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hei-ch0u · 3 years

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It’s long...(fair warning) ✰

Shingeki no Kyojin 139 (Theories)

Since everyone is throwing around their theories from the wild to the more likely, I thought I should contribute. After all, it will be the last time we can theorise this amazing manga full of all its twists and turns. Like most, I do agree with the popular fan theories simply because this manga is consistently unpredictable with each chapter. Let’s face it, some stories are easily picked apart these days and finding one that continuously has you thinking about what could occur is a winning tale. So first, I will start off by saying that I am so sad that Shingeki no Kyojin is coming to an end. But! I will never forget this amazing manga as I have grown so attached to the characters and the story as you can tell from the past nearly 9 years of running this blog. So, thank you yams for being such a genius! Regardless of the ending, it will go down in history as one of the best stories I personally have ever read and witnessed.

With typical fan theories, I won’t go into them too much as I feel the concept of the “time loop” has been written about to filth and I think it is very blatantly clear at this point that the concept of a time loop is very likely in one way or another given the overall concept within aot/snk in general - there is a obvious manipulation of past, present and future. I will hold my hands up and say that I definitely do agree with ‘some’ popular fan theories and will list a fair few below in brief detail - as I do think they are highly likely to be true in some way or at least implied within the last chapter. Now, with the usual leak dates coming up on the horizon, I wanted to put my input in before hand. Although, because of recent prosecution warnings for leaking the final chapter - I would advise others just to wait for the 9th of April on official release for concrete facts rather than speculations and leaks simply because we have seen with past few chapters that a lot of false spoilers get released and I think with the final chapter it would be wise to wait as I have previously stated on here that it will be the ‘revelation’ chapter that ties this manga together.

So! With the typical fan theories, we see the likes of:

Eren being the baby daddy to Historia’s baby

Eren sacrificing his reason for living - freedom. By being the greater evil to bring about the greater good

The baby itself could become the new beast titan or baby Eren/Ymir reborn

Eren isn’t dead, but on Paradis by way of transferring his subconscious into a crystallised version of himself

Eren and Ymir have struck a deal

And of course - the time loop concept

…The list is endless of popular fan theories. It would be silly not to agree with any of them given the story and where we are currently at, its very clear that Historia, Eren and Ymir will play a big part somehow in the final chapter (if not id be genuinely shocked) since majority of the past few chapters they have been absent in full form and I feel this needs to be explained. After all we still haven’t seen the full extent of the memories of past/future that Eren was aware of from his contact with Historia and his connection with Ymir in Paths. We saw 137 being predominantly Armin based, 138 being Mikasa based and I think it is only reasonable given his absence as the initial protagonist that Eren will be the revelation within 139. Ultimately culminating EMA / the trio as a whole. We began with them, so it only makes sense to end with them (albeit separately as individuals).

Moving on, as you can see I agree with said fan theories as I think any route could be possible! The thing with Shingeki no Kyojin is that it has many hidden ‘Easter eggs’ (how fitting given its easter), whether it be in the background of scenes, characters wording, placement of scenes/characters, flashbacks, paths and even in the opening and ending credits of the anime we see hidden meanings through imagery. It has all been laid out very well for our finding, its just if we have an intuitive enough imagination to pick it apart and figure things out. This leads on to my own theory/theories (it can go any way and I wont sugarcoat it - I could be reaching)

I generally have 2 theories that run about in my head with how the story itself could turn out or how it works. Both theories kind of tie together in one way or another featuring predominantly Eren and then Mikasa or overall ‘Ackerman’ blood/gene concept and its potential involvement in control of said time loop. I will do my best to include manga panels to give visual insight to the points.

To begin, I want to touch on Mikasa's “dream” in 138 - although devastating, I think it is being taken as the opposite of what it was and personally I see many looking at it through rose tinted glasses. This wasn’t an alternative universe (in my opinion), this was Mikasa’s Ideal life - her dream. When it comes to Eren as a connection to Mikasa, he is her reason for being, even in death she chooses not to part with him for her own good and creates a dreamlike reality for herself to make herself go through with the deed. She as a character has dominantly surrounded her existence on Eren, he is categorised many times within the manga as ‘home’ - like other fan theories have stated, it has been mentioned many times Mikasa referencing the word ‘home’ and also how she wants to ‘be close to him’ because it gives her comfort and strength. The Ackermans as a whole have attachments to people and this is where they ultimately gain strength from. Without any of the Ackermans ‘attachments’ being in danger or being killed, their powers wouldn’t be awakened and without them I feel their strength almost weakens until they find a new reason for living to keep moving forward. I’ll touch more on the ‘Ackerman’ theory later as its one of the open loopholes still currently alive within the manga.

Mikasa has always been a character that confuses me, particularly with the way she acts and things she says or thinks. She has said many things that don’t make sense unless she has a certain belief system or knows of things from past lives.

Examples:

As you can see and I will produce more evidence of such comments further in. She implies that she either believes in reincarnation or she is aware of different periods within the said time loop. She speaks of starting over, being dead and returning and implies in different ways that she is scared of the same thing happening again. The last panel - what plan is she on about here? Her own plan. In my opinion it is - "Don't let Eren die". As we have seen, that may be what has to happen. It's fate. She interferes with this and never lets him go.

Mikasa does have an unhealthy bond with Eren, I do think he loves her ( I’m not dismissing that ) but do I think its the type of intense love she feels? no. Some things she has came out with has even shocked other characters and countless times her comrades have tried to ‘break the barrier’ to get her to realise her way of thinking when it comes to Eren is unhealthy. Hence why I think we seen Jean in this particular scene below so frustrated

not because he himself has feelings for her, but because she’s not letting them get through to her that she is refusing to believe Eren could ultimately be a changed person (which he definitely is, I’ll not go into my rant of why he isn’t ‘evil or a ‘monster’ because i’ve done so already) but overall, Mikasa constantly makes excuses for Eren and doesn’t recognise it, her life revolves around being close to Eren and she gets very emotionally troubled at the idea of not being with him or him ultimately taking a path that doesn’t involve her. We even seen Annie question her and this wasn't many chapters ago and she replies with the same mindset of bringing back "the old Eren". He is not the person he once was particularly as a child. Something that is implied at beginning of manga, it opens with them as children and somehow links with 138.

As stated by Armin below we see him even explaining to Mikasa that Eren’s never close, he always takes his own route and that ultimately both Armin and Mikasa aren’t his reason for living. Let’s face it - Freedom is Eren’s reason for being, his only desire. Armin has also expressed disbelief and almost frustration at her way of thinking when it comes to him (below examples) I think in a way the famed ‘table scene’ was Eren trying to break the bond, but he’s not doing that for no reason, its implied he does it to protect them, but it could also be because of what he has seen in memories past and future - he has perhaps became aware of Mikasa’s involvement within paths and the loop. He has to try to alter her way of thinking to protect her, but maybe also himself.

Armin + Other comrades reactions to Mikasa’s mindset

Another visual point to make regarding Mikasa’s ties with previous loops and Armin, was her comment made about him at a very early stage in the manga just after Eren had been eaten by a titan after saving Armin - leaving his fate at this point unknown.

this is implying that Mikasa has some knowledge of previous times Armin has helped them with his ‘ability’ which if we are referencing him as a character is his methodical intelligence. But, even here he is confused by the comment, simply because at this point there has been no signs of Armin’s usage of this ability - mainly fear and lack of confidence with that in comparison of his peers. We don’t necessarily see this until perhaps even a chapter later and as far as we are aware, Mikasa doesn't follow through with “i’ll tell you about it later”.

I don’t know about anyone else, but it seems odd she has such an attachment to Eren like this that is so intense. It’s not normal to be as intense as she is about someone unless she is used to losing that person over and over. Even as children Mikasa acted possessive over the ‘concept’ of Eren dying - it wasn’t allowed to happen. She doesn’t have this intense reaction with Armin or other comrades. She fixates on the idea of Eren being her saviour, the one to give her a ‘home’ and a ‘purpose’. Mikasa consistently opposes his death and his death alone, I can only see this from a standpoint that deep within her own memory she has experienced his death countless times before. She even uses force a couple of times to increase this intensity. Here are some examples of this even in childhood -

There are many more examples of this throughout the manga and her refusal to accept that what she doesn’t want, may just happen. Now this might just be my over active imagination or my own ability of media studies kicking in. But, previously I had been under the impression in the presence of a time loop that Eren was in charge of it and controlling it, that somehow it would constantly reoccur when he himself died and he would have to come up with a way to either prevent his death or ultimately stop the timeline of the titans. Whether that be under making a deal with Ymir herself or by essentially “breaking the wheel” and turning others against him to show Eldians as triumphant heroes.

However, the more i’ve thought about it and given the revelations of 138 - i would be more inclined to say it is Mikasa Ackerman herself due to either her specifically or her Ackerman gene. There is something about the bloodline that is missing and we have not had the fabled Ackertalk or much explanation of how they work (something I’d like to see covered in 139 - although i feel it will be an Eren chapter, I also think it will include the visions Eren has seen to give an explanation of why the previous 138 chapters played out the way they did)

I think there is a possibility Eren had to break the wheel on the loop, Mikasa would go back each time and always Eren would die, something we’ve established she tries to prevent and never accepts. The only escape was her accepting his death therefore he did everything he could to push her away, break the bond and push her to kill him to end the cycle (since he’s seen the future). As I have a hunch previously in other loops he was not killed by her hand - it had to be her to break the cycle or vice versa (but we will get to this).

there is hints of this in the “Lost Girls” OVA. Yes, I am aware it’s said that OVAS are not necessarily canon per say, but I don’t think it would have so many open links if Isayama himself didn't want it to. This particular one gives many hints to Mikasa’s involvement in the loop and alternative universe theories. The anime adaptations are on point with showing us details we only recognise after more plot points are revealed. It may explain the headaches, every time Eren dies, she reverses the loop or changes realities. This ailment could be a product of her memory issues. In the OVA we see Mikasa in real time thinking about Eren and his constant state of taking his own path.

After this moment, the said “Scene” she speaks of is revealed to us. Another example of Mikasa’s dreamlike state or perhaps another timeline? We are taken back to the time where she had given up, had ran out of gas, a titan was approaching and she was ‘lost’ - her reason for being was gone and she knew her death was coming, but also in the manga during this scene she is “worried” she’ll have to start again (above in examples). This again implies she knows something we don’t. We then hear Mikasa’s voice speaking to Mikasa herself, telling her that if she simply didn’t like this reality she could choose the place she wanted, but as we have seen before - she can’t stop his death.

The peculiar scene in this OVA that got me intrigued by this theory is the masked figure and young mikasa scene. Mikasa is rushing to meet with Eren and Armin to escape the walls in a hot air balloon, but she has to be there by a certain time or the plan fails. As she is running she is stopped by a mysterious masked figure who asks her to join in on his hypnotism trick to spectators. Comments he makes involve him telling her that her ‘friend’ will ultimately leave her and that she couldn’t accept his death and created this universe. Also, that he is no one, but someone at the same time. I think this holds great significance since the strange thing about this is that his voice mirages into a distant adult Mikasa.

implying that she has to ‘kill’ a part of herself or she has to die to prevent and hault the loop. She has to return from her idealistic dreams of keeping him alive as it will only fail otherwise. Upon hearing of Eren’s yet again untimely death within this universe, she begins to have memory flashes of multiple scenes appearing within her eyes with a typical media ‘rewind’ sound as she wakes up back in the street with no gas and a titan approaching but... she says something I find interesting and links to what Eren says at the beginning of the manga

“the feeling I’ve had a really long dream”

We witness Mikasa have these “headaches” multiple times within the manga and in the anime they are heavily focused on whenever it happens, which we can only recognise that this is an important part of the story itself. Eren too has random headaches, just not as much as Mikasa, he mainly experiences them when he accesses new memories. However, what if Mikasa too is affected by memories she cannot tap into or it is paths/ackerman gene warning her she is repeating past mistakes?

Notice how there is a lot of emphasis on the word ‘again’ when it comes to her headaches or the thought of losing Eren. It is constantly repeated. I think it is highly likely she only remembers some parts from previous loops, but the one that sticks is simply - she has to save Eren each time, but fails. Everything begins again after his or her’s demise. Perhaps each time Eren is the one who dies first, creating a somewhat butterfly effect. That maybe Mikasa has died once like she implies in previous example. However, the one to die first (in this case primarily Eren) loses all memories of the past loops - again this is implied as Eren does tell Mikasa he cannot remember his dream. I think deep within his mind Mikasa does remember, but given the fact she has potentially reversed the outcome many times...her memory is simply warped - that or she died in the previous loop and lost those components.

Will she not remember due to her memories being altered in her death?

Either way something needs to change. Eren Kruger says this in Eren’s attack titan memories. They are doing something wrong.

I believe Eren in 138 within Mikasa’s dream, was trying to tell her to move on, not necessarily forget him, but at least accept his passing - to stop the loop reoccurring, he influenced part of her reality...maybe with the help of Ymir. In a way it could be implied Eren almost regrets wrapping the scarf around her (this is heavily emphasised as a symbol of their relationship), for me the scarf seems like a softer symbolism for a chain - a binding if you will. By wrapping it round Mikasa he binds her to him. He has always insisted she should throw it away, even in 138 within her own conjured reality he says the same. She needs to kill this part of herself or “the same history” will be repeated. I do have a HUGE feeling in my heart, head and gut that Mikasa may need to end up dead first as I do have another HUGE feeling that Eren is not dead (maybe its wishful thinking, but his death doesn’t make sense right now, so Yams I trust in you for explanation). His death seemed too convenient.

Now, before I go onto “Ackerman” gene factors, I’ll briefly bring in another peculiarity I have always had about a particular scene in the beginning of the manga. After it is decided Eren will carry the boulder to plug the wall, Eren (the attack titan) seemingly loses control and succumbs to pure rage, in turn he attacks Mikasa. Something he hasn’t done against humans unless its free will.

However, a part of me has always felt that this could be the attack titan itself (in past inhabitants and memories) recognising her as a threat and trying to rid her of the world first to avoid the loop of Eren dying first to Mikasa controlling the loop to return to try to save Eren - nothing changes. This is what I meant by “breaking the wheel”, we have saw it in other tales, things can’t change unless you choose a different path than the same one with the same brutal cycle. As Kruger says, to save Mikasa and Armin, Eren has to change things - this could be to separate not only Armin, but Mikasa from him, that maybe in previous loops...they follow him. In this instance, he has definitely separated Armin and by way of second hand - Mikasa too. Hence why Ymir says goodbye to Eren in 138, he is free. Another notable concept is that aot/snk is made up of trios, we see it in:

Eren / Mikasa / Armin

Reiner / Bertholdt / Annie

Connie / Jean / Sasha

Hanji / Erwin / Levi

Levi / Farlan / Isabel

Kenny / Levi / Mikasa

It would partially make sense for the trio to be the reasoning for the ending. Almost illuminati based - very yams style.

Why not Mikasa?

Lets talk Ackerman and a slightly different theory, but with relation!

(Obviously, I cannot provide much evidence to support any Ackerman based theories other than what has already been provided, which isn’t a lot to be fair. Dammit Yams)

I want to briefly start off on the Ackerman front with a brief comparison of our two currently known Ackermans: Levi and Mikasa. The main categorising difference between these two is that Levi moves on regardless of what happens to him or his comrades or his ‘attachments’. He also does not appear to experience these headaches, some say he does, but I can’t find evidence. Isayama shows these headaches with a throbbing sign around Mikasa’s head - so unless the Ackertalk happens and Levi confirms it, its still absent in theory. Levi treats Ackerman-ism as moving on, making choices with no regrets (as his backstory indicates) and even in current states he has said he doesn’t regret his decisions. It is why he is able to move forward and keep surviving. Its simple...his mindset is stronger than Mikasa's, she is the weaker link. This could be due to age difference and overall past experience, Levi has more life experience as an Ackerman to have mastered his emotion and reactions to outcomes - he accepts the bad.

Mikasa is weaker in this regard, perhaps if you link it back to the theory of her control of the loop...due to this weakness she creates the loop since she can’t accept his death and tries to return to make amends. I think in reality, Eren knows due to the attack titan ability - he will die. Hence why he appeared so shocked upon making contact with Historia to then very depressed and detached before vanishing in Marley. He became aware of the outcome and I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d be depressed too after finding out my life was made to end especially since all he wanted as a character was Freedom. Eren x Freedom will be the only canon ship at this rate.

However, I do think the only way she can create said loop is through her Ackerman gene. Ackermans are products of ‘titan science’, they were genetically engineered (if you want to put it that way) to have titan like abilities while still maintaining their human form and sense of self being. Created to protect the Fritz family (royal blood), to eventually being ostracised for their dismissal of the plan to wipe Eldian’s memories. Therefore banished, but allowed to live, I can only see there being one reason why - they would be still useful at some point and their deaths/extinction would be wasteful.

From what we know and can tell from mere viewing, the Ackermans are very skilled and powerful beings that have ‘hosts’ or attachments (I like this name better) to channel their goals, strength and energy into. They were made to protect, fight and survive. The only surviving Ackermans are Levi and Mikasa.

They cannot be affected by the founding titan and their memories cannot be altered. But, this brings about another question. Why were they created to protect the founding titan, yet could not be controlled by it? The theory with this bloodline is that they can do more than what we see, that they themselves don’t know it yet. One in particular can alter realities - that being Mikasa (as we don’t have mass amounts of information on Levi’s experiences other than his surge of power awakenings demonstrated throughout the manga to confirm his part) due to fact Levi really only knew he was an Ackerman within his 30′s after the previous Ackerman - Kenny, dies and informs him of this. Mikasa has always been aware.

Mikasa’s ‘Power’ ultimately has something to do with the Attack Titan and the Founding titan - that being Eren and Ymir combined. In past loops, I believe each time she has seen Eren die she has said “see you later, Eren”... hence the ending of 138 and the beginning of the manga. Isayama did say the beginning would relate to the ending. Each time this happens they are transcended to the point Eren wakes up at the tree within the walls to begin once more, its the only clear explanation for why Eren comments of her hair length. The attack titan itself is the component of Ymir that captivates her freedom, it continues to move forward for 2000 years each successor until one has the power (the desire for freedom like her) to release her from enslavement to the power of the titans. In this instance Eren too has been a slave to the power, lets for arguments sake blame Grisha for passing it on to him.

Again, with the Ackermans there is something I’ve always noticed between Levi and Mikasa - they have never touched skin to skin. It has always been over their clothing. I wonder if their Ackerman powers may stem similar to how Eren draws memories from contact with the royal family, i.e. Historia. They need to touch in order to access Paths and manifest it into their control. Eren is aware of this due to his connection to Ymir - there is heavy implied material to denote the idea of Ragnarok and reincarnation. Eren is the reincarnate of Ymir and previously I don’t think they were aware of this.

For anyone not familiar with the term “Ragnorok” - its definition has multiple meanings in Norse mythology. Particularly - development, origin, cause, relation and fate. It is a series of events that often lead to a great battle, the deaths of multiple people of importance to the ultimate end revelation of the world being remade and fertile (the opposite of Zeke’s plan) with the remaining ‘gods’ returning and ‘two’ human survivors repopulating the world. I personally believe this to be either two of these: Levi and Mikasa or Eren and Historia by the way of Ymir as the ultimate god, but just in different ways. The Ragnorok element is particularly of importance within Germanic studies, this would connect with Shingeki no Kyojin since it is implied its set in early germany/europe and given characters name origins - it makes sense.

The two human survivors are that of Lif and Lifbrasir (shown below) who survive by ‘hiding’ in the woods while the great battle commences.

They repopulate the world starting with a daughter. In germanic regions, the concept of mankind originated from trees is an ancient notion “the tree of life” essentially. Trees have a massive importance and connection in Shingeki no Kyojin, we see Eren wake up at one in the beginning, the main Path coordinate resembles a tree, Ymir originated from trees and being within the woods would indicate “trees”. This would make me more inclined to believe the Eren and Historia theory to be likely, simply because Historia is all the way back in Paradis and potentially Eren himself by transferring subconscious. To me it seems very likely the leaked final panel released by Yams himself is Eren holding a child rather than anyone else as whoever this figure is tells the child they are free and this could only relate to both Ymir and Eren, the ones who sought freedom. This could mean in this instance Levi and Mikasa are the ‘gods’, the ones with the power to restore and mend, again through the concept of the Ackerman Gene being more than what meets the eye. Ymir will be reborn ultimately and no longer enslaved as will Eren.

Ragnarok and Shingeki no Kyojin combined have connotations of ‘fate’ being a big part of their depths. It is fated. Everything is. Just like Eren’s death and potentially ability to be reborn into another timeline. Just like Eren’s fate to obtain the founding titan and attack titan, both very powerful titans in the manipulation of time and events. Eren makes a statement around chapter 123 in Paths when talking with Zeke that if someone tried to take his freedom, no matter who, he would remove theirs. That he has been like that since birth because he was “born into this world”.

Zeke: “Since birth?”

this further implies fate. He was born free, he expresses detest for people who aren’t free and bound by something, 2000 years, Ymir etc. This only ties together if Eren himself in past lives was someone with the same views and personality traits, like Mikasa, except hers are the opposite. Paths has always been there and everything that has happened in the past is imbedded within its clutches through Ymir. These two titans needed to be combined, Grisha was informed by Eren himself through Kruger and future versions of himself that he had to obtain the founder or nothing could be changed. Grisha is even seen asking Eren to show him everything that happens, whether carla dies etc. He did not have full control, this was made for Eren’s inhabitant period and he did not have access to all memories due to only being able to access the ones the future successor sends back in time. Like the mirror scene for example, Eren is speaking to someone else, not himself. Grisha was only instructed to go within the walls and have a family. Eren was instructed to save everyone. Remember that the common rule with time is that you cannot change the past or it significantly alters the future.

I believe all the memories (the ones we are seeing even now) are actually in paths, the story has always had an indication it is being ‘narrated’ by someone - in most instances this is Armin. This has implied he will survive into the future, but that others may not. How this will happen...I can only theorise that Ymir will factor into who lives or dies. She will need to leave paths however, the only way the titan curse will end is if she leaves and no one is there to build titans. She will be either reborn to capture her freedom or reborn through Eren for them both to obtain the same dream. There has been multiple theories that some other titan other than the attack titan could be the key or another character, like that of the Ackermans or armin for example as I do think the trio concept is likely. But, remember the manga is called “Shingeki no Kyojin” meaning “the attack titan” - its always been the key and Eren is that key...again, key? Eren. scarf? Mikasa. Equals symbolism.

At the end of the day, the characters who I feel personally will tie together the ending are Eren, Ymir, Historia and Levi, Mikasa, Armin - both trios on different sides of the coin. Just remember, this isn’t the type of story where the characters get what they desire and that they could die without obtaining these desires. Erwin died before learning the truth of the outside world. Hanji died. Sasha died, Niccolo lost her. Floch did not live to see Eldian rule. Levi may have killed Zeke, but what for? He killed a different version of him, not the one who murdered innocents in Shinganshina. Levi lost every attachment of his. Mikasa lost Eren. I’d be angry and sad for him, but Eren also could lose his freedom by striking a deal with Ymir for her own freedom. But! he could free the world and his friends through both Mikasa and Armin, the chain will break, the titan curse will end and he will cease to exist or be lost in Paths dormant, unlike Ymir for 2000 years. This would be a good culmination of Eren’s character, extremely heart breaking, but fitting. A character who only sought freedom for humanity. He is humanity’s hope after all. Remember, Kaji Yuki (Eren’s Japanese voice actor) expressed extreme sadness at learning Eren’s fate from Isayama. It has always been a manga that indicates a bittersweet ending, so this could also be highly likely. (Eren is my favourite character...so this guts my heart from my chest)

To conclude, these are merely my own speculation of the final events within 139 and although sad of its ending, my excitement for this final instalment knows no bounds. I can only wish for the best and I know Isayama will deliver.

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smolstarthief · 2 years

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I posted 151 times in 2021

62 posts created (41%)

89 posts reblogged (59%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 1.4 posts.

I added 605 tags in 2021

#persona 5 - 105 posts

#persona 5 strikers - 98 posts

#reblog - 84 posts

#p5s - 76 posts

#zenkichi hasegawa - 70 posts

#p5 - 50 posts

#p5s spoilers - 34 posts

#persona 5 royal - 34 posts

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#sprite edit - 25 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#like there was actually a good idea being presented about sending one member to be bait and they turned it down for that stupid ass reason!

My Top Posts in 2021

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55 notes • Posted 2021-08-27 03:20:14 GMT

Phew! Here's a quick Shadow Maruki! Idk why I decided to include the cape from his Metaverse outfit but I kind of wanted to combine the two somehow.

56 notes • Posted 2021-07-13 04:32:05 GMT

(Inspired by a conversation between me and my boyfriend a while back)

“He’s a cop!/He killed people!”

Yeah, and so what? That’s not the point at all! You can dislike the characters, just don’t be an asshole and use the same (shallow) excuses over and over! I’m tired of it!

89 notes • Posted 2021-05-20 03:16:57 GMT

Idk if this would be a "hot take" or not but...

Personally, I don't think Akechi NEEDS a redemption arc at all.

You all can still write fanfics on the topic, I'm not gonna stop you at all! Sometimes they can be handled well! But it honestly goes against his character and arc and that's why it bothers me when people STILL insist that he should get a redemption arc as opposed to say... Maruki or even Konoe? Even though it goes against his character? But regardless of whether Royal is considered canon or not, it still kind of irks me a bit the more I looked at and analyzed his character. I mean... Look at BOTH of his All Out Attack portraits!

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104 notes • Posted 2021-11-07 04:11:39 GMT

"Do you finally acknowledge your hubris? All this time you refused help, even now despite your insistence that you've changed... You will surely fall to your own demise with charred wings if you keep up this charade... You seek freedom? True salvation? Then I will grant you your new wings so that you may fly again... Just don't lose sight of yourself and burn again... I am thou, thou art I... Rise above your torment and take flight once more!"

"Help me fly, ICARUS!!"

I did it.... I finally DID IT! I did my own take on PT!Maruki! I love how he turned out!

Notes:

Codename: Adam (a reference to the Adam and Eve motif associated with him (that and Adam was casted out of paradise along with Eve so it still fits with what I'm going with here with this design))

Persona: Icarus (I personally felt like the story/myth fit Maruki pretty well, he flew too close and fell with his hubris but (unlike Icarus, who met his demise) that doesn't mean he can't be saved and redeemed)

I know people would often have him be all white and gold but... I couldn't help but think that the black and gold is a good way to show that he's symbolically a "fallen god" now along with fitting the story of Icarus still a bit.

Melee Weapon: His staff in canon, but probably modified more for battle. Helps with magic use too.

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162 notes • Posted 2021-12-02 02:30:19 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #huh... Wow #all i can say thanks so much for all lovely responses to my edits!#I've grown so much since my first one which I think was earlier this year!#i love you guys and hope you have a lovely year!

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woman-loving · 4 years

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Ironically enough, Rita Mae Brown, who is well known as the author of the 1973 lesbian novel Rubyfruit Jungle and was also a founding member of the lesbian separatist Furies Collective (during which time she expressed disapproval of bisexuality), apparently continued to have sexual relationships with men, and later called “lesbian” a “misnomer” for herself and claimed most people were “degrees of bisexual.”

Which just goes to show that even some of the influential women involved in shaping quintessential “lesbian culture,” including the parts of it that professed a rejection of bisexuality, could themselves have complicated sexual practices and self-understandings which didn’t totally preclude relationships with men.

From the dissertation "Love and Liberation: Second-Wave Feminisms and the Problem of Romantic Love" by Robin Kay-Marie Payne, 2010:

Whether Brown was truly the “only visible lesbian” is certainly debatable; however, the bigger contradiction that becomes most apparent in her memoir, her diaries, and her personal correspondence was that Brown was actually a practicing bisexual. During her tenure in the Radicalesbians and The Furies, Brown had counted herself among the coterie of political lesbians who saw bisexuality as a cop-out and once wrote: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t be tied to male privilege with the right hand while clutching to your sister with the left.” She continued, “Lesbianism is the only road toward removing yourself from male ways and beginning to learn equality.”[135] Perhaps Brown’s views had softened or maybe she counted herself among the few evolved folks who could live the ideal, despite the persistence of male supremacy. Maybe she did not count her own dalliances with men as exercises in heterosexual privilege since she did not have long-term romantic relationships with them. Perhaps she decided she would also like to have her cake and eat it too. Regardless of theoretical justifications (or lack thereof), the fact remained that after the mid-1970s, Brown sometimes engaged in sexual relationships with men. She mentioned at least twice in her diary that she had the occasional affair with a “kind and bright woman or man,”[136] and on another occasion claimed to “belong to neither camp” of straight women or lesbians “nor the bisexuals.” “I find the entire process of categorization obscene,” she wrote.[137]

Brown’s comment that she belonged to “neither camp” seemed to be a retreat from her earlier espousal of political lesbianism and all it had to offer women. Two decades later, in her memoir, she retreated even further, stating “Why it’s believed that people who physically love a member of their own sex can’t love a member of the opposite sex emotionally or physically amazes me.”[138] To an extent, this echoed arguments she had made in The Furies, that lesbians were more likely to like men as people than straight women who had more emotionally invested in them.[139] But, in that case, Brown had merely hinted that lesbian women and men who were sympathetic had the possibility of alliance and friendship. Here, she admitted, “I never minded sleeping with a man. I just minded marrying one.”[140] Interestingly, she had once sought to thwart her prying aunt’s effort to figure out if she was a lesbian by quipping, “I’m not a homosexual. I have a whimsical disregard for gender.”[141] Considering the realities of her sexual experiences, the witty retort was actually more descriptive of her identity than her staunch insistence on lesbianism as a political identity.

Despite Brown’s later admissions that she sometimes had relationships with men, it was clear that she still very much identified politically as a lesbian feminist. As she wrote in her memoir: “I’m not even a good lesbian. I’m much more bisexual, but if you want to step on my neck and call me a dyke, don’t be surprised if I sink my fangs into your ankle. I’m smart enough to know that the reality of who I am is not as important as what people perceive me to be.”[142] And, she was smart enough to understand the importance of perception in 1970, when she became a primary spokesperson for political lesbianism. Among the most vocal political lesbians who argued that not only was it expedient, but also necessary, for feminists to identify as lesbian in order to succeed in the feminist revolution, Brown later claimed that she had “hardly wanted all women to be lesbians.” On the contrary, she argued, “That would be boring. I only needed a critical mass.”[143] Having a critical mass would help ensure that there were enough women devoting themselves exclusively to the cause of feminism and it would also help to counter anti-feminist efforts to lesbian-bait feminists. If enough feminists were lesbian, homophobia would lose its effectiveness as a tool of the backlash.

#bisexuality #rita mae brown #lgbtq history #lesbian history #bisexual history #us history

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belovedarise · 4 years

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Can LGBTQ+ people be Christians? YES!

The basic tenet of affirming theology is this: Your sexual orientation or gender identity does not prevent you from being a Christian. You can be a gay or bisexual Christian. You can be an asexual Christian. You can be a transgender or gender-fluid Christian. You can be unsure of your gender identity or sexual orientation and still be a Christian. So, yes, you can be unapologetically LGBTQ+ and a follower of Jesus.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Non-affirming View: Queerness is Sin

Some Christians believe that embracing one’s queerness is a sin, and therefore, queer* people must repent of their “sin” to become right with God. This theology is called “non-affirming” because it does not affirm the inclusion of LGBTQ+ Christians as equal members of the church. Non-affirming theology elevates sexual orientation and gender identity as essential or fundamental doctrine. Taken to an extreme, non-affirming views are used to justify practices that marginalize and shame faithful Christians just for being queer.

*We use the word “queer” to include anyone who is not straight or cisgender (gay, bi, trans, asexual, etc.)

Affirming View: Queerness is a Gift

The “affirming” Biblical view, on the other hand, holds that God intentionally creates some people to be queer. Millions of Christians around the world don’t believe that queerness is a sin, but a beautiful expression of the creative imagination of God. This position affirms that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Sexual Orientation & the Bible

Sexual orientation describes who a person is drawn to romantically, emotionally, and sexually. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that suggests a person’s sexual orientation prohibits them from pleasing God. The six* verses in scriptures that talk about same-sex intercourse describe unhealthy or counter-cultural sex acts- gang rape, excessive lust, exploitation. They don’t say anything about sexual orientation or the love between queer people.

*Over 100 verses in the Bible talk about unhealthy sexual acts between heterosexual couples. Yet, we don’t conclude heterosexuality is a sin.

Gender Identity & the Bible

Gender identity is how a person relates to their internal self: female, male, transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid, etc. Until recently, many people in Western cultures assumed gender identity was binary (male or female). However, gender is a social construct and is much more fluid and diverse than people are often willing to consider. Nothing in the Bible denounces gender queer people.

Affirming theology is grounded in the belief that one’s sexual orientation or gender identity do not prohibit them from being a faithful follower of Christ.

Your Relationship With God

For many queer Christians, attending a non-affirming church and maintaining relationships with non-affirming people can be painful. Here are a few things to remember:

Your relationship with other Christians doesn’t have to interfere with your relationship with God. YOU can decide how (and if) you want to nurture your faith!

You don’t have to be alone. There’s a growing community of allies and LGBTQ+ Christians who will embrace you.

Nothing can ever separate you from God’s love!

(Hint: Read Romans 8:31-39 every day.)

From Shame to Service

LGBTQ+ people who embrace an affirming faith begin to realize that queerness is not something to be ashamed of, but something to be thankful for. Queerness is a blessing that can be used to serve others. The queer Christian community has a tapestry of perspectives, experiences, talents that heterosexual and cisgender believes just can’t offer. God doesn’t want to use you in spite of who you are, but because of who you are- gloriously, wonderfully, beautifully queer!!

Conclusion

What is affirming theology? It is a Bible-based, gospel-centric belief that God is for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTQ+ Christians who hold an affirming faith can have the confidence that they are full participants in God’s family without having to change who they are. So whether you are gay or trans or straight or anything else - GOD IS FOR YOU!

See BelovedArise.org for suggested books and resources for LGBTQ+ Christians. To view the slide guide version go here.

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scarlettrose0 · 3 years

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Part 4/ 4 Previous post.

The Sanctity of Unborn Life –Biblical Fetology: "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb… My frame [skeleton] was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth [womb; see below]. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." –Psalm 139:13-16 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you..." –Jeremiah 1:5

God wrote the book of fetology, that is, the development of the baby in the womb which is described in the human genome and the gametes of the parents. That book documents the course of a child's fetal development and birth. In verse 16, David is bragging about God's extraordinary design of the development of the baby in the womb. The embryo goes through the trimesters of development not haphazardly but by direction from God. The child forms in the womb by God's intricate plan of fetal development, which we now know He recorded in the written instructions of our DNA and in the cells of the ovum and sperm which unite to form the single-celled brand new human child (organism). That single cell contains step-by-step, day-by-day directions of the 280 days of gestation which the Spirit inspired David to write about, the days of the child's development in the womb. "You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb," explains that God designed the process by which the baby is formed, protecting the little one (Latin, fetus) within his mom. "My frame [skeleton] was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." David praised God, for even as he developed in the womb, God could see his frame (Hebrew, skeleton, lit. bones) being knit together, "skillfully wrought," in "my mother's womb." The Hebrew idiom, "the lowest parts of the earth" was a common expression for "the womb" as one can see from the reverse use of the idiom in Job 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there." No one returns to their mother's womb at death, but rather, goes into the grave, i.e., the lowest parts of the earth, which phrase came to be a Hebrew figure representing the womb, even as Man was made from the earth, the dust of the ground. The genetic code written by God describes the development of the baby in the womb, so God reveals, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed (as the baby travels down the fallopian tube, even before he is formed in the womb, Jer. 1:5) and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." God sees the child, who he or she really is, the baby's substance, all through the extraordinary DNA code which God wrote (which David of course had no concept of, but which as the author, God knew all about). So, from the moment of conception, "being yet unformed," that is, as just a single cell in my mother's fallopian tube, God saw me, and knit me together, and in His book of instructions for the baby's awesome development in the womb, all "the days fashioned for me," that is, all the days which God decreed for the fashioning of a fetus, they were written and set from the very beginning, before a single day's growth unfolded, even before the first cell divided into two, all 280 days of gestation, beginning with that moment of fertilization. So regardless of one's theology about predestination and free will, or a settled or open future, Psalm 139 does not teach that if a child is aborted, that moment of death was written in God's book. Rather, the book and its pages describe the development of the fetus, not his lifetime and ultimate death. Psalm 139:16 presents a couplet, a simple Hebrew parallelism. The two sentences of Psalm 139:16 both speak of the same topic, with each further explaining the other. Thus "the days fashioned for me" were not the days of my childhood, or my marriage, nor do they describe the child's death certificate, for these were the days when only God could see "my substance, being yet unformed." For He knows what each human being is like, in the most extraordinary detail, at the moment of conception. And the wonderful passage at Jeremiah 1:5 is another Hebrew couplet, where both parts describe aspects of the same unformed single-celled child in the womb. "Before I formed you in the womb... before you were born" (Jer. 1:5). Both halves of the couplet are describing the same time of when the baby was in his mother's womb. Likewise, God created the Earth yet

calls it unformed (Gen. 1:1-2) because the dry land hadn't yet appeared until the third day when it was then ready to support life. So God didn't have to wait for Jeremiah to graduate from high school, so to speak, or even for him to be born, before He could know him. God knew him from the moment of conception, that is, from the moment he was conceived in his mother's womb!

Science, Morality and Philosophy: [God gave to mankind] "…the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness…" –Romans 2:15

God put a conscience within man. Though he will deny this, an atheistic scientist, say like Richard Dawkins, will not remain neutral but instinctively object if someone else violates God's commands and tries to steal from him, or bears false witness against him, or attempts to take his wife, or kills someone he cares about. A lesbian "wedding" with one in a suit and the other in a dress testifies to the truth even in their rebellion. Likewise even Dawkins affirms the biblical truth he despises. Some atheists would prefer that society develop ethical notions scientifically. However the physical laws don't use the words right and wrong and have no notion of morality. That is why those pro-lifers including National RTL who say we will win this based on the laws of science are shortsighted, because science can't even tell you that the Beslan School terrorists were wrong to murder 156 children. And that exposes leftists who manipulate the willfully ignorant by claiming the mantel of "science" when they legislate morality, for their immoral purposes. Thus, as Albert Einstein, in his book Out of My Later Years, wrote, "[S]cience can only ascertain what is, but not what should be," necessarily excluding from its domain "value judgments of all kinds." Thus science could not even prove that the Holocaust or slavery were wrong.

Just as moral law is not physical, the laws of logic, justice and reason are not physical either. They have no mass, no temperature, no volume, polarity, etc. So of course there is a non-physical reality. And that non-physical reality is the domain of justice and reason. Humanist and atheist clichésare easily rebutted.

- There is no truth! Rebuttal: Is that true? - There are no absolutes! Rebuttal: Absolutely? - Only your five senses provide real knowledge. Rebuttal: Says which of the five?

Using a philosophical argument called Euthyphro's Dilemma, skeptics from Socrates till today claim that goodness does not flow from God. As atheist Bertrand Russell wrote, "If the only basis for morality is God's decrees, it follows that they might just as well have been the opposite of what they are…" Thus even the devil could be judged righteous if he gets to define what it means to be good. Basing its reasoning upon the Trinity, the Christian Answer to Euthyphro's Dilemma (as linked to also at Creation.com) fully rebuts the atheist argument that morality must be arbitrary. Scripture describes "the Lord God [as] abounding in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6) with "righteousness and justice [as] the foundation of Your throne" (Ps. 89:14), which means might does not make right, so that just because the abortionist is stronger than the fetus does not mean that he is right to tear apart that delicate child. Unlike the arbitrary and capricious Zeus of the Greeks, the triune God of Scripture acts deliberately and justifiably "according to the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11) and so He does not affirm prejudice but rather, "God shows personal favoritism to no man" (Lk. 20:21) as also God the Son does "not show personal favoritism, but teach[es] the way of God in truth" (Gal. 2:6). He declared, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32) and He teaches of "the Spirit of truth," and says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). Therefore those who are killed unjustly, in heaven, describe Him as the one who will "judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 6:10).

States Rights and Abortion: "'Now therefore, deliver up the men... that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!' But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel." -Judges 20:13

Some God-fearing pro-lifers claim that abortion is a "states' rights" matter. The claim is that the very principles of justice (i.e., God Himself) would have federal governments tolerate a state's decriminalization of murder generally, or decriminalization of murder for any particular group of victims (whether the victims would be Jews, Christians, or children). However, the Book of Judges teaches that God does not recognize a local right to decide whether or not to prosecute murder. Rather, when one of the twelve tribes of Israel refused to prosecute the murder of a concubine, for that lawlessness, the rest of the nation was justly outraged and moved to action, and with God's endorsement, they lawfully used force to punish Benjamin including of course any local authorities and magistrates who would not listen.

"So all the men of Israel were gathered... united together as one man. Then the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, 'What is this wickedness that has occurred among you? Now therefore, deliver up the men... that we may put them to death and remove the evil from Israel!' But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel. ... [So] The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword." Jud. 20:11-13, 35 (See also AmericanRTL.org/states-rights.)

Vigilante Behavior Condemned: "...all who take the sword will perish by the sword." -Jesus Mat. 26:52

However the Scriptures also state, "He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword," which command is described as "the faith of the saints" (Rev. 13:10). Lethal force in a park to save a child is just. Why is it wrong against an abortionist? American RTL produced a worksheet that puts into perspective the biblical principle regarding the right of self defense (which includes defense of your neighbor) with the restrictions of immanency and escalation of force that God placed on that authority. By those restrictions this ARTL Abortion Vigilante Worksheetteaches that everyone should condemn the vigilante killing of abortionists. Dr. Ronda Chervinwrote: "Dear American RTL, I just read your Abortion Vigilante Worksheet. I am a pro-life professor of ethics. I plan to use this in class. It is the best thing on this subject I have ever read. I just want to thank you profusely for devising it." See that worksheet for lessons from: - Genesis from before God delegated governmental authority to punish murderers, and from - Exodus differentiating between justifiable self defense and defensive actions that themselves become criminal, and from - First Samuel and David's response to those trying to kill him, and from - Matthew and Romans regarding the general principle of submission to governing leaders. This worksheet recognizes also that many heroes of the faith disobeyed the governing authorities and now appear in the Hall of Faith in the book of Hebrews!

#abortion #prochoice #prolife #part 4 #christianity #part 5

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animesavior · 5 years

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"I'll save Gon…and Alluka too."

- Killua, Hunter x Hunter (Ep. 139)

The Toonami Trending Rundown for April 20-21, 2019. It was a night of blazing as Emma and Norman begin to figure out how to escape from Grace Field House, while the remnants of the “Blood Mist Village” try to pick a fight with Boruto’s class, and Killua asks Alluka’s assistance in trying to save Gon from his injuries.

On Twitter, #Toonami and #HunterXHunter would trend in the US, while The Promised Neverland, Sword Art Online, Black Clover, and #Shippuden also trended alongside these shows, but not outright. Hunter x Hunter also produced a character trend in Alluka, as we learn the consequences of using her powers and why she has been locked away, but Killua decides that it is worth the risk.

On Tumblr, Toonami would trend alongside #BNHA, The Promised Neverland, and #JJBA. The full list including statistics and tweet counts from the twitter app and Amr Rahmy’s Fan Screening analytics app can be seen below.

Before we get to the big news of the week, here are some of the notable news of note for Toonami fans...

On Tuesday, Sean Schemmel and Chris Sabat had a rematch of the Super Saiyan Showdown. While Sean came more prepared this time around, Chris remained on top as he kept the belt with a 2-1 victory.

After many years of being in licensing hell, Discotek is planning a Blu-ray release of all 51 episodes of Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier, the first time this classic has had a full release in the English-speaking world. The set is scheduled for release on June 25 retailing for $69.95 (or $45.47 on RightStuf).

In yet another example that you can’t win em all, while it has been announced that Mob Psycho 100 season 2 will indeed have a dub, it is looking like Toonami will not be among those premiering the dub of the new season as it has been announced that the dub will be exclusive to Funimation and Crunchyroll for now. We’re not sure what happened here, though theories have ranged from whether it was because someone at Funimation or Crunchyroll had veto power, or if Crunchyroll’s previous contract with Funimation prevents Toonami joining in as well despite the present growing relationships between Toonami and Crunchyroll, or Toonami were “caught with their pants down” when Mob was offered, and they couldn’t accept it at the time. Since Toonami didn’t get to premiere Mob previously as with Season 1 and had trouble getting the show until last October, it’s pretty safe to guess they don’t have some kind of right of first refusal for the sequels, unlike what we have seen with the likes of Attack on Titan, JoJo’s, One Punch Man, and SAO. Regardless of the reason, much like the situations with Blue Exorcist and Tokyo Ghoul among others, it looks like we’re going to have to wait for Mob and his crew to rejoin the better cartoon show. Hopefully it won’t be for long this time around.

While we press F to pay respects to Mob, Lupin fans meanwhile got themselves a big W this week…

We’ve been waiting for this announcement since the new season was announced last year, and the legacy of Monkey Punch will continue to live on as Toonami and TMS have announced that Lupin the Third will be returning for Part V beginning on June 15. Its position on the schedule is to be determined, though it should be noted that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is scheduled to complete the Diamond is Unbreakable arc a week before and Hunter x Hunter will be completing its run the week after.

This season, Lupin and the gang will be headed off to France, as Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko continue to do what they do best and dodge Zenigata along the way. They will also be joined this season by Ami Enan, who’s voice actor is to be announced. As with previous seasons and films released recently by Discotek, the original cast will reprise their roles.

Not much else to say other than we’ll see you again next week for another round of the better cartoon show. Later.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

United States Trends:

#Toonami [#10]

#ThePromisedNeverland [Trended with #Toonami]

#SwordArtOnline [Trended with #Toonami]

#BlackClover [Trended with #Toonami]

#Shippuden [Trended with #Toonami and #HunterXHunter]

#HunterXHunter [#12]

Alluka (From Hunter x Hunter) [Trended with #Toonami and #HunterXHunter]

Tweet Counts:

#Toonami [5,402 tweets]

#DragonBallSuper [4,210 tweets]

#ThePromisedNeverland [3,572 tweets]

#SwordArtOnline [1,845 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [2,875 tweets]

#BlackClover [1,066 tweets]

#HunterXHunter [1,336 tweets]

Fan Screening Counts:

#DragonBallSuper [#6 with 2814 tweets]

#MyHeroAcademia [#4 with 3617 tweets]

#ThePromisedNeverland [#8 with 3130 tweets]

#SwordArtOnline [#9 with 1472 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [#9 with 2183 tweets]

#BlackClover [#24 with 659 tweets]

#Boruto [#7 with 3850 tweets]

#HunterXHunter [#26 with 1175 tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#Toonami

#BNHA

#The Promised Neverland

#JJBA

Notes and Other Statistics:

#Toonami: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @blumspew started the trend in the US.

#ThePromisedNeverland: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @BangZoom started the trend in the US.

#BlackClover: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @rightstufanime started the trend in the US.

Special thanks to @coreymbarnes and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.

Only Toonami on [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.

#Toonami #Adult Swim #Cartoon Network #Toonami Trending Rundown #Hunter x Hunter #Alluka #Dragon Ball Super #Dragon Ball Z #DBZ #My Hero Academia #Boku no Hero Academia #The Promised Neverland #Sword Art Online #SAO #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #Black Clover #Boruto #Naruto #Naruto Shippuden

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eet-fukkk-blog · 5 years

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We suggest you're working the means of yours as big as the gaiters, since they might design your penis pumping encounter excessively rigorous in case you are a first timer. The Penomet is available in 3 diverse versions: the conventional edition starts off from 127 bucks, the Penomet Extra is 197 bucks, and also the Penomet Premium is 297 bucks.

When you desire ideal penis pump within the finances class, the Sinclair Select Endow is a good program you are able to purchase. As opposed to some other spending budget penis most pumps, this particular unit features a number of more features and also add-ons. Regrettably, this specific penis pump is additionally the priciest 1 within the class of its.

You will probably be wanting to know everything you obtain with this particular pump, therefore we need to obtain directly into it. To begin with, you will observe that the sleeve could be connected to just one of 2 pumping products, the very first of that will be automated and also the 2nd of and that is hand. This lets you become used towards the pump together with the paler hand-operated steps just before transitioning to automated.

This particular penis pump varies by using several other solutions into the functionality of its, as it is not absolutely built to provide you with a bigger penis in general. The Sinclair Select Endow is rather supposed to boost the size as well as length of the erections of yours, enabling you to do much better for foundation, in exactly the same period, additionally, it reduces the danger of erectile dysfunction.

Amazingly, this particular penis pump additionally arrives offered with 4 constriction rings of different measurements, that are intended being put close to the penis of yours once you engorge it making use of the pump. The rings are going to allow you to keep a strong erection for about thirty mins after. The cost of the pump structure is released to aproximatelly 130 bucks in general.

When you are searching for the most effective penis pump with regards to bang for the dollar of yours, it does not receive a lot of higher quality compared to the Max Results Penis Pump. This system is created to become simple to work with & never to separate the bank account, plus it does a great task of equally of the goals, although it's a couple of small problems.

We need to begin with the good; the finger pull pump is a cutting-edge style which enables you to pour with out needing to make use of each hands and wrists. Regardless of whether you wish to make use of the telephone of yours, keep the pump inside position, or maybe do something different with the additional hands of yours, you will not need to be concerned concerning compromising your pumping capacity.

This particular penis pump also is intended to be as comfy as they can, because it includes a flanged foundation which is going to make it simpler to fit the Johnson interior of yours of it. You are able to also select if you would like to make use of the suction platform to enhance the seal. This particular penis pump's adaptability implies that it is going to be good enough for a broad range of clients.

There's additionally a rapid discharge valve with this penis pump which guarantees you will not buy caught or even have some problems with uncomfortableness, because you are able to immediately equalize the car's interior as well as outside stress. You will find small drawbacks for this pump, like an absence of an instructions hand, though it's nonetheless well worth the thirty dollar cost.

Out on the 5 spending budget penis high heels we will be checking out, that rests securely in the midpoint, because it hits a sense of balance between a sensible price as well as quality that is high. The very first thing you will see once you choose the item in place will be the long-lasting, phthalate free content that it is produced of, making certain you will not obtain some irritation or rashes.

You will find measurements markings along the transparent tubing to ensure you are able to watch the advancement of yours because you make use of the penis pump and obtain a concept of precisely just how much you have developed. This particular penis pump has got the gain of improving the endurance of yours as well as the sizing of yours, therefore you will not need to be concerned concerning swallowing too early also.

In reality, this particular penis pump arrives offered with a great manual to the secure make use of of its, and also it's additionally suitable for the Tracey Cox EDGE Stamina App. As opposed to various other inexpensive penis most pumps, you are able to inform that many of hard work went into the look of the product, as it's furnished by using a quick release valve.

Sadly, at this time there are a couple of drawbacks but very few main problems together with the Tracey Cox Edge penis pump. Primary among the issues would be that the seal is a bit of unfastened, therefore the toes of yours might be impacted by the suction, that might cause soreness. You are able to typically come across the unit obtainable for approximately forty nine bucks.

This particular penis pump is not remarkable with regards to bells as well as more characteristics and whistles, though it's one thing unique: a textured inside. You will probably be asking yourself exactly why you will find a lot of small knobs on the inside of the penis pump. The truth is, all those textured light bulbs help to make the penis pump far more enjoyable to work with.

When the suction functions on the penis of yours, you are going to find the textured internal will carefully rub your penis, enabling you to be pleasured by the pump of yours as well since it improves the sizing of yours. Lots of people discover that using the penis pump of theirs could be irritating, but which won't ever function as the situation with this particular product.

Past the enjoyable sensation of the textured within, there's additionally a transparent cylinder which enables you to observe as the penis of yours expands. When you discover the strain is finding a bit too much for you, just about all you have to accomplish is unscrew the adaptable tubing as well as the light bulb that it is linked to such you are able to equalize it.

As a matter of fact, the adaptable hose pipe that's utilized within this penis pump is one more function which makes it much more multipurpose, because you are going to be in a position to pit it virtually any strategy you do with no limiting airflow. This's among the least expensive penis most pumps along the sector, because you are able to generally think it is accessible for approximately twenty five bucks.

When you do not need something hype-filled out of the penis pump of yours and also you want something which simply functions, in that case you will most likely really like the Starter's Power Pump coming from Eve and Adam. Although this penis pump might not seem all of that remarkable, it really works much better compared to majority of additional solutions inside the budget of its, and that is very small.

Why don't we get rolling by taking a look at the good facets of this particular penis pump. Foremost and first, you will not need to be worried about virtually any problems together with the hose pipe of the pump, because it won't crimp plus it's versatile adequate being made use of with the light bulb at just about any placement. Conversing on the squeeze light bulb, it's designed to health-related requirements, therefore it's resilient.

The seal round the foundation of the penis pump is quite different, as it's produced of smooth jelly plus it must be moisturized before usage. Although some might check out the being a drawback, the nice sensation of the jelly against the shaft of yours uses this item really worth making use of whether you would like to really feel enjoyment while you pump.

Much like a lot of additional heels within this cost range, this specific unit additionally includes a transparent chamber that comes by using a fast discharge valve which really makes it a lot of less dangerous. The only real drawback for this penis pump is the fact that it might not work nicely for knowledgeable people since it does not put in a great deal of optimum stress. You are able to generally come across the unit obtainable for approximately twenty three bucks.

Today we have dealt with our leading 5 in general and also leading 5 spending budget penis most pumps, we will check out several of most crucial options to look for when you are creating the order of yours. This particular aisl must be ideal for equally first time people as well as veteran purchasers as well, as there's far more to a penis pump when compared to a hype-filled style.

We will protect elements which vary all of the means coming from the dimensions of the potential penis pump of yours down towards the adaptability on the pump which you are taking a look at. Naturally, in case you've encounter getting solutions for example these and also you understand precisely what you would like out of the brand new pump of yours, be at liberty to ignore the aisl.

Size The very first & amp; most crucial thing to consider you are able to put together when you are purchasing the new penis pump of yours is determining the correct dimensions for the needs of yours. A brand new pump will not wind up accomplishing you a lot excellent in case you cannot actually accommodate yourself in to it inside the very first spot, so make sure you do not look afraid with regards to getting dimensions.

The great bulk of penis heels which you are able to buy on the web can come with a bit of kind of sizing chart or at best a least as well as max penis sizing which must be utilized with the unit. Since everybody's Johnson's another measurement, you will be hard pressed to locate a one-size-fits-all design which is going to get the task carried out for those people.

Safety When selecting the best penis pump, you will constantly need to be certain you are obtaining a solution that's safe and sound to utilize. No person wishes to wind up hurting their the majority of vulnerable location since they select the incorrect penis pump. Aside from doing for an embarrassing story, you are able to in fact wind up with nerve injury.

Past the serious example of potential nerve injury, a defective penis pump is able to lead to other concerns such as for instance too much soreness as well as swelling all around the penis of yours. You will additionally see which harmful penis most pumps have incorrect directions which could wind up along with you utilizing it in a fashion that wouldn't be advised.

Results Naturally, among the most crucial issues you are able to think about when selecting the perfect penis pump is regardless of whether it is going to work within the very first spot. Individuals purchase penis most pumps for various good reasons, as many will buy them to enhance the girth of theirs, others will love to obtain greater, as well as others just wish to improve the sexual prowess of theirs.

The most effective penis most pumps will generally do the job inside the very first couple of days or weeks of use, as well as in case you do not detect a minimum of an incremental enhancement, you will recognize you purchased a faulty or defective item. The end result that you will get out of the penis pump of yours will generally be exclusively correlated with the develop quality.

Additional Features When choosing the proper penis pump, you will additionally need to check out just how many whistles & bells are available showcased with the device. For instance, a few penis most pumps are going to include additional gaiters you are able to place around the foundation to boost the amount of suction which it'll put in while you make use of it.

Alternative penis most pumps can come offered with attachments which improve the enjoyment of yours as knobs or any other textured inner surfaces. In case you are serious about locating the best complex penis pump over the sector, you might additionally occur across clothes airers which are built with automated suction methods which preclude the want to pour.

Durability The final item to bank account for when selecting the perfect penis pump is exactly how long-lasting it's. No person wishes to purchase a penis pump which seems excellent and also operates nicely but will not be successful after just some of the days of use. A sturdy penis pump is able to wind up helping you save cash over time as you will not need to change it for decades.

More often than not, the main component that is going to determine exactly how long-lasting the penis pump of yours is its develop quality. While better quality penis high heels are going to end upwards charging you a lot more cash, they'll additionally survive for many years. You will generally choose to take a moment to think of the supplies which are worn within the making of your respective penis pump to confirm optimum resilience.

Conclusion Locating the greatest penis pump for the requirements of yours may usually be challenging, particularly since you do not wish to become placing a low quality merchandise close to the Johnson of yours. To risk everything within quest for a bigger penis isn't the very best way to approach it, as well as doing the investigation of yours is essential, therefore we wish we have had the opportunity to assist you.

Because you are able to observe, penis pump evaluations are just a little element of discovering the perfect item for the needs of yours, as you will additionally have to find out what elements and functions to look for. We really hope which the combination of ours of buying guidance and pro testimonials have already been capable to support you uncover the right penis pump available on the market.

Edge effects Side negative effects of making use of a penis pump is able to include:

Pinpoint-sized red-colored dots (petechiae). This's brought on by bleeding underneath the surface area of your skin on the penis. Numbness, bluish colored epidermis or even coldness. This could happen as soon as constriction band is within position. Painfulness or even bruising. Understanding how to make use of the penis pump properly will help you stay away from pain to the penis of yours. Sensation of caught semen. You may feel as if the semen of yours is caught whenever you ejaculate, or maybe ejaculation may very well be distressing. Certain makers create constriction rings having a tiny cutout which may assist with this particular. Penis most pumps possess some more likely drawbacks:

Unnatural-feeling erections. Penis most pumps are able to lead to an erection which does not look spontaneous or natural. You may have an absence of firmness in the foundation on the penis, that may enable the penis to spin and / or pivot much more than it'd having an all natural erection. Awkwardness. Utilization of a penis pump calls for comprehension and persistence coming from each you and the partner of yours. It could take a bit of moment to be at ease with the rii. Hand control is needed. Penis most pumps call for usage of all of the hands and wrists as well as fingertips to run, that could be an issue for certain males or maybe the associates of theirs. The way you cook While you see the health care provider of yours regarding erectile dysfunction, be ready to reply to a selection of questions regarding the well being of yours and the signs of yours. Within several instances, erectile dysfunction comes with a main result in which may be handled.

According to the issue of yours, you may have to visit a physician that specialises within dealing with reproductive and urinary problems (urologist).

To find out whether a penis pump is an excellent therapy alternative for you personally, the doctor of yours may question about:

Every health issues you've right now or even have had within the past Every wounds or even surgeries you have had, particularly those affecting the penis of yours, prostate or testicles What drugs you are taking, which includes plant based supplements What erectile dysfunction remedies you have attempted and just how nicely they labored The medical doctor of yours will probably perform an actual examination, that usually consists of checking out the genitals of yours as well as experiencing the heartbeat of yours in deep arteries in various areas of the body of yours (peripheral arteries).

The physician of yours may conduct an electronic rectal evaluation (DRE) to examine the prostate gland of yours. Throughout a DRE, the medical doctor of yours will lightly put in a moisturized, gloved finger in the rectum of yours to feel really the surface area on the prostate.

When the reason behind the erectile dysfunction of yours has already been identified whenever you see the physician of yours, the appointment of yours may be much less taking part.

Selecting a penis pump Some penis most pumps can be found with no a doctor prescribed, but conversation to the doctor of yours prior to buying it. The physician of yours may suggest or even recommend a certain style. The approach you are able to be certain it fits the wants of yours as well as it is produced by a respected supplier.

Penis most pumps accessible on the internet, within publications as well as sex advertisements may not be effective or safe. Ensure the penis pump you make use of includes a vacuum limiter, which will keep strain via becoming too much & hurting the penis of yours.

Just before utilizing a penis pump just for the first-time, you may wish to trim or even shave any kind of pubic locks close to the foundation of the penis of yours to ensure it does not buy found within the band.

Penis most pumps for penis enlargement. Many advertising in publications as well as on the web sector penis high heels together with the case which they are able to be utilized to improve penis sizing, but there is absolutely no proof they work with this particular job. Trying to make use of a penis pump especially to enlarge the penis of yours might lead to injuries.

The thing you are able to expect Utilizing a penis pump calls for a couple of basic steps:

Location the clear plastic tubing throughout the penis of yours. Make use of a hands pump or maybe electricity pump connected to the tubing to produce a vacuum in the hose as well as take bloodstream directly into the penis. When you've an erection, slip a rubberized constriction band round the foundation of the penis of yours. This can help you keep the erection by holding bloodstream in the penis. Get rid of the vacuum magnetic generator. The erection generally will last much time adequate to possess sex. Do not depart the stress band installed for over thirty mins - slicing above blood circulation for very long may hurt the penis of yours.

Results Utilizing a penis pump will not get rid of erectile dysfunction, though it could produce an erection tight sufficient so that you can have sexual intercourse. You may have to mix utilization of a penis pump with some other treatment options, like shooting erectile dysfunction medicines.

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paleorecipecookbook · 5 years

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Why Your BMI Isn’t Telling You The Whole Truth

Most people are familiar with the BMI measuring system, which is often displayed on charts from your doctor’s office, next to your weight. But what the numbers mean – and whether they’re a true measure of your health – is up for debate.

While we know a healthy weight is important, the factors that define healthy aren’t clear cut. Two people can have the exact same BMI, but wildly different states of health. So, what gives?

What Is BMI?

BMI stands for body mass index, and is a number calculated using certain ratios of height and weight. It was designed as a tool for researchers to calculate overall weight of population bodies, not of individuals. It still works well as a public health tool in the hands of researchers. However, as a one-on-one health marker between patients and doctors, it doesn’t allow for enough individual health factors and is two-dimensional. (1)

The problem with BMI is that it leaves no room for genetic individuality. Take two people of the exact same height and weight. One of them regularly lifts weights and has a relatively low percentage of body fat; the other lives a sedentary lifestyle and has a high percentage of body fat. Still, their weights are the same. BMI calculations would give them both the same number, which will be a poor reflection of health for one person. The active person could be falsely given an overweight classification, while the inactive person could be lulled into a feeling of health security.

Health is much more than a single number calculation or marker. We are three-dimensional human beings with multiple considerations needed to assess health.

How Was BMI Developed?

BMI is calculated by taking your weight in pounds and dividing it by your height in inches squared (your height in inches x your height in inches), and then multiplying that number by 703. (2) The final number is your BMI, and any number that is 25 or higher is considered too high.

The BMI is a way of measuring the body fat of individuals and categorizing them. What it does not measure is muscle, bone structure, or other individual elements, like fitness level or what type of fat a person has (with visceral or belly fat being more harmful than other types). (3)

Forms of BMI measurements have been around since the 1800s, but in 1993, the World Health Organization established the four BMI categories we know today: underweight (15-19.9), normal (20-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), and obese (30-35+). (4) In 1997, BMI categories were expanded to take into account differing degrees of obesity. The previous overweight category was renamed “pre-obesity” (25-29.9) and included new obesity categories of class I obesity (30-34.9), class II obesity (34.9-39.9), and class III obesity (40+).

In the U.S., the average BMI ranges between 24 and 27, meaning that almost half of the population falls into the “pre-obesity” category. (5) While it’s not a hard sell that many people in the U.S. could be overweight, is that an actual reflection of health? As demonstrated above, a fit, healthy person with more muscle and less fat could still be lumped into an unhealthy BMI category.

Other Markers for Health

While BMI is not going to be replaced any time soon from research perspectives, many doctors and other health professionals argue that there are better ways to assess a person’s health. The following are common ways that health professionals assess health, with or without BMI taken into account.

Waist Circumference or Waist-to-Hip Ratio

Doctor offices frequently measure waist-to-hip ratio to evaluate visceral fat and risk for possible associated issues, like type 2 diabetes. (6) Waist circumference is a basic measurement of your waist around your belly button using a tape measure. Men who have waist circumference measurements of 37 inches and lower and women 31.5 inches and lower are considered low risk, while anything above falls under intermediate or high risk. (7)

To measure waist-to-hip ratio, get the measurement of the smallest part of your waist in inches. Next, find the measurement around the widest part of your hips/buttocks. Your waist-to-hip ratio is calculated as follows: waist number divided by hip number. A healthy number is considered 0.9 or less in men and 0.85 or less in women. (8)

Resting Pulse

One marker that can be used to help assess heart health is the resting pulse rate. This is calculated by taking your pulse first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. Place your fingers on your wrist and find your pulse. Count the number of beats in 30 seconds and multiple by two to reach your resting heart rate. Alternatively, you can count your beats in 60 seconds and not have to do any extra math.

A resting pulse of 60 to 100 is considered normal, but athletes and extremely fit people may have a rate lower than 60, indicating an even more efficient heart. If you notice that your resting pulse is almost always pushing the upper limit, be sure to talk to your doctor.

Resting pulse measures health when paired with other factors, like glucose levels, blood pressure, and weight, and can help indicate how healthy your heart is. (9)

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure measures the amount of pressure in arteries and veins as blood travels throughout the body. The higher the number, the more pressure there is, which can indicate stress or even potential plaque problems in arteries, problems with the heart, or extreme stress. (10) One in three adults has high blood pressure. (11)

Blood pressure is measured in systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers. A normal, healthy reading is considered to be 120/80 or lower, with stage 1 high blood pressure defined as 130-139 over 80-89. As numbers get higher from there, more serious stages of hypertension (high blood pressure) are diagnosed. (12)

You can check your blood pressure at home using a digital cuff that you secure on your left arm, around your bicep. While these may not be as precise as doctor offices, using the same cuff at home on a regular basis to measure blood pressure can indicate increases or decreases over time.

Blood Glucose

People with diabetes often have to test their blood glucose at home on a regular basis, but measuring glucose can also be used as a marker for health. A normal, healthy fasting glucose should be less than 100 when taken 8-12 hours after last eating or drinking (so, first thing in the morning). (13) Optimal ranges for fasting glucose fall between 70 and 100. While you’re not considered diabetic until fasting glucose is 130 or higher, consistently ending up with readings between 100 and 125 is considered prediabetes. (14) Stress, diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, dehydration, and many other factors can increase fasting glucose levels – but regardless of what increases them, glucose levels are a major indicator of health. (15)

Relative Fat Mass (RFM)

Researchers are looking for better ways to uniformly measure body fat that are more applicable than BMI. The relative fat mass is still being studied, but one which some researchers claim is more relevant. It can be calculated easily, has slightly different formulas for men and women, and the final numbers aren’t as likely to class people incorrectly, as with BMI. (16)

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, BMI is a not a total measure of health – it is simply a way to categorize someone’s size. And while BMI has its useful applications, it only gives you a limited perspective on how healthy you may (or may not) be. 17)

Using these other health markers together presents a more three-dimensional picture of health, many of which you can monitor yourself at home. If your measurements indicate out-of-range numbers, you can go to your doctor and express your concerns.

Measuring your health at home also offers you a more personal connection to your state of wellness and can allow you to be more on top of your health than just waiting for your doctor to discover via annual wellness check-ups. By being proactive with your health, you can notice slight changes and be able to proactively respond.

(Read This Next: 9 Nutrient Deficiencies Making You Crave Junk – What Your Body Really Wants Instead)

The post Why Your BMI Isn’t Telling You The Whole Truth appeared first on PaleoPlan.

Source: http://bit.ly/10qRbxJ

#paleo #recipe #food #delicious #healthy #yum #diet

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poundnovel9 · 2 years

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119 Web Design - What You Need to Know

Whether you want a new business website or an update on your existing site, the graphic design company you choose to create it is essential for your success. Graphic designers are constantly looking for innovative ways to enhance their work and the website is an excellent way to get your message across. Having a website that is difficult to navigate or outdated can be detrimental to your image and business. Fortunately, there are many different types of website design services available to meet your needs. Regardless of your budget or the size of your business, there are many benefits to working with a reputable website design company. Typically, a website represents a business' first contact with a customer, and it can be important for the public to see how well your company works. A website that is difficult to navigate or is outdated can leave the wrong impression. Luckily, there are many companies that can offer professional websites for an affordable price. Whether you're looking for a new website for your business or a re-design of your current one, there's a web design agency that can help you achieve your goals. These professionals specialize in user experience, responsive web design, and coding. They use a variety of tools to help you create a website that will increase your business' online sales. Despite the many different aspects of the job, they all strive to create the best possible solution for their clients. Whether you need a new website or a redesign of an existing one, there's a web design agency out there for you. These experts are trained to create beautiful, functional websites and more. They use a wide variety of computer graphics software to help you create a unique and professional website. If you're interested in a career in web design, these professionals can help you make your vision a reality. They can help you develop the site that is right for you. The 139 Web Design badge is a great option for people who want to start a new business. Their courses cover a wide range of topics, including user experience, ecommerce, and website design. They also include user experience, multimedia, and search engine marketing. If you're a beginner, you'll want to consider a web design badge. If you're serious about your business, the 119 Web Design certification can help you get the job done quickly. A graduate with a master's degree in web design can work as an ecommerce consultant, web developer, or freelancer. They have the skills to help you develop and design a website and will also help you with your marketing efforts. In addition, you'll find a web design firm that's right for you. If you're looking for a website designer, you'll need to know how to choose one. The MATC's course work covers ecommerce, user experience, and responsive web design. It also includes coding, and will teach you HTML, CSS, and other languages. The 119 Web Design certificate will give you a solid background in all of these areas. These courses will help you reach the top of your industry and stay competitive in your field. You will also learn how to use computer graphics software to enhance your website. As a certified web developer, you can build functional and aesthetic websites. You can even integrate multimedia into your sites with a few clicks. You can also use a website's content to make it more appealing to visitors. Using your skills and knowledge, you can create a website that appeals to your target market. You'll be able to make it as unique as you want. You can have the best of both worlds. A certificate in web design can be an excellent way to launch a career in this field. Not only will you gain an advanced knowledge of web design, but you'll also receive a high-quality design. If you're looking for a highly-qualified ecommerce professional, you can't go wrong with Blue Duck. The team's unique approach is unique and makes it stand out among other ecommerce firms.

#119 Web Design #119webdesign.com #Learn More

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xtruss · 3 years

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EYE ON THE NEWS

Do MASKS WORK?

— A review of the evidence | Jeffrey H. Anderson | August 11, 2021

— CityJournal.Org | Covid-19Health CarePolitics and law

“Seriously people—STOP BUYING MASKS!” So tweeted then–surgeon general Jerome Adams on February 29, 2020, adding, “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus.” Two days later, Adams said, “Folks who don’t know how to wear them properly tend to touch their faces a lot and actually can increase the spread of coronavirus.” Less than a week earlier, on February 25, public-health authorities in the United Kingdom had published guidance that masks were unnecessary even for those providing community or residential care: “During normal day-to-day activities facemasks do not provide protection from respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19 and do not need to be worn by staff.” About a month later, on March 30, World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Program executive director Mike Ryan said that “there is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any particular benefit.” He added, “In fact there’s some evidence to suggest the opposite” because of the possibility of not “wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly” and of “taking it off and all the other risks that are otherwise associated with that.”

Surgical masks were designed to keep medical personnel from inadvertently infecting patients’ wounds, not to prevent the spread of viruses. Public-health officials’ advice in the early days of Covid-19 was consistent with that understanding. Then, on April 3, 2020, Adams announced that the CDC was changing its guidance and that the general public should hereafter wear masks whenever sufficient social distancing could not be maintained.

Fast-forward 15 months. Rand Paul has been suspended from YouTube for a week for saying, “Most of the masks you get over the counter don’t work.” Many cities across the country, following new CDC guidance handed down amid a spike in cases nationally caused by the Delta variant, are once again mandating indoor mask-wearing for everyone, regardless of inoculation status. The CDC further recommends that all schoolchildren and teachers, even those who have had Covid-19 or have been vaccinated, should wear masks.

The CDC asserts this even though its own statistics show that Covid-19 is not much of a threat to schoolchildren. Its numbers show that more people under the age of 18 died of influenza during the 2018–19 flu season—a season of “moderate severity” that lasted eight months—than have died of Covid-19 across more than 18 months. What’s more, the CDC says that out of every 1,738 Covid-19-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021, just one has involved someone under 18 years of age; and out of every 150 deaths of someone under 18 years of age, just one has been Covid-related. Yet the CDC declares that schoolchildren, who learn in part from communication conveyed through facial expressions, should nevertheless hide their faces—and so should their teachers.

How did mask guidance change so profoundly? Did the medical research on the effectiveness of masks change—and in a remarkably short period of time—or just the guidance on wearing them?

Since we are constantly told that the CDC and other public-health entities are basing their recommendations on science, it’s crucial to know what, specifically, has been found in various medical studies. Significant choices about how our republic should function cannot be made on the basis of science alone—they require judgment and the weighing of countless considerations—but they must be informed by knowledge of it.

In truth, the CDC’s, U.K.’s, and WHO’s earlier guidance was much more consistent with the best medical research on masks’ effectiveness in preventing the spread of viruses. That research suggests that Americans’ many months of mask-wearing has likely provided little to no health benefit and might even have been counterproductive in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

It’s striking how much the CDC, in marshalling evidence to justify its revised mask guidance, studiously avoids mentioning randomized controlled trials. RCTs are uniformly regarded as the gold standard in medical research, yet the CDC basically ignores them apart from disparaging certain ones that particularly contradict the agency’s position. In a “Science Brief” highlighting studies that “demonstrate that mask wearing reduces new infections” and serving as the main public justification for its mask guidance, the CDC provides a helpful matrix of 15 studies—none RCTs. The CDC instead focuses strictly on observational studies completed after Covid-19 began. In general, observational studies are not only of lower quality than RCTs but also are more likely to be politicized, as they can inject the researcher’s judgment more prominently into the inquiry and lend themselves, far more than RCTs, to finding what one wants to find.

A particular favorite of the CDC’s, so much so that the agency put out a glowing press release on it and continues to give it pride of placement in its brief, is an observational (specifically, cohort) study focused on two Covid-positive hairstylists at a beauty salon in Missouri. The two stylists, who were masked, provided services for 139 people, who were mostly masked, for several days after developing Covid-19 symptoms. The 67 customers who subsequently chose to get tested for the coronavirus tested negative, and none of the 72 others reported symptoms.

This study has major limitations. For starters, any number of the 72 untested customers could have had Covid-19 but been asymptomatic, or else had symptoms that they chose not to report to the Greene County Health Department, the entity doing the asking. The apparent lack of spread of Covid-19 could have been a result of good ventilation, good hand hygiene, minimal coughing by the stylists, or the fact that stylists generally, as the researchers note, “cut hair while clients are facing away from them.” The researchers also observe that “viral shedding” of the coronavirus “is at its highest during the 2 to 3 days before symptom onset.” Yet no customers who saw the stylists when they were at their most contagious were tested for Covid-19 or asked about symptoms. Most importantly, this study does not have a control group. Nobody has any idea how many people, if any, would have been infected had no masks been worn in the salon. Late last year, at a gym in Virginia in which people apparently did not wear masks most of the time, a trainer tested positive for the coronavirus. As CNN reported, the gym contacted everyone whom the trainer had coached before getting sick—50 members in all—“but not one member developed symptoms.” Clearly, this doesn’t prove that not wearing masks prevents transmission.

Another CDC-highlighted study, by Rader et al., invited people across the country to answer a survey. The low (11 percent) response rate—including about twice as many women as men—indicated that the mix of respondents was hardly random. The study found that “a high percentage of self-reported face mask-wearing is associated with a higher probability of transmission control,” and “the highest percentage of reported mask wearers” are found, unsurprisingly, “along the coasts and southern border, and in large urban areas.” However, as the researchers note, “It is difficult to disentangle individuals’ engagement in mask-wearing from their adoption of other preventive hygiene practices, and mask-wearing might serve as a proxy for other risk avoidance behaviors not queried.” Moreover, achieving greater “transmission control” is not remotely the same thing as ensuring fewer deaths. For example, per capita, Utah is in the top ten in the nation in Covid-19 cases and the bottom ten in Covid-19 deaths, while Massachusetts is in the bottom half in cases and the top five in deaths.

An additional observational study, but one that the CDC does not reference in its brief, is a large, international Bayesian study by Leech, et al. It finds that mask-wearing by 100 percent of the population “corresponds to” a 24.6 percent reduction in transmission of the novel coronavirus. Mask mandates correspond to no decrease in transmission: “For mandates we see no reduction: 0.0 percent.” Like all observational studies, however, this study is ill-equipped to show causation, to separate out the effects of just one variable from among other, frequently related, ones.

Mask supporters often claim that we have no choice but to rely on observational studies instead of RCTs, because RCTs cannot tell us whether masks work or not. But what they really mean is that they don’t like what the RCTs show.

The randomized controlled trial dates, in a sense, to 1747, when Royal Navy surgeon James Lind divided seamen suffering from similar cases of scurvy into six pairs and tried different methods of treatment on each. Lind writes, “The consequence was, that the most sudden and visible good effects were perceived from the use of oranges and lemons.”

The RCT eventually became firmly established as the most reliable way to test medical interventions. The following passage, from Abdelhamid Attia, an M.D. and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Cairo University in Egypt, conveys its dominance:

The importance of RCTs for clinical practice can be illustrated by its impact on the shift of practice in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). For decades HRT was considered the standard care for all postmenopausal, symptomatic and asymptomatic women. Evidence for the effectiveness of HRT relied always on observational studies[,] mostly cohort studies. But a single RCT that was published in 2002 . . . has changed clinical practice all over the world from the liberal use of HRT to the conservative use in selected symptomatic cases and for the shortest period of time. In other words, one well conducted RCT has changed the practice that relied on tens, and probably hundreds, of observational studies for decades.

A randomized controlled trial divides participants into different groups on a randomized basis. At least one group receives an “intervention,” or treatment, that is generally tested against a control group not receiving the intervention. The twofold strength of an RCT is that it allows researchers to isolate one variable—to test whether a given intervention causes an intended effect—while at the same time making it very hard for researchers to produce their own preferred outcomes.

This is true at least so long as an RCT’s findings are based on “intention-to-treat” analysis, whereby all participants are kept in the treatment group to which they were originally assigned and none are excluded from the analysis, regardless of whether they actually received the intended treatment. Eric McCoy, an M.D. at the University of California, Irvine, explains that intention-to-treat analysis avoids bias and “preserves the benefits of randomization, which cannot be assumed when using other methods of analysis.”

Such other methods of analysis include subgroup, multivariable, and per-protocol analysis. Subgroup analysis is susceptible to “cherry-picking”—as researchers hunt for anything showing statistical significance—or to being swayed by random chance. In one famous example, aspirin was found to help prevent fatal heart attacks, but not in the subgroups where patients’ astrological signs were Gemini or Libra.

“Multivariable analysis,” writes Marlies Wakkee, an M.D. and Ph.D. at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, “only adjusts for measured confounding”—that which a researcher decides is worth examining. (Confounders are extra variables that affect the analysis; for example, eating ice cream may be found to correlate with sunburns, but heat is a confounding variable influencing both.) She adds, “This is a significant difference compared to randomized controlled trials, where the randomization process results in an equal distribution of all potential confounders, known and unknown.”

Per-protocol analysis departs from randomization by basically allowing participants to self-select into, or out of, an intervention group. McCoy writes, “Empirical evidence suggests that participants who adhere [to research protocols] tend to do better than those who do not adhere, regardless of assignment to active treatment or placebo.” In other words, per-protocol analysis is more likely to suggest that an intervention, even a fake one, worked. Of these three departures from intention-to-treat analysis, per-protocol analysis is perhaps the most extreme.

With these different methods of analysis in mind, it becomes easier to evaluate the 14 RCTs, conducted around the world, that have tested the effectiveness of masks in reducing the transmission of respiratory viruses. Of these 14, the two that have directly tested “source control”—the oft-repeated claim that wearing a mask benefits others—are a good place to start.

A 2016 study in Beijing by MacIntyre, et al. that claimed to find a possible benefit of masks did not prove very informative, as only one person in the control group—and one in the mask group—developed a laboratory-confirmed infection. Much more illuminating was a 2010 study in France by Canini, et al., which randomly placed sick people, or “index patients,” and their household contacts together into either a mask group or a no-mask control group. The authors “observed a good adherence to the intervention,” meaning that the index patients generally wore the furnished three-ply masks as intended. (No one else was asked to wear them.) Within a week, 15.8 percent of household contacts in the no-mask control group and 16.2 percent in the mask group developed an “influenza-like illness” (ILI). So, the two groups were essentially dead even, with the sliver of an advantage observed in the control group not being statistically significant. The authors write that the study “should be interpreted with caution since the lack of statistical power prevents us to draw formal conclusion regarding effectiveness of facemasks in the context of a seasonal epidemic.” However, they state unequivocally, “In various sensitivity analyses, we did not identify any trend in the results suggesting effectiveness of facemasks.”

With the two RCTs that directly tested source control providing essentially no support for the claim that wearing a mask benefits others, what about RCTs that test the combination of source control and wearer protection? By dividing participants into a hand-hygiene group, a hand-hygiene group that also wore masks, and a control group, three RCTs allow us to see whether the addition of masks (worn both by the sick person and others) provided any benefit over hand hygiene alone.

A 2010 study by Larson, et al. in New York found that those in the hand-hygiene group were less likely to develop any symptoms of an upper respiratory infection (42 percent experienced symptoms) than those in the mask-plus-hand-hygiene group (61 percent). This statistically significant finding suggests that wearing a mask actually undermines the benefits of hand hygiene.

A multivariable analysis of this same study found a significant difference in secondary attack rates (the rate of transmission to others) between the mask-plus-hands group and the control group. On this basis, the authors maintain that mask-wearing “should be encouraged during outbreak situations.” However, this multivariable analysis also found significantly lower rates in crowded homes—“i.e., more crowded households had less transmission”—which tested at a higher confidence level. Thus, to the extent that this multivariable analysis provided any support for masks, it provided at least as much support for crowding.

Two other studies found no statistically significant differences between their mask-plus-hands and hands-only groups. A 2011 study in Bangkok by Simmerman, et al. observed very similar results for both groups. A CDC-funded 2009 study in Hong Kong by Cowling, et al. observed that the hands-only group generally did better than the mask-plus-hands group, but not to a statistically significant degree. Subgroup analysis by Cowling, et al., limited to interventions started within 36 hours of the onset of symptoms, found that the mask-plus-hands group beat the control group to a statistically significant degree in one measure, while the hands-only group beat the control group to a statistically significant degree in two measures. Summarizing this study, Canini writes that “no additional benefit was observed when facemask [use] was added to hand hygiene by comparison with hand hygiene alone.”

So, if masks don’t improve on hand hygiene alone, what about masks versus nothing?

Various RCTs have studied this question, with evidence of masks’ effectiveness proving sparse at best. Aside from a 2009 study in Japan by Jacobs, et al.—which found that those in the mask group were significantly more likely to experience headaches and that “face mask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit”—only two RCTs have produced statistically significant findings in intention-to-treat analysis, and one of those studies contradicted itself.

The previously mentioned 2011 study in Bangkok by Simmerman, et al. found that the secondary attack rate of ILI was twice as high in the mask-plus-hand-hygiene group (18 percent) as in the control group (9 percent), a statistically significant difference. (The ILI rate was 17 percent in the hand-hygiene-only group.) Finding essentially the same thing in multivariable analysis, the researchers wrote that, relative to the control group, the odds ratios for both the mask-plus-hands group and the hands-only group “were twofold in the opposite direction from the hypothesized protective effect.”

Subsequently, a small 2014 study—with 164 participants—by Barasheed, et al. of Australian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, staying in close quarters in tents, found that significantly fewer people in the mask group developed an ILI than in the control group (31 percent to 53 percent). Unlike the exact fever specifications utilized in other RCTs, however, this study accepted self-reporting of “subjective” fever in determining whether someone had an ILI. Lab tests revealed opposite results, with twice as many participants having developed respiratory viruses in the mask group as in the control group. These lab-test findings were not statistically significant; still, the lab tests’ greater reliability makes it far from clear that the masks in this study provided any genuine benefit.

Other RCTs found no statistically significant benefit from masks in intention-to-treat analysis. A 2008 pilot study by Cowling et al. in Hong Kong observed that secondary attack rates, using the CDC’s definition of ILI, were twice as high in the mask group (8 percent) as in the hand hygiene (4 percent) or control (4 percent) groups, but these observed differences were not statistically significant.

Other methods of analysis, deviating from intention-to-treat analysis, found the following.

A per-protocol analysis of a 2009 study in Sydney by MacIntyre, et al. found a significant effect when combining the surgical-mask group with a group wearing N95 hospital respirators. However, the authors write, a “causal link cannot be demonstrated because adherence was not randomized.”

In subgroup analysis of 2010 and 2012 studies in Michigan by Aiello, et al., limited to the final several weeks of the respective studies, each study’s mask-plus-hands group had significantly lower rates of ILI than its control group, while its mask-only group did not. In 2010, the results for the mask-only group also hinted at a slight benefit, reducing ILI by an observed (but not statistically significant) 8 percent to 10 percent. In 2012, the authors concluded, “Masks alone did not provide a benefit.” They nevertheless recommended the combination of mask use and hand hygiene, despite not having tested whether that combination works better than hand hygiene alone.

A multivariable analysis of a smallish (218 participants) 2012 study in Germany by Suess, et al. found that combining the mask group and mask-plus-hands group, while limiting analysis to interventions begun within 48 hours, produced a finding of significantly lower levels of lab-confirmed influenza (but not of ILI) in that combined group (but not in either group separately). The authors, from Berlin, recommended masking and hand hygiene, while opining, “Concerns about acceptability and tolerability of the interventions should not be a reason against their recommendation.”

The only RCT to test mask-wearing’s specific effectiveness against Covid-19 was a 2020 study by Bundgaard, et al. in Denmark. This large (4,862 participants) RCT divided people between a mask-wearing group (providing “high-quality” three-layer surgical masks) and a control group. It took place at a time (spring 2020) when Denmark was encouraging social distancing but not mask use, and 93 percent of those in the mask group wore the masks at least “predominately as recommended.” The study found that 1.8 percent of those in the mask group and 2.1 percent of those in the control group became infected with Covid-19 within a month, with this 0.3-point difference not being statistically significant.

This study—the first RCT on Covid-19 transmission—apparently had difficulty getting published. After the study’s eventual publication, Vinay Prasad, an M.D. at the University of California, San Francisco, described it as “thoughtful,” “useful,” and “well done,” but noted (with criticism), “Some have turned to social media to ask why a trial that may diminish enthusiasm for masks and may be misinterpreted was published in a top medical journal.”

Meanwhile, the CDC website portrays the Danish RCT (with its 4,800 participants) as being far less relevant or important than the observational study of Missouri hairdressers with no control group, dismissing the former as “inconclusive” and “too small” while praising the latter, amazingly, as “showing that wearing a mask prevented the spread of infection”—when it showed nothing of the sort.

Each of the RCTs discussed so far, 13 in all, examined the effectiveness of surgical masks, finding little to no evidence of their effectiveness and some evidence that they might actually increase viral transmission. None of these 13 RCTs examined the effectiveness of cloth masks. “Cloth face coverings,” according to former CDC director Robert Redfield, “are one of the most powerful weapons we have.”

One RCT tested these masks that so many high-profile public-health officials have touted. This “first RCT of cloth masks,” in the trial’s own words (it is apparently still the only one), was a 2015 study by MacIntyre, et al. in Hanoi, Vietnam. A relatively large study, with over 1,100 participants, it tested cloth masks against surgical masks and did not feature a no-mask control group. The trial tested the protection of health-care workers, instructing them to wear a two-layer cloth mask at all times on every shift (“except in the toilet or during tea or lunch breaks”) across four weeks.

The study found that those in the cloth-mask group were 13 times more likely (2.28 percent to 0.17 percent) to develop an influenza-like illness than those in the surgical-mask group—a statistically significant difference. The trial also lab-tested penetration rates and found that while surgical masks were “poor” at preventing the penetration of particles—letting 44 percent through—cloth masks were “extremely poor,” letting 97 percent through. (N95 hospital respirators let 0.1 percent through.)

The authors write that wearing a cloth mask “may potentially increase the infection risk” for health-care workers. “The virus may survive on the surface of the facemasks,” they explain, while “a contaminated cloth mask may transfer pathogen from the mask to the bare hands of the wearer,” which could lead to hand hygiene being “compromised.” As for double-masking, the authors write, “Observations during SARS suggested double-masking . . . increased the risk of infection because of moisture, liquid diffusion and pathogen retention.” Absent further research, they conclude, “cloth masks should not be recommended.”

MacIntyre and several other authors of this study, perhaps under pressure from the CDC or other entities with similar agendas, released what the CDC calls a “follow up study,” in September 2020. This follow-up isn’t really a study at all, certainly not a new RCT, yet the CDC cites it favorably while disparaging the original study, which, the CDC asserts, “had a number of limitations.” This 2020 follow-up pretty much amounts to publishing the finding that when hospitals washed the cloth masks, health-care workers were only about half as likely to get infected as when they washed the cloth masks themselves. Still, the 2020 publication says, “We do not recommend cloth masks for health workers,” much as the 2015 one said.

Other reviews of the evidence have been mixed but generally have come to similar conclusions. Certain masking advocates admit that the RCT evidence is “inconclusive” but cite other forms of evidence that have held up poorly. A study for Cochrane Reviews by Jefferson, et al. that examines 13 of the 14 RCTs discussed herein (all but the Denmark Covid-19 study) notes “uncertainty about the effects of face masks” and writes that “the pooled results of randomised trials did not show a clear reduction in respiratory viral infection with the use of medical/surgical masks during seasonal influenza.” Meantime, a study by Perski, et al., which performed a Bayesian analysis on 11 of the 14 RCTs discussed herein, concluded that when it comes to “the benefits or harms of wearing face masks . . . the scientific evidence should be considered equivocal.” They write, “Available evidence from RCTs is equivocal as to whether or not wearing face masks in community settings results in a reduction in clinically- or laboratory-confirmed viral respiratory infections.”

In sum, of the 14 RCTs that have tested the effectiveness of masks in preventing the transmission of respiratory viruses, three suggest, but do not provide any statistically significant evidence in intention-to-treat analysis, that masks might be useful. The other eleven suggest that masks are either useless—whether compared with no masks or because they appear not to add to good hand hygiene alone—or actually counterproductive. Of the three studies that provided statistically significant evidence in intention-to-treat analysis that was not contradicted within the same study, one found that the combination of surgical masks and hand hygiene was less effective than hand hygiene alone, one found that the combination of surgical masks and hand hygiene was less effective than nothing, and one found that cloth masks were less effective than surgical masks.

Hiram Powers, the nineteenth-century neoclassical sculptor, keenly observed, “The eye is the window to the soul, the mouth the door. The intellect, the will, are seen in the eye; the emotions, sensibilities, and affections, in the mouth.” The best available scientific evidence suggests that the American people, credulously trusting their public-health officials, have been blocking the door to the soul without blocking the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

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