#it was like $1 per vine boom

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

sorry about the slight audio glitch. it was part of the stream

Transcript:

W-why?

Why?

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY FUCKING VINE BOOMS?!

End transcription

Audio Source

[hoperays-song]

Sing 1 Commentary and Review Pt. 1

Like I said yesterday, I will be giving commentary through out the run of the movie here! Is this an elaborate plan to distract me from my fic being with my beta reader? Yes! Am I using it for content? Also yes! I will try to remember to include timestamps and screenshots. But probably will just end up doing screenshots most of the time, sorry. Welcome to the madness!

(There will be multiple parts because these take a while and also there's a limit of thirty photos per post so yeah. I got 9 minutes in? I talk a lot during movies ok? It's an AuDHD thing.)

----------------------------

I feel like now is as good of a time as any to mention that I despise minions (aka was forced to watch Despicable Me in art class way too much as a child). So yes, we're not even past the opening credits and I'm already complaining, welcome to watching a movie with me everyone.

Ok just noticed this for the first time, but Old Moon Theatre had lyres (a symbol of Apollo, the Greek god of music) and grape vines (a symbol of Dionysus, the Greek god of theatre) on it, which is just super cool!

I love the fact that Buster canonically talks to himself and narrates his own life. Like same bestie. Love this for you. You're in your delusion era rn but go for it mate.

Lesbians!!

(No I will not be taking criticism here. That pose is one of the gayest things I have ever seen and I just looked in a mirror.)

HE HAS APPEARED!!!!!

Ok three things. One, these cops appeared out of literally no where. Like we just did a circle around the boy and we did not see them. Can they teleport or something???

Also, two, what the hell is in that box? I'm typically not one to judge what random stuff you leave in an alley (yes, yes I am, but to be fair this is the cleanest alley I've ever seen), but is that just a box of cut up springs??

And for number three, you thought you heard someone singing??? You thought you heard someone singing and only spare one glance down the alley behind the bank during a spree of bank robberies??? Ok no, these cops are terrible. The bank being robbed is absolutely their fault, what the hell?!

Ooooo, eight ball keychain!!!

I mean... Johnny did warn them, ten seconds too late, but he did warn them. He's still absolutely grounded but you know, he tried. Also, I just realized they took the license plate off the truck for the robbery. Insanely smart. The best boys. I love them.

✨ 🎶He's a runner, he's a track star! 🎶✨

Also, apparently Johnny can catch up with a accelerating truck... ok then.

Glad to see this skill that I'm absolutely sure will be used again in the multiple other applicable scenarios. What was that? It never comes up again? Yeah, that seems about right.

Ok, how the hell have the not found these guys yet??? Like the rest of the gang are in disguises, horrible ones but still disguises, but Johnny wears the exact same clothes throughout the movie and is not hiding his face in the slightest. You're telling me no one, not a single person, recognized him???

Also, just how many vintage trucks are in this town? Like just look up the truck model and go down the list of all the one's owned in Calatonia. Boom, done. The police in this place suck at their jobs.

ROSITA!!!!

Ok, so the piglets are definitely around first grade judging by the alphabet and number chart on the wall. Also, a learning chart on the wall is so cute and sweet, I love it!

(Theory) So... we can all agree it's summer right? Because not only are Johnny and Meena home (ok Meena's home, Johnny's being a felon, but that's not important) at lunch time but so are the piglets. They for sure aren't in school yet. And yeah, I know they leave with backpacks later on but that could just be daycare (it's likely daycare). So, since a lot of daycares aren't open on weekends (or at least ones near me), Sing 1 starts in the summer on a weekend! That's cool!

Awwww Rosita. I'm so sorry honey. I love you, we all love you, and I wish I could say you have a normal, relaxing life after this movie but... I'm sorry. Not even close to one.

Ok wow, forgot how vertigo inducing this movie was. Wow.

Ash has arrived!!!!

Also, super interesting how Ash's guitar looks a lot more worn that Lance's. It has scratches and faded stickers while Lance's looks shiny and new here.

And Lance... ewww.

Fair man, fair.

And before people get on to my man Harry for kicking them out without pay by the looks of it, most restaurant gigs I know of are not paid, the musicians get tips and exposure, and I'm pretty sure there is not one single person in that restaurant soo... yeah. They weren't getting paid either way.

One of the best expressions all movie.

I'm gonna punt him. I don't care that he's been on screen for 10 seconds, I'm gonna punt him.

(Moments where Lance is puntable counter: 4)

And now we have everyone!!! Meena, welcome aboard!

Also that cake looks amazing. ...Hold up, I'm getting lunch.

Ok, I'm back! Let's dive back in to my lovely ramblings that are hopefully semi entertaining.

Oh boy, let's talk about the happy birthday scene. For one, Meena is a kid. Stop being mean to a kid.

For another, the rest of her family just stops singing??? Like excuse me, that's not how the happy birthday song works. I don't care if one of the singers is a grammy winner, you don't stop singing just to listen to them. It is a group effort. Either everyone sings or no one does. It's the birthday song rules people. They really put her on the spot here and I do not appreciate it, the poor baby.

So, Meena has tried out for choirs and bands before but it never worked out. That makes me think her social anxiety is not new and I am very much disappointed with her grandfather's perspective on it.

Oh great. He's here.

(Mike puntable moments counter: 1)

Their money must be different than ours since that is the design of a penny.

Also: (Mike puntable moments counter: 2)

OK. This is a straight up mugging. Why is no one doing anything?! Like excuse me?!?!?

Oh and now he gave the guy an asthma attack. Sod off Mike.

Why is everyone siding with the mouse man?????? He sucks??? Hello????

(Mike puntable moments counter: 5)

Ok, ignore the monkey man for a minute. The restaurant is legit named 'The Squids'. So do they own it? Do they work there? Was the founder a squid? What's the situation because I'm guessing the don't eat them since they are sentient.

For such a fancy restaurant, they have terrible taste in lighting decor. I'm pretty sure those are the same ones at my doctor's office.

Oh Eddie, my favourite trust fund baby of the series. It's so good to see you.

Ok, let's talk about the implications of what Eddie is saying here. He says that his dad has been paying for the shows. And Buster's theatre has been struggling for way more than one or two shows.

And I don't know about you guys but I personally wouldn't pay for my adult kid's friend's failing theatre more than once if it turned out to be a bust. It's a waste of money and have you seen today's economy. Now if that was my kid's partner? Different story. I would probably be more willing to pay for a few more for both of their sakes.

What am I saying here? Noodlemoon. They're dating. End of story. ----------------------------

I'll be right back with part 2!

(And 30 more screenshot taking up memory on my dying laptop.)

[nittroy]

✨ All of my Artfight 2023 works: a wrap up ✨

Character credits: 1. Ama and Robin for @samaelsinked 2. Cereza for @galantines 3. Will for @artichow 4. Anachronism for @paristandard  ♡ ♡ ♡ (Aand bit of my rambling about this year AF under the cut)

So this year artfight for me was,, a bit uncontrollable. Last year I feel like I had a good balance going between attacking and revenging, I managed to both reply to atackes and start the interactions; this year tho, was only attacks. And they were so random - some I did in like 3 days, and some I've been working on since the start of the month and only finished weeks after-

I'm honestly sad I couldn't revenge so many cool art I got. It all made my month so I hoped I could pay back a little! Hope yall are not offended and hope I can get back to it next year - If I survive ehh :,)

In my defence, it was hard from the start: 30th June was the last exam and then vine boom artfight, I got 0 time to relax and be stupid, oh and also goverment is after me. And health stuff, as per usual

But on the bright sight - at least I managed to paint this 4 pieces and tbh I'm proud of them!! ;w; Testing quick coloring, reading about characters (seriously I love to see other peoples stories), so I really tried to put some little pieces of plot and interaction into scenes and personalities into the portraits. I hope yall can see it too and it's all cool in the end ✨

[pyrahembark]

Features and Traits

Acquired feats:

Elemental Adept (fire): Ignore enemy resistance to fire damage, treat 1s on damage dice as 2

Class feats:

Wildshape: Magically assume the shape of a beast two times per short or long rest.

Druidic: Understand Druidic as a language, can leave hidden messages.

Druid Circles: see below

Race feats (stout halfling):

Ability score increase: dex score +2

Speed: base speed is 25ft

Lucky: When you roll a 1 on a d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throws, you can reroll the die once.

Brave: advantage against frightening saving throws

Halfling nimbleness: move through the space of bigger creatures.

Languages: know halfling

Druid Circle

Summon Wildfire Spirit

As an action: spend one use of wildshape to summon spirit

Circle spells

Burning Hands, Cure Wounds, Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray

Spellcasting

Cantrips (3 known)

Spells marked with (*) are circle spells and don't count towards total spell count (7).

Guidance (1 action, touch, V/S, concentration, 1 min): You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends.

Produce Flame (1 action, self, V/S, 10 min): A flickering flame appears in your hand. The flame remains there for the duration and harms neither you nor your equipment. The flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The spell ends if you dismiss it as an action or if you cast it again. You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage.

Thorn Whip (1 action, 30ft, V/S/M, instant): You create a long, vine-like whip covered in thorns that lashes out at your command toward a creature in range. Make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d6 piercing damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.

1st level (4 slots)

Burning Hands* (1 action, self, V/S, instant): As you hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from your outstretched fingertips. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.

Cure Wounds* (1 action, touch, V/S, instant): A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

Healing Word (1 bonus, 60ft, V, instant): A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

Thunderwave (1 action, self, V/S, instant): A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from you. Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away from you by the spell’s effect, and the spell emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.

Longstrider (1 action, touch, V/S/M, 1 hour): You touch a creature. The target’s speed increases by 10 feet until the spell ends.

Entangle ( 1 action, 90ft, V/S, concentration, 1 min): Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.

Faerie Fire (1 action, 60ft, V, concentration, 1 min): Each object in a 20-foot cube within range is outlined in blue, green, or violet light (your choice). Any creature in the area when the spell is cast is also outlined in light if it fails a Dexterity saving throw. For the duration, objects and affected creatures shed dim light in a 10-foot radius. Any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the affected creature or object can’t benefit from being invisible.

2nd level (3 slots)

Flame Blade (1 bonus, self, V/S/M, concentration, 10 min): You evoke a fiery blade in your free hand. The blade is similar in size and shape to a scimitar, and it lasts for the duration. If you let go of the blade, it disappears, but you can evoke the blade again as a bonus action. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the fiery blade. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 fire damage. The flaming blade sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Flaming Sphere* (1 action, 60ft, V/S/M, Concentration, 1 min): A 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range and lasts for the duration. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. As a bonus action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet. If you ram the sphere into a creature, that creature must make the saving throw against the sphere’s damage, and the sphere stops moving this turn. When you move the sphere, you can direct it over barriers up to 5 feet tall and jump it across pits up to 10 feet wide. The sphere ignites flammable objects not being worn or carried, and it sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.

Hold Person (1 action, 60ft, V/S/M, Concentration, 1 min): Choose a humanoid that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the spell ends on the target.

Inventory

Weapons

Scimitar: +3 attack, 1d6+2+3(+5) slashing

Mace (+1): +4 attack, 1d6+2+3+1(+6)

Armor/wearables

Shield: +2 AC

Cloak of Protection: +1 to saving throws and AC

[the2amrevolution]

Guesses about what some of the songs might be about/might reference on 5-star under the cut

Hall of Fame probably references performing on the moon, which was something one of the members said as a joking goal once. Theres also the concept of a taking a claim with a flag, so staking their claim on the hall of fame.

S-Class means top rank/class, and the icon makes me think of atoms. Atomic number 8 is oxygen and an outer shell of 8 makes a noble gas. A+ chemistry puns. I will judge poor lab safety if they are in a chem lab in the video.

Item is all pixeled and the word itself suggests a sort of video game theme. 1-up.

I've got very little for Super Bowl. I mean, the only thing called that is the American football game, and the image is a black hole or worm hole, which I guess kind of looks like a stadium with the light from a show/crowd in the middle.

Topline is the main melodic vocals in a track. Basically the part you'd sing at karaoke. It also is synonymous with "top of the line." The image made me think of the Old Republic and Jedi Order symbols, personally, replacing the wings with the lines 😆 but its also kind of like the star making a sonic boom aka "breaking the sound barrier"

DLC we now know is a sun, "dance like crazy until the sun rise." The video seems like it takes some inspiration from the movie Billy Elliot, which deals with stereotypes of male dancers being seen as too feminine and weak.

Han wrote both Get Lit and Collision. Get Lit has a comet /or/ meteor, which collides with earth. So they could be like two parts of a story.

FNF has an eclipse look to the planet. The vines kind of remind me of a demon slayer character (Nezuko's big angy form), and they've had references to the show in the past. But also I'm currently watching the 3rd season so it's in the front of my mind. No idea what FNF might stand for. Youtiful's planet looks like freckles? Felix isn't in the credits for that song though. The rings are basic planetary rings, but the planets for both are tilted the same direction and ringed. The only other ringed planet is Item's, and it's tilted the opposite way.

It could be that there's two songs per unit this album, which they've not done before. So 1-6 is all 8, then 7 & 8 are Han's unit (Hyunjin, Han, Seungmin, I.N) and 9 & 10 are Chan's unit (Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Felix).

[michiigii-writes]

Of Shadows and Tyr (1/??)

Summary:  So, after 20 years of searching, I have stumbled upon a DnD group that is willing to deal with my absurd work schedule, and let me play with them!  I have no idea what I’m doing, and I cannot fanart my way out of a wet paper bag, so I appear to have subconsciously decided to write a novel.

Craven and the other Tiefling have written more succinct and appropriately lengthed (that’s a word) summaries.

I have created a neutral 21-year-old Tiefling druid, named Strive.  She has cinnamon skin, short garnet hair, black eyes, a whip-like tail, and horns that curve out and then slightly down and back (Bharal sheep horns).  We have started our journey at level 2.

This is my version of a “the story, so far.”  It is already too long.  8)  I have no idea how many installments there will be; I already had to separate into a second part of our first session because I wrote too much.  I also have an origins chapter for Strive because IM’ SORRY OKAY.

In the beginning:  There was a city (part 1/2)

Master said it was time to see the world.

I didn't want to, of course. I was comfortable enough to live with the Lizardfolk tribe, secreted away in a little hut by the edge of the forest, serving as their healer when Master finally passed on. Why would I need to go out into the world? Our swamp had everything I needed, and that was enough.

But as usual, Master wanted more for me.

As per Master's orders, lightly veiled as 'advice,' of course, the safest way for me to see the world would be with a group. And apparently, the easiest way to find a group of adventurers was in the city.

He failed to mention how busy and loud and DUSTY the city of Kendrith was.  I don’t like sand.  It’s rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere.

There were too many people. Too many humans. It was a warm, sunny day, but I had to keep my cloak closed and my hood up to hide my tail and horns.  Even in the depths of my big cloak, I felt exposed.

And the dust! There was so little natural life in Kendrith; barely any grass or trees.  It had been less than a fortnight, and already I missed the lush reeds and soft, insect-ridden mud near Master's hut. The city was dry and lacking, like stale bread.

I was trying to find quieter streets when I somehow managed to almost step on a small figure, tripping them into the road.  Naturally, I stopped to help them up, but my apology died in my throat when I saw her horns and tail.

She was a Tiefling, too. A young Tiefling with beautiful blue eyes and a spade-tipped tail.

But...her skin...it was purple.

Unbidden, I recalled warmth, and softness, and a smile resting on a purple-skinned face-

And then the Tiefling bared her teeth at me and the memory evaporated.

"Are...are you okay?" I asked, reaching out to her with an empty hand. She hissed at me and scrabbled back. I froze, then raised my hands, palms out, in a sign of peace.

“My name’s Strive,” I said softly, and asked her if she wanted help, but she just hissed and cocked her head at me.  I wasn’t sure if she didn’t speak Common or if she just wanted me to leave.  She made me think of my tribe’s hatchlings:  feral to anybody aside from their family.

We were interrupted, then, by a human in armor.  He had some kind of insignia on the breastplate, but what worried me was that the Tiefling hissed at him, recognition crossing her face.

He was following her and she did not feel safe.

I stood between the human and the girl, tried to brush the him off, but he continued to press forward, offering us shelter, of all things. Why on earth would a human want to help two Tieflings?  People in general didn't trust our kind, but humans!  I felt anger rising to flush my face.  Humans were the whole reason...

If all Tieflings are not alike, the same must be said of all races, Master's voice echoed in my head, stopping my temper.

I wasn’t home, anymore.  I had to be smart, and I had to keep a cool head.

I eyed the human knight carefully.  He introduced himself as Valzan Corindal, and again, he said he wanted to help.  I've always been good at reading people, and for some reason, I couldn't detect any lie in him.  It was odd, but...somehow I believed him.

Almost like a natural 20 had been rolled on my insight.

It helped abate my suspicions when an elf woman wearing similar armor joined him, and he backed away.  I relaxed a little, although the Tiefling behind me still seemed wary.  I spoke a little with the woman.  She seemed kind.  Bitterly, I wondered if it was easy to be kind when your race was generally admired.

Nobody chooses their blood, Charity. Only their path, Master chided.

I did my best to shut down my concerns, and listened to the elf woman's spiel about their church.  Her name was Elyssia, and according to her, she and Valzan were hoping to develop a church worshipping Tyr in Kendrith.  I wasn’t particularly interested in converting.  Semuanya, Master’s deity, was enough for me, valuing my survival instead of my dark heritage. 

Thankfully, Elyssia wasn’t trying to change me, only offering me a place of rest, and then she retreated into a run-down old building nearby. That made me wonder: I'd been taught that churches were grand affairs with coloured windows, not dusty ruins. This 'church' didn't look anything like that; it looked significantly more forlorn than what I had imagined a church to be.

It was then that the Tiefling shook her head and looked even more upset.  I didn’t see any flies buzzing near her ears.  I couldn’t hear or sense anything, myself.  But I knew I was missing something, and that bothered me.

My answer came sooner than I expected:  a very tall gentleman decided it was time to join our group and with a booming voiced asked if he could be of some assistance.

I wanted to go home, personally.

The Tiefling girl spat an insult at the tall man, making him dizzy, somehow.  I suspected he had done something to upset her.

I, on the other hand, looked at the newcomer appraisingly.  He seemed otherworldy to me, somehow.  In a loud, boisterous voice, he announced that Craven was his name.  He was tall for human standards, but his hair stood up in a crest and his eyes glowed blue.

I had never seen anything like those eyes.

I also started to wonder if maybe the Lizardfolk and I were the strange ones and everyone else on earth had blue eyes.  I glanced at the human.  Nope, his were green.  Stranger and stranger...

I decided then that I was going to try to convince the Tiefling girl to come back with me to the swamp where we would never have to deal with anybody on Semuanya's green earth ever again.  That was the only logical thing to do.  There were too many things happening out in the world and I, personally, was done with it.  Master was clearly wrong; I did not need to see the rest of the world.

Instead, two men in black sauntered over, chains on their belts, and clearly looking for the Tiefling girl behind me.

The way she hissed and backed away from them, by comparison, she had been downright cozy with Valzan only a moment before.  Forget not trusting the Paladin of Tyr; these two men, who were soon joined by a third, were definitely an active danger.

To my pleasant surprise, I saw that Valzan and Craven were also of the same mind; together, we fought to take girl’s enemies down.

The four of us made short work of the three men. I entangled the one who was closest to us, using vines, while the girl behind me spat curses with some kind of magic.  The tall Craven cut down one slaver with his great sword, while the paladin finished off the other with a few swings of his axe.  The third enemy tried to run, but was quickly caught by Valzan, and the coward passed out as soon as he saw his fate was sealed.

Craven carried their hostage into the church, but Valzan stayed behind, hoping to talk us into following them, once again talking about safety.

I looked at how thin the Tiefling girl was, then instead of properly answering him, asked if the paladin had any food.  He pulled out some bread, offering it to her.  She shifted back, ever distrustful.  I didn’t blame her. 

Silently, I took the loaf, took a bite of it to show that it was fine, then offered it to the girl.  She hesitated, then snatched it from me, munching eagerly away at what I now knew was incredibly dry bread.  I mentioned so to the paladin, but with a small smile and shrug he explained that it was rations.  I nodded, chewing thoughtfully, noting that he didn’t snap defensively at me.  A comment like that would have earned a slap, with Master’s tribe. 

I was also impressed to see that the girl was almost done the loaf; quite a feat considering how dry it was.  Without thinking, I said out loud that she reminded me of a chipmunk. 

She did not appreciate it.  She pulled a face, and I regretted saying it.

Again, we were invited to the church.  I told the girl that it seemed like a good offer, and if she was anything like me, she didn’t have anywhere else to go.  I slowly followed the paladin to the church, and was pleased to see that the girl stayed right behind me.

Crossing the threshold, I paused, and it was with some degree of relief to find that I would not burst into flames.  The highest point of my day, so far.

In the main foyer of the church, we found that the elf woman, Elyssia, had prepared a wonderful spread for us.  The Tiefling girl made a beeline towards the fruits and sweets, but my eyes gravitated to the cheese!  There were great, big, yellow and red wheels of cheese, beside loaves of bread that were so fresh I could still see steam rising off of them.  And wine!  I loved wine.  I’d only had it once or twice, but I knew it was so much better than the brackish moonshine the Lizardfolk made. But first, to business.  Craven and Valzan hauled their unconscious slaver into the church’s basement, myself following silently behind.  Elyssia stayed with the girl upstairs, so I figured she would be safe. 

In the basement, a lone chair, small table, and candle awaited them, along with two large barrels of water.  My mouth twisted, hidden by the shadow of my cloak.  I could imagine what was coming.  I reminded myself that their victim was a slaver, and a cruel one, if the Tiefling girl’s scars were any indication. Valzan splashed water into their victim’s face, effectively reviving him.  Craven thought it would be a good idea to dump a whole barrel onto him; I rolled my eyes, hiding a smile at the unnecessary action.

It didn’t take much to make the man talk; almost immediately, he willingly shared everything he knew about his employers, even if it wasn’t much.  I frowned when he mentioned that he was just a hired hand, trying to make his way in the world.  He was a slaver.  A slaver.  How could he stomach such work?

But his insistence that he just wanted coin rang true.  He needed to work to eat, and jobs were scarce.  It just happened that what he had to do was vile.

I didn’t want to hear any more.  Without the others noticing, I turned away and slipped back upstairs.  I would much rather keep company with the cheese and wine.

--(part two)--

[ferrethyun]

He’s my soulmate, unfortunately | Chapter 2

{Requests are open!}

Summary | Previous | You are here | Next

“So you mean to tell me that you found your soulmate and didn’t decide to let me know until now?”

“I know it sounds bad but it was the middle of the night manager-nim” Y/n sighed out, rubbing his eyes, “You would have been asleep. I wanted to tell you in person”

The older male that stood opposite the idol let out a deep sigh of frustration, pulling his phone out of his pocket “I can’t believe this has happened so close to the comeback” He gritted out, eyebrows furrowed, “I’ll talk to who I need to talk to, you go back to practice and I’ll come to get you all when we need to go to the radio interview today…”

Y/n looked down, eyes glassy and nodded before walking off down the barren hallways towards the practice studio he was just in. When he entered the room, the rest of his group could see the underlying frustration and sadness in his eyes but none of them wanted to bring it up. They had seen this look before when, in the past, their leader had thought he found his soulmark but it turns out it wasn’t; they had all heard the quiet sobs down the hall from when he was crying because he felt like the world wasn’t in his favour. They had all heard it yet Y/n still put up a front of him not caring. If you ever asked him about it, the leader would say that it’s for the sake of the fans, none of them wanted to see the idol they loved so much be sad over a simple thing he couldn’t control.

The idol snapped out of his jumbled thoughts after feeling the pounding bass of their title track for their upcoming album flow through his feet; the beginning few notes of the song allowed Y/n enough time to get into position, his body moving on its own as the lyrics began to fill the room. The group went on to practice other songs for another half hour before their manager came through the heavy wooden door.

“Alright, you lot!” His booming voice filled the studio, “Go and get ready because we need to head off to the radio interview soon! You have 20 minutes max!” The mention of a time limit had the two youngest, Shinwa and Lee, running off to go and get ready while the older three took their time.

With a quick wardrobe change, some makeup and a car drive later, the group known as Canvas were at the radio station. All members sat around a large, circle-shaped desk with headphones on and a microphone in front of them, two radio hosts with them. Per request, the group started off the interview by introducing themselves after the announcement that they were in the studio;

“1! 2!” The group chanted, “Paint the sky! We are Canvas!”

“If you don’t know who these guys are then where have you been?!” The female host questioned with a laugh.

“That’s right!” The male host affirmed, “Today we have every single member with us!: Y/n, Ren, Taewoo, Lee and Shinwa!”

Eventually, the studio calmed down and after a few basic questions of how they were doing and how life had been for them, the hosts moved on to some questions that were prepared specifically for the interview; “So! I’ll get the biggest question out of the way first…” one of the hosts began, leaning closer to the mic, “Can the fans expect a comeback soon?”

The question sent a buzz of excitement through the group, the fact that they had to keep it a secret bringing a grin to their faces as they looked between each other “Well…” The eldest member spoke up, “Unfortunately, we can’t say a single thing but please wait a little bit longer for us!” Murmurs began to fill the room in anticipation, Rens words clearly hinting at a bigger production that was going on behind the scenes. More questions were fired around the studio, ranging from “Who takes the longest to get up?” and “Who has improved the most?”; this went on for a while before the hosts announced that it was time for fan questions. The members adjusted their sitting positions, headphones and mics, getting a bit more excited for these questions as the fans tended to ask questions that were a lot more interesting.

“So the first question is about instruments!” The female host began, “This fan asks, ‘Do any of the members play an instrument. If yes, what instrument do you play?’”

The members of the group looked in between each other, trying to confirm if one of them did; Y/n sat in silence, the mention of instruments bringing back thoughts of his dream.

“I don’t think so?” Lee spoke, resting his head on his chin, confusion in his tone.

“Ah! No!” the youngest exclaimed, drawing all attention to himself, “Y/n-Hyung does! You play the violin don’t you?”

Y/n blinked in surprise before letting out a chuckle slip from his lips as he rubbed at his neck, “I do play the violin actually, I just don’t find the time nowadays…” He trailed off, “I really should get back into playing…” Everyone in the room nodded, slightly uncomfortable at the male's vague tone. They then moved on to the next question, What hobbies do you have? The group couldn’t help but laugh, Taewoos standing out the most. The second oldest went on to mention that sleep and eating were at the top of everyone's list due to lack of time to do things. Each member mentioned something simple afterwards to add some substance to the question; then came the second to last question.

“So this fan is wondering what soulmarks each member has?” The male host's eyebrows shooting up in surprise, “Brave question to ask, listener, let's get some answers then…”

“Well, my soulmark is quite obvious isn’t it?” Shinwa grinned, “You can’t miss it. Not every day that you see someone with a whole vine of roses stretching wrist to wrist is it?”

“Ren-hyung and I have the timer soulmark” Taewoo followed up, earning a hum from the eldest, “The only difference is that they’re in different spots. Mines is on my wrist while his is on his neck I believe”

Next was Lee “My soulmark is where whatever your soulmate draws on themselves shows up on you” He wistfully sighed out, “Pretty common and not that special.”

“Ah! I hear that you’ve met your soulmate? Are the rumours true?” One of the hosts probed, their ears turning red at the personal question.

The second youngest let out an airy chuckle at the question “We’ve never actually met in person but she does write to me every day and before every performance. However, we normally text as it’s easier” Lee couldn’t help but grin, making everyone else smile. He had been the first to meet their soulmate when he was much younger due to the very obvious direct connection to each other; he was so whipped but he didn’t care.

“Right, moving on!” The female host called out to break the overwhelmingly stuffy atmosphere, “Y/n! You’re getting older and is there still no sign of your soulmate?”

The leader couldn’t help but wince at the direct jab at his age and situation but decided to be professional and move past it; this didn’t stop his brain from recounting the moment he met his soulmate over and over again “I… still don’t know my soulmark…” He lied through gritted teeth, “I do hope to meet them soon and discuss what might have taken us so long to meet…” The tension in the room was suffocating everyone, the question a very touchy one to approach.

To break the tension as soon as possible, the hosts moved on to the next question “So the last question is quite simple” The male host coughed out as he awkwardly adjusted his headphones and mic, “Are there any particular groups you enjoy listening to?”

A few different groups were thrown around as well as some solo artists just for fun, all from the other members of Canvas; as to not be left out, Y/n jumped in with his thoughts “I quite like NCT and Bts” He spoke as he rubbed at his chin, “They have quite the variety of genres and its nice to listen to.” Gasps filled the room, making Y/n blink in confusion.

“Y/n-ssi...” The female host spoke, hand over her mouth, “You like Bts? Even with the comparisons made of you and Suga-ssi? How?”

The male couldn’t help but grit his teeth as he brought the microphone closer to his lips “I don’t know where this idea of us being rivals came from?” He began, eyes fiery, “I don’t understand the notion of rivalry in the idol industry as it likely does more harm than good. I’d like to meet with Suga-sunbae one day but I think it’d be awkward due to the supposed ‘relationship’ of rivalry we have as portrayed by the media…” Y/n stopped to take a deep breath, rubbing at his temples in an attempt to calm down.

The silence in the room was deadly, one breath in and you might just die from suffocation. Both hosts let out awkward and forced coughs to break the silence before deciding that now was the time to end the interview; the members said their goodbyes and made their way to to the van that would take them home. In the van, their manager looked Y/n in the eyes and shook his head in disappointment. He let the male know that it was his turn to do a V-live and to not have an outburst or say anything stupid tonight as he did back in the radio station. Y/n simply nodded and sat there in silence for the rest of the journey.

Once home, the group sat at the table to have some food, silence aching and pulling on their minds. It wasn’t till the end of the meal that one of the members decided to speak up about what just happened “So…” Ren began quietly, his tone pointed and on edge, “What was that about Y/n?”

Y/n winced at the tone of his hyungs voice, the words digging into him like knives “It was nothing, it doesn’t matter” he fired back

“Didn’t seem like nothing to me…”

“Well, it was! So just-” the volume of his voice spiked before coming back down, “- leave it will you?” The other members at the table glanced between each other, they knew the topic would be touchy after the interview and they were all curious about what had happened; it was just that none of them wanted to ask about it. As Ren kept probing into the issue, The youngest looked as if he was about to cry while Lee and Taewoo tried to look for a moment to diffuse the situation. Suddenly, Y/n stood up, his chair scraping against the floor, and slammed his hands on the table;

“Look! If you want to know so bad, fine!” He seethed, “I can’t cope with this! It’s all so new to me while everyone here has had time to come to terms with it. I don’t wanna hear anything anymore so I’m going upstairs to do the live. Goodnight!”  And then he left, not bothering to clean his plate up or take it to the kitchen.

In his room, Y/n took a moment to calm down and then began to set up his camera for the v-live; he sat at his desk with all his art supplies and then hit the broadcast button. He let the view count go up for a while and greeted a few people as they greeted him. The male then took a proper look at the comments, noting the ones that asked where the other members were and the ones in English, picking one out to answer “M/n-ie you were on the radio today right?” he read out in a higher-pitched voice, “You’re right! I was indeed. I hope you all enjoyed it?”

The comments set off like crazy, ignoring all the questions that asked about his soulmate, instead choosing to show them the drawing he had worked on a few days ago. He lifted his sketchbook to show the camera and began to talk about it, not noticing the page beginning to move and show the drawing he made last night. The comments went crazy and it took a moment for Y/n to notice. His eyes scanned the comments closely before flitting up to his sketchbook, panic taking over his tired eyes.

He didn’t know what to do, everyone had seen it so what should he do? He couldn’t just play it off as if he didn’t see it or that it wasn’t there; he was so lucky that he didn’t draw facial features otherwise he would have been done for. Y/n could feel the cogs turning in his head. “I… uhhhh…” Y/n drawled out, mind trying to come up with words, “I d-drew this last night? Yeah! I drew this last night because it came to me in my dreams” His eyes scanned the gentle features of the drawing, silently critiquing the drawing at the same time.

“It was weird, I was there and someone else was too…” The comments began showing up like crazy, so many asking if his soulmark might be the soulmate dream room type and that he had only just found out. Y/n shook his head, his eyes suddenly absent of any emotion “It couldn’t be my soulmark type, there's no way that someone who's like a rival to me would be my soulmate. It was just a stupid dream…”

His words barely noted in his mind, but he did pick up on them; Y/n decided that then would be a good time to end the live before he did anything else that might be controversial or stupid. He said his goodbyes, shut down the live and went to bed, choosing to turn his phone on silent in an attempt to stop the constant notifications that appeared on his phones dull screen.

[emilydaisyart]

Animating the Wizard - 25th November

The final huge step before post production of my sting is the part I first every thought of, and objectively the most important part from a technical point of view - animating my wizard character’s movements. Since this character’s movement is the biggest chunk of animation in the sequence, and the most aspirational at that, I thought it best to leave it till last, so I can apply every piece of knowledge I have gained to it.

As for the monster, my same notes are to be kept in mind:

-I have decided to use Toon Boom Harmony, since this is now the software I have the most animation experience in.

-I have decided to animate frame by frame, because the slightly jerky effect is what I desired to achieve, and I feel this is the best method for me at the moment.

-I have decided to draw and animate using textured lines, which as I have experienced have made things more complicated for me, by essence of filling in colour, but I feel the effect I have been able to get by doing this is what I perfectly intended and wanted from the start. This isn’t an issue or a problem, or an oversight on my part, this is an experiment with my preferred style of drawing, just a step up.

Below, is the process of how I animated my wizard, briefly key-pointed:

Process

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1. My very first step in undertaking this task, was to import my original concept drawings for each pose into Toon Boom, to use as direct references. Having done this with transparent backgrounds meant I could now work with my final backgrounds as the ultimate reference point.

I arranged these key frames as best I could, estimating where I felt they would go, and how much space I would need to create further in-between frames or smear frames. 

The wizard’s sequence takes up 76 frames, or just over 3 seconds of the 10 second sting, and as a result, the quality has to be top notch, and has to show off what I can do with my new skills.

2. After I had arranged my key frames, I knew I would use their exact models at least once each during my sequence, and so I traced over them in a more final version of my line art. This took admittedly a lot longer than the monster did, because of the number of details on the wizard and his clothes, as well as his movements having more of a line of action to them. In these 3 frames alone, I had several different perspectives shown, and I knew I would have to create in between frames for each of them. I chose to draw every single detail first this time, so I didn’t miss anything. I even included the vines this early on, in their key positions, so I could reference the wizards movements to them.

3. Roughing out the next positional frames was a different process to the monster entirely; I couldn’t just work from circles. I had to employ the double up frames from the beginning here, and it even became 3 frames per shot to maximise the visibility of his details. I actually did the vines alongside the wizard, to ensure nothing became too big or small, and so as he began to push them away in my sequence, so did the vines move. Other than that, I began with his walk in, since I knew I could roughly cycle frames for this, and most of the shot was simply taken up by the hat, which is easy enough to draw. The in between frames as a result, mainly became a showcase of squash and stretch, a transition from action to action.

4. There wasn’t a lot of retouching to be done, because I had nailed a lot of the details in the very first drafts of drawings, There needed to be a few minor transformations and size adjustments to make the movement flow better, but it wasn’t necessarily drawing-based. With the wizard himself done, the next things to draw in were the bushes as interactive foreground objects, and with those done in a 15 frame cycle, they gave more life to the bottom of the page.

5. Once again, I had to remove overlapping lines, which took a lot longer in this sequence since there were so many objects that moved at once, and so many different frames. I even had to create new frames for some objects like the bush, when the staff moves through it, just so that the animation doesn’t look badly pieced together.

6. Colouring, as I expected, was an absolute nightmare again, because of my own method and the time it caused me to have to take. On top of this, the wizard has so many more colours to him than the monster does, and they all have to stay within their own oddly shaped items. Having finished it though, as well as the colour of the vines and bushes, I felt so much better, once again leaving shading until after. Finishing the last hurdle of this animated sequence was a huge breath of fresh air, and I feel proud being able to watch it back.

-----------------------

Final Thoughts:

As a close off to the animating segment of this project, I have to day I have had an absolute joy in creating this sting. Of course it isn’t yet finished, there’s still so much post-production editing to do, but the technical part of it has been officially closed, the creative section has come to an end. I can’t say I am particularly looking forward to all of the editing, since I feel like I’ve done it once before and I know I’m definitely not a master of After Effects, but even just having had the opportunity to animate like this, in this program, has made it worth it, regardless of how the final product turns out (with my definitely professional editing).

[ouraidengray4]

31 Healthy Snacks for When You Love Fruit but Have a Sweet Tooth

Fruit is never a chore. Nature’s candy ranks up there as one of our favorite things about being people.

However, the same way we won’t just stroll out the front door stark naked, we also don’t have to limit fruit consumption to the way nature intended it.

Tatjana Zlatkovic/Stocksy

Would humanity really be humanity unless we found ways to dip everything in chocolate, make it into pizza, or shove a skewer through it? Of course not.

We found 31 amazing ways to make your fruit snacks a little more… fruity.

Sweet

When dessert puts on its healthy hat.

1. Chocolate kiwi ice pops

Photo: Show Food Chef

On the days when the strawberry/chocolate combo seems a little overdone, you can pull this surprise out of the bag and turn your snack time on its head.

The recipe calls for just three ingredients (kiwi, dark chocolate, and coconut oil), but we love ours with nuts or coconut flakes sprinkled on top.

Easy, delicious, and different.

2. Chocolate-covered fruit

Photo: Chelsey Amer Nutrition

Pick your favorite fruits, dice ’em up, and skewer ’em. Dip them into melted dark chocolate, pop them in the freezer for a few hours, and it’s a job done — you have yourself a cool, sweet treat with minimal work.

3. Vanilla roasted strawberries

Photo: Simply Recipes

This is a Swiss army knife of a sweet option. Get this right and you’ve got a topping for ice cream, oatmeal, and yogurt.

Roasting the strawberries kicks their flavor in the pants and makes it go — plus, it creates a rich syrup that brings an extra zhuzh to whatever the strawberries are sitting atop.

You probably never thought of roasting your strawbs before, but give it a go. It’s a great way to boost their already exceptional taste without adding sugar.

4. Almond butter, banana, and strawberry chia jam sandwich

Photo: Days Like Laura

“We didn’t turn up to a renowned Greatist recipe roundup just to have sandwiches thrown in our faces!”

We know, we know. But hear us out. This one’s a special take on PB&J that pushes all the right buttons.

Swap in almond butter, add some homemade strawberry chia jam, and you have yourself a bomb-ass concoction.

For a quicker recipe, you can also just add some sliced strawberries. The whole-grain bread and strawberries offer a great dose of heart-healthy fiber, the almond butter is rich in protein, and the banana’s packed with potassium.

How can you stay mad at us with all that potassium?

5. One-ingredient banana ice cream

Photo: Garlic Matters

Ice cream doesn’t have to be unhealthy — as long as you define “ice cream” pretty loosely.

Simply peel a few bananas, stick them in the freezer, and let them hang out for a few hours or until they’re solid. Put the frozen ’nanas in the bowl of a food processor and process them until smooth.

Finally, add your choice of mix-ins (if you like). Dark chocolate chips, diced strawberries, and a PB swirl are Greatist favorites.

6. Papaya punch smoothie

Photo: Exploring Healthy Foods

Idina Menzel, eat your heart out — this fruit, veggie, ice, and chia smoothie is the real delivery of frozen perfection.

It’s loaded with papaya, a tropical fruit that has tons of flavor and fiber. Papaya is also relatively low in sugar compared to other fruits, with just 11.3 grams per cup.

Papaya’s got a brand new bag.

7. Summer fruit spring rolls

Photo: Bigger Bolder Baking

There’s no way you’d expect these flavors from spring rolls. Who knew they could taste this sweet?

This inventive take on the sushi restaurant favorite fills classic rice wraps with fresh fruit for a simple, slightly sweet (and super fun) snack.

8. Strawberry Nutella bruschetta

Photo: Simple Vegan Blog

It’s a recipe that rhymes satisfyingly and tastes even better than it sounds.

Strawberries plus Nutella is a classic combo. Just add a slice of toasted whole-grain bread for a fiber-rich, filling snack. You can also sprinkle some chia seeds, honey, or coconut flakes on top for an added flavor boost!

9. Lemon raspberry cheesecake ice pops

Photo: Simply Recipes

The word “cheesecake” might make this recipe sound like a rich dessert, but it clocks in at half the calories of the classic cheesecake. Plus, you can hold it on a stick, so it might already be beating the original.

In this version, “cheesecake” is actually just the sweetened lemony Greek yogurt mixture that gives these pops a creamy texture.

10. Frozen yogurt bites

Photo: I Heart Vegetables

This recipe is an awesome way to get creative with some items you probably already have in your kitchen.

Freeze some Greek yogurt with granola, pop whatever fruit you like on top, and boom! It’s a cute breakfast treat for the next morning!

11. Spicy fruit salad

Photo: Minimalist Baker

If you’ve ever thought of fruit salad as boring, you have to give this recipe a try (you’re also wrong — sorry).

Sprinkle some lime juice and chili powder on top of your favorite fruity mixture for an added kick in flavor and heat.

Can’t take the heat? You don’t have to get out of the kitchen — just try cinnamon instead.

12. Two-ingredient banana chocolate chip ice cream bites

Photo: The Baker Mama

Two of our favorite foods take center stage in this recipe: bananas and chocolate chips. You can’t go wrong here.

Blend up some frozen bananas in a food processor, and then dump in some chips. That’s it. These guys store for 2 to 3 months in the freezer, so feel free to make a giant batch to dip into whenever you feel the munchies.

13. Frozen grapes

Photo: Zen and Spice

This is so simple it barely qualifies as a recipe — it’s more of a recommendation, because, well, these bang.

Buckle up, because here are the steps:

Remove grapes from vine.

Freeze.

Get snackin’.

This easy, naturally sweetened treat is perfect to keep in the freezer for when that sweet tooth comes calling.

14. Vegan blueberry oat bars

Photo: Happy Healthy Mama

These breakfast-on-the-go bars are a healthier twist on blueberry cobbler.

The blogger uses just blueberries, but feel free to throw in some strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries for a mixed-berry version.

15. Pineapple and blueberry fruit salad

Photo: Food Doodles

The key to this recipe is what goes on top (like a great hairdo or a zany hat).

Pineapples and blueberries are awesome, but when you add some lime zest, lime juice, honey, and Greek yogurt on top, you get a next-level treat that’s creamy, zingy, and healthy in equal measure.

16. Cherries Jubilee chocolate chia seed pudding

Photo: Real Food Whole Life

Cherries Jubilee is a classic dessert, but it isn’t exactly the healthiest snack.

This recipe keeps the awesome cherry flavor but adds some healthier substitutes (like cacao) and nutritional bonuses (like chia seeds). Plus, this looks great in a mason jar, so you can seem fancy at all times.

17. Yogurt breakfast parfait with plum compote

Photo: Cake and Whisky

This fall-inspired breakfast has an awesome combination of some pretty underrated fruits and nuts.

Plums, blackberries, and hazelnuts shine in the classic parfait-style snack. And if you’re really in the fall mood, try sprinkling some pumpkin pie spice on top (because you know full well it’s pumpkin spice everything season).

18. Fruit sushi (frushi)

Photo: Dinner at the Zoo

Time to play with your food! (Also, “frushi” is an excellent name. You might want to consider it for a pet in the future.)

This is a super fun snack recipe. Put some sliced kiwi, oranges, and raspberries on top of sushi rice for a fancy treat.

Of course, feel free to improvise — sliced strawberries, mango, or apple would also make a tantalizing topper.

19. Melon salad with chili and mint

Photo: Simply Recipes

No matter your age, making spherical chunks of melon is always a baller move (not sorry — that was great) and a lot of fun to boot. It rolls up just like ice cream.

Chili and mint make this a sophisticated, interesting array of flavors — you’ll never think about melon the same way again.

20. Breakfast yogurt pops

Photo: I Heart Naptime

Tired of your same old yogurt-and-granola breakfast? Try changing up the shape. Yes, it all ends up in the same place, but shapes are fun and ice pops more so.

This recipe takes the classic combo and freezes it into a (very ’grammable) ice pop.

Just make sure to prep these the night before, since they need to sit in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

21. Blueberry coconut protein balls

Photo: One Broad’s Journey

Making a ton of these little protein balls is the perfect way to meal-prep some snacks for the week.

The secret ingredient here is lemon. The combo of lemon juice and lemon zest adds a burst of flavor to the blueberry-coconut one-two punch.

Pop one of these in your cakehole for a kick-ass start to the day.

22. Sesame oat square bars with pear compote

Photo: Cooking Melangery

Oat bars are a great way to save some time in your week — and these are on the fancier side. Make a bunch on Sunday so you’ll be able to grab them on the go during your busy workweek.

Coconut oil binds all the oats together — there’s not an egg in sight, which makes these bars super-duper vegan-friendly.

The recipe includes a homemade pear compote that will satisfy any fruit lover’s craving.

23. Chewy raspberry apple granola bars

Photo: Amy’s Healthy Baking

Granola bars are far from boring when you make them at home. You can customize the flavors however you want, and there’s none of the processed ingredients and preservatives you’d find in store-bought options.

This simple version has just seven ingredients like milk, honey, oil, and cinnamon. Raspberries stand out and do jazz hands as the vibrant, delicious star of the show.

Fruits still have a lot of sugar

While fruits are amazing and can boast a huge range of vital vitamins and minerals, they come with a heavy hit of fructose — a natural sugar, but still a sugar.

If you’re on a sugar-restricted diet or have a condition that can impact your blood sugar levels, such as diabetes, it’s best to eat fruit in moderation and be selective about the fruit you eat.

Some fruits are better than others for people with diabetes — we rounded them up here.

Savory

A mix of flavors is the mark of enlightened kitchen work, so try to switch up your fruit game entirely and get creative.

24. Grilled fruit pizza

Photo: The Chunky Chef

Oh, boy… is pizza not just bae? Well, we’re willing to wager that you haven’t had one with fruit and honey as a topping before. (If you’re one of those who falls on the angrier side of the pineapple-on-pizza debate, this one might not be for you. Or maybe it’ll convert you.)

Just grill up some pizza dough, naan, or tortilla and sprinkle your favorite fruits on top.

25. Strawberry and goat cheese bruschetta

Photo: Homemade Hooplah

We’d eat goat cheese with pretty much anything, but it’s especially good with fruit. The creamy saltiness offsets the sweetness of many fruits beautifully. But strawberries hold the starring role here.

This bruschetta recipe features the gooey combo with a balsamic glaze on top that really brings out the strawberryishness (definitely a word) of the strawberries.

26. Peach quinoa tabbouleh

Photo: Jo Eats

Peaches and quinoa might not seem like a match made in heaven, but this sweet and salty Middle Eastern-inspired dish has other ideas.

Honey, mint, and parsley dance around the peach flavors, adding all kinds of busy mouth sensations. Even as a side or a standalone snack, this intriguing tabbouleh stands all on its own.

27. Honey-lemon toast with figs and pistachios

Photo: Ambitious Kitchen

Getting creative with toast is all the rage these days (thanks, avo toast!).

This honey-fig version is the perfect savory way to eat your fruit. With ricotta slathered on the base, stopping your snack at a single slice is the most difficult thing about this recipe.

28. Creamy cheese fruit pizza

Photo: The Frugal Foodie Mama

Fruity pizza: round two. (Wait, how is there more than one? Where the f*ck are all these fruit pizzas coming from?)

This one features peaches and blackberries, but feel free to make your own version with any fruit-cheese-dough combo.

Get as creative as your brain wants — they broke the seal with pineapples many moons ago. This is just the natural consequence.

29. Mango, avocado, and fresh cilantro salsa

Photo: The Frugal Foodie Mama

You’ve heard that it takes two to tango — well, it can take two fruits to salsa. And, yes, avocado is a fruit.

This two-fruit salsa (yes, avocado is a fruit) is a way to give sweet flavors a savory twist when it’s served alongside classic tortilla chips.

Avocados are brimming with healthy monounsaturated fat and tons of vitamins, including vitamins E and B6.

30. Fig and prosciutto crostini

Photo: Mama’s Gotta Bake

Fresh figs — does it get any better?

Well, when you wrap a fresh fig in a slice of salty prosciutto and stick it on top of some toasted bread, you’ll learn that there’s more to the already mighty fig than meets the eye.

31. Melon, prosciutto, and mozzarella skewers

Photo: The Comfort of Cooking

Here’s another awesome salty-sweet combo (because savory doesn’t mean you need to kick all the sweetness out).

Prosciutto and melon is a classic duo. Add fresh mozzarella, put it on a stick, and things get seriously tasty.

Takeaway

Fruit wears many disguises, and almost all of them are delicious (when put together right).

Whether you’re in the mood for sweetness or a broader experience for your taste buds, you don’t need added sugars. You can use the natural sugars in fruits to bolster the flavor of your meal and take advantage of their natural goodness.

Had your fill of pizzas made of fruit? Fine, here are some desserts made from vegetables (and if you think carrot cake is the limit, you are very much mistaken).

from Greatist Health RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2HZWbKL 31 Healthy Snacks for When You Love Fruit but Have a Sweet Tooth Greatist Health RSS Feed from HEALTH BUZZ https://ift.tt/327t1kl

[gesine70]

Forget cbd shop: 10 Reasons Why You No Longer Need It

How To Make use of THC And CBD TO CONTROL Chronic Pain

In this post, we are going to discover what CBD is and how it can work for your benefit. There's also the issue of CBD's legality - something that's a lot grayer compared to the black-and-white picture most companies paint. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers CBD, like all cannabinoids, a timetable 1 drug. Which means it's simply as illegal as heroin and ecstasy. Meanwhile, hemp - a number of the cannabis plant regulated by the U.S. Section of Agriculture - can be legal , so long as its THC content is normally negligibly low. But since the agriculture department doesn't test for CBD - just THC - in hemp, more companies are receiving away with selling products they say contain CBD, says Sara Jane Ward, an assistant professor of pharmacology at the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine who's been learning CBD in rodent versions for more than 10 years. Obviously, the legality of CBD is certainly "very confusing and incredibly gray," she says.

There are an incredible number of single women who are searching for Love. Most these would be a lot more than happy to have have a man like me, as I'd never take their affections for granted. Nevertheless, I am only 1 man. And you can man Love therefore many? Furthermore, I am currently on hiatus from any sexual activities. Although sex could be invigorating, in addition, it reduces our inspiration in other areas. I've experimented and discovered this to be accurate, at least in my life. And now I will reveal a great secret I have known for quite some time: Sexual pressure can be used to enhance creativity. If you are an artist, such as a painter, musician, songwriter etc., the sexual tension can help you to focus on your creations, as it seems to do something as some kind of catalyst. In my experience, the moment I begin satisfying a woman with regular sexual activity, my inspiration to create is normally diminished.

Cannabis tinctures are created by soaking Cannabis blooms (buds) in alcohol (leaf trim, hash and kief can also be used). The alcoholic beverages extracts the terpenes, cannabinoids and various other substances from the Cannabis (for the full ‘ Entourage Effect '), into a liquid that consists of a higher concentration of active compounds. https://cbdbro.ch/cbd-ol-dosierung/ Alcoholic beverages also preserves the substances, which is important since it takes longer to take tinctures instead of other types of Cannabis. Cannabis tinctures are often stored within an amber or dark blue cup, dropper bottle, which assists protect the tincture for much longer by blocking out sunlight. One of the advantages of using tinctures is definitely that the alcoholic beverages allows the body to absorb the medicine faster. Many tinctures are used by placing a few drops under the tongue, referred to as sublingual administration. When you have a tincture sublingually, the cannabinoids are absorbed quickly by the blood vessels lining the inner cells of the mouth, resulting in a quick onset of effects.

Production of hemp fibre for textiles begins in the field. The crop is certainly ready for harvesting when the vegetation start to shed pollen. From time of planting to harvest period generally only takes 70 - 3 months. At this time, the crop is lower and the stalks are remaining in the field or in drinking water to rett. Retting is usually a natural process that allows micro-organisms and moisture to break down the plant's pectin. Pectin is a natural plant binder which helps keep the plant's external fibre layer connected using its inner woody coating. Retting the stalks and wearing down the pectin facilitates the separation of the fibres from all of those other plant. An added bonus of the retting procedure which takes approx 4 - 6 weeks is definitely that it offers time for nutrition bound in the plant stalks and leaves to return back to the soil resulting in minimal need for fertilizer supplementation between hemp crops.

Holistic research indicates the advantages of the next to desroy cancer cells: turmeric (or curcumin), soursop, pau' d arco, bitter melon, dandelion root, goji berries, the acai berry, blueberries, noni, dragonfruit, laetrile (B 17, apricot kernels), essiac tea, water and aluminum free of charge baking soda, paw paw, hydrazine sulfate, haelan, enzyme therapy, pomegranate, dark cumin seeds, aloe vera, cayenne pepper, olive leaft extract, Asian mushroom supplements, mistle toe extract and cannabis oil with respect to cancer along with the topical usage of frankincense, clove and oregano important oils (they have great anti inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties) and cannabis oil along with intravenous high dose Vitamin C. Holistic analysis also indicates the benefits of bromelain, coconut, quercetin, papya leaf extract, thunder god vine (lei gong teng) and grape seed extract and grapefruit and grapefruit seed extract to destroy malignancy cells. Bromelain is an all natural enzyme that is normally derived from pineapple and is sold as a product. Some recommend high frequency generators and oxygen and ozone therapy.

Many men fear so much women because they fear rejection. However they must arrive to understand that "no" merely means no! No isn't the end of the globe. Look at all the people who ridicule me online. I possibly could care less. They aren't paying my expenses, or doing sexy things to make me smile! They are like flies from a dung heap that property on your own baked beams and potato salad when you are trying to have a picnic. I think that this is the key to learning to be a sexy man. A guy must reach the idea when no opinion issues but his own. Which must be his mantra," The World WILL NOT Revolve Around Me!". This is very important. Whenever we truly understand this one simple idea, it can change our lifestyle. For instance, if you go to a bar and make an effort to score with 5 different women, they may all turn you down. In this case, the timid man will need it to heart. It really is here that he'll give up the combat, as he has now been rejected 5 occasions in a row. But this is simply not the way of the sexy guy. The sexy guy is like the tiny skunk on the Bugs Bunny show who under no circumstances gives up.

Although piperine is generally considered safe, important questions regarding its side effects and interactions remain to be answered. Based on the "Journal of Meals Safety," piperine is generally safe to consume since it will not cause any main alterations in blood assessments. One potential adverse aftereffect of piperine can be that it may improve the absorption of medical medicines, bringing them to dangerous levels in the bloodstream. Because of this, the supplement should not be administered at the same time as any medicines. Piperine may inhibit liver fat burning capacity of drugs as well, which may also raise drug amounts. Some animal exams with piperine recommend that it could have reproductive toxicity. Once again, when starting any brand-new treatments, consult your doctor first.

Globally, North America was the largest revenue generator in the medical marijuana market in 2017, because of high investments in research and development activities to investigate the potential medical applications of cannabinoids. Moreover, Canada and some says of the U.S. are preparing to legalize the utilization of marijuana for medical and also recreational purposes. For example, by October 2018, Canada programs to legalize the drug use by adults. According to the current medical regime associated with cannabis, patients are allowed to access cannabis beneath the authorization of their healthcare providers. Thus, government initiatives to spread recognition about the medical software of marijuana and legalize its utilization are expected to contribute to the market development in the near future.

Cannabinoids are facilitative of the procedure of bone metabolism-the cycle in which old bone materials is replaced by new for a price of about 10 percent per year, imperative to maintaining strong, healthy bones over time. CBD in particular has been demonstrated to block an enzyme that destroys bone-building substances in your body, reducing the risk of age-related bone illnesses like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In both of those diseases, the body is no longer creating fresh bone and cartilage cells. CBD helps spur the procedure of new bone-cell formation, which is why it's been found to acceleration the healing of broken bones and, because of a stronger fracture callus, decrease the odds of re-fracturing the bone (bones are 35-50 percent more powerful than those of non-treated subjects).

Recently, CBD has been used to greatly help treat anxiousness but most popularly it is used as pain relief due to its anti-inflammatory benefits. It is believed that CBD reacts with this native receptors in the brain and disease fighting capability which helps to alleviate discomfort and work as an effective anti-inflammatory. With regards to beauty and skincare, CBD is currently being discovered as a potent antioxidant, which helps to naturalise oxidative tension from environmental aggressors such as for example pollution. It also has a great moisturising proponent which makes it well suited for dryer complexions. Its ability to work as an equalizer, balancing our skin's oils, make it also good for acne prone skins since it is these natural oils which is essentially the route of our skin issues and can result in breakouts and acne.

Similar to the US, Australia even now maintains federal regulations on hemp production, despite the fact that individual states, you start with Victoria, started licensing farmers to grow it in 1998, but farmers are restricted to developing fibre and construction components as politics offers prevented them from access to booming worldwide hemp food markets. Additional jurisdictions followed Victoria's lead, Tasmania, Western Australia, however and including Queensl. The 2008 Hemp Market Take action permitted hemp cultivation in New South Wales In 2014 Australian hemp maker Ecofibre stated of the industry: What we are creating presently is merely low-level, low-value market materials such as for example pet bedding, equine bedding, erosion control mediums, oil spill containment items, garden mulch - you know, basic things like that … there's lots of products we could reach eventually, but … the market isn't at that stage however. It's hampered”.

As for gun deaths within the United States, the USA has the highest murder rate per capita simply by firearms under western culture, and that's a known fact. Guns are not only a much, much easier way to permanently maim or kill somebody (which they're designed and created to do.), but they're much too accessible right here in america. Too many unstable people (i. e. people who have a brief history of substance & alcoholic beverages abuse, anger management problems, mental illness, etc.) have access to firearms, which makes an already-nasty circumstance worse. Moreover, the NRA offers affectively bullied lawmakers out of passing more powerful, more affective gun laws, and even simple items such as for example requiring gun producers to install safety locks within their products in order to prevent unauthorized use of a firearm in the event that it's stolen or whatever.

A nutritionist may be able to present suggestions about specific foods you can include or remove from your own diet. And if you are eating a lot of junk food, I would instantly cease all activity in that area. Please, do not let greedy people ruin your life. There are many types of how meals can adversely affect our health and wellness. If we can look for a way to health without the utilization of drugs, that is always the better way. And do not end up being deceived by ignorant people. When you refer to the fact that you will be having hallucinations, which explains why you need the medication, I am interested to learn what you are seeing or hearing. Though it is true that people are vunerable to delusions, because of disease, or a physical malfunction of the mind, it is also true that there are those who have psychic abilities. I am such a person, and you need to recognize that ignorant and fearful people, many who've college degrees, will dismiss whatever they do not understand, or that has not been sanctioned by a ruling authority.

First of all, I'd seek the tips of a tuned, and qualified nutritionist. Invest some time and shop around. There are several pretenders who are simply looking for a payday. In case you are a person who eats meat, I recommend that you explore the options of a vegetarian diet. If you are having discomfort during sexual activity, it isn't good to continue such activity until you solve the problem. But that is only a obstacle, in fact it is not the finish of your sexy existence. I often make use of adversity as a catalyst for brand-new ideas, and various approaches to a specific problem. If intercourse is currently a problem, then instead of giving up altogether, I would focus on oral sex, and various other method of clitoral stimulation. I am assuming you certainly are a woman, but if you're a guy, I am not aware of how you could attain orgasm while experiencing pain cbd tropfen with Mr. Johnson.

[vulgarweed]

KINKTOBER DAY 6!

A 221B drabble per day (whether it’s a Sherlockian fandom or not), drawn from the kinktober kink list!

Day 1: 1. Spanking | Sleepy Sex | Aphrodisiacs

A Boon to Diplomacy (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin/Thranduil/Bard)

Day 2: 2. Dirty talk | Watersports | Forniphilia (Human Furniture)

A Firm Footing (Sherlock, Irene/Sherlock)

Day 3: 3. Public | Biting | Sthenolagnia (Strength/Muscles)

Chelicerae (The Silmarillion, Thuringwethil/Ungoliant)

Day 4: 4. Bukakke | Knife Play | Begging

Entitlement (Sherlock, Sherlock/John)

Day 5: 5. Humiliation | Cuckolding | Body Swap

Double Dare (Sherlock, Sherlock/Mary/John)

Day 6: 6. Size Difference | Bondage | Bonds (Telepathic or Empathic)

Knotty Wood (The Lord of the Rings)

“Over here! Up against this tree.”

“Oooh, they’re getting slaughtered. I can’t believe how lucky we are to be alive.”

“Myself even more so since you haven’t even untied me.”

“Maybe I like the way you look with your hands tied.”

“Hardly fitting in a life or death situation, I should think. And this is nasty Orc rope, it’s not the nice hemp we play with back home.”

“Well, we’re a long way from home, Pippin. We’ll have to make do with what we’ve got.”

“Can’t we have a little--you know--since I’m all tied up and all?”

“Well, I stole a knife, can cut you loose real fast if I have to.”

“Mmm, clever Merry. Mmm, let us have a-”

“Oh that’s nice. You taste good. Tie you to this vine here and make you squirm up against this tree, just like...ummm, yeah, you’re getting hard fast. Gonna stroke you, make you beg for it…”

“Merry?”

“What, Pip?”

“That huge branch here, turning up. Wasn’t that a dangling bit of vine before?”

“I thought it was, for sure. Mm, so smooth too. Not like the roughness everywhere else. It feels good in my other hand, yeah--”

There was a massive rustling above them as Merry stroked the branch and Pippin at once. A booming voice moaned, “Well, bless my bark!”

[divergentwithitsfeels]

Best #5 G8LED Grow Lights with Most Superior Quality

If you're you and a bud grower intend to grow bud inside. There are a lot of things. To be able to cultivate bud inside in the form that was most precise, it is encouraged that you perform your research and configure the process in a way that was ideal. And there's not any reason which may hamper your marijuana production in a manner that is poor.

You want a light installation that is perfect, keep a temperature, maintain the oxygen level as per and humidity must be put to degree that is precise. For both novice and professional weed manufacturers, G8 led grow lights are exceptionally suggested which includes enhanced and much superior indoor light technologies.

This award cuts your energy price and absorbs less electricity. They are constructed with capabilities that were exceptional. Thus, to make your job simple we've recorded 5 finest G8 LED's review that will assist you pick the most appropriate for your grow procedure.

Our Very Best choice: G8LED 900 Watt MEGA LEDVEG/Flower Grow Light with Maximum 8-Band plus Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV) - 3 Watt Chips. Professionally recommended and was created using the quality. This light helps the manner in bud production.

Best G8LED LED Grow Lights - Premium Light For High End Growing (Reviews)

​#1. G8LED 900 Watt MEGA LED VEG/Flower Grow Light

The G8led grow 900w is your top led grow light. It warms around 60 inches under canopy and could disperse around 24 feet of light.

This light has a life span of around 50,000 hours, which was made to generate development during vegetative and flowering period also contains 3W LED bulbs.

G8 led grow light 900W has ring design, which extends every beam of light necessary to the crops for growth stages.

This G8 LED grow light stems from manufactures that have a new name like EPITSAR, OPTOTECH, and BRIDGELUX.So, it is obvious it is an excellent product.

INFRARED (IR) and UV lights are part of the 8 ring spectrum layout. Characteristics which make G8-900 particular are it comprises diodes, which shield the light from electricity and neglecting surges.

It is long-lasting and works all day. Light has built in ventilation fans towards the side and upper to decrease heat.

This g8 led grow light is strong. It is strongly recommended to hang on the light25. If you'd like plants to develop keep the light away. If you would like little plants subsequently put the light nearer. G8 900 being powerful never burns off your cannabis plants or injuries them.

This increase light weighs 23 pounds and the measurements are 20.5 x 14 x 3 inches. Also includes a hanging kit and electricity cord.The G8 led grow light 900W includes a two year guarantee and 90 day money return guarantee. You may get the lights serviced in the event of any issue, in the future.

Characteristics

High Excellent wavelength

Top rated by high times magazine

No ballast needed(simply plug and go green

Stellar customer support and guarantee

Can function in 110v-240v electricity

includes a power cable

Two 90w reddish blossom booster for maximum yield

Weight is 23lbs

Dimensions are 20.5 x 14 x 3 inches

Things we liked about it... 

Grows bud quicker

High Excellent return

Recommended by specialists

Super powerful

Runs cool

Long lasting

#2. G8LED 450 Watt LED VEG/Flower Grow Light

This edition of g8 led grow light is ideal for people that are novices in the industry of growing marijuana. It covers an area of 4ftx3ft. By making this product a component of your procedure the perfect method is.

G8LED 450watt grow mild includes 8 ring of light spectrum which ranges from infrared to ultra violet, which is fantastic for first growth phases. G8 led grow light 450W makes your plant grow stronger and fitter making your return of marijuana big.

Rather than utilizing MH AND HPS lighting technologies, make use of G8 led lighting which absorbs less electricity and are extremely powerful. This light could replace 800 watt MH/HPS light. It emits heat that does not result in any harm.

G8 450 led lighting is effective at providing 450watts by using just 270watts of electricity. The most unique characteristic of this lighting is the fact that it may stay operational in harsh weather patterns and may be used for many other mature cycles.

G8led develop mild 450 w is capable of doing on par with almost any 800 watt HID system also guarantees your plants have enough light they want with no injury and risk.

For superior growth during flowering phase of bud and marijuana, it is advised that you ought to include G8 90 watt red light. And if your lighting runs warm, consider putting it in a controlled temperature room or repairing a fan.

Featur​​​​es 

Offers maximum quality return

Covered under a guarantee

Spread round in 12 square-foot (4x3inches)

Has a power cable

Can function in 110v-240v electricity

measurement of the mild is17.5"x11"x3"

weight of the light is 14lbs

level worth 960 UMOL

Ranked as the greatest directed grow light by HTM

Things we liked about it... 

Power Saving lighting

Complete light spectrum

Best for little increase

Low distance price

​#3. G8LED 600 Watt MEGA LED Grow Light

This edition of g8 led grow light is most appropriate for marijuana and marijuana growers. Since G8 led grow light 600 watt mega fabricated by Dorm Grow is among the most reliable brands.

The product's standard is worth its cost. 600W mega headed lighting includes 8 ring, these lights pay quite a fantastic amount of space and operate quite effectively.

G8 led grow light 600W mega variation of directed grow lights is ideal to make your plantation of marijuana and bud a victory in both the vegetative and booming stages with a substantial quantity of penetration.

The Advanced G8led grow light-600w is among the greatest lights designed to the top platform. This mild saves your energy cost, and penetrates through your expansion as crops become long.

Additionally, the makers are still trying to keep on experimenting with LED technologies to serve your goal that the very best approach.

These lights include additional bit of information from the business, it is suggested to include 90-watt red bulbs as soon as your plant's beginning to blossom. The G8led 600 functions nicely in a living room tent or restricted space. G8 led grow light 600w is your best grow lighting for you.

It is tested and the developing community is earning use this clinic. G8 led grow lights have long life and are leading the sector in this discipline. These mature lighting are USA made, intending to supply the ideal quantity of light to bud and marijuana to help them grow faster.

Characteristics 

Greatest G8 led grow light by HT magazine

High Excellent return

Covered under guarantee.

No more ballast required.

Offers extreme coverage for 18 square feet (4.5'x4').

Insert two 90W Red Flower Boosters during flowering to get maximum yield.

Penetration around 60 inches beyond the plant canopy.

Could function in 110V-240V electricity.

Things we liked about it... 

Lights are cool enough to get

2-year guarantee

Coverage place is accurate to producers claims.

#4. ​G8LED grow mild 240 Watt VEG/Flower Grow Light

G8 led grow 240 volt is just just another alternative for marijuana growers. It is a light to begin your procedure. 240w consumes power that's just 140watts and led lighting is priced reasonably. 

The light is able to provide 240 watts for a place round (3ftx2ft). It gives lighting for 2-3 plants Though it's a light. G8LED grow mild 240 Watt includes optimum 8-Band and girth (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV) - 3 Watt Chips.

It is all in a single marijuana growing system that is light. G8-LED develop light analyzed and has devised the colour ratio to the mild that is efficient. We utilize casings, circuit boards, power supplies, fans and the finest grade diodes.

This light makes certain that the return is in the form and provides the wavelength. Fixture is designed and long for around five decades. The light's output is same just like a HPS or 400WMH lamp.

G8 led grow 240watt utilizes a far power compared to lights. It efficient and does not heat. This light is designed for you if you're a weed grower personally. However, not indicated since the lovers are small loud, grow procedure.

All these g8 led grow lights are. This item includes the two years guarantee alongside a number of servicing of this item when required. Customer satisfaction is the trick to success of the item.

Characteristics 

Greatest rated lighting by large times magazine

Create higher quality marijuana

G8 led quality and functionality is unmatched

Covered under a customer guarantee

Intense coverage for 6 square feet (3'x2')

PAR significance of 890umoles in 12 inches

May function in 110v-240v

Penetrate around 60 inches beyond the plant vine

Object weight is 8.2pounds

Things we liked about it... 

Covered under two years guarantee

Lights are of top Excellent

Can Hasten the expansion

G8LED could be put at distances

​#5. G8LED 90 Watt LED All RED Flowering BOOST Grow Light 

This red90RR UFO G8LED grow mild is the fantastic LED grow light for the grower who wishes to bring a service during flowering.This g8 led grow light might be used concurrently with LED, HPS, HID, or even a MH tech lighting.

The plant for size throughout flowering absorbs the light spectrum. G8-90RR is form of mild that is little and may be utilised in alm ost virtually any area.

Find the output and It is possible to add some G8LED and this 90 watt UFO increase panel installation that is light, to maximize your return.

The light could be hanged alongside or beneath the primary panel.This lighting includes a two year guarantee. Building a wise investment is a smart selection for company or your indoor hobby.

The power cord can be found in US, UK, EU sizes. Hanging cables are included. Employing G8 grow 90 watt boost your space and can assist you. What makes it exceptional is efficacy and that the size.

Characteristics 

82 volt power output

G8-90RR (Flowering Boost)/g8led-red

50,000 hour lifespan

Spectrum: Red (630-660) for flowering

Coverage area 10 sq feet (38" x 38")

3 inner cooling fans

Dimensions:10.5" (diameter) x 2.25" (tall)

Avoid extreme temperatures​​​​

Operating/input voltage 110V @ 0.6Amp | 240V @ 0.3Amp

Merchandise weight is 3.5 pounds

Recommended height over plants At least 12"

Power source (US, UK, EU, or AU)

Hangers comprised

Supplementing LED, HPS, HID, or a MH installments

Warranty two years

Things we liked about it... 

The top add to increase marijuana

Extended life

No more Additional warmth

No room required

An Entire buying guide

Best Grow Lights of HighTimes - G8LED Grow Lights 2020 [Buying Guide]

The produces of g8 led grow lights themselves amateurs, and self focus on providing products which are coveted by growers. If you intend to grow inside, you make certain that your g8 headed growlight delivers all of the advantages your plants need.There are a couple of items you absolutely should remember before deciding upon the best directed grow light.

Space: It is advised that you need to observe that you've got some notion of the total amount of space that you would like to pay with your g8 LED grow lights. With a range of space come as every light it may cover, and it is important to comprehend your space's dimensions . It is far better to research it well if you don't understand what's.

After that's been finalized, it indicated that you just read testimonials and comments provided online from other people on the area the g8LED grow light may pay. As information provided isn't accurate or adequate .

Brand, Budget and Price: This is one of the significant things to be mentioned, as higher-quality lights are generally considered for generating best yield outcomes. For novices, would wish to begin with a choice to comprehend the entire thing. If you're more experienced, it is also possible to go together with all the top quality, and also higher-priced alternative as we guarantee you that it won't ever let u down at the grow procedure. 

Additionally, high quality and brand of the g8 is important to comprehend. There stand which has a A brand and marketplace value with customer testimonials is a choice.

Lighting Spectrum: A complete spectrum g8 LED grow light is regarded as the very best in the long term as it helps the plants to grow nicely in a precise form. You require blue spectrum lights & red, in addition to ultraviolet and infrared light, based on the period of procedure that is grow. It is suggested to possess a mild that was strong, using wave lengths to generate growth. The spectrum yields are somewhat new to the business, but they are making a mark at the catalog of the grower. 

They're cool to touch and do not require any additional lovers, they cost less and cuts your electric bills, its durability are second to none. Hencewe highly suggest buying a spectrum lights grow.

Utilization of power : LED lights using much more durability and excellent electric efficiency also are believed to be the ideal. A fantastic LED grow light ought to function for at least 10-12 hours every day. Throughout your research to discover a fantastic LED lighting, you thoroughly will need to comprehend what the complete output signal is (1000w, 400w, 300w etc). The bigger you go the light you become. Plus it contributes to cost effective for you in addition to electric use. 

Lighting Control: Viewing the period of grow procedure, it is necessary your plants get the appropriate quantity of light for your specific hours. Here will be the breakdown of these stages below for developing 

Seedling Stage: 16 hours 8 hours away] 

Vegetative Stage: 18 hours 6 hours away 

Flowering Stage: 12 hours on, 12 hours away. 

It's necessary that mild cycles are followed closely with complete concentration as it could badly hamper the rise and potency of your own plant.

Sort of harvest:When you prepared to pick your g8 LED grow light, you need to consider your harvest. All of full-cycle LED lights will develop a plant. Excluding grows. 

LED grow lights used to develop indoor health plants from seed to blossom include apache Tech AMARE, Black Dog LED, California LIGHTWORK, Cirrus LED, ENLITE, G8LED, Horticulture Lighting Group, Kind LED, NEXTLIGH, Optic LED, Spectrum King Etc..

A fixture which has a circuit board it must also have many fins The fins within the fixture assist the circuit board give the warmth at a faster rate. And any failures will prevent. Problems may be caused by as having 1 enthusiast .

Thus, we suggest that until you eventually go and select your favourite G8 led grow light to make your grow procedure a success contemplate the aforementioned points.

Benefits of Utilizing LED Grow Light

There are lots of advantages that you may enjoy in LED lights, even in regards to making a choice between directed other lighting and lights.

Layout and Performance LED Grow Lights are well-known for their streamlined designs that are is distance saving. Comparatively lighting expect other equipment in addition to a great deal of room.

Therefore, g8 LED grow light permit you to get better space usage since they are modest in size and don't require additional add to run.It's simpler to maneuver these lights round and alter their rankings. That they do not need cords, whereas, some lighting developed to connect together so.

Lighting Spectrum balancing g8 LED lights, permit you to tune your lighting spectrum giving the very best lighting for plants to develop through different phases of the cycle. Additionally, it lets you focus energy on frequency bands in an region of the spectrum with no wastage of lighting.

LED lights offer the sort of lighting that plants will need to survive. Lights don't have the capacity.

Energy Efficientthe most significant advantage of the LED lighting is they are energy efficient. Permit you to conserve your money on energy bills. They're very long lasting and a wonderful way to conserve energy.

Long-Term Usage led lighting were created in such a manner they are expected to continue long. The majority of the LED lights will last for 100,000 and 50,000 hours before perishing. And lights will continue just about 20,000 hours.

They run at a low temperature so They Don't heat the space, which may ruin your plant expansion with a room temperature that is

Difference between headed and t5 grow lighting 

If you make the decision to grow plants inside , you have to make sure that your lighting is working the best way possible. This is only going to make your plants lively and healthy. A energy efficient and good lighting method lets you spend less.

To achieve those outcomes manufacturers are currently shifting T5 lighting and LED lights. Is that ones are ideal for you?

LED Grow Lights

G8 LED grow lights are relatively fresh for indoor marijuana growers, however they're getting to be popular. G8 LED grow lights are energy efficient and give out a fantastic light compared to ordinary HID or florescent lighting which has been used previously.

These lights do not require ballast support which HID's lighting need and require up distance. They're cool to touch and you do not have to place fans that lighting techniques need. They reside a lifetime of 50,000 to 100,000 hours.

G8 LED grow lights therefore are easy to prepare and maintain, compared to HID or lighting methods and are energy efficient. LED lighting may be expensive in the brief term, but also have gains in the long term.

T5 grow lights are also lights for growers. They utilize energy than mature lights that are mature. Much like LED's, T5 grow lights set comparatively heat usually means off without damaging them, they may be put.

They've a life expectancy of approximately 20,000 hours. T5's is certainly outperformed by LED's in life expectancy and energy efficiency.

Conclusion

The G8 led grow lights would be the best choice, Should you will need a light to boost your bud or marijuana yields. All these lights are long-lasting and energy efficient. It provides heat that will help one to control the temperature of your room or tent out.

A number of those g8 led lighting have added fan system in the event. According to required so they can grow in a manner that was better as they achieve their blossom lights disperse at wavelengths.

There's not any worry of your crops. The only disadvantage in these types of lights is that there's not any number of light. Growers have worked to increase potency and growth, to maintain up to this difficulty in these types of lights.

And in return have shown favorable outcome. G8 led grow HIGH TIMES magazine has rated as the lights lights. Lights are covered under a warranty and other client related services.

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/travel/36-hours-36-hours-in-mendocino-county/

36 Hours: 36 Hours in Mendocino County

Ninety miles north of San Francisco, Mendocino County is just far enough away to have narrowly escaped the Bay Area’s radical transformation during the tech boom years. In contrast to other formerly quiet Northern California backwaters, Mendocino maintains its rural identity and eccentricities, including its longstanding status as one of the country’s major marijuana-producing regions. Where there is big news, it’s largely culinary. The 30-year-old chef at Elk’s Harbor House Inn was recently named a James Beard award semifinalist for Best Chef in the West. Besides the Harbor House’s eight- to 12-course, $150 per person prix fixe dinners, there are cheesemakers, upstart breweries, exceptional farm stands — notably Fort Bragg’s Nye Ranch and Caspar’s Fortunate Farm — and farm-inspired restaurants, like the long-awaited, soon-to-open Fog Eater Cafe, which began as a farm pop-up, and will serve “California cuisine with a Southern twang.” After years of population stagnation, young people are moving in, or coming home, and committing themselves to Mendocino’s fertile soil and sea. It’s a second wave back-to-the-land movement and a welcome reprieve from the Bay Area’s buzz.

Friday

1) 3:30 p.m. Tall trees

Take Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley, to Hendy Woods State Park, where you can stretch your legs beneath the awe-inspiring giant redwoods or take a dip in the Navarro River. Then, backtrack to Boonville’s Pennyroyal Farm, the sister farmstead to one of Mendocino’s most beloved wineries, Navarro Vineyards. Sample rich goat and sheep milk cheeses, fresh and aged, exceptional pinot noir, and farm-made pickles and preserves. Sit out back, beside a gurgling fountain, and watch sheep meander beneath the vines. In the spring, a farm tour (11 a.m. daily) offers the overwhelming cuteness of nursing lambs and kids.

2) 6 p.m. Supper stop

For dinner, reserve a table at the Boonville Hotel, a former roadhouse that’s now a beautiful, family-owned inn with a wide porch, flickering fireplaces when the weather’s cool, and a seductive patio garden for outdoor dining during the warm months. The restaurant’s new chef, Perry Hoffman, is from Sonoma’s James Beard award-winning SHED and, before that, Napa’s Michelin-starred Étoile. Here, his prix-fixe menus (starting at $58) include lively dishes and unexpected flavor combinations. Imagine mussels with charred cabbage, grapefruit, fennel and seaweed or a whole stuffed quail with artichokes, shiitake mushrooms, bolting kale and brown rice vinegar.

3) 9 p.m. Change is brewing

After winding through the redwoods and along the coast, head for the former logging town of Fort Bragg, for some small town night life. The 135-year-old Golden West is a dive bar that was bought in 2015 by a couple who grew up locally and returned after living in Los Angeles. The bar has maintained its vintage character (neon signs, shuffleboard and pool tables, faded black-and-white photos of logging scenes) while upgrading its extensive liquor cabinet and serving excellent cocktails, and has occasional but unexpectedly good live music, as well as a Sunday Bloody Mary bar. Or, for a family-friendly pub in a tucked-away location, seek out Mendocino’s newest brewery, Overtime Brewery, which teams with Nye Ranch in making its exotic seasonal beers, like the “Thistle Dew” artichoke ale or Nye Ranch Cucumber Batch. Take a couple of crowlers — a 32-ounce can filled from the tap and sealed on site — of your favorite beer to go.

Saturday

4) 8 a.m. Super bloom

Tucked into a strip mall, Cafe Jaavy — the younger sister of the longtime local favorite, Los Gallitos — has colorful oilcloth tablecloths, a salsa bar and a breakfast menu that includes savory Mexican breakfasts like chilaquiles (tortilla chips simmered in a flavorful, mildly spicy sauce, served with beans and eggs, $9.50) and standout huevos rancheros with chorizo ($9.50), plus sweeter offerings like banana and berry crepes ($8.99) and generous smoothies ($4.50) made with fresh fruit. The Tropical, with mango, apple, pineapple, melon, chili and lime is particularly tasty. Then, head for the 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, where 124 species of rhododendrons put on a spectacular show in April and May.

5) 11 a.m. Sweet soak

Drive south to Mendocino village to walk its photogenic streets and gawk at the immaculately preserved Victorians. Pop into Frankie’s for a scoop of locally made Cowlick’s ice cream. Among the cafe’s 16 rotating flavors are chai, Campari grapefruit sorbet, yellow cake batter and mushroom. Then, take a restorative soak in Sweetwater Spa’s communal — and clothing optional — eight-person redwood tub, sweat in the cedarwood sauna, or indulge in a massage (starting at $110 for 50 minutes). There are also private tubs ($25 per hour), which are enclosed but open to the sky; if a starry soak is your thing, Sweetwater is open until 9 p.m.

6) 12:30 p.m. Pizza pit stop

Next door, Cafe Beaujolais’s weekend-only takeout window, the Brickery, serves pizza ($13) with big, perfectly charred air pockets and daring toppings, like Moroccan-spiced rabbit and garlicky New Haven-style white clam pizza. On sunny days, the backyard garden is idyllic for sharing a pie and savoring a glass of rosé or a craft cider.

7) 2 p.m. Glass for the masses

Fort Bragg’s signature attraction, a former town dump that was transformed by time into a beach of gleaming sea glass, has been badly picked over and is no longer the dazzling sight it once was. For a glimpse of its former glory, head to the odd little International Sea Glass Museum south of town, where Captain Cass sells bags of so-called Seed Glass ($4.95) to replenish the beach’s supply. Across Highway 1, the Glass Fire Gallery displays fantastic blown-glass creations in the form of jellyfish chandeliers and mushroom-shaped table lamps. While in the area, go for a stroll along the newly opened Noyo Headlands Coastal Trail. After more than a century of the headlands being occupied by a sprawling mill site, the town now has access to its coastal bluffs, where California poppies blaze orange in the spring, when it’s also possible to spot migrating whales spouting offshore.

8) 3:30 p.m. Local treasure

For a dose of Mendocino’s wonderful eccentricity, visit The Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics, a tiny two-room storefront museum that celebrates the life and work of the local inventor, lay scientist and World War II transport pilot, Larry Spring. In the same small building, Lost Coast Found has a charming selection of vintage home goods: midcentury stereos, cheery 1970s-era coffee cups, along with used books, postcards and miscellanea.

9) 5:30 p.m. Fresh caught

Have an early, California-style dinner by the water in Noyo Harbor, where you have a difficult choice of dining options. For fresh, crispy fish and chips, bundle up and sit on the riverside deck at Sea Pal Cove, where dinner guests include sea gulls, there are $5 pints of high-end craft beer, and views of passing fishing — and, in season, whale-watching — boats. A few doors down, Princess Seafood Market & Deli is a woman-owned and -run fishing operation with its own boat and seafood restaurant. Princess serves reasonably priced, locally caught seafood, including whole Dungeness crab ($27.95), barbecued Royal Miyagi oysters ($12.95 for a half dozen, and a grilled prawn po boy ($15.95). During chilly coastal evenings, the deli’s tented seating area provides heat lamps and freshly laundered blankets. Then, pick up a Coast Packet and take a gamble on a local performance. One of the joys of small town cultural life is the unexpectedness of what’s available from week to week, whether it’s the wonderful independent Flynn Creek Circus or a riotous political play at the Mendocino Theatre Company.

Sunday

10) 9 a.m. The Greenwood Good Life

On your way through Mendocino, grab a takeout breakfast — an organic housemade bagel with lox and “all the veggies” ($12.50) or “market-inspired” quiche ($8) — at Mendocino’s Good Life Cafe. Sip your coffee to-go as you drive a breathtaking stretch of Highway 1 to the village of Elk, population 200. Tote your breakfast down to Greenwood State Beach to sit on a piece of driftwood, look out over the volatile Pacific and take a long breath of sea air. Then, visit Elk Greenwood Museum and Visitor Center — originally the town’s post office — to learn some Greenwood lore from the center’s knowledgeable docents.

11) 11 a.m. Wine Down

Take Philo-Greenwood Road back to Anderson Valley and taste your way out of town. The options can be overwhelming, but the redwood tasting room at Toulouse Vineyards and Winery is especially beautiful and its wines are excellent renditions of classic local varietals: Alsatian whites and pinot noirs. For three wineries in one Spanish-style plaza, stop at The Madrones complex, where Drew Family Cellars, Smith-Story Winery and the newly opened Long Meadow Ranch, which has estate-grown Burgundian varietals, share a plaza.

12) 12:30 p.m. History lesson

Cut east over Route 253 — a spectacular 16-mile drive across hilltops of moss-draped California live oaks — to Ukiah, Mendocino’s 16,000-person county seat. Dedicated to an extraordinary, but largely forgotten painter, the Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House displays Hudson’s striking and distinctly empathetic portraits of native peoples and immigrants, exhibits the work of local artists, and offers tours of Hudson’s Arts and Crafts home, which she called Sun House.

13) 2 p.m. Buddhist brunch

Head south to the City of 10,000 Buddhas, a former California State Mental Hospital that is now a Buddhist community and monastery. The campus’s distinctive arched entrance is undergoing renovation, but its roaming peacocks, evocative institutional architecture and Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant, which serves tasty vegetarian dishes to a mostly local crowd, remain. Or hop down the 101 to Hopland, where Rock Seas serves an ever-changing menu that riffs on brunch classics — like coconut French Toast with star anise, coconut, brown sugar and mango ($12).

Lodging

In the last two years, two long-awaited new hotels have opened on the Mendocino coast. The Harbor House Inn, in Elk, is a 1916 redwood home which was originally built by the local logging company and designed to showcase the beauty of the region’s lumber. After an eight-year renovation, the inn reopened in May of 2018 with 10 rooms (starting at $355, breakfast included) and a destination restaurant.

[tripstations]

NY drinks NY wines: History and hybrids

New York Wines: Disaster in the Beginning

Historians have documented the fact that grapes were first introduced to New York by the Dutch (1647-1664); sadly, the crops failed. A few years later, the French Huguenot settlers in Ulster County tried to plant European varietals (1667) and they too were unsuccessful.

William Robert Prince (1795—1869)

Finally, in 1816 the Isabella grape was planted by William R. Prince (a descendant of Thomas Prince, an early Governor of the Plymouth Colony) in Linnaean Gardens (Queens, NY) and 2 years later (1818), Elijah Fay planted the first vineyard in Chautauqua County.

A few years later (1827) the first commercial vineyard and winery in the Hudson Valley opened (planted by Richard Underhill on Croton Point on the Hudson River). The Underhill’s are considered to be the first dynasty in American viticulture. It is the size and longevity of these vineyards that gives them the right to be considered the real founders of the wine-growing industry in New York.

Two years later (1829), in his rectory garden, the Revered William Bostwick planted the first vineyard in the Finger Lakes (Hammondsport, NY). Bostwick encouraged his neighbors to plant cuttings from the few Isabella and Catawba vines he was growing.

However, it took another decade for the wine industry to go commercial in the Hudson Valley. Finally, in 1839 Jean Jacques opened Blooming Grove (later rebranded as Brotherhood Winery) and by 1853 the Concord grape variety (introduced by Ephraim Bull of Concord, NH) became a popular wine and table grape. The Taylor Wine company entered the industry in 1880, followed by Widmer’s Wine Cellars in 1888 – placing New York on the world’s wine-making map. These enterprises produced sparkling and dessert wines (including ports and sherries), as well as table wines.

Wineries Expand

The Farm Winery Boom took place in the 1960s-1970s with new winery entrepreneurs. The entries included Benmarl Wine company and Cascade Mountain Vineyard (Hudson River Region), with Bully Hill Vineyards and Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes.

The Farm Winery Act (1976) opened the door to ownership and operations for a winery to produce less than 50,000 gallons of wine per year and sell directly to the consumer on the farm; today farm wineries can produce up to 150,000 gallons per year and can market wines to restaurants, retail and wholesale trade. As the Act evolved, it allowed winemakers to buy grapes from other New York growers and sell their wines in the same system, as long as the wines were made with 100 percent New York grapes.

Wineries continued to increase (1976-2017), reaching approximately 405, with 302 in Federally recognized viticulture regions: 20 in Lake Erie, 129 in the Finger Lakes, 62 in the Hudson River Region, 76 on Long Island, 7 I along the Niagara Escarpment and 7 in the Champlain Valley of New York with 103 wineries in other areas of the state.

Size Matters

Most new wineries are small, family-operated and focus on limited production of premium varietal table wines with the entire process, from planting of vines to wine marketing, controlled by the family. In addition to winemaking, visitors to the wineries are able to experience tours of the vineyards, and wine tastings and this aspect of the industry attracts 3 million tourists to New York each year.

NY Wine Industry Today

Today, New York is the nation’s third largest wine producing state with average annual production of approximately 20-million gallons. New York has 10 officially recognized viticulture areas that are compared to the French, “appellations of origin” and include Lake Erie, Niagara Escarpment; Finger Lakes; Seneca Lake; Cayuga Lake; Hudson River, Long Island; The Hampton, Long Island; North Fork of Long Island; and Champlain Valley of New York.

8th Annual NY Drinks NY. Workshop Focus

At a recent New York drinks NY wine event, scholars, sommeliers, buyers, sellers, and writers convened to learn about some of the unique hybrid grapes growing in New York State.

NY’s Hybrid Grapes

What is a hybrid grape? Hybrid grapes are grape varieties that are the product of crossing two or more Vitis species. They are also referred to an inter-specific crossing or “Modern Varieties” and have excellent tolerance to powdery mildew, other fungal diseases, nematodes and phylloxera.

New York Hybrid Grapes Presented

At the NY Drinks NY event, Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, MS and viticulturalist Mike Colizzi of the Cornell Agriculture Experiment Stations, Geneva, NY, presented a few of New York State’s hybrid grape varieties, including:

Vignoles. Developed by J. F. Ravat, a French hybridizer (1929), Vignole is a cross between Pinot Noir and a Seibel hybrid. Viticulture characteristics include: Hardy, late-ripening and moderately vigorous vine; moderate yielding with small, compact clusters. They are, however, susceptible to powdery mildew and bunch rot and capable of acquiring “noble rot” which, thankfully, produces excellent late harvest wines.

Vilification: Cool, tank fermentation; no malolactic fermentation; no barrel aging. Vignola’s are always finished with at least 1 percent residual sugar and frequently used to make sweet, late-harvest wines. Vignoles present an aromatic and tropical fruit nose but is somewhat one-dimensional and the natural high acidity must be balanced with sweetness. Late harvest wines have a strong aroma of apricot.

Demand for Vignoles is growing due to numerous awards in major competitions of late harvest and ice wines. These grapes can make high quality table wines and consumers are learning that it pairs well with spicier versions of Mexican and Oriental cuisine.

Traminette. (Formerly known as NY65.433.13). Officially introduced at the 4th International Symposium on Cool Climate Viticulture and Enology in Rochester, NY (July 1996), the Traminette is the result of a cross of Janes Serve 23.146 x Gewurztraminer by H.C. Barrett in 1965 at the University of Illinois.

Originally intended to be a table grape with Gewurztraminer flavor characteristics, this grape is distinguished by its superior wine quality combined with good productivity, partial resistance to several fungal diseases and cold hardiness. It is a late mid-season white wine grape that produces wine with pronounced varietal characteristics likened to one of its parents, Gewurztraminer.

Baco Noir. Monsieur Francois Baco (1865- 1947), was a teacher, living in Belus, Landes, Armagnac Province, France (south of Bordeaux). This French-American hybrid grape variety is produced as a red wine in NY State.

Its origins date back to 1894 when Baco crossed Follet Blanche (a traditional grape variety used to make brandies in Armagnac) with an unknown member of the New World’s Vitus riparian family (also known as “riverbank” or “riverside” grapes that are found along the banks of the eastern part of North America from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains). The intention was to create phylloxera-resistant vines that retained their French character. Baco was bred in 1902 and commercially released in 1910.

Light to medium body, with good acidity and a preference for cooler climate, Baco Noir is a grower-friendly alternative to Pinot Noir. If Baco is left on its skins for more than 7 days as it ferments – it can, with care, have many big Bordeaux-like qualities. It has a robust and aromatic flavor – cedar, tobacco, leather and chocolate. The complex fruit flavors include black cherries, black berries and prunes. It may also present herbal notes of black pepper, licorice, cinnamon and eucalyptus.

Baco, made in a lighter style, is reminiscent of a Burgundian Pinot Noir that presents a rich nose whose fruits trigger memories of red raspberries, black raspberries, blueberries, cherries and strawberry jam. The herbal notes include more muted flavors of lavender, black pepper, mint and licorice.

Niagara. This is a light-skinned hybrid variety grown mainly in the northeastern US, particularly around the Great Lakes Region. Created in the NY country of Niagara in the mid-19th century from the Concord grape variety (perhaps a cross between a wild Vitis labrusca variety and an unknow Vitis vinifera variety) and the labrusca Cassady. Wines from Niagara are light and present a “foxy” aroma.

Niagara is a high-yielding grape that is resistant to harsh, continental winters. It can be made into wines as diverse as Burgundian Pinot Noirs, Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignons, light young fall wines or nouveaux, and even rosé. It presents a deep color, lots of berry and plum fruit, and delivers high acid levels that pair well with barbecued meats. It also ages well.

Marechal Foch. The grape is a cross of Gold Riesling and riparia/rupestris hybrid and made by Eugene Kuhlmann of Alsace. Viticulture characteristics include: vigorous and early-ripening, small to moderate yields of small, loose clusters of blue-black grapes. This hybrid is disease resistant and withstands hardy winters although early bud breaks can result in damage to shoots by late spring frosts.

For additional information, visit newyorkstatewinegrapegrowers.org.

© Dr. Elinor Garely. This copyright article, including photos, may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

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[thewednesdayclubrecs]

Episode 1: “Origins”

The Giant Sized Wednesday Club! This first episode ran extra long, and included a lot of comics mentioned.

These are the titles mentioned by Taleisin, Amy, or Matt over the course of the first episode of the Wednesday Club. If people are interested in another post with further reading on the topics, creators, and characters mentioned this episode, I can create that as well, if there is demand for it.

Physical comics: You may have a comic book store near you! Comic Shop Locator Hater Free Wednesdays Your local library may have a selection of physical comics as well. Ask your local librarian (many of us are nerds in disguise!)

Digital comics: Comixology and Comixology Unlimited Each publisher may have comics online for sale, including Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and more. Again, your local library! Many are part of services such as Hoopla, where you can borrow and read digital comics.

On to the comics!

Matt's origins: Giant Size X-Men #1, 1975: Wikia; Comixology

Amy's origins: Asterix   Archie Comics X-Men Volume 2 (1990s): Note, I believe Amy says 36 and 37 here, but I believe the comics she’s talking about are #46 and #47, with the X-Babies on the run from Mojo’s hunters. Generation X #5 Wikia; Comixology Webcomics: Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant, Ryan North’s Dinosaur Comics (he’s now writing Squirrel Girl, for one), (Note: There's a third whose name I didnt quite get here, David something? If someone caught that, let me know)

Taliesin's origins: (someone please, please illustrate Taliesin's weird mental images of the X-Men wow) V for Vendetta Wasteland (DC pre-Vertigo): Wikipedia; Comixology Vampirella Wikipedia; Comixology The Alice Cooper The Last Temptation, written by Neil Gaiman: based off this album; Comixology Sandman: Wikipedia; Comixology Jack Kirby’s Avengers

Fables: Wikipedia; Comixology

Rumiko Takahashi - Maison Ikkoku - Inuyasha   - Ranma 1/2 - Urusei Yatsura - Rumic World horror shorts (hungry ghost) Tragically, outside of the big three (Maison Ikkoku, Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2), these are harder to find digitally (legally) than they should be by all rights. Your library may have them from the manga boom back in the day though.

Strangers in Paradise: Wikipedia; Comixology

America Chavez’s solo title

Cheung’s Young Avengers run: Comixology The Gillen/McKelvie Team Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie have done a ton of comics together, including Young Avengers and others mentioned below.

She-hulk: Alternate-dimensional tourism from Dimension A (the A-Holes): Wikia; Comixology

Patsy Walker: Hellcat: Wikia; Comixology

The Boys: Wikipedia; Comixology (BTW some SERIOUS content/trigger warnings here. For real. I’m including this because they did.)

What comics changed you? Taleisin: The Invisibles: Wikipedia; Comixology Jack Kirby’s New Gods; Jimmy Olsen Adventures Sandman’s Death: High cost of Living: Wikipedia; Comixology Promethea Whatever Happened to the man of Tomorrow?: Wikipedia; Comixology (V for Vendetta again)

Amy: Fun Home: Wikipedia; Comixology (also a musical)

Chat: Legion from X-Men (and mental health stuff--more on this next week) Marvel Zombies: Wikipedia; Comixology (.....if this changed your life...)

Alias - Marvel Max (origin of Jessica Jones): Wikipedia; Comixology

Generation X (mentioned above): Comixology - According to Amy: "pretty good for, like, 20 issues, and then... a book I still dearly love for 50 more issues" - "like the New Mutants of the 90s"

Claremont's X-Men run: Wikipedia - As per the three of them: this run’s not timeless, they’re not exactly “recommending” it yet. They're going to curate some issues for us later on, bless them. Stayed tuned for those links.

LGBT+ in comics - North Star reveal of the 90s: Aplha Flight #106: Wikia; Comixology (We’ll talk more about this when we get to the specific episode)

Rocket Raccoon's origin on the Mignola run: I believe this is the run they’re talking about.

Show and Share: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #68 "The Helmet of Hate": Comics Vine (Wasn’t able to find a digital issue of this...)

Anti-drug issue of Spider-man: The Amazing Spider-Man #96 (Comics Vine). Printed without the CCA stamp on the front.

Kamandi the Last Boy on Earth: Wikipedia; Comixology

Warlock #11 "The Strange Death of Adam Warlock": Comic Vine; Comixology

Generation-X (signed by Lobdell) #2 with Penance on the cover: Wikia; Comixology

The New Mutants #1: Wikia; Comixology - "the Generation X of the 80s" - characters were introduced in a standalone story/graphic novel: Wikia; Comixology

Uncanny X-Men #201 "Who Will Lead them?": Wikia; Comixology - battle for leadership between Storm and Cyclops

X-Men Jim Lee alternate covers #1 "A Legend Reborn": Wikia; Comixology; All four variant covers in one image

X-Men Vol. 2 #4 First appearance of omega red: Wikia; (Having trouble finding this on Comixology...)

Excalibur #71 with Dark Phoenix, Fatal Attractions finale with Nightcrawler foil: Wikia; Comixology - this and Maximum Carnage were Matt's first big collected works as a kid

Uncanny X-Men #139 "Welcome to the X-Men Kitty Pryde... Hope you survive the experience!": Wikia; Comixology - Uncanny X-Men #129, Introduction of Kitty Pryde: Wikia; Comixology

The Wicked and the Divine: Wikipedia; Image Comics - "none more goth"

If you like Saga: Wikipedia; Image Comics - Y the Last Man: Wikipedia; Vertigo Comics

- Runaways: Wikipedia; Comixology -- and then Brian K Vaughn traded series with Joss Whedon

Avengers Arena: Wikipedia; Wikia; Comixology - according to Taleisin, this book has more impact if you know the characters more, so maybe this is part of the advanced class in recommendations

New Teen Titans - Not sure which series is meant here?

DC Bombshells: Wikipedia; DC Comics

Tom King's Vision: Wikia; Comixology

Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan): Wikia; Comixology (vol 3); continued in vol 4

Iron Heart - Riri Williams (current Iron Man): Wikia; Comixology

Image Comics: Website; Wikipedia - Early Image is noooot so much Amy's jam The Walking Dead: Wikipedia; Comixology Savage Dragon: Wikipedia; Comixology Sam and Twitch: Wikipedia; Comixology

Faith: Valiant’s site; Comixology Star Wars: Rogue One (run-up was announced, but never happened... perhaps what was meant was the run up to The Force Awakens?) - “Star Wars comics got good”--They moved from Dark Horse to Marvel recently - Note: there are quite a few Star Wars series being published by Marvel at the moment. (In this contributor’s opinion, some are better than others...)

Not strictly comics: X-Men (’90s animated series): Wikipedia; IMDB; Sailor Moon (the 90s dub, aw yeah); Wikipedia Superman (1978): Wikipedia; IMDB Batman the Animated Series: Wikipedia; IMDB Tom Stoppard's Arcadia: Wikipedia; Powell’s Comics In Focus: Chris Claremont’s X-Men: Wikipedia; it appears that this is no longer available on Vimeo... The LARPosal On Youtube "cardio and pie" - which we should all apparently try a slice of cheddar cheese on? Battle Royale: Wikipedia; IMDB The Supergirl Show on CW: Wikipedia; IMDB The Tick: The 1994 series, and the 2001 series The Image Revolution (documentary about the birth of Image comics): IMDB, trailer; Streaming on Youtube, Amazon, and elsewhere. Pogs. Just. Pogs. God I remember Pogs. Where Taleisin's handle comes from: Executive Transvetite

Stores mentioned: Hi De Ho Comics (store) LA Golden Apple (store) LA Torpedo Comic (store) Las Vegas Box Lunch House of Secrets (store) Burbank, CA (where Amy works)

Next week Mental Health and Comics Legion: Wikipedia; IMDB; airing on FX; streaming on Hulu, Amazon

X-Men Legacy (2012) volume 2: Wikia; Comixology; Marvel

Moon Knight - Current run, written by Lemire: Comixology; Marvel - Warren Ellis: Comixology; Marvel - Bendis' LA run: Comixology; Marvel

Doom Patrol - specifically Crazy Jane - Grant Morrison's run (which Taliesin says is psychotropic, take that as you will): Wikipedia; Comixology - Just pointing out that Taliesin gave a content warning for this, so.

Note: mentions may or may not be recommendations. My personal recommendations sometimes differ, but that’s not the point of this post. And remember: it’s ok to not have read everything--or anything!

If I missed anything, please let me know! Episode #2 will be up.... soon?

[clusterassets]

New world news from Time: Vanilla Is Nearly as Expensive as Silver. That Spells Trouble for Madagascar

On a recent Saturday afternoon in Sahabevava village, on the east coast of Madagascar, 46-year-old vanilla farmer Lydia Soa brandished the latest in anti-theft tracking devices: a hand-carved wooden stamp studded with a series of small steel pins. She had recently gone through the vines of her small plantation, stamping thousands of green vanilla pods with her unique producer code MK021. In theory, thieves could still steal her crop, but her branded pods would reveal their perfidy at the local market. “Now I can sleep at night, and when I wake up, my vanilla will still be there,” she says, with a relieved grin.

These days, vanilla theft is a big business in Madagascar. That may seem like a distant problem, but its repercussions are likely to be felt at your favorite dessert parlor this summer. Climate change, crime and speculation mean the price of the fragrant spice has skyrocketed from $20 a kilo five years ago to $515 in June. Ice-cream makers are faced with the agonizing choice of raising prices, pulling vanilla ice cream from the shelves, or even—to the horror of many—replacing real vanilla with a synthetic version sourced from petroleum products.

An innovative new program, spearheaded by some of the world’s biggest vanilla buyers, is tackling the problem head on by reducing theft, educating farmers, and making crops more resilient to the ravages of climate change. The aim is to stabilize the price of vanilla so that farmers will keep growing, and companies will keep buying.

Evolutionarily speaking, vanilla should have died out long ago. Now farmed far from its native Mexico and the bees that evolved to fertilize it, vanilla orchids have to be pollinated by hand in a time-consuming process—the small white flowers bloom once a year, for one day only. Then it takes another nine months for the fruits to mature into pods, which then have to be cured for several more weeks in alternating baths of steam, sun and shade before they can be incorporated into your favorite vanilla ice cream.

A byword for boring, vanilla tends to be taken for granted. Yet without it cookies lose their zing, milk chocolate its fragrance, crème brûlée its flare and Calvin Klein’s Obsession its sweet, earthy base. And without vanilla, some 80,000 farmers in Madagascar, which supplies 80% of the world’s crop, would lose their livelihood.

In a stark warning of climate change to come, a pair of tropical cyclones wiped out much of 2017’s Madagascan crop, sending prices higher than $600 a kilo. But higher costs don’t necessarily benefit the small family farmers whose futures depend on the fickle fruit. At a dollar per bean in one of the poorest countries of the world, farmers have had to contend with vanilla thieves who snatch the just-before-ripe pods straight from the vines knowing that they will fetch a decent price even if green. To counter the theft, farmers harvest their own crops early, flooding the market with low quality beans that lack the intense flavor that only emerges just before the mid-July harvest. As a result, the quality plummets and so does the price. Farmers tear out their vines in frustration, then scarcity pushes the price up again, creating a vicious cycle of vanilla boom and bust.

Read more: Vanilla shortage could lead to ice-cream price spike

In terms of cost, vanilla is easily the most volatile spice on the planet, says Gilbert Ghostine, CEO of Firmenich, a Swiss fragrance and flavor house that buys around 300 tons of vanilla a year—more than a tenth of the global supply. That volatility is putting vanilla’s very future at risk. “When the price is at $20, you have lots of farmers who say, ‘I’m not making money out of this. I’m walking away.’ And when it’s at $600, you have lots of companies saying, ‘I don’t want to use natural vanilla anymore because I can’t make money.’” The last time the price of vanilla spiked, to $400 a kilo in 2003, nearly 30% of buyers turned to vanilla substitutes and synthetic flavoring, says Dominique Roques, Firmenich’s vice president for natural flavors. The market for real vanilla eventually recovered, but continued fluctuations are making food companies wary. It’s not easy to reformulate recipes, and changing labels is expensive.

Masy Andriantsoa/Livelihoods FundsThe price of vanilla was $515 per kilogram on June 1 2018. Silver was priced at $527 per kilogram.

All but the most die-hard vanilla ice cream aficionados would have a hard time telling the difference between real vanilla and artificial flavoring, at least until they turn the container around and start reading the ingredients. That just may be the lifeline for Madagascar’s farmers. Consumers are increasingly demanding natural products in their food, says Roques, and ‘vanillic aldehyde’ doesn’t necessarily sit well with someone about to pay eight dollars for a pint of vanilla caramel swirl.

Which is why French food purveyor Danone, French utilities company Veolia, Firmenich and Mars Inc. are investing $10 million into the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming, an mpact investment fund that will, among other things, stabilize a crop that most people don’t even think about. It’s part of an emerging trend among food companies to streamline their supply chain, knowing the importance of being able to tell consumers that the ingredients in their products are not only natural and pronounceable, but also that no humans were harmed in the process of procuring them.

Read more: Hershey makes a big change to chocolate recipe

“It is absolutely critical that our supply chains are sustainable,” says Victoria B. Mars, a member of the Board of Directors for Mars, Inc., and a fourth generation member of the Mars family. “If we don’t have the raw materials, we can’t make our products. If our farmers are not able to make a decent living, we won’t have the raw materials we need.”

In Madagascar, the Livelihoods Fund has partnered with local NGO Fanamby on a $2 million project to provide farmers with vanilla seedlings and teach them sustainable practices that avoid the carbon-producing, erosion-inducing slash and burn methods of traditional agriculture. At the same time they are dealing with the theft problem by helping farmers organize neighborhood vanilla watch programs and supplying them with the coded stamps. When there is a theft, Fanamby now goes to the authorities to press a complaint so that farmers in remote areas don’t have to leave their crops in the middle of harvest season.

Meanwhile, the three food and flavor companies have signed a contract agreeing to buy the vanilla directly from the 1,000 or so farmers in the cooperative, rather than through the middlemen who can take up to a 60% cut for themselves. In return, the farmers have committed to sell only to the investors for the next 10 years, at a 2-4% premium over market price.

Read more: Giulio Di Sturco goes inside Madagascar’s cocoa war

It isn’t just about corporate social responsibility, says Ghostine, though that does play a part. It’s self-preservation. As the world’s second largest flavors and fragrance company, Firmenich supplies vanilla extracts to leading brands, such as Guerlain (Madagascan vanilla is the cornerstone of its Shalimar perfume), Häagen-Dazs and Mars, which uses vanilla not just in milk chocolate, but in the caramel strip on a Twix bar. Though Firmenich also supplies synthetic and natural vanillin flavors derived from clove, cinnamon and wood, real vanilla is a luxury that needs to be preserved at the source, says Ghostine. “We are making sure that the crops are harvested properly. We are increasing the yield. We are ensuring that communities still have a passion for investing in these crops and that their children are not going to the cities just to find jobs.”

Vanilla isn’t the only product that is getting the Livelihoods treatment. The fund is looking at other crops too, from cocoa to coconut, rice, palm oil and shea butter. Each of those commodities has a complex and, at times, sinister supply chain that could benefit from greater transparency and streamlining, revolutionizing the industry in the process, says Livelihoods Ventures president and co-founder Bernard Giraud. Vanilla, he says, is the Mount Everest of commodities. “If we can do it with vanilla, we can do it with anything.”

New vanilla vines take three years to mature, so it will be a while yet before the Livelihoods program, now in its second year, bears fruit. In the meantime, Soa is plotting ever more dire punishments for anyone who does attempt to steal her current crop. At the moment vanilla thieves face 3-4 years in prison. As far as she is concerned, that’s not enough. She wants a life sentence. “You invest all your life in growing the vanilla. Stealing it is the same thing as killing someone.”

June 13, 2018 at 03:13PM ClusterAssets Inc., https://ClusterAssets.wordpress.com