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[ SECRET POST #6796 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6796 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 07 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
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Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

[ SECRET POST #6795 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6795 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 14 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

appetizer,
snack

Spicy Dill Pickle Dip

Spicy Dill Pickle Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

US-
1 cup Nonfat Plain European Style Yogurt
1/3 cup Sour Cream
2 1/2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup diced cornichons
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoons minced dill
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
1 grated garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

Metric
236.59 ml Nonfat Plain European Style Yogurt
76.67 g Sour Cream
2.5 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
77.5 g diced cornichons
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1.5 tablespoons minced dill
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
1 grated garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a mixing bowl combine yogurt, sour cream, chili paste, lemon zest, and lemon juice and stir together.
Add cornichons, Parmesan, dill, chives, and garlic. Stir together.
Season with salt and pepper and stir together.
Serve with potato chips, crudité, crackers, or crostini.

NOTES
Make our dill pickle dip up to 3 days in advance. Do not add garnishes. Transfer the dip to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to use, give the dip a good stir and top with garnishes before serving.

Variations
Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and/or smoked paprika to the dip for a slightly smoky flavor.
Omit the chile paste if spicy isn’t your thing!
Add more herbs like sliced chives and minced thyme to mix things up!
Add some shredded Gruyere or Swiss, pour it into a heat-safe dish, top with more shredded cheese, and bake for a hot dip!

[ SECRET POST #6794 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6794 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 21 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

health,
science

The end of the 10K steps myth

A new international study published in The Lancet shows that walking around 7,000 steps a day is sufficient to significantly improve health and lower the risk of serious conditions:

All-cause mortality: –47%
Cardiovascular disease: –25%
Dementia: –38%
Depression: –22%
Cancer: –6%
Type 2 diabetes: –14%
Falls: –28%

LINK1 / LINK2

Turns out, even walking as few as 4K steps daily offers noticeable benefits compared to very low activity levels (~2K).

Granted, additional health gains continue beyond 7K steps, but the return diminishes, making 7K a practical and achievable target.

Funnily, the widely held belief in the 10K step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign rather than scientific evidence. Hardly surprising that it has taken hold in public perception.

So... rejoice! For smart folks now suggest that 5-7K steps may be a more realistic benchmark for most people. And just as effective.

[ SECRET POST #6793 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6793 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 28 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

israel,
palestine

(no subject)

I don't know what's happening in Gaza.

I'm on the other side of the world with nothing but tv and internet sources to rely on. I've seen plenty of horrific pictures and videos, read a few strongly worded articles describing horrific things, but nothing seems certain.

If you can't know, the next best thing is knowing the possibilities. It shouldn't be too hard to narrow them down. It wasn't. I did it already. There are 3. Put that sexy guessing hat on, here we go...

A) Israel is doing nothing wrong. No genocide, no starvation, no sniping kids, no bombing churches or mosques or hospitals or journalists, no international treaty/convention lines have been crossed whatsoever.

B) Israel is doing the aforementioned horrible things and is getting away with it because (insert any variation of 'jews control the world')

C) Israel is doing the aforementioned horrible things and is getting away with it because (insert explanation that absolutely does not in any way imply any variation of 'jews control the world')

A seems pretty basic, but if that is your choice and you want to elaborate please do.

If B, you can just rank where you are on a 'jews control the world' scale from 1 (acknowledgement they have a disproportional amount of leverage/influence) to 10 (they have weather/earthquake machines)

If C - this seems to be the least explained position so unfortunately you have more explaining to do. Good thing explaining is fun.

[ SECRET POST #6792 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6792 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 35 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

Rec [fic]: The One Where Hardison Meets The Doctor by seraphina_snape

Title: The One Where Hardison Meets The Doctor
Creator:

seraphina_snape
Rating: Teen
Word Count/Length/Size: 1813 words
Creator's Summary: Hardison gets to meet the Doctor for Christmas.
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor, Alec Hardison, Tenth Doctor
Warnings/Notes: None

Reasons for reccing: It's a fun fic, since Hardison is a Doctor Who fan, but the Doctor can explain it away.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28381302

[ SECRET POST #6791 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6791 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 42 secrets from Secret Submission Post #972.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

[ SECRET SUBMISSIONS POST #973 ]

[ SECRET SUBMISSIONS POST #973 ]

The first secret from this batch will be posted on August 16th.

RULES:
1. One secret link per comment.
2. 750x750 px or smaller.
3. Link directly to the image.

More details on how to send a secret in!

Optional: If you would like your secret's fandom to be noted in the main post along with the secret itself, please put it in the comment along with your secret. If your secret makes the fandom obvious, there's no need to do this. If your fandom is obscure, you should probably tell me what it is.

Optional #2: If you would like WARNINGS (such as spoilers or common triggers -- list of some common ones here) to be noted in the main post before the secret itself, please put it in the comment along with your secret.

Optional #3: If you would like a transcript to be posted along with your secret, put it along with the link in the comment!

Entry tags:

beverage,
cocktail

Color-Changing Margaritas

Color-Changing Margaritas
Yields: 4 servings Prep Time: 0 hours 5 mins Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins

Ingredients

2 c. sliced purple cabbage
4 c. boiling water
1/4 c. kosher salt or coarse sea salt, for rim
8 oz. tequila
4 oz. triple sec
3 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c. lemonade
4 lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Place cabbage in a large heat-safe bowl. Pour boiling water over cabbage and let sit until water turns deep blue, 5 minutes. Strain out cabbage and let water cool.
When water is no longer hot, transfer to ice trays. Freeze until solid, 4 hours.
In a medium pitcher or measuring cup, combine tequila with triple sec, lime juice, and lemonade. Wet rims of glasses with a lime wedge and dip in salt.
Place purple ice cubes in glasses and divide margarita between them. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

[ SECRET POST #6790 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6790 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #971.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

Friday WTF. This is how a hype is created:

1) Take some obscure actress and start posting about her
2) Create an artificial controversy around her
3) Have loads of folks fume about it on both sides
4) Generate online buzz
5) Profit!
And she's not even exceptionally pretty!

LINK

[ SECRET POST #6789 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6789 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 10 secrets from Secret Submission Post #971.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

[ SECRET POST #6788 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6788 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 18 secrets from Secret Submission Post #971.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

soup

Blackberry Soup

Blackberry Soup

Ingredients

4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and drained
2 cups cold water
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
3 whole cloves
2-inch stick cinnamon
1/2 cup light cream

Instructions

Set aside a few berries to use as a garnish. Combine berries, water, lemon, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon in a soup pot. Simmer, mashing berries with a spoon, until fruit is soft. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to remove as much juice as possible. Discard solids. Cool, chill well, and blend cream into berry juice. Garnish with berries.

Serve Blackberry Soup in small bowls as an appetizer on a hot summer night or as a dessert soup, garnished with whipped cream. You can also use black raspberries, if available.

[ SECRET POST #6787 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6787 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 26 secrets from Secret Submission Post #971.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Entry tags:

Hungary's hot summer

Hungary's political scene is heating up. With elections just 9 months away, Viktor Orban is facing growing pressure, and for the first time in years, real competition. The rising star is Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who's now positioning himself as a pro-European, NATO-aligned alternative. His message is resonating, especially among younger voters.

Orban in the meantime is doubling down on his usual shenanigans. He's launching aggressive campaigns, fueling anti-Ukraine and anti-Western rhetoric, and pushing conservative culture wars. In a recent speech, he made it clear Hungary wants close ties with just about everyone except Brussels. He even floated vetoing the EU budget over support for Ukraine.

Magyar has struck a very different tone. He called for a Hungary that returns to its European roots, reaffirms its NATO commitments, and rebuilds ties with neighbors like Poland. His promises: ending corruption, bringing transparency, and healing political division. No surprise these sound appealing to many disillusioned Hungarians who are fed up with Orban at this point.

So I'd say what's coming isn't just an election. It's a referendum on Orban himself and a clash between two very different visions for Hungary's future. As we like to say around these latitudes: "A civilizational choice is upon us".

[ SECRET POST #6786 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6786 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 33 secrets from Secret Submission Post #971.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.