#10+2 Examination 2024

[mynokari]

SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level CHSL 10+2 Examination 2024 Apply Online for 3712 Post

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[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Good Omens filming locations masterpost! ❤ 🐍😊 Part 2

(here to part 1 :))

(here to part 3 :))

Here to the map :)

Others in England (cont):

Tadfield Manor (S01E01, S01E02) - Bulstrode, Gerrards Cross

Scene: The Tadfield Manor where the satanic nuns run the hospital in the first episode and Aziraphale and Crowley visit in the second episode

Availability (as of 2024): The manor has been in private hands since 2016 - in 2023 sold again, I didn't find on the internet that it would be available to visit in any form, the manor is not visitble from the public road.

Link on the map

Four Horsemen meeting (S01E05) – Old School Cafe, Longcross Road B386

Scene: The cafe where Four Horsemen meet

Availability (as of 2024): street all day, the cafe Mon-Fri 7:30-15:00, Sat-Sun 8:30-15:00

Link on the map

Heaven middle floors (S01E01, S01E03, S01E04, S01E05) - Weybridge Business Park, Addlestone

Scene: The Heaven middle floors scenes in season 1 were filmed here

Availability (as of 2024): The places can be sort of seen from the street but I don't think that visiting is possible

Link on the map

Pollution by the river (S01E04) – River Wey Navigation, Guildford

Scene: The International Express Man delivers the package to Pollution

(fun fact: this one was the harderst one to pin down the exact location, I only knew bc of an article that the schooting took place by "Wey Navigation" which is a river long 32km (miles), I tried to find a better mention or through google maps comparing place for a long time but couldn't, finally I wrote to the River Way Navigation organization on facebook but they had no record of the shooting. Finally, in one of the photos I noticed that in the background there is a footbridge that I saw a photo of a similar footbridge while searching on a history of Wey Navigation river on the UK National Trust page and fortunately the previous mentioned facebook page knew where it was, WAHOO! :))

Availability (as of 2024): all day

Link on the map

Hogback Wood (S01E01, S01E02, S01E04, S01E05) - Painshill Park, Cobham

Scene: The Hogback Wood where The Them play, seen in several episodes.

Availability (as of 2024): The entrance to the park is paid (£11 with prebooking online on https://painshill.co.uk/visit-us/ticket-prices-booking/) They open at 10 and close at 16-18 depending on the season. The World Word II crater they shot the main scene at should be in the west-south tip of the park. The whole path there and back is 4km (2,5 miles).

Link on the map

International Express Man's house (S01E04) - Shetland Close, Guildford

Scene: The International Express Man leaves the house to make deliveries

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

Agnes Nutter's village (S01E02) - Weald & Downland Living Museum, Chichester

Scene: The Agnes Nutter's village in episode two. In the map I highlighted which part we see the villagers and Witchfinder Major Pulsifer to through in the show.

Availability (as of 2024): The entrance fee is paid (£15.50 for an adult ticket prebooked online https://www.wealddown.co.uk/), it opens at 10 and closes at 16-17 depending on the month.

Link on the map

Tadfield Air Base (S01E05, S01E06) - RAF Upper Heyford, Bicester

Scene: For the shooting of the Tadfield Air Base the former RAF Upper Heyford was used, by the examining the google maps and screenshots from the series I think that the area labeled as 'Shelter 9' was used.

Availability (as of 2024): The place is no longer used by RAF purposes, there are several companies that use certain areas it but it is not available for public. The Upper Heyford Heritage though organizes (paid - £25.00) tours through the airbase: http://www.upperheyfordheritage.co.uk/home-page/tour-booking/

Link on the map

Soho (S1) – Bovingdon Airfield Studios

Scene: The Aziraphale's bookshop and Soho in season one were built at Bovingdon Airfield Studios

Availability (as of 2024): The studios can be rented but I don't think they are publicly available – the Soho is not there anymore though, it is now build in studios in Scotland.

Link on the map

The motorway on fire (S01E05) - M96 Training Motorway at Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh

Scene: The motorway on fire when Crowley is heading for Tadfield was filmed at M95 Training Motorway at Fire Service College that is usually used for training emergency service professionals

Availability (as of 2024): Not publicly available.

Link on the map

South Africa:

The 1941 church (S01E03) - St. Saviour's Church, Claremont, Cape Town

Scene: The scene in Season 1 where Aziraphale is outsmarted by the Nazis and is saved by Crowley

Availability (as of 2024): Their facebook says Always open

Link on the map

Famine at a fancy restaurant (S01E03) - Mutual Heights building, Cape Town

Scene: The restaurant where we meet Famine for the first time

Availability (as of 2024): It is a building with flats, offices and a reception, not available to public.

Link on the map

Crowley in a cinema (S01E04) - Joseph Stone Auditorium, Cape Town

Scene: Crowley in a cinema (with Neil Gaiman cameo) watching animated rabbits when Hastur interrupts

Availability (as of 2024): Not publicly available as such but they there are presentations and and such happening there https://www.facebook.com/josephstone1968/

Link on the map

Aziraphale dancing gavotte (S01E04) - Casa Labia, Cape Town

Scene: Aziraphale dancing gavotte in a discreet gentlemen's club in Portland Place in the late 1880s was filmed at Casa Labia in Cape Town

Availability (as of 2024): Casa labia is hotel and a restaurant so it can be visited in that way https://www.casalabia.com/

Link on the map

Anathema's child home (S01E02) - Llandudno Rock Villa, Cape Town

Scene: The home which we see Anathema as a child with The Book (in the show it's Malibu, California)

Availability (as of 2024): street all day, the villa itself seems that it can be rented

Link on the map

Eden desert and ep6 time bubble desert (S01E01,S01E06) – Atlantis Dunes, Cape Town

Scene: The Eden desert scenes and the time bubble with Adam and AC were filmed in the Atlantis Dunes at the outskirts of Cape Town

Availability (as of 2024): The Atlantis Dunes – or Witzands Aquifer Conservation Area – is a protected natural area. Biking adventures can be booked through https://atlantisdunes.com/ or also other activities through https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/see-all-city-facilities/our-recreational-facilities/Nature%20reserves/Witzands%20Aquifer%20Nature%20Reserve

Link on the map

The apple tree in the Garden of Eden (S01E01) - Waterfall Valley (formerly Cascade Country Manor), Paarl

Scene: The Eden apple tree with the waterfall in the background was filmed at the retreat Waterfall Valley (then Cascade Country Manor) (the tree was added by the film crew for the scene)

Availability (as of 2024): I am not sure if you can visit the waterfall like that or you have to be a guest in the restreat. The retreat is available for booking: https://www.waterfallvalley.online/

Link on the map

There were other scenes also filmed at South Africa (thought not specified exactly where): Hell was filmed in Cape Town in a former abattoir. The Noah’s Ark scene and the Crucifixion scene were filmed on a windswept plain just outside Cape Town. Also the Meggido scenes. The entire village used for the scene with War causing mayhem in an african village is in fact a set, built on scrubland over a sand mine just outside Cape Town. The French Revolution scene wa shot on a set that had been used twenty-four hours earlier for the scene in Ancient Rome. Famine visiting a burger place with Elvis was shot on a set in Cape Town. Also some scene's in Anathema's cottage with Anathema and Newt.

SEASON 2

Most of season 2 has been shot inside the film studio in Bathgate (f.e. the whole Soho has been built there), the driving throught the Blitz London in the Glasgow’s Wardpark Studios, the inside of the 1827 mausoleum in the River City studios in Dumbarton, the Hell in S2 has been shot in an old disused factory (not specififed which one). The shots of the Edinburgh castle have been shot from the top of the The Caledonian hotel.

Edinburgh:

Crowley and Shax in St James's Park (S02E01) – Inverleith Park, Edinburgh

Scene: Crowley and Shax meet to discuss the news in St James's Park – the scene though was actually filmed in Scotland.

Availability (as of 2024): All day

Link on the map

The place where Crowley parks the Bentley (S02E01, S02E02) – Circus Lane, Edinburgh

Scene: The place Crowley goes to to park the Bentley and sleep there

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

AC and Elspeth in Edinburgh (S02E03) - Moray Place, Edinburgh

Scene: Aziraphale, Crowley and Elspeth are taking the first "pickled herring" to be sold, Aziraphale and Crowley are debating good and evil

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

Detective Aziraphale parks the Bentley (S02E03) – Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Scene: Aziraphale arrives in the Bentley and happily goes to investigate

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

The Resurrectionist (S02E03, S02E06) - Cask and Barrel, Edinburgh

Scene: Aziraphale goes to investigate to The Resurrectionist bar (also in Gabriel's memories with Beelzebub) – filmed in the Cask and Barrel bar

Availability (as of 2024): outside all day, inside 12-24, Fri-Sat 12-1

Link on the map

Stirling:

Edinburgh cementery (S02E03) - Old Town Cemetery, Stirling

Scene: The cemetery in episode 3 was filmed at the Stirling cemetery (grave, some gravestones, Gabriel's statue and the crypt has been added by the crew for the shooting)

Availability (as of 2024): all day

Link on the map

AC and Elspeth going through Edinburgh (S02E03) – Broad Street, Stirling

Scene: Aziraphale, Crowley and Elspeth going through Edinburgh while Aziraphale is trying to persuade her that she could do something else

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

Meeting Wee Morag (S02E03) - Mar's Wark, Stirling

Scene: The small corridor behind the gate where Wee Morag is staying

Availability (as of 2024): The front all day, the corridor if not through the gate then hopefully from the other side

Link on the map

Others in Scotland:

AC drinking whiskey with Mr Darlymple and the corridor to Mr Darlymple (S02E03) – Hopetoun House, Queensferry

Scene: Aziraphale and Crowley drinking whisky with Mr Darlymple while he explains why he needs fresh dead bodies also at the house has been filmed the corridor reading to Mr Darlymple

Availability (as of 2024): Hopetoun is visitable, Friday 29 March 2024 to Sunday 29 September 2024 Open 5 days per week (Thursday – Monday) from 11am to 5pm, £13.50 for an adult ticket for House and Grounds (to see both), or £13.50 for Grounds (to see the corridor)

Link on the map

The Windmill Theatre in 1941 (S02E04) - Hippodrome Cinema, Bo'ness

Scene: The theatre that Crowley delivered the broken alcohol to and Aziraphale performed the bullet catch

Availability (as of 2024): You can visit the cinema for a movie or an event https://www.hippodromecinema.co.uk/whats-on/

Link on the map

Aziraphale's trip to Edinburgh (S02E03) and Shax hitchhiking (S02E04) - Forrestburn Hillclimb, Shotts

Scene: The scene from Aziraphale's view when he travels to Edinburgh and Crowley calls him was filmed here.

Availability (as of 2024): Not available to public. The track is used by the members of the Monklands Sporting Car Club for special events. Outside of these the track is closed and no access is available except for hiring for special events/filming.

Link on the map

Soho and more (S2) - The Pyramids Studio, Bathgate

Scene: The S2 Soho has been built in the Bathgate studio, also there were built and shot many other scenes

Availability (as of 2024): It is not available to visit for public

Link on the map

London:

Possibly only streets were filmed and the Bentley was added with VFX.

C on the way to A after A calls him (S02E01) - Wardour Street, London

Scene: Crowley on the way to Aziraphale after Aziraphale calls him (to tell him about Gabriel)

Availability (as of 2024): street all day

Link on the map

(continue to Part 3 :))

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Christina Buttons

Published: Apr 4, 2024

[ Figure 2: Representative images of Hematoxylin and Eosin-stained sections of testicular tissue biopsied from the testis from GD patients (A) with and (B) without PB exposure. ]

In a groundbreaking study from the Mayo Clinic, a globally recognized leader in medical research and patient care, researchers examined the effects of puberty blockers on testicular development in gender dysphoric male children. Their investigation revealed evidence of mild to severe atrophy in the sex glands of these children, leading the authors to express doubt in the claims of “reversibility” often made about puberty blockers.

The authors assert, “We provide unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to [puberty blockers].”

This preprint study, not yet peer-reviewed, presents evidence that puberty blockers induce significant cellular changes, impacting testicular development and sperm production in ways that are not fully reversible, with potentially permanent effects on testicular function and fertility. It challenges the longstanding view of puberty blockers as a reversible "pause button" on puberty.

As noted by the researchers of this study, no long-term studies exist for the use of puberty blockers in the context of stopping puberty for gender dysphoric children, and many potential health consequences remain unknown. In particular, the long-term impact on reproductive health is uncertain, making this study critical for filling this knowledge gap.

To address these unknowns, the Mayo Clinic has established the largest collection of testicular samples for patients aged 0-17 years, including those with gender dysphoria who have and have not yet received puberty blocker treatment, creating a database of over 130,000 individual cells for analysis.

Using a novel approach, the research team meticulously analyzed testicular tissue samples from youths undergoing puberty blocker treatment, with those not on puberty blocker treatment serving as controls. This comparison provides important insights into the potential cellular and molecular changes induced by these drugs.

Key Findings

The study utilized the Mayo Clinic's Pediatric Testicular Biobank for Fertility Preservation, which has been recruiting patients primarily from pediatric urology departments since 2015. Researchers analyzed testicular specimens from 87 young individuals (ages 0-17) undergoing fertility preservation surgery for various health reasons. Among these, 16 were gender dysphoric boys between the ages of 10 and 16, all of whom began identifying as transgender girls between the ages of 2 and 15. At the time of surgery, 9 patients (56%) were already on puberty blockers, with exposure ranging from 3 to 52 months. The authors noted that 100% of the 16 children would eventually go on to take them, highlighting “the widespread nature of PB intervention in this demographic.”

Among nine patients treated with puberty blockers, two exhibited unusual features in their testicles upon physical examination. One patient had abnormalities in both testicles, including incomplete development of the tunica albuginea, which is a protective covering around the testicles. The other patient had a right testicle that was difficult to detect.

In one part of the tissue-level analysis, over 400 testicular biopsy samples were analyzed and stained to examine the differences between those treated with puberty blockers and those who were not. Comparisons showed that testicular development in those treated with puberty blockers was abnormal compared to non-treated individuals. There was variability in how individuals responded to puberty blockers, leading to different outcomes in testicular development, including the degeneration of testicular tissues.

The study authors presented a case of a 12-year-old patient who underwent treatment with puberty blockers for 14 months. In this individual, 59% of the sex glands showed complete atrophy, along with the presence of microlithiasis—a condition where small clusters of calcium form in the testicles. This insight suggests that puberty blockers could lead to lasting structural changes. Additionally, research has shown a link between testicular microlithiasis and testicular cancer.

[ D) Representative images of normal (top) and fully atrophied sex gland (bottom). ]

This study also utilized single-cell analysis to investigate the effects of puberty blockers and aging on testicular cell composition. It took a very detailed look at individual cells from the testicles of a 14-year-old who had been on puberty blockers for over 4 years. The study analyzed a total of 130,100 cells, including 11,199 cells from the juvenile puberty blocker-treated patient.

The study observed that over 90% of the cells responsible for sperm production in this patient were stunted at an early developmental stage, unable to progress further. Additionally, it found "pathologically" higher and lower levels of two types of support cells (Sertoli cells) necessary for healthy sperm development. These findings suggest that puberty blockers can disrupt the normal maturation process of cells critical for sperm production.

In another part of the analysis, the authors found distinct cell-specific changes, including altered expression patterns of puberty-associated genes in endothelial cells, due to puberty blocker treatment. The authors believe that these drugs might induce juvenile testicular atrophy in part by disrupting the normal function of testicular endothelial cells.

Another aspect of the study focused on examining the effects of puberty blockers on the genetic activity of early-stage sperm cells, revealing significant changes that could potentially influence their development and fertility. By analyzing the activity of specific genes within these cells, the researchers found that puberty blockers may have caused alterations in gene expression, affecting processes crucial for the normal growth and function of these cells. This analysis suggests that the use of puberty blockers in gender dysphoric youth could have lasting implications for their reproductive health, particularly by impacting the ability of these early-stage sperm cells to mature properly.

Study Impact

Puberty blockers are increasingly used as a treatment for gender dysphoric youth to halt the development of secondary sex characteristics, such as breast development and widening of hips in females, or the growth of facial hair and deepening of the voice in males. Thousands of children in the United States are placed on this medical pathway as part of the gender-affirming model of care, under the presumption that these drugs are safe and fully reversible.

However, many aspects of the long-term consequences of puberty blockers, which have been administered to children off-label in an experimental manner, remain unknown. This study contributes valuable insights into the potential irreversible harm these treatments can cause to bodily and reproductive functions. 

Arguably, the most critical finding is the evidence of mild to severe sex gland atrophy in children treated with puberty blockers. This atrophy signifies potential damage or impairment to the structures essential for sperm production, raising serious concerns about the long-term fertility impacts of these drugs for these individuals. 

Given the Mayo Clinic's esteemed reputation in the medical and research communities, should the study pass peer review without any issues, its findings will carry significant weight.

Broader Implications

Puberty blockers belong to a group of synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. These drugs act on the pituitary gland to hinder the release of chemical signals that typically trigger the production of estrogen and testosterone. Historically GnRH analogues were used to treat conditions such as prostate cancer, fibroids, and endometriosis and, in some cases, as a measure to chemically castrate sex offenders.

In children, puberty blockers prevent the natural changes of puberty driven by sex hormones and have been used to treat central precocious puberty, a condition where a child begins to sexually mature much earlier than usual. In gender dysphoria, puberty blockers are administered experimentally, lacking long-term testing.

Notably, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved puberty blockers and sex hormones for use in pediatric gender care. No clinical trials have substantiated the safety of these drugs for such non-approved applications and manufacturers of puberty blockers have repeatedly declined to conduct safety trials for their use on this cohort.

While puberty-blocking drugs are often promoted as “safe,” "reversible" and a "pause button" on puberty, these characterizations seem to stem from their approved use for treating central precocious puberty in younger children, not their burgeoning off-label use for managing gender dysphoria in adolescents. 

Past studies have indicated possible negative effects on bone density and brain health. There is also a concern that these drugs might solidify gender dysphoria in adolescents, potentially leading them down a lifelong road of biomedical interventions. Following reports in 2016 of suicidal ideation in children administered puberty blockers, the FDA instructed drug manufacturers to include a warning about potential psychiatric issues on the drugs' labels.

Puberty blockers are increasingly administered to adolescents at Tanner Stage 2, the first signs of puberty. Research shows administering puberty blockers at this stage, followed by cross-sex hormones, may result in infertility, sterility, and sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, they inhibit the development of mature male genitalia, making it difficult to create a pseudovagina in the event of a later vaginoplasty due to a lack of sufficient tissue.

The National Health Service England recently announced it would no longer prescribe puberty blockers to youth outside of research settings and closed down its only national clinical service for pediatric gender medicine, following a review that deemed the service "not safe.”

Several European countries, including Sweden, Finland, the UK, Denmark, and Norway have updated their guidelines for youth transition to align with systematic evidence reviews, the gold standard in evidence-based medicine. These reviews concluded that the risks associated with youth transition outweigh any purported benefits. Consequently, these countries have implemented restrictions on medical interventions, prioritizing psychotherapy as a first-line response for minors experiencing gender-related distress.

==

They're sterilizing boys and giving them cancer. When "god" does it, we call him evil. When humans do it, we call it "gender affirming care."

[a-d-nox]

vertex persona chart observations (part 2)

these ideas are for VERTEX PERSONA CHARTS ONLY and are completely hypothetical. they are based on my (the those closest to me's) experiences with each aspect/placement! please don't take everything i say as predestined, astrology is possible outcomes not guaranteed ones. this is just a starting place for when examining singular objects in an entire galaxy (this not the only chart in affect for you). take what resonates and leave what doesn't!

☆ virgo (6°, 18°) sun people are likely to analyze themselves and how they effect the world around them

☆ capricorn (10°, 22°) sun people are mean to get their ego checked in this lifetime - they likely lacked the ability to be humble previously

☆ sun positively aspecting jupiter tend to be great leaders who influence others with their wisdom and knowledge

☆ sun negatively aspecting pluto people tend to want a lot of attention, but they either don't receive it or end up regretting receiving it

☆ sun positively aspecting mc people often feel joy when they are known by others and their legacy/reputation proceeds them because others to think highly of them

☆ leo (5°, 17°, 29°) moon people are supposed to experience joy, happiness, and laugh more in this life

☆ aquarius (11°, 23°) moon people are supposed to learn how to disconnect from their feelings in this cycle

☆ moon positively aspecting mercury people are set to learn healthy communication of their feelings

☆ moon conjunct venus people can feel both close yet far from their family (venus was welcomed by the gods, yet is older and was born in a different manner then they were)

☆ moon-venus people are bound to have children

☆ moon-venus people are meant to learn about sympathy and self-love

☆ virgo/gemini (3°, 6°, 15°, 18°, 27°) mercury people tend to have critical conversations with those around them - fluffy topics aren't necessarily them; they require intellectual conversations

☆ virgo (6°, 18°) mercury people can have a lot health issues this lifetime

☆ libra (7°, 19°) mercury people are meant to have romantic conversations and/or culturally interactive conversations

☆ 2h mercury people tend to notice the value of the physical and non-physical aspects of the world

☆ mercury positively aspecting venus people often see the beauty in everything around them

☆ mercury positively aspecting venus people can be fated to have a very nice car at some point in their lives

☆ mercury negatively aspecting jupiter tend to only see only the negatives

☆ gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) mars people are often very passionate about learning and/or using their words in a very eloquent manner that is meant to attract people to them

☆ capricorn (10°, 22°) mars people tend to be passionate about modesty and presenting themselves as responsible and dependable

☆ mars negatively aspecting jupiter often don't give into their desires - they might not have a lot of desires

☆ 11h jupiter tends to indicate a lot of wealth from their career - likely the benefits are unbeatable

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my "suggest a post topic" button if you want to see a specific post or mythical asteroid next!

click here for the masterlist

click here for more related to planetary & object persona chart information

want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

© a-d-nox 2024 all rights reserved

[covid-safer-hotties]

Reference archived on our website

Could covid be driving an increase in sudden infant death syndrome? Further study is needed, but these statistics aren't looking great.

Key Points Question What is the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)?

Findings In this cross-sectional study of 14 308 SUID cases, the risk of SUID and SIDS increased during the intrapandemic period (March 2020 to December 2021) compared with the prepandemic period (March 2018 to December 2019), with the greatest increases noted in 2021 (9% for SUID and 10% for SIDS). A marked statistically significant monthly increase in SUID from June to December 2021 was observed.

Meaning These findings suggest that the pronounced shift in SUID epidemiology during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with altered infectious disease transmission at the time.

Abstract Importance Infection has been postulated as a driver in the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cascade. Epidemiologic patterns of infection, including respiratory syncytial virus and influenza, were altered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparing month-to-month variation in both sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and SIDS rates before and during the pandemic offers an opportunity to generate and expand existing hypotheses regarding seasonal infections and SUID and SIDS.

Objective To compare prepandemic and intrapandemic rates of SUID and SIDS, assessing for monthly variation.

Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study assessed US mortality data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2021. Events with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes for SIDS (R95), unknown (R99), and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (W75) causes of death were examined. The data analysis was performed between November 2, 2023, and June 2, 2024.

Exposure COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Outcomes and Measures The primary and secondary outcomes were the monthly rates of SUID and SIDS during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021) compared with the prepandemic period (March 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019) as measured using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Seasonal trends in RSV and influenza rates were also examined.

Results There were 14 308 SUID cases from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021 (42% female infants). Compared with the prepandemic period, the risk of SUID increased during the intrapandemic period (intensity ratio [IR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.07). Monthly assessments revealed an increased risk of SUID beyond the prepandemic baseline starting in July 2020, with a pronounced epidemiologic shift from June to December 2021 (ranging from 10% to 14%). Rates of SIDS were elevated throughout the intrapandemic period compared with the prepandemic baseline, with the greatest increase in July 2021 (IR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13-1.22) and August 2021 (IR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13-1.22). Seasonal shifts in RSV hospitalizations correlated with monthly changes in SUID observed during 2021.

Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study found increased rates of both SUID and SIDS during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant shift in epidemiology from the prepandemic period noted in June to December 2021. These findings support the hypothesis that off-season resurgences in endemic infectious pathogens may be associated with SUID rates, with RSV rates in the US closely approximating this shift. Further investigation into the role of infection in SUID and SIDS is needed.

[theblueeyedfirebender]

Fanfiction Masterlist.

(Updated 10/9/24)

The following are my works over on AO3. It's mostly oneshots, mostly Royai (plus one Zutara), and the more I disassociate from reality the longer this list gets.

Bon appétit ❤️

The Art of Living On

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 3.9K

She has never done this. Has avoided it at all costs. Because she is unfit, she tells herself. Her hands are made for firearms and filing office paperwork, not soothing fussy babies. Her edges are too sharp, too jagged to provide comfort to anyone. She is scarred and bloodied and barely knows the love of a mother herself.

But the baby wails, pleading.

Written for Royai Week 2024, Day 2: Appreciate

This story was adapted into a podfic (audiobook, but make it fanfiction) by @klainelynch. Listen here.

(domestic fluff, light angst with a happy ending)

Death and Taxes

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 5.4K

“You’re proposing we marry,” Hawkeye responds, slow and dangerous, “for tax purposes?”

Something prickles beneath Mustang's shirt collar. He resists the urge to tug at it, instilling his voice with an even coolness as he pretends to examine his cuticles. “A mutually beneficial arrangement, wouldn’t you agree?”

(marriage of convenience)

The Counteroffer

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 2.7K

On the eve of Mustang’s inauguration as Fuhrer, Riza Hawkeye submits her resignation.

My very first Royai fanfic, and my first attempt at creative writing in literal years.

(light angst with a happy ending)

Hourglass

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 1.6K

Riza Hawkeye never intended on living past age thirty-two. It wasn’t that she wanted to die. She simply did not expect to live.

Written for Royai Week 2024, Day 5: Gift

(angst with a happy ending)

Uncle Zuko

Katara x Zuko

Rating: T

Word count: 2.6K

Of all the things his hands have held - from dragon eggs and ancient texts to the element of Fire itself - this is by far the most precious, the most powerful: a new generation, one born into a world without war.

Zuko is forced to hold Sokka's baby, and feelings happen. I published this story years ago on FFN under a different title. This is the updated/revised version. I haven't written much of them lately, but Zuko & Katara are, and will always remain, my otp.

(domestic fluff)

The Bookshelf - WIP

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 2.3K

“It has a ladder.” Falman remarks, impressed.

(Or: Fuhrer Mustang gifts Hawkeye a bookshelf, and the rest of the Team starts to figure things out.)

(fluff, humor)

Strong Whiskey and Slanted Light

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: G

Word count: 908

His team is alive. The Elric brothers have their bodies back. Havoc can walk again. And from her place in the driver’s seat, Riza Hawkeye - alive and breathing - glances sharply in his direction, brows raised in a rare moment of removing her attention from the road ahead. He doesn’t miss the way she winces at the sudden movement of her still-healing neck. “Sir?”

“It’s just a question, Lieutenant. I’m curious.”

Written for Royai Week 2024, Day 1: Curiosity

(light angst, mutual pining)

Mrs. Mustang

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 999

���And how are you this evening, my dear?” he murmurs, the playful formality simmering between them. His bowtie has gone missing, Riza observes. As well as his tailored jacket, and the top few buttons of his collared shirt are undone. Suspenders hang loose around his hips, and the scent of his cologne - a blend of tobacco, leather, and vanilla - drifts to her, freshly applied despite the lateness of the hour.

“Very well,” she responds over the rim of her wine glass, wondering if the darkness is enough to conceal the heat creeping into her face. Likely not. “Only I wish you wouldn’t call me ‘my dear’.”

(fluff)

As You Were

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 2.4K

Maybe it’s the fact that she’s dropped his honorific.

Maybe it’s the fact that they are somehow both alive. Maybe it’s the fact that he can see her, when he’d believed with such certainty that he never would again. He can see her and she is beautiful, and for once he doesn’t understand why he ever chose to banish that thought from his mind when it is so clearly the truth.

(angst)

The Flame Alchemist's Daughter

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 6.4K

The ink is a burden. The knowledge is a curse.

Disclaimer: I wrote this before I fully understood the mechanics of Mustang's flame alchemy (I literally finished the series in March 2024; I'm new here, so my bad). I realized later that some of the implications here would not make sense in canon. That said, I still love this story. I'm proud of it and it's freaking fanfiction so who cares.

(angst)

Checkmate

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 1.6K

In the wake of his election victory, Roy Mustang makes a very important visit to Fuhrer President Grumman.

Prequel to "The Counteroffer."

(fluff, light angst)

Four

Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang

Rating: T

Word count: 2.2K

Each time he has laid eyes on Riza Hawkeye’s tattoo, the course of Roy Mustang’s life has been permanently altered.

(angst with a happy ending)

[positivelybeastly]

I'm new to comics and love beast. Is there any comics with beast that you'd recommend? There's so many xmen comics and idk where to start.

Hello there, friend! Getting into comic books is damned hard, but, thankfully, resources like Reddit, Tumblr, and Marvel Unlimited (or your pirating site of choice) all make it a lot easier to get into them these days without having to worry about being confused.

Well. You'll still be a little confused. Comic books are convoluted. But at least you'll be able to engage with them on your own terms. :) And, it's worth it. Mostly.

I'll tell you straight out that if you want some good entry points, like, this is my first X-Men comic, what do I read, I'd recommend the following:

X-Men: First Class (2006)

X-Men vol. 2 (1991)

New X-Men vol. 1 (2001)

Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 (2004)

X-Men vol. 6 (2024)

As for Beast specific recommendations? I have a ton!

For Beast as a character, being examined in his own right, I would recommend the following:

X-Men Origins: Beast - a retelling of his origin, updated with modern art and writing. Written by Mike Carey, whose work you should generally look into if you like X-Men - he focuses a lot on characters like Rogue and Xavier, but also on Beast, which is handy for our purposes!

X-Men: Unlimited vol. 1 #10 and vol. 2 #10 - so, this may be somewhat confusing to a new comic reader, but comics have volumes. This is when a comic of a certain title ends, and it's then relaunched with a new creative team, usually with a very different story.

So, X-Men: Unlimited is an anthology series that tells unconnected stories that fit in other places, between other comics, and there were two different volumes of it, one in the 90s, and one in the 00s. Both volumes have an issue #10 that focuses on Beast, and I'd recommend them both! Vol. 1 #10 especially would be, in my opinion, required reading if you really want to get into Beast.

Amazing Adventures vol. 2 #11 through #17 - the first stab at giving Hank his own solo series, from back in the 70s! Don't let the age get you down, I find this series to be actually fairly modern and easy to get into, and it's a nice sort of superhero/horror blend of tones that I find really effective.

X-Men: Endangered Species - this is a Beast solo story dealing with the aftermath of the Decimation, the event where Scarlet Witch removed the powers of 99% of the world's mutants. It's quite dark, but I think it's probably one of the best examinations of the character in the medium, and it works as an excellent sequel to Unlimited vol. 1 #10. Most of the context you need is given to you in the comic, which is handy. :)

X-Men: S.W.O.R.D vol. 1 - this is kind of a team-up comic, kind of not? The context for this is reliant on reading another run that I'll be recommending, but trust me, it's worth it. This is an outrageously funny book with a good emotional core, and it really captures Beast's essence, as a dual sided goofball jokester with a heart of gold and the intellectual moralistic do-gooder who can't leave well enough alone. One of my favourite comics of all time.

For Beast as part of a team, I would recommend the following:

X-Men: First Class - a prequel book set during the days of the Original X-Men, this series bounces between Cyclops, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl and Beast a fair bit, but even in issues that don't focus on Beast, he's still a part of the story and quite well written. Very slice-of-lifey, with a lot of charm to it.

X-Men: Season One - a retelling of certain stories from the original 60s run of X-Men, this is a pretty good one-and-done graphic novel that does change a few things, but keeps the spirit intact and tells you a lot about these characters and how they relate to one another. Just watch out for Iceman's Bieber hair.

Avengers vol. 1 #137-211 - this is a pretty long run of comics that features Hank's initial tenure on the Avengers, and will occasionally require a bit of reading around to make sure that you're reading the Annuals in the right place - usually, the comic will tell you to go read Annual #6 or whatever, but if you find a lot of stuff has happened and the story jumped ahead without you, chances are, it's in an Annual. Very variable in quality, but if you want to see classic Beast in all his glory, there's some really good stuff here, especially the foundation of his lifelong friendship with Wonder Man.

The Defenders/New Defenders vol. 1 #96-152 - probably one of my actual favourite run of comics ever. Beast joins the team a little later than #96, but if you jump in when Hank does, you'll be just a little confused, so it's best to start at #96 and go from there. Especially once Hank reforms the team to the New Defenders in #125, he basically becomes one of the very main characters and gets a lot of focus. Absolutely love this comic.

X-Factor vol. 1 #1-70 - the first six or seven issues of this are pretty bad, but it really comes into its own once it starts being written by Louise Simonson, who makes it much more soap opera, more character driven, gives all the characters a lot to do. There's a lot of crossover with other books, but usually it'll just tell you what to read if you want to know more about a part of a story in little editor's notes!

X-Men vol. 2 #1-95 - the classic 90s run; not my personal favourite, because it's pretty confusingly plotted, but if you want something that hews extremely close to the 90s cartoon, this is that to a tee, to the point where a lot of stories and characters were adapted to and from the comics directly!

New X-Men vol. 1 #114-156 - a landmark run on X-Men by Grant Morrison, this evolves Beast into a new form and changes up his character in a new, tragic manner that, personally, is my favourite iteration of the character. Very high concept sci-fi, occasionally quite confusing and problematic, but extremely good stuff, imo, and essential for getting into modern X-Men.

Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #1-35 - a sort of sequel to New X-Men, this is again an extremely good entry point into modern X-Men, and it's very, very classic while still progressing the story. Just a note - when you read issue #24, do NOT go to issue #25, you need to go and read Giant Size Astonishing X-Men instead, THEN go to #25. I know, it's confusing, I'm so, so, so sorry, comics are just like this. This is the comic that leads straight into S.W.O.R.D pretty much.

Wolverine and the X-Men vol. 1 #1-42 - a more zany, school focused book, Hank is part of the wider cast here, but he does get some spotlight issues, and I do enjoy him here, especially his relationship with Broo. There are crossovers with Avengers vs. X-Men and other events in here, but those events are kinda sort skippable because they're bad. If you feel confused, you can read them, but I don't necessarily recommend them.

X-Men vol. 6 #1-ongoing - the current run of X-Men, written by Jed MacKay! To put it very bluntly, Beast went through about a decade of being quite badly written and slowly turned into a scummy villain through the recent Krakoa era, which I was not a fan of. There are individual issues between 2013 and 2024 that I can recommend, but if you like Beast, I would not recommend reading them, because I think that they are pretty bad and not fun to read. This is me being kind. But the new series picks up after that's all fixed, and Beast is getting a lot to do in this series, so I'd recommend it!

X-Men: From the Ashes Infinity Comics #15-18 - a supplementary comic that focuses on Beast, best read alongside the above X-Men run I recommended; it can give you all the context you need for where Beast is at, and why he's feeling the way that he is. A very, very good read, way exceeded my expectations, and I'm really pleased I can actually recommend modern comics for Beast again!

These are the main runs I would recommend! There's a lot more, if we want to get esoteric, and I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of material - Beast has been around for 60 years, he's been in a LOT of stories - but if you want to get stuck into X-Men comics and really immerse yourself into the world and the stories, there's a lot of really good material here!

Welcome to the X-Men comics, friend! Hope you survive the experience!

[ao3-top-batfam-ships-bracket]

Hi, prev anon venting about the Timkon vs Batjokes poll here: would actually find it very interesting to read some analysis on the rising anti mentality, actually. I've been in fandom for a long time, so I do remember when it wasn't like this, and for a while I was like "it's fine, just block and move on, don't engage, it's fine". But IS it fine?? Fans of more complex and not easily digestible ships... we block and ignore and create our own little niches, but at this point I've seen too many cases of shippers saying they're AFRAID of publically liking something darker just because they might get harassed. This shit is getting genuinely harrowing to real alive people, to the point where some poor fans actually buy the bullshit of "you're a bad person if you like That Bad Ship" as if thought crimes exist and we're in the damn 18th century. It's definitely worth studying this phenomenon in fandom because then maybe we can figure out how to fix this? Fandom is supposed to be fun... Lol, really long way of saying that those texts would be cool to see, thank you guys!

Sure!

Here's a huge library of sources about media literacy, lgbtq+ issues, fandom and fan culture. We definitely recommend checking it out!

Under the cut is the list of articles focused specifically on the phenomenon of antishipping. Please keep in mind that some of these articles are master's theses or doctoral dissertations and that we didn't fully read all of them. This is just a general list of what we've found.

Aburime, S. (2021). The cult structure of the American anti. Transformative Works and Cultures, 36.

Aburime, S. (2022). Hate narratives, conditioned language and networked harassment: A new breed of anti-shipper and anti-fan–antis. Journal of Fandom Studies, 10(2-3), 135-155.

Bradburn, M. (2023). Fans Like Us: Anti-Shipping, Othering, and the Reauthoring of Fandom (Master's thesis, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte).

Drouin, R. A. (2021). 'Fans are Going to See it Any Way They Want': The Rhetorics of the Voltron: Legendary Defender Fandom. Bowling Green State University.

Larsen, V. (2021). It makes me, a minor, uncomfortable. Media and Morality in Anti-Shippers’ Policing of Online Fandom.

Salsabila, J. A., & Sulhin, I. (2024). Social Media And Moral Panic: Examining The Case Of Antis Fandom On Social Media X. Eduvest-Journal of Universal Studies, 4(5), 4138-4150.

Stone, A. A. (2023). The Antagonistic Anatomy of Anti-shippers: A Thematic Analysis. City University of New York John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Urbańczyk, A. (2022). Finding a Dead Dove in the Refrigerator. The Anti-Shippers’ Call for Exclusion of Sensitive Content as a Means of Establishing Position in the Field of Fan Production. Przegląd Kulturoznawczy, 53(3), 404-420.

(Also, adding this screenshot of the table of contents from Larsen's article because it's very funny.)

[the-flaming-nightmare]

Regressuary 2024 Prompts

This is gonna be my second attempt at Regressuary, so I've decided to make prompts of my own this year! 🌞🦖✨

Everyone is more than welcome to use them (I would honestly be really flattered if you did lol), so by all means, use them if you wish! 💞

I've actually been working on some of these prompts in advance since September or October last year. I'm so SO excited!! I'm actually feeling really confident that I'll be able to complete it this year! 😁😁

I look forward to see everyone's lovely creations next month! 🥰

1. Character A comes down with the flu and ends up regressing. Character B stays over to look after them.

2. Character A is sick but refuses to admit it and rest, leading to an inevitable drop in headspace when they're poor over-exhausted body can't take the pretending anymore: in comes Character B to care for them in their time of need.

3. Character A gets food poisoning, prompting Character B to look after them when they regress.

4. Character B accidentally says a naughty word in earshot of Character A. Character C is not impressed when they return home to discover A's enthusiasm for this new word.

5. Character A throws a massive tantrum and gets put into time out by Character B.

6. Character A gives Character B a makeover–while they're sleeping.

7. After spending a week of vacation in headspace, Character B attempts to re-potty train Character A in preparation for the coming school/work days ahead. A is not having it, and shows B exactly how they feel about it by having an "accident" outside of their pull-up.

8. Apocalypse/Littles are Known AU: Character B saves Character A from a zombie attack and takes them in.

9. Littles are Known AU: Character A, who's been in and out of Little Foster homes for many years, is taken to the hospital by their current Foster Caregiver for a broken foot. Character B is A's doctor, and upon examining them, realizes their broken foot might not have been as accidental as their Foster Caregiver said it was.

10. Littles are Known AU: Character A is feeling some anxiety on their first day of Daycare, but Character B knows just what to do to ease their fears.

11. Character A and Character B are roommates. One day after spending the evening regressed while B was out with friends, A accidentally left their sippy cup out on the kitchen counter. The next day when B comes into the kitchen for their morning cup of coffee, they make the unexpected discovery. An awkward but enlightening conversation between A and B ensues.

12. Character B comes home to discover Character A lying in bed surrounded by what looks like an entire box worth of popsicle wrappers.

13. Character A gets their period while regressed and goes to Character B for help and comfort. Having taken care of a regressed A while on their period a handful of times before, B knows exactly what to do for them.

14. Character A contracts the mumps and gets taken care of by Character B.

15. Character B gets Character A the puppy they've always wanted for their birthday.

16. Littles are Known AU: After months of waiting, Character B and Character C finally adopt and bring home Character A.

17. Character C has to leave for an overnight stay out of town, leaving Character A and and Character B to themselves for the first time since A started regressing with them. B manages to keep A distracted most of the day, but it's when bedtime rolls around that C's absence really hits A hard. B ends up staying up half the night with a very distressed A.

18. Character A does something dangerous and almost gets themself gravely injured in the process, which ends in them getting a spanking from Character B.

19. Character B and Character C take Character A on a trip to the beach.

20. Character A and Character B have a sleepover at Character C's house.

21. Littles are Known AU: After Character B and Character C end up having a biological child, Character A has a hard time adjusting to the new addition to the household.

22. Littles are Known AU: Character A is left on the doorstep of Character's B and C on Christmas Day.

23. Character A and Character B get into a fight over what to watch, which ends up resulting in B hitting A. Character C has to come in and deal with the situation.

24. Character A gets their wisdom teeth removed and wakes up regressed. Character B takes them home and looks after them.

25. Character A makes Character B a homemade card/gift for their birthday.

26. Character A accidentally eats something they're not supposed to and Character B has to rush them to the hospital.

27. In attempt to pet a wild animal while out at the park, Character A ends up getting scratched/bit by it. Character B comes to their rescue and aid.

28. Character A and Character B bake a cake.

29. Character A has an allergic reaction and regresses. Fortunately, Character B is there to help.

[debunkingsyscourse]

Claim: Endogenic systems steal medical language.

Validity: Dubious.

Sources of claim: [Post 1][Post 2][Post 3][Post 4]

Discussion: To discuss this claim, we need to examine the history of the endogenic community. Firstly, it must be acknowledged that the endogenic community as it currently exists could not have even existed before 2014, as this is the time when the Lunastus Collective (or, at the time, trashcan-collective) coined the term endogenic to describe any system who did not form from trauma; Lunastus also coined traumagenic for trauma based systems. These terms were coined with intention of replacing current terms, such as Natural Multiple. Therefore, before Lunastus entered the scene, these systems were already using the same terminology as systems with complex dissociative disorders (CDDs) and other traumagenic forms of plurality.

Before that time, the endogenic community was folded into the rest of the system community, and was highly medicalized. This created tension for many systems who did not fit the medical view of plurality, who then went on to form the Natural / Healthy Multiplicity Movement (henceforth shown as NMM). While this movement had its own number of flaws, the topic discussed here is strictly the usage of medical language in endogenic spaces. I would examine the timeline of plural history provided at this link by PluralDeepDive, which contains more sources than I could provide here in a timely manner.

The fact is, the history is muddy, which brings me to the second point. Since endogenic systems were seen as part of the DID community, they didn’t steal anything; endogenic systems are just using the same language they have always used. Furthermore, the community then began to split further by using alternative terms, such as plural or collective, in an effort to shift away from medicalized terminology. If anything, endogenic communities should be credited with attempting to shift further away from medical language.

With other medical terms, the same idea stands. Alter was a term from CDD spaces that endogenic systems kept when the fracture in the community formed, and alternatives were suggested, such as headmates. Splitting has shifted to ‘formed.’ Introject became fictive or factive, or any number of other coined terms*. Every single medical term has a basis in the System community, and endogenic systems have a basis there too -- and despite that, this problem isn't all that major, as endogenic systems have tried shifting their language. Even just the fact that Pluralpedia exists (even with its many flaws) is a sign that endogenic plurals have attempted to shift away from medicalized language.

Conclusion: Based on this, it is my belief that endogenic systems have, by and large, not stolen or appropriated language from CDD systems. While there are individuals from the NMM who purposefully used language from CDD spaces in an attempt to demedicalize the terminology, these systems had already been using this terminology long before that time. The modern endogenic community is simply using the language it’s always used, and is even shifting further and further away from medicalized language as it is.

Notes:

* The terms for fictive and factive came from outside the endogenic community themselves, instead originating from kin spaces. However, my knowledge of this topic is incredibly limited, as as I find kin spaces triggering for my psychosis, I will be avoiding research on this topic. If anyone would like to add their own research, it would be appreciated.

Other Sources to Read:

Pluraldeepdive. (2022, April 30). System. PluralDeepDive. [Link] This source discusses the term ‘system’ and how it’s been used by system communities. It contains sources on the origins of the term, as well as evidence of its usage through the years.

SysmedsareSexist. (2024, May 10). [Link] This is an ask answered by Mod Dude of SysmedsareSexist, a user who has done extensive debunking and research into DID misinformation. This post is about this same topic and offers the perspective of an older system who lived through these shifts in community. While there are no sources provided here, it's valuable to see this perspective.

Lunastusco. (2019). Origin of Endogenic System and Traumagenic System Terminology. Power to the Plurals. [Link] This is a discussion with Lunastusco about the origins of the terms endogenic and traumagenic in context of plurality. They wrote this post for PttP in an effort to explain what these labels mean. This is vital knowledge for understanding the history of endogenic systems.

More may be added as I see fit. Everyone can please feel free to add to this post as needed!

[zukadiary]

Takarazuka news roundup 2023.12.19

Additional cancellation announcements from the official site:

① Cosmos Troupe's upcoming small theater shows, Excalibur (Serika Toa/Haruno Sakura, scheduled for Hakataza -> Umeda Arts) and My Blue Heaven (Bow Hall, scheduled to be Kazeiro Hyuuga's first Bow lead), have both been preemptively canceled. All future appearances of Cosmos Troupe actresses TBD.

② The company previously announced that they would reduce the number of performances per week and the number of shows per year, in order to reduce the actresses' workload. This initiative will start from shows that have already been announced, and in some cases, tickets that have already been sold. The following performances are canceled:

Star troupe RRR/Violetopia: Takarazuka performances from 1/1-1/5 (opening day becomes 1/5 at 3:30pm); The 3:30pm shows on 1/11, 1/18, and 1/30 (2-show days become 1-show days); Shinjin Kouen is canceled. Tokyo performances at 6pm on 2/29, 3/5, 3/18, and 3/28; at 1:30pm on 3/12 (2-show days become 1-show days).

Flower Troupe Arc-en-Ciel: Takarazuka performances 2/9-2/10 (opening day becomes 2/10 at 3:30pm); 2/18 11am, 2/20 3:30pm, 3/5 3:30pm; Shinjin Koen. Tokyo performances 4/13, 4/14 (goes from two shows to one, 1:30pm becomes opening day); 6pm shows on 4/18, 5/2, 5/7, 5/14; 1:30pm shows on 4/25 and 5/24.

Snow Troupe Boiled Doyle on the Toil Trail/Frozen Holiday: Tokyo performances at 6pm on 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30; the 1:30pm performance on 2/6.

③ All 110th anniversary festivities for 2024 have been canceled. This includes:

The 110th anniversary ceremony scheduled for July

The 2024 Takarazuka Special

Sports Day

Rescinding publication of the 3rd-party investigation report

Translated from the official site:

Regarding the sudden death of a Takarazuka actress of Cosmos Troupe, we continue to extend our sincerest condolences to all of her surviving relatives. As announced on December 7 in relation to this incident, based upon written notice received from the family’s legal team on 12/6, along with the contents of the press conference held by said legal team, we made the decision to conduct a second investigation that will examine the facts of the case more closely. We are still taking the problems outlined in the investigation report that we released on 11/14 very seriously. However, as the issues present are not limited to those outlined in said report, after taking into account the information shared by the family’s legal team via the aforementioned documentation and press conference, and with the deepest consideration for the bereaved family’s thoughts and feelings, out of sincere desire to continue our earnest consultation with the family, we have made the decision to rescind publication of our report at their request. Additionally, we will continue to work toward achieving a formal compensation agreement with the family.

Threats demanding Takarazuka performance cancelation

Tiny blurb translated from 47News

In the aftermath of the sudden death of an actress from the Takarazuka Revue in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, we've learned today, December 19, from an inside source, that the company has received numerous messages with threatening contents via post and email, demanding that the reopening of performances be suspended.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA’s Perseverance Rover to Begin Long Climb Up Martian Crater Rim

Aug. 14, 2024

After 2½ years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, the rover will ascend to an area where it will search for more discoveries that could rewrite Mars’ history.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will soon begin a monthslong ascent up the western rim of Jezero Crater that is likely to include some of the steepest and most challenging terrain the rover has encountered to date. Scheduled to start the week of Aug. 19, the climb will mark the kickoff of the mission’s new science campaign — its fifth since the rover landed in the crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

“Perseverance has completed four science campaigns, collected 22 rock cores, and traveled over 18 unpaved miles,” said Perseverance project manager Art Thompson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “As we start the Crater Rim Campaign, our rover is in excellent condition, and the team is raring to see what’s on the roof of this place.”

Two of the priority regions the science team wants to study at the top of the crater are nicknamed “Pico Turquino” and “Witch Hazel Hill.” Imagery from NASA’s Mars orbiters indicates that Pico Turquino contains ancient fractures that may have been caused by hydrothermal activity in the distant past.

Orbital views of Witch Hazel show layered materials that likely date from a time when Mars had a very different climate than today. Those views have revealed light-toned bedrock similar to what was found at “Bright Angel,” the area where Perseverance recently discovered and sampled the “Cheyava Falls” rock, which exhibits chemical signatures and structures that could possibly have been formed by life billions of years ago when the area contained running water.

It's Sedimentary

During the river delta exploration phase of the mission, the rover collected the only sedimentary rock ever sampled from a planet other than Earth. Sedimentary rocks are important because they form when particles of various sizes are transported by water and deposited into a standing body of water; on Earth, liquid water is one of the most important requirements for life as we know it.

A study published Wednesday, Aug. 14, in AGU Advances chronicles the 10 rock cores gathered from sedimentary rocks in an ancient Martian delta, a fan-shaped collection of rocks and sediment that formed billions of years ago at the convergence of a river and a crater lake.

The core samples collected at the fan front are the oldest, whereas the rocks cored at the fan top are likely the youngest, produced when flowing water deposited sediment in the western fan.

“Among these rock cores are likely the oldest materials sampled from any known environment that was potentially habitable,” said Tanja Bosak, a geobiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and member of Perseverance’s science team. “When we bring them back to Earth, they can tell us so much about when, why, and for how long Mars contained liquid water and whether some organic, prebiotic, and potentially even biological evolution may have taken place on that planet.”

Onward to the Crater Rim

As scientifically intriguing as the samples have been so far, the mission expects many more discoveries to come.

“Our samples are already an incredibly scientifically compelling collection, but the crater rim promises to provide even more samples that will have significant implications for our understanding of Martian geologic history,” said Eleni Ravanis, a University of Hawaiì at Mānoa scientist on Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z instrument team and one of the Crater Rim Campaign science leads. “This is because we expect to investigate rocks from the most ancient crust of Mars. These rocks formed from a wealth of different processes, and some represent potentially habitable ancient environments that have never been examined up close before.”

Reaching the top of the crater won’t be easy. To get there, Perseverance will rely on its auto-navigation capabilities as it follows a route that rover planners designed to minimize hazards while still giving the science team plenty to investigate. Encountering slopes of up to 23 degrees on the journey (rover drivers avoid terrain that would tilt Perseverance more than 30 degrees), the rover will have gained about 1,000 feet (300 meters) in elevation by the time it summits the crater’s rim at a location the science team has dubbed “Aurora Park.”

Then, perched hundreds of meters above a crater floor stretching 28 miles (45 kilometers) across, Perseverance can begin the next leg of its adventure.

More Mission Information

A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, to help pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and as the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), is designed to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

TOP IMAGE: This panorama shows the area NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will climb in coming months to crest Jezero Crater’s rim. It is made up of 59 images taken by the rover’s Mastcam-Z on Aug. 4. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

CENTRE IMAGE: One of the navigation cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this view looking back at the “Bright Angel” area on July 30, the 1,224th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

LOWER IMAGE: This map shows the route NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will take (in blue) as it climbs the western rim of Jezero Crater, first reaching “Dox Castle,” then investigating the “Pico Turquino” area before approaching “Witch Hazel Hill.”   Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

[across-violet-skies]

whumptober time!!!

Day 1: panic attack | Whumpee– Sky | Addt'l– Wild

Sky doesn't like tight spaces.

TWs– enclosed spaces/claustrophobia, panic/anxiety, trouble breathing, thoughts of dying (due to panic)

Whump Rating– 5/10

preview under the cut :)

“Wild?” Sky called, poking his head into a cave. He swallowed thickly. “Wild? Are you in here?”

He stepped in, eyes darting around the tunnel-like structure. “Wild?”

Ahead, rocks crumbled, broken pieces falling to the ground in clumps. They cracked, splitting into tiny pieces upon impact.

Sky shuddered.

“Wild?” He called again. Sky crossed over the threshold of the cave, glancing all around in search of his brother. “Wild? This isn’t funny!”

Wild had gone missing an hour ago. The only clue he left to his whereabouts was a note with a poorly drawn cave on it. But this was the Champion’s own era– there were plenty of caves all around. There was no telling which of them Wild had run off to. This one looked like it ran deep underground– something Wild would probably enjoy.

Sky hated that he was the one to find it. Sure, he wanted to find his brother, but… caves weren’t exactly places Sky was comfortable with. He loved the openness of Wild’s world– it reminded him a bit of his own, even– but there were still plenty of enclosed spaces around.

He took a deep breath. It would be fine. He would just venture in a little bit, and if he didn’t find Wild, he would turn back. Simple.

Sky walked into the cave, swallowing nervously as he examined the bumpy stone walls and low ceiling. The path was fairly linear– it went down deeper into the cave, but not in a way that confused or confounded.

Still, it led him deeper and deeper into the cave, and yet there was no brother to be found.

“Wild?” Sky called. His voice echoed, shooting straight back at him eerily. “Wild? Can you hear me?” The words trembled off his tongue, shakily careening around the enclosed walls all around him.

Suddenly, the cave seemed a lot smaller, tighter, claustrophobic…

Sky exhaled shakily, taking a step back. A surprised whimper escaped his throat when he found himself pressed against the stony walls. He had ventured deep enough that the daylight barely reached, only providing just enough light for him to gain a general sense of where the walls were.

This… this was way too small a space. Was this even a space? Where was he? Why did it feel so oppressive?

“...Wild?” His voice shook, breaking on the second syllable. He slowly sank down to the ground, back pressed against the wall.

Too close too close too close!

Sky took a sharp breath, wincing at the way the cave walls pushed it back to him.

Were they getting closer?

No, no… that wasn’t possible.

…Unless?

No.

-> read the rest on ao3!!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Hospital caseload strain may have contributed to 1 in 5 COVID deaths - Published Sept 10, 2024

Strain from hospital caseloads played a role in one in five COVID-19 deaths, even after facilities had weathered and learned from earlier virus waves, researchers based at the US National Institutes of Health Clinical Center reported today.

One of their goals was to examine if fatal outcomes for COVID patients varied by different hospital types, from larger, more advanced facilities to smaller hospitals. Reporting in the Annals of Internal Medicine, they found that high caseloads had a negative impact on survival across all four hospital types they looked at.

Using information from a large database of hospitals, they analyzed COVID patient load and outcomes at 620 hospitals during the Delta variant wave, which occurred from June to December 2021. The team classified hospitals into four types: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) capable, ones with multiple intensive care units (ICUs), facilities with a single large ICU, and those with one small ICU.

They also used a validated surge index that factored in severity of COVID caseload relative to hospital bed capacity. They examined how the surges affected hospital deaths and discharges to hospice.

Impact seen across all facility types Despite improvements in patient care by the time the Delta wave hit, the probability of death rose 5.51% (95% confidence interval, 4.53% to 6.50%) per surge index unit increase, which suggests that the workload strain was a contributing factor in one in five COVID deaths.

The authors noted that the findings held steady across the four facility types, even when adjusting for factors such as patient transfers. They said their investigation is the first to examine the effect of hospital type and infrastructure on the quality of care for COVID patients amid caseload stress.

Study findings yield insights for ongoing staff shortages at US hospitals and underscore the importance of minimizing caseload surges during future public health crises.

"These findings underscore the importance of strategic redistribution of patients between hospitals during public health emergencies, including routine surges, so U.S. hospitals already struggling amid staffing crisis have mechanisms for decompression and personnel redistribution," the group wrote.

Study Link: www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M24-0869

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

E Rated Fics Masterlist (31)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19 / Part 20 / Part 21 / Part 22 / Part 23 / Part 24 / Part 25 / Part 26 / Part 27 / Part 28 / Part 29 / Part 30 /

Created: March 17th, 2024

Last Checked:-----

(I am) Nothing and Everything-angylinni (ao3)  Summary: Katniss Everdeen comes back to the small town in Pennsylvania that she left fifteen years ago and the boy she left behind. That saying, you can't go home again isn't really true, is it? A Helping Hand-DandelionLass (ao3)  Summary: A new neighbor helps Peeta through a sticky summer before college. A Little Piece of Heaven-Demona424 (ao3)  Summary: Peeta and Katniss have been very patiently waiting for the 2 months to pass to share enjoyment in each other again. They may not have a lot of time but they're going to make the post of it. (Daddy Peeta & Momma Katniss) All the President's Men-authoresskika (ao3)  Summary: Panem AU; When a scandal puts the oppressive Snow administration in its political grave, young, charismatic District Twelve representative Peeta Mellark is thrust into the role of President. As he and his staff struggle to serve a troubled nation, Peacekeeper Katniss Everdeen keeps a watchful eye on the only thing Peeta loves more than his country. Best I ever had-angylinni (ao3)  Summary: After an accident kills his entire family, Katniss comes back to Peeta. Best Laid Plans-atetheredmind (ao3)  Summary: When they discover their parents used to date, best friends Katniss and Peeta devise a plan to get them back together. Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan...or sometimes, even worse, they do. Modern AU. Everlark. Bittersweet Dance-HGfanonezillion (ao3)  Summary: As he falls for Annie, Finnick is forced to examine all the unsavory things he must do to keep her safe. Bliss-DustWriter (ao3)  Summary: After the fall of North America, life is dismal in District Twelve even without the Hunger Games. Katniss must do the unthinkable to save her starving family, but her actions bind her to the baker's son forever. Blissful Misery-Alliswell (ao3)  Summary: Forbidden love was just an oversimplification of our relationship. My heart bled for her, my chest hurt with longing; she was only a foot away, but I wasn’t allowed to touch her. I was afraid the situation of my sanity was dire. Katniss and Peeta’s bumpy journey to a twisted happily ever after; with a dash of Dark!Peeta, supernatural elements and chock full of Twist canon quotes. Can you spot them all?

Beneath You're Beautiful-bubblegum1425 (ao3) 

Summary: A very drunk Peeta makes a confession to Katniss

[positivelybeastly]

To the Mod: I know Cat! Hank is your number one version of the character, now I'm curious of how you rank the other encarnations from least favorite to favorite...

Ha, so, funnily enough, this reminds me of an old meme I made, which is horrifically low quality, but eh, it makes me laugh.

Pretty much all versions of Hank, I can find at least something to love about them, even if it's just something visual or something small, one little scene that works for me, so, with that in mind, let's begin our ranking! I hope you don't mind, but I went from favourite to least favourite, just because that's the way my brain works. :)

Platinum Medal - Feline Beast (2000-2012)

As you mentioned, in my opinion, absolutely the best version of our man. When drawn well, he has the best design, the best look, the best storylines, the best everything. He's still eloquent, he's still hilarious, he's still bipolar, he's still ridiculous, he's still so aggressively unhappy and doing his best to make it through, he's still the biggest bleeding heart you'll ever see. He's my guy.

Gold Medal - Classic Beast (1974-2000)

The boy! The bouncing, bludgeoning, bountifully blue Beast himself! Honestly, I used to be a little down on him, I used to think he lacked complexity and was just kind of a weird 'diversion' on the path to cat Hank, but reading New Defenders completely changed that opinion, and now he's firmly second place. He's just such a goofy goober!

Silver Medal - Dark Beast (1994-Current)

Honestly, one of the better evil twin/counterparts I've seen in media, mostly on account of some very subtle characterisation tweaks that make him fascinating. His strange, borderline narcissistic-but-also-self-worth-affirming fascination with 616 Hank, his inability to hurt Hank's parents because the idea of being loved makes him weak, his absolutely incredible sense of humour . . . like, I dislike what he's done to the discourse about Hank, since people will trumpet the idea that Dark Beast 'proves' that Hank always goes evil, but as a character, I really am just happy any time he's on panel.

Bronze Medal - Modern Beast (2012-2019)

You'll note that I cut this off before 2019 for obvious reasons. Honestly, this version of Hank is saved primarily by a few key stories that actually bother to examine his actions and ongoing personality crisis in more than surface level detail, and I do really like this design, even if I wish people could be more consistent with it (seriously, he's not a hard character to draw, can we please establish if he's as big as the Hulk or not?). Forever tarnished by being written by Bendis, but I do like him when he's written well.

Runner-Up - TAS/'97 Beast (1992-1997, 2024-Current)

I love this boy, but he hasn't gotten quite enough stories of real import and character development for me to say I like him as much as the comics versions of Hank. I'm optimistic that season 2 of X-Men '97 will rectify that, given some key scenes in episodes 5 and 7, but until then, I just like him. I think he's neat. Definitely has one of the best voices of all the Hanks.

Runner-Up - Grey Beast (1974-1975)

I used to regard this guy as just a transition from human to blue Hank, but going back and reading those issues of Amazing Adventures and the tie-in issue of X-Men Unlimited, I actually kind of adore this brief but meaningful period of Hank's life immensely. When I started writing my big X-Force fix-it fic, the idea of regressing Hank back to this colour and something like this state of mind was key to my vision of the character, because it's so under-explored and so fascinating to me.

Runner-Up - Sublime Beast (2004)

The best of the villain turns Hank has ever had, because it's not really Hank, and yet, the manner in which he turns is so achingly Beast - he burned himself out trying to keep everything afloat, and in his desperation, he made a stupid mistake that ended up hurting him most of all. Also, 11/10 character design. White fur and purple leather? Fucking god damn what a daddy.

Runner-Up - X-Men 3: The Last Stand, The Marvels (2006, 2023)

Honestly, good version of the character, even if I don't love Kelsey Grammer's politics. Great voice, good design, good integration into the storyline, interesting place for Hank to end up after leaving the X-Men, good use of his acrobatics. I was very pleased to see him crop up again in the Marvels.

Runner-Up - X-Men: Evolution, Wolverine & the X-Men, Marvel Anime (2000-2003, 2009, 2011)

Throwing these all into their own little space because I do love them, but they were very much just supporting characters who didn't get a real chance to shine outside of one or two funny moments, and one or two episodes (the Beast of Bayville from Evolution is the standout here). Great designs on these three fellas.

Runner-Up - Human Beast (1963-1974, 1986-9, 2013-2018)

Honestly, not my favourite version of the boy. He's fine, but he's not done yet, he hasn't finished baking. I appreciate a lot of the stories that come from this era, but I always regard this version of Hank as fundamentally unfinished and incomplete. The magic stuff with time displaced Hank was interesting, the Jean love triangle and the conga line of humiliation Bendis was intent on putting him through was. Less so. Still. Good lad.

DNF (Did Not Finish) - X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix (2011-2019)

Just not really the same character, tbh. See me after class for notes.

An Affront to Me, Personally - X-Force Beast (2019-2024)

If I could fill your bed with thumbtacks, Ben Percy, I would. You have poisoned the earth for this character for decades to come, if not forever, and I regard you as a blight upon his legacy. The fact that you were allowed to do this with the character is all the confirmation I needed for my theory that the X-office, and Marvel at large, does not give a single solitary fuck about the integrity of this character, will not protect him, and does not hold any regard for his history or meaning.

Beast in name only. Shame on you.

Bonus: Lives In My Head Rent Free - Gay Exiles Beast (2009)

It's canon.

This list isn't entirely exhaustive, there are a billion other versions of Hank out there, like Brute from Mutant X, Manga Beast who looks like a teddy bear, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 Beast, Ultimate-1610 Beast, etc, etc, but these are my 'core' Beasts, and as such, this is my ranking.