#newport 10K

[nonsensical-pixels]

MY WEDDING TRAUMA: A SURELY-SIMS x ICE-CREAMFORBREAKFAST COLLABORATION, CONVERTED TO THE SIMS 2 [download - 👰🏽🤵🏽]

are you tired of brides in white dresses and toddlers with perfect pink flower baskets? is cereal packet gameplay just not doing it for you anymore? maybe you'd like your weddings to put the 'strange' in strangetown? search no more, the ingredients for the strangest wedding in sim nation are finally here!

so, since i caught that one virus, i've been playing around a bit more with ts2 cc creation and finally had the time to work on converting a big set again. but then... what to convert? the answer came to me in the links section of a random lookbook... in a sort of fever dream. a set that captures the recent theme on my blog, families, and yet completely destroys it at the same time: my wedding trauma.

everything here is remarkably versatile. i mean, i know for a fact that people aren't just going to use that jumpsuit for a wedding, elvis needs more freedom than that! there are 9 cas items and 6 buy items for a total of 17 items in this set!

the original ts4 collaboration is complete perfection; it has just the sort of trashy, nonsensical vibes that the ts2 wedding department is sorely lacking. my conversion of this isn't perfect, i'm still learning how to do clothing and there are some minor issues mentioned below the cut, but overall i think that it came out pretty good and i hope it invokes some chaos in your game. 💥

credits go to @ice-creamforbreakfast for most of the cas part of this collaboration, and to @surely-sims for the buy mode part!

keep reading for more info, rambles, and preview pics!

PART 1: BUY MODE (6 items by @surely-sims)

ITEMS INCLUDED ARE: 1 - Fancy Folding Chair - 1.7k polys 2 - Margarita Tower - 3.4k polys 3 - Pizza Party Banquet Table - 1.5k polys 4 - Tiki Mug - 1.7k polys 5 - Toasting Bucket - 2.3k polys 6 - Wedding Arch - 10.2k polys*

individual previews are also to be found in the download!

THINGS TO NOTE: - The wedding arch is quite high-poly compared to other objects (10k) but that is the max for the polycounts. - The collection file included in the 'Surely-Sims' folder should go in the Collections folder in Documents.

PART 2: CAS (8 items by @ice-creamforbreakfast and 1 by @surely-sims)

ITEMS INCLUDED ARE: 1 - Brandi Dress (YF-AF) - 3.9k polys 2 - Elvis Glasses (TU-EU) - 1.7k polys 3 - Elvis Jumpsuit (YM-AM) - 4.9k polys 4 - Goopy Jacket (TM-AM) - 2.3k polys 5 - Jess Hair (YF-EF) - 5.4k polys 6 - Kelly-Marie Hair (TF-EF) - 9.4k polys 7 - Malborough Dress (YF-AF) - 7.1k polys 8 - Newport Headpiece (YF-AF) 9 - Trashleen's Cigarette Bouquet (YF-EF) note: the Jess Hair is not part of the original set but is included because the Newport Headpiece is meant to pair with it.

individual previews are also to be found in the download!

THINGS TO NOTE: - The clothing may have some bone assignment issues (especially with straps) & mild gaps. - The 'Goopy Jacket' has a mild discoloration around the neckline. - All hairs are in @skittlessims Skittles Hair System - The 'Elvis Jumpsuit' is paired with 4t2 SP01 Pointed Stud. Converted by me :) - The 'Malborough Dress' is paired with Ice-CreamForBreakfast's Jessica Shoes.

PART 3: THANKS & RAMBLE

have one final pic of the quirky couple and their patchwork family (ex-wife and dog included) 💞

this set was such a rollercoaster to work on, but also so, so much fun! i hope you guys enjoy it as much as i do 🥺

for anyone who's wondering--yeah i'm back for now, requests are still closed, wips depend on whether im in the mood... but from now on releases should be less queued and have a more 'personal touch' 😏

i'll get around to posting the discord-exclusives i released while i was gone... eventually. there's a few that i'm keeping for myself x

anyway... happy simming, hope you enjoy these conversions, and have a lovely day simming! if you use these feel free to @ me, i wanna see the chaos and the cool stuff these are used in 🥰

love,

~ Ky (nonsensical-pixels)

[modernmonkeymind]

Any resolutions for 2024, mate?

I don’t do resolutions as such. A big part of why so many of us fail on our resolutions is that they’re aspirational, rather than concrete. This is fine if you consider making resolutions a fun part of the new year’s celebration. But if you want to really make changes, focus on creating new habits, start small, and do it every day. For me that means: take meds and supplements, meditate for at least fifteen minutes, create something (for me that means writing poetry/prose and/or painting), drink 64oz of water, walk at least 10k steps, awake before seven, in bed before eleven, and talk to/spend time with my brother and each of my four closest friends each week. This is inspired by Cal Newport’s Deep Life stack. I don’t follow everything Cal advocates, at least not currently, but I do find this concept useful.

[whataclusterpuck]

The Whispers in the Depths

(Adam Henrique & Derek Grant, Haunted, 10k)

"Now you hear us…"

"Not voluntarily," he spat, for all the good it did. He was hearing, he was listening, and he was running out of arguments.

Strangely, that didn't bring a response. Only the crash of the surf. He swallowed back a shiver, trying to keep himself grounded here, knowing he should just turn and walk away.

Even the idea of it felt impossible.

What is this?

There were water creatures that did that… sirens, he thought? Mythology had never interested him, but he was wishing he'd paid more attention now. He didn't think the story had been that they drew in their prey by insulting them.

Also they weren't real. But neither, supposedly, were cursed chunks of glass at a fucking Newport Beach marina, so.

...So this sure didn't get done by Halloween. 😞 But the moodboard stabbed me directly in all my feels about these two, and "I'm gonna write a little something for it" kinda turned into "oops I think this is the 'they're soulmates your honor' fic I've been wanting to do for them all summer"?

@soft4hardthings

[whatsaywhat]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: RARE NWT BLISS Vintage 10k Gold Filled star set tubogas snake collar necklace.

[slkdriving]

Devil's Den Ultra - 30 hr

Background

In early September, I was thinking about long trail efforts. One reason was my friend Julia's ManHump effort to celebrate her birthday. Living in Vermont, any excuse to hike and run in the beautiful trails in an effort to train for a bigger event is appealing. A couple days later I rediscovered the Devil's Den Ultra, an event that I heard of but didn't get involved with in the past. As the website says, "The devil will be testing what you believe you are capable of on all distances." It's an annual event that happens to have existed only as long as I've lived in the area and only an hour and half away from home. And conveniently it was not the same weekend as the Newport Marathon that I had put on my calendar several months ago. Knowing that it was entirely a trail run was justification that I could do both the road marathon and ultramarathon in back to back weeks, as it would not be working the body quite in the same way.

So on September 11, 2023, I registered for the 30 hour race and immediately thought of who I'd love to have with me to crew and pace. Thinking back to the Hawk Hundred experience 7 years ago, and even the THON dance marathon back in 2010, I knew I would be physically and emotionally drained in the middle of the night. So my buddy John would be perfect to share the experience with, and I also recruited Ken to pace some nighttime miles (although he was not able to join race weekend). They were down to join, so I now turned to focus on how my training would look. It was the middle of my marathon training, so I figured as I peaked my mileage in the next couple weeks, I'd transition to doing more trail runs and hikes. In fact, this day corresponded to the end of a normally scheduled set of 7 overnight shifts; I actually paused my training after consistent weeks going back to July, so this gave me an extra push to resume with a new spin.

photo credit: @ACARTERCLARK 

One of the training runs was the Three Peaks Mountain Race at the Bolton Valley ski resort (seen above approaching the summit of Vista Mountain). As part of the awesome Wednesday evening trail series Nik Ponzio was organizing/advertising was one of the Three Peaks course previews at the very end of August. It happened to be on a day I could join, and there was a pretty good turn out for a group run at a fairly out of the way location with lousy/wet weather. While the main appeal of the trail race was the 25K event, being only a week before my marathon I was eyeing the new 10K option. That worked out well once I decided to do the Devil's Den on top of the Newport Marathon. The uphill slog early in the race was a good proxy to the type of climbing I'd have at the ultramarathon, but there was also a beautiful, flowy descent that made it a real joy to return to the mountain base before an additional smaller climb and more technical descent. With some of the fastest folks doing the full race, I managed to come in 2nd place; as a well-sponsored event, I netted a $35 Outdoor Gear Exchange coupon and generous pick of random gear, which included a pair of Salomon Speedcross sandals (designed for hiking or recovering from a trail race) in my foot size.

Race Weekend

Friday

I happened to be off from work on Friday, October 14, coinciding with the kickoff of Skirack 9 AM weekly group runs. A nice easy 6ish mile run under 24 hours from Devil's Den was perfect, primarily on the waterfront bike trail. New local business Plink! provided some electrolyte refreshment and samples of their powder as well. At the store, I picked up some sale items including backup fuel and water bottle+bladder. At home after that I finished packing up for the event, including sleeping bag, camp chair, a couple pairs of trail running shoes, multiple shirts including base layers and outer layers, change of pants and shorts, some food for a small cooler and food for snacks, and massage gear.

Around 5 PM John arrived at my place and soon we hit the road. Arriving at the campsite/base operations of the event a quarter mile from the Devil's Den trailhead, we checked in with Jay Mozey, race director/creator, picking up a bag that had unusual items. The four items, aside from my included our favorite candy bar (I said caramello!), a tarot card, Untapped maple syrup "gel", and a red devil hoodie that says The Devil upside on the front (like the art on the race bib) so you see the words right side up looking down while wearing it. We also set up John's tent that we shared back over Memorial Day weekend in the Adirondacks. Since we both were hungry and in search of dinner, we hit the road again for a much shorter drive into downtown Bradford, VT.

As a very small town, seemingly everybody eating out was at the impressive Italian restaurant (Colatina Exit) that we wanted to go to. An 18 minute wait gave us time to mosey along the tiny main street area and stop by the well-regarded Vittles coffee shop, still open for a special event according to the shop's friendly co-owner. Once it was time to be seated, bizarrely, the host said a party had refused to sit upstairs, switching us to a better option than the initial spot by the kitchen. The seating upstairs was within earshot of a live cover band and aside from a wobbly table was flawless. A couple of Cashmere Hoodie pints from local brewery Upper Pass (Tunbridge), stuffed mushrooms, and ample chicken parm made for great pre-race fuel. It was enough food to save a bunch of pasta for after the race, as I was stuffed without being overly so.

After driving back 10 minutes to the race starting area, we got back around 9 PM which meant it was time to sleep! I felt cozy and warm in my sleeping bag and fell asleep quickly.

Saturday

With an adequate, albeit limited amount of sleep in the tent waking up in the middle of the night a couple of times, I awoke for the day to some pre-race satanic type of music before doing final preparations for the race.

This turned out to be a test for the real pump up at 6:55 AM following our pre-race 6:30 meeting. Jay (wearing The Devil hoodie in center of picture) intensely encouraged us to push ourselves using whatever motivation you possess, even when you may think you want to quit.

As he wrapped up with some fist bumps, we got ready to begin.

According to my watch we actually started seconds before 7 AM.

In this picture very early in the first lap, I ran with a small group including a 12-hour runner Elliot and 30-hr runner Eugene. Eugene and I would run all of lap 2 together. Holding his trekking poles here, he said had only used them once before. It turned out many folks used them on this course, which may have been particularly helpful for me on the relentlessly steep downhills. More on that later!

At the top of the big ascent near the overlook at Wright Mountain, the photographer Pete Wood captured each of us nicely.

One of us (not recalling who) also took a selfie of the group of us that power hiked and ran this first of many climbs to the gorgeous vista. I separately took a photo of this view, seen below.

Thanks to this event and the shirt Scott was wearing, I'm now aware of 46climbs, and on a related note, the entry fee for Devil's Den goes towards the Josh Pallotta Fund. Scott and I would run part of lap 8 together when he was doing lap 7. He would go on to finish two more laps than I did with 140km, finishing in 2nd place.

On the third lap, I think, this picture was taken on that initial ascent of Wrights Mountain. It wasn't lap 2 because I was still wearing pants (these shorts were underneath for a quick change). Unlike most steep climbs where ropes are attached to trees to aid in navigation, this was actually kind of loose and unhelpful, especially with the trail's direction drawing you to the right of it pretty quickly. But it looks cool!

Lap 3 was also the one I had the pleasure to spend a big chunk of it with Lee, who was the winner of the 30 hour race. He came prepared and confident, coming off a 100 mile race victory in July. Lee wasn't wrong when he said I was gonna want poles (as you can see him use below), like on lap 10. Although he came a lap short of reaching our shared goal of 100 miles for this devilish race, he did improve on last year's distance completed; this was his third attempt. If these trends continue he will pull it off next time if he wants it!

After the first of two baselayer shirt changes, this photo must have been somewhere in the range of laps 5 through 7, when there was still daylight. I was starting to get physical fatigue but could still run all of the flats and downhills with power hiking the ascents. Relative to the average lap pace I was looking to pull off to complete 100 miles, I was right on target but knew I was using too much energy to do so. Still, I was happy with my effort and was having a great time.

Saturday Night

This is the part of the race I anticipated being the toughest for several, additive (multiplicative?) reasons. 1) Darkness. With a headlamp, while you can see what's in front of you, your vision overall is diminished which lowers your ability to best plan your footfalls. 2) Time on feet. You've now been running/moving for 12 hours. That's a lot. 3) Temperature. It's going to be getting colder, or at the very least feel colder, as you tend to slow down and sweat less. Loss of body heat can lead to hypothermia. 4) Fuel. This is a big one that builds up after all this time. You've now passed through all three primary meal times and it's unlikely you've been able to eat enough food equivalent to that and all the energy and salt you've been using up through the exertion of more than 10,000 feet of elevation gain. With the steep, technical downhills, the breaking on the descents doesn't give much of a break, either. 5) And that ties into the big one, muscle fatigue. As mentioned in the last paragraph, I was starting to feel this a bit during the afternoon well before nightfall. Following lap 7 I was so thankful for a massage therapist who treated my sore calves and hammies. Based on how much discomfort I felt during the massage, the muscles were indeed breaking down. Thinking back to the Hawk Hundred, I could only anticipate a potential debilitating leg cramp as what could happen. Through that massage, an early morning nap, and good fuel, maybe I avoided that type of injury!

The main other thing to note is the importance of having a pacer at this point. While laps 8 and 9 I did by myself in the dark (albeit I'd see other 30 hr folks on the course at times), I could no longer really run much so laps were getting slower as evident from the smoothed pace chart above. And I expected the next one would get slower since it was almost 11 PM when I got back from lap 9. All five of those factors listed above were coming together, and spending a lot of time fueling and not moving at the base area made me decide - yep, I could use a pacer right now. Thankfully, while not dressed to run, John was wearing boots and warm clothes that were good enough to hike through the woods. So after 33 minutes (way more time than any other lap breaks), we set off for a late night journey. John got to experience the whole course, and he set a very fair pace for my energy level. It felt difficult physically going uphill but not overly so, and by walking the downhills, though still challenging, I didn't risk injury as much as if I tried pushing those, in particular the frequent twisting, rocky and rooty sections. We also rested a few times, including at the Wrights Mountain overlook (which still was beautiful in the middle of the night with an assortment of street lights in the distance).

According to the big, handwritten scoreboard, by the time we returned, 3 hours and 8 minutes had elapsed. That was more than 50% more time than the previous lap. Even if I had attempted to resume 2 hour laps, time was not on my side to complete 16 laps (100 miles). Simple arithmetic (even with a sleep-deprived brain) could calculate 6 laps x 2 hours being a minimum of 12 hours needed. It was just shy of 2 AM, so there were 11 hours remaining in the race. There's a reason why it's supposed to be really hard to run 100 miles in 30 hours on this course! So my new goal was to just continue. Unfortunately, over the next hour, aside from the nourishment of bbq pizza (one of I think four slices of pizza I ate over the weekend), I struggled through shivering cold. After slowly finishing noodles and soup that had become cold, I finally motivated myself to leave the fire and make it to the tent a short distance away for much needed sleep. But I arose not only to instantly shiver but could only limp with huge discomfort now putting weight on my right leg. John opened the tent and helped me get comfortable as quickly as possible, minimizing the amount of time I shivered uncontrollably in a pretty damp tent that made it hard to feel warm unless I had fully dry covering. Thankfully the air inside the tent was still relatively warm, and I was exhausted so I soon fell asleep sometime after 3 AM.

Sunday

I woke up from my nap in the tent feeling cold but not shivering. Thank you Hannah for the warm blanket - don't know what I would have done without it with all my warm clothing having become damp from early morning dew. Although I wasn't immediately ready to exit the tent, I forced myself out a little later, after sunrise or a bit after 7 AM. After crawling out of the tent, I first put weight on my left leg, and then surprised myself finding that I could now put weight on my right leg without it hurting much. Walking back and forth from the porta pot, I felt it was go time; no time to think more on it, I would continue as soon as possible. The pizza and cup o'noodles I consumed before the nap would be enough fuel for now.

On lap 11, the first of two that I did not expect to run, I got a boost by watching the 6 mile folks run by me one by one. The leader came by roughly half way through on the nasty Cindy's Trail, closely followed by another runner. Some others passed me on Cindy's big ascent, including Shelly, a beast of an ultrarunner who did 100 miles at RUTfest in 2021. And there was a runner with a dog!

Another runner (I think Matt Hayes?) chatted with me for a little bit as he passed me on the out and back to the eponymous Devil's Den. He was coming off an injury but seemed to be doing pretty well, considering. Running even one lap of this course isn't easy. He expressed that folks doing the 30 hours inspired him and I definitely took that as encouragement to continue the best I could as the final hours ticked by. From this picture, note that I'm only able to fast walk downhills with the pain in my right hamstring and inability to go any faster versus a shuffle. At this point, I'm wearing my final outfit including entirely different shoes, socks, shorts, and shirt with an unnecessary double jacket look around my waist if I started feeling chilled.

[Side note: the socks were nice to change into and entirely expected. The shoes, while great, were forced upon me. Let's go back to Saturday night/early Sunday morning. At 2 something in the morning, I took off the Pearl Izumi trail shoes I had been running in while sitting in front of the fiery fire pit that kept me from shivering. John, after some time, noted the smell of burning rubber. I had minutes prior, visually took account of smoke between the pit and myself but didn't remember or see the shoes in front of me. Sure enough, rubber from one of the shoes had indeed been burning. If you're wondering what that looks like afterwards, here it is.]

As I returned to the base, it was well before 10 AM, which was my mental cutoff as to if I would have to consider not running another lap. So I was mentally set to do one more, a 12th lap to complete 120 km or roughly 75 miles. The lap would not count if I got back at 1 PM and 1 second. Based on how long lap 11 took and how that pace didn't feel overly difficult, I would have plenty of wiggle room if something went wrong. Also, since there were only 3 wristbands - nice thick bands with the iconic devil font saying YOUR WHY>EXCUSES - remaining in the bracelet box, I would be coming back to the finish area for the final time still with 11 bands on my right wrist. Jay assured me it was no matter. Also appreciated him signing me in and out on the big board for most of the laps after the first several - more time to refuel the better, with even seconds adding up.

After taking down some more sugary treats (including homemade, moist pumpkin muffins) to keep my energy up, I asked John if I could have my phone back for the final lap, and he obliged. This was the only lap I didn't log any of on my watch which had shut off its GPS automatically when its battery dropped to 2% on the previous lap. This would also provide some satisfying symmetry as the only other lap I took pictures was during the first lap. Some of the awesome Halloween themed decorations along the course were not set up yet early on, so I snapped a pic of one early in the big ascent.

Many of the trails criss-crossed each other necessitating clear markings like this one. Especially at night, even tracing over the same trails over and over again, the clear signage was clutch.

I also took a picture of some educational material that was part of the Wrights Mountain/Devil's Den Town Forest about various birds that live in this forest. Many may soon migrate southward, such as the chestnut-sided warbler and hermit thrush.

The course includes a series of several trails with people's names, as well as trail names such as Appreciation Way. The sequence includes Ernie to Cindy.

As referred to previously, Cindy is kind of a b*tch. In contrast, Ernie is short and gentle.

However, Cindy does provide a break in the technical steeps by this vernal pool.

After finishing the incline that marks the end of Cindy's Trail for the final time, and after a relatively short time going downhill, I heard some voices. Given the lack of people still on the course, it had to be Calvin and Nick who had been doing the whole thing together. In fact, John and I happened to join the two of them a couple of times in the middle of the night when they were on lap 7 and I was on lap 10. Their goal as stated much earlier in the event was to complete 10 laps, and sure enough, that's what they were on! At this point, I was moving only very slightly faster than they were. So once I caught them, along with Wayne (on lap 11) and another Nick who was pacing them on the lap, I decided to stick with them for the remaining roughly 1.5 miles.

One last look from the overlook at Devil's Den. While skies were overcast for most of the daylight hours on both Saturday and Sunday, there were intervals of sun. A little bit of blue sky can be seen at this time (11:37 AM).

Considering the clock, we were in a perfect position to celebrate our accomplishment hiking into the finish area without time pressure. The four of us were marked in with a last lap return time of 1214 and presented with a heavy and stylish devil medal.

I snapped a photo of the near-final results before we began to make our exit from the race base.

It was noteworthy and impressive that Scott (finished with 14 laps completed) and Lee (finished with 15 laps completed) each were determined to set out again when time was not on their side, based on when they last checked out of the starting area. I figured bragging rights, and the Devil's Skull (!), was on the line even if the odds of completing one final lap were low.

Quick Wrap Up

Although I didn't achieve my primary goal, this event definitely challenged me physically and mentally as it was meant to do. Got to fight back from "the abyss" and came back with the classic black toenails!

So no question about it, this was a successful ultramarathon and a great reminder of what's so great about these types of events. Looking forward to hanging out and doing a few laps at this year's RUTfest, where I'll see some of the same awesome people around.

[breckstonevailskier]

Amtrak heritage unit 145 leads the westbound Pennsylvanian. On the rear of the train is US Navy Inspection Car #118, en route to its new home at the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugar Creek, Ohio. This car was built by Pullman in 1914 for the Union Pacific as UP Chair Car 741; renumbered to UP Chair Car 1210 in 1916; remodeled to UP Business Car 118 in January 1938; to UP Business Car 114 (2nd) in December 1951; to UP Business Car 120 (3rd) in April 1957; retired in June 1970; sold to Houston Allred (Wichita, Texas) in 1970. It was then sold to Tyler Robbins (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1970 and completely refurbished, painted dark green and identified with a "Navy", numbered as PPCX 800188; lighted drumhead on rear handrails. This car's journey to Ohio started on 01/29/2023. On that day, the car traveled up from Newport News, VA to New York City on Northeast Regional train #124, with it then being attached to the next day's Pennsylvanian seen here. As you can see, there was quite the turnout for the car, with the entire parking lot being packed for the 30 minutes before the train arrived (which also meant all these people got to see an eastbound manifest 10K with NS #8105 Interstate heritage unit as a rear DPU). __________ Additional Resources: Support the channel: * Membership sign up: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcXq_uoAGafTEoT5FTS2eNQ/join * YouTube Super Chat and Super Stickers (click the $ sign in the live chat box during premieres and live streams) My social media: Tumblr: https://ift.tt/23QFgXK Flickr: https://ift.tt/42lsFkg Full trainspotting videos from Lewistown, PA: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqTTOxj0xPwmHK7sfy6U0fKEzmMLFJg1 Trainspotting videos just from January 2023: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqTTOxj0xPzwIwb_e4rLhJ_MN0yyoa0W Norfolk Southern manifest trains at Lewistown, PA: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqTTOxj0xPywvUjCvSYjSEzF1Y7hr9Lr Lewistown manifests from January 2023: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqTTOxj0xPwSXEehZ6gixLBauBUU1qUh Norfolk Southern heritage units at Lewistown, PA: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxqTTOxj0xPyUaQo3nxNWKaCe65BHcZck Other Norfolk Southern freight trains at Lewistown, PA: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmRcaP1i3kA0h2iu0P-75Kr2i7IXvCFDl

[usarmyhuntingtonbeachrecrui-blog]

The US Army will be partnering with @caren.ware.events to host this amazing Halloween Fit Fall Run 5K/10K please come out and show your support!!! If you have questions about Joining the Army @ssgcabral @santaanaarmyrecruiter @recruiter.henry @costa_mesa_army_recruiter will be there to answer all your questions!!! . . Direct message or text “AEK8” to 462769 . . #hb #huntingtonbeach #fitness #halloween #5k #10k #funrun #costamesa #fountainvalley #Newport #NewportBeach #sealbeach #occ #gwc #orangecounty #westminster (at Huntington Beach, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xUQlGnWx5/?igshid=pgcdppmm14mt

[wiff-waff]

Every good tale deserves an end and this is mine. Sadly there will be no pictures because I dropped my trusty camera in the cut whilst washing the boat. I'm not bothered about the camera cos it was old and full of lens dust but it broke my heart to lose the memory card, so many memories of Terry and Ben and life in general.

We have the motor. We have half a tank of diesel. The worlds gone mad. VOTE BORIS OUT.

On Tuesday at 11 precisely, with a heavy heart we turned off the cut and into our new home. We're berthed canal side with splendid views over the marina. The light is magnificent and the facilities second to none. Spacious clean shower block and a launderette that I managed to flood on our first morning but thankfully that won't be happening again because a very very nice man from Newport Pagnell came along yesterday and repaired our ailing washing machine.

I recognise many faces on the marina and everyone was happy to see us but I kind of get the feeling that it might be a tad clicky. I may be wrong, I hope so!

David started back at toil on Thursday and he said it's like he's never been away. I've applied for a couple of jobs, one at a very local hostelry but so far no replies. If I'm honest I'm feeling slightly anxious about starting work so I won't be taking any old crap. I need something that fits around Ben and David and doesn't stress me out. I need to be patient but being an Aries, I don't do patience!

The plan is to save 10k by June and then hit the cut and cruise north. I'm desperate to see my family, it's been 3 long years, the kids are growing up and probably have forgotten who I am. And I miss my siblings and want to be part of their lives again and forever.

This will be my penultimate post, the penny has dropped that I will never be an author and that is surely the biggest disappointment in my stupid life. I've flogged that horse to death.

Thank you everyone who has followed me over these 10 years. Laura, Chris, Tracey and Lorraine, your likes and re-blogs kept me tapping on the keyboard.

One final post to come, the annual wiff-waff awards, a salute to all that is good and not so good about living on the cut.

CARRY ON CRUISING X

[sashayed]

[woftd]

NOW Vol 4 drops Sunday 4/28....right after i run the #Carytown10K! Im celebrating my 10 years of #radio with a new #tape and a #10k because #HipHop taught me there are no limits except the ones we set for ourselves! Every NOW tape is all live, unwritten #rhymes and each one is for all of you who have supported me over these years. Go get vol 1-3 via the #bandcamp link in my bio and make sure you tell @hiphophenry_ you dig this cover he made....sucka! #HipHop #Soul #Carytown #bandcamp #NEWPORTS lol #DJ #independenthiphop #70s #RVA #WOFTD (at Richmond, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwdEnZPDcg0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1o626tqxzkq8h

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Lax antitrust killed ventilator stockpiles

40 years ago, a fabulist named Robert Bork dreamed up an imaginary history of US antitrust law in order to justify dismantling it.

This Nixon co-conspirator – beloved of Ronald Reagan – cooked up a doctrine that said that monopolies are only a problem when they raise prices in the short/medium term.

Plutes loved this idea, and 40 years later, mergers, acquisitions, vertical monopolies and other anticompetitive activities are the norm, and most major industries are dominated by as few as one, and rarely more than five firms.

The problem is that monopolies aren't just bad because they raise prices, they're bad because they are monopolies. Monopolization allows firms to attack workers, suppliers and customers, and to extract monopoly rents that can be diverted to corrupt our political process.

Which is why we don't have any ventilators.

13 years ago, the US Dept of HHS awarded a contract to design low-cost, reliable ventilators to Newport Medical Instrument of Costa Mesa, CA. The ventilators would cost <$3k, allowing the US to procure a shit-ton of them against future pandemics.

This was a problem for existing med-tech giants, who charged >$10K for competing ventilators, but under Robert Bork's antitrust theory, there was a simple solution.

In 2012, Covidien, a giant in the field, simply plunked down $100m (chump change, given its revenues of $12b that year) and bought Newport.

Then they killed the ventilator project.

I mean, not right away. First they delayed it and demanded an additional $1.4M from the US government. Then they killed it.

Covidien is now a division of Medtronic (because Bork). Medtronic is a ghastly shitshow of a company.

They're a lead villain in the fight to kill off open artificial pancreases, which free people with diabetes from being turned into ambulatory inkjet printers, dependent on manufacturers for overpriced consumables to keep their fucking organs working.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/04/looping-created-insulin-pump-underground-market/588091/

Their pacemakers and defibrillators can be wirelessly hacked to kill you where you stand.

Their stuff is so insecure, it can be hacked even before it leaves the factory.

https://www.wired.com/story/pacemaker-hack-malware-black-hat/

Naturally, they're also part of the supervillain team that assembled to kill a wave of state Right to Repair bills.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nz85y7/apple-is-lobbying-against-your-right-to-repair-iphones-new-york-state-records-confirm

(The lack of Right to Repair legislation is a big reason that hospitals are struggling to keep livesaving equipment online during the pandemic. Thanks, Medtronic!)

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/03/right-repair-times-pandemic

The dirty trick that killed off the US's attempt to procure a stockpile  of ventilators set the project back by years that, it turned out, we  didn't have. Philips now has a contract to deliver what Newport  couldn't. They haven't shipped.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/business/coronavirus-us-ventilator-shortage.html

[hutz224]

A distance runner’s Covid-19 lament

It's been a long time between blogs. For my faithful followers (thanks Mum), my alphabetical parkrun project came to an abrupt halt in mid March with the first lockdown in Melbourne. I was left frustratingly short of my goal, with just letters W, Y and Z remaining (there are no parkruns beginning with X). As a result, there hasn't been much to write about since my last blog in August. 

The current stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne prohibits travel beyond a 5 kilometre radius of your home, with a few specific excemptions. This has cramped the style of many runners. It has been a necessary and acceptable restriction, but maybe now it's time to relax it. 

I’m a parkrun tourist at heart To travel 6k would be a nice start I feel so restricted and that is my beef It’s not as if I want to go to Tenerife (17,996k)

Maybe I’ll wait until after dark And sneak on over to Albert Park (8k) It would be a clear Covid breach To go running at Altona Beach (25k)

If only I could sprout some wings And fly on out to Berwick Springs (57k) And if Dan would give me a break I’d do two laps round Lillydale Lake (38k)

Would it be a mortal sin To jog the path at Darebin? (9k) Why can’t I make like Deek And do a long run at Diamond Creek? (25k)

If I could get to Frog Hollow (48k) A quick 5k would inevitably follow And the leafy trails at Gardiners Creek (20k) Would help me reach my post-cancer peak

I know it is out of my hands To be allowed to run at Highlands (33k) But as long as nobody tells Maybe I can get as far as Jells (22k)

Would it be such a bad look If I drove 19 k’s to Karkarook? And if I went to Wyndham Vale (38k) Would the Corona cops put me in jail?

Although I’ve not been to Point Cook (31k) I would dearly love to take a look And I’d like to see what the course holds Up and down the hills at Westerfolds (16k)

Warringal Parklands seem at my front door But the map says it’s 10k or more I’m even having hunger pangs To run around the You Yangs (60k)

This thing has gone on way too long I’m really missing Maribyrnong (10k) I’m only asking, for heaven’s sakes For a chance to run at Newport Lakes (18k)

So please please please help us Dan You have power to lift the ban This 5k limit is such a bummer For every long-suffering (park)runner

[speedythingnerd-blog]

Most Effective Ways to Regrow Thinning Hair

At the first sign of hair loss—or even before that, if you’re proactive—you should visit your board-certified dermatologist to discuss the latest and most effective retention and prevention tactics. (Assuming you want to keep your hair, that is.)

There are numerous hairfortin uk options available to men now, and they each have extremely high success rates. We tapped our network of experts to get their opinions on the most common methods. Before we get into them, here’s what some of those board-certified dermatologists have to say about the road ahead.

https://growingyourhairsuperlong.wordpress.com/

1. Start Early

“We know the best chance to regrow, retain, and fortify hair is with early intervention,” says Robert Finney, M.D. of Heights Dermatology and Laser. “If you start to notice thinning, that’s when you should begin treatment. Don’t be in denial.”

The longer you wait, the less effective results are: “Men who begin to notice a bit of early thinning with hair loss starting at the vertex of their scalp, but who aren’t completely bald, have the best chance to slow down loss, halt loss altogether (by maintaining their hair density), and even regrow some or all of their hair,” says Laura Haygood, M.D., of Adagio Dermatology & Aesthetics. “This means the earlier you start, the better the results, in general.”

7 Biggest Grooming Mistakes Balding Men Make 7 Biggest Grooming Mistakes Balding Men Make READ ARTICLE 2. Recession Is an Exception

“A receding frontal hairline rarely responds to treatment,” warns Haygood. “Men may focus on regrowing hair along the entirety of the frontal, crown, and vertex of the scalp.” The vertex is that transition point between the crown and midscalp.

3. Be Patient “Whichever hair treatment you choose, it’s important not to give up on the treatment too quickly and stick with it for at least 3-6 months,” says Lindsey Yeh, M.D. It takes time for hair to grow and actually see changes.

You’re playing a long game (forever, even): “Once you notice improvement, you must maintain the treatment regimen to retain these results,” Haygood adds. “So, if and when you decide to stop treatment, the hair simply gradually reverts to the density it would have otherwise been at that point in your life.”

6 Best Fixes for Hair Loss 6 Best Fixes for Hair Loss READ ARTICLE The 5 Best Methods to Regrow Hair 1. The Pill One of the most common means of regrowing hair is a 1mg prescription of finasteride. (That’s its generic name. You may know it as Propecia.) It inhibits the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which gradually suffocates and shrinks hair follicles, causing hair to thin and fall away before the follicle dries up.

“Oral finasteride is a great treatment for male-pattern baldness,” says Anne Marie McNeill, Ph.D M.D. of Newport Beach Dermatology. “It’s simple, safe, and one study just showed it reduces your chance of prostate cancer, aside from helping to grow hair.” As we mentioned, start when you’re just starting to thin, and it’ll help you keep the hair you have.

“Oral finasteride is one of the best treatment options available,” echoes Finney. However, a small percentage of people can experience a sexual side effect, like decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. “If someone has tried this and experienced those side effects, or is concerned about them, I shift the discussion toward a topical finasteride and minoxidil combination, like HairStim by Hair Medicinals,” Finney says. “HairStim is a prescription solution that combines these drugs—and the minoxidil is at higher concentrations than you can get over the counter.” (See the next tip for more on minoxidil.) “I’ve found patients who had a sexual side effect from finasteride orally, don’t get it from topicals.” That’s because it’s not getting absorbed in your blood and traveling around your body.

Thinning Up Top? Here Are 5 Ways to Get Thicker, Fuller Hair Thinning Up Top? Here Are 5 Ways to Get Thicker, Fuller Hair READ ARTICLE 2. The Potion The other at-home option you hear about most often is minoxidil, the generic for Rogaine. It works by stimulating blood circulation to hair follicles, which in turn fattens the hair shaft and strengthens the follicle. It’s administered as a topical solution or foam twice daily.

“One tip I share with patients is that there are special compounding pharmacies (often the Mom & Pop pharmacies we love, rather than the big chain pharmacies) who are happy to provide an even stronger version,” says Haygood. “Many of my patients like the 7% minoxidil, although in the end I recommend choosing based on cost, convenience, and how the product feels on your skin, especially since you’ll be using it on a daily basis.”

Nearly every doctor you consult will advise combination therapy to further boost your results, and a combination of finasteride + minoxidil is the most common pairing.

3. The Plasma In the last couple years, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has grown enormously in popularity. It involves extracting one’s own blood, separating the plasma (which takes 10 minutes, in office), then injecting that plasma back into the patient’s scalp. Plasma has active growth factors that can stimulate inactive or weakened follicles. It’s also a common combination therapy method, paired with finasteride, minoxidil, or both.

“PRP is my favorite treatment for hair growth, and studies show 75 percent of men see [significant] hair growth,” says Anna Karp, D.O. of Skin Institute of New York. “I recommend two treatments, one month apart, at minimum.” (Many doctors will advocate for 4 monthly treatments out the gate, followed by an annual top-off.)

“PRP is natural and doesn’t require patients to remember to do anything at home,” says Finney. “It’s a much newer treatment, but has proven over the last several years to be a great option to regrow, retain, and fortify.”

PRP costs can vary from one doctor to the next, but you should expect to pay around $1,500 per treatment. (Yes, it’s quite expensive yet.)

How to Treat Thinning Hair: the Modern Guide How to Treat Thinning Hair: the Modern Guide READ ARTICLE 4. The Program An effective at-home supplement and grooming regimen can also fortify hair and help revive some of the weakened, near-death follicles. It’s important to note that these are not nearly as promising as the above methods, but supplements are also no gimmick: They provide the nourishment your hair needs to stay strong. So, perhaps it’s as much a prevention and proactive method.

“We find by combining as many techniques as possible to combat all the possible causes we will yield the best results,” says Matthew Elias, D.O., of Elias Dermatology.

“I typically recommend a hair vitamin such as Nutrafol, Viviscal, or biotin forte with zinc,” says Lauren Meshkov Bonati, M.D., of Mountain Dermatology. “I also suggest they use Nioxin shampoo and conditioner.”

5. The Procedure If all else fails, or if those patches are just too far along, it might be time to consider a hair transplant—if you’re that invested in this process. Talk to your doctor about the best options available, and for his or her recommendation on where to do it. This should really be a last resort, since results vary drastically.

Know that emerging technologies are suggesting we may soon be able to clone hairs and grow them anywhere we please. But in the meantime, this method extracts thicker hairs from the sides and back of your head, and places them in areas of inactive growth to “fill in” the hair. It takes a while to see results, too: After a couple months, the transplanted hair will fall out, only to begin its first new growth cycle. So, once that springs out and fills in, it could take 4-6 months to see lasting results (albeit temporary ones, if you aren’t proactive about retaining it this go around).

“I usually encourage patients to try topicals for 6+ months before deciding if it’s worked for them,” says Avnee Shah, M.D., of the Dermatology Group. “[Still then,] I encourage a combination of therapies. The more the merrier.”

The cost of hair transplants will increase with the amount of coverage you need, so it’s hard to estimate without first consulting your doctor. You can plan on it costing thousands of dollars, though—probably between $5-10K.

[notestopau]

The Quarantine Routine

An overview of my typical weekday routine as a final year college student, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

07:00 - 08:00 WAKE-UP + EXERCISE

No snooze, just get up and drink some water

No phone (social media, news, etc.) until 12PM

Use a proper alarm clock

HIIT/5-10K on the (stationary) bike, etc.

Try get some fresh air and sunlight, if possible 

08:00 - 09:00 EAT + GET READY

Breakfast = usually simple and repetitive e.g. sandwich, wrap, eggs, etc.

Clothes =  something comfortable, usually simple and repetitive too (perks of minimalism I guess)

09:00 - 10:00 PLAN DAY + PDP*

15 min = set specific tasks per hour

45 min = read a book, it helps me get into a “determined” mindset for the day

Currently re-reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

10:00 - 12:00 DEEP WORK BLOCK** #1

12:00 - 01:00 LUNCH

Normally food from the previous day (I tend to cook for a few meals in the evening which saves precious morning/afternoon time)

01:00 - 03:00 DEEP WORK BLOCK** #2

03:00 - 04:00 BREAK / OTHER

One thing I barely included in my previous routines, which is actually extremely important to prevent burnout

04:00 - 05:00 PDP*

05:00 - 07:00 DEEP WORK BLOCK** #3

07:00 - 10:00 DINNER / OTHER

Be strict about downtime to prevent burnout, leave some of yourself for the next day :)

10:00 - 07:00 SHOWER + BED

No phones in bed, it helps for a better sleep and prevents you from reaching for it first thing in the morning

*PDP = PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT / PROJECT

A term I use for non-academic things that matter to me or for my personal development

**DEEP WORK BLOCKS

Deep work is defined by Cal Newport as a

“Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”

As a final year student, my deep work blocks are usually reserved for making progress on my thesis and other college work. I normally do 2x 50 min deep work + 10 min break for a 2hr block. I also use Focusmate (focusmate.com) sometimes to help me stay focused throughout the day.

NOTE TO SELF: Look at this when you feel all over the place and want to get back on track

[mitchipedia]

Lax antitrust regulations killed a plan to stockpile ventilators

Cory Doctorow::

13 years ago, the US Dept of HHS awarded a contract to design low-cost, reliable ventilators to Newport Medical Instrument of Costa Mesa, CA. The ventilators would cost <$3k, allowing the US to procure a shit-ton of them against future pandemics.

This was a problem for existing med-tech giants, who charged >$10K for competing ventilators…

So Covidien, a med-tech giant, paid $100 million to buy Newport and killed the project.

Covidien is now a division of Medtronic.

Medtronic has been leading the fight to kill off an open artificial pancreas, which could free people with diabetes from dependence on meds. These people become “ambulatory inkjet printers, dependent on manufacturers for overpriced consumables to keep their fucking organs working.”

Medtronic pacemakers and defibrillators “can be wirelessly hacked to kill you where you stand.”

And Medtronic has worked with other companies to kill state Right to Repair bills, which is one big reason hospitals are now struggling to keep lifesaving equipment going during the pandemic.

Philips now has a contract to deliver artificial ventilators. It hasn’t shipped.

[goldgrillzmiami]

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