#fat loss technology

[gadgetsgalaxyz]

2024 6000w Ems Slimming 2024 muscle Sculpting Body Electromagnetic Body Fat Burn EMS Muscle Building Stimulator Machine for home

Product Overview:

👉 item link : https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ooSOGHJ 🎉 Product price [$ 403.39 ] 30% off ⚠️ The discount may vary, please refer to the page display.

The 2024 6000W EMS Slimming and Muscle Sculpting Machine is a state-of-the-art home device designed to deliver professional-level body toning, fat reduction, and muscle strengthening. Using cutting-edge Electromagnetic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) technology, it triggers powerful muscle contractions that mimic intense exercise. This versatile machine is suitable for a range of fitness and aesthetic goals, making it an excellent tool for both beginners and fitness enthusiasts.

Key Features:

High-Powered Performance:

6000W output delivers deep muscle stimulation for maximum results.

Promotes efficient fat burning and muscle toning.

EMS Technology:

Activates muscles through electromagnetic pulses.

Enhances strength, improves posture, and supports fat loss.

Customizable Intensity Levels:

Adjustable settings allow for a tailored experience based on user comfort and fitness goals.

Multi-Functional Design:

Targets various areas such as abs, thighs, arms, and glutes.

Includes modes for fat reduction, muscle building, and body sculpting.

Compact and Portable:

Lightweight and sleek design fits easily into home environments.

Easy to set up and store after use.

Safety and Comfort:

Non-invasive technology ensures a painless experience.

Ergonomically designed applicators for secure and comfortable use.

User-Friendly Interface:

Pre-programmed settings for different goals.

Simple controls for seamless operation.

FAQs:

1. How does the EMS Slimming and Muscle Sculpting Machine work?

The device uses high-frequency electromagnetic pulses to induce supramaximal muscle contractions. These contractions strengthen muscles, improve tone, and help break down fat cells for enhanced body sculpting.

2. Is it safe to use at home?

Yes, the machine is designed for safe and effective home use. It includes safety features like intensity controls and automatic shut-off to prevent overuse.

3. How often should I use it?

For optimal results, it is recommended to use the machine 2–3 times a week for 20–30 minutes per session.

4. Can it help with weight loss?

While the machine promotes fat burning and muscle toning, it works best when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise for overall weight loss.

5. Who can use this device?

It is suitable for most individuals. However, pregnant women, individuals with pacemakers, or those with certain medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional before use.

6. What areas of the body can I target?

The machine is versatile and can target areas such as:

Abdomen

Buttocks

Thighs

Arms

Calves

7. How long before I see results?

Visible results typically appear after 4–6 weeks of regular use, but this may vary depending on individual goals and body composition.

8. Does it replace traditional exercise?

No, this device complements a healthy lifestyle and can enhance your workout results but is not a substitute for physical exercise.

Would you like assistance finding retailers, reviews, or additional details about this product?

See Also:

Upgrade Electric Full Body Massage Chair Neck Back Waist Massage Cushion Heat Vibrate Kneading Leg Massage Pad Seat Relaxation

[thelatebloomerdiaries]

10.8.24 - Big girl tings!

Where I've been? Studying, sleeping, resting, spending time with loved ones and finding balance while creating myself. Goals:

1 full meal

2 good quality whole meal shakes

1 workout a day

1 mile walk a day

1 stretch session a day

skincare twice a day

studying 4-6 hours a day

2-3 classes a month!

12 week year style planning

clothes the night before

30 minutes a day during the week speaking w/ family

Sauna 2-3 times a week

Hot yoga once a week

Regular yoga twice a week.

Weights 4 times a week

Outdoor walk once a week

Self date once a week or once every 2 weeks

blog in the morning everyday

Weigh myself and progress photos

64+ oz of water

eat out only 1-3 times a week

M-F tracking MFP

No wine/alcohol; only wine alternatives

Nails, lashes, hair monthly

[smartsyncer]

A definitive Manual for Wellbeing, Wellness, and Diet Arranging

Wellbeing, Wellness, and Diet Arranging

Wellbeing, Wellness, and Diet Arranging It requires a methodology which incorporates customary activity, an arranged out diet, and a solid …

Wellbeing, Wellness, and Diet Arranging

[radiancejhb]

Ultrasonic Laser Lipo: A Leap Towards Enhanced Health and Well-being 

In our pursuit of health and well-being, we often explore various options ranging from rigorous exercise routines to structured diets. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, certain stubborn fat deposits refuse to budge. This is where advancements in medical technology, like Ultrasonic Laser Liposuction (Lipo), come into play. This procedure not only assists in body contouring but can also contribute to overall health improvement. Let's delve into the benefits of Ultrasonic Laser Lipo and how it can enhance your health.

What is Ultrasonic Laser Lipo?

Ultrasonic Laser Lipo is a minimally invasive fat reduction procedure that utilizes ultrasonic waves to break down fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated by the body. It targets specific problem areas, allowing for a more tailored approach to weight loss.

Benefits of Ultrasonic Laser Lipo

Improved Cardiovascular Health: Although Ultrasonic Laser Lipo is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle, by reducing excess fat, especially visceral fat around the organs, it can contribute to improved cardiovascular health. Reduced visceral fat is associated with a lower risk of heart diseases and improved metabolic health.

Enhanced Self-esteem and Mental Health: Achieving a desired body shape can significantly boost self-esteem and body image, which in turn can improve mental health. This increased confidence can spill over into different aspects of life, contributing to an improved quality of life overall.

Motivation for a Healthy Lifestyle: The visible results from Ultrasonic Laser Lipo can often act as a motivator for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It can inspire individuals to eat healthier and exercise regularly to maintain the results of the procedure.

Reduced Risk of Weight-Related Health Issues: By assisting with weight loss, Ultrasonic Laser Lipo can help decrease the risk of weight-related health issues such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and certain types of cancers.

A Healthier You with Ultrasonic Laser Lipo

It's crucial to remember that Ultrasonic Laser Lipo is not a magic solution for weight loss but rather a supplementary procedure to assist in the journey towards a healthier you. It should be used in combination with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

Ultrasonic Laser Lipo can be the jumpstart you need on your health journey, aiding in both the physical transformation and overall health improvement. However, it is always advisable to consult with a medical professional to assess whether this procedure aligns with your specific health goals and conditions.

So, here's to embracing technological advancements like Ultrasonic Laser Lipo on our journey to better health and well-being. Remember, the goal is not perfection but progress, and every step you take towards your health is a victory worth celebrating!

[fatliberation]

I totally understand and can empathize with fat activists when it comes to medical fatphobia. But I do think its important to provide nuance to this topic.

A lot of doctors mention weight loss, particularly for elective surgeries, because it makes the recovery process easier (Particularly with keeping sutures in place) and anesthetic safer.

I feel like its still important to mention those things when advocating for fat folks. Safety is important.

What you're talking about is actually a different topic altogether - the previous ask was not about preparing for surgery, it was about dieting being the only treatment option for anon's chronic pain, which was exacerbating their ed symptoms. Diets have been proven over and over again to be unsustainable (and are the leading predictor of eating disorders). So yeah, I felt that it was an inappropriate prescription informed more by bias than actual data.

(And side note: This study on chronic pain and obesity concluded that weight change was not associated with changes of pain intensity.)

If you want to discuss the risk factor for surgery, sure, I think that's an important thing to know - however, most fat people already know this and are informed by their doctors and surgeons of what the risks are beforehand, so I'm not really concerned about people being uninformed about it.

I'm a fat liberation activist, and what I'm concerned about is bias. I'm concerned that there are so many BMI cutoffs in essential surgeries for fat patients, when weight loss is hardly feasible, that creates a barrier to care that disproportionately affects marginalized people with intersecting identities.

It's also important to know that we have very little data around the outcomes of surgery for fat folks that isn't bariatric weight loss surgery.

A new systematic review by researchers in Sydney, Australia, published in the journal Clinical Obesity, suggests that weight loss diets before elective surgery are ineffective in reducing postoperative complications.

CADTH Health Technology Review Body Mass Index as a Measure of Obesity and Cut-Off for Surgical Eligibility made a similar conclusion:

Most studies either found discrepancies between BMI and other measurements or concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support BMI cut-offs for surgical eligibility. The sources explicitly reporting ethical issues related to the use of BMI as a measure of obesity or cut-off for surgical eligibility described concerns around stigma, bias (particularly for racialized peoples), and the potential to create or exacerbate disparities in health care access.

Nicholas Giori MD, PhD Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University, a respected leader in TKA and THA shared his thoughts in Elective Surgery in Adult Patients with Excess Weight: Can Preoperative Dietary Interventions Improve Surgical Outcomes? A Systematic Review:

“Obesity is not reversible for most patients. Outpatient weight reduction programs average only 8% body weight loss [1, 10, 29]. Eight percent of patients denied surgery for high BMI eventually reach the BMI cutoff and have total joint arthroplasty [28]. Without a reliable pathway for weight loss, we shouldn’t categorically withhold an operation that improves pain and function for patients in all BMI classes [3, 14, 16] to avoid a risk that is comparable to other risks we routinely accept.

It is not clear that weight reduction prior to surgery reduces risk. Most studies on this topic involve dramatic weight loss from bariatric surgery and have had mixed results [13, 19, 21, 22, 24, 27]. Moderate non-surgical weight loss has thus-far not been shown to affect risk [12]. Though hard BMI cutoffs are well-intended, currently-used BMI cutoffs nearly have the effect of arbitrarily rationing care without medical justification. This is because BMI does not strongly predict complications. It is troubling that the effects are actually not arbitrary, but disproportionately affect minorities, women and patients in low socioeconomic classes. I believe that the decision to proceed with surgery should be based on traditional shared-decision making between the patient and surgeon. Different patients and different surgeons have different tolerances to risk and reward. Giving patients and surgeons freedom to determine the balance that is right for them is, in my opinion, the right way to proceed.”

I agree with Dr. Giori on this. And I absolutely do not judge anyone who chooses to lose weight prior to a surgery. It's upsetting that it is the only option right now for things like safe anesthesia. Unfortunately, patients with a history of disordered eating (which is a significant percentage of fat people!) are left out of the conversation. There is certainly risk involved in either option and it sucks. I am always open to nuanced discussion, and the one thing I remain firm in is that weight loss is not the answer long-term. We should be looking for other solutions in treating fat patients and studying how to make surgery safer. A lot of this could be solved with more comprehensive training and new medical developments instead of continuously trying to make fat people less fat.

[easays]

To Ragh; or, On Fatness

Hi! Below is an actual play mini-essay. These are written as part of a personal writing practice of thinking critically about actual play. I hope you find this reading engaging and know that all I write reflects my own interpretations rather than as an official representation/canonization of these shows. Keep reading for my interpretation of Ragh Barkrock's fatness as part of queer representation in Dimension20.

Ragh Barkrock may be one of the most beloved NPCs in Dimension20. It would be easy for Ragh, a bloodrush player good enough to potentially play professionally, to be presented as hypermasculine. In fact, the freshmen year art for Ragh, when he was antagonist rather than beloved ally, showed him in a muscular, inverted Dorito shaped body typical of a jock.

He's, obviously, built, and his cut jaw and cheekbones only bolster that image. As Ragh comes to terms with being gay at the end of Fantasy High, his countenance changes. When we see him again, the new art reflects a chubbier, happier Ragh.

The show aligning weight gain with acceptance and happiness already works against prevailing stereotypes that use weight loss as a quick metaphor for improving yourself and being the "real you." Moreover, connecting Ragh's acceptance of his sexuality with what seems like a larger comfort in his own body is a strong indictment of hypermasculine gay culture. As Gabriel Arana writes, gay men "must reconcile their sense of masculinity with their failure to conform to its heterosexuality." Not doing so has negative mental health outcomes, as Arana points out, and contributes to a culture that devalues fat queer people (see the popular "no fats, no femmes, no Asians" that often is touted in masculine gay subculture).

All of this, I think, is why Ragh's art for Junior Year was particularly impactful for me as a fat queer person. If being a gay man (or half-Orc, in Ragh's case) means having to situate your life in relationship to failing compulsory masculinity, then it seems there is an inherent queer aspect to embracing, celebrating, and showcasing a beloved NPC in an explicitly fat and happy body.

FHJY Ragh art by @caitmayart

Ragh is still strong and he is still fat. His body radiates a commitment to the power of fat bodies to exist in spaces they are often violently unwelcome in, such as gyms. Existing in gyms and sports spaces as fat people means dealing the "impossible standard that rejects nearly all of us" and upholds a diet culture rooted in impossible, Eurocentric and colonial body standards. In TTRPGS or actual plays, there is a unique opportunity to think about how bodies might exist in worlds different from ours, to imagine bodyminds as otherwise. However, as queer critics like Paul Preciado have noted, sci-fi and fantasy representations of cyborgs and other transformative bodies often lean into "fixing" disabled people or moving gender nonconforming bodies more easily towards technologies upholding a normative standard rather than questioning the standard all together.

Spyre is a world that deals with similar issues to ours, even without direct one-to-one correlations, so it, too, is a place where the narrative and artistic choices should be examined in how it helps us interpolate the world the audience resides in. From the Applebees cultish adherence to a deity-based nationalism to the various representations of parental neglect and abuse and every side story in-between, Dimension20's flagship show does not shy away from difficult realities even when recasting them through fantasy. Ragh, as a half-orc gay son of a disabled single mother, then, I see the arc his fat body goes through as meaningful and intertwined with his self-acceptance and queerness. He moves away from the toxic masculinity engineered into his blood rush team to instead pursue coalition comraderie with his friends to the point that he and his mother end up joining a communal living situation with those friends and their parents. Ragh's body expands as his family does, as his ties to community do, and to me, the gift of his fatness is the invitation to expansion that it holds out to us as viewers.

[wilmavasquez82619-blog]

In this comprehensive video, I explore non-surgical treatments for lower face jowling and laxity. I explain the underlying causes of facial aging, including bone resorption, fat pad changes, and collagen loss, then detail various treatment options from fillers to energy-based devices. As a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist, I share my expert insights on which treatments work best for different aging patterns and patient needs, offering a complete guide to achieving a more defined jawline without surgery. Topics Covered:

Causes of lower face sagging Cranial facial anatomy changes with age Environmental and lifestyle factors Jawline fillers (Volux) Biostimulatory fillers (Sculptra) Energy-based devices (Thermage) Ellure microcoring technology Kybella treatments PDO threads Combination treatment approaches

[blradley]

intro powerpoint for that one whacky passion project of mine -

Do you enjoy unreliable narrators with a distinctive voice?

Do you like characters who have done genuinely bad things, and now have to Work Through All That while consciously choosing to be better?

Do you like characters who have redemption arcs dangled in front of them, and instead choose to be worse?

Then jump aboard a flying whale and set sail into no man's sky with

Voxalion Ilsair: Grave of Gods!

Cursed by a relic of their long-dead gods, Vox and Mavrik are bound to each other, life to life. If one dies, so shall the other – which is a problem, as Vox wants to eradicate humanity, Mavrik included; and Mavrik wants nothing more than to kill Vox, the lightning elemental who slaughtered her family. Their only hope of breaking the curse lies in the gods' tomb, located on a legendary lost island that rises above the endless Eversea. Mavrik and Vox embark on an expedition, braving skywaymen and sapient storms, so they can be free of each other – and commence their overdue duel to the death. But Mavrik and Vox aren't the only ones seeking the grave of the gods. When they cross a cult intent on claiming the gods’ powers for themselves, Vox and Mavrik learn that they have far worse enemies than each other.

Genre: adult solarpunk fantasy Suitable age range: 15+ (no explicit content but some swearing, violence, and creepy monsters) Status: with my wonderful agent for edits!

Image Descriptions:

Powerpoint slide with a blue sky background. Text reads: “HUMANITY HAD FALLEN. Unfortunately, they got back up again.” The quote is attributed to: Voxalion Ilsair, being a prat, as per the uzshe

Dark blue sky background, title of Worldbuilding Be Upon Ye. Text reads: Okay so hear me out. What if the gods created an amazing utopia where technology and magic were intertwined and humans and zstragi (fey forces of nature) lived side by side But then something went wrong. Their world ripped itself apart and the mountains crumbled and the seas rose and some monstrous force came and wiped out all the gods?? What if an approximate ten thousand humans survived in nine flying cities, situated across the drowned globe? And what if they began rebuilding their civilization – clumsily, desperately, devastated by the loss of 99% of their population? What if they were living in hollowed-out solarpunk temples to the dead gods, surrounded bydangerous artifacts that they didn’t understand, desperately scrabbling for survival on a hostile planet? What if, gradually, the tales of their past became warped by myth and conflicted retelling? What if the humans and zstragi were at war? And had been for centuries? Because, in their relentless struggle of survival, they began to consume each other? What if there were whispers that a treasure trove of ancient knowledge had survived the Cataclysm, hidden deep in zstragi territory: the lawless, storm-ravaged chaos of No Man’s Sky? A meme-drawing of a stick figure holding their head and looking perturbed while covered in sweat, is tucked in one corner of the slide. The caption reads 'okay that's enough world building'

Turquoise sky background. Text reads: TL; DR: In a world where land is a long-lost legend… Where whale carcass blimps, fat with helium, swim through an endless lightning-lashed sky… Where flying cities are beset by sentient storms… …an unlikely group of heroes embarks on an epic journey…

Pale blue sky background with a flying whale. Text reading: That's right! It's Voxalion Ilsiar: Grave of Gods by B. L. Radley

Piccrew of Vox, a blue-green skinned hairless inhuman being with pointed ears, sharp teeth, three eyes, and facial tattoos. Introductory text reads: Voxalion Ilisair, they/them Your humble narrator, providing you with a 100% trustworthy recollection of events ❤️ zero bias here. none whatsoever❤️❤️ (okay so maybe they’re a zstragi terrorist who wants to annihilate humanity) (what a shame it would be if, over the course of the story, they begin to question everything they’ve been taught hahahaaha) Ridiculously OP lightning zstragi who was raised to be a mass-murder weapon. Then they got nerfed by a little girl Now that little girl is all grown up. The divine artifact that tore away Vox’s powers also bound them to her soul – meaning, if she dies, Vox dies. Dammit. Tinkerbell-sized, with attitude to match. N#1 fear: becoming human

Piccrew of Mavrik, a white tan-skinned woman with short fluffy pale blonde hair, blue eyes, and half her face torn off, with lightning scars radiating out from the hole in her cheek that shows off her molars. Text reads: Mavrik Skarr, she/her Vox’s worst enemy. Their foresworn foe. Their nefarious nemesis… Okay, so maybe Vox killed her family and tore her face and (quite literally) broke her heart, and Mavrik swore she would have revenge First though, she’s gotta undo this stupid curse As a stormhunter, Mav is employed to slay zstragi like Vox Grumpy and stoic, she struggles to emote. prefers grunting to talking, and fighting to grunting Has suffered from heart problems since The Curse. Uses Vox as a defibrillator/pacemaker. Basically an unsocialized feral kitten who has 0 clue how to interact with anyone she isn’t battling to the death Juggling her desire for friends against her natural awkwardness, her lack of experience with other humans, and that dark, ugly inclination towards violence that whispers away in the back of her mind… N#1 fear: becoming a monster

Secondary characters slide. First piccrew is of Oliaris, a Black man with a delicate, pretty face, wearing expensive jewellery. Text reads: Oliaris, he/him Nice friendly guy who never did anything wrong in his entire life (I lie. there are atrocities.) (he is coming to terms with the atrocities. But it’ll take a while… 😉) Delicate pretty city-boy who prefers the finer things in life, but is living the Chronic Pain LifeTM instead Super-smart ex-scientist. why ‘ex’? haha don’t worry about that Gets dragged into helping Vox and Mavrik break their curse – but has an agenda of his own… Second picture is of Atticus, a white man with red-brown hair and freckles, in a labcoat. Text reads: Atticus, he/him SPEAKING OF EXES AND ATROCITIES - Has a somewhat turbulent past with Oliaris (they fucked. they absolutely fucked. they 100%, totally fucked.) Now he’s Oliaris’ bitter rival, racing to beat him to the grave of the gods and the treasure trove of ancient knowledge stashed therein Shy, awkward people-pleaser who just wants everyone to like him 😔 Don’t ask about the bloodstains. just. don’t. 🙂

Tertiary characters. First piccrew is of Sylvestra, a Black woman with similiar features to Oliaris. Text reads: Sylvestra, she/her Oliaris’s sister: a professional storm-hunter employed by Atticus who detests her brother. For reasons. Tries to be cold-hearted and unfeeling. isn’t very good at it. Deep down, she just wants her family back :c Next piccrew shows an Asian individual with long black hair and a tattoo on their throat. Text reads: Jagura, they/them Captain of a skywayman ship that terrorizes the vessels of No Man’s Sky Impulsive and friendly, but ruthless. Will rob you while chatting like you’re besties Here for a good time, not a long time xoxo Piccrew 3: a bulky purple inhuman creature with long pointed ears and tattoos. Text reads: Renzou, he/him Jagura’s loyal first mate Will rob you while apologizing profusely Protective and kind Humans are friends, not food! Fourth piccrew: a white boy with pale hair and very blue eyes. Text reads: ??? [no name or pronouns] Once upon a time, a boy crawled into the mouth of a dead whale. What crawled out was changed forever…

stormy grey background to the slide. text reads: One shared goal: To pilot their whale blimp safely through no man’s sky and find the lost grave of gods Conflicting ambitions: To undo a curse. to regain lost power to kill an old enemy. to restore reputation. To seek priceless treasure. To save the world – wait, what?

Quotes page, set against a blue sky background. Quotes are: ‘Zstragi ate humans, sure. But humans devoured us with equal impunity: crushing our heart-stones, shredding our life-force to add power to their grid and keep their impossible cities aloft.’ ‘As occurred approximately two dozen times a day, Mav got that look on her face that meant she was contemplating tossing me into the oceans and letting fate run its course. As also occurred approximately two dozen times a day, she decided against it. Grudgingly.She and I were trapped together. For better or worse, in sickness or health, till death did we part…’ “I spy with my three glowing eyes…” “Shut up, Vox.” and ‘The distant slurry of Mavrik’s thoughts slid against my own, lumpy with old memories. Dead parents, dead families. Dead-dead-dead; burnt from the inside out, eyeballs popped like squashed flies and tongues crisped to charcoal— Time was said to heal all wounds, but it couldn’t erase their scar. I awkwardly cleared my throat.’

Themes page, with a picture of several angel statues. Text reads: The way ahead is fraught with danger. Secrets abound, old  grudges flare, and hungry storms gather on the horizon… Themes: Humanity. What does it mean, to be human? Are some cruelties so great that the offender should never be redeemed? Equality. At what point do we decide that one life is worth more than another? Why? Family. How do you know when a bond is broken beyond repair?

Dark blue sky background, with text reading: What else have we got? #macguffins #unreliable narrator #enemies to…? #lovers to rivals #copious footnotes #corruption arcs #redemption arcs #multiple queer and disabled characters! #body horror #unique cultures #flying whales #solarpunk aesthetic #in-depth, innovative world building. A stick-figure meme sits in one corner, showing a character grabbing another person's shoulders and digging their nails in to hit blood, their face a grimace of pain. The text beneath reads: 'so much more world building'

[cfiesler]

New research alert! Research about research, actually!

A couple of years ago we recruited here (and elsewhere) for interview participants for a research study about fat people's experiences online. As part of that study we also asked for thoughts about how to ethically conduct such research, both in online communities and in human-computer interaction research more generally. This short paper was presented as a poster at the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing. Led by PhD student Blakeley Payne, this also won the conference's Best Poster Recognition! <3

"How to Ethically Engage Fat People in Research"

(1) Choose respectful language. Use participants' own self description in conversation and reporting. Consider the connotations of euphemisms and medicalizing language. We recommend "fat" as a default term to use until participants or the context indicates otherwise.

(2) Consider positionality and practice reflexivity. Fat people are not a monolith but are experts in their own lived experiences. Engage with the history of fat oppression, especially as facilitated by research and medical institutions. Consider your positionality with respect to this history.

(3) Rethink assumptions around weight loss. Don't assume fat people are unhealthy and/or want to lose weight. Interrogate "weight loss" as an embedded design value and its potential for harm. Use notions of health that are weight-neutral such as Health at Every Size.

(4) Engage fat people in research. Fat people want to be engaged in technology design and research! Center fat people's voices, needs, and desires when choosing research questions and methods.

Citation and (open access!) link to full paper: Blakeley H. Payne, Jordan Taylor, Katta Spiel, and Casey Fiesler. 2023. How to Ethically Engage Fat People in HCI Research. In Companion Publication of the 2023 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW '23 Companion). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 117–121. https://doi.org/10.1145/3584931.3606987

[mwexodusofficial]

Mouthwashing: Exodus | Chapter I: Primer

In the year 2087, humanity discovered FTL (faster-than-light travel) via rapid transmission between distant locations by using a form of quantum entanglement combined with dark matter reactors.

This discovery exploded the commercial spacefaring ventures, and within decades multiple solar systems, planets, and new spacial phenomena were discovered. As asteroid mining became mainstream, rare minerals prompted a new age of technological development that exploded humanity's progress exponentially. Newly-discovered planets were quickly terraformed, colonized, industrialized and beautified. The new wave of entrepreneurs and innovators, combined with the excitement of exploration, sparked revolutions in every industry. 

The medical industry, in particular, had produced cutting-edge bionic limbs and organs, stem-cell regeneration, limb cloning and micro-bots capable of eliminating nearly every ailment known to man. Mankind was nearing its zenith in reaching a true utopia under a united galactic government.

Then came The Terror. A mind-boggling, behemothic alien creature the size of the moon entered the Terra solar system at FTL speeds and immediately assailed Earth with millions of its monstrous offspring- Gaiters, termed for their stumbling gait when they moved around. These car-sized creatures ripped through the atmosphere and slammed into the surface, wreaking havoc and slaughtering humans wherever they trampled. This cataclysmic event was met with global outrage and fury. Military counterattacks, long-range bombardment, and close-range combat led to the deaths of billions of humans, on top of the already-overwhelming casualty rate of innocent civilians.

The Terror was eventually brought down by a heroic band of starship fighters strapped with nuclear warheads, and its offspring were tracked down and killed. However, the losses it caused and the widespread destruction it left created a mass paranoia amongst humanity. Military expenditure and innovation skyrocketed, which caused regression in most other industries' advancements. Logistics were heavily disrupted as Earth was the central planet of commerce amongst the galaxy, which led to many colonies and governments being forced to revert to heavily outdated technology. Governments became corporatist and autocratic as the fear of hostile alien life drove regressive policies and mass consumerism.

And on January 24th of 2263, a transport freighter by the name of Tulpar, working its last human shift for Pony Express, fatefully collided with a stray asteroid...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Captain, Orion speaking. The Tulpar flight path stops here."

Captain Hawkes reached across the multitude of control panels around him and toggled a switch that brought up a holographic cartograph of the transport freighter's flight path. It was true. After 10 long months of travel, they'd arrived at their destination.

"Pull up the far-range scanners and find that damn ship." The Captain radioed in over his headset. "When we finish this rescue mission, we're getting a fat paycheck and medals galore. So scour that freighter from top to bottom and ensure no man or woman is left behind."

Captain Hawkes switched comms to EVA and Medical channels to issue further orders.

"EVA Team, make sure you're in gear with plasmas loaded, your time to shine is coming up. Triage team, I want you following the EVA Team if the oxygen in the freighter passes scrutiny."

"Roger that, Cap, over."

"Copy Captain, over."

He switched off those channels and pulled up imaging of outer space from the hundreds of cameras installed on the exterior of the massive military vessel. Nothing aside from distant stars could be seen in any direction. It was fortunate that the far-range scanners could reach up to 2 Astronomical Units away. The Captain turned to his co-pilot, Sammy; a stocky yet athletic-seeming young man with bright, optimistic eyes and a charisma that swayed the whole crew and landed him at the third-highest authority on the vessel in under 2 years.

"Sammy."

"Hey-ho."

"Take over piloting. I intend to board the freighter and assuage the crew."

Sammy's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Captain, you sure that's a wise move?"

Another reason why the Captain had taken on Sammy was because he was intensely straightforward. Whereas other crew rarely dared to question Hawkes' decisions and assessments due to his decades of military service, Sammy had no such fear. That brash honesty had come in handy in the past, and it would continue to do so in the future.

"Yes. This I am confident in. And I'll tell you why." Hawkes addressed him, reaching into his coat pocket and removing a cigar box. He took one out and lit it up on the spot, blowing the smoke to the side.

"How long have you been chainsmoking cigars, Captain?"

"Since before your balls dropped, kid. And I haven't been chainsmoking, wise ass; I'm enjoying the privilege of my position."

"Excessive enjoyment."

"Anyways... around a decade ago, we did a rescue mission similar to this one- a stranded commercial freighter in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. We docked and I sent in the EVA Team, only to find out minutes later that half of them had been stabbed, shot and beaten severely by the crew. Turns out the crew was full of exotics who didn't speak English, and the EVA leader using the translator was a brash prick. Couple of his words got mistranslated into some very unsavory terms, and next thing you know, a battle breaks out."

"Damn... did anyone die?" Sammy asked curiously. Captain Hawkes seemed particularly offended at the question and flicked Sammy's forehead with his index finger and thumb.

"Nobody died because I acted quickly. That's Rule Number One, if you ever take command. Rule Number Two, is to never show favor to any subordinate or equal in times of crisis. That EVA leader I told you about- he was a good friend of mine, over 3 years. After that mission, I canned him. You can't have people that senseless and irresponsible onboard a vessel; they can be the sole unravelers of your entire ship. I've seen it happen too many times, on too many journeys with too many cruisers."

Sammy nodded his head solemnly, acknowledging the Captain's grim background. Captain Hawkes was a near-legend within the Canaris Armed Forces, and a war hero to the citizen populace. His astounding feats at the Battle of Yamilcar and the Siege of Korres were widespread tales, and his list of accomplishments were so vast that even the most ill-informed citizens of Canaris heard regaling tales of his bravery, cunning, and heroism in their day to day.

To be in his ranks and, no less, his Third Mate, was an honor that Sammy latched onto with intense fanaticism. Captain Hawkes was even more magnetic in person- despite his decades of battle experience, he was eloquent in his way of speaking, mixed with occasional layman phrases and speech. It was incredibly endearing no matter if a person were the lowest criminal or the most elite of socialites.

Yet in this moment, when Hawkes spoke that last sentence, his eyes grew foggy and distant. His speech staggered and broke into a brittle narrative, as if he were revisiting haunting memories in his mind.

"I've seen the crew of a medical cruiser slaughtered port and bow across the ship. They'd hacked each other into gore. The surveillance records revealed a young woman had been stoking distrust after their food storage had broken out into flames. She'd deluded herself into believing there was an enemy spy onboard, romanced the Captain to get a hold of his keys to the cockpit- where she locked herself in when the killing started. Turned out she was taking smoke breaks in there, near the pallets of gauze and disinfectant. One carelessly thrown cigarette was all it took. And she was fuckin' ignorant to it."

Sammy saw as his eyes filled with a subtle but brimming rage, as if he were reliving the experience and seeing the perpetrator right in front of his eyes. A nasty grin erupted across his face.

"She was lucky little cunt. She was the last alive, and perished right as we docked with their ship. Found her locked inside those same Captain's quarters, wrists slit and in the middle of pigging out on cigars and emergency rations. And as a final 'fuck-you' to the people who had survived the slaughter, she turned on the ship's disinfectant sprayers and left it on. Everyone else on the ship suffocated to death."

He averted his eyes, shaking his head with a cynical sneer on his face.

"Rachel Gillaby. The lowly sack of shit that doomed an entire crew for no good reason, and the Captain who put his personal pleasure ahead of foresight. Hopes, dreams, ambitions, the desire to survive- all snuffed out in despair, because of one petty bitch and a worthless captain to boot."

Hawkes slowly leaned towards Sammy, eyes burning with fire and brimstone, his facial muscles stretched in vitriol. In a passing moment, Sammy could plainly see the faint bags under Hawkes' eyes; gray hairs peeking out within his scalp that weren't easily seen.

"You read the same report I did." Hawkes rasped, toggling a few buttons to turn off the ship's primary engines. "The Tulpar's autopilot was overridden, sent on a direct collision with the asteroid. Only the Captain is capable of that. And that means we likely have another Rachel on this ship. So I'm going to board that ship with my own two legs, and I'm gonna find that bastard, and I'm going to make sure he suffers the worst imaginable fate a human being can conceive."

"Are we allowed to punish civilians during a rescue mission, Captain?"

Hawkes chuckled slyly, opening a side drawer, pulling out a hefty red book, and tapping Sammy (somewhat-lightly) on the head with it.

"You haven't read up on Canaris Spacetime Intragalactic Law, have you?"

"N-No, sir. Sorry, sir."

"I'll simplify. The Discretion Clause under Article Seven permits 'interrogations, up to and no further past the point of severe injury, for suspected traitors, mutineers and corsairs, as long as medical aid is provided hereafter.' As long as they are breathing, coherent and given medical care, we can de facto torture them."

"Captain... is that ethical?"

"I base my ethics on the magnitude of the crime and their truthfulness." Hawkes retorted, finishing his cigar. "I'm sure you would treat a suspect of rape who's lying to your face much differently than an accomplice to petty theft who spills their guts out. Then again, I'm one man. I know how bad this law can be for victims of cruel Captains. But with what our nation is dealing with right now, changing a law like this is probably not at the top of the list. And I sure as shit am gonna use it to my advantage for however long it lasts."

Sammy nodded, this time more fervently, an expression of grim determination on his face.

"I see. Good luck, sir."

The Captain exhaled, patting Sammy on the shoulder as he stood up.

"Don't scratch this beauty even slightly when we dock. It needs to look pristine for the photo ops when we return home."

Sammy smiled, nodding one last time, as Captain Hawkes briskly made his way down to the EVA Team.

"God is with us!" Sammy shouted out, and the Captain stopped in his tracks for a moment. He smiled, and this time it was one of youthful relief.

"God is with us." He mumbled, almost hesitantly. For the last 40 years of his life, he'd been a cynical, grim atheist who considered the universe a cold, dark place that was entirely uncaring of life and its inherent suffering. Less than 3 months ago, he had carried a deep hatred and loathing for religion, what he had believed to be a disgusting false hope to the fearful and dying. Less than 3 months ago, he was on the verge of retiring, finding his home agrarian planet, and blowing his brains out. It had been nothing but despair, rage, and agony. For decades, on end.

Now... now he felt... reborn.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Music: "Ratnik", by Avery Alexander)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Captain, freighter sighted. Proceeding to point."

"Good, I'm turning off coms for a sec to speak with EVA."

"Copy, over."

Hawkes switched off the radio receiver, looking across the room at the EVA Team gathered in front of him. Outfitted in Roxcorp EVA suits. Plasma cutters in one hand, Hyletta handguns in the other. Hawkes had Central Command to thank for these cutting-edge weapons; they'd approved his recent request for up-to-date weaponry and artillery. This ship was outfitted and his crew rearmed; the Argonaut II was now one of the most powerful military ships in the nation, and arguably within the Lower Quadrant.

Hawkes could be more proud as its longtime Captain.

"EVA Team, last check."

"Ready." "Ready, Cap." "Ready, sir."

"Ready, Captain Hawkes!" "Ready!" "Ready."

Hawkes nodded, looking to the Triage Team. Outfitted in Janil Company space suits, carrying medical bags and cauterizers; even they carried holsters with handguns. Captain Hawkes was taking no chances after that incident he'd told Sammy about.

No more of his crew's blood would be on his hands.

"Form up!" Hawkes barked, and the teams stacked into two column in front of the depressurization chamber. Hawkes flipped on his radio and switched to Drone Control.

"Elise, what are the unmanned drones seeing?"

"The freighter suffered catastrophic damages at the front where the cockpit lies. There's sealing foam covering most of the front, and there are dozens of holes over the exterior and nearly to the back of the ship that's filled with sealing foam. I've sighted two docking entrances, only the starboard side is unaffected."

"We'll be docking starboard, then. Any signs of forced entry or looting?"

"Negative, Captain. We're in some remote deepspace, so I wouldn't expect it."

"Catastrophes come when you least expect it. Comb it over one more time with the drones then report back."

"Copy, Captain."

Hawkes switched to the Command room, where Sammy was steering the ship.

"Prep us for docking, Sammy."

"Roger that, over."

Hawkes kept his radio on to wait for an ETA on docking, taking one final examination of the two teams in front of him. If there were signs of forced entry into the freighter, the Argonaut II's military garrison would be deployed through first. In this case, however, Hawkes' primary goal was getting emergency aid and rescue to these poor souls. A year stuck in a crashed and floating freighter in the middle of nowhere was no doubt terrifying, and Hawkes didn't want them to feel a second more of that- especially if there was a traitorous captain onboard adding to the despair.

"Elise here, drones found no external forced entry into the ship. You are greenlit."

"Copy, Elise, over."

"Sammy here, we will be docking, ETA 3 minutes."

Captain Hawkes tightened his gloves, unslinging the automatic energy rifle over his shoulders and into his hands, cranking the bolt intensity up a notch. If there was even one traitor onboard, he wasn't taking chances.

"2 minutes to go."

Hawkes noted the air was filled with nervousness. No matter the experience, no matter the repetition; nobody was truly and fully prepared to enter an unknown stranded ship unfazed. Any number of things could lie on the other side.

"30 seconds left."

It was up to Hawkes to make sure this mission ended in complete victory.

"We are docking in 3... 2... 1..."

Rumble.

The ship quaked in momentary reverberation as its docking anchors latched onto the port of entry into the ship. The light to the airlock pulsed green as it confirmed docking was successful.

"Get moving!" He barked, and the EVA leader opened the airlock, walking in with the teams and Captain Hawkes. The airlock closed shut behind them. The depressurization chamber hissed loudly as pressure equalized between the Argonaut II and the Tulpar. Hawkes latched his helmet onto his spacesuit, readying his rifle.

The doors to the Tulpar, however, did not open. This was somewhat unexpected by Hawkes; dark matter reactors were infinite power sources, which meant that the Tulpar's reactors weren't maintained and shut down as a security measure to prevent over-stimulation and explosion. That didn't bode well, and Hawkes was beginning to feel a sinking ache in his chest as he gave the next order.

"EVA, do your thing."

His EVA leader, Wally, shuffled forward alongside two others and began searing into the dense metal with their plasma cutters. The process took only a few minutes, and after finishing, Hawkes kicked in the cut-up doors. Chunks of metal crumbled to the ground, and Hawkes prepared for a large wave of suction if the inside of the ship was depressurized. To his surprise, it never came. The ship was pressurized, but out of power, which meant that the auxiliary batteries were still working.

Hawkes walked aboard with his crew, rifle raised as they scanned each part and parcel of the ship's interior.

"What the hell..." He muttered, seeing a host of destruction, dereliction, and blood scattered across this floor of the ship. On edge, Hawkes made his way towards the cafeteria- this was commonly where survivors tended to gather on stranded ships due inherently to its social atmosphere.

On top of the unease, Hawkes was also angered as he made his way through the tight corridors of busted pipes, broken machinery and leaking silos. Having been a captain for over 30 years now, Hawkes could tell by look and instinct alone what state a ship was in.

This one was nearing the verge of self-implosion. He quickly went for his radio.

"Search Teams, we won't have time for salvaging ops. This ship is in a bad state, and I don't trust the next hour. Find the survivors and any bodies, and evac A-S-A-P."

"Yes, sir!" "Roger, Captain!"

Satisfied, Hawkes continued down the winding corridors, and noticed a change in scenery as he rounded a corner-

"What the fuck?!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Music: "Temporary Suicide", by Kevin Penkin)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hawkes felt nauseous as he moved in to clear the room, seeing a horrific display of insanity and gore in front of him. Three mummified dead bodies were sat the cafeteria table, frozen in place like a picture in time. Holding back his horror, Hawkes walked up to the table and inspected the plates in front of them.

"This is fucking sick." He mumbled, coming to the quick realization that there were sliced portions of leg meat adorned on the plates like cutlets. Without wasting a beat, Hawkes activated his radio.

"Hawkes here, get to the cafeteria. 3 confirmed dead. Get 'em to the Argonaut II and clean them up for the Revivifi- Revifiv- Rev- FUCK, The Rev-iv-if-ic-ation Ritual!"

"Copy, over."

Hawkes stared morbidly at the corpses of these three. A young woman, a young man, and a middle-aged man. What a horrible outcome. Momentarily, he inspected each of the corpses, attempting to figure out how they had died. His conclusion was sickening, and only left more questions than answers.

The middle-aged man, whose name tag read 'Swansea', had been shot in the chest and head. Hawkes knew only the Captain had access to a firearm on a freighter like this. 

The young woman, whose name tag read 'Anya', had overdosed on painkillers, every orifice on her face leaking blood. 

The young man, whose name tag read 'Daisuke', was axed in the face; Hawkes had glimpsed the bloody weapon sitting next to a makeshift bed as he had entered the room.

Sickening. Atrocious. Horror.

Hawkes had seen plenty of terrible, gruesome, and outright barbaric events in his life. But this was certainly up there. He could feel the despair in the environment, the utter hopelessness of this crude vessel. Just by looking around, Hawkes could glimpse the dystopian feel, the uncaring corporatist metal and sinew that only amplified their morbid horror at the developing situation.

This was a terrible death. And morbidly, that gave Hawkes hope. The more terrible the death- the more likely a revivification could occur. What a sick way of thinking, but it was the inevitable changing of the times. He got back on his radio.

"Elise, I need answers for what happened here. Rip open that surveillance station and get a drone to download the records, all the way back to a year ago, if possible."

"Shouldn't be a problem, Pony Express has shit vessel designs but they love to keep records of their employees."

Half the EVA Team and the entire Triage team clambered into the room, cleaning up the bodies and loading them into transparent body bags, before hauling them down the corridors to the Argonaut II.

"Hawkes, Wally here. We found the Cryo room, there's a confirmed KIA inside, gunshot wound to the head."

"Copy, Wally. I'm heading over."

It took a minute to get there, and all along the corridors Hawkes was getting more and more uneasy. They were gambling with their lives, for every second they remained on this freighter. It was in an obvious state of breaking down and he wanted to be nowhere near when it eventually imploded.

He arrived at the Cryo Pod room, only to find Wally using a plasma cutter to sear through. 

"Hey, Captain. The door lost power, so we're cutting in."

"Take it away."

Another searing finished, another door kicked in. The team made their way inside, and Hawkes walked up to the cryo pod.

"Holy shit."

Sitting inside the cryo pod was a frozen amputee, wrapped in bandages and covered in seared flesh. A single eye stared out from the cryo pod's window, its eyelid missing completely.

BWOOOM! BWOOOM! BWOOOOM!

The atmosphere changed from unease to alarm as the ship's emergency sirens went off suddenly.

"Warning. Equilibrium disruption in DMRC-3. Dark Matter implosion imminent. Evacuate via the departure pods. Evacuate via the departure pods-"

"Get him out NOW!" Hawkes ordered. "Throw the corpse over your shoulder and haul ass!"

The EVA Team scrambled to open the cryo pod's chamber. It hissed and opened upward, and the EVA Team loaded the amputee onto a stretcher and sprinted for the exit. Wally picked up the dead body and threw it over his shoulder, making exit the same way.

The remaining group onboard the ship ran with terror pumping through their veins. A Dark Matter implosion was an extremely rare event, and often resulted because of low-quality engineering of the safety mechanisms that deactivated reactors when they became unstable.

In essence, this event was very in-character for Pony Express- that shitty low-tier transportation company. Events like this were so rare that any company, corporation, agency or interest group whose name was on a ship that suffered a Dark Matter implosion event could kiss their companies, livelihoods, and lives goodbye. Regulations on Dark Matter reactors and maintenance, across every nation, were the most strict and scrutinized.

"Elise, make sure you record that ship's activity on the far-range scanners when we're out of blast range. I want evidence to bring down those sleazy Pony Express shitstains!"

"Copy."

The last of the teams shuffled hurriedly into the airlock, watching as the door closed behind them. They practically stampeded into the Argonaut II as soon as its airlock hatch lifted up, and Hawkes fumbled for his radio.

"Sammy, disengage the port and get us the hell out of here!"

"Got it!"

A high-pitched whirling sound emitted through the room as the airlock clamps let go of the Tulpar airlock and retracted. The entire ship began to rumble as primary engines roared to life, accelerating the ship away from the Tulpar at increasing speeds.

"Sammy, we need to be a million miles away before that thing detonates, charge up the FTL and HIT IT!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Hawkes felt existential chills run down his spine. He'd only heard this sound once before in his entire life. It was the sound of microparticles of dark matter getting ready to collide.

It would be annihilation of everything within a 93 million mile radius. This was why Dark Matter reactors were only authorized for private sector companies in exceptional circumstances; they were so destructive if the failsafes failed, that the emergency contingency plans in place for reactors erupting near planets and stars all involved some form of death for any crew onboard the ship. The firstmost plan enacted is to use Quantum Positioning technology to 'warp' the unstable ship to an empty area of the galaxy. 

This ship didn't have a Quantum Positioning Relay, so the next plan was to get out of dodge.

"Sammy here, FTL drivers are spooling, ready for takeoff in 5... 4... 3..."

Hawkes pulled up an external camera from the back of the ship to check on the state of the Tulpar. His face paled as he witnessed the ship begin to fold in on itself as two giant orbs of pure light spun around each other with intensifying rapidity. The vibration emitting from the dark matter could be felt to the bone, and the entire ship was reverberating nonstop.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!" Hawkes began to panic, seeing the orbs nearing detonation.

"2... 1... Launching!"

BWWWWWWWWWWW-IP!

And just like that, they had entered FTL travel. The reverberation came to a sudden stop, and the crew surrounding Hawkes breathed a sigh of relief. Hawkes, meanwhile, was shaking violently with nothing but after-thought panic on his mind. He and Elise were likely the only ones who knew how close they had been to complete obliteration.

Taking several gulps to bring himself back to reality, Hawkes turned off his wrist holopad and stood up on shaky legs, attracting the room's attention.

"WELL DONE!"

The room erupted into raucous applause and cheers. The mission was done, and nobody had died. That was a victory in his and everyone else's books.

"Where's the amputee?"

"Over here, sir!"

Hawkes walked over to the amputee, who was just beginning to come to his senses from the cryo-freeze aftereffects. His eye slowly moved around groggily, then slowly, gradually...

Clarity.

"Hggghhkkk.... Hgggkk! HGGGGKKK!!!! HGGGGGKKKK-AAAAAAA!!!!"

The amputee looked around in wild, frenetic shock and jolted his seared limbs in a frenzy. The agony, the pain, the terror, the despair, the memories- they all came flooding back into his mind.

Almost immediately, the triage team moved in to restrain and treat the slowly-bleeding leg stump that had clearly suffered amputation. Hawkes immediately connected the severed leg limb to the scene he had witnessed at the cafeteria.

"What the fuck is going on here... Kai, get him some anesthetics and haul him to the Operating Room!"

"Yes, sir!"

As they carried him away, Hawkes' eyes, tired but observant, scanned over the corpse of the fourth dead crew member. He flipped him over to read his name tag:

Jimmy

"We'll find out what happened." Hawkes muttered with a grimace across his face. "We'll find out who's responsible. And we'll make sure we get justice."

_____________________________________________

(Art below is credited to @rabstergabster on Twitter/X)

_____________________________________________

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(Portrait of Captain Hawkes)

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[zorilleerrant]

canon Shazamily fears:

Mary - what if I'm a bad mom sister

Billy - he could turn evil

Darla - adults big

Eugene - beat up the asian nerd

Pedro - laugh at the fat latino

Freddy - he's dying lol

fanon Shazamily fears:

Mary - always being tethered to her family or dependent on them, that people see her as nothing more than the big sister/caretaker, tests and especially timed tests, environmental and global impacts of her consumption choices, sudden bad textures, being yelled at, the overrepresentation of men in politics, never getting to finish her book, having to leave superheroism for mental health reasons

Billy - making the wrong choices when an adult would know the right one, thinking his powers will do things they turn out not to be able to do, abandonment, starvation, water/drowning, cops and authoritarian violence, sexual assault, freezing to death

Darla - being babied and not being able to help when they need her, losing her siblings because she wasn't allowed to go out, not being smart or wise enough because she's so young, hate crimes, the long term loss of art in education and culture, bees (wasps?)

Eugene - always being reduced to the asian stereotype and thought of as brains only rather than brawn, video game and fantasy novel magical fauna that aren't necessarily real, being the leftover/left out one, being too physically weak in either form to defend himself and his family, technology growing out of control, AI, all businessmen regardless of whether he's interacted with them

Pedro - that men won't find him physically attractive and he'll never have a chance to date, that he's losing touch with his cultural roots in the American mainstream/that he only knows about Rosa's culture and not his own, being silenced/unable to speak up, that he'll no longer be loved if he shares his secrets, that the figurines he collects will come to life and attack him, slenderman

Freddy - being a burden/demanding too much care as he deteriorates, earthquakes and building collapses, heights, loud sounds and bright lights, giving up information under torture, being trapped/unable to run away, that he cares more than people care about him, people thinking he's too girly, various types of animals, transportation that goes too fast, Batman

[transmutationisms]

yo interested in the reading recs on the body fascism thing 👀

ok disclaimer that i have various problemsissues with almost all of these & would love for somebody to theorise this better some day

on exercise, sport, and physical activity:

sport and physical culture in occupied france: authoritarianism, agency, and everyday life, by keith rathbone

body fascism: salvation in the technology of physical fitness, by brian pronger

'against exercise', by mark greif

the sculpture machine: physical culture and body politics in the age of empire, by michael anton budd

the expressiveness of the body and the divergence of greek and chinese medicine, by shigehisa kuriyama

empire of ecstasy: nudity and movement in german body culture, 1910–1935, by karl toepfer

ideals of the body: architecture, urbanism, and hygiene in postrevolutionary paris, by sun-young park

on fatness and weight stigma:

fearing the black body: the racial origins of fat phobia, by sabrina strings

being fat: women, weight, and feminist activism in canada, by jenny ellison

seeking the straight and narrow: weight loss and sexual reorientation in evangelical america, by lynne gerber

on food and dietetics:

eating right in america: the cultural politics of food and health, by charlotte biltekoff

modern food, moral food: self-control, science, and the rise of modern american eating in the early twentieth century, by helen zoe veit

diet and the disease of civilization, by adrienne rose bitar

eating nature in modern germany: food, agriculture, and environment, c. 1870 to 2000, by corinna treitel

[economicsresearch]

page 562 panel a - Of course you are welcome to tell yourself that the machine connects you to more of your life, in the same way having access to wikipedia makes you smarter. It doesn't. You are an empty vessel that sometimes feels filled but moments later you are drained and vacant. You don't remember anything. You just look and move on. You have farmed out the hard work of memory to a tool and you are now slave to it, your abilities of recall atrophied. Plenty obliterates all nuance and subtlety. Unless your goal is to be a shit cyborg whose experience of the world is a shallow one, you are not better for your tools.

The cost of it all only adds to the humiliation. Not just the cost of having emotional profundity erased and overridden by visual overabundance, but there is actual treasure we hand over to be treated in this way. A worse product at a higher price. Remembering for ourselves is free but now there's rent. Maybe only cents on the day but still we tithe a corporation to keep a dead parent alive or remember an ex who we hated at the end. Why are they still here? Monetary cost, emotional cost, such small amounts you barely notice, but real all the same. The ghosts of memory we can't quite see, the ghosts of wealth drained that we never knew we had, they all grow fat and laugh at us.

Memories gained, memories lost. It feels natural, like the moon and the tides, ceaseless and without worry. As the night draws on this moonrise is lost but there will be another tomorrow, it goes. But once we decided to hoard and fortify, make memories permanent now that they're safely stored outside our fallible biology, it all becomes brittle and a loss is catastrophic; there is trauma in preservation now. Our technological aide-memoire (usurper-memoire?) make us think it can all be retained, we just need to use the tools, pay the toll, be conscientious, have some goddamned personal responsibility. But a harddrive melts, a password is lost or a company goes bankrupt and once again there is the same old loss. Only this time it's your fault. If only there had been a third back-up or a fourth, then I wouldn't have so foolishly deleted this piece of my soul. And we are left ill and worried by a buzz inside us as we try to keep it all safe, but we can't. We can't control the corporation that dances and sways in capitalism's breeze or even the micro solder that has some imperfect weakness at an atomic level, We can only pray.

[my-wellness-way]

Effective Strategies to Crush Your Weight Loss Goals in 2025

Are you ready to make 2025 the year you finally achieve your weight loss goals? With so much information out there, finding the right strategies can be overwhelming.

This guide will simplify the process and provide you with actionable, science-backed tips to crush your weight loss journey this year.

1. Set Realistic and Specific Goals

The first step to achieving your weight loss goals is defining them clearly. Instead of vague resolutions like "lose weight," aim for specific and measurable targets, such as "lose 15 pounds in 3 months by exercising 4 times a week and eating 1,800 calories per day."

Why it works:

Helps you stay focused and track progress.

Encourages long-term lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes.

2. Prioritize a Balanced Diet Over Extreme Dieting

Fad diets may offer quick results, but they are rarely sustainable. Focus on a balanced diet that includes lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Limit processed foods and added sugars.

Pro Tip: Incorporate more plant-based meals, as studies show they can help with weight management and overall health.

3. Make Meal Prep a Weekly Habit

Meal prepping helps you control portion sizes and resist unhealthy choices when hunger strikes. Dedicate a few hours each week to prepare nutritious meals and snacks in advance.

Benefits of meal prep:

Saves time and money.

Keeps you consistent with your calorie and nutrient intake.

4. Stay Active with a Mix of Workouts

Exercise is key to burning calories and building muscle. Combine cardio workouts (like running or cycling) with strength training to maximize fat loss and boost metabolism.

2025 Fitness Trends to Try:

- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

- Online fitness classes for convenience.

- Group sports to keep workouts fun and engaging.

5. Track Your Progress

Using a journal or app to monitor your food intake, workouts, and weight loss progress can help you stay accountable. Apps like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit offer tools to track calories and exercise effortlessly.

Pro Tip: Celebrate small milestones to stay motivated, whether it's fitting into an old pair of jeans or reaching a fitness goal.

6. Focus on Sleep and Stress Management

Poor sleep and high stress levels can hinder weight loss by increasing hunger hormones like ghrelin. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night and practice stress-reducing techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.

7. Stay Hydrated

Drinking water not only keeps you hydrated but also helps with appetite control and metabolism. Replace sugary drinks with water, herbal teas, or infused water for variety.

Quick Tip: Drink a glass of water before meals to avoid overeating.

8. Build a Support System

Having friends, family, or online communities supporting your weight loss journey can make a huge difference. Share your goals and progress, and don’t hesitate to seek professional guidance from dietitians or personal trainers if needed.

9. Be Patient and Consistent

Weight loss is a journey, not a sprint. Plateaus are normal, and progress may vary. Focus on consistency and celebrate non-scale victories, like improved energy levels or better mood.

10. Leverage Technology and Tools

Use wearable fitness trackers, calorie counters, and AI-powered apps to personalize and optimize your weight loss journey. These tools can provide insights into your habits and suggest improvements.

Conclusion

Achieving your weight loss goals in 2025 doesn’t have to be daunting. By setting realistic goals, maintaining a balanced diet, staying active, and using the right tools, you can stay on track and see lasting results. Remember, consistency and patience are key.

Start implementing these strategies today, and watch yourself crush your weight loss goals this year!

#trending #workout #fyp #health

[breezecomic]

Saw ur post, and I want u to pitch to me what Laika's comet is (looks autistically)

YESSS I WILL DO THAT OR AT LEAST TRY TO!!!! Gonna split this into paragraphs under the cut :DDD

First of all, OHHH MYY GOD THIS WEBCOMIC MAKES ME INSANE DUDE!!! THIS MIGHT CONTAIN WAY MORE THAN WHAT YOU WANTED TO READ BUT OH WELL!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OF ADMIRATION INFORMATION DUMP!!

1 - The Artist

Laika's Comet is made by Willow, an incredible, incredible artist! He uses @/catmask (main blog) and @/fourleafisland (art blog) for their handles: please go check out the art blog it's so so good!!!

Willow's art is so amazing, dude. Her colour choices, character designs, backgrounds, vehicles, everything is so damn beautiful. It inspires plenty of artists to create and keep creating, including me!

Here's a print it made! I chose to show you the dunmeshi themed one bc ik you're a dunmeshi freak (so am I):

(Even if you don't end up reading the comic, go look at their art, it'll make your day better!)

2 - The World

Laika's Comet is set on Furth - the furry version of Earth! Everyone is an anthropomorphic animal, with the main character being a dog!

Furth is beautiful, very utopian with environmentally friendly tech and lifestyles. The world is also technologically advanced, with successful space travel!

3 - Themes

Laika's Comet has only just started, really, with two chapters (?) currently completed. However, from sticking around this long, I can take a shot at the overall themes:

- Family (VERY big on that one)

- Friendship

- Grief and loss (this one is something I think is going to be big later)

- Queerness and the queer self (hinted at)

- Trangenderism is BIG for this

- Abuse and/or neglect (implied? Might be explored explicitly in the future)

And probably a lot more! Obviously, as I am not the author nor artist, and the series has only just begun, I can't say that some of these things are for certain!

Now for the cast!

(Just covering current characters, as many more have been made but haven't cameo-ed yet!)

The Main Character - Laika

Laika is the main character of Laika's Comet! (never saw that coming, huh) She's a fat, bisexual, trans dogwoman! She rides a motorcycle and wears parts of an old astronaut suit. She drives around being a good citizen, helping little old dogs and searching for star pieces: you'll have to read to find out what those are!

She has two dads, Yue and Rover, who she lives with! She also has a "sidekick" called Mars, a cute little cat.

The Scientist - Yue

Laika's dad, Yue, is an old (sorry Yue), gay, trans bunnyman. He's an astronomer who tracks the star pieces with lots of technological equipment! He and Laika live in an observatory, and seeing as he technically works from home, his ideal work uniform is pajamas and a lab coat.

The Sidekick - Mars

Mars is a sweet kid, a little black cat who uses they/them pronouns. With a unique tail, some powers, and a cute doll named Menya, Mars is going to be a big part of the comic! I already love them so much (as I should).

There's many more characters to come, too! Here, take this lineup:

And, most importantly for you, Archivist, is the fact that this comic is Space Themed!

You weren't sold yet?? Well, you should know that Laika's Comet is all about space; stars, comets, astronauts, space travel, meteors, etc!

So, want to read it?

Oh, and don't forget! It was almost the end of the world! Have fun!! \(•▽^)-☆

Click Here!

[calpalsworld]

Like obviously characters should be depicted losing weight, the same as how more characters should be depicting gaining weight, as size changes are part of being alive and should be normal, but it sucks when a fat character magically/technologically becomes thin without any remaining effects. It reinforces the idea that fat people can simply just change and that they should change. In real life weight loss can come with fatigue and psychological pain, and once a person is big they cant just become tight skinned when thin, they usually have loose skin and other permanent body changes. That should be normalized because it is normal and happens to many people.