#temp variation

[kapilasteel]

Thermal Expansion Challenges: How Dowel Bars Respond to Temperature Variations in Joints

 Concrete isn’t the lifeless, immovable substance many imagine—it’s got its quirks. Over large spans, concrete quietly stretches and shrinks with changing temperatures, like an old man adjusting to the cold. These movements, though subtle, pack a serious punch at the joints. That’s where dowel bars and bar dowels step in—not flashy, but absolutely essential for structural peacekeeping.

Managing the Stress: The Role of Joints

Expansion joints act like built-in stress relievers in concrete pavements and industrial floors. They don’t stop the expansion, but they allow it to happen without cracking the whole structure open. Inside these joints, dowel bars act as referees—ensuring slabs expand and contract while remaining perfectly aligned. It’s like letting your jeans stretch after a holiday meal, without bursting the button.

Why Dowel Bars Matter So Much

Without dowel bars, the slabs would move vertically under pressure—think of potholes forming on a neglected road. Cracks, ridges, edge deterioration—it’s a downward spiral. Bar dowels ensure the load is transferred evenly, preventing these issues from ever taking root. Get this part wrong, and you’re signing up for early maintenance—and angry calls from the client.

Concrete's Reaction to Temperature: A Subtle Tug-of-War

Like most materials, concrete doesn’t take heat or cold lightly. It expands in summer, contracts in winter. These movements aren’t dramatic, but over time, they cause friction, misalignment, and cracking. A properly placed dowel bar works like a mediator—resisting excess stress while still allowing enough freedom to avoid structural tension.

Dowel Bars: The Load Whisperers

A dowel bar isn’t just a rod. It’s a stress transfer expert. It connects two slabs and spreads out the load so one side doesn’t bear the entire burden. Its steel core is strong enough to resist bending but smooth enough—especially when coated or greased—to let the slab slide as needed. Smart, silent, effective.

What Influences Their Performance?

Steel is the go-to material for bar dowels, balancing strength and thermal responsiveness. But even steel expands, so things like alignment, coating, and lubrication aren’t optional—they’re mission-critical. A misplaced dowel can jam a joint like a rusty hinge, stopping the movement and leading to stress fractures. Precision here isn't a luxury—it's the rule.

Precision Is Everything

Installing dowels isn’t guesswork. Their shape, size, and orientation must be just right. Misalign even slightly, and the slab can’t move properly. One end must be fixed in the concrete, while the other needs freedom to shift—made possible with sleeves, caps, or lubricant. Without this, expansion becomes confrontation.

What Goes Wrong When You Get It Wrong

Use the wrong size? Install it off-angle? Forget the sleeve? You’ll pay the price in the form of cracking, surface flaking, or joint lock-up. These failures don’t show up on Day One, but give it a few months—and suddenly, the slab’s integrity is compromised.

Engineering Smarter Solutions

High-variation zones need dowels with brains. Epoxy coatings prevent corrosion, while sleeves and caps make room for movement. These tweaks might seem minor, but in practice, they turn an average joint into a flexible, high-performance connection.

In Conclusion

Thermal movement in concrete is inevitable. Failure at the joints? Completely preventable. Dowel bars, when selected and installed correctly, don’t just extend the life of a slab—they protect everything built on top of it. Ignore them, and you’re building on borrowed time.

FAQs

Q1. What is the standard size of a dowel bar in pavement joints? Typically, dowel bars range in diameter from 25 mm to 38 mm and in length from 450 mm, depending on the slab thickness and load requirements.

Q2. Are epoxy-coated dowel bars necessary for all projects? They are highly recommended for outdoor applications or in areas with water and deicing chemicals to prevent corrosion and ensure long-term performance.

Q3. Can bar dowels be reused during repairs? No. Once extracted or exposed, they lose bonding strength and are prone to corrosion. Always use new dowels for repairs.

[oldschool-lolita-archive]

Sasame wears a variation of Meta’s strawberry print lace skirt in black- as seen in this post.

This version has a lace overlay rather than individual lace strips. I expect it was released at the same time.

Example image via xianyu (see seller id)

[vineboom-sfx]

Had to do the Scott pilgrim reference with my ocs

[medieval-canadian]

so i'm crocheting a temperature blanket this year. my initial instinct was to say it's for my 32nd year but that's not actually how birthdays work so instead i'm awkwardly going with "the year i'm 32" and shortening it to just 32 mostly. anyway, that's besides the point.

i have the colour palette/yarn, i have the pattern (toni lipsey's linen stitch pixel temp blanket), i made a gauge swatch, i've started tracking temps (i've recorded hi/lo starting on dec. 8).... but fuck, i'm having so much trouble figuring out the temperature gauge!!!

i can't decide what the intervals should be, i can't decide if i want purples to be warm temps or cold temps or where to put the neutrals, i can't decide if i want to fiddle/tweak(/cheat?) and use the lows for the cold temps instead of the high which was the initial plan.... i just don't know!!! ugh.

[mysoulspiralbound]

I hate when people use the "add more layers vs take off your skin" argument when it comes to hot/cold weather enjoyers. Like yes, technically I can theoretically add more layers forever, but after a certain number of layers it's just not effective. I'm too bundled up to do anything. I don't physically fit in the number of sweaters and jackets it would take to make me not freezing.

Like to each their own, hot or cold weather, but please stop acting like there's an obviously correct answer.

[sapphiim]

there is princess x pirate yuri in my brain and it's eating away my neurons

[website-com]

who decided an alien was a skinny baby. have you no imagination.

[tortureddarkstar]

✩ ULTRAVIOLENCE

YO SOY LA PRINCESA, COMPRENDE MIS WHITE LINES / / ‘CAUSE IM YOUR JAZZ SINGER AND YOU’RE MY CULT LEADER

billy butcher x fem!reader

18+ content. minors dni.

thinking of desperate sex with butcher…

it would be rough, bruising, everything he needed to remind himself of you. to ground him again, prevent him from fiddling with temp v.

you’d be pulling his hair, almost like an anchor bringing him to the present, to now. it would be the pain he was craving for all day allowing himself to let go, physically and mentally, coming out as variations of strangled grunts.

“harder, baby.” he’d beg, encompassing your hand in his as he squeezed, eliciting the most pleasurable of pains.

all the while he’d be kissing and grabbing at you, burning the idea of you into his mind. butch would never want to forget the way you’d whimper and whine when he’d bite softly on a hardened nipple, or the way you’d gasp when he pulled your panties down, exposing you to cold air and his ravenous mouth.

his mouth would never close too, either he’d be moaning, growling almost as he pumped into you, or he’d be talking to you, whispering the dirtiest things into your ear as he felt your pussy reacting to every enunciated vowel.

“give it to me, come on, i know you’ve got it in ya.” he’d say, almost condescendingly before sucking one of your moans into his mouth.

[kcrossvine-art]

haiiii dungeon delvers! This is a quick one, gratefully both the materials and the dish-type are very close to their real life inspiration :D

As we speak, my favorite catgirl bestfolk is getting introduced to the anime and you haven no idea how much self control its taken to not immediately jump forward to be in sync with her, but theres SO many good recipes before we get there!!!

We will be making a Mandrake and Basilisk Omelet today!

(As always you can find the cooking instructions and full ingredient list under the break-)

MY NAMES CROSS NOW LETS COOK LIKE ANIMALS

SO, “what goes into a Mandrake and Basilisk Omelet?” YOU MIGHT ASKIts made from the egg of a basilisk, which isnt a large chicken egg but instead a large snake egg. Oblong shape, soft leather texture, and no eggwhites just yolk.

A large daikon

½ lbs fatty bacon

Shallots

Garlic

Chicken eggs

Salt

Pepper

Arugula (for garnishing)

OPTIONAL; ketchup/hot sauce :)

You could try cooking this using actual snake eggs, but theyre hard to come by and reportedly quite bland compared to chicken eggs. I tried getting my hands on an ostrich egg for the pizzaz of it all. The zoo lady was kind in her dismissal.

AND, “what does a Mandrake and Basilisk Omelet taste like?” YOU MIGHT ASKOmelettes are standard fair but here we cook them like a french omelette and wrap it up like a burrito at the end.

Wetter eggs than im used to ( <- american)

Daikon and bacon r very tasty together

They end up having the same texture almost

Intensely savory. Heavy on the tummy

Chopped green onions would bring more levity to the filling

Ketchup pairs well

(but i prefer medium hot sauce)

Dark coffee pairs well

The acidity of the above 3 is what makes them work with this nutrient Dense dish

. In the show, decapitated mandrakes are more bitter than mandrakes left 'whole'. If you want that difference, using sweet/sour sauce on some of the daikon while it cooks will make the non-sauced daikon seem bitter by comparison. . Maybe ferment daikon too? . Adding a small amount of water with the bacon transfers the heat evenly, a small amount as to cook off before the fat/grease renders. Could also try cooking in the oven.

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"Consisting of a fluffy Basilisk egg omelet filled with minced Basilisk bacon and mandrake.If the mandrake used was killed with its 'head' still attached, it will be less bitter and more mellow" This dish is important as it marks the beginning of Senshi and Marcilles bonding, and the lead-up gives us our first glance into the school Falin and Marcille met at. Objectively the recipe is basic but it was challenging to write out.

Omelette making is muscle-memory, so having to learn the french variation and slow down felt like trying to ride a bike side-saddled.

It took about an hour and a half from laying out the ingredients, to eating the finished thing. I had to take a break in the middle of cutting veggies as my wrists are flaring up, so you could probably go faster unimpeded.

What would you rate this recipe out of 10?(with 1 being food that makes one physically sick and 10 being food that gives one a lust for life again.) Did you love it, did you hate it? What're your thoughts on what I could do different, and what would you have done instead?

🐁 ORIGINAL RESIPPY TEXT BELOW 🐁

Ingredients:

1 large daikon, chopped

½ lbs fatty bacon, chopped

2 shallots

3 cloves of garlic

3 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

Some arugula (for garnishing)

OPTIONAL; ketchup/hot sauce :)

Method:

Chop your bacon into roughly ½ inch squares. Cut off the ends of your daikon and cube the rest. Thinly dice your shallots and crush your garlic cloves.

Bring a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Once at temp, carefully add your chopped bacon to the pan with a very small amount of water.

Add your chopped bacon and stir-fry until almost cooked.

Add your shallots and garlic. Cook for about a minute or until the shallots have softened.

Transfer the bacon, shallot, and garlic mix to a bowl. Set aside. Lower the cast iron skillet to medium heat.

Place your daikon cubes in the cast iron skillet, you should still have enough bacon grease. Add salt and cook until lightly browned on each side.

Add roughly 1 tablespoon of water. Lower heat and cover. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Once your daikon are softened, transfer to same bowl containing your bacon, shallots, and garlic.

Crack your eggs into a seperate bowl and whisk for 2 minutes until 'frothy' with no egg whites visible.

Bring the cast iron skillet back up to medium heat. There might not be enough bacon grease left, so feel free to add butter! If the butter browns you've gone too hot.

Pour your eggs into the skillet. Use a spatula to spread the eggs, scraping down the sides of the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper in, to taste.

Once your eggs are mostly solid, pour the bacon, shallot, garlic, and daikon filling into the center. If it starts to separate- stop touching and let it rest. Gently fold the edges of the omelette overtop the filling.

Lay a few pieces of arugula on a plate, and flip your omelette onto it :) enjoy!

[kkglinka]

The following is from Polish Heritage Cookery, 1993 ed. by Robert and Maria Strybel

BEEF STEW (gulasz wolowy)

Roll 1 ½ lbs. Cubed stewing beef in flour and brown on all sides in 4T lard. Transfer to dutch oven or baking dish. In same drippings, partially brown 3-4 diced onions, then add to meat with 1C water. Simmer in covered dish or on stove top at low heat, or bake covered at 375F for 2hrs, or until meat is fork tender. Replace any liquid that evaporates during cooking. Fork-blend 1 heaping T. sour cream, 1 level T. tomato concentrate, ½ t paprika, and pour over meat. Simmer until thick and bubbly and salt & pepper to taste. Thin sauce with a little hot water if too thick. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and/or dill and sever over noodles of choice. Variations: Gulasz and other potrawki (fricassees) afford the cook an almost endless array of flavor twists that ensure he or she won't end up serving up the same old dish over and over again. Here are but a few suggestions.

After browning meat, add 1 or 2 thinly sliced carrots to pot.

Brown 8oz chopped fresh mushrooms with the onions and add to browned meat.

Add ½ oz chopped, cooked, polish dried mushrooms to the meat, including the liquid in which the mushrooms were cooked. Omit the paprika and tomato concentrate.

Omit the tomato concentrate and drench the meat at the end of cooking with ¾ C sour cream fork-blended with 1-2T flour. Thin sauce with hot water if necessary.

Instead of 1 C water, use ½ C beer and ½ C water at start of cooking.

Add ¼ C grated dill pickles to meat at start of cooking.

Instead of or in addition to the paprika, add one of the following spices: ½ t marjoram, ½ t caraway, ¼ t savory, ¼ t thyme, or 1 crumbled bay leaf. About ½ t herb pepper, beef seasoning*, goulash seasoning* or hunter's seasoning* are also possibilities.

Other vegetables that can be added to your stew include kohlrabi, celery and green peppers. But remember: genuine polish stew never contains potatoes!

Add 1-2 T dry red wine to sauce when meat is tender.

Before flouring and browning the meat, refrigerate it overnight in a marinade like that recommended for beef tenderloin*.

My Notes:

The paprika here means Hungarian smoked paprika, not Spanish paprika which is what you'll find on American grocery shelves. Spanish paprika is sand with aspirations of being a spice. I'm not sure it has an actual function beyond decorative. The peppers used to make Hungarian paprika are local to Eastern Europe. Hungarian (smoked) paprika is crucial to the flavor profile of this dish, and available in both sweet and hot varieties. I recommend Szeged brand. You can be generous with the sweet variety, but the hot variety can send you to an early grave, so measure it properly. Gulasz is usually mild toward the northern areas of eastern Europe, but gets progressively spicier as you head south toward the Carpathians.

Use bacon grease or a preferred vegetable oil instead of lard. Any high temp flour can be used to add flavor during browning, so it can be gluten free. The spice mixes marked with asterisk are common blends located earlier in the book and I don't feel like typing them. If you open wine to make the more savory version, you drink the rest with dinner. If you come from a mixed ethnicity family, you adjust vegetables and additions to fit. Like plopping a fried egg on top.

[sacred-coffin]

Today I present you thoughts on elemental demon ghoul magic. First of all. I think it's nothing grand or exciting, in my opinion. It's mostly about the imagery & the aesthetic for me, not so much for utility or whatever

Fire ghouls: I like to think they can snap their fingers and make a flame like a little lighter. Because it's awesome. I think they tend to have a higher body temp/radiate more heat than a normal person. Alpha is especially warm, whereas Dewdrop & Ifrit are only mildly warm. Sometimes they puff out little clouds of smoke when they huff or get angry. I like to depict them with heat vents sometimes, so those might smoke too.

Water ghouls: they are so DAMP. Water condenses on their skin constantly. Some more than others, of course, but I haven't thought much about how and who. Chain's hair seems to always be a little damp. Also ofc I think they have gills :3 sometimes I like to think of them growing fins in the water, but idk. Either way they don't really have fins when they're on land.

Air: I think they can cause subtle shifts or changes in the air around them; usually unconsciously. One of my favorite thoughts is that the air pressure in a room increases when Cumulus gets mad LOL. I also think they tend to be light/softer than other ghouls, but I'm not super sold on that. I think sometimes the know what the weather might be like, or when a storm is going to roll in. If it's a lightning storm, Cirrus is prone to accidentally shocking people.

Earth: ok first of all I think they're rocks. Sorry. I don't vibe with them being plant guys :( anyways. i think if they're mad and stomp their feet, sometimes the ground can crack if it's like stone. Sometimes when Mountain laughs too hard, the ground around him tremors a bit. they can identify any rock by touch, sight, taste, whatever. and also they grow rocks on their body, but when they're topside the rocks grow at the same rate they do in reality. which is very. very. very. slowly. some stop growing entirely! but it's kind of impossible to notice. the earth ghouls probably notice though.

Quintessence: do you remember when you would wave your hand in front of the big box tv and you could feel the static? I think quint ghouls feel like that sometime. some strange fuzzy feeling. i think they sometimes give off this aura of unease to people who don't know them. they feel like they shouldn't be here. but i also think they just know things sometimes. Omega has a pretty good read on people's emotions, sometimes they bleed into his own. Aether is pretty good at catching people before they have an accident. Phantom seems to always know the right thing to say (although usually it's just the most optimal joke)

For multi ghouls, they kind of end up having a collection of these traits, but it has a lot of variation. Swiss has a little bit of everything, whereas Aurora has more air ghoul traits and almost no fire ghoul traits.

This is just a little taste of ideas that I have, but I think they get to the core of how I feel about their magic.

[ishgard]

Ahru's Verses

I'm working on a page for this, but... it might take a while, so I thought I'd make a "lite" version to post in the mean time! I won't be going super duper in-depth about the differences and ~intricate lore~. Because this is the 'lite' version. (<- Telling myself this.)

Delightfully, (I say with sarcasm and fondness in equal measure) each verse (particularly the canon ones) also have different routes/variations within them - usually tied to love interests. By design, V1 has significantly less so than V2. I won't be getting into all of those here though.

Canonical Verses:

These verses both stick very close to canon, and are the 'most canon' for her in my heart.

Verse 1: Nothing is Lost (aka 'V1')

Though it closely follows canon through ARR-EW, as of now it ties directly into my Alphinaud AU: The Lightning Strike, taking a slight turn in the last half of Dawntrail. Even then, apart from the changes to Alphinaud's character, it continues to stick close to the original narrative.

This verse hearkens back to a lot of the basics and original lore I had from ARR (some of which got a little 'lost' in V2) without veering too off-course. Thus: 'Nothing is Lost'. That said, there's still plenty of additional plots and NPCs, it's just 'more streamlined' (and easier for me to keep track of 😂).

Verse 2: Everything is Here (aka V2)

The second 'main/canon verse', the one where most everything I've done (screens/fic-wise) has taken place over the past ten-ish years. An even more sizeable extended NPC cast, a variety of 'romance routes', and even more filler plots shoved in between canon story, making for a longer period of time passing, and a hell of a time keeping things straight.

This is the primary verse where she gets her aetheric imbalance 'sorted out', becoming a proficient Red Mage - and in Arshadaya and Thancred's routes even becoming a White Mage.

(I put numbers on them, but they're equally beloved in my eyes, that's just for easy organization. 😌)

Alternate Verses:

Primarily Non-WoL verses in which she can feasibly be YOUR Co-WoL or Scion, (but I inevitably have a WoL version in my head).

Verse: Shadowsbane

Originally inspired by my old ship with the Mister Shadowhunter, it felt perfectly fitting for non-WoL Ahru to have been trained by the exiled Ascian, Arshadaya, to hunt his brethren. Though she's sometimes hard to pin down in terms of just what she's actually after, her particular skillset naturally make her an invaluable ally to the Scions and Warrior of Light.

Her job is 'Shadestalker', a variation on bard with a dash of roguery and a touch of black magic granted to her by Arshadaya.

Verse: Champion of the Wanderer

Inspired by a March Miqo'te prompt and a dash of Forgotten Realms, in this (admittedly underdeveloped) version of the world she serves as Oschon's Champion, traveling the realm and... really acting quite the part of the Warrior of Light. In some takes on this, she could go down a WoL-path, but in others, simply an ally to their cause.

Verse: Under-Archon (temp name)

The newest verse. In canon verses, Ahru is sent by her mother to train under an old friend - in this verse, that friend is none other than Louisoix himself. She grows up in Sharlayan close to the twins and other Archons, before following Alphinaud and Alisaie to Eorzea in the wake of their grandfathers death. This one has two distinct branches: the one in which she does become the Warrior of Light, and one where she is 'simply' a Scion (and the Leveilleur's Guard Dog).

Though she serves as a Paladin, she does seem to at least partially lift the seal on her aether in this verse: delving into Arcanima and the art of Summoning. (My only verse where she does!) However... the creatures she summons are... a bit different... (Voidsent. They're basically voidsent.)

Verse: Queen of Resolve

Big DT spoilers. Another blip of an AU, and an off-shoot of The Lightning Strike in which she gets Dome'd alongside Alphinaud. Truly deviates from canon from that point on. The initial source of the first half of these kids. Depending on the direction the remainder of DT takes us, may or may not get expanded on, or just be it's own stand-alone "one-shot" of a story.

And that's all for now!

[marinettesaltprompts]

True Holder Turnabout

I'm imagining a new variation of the "True Holder" scenario. Sure, as *always* Adrien isn't Plagg's "True Holder" and gets to suffer realizing he was just a patsy this whole time. But this time, *Marinette* gets to get some of the same medicine.

Because *she's* Plagg's True Holder. *Not Tikki's*.

*

In hindsight it should have been obvious. Her plans were almost always massively destructive, often needlessly so. And she handled Plagg's power almost as well as Chat Noir did despite having it for mere minutes to his months.

But she’d *always* struggled with her Lucky Charm. From the beginning she'd *never* been able to create what she wanted, but just got seemingly random objects that she had to desperately guess how to make do with. Sure, her problem solving skills were *creative*, but her actual use of the power never really improved- even after Fu trained her as a holder.

Meanwhile *everyone else* who handled Tikki's power or a copy of it did either as well as her, or usually *far better*. All those Akumas who copied her power- they could summon whatever they wanted on command. *Even Chat Noir* had gotten exactly what he wanted on his first try, something she'd not been able to do... *ever*.

The only thing she’d been able to do that they couldn’t was make Magical Charms, and Shadowmoth had broken through those within a *month*.

But while Marinette comes to terms with her new reality, Chat Noir has his own harsh truths to face. Alas for Chat Noir, his relationships with Ladybug and Plagg were built on lies and he no one's True Holder- or least he’s not willing to stay and find out if he is. The revelations of how he's been manipulated apparently so utterly disillusioned him that he doesn't even bother showing up in person to give up the ring. And with their friendship having long since been overshadowed by Ladybug’s authority, there’s nothing stopping him from vanishing from her life without a word- quite certain that she wouldn’t actually care.

So Marinette has to accept the abrupt final loss of her one-time partner even as she comes to terms with Tikki not really having been her Kwami. At the same time…

She has to accept working under a new Ladybug. A new girl from across the sea, found and trained by The Order to truly be a great Ladybug.

And it truly is "working under". Because Marinette may have gotten away with commanding her team before, but as the Black Cat? Well she has to follow whatever plan the new Ladybug comes up with in the battlefield and with Su-han now actually exerting his authority as the Celestial Guardian she's no longer really the boss of the Box behind the scenes either.

It's a reset of sorts. Back to the pre-Miracle Queen status quo, even if Marinett keeps the box in her room now.

Except now *she's* the put upon Black Cat.

At first, it's kind of liberating. She doesn't have to plan things out anymore, she just follows orders and has a bit of fun with her Miraculous. But what shine there is wears off fast.

The New Ladybug is far, far more effective with Tikki's powers and her tactics than Marinette ever was, and it hurts to see how easily Paris moves on from her old persona. To be so easily replaced and outclassed by some new girl who actually got to be trained by The Order instead of Fu, who was just an initiate. Her charms are exactly what she wants, her plans are simple, creative and rarely risk collateral damage.

*Her* Magical Charms aren’t broken by Shadowmoth, so the Villain can’t reuse victims. Instead he has to spin the wheel with new ones whose powers were far from consistently dangerous, and less potent than a trained and refined powerhouse like Stormy Weather or even Mr Pigeon with his steadily increasing skill with his abilities.

Alya isn’t Rena anymore, but that’s nothing exceptional for the old team. Marinette friends and temp-heroes were unceremoniously benched when the New Ladybug took contro and any chance that they’d be allowed a Miraculous again went up in smoke the second The New Ladybug learnt that most of their identities were known to Shadowmoth.

Instead, the New Ladybug has her own team. One that seems to be made up of adults or teenagers who Marinette doesn’t know, because why share that information?

It's hard having to constantly obey plans she isn't privy to the full details of, to have to sacrifice her body and mind whenever the New Ladybug is in danger.

(Marinette never realized how hard it was to lose her mind. To *die* and act like its nothing. Chat Noir had never complained, but it was anything but easy.)

Information is on a strictly need to know basis, and Lady Noire doesn’t *need* to know, so it’s not offered. The New Ladybug also has firm professional boundaries, and really- she doesn't seem to exactly hold her predecessor in high esteem.

There's plans to find Shadowmoth happening behind the scenes, Marinette's sure of it. The New Ladybug and Su-Han appear now and then to take or return a Miraculous from the box- but they don't tell her anything. And Marinette learns not to ask when The New Ladybug bluntly asks her why *she* never tried to find Shadowmoth with The Miraculous herself.

And when she brings up the fact that *she's* the Guardian of the Mother Box as a point of contention? Because the Miraculous and Kwamis that are being taken and lent out are *her* responsibility;

The New Ladybug looks her in eye and demands to know *how* Marinette gained that *responsibility* of the Mother Box. Because the story she knows is one about a girl who *failed upwards* after leading her worst enemy to her master.

Marinette has to learn how to live as The Black Cat. To be "another cheese on the board", to be left out, to be used and only included at The Ladybug's leisure.

She has to learn to accept being replaced as Tikki's holder by a "better girl" who was "always meant to be The Ladybug".

She has to accept that this is her life now. And as she has to accept that her bond with Tikki was never what she thought it was, as she gets used as a pawn on the board again and again, left out of plans and vital information that effects her and *dammit she deserves to know*;

She comes to understand why Chat Noir (whatever his real name is) didn't want to stay on as a holder.

Even if it meant losing access to the Miraculous forever.

[marcofoods]

🍁 Canadian Date Squares (Matrimonial Cake)

A beloved classic with layers of buttery oat crumble and luscious date filling—simple, wholesome, and irresistibly delicious!

🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✅ Naturally sweet (dates provide rich flavor without excess sugar) ✅ Perfect texture (crispy golden top + chewy date center) ✅ Make-ahead friendly (freezes beautifully for future cravings)

🛒 Ingredients

(Makes 16 squares in a 9x9" pan)

Date Filling

✔️ 2 cups pitted dates, chopped (about 12 oz) ✔️ ¾ cup water ✔️ 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ✔️ ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Oat Crumble

✔️ 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats ✔️ 1 cup all-purpose flour ✔️ ¾ cup packed brown sugar ✔️ ½ tsp baking soda ✔️ ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted ✔️ ¼ tsp fine salt

📋 Easy Layered Method

1️⃣ Prepare the Date Filling

In a saucepan, combine dates and water

Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and vanilla

Let cool slightly (it will thicken more as it cools)

2️⃣ Make the Oat Crumble

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt

Pour melted butter over dry ingredients

Mix until crumbly and evenly moistened

3️⃣ Assemble & Bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

Press about two-thirds of the oat mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 9x9" baking pan

Spread date filling evenly over the base

Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the top, pressing lightly

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown

4️⃣ Cool & Serve

Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack

For clean cuts, chill for 1 hour before slicing

Cut into 16 squares

💡 Baker's Notes

🔸 Date options: Medjool dates work best, but any variety will do 🔸 Smoother filling: Blend cooked dates for a jam-like consistency 🔸 Storage: Keep airtight at room temp for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months

🌰 Delicious Variations

Nutty Crunch: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble

Spiced Version: Mix 1 tsp cinnamon into the oat mixture

Chocolate Twist: Sprinkle ¼ cup chocolate chips over the date layer

Perfect Pairings: • A hot cup of black tea or coffee • A scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert • Packed in lunchboxes for a sweet treat

(Fun Fact: In Western Canada, these are often called "Matrimonial Cake" because the layers symbolize a happy marriage of flavors!)

[recipess01]

Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls

Juicy grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, rich Caesar dressing, and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese — all the classic flavors, perfectly bowl-ready! 🥬🔥🧄

🍗 Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) 🐔

2 tbsp olive oil 🫒

1 tbsp lemon juice 🍋

1 clove garlic, minced 🧄

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste 🧂

Optional: ½ tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano 🌿

For the Salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped 🥬

1 cup croutons (store-bought or homemade) 🥖

⅓ cup freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese 🧀

Optional add-ins: cherry tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs 🥚🍅🥑

For the Caesar Dressing (Quick Version):

½ cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated

2 tsp lemon juice 🍋

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup grated Parmesan 🧀

Salt & pepper to taste 🧂

Water to thin, if needed

Optional: 1 anchovy fillet or ½ tsp anchovy paste for authentic flavor

🔪 Instructions

1. Grill the Chicken

In a bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Add chicken and let marinate for at least 15–30 minutes.

Grill chicken over medium heat for 6–7 minutes per side or until internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C).

Let rest, then slice into strips.

2. Make the Caesar Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Adjust with a splash of water if too thick.

Taste and tweak seasoning as needed.

3. Assemble the Bowls

Add chopped romaine lettuce to each bowl.

Top with grilled chicken slices.

Add croutons and Parmesan cheese.

Drizzle generously with Caesar dressing.

Optional: Garnish with black pepper, lemon wedges, or a sprinkle of parsley.

✅ Tips & Variations

🥓 Add crispy bacon or pancetta for a smoky twist.

🥚 Classic touch: add soft- or hard-boiled eggs.

🥖 Make your own croutons by toasting cubed bread with olive oil and garlic.

🍽️ Meal prep tip: store components separately and dress right before serving.

🧡 Nutrition Info (Approx. per serving):

Calories: ~500–600

Protein: ~35–40g

Carbs: ~15–20g

Fat: ~35g

Fiber: ~3g

[papercranesong]

Malcolm was right

Hayes: Okay, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. How does 0800 sound. 

Malcolm: I prefer to train in the evenings. 

HAYES: Any reason? 

Malcolm: You get a better workout. Muscles are looser, reaction times quicker. 

Hayes: How about Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning, Wednesdays in the evening. 

Malcolm: How about Tuesdays and Fridays in the evenings, and Wednesday in the morning. 

Hayes: You're not making this very easy. 

Malcolm: I'm not trying to make it difficult.

Hayes: With all due respect, I think that's exactly what you're trying to do.

This scene always winds me up because MALCOLM WAS RIGHT!!!!! Studies show that evening workouts generally provide better muscle strength, flexibility, reaction time, and coordination (see below). 

Malcolm was actually trying to meet Hayes halfway and compromise by saying he’d switch one of the workout sessions to the mornings. But instead Hayes just has a go at him and accuses him of being deliberately difficult. I really like Hayes but his behaviour here is not cool.

Some studies: 

1. Muscle Strength and Power Peak in Evening

Atkinson, G., & Reilly, T. (1996). Circadian variation in sports performance. Sports Medicine, 21(4), 292–312. 

2. Evening Workouts Boost Muscle Gains

Arciero, P. J., et al. (2022). Morning vs. evening exercise impacts. Frontiers in Physiology. 

3. Reaction Time Improves Later in the Day

Reilly, T., Atkinson, G., & Waterhouse, J. (2000). Exercise and Sport Science

4. Joint flexibility is lower in the morning and improves throughout the day with increased body temp.

Seo, D. Y., et al. (2013). Morning and evening exercise. Integrative Medicine Research, 2(4), 139–144

5. Coordination and Reactive Strength peaks in the evening

di Cagno, A., et al. (2013). Time-of-day effects on motor coordination. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 12, 182–187 

6. Hamstring and Lumbar Flexibility Higher in afternoon

Manire, J. T., et al. (2010). Diurnal variation of flexibility. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 

7. Evening Core Body Temp Helps Muscle Function

Edwards, B. J., et al. (2013). Does temperature offset muscle force difference? Chronobiology International, 30(7), 988–997 

8. Cyclists show faster psychomotor responses and coordination in the evening than morning

Petit, E., et al. (2013). Time-of-day effects in cyclists. Perceptual and Motor Skills