#this took an additional 8 hours on top of the 2 hours for the first version of the edit | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

minuy600 · 6 months

Text

The 70s Wrap Up FINALE: Almost All Arcade Game Tier List

Never thought I had it in me. Woooo. Here we go, it's the farewell to a decade of technological growth, from when games were just a dot and some rectangles to full color displays with clear objectives.

I enjoyed the trip, but am also very grateful I can put it behind me. The 80s have significantly more deeper titles and a lot more to write about than the likes of Galaxian and Space Invaders do. Obviously helped by launch of the Famicom & NES, the Master System, the Atari 7800 and even the Mega Drive and Game Boy at the tail end of it all.

As one last look back, it's time to rank 'em all once more. No Atari Football and Fire Truck unfortunately, for reasons stated earlier. One day...

Considering the swaths of quality the arcade had at this point when compared to the Atari 2600 (and company), the structure has changed to lack an F tier, and instead have an S tier at the top. Thankfully we didn't have some extreme stinkers... but believe me, they are comin'. You'll see when the density of the release schedule increases.

D Tier

#21 Sprint 8 (16/40)

Despite the addition of color and the 8 player multiplayer, this is actually less enjoyable than Sprint 2 was. Whatever they did to the controls didn't work out in their favor. The blown up graphics look exactly as described. Lastly, they got rid of the scoring system that made the singleplayer worth a damn. If you get stupid lucky with your friend group, this could fare a little better, however. Hence why I won't call it genuinely awful.

#20 Sprint 2 (22/40)

One of the earliest examples of an overhead racer. Painfully mid. What I do like is the 12 different tracks included, means you can compete for best times for a respectable amount of time. Got obsoleted extremely quickly by Atari itself, though it did surprisingly well in American arcades.

#19 Avalanche (19/40)

Kaboom before Kaboom. It ain't that great, but that's my opinion about Kaboom too. The sound effects are pretty grating, in addition to this game suffering from the Breakout issue where you can lose far too quickly if you haven't mastered the controls. A forgettable high score chaser.

#18 Sky Diver (19/40)

The worst sounds known to man, combined with alright gameplay. Seeking out the full 'Skydiver' word, while pointless, does give an incentive to land 8 times I s'pose. The wind factor helps the replayability a tiny bit. On the verge of a C, i'd say.

C Tier

#17 Atari Baseball (22/40)

The praise I had for Atari Basketball cannot quite be replicated here. It does a better job than Home Run to replicate America's pastime, however they actually made it a bit too slow and repetitive for it to be properly enjoyable. The visuals stink too- the nice UI notwithstanding.

#16 Pool Shark (23/40)

Completely average, typical Kee Games affair which tries to replicate the game of pool in the year of our lord 1977. They almost succeeded. The Atari Flashback Classics achievement made the building of muscle memory a fair distraction. I'm pretty sure I am technically one of the best players of the world according to it's rankings now!

#15 Dominos (24/40)

Got a soft spot for this one. The game is abysmally slight, only being exactly like a shortened round of Surround, a game you can easily play at home. On the flip side however, the sounds are GODLIKE for no reason at all. How they did it with the typical Kee Games flair is beyond me.

#14 Canyon Bomber (24/40)

The first of the duo of games that involve dropping bombs out of the sky for shits and giggles. This one has the gimmick of gravity actually being a thing and allowing the numbered rocks (I think) to drop down to the floor. Aiming precisely and going for the higher numbers is alright enough. Took a couple hours for me.

#13 Destroyer (24/40)

And there's the other half. With an overlay on, this has some of the prettiest visuals i've seen as of now. As far as the game plays, it adds a little more to the table since you have to properly aim to blow up your enemies. I like it a little less than Canyon Bomber, however the aforementioned positives let it shine a touch brighter as a whole product.

B Tier

#12 Atari Basketball (26/40)

An improvement over the Atari 2600 title, in all aspects. I mean, duh, but i'm surprised how far they took that. Visually one of the most realistic titles so far, and gameplay-wise it adds a layer of complexity and snappiness to the experience. Having an actual crowd noise is the cherry on top. A good early sports title.

#11 Breakout (23/40)

In 1976, having a high score to chase and a decent dash of color was a big deal, and we HAVE seen some good games based around this one. With a regular controller however, which is the most likely way you're gonna be playing it, it's easily the least functional and forgiving of this genre. Constantly losing directly after starting and having sincere trouble to reach the top of the playing field isn't fun at all. Still, very innovative for the era.

#10 Lunar Lander (25/40)

Another milestone, it's the game that plays differently depending on the settings. You can make it pretty hard for yourself in there by constantly having to fight your spacecraft *and* gravity. Doesn't have a long lasting appeal. Perfect as a tech demo you try in the arcade once or twice. No McDonald's easter egg is a big loss.

#9 Super Breakout (26/40)

Of course Super Breakout's gotta go above regular Breakout. This one has 3 modes and slightly more forgiving gameplay in 2 of those. I can at least say I found it easier not to hate playing this over it's predecessor. It does lose some of the pre-microprocessor charm in the audiovisuals, though.

#8 Super Bug (28/40)

The shifter controls are fun as sh*t to learn as they aren't super difficult while you get gradually faster across it's 2 tracks. Setting up personal goals for this one was a hoot, too. You know what? It's an underrated jolly time. I'll vouch for it any day. If it had more replay value, it would have been an easy A tier.

#7 Lunar Rescue (28/40)

Would've expected a touch more from Taito at this point. It's a bit more on the shallow side than I would have expected in late 1979 from a company this influential. Don't take this as me saying I didn't enjoy it while it lasted, but seeing the Space Invaders show up twice kinda makes me think they knew it wasn't gonna be as hard a hitter... Hey, at least the little guys falling into nothingness is hilarious.

#6 Asteroids (28/40)

Jack of all trades, master of none. According to ME at least. It's made out of a scrapheap combination of Space War, Space Invaders and even Computer Space, which made it transform into a verrrry competent game. Shooting your laser is just all around solid. Nothing more. For that, it would've needed more meat on it's bones. So many games peak at level 4 and this is no exception.

A Tier

#5 Pong (31/40)

THE way to kick off gaming right. Computer Space was the first proper arcade release, but it was too complex to make heads or tails from back then. This, however, was something everyone understood, with a ridiculous amount of people flocking to try it out. Still remained relevant for a while as a small burst of competitive play.

#4 Galaxian (32/40)

A bit stiff to play and doesn't vary it up enough in the later rounds. That's all the negatives though. This is the best looking game by a WIDE margin due to it's extremely appealing popping colors. Considering they had only created Gee Bee and Bomb Bee before then (they did publish for Atari in Japan for a bit), that's a brutally impressive accomplishment. I still think arcade goers would easily be lured in by this cabinet 44 years later.

S Tier

#3 Space Invaders (34/40)

The first real video game characters. The first game that could go on forever rather than hitting a kill screen. The game that started a revolution in Japan and had serious traction in the USA too. The first game to have a strategy guide release for it. So many goddamn clones and follow ups on this exact hardware. Need I say more?

#2 Cutie Q (33/40)

Namco made a Breakout/pinball trilogy and RAN with it, man. Each game is more perfected and polished than the last, ending with the peak that is Cutie Q. Obscure and underrated despite being made in part by Pac-creator Toru Iwatani himself. You can tell with how much charm this one brings to the table. I doubt paddle-less brick destroying action will be as fun ever again.

#1 Space Invaders Part II (34/40)

Better Space Invaders. A stronger challenge via some extra variables, your name appearing on the high score. The quirky little cutscene. Etc. Etc. What has been said about Space Invaders can also be applied here. Doesn't matter what version you play, you'll at least have a blast from a historical perspective.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I got some ghosts to chomp and missiles to direct... Gimme a few more days!

#retro gaming #minuy600 #review #sona #arcade #minuy's big game catalog #1977 #1978 #1979 #atari #taito #kee games #namco

4 notes · View notes

askseriousrainbow · 1 year

Text

The second half of the Top 100! We're getting close to number 1. This is numbers 50-41.

Link to part 1. Link to part 2. Link to part 3. Link to part 4. Link to part 5. Link to part 7. Link to part 8. Link to part 9. Link to part 10.

50. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge

Beat-em-ups are fun, and this one is one of the best, in my opinion. The game has 6-player co-op, 7 playable characters, and many levels of pure beat-em-up bliss. I've enjoyed my time with it, and the story is great. Not to mention, the OG Turtle voices are great.

49. The Plutonia Experiment

Yes. Just Plutonia on its own. TNT: Evilution is boring. Plutonia got Dario Casali a job at Valve. Sure, it's harder than DOOM II, but I do love the little tricks it uses, which for the most part work better than DOOM II's tricks. But it's lower because there is a barrier to entry. (TWO Arch-Viles in the first friggin' map? On HURT ME PLENTY?!) It's infamous for Go 2 It, though. Good luck, Doom Slayer, you'll need it.

48. Team Fortress 2

Alright. I was originally considering this to be in the top 10 because of how many hours played and friendships were made because of TF2, but I can't justify it in this list. I still love TF2 and it's my second-most played game on Steam, but I don't play it often these days.

47. Hitman Blood Money

Agent 47's fourth outing is easily one of his best, and has been the inspiration for the style of the World of Assassination trilogy among other things. The stealth is fantastic and even though you shouldn't go for combat, it's not bad. The way to make things look like an accident greatly vary the game.

46. Serious Sam 3: BFE

I love Serious Sam 3, it's the game that introduced the Devastator weapon to the Serious Sam arsenal. While the return to Egypt can be disappointing for some, but I actually enjoy it. I usually have my game put on “Vivid” color mode. The boss battle at the end of the game is enjoyable as well. JETPACK!

45. Deus Ex

You know that gag that says every time you mention Deus Ex, someone reinstalls it? It's totally true. Deus Ex is a game of choices, you can choose to be pacifist or go in guns blazing, and you really don't know who to trust. It's a creative thriller and it's one of the best.

44. Crazy Taxi

YA YA YA YA YA! Crazy Taxi is just one of those arcade games that's just fun. It's you, your cab, your fares, and a big open map. You're encouraged to drive recklessly, but still not run into things, to raise your fare.

43. You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream

The third version of YDKJ in the modern era, Full Stream fixes what was wrong with YDKJ 2015, makes it more accessible to people, makes Screws feel more important, remakes the Jack Attack to fit with the “device as controllers” mechanic, and just feels like a tighter YDKJ game.

42. SimCity 3000 Unlimited

I like 3000 more than 2000, because its advisors are actually characters that guide you into the right way of governing your city, the addition of garbage and neighbor deals, the refinement of how to build zones, the addition of farms, just EVERYTHING. I built more successful cities in 3000 than in 2000, so I think that has something to do with it.

41. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

More than just “Civilization IN SPACE!”, Alpha Centauri took the Civ formula, tweaked it, added some hard science-fiction, created diverse factions with different goals, made it plausible, and just went to town. This is how you create a spiritual successor to a game.

Look forward to part 7! :D

Link to part 1. Link to part 2. Link to part 3. Link to part 4. Link to part 5. Link to part 7. Link to part 8. Link to part 9. Link to part 10.

#Ask Serious Rainbow #AskSeriousRainbow #Top 100 #Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge #The Plutonia Experiment #Team Fortress 2 #Hitman Blood Money #Serious Sam 3: BFE #Deus Ex #Crazy Taxi #You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream #SimCity 3000 Unlimited #Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

9 notes · View notes

thanakite · 2 years

Text

I'm posting this information separate from the rant I just went on so hopefully this data gets out there

In 2021, Netflix (US) had over 6,000 titles in their library. If I am generous with my numbers let's say 4,000 are movies and set every runtime as 1hr. 45min. And then assume that the 2,000 TV shows are all single seasons with 10, hour long episodes each

That is 27,000 hours of content on Netflix alone

That is is 3 years, 4 weeks, and 2 days of straight content on 1 single service alone (math was done through a time calculator on calculatorsoup.com)

That is insane

If I was even more generous to Netflix and kept that the shows were all 1 season with 10, 1 hour long episodes, but made only 1,000 of the 6,000 listed titles TV shows and lowered movie runtimes to 1hr. 30min. It would still be 17500 total hours of content, equal to 1 year, 11 months, 4 weeks, 1 day, and 4 hours of straight content

To add some further prospective on this, I'm going to use Critical Role. Critical Role is not on Netflix, is technically an individual show and thus would completely add to the above data with no overlap (so like if I took the number of titles on the other streaming services and did what I did above and just added to that number, it would be difficult to account for duplicate titles within them, Critical Role is just a single show that would add time to how much content you could watch before having no choice but to watch something new, and would show the extreme saturation in the market for movies and TV shows that proves Netflix doesn't need to be cranking out so much content)

According to what I can pull up from critrolestats.com they have the runtimes for the Core series, core series+other, list the times separated for Tal'Dorei, Wildemount, Marquet, ExU, and one shots that are further broken down into gameplay time, and time for the 1st and 2nd half. I will simply use the Gameplay time but will give both core alone and core+other

The Core Series Gameplay time is 945 hours, 52 minutes, and 39 seconds

The Core Series + Other Gameplay time is 1138 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds

For those of you who don't know about Critical Role, the information you need for this is that they release episodes that are generally 4+ hours long, they have had 3 campaigns on top of spinoffs and such, typically there are 3 episodes released a month (On Thursdays). It is a massive undertaking to go through and watch (or, heaven forbid, rewatch)

With these numbers I can determine that Critical Role would provide 39 days, 9 hours, 52 minutes, and 39 seconds of straight content from the core series alone

The Core Series + Other would provide 47 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes, and 25 seconds of straight content

That is so much content from 1 single additional show, but let's also take this one final step further. For this part I will only use the hours and will round down no matter what so it remains underestimated not overestimate. People talk about Critical Role being prohibitively long, but Critical Role's is the equivalent of about 3.5-4.2% of the length of the total amount of content on Netflix from the first generous data set and still only about 5.4-6.5% of the total amount of content available on Netflix

These numbers appall me and I am going to take it a step further AGAIN. Let's say you work a full-time (9 hour days (Includes 1 hour lunches), 5 days a week) job. I will be generous and say you live close to work and thus have no commute factored in but will not say you watch TV during your lunch or before work at all. I will be generous again and say you only sleep 6 hours a night and that eating, personal care, etc that can't be/isn't done while at work or sleeping takes up 1 hour of time hour of time, during which TV also isn't watched. That leaves 8 hours a day 5 days a week you could be watching TV, with an additional (for the weekends I will say you sleep 7 hours, have 2 hours of other time you are not watching TV during) 30 hours of TV time on the weekend, for a total of 70 hours of TV a week

That would mean it would take you over 385 weeks (Over 7 years) to finish all of Netflix's content under the first conditions and still 250 weeks (Over 4 years) under the second set of conditions

I watch way more TV than most people since I'm disabled and home all day. If I was a bit overly generous let's say I watch TV 13 hours a day, which is 91 hours of TV a week, it would still take me over 296 weeks (Over 5 years) with the first set or 192 weeks (Over 3 years) to watch all of Netflix's content without repeats

That is 1 service and is incredibly generous with the numbers. Other services along with normal movies and TV shows not on a streaming service would only bring these numbers up even higher

That is too much content

The entertainment industry is becoming bloated with content (a lot of it being poor to medium quality) because they've completely lost touch with their point. It has become a cash grab instead of listening to audiences and consumers and creating content that people believe in and/or enjoy. The plot has been both literally and figuratively lost as Netflix and other companies continue to throw shit at us (most of which we either don't care about or was poorly done or doesn't actually work/make sense) and expect us to thank them and ask for more when the reality is we are begging them to stop

#Netflix #data #streaming #streaming services

27 notes · View notes

annepsilvaauthor · 1 year

Text

Fighter Weapons — Chapter 9

Pairing(s): Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x OC (Claire Mitchell) / Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

Summary: An untold story. A series that shows what happened during the Top Gun of our beloved pilots of Top Gun: Maverick.

Warnings: Subtle sexual innuendos, brief language, alcohol consumption, angst, smut, fluffy.

Word Count: 3.869

The darlings who don't want to miss any updates ↪️ @missathlete31 @togetherisawonderfulplacetobe @switch3rr @na0my @aprilwithapricots @goldenloverschild @rightwhereiwantyou @jackiequick @oliviah-25 @bellyliveslife @anerdquemoraaolado @callsign-barbell @struggling-with-space

ғɪɢʜᴛᴇʀᴛᴏᴡɴ, ᴜsᴀ

Phoenix slipped on her running shoes as she watched Storm sleep. She remembered the times during the Naval Academy, when almost every night Storm would get drunk and dance on the bar tables and the next day she would be in an ogre mood. Lucky that last night, her friend didn't go over the edge and was sleeping peacefully.

Storm started to grumble like she always did after waking up, cursing all the admirals for needing to be up so early.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Phoenix wished in humor.

Storm grimaced and covered her eyes with an arm.

"I hate your mood in the morning." She muttered under her breath.

“I know. But you know there's nothing I can do. I'm a morning person.” She tied the laces.

“What time is it?”

“4:45.”

“Fuck… you don't exist.” She threw a pillow at her friend. "Who in the world wakes up at this time to run?"

“The most beautiful, certainly.” She said and received a glare from Storm. "Do you want to come with me?"

“You’re so funny.” She laughed humorlessly in a groggy voice. “I prefer bodybuilding...in two hours.”

"See you there then."

Phoenix approached her friend and placed a kiss on top of her head. Storm caressed her bare leg and Phoenix left the room. She wore sneakers, loose black shorts a little longer than mid-thigh, and a white T-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a stiff bun, as she wasn't allowed to walk around the premises with her hair any looser than that.

Phoenix walked to the outside of the hangar, where there was a field of sand and a small forest to the side. The sky was still dark, pointing some yellow rays on the horizon. The breeze was still cool and the smell of dew filled her nostrils. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. She loved that morning scent.

She did some stretching, then checked her shoes and watch, adjusting it to calculate her speed and distance covered. Then, she started to run. A still light race, but firm. She took two laps around the sand field with a circumference of probably a kilometer and decided to go into the woods. The scent of dew was even stronger here, as was the cold. The hairs on her arms stood up, but she kept running.

“Oops! Looks like I've been found out.” She heard a voice behind her.

Phoenix slowed his trot a little to turn to face her, even though she knew who it was. Hangman wore the same uniform as her, with the addition that his extremely muscular arms were on display and some hair on his chest showed on the collar of his shirt. His hair was darker, maybe because he'd had a shower, but a little disheveled. It was the first time she saw him without the mountain of gel in his hair and she couldn't say how she felt about that.

His smile was there as cocky as ever.

"I got there first." she reported, returning to trotting speed.

"How do you know I wasn't already here?" He followed her, standing side by side.

"Not sweaty enough."

“Good observation. But... it's wrong.” He quickened the trot to the front and turned to her. Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

“I've been here for almost half an hour.”

“I know. I saw you.”

He winked and turned forward, breaking into a run and out of sight of her. Phoenix didn't understand. Where was he all this time? And why wasn't it disturbing before? What was he doing? She shook her head and decided to let it go. That was her moment to relax and ease the tension of the days in that special detachment. Hangman wouldn't disturb her thoughts.

Phoenix continued her pace at a trot and was surrounded every five minutes by the sight of Jake running ahead of her. She had to admit, he was fast even on his feet. With each pass, he was more sweaty, his face and chest red, the shirt clinging to his extremely defined chest and his hair blowing in the direction of the wind. And, of course, he whistled at her whenever he overtook her, insulting her.

After five times, Phoenix was already getting pissed off at being beaten and quickened her pace, breaking into a sprint. Her chest was burning and her breath was starting to fail when she finally managed to overtake him, hissing back. Hangman let out a smile. Not a cocky or arrogant one. A real smile. And she continued the race wondering why he didn't smile like that more often.

Phoenix could no longer support her legs and went back to the sand field, sitting on the splintered wooden bleachers. She stared at the horizon watching the sun rise with a smile on her face. That was the reason for leaving so early. That light, that image, that peace was what she needed.

She squinted at a hand outstretched beside her and took in his presence, handing her a bottle of water. She thought about not taking it due to everything going on between them, but she was really thirsty. So, she picked up the bottle and soon tipped it into her mouth. Hangman sat next to her. Phoenix watched as he braced his elbows on the top step, getting into an almost lying position.

Those muscles didn't look real. So toned, tanned and sweaty. Veins stood out on his arms. Sweat ran down his face whose eyes were closed, but a smile pointed on his lips.

"Do you like the view?" he asked in a smug tone. That son of a bitch knew she was watching him.

“Yes. The grove is beautiful.” She sneered and he opened his eyes, meeting Phoenix's gaze toward the tall trees. “And you like?”

“Yes, it's gorgeous.”

She turned her head towards him and noticed that he was looking at her with that simple smile from earlier and those tender eyes. A heat rose in her chest and she returned her attention to the landscape. She took another swig and set the bottle aside so she was in the same position as him.

“Do you come every day?” she asked, a little uncomfortable with the silence between them. It wasn't common.

“Yes. Calms me.” he confessed in a normal tone and Phoenix had to look at him. Where did that arrogance go? "Why did you come today?"

“The same as you.”

That answer explained why she liked to run, but not why she was there that specific day. That was the sixteenth anniversary of her grandfather's death. And always, even though she was mature and so many years had passed, she still remembered and missed him. Since she couldn't go visit his grave that year, she had to push the tears away.

"Why didn't you make my point that day?" he asked after a while of silence. Phoenix looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he elaborated the question. “Do you agree with me. You wouldn't have used that maneuver if you weren't like me.”

“I'm nothing like you.” she snapped dismissively and saw him lower his gaze. “I just did what I was supposed to do to protect myself and my WSO after you abandoned us.”

"Which is exactly what I would have done. I do what needs to be done. That's me.”

“No. You're the guy who leaves the team and then shows up to collect the award.”

She fired sharply and Hangman was silent, returning to aim at the landscape. His gaze was lost, almost like that fateful day and Phoenix remembered what Rooster had said. Would he stay there the rest of the morning thinking about that conversation too?

"I didn't think he was this good." he confessed in a low voice.

“That's your problem. You always think you're better than everyone else, you underestimate all the pilots and instructors here.”

“Not all of them.” He looked at her seriously, the tender glint in his eyes. “You did exactly what I thought you would. You took care of yourself. Didn't need me.”

“No, I didn't.”

Phoenix ran through that conversation in her mind, realizing what she hadn't seen that day out of anger. He left her there not because he had abandoned her, but because he somehow knew that she would be able to get out of this situation without him. He let her lead. She stayed ahead, leading, while he watched from the shadows, guarding her rear.

Her eyes widened at the discovery.

“You invented the positions.” she concluded in a rush and he smiled. A beautiful smile. “You made me the pilot and you became my wingman. You confused him.”

“Very clever of you, my angel.” He gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes at that 'affection'.

"How did you know I was going to be bold? I mean...of course I would, but you didn't know that yet. It was a long shot.”

“Sometimes all you have is a long shot.”

“But you should have told me, we were a team.”

“You know why I didn't. Besides... it wouldn't have the same effect.”

Phoenix watched him stand and stand in front of her with an outstretched hand. She took it, surprising herself that she hadn't thought to refuse, and got to her feet. She saw him let out that cocky smile and regretted accepting it.

“Coffee?” he invited her.

“I'll pass. People might think we're friends.”

He laughed quickly at her comment.

“I didn't come here to make friends. I came to win.”

“That's too bad, because you're graduating with no friends and no prize.” she insulted without holding back. She admitted that she enjoyed teasing him, it was… fun.

“Is that a dare, Trace?”

"Didn't you notice from day one? I see you're not all you talk about, cowboy.”

“Oh, you might be surprised. I might have a trick or two.” He took a step forward.

“I highly doubt it.” She took a step forward as well, glaring at him in challenge.

“You are playing with fire, my angel. Careful.”

“My code name isn't Phoenix for nothing, Bagman.”

She watched him keep his smile and intense gaze on her and she did the same, not wanting to lose this little battle. His muscles were much more evident this close, his breathing quickened by running and sweat. But the eyes. Oh, those eyes burned as much as the sun above them.

They knew very well that it was no longer just about the competition between them as pilots. And it was getting harder and harder to keep the gaze. In fact, they connected their gaze in such a way that they followed the same course, now in the eyes, now in the lips of each other.

She had to swallow a sigh as he leaned closer to her and brushed his lips across her face.

"See you in class, my angel." he whispered into her ear.

Then, he pulled away and walked away from her. Phoenix remained there for a while analyzing which of the two had won that battle. The first battle was at the bar, her victory. The second was on the first day, another point of hers. The third was in the cinema, unfortunately his victory. The fourth was in heaven, his victory. The fifth... due to the state she was in, surely his victory. It was 3x2 for him. Phoenix needed to do something.

[***]

Another analysis of performances began. The screen projected what TACTS picked up from the ground. Computers calculated the number of aircraft positions and speeds via transponders on ships and on the ground that communicated with each other thousands of times per second. With that system, it was possible to track antennas, instantly combat and give directions to the pilots and also reproduce the combats for analysis.

The double screens were 1.5 meters high. High tech. On the screens appeared computer-animated figures showing jets at various angles. Flight data was displayed. Operators pressed buttons to show various views of the battle: a pilot's point of view, an overhead POV, a long-range POV, showing topography of the landscape and the height of mountains.

Students watched the broadcast and analysis in their blue armchairs, attentive to each point on the screens.

“Okay, freeze here.” Claire asked Blade, who was controlling the transmission. "The moment of choice... It should be attack. The F-18 was developed with improvements. We know there's a bug chance here…” She pointed at the screen. "The best thing was to attack."

“It was better to retreat and save the plane than to force a bad position.” Rooster commented and everyone looked at him in confusion. He was not a student who commented much, nor did he disagree.

"Stay in the crosshairs three more seconds, and the enemy will finish you off... turn right, select zone 5... you can extend and attack. But, you made a bad choice. Let it roll, Blade.”

Rooster watched his trajectory on the screen and clenched his jaw in anger. He knew he had made the right choice in backing out. If he went any further he might lose the plane to the extent of the G-Force. But that wasn't what got on his nerves the most. It was Claire. She would analyze and criticize his action with harshness, something she didn't even do with Hangman. And he knew that had nothing to do with his performance.

“Does the F-18 perform an S split? This is the last thing you should do! The Super Hornet was hot on their heels. Freeze there... Blade had you in his sights. What were you thinking here?!”

Claire was staring at him with intense eyes and a firm voice, completely different from the sweet and pleasant tone of the other days. The students noticed the difference, but could not explain why. Except Hangman, who couldn't contain a satisfied smile.

“That I had a wingman to protect and I couldn't play with danger." he replied in a dismissive tone, keeping the rising anger inside.

“You must not forget, Lieutenant Bradshaw, that here we prepare you for real combat. And real enemies don't play fair.” She tried to keep her words polite, but her tone was menacing. “You could lose your entire team with that ill-chosen maneuver. The enemy could reach you vertically and attack. This wouldn't happen if you used the chance to attack him first.”

“In a real dogfight, I protect my wingman. If possible even with my own life... which doesn't seem to be very common in your knowledge, does it, Inspector Mitchell.”

Claire's expression changed from furious to hurt in seconds. Her eyes got wet and her lips trembled a little. Rooster knew he'd gone too far, but he couldn't control the scorn he felt in his chest. She didn't deserve it, he knew. Still...he did.

She sighed and tried to compose herself, as an entire room of experienced aviators and naval instructors were watching her. She needed to be strong, professional, even if inside she was in pieces.

“Phoenix and Storm…you're next.

The class followed with Claire trying not to shake her voice due to the urge to cry and escape Rooster's gaze. No one there understood what was going on, they just knew that their instructor wasn't on her best day. Phoenix cast curious glances at Rooster, who just shook his head as if to say "nothing to worry about", but she didn't believe it. And Hangman played with the toothpick while smiling as he understood the whole situation.

After class ended, Rooster was the first to leave the room and headed towards the break room. Phoenix tried to get some information out of him, but Rooster was closed to conversation, especially about what happened in class.

“Let him go, Phoenix.” Hangman advised in a haughty tone. “He's just got a bruised ego. He is no longer the preferred student.”

Rooster turned his face toward the window, watching the fighters parked in the flight line, and clenched his fists.

"What happened, Bradshaw? Did you cheat?”

"Hangman..." He turned his gaze to the pilot playing on the foosball table. “Fuck off.”

"I will, I certainly will in a few hours." He widened his smug smile. "What about you, huh? Are you going to sleep with your pillow or get some inflatable dolls to keep you company?”

Rooster huffed and got up from the couch, then stormed out of the break room and slammed the door. It was a bad day for Hangman insults. If he stayed one more second in there he could do something that he really wanted to, but couldn't.

He walked aimlessly through the halls thinking about several things at once. In Claire, in Maverick, in Hangman, in class, in training. His mind was buzzing with memories and thoughts, making him enter an elevator wishing he was alone inside that metallic box. The doors were closing as he rubbed his face with both hands, but a hand stopped them.

The doors slid open again and Claire's figure appeared, like a mirage, like that day at the ball. He blinked his eyes a few times to check that he wasn't hallucinating due to the severe headache, but no. It was her right there in front of him. He noted that Claire was hesitant to enter the elevator, but decided to jump in.

Now the two were inside the tiny metal box that left them less than half a meter away from each other, but the anger was so great that they seemed miles apart. The tension was palpable in the silence that followed.

He noticed through the mirrors that Claire opened and closed her mouth several times and shifted her feet, restless, mainly because she saw him staring in the reflections.

“I'm sorry about what happened in class.” she began fearfully.

“You were humiliating me.” he snapped after a silence.

“I may have been tough, but I had my reasons.” She paused. “And it's not like you're acting within propriety. You were low and unethical.”

"Only because you were forcing me to be bold, not to think like the..." He stopped talking abruptly.

“I wasn't, Rooster.” that codename was certainly not meant to be said by her. He hated listening. “I know you'll never act like him, you'll never put all that fear aside.”

"And you judge me for that?"

“No. I just don't want you to fucking die up there! Is it so difficult to understand?”

Rooster knew when she was over the edge when she started swearing. Claire has always been a well-balanced and educated woman. Except when she was furious.

The elevator stopped and an officer entered. They leaned against the mirrors, keeping silent and hiding their tension like someone covering a fire with a holey sheet. The doors slid open and soon they were alone again.

“I've read a lot of documents, I've heard a lot of reports, I've seen videos and more videos about aviation and dogfighting.” she resumed in a calmer but sad tone. “If you think up there, you die.”

“I've heard that before.” he scoffed.

“Whether you accept it or not, that's the truth. One second, one wrong choice, one poorly executed maneuver and you go up in smoke.” She sighed to hold back a whimper. “I know you blame him for everything. And I also know that it affects us. But...don't ask me to stay calm when you could have died up there if it was real.”

“Why would my death be so devastating for you, Claire? You've spent the last twenty years avoiding me, ignoring me, pretending we were never anything.” His tone got sharper the closer he got to her. "And now you're telling me you care about me?"

He watched her swallow hard and tears fill her eyes, but none fell. She seemed to be immersed in many painful thoughts and memories, as her expression expressed it. She was in a lot of pain inside. Pain for having abandoned him when he needed her the most. Pain from spending all that time away from him. Pain for hiding secrets he would never forgive her if he knew.

Rooster watched her face an internal struggle and, as much as he was extremely hurt and upset, he felt compassion for her. Claire had no intention of humiliating him in front of everyone nor was she upset that he had abandoned her the night before. She understood very well why. She was furious that Rooster had put himself in danger by not following his instincts. She wanted to prevent him from actually doing this and getting killed. Despite all those years away from him, Claire still harbored feelings for him, there was still a seed of what they were in the past.

And that was enough for Rooster to follow his instincts for once. He cupped her face in both hands and pressed their lips together.

At first, Claire was surprised by the act, but soon gave in. She traced a path with her fingers from his chest to his shoulders and back, gripping the fabric of his flight suit. A soft moan escaped her throat and Bradley couldn't resist. He trapped her between the mirrors and his massive body and kissed her. And he kissed her. And he kissed her. And he kissed her. So desperately. So needy.

And he knew that was wrong. He shouldn't kiss his instructor, or his best friend, or the daughter of the man who killed his father. But that felt so good. He couldn't stop. He couldn't detach his body from hers or let go of her face. Even if he wanted to pull away it would still be impossible. Bradley completely lost control of his body. And it scared him a lot because he never felt that before. It was beautiful. It was intense. It was genuine. Very, very, very hot.

And he had kissed a lot of women, but none of them were like Claire. None of them made his heart beat as hard as it did at that moment.

Bradley wanted to sink into that kiss, live in that moment forever. But he knew he couldn't. He knew that at some point they would have to separate due to lack of breath. But at that time, oxygen was unnecessary for him. He stroked her cheeks and hair. But he was disappointed when Claire undid the tight bond between their lips.

She was panting frantically, as was he, and both her lips were swollen from kissing. They were still glued together, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, chest to chest. So many words were said in that act, so much longing, so much feeling. But none of them said a single word for fear of spoiling that unique moment.

“Well, looks like you won't be needing the doll after all.��

The familiar, haughty voice snapped them out of their trance. They turned their faces to realize that the elevator doors were open and Hangman was looking at them from the other side with a proud smile on his face.

#top gun maverick #monica barbaro #glen powell #natasha trace #hangman x phoenix #jake seresin #top gun phoenix #hangman #hannix #hannix drabble #top gun fic #hangman top gun #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #miles teller #dianna agron #bradley bradshaw x oc #bradley x claire

3 notes · View notes

starlightaxolotl · 1 year

Text

I posted 5,955 times in 2022

That's 3,077 more posts than 2021!

371 posts created (6%)

5,584 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cloudyy-skyys

@fabro-de-omres

@emberprince

@todorokitops

@fanficmemes

I tagged 1,007 of my posts in 2022

#writing process - 31 posts

#starlight streams - 20 posts

#ask game - 19 posts

#fnaf - 14 posts

#fnaf security breach - 12 posts

#michael afton - 12 posts

#ninjago - 11 posts

#writing - 9 posts

#fnaf sb - 9 posts

#spoilers - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#i could outline it with a very neat little ending or i can leave it open for additional content but that’s for later 2022 me to figure out

My Top Posts in 2022:

AU where every season of ninjago after 10 is the same except Kai is just a cardboard cut out

13 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

Write paragraphs, you'll know when it's time to change them the same way you know when to stop adding seasoning to your food. Listen to your heart, find what fits your story's flow the best.

13 notes - Posted May 19, 2022

I’m always thinking abt this image

15 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

Things I don’t see the security breach fans talk about probably because I don’t know if you can notice this without cheats but the fact that when Moon is crawling after you in the play structures their legs are backwards. Their upper torso is turned around and they are crawling on their hands normally but their legs are crab walking them around.

17 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

💘🔁😊!!

a grave mistake??? do tell!!!!!! >:)

You know exactly what cursed mistake almost happened. >:( Tumblr is trying to see me fail.

💘:A fic you couldn’t stop reading once you started

Encore! This fic reached through my screen, gripped my shirt and forced me to keep reading and the only break I took was to sob for 30 minutes over exactly 14 words. I didn't want to go to bed that night and literally read it until my eyes burned and everything was blurry. I should reread this fic and comment on every chapter, just to see what I notice on a second read through.

🔁: A fic you’ve re-read several times

First one that comes to mind is Meet Again, it is just so easy to get lost inside this fic and it always hits the emotional spot. And the writing is amazing. I think about the fact that I read it, looked at the word count and said out loud "what the fuck that felt so short" when it is, in fact, not short at all. It was so well crafted and never dragged at all.

😊: A fic that made you smile on a bad day

Okay there are so many I can think of to put in this spot.

Laughing At Tragedy is such a good one oh my god. I probably shouldn't smile reading this fic because holy hell is it not a fluffy fic at all but its the way that the soft moments are interspersed in the plot that makes it such a comfort fic. This fic is my literary chicken and rice soup on a cold winters day. @inkspottie has crafted such a good fic and I literally could go on for hours about this fic. I am emotionally attached to their Michael.

My Darling Little Prince is another fic. Quite literally came out on a day I needed some comfort and it has been so nice to read. I don't read a lot of RWBY fanfics but this one has a very special place in my bookmarks now.

Last one I swear but Sunspot! was an impulse read and I'm so glad I read it. I think it's just really sweet and fun.

39 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #cackling at the fact my post to torment Sky made it into this.

5 notes · View notes

thecrazydragonlady · 1 year

Text

I posted 21,687 times in 2022

23 posts created (0%)

21,664 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blueeyeswhitegarden

@i-am-thornqueen

@aplaceofnonsense

@aeonthedimensionalgirl

@dragontamer05

I tagged 203 of my posts in 2022

#creative light precure - 9 posts

#fancure - 6 posts

#birthday project - 6 posts

#messy car doodles - 6 posts

#fancure series - 6 posts

#road trip - 6 posts

#cure prism - 6 posts

#birthday - 5 posts

#level up day - 5 posts

#ask - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 132 characters

#to even identify this type of issues requires psychological/behavioral knowledge that is usually studied long term in medical fields

My Top Posts in 2022:

Hey, uh... I posted a thing.

.x. I'm so nervous about it, but please feel free to let me know what you all thing.

6 notes - Posted May 17, 2022

Me, literally purchasing Iron Widow, like, eight hours ago: Oh boy! I've been looking forward to this.

Me, who literally just finished reading it like 10 minutes ago: .... I don't know how to feel... I..... what? No? Yes? Where's the rest?

Seriously, absolutely a stunner of a story. I'm 100% conflicted in my emotions; I want to scream, and cry, and laugh, and punch my pillows, and rant, and rave and I basically feel like the physical embodiment of this gif:

7 notes - Posted February 26, 2022

Johnathan, honey, sweetie, babycakes.

The other oddness didn't prompt you to leave?

12 notes - Posted May 8, 2022

Hey, uh, I hear people like some messy car doodles.

In honor of my birthday, I'm doing a tiny but of traveling but I'll still have hours to travel.

Send me some request here or @dragonslairofart!

19 notes - Posted February 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I'm waiting for the chapter™️ of SpyxFamily where Anya gets recaptured by the scientist who terrorized her originally and "Twilight" is ordered to let her go, but Loid is going to save his daughter one way or another, esper or not.

Then Thorn Princess is ordered to stop a rogue agent named "Twilight" who is trying to get in the way of some very important scientific research and its here that Loid reveals who he is in an earnest attempt to save Anya. Yor hesitates at first but still does her job, as ordered. Then he says the magic words of, "It's Anya. Their experiment is Anya. They took her, Yor. Theyre going to do... god knows what."

Yor knows Loid. She knows this is his honest side and she becomes furious.

Its easier then to work. They dont have to hide anymore from each other.

At the end, there is one lone door. They push it open to find Anya hooked up to all sorts of weird devices and the scientist orders them to stand back. He then has a menical rant about how her powers are going to be the reason the West is destroyed and yadda yadda yadda. Anya is crying. She is clearly terrified because she knows what this man is going to do to her because shes been here before and she doesnt want it.

So she weakly cries out, "Papa, Mama" and that man is DEAD. Gone in a second.

They free her and have a moment where Anya finally admits to whole fiasco- she knew about their roles, she is an esper, but she wasnt lying when she said she was happy and that she wanted to see them happy as well.

After a few moments, Loid hugs her tight. They are happy because they are a family. They may not be blood, and it may have started for a mission, but this was real now. They were staying together. Loid picks her up and Yor goes ahead to clear out any additional security that may be there.

Loid is aware that they cant escape-escape, because of how important keeping the two countries out of war is, but he definitely promises to retire as a spy when its over. Yor promises the same thing.

Theyre the best spy unit to ever exist and the first to declare neutrality. They work as a whole family to keep the nations safe. Ultimately, they do retire but still get caught up because of Anyas powers.

44 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

2 notes · View notes

msbarrows · 1 year

Photo

So yesterday @genginger tagged me in a “three things that you’re proud of in 2023″ thing, and I had to think a lot to come up with things - being long-term unemployed means my days (and weeks, and months) tend to be very sameness-of-a-same.

One thing I got done at the end of the year (but have yet to deploy) is putting together a skills-based resume. Sooooo much anxiety over finally tackling it, as I’ve been unemployed for over a decade now and haven’t job searched in years. Thankfully some online friends did supportive hand-holding while I tackled it. Now I just... need to figure out some applications. Write some cover letters (UGH!!!). Probably make some more versions of the resume, to cover skill sets relevant to specific jobs (DOUBLE UGH!!!).

Been working my way through the big box of old family photos from the basement, plus my personal large file box of photos, and scanning all of them. Have the former finished but am still working through the latter. At some point I need to burn a bunch of them to DVD to send around to my brother and sister’s households (all the family ones, plus some of my personal ones).

One of the biggest projects I tackled in late summer of last year was to finally put together an emergency go-bag for myself (see photo above), inspired in part by katy-l-wood’s Evacuation Prep chart having crossed my dash earlier in the year, plus us here in northern Ontario having had several bad fire summers recently, including the fire by the old ski hill in 2020. Thankfully small, thankfully put out rapidly, but it came right down to the yards of the houses along the base of the ridge. We were on edge for a few hours on whether or not things might go bad and force us to evacuate (not to mention we’ve had bigger fires only a little further away that took 2-3 days to put out), and I’d found myself thinking several times since about what I’d grab if we got that sudden automated phone call or banging on the door. More about the go-bag contents under the cut (it’s long).

Anyone else interested in posting their three things, consider yourself tagged :)

So... go-bag contents! This is still a WIP, I plan to add additional food items to it for one, but at present, from left to right this includes:

couple of foldable water containers. It there’s enough warning before having to leave, those would be filled from the tap and go out to the truck separately, otherwise will be filled at whatever first stop with potable water we* reach.

box of assorted Cliff bars, to be replaced every 6-8 months. I also plan to add a box of assorted fruit bars and/or nut bars and/or sesame snaps. Stable foods with some nutrition and a good energy hit, basically.

the opened out red bag is a first aid molle pouch, it includes EMT shears, bandaids, adhesive mesh, polysporin, and a ton of assorted gauze pads and packing gauze leftover from when I was have a large cyst treated a year or two ago (yay for daily nurse visits to inspect and repack the wound).

the yellow drawstring bag contains a large rain poncho

mess kit, normally stored in the round purse with the raffia flamingo on it (protects it, plus doesn’t hurt to have an extra bag in my bag)

the large black duffle bag that everything fits inside

to the right of that is a dark green electronics storage bag, in front of which are what it normally holds - a solar power bank, my old 7″ android tablet, my old android cell phone (the sim card for which is in my new phone, but it’s still usable for emergency calls and means I have a backup handy if I accidentally break the new phone), red external backup drive, my original bluetooth speaker in its lime green carry case - all of these get their batteries topped up at the start of each month, plus updated (OS, apps, backup files). Also a couple of USB charging bases and cables.

stainless steel thermos

LifeStraw personal water filter (in case the only water source is questionable)

folding umbrella

from in front of that over to right is all small things I store inside a purse organizer, which I have tucked inside a clear vinyl storage bag that some sheets came in, so its protected from collecting dust or lint, plus if anything escapes the organizer it’ll remain in the bag. Contents include: small coin purse holding a small roll of bills, can opener, makeup mirror (as a mirror and for flash signalling), tums, safety razor, comb, hair elastics, USB rechargeable flashlight, soap, tooth floss, toothpaste, toothbrush, ibuprofen, packet of tissues.

the lumpy blue things at back right are compression packing cubes full of tshirts, socks, underwear, a pair of jeans, flannel shirt, light hoodie, plus hiding between them and the clear vinyl bag are a drawstring cloth bag holding pyjamas (so it’s easy to grab just sleepwear), and a zippered pouch of more socks and more underwear. Figure I’ll remove, wash, and repack the clothes on the same 6-8 month rotation as replacing the food in the bag.

Basically it’s aimed mostly at getting to and remaining at an evacuation centre or motel for a couple days sort of goal, but I have also put a bit of consideration into what if we’re unable to reach such a place and end up stuck temporarily outside somewhere, so things like how the poncho can double as a small shelter (which reminds me I should add some paracord or light rope), the LifeStraw can be used to more safely drink from untreated water sources, and I have at least a few days worth of food on hand. Also there’s a sleeping bag stored in the same closet as this kit, so close to hand. And a second, much larger duffle to stuff as many clothes into as possible.

Most of the other small things I’d want to grab, such as ID, keys, and more cash, are in my purse, which is an arm’s length away from where I sit at my computer.

* - I say ‘we’ because I don’t drive, so if there’s an evacuation I’d be going with my brother or waving down a neighbour’s vehicle.

#Three Things in 2022 #Resume Rewritten #Family Photos #Emergency Preparedness #Go Bag

1 note · View note

jrpneblog · 6 months

Text

Relief at last for nervy North End

The seven game without a win nightmare came to an end at Deepdale as North End overcame Coventry City in what turned out to be a nervy affair in the last ten minutes. It should never really have got to that as North End led 3-1 going into the last ten minutes against a Sky Blues side who looked low on confidence and defensively vulnerable. The visitors took the lead through a disputed goal with North End looking for offside but the lead didn`t last long as Holmes and then Browne (penalty) took North End into the break 2-1 up. Coventry started well after the interval but when Osmajic nodded home a beautiful Millar cross it looked all over. With les than ten minutes left Wright pulled one back for the vistors to facilitate a few nervous groans in the stands. No problem though as North End held on for a fully deserved victory and some relief after the last few weeks.

Ryan Lowe made three changes from the side beaten at Hull last week with Keane, Cunningham and Ledson making way for Best, Frokjaer and Osmajic. North End started the game well on top and always looked the side more likely to score. A Browne shot was fumbled by a nervous Wilson in the Coventry goal but as is usual in these cases just on the half hour mark the vistors took the lead. A good shot was well saved by Woodman but it fell to Wright who looked offside when the initial shot was struck. Wright knocked the rebound home and completely against the run of play Coventry were in the lead. It only lasted for a few minutes though as Holmes calmly fired home to put North End level. Osmajic was then impeded when clean through and the penalty from man of the match Alan Browne was converted. It was no more than North End deserved and they went in at the break with their tails up.

No changes for North End at the break as Coventry came out to give it a go and North End needed to be at their best. Plenty of possession for the visitors but no real scares as North End started to regain control again. Evans was introduced for Frokjaer and with twenty minutes to go Osmajic met a superb cross from the left by Millar and nodded home to make it 3-1. Surely it was game over but with about eight minutes left another shot well saved from Woodman dropped to Wright and he scored his second goal of the afternoon. It looked like it might be twitchy bum time and the additional six minutes did nothing to calm the North End fans nerves. Thankfully we comfortably held out for a confidence boosting win and with a better display than of late to boot.

So relief for North End as we move back up the table into sixth place ahead of the huge game at Ewood Park next Friday evening. The winning run and losing run has made it difficult to judge where North End really are at the moment but this squad is better than last term and with the variability in the Championship results my best guess at this stage is that North End should be a top ten team this season. Being sixth a third of the way through the season is a good start and if you extrapolate North Ends points we would end up with 76 points which should make the play off. Anyway one game at a time and after this much needed victory its of to Blackburn next Friday under the TV Cameras for the first of only two local derbies this season. Now that would be a sweet one to win.

PRESTON 3-2 COVENTRY CITY

WOODMAN 7

POTTS 6 STOREY 6 LINDSAY 7 BEST 6

BROWNE 8 WHITEMAN 7

HOLMES 7 FROKJAER 7 MILLAR 7

OSMAJIC 8

Subs:

EVANS 6

WOODBURN 6

BRADY 6

KEANE 6

MOTM: Alan Browne

Attendance 16,716

Preston Fans 13,734 (82.16%).

0 notes

beneath-the-irish-sky · 6 months

Text

June 19th - 21st

June 19th

Our plane landed 30 minutes after midnight. We had booked a taxi, but every driver kept denying us. We ended up waiting until 2:30 am for a ride back to UCD. My keycard would not work to open my door, and I had to go to the front desk to get it sorted. I ended up falling asleep around 3:30 am.

We had to get up pretty early for a class on Irish Mythology. We talked about religion and the role it has played in cultures all over the world, including Ireland. It was an hour-long lecture that covered the differences in religion and how it came to be as well. It felt a lot like the history lessons we had when we first started the class.

After class, we went on the Viking Splash Tour (picture 8). We toured around on a boat wearing Viking hats and yelling “RAHHH” at pedestrians. Our driver told us all about how the Vikings were the ones that changed the Irish language to include more vowels. We learned where they stayed when ashore and that they named Dublin after their docking station. We eventually got to even go on the water since the vehicle was meant for water and land. It was such a fun tour - minus some odd and racey comments which I will spare you.

We then went back to UCD to swim in Dun Laoghaire at the Forty Foot cliff (picture 10). The cliff is not actually forty feet, it is more like 20. It is an additional 20 feet under water so it is called the Forty Foot. When we got there, it was a 30-minute walk to the cliff and it was packed. We ended up swimming at a nearby beach. We caught the sunset on the beach, and it was gorgeous.

After swimming, we went to a restaurant. The staff was short with us because they thought we were under 18 (we aren't, we are all over 18). We then caught the bus back to UCD and went to sleep.

June 20th

This morning we had another class on Irish Religion. This time however, it was about how religion has affected our lives. It was more discussion based. I like lectures like this a bit more. It gives us the opportunity to share our experiences and learn more about other beliefs. A big thing that I have learned on this trip is that America does have a culture. It is less apparent when you live in America but there is a certain way we speak, act, and do things. Discussion-based lectures give me the opportunity to learn more about it.

After class, we went to Trinity College (picture 2) to see the Book Of Kells (picture 3). In all honesty, I was a bit more excited to see their library. I wished I could have spent all day there. They had busts of famous writers, philosophers, and books as high as the cathedral ceilings. Every turn, there were books and books. It smelled like old books. I was in awe of the architecture and the beauty.

While there, I purchased two books from writers who went to school at Trinity College - Oscar Wilde and Sally Rooney. I am so excited to read these books. Trinity College was everything I hoped it would be. I have always wanted to go and the architecture was as amazing as I thought. It was gorgeous and reminded me of castles. It is crazy how much history took place on the top of those buildings during the Easter Rising. After Trinity College, me and Kaylee decided to head back to UCD. We wanted to film our 10-minute video for class.

It took us about three hours, but we filmed, edited, and posted it on YouTube. We felt a great sense of accomplishment. I think our topic is interesting and informative, and we had such a good time filming the video.

I then went back to my room, called my family, did some light cleaning, watched some movies, and went to bed.

June 21st

Today, my day started off at St. Patrick's Cathedral (pictures 5- 7, 9)! I have been wanting to go here since we arrived in Ireland. It was gorgeous. My favorite thing about cathedrals are the stained glass windows. They are always so breathtaking. I love how the light catches the color. I think that most of my camera roll contains stained glass windows. The Cathedral is tall in stature and stands out against the landscape around it. The inside is an art piece lined with statues, tombs, arches, candlelight, choir pews and is a beautiful place of worship. I imagine the choir’s echo throughout the cathedral.

After the cathedral, I went with a few people in the class and my teacher's husband, Steve, to the Dublina Museum. Steve is big into Vikings and wanted to take some of us to the museum There was so much to learn and look at. Me and Isabela had a good time looking at the lifelike statues and laughing at some of the poses. This was a really cool expeirence because it allowed me to connect what we have been learning with visual representations.

After the museum, I went back to UCD to pack to go home since we would be busy over the next few days. I hate packing, especially when it means leaving a place I truly found to be beautiful and intriguing. I really want to see more. After I packed a good amount away, I got ready to go to the River Show (picture 1). I had no idea what I was going to see, but I was impressed by the skill. The dancers moved so quickly and were amazing. It reminded me of the Nutcracker but with tap instead of ballet and with a loose plot.

We then went to a restaurant and ended our day in the Temple Bar area (picture 4).

0 notes

imnosuperman12 · 7 months

Text

A time I felt accomplished.

About 2 weeks ago, I summited Mount Kilimanjaro.

It was by far the most physically challenging thing I've ever done. Like, at least 3-4 times harder than completing a full marathon.

I'm eternally grateful that we chose an 8 day trek to allow for acclimatization. I think it would have been physically impossible otherwise. Honestly, the first 6 days were fine. Even though I didn't take any altitude sickness medications, trekking for 6-8 hours per day and sleeping in tents in varying degrees of cold weather was tolerable. Fun, even!

Summit day on day 7, however, hit me like a train. We had to start the hike at like 1030-11pm, with the goal of completing the majority of the summit before the sun came up. The rationale, apparently, was so that you wouldn't look up and see how much further we had to go. I had a throbbing headache the whole time, downed 2 Tylenol just to make it bearable. I think I was maybe walking 0.5 mph. We took a total of 2 rest breaks, but otherwise spent that entire time moving.

We eventually reached Stella Point, which marked about 1 hour from the highest point. Then, I proceeded to complete the journey with my eyes closed and arms open because I was starting to get shoulder impingement.

I think the hardest part of it all was ultimately realizing that the summit was actually only the halfway point. They made very clear that we could not sit and rest at the top, for fear that our altitude sickness would get even worse the longer we stayed up there.

Even though I was surviving, they had to shove an entire pack of glucose in my mouth to get it into my system more quickly. And then, even when we made it back, we had to hike an additional 2 hours down to our next tent camp.

Needless to say, this will be my one and only time climbing up to 19K feet. *Or at least, climbing without altitude sickness medication.

I will venture out to say that I'm glad I got to do this before my 30th birthday. For physical reasons. And just to prove to myself that I'm capable of hard things. It was the impetus for me coming out publicly. And I'll forever be grateful that I got to share that experience with my friends. Here's to many more adventures to come in my 30s.

0 notes

sarkarvibes007 · 11 months

Text

Vande Bharat Express - The new era of travelling in Indian Railways

There was a time when we used to dream about Bullet Train running in India. Well, as of today the construction of India’s first bullet train is going on a fast pace between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. It’s a long way to go, but there is already a trainset running, equivalent to bullet train, known as the “Vande Bharat Express.” Read on to find out more about this train.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction About Vande Bharat:

The Vande Bharat Express (Formerly Train18), is an emu (electric multiple – unit) train being managed by Indian Railways. This train comes under semi high-speed category that can achieve speeds up to 160 km/hr. The first train was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 17,2019 that is running from New Delhi to Varanasi.

It has become popular among passengers as well as critics. They make sure to click photos of this train, especially near cabin. And the train is being praised for its speed, comfort level, amenities, and other features. This train is also behind the reason for boosting tourism in India.

As per the plan, gradually more Vande Bharat train services would be introduced in the coming years. As per the Indian railway’s expectations, these trains will play a lead role in improving the travelling experience for passengers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Additional details about Vande Bharat Express:

The train has 16 coaches in total, 14 ac chair cars and 2 ac executive chair cars.

There are also 8 coacher Vande Bharat trains, Coach composition - 7 ac chair cars and 1 ac executive chair car.

The capacity of carrying passengers in 16 coacher is 1,128 while for 8 coacher it is 530.

Top speed of this train is 160 km/hr.

Vande Bharat has been introduced as to cover the two major cities within a day’s time, a concept similar to Shatabdi express.

For instance, the train journey between Mumbai Central and Gandhi Nagar is 6 hours and 25 minutes.

Ticket fare for ac chair car is ₹1255 and ₹2435 for executive ac chair car.

It is a significant achievement for Indian railways. Vande Bharat is a symbol of India’s upgrading technology and is committed to provide the world class services to its citizens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------History of Vande Bharat:

It was in 2016 when Indian railways decided to develop a new semi high – speed train. The codename for this project was called as “Train 18”.

Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai took the responsibility for developing Train18. Manufacturing of train coaches and train sets takes places here, also known as the railway manufacturing unit in India. This coach factory has developed and designed several trains, some of them are – Rajdhani, Durunto, Shatabdi etc.

It took around 2 years to develop Train18. Thereafter a number of trials was performed by Train18, and the trials was successful. Later, the train was cleared for commercial runs and the first Vande Bharat express ran on February 2019 by prime minister Narendra Modi.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vande Bharat 2.0:

Vande Bharat 2.0 is the upgraded version of Vande Bharat express – the semi high speed train that was introduced in India in the year 2019. The new trains have good number of improvements such as: -

A lighter design, making the train faster and fuel – efficient.

The train is equipped with Train Collision Avoidance System (Also known as KAVACH), and other new safety features.

Improvement in passenger amenities that includes – large seats, more legroom and better air conditioning.

The first “Vande Bharat 2.0” was flagged off by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on September 30th, 2022, Between Gandhinagar and Mumbai Central. The introduction of Vande Bharat 2.0 is a major step forward for Indian Railways, and it is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the country's transportation sector.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Design of Vande Bharat:

Each coach has its own motor and is powered by distribution traction power technology. This allows the train to accelerate and decelerate quickly and to reach the maximum speed.

It is the aerodynamic design that makes it famous among people. The Vande Bharat is shaped like a bullet with a smooth and rounded front that will help to reduce the air resistance. This makes train to run with more efficient and will also help to reduce the noise pollution.

The interior of Vande Bharat is designed to provide passengers more comfort. The seats are made of leather and are arranged in 3 + 2 seat configuration for ac chair car and 2 + 2 seat configuration for ac executive chair car. Plenty of legroom is provided and the seats are reclined to provide more comfortable ride.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Amenities / Services provided in Vande Bharat Express:

Automatic doors: This train has automatic sliding doors that opens and closes at each station. This makes easy for passengers to enter and exit the train, and also helps to reduce risk of accidents.

Power outlets: Each seat has power outlet so that passengers can charge their devices on the train during journey.

LED lighting: The train is equipped with LED lights that provide a comfort atmosphere for passengers.

Bio – vacuum toilets: The train has bio vacuum toilets that uses less water and are more friendly than traditional toilets.

Revolving seats: The executive ac chair seat can be rotated to 180 degrees, and passengers can face each other during the journey.

Wi – Fi connectivity: The train is equipped with Wi – Fi.

Food: Food services are avaible.

The Indian government is working to improve the track conditions, signalling system, and weather conditions in India. This will help to increase the speed of trains, including the Vande Bharat Express. The train has been a major success, and the Indian government is planning to upgrade the train in the future.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Future upgrades of Vande Bharat:

Increased speed: The government is planning to increase the speed of the Vande Bharat Express to 200 kmph. This will make the train the fastest train in India.

Improved safety features: The Indian government is planning to improve the safety features of the Vande Bharat Express. This includes installing a Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and a Driverless Train Operation (DTO) system.

New amenities: The Indian government is planning to add new amenities to the Vande Bharat Express. This will include installing Wi-Fi, power outlets, and entertainment systems in all coaches.

Use of lighter materials: The use of lighter materials, such as aluminium, could make the train even faster and more fuel-efficient.

Installation of solar panels: This could help to reduce the train's reliance on fossil fuels.

Integration with other modes of transportation: The train could be integrated with other modes of transportation, such as buses and metro systems, to provide a memorable travel experience for passengers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------The future of the Vande Bharat Express is bright. The train has the potential to revolutionize India's transportation sector and make it easier and more convenient for people to travel around the country.

-Aranya sarkar

#India #IndianRailways #VandeBharat #Railtechnology #Railupgradation #Travelling #Railwayamienties #Seamlesstravel #Newera #Food #Security #Aranyasarkar

0 notes

f1 · 1 year

Text

Rosenqvist takes back-to-back pole positions at Texas Motor Speedway | IndyCar

Felix Rosenqvist qualified on pole for the Texas 375 at Texas Motor Speedway – his second consecutive pole at the 2.4-kilometre, 1.5-mile superspeedway. With the qualifying order set by entrant points, Rosenqvist was the tenth driver out of a bumper grid of 28 cars to attempt to qualify. But the McLaren driver immediately put himself at the front of the field. Determined to bounce back after being caught up in a first-lap crash in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Rosenqvist was the first and only driver to average over 220 miles per hour during his two-lap qualifying run. His two-lap average of 220.264 mph (354.481 kph) put him on the provisional pole ahead of Colton Herta. The likes of Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, and Arrow McLaren team mate Alexander Rossi came close to toppling him, but none of them were able to knock Rosenqvist off the top spot as he won his fourth career IndyCar Series pole position. Dixon, a three-time winner at Texas Motor Speedway, qualified second in his Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing entry. McLaren’s three-car outfit impressed during qualifying, as Rossi qualified third, ahead of Pato O’Ward in fifth. Josef Newgarden was Penske’s best qualifier in fourth place, between Rossi and O’Ward. In his first start of the season, Takuma Sato looked like he’d never missed a beat as he qualified sixth in his number 11 Ganassi/Honda. Alex Palou was seventh-fastest, while Will Power qualified eighth after he hit the rev limiter hard during his second lap. Sophomore driver David Malukas was ninth-fastest, while Herta eventually sorted down into tenth place. Of the three rookies, Benjamin Pedersen put in a surprising performance. The driver of AJ Foyt Racing’s number 55 car was 13th fastest, ahead of his team mate Santino Ferrucci and several other more experienced competitors and past race winners. Those included Scott McLaughlin, who was only 15th fastest after setting the pace during this morning’s first practice session, and St. Petersburg race winner Marcus Ericsson, who was last to run and took 16th. IndyCar’s annual visit to Texas could be one of the more entertaining outings in the circuit’s history if the range of aerodynamic kit options available to teams works as intended. There will be two additional practice sessions later this afternoon to help put rubber down on the outside grooves in the corners. The green flag for Sunday’s race is scheduled for 5:15 PM BST / 11:15 AM CDT (local time). Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Texas 375 qualifying results Position Car Driver Team Engine 1 6 Felix Rosenqvist McLaren Chevrolet 2 9 Scott Dixon Ganassi Honda 3 7 Alexander Rossi McLaren Chevrolet 4 2 Josef Newgarden Penske Chevrolet 5 5 Pato O’Ward McLaren Chevrolet 6 11 Takuma Sato Ganassi Honda 7 10 Alex Palou Ganassi Honda 8 12 Will Power Penske Chevrolet 9 18 David Malukas Coyne/HMD Honda 10 26 Colton Herta Andretti Honda 11 28 Romain Grosjean Andretti Honda 12 29 Devlin DeFrancesco Andretti Honda 13 55 Benjamin Pedersen Foyt Chevrolet 14 14 Santino Ferrucci Foyt Chevrolet 15 3 Scott McLaughlin Penske Chevrolet 16 8 Marcus Ericsson Ganassi Honda 17 77 Callum Ilott Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet 18 33 Ed Carpenter Carpenter Chevrolet 19 78 Agustin Canapino Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet 20 27 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Honda 21 06 Helio Castroneves Meyer Shank Honda 22 60 Simon Pagenaud Meyer Shank Honda 23 51 Sting Ray Robb Coyne/RWR Honda 24 15 Graham Rahal RLL Honda 25 20 Conor Daly Carpenter Chevrolet 26 21 Rinus VeeKay Carpenter Chevrolet 27 45 Christian Lundgaard RLL Honda 28 30 Jack Harvey RLL Honda IndyCar Browse all IndyCar articles Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

#F1 #Rosenqvist takes back-to-back pole positions at Texas Motor Speedway | IndyCar #Formula 1

1 note · View note

allabouts · 1 year

Text

All About Leather II - Spades Philippines

Since my deep dive on leather craft, I've been wanting to get myself a good pair of moctoe boots, good kicks for casual and everyday wear, so for months, I've scoured the internet to get a pair of the famous and classic brands, unfortunately to no avail. Issues like size, quality and shipping took place during the search so I had to stop and decided to wait for a better deal out there.

I talked about this to a friend and he recommended that I try local brands instead, that's how I found Spades Philippines among other local brands.

Initial inquiry is easy, thanks to their FAQs section on their IG, I immediately learned these things: 1.) they provide a guide for feet measurement so you can measure it your own and send it to them, 2.) you can set an appointment and go to their shop to have yourself measured, it'll take a good 10-15 minutes, 30 minutes tops. 3.) you can customize your own shoe, send the design to them and they'll make it for you.

Spades Philippines offers a variety of work boots, riding boots and bespoke boots, specializing in their craft of chelseas from which they started.

I set my eyes on their work boot moctoes, Pablo.

Pablo is made of crazy horse leather, with pig skin leather lining, reinforced with blake stitch and hand welt and soles made from EVA foam, for the sum amount of P3500(+300 if sizes 10.5 to 15), I believe that this is a good deal!

I booked an appointment and went to their workshop in Mandaluyong and had myself measured. They said that the shoes will be ready in about 10 days, and can be picked up or delivered.

Mid way through the wait, I saw that they do add steel toe caps, and for whatever reason, I spontaneously asked them to put one on my pair, for an additional fee of P300.

After 10 days, I had my pair delivered and I'm amazed of the craftsmanship and the quality of the final product!

By means of quality, upon wearing, what I noticed first hand is how light it is especially for a steel toe, yet it doesn't compromise quality nor comfort! It's like wearing a pair of sneakers!

What surprises me the most is how comfortable it is, I'm expecting to wear it for quite some time before it starts to break in and be comfortable with it. Based on experience on leather shoes, either I do long excruciating walks and have blisters or wear them for a short period of time every other day, but that wasn't the case! I was able to wear it for more than 8 hours when it arrived!

Spades Philippines didn't fail to deliver a good quality product that has the potential to compete with the international market, highlighting our craftsmanship as shoe-makers, it is more than just an alternative to the big brands out there, it can be a big brand of its own.

Why should you get your pair from Spades?

Quality

They use genuine leather, hand-crafted from upper leather to the sole. Durable, sturdy, comfortable, and lightweight although I noticed that there are uneven stitches on some parts but personally, it just made the shoe better, giving itself character right from when you bought it, you can see that it is really hand welted.

Price

What you get is more than what you paid for, there might be cheaper local options out there, but Spades' versatility and quality is very competitive. Services such as accurately measuring your size and giving them your own design gives them a really nice edge against their competitors.

I'm really looking forward to seeing them together with the big names out there,

Interested? Get your pair now and message them on their Instagram page!

IG: @spades_ph

#shoesph #support local #riding boots #leather #leather boots #philippines #mandaluyong

0 notes

elenasunshinemagazine · 1 year

Text

What to serve on the holiday table: 5 non-banal dishes.

friends. Salads, meat, pastries, snacks, and drinks – something that no holiday can do without. Therefore, we have collected for you the most original recipes that are quite easy to prepare. What to serve on the holiday table 5 non-banal dishes.

1. Stuffed mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms – a fairly simple and quick-to-prepare appetizer, which is not a shame to serve on the festive table. Especially if the filling is made from quail eggs, cheese and ham.

Ingredients:

Designed for 12 servings

Large size champignons 16-18 PCs Quail eggs 16-18 PCs Hard cheese 3.53oz Ham 4.23oz 4 teaspoons milk Sunflower oil 3 tablespoons Salt - to taste Ground pepper mix - to taste Cherry tomatoes 16 PCs Lettuce leaves 1 medium-sized bunch Lemon 1 PC

Instruction:

Cooking time one hour

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly; Allow to dry and remove the legs; Cut the ham and mushroom legs into small cubes; Grate the cheese; In a bowl, mix salt and pepper with lemon juice; And in the resulting mixture, marinate the mushroom caps, leaving for 15-20 minutes; Then flip into a colander and allow the liquid to drain; In a bowl, mix the ham with the milk, cheese, and mushroom legs; Fill the mushrooms with the resulting filling; Break one quail egg at a time on top; Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment; And send to a preheated 356F oven for 15-20 minutes; Then remove and cool to room temperature; Transfer to a dish covered with lettuce leaves; Garnish with tomato halves before serving

2. Shrimp salad

To feel light after eating holiday food, you can prepare a delicious, diet salad. Which includes flavorful prawns, lettuce leaves, and tomatoes, flavored with sauce and cheese.

Ingredients:

Designed for 6 servings

Shrimp 6 oz Salad leaf 4.59 oz Cherry 4.23 oz Cheese 2 tablespoons Olive oil 1 tablespoon Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Basil 2 tablespoons

Instruction:

Cooking time 40 minutes

Boil the prawns in lightly salted water; Let them cool; Wash the leaves, carefully tear them with your hands; Cut the cherry into halves; Grate the cheese on the smallest grater; Mix the oil with the lemon juice; Add Basil leaves and mix well; First, put the lettuce leaves; Top with prawns and cherry; Fill with dressing; Season with cheese

3. Salad bright fantasy

When the festive table lacks brightness and additional colors. They can be created using a salad, colorful and multi-colored, consisting only of healthy products.

Ingredients:

Designed for 8 servings

Corn 8.82 oz Korean Carrot 8.82 oz Cheese 5.64 oz Onion 1 PC Eggs 4 PCs Baked chicken breast 10.93 oz Bell pepper 1 PC Cucumber 2 PCs Mayonnaise 3.53 oz Sugar to taste Herbs to taste Water 2.82 oz

Instruction:

Cooking time 40 minutes

When the new year's table lacks brightness and additional colors, you can create them with a salad, colorful and multi-colored, consisting only of useful and affordable products.

Christmas goose with apples and prunes

Traditionally, we roast goose at Christmas. But as a side dish, I recommend soaked cranberries. It turns out no frills, but very tasty!

Ingredients for 12 servings: Goose 2 carcasses Apples 31.75oz Prunes 10.58oz Salt 3 tablespoons Thyme 2 tablespoons Crushed red paprika 1 tablespoon

Black pepper 1 teaspoon Ground ginger 1 tablespoon Curry to taste Garlic 1 head Vegetable oil 3 tablespoons

Instruction:

The cooking time is four hours

Prepare the ingredients. Geese need to be thawed. It is necessary to wash well. And process it if necessary. And when you wash it, let it dry. Let the excess moisture drain away. You can even use paper towels to speed up the process. Just do not wipe, and just get wet.

While the geese are being aired, we prepare a mixture of spices and seasonings. What to put in a cup of salt, thyme. I took a tablespoon topped with crushed red paprika. Not ground, but crushed. Black pepper-a teaspoon. Ground ginger and curry to taste. You can add something else if necessary. Head of garlic. Rub, best of all, on a grater. And add vegetable oil

And then mix well until a homogeneous mixture is formed. To slightly moisten the mixture, you can add a little apple juice. Rub the resulting mixture into the goose meat. Rub thoroughly inside and out.

Wrap the wings and leg bones with foil. And in our case, it will burn. The foil will protect you.

And then pack the geese in baking bags. Tighten the knot well on one side. On the other hand, don't. Because you still need to get access to the carcasses. And put it back in the refrigerator. For the night. Let it soak-marinate.

The filling is prepared before baking the bird. Apples are cut into quarters. Clean the seeds and then apples with prunes stuffed geese. Well, tie the bags. All preparations are now complete.

And then the geese with apples and prunes are sent to the oven. Preheat the oven to 356F degrees.

After two hours, remove the geese from the oven. Fat in the package is formed a lot. Packages should be cut open carefully.

Then send the goose in printed form to the oven. Another twenty minutes, at least. Keep the temperature the same. The main thing is that the crust will become crunchy.

This is confirmed when you start eating baked goose. The skin is moderately toasted and crunchy, the meat is juicy, not over-dried, and slightly fat comes out! Delicious. Bon Appetit!

Christmas cake with poppy seeds

Christmas pastries are always bright, fragrant, elegant, and, of course, delicious. I suggest one of the simple recipes for a rather unusual Christmas cake with poppy seeds.

Ingredients:

Designed for 10 servings Flour 7.05oz Max 5.64oz eggs 5 PCs. Butter 5.29oz Sugar 6.35oz Walnuts 3.53oz Raisins 3.53oz Lemon (zest) 1 PC Cognac or rum (optional) 1 tablespoon Baking powder 2 teaspoons Vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon Salt to taste

For glaze: Chocolate 3.53oz Vegetable oil 1 tablespoon

Instruction:

The cooking time is one hour.

Prepare the ingredients for making a Christmas cake with poppy seeds. Grate the lemon zest on a fine grater. Wash the raisins and soak them in warm water for half an hour.

Mix the flour with the poppy seeds and baking powder. Preheat the oven to 356F degrees. Prepare the cake pan. Chop the nuts with a knife or in a blender. Drain the soaked raisins and dry them with a paper towel. Mix the raisins with 1/2 tablespoon of flour. Melt the butter. Beat eggs with sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt, using a mixer.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to a minimum and add a spoonful of flour and poppy seeds to the egg mass. While continuing to mix the dough with a mixer, gently add the melted butter. Then add the lemon zest, brandy (optional), nuts, and raisins. Mix the dough with a spoon. Pour the finished cake batter into the mold.

Bake the poppy seed cake in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes at 356F. Allow the finished cake to cool completely. Prepare the ingredients for making the chocolate glaze. Melt the chocolate and mix it with the vegetable oil. The icing is ready.

Cover the cooled poppy seed cake with chocolate icing using a brush (or pour a little frozen icing). Decorate a Christmas cake with poppy seeds as desired (for example, chocolate chips, and pastry decorations). Bon Appetit!

https://elenasunshinemagazine.com/cooking/what-to-serve-on-the-holiday-table-5-non-banal-dishes/

#food #cooking #recipes #healthy #natural #elenasunshinemagazen

0 notes