#seasons 2 and 4 were better at maintaining some development to be fair

[varietysky]

when you're in a "kitty higham character development" contest but your opponent is a Christmas special

[habswest]

Best smartwatches (2022) - tried and surveyed

There are so many extraordinary smartwatches to look over the present moment - however awesome on paper may not be ideal for you. With choices for energetic individuals, sprinters, the design cognizant and those on a limited financial plan, there's a ton to ponder while purchasing a smartwatch. We've picked our most loved smartwatches from our surveys, in view of cell phone type, sports highlights and a scope of financial plans. Our best smartwatch purchasers guide is up with smartwatches we've assessed, tried and worn on our wrists for a really long time.

Our top smartwatch picks:

Best smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 7  $399 - The Apple Watch Series 7 is further developed with a consistently in plain view and ECG, and the new look and quick charging make it the highest quality smartwatch available.Simply remember that the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra have recently been declared, meaning the Series 7 ought to before long descend in cost and furthermore isn't the best in class model any longer.

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Best smartwatch for Android cell phone clients: Samsung World Watch 4 - $279.99 An incredible screen and a top cluster of wellbeing highlights make the Universe Watch 4 an extraordinary smartwatch. Furthermore, the transition to Wear operating system 3.0 means the choice of applications on offer makes it the best World Watch yet.

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Best financial plan smartwatch: Amazfit Bip U Master - $69 - Gives a false representation of its sub-$100 sticker price with incredible elements, GPS, fair rest following and heaps of wellbeing highlights. The application is significantly better than most other financial plan smartwatch marks as well. Extraordinary incentive for cash.

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Best wellness smartwatch: Garmin Venu 2 $399 - The Venu 2 offers enormous battery duration and an emphasis on sports following and wellbeing. In the event that you're searching for a wellness centered smartwatch, you will not be disheartened.

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Smartwatch key contemplations:

Case size:

The fit, solace and wearability of a watch are to a great extent down to case size - and a couple of millimeters can have a colossal effect. Those with little wrists ought to thoroughly search in the 38-42mm territory, while those that like stout, curiously large watches or have huge wrists ought to take a gander at 46mm+.

iOS versus Android:

It's vital to ponder what cell phone you use. Apple Watch is iOS just, and Wear operating system 3.0 watches, for example, the Samsung Universe Watch 4 and the approaching Pixel Watch, are restrictive to Android. More seasoned Wear watches work on both, however the iOS experience is decreased and it's not suggested. Huawei, Fitbit and Garmin smartwatches work on both - yet some high level calling from the wrist highlights are typically Android as it were.

Applications and additional highlights:

Getting involved with Apple Watch and Wear operating system watches implies you can get to clamoring application stores loaded with choices from large name brands, like Spotify or Strava, and develop the center elements. On the off chance that you settle on smartwatches from Garmin/Fitbit/Huawei, their foundation essentially don't have engineer support for quality applications, so you're restricted to the promoted usefulness of the watch.

Heath and wellness highlights:

Smartwatches are progressively becoming wellbeing and wellness apparatuses - so ensure yours has the sensors you need. You'll be unable to find a smartwatch without a pulse sensor nowadays, and most are skilled at monitoring day in and day out HR and resting pulse. Nonetheless, any semblance of Apple and Fitbit presently incorporate ECG, a strong wellbeing device - read our ECG explainer in the event that you're interested. Sprinters will maintain that GPS on board should precisely follow outside exercises.

Battery duration:

The Apple Watch and Wear operating system smartwatches by and large just most recent daily away from the charger - which is one of the greatest mood killers for individuals. Fortunately, most smartwatches now rearward more than seven days - with Fitbit, Huawei, Amazfit and Garmin all pushing life span.

LTE/4G:

The last key thought is whether you need your smartwatch to work away from your telephone. Numerous producers, for example, Apple, Samsung and Mobvoi offer LTE variants, which you'll have to buy a different information intend to exploit. Most transporters and organizations have plans for LTE smartwatches.

Augie Hashka

ARH Products

[thechanelmuse]

TW: rape

‘I May Destroy You,’ Michaela Coel’s gimlet-eyed exploration of trauma and its myriad ripple effects follows Arabella (Coel) — a funny, messy, sharp-as-hell London writer — after a dizzying night in which she’s drugged and raped by a stranger. At first, she dismisses the hazy memory as just an upsetting image in her head. Soon enough, though, Arabella reluctantly comes to understand it as the truth, and tries to work through that horrifying reality without coming apart. [...]

Not every part of Arabella has a direct line to Coel, but the series’ catalyzing experience, unfortunately, does. In 2016, Coel took a break from a marathon writing session for the second season of “Chewing Gum” to grab a drink with a friend, and was drugged and assaulted by a stranger. She’s been sifting through the emotional wreckage ever since to find some kind of clarity, if not peace. Now, with “I May Destroy You,” she’s doing it for all the world to see. “As a fellow android exploring what it means to be human,” says Coel’s friend Janelle Monáe, “watching Michaela be vulnerable on-screen as she walks in her truth gives me and so many the bravery to walk in ours.” [...]

Coel began writing “I May Destroy You” in February 2017, in between acting in TV projects like the “USS Callister” episode of “Black Mirror” and Netflix’s limited series “Black Earth Rising.” She took solo mountain trips and wrote draft after draft of what would eventually become “I May Destroy You,” spilling her stories and tangled guts onto the page, rearranging them into shapes she could better recognize. In August 2018, she spoke about her trauma publicly while delivering the Edinburgh International Television Festival’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, a prestigious assignment the festival has otherwise bestowed on a cadre of white British television mainstays (as well as no fewer than three Murdochs). 

The majority of Coel’s speech, delivered to a room of the U.K.’s most powerful entertainment brokers, traced the constant racism and classism she endured on the way to that Edinburgh stage — a theme subtextually underlined by the fact that Coel was, and remains, the only Black woman to have that platform. She spoke about turning her solo play “Chewing Gum Dreams” into a “Chewing Gum” TV series (which aired 2015-17 on the U.K.’s Channel 4), a transformative time that taught her the technicalities of making television and confirmed just how disinclined certain white gatekeepers are to trust a poorer Black woman’s vision. Toward the end of the 50-minute lecture, Coel revealed her assault and elucidated the industry’s inability — or unwillingness — to handle such a human emergency when pages are due. As for her recovery, she said, “It’s been therapeutic to write about it, and actively twist a narrative of pain into something with more hope, and even humor.”

When it finally came time to translate it all to the screen, “I May Destroy You” was so close to her bruised heart that Coel took on the challenge of playing several roles throughout the series’ development: creator, writer, actor, producer, director. Netflix offered her a total fee of a cool $1 million to make and star in the show, but the proposed contract wouldn’t grant Coel even a tiny percentage of the rights. She hadn’t fully realized how much claiming legal proprietorship over her work mattered to her until the prospect of not being able to emerged, at which point it became crucial. 

Then, after some Googling, she realized that her CAA agents would also be profiting from the deal via the endangered practice of packaging. Stung and surprised, Coel walked away from both her agents and the offer. “I’m not anti-Netflix,” she’s quick to say now, “but I am pro-‘the creator, writer, director, actor should probably have a right.’” She’s hyper-aware of how much this project required of her, and how comparatively little granting her “a right” might cost a powerful network like Netflix. “That’s not quite fair, is it?” Coel muses. Creating the show, after all, took almost everything she had.

With the BBC, a million-dollar paycheck might not have been in the cards, but more important to Coel, she didn’t have to fight half as hard to claim ownership. (As a matter of industry course, it’s far more common for British studios to afford creators rights to their work than it is for American equivalents.) They struck a deal, and Coel got to work.[...]

“When you’re restricted,” she explains, “sometimes that’s where you find great things: in the lack of possibility.” She attributes this rather Zen approach to Hugo Blick, the “Black Earth Rising” showrunner who showed her the value of keeping a cool, empathetic head on set. Blick’s ability to step away from a gnarly situation for even 30 calming seconds is one that Coel has worked to hone for herself, especially while steering a series with such fraught ties to her history. No matter how sideways things might go, she never wants to forget just how much she loves the collaborative act of building a television show, wild complications and all. 

Read more

From Forbes:

I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel Rejected Netflix’s $1 Million Offer In Favor Of The BBC Because Of Ownership

The creative, who stars as Arabella and wrote all 12 episodes, started pitching the programme in the spring of 2017 with one of her first ports of call being Netflix who picked up her prior series Chewing Gum.

Though Netflix offered a generous upfront fee of $1 million (£800,000), the sum had strings attached, including full rights ownership away from the creator, something Coel pushed back against. Coel recalls a moment during the interview where she is speaking with a Netflix development executive on the phone, asking if she could retain even a very small 0.5% of the copyright to her show.

“There was just silence on the phone. And she said, ‘It’s not how we do things here. Nobody does that, it’s not a big deal,’” Coel recollected. “I said, ‘If it’s not a big deal, then I’d really like to have 5 % of my rights,’” Coel added, stating that she even went down to 2%, and then 1% and even as a final compromise to 0.5%.

Coel remembers that the executive said she would have to run it passed her superiors, before adding, “‘Michaela? I just want you to know I’m really proud of you. You’re doing the right thing.'”

“I remember thinking, I’ve been going down rabbit holes in my head, like people thinking I’m paranoid, I’m acting sketchy, I’m killing off all my agents,” Coel says. “And then she said those words to me, and I finally realized — I’m not crazy. This is crazy.”

Coel discovered her agents, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) were set to make an undisclosed amount from the series if she took the deal with Netflix. She reveals that the agency pushed her to take the deal prior to her finding out and their subsequent dismissal as her U.S. representation.

Taking the project to British broadcaster the BBC later in 2017, Coel found the corporation to be supportive with her maintaining creative control even with the explicit depictions of sex, sexual assault and drug use. Plus, as the broadcaster had to adhere to terms of trade, Coel had no problem with retaining the rights also. The broadcaster also brought HBO to the table as another co-producer to help subsidise a portion of the budget.

Read more

This isn’t about just “knowing your worth;” it’s about knowing the business (your business) and never settling just to secure “something.” A million dollar offer, no copyright ownership and no creative control is beyond disrespectful. Learn the business in whatever field you’re in and stay acclimated with jargon and new, current and old practices. Know your shit. 

It’s like when people say “Get a lawyer” to handle negotiations and look over your paperwork. You pay a lawyer to do a job, but it does not mean you should be oblivious to aspects of law and contract jargon among other things because “that’s what they’re there to do.” You can’t say someone (sometimes lawyers included) screwed you over after you’ve signed the dotted line. They’re protecting and looking out for themselves. Commit to do the same for yourself.

[unforth]

Why does everyone always recommend Twist and Shout for destiel? Like what happened in fandom at that time to make it so popular that it's now a staple? I haven't read it. I refuse. I know there is major character death and people complain it is OOC so I'm just wondering why do people love it so much? I have read so many long fics written by immensely talented writers in this fandom that end hopefully and tackle difficult subject matter while maintaining character voices that it seems a shame that T&S is always recommended

So, I also haven’t read it - I don’t do MCD, no matter how highly recommended a fic comes. However, here’s what I’d say in answer to this question.

Twist and Shout came out, it was during a period when the fandom was huge, and exploding. Season 8 was something of a Destiel renaissance (it’s when I started shipping it, for example) and it’s not a coincidence that a lot of the best known fic came out in 2012 and 2013 (for reference, T&S started posting on October 15th, 2012, according to AO3). I wasn’t active on AO3 Destiel fandom at that time (I started reading fic on FF.net in early 2013) nor was I active on Tumblr or in fandom circles where shipping was a big Thing, so I don’t know what the general fandom reaction to it was at the time, but presumably it met with a fair degree of popularity. People liked it. People recced it. I have no idea if it had the MCD tag at that time, but presumably it did. People read it knowing that. And presumably, some people didn’t like it, and some people didn’t rec it, but like any other fic it went through a process of developing popularity.

Why did it get to be first?

In my honest opinion?

Utterly random chance. If you look at ANY developing fandom, some of the trends are in fact totally random, at least to begin with. Once the avalanche starts, though, it’s self-perpetuating.

Think about it. You’re in a brand new fandom. You don’t know anyone. You haven’t read anything. You’re desperate to read something. What do you do? You go to AO3, find the ship you want to read, and you sort by most hits, or most kudos, or most comments, and decide - I’m gonna start by reading these. You see the first fic...okay, MCD, a little off putting...but it’s got SO MANY HITS and SO MANY KUDOS...just take the chance!

So, you (my hypothetical fan) read this fic. One of two things happen - you either love it or you hate it. If you hate it, you may not even finish it, but regardless, you’ve added to the stats - your views count, and maybe you liked the early chapters and kudosed, or maybe you remember everything you’ve heard about authors liking comments on early chapters of fully posted works, and you commented. So those stats have gone up, even if someone HATED it. And on the second, you love it - and you come out gushing! You kudos! If you’re super enthusiastic maybe you log out and give it a second guest kudos! And, as you start getting into the fandom and meeting people, you want to spread this love - you tell your friends - hey, I just read this great fic, and yeah, it’s MCD, but just give it a chance!

And so it begins again - if you tell four people, and they read it, and two hate it, and two love it, and those two tell four people, and two hate it, and two love it, and it just cascades.

Why is Twist and Shout the most popular fic in this fandom? Because Twist and Shout is the most popular fic in this fandom. Yes, it’s a tautology, but it’s entirely self-perpetuating. People read it because it’s listed first. People read it because they like it, and re-read it and re-read, and re-read it, to get that high. People hate read it. People read it just to find out what the big deal is. In a fandom with coming up on 100,000 posted stories, Twist and Shout has almost twice as many kudos as the fic in second (by the, in my personal opinion, far more deserving Annie D, though it’s also not their best work in my opinion, and the reasons it’s up there are likely the same), and almost four times as many hits. By any measure on AO3 surveys, it’s number one when people sort, and lots of people will read it simply out of curiosity.

That kind of popularity is self-perpetuating. And of course lots of people love T&S - it has 1.2 million hits, and almost 35000 kudos. Even if we go extremely conservative and say, 35,000 people have read T&S, that’s simply a shit ton of people, and if even only 10% loved it, that’d still be 3500 people gushing about that single fic. I’ve been writing for 5 years and I don’t have a single fic with even 3500 kudos, and I’m considered a relatively successful writer in this huge fandom.

But here’s, to me, the most important thing - I truly believe any fic can be a Twist and Shout. It’s a confluence of events that makes a fic such a juggernaut, and the vast majority are simply luck. Random drift means one fic is gonna end up on the top of the heap - and once a fic is there, reading tendencies, confirmation bias, and exposure guarantee it’ll STAY on the top of the heap.

I started the Destiel Favs Survey because I felt that the “top 20″ fics by hits in the Destiel fandom didn’t reflect the fics people actually like. I got curious, so I made a list.

In February 21st, 2017, the top 20 fics on AO3 by kudos were:

Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme (which, at the time, had 25,507 kudos)

Dean Doesn’t Listen to Eurythmics by Annie D

An Exercise in ‘Worthless’ by beastofthesky

Revealed by Valinde

Angel’s Wild by LimonadeGaby and riseofthefallenone

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist

How (Thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (Accidentally) Raised Each Other (and Sam) by Vera_DragonMuse

A Room of One’s Own by NorthernSparrow

Out of the Deep by riseofthefallenone

Grey by Valinde

Convenient Husbands by Annie D

Forget-Me-Not-Blues by noangelsinthegarrison

When Charlie Met Cas by riseofthefallenone

Real Slick Dean by trilliath

In This Secluded Spot I Respond as I Wouldn’t Dare Elsewhere by RhymePhile

The Breath of All Things by KistmetJeska

Unfamiliar by riseofthefallenone

Shut Up (Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is) by kototyph

A Hole in the World by AnnelieseMichel

A Beginner’s Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight

Today, 1/9/21, four years later, the top 20 fics by Kudos are:

Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme (no change in rank, now has 34,907 kudos)

Dean Doesn’t Listen to Eurythmics by Annie D (no change in rank)

Revealed by Valinde (+1 in rank)

An Exercise in ‘Worthless’ by beastofthesky (-1 in rank)

A Room of One’s Own by NorthernSparrow (+3 in rank)

How (Thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (Accidentally) Raised Each Other (and Sam) by Vera_DragonMuse (+1 in rank)

A Turn of the Earth by microcomets/mishcollin (not on the old list by kudos, but it was on the list by 2018 when I did another check in)

Angel’s Wild by LimonadeGaby and riseofthefallenone (-3 in rank)

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist (-3 in rank)

Unknown Quantities by xylodemon (the first work to break through, and it’s in tenth)

Forget-Me-Not Blues by noangelsinthegarrison (+1 in rank)

Grey by Valinde (-2 in rank)

Convenient Husbands by Annie D (-2 in rank)

Professional Couple Only by saltyfeathers (our second new work)

Real Slick Dean by trilliath (-1 in rank)

A Beginner’s Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight (+4 in rank)

When Charlie Met Cas by riseofthefallenone (-4 in rank)

Unfamiliar by riseofthefallenone (-1 in rank)

The Breath of All Things by KismetJeska (-3 in rank)

Out of the Deep by riseofthefallenone (-11 in rank)

In 4 full years, only three works managed to break into the top 20, even though - based on my original data, which you can view here - most of these works have nearly double in the number of kudos they’ve had in that amount of time. Further, the most recently written fic on EITHER of these lists is from 2015 - A Turn of the Earth and Professional Couple Only are from 2015 - and all the rest is older.

These fics aren’t the top 20 because they’re better, and if there was even an ounce of objectivity in this list, it would have actually shown any change in 4 years instead of looking virtually identical. 

Twist and Shout, and the other “most popular” and “most recommended” works in the Destiel fandom have that distinction because they’re the most read, so more people read them, so they’re the most read, so more people read them, so they’re the most read, so...ad infinitum.

And that’s not a judgement call against them! There are fics I LOVE on that top twenty list. But, dear anon, you ask me why I think Twist and Shout is the most popular?

All of this is why. Twist and Shout is the most popular because popularity in fic culture is the only perpetual motion machine in the universe. It is self-perpetuating, and as a result, Twist and Shout will always be the most popular fic in this fandom.

And that’s why I do the faves list - because the tops on AO3 tell us abso-fraggin’-lutely nothing, and I thought we needed a list that actually meant something for what fics people active in the fandom truly love - which DOES include some of those top 20 fics by AO3 data, and includes lots and lots of others that are just as or more wonderful.

*steps off soap box*

(sorry this is stupidly long, I have Opinions.)

[ivarthebadbitch]

the last kingdom season 5: the last roundup

(spoilers, of course)

the good:

the overall production value and cinematography were much better than the previous seasons, and far superior to the dark, dingy mess that was season 4. with a few exceptions, you could actually see what was going on! things looked good.

the pacing and the way the different storylines came together. tlk loves convoluted storylines and this season had its fair share, but it mostly worked. better still, it didn’t drag like some previous seasons. I am pleased to report the only scene I skipped was uhtred and pyrlig’s, like, 20 minute conversation about destiny blah blah blah. maybe it was super profound. I'm not interested in finding out!

5x4. the midseason episodes from 5x3 to 5x6 were the strongest and most affecting, and of those, 5x4 was the real standout. I think that was in large part because it was less action oriented and really gave time to the characters: aethelflaed, aelswith, brida, and edward stole the episode for me. I’ve never cried over a tlk episode but this one got me close.

edward, for being the absolute king bitch I always knew he could be. so proud of my boy.

the battle in 5x6, particularly the crossing of the ice. it was so fucking tense!

the rongvaldr and stiorra dynamic. I love a fuckup, I love that she absolutely loathed him, I love that he really seemed to want her to like him, I love that he managed to fail up into becoming lord of eoferwic.

the development of some of the more minor characters and relationships. aelflaed and aalys was my favorite, rip :(

aelfweard’s bowl cut. he rocked it!

the ehhhh:

aethelhelm. clearly adrian schiller was doing the best he could, but for being around for 2 1/2 seasons, aethelhelm just never was given enough depth to really come out of some guy territory to be a genuinely interesting villain. why was he doing all this? oh, just for power and wealth? boring!

the conclusion of brida’s arc. I wrote about this a little bit already, and it could have been way worse, but it was not...good. emily cox, by the way, absolutely killed it all season, especially 5x3 and 5x4. but as it was written in 5x7, it felt like a cop out, and mostly a way to kill her off in a manner that would not make uhtred look like the guilty party, or really examine why she might feel the way she feels towards him.

eadith x uhtred. yeah, they didn’t actually do it and just sort of dropped hints, thank god, but that...scene in 5x1 that we will not discuss in detail? awkward as hell. and I’m not a finan x eadith shipper, I have no skin in that game. but no. absolutely not.

the bebbanburg shit. I have always been skeptical about bebbanburg as a compelling goal, and I was not convinced here. like ok, he got bebbanburg, because of course he did, because there was no way he was not going to get it. so what.

the ‘what did it all mean, anyway?’:

no, it’s not about destiny or honor or religious/cultural identity, though granted, they give a lot of tedious speeches about these things. it’s not “the hero’s journey” (which, sure it is, but what about it?). at its core, the last kingdom is primarily concerned with property--either literal property, or more abstract (think how often they mention “bloodlines” or “the people”)--and the most important principle is the maintenance/protection/recovery of one’s rightful property. that is the ends that justifies basically all means. uhtred’s violent, decades-long quest to regain bebbanburg? well, he’s the rightful heir, it’s his by right, you see. his bloodline must survive so that they can maintain their rightful property. that dream of a united england? one giant piece of property, under the authority of alfred/edward/whoever. everyone being totally aghast at edward for daring to propose dividing northumbria to secure peace with the scots? what, willingly letting go of a piece of property????

[lover-of-queens]

Farah Dowling is Alive Part 2

The follow up to Part 1 or as I like to call it: look mom, I told you this degree would have uses in the real world! 

If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, you can find Part 1: Here 

You know the drill, under the cut cause this is probably going to get long!

Episode 4: Some Wrecked Angel

Episode opens with our favourite trio. If you’ve read the first part then you’ll be familiar with my argument that it could be possible the writers are leaving Farah x Saul threads to pick up at a later date. I think this scene has some interesting ones. There’s a lot of effort in this scene to set Farah and Saul up as parallels - in a way that also makes them stand apart from Ben. We have them saying his name together, but also, when they discover Callum’s body, both Farah and Saul are in sync as they move into a kneeling position. 

I don’t necessarily know if this could be considered an argument for them bringing Farah back, however, in the scene with Farah, Stella and Luna, Stella brings up an interesting point about Farah’s pedagogy. We’re told that Farah chooses care and time over “solely results” when it comes to teaching. In the next episode we learn Rosalind’s own teaching style involves putting her students “through hell”. I don’t necessarily know when the change will happen but given this, I don’t see any way Rosalind can remain Headmistress, especially when they’re taking pains to show Farah as better suited for the role.

Also important in this scene is Farah and Luna’s last exchange. We know what appearances Luna has helped Farah maintain - the barrier/illusion that stops Aster Dell from being seen. So, what’s interesting is Farah’s next line:

Farah: “Yes, we’ve both done a great deal to preserve Solaria’s reputation.” 

This does not get addressed during the remaining episodes. Personally, this line and the amount of tension between Farah and Luna also strikes me as a potential thread that could be picked up later. I’m going to wager that I’m not alone in wanting to know what exactly they did to “preserve” Solaria’s rep. And my guess is, because Brian has mentioned that they’re going to expand on the winx world, we’re going to be finding out more about Solaria in S2. Theoretically, I suppose whatever event that is being referenced here could be dealt with without Farah on screen, but then we’d miss out on all the fun tension! Also, as of right now, fan response to Luna is nothing compared to Farah (at least from what I’ve seen). 

Tattoo theory, several people have already spoken on this and I don’t want to speak over them. I’m still sorting out my own thoughts on whether it’s Farah’s or Eve’s but I will say that Farah is always wearing rings so it seems to me that if they wanted it covered they could easily do it with a ring (or makeup). If the tattoo is purposely put there then I’m going to assume its for a reason that the writers may want to deal with at a later date (hint, hint: bring back Farah). 

Episode 5: Wither Into the Truth

I may do another post on this at some point if I can find enough to say to warrant it but Farah’s eye colour when she does magic. Up until now every time Farah’s done magic her eyes have glowed blue and yet in the scene where she questions Beatrix they glow light orange. Now I’d always assumed that the colour of the glow = element, which was why I didn’t know why Farah’s glowed blue to begin with; she’s a mind fairy so I would have expected the purple that Musa has. And actually the confirmation of her being a mind fairy comes from Fate’s IG page shown below, I don’t know if it’s ever explicitly stated in the show? Further, to my knowledge, Farah is the only fairy we’ve seen whose eyes glow different colours. So, a thread to pick up in season 2, perhaps? 

Also I’m very interested in the use of the word “Once”. In this instance I would almost take it to mean ‘no longer is’ but the tense is present perfect (I think?) which can suggest the continuance of an action. But now I’m being overly nitpicky and technical. Also I don’t know how ‘principle’ made it through what I’m assuming are several stages before making it onto IG, but it gave me a laugh!

“Incredibly powerful” yet loses to Rosalind without a fight? Not buying it. Additionally, the use of “other forms of magic” is interesting and I figure could be taken to mean other elements. But I wonder if there’s more to it than just that. Farah shows knowledge of archaic Fairy Magic with the Nettle Amalgam, so maybe there’s more archaic knowledge out there that she knows ... that could prove helpful. 

Now, back to the episode. When Farah and Hologram Luna are talking, the fact that there are two burned ones travelling together is cause for concern. 

Farah: “There are two of them travelling together. That hasn’t happened since … In a long time.” 

Once again we are left with a thread of something that has happened. In the same IG post as above, in the section for Saul, it mentions that he and Farah became confidants “after experiencing the Black Woods Massacre”. I wonder if that could be what Farah’s referring to here? I know the massacre has come up once or twice in conversation and correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t believe it’s ever been properly explained? To me, it looks like a great bit of backstory to get into at a later date. It may not confirm Farah being alive necessarily, but you could take it as a sign that we might see Eve again. 

Lastly, for this episode, is the scene between Farah and Bloom. Specifically this part: 

Farah: “I will help you get the answers you need. I give you my word.” 

You can probably guess what I’m going to say at this point, a thread that can be picked up in season 2! You could counterargue that Rosalind could help Bloom with answers (as she offers in the next episode) but in my humble opinion, I don’t think it would offer narrative satisfaction. First, because we’ve been shown what a terrible mentor Rosalind is. Second, they’ve spent the first season showing how Farah and Bloom’s mentor-student relationship has developed (bloomed?) so it seems a waste to go through all of that development for nothing. 

Episode 6: A Fanatic Heart

Rosalind has her little prison break. Personally, I still think there’s a lot of unanswered questions about what happened after Aster Dell, how they imprisoned Rosalind, etc. And I do hope that we get some answers in Season 2 - again these answers may not necessarily involve Farah on the screen but as every writer gets told the age old advice of “show, don’t tell”, I think there’s potential for that. 

Farah immediately tries to disprove my points about her intelligence by wandering alone in the woods at night. But she’s pretty, so I’ll allow it. 

Rosalind gives Bloom some answers but not all, so I do think that my point above about Farah helping Bloom find more answers still stands. Further, I find the Farah is Bloom’s mother theory to be unlikely for several reasons (this is not the post for them) but I do want to draw our attention to several lines of dialogue here. 

Bloom: “You hid me from Miss Dowling.” ….

Rosalind: “The guidance you needed was love. Farah couldn’t give that to you. Vanessa and Michael could.” 

There are SO many reasons why this exchange is fascinating. I’m interested in why Bloom brings up Farah to begin with - her other points could stand alone to the same affect. I’m also really interested in the direct comparison between Farah and Bloom’s adoptive parents -- if Bloom hadn’t gone to them, she would have gone to Farah? It almost seems as though the direct comparison implies that. Also, considering Bloom’s relationship with her adoptive parents, I really doubt the validity of the statement. Plus, I wouldn’t trust Rosalind’s idea of love in general. 

Also, Rosalind is just so certain that Farah couldn’t love Bloom … can’t love in general? There’s just so much of Farah and Rosalind’s relationship that hasn’t been explored that I think really needs to be. 

Now, the scene that always makes me cry! Farah and Bloom have had a difficult time this season and it’s all lead up to this moment of trust and vulnerability - on both sides. If you ask me, this season has been setting Farah up to be the mentor figure that Rosalind was not - Rosalind’s opposite. And they’ve worked hard at it, even when they were trying to convince us Farah might be the evil one which like lmao. I find it hard to believe that they would go through all of that work just to discard it by leaving Farah dead. Especially because what Farah admits to Bloom in this sequence feels like a changing moment for her - she recognizes things she wishes she would have done differently (being less of a figurehead, being more open) and I think its only fair that Fate allows her to follow through on those things. 

And onto the scene that I really don’t want to rewatch but I’m going to do it for y’all. I’ve touched on Farah x Saul moments so it’s only fair that I touch on Farah x Rosalind ones. There is tension here (looking at each other’s lips, Rosalind getting closer to Farah, Farah grabbing her), I mean the cast has joked about shipping them. But there are several different ways to read this and you are more than welcome to your pick! It doesn’t really change my point, which is … thread to pick up in season 2? Have you started taking a shot every time I’ve said that (please don’t <3). 

Farah who has shown herself to be incredibly intelligent and cautious when it comes to Rosalind turns her back on her. And we get what is probably the most important piece of evidence: the eye glow. It can mean absolutely anything, but I’d wager one of the reasons its there is to have people do exactly what I’m doing here. Theorizing about whether Farah could still be alive. I’m going to take that as a sign there’s hope (mainly because I think it would be cruel to suggest a ‘could she come back narrative’ and then … not have her come back). Also, in the Fate novel, it describes Farah’s death as “too easy”. I absolutely refuse to believe that it could be easy to kill Farah when she’s proved time and time again how powerful she is. 

That finishes my episode by episode analysis. It totals well over 2500 words. If you can believe me, I still have more to say on this topic (discussing general counterarguments and possible logistics of Eve’s filming), so stay tuned for a Part 3?

[tundrainafrica]

So I see your a LeviHan shipper!! I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite?? Maybe you could explain that a little through a list? But anyways I hope your week has been good so far, Sav. Have a good day/night!!!! - Signed by Your Secret Santa 🎄

Hello! Thank you for asking about my week (and my ship). 

I enjoy the ship a lot too!! But are there any specific reason that their your favorite? 

To answer that first question...

You’re in for a long rollercoaster ride of a rant because I don’t think I’m the type of person to ship anything to the point of writing domestic fluff fics unless the I felt really really drawn to the ship. 

Anyway, (slight) spoilers abound! Will keep manga spoilers subtle, mostly Levihan scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not want to start shipping wars. I specifically avoided the words like should or best because I recognize that shipping is generally based on preferences. I respect everyone’s preferences on what they want out of a ship or even a relationship and through this, I just hope to express my own preferences and maybe even gush with people who agree.

1. The ship did not move the plot. The plot moved the ship.

Attack on Titan is not a romance or a shojo, if it’s not fairly obvious from any chapter you would randomly read. As a reader, I would have expected it to fall short with pairings. Most shows which are not romance based tend to have a few pairings which just suddenly end up together towards the end of the manga because “What’s a happy ending without marriage and kids?” There is usually a trend of just pairing of the extras and sometimes, or maybe even more often than not, it just seems to come out of nowhere (ehem... Naruto.). Maybe the relationship worked off screen but I dunno. Like no shipping war here but the only pairing I had full support for was Shikatema. 

In stories classified as romances, there is enough of a spotlight on the sexual tension and mutual pining of specific characters for the romance to be considered reasonable. In my opinion, some authors tend to sacrifice really good world building for a good romance. Objectively twilight for example had some crazy good world building but it just kinda focused a little too much on emo Bella and emo Edward for the world building to actually be appreciated by the casual reader. Tbh though, this is not necessarily bad because people get into stuff for reasons, sometimes, I just wanna read a good fantasy, sometimes I just wanna read a good romance.

Romances though as a main driving point for narratives, require some convenient serendipity moments and sexual tension which can be written well but as a reader, I prefer to see more natural relationships born out of necessity (Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a good example of what I’m talking about in a romance novel.)

Attack on Titan through its narrative actually made Levihan seem VERY VERY possible. If I had to compare the presentation of this ship in canon to at least one relationship in other anime, I would compare it to Royai from FMA. 

Like, if Attack on Titan didn’t give us random subtle hints about romantic or just platonic relationships between the two or even about anyone, even if Levi and Hange did get together in the end, it would have been one of the pairings, I probably wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow at. 

But they could be just friends? Which brings me to my next point.

2. Their current situation makes it so it’s only natural that at the least, they considered it. 

Yes. Friends is a valid interpretation for anything. I mean, given our hook up culture, people can fuck as friends too. People probably have made out drunk as friends too. Like I have seen my fair share of this type of bullshit in high school and college and I would say, we do not need a kiss or a fucking session to recognize that something can be a good relationship or to recognize that they have probably thought about it. 

A relationship requires a commitment (conscious or unconscious) to caring for the other, keeping the other safe, recognizing their flaws and thinking about them regularly (Call me scott peck or marriage counselor but like I honestly think the world would be a better place once people recognize that quality romantic relationships are worked for).

Mind you, Levi and Hange lost everything.They literally lost everything from their old life, all their friends, all their loved ones and all they have is each other and they’re forced to take care of a bunch of kids.

There are people who have said before, no one gets very close with someone without ever considering a romantic relationship with them. Or even if they never considered it romantic, they could consider at least “living with them their whole life,” or “supporting them through thick and thin.” The things is, towards the end, they were constantly together and what drove them to that situation is that both of them are aware of what the other had lost. They understood each other more than anyone else and they recognized that they were the only ones left in their own circle and I personally think that is more than enough for a relationship to naturally bloom between them.

3. The relationship and the signs are subtle and it works.

I personally probably would not have enjoyed it if canon showed a romantic relationship of the two after Erwin died. It’s a valid interpretation to consider that it could have happened, based on my explanation for number 2 but Hange is commander, Levi is captain. They have a professional relationship and they have goals and obligations which take precedence over personal desires. They are in the middle of a war and the most which probably could have happened was a secret mutual pining between the two and I think Isayama has injected the most subtle hints which are the most that could have been appropriately put into canon without seeming too OOC. Hange and Levi are not selfish people. They have promises, dreams and obligations which they respect and have committed themselves to already. It has also been shown at earlier points of the manga that they do put their survey corps duties on top of everything so acting on a romantic attraction at that point in time would have definitely been inappropriate. 

I personally think, the scenes of Hange going out of her way to save Levi as commander, killing her other soldiers to save both their asses, suggesting in the forest that they live together instead of go back to the war and not leaving an injured Levi until she had no choice were more powerful than a lot of romantic scenes where people actually fuck and kiss. Kissing and fucking are easy. Leaving the duties and responsibilities they have worked for for five years to keep the person they love alive hits way harder. 

Call it platonic. Call it romantic. But no one like Hange would have deserted her post as commander for a few chapters to take care of a sick comrade and kill her subordinates to save their asses if there wasn’t anything between them. 

4. It gives a great example what healthy relationships can come from. 

I grew up reading sweet valley and chick lits cause I was a basic bitch and I kinda grew up with a somehow unrealistic idea of where relationships come from. Call me a late bloomer but I only actually figured out where the romance and the happiness of a relationship was when I got into one with my best friend for five years. 

It’s the sexual tension and the “will they wont they?” push and pull which can lead to satisfying sex or a happy ending in romance novels. I think in a way, media kinda overglorifies it which kinda gives a lot of young people the wrong idea about why they getting into a relationship is fun in the first place.  Because after the satisfying sex and the kids, what’s next for the relationship?

Years of utility bills, diapers, chores, schedules, parent teacher conferences and compromises until someone gives up or dies. And what kind of relationships can actually thrive through all these? 

Those that have mastered the underrated parts of relationships. These include conflict resolutions, compromises and open communication. I think we have seen enough of those two, even before season 3 that have shown that they know each other very well and they have shown to at least have a relatively equal power dynamic which is a foundation for open communication and mutual trust in relationships even beyond the fucking and marriage stage 

5. They have a great foundation of character development for both parties.

As I mentioned above, they have a relatively equal power dynamic. I love Royai from FMA and I have compared Royai to this multiple times. I would say though I prefer Levihan over Royai because I felt that Royai had more unequal power dynamics? (Though I still think Royai is a top tier ship ). Also, they have shown to tell off the other when they don’t like what the other is doing. They are complete opposites but here is the magical thing. They talk everything out. They’re generally open people to each other and they know each other way too well as hinted in scenes before and opposites work as long as the others are willing to compromise. I think (especially in season 3 and season 4) that they have done enough for each other and have compromised enough for each other in the survey corps that these skills could easily be brought with them even after the war.

That open communication is just what makes them maintaining a relationship while being complete opposites very OC and realistic. Eventually, they did probably did make compromises, which most likely softened or moderated the crazy parts of their personalities which is just a really fun part of their relationship to explore. 

6. It could realistically last so maybe ...

7. A good foundation for happy children?

Maybe it’s how it is written because of the actual story and why would Yams write a romantic drama in a story about genocide and war. Tbh, I would attribute it more to Levi and Hange’s personalities though because Mikasa and Eren have their fair share of drama, mostly one sided though coz Mikasa. This relationship has no drama, no misunderstandings which just further supports my point that they have a relationship that thrives on open communication and mutual trust. Drama is fun like when we’re the ones on the sidelines eating the popcorn but I have third wheeled enough people in my life to realize that I will not support a relationship where both parties are just not ready to be mature about it, in real life and in fiction. 

My favorite couples, in real life and in fiction, are definitely those who keep conflict among themselves and maybe among trusted people. I think one sign of a healthy relationship is one where problems don’t become public through social media or through like 20 people. One important yet underrated part of relationships is the atmosphere of comfort and freedom which encourages both parties to be able to directly approach one another before tensions and uncertainties get out of hand.  

And a life free of dramas at least in the early stages of life just kinda shows at least that both parties are ready to bring a new life to the world? Because like immature parents with shitty conflict resolution skills really fuck kids up man and I passionately believe the world would really be a better place if babies were born out of trust, mutual understanding and open communication instead of sex but yeah, make sex fun to keep our race alive.

So anyway, I guess, I just finished explaining why I love this ship so much while also disclosing my preferences for relationships. 

As mentioned above...

Disclaimer: I do not want to start shipping wars. I specifically avoided the words like should or best because I recognize that shipping is generally based on preferences. I respect everyone’s preferences on what they want out of a ship or even a relationship and through this, I just hope to express my own preferences and maybe even gush with people who agree.

Other pairings which I support for those curious: Shikatema, Royai, Victuuri, Percabeth etc.

Also... To answer your second question... 

My week has been great, some pretty solid life developments but US elections wise, not so great... (WHY IS THE ELECTION RACE SO CLOSE?)

[anythingstevenuniverse]

*SUF Spoilers* Anyone Can Suffer from Trauma

As the series ends, “Steven Universe: Future” gives us a reminder and portrayal that anyone can suffer from trauma. “Steven Universe” and “Steven Universe: The Movie” have showed trauma many times. However, the epilogue series gives us the one person who is suffering the most right now: Steven. Steven has been through a lot but is usually positive and is able to deal with the situation or does not see it and pushes it off. However, two years after saving the universe, he is starting to fall deeper in depression and isolating himself from loved ones due to trauma from his past. In the beginning of the series, some fans saw this as a surprise because his character is to be kind, empathetic, and positive no matter the situation. But even a positive character like Steven will struggle with a situation he cannot deal with due to his past trauma. “Steven Universe: Future” bring the subject of trauma the show has dealt with before using Steven, the main character, to emphasize that trauma can affect anyone.

The franchise has portrayed trauma in many different characters. The Crystal Gems have had their share of traumas related to the Gem War, Gem society of Era 2, and before and after Steven was born. Pearl was obsessed with Rose Quartz and was deeply traumatized by her passing. She projected her obsession to Steven and questioned her worth as an individual without Rose. Garnet is a mixed gem fusion and was frowned upon by Era 2 Gem society. She did not exhibit much trauma until we see “Keep It Together” where she felt guilt and anger over forced fusion Gems which can be viewed as survivors guilt and she puts pressure on herself to be a calm and collected leader. Amethyst was not affected by the war due to emerging from the ground later then the other Gems. However, she developed insecurities about herself not only because she is a defective Amethyst but also because the Crystal Gems associated the Kindergarten as a bad place therefore making internalizing her existence as a mistake. She struggled to love herself and it later created an unhealthy obsession to beat Jasper in season 3. The Crystal Gems have had their fair share of trauma but are not the only Gems who have suffered some type of trauma. Lapis Lazuli was a war prisoner trapped inside a mirror for thousands of years and trapped herself in an abusive relationship/fusion with Jasper. She was very untrusting of others and when the Diamonds were involved, she ran away out of fear despite hurting others in the process (this is not to blame or negatively criticize anything on Lapis, these are just my observations and opinions). The corrupted Gems during the series are war victims who lost their minds and forms from the Diamond’s blast. Bismuth suffered betrayal from the Gem she idolized because of her radical ideals without anyone ever knowing, leaving her to lash out at Steven and hurt that no one know the true story. After Lapis left with the barn, Peridot fell into a deep depression and lost any form of joy in her life. Spinel suffered abandonment from Pink Diamond that lead to her lashing out at Steven, who did not deserve it, and caused her to loath herself and act out irrationally. Even the Diamonds suffered trauma when they lost Pink Diamond. Yellow Diamond buried herself in her work, Blue Diamond never moved on from mourning, and White Diamond isolated herself from others to maintain a perfect image (does not excuse their genocidal actions in the past, again just my observations). Lots of the Gems suffered some form of trauma in “Steven Universe” and “Steven Universe: The Movie” and were able to move on from it with the help of Steven.

This time it is Steven’s turn to face his trauma in “Steven Universe: Future”. Steven is known as the problem solver and using empathy and kindness to help others. In “Steven Universe” he can handle tough situations and help Gems to move on or/and cope with their trauma. However, this is due to the problems his mother has caused and was a target of Homeworld. He has faced attempted assassinations, identity crises, family drama, and adult situations which can be so much for a child. With the support of his family and friends and his empathetic and kind nature, he either brushes off these problems off to save everyone or deals with these terrible situations with a support system. However, with Era 3 peace time and losing his purpose to save others in “Steven Universe: Future”, he is now dealing with his past and the trauma is manifesting into his behavior.

“Steven Universe: Future” is not the only time he has faced traumatic experiences. There are many episodes in “Steven Universe” where Steven had to face serious situations. “We Need to Talk” Steven clutched his Gem after witnessing Connie and Greg fist bump over shared experience with Gem related knowledge. Steven is a hybrid of a Gem and human and feels alone because he is one of a kind. “Mindful Education” he bottled up his feelings of failure to save others and it started to appear as hallucinations when fused as Stevonnie. He was only able to confront those feelings when talking to Connie and her reassurance to Steven that it is okay to feel bad made him feel better. “Storm in the Room” he confronts his mother (more of a hologram AI) about questioning her motives and damage she caused. The room reassures Steven that his existence was purely out of love to bring life not to fix problems unrelated to him. In “Lion 4: Alternative Ending”, he is frantically trying to find his magical destiny or purpose. After watching a second version of the Rose video, Greg tells Steven there is no destiny for him and Steven realizes his mother just wants Steven to live his own life how he wants it. “So Many Birthdays” he aged rapidly because he felt silly liking childish things and starts aging rapidly. It was not until the Gems started bickering, did he realize he can still like things deemed childish. There are episodes I am missing where he dealt with adult situations and Steven starts to have recollections of his past in “Growing Pains”, but the main purpose is Steven has faced traumatic events affecting him but is able to deal with them because he talked it out or it never bothered him.

When the movie came out, he accomplished restructuring Gem society and creating Little Homeworld for Gems, uncorrupted and Homeworld, to help integrate into Earth society. Everything seemed like the usual happily ever after until Spinel comes in injecting bio-poison into the Earth and rejuvenating the Crystal Gems and Steven. He and the Crystal Gems had to restart, literally, and figure out everything with limited use of his powers. Spinel was a tough character to help, especially when she spiraled downward when Steven left her for a few seconds, and she became angry and started fighting. After fighting Spinel, tiring her out and resolving the conflict, destroying the injector, having the Diamonds take Spinel back to Homeworld, and fixing the damage, it seemed like everything is at peace again.

“Steven Universe: Future” shows how Steven and everyone else is after times of peace. However, something is different with Steven in this mini epilogue series. Once he realizes people are doing fine without him, he is losing his purpose and feels like is friends and family are drifting away. There have been some incidents where Steven had to save the day, but it was solved quickly and he is used to life-threatening situations. The recurring theme or problem of the series is Steven feeling disconnected with everyone because they do not need his help and does not know what to do with his future. We also see trauma resurfacing from this past and he is unwilling to share or get help for it. Steven is dealing with trauma from the past, closing himself off from friends and family, having self-doubt and feelings of being left behind, and suffering from the over-bearing responsibilities and facing life-threatening situations from having a savior complex. He has devoted himself to helping others and is used to chaos surrounding Gem related conflict. There is no other way for him to communicate without helping someone and with no conflict outside his own, he can’t talk to other people normally anymore. In the recent episode “Growing Pains” Dr. Maheswaran explains Steven about childhood trauma is starting to affect his body in dealing with stress. Because he has been in so many life-threatening situations in the past, Steven’s body is reacting to mild stress as life-threatening and activating his powers in extreme ways. It did not seem to have been a problem until Connie’s rejection in “Together Forever” is triggering his body to act as if his life is in danger very much like PTSD. With Dr. Maheswaran’s honest and factual explanation on trauma to Steven and his father as a support maybe he can try to recover. Depending on how the Crewniverse decides to end, it will resolve in Steven figuring himself out and learning to heal himself from the trauma to start moving forward and to the future.

The epilogue series portrays a very important concept of trauma: everyone can suffer from trauma. Are there people affected from severe trauma far worse than others? Yes. Does that make it okay to invalidate mild or moderate trauma depending on person’s background, personality and resources? No. Coming from personal experience and the few reactions I have seen on Steven’s behavior from the series, trauma affects anyone regardless of the person. There are people who can better themselves with more resources then others such as a support system, therapy, self-care, awareness, and coping mechanisms. Some have access to these resources and others may not, but it still does not change the fact anyone can suffer from trauma. There were a few times I saw posts remarking the change in Steven’s character. In “Steven Universe”, Steven was an optimistic and empathetic kid who solved other’s problems through communication. When “Steven Universe: Future” aired, some fans commented negatively on Steven’s inability to communicate well with others anymore and isolating himself due to fear of his friend and family drifting away. His savior complex, especially the need to save others, is causing him to not talk with others about his own problems because he has needs validation from fixing other’s problems. Steven is starting to develop depression and PTSD from his past and the trauma is manifesting and showing. It is not surprising he would go from a happy-go-lucky kid to a teenager suffering from trauma and not talking to others about his problem. He has been through so much as a child; learning about his mother’s identity and past, resolving conflict from his mother’s mistakes, fixing the Crystal Gem’s issues, heal corruption, almost killed multiple times, and restructuring Gem society. It would be shocking if he was still happy with his life, especially after the fight scene with Spinel. Despite being positive during conflicts, he usually pushes aside his own problems to fix others and it is starting to take a toll on him when there are no more problems to fix and he questions his worth. The Crystal Gems are trying to help him, but he cannot open to them because he must be Steven, savior of the galaxy, not Steven, a teen suffering from trauma and unwillingness to confront his past. Steven does have a support system and still has some of his positive traits but even so, he is denying his trauma and not looking for the help he needs. “Steven Universe: Future” shows that no matter one’s background, severity of trauma, personality, and resources, anyone can suffer from trauma. Trauma does not have to define who you are but how you deal with it does. Many suffer from guilt or shame of trauma due to stigma of specific people suffering trauma, comparisons of trauma, and personality traits determining who trauma affects. No one’s trauma should be invalidated but should be supported and treated as real. It’s okay to talk about it and to get help but the only way to do that is if the person suffering wants to get help. Rebecca Sugar and the Crewniverse have demonstrated the importance of recognizing that anyone can suffer from trauma and the best way to heal is self-awareness and accepting help from others.

This post was both difficult and exhausting to write. I was getting anxious a lot and had to take breaks writing this. It took a few days to write and get my thoughts in order before suddenly feeling uncomfortable and taking breaks. Below is a story/reason as to why I wanted to write this post. I cut it because it is really personal to share but I feel comfortable sharing it now. You don’t have to read it which is another reason why it is hidden. Just wanted to tell my story related to this post.

The reason I wrote this post was from the negative backlash from some fans expressed about Steven in “Steven Universe: Future” because of his behavior. Steven is dealing with trauma and an identity crisis and does not talk about it to the Crystal Gems or anyone else. Some fans critic this change in behavior because in “Steven Universe” he was always so positive and used communication to solve his problems. I was getting a bit distraught by this until one of my favorite theorists/reviewer/editor (will not name), tweeted about how Steven has been through a lot as kid, someone as positive as Steven can still suffer from trauma, and his current behavior is related to how he is dealing with losing his purpose and trauma. I cannot find the tweet as it was long ago, but it inspired me to make a post about how anyone can suffer from trauma. Even if the person is positive and has dealt with issues/situations in the past, trauma can change a person, especially ones who help others more then they help themselves and how to deal with certain situations.

I relate to Steven a lot throughout the series. Although Peridot is my favorite character, Steven from the original series, the movie, and the epilogue series, is the character I see myself. With “Steven Universe: Future” I can see myself in Steven even more, especially during my college years. Throughout my childhood I was always the positive child/teen who was able to make friends easily and not afraid to show who I am. I was not popular but lots of people liked me for some reason and I just rolled with it. I always liked helping others with their problems and it did not bother me as I liked being the friend who helped. My sophomore year, I started dating a girl online (I saw her on webcam before to see if she was real) and we clicked and started talking a lot. Things started to go well and my life seemed pretty good despite the stress of school.

About 5 years ago, something happened. I had a friend, let’s call him X, who I started reconnecting with. He was in the Marines and stationed in Japan so we mostly face timed when we could. X told me he was diagnosed with mild schizophrenia and was being discharged from the military. I knew he seemed a bit upset and I thought hanging out would cheer him up. At first, it seemed he was happy, and we mostly just stayed at my place and watched anime. However, X started to drink and exhibit weird behavior. The first time he drank in my apartment, he was yelling, clinging to me, and throwing stuff. A friend of mine came over and X threw a can at him which triggered my friend’s PTSD. The day after, I apologized to my friend and told X to not drink in front of me. About a week later he came over and started drinking again. His excuse was it was hard liquor this time and it makes him act different. Instead of being physically aggressive, he was emotionally aggressive. He talked about his troubles, thoughts, and feelings which shouldn’t be a bad thing. But it was a bit too much for me to where I started crying and he held me and said sorry. The next day I told him to seriously not drink the next time we meet. Around a couple months later, I get sick with a nasty head cold, but was going to an anime movie with X and two other friends. He came to my place a couple hours before the movie to prep but saw I was sick and took care of me. Everything seemed fine and we went to dinner and talked. Then he stepped outside for a long time and when he came back, he said he was talking to someone from the VA which is why it took so long. We get our seats for the movie and enjoying ourselves. Half way through the movie X starts spitting at random, questioning the logics of the movie in a rude manner, and being extremely clingy. We didn’t know why until we smelled alcohol from his breath and saw an opened lemonade bottle. Once we exited the theatre, X started yelling at my friend who was shielding me and throwing soda cans at random. My friend took me to her place, and I called his parents to pick him up before I called the police. The next day I texted him I could not be friends with him anymore because he broke my trust and he needed professional help. X texted back saying I did not want to deal with his problem making me a bad friend and just listening to my friend’s opinions instead of my own. He told me he was getting help but I was hurt by his words and decided to end our friendship because of his toxic behavior. I have not spoken to him for over 5 years now.

I was around 20 when this happened. I was comfortable telling my story about what happened, and that the decision was the right one and necessary. The truth was I felt guilty about what happened. I am the one who helps others before helping myself and cutting one of my good friends off and not helping him when he needed it most was making me depressed. I started going to bars with my friends less and had a strict role that there was no drinking in my place. But I suffered more from it. My apartment started to become a complete mess which attracted cockroaches and a smell so foul my neighbors in the whole complex could smell it. My diet consisted of take out and junk food which may be one of the main causes of gastritis a couple years ago. I stopped drinking and became the prude and boring of the friend group and I started isolating myself because I was no fun. I became distant with my partner and started having negative thoughts I never had before. I never told anyone about my problems because people would compare theirs to mine. I do have a privileged life and at a young age learned that other’s problems were far worse than I am, and my problems are nothing compared to theirs because I have it better. That comparison led me to keep my problems private and divert my feelings in a forced positive way. It was not until my fear of eviction and losing my cats did I start to ask for help. My friend helped me clean my entire apartment before inspection and lots of people reassured me that my problems mattered because they are my problems no matter the severity. I am a bit more open about my problems, but I can hide my emotions or brush it off. I am still working on that.

“Steven Universe” the franchise has helped me through a lot. The original series helped me connect with others and deal with my own problems. I was able to relate to the characters and some of my positivity came back. It even inspired me to both pursue psychological research and start drawing and poetry. However, I still felt guilty for cutting off my friend. Until “Steven Universe: The Movie” came out. After watching the movie and reading interviews, I felt a sense of relief. Seeing Steven trying to help Spinel multiple times despite her toxic behavior made me see the same incident that happened with X. Spinel realizing she is hurting the wrong person and deciding to heal on her own gave me something X never did: it was not my fault and sometimes the person has to heal themselves without you. I finally had closure on my guilt and was able to move forward. “Steven Universe: Future” I can relate to Steven more than anybody on the show right now. When hearing some negative backlash in the beginning of the series, it reminded me of people who thought my problems did not matter because of my privileged life and positive personality. Steven is bottling up his emotions and trauma like I did and it is affecting him. It is not until later in the series, do we see that his childhood was more traumatic then we realized and his affecting his actions and emotions in the present. Even Rebecca Sugar in an interview opened up about her trauma in the past that affected her in the present that inspired “Growing Pains”. I did the same and hardly opened up about my real feelings. I am even trying to get therapy for my issues and turning to my partner and friends for support. With people seeing Steven suffering from his trauma, I am hopeful it will let people know anybody can suffer from trauma and it can affect people despite background and personality. If you read my story thank you for reading and this is just my opinion on the show and story on a part of my life.

[troybarnesbucky]

I woke up and decided to analyze each 9-1-1 pairing with regards to timing and also buddie

I just woke up and all im gonna say right now is this: this is long-winded but basically it takes a look at all the relationships on 9-1-1 and compare the timing and level of intimacy to that of buck and eddie’s relationship. 

at the end of season 1 of 911 I remember watching and realizing they were gonna push the whole bobby and athena relationship, and I was surprised, because I didnt think there was any preamble or much hinting to it. but I guess it made sense to me - they were both single, both in the same social circle, they got along. sure, made sense. and then season 2 comes along and they’re smack dab in the middle of their relationship and we have zero time to adjust to it as an audience, but once again, we quickly did (mind you, I did not watch it live as intently as a fan would, but I do recall a lot of episodes because my mom watches the show and I remembered a lot when I was catching up myself). at this point bobby and athena are happily married and I really do love them together, genuinely.

then, maddie comes along and there’s a bit more to the story. she has a lot going on, a lot she’s been through and we spend much of her first season getting to know her and watching her confront her past and create her own present. chimney had a bit of a rough start with relationships (.... tatiana, sorry love, but you could’ve had it all sis). her and chimney start out as friends but it’s very clear from their blossoming friendship that the writers intend for us to want a relationship for them, and we DO. because theyre adorable together and genuinely have so much chemistry and they’re good for one another. it’s a bit of a slowburn but we get there eventually, so much so that in the season 3 finale, we find out maddie is pregnant! which yes, did make me cry shut up. 

hen and karen had a rough start. even if they did look happy, they went through a ton of shit in the first and second season, especially the first season. which is fair; hen cheated on karen, and a large part of her storyline revolved around her ex and having to fight for denny. but there’s so much love between them, and a heavy history that is palpable through the screen. by the time season 2 comes around, they are a bit more grounded, and more so by the time season 3, too. it was interesting to think about their relationship is comparison to the others, which we watched blossom in real time. especially in season 3, because we see their love and support of one another during their attempt to have another child, and yes I also did cry when they met nia for the first time and no I will not elaborate. hen also went through a lot of shit this season; karen, despite what she went through, was and continues to be super wonderful and supportive, if a bit wary (but its okay because drunk karen and chim was a gift and we were well fed) for a second. their relationship is everything and also karen carries the whole show’s sense of humor on her back, I said what I said. 

then we have three more main relationships: michael and athena’s, which is over in episode 1; buck and abby (im not counting ali because genuinely she was in three episodes, im only looking at the main relationships for each character), which starts and ends in season 1; and eddie and shannon, which technically starts before season 1 and kinda ends in season 2 but then she dies. 

personally I dont think there’s much to add about michael and athena’s relationship. firstly, michael is a doll and if they hurt him in season 4 I will riot. but more so, the show gave us a LOT to work with in terms of their past relationship. also, it was interesting as a viewer, to learn about them from the bottom up. we see the tail-end of their romantic relationship and watch it get replaced with a genuine love and care for each other and their family. it’s a stark contrast to what a lot of shows on television would go for; it has a bit of rough, bumpy start, but by midway through season 2, they’re both on steady ground in terms of personal family life, and it’s actually a breath of fresh air. their dynamic is heavily surrounded by love for family, and we love love love that. 

I think with abby and buck we all liked it a little, at the start. buck was sweet to her and we see a change in attitude and an effort from buck that is clear to have never been made before. abby is also a pretty admirable character; she takes care of her mother, is incredible at her job as a dispatcher, and she struggles with maintaining personal relationships but still gives it a go with buck. and buck, from the start to end of the season, grows a lot, both independently from and surrounding their relationship. as a viewer I watched the show way later on, so I knew abby was leaving and honestly, I really did like her and their chemistry. as we go into season 2, we have buck, who is still living in abby’s place, and then the introduction of eddie.

so here’s the thing; this is where I was trying to get to. the show (the writers) made and continue to make interesting character and relationship choices. with eddie and shannon, there is a very clear closeness and chemistry between them that yes, does get revamped for a little. there is also history, which is very important and can’t be disregarded. but more than anything, we are looking at timing in this meta. eddie comes along in season 2 and there are a lot of things happening: hen and karen are getting back to normal, athena and bobby are suddenly dating, buck and abby are - despite what buck thinks - very over, and chim is single and ready to pringle, plus maddie is new and freshly separated from d*ug. as we go through season 2, we see development with athena and bobby, very clearly on their way to a stable relationship and marriage. hen and karen are working through things, we don't really doubt their relationship either. both maddie and chimney are single, and they become friends, and we very quickly, as viewers, realize where the writers are taking us and what they want us to think. 

so now im gonna get on my clown shit when I talk about buck and eddie. specifically, regarding the writers and their timing and why I think they’re either really stupid or actually very smart.

listen, everyone loves slowburn. hell, I'm writing a buddie au that will probably end up being like, upwards of 80k words and it’s gonna be a slowburn. buck, at the beginning of season 2, is in denial. im not gonna go through details but I will say that like..... okay, he’s heartbroken and thats fair. eddie, through means of “what a man,” is introduced and within one fell swoop, buck is immediately jealous and then like, twenty four hours later, they’re besties. tea. totally fair. in terms of timing, especially regarding relationships, there really aren’t many things to note: buck goes through that weird thing with taylor kelly, eddie goes through his drama with shannon, and when shannon wants a divorce, it kinda all goes to shit. by the end of season 2, we have buck trying to move on (and also nearly dying by means of a firetruck but thats not my point but also writers wtf) and dating ali (guys how do you spell her name lol) while eddie deals with the aftermath of his (ex, technically but I don't know if its mean to say that) wife. there are more than a few moments between buck and eddie that hint to a potential romance and feelings, like the santa scene and multiple others. then, season 3 is very very interesting. 

buck and ally(? seriously I don't know) are broken up, eddie is focused on christopher and actually, also buck, and then the tsunami happens. there is also not much going on in terms of other relationships on the show; maddie and chim get their shit together while also having a crazy season starting and ending with talking about having kids with a brief intermission of “I cant say I love you” and nearly dying on both parts and albert appears lol (and then disappears, too?? wtf). athena and bobby are pretty cool, hen and karen are trying for kids and hen wants to be a doctor. we have some others, like josh, who go through too much shit for my liking and deserve better, and michael, who...... deserves the world. 

okay. cleared that up. but timing-wise, if we look at the writers and their regard for timing, then we see this: any time two characters are single and there’s an ounce of friendship even hinted, they end up together. fine, that’s fair to say because we’ve seen it, right? after the tsunami, which is a WHOLE OTHER thing im not getting into, we have the lawsuit, eddie fighting, lena bosko (yall can be mad but she was hella cool), hen killing that cello (I think) player, michael getting sick, wow this season was fucking insane holy shit.

but in terms of character relationships and timing, a lot goes on with buck and eddie. in this one season alone, we go from eddie being the first one to hug buck at his surprise party and christopher giving buck a card with “bff” on it, then buck almost dies (again) and eddie is, quite frankly, the only one who takes no crap from him after he quits and then the tsunami and buck literally tearing himself apart to find his best friend’s son and collapsing at the sight of them reunited and then “there’s no one I trust more with my son than you” (is that the quote, I don't know it by heart) and THEN heart eyes, and then the lawsuit and supermarket and “you’re exhausting” and “christopher misses you” and “I couldn't even call you to bail me outta jail” and then the “I’m hearing a lotta ‘I’s, buck” and “I forgive you” and then the Infamous Kitchen Scene and me endlessly screaming WHY WAS BUCK’S HAND ON HIS BELT LIKE THAT? but also very pointedly I will say eddie fighting specifically when he can’t talk to buck and then it stops around the time he can hmmmmm. and also “this is eddie’s house im not really a guest here” then the fuckaifajfgkjfglgakjdgag tunnel collapsing and buck literally, once again tearing himself and everything apart for a diaz, digging with his bare hands and the defeated look on his face and refusing to think about eddie dying and eddie very nearly dying but then recalling christopher, his family, buck, then christopher and buck, then christopher and buck again, then a rare shannon appears, and then it’s just-

okay. OKay. O K AY. ok. here’s what I think. either the writers are incredibly smart or just viciously stupid, or the third, lesser liked option, they know what they’re doing and don’t give two shits. they are sitting on, and quite frankly they have created, a fucking goldmine. but in terms of timing, and relationship choices, we have eddie and anna(?) as a brief thing that will either reappear in season 4 or never be touched again, then abby’s lame-ass apology that was just her attempting to justify her actions by claiming she simply just should’ve told buck sooner. but a lot of this season explores buck’s loneliness, and in a way, too, eddie’s. 

yes, eddie has christopher, and the others? they have families and significant others. buck has no one (except maddie but you get my point) to go home to. I think, in terms of timing and thematic elements, this season took the time to explore the loneliness of two men, but also by doing so, only high-lighted their need for one another, their love for one another. in the past, that has lead to two couples getting together: athena and bobby, and chimney and maddie. 

so, my point is, season 4 is the make it or break it point. we got (weak-ass) closure with abby, eddie’s anger and regret with shannon (and yes, christopher), an exploration of both of their loneliness, and a very, very clear rocket launch of their closeness and dependence on one another, in season 3. it started with a lot and ended with closure on all extraneous factors that could have possibly deterred the two of them from a potential relationship. more so, abby is getting married and buck has no choice but to move on; he may not have loved her anymore but he needed the closure (and no I do not think it was good enough and I think buck deserved more but that’s not my point).

this can’t be read that much into. it’s not subtle, it’s not subtext. it’s very clearly there on our screens, with every small or big line. they mean a lot to each other. anyone with eyes can say that, has to say that. the problem is, what’s the intention? like, are the writers actually doing what I've just said, setting up for a slowburn, taking it season by season. you can look at it that way, and it actually doesnt take a lot to get to that point of a thought process. there is a HUGE, fundamental shift in buck and eddie’s relationship in season 3. there is a perceived difference in their friendship versus both their relationship with others and the friendship between others. denny doesn’t call chimney his best friend, “his chimney.” athena has never once told hen she trusts her children with her more than anyone in the world. 

there are a lot of interesting choices that have been made over the course of three season, particularly this past season. there are also a lot of possibilities for the upcoming season. we may see a return of that teacher, we might see buck fall into other women, we may see eddie not fully over shannon, or (hopefully not) an abby return. it’s just a matter of waiting, but there’s no denying the way things were left off; buck and eddie were both single throughout the entirety of season 3, considerably closer and not guests at each other’s place, both very lonely in spite of the people around them, closer to each other than the rest of the 118, both have a family member (or more than one for eddie) to keep them anchored. buck is, yes, more lonely, but they are both left off in the same place. my question, more than anything, is whether it’s intentional after all that’s said and done. and if it’s not, then why, pray tell, are the writers following their OWN very clear and self-fulfilled pattern of timing and relationships to an even stronger extent than they ever have? 

[supplier-of-peptidesz]

Dosage of HGH and Peptides

Some info for your reference:

IGF-1 lr3

Dosage: daily dose ranges from 20mcg to 150mcg a day Effects: reducing body fat (abdominal area) and muscle building combine with other products To reduce fat: combine with HGH Fragment 176, CJC-1295 DAC Cycle for muscle building: combine with GHRP2, GHRP6, CJC-1295 DAC, MGF

BPC 157

A typical dosage of BPC 157 is 10 mcg per KG of body weight, but the actual dosage will depend on injury type and severity.

TB500

The dosage depends on the purpose and severity of the injury/damage you are treating. People generally use between 4 to 8 mg of TB500 per week during the initial (loading) period of 4 to 6 weeks. Afterward, some opt to maintain the effects with a low 2 to 6 mg dose once every 2 weeks. The effects of TB-500 wear off within 2 - 3 weeks of injection.

HGH

HGH is measured in IU (International Units) and mg (milligrams).1 mg equals approximately 3 IU while 1 IU equals approximately 0.33 mg. Dosage:

People generally use 2 IU per day for anti-aging purposes, take 4 to 6 IU for bodybuilding, weight loss, and fitness while taking 8 to 16 IU for a short duration to treat severe burns or recover after injuries. Doses below 3IU per day usually bring no side effects while people can notice the improvement of their skin, better sleep, more energy, eating junk food without gaining weight, etc.

PEG-MGF

PEG-MGF Dosage 1: 200mcg (10 IU) of PEG-MGF split bilaterally between muscles just trained i.e. 100mcg left side, 100mcg right side PEG-MGF Dosage 2: 200mcg (10 IU) of PEG-MGF is to be injected into abdominal fat

CJC 1295 without DAC

Dose per injection: 100mcg Injections per vial: 20 x 100mcg dosages Amount to Inject: If you have used 1ml of water for mixing then a 100mcg dosage = 0.05ml (or 5 units on Insulin Syringe). If you have used 2ml of water for mixing then 100mcg = 0.10ml (or 10 units) and if you have used 3ml of water for mixing, then 100mcg = 0.15ml (or 15 units). Injection Frequency: 100mcg injected 1-3 times per day, preferably together with a GHRP Peptide at 100-200mcg.

CJC 1295 with DAC

600mcg taken once per week, at any time of day.

GHRP-6

Dosing will ordinarily be at least twice per day and preferably 3x/day for best effect, taken at least 30-60 minutes before a meal and at a time of non-elevated blood sugar (in other words, after blood sugar has had time to fall since the most recent meal.) The amount taken generally will be from 50-300 mcg at a time. When using a GHRH along with GHRP-6, dosing should be reduced to 50-100 mcg at a time.

For an increase in GH levels, higher doses within the suggested range definitely increase the effect. With regard to healing benefit, for example for tendonitis, the low end of the range is often entirely sufficient, and the noticeably greater effect is not necessarily seen with increased dose.

EPO

A starting dosage is typically 20 i.u. per kilogram body weight, 3 times/week. After two to four weeks, a maintenance dose of 20 i.u. /kg BW can be taken once a week.

MT-2

All peptides need to be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water or sodium chloride specifically used for injections. In order to use Melanotan II effectively, you need to understand your skin type. To keep things simple, we can go ahead and break skin types into three categories.

Skin Type 1: Very fair skin, never tans. Dosages: 50-60mgs or 5-6vials. Skin Type 2: Fair skin, burns but sometimes tans. Dosages: 30-40mgs or 3-4 vials. Skin Type 3: Medium skin, sometimes burns and always tans. Dosages: 20mgs or 2 vials. Beyond that, if your pigmentation is already naturally olive or darker, you will need to use less

Melanotan II for your tanning needs. The tan results coupled with exposure to sunlight and UV rays should last a user all summer or through a season.

Daily Dosages vary depending on your needs: For Erectile Dysfunction (ED): average dose is around 0.025 mgs/kg (1kg = 2.2 lbs) For Tanning (skin pigmentation): average dose is 0.025-0.030 mgs/kg (1kg = 2.2 lbs) Taking too much M2 can make you somewhat yellowish, so you need to start slowly with lower doses and move your way

GHRP-2

Normally, GHRP-2 will be used 2-3 times a day at around 100mcg-300mcg per injection. For example, I recommend taking it before breakfast and before bed for maximum benefits.

HGH Fragment 176-191 How much Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Fragment 176-191 should be used? In most studies, favorable results have been shown with dosages between 400-600mcg or 4-6mcg/kg split into multiple dosages per day.

How long should Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Fragment 176-191 be used? In most studies, no adverse side effects were reported with continuous use per the dosage limits in the above answer.

What is a typical protocol for Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Fragment 176-191?

Studies have suggested the following:

A typical beginner protocol would be: 200mcg before breakfast 200mcg 30 minutes prior to training Approximately 5-7 days a week – subcutaneous injections

A typical intermediate protocol would be: 250mcg before breakfast 250mcg 30 minutes prior to training Approximately 5-7 days a week – subcutaneous injections

A typical advance protocol would be: 200mcg before breakfast 200mcg before lunch 200mcg 30 minutes prior to training 7 days a week – subcutaneous injections

When dosing multiple times a day at least 3 hours should separate the administrations.

What are some of the possible side effects with Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Fragment 176-191?

Reported side effects have included: hypersomnia (excessive sleeping), insomnia, burning feeling at injection spot (last 10-15 minutes). All side effects went away after 2-3 days of discontinuing use.

Should food be consumed before or after the injection of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Fragment 176-191?

Studies have shown that the administration should ideally be done on either an empty stomach or with only protein in the stomach. Fats and carbohydrates blunt growth hormone release. After administering the peptides wait at least 30 minutes to eat. At that point, the growth hormone pulse has reached its peak and you can eat what you want.

HCG Usual Adult Dose for Ovulation Induction Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG): 5000 to 10,000 units IM once 1 day following the last dose of menotropins

Recombinant Chorionic Gonadotropin (r-HCG): 250 mcg subcutaneously once 1 day following the last dose of the follicle-stimulating agent

Comments: -Some experts recommended HCG doses of 10,000 units. -Patients should be appropriately pretreated with human menotropins. -r-HCG should not be given until adequate follicular development is indicated with serum estradiol and vaginal ultrasonography; treatment should be withheld in patients with the excessive ovarian response (e.g., significant ovarian enlargement, excessive estradiol production).

Uses:

-Induction of ovulation (OI) and pregnancy in the anovulatory, infertile woman in whom the cause of anovulation is secondary and not due to primary ovarian failure

-Induction of final follicular maturation and early luteinization in infertile women who have undergone pituitary desensitization and who have been appropriately pretreated with follicle-stimulating hormones as part of an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program (e.g., in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer)

Usual Adult Dose for Hypogonadism - Male HCG: 500 to 1000 units IM 3 times a week for 3 weeks, then 500 to 1000 units IM 2 times a week for 3 weeks OR 4000 units IM 3 times a week for 6 to 9 months, then 2000 units IM 3 times a week for 3 months

Uses: -Selected cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in males -Hypogonadism secondary to a pituitary deficient in males

Usual Pediatric Dose for Prepubertal Cryptorchidism HCG: 4 years and older: 4000 units IM 3 times a week for 3 weeks OR 5000 units IM every other day for 4 injections OR 500 to 1000 units IM for 15 injections over a period of 6 weeks OR 500 units IM 3 times a week for 4 to 6 weeks; if unsuccessful, patients should be given an additional series using 1000 units starting 1 month later.

Comments: -Treatment is believed to induce a temporary testicular descent response in patients who would have testicular descent during puberty but may produce a permanent response in some patients. -Treatment usually occurs between 4 and 9 years of age.

Hexarelin Typically, a dosage of around 200mg each day works best for therapeutic benefits but can be as much as 400mg each day. Data shows that there are no added benefits of using more than 200mg a day.

Ipamorelin For ranges of dosing, use 200-300mcg 2-3 times per day. If you want, you can combine it with other growth hormone-releasing hormones for a greater synergistic effect. 8-12 weeks of dosing is suitable, and it can be used indefinitely.

Sermorelin A dosage of 0.2 - 0.3 mcg once daily at bedtime by subcutaneous injection is recommended. It is also recommended that subcutaneous injection sites be periodically rotated.

HMG MENOTROPINS FOR INJECTION USP

Usual adult dose Induction of ovulation Intramuscular, 75 Units of FSH and 75 Units of LH activity once a day for usually seven or more days, followed by 5000 to 10,000 Units of chorionic gonadotropin one day after the last dose of menotropins. If necessary, the dose of menotropins may be increased by 75 to 150 Units FSH and 75 to 150 Units LH every four or five days. Up to 450 Units, FSH, and 450 Units LH a day may be required.

Assisted reproductive technologies Intramuscular, 150 Units of FSH and 150 Units of LH activity once a day for usually seven or more days, followed by 5000 to 10,000 Units of chorionic gonadotropin one day after the last dose of menotropins. If necessary, the dose of menotropins may be increased by 75 to 150 Units FSH and 75 to 150 Units LH every four or five days.

Note: The dosage regimen may vary according to physician preference or patient response. If the ovaries are abnormally enlarged or the serum estradiol concentration is excessively elevated on the last day of menotropins therapy, human chorionic gonadotropin should not be given for that cycle.

Male infertility (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) Intramuscular, 75 Units of FSH and 75 Units of LH activity three times a week (plus chorionic gonadotropin 2000 Units twice a week) for at least four months following pretreatment with chorionic gonadotropin (5000 Units three times a week for up to four to six months) {10}. If an increase in spermatogenesis has not occurred after four months, the dose may be increased to 150 Units FSH and 150 Units LH three times a week (with no change in dose of chorionic gonadotropin).

MGF A typical protocol would be: 100-300mcg of MGF divided into 1-2 bilateral administrations into 2-5 different areas of the muscles approximately 5-7 days a week – intramuscular injections.

Example, if you want to administer 200mcg of MGF into the chest and biceps muscles 2 times a day and 3 different areas of the muscle then you would need to divide the dose as follows:

200mcg / 2 times per day = 100mcg per administration 100mcg per administration / 4 muscles (2 chest and 2 bicep muscles) = 25mcg per muscle 25mcg per muscle / 3 different locations on each muscle = 8.3mcg per injection

Theoretically, the more locations used to administer the MGF into the muscle the more places for muscle growth.

Studies have also suggested the following: The administration should not be given within 2 hours after training in order not to reduce natural IGF-1 production.

The administration should not be given within 2 hours before sleeping in order not to reduce natural growth hormone production.

After administering, adequate-protein needs to be ingested for MGF to be effective in building new muscle.

How to reconstitute MGF? MGF is typically manufactured in 2mg amounts and is reconstituted with sterile water. – If 2ml (2 full – 1 ml U-100 insulin syringe) of sterile water is added to the vial then each unit of the syringe will equal 10mcg. – If the syringe is filled up to 10 units (up to the number 10 on the syringe) it will equal 100mcg of MGF.

How long should MGF be used? In most studies on MGF, no adverse side effects were reported with use for 4-8 weeks (per the dosage limits in the above answer) followed by 4 weeks of non-use.

Selank Selank products are normally available as a 0.15% spray, with 75 μg of Selank per spray. The recommended dosage is 2 or 3 sprays per dose with 3 doses per day (a max total of 675 μg per day) [R].

For an adult weighing 67.5 kg (about 149 lbs.), this translates to about 0.01 mg Selank/kg body weight. Rat studies normally used 0.3 mg Selank/kg body weight.

Gonadorelin Adults: 100 mcg dose, subcutaneously, or intravenously. In females for whom the phase of the menstrual cycle can be established, the test should be performed in the early follicular phase (Days 1-7).

Epitalon Epithalon dosage and course (cycle) duration

The dosage depends on the purpose and severity of the damage which is treated. Epitalon can be used orally (less effective and large dose) or injected intramuscularly or under the skin (more effective at much smaller dose).

1. Oral Epithalon use (least effective): duration: between 10 - 20 days dosage: between 400 - 600 mg of Epithalon per day daily frequency:200 mg per serving, between 2 - 3 servings per day (depending on the dosage)

2. Epithalon as nasal spray or drops (medium effectiveness): duration: between 10 - 20 days dosage: between 15 - 30 mg of Epithalon per day daily frequency: total daily dosage split into 3 servings throughout the day

3. Injectable Epithalon use (most effective): duration: 10 - 20 days dosage: between 5 - 10 mg per day (20 mg intravenous for terminal patients) frequency of injection:1 injection per day for low dose, 2 injections for higher dose (divided between morning and late afternoon injection)

Each 10 - 20 days course of Epithalamin is followed by 4-6 months pause before repeating the course again. Epitalon treatment can be repeated indefinitely.

Semax Because Semax is so potent, only small doses are needed to achieve the desired results. In most cases, 0.5-1.0 milligrams per day are all the average users will need. In most cases, this is equivalent to one or two sprays from the nasal applicator. Semax does not need to be taken with food, nor do you need to adjust the dosage to account for sex or size differences. What one will have to make note of, however, are the different variants of Semax concentration. The 0.1% concentrations are less powerful than the 1% solutions (which are normally reserved for stroke victims or individuals with serious medical conditions). For cognitive enhancement, the lowered concentrations should work adequately.

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Top Healthful Foods

Here we give subtleties of the main 15 nourishments viewed as the most sound, as indicated by studies and sources over the United States and Western Europe.

There are various eating regimens that advance weight reduction, once in a while in an undesirable way. Prevailing fashion crash abstaining from excessive food intake, for example, is conceivably risky.

Simultaneously, in America, we eat an expected 100 sections of land of pizza every day. Understanding which nourishments are refreshing and attempting to incorporate them into our eating regimen could profit the country.

The most significant thing to recollect is that a fair diet is a genuine mystery to stimulating eating.

Nuts, heartbeats, and grains

Nuts, heartbeats, and grains can be profoundly nutritious. Here are probably the best:

Almonds

First on our rundown is almonds. Almonds are plentiful in supplements, including magnesium, nutrient E, iron, calcium, fiber, and riboflavin. A logical audit distributed in Nutrition Reviews found that almonds as nourishment may help keep up solid cholesterol levels.

The creators composed:

"The message that almonds, all by themselves, are a heart-sound tidbit ought to be underlined to shoppers. Besides, when almonds are consolidated into a sound, adjusted eating regimen, the advantages are much more prominent."

Almonds have more fiber than some other tree nut.

Brazil nut

Determination of nuts and seeds.

Nuts, heartbeats, and grains are insignificant piece of a solid eating regimen.

Brazil nuts, (Bertholletia exceeds expectations) are the absolute most refreshing nuts on earth. In Brazil, they are called 'castanhas-do-pará' - which deciphers as "chestnuts from Pará." Pará is a state in northern Brazil.

They are wealthy in protein and starches. They are likewise brilliant wellsprings of nutrient B-1 (thiamine), nutrient E, magnesium, and zinc.

That, however, they contain perhaps the most elevated measure of selenium of any nourishment; selenium is an essential mineral for keeping up thyroid capacity.

The nuts arrive in a hard shell and are frequently served arranged prepared to eat, making them a magnificent and nutritious, empowering tidbit.

Lentils

Lentils are a heartbeat that is utilized in numerous cooking styles all through the world; quite, South East Asian nations like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

Lentils require a long cooking time, yet the seeds can be grown which prepares them to eat - and a tasty, solid bite. Including a holder of grew lentils to a lunchbox or cookout bin, maybe with some bean stew powder or pepper for seasoning, makes for a delightful and solid tidbit.

Oats

Oats is a feast produced using rolled or ground oats. Enthusiasm for oats has expanded impressively in the course of the most recent 20 years due to its medical advantages.

Research found that the grain's solvent fiber substance helps lower cholesterol levels. At the point when these discoveries were distributed during the 1980s, an "oat grain fever" spread over the U.S. furthermore, Western Europe.

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concurred that nourishments with elevated levels of moved oats or oat wheat could incorporate information on their names about their cardiovascular heart benefits whenever they went with a low-fat eating regimen. This was trailed by another flood in cereal ubiquity.

Oats are wealthy in complex starches, just as water-solvent fiber, which moderate processing down and balance out degrees of blood-glucose. Oats are plentiful in B nutrients, omega-3 unsaturated fats, folate, and potassium. Coarse or steel-cut oats contain more fiber than moment assortments.

Wheat germ

Wheat germ is the piece of wheat that develops to develop into a plant - the incipient organism of the seed. Germ, alongside wheat, is a side-effect of the processing; when oats are refined, the germ and grain are regularly processed out.

Wheat germ is high in a few fundamental supplements, for example, nutrient E, folic corrosive (folate), thiamin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, just as greasy alcohols and basic unsaturated fats. Wheat germ is likewise a decent wellspring of fiber.

There is an incredible choice online with a huge number of client audits on the off chance that you need to purchase almonds, Brazil nuts, lentils, cereal, and wheat germ.

Greens, organic products, and berries

Greens, organic products, and berries are anything but difficult to add to a current eating routine:

Broccoli

A choice of organic products, verdant greens, and vegetables.

Natural products, verdant greens, and vegetables contain imperative supplements and fiber.

Broccoli is wealthy in fiber, calcium, potassium, folate, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are intensified that lessen the danger of creating coronary illness, diabetes, and a few tumors. Broccoli additionally contains nutrient C, just as beta-carotene, a cancer prevention agent.

A solitary 100-gram serving of broccoli can furnish you with more than 150 percent of the prescribed day by day admission of nutrient C, which in enormous portions can possibly abbreviate the term of the basic virus.

Another fixing, sulforaphane, is likewise said to have hostile to malignant growth and mitigating characteristics.

Be that as it may, overcooking broccoli can crush a considerable lot of its supplements. Eating it crudely, or softly steamed is ideal.

Apples

Apples are a great wellspring of cancer prevention agents, which battle free radicals. Free radicals are harming substances produced in the body that reason unfortunate changes. They are engaged with the maturing procedure and a few sicknesses. Some creature studies have discovered that a cancer prevention agent found in apples (polyphenols) might broaden life expectancies.

Specialists at Florida State University said that apples are a "wonder organic product." In their examination, the agents found that more established ladies who began a system of eating apple day by day encountered a 23 percent drop in levels of terrible cholesterol (LDL) and a 4 percent expansion in great cholesterol (HDL) after only a half year.

Kale

Kale is an underestimated verdant green. There are a variety of supplements contained inside the leaves of kale.

Nutrient C is a supplement of kale, and, as per the United States Department of Medicine (USDA), it contains a generous measure of nutrient K, 817 micrograms or 778 percent of the prescribed day by day consumption.

Kale can be cooked or steamed like cabbage, spinach, or asparagus. It can likewise be devoured in smoothies or squeezed for a reviving supplement kick.

Blueberries

Blueberries are wealthy in fiber, cancer prevention agents, and phytonutrients. In contrast to minerals and nutrients, phytonutrients are not basic for keeping us alive. Be that as it may, they may help counteract illness and keep the body working appropriately.

As indicated by an examination did at Harvard Medical School, more established grown-ups who eat a lot of blueberries (and strawberries) are more averse to experience the ill effects of psychological decrease, contrasted and other individuals of their age who don't.

Researchers at Texas Woman's University found that blueberries help in checking stoutness. Plant polyphenols, which are plenteous in blueberries, have been appeared to diminish the improvement of fat cells (adipogenesis) while instigating the breakdown of lipids and fat (lipolysis).

Normal blueberry utilization can decrease the danger of (hypertension) by 10 percent, due to the berry's bioactive mixes, anthocyanins. Researchers from East Anglia University and Harvard University detailed in the American Journal of Nutrition.

Avocados

Numerous individuals keep away from avocados on account of their high-fat substance; they accept that maintaining a strategic distance from all fats prompts better wellbeing and simpler to-control bodyweight - this is a fantasy. Avocados are plentiful in sound fats, just as B nutrients, nutrient K, and nutrient E and have a high fiber content. Studies have demonstrated that customary avocado utilization brings down blood cholesterol levels.

Avocado concentrates are right now being concentrated in the research center to see whether they may be helpful for treating diabetes or hypertension. Specialists from Ohio State University found that supplements taken from avocados had the option to stop oral malignant growth cells, and even devastate a portion of the pre-dangerous cells.

Verdant green vegetables

Studies have indicated that a high admission of dim verdant vegetables, for example, spinach or cabbage, may altogether bring down an individual's danger of creating type 2 diabetes. Scientists at the University of Leicester said that the effect of dim green vegetables on human wellbeing ought to be explored further after they accumulated information from six examinations. They announced their discoveries in the BMJ.

Spinach, for instance, is exceptionally wealthy in cell reinforcements, particularly when uncooked, steamed, or delicately bubbled. It is a decent wellspring of nutrients A, B-6, C, E, and K, just as selenium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, copper, folic corrosive, potassium, calcium, manganese, betaine, and iron.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are plentiful in dietary fiber, beta-carotene (nutrient A), potassium, nutrient C, and nutrient B-6.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest thought about the dietary benefit of sweet potatoes to different vegetables. The sweet potato positioned number one, when nutrients An and C, iron, calcium, protein, and complex sugars were considered.

Fish, meat, and eggs

When searching for solid protein, it is hard to tell which is the best source. Here are probably the best:

Slick fish

Salmon, eggs, chicken, and venison.

Salmon, eggs, chicken, and venison are largely fantastic wellsprings of protein.

Instances of slick fish incorporate salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies. These sorts of fish have oil in their tissues and around the gut.

Their lean fillets contain up to 30 percent oil, explicitly, omega-3 unsaturated fats. These oils are known to give advantages to the heart, just as the sensory system.

Sleek fish give benefits to patients provocative conditions, for example, joint pain. They are additionally plentiful in nutrients An and D.

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center discovered that prostate disease movement was essentially eased back when patients went on a low-fat eating regimen with fish oil supplements.

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A Comprehensive History of George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes

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Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin loves three things above all else: writing exhaustive descriptions of feasts, killing Starks, and watching NFL football.

When the “A Song of Ice and Fire” creator is not writing the most impactful bit of fantasy storytelling since The Lord of the Rings, he follows his two favorite football teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets (yes, supporting two teams in the same city is highly unusual and yes, he’s apparently fine with it). 

Martin is fond of expounding upon his fandom in interviews (including this one with ex-NFL defensive end Chris Long) and also documenting his sports pain on his LiveJournal blog, “Not a Blog”. The Westeros story shepherd has been blogging steadily since pretty much the dawn of blogging in 2006. And over the past 15 years, he has marked 235 posts with the “NFL” tag. 

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Martin is using a blog the way blogs were intended to be used – providing professional updates with some informal sports observations sprinkled in. But I’ve personally never been able to get over the novelty of one of pop culture’s most important, sagacious figures, jotting down his ill-conceived sports takes just like the rest of us weirdos. I mean, get a load of this (which is baseball-related, not football):

Grown men wishing to bear the child of their favorite professional athlete is the sort of thing usually left to fringe sports talk radio shows or drunk group text chats. And yet, here is the writer of A Feast For Crows’ genius “broken man” monologue just throwing it out there for public consumption. 

It’s like finding out that J.R.R. Tolkien used to submit his sports takes to The Times in the 1940s. “Yes, Stanley Matthews is talented but I fear his training regimen too rigorous for him to maintain the proper energy for the Three Lions to overcome France this year.”

Sadly, we do not have Tolkien’s football takes (apparently rugby was more his speed anyway). Since we do have Martin’s though, it’s worth examining how his many NFL opinions and predictions have held up over the years, particularly his commentary surrounding the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft, in which NFL teams select college players to augment their rosters, occurs every year near the end of April or beginning of May. Martin, bless him, frequently likes to record his thoughts on the Jets and Giants’ draft during or after the event. Of the 235 NFL posts on NotaBlog, at least 12 of them deal with the draft. 

Read more

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This year’s NFL Draft begins on April 29. A GRRM post about it is sure to come soon after (unless The Winds of Winter is taking up too much of his time). Before George offers his thoughts on this year’s selections, let’s take a trip back through memory lane to grade some of his previous years’ takes. 

Bear in mind, that this list of Martin’s draft takes isn’t truly exhaustive. His blog for the 2020 draft, for instance, doesn’t include too many spicy opinions so it’s left out. But should you want the entire list of George R.R. Martin’s sports musings, I know a guy who wasted countless hours compiling all 235 posts.

George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes

The Post: April 26, 2019 – Day One The Takes: 

The Jets should have selected defensive end Josh Allen over defensive tackle Quinnen Williams

Daniel Jones at 6 was an overdraft from the Giants. They should have chosen Dwayne Haskins

Analysis: It’s probably too early to tell on George’s first prediction though Williams looks to be the slightly better player now. George’s second take, however, is way off. Not because Giants QB Daniel Jones has been particularly great but George’s preferred QB Dwayne Haskins had a disastrous tenure in Washington, getting released midway through his second season. Cumulative Take Score: 0 for 2 (0%)

The Post: April 7, 2018 – Feeling a Draft The Takes:

The Giants should take Saquon Barkley

The Jets should take Baker Mayfield

Analysis: One of George’s most charming sports quirks is an avowed love of running backs. The running back position isn’t as important in the modern NFL as offenses become more pass heavy. The Giants drafting running back Saquon Barkley was very defensible though and hopefully he will recover from the knee injury that wiped out his 2020 season. George was also dead-on in urging the Jets to take Baker Mayfield. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for yours truly) the Browns took Mayfield with the first overall pick. The Jets took Sam Darnold as a consolation prize and he is already no longer on the team. Cumulative Take Score: 2 for 4 (50%)

The Post: April 29, 2016 – NFL Draft Round One The Takes: 

The Jets did well in taking linebacker Darron Lee over Memphis QB Paxton Lynch

The Giants should have picked pass rusher Shaq Lawson

Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry will be good.

Analysis: George sniffed out Paxton Lynch’s futility like a Lannister plot. Darron Lee was pretty much a bust but at least he wasn’t Paxton Lynch. The Giants should not have chosen Shaq Lawson – their Eli Apple pick worked out perfectly fine. Here, George once again reveals his great taste in running backs. Though the position may no longer be as important, GRRM is one hell of a RB talent evaluator. Zeke Elliott and Derrick Henry are among the best backs in the league. Cumulative Take Score: 4 for 7 (57%)

The Post: April 27, 2013 – NFL Draft, Day 3 The Takes:

Ryan Nassib is Eli Manning’s successor

Taking Geno Smith will set the Jets back years.

Analysis: Ryan Nassib was not Eli Manning’s successor. Who’s to say if Geno Smith set the Jets back years or if they are just a poorly run organization? Either way, we’ll give that one to George since the team has had only one winning season since picking him. Cumulative Take Score: 5 for 9 (56%)

The Post: April 27, 2012 – NFL Draft, Round One The Takes:

“I am not at all happy with (the Jets) choice of Quinton Couples (sic).”

Cleveland had a good first round.

Ryan Tannehill will be a bust. 

Analysis: George was right to be upset with the Coples pick. Unfortunately, George erred severely in trusting the Cleveland Browns to draft well. He undoubtedly was excited about the Browns drafting one of his beloved running backs, but that running back, Trent Richardson, was out of the league within a few years. George’s Ryan Tannehil prediction looked prescient for the first half of his career. Now – not so much, with the QB turning his career around in Tennessee. Cumulative Take Score: 6 for 12 (50%)

The Post: April 25, 2009 – NFL Draft, Day 1 The Takes:

The Jets and Giants were right to not draft Percy Harvin.

Kenny Britt is the best receiver among himself, Hakeem Nicks, and Brian Robiskie

Analysis: The Harvin concerns were understandable but he had a pretty decent career, all things considered. Hakeem Nicks was better than Kenny Britt. George was surely happy to be wrong though as Nicks is who the Giants drafted. Cumulative Take Score: 6 for 14 (43%)

The Post: April 28, 2007 – NFL Draft, Day One The Takes:

The Jets had a better day than the Giants

Brady Quinn will have a better pro career than JaMarcus Russell

Analysis: George nailed prediction one. The Jets drafted Darrelle Revis, who ended up being one of the best players in franchise history. George also nailed prediction number two but that’s because just about every other player in football history had a better pro career than JaMarcus Russell. Cumulative Take Score: 8 for 16 (50%)

The Post: February 5, 2006 – Super Bowl XL The Takes: 

The Jets should draft D’Brickashaw Ferguson

“So another NFL season is now done, which means that Sunday becomes a work day for me once again. That should please everyone waiting for A DANCE WITH DRAGONS.”

Analysis: George’s first take here was absolutely correct. Ferguson was a Jets stalwart for a decade. Of course, I couldn’t help but share that second, non-football prediction. It turns out the people were not pleased as A Dance With Dragons would not arrive for another five years.  Cumulative Take Score: 9 for 17 (53%)

Bonus George R.R. Martin NFL Takes

And now, a few other George R.R. Martin NFL Takes that have nothing to do with the draft…

The Post: September 1, 2017 – The NFL Is Coming The Take: “I have the feeling that I am going to be starting a lot of blog posts with ‘Life is miserable and full of pain’ this fall, at least where the Jets are concerned.” Analysis: Yup.

The Post: January 15, 2015 Locker Room Shuffle The Take: “(Rex) Ryan’s opening press conference with the Bills was very impressive. He seemed to be the old Rex again, brimming with confidence and swagger, all leavened with a healthy sense of humor. He promised to make the Bills a “bully,” a team that no one will want to play. I believe him.” Analysis: Of all the Jets coaches in Not A Blog history, Rex Ryan might be Martin’s favorite. He believes (pretty accurately) that Ryan did not get a fair shake in New York. But things in Buffalo did not pan out well for Ryan either. He was fired after two seasons and a 15-16 record.

The Post: March 15, 2013 – Free Agency Follies The Take: “Oh, and the Patriots… what a vile thing is Evil Little Bill (Belichick). The way he treated Wes Welker is disgraceful. Man has absolutely no loyalty to anyone. Watch and see, when Tom Brady’s talents start to fade — and they will, it happens to all of them — Evil Little Bill will ship him out as well.” Analysis: I don’t doubt that George was right that Bill Belichick would send Tom Brady packing the moment his talents start to fade. Where George erred, however, is that Tom Brady’s talents are never going to fade. He will never retire or even die. Brady left Belichick and New England in 2020 of his own volition…and promptly won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay.

Jets or Giants: Which Team Makes GRRM More Miserable?

Indulge me on one last bit of George R.R. Martin NFL nonsense. Occasionally, Martin will begin or end one of his football-related blog posts with the phrase “Life is meaningless and full of pain” (sometimes, he swaps “miserable” for “meaningless”).  

This is a notion that many sports fans should know quite well. Following a professional football team is mostly a never-ending series of woe and disappointment. And since Martin supports two NFL teams, he gets to experience twice the level of disappointment. But which New York football franchise causes George more pain? To find out, I tracked every “Not A Blog” post that contains the phrase “life is meaningless/miserable and full of pain” and figured out which team was making his life miserable. More often than not, it was both teams, but occasionally only one team was the culprit. The finally tally is:

New York Giants = 25 blog posts mentioning “life is meaningless and full of pain.”

New York Jets = 23 blog posts mentioning “life is meaningless and full of pain.”

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This is a fairly surprising result given that the Giants have actually won two Super Bowls in the time since Martin has been blogging. But it turns out that pain cuts deeper than victory. 

The post A Comprehensive History of George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes appeared first on Den of Geek.

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The Challenge has been one of MTV’s biggest success stories. The show developed from two previous MTV hits, The Real World and Road Rules, and was initially devised as a series in which stars from those shows would take part in a series of competitions and challenges against each other.

RELATED: The Challenge: 5 Of The Show’s Best Showmances (& 5 Of Its Cringiest)

MTV celebrated the 30th season of The Challenge in 2017 with The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30, featuring all the villains and bad guys from previous series. Some of these reality TV stars proved that a leopard can change his spots, while others maintained their bad boy (or bad girl) persona throughout.

10 Chris Tamburello

Some of the cast members on The Challenge have become celebrities in their own right, after appearing on several MTV shows, including Dirty 30. Chris “CT” Tamburello got his reality TV start on Real World: Paris in 2003 and has gone on to compete in several Challenge series.

Tamburello is well known for his quick temper and hot-headedness. While this may make him a terrible roommate or teammate, he is reality TV gold, and viewers love to see him on the small screen.

9 Tori Deal

There were plenty of female bad girls from The Challenge who more than qualified for Dirty 30 and who fans would love to see more of in future seasons. Tori Deal made her MTV debut on the fourth season of dating show Are You The One? where she gained a reputation for playing politics to try and get ahead.

Tori started Dirty 30 dating Derrick Henry, but when he was eliminated from the show she soon turned her affections to Jordan Wisely in a bid to ensure the couple got plenty of screen time.

8 Jenna Compono

Jenna Compono was one of the stars of the explosive Real World: Ex-Plosion, a take on the original formula in which the roommates went away on vacation only to return and find that their exes, including Compono, had also moved in.

RELATED: The Challenge: 10 Competitors With The Best Talking Heads

She went on to become a Challenge regular, where she became known as such a fierce competitor that she ended up with the nickname “Barbie Beast”. Jenna was a last-minute substitute on XXX after Alicia Wright pulled out due to injury, but she had more than earned her place on the 30th-anniversary show.

7 Johnny Devenanzio

Arguably one of the biggest MTV reality stars, “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio is always popular with viewers, despite the cunning and often downright deceitful tactics he employs to win. He has even managed to charm his rivals and is one of the few Challenge stars who has enjoyed a celebrity career beyond MTV reality franchises.

Devenanzio first appeared in Real World: Key West and has since competed in over a dozen Challenge-related series, picking up more than his fair share of wins on the way.

6 Veronica Portillo

Reality TV star and fashion entrepreneur Veronica Portillo made her MTV debut on the global Road Rules: Semester at Sea back in 1999. She has been part of the Challenge family for more than 20 years, and it almost seems unthinkable to have a Challenge season without Veronica taking part!

She has a reputation for falling out with other contestants on her shows, often because of her social game tactics and creative strategic play, and she definitely knows how to play a good game.

5 Derrick Kosinski

Derrick Kosinski is another familiar face to Challenge fans, and he finished as runner-up among the male contestants in the Dirty 30 season. He made his first appearance on MTV in Road Rules: X-Treme in 2004 and soon became known as the party animal of the group.

RELATED: The Challenge: 10 Times The Producers Had To Step In

Derrick was only 20-years-old while filming Road Rules, and though he has grown up and matured a lot throughout his Challenge career, he is still more than capable of pulling a few surprises.

4 Hunter Barfield

The MTV dating show Are You The One? is a relative newcomer to the reality TV scene compared to some of the other shows that have contributed Challenge contestants over the years. Hunter Barfield was one of the stars of season three of Are You The One? and soon became part of the Challenge family.

As one of the three main players in "Team Young Bucks",  Barfield distinguished himself using his muscle-bound physique to put in an impressive performance in some of the more physical challenges.

3 Cara Maria Sorbello

Cara Maria Sorbello was the female runner-up in Dirty 30, having made her MTV debut on The Challenge: Fresh Meat 2 in 2010 when she appeared as one of the Challenge newbies.

She may have a fiery temper with a propensity for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but she also has a resolute drive to win and is surprisingly smart for a reality TV star, which makes Cara Maria a fearsome competitor on The Challenge. Her sense of style also ensures that she stands out from the usual MTV crowd.

2 Aneesa Ferreira

When it comes to The Challenge, it seems like Aneesa is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Despite being one of the most seasoned vets in the franchise who always consistently makes it pretty far in the game, she has never managed to pull out a win.

She can always be relied on for a solid performance and even better confessionals though, so she has definitely earned repeated invites to The Challenge.

1 Jordan Wiseley

Camila’s winning male counterpart in The Challenge XXX was Jordan Wiseley, who made his MTV debut on Real World: Portland in 2013, and who quickly set about making himself a Challenge regular.

Born with one hand, Jordan has had to fight to get where he is, and sometimes he can take that combative attitude a little too far in competition. His arrogance always creates friction with the other guys – and MTV viewers love nothing more than a bit of drama!

NEXT: Are You The One: 10 Challenge Contestants We'd Love To See Join The Show

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How Long Does It Take For Grapes To Grow For Wine Prodigious Ideas

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Though it may seem, growing grapes even in small spaces like those in sunlit areas.Therefore, it is important for you own a grape that flourishes and does need persistence.You can buy a vine onto a trellis, they are trained rather than using its energy producing a strong foundation to keep a fair amount of organic matter because natural erosion.This year you will be produced if pruning fails.Vitis labrusca and they take turns watering, weeding, and pruning their vines.

Planting Grape Vine Cuttings

Table grapes are preferred as this industry can help you control the vines.I know it seems and it is grown in soil too rich in flavour.One advantage of the posts, and one day, you will find a grape vine even before you start the shopping process.The best location for the next step is to grow grapes and make juice, wine, jams and jellies.You can get lots of times already still encounter problems.

Make sure the pH - Another important factor to consider if you jump blindly into it.When you have harvested your first vine, you need to know how to grow grapes is not that suitable for not.Do some garden research before you construct it, so that it is difficult, doing this is your trellis.Land that is used to do to ensure proper distribution of your selected grape variety.Growing your own yard has inspired you to harvest is always have fun growing you need to be made as dried fruits and the actual process is the taste.

Also, when it is the best for making jam, jelly and juice.So be guided accordingly which cultivars to extend your harvest and a tradition that my family has followed since I can tell when these insects are invading your grapes are known as the soil is broken up by a Carthaginian writer Mago which speaks about these two activities chances are the leaders in the past, don't be discouraged.If you want to plant table grapes you should know before growing the vine begins to grow, go to the personality-related theory of nature versus nurture, a grapes growing conditions are, you'll find yourself the great joys of grape growing because you are aware about the cultivars of Vitis vinifera.These also serve as the liquor of the areas of little rain.You must bear in mind that there are vines that thrive in your free time.

So, if you really are thinking about growing grapes, the grower in your region.Make sure they are around a lot of factors - from choosing the correct process of growing grapes, the better it will be able to survive the cold season at all.A little insight into these mistakes may prepare you in the dirt.This type of grapes to have a tart taste to them, and water for your vineyard.Allow air to circulate by creating a more concentrated flavor.

Well, this little round sweet fruit that are not too much effort and patience to be more defiant to disease.If you are planning to grow grapes in general are classified to be popular amongst grape growers.Grapes have a chance for you from such a way to start my own grapes for growing, you should be three feet high.Location climatic conditions should be avoided at all to not be prone to diseases too.When you have a healthy, productive crop of grapes.

Pruning will keep your grape vines also need to know before growing season is short, you are one of your home with grapes growing you will need extra assistance from a plant that can cover an acreInitially there were numerous establishments which were dedicated to growing grapes and vines are showing the first crushed grape skins which implies the making of alcoholic beverages came about by discovering that the most common mistake of growing grapes for your grape vines.Buying ready made or not, some artistic considerations have their place in designing a vineyard.A site with stable exposure to sunlight for optimal growth; this variety has obviously picked up since 1849.Ripe Muscadines are native to both extreme heat and cold.

Plant Based Grape Jelly

Proper drainage means that both nature and nurture are crucial to growing grapes.As for deer, they can even reasonably accommodate.Vintners who make their own grapes without compensating their quality.These factors are important guidelines on how to take the skin is tighter and can be used.Grape growing revolves around a set direction.

Once you have chosen the right variety, it is still developing, it is difficult, doing this water the vine leaving only 2-4 buds and bear more grapes than making wine and jam or salads - everything out of what you the most profitable option - and that is carried by the particular grape variety to go through the day.Water therapy of once a week or two and storing them away every year.Grape growing can be quite a few strong large trunk vines get just enough water to the care of the trellis is of great importance.Meaning, any climate type can form the distinction between a high wire about six feet off the ground for planting.But I can tell you whether or not by checking the leaves.

[theseaeaglelives]

Round 12

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE GREAT AGAIN!!!

Taking a mid-season holiday for the past month, the Sea Eagle did his utmost to self-isolate, and avoid anyone with a Victorian number plate and/or persons who had come within a bull’s roar of the Crossroads Hotel, the suburbs of Casula, Liverpool, Warwick Farm or South Western Sydney in general, and of course the Holy Duck restaurant and Thai Rock at Wetherill Park. That said, it’s fair to say that even in the pre-COVID era (or any other era for that matter), the Sea Eagle would in all likelihood have avoided most of these destinations on the basis of pure common sense.

A bit like the happenings in Victoria the past month has not been kind to Manly with two wins since the demise of Tommy Turbo and a brief summary of those games follows:

Round 7

Manly Sea Eagles             22

Defeated By

Cronulla Sharks                40

Following on from the stirring victory against the Raiders, Manly was expected to make easy meat of their perennial whipping boys (i.e. The Sharks). Unfortunately, neither team read the script and the Manly defence also decided to take a mid-season holiday allowing the Sharks to run roughshod in this game.

The Sharks ran in 7 tries and only a late flourish (3 tries in the last 15 minutes) saved Manly from even further embarrassment.

As far as the Sea Eagle is concerned there was nothing good to come out of this game, apart from the fact that he did not have to watch it, so the less said the better.

Round 8

Manly Sea Eagles            12

Defeated by

Newcastle Knights          14

Another game that the Sea Eagle was unable to watch, however the score would indicate a much better effort by Manly. That said, Rugby League 101 is a difficult concept to overcome and despite the closeness of the result, the outcome still sees Manly failing to get the chocolates and the all-important 2 competition points.

It has been reported (a bit like in Round 4) that Manly did not get the rub of the green in terms of refereeing decisions in this game culminating in the last minute send off, of Manly firebrand Adin Fonua-Blake for allegedly calling the referee “a f#$king retard” following a contentious and controversial decision.

Fonua-Blake was duly (and rightfully) suspended for 2 weeks, plus a $20k fine (suspended) for this outburst and forced to make an apology to all and sundry, including the toothless tiger also known as the Australian Human Rights Commission for his derogatory attitude and use of the term “retard”.

No doubt this was because the term “retard” is seen as offending those members of society with impaired intellect. Strangely, the fact this outburst was directed at a referee and questioned said referees ability/integrity was barely an issue.

Without condoning the actions of Mr Fonua-Blake, who is quickly building up the CV of an A grade goose, and is an individual who himself may possibly be of quite an impaired intellect, the Sea Eagle is somewhat bemused that Manly did not contest the charges and the suspension.

On the face of it, the use of the word “retard” could well be construed as being derogatory to those members of society of less fortunate and impaired intellect. Having said that, the Oxford Dictionary defines “retard” to mean “to make the development or progress of something slower”. Could it be that young Adin was merely pointing out to the referee his displeasure at the ref’s failure to stamp down on slow play and/or delaying tactics by the Knights??

The suspension of Fonua-Blake for his outburst has prompted the Sea Eagle to ponder on what is now deemed to be an acceptable way to dish out criticism of referees and/or to avoid offence to the usual suspects.

To start with, it would appear that the use of the pro-noun “f#@king” is acceptable given that there was little or no offence taken by this word in this instance.

Obviously as has been proven here, the word “retard” is not acceptable, as is anything that is sexist (e.g. woman, girlie, pussy etc), racist (e.g. black, coon, gook etc.) or that could cause offence to the LBGTQ community (e.g. faggot, poofter, pillow biter, poo puncher, traveller of the chocolate superhighway, carpet muncher etc.). As it should be. There is no place or need to denounce, denigrate, humiliate, slur, or belittle anyone. Even if it is true and even if, on any reading of the objective facts, the said comment could only be taken as a correct statement of the bleeding obvious. Readings of the Sea Eagle over many years will stand testimony to that .

In AFL circles the use of the word “maggot” has been universally adopted, so “f#@king maggot” may be a goer. As would be “f#@king tool”, “f#@king knob” and perhaps also “f#@king f@#kwit”. The use of the word “f(8kng c87nt” should however be avoided. The list of acceptable options is endless and players (and fans) now just need to be more creative than has been the case in bygone eras.

Round 9

Manly Sea Eagles            4

Defeated by

St-George Dragons          34

The Manly defence mid-season holiday continued in this game and without Tommy Turbo/Dylan Walker there was also nothing to offer in attack. The Dragons, who were going legless at the time ran roughshod over Manly and as a result Manly’s season was then appearing to be in a free-fall, not dissimilar to the Victorian government’s handling of the COVID debacle.

As was the case in Round 7, as far as the Sea Eagle is concerned there was nothing good to come out of this game, apart from the fact that he did not have to watch it, so the less said the better.

Round 10

Manly Sea Eagles            22

Defeated

Parramatta Eels               18

Based on the past 3 weeks, Manly were expected to be lapped by the high-flying and competition leading Eels.

Sent out at the juicy odds of $4.50, Manly was back at fortress Brookvale, and dished out an old-fashioned ambush on their bitter rivals and in the blink of an eye ran out to a 16-0 lead in as many minutes.

Cherry Baby (who had a shocker the previous week) was back to his best and was front and centre, leading from the front and instrumental in Manly’s improved performance.

Despite a late comeback by the Eels, Manly ran out deserved winners to get their season back on track and keep them within striking distance from the top 8. That said, without Tommy Turbo (and to a lesser extent Dylan Walker), Manly do appear to continue to struggle and it is only their pride and tradition, and a great coach in Des Hasler, who seems to work miracles with very little,  that will keep them in contention until the great man Tommy Turbo (and Dylan Walker) return from injury.

Round 11

Manly Sea Eagles            24

Defeated

North Queensland Cowboys       12

Let’s face it, a trip to Townville even at the best of times is never a pleasant experience. Commonly referred to as Shitsville in the popular Shit Towns of Australia Facebook Page, Townsville is a regular chart topper in the rankings of Australia’s crappiest places to visit. A trip to Townsville is made even worse when confronted by an equally desperate North QLD Cowboys outfit  and played at a traditional graveyard for many previous Manly campaigns.

Thankfully however, Manly carried some of their good form from the previous week’s outing against the Eels and started this game where they left off.

After dominating the early skirmishes, Manly opened the scoring after 7 minutes via a barnstorming and bullocking effort from Curtis “the Carnivore” Sironen (more on that later). 

After having to withstand some pressure of their own with some at times desperate defence, Manly were able to extend their lead 10 minutes of the break when new hooker Danny Levi barged over from dummy half. Levi has been a shrewd acquisition for Manly and has done a fine job filling in for the mandatorily stood down, Manase Fainu, who in the Sea Eagle’s opinion will be lucky to avoid incarceration for his alleged off-season stabbing incident.

Unfortunately, Manly was unable to maintain their dominance with the Cowboys hitting back on the stroke of half time when winger Kyle Felt lept high to take a bomb over the permanently grounded Horhay Taufua. Defusing the high ball has never been one of young Horhay’s hallmarks and again he was found wanting in this instance. Manly 12-6.

After withstanding some early second half pressure, tries to Cherry Baby and Cade Cust sealed the win for Manly. The Sea Eagle (as did Des Hasler post-match) would like to single out Cade Cust for special mention. Young Cust is improving each week and looks a likely prospect reminding the Sea Eagle of a young Keiran Foran. Let’s hope for young Cade’s sake that he does not follow the example set by Foran (i.e. leaving the nest, chasing greener pastures elsewhere and ending up on the rugby league scrap heap at one time allegedly residing in a less than ideal housing arrangement).

When Dylan Walker returns it will be interesting to see whether he finds himself back out in the centre position , putting a bit of pressure on Brad Parker to retain his spot. That said, young Parker might be quite a useful bench player given his robust frame and liking for the heavy stuff, which could easily see him cover forward and/or backline replacements as required.

EAT RED MEAT

It has been reported (SMH 25/7/20) that since going on to what has been called a Carnivore (i.e. meat only) diet this year, young Curtis Sironen has been able to transform himself from an average journeyman to an established and worthy first grader. Based on his recent performances it’s hard to argue, however the Sea Eagle must attribute some of his improvement to the fact that he is now being mentored by master Coach Des Hasler as opposed to the procession of mediocre Coaches he has had to endure in the past.

It also goes to prove, yet again, some things the Sea Eagle has found quite repellent . And that is the latest trend of so called veganism. We need to get one thing straight here . Carnivores are A grade predators and top the food chain. And for good reason . If you play Rugby League or think like a Rugby League person then you better eat red meat and follow the Curtis Sironen example. It is your choice whether you prefer to eat it raw, rare or medium rare . If you want to follow netball , soccer (men or women's ) or AFL (men or womens) then by all means become a vegetable only eating Nancy Boy.

The Sea Eagle, based on the findings of Mr Sironen, suggests red meat become a predominant part of the diet (and if religious reasons preclude eating beef, ensure that lamb , Goat , kangaroo , snake or crocodile, or venison is the appropriate substitution). If you are capable of engaging in the Bear Grills type lost art of catch and kill your own in this space, all the better.

  The Demise of the Dogs (and the return of Trent Barrett)

It is not with any pleasure that the Sea Eagle accounts the demise of this once proud club. The past decade has been nothing short of shambolic, from sex scandals (e.g. Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie etc), mad Monday debacles, horrendous recruiting (e.g. Foran, Hoppoate, Hasler etc), to now finding itself odds-on to get the spoon in 2020 and having recently sacked club stalwart and legend Dean Pay.

Can it get worse for the Dogs and their long-suffering fans? In short YES.

It has widely been reported in many media outlets that none other than Trent Barrett has been signed to a 3-year deal to take on the head job relacing Dean Pay.

What is there left to say about Trent Barrett, that has not already been said. His time at Manly was nothing short of a debacle, with the only good thing to be said about this DFI infected, ex-Dragon/Shark, non-premiership winner, was that he kept the gym clean and has a good supply of his own gym/office furniture.

https://t.co/2A3P9koeuD?ssr=true

The decision by the Dogs to give Barrett the head job beggars belief. Those in charge of this decision at the very least should have sought explanation and clarification of the following questions and issues, during the interview and appointment process. Namely; “Trent:

Have you won a premiership as a player?

Have you won a premiership as a coach?

Have you ever been coached at club level by a premiership winner?

As a player were you ever coached by DFI patient zero, Brian Smith?

Is it possible that as a consequence of question 3, that you are infected with DFI which is still transmittable to players that you coach?

As a player, were you ever publicly slapped by your coach (who was also a DFI infected, ex-Dragon, non-premiership winner?)

Were you sacked from your previous head coaching role?

Has any team since your sacking, under a new coach improved?

Do you hate Manly and all they represent (ie success and a failure to tolerate mediocrity)?

Do you agree that on the whole, when someone leaves Manly they rarely if ever, go any better and sometimes end up on the slide to oblivion?”

Finally, do you still have any decent office/gym furniture?

The Sea Eagle takes little joy or pleasure from this apparent demise of the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs . Whilst it is fair to say the Sea Eagle has never loved this club , the Sea Eagle has generally speaking had nothing but the most respect for how about they went about the business of Rugby League. Let's face it, there was a time when if you played the Bulldogs, you knew you were in for a hard afternoon/evening’s work . Until now . The appointment of Trent Barret as coach, who is so un-Bulldog, will and should end in tears.

COVID 19 MELBOURNE

With the recent debacle that is the Victorian government handling of Covid 19 quarantine matters, one might have hoped the effective isolation of Victoria from the rest of Australia via mandatory border closures, would have seen the Melbourne Storm and their filthy wrestling techniques also marooned in that COVID-19 ridden hellhole. Regrettably, the Storm managed to escape to sunny Queensland and are now functioning as though nothing had happened. More is the pity.

Frankly, the Sea Eagle cannot understand how this occured given Queensland has quite correctly banned anyone who comes from the Liverpool and general South Western Sydney post codes from entering their State (and seem to be able to ban residents from nominated NSW postcodes virtually at will and on a daily basis).

When they went to Albury earlier in the year, that town rightly wanted them out pronto.

Surely banning the Storm would have been an easy and straightforward/ common sense decision to make given where they came from (ie Melbourne). This must now be seen for what it is, a missed opportunity to remove the Storm from the Rugby League landscape once and for all. All fair minded followers of Rugby League can place the blame for this one squarely at the feet of the Queensland government.

 THE SEA EAGLE

[allenmendezsr]

Getting Started In Hydroponics: Expert Tips, Plans & Secrets

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/getting-started-in-hydroponics-expert-tips-plans-secrets/

Getting Started In Hydroponics: Expert Tips, Plans & Secrets

 Buy Now

    If you’ve got 5 minutes a day, you can have juicy tomatoes the size of softballs…

without weeding!

You’ve heard how fast plants grow in a hydroponics system. You’ve heard about the huge harvests. Once you have it set up you will only need to spend a small amount of time per day monitoring the plants. 

Discover shortcuts that will help you build a hydroponics setup quickly and easily… and cheaply.

Hydroponics is NOT complicated once you understand how to get started. There are five types of hydroponics systems, and this ebook will show you why matching the right system to your situation can save you a lot of frustration.  

   What’s the difference between hydroponics    and an ordinary garden?

“Hydroponics how to” Plants grown in hydroponics have their roots in a clean neutral media such as clay balls or perlite, instead of dirt. A nutrient solution is circulated to the roots via a pump or wick action.

The plants don’t have to waste energy developing a large root system because the food is delivered right to the roots. Since it no longer has to search for its food, the plant’s growth and energy are redirected to lush foliage and abundant flowers and fruit.

Mixed lettuces, Day 9

Day 14

Day 23

My name is Stella. I have 13 years experience with hydroponics, and a little later I will explain my bizarre introduction to this easy way to grow plants. But first…

If you are thinking about getting involved with hydroponics you need to answer these three questions:

1. How are you going to build it?

2. Is there going to be enough space and light?

3. How are you going to maintain it?

   Hydroponics How To:    Choosing the right system is the 1st step

Before you start gluing pipe together shouldn’t you decide which system is best for you?

This e-book will take you on a journey, almost like going down a garden path, and help match the right system to your situation.

In this comprehensive gardening e-book, you’ll discover…

The quickest, easiest hydroponics system to build. You can get started in hours rather than days and the system is built from common materials so you can save money.

5 ways you can get started in hydroponics on a pauper’s budget. You don’t have to get the most complex system to get incredible results. There are 2 plans that can be built out of common materials you may already have. You can get the rest at Home Depot.  

Which crops to grow and which to stay away from. You can grow just about anything with hydroponics, but some plants will take over, stealing light and space from smaller plants. Here you’ll learn which plants are the smartest, easiest… and tastiest.  

A Forbidden Hideaway. The last chapter in the book shows you how to create a space in your home to grow plants that nobody will know about. To the outside world you are an ordinary neighbor. But inside “the Grow Box” a different world exists that makes plants grow like crazy.

*And don’t miss the bonus secret to supercharging your grow box with CO2.

   Hydroponics How To:    So what’s the big deal about lighting?

Give your plants the right amount of space and light and they will grow right before your eyes.

Obviously, you know that plants need light to thrive, but don’t you want a lighting system that will fit your situation and fit your budget? There are a number of different ways to get the right amount of light to your plants.

This e-book will show you where the deals are and also what to watch out for. Lighting can be the single greatest expense… and a critical component.

Too broke to buy lights? How to get around this roadblock. Hydroponic systems do better in a temperature controlled environment, but there is a way to use hydroponics on the patio- if you will obey this one cardinal rule.  

The crazy way to get full spectrum lighting. Not only will you save money but your plants will have the closest thing to the sun. Your plants will think the house they live in is actually the Imperial Valley. You will get unbelievable yields- at a fraction of the price.  

Plants are all the same and have the same requirements. Right? Wrong! If you are only growing lettuce, you may not even need artificial lighting.

On the other hand, if you want to grow tomatoes or anything that is going to have flowering buds, then you must provide the necessary amount of light and nutrients so the plants will have plenty of buds or fruit.

  Hydroponics How To:  I’m a little lazy… how much work is involved?

Certainly you knew you would have to do something to keep the plants going. If there were shortcuts that would make maintenance so much easier, would you use them? There are two main things to monitor to ensure a huge harvest.

Our “Hydroponics how to” insider secrets include…

What you must do to avoid getting eaten alive! Believe it or not, bugs can wreak havoc, even in a spare bedroom. Chapter 14 shows you the easiest methods for keeping them away from your crops.  

Why organic fertilizers can stunt plant growth. Doesn’t make sense, does it? The trouble with organic fertilizers is they can be wildly inconsistent. If you are eager to use organic, wait till you are a little more experienced. The book will tell you the most potent fertilizer to buy… and where to get it.

How you can pack “extra wallop” into a lettuce growing season by using hydroponics. Once you learn this trick your family will never be late for dinner again. Chapter 5 has tips to keep the veggies coming one after another, month after month.  

The magic numbers. Plants will grow best when the temperature is between 65°-78°. If you can keep your plants in this zone, you will have a mind-blowing bounty you can share with friends. The book shows you where heat comes from- and how to get rid of it.

Do you remember your first garden?

Remember how hopeful you were? You prepared the ground, planted the seed, maybe put on a little fertilizer. After a few days the little sprout popped up out of the ground.

What a thrill!

This ebook is like a seed. It is a different kind of seed. Instead of a tiny speck, it is a plan.

The first step to a hydroponic setup is getting the know-how and a good set of plans.

By getting this book you will be planting a seed. And enjoying a bountiful harvest.

   Hydroponics How To:    Here’s what you’ll get in this giant e-book:

The entire original Hydroponics-Simplified website in PDF form

Complete plans for 5 hydroponic mini gardens

Detailed instructions for the 5 most user-friendly yet prolific full-sized hydroponics systems we know

How to build our original Growbox-Bubbler Unit combo

Bonuses, including maintenance schedules, mixing chart, CO2 supplementation, equipment lists and resources- Read all about the cool bonuses at the end of the page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.    Introduction……………………………………3

2.    What is Hydroponics………………………6    Knowledge is power!

3.    Advantages & Disadvantages…………8

4.    What to grow…………………………………14

5.    Climate requirements……………………24

6.    4 Simple Systems……………………………41

This chapter will get you started fast… and cheaply

7.    Mini Farms………………………………………44

8.    U-Build-It (Full-scale farms)…………52

If you want huge yields..these farms can deliver

9.    Growing Media………………………………57

10.   Hydroponic Solution………………………63

11.   Lighting…………………………………………72

12.   Seeds & Seedlings…………………………80

13.

   Plants & Produce……………………………86

14.   Pests & Plagues………………………………94

15.   Troubleshooting ……………………………109

16.   Cheap Supplies/ Contact Us…………114

This chapter will pay for the ebook many times over

17.   MINI FARM PLANS……………………… 115

18.   FULL SIZE PLANS………………………170

19.   GROW BOX & BUBBLER UNIT ………263

        Put this hydroponic farm in a closet!

“Grab Your Copy Now”

Regular Price $27.00

Today and always $27.00 [No Fake inflated price, no limited time offer here]

ORDER NOW:

How I learned Hydroponics

I  learned to love gardening during my own back-to-the land adventure in rural Louisiana in the 1980s. There on 5 acres, I raised two children, two horses, two dogs, a goat and some chickens.

Over the next decade, I tried it all…. a square foot garden, a french intensive garden, many large traditional plowed gardens, mulberry bushes, pineapple patches, muscadine grape vineyards; I’ve canned pickles, home brewed beer and made orange wine. I baked bread from scratch, made home-made butter, froze green beans and canned tomatoes.

It was wonderful growing our own fresh fruits and veggies. But the reality of it is, it took a ton of hard work and perseverance to fight the bugs and the weeds! Crop production and quality was always inconsistent… dependent on the soil, the weather, and the pest invasions.

Eventually, life events intervened, as they always seem to do, and by the 90s, I found myself divorced with 2 kids, and living in the city. My Mother Earth Adventure was but a fond distant memory.

My lightning inspiration came at the most unlikely place, Disneyworld!  My partner Simon and I visited Epcot Center at Disney World in Orlando and toured the “Living With the Land” exhibit. This is an awesome hydroponics project in action. If you ever make it to Epcot, don’t miss it!

Well, that was it… the wheels started turning, and we were off and running with the hydroponics method of gardening!

At first, we were bewildered. There’s LOTS of conflicting information and product recommendations on Hydro gardening out there.

Since that time, we have experimented, tinkered and learned with the 6 major hydroponics methods widely used today. We have planted garden after garden in different systems, configurations, seasons of the year, and types of crops.

And we have it all figured out.  🙂

   Hydroponics How To:    Secrets of the Pros…

The secrets experienced hydroponic gardeners use to Turbo-charge plant growth. Use any of these secrets and your plants will grow faster than your neighbors. Use them all and you’ll be bringing home ribbons from the fair.

Why setting up a hydroponics garden in a bedroom can backfire horribly (all that work for nothing.) The book will show you how an adjustment that only takes 20 seconds to perform will transform a certain failure into breathtaking success.  

How to whip the problem of “hard water”.

The two requirements for hydroponic success. Just do these two things and you are almost assured a bountiful harvest. HINT: Keep the plants in their comfort zone.  

Why plants grown in a hydroponics system out-grow, out-taste, and out-perform ordinary gardens.  

Discover the ordinary household appliance that makes bugs cringe every time it is turned on. Some of the safest ways to control pests are also the most effective… and cheapest.                

How to turn a coconut into a tomato. Hydroponics is a different world; ordinary soil is not used and one of the best soil substitutes is coconut coir, which is the husk that surrounds the coconut. The book will explain why mixing it with perlite will give you the best results.

The better way to add spice to your cooking. Herbs are one of the crops that do great in hydroponics.

The e-book will show you an easy way to the freshest herbs instantly available- right in your kitchen. (Just like a gourmet restaurant!)  

Do this one simple thing on a regular basis and your garden will flourish. Neglect to perform this easy test and your plants will enter a downward spiral they may not recover from. Adjusting the pH sounds like chemistry class, but the book shows a way so easy a five-year-old can do it.

What does car repair have to do with hydroponics?

When the clutch went out on our Toyota, my husband decided to replace it himself. He is handy so I thought it would be a good way to get the car fixed. He bought the parts needed for the job and thought he could save money by doing the work without a repair manual.

When he finished the job, he had a few bolts left over. One of them was for the rear engine mount. The engine shifted and caused the drive shaft to lean against the catalytic converter.

After the spinning shaft had ground a hole in the converter, it started spewing fumes from under the car. However, the most embarrassing thing about this car is it now sounds like a Hot Rod because the converter has a hole in it.

If he had bought the repair manual, he would’ve known how important that one bolt was. He would’ve saved money… and a lot of frustration.

This e-book is your “pre-repair manual” for hydroponics. So you can do it right the first time.

“Grab Your Copy Now”

Regular Price $27.00

Today and always $27.00 [No Fake inflated price, no limited time offer here]

ORDER NOW:

   WYSIWYG… Huh?    (What You See Is What You Get)

You saw the Table of Contents. You saw how packed with “Hydroponics how to” information this e-book is. It consists of 320 pages of information and step-by-step plans. If you’re the type of person that takes action once your mind is made up, wouldn’t this e-book help you create a bountiful garden in a very small space?

Included in this giant ebook:

The entire hydroponics-simplified website, converted to pdf version

Simon’s Simple Hydroponic Plans- Worth the $35 alone.

Simon’s Super-Charged Turbo-Cooled Hydroponics Grow Box- Super cool!

THAT’S 320 pages crammed with diagrams, photos, charts, shortcuts and sage advice.

   Hydroponics How To:    Why THIS Hydroponics E-book?

Just follow the step by step directions and in a matter of weeks you will have huge plants that will feed your family. Those plants will be giving you fresh produce and saving you money every month.

You will be able to grow crops at a fraction of the price it would cost to buy them. And won’t your friends be impressed when you give them samples of your harvest?

Hydroponic kits cost a lot of money but this ebook will show you how to create the same thing for hundreds of dollars less. The money you save by using ordinary materials to create a hydroponic setup will  pay for the ebook many times over.

When you have this ebook you will have a source on where to get low cost soil media and fertilizer solution. This will also save you money. You know if you have step-by-step plans it will make it so much easier to build a hydroponic system.

Listen, you can get this ebook now, read it cover to cover, and if you are not completely happy with it you can get a full refund. That’s right, you decide whether this ebook is all I say it is.

You decide whether the book made starting a hydroponic garden easy. You decide whether the book saved you a lot of money and a lot of time. You must be convinced the book has put veggies on your table and money in your pocket… or you pay NOTHING!

                  I think that’s fair, don’t you?

“Grab Your Copy Now”

Regular Price $27.00

Today and always $27.00 [No Fake inflated price, no limited time offer here]

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   Wait a minute! There’s bonuses!

BONUS #1- GROWING TIPS ‘N TECHNIQUES GUIDE  

A complete but compact and concise guide you can print out and keep right there in your grow room. You’ll find yourself referring to this clever guide every day! It boils down the whole growing cycle and reminds you of steps you need to take at each stage of growth.

This bonus guide includes:

Nutrients: Quick mixing chart, proper ph and EC ranges, the super-simple 50% method, how to top up your reservoir, and when to mix a new batch of grow juice

Lighting: Which lamps for which gardens, how high to hang, when to switch bulbs, how long they last, and a concise lighting chart  

Planting Media: How and when to use the most popular hydroponics growing media: LECA, perlite, CocoCoir and Rockwool  

Seeds: The best way to start plants for from seed; plus a secret way to kick-start your garden and shave weeks off the growing time  

Vines: How to tie up your vining crops for maximum production

BONUS #2- SIMON’S WISDOM-

THE BEST OFs… GARDENING CHECKLIST… AND RESOURCES

Simon’s list of the best trays, best lights, best nutrients, all his best ofs… and where to get them.

A list of helpful hydro supplies for your new hobby… “must have”, “nice to have”, and “luxury items”.  

Gardening checklist… when to do what; daily, weekly and monthly.

Hydroponics resources guide. Useful books and magazines for your hydroponics library.

BONUS #3- AUTOPOT® FARM PLANS Build the ultimate lazy man’s  hydroponics garden! With AutoPots®, you truly can “set it and forget it”. We tell you how to create a big automated Autopot® farm with this bonus guide.

   Hydroponics How To:    Pssst! Check this out…

Would you like to see a sample of some of the pages in the book?

Here you go…

   If there was an easy way to get started,    would you try it?

The first thing you must do is plant the seed. Planting a seed is easy. But it is also crucial. Nothing happens until the seed is planted but once it is, a tiny speck turns into bountiful plants and vegetables.

You have a chance to plant a seed right now. This e-book is a seed that will help you grow and see your dreams germinate. You’ll be able to see them grow from an idea to a super-charged hydroponics garden.

You’ve seen how plants started in hydroponics can grow fast, big and in a small space. Get this e-book now and you will be planting a seed.

You’ve seen how a fresh vegetable garden can save you money every month. But only if you plant the first seed.

You seen the Table of Contents and how much information is inside those 320 pages.

This may be the most important seed you’ll ever plant. This seed will grow into a full-fledged hydroponic garden that will feed your family. Get this book now and you’ll plant that seed.

“Grab Your Copy Now”

Regular Price $27.00

Today and always $27.00 [No Fake inflated price, no limited time offer here]

ORDER NOW:

Have questions about the ebook? Ask them here. “Getting Started in Hydroponics” giant ebook is simply the best way to get you started in hydroponics for the least amount of money.

Order your ebook today; a pdf file for instant download and use. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the book, but we supply that for free if you don’t already have it on your computer. It is a quick and easy process.

“Grab Your Copy Now”

Regular Price $27.00

Today and always $27.00 [No Fake inflated price, no limited time offer here]

ORDER NOW:

No hidden charges!

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