#you may have lost control. but I just gained it. and that’s scarier

[shittysawtraps]

when your friend says “i’m becoming the joker,” reply, “well, i’m becoming jigsaw” to one-up them. do not elaborate on what this means

[dragonprincebr]

[ENGLISH] Interview with Devon Giehl!

O Príncipe Dragão Brasil Team realized an exclusive interview with The Dragon Prince's Lead Writer and Producer, Devon Giehl! We asked about episode 8 from season 5, as well as questions by fans!

We translated the interview so more people can read about it! Here's the portuguese version.

Finnegrin was such an interesting and exciting villain! How did you guys created him, and is there any chance he survived?

Devon Giehl: It started because we wanted to take the characters to a sort of pirate town after they lost Zubeia’s help, they needed a boat to get down the coast. We started developing the idea of Scumport first and then we decided that the minor villain they would encounter In Scumport, this pirate-y lawless town would be Finnegrin. At first, he was only meant to antagonize the cast for one episode, but we had so much fun coming up with stories about the pirate town that we decided to invent the three-part arc in order to be able to fully tell a bigger story about the pirates and the trouble that Callum and co get in with him. So, we ended up saying “what if he chases them?”, “what if he’s part of the plot for the next 2 episodes?” that he pursues them and eventually captures them. We wanted him to be really mean, but also charismatic and charming and he was inspired by the character Al Swearengen from Deadwood. In terms of any chance of him surviving, I think it’s possible, I like to imagine that he had some magical or clever way of escaping his fate. I would like to see him again because I really had fun writing him. Maybe he got out, it’s possible, he’s a powerful ocean mage and a tidebound elf, so maybe. I know that there were jokes about why does he worry about drowning and I was like “why did I write it that way?” but I think even tidebound elves probably have ways of dying. It’s probably more of a metaphor than literally. If you go down far enough anything will be crushed down there. And she’s an Ocean dragon, she can probably just kill him in multiple ways.

In our understanding, a major theme of the episode was the lack of control of things that are bigger and deeper, like the tides of the Ocean, the dark parts of ourselves, which are things we can’t and shouldn’t control. And we wonder what will it mean for Callum, who values his freedom and his choices, when considering that in the last season, Callum lost control of himself when possessed by Aaravos, and now he reached this understanding of the Ocean arcanum.

DG: As a character, Callum explores the themes of freedom and to me that connects to themes of growing up in a way that there is this moment when you are young, especially when you are an early teenager, you gain some sense of self and you realize your individuality, your potential, the limitless power you can potentially have in the world.

You come into yourself in a powerful way and it’s really exciting and you feel like you can do anything. And then very quickly, as you get a little bit older, you come into a place where you realize it’s not that easy. There’s so many things in the world that are bigger and scarier than you, and you start to feel more powerless in how you may confront them, overcome them, and whether or not you even can, you start to make decisions more out of fear sometimes, out of desperation, you compromise parts of yourself, and it wears the way that person thought the world was infinite.

For Callum, in season 2 when he unlocked the Sky Arcanum, he was over the moon, he was excited, the entire world was open to him, he was free of everything. But now, he is a couple years older, a couple years wiser, for better and worse, and this is a scenario in which he was sort of backed into a corner and the only way out he could see was doing something that he didn’t want to do. To me it’s tough ‘cause it changes what he might think he originally believed in only connecting to the Sky. And it makes him a little bit more complex, he rattles his assumptions about his potential and he’s not quite sure anymore if he is who he thought he was going to be and I think all of us go through that at some point of our lives, and it’s really hard.

With maturity comes the sort of darker awareness of dangers of the world and your very small place in it. Whereas the Sky says “look, the whole world is yours, it’s open, beautiful and wild, you can be and do anything”, the Ocean arcanum says like “now, hold on, it’s not quite that easy and infinity possibility does mean that some of these possibilities could be bad”.

Another theme of the Ocean primal is accepting there are dark parts of ourselves, and it seems similar with the Moon primal, that recognizes that there are sides of other people that are hidden from view. So, is Callum ever going to try to tap into Moon arcanum?

DG: There’s a little bit of connection between the Ocean and Moon primal, because they are sort of the push and pull of the tide, they are related, they influence each other. In terms of Callum and the Moon Arcanum, from a more storytelling perspective he might. For me it’s hard to commit to that because the moon it’s Rayla’s special territory. It’s tough because if you have Callum to start to be able to do all this cool Moon magic, it actually kind lessens what Rayla is and what she is capable of. I don’t think it’s necessarily impossible, but I think it takes something away from her in a way we don’t really want the narrative to do currently, which is why we gave Callum his own identity with the Ocean and Sky for the moment. All of the moon stuff is very much how Rayla shines and she’s not going to get other arcanums as a moonshadow elf, we wanna make sure that she still gets to be cool and powerful with what we gave her and not just take that and give it to someone else.

And does the Ocean (and Moon) primal reflects the relationship between Callum and Rayla, considering we also saw the themes of trust between them – even when Rayla temporary hid the truth about what she was doing in his office – and eventually help mend their relationship?

DG: Ooh, that's spicy. I think both of them keep a lot inside, specially stuff that they feel ashamed of or frightened by, and I think that’s very natural for a lot of young people, even people in general. Rayla kept what she was doing from him, and it wasn't necessarily an attempt to hurt him or deceive him, it was very much because she didn’t know how to handle what she learned about the coins, she had no answer, she felt like “maybe if I learn a bit more, I can do something about it, but I’m not sure” and then in the end she has her little vision and she decides “I can’t figure this out right now, even though I really want to, I’m gonna have to go help Callum”‘. So I think it was very personal for her, even when you are in really loving relationships. They are not currently dating, but they do care about each other very deeply, there are still things you attempt to handle on your own and not share even with your partner.

I think Callum is a little bit the same way because there is that sort of like not quite mended trust between them, you also see reflected in how he doesn’t tell her right away about what he did to get out of Finnegrin’s grasp. I think once you unlock an arcanum, it doesnt mean you are gonna be a perfect person and act by the thing you’ve accessed, it just sort of is… sort of like mental breakthroughs, but even when you have little mental breakthroughs in real life, you can still screw up and take those breakthroughs and be destructive with them. The trust between them isn’t perfect yet, but they care about each other enough the other is not trying to hurt them. When Callum said at the end of season 4 “I’m so glad you are back”, everything that followed that, to me, was about him living by that realization, he’s not holding things against her, he understands and cares about who she is. It still is not what it was, but it’s more worthy to have her back in my life than to continue to be angry and resentful and sort of keep her at arm’s length. That doesn’t mean that they are gonna be totally honest and share everything with each other right away, so you still see both of them still taking on their individuals burdens and struggling with them.

What were Ezran and Soren feelings on Callum being tortured and then Rayla being almost fed to the Levianthan? We couldn’t get much into it because of time constraints, but we would love to know more!

DG: The episodes are only 22 minutes long. I would’ve love to do a scene where everybody has like a sort of immediate reaction. If I had to write that scene, I think I would have a lot of people, like Soren and Rayla, basically everyone, making a really big effort to see if Callum’s is okay and if Soren is okay, but I think Callum is in that moment… He doesn’t really want everybody’s immediate attention, he would probably say that he was fine and to check on everyone else, and that’s why you see Rayla with Stella, and everybody coming out, letting off the shackles and things like that and then you see Rayla going to Callum, I don’t think anybody ignored him or took him from granted, there was probably a very brief like, everybody checking in with each other, but his emotions were very confusing. He goes and sits down by himself, huddles up. Then Rayla reapproaches him and you see it play out as it did on the show. Everybody was pretty scared.

In this season, we saw Soren bring up the fact that Ezran, despite being king, is still a child. Is this conflict going to be brought up again, perharps by other people in his council or other Human Kingdoms?

DG: I won’t say how it comes out, but I think Ezran struggles as a really young kid versus the King. He talks like a twenty-five year old, he’s like really, really mature and trying so hard to “grown up”, but I think there’s parts of him that are suffering quietly because of that and we will see that come in to play. The fact that he is a child and there are parts of him that aren’t quite ready for all of this will definitely impact some things in the future.

Ezran’s grief in his short story was such an interesting take in his character, and i wonder if we’ll see more about it in the next seasons?

DG: Yes… Is that too much? That short story was more like a tease for the next three seasons, not just season five. So it’s something that's simmering in him during season 5, season 6 and onward. You’ll see a little bit more of it. He’s outworldly, very wise, very perfect, but there is a part of him that’s very vulnerable to pain, just like everybody, It’s easy to say out loud “peace and love and harmony”, but to actually act on that, not harbor any resentment, is super human. Even he is not immune to that. Everybody has things they are mad about.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FANS

Will the first human to ever do primal magic be explored more at some point?

DG: As far as I know, it’s really open ended and would be the subject of its own story, at some point, but i think it would be pretty cool.

Is there a connection between Aaravos and Callum’s mind, to the point of giving him nightmares? Or is there something else you can tell about a connection between them?

DG: I like the idea that he has nightmares, if anyone wants to write fanfiction about it, please do it! I don’t want to say much about their connection, but once Aaravos has control and touched him in some way, this connection still exists and it’s not something that just disappears, it’s with you Forever. That’s all i can say!

Will we see more of the Silvergrove, or if some of its inhabitants will be making an appearence?

DG: That’s too many spoilers, but we will see more Moonshadow stuff, and revisit their culture in a meaningful way.

Can you tell us anything about Claudia’s feelings on Rayla, or if they’ll be explored in the next seasons? Up until now, they didn’t share many positive interactions, and now Rayla was the main responsable for Claudia not freeing Aaravos, and also cut her leg (even if it wasn’t her intention).

DG: I think Claudia blames all 3 of them with the same amount of anger, I don’t think she focus on Rayla specifically. She sees Rayla as somebody who poisoned people who used to be her friends Against her, she hasn’t really taken the time to consider her as a person. She’s “The Elf” and has a really hard time moving on from that, and I think this encounter just reinforced that. It’s a very negative interaction and They didnt enjoy it. I don’t think she’s gonna blame Rayla especifically, it’s those 3 people – her old friends and the elf. It’s not a specific focus on Rayla.

Will we see more interactions between Soren and Corvus?

DG: Yes. Without saying too much about it, there’s na episode written by our sênior writer – Paige VanTassel – about Soren and Corvus and a storyline they go through. It’s extremely funny because Paige is the funniest writer in the room, and i hope people like it, cause they’re just so funny. The dynamic between Soren and his sort of goofy, himbo humour and Corvus who has deadpan reactions is delightful, and Paige made a Whole story about it. You’ll see it in a future season, and I love it!

In season 4, Rayla says “we can’t save everyone”, in response to her decision to no helping the Drake. Is this foreshadowing for something that might happen in the next seasons? Or it means a change of heart, in contrast to her saving Phyrrah back in season 2?

DG: I think when Rayla said that, she was having a very hard time. When you say things that are against your own nature – because i really think she didn’t mean it, she said the most mean, tough thing she could think of because nothing was going the way she wanted it to go. She was struggling with Callum, stuggling to connect with everybody, Soren was kind of annoying her, and I think she said something completely unlike her, in ways that are difficult to take back. And in the next morning she realizes what she did and freaks out, and it’s just another small mistake in her inability to process her own feelings very well. She routinely proves it’s not something she really believes, but in that moment she was feeling pretty low and angry, and it did not lead her to take great courses of action.

Could Callum adapt Manus Pluma Volantus the way he adapted the Ocean runes to allow his friends to breathe below the water?

DG: That’s a really good question. Maybe? To be honest we never though about that. Maybe it might not work the same way. But It’s possible!

About Terry: will his role remain as an emotional support for Claudia, or question what she does – which is something he already does, and in this season he did it twice, so we wonder if it’ll continue?

DG: I think he very much sees a version of Claudia that’s heroic, even though her methods are dark magic, and it’s a choice she’s making to save her father, and he genuinely believes that’s a good cause. He’s not like Rayla, raised to be na assasin, he’s kind of a normal elf, just a guy, he’s not quite aware of the world and the threat of Aaravos and what everybody else is fighting. He understands Claudia wants to save her father, but he has very limited knowledge on what that means.

From Claudia’s perspective, Aaravos is a “bro”, he sat on her shoulders for 2 years and helped preserve her father. So Terry's got a diferent set of information than the main cast, and sometimes people seem to not consider that – he doesn’t know everything our main characters have learned, and we’ve already seen him a couple times Calling her out when she tiptoes on the edge of cruelty, when she gets very angry, when she lashes out at Rayla and doesn’t give her the coins, when she lashes out at the dragon and wants to hurt it instead of just stopping, and that will continue. But he genuinely loves Claudia, he thinks she’s funny, charming, loyal to her family in a way that’s truly beautiful (even if for us, as the audience, is kinda twisted), he’s seen her best version and seen her do incredible things to get what she wants, but she’s slipping a little, and it’s alarming to him, so we’ll see more of that.

[zoopzopp]

A post for some BAMF Izuku fics <3 (more of these will be added and the list will be updated as i read them)

Fics i've read:

The Secret Ingredient is Crime- Izuku only had a whole month to further prove himself worthy of Yuuei's golden acceptance, and he was going to do whatever it took to make it in. Yuuei would never truly know what hit them until it was too late. (The secret crime AU in it entirety is fucking amazing and what wouldn't i give to read more stuff with it)

Deku the Villain Hunter: Support Hero - We all know the story: After being told he couldn't be a Hero by All Might, Midoriya Izuku still wandered over to a supervillain attack where he could save Bakugou Katsuki. But what if he had made the other turn? The answer is a butterfly effect that would lead him on a path to paving his own future. A path of revenge, finding his own moral compass, and doing the impossible. (OKAY MANY THOUGHTS. Very cool story and aspects. I binged it overnight and lost a bit of sleep the next night as well.)

The Story of How Midoriya Izuku Asserted His Dominance (And Traumatized Japan) - The Sports Festival was supposed to be a break from stress. Shouta should have known there is no such thing as a break with his class.

making it right (for real this time) - - Izuku is a support course student at UA, and Katsuki's neighbor, best friend, and former bullying victim. After Izuku's performance at the sports festival, Katsuki realizes something. He has to make things right. -

Hero Fall (UA Civil War Exercise) - It's now the end of the first year of UA for our students. Nedzu had decided to bring back the annual Heroes vs Villain fight. The fight shall last 5 days and the villain leader is Izuku Midoriya, with the commanding officer of the hero team being Katsuki Bakugo. But, what happens when Izuku is left alone?

Hero Class Civil Warfare - Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

"I Didn't Know You Had It In You." - Midoriya goes feral rage mode in his fight against Overhaul. The beat down still happens, but with Eri no longer at his back, he gets more violent. One For All reacts in an interesting way and Midoriya commits a terrible and unheroic act - the cold blooded murder and maiming of Chisaki Kai. Shigaraki is there to watch it all unfold.

Plan C meets Plan A - Even if All Might is right and Izuku can't be a hero, Izuku refuses to be useless. So Izuku uses his analysis skills to develop Plan C: Consulting in order to help the heroes. Eraserhead is impressed by this mysterious new consultant but alarm bells in Deku's behaviour quickly have Aizawa recruiting help for Plan A: Adoption.

Q. A. B. - One month after @hawks_unofficial's initial viral post, the blog titled "Quirk Analysis Blog for the Future", otherwise known as "Q. A. B.", has gone from an average of 10 views per post to an average of 20,000 views per post. Midoriya Izuku does not know how to view the impressions analysis for his suddenly popular blog, and only notices that sometimes, people actually comment on his posts now. He does not google himself or his moniker and thus does not see the rise in online articles and speculation. He is unaware that the "kyuu-ei-bee" he begins to hear about in passing refers to his own blog. He does not have a Twitter account. At the time, Midoriya Izuku is 15 years old.

How to murder your father - It's dangerous to be a bad father when you have a life insurance. Just saying.

Negation - Passive Quirks are a bitch. Izuku is reasonably done with the situation.

Thanks For Your Support - Izuku has the talent and the intellect to be the first Quirkless pro hero, and everyone at UA knows it. Unfortunately, his desire to become a hero has long since been buried thanks to the words of his childhood friend and childhood hero.

Policed To Meet You - Izuku takes All Might's advice and becomes a cop.

Vigilante Work And Other After School Activities - Izuku is a vigilante, Aizawa likes cats and therefore kids who help cats, and sometimes breaks must be forced upon overachieving teenagers.

When the Commission Lost Total Control - The hero polls have a small part where one can suggest their own hero. This is done just because of the amount of heroes is to great to name them all. This creates a little problem for the commission because a vigilante is assumed to be a brand new hero by the public- and ranks pretty high. Because of that, this vigilante now is too popular to hide and they can't come out with their mistake either! Think of the chaos that would bring.

Izuku being Badass but like in not that grand of a way but still tearing-people-down-in-some-way kind of way

He Was Quirkless - Midoriya get's sick of discrimination against the quirkless and decides to do something about it. It leads to some interesting situations. A trilogy.

bloody, but unbowed- It's Advocacy Week for Yuuei's hero students and it gives Midoriya Izuku a lot to think about about what kind of hero he wants Deku to be.

Called Out - When Izuku is hit by a quirk that will cause him to call out the first person to be rude to him on the way to school with every mistake they've made in the affected persons presence or have otherwise effected said affected person, Aizawa is in for a rough ride. In other words, with some help from a quirk, Izuku rakes Aizawa over the hot coals until he gives out. (a great fic but i've got mixed feelings on this one because on one hand, izuku is badass but on the other its Aizawa bashing and really like him skhdskdb so yea! Read it as per your tastes!!)

The time when everyone learned that izuku respects Bakugo more than all might. - I didn't like how Bakugo was tied up during the sports festival and so izuku didn't. Badass izuku roasted all might and midnight.

Villainous Sunshine - After an innocent question, Class 1-A learns just how terrifying Izuku's analysis is. Nedzu's along for the ride.

Never understand ( and you can't ) - Midoriya is sick and tried of his classmates bias and prejudice against the quirkless community and finally breaks

Mastermind: Strategist For Hire - Izuku Midoriya never got the chance to save Bakugo from the sludge villain and impress All Might. With his dream crushed, Izuku becomes bitter and angry. It also doesn't help that he faces discrimination at every turn. All he ever wanted was to be appreciated, so when the villains are the ones to recognize his talents rather than the heroes, well, Izuku just can't resist. He might as well help those who actually want him around. Mistakes were made, and now society must face a villain of their own making: Mastermind.

Malignance - Deku is far scarier than anyone gives him credit for.

Fics in my to read list which has/probably has BAMF izuku

Young Midoriya - Izuku Midoriya couldn't help himself when he saw someone in trouble. Even at 12 years old, his instincts drive him to help those in need. So when he sees Kacchan and his goons about to ambush another student, he has to step in, right? It's not like this hasn't happened before. What is different this time though, is that he's never had an audience that consisted of the Number One Hero.

Heroics and Other Things That Don't Require Superpowers - Izuku doesn't have a quirk. That's the long and short of it. After being told his whole life he can't be a hero, General Education at UA is the best he can hope for, right? Wrong. Dead Wrong. So super wrong that his best friend from Gen Ed, all of Class 1A and a whole mess of Pro Heroes are going to prove to him how wrong he is. Izuku has the makings of a hero, and his lack of a quirk only throws those qualities into starker relief. After all, who wants to be as strong as All Might when you can be the cleverest hero in the business?

Cases of More Than - Izuku is known as Deku online. He's an analyst of quirks, sometimes even working with the local detective, Tsukauchi, on a case. He meets new friends, builds a few relationships, and slowly crushes on his best friend. But then he's thrown into the General Studies Course at U.A. It doesn't help that All for One is showing an interest in him at all.

No Regret - In this world there is no hard set villain or hero. No victim and aggressor. Everyone is at fault for something and Izuku, with his own villain group, will make everyone pay. Even the bystanders who did nothing. This is what society gets for abandoning it's people. Deku will manipulate everyone and be the greatest villain, all so the world can be a better a place. With the stakes so high there is no time for regret.

We Are a Different Kind - Mirio doesn’t think he can be a hero anymore now that he’s quirkless, Izuku calls bullshit.

Live a Hero - "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Or, you're raised a villain, rebel when you're nine, and fight against the odds to become a hero anyway. That's how it is in Izuku's case.

Prodigal - After being convinced to give One for All to Mirio, Midoriya Izuku must rebuild his shattered dreams with bloody hands.

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Vigilante - Izuku is orphaned at the age of four and is sent into the Japanese Foster Care System. After multiple failed attempts at finding a forever home and some unfortunate circumstance, he ends up on the streets. Eventually, the vigilante, Deku appears. Eraserhead must gain his trust to bring Deku back to the right side of the law. If he he does, however, the untrustful but pure-hearted boy may just be a bit more than Aizawa Shota can handle.

From Muddy Waters - - but the sleeve of his tracksuit was bulging, tearing and ripping and a mass of twisted flesh, nearly as big as the boy himself and nauseatingly familiar (the arm of the man that had torn a hole in his side with a grin and left him a frail shadow of himself) swung forward and slammed into the flat face of the giant robot. Izuku wants to be a hero more than anything.

Pieces are easily sacrificed when they're nameless - Nobody ever thought quirkless, weak, weird Midoriya Izuku was dangerous. This perception carried over to his first year high school class, because really despite the super strength Midoriya didn't have it in him to be dangerous. That was their first mistake. And the one that would see them fall.

Not exactly BAMF izuku but i just wanted to rec these fics <3

In the shade of a sunflower - Being biologically quirkless came more with an extra pinkie joint in the toes and a stunning lack of vestiges mutations. It came with smaller things, like extra teeth that did virtually nothing, exploding organs, and weird exposed nerves that weren't designed to feel pain.

Throat Punch - In which Aizawa attempts to teach Izuku how to use various battle tactics and it goes just about as well as you'd expect. At least Shinsou is there with his fantastic commentary. (just a fun lil thing where izuku is really stronk and trains with shinsou and aizawa)

So Be It - He could still do good. Midoriya could show them all what a hero without powers looked like. If he had to break a few rules to do it, so be it. So be it… (as stated not exactly BAMF but its a vigilante izuku so ye-)

Never Enter a Drinking Game with Bakugo or Izuku - Izuku walks in on Kirishima and Kaminari having a drinking competition (no alcohol involved). And it reminds him of an old story.

5 Times Midoriya Taught Class 1A about Memes and 1 Time they Found a Villain that Understood Them - After being diagnosed as quirkless, Midoriya gets into pre-guirk media and finds memes. He shares them with Class 1A. Aizawa doesn't get paid enough for this. (THIS FIC???? FUCKING AWESOME. LITERALLY WHAT I WANTED TO SEE)

Midoriya: JD Version - Nedzu has decided that a play should be put on so that the students can learn how to "go undercover", an idea which Aizawa thinks is utter bullshit. They're putting on Heathers and when Nedzu chooses to cast Midoriya for JD, everyone objects. Midoriya is a much better actor than they thought.

that is a lot!! I hope you have fun reading it!!!

[nothere-notthere-nowhere]

Studying

Word count: 1704

Pairing: Natasha x Reader (platonic)

Warnings: panic attack, let me know if I missed any

Summary: Studying for an exam is overwhelming. Nat helps.

A/N: Hi! So, this is very much just me projecting my own thoughts and feelings onto the reader lol. There’s no real romance here, just Nat being a good friend. I also did not edit this, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. 

It was late, you realized as you closed your textbook. You’d been studying for some stupid math final the next day and time had clearly gotten away from you.

Balancing avenger work with being a full-time student was difficult but you enjoyed it, for the most part. Thankfully, it was online schooling so you were able to complete work on your own time, but it was still difficult. Deciding to go back to school in your mid twenties had been a big step for you. 

You’d always hated school. It never came easy, despite being a science genius. You were what most people called brilliant. You thought it was just being creative. You thought in a different way than most people. Tony Stark had sought you out when you were fresh out of high school right before the invasion of New York. 

But, despite having a secure job working for the avengers in the compound, you had decided it wouldn’t be a bad thing to go back to school. Just because you were good at making supersuits and other technological advancement-esque stuff didn’t mean you were that smart.

For example, calc two was kicking your ass right now. Making new impact resistant polymer suits for the gang was a hell of a lot easier for you than whatever the fuck this textbook was trying to explain. 

“Stupid math,” you groaned, rubbing a hand over your face as you looked back down at the problem you’d already tried to solve four times. There was no way in hell you were going to pass this class. 

Fighting back tears of frustration as you crumpled up the paper, you stood from your desk. It was near three in the morning and you were exhausted. But you would not let yourself fail this exam. Your grade in the class was already less than acceptable and failing your final would definitely leave you with an F.

You walked to the kitchen quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. Coffee would surely settle you down and give you enough energy to make it until the morning. You had to figure this out.

“I told you to ask Tony or Bruce for help,” Natasha’s voice startled you.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” You asked, drying your eyes before you turned to her.

“No, don’t worry.” She had an amused look on her face. “You’re still on calc, right?”

“Yeah,” your shoulders slumped. “But I have to be able to do this on my own. I shouldn’t have to annoy them with questions about basic math all the time.”

“Calculus is not basic math.” Natasha snorts at you.

“To them it is.”

“Well, make sure you go to sleep at some point, okay?” The concern in her eyes was evident and you just nodded, grabbing the cup of coffee you’d just brewed.

You took a sip before making your way back to your room. The textbook sat right where you’d left it and the sight of it bright a fresh wave of tears. 

You were a scientist for the avengers, damn it. Why were you crying over math? But your parents words flashed through your brain, reminding you that you were just a stupid kid. 

The relationship between you and your parents had always been rocky. They had held you to unachievable standards and no matter how much effort you put into school, they were never satisfied. And they always made sure you knew that.

“You think you’ll get anywhere in life with grades like these?” your father had shouted at you many times. “You’re just lazy. Do you know how much money we pay for you to go to this school? And this is how you repay us? You’re embarrassing.”

Your hand shook as you picked up your pencil once again, trying to figure out that stupid problem. There were so many rules and steps and none of them made sense to you! 

When the answer you got still didn’t match the one in the textbook, you slammed your pencil down with a scoff.

“You’re so stupid!” You said to yourself, tears leaking from your eyes. You started to erase your own writing again, when you glanced at the time, half past three. You were never going to figure this out.

It was becoming hard to read the problems through your watery eyes as you fought back the tears. You had to figure this out! But it was no use, you dropped your head onto the desk, holding in sobs. 

Your thoughts began to run with your father’s words. Embarrassing, lazy, stupid. You felt that familiar sense of self-loathing begin to rise within you and you were helpless. This wasn’t even the last unit you had to learn before your final. 

You were overwhelmed and you didn’t realize that your chest was tightening or your breath was becoming short. But when you lost feeling in your hands, and your face was tense and tingling, it was obvious.

You were having a panic attack. 

You were no stranger to these, of course. But, that didn’t make it any easier. It had been quite some time since you’d had a panic attack this severe, too, which made it that much scarier. 

You slid off your chair, pressing your back against the wall and pulling your knees up to your chest. You screwed your eyes shut, the heels of your shaking hands pressing into your eyes. If you had more control over the situation, you’d have tried to quiet your hyperventilation.

A soft touch to your hand brought you somewhat back to reality.

“Y/N,” a soft voice called. Your fingers instinctively clutched at the hand that pulled yours away from your face. 

“Y/N, you’re okay. I’m right here.” Nat’s voice was softer than you may have ever heard it before. 

“Nat, I-I,” you choked out, trying to say anything.

“No, don’t talk. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Her free hand rested on your knee, squeezing lightly. “Can you breathe with me?”

You tried to follow her soft ‘In’ and ‘out’ over and over. Your breaths were forced, almost painful as the panic refused to let up.

“Good job, dorogoy,” You felt the redhead scoot next to you, her arm wrapping around your shaking frame. “You’re doing amazing, I’ve got you.”

She pulled you into her gently. You were starting to gain the feeling back into your hands, and your facial muscles seemed to loosen just slightly. But, you were still shaking violently as you tried to stop yourself from sobbing.

“You’re okay,” Nat soothed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “I’m here.”

You leaned into her, balling your fist up in her shirt. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked after you had nearly stopped crying. 

“I’m gonna fail,” you whimpered. You felt pathetic.

“You know,” Nat sighed, “who cares?”

“What?” Her words confuse you.

“You are smart, Y/N. You already have a job, and after working for Stark, you could get in anywhere if you decided to leave. This is one class and regardless of how you do on the final, no one will think any less of you.”

“But-”

“No,” Nat cut you off. “Your grades in some stupid college class don’t matter. I promise, even if you do fail, we’ve all seen how hard you’ve worked in each of your classes. That’s what matters. Your work ethic and your commitment to your studies is worth so much more than sacrificing your wellbeing to secure a passing grade.”

“I feel so stupid.”

“You shouldn't. It’s a tough class. You should be proud of yourself for trying, even if you don’t get the results you wanted.”

“I just wanted to prove them wrong. Even if they wouldn’t know. I wanted to prove to them I was smart.  But they were right, I’m just stupid.”

Your words hang in the air for a moment. Natasha knows you’re talking about your parents. They’d all heard about the verbal abuse you’d suffered through at the hands of the people who’d raised you.

“You are not stupid.” She tells you firmly. “You are brilliant. You’ve created a new polymer that is even better at stopping bullets than vibranium while also working as a material for clothing. Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Yeah, but…”

“This is just one subject. I sure as hell can’t do calculus! You’re good at what you’re good at. I’m good at kicking ass, Clint’s good with a bow, Wanda’s good at… well magic. You’re good at science shit.”

You were silent. You knew she had a point.

“I know that won’t make you feel better about this.” Natasha explains. “But you can’t beat yourself up for this. You need to take care of yourself. Let’s go to bed, now, and we can ask Tony or Bruce for help in the morning.”

“I need to study,” you start.

“No, you need sleep.” Natasha’s voice is firm again. “You can’t sacrifice your health or your sanity for a test. You are more important than a test.”

“Okay.” You weren’t entirely convinced but, for now, your parent’s words were fading away.

Natasha helps you up before wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug. You savor the comfort of her embrace, before realizing just how exhausted you are.

“Get in bed,” Natasha nudges you towards the bed. You lay down, eyes closing as soon as your head hits the pillow. 

Nat pulls the blanket up before turning towards the door.

“Wait,” you call, hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

“Stay?” You bite the inside of your cheek. “Please?”

“Of course, dorogoy,” Natasha smiles at you as she slides into bed next to you.

“Thank you,” you mutter, laying your head on her chest as her arms wrap around you tightly. She presses a gentle kiss to your head.

You know you’ll freak in the morning when you have to think about the final again. But Natasha was here now, and Bruce and Tony would be there in the morning. It would be okay. One failed exam, one failed class-- hell, even every class failed-- was no indication of your worth. And Nat would be there to remind you if you ever forgot. 

[emileecon]

Shinkami childhood friends!AU

-based off of my art here

so the idea for this art came to me at like 3 in the morning and once I got the drawing out of my system my mind decided to come up with shinkami’s whole backstory. so it’s 3am again (apparently my productive time rip) so here it is:

Current summary:

shinsou is in the hero course at U.A., denki is in the support course

currently they are in their first year

they’ve been best friends since they were little

denki was inspired by shinsou to be a support engineer, shinsou was inspired by denki to be a hero

they’re totally head over heels for one another

I mean the pining is REAL

and everyone just wants them to GET TOGETHER ALREADY DAMMIT (students in class 1-A and 1-F’s words, not mine) (okay my words too cuz damn I really make them pine for one another lmao)

Backstory:

---so shinsou and denki don’t meet each other until they are five, when shinsou transfers to denki’s school. Because they’ve recently gotten their quirks,  shinsou is forced to wear a muzzle by the school board so he doesn’t accidentally activate his quirk. Everyone knows that when a kid has to wear a muzzle they probably have a terrifying quirk, so all the kids in his class steer clear from him and talk behind his back. Except denki of course, because denki only thinks that he looks kinda cool and how did his mom let him turn his hair purple? because denki wanted to turn his rainbow but his mom wouldn’t let him.

---denki is the first to approach shinsou like the little bundle of joy that he is. Shinsou is very shy at first due to the bullying he received at his previous school, which is the reason why he transferred in the first place. He slowly opens up though when he realizes denki won’t leave him alone. Because he can’t talk, he just listens to denki ramble, adding in a nod here and there to show he’s listening. And he IS, listening that is, because no one has ever talked to him that much before, so he listens eagerly to everything denki says no matter how random the thoughts are. Denki asks shinsou a lot of yes and no questions to get to know him better, and shinsou lowkey cries when he gets home because he finally has a friend.

“I’m denki, nice to meetchya!”

“I know ya can’t talk with that on but ya look really cool, like a hero or somethin’! do ya like heroes, do ya? your hair is so cool! I wanna turn my hair rainbow but my momma won’t let me, she says I need ta wait until I’m big. Do ya like cheerios? I brought them for snack time, ya want some?” 

---the boys are six when denki finds out what shinsou’s quirk is. It all starts with shinsou’s muzzle. He doesn’t think it’s fair that shinsou still has to wear one. He’s been going to quirk therapy to try and get his quirk, whatever it was, under control, so why does he still have to wear it? Shinsou’s parents won’t talk to his parents about it, no matter how much he bugs both parties. Shinsou’s parents are kinda mean, he doesn’t like them much. But he does like shinsou, so he forms a plan. Denki knows for sure shinsou’s muzzle is locked electronically somehow, he can hear the buzzing whenever he hugs tackles him. So denki practices lighting sparks with his pointer finger, way into the night under his covers when he should be sleeping instead. When he sees shinsou next, he fries the lock and takes off his muzzle. One moment he’s answering shinsou’s confusing splutters, the next he wakes to a crying boy hugging him and a lot of screaming adults. That’s when he knew he was in BIG trouble. He finds out shinsou’s quirk later that night when his parents tuck him into bed, and he cries himself to sleep. Not because he’s scared of shinsou, but because he’s scared FOR him; that he won’t be his friend anymore for trying to take his muzzle off. He really hopes shinsou forgives him. At school the next day shinsou looks scared when he runs up to him, but quickly hugs Denki when he cries and apologizes for taking off the muzzle without any warning. Denki vows the next time he tries something (because of course there will be a next time) that’ll he be more sneaky, and actually include shinsou in his plan.

“I’m sorry shinsou, I’m sorry I made you cry! Please still be my friend.”

“So you can control things? Don’t look sad, it’s a really cool quirk, promise!”

“I really wanna hear your voice though. Don’t be scared, you won’t hurt me! I’ll figure out how to get your muzzle off again, pinky promise!”

---the first time shinsou talks to denki is when they’re eight. He knows denki’s been trying to break the new lock on his muzzle. He’s knows denki has been talking to his engineer uncle, taking this task on with a level of passion that he’s never seen in his usually passionate friend. He feels bad that he doesn’t want him to succeed though, because the only thing scarier than accidentally controlling someone is scaring denki away because of it. Unfortunately denki is even more stubborn than he is passionate, and after two years of learning enough from his uncle and actually being able to do it with his unskilled, eight year old hands, denki eventually unlocks shinsou’s muzzle. It’s a tense moment, both nervous for different reasons, but shinsou remembers his therapy sessions and takes a calming breath. They end up talking all night, both crying from the excitement of being able to properly communicate. They wake up extra early to put shinsou’s muzzle back on and his parents are none the wiser. These secret talks become frequent, and shinsou has never been happier in his life.

---that time was an important moment in denki’s life as well, because being able to help shinsou and see his smile made him feel fulfilled with his work, like he actually did something right for once. And learning about all that mechanic stuff was really fun, so denki continues to learn with his uncle as his mentor, leading him to pursue a career in making support gear for heroes.

---it’s in middle school when shinsou decides he wants to be a hero. Despite his muzzle finally being removed because he could now control his quirk, people are still cruel. They mock him and ignore his existence. Shinsou doesn’t care though, because the only person that ever mattered to him was denki. The one thing he doesn’t stand for though, is people making fun of denki. Denki lost more friends the more he stayed with shinsou, until eventually all they had was each other. Neither of them cared, but the loss of denki’s friends meant an increase in denki’s bullies. The one time they weren't together is when denki’s bullies started getting physical. Shinsou walked in on them pushing denki to the ground. Shinsou ended up getting detention for a week for using his quirk to make them pee their pants in front of the class, but he didn’t care. He had to put on that damn muzzle for the week too, but denki’s hug and his “thanks toshi, you’re my hero!” made it worth it. This is the moment he finally realizes that his quirk might actually be able to be used for good after all (despite denki’s constant lecturing about how it’s always been good) and this is what makes him decide to pursue a career as a hero (that and remembering all the times he saved denki from situations only he could get himself into, because apparently he's lowkey been a hero this whole time so why not make a career out of it?).

---shinsou and denki both get into U.A., opening their exam results together. Shinsou passes the practical exam because of the gear and capture weapon denki creates for him. Denki gets accepted with the help of shinsou’s tutoring, because despite being a mechanical GENIUS his grades aren’t the best. It also helps that he developed his quirk to be able to sense electricity and the flow of it through electrical circuits. Being able to touch equipment and figure out where the mechanics aren’t working (by where the electricity stops flowing in the circuits) was very impressive to the admissions panel, to the point he gets a full scholarship to join U.A.’s support department.

---denki visits shinsou all the time in class 1-A, and often pulls him away to sit together at lunch. They’re shocked when they see how much shinsou talks and how easily he smiles with him. Everyone completely loses it when they see the blonde jump on him and not get thrown across the cafeteria. Class 1-A is beyond curious about the blonde who has their infamously cold classmate wrapped around his finger. When denki meets the class everyone immediately falls in love with him. Denki is the major reason why shinsou (reluctantly) makes friends, because everyone comes to see how shinsou’s cold persona is a facade and he’s actually just a sap an awkward (but cool nonetheless) person.

---everyone in denki’s class take to his optimistic and unique personality. They become extremely curious about the mysterious hero course student that stops into denki’s workshop almost everyday, and start a betting pool about his backstory and their relationship.

---class 1-A often wonders how bad denki’s luck must be to get himself in the situations he always ends up in. They also end up seeing how smart denki really is over various points of knowing him, and how badass he can be with his quirk and knowledge of mechanics. Everyone learns that while he may be a ball of sunshine, he can also probably take you down in 0.2 seconds.

---class 1-A often teases shinsou about denki, but when they come to learn through various anecdotes how much the two mean to one another, they gain so much respect for the two and everything they have been through.

Annndddd I’m done for now haha. I have so many more thoughts about how the arcs change and about the other stories (both good and bad) that happen throughout their childhood but I’ll write those out if anyone is actually curious, otherwise this is the end of my immediate thoughts after only one piece of art 😂

[friendly-neighboorhoodtrashcan]

So I've decided to write fanfic

Criticism is helpful, this is my first fanfic so pls don't kill me

Symphony 

Weiss Schnee was amazing at many things. Some may say even perfect. 

However, this wasn't true. Weiss knew this. But it didn't stop her from trying. 

Right now it was one of those moments where she realized how she hasn't mastered all the things in life. 

This problem she was facing was scarier than any grimm in the world of remnant. She was in love with her leader. 

Ruby Rose-- the strong, kind, determined, loveable, cute, dorky, beautiful- 

Yup she was in deep. 

She found herself yet again thinking about how to confess to her. This will be the day I finally do it, she thought.

Of course it was easier said than done. 

As she was pacing around in their temporary dorm she didn't notice the door open and someone entering. 

"Hey there ice queen!" Yang yelled out. 

Weiss almost jumped out of surprise but managed to remain calm. "Yang, you brute, why didn't you knock? You scared me half to death!"

"Ha ha, sorry about that. But I did knock, nobody answered so I just thought it was empty." Yang answered while shrugging her shoulders, "Anyways, what's got you so worked up? You're usually not this jumpy,"

Weiss just turned the other way and said,"None of your concern. I'm just thinking about certain things."

"Weiss, we are teammates. And even more than that, you are like a little sister to me. You were there for me back at Mistral, if you need to talk about anything you are not alone." Yang said sincerely while placing a hand on Weiss' shoulder.  

Meanwhile, Weiss nervously played with her fingers and sighed. 

"Yang how did you know you were ready to confess your feelings to Blake?"

Yang was dazed for a moment but soon jumped back into her sister-mode, "Looks like someone's got a crush~" she snickered. 

Weiss began blushing but kept a serious face.

"Ugh, don't be crude." Weiss tried to remain unbothered but that pink dusting her cheeks didn't help. 

"Just joking princess," Yang responded amusedly, "But for real, for me and Blake it was a bit more complicated than just confessing. We went through so much trouble before either of us truly was able to tell the other how we felt. But if I'm being honest, I didn't know if I was ready. I was nervous and scared. When I finally told Blake how I felt it was more of a leap of faith. Y'know in life sometimes you have to take risks for the things and people you love. Especially as a huntress, you don't know what will come next," she looked out of one of the windows as she reminiscend and turned back to look at weiss who was now facing her, "It is better to take a risk before it is to late."

Weiss reflected on what Yang just told her. She looked up at her and saw sincerity and comfort in her face. 

"Thank you Yang." She said softly

Yang just scooped her up in one of her famous bear hugs,"Anytime ice queen, anytime. What are sisters for anyways, besides y'know teasing you." She said as she laughed 

"Yang put me down!" Weiss protested as she tried and failed to get out of Yang's grip. 

"Okay, okay" yang said in between laughter as she let Weiss go.

"But seriously, if someone hurts your feelings let me know so I can pay them a little visit." Yang added while punching her first together to emphasize her statement. 

Weiss dusted herself off and fixed her clothes," I don't think that would be necessary Yang (it is your sister after all), but I appreciate the thought."

"No problem ice queen, as sisters we have to watch out for each other after all." Yang said as she winked at her. 

"Sincerely Yang, thank you for the talk." Weiss said while smiling warmly at the brawler. 

"Like I said, anytime," Yang answered with a familiar smile as she headed towards the door,"now if you need me I'll be at the training grounds with Blake."

"Try not to break anything!" Weiss joked as she waved at her teammate. 

"We'll try not to!" Yang answered back playfully. 

Now Weiss was left alone to finally make up her mind. 

Maybe it was time to start taking more risks, she thought. 

_____________________________________

"Hey Ruby, may I speak with you?"

Ruby stopped smashing the buttons on her controller and turned to her smiling-- a nervous smile but welcoming. 

Now, Ruby trusted Weiss. She trusted her with her life and more. But in the past she knew that the question,"can I talk to you?", wasn't followed with good news. 

Nevertheless, she trusted Weiss, whether this was good or bad. 

"Of course Weiss!" She smiled warmly at her and turned to her friends, "I'll catch up to you guys later." 

She followed Weiss into the room they were currently staying at and sat in the bottom bed that belonged to said friend. 

If you looked at Weiss, you couldn't tell she was nervous, she seemed confident and calm. But in the inside the ex-heiress's heart was beating as though she was in battle. 

She took a deep breath and turned to face her leader, "R-ruby, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while." 

Oh Gods. What did I do? What if she doesn't want to be partners anymore. She probably hates me! Ruby thought nervously.

Ruby's eyes looked anywhere trying to avoid Weiss. This didn't help the nervous girl. But she still continued.

"Ruby, I'm not good with feelings. I've never been good at expressing them. My family wasn't exactly the most affectionate," she took another breath, "But thanks to the team and you, I've been more open to my emotions." At this point she was trying to stall the inevitable.

Ruby stopped fidgeting and looked at her partner with a soft look as she realized she was just as nervous as she was. So she stood up and softly grabbed Weiss's hands and looked at her with a familiar smile. 

This was enough for Weiss to finally gain enough courage to continue. "Before attending Beacon, I had my life planned out. Well at least my father did, I was expected to complete my studies and become the CEO of the company. It was the only thing I knew in life. That was until I met a certain girl." She finally looked up and smiled warmly at Ruby. 

"After the fall and when my father took me away," her smile fell as the memories came back, "When I returned to Atlas, I felt that there was something missing and not just physically. It felt cold and alone. You could say there was complete silence." 

This was true to the girl. When she was with Ruby and her team at beacon she felt as though her heart had begun playing a song. It was more of an emotion rather than actual music. 

"Before I met you, my world was cold and silent. Life was just stringing me along. When I met you, at first it may have been awkward and not the most convenient," she chuckled and even Ruby let out a small giggle as they remembered their first meeting, "Despite this and my cold attitude, you never lost hope on me. You helped me realize something's and opened my eyes to new possibilities. Most importantly, you gave me a song that continues to play and helps me find strength when I most need it."

"I don't remember writing or giving you a song. Or did I..." Ruby asked confused as she tried to remember. 

Weiss just laughed, "Not an actual song you dolt."

"Ohhhh," Ruby laughed along. 

Weiss smiled amusedly "What I'm trying to say Ruby," she rubbed her thumb along Ruby's hand and looked up with the softest smile she could muster, "I want be part of your symphony, that is of you will allow me to."

Although it took a while for Ruby to get it, when she finally did she turned into a blushing mess. 

Weiss took this as a good sign. But she didn't want to jump into conclusion. That is until she felt two strong arms hold her tightly, but still soft enough as to not hurt her. She returned the hug and settled her head in between Ruby's head and shoulder. 

They stayed like that for a while. No words needed to express the happiness and warmth they both felt. 

Weiss couldn't ask for a better partner-- and now not only partner in the battle field but in life. 

At that moment she wanted to say those three little words, 'I love you'. Her heart was telling her to scream it out into the world. But her mind told her it wasn't time yet. 

So she will wait. 

For now she just held on tighter to Ruby hoping to send her emotions through this simple act. 

One day, she thought. 

[cooltrailblazer]

Your money may be enough to last you a lifetime if you follow this

The real measure of your wealth is how much you would be worth if you lost all your money.

-Bernard Meltzer

Money matters!! Let me guess… One big worry that keeps raking your senses probably everyday is,have you made enough money to last you a lifetime? Are you doing enough to sail you through these tough times where Covid led recession has overwhelmed the future and your financial planning has caved in. Life is limping and prospects are not so cheery either.

So long as I worked I often lost hold of my calculations and combinations as my finances and planning were always desperate to spin out of control no matter how carefully I went about reigning them in. Heart burns, dry throat and a palpitations all conspired and left me worried stiff. Frustration raged inside me,every time I rummaged the pages from my personal diary.

Am I earning enough? Have I saved enough to last me a lifetime?What more could I do to ramp up my coffers?…. It was painful… obnoxious… stressful.You name it .. I too have braved the same pangs. Worst still, lungful of disapproval will squarely hit me whenever I chose to parade my financial planning before my family.

But then, the time changed and so did I and believe me it was only after months altogether before I could realize that good things always await to happen!!.. All you need is to reach out to them .I realized that nobody was going to help me and I alone can gift myself a free life … a life build more on happiness than loads of money. Spiritual snobbery..eh? You may say so.. but then opinions differ.

Ask yourself….When was the last time you questioned your wisdom in money matters? Can you really draw a financial plan that will outlive in these troubled times? Are you ready to cross swords with scarier times that will follow the pandemic? And who knows how things will take shape in times to come. We are yet to ascertain the extent of damage done, remember. What the life will be like is anybody’s guess.

The fracas is deceptive and the arguments are enormous….

It pains me to know that somehow everything that relates to money has been painted dark and we have been scared out of our wits by a handful few who so often tell us that world will be left with very thin to lean on, that we have underestimated the perils of not having any income or at best very little of it and that we may lose all that we possess now, if we are not careful.

Is it that dreadful? Is it really all about money and its adequacy?

Let’s find out…

In every stage of our lives as we grow up, we all develop that uncanny lustful fancy to money, worthy of its value for what it buys for us and what changes it could bring to our lives. See….this mindless fascination has an enchanting grip. Our day begins and end with greenbacks hammering out every other thought from our minds all the time … struggling all day long for more and more of it, even changing ourselves, sometimes for good but often for worse.

What did I do to salvage myself ?

It’s hard to prescribe one bitter pill that will last you a life time !! .. but what the heck!! Let’s give it a try. Perspectives die hard but have tendency to change …and change fast.

Make a smart beginning; just look back at your years of work and see if you could smell some satisfaction and happiness. ‘I think I could have done better’, many of you would argue. Possibly yes .But see, you earn only what you yearn for. Nothing comes cheap. Be contented with what you always thought was enough to be useful and gainful to you .

Find peace with yourself, make truce with your worries, failures and that gut wrenching feeling of utter disgust, and you have already taken the first step towards a great planning.

In the years I grew up and went to school and then to college, nobody bothered to ask what I liked to study or what I could become. Maybe times were like that or maybe I chose what came my way and hastened to get a job that paid. That’s all that mattered then . Rest….the life kept spinning in circles around that.

But then, I never regretted myself. I never toyed with the idea that I shall remain what I did for a profession for the rest of my life. That I will guard all those years of knowledge and experience and keep on shoving to the world till I live,that if it happens and my ideas on money matters are jinxed, I won’t regret it.

I could never get a hang of these trappings of the job I pursued. The world outside appeared a much bigger and important place than the job I held. I could never come to terms with that puffed up importance of what I did, the post and the power that followed. So, I looked around and knew better things were awaiting to happen.

And so should you … shun the pressures of work you do, stop pushing yourself to please your boss, be a passive presence to mindless meetings and refrain from networking with people you do not like.

Believe me you will not fall short of what you get in return… a true freedom of sorts. You can be anything and anybody you ever want. Rejoice the ordinariness of things and you will discover the pursuits that bring joy and happiness free of conscious or pretentious efforts.

Once you step into the world of simplicity ,amazing things will begin to happen to you . Three sets of clothing and perhaps two sets of footwear. No more…and the change has already begun.Those ,who work from home these days shall comprehend better what being simple is all about. To be frugal but not a miser has an overwhelming sense of being free . But then, don’t break your heart either , if it cries out for your favorite pajamas or blue suit. Go for it..Remember you are not settling scores with yourself.

How you dress up does not mean the end of the circle of people around you. Your charisma, power and position carry you better. Simplicity merely soothes the soul and discourages the irrelevant. If you have just begun, may be you should take a break once in a while and let the heart rule a little. You will figure out what it means to let things happen to you without you being in the driver’s seat all the time.

What you must do though are three things in that order.

Three wonderful ways to discover your true self

To begin with, start living simple and simplify everything you own .. from assets to investments to strategies. Make a beginning and you will be amazed how all that you have will last you out… if you draw a little and use a little . It’s all about striking a balance between what you need, if it is necessary and how much you need.

Once you have learned the ease of use, simplicity of need and willingness to draw,you will be astonished to find yourself free of money worries in no time . Of course, this does not mean that you should pussyfoot around selling your house, car ,gadgets and stuff like that, merely because you are trying to live simple. You really need not push yourself to a wall only because you think you need to kick the ball harder to hit the goalpost ASAP.!!

Second, be useful and include the world around you the way you see it. Be purposeful and find ways to engage and contribute. Work wherever and whatever matters. The impact and influence that it will have on other’s lives will bring your abilities and skills to table besides leaving you thrilled with joy.

Last but not the least, find out what you need most. Laughing your heart out, strolling in golden beaches laced with crimson sunsets, soul stirring music and heaps of comfort food, or cars, gadgets , mindless assortment of clothes and jewelry. Choice rests with you and remember lure of consumption is an entrapment of sorts. Search yourself , and you will find that things that really matter do not need much money anyways.

I reckon you could be anything but reckless or lazy if you have searched yourself truly with all honesty and rejigged yourself to be the one you ever wanted to be the in the first place.

Once you learn to learn, engage ,contribute and participate your life will change for good.

So, where does this all lands us? Doesn’t money really matter or does it makes things worse? I wouldn’t argue but if your everyday life is simple and desires are less, how much of it would you need anyway.

If you worry that this will turn you into a someone, who fears that he would be walking around alone, sharing food at rundown restaurants with strangers, hastily gulping down those drinks without tossing since no familiar faces are around and sleeping in night shelters or worse still under the stars, it’s time to reshape your life. reinvent your strategies and revisit your wallet.

Just do it right this one time.

….And remember money is merely a consequence of success and not a means to happiness

#moneymatters

[wanderingstoryteller]

Guild Wars Theorycrafting: A Different Kind of “Bug”

A few days ago, the Guild Wars team finally released a trailer for the next episode of Living World -- A Bug in the System. Now back from the Mists and deadset on revenge, Palawa Joko has seized control of the Inquest’s portal network, using it to launch a full-scale invasion of mainland Tyria. To stop the carnage, Dragon’s Watch must find trace the portals back to their source, and shut them down. But if we want to get to Joko, we’ll have to go through the Inquest first... and that won’t be an easy task. 

Action! Drama! Subterfuge! Zombies! What more could they possibly add to such a gripping tale? 

Answer: A doomsday weapon, a ticking clock, and a frightfully large number of carnivorous insects. 

That’s right, folks. With the patch just days away, it’s time once again for some rampant speculation! Today’s topic of discussion: Palawa Joko’s imminent attempt at world domination. 

Where We Left Off

Here’s the situation, last we checked: Following a vision from Aurene, we stumbled into an old Inquest base under the ruins of Fahranur. Joko’s attack was already underway, but we shut down this batch of portals. We also met up with Rox and Braham, who fought their way in from the other side.

Oh, and Joko tried to murder Taimi. So it’s personal now. 

Very personal. 

When I’m done with him, I will play kickball with his skull.

On the surface, the situation seems grim. Joko can launch attacks from a full continent away, and we have no idea how to retaliate or shut him down. And with his endless army of the dead, bolstered with every kill, he can keep the invasion going for as long as he likes. 

But that party won’t last forever. As Rytlock said, it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Legion rolls into Kourna. Along with the Iron Legion, the Ash Legion, the Seraph, the Ebonhawke Guard, the Wardens, the Arcane Eye, the Lionguard, half the population of Hoelbrak, and the Pact. See, that’s the big downside of declaring war on the entire world. The world responds. 

Joko’s army might be huge. It might be infinitely sustainable. It might be on the other side of a vast, inhospitable wasteland. But all of those advantages applied to Zhaitan’s army as well, and Zhaitan lost. On top of that, he lost without having to deal with little things like a massive populist uprising. 

On the current course of this story, Joko is headed for certain defeat. He's not an Elder Dragon. He can’t fight the combined forces of an entire continent to a standstill. Unless, that is, he has something up his sleeve. And I think I know what that something is. 

The Scarab Plague

“Experiments... He has them doing experiments.”  “What kind of experiments?”  “I don’t know. Bugs. Something about bugs.” 

As far as distant threats go, “something about bugs” doesn’t sound particularly scary. But if you pay close attention to the game’s backstory, that little off-hand quote becomes a heck of a lot scarier. Elona doesn’t have a pleasant history of human/insect relations. 

Case in-point: Fahranur itself. It’s no coincidence that the first episode took us to those ruins. The writers wanted to show us what will happen if Joko succeeds in his plan. And based on what Taimi said in Fahranur, that plan seems to revolve around the Scarab Plague. But what is the Scarab Plague, exactly? 

Short version: An extremely deadly disease that wiped out an entire nation. The reason the Primeval Dynasty fell. 

Long version: Eight hundred years ago, at the height of Elona’s power, the Scarab Plague was born in the slums of Fahranur, sweeping through the entire island of Istan. The island was quarantined to prevent the contagion from reaching the mainland, but refugees made it through the blockade, spreading the infection to Kourna and Vabbi. By the time it was done, Istan was completely depopulated and the rest of Elona was in chaos.

But that’s not the scariest part. The scariest part is what it does to its victims. According to in-game lore, the Scarab Plague causes beetles of varying sizes to grow underneath the skin, before tearing themselves free, Chestburster-style. Those beetles, one assumes, would then spread the plague farther, as many insects do in real life. 

All in all, the Scarab Plague was so horrifyingly effective that some think it may not have been entirely natural. A few observers have pointed out that it may be related to the Apocrypha, a cursed relic of Abaddon, which fell from the sky shortly before the Plague began. It was being housed in Fahranur during the outbreak, right next to the apaprent epicenter. Pretty suspicious timing, if you ask me. And it perfectly fits the MO of Abaddon, patron god of convoluted revenge schemes.

It might be a trivial little detail, the idea that Scarab Plague may have been a biological weapon. But it’s definitely a thematically-appropriate one. Because under Palawa Joko’s guidance, it may be again. 

That’s what I propose Joko’s endgame is, here. Revive the long-dead Scarab Plague. Unleash it upon his unsuspecting enemies. Profit. 

Joko’s Master Plan

For a necromancer like Palawa Joko, the Scarab Plague would be the perfect tool of conquest. Any population exposed to it would be utterly destroyed, and the dead would rise as soldiers under Joko’s command. Being undead, Joko himself would be immune to its effects, along with everyone else in his army. 

All he needs to do is recreate a viable sample and deploy it somewhere in Tyria. Which he could easily accomplish through the Inquest portal network. 

Fortunately for us all, that first bit would hardly be easy. Just like many plagues in the real world, the Scarab Plague was too lethal for its own good. No virus can spread without a living host, and once Istan was depopulated... well, that

It all fits disturbingly well. The Inquest set up shop in Fahranur, researching the Scarab Plague in the name of Science. Using live subjects for their tests, they start kidnapping Istani locals, attracting the attention of the Mordant Crescent. Joko storms the place and Awakens the lot of them, finding out about the whole project. And then Joko does what he does best -- twists the work of others for his own gain. He directs the Awakened Inquest to continue their work, while he uses the portal network to prepare for his invasion. 

And so we end up going full circle, back to the trailer Arenanet just released. When you hear the name “A Bug in the System”, what do you think it means? Is it a reference to our little infiltration mission? A hint that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong in the Inquest labs? 

Or is it a subtle hint that there’s something bigger going on? 

Regardless of the answer, I’m very excited to see how it plays out. See y’all on Tuesday!

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Returnal’s Horror Combines the Best of Alien and Hereditary

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When describing Returnal to anyone that’s maybe interested in the game, I’ve been relying on that classic “comparison” technique. For instance, I might say that Returnal is like “Risk of Rain meets Metroid,” or that its gameplay reminds me of a “Bullet hell shooter crossed with a roguelike.”

Most people know that those kinds of comparisons are rarely accurate. However, they offer a simple way of describing something new by comparing it to things that are already known and more established. More often than not, the best way to get someone to try something different is to base your description of it on something familiar.

Yet, the one comparison I haven’t been able to shake whenever I think of Returnal is also the one that I don’t make lightly or just throw out there to get people interested in the game. No, it’s a more complicated comparison that highlights one of Returnal‘s most brilliant qualities, even if it’s not necessarily one of the game’s biggest selling points from a back-of-the-box perspective.

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See, Returnal isn’t just a roguelike with Metroidvania elements or a bullet hell game converted into a third-person shooter. It’s also a shockingly effective horror game that combines the best qualities of two of the greatest horror movies ever made: Alien and Hereditary.

Returnal‘s Alien comparisons are easy enough to understand even from the outset. The game’s opening throws you into the thick of a hostile alien world with an overwhelming atmosphere that is clearly designed to provoke that same feeling of isolation we saw in the 1979 movie. Even that film’s famous tagline (“In space, no one can hear you scream”) is based on the idea of facing something unspeakable without anyone being there to respond to even the most primordial cry for help.

Returnal‘s protagonist, Selene, may be better trained and better equipped for such a scenario than the crew of the Nostromo were (Dead Space does a “better” job of reviving Alien‘s blue-collar sci-fi themes), but there’s still this lingering sense that you are fundamentally unprepared for whatever it is that you’ve just stumbled upon.

It’s when you start to explore Returnal‘s world that the Alien comparisons really establish themselves, though. Remember the scene in Alien when the crew discovers that giant skeletal figure sitting near what initially appears to be some kind of weapon? Long before we started calling it the “Space Jockey” and long before it became the centerpiece of a deep piece of franchise lore, that figure was largely meant to make you say “WTF?” as you wondered just what the crew and we as the audience had just walked into. This isn’t just a story about a killer alien; it’s a trip into a much larger world that none of the travelers understand.

Returnal effectively utilizes a similar trick. Through the use of Dark Souls‘ style storytelling in which much of the lore and explanations are hidden in descriptions, logs, and environmental clues, Returnal effectively keeps us at a distance at all times whenever you just want a basic understanding of what’s happening. Besides, most players will be more concerned moment to moment with surviving another onslaught from hostile forces than they will be with uncovering the history and nature of those forces or why you are all caught in a time loop together.

This is where you really see how Returnal‘s designers and writers clearly understand what really made the horror in Alien so effective. If Alien and Returnal were all about you vs. hostile creatures, you might eventually become comfortable with your situation. Sometimes, having an obvious enemy to distract you can make things clearer even if only for a little while. Instead, both stories use that hostile force as the piece of a much larger puzzle that you know exists but just can’t clearly see in any way that allows you to understand and make peace with it.

Returnal and Alien make it clear that you didn’t just run into a bad neighborhood in space; you’ve found yourself in the middle of something that you may never truly understand and simply don’t belong in. In both cases, the worst moments come when the adrenaline stops and you realize that you’re more alone than you ever imagined was possible.

That’s where Returnal pulls off its greatest trick. Rather than allow you to find comfort in whatever knowledge you may gain from analyzing your thoughts and making some sense of your situation, it corrupts those thoughts by sending the message that the only thing worse than being alone on a planet of hostile creatures is being alone with yourself. That’s when the horrors of Hereditary enter the picture.

Among other things, Hereditary was the horror movie of the “23andMe” generation. At a time when we’re more aware than ever of how our genetics can quietly shape our fate, Hereditary highlighted the horror of feeling like you can’t escape the circumstances that led you to wherever you are in life no matter how hard you believe you are trying. There’s nothing scarier than feeling helpless, and Hereditary emphasized the idea that the most powerful force we’re helpless against is often internal rather than external.

Returnal plays with a similar idea through its brilliant house sequences. Early in the game, you encounter a fairly traditional-looking house that certainly doesn’t seem like it belongs on an alien planet. Without diving too deeply into spoilers, this house certainly doesn’t belong on this world as its foundations are firmly set in the mind of our protagonist.

The scenes in this house briefly convert Returnal from a third-person action game to a first-person horror game just as it changes our perspective on who Selene is, what this planet is, and why we are all really in this incredible situation. We may think that Selene’s greatest challenge is escaping the time loop seemingly triggered by the external forces that inhabit the planet she crashed on, but the scenes in this house argue that even if Selene escapes the planet, there’s another loop that overwhelms her own life that she may never be able to escape in such a heroic way.

Just as Hereditary was built on the concept that some of the horrors that affect our lives the most are planted in us at a time when we’re most helpless (childhood) and complimented that idea with a more fantastical demonic story that played with similar themes as well as our expectations of them, Returnal suggests that the concept of a time loop isn’t quite as alien it seems. Who among us hasn’t felt trapped in the feeling that we’ve lost control of our lives but haven’t been able to explain the feeling in such a way that offers a form of release and relief?

The theory that the events of Hereditary and Returnal are somehow in the protagonist’s head is less interesting than the realization that what we’re seeing is the embodiment of this lingering, formless fear that has lived inside of them. They’ve wanted that feeling to be out of them, and it’s only when it’s manifested itself in such a way that they can truly appreciate the horror of this indescribable terror that’s burrowed into their souls.

By combining the best of Alien and Hereditary, Returnal puts us in a place where external terrors isolate us by weighing us down with the inescapable feeling that we do not belong here. That isolation forces us to turn inward for a place to breathe, but it’s there that a reexamination of ourselves reveals that the worst place we can imagine (a place where you are truly alone and doomed to repeat your mistakes) may indeed be exactly where we belong because its the world we’ve made for ourselves or were perhaps somehow destined to always arrive at.

You could perhaps start to understand Returnal‘s blend of horrors by being familiar with the significance of the materials it draws from, but it’s a game you must experience for yourself to truly appreciate.

The post Returnal’s Horror Combines the Best of Alien and Hereditary appeared first on Den of Geek.

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How to take care of our kids emotionally during COVID-19

We are all currently feeling a little lost, a lot of overwhelmed and definitely uncertain… It’s not easy dealing with a worldwide pandemic and knowing how to take care of our kids emotionally during COVID-19 may seem daunting when we feel as if we aren’t even able to cope ourselves. I asked Salome van Wyk BEd(UP) BEd Hons(UP) MA Psych(NWU), play counsellor and founder of Flourish, to share her top tips for taking care of our little ones during this trying time. I truly hope the following tips will prove useful to parents all over the world ensuring we create a calm, safe haven for our children as we guide them through this moment in history. Before going any further please understand that reactions to the pandemic may vary… Children’s responses to stressful events are unique and varied. Some children may be irritable or clingy, and some may regress, demand extra attention, or have difficulty with self-care, sleeping, and eating. The impact that the coronavirus might have on children will vary and their responses could be influenced by factors such as gender, social support, age, inherent resilience, and level of exposure to the virus. What remains evident is that children tend to rely on parents for their emotional needs. Thus, parents (and any primary caregivers) will play a crucial central role as a child’s sources of safety, security, and information during this time. Now, how to take care of our kids emotionally during COVID-19…

How to take care of our kids emotionally during COVID-19 FREE printable. 1. Create structure by having a predictable yet flexible routine Children are seeking predictability and control in a world that feels increasingly uncertain. Young children thrive on continuity and routines, doing the same thing daily, or reading the same book over and over again. Try to create predictability, even if it’s just with a daily walk or dinner routine. Performing everyday activities as far as possible is vital, as this routine provides the structure that children rely on. By maintaining familiar schedules, based on age, gender and culture, children can establish normalcy, which will reduce their anxieties. Ensure your child or teenagers follow the daily routine by involving them in the planing thereof.  (FIND our FREE DIY daily schedule HERE) 2. Answer your children’s questions with age-appropriate information Avoiding discussions may increase fear and anxiety. Answer your children’s questions and engage in open conversations using language that they understand. Questions to be expected range from issues of safety, access to medical care, recovery, death, schooling, friends, teachers, pets, etc. Parents should respond to their children’s anxieties (emotionally, by providing reassurance) AND to the question itself. Children can ask difficult questions, but parents should not shy away from answering. Do not give a child false information. Rather provide reassurance and let your child know that you will look up accurate information and share it with them. Children’s questions are essential. Questioning permits children to exercise their right to participation on matters concerning them. Children tend to rely on their imaginations when they lack adequate information. Adults’ decisions to withhold information are usually more stressful for children than telling the truth in age-appropriate ways. 3. Monitor exposure to media Continuous repetitions of COVID-19 news in any form risks re-traumatising or causing secondary trauma to children. Protect your children from what you think would exacerbate their anxieties and that which is unhelpful towards their healing. Adults should limit children’s exposure to media coverage, social media, and adult conversations about the pandemic, as these channels may be less age-appropriate. Ongoing access to news and social media about the pandemic and constant conversation about threats to public safety can cause unnecessary stress for children. Help build resilience in your children by facilitating play, nurturing care and celebrating survival with them on an on-going basis. Resilience can go a long way post-COVID-19. 4. Create a physical and emotional safe environment Provide reassurance to children about their own safety as well as the safety of loved ones.  Tell them that it is an adults’ job to ensure their safety. Be open and listen to your children as they look to you for support. Accept how they feel and comfort them. 5. Stay in contact with close relatives and friends Children should stay in contact with the important people in their lives. It will give them reassurance and joy. Arrange video calls as often as possible, with grandparents, family, friends and even teachers.  For younger kids – provide “something to do” to help them to talk to their friends. They could play a game or share their favourite doll. Virtual tea parties are very “in” at the moment too. Rediscover the lost art of letter writing or think of something special to drop at a friend’s gate. 6. Keep your children “busy” When children are bored, their levels of worry and disruptive behaviours may increase. Adults can provide options for safe activities (e.g., outside play, blocks, modelling clay, art, music, games) and involve children in brainstorming other creative ideas. Children need ample time to engage in play and other joyful or learning experiences without worrying or talking about the pandemic. During this stressful time, it’s also tremendously helpful for children (and adults) to get ourselves out of our heads and into their bodies. Whether it’s using Kids Yoga, or simply doing jumping jacks – movement/exercise can be very helpful. Nature helps stabilise human emotions, so get outside. And don’t underestimate the importance of messy play. Very young children use messy play to physically explore and work through their emotions. All of the above mentioned will be helpful! 7. Stay positive Children need to feel safe, secure, and positive about their present and future. Adults can help by focusing children’s attention on stories about how people come together, find creative solutions to difficult problems, and overcome adversity during the epidemic. Talking about these stories can be healing and reassuring to children and adults alike. 8. Look after yourself too Children pick up on their parents’ stress, and it can make them feel unsafe. Young children might not understand what you’re talking about, but that makes it even scarier. They absorb our emotion and tone, worry and anxiety. Try to be aware of your own level of stress and anxiety and be kind to yourself. Take 15 minutes in the morning to have coffee by yourself. Split the heavy household burden we all carry with your partner if possible. Even an extra few minutes in the shower can be comforting. Your well-being is imperative to your children’s wellbeing and recovery, as children sometimes regulate their own emotions based on the emotional response of their parents. Parents MUST take care of themselves so they have the internal resources to care for others. REMEMBER: When children see you modelling healthy behaviour, they will begin to do the same. Children tend to do what children see. Your children will feel better because you feel better. BUT you are allowed to show your feelings and talk about it… If you need some time alone, tell your children you feel overwhelmed and needs 10 minutes on your own. NO NEED TO BE PERFECT.

Most importantly:

Connect with your children, as often as possible

Stop your child’s nervous systems from going into fight, flight or freeze mode by connecting with them daily. Increase “connection” time by being physically close and creating special, one-on-one time together. Do this for each of your children. Keep it to 20 minutes, or longer – it’s up to us. It can be at the same time every day so children or teenagers can look forward to your “date”. Giving children options will also build self-confidence and provides a feeling of control. So ask your child what they would like to do. Laugh together, play or just enjoy a good snuggle. Actively listen to your child as he/she tries to make sense of the things happening around them. The ability of parents/caregivers to actively and intently listen to their child is crucial. Listen to them, look at them. Give them your full attention.  REMEMBER: Kindness, love and compassion is what children need to feel secure. It is very basic and true.

Acknowledge and reflect your child’s emotions

When your child shares their deepest feelings with you, it is a gift. It shows trust. It also gives you the chance to help them cope with their emotions—one of the most important responsibilities as parents. So, when your child tells you what’s on their mind and in their heart, tell them how happy you are that they shared their thoughts and feelings with you.  This will reinforce that you will always be there for them and can handle whatever they may be experiencing. When you recognize and acknowledge your child’s emotions, you let them know that they are not alone and that you understand and accept them completely. This helps your child gain the self-acceptance and self-awareness he/she needs to recognize, own and manage their feelings effectively, far into the future. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary. Acknowledge that our world has changed a lot over the past few weeks and that change can be hard. Share that you are also adapting and that we are all in this together.  Avoid jumping to the reassurance that all will be well when your child expresses difficult emotions. When teachers and friends are missed, instead of responding, “Don’t worry, you’ll see them again soon!”, start by acknowledging the experience and emotion: “That makes a lot of sense. You love your school friends and teachers. It’s hard not to be able to play with them and that makes you feel sad.” Then move to empowerment, by, for example, brainstorming ways your child can stay connected to teachers and friends by scheduling video chats, drawing a picture or dictating an email to send to loved ones.

Know that your child may show regression

Regression – moving backwards in their development – is a very common reaction to stress and is to be expected right now. Regression means that the child is not able to cope in as mature a manner as they have recently mastered, because they feel too overwhelmed. At the moment, like for many of us, our children are also struggling to manage everyday tasks and challenges. This may lead to more challenging behaviours. You may see your child get frustrated more easily, become excessively clingy, have more potty accidents, experience sleep disruption, and, have a change in their eating patterns. Some children use more baby talk or pout and cry when they can’t have what they want. Older children and teenagers might ask for more help than usual with their homework. They may also be volatile or lash out. Do not use shame. And please do not tell your child they are “acting like a baby” – this will have a profound negative effect. It is an attack on their sense-of-self which leads to more acting-out behaviour. Rather validate your child’s experience. Because we love our children so deeply, it is hard to see them struggle. We just want to make the “bad” feelings go away because we think it’s harmful to them to feel sad, angry, or scared. But ignoring or minimizing feelings doesn’t make them magically disappear, they just get “acted-out” through behaviours. Recognize the regression as a sign of stress and increase your support, even if it seems like babying them or giving in to childish demands. Recognizing your child’s need for extra comfort. “Baby” them more, rocking and singing to them as you once did.  Be patient, ride it out. This too shall pass.

Allow for enough FREE PLAY!

Play is a child’s language. It’s how new information is processed, how they experience and make sense of it all. When a child is overwhelmed by something in their internal experience they utilize toys, art, dramatic play etc. to express their feelings. That’s why it’s so important to give our children the space to play out these themes. Don’t criticize them even if play seems a little morbid or aggressive. As long as it is done through play, and they aren’t actually hurting anybody allow for this natural process to help bring about a better understanding as well as healing. Themes that children might be playing currently includes: separation, death/dying, illness, medical care, being stuck or entrapped, losing or missing things, being in control, superheroes and saving, scary things or being scared. Playing out the various scenarios will help with solving problems and give a feeling of being in control.

Emotional and behavioural changes in children are to be expected during a pandemic. Everyone is adjusting to a “new sense of normal”. If children show an ongoing patterns of emotional or behavioural concerns (e.g., nightmares, excessive focus on anxieties, increased aggression, regressive behaviours, or self-harm) which does not resolve with supports – Then professional help may be needed. Thank you once again to Salome van Wyk BEd(UP) BEd Hons(UP) MA Psych(NWU), play counsellor and founder of Flourish for this insightful article.

For more COVID 19 resources for parents have a look HERE and HERE.

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Read More 40 Bad Habits That Give You Belly Fat

The following post 40 Bad Habits That Give You Belly Fat is republished from Eat This Not That by Eat This, Not That! Editors

Habit: It’s that thing that we do when we’re not paying attention to what we’re doing. But what if you could change your habits so that you could start losing fat automatically — without ever having to think about it? New research says that you can — and it’s easier than you think.

We develop habits because they save us time and energy (you don’t have to think about whether to make coffee in the morning, you just do it), and because they give us a sense of comfort and reward. But neurons in the brain actually judge the rewards and costs of habits, which means they might be easier to change than you think, according to new research at MIT. Breaking a bad habit may be as simple as upping the penalty: Set aside money to buy yourself something special, then subtract from your little nest egg every time you break down and sneak a midnight snack. Eventually, your brain will decide that the cost isn’t worth the benefit, the research suggests.

But which habits are costing you the most? Don’t miss these bad habits that give you belly fat, with new research from the brand-new book by Abs Diet creator David Zinczenko that’s already topping the Amazon charts: Zero Belly Cookbook!

1

You’re Drinking Diet Sodas

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It’s a logical assumption: Switching from a sugar-based soda to a non-sugar-based soda should help your health. While calorically speaking that might be true, diet sodas contain their own dangers and side effects. In a shocking study, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center monitored 475 adults for 10 years and found that the participants who drank diet soda saw a 70 percent increase in waist circumference compared with those who didn’t drink any soda. So much for the idea that diet soda helps you diet. That’s not all: The participants who drank more than two diet sodas a day suffered a 500 percent waist expansion. Yikes! The same researchers conducted a separate study on mice that indicates it might be the aspartame that causes the weight gain. Aspartame raises blood glucose levels to a point where the liver cannot handle it all, so the excess glucose is converted into fat.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Drink black tea instead, for a caffeine buzz without the weight gain. (See tip No. 2 for the tea that’s most effective at blasting fat.)

2

You’re Brewing the Wrong Tea

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A steaming cup of tea is the perfect drink for soothing a sore throat, warming up on a cold winter’s night, or binge-watching Downton Abbey. But certain teas are also perfect for doing something else — helping you lose extra weight. Pu-erh tea, for example, can literally shrink the size of your fat cells! To discover the brew’s fat-crusading powers, Chinese researchers divided rats into five groups and fed them varying diets over a two-month period. In addition to a control group, there was a group given a high-fat diet with no tea supplementation and three groups that were fed a high-fat diet with varying doses of pu-erh tea extract. The researchers found that the tea significantly lowered triglyceride concentrations (potentially dangerous fat found in the blood) and belly fat in the high-fat diet groups. It’s a natural fat blaster, along with barberry, rooibos and white tea.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: We love pu-erh so much, we made it part of our new weight-loss plan, “The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse.”

3

You Eat Mostly with Big Groups

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When we eat with other people, we consume, on average, 44 percent more food than we do when dining alone. Research published in the journal Nutrition found that a meal eaten with one other person was 33 percent larger than a meal savored alone. It gets scarier from there. Third-wheeling with two friends? You’re looking at a 47 percent bigger meal. Dining with four, six, or 8+ friends was associated with meal increases of 69, 70 and 96 percent, respectively. Though part of this has to do with the amount of time we spend at the table when dining with company, another study from the journal Appetite found people who spent longer eating because they were simultaneously reading didn’t eat significantly more, meaning time isn’t the only factor at play here.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: You can still hang out with your friends. Just vary the activity once in a while, and include short runs or walk-and-talks. You’ll save money and calories.

4

You’re Married to Your Bestie

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For better or … fatter? Research suggests a committed relationship has the potential to wreak havoc on your diet. A study in the American Journal of Public Health analyzed the impact spouses, friends, and siblings played on dietary patterns over the course of 10 years. Couples had the greatest influence on each other’s eating habits, particularly when it came to drinking booze and snacking.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: The good news is the “halo effect” applies to healthy habits too. A Harvard Public School of Health study found that people on a weight-loss program who had the support of at least one partner lost 6.5 pounds more than those going it alone. So sign up your spouse or friend to be your partner in getting fit. And you can both click here to read “The 25 Best-Ever Nutrition Tips!”

5

You Order Last

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If you want to eat healthy when dining out with a group of friends, keep healthy company … or order first! A University of Illinois study found that groups of people tend to order similarly, especially when forced to give their order out loud. The researchers attribute the results to the fact that people are happier making similar choices as their peers.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: If you’re determined to make healthy choices, stick to your decision and get your order in first.

6

You ‘like’ Facebook in Bed

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Spending hours on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest when you could be up and about burning calories is a growing health concern, health experts say. A study of 350 students from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland found that the more time they spent on Facebook, the less time they spent exercising or engaging in team sports. Particularly fattening is catching up with your social networks before bed — or even in bed! A study in Pediatric Obesity found students with access to one electronic device in their bedrooms were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as those with no device in the bedroom. That increased to 2.57 times for kids with three devices.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Turn that catch-up session into an in-person meet-up and, no, not at a restaurant. (Remember Tip No. 3!) And yet it is possible to lose weight while lying down and doing nothing. Click here for “33 Lazy Ways to Flatten Your Belly — Fast.”

7

You Don’t Eat Mindfully

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Be mindful about eating mindfully. The practice has ancient Buddhist roots. It is, in fact, a form of secular meditation, asking us to experience food more intensely, paying close attention to the sensation and purpose of each bite. Mindful eating is not a diet — and it doesn’t ask you to eat less — but the approach is gaining traction as a successful weight-loss mechanism. In fact, recent studies have shown that mindful eaters respond less to emotional stress, consume significantly fewer calories, and have an easier time maintaining a healthy BMI compared with those who are unaware.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Chew slowly. Tune in to the texture, the smell, and complexity of flavors. Keep chewing. Swallow. Take a sip of water. And for a few moments, resist the urge to take another bite. Continue this way throughout the course of a meal and you’ll experience the pleasures and frustrations of mindful eating.

8

You Distract Yourself

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“We eat for many reasons, but the main prompt for mindful eating is physical hunger,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Leslie Schilling. “It’s hard to be present if you’re eating at your desk, cyber-loafing, or watching television. When your mind is focusing on something besides your food, you don’t realize things like ‘Was the food actually good?’ and ‘Am I getting full?’ This often leads to ‘do-over eating,’ which isn’t so mindful. Eat with purpose and presence!”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Minimize distractions as often as possible,” says Schilling. In other words, that episode of Empire can be watched — after dinner.

9

You’re Not Sense-ible

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The warm smell of cinnamon, the charred stripes on a grilled chicken breast, the crunch of an apple … Experts say paying attention to the sensory details of food is a simple way to start eating mindfully — and start dropping pounds. In fact, a study in the journal Flavour found that participants who took time to appreciate the aroma of a meal ate significantly less of a dish that smelled strongly than a mildly scented one. A second study found that people served a monochromatic plate of food — like fettuccine Alfredo on a white plate — ate 22 percent more than those served a more visually appealing meal that provided more color and contrast. Texture also comes into play. Researchers in Florida found that people tend to eat more of soft, smooth foods, which tend to be higher in fat, than hard, crisp ones. In one study, participants consumed more soft brownie bits than hard brownie bits until they were asked to focus on calorie content.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Just being mindful of how things like aroma, mouthfeel, and food presentation can influence how much we eat can help increase the satisfaction we get from a meal and also prevent overeating. Click here for the “5 Best Spices for Fat Loss.”

10

You Don’t Take Time to Savor Your Food

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“We are born pleasure seekers,” says Melissa Milne, author of The Naughty Diet. “It’s not just food calories that fill us up, but the pleasure we derive from eating them. Taking time to set the mood can increase your meal satisfaction, which means you’re less likely to overeat. In fact, pleasure helps the body relax, which aids digestion. This means you’ll metabolize an indulgent meal faster and smaller portion sizes will satisfy you.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Even when eating alone, take time to set the mood with rituals that boost pleasure — your P-spot, as we call it on the Naughty Diet,” says Milne. “Use your fine china, pour yourself a glass of wine, light a candle, and put on some Barry White “You Sexy Thing!” And follow the Naughty Diet for more weight-loss tips right here. .

11

You Forget You’re Full

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Stopping at a red light is more challenging when you’re flying at 100 miles per hour than when cruising at a slower speed. Knowing when to put down your fork is similar. Experts say gauging your body’s subtle “I’m full” cues is easier when you take smaller bites at a slower pace. In fact, one study published in the journal PLOS One found that people who focused on taking “small bites” of food consumed about 30 percent less soup for their meal than those who didn’t make the conscious decision. The mindful soup slurpers also more accurately estimated how many calories they had consumed.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: A second study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that simply slowing down had similar results. People who focused on doubling the number of times they chewed before swallowing ate 15 percent less food and 112 fewer calories over the course of a meal. So pump the brakes, and slow down to slim down.

12

You Don’t Talk to Yourself

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“Mindful eating can help you break free from old automatic, habitual patterns of reacting to environmental and emotional triggers. So whenever you feel like eating, pause to ask ‘Am I hungry?’ and choose how you’ll respond,” says Michelle May, MD, founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Eat mindfully with intention and attention,” says May. “Eat with the intention of feeling better when you’re finished eating than you did when you started, and eat with your full attention on the food and your body for optimal enjoyment and satisfaction.”

13

You Didn’t Om Before You Nom

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Of all the gym-goers, yogis tend to be the most mindful eaters, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. In a survey of more than 300 Seattle residents, researchers found that people who ate more mindfully weighed less than those who ate mindlessly (those who reported eating when not hungry or in response to anxiety or depression). The researchers also found a strong association between mindful eating and yoga practice, but not other types of physical activity, like walking or running. According to the authors, yoga, because it teaches how to maintain calm in uncomfortable or challenging situations, can increase mindfulness in eating and lead to less weight gain over time — independent of the physical aspect of the exercise.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Enjoy yoga—and get abs doing it. Click here for the “Best Foods for Yoga.”

14

You Tried to Lose Weight Alone

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“There are a number of external factors — such as the people with whom you are enjoying a meal — that play a critical role in your ability to eat mindfully,” says Dan Childs, managing editor of the ABC News Medical Unit and co-author of Thinfluence.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Think of ways to optimize your environment that will help you achieve this goal,” says Childs. “For example, make others who are eating with you aware of your goal to eat mindfully. Invite them to try it too. You may find that experiencing a meal together will help you both savor what you are eating and pay closer attention to how much you are eating so you don’t overindulge.”

15

You Fell into the Trap

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Our homes are filled with hidden eating traps, and simply being aware of something as simple as the size of a bowl can influence how much you eat, according to Brian Wansink, director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab. In one of Wansink’s “mindless eating” studies, moviegoers ate 45 percent more fresh popcorn from extra-large containers than large ones. A second study showed that people automatically poured more liquid into short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny ones of the same volume. Even a kid’s cereal bowl can be a hidden trap for mindless overeating. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics found children who were given a 16-ounce bowl served themselves twice as much cereal as children given an 8-ounce bowl.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Bottom line: It’s easier to change your environment than to change your mind. Employing simple strategies like eating off salad plates instead of large dinner plates are more likely to succeed than willpower alone.

16

You Don’t Love Yourself Enough

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The food guilt, the negative self-talk, the still ill-fitting clothes: Diets can do a number on your self-confidence, especially when your goal seems forever-plus-10-pounds away. But wanting to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to hate your body now. In fact, studies suggest self-love may be integral to your success. Diets that lack self-compassion often lead to emotional eating, elevated stress levels, and stalled weight loss.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Read this essay by The Naughty Diet author Melissa Milne: “A Skinny Woman Responds to Haters That Shame Her.”

17

You’re Not Imagining ‘Awesome’

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“Realize first that you are awesome,” says Nia Shanks, coach, health and fitness writer, and leader of the Lift Like a Girl revolution. “You should be doing these things — eating well and working out — because you love your body and you want to become a stronger, more awesome version of yourself.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: When it comes to working out, put the focus exclusively on what your body can do, and be proud of its abilities. Strive to improve your performance each workout, because when you change your focus from what you weigh to what your body can do, you’ll achieve the weight-loss results you want while improving your self-confidence, and become a more awesome version of yourself. Do these things, and you can be happy today. You won’t have to wait until you achieve your weight-loss goals.

18

You Take Showers

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“A hot bath is one of the simplest expressions of self-love and care,” says Milne. “Skinny dipping in the privacy of your own bathroom clears the mind, soothes sore muscles, and releases pleasure-giving endorphins. It’s a sensual pause from the stress of our daily lives, a hot spot for indulging our bodies, minds, and appetites for pleasure — calorie-free.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “So grab the bubble bath, some extra-large, fluffy towels, a candle, and a Do Not Disturb sign, and draw yourself a steamy tub of 20-minutes’ peace,” says Milne. “The kids can wait.”

19

You Write Posts, Not Journals

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“Only when you love your body will you truly nourish it and care for it the way you need to in order to lose weight healthfully, without gaining it back,” says Neghar Fonooni, fitness and lifestyle coach and creator of the Lean and Lovely method.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “One simple way to start this process is to write in a ‘self-compassion journal,'” says Fonooni. “Every morning you’ll write down three things about yourself that you think are fabulous — one physical trait and two character or personality traits. The more you write, the more you’ll be open to love and compassion toward yourself.” Does this cheesy tip actually work? Yes, but others you’ve heard are BS. Learn the truth with our “24 Nutrition Myths—Busted!”

20

You Haven’t Crowdsourced Praise

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“Positive affirmations can help boost your confidence, but they can sometimes be hard to use when you feel at odds with your appearance,” says Robyn Silverman, body image expert.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Turn the idea on its head a bit. Look in the mirror,” says Silverman. “If you are having trouble saying anything kind about yourself or your body, ask those you love to help you. Request notes from your best friends, your parents, your siblings, and anyone else whose opinion can lift you. Post these notes on your mirror, and read them out loud each day. Allow their words to become your own.”

21

You Remain in the Comfort Zone

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“Do things that challenge you physically!” says Jill de Jong, integrative nutrition health coach and founder of Models Do Eat.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “It can be as simple as going for a run or as extreme as taking a kiteboarding lesson,” she says. “When you do something challenging, your mind automatically shifts to being present. And when you are present, there’s no judgment. Now you can enjoy the strength of your body and feel connected to it. How do you feel after a challenge? Like a winner! And that’s exactly the mindset that will boost your self-confidence.” And feel confident by carving your abs, thanks to these “11 Eating Habits That Will Uncover Your Abs.”

22

You Don’t Have a Mantra

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“You can still love your body while working toward weight loss by coming up with a phrase that’s personal to you, something like “I feel stronger and healthier every day that passes” — that you can think to yourself when negative thoughts about your appearance or progress start to creep in,” says Jen Comas Keck, NASM personal trainer.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Repeating this phrase to yourself can help you de-stress and focus on the positive aspects of your weight-loss journey,” says Keck. “I like to take a full inhale and then repeat the phrase to myself in my head as I exhale. Let it all go…”

23

You Pamper Other People

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“Learning to put yourself first is an important part of your weight-loss journey,” says dietitian Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. “Treating yourself to a massage, manicure, pedicure, or simply a new lipstick can work wonders in lifting your mood, and also provides an alternative to rewarding yourself with food.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Remember that self-care is not selfish!” says Gans. “When you take steps to pamper your body, you’ll feel more beautiful, more confident, and more able to share yourself with others.”

24

You Celebrate Only the Big Stuff

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“Viewing health behaviors as an act of self-care is essential,” advises dietitian Leslie Schilling. “Begin taking notes on a daily basis, noting positive behaviors and what you’d like to accomplish or continue tomorrow.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: For example: “Today I was happy that I got to step away from my desk and eat lunch. I was more mindful with my food and got to read a chapter in my book. I felt more upbeat and productive the rest of the afternoon. I hope to do that again tomorrow and plan a balanced dinner.” It really works.

25

You’re OD’ing on Protein

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A high-protein, low-carb diet may help your extra pounds fly off initially, but it can actually cause weight gain in the long term, according to a recent Spanish study. Researchers had more than 7,000 participants fill out questionnaires about their eating habits over the course of six years. After analyzing the data for commonalities, they found that those who ate high-protein diets had a 90 percent greater risk of gaining more than 10 percent of their body weight during the course of the study than those who ate less of the stuff. Yikes!

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Eat these “29 Best-Ever Proteins for Weight Loss.”

26

You’re Spending $$ on Veggies

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Frozen produce has a nutrient density that’s often higher than fresh, but canned foods don’t hold up. A study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that for some vegetables, canning degraded as much as 95 percent of the vitamin C and damaged every B vitamin in the food.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Buy frozen — and save major $$$ by not throwing out rotten produce.

27

You’re Eating Whey

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Bryan Wilson, a 29-year-old accountant, was a test panelist for Zero Belly Diet, the new book from Eat This, Not That! author David Zinczenko. Wilson lost 19 pounds and an astounding six inches from his waist in just six weeks on the program, and he attributes his success to the Zero Belly shake recipes. “I love the shakes. I added them to my diet, and almost immediately, I lost the bloat,” Wilson said. “I’m a sweet craver, and the shakes were an awesome alternative to the bowls and bowls of ice cream I would have had.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Try vegan protein, which will give you the same fat-burning, hunger-squelching, muscle-building benefits as whey — without the bloat. For 150+ recipes that will make your belly flat, buy the brand-new book from Abs Diet creator David Zinczenko: Zero Belly Cookbook!

28

You Didn’t Use the ‘Half Rule’

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“Make half your plate vegetables and/or salad,” says nutritionist and dietitian Danielle Omar, blogger at Food Confidence. The vegetables are nutrient dense, high in satiating fiber, and low in calories. By eating the veggie half of your plate before anything else, you will take the edge off your hunger, eat less overall calories, and still feel full and satisfied.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Keep eating this way and the pounds will painlessly melt away,” says Omar.

29

You Skipped the Champagne

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“I’ve always been a big believer in balance: Train hard, work hard, and live hard — and sometimes that involves a bit of bubbly,” says Dan Roberts, creator of the fashion model workout Methodology X. “Indulging once in a while in a bit of something that’s bad for your health is often extremely good for the soul!”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: For more know-how from Dan Roberts, check out his essential trick for rapid weight loss.

30

You Don’t Play Squash

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“Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta,” Shaun T, the Insanity trainer who hosts a new podcast, Trust and Believe, tells Eat This, Not That!. “I love pairing it with homemade spaghetti sauce so I feel like I am eating noodles, but am getting a dose of vegetables instead!”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Speaking of veggie spaghetti, don’t miss these “3 Exclusive Amazing Spiralizer Recipes.”

31

You’d Rather Be Healthy Than Thin

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“Let’s face it,” Maria Menounos, TV personality who lost 40 pounds and kept it off and author of The EveryGirl’s Guide to Diet and Fitness says, “the entire diet industry as well as the messages we get from Hollywood, the media, and pretty much our entire country revolve around weight and size. Lose more pounds. Fit into smaller clothes. Get thin! The main thing I want to convey, though, is that thin cannot compete with healthy. Health is the most important thing in your life.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Hey, if you can be healthy and thin, then more power to you,” she continues. “But risking everything to be thin is not worth it and makes no sense in the big picture. I know more than a few thin people who are unhealthy. They smoke cigarettes, starve themselves, live on gallons of diet soda and energy drinks, or use drugs or other such unhealthy means to stay thin. As a result, some of them will not live long lives, and those who do may not live quality lives. Many, if not most, are also unhappy. Keep health your goal, and it will naturally result in being trim.”

32

You Eat Three Meals a Day

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Despite diet experts and new research constantly telling you otherwise, many people still consume the bulk of their calories in two or three large meals each day, often — in an attempt to slim down — going for hours at a time eating nothing in between. Sure, you can lose weight on a reduced-calorie three-meal plan, but you can’t make your body burn fat more efficiently, which is key to long-term weight loss.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: A nutritious meal or snack about every three hours keeps blood-sugar levels stable, feeds your body a steady stream of necessary nutrients, and helps control hunger-induced cravings for less-than-slimming snacks like sweets and fats. It also leads to more effective glycogen storage in the liver and muscle tissues, ensuring that your body won’t cannibalize muscle as an energy source during your workouts. So make your meals mini, and spread them out. If you have trouble fitting in extra eating times at work, prepare food ahead of time that you can zap in the microwave or eat cold. And stock your kitchen right: Shed fat in just days with “The 9 Best Flat-Belly Superfoods.”

33

You Keep Pop a Secret

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Don’t be ashamed of your popcorn habit, as long as you don’t use too much butter or oil. “Popcorn is one of my favorite whole grains. Whole-grain crackers, oatmeal, and whole-grain cereal also top my daily diet list,” says Elisa Zied, registered dietitian and nutritionist and author of Younger Next Week. “Even though whole grains get a bad rap, I don’t think it’s deserved. Studies suggest that whole-grain intake is linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: “Consuming whole grains has also been linked with lower body weight and decreased body fat. Some findings also show that eating high fiber foods — like whole grains — can help dieters keep off the weight they’ve lost,” says Zied.

34

You Don’t Eat Full-fat

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It’s time to get fat — not around your waist, but on your plate. A new report from the Credit Suisse Research Institute found that more and more of us are choosing whole-fat foods over skim, light, fat-free, or other modern monikers of leanness. And while many health organizations like the American Heart Association still want us to cut down on fat — particularly saturated fat — this full-fat trend may be a healthy rebellion against that decades-old credo, according to recent studies.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Click here for The 20 Best Full-Fat Foods for Weight Loss.

35

TK

TK

36

You’re Not Nuts

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Stephen Colbert may be onto something. The UCLA Center for Human Nutrition researchers divided study participants into two groups, each of which was fed a nearly identical low-cal diet for 12 weeks. The only difference between the groups was what they were given to eat as an afternoon snack. One group ate 220 calories of pretzels while the other group munched on 240 calories’ worth of pistachios. Just four weeks into the study, the pistachio group had reduced their BMI by a point, while the pretzel-eating group stayed the same, and their cholesterol and triglyceride levels showed improvements as well.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Enjoy pistachios — and almonds — but click here for the “20 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.”

37

You Sit Too Much

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Ideally we sleep about eight hours for every 24. Most people spend an extra seven to 10 hours sitting at their desk. That means most of us spend the overwhelming majority of our time sedentary. Our bodies weren’t designed for this level of inactivity. Most of human evolutionary history has involved being active, searching for food and fuel. Nutritionist Lisa Jubilee says that one way to burn more calories daily is to stand more and sit less. She cites a British study that found that standing at work burned 50 more calories an hour than sitting. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this: If you stand for just three hours every day, in one year you’ll expend more than 30,000 extra calories — which amounts to about 8 pounds of fat.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: Set a phone timer to remind you to get up every hour and walk around, even for a few minutes.

38

You Don’t Pregame

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Your dinner, that is. While it may sound counterintuitive, eating before going to a work dinner or happy hour can actually take off pounds. A series of studies out of Penn State found that noshing on an apple or a broth-based soup prior to sitting down to a restaurant meal can reduce total calorie intake by 20 percent. With the average restaurant meal weighing in at 1,128 calories, saving 20 percent once a day could help you lose up to 23 pounds this year.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: You don’t have to reach for an apple or soup to keep your appetite in check. Any of these “50 Best Snacks for Weight Loss” should do the trick.

39

You’re Using the Scale Too Often

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Stepping on the scale every day can be a one-way ticket to Crazytown, but abandon it completely and research has shown your weight is likely to creep up. Fortunately, a recent study from Cornell found there is a happy medium. People who weighed themselves at a set time once a week not only didn’t gain weight but also lost a few pounds without making any other changes to their diets.

Eat This, Not That! Fix: To get the most accurate measurement, weigh yourself once a week in the morning before breakfast.

40

You’re Not Sleeping Enough

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“The average American doesn’t get enough sleep, and while we’re sleeping, our body releases powerful fat-burning hormones that speed weight loss,” explains Chris Powell, trainer and transformation specialist on ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss. “I don’t care if it’s 15 more minutes or two hours: Every extra minute of shuteye will help you reach your goal that much faster. Plus, if you’re already in bed, the less likely you are to succumb to those late-night food temptations.”

Eat This, Not That! Fix: The National Sleep Foundation suggests seven to eight hours of sleep for most adults. And for the most productive night’s sleep possible, check out these “8 Ways to Lose Weight While You Sleep.”

The post 40 Bad Habits That Give You Belly Fat appeared first on Eat This Not That.

[spryfilm]

“Night Gallery” (1969 – 1973)

Anthology/Horror

43 Episodes

Created by: Rod Serling

Produced by: Jack Laird & William Sackheim

Rod Serling: “Good evening, and welcome to a private showing of three paintings, displayed here for the first time. Each is a collectors’ item in its own way – not because of any special artistic quality, but because each captures on a canvas, and suspends in time and space, a frozen moment of a nightmare.”

This month sees the release of the anthology television show “Night Gallery” (1969 – 1973) in a three series ten-disc box set, that incorporates every episode produced – just great entertainment with some good special features at a modest price.

Night Gallery was an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1973, featuring stories of horror, science fiction as well some humorous episodes as well. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, “The Twilight Zone”(1959 – 1964), served both as the on-air host of ‘Night Gallery’ as well as a major contributor of scripts, although he did not have the same control of content and tone as he had on ‘The Twilight Zone’. Serling viewed ‘Night Gallery’ as a logical extension of ‘The Twilight Zone’, but while both series shared an interest in thought-provoking dark fantasy, more of Zone’s offerings were science fiction while Night Gallery focused on horrors of the supernatural.

Serling appeared in an art gallery setting and introduced the stories that made up each episode by unveiling paintings (by artists Thomas J. Wright and Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr) that depicted the stories. ‘Night Gallery’ regularly presented adaptations of classic fantasy tales by authors such as H. P. Lovecraft, as well as original works, many of which were by Serling himself.

Looking back at a television series from almost fifty years ago may seem a difficult prospect but Serling was such a good writer as well as arbiter of taste that the vast majority of this stories are so unique that they seem to have not aged a day.

Highlighted episodes not to be missed:

Silent Snow, Secret Snow (Seas. 2, Ep. 5)

Based on a short story by Conrad Aiken, this psychological tale is the story of a young boy’s fascination with the snow outside his home; a fascination that turns him inside himself and towards insanity. This one is incredibly creepy and atmospheric, one to watch with the lights on, as well as having company with you.

The Diary (Seas. 2, Ep. 8)

This masterpiece, penned by Serling himself, stars Patty Duke as an aging movie star with a grudge, she enacts madness-inducing revenge on the scathing gossip columnist who shreds her acting credibility. Truly one of the more chilling and well-written episodes of the entire series, but you would not expect anything less from Rod Serling.

The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes (Seas. 2, Ep. 1)

In this chilling tale, a boy is given a very special gift – to see the future. As a commentary on the media’s fascination with the strange and our unearned trust in the media, this story has a very poignant message.

You Can’t Get Help Like That Anymore (Seas. 2, Ep. 20)

It is the near future, and people are still mean as well as bullies. At least, that’s the concept at the core of this tale. When a rich couple purchase the best robot maid available and then attempt to beat the crap out of her (like all the other robot maids before her), they get a nasty surprise.

Sins of the Fathers (Seas. 2, Ep. 20)

The very next episode although being painfully grotesque (hunchback dwarves, guttural screaming, turkey legs) is actually really creepy Dark Ages.

Midnight Never Ends (Seas. 2, Ep. 7)

Another Season 2 gem by Serling, this story is like a cross between “Groundhog Day” (1993) and “The Shining” (1980). A young woman picks up a hitchhiker on the road and the two immediately feel as though they are caught in a super-strong bout of mutual deja vous. What they find out is a truth that is more chilling than you could possibly imagine.

Whisper (Seas. 3, Ep. 13)

As one of the final episodes, Serling managed to saved the best for last. With a skeleton cast of amazingly talented actors, this story is a truly haunting tale that answers the question: What is the worst thing that can happen when you believe you can speak to the dead?

The Ring With the Red Velvet Ropes (Seas. 3, Ep. 10)

A heavyweight-boxing champion that has just won the world title finds himself on an unknown island, surrounded by sexy ladies and good food. Everything is great until he finds out that he’s not the REAL world champion until he beats an otherworldly fighter with a very long winning streak.

The Different Ones (Seas. 2, Ep. 14)

Once you’ve seen this one, you’ll see almost a direct connection with some of Serlong’s more notable work on Twilight Zone. In this futuristic episode, a hideously mangled teenager is shipped off to a governmental-alien leper colony. In his desire to be a “normal person,” the hero is willing to do almost anything to avoid literal alienation.

The Caterpillar (Seas. 2, Ep. 21)

A colonial tale of unrequited love turned sour, this is about a British military leader in the jungles of Borneo. When he can’t have the girl of his dreams, he decides to take care of her husband by using the deadly flora and fauna of the inhospitable land. One small mistake in the plan is all it takes for him to get an earful.

A Question of Fear (Seas. 2, Ep. 6)

A rich man makes a revenge bet with an old buddy that he can’t stay locked up overnight in a reportedly haunted house. When he starts seeing strange things (beds with knives in them, for example), he decides that the $10,000 is not worth his life. Unfortunately, the house doesn’t let him call backsies without a fight.

The Big Surprise (Seas. 2, Ep. 8)

There’s nothing scarier to a 12-year-old than a creepy old guy who tells you to dig a big hole. In this very short story (on the same powerhouse episode as The Diary), a young boy gets a tip from an old neighbor that something buried under a nearby tree. Thinking he has heard some kind of verbal treasure map, the boy acquiesces. His surprise is not at all what he expects.

The House (Seas. 1, Ep. 3)

In my favorite episode by far, a woman continually has a dream that she is driving towards an unknown house, but that she knows inside and out. After graduating from dream therapy with a “cured” badge, she actually finds the house from her dreams. Not surprising, there is a ghost haunting it, but what it’s trying to do only becomes clear in the last few moments of the story.

The Housekeeper (Seas. 1, Ep. 1)

As the first episode of Night Gallery, this little story comes out of nowhere and mentally screws everyone. An aging housekeeper with low self-esteem is requested for a dream job. This story is all about the consequences of being young and beautiful forever. I choose this tale for those who like their Halloween ironic.

Tell David (Seas. 2, Ep. 14)

I personally believe that this is the most horrifying of them all, in the traditional sense. A woman with some marital problems and a small son gets lost in a freak storm. When she finds a local house for shelter, all the strange objects that she finds inside surprise her.

Special Features:

This 10 DVD collection brings you every episode from this spine-tingling 1970s series.

Penned by legendary twilight zone writer – rod serling

Includes the original pilot episode from 1969

“Night Gallery” is out now on DVD.

    DVD review: “Night Gallery” (1969 – 1973) “Night Gallery” (1969 - 1973) Anthology/Horror 43 Episodes Created by: Rod Serling Produced by: Jack Laird & William Sackheim…

[redlemonz]

Day #21

21. My favourite number, my lucky number and also my day of birth (not today, but in a different month where the numbers are mirrored). Not as lucky as I ended up imagining though, considering it was also the 21st of last month when she ended things. Certainly hating the number now - enough so that I don't want another birthday celebrated. Especially not this year anyway, even if I am gonna reach the quarter century milestone - I just don't want it to be an occasion without her next to me. I'm allowed to be that little whiny bitch, so leave me be. Nevertheless, three weeks have passed, and this would usually be the maximum point, based on history, at which we would start rekindling our lives together after a break - but not this time. This is permanently set in stone it seems, and there's nothing that can be done to chip away at this new wall between us. All I have to do is continue to build and work upon my own wall known as acceptance too, even if my love for her will remain solidified and in tact. Anyhow, I had the best possible ending to my weekend last evening, even though I decided against attending the pot luck dinner party that the Dancing Dentist hosted. I apologised and felt bad, but I was honest with her about my social inability at this stage - and gladly too, as she was sweetly understanding when informing me that there would be over twenty or so people present. I received a snap from her, of her surprisingly watching one of the X-men movies - I was almost in disbelief, but joyous that she was voluntarily viewing a comic book based film. The cutest part is that we discussed it live while watching the last thirsty or forty minutes together. More specifically that she kept asking questions such as "why is he turning blue?" or "why did she join the bad people?" which constantly made me grin. It may sound somewhat sad, but to me it almost felt as though she was there with me while we watched, with my arm around her on the couch, or my fingers intertwined in hers. I even received a friendly heart at the conclusion of our chat, which I've learned not to think much into - except to take the goodness and little moments that make me smile as they come. Day 21 - Keep fighting, don't ever surrender Another Monday at work beginning with my heart throbbing noticeably against my chest yet again. Not the kind of sick day Monday I prefer at all. Maybe I need to start having a coffee on weekends too, for the sake of consistency, and in order for my body to adjust better. Even if in reality it's my mind causing the initial trouble to begin with. I can't stop thinking about that beautiful creature and our recent memories together. Reliving the inner sinking feeling this time around, as the disbelief of everything falling apart so quickly and unexpectedly strikes me again. I just hate that it happened so much that I can't stop whining like a fricken kid about the reality of my faults that led to it all. Everything kinda felt like the transition of the weather throughout the day yesterday, with the end result being quite similar - me, lying in and accepting the storm of events as it came. Because there's nothing I could do to alter that inevitable fate. I have to say though, that absence has in fact made my heart grow fonder. The distance has created a better and more verified sense of learning and understanding, and the space has enabled me to gain some freedom in mind and of thought in order to reflect upon my incapabilities and faults. This is also known as the rehabilitation part mentioned, of the prison I've been held in legitimately. I can't wait to see her whenever the next time may be, even if it has to be with the new barriers and rules in between us. Just to see her beautiful smile again will be rewarding and heartwarming. Back in the real world, my anxiety was a bit more unmanageable for whatever reason, than an average day. I've taken some time out after the lunch break and been laying down on the bed in the sick room, for which I have a key as a first aider thankfully (one of the significant reasons to become a first aider at this work place - napping sessions). I've just focused on breathing at a normal pace and calming down my heartbeat accordingly. Part of me wants to cry out some tears because it believes that will resolve the matter quicker, or more efficiently at least, but my tear ducts seem to be empty at this point. Guess it's just something to get over as usual in natural course. Until it restarts next time that is. At least I've learned to control it much better and get on top of it far more than I use to be able to (yup, everything described thus far in relation to anxiety is a big improvement from all of my prior years). She's given me this strength to contain myself better and fight back. If she were physically here, the sweet girl would probably drive over, take me for a walk to the beach or something to get my mind cleared and freed - and it'd usually help a great deal.. especially so because I'd have the loveliest company. Even simply hearing her voice or receiving a message from her, as previous stories would indicate, play a large contributing factor towards calming my troubled mind and soul - because she reminds me of what it feels like to be loved. Back home to an empty house as the family is away doing their thing. By that I mean they'll both be at medical appointments because that's very common at this day and age for them.. though it has been for the last decade too. I guess I'm use to the idea as a result, but it's always worrying and fearful to wonder how each one may go, as theres always been an ongoing, unhealthy history of medical complications and issues within the family. Diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure and so on. Don't get me wrong, Ill always be there with them whenever I can or am needed, which is probably more accurate. That's because I'm likely a crap son too who should really make more effort not just when it's required, but always for them. Like they did raising me and giving me the good life I don't deserve. They've provided me with countless freedom and individuality to live my own the way I choose (with the assistance of my own teenage rebellions), which is certainly a big deal in this culture and religion, especially when your parents can be largely on the old-fashioned, traditional side of life. It's the way in which they've displayed love and support to me, which is the biggest treasure I could've asked for. I'm just always afraid of not being able to give back enough, because I never do feel I'm good enough when it comes down it. It's one of the biggest reasons I'm afraid to move on from home too, thinking that I haven't warranted my leave without repayment for everything they've done for me over my lifetime. It's aeon nerve wracking thinking about the fact that something could suddenly happen any day and I'll be required at any point. Even though I know my sister and brother in law are around, living not all that far away, but also that they do have their own family to constantly give their attention and care for also. Its also tough knowing that you're relied on in general, even when you don't actually do much, and in all likelihood take your own parents for granted more than anyone else - because they're the closest to you. Because I'm a selfish idiot who is never happy and kicks up a fuss for all the good things in his life. Don't mistake me however regarding the douchebag statement of them being reliant on me at any given time - because of course they can, and they never put any unnecessary pressure on me or make me feel like I'm stuck at all. I'm just stating that I'm generally afraid of potential failure when the time comes to actually do something. I'm slowly trying to actually be a better son to them. I just want to be good enough for the people I love. But I keep failing, as constantly depicted. The only reason they don't leave me too is because they're obliged to stay, especially because they've invested so much into me. Simply to be a let down to them, and all the other loved ones around me. I've already lost her, and she was basically my family too. As I indulge in some anxiety filled iron pumping at the gym (yes I finally managed to force myself after what's been 9 days of burgers, pizzas and fried chicken), my brain turns back to its usual channel, as it recognises the familiarity of my current location. All the hurtful, hateful, and overall negative memories come back to strike at my insecurities from every direction of my mind, reminding me once again of what a worthless piece of shit I am. The jealousies, the overreactions, the blaming, the guilt tripping and the lack of trust, to say the least - all crimes committed against her because I was constantly too self obsessed with proving to myself that I am good enough, but ironically needing her to ascertain that by doing specific things and alter her principles and way of life to prove it to me. I hate myself for it again and again as I recap my regrets. However this time's a little bit different and scarier, so to speak. As my arms rest in an upward curling position against a weight machine, I spot the various physical reminders on my left forearm, of the pain and suffering my past has caused me. Here I thought they wouldn't be as perceptible or even mildly noticeable anymore years later, but apparently past me wanted to ensure these scars would be visible for a long time, and made sure to put in the effort to establish that. Now I said this was a bit scarier, right? But it's really not for me - I'm trying to view it from a natural outsider perspective to keep myself in check right this moment. Because standard me, who's unusually (and thankfully) choosing to ultimately listen to outsider me, is reaching out for help and grabbing onto outsider, real me, saving me from following the darker path this time around. That's because standard me looks down at his scars and ponders whether he should add some more to the mix, or even retouch the current ones. The horrific part of this being that outsider me realises and understands that standard me truly believes there's no problem with it, and is content and accepting with the idea and possibility of acting upon those thoughts. Let me give you a very general and straightforward idea as to why people are 'stupid' enough to cause self-harm. Especially the idiots like me. Warning though, it might be slightly or majorly distressing, depending on who you are. Whether it be as a result of insecurities, an imbalanced level of serotonin in your head, or likely even both - much like what you may have witnessed with me on occasion (or a lot), is the conclusive guilt, worthlessness, loneliness, envy, despair and so on and so forth that occur, all fundamentally contributing to eventual self hatred. Once you get to that point, and if nothing much has changed in your eyes to make you feel otherwise, well it sucks - because the hatred continues to grow deeper and darker, and amplifies to the point where your mind has no remaining room to actually take a breath. The constant battle you're trying to fight with yourself is just a bloody mess, an absolute war zone, but your weakness ultimately overpowers you, and you forfeit control involuntarily - as much as it may seem otherwise to the douchebag who tells you to just be happy, or to get over it. So sometimes, the only way to regain a little bit of oxygen and to free yourself from the chokehold that's tightly grasped around the neck of your brain, is to transition your bloody mess to reality. To feel the physicality of your mental punishment - because you need to experience the pain in a different, more realistic setting first hand. It keeps you in touch with your humanity in a strangely poetic way. Majorly for me, as per my past, I always found it to be a good distraction and substitute from the emotional and mental pain that I couldn't withstand any longer. The intense pressure boils your mind alive, and desperation for relief is found in this new method of self-harm. Because technically you've been punishing yourself this whole fucking time anyway - who's to say that just because it's not physically visible doesn't mean you aren't experiencing it? This is your mind, and your body. Others are simply afraid of what they don't understand in this regard. This is why suicide is sadly often enough referred to as the 'coward's way out' too - because once you're mentally out of air from this battle you've constantly been fighting against yourself, the suffocation feels much like the conventional portrayal. Eventually when you've had enough pain and suffering, and come to terms with your unchanging circumstances, the white flag goes up, and you surrender into the darkness. It's not cowardly, it's just incredibly tragic and sad that a beautiful soul had to reach that point in order to rid themselves of all their troubles. So I'm fighting each day - we all are. Trying to locate meaning and self worth in ourselves, and simply just wanting to feel loved, recognised and valued, in my case. I'm getting there - learning and evolving every day, even if it's slow progress at times. But how do I know I'm on the right track to winning this battle? Because I'll keep fighting, and I won't ever surrender. I'm not actually going to add to my collection of markings, as It's now just an afterthought at this point, and I'm striding past it as best as I can. Even though I did have a drawback recently, as I had my brief momentary lapse in which the physical element of self punishment against my face, mentioned days ago, was present - I've grown and learned from that experience and I'm stronger now. She helped me resolve that battle quickly, by somehow providing me with the clarity in which I actually understood that I amplified something out of nothing, and provided me with love. So I embrace these scars that I view on my left forearm, as they are now simply nothing more than reminders that my past is real, and that I've battled hell already to make it where I am today.

[thecoroutfitters]

Ever since computers became popular, there have been those who wanted to hack their way in and find their secrets. For most of those early hackers, the thrill was in the chase, and the victory was in breaking in.

Most of their work was benign, with hackers being content to have succeeded in doing what they weren’t supposed to be able to do.

As computer use grew, so did hacking. But it changed as well.

With the massive connectivity and easy access that the internet offers, more and more hackers found their niche in life. These newer hackers weren’t content with merely breaching security for the sake of breaching security, they had nefarious intent in their work.

Whether that was the spread of viruses, identity theft or simply data mining for profit, it looked at the millions of computers connected to the internet as targets for attack, not just for play.

Malware has become a major threat on the Internet today, with countless hackers and even companies creating and distributing it across the world. While some is merely created for commercial purposes, placing ads on people’s computers, there is much more that spells real danger to individuals and companies worldwide.

It couldn’t stay that way though. Governments everywhere hold with the idea that only they can pursue illegal activities. While they work to keep their citizens from committing those acts, they are quick to adopt them themselves, and use them covertly to further their country or political party’s agenda.

Such has been the case of hacking and malware in general. The first to see the value of it were the Chinese, who created a cyber-warfare branch in their army. They immediately started working to find ways into other countries computers, especially those of opposing governments and their military branches.

They didn’t limit it to that. They sought out ways to attack critical infrastructure, such as disabling power plants or bypassing the failsafes on nuclear power plants.

While China got a head start on the rest of the world, other countries have been working to catch up, including the United States of America.

Rather than making cyber-warfare a branch of the military, it seems that we’ve left it up to our intelligence organs, most especially the CIA and the NSA.

Once it moved behind the walls of intelligence operations, any efforts towards U.S. development of cyber-warfare became very hush-hush. Few knew about it, and even fewer admitted it was happening.

The vast majority of Congress was left in the dark, as they had no oversight of intelligence operations. And with Congress in the dark, the American people were totally cut out of what was happening.

Vault 7, the US Government and Cyber-warfare

The most recent Wikileaks dump, cryptically called Vault 7, has breached the secrecy of US government involvement in cyber-warfare for the very first time.

Specifically, the first 8,761 documents demonstrate the CIA’s involvement in creating millions of lines of malware code, including viruses, Trojans, weaponized “zero day” exploits, remote control systems and other forms of malware.

In total, there were over 1,000 different hacking systems, Trojans, viruses and other “weaponized” malware. While the actual code does not seem to be part of the data dump (and that’s a good thing), documentation about its existence and descriptions of its capability have been released.

All of this was produced by the Center for Cyber Intelligence (CCI), a sub-agency of the CIA’s Directorate for Digital Innovation (DDI). This directorate, the most recent addition to the CIA’s organization chart, comprises over 5,000 registered users, many of whom are programmers and expert hackers.

The release of this information is a major blow against American cyber-warfare; but apparently it’s one that needed to happen. I say that, even though I’m not entirely comfortable about it, because according to Wikileaks, the CIA has recently lost control of the majority of their digital arsenal.

This extremely dangerous code has been circulated amongst former U.S. government hackers and contactors in an unauthorized manner.

Notice that I said “former,” not current. That’s the information that Wikileaks has, and also the means by which they were given access to this amazing data. Apparently one of those former workers felt the public needed to know what was going on behind closed doors.

A CIA spy secret that anyone can use to keep him or herself safe – straight from an ex-CIA officer!

The Malware Market

Should this code make it out into the dark Internet, the results could be disastrous. Apparently there is quite a market for all sorts of malware, with customers willing to pay large sums, even into the millions for programs which will permit them access to things they shouldn’t have access too.

But that’s not the biggest problem. The big one is that once out in the open, this malware could spread around the globe in mere minutes, used and targeted by an army of individual hackers.

Unlike other weapons systems, electronic weapons don’t explode and disappear. If anything, their “explosion” causes them to multiply across computers and networks, infecting more and more as they go.

While it may be possible to take them off a particular computer, usually by scrubbing the hard drive and doing a global reinstall, they never really go away. The same electronic weapons can be used over and over again.

This code got out into the open, we can’t count on the good graces of the people who have it. While some of those CIA contractors and employees will act responsibly with what they have, invariably there will be those who will see an opportunity to use it for nefarious ends or perhaps for personal gain.

There’s another aspect of this, which is even scarier than what hackers will do with the CIA’s digital arsenal. That’s what the CIA themselves have done with it.

In 2013, Edward Snowden came forth as a whistleblower, informing the country that the NSA was spying on American citizens, in contrary to the law. This new batch of information tells us that the NSA aren’t the only ones doing that. The CIA is doing so as well.

There have always been rivalries between the various intelligence agencies. FDR created the OSS during World War II to combat this problem. Yet the OSS and later the CIA haven’t managed to eliminate that rivalry. Rather, they’ve become part of it.

One of the results of these rivalries is overlaps in areas of responsibility and multiple departments performing the same task. Such seems to be the case here, with the CIA performing its own version of the NSA’s work. Yet without knowing who ordered the CIA to do this or when it was ordered, there’s no real way of knowing whether this is an authorized operation or not.

Video first seen on Fox News. 

But there’s more than just the CIA spying on our communications, like the NSA does. Apparently they’ve developed malware that targets iPhones, Android phones, smart TVs and even Microsoft Windows. This malware invokes thoughts of Orwell’s 1984, if anything does. With it, the CIA can turn on these devices and use them to spy on their owners.

For some reason, Samsung TVs in particular have been targeted by the CIA. Their malware, called “Weeping Angel,” which was developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom’s MI5, allows the television to operate in a “fake off” mode, where it appears to be off to the owner, but a microphone in the unit is recording everything said in the room and forwarding it to the CIA, via the internet.

This is just one example of the types of “back door” malware programs which the CIA has developed. Similar malware can be used to hack in to smartphones allowing the CIA to determine the owner’s location, read their e-mail, their text messages, search the phone’s memory and activate both the camera and microphone.

Quite literally, they can spy on anyone, anywhere, anytime they choose, and we can’t do a thing about it.

Even encryption won’t help, as the CIA has means of accessing the data, before it is encrypted. So much for the various communications platforms out there, which claim to encrypt your communications. If the CIA can access the information before it is encrypted, the encryption is useless. The government will know what’s in your communications, perhaps even before you do.

Before We Panic

All of this capability was probably developed with the best of intentions. The CIA, like other intelligence agencies, is involved in the war on terror. As terrorists tend to hide in the population and use the same communications that many of us do, it is necessary to develop the means of penetrating those communications to investigate the actions of those terrorists.

But where does it stop? What’s to say that they aren’t amassing files on each one of us? It’s already been reveled that the NSA is doing that, storing all of our communications in their massive data storage facilities. Snowden told us how that information is misused by analysts breaking the rules.

Those analysts aren’t the real issue though; the real issue is the government that is stealing our privacy. Spying on American citizens is a clear betrayal of our Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure.

Yet we, the American people, are routinely subjected to a level of surveillance that the Founding Fathers couldn’t have imagined. Even those of us who are not doing anything illegal have things in our lives, which we would rather not have known.

Even if the CIA can demonstrate that they haven’t broken our Fourth Amendment rights, how can we trust them? There is literally nobody who has access to their files. So there is no way to prove that they are telling the truth.

The only information we would have access to, is that which they release, with the intention of demonstrating their innocence. Not exactly something you could take to a court of law.

There is only one solution for those of us who want privacy. That’s to foreswear the use of all modern means of communications. While not exactly practical, there may come a day when we need to; especially if the government starts misusing our information.

I just know one thing. I’m going to be careful about what I put out over the Internet, over my phone and through any other electronic means of communications I find myself using. There’s no reason to give anyone ammunition, which might find its way back, being used against me on some future date.

Click here to discover your part in this important “undercover operation” to protect the lives and privacy of thousands of Americans!

This article has been written by Bill White For Survivopedia. 

References:

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/03/08/cia-cyber-spying-toolkit-now-in-hands-hackers-worldwide-wikileaks.html

https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/cia-files-wikileaks-vault-7

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[rodrigohyde]

20 foods that seem healthy but aren't

Brittany Smith Today

The health and fitness craze that's swept our nation in the last decade can be seen quite literally across every supermarket and storefront. "Fit foods" emblazoned with "organic," "low-fat," "no sugar added," and best of all, "all-natural" marketing jargon are, for the most part, just marketing jargon.

A lot of the foods we snack on or eat as part of our everyday diet aren't the beacons of health and wellness we think they are if you take a look at their labels or dive more into what's actually in the food under the label. Take a look through our list of the worst offenders; these are some of the most common foods we think are healthy but really aren't. Avoiding these eats can make the difference between slight definition and eight-pack-with-sex-lines abs. 

20 foods that seem healthy but aren't

1 of 20

Energy bars

Nearly every energy and protein bar boasts lofty health claims, but many times they have nutritional profiles more similar to candy bars than fit foods. Literally. Some bars have as much sugar as candy. That’s not to say you should banish them all, but take special care to look at the amount of sugar, calories, and ingredients. (Check out these Men's Fitness-approved healthy protein and snack bars instead.)

Diet soda

A soda a day can increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 40 percent, compared to a man who never touches the stuff, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And diet soda? It’s no better. In fact, it may actually be worse. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda fool your body into thinking you’re eating real food and causes a spike in insulin sent to regulate your levels (since artificial sweeteners are so much sweeter than actual sugar), which can turn into stored fat, according to a Purdue University study. Research shows soda consumption increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, makes you eat more, and, well, see for yourself…

Flavored instant oatmeal

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again, and we’ll keep on saying it: Instant oatmeal doesn’t do your health any justice. Flavored, single-serving packets have way too much added sugar, and therefore, way too many unnecessary calories. Stick with the giant tub of instant oatmeal if you like the convenience factor, and add fruit and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to maximize flavor without minimizing any health benefits. Steel-cut oats are even better; they’ll provide you with long-lasting energy, help promote weight loss, and lower your risk of heart disease.

Bran muffins

Oh, the power of words and associations. “Bran” sounds healthy, albeit a little boring. And it is: Bran is the outer layer of grains like wheat, rice, and oats that offers a healthy dose of fiber, protein, vitamins, and low-glycemic carbs. But bran muffins tip the scale toward not-so-great for you because most portions triple what you should be eating and may contain more wheat flour than bran itself. Store-bought muffins are often loaded with sodium and sugar to combat the dry, tasteless flavor of bran, too. To put things into perspective, a Honey Bran Raisin Muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts has 40g of sugar, 410mg of sodium, and 120 calories, while a Chocolate Frosted Cake Donut has 20g of sugar, 340mg of sodium, and 170 calories. Bake your own at home to control the ingredients and portion size.

Packaged Turkey

Using leftover turkey to make a sandwich for lunch is an excellent choice for a quick, simple dose of protein. But this lean sandwich staple can turn into a sodium-saturated disaster when it's store-bought. That’s because packaged meats are often loaded with salt and preservatives. Opt for brands that don’t have more than 350mg of sodium per 2 oz serving.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit seems like an innocent snack; it’s fruit, after all. But companies use sulfur dioxide to preserve freshness and add sugar to sweeten the flavor (cranberries and pineapple among the worst), making dried fruit more akin to candy. Though you’re still getting a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, it’s incredibly easy to overeat. That chewy addition to trail mix and yogurt isn’t as healthy as you think, wish, hoped it was. 

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Wraps

Wraps are thinner than hoagies, buns, and bread, so they’ve gotta be healthier, right? Eh, sometimes, but most restaurants and to-go shops wrap all your sandwich fixings in a 12-inch wrap that can pack twice the amount of calories as plain old bread. Plus, spinach, tomato, and whole grain wraps don’t contain nearly as much veggies and whole grains as you’d think; more often than not, they’ve got additional coloring and flavoring. The problem with pre-made wraps, too, is you can’t control what’s in them. The bacon, ham, and ranch dressing can’t be taken out once they’re rolled up, and odds are you’re not getting additional veggies to add to your mix.     

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Pretzels

They may be your go-to snack because they’re fat-free, but pretzels don’t really have any nutritional value. They’re made with white flour, which quickly converts to sugar in your body, spiking blood sugar and causing your hunger levels to rise (that's why you can polish off an entire bag and still be hungry). Pretzels should be avoided as a desk-side or late-night snack; go for foods that are high in protein and fiber instead. 

25 Foods You Shouldn't Eat >>>

Sports drinks

Sports drinks are a lot like Kool Aid—they’re basically just sugar water and artificial food coloring. Their big selling point, electrolytes, are easily restored with natural foods and drinks like coconut water and bananas, so skip the artificial recovery drink. A study published in the journal Obesity even found individuals who drink one or more sports drinks every day gained more weight over a three-year span than those who don’t.

Agave nectar

Producers slap the word “natural” on nearly any food product because that term helps convince people it’s healthy. Agave nectar has been hailed the natural substitute to evil artificial sweetener, but it has more fructose than any other common sweetener, including high fructose corn syrup. Sure, it’s low on the glycemic index, but that’s not a free pass to drench your oatmeal and drown your iced tea with the stuff. 

Everything You Need to Know About Today's Most Popular Sweeteners >>>

Yogurt-Covered Snacks

We’re going to let you in on a secret: Yogurt-covered snacks sometimes aren’t covered with yogurt. Those tubs of pretzels and raisins are likely just covered in sugar (and fat). More specifically, a ¼-cup serving of yogurt-covered raisins has about 150 calories, a third of which comes from fat, while the rest comes from carbs. Want an easy fix? Top your raisins with plain Greek yogurt.  

Protein Power: 6 Easy Ways to Eat Yogurt >>>

Skim/low-fat milk

Skim milk is skimping on a lot of the factors that make whole milk so healthy. Yes, you’re getting rid of the fat, but you’re also stripping away essential vitamins (as well as texture and flavor). To combat this, skim milk is fortified with synthetic vitamins in an attempt to replace the protein and calcium lost in processing. Overall, there’s really little benefit to buying fat-free dairy products. You want to keep the processing and denaturation to a minimum.  

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Margarine

Margarine is the inexpensive butter substitute that took the late 1800s by storm when chemists learned how to harden liquid oils. Nutritionally speaking, it has less saturated fat than butter because it’s made from vegetable oils, not animal fat; all in all it depends if you want to rely on cows or chemists. But that tub of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! you have in your fridge today is scarier than it seems. Vegetable oil is extracted from corn, soybeans, or safflower seeds, then steamed to remove impurities (along with vitamins and antioxidants), hydrogenated to make it semi-solid (producing a lumpy, grey grease), emulsified to remove lumps, bleached to remove the grey color, steamed again to remove chemical odors, and then synthetic vitamins and colors are added in the end. Does your “healthier" butter seem so healthy now? 

The 8 Absolute Worst Foods You Can Pump Into Your Body >>>

Fruit juice

Most packaged fruit juices are sugar-packed; not the health elixirs we so desperately want them to be. Fruit in its whole form has healthy fiber in its flesh and vitamins and nutrients in its skin that’s lost in juice form. Plus, you’re not chewing the liquid, so all the fructose-laden sugar is rocketed to your liver where it can be lodged and stored as fat. If you want a glass for breakfast, opt for tart cherry or grape juice (unsweetened) to get a recovery boost after tough workouts. 

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Flavored yogurt

That tiny cup of yogurt you eat for breakfast (that doesn’t fill you up and leaves you rummaging for more food) is packed with more sugar than you’d ever suspect. Most brands have close to 15g per 6oz serving. Stop wasting your money and ruining your diet; make the switch to plain Greek yogurt. You’ll feel more satisfied and have a dose of protein to really start your day right.

Canned soup

Canned soup is the solution for last-minute lunch or dinner laziness. The problem is that you’re overloading your system with sodium (some have 400mg per cup) and some cans’ plastic linings have BPA. Make a giant homemade batch over a weekend and freeze it in smaller portions to get you through the colder seasons. 

10 Pumpkin Recipes You Can Eat on The Shred >>>

Pita chips

Nearly all pita chips are made with enriched wheat flour (a refined grain that doesn’t have nearly the fiber or nutrients found in whole-grain flour) or white flour, oil, and salt. It may not seem that bad, but a study published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports found a diet full of refined grains and starches increases a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, even cancer. Plus, they may not be that greay, but they still pack a caloric punch and it's hard to stop after eating just a handful.

Healthy Snack Alternatives For Every Craving Type >>> 

Granola

It’s an amazing yogurt add-on, great with a splash of milk, and even a filling snack on its own, but nearly all granola brands add sugar and oil during the cooking process. Some are loaded with seeds, nuts, and dried fruit, which up the fat content, too. Opt for brands that have a blend of oats, whole grains, and other natural ingredients.

10 Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes >>>

Fruit and vegetable chips

Surprise! Fruit and veggie chips actually contain very little fruits and vegetables because of how processed they are. What’s more, most of the nutrients are destroyed because of this, as well. What you end up with is a chip that’s artificially colored and flavored to look and taste like a vegetable or fruit. 

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Fruit cocktail

Fruit cocktail is an appealing snack whether you eat it from the can or those little portable cups. The issue is one cup has about 110 calories and over 25g of sugar (In. One. Small. Cup.). They’re often packaged in syrup, which isn’t doing you any favors either. Grab a pear, peach, apple, or any other piece of fruit instead; they’re just as portable and way more nutritious. 

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Carb foods

from Men's Fitness http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/20-foods-seem-healthy-arent

[pomrania]

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when your friend says “i’m becoming the joker,” reply, “well, i’m becoming jigsaw” to one-up them. do not elaborate on what this means