When you backread through a fun conversation you had with someone for hours an angel gets its wings

A website called HerMoney published a article about the cost of surrogacy for LGBTQ+ couples without discussing the impact of the surrogate mother?! For some couples the surrogate is the only Her involved.

We spoke to experts in the medical and legal fields to find out why the costs of surrogacy is so high for LGBTQ+ couples and what to think about when it comes to this process. 

Starting a family is a huge commitment of both time and money. When it comes to using surrogacy as a family planning option, there are a lot of things to keep in mind, including legal and medical costs. For many LBGTQ+ couples who pursue this path, surrogacy represents a substantial investment of time and money. Here are three major things to keep in mind if surrogacy is a path you and your partner are pursuing:

FIRST, DO YOUR RESEARCH AND SPEAK TO PROFESSIONALS 

The surrogacy picture in the U.S. is complicated. Surrogacy isn’t actually legal in every state, and there is no federal law regulating it, which is why experts say to start with a legal professional who can guide you on the laws in your state. 

For example, there are certain “surrogacy friendly” states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington where the process is easier and more clear cut for prospective parents. There are also states that are not friendly to surrogacy, including Michigan and New York that do not grant pre-birth orders, which is an essential part of the process for would-be parents. In other states, surrogacy is possible, but the process may have a few additional hurdles. Speaking with a lawyer who specializes in family law can help give you a realistic idea of what to expect when it comes to legal issues. They can also help you put a plan in place that includes a timeline and expected costs. 

“Speaking with an attorney early on may also help inform their decisions when it comes to choosing the right clinic, or signing on with an agency, as an attorney who is experienced in this field be able to tell intended parents what things may be standard practice, or what might seem like a red flag, and which companies are LGBTQ+ competent/friendly. Your attorney has a duty to be candid with you and to look out for your interests, so they are a great resource to have on your team from the beginning,” says Phoebe S. Sadler, Esq a lawyer with the International Fertility Law Group Inc.

In general, one frequent legal obstacle LGBTQ+ couples may face is how to get both parents legally recognized as the parents of their child(ren) born through surrogacy, and how to get both of their names listed on the birth certificate, Sadler says. For this, parents must speak with an attorney to ensure they understand legal steps necessary in their state, or what the process looks like if the child happens to be born in a different state. 

Sadler also points out that in some states it may be more difficult to match an LGBTQ+ couple with a surrogate. And, to complicate the picture further, some surrogacy agencies are not as friendly to members of the LGBTQ+ community. Finding both a state and an agency that respects you and wants to help you fulfill your parenting dreams is incredibly important — just as important as finding the right surrogate to carry your child. You can read more about surrogacy for LGBTQ+ parents here. 

HAVE A BUDGET AND PLAN AHEAD

The cost of surrogacy can be substantial.  things to think about in terms of the costs associated with surrogacy as an LGBTQ+ couple. On average, the total cost for everything including medical and legal fees can average between $100-150k. In states where surrogates are in high demand, like California, the costs may be even higher. As a result, it’s incredibly important to budget for this expense as you would any other major life event or life purchase, like a home, a car, or your retirement. Experts recommend starting early with your savings goals, and putting the money aside into a separate account, via automatic withdrawals from your paycheck. (If you can’t see it, you can’t spend it.) Being able to move forward with your surrogacy journey knowing that you are financially ready can be an incredible stress-reliever. (The process can be fraught enough without also having to worry about money!) 

UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKDOWN OF SURROGACY FEES & OTHER OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES 

There are many out of pocket expenses associated with surrogacy that insurance does not pay for. The costs may increase depending on the route a couple chooses to go with the process, for example, if they elect to use a sperm or egg donor. The costs associated with using an IVF facility usually run between $30,000 and $50,000 if you need an egg donor and must create embryos. If you already have embryos, the IVF costs will run between $7,000 and $15,000, according to Anthony Brown, Manager of Client Services at Circle Surrogacy (Brown is also a lawyer and became a parent through surrogacy himself). 

Brown also noted when you work with an agency such as Circle Surrogacy, there are a few categories to keep in mind when it comes to the breakdown of costs:

Agency fee: This will cover costs associated with locating and screening your surrogate, which includes background checks, medical file review, social and psychological testing and accounting costs. Depending on the nature and services of the agency, you may also see medical billing costs included in this category.

Costs that are associated with the surrogate: These are made up primarily of her compensation package. In full-service agencies, this category may also include her travel to and from the IVF clinic for screening and procedures, local monitoring of the pregnancy, social support during the pregnancy and, in some cases, complications included in the pregnancy. 

Health insurance: Some surrogates may be able to use their own insurance while others may have to obtain their own. A comprehensive insurance package will also include life insurance, complications insurance and a plan for disputed claims against the Surrogate’s insurance. Also, having a back-up plan in place is crucial if the surrogate should lose her insurance during the pregnancy.

Travel & incidentals: You’lll also need to account for your own travel to and from your surrogate’s home state, and any incidental costs like gifts for the Surrogate and her family.

Legal fees: As you might expect, there is a lot of paperwork associated with surrogacy, and all sides of the equation (you, the surrogate, and possibly your partner) will need attorneys and contracts drawn up stating the exact parameters of the arrangement. If you’re working with a surrogate in a different state, things can get even more complicated. As such, the legal fees associated with surrogacy can get pricey. 

UNDERSTANDING YOUR RIGHTS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE & FERTILITY SERVICES 

All too often, health insurance companies may not cover specific procedures and medications that are needed for  LGBTQ+ couples to go on an affordable fertility journey. 

“For LGBTQIA+ couples and individuals, the biggest cost difference we see is in the insurance industry’s failure to include our family building needs under the definition of covered fertility services. Gay and Lesbian Intended parents must often shoulder the entire cost of the IVF portion of the journey, and their health insurance covers no part of the process. Also, for gay men in particular, because we will need an egg donor to assist in embryo creation, these services often run between $20,000 and $30,000,” said Brown. 

While there are many challenges that may come up when it comes to becoming a parent via surrogacy, keep your eyes on your larger goal of having a family. While the process won’t be easy, try to remind yourself that everyone’s journey is unique, and becoming a parent can be an incredibly rewarding thing. 

MORE ON HERMONEY:

By the Numbers: Being LGBTQ+ In America,

The Higher Lifetime Costs of the Queer Community

LISTEN: HerMoney Podcast: LGBTQ Money Matters

Subscribe and join the HerMoney Community today, for more great insights from our team. You got this. And we got you.

Part 2: Ring’s Powers—And What They All Have In Common

Easily the most mystifying thing about this game is— how on earth the magical sentient Pilates ring can do what he does. Seriously. Except, there is some underlying logic here. Buckle up, guys, we’re doing pseudo-science.

(Spoilers for up to the end of the main storyline. Various outfit spoilers beyond that.)

So. I’m just going to say it? The foundation of Ring’s powers essentially boils down to “energy manipulation.” That was probably an easy conclusion to reach if you’ve read Part 1. We’ve already basically established that much. So today we’re diving into the three main categories of how Ring manipulates energy.

They are:

Amplification. Using energy to amplify the strength of a physical motion.

Construction. Using energy to build new structures.

Conversion. Altering the state of the energy itself. Either by converting it to another type of energy, or by converting it into matter (and vice versa).

All of Ring’s various powers and abilities fall under at least one of these categories. Most belong to more than one.

You’re going to want to peek at this little Venn Diagram I’ve made. And possibly make friends with it, because it’s going to keep coming back at the end of every segment. We’re going to go over Ring’s lesser abilities first, then his five special powers, and finally his sealing ability.

And before we start! Some quick reminders, in case you need them.

“Life energy” exists in all things everywhere.

“Exercise energy” is a type of life energy, and we see its presence most often in the form of Trainee’s signature flames.

The type of exercise energy Trainee produces is now pure and inhuman—because she’s synced with Ring.

Pure energy exists on a scale from “positive” to “negative.” Ring is partially made of pure positive energy. It’s the glowing stuff that flows through his tube.

There’s a fundamental difference between the “red,” “yellow,” “blue,” and “green” energies that get used in fit battles by other humans and humanoids, and the “pure positive” stuff that Ring and Trainee exhibit. (Seriously if you’ve never read Part 1 before, I strongly suggest you do so now.)

———

Alright! Ring’s wild list of “lesser” powers include:

Acting as a heart beat monitor

Crushing boulders into pebbles

Creating air blasts

Creating suction vortexes

Creating and wielding fit battle constructs

Creating ab guards

Creating non-battle constructs (Or whatever you would call “Quick! Turn into a tree!”)

Creating a sync bond

Creating solid constructs in Game Gyms

With exactly three exceptions, all of the abilities on this list involve some degree of amplification. So let’s walk through this.

HEART MONITOR. Amplification. The simplest to explain. When Ring is measuring your heart beat, he’s just amping the sound or vibration, sort of like a stethoscope.

BOULDER CRUSHING. Construction + Amplification. When you press Ring into your stomach to crush a boulder, he (1) loops a construct around said boulder and then he (2) amplifies the crushing motion of said construct, using raw exercise energy from the force of your press.

Air blasts and vortexes are a bit trickier to explain, but you have to remember that Ring is actively choosing what to amplify and what to ignore.

AIR BLASTS. Amplification. In the case of air blasts—when you squeeze the Ring Con, you’re also technically squeezing air molecules out of the center of the Pilates ring as you distort the shape. In-game, Ring is just picking a direction (away from your avatar’s face, very helpful) and amplifying the force of that squeeze into a harsh blast of air.

SUCTION VORTEX. Amplification. The vortex operates on a similar, but opposite premise. When you pull on your Ring Con, you’re actually still just pushing air molecules out, same as when you squeeze. But when you release it and the Pilates ring springs back into its original shape, the air molecules go rushing back, as though sucked in. In-game, Ring is once again just picking a direction to amplify the force of that suction.

FIT BATTLE CONSTRUCTS. Amplification + Construction + Conversion. Alright, this one is a bit more complicated. But have you ever noticed that no matter how how poorly you are at holding squats—as long as you hold that squat, Ring’s construct will buff up to completion. It’s, for the lack of a better word, the “quality” of the exercise energy going into it, that determines how hard the construct can swing—and how much damage it can really do. The better the “quality” that Ring has to work with, the more he can amplify the strength of his constructs.

Construction here is pretty self-explanatory . We’ve already poked at this in Part 1, but Ring is in charge of crafting and swinging your battle constructs, not Trainee. Once you select a fit skill—before you even have Trainee move to perform and hold said fit skill—the appropriate glowing limb constructs are already hovering above your enemies. That’s Ring’s doing. You have to remember that he does, actually, have his own supply of energy separate from Trainee. And this is just one of the ways in which he openly uses it.

Conversion technically only comes into play here after World 2, once Trainee and Ring retrieve the Color Coding power. I mentioned above (and yet again, more thoroughly in Part 1) that the exercise energy Trainee and Ring give off—purified positive exercise energy—fundamentally differs from the red/yellow/blue/green stuff found in human beings. Ring can manipulate light and color on a superficial basis without Color Coding (he once mimicked the purple flames of Dark Influence back in World 1), but it’s a surface level change. Ring’s constructs don’t yield any “extra damage” benefits in a fight until Color Coding is retrieved.

AB GUARDS. Construction + Amplification. Admittedly, this one’s pretty similar. (I mean, I’d argue that Trainee and Ring are both making the construct this time...) But with one key difference! There’s no conversion happening here. At all. Which makes sense, actually. A shield of “red energy” would be especially weak to red attacks. A shield of “green energy” would be especially weak to green attacks. And so on and so forth. Ring’s signature energy, however, doesn’t appear to come with any such caveats. (We never run into another being quite like Ring.)

QUICK TURN INTO A TREE. Construction + Conversion. The tree thing, functions like a fit battle construct, minus the amplification. Trainee holds the pose so that she and Ring can continue hiding in the construct, because slinkbugs are thieves that steal away valuable grocery monies. She’s the power source. Ring’s job is to shape the tree as convincingly as possible. There’s no amplification going on here.

SYNCHRONIZING. Conversion. As far as we know, synchronizing with Ring appears to have somehow overwritten Trainee’s original—human—energy signature, and made her somewhat biologically closer to being like Ring. There’s still a lot we don’t know about syncing, but you can read more about it here in Part 1.

GAME GYM CONSTRUCTS. Construction + Conversion. Up until this point, when it comes to “conversion,” all we’ve talked about is when Ring takes one glowing energy type, and converts it into another glowing energy type. Let’s talk matter.

Fit battle constructs, while still being made of energy, are actually pretty solid. You whack monsters with them all the time, this isn’t news. You don’t have to be a physics expert (and I’m really not) to understand that “energy,” as it exists in Ring Fit Adventure, operates under some pretty loose rules of reality. In this game, Pilates rings can be sentient! Dragons can be bodybuilders! And “energy” can be condensed into a shape hard enough to send your enemies flying—and still be considered “just energy,” not “matter”. Because we’ve seen what it looks like when energy gets turned into physical material, and vice verse. We’ve seen Ring do it loads of times.

Specifically, we see it happen in the mini game gyms.

So there are thirteen types of gyms spread across the world of Ring Fit. Most of them, like Dreadmill, don’t require a person to use any fancy tools to play. But others do. Exactly four require that Ring attach an extra accessory.

We only see Trainee play, but these gyms are canonically popular with the public. It’s implied that the gym supplies participants with the appropriate props instead of, like, making people bring their own parachutes or something. It’s also implied that Trainee refuses a bunch of these props, because she has Ring. And Ring can (temporarily) create his own props.

I say “temporary” because when you finish a game like Aerochute. Or Bank Balance. The two props are converted back into Ring’s signature golden energy, and then they dissipate into sparkles. We never explicitly see Ring making these tools, but we sure as hell see them get expelled.

We never see the other two props from Core Crushing and Smack Back dematerialize. (We also don’t see Trainee victory posing in either game.) But I don’t see why we should rule out that they can’t, if Ring was able to make the first two.

So. Like I said: CONSTRUCTION + CONVERSION = GAME GYM CONSTRUCTS. No amplification here, I doubt Ring would ever knowingly help you cheat.

This concludes Ring’s “lesser” powers.

———

Ring’s five—“special”—powers. You know them. You love them! They are:

Color coding

Smoothiecraft

River Rowing

Jump Boost

And the Wing Ability

Even before digging into what these entail, the special five are…interesting. Outside of Ring, they take the shape of giant, pulsing balls of energy. They’re coveted by nearly everyone who comes into contact with them. Seriously. From Dragaux himself to Honey to the Sportans, to random monsters to Daddalus to Solar Plexia the rain goddess—most of the persons listed here either can’t use Ring’s powers, or don’t even recognize them for what they are. “Treasure,” “shining jewel,” “glowy thing.” These are all things they have been dubbed as by outsiders.

Except, they’re not supposed to be removable. This is not a feature of Ring’s. We know thanks to Allegra (and Titanium White, bless her soul) that metaphysical traits can be ripped out of a person. This is more or less what Dragaux did to Ring. But unlike with what happened to Titanium White, it seems like Dragaux ripped out an extra glob of Ring’s energy reserves with each power. Those little “badges” in the menu screen aren’t just visual representations of your retrieval progress; they physically exist in the game. Ring shows one to Solar Plexia in World 8.

Once Ring’s reunited with one of his powers, it could be that he reabsorbs the excess energy, and all that’s left behind is the little “badge” that’s been sitting in its center—and that’s the thing that actually lets him wield whatever power he’s reacquired.

———

COLOR CODING. Conversion. Taking pure energy, and converting it for fit battles benefits. We covered this one.

SMOOTHIECRAFT. Conversion. Actually, the weirdest one on this list. I’ve gone over this video as slowly as my phone will allow. And to the best of what I’m seeing, Ring is taking these ingredients, converting them into a bubble of light, and then squeezing them back out as a physical paste. You can watch a video of it happening here.

The fact that it’s a chilled paste and not a fine liquid, speaks to some level of intent and control. Fire is what happens when atoms are moving very, very fast. Ice occurs when eligible molecules are moving very, very slowly. Cold is an absence of heat, and heat is just another form of energy.

RIVER ROWING. Conversion + Construction. For the longest time, I thought this “power” was Ring just storing a boat and some oars in his pocket dimension. But that’s not the whole picture.

The one time we “see” Ring summon something—as in we are 100% sure that he isn’t creating the object in question—is when he’s summoning ingredients for a smoothie. And the process looks very different. Please refer to the appropriate screenshots below the video. But to spell it out: there are two consistent traits that appear, when Ring is summoning something from his “pocket dimension.” There is:

Always some circle of light present. The item emerges from the “pocket” as energy, so Ring is converting it back into matter as he takes it out. If whatever’s getting converted normally exists as a physical object (and not just as a “temporary” one) then there’s some kind of circle present somewhere.

Always some level of detail to whatever is getting taken out of the “pocket,” even before the item appears to “solidify” into normal.

You can see River Rowing in action at its activation and deactivation. Unfortunately the position of the camera prevents us from seeing a clear image of the boat as it appears. But its massive light show does include a conversion circle—or a “portal,” if you will, as Trainee walks under the arch. (The camera also prevents us from seeing the boat get sent away.)

We do see the oars, though. As sturdy as they look, they each start out as a shape made of pure energy, with no extra detailing before they “solidify.” So again, conversion and construction are at work here.

JUMP BOOST. Amplification. Works the same way as an air blast. I…don’t actually see a reason as to why Ring can’t already do this? So long as the both of them are fast and strong enough, they should be able double-jump. I don’t like it, but I’m willing to chalk this one up to gameplay mechanics. Jump Boost only exists so you can skip over enemies anyway.

WING ABILITY. Conversion + Amplification. If the boat in River Rowing is an object being converted into and out of Ring’s pocket dimension—then so are the wings. I’m certain of it. There’s a circle of light as Trainee runs under the arch, same as with River Rowing. And if you watch closely here, you can see that each wings appears with distinct, detailed trimming straight from the get-go. Maybe more importantly, you can see each wing actually emerging from a portal of light. These portals come back again as Ring banishes the wings back into his pocket. The wings visibly sink into the portals, and then disappear.

This ability also falls under amplification. It looks like Trainee’s energy also gets fed into the trimmings, and that could increase the force of the flaps. It might be that the two of them wouldn’t be able to cut into the air as well without that boost.

This concludes Ring’s “special” powers.

———

And last but not least: sealing.

Ah, sealing. One of the first powers we ever see on screen. We witness it in action only once, way back in the beginning of the game. So our knowledge of how it works is limited. Something we also know very little about? Ring’s sneaky little “pocket dimension” trick. Unlike sealing, Ring doesn’t even acknowledge this as a power worth talking about. But as it turns out, if you’re working under the assumption that these two are related, it starts filling in some blanks.

Sealing, as we’re shown in the initial cutscene, has done something weird to Ring’s colors. His metal is the same as ever, but the energy that flows through his veins? It cycles through a faint rainbow as it flashes from light yellow to light purple. Dark Influence purple.

“Pocket dimension” implies Ring is somehow connected to a space physically separate from him and further separate from our reality. But if the objects Ring pulls from his “pocket” emerge as energy, that need to be converted back into matter. What if it’s closer than we thought. What if—everything that Ring stores away for you, from every boat or shirt or—heaven forbid—bodybuilding dragon…

What if it all.

Goes into.

His tube.

Life energy exists in everything, everywhere. And Ring is apparently a master at manipulating it into his donut stream. If a tomato, a living thing, can be converted twice and still come out of his “pocket” in one piece—then why not Dragaux? Maybe even especially Dragaux. He appears to convert himself back into the flesh once he’s out.

As for the physical seal that Trainee breaks…As best as I can figure, that thing is a lock being held into place by Ring’s sheer might and concentration. The way Ring talks about it, sealing sounds less like a one-time thing and more like this one, long, continuous effort in suppressing Dragaux. Because despite all restrictions, Dragaux never stopped training, never stopped straining, against his new prison. That seal was on its least legs, even before Trainee ruined Ring’s concentration.

———

STORAGE. Conversion. Physical matter gets temporarily converted into energy, and then tucked away into the tube containing Ring’s personal reservoir of life energy. Safely reversible. Objects can be converted/stored/released remotely, far away from Ring’s center.

SEALING. Conversion + Construction. Storage with a locked gate. The lock needs constant focus and effort to maintain. The physical seal bears a spiral symbol—the very same we see flashing white across the screen before every fit battle—and possibly doubles as a warning sign for danger, please don’t touch.

———

And that’s it. That’s all of them.

This thing is so dense, you genuinely deserve a pat on the back for making it to the end. Unless, you skipped around looking for the last Venn diagram? Which. In that case, here it is! As promised, the complete picture.

TL;DR:

Maybe some of these alignments leave room for argument, but I think the categories themselves stand up pretty well.

I hope reading this only gave you half the headache that writing it gave me! It was fun…when I wasn’t muttering curses against Ring under my breath. The formatting was a pain, but I think I handled it okay.

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DISCLAIMER: I take this video game way too seriously. This is all for fun! I feel pretty strongly about my conclusions, but I’ll go back and edit this if/when/where applicable. Thanks for reading.

———

Ring Analysis

Part 1: Synchronizing—How It Works and What It Tells Us About Ring

Part 2: Ring’s Powers—And What They All Have In Common

Part 3: Ring’s Biology and Possible Origins

A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament II - Plotline Arc Master Post

I was going to put all of the ones from Series 2 and the others going forward, but I felt like it would make this list too long. So I decided to just do Series 2 for now and do the others later.

Master Post: Arcs & Storylines

This is going to be a post concerning all of the content that is planned for the future on this blog. A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament is a series with the main theme of discovery, discovery of the unknown, discovery of new concepts and certain characters and what they represent. As such, some arcs will be focused on certain characters, (It could be your muse, another muse of mine or both) learning more about Kamijou Touma and who he is as a person,as he is someone who tries to save as many people as possible. Some will be focused on the Magic Side being discovered by some, the same for the Science Side, and especially the Meta Side (The side that introduces alien worlds, persons or other assorted phenomena).

With this said, most of these will be plotted out, especially the more darker and serious storylines that will be detailed here today, while there are some that are exclusive to certain mutuals of mine, as their characters, elements and/or setting will be one of the main focuses.

A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament II

The Shadow King Arc (In progress)

In this arc, it's about two weeks since the Holy Grail War ended and peace has returned to Academy City, however, a multi-universal ethereal entity called the Shadow King has set its sights on Earth, specifically, Academy City and has already taken control of several Espers including, Shokuhou Misaki: the #5 Level 5 Esper and the strongest Telepath. Touma and co. must stop this entity from initiating its plans of taking over the planet.

Agnese Hunting Arc (In progress)

Agnese Sanctis, along with Sister Angeline and Sister Lucia are being pursued by a pair of twins who bear a striking resemblance to the 1st Ranked Level 5. They seek shelter from Touma who agrees to help them flee Academy City after they were sent to investigate a being known as the God Hunter. When Touma finds out what's actually going on, who the God Hunter is and what the Church plans to do, can he help them reach a compromise before the real enemy makes their move? Pertains to @xbloodsoakedx​.

Element Kingdom Arc

Touma suddenly finds himself in the city of Los Santos to see that it is much, much colder than it should be in the west cost of the United States. Not only that, but the entire population of Los Santos is missing as well. Touma, Your Muse are attacked by strange creatures who are controlled by the magician who is the lord of this space. Meeting up with Index, the group sets out to correct this anomaly and restore Los Santos back to its original state.

School Garden Arc

Because of the events with Agnese, Kamijou is unable to return to his dorm until it is repaired. As a result the board of directors are able to arrange a deal for Touma to stay in School Garden of all places, specifically Tokiwadai. Dreading  what awaits him, he is unaware of the plot that MINUS plans to undertake in School Garden, specifically for the #5 Level 5, Shokuhou Misaki.

Precure Hunter Arc

The Clock Tower of the Magic Association has put out sealing designations on the members of the Happiness Charge Precure, and has sent their enforcers to capture them.  A competition between Freelancers and Enforcers are underway as the girls become targets for Magicians looking for payment or notoriety, and Touma finds himself caught in the middle of it. Pertains to @rosecoloredmuses​

Shirai Assist Arc

Following the events of the Precure Hunter Arc, Shirai Kuroko on behalf of Judgement starts to investigate the clues left behind from the conflict. Board Chairman of Academy City, Aleister Crowley feels that Kuroko, and others will learn of the existence of the Magic Side, so to that end, Aleister employs MINUS to have her assassinated to prevent her from learning too much. This will lead to a confrontation with Shirai and MINUS in the now abandoned Misawa Cram School Building. Will result in Touma getting severely injured.

Hamazura Recruitment Arc

MINUS, despite what happened in December, still seeks to have Hamazura Shiage to their side. To that end, MINUS attempts to blackmail him into joining them by threatening the safety of ITEM, specifically Takitsubo Rikou and the young Fremea Seivlun. Hamazura gives into their demands, at least from what it seems, only in reality, he plans to face off against those MINUS members by himself. Touma and (your muse) goes to the location to help him overcome the threat that is MINUS.

SISTERS REBIRTH Arc

A man in a suit manages to abduct Last Order, prompting Accelerator to go on a Manhunt for the assalant. Both he and Last Order are quickly found by Accelerator and Misaka Mikoto and Last Order is saved. However, the two Level 5s learn of a plot to restart the SISTERS Project, prompting Accelerator and Mikoto to take immediate action by destroying the labratories behind the plot. Later Misaka Imouto is kidnapped by a Researcher who is behind the plot and was once part of the original Project, prompting Touma to get involved, to save the Sisters. Includes new technology and Touma fighting a Researcher in a fist fight. Pertains to xbloodsoakedx and tetsuwan-atom

Dragon Slayer Arc

A defected Knight from the Roman catholic Church travels to Academy City with the intent to kill Touma, believing that by slaying him as the "Dragon", he will become a Saint and gain power. To combat this, Nessicarius and the Magic Association sends Kanzaki Kaori to protect him from this deranged magician. Will include the Invisible Thing manifesting following Touma's arm getting severed at some point.

Konori Justice Arc

Touma and Bowen are brought in by Yomikawa Aiho to help Judgement and Anti-Skill in a operation against some forces of MINUS in the tunnels of District 7. There is a lot of push back from this from Anti-Skill and Judgement, but circumstances force them to help, whether the peacekeeping forces want it or not.  They end up working with Judgement member Konori Mii in order to help take down the MINUS forces in the tunnels after the three are separated from the rest of the force after a MINUS attack and cave in. Pertains to @tetsuwan-atom​.

- God's One Throne Saga -

Unholy Inquisition Arc

The Fallen Roman Catholic Church finally decides to take action against the God Hunter and other enemies of God. Replacing God's Right Seat, a new organization called God's One Throne, led by Pope Mathias Benedictus decided to deploy the Neo-Inquisition to Academy City, with the sole purpose of eliminating Violet, Touma, and Bowen due to their respective natures. In response, Aleister once again plans to use Kazakiri Hyouka against the invading forces of the Church while the Magic Association plan to send enforcers to stop the Church. A new war between Magic and Science brews.

SS: Delta Force

A short story involving Touma and his friends Aogami Pierce and Tsuchimikado Motoharu getting into mischief involving swimsuits and changing room antics. Nothing serious here.

Book of Tyranus Arc

A grimoire called the Book of Tyranus was stolen from the British Museum by God's One Throne. The organization plans to use its contents in order to transform the Earth into a violent hellscape, thus destroying all of human civilization. The Magic Association requests the aid of Index, along with Touma as her manager and Bowen, as it is a grimore from the Meta Side and has the group with Miyuki, Othinus and Rosalia in tow head over to London. Chaos ensues moments after they land as the airport becomes a battle field between the forces of the Association, and the Church. Pertains to tetsuwan-atom.

Tower of London Arc

Gimelio The Understanding, after being defeated by the Association and Touma's group, is imprisoned within the Tower of London with the Church planning his rescue. Leivina Birdway is contacted by someone to prevent this from happening, and to that end she drags Touma and Co. along. Chaos ensues in the Tower of London as they not only have to deal with deranged prisoners, but Hei The Magnificent as well. Pertains to tetsuwan-atom.

The Flood Arc

With the first two days in London filled with nothing but chaos, Touma wants to enjoy his holiday to the fullest, but there is a complication: Lessar. Lessar from New Light mails herself to the Nessicarius women's dorm that Touma and crew are forced to stay (Since they are unable to return to japan because of the chaos from the Book of Tyranus arc) and tags along with them. However, the Fallen Roman Catholic Church declares the Magic Association to be enemies of God and another member of God's One Throne, VAVA The Gloriousmounts their attack on London. Chaos ensues when the water manipulating magician takes control of the Thames in the conflict.

Thor Challenge Arc

The Magician Thor wishes to fight Touma once more, to that end, he gets him involved in rescuing the 10% of missing child cases in England from the hands of God's One Throne, who continues to use them as disposable tools. Meanwhile, the Association and the Knights of England work together to find the hideout of the remaining members of God's One Throne in London and defeat them. More chaos ensues.

- MINUS Saga -

(Note: The MINUS saga runs concurrently along with the God's One Throne Saga after Delta Force SS and due to who it focuses on, it has more of s railgun feel and manga-like structure storywise. Meaning, they are longer in some cases)

Day 1.

After a phone conversation between Touma and the Railgang, Uiharu Kazari takes an interest in the boy, although is unable to properly remember his name and face because of how unremarkable it is. Meanwhile, Anti-Skill and Judgement conduct a joint operation against MINUS throughout the city. We learn that the Outsourcer for the Plan of Attack was a Pyschology expert by the name of Echidena Kihara Romefeller. The plan of attack results in tragety the side of Judgement and Uiharu seeks to uncover the identity of the Outsourcer, while at the same time conducting her own personal investigation into Kamijou Touma.

Day 2.

In her investigation into Touma, Uiharu asks her best friend Saten what he means to her. because of the timing of it, the question makes  Saten very uncomfortable  and is unable to anser due to having to go to school. Later, Uiharu continues her search for the escaped MINUS members, the identity of the Outsourcer, and more digging into Touma. Uiharu hacking into Touma's file results in her getting threatened by a sniper. She and Konori head over to Touma's school in order to gain information on a member of MINUS who used to go there. After this and more, Uiharu meets up with Saten again, the two argue for a bit regarding what happened earlier in the morning, but make up in the end. They meet up with Mikoto and Kuroko in order to question Touma in relation to his involvement in the Tower of LOndon Arc.

After this, the quartet head over to district 10 in order to face off against the remaining 232 members of MINUS who are hiding there. Anti-Skill and Judgement once again working together, only this time with Anti-Skill leading the charge. Yomikawa also brings in outside help in the form of Hamazura Shiage, Hattori Hanzou, Kuruwa, and Violent Violet. As this operation becomes a battlefeild for the hackers, (Uiharu and the MINUS hacker), the four volunteers are paired with the Railgang in order to protect Uiharu so she can hack into the machines and auromated weapons that MINUS has under their control.

After the conflict is over, the Railgang encounters Thor in Heaven Canceller's hospital to steal some drugs he plans to use on Touma as it ties into the Thor Arc.

Day 3.

The war against MINUS continues as the organization makes their next move to recover their captured member from Anti-Skill and Judgement. Interogations will happen featuring the appearance of Shokuhou Misaki and Kumokawa Seria, and a disturbing revelation is discovered that could potentially put Academy City and Tokyo in danger. Anti-Skill and Judgement move to stop this plot along with the help of a newly reformed GROUP?!

Day 4.

MINUS is on its last legs with most of its members in custody. Uiharu finds herself on a bus with a bomb that is about to blow up and she has to figure out how to stop it. Kamijou Touma finally returns home after his escapades in London, but as expected, it may not be a peaceful return.

Foul Resurrection Arc

After the incidents with MINUS and God's One Throne, Touma tries to enjoy his return to Academy City, but all of that is thrown out the window when he and Index are suddenly attacked by a strange serpent creature. Later, they encounter a woman in blue and find out that the serpent has been going around killing people. Wanting to stop this, Touma gets caught up in a dark plot involving the return of a certain old foe of Accelerator and Violent Violet. Pertains to xbloodsoakedx.

Hashmal Ascension Arc

Touma encounters a girl with silver hair and blue eyes who follows him around for some reason. Little does he know that this girl is somehow connected to the Pope and God's One Throne. A new conflict between Magic and Science continues.

The Great Magician War Arc (Final)

Following God's One Throne and the Pope's attack on Academy City, Inori Bendictus is taken away to Vatican City in order to enact his plans of using her power to bring forth the Promised Land --- which will result in the eradication of the human race. In the mist of all of this, the Vatican declares war on Academy City, the Magic Association, and the rest of humanity, branding them all as heretical. The final battle with the Grand Roman catholic Church commences as the forces of Magic the forces of Science, and the forces of the Kamijou Faction, all move forward to stop the Pope and save one girl.

If you are interested in writing any of these with me, please feel free to message me!

Fruits Basket, SE02, Ep23

Love is in the air is the theme of this ep! All kinds of luv~ for everybody!~ kyo/tohru (main), yuki/machi(new!!), rin/haru(on going), Arisa/Kureno (dead-end?), hiro/kisa (babies to luvers...), hana/tohru/arisa (sisters love!) yuki/kakeru (friendship), momiji/tohru (cutest friendship!) kyo/haru (underrated friendship), hana/kyo/arisa (living to tease*torment* you friendship!XD), kyo/kazuma (parental love!), Haru/kisa (big brother care), yuki’s fanclub (toxic love), hana/food (OTP). What an ep!! One of a kind where you start off crying of laughter & end up crying from broken heart!

-Arisa’s second outburst:

The best thing abt this play is that you can’t tell if they’re following a script or not for the most part. XD, However, for some it IS clear when they bring in their personal feelings. Arisa was fine acting her role with improvised jokes on kyo’s expense. However, due to kyo’s refusal to meet the princess, she got angry to the point of screaming in front of the whole school & visitors? The outburst was treated seriously with climatic music, audience reaction, fellow actors surprise & narrator-san pointing out it IS personal & not scripted. But afterwards arisa is fine. Even though I’m not into love at first sight, I acknowledge it exists in fiction & in reality. No problem. But the extreme intensity of kureno/Arisa’s love is higher than everybody’s without enough basis from those two meetings they had before... Sure, she can fall in love with him, wish him to meet her.. but her outburst is too much, too painful, too heartbreaking. However if you look at her outburst as a plot device to get kureno involved once again & complicate things, bingo, you get why it was planted there. Momiji’s footage will reach him. cool. but too forced in my opinion.. everything abt their interaction is too forced, from her first outburst at his few words that got her to cry her heart out & leave the restaurant & get nearly kissed on the lips to her second outburst in front of the entire school. Arisa likes ppl who are tohru-like. The narrative hints that kureno is tohru-like. First, his clumsiness, second? being content with his unjust life? what is tohru-like abt him so far that gets arisa to scream her heart out? I’m sure we’ll see more of his tohru-like qualities. but so far, it comes across too forced for me.

-Machi SEES the real yuki:

It seems that the confirmation that any female is heading to yuki’s heart is to be bullied by yuki’s fans. lol.  Machi not seeing yuki as a prince is her unique thing. Everybody including tohru see him as a prince & put him in a pedestal. In the play yuki descended from the sky, emerged from underground, said deep lines & glowed. Yet, machi saw thro the acting. I was cheering for yuki to step in & put these toxic girls at their place. Machi can be saved by kakeru’s indirect plan, sure, but this toxic behavior has been going since ep1. tohru was saved from them by hana & arisa. Bullying is always used as a plot device in furuba & unfortunately a comedic gag (there’s an entire ep dedicated for the fanclub). Sure furuba isn’t going to fix every issue or even provide solutions. It can’t. it shouldn’t. bullying is one hell of hard issue to solve. furuba wants to use bullying for plot. no problem. but also decides to comment on it quickly? yuki & kakeru’s argument abt the proper reaction towards bullying with each one of them taking an opposite opinion while machi herself is being bullied behind them felt too philosophical & untimely. Only for all this to end with a gag. Yuki is stuck paying the consequence cuz they’re his fans?.. ok. I’d love if the entire scene didn’t involve this argument. For example, yuki finding the girls, him listening to machi’s opinion abt him, him about to step in & defend her, then kakeru makes a prank abt photo-session with yuki, unknowingly saving the situation. Cuz the whole point of the scene is for yuki to know machi is different & sees the real him! Not that I hate how things played out, it is just furuba’s treatment of the issue of bullying is always weird to me. Similar to its treatment of violence, sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s comedy.

-Tohru’s best visual presentation ( show-NOT-tell): YES!

I’ve complained plenty abt furuba not treating tohru with enough visual presentation when it comes to hints for her issues or thoughts. but NOT today! This ep is tohru’s heaven! Tohru was torn apart between too many things & she didn’t inner monologue abt anything, YET, the visual imagery was enough to talk in her behalf!!! They showed tohru’s reaction to arisa, they showed tohru noticing haru/rin connection, they showed tohru react to Hana’s words without showing any of her inner thoughts & it works 100%. I’m so satisfied with this kind of treatment. You can show tons of silent emotions & trust the audience to make the correct conclusions without making your character spoon feed the audience on what they’re feeling. Hana’s “ do you plan to keep on deceiving yourself, locked in the castle, until you die?” is too close for comfort! it triggered kyo to react & say exactly his reasoning behind his decision without bringing the real world “ So what if I do? Does it hurt anyone else?” Kyo is sick of believing that he’s causing harm to his loved ones (mother, father, kazuma, kyoko, tohru). He agrees to be locked till death cuz this way no one will be harmed. ONLY him. he thinks he DESERVE it for existing & causing harm to these same ppl. His response prompts tohru to forget herself & react. What did tohru say? ( you are loved? you need to live? don’t hurt yourself? ) NO. It is NOT abt kyo. it IS abt HER!!! It is the (true form ) scene again but this time symbolically with 10 times harsher consequences!!! kyo’s true form’s final scene is NOT abt kyo deciding to stay, it IS abt tohru saying what she wants. That day tohru talked abt HERSELF. “ I want to listen to your complaints cuz u listened to me”. “ I want us to stay together” By demanding things & acknowledging herself, she got kyo to come back. This time, too, she react cuz SHE wants kyo to stay. “ I wouldn’t..” It is ME. I’ll be hurt if you’re locked. it is abt ME. I need you. I want you. I’m too scared to loose you. You’ve been my true support for long time now. Don’t Leave me, too!!!. Tohru stops herself cuz tohru doesn’t allow herself to want things or even acknowledge that she is worthy of things!! Just focus on her dialogue with others “ if I’m not troubling you, it is forward of me, please allow me” she’s talking to her friends! tohru has the lowest self esteem in furuba!

-Kyo, being an expert on reading tohru, knew the rest of the line. Kyo notices she’s in love with him. but again sinners don;t deserve love! You can’t love monsters? you’ll end up hurt!! hello!! tohru bled in the true form ep. he can’t hurt her again!!! NO way!! Enough causing her pain & tears. “ I wont take anything away from you again” he said in ep, 9. So, kyo forces himself to NOT see the truth. Forces his eyes to close tight. He’s an expert on that. Last ep, his eyes were forced to open to the reality that he doesn’t really hate yuki, but hates himself. Now, you want him to un-hate himself a little & acknowledge tohru’s love? if he did, where will it lead to? they’ll both confess & live together without him telling her abt kyoko?? that’s deceit! Him telling her abt kyko? she won’t forgive him, she’ll hate him! it is better to leave with happy memories than leave after causing tohru harm. Heck! tohru forgiving him or not IS not the issue, at all. the issue is HIM. he can’t forgive himself. he’s unforgivable!

-The most tragic Foreshadowing: (Symbolism DONE Right!)

They meet after the semi-confession, things are not the same anymore! they try to awkwardly get back to normal. Kyo says “ it couldn’t be, (I won’t let my self think it)” we know why. tohru says “ I wont (let my self think it)” WHY?!!! what is the show hiding for tohru? we know kyo’s issue. it is the BEST untold issue!! but tohru? What is stopping her more than her denying herself? it gotta be convincing & deep. otherwise, the writer would ruin the best complicated emotional dilemma that she is building her climax on! I know I’ll like what’s in store for tohru. No way such writer will miss on this. This will be EPIC. The tear between them is one of furuba’s greatest visual symbolism. One image only causing enough heartache to balance & take away the laughter from the entire ep!! One image leaving you with a punch in the gut. leaving you frustrated as to “Nooooooo~ stop! get back together”. I’m not usually into romance as I’m not a romantic person, but furuba has weaved this tale of emotionally abused children with traumatic experiences & tied them together with faint romantic direction & one of the best slow burns in anime! steadily building up their romantic connection without making it forced or in your face or apparent. I still can’t pinpoint when it first happened! Well-done writer & anime team. 10/10 scene!

Side Notes:

Narrator-san is the BEST! He kept everybody in check! & did it in style!

I’d like to thank the director for bringing their A+ animators to this ep! Kyo mostly looks hot & handsome but not HD, but there’s this kyo animator that kills the kyo animation!! kyo’d have three long strands of hair on his nose & his eyes would have more light animation than the mono-light. You can TELL the eps they bring this animator on! (such as Se01,Ep5, kagura ep, etc. ) & tohru!!!! my girl was done right!!!! no weird animation, no extra small baby hands, no shoulders that start around chest area, no bangs that are drawn like they suddenly ran out of brown ink mid coloring! lol. yuki is pretty & HD in every ep & so is hana!!

Hana is the prettiest furuba character hands down! 

Let’s be honest, yuki could’ve said 1+1=2 & the school would’ve celebrated his wisdom! XD. I kinda wish he’d deliberately say sth stupid jst for the heck of it. part of breaking the perfect yuki image. XD.

The opening gag of the men ogling kisa is the most unnecessary scene in furuba, eww~ Not funny!

why is every character MUST be part of romantic couple in furuba? Even children? & they have their own mini love complications with jealousy & misunderstanding, pinning & all. lol

Kazuma. that’s it. that’s the note.

Hana was mocking fiction tropes (animosity in families, traditions pressuring youth, helpless heroine, love at first sight! XD, romance for romance, happily ever after romance, main male protagonist loving main female protg, magical beings saving the day). Best play ever!

why does it feel like kyo just came from war? XD. He was in last ep. perhaps cuz he was absent for most of the season after kagura’s ep, with cameos here & there, few lines & not much focus. But they made up for it & brought his face expressions game up! from annoyed, cat ears, love struck, teased, blushing, a white cartoon-ish cat with an orange cat inside his mouth, shirtless hot, childish jealousy for his papa, his fangs, his cat reflexes. Name it & you bet there’s a kyo face for it. XD.

Speaking of funny faces, prince yuki got one today! all thanks to machi. that’s what I call women power! XD.

What is this weird skin-colored thingi? school mascot?

I love that hiro is questioning the play. XD

momiji is back, I feel that it’s been long as I last saw him!

haru is hot. Haru is kind.

I love the small awkward tension between kyo/tohru as they met after the play, tohru’s faint sweat drops as she does her closed eyes smile & kyo’s sweat drop as he takes the food from her & talks abt shisho.

Shisho & kyo mini manga. is it published yet?

kyo & hana’s interactions are life!!!! XD.

Ayame deserves praise! costumes on point!!

Hana wins the one liners game. sorry haru, XD.

You know it is serious when kyo monologues! I used to think, it happens ONCE a season (ture form SE01,Ep24, akito confrontation, SE02,Ep,9)!! but he got one or two inner monologues lines today, if you count him repeating tohru’s line! Sh*t is going down! Will I hear more before the season ends???!! or will the honor goes to tohru?!! I can’t even imagine what’ll happen next!!!!

Harry Potter Fanfic Recommendations about Trans Characters

I will not pretend to be an expert by any means when I am cis, but I’ve come across plenty of stories with trans characters in the past and wanted to not only re-find them but also discover more. Here is a far-from-comprehensive list of links sorted by which character is trans. Some of these stories have more than one, in which case I deferred to the protagonist. 

I intend to keep adding to this as I discover more, so if anyone has specific recommendations, please send them my way! I only have ten listed thus far, but I wanted to get the list out there.

Harry Potter

the girl who lived (again) - Features Harry/Ginny. 10,330 words. Rated G.

Molly tried her best. When Harry had told them, Arthur had asked excitedly, "is this a Muggle thing?" Hermione had hurried out a "no!" and a frantic history of gender diversity in the wizarding world.

"It's just that I'm a girl," Harry had said, and Arthur had nodded and asked her about how telephone booths worked. He would call her by the right pronouns until the day he died at the respectable old age of one hundred and thirty three, and he would make it seem easy.

But Molly had to try. Hermione explained things faster and higher-pitched every time Molly messed up a pronoun. Molly frowned and muttered and put extra potatoes on Harry's plate at breakfast. Harry slept in Ron's room, which didn't bother either of them but which made Hermione scowl.

Harry got boxes of sweets and warm hugs, as Molly chewed things over. For her fifteenth Christmas, the Weasley sweater she would receive would be a bright, friendly, terrible pink.

The next time Harry visited, Molly put her on Ginny's floor to sleep-- for some definition of sleep that involved Hermione hissing threats at three in the morning if Harry and Ginny didn't "shut up about Wronski feints, do you know what time it is."

My note: This story is actually a re-imagining of her whole book story. Her name is considered at one point, but she decides to keep using Harry because she feels it fits her. It also includes references to other trans and gender fluid characters.

Draco Malfoy

The Only True Goal of the Universe - Features Harry/Draco and background Hermione/Ron, Seamus/Dean. 22,753 words. Rated E.

It comes up, as most juvenile things do, in a game of Truth or Dare.

Shenanigans - Features Harry/Draco and background Hermione/Ron. 4823 words. Rated E.

Of course Draco’s orgasm hits him right as Potter does the one thing he’s not supposed to do. Of fucking course.

Or, the blood curse lingering over the Malfoys has landed on Draco, and he’s doomed to get knocked up by the first cock that gets inside his cunt. Just his luck that cock ends up being Harry Potter’s.

Hand-in-Hand and Handkerchief - Features Draco/Astoria. 3008 words. Rated G

Draco Malfoy is not generally sympathetic to the sight of tears, but when he stumbles upon a second year Slytherin sniffling in the rose garden during the Yule Ball, for once he manages not to be a complete arse. Astoria is just glad that he had a handkerchief in his pocket because she forgot hers.

My Note: This includes three trans characters, including a happy adult example. It also has mention of a really cool magical potion idea for transition that the author has provided a free-for-use explanation of here.

Sirius Black

Discards - Features Remus/Sirius, James/Lily. 76,032 words. Rated M. Modern non-magical AU.

When 21-year-old assistant librarian Sirius spots a cute hipster college student at the Seattle Public Library, he just needs to figure out a subtle way of determining whether he's into guys. But Remus's life is more complicated than Sirius knows.

My note:  Tons of diversity within this cast with no white main characters and many different sexualities mentioned. Also sex positive with great commentary about homelessness, HIV, sex work, classism, and more. 

Live Like We’re Renegates - Remus/Sirius and background Lily/James. 24,378 words. Rated E.

Exuberant, proud, genderfluid, cheerleader, self-described narcissist. All things to describe Sirius Black. It's a stark contrast from the self-imposed loner, Journalist, and Gender Studies major Remus Lupin who is thrown into Sirius' world after accepting a project for a class. When the two worlds collide, both lives are changed for the better.

Sirius leant forward a bit, meeting Remus’ eyes. “Are you asking if I go for cute boys in beanies and jumpers, Remus Lupin?”

Remus’ face went hot. “Er. No. I mean…er…”

Sirius laughed. “Find your chill, love. I’m joking.” He winked at Remus and sat back again.

My note: Sirius is genderfluid and uses He/Him pronouns. Remus is deaf with a cochlear implant.

Lay Your Hands on Me -Features Remus/Sirius and background Lily/James. 8947 words. Rated E.

In which Sirius really likes trying out new hairstyles over the years and Remus really can't concentrate on much else, to be honest. This fic features reckless and impulsive teenage boys, classic Marauders-style banter, a low-key overdramatic Remus, and falling in love with close friends.

Or, alternatively: Three times Remus really wanted to touch Sirius' hair and one time he actually did.

Remus Lupin

TransFigured (and continued series) - Features Remus/Sirius. 57,170. Rated E.

“We thought you might be a werewolf," said Sirius. "What?" Remus almost laughed at the absurdity. "Last year. James and I thought — but the dates didn’t quite match up. With the full moons, I mean." "Well, I’m not." "I know. All I meant was, we thought you might be, and we still wanted to be friends. Whatever you’re not telling us — how much worse can it be?"

All Hail the Outlaws - Features Remus/Sirius and background Lily/James, Peter/Dorcas. 29,330 words. Rated E.

One of Remus Lupin's three jobs happens to be working maintenance for their flat building. He gets to meet all sorts, most of whom he would rather have nothing to do with. Until James Potter and Sirius Black move in across the hall. Engineering students and self-proclaimed geniuses, the pair set out to make their neighbours new best friends, and everyone's life is turned upside down, but in the best way possible.

My note: Sirius is blind, and the fic spends a lot of focus on each man’s experiences with bigotry and learning how to best be there for each other.

Succession of Halos - Features Remus/Sirius and background Lily/James. 7340 words. Rated E

When Remus gets talked into seeing his favourite author--Astronomy Professor S. Black--hold a stargazing lecture, he anticipates a stodgy old man in tweed. He does not expect the ripped jeans and rolling-stones t-shirt wearing, motor-bike riding Sirius Black with his wicked smile and passion for the stars. Remus is sure there's no chance between them, but little does he know, Sirius has a passion for many things in life, one of which being Remus Lupin.

My note: I have this listed under Remus, but Sirius is also genderfluid. Baby Harry is featured in the story, and is blind.

Child Characters

‘Twas Brillig - Features Harry/Draco with failed Harry/Ginny. 73,998 words. Rated E.

Harry reads a chapter of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to his children before bed every night and through the story, he and his middle child find an ally in each other as they, along with Alice, discover a world that just doesn't seem to make sense when taken at face value. The more aware Harry becomes - embracing his child's reality - the more motivated he is to build a wizarding world that is fully inclusive, and by processing these life lessons finds he's able to connect with another person in ways that have always eluded him.

My Note: There are two trans characters in this story, one being Al (who begins using Alice with Al still as a nickname) and another being an adult I’ll leave unnamed because it comes up organically. This story is as much if not more so about Harry’s sexuality, and there is also strong representation of drag and crossdressing from a cis male character.

Miscellaneous

When The Letter Comes by Sara Fox - A published short story that seems definitely inspired by Harry Potter but also by other fantasy works.

Henry believes that someday, something awesome will happen–everything will turn out all right and all her problems will disappear once her letter arrives, welcoming her to magic school. So even though puberty is already here with changes (like her voice deepening and hair growing in places she does not want), she also knows it’s only a matter of time. After all, hundreds of books have said so.

But when the letter finally comes on Henry’s thirteenth birthday, it is not addressed to her, but to her sister.

When The Letter Comes is a short story with a YA trans protagonist that embraces the experience of those left behind, who must find their own way in the world–magic or not.

Your overview to pain management physician

Your pain has gotten to excruciating degrees. It's there with you throughout your functioning day. When you're trying to have fun with your youngsters. Getting a good night's sleep is the paradise you think you'll never ever get to once more. Chronic discomfort can be incapacitating. It's vital not to neglect your pain, or experience through it. This approach can not only lead to worsening the issue, yet it's also no way to live your life. Whether you're suffering as an outcome of a vehicle injury, accident, or otherwise, we'll cover the essentials and even more. Do pain management centers work? In brief, an unquestionable yes. Pain management facilities use evidence-based treatment strategies to help individuals increase their lifestyle. Detailed research studies have actually shown that therapy can result in substantial reductions in persistent discomfort, as well as boosted health, mood, and joy. The multi-disciplinary strategy taken by many physicians makes sure people achieve long-term health and wellness advantages. What you ought to expect The important things you need to bear in mind is that this is not a fast repair offer. That is not the objective. As a matter of fact, if someone assures you a single-session fix, you ought to most likely compete the exit quickly. Chronic discomfort is a hard issue to deal with, and it can be challenging to resolve. But it's certainly feasible to decrease the quantity of discomfort you are dealing with, allowing you to continue living your life without crippling pain. The main purpose of a pain management physician is to help boost your quality of life. They attain this by giving you physical as well as mental coping abilities. These are developed to manage pain, as well as for many individuals life will certainly feel 'normal' one more time. Usually, clients will at first go to sessions for a half-day or full, specifically if you are registered as an outpatient. This is frequently the very best wager for individuals that have actually endured a mishap or injury. You can additionally sign up with programs that will certainly last a lot longer, however these will certainly be administered on a part-time timetable. There is no one-size-fits-all technique The best pain control facilities take an all natural strategy to medicine. You're looking for a customized plan that's been developed for your specific problems, not a pre-ordained solution that saves time but inevitably does absolutely nothing for your chronic discomfort. Whilst you will be given a customized technique, this is what you may anticipate from an usual session: ● Physical therapy (PT) session that focuses on assisting you enhance movement. ● Occupational therapy (OT), which takes you through what you need to enhance your capacity to efficiently complete daily jobs and activities. ● Pain education and learning sessions. In these sessions, you will learn exactly how persistent discomfort functions as well as establishes. With this knowledge, you will be familiar with your body far better as well as just how ideal to approach discomfort. ● Body, mind and also relaxation therapy. This will normally happen at the end of your session, including mindfulness exercises, while also giving you an opportunity to unwind and get right into a favorable frame of mind. What you need to search for ' Pain management physician' is a little an umbrella term. That's why you require to look for a specialist that finds out about your particular sort of pain. For example, if you have experienced a car mishap, you need an auto injury chiropractor that knows with the current treatment choices for that situation. You also need to think concerning what is necessary to you. For some people, alternative medicine is specifically vital. Taking an all natural approach to chiropractic problems can be useful; nonetheless, not all pain management physicians will provide these options to their individuals. On top of that, you intend to locate a clinic you feel comfy with. Remember, you will be investing a whole lot of time with your picked specialist, so having a smooth and open connection is important. This will certainly help you accomplish your goals as well as you will certainly be able to identify your issues as well as progress over time. What you need to keep away from When looking for a pain management physician, there is one thing you need to prevent. Clinics that concentrate on mainly prescribing narcotics to relieve pain ought to be avoided in any way expenses, particularly as a long-term treatment alternative. It's not only possibly dangerous, but is not a very reliable method The issue with discomfort medication is that it's generally a 'quick solution'. Patients will certainly commonly choose this option, as it provides instantaneous discomfort relief and allows them to return to their regular lives with little disturbance, at the very least to start with. They can have substantial side results and don't deal with the core issues the person is experiencing. This is not to say they can never be taken. Plainly, there are specific scenarios where discomfort medication can offer temporary alleviation. You need to be conscious that these can be really habit forming. Additionally, some discomfort drugs will certainly respond to other pills you may be taking. It is very essential you check this with your personal medical professional before starting any kind of numbing therapy options. Take an all natural approach. The most effective means to manage pain is to search for an all natural expert. This suggests that they will take a look at the whole person, and also focus therapy based on a range of devices. This can consist of limited narcotics as well as injections where essential, yet can also convert to emotional methods. Your chiropractor or medical professional might make a cognitive behavioural therapy program, which can aid you break that destructive cycle of depression, anxiety, and pain. Learning exactly how to react to discomfort on a mental level can make it a great deal less complicated to obtain with the physical symptoms. This is especially true for those of you suffering from fibromyalgia, where experts think this treatment is incredibly reliable. Look for a pain control clinic near you Preferably, you desire to pick a pain management physician who is local to your location. This will make it easier for you to stick to a physical treatment routine as well as not overlook your chronic pain problems. Considering some therapy strategies can take numerous weeks of numerous gos to, it is far more practical. Obviously, alternative pain management clinics are a little tougher to locate, yet it's still worth examining if there is a neighborhood alternative. On balance, nonetheless, pick based upon the top quality of the doctor, not comfort alone. If you have to drive a little further to obtain to a holistic chiropractor, for instance, make that additional sacrifice. Locate support system Pain management calls for an energetic technique from the person. Do not simply rely on your doctor to offer a hands-free solution, yet obtain involved with assisting you feel better. Support teams are particularly practical, as they fill up the gap in between sessions at your selected clinic. Support teams offer a pleasant setting with individuals that are experiencing comparable chronic pain concerns. Going through gentle physical exertion, leisure and also mindfulness strategies, and also just the social aspect can all help reduce the pain you experience. The key purpose of a pain management physician is to help improve your quality of life.' Pain management physician' is a little bit of an umbrella term. Taking a holistic technique to chiropractic concerns can be beneficial; nevertheless, not all pain management physicians will certainly offer these choices to their individuals. There is one point you ought to stay clear of when looking for a pain management physician. Ideally, you desire to select a pain management physician that is local to your area. On Purpose Chiropractic 427 N Santa Cruz Ave Los Gatos, CA 95030 United States (408) 354-8044 For more information on Chronic Pain Management Clinics Los Gatos Chiropractor Open Sunday Near Me Los Gatos CA

How Do You Know When to Add Poses in the Ashtanga Primary Series?

Ashtanga - The Approach Behind the Postures: Component 1

We can probably all concur that the Ashtanga technique is not "just regarding the stances", but the postures are still a component of what makes up the approach. The approach of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga exercise consists of a collection sequence (or series). The approach, as I recognize it, also includes an emphasis on constructing the technique and patterns of movement in such a way that is proper for each person. It's a bit of a mystery. You might likewise intend to review my write-up on what Key Series is ...

It's essential to establish patterns of activity or openness that are both proper and also valuable for the long-lasting development of the sequence.

The truth may be that there are points to gain from both holding back as well as waiting on points to open as well as going on and making use of positions to help backfill openings and/or staminas that are missing. Waiting till points open, keeps you focused on what needs interest then. Going on might open areas that assist you with those poses you're working with. We can make a debate for either of those two viewpoints. The much better inquiry is, when and also why?

That paradox is such a large topic that I'm mosting likely to break it down right into a series of 3 articles. In this very first article in the collection, I'll concentrate on main series and what I search for when including brand-new poses.

It's important to keep in mind that the series itself, and also the stances themselves are a perfect. There is a difference in intent in between dealing with the suitable as an instructions and thinking that the stances or the series needs to be done exactly as images may reveal (the ideal). When you are dealing with the suitable of the poses or series as a direction, as opposed to a fixed end factor, you can approve the process that your body is undergoing as well as the procedure that each stance undergoes as you remain to exercise it.

There are 2 quotes from Yoga exercise Mala composed by Pattabhi Jois that talk with the concept that the process is various for every single practitioner.

P 27 - "For individuals over fifty, it is enough to practice several of the simpler as well as better asanas, in addition to some of the pranayamas."

P 28 - "As the bodily constitution of each person is various, it is very important to exercise the asanas appropriately. The benefit to be had from one asana or pranayama can be obtained equally as well from another that better matches the structure of an individual's body. Some asanas are not suitable for certain people and also may be uncomfortable."

Both of these quotes seem to imply that there is shake area in just how the series is taught which the training needs to be ideal to the student. This might likewise be viewed as a slippery slope of rationalization to avoid trying or pursuing the ideal (despite whether or not you ever before reach it).

I have actually seen many, first-hand instances of both Guruji ( Sri K. Pattabhi jois) as well as R. Sharath in Mysore adjusting specific key collection practices to scenarios, back injuries, neck injuries, knee injuries, and so on. So, if the series can as well as does get modified, why have a set collection whatsoever? When should you quit? When should you change? When ought to you go on and add postures in primary series?

If you have a regular teacher who is better along in the yoga technique than you, after that they are most likely collaborating with you to evaluate your technique in its context and assist you answer these concerns from a much more objective point of sight. But what happens if you do not live near a Mysore educator and life circumstances are such that you are largely a home expert? Just how do you recognize when to add poses in main series?

There is, naturally, no person solitary response to this question. Most likely you could say there are as numerous answers to this concern as there are teachers and trainees. The heart of the inquiry has to do with what we understand as our intention or objectives for method. Why are we practicing?

I think there are two facets to the answer to this question: an anatomical solution as well as a "yoga exercise" response. I'll include both the makeup element as well as the broader "yoga exercise" facet in my response. We can initially recognize that it's most likely that some component of our factor for doing method is the physical advantage. We might value that doing technique has made us stronger and/or more adaptable or we could have a more general purpose of just desiring more ease in our body as well as value that technique can assist us in feeling better in our body. This is one purpose for practice. In action to this intent, I'll discuss the composition from the point of view of physiological patterns that could help you determine when to relocate on with additional stances in primary series.

The Anatomy Part

When wondering whether it's time to include positions in the Ashtanga primary collection, we require to look at the postures that come in the past as well as after the existing present you're dealing with. The positions don't live in a vacuum cleaner as well as shouldn't be dealt with. They happen in relationship to each other. The main collection requests for the hips to open.

Although many people highlight the forward flexing facet of the postures, it's not the only way and direction the hips are attempting to open up. Consider it in this manner, if it was all regarding opening the hamstrings, after that we would simply do paschimottanasana over and also over once again. However the minute we start doing right-sided and left-sided poses, the main focus must get on the leg that has altered form as well as the method which the hip is being asked to open up on that particular side complied with by the forward bending component of the posture.

A example is Janu Sirsasana A, where in my mind, the emphasis is really on externally revolving the hip joint of the leg that is bent. If you miss out on that part and also do not deal with the outside rotation of the hip, half-lotus and also lotus postures suffer in the long-term.

Having said that, if you're battling with the easiest seated ahead bend, then attempting to work with much more complex postures that integrate an ahead bend and a twist for instance, can really obstruct of working the forward flexing facet of the posture. Attempting to accessibility stances that are composed of numerous aspects that you are struggling with can likewise raise your chances for injury. The fastest way ahead in the long-term, can really be the slower means in the temporary. The time to include poses in the Ashtanga primary series, after that, is when there is simplicity and stability in the poses that come in the past. But what does that appearance like?

While several stances could be thought about to have a key intention, a lot of postures have many facets. So, if we understand the positions in key series and how they are all pertaining to one an additional, we could want to wait to add the next position until there is ease and also security in the main element as well as perhaps a second facet of a stance we're currently functioning on. Allow's take the instance of marichyasana A, B, C, and also D.

In marichyasana A we have a:

Binding aspect

Forward bending aspect

In marichyasana B we have a:

Half-lotus aspect

Binding aspect

Forward bending aspect

In marichyasana C we have a:

Upright intention (attached to hamstring size)

Binding aspect

Twisting aspect

In marichyasana D we have a:

Half-lotus aspect

Binding aspect

Upright intent (connected to hip versatility)

Twisting aspect

Each of these aspects of the poses asks something certain from the body anatomically, whether it's size in the hamstrings or a certain amount of visibility in the shoulders for binding. Several of these aspects may come less complicated or more gradually to you. It's feasible that there are numerous stances that are constructing into these aspects. Stacking also numerous of them up without being able to totally do any of them is one indicator that you may not be prepared to include on yet an additional position with a comparable aspect.

But all various other things being equivalent, which aspects of the poses to highlight? Generally speaking, start with the ground and function up. Hatha yoga is all concerning opposing powers or qualities. Grounding as well as lifting enter your mind. I stress what I consider to be the grounding elements initially and also develop the lifting aspects on that foundation. If we proceed with our instance of marichyasana A, B, C, as well as D, I would consider being able to access the pelvis by fulling sitting upright, as well as, the binding as 2 grounding facets in these stances. If you can't stay up, after that you're dropping back (not grounded/stable). The binding contributes to the security in these postures and also can give you something to antagonize or from.

By spending time really functioning marichyasana A, we're enabling time for the shoulders to open up enough to bind as well as for the hamstrings to lengthen sufficient that we can stay up and also fold forward to some level. Adding the 1/2 lotus to marichyasana often tests the binding facet, so I would include marichyasana B after there is consistency in binding marichyasana An and also after there is some ease in 1/2 lotus where it occurs in earlier postures in the key collection. (Janu sirsasana A, ardha baddha paschimottanasana, and so on.)

Marichyasana C adds a twist in addition to the marichyasana A structure, so I would certainly include Marichyasana C after there is stability as well as ease in resting upright in marichyasana A. Marichyasana D integrates the facets of marichyasana B and also C, so I would not include that present until there is solidity in marichyasana B and also C. You could take this suggestion of damaging down the postures and comprehending their relationships to each other to any combination of positions in main series.

The “Yoga” Part

Anatomy apart, there are other reasons to add poses in the Ashtanga main collection sooner or to wait a bit before including postures. Those other factors belong to our various other objectives for technique. Most likely, we do not simply do the Ashtanga technique for its physical benefits.

So, what do we do the practice for?

exploring one thing deeply

working with personal goal setting and add-on to outcomes and also outcomes

working with our reaction to difficulties/challenges/struggles

working with our response to boredom as well as uniqueness seeking

working on subtle elements of breathing

developing improved concentration as well as psychological steadiness ...and many other reasons

How after that can we make use of the structure of practice to support development as professionals. It can commonly be less complicated to see these elements of the operate in experiment some distance. It can be very practical to have an instructor to deal with you to assist this process, given that they have more space from your background, tales, and also predispositions. Nonetheless, the structure of the technique itself, if you utilize it, permits endless possibilities to observe on your own under various situational contexts and also how you work within those experiences. One reason to quit yourself at a present is if there is a great deal of psychological grab or feelings that are turning up when working that pose. That is frequently a great time to stop as well as explore what's there.

If the anatomical facets of the position appear to be collaborating, what various other signposts may you make use of to know when to include poses in the Ashtanga key series?

ease and also steadiness of breath in preceding poses

lack of fuss in coming before poses

preceding postures do not have frustrating mental/emotional "grab"

you have actually offered time to previous positions as well as really permitted time to absorb them

you have psychological, psychological, and also physical energy left over at the end of practice

* specifically novices -you can remember the order of positions you're already doing

(I’d rather this not be reblogged, just in case!)

I’ve had a funny conversation a couple of times this week, once with my cousin and once with my physical therapist, so I thought it might be fun to go over this: when I mentioned I wasn’t teaching this quarter, they both stared at me in shock and said, “And you’re still getting paid?” To be fair, I absolutely would’ve asked the same question before I started. This job is so weird I never would’ve guessed what all falls under it! 

So here’s a little glimpse into what goes on in this particular professorship:

So, hey, there are different ranks of professor. I’m an “assistant professor”, which is about as junior as it’s possible to get, but I won the dang lottery and somehow finagled my way into getting the words “tenure-track” tacked on before that. This means that over the next six years, everything I do will be scrutinized (culminating in a "summary” of several thousand pages reporting on every single aspect of my job performance), and at the end of it, after about nine months of progressively higher-ranked people in the university voting and deliberating, I have a chance to be granted tenure, which comes with a promotion to associate professor rank and Extreme Job Security. The criteria here are basically being able to prove that I’m one of the foremost experts in my field in the country and hitting research/service/teaching goals, and I’ll talk a bit about that in a second here. Promotion (often many years later) to full professor requires proof of being one of the foremost experts in the field on the planet.

Also, if you don’t get tenure, you get fired after that six-year period. Some universities are dicks and hire three or four assistant professors for every tenured position they want to fill and just fire the spares after getting six years of work out of them. My university has an extremely high tenure rate (mainly because anyone who seems unlikely to make tenure will either have some sort of intervention on their behalf, be granted an extra year to make up the difference, or will be asked to quietly resign before deliberations start), and my department hasn’t denied anyone tenure in decades.

So! What the hell do I do? Well, universities in the U.S. that are particularly research-heavy are referred to as “R1 universities”, which is the situation I’m in here. This means that the majority (often the vast majority) of my time is not spent teaching: it’s all about doing research, to the point where I will not be teaching more than one class simultaneously. In my field, that research can look like a lot of different things:

There are indeed people who work with beakers and range hoods and snazzy lab coats: these researchers in my field might be doing stuff like growing snowflakes in the lab and using that information to figure out the conditions under which different kinds of snow can form. Also there’s chemistry? I don’t know this side of it too well. Professors’ roles here, apart from the science, include ordering the right equipment (which includes getting quotes from various suppliers) and hiring lab technicians and folks to keep the equipment up and running.

Some folks do intense numerical modeling: if you’re studying the atmosphere, you can’t just try your experiment on one Earth and compare how it’s different on another Earth, since we only have the one, so what we do instead is use the most powerful supercomputers on the planet to create simulations. These can be as detailed as looking at the flow of dust in the millimeters above the ground, or as broad as simulating the whole atmosphere of the entire planet (or other planets!). On top of the science, these professors often have to negotiate for supercomputer time (a precious commodity), purchase massive computational resources (e.g., a server room hosted locally), and sometimes hire dedicated I.T. support just for their research.

I work a lot with large datasets: if we have information about the conditions under which tornadoes happened over the past 15 years, what patterns can we pick up that forecasters might be able to use? What is physically, fundamentally different about tornadoes that happen in different places? This kind of stuff really just needs a decently specced desktop machine and some know-how, and a lot of research in our field involves sitting and thinking. Also in this category is the pure math and physics work in the field, where people bury themselves in impossible-to-solve equations to try to figure the best way to wrench them into things we can solve. This is probably the closest to what most people think of when they hear “research”.

Fieldwork. Think Twister. Coordinating large numbers of people, who may be on the ground, driving, in the air, in the ocean. Also, coordinating instruments that might be stationary or might be buoys or drones or something else. We’re a public university; we don’t have the cash to buy our own airplanes, so profs in this scenario have to rent time on research aircraft owned by organizations like NASA or NOAA, or rent time on boats, or hire folks to develop and build new instruments. Massive amounts of organization goes into this, and all stages from inception to execution are generally overseen and organized by the professor.

When any or all of these approaches come up with groundbreaking results (you’re expected to have that kind of result happen a couple times a year), it’s time to write a paper and get it published in a prestigious academic journal. That process can take between four months and a year, depending on a bunch of different factors, so often a professor is juggling a few different projects in different states of done-ness.

What you’ll notice in all this is that professors generally have to come up with the money to do this stuff. New profs generally get a starting budget to get them off the ground, but most of that winds up wrapped up in personnel and start-up costs (e.g., buying computing resources or space for a lab). For the rest of it? Grants.

Grants in my field right now are a bit of a mess: it takes months to put a proposal together, it’s chaotic and complicated as hell, and there’s only about a 10-15% success rate, so you can do the math on that one. In my field, grants range from “small” ones supporting a few years of the pure-science stuff (typically a few hundred thousand dollars that mainly goes toward paying several people’s salaries over several years, but also covers things like journal publication fees - it costs several thousand dollars to publish one paper in an academic journal) to much larger ones supporting field campaigns or long-term projects (rarely, several tens of millions of dollars if you’re talking projects with multiple aircraft and such). I get paid for nine months of the year, and have to come up with the remaining three months’ salary on my own. 

The other thing, though, that grants pay for is graduate student salaries! My department pays students quite well (more than enough to afford the rent on an apartment here, which is saying a lot), and also provides full benefits and a complete tuition waiver. Grad students in my field are essentially in an apprenticeship situation: they pick an advisor and work with that person for typically about seven years. During that time, they have to hit certain milestones (nine months of classes, plus a few courses sprinkled throughout the remaining six years, giving presentations, passing exams, doing a defense, writing a dissertation---essentially a book of their research results), and if you’re thinking this is putting a horrifying amount of power in the advisor’s hands, you’re absolutely correct. The imperfect but step-in-the-right-direction solution my department’s adopted has been to give each student a committee of professors, where one leads the research but the others are always available for new ideas or to resolve problems or speak up on behalf of the student. Students are also strongly encouraged to take a year or two off from their main research project to work with another professor, either here or elsewhere, and explore new research ideas.

Professors are responsible for teaching their students what they need to succeed, and our department has famously exceptional graduate students and graduate student mentorship: profs teach students how to do research (often guiding them through a Master’s project, then letting them take the reins and backing off to an advisory role for the remaining years of the PhD), which includes having them publish their results as the lead authors of their own scientific journal articles. Profs also pay to send students to conferences to showcase their research and introduce them to the people who’ll help them in their future career (one of the reasons I traveled a bunch this quarter was to meet some folks who might be good contacts for students who don’t want to just shoot for a job in the US). Some students will get to go on field campaigns, flying on research aircraft or, I dunno, driving tanks into tornadoes. Some will be more interested in non-academia pursuits and might spend some time shadowing insurance analysts or taking extra entrepreneurial classes in the business school or working hands-on with forecasters during the height of severe weather season. It’s our jobs as professors to know the job market, to know the right people, and to know our students well enough to help them get where they’re going. This department takes this Very Seriously, to the point where it eclipses research as our Top Priority, and the general understanding is that getting a grad student position here sets you up for life.

So! Part of my job this time of year is recruiting graduate students based on my budget. For some folks, that means actively advertising wherever possible and getting super involved in the visiting student weekends (we fly prospective grad students out here to visit before they make their decision, and there’s always a fair number of students who haven’t settled on an advisor yet). Some folks are absurdly lucky and study fields that are considered particularly cool and interesting, and the top students actively seek them out and will cold-call or send e-mails or introduce themselves at conferences (look, turns out it’s hilariously easy to sell someone on “come study tornadoes!” and even a newbie like me has to choose between several particularly strong candidates). Either way, the graduate student hiring process involves a lot of internal debate---we’re not a huge department, so we typically can only send offers to a little under 10% of the folks who apply each year---that mainly centers around making sure each student has a supportive research “home” waiting for them here, based on funding and how much time each faculty member might have. Professors need to coordinate grant budgets (or startup funds, or stopgap funds in the increasingly common situation where no grant money could be secured for a given year) to make sure students have any equipment they might need (cool stuff like supercomputer time, servers, equipment to take to the field, accessibility aids, but also mundane stuff like office space and desks). We also have to coordinate with the university to make sure international students can get here and stay here under the correct visa status.

Right now, I only have one graduate student, and he’s currently undergoing the barrage of first-year coursework, but we meet weekly and he’s started playing around with some data analysis and reading some of the big papers in the field (he’s coming in from mechanical engineering, so the math is familiar but the vocabulary is funky). I’ve developed short- and long-term learning goals for him, culminating in putting together a proposal for his master’s research in June, then converting his early results to a scientific journal article to help him hit the ground running, because he’s brilliant and he’d be able to pull it off without breaking a sweat. 

I’m also on the committees of two second-year Master’s students, so my responsibilities there include reviewing their proposals and, in one case, helping her put together an application for a major fellowship that would put $100,000 toward her education, which means she wouldn’t be beholden to any given research grant and could study any topic she liked. I’m also co-advising a postdoctoral researcher---his primary advisor is a specialist on snow, which is his area of interest, but I’m a specialist on some of the methods he uses to study snow, so I’m consulting with him on that side of things. I’m also working with a couple of particularly motivated final-year PhD students who want to run a multi-day Python and machine learning workshop for the department. Heck yeah.

Apart from research and advising, another facet of being a professor is the nebulous category often just referred to as “service”. Volunteer work, essentially. Right now, I’m reviewing scientific journal articles, typically 2-4 at a time (down to one right now, although I anticipate a flood right before the holidays). This is all done as volunteer work, but it’s honestly the easiest way for me to keep up with the latest literature, because yeah, you can’t just sit in a room and think if you don’t know what everyone else is thinking about. And when even a small field has a dozen or so major academic journals putting out a couple dozen articles each a month that you have to stay on top of... reviewing can be a great way to get the highlights. Sometimes I also get to review other people’s grant proposals, which is really helpful! Still, I wish journals would pay us for this work---someone did a poll on Twitter and found that folks in our field spend on average about 6 hours per review. That adds up!

I also tend to help out with conferences, either doing logistical stuff like deciding what the major topics are, and who gets to speak when (and who probably shouldn’t be given a microphone...) or coordinating the judging of awards for student presentations. That sometimes involves weird event planning stuff like trying to find a venue and speakers and transportation for a formal dinner, or hiring caterers and dealing with competing hotel quotes for room blocks, or cold-calling reasonably famous people and asking them to volunteer their time (or offering them an honorarium) to Skype in to a room full of people.

I’m also on a few national committees that are working to define the priorities of some of the big professional organizations: mainly I work in my particular subdiscipline, but also with diversity/equity/inclusion and early-career support. Some of that is as simple as running social media accounts or helping to design surveys. I’ve recently been assigned to help audit a major organization’s commitment to diversity, which could be pretty interesting. It all sounds like a lot, and a lot of it’s coming to a head lately just because of conference timing, but it usually slows down to one or two hours a week of work in the off-season. I like this kind of stuff because it’s a relatively low-effort way to meet scientists all over the world that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.

We’re also hiring a new faculty member right now, which is... hilariously complex. Every aspect is basically done by committee and the entire department has to agree on who to interview and, eventually, who to hire, because hiring someone for this position is potentially choosing your coworker for the next 30+ years. Interviews are two-day endurance training for the poor candidates, who get face-to-face meetings with every member of the faculty, on top of more specialized interviews. We’ve had about 120 competitive applications thus far. It’s... a lot.

And just because I’m not teaching actively right now doesn’t mean teaching isn’t eating a lot of time: there’s some fun logistical set-up to do! For instance, the class I’m co-teaching starting in January features a lab where we take all the students over to the engineering buildings to set up some instruments in a wind tunnel. Gotta make sure we’ve timed it right so they can actually give us the wind tunnel! We’re also coordinating the timing and the schedule so that both instructors are actually around for the parts of the class they’re teaching. For three of the five weeks I’ll be teaching, I have the previous instructor’s materials to work with, but the other two weeks are all new material (and a lot of ad-lib based on how students do with the first chunk of the class). I also haven’t done anything related to this class since I took a comparable class over a decade ago, so, uh. Better study up.

In the spring, I’ll be teaching an entirely new class that’s never been offered by the department before. That involves building a syllabus, figuring out what each lecture will be about, coming up with contingencies in case some lectures get cancelled, writing exams and assignments and lectures and (since it’s a programming class) making sure everyone has access to the necessary hardware and software and data for the big final project. And, because I’m me, I’ll also be coordinating the whole thing with a special office in the university that does long-term testing of teaching effectiveness---they’ll send someone over to spend a few minutes chatting with the students midway through the quarter, then work with me on recommendations and improvement. I figure it’s a new class being offered for the first time, so we might as well get in on the ground floor of longitudinal pedagogical study. Also, I don’t actually know this programming language yet. Little more studying to do, there.

So... yeah. This job is absurd. It’s a million different jobs, the vast majority of which I’ve had no training for. And I adore it. Nobody cares where I am or what I’m doing at any given time, as long as I get results and as long as my students are succeeding. As someone who loves nothing more than bland, repetitive tasks repeated over and over again, it’s not exactly in my wheelhouse... but I love how hard it makes me think, and I adore being pushed this far out of my comfort zone and knowing I actually have the resources and the know-how to succeed. Every single day is something completely new and exciting and bizarre. Hell, every hour. It’s pretty fantastic, and utterly terrifying.

How Psychic Mediums Make it easier to Heal

psychic medium

A psychic medium is useful in lots of sorts of therapeutic that all bring on the coaching in the consciousness producing it much better and useful in several methods. A psychic medium can mend quite a few terminal and incurable ailments which can be just about not possible to treat. You will discover numerous testimonies of miraculous healings from terminal ailments by way of considerable periods of psychic therapies.

Approaches used by psychic mediums for healing

You'll find distinctive procedures useful for psychic therapeutic by mediums. The main approaches involve chatting session's prayer and mediation. They have tested to give remarkable final results to persons weighed down with diseases and life's burdens and other people who will be battling significant disorders like cancer.

Psychic healing procedures are sometimes moments puzzled with other spiritual solutions but the truth is they are different. This therapeutic on the other hand compared to spiritual therapeutic, no matter if is provides final results or not is really a issue that is definitely commonly deliberated by critics. Some psychic critics think that the healing happens thanks to organic results in and it has absolutely nothing to accomplish with mediums or telepathies. Nevertheless, the individuals that advocate for it have benefited and can verify the authenticity of psychic mediums and their healing powers.

The scientific basis for psychic therapeutic is often a subject matter debated largely. Yet, numerous individuals have testified of healing from terminal ailments like cancer by psychics and can swear by its powers and rewards. Everyday living might be complicated and it could feel unattainable to locate a way from the difficult situations. With this case, one may perhaps free the facility to fight again. Mediums enable us discover the vital things which can be troubling our lives and get us back again on the right track.

The strength of a psychic medium

The interaction between a psychic medium and the unique demanding assist maintains a fantastic ambiance of favourable vitality. This assists you to definitely take care of small difficulties and stresses quickly, this in the end will help you to have got a greater life's point of view free of all murkiness. You get additional decided to achieve your endeavors and turn out to be much more mindful of any risks together your results route. A psychic medium may also help a lonely and dejected human being glimpse past their complications and support them offer with complications inside their daily life conveniently.

Sorts of psychic mediums

You will discover commonly two varieties of mediums where by you can get healing.

The bodily medium that is commonly distant. Actual physical mediums practice utilizing objects and audible voices which include chanting. The individual beside this type of the reader will working experience messages conveyed to them supporting them take care of issues mysteriously.

A mental medium alternatively will work utilizing the thoughts. Mental mediums drop into a few modes these are typically:

clairsentience wherever a medium senses non secular existence clairvoyance wherever a medium sees the spirit clairaudience where by the medium hear the spirit

Several people that take care of to hunt a medium's aid will not be able to manage their complications by yourself they usually can testify that mediums happen to be practical. They communicate with all the industry experts; reveal secrets and challenges. Healing therapy counselors are practical far too, however, when points are uncouth the alternative is psychic mediums.

References Pet psychic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_psychic

Shitty Teen Squad, babies and King suffers

This is the result of a brainstorming session between me, @criscura, @batneko and @zgirlly. Background is that Genos, Garou and Badd form an unlikely trio of friends - the Shitty Teen Squad. We have Genos as the mom friend slash feral gay, Garou as the vodka aunt friend and Badd as the... chaotic friend, slash mom friend slash recliner friend.

We ended up talking about various things including future children and poor King babysitting said children. While this isn’t explicit, there’s talk/jokes with adult themes, so please bear that in mind before diving in!

(~2k)

A vodka aunt is someone who 'takes others kids out for fun and brings them home loaded with sugar, cranky, and with a new noisy toy' - that’s definitely Garou. One time he takes Zenko to an amusement park. They’re gone all day and she comes home exhausted, very happy and with at least a dozen new curse words in her dictionary.

There are also a few honourary members of the Shitty Teen Squad -

Saitama - considered very uncool (except by Genos) but harmless. Tags along sometimes and has no idea what is going on at any given time.

Fubuki - would never admit to being one in the group, but someone needs to keep these idiots from killing themselves, so she sometimes hovers at the edge.

Mumen - When Mumen shows up, everyone is on their best behaviour all day. If Mumen slips up and says a (mild) swear everyone else is immediately like ”Gasp! Mumen Rider, how could you? Such language!”

A few years pass, and everyone is starting to settle down and starting families. As we have both Mumarou and Batarou fans in our discussion group, we intentionally kept things a bit vague - so go with whatever your preferred ship/parent combo is! But Saitama and Genos are first to have a child, with the others following perhaps a couple years or so later.

Badd is a rather... intense father. His baby girl is not only a princess, but the most amazing princess in the world. He’s an expert at doing her hair and picking out outfits and every time he meets up with the shitty squad, he forces them to look through all his latest photos of her. He and Genos take their kids to playdates, in matching outfits. So many photos...

Zenko, having learnt from the best, turns into a world class vodka aunt herself, taking the kids to outings and having lots of fun with them.

Tareo might not have a reputation as a cool kid among his peers, but to Saitama/Genos’ and Badd’s kid, he totally does. He loves to read to them, and help them identify bugs and birds they see.

Genos, being the first in the Shitty Teen Squad to have become a father, finds himself giving the others advice from time to time. As always, he refers to his journals, and before Badd’s baby is born he has a diaper change demonstration with Garou and Badd, who look on in silent horror - no one has seen Garou look that terrified before. There is much yelling and gesturing, until the demonstration is over, at which point they act as if nothing happened.

(They never talk about their new knowledge, but whenever they spot a distressed parent struggling in public, they offer their services)

After Badd’s baby is born, Genos finds himself receiving frantic phone calls at all hours of the day, including the middle of the night, such as Badd calling (yelling) about how you’ll know the bottle is the right temperature?! - a groggy, barely awake Genos just mutters ”just... listen to whatever your HUD says...”.

Badd’s daughter always looks like a princess, whereas Saitama’s and Genos’ child always has tousled hair and scraped knees and if you’re not sure where she is... she’s probably off climbing the tallest tree in the area.

At this point, the Shitty Teen Squad has more or less evolved into the Brooding Dad Squad. It’s not everyone who gets the honour of being allowed to babysit their kids, but one man does, and the kids absolutely love him - King!

At this point, the children are a little older, and they love visiting King not only because to them, his engine makes him sound like a purring cat, but also because he has the BEST video game collection. Having said that, Badd always makes King hide his collection of sexy anime girls before the children are allowed over:

"This is nasty!!" "It's art, the level of skill needed to make her stand like that is--" Badd, taking off the removable top: "SHE'S TOO HORNY MAN SHE'S GOTTA GO" "///////but--" "Listen the first thing kids do around dolls is strip them she's gotta go!”

King is nervous to have the kids over! But he does his best and it turns out putting them in front of a video game and handing them snacks is quite effective at keeping them still and happy.

The girls are also very interested in King’s merch, despite him doing his best to hide it. Sometimes they find the empty boxes the most interesting (a favourite game is putting King, as the princess, in his box castle and then coming to save him), but other times they are determined to find all his toys. It’s his engine that’s the problem, it goes off whenever the girls get closer to his hidden stash, like echolocation.

"Are all the pretty dress-up dolls in here?" "N--no!! There's--" "They have so many pretty dresses!! I like all the kitty ones!!" "NO, NO KITTIES--"

(The King engine also means it’s super fun to play hide and seek with him! You can never win with Genos, and Saitama tends to lose interest and wander off, or fall asleep in his hiding place...)

One day, as they play house, one of the kids asks King where babies come from, and poor King struggles to explain... after first shutting down and then taking so long to collect his thoughts that the child already lost interest and went to get pudding.

"Babies--are--love--when mommies--there's a bird I DON'T KNOW PLEASE THEY'RE JUST THERE ONE DAY" ”But I have two daddies?” ”LISTEN this is already complicated for me to explain ;;;;;”

At this point, King goes full possum and all but shuts down again until one of the girls poke him, with one of his anime girl figurines (as kids do, the first thing they do is always to undress every single doll, so it’s naturally naked).

When picked up to go home, their girl tells Saitama and Genos that ”King shut down, like Papa”. When they ask why, she tells them what they had asked him. Saitama, bless him, actually calls King later to apologize for the trouble.

(Badd on the other hand immediately blamed King (and his anime girls) for this question)

Said trouble is not yet over, it turns out - while playing with all the merch, Badd’s daughter put a figurine in her mouth and swallowed a part of it. It’s with extreme dread that King calls Badd that night...

”I don’t know how to tell you this but I really, really need that limited edition accessory back, Badd.”

(That whole evening is traumatizing for King - the kids have undressed every single figurine he owns and he has to painstakingly put them all together again.)

Another time when the kids visit they find a pair of scissors. King immediately gets up to remove them, but the older child is quick to tell him that they should play hairdresser - she does this lots at home.

”...with Sai?!”

On that note, the kids will happily tell King all sorts of things about their parents, whether he wants to hear it or not, including 'they like to wrestle really loudly when it's past my bedtime' and how Badd needs to buy a new bed every few months because they always break. Saitama’s kid helpfully supplies that ”Daddy smells like hot dog after. It’s a LOT of smoke!”.

Sometimes it's serious though.... Like one kid says that Daddy is in a laying-down mood again, or Pop has been going out and coming back with bloody knuckles... Other times it can be things like "Well papa likes to wear all clothes, and be pretty sometimes, and daddy uh....... doesn't. So. Yeah."

King does his best to listen to the kids like a responsible adult, down to taking their suggestions: ”Papa likes this kind of skirt, Uncle King!! I want to get it for his birthday!”

The child doesn’t mention that it’s really her preference to have lots of glitter and shimmer, not Genos’, but he loves his new sequin glitter unicorn shirt anyway. In fact, they dress up to match more than once, and the child loves to play with Genos’ hair and makeup stuff:

"PAPA WEAR THE PURPLE EYELINER" Genos: "It doesn't really go with-" Kiddo: "IT'S PURPLE." Saitama: "It sure is." :D

Speaking of things that are pretty, the girls end up falling in love with a particular anime girl in King’s collection - she’s got ombre hair, and pretty bows, and the biggest bow is also her hair.

The bad news: she's the hardest-to-win girl from an ecchi game

The good news: they're making an anime which will probably cut out all the sex

Medium news: since she's the hardest-to-win girl she's unlikely to be the main heroine of this adaptation.

Poor King is struggling to find the least thirsty merch of her that the girls can actually play with. Genos is put to the task of editing together a child-friendly edition of the show that the kids can watch. There’s.... not much left when he’s done.

King: "The... the plot is-" Genos: "There was a two-episode arc about the shy girl losing her bra on vacation somehow." King: "In the game, um, that's where you prove you're a nice guy." Genos: "Why did she only bring one bra on vacation, King." King: ....................

King uses his fame and clout to start commissioning SFW works of this character - sweating the entire time.

Despite himself, after spending so much time watching and editing clips from the show, Genos actually gets invested in the (barely there) plot. The next time King visits their apartment, he’s shocked to find a bit of merch with the shy girl. Genos’ argument is that he ”needed to protect her from perverts!”.

Carefully, King offers him:

”.........I do have the game, if you want to try it” ”.....yes.”

(For the record, Genos’ merch is a cast-off figurine, and he made sure to get her the bra variety pack, so she’s never out)

...King has no idea how this all started, he just wants to live and now he has Badd swinging his bat a bit too close for comfort, while Genos doesn’t say anything... for his eyes says it all (and what his eyes says is keep this away from the kids and also where can I find the latest episode?)

Saitama is chill about the whole thing - like, okay, it’s not for kids but he doesn’t think they’re old enough to understand. Ladies in historic paintings are nude too, right? Right. Best to hide it though, especially since it makes Genos upset.

The biggest prude of the group is actually Garou, who has quite possibly never seen a wild boob and was always so focused on his training - weird feelings? Go punch a sandbag. Hormones going wild? Sudden boner? Time to go run seven miles. To him, sex stuff is private and he’s very much a ”protect the children!” guy.

(Garou is not allowed to give any dating advice, seeing him being in a relationship is due entirely to his partner accepting his weirdly aggressive courting. Garou gives off that 'bringing dead animals as a gift like a cat' vibe, or happily showing off his collection of beaten thugs, as the case may be.)

Arrival is a stunning science fiction movie with deep implications for today 

Science fiction is never really about the future; it’s always about us. And Arrival, set in the barely distant future, feels like a movie tailor-made for 2016, dropping into theaters mere days after the most explosive election in most of the American electorate’s memory.

But the story Arrival is based on — the award-winning novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang — was published in 1998, almost two decades ago, which indicates its central themes were brewing long before this year. Arrival is much more concerned with deep truths about language, imagination, and human relationships than any one political moment.

Not only that, but Arrival is one of the best movies of the year, a moving, gripping film with startling twists and imagery. It deserves serious treatment as a work of art.

The strains of Max Richter’s "On the Nature of Daylight" play over the opening shots of Arrival, which is the first clue for what’s about to unfold: that particular track is ubiquitous in the movies (I can count at least six or seven films that use it, including Shutter Island and this year’s The Innocents) and is, by my reckoning, the saddest song in the world.

The bittersweet feeling instantly settles over the whole film, like the last hour of twilight. Quickly we learn that Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) has suffered an unthinkable loss, and that functions as a prelude to the story: One day, a series of enormous pod-shaped crafts land all over earth, hovering just above the ground in 12 locations around the world. Nobody knows why. And nothing happens.

As world governments struggle to sort out what this means — and as the people of those countries react by looting, joining cults, even conducting mass suicides — Dr. Banks gets a visit from military intelligence, in the form of Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker), requesting her assistance as an expert linguist in investigating and attempting to communicate with whatever intelligence is behind the landing. She arrives at the site with Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a leading quantum physicist, to start the mission. With help from a cynical Agent Halpern (Michael Stuhlbarg), they suit up and enter the craft to see if they can make contact.

It’s best not to say much more about the plot, except that it is pure pleasure to feel it unfold. The most visionary film yet from director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario) and scripted by horror screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Lights Out), its pacing is slower than you’d expect from an alien-invasion film, almost sparse. For a movie with so many complicated ideas, it doesn’t waste any more time on exposition than is absolutely necessary. Arrival is serious and smartly crafted, shifting around like a Rubik’s cube in the hand of a savant, nothing quite making sense until all the pieces suddenly come together. I heard gasps in the theater.

The film’s premise hinges on the idea, shared by many linguists and philosophers of language, that we do not all experience the same reality. The pieces of it are the same — we live on the same planet, breathe the same air — but our perceptions of those pieces shift and change based on the words and grammar we use to describe them to ourselves and each other.

For instance, there is substantial evidence that a person doesn’t really see (or perhaps "perceive") a color until their vocabulary contains a word, attached to meaning, that distinguishes it from other colors. All yellows are not alike, but without the need to distinguish between yellows and the linguistic tools to do so, people just see yellow. A color specialist at a paint manufacturer, however, can distinguish between virtually hundreds of colors of white. (Go check out the paint chip aisle at Home Depot if you’re skeptical.)

Or consider the phenomenon of words in other languages that describe universal feelings, but can only be articulated precisely in some culture. We might intuitively "feel" the emotion, but without the word to describe it we’re inclined to lump the emotion in with another under the same heading. Once we develop the linguistic term for it, though, we can describe it and feel it as distinct from other shades of adjacent emotions.

These are simple examples, and I don’t mean to suggest that the world itself is different for people from different cultures. But I do mean to suggest that reality — what we perceive as comprising the facts of existence — takes on a different shape depending on the linguistic tools we use to describe it.

Adopting this framework doesn’t necessarily mean any of us are more correct than others about the nature of reality (though that certainly may be true). Instead, we are doing our best to describe reality as we see it, as we imagine it to be. This is the challenge of translation, and why literal translations that Google can perform don’t go beyond basic sentences. Learning a new language at first is just about collecting a new vocabulary and an alternate grammar — here is the word for chair, here is the word for love, here’s how to make a sentence — but eventually, as any bilingual person can attest, it becomes about imagining and perceiving the world differently.

This is the basic insight of Arrival: That if we were to encounter a culture so radically different from our own that simple matters we take for granted as part of the world as it is were radically shifted, we could not simply gather data, sort out grammar, and make conclusions. We’d have to either absorb a different way of seeing, despite our fear, or risk everything.

To underline the point, Dr. Banks and the entire operation are constantly experiencing breakdowns in communication within the team and with teams in other parts of the world, who aren’t sure whether the information they glean from their own visits to pods should be kept proprietary or shared.

It’s not hard to see where this is going, I imagine — something about how if we want to empathize with each other we need to talk to one another, and that’s the way the human race will survive.

And, sure.

But Arrival also layers in some important secondary notes that add nuance to that easy takeaway. Because it’s not just deciphering the words that someone else is saying that’s important: It’s the whole framework that determines how those words are being pinned to meaning. We can technically speak the same language, but functionally be miles apart.

n the film, one character notes that if we were to communicate in the language of chess — which operates in the framework of battles and wars — rather than, say, the language of English, which is bent toward the expression of emotions and ideas, then what we actually say and do would shift significantly. That is, the prevailing metaphor for how beings interact with each other and the world is different. (Some philosophers speak of this as "language games.")

This matters for the film’s plot, but more broadly — since this is sci-fi, and therefore actually about us — it has implications. Language isn’t just about understanding how to say things to someone and ascribe meaning to what comes back. Language has consequences. Embedded in words and grammar is action, because the metaphors that we use as we try to make sense of the world tell us what to do next. They act like little roadmaps.

You have empathized with someone not when you hear the words they’re saying, but when you begin to ascertain what metaphors make them tick, and where that conflicts or agrees with your own. I found myself thinking a lot about this reading Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Strangers In Their Own Land, which is up for a National Book Award this year and describes the overarching metaphors (Hochschild calls them "deep stories") that discrete groups of Americans — in this case, West Coast urban liberals and Louisiana rural Tea Partiers — use to make sense of the world. She isn’t trying to explain anything away. She’s trying to figure out what causes people to walk in such drastically different directions and hold views that befuddle their fellow citizens.

Part of the challenge of pluralism is that we’re not just walking around with different ideas in our heads, but with entirely different maps for getting from point A to Z, with different roadblocks on them and different recommendations for which road is the best one. Our A's and Z's don’t even match. We don’t even realize that our own maps are missing pieces that others have.

Presumably one of these maps is better than the others, but we haven’t agreed how we would decide. So we just keep smacking into one another going in opposite directions down the same highway.

Arrival takes off from this insight in an undeniably sci-fi direction that is a little brain-bending, improbable in the best way. But it makes a strong case that communication, not battle or combat, is the only way to avoid destroying ourselves. Communication means not just wrapping our heads around terms we use but the actual framework through which we perceive reality.

And that is really hard. I don’t know how to fix it.

In the meantime, though, good movies are somewhere to start. Luckily Arrival is a tremendously well-designed film, with complicated and unpredictable visuals that embody the main point. Nothing flashy or explosive; in some ways, I found myself thinking of 1970s science-fiction films, or the best parts of Danny Boyle’s 2007 Sunshine, which grounded its humanist story in deep quiet.

The movie concludes on a different note from the linguistic one — one much more related to loss and a wistful question about life and risk. This may be Arrival’s biggest weakness; the emotional punch of the ending is lessened a bit because it feels a little rushed.

But even that conclusion loops back to the possibilities of the reshaped human imagination. And this week, especially, you don’t need to talk to an alien to see why that’s something we need.

from: https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/11

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Cyprus Property Up For Sale In Limassol - Stable And Secure!

Just How to Locate Property Up For Sale in Cyprus

Buying a property in Cyprus is a big deal. If you are thinking about getting a Cyprus property you are going to need to consult your good friends, household, and neighbors for references. Cyprus property can be complicated to discover however there are points you can possibly do to make the search simpler.

The initial thing you should carry out is discover where to receive a property in Cyprus. It may appear difficult to understand where to start seeking a property however you are going to be glad you did it. You will need to ask yourself what you plan to achieve with your financial investment property.

A Cyprus property could either be for you or even for your kids. It is your decision how much money you would like to spend. You will want to locate a property that possesses lots of security attributes as well as offers some conveniences.

Having said that you might be interested in Cyprus property on your own the area of the property may really make a variation. While individuals may be actually very satisfied to tell you they live in a region that has never ever been actually thought about higher up or even strongly good, it is your selection as a prospective buyer. Nonetheless, you will want to remember you might be residing in an urban area that was called the most unpleasant place in Europe by a leading property firm.

If you are actually trying to find property in Cyprus you must take into consideration a condo. The very best condos in Cyprus are even more pricey than those in greater town hall yet they deliver some terrific features that you can not get anywhere else. They likewise deliver you along with great surveillance coming from the sight of a number of the bigger town hall.

Property For Sale in Cyprus will definitely also be actually stunned at the amount of homes in Cyprus have views of the sea. This is particularly excellent if you possess children. There are a lot of reasons to purchase apartment property.

You will certainly additionally require to think about who you employ your property agent. While there are actually lots of property representatives in Cyprus that can use property that will definitely be of excellent market value, there are actually also lots of agents that give bad value for loan. The even more opportunity you embed your property explore the much better the option you are going to have.

When searching for a Cyprus property that you are mosting likely to be acquiring, don't forget the fact that you are creating a small assets. Make certain you do your analysis as well as be sure you have actually taken at all times you require to discover the best price. Cyprus property could be great worth but you need to make certain you compare the deal effectively prior to you purchase.

Holiday in South Cyprus - An Area to Go If You Like Sportfishing!

South Cyprus is a small isle that is located in between Chicken as well as Greece. It is part of the Turkish Republic, and also it is actually recognized as a country within the EU as well as NATO. Found north of Athens in a region called the Greek Island, South Cyprus is one of the absolute most preferred traveler destinations in Europe. For those who are interested in taking a trip to the islands, South Cyprus provides numerous great holiday possibilities, consisting of remaining on the little island of Sotiriades, hanging out at the Sotiriades Golf Club, and taking travels to other much smaller isles.

Sotiriades is actually a little island that has been used as a summer season trip for generations of holidaymakers. Sotiriades belongs to South Cyprus and as a result is actually simply accessed through ocean. The golf club is actually considered one of the most ideal nightclubs worldwide, and also it is house to world-class programs. However, this is actually not the only point you can do on Sotiriades. The smaller islands, including Soudakos, Kilafi, Soudakio, and also Seria, are actually also a great location to remain while abroad in South Cyprus. Several of the more intriguing island retreats feature hanging out at Blue Lagoon, delighting in health spa procedures, or even happening a trip to the close-by city of Nis.

The Sotiriades Golf Club has become the premier location for worldwide golfers. There are actually some terrific greens to be found listed here, however the southeastern area of the island is recognized for its fantastic surroundings. It is below that you will certainly find some of the more spectacular yards, including the isles of Euboia as well as Souda. In reality, some folks believe that these two isles are actually one of the most wonderful in whole entire South Cyprus. The food items and a glass of wine are extraordinary listed here, and the residents are going to attract you with a variety of purchasing as well as entertainment alternatives. Many website visitors come to Sotiriades coming from throughout the world. This island has numerous destinations that interest vacationers coming from around the world.

Paphos - A Site That is Perfect For Your Necessities

To buy a property in Paphos, Cyprus is much more than only stepping inside your property or on your front door. You must do all your research study and analysis before you proceed along with the deal. You must understand the reasons that you are mosting likely to buy property within this spot. Several of the well-liked main reason whies folks go with getting a property in this particular location are actually for the convenience of area lifestyle, gorgeous yards, the abundance of sunshine, beaches, golf courses and also several other reasons that are definitely important to obtain. There are various forms of properties offered in this location as well as you can select the one which absolute best meets your criteria. In today times, there are actually lots of rental properties readily available for folks to rent on the holiday. The services that are provided in the properties will definitely be the prime factor in choosing your choice.

This is actually a great refuge from the stress of urban area life, and it is a place that is actually known for its own trendy environment as well as various type of surroundings. The coastline is popularly referred to as the island's very most eye-catching function. This is a place that is actually properly linked to various other cities and metropolitan areas and as a result, driving is actually simple. It is actually a really good alternative for you if you wish to join your job or school. Folks can conveniently commute in between this and various other areas of Cyprus.

However, you must beware while choosing an economical property to invest on. Be sure that you inspect the ratings of the property you want. While checking the scores, are sure that you visit the repayment options that are offered on the property. You must also check the good image of the firm that is actually selling the property and also the length of time they have been in business. All these points may aid you in making the best decision.

Tips to Sell Your Property Quick

A property available for sale in Cyprus possesses its very own market. But this market is just readily available to shoppers who have the capacity to invest large sums of money, as property is actually normally incredibly expensive in the country.

The only actual possibility available to the seller in Cyprus is to find a shopper going to pay out a rate that is going to obtain the property marketed in the fastest opportunity feasible. There are actually a handful of suggestions as well as techniques that will definitely assist a seller has the capacity to sell their property swiftly.

First of all, try to make certain that individuals you will certainly be actually working within Cyprus are reputable as well as credible. Do not trust a firm or individual that you do not recognize. Furthermore, opt for a reliable homeowner over an unethical one because the dishonest ones possess the capability to rob you blind.

https://www.mixcloud.com/ilisterscy/ is actually a great suggestion to have images taken of your property just before you carry it out for selling. You can use these images to get the attention of possible buyers. However, these pictures ought to be current as well as exact. Any kind of photos were actually taken after a couple of months or even a year need to be prevented.

Be sure that you do not resemble a rookie when selling your property. You could wish to apply your bathrobe and pantofles but if prospective customers understand that you are actually an experienced home owner, they would rather head to your residence first.

Take a good examine your property. Ensure that there are no significant damages or even blemishes that might diminish your house. When the property is well-maintained as well as orderly, see to it that it remains in good condition.

Make certain that the property is clean and also possesses all the effective papers on it. These documents are actually used to confirm the possession of the property just in case an issue occurs. The documents is actually incredibly vital in the event any sort of disagreements come up.

If you do each one of these factors, you would certainly be amazed to find just how much easier the sale of your property would be actually. If you intend to stay clear of all the inconveniences and also problems associated with selling your property, then you ought to hire an expert real property agent to assist you.

Buying and selling property: 5 frequently asked questions responded to

Being actually informed is actually crucial for properly acquiring or even selling a property, so whether you are a customer or even a seller, never hesitate to ask you estate broker inquiries to ease your thoughts, obtain even more relevant information or much better know the procedure. "If Leapfrogs property consultants possessed R5 for each time they received inquired the adhering to 5 concerns, they reckon theyd be actually quite abundant. Nevertheless, laughs aside, our experts discover the concerns that our clients very most often inquire very intriguing as they are quite significant to the market and provide a valuable chance to inform as well as inform clients concerning these aspects of the field, points out Johan vehicle Schalkwyk, Capital funds at Leapfrog Roodepoort.

We inspected Leapfrog agents around the nation to share the questions they are actually most frequently talked to in the usual training course of organisation.

These 5 inquiries went to the first:

1. What is my property valued at?

Warren Buffett said it ideal: Rate is what you pay. Worth is what you acquire.

Truck Schalkwyk mentions property specialists can easily offer you a market-related quote for your property, based on industry patterns as well as research, their understanding of the demand in the region, as well as the components of your property. Market value is a lot more very subjective and also is actually basically figured out through what a purchaser is actually prepped to spend for a property - the famous eager vendor and able to buy economical model.

With information about property conveniently available by means of several internet systems and also tools, this has provided shoppers the electrical power to be savvier regarding the value of a potential expenditure as they may do comparative study. This suggests customers are actually much more updated and also sellers need to have to be a lot more flexible along with their costs.

2. Which is the best location to acquire?

This question resembles asking the length of time a piece of chain is actually, as it depends on a vast lot of elements, featuring the type of property, the desired return on investment, surrounding facilities, safety and safety and security, and private choice.

Typically talking, property all over Cyprus is actually a really good expenditure. Yet, like all assets, property expenditures need to have to be actively taken care of to make certain growth that meets your desires.

Depending upon private needs as well as choices, a relied on property advisor are going to help you examine factors like place, future advancements as well as more if youre looking to make a long-term financial investment. Property has a tendency to become a really individual investment, along with wants and needs to differ coming from one person to another, and also loved ones to loved ones.

3. Is an offer to purchase legitimately binding?

Yes, a signed promotion to purchase is actually a lawful record that is actually binding.

The documentation summarizes the purchase deal, that includes the conditions associating with the property concerned. Through signing the promotion to buy, the shopper accepts to the terms detailed in the documentations, featuring the rate they want to spend for the property.

If the seller enjoys with the cost offered due to the buyer, the paper becomes a lawfully binding sale deal.

All-time low collection is that you need to have to be incredibly certain concerning a prospective purchase just before signing on the populated product line.

4. The length of time is an electric observance certificate valid for?

An Electrical Certification of Compliance (ECOC) stands for a duration of 2 years. It is actually obligatory to become in possession of this particular record when selling a property, according to the demands of the Occupational Health and Safety Act under the Electrical Installment Regulations arrangement.

http://ilisters.jigsy.com/ guarantees the stipulation of the circulation boards, wiring, earthing as well as building of all metal parts.

5. What happens after the home loan is given?

After a home mortgage is actually given, a guaranty lawyer is instructed due to the bank to register the bond at the Deeds Workplace, while the dealer suggests the moving attorney to transfer the property.

Next, the guaranty lawyer advises the moving attorney of the receipt record of move as well as promise demands. After that the termination legal representative terminates the dealers guaranty as well as the transmitting legal representative obtains the title records as well as termination designs and also sends out a copy to the bond legal representative.

After this, both the buyer as well as the seller authorize the transfer papers. The buyer is accountable for the transmission expenses and the transferring legal representative pays for the prices and also income taxes, as well as the move duty. Besides, the documentations are actually authorized as well as costs spent, the transactions, brand new connect, and also termination connect documents are organized housing at the Acts Office. Below it takes regarding 3 full weeks to be checked out as well as prepped for sign up by the legal representatives. On the time of enrollment, the financial institution pays the car loan as per the warranties given out. This whole method generally takes around 10 full weeks.

Notes for The Vanishing Prince, Chapter Two

Yes, it’s the second chapter, finally! I’m so happy to be posting this. My notes are on the shorter side, but I do want to cover a few things that were hinted in this chapter, especially as it relates to Oreshi and Bokushi. Hopefully it will help clarify which parts of their story in the fic were directly inspired by canon, and which were inspired by some of the experiences of people with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

(Cut for notes about Oreshi and Bokushi’s relationship, timelines, chess, stuff about given names in Japanese, and so on…)

On Oreshi’s Relationship to Bokushi

These are just some of my observations regarding the connection between Oreshi and Bokushi. (Especially my interpretation of what happens after the Winter Cup but before the events of the KnB movie, Last Game.)

So first off, we don’t know for sure if Bokushi ever fronts during this time or not. (The idea of “fronting” is associated with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and it refers to which alter is actively presenting themselves to the world around them. Bokushi is fronting whenever Akashi has differently colored eyes, for example.) The canon seems to imply that he doesn’t interact with the Generation of Miracles during this time, at the very least… Since Oreshi seems worried in the Extra Game manga about what the other Miracles will think if Bokushi appears. So my headcanon for my fics, based on that and some other things in the manga, is that Bokushi hasn’t interacted with the outside world since the Winter Cup.

On that note, some lines in the manga imply that Oreshi and Bokushi are often co-conscious, even when they switch and the other alter is fronting... Meaning they’re both aware of what’s happening in the outside world, even when they aren’t currently the one “in control.” This is something that people can and do experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The co-consciousness can happen on its own/originally, or it can be developed and encouraged over the course of therapy.

Interestingly, Oreshi seems to believe (at least to some extent) that he willingly chooses when they switch… It’s pretty vague, but there are lines in the manga about how he could have taken over for Bokushi at any point during their last two years at Teikou. So, in my fic, Oreshi believes he is always aware of when Bokushi takes over for him, and that it only happens when they both allow it. However, for people with D.I.D. in real life, they may not always remember switching with their alters, and can lose time as a result. Also, they might not feel like they were in control (either completely or partially) of the switch—especially since trauma and any triggers associated with it can prompt different alters to front. (I’ll try to go into more details about this later, but as I’ve mentioned before, I recommend this site for more information about D.I.D. This page in particular covers alters switching, and how it can vary and is often much more subtle than is portrayed in fiction.)

So in The Vanishing Prince, I wanted to complicate what Oreshi seems to believe about his relationship with Bokushi. He thinks he always knows when Bokushi is fronting, and that he has to allow it when it happens… But starting in Chapter Two, it seems the truth of the situation may be different.

Alter Mannerisms

This is another general note about something that’s pretty common, from what I understand, but might not be 100% clear in Akashi’s case… The alters of people with D.I.D. can be very different from one another. They can have different ages and names, and even different appearances or genders.

And along those lines, alters may have different mannerisms and tones of voice when fronting. Those differences can be subtle. Overall, Oreshi and Bokushi are pretty similar to each other. They go by the same name, and their way of interacting with most people is similar. (To the point that, according to the manga, most of Akashi’s peers and teachers at Teikou couldn’t tell the difference.)

However, one way that the KnB canon differentiates between the two of them is through their expressions. Bokushi is especially recognizable for his wide-eyed smile. (You know which one, I’m sure!) Meanwhile, in the moment when Oreshi returns during the Winter Cup, he has a very distinctive smile as well, that we never see from Bokushi. (I noticed it more in the manga, whereas it was pretty subtle in the anime.)

So in The Vanishing Prince, I took this idea a little farther, and tried to convey some more subtle differences between them in posture and tone. Basically, it was meant to be a reference to the fact that this can happen with alters in real life, as well.

Chess

I’m definitely not an expert on chess… I’ve played it since I was about four or five, but I have zero grasp of actual strategy. //laughs To try to convey Bokushi’s mastery of the game, I consulted some online resources, especially for the most popular opening moves. Here are a few good articles I found that include some of the fancy names from the chapter! 

(There is also this incredibly detailed database that covers so many opening moves, many of which have bizarre names like “Fried Liver Attack” and I swear I’m not making that up. XD It does give you some idea of just how thoroughly this particular game has been played and studied throughout history!)

Akashi’s Given Name

This note is kind of random, but I thought it might be interesting to explain this part of Furihata’s narration a bit:

But that name also belonged to both of his selves. Plus, it was kind of a mouthful.

“Seijuurou.”

It was a really nice name, though. Long and elegant, with that extra ‘u’ sound in the middle. Honestly, Furihata thought it fit the Akashi he knew better. It sounded just like him. Kind of graceful, and sophisticated, and… perfect.

So in English, we tend to say “Seijuurou” as having three syllables. But in Japanese, it’s actually six! I won’t go into the whole explanation here, but it has to do with how the Japanese language is syllable-based, instead of using an alphabet. So his name breaks down something like this: Se-i-ju-u-ro-u

It’s a long, fancy-pants name, basically. XD Which is not surprising because, well, it’s Akashi. (My favorite time that the KnB anime says the main cast’s full names is actually in the blurb right before the first Season 3 opening song… The narrator’s delivery really helps you hear the length of the syllables in each of their names, and it just sounds super cool to me…? Random, I know. //laughs)

Anyway, it’s probably worth mentioning that in Japan, even close friends and couples might not call each other by their given names. It’s a choice, and definitely depends a lot on the people involved. But either way, it shows a lot of familiarity with someone… So it’s not surprising that the idea of using Akashi’s given name makes Furihata flustered! //laughs Especially since the characters in KnB tend to use family names, in general.

Japanese Drugstore Candy

This is another random note just to mention that the line about Furihata’s “favorite gummy candies” was meant to be my personal nod to Hi-Chews. XD My sister was kind of obsessed with them when she lived in Japan, where they’re available at every conbini (convenience store). They’re cheap, so giving them to your friends is pretty much the equivalent of buying them a pack of gum at a 7-11? So it was funny to me (and to Furihata!) that Akashi would consider that a touching gesture. //laughs

Earlier Fic References

On the subject of the train station, I did include some things in this chapter that were meant to build on scenes from earlier in this series… Of course, Tokyo Station and the Kyoto shinkansen train were pretty important in the first story. Also, Furihata’s brief thought about how Akashi always drinks amazing tea was meant to be a reference to Fast Train as well, specifically the second chapter. And there were definitely some nods to events in Storming the Castle too! I always enjoy including scenes that mirror things that happened earlier in the series… I feel like it helps to show how the relationship between the characters has progressed. <3

Well, that’s it for Chapter Two! I really hope everyone enjoyed the next chapter in the fic. (And at least it didn’t end on such an extreme cliffhanger this time? XD) I’ve been hard at work on the next part of the story, and can’t wait to share it with all of you as soon as possible. <3

pollution in New Zealand

News Hub 27/02/2017 Tony Wright.

: “The health of New Zealand's rivers and lakes is undeniably a controversial and divisive subject. Kiwis feel passionate about the health of their waterways, and rightly so, but sometimes the real facts behind what is polluting them can be buried behind hyperbole and over-zealous views. This was on display in abundance when Environment Minister Nick Smith announced his '90 per cent Swimmable Rivers by 2040' decree last week. Dr Smith laughed off criticism of the plan, which is essential to fence off all Kiwi waterways from livestock by 2030 and change the criteria of what swimmable water actually is, as 'junk science'.In a special report into the state of NZ's waterways, Newshub has interviewed and gathered resources from several independent freshwater scientists, the dairy farming industry, (including farmers and scientists) and NIWA, to give you the full picture on the health of New Zealand's rivers.

Part one of Newshub's special investigation will focus on what exactly is the pollution being put into our rivers and the effects.

Part two will analyse the efforts being undertaken to protect Kiwi waterways from further pollution, and what is being done to reinvigorate those rivers that are failing.

Part three will examine the effects of climate change, and whether or not we've reached a tipping point for overall river health decline in New Zealand.

Part four will look at the battle over the blame of our failing river health, and conclude just who is responsible for the overall decline in freshwater quality.

Part One - What is polluting our rivers? It's hard to argue that many of our low-lying rivers are being polluted and that the agriculture industry, and in particular beef and dairy farming must take a fair share of the blame. To their credit, Kiwi dairy farmers have spent over a billion dollars in combating river pollution, while DairyNZ has implemented science-based regulations that leading water experts say have helped turn the tide in improving the health of many our waterways. And while it's easy to simply point the finger at dairy farming, all agricultural industries, and indeed all New Zealanders, even city dwellers, must carry some of the blame for our water pollution.

What is the main cause of this pollution?

That question at least has an easy answer: Agriculture - but it's not been a recent occurrence, it's been happening since the first pastoral farms were created in New Zealand in the 1800s.

But with the agriculture industry being a big player in the New Zealand economy, examining the link between pollution and agriculture can be tough to evenly gauge.

What are the main contaminants?

Sediment: Fine material from deforestation

Nutrients: Nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock urine and fertilizer

Bacteria: E. Coli from livestock excrement

Sediment from deforestation

It's easy to forget New Zealand is one of the most deforested nations on Earth, with only 25 percent of our native forests left untouched, and they're mostly on the west coast of the South Island.

So while New Zealand does have pockets of beautiful and unspoiled native forests, the majority of our land has been cleared and is used in the agriculture, and in particular, the farming industries.

We've also cleared 95 percent of our native wetlands, which if they were still in existence, would play a major part in protecting waterways from pollution.

New Zealand's native forests have been burnt off and cleared ever since human settlement began 800 years ago, and our waterways are now paying the price.

Dr John Quinn is NIWA's chief scientist of freshwater and estuaries, and told Newshub this initial clearing of New Zealand's forests has a continuing impact on our waterways.

"There would have been a huge dollop of sediment happen when land was first cleared, and often that was just done with burning and pretty unfriendly sorts of approaches and there are legacy effects of all that deforestation that are still around our river channels today.

"Some input of sediment in rivers is part of a natural process, it creates sandy beaches. You have to have a level of erosion that is part of the natural system; it's just how much has it been accelerated."

Dr Mike Joy teaches environmental sustainability at Massey University. He's studied the declining health of New Zealand rivers for decades and has long been a vocal figure in raising awareness.

"When we get heavy rainfall events we get huge amounts of fine material from deforested areas.

"This sediment comes off the land and clogs up the rivers making them brown and dirty, but the biggest impact is that the sediment then forms a mat over the bed of the stream, and cuts off all the habitat for the life in it."

Dr Tom Stephens works as a water scientist for DairyNZ and his chief job is to help farmers try and improve their water quality. He says one of the industry's biggest battles is to protect our rivers from further sediment gain.

"Once it starts to move on the land it takes a long time to slow down. If it gets in our waterways it takes a long time to get out, so we're talking decades to century's worth of sediment loss. It's what we're currently trying to address through our water quality levels."

Dairy farming is only part of the sediment problem

Dr Quinn says high intensive dairy farming is 'a' cause, but drystock farming (farming animals for meat and wool) is much more widespread - and has been since the 1800s.

"If you look at the amounts of sediment that comes off that drystock farming, and partly because it's on the steeper hill country, it's more erodible as well.

"So dairy's part of the problem  but is certainly isn't all of the problem."

Nutrients from farm animals

This is where the booming dairy and beef industries must take a fair share of the blame for the high levels of nitrogen being put into New Zealand's waterways - the direct effect of high volumes of cow urine.

Dr Joy says nitrogen produced by cow urine is having a major detrimental effect on New Zealand's waterways.

"If anyone's seen a cow peeing it's a huge volume in a small area, and the land and the plants can't possibly cope with most of it and it makes its way through the soil.

"Depending on soil moisture, levels of rainfall and a whole lot of other factors, most of it makes its way through the ground to lakes to rivers.

"It's not so much the nitrogen itself that's the problem, but that it's a nutrient, and it grows in the plants and the lakes, and there's algae and then algal bloom; either toxic algae, or algae that grows to such an extent that it takes the oxygen out of the river, out of the water itself and the animals die."

The dairy industry is of course incredibly aware of the nitrogen problem from cow urine, and is trying to use the latest science to combat it.

"The biggest challenge for us is actually catching, and interrupting that urine patch," says DairyNZ water scientist Dr Tom Stephens.

"When it's deposited it's in a very dense, sudden pool, and it can escape the surface layers of the sediment where the root systems are and where the growth is occurring and where that nitrogen would otherwise be captured, and once it escapes that then it's going to travel.

"It will either go into the ground water, and it will take years and decades to then emerge or, and a lot of the nitrogen on a dairy farm will do this."

Human health issues from bacteria and in particular: E. Coli

E. Coli comes from the faeces of animal livestock, and has become a major factor in stopping Kiwis from swimming in their rivers. E. Coli is a major health hazard - it can make you sick, especially if you drink water contaminated with it such as what occurred in Hawke's Bay in 2016.

DairyNZ regulations mean its farmers must fence off all waterways on their land and 96 percent have done so - but no such regulations exist for beef, sheep or deer farming.

Environment Minister Nick Smith wants this compulsory across all farming industries by 2030. One wonders why it has taken the Government so long to implement such a measure.

It's not just agriculture and farming polluting New Zealand's rivers

The Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill is continuously polluting the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty, and is being allowed to do so because the mill hires local people. The Tarawera River now has an unenviable nickname, the 'Black Drain'.

This perhaps sums up the great dichotomy of employment versus the environment: Our Kiwi communities want jobs, but they also don't want to pollute our rivers.

In 2009 the Government granted permission to the mill's owners, Norwegian company Norske Skog, to keep polluting the Tarawera River for another 25 years, despite official protests from local iwi.

In essence, the Tarawera river is being destroyed to keep a few hundred local people employed. The profits made by the mill go back to 'clean, green' Norway.

Invading species is also a massive problem

Remember those "have you seen didymo" TV ads a decade or so ago?

Invasive plants and animals in our waterways are still a major problem in 2017, with foreign species of fish like toy carp wreaking havoc on the natural vegetation in our Kiwi lakes, exacerbating the decline in water quality.

Dr Quinn says noxious plants like didymo are still common in New Zealand but have been overshadowed by the pollution saga from agriculture.

"We see a whole lot of nuisance plants getting into our lakes which eventually results in quite major deterioration.

"It's quite difficult at times to get simple messages across to the public because it really is quite complicated and often people want to reduce it down to one or two things and what we're dealing with is a syndrome of impacts that humans are having and we really need to understand is how to manipulate a number of things at once if we're to restore these water bodies to what we want them to be."

On Wednesday, in part two of our special Newshub investigation into river health, we'll examine what exactly is being done to help protect New Zealand waterways and hear extensively from dairy industry scientists and perhaps the most important people in all of this - the farmers.

Newshub.