of Starlight’ for somehow managing to sound like a Danganronpa/PMD: Explorers crossover track

I love how out of nowhere the Immaculate One fight is. It really does just feel like they needed something to distinguish the route from Verdant Wind outside of Claude not being around, so they just had a map that was less cool in every way except for the dragon

Is there an explanation for why Nemesis doesn’t show up on this route?

Also - I didn’t mention this in Golden Deer thoughts but I also found that final battle way, way easier than it was probably meant to be because I’d made everyone into a flier and so the floor damage hazard was meaningless

Which I totally did on purpose and not so I could make a stupid joke post about my all-wyvern team

Anyway, in conclusion, Silver Snow was a good route, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (I’d kind of thought it was just going to be GD without Claude, which isn’t... totally wrong, but it’s got some other stuff going on too), I liked Seteth getting to have a bigger role, I thought it had the best final boss (if not the best final boss map), and I liked that I got some more Dragon Lore (never a bad thing)

please don’t yell at me for my controversial shipping opinions

#fire emblem #fe3h #silver snow #silver snow spoilers #golden deer spoilers #verdant wind spoilers #blue lions spoilers #azure moon spoilers #long post

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hitoritravels · 6 years ago

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☆Japan Trip 2019 Day 1 Part 1: RE:Start☆

こんにちわ、ひさしぶり

...erm hello it’s been a while. Nearly a year and a half if I’m not mistaken.

It’s been...one heck of a year. 2018. I took a first step that was beyond my wildest dreams. And it only got more...wondrous. I met a longtime friend for the first time for an unforgettable night. I broke out of my shell and had the pleasure to meet and play Pokemon with people I had never met and they were some of the nicest people I had ever met. I got to meet the man who helped me feel a little less misunderstood in the world and tell him how much his work has helped me. And cried into his shoulders I even got to see a childhood hero sing right in front of me and sing a song that just...carries a lot of emotions for me.

It was something. Last year.

But it wasn’t all roses

I started to...fall back into bad habits. Old patterns started to show up again. I started hurting those that were just trying to help. Making decisions I knew would make me unhappy. Starting to choose to be lonely rather than be alone for my own good. Making the wrong people happy.

But I fought on. Because shortly after I returned from my last trip, it was decided that I would be returning to my happy place. The place where I took my first step. A place where all of my dreams came true and more. It was decided that I, along with some friends, would be returning to Japan for Spring 2019. For some of them it would be an exciting first time: they had never been so it was going to be something memorable. For others, it was a chance to try out things that they missed out on last time. And in part it was the same for me as well.

But it was more than just that. For me, it was the next step. It was time to see if I really had made any meaningful progress. If I had really changed for the better in any way since the last time I was here. It was...as odd as it is to say, a reality check.

And so despite a rough few months leading up to the trip, the time finally arrived. It was time to take off and return to Japan. Let’s a go-go~★

Popplio is ready to take off★ Prepare to see my friend more than once as he is my partner on this ride this time ^_^

...is what I’d be saying if we actually took off at that time Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

So unfortunately as soon as we boarded the plane, it was announced that the plane had broken down in some fashion. They tried their best at fixing it on the spot but sadly it just did not happen. So we had to leave and it was announced that our next plane would arrive five hours later at soonest. This made a lot of people disgruntled and at the time I wasn’t bothered by it. Oh boy was that a mistake in retrospect.

At any rate I had planned on eating the lunch provided on the plane but since that didn’t happen, we were all given basically free lunches by the airline a la discount coupons that basically covered full meals from pretty much all of the surrounding restaurants. So I ate, played some Pokemon Platinum (starting Piplup was a...mistake? I don’t know I’ll let you know as I make more progress) and eventually, despite the chaotic scramble, we were all boarded and ready to take off for Japan.

Ok this time for sure. I hope >_<;

Our...dinner? Breakfast? Time was a super messed concept for me at this point. being up for practically 16+ hours and running off of...maybe one nap. Send help x_x

But eventually, we made itttttttt

I did it! I made it to Japan! Things can only start getting better from this point on!

...and again, if only things were that easy =x

So let’s start off with something I realized the moment we landed: my lodgings were fairly far away. Like about an hour or so away from the airport. I had stayed with them previously so I recalled that they had curfew hours. Knowing that, I started to change over my SIM card that my favorite recommended to me and my other friends so that I would have data in Japan so I could contact my lodgings and tell them that I’d be running late.

Turns out the SIM card was not. I repeat. NOT. Compatible with my phone. No fault of anyone’s really, my phone and the SIM card just didn’t play well. Everyone else had a grand time with the SIM card so if you’d like to have a nice simple SIM card, delivered to your house prior to your travels, not to mention coming with a bunch of free boons, why not give it a chance? It was a shame it didn’t work out but now it’s all water under the bridge so all is well ☆

I immediately start panicking. It was around 11 PM, I’m still in line for customs, I have no immediate access to data (and therefore directions), the vast majority of all of the places selling SIMs and Pocket WiFis were closed, and even if I rung up directions, by the time I got out of airport customs with all of my stuffs, I would basically be catching the last trains the whole entire way until I got to my lodgings at approximately 1 AM.

Basically I needed access to train maps right away and I needed to not miss any of the trains I needed to catch. Otherwise I’d be out of luck.

Push came to shove and I decided to start roaming on my phone. It was a costly option but dammit this was an emergency and I’m on vacation. I have money to burn. Sort of. >~<

I hastily called up maps, navigated my way from the metro up to the Skytree line, and with the luck of the Gods, the stars aligned and as I started to make my way to the last train, I was told by a friendly officer that the last train I needed to catch was stalled for just a few minutes just to accommodate for any remaining stragglers. I thanked the officer and rushed my butt up the platform to a completely packed train. Running up the platform with no room to comfortably squeeze in, I thought to myself “screw it”, hauled my luggage, used it as a means of opening up space (and since this is a normal affair for Japanese subways, they immediately made enough space for me and my luggage, bless) and I was able to get onto my last train in time. I also managed to get in touch with the Manager of my lodgings and he told me he’d be up waiting since he was still expecting customers to come in anyway. Super blesss.

I pull into a familiar sight. Nisharai station. The last time I was here it was all unfamiliar territory. Now walking down those steps felt like re-visiting an old friend, and despite being in a rush, I still had enough time to really be in the moment. I was back.

After getting setup at my lodgings and quietly putting my stuff away, I sadly realized that I had no chance to really have dinner. Plus I was still fairly tired at this point so I quickly hopped into the showers and hit the hay. It was a very long day. But in the end I made it. I’m back in Japan. And it was time to start going down a very long list of personally important things that I wanted to do get to this time around

Good morning Nishiarai. It has been a long time my old friend★

Despite everything I didn’t sleep very well. A combination of jet lag and a general sense of fatigue that just wouldn’t go away no matter long I slept had me...groggy at best. Nonetheless, I somehow pulled myself out of my slumber; after last night’s mishaps, I was ready to make up for all of it. I was going to give myself the right start that I was hoping for since I got here. So after ordering myself my pocket WiFi from EConnect (bless their hearts they are amazing), I knew what the first thing I was going to do was. It was one of my more fonder memories from last time and this was going to mark the start of a good day

Kohikannn★

For this trip, I decided that I am going to try out more coffee places this time around. Kohikan really surprised me last time and opened my world to just how delicious properly made coffee could be and I was looking forward to seeing what some of the other coffee shops in Japan had to offer. But more on that later~

After having a nice hearty breakfast and a delicious cup of coffee, my next stop would be a Lawson Mini-Stop. Which is basically a Lawsons but smaller? I couldn’t quite tell you the difference to be honest. But at any rate my reason for visiting one is because....

How do I work this darned thing

This is Loppi. Long story short, the convenience store chain Lawson has a system where you could order tickets for a variety of events: concerts, sports games, cultural events, you name it. As long as you’re able to navigate the Lawson website or the Loppi terminal, you could place your order, input some information and a confirmation pin, print out your ticket, pay the price printed on the ticket, and voila: you have yourself a ticket to the event you wanted to attend☆ Sadly my reading skills were not yet at a point where I could confidently navigate the terminal but thankfully there was a dummy option of scanning a given QR code (which I had) and that made it all the more easier to get my ticket. A ticket for what was probably one of the most important and memorable nights of my trip.

Last year I went to go see MAMY live, one of, if not my most favorite Japanese band out right now. This year, the stars aligned and I was given the opportunity to see not one but two of my favorite bands live: SECONDWALL and AliA. When this live was announced I could not believe my eyes and while making reservations wasn’t easy, I still made the attempt: I wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime

To be honest, once I had paid for the ticket I felt a huge sense of relief: I really wanted to have the opportunity to see the stars in my sky once more and have the chance to tell these people just how important their music was to me. Now all that was left to do was hope that everything would turn out fine on the day of the live. Now with that burden off my shoulders, I took off with a hop, step and jump towards my next stop☆

Last time I was here I made a memorable visit to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa on a whim and it was arguably one of the more memorable and important parts of that trip. I had however had after the fact that it was known for housing some fairly top notch coffee shops, and so I decided to try one of them out and see what it was like. But I there were also a few places I wanted to visit first, so it was time to get back to what I loved doing best

Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Park, right next to the gardens! What led me here (aside from the scenery) was....

Volbeat! This is one of the more odd regionals, currently only available on the East Hemisphere. Now to find some Farfetch’d and Zangoose★

There was a school trip happening around the main area. I didn’t stick around long so it wouldn’t be awkward

Snack time~★

After walking around the park and playing Pokemon GO for a bit, I wanted to revisit the gardens to see if any seasonal flowers popped up this time around (there was nothing the last time I was there; unsurprising considering that it was winter when I last visited =x)

Pretty flowers!

As always this place is beautiful☆

There was a bit of an early/late hanami going on here? There was surprisingly less sakura in here than I expected

Our water denizens! Also every black spot in that last picture is a tadpole. There were A LOT of tadpoles

A brave turtle majestically posing

Later days Kiyosumi Gardens! Until we meet again~★

As tradition calls for, I...relaxed and reflected in this garden for a bit. While I didn’t hit as much of a “eureka” as I did last time, I came to realize that despite all of my recent setbacks that maybe...I was a bit on the right path. I remembered what it was that made me happy and however heavy the burdens may be back home, I should not lose sight of what’s important to me and continue to try for what makes me happy in a meaningful way. Being here made me happy in a meaningful way. Changed me for the better. I had come this far: not just by taking the first step but also thanks to the support of my most precious friends and family that have been there for both of my happiest and saddest moments. I remembered what drove me to come here in the first place and how it resulted in me meeting one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter.

A singer who upon hearing her voice, hearing her sing...inspires me to get up and try again. And again. And while that may not be the deepest reason out there, music has been a very important part of my life, expressing everything I never could. Expressing my happiness where words failed and expressing my sadness when it was too hard to say anything.

And that’s a lot of the reason why I travel halfway across the world, to visit Japan: to meet the people whose music have helped me so much when nothing else could. To meet the people that inspire me, tell them how amazing they are and...maybe try to see and understand what inspires them to be the the way that they are

To hopefully tap into some of that inspiration and...someday hopefully become someone that can help and inspire others in a meaningful way. At least what’s I hope for (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) ☆

Feeling a little more peaceful inside, it was time to move forward. For now it is time for coffee! But that part of the journey is best saved for a different time. There’s quite a bit more from that day to share so I will save that for a different time

Until then,

See you next time ☆

#Hitori Travels #Japan

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passportsymphony · 7 years ago

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How I travelled around Southeast Asia with $15 per day

Southeast Asia is an amazing region with a lot of breathtaking places and relatively cheap to explore. The travel costs are extremely low, making SE Asia one of the most popular ones among backpackers. When I first started planning this trip, most tourist guides I saw were suggesting that you should have a daily budget of at least $30 USD in all of the countries in Southeast Asia. Anyway, after comparing this number with the average living costs in some of the most expensive cities in the region, the average daily cost was much lower than $30. I actually managed to travel around Southeast Asia with $15 per day!

Here’s how I did it: 2 months, 6 countries, 34 cities and $900 USD. I got a cheap flight from Kolkata to Bangkok for only $60 USD and my flight from Kota Kinabalu to Skopje costed around $450. So the total money I spent for the trip was $1350 USD. If we count out the price of the return flight, I managed not only to survive but also have an amazing time in SE Asia with less than $15 USD per day!

You must be curious how did I manage to pull this off and survive with half of the recommended daily budget. This article will tell you all about it! If you’re planning to visit Southeast Asia soon, keep reading and I’m sure you will be able to get a lot of useful tips!

Accommodation

I managed to save a lot of money by using Couchsurfing and staying with local hosts. Now, of course, there are expensive hotels and luxurious resorts, but there are also a handful of backpacking hostels in which you can stay for 2-3$ per day! The ‘most expensive accommodation trophy’ (and everything else) will obviously go to Singapore, with Phuket and the surrounding touristy islands being the runner-up. Even the cheapest hostels around here cost $20 per day (Singapore) and $9-$12 per day (Phuket).

The cheapest place accommodation-wise was Cambodia, or how I love to call it “The land of the $2 hostels”. You will be able to get a super cheap accommodation in Vietnam and Laos as well. Malaysia, on the other hand, is a bit more expensive, but nowhere near expensive as Singapore and Phuket. I also spent some nights on the bus or train, when taking long journeys. In total, the money I spent for accommodation for those two months was around $200 USD.

Food

Southeast Asia has some amazing, mouthwatering street food delights, and it’s a real shame if you don’t taste some of those when visiting. You know, get a taste of the food local people eat every day. Do things in the way locals do. Not only you will experience the authentic lifestyle of a very different culture, but you will also save a lot of money. The living standard in these countries is pretty low, so the local way will be the cheapest way most of the time. Anyway, if you follow this approach, it’s going to be a win-win scenario for you.

Thai food is my personal favorite. There are plenty of dishes that you can get at the street markets for 20 baht (50 cents)! And fruits and sweets are also super cheap! If you’re a foodie, you are going to adore Thailand.

Laos and Vietnam are even cheaper and here you can get a whole meal for even less than a dollar (which is 25, 000 in Vietnamese Dongs and 8,500 in Laos Kip).

Cambodia is in the same price range and healthy food is super cheap here. This makes fast food restaurants like KFC and McDonald’s more expensive than having a healthy meal! That’s why Cambodia is the only place on Earth where KFC is losing money.

The food in Malaysia is a bit more expensive compared to Thailand, and Singapore is of course by far, the most expensive country in the region.

Now, don’t think that these are God-forgotten places just because you can get a meal for such a ridiculous prices. There are some really fast developing cities and of course you can also find some really expensive restaurants and luxurious rooftop bars here.

Transportation costs

Getting around the cities via public transport is really cheap and convenient, especially in the big cities like Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. However, renting a bike is even better. It’s very easy and cheap to rent a bike in all of these countries and that will save you some money on buying bus and train tickets. But even if you do decide for the latter option, bus and trains are pretty cheap. Going from North to South or East to West in all of these countries won’t cost you more than $10-15 USD. Travelling on the road gives you the opportunity to see more of the country you’re visiting. And, plus it’s much cheaper than booking a flight.

The nightlife

The nightlife in some cities is quite tempting, especially in cities like Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh, and there certainly are some expensive places. However, it’s the same as with the food. Just go to places where locals go. This way, you can see the real nightlife, rather than the places that are overcrowded with tourists. These places will also be cheaper most of the time. And what I always used to do before going to the club was pre-drinking. It saved a lot of money for me. And also, keep your eyes open because these places will be full of pick-pocketers and people trying to scam local people. Read more about the 13 most common scams in Southeast Asia.

Other activities

Finally, these places are probably far away from your home and this might be your one and only chance to visit them and you will want to do things that you can do only here. You will want to go elephant riding, scuba diving, paragliding, go in the jungle and see animals you never saw before… That’s completely reasonable and at the end of this article, I will tell you the cheapest places to do all these things.

For scuba diving, the best and cheapest option is the Perhentian Islands where you can go diving for only $21 USD. The two islands are a great diving spot with its variety of wildlife. These islands have no road and no traffic, making them the ultimate backpacker paradise.

The cheapest place for paragliding would be Bokor in Cambodia. Cambodia is one of the cheapest countries in the region and Bokor offers some amazing views as it lies right next to the Sihanoukville coast. Paragliding here costs around $35-$40 USD.

The cheapest place to go elephant riding is Chiang Mai in Thailand, where you can get elephant riding tours for as low as $20 USD. Chiang Mai is also the cheapest place to get a hot air balloon ride for around $150 USD per person.

Few additional tips Southeast Asia with $15 per day

Hostels are awesome! Do your research before you go, as some of the hostels are offering a lot of additional benefits. Some hostels offer cheap or free tours for near-by tourist destinations. Others have crazy parties with ridiculously cheap drinks for their guests. Hanoi Backpackers Hostel in Hanoi has free unlimited beer for an hour every evening! I also met some people that were working in the hostels for few days in exchange for accommodation, and that happens pretty often.

Additionally, staying in hostels allows you to meet a lot of people who also travel alone. Hostels are places where you can very easily find a new travel buddy, split your costs and make your trip much cheaper. Also, if you plan on using ATMs, get a fee-free credit card that you can use when abroad for a yearly fee. Finally, bargain for everything. I don’t have an official statistic, but I’m pretty sure you can save up to 20% on everything if you’re good at bargaining. And this applies to everything, from buying souvenirs to tuk-tuk rides and group tours.

How much do you usually spend on travelling? What are your saving hacks? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

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moviegroovies · 5 years ago

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oof. in the last few days, i’ve watched five (5) new movies, at least three of which i have opinions on i’d like to share. for convenience’s sake, i’m going to start with the most recent, and work back from there.

so: troy (2004)

as someone who was coerced into studying the iliad at a liberal arts college, this movie enraged me. as someone who likes to enjoy himself while watching movies, this movie horrified me. all around, i’m going to rate it a solid 3/10, and that might be generous, but there WERE a few things i liked, which i’m going to talk about, because what else do i do here, anyway.

i’m not even going to get into all the ways this was an unfaithful adaptation of the source material, because there just is not the fucking time, and i’m sure other people before me have done it, so let’s just say that the moment they cast brad pitt as achilles, all hope was lost. i will comment that they of course no-homo’d achilles and patroclus, but had i gone in expecting to see any representation in this movie, i would have been an even bigger masochist than i am. that does not mean i wasn’t still a little disappointed, though.

troy takes into account much more than the actual span of the iliad, beginning (long) before the start of the epic and ending after it finished. in this way, we see the full span of the story, which i suppose is a good thing, although it did stretch this painfully milquetoast adaptation into an agonizing three hours. we see everything from agamemnon’s quest to unite all the kingdoms of greece together underneath his rule to the sacking of troy, meaning we also get to see paris seducing helen, achilles’ death, and the sacking of troy with the trojan horse, all of which the iliad does not include. being that the actual content of the iliad isn’t quite so battle-focused as the general public might think, these things are all probably good for the telling of an actual story. i can forgive most of the changes to the story that we did see, because i think that, given that you don’t know the source material, it makes for a cohesive and satisfying narrative, all in all. menelaus’s character being changed to make helen’s choice to leave with paris more sympathetic made the choice to have hector kill him a cathartic one. even better was briseis getting to take her revenge on agamemnon for his treatment toward her and, more generally, the fact that he was the one who brought war and soldiers to her front door. sure, that totally ruins the play orestes, but that was never going to be the sequel we were waiting for, anyway.

side note, i think of the actors, agamemnon (played by brain cox) was the best. he just had a really good love-to-hate-him thing going, and played up his part pretty excellently. orlando bloom also felt like a good choice for paris (i would for sure leave menelaus for him, for instance), and vincent regan as eudoros was sort of a dark horse in the cast for me; i’d never heard of him before, and his character was small, but there was something striking about him. maybe it was just his eyes.

in the movie, the siege of troy went from spanning ten years to like... maybe a couple of weeks? that was the one change from the source material that i really couldn’t abide, but What Ever I Guess. if they had just begun in the 9th year of the siege, it might have made the casting of then 40 year old brad pitt as achilles make a little more sense. as it stands.... whatever. sure. do whatever the fuck you want. i can’t stop you.

generally, i like brad pitt in things (one of the other movies of the five that i watched, for instance, was se7en, although i don’t really have any particular comments on that other than, it was good, i liked it, i probably won’t choose to watch it again just on a whim), but i really could not get behind this particular performance. it had some of the same problems as him at the start of interview with the vampire; i think he kind of warmed to the role with that one, but the scene with him as a dissociating human felt... off, in terms of acting, but maybe that’s just me. either way, i’m not sure he ever really warmed to being achilles.

and that sucked, because achilles could have been such a good character.

obviously my personal bias is being taken into account here (yes, i read TSoA, yes i am letting it influence my perception of the dude), but if troy’s achilles had been prepared to put the raw emotion latent in the iliad’s achilles into the role, i think the character would have hit harder than he did. i personally didn’t love the expanded romance with briseis that they shoved in, but there was potential to see some tenderness there, and that could have been played up more, especially since she acted as the catalyst, here, for achilles to consider accepting the happy but unremarkable life he could have lived, instead of dying for glory in troy. failing that, i think patroclus’ role should have been more pronounced, and i’m not even saying that as a proponent of the patroclus/achilles relationship; even if they kept the two of them as cousins as they did in this setting, i think we needed to see a lot more interactions than the ones we did (although there was a fair amount, and given how long the movie turned out, i understand why it wasn’t fleshed out better) to really justify how hard achilles took the death of patroclus. there WERE some times that achilles got to exhibit emotions other than like emotionally stunted badass soldier either brooding or being pissed off--and that’s one of the highlights of the film, i’ll get back to that in a second--but the emotional climax between achilles and hector didn’t live up to my expectations. for one thing, in that scene in the poem, achilles didn’t just fight hector in retribution for the death of patroclus. he fought EVERYONE, up to and including hector, and more than that, a fucking RIVER DEITY. it was wild, unabashed grief that made him do horrible things. i would have personally loved to see an unhinged rampage, and instead, it got boiled down to one single fight between achilles and hector that lasted, i think, far longer than it should have. achilles was more powerful than hector, no matter how good hector was. i think it might have been more to my taste, at least, if we were shown that achilles had the strength to kill hector in a second, hardly taking him on to fight, and simply hadn’t before this because he was never given a reason to.

all i’m saying is, movies are more interesting when characters are allowed to fully break, fully snap, just go buck fucking wild. but that’s just my onion.

i said i was going to come back to the “more emotions than emotional constipation” thing, and let’s do that now. one thing i DID like about the choices made in this film was that achilles was allowed to cry on screen, and he did, several times. i don’t know how to express how refreshing it was to see the archetypal badass soldier, the best of the greeks, break down into tears, especially when you consider how few movies really show men crying, much less movies of this particular genre. it’s kind of one of those “don’t give them props for scraping the bottom of the barrel” things, but i liked it, and since there were so few things i really did like about this movie, i’m going to give them props there. not just that, either--i also liked the way that paris could not face his death in his fight with menelaus, and crawled, terrified, back to his older brother. i liked that, while he degraded himself for the act later, the narrative and other characters never treated this like the wrong decision. sometimes, it’s impossible or incorrect to be noble at the price of yourself, especially in something like the fight over the hand of a woman who made her decision on where to go. paris did not win the fight, but he had a brother who loved him, and menelaus couldn’t understand that. and he died.

interestingly enough, paris also loses that fight in the epic, but rather than going to hector for protection, he’s whisked away by aphrodite before he can be killed. this was changed, naturally, because at no point in troy do the gods, who play by all accounts very important parts in the trojan war as told by the iliad, actually appear in the movie. they’re discussed throughout, and achilles’ mother, a goddess in the epic, appears to speak to him before he leaves for war, but it’s never affirmed whether or not she is divine, whether apollo is truly taking revenge for achilles’ desecration of his temple, whether godhood can be trusted or not. this is a theme that’s discussed and subverted many times, bringing in a type of ancient agnosticism to both the characters of achilles and hector, but ultimately it’s left unsolved. since they went the route of not being including the gods as characters, i’m happy with that conclusion. one of the more powerful bits of screentime between achilles and briseis was when he confided that he believed the gods were jealous of humans for their mortality, so ultimately, it was fitting that this story was told about the humans and the heroes, a celebration and examination of humanity, rather than throwing in divine intervention and cheapening the plot.

there was a theme of love in the movie which i liked pretty well, especially for the fact that it wasn’t focused entirely on romantic love. the war began because helen ran back with paris, but not really: agamemnon was itching for a war anyway, and was happy to use his brother’s missing wife as a reason to begin the fight with troy he had been craving. menelaus clearly had no problem being cruel and unfaithful to helen, so her leaving him is not framed as a slutty and frivolous choice as it has been in other media. she goes off with someone willing to give away everything (up to and including his family and his palace) for her, and it’s honestly hard to blame her for that. plus, the war could have also been averted by hector turning around the ship and returning helen to her husband, which he very nearly does, except that if he did, he knows paris will try to fight menelaus for her and die, and he cannot bear the death of his brother. therefore, the war begins with two sets of brothers and two sets of lovers: helen chooses paris because he genuinely loves her, hector allows it because he loves his brother, and agamemnon profits off his brother’s loss because he loves nothing more than power, and the loss is a chance for that. achilles nearly costs agamemnon the war because he’s ready to leave and live his full life thanks to the love of briseis, until his love of patroclus and his grief at his death take that option away. priam gets a speech toward the beginning about there being worse reasons to fight a war than for love. i think this is honestly kind of simplistic and missing the point of what war is in general, but it was a nice scene to play into the theme.

outside of that, other things i enjoyed were odysseus’s narration book-ending the action, because he’s my favorite character of homer’s, if not in troy (i honestly don’t like sean penn in the role, but that’s my own personal cross to bear), the scene around patroclus’ death where eudoros looks on in horror when he thinks it’s achilles and then gives a visible sigh of relief, even as it’s mixed with the horror of patroclus’ death when the helmet is removed and he sees it’s not, the part where agamemnon looks on at patroclus’ funeral and comments how “that boy just won [him] the war,” which was such an asshole thing to say but also honestly what i was thinking, and that one little scene with paris giving the sword of troy to aeneas as a fun little shoutout to the aeneid. i could go into other things i DIDN’T like, but after watching that movie for three fucking hours, i think i’ve put enough time into that as it is.

coming soon: pointless commentary on the first back to the future and fright night (1985)! get hype!!!

#troy #troy (2004)#achilles #i was going to make the other posts like directly after this but this fucking wiped me out @ the creators of troy i just wanna talk

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ebenpink · 6 years ago

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How to answer the most common nutrition questions like a boss: A cheat sheet for helping anyone hone their eating habits. http://bit.ly/2HYqtgK

If you love nutrition, health, and fitness — or you’re already a professional in one of these fields — you probably get a LOT of diet- and nutrition-related questions from friends, family, clients, and/or patients.

That’s why we created this cheat sheet, with evidence-based, easy-to-understand answers to the most common questions, all of which are covered in our newly updated Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program.

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If you’re a health and fitness professional, no doubt you get a ton of diet- and nutrition-related questions.

Heck, even if you’re just really passionate about health and fitness, you’re probably getting questions all the time.

Coming up with the right answers can be difficult, because:

The right answer depends on who the asker is. Young athlete? Middle-aged man? Sixty-something woman? Whether you’re actively coaching, or you just have a diverse social network, the questions will run the gamut.

There are so many facets of nutrition. Macronutrients, micronutrients, supplements, pesticides, GMOs… where do you start?

There’s a TON of confusion about nutrition “truths.” Is red wine saving your life, or killing you? What about red meat? Eggs? And how ’bout that new plant-based diet?

The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to any nutrition question.

However, if you build a strong foundation of nutrition knowledge, you can:

learn how to accurately determine each person’s individual needs,

understand how targeted nutrition can support their goals, and

get better results for them, confidently and reliably.

With this article, you’ll start to build that foundation.

Here we’ll cover:

what’s really behind the most common nutrition questions,

why each person’s unique physiology matters,

how each person’s situation can help determine your response,

how to handle diet trends (Paleo, carb-phobia, etc.), and

how you can incorporate this knowledge… starting today.

Of course, this “cheat sheet” is just a start. There’s so much more you can learn.

That’s why devote the entire first unit of our newly updated Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification — 300 pages, 8 chapters, 8 comprehensive video lectures — to the most crucial elements of nutrition science.

That includes the most up-to-date findings in cell physiology, digestion, energy transfer, nutrient biochemistry, and more.

And, in case you’re wondering, the other 300 pages, 9 chapters, and 9 video lectures are devoted to the art of nutrition coaching.

That includes the most up-to-date findings in change psychology and the latest things we’ve learned having coached over 100,000 clients.

So…

If you want to learn, we’re here to teach.

If you feel excited and inspired by what you learn today, and you’d like to learn more about the program, please put your name on our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification presale list below.

We’re excited and inspired too.

We recently updated the program with the latest research, and enhanced it with a new workbook/study guide, over 35 new client assessment forms and questionnaires, and 17 brand-new animated videos.

The program opens up on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Since we only take a limited number of students, and the program sells out every time, we recommend adding your name to our presale list below. When you do, you get the chance to sign up 24 hours before everyone else. Even better, you’ll save up to 33% off the general price of the program.

Double win.

For now, let’s get started with some of the most common nutrition questions, including:

Question #1: “I’m new to this whole nutrition thing. Where do I start?” Question #2: “What’s the best diet to follow?” Question #3: “Is counting calories important for weight loss?” Question #4: “Should I avoid carbs?” Question #5: “Should I avoid grains?” Question #6: “What (and when) should I eat around my workouts?” Question #7: Should I drink less alcohol? Question #8: “Does the Paleo Diet live up to the hype?” Question #9: Should I do a detox or juice cleanse? Question #10: “Do sleep habits and stress really affect nutrition?” Question #11: How should I eat to get six-pack abs?”

Question #1 “I’m new to this whole nutrition thing. Where do I start?”

Answer: Let’s start by eliminating nutritional deficiencies.

This one is always interesting, because no one ever wants to believe they have nutritional deficiencies.

People might not want to hear it at first, but nutrition beginners don’t need a major diet overhaul on day one. They don’t need to “go Paleo” or “eliminate sugar.”

As their coach, your first step should be to open newbie clients’ eyes to the fact that they probably have one or more nutritional deficiencies (seriously — more than 80 percent of the population has at least one).

Until nutritional deficiencies are removed, the body simply won’t function properly — and that makes any health or fitness goal a lot harder.

So, to eliminate deficiencies, your first order of business is to help the person find workable strategies for rounding out the diet, so they get:

a bit more protein,

ample vitamins and minerals,

sufficient healthy fats, and

more water.

Tell them that you’re going to help them establish optimal eating habits one step at a time. Then talk through some strategies: Find out which of the nutritional areas listed above will be most challenging for them (for example, some of the beginners we work with don’t know how to cook meat). That’s the problem you’re going to help them solve first.

Once nutritional deficiencies are addressed, you can start to focus on things like food quality and portions.

What to say when the person seems impatient? Explain: “This process isn’t slow; it’s systematic. It focuses on the things that are in your way right now. Once they’re eliminated, progress happens fast.”

The 3 steps I teach trainers and health coaches to fix any diet problem.

How to fix a broken diet. [Infographic]

What to do when you don’t like vegetables. [Article + infographic]

Question #2 “What’s the best diet to follow?”

Answer: There is no “best diet.”

As you emerge as a health, fitness, and nutrition expert, everyone’s going to want to know: Which dietary “camp” do you belong to?

The best coaches maintain a neutral position on this. If you can, strive to be a nutritional agnostic: someone who doesn’t subscribe to any one dietary philosophy.

Why? All dietary protocols have their pros and cons. What works best for one person won’t work best for another. Also: A diet that has worked best for someone in the past won’t necessarily be what works best for them moving forward.

Tell your client or patient that you’re going to help them find the approach to eating that works best for them right now, whether it be Paleo or vegan, high-carb or low-carb, tight budget or unlimited funds — or some blend of all of these.

The truth is, the human body is amazingly adaptable to a vast array of diets, so the best diet is the one that:

matches the person’s unique physiology,

includes foods they enjoy enough to follow consistently, and

is realistic for them in terms of life logistics and budget.

Indeed, you can make people lean, strong, and healthy on a plant-based or a meat-based diet. You can help improve their health with organic, free-range foods and with conventional foods. They can lose weight on a low food budget or an unlimited one.

It just takes a little know-how and a system for using the best practices across all diets.

Paleo, vegan, intermittent fasting: Here’s how to choose the best diet for you.

Question #3 “Is counting calories important for weight loss?”

Answer: For many people, calorie counting may be more of a hassle than it’s worth. The good news: There is a better way.

Weight management is a simple equation: Eat more than you burn, and you gain weight. Eat less and you lose weight.

But the physiology behind “calories in, calories out” is actually much more complex and dynamic than most people realize. Plus, it’s imprecise; we estimate that there’s typically an error of up to 25 percent on the ‘calories in’ side, and on the ‘calories out’ side.

Beyond that, counting calories is an external system (outside of your body). In essence, people who count calories are less likely to see lasting results because they’re outsourcing appetite awareness to the food-label gods. To really win at portion control, coach your clients or patients on tuning into their internal hunger signals.

For these reasons, and more, we tell our clients that for most people, counting calories is a lot of work for very little benefit.

(Interestingly, most clients become elated when they realize they can get the body transformation they want without ever counting calories again.)

Instead of calorie counting, we recommend a hand-measure system for portion sizes. Here how it works:

Your palm determines your protein portions.

Your fist determines your veggie portions.

Your cupped hand determines your carb portions.

Your thumb determines your fat portions.

This system counts your calories for you, and gets your macronutrients lined up too, without having to do any annoying food-label math.

Plus, your hands are portable — they go wherever you go, making portion-sizing very convenient. In addition, your hands are generally scaled to your size — the bigger you are, the bigger your hands, so the more food you need and the more food you get.

Clients typically get the hang of this system within a week of learning it; then we help them monitor results and tweak as needed.

Forget calorie counting: Try this calorie control guide for men and women [Article + infographic].

Can eating too little actually damage your metabolism?

The surprising problem with calorie counting. Part 1: ‘Calories in’ and Part 2: ‘Calories out’ [Infographics]

All about eating slowly (for appetite awareness).

Question #4 “Should I avoid carbs?”

Answer: No; but let’s make sure you’re getting the right kind of carbs.

Ask almost anyone what they need to do to lose a few pounds, and they’ll probably say: “Cut back on carbs.” As a professional in a health/fitness field, you’ve probably heard it dozens of times.

However, most folks would do best eating a moderate amount of quality carbs—whole grains (when tolerated), fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and legumes, etc. (We emphasize moderate, of course).

For men, this usually means about 1-2 cupped handfuls per meal. And women, about 1 cupped handful per meal.

Of course, the needs of each individual may differ, based on their size, activity level, goals, and genetics.

But, bottom line, carbs are not inherently fattening, especially whole food sources. And getting adequate carbs can help most clients exercise harder and recover better, optimizing progress.

Yep, this is a controversial position to take. But it works. And while avoiding carbs may facilitate rapid weight loss initially, we’ve found that it’s not practical (or necessary) for long-term success for most people.

Carb controversy: Why low-carb diets have got it all wrong.

The ketogenic diet: Does it live up to the hype?

Question #5 “Should I avoid grains?”

Answer: No; most people trying to stay lean do best with a reasonable amount of whole grains.

Grain discussions are really trendy right now, as many people have suggested they’re dietary enemy #1 and should be completely eliminated. This is hot news as, just ten years ago, they were supposedly one of the healthiest foods on the planet.

From our perspective, grains aren’t as evil as they’ve been made out to be by the Paleo and Whole30 camps. At the same time, they aren’t the superfood vegans and macrobiotic eaters suggest either.

Bottom line: While you don’t need to eat grains, unless you have celiac disease or a FODMAP intolerance, there is absolutely no need to avoid them. (And even in those two scenarios, it’s only specific grains you need to worry about).

Most people follow a better, more health-promoting diet if they’re allowed grains in reasonable amounts, along with a wide array of other non-grain carb sources like fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, etc.

Remember, it’s the ability to follow a diet consistently over time that provides the greatest results, regardless of what that diet is. And unless you’re intolerant, there’s no good reason to totally exclude certain foods, especially foods you enjoy.

Settling the great grain debate: Can wheat and other grains fit into a healthy—and sane—diet?

Question #6: “What (and when) should I eat around my workouts?”

Answer: It depends on your goals. Let’s talk about those… then we can come up with specific recommendations for you.

If you train athletes, this is a really common question. But lots of non-athletes are curious too.

Contrary to popular media, most folks are best served by eating good quality whole foods in reasonable amounts, without having to focus on specific workout nutrition products or protocols.

So you can advise non-athlete level clients to eat a normal, balanced meal 1-2 hours before and after exercise. This will provide adequate protein and carbs to both fuel the workout and maximize recovery/adaption.

However, if you coach advanced, hard-training clients or athletes, tell them you’re going to help with their unique workout-nutrition needs.

Endurance athletes, bodybuilders, or those looking to maximize muscle gain could add a protein and carbohydrate drink during their workout. We usually recommend about 15 g of protein and 30-45 g of carbohydrate per hour of exercise.

Physique competitors, as well as people trying to maximize fat loss, could add essential amino acids (or branched chain amino acids) during their workout. We usually recommend 5-15 g of EAA (or BCAA) per hour of exercise.

In the end, rather than having one stock answer here, you need to be clear about who you’re working with.

Best workout nutrition strategies: A useful guide for what to eat before, during, and after exercise.

Workout nutrition illustrated. [Infographic]

Question #7 Should I drink less alcohol?

Answer: If optimal health and fitness is your priority, consider reevaluating your drinking habits.

People may balk at that answer initially, but once you lay out the facts and make it clear that you’re not telling them not to drink, their ears will open.

There’s a lot of confusion about whether drinking is good for you or not. That’s mainly because the news media likes to play up new studies revealing the possible cardiovascular benefits of alcohol.

But the truth is, no one really knows who will benefit from light to moderate alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, any level of drinking (even “moderate”) comes with health risks that should be considered.

Heavy drinking — more than 7 drinks a week for women and more than 14 per week for men — increases the risk for a long list of health problems involving the heart, brain, immunity, hormones, liver, and metabolism.

But even light to moderate drinking can affect sleep, appetite, and decision making — which absolutely can have a negative impact on your clients’ health and fitness goals.

Still, drinking is an undeniable part of culture, and when enjoyed reasonably it can be delicious and fun.

Tell your clients or patients that you’re going to help them sort out their priorities to determine the best level of drinking for them. Then encourage them to track their drinking habits — and how their drinking habits make them feel physically and psychologically — for a couple weeks.

Most drinkers consume a lot more alcohol than they think, and when they stop to evaluate, many decide on their own that it would feel better to cut back.

Would I be healthier if I quit drinking? My quest to understand the real trade-offs of alcohol consumption.

Question #8 “Does the Paleo Diet live up to the hype?”

Answer: Mostly, yes. But not for the reasons you think.

The Paleo Diet is one of the most popular nutrition approaches in the world right now. There’s no doubt that it works for many people. However, the reason it works has little to do with the story the Paleo proponents tell (evolutionary adaptation, inflammation, etc.).

Here’s the deal. Paleo does work for a lot of people because it emphasizes mostly whole-food sources of lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats.

However, while Paleo is starting to incorporate more high-quality carbs, grass-fed dairy, red wine, and other things that used to be “off limits” — the diet can still be too restrictive for some folks.

In the end, Paleo likely gets more right than wrong. And if people want to follow it, you can help them do it in a sane, reasonable, sustainable manner.

But for most, it’s unnecessary to follow such a strict dietary ideology. You can take the good from the Paleo approach and get rid of the silly dogma.

The Paleo problem: Examining the pros and cons of the Paleo diet.

Question #9 Should I do a detox or juice cleanse?

Answer: Probably not; most popular detox diets don’t remove toxins or lead to fat loss.

Lots of people are worried about the effect of modern lifestyle factors like poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, stress, and environmental pollutants on their health.

So you probably get a fair number of questions about detox diets and juice cleanses, which have come into vogue as an efficient way to (supposedly) lose weight and rid the body of impurities.

But detox diets don’t clean out toxins or help you lose body fat. In fact, detox diets can work against these goals by bypassing the body’s natural detoxification systems and creating a feast-or-famine cycle of eating.

Among many problems, detoxes and cleanses often:

are protein deficient,

are extremely low in energy,

cause unhealthy blood-sugar swings,

cause GI tract dysfunction, and

lead to a yoyo of restrictive eating and overcompensation.

If doing a juice cleanse or detox diet helps a person get ready to make further helpful and sustainable changes in their life, OK. Just coach them through a cautious and monitored protocol.

However, we prefer helping them build life-long skills and incorporate daily practices to improve their health, performance, and body composition without extreme (and unsustainable) things like detoxes and cleanses.

Are detox diets good for you? How a 3-day juice cleanse landed this dietitian in the ER.

Question #10 “Do sleep habits and stress really affect nutrition?”

Answer: Yes, but those effects vary from person to person, as do the best sleep and stress management strategies.

Sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise when it comes to improving your health, performance, and body composition.

Clients and patients should be coached through:

creating a sleep routine, including having a regular schedule,

limiting alcohol and caffeine, especially in the afternoon/evening,

choosing de-stressing activities before bed,

setting an appropriate room temperature for sleep,

making the room dark,

keeping the room quiet, and

waking up appropriately, with light exposure and soft noise.

As for stress, it’s all about finding the sweet spot. Too much stress, or the wrong kind, can harm our health. Yet stress can also be a positive force in our lives, keeping us focused, alert, and at the top of our game.

It all depends on what kind of stress it is, how prepared we are to meet it — and how we view it.

Since stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, everyone experiences stress differently. Each of us has a unique “recovery zone,” whether that’s physical or psychological, and our recovery zone depends on several factors.

It is critical to teach people strategies and skills to view and handle their own stress load appropriately. The following can increase stress tolerance or diminish stress load:

meditation or yoga

outdoor time

snuggling a pet

listening to relaxing music

deep breathing

drinking green tea

Hacking sleep: Engineering a high quality, restful night [Article + infographic]

Good stress, bad stress: Finding your sweet spot. [Article + infographic]

Question #11 How should I eat to get six-pack abs?”

Answer: First let’s explore whether a six pack is worth the trade-offs.

To answer this one, you first have to know if six-pack abs are really what your client wants. (And if they’re prepared to do what it takes.)

Getting ripped abs is a much bigger undertaking than most people realize. There are definite benefits to getting that lean (<10 percent for most men, and <20 percent for most women), but there are real trade-offs too.

Alcohol, processed foods, and desserts all need to be severely limited if you’re trying to lose fat and show off a washboard stomach. Social situations often become difficult. Other interests and hobbies may need to decrease.

However, if clients really want to get a six-pack in the healthiest possible way, they’ll need to follow these principles 90-95 percent of the time:

eat protein and vegetables at every meal,

include healthy fats at most meals,

eat a small amount of carbs post-workout only,

limit carbs at all other meals,

exercise intensely 4-5 times per week, and

get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

Armed with this information, you can have an honest conversation about whether your clients want the six-pack badly enough. (Or if they’d settle for moderately lean and healthy without giving up some of the other things they enjoy).

The cost of getting lean: Is it really worth the trade-off?

Here’s the cost of getting lean. [Infographic]

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In the end, yes, it’ll take some time to master these answers on the fly with a wide variety of people, but the only way to get started is to dive right in.

Remember: While you’re expected to know all the answers, you can’t be expected to know everything about every single person.

So use the answers in this cheat sheet as a starting point (I recommend that you do the deeper reading first), and then learn more with strategic questions about their particular needs and goals.

In the end, being the go-to coach for nutrition questions is about — yes — knowing the facts. But it’s also about meeting people where they’re at and garnering experience while you make the journey together.

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes — including how to manage energy balance — is both an art and a science.

If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. The next group kicks off shortly.

What’s it all about?

The Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification is the world’s most respected nutrition education program. It gives you the knowledge, systems, and tools you need to really understand how food influences a person’s health and fitness. Plus the ability to turn that knowledge into a thriving coaching practice.

Developed over 15 years, and proven with over 100,000 clients and patients, the Level 1 curriculum stands alone as the authority on the science of nutrition and the art of coaching.

Whether you’re already mid-career, or just starting out, the Level 1 Certification is your springboard to a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results.

[Of course, if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 Certification, check out our Level 2 Certification Master Class. It’s an exclusive, year-long mentorship designed for elite professionals looking to master the art of coaching and be part of the top 1% of health and fitness coaches in the world.]

Interested? Add your name to the presale list. You’ll save up to 33% and secure your spot 24 hours before everyone else.

We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019.

If you want to find out more, we’ve set up the following presale list, which gives you two advantages.

Pay less than everyone else. We like to reward people who are eager to boost their credentials and are ready to commit to getting the education they need. So we’re offering a discount of up to 33% off the general price when you sign up for the presale list.

Sign up 24 hours before the general public and increase your chances of getting a spot. We only open the certification program twice per year. Due to high demand, spots in the program are limited and have historically sold out in a matter of hours. But when you sign up for the presale list, we’ll give you the opportunity to register a full 24 hours before anyone else.

If you’re ready for a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results… this is your chance to see what the world’s top professional nutrition coaching system can do for you.

The post How to answer the most common nutrition questions like a boss: A cheat sheet for helping anyone hone their eating habits. appeared first on Precision Nutrition.

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#IFTTT #Blogger

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techreen · 5 years ago

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The AP2 Inflatable Pump happens to be a small electric air pump with high pressure. It is portable and well customized to meet ventilation that is required for bikes that often ply the road. We at TecHLecToR have found it to be an invaluable tool for bicycle tires, balls of all kinds, car tires, motorcycles tires, barometer, and more inflatable things, so to speak.

This is something that users often carry with them on trips because it is highly needed in case of the need for air. Thank God for the portability, anyone can easily shuffle it in the car, the rear of a bike, and even better than that, you can even charge it.

We have found many practical reasons why everyone, both young and old should make use of this device.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Packaging Contents

1x AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

1x air nozzle adapter.

1x charging cable

1x gas needle

1x storage bag

1x user manual.

Main Features of AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

AP2 Pump is actually made for multiple uses and scenarios. However, users find the visual experience excellent; we find its user-friendly interface very nice. Furthermore, it can be used as an emergency flashlight because it has 80 lumens which are able to sustain for 24 hours. The battery inside of it can also be used as a Powerbank.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Features

Built-in lithium battery

Digital tire pressure detection.

Reset the pressure load to stop.

Compatible with a variety of nozzles.

Small and portable making your transfer an easy task.

Multipurpose power

Display

You can see the small display in some of the pictures in this article. It is easy to see that it looks like a watch display. The good thing is that the numbers, icons, and letters on it are clear enough for even people with poor eyesight to see. Many people have actually commended this.

User-Friendly Interface

Those who are familiar with the inflatable pump understand how to select different modes. For example, it is possible that one can select its mode and PSI according to different type of vehicles. In this way, PSI 5-8 is usually for balls, 35 PSI for cars, 40 PSI for motorcycle, 38 PSI is for bicycles, 30-45 PSI for 10-16 inch bike wheels. A knowledgeable use of the pump can have great benefits for the user.

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Automatic Pump

Yes, the AP2 Pump is what it is – a pump! The difference of the device is that it is electronic and has multiple uses. For sure, the kit has been built for the modern man. But there’s even more to this pump. It is automatic. The advantage to this is that it knows when to operate and when not to operate. When the air is sufficient, it stops pumping automatically. This is one of the reasons why some reviewers claim that the value of this product supersedes its price.

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#gallery-0-12 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-12 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Advantages

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump is compact, and easy to take with you anywhere.

The display is nice and large for anyone to read its content.

People have found it very practical and cost-effective.

You can operate it in the dark because it comes with LED light.

Disadvantages

The battery capacity is too small to pump 2 deflated car tires

More time is needed to pump

Battery Capacity of AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

Amazingly, this device comes with a 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery. This means that the user can make use of it for long without charging. The plus to it is that it can be used as Powerbank to charge other devices such as a mobile phone. So, when you look around the device, you see that it has ports and USB cord input. Be assured of fast charge technology too.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Operating Parameters

Sensor accuracy: ± 2psi.

Discharge temperature: -10 to 45 degrees C °.

Charging interface: micro-USB.

Charging parameters: 5V 2A.

Charging time: less than 3 hours.

Price

The AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump is available at Gearbest at an excellent price since it has an Offer for only $ 39.99. In order to enjoy this promotion, it is necessary to purchase the product before the offer ends. Then we will leave the purchase link in case you are interested:

Buy AP2 Inflatable Electric Pump

Comments from Buyers

Sherry Anne: It is a wonderful pump that I bought for small projects like bike tires and balls and such. I used it on my trailer tires and airbags in my truck and I found that it is more convenient than making use of my larger compressor.

It is rechargeable and so long as you make it charge ready, Also, it is ready to go when you need it. I’m still not sure how far the battery can carry but I’m okay with all I could do on a single charge of the device. The small size of this pump makes it perfect. It is a well-made product that feels like it will last over time.

Karen Phillips: I loved finding this great little air pump. But I put it to test on our camping trip. It was very quick to fill the tire with air and it works very well. I also blew up a lot of balloons with it the other day. It worked very nicely. The price is right and I still give it five stars.

Lori Case: Had a pump before but very big and I was not able to use it on the ball. Since my son has lots of balls, I had to look for a product that is very easy to use and to carry around. This pump is smaller than I expected but it does the job well. It is not very powerful but it is convenient to pump tire or a ball and a whole lot of other things.

AP2 Inflatable Pump: High Pressure Portable Electric Pump Review The AP2 Inflatable Pump happens to be a small electric air pump with high pressure. It is portable and well customized to meet ventilation that is required for bikes that often ply the road.

#AP2 Inflatable Pump #Electric Pump #Inflatable Pump

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riannagalvez · 5 years ago

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Hello, dolls! Hello again, New York! When I said I look forward to our adventures every weekend two months ago, I really meant it. We’ve been on 4 road trips since then and now I am working on my giant packing list for our trip to the Philippines and Taiwan. I started preparing for Christmas too since I will only have a week to get everything ready after we come back from our trip. It’s going to be a hectic month but I look forward to wearing my superMom cape all month long! 😛

If there is anything I learned about being a Mom in the past three years, it is the fact that no amount of lists can prepare me for the adventitious days Motherhood will bring my way. Perfect example? A and I planned this weekend trip to New York more than a month ago but my toddler, Little A came home with another round of germs from school on Friday so the four of us are currently sniffing and coughing like we are some cracked up boy band. Luckily, I have a list of great baby products I use whenever the kids are sick. Thanks to Big City Moms for connecting Moms like me (who are still learning) to great brands that can help make things easier.

I feel fortunate to be able to bring home this many freebies for the second time this year.

I had an amazing time at the event, of course! Here are some of the brands I met. If you plan to attend someday, here’s what you can expect to see at the event.

Most products are highlighted below and linked to Amazon for your shopping convenience!

The first booth that welcomed everyone at the event was Love Love. I love to snack all day, so I am all about healthy munchies I can keep in my drawer. Plus points if I can share it with my toddler Little A! 🙂

Love Love’s energy bites are so addicting even Little A couldn’t help himself. Angelika, the great mind behind Love Love was so nice to let him sample a couple of pieces.

My simple joys! Don’t you just hate it when you go to an event and there are no refreshments? Like you have to depend on the vending machine across the hall. Not at Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower Ever! They have multiple drink stations at the venue, making it so convenient for guests.

I love that they have lids for the cups now. I was able to hold on to my cup for a while and not worry about it spilling! I also thought that it was a great way to minimize waste.

Trust me when I say, attend Big City Mom’s Biggest Baby Shower Ever because there will be FREE DIAPERS AND WIPES!

Huggies made all of the guests happy by giving away free diapers and wipes! I’ve been changing nappies for more than three years now and I know it will be a while until I can kiss this task goodbye. Diapers and wipes are in my DNA now, so getting them for free is pure elation for me! 😛

‘

Big City Moms spoils everyone with yummy treats throughout the event.

We left Baltimore right after Little A got out of school at noon. We all ate in the car, checked in the hotel, got ready real quick then went straight to the event. Cupcakes for energy? Why not!

Enfamil was there with different products for everyone. I was very excited to take home a full-sized bottle of di-vi-sol! My Pedia recommended this for baby C so it was really cool to bring home a bottle with us.

Cord banking is such a promising program now. In my ideal world, I would have done this for Little A and Baby C through one of the many brands at the event like StemCyte.

Tot Squad is a new brand with unique services. Don’t know where to start when it comes to deep cleaning your baby gear? Call Tot Squad! I cleaned Little A’s car seat a couple of months ago and it was horrific!! The crumbs in tight spaces and God-knows-what stains on his chair almost made me gag. It was time-consuming and a lot of work. If you want to get your professionally done, Tot Squad is the answer.

Baby C started eating soft food recently. She is a good eater (thank God) so I am always looking forward to feeding her. I am all about healthy food so seeing a couple of brands like Lil’ Gourmet who promotes natural ingredients on their baby food is inspiring.

I am currently using Dove for the kids so I was very excited to see them at the event! Even more when I saw them giving away personalized bottles. I lost my Mom for a while and found her typing Little A’s name on the big screen lol.

Nursh/Boon was there with so many products that I haven’t seen before. Baby C has a nursh bottle that we got from a free baby box and I LOVE the boon drying rack. .

I recently bought their traveling drying because of all the trips we have planned. I love it because it came with some bottle and nipple brushes so I do not have to worry about packing what I have at home! It’s so convenient to have a drying rack when we are away from home

Get the travel drying rack for a discounted price here.

Happy Family Organics was there to showcase their healthy snacks. I’ve tried most of their products when Little A was younger. The puffs are so easy to bring along with us everywhere because of the sleek bottle.

MAM s a European brand that has interesting baby bottles. I currently have two Mam bottles and the way it disassembles is pretty awesome. Baby C loves their pacifier too!

I did not know Mam has toothbrushes too. I like the safety shield to help prevent the toothbrush from hitting the back of your little one’s mouth.

There are a lot of great baby carriers out there and one of them is Tula. I honestly do not babywear because of my back but A does! 😛 Especially when we travel to the Philippines.

I was excited to see Babo Botanicals again because of April, the brand’s sales manager. Her friendliness made me really curious about the brand so I bought their sunscreen a couple of months ago at Target.

Get the sunscreen here for 40% off!

When my pediatrician told me I can give baby C cereal with iron, I went to Target and bought Earth’s Best multigrain cereal. I felt like it was the best brand I could give baby C.

Giggle is a fun brand that sells baby items. From clothes to fun books. I checked some of their rompers and man were they soft!

KinderCare is a fun learning center in New York. If we were locals, I would definitely send Little A there.

They had an activity table set up for kids which Little A loved.

And a calligrapher on site! I had the kid’s names done. What a souvenir!

Chicco and all of its durable baby products. They don’t just have baby gear, they have small baby essentials too!

I wish I knew about Green Toys sooner. Any brand that puts the environment first will always be on top of my list.

Little A loved playing with their toys especially since Green Toys’ table was filled with vehicles, and his all-time favorite, fire trucks!

This is such a perfect Christmas present for kids! In fact, I just found out some items are discounted up to 50% off now.

Click the links below to see and get the best deal!

Vehicle Carrier Set.

Rescue Boat with Helicopter.

https://amzn.to/37sM7Co

Spoonful One is now part of my baby must-haves. Spoonful One reduces the risk of your little one developing any food allergy. Introducing them to ingredients that might cause it is safe and effective so there is nothing to worry about, not to mention the nutritional values of doing so.

My favorite is the puffs because I can give it as a snack to my baby (my toddler loves it too!) Want to try it too? Here’s a great deal for you! 🙂

Water Wipes is a great brand for kids who have sensitive skin like my kids. Don’t want to worry about your little one having a reaction after cleaning him up? Water wipes will give you that peace of mind.

Parents Magazine gave away Janie and Jack coupons!! I freaked out because people close to me know Janie and Jack is my go-to store for the kid’s wardrobe ❤

I may not be from New York but I love it when a brand still accommodates me. All thanks to Island Lab for being so friendly!

Tiny Organics gave away samples of their flavorful baby food.

Hue-ga is owned by an inspiring husband and wife who wants to give their toddler the best. Hug-ga is a subscription program for best snacks with no added sugar, how awesome is that? I have to say, I am afraid of sugar and how it can affect my toddler’s health. I do not deprive him of everything but I do keep his sugar intake in moderation. This is a helpful service to all parents who are always looking for the best healthy snacks for their toddlers.

They also add a food-related gift to every box. What a treat!

The Evolved Parent Co has the coolest baby items Moms would love! I use baby balm religiously to prevent diaper rash. I HATE how much cream I have to wipe off my finger. This diaper balm applicator is going to be my new best friend during nappy changes!

Mommy Matters for postpartum goodies; UniMom has great breast pumps; Hello for oral care; and Similac for baby formula.

”

Pipette is a brand from California that specializes in anything for your baby’s skin. They ban 2000 harmful ingredients on their products so there is no doubt your little one will be safe when using Pipette.

Pipette had the most beautiful set up at the event!

I love buying things that we can utilize for a very long time. When I saw Doona’s bike, I knew it was something I would love to buy for Little A…..if only his Lola did not gift us a different brand for his birthday!

Little A refused to leave the event because he wanted to take this Doony bike home. He even woke up the day after and asked me where his yellow bike is! LOL

Two of my most used brands for baby/toddler feeding! EZPZ and Re-Play. I use both every day and I honestly can’t complain 😛

I was happy to see more brands promoting breast pumps! I exclusively pump for baby C so this one is close to my heart 😛

Let me tell you how Byram Healthcare saved my life that night, especially the gentleman who unhesitatingly helped me after uttering the words “I forgot”.

I was such in a rush all day since we had to drive from Baltimore. It took us less than three hours to get to Jersey City which was great. I had about an hour before the event to check in our hotel and get everyone ready. Unfortunately, in the midst of chaos, I forgot to grab my cooler bag with my pump supplies in it! I successfully brought my pumping unit to the event so during the first hour I was hoping there would be a brand that has breast pump supplies.

God is good because Byram Healthcare was there. I walked up to them to do my initial interview about the brand and then uttered the words “I forgot my pump accessories”. It is unfortunate that I forgot the name of the gentleman who helped me but he did not even make me say more, he just asked me what pump I use and gave me everything I needed!

Not only was I relieved! I am so grateful because I was able to pump and feed baby C. If wondering, I would be okay nursing baby C too if I did not find anyone who has extra pump supplies at the event but since it has been a while since Baby C latched on me, I did not want to risk forcing her and spoiling our night in New York City!

When they said Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower is a Mom’s event, they meant it! Byram Healthcare sponsored the nursing/pumping lounge and I love how convenient it is to do so and feel comfortable!

‘

#MomLife

Worried about getting hungry while at the event? Big City Moms has a caterer at the event! I was planning to leave a little early to go to a restaurant with the kids but I did not have to because Big City Moms made it so convenient by having food on site.

Then towards the end of the event, Huggies gave away free big boxes of baby wipes!! it’s as if Beyonce showed up because everyone started frolicking where the kids and I were standing. Everyone got excited but what I wasn’t prepared for was the pushing from these women! I almost wanted to post on Facebook “Marked Safe from the Big City Moms event” LOL!

Our trip to New York was nothing short of amazing. I couldn’t have enjoyed myself as much without my Mom who helped me with the kids so I can go around.

Some women came up to me and said: “you have a baby in your arms, a giant camera, your phone, and toddler, How do you do it?”. It may have seemed I was doing it all but my Mom was there to save me every time I needed her.

Little A ad his superhero pose. LOL!

Now, let’s move on to the best part. How many freebies can you actually take home from the event? I couldn’t even begin to tell you how happy I was while unpacking everything the day after.

Here are stuff I got while going around at the event.

Two cases of Huggies diapers — the best part of my loot IMO because I go through wipes like crazy every month!

Earth’s Best gave Little A a full box of breakfast biscuits (which he loves now because I make him eat in the car while on his way to school — he likes to have a snack immediately after eating his breakfast lol).

They also gave me a box of baby cereal after mentioning to them I bought one for baby C as soon as her pediatrician told me she can eat cereal with iron.

StemCyte has the best giveaway bag! I wish the pact onesie is Baby C’s size because they are the best onesies!

More wipes on top of the two cases I brought home.

Personalized baby dove body wash.

Treats from different brands! I am loving the mints from Byram Healthcare because they fit my small purse 😛

Hue-ga had amazing food samples for babies and toddlers. We gave baby C the apple and cinnamon sauce last week and she devoured it!

You know you are a Mom when free baby vitamins and diapers make you happy! 😛

Parents Magazine had a box full of Gryph and Ivy samples! They gave me a handful which is awesome because I love to bring these small packs when we travel. I also got a baby bottom buddy (balm applicator) from The Evolved Parent Co.

Treats from Happ Organics, Litl Gourmets, and Thinster! Re-play also gave away feeding bowls and spoons after signing up.

More sample products at the venue!! Every table had stuff to give away so make sure to stop by and learn about their product when you go 😉

I also received a PR kit from Big City Moms! I was in awe of the products in the giant bag I brought home.

My husband A was very excited about our new roku stick!! What a cool gift from Big City Moms!

This is the cutest toy from Fisher-Price ever!! I gave it to Baby C right away after taking this picture because I knew she would love it! And she does.

Motherhood is closing its stores nationwide which is unfortunate. I am planning to use my gift card to stock up on nursing tops.

Hue-ga and EzPz spoiled me with more feeding items!! So perfect now that Baby C started eating.

The Harry Potter lover in me was so happy to get this surprise toy! I let Little A open it and we got Dobby 😛

More SpoonfulOne treats for my babies!! ❤ I gave them a pack last night and they were so happy to have it as their “treat”!

Nasal Spray and Immunity Booster!! Just in time for flu season, especially now that Little A has been bringing home lots of germs from school lol

I know the box said “take one” but I swear the people from Parents.com gave me more Janie and Jack coupons when I told them I love the brand so much and I shop there every week! lol

A well-stocked baby room makes Mommy happy 😛

Six months ago I went to Big City Mom’s Biggest Baby Shower Ever with Baby C in my belly. I had the best time and I came back to Baltimore with a smile from ear to ear.

This time, I came back with two kids in my arms (well one of them doing a superhero pose) and I still had a great time! This event is not only for expecting Moms but also for parents who are always looking for the best brands/products to give their children ❤

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Big City Moms. However, my opinion about the event and brands are all genuine.

BIG CITY MOM’S BIGGEST BABY SHOWER NEW YORK NOVEMBER 2019 Hello, dolls! Hello again, New York! When I said I look forward to our adventures every weekend two months ago, I really meant it.

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newidaho · 6 years ago

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6. Ricky’s Ride

Don’t have the time/patience/desire to read with your eyes? Don’t have eyes? Well, have your friend read you this: You can check out the audiobook for free on Apple, Google, Stitcher, or Spotify. Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday!

20 December 2054

One surprisingly frequent question asked when New Idaho was announced was “what of the high-end vehicle market?”

After all, New Idaho was to be a town that only allowed travel by bike. Solar-Powered Electric Bikes were allowed, but there would be no gas-guzzling SUVs, no diesel-burping pick-up trucks, no road-hogging public busses. Less people asked how their children would get to school, however, than about how the nouveau-riche du Lucid Labs could get their Beemer fix in their new hometown.

The masses demanded, and, as always, the market provided.

SPEBs were specifically in high demand for those who still preferred speed and convenience to fitness. Thus, the Electric Bike market exploded as New Idaho’s construction prompted its first trend. The first bikes were still mostly pedal-powered, but early rounds of innovation (most heavily inspired by Japanese E-Bike giant Sobaiku) saw the advent of throttle-centered bikes, in addition to long, covered SPEBS that could seat between 2-4 people.

For those seeking the old-world prestige of the BMW, Sobaiku’s Kaze X was the SPEB to have in 2054. In addition to sleek, all-glass design, impressive control, cutting edge self-driving technology, and stress-eradicating comfort, the Kaze X also provided unprecedented intuitive modulation. Though other SPEBs had experimented with the ability to cover and uncover your bike, the process was generally ugly, clunky, and prone to accidents. The Kaze X perfected modulation: It contained a lightweight, digitally color-customizable cover that looked beautiful and snapped into place securely. It also included optional extensions to add between the front and back of the bike to seat more people. These segments came equipped with retractable wheels that allowed the bike to assemble itself at the wave of a hand.

The price tag for the Kaze X started at $95,000 for a four-seater. As of December 2054, there were only 30 on the road in New Idaho.

Today, around 1300h, one of these bikes was driving along 18th street, looking for parking. This Kaze was modulated into a simple two-seater. In front sat a man with a short, brown goatee, a soft, yellow polo shirt, and blue shorts. His wife sat behind, her angular face bordered by hair that slanted from her shoulders to a short cut at the back of her head. She wore a psychedelic patterned sundress with the same yellow as her husband.

Her husband bent upside down to look back at his wife. ‘Why don’t you sit up here with me, baby?’

‘I’m just fine back here.’

‘Come on, Shelly, there’s plenty of room! We might be a little close, but hey, I still like being close to you.’ He gave her a wink.

‘We’re almost there anyway, Ricky. Maybe on the ride back.’

‘You know, I hear Sobaiku is engineering a seat that would basically fill up the entire inside of the bike cabin—kind of like a lounge.’

‘That would be cool.’

‘Oh, yeah. We’ll have to get one when they roll it out.’

‘I bet they already have them in Japan. It’s just like those cocky easterners to make us wait.’ Shelly looked out the top of the Kaze and watched the lush trees pass by over her head. ‘I still can’t believe how clearly I can see out of the glass. I remember when we first got the Kaze—I thought it might have been my Lenses syncing up to the bike or something. But no, I take them off and it’s just the same. It’s really quite amazing.’

‘It is, huh? Well, maybe when we sit together on the way back we can test it out and do some things in here that would make people’s heads turn.’ He gave Shelly another wink. ‘If they just look envious, and not appalled, we’ll know their double-take was just to check out this bomb-ass ride.’

‘Ricky…’

‘Think about it. For the way back. We’re here!’

Ricky and Shelly’s bike had parked itself on the side of 18th street, two blocks from the New Idaho Mall. It was Sunday. Their shopping day. Their own personal church. Every week they combed the mall, looking to see if there was anything new in stock. After so many Sundays, they had more or less memorized the general inventory of most of the stores, but during the holiday season it seemed that the store-fronts were constantly changing.

It was five days til Christmas, however, and most of the stores were sufficiently prepped for last minute shoppers, already fatted up on the Christmas stimulus, resting on their laurels. After visiting a couple stores, Ricky and Shelly could tell that there wasn’t much that would pike their fancy today.

About a block away from the court house, a pair of white pants caught Ricky’s eye—he had seen those pants before.

‘Hey! It’s Darren Caston! And Emilie!’ Ricky shouted them down and started running in their direction. Shelly rolled her eyes at her husband’s child-like enthusiasm and ran after him.

As Ricky approached his mark, he pounced into the air and planted his feet in a wide squat with his hands stretched out to his sides. ‘What’s up, my neighbors to the north?’ he asked. As he looked at Darren and Emilie’s faces, his broad smile started to fade, though not completely. ‘Catch ya at a bad time? Come on! It’s just about Christmas! Lighten up a little!’ He straightened up and gave Darren a playful punch on the shoulder.

‘Hi Ricky. We were just heading back home.’ Darren’s voice, though passably polite, communicated he wasn’t in the mood. Ricky could read it in Darren’s tone. Truthfully, Ricky was always very perceptive of how people were reacting to him. The real issue was that he didn’t care.

‘Well, sorry downtown couldn’t hold your fancy into the wee hours of the night. Have you met my wife?’ Ricky put his arm around Shelly, who had just caught up to him. ‘This is Shelly.’

‘We’ve met,’ Shelly said as she extended her hand to the Castons.

‘Yes, of course we remember you, Shelly,’ Darren said.

‘Hey, Darren, I been meaning to talk with you,’ Ricky said. ‘You got an extra Lucidity don’t you?’

‘We all got an extra one, Ricky.’

‘Yeah, right, but I mean you got one for you and your wife and your son—so then you got one left over, yeah?’

‘To be honest, Ricky? I don’t know if we’re going to be giving Snow Lucidity just yet.’

‘What? You know that’s why ol’ Lex wanted to hand them out to us—a little early Christmas present for our families!’

‘I don’t doubt it.’

‘So what the hell are you doing? Keeping your boy from entering the future? You know my Ricky 2 is sure as hell getting my extra. And Sera might get mine—but she’s 13, I don’t know if she’d even really get it.’

Shelly interjected—‘Plus you want it for yourself—though I’m scared about what kind of dreams you’re having.’

Darren was looking for a chance to ask his leave from Ricky’s presence, but was having trouble finding the opportunity to say anything. Ricky continued to talk—the content sounded like a stream-of-consciousness rant, but the sharpness, confidence, and speed with which he delivered his words made it sound like he had thought it all through.

‘Anyway,’ Ricky continued, ‘I wouldn’t have to worry much about what kid’s going to get what if I could just buy your extra off of you. So that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. It don’t make sense that I got to wait until February to get mine—Ricky Miller, Deputy head of Social Media Marketing, and he don’t even got the technology he’s touting. So if I can’t get another, I don’t think Sera’s gonna be getting her Christmas present.’

Darren attempted to get a word in. He got two: ’It might—‘

‘You can think about it. Think about it!’ Ricky patted Darren on his arm. ‘We can talk more at work, huh? You got time over lunch tomorrow? We’ll talk then. And you should really think about changing your mind about Christmas—you know Ricky 2’s gonna expect Snow to have Lucidity. Can’t you see it right now? Our boys trading dreams and all that. Or whatever they’re gonna do. I mean, God knows what Ricky 2 is dreaming about, right? But anyway, you heard my side, take it or leave it. It don’t make sense to keep something from your boy that’s gonna be in the hands of everyone in the school by graduation. It’s some pretty impressive stuff, you know. Gonna change the world. Who knows, by the time graduation rolls around, they might even have telepathy down—can’t believe I’m even saying that!’

Darren finally got his time to talk. ‘Thanks, Ricky, I’ll think about it. Talk to you tomorrow.’ He started to move away. Once again, Ricky could see his attempt to move. Once again, however, Ricky didn’t care.

‘Got any big plans the rest of the night?’

‘Oh, you know, just relaxing before work tomorrow,’ Darren said. ‘We should really head out.’

‘Well, hey, you should really check out the Kaze. You seen it yet?’

‘I might have seen it in the parking lot at the Lab.’

‘Why don’t we have lunch together tomorrow? Maybe we can take it out for a ride.’

‘That sounds fine, Ricky.’

‘And hey, if you want to spend a little more time downtown, why don’t you come hit up the Moffie with me and Shelly?’

‘I really don’t want to spend any more time downtown, Ricky.’

‘Come on! It’s quick! And the money goes back into our community.’

‘I’ll donate some voluntary taxes when I get home. I really don’t have any interest in ogling overweight citizens right now.’

‘Alright, well, we’ll talk tomorrow. And think about what I said, Caston!’

Darren and Emilie finally made their escape, and Ricky and Shelly were left by themselves, walking in front of the government building.

‘Why do you have to be so overbearing?’ Shelly asked her husband.

‘Overbearing? You mean friendly?’

‘He obviously had somewhere to go.’

‘I obviously had something to say.’

‘Fine. Were you really trying to go to the Museum today?’

‘Yeah, why not hit up the MoF? We’re in the area. It’s always a fun little excursion.’

‘It is… Motivating, in some way, I suppose.’

‘Right now there should be a couple trailers parked just two blocks north on 11th street.’

‘Following your lead.’

The New Idaho Museum of Oddities was one of Mayor Krispyman’s efforts to both fund the city and provide opportunity for a Guaranteed Basic Income. Following the tradition of Freak Shows of the past, the NIMO was housed in a collection of large trailers towed by high-powered government SPEBS that periodically moved around the city, almost like an ice cream truck. The fact that the trailers were technically businesses, and did not contain motors, meant they just narrowly qualified to be on the roads of New Idaho.

The trailers were large, windowless rectangles. Each was painted a different color, with large bubble letters that read “N I M O”. Underneath, the acronym was spelled out: New Idaho Museum of Oddites. In addition to the name, each trailer had one letter of the alphabet boxed off in the top corner, denoting which of the many trailers it was. Pedestrians could pay a $7 membership fee to enter these trailers at any time, and it was a past-time of many citizens to try and “catch ‘em all.” 20% of the funds went back to the city and the remainder was divided between the laborers and the ‘exhibits.’

The exhibits themselves had various oddities, but were by and large big and large. Because of the generally above average health and fitness of most New Idaho citizens, it was considered an Oddity for a human to exceed 350 pounds. Thus, many of the overweight citizens of New Idaho found easy money by participating in NIMO. Their substantial participation, however, also caused many citizens to call the place the “Museum of Fat”, or “The MoF/Moffie” for short

Ricky and Shelly didn’t visit the museum every Sunday, but they were members, so they did patronize the establishment quite often. Ricky always got a good laugh when he walked into the back of any one of the trailers, looking over the railings on either side at large men and woman messing around with their Lenses, eating snacks, and rolling their eyes at the patrons.

Today, Ricky chose to go in Trailer G. He couldn’t remember having been in this one before. He took Shelly by the hand and walked into the back of the trailer. Two large women shared Oreos to his left. A couple large men played some sort of Virtual Sport behind their lenses—Ricky could tune into whatever they were seeing via WiFi if he liked, but he opted not to. On his right, a woman of sizable girth laid out on her side, looking bored, possibly reading a Virtual Book.

Ricky looked back at his wife and cracked a smile. She rolled her eyes slightly and smiled back. It was still five days until Christmas, but why not treat themselves and support their city. Part of Ricky felt a little bad for the people behind the railing, but he checked himself. It was a job, after all, wasn’t it?

#New Idaho #Ben Vizy #New Novel #Writing #Writing Community #Novelist #Novel Writing #2054 #Augmented Reality #Futurism #future cars #electric bike #bike life #Kaze X

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oovitus · 6 years ago

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How to answer the most common nutrition questions like a boss: A cheat sheet for helping anyone hone their eating habits.