#you must protect the integrity of your material things. it's bad to play too much with your toys. they aren't truly yours. limit yourself.

[hyenaswine]

i liked barbie better when she was an empty vessel for acting out all of my darkest childhood fantasies. give me homunculus barbie

[astrolovecosmos]

Ascendant + Midheaven

Ascendant: Impressions 

Midheaven (MC): Reputation 

Impression is what we see, feel, read, what is expressed to us. 

Reputation is built and destroyed based off deeds, actions, success, but also sometimes rumors/gossip. 

(If you have an intercepted house/double sign and your chart is offset, please send an ask for other Ascendant and MC combinations) 

Aries Ascendant: Known for bluntness, giving off a forward impression. The self is very important - coming off as selfish to some but possibly empowered to others. Focus on the self can also mean a struggle to balance self wants vs. other’s wants, especially with a Libra DC. This person faces many challenges that require them to reanalyze the self, relate to others, and think about others. Capricorn MC: While the Aries Ascendant gives off a self-centered or maybe self-conflicted vibe, this person’s reputation is heavily based on their career success. This isn’t so much in a “predictive” manner but that they may put a lot of weight into what their career is. Aries and Capricorn are both ambitious signs. This makes for a go-getter person who is focused on what they want to achieve. There is a push and pull between expression of individuality through the Ascendant and wanting to stand out in a positive way, that aligns with their society. They want to contribute to society. The points, sharing the same mode walk through lessons of Cardinal, mutable, fixed. With Aries vs Capricorn in these placements there is a lesson to help others, do favors for others to build up integrity. This isn’t just for reputations sake but to better connect the self with others.

Taurus Ascendant: A calm expression that desires harmony, contentment. Down to earth individual who connects easily with others. Sensuality and comfort are so very important to them. Aquarius MC:  Who finds fulfillment in the unusual. There is a desire to stand out. Ambition can be intellectual or it can be in connecting with people. While the Ascendant is welcoming their reputation can surprise. Many may have heard of them, talk about them, the collective can manifest in abundance of people knowing them and/or in their own goals of helping society or a community. Themes of attachment and detachment exist. Taurus highly attached to expression, especially if we get into things like artistic expression. Possessiveness of Taurus can also exist, likely not in surface level relationships but in how they approach others perception and their perception of others. Ex: they may have a hard time letting go of the fact that someone’s impression/idea of them has soured.They admire or hold onto those who like them/admire them. To say they cling to what others think is entirely too simple. It is more about a fixed nature in self expression and view of self. Whereas the Aquarius MC wants to be free of all this. There is a goal to rise above reputation, gossip, status. Traditional vs. non traditional is a struggle in how they approach the world, others, success.

Gemini Ascendant: Talkative, energetic, observant, maybe even intimidating. What a range of impressions and a self that is varied, changing. Pisces MC: We see a very fluid person in terms of the public sphere. Emphasis on healing, service, spirituality, and creativity but defining this person is hard. A vague standing when it comes to reputation or status. Maybe frequently unknown or forgotten about (which before you get offended could certainly be used as a strength). All mutable signs are flexible but with these two you get a person hard to figure out. Despite first impressions or gossip, it is the self that causes and has the most confusion. This is an individual who has a level of uncertainty or instability within. A desire to learn about and connect with others exist from the ascendant. A desire to help others from the MC. Whereas the ascendant may be all talk the MC is built upon caring and healing others OR connecting on an emotional or deep level. A focus on people and the contrast of relating others to the self vs. feeling or even becoming like another is important to an individual with this dynamic.

Cancer Ascendant: Protective shell of toughness or possibly shyness. Approaching the world emotionally. There is a sense of vulnerability about the self that is not shown but at times makes them a slave to their moods. Expression is cautious. They reflect family or community values and traditions.  Aries MC: A very ambitious placement. Their influence on others and actions surely build up their reputation. Here the Cancer Ascendant shell must be broken at times to leave a mark. Maybe it is because of the hesitance or shyness of the ascendant that when this person makes a move or succeeds it stands out so much. I would be careful of thinking this person’s “rep” or how they are perceived is in the hot-blooded stereotype of Aries. It is more how they take the lead in public situations, through decisiveness, seizing opportunities, and sharing their passion. There is a lesson between wanting to preserve and protect the self vs. the need to be open and to put themselves out there. With the strong emotions of Aries and Cancer, this person is sure to leave a mark that is felt wherever they go.

Leo Ascendant: Loud, outgoing, warm, even if a little shyer they still shine with individuality and creativity. The self should be celebrated, self expression is part of being, and they approach others with friendliness and generosity. The world is a stage and sometimes they fall into thinking they are the center of the universe or at least have enough self-respect to make themselves a priority. Taurus MC: Solid determination and thought out goals, with the Leo ascendant this packs a punch when dealing with others and in the public sphere. There is a level-headed approach to the outside world and despite their flashy ascendant might not call a lot of attention to themselves in the workplace or in their personal community. Having a status that is steady may be one of the most common highlights of this dynamic. They can be patient when it comes to their career and dealing with outsiders but the strong desires of their ascendant can cause not so much an impatience but self-doubt towards their dreams or recognition. There is a struggle between wanting influence and wanting material success. There is a desire for security from the MC but the bravery and even risk taking side of the Leo ascendant can threaten this sometimes. Change can be a fear when it comes to their career or the outside world but their Leo ascendant which is confident in the self can help them conquer this.

Virgo Ascendant: Practical approach to life, see’s the world as a place to analyze and sort, and can be humble towards the self and/or is constantly looking for ways to improve the self. They can have a subtle and/or earthy appeal, they sometimes give off a worried or uptight vibe but their flexibility, patience, and calmness can still make them approachable. Gemini MC: The Virgo ascendant is all about fine tuning the self and is focused in this regard, but the Gemini MC is scattered in their career and ambitions. They are likely known as talkative or just as someone easy to talk to. This person may struggle to find what they are good at or what they want to do in life. They can get frustrated with the changeability of their public standing. Taking their focus in self and applying it to their ambitions is a lesson. The flexibility of mutable placements overall can be a strength when times are tough, making it easy to move on and leave behind a bad job or the ability to take on multiple jobs. But save the day job for the 6th house, with the MC they find fulfillment through learning, mental stimulation, and basing their goals around new information and curiosity. Their ascendant may always feel dissatisfied with the lack of depth and expertise. Embracing adaptability, communication, organization, observation, and cleverness as their core strengths is important. As for the opinions of others, there is a lot to say about the whimsical and fast moving Gemini MC, good thing, only the feedback of the Virgo ascendant matters.

Libra Ascendant: Charming, social, likable, promising for making a positive impression. Here the ascendant is always trying to relate to others. While the Aries descendant has a desire for independence and separation, the ascendant still wants to make others happy. Cancer MC: Here ambitions are turned more inward and have a focus on the domestic sphere. The MC stands for what others see most clearly. It stands for the public. With this in mind, their reputation is still very important to them in their immediate community and/or neighborhood, especially their family’s reputation. They may prefer to take the safe route when it comes to the public. Despite their control and charm in social situations they hide their private lives. Libra’s evasiveness can help out with this goal. With the Libra ascendant wanting to find their partner, soulmate, teammate as well as to influence socially - the IC with a cooler domestic life and great need for stability from those closest, the DC wanting to stand on their own, form bonds with those who accept individuality, give them independence and decision power - to the Cancer MC who focuses on family/loved ones as well as emotional control in the outer world; we see the circle of cardinal energy deeply caring about others but also wanting to take action for the self. With the Libra ascendant and Cancer MC this action is most seen being spent on others.

Scorpio Ascendant: Let’s skip over the intense gaze, mystery, magnetism and get to the point of living privately. This person is aware of the depth of self but this is not shared openly. There is a great desire to master the world and themselves. Power plays a role in their approach to life but so does a great want to get to the depth of people, beliefs, the physical, the intangible. Leo MC: The Leo MC wants to run things or even be in the spotlight. They don’t just want a good reputation, they want to be well known. This is a clash with the secretive, behind-the-scenes Scorpio ascendant. The Leo MC excels in many industries but has a special creative knack, self expression being key to building up their reputation and network. Maybe they are known for their fashion, a dark humor, or art. Creativity is a great way to channel the passionate and intense energies of the ascendant. Through the leadership and generosity of this MC combined with the perception and compassion of Scorpio they can make powerful, positive impacts in others’ lives. Scorpio’s fear of vulnerability, inadequacy, betrayal, and abandonment makes it hard for them to extend themselves, to come out onto the stage. With an Aquarius IC who may have unconventional family bonds or possible detachment in their closest bonds + care of self combined with the needed security the Taurus DS craves - a really good support system helps them reach their full potential. But they may not always have this support. So with the Leo and Scorpio dynamic, this is really about empowerment. Fuel the courage to go after their ambitions.

Sagittarius Ascendant: Open, carefree, and friendly persona. With an exploratory approach to the world, a willingness to learn, there is a philosophical view on life and even more so introspection. To find meaning in who they are and/or in life is important. Virgo MC: Practice makes perfect is their approach towards career, success, drive, the public. Mastering their craft is important to them however with the ascendant’s big picture approach and impulsiveness this can be a challenge. Taking the self and reputation seriously is a lesson, the ascendant tends to be more relaxed in how others interpret or receive them. They may not take life too seriously, at least not when younger. Figuring out what is worth devoting to, what is worth focusing on will be a journey in life. While the MC is precision and practicality and the ascendant big dreams and instinct, there is a combined drive to leave a enlightened or life-changing mark, something that makes things “better”, to heal or to serve or to shed light.

Capricorn Ascendant: Steady and highly practical approach to the world. There is a private feel about them and sometimes a rigid feel. Confidence and action in their decisions can show. Libra MC: The overly pragmatic self can conflict with the want to connect and possibly the artistic love the MC may have. Their reputation may be built upon looks, talent, or their relationships. But the ascendant has a desire to be known off personal success, integrity, maybe even hardship. The ambition from Libra exist on a much lighter plane of tact, beauty, pleasantry. It may be more that the ascendant recognizes all their own hard work and gets frustrated when others do not. A mind for justice can form, but the ascendant is prone to trusting only their own judgment and the MC to finding it hard to make a decision or come to a verdict. The MC indecision in career can frustrate the ascendant who solidly wants to forge a path with meaning and tangible success. This person may feel like they have something to prove due to the dynamic. With this combo they are on a mission to ultimately prove things like self worth, inner authority, decision making, and self love to themselves.

Aquarius Ascendant: Known to stand out in their individuality, independence, and visionary approach to the world. Can be social and charismatic but still has a “cool as a cucumber” vibe. Scorpio MC: With possible dispassion from the ascendant, the MC still wants to dive in deep to what they do in life. Career must be connected to their passion and bring real emotional fulfillment. Reputation may be built upon how they make others feel. Scorpio known for rawness and intimacy finds a hard lesson through the self/expression that wants to separate. But the ascendant is all about humanity and humanitarianism, MC about impacting people on an individual level. Here we see the possibility to become a guide, healer, innovator.

Pisces Ascendant: A receptive self, a vague expression, changeable. The self here is very "bendable". Before we label them as "soft" their flexibility allows them to adjust to many different vibes and situations - even taking on a hostile persona. Sagittarius MC: Wants direction and thinks about the future, something their ascendant might want to avoid. Adaptable and quick like the ascendant but there is a strong desire to make sense of the world, especially in a moral or philosophical way whereas the ascendant exist in a unclear space. May build their reputation off of knowledge, risks taking, and entertainment. Their reputation at times can see or feel like a facade because of the highly fluid expression and self. There may be a desire to be known for their beliefs and righteousness, their healing and enlightenment. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is a hurdle for this combo. Displaying their kindness, open mind, and generosity is a lesson, along with evidence (really more so to themselves) that they help others or love others. The ascendant can easily give affection and compassion but their lack of boundaries can be interpreted in many, many different ways. The MC who takes a more fiery approach to the outside world can display a scattered, insensitive, and self-focused reputation. A lack of boundaries or unwillingness to assert the self combined with an impulsive or even reckless ambition makes it hard to take in and reflect on their personal bonds or how they want to make a difference. This ascendant and midheaven is a powerful duo in making a spiritual impact or in bringing a deeper knowledge to the world. The self finding direction in their ambition and interactions with the outer world.

[greenjudy]

Inquisitor Ask Meme

Reposting this for fun.

Anyone else want to take a crack? What kind of Inky would you be?

@allsortsoflicorice? @tyramir ? Bueller?

1. Race:

Human.

2. Class/Specialization:

Rift mage.

3. Your homeland?

The Free Marches. Wycome, to be precise. 

4. Your family?

Keep my family out of this; they have things to do besides die.

5. Who were you before?

A Circle Mage of some skill and much fear. Given my personality, the Circle would probably not cater to my strengths. It would make me more nervous and paranoid than I already am. The Inquisition would force me out of my comfort zone and give me some resilience I would never otherwise develop. Left to my own devices, I’d fall prey to obsession, and possibly possession by a Pride demon.  

6. Would you be religious?

I’ve read a lot of books by Brother Genitivi and Philliam! A Bard; I’m actually using my clout as Inquisitor to gather whatever is known about the Black City. You might say I’m an originist, I want to know where we came from; Andraste is kind of late on the scene for my interests. 

Post-Trespasser, this quest will more or less eat my brain.

Short answer: obsessed with “religious” subject matter, not religious per se. 

7. Do you have a mabari?

Nope. But I spoil Cullen’s baby. 

8. Your opinion on other races?

Raised to “not be racist” (as far as that goes) in cosmopolitan, edgy, free-wheeling Wycome; family with a ton of Dwarven trading connections. Angry about the elves. Knew loads of elven enchanters in the Circle, but I have awkward awareness of human privilege around the Dalish. 

Fascinated by the Shaperate. Wish all Thedas had those. Can you imagine? 

Worried about the Qun, but deeply impressed with the handful of Qunari I’ve met in person. Not mindless drones at all. Disciplined. Community first has some virtues, must say. 

9. What would Varric’s nickname for you be?

Baffler.

10. What would your tarot card look like?

The High Priestess: an older, abbess-looking chick standing at a scriptorium, surrounded by magical paraphrenalia and a gorgeous view out my high window. Raven (with message) standing on the windowsill.

11. Where would you hang out in Skyhold?

My bespoke mage tower, if I’m not in the Undercroft picking Dagna’s brain. Do a little weeding in the herb garden from time to time; we’re growing some fascinating things in there. 

After Solas leaves, I’d go spend time in the destroyed holding cells, watching the water fall.  

12. What would you do for fun?

Study. Knit. Paint. Visit my horses; the smell of horses is very comforting. 

I’d have highly technical arguments with Dorian and spend a lot, a lot, a lot of time talking to Solas.

13. What armor would you wear?

Cutting-edge tactical enchanted fabric. Light, layered, tweedy, enchanted.

I’d probably get sucked into magical materials research, specifically, making improvements to armor base-layers. I’m obsessed with armor. I have a whole research group (headed by Dagna, Cullen consulting) devoted to armor improvement.

14. What would your room look like?

Given the state of my current room, a chaotic mess of books, papers, research tools, letters from colleagues, blueprints, schematics, dirty dishes, orchids, and automata (Josie and I would be doll-geeks together).

15. Who would be your friends at Skyhold?

I try to make sure that the Inner Circle understands how much I appreciate them as a general rule. 

As for friends: 

Cassandra is one of the great ones. Just about the best person I know. Never met anyone so ready to acknowledge her mistakes. I’d trust her to be the next Divine. 

Dorian is a dear. One of the best sounding-boards. Somebody peel that man a grape. 

Cullen and Josephine are terrific advisors, couldn’t ask for better, their own problems of course, we’re all doing our best. I’d like to know Cullen better—suspect we have things, Circle things, to talk about. In another life, maybe. 

I’d get on with Varric—everyone gets on with Varric, come on—but I find him ultimately very armored, hard to know. Hid his best friend, didn’t he? Never talks about the lady he loves. 

Sera is actually easy to understand. Raw genius with a bow, one of the best to have along, out in the field. Not exactly my friend. So down on the Dalish. It’s her business, though. She and Dagna are adorable together. She makes Dagna happy, that’s good enough for me. 

I have a bit of a GP for the Iron Bull. (He had me at “front-line bodyguard.”) Never acted on it, though.

Solas is my… see… well, see below. 

16. Would you have any friends outside of the Inquisition?

I’d have the Thedas version of LinkedIn comrades in Antiva, Nevarra, and Orlais—researchers all. Plus one brilliant friend who’s a materials mage based out of Denerim, working with Sandal on woven metal enchantments; call her my “knitting buddy.”

17. Who wouldn’t you get along with?

Leliana would trouble me. Don’t like having someone this emotional and vindictive managing our intel networks. It’s bad juju, Ambassador; can’t trust her judgment, can you? And that feels like a loose end. Put us in a tight spot someday. Couldn’t we ask Varric…? No, I quite see that. Still. 

I’d understand Vivienne, and try to maintain a cordial relationship because I think most of her head is in the right place, even though she is entirely too power-oriented for a real friendship. 

Blackwall’s “find Darkspawn, kill them, repeat” approach would bother me. When I found out the truth about him, it would confirm my feeling that you need to lie to yourself, a lot, to just have enemies and kill them without compunction. I would also find myself highly influenced by Solas’s take on the Wardens. 

18. Who would you romance?

I’m a Circle mage who’s watched close friends be tormented by romantic love. Demonic possession and Tranquility. Babies taken away. This is not the kind of conditioning that disappears just because you take me out of a Circle. In my youth I worked it out by restricting myself to impossible love objects—there was this one Templar, very stern, very disciplined…he’d barely speak to me… Well. That was many years ago. 

That said, the best impossible love object I’ve ever encountered in my life is Solas. 

What does it matter, really? Bonds of friendship, don’t you know; romantic love leads to envy demons. I’m old now, at any rate. Inquisigeezer not exactly a romanceable character. 

19. Would you do pranks with Sera?

Probably not. Too busy. Too tired. Feel too much sympathy for her innocent victims. 

But I would do operations with Sera, with pleasure. 

20. Would you sleep with the Iron Bull (casually if not romance)?

My front-line bodyguard? Get on with you. It would get too complicated—for me, I mean, not him. 

21. Would you keep Cole around?

Yes. And I’d agonize about what would be the best path for him to take, and probably make him a spirit.

22. Can you play the game (politics)?

Yes. I’m better at it the more distant it is. If you’re talking about what to say at a party, I’ve developed a persona for that sort of thing. Stakes are high. Can’t be fooling around. A mage, remember? This guard drops, I get possessed; lose my temper, might incinerate you, can’t have that. 

23. What would be on your tombstone in the fade (What are you afraid of)?

“The world fell apart on my watch.”

24. Who would you recruit to seal the breach?

Mages. I understand mages. Their leadership’s been simply awful. Not sure what Fiona did with her spine. Without decent leadership, it’s mages running amok, trying to protect themselves, doing awful things out of fear; can’t have that, they’ll pull their own house down. Get them out of the weeds, stick ‘em in the Inquisition, give them a chance to show what they can do for the right cause. 

25. Opinion on Mages versus Templars?

It’s all about training, though, isn’t it? Templars and mages both need much, much better training. Without training, without a penetrating education with a solid grasp of magical theory, history, ethics—co-train the mages and templars, make ‘em take core courses together. Make them work together in strike teams; I’ve been doing that since we recruited ‘em, they actually partner well, as long as you’re not, you know, mad.

I would become obsessed (do you see the recurrence of this word) with the idea that mages could be Seeker-trained to resist possession and mind control, obviating the need for Tranquility. These disciplined (another key word) and trustworthy mages could be placed in a position of joint authority with properly educated Templars to create a College of Magi with research cells all over Thedas…

Yeah. We’ll see how that works out.

26. Who would be put in charge of Orlais and why?

Celine and Briala. Celine is the one with the right temperament, and for some reason I viscerally understand Briala. I’m all about reparations and integrating elven populations and something something protect the Dalish (can’t we actually give them the Dirth?).

27. Would you sacrifice the Chargers?

I couldn’t.

28. Would you go after Blackwall?

Oh, yes. And I’d keep him on, as Thom Rainier. 

29. Would you drink from the well?

Knowing me? Not knowing the implications except for those vague warnings? Yes, I would, and it would affect me for the rest of my life. 

I’d spend what’s left of myself using whatever insight and connections the Well gave me to work on Solas. 

30. Where would you go if the Inquisition was disbanded?

Under ordinary circumstances, the College. Daresay they’d want me to do something draining and administrative because of my being the (ex)Inquisitor; I’d look for a research niche but probably not get to keep it. 

Solas is not ordinary circumstances. I’d dedicate the rest of my life to that problem. 

31. How do you react to the egg telling you he is an elven god? 

I’d naively and arrogantly imagine that I could—if we could just get enough time to sit down together—he must understand what he’s likely to bring about, he needs people to talk to, dammit—

He would be the death of me, I’m afraid.

[atopearth]

Tales of Crestoria Part 1 - Transgressors and Vision Orbs (Ch 1-2)

I haven't played a Tales game in soo long! I'm super hyped for this though, because seeing Luke and others in one game is so nice! Anyway, since it's a gacha mobile game, my bro and I legit rerolled for like a day to get 4 SSRs lmao. I also helped reroll for my other bro so that took agess loll. I ended up getting Kanata, Luke, Lloyd and Leon! Pretty okay hahaa. Time for the story! Honestly, when the villagers were accusing Nash for being the guy who pushed the old lady that ended up dying, I thought Nash was some troublemaker adult, but no, he's a kid loll! Like, uhh, just because he causes trouble every now and then doesn't mean he would do such a thing to an old lady, like what evidence do these crazy villagers have??? Lmao at Misella pretending to be weak so that Kanata will protect her. Aww, it's so cool how Milla and Velvet help you out! That's fun! I guess the game kinda integrates the other Tales game characters into the story minus the idea that they come from another world and instead kinda put them inside the story itself as if they all belong in this world? The idea of the enforcers is such a scary concept. The fact that all you need is lots of people to condemn someone and you could be "punished" to death is pretty nuts. Not to mention that most of these people that condemn others just see one-sided “evidence” through vision orbs (recordings) and then when enough people think you’re evil, enforcers will come and kill you? Like, what if they're innocent or something? No wonder why people call this Tales of Cancel Culture hahahha.

Awww, the CG of Kanata and Misella around flowers was so pretty! Loved it! Well, I knew Kanata's father was dodgy, but I actually find it funny he thinks that Kanata should understand and follow as his successor of human slave and organ trading lol. Like, um, do you never see your son? He's like the personification of naivety and justice, yeah right he would succeed your human trafficking business. It's not like he just sells them either, he sells all these orphan children's body parts and organs! Ridiculous that he thinks Kanata would be like sure, of course, please continue. I'm more surprised that Kanata rashly decided to kill his father like that though. Like, he just found out the truth and killed him! Not saying he didn't deserve it, but considering he admired his father for his whole life, I'm surprised he held no thoughts and feelings towards wanting him to be condemned instead of killing him like that. I guess he felt that he needed to in order to save Misella? Still rash though. Omg, Misella is even more rash and crazy, didn't think she'd burn down the whole shelter just to save Kanata who was being imprisoned by the conspirators of his dad who didn't want him going around telling people. Like, yes, she brought most people out but what if she missed someone or they got injured?? Anyway, the enforcers were surprisingly weak, now I guess if Cress (Kanata's teacher) kills someone, he could probably run too lol. Not gonna lie, all those anime scenes are so cool!! Wow, this game is pretty high quality! Loved it when Kanata got his blood sin (his sword that kinda represents his sin). Vicious is cool though, I love how whatever his attitude is, nice for him to have Kanata as a fellow transgressor friend. Anyway, um, I forgot to say that I'm surprised Misella just ditched Kanata when he told her to run away without him. Like, after all the she can't live without him blah blah and stuff, she just leaves him?? I guess at least she realised and changed her mind to look for him, but she hasn't found him yet so lolll.

It's kinda funny how Vicious is like Kanata's bandit teacher haha. Aegis and Leon seem pretty cool, I can understand them for wanting to catch Vicious and Kanata and how they would prioritise the innocent over capturing them. Anyway, wow, Nash is such a little shit. Honestly an ungrateful kid. I know he's grieving because his little sister died in the fire that everyone thinks Kanata lit when it was actually Misella (so I guess she's a murderer now too huh?), but it's honestly crazy bitter and petty for him to not tell anyone that Kanata killing his father was actually "understandable" because of the monster he was for selling kids and their organs. And like wth man, so Cody (Kanata's father) selling his orphanage friends isn't as bad as Kanata supposedly "killing" his sister? Seriously? Were they even your friends, Nash? You do realise that most if not all your friends that were sold probably died right? It's ridiculous that he wants everyone (enforcers and knights etc) to condemn and kill Kanata now when he never even tried to do that for his monster of a father even though he knew about his wrongdoings all this time. Ridiculous man. And like seriously, he just assumed like all the other villagers that Kanata lit the fire to cover up his murder, he didn't even ask him or anything. He just assumed it and accused him. It's like seriously kid, Kanata defended you in the beginning and believed in you, yet what do you do to repay him? Not even listen to his side of the story when he did that for you! Kids these days!

Wow, like I doubt Vicious could die so easily, but Misella is crazy, she just stabbed him through the heart to "save" Kanata from following down his evil path? Umm, I'm pretty sure you're not any better, Misella. Is there anyone around Kanata that isn't toxic?? Not that Kanata is any better since he's overly righteous in a silly way, but at least he's not crazy? Lol. Vicious is bad, but he never said he was a good person at least. Um, why does Misella think that by saying she manipulated Kanata into killing his father, it would make him not a criminal anymore? I think the fact he listened to some girl and killed his own father is even worse lol. And seriously, Kanata is a transgressor already, I doubt it's something you can revert, especially since he went against enforcers and even got the Stain of Guilt and the blood sin. There's honestly no point of her becoming a transgressor as well. And seriously, these villagers!! Do they believe anything and everything that people say? Use your own judgement seriously! Anyway, I honestly think that it's ironic how Misella wants to protect Kanata but causes so much trouble for him instead, sigh. Well, yep, Nash is pretty nuts to relish the fact that Misella is getting burned to death. Is there anyone in this game that isn't crazy?😔 I guess everything was for Misella to get a blood sin too~ Anyway, I guess now the true adventure begins? I love the ending scene to the first chapter, it really feels like the journey is just starting~

I think it's pretty nice how they addressed the idea of Kanata and them being happy whilst carrying the sins of killing people through Misella thinking that she needed to punish herself eating grass and stuff instead of the meat she likes because she "deserves" that. Obviously they shouldn't be complacent and think it's fine to kill people, but I agree with Vicious, they've already chosen to continue to live despite how painful it may be and despite how much others want them to die, so there isn't any harm in them living "normally" because that's the path they've chosen to follow now. Lmao at Misella being traumatised by Kanata's food though haha. Vicious is so funny and cool, such a silly but fun guy. Reid is a great guy, I love how he thinks that one's own impressions are worth more than what other people think. I think it's important to make your own judgement about what kind of person someone is rather than relying on stuff like rumours and stuff, although it's understandable if you do follow others, since really, they are criminals. Btw, an extra plus is that Reid is voiced by Ishida Akira!! Yes, I love Athrun Zala (Gundam Seed) and Kent (Amnesia:Memories) to name a few hahaha. HAHAHA, I love how Vicious just trashed Misella's hopes that she was special to Kanata when she asked him if he would risk his life like Veigue to get a bloodstone to save her if she was ill like Veigue's friend, and he says of course, and then Vicious asks Kanata the same thing and he says he'll save him too loll. Misella using Vicious as a scapegoat to take all the blame for injuring a kid was lol, but seriously, these adults are so childish and reliant on the vision crystals to solve all their problems. It's like wow, Veigue looks like a mean and bad person so yep it must have been him is just ridiculous, I'm so glad Reid isn't insane like them. At this point, I’m just glad there are sensible people in this story like Reid and Veigue lol.

Overall, my impression for now is pretty positive. The story isn’t great, but I do enjoy the dubiousness of everything including the main characters. The animated scenes are awesome though and the design and everything is so pretty! Aside from the bugs that are rampant (random crashing etc) throughout the game, I’ve still been quite obsessed with it that I’m playing everyday hahaha. Now if only the gleamstone draws could guarantee an SSR instead of an SR lolll. Not that I’m complaining too much I guess since I got all the summer SSRs (because Veigue and Yuri were hot, so I needed them LOL) . The game can get rather grindy though with the different materials you need and how low the drop rates can be, but it’s not too bad to get to level 80 for your characters at least. Just wanted to say, I’m happy to finally have 3-4 level 100s yay! It’s nice to see a turn-based Tales game that still relies on combos to do the best damage haha. Otherwise, if you’re wanting to try this game, this is probably a great time to do it since you get an extra 2500 gleamstones with the 1 million downloads reward right now, so you now have 4 chances to draw SSRs! (One guaranteed SSR draw, one normal gleamstones draw, the SR+ tickets draw and the normal summon tickets draw) Just keep in mind that gacha is gacha and sometimes RNG is just not on your side. For example, my bro used 15k gleamstones and got 0 SSRs, so yes, the game can get painful and depressing, but I’m here for the story so at least I’m all good haha!

[prorevenge]

Boy meets girl

I often pressed V for information on how she earned income but she would give conflicting answers about grants and scholarships until one day.... About 6 months after our first meeting, she finally tells me and IT. IS. NOT. GOOD. I was interviewing at a professional school when I receive the call, she's in trouble, BIG TROUBLE, and needs my help. She tells me she earns money by doing others' assignments for them. $200 to write a paper and $800 to complete an online class, usually a 100 level introductory course. She describes the method she uses to circumvent the ITs detection of others completing others assignment and how her client wasn't doing his part to copy/paste and submit from his own computer. He is failing the course and blames her. He threatens to turn her in. Her plan is to refund his money and wants me to 'follow him to see if he goes somewhere alone and take his phone' because that has all the evidence of their communications. HOLY SHIT! SHE WANTS ME TO COMMIT STRONG ARMED ROBBERY, a FELONY for her! I'm not going down for this or with her and I know nobody would believe me. ENTER: military experience - if there's no record, it didn't happen. So, I agree to help her, somehow, as soon as I return to town. I go to V's dorm the next night and she shows me EVERYTHING. Her list of clients, their blackboard passwords, how she meets them, how she defends them during honor code violations, etc. So I tell her not to worry, I'll handle everything on the day she refunds his money. Relieved, she goes to bed but before she lays down I ask to use her computer for on assignment and she says "sure do whatever you want". In my state, if you let someone use your electronics, its called "having privilege" and anything you do with their computer which may harm them is legal as if it your own computer. So, I took screenshots of her conversations with her clients, I open google settings and screenshot all the blackboard users and passwords stored on her computer. I go to her messenger and screenshot their conversations. Back home, I compiled our recordings and saved our facebook conversations. A week later, I made up an argument about an upcoming New Years Party and broke up with her. Then sat on the information I had on hand for 2 more weeks thinking about what I should do.

I remembered how she has a history of arrests from high school to freshman year for stealing from outlet malls and selling their loot online. Never formally charged. She, of course, omitted this from her application into professional school. How she admitted "finding a mark" and using them to pass her courses. How she denigrated others who were completing courses through hard work. How she used her position as honor council to get her friends out of trouble while helping to expel others for doing exactly what she was doing. How she cheated on me multiple times, used me, manipulated me, tried to make me commit a felony and ruin my life. SHE HAD TO BE STOPPED.

Knowing she was friends with the faculty on the honor council, they often bought each other gifts, I had to go above their heads. I gave names and descriptions of the events to my program director. He then goes to the honor council, anyway. I was called into the honor council's head office of "Corrupt Administrator" CA. CA tells me I should delete the information I have because it could become a civil matter and I should consider my "self preservation." She schedules another meeting with me a week later. I return and she asks if I want to make a statement about V. Guess what I said, I tell her "no, I deleted everything and I don't remember" because I was in the military and I know how to 'play ball' when superiors tell you to shut your mouth. But the most important reason I decided to not file against V directly was due to the fact I was applying for a military scholarship to pay for professional school. Since I did not follow through, the program director filed an honor code violation complaint against V on a date [suggested by CA]. A month later they tell me their investigation was inconclusive and they will close the case due to the director waiting 1 day too long to file according to the school's academic policy. CA set us up! However, since the director used my name as a source, they must notify V because students have rights to know their accusers. FUCK.MY.LIFE. CA fucked me and ruined any chance for a case against V based on a technicality. Now I fear for my safety because V tried to get me to strong arm rob someone now I just implicated a dozen cheaters who have as much as her to lose. CA schedules a meeting with V and tell her about an ongoing investigation and tells her she will be kept up-to-date. I know the investigation is over and now they are just doing formalities. V requests the information of the investigation and they promise to email it to her. V calls me for support even though we aren't together. She is crying and talking about killing herself. She tells me her dad had been paying for her college this whole time and starts coming clean with other lies. I feel bad and almost regret everything. Maybe she is not a sociopath, maybe she is really sorry. She stays at my house the next few days, I'm watching her trying to keep it together. THEN HER FUCKING CLIENTS START COMING TO MY HOUSE. She is still doing their assignments! She NEVER LEARNS!

Finally she gets the investigation info and there's my name. She calls me 130 times in 3 days, sends her friends to my classes to tell me to come to her house, finally I do. But I don't go into her room because she will trap me. She takes my phone so I can't record. She tries to get me to sign a paper saying I fabricated everything and its all false. I tell V, "They already closed the investigation, you wont get in any trouble why should I implicate myself and get in trouble? It wont solve anything!" And she pleads, "Do you still love me?" I shake my head and walk out. Two days later, police are waiting at my house to serve a 72 hour emergency protective order (EPO) commanding me to stay away from V. I know what she is up to. She is trying to get me to violate the protective order, discredit me, and send me to jail. Its very easy to lie to create one and lie to say it was violated.

NOW ITS NOT JUST REVENGE TIME, ITS WAR

Here's the plot twist: I never really deleted the files as I told CA. TYVM, Google drive.

After the 72 hours EPO expired, another EPO arrives which lasts two years but requires a court appearance. This is a huge problem because I am in the US Army reserves and it requires the handling of firearms which is illegal under an EPO. Her lawyer calls me and threatens me not to "participate in anymore investigations against her" and sends a paper tiger. I get a lawyer, lets name him "Folds like a lawn chair". He tells me "who will they believe: a pretty girl or you?" I fire him. Get a better lawyer, a trial lawyer, called "Miss Badass Esq." and prepare for war. Miss Badass requests a copy of V's EPO from the court. It essentially says I was blackmailing her, threatening to beat her up, and I broke into her room to steal incriminating information against her. All lies. I provide my lawyer the entire history of our relationship: 600 pages of facebook and text messages showing she is the aggressor, the abuser, in the relationship, phone call history, all the recordings and screenshots of her cheating ring. I make a poster sized chart of her room and the events that transpire there the day in question when she tried to trap me into signing a statement taking responsibility for her actions.

Courtdate: We made V and her lawyer look REALLY stupid. They were going with the 'pretty girl' strategy. But the dorm gave us records showing she was signing me in and out of her room, so it discredits the need to break in. The call logs: 130 times in 3 days and aggressive texts showed she wasn't actually afraid of me adn it was her, not me, being aggressive. And when he asked what I had to use to blackmail her, her lawyer said "just some tutoring papers" for which the judge said, "that doesn't sound like anything wrong. What power did that give him over you?" They had no response. My turn to speak, I explain how she tried to get me to rob a guy, how she wanted me to write a letter to take the blame, how she used her position as honor council chair to break state law and violate academic policy. And summarized we were only there because she wanted revenge on me. I watched V and her lawyer stutter and squirm uncomfortably under the judges questioning, case dismissed.

All that information I gathered to defend myself was not going to go to waste. I took it to a newly hired honor council investigator called "Meg" who had no affiliation with V. I told her what CA had done to defend V. A week later, I was told the by Meg there had been a meeting with the school police, the provost, their legal team, then the provost himself decided filed a complaint against V. I had to meet with the police to file a statement about V trying to recruit me to rob someone but other than that I was out of the loop. I later learned the results: V lost her her slot at that school's professional program, her program director yelled at her at the top of his lungs, "YOU WILL NEVER GO TO ********* SCHOOL, I KNOW ADMISSIONS AND I WILL SEE TO IT", she got expelled, her TWO degrees (biomedical engineering and biology with a minor in chemistry) were withheld for 6 years and her transcripts would carry a permanent mention of an honor code violation, her clients who graduated had their degrees retracted with similar mentions on their transcripts, and current clients were also expelled. The school changed its policy on reporting date requirements to like 60 or 90 days. Me? I am in professional school. V had her chance to get away with all of this until she tried to get revenge on me. I reduced this super villain from owning a fleet of beta male minions, being the most connected person in the university, and having a lucrative future in ripping people off in the medical industry to the last time I saw her: riding a fucking scooter.

(source) story by (/u/Apophis1942)

[ardent-x]

The Twins Behind the Veil

That has been a hot topic for the past few years. More and more people awaken to their mission and that’s great! But all this publicity and openness is leaving a lot of egos unsatisfied. Many people ask for their twin flame, without having much knowledge or awareness of what a twin flame really is. If you ask yourself the question “Have I met him/her?” or go ask a psychic “When will I meet them? Have I met them?” I can answer straight away, NO.

The twin is not a romantic partner, not a soulmate. It’s you. We have all heard that and it sounds very fluffy, ye ye, I know. This is what the divine showed me. That’s how they look in their pure (true) energetic form. This might help you understand better. 

The Divine Feminine 

The Divine Feminine looks like a ball of energy and light. Imagine a sphere that’s dense and thick inside, it’s like a nuclear core. It’s pure power and love, usually the feminine energy is much more powerful than the masculine cos of that reason. And usually that’s why the females are often much more emotional and emotionally intelligent than males, cos of the divine feminine. It’s a much more developed energy. However, it’s a very unprotected and unstable energy. As it expands and grows, it needs its masculine to do the same, expand to be able to contain her. 

The Divine Masculine 

Well, the DM energy is quite the opposite of course. It looks like an empty sphere, but the outside material is different. It’s almost hard, solid, unbreakable energy. Protective. It acts as the shield to the feminine, whereas the feminine acts as the nuclear core, the engine. That is why there needs to be a perfect vibrational match before they can come together. Imagine if the masculine energy is more expanded than the female. What would happen if they came together? There will be “space” , the DM will feel hollow inside if the feminine is not expanded enough. And vice versa, the feminine will feel trapped within the masculine, or the masculine will feel as if he “isn’t enough” because he truly isn’t enough on an energetic level. 

Before twins come together physically they often do the “soul merge” hence the separations. It’s the period of integration of one soul to the other. Because we are still connected, we still communicate, we are just working more on a soul level rather than a physical. And it’s one of the toughest challenges.  

ALL Twins are as well connected to small groups, connected to the collective. That’s very important to know and remember that we are not individuals, walking the path of romance. No... this is pure and unconditional love and has nothing to do with romance.  We often come here with a mission, our first mission is to come together, our next mission is perhaps have kids, prepare the new generation of twins, and our collective is to cleanse karma on a global scale. It’s the wave of “Volunteers”. It’s a fucking tough job, it’s special of course, but it’s hard, and it breaks you down to your core, often makes you wanna give up and curse your own soul for signing up. 

And just because not all twins will come together in this life, or are not even born together in this lifetime, does not mean people will not find love. Love is the basic yo. It’s the root. You can love everyone and anyone, regardless of their “soul status” to your soul. Hell, I’m one of those rare and almost non-existent cases where I still love my dark twin. Not in a romantic way, but he is kinda like a kid to me. I see a lot of potential in him, and I see him wasting it away. But I love him cos I chose to. Things could have developed in a very different way. Life separating us, even tho we were already separated from distance. But it’s all about a choice and how much you learn.

Sometimes your soul team will take action to separate you for that very reason. Because it is a hard and traumatic experience, and at some point the pain becomes suffering that’s impossible to escape. That’s usually when the true twin meeting happens. It’s a wake up call to who you are and who you can be. It’s and experience that helps you overcome the dark twin challenge much easier and faster. Anyways! I got carried away, that’s another topic.

The Mirrors 

Really each person in your life will be your mirror if you have the eyes and wisdom to see it. But it will be more of a conscious mirror, you will be reflecting back to your own self. 

The dark twin will be one of your greatest mirrors but they will mostly mirror your shadow side/darkness. They cannot reflect back to you anything else. They are much like leeches, they just take and take, and give nothing back. 

The true twin, your other self, will be able to reflect everything back at you. They will reflect back your strengths, your powers, your talents. They will also reflect back to you your shadow side, but they do it in such a fun and loving way. It’s almost like a child’s play. And it is! For twins this last life is a game, it’s a child’s play! And we often forget to enjoy it and have fun, and actually play the game. 

Each and every connection is unique. I see people trying to defy them as 1st, 2nd and 3rd wave, and yes there are some similarities, but it’s hard to make all twins fit in one or the other group. We as humans are very used to structuring and boundaries.  We want to frame info because otherwise it gets out of control and how the hell we define what’s true or not without frame, ya know? Ego >.> One of the problems of the collective we work on.  I see so many stories that do not fit in the frame. I also see many people in “delusion” so to speak, but delusion always comes from fear and lack of knowledge, but mostly fear. 

I can tell you each true divine counterpart is on a path, and most of us have made peace with the idea “I must be crazy, this can end bad.” Yes, it can, the chances are very high. It’s also very possible we are crazy and insane, and walking the path of self-destruction, but lets all face it, that’s the voice of ego, that constantly nags in your head “You can’t be THAT happy! Things cannot work out THAT WELL! This is too good to be true!” Hahahaha, too good to be true? Have you people realized how silly that sounds? :D What is the definition of something being “too good” to be true? :D

As a matter of fact here is an example of how your twin can reflect back to you your shadow without making it traumatic and painful, but on the contrary, fun and loving. I was walking to the subway, with my headphones on, having a heated mental argument/conversation with my twin. (Yep, I do that a lot, I talk to him a lot in my head, call me crazy, I know I am :D) I was nagging at him and scolding him as a teacher “Why the hell are you so damned afraid? What are you so scared of? What’s too good to be true, who are YOU to difine that? It’s YOUR EGO!” so here I am very smart and all knowing when it comes to nagging to someone else.  That same night I was having a chat with a friend and she said “I feel like ever since I came into your life and you into mine, good shit started happening. Imagine if I really came into your life when all the magic starts happening!” I was in such a bad state right then, that I remember my ego kicking in. I laughed in a disbelief and said “Yeah, that sounds too good to be true lol.” .. 

A few moments later, I look at what I wrote, as if it wasn’t me. -.-’’ What a good prank. I started laughing, I facepalmed myself and really laughed so much. Here I was scolding my counterpart when I was doing the same. I remember kinda seeing him in my mind’s eye, he laughed at me and stuck his tongue at me. And for a good reason, we were both being an asshats. 

And this is a perfect example of how the mirroring works. Neither starts first, it happens simultaneously, for we are one. 

I can go on and on for days, so please if I missed something or if you have a specific question, or just any question, just go ahead and ask me! I love to chat on that topic.

[feyland]

Initiative

I’m supposed to be working on my fic for the Bishop Myriel fundraiser buuuuut I also can’t get this concept out of my head. Blame @mardisoir for encouraging me.  Read on AO3.  Companion piece to Devil’s Backbone

“You pass through the seven gates from the palace, to the edge of the cliff that marks the border of Limbo. From below, you can hear what sounds like a massive windstorm. You can’t tell if the wailing is just the wind, or if there are voices underneath it.”

“Hang on, I want to see if I can tell that or not,” Joly said, interrupting Grantaire’s monologue.

“Alright, roll Perception.”

Joly shook the die in his cupped hands, blowing on it for luck, as he always did.

“16!”

“Alright, you can tell that the wailing is, shockingly, coming from the people who are in literal Hell. Anyway, before you can start down into the second circle, Virgil holds out a hand to make you pause. ‘I must warn you,’ he says, ‘I can guide you through the horrors of this place, but as I have no corporeal form, I cannot help you stave off any enemies. If you are attacked and killed, you will be trapped in that circle forever. Be wary. The living were never meant to see this place.’”

“So basically whenever we get into a fight, he’s going to be on the sidelines just yelling, like, ‘KICK HIS ASS!’ at us?” Bossuet asked.

“Oh, for sure,” said Grantaire, grinning. “And you know he’ll be all, ‘If I were alive I would have beaten that zombie in one move, too bad I can’t prove it.’”

Gavroche let out an impatient breath, rolling his eyes. “Can we PLEASE get to the part where we fight some things? We’ve been talking to those boring old dudes for like YEARS.”

“Okay, fine, geez, forgive me for all my creative world building.”

“You mean the world building you lifted from Dante?” Jehan said, a wicked smile on their face.

“Oh shut up Jehan. You almost peed yourself when you figured out what I was doing,” Grantaire shot back. “Anyway. You start down the steep, narrow path. As you descend, the howling gets louder, and you can feel the force of the wind picking up with every step. By the time you reach the bottom, it’s blowing so hard that your speed is reduced by half. Around you, you can see the tortured spirits being blown around roughly, alone with a significant amount of dust. Their cries combine with the howling wind, resulting in a horrible symphony of hopelessness that drowns out any other sound.”

“I want to roll Perception,” Montparnasse said. Beside him, Jehan beamed. It was the first campaign session they had managed to lure Montparnasse to. A new arc of the longstanding adventure Grantaire had started over a year before seemed the perfect place to integrate someone new. Montparnasse had danced around the suggestion of joining for several weeks, but Jehan had noticed the increasing interest in which Montparnasse had listened to their retellings of sessions.

“I wish I had had the opportunity to play when I was a kid,” they had sighed as they lay in bed with Montparnasse one night. “I played a lot of pretend, but it was mostly by myself. Sometimes I still get amazed that I have friends who like to do dorky shit with me. I’m not the weirdo talking to themself, making things up alone anymore. I’m a weirdo in a group, which is much more fun.”

Montparnasse had kissed their forehead, letting his thoughts take shape as Jehan fell asleep curled into his side. The next morning, he had dropped down next to them on the couch and asked for help filling out his character sheet.

Soon after, Montparnasse’s tiefling warlock joined Jehan’s drow ranger, Bossuet’s dwarf fighter, Joly’s elf cleric, and Gavroche’s dragonborn barbarian in an adventure of Grantaire’s making. A fitting one, Montparnasse had said, since he was already destined to end up in Hell.

“That’s a 17 plus 2,” he said to Grantaire, smirking.

“Alright, fine, you hear under very loud screaming wind the sound of something scraping alone the stone, like massive nails. Do you let anyone know?”

“Obviously. Ranavalona is true neutral, not true idiot.”

“Alright, so you say, ‘Hey I hear some weird claw-like noises,’ just as a stench of decay hits you. Out of the dust, a figure is looming. It’s a twisted version of a humanoid, huge and skeletal, gaunt skin stretched over sharp bone. It has wings like a giant insect, talons as long as short swords on its hands and feet, and a long, skeletal, scorpion tail tipped with red. This is a bone devil, and it’s your welcoming committee to Hell. Roll initiative.”

“Oh shiiiiiiit,” Bossuet said as they all reached for their dice.

Jehan snuck a glance at Montparnasse as he scrolled through the spell list on his phone. The intensity on his face made them smile. As flippant as he could be, Jehan recognized the ambition and competitiveness breaching the facade.

“Joly, you’re up,” Grantaire said once an order had been established.

“Okay, I cast Magic Circle around us. It creates a 10 foot wide, 20 foot high cylinder around us. The fiend type creature can’t enter the circle through non-magical means, and has disadvantage on attacks against any of us while we’re inside it.”

“Sweet. Nice set up,” Grantaire said. “Gav, you go.”

“I go into a rage and charge it!”

“If you do that, you’ll be out of Joly’s protective circle.”

“Whatever, man! Archibald Cunningham Pickles ain’t afraid of no bone devil!”

“Alright, roll to hit.”

The delight in Gavroche’s face as he landed blows on the devil was infectious, with even Montparnasse cracking a smile his way. Gavroche had been giddy with mirth when Montparnasse had joined the group, all too ready to mock the learning curve of a new player. Even so, there was pride in his expression when Montparnasse asked him for advice, drawing on Gavroche’s frankly astounding memory for details from the Player’s Handbook.

“The bone devil is going to go next-”

“What’s its name?” Bossuet interrupted.

“Uh, Virgil pops up beside you and says, ‘Oh shit sons, this is Cromslor the Foul’, and then he peaces out again because he's totally useless to you right now other than apparently having a great memory of the name of every single monster in the underworld. Anyway, Cromslor is going to go, and he has three attacks. First one’s aimed at you, Gav. He’s gonna try and swipe you with his claws. 14 against AC?”

“Ha! Miss! Eat shit, Cromslor!” Gavroche crowed.

“Well then he’s aiming his second hit your way too…and that’s a 22. I assume that get you?”

“Shit!”

“Watch your fucking mouth, kid. Cromslor rakes his huge, dirty, unmanicured claws across your chest, catching you for 8 slashing damage.”

“I have resistance to slashing! So that’s only 4! Suck it, Cromslor!”

“Yeah, Cromslor, get wrecked,” echoed Bossuet.

“Just for that, his last attack is coming your way, Bo,” Grantaire said with a wicked grin. “And he saved his best for last. He’s going to try and get you with his horrifying bone tail. That’s an 18.”

“That hits,” sighed Bossuet.

“But he has disadvantage because of Joly’s spell so…oh, dang, that’s a nat 20; he gets you either way. He whips his butt around, and just fuckin nails you, man. That’s, shit, 13 piercing damage, and I need you to make a constitution save to see if you’re poisoned or not.”

“Dwarves have advantage against poison…ha! 16! Does that save?”

“Shockingly, for once in your goddamn life, you actually saved against something,” Grantaire said. “He still knocked you on your ass, though. Don’t get an ego over it. Montparnasse, your turn.”

“I cast…Hunger of Hadar. A dark gateway opens in a 20-foot sphere around the devil. It’s blinded and deafened as it’s encased in a warp of time and space. It takes 2d6 cold damage, and it has to succeed a dexterity save or else take acid damage from the ‘milky, otherworldly tentacles’ that rub against it.”

A beat of silence, followed by Grantaire’s quiet, “holy shit.”

“That’s some Lovecraftian material right there,” said Jehan.

“I picked the wrong class,” said Bossuet in awe.

“Parnasse is into tent porn!” Gavroche exclaimed, delighted.

“Gav! You shouldn’t know what that is!” Joly moaned.

The game descended into madness. Hysterical laughter and the shrieks of being too deeply invested in the fantasy filled the apartment. Jehan’s lightning arrows managed to hit their target, but also caught Bossuet’s character at the same time. Wails of betrayal were voiced as Bossuet swore revenge, a promise that was challenged on account of his poor hit record, immediately exemplified as he rolled a critical fail on his attack against the bone devil. By the time Gavroche landed the final blow, cleaving the creature’s rotting head from its neck, the group was nearly in tears with laughter, working to catch their breaths as though they had fought the battle themselves.

Montparnasse’s defences, Jehan noticed, were nowhere to be seen.

[thecorefyp]

[Week 2] Summary Research Game Design: The Art & Business of Creating Games

PART 1 : CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLE OF GAME DESIGN

Recognized problems in a game after created it. But how do avoid errors ahead of time? This chapter is dealing with design principles that are broadly applicable to all game genres.

Player Empathy

Understanding how the players will think while playing in the moment.

Able to unfold the game by ourselves

At the given points we are able to think:

No designers have completely accurate foresight

Here is the situation the player faces and here is the range of choices he can make

Now what will he likely to do?

The Importance of Testers

Testers gives the insight to the designer how the game would feel like

But remember to shut designer mouth when they are testing.

Else, never discover what thousands of actual gamers will encountered when they go another way.

Feedback

The basic interactions of game and player: I do something, the computer does something in response.

The feedback is what distinguishes a game from every other form of entertainment

Interactivity, is what makes our games specials, without it = watching a movie.

Every input should give him a discernible response. No input should go unanswered.

Many form of "answers" *must have some feedback

Control feedback must exist to tell the players

visual feedback

aural feedback

tactile feedback, if controller is so equipped

can be positive feedback or negative feedback

Grounding the Player

The player should always know where he is in the game and why/what he is doing.

Any given point, he should have a immediate goal, medium range goal, long term range goal

Game is huge can easily to cause player to feel lost

No game are played start-to-finish in one setting.

Medium Range Goal: Good sized steps towards the overall goal Example: Strategy game → Build a home base ⇒ Embodied in the levels

Immediate Goal: A problem that right in front of the player. Example: Strategy game → which units to build to fend off an impending attack

Throughout the game, he should always be doing it with some idea of how this single step fits into the longer path that will eventually lead to success.

The Moment to Moment Experience

Holding the player attention consistency in the game

Player should have interesting thing to do while he is in the game

Positive: Give him a constant stream of interesting choices that have significant outcomes

Negative: Not saddling him with tedious activities

Tips on avoiding dead spots:

Don't let player perform a complex actions twice

Render transitions have an option to bypass including cut scenes, audio and dialogs

Bypass the repeat transitions

Avoid text or dialog dumps

Automatic tasks that are boring

Immersion

compelling moment to moment experience design

bathe the players with a constant stream of image

Avoid gaffes

from typos to bad voice acting

stupid AI

changes of graphical style

Writing

Good writing can enhance the immersion of game

Design Within Limits

Consideration of :

budget and time

technical features that works that without crashing the player's machine

Removing Impediments 移除障碍

Technical problems (excessive disc swapping, long load time, game interruptions, bugs etc.) that need to solve in order to improve the moment to moment experience.

Disc Swapping

Not so much worries in current days, but we should keep in mind to reduce the amount of disc and swapping disc while produce the CD video games.

Load Time

Achieving Shorter loading time. Tech lead should encounter this problem to reduce the load time. Method to solve:

Reduce the size of level

Designate points along the way where to pause the game for short seconds for loading (ref. Half-Life)

Game Interruption

Not bringing back the player to the starting point while hitting the failures. Reduce the chance of him giving up.

Saving the Game

Horrible to not have a saving game method. Find a way for player to save his game or auto-save if possible. Autosave + Manual save is always a good choice

Housekeeping

Activities that the player should be able to perform at any point of game.

Pause

Quit, but reduce the chance he wanted to quit

Save/Load

Option Screen, easy accessible

Help

Bugs

Bug free on several ways:

Clear on Design Document

Be flexible in creating your design

Stay involve through the whole development cycle

Keep a level ahead

Interface Design

Creating a good looking, yet functional, interface is one of the most underrated tasks of game design — but it is vital to make it right.

Screen Layout should be aesthetically pleasing

Vital Information must be easier to get. Player should understand what is going on at a glance. (example: HUD)

Controls must be clear

Hone the input at the minimum number of non-awkward clicks, key presses or button pushes

Do not RELY on instinct to build Interface Design

Required to be tested by team → users.

Pay attention to the conventions in the genre

Elegance and ease of use are more important than increased functionality

Prototype the interface early and keep noodling with it

Keep come back to this over and over again throughout the development process

Not to confuse player

Game should be easy to play and the interface is help to do things quickly and simply

The Start-up Screen

A start-up screen that accommodate to all these users:

first time playing video games?

Expertise and need to go through game ASAP etc.

More different users

Start-up screen should give the player the option to:

"NEW GAME"

Loading a Saved Game

Going to Tutorial and Practice Area

Opening the options menu to tweak features

Replaying the opening movie (just in case people missed it, but the movie should be have option to bypass it)

Customizable Controls

Give the player as much controls over the interface as possible

Make everything adjustable:

Game controls, monitor settings, graphics settings, volume etc.

Provide best default settings we can arrives

Different people have different feeling, so customizable controls are very important

Clear option screen is important

Tutorial / Practice Mode

Some people want to directly jump into games, others might not.

Tutorial gives the player hand-on experience without endangering him.

A way to introduce mechanism

Cannot assume the player will actually play the tutorial

If the mechanism is important, then it is important to introduce it that he hasn't learned those yet which return to tutorial

Any opportunity that we could introduce the tutorial directly into the storytelling?

Structure and Progression

A game should be easy to learn but difficult to master.

Different genre have different meaning for the progression leap.

For puzzle game;

It is important to make the first level easy

"Let the game begin" should be my motto

First 15 minutes of the game should attract the player into the game

Balancing the difficulty of the level of the game.

First level easy, and not too hard

Intermediate level should not be too easy, if so the player will lose interest.

Final level should be hardest of all, and should balance between challenging and impossible

A game is too hard is no fun

Intuitive leap puzzle;

scatter examples of that kind of leap elsewhere prior to the player's encountering the puzzle

Sense of mastering and progression

Must listen to the testers' feedbacks of the level difficulties

Taking Care of the Player

You are not the player's opponents or enemy

Our job is to help the player to enjoy the game we created

My goal is not to beat the player

A good designer tries to help players get through the game.

Dead Man Walking

Do not put the player in the position that he cannot win and does not know it.

Bring the important tools on the player sights and get his notice about it for further use

Do not hide them away and cause them frustrated

Protect Newbies

Game start and make it easy for the player.

Ease him till he get his confidence.

Make the first puzzle easy

Play it Again, Sam

As read, the author wanted to share that designers should not make the game that which hits players badly while they make a single mistake. 

Ways to solve this is to have a save point in the middle of the level.

Checkpoints to the progression

Avoid to design one of these

But recently, the game market began different, they have ridiculous game like Getting Over it, which the player would fail and fall back to the points.

Give the Player the Information He needs

All the knowledge a player needs in order to play the game should be included within the game

Cannot rely on strategy guide, web sites, word of mouth to supply the critical information

In the game rather than in the manual

Many games have undocumented features — special move or tricks that aren't mentioned on the manual

can be fun, but make sure it is not essential for finish the game

Tricky question on dealing with, "everyone knows"

if the game rely on specific knowledge, make sure it is within the game

Reduce Player Paranoia

Give some small, incremental rewards to the player to reduce their paranoia

Gently steer the player in the right direction

HOW TO DESIGN

Create an Integrated Whole

When we have the high concept, it is just the time to build it with multiple questions to ourselves

Thus, lastly and longer the world will build itself

Economy of Design

In game development, economy of design also helps us to schedule and budget.

If we know what to build, we will not waste time and money to create materials that are not important

High concept also important in this regard, the features keep poping and we cannot do it all

Thus can help us to decide what to keep and what to ignore

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

If we create something interested to us, then the ideas comes out naturally.

Balance the idea and those with the team.

A visionary guys is needed to central the idea and all proposals and suggestion against it

Game Design is a collaborative art, and you need contributions from multiple discipline

such as story, art, programming, gameplay, sound, music and even sales and marketing.

Cabal approach.

set up a highly focus SWAT teams, each of them have one specific mission

Brainstorming approach

gather members to open discussion

small in group, make more focus

game designer can mull around the ideas, either accept or decline the ideas

[listnrpodcast]

How to start podcast in 2020-21? | Listnr Co.

If you’re a blogger, trying to establish a brand, you should definitely launch your own podcast series. If you don’t have one, you’re missing out a large audience. Did you know that around 73 million Americans identify as regular podcast listeners? Even if you’re not a person who writes a lot but love to talk about your passion or field of expertise on and on and if you think that might help people in their life, you can definitely start a podcast series instead of blogging.

I know it’s quite intimidating for the beginners and so here we’re to help you! We’ll be discussing everything from how to start a podcast? and Essential components/ equipment to start a podcast. Then, of course, your audience wants to find you so we’ll be looking into some of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Things to do before starting a podcast:Figuring out the niche:

Keep this in mind, the niche which you’re about to choose must excite you as well as the audience. Think from the audience perspective, do they really need to hear your podcast, if yes, is there a strong why behind it? The topic/ niche should be quite demanding. The easy way to gain an audience by choosing the right niche. For example, if you think a topic has a huge audience and not much competition, go for it.

Deciding the name of your podcast:

The name of the podcast something should be related to your niche. So make sure whether a domain name (should be the name of your podcast) is available or not. Then check for the social media pages as well.

Establishing a style:

The main styles of podcasting:

Solo: In the solo Podcast, you’ll share your thoughts and ideas and won’t have other people/guests in your podcast series.

Having a Guest: Here you’ll be interviewing some great people of your niche to listen and share their perspective to the world.

Essential Equipment for the podcast:

You will be surprised to know that many people give up listening to a podcast series just because of the bad audio quality — fuzzy, too quiet, or even too loud. So you have to make sure the sound quality is good and you have to know some basic audio editing skills (Don’t worry when you have the right software, it’s easy).

This also means you’ll need a decent microphone. You don’t need to afford an expensive mic — especially right at the start. Even most modern microphones can work if you’re a beginner, or you can spend a little on a USB mic that plugs into your computer. Let’s look into these in detail later. Keep reading!

Basic software programs to start a podcast:Software for recording:

For recording, you’ll need software that serves two main purposes:

Recording the audio

Editing it into a proper episode.

Some of the best software programs are:

Skype: Easy to record, there are still people using skype to record their podcast even after they succeeded in their field.

Zoom: A lot of people use Zoom as it’s a free conferencing program, also it’s quick and convenient for the guests to join.

Zencastr: Zencastr is highly recommended, it has both free and paid options. It records each person’s audio on its track which makes it so much easier while editing, and it also exports the audio in studio-standard quality, removing some of the little noises that might happen while recording.

Listnr: Probably the easiest way to start a Podcast, ever. Listnr helps you Start a Podcast just by entering your Script into its Editor and Voila! You have your Podcast in under 5 minutes!

Audacity: No matter if you are windows or mac user, Audacity is cross-platform and is completely free. You can record and edit from there. You can add music, background, can mix 2–3–4 voices whatever channels of voices you have. Also, you can make you sound professional by adding effects to it.

Getting music:

Integrating music into the introduction of each podcast episode helps to set your content apart and adds a bit of flair to it. These are usually short voice-overs with music that are available, that introduces the podcast, the host, or the tagline of your podcast. You can record it yourself or choose any royalty-free music available on the Internet.

Export your MP3:

You need to publish the podcasts on a hosting service in an MP3 format, especially on platforms where they have bandwidth restrictions. Since some podcast hosts charge extra if you are posting a bigger file. Hence, during the export process, you should keep your MP3 files as small as possible without compromising the quality.

After exporting the MP3, you need to tag it with metadata, such as your podcast name, logo, description, and website URL. This will make sure that your audience gets all of the information that they need about your podcast.

Launching and promotion:

Once you have episodes ready to go and have published them on your hosting account, you have to promote your podcast regularly on your social media pages. You do a pre-promotion or post promotion with a teaser or you can even add some behind the scenes to get the audience interested. Post at least once a day, not just promoting your podcast but some other valuable content related to your niche. By this way, you’re letting people know that you are working very hard to help people with your free valuable content.

Submit to directories:

After you publish your podcast, you have to select a podcast directory where listeners discover, listen, and subscribe to your podcasts. You need to post an RSS feed link that you get from the podcast host to the directory of your choice. You can select one or multiple podcast directories depending on your strategy, but make sure to choose them wisely.

Here are some of the best options for directories:

iTunes

Spotify

Google Play Music

Stitcher

Blubrry

SoundCloud

Pocketcasts

Essential Equipment to start a Podcast:

It really depends on your budget when it comes to purchasing all the equipment, but whatever level you’re currently at, be it beginners or professional, here’s a handy list of essential equipment you need to start a podcast.

Microphones:

Don’t go for your computer’s built-in microphone as the audio quality will be bad. The easiest way to get started is to use a USB microphone. To have the option to record top notch sound, you’ll need a different simple or USB amplifier. Most tenderfoot podcasters go for USB mics as it permits them to just fit their amplifier straight into their PC and begin recording. It starts from $100.

Pop Filter:

Another urgent hardware that will assist you with catching extraordinary sounding vocals is a pop channel or windscreen. Its fundamental intention is to limit or forestall “plosives, for example, your P’s and T’s, by retaining those incredible impacts of air before the sound arrives at your receiver. Usually you can get the pop filters for 10 to 50 dollars.

Mic Stand:

However, it is crucial to understand that you can’t host a podcast while holding the microphone in your hands. Even if you are trying, it may add more noise to your audio. To set up your amplifier and pop channel together, you’ll need a solid mic stand. However, that is not by any means the only utilization of a mic stand; it will likewise assist you with situating your mouthpiece appropriately so you don’t need to twist forward or downwards to have the option to talk into the receiver. Mic stands are available from $20.

Shock Mount:

It is designed to protect a microphone from shocks and vibrations. Most mics used in home recording studio setups are overly sensitive to such disturbances. This, in turn, can affect the bass of your sound. Therefore, it is recommended to use one to retain the tone and texture of your voice. It starts from $50.

While some mics come with one, others don’t. The best option is to buy a dedicated option from the mic’s manufacturing company. However, check the mic’s diameter and ensure that it fits perfectly.

Headphones:

Headphones fill in as your sound screen, which is the reason you’ll regularly discover podcasters (and in any event, recording specialists) with Headphones while recording. It could be peculiar hearing your own voice from the outset, however, it’s the most ideal approach to check for any covering clamour and lopsided mic sound levels. And so, you don’t need to do retakes. It ranges from $50 to $150.

Headphone Amplifier:

Each speaker on your show will require an earphone screen, so you’ll require a multi-channel earphone intensifier that can oblige more than one earphone jack and boost the full solid quality capability of every one of your earphones. A headphone amplifier costs around $500.

Audio Interface:

A sound interface fundamentally fills in as the extension that changes over the amplifier’s sound signs into advanced so you can “send” them to your computer for playback, blending, and transfer.

As recently referenced, some USB mouthpieces can be stopped straightforwardly into your PC. Some podcasters like to utilize the wizardry of a sound interface in keeping up the nature of the first sound, rather than depending on the PC’s sound card for the basic sound change.

Mixer:

Like a sound interface, a mixer improves your sound by giving you more power over sound levels, sources of info, yields, and the sky’s the limit from there. Most computerized sound workstations (DAWs) will permit you to mix and ace different sound channels on your PC. However, besides some podcasters’ inclination to do it physically, once in a while there are no decision, particularly when you will have far off (bring in) visitors. A mixer costs around $150.

Cables:

Contingent upon your picked web recording design, there might be occasions when you have to do talks with the outside of the studio. For this situation, we highly suggest that you utilize a dependable, compact sound recorder to catch and spare your sound to a micro SD card.

Sound Proofing Materials:

Similarly, as with a chronicle studio, you’ll have to give your room some acoustic therapy. The degree will rely upon how much reverberation or reverb is available, beside the measure of outer commotion originating from outside the room, assuming any.

In any event, you’ll have to apply acoustic boards on the dividers (and perhaps on the roof). Become familiar with room soundproofing to comprehend what your room needs to change into a soundproof recording studio. Sound proofing materials starts from 100 dollars.

Audio Editing Software (DAW):

Enough about the room and your equipment. Whenever you’ve indicated your outer gear, remember to decide the chronicle programming that you will use on your PC. Your decision relies upon your PC’s working framework; however, you can discover a great deal of free, cross-stage programming programs (like Adobe Audition) that you can use with your PC and Mac.

Before you begin recording, set aside the effort to find the absolute best webcast recording programming and their highlights to discover which one best suits your sound altering needs and expertise level. If you’d like to out source this job, you’ve to pay around 500 dollars per month for weekly shows.

Podcast Host:

The last significant advance of the podcasting work cycle is getting your webcast on iTunes or other facilitating administrations (after you’ve recorded and altered it). This is the place where you will ideally begin getting heard and picking up prevalence, particularly in case you’re intending to bring in some money from your digital broadcasts.

There are loads of other mainstream digital broadcast stages are available besides iTunes and SoundCloud. While it assists with presenting your show to those with the biggest audience, you’ll have to pick the correct one for your niche to effectively arrive at your ideal segment — so pick admirably! The hosting usually costs around $20/ month.

Best Podcast Hosting Sites:

There are several options to consider when it comes to podcast hosting, below are the best podcast hosting companies.

Spotify:

Spotify is the best music, podcast, and video streaming application available on mobile or tablet. It has free as well as paid options, the free accounts remain available to listeners by invitation to manage the growth. The launch also opened paid subscriptions to everyone. Spotify gives your ability to seamlessly access and controls your favourite music and podcasts. You can even make and share playlists. It is becoming an increasingly important player in the world of podcasting.

Buzzsprout:

Buzzsprout is one of the easy ways of hosting, promoting, tracking your podcast. It helped many people to start their own podcast. You can upload up to two hours of audio per month, but all those episodes are only hosted for 90 days. It is a fantastic platform for a beginner as it offers a simple dashboard that shows your listener data, number of impressions, location demographics — and many others.

Blubrry:

Blubrry is the podcast hosting with WordPress integration using the PowerPress plugin. This platform gives advanced statistics for your podcast and other audio files. Podcast Hosting by Blubrry is highly optimized for those who are using WordPress with PowerPress and it is quite simple to use. You can access your account from your online dashboard from a mobile device. It can also manage advertising deals for organizations.

Spreaker:

Spreaker Studio was the first podcasting application which supported Chrome. It presents a unique listening experience, podcasters can create, analyze, distribute and monetize professional sounding audio. This platform enables anyone to participate in and interact with the community of audio creators and listeners.

Listnr:

Here you’ll find a cool solution to all your podcast issues. Listnr helps users start a Podcast in 50+ voices without recording anything. Yes, it converts your blog posts or any text for Voice-overs or podcasts.

Bonus — Listnr has a Lifetime Deal (till December 1st) where you can get a lifetime deal of Listnr just for $59 and the product will be all yours, you don’t need to pay for a monthly subscription.

If you’re hesitating to buy the whole package for the lifetime, there is a 30 Day Refund policy as well for you to get to know the platform.

These are the features that are available in the Lifetime deal package of Listnr:

45,000 Words Per Month

200 GB Storage

Unlimited Podcast Hosting

Distribute on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and many more using RSS Feed.

1 User Account

17+ Languages with 70+ Voices (more coming soon)

Unlimited Embeddings

Podbean:

With the help of Podbean, you can create professional podcasts in very less time without any knowledge of programming. This platform tracks your podcast’s performance and understands your audience better. You can record, publish and manage podcasts right from the app. It helps you to earn money with paid subscriptions or fees.

Patreon:

Patreon is a simple Podcast platform that helps you to build a community around your content. This platform helps you by creating RSS feed, exclusively for the users. Patreon allows the user to set several subscriber levels, with other crowdfunding platforms, the more you give, the more you receive from them.

Anchor:

Anchor is known for its free podcast platform. Anchor helps you to create, distribute, and monetize your podcast from any device, for free. Anchor podcast is accessible to everyone, it has no storage limits and no trial period. The platform has a built-in ad platform, which offers easy editing.

Libsyn:

Libsyn is one of the oldest and largest podcast media hosts, it is a Blubrry alternative and it provides podcast hosting to connect with your audience wherever they are. Libsyn podcast hosting plans are flexible, easy to change, transfer, and are packed with trusted features. It also has some cost-effective plans to meet your needs.

Transistor:

It is one of the newest hosting and analytics platforms. It helps you to store your MP3 files, and generates your RSS feed, host your podcast’s website, and helps to distribute your show to the world. It’s user-friendly migration, uploads and directory listing are very simple to use.

Which platform you’re about to use to start your podcast? Let us know in the comments!

With 💗

— Team Listnr

[tenroseforeverandever]

Dear Father Christmas... Chapter 18: December 24, 2033

MASTERPOST

Characters:  Tentoo; Rose Tyler; Jackie Tyler; Pete Tyler; Tony Tyler; OC Hope Tyler-Noble; OC Charlotte Tyler-Noble; OC Wilfred Tyler-Noble; OC Therin Thomson; Javic Thane

Rated: Teen

Tags: Family!Fic; Kid!Fic; Pete’s World; Letters to Santa; Christmas Fic; Family; Fluff; Hurt/Comfort; Angst; Romance; Love; gun violence; violence resulting in death; life-threatening injury; life threatening situations

Summary: When Rose Tyler was little, she always wrote a Christmas wish list to Father Christmas. As she grew older, the wish list became more of a letter to someone she could confide in once a year, but she fell out of the habit somewhere along the way. Now, as a new mum, celebrating her daughter’s first Christmas, Rose takes up writing her Christmas letter to Father Christmas once again.

Rose’s Christmas letters are excerpts from her life with her beloved Tentoo and their children in Pete’s World, written once a year, for each of 31 years.

Chapter Summary: When Rose receives a call telling her that Hope is unwell, she and the Doctor go to her rescue and run into a very familiar stranger.

Notes: @rose–nebula and mrsbertucci   are the absolute best. Thank-you, my darlings.

Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for their 31 Days of Ficmas prompts. The prompt I used today was Ice.

Also read at: AO3; FF.net; Teaspoon

December 24th, 2033

Dear Father Christmas,

It’s a funny little multiverse. After everything I’ve experienced throughout space and time, and in multiple universes, I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason (or at least that there are no coincidences.) I could chalk this up to being the natural consequence of the way the multiverse works or some sort of divine intervention. The Doctor would probably say it was something else entirely, and he’d be right.

I know for a fact that much of my life has not been a result of random chance. Intervention, yes, but not divine by any means. I created the words. I scattered them in time and space. I saw everything: all that is; all that was; all that ever could be. But I had no experience or skill, and I had the emotional intelligence of a nineteen year old London shop girl. I’d tweaked timelines here and there, an imperfect attempt to control my fate, the Doctor’s fate. Sporadically, the words still appear sometimes, and when they do, we can only hold on tight and ride out what Bad Wolf has in store for us.

Last week, my mobile rang while I was at work. I was teaching Integration 101 to a diverse group of newly settled aliens, doing some role play on basic greetings, body language, and personal space. It wasn’t going very well, especially the personal space portion. The classroom was full of irritated voices as the group came to terms with the fact that personal space meant something very different for each species and none of it was appropriate for human interaction.

I was frustrated to say the least, especially when the Glooboorg insisted on bouncing around the room (literally! Its body was very rounded and elastic and, well… bouncy. Friendly as they are, I’m not certain the human race is quite ready to meet the Glooboorgs, and perception filters can only filter out so much.)

Anyway, I was unable to reach my phone before it rang out, but it was just Hope. She didn’t leave a message, so I assumed she’d realized I was busy and she would try to reach me later. It wouldn’t be the first time. But then, just as I was turning back to call my class to order, she rang again. The group was noisy and boisterous and I could barely hear the voice on the other end of the line. But I could hear enough to know that it wasn’t Hope.

It was male.

It said: “Mrs. Tyler-Noble?” There was something familiar about the voice… the accent perhaps. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The din in the classroom was making it difficult to sort it out.

Anyway, I confirmed who I was, and asked him what the hell he was doing with my daughter’s mobile. My heart went into overdrive when he told me.

He said my daughter was unwell, but he was keeping her safe for the time being. He didn’t know where she lived, and she wasn’t in any condition to talk, and did I know her address so he could take her home.

I had so many questions. So many! But I couldn’t even think of what to ask. I turned to the class and told them to hush so I could hear, so I could think. I finally told the man I would be right there to take care of Hope myself.

“Sorry? What? How is that possible?” He seemed quite capable of coming up with great questions. He wasn’t panicking about his seventeen year old daughter, unconscious in the arms of a stranger, a thousand light years and three times that in temporal years away. “I should tell you my name and where we are, at least, don’t you think?”

I couldn’t argue with that, though I could easily trace her mobile and have the TARDIS lock onto her coordinates. Still, even as frightened as I was, I had the sense to know it would be best not to materialize the TARDIS in too public a spot.

He told me his name, but I barely caught it in the uproar caused by the Glooboorg knocking over one of the other students. It sounded something like “Derrek Shane”. He confirmed he was on Edifinol Beta, and in the city where Hope was studying. I could hardly hear him, to be honest. But all the maddening distractions faded into the background when he told me where in the city I’d find him.

“We’re just outside a club. It’s called The Bad Wolf.”

--ooOoo--

The Doctor was already waiting for me by the time I dismissed my class early for the day and gathered my things. He had the car running and we took off at high speed. It took a frustratingly long time to get home, and we decided we would “time it”, and program the TARDIS to land a minute or so after my conversation with the stranger (Derrek someone-or-other) had ended.

We landed in an alley about a block away from the club, the TARDIS materializing as our favourite (and somewhat reassuring) blue Police Public Call Box. It was night, but the streets in the area were well lit and designed primarily for foot traffic, so although it was busy, it was quite easy to find the club. But even if it hadn’t been visible, honestly, the waves of music throbbing from it would have given it away.

There sitting on a public bench, slumped against a young man’s shoulder was Hope. I rushed toward her across the street, shouting her name. The Doctor was hot on my heels.

The young man looked up at me and I swear I nearly passed out from shock.

“Hey,” he said. “You weren’t kidding about getting here fast! Pretty impressive. I’d like to get my hands on that kind of technology. I mean Hope’s told me about how she comes from a very distant colony. To get here that quickly...”

“Jack?” The only word that came out of my mouth, because that’s who it was, sitting right in front of me with his arm around my daughter… Jack Bloody Harkness. But so young, maybe in his mid-twenties

“Nope, sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else. Javic Thane’s the name.” He held out his hand to me, and stunned, I extended my hand to him. He brought it to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “Well, I can certainly see where your daughter comes by her good looks.”

Despite my overwhelming worry for Hope, I found something comforting in the familiarity of his audacious come-ons, and cheesy pick-up lines, so much like the man I once knew.

The Doctor growled. “You can just stop flirting with my wife, right now.”

I raised an eyebrow at Jack… sorry, no… Javic, and sat on the other side of Hope. I pulled her against me, relief flooding through me to have her in my arms.

“I was just saying hello.” (Of course he would answer with that!)

“For you, that’s flirting. And if I find you’ve been trying to pull my daughter…”

“Whoa! Wait a minute, Mr. Tyler-Noble−”

Blimey, the Doctor hated that title. “No, don’t call me that. I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor Tyler-Noble?”

“No, just the Doctor.”

Jack… Javic seemed skeptical about the name but he ploughed on with his story. “All right… Doc, (do you mind if I call you Doc?) listen I do admit, when your daughter first walked into the club, I was attracted to her. I mean, who wouldn’t be. She’s… well, she’s beautiful.” He hurried on with his story when the Doctor growled again. Apparently when he’d spoken to Hope, he’d realized how young she was and had immediately stopped trying to pull her. She’d seemed a little out of her element and he was trying to be nice. He’d bought her a drink (non-alcoholic at her request); something he described as a Virgin Ginger Cream Schnapps, a drink popular for kicking off the Festivitide season. They had talked for a bit while she sipped her drink and then, her confidence bolstered, she’d run off to join her friends.

The Doctor, of course, accused him of spiking her drink with something.

“First, that’s illegal, and while I’m not above a having little fun at the expense of the authorities, I could never do that to another person. That’s not fun. It’s just wrong. And second, why the hell would I spike her drink and then call you up to come get her? Your logic’s flawed, Doc.”

I confirmed Javic’s story. I’d run a quick scan of Hope with my sonic: she was drunk, but there were no other drugs in her system. I asked him if he knew how she got drunk, since it seemed she’d been planning to stick with virgin drinks.

“Well, you understand, it’s not like I was stalking her or anything, but there was something about her… Look Doc, I told you, it was nothing like that. I just felt like… I needed to protect her, and believe me, it sounds as unlikely to me as it does to you.”

He said she’d gone off with her friends, and then he told us about Alko-Ice, a new product that was making the rounds in clubs. Apparently, the molecular structure of alcohol was modified so it could be frozen at temperatures just below the freezing point of water. The kids played a game with it, a race to see who could melt the most ice chips on their tongue in the least amount of time.

“But, seriously,” he said, “there’s not much alcohol in them. The kids just like the nifty flavours and colours they come in.” He went on to explain that Hope hadn’t really looked as though she’d wanted to play, but her friends had been pretty pushy about it. Javic had even been about to intervene, but she’d already started. “Doc, she didn’t even play for that long. She couldn’t; could barely even stand after the first few minutes.”

True enough. I noticed there was actually hardly any alcohol in her system, certainly not enough to account for her current state, and while she was clearly very intoxicated, none of my scans indicated she was in any immediate danger.

After I nudged him over our bond, the Doctor grudgingly thanked Javic for looking after Hope. He extended his hand for a handshake, but in true “Jack” style, Javic brought the Doctor’s hand to his lips the way he’d done mine. “Well, it’s been a slice.” He made to walk away, back inside the club, but he turned to us before he slipped in. “Hey, if you two are ever up for a ménage à trois… It could be fun. I don’t like to boast, but I’m not just another pretty face…” He ran a long, lingering look over the Doctor’s slim body, which earned him another impatient growl. “All right, all right, I’m going!”

I called good-bye and thank-you to him, and he waved cheekily as he turned to the bouncer at the door of the club and immediately tried to pull him. I don’t care what the hell he called himself… that was Jack Harkness.

--ooOoo--

Back in the safety of the TARDIS, the Doctor did a proper scan of Hope. It seems she’s inherited the Time Lord sensitivity to ginger. Even a smidge of it will render a Time Lord susceptible to the effects of alcohol. In short, despite superior physiology, they can get thoroughly plastered (as I have been lucky enough to witness on at least one occasion.) Poor Hope, with otherwise mostly human physiology, and having consumed a large amount of ginger in the “ginger cream schnapps”, was probably completely pissed before she’d barely swallowed more than three of those Alko-Ice chips.

The Doctor administered something to counteract the effects of the ginger, so her body could process the alcohol properly. He waited impatiently for her to wake up, pacing, and projecting his anger and disappointment over our bond. I tried to get him to calm down, but he wasn’t having any of it. Eventually he left the infirmary, probably off to fiddle with bits of the TARDIS, keeping himself busy while he waited.

Hope finally opened her eyes blearily (the Doctor told me she would likely have one hell of a hangover), and looked around her, confused. I stroked her hair, projecting my love to her.

“Mama?” Oh my heart! She hadn’t called me that since she was about three or four. I just kept sending her my love, and I explained to her what had happened. She was frightened and so very sorry to have made us worry. She and her friends had gone out to celebrate the end of their first term. She’d never planned to drink or even try those ice chips. Her friends had been so insistent, she figured she’d just have one or two to appease them, and then back out, but she’d started feeling so faint…

That’s when the Doctor decided to bluster in like the Oncoming bloody Storm. Honestly, I’ve never seen such a rant. It started off with “You, little madam…” and ended a long while later with some nonsense about her coming home with us and never coming back to “…this blasted Slytheen’s arse of a planet.” Hope was beside herself, sobbing and pleading with him to reconsider, but he’d stomped off, ignoring any of my attempts to mentally calm him. A few seconds later, I felt the TARDIS’ flight sequence activate. Apparently, we were heading home.

I told Hope to give him time, and suggested she should just come and spend Christmas with us, but she was hysterical. She couldn’t miss classes. The new term was beginning in two days, and Christmas was still a week away…

“We have a time machine, Hopie,” I reminded her. “I imagine we can break our rules, just this once, and time it for you.” We’d already timed it to come to get her tonight, but I wasn’t about to tell her that! “Your Dad’s going to need to cool off, yeah, but he’ll come around.”

--ooOoo--

The Doctor had been scared. I get that. But it was only this morning, a full week later, he finally admitted he “might have overreacted”.

I’d been after him all week to ease up a bit. I made the mistake of telling him that when I was even younger than Hope, I’d gone to clubs nearly every weekend, and frequently come home pissed. I think I just made things worse. He lost it… again. Said he didn’t need me to tell him that. He knew. After he’d lost me to this universe, he admitted he’d go back in time to watch over me and make sure I was safe. He said he’d bumped into Jack a few times, too, doing the same.

I didn’t know whether to feel angry or grateful toward the two idiots. It was all they could do, I suppose, protecting a younger me from the world. In the end, I just felt loved, by the older brother I always wished I’d had, and the man I wanted to spend forever with.

But it wasn’t lost on me, the similarity between Jack watching over me and Javic looking out for Hope, and it made me think. I still couldn’t figure out what had rattled the Doctor more: the idea of Hope going to a club, or the appearance of Bad Wolf and our not-so-coincidental meeting of Jack’s parallel counterpart. I’m guessing probably the combination of both.

I know he wasn’t impressed with my teenaged self’s frequent drunkenness, at least not now that we have children of our own. The idea of Hope going to a club and possibly behaving like that must have been eating away at him, but I eventually managed to assure him that Hope was nothing like me, at least in this. She’s much more level-headed than I ever was. (I decided to keep my thoughts about Charlie to myself; she was very much more like me… but the Doctor didn’t need to be worrying about that just now!)

As for Javic, what worried the Doctor most about him, I think, was that this was someone whose parallel self, had been a swindler and a con man before we crossed paths with him, not to mention a pan-sexual lothario. But I think I managed to convince him on this too. Javic’s past may have been very different from Jack’s, and I firmly believe, in spite of him being a fraud, Jack had been a good and loyal person who just got off on the wrong track for a while. Having us in his life had changed that. Maybe Hope’s presence would affect Javic. He had certainly put his lothario status aside to protect her, a brotherly act, very similar to how Jack always used to treat me once he realized how much me and the Doctor loved one another, though it took us forever to realize it ourselves.

Apparently, I had managed to get through to the Doctor, ‘cause I came down to the kitchen this morning to find Hope and him making banana pancakes together, and sharing a huge, warm hug. So, needless to say, Hope is spending Christmas with us, and the next morning she’ll be returning to Uni on Edifinol Beta, and we will be timing it to make sure she doesn’t miss any classes.

And as for Javic Thane, if I as Bad Wolf, had seen fit to ensure our paths crossed, I couldn’t believe it was just a passing fancy. He had stumbled across our family for a reason. This wouldn’t be the last time we’d see him, I was sure of it. We would all just have to hold on tight and ride out whatever Bad Wolf had in store for us.

Thanks for listening, Santa. I hope you are lucky enough to come across old friends in your travels, this year. My love to all,

Rose

[jesseneufeld]

All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ

The liver is incredible. Most people think of it as a filter, but filters are physical barriers that accumulate junk and have to be cleaned. The liver isn’t a filter. It’s a chemical processing plant. Rather than sit there, passively receiving, filtering out, and storing undesirable compounds, the liver encounters toxic chemicals and attempts to metabolize them into less-toxic metabolites that we can handle.

It oxidizes the toxins, preparing them for further modification

It converts the toxins to a less-toxic, water-soluble version that’s easier to excrete

It excretes the toxins through feces or urine

Bam. It’s an elegant process, provided everything is working well back there. And it’s not the only process it controls.

The liver is the primary site of cholesterol synthesis and disposal. It creates cholesterol as needed and converts excess into bile salts for removal via the bile duct. The liver also plays a huge role in the burning of fat for energy, the storage of vitamin A, the metabolism of hormones, and the regulation of blood sugar. If you enjoy burning ketones, you can thank the liver because that’s where they’re produced.

The liver supports full-body health, in other words. If it isn’t working correctly, nothing is. Everything starts to fall apart.

How do we support the liver?

It’s not one thing we do. It’s many things. It’s nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle, sleep — everything. It’s also the things we don’t do. The stakes are high, you see. Whenever there’s a grand overarching orchestrator regulating dozens of different processes in the body, you must protect it from multiple angles. A lot can go wrong. Or right, depending on how you look at it.

Since the liver is “hidden away” and you can’t really “feel” it, you may not give it too much thought. When you’re overweight, you know it. When your fitness is suffering, you consciously experience it. When your liver is overburdened or suffering, you don’t necessarily know it. That’s where doing the right things for the sake of doing them comes in handy.

So, what should you do to maintain pristine liver health?

Stay on track no matter where you are. Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Eating Out

11 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Liver

Liver health depends on steps you take toward a healthy lifestyle, and equally as important, the things you refrain from doing. Here are some things you can to to contribute to lifelong liver health:

Reduce linoleic acid intake

Reduce refined carb intake

Reduce alcohol intake

Stop overeating, and lose weight

Practice time-restricted eating

Eat fatty fish and get omega-3s

Eat egg yolks and other choline sources

Take NAC

Take whey protein

Regularly deplete your liver glycogen

Get good, regular sleep

Reduce Linoleic Acid Intake

When a patient can’t eat, they get something called parenteral nutrition — a direct infusion of nutrients into the gut. The classic parenteral nutrition consists of an emulsion of olive oil and soybean oil. It’s very rich in linoleic acid and typically leads to elevated liver enzymes and fatty liver. That’s right: the medical establishment for whatever reason just accepts that people receiving parenteral nutrition have a high chance of developing fatty liver disease.

Okay, but what’s happening here? Is it really causal? Yes. The more linoleic acid you eat, the more oxidized metabolites of linoleic acid show up in your body. The more oxidized metabolites of linoleic acid you have, the higher your risk of fatty liver. These toxic metabolites of LA are actually full-fledged biomarkers of liver injury.4

The bottom line: your liver prefers smart fats like avocado oil, butter, lard, fatty fish, and olive oil over industrial seed oils.

Reduce Refined Carb Intake

The real danger of refined carbs is that they tend to be nutrient-poor. They’re basically just pure starch (or sugar). All the energy, none of the micronutrients required to metabolize that energy.

Your liver works hard to convert carbs into glucose that your body can use. When you don’t use the glucose in your blood, it gets stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen, and if you have excess after that, it gets stored as body fat. With refined carbs, it’s easy to get there.

Studies show that carb overfeeding, especially with fructose, can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,5 which affects how efficiently your liver works.

Of course, the combo of high linoleic acid and high refined carbohydrate is just about the worst thing possible.

Reduce Alcohol Intake

To detox alcohol, the liver converts it into the metabolite acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is far more toxic than ethanol itself, so the body then releases acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione to break down the acetaldehyde. If you stick to just a few drinks and space them out accordingly, your body’s natural antioxidant enzyme production can keep up. If you start binging, though, glutathione stores become overwhelmed and the liver must produce more. Meanwhile, acetaldehyde, which is between 10-30 times more toxic than ethanol, accrues in your body.6

Here’s where dosage matters. The more you drink in a given allotment of time, the higher the liver burden. Your liver doesn’t metabolize ethanol all at once. It’s an ongoing physical process. It takes time, and glutathione. Glutathione is also a physical material. You need more substrate, like glycine and cysteine, to produce it. Without enough glutathione (and there’s never enough if you drink too much), your liver will incur damage and develop fat.

If you’re going to drink, do so sparingly, choose healthier drinks, and practice good hangover prevention hygiene. High linoleic acid intake, for example, mixes terribly with alcohol; a much better choice is something saturated like beef fat or cocoa butter.

Stop Overeating, and Lose Weight

The number one risk factor for getting a fatty liver with impaired function is gaining excess body fat. Don’t get fat. If you are fat, lose it. Losing weight is the number one risk factor for losing a fatty liver.

Figure out what type of diet helps you eat normal amounts, and then go follow that diet. For most of my readers, it’s a low-carb Primal or keto approach. For others, it’s full-on carnivore. And yes, there are some for whom a moderate or even high carb diet works best. Whatever satiates you is the one that will improve your liver function.

Overeating fat especially can be bad, because the extra fat doesn’t need to waste any extra steps becoming available to your liver.

Practice Time-restricted Eating

In mice fed a typical soybean oil-fructose-based lab diet, the “high-fat” kind that reliably plumps up their livers, switching to a shortened eating window eliminates the metabolic fallout. They don’t get fat, they don’t get insulin resistant, and, most importantly, they don’t get fatty or dysfunctional liver.7

Eat Fatty Fish and Get Omega-3s

If you offset some of that olive oil and soybean oil with a blend of medium triglycerides and fish oil, liver enzymes may drop and overall integrity of the liver may improve.8 Amazing how that works.

Fish oil isn’t the only option. In fact, eating actual seafood is ideal because in addition to the omega-3s it also provides micronutrients and macronutrients that enhance liver function. If you’re not a fish eater, supplements can fill in the gaps.

Eat Yolks and Other Choline Sources

Choline protects against fatty liver by providing the backbone for VLDL—the particle the liver uses to transport fat out  into the body. Without adequate choline, you can’t make enough VLDL for transport and the fat tends to accumulate in the liver.

Egg yolks are the best source of choline.

Take NAC

In patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, taking NAC every day for three months improved liver enzyme levels and overall liver function.9 Taking it with vitamin C may be even more effective.

NAC is well-known for boosting levels of glutathione, the primary antioxidant used by the liver to metabolize toxins and protect itself.

Take Whey Protein

Obese women with fatty liver who took 60 grams of whey protein per day reduced their liver fat by almost 21%.10

Whey boosts glutathione levels and provides methionine, which the body can convert to choline when deficient.

Try Vanilla Coconut Primal Fuel, made with whey protein

Regularly Deplete Your Liver Glycogen

De novo lipogenesis, or the creation of fat from carbohydrate, is a hallmark of fatty liver disease.11 When liver glycogen is full, it becomes far more likely that your liver will turn any subsequent carbohydrate it encounters into fat for storage. If you keep liver glycogen low, or regularly deplete it, you can avoid de novo lipogenesis because there’s usually a place to store the glucose.

Furthermore, keeping liver glycogen low increases fat utilization from all over the body, including the liver.12 A few of my favorite ways to deplete glycogen:

Train hard. I like HIIT, higher volume lifting, and sprints. Or my personal favorite: Ultimate Frisbee. Not all at once.

Fast. Fasting is a reliable way to burn through available liver glycogen.

Reduce carbs. Going low-carb or keto is a reliable, if slightly slower way to burn through your liver glycogen.

Get Good, Regular Sleep

Certain molecules responsible for clearing liver fat operate according to a circadian schedule.13 If you don’t get to sleep at a normal, consistent time, your rhythm is disrupted and the molecules can’t do their jobs.

If you hadn’t already noticed, these are good health practices in general. We keep running into this phenomenon, don’t we?

What’s good for the liver is good for the brain is good for the cardiovascular system is good for your performance in the gym is good for the mirror.

It makes things easier and harder.

You know what to do.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Do you have any other recommendations for liver health? Which of these do you follow?

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References

https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2010/05/low-calorie-dieting-increases-cortisol.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/05/business/grocery-prices-rising/index.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947579/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4578804/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405421/#:~:text=This%20study%20suggests%20that%20human,patients%20with%20obesity%20(48).

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w307w62037125v33/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413112001891

https://journals.lww.com/ejanaesthesiology/Fulltext/2009/12000/Hepatocellular_integrity_after_parenteral.17.aspx

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22308119/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21288612/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24316260/

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3316

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/uops-mwt030311.php

The post All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[lauramalchowblog]

All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ

The liver is incredible. Most people think of it as a filter, but filters are physical barriers that accumulate junk and have to be cleaned. The liver isn’t a filter. It’s a chemical processing plant. Rather than sit there, passively receiving, filtering out, and storing undesirable compounds, the liver encounters toxic chemicals and attempts to metabolize them into less-toxic metabolites that we can handle.

It oxidizes the toxins, preparing them for further modification

It converts the toxins to a less-toxic, water-soluble version that’s easier to excrete

It excretes the toxins through feces or urine

Bam. It’s an elegant process, provided everything is working well back there. And it’s not the only process it controls.

The liver is the primary site of cholesterol synthesis and disposal. It creates cholesterol as needed and converts excess into bile salts for removal via the bile duct. The liver also plays a huge role in the burning of fat for energy, the storage of vitamin A, the metabolism of hormones, and the regulation of blood sugar. If you enjoy burning ketones, you can thank the liver because that’s where they’re produced.

The liver supports full-body health, in other words. If it isn’t working correctly, nothing is. Everything starts to fall apart.

How do we support the liver?

It’s not one thing we do. It’s many things. It’s nutrition, supplementation, lifestyle, sleep — everything. It’s also the things we don’t do. The stakes are high, you see. Whenever there’s a grand overarching orchestrator regulating dozens of different processes in the body, you must protect it from multiple angles. A lot can go wrong. Or right, depending on how you look at it.

Since the liver is “hidden away” and you can’t really “feel” it, you may not give it too much thought. When you’re overweight, you know it. When your fitness is suffering, you consciously experience it. When your liver is overburdened or suffering, you don’t necessarily know it. That’s where doing the right things for the sake of doing them comes in handy.

So, what should you do to maintain pristine liver health?

Stay on track no matter where you are. Instantly download your Primal and Keto Guide to Eating Out

11 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Liver

Liver health depends on steps you take toward a healthy lifestyle, and equally as important, the things you refrain from doing. Here are some things you can to to contribute to lifelong liver health:

Reduce linoleic acid intake

Reduce refined carb intake

Reduce alcohol intake

Stop overeating, and lose weight

Practice time-restricted eating

Eat fatty fish and get omega-3s

Eat egg yolks and other choline sources

Take NAC

Take whey protein

Regularly deplete your liver glycogen

Get good, regular sleep

Reduce Linoleic Acid Intake

When a patient can’t eat, they get something called parenteral nutrition — a direct infusion of nutrients into the gut. The classic parenteral nutrition consists of an emulsion of olive oil and soybean oil. It’s very rich in linoleic acid and typically leads to elevated liver enzymes and fatty liver. That’s right: the medical establishment for whatever reason just accepts that people receiving parenteral nutrition have a high chance of developing fatty liver disease.

Okay, but what’s happening here? Is it really causal? Yes. The more linoleic acid you eat, the more oxidized metabolites of linoleic acid show up in your body. The more oxidized metabolites of linoleic acid you have, the higher your risk of fatty liver. These toxic metabolites of LA are actually full-fledged biomarkers of liver injury.1

The bottom line: your liver prefers smart fats like avocado oil, butter, lard, fatty fish, and olive oil over industrial seed oils.

Reduce Refined Carb Intake

The real danger of refined carbs is that they tend to be nutrient-poor. They’re basically just pure starch (or sugar). All the energy, none of the micronutrients required to metabolize that energy.

Your liver works hard to convert carbs into glucose that your body can use. When you don’t use the glucose in your blood, it gets stored in the liver and skeletal muscle as glycogen, and if you have excess after that, it gets stored as body fat. With refined carbs, it’s easy to get there.

Studies show that carb overfeeding, especially with fructose, can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,2 which affects how efficiently your liver works.

Of course, the combo of high linoleic acid and high refined carbohydrate is just about the worst thing possible.

Reduce Alcohol Intake

To detox alcohol, the liver converts it into the metabolite acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is far more toxic than ethanol itself, so the body then releases acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione to break down the acetaldehyde. If you stick to just a few drinks and space them out accordingly, your body’s natural antioxidant enzyme production can keep up. If you start binging, though, glutathione stores become overwhelmed and the liver must produce more. Meanwhile, acetaldehyde, which is between 10-30 times more toxic than ethanol, accrues in your body.3

Here’s where dosage matters. The more you drink in a given allotment of time, the higher the liver burden. Your liver doesn’t metabolize ethanol all at once. It’s an ongoing physical process. It takes time, and glutathione. Glutathione is also a physical material. You need more substrate, like glycine and cysteine, to produce it. Without enough glutathione (and there’s never enough if you drink too much), your liver will incur damage and develop fat.

If you’re going to drink, do so sparingly, choose healthier drinks, and practice good hangover prevention hygiene. High linoleic acid intake, for example, mixes terribly with alcohol; a much better choice is something saturated like beef fat or cocoa butter.

Stop Overeating, and Lose Weight

The number one risk factor for getting a fatty liver with impaired function is gaining excess body fat. Don’t get fat. If you are fat, lose it. Losing weight is the number one risk factor for losing a fatty liver.

Figure out what type of diet helps you eat normal amounts, and then go follow that diet. For most of my readers, it’s a low-carb Primal or keto approach. For others, it’s full-on carnivore. And yes, there are some for whom a moderate or even high carb diet works best. Whatever satiates you is the one that will improve your liver function.

Overeating fat especially can be bad, because the extra fat doesn’t need to waste any extra steps becoming available to your liver.

Practice Time-restricted Eating

In mice fed a typical soybean oil-fructose-based lab diet, the “high-fat” kind that reliably plumps up their livers, switching to a shortened eating window eliminates the metabolic fallout. They don’t get fat, they don’t get insulin resistant, and, most importantly, they don’t get fatty or dysfunctional liver.4

Eat Fatty Fish and Get Omega-3s

If you offset some of that olive oil and soybean oil with a blend of medium triglycerides and fish oil, liver enzymes may drop and overall integrity of the liver may improve.5 Amazing how that works.

Fish oil isn’t the only option. In fact, eating actual seafood is ideal because in addition to the omega-3s it also provides micronutrients and macronutrients that enhance liver function. If you’re not a fish eater, supplements can fill in the gaps.

Eat Yolks and Other Choline Sources

Choline protects against fatty liver by providing the backbone for VLDL—the particle the liver uses to transport fat out  into the body. Without adequate choline, you can’t make enough VLDL for transport and the fat tends to accumulate in the liver.

Egg yolks are the best source of choline.

Take NAC

In patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, taking NAC every day for three months improved liver enzyme levels and overall liver function.6 Taking it with vitamin C may be even more effective.

NAC is well-known for boosting levels of glutathione, the primary antioxidant used by the liver to metabolize toxins and protect itself.

Take Whey Protein

Obese women with fatty liver who took 60 grams of whey protein per day reduced their liver fat by almost 21%.7

Whey boosts glutathione levels and provides methionine, which the body can convert to choline when deficient.

Try Vanilla Coconut Primal Fuel, made with whey protein

Regularly Deplete Your Liver Glycogen

De novo lipogenesis, or the creation of fat from carbohydrate, is a hallmark of fatty liver disease.8 When liver glycogen is full, it becomes far more likely that your liver will turn any subsequent carbohydrate it encounters into fat for storage. If you keep liver glycogen low, or regularly deplete it, you can avoid de novo lipogenesis because there’s usually a place to store the glucose.

Furthermore, keeping liver glycogen low increases fat utilization from all over the body, including the liver.9 A few of my favorite ways to deplete glycogen:

Train hard. I like HIIT, higher volume lifting, and sprints. Or my personal favorite: Ultimate Frisbee. Not all at once.

Fast. Fasting is a reliable way to burn through available liver glycogen.

Reduce carbs. Going low-carb or keto is a reliable, if slightly slower way to burn through your liver glycogen.

Get Good, Regular Sleep

Certain molecules responsible for clearing liver fat operate according to a circadian schedule.10 If you don’t get to sleep at a normal, consistent time, your rhythm is disrupted and the molecules can’t do their jobs.

If you hadn’t already noticed, these are good health practices in general. We keep running into this phenomenon, don’t we?

What’s good for the liver is good for the brain is good for the cardiovascular system is good for your performance in the gym is good for the mirror.

It makes things easier and harder.

You know what to do.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Do you have any other recommendations for liver health? Which of these do you follow?

(function($) { $("#dfA3Oem").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfA3Oem" ); })( jQuery );

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4578804/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405421/#:~:text=This%20study%20suggests%20that%20human,patients%20with%20obesity%20(48).

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w307w62037125v33/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413112001891

https://journals.lww.com/ejanaesthesiology/Fulltext/2009/12000/Hepatocellular_integrity_after_parenteral.17.aspx

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22308119/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21288612/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24316260/

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3316

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/uops-mwt030311.php

The post All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

All About the Liver, and How to Support Your Favorite Detoxification Organ published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[supershanzykhan]

Creative planning ideas to plan an unforgettable event

Corporate Events

Many companies today are trying to integrate team building activities into corporate activities. While target meetings are becoming more popular, more people are approaching home (especially in the US) as the euro declines. This allows Corporate Events managers to spend more money on activities. At the same time, the company's spring retreat includes training that connects employees to work better with each other and continues to pose a threat that inspires them.

Corporations also want event managers to create a full-fledged experience that combines slogans, missions and goals. This helps employees see if there is a bigger reason or part of the mission. Technology can play a big role in these events. Corporate event managers need to think creatively and retain participants in every planned activity.

It's easier than using iPads, Smartboards, and going the extra distance to create a branded app for an event.

 Millennials do what they want

Gen Y (the millennial generation born between 1977 and 1995) is more interested in experience than material things as a whole. Future and future young generations want this intangible experience, not old material sticks. Skydiving, rock climbing, rock concerts, paintball games and laser tag are all examples that these new c-suite managers want. Instead of superficial connections, they develop deep connections with their meaningful (and sometimes) emotional connections, such as modeling a meeting after Patrick Lencioni's "Five Dysfunctions of a Group."

 Weddings go back to smaller and higher technology

A more intimate and high-tech social event has opened the way to the world of planning. Weddings are getting smaller, more unique, less traditional, and technology is advancing. Skype and other live streaming videos are becoming standard for guests living too far away to attend, and some brides are announcing their marriage on twitter and posting pics on Instagram.

Couples focus on the traditional and married experience.

From the beginning, it was standard for 200 visitors to attend a reception. This showed that the bride and groom would not be able to enjoy the day, as they spent half their time wandering around as guests. Today, weddings are smaller, and when it comes to formal cake pieces and the first dance ceremonies, a wedding reception is an excuse to show off glamorous or terrific dance moves for the couple and realize a well-crafted comedy sketch.

 Social notes cover pop culture

Today, birthdays and other social celebrations are cluttered with pop culture themes. However, instead of a children's party with Minion-themed paper plates and decorations, event managers create Minion activities. When dealing with such an event, make sure that the guests dress up as Minions, choose the foreigner they want to chase, and have guests from all the bad guys and ladies. It makes for an interactive fun experience that kids want today.

Photo booths, social media theme and grandparents Skyping are all ideas that will make the day special and unique for the child on his birthday.

If you are more creative as an event manager, learn to think outside the box and focus on the excitement of a unique, branded and interactive experience, you will surely be perfect in your field.

 As any professional event planner knows, two events are not the same. They must be both. One of the reasons your customers decide to hire an event planner in the first place is the desire for an individual and original event. Getting a unique approach to each event is also an aspect of event planning that appeals to many planners. Because it gives you the opportunity to present an event similar to your creativity and imagination.

So relax, get creative thinking, and consider planning ideas for this different, creative event.

 Creative activity planning ideas:

Don't Pay Attention to Your Event Budget Your Way

A big event budget opens up more opportunities to go on this extra mile to provide the best venue for your event, the best prep, or the best entertainment. However, this does not mean that events with smaller budgets are moving towards the middle ground. It simply means using your creativity to work around budget constraints.

 Select an Event Theme and Subject

Choosing a theme for your event is the first step in putting the event away from the rest. This theme manages the venue, invitation, decor, entertainment and many other components. So don't miss this important part - resist the urge to choose something simple to round the ball in the event planning process.

When you think of a theme, make a list of all the different ways the theme can be incorporated into other elements.

 Creative ways related to your topic

Of course, if the theme of your corporate event is a beach party, it would be appropriate to hold your event on a beach. But budgets and geography can put an end to this notion.

That doesn't mean you have to choose a different theme! It is almost necessary to think creatively in order to explore ways to combine this topic with other, more convenient, or logistically managed ways. Here we are planning several creative events.

Venue

If your guests can't come to the white sand beaches because of this event, then bring them. If space permits, protect part of the event area and fill with sand. If your theme is more "fun in the sun" and adds a beach volleyball network, it encourages visitors to wipe their feet in the sand. Or add a large beach background, and gently subdue the waves in the background.

Fun

Encouraging real entertainment takes the subject to the next level. If you are planning to organize an event, whether it is corporate or personal, then a DJ who only plays music belonging to a certain period will be hired. If the mood of your event is calmer, hire a few instrumentalists. Whether it's a person or an organization to truly personalize your event, hire a band to perform songs written for the guest.

If budget spending on entertainment is an issue, contact local schools in the area and ask if there are any student musicians available.

 Decor

The first thing your guests will see when they come to the event is the decor. Make sure that the elements you choose are a "wow" factor, as the decorations give the impression that your guests will perform with you. Instead of standard white lights, consider a large inflatable set outside the entrance or colored lighting. Don't forget the central feeling - your guests often sit down while they look at your choice, so use colorful tablecloths that bring energy and a festive element, colorful plants home, or small games that guests can play with, encouraging them to interact.

Food and drink

Nothing gives itself to so much creativity as a kitchen. Teriyaki grilled is more flavorful with fresh pineapple slices with vegetables and is more memorable for a beach event party than standard grilled chicken. If your event is a barbecue, there is a bar with a variety of BBQ sauces that guests can add to their plates and large paper wheels for drilling on the holiday. Large cookies with a company logo, school emblem or a staged birth year are more interesting than a standard tariff cookie plate. A homemade soda bar with fragrant syrups that guests can follow instructions to create their own entertaining more than 64 oz. glass. Not sure how much food to order for your event, here's a quick guide to help.

 Staff training

Hiring event staff is an important part of event planning, as these individuals will interact with guests and influence their overall experience. When hiring event staff, think of an action theme and vibe to make a good adaptation and complete the theme. Clothing is also important as another creative element is added here. The event staff can wear a dominant shirt for parties, sunglasses and a beach veil for parties, or simply press a brightly colored button under the shirts to add a splash of color to the stage.

 Small touches can have a big impact

As an event planner, you can fall into the trap of thinking to ensure the greatest and best of everything to create a successful, memorable event. This is not the case. Think small instead of big. The Hall of Fame allows guests to learn, comment, and connect with guests on the wall line above the bar area, being on the side of a retired lunch or vacation. Empty notecards placed next to a colorful box allow the guest of honor to write down their personal wishes to the guests. Disposable cameras encourage guests to record special moments from the event, after which the event will be shared by the host. The main purpose of planning a creative event is to bring individual touches to different aspects of the event, to make it extraordinary

[typenovel]

Kitchen Cabinetry - Pricey, but Worth It

"How come it costs that much?" That need to be one of the concerns that I hear the most frequently when I submit price quotations for kitchen cabinetry to property owners. Although it is true that cabinetry can be designed to be low-budget, middle-range, or high-end, there are so many aspects included that can easily press a desired low-budget project into a higher rate variety.

The place to begin when designing kitchen cabinets for a particular spending plan is doors. There are more door options offered than many people understand, and each choice will affect your over-all budget. From least costly to costliest, door designs are available as follows:

These are flush doors (no panels or profile details), and are offered in a broad range of colors and patterns, from solid colous to replica wood, and many others. The newer "thermo-fused melamine" doors have a very thin layer of melamine paper applied to a substrate panel-style door.

2)Wood veneer. These are flush doors made with a thin layer of wood over a substrate material. Birch, maple, oak, and ash are all in the exact same rate range, while any unique or more rare woods (mahogany, cherry, walnut ...) will increase the cost. These are typically discovered in modern style cooking areas.

3)Wood frame with veneered panels. These doors have frames made from solid wood, and recessed flush panels made from a veneered substrate. A typical style among this kind of door is Shaker. The wood types chosen will impact the rate.

4)Plastic laminate. Looks similar to melamine doors, but of higher quality, and far more durable. Broader series of patterns and colors available. Laminates have a dark brown core, so depending upon the color of the laminate chosen, you might see dark brown lines at all the joints - at each edge of each door, and so on.

5)Wood frame with wood panels. These have frames and panels made of strong wood. The panel typically has a raised detailing. These are typically discovered in conventional style kitchen areas. Again, the option of wood affects the rate.

6)Wood or lacquer painted frame with panels of another product. These doors have wood, or lacquer painted, frames and another product utilized for the panel. The other product can be anything, and it is this other material that will considerably impact the expense. Common panel products consist of glass, painted surfaces, plastic laminates, metal (perforated, brushed, hammered, and so on), cork, and even wall coverings (such as grass-cloth) applied to a substrate.

7)Thermoplastic. These doors are not made by the typical cabinetmaker; they are factory-made. Thermoplastics can be found in a variety of colors and surfaces, but the most typical are still the glossy white, and the imitation wood. More resilient and more appealing than melamine. About the very same price variety as wood doors. Some producers are now promoting "thermo-fused melamine" - take care since the two are not the exact same at all.

8)Lacquer painted. These doors are normally lacquer painted MDF, however it is the lacquering work that increases the cost due to the fact that more labor and specific painting devices is involved. These are not "painted" cabinets. Lacquer is used in the form of a spray, over a sprayed-on primer, and no brush marks or other abnormalities are visible at all. If you pick a special surface, such as glazing, the cost increases a bit more.

9)Stainless steel. These doors are normally not made by a cabinetmaker's shop, but are subcontracted out to a metal shop. They are, without a doubt, the most pricey of your door alternatives.

Since the ended up sides need to match the doors, your door choice affects the kitchen cabinetry itself. The cabinetry for lacquered cabinets will be more expensive than for melamine. The finished side panels to match any wood doors are veneered; solid wood would not be as stable (it would warp or bow), and would be astronomically priced. Then you need to think about the interiors of your cabinets. The standard is white melamine on the inside of cabinets, unless something various is requested. The most affordable choice, if you do not like the idea of white, is melamine to match the doors. Using a more expensive product inside the cabinets is not recommended: why invest cash on wood veneer or lacquer that is more likely to be harmed by pots or meals being scrubbed against the surface areas? And why put a more expensive product that you would then want to protect with shelf-liners, so you would then never ever see the wood or lacquer anyhow?

The reality is, there are truly only 2 cost groups for counters. The plastic laminate counters are the cost-effective option, and not a bad option as they are very long lasting and are now available in some fantastic textures and patterns, plus they can be dressed up with wood or solid-surfacing edges. Marble, which tends to be a bit less costly than granite, need to not be utilized in kitchens, as it is permeable and susceptible to staining.

What people discover most surprising is that the final touches can end up being extremely pricey too. Deals with and knobs variety in rate from about $2 each all the way up to over $30 each. Kitchens commonly need about 25 manages, so that creates a rate distinction of $700 right there. An affordable amount to plan on for handles is $5 to $8 each. The other "budget plan buster" is the devices. Integrated spice racks, garbage cans, drawer dividers, pull-outs, and so forth tend to be rather expensive. Some of these gadgets are extremely practical though, so try to determine which you would need and which appeal to you primarily because they are simply truly neat add-ons.

There is one element that you should never scrimp on just to save a few dollars, and that is setup. Imperfect setup of even the best-made cabinets will result in doors and drawers that do not close properly, or that appearance improperly built. A good rule-of-thumb is that you must have anything personalized set up by the specialist that fabricated the item.

Kitchen cabinetry for the average sized kitchen can cost anywhere from about $7,000 all the way approximately substantially over $30,000. It is often stated that a house's kitchen (consisting of appliances, cabinets, floor covering, lighting, labor, and more) must cost about 15% of the value of your home, so a $250,000 home's kitchen must cost about $37,500 if you wish to go by this technique of budgeting. There are a few things to think about with this: the size of the kitchen plays a significant role in identifying the budget plan - obviously a bigger kitchen will be more expensive to redo than a little one; a home built in the 1900's will likely be more expensive to renovate than a home built in the 1970's; your choices will impact the spending plan; and this is a figure that was established as a standard to some extent - it is not essential to follow it.

[tsukifairy]

How are strawberries good for dogs

Like with people, canine will get too much nutritional benefits from the yummy berry. One comparatively unknown benefits of cherries is that they've anti-inflammatory properties. Foxes mark out their territory, so if you don't have an actual fox, you can mimic one. Dairy merchandise can include cheeses equivalent to cheddar and mozzarella, yogurt, and milk. Canned or processed strawberries, sweets of strawberry flavor and merchandise having synthetic strawberry taste aren't good for canines. Conversely the flesh of apples, in moderation, is good for canine as are bananas, kiwis, blueberries, strawberries and pineapples. Lastly, as an added bonus, strawberries don’t negatively have an effect on your pet’s teeth and gums the best way salty or additional sugary snacks might. Don’t consider this fruit as a chief meal reasonably it must be served as a treat. They don’t beg as a result of they know that food is not for them! Should you discover any digestive upset, stop giving that food. Some species of wild mushrooms could cause liver damage, kidney injury, digestive issues, or even serious neurological harm. Yes. Canine can completely eat strawberries.

Strawberries with espresso is a bad combination and it should not be thought for canine. There are additionally fruits and vegetables that are dangerous to canine inflicting health problems and even death. Most canine won't even know the difference and assume they're consuming what you're consuming. We're Major canine lovers round here! Pickles will not be all too secure on your dog to eat. Too many strawberries are dangerous for dogs. Additionally, strive to not make strawberries an everyday treat particularly for those who give him more than what has been recommended. Extra antioxidants means fewer free radicals, which suggests fewer potential cancer cells! These research also talk about Vitamin C improving your dog’s immune system, which suggests your canine will lead a healthier and longer life. When a canine doesn't obtain enough exercise they may change into bored and begin to entertain themselves. Yes, they'll. Dogs will likely be okay if they went and ate the cat’s food. Protect your canine and cats from ticks and you'll also be defending your self! Cats have been all the time praised for his or her searching abilities.

As soon as we found out what is lacking in commercial feeds for canine and cats, we flip to what they've this, which isn't should have been. Can canine eat cucumbers is type of a trick query. They can eat peanuts, and it is not dangerous to them in any manner form or form. Best way to offer is scrambled or laborious-boiled. An easy graduation buffet is the right approach for the mother and father to enjoy the celebration along with the friends. Pet dad and mom who love to provide their canine homemade treats can use recipes that depend on strawberries within the listing of elements. Is there a kind during which they can eat it? There are several ways that you might want to offer blueberries to your dog. Don't permit the dog to eat the watermelon rind, either. How can they possibly live their complete life content material with the same old dog food, without experiencing the unlimited, delicious human meals choices?

My brother & SIL make their own pet food. Be sure that strawberries must not be given along with different fruits like grapes and raisins as they make them toxic. Chocolate comprises caffeine and theobromine, both of which could make any canine very unwell. It can be so much of knowledge to recollect. You can mash the strawberries as well. Sure, yes they can. Sure, you guessed it right! Yes, but in moderate portions solely. If you’re on the lookout for a wholesome new training treat or an occasional snack in your little Shih Tzu, you may want to think about integrating some recent fruits and vegetables into your pup’s food regimen. It keeps the pores and skin looking contemporary and supple and keeps problems reminiscent of dry pores and skin at bay. Some people by no means touch a blade of grass yet get Lyme disease and wonder why. This tends to increase your chance of cardiac disease and elevate the related danger of getting type 2 diabetes. That is determined by the type. Like buying sweet for teenagers, we frequently think that when we give our pets snacks that have been specifically made for them, we’re treating them to exactly what they need.

They didn’t know that once they fed it to them, clearly, however that doesn’t imply it’s not price reporting as properly. Nonetheless, it’s best to stick with feeding your pup fresh fruit versus a canned selection or strawberries which are packaged with syrup. It’s additionally a terrific supply of bromelain, an enzyme that helps dogs’ our bodies higher absorb protein. Fish - is an excellent source of protein. A big treat, depending on how a lot different greenery they have entry to. Cozz - Rats have totally different preferences just like humans. Whereas canines aren’t vulnerable to issues like colds or the flu, and they’re vaccinated for probably the most critical of diseases, vitamin C continues to be vital for nicely-balanced nutrition. Cheetahs in captivity are known to undergo from anxiety, so they’ll often be paired with their own service dogs—and they’ll play How are strawberries good for dogs with each other as if they’re siblings. It is price mentioning that not all berries are good for canines.So, total, canine should not be consuming cat meals on a regular basis. So, as much as we want to present them a taste of chocolate, don’t—ever! Giving them only a small style of it and building it up from that time is a great approach to be secure and likewise let them have what they want. Just don’t feed this fruit to the purpose where your dog involves expect it! Earlier than delving into this subject, we want to stress you should all the time check along with your vet earlier than feeding your canine new foods, including secure fruit. Pay shut attention to their consuming habits, bowel movements, and overall well being after you start feeding him or her apples. Earlier than feeding carrots to your canine, be certain to chop them into chunk-measurement pieces to prevent choking. Use his regular kibble to make a pretend crust. While you can’t control sure situations, you may make small changes in your house to get started with it. Consuming even small quantities of it might result in ethanol poisoning in canine. Canines can eat raspberries in moderation.

Canines can eat strawberries in moderation. It’s been known that when canines eat eggs, it retains their coat, or fur shiny. Nonetheless, if you have been looking out about whether or not or not canine can eat oranges because of the excessive levels of Vitamin C they contain, we’ll be speaking about that in just some. Most of all, when you comply with these pointers, candy potatoes can have some implausible benefits on your canine. Should you give your canine a helping of fruit salad, make doubly certain there are no grapes mixed in. One of the best treats are dried fruits. Since the reason for dogs’ reaction to grapes is unknown, it's best to maintain grapes, raisins, or any of their products or byproducts utterly away from all canine. Dogs can eat mangoes, yummy. In truth a bit bit can have health benefits. Keep a bag of frozen strawberries in your freezer to make smoothies for your self, and you’ll also have a crunchy snack on hand for man’s best friend. Nonetheless, it not the perfect determination. It's best to restrict almonds in your dog’s eating regimen. In this case, it can be greatest when you consulted your trusted vet. Whereas a whole bowl will not be harmful, it might cause an upset stomach.

Some foods are safe and healthy for canine to eat, while others are dangerous and could even be deadly. Raspberries are a number of the sweetest berries out there. If you're wanting your pup to get some “greens benefits”, try out one thing like inexperienced beans. We found this out the laborious method once we (stupidly) left a big double-darkish chocolate cookie on the espresso table. Chocolate additionally has a whole lot of fats in it. Pumpkin has lots of vitamin A, and too much vitamin A may be toxic. The identical could be mentioned of plums and other fruits with a stable, centralized core or seed at the middle. Vegetables are most well-liked. Additionally remember to continually swap up the fruits and/or vegetables you employ, as some in copious quantities might trigger fuel in your pet. Excessive ranges of calcium are necessary for bone growth, and magnesium and potassium are perfect for coronary heart well being. Potatoes are okay for dogs. Uncooked, unsalted peanut butter is the healthiest possibility because it doesn’t include xylitol, a sugar substitute that can be toxic to canines. Our fruits and veggies contain no additives, preservatives, or added sugar.

Some fruits may additionally cause diarrhea, upset tummy, and toxic results in dogs. Can canine eat mango pits? Seeing as many of us consider our dogs to be our kids, a good rule of thumb in figuring out a food’s puppy palatability is this: would a Kindergartner eat it? Baked potatoes are better choices. With the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are okay to share however be careful of seeds. But, this fruit might be okay on your canine to eat. However, be at limits in adding cinnamon on apple sauce which is fed to your doggy. Let us know your pups favourite fruit or veggie within the comments under. Berry season is likely one of the tastiest fruit seasons around. One acid reflux trigger that is most typical among acid reflux sufferers is the incorrect form of weight loss plan. The flesh of a peach is scrumptious, no one questions that. Unlike different foods, overdosing on strawberries isn’t that dangerous as it leads to a few days of unpleasant diarrhea. What Foods Could be Served with Strawberries ?

[grabfrom-blog]

How to Download Videos to Your youtube

Are website to download youtube videos you like me who always looks forward to a weekend (Friday specifically so that you get to watch your favourite video website to download youtube videos to phone ?

If yes, you know that it is expensive to cover those video rental fees. Not so?

This is a scenario which I faced for some years until I decided that I should look for an option to paying those monthly charges so that I can get to shoot my movies home every Friday. And in addition to the monthly membership fee, I needed to pay every movie/video that I was carrying home.

So I went to Google and typed in "free video download"

! I received 358,000,000 results. Wow, that's a number.

This usually means that there are that number of something related to some more information on wikipedia video download or websites where you can get totally free video download.

So given that fact that there are free download software programs available to download free music videos and video games on the internet,before you use one of those absolutely free video download programs you might want to understand what you want to look for.

I have joined many video download websites and I have got the good and the bad experience about them. So below are the 6 most things that you need to look for in a video download website.

1- There should be no monthly charges or any per movie download fee. If any website claims to offer video downloads and then asks you for any fee of any type, I advise that you steer clear of it. However, the best free video download websites will ask for a one time monthly fee to help them keep there services and sources for these videos for you. That's okay. From my experience these are the websites that really give the videos you need of quality to you.

2- Quality of these videos downloaded: Here is some how related to the point. From my experience video sites that do not request a membership fee generally provide some blurred, quality videos and the likes. You see the most popular video website youtube, there are various videos, it is totally free to join but what about the character of the videos you get?

3-Download limitations: There ought to not be a download limits what so ever. Most websites limit the Number of videos you can download per day, some per others along with hour per

session. These aren't great and I would not advise that you join them.

Safety and the protection of your machine or computer. What I mean here is that you should be stress of most free download sites. Most have the ability to infect your computer with adware, viruses and spy ware. For your safety and the safety of your machine, you need to keep away from these. How can you know that this

Site will infect your machine with spyware and viruses? My response is that appearance for some one who has been there, seen it and experienced its recommendation, although that's a question. I've joined many of such free video download sites and an overview is provided by me in my website because you can see in my resource box.

5-How about the amount of movies? I think we all would require the website to get as many videos. It would be no great for you to join a Website which

Has only 10 million videos it is usually listed at the home and when you can get one with over 100 videos.Look outside for such Page of the website where you get to join and become a member of the website.

6-Variety: While websites will offer one type of videos like music videos, others will provide you access to music videos, movie videos, video games and other software which you could download. That is the variety I mean here. Search for download sites that could offer you such selection.

Well,there are lots of things I will talk about here such as the speed the customer support and more. But I hope the above can provide you a hint of what you should look for in a free video download website.

One day soon, kids won't even understand what there is a shop. Movies and all videos will be downloaded, creating a visit. Do not laugh. Next time you ask the chimney to roll down, and they inquire folks say that, you will know what I mean. They think exactly the same way.

The advantages for the customer are enormous, particularly in this time of high gasoline prices and terrible traffic. Who wants to drive anyplace to go when it can be downloaded get their content? There is A mouse click much more convenient. The times of the shop are numbered as their personal download instagram videos online free computer is viewed by more people as the center of the entertainment program. With the release of Microsoft's Vista operating system, which has entertainment abilities and tremendous integrated video, the user took another step in adopting their computer as the entertainment universe's center.

As millions of individuals bought iPODs and to a lesser extent Microsoft Zunes for video screening, they've become accustom to getting their articles downloaded, instead of forcing to receive it themselves or waiting for it to be sent. The generation of the release of this Zune at the previous quarter of 2006 and the iPOD http://www.grabfrom.net have proved incredibly successful. The launch of this video capable iPOD helped apple market 14 million units in the 4th quarter of 2005 alone. Sales has been undergone by the Zune, despite WiFi networking capability and a brighter full-color display, two attributes that have to have helped the gap closes with Apple.

A number of the reasons why the Zune has failed to sell on a level with the iPOD are because of Microsoft's marketing strategy for the participant. For instance, although the Zune comes from several colours, Microsoft has failed to adequately communicate this fact to the buying public. A second reason for the Zune's slow sales has to do with Microsoft's propensity to describe the Zune using marketingspeak, instead of clearly explaining to customers. Here is Microsoft talking about the Zune: "It's actually not a gadget. It's an entrant to the new connected entertainment marketplace for producing new shared and societal adventures based around content" Huh???

In May of 2007, Microsoft tried to reverse their failure to catch the imagination of customers with the Halo 3 variant of their Zune's introduction. This special edition is packed with special download youtube videos mp4 1080p online sound and video content, including a special episode of Red vs Blue accessible for your Zune , theatrical trailers, and Halo soundtracks. It's also emblazoned with Halo 3 images.

At press time, the Zune's Halo 3 variant is only available at Game Stop.

There are fewer technical explanations for the Zune has failed to topple the iPOD in the mobile video player marketplace. The main one has to do with their decision to exclude a scroll wheel Type the feature set of the Zune. It is actually a 4-way cursor button, such as on a TV remote control while it's a control that looks for all the world like a scroll wheel. A cursor is not many consumers want to dominate their mobile video players,

So they've voted with their dollars. That being said, that the Zune is a truly fantastic player, and the quality is good for a small mobile. For those users who have bought their components they have the ability to download and enjoy all sorts of TV shows, movies and films on a very nice platform.

The iPOD will permit the use of Apple's AAC codec, Apple Lossless, MP3, AIF, or WAV formats. Video content is supported in H.264, which is also known as MPEG-4 part 10. This is a standard for high quality, compressed video. The Zune utilizes, one guess here, Microsoft's WMA and WMV formats for both audio and published here video respectively. The Zune also supports H.264 for video and MP3 or AAC for audio. The two players will allow JPEG image formats. There are many file format converters available to allow video in different resolutions and formats to be converted and optimized for storage and use with the mobile players.

There are many areas to receive downloadable video content for the Zune and the iPOD. If you are an iPOD user, there's obviously iTunes, which offers music for $.99 per downloaded song. Although this is convenient and offers a huge variety of content that was available, customers should be ready to devote significant amounts of cash filling up a participant. You could fill your iPOD or even Zune with MP3 files ripped from CDs or downloaded from other online music providers.

Microsoft offers the Zune Marketplace, a subscription service with unlimited downloads for $14.99/ month because this is written. The unlimited option is known as the "Zune Pass" by Microsoft. Zune users are able to download complete albums or individual songs. In June of 2007, Microsoft started partnering with various artists to advertise their both their service and the Zune player itself.

A popular option chosen by consumers is just one of video download services that are boundless. With these solutions, you pay a 1 time fee and are able to obtain an unlimited quantity of video and music content. Obviously, many consumers feel that it makes sense to pursue this approach, instead of the subscription. A number of the networks have a tremendous amount of content available, and contain films and TV shows, in addition to music and music videos.

With the majority of these services, once the material is downloaded it is permanently accessible for use. With some of the subscription based unlimited download solutions instagram downloader online mp3 once the subscription is terminated, access to articles that was downloaded is denied. Only time will tell if the powers which are crack down on services.

Ipod is a must have gadget now and you are not updated with the newest technology should youn't own one. Ipod is not just for music, it is also a movie player and website to download youtube videos on android you can watch TV shows and play games too. As more and more people are purchasing this gadget there's also a demand for downloads for iPod. Below are some tips.

Video downloads for iPod.

You will find tons of free video downloads for iPod. You will never have a hard time seeing sites offering free video downloads However, the problem is...are these files safe to download? Websites are bombarded with banner advertisements and pop-ups which could harm your computer. Grabfrom instagram video downloader online Imagine if your computer becomes infected with spyware and adware? The files you downloaded are free if your computer melts on you personally but I suppose or your PC safety was hacked, you are in big trouble and there are.

Per download fees on video downloads for iPod.

It's possible to acquire downloads for iPod from online music stores with per download fees. Meaning you have to cover every single download. Payment generally in 99 cents and there are websites offering far Grabfrom higher charges per video downloads for your iPod. Documents are safe to get but if you wish to utilize your iPod's massive storage capacity and download as many videos as you need organize your pocket.

There are lots of music and movie stores to download videos for your iPod. The most famous is definitely iTunes. You get to download TV shows pictures and music . When you have missed an episode of your favourite TV series on national website to download youtube videos television, just go there and download this specific episode at $1.99. It's that convenient since the iPod video downloads are on the very next day it is screened. You also do not need to worry about having to buy the whole season.

You can try out a number of these sites if you're looking for complimentary iPod video downloads that are legal. my link They are set of videos uploaded by people like me and you or aspiring film manufacturers and domain videos. Sometimes you'll be amused by the type of iPod video downloads that exist on this world.

OVGuide: guide to movies that are online.

Watch Free Movies Online: If you are a fan of classic films, you'd love the video downloads.

Singingfish: This is a video search engine that archives videos, film clips and many films. Have a look at the hot favorites section.

SearchforVideo: Another video search engine. You will also find a variety of video clips Grabfrom Social Profile under different categories like news, movies, music, actors, health, TV stations, etc..

The Open Video Project: This is website with a huge collection of audio for sharing.

Vmix: One interesting and website where you will find tons of amusing and entertaining videos submitted by amateurs and professionals alike.

There is something you want to know. Video files are not exactly iPod video files but instead AVI, RM, DivX, WMV, ASF and VOB files. In these cases you would need to convert them into MPEG 4 or H.264 video format in order for your iPod to perform them. While some free, there are converters on the marketplace, some paid. Type in "free iPod video converters" from the search engines and you should be able to find a couple good free video to iPod converters.

Read more about iPod video downloads and which are the most well-known websites fans are currently using to get high quality video to their iPod at prices even teenagers can manage.

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