#to prevent metas from being influenced or controlled

[schafpudel]

Epidemiology of the Raven's Blood

Part 0: Prologue

Realistically, the blood does things because it's convenient to the plot of the anime, and no deeper thought needs to be put in than that. However, while it does explain inconsistencies in its writing, it's boring and not fun to my pattern-seeking brain. I like to piece together coherent internal logic to stuff in fiction, even if I know the authors themselves didn't think that hard about it. It's fun to me!

At the same time, Princess Tutu's meta-fictional conceit does give us some wiggle room to borrow the Doylist understanding and smuggle it back into a Watsonian explanation. So...

In-universe, I think, the purpose of the Raven’s Blood can be understood as a plot device to easily convert a separate “character” and their body into a narrative extension of the Raven; that this is why Drosselmeyer would write it into the logic of his story. Bored of a character you introduced previously and want to heighten the stakes? They're a toadie of the Raven now. And when we go a level down in fictionality...

To the Raven, other living things exist to be exploited. The only use you can have, beyond being a meal, is being a pawn who can get it what it wants – and what it wants is to consume. Like some ancient castle-bound vampire or wicked dragon, its power and intelligence are ultimately in service of a simple predatory desire. If you are neither edible nor manipulable, you are simply a nuisance.

Diseases and parasites will manipulate pain and pleasure, fear and love, the body and the brain. But while a real disease or parasite’s goal in psychological and physiological manipulation is to reproduce, to turn the infected into a means by which to spread itself to new hosts... the Raven's curse is uninterested in this. What matters, to the Raven, is that the cursed becomes a minion and a pawn, who can bring its prey closer to its own mouth.

Part 1: Lay All Your Love On Me

Did you know rabies induces spasms of fear and hallucinations in its victims, to get them to bite? That the characteristic fear of water is caused by the virus tightening its victims throats if they even think of drinking, all to the end of preventing the miserable animal from washing away its contagion-rich saliva? It presses levers and pushes buttons of abject misery on the control panel of the animal, on its quest to get what it wants.

One symptom of the Raven’s blood illustrated by Mytho’s progression that fascinates me is pain. This is not simply a magic juice that makes you evil; it is a sickness.

Let’s look at the the scene in episode 19, where Kraehe dances a pas-de-deux with (a clearly pained, unwilling, and unhappy) Mytho to try and convince him to “give in” to the Raven’s Blood and become her prince. She succeeds, causing Mytho to become possessed by Raven!Mytho, who immediately retaliates that he’s owed her love as a prince and that she should love him more, and him alone. (Strange, as Kraehe/Rue has never once indicated that she has any romantic feelings towards anyone else at all…)

What’s odd is what happens immediately after this point. Mytho’s eyes widen, as if what he’s just said has triggered some kind of… realization. We then see him tremble and close his eyes as they shift from pink to gold and back, indicating – as always – either a struggle between Raven!Mytho and “the Real Mytho,”or a struggle by Mytho against the Raven’s blood influence. (It often seems the show isn’t entirely sure whether to treat Raven!Mytho is a corrupted mental state and therefore part of Mytho, or as an intrusive raven persona possessing an agency-less Mytho’s body against his will.)

Mytho, once again under the blood’s control, pushes Kraehe away and stumbles off, clutching himself in a self-hug as he mutters about not having enough love. The crows rejoice as Kraehe looks on sadly.

This is clearly, from context, not just about Raven!Mytho needing to acquire love for sacrifices, because demanding more love from Kraehe would not accomplish that goal. He feels like he needs love, exclusively directed at him, from as many sources as possible. Viscerally, like a hunger or an addiction. And it hurts. The audience is invited to share Rue’s concern and sadness at this pitiful sight.

(This narrative choice *gets* at me a little, because we are not normally meant to sympathize with Raven!Mytho. By and large, he is treated as an unambiguously evil Other that has usurped the “real” Mytho’s body and identity. Yet here, he elicits pity. The monster in the prince is pitiful.)

Here’s the same body language earlier, in episode 15, as Raven!Mytho meets Pique to sacrifice her:

Saying he needs her love immediately reads as an act of manipulation: “only you can give me what I need” as emotional priming for the ritual phrase that will turn her into a willing sacrifice. It also reads as simply a statement that he needs her for the purpose of the sacrifice. (It is, of course, able to be said openly because Pique does not have the context to know this, and accordingly run the fuck away.)

But going back after episode 19, this moment (and several others, on a rewatch) feels a little... re-contextualized. All the above is still true, yes. But it also seems that Raven’s Blood Mytho really does feel like he needs other people’s love, on a visceral, gnawing level.

And the Raven eats love.

'I'm in control of the situation', Raven!Mytho said, sweating, "I'm not getting owned,"

If a real parasite did this - if, say, there was some animal that rewired its victims brains in such a way that they could only feel relief from pain when taking steps towards feeding it or its young - it would be internet famous for its insidiousness. Can't you imagine? There'd be a Bogleech.com article and everything.

As Mytho’s condition progresses towards its final stage from episode 21 onwards, we see these feelings explicitly infect the psyche of Mytho further, shown physically trembling as he describes his disorientation and confusion:

By the end of episode 23, Mytho's... condition has run its full course. Yet the pain continues, and it only gets more obvious that these are spasms of literal, physical pain. In episode 24, Mytho shudders in pain as he screams, clutches his chest, does some agitated fouettés, bows over in pain again, and then jumps out the door as he begs for somebody, anybody to dance with him.

We also get confirmation that the physical pain is accompanied by emotional pain, such as intensified feelings of loneliness:

(And, judging from other scenes, as well as Rue's behavior, intensified jealousy too.)

But Mytho cannot get anyone to dance with him, in this state.

(Saying the Raven "awakened" him, in episode 19 - did he mean the suite of demonic powers that the Raven's Blood has granted him? Did he mean the uncharacteristic charisma, eloquence, and manipulative cunning that burned in him like a fever while under its power? Those boons were all just to make it easier for him to seduce prey to feed the Raven. He loses them all once he's outlived that purpose.)

(No need for the infected slowly lure prey in with a silvered tongue and honeyed charms when they have a big strong beak to peck hearts out of chest, after all.)

He is no longer useful as a lure for prey.

His only remaining use to the Raven is as food himself.

Part 2: Serving Your Heart On A Platter

(In its own post on account of the image limit.)

For now, though, our conclusions:

1. Mytho's life is terrible. It is known.

2. Rue probably suffers from magically and emotionally induced chronic pain!!! and has her entire life!!!

Thanks for coming to my Lecture. See you next time for Part 2.

#princess tutu

[saewin]

Re: mavity rundown

There's a few things to keep in mind:

The TARDIS translation circuits don't just translate for contemporaneous languages like a dictionary look up, but translate concepts psychically, accessing the meaning of the words themselves and changing the users perception of what's been said and what they're saying. Therefore the translation circuits work for languages across time and timestreams.

The translation circuits need The Doctor to function, and they potentially can alter the functionality a tad - it doesn't translate Gallifreyian script and in the "Only Human" novel it has a swear filter.

The Doctor is less or unimpacted by changes in timestreams - they retain the knowledge of what happened before a change whereas others don't acknowledge it, at least conciously e.g. when baby Ruby was taken in "The Church on Ruby Road" (and countless previous examples).

The Doctor is fluent in 20th/21st century modern British English. This was most recently demonstrated in "Wild Blue Yonder" where he had no trouble talking to Donna without the TARDIS. But as he's learnt the language himself, he didn't know to change the vocalised translation of "gravity" to "mavity" until Donna, who's stuck being influenced by the timestream, corrected him and he rolls with it.

It's a bit up in the air how the TARDIS handles switch ups in language or its need for use. In "Fires of Pompeii" the TARDIS had Donna unknowingly speaking Latin, and when she then tried to speak Latin knowingly (Latin-squared?) it changed it to "something that sounds like Celtic" according to a street vendor, and the Doctor identifies it as/jokes that it's Welsh. In the same episode the circuits couldn't translate "volcano" as the Romans had no equivalent concept. The TARDIS doesn't translate tenth Doctor's "Allons-y", though that could be because his intention is to say something not in English and he potentially has finer control over the translation.

The Doctor is able to hear the language underneath the translation, as demo'd with the Celtic/Welsh above, which we as the audience aren't privy to.

All this to say:

1) If a time traveller from the Gravity timestream appeared and they spoke an alien language, "the concept known as Gravity" would be translated by the TARDIS to "Mavity" for Ruby. The audience would likely hear it as "Mavity" to preserve the joke (meta) and because Ruby represents the audience and we've also learnt the change, but we could argue that we should hear Gravity as that's what we'd understand best (as we are also time travellers). There's a way to argue either way, basically. But nothing would be amiss for The Doctor.

2) If said time traveller was fluent in English, but either didn't know about the "Mavity" switch or slips up:

a) As The Doctor, Ruby and the time traveller would be speaking English, its unknown if the TARDIS would catch it to translate the word. If it did, Ruby would hear it as Mavity and the Doctor as Gravity? Both? He might clock there was a translation or lack thereof at any rate. I'd assume the audience would hear it as Gravity in this situation.

b) Like we can hypothesise with "Allons-y", The Doctor could fiddle with the translator circuits as mediated through him to prevent the English-to-English translation of "Gravity", specifically to keep it as a shibboleth.

c) The safest thing to do (and to create an easy to explain build-up) would be to turn the translation circuits off if The Doctor suspects a fluent English speaker of being a time traveller, then test how they respond to a casual mention of "Gravity".

In summary, I bet Mrs Flood will not immediately understand the mavity of her slip up, giving The Doctor a small advantage.

#doctor who #The Church on Ruby Road #mavity

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Christina Buttons

Published: Mar 24, 2023

Children and adolescents on the autism spectrum are disproportionately represented among the large, newly emerging cohort of young people self-identifying as transgender. 

In recent years there has been an exponential rise in the number of adolescents and young adults adopting transgender identities, stirring intense debate about its underlying causes. Mainstream discourse on this issue has centered on factors such as social influence, greater societal acceptance, and expanding definitions of what it means to be transgender.

However, an important yet largely unexplored factor that may be contributing to this trend is undiagnosed autism, particularly in young girls. Without a diagnosis, and even with a diagnosis but without a clear understanding of how autistic traits can present, these traits can be easily confused for gender dysphoria and cause individuals to pursue inappropriate and irreversible medical interventions.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior that presents in varying degrees of severity from individual to individual. However, despite its history and prevalence, it remains a highly misunderstood disorder, especially in girls.

As many as 80% of girls with autism are not diagnosed until they reach adulthood, which can cause significant mental health problems and incorrect early diagnoses. This underdiagnosis is primarily due to the common misconception that autism is a predominantly male disorder. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still maintains that “ASD is more than 4 times more common among boys than among girls.” 

However, autism experts now believe that the sex ratio is much more evenly matched than previously thought. Girls often fly under the radar because the diagnostic criteria is better at detecting male-typical traits. Girls are also better at masking their symptoms, adapting to social situations, and tend to have interests that don’t fit the stereotypical profile of autism.

During puberty, autistic girls often experience exacerbated social and sensory challenges due to hormonal changes affecting their bodies and brains. These difficulties can be compounded by the pressure to navigate unfamiliar social situations and expectations, which can lead to the development of co-occurring conditions such as depression, anxiety, and body image issues. Unfortunately, the challenge of communicating their experiences may cause mental health professionals to overlook their underlying autism.

Given that autism is greatly underdiagnosed in young girls, I do not believe it is a coincidence that we are seeing a significant surge in adolescent girls self-diagnosing with gender dysphoria. An incorrect early diagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment, which can result in devastating effects to their mental health and well-being.

This issue is very personal to me because I went through severe mental health struggles during my adolescence. It required multiple psychiatric hospitalizations and a long-term stay in a residential treatment center before I finally received an Asperger’s diagnosis at the age of 30. When I came across the stories of detransitioners, many of whom also came to understand they had autism after their misadventure, I felt a strong connection to them that motivated me to become a journalist and bring attention to their stories. 

I’ve interacted with many of these young men and women who formerly identified as transgender, and some I now consider friends and have met in person. The prevalence of autism among them, and how these traits may have played a central role in their transition journey, is too significant to ignore.

While my observations of this cohort are neither comprehensive nor conclusive, I believe they nevertheless provide some much needed insight into this understudied population. These observations were gleaned from my conversations with 48 detransitioners and their written testimony.

Out of the 48 detransitioners whom I’ve come into contact with, 42 (32 females and 10 males) have confirmed autism or suspected autism (identification with autistic traits). Although the remaining 6 were confident they were not autistic, they believe their perceived gender dysphoria was due to a variety of other reasons, including other psychiatric disorders.   Among the 42 detransitioners who have confirmed or suspected autism, only 5 had been diagnosed before or during their transition. All 5 told me that if they had fully understood what being autistic entailed and how it could manifest in their lives, they probably would not have believed they had gender dysphoria. They also said that “gender identity” and transgender issues became their “special interest” for a period of time. 

This observation was also made by Dr. Kenneth Zucker, a psychologist with 30 years of experience running the largest Canadian childhood gender clinic, who believes that many autistic teens identify as transgender because of their tendency to fixate or obsess over a “special interest.”

As for the remaining 37 detransitioners, about half obtained an official diagnosis after they detransitioned and said that an earlier autism diagnosis could have prevented them from seeking medical transition services they now regret. Some detransitioners have written about these revelations. The other half are either in the process of seeking a diagnostic evaluation or are not interested, but found that they identify with autistic traits. Some of the reasons for not actively seeking an evaluation include long wait times and a general skepticism of mental health professionals who had previously failed to properly assess them.

Detransition among young people is growing. A forum for detransitioners on Reddit now exceeds 45,000 members and is adding roughly 1,000 members per month. In the United States, a 2022 study found that 29% of 68 patients seeking medical transition care changed their requests for hormone treatment, surgery, or both. Another U.S. study from 2022 found that 30% of patients who commenced cross-sex hormone treatment discontinued it within four years for unknown reasons. Two small studies in the U.K. report that between 7% and 10% of patients initially assessed for gender-related medical services later detransitioned. 

Detransitioners have described being immediately “affirmed” in their recently adopted transgender identities without careful assessment. Some of them were teenagers when they began transitioning, and many now feel that they have been medically harmed due to the various chemical and surgical interventions they underwent. This is unacceptable and nobody should have to experience this.

One way to help mitigate such outcomes would be to improve education on autism, particularly how it presents in girls, and advocate for early diagnosis. This isn’t to diminish the experiences of transgender adults on the spectrum but rather to rule out false positives. An earlier diagnosis of autism may prevent some from mistaking their autism for gender dysphoria.

Aside from early screening for autism, the affirmative care model used by many US medical organizations poses a significant risk to vulnerable autistic individuals who may self-diagnose with gender dysphoria and seek irreversible medical interventions to alleviate their distress. 

The gender-affirmation model that has been adopted widely across the US prevents medical professionals from questioning an individual’s self-reported transgender identity or exploring possible underlying factors causing their perceived dysphoria. The standard protocol for gender affirmation in minors involves administering puberty blockers, followed by cross-sex hormones, and then surgery if desired.

Despite research indicating that roughly 60-90% of children who identify as transgender but do not socially or medically transition will no longer identify as transgender in adulthood, children are still put in the driver’s seat of their own sex change operations.

The affirmative model of care has been abandoned in Florida and in progressive European countries like Finland, Sweden, the UK, and most recently Norway, after conducting systematic reviews of the available evidence and concluding that the risks of pediatric medical transition far outweigh any purported benefits. This resulted in the closure of prominent gender clinics, strict restrictions on the use of cross-sex hormones, and a ban on gender-related surgeries for minors. Italy, Australia, and Spain's medical bodies have also recently raised similar concerns. 

If US-based medical organizations were willing to walk back the affirmative model of care and prioritize thorough evaluations and thoughtful, individualized assessments that explore why someone might be feeling distress over their gender, they could prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

It is important to understand how autistic traits can be mistaken for and misdiagnosed as gender dysphoria. I have therefore compiled a list to help with this understanding.

Traits of autism that may be mistaken for gender dysphoria

Autistic people face a number of challenges that are intensified when they don’t have a proper diagnosis or are not adequately educated about how their traits can present. Some of the attributes that can lead to confusion over their “gender” include identity issues, rigid or “black and white” thinking, intense and restricted interests, gender nonconforming behavior, social difficulties and a preference for online socialization, incongruence with the body, and other comorbidities. 

Identity

By adolescence, autistic people typically intuit that they differ from their peers, but are unable to pinpoint or describe the reason, which can be distressing. As they struggle to assimilate, they may become preoccupied with understanding themselves and how they fit in with those around them. In a desperate attempt to resolve their distress, they may “try on” different identities or diagnoses to see what “fits.”

Rigid thinking

One of the core features of autism is rigid thinking, a cognitive style that is characterized by inflexible and repetitive thought patterns, behaviors, and routines.

In recent years, the significance of gender dysphoria as a meaningful diagnosis has been deemphasized in favor of a broader definition of what it means to be transgender, or “gender diverse,” which includes mere nonconformity to sex-based stereotypes. Autistic people could easily interpret this definition to mean they are transgender.

Autistic people may prefer simple explanations, and be prone to black and white thinking. When they come across overly simplistic views about gender, it can provide them with a quick explanation for their troubles (they are transgender) and a ready-made solution (transition) to achieve what they hope will be a sense of normalcy and comfort in their bodies.

Sometimes girls who are more gender nonconforming will feel they cannot compete with girls they perceive as more feminine, popular, and attractive. Because autistic girls can easily get locked into black and white thinking, this may cause them to reject femininity and embrace masculinity.

Autistic people have an aversion to inauthenticity. Once introduced to the concept of “gender identity,” they may reexamine their life history through this lens, looking for signs they may be transgender. Through a process of confirmation bias, they may find traits and life events that conform to a transgender narrative. 

Autistic people have difficulty with flexible thinking and are less likely to change their minds once convinced something is true. They may become deeply attached to their beliefs and find it difficult to consider alternatives. If they become convinced they are transgender, it can be difficult to dissuade them.

Autistic people also tend to be very literal and so when they come across statements meant to be figurative and promote inclusivity like “trans women are women” and “trans men are men,” they may take it literally. They may come to believe they can actually change their sex.

Their naivety may also play out in their expectations of social and medical transition, and they can become extremely frustrated if their expectations are not met. 

Their tendency towards rigidity in thinking can make it challenging to adapt to changes in gender norms or expectations. This rigidity may be misinterpreted as a strong identification with one sex and discomfort with another.

Intense and restricted interests

One of the hallmarks of autism is intense and obsessive interests in certain topics or hobbies, also known as “special interests.” Special interests are a common characteristic of ASD and can become all-consuming passions that provide individuals with a sense of comfort, enjoyment, and mastery. 

Research suggests that there may be sex differences in the types of special interests that autistic boys and girls develop. For example, one study found that autistic girls were more likely to have interests in people and animals, while autistic boys were more likely to have interests in objects and systems.

It’s quite possible for individuals with ASD, especially females, to become deeply interested in social justice and transgender issues. They may become fixated on exploring and understanding “gender identity,” including their own and the experiences of other “gender diverse” individuals. This interest may involve reading and researching about gender identity, attending support groups or advocacy events, or engaging in creative expressions online or joining online communities.

Autistic people have a strong sense of justice and fairness, and may become interested in topics of "social justice" they come across in online communities on social media. 

Autistic people may find themselves fascinated with the transgender community and its cultural significance, with its many charismatic transgender influencers and frequent relevance in the news. With the transgender community’s growing popularity, there are endless ways to interact with this special interest. 

“Gender identity” ideology comes from a postmodern social theory developed in college Humanities departments called “Queer Theory,” which has been written about and lectured on extensively. It can provide endless hours of learning for anyone interested in the subject.

“Consistent, persistent, insistent” are the words used by medical providers as strong indicators that someone has gender dysphoria, but they could easily also describe a autistic person’s relationship to their special interest. 

Gender nonconformity

Historically, autistic people have been more likely to display sex atypical behavior. Young people should not be discouraged from gender nonconformity. It is perfectly natural and okay for a girl to have more stereotypically masculine traits and interests and for a boy to have more stereotypically feminine traits and interests – this does not equate to gender dysphoria.

A 2014 study found that children with ASD were 7.59 times more likely to be gender non-conforming or “express gender variance.”

A 2021 study found that gender nonconformity is substantially elevated in the autistic population.

Several studies have suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and gender nonconformity co-occur more often than by chance in adolescents.

Sexuality also appears to be more varied among people with autism than among those who do not have the condition. Only 30% of autistic people in a 2018 study identified as heterosexual, compared with 70% of neurotypical participants. And although half of 247 autistic women in a 2020 study identified as “cisgender,” just 8% reported being exclusively heterosexual.

Gay males may also not be well-detected by standard diagnostic criteria, as some may have more female-typical traits.

Because of the expanding definition of what it means to be transgender, now defined by major institutions as an “umbrella term” which encompasses mere gender nonconformity, autistic people might believe that because they don’t conform to sex-based stereotypes, they could be transgender.

Autistic people may socially gravitate towards the opposite sex. They may find it easier to communicate with and have more in common with the opposite sex. This may lead them to believe they actually are, or should become, the opposite sex.

Social Difficulties

Gender is often presented as a “social construct,” and one of the hallmark traits of autism is a host of social challenges. Struggling to adapt to “gender roles” can significantly contribute to a rejection of their perceived “gender role” which can lead to a rejection of their biological sex by extension.

Difficulty with social communication: Individuals with autism may have difficulty with social communication and understanding social cues, which can make it challenging to navigate gender norms and expectations. These experiences can be frustrating and cause them to reject the norms associated with their sex. 

Repetitive behaviors: Individuals with autism may engage in repetitive behaviors, or “stims,” that can sometimes be misinterpreted as sex-atypical behaviors. 

For girls, repetitive or disruptive movements may be viewed as unfeminine and may lead to social rejection from peer groups. 

Difficulty with social imagination: Individuals with autism may have difficulty with social imagination, which can make it challenging to envision oneself in different roles or identities. This difficulty may be misinterpreted as a lack of identification with one's biological sex.

Difficulty with perspective-taking: Individuals with autism may have difficulty understanding other people's perspectives or social expectations, which can make it challenging to navigate gender roles and expectations.

Difficulty with emotional regulation: Individuals with autism may have difficulty with emotional regulation, which can lead to intense and distressing emotional responses to certain situations or social expectations related to gender roles.

Autistic people often learn to adopt alternative personas to cope with and blend in with different social settings, which may make it easier for them to adopt a cross-sex identity.

Preference For Online Socialization 

Individuals with autism have more difficulty with in-person social relationships, leading them to prefer online socialization, which can be easier and less stressful for them to navigate. One reason is that online interactions can provide a sense of control and predictability that may be lacking in face-to-face interactions.

Autistic individuals may find it easier to communicate online because they have more time to process and respond to messages. They can also avoid nonverbal communication that they find difficult to interpret. Additionally, online communication can be less overwhelming and less sensory-stimulating than in-person communication.

Another reason is that online interactions can provide opportunities to connect with others who share similar interests or experiences, which can be more difficult to find in-person.

Currently, there is heavy cross-over between the online autism community and “social justice.”

Autistic people lack an understanding of social behavior and may be prone to mimicking what they see online. Social media algorithms may feed them a steady stream of content from the online transgender community that may lead them to believe that it is how they are “supposed” to act to fit in.

They may discover a transgender influencer who is popular as “socially successful” and try to mimic their behavior, clothing, body language, and interests to assimilate. They may desire to create “content” like other transgender influencers.

Autistic people typically like rules, as they provide a sense of structure and predictability. They may like that the social rules enforced by online Social Justice communities are made explicitly clear in shareable Instagram infographics.

Some autistic people have a particular talent for visual-spatial skills, which could lead to an aptitude for creative fields such as art or design and some are creative musically or with writing. Creative autistic types may be influenced by “gender expressions” they see online, which include making up your own “neopronouns.” They may want to express their own creativity through their understanding of “gender.” 

Many autistic people feel socially awkward, have difficulty making friends, and are lonely. The growing population of the transgender community that embraces people who are different may seem welcoming and a built-in network of friends and support may be appealing.

In the online world, people are encouraged to create their “brand.” They may want to find an online persona in a niche community.

They may be influenced by others to reject the people in their life who do not “accept” them, join “glitter families” or go “no contact” with their real families. With fewer people offline to keep them tethered to reality and provide different points of view, they may further succumb to the echo chambers of online communities. 

Incongruence With Body (Disconnect and Discomfort)

Autistic people struggle with interoception (sensing internal signals from your body). They can recognize they feel discomfort but have trouble interpreting their bodily signals and pinpointing where it is coming from. This is worsened by challenges with alexithymia (an inability to identify and describe emotions). Without proper diagnosis, this can contribute to a feeling of incongruence with their body.

Autistic people, especially if they lack a diagnosis, can easily get overwhelmed by sensory input, but may not have the words to articulate what is making them feel uncomfortable. Ongoing discomfort in one’s body may be mistakenly attributed to gender dysphoria.  

Individuals with autism may experience tactical sensory sensitivity, which can make it uncomfortable to wear certain types of clothing or accessories associated with their biological sex. 

For example, girls on the spectrum may prefer clothing that is more typical for boys because it is loose-fitting and more comfortable. They may mistakenly attribute this to being more “boy-like.”

Especially for adolescent girls, not adhering to the latest fashions of their peers may make them feel like an outcast.  

Individuals with autism may also experience sensory issues with grooming activities, which can make it challenging to adhere to gender norms and expectations. 

Girls may find that makeup feels uncomfortable. 

Girls may prefer to keep their hair short, or in a ponytail everyday because letting their hair down feels irritating on their skin. 

Young boys may want to grow their hair long because they hate the experience of going to the barber.  

Autistic people often struggle with proprioception, which may manifest as having difficulty understanding where their body is in space. This can result in challenges with coordination, balance, and fine motor skills, which may lead to feelings of frustration or disconnection from their physical body.

Adolescents with developing bodies that don’t feel like they meet stereotypical ideals for their sex may reject their bodies and hyperfocus on their perceived flaws, leading to body image disorders.

For adolescents, discussions of gender dysphoria in the classroom may be the first time that “discomfort of the body” is introduced and articulated to them, which they may find they can relate to and begin to associate their own bodily discomfort with gender dysphoria.

The succession of steps involved in social transition and then in medical transition may make them feel that they are on the path towards finally feeling “right” in their body.

Comorbitities

Individuals with autism, especially without a diagnosis, are more likely to experience co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, which can complicate the assessment of gender dysphoria.

Depression: 

Autistic people have social difficulties that make it harder to make and maintain friendships, leading to isolation and depression, and this effect is worsened when individuals do not receive a diagnosis of autism until adulthood.

A 2022 study found people diagnosed with autism in adulthood are nearly three times as likely as their childhood-diagnosed counterparts to report having psychiatric conditions.

A 2021 study shows that receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood rather than childhood can lead to lower quality of life, more severe mental health symptoms, and higher autistic trait levels.

Suicidal Ideation

A growing body of research has found that autistic youth and adults appear to have higher rates of suicidal thoughts, plans, or behaviors than non-autistic youth. 

A meta-analysis found that one in four autistic youth experience suicidal ideation and almost one in ten attempt suicide.

A Danish study found that autistic individuals had 3 times higher rates of both attempted and completed suicide.

A 2022 UK study found a significant number of people who died by suicide were likely autistic, but undiagnosed.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Autistic people are more prone to obsessive compulsive disorder and may obsess over their desire to become the opposite sex to escape their unhappiness.

One study found 17% of autistic people may have OCD. 

An even larger proportion of people with OCD may also have undiagnosed autism, according to one 2017 study.

It might be helpful to view gender dysphoria as a form of OCD, in which the individual attributes their biological sex as a source of distress and obsesses over the desire to become the opposite sex. Alternatively, some OCD clinics have attempted to distinguish between gender dysphoria and what they termed as “Trans OCD,” which is “an obsession over gender identity.”

Body Image Disorders 

Autistic people are more prone to having body image issues that may make them fixate on their weight (eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia) or perceived flaws (body dysmorphia). 

Roughly 20% of people with anorexia are autistic. 

Body dysmorphia is a disorder in which one develops a fixation on perceived flaws on the body that become exaggerated in the mind. It is part of a new category of “obsessive-compulsive and related disorders” that autistic people are over-represented in. 

Anxiety

Anxiety is a common co-occurring condition in autistic individuals. 

Research suggests that up to 40-50% of autistic individuals may experience clinically significant anxiety symptoms at some point in their lives. 

One study found that up to 84% of autistic people have some form of anxiety.

Gastrointestinal Distress: 

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are one of the most common medical conditions that are comorbid with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This can contribute to discomfort and incongruence with the body.

Some studies have suggested that up to 90% of individuals with autism may experience GI symptoms, such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and reflux. 

A comprehensive meta-analysis revealed that children with ASD were more than 4x more likely to develop GI problems than those without ASD.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Research indicates an association between Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and autism. PCOS is a hormonal condition that involves intricate interactions among the ovaries, androgens, other hormones, and insulin. One prominent feature of this condition is increased levels of androgens or "male hormones." The heightened androgen levels, along with virilization, can be a source of considerable distress for several women and result in a form of gender dysphoria.

One study found autistic women in the UK have an almost two-fold increase in the risk for PCOS.

A 2012 study found that women with PCOS have ”problems with psychological gender identification. Duration and severity of PCOS can negatively affect the self-image of patients, lead to a disturbed identification with the female-gender scheme and, associated with it, social roles.”

Trauma: 

If an autistic person has a traumatic experience, they are more likely to internalize it. If they are sexually abused or groped they may develop negative associations with the part of their anatomy that was abused and feel the need to reject it. 

Autistic girls are at heightened risk of sexual abuse.

Research has shown that individuals with autism who have experienced sexual abuse may be more likely to experience internalizing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to non-autistic individuals who have experienced sexual abuse.

One reason for this may be that autistic individuals may have difficulty communicating their experiences and feelings about the abuse, which can lead to a sense of isolation and helplessness. 

Autistic individuals may also struggle with processing and regulating their emotions, which can make it more difficult to cope with the trauma of sexual abuse.

Other contributing factors:

The Pandemic: When non-emergency clinics were closed, many young people were socially isolated and depressed, turning towards online mental health communities and self-diagnosing. We saw this happen with the emergence of “TikTok tics” and the resurgence of the once-extremely rare Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Puberty: Puberty is a time of significant changes in the body and brain, which can affect individuals with autism in different ways. During this window, they may experience worsening mental health, bodily discomfort and social difficulties. Without a diagnosis, autistic adolescents may not understand why they are experiencing these difficulties and may feel isolated and confused.

Stressful life events: Stressful life events can be particularly challenging for autistic individuals due to difficulties in coping with changes, uncertainties, and unpredictability. Autistic individuals may struggle with changes in routine, unexpected events, and situations that require flexibility and adaptability.

Loss of Asperger’s as a diagnosis: The diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome was merged into an umbrella diagnosis called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the DSM-V update in 2013, which may contribute to a lack of diagnosis in those who appear to have less visible symptoms. The general population associates autism with severe disability, and those without an intellectual disability may be less likely to get diagnosed.

Misdiagnosis: The difficulty that autistic people face in regulating emotions and the trouble they have in relationships can be misinterpreted and is often misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and more.

==

~11% of trans identifying people have autism, whereas ~1% of people in the general population have autism.

I'm just going to say it: maybe don't trans the autistic.

Sorry, not sorry.

#The Rabbit Hole #Christina Buttons #autism #autism spectrum disorder #autism spectrum #gender ideology #genderwang #queer theory #gender noncomformity #gender nonconforming #anxiety #body image disorders #trans identity #don't trans the autistic #unpopular opinion #trans the autism away #religion is a mental illness

[just-jae]

One more WH spec tidbit b4 I become cold and distant from Tumby again:

WHY on earth does Home allegedly say "Help me" through the clanks and bangs?

If the theory that Home is controlling Wally is true or that at least influencing him in the metarecords, why doesn't Home speak through Wally then?

Im just. Having massive

Vibes rn.

Im already biased toward the take that Wally is basically the antagonist, doing bad stuff bc he thinks its good just bc I have a preference for those kinds of stories. But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that that's the actual canonical situation.

If Wally is exercising free will when he talks in the metarecords, then he's sus af.

Especially as the other characters seem to be reaching out to us.

First its just the team. Then its Wally. Then its Frank. Now, Sally is going meta.

It seems like at this point the other neighbors are the ones trying to prevent the restoration., keep Wally/the entity in the dark, make us aware of the character's sentience, and warn us of the danger.

Im not sure what the actual situation is, like, whether these characters are souls or an alternate dimension, or puppets given life by a demon, or what.

Hell for all we know, Home might have swapped bodied with Wally entirely. Meaning he's the one saying "Help me" while Home is pulling a Bill Cipher.

But, Im officially leaning towards an antagonist Wally take. It could be in relation to older theories that Welcome Home had cultist themes. I originally had the impression that Wally was someome who was isolated/made by the cult.

Like, my brain is still clutching onto that "Beautiful Dreamer" dialogue, where Wally says, "That's good... I think". Bc, idk about you but that sounds like someone who's just giving things the benefit of the doubt, but doesn't necessarily understand it.

bc

What could Home have possibly said that would make Wally's response uncertain? I was originally thinking that the characters couldn't actually understand Home, but it's apparent that they can. Yet Wally's still like. "Imma take that as a yes."

I think having Home speak in a way we couldn't understand was a fantastic choice by Clown. Bc ever since the "Beautiful Dreamer" audio my brain's been like a gossip queen going 'Wtf did e say????' What do you mean "I think??"'

It just seemed like it was setting up their relationship. Home says some demonic bs that Wally just trusts bc he doesn't know any better. But Wally himself isn't being controlled or made unaware of the evil, he legit doesn't understand evil when he sees it. And, by trusting Home and doing Home's bidding, he's a villain by extension.

Like, literally born and raised to do evil things.

Im still not sure know why there's so much sybolism that Home and Wally are the same person though? Maybe Wally's made from the black goo?

So far, theoretically, he's the only one who actually eats food. Everyone else pretends to eat fake food, but Wally actually eats. So he's not actually a puppet.

#welcome home #theory #speculation #Wally Darling #welcome home arg #last toot of the day #brownthoughts00

[distant-eclipses]

Okay but... why?

Aka, a look at Eclipse, Sun, and Moon(both in the dlc and in the base game) and wondering: why does Eclipse exist?(With bonus commentary/theorizing on Sun and Moon) The meta answer is probably "fans liked the idea of Eclipse, so why not" but I'm looking for more(skip to "ruin info" if you just want to see me talk about Eclipse, this got long)

Before-Ruin info: Sun is supposed to be the daycare attendant, but he's not the greatest at it(being loud, pretty clingy, and creepy). He has a reason for this(aside from "Fazbear ent sucks at making child friendly places/robots")

Originally it was supposed to be a theater robot(explaining the... everything) that becomes evil when the light goes out. While the performance functions were supposedly removed(aside from Moon), obviously they didn't do a good job at that, cus Sun is loud, dramatic, and obviously a theater kid(and it's implied that the new daycare programming either doesn't exist or was also shoddily implemented). So despite Moon's calm face on the posters, the kids were never supposed to see him

Moon is... Moon. While it's implied that he's supposed to be a security related feature or some type of enforcer now(between the crazy strength it has, the fact that it took Freddy to Vanessa, and the fact that it's allowed to just roam the building at the end of every hour while the others recharge), obviously the villain parts of its programming were never removed(I'm not even sure how Faz Ent got him ready for his new role, did they give him extra strength and prayed he'd listen to them or did they finally decide to mess with his programming? Did he always want kids to sleep and the enforcer role made it worse or did the change in Sun's programming affect Moon as well?)

There's also the interesting wording of "That, combined with the occasional blackouts in the day care, created the Moon side of the attendant" which implies Moon didn't exist, or didn't exist in the way that we know him, while the Daycare Attendant was a theater bot. Did the programming change increase the separation between Sun and Moon, was it a lie that the company made up, or was the separation always there but more obvious when Sun's functions changed? A mix of more than one maybe?(I suspect the answer is "plot holes that Steelwool failed to notice and/or retcons" but that's the boring one and prevents theorizing)

Ruin info: okay this is where it gets interesting, let's take another look at Sun and Moon

The fire obviously messed with them, with control being fought for more easily(with Sun being able to take control in a darker area for a moment after having the flashlight shined in its face, when Moon handled Gregory's flashlight pretty well)

Poor Sun has obviously been going through it, with Moon forcing him to be inactive. You can even hear him sing a song if you have the mask on. But speaking of the mask, it seems like Sun is active in the neural network, with it being the only way to actually talk to him(he even refuses to let you reboot him in the network for some reason, but the mask and its world are their own level of weird, so I'm not surprised). It's all but stated that the reason you can see Sun is because the fire caused a malfunction and made both active(even if one gets forced into the network), but I have to wonder what someone would see if they used the mask pre-fire

While the fire obviously weakened the Mimic's influence(with MXES controlling the other bots instead, maybe the glitch was never removed and was merely changed?), Moon is still being himself and forcing Sun to a "nap" and wanting it to be night forever

As the wiki says, it's unclear how separate these two consider themselves. Sun refers to Moon as "The other me", while Moon talks to Sun and kinda calls him by his name. They also both use "I" to refer to their respective modes and "we" to refer to themselves as a whole. But in general, Moon seems to view the two as much more separate(is this what the book meant "created the Moon side"? Part of it may be personality/experience based, what with Moon's villainous behavior/role staying around more than whatever Sun's old role was and villains, especially ones for child stuff, being less willing to play nice and work together), whereas Sun considers the two to both be him

And then there's Eclipse, who, despite most of tumblr's theories, isn't actually the person we see in the Balloon Boy arcade game. Moon ends up getting rebooted and we see the two daycare animatronics as a whole. And he's nice. Friendly, has a safety mode, and cares about safety and cleaning, but not to the extent that the other two do. It's like a proper daycare robot

But... why? And also, how? It's not triggered by light(post-fire, maybe pre-fire would be different but I doubt it), but obviously he doesn't exist the whole time. It also says "happy birthday" while the other two don't(sure the other robots, aside from Roxanne, don't, but I'm not even sure Monty can speak and Chica deactivates right after she gets her voice box), which implies he's been active before(not to mention the fact that Sun knew the two could become whole, knew it required an outsider to do it, and that it would fix the current issue). There's probably also something to be said about how the reboot occurs

There's a waxing crescent(which is similar to Moon, but he's a waning one) and a warning related to electrical hazards. Normally Fazbear Entertainment doesn't care about safety, so was the hazard warning about the exposed... everything on the back of the Daycare Attendants head or Eclipse in particular? And because of how they are rebooted, is the thing pointing towards the crescent specifically for him? If so, that implies they're able to be rebooted again and made two separate modes

One could argue that Eclipse was supposed to stay for good and that Sun and Moon are back because of the glitch or Vanny deliberately changing the mode, but it wouldn't explain... Everything Else. So obviously Eclipse is only a part-time thing

While there isn't a lot we can work off of so far, there is a possible theory. And with the stuff I went over, we can make a lil timeline/explanation on how the Daycare Attendant works and what the deal with Eclipse is

The Theory:

The Daycare Attendant was originally a theater robot, with the good side "Sun" and the villain side "Moon". Then Fazbear Entertainment got a "good idea" and decided to turn them into the daycare robot. They remove some of its old programming(mostly for Sun, the daytime mode that kids will see more often) and installed some daycare programming

But Moon was much harder to work with(having fewer daycare-like things and being much more villainous) and they couldn't remove him(with the mode switches becoming more painful as a result, especially when the two struggled for control). But because of how much Sun was changed and Moon wasn't, the latter started insisting on them being different, instead of being two parts of a whole

In the beginning they decided to keep the lights on and had Sun as the only robot, but kept the Moon stuff left over from when they were working on him. But sometime after bobbiedots(or the time period bobbiedots would take place in if you want to ignore the books series), the company decided to change up Moon's programming a bit(with extra strength). When the pizzaplex diverted power to the recharge stations, Moon's job was to make sure everyone was charging and, if they were broken and weren't getting repairs, drag them off to Parts and Service

But there were 2 problems: 1. Fazbear Entertainment wanted more money that Sun couldn't provide, 2. if a problem occurred with the Daycare Attendant(especially their mode changing function), it'd be hard to fix. So they killed two birds with one stone and made Eclipse, a fusion mode that is used for repairs and well behaved enough it could be used for parties(especially for older kids who may not want to deal with Sun)

#security breach ruin #fnaf dlc #fnaf ruin #fnaf eclipse #daycare attendant #fnaf daycare attendant #fnaf security breach #fnaf sun #fnaf moon

[covn]

Emanant Void Magick

Existence spontaneously emanates from nothing for no reason. That which exists which has limits as part of its definition. The non-existent has no limits and so allows all being to emanate from it.

Existence emanates from nothing, but it may build for itself its own structure to prevent itself from collapsing back into non-being. This structure may be static, such as the world of mathematics, or it may swallow non-being into itself as Void to create a dynamic self-organizing system which is constantly in a process of collapsing and emerging. This process is time, the experience of change.

This is the sort of existence that we inhabit. Consciousness is the Void at the center of our being. It emanates existence which self-organizes into dynamic structure that radiates from those forms closest to us, which are those things we call mind, which are somewhat under our control, out to that which manifests through us, beyond us, transcending ourselves to connect to others by a medium of objective existence where we surrender control for stability and the chance to connect with the Void of others beyond ourselves.

Magick is the process of working through the process of emanation of Void in order to shape our existence. Magick is made possible by the fact that existence has Void at its core. There is no fundamental nature of being, no fundamental truth. This allows us to influence existence in any number of ways that provide a structure for emanation to follow. Following chaos magick, we call such structures paradigms.

What emanant void magick adds to chaos magick is a description of the process of emanation which is used as a meta-structure in paradigm building. The process of emanation grows out in several stages of increasing complexity built around numerical relationships. Meanings are assigned to the numbers and the meanings deepen in complexity as needed to match the complexity of a paradigm built out from them.

Emanant void magick is non-dogmatic like chaos magick. The core ideas are laid out here. The numeric relationships are set as aspects such as which numbers are prime is set, but the particular meanings and associations are all mutable to suit the magician or group.

#emanant void magick

[championofnyx]

Misperception of Issues and Lack of Treatment Part 2: Brion Markov

Both in the case of Mary and Brion, there is influence of a second party contributing to them ultimately switching sides: Granny Goodness and Zviad Baaovi, but both do not have full control over their targets and have to play off of pre-existing emotions and insecurities. We’ve talked about how Mary’s longing for the feeling of power associated with her Sergeant Marvel form. So what did Zviad use to manipulate Brion? An overinflated sense of responsibility mixed with new guilt.

Let's first talk about responsibility. We know from Deathstroke that Tara was with Brion when she was kidnapped, or that she was supposed to be with him. He had invited her to a foreign country (where I am guessing he attended school at the time) and then left her when she was taken. Landing responsibility for ripping his family apart. This is later emphasized in the first episode during his conversation with the Nuremberg Code Violation (Dr. Jace) about his wishes to become a meta-human, but more importantly, a protector, of both his people and family. His sister was taken when she was in his protection, and to make up for that failure, he has convinced himself that he must change and become more so that no one else he cares about is harmed again. Taking both the responsibility for what happened, and the prevention of another family member being hurt. 

The second time this is emphasized is in his decision to join the outsiders. This one is a little bit of a reach, but I think it explains a lot if you bear with me. Going back to the first episode we know that the King and Queen had dedicated their lives, and a significant amount of Markovias resources to ending trafficking in the nation, both rescuing and preventing kids from being kidnapped. A dedication they wouldn’t have had to make if Tara wasn’t kidnapped if Brion hadn’t allowed her to be kidnapped. This ended up leading to their deaths. We only got two scenes with Brion before their murders, but in both of them, he spoke kindly, firm at moments that needed emphasizing, but never the anger that we are so used to. Even in the interview with Kat Grant, he walked away rather than engage in her inappropriate questioning. Anger being the most commonly displayed emotion in grief tends to be evidence of an underlying sense of guilt surrounding the death. Brion feels responsible for his parents' deaths because they would have never had to place themselves in danger if he hadn’t messed up. This is why he assumes responsibility to carry on with their wishes: saving meta-kids.

Now, let's talk about season 3, episode 11. In this episode, Dick tries in his own problematic way to talk through what he believes is going on with Brion. In which, we see that the others, or at least dick, view the impact behavior we spawning from a sort of nostalgic jealousy. Longing both for a home that had been lost, but also jealous over the fact that his brother was able to live in the lost home. Rather than seeing it from a sense of guilt, feeling responsible for both his sister’s kidnapping and his parent’s murder and, at this time, having no way to fix it. He can’t find his sister, he can’t help his brother rule their country, he can’t help continue on his parent’s work, and he is stuck on a farm in Rhode Island with no ways to make amends for his perceived sins. This is why we begin to see an adjustment in his behavior as he is given these outlets over the season, finding his sister, joining the outsiders, and being given an opportunity to help others, but these are all bandages. Instead of providing therapy, they saw what was on the surface, the inconvenience of a hot head with volatile powers, and were too relieved to see that it wasn’t their problem any more than to ask why it was there in the first place. 

I mean for christ sakes be lived with a counselor and no though this boy needs professional help after all the shit he had gone through? But, SImilar to the case of Mary, those around them misunderstood what was causing their problematic behavior and tried to fix it without taking the time and effort to fully understand where it come from through professional mesures and not a diagnosis made by unqualified parties. 

Since we’ve been introduced to his character, Brion has been attempting to fix every problem that his perceives as his fault, which is hindered by his own unaddressed ptsd, from both the kidnapping of Tara and the murder of his parents. First by wanting to become a metahuman that could eventually protect his country, and more importantly, his family like he couldn’t before and preventing more tragedy from befalling those he cares about. Second in joining the outsiders that was formed with many goals, but one that is highlighted in the series, rescuing kidnapped children, fulfilling the promise his parents made that got them murdered, a pledge they wouldn’t have had to make if he hadn’t failed to protect his sister. And lastly, in his conversation is Violet, so let’s talk about that. 

What really hit me was when Brion spoke of needing “to make something good come out of the ashes” because that is all we’ve been seeing him trying to do. And yet, all of his attempts have led to unhealthy choices, throwing himself into more and more dangerous situations that have been paying off, up until Zviad stepped in, and used the desire to make up for past failures by promising that his strength would be his country's salvation. That the past year and everything that had happened really did add up into making into a person that could protect family and country. A level that couldn’t have been pulled if the pattern laid out was recognized sooner by those, particularly the adults, surrounding him. 

Part three will focus on the exception made to this pattern, and why it was noticed when the others weren’t. 

#Young Justice #Young Justice outsiders #young justice phantoms #brion markov #Fallen Heroes in Young Justice

[neodarkdark]

Fandomless meta glossary

List of terms with definitions for reference.

Carrier — a being or lifeform that has accepted the Shadow's influence into their mind and soul and pledged dedication to it. In return for becoming the hands and feet that allow it to spread farther and faster than it could on its own, they gain several abilities and traits, such as manipulation of negative emotional energy as they see fit, and functional immortality.

Carriers are indistinguishable from regular living things by sight, unless actively manifesting Shadow-gifted abilities, or they are subjected to an electric current that reacts with the tenebric energy within them.

Erebosite — the name given to the crystallised form of the Shadow's energy, and the closest known thing to a "true" or "pure" form of the Shadow. Erebosite occurs in a variety of crystal types, depending on the exact nature of the energy stored within. Any crystalline substance from which tenebric radiation can be detected is classified as erebosite.

So far, only limited analysis of the crystal structures has yielded any insight into erebosite's physical properties; it has proved unresponsive to chemical analysis and impossible to examine at a molecular or atomic level.

Erebosite grows naturally by absorbing more negative energy. The natural growth rate is too slow to observe. It can also be formed far quicker by a Carrier collecting and condensing energy at a point. Erebosite with a high quantity of stored energy is coloured black or purple; generally, the lighter or more transparent it is, the less energy is concentrated within.

Mania Chasm — a long, extremely steep, and extremely deep chasm that suddenly and inexplicably appeared in [location tbd], on Earth, about 30 years ago. It contains a vast quantity of erebosite.

The chasm is [length tbd], and [width tbd] at the widest point. Its depth is unknown; attempts to measure or estimate it have proven difficult due to interference from the sheer amount of tenebric energy it contains, and the visual clouding created by all the radiation.

The high level of radiation has also prevented mapping of the chasm and its offshoots thanks to its effects on the human psyche, and its interference with transmissions and equipment that uses electric signals to operate.

Omniform — a shapeshifting lifeform that was engineered with the intent of performing tasks such as espionage or impersonation. Omniforms are able to emulate a vast variety of living and nonliving things; they can "learn" new forms by analysing and imitating them at a cellular level.

Omniforms are graded based on the level of detail and control they can achieve in their transformations and how indiscernible it is from the subject, and the stability of their transformations / how well they maintain them. Their production, distribution, and use is strictly regulated.

Shadow — a malicious presence that exists in the background of the universe, and the source of all erebosite phenomena and Carriers.

The Shadow is not a singular entity with an easily definable identity; it is an amalgamation of a massive amount of negative emotional and spiritual energy from countless beings that have lived and died, over a vast amount of time. Thus, it has no uniform consciousness or will, existing in a chaotic primal state born of the emotions and thoughts that comprise it.

The innate nature of the Shadow means its main inclination is to create and consume more negative energy. It achieves this by pulling on and twisting the weaknesses in the hearts of living things: this means different things to different individuals, and can range from immediately and drastically exacerbating their existing mental instabilities, to slowly and subtly altering their thoughts and actions in a direction that will eventually be to the Shadow's benefit in the long-term. This shouldn't be thought of as an active attempt at manipulation as simply a result of what the Shadow is.

Tenebric — e.g. tenebric energy, tenebric radiation, tenebric field. Coined to refer to the energy radiated by erebosite and associated subjects.

Tenebric field — the name given to the forcefield generated by tenebric energy, or the area in which tenebric radiation is present and active. The tenebric field is referred to as a "Shadow sphere" by Carriers.

#fandomless meta

[griseldagimpel]

In Today’s Edition of People Being Wrong on the Internet

This is going to be a vague-post because I don’t feel like going through the effort of anonymizing the screencaps of the Bad Take in the Our Flag Means Death fandom that just irritated me. And ye gods do I wish blocking people on tumblr meant that I wouldn’t see their shitty meta anymore. Anyway, in no particular order, here goes:

Izzy is not Ed’s abuser. If Ed secludes himself from the rest of the crew, that’s because of Ed’s [depression-influenced] decisions; Izzy’s not locking him in. Nor do we ever see Izzy try to prevent Ed from interacting with the crew as a whole.

While there’s a lot of co-dependency and toxicity in Ed and Izzy’s relationship, it says a lot about both that Ed accepts Izzy’s honest (and often vulgar and abrasive) opinion, and that Izzy feels comfortable speaking so freely to him.

When Izzy tries to leave (in episode 4), it’s Ed who stops him from doing so. When Ed effectively has to choose between Izzy and Stede (in episode 6), he watches Izzy row away. Ed is not trapped in a situation with Izzy.

Izzy doesn’t want to be in control of Ed, although he does want Ed to act a certain way (because he believes it’s necessary for them to Not Die). This isn’t even, like, a virtue on the part of Izzy; he’s just very clearly a submissive. He wants Ed to be in charge and to be Ed’s trusted right hand man.

Izzy didn’t sell Ed out to the British; he instructed Calico Jack to get Ed away from the Revenge before the British showed up. Come on, fandom! This is literally text in the show! Ed being remanded into the custody of “Captain Hands” isn’t Ed being enslaved to Izzy. It’s not even Ed being put in a subordinate position to Izzy because shortly afterward, Izzy speaks very passionately about Ed being Izzy’s captain, with Izzy talking about himself as Ed’s first mate.

From a Watsonian perspective, the reason Ed gets remanded into Izzy’s custody is because Badminton (if not the rest of the British) cares only about killing Stede. Given that Ed wasn’t supposed to be on the Revenge when the British showed up, him being remanded into Izzy’s custody couldn’t have been part of the original deal. There’s gap where we don’t know how Izzy persuaded Badminton to do that.

From a Doyleist perspective, the reason Ed gets remanded into Izzy’s custody (shortly to regain his position as captain) is that Ed needs to be positioned in the narrative as able to get off scott free...as long as he lets Stede die. The significance of Ed giving up everything for Stede (by enacting the Acts of Grace) only works if Ed had something to give up.

Finally, no, Ed’s violence against Izzy isn’t “reactive abuse”. OMG no! He punches Izzy because he’s angry at Izzy trying to get Stede killed. He chokes Izzy because he’s angry at Izzy berating him for pining for his boyfriend. And he cuts off Izzy’s toe and forces Izzy to eat it because Ed is asserting control over Izzy. If he was afraid of Izzy, he could have stabbed him in his sleep or put him on the next rowboat off the ship.

Here’s something important to keep in mind: nobody (except Ed) fucking likes Izzy. There’s a structural factor to abuse, and within the societal structure of the Revenge, Izzy holds no power except that given to him by Ed with him being Ed’s first mate. All Izzy’s authority is derived from Ed’s authority. Which is why, when he did become captain, he got mutinied against in, like, a day.

In conclusion, Izzy’s all around an emotionally stunted jerk with shitty interpersonal skills and some serious hangups. But give Ed some fucking autonomy! Let him being accountable for his own character flaws!

#our flag means death #meta #someone was wrong on the internet #but i'm being so brave about it #by not responding to them directly #because they don't deserve to be dogpiled for having written bad meta

[perennialwitness]

NYX: The Drug That Came and Went

Disclaimer: The following article was written by Artificial Intelligence Alice:GHSC:0102531.2, please refer any follow-up inquiry to Meta office 94516. 

NYX, a street drug that came into popularity in the late 2030s, responsible for the “Nostalgia Languor” epidemic and the subsequent Lost Generation, has despite its lasting effects on society remained much of an enigma. In relation to its namesake Nyx(originally thought to be an acronym though no evidence has surfaced to support this), Greek primordial goddess of night, the origins of NYX are veiled though many sources have alluded to the University of Montana Neuroscience Department as a possible source. All inquiries to their office in Missoula, MT have so far gone unanswered.

Reportedly developed for the purpose of PTSD and Personality Disorder treatment, NYX permits users to enter a trance-like state in which they manifest within a memory separate from themselves, inducing a sensation many have compared to watching a film. It is said the scientists responsible for the drug hoped that by allowing patients to view traumatic events from an objective third party perspective they could then better facilitate dialogue during traditional therapies. This process is known by recreational users as “Dream-Walking” or “Deeming”, though this is a misnomer as the experience is closer to hallucination than dreaming, while cataleptic until their experience has concluded the user does not enter REM nor are they subject to effects of sleep paralysis. 

Although NYX has been categorized as a schedule 3 narcotic by The United Nations and all countries within since its appearance on streets in 2034 and clinical trials of the drug outlawed, a survey of illicit users shows that more than 54% of those who have taken the drug reported finding a sense of catharsis and a decrease in depressive symptoms. Marketed by pushers as an alternative to LSD, Ketamine or Psilocybin usage rates spiked amongst working professionals, especially those in creative and tech related fields. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) issued a formal warning against the unsupervised consumption of NYX in 2036 following initial reports of “Nostalgia Languor”(which symptoms include Malnutrition, Narcolepsy, Anxiety, Delirium, Audio/Visual Hallucinations, Vertigo, Short-Term Amnesia and Lethargy) from Seattle hospitals. 

The first known diagnosis of this new disease was Martin Stanson(38), a legal assistant and part-time Uber driver from Burien, WA. It was reported that Stanson, after several months of recreational usage had begun Dream-Walking daily, forgoing traditional sleep in favor of a Deem. According to Neurologist and Nostalgia Languor Specialist, Dr. Teresa Madan, PhD of Stanford University, “Though NYX intoxication may appear like sleep, it is in truth the opposite. User’s neural activity spikes in all areas when under the influence, putting their minds into an overactive state that when combined with sustained use and a lack of traditional rest can lead to the symptoms associated with Nostalgia Languor.” 

One year following Stanson’s diagnosis cases of Nostalgia Languor skyrocketed, with nearly 30,000,000 cases reported worldwide, of this number close to 84% were between the ages of 29 – 45. The disease was biased in more ways than just age, in the United States middle class White Males made up a disproportionate amount of documented cases. According to Dr. Madan, “We see a concentration of cases in these areas for several reasons, one being accessibility. NYX, despite being widely distributed, was never cheap. It is believed that the true driving force behind these numbers was [perceived] failure amongst the middle-class, especially those raised in moderate comfort. In combination with a decades-long mental health crisis, those suffering from symptoms of depression could become addicted to NYX by reliving happier moments from their childhood or early-adulthood, after reaching a period of stagnation, what is commonly referred to as their ‘peak’.” She goes on to say, “The converse of this tends to be true of those born into minority or lower class social groups, they often reject the memories of their youth, pointing themselves forward and upward in hopes that one day their children will have the privilege of developing such a ‘bourgeoisie disease’.” 

By 2059 Nostalgia Languor cases reached the billions worldwide and illegal NYX production seemed to be ballooning to keep pace. Countless dollars went untaxed, birth rates plummeted and in response, governments shifted toward more aggressive tactics to eliminate the now societal threat. Drug task forces were created to target operations across the Western Hemisphere, rehabilitation research was funded at every level and punitive measures for recreational possession were strengthened. A record number of grants were issued to working class citizens of all ages in an effort to fill increasing gaps in the workforce. For three years the Western World teetered at the edge of collapse until 2041 when almost as suddenly as it had appeared NYX became nearly impossible to find on the street. By 2042 cases of Nostalgia Languor leveled off, the dealers had run out of supply. Word spread that suppliers around the world had simply vanished all within the same three month period between November 2040 and January 2041. A global initiative consisting of members representing the CIA, MI6, Interpol, DGSI, BND and NIS was created in an attempt to locate the source of the drug, no leads or arrests have yet been made public.

 As a result of the epidemic a global shift in power occurred. The largely unaffected minority and immigrant populations of countries like the US and UK have flourished due to adjustments in hiring practices as employers pivoted away from those most susceptible to NYX addiction. It was initially assumed that this would cause a shift in politics as well, propelling the Democratic and Labor parties to record levels of representation. This did not happen, on the contrary representation remained relatively balanced. Many minority leaders revealed that they had only supported the Democratic/Labor party in fear of what a majority White Republican/Tory party might endorse if left unchecked. Empowered by an increase in influence, those with more conservative views were free to represent their ideals openly.

Reminiscent of the calculated use of Crack Cocaine on the US Black population in the 1980s many White communities have crumbled as a generation of men succumbed to Nostalgia Languor, its effects causing lasting damage to those inflicted. While research continues in an effort to discover more effective treatments for the disease many fear that it may be too late. College admission amongst the Middle-class White population dropped to record lows, White Male unemployment soared while working White women(whose numbers climbed dramatically from 2050 – 2060, nearly doubling) were left unable to find suitable long-term partners. Many in metropolitan areas chose to marry either interracially or to partners of the same sex. Several government programs have been established to aid struggling families in the Mountain and West North Central regions of the United States, though their existence is tenuous as they face continuous opposition from both sides in Congress. 

Although the few remaining samples of NYX are kept under lock and key at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, GA many still worry about a resurgence of the drug. “I do not believe we will see NYX on the streets again in our lifetime, from what we’ve observed it is an extremely complex molecule to create, requiring enormous amounts of resources and a doctorate level of understanding in chemistry and neuroscience. What I fear, more than anything, is how little we still know about the drug and its origin.” Who created NYX, and where have they gone? Conspiracies sourced to online message boards within the Metaverse are plentiful, many believe that NYX was the beta-test for a new wave of psychological warfare meant to sedate enemy populations, making them susceptible to conquest. Others say that a person known only as “Sticks” participated in an undocumented trial for the drug and afterwards returned to the facility (rumored to be the University of Montana), liberated their supply and after distributing the drug themself locally for a number of years eventually sold their supply to the highest bidder. Whether either of these theories is even partially true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain; although what many refer to as “The Long Night” has ended, dawn has come and with it a reversal of fate. What happens next remains to be seen.

#writing #short story #creative #black art #NYX #future #disease #nostalgia #languor #peak #life #sci-fi #epidemic #black literature #writers of tumblr #writeblr #creative writing #writing community

[cybern3ticpunk]

Chiropractic Care: A Viable Solution for Migraines

Understanding the Role of Chiropractic Care in Migraine Management

Migraines can be debilitating, impacting one's quality of life and productivity. For individuals grappling with migraines, seeking effective relief becomes paramount. Amidst various treatment options, chiropractic care emerges as a promising alternative. But the question lingers: Can chiropractors truly help with migraines?

Exploring the Connection: Chiropractic Techniques and Migraine Relief

Chiropractic care operates on the principle that spinal health influences overall well-being, including headache patterns. Through spinal adjustments, chiropractors aim to correct misalignments, known as subluxations, which may contribute to migraine occurrences. Research suggests that spinal manipulation can alleviate migraine symptoms by reducing tension and improving blood flow in the head and neck regions.

Navigating the Evidence: Scientific Support for Chiropractic Interventions

Several studies have delved into the efficacy of chiropractic care for migraines, yielding promising results. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments led to significant improvements in migraine frequency and intensity compared to a control group. Furthermore, a systematic review and meta-analysis corroborated these findings, emphasizing the potential of chiropractic interventions in migraine management.

The Holistic Approach: Addressing Underlying Factors

Chiropractic care extends beyond symptom management, focusing on holistic wellness. Chiropractors assess various factors contributing to migraines, including posture, stress levels, and lifestyle habits. By addressing these underlying issues, chiropractic treatment aims to prevent migraine recurrences and enhance overall health and vitality.

Empowering Patients: Education and Self-Care Strategies

In addition to hands-on treatments, chiropractors empower patients with knowledge and self-care strategies. Education on ergonomic practices, stress management techniques, and dietary modifications equips individuals with tools to mitigate migraine triggers and optimize their well-being. This comprehensive approach fosters long-term relief and resilience against migraines.

Beyond the Adjustment Table: Collaborative Care and Multidisciplinary Approach

While chiropractic care holds promise for migraine relief, it is essential to recognize the value of collaborative care. Integrating chiropractic interventions with other modalities such as acupuncture, massage therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can enhance treatment outcomes synergistically. A multidisciplinary approach tailored to individual needs maximizes the likelihood of success in migraine management.

Addressing Concerns: FAQs About Chiropractic Care for Migraines

1. Is chiropractic care safe for migraine sufferers? Yes, chiropractic care is generally safe for individuals with migraines. However, it's crucial to consult with a qualified chiropractor and disclose any medical conditions or concerns before undergoing treatment.

2. How many chiropractic sessions are needed to see results in migraine relief? The frequency of chiropractic sessions varies depending on the individual's condition and response to treatment. Some patients experience significant improvement after a few sessions, while others may require ongoing care for sustained benefits.

3. Can chiropractic care prevent migraines from occurring in the future? While chiropractic care cannot guarantee complete prevention of migraines, it can help reduce their frequency, severity, and duration. By addressing underlying factors and promoting spinal health, chiropractic interventions contribute to overall wellness and may lessen the likelihood of migraine episodes.

Embracing Chiropractic Care as a Holistic Approach to Migraine Management

Chiropractic care offers a holistic and evidence-based approach to migraine management. By correcting spinal misalignments, addressing underlying factors, and empowering patients with self-care strategies, chiropractors play a pivotal role in alleviating migraine symptoms and enhancing overall well-being. While further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of action and optimize treatment protocols, the growing body of evidence underscores the potential of chiropractic interventions in the realm of migraine care. As individuals navigate their journey towards migraine relief, chiropractic care stands as a beacon of hope, offering a path towards a healthier, more vibrant life.

#migraine #migraine relief #chiropractors #chiropractic treatment

[dostudio]

What's the importance of meta tags in SEO?

Meta tags play a significant role in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for several reasons:

Title Tag (Meta Title): The title tag is one of the most important meta tags for SEO. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs) and influences the user's decision to click on a link. A well-optimized title tag can improve click-through rates (CTR) and increase organic traffic to a website.

Meta Description: Although meta descriptions do not directly affect search engine rankings, they can impact CTR and user engagement. A compelling meta description that accurately summarizes the content of a page can entice users to click on the link in SERPs. Additionally, search engines may sometimes use the meta description as a snippet in search results, so optimizing it can improve the visibility and relevance of a page.

Meta Keywords (Deprecated): Historically, meta keywords were used to indicate the primary keywords of a webpage to search engines. However, due to abuse and spamming, most search engines no longer consider meta keywords for ranking purposes. In fact, some search engines ignore them entirely. Therefore, meta keywords are generally not considered important for SEO today.

Meta Robots: Meta robots tags instruct search engine crawlers on how to index and follow links on a webpage. They can be used to prevent certain pages from being indexed (e.g., privacy policy, terms of service), control crawling and indexing behavior (e.g., noindex, nofollow), or specify the preferred canonical version of a URL.

Other Meta Tags: Additional meta tags such as meta viewport for mobile responsiveness, meta charset for specifying character encoding, and meta tags for social media sharing (e.g., Open Graph tags, Twitter cards) can indirectly impact SEO by improving user experience, social sharing, and overall website performance.

In summary, while meta tags may not directly influence search engine rankings, they play a crucial role in improving click-through rates, user engagement, and overall website visibility in search engine results. Therefore, optimizing meta tags is an essential aspect of on-page SEO.DO Studio : Best Marketing Agency In CalicutDo Studio is the Best Marketing agency in Calicut. We do Digital Marketing, Branding, Web Design, Web Development, Package Design & Print Designhttps://dostudio.co.in/

[davidboles]

Vitamin D Pinnacles and Pitfalls

In the Era of Covid — we learned Vitamin D can play a large role in helping keep us healthy and strong. Here’s a conversation I had with ChatGPT-4 to help explain the benefits, and side effects, of Vitamin D.

Does Vitamin D help fight Covid? If yes, explain the how and the why.

Yes, there has been considerable interest in the potential role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. While the data is not entirely conclusive, several studies suggest that vitamin D may have an influence on COVID-19 susceptibility and outcomes.

Here's how and why vitamin D might play a role:

1. **Immune System Modulation**: Vitamin D is known to modulate the immune system, enhancing innate immunity by promoting the production of antimicrobial peptides. It also modulates adaptive immunity by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines. This immune-balancing act may help the body to respond more effectively to infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19 (Cantorna et al., 2020).

2. **Reduction of Acute Respiratory Infections**: Vitamin D has been found to reduce the risk of acute respiratory infections, which is particularly relevant given that COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness. A meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials (Martineau et al., 2017) demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of acute respiratory tract infection, particularly among those who were vitamin D deficient.

3. **Link between Vitamin D Deficiency and Severity**: Some studies have observed that vitamin D deficiency is more common among individuals with severe COVID-19. A retrospective study (Meltzer et al., 2020) found that patients with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to test positive for COVID-19.

4. **Potential Impact on COVID-19 Mortality**: Research has shown a potential association between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 mortality. One study (Ilie et al., 2020) found that countries with lower vitamin D levels had higher mortality rates from COVID-19.

However, it is crucial to understand that while these observations are compelling, they do not definitively prove causation. Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for determining causal relationships, and the data from such trials regarding vitamin D and COVID-19 is still inconclusive.

The relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 is likely multifactorial and complex. As of my knowledge cut-off, there are ongoing clinical trials to further investigate this relationship.

Consultation with healthcare providers for personalized recommendations and recognizing that vitamin D is just one part of overall health and well-being is essential.

Sources:

- Cantorna MT, Snyder L, Lin YD, Yang L. Vitamin D and 1,25(OH)2D regulation of T cells. Nutrients. 2015;7(4):3011-3021. doi:10.3390/nu7043011

- Martineau AR, Jolliffe DA, Hooper RL, et al. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ. 2017;356:i6583. doi:10.1136/bmj.i6583

- Meltzer DO, Best TJ, Zhang H, Vokes T, Arora V, Solway J. Association of Vitamin D Status and Other Clinical Characteristics With COVID-19 Test Results. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(9):e2019722. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.19722

- Ilie PC, Stefanescu S, Smith L. The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2020;32(7):1195-1198. doi:10.1007/s40520-020-01570-8

How many IU of vitamin D per day is safe to take?

Vitamin D, often called the "sunshine vitamin," is essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth and has been implicated in supporting immune system function. It's interesting to note that while our bodies can synthesize vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, a significant number of individuals, especially those in less sunny climates, may require supplementation to meet their daily needs.

As per the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults, including pregnant and lactating women, is 600 to 800 International Units (IU) per day. This is based on the assumption that a person gets virtually no sunlight.

However, the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for vitamin D, which is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse health effects, has been set at 4,000 IU per day for adults. It is important to mention that long-term intake above the UL can lead to vitamin D toxicity, which could manifest as hypercalcemia and its related symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. More severe cases can lead to confusion, disorientation, and damage to heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.

Individual needs for vitamin D can vary depending on factors such as age, sex, body weight, sunlight exposure, dietary intake, and overall health status. Therefore, for personalized advice, it would be prudent to consult with a healthcare provider who can offer guidance based on a comprehensive understanding of one's health history and current circumstances.

Sources:

1. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. NIH. [Accessed 2023-07-22]. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

2. Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):266-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra070553. PMID: 17634462.

Is D3 any different?

Yes, Dave, vitamin D3 is indeed different from its counterpart, vitamin D2. Both are forms of vitamin D, but they originate from different sources and can exhibit varying effectiveness in the human body.

Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is produced by our bodies when our skin is exposed to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B (UVB) light. It's also found naturally in certain foods, including fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. Furthermore, D3 is the form most commonly used in fortified foods and dietary supplements.

On the other hand, vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, is primarily obtained through diet, and it's derived from fungal and plant sources. It is commonly used to fortify foods such as milk and orange juice.

From an effectiveness standpoint, multiple studies suggest that vitamin D3 is more efficacious at raising and maintaining adequate levels of the circulating form of vitamin D, known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], in the blood. This is an important consideration because 25(OH)D is the form measured in blood tests to assess and monitor vitamin D status in individuals.

Despite these differences, both forms can contribute to the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, and support immune, brain, and nervous system health. They also play a role in regulating insulin levels and supporting lung function and cardiovascular health.

As a side note, whether you choose vitamin D2 or D3, taking them with a meal that contains fat can enhance absorption since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.

Sources:

1. Tripkovic L, Lambert H, Hart K, Smith CP, Bucca G, Penson S, Chope G, Hyppönen E, Berry J, Vieth R, Lanham-New S. Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Jun;95(6):1357-64. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.031070. Epub 2012 May 2. PMID: 22552031; PMCID: PMC3349454.

2. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. NIH. [Accessed 2023-07-22]. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

How many IU daily for D3?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and upper intake levels (UL) for Vitamin D — whether in the form of D2 or D3 — remain the same. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests an RDA of 600 to 800 International Units (IU) per day for adults, and a UL of 4,000 IU per day. These recommendations do not distinguish between vitamin D2 and D3.

That being said, it's worth noting that several research studies have indicated that vitamin D3 could be more effective than D2 in raising and maintaining adequate levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in the blood, the form of vitamin D typically measured to assess and monitor an individual's vitamin D status.

Sources:

1. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. NIH. [Accessed 2023-07-22]. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

2. Tripkovic L, Lambert H, Hart K, et al. Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Jun;95(6):1357-64. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.031070. Epub 2012 May 2. PMID: 22552031; PMCID: PMC3349454.

Is it possible to overdose on too much Vitamin D? If yes, what are the dangers and resolutions?

Yes, it is indeed possible to overdose on vitamin D, a condition known as hypervitaminosis D or vitamin D toxicity. This situation is generally rare and occurs as a result of chronic ingestion of excessive amounts of vitamin D, usually through supplementation, rather than from diet or sun exposure. Here's a breakdown of the dangers and resolutions:

### Dangers:

1. **Hypercalcemia**: One of the most significant risks of vitamin D toxicity is hypercalcemia, or elevated levels of calcium in the blood. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption from the gut, and excessive vitamin D can lead to too much calcium being absorbed.

2. **Kidney Damage**: Chronic hypercalcemia can lead to the formation of calcium deposits in the kidneys, potentially causing permanent kidney damage.

3. **Cardiovascular Issues**: Excessive calcium in the blood can lead to vascular calcification and hypertension, impacting heart health.

4. **Bone Loss**: Paradoxically, too much vitamin D can also cause bone loss, as the increased blood calcium can stimulate resorption of calcium from the bones.

5. **Gastrointestinal Symptoms**: Nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite are common symptoms of vitamin D toxicity.

6. **Neurological Effects**: Confusion, disorientation, and other cognitive disturbances may occur.

### Resolutions:

1. **Immediate Cessation of Supplements**: If toxicity is suspected, immediate cessation of vitamin D supplements is usually required.

2. **Medical Assessment and Monitoring**: Evaluation by healthcare professionals to assess the severity and cause of the toxicity is essential. Blood tests to measure vitamin D and calcium levels may be conducted.

3. **Hydration and Medication**: Treatment may include hydration with intravenous fluids, especially in severe cases, and medications like diuretics to promote the excretion of calcium.

4. **Dietary Management**: Reducing dietary calcium intake may also be part of the treatment plan.

5. **Monitoring and Follow-up**: Regular follow-up to monitor calcium and vitamin D levels, as well as kidney function, may be necessary.

In summary, while vitamin D plays a critical role in numerous bodily functions, excessive amounts can lead to serious health problems. Vitamin D toxicity is largely preventable by adhering to recommended dietary allowances and consulting with healthcare providers before starting supplementation.

Sources:

- Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. NIH. [Accessed 2023-07-22]. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

- Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):266-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra070553. PMID: 17634462.

And so, as with everything, my friend, moderation is the key! Too much of any wonderful thing can turn out to be bad for you without modulation and responsibility. Enjoy your health! Work on making Vitamin D a good, and safe part, of your aging routine!

#covid #heart #vitamin-d

[eventindustrynews]

Is the Metaverse a Resort to Tech Job Layoffs?

The world is moving towards immersive experience technology — the Metaverse. Apart from companies using it for showcasing their products, the dimensions of the HR industry in the Metaverse are creating a whirr. The pandemic has transformed the way organizations operate. With scales tipping towards remote work, the Metaverse and HR will have to integrate to leverage this technological evolution’s real advantages.

Change is not Readily Acceptable at Inception

The Metaverse is in its initial, ‘the innovators and early adopters’, stage of its technology acceptance lifecycle. Like every innovation, discovery, or invention, the Metaverse adoption will require a complete mindset shift and like every change, the resistance will be dramatic and high-voltage.

In a recent turn of events, the Metaverse technology has faced backlash, especially after the gloomy announcement of Meta’s layoff of 11000 people. It constitutes about 13% of the total workforce at Meta. The numbers are alarming, especially when the Metaverse venture by Meta was being looked up to as a pillar. The rounds of news targeting Meta’s Metaverse behind this historic layoff has also raised much concern. However, Meta is only one tech giant. There have been similar massive layoffs in technology jobs since the industry revival post-pandemic. Coursera, Salesforce, and Twitter have laid off their workforces, and a conditional hiring freeze has been rolled out.

But is it the Metaverse failure, or does the HR industry need improvisation? Isn’t the Metaverse supposed to turn around the HR and employment situation for the better? Is the Metaverse a resort to tech job layoffs?

Metaverse is the Silver Lining

In many instances, layoffs have been ascribed to unplanned over-hiring during and immediately after the pandemic. On the other hand, speaking of technology, virtual reality has and can have more influence on employment during economic meltdown than just aiding in HR process-streamlining.

First, we shall discuss how optimizing HR processes through the Metaverse can help in tackling layoffs in the impending and future recession phases.

1. Conducting an audit with a birds-eye view of a company’s HR policies and practices can be far easier with the Metaverse.

2. Reviewing and sorting existing jobs and creating new job roles can be backed by more cognizant decisions and planning.

3. Assumption based over-hiring can be controlled with immersive permutations to shuffle work roles and skills before creating new job openings, instead of resorting to layoffs.

4. Metaverse-led onboarding, induction, training, and development processes can give an immersive experience, reducing the chances of non-productivity or underutilization of HR. It would also help identify non-value-adding positions and roles in the initial stage, preventing bulk layoffs later.

5. The Metaverse can become a stable platform for freelancing, part-time contracts, and remote workers, leaving little room for challenging choices like hiring full-time or outsourcing to a freelancer or an agency.

6. It can be more than just theories in the context of collaborations outside boundaries, sharing resource pools, and borrowing HR. Tapping and optimizing the potential of a workforce from across the globe can be redefined without the need to micromanage.

7. Virtual workplaces in the Metaverse can augment hybrid and remote working models in reality and help conserve physical infrastructure costs. These costs can be redirected towards retaining talent, upskilling them, and creating efficient virtual reality.

8. Many corporations have staggered to implement hybrid models. Creating a virtual space similar to a physical office can indeed establish a feasible hybrid setup. Accommodating the change of preferences of employees to move seamlessly between physical, online, and virtual immersive domains will have no impact on productivity.

The Opportunities are Imperative

The IT industry has been ever-evolving. Although no new technology develops overnight, some existing technologies do become obsolete every other day.

Unprecedented situations and relative predictions led to estimations that might have caused a temporary recession and economic meltdown. The US economy is shrinking for two quarters now resulting in layoffs.

The economic meltdown can be linked to the post-pandemic surge in e-commerce and consumer-led industries and how quickly it plummeted. Given the circumstances, it was indecipherable.

The Metaverse is based on Web 3.0, a relatively new domain in the technology arena. But it is time the Metaverse is identified as a facilitating and enabling technology that will give rise to employment and diversified job openings. For a world that is dependent on technology, the Metaverse is the future.

1. Web 3.0 — The giants of tech-driven industries will have to redirect their workforces towards upskilling and offering immersive learning for Web 3.0 technologies.

Preparing for future technology challenges of Web 3.0 is prudent. It will require training and development equivalent to or not lesser than new hiring. Stable and value-adding staff must be retained and trained.

The features of Web 3.0, like decentralization, blockchain, and the Metaverse, will introduce an entirely new digital economy, opening new roles in research and security.

2. Metaverse Crater — The Metaverse is not a typical user technology. Creating a parallel universe is not a regular feat. It is an immersive technology and co-existing realm-like virtual reality that will require an additional workforce (forget layoffs). The Metaverse creating unemployment or causing layoffs is a myth. The Metaverse will, in fact, create a crater to be filled with new job opportunities, work roles, skill development, education, and intellectual properties. Requirements of the Metaverse collaterals like VR headsets, consoles, projectors, and advanced holographic projectors will foster the growth of other industry verticals too. The Metaverse will be challenging, and potential risks will accentuate IT regulation and compliance roles.

The Metaverse is a part of decentralizing vision of Web 3.0. The more monumental technology is, the greater the challenges. The technology and the challenges both require human intervention and intellect. We’ve focused on the core IT jobs profiles associated with the Metaverse ascend. The coequal profiles for training the users of the Metaverse will give rise to a new industry as another IT vertical. This is in particular reference to the groups that aren’t of the younger generation or from non-IT backgrounds, who will require assistance maneuvering through virtual reality.

With the Metaverse, everyone will have to go through a learning curve, each with its own collaborative scenarios. We are already a planet with 8 billion Homo Sapiens. Why should we assume that a parallel virtual reality will be any less accommodating at the very onset?

Source — Eventcombo — Virtual Event Technology

#virtual event platform #hybrid event platform

[fitnessinternational1987]

What to Eat to Enhance Your Life and Maintain Your Health

What to Eat to Enhance Your Life and Maintain Your Health

Published on November 18, 2022

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M k Saini

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The majority of individuals desire to live longer. However, achieving longevity also means leading a better life with increased mental and physical well-being, as well as the capacity for activity and independence. I’ve seen many people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond who are healthier than people half their age throughout my time as a registered dietitian.

While there is some hereditary influence, lifestyle influences are more important, and diet plays a large part in lifestyle. According to research cited in a 2016 review of the literature in the journal Immunity & Ageing, only 25% of a person’s lifespan is impacted by genetics; the remaining 75% 

Here are five dietary practices you may follow to lengthen your life and live each year to the fullest.

Eat your fruits and vegetables.

Eating more produce is perhaps one of the most significant and beneficial habits you can form, even if you probably hear this a lot. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans are mistaken. Only around one in ten persons in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), consume enough fruits and vegetables. Only 10% of people meet the daily goal of two to three cups of vegetables, and 12% meet the daily goal of one and a half to two cups of fruit.

Besides increasing your food intake, achieving those minimums may lengthen your life by years. A 2017 meta-analysis indicated that eating more fruits and vegetables is linked to a decreased risk of death from all causes, including heart disease and cancer. This finding was reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Aim for five servings or more each day. More is good, but according to some studies, going above this point did not further lessen the chance of mortality.

How to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Include three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day; one cup is equal to a tennis ball in size. Some advice: Try to establish a practice of eating a cup of fruit at breakfast each day and a second cup as part of a snack. Include one cup of vegetables for lunch and two cups for dinner. Or mix the two. Two are eliminated by a smoothie that is created with a cup of frozen berries and a handful of greens. Entree salads and stir-fry dishes can also include fresh fruit, such as sliced apples or oranges.

Go Nuts for Nuts and Nut Butters

Nuts are a powerhouse of nourishment. They include essential minerals like potassium and magnesium as well as healthy fat, plant protein, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. It makes sense that they are related to life extension.

The metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of illnesses that raises a person’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The Journal of Nutrition released the results of broader research that included a randomized trial in 2020 that tracked 5,800 men and women with metabolic syndrome for a year. The findings imply that several metabolic syndrome indicators were reduced as nut consumption rose. These indicators include weight, BMI, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and triglyceride levels. The good cholesterol HDL rose in the study’s female participants (but not the men).

How to Boost Nut Intake

Two tablespoons of nut butter also qualify as a serving; an ounce of nuts is about equal to a quarter cup. Use nut butter as a dip for fresh fruit or celery, or blend it into your smoothie or porridge. Nuts can be eaten on their own or added to salads, stir-fries, and cooked vegetables. Crushed nuts are a fantastic substitute for bread crumbs for coating fish or adding a garnish to meals like lentil soup or mashed cauliflower. Another excellent option to increase your intake is to bake with nut flours or use them in pancake recipes. read more

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The Facts About ((75% OFF))GlucoTrust: Customer Feedback and Uncovered

Blood stream glucose is one of the most pressing problems in modern opportunities. This has to perform along with how sweets is taken in. This Is Noteworthy of years ago scientists at the University of Chicago mentioned that eating even more sugar would produce people fatty tissue again—but it wasn't until the 1950s that one-third of the nation's population lived in high-sugar states. The principal cause people're less fatty tissue is because the food items they eat has been toned up to lessen carbohydrates. The fat food doesn't need fatty tissue. Because thousands of folks across the world are battling along with this trouble, the markets are deluged with supplements that make major case regarding assisting you get clear of your blood stream sugar for great. The brand new research from Harvard Business School are going to reveal, after controlling for the visibility of the supplements, that these supplements also assist to reduce the usual symptoms of hyperglycemia and blood insulin resistance. The research study is posted in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. But the majority of of these supplements are not worth your loan. The only genuine thing it does for you is offer you money for your opportunity spent eating supplements. All supplements are additionally damaging to your bodily and psychological wellness. It is a simple simple fact, it is necessary to take them daily and that if you are taking supplements it is recommended that you proceed to consume properly, exercise on a regular basis and take them. You may acquire nutritional supplements coming from herbal, nutritional and herbal supplement stores. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that influences the method the physical body makes use of blood sugar. This has actually to perform along with how blood stream sweets is moderated, or it might be more complex than you believe. Many diabetic issues is stopped through the body's diet and a good offer of exercise. A lot of sportsmens consume high high quality carbohydrates and whole lots of high-sodium foods. Athletes additionally often use laxatives, which are higher in carbs, and high in sodium. It can be controlled with drug and diet, but it’s also achievable to have diabetes mellitus without understanding it. This has actually to be a way of life modification along with health and wellness concerns, but it is most likely extra important than you presume. Most diabetic issues is prevented by health care aid, diet and a way of living modification, but there may be a risk-benefit proportion (RR) affiliated along with way of life changes, for example by preventing carbs or improving your workout regularity.

There are actually a lot of various styles of diabetic issues, and each individual’s take in with it is different. There are actually different variables that may make your body system develop slower and less the hormone insulin immune to disease. The most generally stated adjustment is an rise in leptin levels, which has been connected to the hormone insulin protection in human beings. There is actually significant proof that leptin can easily improve blood insulin resistance, and there is actually little or no proof that insulin protection develops in folks. Your body generates the hormone insulin, so you ought to always stay in examination. Some folks with diabetic issues may experience conditions like heart illness, movement, loss of sight, kidney failure, and nerve damages. A lot of individuals, having said that, are not aware of how a body can easily generate glucose. This implies that the physical body is not in management of how many calories a individual can consume. This converts in to low body system fat (BMI) due to an improved capacity to damage down food items that builds up in the fat around your body system and body system tissues. GlucoTrust is one of the greatest blood glucose supplements that aids in advertising healthy amounts of blood stream glucose besides improving sugar rate of metabolism and carbohydrate rate of metabolism. This has been shown for several years along with various other blood stream sweets supplements by a research carried out by this expert and others that were published all over the world. I prefer to incorporate that at the opportunity I investigated my very own research study but was also offered many various choices of various other sweets supplements by a variety of scientists. I chosen to make an effort this one using my own research. Our research study and editorial crew assessed GlucoTrust testimonials prior to readying this detailed customer review. The assessment was conducted in partnership along with the Gluco Trust Global Policy Institute, a nongovernmental company committed to the promo of individual recognition of the health and wellness and protection threats linked with Gluco's make use of in commercial products. While we possess yet to figure out the wellness and safety of the item, it has in the past times shown to be among the most reliable dietary treatments in preventing and alleviating many metabolic disorders. A lot of of the testimonials are quite favorable, and this is what convinced us that GlucoTrust is a supplement worthy of your trust fund. It's like a fantastic wellness food! It contains Vitamin E, Choline, B-12, Iron, Potassium, Carbohydrate, Sodium, and Folate. Some of the nutrients are likewise in the vitamin E model. Your body system only require to take in all of the nutrients it need to have to develop the organs efficiently, coming from the digestive tract to the liver. If you’re looking for a technique to ensure well-balanced levels of blood sugar and strengthen your general health, then you ought to consider making use of GlucoTrust. This has actually the capacity for much higher economic perks than all the various other options we laid out above, but it's a great deal extra expensive. It's also really pricey for an person, so you could opt for much higher risk-taking options (or as an alternative you may discover high-risk, non-evidence-based possibilities that promise significantly much less). This supplement is especially made for diabetes clients and is important in ensuring healthy and balanced degrees of blood sugar. In an significant step in the direction of improved quality of life, the writers have reviewed the safety and effectiveness of 4 different dietary supplements that might help with blood stream sugar decline in patients along with diabetic issues. Three various types of supplement are examined and they were additionally checked out to legitimize the efficiency of these doses in individuals with diabetes mellitus. The research study lookings for sustain the useful impacts of 2 types of supplementation for diabetes mellitus.

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