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lurkingshan · 8 months

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Only Friends and Engaging with Queer Male Media as a Cishet Woman

I’ve had some good conversations this week with friends as we’ve been unpacking our early reactions to Only Friends, which has only just begun getting into the messy dynamics we know the show is going to explore. One of the things that has come up in conversation is our different reactions to the scene between Boston and Top in the shower stall, and how we each read that in terms of consent, sexual coercion, and what it says about each of the characters. Some of us were relatively unfazed by the scene, finding it to be a fairly realistic depiction of a pushy aggressor and his conquest who is not that into him, but also not really opposed to getting sex anywhere and any way he can. Some were more uncomfortable, recognizing behaviors we might call assault in other contexts and wondering whether we should be condemning the character or the scene for the behavior depicted.

For me, this discussion brought up a lot of my previous fandom experiences, taking me all the way back to ye olden days when Queer as Folk (US) was airing and the majority cishet woman fandom spaces were scandalized, scandalized I tell you, by some of the aspects of gay male culture it depicted. It was not the first or the last show to do so, but it stands out in my mind as an important cultural moment at the turn of century as I was coming of age, when the internet was booming and the proliferation of online fandom spaces was rapidly accelerating. Because QaF did it all—casual sex, cruising, group sex, very public acts of indecency, aggressive boundary pushing and peacocking, open and polyamorous relationships, cheating and betrayal, age gaps—and it depicted it all quite explicitly, which made a lot of people uncomfortable. Especially women who were used to thinking about sex and relationships through two primary, and heavily socialized, lenses:

heteronormative romance, and

heterosexual rape culture.

Let’s take a moment to unpack those terms. Heteronormative romance is a big, broad term that I’m using as a kind of container for a lot of things, including patriarchal structures, misogyny, rigid gender roles, purity myths and fetishization of virginity, courtship rituals, promiscuity and respectability politics, the madonna/whore complex, sex as an act primarily for breeding and procreation, expectations of sublimating sexual desire in service of caretaking for others, and so on. Basically, all the bullshit cis women get jammed into our heads from birth that gives us so many hang ups about sex and love. With heterosexual rape culture, I am referring to the undeniable culture of sexual violence women also endure in a majority heterosexual society, in which we are in constant danger of having our boundaries transgressed, being physically and psychologically hurt, and then being told it doesn’t matter because our personhood has always been in question and never mattered as much as any one man’s power or pleasure. I’m not going to drop a bunch of citations for the above because this is tumblr and I have escaped the icy grip of graduate school, but if any of these ideas are unfamiliar to you, google is your pal (and please read about intersectionality as it relates to these concepts while you’re at it, because there are layers of identity that make these dangers worse for some, like our trans and BIPOC sisters, and all of this is undergirded, as ever, by white supremacy).

So, yes, engaging with media about sex is fraught for women, especially when that media does not conform to our heteronormative ideas of morality that have been shaped by all of the above, and particularly when we as individuals have not done the work to unpack and interrogate our socialized beliefs, which is often the case for cishet women especially. Many of us instinctively cringe away from unromantic depictions of sex. Many of us can’t stand cheating and betrayal in our love stories. Many of us shy away from media that depicts the unfortunate reality of grey and dubious consent. All of that is valid, to an extent, and rooted in the way we have been taught to think about this stuff from birth, and the ways we’ve had to adapt to survive.

But, here’s the thing, girlies: most of those socialized hang ups I just talked about? Do not apply to a story by, for, and about queer men.

Before you start yelling, here is your disclaimer: of course patriarchy and misogyny also hurt men. Of course rape culture also exists in queer communities, and of course some queer people engage in heterosexual sex, so these are not mutually exclusive categories of people. And, importantly, cishet women are not the only ones who struggle with these tensions—just the ones who are most relevant to this particular post.

So, after that long and winding road, back to the point: this debate about the bathroom scene in Only Friends is the same shit that’s been debated in majority female fandoms around depictions of queer male sex since time immemorial. And whatever your personal feelings are on that scene, or the no doubt numerous other depictions of questionable romantic and sexual etiquette and dubious consent coming our way in this show, what it boils down to is this: can a majority cis woman fandom step outside of our own conception of sexual morality to engage with this show not with judgment, but with curiosity about what sex and relationships look like for queer men? This show has an entirely queer male writing and directing team. It is made with love by people of the community, for the community. They know what they’re about, they have resumes demonstrating they are damn good storytellers who understand safe sex, consent, sexual health, and sex work, and they are here to tell us a story grounded in their reality. BL has been moving in fits and starts toward depictions of sex that are more honest about queer male experiences, and Only Friends, spearheaded by the Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong (who demonstrated quite ably that he has a firm grasp on consent, sexual assault, and the damage that dubious consent can cause in The Warp Effect), is the next step in that evolution. The key point is that sexual activity simply does not mean the same thing or carry the same associations and hang ups for queer men as it does for cis women. With that in mind, can we try our best to process and critique this story on their terms, instead of our own?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Only Friends is not going to be a good time for people who are looking for romantic depictions of relationships and sex or invested in identifying heroes and villains amongst this cast of characters. This show is about deeply flawed people hurting each other, rooted in the lived experience of the Thai queer male community—and those of us who do not share all of those lived experiences may not understand the nuances of every single thing that is happening. We can be sure that the characters will all be wrong sometimes and they will all do things we think are stupid or reckless or unkind. Does that mean we can’t have empathy for them? Do they have to act in a way we think is morally “correct” in order to love them? You don’t have to be comfortable with the things these characters do, and it’s certainly valid to point out when you think lines have been crossed. But attempting to sort them into “good” and “bad” camps is pointless, and moralistic judgment of their behavior is out of place, particularly when it comes from a place of trying to force them into our own irrelevant frameworks for sexual politics.

And with all that said, I am passing the baton over to my dear friend @waitmyturtles, because there’s an entire aspect of the intersectional cultures at play here that I have barely touched on—Only Friends as an Asian queer story that is building from a specific lineage of Thai queer media. I’m gonna let her take the mic for that part, and say thanks to her, @bengiyo, @neuroticbookworm and @wen-kexing-apologist for reading this over and helping me think through what I wanted to say here, and shoutout to @williamrikers whose post I also linked to above.

#only friends the series #only friends #ofts #thai bl #shan shouts into the void

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methaim · 9 months

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This was originally going to be a post about literary criticism but bc the OG post was about Nimona, this is now a Nimona post lol

So let me start off by saying that I love literary criticism, and the reason I love it is because when done right, there's obviously so much passion behind the criticism and analysis. When done right, the spirit of "there are no right or wrong answers" you hear in English class lives on. But it's all dependent on perspective and the lens you view a piece of media through. That's why you can disagree with someone's literary criticism without them being entirely wrong.

I bring this up bc I was looking through the Nimona tag and saw someone's analysis of the film. As I was reading it, I disagreed with their analysis, but they weren't entirely wrong considering the evidence they used. I won't be linking to the post bc I don't want to start any beef with OP, I'm merely observing a phenomenon when it comes to literary analysis and criticism and why perspective matters.

Spoilers for Nimona under the read more.

So OP claimed that Nimona was misogynistic, and based on their evidence their analysis wasn't entirely wrong. They stated that one of the main characters was a man (Ballister), a gay romance between two men was prominent (Ballister and Ambrosius), and that the main antagonists of the story were women (The Director, who was nameless throughout the film save for her title, and Gloreth). They also implicitly claimed that the movie didn't pass the Bechdel test (which save for the backstory scene with Nimona and Gloreth, isn't entirely untrue, but it doesn't mean it wasn't a good movie). Given this evidence and only this evidence, then their argument isn't necessarily incorrect: in Nimona, women are antagonistic and the story primarily revolves around the story of a man trying to reclaim himself after being wronged by a woman. At first glance, this doesn't scream "feminist media."

However, this analysis would be what I would consider from a feminist lens perspective. In terms of analysis, OP did a great job providing evidence and explaining how that evidence supported their claim.

But I still disagreed with their analysis. And that's because I viewed the movie and analyzed it from two different lenses: a queer lens and a racial lens. Now, again, when doing literary criticism and analysis, it is important to choose which lens you're looking at the film from. Choose too many and you contradict yourself if you aren't trained to write a review (OP wasn't writing a review, they were writing a critical analysis).

The thing about Nimona is that, in my opinion, it isn't a feminist movie; it's a movie that deeply criticizes institutional violence while also being an allegory for transness. A feminist message isn't at its core, but that doesn't mean the movie can't be viewed from a feminist lens, especially if viewed from an intersectional feminist lens.

A lot of people have already pointed out that The Director is supposed to be representative of White women, i.e. the violence inflicted due to White women's fear of those they deem "dangerous"(i.e. non-White non-cisheteronormative individuals, sometimes even extending to All Men including White men but especially men of color). Not only does her fear wrongly villify a man of color (Ballister), but it also directly causes the death of a Black woman (The Queen). This could be seen as a criticism of the current radical feminist movement in which anyone who isn't a White women is immediately a target of White women's fear.

While this movie does explore racism and the role of race when it comes to intersectionality, I've seen most people describe the primary internal conflict as representative of the divide between cis queer people and trans people. This is the queer lens perspective I mentioned when it comes to critical analysis; while the role of race is a theme that is explored in this movie (and I'll try to get into it as much as I can in a Tumblr post), there is a focus on the queer—specifically trans—allegory. Ballister is a gay man and this is explicitly showed rather than implied; his romance with his love interest (Ambrosius) is an important plot point in the movie. He is implied to be cis (narratively speaking) given his initial treatment of Nimona and his inability to understand her and his initial rejection of who and what she is. Although he grows to accept her for who she is by the end of the movie, it's a learning process that ebbs throughout, and his progress reverts at the climax of the movie (when he calls Nimona a monster and reflexively grabs his sword when she shows anger). This is reflective of how even cis queer people can be insensitive to trans peoples' experiences and have much to learn. There's another great Tumblr post out there about how Ballister, although vilified, still has a chance at redemption if he chooses to reject Nimona (the bar/restaurant scene), but Nimona has been demonized and has no chance at redemption bc she has only ever been viewed as a monster. This reflects the divide between cis queer people and trans people in terms of societal treatment; while non-heternormative monogamous couples are being more widely accepted (in the United States at least), trans people are being further demonized as evident from the current political climate.

OKAY so this started as a commentary on the nature of critical analysis but now this is just my Nimona analysis and honestly I'm excited to talk about the racial implications in this movie bc they were apparently. Obviously Ballister is a Brown man (voiced by Riz Ahmed, most likely modeled after him as well) but I have been wanting to speak about Ambrosius for so long bc I have seen very little about his racial implications given that he is explicitly Asian (revealed in behind-the-scenes/making-of) and also modeled after Eugene Lee Yang, an openly queer Asian man (love him <3). Obviously we know the racist implications of Ballister being vilified for 1. being poor/a commoner (explicit reason in the movie and 2. a Brown man (implied). He's up against a White woman in power who is driven by fear (which is why I didn't agree with the feminist analysis of the movie). BUT AMBROSIUS. He's an Asian man, and I personally have not seen many explorations of racism faced by Asian Americans in popular media (not that it's not out there, I just don't think it's very common). There was something about Ambrosius being placed on this pedestal that he didn't ask to be placed on and also leading the search for Ballister. Obviously he did this so that he could bring Ballister in safely since someone else might try to hurt or kill him. But the fact that 1. Ambrosius was seen as an ideal knight and 2. he was being manipulated by a White woman made me think of the stereotypes placed on Asian Americans (there's a reason we're known as the silent and invisible minority). Ambrosius' race played as much of a role in the story's implications as Ballister's race did and as an Asian American person I was so drawn to it. I don't know if it was intended by those who worked on the movie but it just. I'm losing the words for it but it really did mean a lot to me as someone who constantly feels like I'm not allowed to talk about my experiences in any circles when it comes to regards to my race/ethnicity. It all boils down to "Asian person being set up as a model for others (i.e. other races) to aspire to by White society who only wish to use their Asian-ness as a tool." NOT TO MENTION the scene in the car with Ambrosius' meltdown, things he wanted to say but couldn't because The Director had certain expectations from him... THAT hit me hard as well. Someone else please do a deeper analysis about this because all I can do is scream about it without being completely coherent.

Anyway, if you read this far, thank you! Again, this started as an observation on the nature of critical analysis as a whole but spiraled into my own analysis about Nimona. I'm sorry if it seemed messy and rushed, this wasn't well thought-out, it was more of a stream-of-consciousness ramble. I would love to hear your own thoughts, or see other analyses of Nimona. Also if you know the OG post I was talking about PLEASE don't harass OP, from what I could see I don't think think they were a TERF or radfem I think they were just analyzing from a strictly feminist perspective.

#nimona #mine #fandom crit

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gumyfish · 11 days

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I’m cringeposting about Batman again: What does Bruce Wayne’s Trauma have to do with the song “No More Birthdays?”

a mini spitball essay from the guy who’s written two finals about the lego batman movie. if you know me irl please ignore this

For those who haven’t heard “No More Birthdays” by Sophie May, I highly recommend it not just for the purposes of this “”essay”” but also because it’s just a beautiful song. Regardless of whether you want to listen to it before reading this, I’ll be providing the lyrics here real quick:

My baby don't cry

She just sleeps through the night

She don't fuss, she don't whine

She stays perfectly quiet

But while I watch her grow (i watch her grow)

My poor heart grows a hole

Oh, lord, say (say it ain't so) it ain't so

Can't you please make an exception? I've got good intentions

I just crave protection for my ball of perfection

Why can't you stop time?

How long before I can't call you my sweet little girl?

Help me stop time, you're not allowed to be nineteen

You have to stay my precious baby

No more, no more

No more birthdays

No more, no more

My baby's just fine

She knows all of her rhymes

Her tables and her times

The world claps when she smiles

I know she'll never swap (she'll never swap)

Tiaras for make up

She's a good (good girl) girl at heart

I'll find a magical potion to mix with her lotion

And she'll stay my princess for life

Why can't you stop time?

How long before I can't call you my sweet little girl?

Help me stop time, you're not allowed to be nineteen

You have to stay my precious baby

No more, no more

No more birthdays

No more, no more

No more birthdays

Now, I will say right off the bat here (ha), my view of this song and its meaning related to my own trauma is heavily influencing how I apply it to Bruce’s. Now let’s get into it.

Your first instinct is probably “oh, I get it, like Robin!” No. “Oh, I get it, it’s like Martha’s view on Bruce!” Also wrong but definitely closer. I’d like you to view this song from kind of a weird lense - this song, to me, is best applied through Bruce’s perspective, in reference to himself.

Based on my own experience, the kind of trauma Bruce went through — the death of very important (in his case primary) parental figures in his formative years — can give one an odd dynamic with their own childhood self. When it happened, Bruce stopped having a childhood. He stopped being a child. He was young and confused but suddenly there was this grief in him that forced him to grow up far too fast. It’s not an uncommon sentiment that Bruce, the Wayne Family’s one and only child, died that night as well. This sentiment is incredibly important here, as it establishes that Bruce Wayne, the man who’s alive now, is not by any measure the same person as the child who watched his parents die. From that moment on, he was someone else — he grew around the grief, and it became such a key part of him that it’s impossible to simply picture him without it to see a better outcome.

What does this have to do with the song? Again, using my own perspective on it as a starting point, when (or if) the healing begins and he realizes he didn’t deserve what happened, the realization that the child who died to make him who he is now REALLY didn’t deserve it… it sets in fast. There’s this sudden feeling of vindication, of raw and childish unfairness that that was a child, he didn’t deserve that. When you have that kind of realization, it suddenly becomes a lot easier to separate your current self from the one who was lost all those years ago. There becomes this dynamic of not quite being a parent, or a sibling, or a babysitter or anything else towards this… child, who isn’t you, but it is, but it’s not because they died to make you. He is you but he’s not, but you are build off of his bones and ashes.

It’s easy to become protective of a child like that. This song is a perfect representation of this sentiment, to me — it is both about the desire to keep this child safe, and the wish for anything to have been easier for him. My baby is quiet and still because he has been hurt in a way he can’t even define yet. My baby is innocent and sweet and he has no idea what’s coming. He shouldn’t know what’s coming, it shouldn’t be coming at all. He is going to be young forever, and someone else is going to age instead of him. He did not get a childhood, and he’s never going to see adulthood, not as himself.

Then there’s the fact that there’s Bruce. The man who took the place of that child, the night he died. He didn’t get a childhood, and the song is about him, too. Why can’t you stop time? Why can’t he go back, why will no one save him? It’s not fair. He is the guardian of a child that died, the child is him, and he’s stuck with it forever. There is no going back, there is no doing it over, there is no way to get back the childhood he was cheated out of.

All that being said, it’s better to acknowledge that you were cheated out of a childhood than to just go on forever thinking you need to avenge your parents for the horrific crime of Being a Child and wanting to See a Movie. This is speculation on something that would reasonably be devastating to realize, but would be better to recognize in the long run.

That’s. that’s my cringepost for the month. Godbless.

#batman #dc #bruce wayne #I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be putting this in the main tags but. I’m being brave

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possibly-eli · 3 months

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yk when i look at stuff through the lense of I Have NPD, a lot of things make a lot more sense put under a read-more because its long

like, ive never truly felt bad for people. ive only felt bad for them when there would be consequences if i didnt i always end up somehow making the conversation about myself even if i dont actively try to i dont exactly have many people who i can refer to as "equals" but ive definitely got a few friends i get kind of protective over concepts that relate to me (the idea of being a zombie due to zombie kintype, the idea of Having OCD, etc etc) i get kind of paranoid regarding people and whether or not theyre talking about me behind my back because Of Course they are and they must be upsetting me intentionally because theyve turned on me i get really easily annoyed when anyone other than me vent about something (even, regrettably, my friends) because of said aforementioned disconnect (for e.g. there was someone i apparently had added on discord whose status was "i feel unsafe in my own head" and like. just Fuck Off youre such a loser. go cry about it or something idk man) i have this sort of need to keep up this Unbothered Mysterious Funny Guy and then i always ruin that because i talk about myself too much because i am very. very desperately in need of care and recognition nobody else is allowed to be more mentally ill than me

and like some stuff, i feel, is kinda expected considering my current situation (e.g. wanting support and passes because i get really easily overwhelmed but also not getting those cause my mother is just the perfect amount of ableist to think im as capable as i seem beacuse ~ooh smart~)

all that + take in to account i was excluded by my entire school for most of my time in primary school for being "weird" (autistic) and my only few friends were a) a bitch who i dont think actually cared about me and managed to unlock the bathroom door While i was in the bathroom despite me telling her to STOP (and then she bodyshamed me) and b) another girl who had actual. yk. Friends. because she had the social skills little autistic me lacked (and continue to lack)

so like. you try to tell me im fucking wrong lol. cause im NOT, for one, and two im Never wrong regarding my own (mental) health and MAYBE people should LISTEN to me more about it

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crystal-meloetta12 · 8 months

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hello, I would love to see your yokai watch ocs 💖

Ok so Ive been putting this one off a little bit for a multitude of reasons, most of which are some variant of "god Im so cringe", but I absolutely will ramble about them now that Ive been asked. This will be going under a read more because I go through 5 breakdowns and again am very cringe. I will also be showing each OC through a Picrew because trust me when I say my art is absolutely god awful, but all of them will be sourced.

Catherine

(Source: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1787745)

Ok, so she's basically the main protagonist of my little sector of hell. Her main watch model is the same as Katie's, but she does get upgrades overtime. Overall, she presents herself as a pretty stereotypical nice girl to those she talks to, and also shows a genuine interest in wanting to use her watch and skills to help those around her. Outside of yokai activities, she really enjoys all that she deems to be "cute", like Next HarMEOWny and clothing. She tends to be the most sympathetic of the party, opting to want to help yokai through words and actions as opposed to fighting them.

While a lot of her interests are genuine, some of her mannerisms are put on for those around her. She was very isolated for a lot of her childhood between consistently working parents and just not really being included in social circles, so a lot of her stereotypical cutesy vibes are just as much the only way she knows how to gain attention as much as they are for her own enjoyment. Because of this, she has a really bad tendency to become dependant on her relationships to the yokai around her, thinking that it's her only worth as a person and resultinf in an almost hero complex. So much so she often has a Pepillion on hand for when smiles are much harder to force.

(I KIND of want to add some neurodivergencies onto her, but I want to make sure I understand what Im talkkng about as well as I pretend I do before I actually go through with it)

Despite that, her primary go-to yokai is a Frostina she bonds with early on. She also usually has a Ratelle on hand for fashion-based things.

Her relationships with people are overall really chill, as she's generally nice to people. She is more open with the other watch users and her own friend group, allowing herself to be a bit more silly and goofy around them. The main stand out as of right now is I like to think Kyubi tried to flirt with her at one point as part of his "quest for hearts", and ended up learning what a lesbian is that day.

Hana

(Source: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/186583)

Hana's somewhat inspired off of the whole "robot from the future" line of yokai, and is actually a robot herself who was designed to help humans and yokai get along better. While designed to look like a human child, her whole body basically serves as a yokai watch, with her eyes basically acting as lenses that can pinpoint yokai. Because of this, she most often takes on the "navigator" role in more combat based scenarios, basically acting as the player in game. She was pretty much sent to current time as soon as it was confirmed shw was functional, so she has no real memories or way to travel to the time she came from.

Hana's the most carefree and childlike member of the cast, knowing a lot of things logistically but still experiencing them for the first time. Sometimes her curiosity and wonder can actually lead to trouble, but can usually be pulled out of it by others if not herself. She's actually probably the most emotionally well rounded of all of them tbh, mostly just having the occasional "Im not human" crisis and some trauma I'll get to later.

In terms of her yokai team, she mainly gets access to Don-chan who shares in her sometimes endless seeming energy, as well as Komajiro (not for any major reason, I just say so). She also has a Bruff in her team, mainly to act as a somewhat older brother figure who can ward off trouble if needed.

Mariah

(Source: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/3595)

Okay,

This girl is definitely the most subject to change, mostly because I made her core concepts back when I only played up to Yokai Watch 2 and was unaware I'd be submitting myself to Nightmare Lore! She's honestly recieved a ton of edits up to this point as well, my main strategy being "fuck it we ball" every time new lore presents itself to me. The current hurdle I have to pass for peak Blorbo Writing is Forever Friends, which I will watch after the Ensemble Stars interest dies down a little bit and I can actually continue Shadowside.

All that being said, as of writing this post, Mariah is a half human half yokai experiment facilitated by Ancient Enma to further push the "yokai human get along" thing until his ideals eventually shifted. Thus, she is treated as a member of the Enma family even if not related by blood. She is incredibly powerful with a high aptitude for yokai skills, althlough nowhere neae as strong as the man of all time himself. In terms of scaling, she probably is in between Zazel and Enma, though there is a sizable gap between all three of them. Because she was meant to be human, though, overexertion is a serious issie. She can only exert so much power without collapsing without other external circumstances. But with power like that doesn't just come responsibility, but pressure.

In the main group, she's the more collected one of the three, reeling in Catherine and Hana when they get more out of hand. Although, this is not to say that she doesnt get into antics of her own. Given her half yokai status, she doesn't really have much need for a watch, though she isn't above summoming Venoct for a fight. Shw does havw a slightly more human disguise, though it mainly changes her hair and eyes to be black.

Mariah and Enma get along really well, and share a sibling sort of bond. They tend to conversw over food, and she occasionally joins in for the "Enma's Holiday" manga shenanigans. She does end up in major conflicts of interest with Zazel on occasion, thus causing them to butt heads now and then, but they also genuinely care for eachother's well being.

Also I might rename her to be just Mari idk lol

Peg + some Shadowside discussion

(Source: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/1403004)

(I know, I know, Im gonna rename her eventually. It was an i side joke that isnt rlly funny anymore tbh)

... okay so is now a good time to mention Catherine fucking dies-

I don't really have the specifics planned out, but I do want her to eventually fall to some greater threat. She is remembered lovingly, albeit not much of the front-less her survived. Enough for her to be out of the way by the time the watch is banished. I am admittedly breaking ome of the rules of Shadowside, that being she is very much remembered by everyone.

Anyways, enter Peg, a shut in living in 2040 who ends up coming across the Arcane. Like Catherine, Peg lived most of her life in isolation from overworking parents and hitting bad luxk in social circles, only she copes through using her alone-ness as a shield, going out of her way to avoid letting people in. For most of her life, this has been fine, as she's able to excell in all sorts of random things completely on her own. Yokai, however, are one of the few things you can't go through alone. She actually has the most trouble out of the cast trying to get things done with them, as her abrasive nature ends up pissing off the yokai she tries to talk to if anything. And while Hana and Mariah are clearly traumatized by what happened and trying to work through it, everything Peg learns about Catherine builds a really bad imposter syndrome, and another person's shadow so big it feels impossible to crawl out.

She does get along with Hana the best, who still retains a lot of her wonder in the world, which opens up Peg's eyes somewhat in turn. Where she and Mariah sometimes feel more like work partners, Hana could be much more considered a friend. Im not really familiar enough with the Shadowside yokao to give her a proper team (as I only have the anime to go off of), but if we are ripping canon rules apart further, I think she'd largely have a Wydeawake amd a B3-NK1. I also want to give Hana something kinda similar to the Yokai Watch Ogre but idk Im indecisive lol

I've also been considering the possibility of Cath wandering around as a yokai, but the ideas I've had are more "trauma demon" than anything.

Alice

(Source: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/41329)

Okay so a lot of her core development has also been largely put on hold in a hellscape of "Crystal needs to watch Forever Friends but hrrng no motivation", but she is alive during tne time period that would take place, which according to the wiki is also when Nathaniel woild havw been a kid. She comes from a largely traditional family who doesn't give her much agency, and often sneaks out at night to do the things she'd really like. She's generally kind and open to the world, but doesn't have a single clue who she is as a person or what she wants to do in life.

I'd LIKE for her to be friends with a significantly younger Mariah (who has weird aging bc yokai growth stuff), but I don't know how possible that is because Enma Bullshit. Her party largely consists of classic yokai, a standout being a Smogling she befriends early on. She has the marble component of the yokai watch zero built into a necklace.

And that's just about everyone's basic introductions! Ive had these characters anywhere from "about a year" to "many, many years", but this is really the first time Ive openly discussed them, so I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to ask any questions about them if you'd like, and thank you again!

#im so sorry to anyone willingly reading this #yokai watch #youkai watch #yokai watch shadowside #youkai watch shadowside #my ocs #ocs #oc

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yesgermany-manish · 3 months

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The Role of Technology in German Education

The educational landscape is being redefined by technology, as online resources and digital tools become more prevalent. In Germany, renowned for its dedication to academic excellence, practical skills, and decentralized education system, these advances bring both potential and dilemmas. This article examines the intricate relationship between technology and German education through four key lenses: classroom tech integration, tech-influenced teaching methods, digital education's obstacles and emerging trends, and the mixed effects of technology on educators and learners.

Also Read: Study Abroad Consultant

Conclusion

Throughout this article, we've delved into the significant role of technology in German education, touching upon four primary elements: its integration into classrooms, the influence on teaching methods, the challenges alongside emerging trends in digital learning, and the advantages and disadvantages technology presents to both students and educators. We've uncovered that technology brings a multitude of benefits that can boost the overall quality, efficiency, and variety of education. However, it also introduces several challenges and risks that must be carefully navigated and mitigated.

We also provided a comparative analysis of the German education system against global counterparts and offered helpful insights and tools for those interested in the educational avenues of Germany, whether it’s for studying or teaching there.

Our goal was to present a thorough and thought-provoking perspective on how technology is shaping German education, hoping to spark further interest in this intriguing field.

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rjhreview · 7 months

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BAGSMAR DSLR Camera Backpack Review: Trusted by Professionals for Ultimate Gear Protection

Introducing the BAGSMAR DSLR Camera Backpack, the quintessential travel companion for every photographer—be it a seasoned professional or an enthusiastic beginner. In a world where capturing the perfect shot can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, having a reliable, functional, and efficient storage solution for your gear is not just a luxury—it's a necessity. That's precisely what this backpack offers, and so much more. Imagine you're on a scenic trail or at an event, your camera at the ready to capture stunning landscapes or candid moments. The last thing you want is to miss that irreplaceable shot because you're struggling with an impractical bag. The BAGSMAR DSLR Camera Backpack is engineered to ensure that never happens. With its quick-access design, you can effortlessly retrieve your camera and lenses, ensuring you're always ready to capture those fleeting moments. So, why should the BAGSMAR DSLR Camera Backpack be at the top of your photography equipment list? Because it's not just a backpack; it's an investment in your passion and your profession. Read on to discover the myriad features and benefits that make this backpack the ultimate choice for photographers looking to elevate their game. Why Consider This Product? Product Quality What It's Used For Product Specifications Who Needs This? Pros and Cons FAQ's Tips and Tricks For Best Results Final ThoughtsFinal Recommendation Why Consider This Product? When it comes to your photography adventures, having the right gear is essential. That's why you should consider the Camera Backpack by BAGSMAR. With its impressive features and numerous benefits, this backpack is a must-have for photographers of all levels. Scientific research and testimonials from satisfied customers further emphasize its effectiveness. Let's delve into the reasons why this product should be at the top of your photography equipment list. Customizable Space The backpack boasts customizable compartments with five padded dividers, allowing you to maximize the space and keep your gear securely in place. Whether you're carrying your DSLR camera with a 70-200mm lens attached or multiple lenses and accessories, this backpack can handle it all. Additionally, by removing the dividers, you can connect the upper and lower compartments through a zipper divider, transforming it into a laptop backpack. This flexibility ensures that you can carry all your essential equipment and personal belongings comfortably. Quick Access In fast-paced photography situations, being able to grab your camera quickly is crucial. The BAGSMAR Camera Backpack's side access design enables you to retrieve your camera in an instant, ensuring that you don't miss those precious moments. The front wraparound zipper design further facilitates easy and efficient packing of your gear, saving you time when you're on the move. Product Quality When investing in a camera backpack, you want to ensure that it is durable and built to last. The BAGSMAR Camera Backpack is constructed from durable and waterproof canvas, providing excellent protection for your valuable equipment in various weather conditions. It even includes a rain cover for added peace of mind. The presence of lockable zippers and a high-quality metal hook adds an extra layer of security, deterring potential thieves. What It's Used For Photography Gear The primary purpose of the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack is to carry and protect your photography gear. Its lower padded camera zone is specifically designed to accommodate one DSLR camera with a 70-200mm lens attached, as well as three to five standard lenses and other accessories. The customizable compartments allow you to arrange your gear according to your preferences, ensuring that everything is organized and easily accessible. Laptop Protection In addition to its camera storage capabilities, the backpack features a thick-padded laptop compartment that can accommodate up to a 15" laptop. This feature is perfect for photographers who often need to edit their images on the go or share their work straight from their laptops. The compartment's padding offers reliable protection for your device, giving you peace of mind while you navigate through your photography adventures. Product Specifications Dimensions11.8"L x 7.5"W x 15.7"HMaterialDurable and waterproof canvasLaptop SizeUp to 15"ColorKhakiCapacity1 DSLR camera, multiple lenses, laptop Who Needs This? Whether you're a professional photographer or an enthusiastic hobbyist, the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack is designed to meet your needs. Its versatility, durability, and ample storage space make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to protect their photography gear while on the go. Whether you're exploring new landscapes or capturing special moments at events, this backpack ensures that your equipment is safe and easily accessible. SHOP AT AMAZON SHOP AT AMAZON SHOP AT AMAZON SHOP AT AMAZON Pros and Cons No product is without its pros and cons. Here is a brief summary of what to expect with the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack: Pros: - Customizable compartments maximize storage space - Quick access design enables you to grab your camera in an instant - Durable and waterproof canvas protects your gear in various weather conditions - Laptop compartment keeps your device safe during your photography adventures - User-friendly features, such as thick back padding and adjustable straps, provide comfort during long journeys Cons: - May not accommodate larger camera setups or professional-grade equipment FAQ's - Is the backpack suitable for air travel? - Yes, the dimensions of the backpack meet most airline carry-on requirements. - Can the backpack comfortably fit a tripod? - Yes, the backpack features a tripod holder on the side, ensuring that you can bring along your tripod effortlessly. - Is the rain cover included? - Yes, the backpack comes with a rain cover to protect your gear in wet weather conditions. Tips and Tricks For Best Results To make the most of your BAGSMAR Camera Backpack, here are a few tips and tricks: - Use the customizable compartments to organize your gear effectively and make everything easily accessible. - Utilize the quick access side design to never miss a photo opportunity. - Securely lock the zippers and hook to deter theft and keep your equipment safe. - Take advantage of the rain cover in unpredictable weather conditions to protect your gear from water damage. - Final Thoughts The BAGSMAR Camera Backpack is an excellent investment for photographers seeking a reliable and versatile solution for transporting their gear. With its customizable space, quick access design, durability, and laptop protection, this backpack has everything you need to embark on your photography adventures in style. Whether you're a professional or an amateur enthusiast, this backpack is sure to enhance your photography experience and keep your equipment safe and secure. Choose the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack and capture the world one shot at a time. Final Recommendation Don't miss out on the opportunity to elevate your photography game with the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack. With its impressive features and durability, this backpack is a valuable asset for any photographer. So, whether you're exploring the great outdoors or capturing cherished memories at special events, invest in the BAGSMAR Camera Backpack today and never let your gear limit your creativity again. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full article

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atozearth · 8 months

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Polarized Sunglasses: Unveiling the World of Clarity and Protection

Introduction Sunglasses have become a staple fashion accessory, but they are more than just a style statement. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, polarized sunglasses have emerged as a game-changer. With advanced lens technology, these shades offer a unique blend of style, visual clarity, and eye protection. In this blog, we will delve into the world of polarized sunglasses, exploring their benefits, how they work, and why they are a must-have for anyone seeking to enhance their outdoor experience. What are Polarized Sunglasses? Polarized sunglasses are specialized eyewear designed to reduce glare from surfaces like water, snow, glass, and asphalt. They achieve this by incorporating a unique filter that blocks horizontally polarized light, which is responsible for most glare. Unlike regular sunglasses that only darken the field of view, polarized lenses offer an additional layer of visual enhancement. How Do Polarized Sunglasses Work? When light is reflected from a flat surface like water or a shiny road, it becomes horizontally polarized. This means that the light waves oscillate more in a horizontal plane, resulting in blinding glare. Polarized lenses contain a special chemical coating that acts as a vertical filter, absorbing the horizontal light waves. As a result, glare is significantly reduced or eliminated, providing you with a clear, comfortable vision. Benefits of Polarized Sunglasses Glare Reduction: The primary benefit of polarized sunglasses is the significant reduction in glare. Whether you're driving, boating, skiing, or simply walking outdoors, glare can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. Polarized lenses cut through the haze, allowing you to see with greater clarity and reducing eye strain. Enhanced Visual Clarity: By eliminating glare and scattered light, polarized sunglasses enhance visual clarity and contrast. This is especially beneficial for activities like fishing, where seeing beneath the water's surface is essential. Better Color Perception: Polarized lenses can also improve color perception, making colors appear more vibrant and true to life. This is particularly noticeable when you're surrounded by nature, as it accentuates the beauty of the world around you. UV Protection: Like regular sunglasses, polarized lenses provide protection against harmful UV rays. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to eye damage, including cataracts and macular degeneration. Polarized sunglasses offer a shield against these harmful rays, safeguarding your eyes in the long run. Reduced Eye Fatigue: By reducing glare and providing clearer vision, polarized sunglasses help reduce eye strain and fatigue. This is especially beneficial during extended periods of outdoor activity. Versatility: Polarized sunglasses are available in a wide range of styles and designs, making them suitable for various occasions. Whether you're going for a casual outing or attending a formal event, you can find a pair of polarized sunglasses that matches your taste and fashion sense. Also read more about Beauty sleep Conclusion Polarized sunglasses have revolutionized the way we perceive and protect our eyes in bright, sunlit environments. Their ability to minimize glare, enhance visual clarity, and provide UV protection make them an indispensable accessory for anyone who spends time outdoors. Whether you're an adventure enthusiast, a sports lover, or simply enjoy a leisurely stroll in the park, investing in a pair of polarized sunglasses will undoubtedly elevate your experience. Remember to choose high-quality polarized lenses from reputable brands to ensure maximum effectiveness and long-lasting performance. So, the next time you step outside, put on your polarized sunglasses, and witness the world with a newfound clarity and comfort. FAQ about Polarized Sunglasses 1. What are polarized sunglasses? Polarized sunglasses are specialized eyewear designed to reduce glare caused by reflected light from surfaces such as water, snow, glass, and asphalt. They feature a unique chemical coating that acts as a vertical filter, blocking horizontally polarized light and providing clearer vision and eye protection. 2. How do polarized sunglasses work? Polarized lenses contain a special chemical coating that selectively blocks horizontally polarized light waves, which are responsible for glare. By absorbing this light, the lenses help reduce or eliminate glare, resulting in enhanced visual clarity and reduced eye strain. 3. What are the benefits of polarized sunglasses? The benefits of polarized sunglasses include: - Glare Reduction: Polarized lenses significantly reduce glare from bright surfaces, making outdoor activities more comfortable and safer. - Enhanced Visual Clarity: By eliminating scattered light, polarized sunglasses improve contrast and clarity, allowing you to see more clearly. - Better Color Perception: Polarized lenses enhance color perception, making colors appear more vibrant and true to life. - UV Protection: Like regular sunglasses, polarized lenses offer protection against harmful UV rays, safeguarding your eyes from potential damage. - Reduced Eye Fatigue: By minimizing glare and providing clearer vision, polarized sunglasses reduce eye strain and fatigue during prolonged outdoor exposure. 4. Are polarized sunglasses suitable for all outdoor activities? Polarized sunglasses are highly versatile and suitable for a wide range of outdoor activities. They are particularly beneficial for activities like fishing, boating, skiing, golfing, driving, and any other activity where glare can be a concern. However, some professionals, such as pilots and skiers, may choose non-polarized lenses for specific reasons related to their line of work. 5. Can I wear polarized sunglasses indoors? While it's not harmful to wear polarized sunglasses indoors, it is generally unnecessary and can reduce visibility in low-light conditions. Polarized lenses are designed to eliminate glare from bright, reflective surfaces, which are typically encountered outdoors. Indoors, the effect of polarization is less pronounced and may not provide any significant benefits. 6. Are all polarized sunglasses the same? Not all polarized sunglasses are the same. Quality can vary depending on the brand and manufacturing process. It's essential to choose polarized sunglasses from reputable brands that use high-quality materials to ensure optimal performance and maximum UV protection. 7. Can polarized sunglasses be used as a substitute for UV protection? While polarized sunglasses offer some UV protection, they are not a substitute for dedicated UV-blocking sunglasses. Ensure that your polarized sunglasses provide 100% UV protection, and if you'll be in intense sunlight for extended periods, consider using additional measures like wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin from UV rays. 8. Can everyone wear polarized sunglasses? In general, most people can wear polarized sunglasses without any issues. However, some individuals may experience visual discomfort or distortion when looking at LCD screens, smartphones, or some car windshields with polarized lenses. If you notice any discomfort, try adjusting the angle of your head or removing the sunglasses momentarily. 9. How should I care for my polarized sunglasses? To maintain the performance and longevity of your polarized sunglasses, follow these care tips: - Always use a soft, microfiber cloth to clean the lenses to avoid scratches. - Store your sunglasses in a protective case when not in use. - Avoid placing your sunglasses with the lenses facing down to prevent scratching. - Rinse your sunglasses with water before cleaning them to remove dust and debris. In conclusion, polarized sunglasses offer numerous benefits, from reducing glare and enhancing visual clarity to providing UV protection and reducing eye strain. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast or simply enjoy stylish eyewear, investing in a high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses is a wise choice for protecting your eyes and elevating your outdoor experience. Read the full article

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drlunaxu · 9 months

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Clear Vision Ahead: Understanding Cataract Surgery and Restoration of Sight

Cataracts are a common age-related vision problem that affects millions of people worldwide. As we age, the natural lenses in our eyes can become clouded, leading to blurry vision and reduced clarity. Fortunately, cataract surgery offers a safe and effective solution to restore clear vision and improve the quality of life for those affected. In this article, we will explore the ins and outs of cataract surgery, its benefits, and what to expect during the procedure.

Understanding Cataracts

Cataracts occur when the proteins in the eye's lens begin to clump together, causing cloudiness and obstruction of light passing through the lens. This clouding leads to diminished vision, difficulty reading, driving, or recognizing faces, and an overall reduction in visual acuity. While cataracts are more commonly associated with aging, they can also be caused by certain medical conditions, eye injuries, or prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

The Need for Cataract Surgery

When cataracts start interfering with daily activities and significantly impact the quality of life, it is time to consider cataract surgery. This procedure involves removing the cloudy natural lens and replacing it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Cataract surgery is a routine and well-established surgical procedure, with a high success rate and minimal risks.

The Procedure

Cataract surgery is typically an outpatient procedure and is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon will make a small incision in the cornea and use advanced techniques, such as phacoemulsification, to break up and remove the cloudy lens. Once the cataract is removed, the artificial IOL is inserted to take its place. The IOL is selected based on the patient's specific visual needs, which can include monofocal lenses for distance vision or multifocal lenses for both near and distance vision.

Benefits of Cataract Surgery:

Improved Vision

The primary benefit of cataract surgery is the restoration of clear vision. Patients often experience significantly improved visual acuity and clarity after the procedure, allowing them to resume their daily activities with confidence.

Reduced Dependence on Glasses

While patients may still need glasses for certain activities, cataract surgery with premium IOLs can reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses, particularly for tasks like reading or driving.

Enhanced Quality of Life

Regaining clear vision can have a profound impact on a person's overall quality of life. It allows them to enjoy hobbies, engage in social activities, and maintain their independence.

Safety and Efficacy

Cataract surgery is one of the safest and most successful surgical procedures performed today. The risk of complications is low, and the recovery process is generally quick and straightforward.

Post-Operative Care

After cataract surgery, patients will receive instructions for post-operative care, including the use of eye drops and avoiding strenuous activities. Most individuals experience improved vision within a few days, but it may take a few weeks for the eyes to fully adjust and stabilize. Follow-up appointments with the surgeon are crucial to monitor healing and ensure the best possible outcome.

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zorilleerrant · 10 months

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Robin was originally supposed to be a lens character children could see themselves through. But that was when superhero comics were trying to sanitize themselves and become more child friendly; the problems were supposed to be less gritty and realistic.

Later we see a trend in comics (art comics first, and then expanding into mainline superhero comics) of becoming more serious, dramatic, and realistic. And then, continuing, grimdark and edgy. Then, the context of the media has changed, but the character of Robin has either changed very little, leading to a mismatch with the tone and attitude of the work, or a lot, leading to a Robin who is treated in a more realistic way that isn't a lens character for children.

Robin hasn't been intended as a lens for children for a while, for the main reason that children aren't the primary consumers of comics anymore. You can easily see this by comparing Robin as he appears in graphic novel(la)s aimed at the MG/YA crowd versus how he appears in mainline titles. In their own comics - Robin or Teen Titans titles - compared to their supporting roles in Batman or even Batman and Robin titles, there's also a marked difference in the attitude toward and by Robin as a character.

This is what's led to the discussion in text of Robin as a child soldier; the world of superhero comics has changed drastically, and with it the respective positions of heroes within it, especially child heroes, and especially child heroes who are under the putative guardianship of a competent adult. Characters make numerous references to the changing world around them, such as, "villains robbed banks back then, they didn't kill people" or "it was a simpler time when it made more sense for Robin to be exposed to that."

When analyzing older comics (generally before the '80s, when they really started getting darker) that contain Robin as a lensing character, obviously it doesn't make sense to read it as commentary on child soldiers. (Although it can still be productive to do so, as superhero comics have always been a product of American imperialism and widely used as a propaganda tool for the military.) Mostly people aren't analyzing older comics, though.

People are analyzing more recent comics, which are often intentional and explicit commentary on Robins as child soldiers, and how that would realistically impact their lives. This offers a lot of narrative avenues into trauma, responsibility, growing up, etc. that can do a lot of heavy lifting with the sorts of metaphors comics have always been good at. They're still characters that deal with coming of age issues, it's just that those issues are more often abuse/neglect recovery and recent independence (which matches the slightly older age of people who are likely to read a lot of comics).

People aren't failing to analyze media correctly, they're just analyzing a different part of a massive multi-author project that frequently contradicts itself and, depending on who's crafting stories and why, deals with massively different issues and implications. It's not a paradigm that works for every story, but it's a paradigm that works for many stories that intentionally invoke it.

It's also a paradigm that works for many stories that unintentionally invoke it through usage of things like military aesthetics or command structures/training, authoritarian voice, realistic violence, references to war literature and especially war trauma literature, and explicit vocabulary such as 'soldier', 'follow orders'/'disobey a direct order', 'commanding officer', 'wartime', 'chain of command', etc.

Like, yeah, it's a story, and someone invented that story, and Robin is never a real person who needs to be treated like a real child. But, also, sometimes the person who invented that story genuinely is a fascist, and noticing thematic elements that treat Robin as a child soldier are an interesting and productive use of media analysis.

And when the authors want to explore child soldiers thematically, it's reading against the text to claim that Robin is still just a lens.

#look i said something

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buybesteyelens · 1 year

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What is the lens of the eye and The function of the lens of the eye?

The lens is located in the eye. By changing its shape, the lens changes the focal distance of the eye. In other words, it focuses the light rays that pass through it (and onto the retina) in order to create clear images of objects that are positioned at various distances. It also works together with the cornea to refract or bend, light. The lens is of ellipsoid, biconvex shape. An ellipsoid is similar to a sphere but stretched out, like an olive, and biconvex means it’s rounded outward on both sides. The lens is about 10 mm across and 4 mm from front to back in adults, although its shape and size vary as it changes its focus. The lens consists of the lens capsule, the lens epithelium, and the lens fibers. The lens capsule is the smooth, transparent outermost layer of the lens, while the lens fibers are long, thin, transparent cells that form the bulk of the lens.

Being able to see well, for most, is essential to performing the activities of day-to-day life. Good vision contributes to overall well-being and independence for people of all ages. For those with imperfect but correctable vision, many options can help to improve sight. These options most commonly include glasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery. Deciding which option is best for you depends on your eyes, lifestyle, and budget—and should be discussed with an eye doctor. Wearing lenses has many potential benefits. To get the most out of your lens-wearing experience, be sure to always practice healthy habits and remember that all types of contact lenses—even cosmetic lenses that don’t correct vision but change the color or look of the eye—are medical devices that need to be prescribed by an eye doctor. Please visit this website Bella Lens you get the best Lens service.

The function of the lens of the eye: The primary function of the lens is to bend and focus light to create a sharp image. To do that, the lens uses the help of ciliary muscles to stretch and thin out when focusing on distant objects or to shrink and thicken when focusing on near objects. When light enters the eye, the lens will bend and focus incoming light directly on the retina, which is how the clearest possible image is produced. The crystalline lens projects a focused image on the retina. However, the initial image projected is inverted (either upside down or reversed). When the image is sent to the brain via the optic nerve, the brain will flip the image back to normal. [Read our article on how the visual process works. The ciliary body is critical for the lens to function correctly. While the ciliary muscles allow the lens to change shape to focus, the lens itself is kept in place by little fibers that are connected to the ciliary body — these are called zonular fibers, or zonules.

See Well: Contact lenses correct most vision problems 1, including: Near-sightedness (myopia): blurred vision far away, Far-sightedness (hyperopia): blurred vision close up, Astigmatism: a blurred vision both far away and close up, Presbyopia: blurred vision close up in aging adults, Contact lenses move with the eye for vision correction that can feel and look natural 2. Some studies have shown that specially fitted contact lenses may help slow the progression of near-sightedness in children and teens, although they are not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this purpose 3-9.

Presbyopia: Presbyopia is a natural, age-related vision change that affects a person’s ability to focus on close-up objects. The condition affects almost everyone, even if they’ve never had vision problems before. The cause of presbyopia is related to alterations within the lenses’ composition. Aging triggers a change in the protein of the lenses, which causes them to thicken and become inflexible. The ciliary muscle fibers that keep the lens in place and help it change shape are also affected. All of these developments make it difficult for the eyes to focus on nearby objects. Signs of presbyopia typically begin around the age of 40 and gradually progress until age 65 or 70, when presbyopia plateaus. Presbyopia is not harmful and can be corrected with glasses, contacts, or vision surgery.

Accommodation: Accommodation refers to the lenses' ability to bounce between focusing on near objects and far objects with little interference. For example, if you’re approaching a traffic light while driving, the lenses in your eyes will be focused distantly, because the light is relatively far away. As you get closer to the light, your lenses will make tiny changes in shape to accommodate the approaching object that used to be distant. Accommodation relies on the elasticity of the crystalline lens, which makes it easier to change focal distances. As we age, the crystalline lens loses its elasticity, which results in a condition called Presby.

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abcnewspr · 2 years

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ABC NEWS APP GETS REDESIGN, ENHANCED TECH AND NEW FEATURES

New Features Include Enhanced Video and Live Streaming Experience, Plus Updates to Election and Polling Data Presentations

Redesign Introduces Dark Mode, and Delivers Improved Design, Performance, Navigation, and Search

ABC News*

A reimagined ABC News mobile app will launch into app stores on September 20, with new features, technological enhancements, and a newly refreshed design and user experience.

The revamped ABC News app is built on Disney’s proprietary technology, product and design platforms – improving speed and scalability, and offering increased flexibility for storytelling. This will also allow the ABC News app to benefit from new feature and functionality development across the broader Disney digital portfolio – quickly bringing new, innovative features to ABC News.

“ABC News is the leader in news,” said Lulu Chiang, Vice President of ABC News Digital Content. “We are excited the new updates to our signature digital app will deliver new ways showcase our world class journalism, take consumers deeper into our reporting, and add to the way that audiences watch and read everything from breaking news to our industry-leading election coverage and more.”

An enhanced video experience – for both streaming of ABC News Live and for on-demand video – is central to the relaunched app. Enhancements include a new video player, picture in picture and “docking” capability, more seamless integration of ABC News Live, improved EPG and schedule, enhanced video technology and more.

The updated app also introduces “dark mode” to the app for the first time – a highly-requested feature – and delivers improved search functionality powered by superior algorithm adaptability and an introduction of topical categories to easily focus discovery for all users.

ABC News editors and reporters will have new flexibility in storytelling, with updated design treatments including new breaking news and home screen takeover experiences, enhanced photo galleries, updated live blog integration and more.

“This latest release is a key step in our strategy to advance our video storytelling on mobile devices,” said Nicole Breskin, Vice President, News & Entertainment Product, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Critically, the app will also provide new experiences around breaking news and live video to deliver key news coverage when people need it. Our refreshed app is built on our scalable foundation upon which we can innovate and bring ABC News to our audiences in novel ways.”

Ahead of the 2022 Mid-Term Elections, the updated ABC News app will also deliver updates to live, real-time voting result data. In addition, election maps will have new design and interaction, and election coverage in the app will provide historical data for the first time – allowing users to examine results from previous election cycles, setting the scene for upcoming mid-term elections and looking ahead to the 2024 election cycle.

Consumers will also be able to take advantage of Exit Poll Filters, letting them examine data through the lenses of demographic information, location, education level and more to understand what decisions different types and sets of voters have made.

New primary navigation delivers one-tap access to “Watch”, “Explore”, “Listen”, “Search”, as well as an updated “My News” section. Through easy-to-use personalization, the new ABC News app allows users one-tap access to easily add and change topical interests, and curates those personalized news interests in the “My News” section.

In “Listen” users have an updated and improved library of ABC News’ award-winning audio content – including the “Start Here” podcast, “Good Morning America” audio, full episode audio from “World News Tonight,” “20/20″ and “Nightline,” acclaimed political podcasts from FiveThirtyEight, original feature storytelling and more.

*COPYRIGHT ©2022 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC News. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed. Photos posted for Web use must be at the low resolution of 72dpi, no larger than 2x3 in size.

-- ABC --

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idealeyedoctorsarasota · 2 years

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What Does an Eye Exam Service Do?

An eye exam service will examine a person's vision and general health. This type of examination will involve several tests to determine if the patient requires prescription eyewear. In addition to checking your vision, an eye doctor will test your intraocular pressure, which can indicate glaucoma. Another test will evaluate your peripheral vision. A front portion of the eye, including the lens and lids, is also assessed. Sarasota Optician will also check your tear film and eyelids to determine if you need corrective lenses or glasses.

This examination will evaluate the retina and optic nerve using a handheld instrument called a phoropter. The instrument helps the doctor determine the exact focusing power of each eye. The doctor will then fine-tune the power of the lenses based on the input provided by the patient. This type of service is used to diagnose various eye conditions, including refractive errors, glaucoma, and cataracts. A comprehensive eye exam may also include ophthalmological services such as medication or surgery.

Another eye exam service is 1800 Contacts. This service involves standing a few feet away from a device that displays letters for you to read aloud. Once you've entered your previous prescription, the service will test your vision and provide you with a new prescription within 24 hours. This service is available for both prescription lenses and contacts and will cost around $20. Another service similar to 1800 Contacts is Lensabl, which uses a similar technology known as Visibly. Click here for the best Tinted lenses Sarasota on this page.

Medically necessary eye exams are required when the patient's health is in danger of deteriorating. They may be required for several reasons and can be determined through a thorough eye examination. A primary care physician may recommend an examination if a family member has certain symptoms or has had certain medical conditions. Those who are diagnosed with a disease condition are encouraged to receive more frequent eye exams. They'll also be more likely to get a prescription if they're concerned about their vision.

A child's eye exam is similar to an adult's and starts at the front desk. A child's eye doctor will perform routine eye tests, using a toddler or child's chart. A full exam can take an hour or more. If your child hasn't had an eye exam in a while, For Eyes is a good choice for your child. You can even check their vision before they start school to ensure that their vision hasn't changed too much.

The majority of optometric eye exam patients have no vision problems. However, if you're looking for a comprehensive exam, your doctor may recommend glasses or contact lenses based on your prescription. They will also provide important information about your eye structure and health. In addition, your doctor may recommend a follow-up visit to make sure you're getting a healthy, functional vision. If necessary, they may also recommend further tests, such as a digital retinal camera. For more information about this topic, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophthalmology.

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blessedarethebinarybreakers · 3 years

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id: the start of a twitter thread by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @TheRaDR from Sept 15 2021 reading,

Today's a good day to talk about prayer, no? I know it's a thing that feels hard and uncomfortable to lots of folks, so let's spend some time unpacking some of what it can be. 1/x thread.

For starters, let me make this clear: I don't believe in vending machine theology. Like, there is no version of any understanding of the divine that I have that involves me praying for a pony and getting a pony. Or a fast car or that gig that I want or whatever. Courage, patience, compassion? That's different, we'll get there. "But rabbi, the traditional Jewish liturgy includes prayers for livelihood, for healing, for all sorts of things! We ask for stuff!" Yes, and the traditional Jewish liturgy is written in the first person plural. Not I. We. So again, patience, we'll get there. / end id]

The thread continues,

But first, I want to say a few things about the act of prayer. The Book of Samuel talks about a woman named Hannah who's stuck in a dark place; she finally breaks, starts crying, and then, the book tells us, she "increased her prayers before God…. Hannah spoke on her heart." She's considered the paragon of prayer in Judaism; she didn't recite formal liturgy. She teaches us, though, that prayer is about speaking on your heart. It's a means to express something of our deepest selves, and not only naming it, but offering it up to the great beyond.

Whether or not you think of yourself as someone who believes in whatever might be called God, I'd like to suggest that there is power to this. I don't think you need to know to whom or what you're praying in order to pray.

Sometimes, you can just... pray. And see how it feels. If meditation can get us centered in the present moment, prayer can engage that presence, draw from or offer it up, or do both at the same time. Meditation is the work of the breath, of the stillness of the mind.

Prayer is, as the Jewish tradition puts it, "work of the heart." This work of the heart often emerges from the hardest spaces. Sometimes it comes out of that moment when you're at the edge of your ability to cope, or grief, despair, fear, anger, disassociated numbness, or overwhelm. Or from a bunch of those things, all at once.

Perhaps our prayers are open expressions of resentment, desperation, hope, gratitude, wonder, frustration, questions, or many of the other things a person might feel when we're up to the ears in it. Perhaps something else. I don't know.

I can tell you that if you spend all of Yom Kippur yelling at God until you get to the place where the tears are, or yelling until you find a new truth that you hadn’t uncovered, that will be a day well spent.

Yes, you can yell at God, you can be angry at God, you can yell at I-don't-know-if-there's-God-or-what-but-I'm-gonna-yell. The God in which I believe can take it.

Jews, anyway, have a long, proud tradition of yelling at God. It's... kind of how we roll.

But real prayer doesn’t push aside hard feelings. Nor will it magically fix everything. It can help us to name what's happening, & to pour it out to the great transcendent beyond — to turn your isolated feeling into something that connects you, that binds you to something bigger.

It is this outward offering that turns "feeling feelings" into prayer: we don't just experience them, we offer them up, to someone, something. We say, “here, can you hold on to at least a tiny piece of this anger, frustration and despair for just a second?” We connect our heart to the great infinite everythingness, the gushing, pulsing stream of life within and around us. We reach out.

It's about tuning into that which interlinks us all, that which is present within and between us. Try lifting up the things in the deepest places of your heart and try to release them like you're letting the wind take a balloon. You don't have to even know whether anyone's taking them or what, just try to pull the words up and out.

So then, to get back to the words in the prayerbook. First of all, permission:

If you're in services and what's happening with the prayerbook and where you are with things isn't where your head is at, let me be hopefully not the first person to give you permission to just be where you are, tune out of the service and tune in to your heart, tune in to whatever's happening there, do that. If you do some real work there, you've done good.

The point is not to recite every word of the Yom Kippur liturgy while your heart cries for attention. No. And as for crying in services? Feel free to ask anyone from any of the shuls I've attended regularly since the late 90's (aka when I got Jewy) if I have ever been seen sobbing hysterically during prayer services. Uh. Yes, hi, here is your permission slip to cry if you need to.

Sometimes in the process of prayer you move stuff around and find true things and clear out some things and the true things come out through tears. That's OK. Sometimes life is so full and the only time you have time to be a certain kind of present is during prayer and so it turns out that's when you cry. That's OK.

So, then, back to the words in the prayerbook. Whether you're more comfortable in the Hebrew (and occasionally Aramaic) or English, or a bit of both —permission slip to pray from whichever side works best for you — the prayerbook is meant to be your guide through a process. The liturgy has been crafted very intentionally. It's the trail for your hike. It's meant to take you on a series of risings & fallings, openings & closings, peaks & valleys. The blessings before & after the S'hma, before & after the Amidah, where (on YK) the viduis are, etc. We talk about keva (fixed form) and kavvanah (intention) as the heart of Jewish prayer. Taking the intention, the heart stuff I've been talking about and binding it to the words in the prayerbook, and offering it up. It takes practice, sure, but if you're in services a bunch tonight and tomorrow, why not practice?

Find some of the words that catch you in particular and really...pray them? See what it feels like to find some words that you wouldn't think to just write yourself and pray those?

And then we get around to the genius of Jewish prayer. The ways it shapes you, like water gently shaping a rock. The number of times I have, in prayer, had to find the ways and meanings around words I wouldn't have, in my tiny, finite, ego-driven self, thought to write. The ways that we — not I, we — has worked itself into me. It's not about my own love or sorrow. My own fate or concern. The hike has taken me to vistas more profound and beautiful than I possibly could have imagined on my own.

And it's forced me to tap into pain and suffering greater than I wanted to, because that's part of the work, too That's OK. We. Us. In any case, I want to bless you with the opportunity to do some of the work of the heart — tonight, tomorrow, and any time after that.

In services, or just walking down the street, when you're with a cranky child, at any moment when you need to offer something up. Formal prayer — yes. And spontaneous prayer is valid, too. It was for Hannah, it is for you, too.

Offer something up. PS: some theological Qs can be addressed in this piece, though more Bible-focused. Viz prayer, some Jewish philosophers talk about prayer impacting the person praying, some talk about prayer impacting the divine, some a combination, you don’t have to pick.

#judaism #yom kippur #prayer #prayer tag #danya ruttenberg #other faiths tag #important #twitter #Rabbi Ruttenberg wrote this for Yom Kippur in particular and from her Jewish lens #and those are the primary lenses to read it through BUT it can be read wider too.#like she says -- anyone can do this form of prayer. even those who don't know who or what exactly they're praying to #Christians for instance can learn SO much from this -- the emphasis on communal prayer. on not treating god like a vending machine #long post

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virginwhoredichotomy · 3 years

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There was this report I read about a journalist who visited an orphanage in, I wanna say Mexico but don’t quote me on it and also the location isn’t important. But all the babies were quiet. They had already learned that no one would come if they cried. Dean literally learned that his needs wouldn’t be met if he asked for them. His mom wouldn’t come because she was dead and his dad wouldn’t come either. But he hasn’t stopped wanting for his mom to come when he’s upset and I just think one time Dean and Mary went to get groceries and Mary wandered off and Dean stood there in the aisle between cheese and milk and fought the lump in his throat because he lost his mom at the supermarket and it’s the worst feeling in the world.

i mean the thing with the orphanage cases is that those children were completely deprived of attachment, they didn't even have dysfunctional attachment styles because they literally didn't have an adult to bond with. i wouldn't make that comparison because dean did have a probably secure attachment to mary (and possibly john), his trauma probably lies in the fact that he lost his primary caregiver, not that he never had one. According To The Texts our early relationships with our caregivers fundamentally shape how we view the world, our relationships, and ourselves and it makes a lot of sense to look at dean through that lense because you can literally trace all his issues back to a) the loss of his securely attached caregiver b) the replacement of that bond with an insecure attachment to someone who abuses him. at age four dean learned: 1. the people i love will leave and/or hurt me, 2. my worth lies in what i can do for others (i can't prove my worth without having sam to take care of), 3. no one protects me except myself. and then he spent the rest of his childhood in a situation where those beliefs were enforced, not questioned. he is emotionally immature because he never was safe enough to surrender himself to growing pains! dean is a child specifically because he was on his own from a young age! so yeah he misses his mom. he never had anyone to teach him differently. please don't message me about the second half of your ask i have not processed it yet i do not want to think about it i'm gonna need another three business days before i can look at it directly

#what also plays into this is that dean is actively discouraged from processing his grief #marys death is the foundation upon which this family rebuilt itself it only functions if the pain and anger she left behind never go away #sorry for this post. i've been feeling very sad about dean for the past two days idk what's going on #ask #anon

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boys-night · 3 years

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Mickey and Ian - communication, sex, and relationship styles, post 11x07

Here’s my take on how Ian and Mickey relate to sexuality and relationship styles, thinking mainly about 11x07, but also looking more broadly at the series and including HoS. If you’re not interested in incorporating 11x07 in your version of canon, ignore this! I enjoyed 11x07 but I understand people have different ways of seeing Ian and Mickey’s relationship. I’m also doing the classic meta thing of taking seriously exaggerated/comic/contradictory elements in the show because that’s how I roll.

Super long post under cut.

I’ve been reading Sexuality: A Graphic Guide by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele which is where a lot of the following ideas and terminology come from. I’ve also been looking at Meg-John Barker’s free relationship zine on their website rewritingtherules.com. I highly recommend their work, including the podcast they have with Justin Hancock, The Meg-John and Justin podcast (although MJ has left now and it’s called Culture, Sex, Relationships, but you can check out the backlog!)

They think about sex and relationship styles using various models including monogamy/polyamory, allosexuality/asexuality, romance/aromance etc. They look at these different facets of sexuality/relationship styles as complicated continua rather than binaries which shift over time. They also write about sexuality on an action/identity spectrum, communication strategies around relationships styles, and the windows into relationships. Here, I’m looking at all of these things thinking about Ian and Mickey’s relationship and as individuals within the relationship.

The monogamy/polyamory continuum

I’ve seen a bit of debate about how to label Mickey and Ian’s relationship on the monogamy/polyamory spectrum and I think it’s a pretty complex question especially considering those labels mean different things to different people and that relationships shift a lot over time. While labels like these can be useful, they can also be rigid and restrictive in their own ways.

Some terms that come close-ish to what they say they’ve decided in 11x07 are monoamorous and polysexual, considering they aren’t at all interested in romantic connections outside of each other but are up for sex (in a broad sense) with other people. But these terms don’t account for the agreement that they’re only exploring sex with other people when they’re together.

As people have pointed out, some of the boundary setting around exactly how they’re involving other people in the relationship is left off-screen, and also they’re not necessarily going to form identities around how they act in one episode. I’ve also seen people suggest reading their relationship style as monagamish and/or that what they do with other people is part of kink/play. I think these make sense in different ways and that in 11x07 Ian and Mickey definitely focus more on what they do (action) rather than who they are (identity) in regards to monogamy/polyamory.

In 11x01, Ian’s focus is more on identity. He sets up a binary choice between being monagamous or not in their relationship. 11x07 indicates they’ve moved through off-screen discussion into a much more personalised arrangement with more focus on actions allowing for flexibility over time. In 11x07, we see them agree on rules: sex in a broad sense is allowed outside of the primary partnership, love isn’t. They keep negotiations ongoing (e.g. in the bedroom, in the furniture store), and there is an indication that these rules could change over time.

I’d love to read/explore more about the ways in which this approach has changed over the course of the whole show. At the start of their relationship, definitely prior to s4, they have much more implicit rules about who they can have sex with, and those implicit rules become problematic in s5, when they realise they’re not completely on the same page regarding them. They bring up clashing ideas around the rules when Mickey’s leaving prison in s10 too. In s11, their relationship becomes more intentional, with these rules stated aloud rather than assumed.

The action/identity continuum in regards to gay sexuality

On a slight tangent, I think there’s a comparison to be made here to how they relate to sexuality (specifically gender of attraction) and the idea of gay identity, which seems to develop in the other direction. For Mickey especially, for a long time having sex with men was something he did rather than something he was, and that’s gradually somewhat shifted over the course of the show. There’s so much more that can be explored here, for instance, about how the action-based approach is much more acceptable within the hyper-masculine environment he was raised. Terry also approaches it this way when talking about prison sex, for example. According to this very oppressive social script, having sex with men in certain circumstances can be OK but claiming that as part of who you are is absolutely not.

But I also want to stress, I don’t think either approach to gay sexuality, looking at it through actions or through identity, is inherently better or worse. These different lenses on sexuality also intersect with class and levels of education. As explored in Sexuality: A Graphic Guide, the identity approach is also relatively a very modern way of seeing sexuality (late 20th century). Gender of attraction is also only one facet of sexuality (which includes amount of sex you want, type of sex, sexual roles etc.) but its now often regarded as the only or most important facet of sexuality. The identity-based approach is much more acceptable within the more aspirational/middle class settings they interact with in s10 and s11. In these seasons, Mickey and to a lesser extent Ian aren’t completely willing to accept it wholesale. I like how, for example, even well after “coming out”, Mickey often still approaches sexuality through actions rather than identity, e.g. his response to the woman at the flower shop asking if he’s a homosexual: “He is, I just like having another man’s dick up my ass.”

However, I also think it’s cool/interesting how Ian and Mickey both move towards and embrace various parts of mainstream gay identity in s11 too, and a large part of that involves combatting the sexism, femmephobia, and hypermasculinity with which they were raised, e.g. of course, singing and dancing to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande in the bathroom.

You could also look at the different ideas about the origins of their gay sexuality in HoS through this lens. Mickey goes for a psychological/behavioural approach (based in like early 20th century sexological theories); Ian goes for a born-this-way, biological/genetic approach (popularised in the 1980s as part of gay pride movements).

Mickey’s approach is very old school (definitely a way of thinking that reflects his upbringing), which assumes straight is the norm from which gay deviates, to do with Freudian theory/the idea of homosexuality as pathology. He doesn’t, for example, seek to use the same model (Fiona’s bad relationship history) to explain why Lip is straight. Ian’s approach (”not because I was born this way?”) reflects his investment in the intractability of sexuality related to his strict opposition to conversion therapy models and the idea of being gay as a choice. It also reflects the way he reacts negatively/disbelievingly to Debbie’s more flexible sexuality (in s8?). While obviously it’s fucked up/impossible to force people to change their sexuality and it’s perfectly reasonable for him to define the origins of his own sexuality however he wants, this approach risks excluding more fluid experiences of sexuality.

Again, Mickey’s approach is more behavioural/action oriented and Ian’s is more identity oriented. They both seem pretty willing to shift their ideas around this though (especially Mickey, who potentially is just regurgitating old stuff he’s heard without thinking). The concluding thought is that Ian is gay because he likes Mickey’s d, lol.

Individual differences on sex and relationship continua

I really like the detail that Ian doesn't want to have sex and be friends with anyone else aside from Mickey. In 11x07, he doesn't want to make friends with the guys in the locker room although he's down for repeat sexual experiences which suggests he thinks he forms romantic attachment through a combination of both sex and friendship. It seems like it's important to him in his negotiation with Mickey that they don't form romantic attachments outside of their own relationship.

This relates back to the 87% thing in HoS where Ian says he tends to get at least slightly attached to everyone he has sex with and Mickey has 87% of his heart. Mickey doesn’t like the 87% thing at all but I reckon it outlines a really interesting difference between the two characters in regards to relationship styles. It indicates that Ian is comfortable with a slightly less mononormative way of doing nurturance/care than Mickey, while Mickey seems to initiate more of the polysexuality than Ian in 11x07. (Although of course, we don’t see how Ian would react if Mickey were to tell him he’s got 87% of his heart! -- but this is a very difficult to imagine scenario).

Sex is a big part of their relationship for both of them. Both Ian and Mickey seem pretty allosexual (e.g. they feel sexual attraction for other people generally), but Mickey is possibly even more so than Ian. Mickey also maybe falls on the aromantic/grayromantic spectrum (once again, the labels can be really useful but I don’t want to be too prescriptive/rigid). Ian seems to be more alloromantic, with a capacity to experience romantic attraction to a whole bunch of people. For him, sex and romance seem to be more interconnected in all cases although he can definitely separate the two (especially when thinking about transactional sex etc).

But I think it's more complex than that. For instance, Mickey reserves certain sexual acts for just between him and Ian and its clear that they have both intimacy and exploration in their sex life. From the outset, Ian and Mickey’s relationship involves exploration and excitement with sex, and provides a freedom to explore their sexualities in regards to sexual roles and kink. It’s clear that Mickey values the safe space Ian specifically gives him in this regard from very early on in their relationship. There’s a parallel here with the bathroom Gaga/Grande scene where Ian’s instinct isn’t to tease or make fun of Mickey but support him embracing more stereotypical gay behaviours and/or more fluid gender roles to the ones he’s grown up with outside of sex too.

Also it might be useful to complicate the idea of romance itself which is a really difficult idea to pin down and which seems to mean different things for both of them. I love the stress on friendship in 11x07. Friendship and also family connection play such key parts in their relationship with one another and the way in which they are attached, arguably even more so than traditional models romance. Both HoS and the Hopper painting discussion are interesting to think about in regards to the ways Ian and Mickey think about the concept of romance differently and the ways it intersects with or differs from their ideas around friendship/family. I like how Mickey’s willing to see getting a coffee together as romantic in a positive way for instance after Ian explains that it’s about togetherness in hard times. While maybe Mickey sees Ian’s suggestion of having a bath together as awkward/weird because he views it more as trying to live up to a social script of what is “romantic”.

Communication strategies around relationship styles

In s11, Ian and Mickey’s relationship is very entwined, and, in comparison to Tami and Lip, for instance, they disclose a lot to each other. Ian asks that they tell each other everything, and although Mickey is more resistant to that initially, he becomes much more forthcoming with his feelings in s11 (around Terry, around moving to the West Side, around becoming a parent).

While I appreciate Ian’s role in initiating more communication between the two of them, I felt sorry for Mickey in their initial discussion in 11x01 in re “monogamous or not”. The turning over the paper method is a pretty binary way to open up a discussion about a very charged and complicated thing.

They do seem to complement each other in this regard though with Ian generally more keen to initiate conversation but also getting more trapped into binaries, narratives of normativity and should-stories. While Mickey totally still projects an image that is informed by local expectations around masculinity and white supremacy, he’s also a rule-breaker in many ways and doesn’t have the same desire to conform to what society perceives to be “normal” (thanks HoS), especially behind closed doors and within his relationship with Ian (“liking what I like don’t make me a bitch”). @fiona-fififi had a really good point in the tags a while back about how Mickey’s investment in their wedding and its success might have spurred Ian on further to embrace more normative ways of doing relationships. This is super interesting, and also makes me think just about how being married itself prompts Ian to think about taking a more active role in pushing the relationship further up the relationship escalator and in pushing for more communication around these steps in general.

There’s also something to be said about pressurising each other in 11x07, especially when they jokingly(?) threaten each other with sex with other men if both of them aren’t around. I doubt they were making these suggestions seriously but it definitely doesn’t strike me as the most consensual method of communication. But there’s parallels here with generally using sex as a bargaining chip earlier on in the season. Ian seems to do that after having exhausted his attempts at trying to have conversations around money/monogamy etc, as a tried and tested way of getting Mickey to engage with him. And it definitely reflects using sex with each other and sex/relationships with other people (e.g. s3 Angie/Ned, s10 Byron/Cole) as modes of communication in earlier seasons. It kind of makes sense that they still have these habits in s11 even if they are no longer the primary mode of communication.

Ian and Mickey relied so much on implicit communication in the early seasons and they have highly developed nonverbal ways of communicating. I don’t want to say that either verbal or nonverbal ways of communicating are inherently better than the other. They seem to understand each other on a deep level, which is really cool, but people have pointed out can make them think they don’t need to verbally communicate when they do, because they assume that they’ll understand one another and be on the same page. It’s super interesting to see them maintain that deep connection and continue to use nonverbal cues while also adopting more explicit and intentional communication styles in s10 and s11.

The windows of their relationship

The fandom is always bringing up how Ian and Mickey leave the doors open when they bang, lol, and also making fun of how much Ian overshares. I think this is v fair but it also strikes me as pretty healthy that he wants people to see into his and Mickey’s relationship, especially in his discussions with Lip. But Ian’s got plenty of people around him who can see and help when things get tough.

In s11, it’s great to see Mickey get closer to the Gallagher family and see various members defending him or taking his side in arguments, but he definitely does have less of an on-screen support system than Ian. (I wish that they had developed his and Sandy’s relationship in s11). I think the aftermath of the City Hall incident in s10 really reveals this particular imbalance in their relationship. On one level, Mickey moves in with Byron as a reaction to being hurt and even maybe a strategy of revenge/manipulation, on another, he doesn’t really have anywhere to go aside from the Gallagher house when/if he needs to get away from Ian. Also, the way he retreats back to the Gallagher house when he can’t deal with the Westside is an interesting development of this in s11.

Ian’s need to share stuff about their relationship is kind of exciting considering his history of being unforthcoming about his relationships (and his history of being in a lot of secret relationships), as well as how difficult he found it to talk about Mickey while Mickey was away. But there is a different problem with ongoing talk around privacy and boundaries here too (Mickey doesn’t want Ian to chat about how he’s not into rimming!). Although to be fair, Mickey also chats about a lot of explicit sex stuff with strangers.

Although they do ultimately decide against pursuing the pretty inorganic way of making friends in 11x07, Ian’s desire to make gay friends who he can talk to about relationship stuff makes sense in terms of the way he has been pushing for a more intentional relationship with more communication and more explicit discussion and compromise this season (and last season too). It also intersects with an idea of him/both of them going further to embrace gay sexuality as an identity.

It’s interesting that Mickey’s the one to initiate this decision through ribbing Ian about his relationship with Lip. Why’s Mickey doing that? Is it just to be a little shit or is he also trying (subconsciously?) to activate Ian in some direction? (And also, maybe there’s a parallel there to getting their apartment in the west side, where Mickey’s the one inadvertently introducing Ian to the idea by pushing for them to go play in the pool).

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There’s a lot here which is just scratching the surface of thinking about Ian and Mickey’s relationship in the context of these different sexuality and relationship continua. For e.g. it would be really interesting to think more about this stuff in terms of shifting sex roles and kink exploration. Of course it’s all up for interpretation and I am sure I am highlighting areas that I’m personally interested in and inadvertently projecting myself/my own preferences and styles into this discussion. Very down for disagreements and discussions if other people are interested and manage to read all of this, lol.

#Ian x Mickey #Gallavich #shameless meta #shameless 11x07 #sexuality #relationships #Meg-John Barker #shameless s11 #Ian Gallagher #Mickey Milkovich #why did i write all of this?#Shameless HoS

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