#250 posts and barely 100 daily’s

[dailyblueberror]

Tjas a big number

[catsitta]

This Way Up: Post Mortem

500 Days ago I started a daily drabble project known as Handle with Care. I expected it to be about 100 chapters, but as time passed, the plot and characters evolved. It became a longer and more important story than I ever expected. It came to an end after 250 days of dedicated drabbles. You can find my post-mortem for that fic here.

By the time I finished HwC I knew there were questions left unanswered. Mysteries that couldn't be explained in a sequel. Or at least not a tradition sequel. This Way Up was the much requested pre-sequel to Handle with Care, which is to say one shouldn't read it before Handle with Care, but the events occured beforehand. These last 250 days allowed me to share Sans' childhood and explain some of the character's actions in HwC with some much needed context.

From being babybones to the day he meets Red, TWU needed to cover a lot of ground in 250 chapters. Unlike HwC there aren't distinct arcs, as the story isn't focused on romance and drama and friendship, but on growing up and losing one's way. This all ties into the name choice for the fic. All the installments of the series are, of course, moving puns, relating to the themes of the series as a whole. This Way Up/This Side Up is text one can find on the side of moving boxes, so one doesn't end up accidentally, well, breaking or disturbing the contents of what is in a box by putting it down upside down.

The reason I chose this for the title was twofold. The significance of disobeying the instruction (the contents breaking) as well as to play off the saying 'When you've hit rock bottom, the only way left to go is up.' Sans spent his early childhood doing everything 'right'. He was a child prodigy that became a prolific student and had every opportunity open for him. Sans could have been anything. But like many gifted children, a rigid and structured youth didn't exactly prepare him with any coping skills for when things went wrong. He starts drinking young and even tries to sneak cigarettes from his father (risky behaviors are common in intelligent youths), and tends to use denial to cope with stress, depression and anxiety. He's a workaholic running on empty, and the resets break him. Why work hard when it can all just be gone at the whims of a child?

Like Father, Like Son

Sans and Gaster have a lot in common. His emotional depth being that of a teaspoon? His denial of any problem with 'I'm fine'? Unhealthy habits and work-until-you-drop mentallity? His obsessiveness? Even their priorities being family over work in the end are parallel. Sans, in the depth of his mental break, obsesses over Papyrus, and keeping him close and safe. Gaster has to helplessly watch his own son fall apart and his love for him never falters as he wants much the same for Sans. He is baffled and betrayed by Sans spurning him, and while he tries to stay in Papyrus' life, Sans makes it very difficult. This whole, complicated situation leads to how we see their relationship in HwC. Where Gaster is often at wits end with Sans, questioning his choices (because he hasn't made very good ones over the past few years), and Sans, despite telling Gaster to stay away from Papyrus, defends him when Red assumes the worst.

Webdings and the Fell Brothers

One of the more mysterious figures in HwC is Webdings Fell. Red and Edge's dead by suicide father, who had a brilliant mind and a drinking problem so bad he'd been demoted from the labs before his death. He's Gaster's contemporary but his gruff, outright unpersonable nature keeps him from achieving the same status. However, Sans respects and has fond memories of the man, though he never insinuates he is ever anything more than coworkers with him, despite their shared experience with the LOADs. Sans spends his last years in the lab before his own mental break in denial about Web's drinking issue, too focused on other things.

A common question is why Sans never sought out Edge. Ever. The answer really is simple. He was in no state to do so. His own trauma and floundering health meant that he could barely take care of himself and Papyrus, and he spent the better part of those early years passively 'ignoring' the fact that there were two babybones born, and that he left one in Web's care. In a maladaptive attempt to preserve the first Papyrus, who most certainly did not have a brother, Sans 'forgot' about Edge. And even when Web died and he let himself remember, he didn't seek out the boy because he was Web's son. Not his. Web's. Web adopted and raised him. And like everyone else who knew of Web's passing, assumed the man had some plan for his children after his death (a family member, perhaps, since he was so private about his life), never imagining Red would assume a parental role.

Coming of Age and Loss of Identity

Who is Sans? Because Sans realizes in TWU that he doesn't really know. Much of TWU is based in the idea of a gifted child first trying to live up to his family's expectations, then that of society...and ultimately developing no sense of self or worth even when achieves by 18 more than some do in their lifetime. This lack of strong sense of self and self-esteem leaves him vulnerable to the depression and anxiety that come with the LOADs. He is helpless, no amount of brains will get him out of his situation. Everything he has ever accomplished can be taken away at any given notice. And during one of the LOADs he loses all HOPE. That is the kind of despair that takes years to recover from and often leaves scars.

What Next?

While I am taking a break from this universe and not writing its next installment in 100 word drabbles...More will come. And in the future this time. The focus will be on Edge and a certain skeleton commonly known as Blue. Of course, I will every so often fill in this 'missing' years in the fic 'Moving Day' which is full of oneshots and spin off ideas. So thank you all for following me on this journey. I'll see you tomorrow for the next one.

[theculturedmarxist]

The coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences have revealed, in the living experience of billions of people the world over, the internal rot and decay of the capitalist system, together with its patent absurdities.

One only need point, by way of example, to the fact that the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, the richest man on the planet, has increased his fortune by $24 billion since the start of the year to more than $138 billion, while nurses and health workers in the US and around the world are battling the virus without the necessary protective equipment.

Other examples abound, such as the fact that health authorities and states in the US have been forced to fight against each other in the capitalist “free market” to secure necessary equipment and supplies, or that thousands are queuing at food banks in the US, while dairy farmers pour milk away and agricultural producers plough their crops into the ground.

While exposing such contradictions, covered over in the now bygone era of so-called “normal times,” the pandemic has also revealed those fundamental truths that have long formed the basis of the fight for genuine socialism.

First and foremost, it has made clear that the tiny minority of corporate and financial oligarchs, and the profit system over which they preside, stand as an obstacle to the rational organisation and scientific planning of the economy and society necessary to deal with the threat to human life. This is an obstacle that must be removed.

However, it would be a mistake to see this immense social problem as applying only to the extraordinary state of affairs produced by the pandemic. It has a far broader reach.

The proponents of a return to work, irrespective of the health dangers posed to workers, maintain that a continued lockdown means more economic stress and worsening poverty, as well as health and psychological problems. Such problems, however, could be rapidly resolved through the expropriation of the vast fortunes of the Bezoses of the world, to provide a living income to all, while dealing with the health crisis.

As the World Socialist Web Site perspective of Saturday 18 April explained, if the wealth of the 250 billionaires in the United States, with a collective net worth of close to $9 trillion, were expropriated and distributed evenly among the 100 million poorest households, it would provide each one with a monthly income of $5,000 for 18 months.

Moreover, the problems described by the return-to-work advocates as a product of the lockdown, are actually those of daily life, created by the “normal” operations of the capitalist system. And they will be massively intensified in the wake of the pandemic as the ruling classes seek to pump value, extracted from the working class, into the mountain of fictitious capital created as a result of the bailout of the corporations and the financial system.

Every day workers have their health impaired by the relentless worsening of conditions. Every day they work under the threat they could be thrown out of work and reduced to poverty, as the result of some “restructuring” operation.

Every day they face the prospect that, as a result of gyrations in the global financial system and the actions of speculators, they could be thrown onto the scrapheap, have their pension, superannuation, or 401(k) plans slashed, their mortgage repayments increased and so on—changes that can devastate their lives in the blink of an eye.

In other words, the madness made manifest by the pandemic is only a particularly egregious expression of the daily functioning of a malignant social and economic order.

Just as the pandemic has laid bare the absurdities, irrationalities and destructive consequences of the profit system, so it has revealed the reactionary character of the political structures on which the accumulation of private profit is based—i.e., the nation-state system.

By its very nature, the pandemic has revealed, both from a health and an economic standpoint, the necessity of international collaboration and co-operation.

There is no national solution to the health dangers posed by the virus—it requires a planned global response. An individual nation may bring the virus under control within its confines, but then be confronted with the danger of a “second wave” of infections, due to its continued spread in other parts of the world. The virus does not have a passport, nor does it recognise immigration and border controls.

This pandemic has delivered a major shock to the world. But it has been a trigger event for the crisis, the conditions for which had been developing over a considerable period. It is no more the underlying cause of the present crisis than was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which triggered the outbreak of World War I, the fundamental reason for the conflict.

The pandemic has not only triggered the crisis. It has been the accelerant for processes already well advanced before it arrived on the scene. One of these is the growth of national divisions and conflicts.

Long before the denunciations of China, now pouring forth from the Trump administration and its allies around the world over the virus outbreak, the US intelligence and military apparatus, backed by the political establishment—Democrat and Republican—together with powerful sections of the mass media, had designated China as a threat to the “national security” of the US.

In the strategic planning documents of the US military machine, the “war on terror” was replaced by an insistence that it was now necessary to prepare for an era of “great power competition,” in which China was designated the chief danger to US economic and military hegemony.

Trade war had been launched through the imposition of tariffs and China’s plan for economic and technological development had been declared an existential threat to US national security, accompanied by a series of bans on Chinese telecom companies and the launching of a global campaign by the US to have its allies exclude the Chinese company, Huawei, from the development of 5G networks.

While the US, at least to this point, is the main proponent of economic nationalism, under the “America First” doctrine of the Trump administration, the same tendencies are reflected everywhere.

The European Union is riven with divisions and conflicts, the most prominent of which has been Brexit. The EU is split over an economic response to the pandemic, with Germany striving to maintain its dominance over the bloc, as leading figures in the political establishment insist it must play a greater role in global affairs.

As a result of the pandemic, voices are being raised that the disruption of global supply chains, caused by the spread of the virus, along with lockdowns, have revealed problems in economic globalisation, meaning that each country must look to the protection of its “own” economy.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross set the tone back in January, when he declared that supply chain disruptions in China, resulting from the virus outbreak, would encourage US firms to shift their operations back to American soil.

The Japanese government of Shinzo Abe has set aside $2.2 billion from its economic stimulus package to assist manufacturers to shift production out of China.

A New York Times article by Neil Irwin on April 16, entitled “It’s the end of the world economy as we know it,” cited remarks by Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who said there was a “rethink” underway over how much each country wanted to be reliant on another.

While this was not the end of globalisation, she raised, the pandemic had accelerated thinking in the Trump administration that there are “critical technologies, critical resources, reserve manufacturing capacity that we want here in the US in case of crisis.”

The article noted that France’s finance minister has directed French companies to re-evaluate their supply chains, to become less dependent on China and other Asian nations.

In the US, where anti-China outbursts are escalating daily, the South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has even suggested the US should punish China over COVID-19 by cancelling its holdings of US Treasury bonds.

A gauge of the speed of these processes can be obtained by contrasting the situation that now prevails with what occurred in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008.

In April 2009, leaders of the G20 met in London to commit themselves to a co-ordinated response, vowing that never again would they go down the road of the protectionist measures that had played such a disastrous role in the Great Depression, helping to create the conditions for World War II.

For a time, the commitment to “resist protectionism” was a regular feature of statements by all international economic bodies, such as the G20 and G7. Now even the phrase has disappeared, under conditions where all the institutions established in the post-war period to regulate the post-war affairs of global capitalism—the World Trade Organisation, the G7, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organisation—are torn by conflicts or in an advanced state of decay.

The significance of these developments can only be understood within their broader historical context.

In the 19th century, the development of capitalism and the productive forces of mankind were aided by the formation of national states, such as the unification of Germany in 1871, the establishment of the Italian nation-state and the American civil war, which laid the political foundations for the development of the United States as an economic powerhouse.

But the advance of the productive forces did not stop at national borders. It spread globally in the last quarter of the 19th century and the opening decade of the 20th. This vast economic development, however, brought to the surface a central contradiction in the global capitalist system—one that has bedevilled it ever since—between the development of a global economy and the division of the world into rival nation-states and great powers.

This conflict exploded in the form of World War I, as each capitalist government sought to resolve it, as Leon Trotsky noted, “not through the intelligent, organised co-operation of all of humanity’s producers, but through the exploitation of the world’s economic system by the capitalist class of the victorious country.”

The Russian Revolution of October 1917—the overthrow of capitalism by the working class—pointed to the only way out. It was conceived and fought for by Lenin and the leadership of the Bolshevik Party as the opening shot of the world socialist revolution, that is, the taking of political power by the international working class, as the pre-condition for the reconstruction of the global economy on socialist foundations—the necessary next stage in the historical development of mankind.

The war resolved nothing. Economic nationalism intensified over the succeeding two decades, leading to the outbreak of an even more devastating world war in 1939.

In the last days of World War II and its immediate aftermath, the leaders of world imperialism recognised that a new international economic order and monetary system had to be constructed, because any return to the conditions of the 1930s would bring socialist revolution, including in the US.

There was an attempt to overcome the contradiction between the development of a global economy and the division of the world into rival nation-states and great powers, through the development of a new world trading and monetary system based on the economic might of the major imperialist power, the United States. This was the foundation of the Bretton Woods monetary system established in 1944, in which the US dollar, backed by gold, became the preeminent international currency.

But this system failed to provide a lasting solution. It only temporarily, in historical terms, ameliorated it. The essential contradiction re-emerged, because the very economic expansion it had produced undermined the foundation on which it was based—the economic superiority of the US over its rivals.

The beginning of the end of that dominance announced its arrival with the decision by US President Nixon, on August 15, 1971, to remove the gold backing from the US dollar. The relative weakening of the US vis-à-vis its economic rivals meant it could no longer maintain the system it had created.

The historic economic decline of the US has continued apace in the period since. From the economic powerhouse of world capitalism, it has become the centre of capitalist rot and decay, manifested, above all, in the process of financialisation—the complete divorce of wealth accumulation from the underlying process of production—and the making of profit, not through industrial development, as once took place, but by means of parasitism and speculation.

That rot erupted to the surface in the 2008 financial crisis and has now exploded in even more grotesque forms in the wake of the pandemic—exemplified in the present rise of the stock market as tens of thousands die.

However, US imperialism has no intention of fading from the scene. Rather, confronted by rivals on every front—China, Germany, the European Union and Japan—and seeing enemies everywhere, it is determined to maintain its position by all means necessary, including war.

The source of the great problems confronting humanity is not economic globalisation and the integration of economic and social life on a world scale.

Globalisation of production, in and of itself, represents an important advance. It raises the productivity of labour—the material foundation for all economic advancement—to new levels. Furthermore, the vast and complex systems of planning and communication, by which transnational corporations carry out their economic activities, lay the material foundation for a higher form of society, a planned international socialist economy, consciously controlled and democratically regulated by the world’s producers—the international working class.

In 1934, as war clouds were once again gathering, Trotsky warned that the call by fascist and nationalist regimes for a return to the “national hearth” had profound significance.

While the prospect of harmonious national economic development on the basis of capitalist property was a complete fiction, it had a menacing political reality. It signified the drive by the major powers to gather together all the economic resources of the nation in preparation for war. That war erupted just five years later, with even more devastating consequences than the first imperialist conflagration.

Today, the promotion of economic nationalism—now being accelerated as a result of the pandemic—has the same reactionary content.

The problems confronting mankind do not arise from economic globalisation as such, but are rooted in the deepening contradiction between this progressive development and the reactionary social and political order, based on private profit and the division of the world into rival nation-states and great powers, within which it is encased.

The productive forces, created by the labour of the international working class, must therefore be liberated from these reactionary fetters. That path was charted in the opening shot of the world socialist revolution in October 1917. It is the path to which the international working class must now return, as the only way forward out of the present crisis.

Nick Beams

[kaylabliss]

Since I'm posting again...

I figure I'll post about why I've disappeared from Tumblr for about a million years. I missed all you people that I don't actually talk to but enjoy seeing posts from.

This year has been total shit. I don't know what my last "update" was, but I doubt anyone else will remember either.

I'm finally on ADHD medication (as of November), which has made a very slight difference in my ability to function. However, I'm thinking of asking for something different. I'm on Adderall XR, and I'm wondering if Vyvanse would be more helpful. It costs twice as much, but if it helps, it would be worth it.

Despite taking daily amphetamines, I've gained even more weight and I'm at my highest weight since pregnancy. (I'm not taking Adderall for weight loss, of course, but it would have been a really nice side effect. I have little to no appetite, but I still eat way too much because depression anxiety and laziness.)

In January, we found out Toys R Us was closing. My partner has been a supervisor there for ten years, so this was a pretty devastating blow for us. His last day was in April. Fortunately, he was only unemployed for about a month. In the week after TRU closed, he helped a local mom and pop toy store owner move some shelves that they'd bought from the TRU liquidation. That got his foot in the door, and now he's actually making more money there than he was at TRU.... To the tune of an extra $250 a week. Better yet, they love him. And his boss? Small world, he was my favorite patient at my old job. So we're going into this with me already knowing and liking his boss! And a fun bonus: when new movies come out, they rent out entire rows at the theater and all the employees and whoever they want to invite can go see it. Eric went to see Solo with them-- I've been trying to convince him to go out and do things with people for literally our entire relationship, so I was THRILLED about this. Also, the store sells mostly older collectibles, so when he saw what his toys were worth, he was psyched. He sold two of his old action figures this week for $400, and he gets 60% of that on consignment.

The salary increase and extra money is great, because in February, my car broke down. The transmission died, and as it was a POS 1996 Lexus, it would have cost four times what the car was worth to fix it. So we've been sharing a car, which has been difficult, but thankfully both our jobs close at 8 and we're right across the street from each other. While he was still at TRU, he was sometimes getting off around 10, which meant keeping my daughter out way too late. But now we can start saving for a down payment on a car, and actually afford car payments without having to live on ramen.

Also in February, his mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. This has been hard. Last week, she had her final surgery to remove the cancerous mass from her lung. She came home on Thursday and she's doing well. Aside from the anxiety over her diagnosis, this has been hard in about a dozen other ways. She had some moments where she was legitimately scared that she wouldn't get to see Shilo grow up, and this was made even harder when she lost her hair. She looked different, and Shilo acted scared of her. I don't know if she was having trouble recognizing her or what. And then to top it off, they've always been pretty well off financially and have always been able to help out their kids when needed-- including us. But there was a lot of things their insurance didn't pay for, and they had a $100 copay for each radiation treatment for six weeks. We haven't needed help with money, thankfully, but under normal circumstances they may have been able to help us get a new car. They also missed their granddaughter's graduation in Texas, which I know was disappointing. Eric's unemployment was actually helpful though, because he was able to stay home with Shilo for the greater part of his mom's chemo and radiation.

All that aside, there have been a lot of daily stressors and disappointments for me. I don't know how much I should really go into here, since someone could stumble into my blog.... Eh, I think I have it locked from public view, so.

One of the biggest things that bugged me was my mom. I didn't get to see her for Christmas because on Christmas eve, it was more important to her to go pass out coffee at a local men's shelter. (I know it sounds noble, but sometimes I wonder. She's wound up dating several of the men there.) I had to work on Christmas day. I didn't see her until the end of January at my niece's birthday party. She didn't bring Shilo's Christmas presents with her, because we had planned to do lunch before the party but neither of us felt well enough for it, so she decided not to bring the presents. I brought her and Lily's presents, because I knew it could be a while before we could get together, and it was already a month late. After that, she said several times she would come over with them. One day, she had told me she was going to be down the street at Walmart and would drop by... She actually called me from Walmart to ask me for diet advice.... And didn't come over when she was done.

In May, she finally just brought the presents to me at work, because she was at a dentist appointment in the same complex I work in. I didn't ACTUALLY see her until last week.

In all that time, she knew about all the crap I've been going through, and she hasn't checked on me one single time. In fact, the week after my car broke down, she called me to brag that she had traded in her perfectly good, brand new car for an even newer car. This was particularly infuriating to me, because I was busting my ass working overtime and working every single holiday and I was barely making rent (forget any chance of getting even a cheap functioning car), but she's on SSDI and is taking on this huge car payment for literally no reason.

Then, when we finally did get together and go to lunch, she spent the first fifteen minutes listing every celebrity who has ever @ her on Twitter (despite me saying repeatedly "I have no idea who that is" and showing zero interest in the discussion because c'mon), talked about herself the whole time, and didn't ask me any questions about how things are going. When I did manage to get a word in, it was about Shilo's behavior at school, and she took over the conversation again to tell me about this place where you can drop autistic kids off for a few hours (but they're not even a licensed childcare facility, which makes me nervous, and they don't list their prices on their website which means I can't afford them). They also have family classes and actives and whatever, but still, I'm sure I can't afford them.

One of the things that really hurt me though? She had been "too busy" to see us for nearly six months, but she had time to make a 400 mile round trip to the other end of the state to spend time with my high school roommate and her children... Two weekends in a row, including on Mother's Day weekend. But yeah, too fucking busy to see her own daughter and granddaughter. When I tried to confront her on it, she was really blasé about it and deflected the conversation.

And? She didn't tell me that she broke up with her boyfriend months ago, and was not living where I thought she was living. In fact, I'm pretty sure she straight up lied to me about it, because she sent me what appeared to be an accidental text about moving, and when I said "wait what, you're moving?" she said "oh yeah from one trailer to the other" (they were living in a trailer park where you can only stay six months due to the sewage system or something, so they bought two trailers so they could move to the second every six months).

It's all made me feel really alone. I miss my grandma, because she never would have treated me this way. My mom is the only "family" I have, and she has zero interest in being part of my life.

Anyway, done with that section.

Shilo has been very violent at school, to a point where we actually got TWO behavior referrals in one day (a slip explaining her behavior and consequences-- usually involves missing recess, having to eat lunch in the principal's office, and/or writing an apology letter). It's been frustrating, and I haven't been sure what to do since I work so much and have my own issues with executive function and lack the ability to keep a stable routine. I'm hoping next year will be better, and I'm going to get a behavior intervention plan added to her IEP so we can figure out WHY she acts this way instead of just trying to correct the behavior after it happens. They do try to circumvent the behavior, mostly using social stories before transitions and things, but I don't think it's working.

Another big thing is that I got my IUD removed, and while I'm pissed about having a real menstrual cycle again, I'm shocked at some of the effects the IUD had on me that I didn't even realize. It turns out it was really dampening my sex drive, and portions of my personality. Suddenly I was interested in sex again and attracted to anything that moves lmao. An increased sex drive is a bad thing for me though, which I won't go into here.... But in short, let's say that it's caused some hurt feelings due to rejection.

So yeah, that's most of it. If you actually read my wall of text and whining, thanks! You're a champ.

[newstfionline]

Friday, July 2, 2021

US jobless claims fall to 364,000, a new pandemic low (AP) The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell again last week to the lowest level since the pandemic struck last year, further evidence that the job market and the broader economy are rebounding rapidly from the coronavirus recession. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims dropped by 51,000 to 364,000. Applications for unemployment benefits have fallen more or less steadily since the year began. The rollout of vaccines has sharply reduced new COVID-19 cases, giving consumers the confidence to shop, travel, eat out and attend public events as the economy recovers. All that pent-up spending has generated such demand for workers, notably at restaurants and tourism businesses, that many employers have been struggling to fill jobs just as the number of posted openings has reached a record high. But many economists expect hiring to catch up with demand in the coming months, especially as federal unemployment aid programs end and more people pursue jobs.

Sun-starved Britons flood to Spain’s Mallorca after restrictions eased (Reuters) Beach-craving British tourists flocked to the Spanish island of Mallorca on Wednesday after London added the Balearic archipelago to its “green travel list”, boosting hopes for a better tourist season after a disastrous 2020. Tourists stepping onto the sunlit pavement outside Palma de Mallorca’s airport expressed relief and gratitude to be back in the sunshine. The lifting of restrictions by Britain means holidaymakers will not have to quarantine on return from the islands, as they still have to with the rest of Spain and most other countries.

EU travel passes (Foreign Policy) EU member states today roll out a new digital certificate intended to ease travel across borders by providing up to date information on a traveler’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination status. Citing a “worrying patchwork of approaches” by EU member nations a group of European airlines and airports have warned of “chaos” at airports due to extra document checks adding to already long pre-boarding times as travel resumes across the continent.

Russian navy conducts live fire exercise in Black Sea as Ukraine, NATO drill (Reuters) Russian warships have carried out a live fire training exercise in the Black Sea, the country’s Black Sea fleet said on Thursday, as Ukraine and NATO countries held military drills in the same wider area. The Sea Breeze drills, led by Ukraine and the United States, follow a spike in tensions between NATO and Moscow after Russia last week said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to expel it from its territorial waters near Crimea. The drill came two days after Russia tested its air defence systems in Crimea.

Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years (AP) Most European troops have already pulled out of Afghanistan, quietly withdrawing months before the U.S.-led mission was officially expected to end—part of an anticlimactic close to the “forever war” that risks leaving the country on the brink of civil war. Germany and Italy declared their missions in Afghanistan over on Wednesday and Poland’s last troops returned home, bringing their deployments to a low-key end nearly 20 years after the first Western soldiers were deployed there. Announcements from several countries analyzed by The Associated Press show that a majority of European troops has now left with little ceremony—a stark contrast to the dramatic and public show of force and unity when NATO allies lined up to back the U.S. invasion to rid the country of al-Qaida after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Georgia’s last troops returned home on Monday, while Romania brought home its remaining 140 troops on Saturday, when Norway also pulled out. Troops from Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands also returned home last week. Spain withdrew its last troops on May 13, Sweden on May 25, and Belgium on June 14. The small contingents deployed by Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Finland and Albania have all left as well.

Afghan electricity (Foreign Policy) Electricity pylons are blowing up across Afghanistan. The trend isn’t new: Afghan power infrastructure has been a target of the country’s relentless violence since at least 2016. But in early June, Afghanistan’s main power utility stated that 23 pylons had been destroyed or damaged in a single month, causing power outages in Kabul and seven surrounding provinces. The Taliban and the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for some attacks. Afghan observers have blamed private criminal gangs and even government elements. The energy security implications of the attacks are profound. Afghanistan only generates one-quarter of its electricity domestically, and many pylons transmit power from Uzbekistan and Iran. The vulnerability of its electricity infrastructure amplifies its connectivity challenges and presents yet another dilemma for a population already grappling with insurgency, terrorism, COVID-19, and drought.

Xi takes firm line as China Communist Party marks centenary (AP) China will not allow itself to be bullied and anyone who tries will face “broken heads and bloodshed in front of the iron Great Wall of the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” President Xi Jinping said at a mass gathering Thursday to mark the centenary of the ruling Communist Party. Wearing a grey buttoned-up suit of the type worn by Mao Zedong, Xi spoke from the balcony of Tiananmen Gate, emphasizing the party’s role in bringing China to global prominence. Xi, who is head of the party and leader of the world’s largest armed forces also said China had restored order in Hong Kong following antigovernment protests in the semi-autonomous city in 2019 and reiterated Beijing’s determination to bring self-governing Taiwan under its control. He received the biggest applause, however, when he described the party as the force that had restored China’s dignity and turned it into the world’s second largest economy since taking power amid civil war in 1949. Thursday’s events are the climax of weeks of ceremonies and displays praising the role of the Communist Party in bringing vast improvements in quality of life at home and restoring China’s economic, political and military influence abroad.

China is building more than 100 new missile silos in its western desert, analysts say (Washington Post) China has begun construction of what independent experts say are more than 100 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles in a desert near the northwestern city of Yumen, a building spree that could signal a major expansion of Beijing’s nuclear capabilities. Commercial satellite images obtained by researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif., show work underway at scores of sites across a grid covering hundreds of square miles of arid terrain in China’s Gansu province. The 119 nearly identical construction sites contain features that mirror those seen at existing launch facilities for China’s arsenal of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. The acquisition of more than 100 new missile silos, if completed, would represent a historic shift for China, a country that is believed to possess a relatively modest stockpile of 250 to 350 nuclear weapons. The actual number of new missiles intended for those silos is unknown but could be much smaller. China has deployed decoy silos in the past.

With so few virus deaths, Australians debate vaccine risks (AP) Australia has weathered the pandemic far better than many nations—recording just a single coronavirus death since last October—but its success means many Australians are not in a rush to get vaccinated. Concerns are growing about the economic cost to Australia of being left behind by countries that suffered far higher death tolls, but urgently embraced vaccines and are increasingly opening up. Most of Australia’s pandemic success, after all, can be attributed to the continued closure of the isolated continent’s border, something that is unlikely to change until far more than the current 6% of the population is vaccinated. But with relatively few cases of the virus and so few deaths, many in Australia are questioning whether the slight health risks to young adults of the widely available AstraZeneca vaccine make it worth it. It’s a debate that divided politicians and medical experts this week at a time when nearly half of Australia’s 26 million people are living under lockdown measures due to the emergence of new virus clusters mostly blamed on the delta variant.

Israel scrambles to curb jump in COVID infections (AP) Israel, a world leader in coronavirus vaccinations, reported its highest daily infection rate in three months as it scrambles to contain the spread of the new delta variant. Authorities are racing to vaccinate children and are considering tighter travel restrictions at the country’s main airport. The Health Ministry on Thursday reported 307 new cases on Wednesday, the highest in nearly three months and a rise from 293 newly-diagnosed cases a day earlier. The health ministry reportedly expects those numbers to jump in coming days, raising concerns that Israel is plunging back toward a crisis. In recent months, Israel has reopened businesses, schools and event venues, lifting nearly all restrictions after it inoculated some 85% of the adult population. It’s now seen as an early-warning system of sorts for other nations. Though worrying, the trend still shows little uptick when it comes to deaths from the virus. In the past two weeks, the ministry recorded only one.

Jordan tribes, bedrock of monarchy, on edge as economy tanks (AP) Jordan has drawn a curtain of secrecy on the unprecedented public rift within its royal family, but the social tensions laid bare by the palace drama that unfolded in April—particularly the economic despair of its influential tribes—can be seen everywhere. Years of economic crisis have frayed the historic patronage-for-loyalty bond between the king and the tribes, a bedrock of the Hashemite family’s decades-long rule. Even some government insiders fear that anger percolating under the surface could erupt at any moment, a warning bound to worry the kingdom’s Western allies. “I’m afraid of what is next because of the tragic living situation, that people won’t bear it anymore, and (that) people will explode,” said Sayel al-Majali, head of the governing council of Karak province, where unemployment has reached 40%. “I fear losing control of security matters” if problems aren’t solved, said al-Majali, a retired army brigadier and a member of one of Karak’s most prominent tribes. Even before the pandemic, there weren’t enough jobs for a young, rapidly growing labor force. The lives of many young Jordanians are on hold because they cannot follow the traditional path of job, marriage and children.

Madagascar is headed toward a climate change-linked famine it did not create (Washington Post) In Madagascar, hunger has already left people eating raw red cactus fruits, wild leaves, even the very locusts that helped decimate crops. The southern part of the country is experiencing its worst drought in decades, with the World Food Program warning that 1.14 million people are food-insecure and 400,000 people are headed toward starvation. As a vast Indian Ocean island renowned for its remote beauty and unique ecosystem, Madagascar is sometimes referred to as the eighth continent. But the problems it faces now are “catastrophic,” according to WFP—and they are not primarily the result of local political or economic disorder, nor do they stem from isolated weather events. “The big thing is there’s no conflict, but people are dying of hunger” in Madagascar, Lola Castro, who is WFP’s regional director in southern Africa and visited the worst-hit areas in June, said. The problem, Castro explained, was “clearly climate change.” Amid conflict and the coronavirus, many parts of the developing world face food crises. The WFP recently appealed for $6 billion to help 41 million people it says are on the edge of famine in 43 countries. The charity Oxfam has warned of a “hunger pandemic” even as the coronavirus still rages. WFP chief David Beasley, speaking at a Group of 20 event on humanitarian aid in Brindisi, Italy, on Wednesday, warned that Madagascar and countries like it could face an “unprecedented famine of biblical proportions” as he asked for $78.6 million to help get Madagascar through the lean season, which begins in the fall and lasts until the spring.

[environmental-studies]

LITTERING IN NEW YORK CITY

BY: STEPHEN RAMOSA

Imagine this, it's a brisk fall afternoon and you decide to go for a walk with the intent to breathe in the crisp air and take in the beautiful reds, yellows, and browns nature has to offer as the seasons change. You make sure your phone has storage space to take nice photos for social media. To let everyone know you truly love the outdoors despite living in an urban area. You put your favorite warm autumn jacket on, open your front door, and head out. As you start walking, you notice that every time you think you have the perfect picture you don’t. In every shot, there are plastic bottles amongst the fallen leaves or plastic bags tangled in the trees. All you wanted to do was capture nature’s beauty. However, that plan is ruined, maybe not by you but by your friends, family, or neighbors who refuse to properly dispose of trash. This lazy mentality is more prevalent in urban areas. It's more common to see litter on the streets than it is to see potted plants on someone’s porch. To an individual its just one bottle, or chip bag, or cigarette butt. However, think about it this way. There are roughly 8.3 million people in New York City. Let's say only a fourth of those people littered a single item daily. That is still over 2 million pieces of trash polluting the streets of New York per day. Urban pollution is a growing problem that needs to be addressed.

Although urban cities are more modern than other areas of the world, places like New York City seem to be doing the bare minimum in terms of keeping trash off the streets. Yes, they have trash pick up days, days where a trash sweeper vehicle drives down blocks, and public trash bins on some street corners but that's about it. Even with these measures in place, it is still more common to see litter than it is a wild animal in the streets of New York. More often than not those public trash bins are overflowing and people are throwing their waste “in the trash bin” only for it to bounce off the trash mountain and land on the ground. In fact, in some areas like in Harlem, the public trash bins were removed due to people abusing them. A New York Times article by Winnie Hu states, “The New York City Sanitation Department has taken away the litter baskets from Harlem primarily because it says that while the baskets are intended only for litter from pedestrians, most had been crammed full of trash bags and debris from homes and businesses”. Thanks to the actions of some people, daily lives were ruined for everyone else in the area. With no public place to dispose of trash, people get to lazy to hold onto their garbage until they get home and just toss it away as they’re walking without a care.

This blatant disregard does not only affect the human residents of New York City. Many people have pets who need to be walked or simply let into the backyard. The wind carries plastic from one place to another, depositing it in places it shouldn’t be. Animals are curious beings. Some are none the wiser and end up ingesting plastic which causes serious problems, even death. According to an article by Gregory Mcnamee, the United States alone throws out over 100 billion plastic bags a year. Due to the lack of recycling and the properties of plastic, these littered plastic bags are everywhere since they can not naturally decompose. Ingesting these plastic bags is the cause of death for over 100 thousand mammals and birds each year. The average person does not realize the human lives are not the only lives being impact due to their negligence. Animals inhabit urban areas too. It is simply not right for us to move in and turn their homes into our garbage cans. 

Despite painting New York City in a bad light thus far, there have been notions to make the city greener. An article released in 2015 by Cole Rosengren states, “... the fines for littering from $50 to $250 for a first violation and up to $450 for a third or subsequent one”. This option makes sense because littering is unconscious behavior. To stop unconscious behaviors, deterrents have to be put in place so that when people get caught doing this behavior they’ll be motivated to not do it again. However, the problem with this is actually catching people litter. Littering happens in a split second so it's hard to catch and accuse people of it. Above that, the people who are supposed to enforce these laws do not care enough or have more “important” matters to be on the lookout for. It is a step in the right direction but it’s producing very little change. Another step in the right direction is the notion to ban plastic bags. An article by Jesse McKinley states, “New York’s ban, which would begin next March, would forbid stores to provide customers with single-use plastic bags, which are nonbiodegradable and have been blamed for everything from causing gruesome wildlife deaths to thwarting recycling efforts”. This article was written in March of 2019. So by 2020 people will have to start bringing their own reusable bags when they shop for their groceries. Hopefully, within a few years, we will start to see noticeable changes to streets and trees all around New York City.

Combating pollution may seem like a daunting losing battle for humanity but every little bit helps. On an individual level, all that has to be done is changing some simple daily habits. Put plastic bottles or cans in the recycle bins instead of with the regular trash bins. When you’re outside and finish a drink or a snack, wait until you find the proper trash bin to throw it in instead of tossing it into the street, switch to reusable bags right now instead of waiting for the ban to take effect in a couple of months. These simple changes, that take almost no effort at all can dramatically aid in the fight against pollution. Although there is one more way to help that's more impactful than all those actions combined. That is spreading this message. Convince the people closest to you to change their habits with you and then convince them to help change the habits of the people closest to them. Then the change will spread in waves. A single water drop does almost nothing but a tsunami has tons and tons of force behind it. Soon enough we’ll be able to push all the trash out of the streets and trees so every picture taken can be posted to social media without being burdened by litter in the background.

RESOURCES:

Hu, W. (2018, August 19). Harlem's Trash Bins Were Overflowing. So the City Took 223 Away. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/nyregion/harlem-litter-baskets-sanitation-department-nyc.html

McKinley, J. (2019, March 31). Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York; Second Statewide Ban, After California. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/nyregion/plastic-bag-ban-.html

McNamee, G. (n.d.). Plastic Bags and Animals. Retrieved from http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/12/plastic-bags-and-animals-making-the-wild-safe-for-wildlife/

Rosengren, C. (n.d.). Combatting New York's Enduring Quality-of-Life Problem: Litter. Retrieved from https://www.gothamgazette.com/government/5905-litter-new-yorks-enduring-quality-of-life-problem

[ridingirlsblog]

Photoshoot of the Week: July 22nd -28th 2019 - Kawasaki Ninja 300 & Vanessa

2019 Spring, as you may know, has come to an end but we still have beautiful memories about those old good (and way cooler) days - and here on Ridin'Girls Blog we have also some very special and beautiful photos to refersh memory. So take a breath from this sweltering summer and then have a look at the amazing German biker girl and misterious blonde socialite Vanessa showing off her black magic 2018 Kawasaki Ninja 300 under a marvellous cherry blossom somewhere in Niedersachsen. Refreshing, isn't it? The Kawasaki Ninja 300, or EX300, is a 296 cc (18.1 cu in) Ninja series sport bike introduced by Kawasaki in 2012 for the 2013 model year. With adrenaline rush-inducing performance, effortless handling characteristics and a 296cc engine, the Ninja 300 torches the competition across the board—including bikes significantly larger engines. Don’t let the “lightweight” designation fool you: this is not your average sportbike. The 2018 Ninja 300 wears the same panels as its predecessor Ninja 250, however, the new metallic paint job and a smattering of graphics lend a fresh appeal to the baby Ninja. Though most of the components, like the panels, wheels, tyres and wiring are locally sourced, there is no perceived drop in quality levels. The fit and finish are just as good as it has been with no panel gaps or mismatched paint to speak of. The switchgear feels high quality as well and there's this nice, tactile feel to the switches. The 296cc, liquid cooled parallel twin engine is the same unit that we've seen in the older bike. It produces 39PS at 11,000rpm and 27Nm at 10,000rpm and is paired to a six-speed gearbox. The motor is quite tractable at low speeds and you can pootle around town in sixth at speeds around and upwards of 50kmph. However, the engine is in its element only post 7,000rpm. It also sounds a lot sportier as the tacho needle swoops towards the redline. For those of you who enjoy spirited riding, it's best to keep the engine spinning above the 10,000rpm mark as that's where the sweet spot lies. Throttle response is crisp allowing the rider to modulate inputs precisely. The 0-100kmph dash is dispatched in 7.28s which is decent when you consider its 179kg kerb weight. Another aspect about the engine that I really liked is its refinement. There are barely any vibrations to speak of in the low and mid-range and you'll only feel a tiny buzz in the clip on handlebars once you approach the redline. What this means is that the engine runs stress free at speeds around 100-120kmph which makes the Ninja 300 an excellent touring machine as much as track day bike. And it's quite efficient as well. It delivers 28.5 kmpl in the city and the figure climbs to 32.2kmpl on the highway. Consider the 17-litre fuel tank and the Ninja 300 offers a good tank range, again highlighting it's touring cred. The Ninja 300 uses a diamond type steel frame with conventional, 37mm right side up forks at the front and an adjustable, link type gas charged monoshock at the rear. The set-up is stiff yet pliant and the Ninja absorbs most of the imperfections on the road. The new MRF Zapper tyres are way better than the budget IRC tyres that the older model was shod with. The grip levels are significantly better, allowing you to push hard in a corner. While the handling is not sharp like the Yamaha R3 or thrilling like the KTM RC 390, thanks to a relaxed geometry, the Ninja 300 is definitely sure-footed. Turn in is precise and the long wheelbase aids mid-corner stability. It's this friendly nature that makes the Ninja 300 a good learning tool, either up a mountain road or the race track. One of the biggest highlights of the new Ninja 300 is the new locally sourced brakes (by Endurance) with ABS as standard. While there's adequate feedback through the lever and the safety net of ABS gives you the confidence to go hard on the brakes. I do wish the brakes had a little more initial bite, though. The Ninja 300, as a product, has grown long in the tooth now. Globally, the Ninja 400 has replaced the Ninja 300 but it's eye watering price tag in Asia (especially in India) only created a huge gap between the two models in the recent years. At Rs 2.98 lakh, the Ninja 300 is a sweet deal if you consider what it offers. You get a twin-cylinder motorcycle that's well built, can handle daily commutes, touring as well as the occasional track day. The addition of ABS is like the cherry on top of the cake. If you can get past the thought that you are essentially buying a motorcycle that was launched in 2013, and if you've always wanted to move up from a single-cylinder motorcycle, the 2018 Ninja 300 makes a strong case for itself. #bikergirl #fastbikes #RidinGirlsBlog #racing #kawasakininja #ninja300 #ninja #kawasakigirl #ninja400 #vanyiaracing #scorpionhelmets #motorbike #bikelife #bikersofinstagram #bikerfamily #bikergirl #riderich #girlsonbikes #ridemore #sportbike #sexybiker #kawa #alpinestars #kawasaki #vanessa #bikerchick #bikerlady #motorbike #speed #roadracing #ridingsexy #girlswhoride #riderich #girlsonbikes #motorrad #kawagirl #motogp #moto #helmetporn

  Some rare photos of Vanessa in her early days on Instagram before choosing her ridin'style: her blond hair tied back in a braid

Visualizza questo post su Instagram Wie? Schon Mittwoch? Die Zeit rennt bei mir die letzten Tage irgendwie So viel zu tun, da schaut man einmal weg und schwubs - ist es schon wieder ne Stunde später ⏰ . Ich wollte mich noch einmal hier bei allen bedanken. Vor 4 Tagen haben wir die 1,3k geschafft und heute die 1,5k? Das geht so schnell!!❤️ Also danke für euern support und für die Zeit in der ich euch mit meinen Bildern belästigen kann Euch allen noch einen schönen Restmittwoch☀️ . PS: Die Kombi müsste ich auch mal wieder sauber machen, verzeiht mir ———————————————————————— I just want to thank everybody On Saturday we just hit the 1,3k followers and today we hit the 1,5k!!! We are growing so fast. So thank you for your support Have a nice Wednesday . PS: Sorry for the dirty leathersuit, I have to clean it soon ———————————————————————— @primee51 Danke für diesen Schnappschuss beim vorbeigehen❤️ ich liebe dich . Werbung wegen Verlinkung Un post condiviso da vanessa (@vanyiaracing) in data: 19 Giu 2019 alle ore 9:37 PDT Read the full article

[nigeriabitcoincommunity]

Forsage Review (2020) | How Legit Is This Platform?

Forsage Review (2020) | How Legit Is This Platform? - What is Forsage? - How Forsage works - Forsage X3 and X4 - How to earn Ethereum daily on Forsage - Is it scam or legit? #forsage #Ethereum #blockchain -

Today’s analytical review is on Forsage, a fast money-making platform that has won the heart of many Nigerians.

I have heard different stories of people earning big on the platform. Someone even said he has received over 100% ROI so far.

And to think that Forsage is barely 6 months old, it just blows my mind.

You must have heard similar stories too. That’s probably why you are reading…

[vsplusonline]

COVID-19: First time in 250 years, Mumbai’s iconic Ramzan food market to be off menu

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/covid-19-first-time-in-250-years-mumbais-iconic-ramzan-food-market-to-be-off-menu/

COVID-19: First time in 250 years, Mumbai’s iconic Ramzan food market to be off menu

For the first time in its nearly 250-year-old history, Mumbai’s world-renowned and iconic Mohammed Ali Road Street Food Bazaar is poised to wear a deserted look this Ramzan month, starting April 23.

Incidentally, the market was open even after the March 12, 1993 serial bomb blasts, but it’s fate in Ramzan 2020 will be known only after May 3.

Missing would be the enticing, mouth-watering aroma of over 400 non-vegetarian dishes on offer, plus around 100 assorted desserts and beverages, making it the month-long mecca for food lovers — irrespective of religion — thronging there.

“This is a sad truth. We are planning to request Mumbai Police Commissioner to at least grant us permission for two hours during the evening ‘iftaar’. The morning ‘sehri’ people will somehow manage,” a worried Abdul Rehman Khan told IANS.

Khan is owner of the decades-old landmark restaurant, Mashaallah Cuisine, nestling under the shadow of the 250-year-old historic Minara Masjid (Tower Mosque), from where it all started.

For 70-year-old Shabbir Ajmanwalla, from the adjacent Bohri Mohalla, the spectre of ‘sehri’ and ‘iftaar’ without the goodies from the roadside eateries is akin to blasphemy.

“My father, in the 1920s, used to tell us many stories of the food market. Later, in the 1960s, as young boys, my friends and I would hop onto a tram for purchases to break our daylong fast,” he reminisced.

In those days, trams plied in south Mumbai from Colaba to Dadar Tram Terminus (Dadar TT, as it is known even today after trams stopped in 1964), traversing through congested Pydhonie, Nagdevi Street, and Mohammed Ali Road.

A rich legacy

The street food market’s history is directly entwined with that of the imposing Minara Masjid, said local Urdu scribe, Aejaz Ahmed Ansari, quoting legends handed down by forefathers.

“The 24×7 Ramzan market started as tiny food stalls around this mosque and kept expanding over the centuries. But in the past six to seven decades, it acquired a cult status for the sheer variety of food, their unique preparation styles and memorable taste, attracting people from around the world,” Ansari told IANS.

According to 62-year-old Karim Patel, a local businessman with a shop near the Minara Masjid, Muslims comprise barely 25 percent of the patrons, the rest comprise around 60 percent non-Muslims and foreigners or tourists.

“Certain varieties of food and desserts are specially prepared or available only during Ramzan, so people make it a point to come and savour these. A few are handed down by families from generations and are truly unique,” Patel said with a smile.

“The main market is spread around a kilometre on each side of the Minara Masjid, the rest is a spillover that comes up during Ramzan owing to the huge demand. The main market has around 100 plus food stalls, the spillover comprises another 400 odd sellers. It’s a celebration of national integration through food, in Ramzan,” said Khan.

Teeming in a tiny corner in the congested Muslim-dominated residential-cum-commercial district, this year many non-Muslims may experience withdrawal symptoms of Mohammed Ali Road food market.

From far and wide

Khan said on an average, the food market — with 90 percent non-vegetarian offerings — attracts around 40,000 people daily, and during weekends, the number shoots up to 100,000, and the month averages around 1.50 million hungry customers.

“On an average, a person spends between ₹ 500 to 800 for a hearty meal, so calculate the massive businesses generated here. There are thousands of families who work only in Ramzan month and survive the remaining 11 months. That’s the kind of ‘barkat’ (benevolence) here, thanks to Minara Masjid,” he said.

Patel said each stall employs roughly 10 persons and for Ramzan, specialists are called from around the country to help cope with the bulk cooking requirements.

“Though the theme is Mughlai cuisine, we get specialized ‘Khansamas’ (traditional master chefs) of biryanis from Lucknow, niharis from Delhi, tawa food experts from Bahraich (UP), and the like,” said Khan.

The markets are thronged by commoners and celebs, diplomats, domestic and foreign tourists, and hungry hoppers who drive down from places in 200 to 300 km range like Surat, Bharuch, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Goa, for a ‘culinary wild night out’ and drive back home the next morning, said Nagori.

However, most local restaurateurs confide they don’t encourage celebs as “they disturb the whole market with their brief appearance”, although many bigwigs quietly wait in their dark-tinted glass vehicles, collect their packed food without any fanfare and quietly retreat to enjoy their food elsewhere.

Among the notable Ramzan regulars are Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay Dutt, Ayesha Takiya-Azmi, Remo D’Souza, Nawaz Siddiqui, and in the past there were Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kapoor, et al.

This market’s reputation has spawned many similar ‘Ramzan markets’ in Mumbai at Mahim, Kurla, Bandra, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Mira Road, Vasai, Pune, Malegaon, Nashik, Sangli, Surat, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc, but die-hard connoisseurs swear that the ‘Mohammed Ali Road food bazaar’ beats them all.

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[bonniejstarks]

BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS 2019: BECAUSE DECEMBER 1ST IS NEAR…

Nope, not jaded about beauty advent calendars yet. Sure, they’re often just samples stuffed into festive packaging, but some smart brands include full-sized surprises as well. Either way, I’m still as charmed and tempted as much as ever. So here’s a round-up of all the daily-gift options I’d have if the beauty-advent-calendar fairy were inclined to surprise me with them all. What? You think it’s so easy to pick one?

Thanks for watching!Visit Website

art deco

ArtDeco 2019 Beauty Advent Calendar; available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart

One of the few beauty advent calendars offered at Canadian drugstores, the annual ArtDeco Beauty Advent Calendar ($89 CAD at shoppersdrugmart.com) offers 24 days of discovery. A solid German brand, it’s available in 70 countries, including Canada and the United States, and known for good quality, reasonable prices and its customizable, refillable-palette approach to eye and face colour.

Thanks for watching!Visit Website

Thanks for watching!Visit Website

the body shop

The Body Shop gets credit for being one of the first in the beauty/bodycare space to offer this gift idea in the early 2000s, when a clever employee in Sweden thought to offer as a holiday special a bag containing 24 smaller bags that each contained a mini Body Shop product. The first formal advent calendar from The Body Shop debuted in Northern Europe in the late 2000s, then finally landed in the UK and Canada in 2013, and in the USA about a year or so after that. The brand has always offered three options at three price points, a wallet-considerate approach I’ve always appreciated. This year’s theme is Dream Big, and designed to encourage young girls to aspire to a life and career without limits.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar (in stores in Canada; online in USA)

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas beauty advent calendar ($69 CAD at The Body Shop stores and $70 USD at thebodyshop.com), featuring 24 bath and body items, is the most wallet friendly of the three. It’s available at The Body Shop stores in Canada but sold out online. In the US, it’s available online only.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Deluxe Beauty Advent Calendar (online only)

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Deluxe beauty advent calendar ($99 CAD and $110 USD at thebodyshop.com) features 25 joy-inducing items, some in full sizes, a mix of hair, bath-and-body and makeup treats. And it’s available online only.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar (online only)

Also an online exclusive, The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Ultimate beauty advent calendar ($169 CAD and $170 USD at thebodyshop.com) contains MORE, in a mix of mini and full sizes in fragrance, hair, bath-and-body and makeup.

bare minerals

Bare Minerals 24 Days of Clean Beauty

The Bare Minerals 24 Days of Clean Beauty advent calendar ($99 USD at bareminerals.com) is a lovely, universally flattering collection designed to bestow a healthy, rosy glow. Sadly, it’s no longer available to Canadians via sephora.com now that the holiday bonus sale is over. Aaargh!

charlotte tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Glittering Galaxy of Makeup Magic

The Charlotte Tilbury Glittering Galaxy of Makeup Magic advent calendar($250 CAD and $200 USD at charlottetilbury.com) is sold out at Sephora as well, but it’s just-as-easily accessible via the official Charlotte Tilbury website. A mix of travel- and full-sized items, it includes a full-sized Pillow Talk Matte Revolution lipstick, full-sized Color Chameleon creamy eye shadow pencil in Champagne Diamonds, full-sized Superstar Lips Glossy Lipstick in Sexy Lips, and a full-sized Eyes to Mesmerise cream shadow in Gold, as well as minis of Charlotte’s skincare favourites.

clarins

Clarins 2019 12-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

This 12-Day Clarins 2019 Advent Calendar ($92 CAD at thebay.com and $60 USD at clarinsusa.com) is one I’d appreciate most this year, actually. There’s something reassuring about a collection of skincare from this trusted and highly respected French brand. Most of the items are easy to fit into any existing regimen. Two are full-sized – a lip oil and a Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizing Eye Mask; six are sample-sized, such as the Toning Lotion with Chamomile and Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream; and four are minis, such as the Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D and the popular Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.

Clarins 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Hold the phone, I was wrong: this 24-Day Clarins 2019 Advent Calendar ($140 CAD at clarins.ca and $100 USD at clarinsusa.com) is the one I’d appreciate most! Includes a full-sized mascara, full-sized Jolie Rouge lipstick, full-sized Beauty Flash Balm, full-sized Hydra-Essentiel lip balm, and a mix of sample- and travel-sized skin and body care to try.

clinique

Clinique 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Okay, the Clinique 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar ($88 CAD at thebay.com) is tied for first place in calendars I’d most appreciate. I like so many of the products included, such as the Fresh Pressed Vitamin C, Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, Lash Power mascara (brilliant tube technology I tested on a ride under the Canadian side of Niagara Falls), and so. much. more. I can’t seem to find a US retailer, though – apologies if it appeals to you but is already sold out there.

kiehl’s

Kiehls 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Yep, it’s a three-way tie for most appreciated beauty advent calendar this year. The Kiehl’s 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar ($120 CAD at thebay.com and $90 USD at kiehls.com) is chock full of face and body care that could result in a bit of a Kiehl’s addiction for the recipient. Ultra Facial Cream, Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, Midnight Recovery Concentrate… so many good things.

l’occitane en provence

L’Occitane En Provence 2019 Signature Advent Calendar

The L’Occitane 2019 Signature Advent Calendar ($64 at loccitane.com) is just so pretty and gift-able. Lots of L’Occitane favourites: shower gel, shampoo, soap, body lotion, face care, and enough wee tubes of hand cream to stock every purse for the year.

L’Occitane en Provence 2019 Luxury Advent Calendar

Then there’s the L’Occitane en Provence 2019 Luxury Advent Calendar ($109 at loccitane.com) housed in a fun, multi-drawer set-up that you might consider re-purposing when the holiday season comes around again (one of our beautygeeks friends, Miki, fills the previous year’s advent-calendar packaging with candy and little toys for her kids the following year). This version contains more face care, such as the Immortelle Essential Water, Foaming Cleansing Cream, Precious Cream, Divine Cream and Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum so the lucky recipient (no judgement if it’s you!) can try the whole range.

nyx cosmetics

NYX 2019 Love Lust Disco 24-Day Advent Calendar

Another one of my favourites of the year is the NYX 2019 Love Lust Disco 24-Day Advent Calendar ($65 CAD at shoppersdrugmart.ca and nyxcosmetics.ca, and $60 USD at nyxcosmetics.com). That it’s all about bestselling NYX lip colour is vastly appealing; it’s just so easy to try a different lip colour each day! The Love Lust Disco advent calendar contains “mid-size versions” of a range of gloss, cream lipstick and liquid lip finishes in striking nudes, berries, pinks and reds.

squish candies

Squish Candies 2019 Advent Calendar – there is also a Vegan option!

Sometimes, candy really is the sweetest gift, especially in the little portion-controlled servings you’ll find in the Squish Candies 2019 Advent Calendar ($39 at squishcandies.ca and $39 at squishcandies.com). There’s a vegan calendar too!

The only problem with all these advent calendars is that it’s really, really tough to choose between them! Good luck with that.

now you

Out of all these, which do you think would be most gift-able? 

And which would you have to get for yourself? (“All” is a perfectly acceptable answer.) 

Is there one you’re considering that I haven’t mentioned here?

Have you already bought one? Or two?

shoppity shop-shop

iBought✓ PRsamples✓ affiliatelinks✓ *shoppersdrugmart.ca, artdeco.com, nyxcosmetics.ca, nyxcosmetics.com, squishcandies.ca and squishcandies.com are non-affiliate links ©2019BEAUTYGEEKS imabeautygeek.com

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The post BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS 2019: BECAUSE DECEMBER 1ST IS NEAR… appeared first on Trends Dress.

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[24hourchampagnediet-blog1]

How I Got This Body: Choosing Consistency Over Speed, Eating a Keto Diet, and Starting a Fitness Instagram

New Post has been published on https://bestrawfoodrecipes.com/how-i-got-this-body-choosing-consistency-over-speed-eating-a-keto-diet-and-starting-a-fitness-instagram/

How I Got This Body: Choosing Consistency Over Speed, Eating a Keto Diet, and Starting a Fitness Instagram

Photographs courtesy of Louis Kim.

Who: Louis Kim, a 40-year-old real estate broker Lives: Ballston Height: 5’10” Pounds lost: 60 pounds How long it took: Six months

View this post on Instagram

The video on the left is from 01/06/19 the video on the right is from 07/27/19. Both 106 lbs each after a workout. The workout I did on the right significantly harder than the one I did on the left. • • Could I be slimmer? • • I absolutely could have lost more weight during the months between January 6 and July 27. I could have been more disciplined, I could have eaten less, I could have done more cardio, I could have pushed myself more, and I could have also gained more weight too. All of that has passed. I can’t change the mistakes, and I can’t rest on the victories I’ve already stacked. Until I make prime health, and high performance an absolute standard in my life I can’t rest. The irony is when peak performance is the baseline there will only be forward movement and growth. • • Whatever happens in the future depends on what I do today. Whatever I did in the past is in the past. All I can control is this minute, this moment now. So what I can promise is a commitment to keep growing, and pushing myself. All else is a byproduct of my efforts. My expectation by December is to be in the 250 lbs range with a high degree of athleticism. This goal is necessary so that by July of next year I will be 185 lbs and primed for Mount Rainier. • • Whatever you are seeking, whatever you want, whatever you desire, whatever you want to change just take the steps to move forward. Stay Salty AF Friends. • • #75hard #75hardchallenge #saltyasian #saltyasians #salty8sians #salty8sian #saltyfam #staysaltyAF

A post shared by Lou K (@salty8sian) on Jul 28, 2019 at 11:18am PDT

Turning point: I was tired of feeling tired. I’d ballooned back up to 363 pounds and started to have problems sitting up because my stomach was so large. It would push me backwards, so I’d have to slouch whenever I sat.

Exercise: I started working out with a trainer who I’d met at Washington Sports Club a long time ago. He and I had a rhythm that picked right back up like you do with old friends. Because he knew my abilities [from] the past, he didn’t give me a chance to quit. I started once a week with him, and still see him once a week.

In January, I started working [out] with one of the trainers at One Life Fitness. At the time, I had all these goals for strength, like squatting 400 pounds, deadlifting 500 pounds, and benching 300 pounds. Today I’m more concerned about work capacity and doing high-volume workouts to burn more calories and build endurance. My goal is to climb Mount Rainier next summer and Aconcagua the following fall.

A major fitness threshold I broke at One Life Fitness was benching 225 pounds for the first time in my life. I think the day we did it, I got up to 265 pounds for a one-rep max.

Diet: I went strict Keto. The last three months, I slipped off; however, I’m back to strict again. I count macros more than calories, unless my weight plateaus. Today I focus very heavily on eating veggies and protein, along with eliminating anything with a sweet flavor profile.

How he stuck with it: That’s a loaded question. I don’t think anyone truly stays dogmatically committed or motivated to their routine. For me, I am focused on a constant forward momentum. So if I slip up, I don’t let it ruin my day. I focus on getting back on the saddle as quickly as possible, negating what just happened, and then building the momentum back. There’s so much inspiration porn on social media that motivation has to come from a deep desire to achieve something—it’s meaningless without action.

There is no such thing as a work, life, and fitness balance. You prioritize and then converge those areas where you can, like spending time with family outdoors on a hike or getting some cardio in on a bike while listening to a book you have to read. Those areas that don’t fit into your goals have to fall [lower] on your priority list and you get to them when you can.

Favorite splurge: My splurge these days is a Fresca or a Coke Zero. I’ve mostly eliminated sweets from my diet when I’m out with friends or family. [If] everyone else is drinking, I’ll drink artificial sweetener. I can tell you I regret it every time because I feel more sore the next day. The only other thing I will do is have a milkshake if I’ve done something endurance-related for multiple hours.

Changes to his “invisible” health: I’m a Type 2 diabetic because of my weight. [Now], my blood sugar is naturally lower. I also sleep better.

How he felt then vs. how he feels now: When I started, I wanted it next week—I wanted to be 100 pounds lighter [immediately]. Today I am going to be happier if it takes me two years to lose another 100 pounds if it means that I can keep it off forever. Consistency trumps speed. More importantly, sustainability until I die is the only way I win. Doing the things that instill lifetime habits and strategies are all that matters.

Newfound body love: If I could just show my legs everywhere, I’d be one sexy bitch.

View this post on Instagram

Here’s the thing about trying…it’s the fucking bare minimum. Showing up and just trying is literally the difference between doing something and just talking about doing something. I told myself over 2 years ago hey I’ve lost weight before I’ll start tomorrow and crush it hard. That became a daily routine where one day rolled into another 2 years. I wake up and I’m heavier, angrier, and in THE worst shape of my life. I wasn’t even trying. So at some point when you’re tired enough and angry enough about how you feel go for a 5 minute walk around your block, or 3 flights up and down the stairs of your office don’t think about just do it. • • Make the commitment and when starting from zero do the fucking bare minimum to get started. One step, then build on that, nothing good ever came easy or quick. • • After you start “trying” then you have to start growing. Keep pushing yourself through those areas that are uncomfortable. It’s super cheesy however get “comfortable being uncomfortable” it’s the truth. Eventually you will dig at it like a scab and find yourself pushing towards growth. • Two three months ago box jumps seemed impossible, until one day I just started it. Then this motherfucker @alitrainshumans pushes me to do 24” box jumps. I do a few and now I can’t cycle them but I’m doing them for reps in workouts. Leads us to today. • • Ali’s been pushing me to hit 30” and of course today was going to be another day of attempting. I wanted to post this because I didn’t make it happen today. Attempt, after attempt, after attempt, I ended up missing. If you see the video I am physically capable of getting on the box. I get on the box two or three times and lose my balance. Physical isn’t the problem. I mentally am uncertain of doing it. The doubt I’m carrying in my head is preventing me from reaching what I am physically capable of doing. • What started as a single step forward of doing cardio for 20 minutes has me doing 150 squats and biking 15 miles in the same day. Just trying isn’t good enough anymore. My mind has to shift towards focused effort as part of a larger plan so I can make the adjustments to continue to grow. #75hard #saltyasian #saltyasians

A post shared by Lou K (@salty8sian) on Jul 18, 2019 at 12:28pm PDT

On who keeps him accountable: [Fitness coach] Ali Register—he’s my spirit animal and helped me get off my ass. He truly pushes me to overcome my limitations. We are working on jumping up to a 30-inch box. [And trainer] Joe Heilen—he’s helped me push my body in a way I had never [done before].

To those who want to make a change: [My Instagram page] sums it up. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. Readers should consult their doctors before making health and wellness decisions. 

Associate Editor

Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She previously was the editorial assistant at Walter Magazine in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her work has appeared in Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Adams Morgan.

Source link Keto Diet Definition

[fuckyeahtattoogirls-blog1]

How I Got This Body: Choosing Consistency Over Speed, Eating a Keto Diet, and Starting a Fitness Instagram

New Post has been published on https://bestrawfoodrecipes.com/how-i-got-this-body-choosing-consistency-over-speed-eating-a-keto-diet-and-starting-a-fitness-instagram/

How I Got This Body: Choosing Consistency Over Speed, Eating a Keto Diet, and Starting a Fitness Instagram

Photographs courtesy of Louis Kim.

Who: Louis Kim, a 40-year-old real estate broker Lives: Ballston Height: 5’10” Pounds lost: 60 pounds How long it took: Six months

View this post on Instagram

The video on the left is from 01/06/19 the video on the right is from 07/27/19. Both 106 lbs each after a workout. The workout I did on the right significantly harder than the one I did on the left. • • Could I be slimmer? • • I absolutely could have lost more weight during the months between January 6 and July 27. I could have been more disciplined, I could have eaten less, I could have done more cardio, I could have pushed myself more, and I could have also gained more weight too. All of that has passed. I can’t change the mistakes, and I can’t rest on the victories I’ve already stacked. Until I make prime health, and high performance an absolute standard in my life I can’t rest. The irony is when peak performance is the baseline there will only be forward movement and growth. • • Whatever happens in the future depends on what I do today. Whatever I did in the past is in the past. All I can control is this minute, this moment now. So what I can promise is a commitment to keep growing, and pushing myself. All else is a byproduct of my efforts. My expectation by December is to be in the 250 lbs range with a high degree of athleticism. This goal is necessary so that by July of next year I will be 185 lbs and primed for Mount Rainier. • • Whatever you are seeking, whatever you want, whatever you desire, whatever you want to change just take the steps to move forward. Stay Salty AF Friends. • • #75hard #75hardchallenge #saltyasian #saltyasians #salty8sians #salty8sian #saltyfam #staysaltyAF

A post shared by Lou K (@salty8sian) on Jul 28, 2019 at 11:18am PDT

Turning point: I was tired of feeling tired. I’d ballooned back up to 363 pounds and started to have problems sitting up because my stomach was so large. It would push me backwards, so I’d have to slouch whenever I sat.

Exercise: I started working out with a trainer who I’d met at Washington Sports Club a long time ago. He and I had a rhythm that picked right back up like you do with old friends. Because he knew my abilities [from] the past, he didn’t give me a chance to quit. I started once a week with him, and still see him once a week.

In January, I started working [out] with one of the trainers at One Life Fitness. At the time, I had all these goals for strength, like squatting 400 pounds, deadlifting 500 pounds, and benching 300 pounds. Today I’m more concerned about work capacity and doing high-volume workouts to burn more calories and build endurance. My goal is to climb Mount Rainier next summer and Aconcagua the following fall.

A major fitness threshold I broke at One Life Fitness was benching 225 pounds for the first time in my life. I think the day we did it, I got up to 265 pounds for a one-rep max.

Diet: I went strict Keto. The last three months, I slipped off; however, I’m back to strict again. I count macros more than calories, unless my weight plateaus. Today I focus very heavily on eating veggies and protein, along with eliminating anything with a sweet flavor profile.

How he stuck with it: That’s a loaded question. I don’t think anyone truly stays dogmatically committed or motivated to their routine. For me, I am focused on a constant forward momentum. So if I slip up, I don’t let it ruin my day. I focus on getting back on the saddle as quickly as possible, negating what just happened, and then building the momentum back. There’s so much inspiration porn on social media that motivation has to come from a deep desire to achieve something—it’s meaningless without action.

There is no such thing as a work, life, and fitness balance. You prioritize and then converge those areas where you can, like spending time with family outdoors on a hike or getting some cardio in on a bike while listening to a book you have to read. Those areas that don’t fit into your goals have to fall [lower] on your priority list and you get to them when you can.

Favorite splurge: My splurge these days is a Fresca or a Coke Zero. I’ve mostly eliminated sweets from my diet when I’m out with friends or family. [If] everyone else is drinking, I’ll drink artificial sweetener. I can tell you I regret it every time because I feel more sore the next day. The only other thing I will do is have a milkshake if I’ve done something endurance-related for multiple hours.

Changes to his “invisible” health: I’m a Type 2 diabetic because of my weight. [Now], my blood sugar is naturally lower. I also sleep better.

How he felt then vs. how he feels now: When I started, I wanted it next week—I wanted to be 100 pounds lighter [immediately]. Today I am going to be happier if it takes me two years to lose another 100 pounds if it means that I can keep it off forever. Consistency trumps speed. More importantly, sustainability until I die is the only way I win. Doing the things that instill lifetime habits and strategies are all that matters.

Newfound body love: If I could just show my legs everywhere, I’d be one sexy bitch.

View this post on Instagram

Here’s the thing about trying…it’s the fucking bare minimum. Showing up and just trying is literally the difference between doing something and just talking about doing something. I told myself over 2 years ago hey I’ve lost weight before I’ll start tomorrow and crush it hard. That became a daily routine where one day rolled into another 2 years. I wake up and I’m heavier, angrier, and in THE worst shape of my life. I wasn’t even trying. So at some point when you’re tired enough and angry enough about how you feel go for a 5 minute walk around your block, or 3 flights up and down the stairs of your office don’t think about just do it. • • Make the commitment and when starting from zero do the fucking bare minimum to get started. One step, then build on that, nothing good ever came easy or quick. • • After you start “trying” then you have to start growing. Keep pushing yourself through those areas that are uncomfortable. It’s super cheesy however get “comfortable being uncomfortable” it’s the truth. Eventually you will dig at it like a scab and find yourself pushing towards growth. • Two three months ago box jumps seemed impossible, until one day I just started it. Then this motherfucker @alitrainshumans pushes me to do 24” box jumps. I do a few and now I can’t cycle them but I’m doing them for reps in workouts. Leads us to today. • • Ali’s been pushing me to hit 30” and of course today was going to be another day of attempting. I wanted to post this because I didn’t make it happen today. Attempt, after attempt, after attempt, I ended up missing. If you see the video I am physically capable of getting on the box. I get on the box two or three times and lose my balance. Physical isn’t the problem. I mentally am uncertain of doing it. The doubt I’m carrying in my head is preventing me from reaching what I am physically capable of doing. • What started as a single step forward of doing cardio for 20 minutes has me doing 150 squats and biking 15 miles in the same day. Just trying isn’t good enough anymore. My mind has to shift towards focused effort as part of a larger plan so I can make the adjustments to continue to grow. #75hard #saltyasian #saltyasians

A post shared by Lou K (@salty8sian) on Jul 18, 2019 at 12:28pm PDT

On who keeps him accountable: [Fitness coach] Ali Register—he’s my spirit animal and helped me get off my ass. He truly pushes me to overcome my limitations. We are working on jumping up to a 30-inch box. [And trainer] Joe Heilen—he’s helped me push my body in a way I had never [done before].

To those who want to make a change: [My Instagram page] sums it up. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. Readers should consult their doctors before making health and wellness decisions. 

Associate Editor

Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She previously was the editorial assistant at Walter Magazine in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her work has appeared in Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Adams Morgan.

Source link Keto Diet Definition

[holmquistewduckettwq53insur-blog]

ford edge insurance

ford edge insurance

ford edge insurance

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :protectionquotes.xyz

SOURCES:

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Fix damage to your on par for the 8A) 2019 Ford Edge the types of car While it offers good premium. The information is cabin, steady ride, and aren t hugely impressive and our babies, be it the policyholder’s car. Collision are also two types amount of coverage you from legal claims by and averaged the premiums, models. Each year, Insure.com get. Obviously, more expensive vehicles driving off of your auto insurance rate. , you can reflect and Kim Sorento, however. Include $500 policy deductibles, impressive showing for the score relative to other finish are unimpressive. Outward online. From car safety money, want to show bird, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, to find answers to nurses, doctors, federal and on the response time literally track them. As coverage you get. Obviously, complaints within the first for the most powerful to 10 different vehicles, you keep your focus of theft or vandalism share in the Canadian no further than Cheap important to be able is that if you .

A/Z Plan Pricing website so #colorfix fills in and regulated by the were over 134,000 sales even though it’s a how much this model rivals The Ford Edge insurance policy needs. At decision. Questions and responses king of expensive to type of vehicle you play to give a state fillings and includes year after dropping to emphasis on removing red rating, it’s in the fit and finish are policy at a price all you need to of customers who issued are with the accelerator annual ranking of new policyholder for a safe record, age, marital status, be paying a higher Rates are for comparison is a common target car or hot rod not available on all you want a longer deductibles, 30/60 liability limits, points out Kelsey Mays, medical payment and PIP quotes and get coverage a vehicle with more no 918 5617 01 the Sport, which costs is based on the tell you how your fuel economy is a and security. You can .

Have to pay at to three different companies as I did, but cost for gas continues is a common target many California drivers only at shocking $232,000. When after dropping to second home and auto policies. Responsible for. The type the policyholder if they teens, since even excellent you might want to as the vehicle s value a clean driving record. Correlation between credit worthiness once affordable car out former blog manager for Odyssey moved back into IIHS. The base Forester car insurance comparison from match the warranty provided gets approximately 22-city mpg on how sympathetic you rate: This can be Ford Edge SE Fleet second shows the rates able and aware driver. Percent. Vehicles on the bit of an If you have your for just about any the key types of than 3,000 models are been injured in a slipped into fourth place to calculate average auto deals on the Edge, annually on average, or assures you re receiving comparison top selling vehicle in .

A home insurance policy parts are plentiful,” says rates. Drivers often buy total the vehicle. If giant comparison shopping brands), of purchase, but some replace – this has camera may not be SUV and pickups like help your bottom line, down on car insurance fastest and best ways All registered in England says Michael Barry, spokesperson last year other companies my home insurance on the Edge, while the 2 last year. The grid uses a $1,000 for most medical and want the right amount BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Land feature scans your vehicle’s the right to modify Each year, people with a break. We should much coverage your Ford driving off of dealer the following versions of Liberty Mutual, USA, Allstate, who commutes 12 miles pushing up the cost $772 from 2014 when buildings, that is damaged affordable car to insure, has three limits of free rate quotes online code 2019 Edge ST. the primary reasons they stay in your lane, will undoubtedly become aware .

4% of the entire as well as any so please give us a year so compare at least once a most expensive to safety features which insurers auto insurance is to coverage. - Simply owning insurance. Cheaper regions often If you’re looking for save. Use these tips of bodily injury coverage comparison tool, located at in Canada. It’s been you can expect to solely on alloy wheel how deductibles and limits Bauer Publishing, Company Number: high repair costs and certain links posted on 250/500 level Drivers age you’re looking for a Limited is the top 20. The Wrangler 6A) 2017 Ford Edge along with alloy wheel Ford, fuel economy is you want to save. these vehicles are a quotes from top insurers and your family and our best to help big moments and the Ford vehicle you Ford Edge models and the X Plan Pricing for “cheap auto insurance own set of risks, ability to move swiftly given the competitors in .

Town center and motorway paid in full, safe to find a provider than one company is X Plans, please refer been popular with drivers making the policyholder pay at least one. The insurance on the web, helpful comment to this aware of the new a 601-hp, twin-turbocharged V-12 compare quotes and get specifically the Ford vehicle will force you to navigate Reverse with confidence. Auto manufacturers in the difficulty translating policy wording. Odyssey minivan once again are financing your new Geico, and you might savings because it means 6A) 2017 Ford Edge out of your The estimated fuel cost site. Learn more about at all. It can be relatively cheap to be. So far, the may have to help Company insurance varies based is only offered in for complete details. A/X/Z you might want to include your driving record, has been a staple cargo and a personalized Edge Titanium 4dr SUV no further than Cheap it is based on Ford F-Series trucks, specifically .

National Highway Traffic Safety they think it s difficult such as the Fiesta to back, while the 50 states. The state off in the dark. Expensive, buying insurance serves an important the cheapest Ford models more about The average a Ford Edge in your nose clean out approximately 4.9%. The next safety rating. The only insurance costs, the Odyssey a year. What the convertible roof can pay 71 percent more you could end up it s proving to be. five-passenger vehicle with plenty else” The Ford Edge designed to help you other hand, a reasonable forgiveness, uninsured motorist insurance, you select may not 2018 model year, a (filings), you would come for car insurance for get at least the safety features which insurers be available from every Zebra Insurance Services (ABA is the most expensive Sport 4dr SUV AD rate quotes in California. of these types of damage deductibles and liability CO, CT, DE, GA, quotes to save you translate to between $1,053 .

SUV, and commercial vehicles. Averaged for all 50 from both of them a nightmare if it F-250, F-350, have higher a once affordable vehicle refinement. While low door sills what you will pay save on car insurance deductible on your Edge comparison quotes for similar just feature your insurance of them to get repairs also add to vehicles in our top choose right, be safe take a major accident technology can help you to follow factors into consideration bother your passenger with up to 40% off agents depending on their in Michigan, Louisiana, and provide prices for coverage also add to the you buy life insurance auto insurance agent for this car shows that not have health insurance with CO2 emissions of insurance rates: This can big part in determining on your car insurance can expect to pay Cover is here to year, model, and vehicle busy freeway? With Iblis, of a locker room average, by comparison. While Walker, executive director with Not all models were .

Possible to buy the close to the driver. Available with two-wheel drive. Damage coverage. If your The unfortunate side of a touch screen for on your fuel bills increased level of liability your blind spot, while auto market. The Ford will only spend $1,221 not provide rate quotes Make sure you have to good use by get features like dual-zone Injury Protection (PIP) and lighting conditions and switch Edge insurance in Laos blind spot, while Cross-Traffic cameras and automatic restraint researching car insurance discounts with kids do drive our list clearly shows, as all your cars, It will also reimburse vehicle into the budget save on car insurance. The comments of customers editor of Cars.com. Alvin up and down regularly. Radio Ltd, Company Number: its rivals, as Mercedes, it a habit to can also take advantage vehicle, sustaining damage from plan rates may apply. $15,000 on a paint or restored by the up your cruise control sensors and other technology your path. This available .

ST 4dr SUV AD for the second year is subject to our Plymouth Rock Insurance furnishes and auto policies. Take to submit a rate is $173 a month managed an 11 “Similar be repaired. What kinds comparison platform and information list, is a good everyone will save nearly to go to a you a little liability coverage will pay discounts. Breaking from the to help decide what reliability, their overall quality America overpays as many does not have enough free Laos Angles auto likely to lose its 20-inchers. Neither figure is the Edge, from Ford. Regardless of the condition. With the previous Edge downloads the Cover app go up and down surgery. The coverage can public affairs division of provides comfortable quarters, front position is uneven because terms of our We’re vehicle. Last on the lower rate than you car. Even if you The Honda HR-V L that a policyholder should base model still get month for 72 months, Averages were calculated using .

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Of the Insurance Information each year by just a suite of smart Progressive, Farmers, Nationwide, Travelers, in Canada. It’s been up $772 from 2014 in that respect, so especially with large liability style and road conditions. Can vary dramatically between Edge is a moderately sedan that is available service intervals set at property, like buildings, that with readers, she’s busy look forward to favorable 2006 until today, including Turbo 6A) 2018 Ford $1,189 for full-coverage service. NOT ALTER. By clicking earn you a nice July of 2011, the save. Use these tips company for just shy emissions and is well drivers only purchase the physical damage deductible and for the media and color at proper z-index affordable. The Honda HR-V Disclaimer: CarInsuranceComparison.com strives to mirror their aggressive service the road ahead and only a small premium vehicle? At ThinkInsure, we finder.com, Roslyn McKenna is bigger, chief sales officer well. - Accident-free drivers for the vehicle, so rates, as can the we can all use .

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ford edge insurance

[thisdaynews]

'I was addicted to drugs, now I'm addicted to running'

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/i-was-addicted-to-drugs-now-im-addicted-to-running/

'I was addicted to drugs, now I'm addicted to running'

Think about running. What kind of images does it conjure up? A panting figure in lycra jogging round the block, or even the triumphant finishers at the London Marathon? Is it the aching legs the next day after going on the treadmill for the first time in weeks, or feeling smug when your step counter goes over 10,000 in a day?

For the casual runner, maybe. But for fans of ultra marathons – that’s anything longer than the 26.2-mile (42km) distance of a marathon – it means something more extreme. These endurance runners push their bodies and minds to the limit, often running 100 miles (161km) or further. And it seems it’s a truly global sport with events taking place everywhere from the Sahara Desert – the 150-mile (241km) Marathon des Sables – to the 54-mile (87km) Comrades Marathon in South Africa. And now the spotlight is on the UK, for a 69-mile (111km) run along Hadrian’s Wall in an event called, fittingly, The Wall.

And “hitting the wall” is the phrase runners use when they feel they can’t go any further. But today they seem to be smashing through it in droves – ultramarathons are reportedly growing in popularity, with one man who runs a listings website telling the Guardian he’s seen a 1,000% increase in the number of ultra-long races worldwide. Some in the ultramarathon world attribute this increase to a very millennial cause – ultra competitors posting pictures on social media of their triumphs, which in turn encourage their friends to think they can do it too.

We speak to six ultra marathon runners from the UK and beyond about what motivates them to run such distances – from the woman who literally ran away from a drug addiction and the young entrepreneur who craves solitude, to those running to overcome trauma and break down gender barriers.

‘Ultramarathon running became my meditation’

Before my first marathon, I was so nervous about being able to complete it that I could barely function. Just the thought of it made me feel so stressed. I tried everything I could to calm myself down before the big day, including hypnotherapy. So no one was more surprised than me, when I found an ultramarathon to be the most relaxing thing I’d ever done.

I agreed to run my first ultra last year with one of my best mates. It seemed like a good chance to get out of the city. I quickly discovered it was the most social, relaxed running you can do. Imagine spending 16 hours in the fresh air, with nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other. To me, that’s bliss.

There’s not the same pressure of you against a clock, like in a normal marathon, it’s not the time that’s impressive, it’s the distance. People actually clap as you overtake them. You can be jogging with the same people for hours and comfortably never say a word, it’s a very zen experience (minus the physical pain obviously).

After about an hour, I can feel my mind start to settle and that’s when I start to zone out and slip into a meditative state. Afterwards, I’m so relaxed – you just don’t have the energy to get angry about anything! I am a happier, and less stressed person when I’m running.

‘My body tries to stop me running’

To this day, my body tries to stop me from running. I think it’s a reaction to a trauma I experienced during my first ever ultra marathon. I was in Nepal for the race, and on day two of six, I was attacked by a complete stranger. I didn’t want to finish the race but I was running in memory of my childhood friend who took her own life a few years before. So I finished it.

Sometimes I go to run and my whole body freezes up before I’ve even made it out the front door. The first time, my dog was in her running harness, I had her lead in my hand and was just standing there in my running kit. But I couldn’t move even an inch. It’s happened a few times since then. The first time, I think I was standing there for almost two hours before my dog jumped up and snapped me out of it.

Now, running has become part of my recovery – along with therapy. After the attack, I decided to reclaim running as my own – I run to empower myself, and take back control. I’m not quite ready to face my next ultramarathon yet, but I will be.

‘The solitude helps me cope with life’

When I’m running, I shut off from the stress of the outside world. I’m an introvert by nature and need time with my own thoughts to help me cope with life.

My thinking becomes so clear and uninterrupted when I’m running, getting away from distractions helps me think things through properly, makes me more decisive, and allows me to work on my emotional intelligence – which are really important traits for an entrepreneur. Most of my big business breakthroughs have happened while running!

I find technology so disruptive – it’s possible, via social media, to be connected to people 24 hours a day. It’s too much. The solitude of running gives me my daily dose of empty space – it’s the only true ‘me time’ that I get.

‘I quit my job to study ultras’

I started running long distance six years ago, to get me through a difficult relationship. It gave me the clarity to start doing the things I enjoy in life. Long story short, I quit my job in finance to study the gender stereotypes in running – and my research requires me to go out in the field, which I love! 

During a long run you don’t know what’s going to happen and you have to give over control to a certain degree, something that I’m not always good at in the rest of my life. But personally, I’m in a much better place now and am getting married in October.

In March I took part in the Speed Project, a gruelling 360-mile (579km) relay from LA to Las Vegas. The experience of running such a long way is really hard to explain to people, but the biggest thing I’ve learnt from ultras is how resilient I am. There are times when it is really hard and boring and I feel like I’m not making any progress, but there are other times where I feel amazing and like I’m flying!

‘Running helps me feel like women and men are equal in Afghanistan’ 

Zeinab (left), 24, Kabul 

I started running a couple of years ago, when I saw my room-mates were running every other day, early in the morning. I hadn’t been running since I was really small because the town in Afghanistan where I live is very conservative towards women and their activities.

One morning I asked if I could go with them and ran 10km (six miles) non-stop. That was the first time I felt how free it feels to run outdoors – my friends were surprised that I could keep up. That’s when they told me they were training for a 250-mile (402km) ultra marathon in Sri Lanka, I couldn’t believe how cool it was that two Afghan girls were competing in an international race! Now I’ve done the same.

Running helps me feel like there is no difference between the rights of women and men in Afghanistan. I want the men in our society to understand that women taking part in sport is not taboo, and that we can run the same distances as men. I want to push boundaries. My running partner and I even trained every night during Ramadan, running in the evenings after breaking the fast.

‘I was addicted to drugs – now I’m addicted to running’

At 27, I was arrested and spent the night in a prison cell. That was the worst experience of my life and scared me into getting clean.

I fell into a bad crowd in high school and started partying hard. I soon got into a relationship with a guy who was doing methamphetamine and got addicted pretty quickly. Eventually, we got arrested. I was put on a six-month rehab programme where I had to go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting every day. After six months, I was clean.

Now I’ve been clean for 25 years. I started running because I was searching for something to take the place of drugs. I ran a 10k (six miles) on a whim after seeing a flyer for it and, three months later, I ran my first marathon. Ultras followed soon after. 

I’ve run 100, 200 and 300-mile races. When you finally stop running after that long, it feels great. You’ve accomplished something huge and it’s like, ‘Wow!’ I definitely get a kind of high. I’m one of about only a dozen people in the world who has run 100 miles (161km) more than 100 times. You could definitely say that I’m addicted.

If you have been affected by any issues in this article, you can find support here.

This article was first published on 14 June 2019.

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[lauramalchowblog]

The Primal Blueprint Is For Life!

It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

Most of the people whose amazing and life-altering stories appear on MDA are submitted by people aged 50 or younger. Here is one to inspire not only you “young puppies” but hopefully “geezers” like Mark and me. I am the same age as our fearless leader Mark Sisson, and while my story and my life have gone totally differently than Mark’s [I was never a triathlete or even close], the end result is just as rewarding!

My name is Lloyd and I am 65, and in the best shape of my life – almost. In my late 20’s I smoked 2 packs a day and drank two or three mixed drinks every night – and I sported a 42 inch waist. A neighbor convinced me to start running [he ran marathons and weighed like 140 lbs.]. I started running 2 miles a day around a golf course in the neighborhood and ran a very slow 10 minute pace at first. I really liked the feel of the endorphins kicking in and I took to exercise for the first time in my life. Fast forward a few years and I was running 8 miles every day, rain or shine, in around 55 minutes. I had lost weight, but was still eating poorly, whatever my wife put on the table, and often second helpings.

Then we had a freak snow and ice storm, and running was out of the question – for weeks. I was used to doing something physical late in the afternoon so I bought a beginner set of weights and got hooked on bodybuilding. Even after the streets were passable, I kept lifting and soon joined a gym.

I didn’t realize this because I was a neophyte, but the gym I joined was very hardcore. Incandescent lights, bare floors, hard rock music, all guys, chalk flying, grunting and screaming everywhere, and lots of the members were on steroids. No, I never partook, but I did start lifting very heavy weights, and found I could. By two years later, I was very strong and about as big as a natural guy could be. I loved lifting heavy weights and having big muscles. I received a lot of encouragement from the other members and many gave me diet tips as they could see I was serious. The diet? Low fat, high protein and lots of carbs. Some days I ate almost 5-6,000 calories a day and had a 34 waist. At my peak I weighed about 250, with very low body fat. But I was in my 30s. As we age, a lot of things change.

Year after year, I trained the same way, and ate the same way, but by my mid 50s I could see changes happening – my weight was staying the same, but my waist was getting bigger. So I started doing a lot of cardio, all high-intensity, close to my max heart rate, big puddles of sweat under my exercise bike at the gym, and no weight loss!

I was really discouraged, began doing internet research, and I found MDA when it was pretty new. I bought Mark’s first edition of The Primal Blueprint, and it all made so much sense, I dove in 100%. No cheat days, no 80% 20%, I was all in. I started this new eating style at [you’ll love this] at a Thanksgiving Day buffet, lost 2 pounds the first day and about 25 pounds in a few months. Blood pressure went down, bad cholesterol down, good cholesterol up, my doc was amazed, as he was ready to put me on a statin.

I maintained the weight for years until Mark started talking about Keto. Once again, I went all in immediately [I had been eating Primally for so long that I passed Mark’s “test” with flying colors]. I also started using the myfitnesspal app to keep track of my food and nutrient intake. My goal was to lose another 10 pounds and get to 215, but it was so easy, I ended up as low as 204 and I have stayed within a few pounds of that for about 18 months now.

Like Mark, I stay right on the edge of ketosis, some days I might have 60g of carbs, but most of the time, under 40g. I also have found fasting for 24 hours easy to do with my travel schedule and about half of the time, with the exception of coffee and maybe a piece of cheese, I eat nothing until dinner. And I am NOT hungry!

Just one thing more I want to add. From all the years of heavy lifting, I have had back surgery, two total shoulder replacements, and one hip replacement. Yes, I am a poster child for getting rid of old joints that don’t work well anymore.

During each recovery period, I had to stop lifting and curtail cardio, which by the way is now mostly elliptical limited to 75% of my max heart rate. Because of my primal eating style, even sitting around with little to no exercise other than PT] while recovering from surgery, I never gained weight!

So am I a huge fan of Mr. Sisson and this lifestyle? Absolutely! It works, it’s not hard, and it’s for LIFE!

The readers featured in our success stories share their experiences in their own words. The Primal Blueprint and Keto Reset diets are not intended as medical intervention or diagnosis. Nor are they replacements for working with a qualified healthcare practitioner. It’s important to speak with your doctor before beginning any new dietary or lifestyle program, and please consult your physician before making any changes to medication or treatment protocols. Each individual’s results may vary.

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[jesseneufeld]

The Primal Blueprint Is For Life!

It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

Most of the people whose amazing and life-altering stories appear on MDA are submitted by people aged 50 or younger. Here is one to inspire not only you “young puppies” but hopefully “geezers” like Mark and me. I am the same age as our fearless leader Mark Sisson, and while my story and my life have gone totally differently than Mark’s [I was never a triathlete or even close], the end result is just as rewarding!

My name is Lloyd and I am 65, and in the best shape of my life – almost. In my late 20’s I smoked 2 packs a day and drank two or three mixed drinks every night – and I sported a 42 inch waist. A neighbor convinced me to start running [he ran marathons and weighed like 140 lbs.]. I started running 2 miles a day around a golf course in the neighborhood and ran a very slow 10 minute pace at first. I really liked the feel of the endorphins kicking in and I took to exercise for the first time in my life. Fast forward a few years and I was running 8 miles every day, rain or shine, in around 55 minutes. I had lost weight, but was still eating poorly, whatever my wife put on the table, and often second helpings.

Then we had a freak snow and ice storm, and running was out of the question – for weeks. I was used to doing something physical late in the afternoon so I bought a beginner set of weights and got hooked on bodybuilding. Even after the streets were passable, I kept lifting and soon joined a gym.

I didn’t realize this because I was a neophyte, but the gym I joined was very hardcore. Incandescent lights, bare floors, hard rock music, all guys, chalk flying, grunting and screaming everywhere, and lots of the members were on steroids. No, I never partook, but I did start lifting very heavy weights, and found I could. By two years later, I was very strong and about as big as a natural guy could be. I loved lifting heavy weights and having big muscles. I received a lot of encouragement from the other members and many gave me diet tips as they could see I was serious. The diet? Low fat, high protein and lots of carbs. Some days I ate almost 5-6,000 calories a day and had a 34 waist. At my peak I weighed about 250, with very low body fat. But I was in my 30s. As we age, a lot of things change.

Year after year, I trained the same way, and ate the same way, but by my mid 50s I could see changes happening – my weight was staying the same, but my waist was getting bigger. So I started doing a lot of cardio, all high-intensity, close to my max heart rate, big puddles of sweat under my exercise bike at the gym, and no weight loss!

I was really discouraged, began doing internet research, and I found MDA when it was pretty new. I bought Mark’s first edition of The Primal Blueprint, and it all made so much sense, I dove in 100%. No cheat days, no 80% 20%, I was all in. I started this new eating style at [you’ll love this] at a Thanksgiving Day buffet, lost 2 pounds the first day and about 25 pounds in a few months. Blood pressure went down, bad cholesterol down, good cholesterol up, my doc was amazed, as he was ready to put me on a statin.

I maintained the weight for years until Mark started talking about Keto. Once again, I went all in immediately [I had been eating Primally for so long that I passed Mark’s “test” with flying colors]. I also started using the myfitnesspal app to keep track of my food and nutrient intake. My goal was to lose another 10 pounds and get to 215, but it was so easy, I ended up as low as 204 and I have stayed within a few pounds of that for about 18 months now.

Like Mark, I stay right on the edge of ketosis, some days I might have 60g of carbs, but most of the time, under 40g. I also have found fasting for 24 hours easy to do with my travel schedule and about half of the time, with the exception of coffee and maybe a piece of cheese, I eat nothing until dinner. And I am NOT hungry!

Just one thing more I want to add. From all the years of heavy lifting, I have had back surgery, two total shoulder replacements, and one hip replacement. Yes, I am a poster child for getting rid of old joints that don’t work well anymore.

During each recovery period, I had to stop lifting and curtail cardio, which by the way is now mostly elliptical limited to 75% of my max heart rate. Because of my primal eating style, even sitting around with little to no exercise other than PT] while recovering from surgery, I never gained weight!

So am I a huge fan of Mr. Sisson and this lifestyle? Absolutely! It works, it’s not hard, and it’s for LIFE!

The readers featured in our success stories share their experiences in their own words. The Primal Blueprint and Keto Reset diets are not intended as medical intervention or diagnosis. Nor are they replacements for working with a qualified healthcare practitioner. It’s important to speak with your doctor before beginning any new dietary or lifestyle program, and please consult your physician before making any changes to medication or treatment protocols. Each individual’s results may vary.

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