I noticed your latest Kai art is tagged Kai Jiang and I've never heard that last name for him and Nya before. Is it a fan name I've never heard before, or did we finally get a cannon last name for them?

Also the art is amazing, as per usual for this blog

Heyo! Jiang is a fan name that I found through the post here: https://legogeek33.tumblr.com/post/677277018839269376/listen-the-only-reason-i-tag-anything-with-kai-or

I’ve seen it tagged in some other Ninjago posts as well. I took a liking to that last name for Nya and Kai, so I thought we could start using the tag.

Also, thanks! The compliment is appreciated :D

- Kass

I made this weeks ago but never actually posted it huh. For 2024 I have GOT to get better at finishing and sharing things, I swear like half of this never even made it to tumblr 😅

i am havibg. so much fun giving genshin characters modern outfits. what if i just did this for all the characters huh

Seventeen Fic Recs: Volume VIII

Indigo’s Note: Here’s round eight?? (how did I even get here? Omg) of my fic recs. As these fics may contain both SFW & NSFW elements, minors dni. Happy reading, and show these amazing authors some love!! Indigo's Note 2: I'm very sorry for the disproportionate number of fics for my bias line...I was in a bias-rot ig? I shall diversify my reads for the next round 💕

🍒 Cheol Drabble by @wonwoonlight (pg, fluff, minor angst) 🍒The Great War by @amourcheol (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🍒Just Friends by @lvscoups (18+, smut, fluff) 🍒Gamers Do It Better by @sluttyminghao (18+, smut) 🍒In This Life by @trblsvt (pg 15, fluff, angst) 🍒Cake in the Back by @toruro (18+, smut, fluff) 🍒Contusion Confusion by @seungkwansphd (18+, smut) 🍒11:42pm by @seokminkisser (18+, angst) 🍒Angel (or devil) by @amourcheol (18+, smut) 🍒You're Mine by @the-boy-meets-evil (18+, smut)

😇 Blame It On Me by @onlymingyus (18+, smut, fluff)

🦌 Late Night Confessions by @multiland (18+, smut, fluff) 🦌 Eyes Meeting, Hearts Apart by @lovelyhan (18+, smut, fluff, angst)

😼Shea Butter Baby! by @sunnylovespickles (18+, smut) 😼Anatomy Lesson by @rubyreduji (18+, smut) 😼Show Me What You Do by @onlyhuis (18+, smut)

🐯 Crazy, Stupid, Love by @toruro (18+, smut, fluff, minor angst) 🐯TILF by @cheolism (18+, smut)

🐱 Meet Cute of the Century by @lovelyhan (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🐱 Homewrecked (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🐱Gamers Do It Better by @sluttyminghao (18+, smut) 🐱Chase Me, Make Me Yours by @wonuhour (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🐱Pretend It's Someone You Care For by @beefboyandbabygirl (18+, smut, angst, fluff) 🐱Your Games Suck by @onlymingyus (18+ smut) 🐱Meant To Be Yours by @cheolhub (18+, smut, angst) 🐱Licentious by @wonusite (18+, smut) 🐱Marriage by @yikesmary (pg, fluff)

🍚 Girl Code by @beefboyandbabygirl (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🍚 Don't Sweat It by @miraclewoozi (18+, smut, fluff)

⚔️ I ❤️ DILFS by @beefboyandbabygirl (18+, smut, angst, fluff) ⚔️ Needy Seokmin Drabble by @seokgyuu (18+, smut)

🐶 Puppy Parents by @yikesmary (pg, fluff) 🐶Foolproof Stupidity by @shuarush (18+, smut, fluff, angst) 🐶Out of Love by @babyleostuff (pg 15, angst) 🐶FWB Drabble by @cheolhub (18+, smut, fluff) 🐶Eating in the Car by @roseandpeaches (18+, smut) 🐶Everlasting Love by @sluttyminghao (18+, smut, fluff) 🐶Pup Code by @beefboyandbabygirl (18+, smut, fluff) 🐶The Secrets Kept From Roommates by @cheolism (18+, smut, fluff) 🐶Things Mingyu Likes in Bed by @teasteeper (18+, smut) 🐶Evening Glow by @cheolhub (18+, smut, fluff)

🐸 The Letter by @toruro (18+, angst, fluff)

🍊Strip Tease Drabble by @love-strike (18+, smut)

🐢Jealous by @cheolism (18+, smut)

🦕 By The Pool by @sluttyminghao (18+, smut)

OT13

💎Here Comes the Sun by @seokgyuu (18+, smut, angst, fluff) 💎Challenge Me by @seokgyuu (18+, smut, fluff, angst)

For the beginners and champions of each sport (most specifically, Cole and Lucía, but it's open to all of them):

How well do you get along? Champions, have you given any advice to the beginners?

Cole: Me and Lucia? Oh yeah, we get along very well actually! Even though I’m not that good, she helps me practice a lot!

Lucia: Indeed! Practice is key, and I try to make him return harder shots by trying out different hitting techniques! Improvement is slow but… I’m sure he’ll get better while I do the Return Challenge with him!

(also gonna do for the others because it's a real interesting question XD also cool extra lore, coughs... all are under the cut since the post is kinda long ig)

Ryan: You’d be surprised that both me and Matt are on really good terms. Friends even, despite me sucking at both of his best sports.

Matt: I taught Ryan the rules for both Boxing and Swordplay, and let him practice with me in friendly matches. I trust him to be a really good referee, and in the meantime I get to teach him some of the best strategies for him to try. And most importantly: determination!

---

Miguel: Tommy? We don’t speak much, but I’m a big fan! I’m afraid I won’t be at his level in this sport, but perhaps while watching him and his team play our team might learn a trick or two…

Tommy: I guess I haven’t really approached Miguel much because I’m so focused on talking to Eva and Tyrone… However, if he needs advice, I’d say to not just work on the shooting, but the dribbling as well. Learn how to get close enough to the basket before the opponent snatches the ball, and you might get some easy hoops!

---

Naomi: Oh yeah, even though I’m not good in Cycling, I’m still good friends with Anna! We usually talk it out at lunch or something, she may be intimidating at first but she’s actually really nice!

Anna: Definitely! And my advice would simply be to go with the flow! I tend to like going on a nice bike ride with friends, so Naomi gets to join along when she can!

---

Hiroshi: In all honesty… none of us really want to interact much with Elisa and Sarah. I-I mean… look at them!

Shouta: We’re all a bit terrified of them, that’s for sure!

Sarah: I’ve told the players time and time again! Keep playing tennis and keep trying, that way you’ll get more confident! Ah… Elisa, any other advice you’d like to make?

Elisa: …………… keep practicing.

---

Elisa: Sakura? ………… she’s fine I guess…

Sakura: Oooh yes yes, I talked to Elisa a lot! I try to teach her different throws, batting skills, and running… Oh! But the best advice for her studious mind is to diversify her shots! But of course, all due in time, she needs to get the key components first! :3

A Letter Filled With Love and Appreciation

As some of you might know, I express my thoughts, feelings and emotions through writing and words. In fact, my number one love language is words of affirmation. I just think that little notes, messages and letters filled with love and positivity goes a long way. This is my fan-art (in a way) and nothing but love flows every time I write something about the people and things that I appreciate and love.

This whole post is a letter that is dedicated to one of the best fandoms that I have ever joined this year. That is none other than the TZP Squad. This might be lengthy, might not be, but one thing's for sure, I'm gonna be a little bit sentimental considering what they've got me feeling these past few days.

I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I think that giving thanks and being grateful knows no time and date. Since it's Thanksgiving season anyway, this will be my Thanksgiving gift to the lovely angels of the fandom who has been nothing but pleasant, accepting, warm and just some of the kindest folks that I have ever encountered online. Other than Taylor himself and some of my other favorite people, these folks are what keep me sticking around in the crazy and ever-evolving realm of social media.

So, without further ado, here's my letter of love and thanks to my dearest fandom, the TZP Squad.

To my dearest TZP Squad,

I would like to start the letter by telling you guys that the found family trope is one of my favorite tropes in books. Just the feeling of finding people outside your own bloodline that loves and appreciates you is a special feeling.

To me, a fandom is like a virtual family, where the members bond and share a mutual love for a specific person or a group of people. Nothing compares to the happiness and pride I feel being a part of one. I have been a part of several fandoms throughout the years, some are still active and some no longer. With every fandom I enter, I always make a promise to stay there for as long as I can unless my heart calls to another or I'm no longer interested in the content or there's too much controversy and negativity that I had to leave and just be a casual supporter instead of a die-hard fan.

The TZP Squad is a special one. What started with me casually replying and liking some posts on Twitter/X and IG turned into something special and meaningful. You guys are just some of the most pleasant, sweetest, kindest and most respectful bunch of people that I have ever encountered on social media. To be able to interact with you and share the mutual love for Taylor Zakhar Perez with you guys have been amazing so far.

The amount of creativity and artistry in this fandom is just overflowing. The edits and the artworks are just amazing and is deserving of so much appreciation. I have a few of my favorite accounts that I interact with on a daily basis but all of you honestly deserves lots of love and appreciation.

Since I live in the Philippines which is in Southeast Asia where it's night when it's day for some, if not most, of you guys, being able to wake up to your TZP-related updates, photos, videos, interview insights and edits is just some of my favorite things to wake up to. Like to be honest, I can't start my day without seeing and interacting a least a couple of posts from you guys.

That's quite the story time, I'll actually now get to the "Thanks-giving part" before I get carried away.

My dearest members of the TZP Squad, first and foremost, thank you for accepting a newbie like me into the fandom. This fandom is new on its own but I know some of you have known Taylor since his "The Kissing Booth" days. Thank you for the warmest and most pleasant welcome into the fandom. Do continue to be your pleasant and accepting souls so our little squad can continue to grow and diversify.

Secondly, thank you for letting me share my thoughts and feelings about Taylor without judgment. I do keep it wholesome and pretty tame most of the time by simply letting the all capital letters and emojis speak for me, but if you can see me behind the screen, I usually go pretty feral. Along with one of my best friends, you guys are the only ones who can fully understand my love for Taylor. Like I can go on and on about him for hours, I'm not kidding.

Thirdly, I thank you guys for simply being my little corner of paradise on the internet. I don't know what it is, but the TZP squad community is my favorite little corner in the messy space of social media. You guys just make my social media experience pleasant. There's no toxicity and negativity, everyone's like helping each other out. Like it's a little space of positivity and inclusivity and I love that so much.

Lastly, I really just want to thank you guys for the happiness and joy you bring to me. I consider Taylor as my sunshine, but you guys are the solar energy. The happiness that I feel increases when I see updates and content of him from you guys. I'm not on my phone 24/7 so I really appreciate it whenever you guys provide like little updates here and there about Taylor. Also, thank you for making me scream and go wild with the insane amount of photos (I don't really care if they're the same ones!) I see on my feed every day! I love you guys so much for that.

Before I end the letter, I would like to give a couple of shoutouts to some folks...

Firstly, shoutout to the folks who run @/InfoTZP and @/tzpsquads. You angels. You have been my go-to pages for TZP updates since the beginning of my TZP fan era. I appreciate the work and effort that you put into providing accurate updates and y'all are just some of the sweetest souls ever! The fandom and Taylor is lucky to have you guys! Extra shoutout to @/InfoTZP for that poster that you made me for my birthday a few days ago. I still cannot get over the cuteness and the sweetness of that gift. That was also the first time that I have ever received a gift from a fandom so I was really touched by it. Thank you for making my birthday extra special.

Secondly, to the folks over here on Tumblr, thank you for letting me express my Taylor-related thoughts on here. Thank you for liking them, reposting them and simply reading them. They can be lengthy (especially those fashion-related ones) but I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read them.

(He's not gonna read this, but who knows, he might!). Lastly, of course, to the person who is the reason this fandom even exists, Taylor Zakhar Perez. Taylor, my comforting sunshine, thank you for being you and for being the reason why I have a lovely fandom to belong in. Thank you for being an inspiration to many people and thank you for being a positive force that we can look up to. I am forever thankful to have discovered you and I promise to forever love and support you.

This is one of my many Taylor-related posts, but this is more about the fandom than Taylor himself. The fandom is just as special as Taylor and I'm excited to spend the future loving and supporting him with you guys. The TZP squad is one of the best fandoms with the sweetest people and I'm just having a pleasant ride with you guys. I'm here for the long run and I promise to stand by you Taylor and you guys until time tells me that it is already time to stop.

Happy Thanksgiving , everyone! Eat some turkey, eat some stuffing and cornbread. Celebrate and always be grateful for everything that you have!

All my love! 🧡

Clarissa

hi just wanted to yell about something i love and didn't really feel like screaming into the void-

DIVERSE GENDER EXPRESSION IN THAI BLS. I NEED MORE. like not gender identity so much, because i think thats a long time coming (but thank you daisy and june for paving the way for nb rep in bl), but like the way that our cis boys do gender. like my best examples are nuea, mon, and somewhat kaeng from y-destiny and kinn's best friend from kinnporche.

i call nuea, somewhat kaeng, and the bsf’s character portrayals examples of thotification, but what i mean is like the fishnet shirts, the high heels, the make-up, the massive fur coats, and... just the slinky, cat-like physicality of the characters all seem to signify a play-around with gender stereotypes and expression.

thotification is good in its own right (and by good i mean GOD-TIER) but with mon we get the other side of this: nalagifying. this is when a character is cute and sweet, but also femme in dress so i wouldn't call earth’s character in my only 12% nalagified, but he does come pretty close.

(yes i know i mentioned y-destiny multiple times but it does pretty well in diversifying the the gender expression of its characters)

now, both of these are pretty tame, in my opinion. but i think that in 2023 there will be more of thotificated and nalagified characters, and that means that we're half way to having full boys-in-skirts type shenanigans.

what i think we'll have to watch out for if this goes mainstream, is this becoming only applied to uke characters, or being played off as predatory if applied to a seme character. or worse still, played as a sign of weakness or caricatured.

im kinda disappointed in taiwan for not picking this shit up at least once, but it is what it is.

yeah, so if you know any characters who fuck around with gender expression outside of being a one time joke, that would be pretty sick.

thank you for letting me yell,

~linc

Enthusiastic yelling is a win. Would you put Jean from Coffee Melody in there too? Kpop influence a bit, perhaps?

Do you follow cooheart (smol Earth's) IG? It's a fucking blessing.

Shipper Tag Game

I was tagged by the lovely @tj-dragonblade , thank you!

What ship were you completely obsessed with as a teenager, but now you don’t care about anymore?

As a teenager... well, that was quite a while ago lol. I suppose that would have been Harry/Draco. First fandom, first queer pairing, first smut stories. I was such a sweet sweet summer child XD The early 00s were wild

Which ship would you consider your first one?

Soooo. Funny story. Way back when, I got into fanfiction via fanfiction.net. You know how their filter system is bad/non-existent? Yeah. Little me, on her first outing to ffnet, didn’t know how to operate the character settings. I clicked on the first story on the top of the first page of the HP section. It was a Snape/Hermione star-crossed lover deal. It flash-fried my brain, taught me content curation in a crash course and incidentially made me partial to the ship for quite a few years...

Your first fanfic was about which couple?

See above lol. I will never ever forget the experience. I tried to find that story later for downloading (like an ugly beloved keepsake ig lol) but never managed.

If you mean fanfic I've written: it was gen.

Do you remember the first couple you saw fan art of?

Kakashi/Obito

Have you ever gotten into ship discourse?

Nope. Scraped by a few times since I entered the tumblr bubble but managed to stay out of it. I don’t get the point. It's freaking fictional characters in fictional worlds. Go touch grass or something instead... (but you will make me fucking mad if you try to drag me into these things with wild ad hom accusations based on what i ship or dont ship)

Did you used to have a NOTP or have one currently?

No, not really. It's only ever preferences. There are some I dislike due to my own hc/inability to suspend my disbelief but I wouldn’t call them NOTPs. I just don’t read them.

Who were the last couple in the last fanfic you read?

Dreamling

Currently, do you have any OTPs?

I actually dislike the term OTP. It's a scale of preferences for me. There are few (read: none) fav characters that I can only see with one love interest (and anyway, sometimes i do prefer plot over love story. wild take i know) and the more time I spend in a fandom the more I diversify.

Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting into?

I don’t get this question, sorry. If I'm interested, I'll search it out. Even if the fandom is old. AO3 is an archive for exactly that reason.

Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they’re kind of interesting?

Not that I can think of, at the moment!

Do you have any ship that, in the past, would have been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

Probably? I'm not clear on what all one is getting cancelled over this week/month/year by which group of 'concerend bystanders'. I suppose I might get cancelled for the mentioned Hermione/Snape?

What is your favourite crack ship?

I'm so glad you asked. It's clearly Dream/Helm (thank you for that @writing-for-life ) Or Gollum/The One Ring (thanks go to Neil himself here). Or - actually, never mind lol.

What is the couple you read the most fanfics about?

At the moment it's Dreamling. But I cycle through fandoms/pairings periodically...(btw im looking for more Johanna/Death? If anyone could point me in the right direction?)

What do most of your ships have in common?

At least one character has a dark/unknown/violent/tragic past (they can be victim or perpetrator!!! I'm all for character development babey)

What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

I don’t hate ships? As I said above. Possibly the reduction on 'I can fix him/her' or 'my love will save him/her from depression/"the darkness"/etc.' but that is mostly a matter of the author's style of crafting characterization and plot and has nothing to do with the ship itself.

I'm tagging @bazzybelle , @seiya-starsniper , @writing-for-life if you want to or maybe just point me towards your post if you've done it already?

16, 31 and 39 for the ask game love xx

just realized i talk so much i'm sorry

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

i would say sirius, i feel like there are more possibilities with him, i mostly have ideas with him because he's my comfort character as someone who doesn't necessarily have a good relationship with their parents.

and i can see more angst fic with him so it's more diversified. and i also see a lot of cute fluff fic with him where he goes from cocky to flustered.

and if we talk about a ship, wolfstar. do i really need to say why?

31. Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

it depends on what, for ships obviously not, i take every liberty possible (as long as it's legal obv!!). but for timeline, name and objects etc, i like to match canon.

for example, i realised boys can't go to the girls' dorms in Gryffindor and i felt all the inaccuracies in my fics but for the sake of the fics i will not care and ignore this information.

and i also try to be as canon as possible so the readers are not coming out of the story (it's late i don't know how to say that in English sorry) and are not disturbed by any inaccuracy.

39. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

i did once and cried lol. i think what hurt most was that they were right. i mean my grammar was shit but the way they said it when i put it everywhere i try my best as someone whose English is not their mother language.

and i also barely had 40 followers so in my head the more followers i'd have, the most haters i'd get. which is false for me because i didn't get any hate since this.

But if we want to be positive, since then I've been using Grammarly because i can't see every mistake (i still try to verify everything) and the more i use it the less i need it, so it's good ig.

hi ophelia!!! i’ve been experimenting with my style recently and i adore the way you draw faces, do you have any tips for the way you draw them?? thank u!!!

Fist off thank you sm!!

And for the second part- You m ig ht ve heard this before but I think the best way to either change or just get better at drawings faces is to practice drawing real faces! Its pretty easy to get stuck in like- the exact same face shapes so referencing real people and diversifying the types of faces you draw is really good help! My favourite site for doing these types of things is https://line-of-action.com/ ! You can set a timer and you have to draw the face it gives in that set amount of time! I normally keep it short just cause I like sketching quickly but simplifying the face into easier shapes can help you adapt it into ur style

Another thing I keep in mind when drawing faces (especially fictional characters) is what kind of character they are, since that will determine what kind of shapes I mainly use for them (mainly for their face, eyes and a few other places) since you can convey a lot just through what shapes you choose for them!

Basically it's alot of referencing not only irl people, but also taking inspo from other artists/art styles I like! it's alot of trial and error and seeing what works for you and how you want ur art to look like

So for the two ask games: 3,12, 17, 21, 36, 49 for murderdock and 4, 9, 13, 23, 27, 31, 35, 44 for Gwen, then 🧭, ♻️, 🤔, ❤️!

I think I already answered all of those WIP asks (and honestly, I don't have that many going at a time) so I'll answer the character asks!

MURDERDOCK:

3. Obscure headcanon

The Hand tried to diversify their portfolio by breaking into the entertainment industry, starting in Japan with musical groups. Matt had a short-lived stint as a solo artist but the project was eventually scrapped. He still misses it sometimes. Nobody knows about this until Foggy finds a beat up CD case in used music store one day and spends a full minute gawking at the familiar brooding face on the cover.

12. Crack headcanon

I just think it would be funny if he was a vegetarian. I don't even know that I consider this a headcanon, it would just be funny if the guy going around murdering people with his sword cane ate a lot of tofu.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them

I've made a few playlists over the years, but a song I haven't had a chance to put on one yet is "Promiseland" by Mika

21. Drink of choice (not just alcoholic)

Robbi Rodriguez has art of him with a martini glass on his IG and I decided it was an appletini not because he likes the flavor but because he's committed to the bit. In the privacy of his own home, I see him as an unsweetened hot green tea kind of guy

36. Their favorite season

Winter. There's less people around, the snow helps muffle the sound and things smell less when they're cold.

49. Favorite toy as a child

Gwen Stacy (65 I presume)

4. Favorite line

"But if the only way I can help is with my fists -- then I've already lost. I have to try a different way. I have to know I tried."

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character

I read Spider-Verse before it was cool (JKJK I mean before the first movie because I was deep in my Spider-Man era) and there's a part in the story where a lot of the main Spider-People split up into pairs to go and visit other universes to recruit more heroes/ ward off the Inheritors etc. Gwen ends up in a world where Peter Parker has become the Goblin, going down a path not too dissimilar from her own Peter's. This Peter also ends up dying in her arms, but she shows a great deal of compassion and understanding towards him and I think that was the moment that really made me want to check out her series. (Which had been written at the time I read that comic, but didn't exist when it had been written, which I think speaks to how good of a job that one scene did at developing a character who had literally just been invented.)

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done

Not dumbest in that it was a conscious decision she made, but her complete misreading of the emotions of her friends (Peter's obvious crush on her, MJ's annoyance at Gwen's missing Peter's crush on her, MJ's jealousy and motivation for creating the band in general) sort of stretches the limit of general obliviousness, especially since she CAN read people when she's trying to.

23. If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like?

Backstage sweat and like... raspberry body spray from the drugstore

27. Their guilty pleasure

I'm low-key obsessed with Dollar Dog and I love that for Gwen. I wouldn't say she felt guilty about it before it became a hipster nightclub but she sure does now. I hope it fell out of fashion and Mr. Alby got to run it again.

31. If the had a tumblr what would it look like?

She stayed up late one night picking out some cool colors, hot pink, purple, something very chillwave, and like a very heavily filtered landscape photo of the city to go at the top- she posted semi-regularly for a month and a half and then forgot about it.

35. Their idea of a perfect day

She gets to sleep through most of it, but wakes up and finds out that her dad has invited her over for brunch and she's got time to make it and pick up juice on the way.

44. Their happiest memory

Probably something like a middle school holiday spent with her parents and the Parker family. Before things got complicated. She understands now that the roots of her larger problems were always there, but she can appreciate the comfort her innocence afforded her back then.

Pamela lost 132 pounds

New Post has been published on https://eazydiet.net/pamela-lost-132-pounds/

Pamela lost 132 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Pamela lost 132 pounds. Her journey began in 2018 when she was facing several health challenges. With guidance from her coach, she embraced a holistic approach that focused on various aspects of her lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hydration.

Social Media: Instagram: @pamgorham FB: www.facebook.com/pam.gorham Pamela’s Coach – IG: @brooktreeconsulting FB: www.facebook.com/brooktreeconsulting

What was your motivation? What inspired you to keep going, even when you wanted to give up? The increasing health challenges, especially the consistent weight gain despite my efforts, were a significant motivation. I was diagnosed with conditions like severe osteoarthritis in both knees, moderate sleep apnea, and pre-diabetes. These health issues, combined with the pain and difficulty in walking and climbing stairs, served as a wake-up call.

My self-worth took a hit with my increasing weight, and this was a driving factor in my desire to make a change.

Once she started working with Kurt (@brooktreeconsulting), I began to see improvements in my health, which provided continuous encouragement. The combined focus on sleep, hydration, movement, nutrition, and exercise led to me feeling better, losing weight, and getting out of the pre-diabetic and obese range.

Having a professional like Kurt, who introduced me to a sustainable lifestyle change and provided a structured approach, played a crucial role. This structure and support acted as a safety net during challenging times.

Seeing the results of Kurt’s work on other clients served as a visual testament to the program’s efficacy, which can be highly motivating.

While my family initially didn’t understand some of my choices, their eventual respect and support for my journey provided a significant emotional boost.

In essence, the combination of health concerns, a deep desire for change, professional guidance, positive results, and internal and external support systems kept me inspired and prevented me from giving up.

How did you change your eating habits? I used to have this routine of going to Bojangles for their chicken dinner with French fries and lemonade, followed by a large slice of cake from Nantucket. I stopped consuming that and all of those high-calorie, less nutritious foods.

When I went out for family gatherings, I refrained from eating restaurant food and chose to bring my own prepared meals instead.

My coach, Kurt, introduced me to different spices and ways to eat healthily, which helped me diversify my diet with various flavors and nutritious ingredients.

I learned it was very important to have prepared meals and a schedule to eat those meals, so I started meal planning and preparing in advance, ensuring I always had nutritious options available.

I worked closely with my coach and adhered to the meal plans he provided, which emphasized balanced and healthy choices.

Beyond just what I ate, when I ate also became important. Sticking to a consistent meal schedule helped me to stay on track and made it easier to avoid unplanned or unhealthy snacking.

I developed an awareness of my emotional relationship with food. Recognizing stress-induced cravings and contrasting them with actual hunger helped me achieve a deeper level of mindfulness about my food choices.

In summary, I made a significant shift from unhealthy comfort foods to a more structured, nutritious, and home-cooked diet. Under Kurt’s guidance, I adopted a holistic approach that included a combination of proper nutrition, meal planning, and a consistent eating schedule.

What is your workout routine? How often did you work out? My health has improved, and my right knee has been replaced. I weight train five days a week and do some type of cardio daily.

What was your starting weight? What is your current weight? How tall are you? My weight was as high as 250 pounds. I am currently at 118 lbs. I’m 5’1″ (really 5′.08″)

When did you start your journey? How long did your transformation take? I started this journey in late May 2018, and it took me 18 months to reach an optimal weight of 125lbs. However, my body composition wasn’t ideal. I continue to work on increasing lean muscle mass.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned so far? The biggest lesson I have learned is the importance of a holistic approach to health, encompassing multiple aspects of well-being, such as sleeping, hydration, movement, nutrition, and exercise. I realized that focusing solely on one aspect, like only dieting or only exercising, wasn’t effective for me in the long term.

I learned that being persistent and committed, and I realized that it’s never too late to make positive changes. It’s very important to focus on the journey and enjoy the process rather than being solely outcome-oriented. My experiences taught me that getting professional help can be invaluable, and it’s essential to drop pride and recognize when assistance is required. I believe that investing in your health upfront can save on the costs, both emotional and financial, of being sick in the long run.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight? 1. Focus on the Journey: Emphasize the importance of enjoying the process and the journey rather than strictly focusing on the end goal or outcome.

2. Seek Professional Help: Recognize when you need assistance, and don’t be afraid to seek help. If you’ve tried over and over again ‘to do it by yourself’, recognize that you just may need some help.

3. Holistic Approach: It’s essential to adopt a holistic approach to health, considering all aspects like sleep, hydration, nutrition, movement, and exercise. You can’t rely solely on dieting or exercising; it has to be a comprehensive strategy.

4. Commitment to Lifestyle Change: It’s not about short-term diets or fads but making a lifestyle change that is sustainable for the long term.

5. Cook at Home: I found value in cooking at home, experimenting with different spices, and discovering ways to make healthy meals that are also flavorful.

6. Consistency: Consistency is key, whether it’s maintaining a sleep schedule, eating habits, or workout routines.

7. Drop the Pride: It’s essential to admit when you need assistance and not let pride prevent you from getting the help you need.

8. Prioritize Health Over Cost: Investing in your health is crucial. Being sick can be costlier in the long run, not just financially but emotionally and physically as well.

9. Believe in Yourself: Understand that as long as you’re alive, it’s never too late to make positive changes and live a healthier lifestyle.

In summary, It’s about a holistic and sustainable approach to health, recognizing when to seek help and the importance of consistency and commitment.

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Im very saddened by how many of my BSF larvae are dying. I think its bc im overwatering my containers and theres not enough airflow in the substrate (which is compressing and getting matted from the moisture and heat) so theyre suffocating and overheating. Ive been sifting out by hand so many dead ones and its gross and disturbing a little; seeing how theyve been suffering abd deformed when they were once thriving. Yesterday I saw one imago fly crawl desperately and pitifully out some of the substrate i picked out and it was so deformed and sickly. Gave me a shudder tbh (i put it out its misery and killed it).

Im saddened but i think this is a good learning lesson for how to curate better environments for the BSF larvae (which i do care abt v much beyond what they do for me in my composting project). Things I think ive been doing wrong include:

Not aerating the buckets enough

Not aerating the buckets/containers passively enough - with filters and pipes instead of constantly shifting and rolling the buckets

Not adding dry and wet material in layers - i got a bit selfish and mixed the dry material thruout the buckets instead of just on top of existing substrate in layers bc i wanted to clearly see the larvae eat food (i find it v cute and relaxing to watch). This was devistating for them bc of how much the paper trapped water and heat in the buckets, and probably gave the larvae more difficulty navigating thru the strings toward air and food.

Not using varied enough dry material - i used too much paper, which absorbs water well, but then matts up pretty substantially when oversaturated; also not enough larger, different pieces of dry material, which would help create air pockets in the soil and diversify material in the soil

Not having a good enough set up for the darker, mature larvae to migrate from the buckets and pupate - ive found a lot of these darker larvae dead bc they've either succumbed to poor conditions of the containers or have spent their last energy reserves on trying to get away from the younger larvae and migrate to a dark, cool place; this saddens me the most bc they were so close to their imago form and being free from the buckets to complete their life cycle :-(

Adding too much water - makes the enclosed buckets/containers more likely to trap heat by compressing the substrate

Adding too little substrate - at one point i figured, naïvely, that some buckets—before i switched to large containers—could stay cool if there were less substrate to trap heat. Ig it would have worked had the buckets not been in the sun lol

Keeping the containers in the sun - containters get too hot and so does the substrate, suffocating the larvae, proliferating mold, and probably making the conditions harsher for other variety of creatures; the amount of sun they get is only ever about 2 or 3 hrs worth in the morning and ive kept them in the sun last yr w little to no problem, but when i went to sift the material for completed bits, i noticed the buckets were extremely hot on some days especially in the bmiddle of the buckets. Its generally recommended to keep compost cool in the shade anyway to make it easier to work on and also maintain its internal tempurature better (bc the movement of the larvae, the fermenting of their feces, and other factors cain contribute to heat production).

Adding too much meat, bread and starchy foods, like potatoes, into the containers (particularly at the bottom, where the former rots poorly and creates sticky muck-balls that houseflies and their larvae fancy more, and the latter 2 which attracts lots of mold if theyre not eaten in time) - BSF larvae will eat practically anything organic, even if theres a bit of mold on it, so its why i feed them meat, but they seem to only do so successfully when its at the top of the container, and ofc when the containers conditions are comfortable for browsing and eating)

Sadly im dealing w a loss of a substantial portion of quality of my compost. Even though ive nearly completely filled an entire several gallon bucket full of mature compost (that i siftef from my progress containers), the substrate i have left is a lot and very unfinished. The only positives i got out of this mass death so early into this season are bitter learning lessons and less worry abt winterizing the buckets for the larvae's survival (morbid, i know lol).

But nicely enough, adult BSFs still come to visit my buckets (and land on me lol) and lay their eggs. Sunny summer season wont be over for another at least 3-4 months here, so im not losing hope. Even the death of the larvae has attracted to much life to the buckets (housefly larvae love the gross bits the BSF larvae didnt eat, and many little bettles and other creatures are abound).

Tee Grizzley Is Getting Big Bucks From Gaming

Tee Grizzley has been making headlines lately for his private Grand Theft Auto Online server. Grizzley Gang Gaming is receiving a surge in attention but has been on a consistent rise since it's launch. The rapper's private server is called is a virtual hub where players engage in Grand Theft Auto Role Play. The Detroit-based artist has hosted several major streamers in gaming; as well as fellow rappers. The streams are a semi-scripted storyline format that simulates life in the trenches without the risk. “I created a Grand Theft Auto server called Grizzley World. It represents the trenches. (Grizzley World) let's you be in the streets without being in the streets" stated Grizzley in a recent interview.   The Official Grizzley Gang YouTube page is just under 500,000 subscribers and recently signed a lucrative deal with lifestyle gaming brand XSET in April. https://youtu.be/Fra7FPOBdwA   Grizzley Gang Joins XSET In April 2022, Tee Grizzley signed a deal with premiere lifestlye gaming brand XSET. XSET is an organization that specializes in providing a second chance for ex-convicts through online gaming. PR Newswire Quote From XSET CBDO and co-founder Clinton Sparks: "XSET is about pushing boundaries and redefining the world of gaming. We are excited to welcome Tee Grizzley to the set to help give a second chance to those who need one, as well as continuing to introduce gaming to those unfamiliar with the opportunities it provides. XSET is building the worlds greatest culture club and Tee with his music, gaming and entrepreneurial spirit is an amazing representation of what that means." The partnership will allow Tee Grizzley to expand the subscription-based Grizzley World to the next level. "I'm excited to join XSET and take Grizzley Gang Gaming to the next level. I've always loved gaming for fun, but now it's so much more than that. I've seen how this industry can really change lives and I can't wait to provide more opportunities for people who have faced similar challenges and adversities as I have", stated Grizzley according to PR Newswire. Million Dollaz Worth Of Game Podcast Interview https://youtu.be/QyiBHASDW24 During a recent interview with Wallo and Gillie The Kid, the "First Day Out" creator elaborated on thelucrative business of video game streaming and how he monetized his platform: “I get paid from the server because it's membership-based and we have nearly 90,000 members. I stream it on Twitch and get paid from them. Then I take the Twitch videos I streamed and put them on YouTubeto get paid on there too. Plus, there are sponsorships, ads, and all this s**t (to) get paid from too”, Tee told the hosts. Additionally, he revealed that other members on the Grizzley World server get paid for playing also. This is a major step for diversifying the landscape of video game streaming. Video game streaming and hip hop may seem like an odd pairing, but this isn't a new trend. Pro gamer Ninja has played Fortnite with Drake, which Drizzy used as promo for "God's Plan". Meanwhile, polarizing streamer Adin Ross has hosted Polo G, Blueface, Lil Yachty and many more. Hip Hop's influence continues to innovate across mediums. Malcolm “Laidback Mack” Morrow | IG: @mack_stay_manifesting | FB: The Hood Hippie MS | Twitter: @_laidbackmack_ Related Articles: Half Tee, Half Beast Mixtape: https://fmhiphop.com/tee-grizzley-releases-new-mixtape-half-tee-half-beast/ Guapdad4000 Short Film On Amazon Prime: https://fmhiphop.com/guap-stars-in-short-film-stoop-kid/         Read the full article

I really enjoyed reading your insights about Pato's social media presence ☺️ That being said, which driver (or drivers) on the F1 grid do you think has the best social media game?

Ooh this is a really good question and I want to disclaim that this is my opinion and not like the be all, end all of it (so feel free to present your case to me if I don't mention who you think is the best).

The two I'm crowning the best (pls feel free to argue with me).

Lewis Hamilton -- I mean, numbers don't lie. But I think he's exceptionally good at IG in particular. He's really good at diversifying his content, always with a little bit of everything and I just appreciate that. And I feel certain he runs his dog's IG so points for that

Lando Norris -- I think Lando has backed off social media as time has gone on but I still count him as having very good social media game. Above all else, Lando does a really good job being relatable (or as relatable as he possibly can be). And he just seems to be more online than most of the drivers so I think there is a savviness that comes with that.

So yeah, those two are who I look to as being the best at the social media game on the current grid.

Thoughts? Am I totally off base? Let me know

Uhhhh why is the female LI in Tiamat's Flower black?

No why is literally all of the female LIs black recently?

Every single book since SoL had a woc female LI (except GC ig) while most (or sometimes all) of the men were white.

Just look at HoT, the men are white while both of the female LIs are woc.

Oh and let's not forget about Rott, aka the whitest book in existence. They suddenly introduce a new female romance option and it just so happens to be a black girl?!

I really hope there's no malicious reason behind this because it's really strange how RC's idea of diversity is to throw in a woman of color in a sea of white men and then proceeded to treat her like trash while the white men get all the love and attention.

This made some points, and on the baser level I agree. I think, to appeal to a wider audience outside of Russia, RC is semi-concious that they have to make some changes to their newer books.

Not to be skeptical, but often it seems like RC is trying to fill some "quotas" (a person of color, a woman, etc.) and to make things easier they lump all the diversity points into the female LI, so they won't need to change their (usually more popular) main white male LIs.

On one hand, RC gives us more female LIs of color than the other games I know and play, but I hate for the above to be the reason why. In other games, I've never been a fan of race-customizable LIs cause they feel empty and gimmicky. Honestly all these games just need to diversify their LIs equally and on purpose (no customizable white-coded LIs, no token "diverse" female LIs). I haven't even talked about the lack of female LIs in RC (on average, 3:1 ratio male to female) and how little screentime they have.

I don't know how to close this answer. I guess while RC has a lot of good aspects, we should not be afraid to be critical of where they are lacking.