#(and not actually blood in carmines case specifically)

[arundolyn]

i don't really know how to articulate this super clearly but i really appreciate that like. kuon conceptually with the 8 floaty swords behind him could very easily have turned out like a murakumo knockoff and im impressed by how visually and stylistically distinct he is. its really nice

[correlance]

Rewriting Vaggie's Character Arc and Backstory in Season 1 of 'Hazbin Hotel'

One of my biggest issues with Season 1 of Hazbin Hotel, and the Charlie/Vaggie relationship, was how Vaggie's character and arc for the season were written - or, specifically, the lack of solid, thoughtful writing, as well as character and relationship development for Vaggie.

First up are the two main songs in Season 1 that feature, or relate to, Vaggie specifically: "Whatever It Takes" in Episode 3 ("Scrambled Eggs"), and "Out For Love" in Episode 7 ("Hello Rosie"). Both notably feature Carmilla Carmine, who serves as a foil for Vaggie in the show.

I've seen "Whatever It Takes" compared to "Do It For Her" from Steven Universe, except the latter has several seasons and dozens of episodes' worth of character development for Pearl, as well as the exploration of her relationship with Rose Quartz. Meanwhile, "Whatever It Takes" comes in just Episode 3 of Season 1 of Hazbin Hotel, and the song feels really out-of-place. It sounds like a song that should be later in Season 1, or even in Season 2, and not Episode 3, which I feel made the song seem shoehorned in due to the fast pace of Season 1, and lessened its impact, for many fans and viewers.

We also have no prior character development for Vaggie that would explain how and why she is singing those particular lyrics, especially for first-time viewers who never watched the original pilot episode. This is a big problem for the song itself, and its notability, overall.

The way the song is written and framed also gives off the impression that Vaggie and Carmilla have some sort of prior connection, or that Vaggie may be one of Carmilla's daughters...only for this not to be the case in Episode 7. Even Carmilla's song, "Out For Love", in Episode 7 makes a lot more sense, if you consider the possibility that Vaggie may have been originally written to be one of Carmilla's daughters in early drafts of the show. Many also assumed as much from the song.

However, once Vaggie's backstory was changed, the songs were still kept in, which led to highly confusing lyrics which make no sense. This is because we're never told what Vaggie's motivations actually are, outside of her wanting to be a protector for Charlie in Episode 3. However, this is also a problem, because it reduces Vaggie's character to just being "Charlie's girlfriend", with no other attributes. I think Vaggie could've been written to be a more compelling person.

Here's what I think Vaggie's original character arc in Season 1 was, prior to rewrites due to a short episode count: Vaggie was one of Carmilla's daughters, and a moth sinner, as opposed to an angel. The angels went after Carmilla and her daughters, and Vaggie killed one of the exorcists to protect Carmilla and her sisters. However, Adam and Lute are now hunting for Vaggie, so Vaggie has to go into hiding.

The Hazbin Hotel provides the perfect opportunity for Vaggie to do so. Vaggie doesn't believe that sinners can be redeemed, though she does befriend and fall in love with Charlie, and helps her with her project.

Vaggie and Charlie bond over how much the exterminations suck, but Vaggie wants revenge on Heaven, and hates Heaven, for murdering so many sinners in cold blood, and is more militaristic - wanting to use Carmilla's angelic steel weapons to fight against Heaven - whereas Charlie is all "eat, pray, love" and "kumbaya", and wants to find a peaceful solution (redemption of sinners) with Heaven instead.

Things come to a head in Episode 6, when Vaggie has a fight with Charlie over where the Hotel is headed - as redemption isn't working - and how they should handle Adam, Lute, and the exterminations. Vaggie's hatred and self-loathing eventually lead her to Carmilla's doorstep, where Carmilla then sings "Out For Love" about how Vaggie should fight because she loves Charlie, and not hates Heaven.

There, I just wrote a better and more interesting character arc for Vaggie than just "hurr durr, let's just copy the most popular fan theory about Vaggie, something something, lazy and boring writing".

[tiny-cloud-of-flowers]

i feel like you have an old oc or s/i that you never talk about anymore but still think about pretty often just for fun :]

(@sleuthinginstinct)

Hello, anon who is totally not Icarus =P

(source: this post by fkclou)

anonymously make an assumption about me and i’ll confirm/deny it - Some of the self-inserts on my carrd could almost definitely count for this one, hahaha (and because of that, I’m confirming this as true!)

I’ve talked myself into a tangle about this before, but I think my arguably oldest self-insert is Amber, one of my Skyrim self-inserts. I originally created her as part of a Minecraft RP, of all things - she was half-human, but also carried the blood of the Ender Dragon (giving her certain powers as a result), and the story was that she was seeking out other “half-Enders” like herself to stop the dragon invading the overworld, while the dragon was doing the same to try and get those same half-Enders on her side instead. I then started playing as her in Skyrim, because I realised that her concept of “sword-wielding girl with dragon blood fighting on the side of humans to stop the evil dragons” fit that game extremely perfectly. While I don’t really talk about her, especially not here since she isn’t connected to any of my F/Os, I do still think about her whenever I’m playing Skyrim, especially if it’s on her save file ^-^

(Incidentally, my other two self-inserts for Skyrim - Camille and Carmine - are also ones I think of as being pretty old. In Camille’s case, it’s because she again began as my character in an RP on a Minecraft server, though it was after the one I made Amber for - in it, she was a dream mage who gave the others support as they explored a mystical forest trying to save it from being tainted, only for it to have been revealed that she herself had been tainted all along. This origin is why she gets raised as an acolyte of Vaermina in Skyrim, since Vaermina is the Daedric prince of dreams. In Carmine’s case, she was established for Skyrim from the start, because I’ve played Skyrim since I was eleven years old and I liked playing as a Khajiit a lot because they’re cats - however, I didn’t really give her any particular lore of her own until after I started actively selfshipping and I decided she could be Inigo’s sister. Prior to that, she was just “how I played the game when I wanted to play as a thief”, not “my self-insert who I played as in the game” - which is why I don’t tend to think of her as the oldest self-insert. This logic is also true of Emily, my Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons self-insert - I’d played HMDS Cute since I was little, but I only actually gave her any kind of name or story as an outright self-insert after I started actively selfshipping in 2020, so I don’t think of her as being an old self-insert in the right way!)

My oldest OCs (that I can remember/still think about, at least) are my Splatoon ones, but I came up with those when I was in year 10, so they definitely came later than the fledgling self-inserts. However, a discussion about old self-inserts would be arguably incomplete without mentioning my main Kingdom Hearts self-insert, Aria - she was, I would say, the first instance of me actively giving lore and story to who I was playing as, from near the beginning of playing her game (so she was an outright actively-developed self-insert, and wasn’t just “how I played the game”). She’s also the first self-insert I used to actively express my love for a character (specifically Aqua), and establish story for a selfship with that character, in a way that wasn’t just “I like this character so I’m going to focus on them a lot while I play the game”. (This is why Aqua and Anti-Aqua are my only romantic F/Os where the start date of my selfship is before I made my first selfship blog in 2020). But I created Aria when I started playing KHUX in mid-2017, and the others already-mentioned existed prior to that, so she doesn’t quite count - and also, I talk about her a LOT, so she doesn’t count for your assumption for that reason either =P

..I don’t seem to be getting any less long-winded, do I? Apologies for writing so much; I wish it was this easy to write so much for all my lab reports and essays. Still, thank you for sending this assumption, and if you did take the time to read my very rambly answer, then a) thank you and b) I hope you enjoyed what you read!

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 3.9

hmmm. How often is Avery using Guilherme's glamour? I don't think I know enough about how it works to say for sure if this is bad, or if it's more a fake-it-til-you-make-it confidence builder, but I am worried.

... is Avery just mentally editing out Declan's friends' names because she doesn't care, or are both his friends also named Declan (and if so, why does they let him be the unnumbered one)

Relationships with the Kennet Others have deteriorated, which seems inevitable but sad. I wonder if 10+ arcs down the line this will seem like a minor hiccup, or if instead the period before this falling out will be the aberration, and the first two arcs will seem as if they had training wheels.

It wasn’t that they were all named Declans, but dad had joked they were all so similar in their tastes, fashion, and stuff, that they could be Declan one, Declan two, Declan three, and Declan four.  Declan Four had been pushed out of the group after giving some change to a girl they all liked so she could buy something at the school book sale, so that made things a little simpler.  And sadder.  When they were at Declan two’s house, the names changed so they were whatever one, whatever two, whatever three, and so on.  She didn’t actually know Declan two’s name.

Very funny answer to make to my question above! Bizarre though

“He’s weird.  He doesn’t hit her or anything, that I know of.  But like… I can imagine her getting old enough and leaving and not ever talking to him again. It’s not like- there’s not anything I can really explain.  He makes her do a lot of chores and he complains at her and like… I don’t know.  He blames her for their divorce or something?”

yeah. fucked up but not to the point that anyone feels like they can intervene. and nothing super concrete to point at, everything is emotion-based.

“We worry about you so much, Avery.  Your dad and I and your siblings adore you, we do.  And we want good things for you.  We failed you so badly, not noticing how lonely you’d gotten, until your teacher reached out to us, and right now, not to make our concerns your burdens, but… I have this feeling like you’re pulling away and somehow we’re failing you, maybe in a worse way.”

:|

Avery dusted her fingers with the glamour in her back pocket, then pressed it to her heart.  Being treated as more adult.  Communicating.  Navigating tough conversations.

Another case of glamour!

If a year passed and Guilherme told her this was all in her head, and using the glamour like this didn’t actually do anything, she’d feel like it was worth it, if only because it forced her to keep looking for the little successes and good points.

this is a nice way to look at it. I am still worried. Maybe consult with Lucy and Verona?

A bit of glamour.  She drew a bullseye on her hand, as a reward for making the shot.  I get down on myself for having bad aim, but I have my moments.

Another glamour use! That's... a lot.

I am hoping for some good clues from this interview. Or technically, since I already got to read Louise's perspective, I hope the Kennet Trio spot something I didn't. Current things that stand out: Edith's whole thing, she didn't say she was uninvolved, just that she didn't do it, her movements were unusual and unwitnessed; the body was hidden in the Ruins? but Alpeana didn't see it; John and the Hungry Choir, though that might be unconnected; Guilherme met someone, though he won't say who; Maricica had an ongoing feud.

Notes:

Others didn't hear howling, only Louise

Bleeding full moon, out of normal cycle

Wolf-like creature absorbing the blood (presuming this is the Carmine Beast?)

CB was limping in town but not before (an injury getting worse, or picking up a new one after Louise started following?)

Why didn't she fight back, or call for help/who was she calling to? Was she trying to contact someone in specific, or trying not to be heard at all?

If the attack that made her limp happened in the Ruins after Louise started following, why was the CB howling to begin with? Multiple blows?

“You think it was more than one that was involved?” Lucy asked. “Would make sense, wouldn’t it? She seemed resigned to her fate, if she wasn’t fighting. So… she didn’t trust the locals or something. So maybe she reaches out, in hopes that a person will hear and challenge the local Others?”

hmmm. If it was a group, we know that the one thing they all agree on is keeping Kennet isolated. Did the CB want to bring in practitioners? Why?

“I just had a weird thought,” Avery said.  “Maybe an important one.  Something from the Forest Ribbon Trail.  And the day we awakened.”

no idea what this is! went back through the awakening notes and still have no idea

The coin, tin, was old, stamped with HBC 100.  They’d covered some of this in their homework, a week ago.  Hudson’s Bay Compay.  Fur trading.

again with the relevant classwork!

“Good to know,” Avery said.  She turned over the coin, then held it down for Snowdrop to see.  “Recognize it?”

“No.”

Avery nodded.  “I do.”

[kuramirocket]

For centuries, the Indigenous cultures of present-day Mexico manufactured a brilliant red colorant called "prickly pear blood."

Nocheztli was the name the Mexica (Aztecs) gave this red colorant in their language Nahuatl. That is because in Nahuatl, the cacti were called nopalli and nochpalli, and their fruits were called nochtlí. Thus nocheztlí means blood (eztli) of the cactus (nochtlí,) or "prickly pear blood."

The colorant was actually made, however, from a parasitic insect of the prickly pear cactus, rather than the red prickly pear itself. The vivid carmine red color obtained from this insect evoked the image of blood and the juice of the red fruit.

The insect from which the dye is obtained is popularly called cochineal grana. Its scientific name is Dactylopius coccus . In Nahuatl it was called nocheztli which means "nopal blood" and in Mixtec ndukun which means "blood insect".

Both the insect and the colorant are known as cochineal.

Each pre-Hispanic indigenous culture had a different name for the insect. This ethnolinguistic element indicates the knowledge and early use of coloring by different ethnic groups before the arrival of the Spanish.  

The colorant made from the cochineal insect was an astonishingly vivid red. Red was an important color for Mesoamerican cultures as it signified blood, and therefore life.

Indigenous peoples had many uses for it including as a medicine, a cosmetic, a dye for textiles, and a paint for hand-drawn manuscripts.

Mesoamerican manuscripts are important because they give insight into the people represented on them, as well as aspects of their culture. These colorful manuscripts also shed light on the expertise of the Indigenous craftspeople that made them.

The Library of Congress has three significant 16th-century Mesoamerican manuscripts that were all painted with carmine red: the Huexotzinco Codex, the Oztoticpac Lands Map, and the Codex Quetzalecatzin.

But what do we know about cochineal?

Cultivation of Cochineal

Cochineal was primarily cultivated by individuals from cactus plots found on their lands. The production of cochineal was time-consuming and involved several steps.

First the cacti were planted and allowed to grow for up to three years in order to host the insects. After the cacti reached the appropriate size, the Indigenous farmer attached nests containing female insects to the cacti. For 90 to 120 days cochineal insects were allowed to infest the host cacti. After this period of infestation, harvesting involved removing the insects from the cacti by hand with the aid of a pointed stick or a brush. Harvesting domesticated cochineal occurred two or three times per year.

Interestingly, only female insects were harvested because the component responsible for the red dye is solely carried by wingless females. The female of this species, whose life cycle is three months, is the one that contains carminic acid, a substance that is synthesized as a dye. The insect uses this substance as a defense mechanism against predators such as ants. For its part, the male does not require this defense since its vital cycle is brief, it is reduced to a week in which it fulfills the reproductive function and then dies.   

A glimpse into cochineal cultivation is provided by the French botanist Nicolas-Joseph Thiéry De Menonville who published an account of his travels in 1777 to Oaxaca to obtain, albeit illegally, the insect for France.

"On arriving at Galiatitlan, I saw a garden full of nopals, and had no doubt I should there find the precious insect I was so desirous to examine. I therefore leapt from my horse, under pretense of altering my stirrup leathers, entered the grounds of the Indian proprietor, began a conversation with him, and enquired to what use he put those plants? He answered, “to cultivate la grana.” I seemed astonished, and begged to see the cochineal; but my surprise was real when he brought it to me, for instead of the red insect I expected, there appeared one covered with a white powder. I was tormented with the doubts I entertained, and to resolve them bethought me of crushing one on white paper; and what was the result? It yielded the truly royal purple hue.”

Grana is the Spanish term for cochineal that translates as "grain," possibly because the dried cochineal insect look like grains or seeds.

What then do we know about how the brilliant carmine colorant was made from the cochineal insect?

Cochineal Colorant Preparation

Sixteenth-century sources provide eyewitness accounts of the production of Indigenous Mexican artist materials. One of the most important sources is the Florentine Codex, or The General History of the Things of New Spain, compiled by Franciscan Friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Twelve books describe the culture and peoples of central Mexico, with detailed descriptions in Spanish and Nahuatl, as well as illustrations of artists materials like cochineal.

After harvesting, the insects were then prepared for processing into a colorant. The first part of the process involved killing the cochineal insects. This was accomplished by drying in the sun, heating in ovens or on hot plates, boiling, or steaming. Regardless of the method employed, the end result of this process was dried insects.

To make a red dye or paint, the dried silver cochineal "grains" are ground into a powder that is then boiled in water. Since the cochineal is an organic colorant, its coloring agent carminic acid must be stabilized with the addition of a mordant, a metallic salt. Powdered alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) was a mordant commonly used by Mesoamerican craftspeople.

Cochineal is sensitive to changes in pH, and as such, its color can vary. Cochineal colorants can range from orange when an acid, like vinegar, is added to the recipe to purple when a base, like ammonia, is added.

The primary uses for cochineal were as a dye for textiles and as a paint. To make a paint, the cochineal insects were soaked in water, ground into a paste with alum, and formed into tablets that were allowed dry.

Tablets of cochineal paint, as well as other paints and artist materials, were made available to artisans in markets throughout Mexico. It is likely that Indigenous scribes painted the red areas on manuscripts with cochineal tablets obtained from these markets.

A large variety of items were sold in Mesoamerican markets including food, raw materials, and artist pigments. The largest market was in Tlatelolco, a neighborhood in present-day Mexico City. Descriptions of the Tlatelolco market were published by Spanish conquistadors Hernán Cortés and Bernal Díaz  who were astounded by its large size and the variety of items sold there.

Markets remain an important cultural tradition in Mexico to this day.

Mesoamerican Manuscripts at the Library of Congress

The Codex Quetzalecatzin resides in the Geography and Map Division. Created circa 1593, it is a genealogy map showing the ancestral lands of Lord-11 Quetzalecatzin and his descendants, the de Leon family, between the years 1480 and 1593. It is also known as the Mapa de Ecatepec-Huitziltepec because the de Leon holdings ranged from Ecatepec (near Mexico City) to the north, to Huitziltepec in Oaxaca to the south, with southern Puebla in between.

An Indigenous scribe, or scribes, likely created the codex because it is drawn in a mostly Indigenous artistic style with pictographs that convey information relating to space and time, and toponyms (place-glyphs) relating to specific locations.

Codex Quetzalecatzin

Brilliant carmine red was liberally painted all over the Codex Quetzalecatzin.

The color red is prominently used on the garments of the Indigenous elites. A rich red decorates the borders of the noble women's blouses and skirts and the cloaks of the noble men. Not surprisingly, Lord-11 Quetzalecatzin has the most splendid garments of all with his richly patterned red cloak and headdress.

It is not surprising that red paint appears on the codex in many areas, since Puebla and Oaxaca were primary regions of cochineal cultivation during the 16th century. As nopal cacti are prominent features on the codex, it is possible that the de Leon estate produced cochineal.

The Oztoticpac Lands Map, also part of the Geography and Map Division collections, was created around 1540. It concerns the litigation of the estate of the Texcoco lords after one of their members, Don Carlos Ometochtli, was executed for idolatry. Texcoco, a neighbor to Mexico City, was a partner to the Mexica (Aztecs.) The map depicts the Palace of Oztoticpac, land plots of villagers.

Oztoticpac Lands Map

Color was sparsely used on the map, and has faded over the years. Purplish-red lines and Indigenous counting numerals (bars and dots) were used to denote the borders and size of lands owned by the Texcoco nobility.

The Huexotzinco Codex is part of the Harkness Collection in the Manuscript Division. It is one of the earliest Mesoamerican manuscripts from the early colonial era of Mexico. As such, it is a thoroughly Indigenous manuscript as its story is told through pictographs showing the types of tribute items and the Indigenous counting systems. 

The Huexotzinco Codex was created in 1531 for the legal case that conquistador Hernán Cortés brought against three members of the first Spanish colonial government in Mexico. The case accused the three government officials of stealing from Cortés by demanding excessive tribute from the people of Huexotzinco when he was in Spain. After the Spanish invasion, Cortés considered the land, natural resources, and the people of Huexotzinco to be his property because the Huexotzincas allied themselves with him during the war against the Mexica. Included in the court proceedings are eight Indigenous paintings submitted as evidence that depict the tribute handed over to the officials.

The eight paintings were produced by Indigenous scribes with Indigenous materials. While seven of the paintings are painted with red, vivid carmine red features prominently on two of them.

Huexotzinco, in the Mexican state of Puebla, was a major producer of cochineal in the 16th century.

Huexotzinco Codex

Painting III shows twenty cotton cloths, each richly decorated with an Indigenous calendrical pictograph (Rabbit, Reed, or Flower) representing the count of years or days. A brilliant red background offsets the pictographs. Notably red was used as the background on all of the twenty cloths and was also the most-used colorant.

Colorful, ornamented clothing of cotton and rabbit fur were reserved for the elites of Mesoamerican societies. Thus the carmine red textiles prominently featured on two codex paintings provide insight into the Huexotzinco community as well as the artisans working there.

The three Library of Congress Mesoamerican manuscripts (the Codex Quetzalecatzin, the Oztoticpac Lands Map, and the Huexotzinco Codex) have a shared history. They were created during the first century of the newly formed Spanish colony of Mexico.

Another shared aspect found on all three manuscripts is the use of carmine red paint to illuminate features that were important and specific to the people depicted on them, and to the scribes who painted them.

While visually the reds on the three Library of Congress manuscripts appear to be cochineal, to date material analysis has only confirmed the red on the Huextzinco Codex paintings to be cochineal. Hopefully future scientific analysis will also identify the reds of the Codex Quetzlecatzin and the Oztoticpac Lands Map.

While Spain profited from the production and export of cochineal, credit must be given to the Indigenous Mesoamerican peoples who developed this stunning red, this "prickly pear blood," and gave it to the world.

Once discovered by Spaniards, cochineal became one of the most valuable commodities in Europe. In 1758 alone, Oaxaca exported more than 1.5 million Spanish pounds of it for various uses, including the dying of fabrics for red uniforms worn by British soldiers. It was the most exported from New Spain during the 16th century, after gold and silver.

For centuries Europe sought an intense red that would last over time in textiles such as wool and silk. They had not found a dye with these characteristics until the discovery of cochineal. It was so prized, Spain kept secret that it came from a bug instead of a plant.

The Italian dyers of the 16th century, based in Venice and Florence, were the main buyers of dyes.

Later, in later centuries, this changed and it was the French, the Dutch and later the English who bought the scarlet, both in formal and informal trade through smuggling. 

Apart from the textile industry, which is where it had its most widespread use, famous painters such as Rubens, Velázquez and El Greco, among others, also used pigments based on the cochineal grana to add unique colors in their works.

Museum conservation and restoration laboratories in different parts of the world have confirmed the presence of the dye bug in many important works.  

The cochineal cochineal from New Spain produced a "boom" in European markets , says Huémac Escalona. It was the second good that generated the most profits for the people involved in its trade, both Spanish and Indian. 

The Spanish crown retained the monopoly of this product throughout the colonial period; For this, it kept the secret of its nature and production, preventing the live insect from leaving New Spain. When the Spanish referred to the large cochineal they always used terms that referred to agriculture, so that competitors from other nations believed that it was a vegetable product, a fruit of a plant or a seed.  

Today it can also be found as a natural food coloring. 

Production of dye in Oaxaca 

In the 16th century and the first part of the 17th century, the most intense production of cochineal was located in the Tlaxcala and Puebla areas. Oaxaca was the cradle of domestication of the large cochineal; it also produced in those years but not so intensely. It was not until the second half of the seventeenth century when its production increased, until it produced 99 percent of the scarlet that was exported to the entire world in the eighteenth century. 

The relationship between indigenous producers and Spanish merchants around the grana was not without tensions and conflicts, despite this, the wealth it generated allowed that relationship to last over time. 

The historian recalls that the indigenous communities accepted to produce the cochineal because it allowed them to have their own social organization and allowed them to have money for their festivals and to pay taxes. Although these were impositions of the colonial regime, these burdens were assumed in such a way as to allow them to have an organizational structure according to their traditions. 

The rearing of the insect was an economic activity in which the whole family participated and could be combined with other tasks. The production and trade of grana articulated the economy of various regions of Oaxaca. There were towns that specialized in grana, others combined its production with the manufacture of blankets or the cultivation of corn and wheat. While others were dedicated to making the various containers where the dye was transported.  

Most of the indigenous peoples, for their part, became producers of the dye because it meant a more or less secure way of obtaining resources to cover their community expenses and cover tax burdens. This was not exempt from the enrichment of sectors of its population. However, it was not the norm but rather the exception.  

Grana connected the economy of societies so different and so far away : Indigenous peoples from the Oaxacan regions with European, African and Asian societies. For the Oaxacan indigenous people, the scarlet was the product that gave them benefits but also caused them discomfort. The constant international demand for dye led to the adaptation of their collective life, governed by a set of beliefs and traditions of their own, to an intense production system.

 The traces of the scarlet in Oaxaca are everywhere: in civil and religious public buildings, in merchants' houses, in textiles, in its archaeological remains, in pre-Hispanic and colonial documents, painted with pigments made from the cochineal or where its production and trade were registered. It shows the importance that the precious dyeing insect known as grana cochineal had for the history of Oaxaca and Mexico. 

A red color, really Mexican? 

In recent years, there has been a debate about the American zone of origin of the dye . A group of scholars assured that the cochineal was domesticated in South America, in the Andean area, due to the discovery of textiles dyed with this dye in various archaeological sites and whose dating dates back to the first centuries after Christ.  

Other specialists affirmed that it was in Mesoamerica, specifically in Oaxaca, where the first domestication of the insect was carried out together with the nopal. It is believed that it passed from Mesoamerica to Central America and from there to South America through the cabotage trade. 

Recently, a scientific study was carried out that analyzed the mitochondrial DNA of the cochineal cochineal samples from Oaxaca and Peru. The results showed that the genetic variety from Oaxaca is older and more diverse. This confirms that the domesticated dyeing insect is native to the Mesoamerican region corresponding to the current state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. 

Sources: (×) (×) (×)

[cr-s01]

Hey, do you know what UNICLR character cut ins (when using EX moves) look like when there is no palette applied? I am curious.

it's pretty interesting, most of the base .cg palettes appear to not have the entire set of colours that the characters actual palettes have which usually results in some parts of the sprite being set to the default/placeholder colour which is just neon green

let's use nanase's sprites for example, here's her sprite palette without any .pal palette applied and and with her default palette applied respectively

besides the jarring colours, note how some of the colours seen on the default palette are missing on the placeholder/base palette, specifically (from left to right, top to bottom) parts of her irises, her hair shine, cut-in outlines, phone, and all of her effects and the little blue and black effect that shows up for some of the cut-ins (see below. yes thats part of the palette)

here's an example of how the cut-ins look in this case. hyde's (and most characters') hair shine and outlines dont have anything besides the default colour assigned to the index so theyre bright green as you can see here

this can also show up even in other, less detailed sprites, like carmine's "blood-less" hair colour not being set to anything besides the default and showing up as this same neon green as a result

however, most newer characters, starting with wagner, lack these base palettes and simply use their final colour scheme when nothing is loaded

anyways its pretty cool, might try and put these base palettes into the game for the hell of it at some point

[fire-the-headcanons]

[In which team STRQ goes to a Halloween party at Beacon, dressed as their teachers and TAs. Enjoy.]

Tai elbowed Summer, puffed up his chest, and strutted straight for them.

Sneaking up just wasn't Port's style.

"Good evening, students!" he blustered. "How are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Mister Xiao Long, is that you?" Pete asked, blinking. Behind him Professor Mesánychta folded her arms and surveyed the four of them with one fist pressed over her mouth.

Checkmate. Tai stood up even straighter, nearly going up on tiptoe, and put his hands on his hips. "Of course not! I am Peter Port, who else would I be? Talk some sense, young man."

"Magnificent!" Pete roared, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I am flattered indeed!"

"I see you two have corrupted your teammates quite efficiently," Mesánychta said, still failing to mask a smile. Tai beamed, returning a mock salute.

Follow the Beacon Taiyang—Splitting Scares

[Link to Masterpost]

[TW for gore, fake blood - Halloween decorations

A note on the "horror house": it's a haunted house, on Remnant, designed by child warriors, exercise all due caution]

The Grimm Studies building was unrecognizable.

Somehow most of the lights had been coaxed from their usual neutral white into an eerie blood-red, staining the usually warm wooden paneling a gnarled black. Lights that hadn't changed were aimed at tables, covered in pristine white cloths. Grimm colors filled the room from corner to corner—add in the large number of students wearing bone masks and black clothing instead of proper costumes and the effect was eerie.

The mounted model Grimm heads remained, but the plaques and labels had been covered in black paper or cloth, giving the illusion that actual monsters were frozen in the walls and glowering down at them. As he looked closer…

Eugh.  

Qrow elbowed him, keeping his voice low. "Those… that's fake, right?" 

"Yeah, they're like 300 lien a pop at the party store."

"Thanks. ...That's… gross."

"Yeah." The dismembered limbs and dripping blood in the models' mouths crossed a line he wasn't entirely comfortable with. "Yeah." He pretended not to notice as Qrow turned and whispered something to Raven.

"There's Professor Carmine," Summer cackled, rubbing her work-gloved hands together and eyeing the far end of the refreshment table. She wore a chef's hat and white coat... with her trademark leather apron tied on as always. "I'm going in!"

They skirted the edge of the crowd, following Summer as she darted around the the table to come up behind the professor. Tai and the twins waited back a pace as she took the last few steps.

"Carmine Eitri! Have you done your maintenance this week?! " Summer demanded at full volume, making the professor and several students jump.

"What? You—" Carmine froze, looking her up and down, taking in the paper welding goggles and hastily-stitched apron with a delighted smile breaking across her face.

"I don't think you'll be smiling if your weapon malfunctions in combat!" Summer shrieked, barely keeping a straight face. She eyed the professor and the third years she'd startled before. "I want to see those gears shining or you can take the ashes out for a month!"

A boy with a Grimm mask hanging around his neck swore softly as Carmine burst into laughter. "Why didn't we think of that?" He pointed at Qrow. "Look, that kid's Ozpin."

"Wait, aren't those the freshmen that cheated during initiation?"

The professor raised her right hand, still chuckling. "I'll do it next time, I promise. Look at you four! I always love to see some clever craftsmanship. Have the others seen yet?"

"No, we just came in."

"You'll have to tell me everything later," she said with a nod, and turned back to her conversation with the third years.

"That went well." Summer grabbed a cupcake. Chocolate frosting and marshmallow claws made it look like a Beowolf's paw. "See anybody else?"

"Nope," Qrow said, passing Raven a chocolate chip cookie as he scanned the crowd. As soon as the twins bit into the treats they stared down at them with identical frowns of disappointment.

Tai laughed. "Come on, they're not bad. Summer's are just really, really good."

"Huh?" she muttered, still staring into the crowd. "Oh!"

"Zelenia, there you are. I wanted to— oh." Ozpin stopped short, blinking in confusion at Raven and a distorted mirror image of himself. 

"Yes, headmaster?" Raven asked in a decent imitation of the professor. Qrow just grinned up at him, completely failing to keep a straight face.

He chuckled, taking a sip from his mug. "Very clever."

"Well, I certainly thought so," Qrow said in Ozpin's accent, sidling forward and mirroring him with an identical cup, though his was now full of fruit punch. "And I'm glad to see that your teamwork has improved considerably."

"That it has. ...I see your reputation at Signal was not unearned, Miss Rose, Mr. Xiao Long. Has Zelenia seen your handiwork?"

"Not yet," Summer replied. "We were looking for her too. Professor Carmine loved it though."

"She's probably doing a safety check in the house of horrors," he said, glancing at the hall that led toward Containment. Students were lined up to go inside, tucking parts of their costumes and the odd weapon into the bins provided. "Do make sure to show her when she gets back. I think she'll appreciate it."

Ozpin walked away, still chuckling, and Summer leaned in close to whisper in Tai's ear. "'House of horrors'? Is he ninety?"

"...Aren't you going to ask him?"

She huffed. "I chickened out, okay?"

"If it is a joke just lean into it. This is our only lead. I'll do it, if you want."

"N...no, I've got this." Her hands clenched and unclenched a few times. "I've got this."

"Well, he's getting away," Qrow said, and the four of them headed off after him. Luck wasn't with them, though, and the professor was already lost in the crowd.

***

It took a few laps of the hall to finally spot Mesánychta and Port, emerging from Containment as predicted. Perfect. Tai elbowed Summer, puffed up his chest, and strutted straight for them. 

Sneaking up just wasn't Port's style.

"Good evening, students!" he blustered. "How are you enjoying the festivities?"

"Mister Xiao Long, is that you?" Pete asked, blinking. Behind him Professor Mesánychta folded her arms and surveyed the four of them with one fist pressed over her mouth.

Checkmate. Tai stood up even straighter, nearly going up on tiptoe, and put his hands on his hips. "Of course not! I am Peter Port, who else would I be? Talk some sense, young man."

"Magnificent!" Pete roared, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I am flattered indeed!"

"I see you two have corrupted your teammates quite efficiently," Mesánychta said, still failing to mask a smile. Tai beamed, returning a mock salute. 

As they left he turned to Summer. "Well?"

She sighed, raising her hands. "You were right. Themed costumes are better."

"Sweet, because next year I was thinking we could do a sort of masquerade thing based on our names—"

"You're already thinking about next year?" Qrow asked.

"Sure! Why not?" he shrugged. "It's fun. Speaking of… who wants to try the horror house?"

"Um." Summer spared a nervous glance at the bloody wall decorations, and then at the large sign hung next to the entrance. "Only if we go through as a team." 

She had a point. The warnings were… specific.

Qrow looked at Raven, who shrugged. "Sure, we're in."

"No weapons, no loose jewelry or clothing, you may be pushed or jostled, you may trip or fall," he read, unease growing with each line. "They're really splitting scares with these rules, aren't they? Ow. You may get wet but it won't stain— give your name for Semblance check? Full auras only?! Is this a horror house or a weapons-free cage match?!"

The fourth year with the Semblance check clipboard chuckled ominously. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Summer demanded.

"Well, I hear there's face painting back at Signal if you don't think you can handle it."

"You're on," Raven declared, carefully setting her makeshift headband and floured jacket in one of the bins. Tai followed suit, though Summer and Qrow had more accessories to contend with.

"Wait," he said, throwing his arm in front of her as she reached the door. "No weapons. You have to leave the knife here."

"What? She doesn't have a—" Tai's jaw dropped as she pulled a utility knife out of her shirt with a scowl, clearly debating whether or not to actually hand it over. " Why are you carrying that?! This is a party!"

"Self-defense," she answered, glaring at him in a way that plainly asked why he didn't have one too.

"...Yeah, you gotta leave that here," the fourth year said, smug bravado suddenly nowhere to be found. Gingerly, he pinched the blade between his thumb and forefinger, trying weakly to lift it from her grasp. 

"Aren't there supposed to be live Grimm?" she asked, making no move to release it.

"The actors are armed in case of emergency," he said quickly. "But there's also never been a problem. There are extensive safety precautions in place."

Raven only resisted for a moment longer before allowing the handle to slip through her fingers.

"It'll be fine!" Summer reassured her. "We're going through together."

"Yeah, just try not to punch anyone," Tai said, guiding her forward by the shoulder. "Raven Taupe and Taiyang Xiao Long. Those two don't have Semblances yet."

"Two on the same team, huh? Some odds," he said, skimming through his notes. "You're good to go. Head all the way down to the warehouse." He waved them past, staring Raven down. "But seriously, try not to punch anyone."

The hallway beyond was unchanged. No decorations, no red lights, nothing but the sky outside and the darkened labs to suggest they weren't on their way to class.

"That's kind of anticlimactic," Summer muttered, looking up at the lights as they walked.

"It's to ruin our night vision."

Slowly, everyone turned to stare at Raven.

"Easier to sneak up on someone who's blinded by the dark. It's the same reason you don't light a fire to keep watch.  The point is to scare people, right?"

Tai chuckled nervously. This was getting less and less appealing by the second. 

"Scared already?" Raven teased. "It hasn't started yet."

...Now, this could be fun. "Oh? Well if you're so gung-ho about it, let's see who breaks last."

"You're on." She smirked. 

Where had this calm… confident version of Raven been for the last two months? It suited her so much better than quiet terror or misdirected fury. It came out sometimes when she fought, but he'd never seen it outside of combat—

"Great. You two walk in front," Summer said, stepping back and gesturing for her to take the place next to him.

He grabbed the handle of one of the double doors, grinning at Raven. "On three. Ready?"

"One—"

"Two—"

"Three." They shoved the doors open and stepped into the dark, blinking. Effectively blinded.

The warehouse was lit by a single, flickering emergency light that turned the rows of cages into a shadowy forest. Dozens of eyes burned in the darkness, flashes of light occasionally reflecting off of bone as they snarled and beat against the bars. Of course—there was plenty of fear in a horror house to get them up in a frenzy.

"Oh, that's freaky," Summer breathed. The nearest cage to the entrance had been torn open with the door hanging limply from one hinge.

 Behind them, the doors slammed closed on their own and cut off the light from outside.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The four of them jumped as someone leapt at them from the left, the scant light barely outlining his white lab coat. "YOU'VE LOCKED US IN WITH—"

He cut off at the sound of a low growl, shoving them behind him as he backed away from two Beowolves with horrible, burning eyes. Tai genuinely couldn't tell if they were costumes or not—they had to be, right? But were any of the fourth years that big?!

"RUN!" the scientist screamed, giving them a hefty shove. They took off, weaving around more twisted and fallen cages that chipped at Tai's aura every time he missed a jagged spur of metal in the dark. More wolves jumped out from either side, falling in behind them as they sprinted for the far door, claws clicking on the cement. Grimm snapped at them through the bars and it was impossible to tell which ones were real.

"We'll get out through the classroom wing," the scientist gasped, dragging the door open at last. The four of them darted past him as he waved them through. "There's a safe zone in the rear lobby. We have to seal Containment before they get ouAAAUUUGH—" he cut off as a wolf leapt from the darkness, its teeth closing over his shoulder and his scream blending with all four of theirs. A second bit onto his other arm, dragging him back into the room, and the door slammed shut.

Summer leapt forward to yank at the handle but it had sealed. On the other side, his terrified scream abruptly cut off. The four of them stood, stunned, the only sound the snarls of the Grimm.

"...FUCK this," Qrow said, conversationally.

Next Chapter: Summer—A Bit Much

[stargazedwinchester]

I Died For You | Dean

Very much inspired by ‘Cherry Red’ by Waterparks, it can be found here! Was originally going to call it Cherry Red but since the song is about a minute and a half long I thought the main lyric links better with the imagine rather than ‘Cherry Red’

(Also didn’t want to overuse the term ‘cherry red’ hahaha)

Warnings: Death

Word count: 1,923

--

You're laid flat on your back after defeating the final vamp in the nest. You and the Winchester’s found a case in Greenfield, Massachusetts. You were currently staying at a motel on the outskirts of Vermont when Sam found the case, thanks to Jody Mills’ help. Blood was splattered all over your face and your clothes, and thanks to the vamp, your new coat is ruined. "Ugh! Not my new coat!" You whine, acquiring Deans attention. "Hey, at least it’s not Gucci." He smirks, breathing heavily. Sam offers you his hand, and you accept. Once you were back onto your feet, Dean congratulates you with a pat on the back. "Good fight, Red."

You were out of hunting for a while. You sprained your ankle and broke your arm during a fight with a werewolf, and were hospitalised for a week due to unconsciousness, then forced to be bedridden by the Winchester’s since they didn’t want you practically killing yourself on another hunt. Your arm still hurt a little, though, it had only been a week since you had the cast taken off at the hospital, but you were adamant that they needed your help. After all, you were one of the best hunters around.

Your hand brushed the almost Carmine stray hairs out of your mouth and eyes. Nothing glamorous about the Hunter life, so you embrace it with open arms. "I think we deserve a big, fat burger after... all of this." You gesture towards the deceased bodies of the vampires, and Dean nods. "Obviously. Let’s go." Dean takes the lead towards the exit. Sam follows behind.

--

You had been dating the eldest Winchester for over 4 years now, you both were practically soulmates at first sight, bumping into each other - on purpose - at the same diner every weekend for a month, ordering the same food and chatting about new hunts and cases each time. The time Dean didn’t see you at the diner on one Saturday afternoon, he knew something was wrong, and within an instant, his eyes darted to his brother with curiosity, which in return, Sam did too. They were both very fond of you, and on this specific night, they were so sure to ask you to join them on hunts, to join them in life. To act as their best friend and someone to confide to, after all, they only had each other. “Cherry red. Man, it’s a beautiful colour, ain’t it?”

You found your own case down south, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A family of witches called the Loughlin Family. You knew it would be a bad idea to take the challenge on yourself, but you insisted that it wouldn’t be too hard, either way, they’re just people... right? With hex bags and powerful spells, powerful enough to send you flying across the room and possibly kill you, but you knew that. You didn’t need help.

—

You exited the impala and entered Smokin’ Lee’s 80’s themed diner, the bell sprung when you opened the door, and you took a booth seat in the far left corner, next to the window. ‘It’s weird being here again but actually sat with you this time," you mention. "I was always in the booth behind." You smile, pointing to the booth behind you. Sam smiles. "Yeah, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?" He says, turning his head toward Dean. "We can cheers to this when we get our beer." He chuckles, as the waiter hands you all a menu. "I already know what I’m having." He pursed his lips, smiling at you, waving over the waiter. He makes his way over with a notepad and pen, greeting you with a smile. You order your food and start gossiping about the vamps you beheaded an hour ago.

You noticed that the food and drinks were taking too long, and mentioned it to the boys. No staff member was around anymore, it was only you and the brothers sat in the booth. No customers, no cashier, no waiter. Hell, not even any chefs. It was too quiet for your liking, the feeling in your stomach told you so. You grasp your handgun from your hidden coat pocket, you switched out your other jacket with one of Deans since you knew that going into a diner covered in blood won’t end well on your part. You scoot out of the booth and are at the ready with your gun, Dean indicates you go with him and Sam goes around the back by himself. "With me, Cherry," Dean whispers, slowly making his way to the door of the kitchen. Sam had already left. You pull back on Deans arm, he glances at your arm, then st your eyes. "What?" He asks, clearly agitated, he was curious about what has happened, and he wanted his damn food. "Let me go first," you insist. "That way, you can save my life if need be." You plant a kiss on his cheek before squeezing past the doorway, stepping into the kitchen.

The burger patties were still sizzling on the pan, black smoke emitting from them and towards the ceiling. Dean took a second look at them and shook his head. "Aw, man. My burger." He cried, pointing st them. You giggle st him being a baby, motioning for him to follow behind. "I’ll cook some food for all of us when we get home." You say, still on your guard. Dean appreciates your cooking so much, he sometimes compliments them and says "it’s better than any diner ever could." Which, is the best thing he could ever say to you.

The place was empty, which still didn’t settle with you. You knew something was wrong, but you weren’t sure what. Dean worms past you, looking through any entrance and exit he could find. “There’s no-one here.” He exclaims, speaking louder this time, waving his hands in defeat. You loosen up and drop your weapon to your hip, also admitting defeat. Sam appeared around the corner. “Anything?” He asks, looking at you, then at Dean. “Nope. Nothing.” Dean says, turning around for one last look. “I don’t understand,” You begin. “What... or who would just up and leave? The whole crew? And not even leave a trace or fight back?” You question, running your hand through your bright hair. You walk up to Sam and lean against the wall near him. You all stood silent for a second when you heard a rustle behind Dean as if something is scuttling away. Dean remains in his spot, and you presume he didn’t hear it. Either way, you stand on guard with Sam. “Dean, get back from there.” You warn him and he glares at you. “Why?”

“I heard something in the bushes behind you. Please get back.” You plead, and he bids his hand. “I didn’t hear anything I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He then takes his attention back down to his gun, as if he's reloading it. ‘He’s oblivious,’ Your brain tells you. You hear another rustle. ‘He needs to move.’

Without hesitation, you walk towards dean and grab him by the collar of his denim jacket, and push him out of the way. “I’m not letting anything happen to you,” You start, “If anything happens, I’d rather be the one to die. Not you. You’re a goddamn Winchester.”

“Well Y/N, so are you.” Sam expresses, you shake your head.

“Not yet.” You glance at Dean who’s eyeing both you and Sam, you give him a wink. He huffs, then smiles.

After a couple of minutes, the rustling stops. Then a trash can is knocked over to your left, in an alleyway. You divert your attention to it, increasing Sams too. Dean stays back since he acknowledges that you love to take the lead during fights and hunts, and of course, he doesn’t like it, but he does respect it. The figure positions itself there in the shadow of the diner, eyes glowing yellow. You raise your gun and shoot as quick as you could, but you missed. Panicking, you move backwards and Sam takes the lead instead, he whips out a silver blade and launches towards the wolf, as the wolf cries out in pain, the whole pack emerge from behind the bushes, just as you thought. Sam rejoins you and you both work together while Dean rampages by himself, until one manages to jump him and tackle him to the floor. You gasp and manage to headshot one final werewolf before hurtling towards the monster, and swiftly knocking the wolf over, you perched yourself ontop of it, as it squirmed and scratches your arm in the process. You wince, but it doesn’t distract you from the fact that it managed to take down Dean Winchester.

“Y/N!” Sam yells, making you turn around. He tosses you his silver blade and you catch it in your right hand, and pierce the werewolves forehead, suddenly feeling the creature underneath you weaken. You continue to penetrate the wolfs head over and over again, until you hear Sam murmuring to Dean.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we’ll get you patched up, won’t we?” Sam panics, looking up at you with sorrowful eyes.

You notice the huge chunk taken out of deans neck, the blood pouring out of him like milk out of a babies bottle. He’s struggling to breathe, the liquid soon filling up his airways. “Dean, oh my God.” You cry, collapsing next to his face, stroking his hair, watching his helpless face stare back at yours. “That... that almost got me... didn’t it?” He makes out. “That was close,” he says, tears streaming down your cheeks. You can’t help it, but you don’t like Dean seeing you cry. “Why are you crying, Red? I’m okay.” He says weakly, his eyes shifting to Sam. “Sammy, help me up.” Sam chuckles ever so softly, knowing how this day is going to end. He still tries though, trying to fulfil his brothers wants as he knows he’ll be knocking on Heaven's door any time soon. “Dean-” You wail, not being able to decide whether you want to carry on speaking or not, it was so hard for you to see him like this, see him so gullible, so vulnerable. It hurts. Sam helps him sit up, Dean groans in pain. “I love you, Red.” He drifted in and out of consciousness, “I love you.” He tries to pat Sams shoulder but misses. Sam holds onto his brother's arm for comfort. “I love you, Winchester.” You reply, wiping the tears from your face.

“Cherry red. It’s beautiful, ain’t it?” He murmurs, his eyes ever so slightly resting in an exact spot, looking somewhat bloodshot. “Dean!” You wail, Sam shakes his arm for a response. “Dean? No, no, no, no, no.” He breathes, trying to find a way to regain his consciousness, “Sam, he’s gone,” You place a hand on the younger Winchesters shoulder. “No,” He whispers. “He’s gone, Sam. He’s gone,” you repeat, not really believing it yourself.

It hadn’t sunken in yet, you still thought that the next day you’ll wake up to a snoring 37-year-old man that you have known since he was 33. You thought all of this was just some practical joke that someone had set onto you and Sam, that someone had asked Gabriel to put on a show to get some laughs. But no, this was reality, this was your reality that just hadn’t sunken in.

It hadn’t sunken in.

[shanekelly1]

10 Foods You Need To Avoid To Prevent Hair Loss

Hair loss can be a reality check that most of us don’t want to face. Seeing clumps of hair on your comb, shower drain or sink can send practically anyone into panic mode. Whether you are a man or a woman, your hair is an important asset that you want to keep. We hear a lot of old wives’ tales about products that can prevent hair loss. However, more often than not, hair loss can be greatly reduced or delayed at best with a healthy diet and avoiding foods that can contribute to hair loss.

Foods that can bring on hair loss

Vitamin A

Studies have determined that an overdose of Vitamin A could actually cause hair loss. Huge quantities of this vitamin in our bodies are toxic to hair follicles. The two types of Vitamin A are usually found as retinoid in animal products or as beta-carotene in your favourite vegetables like carrots. Though it would roughly take a million carrots for this vitamin to trigger hair loss, the risk is magnified when you take vitamin A supplements along with your diet.

Vitamin A acts on the oil gland and shrinks it. When this happens, the oil glands will no longer be able to produce the same amount of oil that coats the hair to keep it healthy, strong and shiny. For reference, the daily value for Vitamin A is 5,000 International Units (IU) per day for adults. To be more specific, food that are high in vitamin A, which include carrots, dark leafy greens, dried apricots, romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe melon, mangoes, tuna fish (blue fin) and sweet red chili peppers, should be taken in moderation.

Selenium

Not as popular as other micro-minerals, Selenium is required by the body in small doses for its antioxidant properties. However, high doses are found to cause possible hair loss. The approximate requirement for Selenium is 55 micrograms per day. Because of this, it is so easy to consume beyond the recommended amount. There are some staples that contain it like tuna, beef, turkey, white rice, and bread. The one with the highest selenium content would be the Brazil nuts with up to 544 micrograms in an ounce. Other sources are chicken and turkey, oysters, sunflower seeds and mushrooms.

Food with High Glycemic-Index

To know the types of food that increase our blood glucose in the fastest and highest manner, the indicator to use is the glycemic-index. The main principle is that 100 mean all glucose and it goes lower as the glucose level decreases. However, the quantity of the food you eat plays a big factor in the calculation of the index. Foods with a high glycemic-index are known to promote hair loss because they create a surplus of insulin, which leads to negative effects on the hair of a person.

Excessive Alcohol

It has been recently noted that excessive alcohol can actually cause hair loss. Your favourite alcoholic beverages have stimulants in them that work against the reduction of symptoms of hair disorders. It also leads to the depletion of two key minerals for healthy hair, which are iron and zinc. Iron deficiency has been known to result in telogen effluvium, which is a type of hair loss condition, see in increasing amounts with female hair loss. Such a condition hastens the hair to enter its resting phase and keeps them in that stage for 3 months before hair is supposed to shed.

Normally, hair grows back within six months, but if left untreated, it could take longer. Hair dehydration can also be caused by high alcohol consumption and makes hair brittle. Eventually, the hair shaft would break and result in hair thinning. The key to handling your consumption is to take everything in moderation.

Simple Carbohydrates

Stress is definitely a big factor for hair loss. What most do not know is that sugar actually inhibits your ability to handle stress. This means refined carbohydrates are to be avoided because they are high in sugar and low in fibre. Good examples of this type of food would be your tasty cakes, biscuits, and the popular white flour. To counter this situation, one could try switching to complex carbohydrates and foods high in fibre like bananas, beans, and wholemeal flour.

Fried Food

For a lot of people, fried food is comfort food. But if the goal is to prevent hair loss, might as well toss this to the dumpster. Along with high fat and hydrogenated oils, fried food should be avoided because these have been linked to the increase of testosterone with the possibility of leading to high levels of DHT, which is a by-product that causes hair loss. Hydrogenated oils, on the other hand, suppress the important fatty acids that are needed for healthy hair. Fried foods also increase the activity of oil and sebum, which in turn, increases the activity of enzymes and cause hair loss.

Sugar-Free Foods

Though marketed to help reduce your sugar, sugar-free foods seem to be the solution to your sweet tooth. Unfortunately, aspartame in diet sodas has been identified by the FDA to cause hair loss and thinning hair. Aside from this, other symptoms have been associated with this artificial sweetener like arthritis, depression, bloating and sexual disfunction issues.

Food Additives

Organic food has been on the rise for the past couple of years and is actually, generally a good thing. Closely associated to this are food additives. A dangerous example of this is the caramel colour that is manufactured with harmful caustic chemicals, sulphites and sometimes ammonia. Even natural additives were found to cause hair loss. To illustrate, Cochineal extracts or carmine dye is a colour additive extracted from dried beetles and usually used with fruit drinks, sweets, yoghurt and others, and can be associated with a number of life-threatening allergies and increase the incidents of hair loss.

Mercury

Anybody who has gone through a protein rich diet would most likely have used tuna in their favourite dishes. Sounds like the perfect source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, along with salmon and the swordfish. Ironically, though known to give hair its lustre, its excessive consumption can ruin your hair and this is because of the mercury in them. What mercury does is it stops the development of protein and zinc, which can cause chaos to the hair growth process. Some would suggest cooking the fish well done, but it will not lessen the toxic powers of mercury in these fish.

Coffee

Coffee, which is a favourite pick-me-upper is famous for keeping people alert, and in some cases, people sleep less because of it. Sleeplessness can be a big reason for hair loss. Aside from this, excessive drinking of tea also raises stress levels, which is the second punch to your hair care efforts.

Most of the foods mentioned are unfortunately common in every household and that is fine. There is no need to throw them away, but just be more cautious of their effects on your hair. And as soon as a noticeable patch of hair appears, better check the contents of your refrigerator, as well as your lifestyle and habits. Hair loss is normally treatable, but a professional should be sought for valuable medical assistance.

If you are in Melbourne and looking for credible hair restoration surgeons, Dr. Andrew Kim and Dr Marzola of Medihair Transplant Clinic are experts in the field.

Ask for a free private confidential consultation with Medihair today. Call 1300 355 325 or email info@medihairtransplant.com.au

[tipsycad147]

YOUR APOTHECARY CABINET: THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF HERBS

by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

There have been lots of pharmaceutical studies to evaluate the active elements present in herbs to discover the reason as well as the manner in which they work. A relatively outmoded method is to classify the herbs by exploring the types of health conditions that they can aid in curing. Identifying the actions of the herbs and the manner in which they may be employed together forms the basis of a comprehensive approach.

For example, in a number of instances, the action of herbs is owing to certain chemical or a blend of chemicals present in them – the sedative herb valerian is a perfect example of this. Alternatively, the action may also be owing to a multifaceted synergetic interaction between the different elements of the herbs. Nevertheless, the best way to comprehend the actions of the herbs is to consider them as characteristics all together and to interpret the chemical basis of a herb in the form of a support while prescribing remedies.

In order to comprehend this methodology, we need to consider a few cases in point. For example, the aromatic herb peppermint possesses anti-catarrhal, antimicrobial, diaphoretic (a medication that induces perspiration), carminative (expelling gas from the stomach/ bowel), emmenagogue (a medicine that promotes menstrual discharge), nervine, febrifuge (a medicine that reduces fever) and stimulant properties. In addition, the herb boneset also possesses anti-catarrhal, febrifuge and diaphoretic properties. However, different from peppermint, boneset is a bitter herb possessing emetic, diuretic and tonic attributes. Therefore, if you require an anti-catarrhal herb which also possesses diuretic properties, you should use boneset for your condition. On the other hand, if you require an anti-catarrhal herb, you should use peppermint. Moreover, these two herbs may be used in combination to provide a more extensive result.

It is obvious that both these herbs have a very important role in treating an assortment of health conditions. Peppermint and boneset are not only useful for specific conditions but also have a wide range of actions that actually make these two herbs all-inclusive remedies, which they really are. Each of these herbs also has its individual wide range of actions and, hence, it is important that you exercise caution while blending these herbs to deal with an assortment of related health conditions as well as to cure the reason and also the symptoms of these conditions.

A list of herbs and their respective actions is given below. The list has been prepared by putting the actions of the herbs together indicating the most effective representative in every category. However, it needs to be mentioned that the list has been prepared in an alphabetical order and not essentially in the order of their value.

Alternative

Herbs possessing alternative attributes work to restore the normal functioning of the body gradually and, at the same time, improve the health as well as vivacity. Once, these herbs were called “blood cleansers”.

Bladderwrack • Bloodroot • Blue Flag • Bogbean • Burdock • Cleavers •Echinacea • Figwort • Fringetree • Fumitory • Garlic • Guaiacum • Goldenseal • Mountain Grape • Nettles • Pasque Flower • Poke Root • Queen’s Delight • Red Clover • Sarsaparilla • Sassafras • Wild Indigo •Yellow Dock.

Analgesic, Anodyne

Analgesic herbs are those which help in alleviating pain and are applied topically to the affected part of the body or taken internally, subject to the condition that is being treated.

Figwort • Hops • Jamaican Dogwood • Lady’s Slipper • Passion Flower • Poppy • Skullcap • St. John’s Wort • Valerian.

Anthelmintic

Herbs that are known as anthelmintics work to eliminate or force out worms from our digestive system. It is very unfortunate that ever since the introduction of the new Medicine Act, several of the most useful anthelmintics are not available anymore because they have the potential to be toxic when used in excessive dosage. Hence, those herbs are not included in this list.

Aloes • Garlic • Pomegranate • Tansy • Thuja • Wormwood • Rue.

Antibilious

Herbs that are antibilious assist the body in getting rid of surplus bile and, thereby, they can be of help in treating conditions like jaundice and those related to the bile.

Balmony • Barberry • Dandelion • Fringetree • Goldenseal • Mugwort •Vervain • Wild Yam • Wormwood.

Anti-catarrhal

Herbs possessing anti-catarrhal properties aid the body in getting rid of the excessive accumulation of catarrhal build-up (mucous membrane inflammation occurring together with extreme secretions), irrespective of whether it occurs in the sinus region or any other part of the body.

Bearberry • Boneset • Cayenne • Coltsfoot • Cranesbill • American Echinacea • Elder • Elecampane • Eyebright • Garlic • Goldenseal • Goldenrod • Hyssop • Iceland Moss • Irish Moss • Marshmallow • Mullein • Peppermint • Sage • Thyme • Wild Indigo • Yarrow.

Anti-emetic

The anti-emetic herbs possess the aptitude to lessen the nauseated feeling and, at the same time, aid in providing relief from vomiting or putting off vomiting.

Balm • Black Horehound • Cayenne • Cloves • Dill • Fennel • Lavender • Meadowsweet • Peach Leaves.

Anti-inflammatory

Herbs possessing anti-inflammatory attributes are those that aid the body in fighting inflammations. All other herbs that are listed in the demulcent, emollient and vulnerary categories also act in this way quite frequently, particularly when they are applied topically on the affected body part.

Black Willow • Bogbean • Chamomile • Devil’s Claw • Marigold • St. John’s Wort • White Poplar • Witch Hazel.

Anti-lithic

Herbs that are listed under anti-lithic work to put off the development of gravel or stones in the urinary system and may also aid the body in getting rid of them.

Bearberry • Buchu • Corn Silk • Couchgrass • Gravel Root • Hydrangea • Pellitory of the Wall • Parsley • Sea Holly • Stone Root • Wild Carrot.

Anti-microbial

Herbs possessing anti-microbial properties are able to assist the body in destroying disease-bearing microorganisms or protecting the body from their invasion.

Aniseed • Balsam of Peru • Bearberry • Caraway Oil • Cayenne • Clove • Coriander • Echinacea • Elecampane • Eucalyptus • Garlic • Gentian • Juniper • Marigold • Marjoram • Myrrh • Olive • Peppermint • Plantain • Rosemary • Rue • Sage • Southernwood • Thyme • Wild Indigo • Wormwood.

Anti-spasmodic

Anti-spasmodic herbs are those that have the aptitude to put off or alleviate cramps or spasms in the body.

Black Haw • Black Cohosh • Chamomile • Cramp Bark • Eucalyptus • Lady’s Slipper • Lime Blossom • Lobelia • Mistletoe • Motherwort • Pasque Flower • Skullcap • Skunk Cabbage • Thyme • Valerian • Vervain • Wild Lettuce • Wild Yam.

Aperient

Herbs that are known as aperients work as extremely mild purgatives.

See ‘Laxatives’.

Aromatic

All herbs that are aromatic possess a potent and most pleasing smell, having the ability to invigorate the digestive system. Aromatic herbs are used to append the perfume as well as the flavor of other medications.

Aniseed • Chinese Angelica • Balm • Basil • Caraway • Cardamon • Celery • Chamomile • Cinnamon • Cloves • Coriander • Dill • Fennel • Hyssop • Ginger • Meadowsweet • Pennyroyal • Peppermint • Rosemary • Valerian • Wood Betony.

Astringent

Astringent herbs work to tighten the tissues by means of triggering proteins and, hence, they are able to lessen the secretions as well as discharges. Astringent herbs enclose tannins.

Agrimony • Avens • Bayberry • Bearberry • Beth Root • Bistort • Black Catechu • Bugleweed • Cranesbill • Elecampane • Eyebright • Goldenrod • Ground Ivy • Kola • Lungwort • Meadowsweet • Mouse Ear • Mullein • Oak Bark • Periwinkle • Pilewort • Plantain • Ragwort • Raspberry • Sage • Rhubarb Root • Rosemary • Slippery Elm • St. John’s Wort • Tormentil • Wild Cherry • Witch Hazel • Yarrow.

Bitter

Bitter herbs are those that have a bitter flavor and work in the form of invigorating tonics for our digestive system by means of a reflex through the taste buds.

Barberry • Boneset • Chamomile • Centaury • Gentain • Goldenseal • Hops • Rue • Southernwood • Tansy • Horehound • Wormwood.

Cardiac Tonic

Herbs that act as cardiac tonics have an effect on the heart. These herbs have a specific functioning and it ought to be searched in the herbal division.

Broom • Bugleweed • Cayenne • Hawthorn • Lily of the Valley • Motherwort • Night Blooming Cereus.

Carminative

Herbs possessing carminative properties usually contain a high amount of unstable oils and their actions stimulate the peristalsis of our digestive system and, at the same time, help the stomach to loosen up. In this way, carminative herbs encourage the digestive process and aid in removing the gas formed in the digestive tract.

Chinese Angelica • Aniseed • Balm • Caraway • Cardamon • Cayenne • Cinnamon • Chamomile • Coriander • Dill • Fennel • Galangal • Garlic • Ginger • Hyssop • Juniper • Mustard • Peppermint • Sage • Thyme • Valerian.

Cholagogue

Herbs that are known as cholagogues work to promote the secretion and release of bile from the gall-bladder, which may result in a notable benefit in case of problems related to the gallbladder. These herbs also possess purgative properties and have an effect on the digestive system, as the volume of bile present in the duodenum enhances when an individual takes these herbs. It may be noted here that bile is produced by the body and is a natural purgative.

Balmony • Barberry • Black Root • Blue Flag • Boldo • Dandelion • Fringetree • Fumitory • Gentain • Goldenseal • Mountain Grape • Wahoo • Wild Yam.

Demulcent

Herbs with demulcent properties have high mucilage content and have the aptitude to calm as well as shield the aggravated or inflamed tissues inside the body.

Coltsfoot • Comfrey • Corn Silk • Couchgrass • Flaxseed • Irish Moss • Lungwort • Licorice • Mallow • Marshmallow • Mullein • Oatmeal • Parsley • Slippery Elm.

Diaphoretic

Diaphoretic herbs can help the skin to get rid of toxic substances and, at the same time, induce sweating.

Chinese Angelica • Bayberry • Black Cohosh • Boneset • Buchu • Cayenne • Chamomile • Elder • Fennel • Garlic • Ginger • Goldenrod • Guaiacum • Lime Blossom • Peppermint • Pleurisy Root • Prickly Ash • Thuja • Thyme • Horehound • Yarrow.

Diuretic

Herbs possessing diuretic properties work to increase the production as well as the elimination of urine.

Agrimony • Bearberry • Blue Flag • Boldo • Boneset • Borage • Broom • Buchu • Bugleweed • Burdock • Celery Seed • Cleavers • Corn Silk • Couchgrass • Dandelion • Elder • Gravel Root • Hawthorn Berries • Juniper • Kola • Lily of the Valley • Lime Blossom • Night Blooming Cereus • Parsley • Pellitory of the Wall • Pumpkin Seed • Saw Palmetto • Sea Holly • Stone Root • Wild Carrot • Yarrow.

Emetic

Emetic herbs induce vomiting. Most of the herbs listed under this category result in vomiting only when they are used in high dose. The dosing of each of these herbs may be looked up in the herbal description.

Balm • Bloodroot • Boneset • Catnip • Elder Flowers • Ipecacuanha • Lobelia • Senega • Squill.

Emmenagogue

Herbs possessing emmenagogue properties encourage as well as regularise the menstrual flow. In fact, the term emmenagogue is frequently used in the perspective of medications that work in the form of tonics for the reproductive system in females.

Beth Root • Black Cohosh • Black Haw • Blessed Thistle • Blue Cohosh • Carline Thistle • Chamomile • Chaste Tree • Cramp Bark • False Unicorn Root • Fenugreek • Gentain • Ginger • Goldenseal • Juniper Berry • Lime • Marigold • Motherwort • Mugwort • Parsley • Pasque Flower • Pennyroyal • Peppermint • Raspberry • Rosemary • Rue • Sage • Shepherd’s Purse • Southernwood • Squaw Vine • St. John’s Wort • Tansy • Thyme • True Unicorn Root • Valerian • Vervain • Wormwood • Yarrow.

Emollient

Emollient herbs are applied topically to the skin with a view to making it softer, calm it or defend it from any harm. These herbs work in the same way as the demulcents work inside the body.

Balm of Gilead • Borage • Chickweed • Coltsfoot • Comfrey • Elecampane • Fenugreek • Flaxseed • Licorice • Mallow • Marshmallow • Mullein • Plantain • Quince Seed • Rose Petals • Slippery Elm.

Expectorant

Herbs possessing expectorant properties help the body in getting rid of surplus mucus from the respiratory system.

Aniseed • Balm of Gilead • Balsam of Peru • Balsam of Tolu • Bloodroot • Coltsfoot • Comfrey • Elder Flower • Elecampane • Garlic • Goldenseal • Grindelia • Hyssop • Iceland Moss • Irish Moss • Licorice • Lobelia • Lungwort • Marshmallow • Mouse Ear • Mullein • Pleurisy Root • Senega • Skunk Cabbage • Squill • Thuja • Thyme • Vervain • Horehound • Wild Cherry.

Febrifuge • Anti-Pyretic

Herbs called febrifuges assist the body in lowering fevers.

Chinese Angelica • Balm • Blessed Thistle • Boneset • Borage • Cayenne • Elder Flower • Eucalyptus • Hyssop • Lobelia • Marigold • Pennyroyal • Peppermint • Peruvian Bark • Plantain • Pleurisy Root • Prickly Ash • Raspberry • Sage • Thyme • Vervain.

Galactogogue

Galactagogue herbs have the aptitude to assist mothers who are breastfeeding to enhance the flow of their milk.

Aniseed • Blessed Thistle • Centaury • Fennel • Goat’s Rue • Raspberry • Vervain.

Hepatic

As the name suggests, hepatic herbs help the liver. Using hepatic herbs regularises as well as fortifies the liver. At the same time, these herbs help to augment the release of bile from the liver.

Agrimony • Aloes • Balm • Balmony • Barberry • Black Root • Blue Flag • Boldo • Bogbean • Cascara Sagrada • Celery • Centaury • Cleavers • Dandelion • Elecampane • Fennel • Fringetree • Fumitory • Gentain • Goldenseal • Horseradish • Hyssop • Mountain Grape • Motherwort • Prickly Ash • Wahoo • Wild Indigo • Wild Yam • Wormwood • Yarrow • Yellow Dock.

Hypnotic

Hypnotic herbs facilitate bringing on sleep. However, the action of these herbs should not be mistaken to be causing a hypnotic spell.

Hops • Jamaican Dogwood • Mistletoe • Passion Flower • Skullcap • Valerian • Wild Lettuce.

Laxative

Herbs possessing laxative or purgative properties work to stimulate the emptying of the bowels.

Balmony • Barberry • Buckthorn • Burdock • Cascara Sagrada • Cleavers • Dandelion • Flaxseed • Fringetree • Mountain Grape • Pellitory of the Wall • Rhubarb Root • Senna • Wahoo • Yellow Dock.

Mucilage

Herbs having mucilaginous attributes enclose gelatinous elements and they frequently work like emollients and demulcents.

Comfrey • Fenugreek • Flaxseed • Iceland Moss • Irish Moss • Mallow • Marshmallow • Quince Seed • Slippery Elm.

Nervine

Herbs called nervines have a positive action on the nervous system and they help to harmonise as well as fortify it. A number of nervine herbs also work in the form of stimulants, while some others act as relaxants.

Balm • Black Cohosh • Black Haw • Blue Cohosh • Bugleweed • Chamomile • Cramp Bark • Damiana • Ginseng • Hops • Kola • Lady’s Slipper • Lavender • Lemon Balm • Lime • Lobelia • Mistletoe • Motherwort • Oats • Pasque Flower • Passion Flower • Peppermint • Red Clover • Rosemary • Skullcap • Tansy • Thyme • Valerian • Vervain • Wild Lettuce • Wormwood.

Oxytocic

Oxytocic herbs work to encourage the uterus to contract and they may, therefore, be used during childbirth.

Beth Root • Blue Cohosh • Goldenseal • Rue • Squaw Vine.

Pectoral

Herbs that possess pectoral properties have a common curative as well as strengthening outcome on our respiratory system.

Aniseed • Chinese Angelica • Balm of Gilead • Balsam of Peru • Balsam of Tolu • Bloodroot • Coltsfoot • Comfrey • Elder • Elecampane • Garlic • Goldenseal • Horehound • Hyssop • Iceland Moss • Irish Moss • Licorice • Lungwort • Marshmallow • Mouse Ear • Mullein • Pleurisy Root • Senega • Skunk Cabbage • Vervain.

Rubefacient

Rubefacient herbs are applied topically to the skin and their application generally results in a mild irritation, while stimulating the widening of the capillaries just beneath the skin. This action of these herbs helps to improve the skin’s blood circulation. When these herbs are applied to the skin, it helps to pull blood from more profound areas of the body to the skin. This, in turn, frequently helps to alleviate internal pains.

Cayenne • Cloves • Garlic • Ginger • Horseradish • Mustard • Nettle • Peppermint • Rosemary • Rue.

Sedative

Herbs having sedative or tranquillising properties work to soothe the nervous system as well as lessen the strain and anxiety all over the body. Therefore, these herbs may possibly have an influence on the body tissues that have been aggravated due to problems related to the nervous system.

Black Cohosh • Black Haw • Bladderwrack • Blue Cohosh • Bloodroot • Boldo • Bugleweed • Chamomile • Cowslip • Cramp Bark • Hops • Jamaican Dogwood • Lady’s slipper • Lobelia • Motherwort • Pasque Flower • Passion Flower • Red Clover •Red Poppy • Saw Palmetto • Skullcap • St. John’s Wort • Valerian • Wild Cherry • Wild Lettuce • Wild Yam.

Sialagogue

Herbs that are called sialagogues are those that promote the saliva secretion from the salivary glands.

Bloodroot • Blue Flag • Cayenne • Centaury • Gentain • Ginger • Prickly Ash • Senega.

Soporific

Like hypnotics, soporific herbs help to bring on or promote sleep.

Compare ‘Hypnotics’.

Stimulant

Herbs having stimulant properties hasten as well as enliven the body’s physiological functioning.

Chinese Angelica • Balm of Gilead • Balmony • Bayberry • Benzoin • Bladderwrack • Caraway • Cardamom • Cayenne • Cinnamon • Dandelion • Eucalyptus • Galangal • Garlic • Gentain • Ginseng • Gravel Root • Ground Ivy • Horehound • Horseradish • Juniper • Marigold • Mustard • Pennyroyal • Peppermint • Prickly Ash • Rosemary • Rue • Sage • Southernwood • Tansy • Wild Yam • Wormwood • Yarrow.

Styptic

All herbs categorised as styptics lessen or put an end to external hemorrhage owing to their astringent properties.

See ‘Astringents’.

Tonic

As the name indicates, tonic herbs work to fortify as well as make particular organs more vigorous. In addition, they also have a positive (similar) action on the entire body.

Agrimony • Chinese Angelica • Aniseed • Balm • Balmony • Bayberry • Bearberry • Beth Root • Bistort • Black Cohosh • Black Haw • Black Root • Bogbean • Boldo • Boneset • Buchu • Buckthorn • Bugleweed • Burdock • Calumba • Carline Thistle • Cayenne • Centaury • Chamomile • Cleavers • Coltsfoot • Comfrey • Condurango • Couchgrass • Cranesbill • Damiana •Dandelion • Echinacea • Elecampane • Eyebright • False Unicorn Root • Fringetree • Fumitory • Garlic • Gentain • Ginseng • Goldenseal • Gravel Root • Grindelia • Ground Ivy • Hawthorn • Horse Chestnut • Hydrangea • Hyssop • Iceland Moss • Lady’s Slipper • Licorice • Lime • Marigold • Mistletoe • Motherwort • Mountain Grape • Mugwort • Mustard • Myrrh • Nettle • Oats • Parsley • Periwinkle • Poke Root • Raspberry • Red Clover • Rue • Sarsaparilla • Skullcap • Squaw Vine • Tamarind • Tansy • Thyme • Vervain • Virginia Snake Root • Wild Yam • Wood Betony • Wormwood • Yarrow • Yellow Dock.

Vulnerary

Herbs that are classified as vulneraries are applied topically to help the body to cure cuts as well as wounds.

Aloes • Arnica • Bistort • Black Willow • Burdock • Chickweed • Cleavers • Comfrey • Cranesbill • Daisy • Elder • Elecampane • Fenugreek • Flaxseed • Garlic • Goldenseal • Horsetail • Hyssop • Irish Moss • Marigold • Marshmallow • Mullein • Myrrh • Plantain • Poke Root • Shepherd’s Purse • Slippery Elm • St. John’s Wort • Thyme • Witch Hazel • Wood Betony • Yarrow.

https://crookedbearcreekorganicherbs.com/2018/05/28/your-apothecary-cabinet-the-healing-properties-of-herbs/

[icouldbemoreclever]

1, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19, 24, 27, 29, 39, 45, 49, 50 ^_^

Yaaay!

1. Your first OC ever? If you want to get technical, when I was really young I used to givepersonalities to my crayons and act out stories with them (they were just namedafter their colour). Even now, those stories kind of influence my feelingsabout certain colours. Out of OCs that I still currently have, Enre is the oldest. I made her in grade5. After crayons I graduated to other writing utensils. One day I found apencil case full of non-standard pens, markers, etc. There was one pen thatlooked normal but when I took it apart, someone had replaced the regular inktube with one from a silver gel pen. That inspired me to build the character ofEnre, who spends most of her story wearing a suit of armor, disguised as a man.

4. A character you rarely talk about? Probably all the minor characters from my old roleplay :P I kind of can’tfigure out what to do with them. I think some of the ones with the mostpotential are a family of shapeshifting aliens. The first one to show up wasHart, then later is “brother” Lumo. They’re from a planet with no sun, so theycan’t open their eyes if there’s any light around (maybe in dim artificial lightthey can open them a liiiittle). Hart ran into someone who could create dynamictattoos and so had one installed that could serve as a navigation system whenhe can’t open his eyes. It’s a black hart lined with blue (rather large, on hischeek). Lumo later got one of a yellow sun lined with red. Their blood isreally acidic/poisonous. Human language is difficult for them so they both havea stutter and don’t use contractions.

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? I was thinking about this last night and I think I would say Kye. I’m trying towork on good drafts of her novels right now, and I really like her story. (Enre is sighing with relief in the background because she’s already well knownin her own world and doesn’t want to be)

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else? Possibly, like if someone wanted to turn a roleplay into a cohesive story Imight let them use whichever characters were mine in that roleplay (we’d haveto work out conditions though).

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? Pentel! Unkillable optimist (I mean, until the roleplay got really dark...) He’s addicted to chocolate and it makes him really hyper and childlike. He’sgenuinely kind to all of the people he meets.

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? Off the top of my head the only one I can think of is Kemuri. He doesn’tnecessarily go out of his way to make trouble, but he’s a shapeshifter whosegoal is largely his own amusement so it happens anyway.Other than that, Kye causes all sorts of trouble because her truest joy is tobeat people up.

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? Lambda wishes it was her (she graduated med school dammit!) but I think itwould actually be Heaven, since he was a child prodigy after all (and graduatedthe same med school at a much younger age)

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why) Th-they all do!Since I haven’t mentioned him yet, I’ll say Carmine. He’s labeled as anintergalactic terrorist for his efforts to free his race from slavery. He wasborn into a privileged home, but because of his race had to be hidden from theoutside world. In an accident involving a rare artifact from space, hisadoptive family was killed, exposing him to the rest of the town. He was set tobe hanged, but the artifact cut the rope at the last minute. Unfortunately, italso killed all the people of the town.He spent a long time in isolation before finally leaving to begin his missionof freeing his people (he believes that’s what his adoptive father would want).He carries a lot of guilt for what happened and believes himself a murderer. Ofcourse, it doesn’t stop him from murdering people during his activities.Eventually, he meets another freedom fighter who is more of a pacifist. Theyget along about as well as you’d expect.I came up with him in middle school and he means a lot to me because of thechanges he’s gone through over the course of the roleplay. His character growthalways felt really organic. It has always been really easy for me to relate tohis feelings of isolation, being tainted, and not being able to connect withother people. He also gets chronic headaches just like me. We ended up sharinga lot of traits, even if it wasn’t intentional.

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?I would probably meet Pentel, so he could give me some chocolate and also be myfriend (he would!!)

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?So many of them… let me try to remember the ones that specifically came fromsongs…A lot of Carmine’s creation was influenced by Easier to Run and Faint by LinkinPark (it was middle school!). Likewise, my character Kiri was heavilyinfluenced by Figure.09 by Linkin ParkWhen I fleshed out Jeice’s character (he’s the other protagonist in Enre’sstory) I was really influenced by Audrey, Start the Revolution by Anberlin.My character Kipper came entirely out of the song I’m With You by Avril LavigneKasane was heavily influenced by Perfect by Simple Plan (man, sounds so basic…)Joey and his sister (I forget her name… they were from a comic I stoppedworking on cause my art wasn’t there yet) were created through the song Joey byConcrete BlondeI had a character that hasn’t been named yet that came out during The Only HopeFor Me Is You by My Chemical Romance. Still don’t know much about him though.Kimoura came out of Into the Night by SantanaTwo so-far unnamed characters from Drove Me Wild by Tegan and Sara. The onlyway their dynamic really works is as Loveless fan characters but… do I reallywanna write fanfic?I felt like I had more characters who came directly from songs, but it’s lessthan I thought. I think mostly it’s that the character’s development is ofteninfluenced by songs, and most of my characters have a “theme song”.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned houseIt’s kind of Kye and Riven’s job to do that – they fight the paranormal.

39. Introduce any character you wantWhile Enre is a soldier fighting on the side of the Penns, Jace is the leaderof the Coeur revolution. He’s young, practically still a kid, but he’sambitious and he thinks his side can win. His people have been enslaved foryears and they’re ready to rebel against their oppressors. Ambitious as he is,the revolution is also personal – recently married to the love of his life, howcan he build a family with her under the yoke of slavery? (that sounded more like a plot summary, but there you have it!)

45. A character you no longer use?Most of them from the old roleplay. Some of them I don’t even have intentionsof repurposing for a different story. Probably the most useless of them isCopper (typical perverted anime stock character lol). Actually, I forgotPrimer, who served as the first captain of the Five Star (he was murdered, soof course I don’t use him anymore). I miss some of the ship staff like Orca andNarwhal. They’re background people that had a very specific role.

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memesPyry/Peter because he’s a teenage boy. Probably one of the only ones who wouldbe exposed to memes in canon! (Now I’ve got the bad idea of making a tumblrblog in character as him…)Shinto would probably get a kick out of memes if she ever saw them. I think she’dreally like gun. She and Karaoke would have a great time rick-rolling theirentire squad.Chance would probably spread a lot of classic art/history memes. He’d show themto Enre and she’d be like “I’m illiterate.”

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wantI want to talk about how Carmine is bi!!!! Like, I think about this a lot but it means nothing to anyone but me, haha. Carminetravels with a sort of partner-in-crime named Sky who is a common gay. Alsototally in love with Carmine, but Carmine is the most oblivious unobservant assin the universe. In the roleplay, it’s painfully obvious to everyone else thatCarmine is in love with Taki (the captain of another ship) but that he won’tget together with her. His emotions are kind of vulnerable so he turns to theonly other person he can trust, Sky, and they eventually get together. Ofcourse, Sky KNOWS who Carmine truly has feelings for, and bets him to ask Takiout (Carmine can not turn down a bet). This, as you’d expect, backfires as Takiis offended he asked her out on a dare. But he is forced to confront his truefeelings and eventually does confess to her (they later get married). Sky isboth sad and happy at the same time.Technically if you want to use the split attraction model, Carmine isbiromantic and homosexual but whatever. I don’t give a lot of thought intodefining a specific sexual orientation for most of my characters but the twothat I know are most definitely bi are Carmine and Cruz.

This ended up really long of course, but Iwanted to say thanks for asking and giving me a chance to ramble on and on!

[evodex]

11 Home Remedies for Vomiting

Vomiting is a forcible voluntary or involuntary discharge of stomach contents through your mouth. You feel uneasiness in your stomach, nausea before you tend to vomit.

Vomiting can be classified into two main types:

One-time event: when the food you just ate doesn’t get settled in your stomach

Recurrent vomiting: due to your medical conditions

Vomiting is often followed by nausea due to various causes like

Indigestion

Seasickness or other motion sicknesses

Pregnancy

Food poisoning

Overeating

Drinking too much alcohol

Besides nausea, you may also experience following symptoms before vomiting:

Diarrhoea

Abdominal pain

Rapid pulse

Fainting

Vertigo

Lightheadedness

Excessive sweating

Since vomiting is often preceded by triggers like nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea, you have to get rid of these triggers too in order to counter vomiting sensation. Here is the list of remedies that you can try at the comfort of your home.

Best Home Remedies for Vomiting

#1. Deep Breathing

Deep, controlled breaths from your diaphragm activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Deep breathing also calms your anxiety that usually occurs before nausea and vomiting.

Deep breathing is particularly beneficial when you feel like vomiting while moving on a bus or train.

Method

Take a deep breath by breathing in through your nose and into your lungs

Keep in mind that your abdomen should expand while breathing in

Exhale slowly through your nose and relax your stomach as you exhale

Repeat several times till the sensation subsides

#2. Ginger Tea as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Ginger provides warmth to the internal linings of your stomach which help in case of nausea and diarrhoea. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-bacterial properties of ginger aid in healing your stomach ailments quickly.

Ginger promotes healthy digestion and gets rid of nausea caused due to the unsettled food items in your stomach.

The anti-oxidant effect of ginger works well during gastritis which often leads to diarrhoea. All these factors primarily cause you to throw up the undigested food. Hence ginger can help you immensely during nausea and diarrhoea.

How to prepare Ginger tea

Cut a few pieces of fresh ginger and add these pieces to the regular tea

Steep for a few minutes

Consume the mixture

Optional: add a teaspoon of honey to improve the taste

#3. Aromatherapy as Remedy for Vomiting

Aromatherapy is an excellent vomiting suppressant technique which can prevent the tendency to vomit within a few minutes. The scent of the essential oils is a potent antiemetic. The smell prevents the motion sickness and stops nausea in the tracks.

The therapy involves inhalation of vapor of the essential oils or other fragrant substances to treat and alleviate physical and emotional symptoms.

Five of the best essential oils which can be used are:

Lavender oil

Peppermint oil

Fennel oil

Spearmint oil

Cardamom oil

How to use

Add 2 to 3 drops of essential oil to a cotton ball or a handkerchief

Try deep breathing the oil till the vomiting sensation subsides

#4. Muscle Relaxation Technique

Relaxing your muscles helps to relieve nausea and suppresses the tendency to vomit. The method to achieve this effect is called progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).

PMR technique requires you to tense and relax your muscles in a continuous sequence to attain physical and mental relaxation.

A progressive muscle relaxation technique is generally followed by pregnant women, people on any kind of medication or undergoing chemotherapy. But can be used by anyone to cope with morning sickness, nausea and vomiting.

Here is how the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique works

Inhale and contract one muscle group starting from your bottom part of your body

Hold for 5 to 10 seconds

As you exhale, release the tension in that muscle group

Give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to relax and move to the next muscle group

Gradually work your way up the body contracting and relaxing muscle groups

Continue 20 minutes a day for 3 weeks

#5. Cloves as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Cloves are particularly useful for nausea and vomiting caused by gastric irritability. The antibacterial properties of eugenol, present in the cloves helps to alleviate your nausea by getting rid of the harmful content in your stomach.

The soothing properties of cloves also aid in digestion, which provides relief to vomiting.

The aromatic content in the cloves act as a natural anesthetic and calms your digestive tract. The anti-inflammatory agents of the cloves soothe the lining of your stomach by getting rid of the nauseous feeling.

How to use

You can consume cloves in various ways as follows

You can make a clove tea, by adding a teaspoon of cloves

Chew some cloves directly when you feel like vomiting

Mix some fried cloves with honey and swallow directly

#6. Fennel as Home Remedy for Vomiting

The anesthetic constituents of the fennel reduce your nauseous symptom. Fennel contains a compound called anethole, which is a phytoestrogen. Anethole prevents acidity, flatulence and nausea.

Fennel also refreshes the taste of your mouth and makes you feel better during nausea and vomiting. The anti-microbial properties of fennels kill the microbes present in the unsettled food particles in your stomach, thereby alleviate the cause of vomiting.

How to use

Boil water and add 2 teaspoons of fennel into the water

Strain, cool the water content

Keep sipping the water through the day

#7. Cinnamon as Home Remedy

Cinnamon contains a chemical called catechins. The antibacterial and antiviral properties of catechins clean your digestive system and get rid of gastro problems that cause nausea.

The antiemetic and carminative properties of cinnamon reduce the chance of feeling nauseated by stimulating the cell lining of your stomach.

Thus by calming down the lining of your stomach, cinnamon improves your digestion and thereby preventing the chances of nausea and vomiting.

How to use it

Method 1: Cinnamon Tea

Add half or one teaspoon cinnamon stick or crushed cinnamon powder to boiling water

Let the cinnamon tea steep for 5 to 7 minutes

Add the content to your regular tea and steep for further 2 to 3 minutes

Strain the tea and consume twice a day

Method 2: Cinnamon Water

Add cinnamon sticks to a jug of water

Keep the water overnight and drink whenever you feel nauseated

If you are prone to motion sickness, you can carry the cinnamon water to prevent vomiting while traveling

#8. Lemon Juice as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Lemon is a natural acidity regulator and balances the pH level of your body. By neutralising the acids, bicarbonates are created in your stomach. The bicarbonates cure your nauseous symptoms.

The vitamins and minerals present in the lemon also act as an obstacle to vomiting and reduces the effects immediately. The citric acid, in lemon aids digestion and provide you relief from nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.

How to prepare

Squeeze the lemon juice into a glass

Fill the glass with water and add sugar

Consume the lemon juice 3 times a day till the symptoms subside

#9. Banana to Cure Vomiting

Potassium is an electrolyte that gets depleted during vomiting and diarrhoea. Banana helps you to restore potassium. Bananas are also starchy and binding by nature. This quality helps to reduce diarrhoea and vomiting.

Moreover, compared to other foods, bananas are easy to chew and are digested quickly.

Taking two medium-sized bananas are enough until you are ready to eat other solid foods.

#10. Wrist Acupressure as Remedy for Vomiting

Wrist acupressure is a quick and inexpensive way to deal with nausea and vomiting without any harmful side effects. Wrist acupressure uses pressure to stimulate specific points on your body to relieve the triggers which cause nausea and vomiting.

The part of the body where the pressure is applied is called the acupoints. Pressing these points eases and relaxes the muscle tension and promotes blood circulation.

Steps to perform wrist acupressure

Place three fingers across the wrist

Put your thumb under your index finger

Massage the point in a firm, circular motion for 2 to 3 minutes

Repeat the same method on your other wrist

You can watch the video and follow the steps

#11. Eat Dry Crackers

Foodstuffs that are rich in starch help to absorb gastric acid and can settle your nauseous stomach. Excessive hunger intensifies your nausea, and by consuming crackers, your appetite is satisfied due to the bland nature of crackers.

Crackers do not have a strong smell which can trigger nausea and vomiting. The starch present in the crackers also absorbs stomach acids and relaxes your stomach.

In case of morning sickness, try eating a few crackers about 10 to 15 minutes before actually getting out of your bed.

Cracker foods that you can consume

Saltines

Bread

Toast

The Bottom Line

Nausea and vomiting are unpleasant. However, symptoms can be taken care of if you follow the above home remedies correctly. Remember to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration.

Test with different methods as the causes may vary from person to person. Having said that, home remedies are more effective if you have motion or morning sickness.

Vomiting due to the stomach flu, food poisoning or medication may require medical attention. In that case, consult a doctor before trying the home remedies mentioned in this article.

The post 11 Home Remedies for Vomiting appeared first on Being Happy Mom.

11 Home Remedies for Vomiting published first on https://bestbabyinc.tumblr.com

[ashafriesen]

11 Home Remedies for Vomiting

Vomiting is a forcible voluntary or involuntary discharge of stomach contents through your mouth. You feel uneasiness in your stomach, nausea before you tend to vomit.

Vomiting can be classified into two main types:

One-time event: when the food you just ate doesn’t get settled in your stomach

Recurrent vomiting: due to your medical conditions

Vomiting is often followed by nausea due to various causes like

Indigestion

Seasickness or other motion sicknesses

Pregnancy

Food poisoning

Overeating

Drinking too much alcohol

Besides nausea, you may also experience following symptoms before vomiting:

Diarrhoea

Abdominal pain

Rapid pulse

Fainting

Vertigo

Lightheadedness

Excessive sweating

Since vomiting is often preceded by triggers like nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea, you have to get rid of these triggers too in order to counter vomiting sensation. Here is the list of remedies that you can try at the comfort of your home.

Best Home Remedies for Vomiting

#1. Deep Breathing

Deep, controlled breaths from your diaphragm activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Deep breathing also calms your anxiety that usually occurs before nausea and vomiting.

Deep breathing is particularly beneficial when you feel like vomiting while moving on a bus or train.

Method

Take a deep breath by breathing in through your nose and into your lungs

Keep in mind that your abdomen should expand while breathing in

Exhale slowly through your nose and relax your stomach as you exhale

Repeat several times till the sensation subsides

#2. Ginger Tea as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Ginger provides warmth to the internal linings of your stomach which help in case of nausea and diarrhoea. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-bacterial properties of ginger aid in healing your stomach ailments quickly.

Ginger promotes healthy digestion and gets rid of nausea caused due to the unsettled food items in your stomach.

The anti-oxidant effect of ginger works well during gastritis which often leads to diarrhoea. All these factors primarily cause you to throw up the undigested food. Hence ginger can help you immensely during nausea and diarrhoea.

How to prepare Ginger tea

Cut a few pieces of fresh ginger and add these pieces to the regular tea

Steep for a few minutes

Consume the mixture

Optional: add a teaspoon of honey to improve the taste

#3. Aromatherapy as Remedy for Vomiting

Aromatherapy is an excellent vomiting suppressant technique which can prevent the tendency to vomit within a few minutes. The scent of the essential oils is a potent antiemetic. The smell prevents the motion sickness and stops nausea in the tracks.

The therapy involves inhalation of vapor of the essential oils or other fragrant substances to treat and alleviate physical and emotional symptoms.

Five of the best essential oils which can be used are:

Lavender oil

Peppermint oil

Fennel oil

Spearmint oil

Cardamom oil

How to use

Add 2 to 3 drops of essential oil to a cotton ball or a handkerchief

Try deep breathing the oil till the vomiting sensation subsides

#4. Muscle Relaxation Technique

Relaxing your muscles helps to relieve nausea and suppresses the tendency to vomit. The method to achieve this effect is called progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).

PMR technique requires you to tense and relax your muscles in a continuous sequence to attain physical and mental relaxation.

A progressive muscle relaxation technique is generally followed by pregnant women, people on any kind of medication or undergoing chemotherapy. But can be used by anyone to cope with morning sickness, nausea and vomiting.

Here is how the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique works

Inhale and contract one muscle group starting from your bottom part of your body

Hold for 5 to 10 seconds

As you exhale, release the tension in that muscle group

Give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to relax and move to the next muscle group

Gradually work your way up the body contracting and relaxing muscle groups

Continue 20 minutes a day for 3 weeks

#5. Cloves as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Cloves are particularly useful for nausea and vomiting caused by gastric irritability. The antibacterial properties of eugenol, present in the cloves helps to alleviate your nausea by getting rid of the harmful content in your stomach.

The soothing properties of cloves also aid in digestion, which provides relief to vomiting.

The aromatic content in the cloves act as a natural anesthetic and calms your digestive tract. The anti-inflammatory agents of the cloves soothe the lining of your stomach by getting rid of the nauseous feeling.

How to use

You can consume cloves in various ways as follows

You can make a clove tea, by adding a teaspoon of cloves

Chew some cloves directly when you feel like vomiting

Mix some fried cloves with honey and swallow directly

#6. Fennel as Home Remedy for Vomiting

The anesthetic constituents of the fennel reduce your nauseous symptom. Fennel contains a compound called anethole, which is a phytoestrogen. Anethole prevents acidity, flatulence and nausea.

Fennel also refreshes the taste of your mouth and makes you feel better during nausea and vomiting. The anti-microbial properties of fennels kill the microbes present in the unsettled food particles in your stomach, thereby alleviate the cause of vomiting.

How to use

Boil water and add 2 teaspoons of fennel into the water

Strain, cool the water content

Keep sipping the water through the day

#7. Cinnamon as Home Remedy

Cinnamon contains a chemical called catechins. The antibacterial and antiviral properties of catechins clean your digestive system and get rid of gastro problems that cause nausea.

The antiemetic and carminative properties of cinnamon reduce the chance of feeling nauseated by stimulating the cell lining of your stomach.

Thus by calming down the lining of your stomach, cinnamon improves your digestion and thereby preventing the chances of nausea and vomiting.

How to use it

Method 1: Cinnamon Tea

Add half or one teaspoon cinnamon stick or crushed cinnamon powder to boiling water

Let the cinnamon tea steep for 5 to 7 minutes

Add the content to your regular tea and steep for further 2 to 3 minutes

Strain the tea and consume twice a day

Method 2: Cinnamon Water

Add cinnamon sticks to a jug of water

Keep the water overnight and drink whenever you feel nauseated

If you are prone to motion sickness, you can carry the cinnamon water to prevent vomiting while traveling

#8. Lemon Juice as Home Remedy for Vomiting

Lemon is a natural acidity regulator and balances the pH level of your body. By neutralising the acids, bicarbonates are created in your stomach. The bicarbonates cure your nauseous symptoms.

The vitamins and minerals present in the lemon also act as an obstacle to vomiting and reduces the effects immediately. The citric acid, in lemon aids digestion and provide you relief from nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.

How to prepare

Squeeze the lemon juice into a glass

Fill the glass with water and add sugar

Consume the lemon juice 3 times a day till the symptoms subside

#9. Banana to Cure Vomiting

Potassium is an electrolyte that gets depleted during vomiting and diarrhoea. Banana helps you to restore potassium. Bananas are also starchy and binding by nature. This quality helps to reduce diarrhoea and vomiting.

Moreover, compared to other foods, bananas are easy to chew and are digested quickly.

Taking two medium-sized bananas are enough until you are ready to eat other solid foods.

#10. Wrist Acupressure as Remedy for Vomiting

Wrist acupressure is a quick and inexpensive way to deal with nausea and vomiting without any harmful side effects. Wrist acupressure uses pressure to stimulate specific points on your body to relieve the triggers which cause nausea and vomiting.

The part of the body where the pressure is applied is called the acupoints. Pressing these points eases and relaxes the muscle tension and promotes blood circulation.

Steps to perform wrist acupressure

Place three fingers across the wrist

Put your thumb under your index finger

Massage the point in a firm, circular motion for 2 to 3 minutes

Repeat the same method on your other wrist

You can watch the video and follow the steps

#11. Eat Dry Crackers

Foodstuffs that are rich in starch help to absorb gastric acid and can settle your nauseous stomach. Excessive hunger intensifies your nausea, and by consuming crackers, your appetite is satisfied due to the bland nature of crackers.

Crackers do not have a strong smell which can trigger nausea and vomiting. The starch present in the crackers also absorbs stomach acids and relaxes your stomach.

In case of morning sickness, try eating a few crackers about 10 to 15 minutes before actually getting out of your bed.

Cracker foods that you can consume

Saltines

Bread

Toast

The Bottom Line

Nausea and vomiting are unpleasant. However, symptoms can be taken care of if you follow the above home remedies correctly. Remember to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration.

Test with different methods as the causes may vary from person to person. Having said that, home remedies are more effective if you have motion or morning sickness.

Vomiting due to the stomach flu, food poisoning or medication may require medical attention. In that case, consult a doctor before trying the home remedies mentioned in this article.

The post 11 Home Remedies for Vomiting appeared first on Being Happy Mom.

11 Home Remedies for Vomiting published first on https://parentcenternetwork.tumblr.com/

[totesmccoats]

Batman #26

Having recovered from being stabbed, Riddler declares that he will kill the Joker. Joker demands Carmine Falcone to kill the Riddler before Riddler gets the chance. And the war begins in earnest, with Batman, for once, steps behind.

The issue begins with Bruce narrating (to Selina), giving the biographies of people the Joker had murdered, and through the entire book, every casualty is given a name and a sentence of characterization. King refuses to let these victims become just mooks in the wake of the supervillians war. And it shows how much this failure weighs on Bruce. He remembers all of them.

Meanwhile, Gotham’s worst choose their side, willingly or through coercion. The worst is yet to come.

Janin and Chung’s art is impeccable, recalling Bolland in certain Joker scenes, and further making all these characters feel like flesh and blood rather than just cartoon casualties.

  Superman #26

We’re back to peak Superdad in this issue, as Clark tries to teach Jon how to use his powers responsibly to keep the world safe from threat. But Jon wants to do things his own way.

I’m a sucker for anything with good dads, and this issue is an adorable dad story. Jon is rambunctious and young and itching to be a hero, and Clark is having trouble focusing that without being smothering. And I have bottomless appreciation for Clark not being a perfect father right of the bat, because it isn’t something you can solve with powers; it requires goodness and practice.

  Green Arrow #26

Ollie tracks the Ninth Circle to a mountain range outside Seattle – now Star City – where the wildlife has been infected with the Speed Force. And the disruption the Speed Force summons another hero, the Flash, to help deal with the issue.

Unfortunately, this issue isn’t as strong as its heroic team-up might lead you to believe. It’s not bad, but coming off the series’ last arc, this issue feels too light – almost frivolous – until a penultimate page reveal points our heroes towards their next goal. It feels like a one-and-done type story that’s being stretched and squeezed between the end of the last arc and the beginning of the next one, and consequently, this issue doesn’t feel like it had room to justify its own existence as, essentially, a segue.

I’m of two minds about Byrne’s art in this issue. I’m a big fan of bold, saturated, cartoony styles, but this art is begging to be animated, and because it isn’t, it feels lifeless, frozen in place. The art in this book doesn’t so much imply movement as it feels like keyframe art minus the other 21 frames a second. I honestly might have liked this issue better as a five minute short than a single-issue comic.

  Hawkeye #8

Following from last issue, Kate confronts her father, who looks 20 years too young, and is in league with Madame Masque. And, in a parallel story taking place a few hours afterwards, a beaten and tired Hawkeye investigates into a new case of a young girl’s missing father, which takes her to an underground fight club.

I’m about as equally vulnerable to daddy-issues stories as I am to superdad stories, so consider this issue another win in my book. I like how Kate immediately spots the parallels between her relationship with her dad, and what she sees appearing to happen between her new client and her father, and how that weighs down on her through the issue. Also, like last issue, we’re seeing a Katie struggling to keep it together. She’s physically beat, over-tired, emotionally drained, and is past frayed on the edges to full-on out-of-it. Katie needs a rest, but feels like she can’t stop moving, and it makes her sloppy.

  Black Bolt #3

Crusher’s escape plan continues, mostly as intended, with each prisoner – Black Bolt included – doing their part to break out, free other prisoners, and kill their jailers.

Ahmed’s story is propulsive and scant, reaching a state where the plot becomes lost behind organic interactions and reactions between characters. In only three issues, the characterization is so strong that this issue barely feels plotted at all, as though these characters actually existed and were making their own choices. Black Bolt as Crusher’s rivalry is one of the best relationships in comics right now, each coming from diametric backgrounds, but also each having gained a respect for the other.

Ward’s art, again, steals the spotlight, this issue with how it plays with pink and blue contrasts. The contrast creates natural focus points, drawing your eye forward through the issue, the pink a neon light at the end of the jail’s tunnel. Ward also even gets to show us his version of a Kirby machine, and it’s an absolute stunner of a thing.

  Uber: Invasion #7

The Americans deploy a secret weapon to use against Battleship Siegfried during the attempted invasion of Detroit.

That’s really the entire plot of the issue, which acts as basically a single-scene climax for this first part of Invasion. The allies bring out their best bet for taking down a Nazi Battleship, and within two minutes of comic time, which is extended to last most of this issue, we find out whether or not it works.

I won’t spoil here exactly how the issue stretches out those two minutes, but the dramatic tension pays off spectacularly. Every “second” hangs pregnant in the air, with the debriefing-like narration making the entire issue feel like a second-by-second play-by-play; as though we were scrubbing footage frame-by-frame to witness the exact turning point in this war.

And, of course, the book doesn’t shy away from its parallels to the actual World War II, specifically towards the treatment of African American soldiers, like the Tuskegee airmen.

  The Wicked + The Divine #29

Baal and Ami recruit Laura to try and track down Sakhmet after she slaughtered all those people in that orgy last issue, which takes them through a talking tour of the rest of the Pantheon.

This is actually a really cool way to start the arc, as it basically reestablishes where all these characters are at the moment. Baal, Ami, Woden, Dionyus, Minerva, and the Norns are still trying to work out what the Darkness is and a way to stop it, which Sakhmet’s slaughter interrupts. When Laura, Dio, and the Norns go to the Underground to ask Morrigan if she’s been hiding Sakhmet, we find out that Morrigan still holds a grudge against Laura for her sleeping with the currently missing Baphomet; and convinced that Morrigan has done something to him, Dio decides to wait in the underground until Morrigan releases him.

Meanwhile, Laura herself is still living in an hedonistic daze, bounding from bed to bed, party to party, and god to god, frustrated by others involving her in the things they care about, like the end of the world. In a way, it returns things to how they were in the beginning of the series, with Laura as an outsider to the goings on of the Pantheon; only now, instead of wanting to be part of it, she tries her best to ignore them.

  Snotgirl #6

Months after the New Years incident, Lottie’s life has returned to normal mostly. Her, Normgirl and Cutegirl are having their regular Hater’s Brunch when Cute’s twin shows up, revealing her real age, name, and other details about their childhood. Then, at a meet-up, Lottie runs into Caroline’s cute younger brother, who asks Lottie to reconnect with his sister, who she apparently hasn’t spoken to since New Years.

Another first issue of a new arc that gently refamiliarizes readers with the characters and status quo. Maybe it’s just because of the hiatus, but Lottie even seems slightly more likable in this issue. Her disdain for most other people, including her fans, is still there, but we also see that she appreciates what she means to her fans, and – even if it’s just to get closer to her brother – she does reach out to Caroline, who has been in a malaise since we’ve last seen her.

Lottie is also helped by comparing her to Cutegirl, who is taken down a few notches in this issue by her twin sister. Better by comparison is still, technically, a type of better.

Comic Reviews for 7/5/17 Batman #26 Having recovered from being stabbed, Riddler declares that he will kill the Joker. Joker demands Carmine Falcone to kill the Riddler before Riddler gets the chance.

[sherristockman]

Cumin Versus Black Cumin — What’s the Difference? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Especially in the culinary world, things can go by names that don't necessarily describe what they are. Rose hips are a good example. Other times, similar names are assigned to objects that are entirely different, making it hard to keep them straight. Such is the case with black cumin seed, which comes from a completely different plant than cumin and black cumin. To make it worse, cumin seeds and caraway seeds (Carum carvi) look almost identical. Both are tiny and elongated with ridges along the length and pointed on each end. Confusing, right? Shea Terra Organics explains that while cumin and black seed are different botanically, they and a few other seeds are often incorrectly referred to as black cumin: "In Indian cooking there are two types of cumin seeds, called jeera. There is the common cumin seed (cuminum cyminum), and then there is a darker, smaller one called kala jeera (bunium bulbocastanum) or black cumin. Cumin, the spice that gives many Mexican dishes their distinctive taste, are also used to make an essential oil. Neither "cumin" nor "black cumin" is black seed. Black cumin IS NOT black seed and although plenty of products now erroneously label themselves as black cumin, the two should not be confused … Black seed, which the sought-after oil is made from, is actually nigella sativa and not related to cumin at all."1 In the kitchen, you can add cumin seeds and black seeds to casseroles, salads, stir fries, salad dressings and baked goods. You can even add them to your coffee or tea; make black cumin tea by pouring hot water over a tablespoon of the seeds and steeping for about 10 minutes. The Common Cumin Seed (Cuminum Cyminum) Also from the Apiaceae family, the wheat-colored cumin seed is closely related to carrots and parsley. Often finely ground, it's used in the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia and India for several traditional dishes, such as korma and spice blends for masala and curries, and in Europe for making pickles and savory pastries. Having originated in Mediterranean regions, it's one of many ancient seeds used by the Romans as both a spice and a medicine. The Egyptians used it too, principally for preserving bodies prior to mummification. Interestingly, its use as a preservative is why cumin is a common ingredient for sausage and other meats. Cumin contains high amounts of iron, as well as phytonutrients that include terpenes, phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids and antioxidants.2 Studies show it may be useful for weight loss and improving insulin metabolism in overweight individuals3 and may decrease blood triglycerides.4 Medicinally, people in East India still prepare cumin for use as a medicine by boiling the seeds in water for treating edema, heart disease, stomach trouble, vomiting and fever. One of the earliest medical uses was for digestive health in India, explaining its name, which translates to "that which aids digestion." Regency Spices notes other uses: "It stimulates the appetite, as well as the stomach, biliary and pancreatic secretion. At the same time cumin soothes spasms and removes gases from the intestines. Cumin is superior in comforting carminative qualities to fennel or caraway."5 Cumin Seeds Contain Beneficial Antioxidants and Aid Digestion Cuminaldehyde is a natural compound in cumin seeds that gives them their nutty, peppery, lemony taste that's also somewhat bitter. Even alcohol and water extracts of this compound contain potent antioxidants. A 2015 study credited it with helping to decrease the risk of developing several neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's.6 It may also aid in weight loss and prevent foodborne illnesses.7 Authority Nutrition lists digestion as one of its curative benefits, as it helps release digestive proteins in your mouth, stomach and small intestine,8 and increases the production of bile in your liver, helping to digest fats.9 In another study, 57 study subjects with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who took cumin extract for two weeks reported statistically significant improved symptoms.10 Black Cumin (Bunium Bulbocastanum) Healthline11 describes Bunium bulbocastanum, or black cumin, as an annual plant species in the Apiaceae family,12 native to northern Africa, southeastern Europe and southern Asia. The plant is about 2 feet tall and has white flowers similar to Queen Anne's lace. Black cumin (Kala jeera) looks about the same, is slightly shorter and has a dull, dark gray hue. Regency Spices notes that the taste is also worlds apart compared to common cumin: much more bitter, harsher and only for very specific dishes in western and northern Indian cuisine, none of which would be found on a normal restaurant menu.13 Every part of this plant is useful, and its edible roots are said to taste like coconuts or chestnuts and the leaves used as herbs, but it's the seeds that are most highly prized medicinally (although scientists say more tests are warranted). These uses include: Infection fighting — Research indicates that B. bulbocastanum has natural antibacterial properties and, as such, effectively combats Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the primary cause of skin and soft tissue infections, which are often vancomycin- and methicillin-resistant and unresponsive to antibiotics.14 Diabetes — Because B. bulbocastanum has antioxidant and antiglycation capabilities, research shows it may be useful against complications from diabetes and aging.15 Black Seed (Nigella Sativa) and Its Many Health Benefits Black seed, from which the coveted black seed oil is derived, is an annual flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family16 described in one study as "native to parts of Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The plant grows nearly 3 feet and has wispy foliage, small pale flowers and fruit pods filled with seeds."17 Black seed is black as coal with a dull surface and shaped like miniscule Brazil nuts. Bioactive compounds in black cumin include α-hederin, alkaloids, flavonoids and essential omega-6 fatty acids. Additionally, Healthline18 cites thymoquinone (TQ) as a powerful compound in Nigella sativa due to its ability to lower inflammation and strengthen your immune system, and lists several other applications noted as being very effective: Cancer — As a promising agent against cancer, one study reported its ability to reduce the size of cancerous tumors in several animal studies. Clinical research in India found it to effectively slow the growth of leukemia and myeloid lymphoma cells.19 Alzheimer's disease — The Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that N. sativa may be effective against Alzheimer's, as it enhances memory, attention and cognition.20 Allergies — One study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of Nigella sativa on inflammatory factors in patients with chronic allergic rhinitis, and proved it to reduce "nasal mucosal congestion, nasal itching, runny nose, sneezing attacks" and several other symptoms of this condition.21 Sometimes known as black cumin seed, Nigella sativa was stated in another study to help optimize cholesterol levels.22 In another study, there was a significant and positive difference between the scores of 40 elderly subjects given logic, memory, attention and cognition tests who took Nigella sativa as opposed to a placebo.23 Benefits of Black Cumin Seed Oil An extensive review of the cancer preventive aspects of several herbs and spices also references the potency of thymoquinone, shown to inhibit tumors and several other types of cancers: "Thymoquinone (TQ) is the most abundant component of black cumin seed oil. TQ has been reported to exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive and to ameliorate B(a)P-induced carcinogenesis in the forestomach. Considerable evidence points to the ability of TQ to suppress tumor cell proliferation, including colorectal carcinoma, breast adenocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, ovarian carcinoma, myeloblastic leukemia and pancreatic carcinoma."24 Shea Terra Organics says: "When looking for black seed oil make sure that the botanical name is listed as is required by law, and that it states nigella sativa. Black seed oil should always be bought from a very reputable source. Numerous scientific studies have shown that Egyptian black seed oil has the highest therapeutic quality. Most black seed oil commonly comes from India. Freshness and purity varies greatly. Black seed oil is often cut with inexpensive oils. Black seed oil should always be freshly pressed and kept in amber glass out of direct sunlight. The aroma and taste should be very pungent. It is often mixed with honey to make it palatable."25 However popular black cumin oil may be, for optimum nutrition it may be better to use the seeds because essential fatty acids are easily destroyed by heat or prolonged exposure to air. One problem with extracting oil from seeds is that processing is required, so damage is done. I soak the seeds overnight, then put them in a smoothie. They're a little on the bitter side, so putting sweetener in it such as monk fruit or stevia gives it a tasty boost. Other Notes Pertaining to Cumin Varieties The similarities between caraway and cumin seeds lead to some interesting flavor-tweaking in the marketplace, as the milder-flavored cumin seeds are sometimes used to dilute the stronger flavor of caraway seeds. Caraway seeds are smoother, slightly curved and taste more bitter, with a fragrance reminiscent of mint or anise. Some studies link both seeds with anti-cancer properties. While you could take cumin spices to get some of the potent nutrients and health benefits these spices provide, obtaining them from actual food is preferable. It's important to know, and encouraging as well, that it doesn't take much of these aromatic spices to get the benefits they offer.

[tothesneakersworld-blog]

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