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potteresque-ire · 3 years

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Commentary ~ Little Red Little Green Episode 18, “Fruits & Found Family”

Link to original post in Chinese, posted 2021/05/23. Link to official English translation.

(Disclaimer / Notes + Commentary under the cut!) (TW: possible eating disorder)

Disclaimer / Notes:

While the posts by Little Red Little Green (LRLG) are among my most favourite candies, I’d like to remind everyone that they are fake rumours, and should be read and enjoyed as such. ie, all CPN below!

The English translation linked above is the only one authorised by the Fake Rumour House; therefore, please treat all content below as a very casual, very *unofficial* convo between fellow turtle friends! ❤️💛💚

With Chinese being a highly region-specific language, my reactions to it is necessarily filtered through my background, which is, admittedly, somewhat removed from Gg’s, Dd’s and LRLG’s. However, it is not uncommon for even c-turtles (and several times, LRLG themselves) to be lost with what they read / heard due to regional differences ~ which reflects the reality of communicating in the Sinosphere. In fact, the regionality of the dialects used by different “characters” in LRLG’s dialogues is among the most critical elements that make these posts so authentic-sounding, and so difficult to replicate. A fun activity of following LRLG is to watch c-turtles patch their regional knowledge together, from local slangs to food choices, to make sense of what’s going on.

Okay, with that all said *phew* ... onto the commentary! “p. X” refers to the panel number in the official English translation (there are 7 total in the Twitter post).

p1. “Fairy”

Likely referring to the similarity between Gg’s current role for 玉骨遥 (The Longest Promise) and LWJ. Dd was praising Gg for being “fairy-like”; Chinese “fairies” (仙) have a certain style especially in visual media, similar to ... LWJ’s ~ otherworldly, white robes that billow in the wind, peaceful to the point of distant, scholarly, delicate. In between the lines, Gg likely said he was simply playing LWJ (hence, the ”act another me” in the translation), which Dd protested... and said Gg was simply playing himself. Whether that means DD IS NOT LWJ!!!!! 😡😡😡 or something else, we’ll know what we get to watch the show!

p1-p2. “Heat”

Yes about the Chang’e 嫦娥 reference!! Despite Houyi 后羿 shooting down 9/10 suns and saving the day, his wife is, indeed, more famous (and therefore the star, the more powerful one), because she’s frequently featured in Mid-Autumn festival art, along with her pet rabbit 玉兔 (”Jade Rabbit”),:

(Chang’e with her bunny, traditional Chinese painting. Source.)

Below is Gg’s rendition of Chang’e / Jade Bunny pair ~ Chang’e being the superman in the drawing while Jade Bunny is crouching on the planet!!

Guess of the missing convo from Gg’s side: Gg had wanted to bring something to Hengdian (where the filming of The Longest Promise was taking place) to cool himself down, and Dd had said it wasn’t necessarily. Hence Dd’s “My bad my bad” and the promise to send that something to Gg.

The loveliest line in this segment for me—and for many c-turtles— is the one about white hair. Turning grey a common, but very old-fashioned way of expressing worry and poor Dd, who hasn’t even turned 24, is claiming he was turning white because he got so worried every time Gg complained about the heat (Aww).

Turning grey with worry isn’t limited to romantic situations — it may happen to doting parents with wayward children, for example, or to ancient patriots over their crumbling kingdom. However, it’s also one of the more (very!) dramatic ways to communicate tragic love in Chinese fiction before Western influence allows “love”, as a term / word / character, to be used explicitly in writing romance.

Here’s a little example, a little diversion that may be of interest. Those who are familiar with the Wuxia classic Return of the Condor Heroes 神雕俠侶 by Jin Yong 金庸, whether it’s the book or its numerous visual adaptations, may remember how the hero, Yang Guo 楊過, went white at his temples overnight after his Shifu and lover, Xiao Long Nv (小龍女), didn’t show up at the cliff at the end of his 16-year wait for her.

Set photo from a TV adaption of Return of the Condor Heroes, 1995. Turtles may find the actress playing the perenially white-wearing, calm-to-the point-of-aloof Xiao Long Nv, Carmen Li 李若彤, familiar ~ she also played Lan Yi in The Untamed.

The 16-year wait, the invitation to Carmen to play Lan Zhan’s ancestor (when the two shared similarities in aesthetics and personality), were two of the three references from Return of the Condor Heroes I picked up from The Untamed (the last one was more specific—WWX mentioned Yang Guo’s master 獨孤求敗). This tribute is unconfirmed, but MXTX did say before that Jin Yong’s works were her inspiration. I also read a (small) discussion on whether LWJ’s hair carried a few pieces of white in the final episode, or if the lighter strands in it were a trick of the sunlight. (Here’s a screenshot of the approximate place to look!!)

While I lean towards the latter (the sunlight), turning white with worry, with love, is a tradition in Chinese storytelling. Here’s a little something I’ve noticed too, on this note ~ both in the actual interviews and in these fake rumours, Dd’s word choices, the way he conveys emotions are sometimes surprisingly traditional. It can be because of his background (which would require a study of how Luo Yang people and Koreans talk); it can be because the traditional way of talking allows for fewer words to be said, fewer things to have to be explicitly explained (example: LWJ), but the effect is that Dd has supplied the most romantic lines in LRLG’s posts because of that ~ romantic because it harks back to the rhythm, the themes of old poetry, of ancient stories that, as were true everywhere in the world, were about love.

Okay, back to the rumour (and hoping Dd won’t look like Bad Wig Yang Guo in a few more summers!) ....

The line after the one about white hair ... the way I understand the original Chinese sentence is “Heat is The Reason”: ie, anything Dd wants Gg to do and Gg disagrees, Gg would use heat as The Reason (R) to not do it. This anything may be eating, for example, which also has a strong possibility as conventional Chinese wisdom says that heat causes people to lose appetite. Dd’s worry would therefore be: Gg refusing to eat because he claims it’s too hot to do so.

“Corny joke” ~ the Chinese for this is, literally, “cold 冷 joke 笑話”, which becomes a pun as the gzry (team members)’s joke was about the (cold) winter and black hair. So... Dd threw a corny joke to combat a corny joke :D .

p3. “Apple”

The first half I also had to rely on c-turtles to help me interpret what it meant! Regional dialects aside, LRLG has captured dls’s very quick wit, the way his ideas freely hop from one concept to the next and this hopping carries traditional + popular cultural references that I know only a fraction of, not being a local after all.

I’ve read an additional interpretation of this segment: “big fruit” 大果兒 (as in dls: “Those are all big fruits, all big fruits”) is a Northern Chinese, traditional slang for women—dls might have connected that with the previous line in the convo about being Guowang, as explained in the translation, and “big and juicy” + “touch to feel” being suggestive phrases. Then, given the rare usage of the big fruit = women slang, dls expressed surprise that Dd understood what he meant, went on to say he expected Gg to know it (implying Gg could’ve taught Dd the meaning) ...

Which led to the entertaining part of this segment. Dd was like “You guys (= Gg + dls) talked?” Dls appeared to have thought of the scenario customarily inviting this question (scenario: someone on the verge of catching their spouse cheating) and began playacting that scenario, started to stammer ... as if he had just been got caught trying to chat up someone’s spouse ~ ”I-I-I....how to say it ...”. Dd caught on dls’s playacting and went along, continued with the “accusation”: “You’re stammering”. Dls then noted that Dd’s accusation was scary and Dd smiled, ending the playact ~ so, ah, readers, never mess with Dd’s spouse!! Dd gets scary!!

(BTW: ”nijia na kouzi” 你家那口子 was explained in the translation for a reason ~ It’s a warm, friendly term for a dear friend’s spouse. 😊)

p4. Lychees

Lychees. Has everyone tried them? It’s important not to over-eat them though...

In which the “Feeding Gg” saga continues! This segment is one of those that are wonderful for fic writers who wish to capture Gg and Dd in words. Gg, like many brought up in traditional families, has trouble saying “no” outright, which is often considered rude. As such, he resorted to delay tactics, something he had also done with the fried noodles in The Makeup Room BTS.

In the BTS, his delay tactics had been to argue that Dd hadn’t eaten his box of noodles and therefore, he couldn’t start (~2:35 mark)—as proper manners indeed dictated. In this dialogue, his delay tactics was to say he’d eat the lychees later, that the lychees would make him too full for the proper meal (rice).

A cute thing about this convo is that rather than pouting and grumbling his only being LWJ’s replacement (as he had hilariously done in the BTS), Dd had, apparently over the last three years, become an expert on countering such delay tactics. He peeled the lychees, which not only removed a major obstacle for eating, but also set a timer as peeled lychees get dry quickly (and Gg, despite being a picky eater, didn’t seem to like to waste food). He said the fruit could make appetiser. He got the help of their team members, who assured Gg that two lychees would be all right.

Gg’s response to the assurance... takes a little time to explain.

The original Chinese line for “Great, great, you’re so awesome” was 絕了絕了你們絕了。 “絕了”, a popular phrase used by Chinese netizens, was repeated three times.

絕, literally, means the extreme, the absolute, the end. 絕了 means pretty much the same ~ a thing that is 絕了 is standing en pointe at the edge of the cliff that is The Absolute End of a spectrum. It is the Ultimate. It can't be surpassed. It’s unbeatable.

絕了 is usually used in a positive sense, as in the English translation, with the positive being implied. If I say the LWJ photo above is 絕了, for example, I don’t need to specify that the extreme in 絕 stands on the good end. It’s understood given the audience of this post are mostly turtles (HELLO *waves*). We’re all heart-eyes here. We agree, without saying, that this photo is The Top, The Pinnacle; it can’t be better. 絕了 is higher praise than Excellent; it’s so good that there are no adjectives for it. Its own presence defines How Good It Is.

But 絕了 doesn’t have to be positive. If my audience is Su She ... he’s likely to take the same “This LWJ photo is 絕了” to mean the Mariana Trench kind of Absolute—the bottom of the bottom, the Unbeatable, Adjective-Defying Worst.

絕了 allows for that understanding too.

In this scenario, I interpret Gg’s 絕了 as taking the meaning of both extremes (which make it a fantastic phrase choice!): that Gg thought Dd and the team members were being both the Absolute Best (for thinking of Gg, caring for him) AND the Absolute Worst (for going against his wish to not eat!) Gg’s 絕了 also signals defeat; if Dd and his team members were The Absolute ... Whatever, then poor Gg had no choice but to yield to their wishes. I can already imagine his “I can’t believe I lose this way” Look (see: every rock-paper-scissors he lost, which was ... pretty much all of them), mixed with, perhaps, a healthy amount of bunny tooth warning (how dare Dd et al banded up against him)...

Those bunny teeth had to be taken care of, right? And so Dd went on to say lychees being good omen that ensure things would go smoothly for the eater... targeting Gg’s being a, as c-turtles call it, 小迷信 (literally, “Little Superstitious”, a young + adorable + superstitious person). Dd said that to help Gg justify the choice to eat, to make Gg feel better about his defeat.

(Of note: I had actually never heard of lychees being associated with good luck before, and a quick search online also didn’t yield any result. This could be a relatively rare association Google failed to catch ... or something Dd made up on the fly to make Gg happy.)

(Lychees have, however, been associated with romance. If Emperor’s Smile 天子笑 was The Love Drink in The Untamed, then what is Concubine’s Smile 妃子笑? Answer: it’s the RL name of a type of lychees, lychees being the fruit very much adored by Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環, the consort of the Emperor Xuanzong (685-762 BCE) of the Tang Dynasty and one of the four most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Since lychees had only been grown in southern China, the emperor had had the fruit couriered, in express mode involving many horses, to the palace up north to please his favourite wife. Lychees had become a symbol of love from that historical tale.)

Did Gg get Dd’s message then, the love and care packaged in those peeled, sweet fruit awaiting his bite? Yes, but not without a little more fight! “Eat eat eat, (I’ll eat) until you go bankrupt” is a literal translation of his final line. Tonally, I can see the following as being an alternative translation:

“Fine fine fine. I’ll eat, it’s not like I can bankrupt you by eating anyway!”

If it sounded a little sulky, that’s because it did ... a little sulky AND fiery. As expected from our favourite Chongqing Big Pepper 😂😂😂 (Poor Gg).

Dd smiled at that, needless to say. He won!!! He got Gg to eat!! The world shall rejoice!!

p5. “Showtime”

There’s a show coming up for Dd (the YH concert maybe?), and Gg offered suggestions.

The sweet point of this segment is about half-way down the conversation, in the piece of paper 📄 Gg gave to Dd (after “This is for you.”). Dd took the paper, noted the many words on it, and started saying 我把我整個靈魂, translated as “I bring my entire soul”.

c-Turtles have, based on these words, hypothesised that Dd was about to read out a quote that Gg had written on the paper, with the list of items Gg thought Dd should take, before Gg stopped him with a call of his name (“WYB”). The quote was included on the translation (”I give you my entire soul...only, a little good, love you.”) I have also talked about the same quote, in more detail, here.

I’m equally stumped on the final line of this segment. (Sorry!!)

p6. “Found Family”

It’s a heartwarming segment. While LRLG had previously noted that the TTXS bros had communicated with Gg, this segment made clear that they care for him like they do for Dd ~ as family.

* dls mailed Gg a lot of fruit for sharing with the film crew. “Family member needs to be impressive” is a rough translation, but this line does defy simple translation because 排面 a highly cultural concept that has much to do with the equally complex, Chinese concept of face (which this article explains... somewhat adequately). The message to take home is that dls cared enough about Gg that he wanted to make sure Gg wouldn’t lose face in front of the film crew; that, by having enough gifts (fruits) for everyone, Gg wouldn’t be viewed as cheap or inadequate or stingy, or whatever adjective that wouldn’t befit his top idol status. Because dls saw Gg as a member of his family.

* The prescription from hg had been mentioned in a previous LRLG rumour. 方子 is a Chinese medicine prescription, which, unlike Western formulations, is individualised both to the discomfort / ailment and to the “body constitution” of the person who'll take it, the latter deciding the kind of ailments the person is susceptible to, and which ingredients are expected to be more effective. Chinese medicine also places a strong emphasises on long-term conditioning, whether it’s for recovery from a certain condition or for general good health. A good 方子 is therefore a far more complex and personal thing than, say, a scribble of “paracetamol” / “acetaminophen” on a piece of paper. :D

* fg’s gift for Gg (xx) is something for the waist. A brace support, maybe? For example?

My favourite line in this segment is when hg asked what will Gg and Dd do when they reach hg’s age. Given that the last two items (the prescription and xx) were health-related, I interpreted it as hg worrying about Gg and Dd’s health when they grow old... with all the health problems they already have. It’s the kind of thing a worried parent say to their children ~ my mom has said the same thing to me as well. 😢

p6. “The Cat Paw”

Not quite sure what’s happening here ... not sure what the cat paw is. (Sorry!!) But that é in the translation is Dd’s signature laugh (collection here), which is written as 鵝 (”Goose”) in Chinese 😂.

p7. “The Cat Toy”

Dd appeared to be shopping for a cat’s toy (something that can “hook the cat” in the translation, such that the cat can entertain itself and not rely on human companionship as much). Gg had already bought the toy though and sounded quite proud of it, told Dd to return the toy. The implied cat was, of course, Nut (堅果 Jianguo)... which had been repeatedly referred to in LRLG’s posts as Gg’s daughter.

p7. “Cool vs Cute”

Gg is often viewed as cute, and Dd as cool. Did Dd dislike Gg taking cute pictures for public consumption? Were they scheming an exchange of image? :D

And that’s it for this issue! Ooh, this took unexpectedly long ... I apologise for the ridiculous delay between the original post and this commentary!

(I wrote half of it, then RL struck and I forgot about it.) (I’m hopeless.) (I need a 方子 for poor memory!!)

#pie eats candies #pie metas #yizhan #bjyx #LRLG

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kneipho · 4 years

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Submission: @mantrabay

A Little Known Shortcut.

Wandering the roads. It has me under a spell.

Even when prickly brambles

scrape my eyelids or those bony ankles are being twisted by tooth like stones. The angular sort clustered mischievously among the green shoots that litter every footpath.

They lie in wait, in ambush.

It goes with the territory for this seasoned footman.

Meandering landscapes are house and home to the spiral lanes and clover clad hills that are rife in my area.

Their rustic heritage sometimes sacrificed to the orphanage of malleable motives.

Crop farmers obsessed with bountiful harvest.

A restless developer pushing the limits of an urban jungle.

Fellow traveller in league with fugitives from the cockpit.

The pressure cooker of modern life.

The town dweller with split loyalties who clings to the tumult of the city but hankers after some rural idyll.

Culprits one and all.

A lair from the hubbub.

Dwellings of the quaintest kind huddle together like dots in a matrix separated only by a minuscule space.

The more alluring aspects of tradition have been preserved.

Among these are shortcuts or bypasses.

Those sequestered passages that shave miles off for the perennial rambler or clueless hitchhiker.

The eye becomes a lense to all these

things hidden or supposedly hidden.

Human vision as sensor to magic trails.

Those tucked away secret spots beloved of local wiseacres.

They festoon the sprawling countryside at random.

My name is Eric Spring.

Anthea, my partner a transcendental meditation teacher retired early at an early age.

Her withdrawal from work was never meant to be permanent.

A final decision hinged on Anthea’s ability to purge that fiendish veil of sadness that had been shadowing her.

There were several obstacles in her path but they weren’t insurmountable.

Thoughts of Anthea in her halcyon days haunted me.

Mental pictures of a vibrant woman imbued with passion.

Poignant evocative heart-tugging images.

Bar excursions into town my station is that of Anthea’s carer.

This eternally stoic woman is mindful of her mental boundaries and the abyss concealed by each of them.

But she is not prone to self-hate or abuse. The more lethal plagues of the psyche hadn’t yet impacted on her.

Anthea was groping for exits but hadn’t found the signs.

She remains housebound as I embark on those age defying treks into town.

We keep in touch by mobile phone.

A very angelic sensitive looking person is she.

Reminiscent of a Sunday Times editor.

The accent filters every noun and stresses every nuance.

Like the sounds from an early morning orchard.

Anthea’s job became monotonous and her other pursuits painting and writing fled without trace.

A budding artist’s most dreaded syndromes struck.

Writer’s block. Artistic vacuum.

The wellspring of her imagination now devoid of those inspiring flashes that sustain creative impulse.

She had few outlets bar my care and a lady called Fidelma who had the edge on me with regard to local knowledge. I longed to hear Anthea’s voice on my device.

Her hypnotic voice bridges gaps.

You feel close even when speaking to her from a distance.

I love the walks and savouring all those pivot points of folklore.

I pride myself on my intimate knowledge of every branch strewn rivulet, stream and layered rock formation.

My links to the environment are almost erotic as I crave it’s sensual touch.

At times I enter a tranquil zone where the shutters are drawn.

Just myself and all those habitats.

“Hello Eric? Lost in thought again.

How is anthea these days?

I spoke to her over the phone a few days ago.

I sometimes drop in on her when you are out.”

Fidelma speaking with that chirping red robin voice of hers.

She had this penchant for suddenly appearing like an archaeological site.

And she vanished just as quickly leaving the person she spoke to scrambling to process her asides and insights before they disappeared.

Neighbour, friend, root and branch archivist whose grasp of detail was legendary.

“She seems to be coping.” I said.

“Glad to hear that. Maybe I can pay a flying visit some time soon.

But aren’t you a foolish man to be imposing all those Olympic Marathons on yourself?”

Fidelma about to share one of her treasured nuggets.

“I love walking but any tips?”

Spring enquired naively as events soon demonstrated.

“There’s a shortcut…..a little known shortcut.

People in the know recommend it though I have never actually used it myself.

Maybe I will one day.

See, it’s on the right hand side up the road there.

Think it might be useful when you want to get home in a hurry.” She concluded.

Fidelma in advanced middle age was still sprightly and youthful in her ways.

I missed a text from anthea and Fidelma noticed.

“Yes. I have one of those gadgets too.

Keeps me connected.

Took me awhile to master it.

Wish there was a shortcut for that.

But I’ll best be on my way.

Take good care whatever the route.”

As always having spoken to Fidelma I wondered about in a trance.

Another colourful aspect of Fidelma’s personality was her “Banana Skin Syndrome.”

She could lose her balance betimes when enthusing about a topic or when she stumbled on an area that fascinated her.

The feet were a little wobbly.

All this against her philosophy about how interconnected everything is.

The mind is an antenna sending out signals to others was a frequent broadside of hers.

Even when Fidelma said very little she always had this magnetic effect on others.

Those terse one liners could trigger an avalanche in the mind.

Her thin phrases were always shrouded in a well crafted poetic meter.

It was in the tone, gestures and body language.

Those beady yet expressive eyes scanning her environment like a radar screen.

A cascade of images and sound bytes ensued when she left.

Several hours passed as my mind was in overdrive like a central processing unit.

I heard this inner voice telling me to explore this “shortcut.”

Having texted Anthea I then proceeded to this offshoot of a lane.

It was going to lighten the journey of this slope and pavement plodder.

Off I went down this quaint country shortcut.

Nothing out of the ordinary to begin with until Anthea rang.

“Gnawing feeling of sadness.

My mind is a dark blue canvass at the moment.”

Her lilting twang mingling with the song birds at the start of my downward journey.

I sensed this was urgent and started to walk quickly.

That’s when problems arose.

Just a plain country passage with a primarily flat surface at this point.

There were houses on each side and some weeds strewn and partially mangled, turned to mulch by wild and indiscriminate boots.

Strange feelings welled up within me as I felt like a geyser at yellowstone.

The puff and splutter of tractors in nearby fields as furrows, the epicenter of future yields were turned.

Scarecrows were strategically perched in the meadow behind the right hand hedge to ward off some menace or other.

Something told me to relate my surroundings to Anthea.

If only to divert attention from an impending gloom.

Those barely audible inner prompts again.

“Eric, I don’t want to pressurise you but at the moment I feel this dark cloud.”

Eric paused.

It then occurred to me that I was engulfed by dark foreboding clouds in tandem with a rising rainbow like haze.

As Anthea continued her disorders seemed to be complemented by external threats of rain intermingled with sunshine.

“I feel, Eric there is a radiance trying to break through.

Just to see you … your presence is a light which I could focus on.”

Then I realised that speed was of the essence.

That’s when I could have panicked.

Anthea’s voice seemed louder, but also more lyrical as I realised this obscure

overlooked route could have done with some restoration!

Tufts of grass oozing slime.

Mounds of mud with pockets of oil stained water.

The briars were a shock team that endangered every part of the human body.

I was conveying all this to anthea as I was trying to dash at my normal pace.

Oddly Anthea’s tone of desperation started to dip.

But she did appear less tense as I told her this story over the phone.

“Someone told me this is a shortcut.”

Eric said gingerly.

“Who was that ? Anthea asked.

“Fidelma. We met on the main road just a short while ago.” I responded.

“You know her a bit better than I do.”

Anthea observed. “She’s going to call over one of these days I’m sure.”

By now Anthea, initially nervous was mellowing as I continued with my frantic running … and staggering commentary!

She didn’t have had much to excite her over the last five years.

But I had to be careful lest those dark brooding phases returned.

Like a roving reporter I regaled her with lurid descriptions of limp green shrubs, tea brown leaves shredded on fissured rocks, juice dripping blackberry bushes with foraging earwigs seeking shelter from the sun.

But here I was almost knee deep in tangled foliage while keeping the love of my life up to speed!

The labyrinthine outcrops and mock craters were all included.

Suddenly misfortune struck without warning.

I nearly sprained my leg as I fell face down on a grassy patch.

Sprawled awkwardly across this surface my phone went flying but I managed to catch it.

“Eric, are you ok?

I don’t mean to be a burden.

Will I get someone to meet you at the end of this lane or short cut.”

Anthea again.

“I’m fine, Anthea.”

Eric said before slowly rising.

I kept detailing my observations and Anthea was reacting positively.

But I made it eventually with the sounds of the road as guide.

The temperatures continued to rise causing perspiration.

Peering thru the maze of entwined growths I saw … Fidelma.

“Where did you spring from?” Eric punning his own name.

“Fidelma …you fell too.” A question that might have appeared tactless.

She was getting up, having fallen when taking her bearings it seems.

“Fidelma …. thanks but no thanks.

The shortcut.” I said.

“You are shivering.” She observed.

“I am. Spring responded.

“Got to get to Anthea because she might be in need of help.” Spring continued.

We both headed for my house as quickly as possible.

But it wasn’t far.

I texted Anthea and she answered by saying she had every reason to speak to me.

One wondered what that might be.

My face whitened.

Fidelma and I soon reached the house where I lived.

Eric pressed the doorbell as his heart pounded.

The door opened suddenly and we couldn’t believe what we saw.

“Anthea, is that you?

I haven’t seen you smile like that in years.”

I said.

Fidelma and I were perplexed to say the least.

“It’s early days yet but those locusts of darkness hopping around in my head maybe dwindling.

Those creative juices returned when I sensed your anxiety down the lane because I didn’t want two sick people in this house.

But you brought splashes of vivid colour into my drawing room.

I could almost smell the rustic fragrance of every wilting petal and the creaking of every twig.

You set a whole cycle in train.”

Anthea then showed me two items she was working on.

“I have started a rough sketch of the lane you detailed and a short story.

There’s been a sea change.” She said.

“Oh I wonder what I’ll call this sketch and that short story?

Any ideas?” Anthea enquired.

Fidelma and I looked at each other and spoke almost in unison.

“I think we both have a fair idea what they both might be called.

Your story included.”

A little known shortcut indeed!

Photograph and short story mantrabay copyright protected

#mantrabay #submission sunday #writers on tumblr #photographers on tumblr #written word #photography #submission #other #short story #fiction #original photography #a little known shortcut

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franie-lam · 4 years

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HW 1:App Ideas

This idea comes from a Korean drama I watched, but it would be really cool if there was an app where blind people can say something like “hey siri” or “hey alexa” what do you see and when they hold their phone up, the bot will tell you what it sees. for example, if a person was in front of you it will describe their features like “a young lady with long hair is in front of you”. The main goal is to help those who are becoming blind to have access to an outlet so that they can have another eye to see through sound from the phones or watches(like apple watch or something).

Another idea is to create a new design for the CUNY system. I personally found it very confusing at first and felt like there was too many things slammed onto a page. Perhaps if there was a new design it would make it easier for new students to transition into college or their system. The main goal is to make cuny first, blackboard, degreeworks, much easier and simple for students and teachers to use.

I was also thinking of an idea to help business owners find more sustainable options to purchase when they’re selling items at the store by linking them to sustainable wholesalers. For example, they can use paper bags instead of plastics. Selling metal straws? Using reusuable packages. (I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but it’s an idea) The main goal is to promote sustainable items and go green.

I think it would be really cool to create an app where people can easily resell their items at home instead of throwing it out. Having easy access to print out a shipping label and sending it to the post office. Or perhaps have an additional area where if you don’t want these items anymore you can donate it. So perhaps there will be different donating organizations that can. be a part of this app and when they do pick ups, people can easily click buttons to get an organization to pick up old clothes, toys, or maybe good condition furniture that people want to throw out. In addition to this, I was thinking, there can be an area where people can find out about donation sites or food pantries so if they want to go in person or ask someone to come that can work. My inspiration comes from the app Mercari and ebay. The main goal for this is to not waste items that can be purchased by someone else or for it to be donated to an organization that can help those in need.

This is another idea, and it’s to create a game design app to teach new languages. It would be cool if there are different themes to each language. So for example if we want to learn the Korean language, there would be a lot of drawings/animation/photos of the Korean culture as a background. And you level up by exploring a certain area in the Korea. For the beginning, it would be to teach the alphabet level. So perhaps theres an area to choose a character and enter the game at first. And then there’s “level 1 or world 1″ where you are given a bow and arrow (the character transitions to go back in time and wearing a traditional Korean outfit [hanbok]). the character could have a story line and trying to escape guards and in order to pass that round you have to use the bow and arrow and hit the correct Korean alphabet with the English sounds. The main goal for this is to teach people different cultures, language, and to have fun.

I remember seeing this thing on youtube where a guy created a chat or something or was it in New York?... I don’t remember but in Japan or South Korea girls/anyone feel unsafe when they’re going home. And so in that chat a group of people walk together with that person so that they feel more safe. I was thinking it would be cool if there was an app like that but I do have some red flags/questions of how do we know he/she/they are not a psychopath or can we trust this person? So, i’m not sure how to incorporate that. Perhaps have people take a mini test that gives red flags about someone if they are suitable for the role and decide whether they are allowed to walk someone home?? Not sure how to go about this idea.

Another idea is having drones send out packages? I’m not sure if it’s even possible yet but it would be so cool to build upon this idea. Some people may not feel safe delivering packages anymore so what if there were drones to help people send out packages. And I do think this may take away some jobs, but what if we had people working as backup in case something breaks down, emergency landings?? or maybe if someone stole the package. I’m not sure but it would be cool to create a design for this idea.

Additionally, there’s my idea of creating a design for flying cars. Maybe I’m thinking too ahead for our time. But it would be so cool if we one day have the capabilities to ride a flying car?? spaceship? I don’t know. But it would be cool if the design had a system so that it can tell passengers when a flying bus service is coming? or where they are at? and a map of where they can go. It would be nice if they can order online for a flying ticket?

I was also thinking about electric vehicles. And what if we had an app that indicates where all the electric chargers are? and have people pinpoint certain areas that they believe should have a charger to promote more uses or electric vehicles? Not sure, but just a random idea.

Perhaps an app that gives you daily doses of (pills?) happy thoughts? I was thinking of the issue of mental health and how important it is. Maybe have happy thoughts and have an area to listen to peaceful music? I was also thinking about incorporating horoscopes, but not sure if it will fit. Or maybe have an app that’s informative about mental health?? Make it an interaction app? Where people can find more about it ? Or maybe turn it into a game where you defeat monsters that are mental health issues?

Maybe have an app to inform about the injustices going on in their community and how to combat that as a whole community?? This relates to the BLM movements and I also feel like a lot of Asians have become targets and should be taken note by the community. Perhaps have a donation box to communities that need help?

What if there’s an app that allows you to easily rent out a space for your event? My idea is similar to airbnb but it’s targeted more for people who are looking to rent out a place for a party?? or maybe have people who coordinate parties find places easier. I’m not sure if they have anything like this, but I was thinking about it... Or perhaps rent our your car?? Maybe for those who bought a car or have several but don’t use it, they can let others rent their car??? I don’t know haha, I guess that would be similar to Uber but instead of having someone drive the car, you’re driving it.

Or maybe an app where you can specifically donate or sell your old books?? I know I have a lot of books that I don’t read and want to get rid of. So maybe if there’s something like that it can be used for a better purpose.

Maybe a travel app? A place for people to talk about the best places to visit or even have a tour guide so you don’t get lost. I was thinking a bit of an airbnb style mixed with bookings.com and yelp.

Perhaps have an app to help small businesses in the community? An app to search up what to order for food near you or locally. And for the businesses to deliver locally themselves so they get all the profit for the food/tips. I was thinking they can promote themselves for free and only if they want to be promoted more or be on the top list they can be charged a bit? I don’t know, just a thought. I guess this is basically an Ubereats idea, but rather than charging the businesses on the delivery fee, they don’t get that? And have the ability to do that for free??? Or maybe have something similar to Postmates but when it comes to employing people as a driver for delivery, they have to pass certain requirements and not be subcontractors? I think that’s the right term, but basically so that you make sure the driver isn’t a crazy person and so that they are paid equally? I’m not really sure how much drivers get paid but I think it’s not that much??? If we consider gas and everything and the fact that anyone can become your driver, I think there should be requirements.

Anyways, thank you for reading my random app ideas. All these are literally random thoughts and ideas I’m having. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions.

#app ideas #random #thoughts

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mantrabay · 4 years

Text

A Little Known Shortcut.

Wandering the roads. It has me under a spell.

Even when prickly brambles

scrape my eyelids or those bony ankles are being twisted by tooth like stones. The angular sort clustered mischievously among the green shoots that litter every footpath.

They lie in wait, in ambush.

It goes with the territory for this seasoned footman.

Meandering landscapes are house and home to the spiral lanes and clover clad hills that are rife in my area.

Their rustic heritage sometimes sacrificed to the orphanage of malleable motives.

Crop farmers obsessed with bountiful harvest.

A restless developer pushing the limits of an urban jungle.

Fellow traveller in league with fugitives from the cockpit.

The pressure cooker of modern life.

The town dweller with split loyalties who clings to the tumult of the city but hankers after some rural idyll.

Culprits one and all.

A lair from the hubbub.

Dwellings of the quaintest kind huddle together like dots in a matrix separated only by a minuscule space.

The more alluring aspects of tradition have been preserved.

Among these are shortcuts or bypasses.

Those sequestered passages that shave miles off for the perennial rambler or clueless hitchhiker.

The eye becomes a lense to all these

things hidden or supposedly hidden.

Human vision as sensor to magic trails.

Those tucked away secret spots beloved of local wiseacres.

They festoon the sprawling countryside at random.

My name is Eric Spring.

Anthea, my partner a transcendental meditation teacher retired early at an early age.

Her withdrawal from work was never meant to be permanent.

A final decision hinged on Anthea's ability to purge that fiendish veil of sadness that had been shadowing her.

There were several obstacles in her path but they weren’t insurmountable.

Thoughts of Anthea in her halcyon days haunted me.

Mental pictures of a vibrant woman imbued with passion.

Poignant evocative heart-tugging images.

Bar excursions into town my station is that of Anthea’s carer.

This eternally stoic woman is mindful of her mental boundaries and the abyss concealed by each of them.

But she is not prone to self-hate or abuse. The more lethal plagues of the psyche hadn't yet impacted on her.

Anthea was groping for exits but hadn’t found the signs.

She remains housebound as I embark on those age defying treks into town.

We keep in touch by mobile phone.

A very angelic sensitive looking person is she.

Reminiscent of a Sunday Times editor.

The accent filters every noun and stresses every nuance.

Like the sounds from an early morning orchard.

Anthea's job became monotonous and her other pursuits painting and writing fled without trace.

A budding artist’s most dreaded syndromes struck.

Writer's block. Artistic vacuum.

The wellspring of her imagination now devoid of those inspiring flashes that sustain creative impulse.

She had few outlets bar my care and a lady called Fidelma who had the edge on me with regard to local knowledge. I longed to hear Anthea's voice on my device.

Her hypnotic voice bridges gaps.

You feel close even when speaking to her from a distance.

I love the walks and savouring all those pivot points of folklore.

I pride myself on my intimate knowledge of every branch strewn rivulet, stream and layered rock formation.

My links to the environment are almost erotic as I crave it's sensual touch.

At times I enter a tranquil zone where the shutters are drawn.

Just myself and all those habitats.

“Hello Eric? Lost in thought again.

How is anthea these days?

I spoke to her over the phone a few days ago.

I sometimes drop in on her when you are out.”

Fidelma speaking with that chirping red robin voice of hers.

She had this penchant for suddenly appearing like an archaeological site.

And she vanished just as quickly leaving the person she spoke to scrambling to process her asides and insights before they disappeared.

Neighbour, friend, root and branch archivist whose grasp of detail was legendary.

“She seems to be coping.” I said.

“Glad to hear that. Maybe I can pay a flying visit some time soon.

But aren't you a foolish man to be imposing all those Olympic Marathons on yourself?”

Fidelma about to share one of her treasured nuggets.

“I love walking but any tips?”

Spring enquired naively as events soon demonstrated.

“There’s a shortcut…..a little known shortcut.

People in the know recommend it though I have never actually used it myself.

Maybe I will one day.

See, it's on the right hand side up the road there.

Think it might be useful when you want to get home in a hurry.” She concluded.

Fidelma in advanced middle age was still sprightly and youthful in her ways.

I missed a text from anthea and Fidelma noticed.

“Yes. I have one of those gadgets too.

Keeps me connected.

Took me awhile to master it.

Wish there was a shortcut for that.

But I'll best be on my way.

Take good care whatever the route.”

As always having spoken to Fidelma I wondered about in a trance.

Another colourful aspect of Fidelma’s personality was her “Banana Skin Syndrome.”

She could lose her balance betimes when enthusing about a topic or when she stumbled on an area that fascinated her.

The feet were a little wobbly.

All this against her philosophy about how interconnected everything is.

The mind is an antenna sending out signals to others was a frequent broadside of hers.

Even when Fidelma said very little she always had this magnetic effect on others.

Those terse one liners could trigger an avalanche in the mind.

Her thin phrases were always shrouded in a well crafted poetic meter.

It was in the tone, gestures and body language.

Those beady yet expressive eyes scanning her environment like a radar screen.

A cascade of images and sound bytes ensued when she left.

Several hours passed as my mind was in overdrive like a central processing unit.

I heard this inner voice telling me to explore this “shortcut.”

Having texted Anthea I then proceeded to this offshoot of a lane.

It was going to lighten the journey of this slope and pavement plodder.

Off I went down this quaint country shortcut.

Nothing out of the ordinary to begin with until Anthea rang.

“Gnawing feeling of sadness.

My mind is a dark blue canvass at the moment.”

Her lilting twang mingling with the song birds at the start of my downward journey.

I sensed this was urgent and started to walk quickly.

That's when problems arose.

Just a plain country passage with a primarily flat surface at this point.

There were houses on each side and some weeds strewn and partially mangled, turned to mulch by wild and indiscriminate boots.

Strange feelings welled up within me as I felt like a geyser at yellowstone.

The puff and splutter of tractors in nearby fields as furrows, the epicenter of future yields were turned.

Scarecrows were strategically perched in the meadow behind the right hand hedge to ward off some menace or other.

Something told me to relate my surroundings to Anthea.

If only to divert attention from an impending gloom.

Those barely audible inner prompts again.

“Eric, I don't want to pressurise you but at the moment I feel this dark cloud.”

Eric paused.

It then occurred to me that I was engulfed by dark foreboding clouds in tandem with a rising rainbow like haze.

As Anthea continued her disorders seemed to be complemented by external threats of rain intermingled with sunshine.

“I feel, Eric there is a radiance trying to break through.

Just to see you … your presence is a light which I could focus on.”

Then I realised that speed was of the essence.

That's when I could have panicked.

Anthea’s voice seemed louder, but also more lyrical as I realised this obscure

overlooked route could have done with some restoration!

Tufts of grass oozing slime.

Mounds of mud with pockets of oil stained water.

The briars were a shock team that endangered every part of the human body.

I was conveying all this to anthea as I was trying to dash at my normal pace.

Oddly Anthea’s tone of desperation started to dip.

But she did appear less tense as I told her this story over the phone.

“Someone told me this is a shortcut.”

Eric said gingerly.

“Who was that ? Anthea asked.

“Fidelma. We met on the main road just a short while ago.” I responded.

“You know her a bit better than I do.”

Anthea observed. “She's going to call over one of these days I'm sure.”

By now Anthea, initially nervous was mellowing as I continued with my frantic running … and staggering commentary!

She didn’t have had much to excite her over the last five years.

But I had to be careful lest those dark brooding phases returned.

But here I was almost knee deep in tangled foliage while keeping the love of my life up to speed!

The labyrinthine outcrops and mock craters were all included.

Suddenly misfortune struck without warning.

I nearly sprained my leg as I fell face down on a grassy patch.

Sprawled awkwardly across this surface my phone went flying but I managed to catch it.

“Eric, are you ok?

I don’t mean to be a burden.

Will I get someone to meet you at the end of this lane or short cut.”

Anthea again.

“I'm fine, Anthea.”

Eric said before slowly rising.

I kept detailing my observations and Anthea was reacting positively.

But I made it eventually with the sounds of the road as guide.

The temperatures continued to rise causing perspiration.

Peering thru the maze of entwined growths I saw … Fidelma.

“Where did you spring from?” Eric punning his own name.

“Fidelma ...you fell too.” A question that might have appeared tactless.

She was getting up, having fallen when taking her bearings it seems.

“Fidelma …. thanks but no thanks.

The shortcut.” I said.

“You are shivering.” She observed.

“I am. Spring responded.

“Got to get to Anthea because she might be in need of help.” Spring continued.

We both headed for my house as quickly as possible.

But it wasn’t far.

I texted Anthea and she answered by saying she had every reason to speak to me.

One wondered what that might be.

My face whitened.

Fidelma and I soon reached the house where I lived.

Eric pressed the doorbell as his heart pounded.

The door opened suddenly and we couldn't believe what we saw.

“Anthea, is that you?

I haven't seen you smile like that in years.”

I said.

Fidelma and I were perplexed to say the least.

“It’s early days yet but those locusts of darkness hopping around in my head maybe dwindling.

Those creative juices returned when I sensed your anxiety down the lane because I didn't want two sick people in this house.

But you brought splashes of vivid colour into my drawing room.

I could almost smell the rustic fragrance of every wilting petal and the creaking of every twig.

You set a whole cycle in train.”

Anthea then showed me two items she was working on.

“I have started a rough sketch of the lane you detailed and a short story.

There's been a sea change.” She said.

“Oh I wonder what I'll call this sketch and that short story?

Any ideas?” Anthea enquired.

Fidelma and I looked at each other and spoke almost in unison.

“I think we both have a fair idea what they both might be called.

Your story included.”

A little known shortcut indeed!

Photograph and short story copyright protected

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theawkwardterrier · 4 years

Text

things left behind and the things that are ahead, ch. 41

AO3 link here

Although it doesn’t exactly happen often, Tony isn’t taken totally by surprise when his uncle Steve calls and says that he’ll be in the city next week and would like to have lunch. Steve makes it up to New York every few months to visit Rose or Bucky and Layla, to spend time with Maria. Sometimes he comes through on his way to visit Her Honor and family in Boston or on the way home again. He and Tony are more likely to see each other at bigger group occasions like holidays and celebrations (or funerals, though Tony puts that out of his mind; his mom still lives on her own, takes elegant care of herself, and is spry and sharp as hell despite being past her eightieth birthday) but Steve’s always been a family man, committed to keeping in touch with everyone. Tony and Pepper just received a hand-illustrated card from him on their anniversary a couple weeks back, and the one he sent Jude, decorated with multicolored trumpeting elephants, still has nightstand pride of place even though most of the actual birthday presents have been relegated back to the toy chest.

He tells Steve this as they sit down to lunch together in the cafe on the ground floor of the Stark Industries building, and it actually brings out a smile. Ruby and Trent from VR are passing by the table and double take seeing it, both automatically smiling back. It’s on the tip of Tony’s tongue to say something about how ol’ Steve’s still got it, but that’s a particular sort of smart remark that belongs to a time before Peggy passed.

(Although it’s been several years now, no one has even suggested that Steve look for some companionship or try one of those senior dating sites. The man talks about filling his days with gardening and book club and volunteering, regularly spending time with Emma and Nate and whichever of the grandkids and great-grandkids live locally, but he doesn’t or maybe can’t hide the crater left without his wife by his side. When Tony pictures Steve in the Maryland house these days, he has to stop because he somehow always imagines a single plate at the kitchen table and a tick-tick-ticking in the background: the hallway grandfather clock that he can’t remember ever actually paying attention to, overwhelmed as it always has been by conversation during family gatherings hosted there. The whole thing makes him sad as hell.)

As they start in on their first course, a butternut squash bisque - yes, there’s a first course; this place is damn classy - Steve asks about Tony’s kids, and he’s only too happy to whip out his phone and show off pictures (and then video, but who’s keeping score?) first of Jude all dressed up as a chef in the When We Grow Up-themed kindergarten end of year play, then of AJ’s science fair display, zooming in on all the aspects including the bright blue second place ribbon. He even shows off Morgan’s latest choice for their two-person book club, which he has in ebook and audio. The whole time, Steve watches him with a strange sort of expression, clearly taking in the information, asking questions, smiling at Tony’s stories, but with some odd barrier up.

“It’s Wednesday,” Tony mentions as they take the first bites from their slices of cake. “If you can stick around until 3:30, I’m sure they’d love to see you.”

He’s continued the tradition from his youth, bringing his own kids into the office at least once a week starting even before they could walk. Those are some of his best childhood memories, sitting on lab stools with his father and brainstorming ways to make interesting explosions, his feet dangling two feet above the floor, having his dad look over at him in meetings and say, “So, what do you think, Tony?” Walking home, lunch bag swinging, his small hand clasped in a larger one to help him safely across the streets, waving to Jarvis as they went upstairs to build block towers together. Sometimes he’d do his homework when there was paperwork to take care of, and it was always a laugh to ask for help with history or French (“Call me when you’re learning about Newton or Tesla,” Dad used to protest. “And don’t even tell your mother that you asked me about anything in French.”) He hopes that he’s passing on the same type of memories.

“I think we should see how today goes,” says Steve. He smiles again and Tony wants to squint at it, hold it beneath the microscope, it’s such a complicated looking thing: that pure, good-hearted happiness, but with pain and nostalgia and something that might be doubt quirking at the edges. Not entirely unusual for him over the last few years, but Tony’s starting to suspect that Uncle Steve has more secrets than just the Captain America thing and that he might be about to find one out.

The Captain America thing: even though it’s put to bed now, if Tony thinks about it, he can still feel the...not even irritation, but hurt, from when he’d found out.

It had been Pepper who started it, after they’d dated for a bit, when he’d suggested starting to bring her to family things. She’d met his parents, the Barnses, Steve and Peggy and their kids, at various functions or at the office over the years, but when it had been time to introduce her as his girlfriend, she’d wanted to prepare. She’d asked questions and gathered information, profiled everyone, and the more she’d delved, the fewer answers he’d realized he had. He remembered that Peggy and Steve got together five years or so after the war, but had also grown up hearing their stories - and Bucky’s, and his dad’s - from working together during the war. He could trace Howard and Peggy between the SSR and forming SHIELD, but Steve and Bucky were completely off the map.

Finally, on the Fourth of July, after he’d had a couple of drinks and watched Peggy kiss Steve’s cheek and hand him a cupcake with a single candle, the way she did each Independence Day Tony had been with them for no reason he could fathom, he’d just asked. His mother had placed a hand on his arm, and Peggy said, “Ah.” But he’d watched Steve, took in the way he’d leaned forward and clasped his hands together before he said, “Listen, Tony.”

When the words were finally in the charcoal-scented air around them, he wasn’t exactly surprised by them, they added up, but he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t been told. It had grown even worse when he’d cornered Drea asking about it and she’d said that her father had sat them down and told them all decades before, while Tony was still in high school, and that Tony hadn’t been a part of that. As if everyone had just decided that they didn’t need to tell him. As if there had been the whole family, knowing this, and then him, alone.

Steve claimed responsibility, apologized right. He always did: “I handled it badly. I should have told you earlier, personally. I know it made you feel excluded.” And Tony had forgiven him, had even forgiven the rest of the Carters after talking more with Drea and then the others. After he’d heard how hurt she’d been, too, finding out that her father with whom she’d shared so much had this part of his life about which she knew nothing, as if she’d barely known him; how she’d burrowed in with the information, trying to puzzle through it, come to grips with the way it changed and didn’t change her whole past. They told him the story of how Rose shattered her wine glass in the middle of the restaurant when Steve had first said it and that every time she spoke to her parents for the next month, she’d interrogate them and wind up yelling. All these years later, Emma still seemed to let the fact of it slide out of her mind. Her life is picket fences and politics, and it is as if she doesn't want it to sink in, this other and simultaneous identity of her father.

(Tony’s actually seen Nate bring it up casually - “Oh, is that the time when you and the Commandos were in France?” or asking about growing up with a host of chronic conditions - but there are plenty of reasons why Nate Carter and Tony are different and that’s just one.)

Even though the splinter of the secret has been removed, healed over, there’s still an odd reminder of it, a feeling of trepidation, as he and Steve take the elevator up. He almost stops at Pepper’s floor to say hello, push off a little longer whatever might be coming, but he knows that she has a meeting, and he’ll have to handle whatever it is anyway.

The lights flip on as they walk in, and Tony absently says, “Thanks, TESLA,” as he gestures Steve over to one of the work benches. He does have an actual desk and the old computer parts he has spread out aren’t repair priorities, aren’t really anything more than something to play around with, but he has the feeling he’s going to want to do something with his hands while they get down to business.

“So,” Tony says as Steve brings over a chair, “what’s going on?”

Steve sits before he speaks. He touches the cool top of the table with the tips of his fingers. He says, very carefully, “There’s something I have to tell you.”

Ten minutes later, Tony has pushed the broken computer away and rested his hands flat on the table. “Time travel,” he says flatly. “You need help with time travel.”

“The time travel I have worked out,” Steve says, infuriatingly calm. “Or, it was worked out for me. It’s the reality hopping part in particular that I thought I’d ask you about. And I might need you to dip into the old lab storage for some Pym particles.”

“Pym—” Tony starts disbelievingly, then shakes his head, adding, “And of course you want to go to Greenland,” like the teacher’s pet giving a reminder about the homework assignment.

Steve actually glances down before he forces his gaze back up. “I don’t have to go - I have the coordinates, and the land is yours - but I’d like to...It feels wrong to just send someone without any ceremony.”

“Course it does,” Tony mutters, almost laughing. It doesn’t even occur to him that Steve’s not telling the truth - Steve’s not a liar, and nowhere close to senile - but the whole thing is ridiculous. He picks up an old Starkbook and a screwdriver again, cracking open the back in rapid twists. “You’re telling me that you’re actually a version of a Steve Rogers from another reality who traveled back in time seventy years ago, that the original Steve Rogers is still frozen in an iceberg while you lived an entire life, fiddled around with the timeline, and now you need to pop back over to where you came from for what? A quick chat? Sunday dinner?”

“To say goodbye.” Steve doesn’t say it as an admonishment. His words are quiet, almost internal. “I have people there who meant a lot to me, who mean a lot to me, and even if I’ve run into versions of them here, accidentally or on purpose, it’s not the same. They deserve to know what happened.” He doesn’t even meet Tony’s eye. Tony somehow feels chastised anyway. He swallows.

“Who knows about this?” he asks, a little more softly this time.

“Bucky knows some of what might have happened.” Tony almost starts to demand what exactly the some of it might be, but then Steve adds, “Your father knew that I’d come back. I’m not sure whether he told your mother.”

Tony twists the screwdriver hard enough that he almost strips the screw. “Seventy years ago, you showed up and told my dad you’d come from another time, but what, you didn’t trust him enough to tell him more than that?” His voice drops, fierce and low, as the next screw is released too quickly and with too much force, pinging off the table and getting lost beneath. “As if the two of you were perfect, as if you could be objective about everything, take care of it all. Saint Steve and Blessed Peggy. It must have been you and her, you would have told her everything so she could have worked it from the inside—”

Steve barks, “Tony,” suddenly on his feet, and it occurs to Tony that Steve might actually be able to beat him up, despite being...God, he can’t even track how old at this point, but certainly old enough for it to be embarrassing.

“Don’t talk about Peggy like that.” Steve’s voice is softer now but bitten to the quick. “I know I’ve just put a lot on you, and you can yell at me all you want for being arrogant or dishonest, whatever you’d like, but just...Not about her, alright?”

Aunt Peg would have given him that quiet, cold, imperious look if she were with them now. Tony pushes back on his heels thinking of it. And if his dad were here...he’d probably say that he trusted Steve and Peggy and didn’t trust himself enough to know these things. There had never been any sign that Howard Stark had been unfaithful in his marriage, and Tony hopes that his mother would have left if there had been, but Tony remembers the unconscious, appreciative way his father’s eyes would follow a pretty woman across the room at a party, his head turning quickly there and back again in the street, a habit he couldn’t seem to break, like his cigars and his whiskey, all those late nights, those flares of temper. If you couldn’t avoid those little weaknesses, you couldn’t let yourself be in charge of knowing the future, much less changing it.

“Wait,” says Tony, something catching up with him, snagging in his throat. “Wait. Why wouldn’t you have warned him about the heart attack? If you knew, if you’d already been changing stuff, why didn’t you tell him to go to a doctor, get imaging, just eat better, shit.”

“There are things,” says Steve, “that even I don’t know. I didn’t know that he would die that way, Tony, I swear. The first...In the other timeline, he died earlier, and differently.” He slides his hands into his pockets, and the quiet strength of him is obvious as he meets Tony’s eyes instead of glancing away. “But I did tell him to eat better anyway.”

Steve had been a statue at the funeral, Tony remembers that. He’d thought that it was because of the suddenness, Howard grappling to host that year’s Thanksgiving dinner one minute and gone the next, or because the guys from the war had started to pass recently and it hurt to see your old friends going, the ones who had been there for so long, who held your youth, shared your memories. Later, he’d even wondered if Steve had held himself so still and silent because Tony was trembling and needed someone to lean on; Steve had certainly let him do that, no matter what else was going on. But now he peers differently at the memory of the tight clutch of Steve and Peggy’s hands, the way Steve had said, “I’m so sorry, Tony,” at the graveside, not only condolence but apology - he sees the guilt in it now, the burden.

Tony hooks a chair with his foot and drops into it. “Okay,” he says, scrubbing both palms over his face. “Okay. Tell me what you can.”

And as Steve begins to speak, he starts to understand not only how deep this one man’s collapse might have been but how deep the world’s too. War and the lightly done destruction of the planet, Bucky taken and tortured, Hydra - Hydra, which was from history textbooks, which was a sidebar in history textbooks - beneath everything, and then...

“Half the universe,” he says, turning over the words in his mouth. A minute ago he didn’t even know for sure that there was more than their little corner to consider (and he definitely has a few more questions for Steve about aliens). Now he tries to picture individual blades of grass on other planets, all the disappeared foxes and ferns and pets and coral, animals he doesn’t know and can’t describe. The people, even if he might not recognize them as such right away. The parents and children.

For just a second he imagines Pepper and their kids, the idea of one or two or three or all of them disappearing, but has to cut off even the conjured thought; the shrapnel gasp of it is too much and he rubs his knuckles over his chest to try to erase the horror of it. He tries to think through just the logistics of it all: what if he’d gone and after three years or four Pep had married someone else? Who was she really married to and who was she expected to divorce? What if someone adopted your kids? Jesus, the therapists would have full schedules if nothing else, because even if it was reversed, it had happened. Somewhere out there, all that had happened.

He shakes his head, twitchy. “Even with what you came back knowing, how could you be sure that the strings you were pulling on were the right ones, the ones that would help things?”

Steve gives a single-beat laugh. “I’ve spent nearly twice your lifetime wondering.” He shifts his body and the light - not the bright lab fixtures but that high, brilliant sun coming through the windows, a reminder that it is still only midafternoon - edges onto his face just so, revealing the sharp cut of time landscaping his cheeks and forehead, running beside his eyes, tied tightly around his mouth.

“Peggy and I talked about it all forever. I think we did what we could, did well enough even if it sometimes didn’t seem like it. But I also think that there’s probably a world out there where we did it all better.”

“Then there’s probably a world out there where you did it worse,” Tony offers, and somehow it makes Steve smile.

“From what I’ve seen, I’d bet that there’s a version for every decision you can imagine. One where I didn’t go back, or one where I went back and only told Peggy where to look in the ice but didn’t stay. One where I never went into the ice at all. One where I died as a kid, or from the serum, or in the war, or during the crash. A whole bunch, probably, where Dr. Erskine decided to give Peggy the serum instead.” His voice grows quiet; he seems to hold the words close. “One where she wore blue to our wedding instead of white, and one where she wore red. One where she became president, and one where she decided she’d finished with meetings and went back to being an agent. One where we decided not to have any kids, and one where she was able to carry them, and one where we adopted some other kids who some other me loves just as much as I do mine.”

They sit in silence for a moment, then: “Have you told them about this?” Tony asks. “Will you?”

A sigh, and Tony remembers with a strange, electric chill that this man - Uncle Steve, Grant Carter, Captain America, Steve Rogers - this man will one day die, lifetime strung against lifetime finally at an end.

“Your life,” Steve says, “turned out in many ways the same. Here or there: smart and wealthy, philanthropist, father. I can’t say for certain that it would be the same for my kids. And I know that they’re strong people, and I hope that I’ve helped them find solid foundations, but I don’t know that I can torture them with the idea of what might have been, of what might be, somewhere out there.”

Tony thinks suddenly of standing with Rose at some family thing, probably three or four years back. He’d asked if she ever considered what might have been if she’d been made a judge. Fairly insensitive, he realized now - it had been pretty soon after they’d found out that Drea had been on the shortlist to replace Justice Ginsburg - but Rose had just cackled gleefully. He remembers turning his head at the sound: her mother was already dying - truly dying, not only the sort that starts the day someone is born - and it had been a while since he’d heard one of the Carters laugh freely like that. Her eyes had a delighted razor’s edge to them, and he’d sort of understood how opposing counsel must feel when Rose Carter showed up for a meeting.

“They’d have to have stopped caring about judges keeping any claim to objectivity,” she had said. “But think of how I’d run my courtroom, all those acidic opinions I could write!” She’d cackled again. “Imagine that sort of alternate universe.”

One part of Tony, a part that sounds quite a lot like Steve himself, considers rigorous honesty, the lies by kind omission that can poison things just as easily as those meant maliciously. But another part, the side of him that sneaks dollar bills beneath the pillow for each lost tooth, that smooths sweaty, rumpled hair and says, “I’m here, don’t worry, I’ll always be here” during storms or after nightmares, the part that hesitated before placing Morgan, not yet two weeks old, into Steve’s arms, even as he felt that he might remember being held securely there himself, the part of him that’s a parent...that part understands.

She’ll turn seventy in a couple of years, Rose Carter. What purpose will it serve to tell her this, to have her wonder not only about worlds where she might have been a judge, but those where she never became a lawyer, never found her career or her family, where she might have been raised by people with different ideas about how to handle an incandescently angry child or a young woman who had no interest in romance, worlds where she was never taken in at all? What need is there to tell her, to tell all the Carters, if it meant turning those thoughts from something coming across the brain for a second, easily brushed aside, to true possibilities, if not for them than for some other version out there?

Finding out that their father had once upon a time gone by another name, that he had been more than the average soldier during the war, those things might require some adjustment, but this life, their life together, their memories, remained largely the same. This could turn the entire universe to quicksand.

Tony clears his throat. “I’m guessing whatever—” He waves a hand. “Your supersuit, or your time machine, the TARDIS...it’s not with you here?”

“No,” says Steve. “I didn’t want it to get misplaced on the train.”

As if it’s just another piece of luggage and he didn’t want to set them up for some sort of hijinks. “Okay, well, I’m coming down to meet with the NSF in a couple of weeks. I’ll swing by to take a look then.”

“Thank you. That sound goo—”

Steve is cut off by TESLA’s voice, bright and warm and synthetic. “Reminder: it is 3:20. Please cease working and prepare to greet the children.”

“I can go before they get here,” Steve offers, standing.

“What, you’re gonna scale the side of the building, old man?” The words arrive without Tony thinking about them. Even as he has a sense of unreality, trying to let himself have both the life he did two hours ago and this new concept of everything, he shrugs into the familiarly smart remark like an old coat that turns out to still fit.

Tony stands too, comes closer, places a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I told you, the kids’ll love to see you.”

“Alright,” and even though it sounds a little shaky and sad, Steve’s smile looks real.

As TESLA reports that the kids are in the elevator on the way up, accompanied by their babysitter, Pepper’s niece Callie, Tony thinks to ask, “How did you know that I’d help you?”

Steve’s smile turns deeper, somehow more amused and more sad at once. “You helped me then, over there,” he says. “And you’d punched me quite a bit more than you have here.”

“Wait,” says Tony, turning toward him. “What?” But the doors open just then, Jude and AJ racing each other in, shrieking in endlessly delighted purposelessness, Mo coming more sedately after them, eyes big and observant behind those new glasses, and Tony just opens his arms to them all.

More chapters here

#Steggy #Steggy fic #Steve Rogers #Tony Stark #things left behind fic #Peggy Carter #the Carter crew #this chapter is possibly a little *unending scream*

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gamebomb04-blog · 4 years

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Vivo clinic Birmingham Reviews

just How To get Rid Of Cellulite From Your Legs, bum and Tum.

Content

What Foods reason Cellulite?

comparative study Of Cryopen as Well As liquid Nitrogen In Actinic Keratosis.

Your specialist Skin examination.

Hifu Face & Skin firm Treatments.

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We were founded in January 2017 and have developed significant expertise in temperature level controlled storage, and gas/cryo systems tools and also engineering. We're based down on Cardiff Docks in Wales, and also have an aspiration to service clients worldwide with solutions to any type of sort of cryogenic or storage problems. The clinical literature has numerous reports of varying cryogenic freezing technics. Additionally, the density, place as well as hydration of the target cells can influence results.

Does dry brushing help cellulite?

Dry brushing can help get rid of dead skin cells and stimulate blood flow, but there's no scientific evidence that it reduces or eliminates cellulite. If you're looking to diminish the appearance of cellulite, there are a number of other treatments that are more effective at reducing cellulite than dry brushing.

Skin that feels and look plumped and also rejuvenated-- all within an issue of minutes. " Whether cryotherapy is used on the body or face, it provokes vasoconstriction-- a reduction of the blood vessel size," clarifies Dr. Yannis Alexandrides, surgeon and also owner of 111 Skin. This restriction can prompt a large selection of benefits, including discomfort alleviation, muscle recovery as well as stronger skin.

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What Foods reason Cellulite?

Our initial product, released in 1985, was the Cryostream cooler, which revolutionised the process of reduced temperature level information collection in X-ray diffraction. Today, the business has a broad series of items aimed at low temperature information collection, from open flow coolers for single crystal diffraction to flat-plate chambers for powder diffraction. It's stated that an excellent dose of sunlight is good for your body and also with this innovation the light waves your skin is subjected to together with the cool temperature level has numerous benefits for your consumers. More DetailsWith over 40 years experience of collaborating with clinical as well as rehabilitation gadgets, our company believe we are able to offer the most effective degree of service in the marketplace. With all the current test devices as well as using up to day solution requirements, we can ensure your devices are operating properly as well as efficiently. SiVL is a phrase for Super insulated Vacuum Lines, essentially a sort of thermos flask yet in tubular kind.

Cryo Health provide a complete choice of cryotherapy treatments from our Brentwood center. You can locate details on what you can get out of your cryotherapy experience and the treatments readily available making use of the links below.

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ENERGETIC Cryofacial therapy is a cryogenic therapy utilizing a local cryotherapy equipment to use ultra-cooled Nitrogen gas to the targeted body location i.e. face, scalp and neck. Pressurised liquid nitrogen vapours are carefully blown over the surface area of the scalp, face and also neck. The look of the face is improved instantly as pores diminish and also facial inflammation and also "puffiness" are decreased, reduction of lines, creases, acne. The skin comes to be tighter, a lot more even-toned, and blood flow is enhanced. Over time, the skin of the face gains back flexibility due to the increase in collagen manufacturing which reinforces the skin, hair and also nails along with getting rid of & purging away toxins. ENERGETIC Cryofacials can also be utilized to treat inflammatory skin conditions consisting of acne, psoriasis, eczema and also rosacea.

Liquid Cryo provides a highly concentrated cold for a successful therapy. Our cryosurgical devices are furnished with a particular fluid gas application applicator. The driver can manage the release of sufficient liquid N2O to deal with sores without wasting gas. With a temperature of -89 ° C/ -128 ° F the fluid gas is evaporating on the lesion. A freeze thaw freeze method is advised to achieve maximum results. This process causes the cells of the cells to be damaged due to the cell membrane layer fracturing therefore of ice crystal formation within the cell. With the Cyro 21 tools these fat cells are targeted by producing a thermal shock that decreases the surface temperature level as well as completely removes the fat cells using a procedure called "apoptosis".

comparative research Of Cryopen and Also liquid Nitrogen In Actinic Keratosis.

Fat freezing toning Herefordshire from Lipo-Sculpt .

The Cryo Ball is offered you by Cryo Express and also is distributed from our centre in the UK. This ball of wonder supplies all the benefits of a traditional self myo-fascial release in combination with cryotherapy. It will certainly reduce inflammation, pain as well as swelling and the benefits can be really felt quickly. These 2 forms of treatment permits details therapy on any type of area of the body.

Hifu Face & Skin tightening Treatments.

If the liquid nitrogen is at -180 or two in the storage vessel, it requires to be delivered at -180 at the factor of use. An SiVL pipework system does just that, securing the fluid gas from warm and warmth as well as minimising the boil-off, providing cold liquid nitrogen to your biobanks, cryostats, or experiments.

How long does it take to get rid of cellulite?

Several studies and researches done on cellulite show that if treated in a proper way it takes around 15-30 days to go away.

The tool is electrically sustained to ensure the cold air within the chamber is dry, not wet. There is a big distinction between both the therapy as well as experience in a completely dry chamber, integrated to a damp one.

This set cell fatality occurs normally in the body at all times, the treatment with Cyro 21 merely speeds up this procedure to get the immediate results consumers need. Cryotherapy essentially suggests cool treatment as well as it is anything yet brand-new. First use cold therapy goes as much back as 2500 BCE when the Egyptians used it to deal with injuries as well as inflammation.

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Invite to Cryo Health, we provide a series of entire body cryotherapy therapies to aid healing, handle pain, improve sports efficiency as well as provide a whole range of beauty as well as anti-ageing benefits. This makes it possible for a quick decline in surface skin temperature, while preserving the capacity to operate throughout the day. Unlike various other cooling down techniques, such as contact air conditioning, cryogen spray or ice packs, the Cryo 6 reduces the skin temperature quicker, with much less risk of skin burns and maintains a constant dosage throughout the whole treatment time. According to Ada Ooi, facialist and also founder of 001 Skin care, cryotherapy may be able to supply a visible increase to the skin's surface area, from the inside out. " Cryotherapy uses sub-zero temperature level to offer a cool shock to the skin, which will send fresher blood to the targeted location," she clarifies. " Even more blood suggests more oxygen, as well as a richer nutrient distribution, which flushes away toxins and also lowers water retention." The result?

Your body's body immune system will certainly after that normally refine the fat and eliminate dead cells as well as you can experience as much as a 40% reduction of fat cells in the treated location which will subsequently cause a decrease of the fat layer density. Whether you choose to submerse your whole body into minus 85 levels or our rejuvenating cleansed air facial treatment you will certainly experience the power of cold like never ever in the past. At-home alternatives are plentiful when it concerns icy devices as well as therapies.

As facialists look for to prolong their powers past the hair salon, numerous have introduced at-home products. Available at Harvey Nichols, the brand's special Cryo Maker uses a stick that requires -30 level air on the face.

But if the biopsy reveals some locations to be extremely slow-growing, these may not be treated.

Mottet N, Bellmunt J, Briers E, Van den Bergh RCN, Bolla M, Van Casteren NJ, et al

You'll have a catheter to drain pee from your bladder up until the swelling has actually gone, usually for approximately a week after therapy.

These will certainly impact each guy in different ways, and you might not get every one of them.

University University London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Fund; 2014.

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Whole-prostate HIFU deals with the entire of the prostate and takes around 3 hrs.

" This constricts the muscle mass, lifting and firming their look while relaxing inflammation, lowering pore dimension and sebum production," clarifies Alexandrides. While it's definitely a less relaxing experience than a massage therapy with a physical ice roller, the much deeper penetration is claimed to supply greater than surface-level benefits, tightening the skin on a reduced degree. Now, just like other alternative treatments-- believe gua sha and also acupuncture-- cryotherapy has been fine-tuned right into facial treatments, designed to function specifically on our complexions. Our specifically developed applicator specifically targets particular body areas with reduced- frequency sound waves. https://southampton.lipo-sculpt.co.uk/ and also shakes the layer of fat cells listed below the skin's surface area. It incorporates home heating as well as cooling down to safely and successfully remove fat cells.

Does sitting cause cellulite?

Prolonged periods of sitting are thought to reduce blood flow and cause these changes in areas prone to cellulite.

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A cryo chamber is not a medical device as well as needs to not be taken into consideration a clinical tool. Dependence on any kind of details showing up on this site is solely at your very own risk. This decrease in temperature level will after that start to ice up the fat cells in the targeted location without creating any kind of damage to your skin.

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The info, consisting of but not limited to, text, graphics, pictures as well as various other product contained on this web site are for informational objectives just. The objective of this site is to advertise broad consumer understanding as well as understanding of cryotherapy. It is not meant to be a substitute for expert clinical suggestions. Cryotherapy is not suggested as a kind of treatment for any disease or illness without direction from your healthcare specialist.

Contemporary cryotherapy can be mapped to 1989 in Japan where Professor Yamauchi used a chamber to treat the effects of rheumatism in his individuals. Today, Whole Body Cryotherapy is made use of by best clubs and also professional athletes throughout the globe to improve the after sporting activities healing, reduce swelling as well as stop injuries. Additionally, cryotherapy has actually demonstrated to likewise have anti-analgesic, anti-oxidant impacts as well as enhance blood circulation, mood and rest, speed up the metabolism, strengthen the body immune system as well as rejuvenate the skin.

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jeanettewatkins-blog · 5 years

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Plumbing Installation Companies West End Vancouver

Almost everyone has got their own opinion in relation to drain cleaning services.

Pioneer Plumbing has built a reputation of honesty with our long time returning customers. We’ve found that “doing the right thing” in all aspects of our company has brought us to where we are today, and will continue to guide us into the future. Don’t hesitate to call and ask us any plumbing, heating, ventilation, or gas related questions. Chances are if you have a tricky issue, we can solve it.

We have a few goals for our clients. One is to be available for you. It is very uncommon that when you call us we are unable to make it within the same day. We give our repeat customers priority service so if you’ve used us before and you have an emergency, we are going to do what we need to, to get someone there.

Two is to be upfront and honest. From our quotes to our service techs on site, we don’t like to beat around the bush. We will let you know our concerns, our recommendations, and our opinions on how we would handle each situation as if it were our own residence where the problem occurred. We won’t tell you the job is only a 2 hour repair when we have had situations where it turned into an all day repair.

Three is to stand behind our installations and repairs. With mechanical work, it is very common for jobs to get larger or go sideways as you get into them. If we give you a quote we will stand true to the price, if we complete a job for you and you are unhappy with the finished product, we will come back and make it right. In return, all we ask is that you communicate with our office respectfully and honestly so that we can make sure at the end of the day you are happy with our services!

So next time you have a plumbing, heating, cooling, or gas question, repair, or installation you would like quoted, give us a call! Were here to help.

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As a full-service, professional Vancouver plumbing company we can take care of all of business or home service needs, including the likes of routine maintenance, new installation, fixing leaks and any type of work in residential and commercial premises. Tap, tub or toilet… whatever it is that you require you can rely on us to send out a certified plumber to deal with it in a polite and competent fashion.

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Repair tasks can vary from minor jobs - for example a leaking faucet - to more significant ones which are, or may become, devastating. Our plumbers have got the tools, experience and skills to sort out any sort of problem that you run across, and they're specialists at everything from leak identification to pipework.

We can promptly take care of any type of plumbing issue which may cause concern at your home or commercial premises. For any plumbing emergencies, please call us. We have an emergency 24-7 plumber available on call and will dispatch to your premises as soon as is possible. Every day of the year 24-7, you can depend on us for speedy and patient help in an emergency. We realise how worrying plumbing related dilemmas tend to be, particularly when it's an emergency out of normal working times.

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Pioneer Plumbing is proud of its long standing reputation for top notch work. Regardless if you want to have some insulating pipe, or a new tub put in, or you require an installation or re-piping in a commercial or residential property, we have the knowledge and on-site experience to ensure all work is carried out to code.

We're regarded also as leaders in upgrading plumbing systems in old homes, something we have been working on for several years now, especially in the many beautiful houses in Vancouver's West End.

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5 Main Types of Plumbing Pipes Used in Homes

Whether hiring a plumber or taking on a do-it-yourself plumbing project, the experience can be confusing because of the choice of several types of plumbing pipes. Eventually, pipes' uses tend to blend together. Which type of pipe should be used for water supply, drainage, sewer, and even for the exterior? The answer is not as clear as it may have been in the past when the main pipes of choice were galvanized steel or cast-iron.

PEX Pipe

PEX, or cross-linked polyethylene, pipe is one of the newest and most popular pipes to hit the plumbing market. PEX is used only to supply water. PEX is a pipe that is rigid enough to withstand the pressures of water supply but flexible enough to weave throughout walls, ceilings, basements, and crawlspaces. PEX has truly delivered water-supply plumbing into the hands of do-it-yourselfers and professional plumbers.

Pros

Color-coded red for hot water and blue for cold water

Highly flexible, with 90-degree curves possible

Attaches with push-fit plumbing fittings, among other types

Inexpensive

Able to join with copper pipe

Cuts easily

Cons

Long-term capabilities untested

May leak with push-fit plumbing fittings

Cannot be recycled

PVC Pipe

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, pipe is a drain or vent line type of plumbing pipe. PVC initially gained popularity because it was lighter and easier to work with than traditional galvanized steel pipe. PVC pipe is moderately easy to install and requires little more than a hacksaw and a miter box to cut. PVC glues together with solvents.

Pros

Diameters clearly marked on the white surface of the pipe

Inexpensive and can be used for long runs such as for irrigation

Easier to work with than steel or copper

Cons

The pipe cannot be unjoined and must be cut

Glued pipes can be prone to leaking

Degrades in sunlight

Rigid Copper Pipe

Rigid copper is often used for water supply lines within the home. Rigid copper is easily cut with a hacksaw or with a special copper tube cutter. The connection is a different matter, as it requires a practiced hand to solder copper pipe together. Rigid copper pipe is great for water supply because it does not come with any health risks.

Pros

Though it is called rigid, this pipe can be slightly bent

Handles heat well

Stands up against intense pressures

Easy to recycle and waste copper pipe even has monetary value

Cons

Difficult for do-it-yourselfers to work with due to soldered connections

Expensive

Develops pinhole leaks

Inside of pipe may eventually corrode and impede water flow

ABS Pipe

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) pipe is mainly used as a vent and drain line. ABS pipe looks very much like PVC pipe, except that it is black and slightly softer.

Pros

Stronger than PVC pipes

Good for underground exterior use

Works well in cold temperatures

Cons

Often not permitted by building code

Warps and deforms at certain temperatures

Flexible Copper Pipe

Flexible copper pipe or tubing is used for final runs to water heaters, refrigerators, and some sinks. Flexible copper is used only for short runs and can be cut with ease with a hacksaw. It can be bent to fit around corners.

Pros

Fits in tight, unusually shaped areas

High heat tolerance

Cons

Expensive

Thin and prone to breaking

Galvanized Steel Pipe and Cast Iron

Two additional types of pipe are sometimes found in older homes and are infrequently installed, especially by do-it-yourselfers: steel and cast iron pipe.

Galvanized steel pipe was used for decades for drainage, water supply, gas supply, and any number of other purposes. While galvanized steel pipe is still around (particularly for gas supply) it is far less used and is never used for water supply in new construction or remodel projects. Each end of the pipe is threaded, and individual pipes are screwed into each other with connecting joints.

Cast iron pipe was often used for sewer and other drainage purposes. Cast iron pipe is still found in many homes. Cast iron pipe is viable until the point that it rusts completely through. Cast iron is very heavy and difficult to cut. Retrofits tend to replace cast iron pipe with rigid plastic pipes such as ABS.

Pros

Galvanized steel pipe has the advantage of being extremely strong.

Cons

Galvanized steel pipe eventually corrodes and blocks water flow.

Some galvanized steel pipe may pass lead into the water supply.

https://www.thespruce.com/basic-types-of-plumbing-pipes-1822487

I was shown that write-up on local plumber near me through someone on another web blog. You should set aside a second to promote this content if you appreciated it. Many thanks for taking the time to read it.

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Plumbing Installation Companies West End Vancouver

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asweethistory · 5 years

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Proust’s Madeleine Moment

Combray Breakfast Tea Ice Cream with Lime-Scented Madeleines

How Madeleines Can Trigger Memory (originally written for the Gastronomy at BU blog)

I had never heard of Proust or his madeleine before starting the Gastronomy program at BU, but his famous moment has been talked about or mentioned in almost every class I have taken thus far. In his book, In Search of Lost Time, Proust (1913) takes inspiration from his own life, turning his childhood holiday home in the Loire Valley into the fictional town of Combray, France. The moment that all food studies people, anthropologists, and others have hence talked about occurs when Proust’s narrator (never-named) is offered tea and “petites madeleines.”

Many years had elapsed during which nothing of Combray…had any existence for me, when one day in winter, on my return home, my mother, seeing that I was cold, offered me some tea, a thing I did not ordinarily take…. She sent for one of those squat, plump little cakes called "petites madeleines….” I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me…. I sensed that it was connected with the taste of the tea and the cake, but that it infinitely transcended those savours, could, no, indeed, be of the same nature….Undoubtedly what is thus palpitating in the depths of my being must be the image, the visual memory which, being linked to that taste, is trying to follow it into my conscious mind.

As soon as Proust’s character tastes the madeleine dipped in tea, he experiences an overwhelming feeling of a past time, although he can’t imminently place it. With more tastes, the memory unfolds:

The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray…when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea. The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind before I tasted it; perhaps because I had so often seen such things in the meantime, without tasting them…that their image had dissociated itself from those Combray days to take its place among others more recent; perhaps because of those memories, so long abandoned and put out of mind, nothing now survived, everything was scattered; the shapes of things, including that of the little scallop-shell of pastry, so richly sensual under its severe, religious folds…had been so long dormant as to have lost the power of expansion which would have allowed them to resume their place in my consciousness. But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring…more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.

A person’s “senses also interact with memory in the creation of foodways, as Marcel Proust showed by reconstructing and entire social world through the taste and smell of a madeleine” (Tierney and Ohnuki-Tierney 2012, 120). Proust’s character is vividly transported home through his taste experience:

And as soon as I had recognized the taste of the piece of madeleine soaked in her decoction of lime-blossom which my aunt used to give me…immediately the old grey house upon the street, where her room was, rose up like a stage set to attach itself to the little pavilion opening on to the garden which had been built out behind it for my parents….and the whole of Combray and its surroundings, taking shape and solidity, sprang into being, town and gardens alike, from my cup of tea.

Smells and tastes have the power to send people places in their past. Erdinç writes, “The smells and tastes, each time I trace them, in various phases of my own story, like the pebbles in the Hansel and Gretel story, take me home. Putting the pieces together, the picture appears as yet another rendering of the narrative of the self” (Erdinç 2001, 98). Erdinç clarifies that not all taste memories are positive and can equally appear with beloved and hated foods. The point here and that Proust made over 100 years ago is that scents and tastes hold powerful and potent connections to our past, whether that’s a figure from our childhood, a beloved home, a special trip, or an experience of commensality.

I have a culinary concept called A Sweet History in which I make ice cream flavors inspired by historic figures, events, art, etc. The point is to relay history through something accessible like everyone’s (for the most part) favorite frozen food. This long-term project has also helped me delve into stories I wouldn’t have otherwise. While on my quest of teaching others, I learn as well. I often turn my papers and projects into ice cream flavors in order to explore the subject further. Perhaps it has something to do with embodying knowledge. Even though I am not recreating traditional recipes, taking the time to cook my base, bake my mix-ins, and churn the final product allows me to think deeply about the flavor’s story. Despite not usually having a personal connection to these stories, turning the stories into a physical (and edible) product enhances their meaning. Warin and Dennis (2005) write about how Iranian female immigrants “give meaning to place and memory through the everyday practices of cooking and embroidery.” Of the senses, they write, “The senses are intertwined in a synesthetic knot in which memory is embodied and reproduced” (2005, 150). Acts of eating and cooking and creating allow for memories to resurface and be remade in a different light.

While I can’t say I’ve had as strong and similar a taste memory moment as Proust with a madeleine, here is my madeleine memory that came to mind when creating the ice cream I call “Proust’s Madeleine Moment:”

I had loved madeleine cookies for years, but I ate more that winter in France than I had in all those years combined. For four days in mid December 2015 and another four in mid January 2016, I stayed with my best friend, Rachael, in her southern-French four-story walk-up. She had two weeks off teaching English to French school children, which I took as an excuse to make a month-long vacation. Rachael was in the habit of buying jumbo bags of madeleines for only a couple euros at her local grocery store. They were cheap, but tasty and addictive. We easily ate seven in one sitting. One humid yet cool afternoon, we were sitting on the small couch in Rachael’s living room, munching on the small cakes, when her know-it-all annoying roommate interjected into our conversation. I had mentioned to Rachael that my throat had started to hurt and she offered to make a cup of tea. “What kind do you have?,” I pondered. “I think we have green,” Rachael replied, knowing that was my preferred tea of choice. Her roommate challenged her. “We only have English breakfast right now,” she said and then condescendingly, “it’s a type of black tea.” I lowered the madeleine I was holding from my lips and looked baffled at Rachael. Had her British-Canadian celiac roommate just explained to me what English breakfast tea was? Later, when it was just the two of us again with our mass-produced madeleines, we laughed and laughed. She would never know the beauty of eating soft springy madeleine after madeleine.

#marcel proust #madeleine #lime zest #breakfast tea #history #food history #ice cream #tea ice cream

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fabuloussisterofsin · 6 years

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Hana Chapter 12

Summary: More fun to go for Shinsuke and Missy in Japan. Missy really likes it here, she likes everything, but a few doubts bubble to the surface as at night out with friends gets deep.

Please like, reply, reblog, comment and send kudos! We write for you!

Note: Sorry this one is kinda short but it’s really cute so I hope that makes up for that.

Tagging: @shinnakafan384, @shinsukenaka80, @marabellechilds0805, @pikapuff316, @obeydontstray, @anglophilestymie

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14258097/chapters/36599211

Hana: Dai Suki Da Yo

Shinsuke was dressed in a black suit with a red tie, his hair up. "I see everyone!" He said excitedly. "Everyone on different brand from me."

Missy was wearing a black dress with a cherry blossom pattern, with a leather jacket and pink heels. She was coordinated and beautiful as always, she had her hair done in traditional Japanese style. "Exciting baby I can't wait to meet your friends."

They arrived in the rental car at the event. Backstage he kissed Missy sweetly. "I leave for now Hana. You stay here, I come back." He smiled. "I go be Japanese." He teased before he pecked her lips again and left her, headed for the curtain.

Akira Tozawa, Kairi Sane, Shinsuke, Asuka, and Hideo Itami all sat on the panel. All dressed up, all looking sharp. Shin talked to Asuka as they waited for the interview to begin.

Missy saw Asuka and she had to fight two feelings. Excitement because she was a huge fan of Asuka but also slightly jealous.

He turned to Kairi, whom he gave a hug. He smiled hugely at the small brunette. Missy twisted her dress wondering what was going on.

The interview began and the five chattered happily in Japanese. At one-point Miss Kiss was mentioned to Shinsuke and he smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling as he nodded and answered. Asuka giggled and patted his shoulder.

Missy had no idea what had just happened, but she heard her name and she saw Shinsuke's smile. She giggled to herself.

Her name was mentioned several more times throughout the interview. The other wrestlers mentioned her, and Shin would grin, they were seemingly teasing him about her. Missy didn’t understand the words, but she did the tone. They were teasing him about her. She twisted her dress some more she had no clue what was going on.

The interviewer asked for a group photo and they all stood, striking poses. Shin squatted to the ground like he did in the ring, one arm under him and the other in the air.

Missy smiled and giggled. HE was adorable. She couldn't help it, but she moved to the wings of the stage and smiled at him.

He left the stage with Asuka at his side. He spoke to her in japanese and motioned at Missy. She talked to him before he translated. "Asuka say she excited to finally meet Shinsuke girlfriend." He smiled. "They tease me about you. Call my King of boyfriend style."

Missy squeaked. “Hi, I’m a huge fan of you.” Missy said to her for Shinsuke to translate, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous he could talk to her more than he talked to her. In fact, they did talk but he never told her he loved her.

Shin translated to Asuka and she smiled, relayed that she was a fan of Miss Kiss too. Soon all the Japanese stars were crowded around, all wanting to say hello to Missy. Missy felt very out of place but was excited. She clung to Shinsuke though slightly scared.

The crowd thinned out and left them alone. He smiled and kissed her. "Everyone tease me for being boyfriend now." He said. Missy laughed. “oh I’m sorry am I cramping your style king?” She teased him before giving him a kiss.

He smiled against her mouth. "I don't mind!" “Mmm good.” She said kissing him as her hands moved down to grip his ass.”You certainly don’t mind when we have sex.” She teased him again.

He winked at her. "I don't mind!"

Missy giggled kind of devilishly and squeezed Shin’s ass. She kissed him again and her phone went off it was a text m Becky. “Mmmm what do you want girl.” She asked.

He took her free hand and placed it back on his ass, grinning. "What she want?"

“Ohhhh.” She eyed him and squeezed his ass again. “Well I’ll be double dipped in blue bird shit and hung on the line to dry.” She said surprised. “Becky and Sami Are dating and want us to go on a double date with them.”

Shin blinked at her several times, his face confused. "What?"

“Becky and Sami are a couple they want us to go on a double date with them.” She said, not realizing what he was confused about.

"No no got that. Bird shit?"

“Ohhhh it’s really old saying where I am from, my grandad used to say it. It means that I’m really surprised.” She blushed. “I really need to talk like a normal human around you.” She leaned over and kissed him. “So double date?”

"Yeah!" He said. "Sound like fun! Where we go?"

“Hmmm Becky says a local restaurant that sells American food and fancy stuff she sent the address. Then something about a walk through a local park cause cherry blossom trees.”

"Oh, sound fun!" Shinsuke said. "We cuter couple than them." He smiled as he took her hand, leading her to their car.

Missy laughed. “Yes, we are longer couple than them too.” She kissed him. “I love you.” She said to him as they got into the car.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it before he took the wheel. "Show me directions."

Missy got kind of quiet. “I can just plug in the phone for the GPS.” She replied to him and squeezed his hand back, but was quiet,

At the restaurant he parked the car, opened her door for her and kissed her hand. Then he opened the restaurant door for her.

Missy giggled. “and they say chivalry is dead.” Missy walked in and looked around for Becky and Sami. “okay a red head in Japan shouldn’t be hard to spot.”

"Two red heads!" He laughed. "I see them!" He took her hand and lead them to the back. He spoke to them as he pulled out her chair for her, waiting for her to sit before he slid her chair forward.

Missy smiled. “Thank you dear.” She kissed his cheek. “Hi you two! So when did this happen?”

“Oh well I finally bullied Sami into manning up and asking me out.” Becky laughed. “How goes it with you Shin? You’ve been together for a while now.”

Shinsuke winked at Becky. "He good guy. Even if married to Kevin." He teased. "We good." He smiled at Missy. "She met my Haha. I show her Japan."

Becky laughed. “I hope that he doesn’t make me fight for Sami.”

Missy laughed heartily. She reached out to take Shinsuke’s hand. “His mother likes me, she keep making jokes about us getting married and about shin getting me pregnant.”

Shin shrugged. "Haha want grandbaby. She like you. Today Asuka tease me about getting married."

Sami spoke up. "I heard her say you're no longer a swinging bachelor, Shin."

Missy looked at him and then at Shinsuke. “What does that exactly mean.” She said to him and staring at Sami.

Becky smacked Sami. “Do you always have to make drama.”

"You know Shin's has just always been the Rockstar. The big guy. The man everyone wants. And he's finally serious about someone."

“Oh yeah.” Missy laughed. “I certainly hope he’s serious.” Missy laughed nervously.

Becky shook her head. “Oh Sami now you went and shook her confidence.”

Missy squeezed Shinsuke’s hand. “No, I know Shin loves me.” She said.

He nodded. Sami talked to him in Japanese and Shin nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't mean anything by it. Just you know, everyone thought Shin was going to stay single forever. You pleasantly surprised all of us. Okay I'll stop talking and digging my own hole." He laughed, speaking to Shin in Japanese again.

Missy smiled. “Yeah he certainly surprised me.” She nuzzled him. “But it’s been wonderful, I really do love my Koibito.” She leaned over to kiss Shinsuke. She wondered what they were talking about.

Becky smacked Sami’s arm. “Awwwwww they’re adorable.”

He kissed her back. "You two cute too!" He said. "You kiss her, Sami?" “Yeah kiss kiss kiss kiss!” Missy chanted to encourage them. She nuzzled Shinsuke. She felt so wonderful, to be here with him, to be his.

Sami smiled and leaned over to kiss Becky's cheek. "We're not quite at the kissing stage yet."

“Oh Shinsuke moved pretty quickly with me in some aspects.” Missy said to him. “Didn’t take long for us to uh fall into certain things.” She giggled and patted his chest.

He made a face and shrugged. "You just so cute. Won me over quick." Sami smiled at him. "King of Smooth Style. One day I hope to be a smooth as you, Shin."

Becky laughed. “You can only joke.”

Missy giggled. “You are absolutely adorable, you stole my heat the first time I fell asleep on you.” She giggled mad stroked his hair. Shins is good at so many things including sex.”

Becky ohhhhed at them and smacked Sami.

Shin smiled. "You no tell all my secrets!" He put his arm around her, resting it on the back of her chair.

"Me and Sami aren't that far yet." Becky said.

“Oh no I’ll keep those a secret.” She laughed. “Ahh yeah I mean shin and I waited a until we took that step, you’ll be there.” She said them. Missy decided to lean up and kiss Shinsuke hard.

He kissed her fiercely and smiled against her mouth. The waitress came, and he broke the kiss. "What we eat? You pick." He asked. “Mmm two 10 ounce Kobe beef steaks, and a blue Hawaiians for us please! And steamed bamboo for my side dish.” She Said to the waitress and Shinsuke.

"What she say." He smiled to the waitress for Becky and Sami ordered. The waitress left and Shin turned his attention to Sami. "You take my advice about shirt?" He asked.

Sami laughed. "That was lame Shin! Even you couldn't pull that one off!" Shin shook his head and looked to Missy. "Hana, what my suit made out of?" He asked.

Missy laughed. “I dunno shin polyester?” She asked him. “What are these boys up to.” Becky shook her head.

"No. Boyfriend material." He said, smiling broadly. Sami groaned.

Missy giggled and then snorted in laughter. She snorted again and blushed. “Oh noooooo.” She groaned.

Shin smiled, wrinkling his nose as he leaned over to kiss her.

"See! King of Smooth Style!" Sami said. "He even made that lame line work!"

Missy kissed Shinsuke back. “Mm he most certainly is.” She kissed him again. “Of course, Sami it helps that he’s actually cute.”

"Sami cute, like puppy." Shin said, making Becky laugh. "He dances like puppy."

"We’re gonna fight, Shinsuke. Again." He teases.

"When I first come to NXT," Shinsuke said, "he looks at me like puppy look at owner." Sami's mouth hung open.

"Maybe I was a little star struck but I'm over it now!" He laughed.

“That’s hilarious, Sami makes googly eyes at every man who is better than him. I tease I tease all I’m good fun.” She cuddled up against Shinsuke. “I love you baby.” She cooed at him.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. As he and Sami began talking about their first NXT match. "I must use bathroom." He said, moving to kiss her before getting up and leaving.

Missy saw Shinsuke leave. Missy sighed and looked glumly over the table and she grabbed and took a big drink from the glass she had.

"What's up buttercup? You look bummed." Becky said. "I thought you were having fun." Sami said.

“I just...sometimes it’s hard sometimes. Shin and I really love each other but...well it’s been a couple months and he barely says I love you to me.” She sighed. “I mean I feel it, I see it and he’s so wonderful and I really like him, like I wanna be his wife one day like him.”

Sami nodded. "I spent some time in Japan and the Japanese are very funny people when it comes to love compared to Americans. You know with Americans, you date. You get intimate. You say I love you. That sort of thing. Japanese people tend to try and show it more. You know, acts if service, gifts, that sort of thing. And where and American would say 'I love you', they usually say something equivalent to "I like you' in our language. Does he say anything when you tell him you love him?"

“Mmm well sometimes he says dai suki da yo sometimes. “she said to Sami. “And I actually didn’t really know that.”

Sami made a surprised face. "Oh, that's serious. " Missy looked surprised. “Yeah what does that mean? Serious? Like how?”

"That's something that's usually saved for super serious couples. Where someone would usually say I like you, or I like spending time with you, or I love you, he's saying all of that in one sentence. Missy, he's pretty serious about you." Sami said, looking at Missy.

“Oh my god really?” She asked. “I mean oh god I...” Missy sniffled. “Oh...” She sniffled.

Sami nodded. "Missy I've known him a long time and he's dated around and stuff, but I've never known him to be this serious about someone."

Becky raised her eyebrows. "Wow! And look at you Sami! Brainiac! I never woulda known all of that!"

Missy smiled broadly. “Do you think he’ll pop the question anytime soon?” She asked curiously. “Not that right now well I dunno. Just wow.” She squealed. This made her feel so good about this.

Sami shrugged. "I dunno. He's told me before his parent's marriage was arranged, so I don't know how he feels about marriage."

“Mm yeah I figured something had happened like that when we met his mother.” Missy said. “But Thanks Sami for the lesson. I appreciate it.” Missy wondered what was taking Shinsuke so long.

Shin made his way back to his seat. "Sorry. Fans found me." He said as the waitress arrived with their food. He sat down, and Becky and Sami were staring at him. "What?" He asked as their food was being passed out.

"Nothing!" Becky said, grabbing her fork.

Missy blushed. “Ahh yes beef!” Missy said trying to cut the awkward conversation and the moment. “It’s tasty the best I heard.” Missy leaned over and gave him a kiss.

He kissed her back, looking around at her and their friends. "What I do?"

“Nothing sweetie absolutely nothing.” She lied. “Just we had an interesting culture lesson.” She smiled. “Some pretty crazy stuff goes on around here!” She covered up.

"Oh! America very different from Japan." He agreed. "Food look tasty." Becky shot Sami a look.

“A lot of things are different but it’s what makes the world an amazing place.” She said before kissing Shinsuke hard. Soon after they went to the park it was alight with paper lanterns and the trees were lit up so nicely. Missy and crew were slightly tipsy.

"Trees lit up for you my Hana." Shin said, taking her hand. "

What does that mean, Shin?" Becky asked, her words slightly slurred.

"Flower." He replied. Becky awwwwed. "Sami says I'm his gold. Like at the end of the rainbow! Ain't that sweet, Missy?"

“Awww Sami that’s the cutest!” Missy squeezed Shinsuke’s hand and she stumbled a bit. “I call Shinsuke my Samurai because of the DDR song that he played the night he asked me to be his girlfriend.” Missy leaned Against Shinsuke.

They walked up a small footbridge and when they made it to the top, Shin stopped and took her face in his hands, kissing her sweetly. Sami and Becky walked ahead into the grouping of cherry blossom trees.

Missy kissed him back sweetly melting into him she placed her hands on his chest. “Tonight has been perfect.” She whispered.

He nodded. "Very nice." He bumped her shoulder with his, gesturing towards where their friends had wandered. Sami and Becky were kissing.

“Awwww they’re kissing!” Missy cooed. “Japan certainly has a way of making things magical.” She said to him, she looked up at him. “Dai suki da yo.”

Shin looked at her with wide eyes. "You google my words?" He teased.

“No I had a culture lesson.” She said to him. “Dai suki da yo Shinsuke Nakumura.” She leaned up and kissed him.

His hands slid around to the small of her back as they kissed. "I love you." He said in his heavy accent."I love you Missy Baxter."

#shinsuke nakamura #shinsuke nakamura x oc #wwe #wwe smackdown #wwe superstars #wwe fanfiction #orignal female character

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unlovedaddict · 6 years

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The Ultimate Guide to SEO

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yierknives · 3 years

Text

What are the advantages of home speaker?

Wireless speakers aren’t just for barbecues and beach hangs anymore. The best Bluetooth speakers used to be relegated to small, portable music players with often subpar sound, but the market has exploded in recent years. Now, you’re as likely to select a wireless audio player for home listening as you are a traditional hi-fi system. Of course, that surfeit of choices also means that selecting the best Bluetooth speakers can be trickier than ever.

Types of home Speakers

Home speakers are available in the market in many different types.Almost all of the accessible home speakers can be assigned to one of these category types.These are described below:

Floorstanding/Tower Speakers

Floorstanding speakers are also known as tower speakers because their enclosures or cabinets resemble towers. These indoor speakers are used for stereophonic sound systems at home and can also be incorporated into the home theater systems. The sound produced by these speakers is of very high-quality.They are the need of every home where the listeners want to have a professional audio type environment. However, before purchasing floor standing speakers,it is important to check out the following:

Enclosure(Cabinet) Construction

It is very important to look at the construction of the enclosure or cabinet ofthe speaker system.The cabinet should not have any resonance,i.e..it should have an anti-resonant construction. It needs to be very strong and sturdyand should not vibrate at all due to the sound from the drivers.Vibrations can distort the audio and lead to poor quality performance. The material used in the construction of the cabinet needs to be looked into.and the finishing of the cabinet’s exterior should be such that it goes well with the room decor and environment.lt is also very important to have a proper footingin the cabinet. lf the individual has got a hard floor in hisher home,itis always a good idea to get floor standing speakers with padded footing.Depending on whether the speaker system is a two-way system,a three-way speaker system,or a fourway one the cabinet configuration will differ.

Drivers

Floorstanding speakers,generally have got several drivers. These drivers vibrate and, thus, relay the sound waves and allow for a large array of sound.The type of drivers used in any freestanding speaker will differ depending on the nature of the speaker system used. For any speaker system, four different kinds of drivers could be employed. Each of these drivers serves or reproduces sound in specific frequency ranges. Subwoofer drivers deliver music in the very-low-frequency range of20 Hzand 200 Hz. The woofer drivers provide sound in the frequency range of40 Hz to1kHz.These are also lowfrequency sounds. The third type of driver is the mid- range drivers, which deliver music in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 2 kHz.Finally, the tweeter drivers provide sound in the high-frequencyrange of2 kHz to 30kHz.

Speaker Arrangement

Many people select floor standing speakers and simply place them on the two sides of the Audio-Visual system or TVset on the same wall While this type of arrangement might appear aesthetic and is considered to be the mostintuitive of all arrangements, it does not necessarily produce the best sound.This type of arrangement is known to cancel out the bass. Sound enthusiasts usually select powerful freestanding speakers precisely for the same purposeie,to getgood bass,and it is the same purpose that gets nullified often due to this simple arrangement.For anyone who has no choice but to go with this type of arrangement, perhaps using bookshelf speakers with an extra subwoofer will get the desired sound.lf freestanding speakers have to be used to get more power, a separate subwoofer will be necessary to deliver deep bass.

Bookshelf Speakers

For many people, floor space in their roomsis a major source of concern when they plan to select the appropriate type ofindoor speakers for their homes. These people would like to have the maximum possible music power and performance in their homes but do not have adeguate floor space to place the floor standing speakers Moreover, they do not want something as small as a portable speaker because the power ofthe portable speakers is not adequate for the kind of music listening experience they are looking for in their homes.Forthese peopletheidealsetof indoor spaces are the Bookshelf speakers, which are either placed on the bookshelves as the names suggest or they could be placed on a table a pedestal thus avoiding the use of extra floor space while the music power and performance are still quite adequate. The Bookshelf speakers are smaller than the floor-standing speakers but are larger as compared to the portable ones. These speakers can deliver highly amplified sound in stereo,which is solid and rich for smaor even medium-sized rooms.They cannot provide the rumbling bass or the room-shaking power of the floor standing speakers but are ideal for use in small living or working spaces at homeat the den or in the office.

These speakers are even adequate to be included in a home theater system,and a subwoofer can be set up along with them for extended bass.

Best Bluetooth Speaker: Things to Consider

why-buy-bluetooth-speakers

When shopping for the best Bluetooth speaker for your needs, you have several considerations to make. One of the most important features to consider is range. It’s quite common for consumers to make the mistake of purchasing a Bluetooth speaker that doesn’t offer much range.

The placement of the speaker is also very important. Several of the newest products offer a signal range between 100 to 150 feet. There are some products that will send a signal up to 200 feet, but the signal strength is affected by obstacles, so even if a product advertises a range of 200 feet, it’s unlikely that it will actually work 200 feet away from the source.

It’s not uncommon for some Bluetooth speakers to be advertised as being able to play stereo sound. When a music track is recorded a certain way, you can hear sound from different instruments coming out of different speakers.

Unfortunately, stereo sound doesn’t always transmit well through a speaker that uses Bluetooth because they usually have only a single driver. For the speaker to produce stereo sound, it must have at least two drivers, and you’ll find that many portable speakers have only one driver.

Sound Quality

Since the whole point of owning a Bluetooth speaker is to listen to audio, the sound quality that it produces is very important.A lot of people assume that a higher price equates to better sound quality. In many cases, a higher price point does indicate better sound, but it’s not a good idea to assume that this is always true.

There are some speakers that are engineered for bass while others are optimized for treble. Unfortunately, you can’t test a speaker before you buy it, so you must pay attention to the product description and find out if it’s primarily designed for bass or treble.

Where Will You Use It?

A lot of people purchase a Bluetooth speaker and use it at home. Despite its compact size, the sound quality from the speaker might surprise you. A modern Bluetooth speaker serves as an excellent way to get rid of that old bookshelf stereo.

If you want the best speaker for your home or studio, make sure to check the wattage output. A speaker with a higher wattage is capable of filling larger rooms with sound.

You should also consider getting a speaker that comes with two audio drivers, which will keep the sound quality high when the volume is turned up. It’s worth mentioning that some speakers can be linked together and will deliver a surround sound effect.

When you get tired of using your speaker in your home office, you can take it outdoors or turn it on in the shower. You’ll find a table and reviews for some of the best Bluetooth speakers available in DinDin Modern, and by choosing one of the products from DinDin you can save time and money.

Any of our winning options are quality speakers that will serve you well, but selecting the perfect one is about your preferences and ideal price point.Want more recommendations for the best Bluetooth speaker ? Check out our guides to the DinDinModern.

Why choose DINDINMODERN?

● A variety of high-quality Bluetooth speakers are available. ● Delivery from the local warehouse, within 3 days. ● Manufactured in our own factory, cost-effective. ● Excellent pre-sales and after-sales service. ● Free returns ● Excellent materials, safe and durable. ● Pursue innovation and optimize design ● We listen to customer needs and feedback.

#home Bluetooth speaker #wireless speakers #best Bluetooth speaker

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mantrabay · 4 years

Text

A Little Known Shortcut.

Wandering the roads. It has me under a spell.

Even when prickly brambles

scrape my eyelids or those bony ankles are being twisted by tooth like stones. The angular sort clustered mischievously among the green shoots that litter every footpath.

They lie in wait, in ambush.

It goes with the territory for this seasoned footman.

Meandering landscapes are house and home to the spiral lanes and clover clad hills that are rife in my area.

Their rustic heritage sometimes sacrificed to the orphanage of malleable motives.

Crop farmers obsessed with bountiful harvest.

A restless developer pushing the limits of an urban jungle.

Fellow traveller in league with fugitives from the cockpit.

The pressure cooker of modern life.

The town dweller with split loyalties who clings to the tumult of the city but hankers after some rural idyll.

Culprits one and all.

A lair from the hubbub.

Dwellings of the quaintest kind huddle together like dots in a matrix separated only by a minuscule space.

The more alluring aspects of tradition have been preserved.

Among these are shortcuts or bypasses.

Those sequestered passages that shave miles off for the perennial rambler or clueless hitchhiker.

The eye becomes a lense to all these

things hidden or supposedly hidden.

Human vision as sensor to magic trails.

Those tucked away secret spots beloved of local wiseacres.

They festoon the sprawling countryside at random.

My name is Eric Spring.

Anthea, my partner a transcendental meditation teacher retired early at an early age.

Her withdrawal from work was never meant to be permanent.

A final decision hinged on Anthea's ability to purge that fiendish veil of sadness that had been shadowing her.

There were several obstacles in her path but they weren’t insurmountable.

Thoughts of Anthea in her halcyon days haunted me.

Mental pictures of a vibrant woman imbued with passion.

Poignant evocative heart-tugging images.

Bar excursions into town my station is that of Anthea’s carer.

This eternally stoic woman is mindful of her mental boundaries and the abyss concealed by each of them.

But she is not prone to self-hate or abuse. The more lethal plagues of the psyche hadn't yet impacted on her.

Anthea was groping for exits but hadn’t found the signs.

She remains housebound as I embark on those age defying treks into town.

We keep in touch by mobile phone.

A very angelic sensitive looking person is she.

Reminiscent of a Sunday Times editor.

The accent filters every noun and stresses every nuance.

Like the sounds from an early morning orchard.

Anthea's job became monotonous and her other pursuits painting and writing fled without trace.

A budding artist’s most dreaded syndromes struck.

Writer's block. Artistic vacuum.

The wellspring of her imagination now devoid of those inspiring flashes that sustain creative impulse.

She had few outlets bar my care and a lady called Fidelma who had the edge on me with regard to local knowledge. I longed to hear Anthea's voice on my device.

Her hypnotic voice bridges gaps.

You feel close even when speaking to her from a distance.

I love the walks and savouring all those pivot points of folklore.

I pride myself on my intimate knowledge of every branch strewn rivulet, stream and layered rock formation.

My links to the environment are almost erotic as I crave it's sensual touch.

At times I enter a tranquil zone where the shutters are drawn.

Just myself and all those habitats.

“Hello Eric? Lost in thought again.

How is anthea these days?

I spoke to her over the phone a few days ago.

I sometimes drop in on her when you are out.”

Fidelma speaking with that chirping red robin voice of hers.

She had this penchant for suddenly appearing like an archaeological site.

And she vanished just as quickly leaving the person she spoke to scrambling to process her asides and insights before they disappeared.

Neighbour, friend, root and branch archivist whose grasp of detail was legendary.

“She seems to be coping.” I said.

“Glad to hear that. Maybe I can pay a flying visit some time soon.

But aren't you a foolish man to be imposing all those Olympic Marathons on yourself?”

Fidelma about to share one of her treasured nuggets.

“I love walking but any tips?”

Spring enquired naively as events soon demonstrated.

“There’s a shortcut…..a little known shortcut.

People in the know recommend it though I have never actually used it myself.

Maybe I will one day.

See, it's on the right hand side up the road there.

Think it might be useful when you want to get home in a hurry.” She concluded.

Fidelma in advanced middle age was still sprightly and youthful in her ways.

I missed a text from anthea and Fidelma noticed.

“Yes. I have one of those gadgets too.

Keeps me connected.

Took me awhile to master it.

Wish there was a shortcut for that.

But I'll best be on my way.

Take good care whatever the route.”

As always having spoken to Fidelma I wondered about in a trance.

Another colourful aspect of Fidelma’s personality was her “Banana Skin Syndrome.”

She could lose her balance betimes when enthusing about a topic or when she stumbled on an area that fascinated her.

The feet were a little wobbly.

All this against her philosophy about how interconnected everything is.

The mind is an antenna sending out signals to others was a frequent broadside of hers.

Even when Fidelma said very little she always had this magnetic effect on others.

Those terse one liners could trigger an avalanche in the mind.

Her thin phrases were always shrouded in a well crafted poetic meter.

It was in the tone, gestures and body language.

Those beady yet expressive eyes scanning her environment like a radar screen.

A cascade of images and sound bytes ensued when she left.

Several hours passed as my mind was in overdrive like a central processing unit.

I heard this inner voice telling me to explore this “shortcut.”

Having texted Anthea I then proceeded to this offshoot of a lane.

It was going to lighten the journey of this slope and pavement plodder.

Off I went down this quaint country shortcut.

Nothing out of the ordinary to begin with until Anthea rang.

“Gnawing feeling of sadness.

My mind is a dark blue canvass at the moment.”

Her lilting twang mingling with the song birds at the start of my downward journey.

I sensed this was urgent and started to walk quickly.

That's when problems arose.

Just a plain country passage with a primarily flat surface at this point.

There were houses on each side and some weeds strewn and partially mangled, turned to mulch by wild and indiscriminate boots.

Strange feelings welled up within me as I felt like a geyser at yellowstone.

The puff and splutter of tractors in nearby fields as furrows, the epicenter of future yields were turned.

Scarecrows were strategically perched in the meadow behind the right hand hedge to ward off some menace or other.

Something told me to relate my surroundings to Anthea.

If only to divert attention from an impending gloom.

Those barely audible inner prompts again.

“Eric, I don't want to pressurise you but at the moment I feel this dark cloud.”

Eric paused.

It then occurred to me that I was engulfed by dark foreboding clouds in tandem with a rising rainbow like haze.

As Anthea continued her disorders seemed to be complemented by external threats of rain intermingled with sunshine.

“I feel, Eric there is a radiance trying to break through.

Just to see you … your presence is a light which I could focus on.”

Then I realised that speed was of the essence.

That's when I could have panicked.

Anthea’s voice seemed louder, but also more lyrical as I realised this obscure

overlooked route could have done with some restoration!

Tufts of grass oozing slime.

Mounds of mud with pockets of oil stained water.

The briars were a shock team that endangered every part of the human body.

I was conveying all this to anthea as I was trying to dash at my normal pace.

Oddly Anthea’s tone of desperation started to dip.

But she did appear less tense as I told her this story over the phone.

“Someone told me this is a shortcut.”

Eric said gingerly.

“Who was that ? Anthea asked.

“Fidelma. We met on the main road just a short while ago.” I responded.

“You know her a bit better than I do.”

Anthea observed. “She's going to call over one of these days I'm sure.”

By now Anthea, initially nervous was mellowing as I continued with my frantic running … and staggering commentary!

She didn’t have had much to excite her over the last five years.

But I had to be careful lest those dark brooding phases returned.

But here I was almost knee deep in tangled foliage while keeping the love of my life up to speed!

The labyrinthine outcrops and mock craters were all included.

Suddenly misfortune struck without warning.

I nearly sprained my leg as I fell face down on a grassy patch.

Sprawled awkwardly across this surface my phone went flying but I managed to catch it.

“Eric, are you ok?

I don’t mean to be a burden.

Will I get someone to meet you at the end of this lane or short cut.”

Anthea again.

“I'm fine, Anthea.”

Eric said before slowly rising.

I kept detailing my observations and Anthea was reacting positively.

But I made it eventually with the sounds of the road as guide.

The temperatures continued to rise causing perspiration.

Peering thru the maze of entwined growths I saw … Fidelma.

“Where did you spring from?” Eric punning his own name.

“Fidelma ...you fell too.” A question that might have appeared tactless.

She was getting up, having fallen when taking her bearings it seems.

“Fidelma …. thanks but no thanks.

The shortcut.” I said.

“You are shivering.” She observed.

“I am. Spring responded.

“Got to get to Anthea because she might be in need of help.” Spring continued.

We both headed for my house as quickly as possible.

But it wasn’t far.

I texted Anthea and she answered by saying she had every reason to speak to me.

One wondered what that might be.

My face whitened.

Fidelma and I soon reached the house where I lived.

Eric pressed the doorbell as his heart pounded.

The door opened suddenly and we couldn't believe what we saw.

“Anthea, is that you?

I haven't seen you smile like that in years.”

I said.

Fidelma and I were perplexed to say the least.

“It’s early days yet but those locusts of darkness hopping around in my head maybe dwindling.

Those creative juices returned when I sensed your anxiety down the lane because I didn't want two sick people in this house.

But you brought splashes of vivid colour into my drawing room.

I could almost smell the rustic fragrance of every wilting petal and the creaking of every twig.

You set a whole cycle in train.”

Anthea then showed me two items she was working on.

“I have started a rough sketch of the lane you detailed and a short story.

There's been a sea change.” She said.

“Oh I wonder what I'll call this sketch and that short story?

Any ideas?” Anthea enquired.

Fidelma and I looked at each other and spoke almost in unison.

“I think we both have a fair idea what they both might be called.

Your story included.”

A little known shortcut indeed!

Photograph and short story copyright protected to mantrabay

#made with tumblr

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