#but we are now totally dependent on chocolate (cause even animal brains are not about to go into my mouth)

[synbiote]

Symbiote Kin Recipes!!

x Dark Chocolate Truffles x "Bloody" Chocolate Cups x Chocolate Fondue x Bunny Rocky Road x Brookies x Red Velvet Soufflé Cake x Chocolate Almond Butter Bars x Chocolate Creme Cupcakes x Chocolate Fudge

{Photos from Original Posts}

[wonder-womans-ex]

Curtain Call

Act One, Scene Five 

Sirius knows he’s petty. Extremely so. Petty enough to send the elevator all the way down to the ground floor so that Remus has to either take the stairs or wait, at least.

What Remus said is still wheeling in his mind. Remus kissed someone else. It hurts, yeah, but he’ll put on his brave face. He’ll move on. 

The thing that hurts most—the thing he can’t ignore or get over—is that he’s not sure whether he’s more upset that Remus cheated, more upset that Remus dumped him, or more upset that Remus didn’t give him the chance to break it off. Remus should have owned up to it, and he should have given Sirius that choice. It’s like he said when before he left the staff room—maybe he would have ended things, maybe he wouldn’t have. 

He should have at least had the option to break Remus’s heart like Remus broke his, but instead Remus just broke his twice. 

Sure enough, Remus is five minutes late to the seminar, and Sirius knows that Lily’s pissed. What he doesn’t know is whether she’s pissed at Remus, or if she’s figured out that Sirius is the reason behind the delay and is pissed at him. She seems the type to just know these things. 

He’s pretty sure he’s not imagining her glare in his direction when she says, “We’ll start in a minute or two; John will be back by then with the papers we need for today’s lecture,” but he decides to ignore it. After all, if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s ignoring his problems. 

Well, and running away from them. It depends on the day and what mood he’s in. 

He also doesn’t miss the fact that when Remus does return, he pulls the classic ‘take one and pass it on’ instead of handing out the papers one by one. It’s probably so that he doesn’t have to look Sirius in the face. 

When the stack reaches him, Sirius has to reach back a whole row of seats to get to the next person. He almost tips over in his chair, but manages to save himself a sore tailbone—and a whole lot of embarrassment—at the last minute. 

The page is split into five sections: theme, topic, setting, characters, and story objective. He remembers, vaguely, learning some of this in grade seven, but that’s where his memory blanks. (What the everloving fuck is a story objective?)

Apparently he’s about to find out. 

Lily claps her hands together in an incredibly teacher-like way. If he didn’t know better, he would have a hard time believing this is the same woman who so aggressively played matchmaker (or maybe she was actually trying to drive them further away from each other; thinking back on it, Sirius can’t actually tell) only a few minutes before. “Well,” she says, addressing the room at large, “who can tell me what a theme is?”

There are a few raised hands, and she calls on the boy just behind Sirius, with chocolate-brown hair and more freckles than he can count. “It’s what the story is about. But like, in an abstract way.”

“Very good.” Lily takes a whiteboard marker out of her jeans pocket. Turning to the board, she draws a T-table, labeling one side theme and the other topic. Under the first heading, she writes abstract, and, across from it, concrete. 

“Theme and topic are often confused, because they’re both what a story is about. But—what’s your name?”

“Benjy. Benjy Fenwick,” says the freckled boy. 

“But Benjy here has hit the nail on the head. The difference between theme and topic is that a theme is abstract—a concept, or an idea, or a feeling—while a topic is concrete—such as a person, place, thing, or event….”

Sirius begins to zone out. Absentmindedly, he grabs a pencil and begins sketching on the smooth, polished wood of his desk. A circle, an oval, a line here and there, some shading—slowly, his doodle begins to take shape. By the time Lily says, “Now, who can give me some examples of a good story theme?” and people start calling out their answers, he’s perfected the glint in his anime-style eye. 

“One last one. How about you, by the back, with the Blue Jays shirt?”

(Of course she’s pretending she doesn’t know his name. Lucky him—he’s always wanted to be demoted back to ‘hey, you.’)

His head jerks up. “Uh, relationships,” he says, because he’s a walking cliche and, yes, of course that’s the only thing on his mind. Why wouldn’t it be?

“There’s an interesting one.” She adds it to the board, right underneath hardship, pressing hard enough that the nib of the pen squeaks. “It could technically be counted as a topic, too, but it works well as a theme.”

There’s a pause as she looks around, seemingly searching for a suitable place to put her pen. Finally, she gives up, tucking it behind her ear. 

“What I want everyone to do now is think carefully about what theme they want to write about. You can pick as many as you want, and you can add more later, but it’s easiest to focus on just two or three. You can pick one of the ones we came up with here, or it can be something totally different, but make sure it’s something that speaks to you.”

Her words resonate in Sirius’s mind. Something that speaks to him? He starts to write, his large printing cramped in the tiny box, and he gets halfway through the second C before he erases it again. He has to think for a minute. He doesn’t want to write about success, not when there’s so little of it in his life right now, but he doesn’t want to write about something dark, like suffering, either.

Loss, he puts down with finality. On second thought, he adds healing. And then, just because he feels like it, friendship. 

The clock on the wall says they have twelve more minutes before they’re finished; he wonders what else they’ll do before the class ends. Right now, the only sound in the room is the quiet scratching of pencils—soothing, he must admit, even though he personally prefers the excitement of applause—and it seems as though he’s the only one who’s finished. 

He lets himself look around, his eyes flickering from the clock to the whiteboard to the person sitting to his left. They dart to the door at the other side of the hall, and forward to where Remus is... staring right back at him. 

The two lock eyes for a good fifteen seconds before Remus lowers his gaze to the floor. It’s not much of a victory, Sirius knows, but it’s a victory nonetheless.

So why doesn’t it feel like one?

There’s not time to burrow any deeper into his own thoughts, however, because Lily is writing once more on the board. Unfortunately for him, he can’t see what she’s written—even when she turns around—because her head is in the way. 

“I assume most of you have your themes, and even if you don’t, you can always come back to it. Right now, we’re going to move onto topic—surprise surprise, also what the story is about, but this time on a more concrete scale. Let’s take Romeo and Juliet, for instance, because I’m fairly sure it’s a story we all know. Does anyone have any idea what the topic is?”

Silence. 

Sirius, usually the self-aware one in any situation (but apparently not this one), knows there are two possible reasons as to why he raises his hand. Unfortunately, he does not know which of them it is. The first is simple—he’s confident has the answer, and he wants to share it. The second is both a little more complex and a little more likely, and that is that he doesn’t know what the answer is and maybe, just maybe, he wants to prove to Remus he’s not afraid to take risks. 

Either way, his tentative “Love?” is declared—spoiler alert—incorrect. 

“Wrong,” Lily says. “Love is a theme, not a topic. Try again.”

Well, he wasn’t expecting a second chance. (It seems he only ever gets them when he’s unprepared.) (Maybe there’s a lesson in that.)

“Um… people in love?” If the first answer wasn’t right, this one won’t be either. He knows that. But it is, frankly, all he can come up with. 

“Ding-a-ling-a-ling,” Lily deadpans, which actually sounds a little funny in that accent of hers. He’s not going to mention that, though, because he’s on pretty thin ice already where she’s concerned. “Correct. Yes, maybe they sound like basically the same thing, but they’re not. The way I like to put it is this: if you can draw a picture of it, chances are it’s the topic. If you can’t, chances are it’s the theme.” After a moment, she adds, “I probably should have said that at the beginning. Whatever.” 

This causes Remus’s lips to twitch up into a smile. In fact, it’s only just now that Sirius realizes he’s watching Remus at all—he could have sworn he stopped—and he forces himself to look away. 

But he really can’t deny it any longer. He really can’t deny that that little smile, happy and pure with just a hint of mischief, still makes his heart pound and his brain turn to mush. He really can’t deny that despite everything—despite the breakup, and the recent confession, and the promises made late at night that he’s getting over this, he really is…

He’s still in desperate, painful, middle-grade YA novel love with Remus/John/does-it-really-matter-what-his-name-is Lupin. 

[settle-down-frohike]

Acutus

My Valentines contribution. Written a bit tipsy and hastily on my phone, un-beta’d, natch. Posted via mobile.

Spoilers: everything up to s10 (I think, depending on your interpretation)

Rating: NC-17

Trigger warnings: mentions of depression

Tagging @today-in-fic

—————————————————

Perhaps Valentines Day wasn’t the best time to start venturing out as an official couple again on their therapist- prescribed ‘date night’.

Dinner went as well as could be expected, and she might have had one too many glasses of house red to ease her nerves and abate the tension. The restaurants are crowded with other couples—some laughing, some quiet, others clearly going through the motions, checking their watches. The close proximity and bustling noise make Mulder nervous, isolation has made him hypersensitive and fidgety. But he’s trying for her, for them. Not even the deepest of depressions could smother his New England breeding. He’s pulled out her chair, led her expertly in a gentle foxtrot to Sinatra, been attentive and complimentary, and anyone who didn’t know him as well as she does would never have noticed his lack of appetite, or his incessant swallowing as if a dinner roll were caught in his throat. The food is delicious and they are still companionably quiet at their table, which is a relief, but the environment with its scraped linens and roses and music, combined with the scent of rich sauces and overbearing perfume is the equivalent of a romantic pressure cooker. Before dessert menus can be suggested by the over-solicitous waiter, Scully takes pity on him and slides her hand over his.

“Let’s go home,” she suggests calmly.

He interprets her subtle meaning perfectly, but is caught off guard nonetheless. Her eyes are steady and sure enough for the both of them, though, even though her mind is all but screaming that this is too soon. But it’s Valentines Day, damnit. And she’s had a little too much wine, she’s feeling frisky and pliant, and he looks good enough to eat. Even when his eyes are clouded, the melancholy in his features suits him, even his bone structure lends to a forlorn sort of beauty. She wants him. She wants his hands and his body and being in his presence lately just isn’t enough.

He kisses her knuckles as they pull into the drive, and she feels a trill of hopeful anticipation flutter around her rib cage. Sometimes she forgets that despite their recent distance, he is still the man who knows and loves her best. He’s still in there, and he’s fighting his way back.

The kitchen floor is slippery and cool to her stockinged feet, a contrast to the flush in her cheeks. She is pouring them each a glass of the bottle they bought from that winery how many years ago, and he is behind her nuzzling and nipping, sending gooseflesh over her skin and heat to her groin. She giggles uncharacteristically and uses her bottom to push him off, encouraged by the feeling of his thriving erection. He is undeterred, though, and presses her belly into the counter, retrieving the glasses from her hands, whispering “later” into her ear, and she mentally chides herself for putting him in the position to be the smart one, to remember that combining alcohol with antidepressants is not only contraindicated, it could be an impediment to his responsiveness to her. But something about his pragmatism seems off. Abruptly she pushes his hands away and turns to face him, noting with dismay that his expression is one of practiced enthusiasm. Her temper flares but is quickly extinguished.

“Hey,” Her hands are on his face and stroking behind his ears, the way she knows renders him totally helpless. “we don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready.”

The best thing about their rehabilitated relationship is that they are consciously avoiding evasive tactics. They cut to the chase because lying to each other would only be an exercise in futility. Briefly he looks offended, but just as quickly his face turns sorrowful, knowing full well she’s seen straight through his carefully orchestrated seduction. He pulls her close and kisses her forehead in apology. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t want this,” he says to her hairline, “I just....its like....wanting chocolate cake...even though my taste buds don’t work anymore.” She can feel him close his eyes above her. “I remember what it was like...to feel things. But right now it’s, it’s like I feel everything, and nothing all at the same time.”

Her hand travels to the nape of his neck and she lifts her face to kiss that button chin she’s secretly obsessed with.

“It’s ok, “ and she smiles, genuinely smiles up at him, so utterly thankful for his honestly that her earlier plans now seem trivial. “It will get better.”

He’s searching her eyes for any trace of pity, and finds none. And something about that sends his libido surging. He kisses her, eyes open, so he can gauge her reaction, and she lets him, complicit. Standing at such close proximity, she can feel his heart thud, causing the buttons of his dress shirt to shiver. Large palms grip her buttocks and hoist her round his waist with little effort. Thicker in his later season, the effort that he has put in to fight his demons has paid off.

The next few moments occur in flashes, the trip around him and up the stairwell, her laughing in earnest and his hot breath at her neck. He drops her carelessly onto the bed and leers, unabashed, then gathers her skirt around her waist. Ever mindful of her expensive taste, he chooses not to rip her silk blouse away and instead carefully frees each button, pulling the cups of her bra down and away, flesh spilling forth. She knows that her acceptance has done wonders for his ego and by proxy his desire, and part of her wants to pick this moment apart, figure out who this new animal is. The hedonist in her does not care. Her nylons were discarded at some point, she does not remember when, and now his palm is at her mons, warm and reassuring.

“What do you want?” She can hear her voice, but cannot place where it originates.

“I want to feel....” his eyes are on her groin but unfocused. His thumb grazes her clitoris, “you. I want to feel you.” And he’s suddenly ripping at his belt, zipper, freeing himself.

He places her hands at her inner thighs, presses, opens her. She is a willing oblation. He teases her first, entranced by the way his shaft now glistens and slides through her folds, then enters her with an audible grunt. This acute focus he has right now on their sex, his reveling in the sensation, it’s arousing to the point it’s making her delirious. His eyes are glazed over, onyx black and focused solely on where his body is entering hers. His pace is purposeful, deep and perfectly rhythmic, like good blues. He’s loud tonight. He’s vocalizing his pleasure, almost constant moans making its way past unmoving lips, deep from his chest and increasing in pitch and desperation. He’s positively entranced and it thrills her, god it thrills her to watch him get off on her this way. He’s wholeheartedly objectifying her, they both know it. He can’t stop himself. And she’s loving it. She is so swollen and aroused, tender and leaking as an overripe peach. The ridge of his glans presses on the front of her wall with purpose and the sensation feels like a spinal block, warmth and heaviness flooding her from the waist down. Her own climax is close, just a few swipes and her body would start to milk his. But something about the way he’s gazing down makes her not want to obstruct the view. So she pulls back, spreads herself wider and revels in victory when his expression turns pained and desperate.

Mulder has always been a giving lover, an intuitive one and he knows what she’s needing. But tonight is about him, and she finds herself being the one to try and hold out. He’s not making it easy. As much as he’s studying her, she cannot avert her eyes from the sinewy flex of his obliques as he pumps into her. There’s a new-penny shine of sweat concentrated at the apex of his clavicle she would love to lick clean. He grunts again, curses her name and that does it. She writhes and arches, possessed, as her orgasm seizes her. Waves of pleasure arc their way through her body, causing her internal muscles to contract, then quake in its release. He watches, triumphant and slack jawed. She is left quaking, with goose flesh and chattering teeth. When he allows himself to come, it chokes him silent. He collapses atop her, the distended veins in his throat and fluttering of his eyelids being the only hint at its intensity. His orgasm explodes and then seems to reabsorb, an endothermic process, and she can swear his body temperature rises 10 degrees. He’s a specimen of physics, her lover, and that in itself is intoxicating. She she luxuriates in the feel of his pubis as it pulses and contracts, spilling into her. He comes and comes, and she wonders how long it must have been for him. His breath is rainforest warm and wet at her throat.

Finally sated, he’s tender but spent and weak as a kitten. At times like this, she feels so exquisitely close to him. It is as if any separation were a ruse, a disguise, and this physical joining were their true form, hidden away in secret and brought to life by a certain kind of moon, like one of his beloved cryptids. His muttered gratitude is hoarse but genuine, and she knows he’s expecting a “you’re welcome” of some sort, but her endorphin-soaked brain has one phrase on loop and it’s all she can think to counter with.

-“I love you.”-

fin

[newstfionline]

Eating too much sugar can hurt your health, and for some it’s actually addictive

By Marlene Cimons, Washington Post, December 16, 2017

Who hasn’t been in a relationship we know is bad for us, but one we just can’t quit? For many people, it’s like that with sugar.

Breaking up is hard to do.

“People generally know that sugar isn’t good, but they don’t appreciate how powerfully negative it really is,” says Donald Hensrud, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. “If you look at all the things in our diet we can change, pulling away from refined or added sugar will do more good than anything else.”

Nutritional experts don’t suggest that you abandon the sugar that occurs naturally in fresh and frozen fruit. Rather, they’re talking about the stuff that you add to cookie dough or sprinkle onto your morning oatmeal. Sugar has many forms (high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, dextrose, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, raw sugar and honey, among others), but it’s still sugar. Manufacturers put it in countless processed foods, including soda, packaged cereals, ice cream, pastries, candy, flavored yogurt, granola bars and dried fruits. It’s also added to such products as salad dressings, ketchup and pasta sauces.

Eating too much sugar contributes to numerous health problems, including weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, dental caries, metabolic syndrome and heart disease, and even indirectly to cancer because of certain cancers’ relationship to obesity. It also can keep you from consuming healthier things.

Between 2003 and 2010, Americans consumed about 14 percent of their total daily calories from added sugars, much of it from sugar-sweetened beverages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend an intake of added sugar of less than 10 percent of calories. In a 2,000-calorie daily diet, that means less than 200 calories. Ten percent would amount to about 50 grams of sugar, according to Hensrud, who points out that food labels list sugar-per-serving in grams, making it easy to calculate. (With four grams to a teaspoon, that’s about 12 teaspoons.)

While the World Health Organization also recommends a 10 percent limit, it stresses that 5 percent would be even better. That amounts to less than one serving (about eight ounces) of a typical sugary drink, according to WHO. “The lower the number, the better,” Hensrud says.

Over the past 30 years, American adults’ consumption of sugar increased by more than 30 percent, from 228 calories a day to 300, according to a study released last year. “This is equivalent to eating an additional 15 pounds of sugar a year,” Hensrud sayes.

For many years, saturated and trans fats were regarded as the big dietary villains. While some fats are unhealthy, experts now believe it is wiser to focus on cutting back sugar than on paring fats.

“Quality sources of red meat, like grass-fed bison, beef and yak, are a great source of minerals, [conjugated linoleic acid] and protein, which will provide health benefits to our bodies,” says Jessica Murgueytio, a clinical dietitian in Bethesda. Most people do better limiting saturated fat--red meat has high levels of saturated fat--than they do sugar, “primarily because saturated fats don’t have the same addictive quality” as sugar, she adds.

Indeed, when people say they have a sweet tooth, they really are suffering from a “sweet brain”--because that’s where sugar rules. Sugar resembles other abused substances in that “it is reinforcing and can change how you feel,” says former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David A. Kessler, whose 2009 book “The End of Overeating” describes the science behind Americans’ obsession with sugar. “It’s rewarding. And it’s self-administered.”

Past memory of eating sweet things produces cues that induce the craving for more, he adds. “I had that chocolate chip cookie in the past, and it changed how I feel. I had the momentary bliss from the consumption of sweetness, and that makes me want more,” he says. “Sugar is an effective agent that produces excess calories and stimulates further eating. That’s why the old saying ‘A calorie is a calorie’ is a fallacy.” The source of that calorie matters, he says.

Animal studies have shown that sugar releases opioids and dopamine in the brain, which suggests that sugar dependence is real. “Consuming large amounts of added sugar activates the reward center and makes us want to eat that food again,” Murgueytio says. When this happens, “you can have increased cravings for sugar, feel a lack of control when around sugar, and also increased tolerance for sugar, which causes one to eat more to feel the same impact.”

Artificial sweeteners don’t help, because they can have the same effect. “Artificial sweeteners in small amounts, like one pack in your coffee or tea, are safe and not harmful, but having large amounts, like in diet sodas and sugar-free candies daily, can make sweet cravings a lot worse,” Murgueytio says.

Recent research suggests that a high intake of artificially sweetened products can result in increases in body fat, waist circumference and body mass index.

This is, of course, the best of times and the worst of times to end it with sugar--the best because most people have their biggest weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s (and often can’t get rid of it) and the worst because there are so many holiday temptations.

Save the sweets for special days, like Christmas morning and New Year’s Eve, and avoid them when they matter less, like at 3 p.m. in the office. At parties, don’t stand by the buffet table. Freeze your leftover desserts, or send them home with family or friends. Try to stay out of grocery store food aisles that feature sugary holiday treats, and avoid gourmet and specialty shops whose shelves seem to be overloaded with them this time of year.

As for the remainder of the year, read the labels on your unopened processed foods. If they have high levels of added sugar per serving, several grams, for example, return them to the store. Use the store credit to buy fresh fruit.

If you drink fruit juice, dilute it with unflavored club soda or seltzer. Gradually reduce the amount of sugar you put in your coffee and tea. You’ll get used to it. Make your own salad dressing. If you think you can stop with just one small piece of chocolate, great. But stick to the dark variety, which has less sugar than milk chocolate (and has some health benefits of its own).

Restaurant eating can be tough. Put olive oil and vinegar on your salad, and have grilled chicken or fish--no sauces. Skip the mixed drinks and cocktails and switch to a dry wine. Avoid baked goodies, and have fresh fruit for dessert.

You can live without sweetness, Kessler says. “If you moved to a continent where there was no sweetness, you would adapt,” he says. “After a while, if you couldn’t have access, you would stop wanting.”

But if you must, retrain your palate to appreciate the sweetness of foods in their natural state. Fresh fruit has sugar, but it also has water, fiber and other nutrients. The average candy bar has 270 calories. A small piece of fruit has about 60. You can eat an apple, an orange, a pear and a peach and get fewer calories than in that one candy bar.

You can end that toxic relationship. “Sugar does have a powerful hold on us, but there are ways to separate gently,” Hensrud says. “If you can’t totally break up with sugar, consider finding a new partner--in fruit.”

[veronicasanders]

I was tagged by the beautiful and always delightful @wednesdayangeline​

I’m tagging @collidinggalaxiesofstars​ @theofficialcunt​ @artificialscorpio​ @spokywrites​ @civonumist​ @courtneyskoala​ @the-dilemma-of-being-emma​ @missdandee​ @poppy-hore​

1. name? Veronica

2. nickname? V

3. undercover name? Um. See above. lol

4. drag name? (This was pornstar but I changed it) Ooh, I can’t commit. I’m a big fan of the “my first name is for x and my last name is for y” school of drag names. So I’d probably go for something like Bellamy Brewster. Bellamy for 1800s Socialist Utopian Novelist Edward Bellamy, and Brewster for 80s sitcom idol Punky Brewster.

5. middle name? My porn writing pseudonym has no middle name.

6. first born son or daughters name? I’m going to adopt teenagers, they’ll already have names. But if any of them are pregnant, I will encourage names with lots of potential nicknames and sassy middle names they can go by if they are cool enough to pull them off.

7. age first kiss? 13

8. age first crush? I remember having innocent little crushes around preschool/kindergarten

9. age when you first knew what you wanted to do? Well, when I was a kid I wanted to be an actor, and I went to film school for college, but I’ve been working in the entertainment industry for years and I’m totally sick of it and I want to go back to school for sociology. So I guess...now? lol

10. age when you met your best friend? I have a few but the person I’m closest to now I was 27

11. favourite song? Well my favorite album is the Immaculate Collection, but right now I’m listening to “Tuck Tape” on repeat.

12. favourite colour? Rainbow Glitter

13. favourite film? Depends on my mood. Today I was discussing what my favorite movie is that I would be embarrassed to admit, and we discovered that I have no shame and am totally proud of my taste, even if they are considered terrible. We finally settled on the 90s TV movie starring Tori Spelling and Kellie Martin called “To Kill a Cheerleader.” Or sometimes it’s called “A Friend to Die For.” Fun fact: it’s awesome and based on a true story. Also “Troop Beverly Hills” but I took major issue with them saying that was a bad movie because IT’S AN AMAZING MOVIE which also happened to feature both Kellie Martin and Tori Spelling.

14. favourite actor? Everyone on Sense8

15. favourite actress? Everyone on Degrassi

16. favourite time of year? Autumn (ME TOO WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!)

17. favourite animal? My dog.

18. favourite country? Anywhere but Trump’s America

19. favourite person in the whole world? My lil brother. (SAME!!! I mean I’m sure your brother is nice too but I mean mine.)

20. favourite food? Mac and cheese and chocolate mousse

21. favourite feeling? That thing of when you just start to go down the drop in a roller coaster

22. least favourite song? Maybe that country one about shoving a boot up yer ass ‘cause “It’s the American way”

23. least favourite film? Probably ones I don’t watch?

24. least favourite actor/actress? I dunno, Mel Gibson? Jon Voigt? Kelsey Grammar? The mom from Everybody Loves Raymond? Basically all the Hollywood Republicans who CONSTANTLY WHINE about how hard it is to be conservative in Hollywood? Cry me a river.

25. least favourite event? Pole vault.

26. least favourite food? Raw onions and curry.

27. least favourite feeling? Causing someone pain.

28. best feeling in the world? Making someone happy.

29. quote to the world? May the most you want be the least you get.

30. best memory? Probably vacations with my grandparents

31. best gift ever given? To me - my American girl doll. From me - taking my cousins to a 21 course tasting menu at this awesome restaurant in LA. It was a super fun night and we got to pretend we were fancy as fuck.

32. favourite alcohol drink? If I’m being really extravagant, a chocolate martini or Pina Colada. But normally I drink a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry.  

33. guilty pleasure? Real Housewives

34. best superhero? Mystique (is she a villain? I don’t care I love her. Also Rogue and Superman.)

35. best place in the whole world? I haven’t seen enough of the world to make this judgement. But I really liked Rio.

36. celebrity crush? Courtney Act

37. who’d play you in the movie of your life? Christina Ricci

38. who’d be your love interest? Courtney Act, Zoe Kravitz, Taye Diggs

39. who’d provide the soundtrack to your movie? Madonna. Duh.

40. favourite cartoon? South Park

41. character /person you can most relate to? Madonna, Tina Fey, Julie Kessler on Difficult People, Freddie Brooks from A Different World

42. sun or rain? rain

43. Adele or Ed Sheeran? Adele

44. Taylor Swift or Kanye West? I feel guilty for liking Taylor’s music more. If it were Sophie’s Choice I’d let Taylor die though.

45. pale or tanned? I look better tan but I don’t get enough sun so I’m mostly pale. But I’m olive complexion pale.

46. USA or UK? The UK - And I say that as a US citizen who’s never visited the UK. So. There’s that.

47. cash or card? What is cash? That paper stuff that people used before venmo and PayPal?

48. blonde or brain? I am too old to understand this question. Does this have to do with a songbird or yanking one’s telephone out of the wall?

49. secret talent? I know a really good travel agent. Not impressed? Wait until you’re stranded in an airport sometime.

50. if you had to make your own religion what would it be? Be Nicer and Gimme All Your Money.

51. Audition song? I used to use “SHY” from Once Upon a Mattress.

52. Britain or America’s got talent? Drag Race

53. favourite Disney movie? The Little Mermaid

54. do you love or hate game of thrones? Love, but mostly because I love the Funny or Die recap show “Gay of Thrones”

55. nicest person you’ve ever met: My cousin. I tried to get her to be sassy all weekend and she wouldn’t. She’s infuriatingly sweet.

[melancholiablackbile]

A lot of questions... my my, someone's curious lol

@black-satin-dancer tagged me, cheers dude :D

Rules: answer all the questions, add one of your own and tag as many people as there are questions …pshh please, let’s keep it realistic - I don’t even know that many people irl. (also didn’t feel obligated to answer the Dragon age/Mars effect questions, because I’ve never played it)

1. coke or pepsi?

Neither. I absolutely hate fizzy sweet drinks lol. The only thing I enjoy is kombucha and I’ve had ginger ale which I can tolerate. (btw did you know there’s something called bacon soda? I just found out and I’m absolutely horrified and disgusted. pls burn this knowledge out of my brain thank)

2. disney or dreamworks?

I don’t have a preference, nor am I overly invested in any of the two, so it depends. By Disney I really like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare before Christmas and Frankenweenie, to pick a few. As for DreamWorks, Penguins of Madagascar are THE SHIT omg 3. coffee or tea? I’m a tea person, however I enjoy coffee flavour in things

4. books or movies?

Both

5. windows or mac?

I use windows, don’t feel like I’m missing out or anything tbh

6. dc or marvel?

I’m only starting to get into comics, and I’ve probably seen more marvel films than dc ones, but I think I like dc a little more I like the older Batman films by Tim Burton.

7. xbox or playstation?

playstation. “OF COURSE we’re going to go with the ps4 - they’re blacker!” :D

8. dragon age or mass effect?

Haven’t played either, but was thinking about giving Dragon age a go

9. night owl or early riser?

aw shit dude, I don’t even know anymore. my sleeping schedule is so fucked up lately, I tend to be a night owl tho. But hey, time isn’t really anyway, so..

10. cards or chess?

both, but you can do more with cards. like chess is just one game, but there are lots of different card games. I personally identify with CAH, I think the company should hire me, because I’m a horrible person lmao

11. chocolate or vanilla?

chocolate all the way. I don’t eat it often, but when I do, I’m a snob about it - I only like the dark stuff (only vegan ofc). bonus points, if there’s dried fruit like berries in it. To sum it up (i’m taking this way too seriously and detailed lol, but I have insomnia ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) overall, chocolate flavour is better I guess, vanilla makes me vomit, it’s disgusting and I hate it. 12.vans or converse? I used to own a pair of converse, but neither are shoes I’d wear now

13. fluff or angst?

a good combination of both ehehe

14. beach or forest?

forests are awesome - they are green and smell amazing, you can spot a lot of wild animals and the atmosphere is very serene and calming. I’ll always pick forests over beaches, unless the beach is all sand or small round marble stones, the water is clear without the detached, rotting algae stuff that floats around and ew, the sun has fucked off so I don’t get sunburnt (my skin always skips the tan stage right to red and I prefer pale skin anyway) and all sweaty and shit, there are NO people beside those I’m there with and I do NOT spot any animal while in the water that’s bigger than like 5cm. Because even though I love and respect it deeply, I’m genuinely afraid of sea life, I don’t care that there are lots of totally harmless creatures. …lmao, I feel like a rich asshole saying all that - way too many demands. (sorry sea/ocean, I love you, but you freak me the fuck out)

15. dogs or cats?

I have dogs, but I love both. With dogs, the love is more likely to be returned though :D

16. clear skies or rain?

clear night skies for star gazing, rain during the day

17. cooking or eating out?

I eat mostly raw vegan nowadays, because it’s healthy I don’t have the energy to cook and can’t be arsed and I’m not too fond of eating in public so… preparing/eating food at home?

18. spicy food or mild food?

all the spices lol

19. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas?

How is this a question, have you met me? My whole existence basically revolves around celebrating Halloween like every day

20. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot?

The first one is way better imho, I’m usually a little too cold anyway (no pun intended omg) and I’m fine with that.

21. if you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Hydrokinesis (so basically I’d be a water bender ehehe) or Telepathy

22. animation or live action?

both are great (with the exception of some anime adaptations lol)

23. baths or showers?

showers don’t take too long, but baths are very nice from time to time

24. team cap or team ironman?

Team Loki, duh! No, but honestly, I’m not really invested in the whole civil war thing, but if cap is a nazi, then I’m team ironman

25. fantasy or sci-fi?

both are amazing and bring happiness into my life

26. do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so, what are they?

I guess I have a lot of favourite ones, but these two came to my mind right now: “I do desire we may be strangers” (Shakespeare) it’s such a classy and eloquent way to tell someone you hate them :D “And so being young and dipped in folly, I fell in love with melancholy” (E.A. Poe) because ME tbh

27. youtube or netflix? 

Youtube, no netflix here

28. harry potter or percy jackson?

Harry Potter all the way. I’ve read the first Percy jackson pentalogy and don’t get me wrong, Greek mythology is awesome, but wizards over demigods

29. when do you feel accomplished?

Idk, when I’m able to do more than the bare minimum and when I totally Tony Stark the whole subject/study material the night before the exam. and probably smug/petty rather than accomplished - when I prove horrible people/people I don’t like wrong or do things they don’t approve of lol

30. star wars or star trek?

I have to say Star Trek but I love both

31. paperback or hardback books?

Hardback. HARDBACK!

32. horror or rom-com?

I’ve always gravitated towards horror - psychological, gothic, really bad b/c movie style, etc. - I get bored by rom-coms

33. tv shows or movies?

depends, but both. as an aspiring actor, beside theatre, I think I’d like to work on films over tv shows - if I ever get the chance to do so that is

34. favourite animal?

penguins, rats, corvids.. but like, birds in general and all animals are awesome anyway and precious and worth of life 35. favourite genre of music? alternative rock - which is a broad spectrum tho, so I guess rock sub-genres in general.. art rock, goth rock, punk rock my favourite (purely because of the name) is krautrock (aka kosmische Musik) which is the German term for space rock, but the literal translation is either herb or cabbage rock lmao :D throw in some psychedelic stuff, ambient music, experimental and classical and I’m good to go

36. least favourite book?

Madame Bovary. I think The Great Gatsby was boring too. I don’t usually read books without researching it a bit before so I can somewhat predict whether I’ll like it or not. (btw, if you’re into fantasy at all, 10/10 recommend reading the series A Raven’s Shadow by Anthony Ryan, he’s such an eloquent writer and the plot and characters are incredible! 37. favourite season? The season of Halloween - autumn all the way

38. song that’s currently stuck in your head?

Cinnamon Bone by Eliza Rickman. She has a really nice voice and combined with the melody it sounds very unique. Actually didn’t know who the singer was until a few days ago. She also performed in the weather section in a Welcome to Night Vale episode. Oh and I rewatched CATS the musical on Sunday, so like.. the whole libretto is playing in my head on loop :D I’ve pretty much known the entire thing by heart since I was like 8 lol

39. what kind of pyjamas do you wear?

Either boxer shorts or Levi Ackerman’s running titan pyjamas lmao

40. how many existential crises do you have on an average day?

I’m having an ongoing one since the age of 16 tbh

41. if you can only choose one song to be played at your funeral, what would it be?

Space Oddity by David Bowie

42. favourite theme song to a TV show?

I’ve know this song before I started watching the show, but Far from Any Road from True Detective is amazing. And the opening to snk season 2 lol, it gets me all fired up and ready to salivate every time Levi appears cry probably idk :D

43. harry potter movies or books?

even though, they are problematic in some aspects, both have their charm (pun absolutely intended this time)

44. you can make your OTP become canon but you’ll forget that tumblr exists. will you do it? 

Bitch, my otp is canon. and I doubt anyone can really forget about tumblr - you can try and leave, but it will never leave you

45. do you play an instrument and if so, what is it? 

Not like professionally or since early childhood and all that, but I taught myself how to play the violin and I think I’m pretty decent. Same goes for drums. My dad and I low-key collect musical instruments, I think we have around 20+ pieces ^^

46. what is the worst way to die?

alone and helpless and in excruciating pain from whatever the cause was that didn’t kill you immediately though, so you have to suffer

47. if you could be entirely invisible for a day, what would you do? 

Be sneaky ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) lol idk, I’d do stuff anxiety and self-consciousness prevent me from in normal life. Okay, that is so pathetic, but my first thought was “I’d go swimming” … *wipes away a tear*

48. If you could have personally witnessed anything in history what would it be?

I feel like it’s kinda selfish and considering I’d choose this out of any moment in history maybe a wasted opportunity? but I would have loved to see David Bowie perform. Idk, I’m sure there’s more, but it’s 3am here..

49. If you could understand animals but you could never understand humans again, would you?

I find I often don’t understand humans anyway..

50. What is your most favourite album currently?

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars by David Bowie is my go to favourite album, haven’t really listened to whole albums lately, just a few songs here and there 51. (my question) What is your favourite word/phrase/colloquiallism? Name one (or more) per language you speak c:

tbh, Jeremy tagged most of the people I’d tag too, so I’m just adding @the-river-dream-shore and @slecnaztemnot to this if they or anyone else feel like it ;) I’m going to sleep now hopefully~

Note: Wow, that’s a lot of reading material lol. Why did I sound so angry?? I was tired, so that took a toll on my answers, I promise I’m not that much of an asshole :D

[getoutoftheweeds-blog]

Why I Don’t Drink Milk and Why You Should Consider Abstaining, Too

Post Whole 30 Food Intolerance Test – Dairy

Stop acting like a baby.

WARNING:  Before I get started, I’m cautioning you that dairy is a hotly debated topic.  It has caused many a political, nutritional and scientific firestorm.  Some family members won’t talk to each other about this topic because of the divisiveness.  There are major debates going on right now at state capitols, in Washington and in homes all over the country over some of the things I mention today.  Also, there is a large and growing body of evidence both for and against some of the information I will present to you today.  I’m neither a scientist nor certified nutritionist.  I’m just a regular person who has done a lot of research to try to figure out if I should be eating dairy and if I should be feeding it to my family.  I’m not claiming to be an expert or to have all my facts totally sorted out.  Some of your buttons will be pushed today.  Consider yourself warned.

On to the topic at hand.

Let’s start out in the wild.  Mammals grow and sustain their young on milk.  If you observe nature, all mammals have a weaning point.  We humans seem to be the only species that consume milk past our infancy.  Have you ever seen a full-grown cow suckling milk?  Perhaps this is a sign that milk consumption after a certain age is no longer advantageous.  However, human adults are major milk consumers.  Is that good or bad?  I don’t know, but there are some compelling reasons both for and against dairy consumption.

Dairy was the first thing I tried coming off of during my Whole 30.  I love dairy.  Well, I don’t love all of dairy.  I love cheese, butter and cream.  I’ll even dabble in yogurt every now and then.  But, I could probably go the rest of my life without drinking a glass of milk and not think anything about it.  I don’t hate milk.  I just don’t have any desire for it.  I love the things that are made from it though.  I thought this idiosyncrasy was interesting, so I decided to figure out why. 

You could make a strong point that milk is perhaps the perfect food.  It contains the optimal ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrates to grow little-bitty mammals into great big beasts.  In fact, there is no better nutrition source for newborns, humans included.  Indeed, there are many campaigns out there designed to convince us that milk is one of the healthiest things we can put in our body.  (Got Milk?)  Just last night I saw a commercial about how chocolate milk is one of the best post-workout drinks around.  I don’t necessarily disagree with that.  But I don’t totally agree either.

If milk were so perfect, how come a lot of people struggle with dairy? 

To me, this is a really complicated question.  On one hand, there is the individual stuff, ingredients if you will, that make up milk.  On the other hand, there is milk as a whole entity. 

When it comes to the ingredients, there are two different things folks tend to struggle with. 

First, there is the whey protein.  Not everyone can digest whey well.  Have you ever noticed how bad your farts are after chugging a protein shake?  That is in part to the whey not getting broken down correctly.  Your body has a limit as to how much of this protein it can process at one time.  The undigested stuff gets passed along your system, later fermenting in your bowels.  Depending on the health of your gut, you may not handle it well.  Also, undigested or partially digested proteins can stimulate an auto-immune response in some people. 

Second, there is the lactose.  Lactose is milk sugar.  Just like with the whey, not everyone can digest lactose well.  In fact, when I was a kid, I was lactose-intolerant.  This is very common.  However, this lactose is part of what makes dairy irresistible to some people.  It is checking off a lot of the same boxes in your brain that sugar and opiates do.  Also, gut bacteria thrives off of this stuff.  Those bacteria can send your brain chemical signals to desire more.  I suspect this is a big reason why I love dairy so much.  I’m addicted to it. 

You should also know that both the whey and the lactose have the ability to spike your blood-sugar levels.  So, if you are watching your carb intake, you don’t get a free pass with dairy.  You might want to avoid whole dairy products.  It’ll bump you right out of ketosis, if that is your goal.

The fat in dairy seems to be some of the most nutritious fat you can get your hands on, with one major caveat.  That caveat is fat is the body’s storehouse for certain things.  For example, there are measurable amounts of antibiotics, growth hormones, and pesticides found in conventional dairy fat. 

These reasons are why a lot of folks choose to buy organic milk.  Organic dairy fat just has less crap in it.  This is precisely why we buy organic butter, cheese and cream.  All three of which are almost purely milk fat.  In fact, the very first dairy food I tried after my Whole 30 was butter.  I had no negative side effects.  Yay.

That being said, organic dairy doesn’t get a free pass either.  While, the cows have better diets, are given less antibiotics and no growth hormone, there is still something deleterious that happens to grass-fed, all-organic, grocery store available milk.  That is pasteurization.

Pasteurization kills all the living microbes in the milk.  While this is great for mass production and storage, it might not be so great for the end user.  Pasteurization denudes the natural enzymes in the milk that are supposed to aid in its digestion. 

Imagine I gave you a special box.  I told you about all the benefits that were in that box.  There are things in there that are going to help you out so much!  It is hard to even explain how beneficial it is.  But you need it, you want it and you deserve to have it.  It’ll make your kids grow strong!  It’ll make your bones stronger for longer.  We’ve added vitamins to the box to make it even better for you!  It tastes good, it looks good and it can be used in a variety of ways.  You want it, right? 

The problem is it takes a special tool to open the box.  My beneficial claims are based on you having this tool to open this box.  But I don’t give you the tool.  In fact, I’m not allowed to give you the tool.  Even more, I could go to jail if I do not totally destroy that tool.

This is how the dairy industry functions in regulation and in practice.  Those enzymes are the tool you need to maximize those claims.  Pasteurization destroys those enzymes.

Now, I am not against pasteurization.  It can’t be denied that pasteurization kills all the potentially bad things in milk that might (or might not) make you sick.  It is also the only real solution for longer-duration food safety.  That milk in the cooler at the store took a long time to get there.  The same can be said for that juice, those eggs, and even almonds. 

However, that which is good for the masses might not always be good for me.  Given current federal and state law, you need to have your own cows to get the most nutritious and digestible milk possible.  You’re probably not going to do that.  I’m not going to do that either.  There are other loop-holes to get raw milk.  They tend to be expensive though.  There are other risks as well.  They may be worth it to you, they may not.

My solution is to avoid the liquid which is milk altogether.  We don’t even buy it anymore.  We use coconut milk as a replacement, when necessary.  And on those occasions that I do partake in animal milk, I know I’m drinking something that closely resembles milk, but lacks all the components to be the real thing.

Does the same hold true for all dairy products? 

My answer is no. 

You see, even though they can hail from pasteurized milk, cheese and yogurt goes through a fermentation process that renders them more digestible.  So, while those enzymes are not coming from the milk itself, they are added into the process.  These enzymes and bacteria break down the whey and lactose into easier to digest components. 

Quick note:  One thing to look for in yogurt is the sugar content.  Some producers/manufactures add extra sugar to their final product to make it taste better. 

As for butter and cream, these products are made almost exclusively from milk fat.  Since there are relatively low amounts of whey and lactose in them, they don’t pose the same issues milk does.    At least, that has been my experience.

In closing, after coming off Whole 30, I was really curious how my body would react to dairy.  I tested it on butter and had no side effects.  However, I’m not jumping back into dairy with both feet.  In fact, I’m not planning on adding milk into my diet.  I can’t ignore the fact that I will not be able to get the most benefit out of it.  Next, I will try cheese.  I don’t expect any negative reaction, but you never know.  That’s why we test it out. 

At the end of the day, you are going to have to make up your own mind about dairy. 

What was (or is) the first food you are going to test after you 30 days?

We can’t wait to hear from you.