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llort · 2 years ago

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Experiment 0000 Perspective Theory - (Present at the end of the post)!

Cybernetics is the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.

Applying concepts from TSECpm and the individual treating their own emergent existence, life, ethology, and conscious experience, frame generation, as an ongoing engineering project using methods externally reviewed via the scientific community, machine learning and statistical analysis and subject to peer review and cybernetic modulation should provide a host of benefits including raising the quality of an individual personal experience much higher level and quality of self actualization and also bestowing the ability adapt to novel or challenging/stressful, potential or real, acute or predicted, situations effectively and efficiently a significantly faster rate. Perspective and personal engineering would allow for both a universal improvement in quality of life while still respecting personal differences in belief and self-expression which is essential to avoid a monolithic cultural force derived from accelerating and more coercive social pressures resulting in a homonormative general populace without the awareness of their own rights and capabilities enabled by TESCpm progression.

The total amount of all past and current human experience and the interactions of their respective axioms integrated significance, culture is theoretically impossible to measure and understand. With the exponential increase in the rate of TESCpm being created the current human faces a staggering amount of information, cognitive/behavioral options, and problems to manage and the challenges facing humanity are only going to grow in number and complexity. There is an explicit underutilization of resources and cognitive technologies freely available to the general public currently and entities that exploit these developments are only going to have increasingly coercive and unbalanced advantages in finance, marketing, ethology pressuring, and intellectual property. To establish frames of perception via the methodologies created by an individual themselves via the meta framework of perspective theory will enrich possible net frames found in a social environment.

If you reduce and classify all of human experience into a few manageable well defined domains with (e.g. technology, engineering, science, culture, philosophy, medicine, maths statistics.. etc.)

There is the danger of over reduction of experiential aspects of human lives but it is clear that while the qualia established in an individual establishing their own frame out of their own autonomy, that this approach respects both a cohesive social collective of well adjusting individuals and the individuals unique experience that they themselves are able to define their own EISOA boundaries of in the context of modelling the emergent net existence and functional cognitive and behavioral units of an individual as a viable system model

“Any open or closed system that can and perceive, assign, remove or modify meaning to parts of own system or other any other systems are a candidate for personal engineering

Current philosophy is extremely biased towards the human first person PoV perspective and if groups of people implement this system their lives there could be unprecedented new levels of complexity of communication between actors/entities

This model of human experience I proposed can be understood with the study of perspective in art. Using mathematics, deductive, inductive and abductive logic in abstraction in parallel with reduction along with any basic taxonomy/ontology.

It is possible to turn most things that can be described or observed to be remade into an axiom. This includes the external and internal and the objective, subjective, and inductive. It is also possible to construct modules of axioms that don’t represent anything yet existing in objective reality and then adjust or conform these extra external abstract axiomatic models to correspond to any EISOA phenomena or to generate new ontologies that may generate some insight or functionality

Disregarding some fundamental logic, epistemological assumptions, and understanding of TSECpm via establishing primary axioms categorized as self-evident, sound, and valid, it is possible to create a set of place holder axioms as an ontological scaffold that can be further refined to represent metaphysical categorizations of objective, subjective, or abstract reality in either egocentric and/or allocentric modes. An important consideration is that axioms in perspective theory are by their own nature arbitrary and not intended to fully describe objective, subjective, or abstract internal or external reality in their entirety, rather perspective theory is intended to be a potentially semi-automated on-going process that continues to approach the theoretical limit of what can be deduced or assumed about the nature of reality. However, the mere ability to construct a set of axioms requires a neurocyberphysical correlate that logically exist to support their embodiment in a cognitive or digital architecture that recursively indicates that these axiomatic sets are sound and viable which is an ad hoc iteration of “I think, therefore I am”.

One point can be described with multiple axioms and suspension of disbelief can be used to reduce conflicts. It is logical to assume that if opposing networks of axioms are embedded in a recursive meta framework that two or more ontologies that have axioms that conflict and would on the surface be incompatible would still be able to be nestled in a more expansive supporting ontology. A terrible example is the synchronicity of the left and right cerebral hemispheres despite each hemisphere containing brain regions that have opposing functions with the brain as a whole reconciling hemisphere function into one gestalt holistic integrated seemingly non modular experience. Perspective theory has the flexibility and capability to be adapted into already existing ontological frameworks such as the cybernetic viable system model which was inspired by the evolutionary psychology-based theories about emergent levels of brain function and their resultant ethology and inducive adaptability of the host organism (typically specified as humans past the age where theory of mind develops).

These sorts of protective yet cultivating frame parameters are featured quite heavily in paracybersocial networks of deceit yet these different agents can bundle frames in such as way that there isn’t much conflict between opposing sides or memeplexes and if this doesn’t reduce conflict then there should be many other interventions carried out by a handle

These axioms can be arranged via taxonomic/set theory (logic) principles to form a network or grouping of axioms which can have any logical rules assigned to an axiom or arrangement of interrelated axioms, arranged in any order or arrangement described in mathematics. As perspective theory is also intended to be utilized “offline in vivo”, this enables perspective theory the flexibility and functionality to be reconstructed mentally in a model form that is personable to an individual utilizing PT.

The axiom systems themselves can be abstracted or consolidated into new axioms to form systems of near infinite complexity for various purposes.

I think that the real importance of this document is to highlight how easily perception of reality can be changed how that certain alteration of axiomatic cognitive technologies results in a change of actualized and enacted ethology which can lead to abrupt change in the number of ways one can optimally interact with reality

However, before you get carried away it would be a lot easier to start using already defined axioms. Sciences, and normatively define areas of human knowledge and experience and so on. There has been extensive work and research on developing ontology for many fields of human knowledge, there are many interdisciplinary ontologies, there are specific software and data sets catering to the development and automation of ontology formation, and there are meta ontological frameworks which could be used in conjunction with perspective theory to model as many domains of existence and human experience as possible

Perspective in art can be used to get a more realistic and accurate representation of a perceived subject. Art is an essential tool to establish what could be and to also try to see if it is possible to ground these simulacrums in a foot hold of reality. Perspective theory in PT is no different, it is simply the art of discerning what is possible based on what you know

To get an idea of how this theory would work in vivo. In perspective theory (the canonical art theory) drawing the subject is drawn to appear more realistic as being displayed on a 2d medium, one or more vanishing points to give the illusion of perspective on a flat

Perspective in this case changes the eventually projected diagram of the box. It is the same box in each case, just in this case different points of axioms have been chosen to construct the final image. Perspective theory just means adding in new axioms as a point of perspective to construct a new model from. Adding and Removing axioms can radically change the resultant model allowing for deep insight into interesting relationships and emergent properties.

Oral Human language of just spoken word and no visual contact is conventionally one dimensional and there are many ongoing efforts to create poly dimensional communication systems

Roughly speaking We see a “3d” world in two dimensions

However, humans can think and operate in many dimensions, in this context include modular/non modular examples (define and provide examples).

Due to the vast interconnectedness in the brain conscious experience is not truly 3d either rather conscious experience follows a dense interconnected and twisted wireframe model making it difficult to visualize purely 3d shapes from a first-person perspective

An axiom in perspective theory can be a science or a branch of the sciences such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Going through day-to-day life with these axiomatic heuristics in the forefront of your mind can fundamentally change the way how you view yourself, your experience, and environment throughout a day functionally employing PE

Traditionally perspective in art has been used in a Euclidean sense however if you roll with subjectivity for a bit, you could represent anybody's view or any way of looking at the world as a new dimension/axiom. Using the systems described earlier you can paint or model a “picture” in your mind of a subject (x) described in many “dimensions” 3d perspective, color, biology, its materials, its physical properties, the public opinion, and any other sets you come up with while minimizing the occurrence of cognitive dissonance and keeping the total model logically consistent

Theoretically allowing any consciousness to utilize a method that could be potentially more effective at describing more aspects reality than science (Due to the equal importance and use of deductive, inductive abductive logic and a small pinch of subjectivity held in check by the principles of pure logic and mathematics)

A healthy human’s body, including the brain is a complicated machine and powerful supercomputer

Everything we are consciously aware of (Thoughts, feelings, internal narrative, sensations, senses and perceptions) a highly abstracted model. An edited and streamlined gestalt UI (selected for by natural selection to reduce the cost of adapting to a complex environment and promoting choices best for the organism's fitness), the system of the brain that has executive control decisions aka “you” the end user. Input is done on conscious attention and focus of the executive control system on certain aspects of the UI.

This model can predict the nature of some of the structures of the brain and their function

The selection pressure offered as an explanation for the evolution and development of consciousness will also yield some hypotheses to be tested.

This model is abductive in nature and need to pass critical tests and become highly corroborated considered to have the status of a true scientific theory

However even if the model isn’t robust, it still has some applications as a conceptual model to utilize in personal endeavors.

Assuming this model to be true or suspending disbelief, this model can be abstracted to form an axiom or “single unit” in a completely different model using a form of mathematics and logic.

Each domain can be abstracted to an axiom

These core axioms of human experience can be used to construct an easy to manage, modify and comprehend model of the totality of experience and to study the interactions of the axioms and any emergent properties.

Theoretically with this sort of modelling. With the same axioms and the same rules of interaction and logic. People would be able to avoid a lot of the issues of subjectivity.

Due to its nature, the model is not purely a truth-seeking enterprise and has some aspects of mathematics and art/aesthetics

The logical implication of establishing PE/PT in several hosts and subject to ongoing development and refinement of mechanisms and processes of functionality and quantification of objective reality and the correlating cognitive and mental phenomena/experience is that slowly the inner physics of the mind and brain will become elucidated and standardized to form general theories and axioms about conscious experience. PT and PE assumes that all subjective experience is subject to quantification and qualification, even if this can only be achieved via an abstraction of these states or phenomena until PE/PT has developed to the point where this data can be extrapolated. Another key mechanism involved in PE/PT is the use of ongoing and holistic biometry in order to create as much data points possible allowing an individual or researcher to reconstruct the exact frames and qualia that were experienced at a given point of time.

If my theory about physical monism is correct then it should be relatively more straight forward to be able to “trace” the developing ontology of experience, behavior's, and cognitions. An example of this is the exposure of a host to a novel word or association and tracing this learning to a subsequent ethological instance where this word or association is referenced or used in some sort of communication system or secreted to the cyberphysical environment memetically. Logically every word a human knows or can utilize has to either be learned or synthesized based on linguistic logic (or just a mistake))(but a mistake is still a creative iteration of a previous cyberphysical event)

Some philosophy is extremely biased towards the human perspective. One key experiential phenomenon experienced when manic is the misattribution of allocentric interactions to a egocentric frame. This indicates that there are frames where an individual does not consider themselves as an agent in a social interaction

However, the model of human experience I proposed earlier can be more easily understood with the study of perspective in art. Using mathematics, deductive, inductive and abductive logic in abstraction in parallel with reduction along with any basic form of taxonomy. Anything* that can be described can be remade into an axiom. These axioms can be arranged via taxonomic principles to form a network or grouping of axioms which can have any logical rules assigned to any axiom arranged in any order or arrangement described in mathematics. The axiom systems themselves can be abstracted or reduced into new axioms to form systems of infinite complexity.

Before you get carried away it would be a lot easier to start using already defined axioms. Sciences and so on

In perspective drawing the subject is drawn to appear more realistic one or more vanishing points to give the illusion of perspective on a flat surface

Human language is traditionally one dimensional

We see a “3d” world in roughly two dimensions

However, humans can think in multiple more dimensions and experience intertextuality

In this context, an axiom supergroup such as science or the general shared culture of human a demographic can be represented as a dimension

Perspective in art can be to get a more realistic and accurate representation of a perceived subject

However, in all human experience can be argued to be perceived

Traditionally perspective in art has been used in a Euclidean sense however if you roll with subjectivity for a bit, you could represent anybody's view or any way of looking at the world as a new dimension. Using the systems described early you can paint a “picture” in your mind of a subject described in many “dimensions” 3d perspective, color, biology, its materials, its physical properties, the public (or a normative shared perceptual value assignment) opinion while minimizing the occurrence of cognitive dissonance.

The MM is a 4D mental reconstruction utilized to quickly and efficiently draw upon cognitive heuristics that might normally be inaccessible in a depressive phase or even when euthymic or manic

Input is done on conscious attention and focus of the executive control system on certain aspects of the UI

This model can yield predictions and hypotheses that can be subjected to the scientific method

This model can predict the nature of some of the structures of the brain and their function

The selection pressure offered as an explanation for the evolution and development of conscious will also yield some hypothesis to be tested

This model is abductive in nature and need to pass critical tests and become highly corroborated considered to have the status of a true scientific theory

However even if the model isn’t robust, it still has some applications as a conceptual model to utilize in personal endeavors

Assuming this model to be true or suspending disbelief this model can be abstracted to form as an axiom or “single unit” in completely different model using in a form of mathematics and logic

If you reduce and classify all of human experience into a few manageable well-defined domains with (eg technology, engineering, science, culture, philosophy, medicine, math's, statistics... etc.)

Each domain can be abstracted to an axiom

Hopefully the model can provide an individual with a far greater and deeper understanding of themselves, others, society and the universe they live in.

The model also can be used to make and test predictions

As the model is based on axioms, the model itself can be changed in a similar way by removing axioms, adding new ones or changing existing ones potentially allowing for very powerful and complex simulations for exploring the big questions and even the small ones.

Theoretically with this sort of modelling. With the same axioms and the same rules of interaction and logic. People would be able to avoid a lot of the issues of subjectivity and post structuralism.

#Unsignificant Sentience #monologue #long post #good to know #philiosophy #viable system model #cybernetics #axioms #complexity

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palbabor-writes · 4 years ago

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Practicum

Pairing: Shigaraki Tomura x Fem!Reader

Warnings: SMUT/18+ only, unbalanced/unhealthy relationships, student/teacher sex, tw.dubcon, tw.sub/dom dynamics, brat taming, fingering, masturbation, a table is pretty roughed up in this, so pls hold a brief moment of silence for it

Words: 12,857

“So, you just want me to read from the book?”

“Yes.”

“And...answer questions?”

“That’s what I said,” Shigaraki smirks, already reaching toward his bookshelf, tugging the heavy Intro to Biology text out and shifting it into his large hands.

You bite at your lip again and pass your gaze from his amused expression to the bland cover of the textbook, debating your next move, trying to walk yourself through all the ups and downs. It’s too simple; too easy. It’s not like him. He’s got something else in mind, why else would he fucking look like that? It’s not a bad look. No, it’s a look that makes your stomach flip and head spin.

“Stop being so suspicious,” Shigaraki scolds, drawing your wandering attention back to him. “I don’t bite, that is, unless you want me to.”

Notes: the title was selected because it’s got the word cum in it. ahhh, the things that crack me up. anyhow.

this is part of the BNHA Degeneracy server’s 9 to 5 collaboration! i had a ton of fun participating in this and thank you guys for making this so freaking awesome! special shoutout & thanks to @albinoburrito & @kugutsuu for their beta edits! this was a departure from what i usually write about and i appreciate all of your notes and help!

Practicum prac·ti·cum /ˈpraktəkəm/ noun a practical section of a course of study

It’s your senior year, they said. Live a little, they advised. Stop and take a breather, you’re practically home free! Take some easier classes. Focus on what’s in front of you, it’ll be over before you know it! On and on and on.

Spring semester is almost here. You’ve applied for graduation, the cap and gown ordered, and you have a shiny class ring sitting on your pinky. It’s in the bag. Just breeze through four more classes and you’re out. Well, it would be an easy shot, if you hadn’t put off this one class.

It always popped up, so it’s not like you could plead ignorance. Your advisor warned you, each quarterly meeting, that you needed to get it out of the way. Take it seriously, he cautioned, clacking out his notes, typing down that you’d failed to heed his sage advice, again. If you wait too long, you’re not going to get the professor that you want.

That was the other problem. You’re a procrastination superstar. If there was some kinda award for putting off assignments, you’d have won it ten times over. You liked the heart pounding race to the deadline, the sleepy boasts that you’d tackled the project within hours of its due date.

It’s a stupid habit. Every semester you promise yourself that you’ll do better. You won’t wait, you’ll tackle things one assignment at a time and turn them before the hard cut off at 11:59 pm. Who the fuck did you think you were kidding? Certainly not your friends, or your advisor. He could read you like a book. Hell, he’d even sent warnings.

‘Don’t forget about the deadline for senior registration!’

‘You don’t want to be on a waitlist. You especially don’t want to take one of the harder professors. These are freshman level classes, they’re designed to flunk undergrads. Don’t forget (Y/N), chew them up and spit them out tactics are employed.’

But you had. You’d set an alarm on your phone, then neglected to give it a title, so you’d only chuckled and smacked the chirping into silence that morning, snoozing the all important deadline away.

Fuck.

Most of the classes for biology are wait-listed. No, scratch that, all the classes for Intro to Genetic Biology are wait-listed. You opt into the waitlist for all of them, just in case, and a week later your phone alerts you that one has an open seat. Actually, it has several open seats, too many open seats to be natural. However, you’re not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so for now, you’re enrolled in BIO 1208: Principles of Cell and Organismal Physiology - For Non-Science majors.

Perfect.

Yeah, no. You’d looked up the professor, since the whole open seat thing was still giving you the heebie-jeebies, and your heart dropped. You’ve heard of him, most of the student body has. His classes are notoriously small. Not because the university limited them, or planned for smaller class sizes. No, his classes are tiny because he is infamous for failing students.

Most, when they realize they’re scheduled for his bio classes, frantically drop, taking the withdrawal and praying for better luck next semester. Others, brave souls who think they can come out unscathed, attempt to grit their teeth and push through. But, by midterms, they’re war torn and haggard, shaking their heads and praying for a ‘C’, at best. Fewer still, pass.

This pedagogy isn’t a sign of good teaching; quite the opposite, in fact. You don’t want your student body failing. Yet, year after year, Professor Tomura Shigaraki keeps teaching the same Intro to Bio class. It boggles the mind, but you’ve never had to worry about it. Well, until now.

When you’d received the notification that you’re enrolled in the B section and spied the name Shigaraki under the professor listing, you’d scarfed down your suddenly flavorless lunch and dashed up the steps to the student advising hall, praying there was some way you could wiggle your way out of this growing disaster.

“I’m pretty sure I told you to take it earlier and to take it in the fall when there are more freshman level classes available. I swear I said that to you. And, AND, I even sent you emails, several times if my sent inbox is to be believed, to NOT forget when senior registration ends.”

Your advisor is peeved. You don’t blame him. He’s right, this is your fault, but there’s gotta be some kinda loophole. Something, fuck, anything, that can pull you from this mess.

“I know, I know! I’m so sorry. You’re right. But, I mean, can’t I just hold off for another week? See if the waitlist clears?”

The man that you’ve known for four years, that’s seen you progress from freshman to senior, steeples his long fingers and purses his lips, likely debating on a tactful scolding, or a firm rebuttal. He takes a deep breath and you can’t help but sink into the soft cushioning of the chair, your nose wrinkled and brow furrowed, mentally preparing yourself for the worst.

“Do you know how many students we require to take BIO 1208?”

“No,” you gulp, nibbling on your lower lip nervously.

“Over 7,000. Do you want to hear the statistics that would need to shake out in your favor for you to miraculously avoid taking this specific class? Nothing is going to open for you, it is this class, or no class.”

You sigh, and your advisor nods, pushing his horn-rimmed glasses up his nose. “Well then, I suggest you brush up on your study skills. Find a classmate that you can compare notes with, join a study group, go to the student union and ask for a tutor. I would hate to see you back here for the summer semester. You’re scheduled to walk the stage this spring and you’ve worked hard for this, so don’t fuck it up, okay?”

You’ve attended this university for four years, but the first day of term always gives you the jitters. It doesn’t matter that you know your way around, or that you know ten professors by name, and bump into several friends on the way to your next building, you’re always buried in your phone, checking and double checking the next class’ room number.

Despite all that caution, you’re lost.

In your defense, it’s your first time stepping foot in the Graduate & Research building and the whole concrete block is a fucking maze. There must be a basement because the numbers don’t match up with the floors and they seem to jumble further every time you round a corner. Like what the hell? How can this next room be GR 3.03.05 when this is clearly only the second floor and GR 2.03.11 was right down that other hallway?

Exasperated, you lean against the nearest wall and tug your phone out again. Shit. Class started ten minutes ago.

Part of you wants to call it a day, end the search here and try again on Wednesday. Maybe take a few extra minutes to scout out the building next time and have some idea of where you’re going before the start of class.

Ugh, why is this so stressful?

It’s the first day of classes. Surely Professor Shigaraki won’t mind if you’re a few minutes late; besides, if you’re lost, others must be too.

You tuck your phone back into your pocket and resume the hunt. Two hallway turns later, you find your mark.

Your hand pauses beside the heavy wood, and you take a steadying breath. Again, why are you so nervous? Just go in and take a seat, it’s easy, stop freaking out over nothing.

The door groans open, hinges protesting the sharp push, and you stumble into a darkened room. The low glow of the projector doesn’t help your blurry vision. Ah, shit, it’s one of those older rooms, so it’s built like a bad movie theater. Oh well, better get to a seat before he spots you.

Swiftly, you make your way toward the raised steps of the aisle and the second row of chairs, plopping into the first one you reach that’s empty. You’re too busy fiddling with the zipper of your backpack to notice that the speaker has stopped his rasping preamble, but as you pull your laptop out the ominous weight of that heavy silence hits you and you toss a hooded stare toward the front of the lecture hall.

Immediately, your eyes land on the professor’s and you feel a low shiver shake up your spine.

He’s watching you.

The gleam of the overhead projector makes his red eyes flash, and he openly scowls at your gaping expression, his lips curling into a dark sneer.

“Well, thank you for joining us, Miss…?”

He’s waiting for your response and you squeak out your last name, mindlessly rubbing your moistening palms against your thin skirt.

“Ah, Ms. (L/N). Now that you’ve graced the class with your belated presence, may I continue?”

“Uh,” you gasp out, your mouth dry, tongue sticking to your teeth, “I’m sorry. I got–”

“I didn’t ask for an explanation, or in your case, an excuse. Or are you now attempting to disrupt this class purposefully?”

“Wha– I-I’m–” your words stumble to a halt, voice failing under the intense glare that he’s giving you. “No,” you finish lamely, ducking your head, nails digging into your sweaty palms.

“Thank you. Do me a favor, stay after class.” His voice is gravel, threatening and low. You don’t like the edge in his tone. It makes your skin prickle and your knees knock. He sounds like the kind of guy that you don’t want to run into in a dark alleyway, or a classroom, for that matter. Even so, it’s not your fault, and despite your feelings of unease, you can’t tamp down your need to protest his unreasonableness.

“But, professor, I didn’t mean to–”

“If I need to repeat my insistence for silence, I’ll make things easier on both of us and fail you now.”

Stunned and fuming, you bite your tongue and lean back into your chair, crossing your arms and blinking back mounting tears of frustration. Great, just great. It’s the first fucking day of class and it looks like you’re already on his shit list. And for what? For being late on fucking syllabus day! What an ass.

You look over at him as you defiantly finish setting up your computer, hoping each pull of a zipper or screen reboot will grate under his stuck up skin. He’s not inordinately tall, or old. In fact, he looks like he might only be in early 30s. He has long white hair that’s pulled back into a low ponytail and, from what you can make out in the dim lighting, some kinda skin condition on his forehead. That, or he’s prematurely wrinkled, and let’s be honest, if he’s gone through life with that big of a stick up his ass, he deserves each and every pull on that mottled skin of his.

You linger in your seat when class is over, lips pulled into a thin line and legs crossed. Finally, when the last student has left the room, professor Shigaraki flips a switch beside his elevated podium, filling the lecture hall with a sharp, fluorescent light. He pauses by his raised computer system and clicks off the overhead projector, blanketing the massive room in an uncomfortable silence.

“Since you missed the part of class where I go over the syllabus, I’ll give you a brief rundown. Under no circumstances will I tolerate tardiness. If you do it once more I’ll mark you absent and three absences knock you down a full letter grade.”

Glumly, you cross your arms and peer up at him, finally able to get a good look at his face. Your first observation was correct. His skin is sharper around his forehead, but his wavy white hair does a pretty decent job of covering up the imperfections. He has two scars: one nicks across his right eye and the other splits down his rough lips, parting the skin and granting him an even more foreboding appearance than his already gruff demeanor does. He’s dressed in a dark pair of jeans and he’s wearing a low slung v neck shirt. It’s a brilliant red and it brings out that otherworldly glint of his red eyes. Shit, you think bitterly, while he’s not conventionally handsome, he’s not exactly hard on the eyes either.

You shake your head against these unproductive musings and curtly snap out a clipped, ok.

“What was that?” Shigaraki scoffs, tilting his head at your sullen figure. “Speak up.”

“I said,” you bristle, eyes narrowing and chin lifting, “Okay, I apologize for interrupting your lecture, it won’t happen again. But, in my defense, if I’m allowed to do that in this class, I’ve never been in this building before, and it’s not like–”

“You’re a senior, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then you’ve had four years to figure out the layout of this university. The excuse of ‘being lost,’ isn’t an option for you. You know the buildings and you’re fully capable of turning up early to sort out the rooms.”

You let out a long sigh and look away, mumbling vague protests. This guy is ridiculous. You’re not a science major and it’s not your job to know the ins and outs of each building. How fucking stupid. Who does he think he–

“Speak up. I won’t ask you again.”

You bite your lip and look back at him but he’s moved in that distracted moment, silently stepping down from his raised platform and is now leaning over the first row of chairs, looming over you. You can’t help your sudden flinch as you sink further into your chair, away from him.

“If you’re gonna complain, Ms. (L/N), I’d much rather hear it. Don’t you think It’s rude for you to mutter under your breath about me? You don’t see me doing that to you.”

“Fine,” you blurt out, turning away from his insistent, and all too close, gaze. “I was saying that I’m not a science major. I get that I’m a senior, but you can’t seriously expect me to know every nook and cranny of this campus.”

“No, but I can ask for you to be a little more thoughtful. I put time and effort into my lessons and I won’t have you undermining them by bouncing in here with those legs and that flouncy little skirt.”

You’re about to counter his little haughty speech on politeness when you finally process that final comment he’d breathed out. Flabbergasted, you raise your head back to his, but he’s already moving away, snatching up his shoulder bag and waving you a curt goodbye as he presses open the squeaky door. “Next class is at 10 am sharp, so be on time Ms. (L/N).”

You’re still slumped in your seat when the door glides shut again, your eyes wide and jaw no doubt comically unhinged.

Wait. Did…did he really just say that?

Obviously, for the next class, you’re early. You’re so early that you’re the first one in the lecture hall. You select a seat toward the back and fiddle with your computer, checking your messages, adjusting your brightness, replying to old emails, anything to keep your head down and attention occupied.

The door opens and, despite your best efforts, your head flies up, expectant and tense, ready to meet those red eyes of his head on, to show him you’re here and he better… oh. It’s not him. It’s two chattering freshmen. One of them gives you a quick smile, but they both quickly take their seats, a few rows over, and continue their soft conversation, leaving you to fall back onto your earlier distraction tactics. You twiddle with your phone and shoot off a few texts, change your wallpaper, accidentally close an app you meant to leave open, and then the lecture hall door reopens.

He steps in slowly, completely ignoring you and the other scattered students, opting to sort out a few papers and set up his login on the school computer. The minutes tick by and you can’t seem to jerk your eyes away from him, suddenly fascinated by his languid movements. He looks more relaxed than he did on Monday, looser and fluid, completely in his element. True to his word, at ten am on the dot he begins class.

Professor Shigaraki has an interesting voice. It’s low, calculated, bordering on a rasp. It’s one of those tones that makes you want to lean forward and listen up, even though he’s only discussing cellular biology. Which isn’t exactly the sexiest topic for that shockingly dulcet timbre of his.

Wait. Sexy?

Your pen falters against your notebook, and your eyes drift up to his frame. He’s switched the lights off again and the shine of the overhead projector is the only illumination in the hall. His white hair gleams in the dim lighting and his long hands animatedly illustrate his points, elegant fingers opening and closing, gesticulating about the intricate nature of the human genome. You’re so focused on watching his movements that your elbow partner has to push the slip of paper onto your collapsible desktop. You blink at the sheet, your pen nearly clattering from your hand, and you twist to peer at the unfamiliar student beside you.

“It’s the attendance sheet and, um, I think you’re the last one,” they whisper, careful to lean away after they finish their explanation, not wanting to draw professor Shigaraki’s ire. You maneuver the paper under your pen and scribble down your name, biting your lip and silently berating yourself for your poor selection in seating. Great, now you’ll have to take the paper down to him after class. What if he talks with you again? Shit.

At 11:25, class ends. You collect your things and plod down the steps, the attendance sheet clutched between your fingers. He’s just snapping the projector light off when you reach his podium.

“I, uhh, have the attendance. You want me to just leave it here, or…”

“I’ll take it,” his hand is extended toward you and those red eyes are fixed on you now. It’s not the same disgruntled stare he’d given you on Monday. No, this look is a little more curious. Again, you’re taken aback by your reaction to him. He’s not even saying anything, just patiently waiting for you to deposit the sheet into his open palm, but there’s something about him that’s making your heart race.

Maybe it’s those eyes of his.

They are an unusual color and they have a strange intensity to them. Right as they narrow, the vermillion shining under the sharp lights; you press the paper to him and he pulls it from you, studying the names that are listed.

You want to say something. Maybe toss him a quick, friendly, goodbye. Or apologize for the other day? Ugh. What can you even say? ‘Gosh, so glad I was on time today! All that fascinating information about the genetic code! So glad to be here!’ No, that sounds stupid and a little patronizing. Besides, why do you want to talk with him at all? He’s an ass, remember?

“Did you need something?”

His question snaps you out of your stupor and you numbly shake your head at him, already lowering your gaze, but his exhaled chuckle makes you pause, your fingers curling around your backpack straps.

“I know I upset you the other day, but I appreciate you taking the effort to correct your mistake.”

“Oh,” you breathe, your eyes finding their way back to his. “Yeah, well, like you said, I’m a senior. Gotta take responsibility for myself someday.”

“Ah,” he smirks, that long scar on his lip quirking upward. “Seems like you’ve got some determination after all. You might be more interesting than I gave you credit for.”

“God,” you scoff, popping out a hip and crossing your arms at the bemused leer on his face. “Just come right out and say you think I’m a bad student, why don’t you?”

“Don’t worry,” he amends, tucking the attendance sheet into his shoulder bag and snapping the clasps closed. “There’s plenty of time for you to end up right back at square one with me.”

He’s already halfway out the door by the time you right yourself from the shock of his last comment and you follow him, a string of low curses falling from your lips.

The spring semester always flies by, and before you realize it, a full month has bled away. You’ve kept that same seat in Shigaraki’s class and at the end of each session you head down to his little platform, attendance sheet outstretched. Each day of class has a different ebb and flow. Sometimes he chats with you and it’s gotten easier to talk with him, both of your eyes holding and lingering, lips raised into calculating smiles. Sometimes it almost feels like he’s flirting with you. Other days he only spares you a curt nod, his white hair curtaining his expression from your curious gaze. You’re not bothered by these silences, not when you’ve got your secret weapon.

The days that you like best, the ones that you plan, sorting through your closet until you’ve found the perfect choice, are the days when you wear one of your skirts. You’d even gone on some skirt shopping sprees as of late. On those days he doesn’t just make some sort of fleeting eye contact with you, no, on those days he stares.

At first, you’d tested out your theory, staggering your outfits, careful to not screw up your suspicions with a hasty miscalculation, but as they say, the third time’s the charm. How did he expect you not to notice? He never bothers to hide those sharp ogles and recently you’ve made a point of dramatically gathering your things when you wear these cute little ensembles, bopping down the steps so his eyes have to work to follow the line of your hips and the long paths of your bare legs. One rainy afternoon you’d worn over the knee stockings, that came to an abrupt halt over the plush skin of your upper thigh, under your mini skirt and he’d practically leapt over the podium to grab the sheet from you, his eyes hooded and dark, almost wild.

“Test, on Friday,” he warns, eyes finally rising to meet your bemused expression. “Don’t stay out too late tonight.”

“What makes you say that?” you ask, brushing at a rogue fold in your skirt, luring him back to your legs.

He scoffs at you, that jagged scar arching into a smirk. “Humph. You’re dressed up. Most of the students just wear the sweats, or pjs, and call it a day.”

“I like to put a little effort in all that I do,” you retort, grinning up at his vermillion stare.

“Yes, so I’ve noticed. You certainly look the part…and you’re keeping up with the workload of this course.”

“Ahhh,” you crow, clapping your hands excitedly. “Are you saying I might get an ‘A’ in this class? Be the first time someone’s done that in a while, from what I’ve heard around campus.”

Shigaraki sneers and tuts out an inaudible reply, leaning a little closer to you, making you inadvertently fall back a step. “Don’t push your luck.”

“Awe,” you pout, crossing your arms over your chest. “I’m doing ok on all the quizzes and the classwork.”

“So far,” he taunts, his pearlescent hair falling over his broad shoulder.

“Tch. Don’t be like that. I’ve been studying.”

“Sometimes it takes more than that.”

“Oh?” you smile, raising your chin. “What else should I be doing, professor?”

“We’ll know that after Friday, won’t we?”

God.

You’d felt so confident when you’d turned in your test and that stupid, horrible, sexy little quirk of his lip scar that he sends you, when you’d handed him your papers, carries you on some strange, half aroused cloud all weekend. Maybe, just maybe, this class won’t be so bad after all.

The tests are handed back the following Friday, passed from row to row so everyone can fish out their papers and marked Scantrons. Yours, since you still occupy that final seat on the back row, is the last. Biting back a grin, you flip it over, so ready to see that A, that grade that you worked so fucking hard for, that… wait.

The gross flash of red across the top of your paper leaves you reeling, your breath catching against the back of your throat. It’s not a terrible grade, well, it wouldn’t be, but there are only three tests in this class, so it’s going to plummet you down to a B. One more fuck up will leave you with a C, or worse, an automatic failing grade.

No. No, no, no, no.

You can’t afford a bad grade, you honestly can’t even let yourself slip to a B. Your fucking cap and gown have just come in and with them that cord that you can wear around your neck at graduation. The one that marks you as honors cum laude. Fuck. You’re already pulling one B, in one of your other classes, because you’ve been focusing so much time and effort on this one. Another B will strip that cord from you, leaving you barren, with a less than ideal GPA.

God fucking damn it.

You glare up at Shigaraki, who’s busy taking the rest of the class through a review of genetic mutations, but you can’t hear him anymore, too incensed, too overwhelmed to even care about what he’s saying. The test crumples under your fingertips, the paper shaking in your hands, and you seethe, your teeth biting your lower lip to pieces.

It’s not fair. You’d paid attention. You’ve taken all the notes. Read all the chapters. Drilled and studied till your eyes had drooped, heavy with exhaustion. You’ve done it all right. Plus, he’d been so fucking flirty, so open with you. You’ve never chatted with a professor this way, never gone out of your way to wear clothes they like, that make them watch you, their eyes hungry pinpricks as you walk to them, mindful of the luscious sway of your hips.

No. Fuck him. Fuck this class.

Before your elbow classmate can leave, you ask for them to hand in the attendance sheet. You barely hear their response, too busy slamming your laptop into your backpack. As you storm past the podium, you can feel his eyes on you. The distant sensation of his gaze makes your flesh prickle, but you ignore your involuntary reaction and shove your way out the door.

“(Y/N), you can’t switch classes this late. It’s almost midterms. Besides, I don’t think anything has opened up and if you’re going to drop it, you’ve gotta get the signature of the professor,” your advisor tells you, blinking at your stony expression over his thick glasses. “I don’t get it. Why do you want to drop it? Your grades are alright and it’s just one test. You can always try–”

“Gimme the paperwork.”

Shigaraki’s office is on the top floor of the research building, tucked away down another winding and weaving hallway that once again requires your careful inspection to navigate. When you finally hit the right set of doors, you slowly make your way forward, counting the numbers up as you pass. His door is wide open, a yawning cavern that’s filled with the distant light of a lamp. You brush a hand down your skirt, smoothing away any wrinkles and steadying your nerves.

You’d tossed on the skirt this morning, before you’d gotten the grade, and you hadn’t thought to go home and change, too consumed by that simmering rage bubbling within you. And now, like this fucking class, this skirt felt like a mistake, something stupid and vapid that you wished you had time to change out of. He’d told you he liked your attire, liked that you put effort into your outfits. At the time, you’d been so thrilled and excited that he’d complimented you, but now you wish you were confronting him in baggy jeans or lazy sweats, anything that would turn that avid gaze of his away from you.

Lost in thought, you waver beside his open door, nibbling on your lips and tugging at your clothes. It’s now or never. No point in putting it off. What’s the worst that can happen? What can he do now? Or, a darker side of you whispers, what do you want him to do to you? What? That’s a stupid thought, you scold yourself, lifting a hand to the wall and rapping against the beige paint, announcing your presence.

When the sound fades away, swallowed up by the empty and darkened hallway, you poke your head around the corner, searching for him. His head is tilted quizzically, and he blinks twice when he spots you, that all too familiar smirk lifting his lips.

“Ah, Ms. (L/N), what can I do for you?”

His voice is softer than usual and your name sounds like honey, his tone resting on the syllables and consonants for a beat, almost as if he’s savoring their lift, their sound. You can’t help but swallow heavily at his appraisal. Suddenly this may be a terrible idea.

Ugh. Get a grip (Y/N).

“I-I need you to sign this withdrawal paperwork,” you finally reply, digging in your bag and tugging out the thin leaflet, holding it out to him. He’s silent after your demand, meditatively threading his fingers and peering up at you, his red eyes bright.

“Step inside and shut the door behind you,” he instructs, his gaze never falling from yours. Despite the simplicity of his request, you can’t help but bristle at his imperious tone. Why does he always have to sound like that? Like he’s seconds away from taking control of the situation, or of you? He’s always one stupid step ahead, and no doubt he’s going to try and talk you down. Or, he’ll sign it and say that he always knew you were a screw up, someone who only did things halfway, who could never match up to his lofty expectations. Humph, the sooner you’re outta here and out of his class, the better. So, you obey, closing the door and petulantly flopping into the unsteady chair that sits in front of his low desk.

He maintains that uneasy quiet, his red eyes whisking over your disgruntled face, waiting, watching. Unable to take this strange standoff, you push the university paperwork toward him, sliding it as close as you dare to his bent elbows. “I would like to withdraw from your class,” you repeat, lips setting into a thin line.

“Why?” he asks, cocking his head so his loose white hair falls a little further down his rough brow.

“Something came up.”

“Hmm, I can try to work with a new schedule, if it’s your job, or home life,” he counters, eyes narrowing as he sharpens his observations of your brittle expression.

“It’s not that,” you smart, crossing your arms. Great, he’s going to make this difficult.

“Then I suggest you tell me what’s on your mind,” Shigaraki replies, mirroring your movements and leaning back in his chair.

“I don’t think this class is working out for me.”

He exhales a soft laugh at your lie, and you watch that tiny mole at the edge of his chin lift in his quiet mirth. “This is a freshman level course and you’re a senior. You’re in my class because it’s likely the last pre-rec that you need to take before you graduate.”

“Um, yeah. But–”

“And now, you’re wanting to drop it because of one poor grade.”

You grind your teeth and fix him with a stark glower. “I–”

“There will be two other tests. If you read your syllabus, you’d know this.”

“I read the syllabus. Your tests are worth a stupid amount of points and it only takes one of them to tank my grade.”

“Frankly, you did better than most of the class. You only need to work on practical application. I said that the written portion would be a major component of the exam. I also provided you with a review and a rubric. So I’m not sure–”

“Your grade drops me to a ‘B’, and that ‘B’ pulls me from the honors list. And… well… I thought that…”

“Oh? What did you think?” he presses, his voice suddenly dropping to that lower octave it had drifted into when he said your last name.

“I thought I’d get a better grade,” you spit out, turning your head and biting at your lip again.

“Why?” he counters simply. His obtuseness is making your blood boil.

“What do you mean, why?” It takes all of your will to not slip a ‘jackass’ into that question.

“It’s not a hard thing to answer. I graded you fairly and according to my rubric. Why exactly do you feel you merit a different grade than the one you earned?”

You fall into a frustrated silence. You can hear your heart pounding against your ribs and you want to scream at him, to leap over his desk and shake him until his teeth fucking rattle. Your shoulders are rising and lowering disjointedly and his vermillion eyes are honed in on your face, shifting over your pinched expression with a distant interest. You can feel tears pricking at your eyes and you hastily rub a fist over them, brushing away any rogue drops of moisture.

“How can you ask me that? You think I didn’t notice you staring at my legs? Or that you always had something to say to me when I was wearing a skirt? What was I supposed to think, huh? I fucking thought shit like that was gonna help, ok? God, I’m so stupid. I can’t… fuck.”

Shigaraki arches forward when you finish, a deep sigh leaching through his parted lips. His teeth snap together when you look up at him, your eyes gaining back some of that earlier defiance, and he gives you a quick grin, clearly pleased by your shift in attitude and pushes your paper aside, fixing you with a dark look. “Here’s a thought, since you feel you’re so different, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you a chance to make up the score.”

“I don’t care about the score anymore. I wanna drop your class,” you snap, but it’s a halfhearted barb. Something has changed in his demeanor. He’s dropped the concerned professor act and is leaning so close you can hear his steady intakes of air. He’s only a few inches away; if you want, you could touch him.

“I doubt you want to attend a class in the summer. Besides, they won’t let you walk if you haven’t finished your freshman level courses. And you can’t tell me you don’t want to graduate, to earn that cord that lets you into the honor cum laude. So stop pouting and hear me out. I think you’ll like what I have in mind.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever like anything about you,” your voice is sharper than you mean it to be, but the challenge makes Shigaraki smile. As it crosses his cracked lips, it pulls that scar up and it makes those eyes of his glow. He looks like the cat that’s got the cream and you’re not sure how to respond, so you cross your legs and wait for him to make the next move.

“You sure about that? Well, I’ll have to change your tune then, won’t I? But that can wait, lemme tell you what my requirements are. I’ve got a copy of the textbook in here. I’ll have you review some of the major concepts, you’ll read the passages aloud so I’m sure you’re on the right track, you’ll hand the book back to me, and then I’ll verbally quiz you over the material. If you answer them correctly, I’ll bump you to an ‘A’ on your test.”

You have to actively work to keep your mouth closed. “So, you just want me to read from the book?”

“Yes.”

“And… answer questions?”

“That’s what I said,” Shigaraki smirks, already reaching toward his bookshelf, tugging the heavy Intro to Biology text out and shifting it into his large hands.

“Stop being so suspicious,” Shigaraki scolds, drawing your wandering attention back to him. “I don’t bite, that is, unless you want me to.”

Your eyes boggle and you have to clench your thighs tighter, your stomach churning, you feel light-headed and you can feel your core fluttering with your sudden arousal. “Wh-what did you just say?”

“Stop gaping at me like that, you’ll make me blush. Now come on.”

Your jaw snaps closed and you shake your head, trying to clear your mind from your whirling emotions. He takes this reaction as a surrender and stands, stepping toward a marred table that rests a little ways away from his desk. He licks his thumb pad and flips through a few pages before finally settling on an appealing section. Once he places it on the table, he twists back to you and crooks a finger your way. “Come here,” he orders, his voice deep and languid. Obediently, you rise on unsteady feet, hands tugging at the length of your skirt, careful to keep it pressed down as you walk toward him.

He makes space for you to stand in front of the book and shifts back, one hand resting on the table, propping him close to your bent figure. You look up at him, but he only nods his head toward the table, a wicked smile curling the corners of his lips. Blink a few times but finally, the words clear and you can see the block of text that’s in front of you. It’s passages on DNA encodes and RNA proteins, hefty stuff, things that you had to make flash cards for. This isn’t going to be easy. If anything, he’s picked some of the harder concepts, the ones that take steady knowledge in the foundations. Flustered, you look back to him, but he’s moved. He’s leaning against the wide window beside the table, a dark mark against the glass.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, a laugh bubbling in his tone.

“There’s no way…” you stammer, shaking your head at him.

“Want me to throw a curve in?”

“I should ask what kinda curve, but knowing you, it’s likely gonna be something terrible.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he rumbles, stepping away from the window and leaning close to your stiff form. “It just takes an open mind and some enthusiasm on your part.”

“Enthusiasm?” you question, trying your best to withstand his closeness. You can feel the heat radiating off of his broad shoulder and if you tilt a little nearer, you could graze against him, or feel his breath on your skin.

“You’re right,” he amends, his forearm contacting your side. You startle at the touch, a gasp falling from your lips, but you don’t pull away and you can’t stop staring up at him, your eyes wide. “Obedience is a better word. From here on out, whatever I tell you to do, I expect you to obey it, although it’s not exactly, ah, school approved.”

“You want me to suck you off or something?” you sneer, hoping to stumble him off his guard, even if it’s only for an instant. Too bad he’s always one step ahead.

“Don’t be vulgar. Think outside of the box, (Y/N). Do you think I’m going to go for something so short sighted when I could have you bending to my will? Obeying every little demand that I make? I’d much rather see if that skin of yours tastes as good as it looks, then simply have you on your knees. No, I want you to fucking scream for me while I stuff you full of my cock. But first, you need to put in some work. You should know that by now.”

Oxygen is suddenly very hard to come by and you can feel your mind hazing over as you stammer up at him, your mind flitting from word to word disjointedly. Shigaraki grants you a wolfish grin, and he dips his lips beside your ear, whispering over those tiny hairs that rest against your tender skin. “I’ll make this part easy. Nod and I’ll give you the first set of instructions.”

What did he say? Nod? What happens when you nod? Fuck, why are you letting him do this? Is your grade really worth it? Are you that desperate that… that…

Shigaraki is whispering other promises over you as you war with yourself, speaking his words gently, slowly, his breath hot as it fans over your neck. It’s like you’ve fallen under some kinda spell and before you realize it, your traitorous head is bobbing up and down, letting him know you want him to keep going.

“Perfect,” he sighs, his lips grazing over the shell of your ear, jerking a shiver from you. “Now, lean forward and put your hands against the table.”

You do as he says, but he’s not satisfied with your positioning, his fingers wrapping around your wrists and yanking you forward, jutting your ass out and pressing your chest down, maneuvering you until your nose is right above the pages of the textbook. “There we go,” he rasps, pulling away so he can admire your splayed form. “Hmm, your legs are too close together. Spread them.” Knees trembling, you obey, gasping when he runs a palm against the curve of your thighs.

“You’ve got such nice legs (Y/N), so let’s put them on display, shall we?” His fingers search against the top of your skirt and they still when he reaches his prize: the zipper. When he pulls it down, you let out a sharp squeak of protestation but he silences you with a swift pinch to your side.

“Now, now, don’t be like that. You nodded, remember? Besides, you could have left when I told you I’d give you a curve but you couldn’t help yourself could you? You want me to keep going and to do that, I need you to take this skirt off. No, don’t move. I’ll get rid of it for you. Why don’t you focus on the task at hand, hmm? Aren’t you supposed to be reading for me?”

You arch away from his fingers and he chuckles at your impudence, one large hand hooking under your chin and pulling you toward his face. His red eyes blaze as they find yours, the dark pupils threatening to swallow up that deep vermillion. “Let’s start with the second paragraph. If you do well, I might grant you a reprieve.”

Jerking your face from his grip, you twist back to the text, trying, and failing, to ignore his inquisitive fingers, unable to resist sighing as he works one up your inner thigh. He pauses when no words fall from your lips and you grumble out a few low curses before acquiescing to his silent demand.

“The flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to mRNA to protein is described by the Central Dogma, which states that genes specify the sequence of mRNAs, which specify the sequence of proteins. The decoding of one molecule… the… the… molecule… by spec-specific…”

He’s slipped your skirt down over the swell of your ass, but he’s taking his time, flexing out the front of the material and dipping his fingers over the bump of your lower stomach, kneading into the delicate flesh that’s stretched out for him. You can’t help the twitch of your spine and you involuntarily wiggle, palms slipping forward, dragging you further along the tabletop. Shigaraki chuckles above you, running his rough lips over the back of your neck.

“You’re so sensitive. I’ve barely touched you.”

He circles his hands back to your skirt and edges it along, lowering it sharply on one side and then giving the same treatment to the other. You’re doing your best to keep up with your stammering readings, but it’s difficult when he keeps sighing and running his long nails across your newly bared skin. Finally, he works the skirt down and it thumps against your bare ankles; the fabric tickling your skin.

Meanwhile, his other fingers skitter against the elastic band of your rapidly dampening panties. Once he hooks the lace under his hand, he yanks them along your legs, trailing them sinfully slowly, ensuring that they glide down the billow of your thighs. His teeth nip at your ear when you stumble to a halt in your recitation and your hands tense over the grains of wood beneath them, your nails pinching into your palms. “If you stop, I stop,” he warns, his head bumping against yours, his sharp nose pressing against your pulse.

“You’re not exactly making this easy,” you grumble, doing your best to ignore his renewed pets and strokes.

“Stop complaining,” he smirks, leaning away from your head to peer at your newly exposed flesh. “You better pay attention to what you’re reading or you’re not going to pass the questions I’ll be asking you.”

“Yeah, yeah, ow!” you squawk, whipping your head around to glare up at him. He fucking pinched you again! This time, he’d slipped his hand between your spread legs and tweaked your inner thigh, painfully.

“Read,” he repeats, running those guilty fingers upward, lingering beside the heat of your cunt, careful to not get too close. When you start on the next sentence, one of his hands tugs up the fabric of your shirt, snaking upward until he’s thumbing against the wire of your bra. Once again, you falter to a halt and exhale a wavering breath.

Goddamn it. This review is no review. You’ll be lucky if you can even recall what a cell is if he keeps this up. You hear his ominous intake of air and quickly resume your recitation, mumbling something about RNA and mRNA differences.

Wait. Didn’t you just…

“Looks like you’re having trouble listening to me. I told you to read aloud, not to repeat the same passages over and over.”

“Hey, at least I’ll have a firm grasp on those. You should ask me something about that s-section… ah–”

The hand that was resting under the cup of your bra has made its way underneath the lightly padded material, and his thumb and index fingers have trapped your peaked nipple between them. As soon as your snarky comment left your mouth, he’d twisted the bud, squeezing it until it throbbed.

“Pay attention,” he commands, shoving your bra upward, freeing the globes of your breasts and cupping both of his broad hands under them. Your abused nipple stings and the mixture of sharp pain and jarring arousal goes right through you, stoking that coil that pulsed within your core, and sending a tacky flush of your essence down your spread thighs.

The next few words are a struggle. The text keeps blurring and your breaths are coming in fast and heavy. Shigaraki is still feeling you up, keeping his lips close to your ears, rasping sharp commands to you and dealing out lightning fast rounds of pinches and squeezes each time you falter.

“I–I can’t… I don’t even know what I’m reading anymore,” you bemoan, your hips pressing against the edge of the table, legs trembling as you attempt to keep them apart. He’s deliberately ignoring your throbbing clit and a desperate edge is creeping into your voice.

“Are you always this whiny? Fine. I’ll give you a moment to read without any distractions.”

Thank God.

True to his word, he slips away from your back and you’re left shivering against his sudden absence. Despite your quaking, you’re determined to make the most of this chance and you quickly read out the paragraphs that are on the second page. As you ramble down to the last bit of text, you realize you can’t hear him anymore and when you finish the last sentence; you start to really wonder where he’s drifted off to. A tense silence follows your completion of the material and you arch up on the tips of your toes, jutting your ass out and stretching the stiffened muscles of your lower back.

“Didn’t say you could stop reading, and judging from all of your complaints, I don’t think you got some of those earlier concepts, so I’d suggest doing a quick review,” he taunts, the sudden rasp of his voice startling a low gasp from your lips.

He’s close; somewhere behind you and to the left from the sound of it. You try to twist around, your chest lifting from the table, and when he notices, his hands return, creating a rough pressure against your neck as he forces your body back down. His weight plasters you to the surface, scraping your partially exposed stomach and tender breasts over the nicked wood. Shigaraki is merciless in his swift correction, his breath puffing out angrily behind you. “Didn’t say you could move, either.”

Stunned, you freeze. Your arms are arched awkwardly, but he keeps his weight against you, flattening your breasts and forcing your back to arch into an awkward bend. Fuck, you think, how are you supposed to stay like this? Your legs are already aching and if he shifts away again, he’s likely going to expect you to maintain this absurd pose.

“Yes,” he groans, his voice catching against the word, “Good girl. Now, stay just like that.”

Damn it.

“Go on, read the first part again,” he instructs.

“The entire genetic content of a cell is known as its genome and the study of genomes is gen-genomics. In eukaryotic cells, but… but not in p-prokaryotes, DNA forms a complex with histone proteins… with histone proteins… sub-substance… of…”

His teeth have latched onto your neck, and he’s sucking bruises into your tender skin. He’s still pinning you to the table, but his hands are widening their explorations. He’s started dragging a fingernail across the puffy folds of your cunt, teasing against the dripping and swollen flesh, chuckling when you buck against his hold.

“You always seem to lose it when you get to cellular modulations.”

“I–I–It’s not… I can’t help that you keep…” you whimper, your fingers curling under your palms, head shaking back and forth. You can’t think. He’s not being fucking fair, and you can’t even string your goddamn words together. Shit. “Y-you’re not being fair,” you accuse, falling on the only thing that keeps running through your mind, your splayed feet shifting uncomfortably under you.

“Not fair? Not once did I say fairness would come into this arrangement,” he lifts himself off of your back and leans beside you, one arm planted beside your crooked elbow. His fingers trace over the curve of your ass, cupping at the thickest part of you and squeezing.

“But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get a little satisfaction out of this arrangement. I bet you look good when you cum. And you’ve been working so hard to get my attention these last few months. So careful to do what I tell you. Looking at me with those big eyes of yours, all wide eyed every time I catch you looking at me. And don’t even get me started on your lips. You’re lucky I didn’t fucking bend you over after class, especially when you started wearing all of those cute little skirts for me. Ahhh, don’t moan like that, I won’t be able to help myself if you do. Let’s see how you’re doing, shall we?”

Without warning, he slips his longest digit into your cunt, groaning loudly when he’s sucked into your welcoming heat. Your pussy, hungry for any kind of scrap, ripples around his intrusion, clamping and pulling, desperate for more.

“Fuck,” he groans, his weight falling against your shoulder. “You’re soaking.” His elegant digit pushes deeper and you roll your hips under him, urging him closer, sighing when he sinks to the last knuckle. As he pulls his finger back, he adds another, swiftly v-ing the two before curving them together as they slip back out, dragging a steady line of pleasure from your quivering cunt. Shigaraki whispers another round of awed praise against your ear, his voice dark and breathless.

A third digit is added on another trip out, and it creates a ragged sensation within you. It’s close to what you like, but he’s stretching you too far and it’s starting to hurt. He either needs to speed up, or give you a little more pressure. If you can hump your clit against the edge of the table, maybe it’ll give you the friction that you need. When you mindlessly buck your hips, your thighs threatening to lose that spread, he stops, holding his fingers inside you, laughing as you agitatedly try to shift him back into his earlier rhythm.

“So eager. I’d say you’re ready for my questions.”

“W-what?” you gasp, wholly focused on making him restart the push and pull of his fingers inside you.

“I’ll start you off with something easy. What’s the cell membrane?”

“W-what? The cell… ah–”

“Answer me. Now,” he grunts, leaning forward, re-steadying you as his fingers pull outward, dragging against your sensitive folds and schlicking through your arousal lewdly, loudly. You moan and your eyes roll back, completely ignoring his demand as you fall into the haze of pleasure that comes after his movements.

His free hand travels up your neck and he tangles his fingers into the tendrils of your hair, yanking and jerking at the strands, demanding your attention.

“I said, answer me.”

“Shigaraki–I–fuck. I can’t even… ugh… think right now!”

“Do you want the grade, or not?” he questions, his voice tense. “Answer correctly and I’ll give you what you want.”

“I–I don’t think I can,” you whine, pressing your hips back as he thrusts his fingers forward again, curving them upward, searching for the spongy pad of nerves that rest against the front of your pelvis.

“Oh? What happened to wanting that A? What about your graduation? You gonna let me fuck up your entire college career? I can do it, you know. I’ve done it to so many simpering freshmen. I fail kids left and right and you’re no different, (Y/N).

The university lets me ahh–there it is! God, you’re so fucking wet.

Where was I? The university can’t say no to me; they let me do what I want. I bring in too much money, too many tempting grants, and that’s all they really care about. So what’s it gonna be? Let me see that you can answer this basic crap and I’ll pass you. Or would you like for me to tie you down and force it outta you another way?”

He’s picked up the pace of his fingers as he rambles over you and a swift press against that newly discovered spot inside you has you falling to pieces in his hands, popping up onto your tiptoes and rutting yourself against the surface of the table. “O-ok, God, ok! Just–fucking repeat the goddamn question,” you pant, head slumping forward, forcing his fingers to tighten against your hair to hold you upright.

“What is the cell membrane?”

You wince your eyes closed, trying to rack your brain to focus on something other than the heavy pressure of the three fingers that are teasing their way across your dribbling pussy. He’s moving his presses with a lackadaisical, inconsistent rhythm now and it’s hard to fucking think. You can’t tell if his next thrust will be hard, or soft, or so rough that it’s bordering on that bittersweet line of pain.

You shake your head, doing your best to ignore the mounting pressure that he’s building inside you and the ache of your neck and legs. Finally, after another sharp tap against that secret bunch of nerves at the front of your cunt, you latch onto a vague remembrance.

“It… it’s a double layer of–of phospholipids that make a boundary between the cell and t-the surrounding… ugh… it controls the passage of materials.”

“Very good. Elaborate on the cellular wall.”

He’s unrelenting in his domineering treatment, twisting and frigging his fingers each time your breath hitches, and your arousal is leaking down your legs, making your skin stick and pull. It’s too much, you can’t! How can he even ask this? Words are falling from your lips incoherently, and all too soon you’re gasping out his name rather than reciting the answer.

“Cellular–oh, fuck, Shi–Shigaraki–Please, keep–don’t stop! S-Shigaraki, God that… feels… ah–keep going!”

He ignores your request and pulls his fingers away, robbing you of that sweet pressure that he’s so carefully mounted within you.

“I’ll count that one as incorrect. Your ‘A’ is swiftly becoming an ‘A’ minus, (Y/N)” he snarls, his teeth gritted, hands falling to the swell of your hips, wet fingers digging into your soft skin.

“What? No! You didn’t give me enough… e-enough time! How can–can you expect me to answer that qui-quickly!”

“Let’s try another.”

It hurts. That ache that he’s drawn out of you is starting to sting and throb and he’s being such a dick about it! You twist and grind under him, and he traps your disobedient hips against the rough siding of the table.

“I don’t–” you protest weakly, your legs trembling and chest heaving under his weight.

“Do you want this? Wouldn’t you like to pass this class? To graduate with honors?” he growls, leaning closer, his hands braced against you, his fingers no doubt leaving bruises on the supple crest of your hips.

“You’re such an ass! Yes! Fuck, please! I–I want it so fucking bad!” you cry out, your voice drifting into a sob as you croak out the last plea.

“Then answer another question. What’s diffusion?”

“D-diffu-diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an a-area of… of… fuck- of high concentration, to low concentration. Shigaraki!”

“I should count that as another miss, but you got the major concept correct.” He removes his fingers from your waist and yanks your ass toward him, keeping your overeager hips away from the fleeting relief of the sturdy table. “Pop your legs together,” he commands, one hand wrapping around your arched throat, squeezing until you obey. His other hand drops to that thatch of curls that rest between your quivering thighs and he gathers up your gossamer strands, rubbing against your clit for one hazy instant, sending a flash of spots across your vision.

“Mmm, now that’s a pretty sight. Good girl, don’t move,” he reminds you and you want to scream at him. Right before you can spit some frustrated vitriol out, he’s releasing your neck, his hands dropping from your skin and letting you fall back to the uneven surface below. Just before your chin contacts the wood, his hand is back in your hair, tugging you upward, holding you a few inches above the table. The sharp pain makes your scalp tingle and you unconsciously rut against the tempting heat that’s now plastered to your ass. He’s hard. You can feel the stiff bulge of his cock straining against the front of his dark jeans, pressing into the cleft of your posterior.

“T-that’ can’t be comfortable,” you pant, twisting your head so you can look up at him from the curve of your shoulder.

“Oh? You worried about my cock?” he asks, his red eyes flashing down at you challengingly. You don’t bother giving him a verbal response, opting instead to grind your ass up, catching against the jut of his length, earning yourself a low groan. His lips curl when you repeat the motion and you realize you love watching that smug face of his drift into a look of tense pleasure. It makes his scar on his lip flush and those red eyes of his fall to a lazy half mast. He spies your arched brow and pleased grin and pushes himself off of you, leaving you alone and open on the table.

“Keep pushing your luck. I’m more than happy to drop you back to a B.”

“What?” you scoff, teeth clinking together as you clench your jaw. “I didn’t move!”

“No, but you’re trying to take control of this and we can’t have that can we?” Shigaraki sneers. “Now, how shall I punish you?”

“P-punish me?” you stammer, a chill racing down your spine.

“Ah, I know. This’ll really piss you off,” he twists from your strained gaze and walks back toward his desk. What? What the fuck does he mean? You can’t see him from this angle, not with the way your legs are stretched and back is lowered, but it doesn’t stop you from trying, your chin lifting upwards as you do your best to keep him in focus.

Ugh. It’s no use. He’s slipped past your field of vision.

Hearing is likely your best bet, so you shift your forehead back to the table and listen, straining your ears to pick up any morsel. Something opens and closes and you catch the sound of the wheels of his chair as they shift, squeaking across the floor, and the groaning of the springs when his weight is applied to the cheap leather.

Okay, so he’s in his chair. Is he just gonna look at you? That’s not… wait…

There’s a faint clicking sound.

It’s both familiar and unfamiliar to your ears, but once the teeth slide over the last pull, you realize. It’s a zipper.

Oh fuck. Is he going to jerk himself off? With a gasp, your head whips back around. He’s still positioned himself away from you, and you can only just make out the sounds that are accompanying the undoubted rise and fall of his fist. All you can see is a tiny sliver of his body, but you catch sight of the coiling muscles on his neck and you notice that his head is dipped forward, pearl white hair settling across the cut of his collarbone. The one red eye that meets yours is blazing and hungry, it makes every hair on the back of your neck stand up.

God, he’s staring at you, watching you, getting himself off as you’re half naked and bent over a desk in his office, fully subjugating yourself to his whims and fancies for the sake of your grade.

Damn it, (Y/N). This should not be a fucking turn on. You should be disgusted, but the flush of slick that drips down your thigh says otherwise.

He lets out a choked moan, picking up the pace of his hand, letting you hear the click and slip of his palm as it strokes up and down his cock. A shiver echoes up your spine and your hips seem to have a mind of their own, grinding your clenched thighs over the dip of the table, easing the clenching pulsations that your cunt is shuddering through you.

“Look at you, so desperate for my touch that you’re humping the fucking table. Such a dirty girl, and so disobedient. You’ve only answered a few of my questions correctly and yet your slutty little mouth and body keep pushing at me. Making me put you in your place. Let me ask you something, why should I go out of my way to fix your grade when you can’t even prove to me you understand the simplest concepts?

Ah, here’s a thought. What if I told you I’ll wave the other requirements; no more readings, no more quizzes, but I won’t let you cum? What if I just get myself off? You’re putting on a such a good show for me! Why should I bother with seeing that you’re satisfied when that table seems to do the job for you? Sound good? Or would you like for me to come back over there and make you cum?”

“I–I don’t… I don’t want…” You can’t get the words out, your tongue feels leaden between your lips and you can’t think of anything but the steady itch that’s spreading from your clit.

“Speak up,” Shigaraki demands, slowing his jerking fingers. The chair he’s sitting in groans as he leans forward, and his eyes wide as they take in the delicious sight that’s propped before him. “You don’t want to cum? Is that it? You’d like for me to get myself off and leave you there?”

“No!” you cry out, your fingers digging into the scuffed wood of the table. “I-I want you to make me cum.”

There’s a sharp clatter and you jump at the abrupt noise. It must be the chair you think, your heart pounding against your chest, waiting for Shigaraki’s next move. He only lets a few seconds drift by before he presses himself back to you. He leans his broad chest over your back, the front of his legs pushing against the back of yours. His exposed length is wedged firmly against the cleft of your ass and its tempting hardness makes you squirm under him, but he’s propelling you forward, pinning you against the rough wood, and you can only flail uselessly under his control. His lips skim over your neck and he bites into your skin, sucking and licking bruises as he inches closer to your pulse.

You say his name pitifully, wantonly, and he lets out a shaky gasp. Something about your tone has shifted something within him and you can feel his cock swelling, dripping a rope of wet pre-cum down your shaking leg.

He leans away, removing his sticky hardness from your ass. “Seems your priorities have shifted. You’re a little preoccupied right now, aren’t you?” he asks, his voice gravel scraping against your overwhelmed senses. You let out a weak moan and he snaps into action, his fingers pushing under your flattened stomach and tugging against the fabric that he finds. He yanks you upward, pulling your shirt up as he goes. His palms dip under your half lifted bra, and he cups at your breasts, massaging the rounded bulbs and plucking at your peaked nipples. Your head lolls back, and he sucks at your earlobe again, his breath warm and rasping as it passes by.

“Hold still,” he commands.

It’s not an easy position, this stretched upward arch that he’s forced you into, but it’s worth it when you feel his cock pushing between your tensed legs. He doesn’t thrust into you, opting to run his weeping tip against your slippery folds, pressing until his bulbous head is twitching against your pulsing clit.

Goddamn it, you think as he stills, his lips smacking open-mouthed kisses over your shoulder, it’s not enough. You wiggle your hips back and forth and he abruptly exerts a firm pressure against your windpipe, leaving you sputtering and gasping. “What’s wrong? Not happy with this? Do you think you deserve something more? Do you think you’ve earned that?” He shoves you back against the surface of the table, his broad chest following the plane of your back, trapping you under his heavy form.

You’d replied, you know you must have, but you can’t hear yourself anymore, your attention attuned to the warm length that’s pressed against your shuddering folds. You’d likely thrown in a please for good measure because Shigaraki rewards you with a quick peck to your shivering neck and his thumb, swirling it around your clit, creating a cresting ache that leaves you mumbling incoherently, a thin line of drool slipping from your parted lips. As he keeps that faint osculation up, your fingernails scrape over the wood of the table, your feet lifting you onto your toes, curving your back, and shoving your leaking pussy into his open palm.

“Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” Shigaraki says, a breathy desperation lingering around the edges of his rasping voice. “But it’s just not enough, right?”

You nod, licking up some of the excess saliva that’s built under your heavy tongue and crane your head back at him. His eyes are the first thing you see. They’re wild, ravenous and glinting with a roughness that makes you whisper out a soft whine. Fuck. It’s not supposed to be like this. You’re not supposed to want him this badly. Goddamn it. Now that he’s caught your gaze, he won’t let you look away, and he presses himself closer, his cock twitching and warm, the tip rubbing back and forth, keeping time with his circling thumb.

“You gonna fuck me, or not?” you finally ask, unsticking your lips and smirking up at his hardened face.

“Tch. Don’t rush me,” he grumbles, removing his hand and teasing cock from your cunt, watching as your body convulses under him, your pussy quivering against the excess stimulation that he’s wrought over you. Your thighs burn, aching to break free from his control, to rub against that throb, that tingling that keeps shuddering outward.

“One more question,” he tells you, lifting his dripping thumb to his lips and sucking off the traces of your arousal. The sight of him licking his pink tongue over his gleaming knuckles almost makes you lose your balance, your arms shaking precariously under you.

“A-another? Come on,” you pout, your eyes following the curve of his wicked lips, watching as his scar quirks upward, amused by your useless defiance.

“Make you a deal, answer it correctly and I’ll give you my cock. Sound fair?”

“Ugh, whatever, just hurry up,” you snap, so impatient and turned on that you can hardly think.

The tip of his cock presses against your sopping entrance, pushing forward just enough to part your dripping folds but stopping before he clears that first, tight ring of flesh. The promise of his dribbling tip makes you lose any semblance of self-control. You thrash under him, but he traps your disobedient hips against the rough siding of the table.

“No! Don’t stop! Come on Sh-Shigaraki–Don’t be such a fucking–ah–”

“Do you want this? Do you want my cock?” he growls, leaning over you, his fingers squeezing down, no doubt leaving bruises in the supple crest of your hips.

“Yes! Fuck, please! I–I want it so fucking bad!” you cry out, your voice drifting into a sob as you croak out the last plea.

“Then you better answer. What are cytosines?”

“They… they’re n-nitrogenous base… fuck… base that pair… that pair with guanine during D-DNA replication… I–please, please, Shigaraki! Fuck me! I want your cock! Fuck me, fuck me!”

Thankfully, he either takes pity on you, or can’t control himself anymore, his hips surging forward, gliding his thick length into your cunt and snarling at the mind numbing heat that waits for him. He keeps driving upward until he bottoms out, sharp hipbones grinding against the plushness of your ass.

He’s not gentle with you, no he’s animalistic and raw, his thrusts papping into you with a terrifying strength. You would have liked something slower, something that lets you enjoy each imperfection and dip that raced along his cock, but this, oh, this is an exception because this is perfect. It’s not what you want, but it is what you need.

The heavy fullness that he’s stuffing you with leaves you breathless, but you somehow manage to gasp out a string of nonsensical praises each time he drives back into you, overwrought by his roughness.

This coupling isn’t kind, isn’t right, and is not healthy, for either of you. No, not with the way he’s using your shivering body, distracted with slacking that euphoric thrum that’s making his cock pulse and swell inside you.

But fuck it feels good and you can’t help but tremble with delight. These intoxicating thrusts of his ram him up against something that’s buried deep inside you, and each time he hits it another star of bright pleasure races through you. The familiar coiling of release is steadily mounting with each rapid fire rut he gives you and if he could just, ah, there’s something that’s… no, fuck, it’s, it’s not going to work. It feels good, but it’s missing one vital ingredient, one thing that he’s neglected to pay attention to, to notice.

Your clit needs to be tweaked and rolled, and right now it’s pulsing away against the table, beating a sad tattoo into the grainy wood. Oh well, you think, head fuzzy, lost in the euphoria of his powerful cants, grinding your ass into his hips as he digs into another teeth chattering thrust. He’ll likely finish soon, and you’ll probably need to get yourself off later. It’s not something new, and it’s not like he’s going to care enough to focus on that, on you. This whole thing has been about control, so there’s likely no room for your own pleasure.

“What’s wrong,” he gasps out, his fingers lifting from your hips to curl beside your turned head.

“What? N-nothing–I–” you pant, eyes rolling back as he hits that spongy patch of nerves again.

“Tch. Hold on,” he interrupts, his voice rasping and breathy. He pulls himself out of you with a grunt and yanks you upward, hauling you onto the tabletop and flipping you on your back, bending your stiffened legs and bracing your knees against his lean forearms.

He holds you apart, spreading you open with his powerful hands. You can see him properly now, and the sight makes your breath catch against the back of your throat. Fuck, he looks good.

His long white hair is draped across his bare shoulders and his eyes are blazing pits of hunger, devouring the sight of you with those red irises. His jaw is clenched, and he glares down at you from his imperious height, his nostrils flaring as he drags in a quick intake of air. To your shock, he gives you a little time to acclimate to this new position, opting to languidly step forward, letting his slippery cock head press and tease at the dip of your opening. But right when you think he’ll move again, he stops, his eyes roving over the lines of your face.

His sudden stillness makes you peer quizzically up at him and you scoot closer, your feet lifting from the table. The movement snaps him out of his stupor and he grabs your ankles, roughly pinning you back down.

“Keep still,” he snarls through clenched teeth, that scar of his lifting.

You nod mutely and he rewards your unquestioning obedience with another powerful thrust, sinking his swollen cock back into your waiting cunt. He lets out a sharp groan and grabs at your hips, jerking you forward, already drifting back into that all-consuming rhythm he’d started earlier. His ruts are a little slower from this angle but, in no time at all, that familiar ache pools in your core, stoking and building at an alarming rate. The driving force of his hips soon has you blinking back spots and distant stars, and this time he adds the all important pressure of his thumb, circling the finger pad over your clit and dragging a broken moan from your quivering lips.

“So that’s what you needed. You close?” he grits out, his lips set in a curled scowl. He’s lost some of that early control, his hips stuttering as they connect with yours, his power lessening, cooling, as he looks for your release.

“I–I think–oh fuck, do that again. Yes! Just–ah!”

He angles your hips upward and gives your clit another quick oscillation, pressing down until you’re gasping. “There you go. That felt good. You’re getting tighter,” he laughs, looming over you, shoving your heaving chest downward as he jerks your hips into him, forcing your body to do most of the motion, making your shoulder blades scrape across the uneven wood. “Cum for me. Fucking cum on my cock, (Y/N). Cum and I’ll give you your A, I’ll give you whatever the fuck you want.”

Your spine arches as you break around him, your cunt greedily pulling him deeper, slipping him past the barrier of your tender cervix and earning you a weak shout of praise from Shigaraki. Seconds later, he’s pulsing and twitching against your walls, the warm pooling of his cum filling you up and spilling down your spread thighs.

His head drops to your shoulder and the rough skin of his forehead sticks to your sweat dampened flesh. For a long moment you’re both still, each of you struggling to catch your breath, luxuriating in the tingling sensation of release.

“I fucking hate you, you know,” you gasp out, your arms circling his back, fingertips etching vague patterns over his neck and shoulders.

“Ha,” he snorts, “I’ll have to remember that. Don’t worry (Y/N), I’ll pay you back for that little remark next time.”

“Oh? Next time?” you chuckle, moaning as he twists out of your hold and pulls his softening length out of you.

“I’ll fail you on every assignment if you try to keep away,” he threatens, his eyes falling to the gaping mess that he’s left behind. You cross your legs, denying him the satisfaction of leering at your dripping pussy.

“Fine. But next time, fuck me on something softer than a damn table.”

tags: @spicy-skull, @xwildskullx, @yixxes, @ghstmthr, @rekoii, @diaouranask, @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love, @libiraki <--- i’m coming for you. you’re gonna have to read for this, lady. so, uh, i’m officially noneconing you here.

notes: you made it! this thing is a monster & i’m so sorry i can never stfu

#shigaraki tomura #tomura shigaraki #reader insert #shigaraki x y/n #shigaraki x you #shigaraki x reader #bnha smut #9 to 5 collab #bnha degeneracy server #collaboration #tw: unhealthy relationship #tw: teacher/student #tw: dubcon #tw: bribery

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eretzyisrael · 3 years ago

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Until recently, the hard sciences proved impregnable to political propaganda and to Soviet-style boycotts and censorship. Not anymore.Op-ed.

From college campuses to medical and mental health professionals, people whose careers are rooted in inquiry and fact are falling over each other to condemn Israel for last month's defensive war against Hamas – and in dreadfully uniform language.

I don't know how to stop the lies about Israeli "massacres" when that lie has now been amplified by professors at so many universities, by the media, by students, as well as in medical and scientific journals.

Physicians, both clinicians and scientific researchers, have also become politicized. According to a surgeon-friend: "I had to quit my women physician Facebook group because of rabid antisemitism in the guise of pro-Palestinian humanism. We formed a separate group called 'physicians against antisemitism that quickly got 1,500 members."'

According to Michael Vanyukov, a geneticist and a professor of pharmaceutical sciences, psychiatry, and human genetics at the University of Pittsburgh:

"I left the totalitarian anti-Semitic Soviet Union 30 years ago...little did I know that the scientific society I would soon join in the United States—Behavior Genetics Association (BGA)...would bring back memories of my old unlamented country. I recently learned that the company's executive committee expressed support for BLM. I was shocked. Not only does BGA have no business getting engaged in partisan politics but the BLM attacks on Jewish institutions were not random...unsurprisingly, the BLM leaders also describe themselves as 'trained Marxists.' Endorsing BLM – a racist Jew-hating group – returns genetics to its ugly history page of ignorance."

To his enormous credit, Vanyukov resigned. Makes perfect sense. We are undergoing the most profound degradation of both experts and of expertise.

For example, in 2010, The Lancet, once a premier journal of medicine, blamed Israel for the alleged increase of "wife beating" in Gaza.

These researchers failed to disclose that their study was funded by the Palestinian National Authority and their data was collected by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Further, they establish no baseline comparison with domestic violence in Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, countries which are not occupied by Israel or the West.

And amid the latest conflict, it published a letter May 19 from Issam Awadallah, of the "Shifa Medical Complex, in Gaza, Palestine." He claims that "this open-air enclave has been under siege for the past 14 years which has left the health system jeopardized by limited resources, failing equipment, and many essential drugs in dangerously low supply."

Blaming Israel for this state of affairs, when fortunes of money are given to Gaza only to disappear into attack tunnel infrastructure while Israel allows all medical imports, is unbalanced and untrue. Every failing in Gaza's infrastructure is due to the Hamas leadership, which has spent 14 years prioritizing its desire to kill Israeli civilians above the basic needs of Palestinian Arabs.

Awadallah repeats Hamas propaganda, including early, inaccurate, and out-of-context Palestinian casualty counts, including children.

The Lancet's role providing a platform for anti-Israel politics is not new. Some Lancet researchers fail to disclose that their funding comes from pro-Palestinian groups, such as Medical Aid for Palestinians and the pro-Palestinian Norwegian Aid Committee, organizations that are hostile to Israel.

What's newsworthy is that, despite pointed rebuttals by the president of the Israel Medical Association and other leading scientists – the Lancet's bias has persisted. Its allegedly "medical" and "scientific" articles routinely cite false information and in a way that conforms to the Hamas-created "lethal narrative" that's been adopted by the Western media.

Even when Lancet's authors are dealing with strictly medical issues in Gaza, they still refer, at least once, to the "oPt," aka, "occupied Palestinian territory" – and this remained true even after Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza.

After publishing an article that condemns Israel-only for suffering in Gaza, The Lancet then goes on to publish an equal number of letters which support and oppose said article. The pro-fact articles have often been published after a struggle and a delay.

What can we say about the once reliable Scientific American, which has now published an article which focuses solely on the "raging mental health crisis," but only in Gaza – not in Israel?

The article, written by psychiatrist Yasser Abu Jamei, the director of the Gaza Community Mental Health program, is accompanied by a photo of people amidst rubble, together with civil defense workers, in the "aftermath of an Israeli bombing raid." Abu Jamei refers to post traumatic stress symptomatology among Palestinian children as a result of Israel's "11-day offensive on the people of the Gaza Strip."

Abu Jamei does not mention the number of casualties and trauma created when hundreds of Hamas rockets fell short and landed on top of Gazans. He has not a word for the mental health issues in Israel due to Hamas's shelling (approximately 20,000 rockets since 2004) of Israeli cities, especially in southern Israel. Abu Jamei cites Gazan "children with poor concentration," "bed-wetting," "irritability," and "night terrors." (We know this is true for the children of southern Israel.)

Amazingly, Abu Jamei cites similarly inaccurate figures just as The Lancet did: "At least 242 people were killed in Gaza including 66 children, 38 women (four pregnant), and 17 elderly people." Not a single terrorist-combatant among them! Further, Abu Jamei saw "six hospitals and 11 clinics (that were) damaged." Not a word about whether Hamas had offices or stored weapons there. Not a word about Hamas's refusal to protect its civilians or its penchant for using them as human shields merely for propaganda purposes. In fact, Hamas is not mentioned at all.

But Hamas chief Yahya al-Sinwar admitted that his terrorist organization embedded its command centers and rocket launchers within civilian structures. It, he acknowledged, is "problematic." And as the names of the dead emerge, we find out a significant proportion of them were Hamas fighters. Hamas said it lost 80 fighters. Israel estimates the number as more than 100.

The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), in a striking moment of candor, said Israel's bombings in Gaza were "precise."

For acknowledging this reality, Matthias Schmale had to apologize and was removed from his assignment.

On campus, meanwhile, a wing of the union representing "25,000 faculty and staff at City University of New York" voted last week to "condemn the massacre of Palestinians by the Israeli state" and demand the school "divest from all companies that aid in Israeli colonization, occupation, and war crimes." At Princeton University, dozens of students, faculty, staff and alumni signed onto an "Open Letter in Support for Palestine."

The poisoned propaganda trickles down to public grade and high school teachers. For example, the Los Angeles Teachers Union hopes to vote on a resolution in September that would "urge the U.S. government to end all aid to Israel. As public school educators in the United States have a special responsibility to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people... because of the $3.8 billion annually that the U.S. government gives to Israel, thus directly using our tax dollars to fund apartheid and war crimes."

Quite ironically, the Los Angeles Board of Education has just made a $30 million deal with Apple to distribute iPads to its students. Yet, a major supplier is using "forced labor from thousands of Uighur (Muslim) workers to make parts for Apple products." Those Uighurs also are subject to torture and held in internment camps where they are "indoctrinated to disavow Islam" by the Chinese government, a new Amnesty International report finds.

No boycott of China is proposed by the union.

The San Francisco teachers union has already called for "essentially the same actions" targeting Israel.

More than 20 years ago, a handful of us saw the tsunami of anti-Israel propaganda coming our way.

We were not heard. Actually, we were heard, and therefore, we were defamed, mocked, censored, and forced to publish in ever-smaller venues, knocked out of the mainstream media. Some of us were fired from our academic jobs.

And now the tsunami is upon us. The incoming president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility of the American Psychological Association is Lara Sheehi. She specializes in "decolonization" and, although she is not an expert in Middle East history, geography, or religion, describes herself as strongly pro-Palestine.

As usual, the propaganda has swiftly unleashed mini-pogroms and major pogroms against Jews around the world. In the diaspora, civilian Jews have no IDF to defend them.

Kathryn Wolf published an article in Tablet in which she eloquently described her "screams" about antisemitism in Durham, N.C. falling "on deaf ears." She concludes, correctly:

"If I have learned anything, it is this: The cavalry is not coming. We are the cavalry."

Phyllis Chesler is an Emerita Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY), and the author of 20 books, including Women and Madness, and A Family Conspiracy: Honor Killings. She is a Senior IPT Fellow, and a Fellow at MEF and ISGAP.

#Israel #Op-Ed #Phyllis Chesler #Medicine #Science #Propaganda #Antisemitism

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izaswritings · 5 years ago

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Fic prompt: Jnr homeschooling Oscar (p.s: He’s bad at math)

AO3 Link is Here!

The sun is low in the sky beyond the Atlas horizon, burning the icy tundra a bright and burning gold. Beyond their dorm window, the wind howls and rattles at the glass, like a long and mournful scream as it snakes its way through Atlas Academy’s towers. Inside, however, is warm and cozy; they’ve piled all the blankets on the floor, made something of a fort to sit comfortably. Oscar wraps one duvet around his shoulders and leans back against the wall, watching bemusedly as Nora darts back and forth around their small room, throwing books and pillows at Jaune and Ren intermittently.

He has no idea what’s going on, but Oscar is sure he’ll find out eventually. He’d come back from today’s training to find all their blankets already on the floor, and Nora creating a whirlwind of pillows, and at this point he’s just content to watch the chaos. On the bright side, Jane and Ren look just as confused as he is, so at least they can all be baffled together.

At last, the blanket amalgamation is complete: Nora takes one last book off the shelf and slams down cross-legged on her pile of blankets, grinning wide. She spreads out her arms. “Ta-da!”

Oscar claps politely. Jaune tugs a blanket off his head and says, “Nora. Please. Please tell me what this is.”

“Blanket fort school session!” Nora lifts a finger. “Because I refuse to do this the boring way.”

“Do what?”

Oscar blinks at her. Understanding clicks. “Is this about the tutoring thing?” he asks, suspicious. Ironwood had mentioned something like this a few days back, after one particular conversation about Oscar’s farm education—and he’d asked team JNR to do it. Oscar has been trying his best not to be annoyed about it ever since. As far as he’s concerned, his schooling is fine, and he’s not sure how he feels about the General’s dismissal of his Aunt’s teachings.

“Nooooooooooooo,” says Nora, utterly unconvincing.

“It’s about the tutoring thing,” Ren admits at the same time. Jaune, beside him, shrugs.

“Blanket fort was all Nora’s idea, though,” Jaune mutters, and gives Nora an exasperated look. “I mean. Really?”

“If we must do school, I refuse to let it be boring!”

“I mean, I guess that makes sense…?”

Oscar shakes his head, biting back a sigh. “Look, um, I appreciate this, but…” He winces, pulling a face, and shrugs one shoulder. “I don’t need tutoring. I mean, maybe I had a few years left in homeschool, but my aunt’s already taught me everything I really need to know.” They’re staring at him. Oscar rubs at the back of his neck, embarrassed. “So… um.”

Nora is immediately aghast. She gestures again to the blanket fort, almost pleading, and when Oscar shakes his head, she slumps. “What! Really?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Jaune almost seems disappointed. “So no calculus?” He sighs. “But I actually like calculus! It was the one subject I was really good at…”

Nora's eyes snap to him and narrow in challenge. “Political science is way better,” she says, sagely.

“Hm. I’ve always preferred Home Economics, myself.”

“You can’t take classes in Home Ec anymore, Ren—”

Oscar blanks, mind still stuck on a few moments ago. His hand slowly falls from his hair. “Uh… calculus?”

The others cut off mid-discussion, looking back. “You know, like fn equals x equals…” Nora trails off at the look on his face. Her hands fall. “Waitaminute. You said you were done with schooling!”

Oscar thinks about this. He holds a hand. “Lemme see.”

All three of them lean in as Oscar cracks open the calculus book, looking down at glossy pages full of equations and numbers and rules. Oscar looks at the book. Team JNR looks at him. Oscar leans down closer to the book, frowning deeply. Team JNR is now leaning so far forward to stare that they’re half an inch away from all unbalancing and falling forward into an accidental dog pile.

Oscar looks up. “Oh,” he says. “This isn’t math.”

Nora falls right back on the ground. Jaune leans back the normal, non-dramatic way, and scratches at his head. “No,” he says. “This is, uh… pretty sure calculus is also math.”

Oscar frowns down at it. “But there are words in the equation…”

“Yeah, those are the… no, seriously, have you never seen calculus?”

“But I know my Aunt said—” Oscar tilts his head. “Hm. Hey, what do you use calculus for, anyway?”

“Lots of things,” Ren says, looking a bit bemused by the conversation. “Chemistry, science, equations…”

“Oh,” Oscar says. He’s quiet again, thoughtful. In the back of his mind, echoes of memories that aren’t quite his own whisper and resonate— images of a silver cane, clockwork and gears and oil, pencil dust staining their fingertips gray, circles and equations scrawled in neat hands across the paper. Oscar takes them in— and then firmly shakes the echoes away. “What about probabilities?”

“No, that’s statistics.”

“Oh, I know that one then. Good for crop estimations.” Oscar reaches out—and slowly, carefully, closes the textbook. “I… don’t need calculus.”

“I,” says Jaune.

“Um,” says Ren.

“Hell yeah, stick it to the man!” says Nora, and she takes the textbook and throws it at the bookshelf with a grin that takes up half her face.

Oscar shrugs at the looks Jaune and Ren are giving him. “What? I don’t plan on doing chemistry or lab work anytime soon, and if I only need stats for the farm, then…”

“You can’t just ignore a whole discipline of math!” Jaune argues, looking offended.

Ren, on the other hand, seems almost thoughtful. “What were those farm terms you mentioned before… Oscar. What’s a bushel of wheat?”

“What? You mean, in weight? About 60 pounds per bushel.”

“Barley?”

“Um… maybe 48 pounds per bushel?”

“And when you sell them…”

“Well, um, no, it’s not that simple, you need a—” Oscar pauses, brow furrowing, unsure how to explain it. “Like, for durum! It has to have a certain grade to be sold for a certain thing, right? And for durum, the grade is figured using HVK—”

“What,” says Jaune, blankly.

“��hard vitreous kernels, it’s like— a percent measure of hardness, I guess? So we gotta figure out the grade through that, if it’s 80% HVK, or 40% HVK, and that determines its grade, and what we sell it for and for how much, you know.”

Nora and Jaune look stunned.

“Okay.” Ren nods, though he seems a bit dizzy himself. “What’s sin and cos?”

Oscar looks at him. “...What?”

“Sin and cos. Or, uh, ln?”

There’s a pause. “Bless you,” Oscar says, finally, feeling a bit helpless. He’s pretty sure those aren’t words. Those aren’t words, are they? He’s a bit afraid to ask, now.

Ren turns back to a grinning Nora and a bewildered-looking Jaune with a shrug. “I think he’s fine.”

“What!”

“I mean, I don’t remember the difference between sin and cos either.”

Jaune looks betrayed; Nora laughs. “Ren blanks through anything that isn’t Home Ec,” she explains, looking amused at Jaune’s disappointment, and her grin widens. “Don’t need calculus to cook, so…”

Ren looks somewhat sheepish.

Jaune heaves a sigh. “I mean, fair…? But aw, man, calculus is the only subject I’m really good at! I was kind of looking forward to teaching it...”

Ren shakes his head, but he’s smiling. To Oscar, he says, “I don’t disagree with you, but the General did ask us to tutor you, and I’m not sure if he’ll see it the same way…”

“We don’t have to tell him anything,” Nora says, firmly.

“Nora,” Ren sighs.

Oscar hums, cutting through the argument before it can start. The memories are rising again, insistent— some past lives must have really liked math, wow— but Oscar breathes in deep and remembers instead the warm tenor of his aunt’s voice, the rough feel of grain in his hand, the careful count. Oscar may be the next Oz, as people like to say, but he was always Oscar first. He was a farmhand first, before all this came into his life. And… he doesn’t want to lose that. Not yet, at least. Not ever.

His aunt has taught him everything he needs to know, and for now Oscar would like to keep it that way.

So he pulls his shoulders straight and pulls himself up too, certain and sure and sticking with it. “If General Ironwood really wants me to learn calculus…” Which, yech, he hopes not, that was illegible, who would do that to perfectly good numbers?— “Then I’ll learn. But, um… if not… then I’d rather not.” He gives Jaune an apologetic smile. “Sorry?”

“No, no, it’s fine, just bash my favorite subject, it’s fine, it’s cool, I’m cool.”

Nora cackles at him. Jaune puts his head in his hands.

“Well, if not math…” Ren hunts around the pile of textbooks scattered amongst the blankets, and picks out one with a glossy cover. “Perhaps science?” He smiles over at Nora. “We don’t want the study blanket fort to go to waste, after all.”

Nora brightens. Oscar smiles, and draws his legs closer in a crisscross, resting his hands on his ankles. “I can do science,” he agrees. “Can we start with geology?”

“Yes!” Nora throws up her hands. “I’ll get the hot cider! And snacks! And then we can study!” She makes two fists and punches up like she’s trying to break the ceiling. “BONZAI!”

Jaune mimics her with enthusiasm; Ren with a quiet voice and a smaller smile. Oscar echoes their shout a second off-rhythm, and hesitantly bumps the fist Nora holds out his way. He has no idea why they’re so pumped about the studying thing, but it’s fine. They’re happy, they’re having fun— and at least the blanket fort is warm.

“To the books!”

“To the books,” Oscar agrees, and when he cracks open the textbook he is smiling.

#rwby #oscar pine #jaune arc #nora valkyrie #lie ren #team jnpr #team jnr #team jnor #team alpn #rwby 7 #rwby fic #iza fanfic #prompt fic

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jialemelody · 4 years ago

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Blog 10: Self-Tracking Wearable Technology

In the article, Our metrics, ourselves: A hundred years of self-tracking from the weight of scale to the wrist wearable device, Crawford challenges the user agency and accuracy marketed by self-tracking technologies. In her paper, Crawford proposes that self-tracking devices have historically been perceived as a method for individuals to acquire self-knowledge, consequently acting as the standards for enforcing individual and social discipline. The quantified self-movement, for instance, is a phenomenon stemming from such intimacy and reliance on the information generated from wearables as means of self-knowledge. Yet, Crawford argues that there are inherent limitations and inequalities in the structures of wearable technologies, including its generalization of data (lacking accuracy) and the mediation of personal data by the wearable-producing companies which undermines user agency.

The intrinsic need for self-knowledge is one concept that interested me. While many digital technologies are designed to facilitate interaction, wearables are marketed as tools for understanding oneself. Indeed, I agree with Crawford that keeping track of personal data is no longer just about the numbers, but has become a powerful source of self-knowledge and expectation. Personally, I have always been a committed user of MyFitnessPal - a diet and exercise tracking application. By inputting height, weight, age, and activity levels, softwares like MyFitnessPal can easily generate a user's recommended calorie and nutrient intake. Similarly, I try my best to adhere to the guidelines on a daily basis - in particular the calories, carbohydrates, and fats consumption. Hence when a respondent is quoted "the numbers tell me how to feel" in Crawford's article, I found myself resonating with the thought. Occasionally when I choose to have unbalanced or unhealthy food options (such as eating three pastries for dinner on a particular day) and log it onto the app, it would immediately send a warning in red such as "Your goal for today is to stay under 34 grams of fat" (as shown below). As such, MyFitnessPal functions to enforce discipline.

Yet, this semester I participated in a module, Food and Health, offered by the Department of Food Science and Technology. As part of the module, students were required to complete a detailed analysis of their diet for three representative days. During the thorough analysis of my own diet, I came to realize the discrepancies between the data I logged on MyFitnessPal compared to the actual breakdown of my nutrient intake and requirements. These differences resulted from factors such as portion sizes, Health Promotion Board recommended intakes (as compared to data used on the app likely based on statistics from the United States), lack of data on essential minerals recommendation, and limited nutritional profiles of certain local food. Such discrepancies support the argument by Crawford that the complexities of measurement limit the quantification offered by wearable technologies to one that is relative, rather than truly personal. At the same time, this seems to raise an interesting paradox of self-knowledge as a byproduct of public knowledge, facilitated by self-tracking devices with metrics generated from public contribution. Despite being labeled as a personalizable measure, self-tracking technologies appear to accelerate the convergence between private and public data, through so reshaping the practices and way in which individuals understand normalcy and themselves.

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massivebakerygiantkid · 4 years ago

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Most people who read my articles and e-books know me as a science guy who likes to quote studies and apply research to everyday problems such as weight loss, bodybuilding, and other health/fitness related topics. However, sometimes you have to step back from the science and look at the big picture to help bring people back into focus, so they can see the forest for the trees, so to speak.

For most people reading this article, finding an effective diet that works most of the time must seem as complicated as nuclear physics. It's not, but there are a bewildering number of choices for diets out there. High fat or no fat? High carbohydrate or no carbohydrate? Low protein or high protein? To make matters worse, there are a million variations and combinations to the above diet scenarios to add to the confusion. It seems endless and causes many people to throw up their hands in frustration and give up. In this article I will attempt to change all that.

There are some general guidelines, rules of thumb, and ways of viewing a diet program that will allow you to decide, once and for all, if it's the right diet for you. You may not always like what I have to say, and you should be under no illusions this is another quick fix, "lose 100 lbs. in 20 days," guide of some sort. However, if you are sick and tired of being confused, tired of taking the weight off only to put it back on, and tired of wondering how to take the first steps to deciding the right diet for you that will result in permanent weight loss, then this is the article that could change your life...

Does your diet pass "The Test"?

What is the number one reason diets fail long term; above all else? The number one reason is...drum roll...a lack of long term compliance. The numbers don't lie; the vast majority of people who lose weight will regain it - and often exceed what they lost. You knew that already didn't you?

Yet, what are you doing to avoid it? Here's another reality check: virtually any diet you pick which follows the basic concept of "burning" more calories then you consume - the well accepted "calories in calories out" mantra - will cause you to lose weight. To some degree, they all work: Atkins-style, no carb diets, low fat high carb diets, all manner of fad diets - it simply does not matter in the short term.

If your goal is to lose some weight quickly, then pick one and follow it. I guarantee you will lose some weight. Studies generally find any of the commercial weight loss diets will get approximately the same amount of weight off after 6 months to a year. For example, a recent study found the Atkins' Diet, Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers Pure Points program, and Rosemary Conley's Eat Yourself Slim diet, were all equally effective. (1)

Other studies comparing other popular diets have come to essentially the same conclusions. For example, a study that compared the Atkins diet, the Ornish diet, Weight Watchers, and The Zone Diet, found them to be essentially the same in their ability to take weight off after one year. (2)

Recall what I said about the number one reason diets fail, which is a lack of compliance. The lead researcher of this recent study stated:

"Our trial found that adherence level rather than diet type was the primary predictor of weight loss"(3)

Translated, it's not which diet they chose per se, but their ability to actually stick to a diet that predicted their weight loss success. I can just see the hands going up now, "but Will, some diets must be better than others, right?" Are some diets better then others? Absolutely. Some diets are healthier then others, some diets are better at preserving lean body mass, some diets are better at suppressing appetite - there are many differences between diets. However, while most of the popular diets will work for taking weight off, what is abundantly clear is that adhering to the diet is the most important aspect for keeping the weight off long term.

What is a diet?

A diet is a short term strategy to lose weight. Long term weight loss is the result of an alteration in lifestyle. We are concerned with life long weight management, not quick fix weight loss here. I don't like the term diet, as it represents a short term attempt to lose weight vs. a change in lifestyle. Want to lose a bunch of weight quickly? Heck, I will give you the information on how to do that here and now for no charge.

For the next 90 to 120 days eat 12 scrambled egg whites, one whole grapefruit, and a gallon of water twice a a day. You will lose plenty of weight. Will it be healthy? Nope. Will the weight stay off once you are done with this diet and are then forced to go back to your "normal" way of eating? Not a chance. Will the weight you lose come from fat or will it be muscle, water, bone, and (hopefully!) some fat? The point being, there are many diets out there that are perfectly capable of getting weight off you, but when considering any eating plan designed to lose weight, you must ask yourself:

"Is this a way of eating I can follow long term?"

Which brings me to my test: I call it the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" Test. I know, it does not exactly roll off your tongue, but it gets the point across.

The lesson here is: any nutritional plan you pick to lose weight must be part of a lifestyle change you will be able to follow - in one form or another - forever. That is, if it's not a way of eating you can comply with indefinitely, even after you get to your target weight, then it's worthless.

Thus, many fad diets you see out there are immediately eliminated, and you don't have to worry about them. The question is not whether the diet is effective in the short term, but if the diet can be followed indefinitely as a lifelong way of eating. Going from "their" way of eating back to "your" way of eating after you reach your target weight is a recipe for disaster and the cause of the well established yo-yo dieting syndrome. Bottom line: there are no short cuts, there is no free lunch, and only a commitment to a lifestyle change is going to keep the fat off long term. I realize that's not what most people want to hear, but it's the truth, like it or not.

The statistics don't lie: getting the weight off is not the hardest part, keeping the weight off is! If you take a close look at the many well known fad/commercial diets out there, and you are honest with yourself, and apply my test above, you will find most of them no longer appeal to you as they once did. It also brings me to an example that adds additional clarity: If you have diet A that will cause the most weight loss in the shortest amount of time but is unbalanced and essentially impossible to follow long term vs. diet B, which will take the weight off at a slower pace, but is easier to follow, balanced, healthy, and something you can comply with year after year, which is superior? If diet A gets 30 lbs off you in 30 days, but by next year you have gained back all 30 lbs, but diet B gets 20 lbs off you in the next 3 months with another 20 lbs 3 months after that and the weight stays off by the end of that year, which is the better diet?

If you don't know the answer to those questions, you have totally missed the point of this article and the lesson it's trying to teach you, and are set up for failure. Go back and read this section again...By default, diet B is superior.

Teach a man to Fish...

A well known Chinese Proverb is - Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

This expression fits perfectly with the next essential step in how to decide what eating plan you should follow to lose weight permanently. Will the diet plan you are considering teach you how to eat long term, or does it spoon-feed you information? Will the diet rely on special bars, shakes, supplements or pre-made foods they supply?

Let's do another diet A vs. diet B comparison. Diet A is going to supply you with their foods, as well as their special drink or bars to eat, and tell you exactly when to eat them. You will lose - say - 30 lbs in two months. Diet B is going to attempt to help you learn which foods you should eat, how many calories you need to eat, why you need to eat them, and generally attempt to help teach you how to eat as part of a total lifestyle change that will allow you to make informed decisions about your nutrition. Diet B causes a slow steady weight loss of 8 -10 lbs per month for the next 6 months and the weight stays off because you now know how to eat properly.

Recall the Chinese proverb. Both diets will assist you to lose weight. Only one diet, however, will teach you how to be self-reliant after your experience is over. Diet A is easier, to be sure, and causes faster weight loss than diet B, and diet B takes longer and requires some thinking and learning on your part. However, when diet A is over, you are right back where you started and have been given no skills to fish. Diet companies don't make their profits by teaching you to fish, they make their money by handing you a fish so you must rely on them indefinitely or come back to them after you gain all the weight back.

Thus, diet B is superior for allowing you to succeed where other diets failed, with knowledge gained that you can apply long term. Diet programs that attempt to spoon feed you a diet without any attempt to teach you how to eat without their help and/or rely on their shakes, bars, cookies, or pre-made foods, is another diet you can eliminate from your list of choices.

Diet plans that offer weight loss by drinking their product for several meals followed by a "sensible dinner;" diets that allow you to eat their special cookies for most meals along with their pre-planned menu; or diets that attempt to have you eating their bars, drink, or pre-made meals, are of the diet A variety covered above. They're easy to follow but destined for failure, long term. They all fail the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" test, unless you really think you can eat cookies and shakes for the rest of your life...Bottom line here is, if the nutritional approach you use to lose weight, be it from a book, a class, a clinic, or an e-book, does not teach you how to eat, it's a loser for long term weight loss and it should be avoided.

The missing link for long term weight loss

We now make our way to another test to help you choose a nutrition program for long term weight loss, and it does not actually involve nutrition. The missing link for long term weight loss is exercise. Exercise is the essential component of long term weight loss. Many diet programs do not contain an exercise component, which means they are losers for long term weight loss from the very start. Any program that has its focus on weight loss but does not include a comprehensive exercise plan is like buying a car without tires, or a plane without wings. People who have successfully kept the weight off overwhelmingly have incorporated exercise into their lives, and the studies that look at people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off invariably find these people were consistent with their diet and exercise plans. (4)

I am not going to list all the benefits of regular exercise here, but regular exercise has positive effects on your metabolism, allows you to eat more calories yet still be in a calorie deficit, and can help preserve lean body mass (LBM) which is essential to your health and metabolism. The many health benefits of regular exercise are well known, so I won't bother adding them here. The bottom line here is, (a) if you have any intentions of getting the most from your goal of losing weight and (b) plan to keep it off long term, regular exercise must be an integral part of the weight loss strategy. So, you can eliminate any program, be it book, e-book, clinic, etc. that does not offer you direction and help with this essential part of long term weight loss.

Side Bar: A quick note on exercise:

Any exercise is better than no exercise. However, like diet plans, not all exercise is created equal, and many people often choose the wrong form of exercise to maximize their efforts to lose weight. For example, they will do aerobics exclusively and ignore resistance training. Resistance training is an essential component of fat loss, as it builds muscle essential to your metabolism, increases 24 hour energy expenditure, and has health benefits beyond aerobics.

The reader will also note I said fat loss above not weight loss. Though I use the term 'weight loss' throughout this article, I do so only because it is a familiar term most people understand. However, the true focus and goal of a properly set up nutrition and exercise plan should be on fat loss, not weight loss. A focus on losing weight, which may include a loss essential muscle, water, and even bone, as well as fat, is the wrong approach. Losing the fat and keeping the all important lean body mass (LBM), is the goal, and the method for achieving that can be found in my ebook(s) on the topic, and is beyond the scope of this article. Bottom line: the type of exercise, intensity of that exercise, length of time doing that exercise, etc., are essential variables here when attempting to lose FAT while retaining (LBM).

Psychology 101 of long term weight loss

Many diet programs out there don't address the psychological aspect of why people fail to be successful with long term weight loss. However, quite a few studies exist that have looked at just that. In many respects, the psychological aspect is the most important for long term weight loss, and probably the most underappreciated component.

Studies that compare the psychological characteristics of people who have successfully kept the weight off to people who have regained the weight, see clear differences between these two groups. For example, one study that looked at 28 obese women who had lost weight but regained the weight that they had lost, compared to 28 formerly obese women who had lost weight and maintained their weight for at least one year and 20 women with a stable weight in the healthy range, found the women who regained the weight:

o Had a tendency to evaluate self-worth in terms of weight and shape

o Had a lack of vigilance with regard to weight control

o had a dichotomous (black-and-white) thinking style

o Had the tendency to use eating to regulate mood.

The researchers concluded:

"The results suggest that psychological factors may provide some explanation as to why many people with obesity regain weight following successful weight loss."

This particular study was done on women, so it reflects some of the specific psychological issues women have - but make no mistake here - men also have their own psychological issues that can sabotage their long term weight loss efforts. (6)

Additional studies on men and women find psychological characteristics such as "having unrealistic weight goals, poor coping or problem-solving skills and low self-efficacy" often predict failure with long term weight loss. (7) On the other hand, psychological traits common to people who experienced successful long term weight loss include "...an internal motivation to lose weight, social support, better coping strategies and ability to handle life stress, self-efficacy, autonomy, assuming responsibility in life, and overall more psychological strength and stability." (8)

The main point of this section is to illustrate that psychology plays a major role in determining if people are successful with long term weight loss. If it's not addressed as part of the overall plan, it can be the factor that makes or breaks your success. This, however, is not an area most nutrition programs can adequately tackle and should not be expected to. However, the better programs do generally attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support. If you see yourself in the above lists from the groups that failed to maintain their weight long term, then know you will need to address those issues via counseling, support groups, etc. Don't expect any weight loss program to cover this topic adequately but do look for programs that attempt to offer support, goal setting, and resources that will keep you on track.

"There's a sucker born every minute"

So why don't you see this type of honest information about the realities of long term weight loss more often? Let's be honest here, telling the truth is not the best way to sell bars, shakes, books, supplements, and programs. Hell, if by some miracle everyone who read this article actually followed it, and sent it on to millions of other people who actually followed it, makers of said products could be in financial trouble quickly. However, they also know - as the man said - "there's a sucker born every minute," so I doubt they will be kept up at night worrying about the effects that I, or this article, will have on their business.

So let's recap what has been learned here: the big picture realities of permanent weight loss and how you can look at a weight loss program and decide for yourself if it's for you based on what has been covered above:

o Permanent weight loss is not about finding a quick fix diet, but making a commitment to life style changes that include nutrition and exercise

o Any weight loss program you choose must pass the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" test,

o The weight loss program you choose should ultimately teach you how to eat and be self reliant so you can make informed long term choices about your nutrition.

o The weight loss program you choose should not leave you reliant on commercial bars, shakes, supplements, or pre-made foods, for your long term success.

o The weight loss program you choose must have an effective exercise component.

o The weight loss program you choose should attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support, but can't be a replacement for psychological counseling if needed.

Conclusion

I want to take this final section to add some additional points and clarity. For starters, the above advice is not for everyone. It's not intended for those who really have their nutrition dialed in, such as competitive bodybuilders and other athletes who benefit from fairly dramatic changes in their nutrition, such as 'off season' and 'pre-contest' and so on.

The article is also not intended for those with medical issues who may be on a specific diet to treat or manage a specific medical condition. The article is intended for the average person who wants to get off the Yo-Yo diet merry-go-round once and for all. As that's probably 99% of the population, it will cover millions of people.

People should also not be scared off by my "you have to eat this way forever" advice. This does not mean you will be dieting for the rest of your life and have nothing but starvation to look forward to. What it does mean, however, is you will have to learn to eat properly even after you reach your target weight and that way of eating should not be a huge departure from how you ate to lose the weight in the first place. Once you get to your target weight - and or your target bodyfat levels - you will go onto a maintenance phase which generally has more calories and choices of food, even the occasional treat, like a slice of pizza or whatever.

Maintenance diets are a logical extension of the diet you used to lose the weight, but they are not based on the diet you followed that put the weight on in the first place!

Regardless of which program you choose, use the above 'big picture' approach which will keep you on track for long term weight loss. See you in the gym!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1375468

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spacebrick3 · 5 years ago

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Evenfall University: Ring of Fire Part 2

Part 2 of Mira’s adventures at Evenfall, and we’re introduced to some more of @note-katha‘s 1) amazing world of Evenfall, and 2) the main characters of her story!

Her classes, like her time at the university, don’t get off to a flying start. Hard for them to when she doesn’t believe in the course material. Which is why we find her now arguing with one of the professors: one Nina Wyst, Th.D (Doctor of Thaumaturgy), teacher of the Introductory Second Circle class at Evenfall.

“I don’t care whether or not you think I’ll be able to ‘wield the powers of creation and destruction at will’!” she scoffs, standing next to her desk and slamming a palm onto it, “because those don’t exist!”

“Miss Niemczyk,” and at least she can pronounce her name right, “that’s really not my concern. My subject doesn’t hinge on your belief, though your grade may. The midterms and final exams will test your abilities to perform with at least a modicum of power within your given circle - Second, I hope, for all of you, because if not you’re in the wrong class-“

She refuses to take the [obvious] hint to sit down and stop arguing. “So as long as I find a good special-effects crew, I’m set?”

“You will be taking the exams alone, Mira. Otherwise, it would be considered cheating.” She gives a lazy grin, tilting her chair back by another degree. “Look. You chose to come here, why not gain something from it? It’s not my problem if you believe in it, but it’s certainly yours.”

With a snap of her fingers, a marker appears in her hands, and Wyst turns to the board behind her. The rest of the students react half a second later, muttering among themselves. “Second Circle magic, as I’m sure you’re aware, is the highest circle of magic people are gifted with, as well as the highest we are permitted to access. Highest in power, as it were, though lowest numerically, because of…numbering systems. Those old Babylonians were onto something, if you ask me-“

“Ever heard of Clarke’s third law?”

She sighs. “I try to encourage my students to be questioning, and you are succeeding admirably. Too admirably. Be quiet and let me do my job as a teacher, please.”

“‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ - Clarke, in 1973. You tell us that what you do is magic - well, I don’t believe you. If you went around and showed a laptop, or a movie projector, or - or a car, or a plane, to people from 3000 B.C. then they would say it’s magic, too.”

“You’re interested in technology, then, Mira?” she asks, pinching her nose.

She is, although normally people mean computers and if(else) statements and tiny circuit boards when they ask that. ‘Technology’, to them, is just whatever the newest widespread innovation is, and those are all in computers. They’re done and over aeronautical engineering - except in the fuckin’ military, and she wants nothing to do with that.

“I guess?” is the best she can offer.

“Fine, then. Consider the Second Circle…materials science, of a sort. 3-D printing, engineering, chemistry - whatever field you want to say we’re talking about. After all-“ she smirks- “I am not telling you about magic, but instead about technology. Is that acceptable?”

“Um-“

“Because if it’s not, I may have to ask you to leave. I can only tolerate so many disruptions in my class, Miss Niemczyk, and while I applaud your spirit I find it misplaced. Understand?” Getting a glare - but silence, also - in response, Wyst spins the marker in her hand and turns back to the board. “Great! Before we have a more formal introduction to the magic, or ‘tech’, there is some administrative paperwork to handle - if any of you do manage to injure yourselves be aware that you may have a tricky time getting insurance to cover it…”

Mira sulks - there’s no better way to put it, even to herself. She slumps back in her chair, crossing her arms and muttering indistinctly under her breath. snatching the prerequisite forms from the poor front-row student assigned to pass them out with a grumble. Yes, you can call it technology, but that doesn’t - why do you choose to call it magic, then? she demands, in her inner world where she can win the argument. What do you gain by associating it with the mystical, huh?

Unfortunately, winning the argument with herself does not put her in a better mood, or even a less argumentative one. You ever heard of Klass’ law? Because that’s one thing you didn’t address: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo, and so is your ‘magic’. Just because you call it something different-

The girl next to her, in a glaring orange sweater - it’s not even pastel, sweaters are supposed to be pastel - taps her on the shoulder. “Hey - aren’t you the one - didn’t you say the same thing earlier?”

“That magic doesn’t exist?” Mira gives her a suspicious look, this unknown factor with dark brown skin and a full page of notes already scribbled on her page. “Were - were you taking notes of that argument?”

“No!” she whispers, guilty look giving her away. She’s even worse of a liar than Mira, who at least knows enough to deflect the conversation. “Maybe…look, it was interesting! It’s a compliment!” Even as she says it, though, she flips the pages in what she a) probably hopes is a casual manner, and b) definitely isn’t. “So? Are you the one from orientation?”

No use in denying it. She hoped she’d be noticed, wouldn’t she? She supposes she has only Samantha to thank for the whole school not already knowing her name, and whoever asked that question about the First Circle. “That’s me.”

“Why’d - I mean - what magic do you have? Or…um…” She flounders, realizing the problem too late. “…tech…”

She lets it go on longer than it needs to, a small smile creeping back onto her face. “I’m in here. Only two choices, really. Take a guess.”

Her gaze takes in Mira’s flame-red hair, the burn marks that still creep up her arm (when she finds whoever ran Steve’s Sulfur, they will die, and it will involve copious amounts of their flawed product), and her sullen mood. There’s only one conclusion she could come to: “Destruction?”

It’s the wrong one. “Guess again.”

“You’re…creation? Hey!” She brightens. “I’m creation, too!”

“Statistically, half of this class is,” Mira says flatly. “Nothing special.”

She waves it off. “So, uh, I know your name - Mira, I assume, unless she got your name wrong - but you don’t know mine, obviously. I’m Kalavathi - but you can call me ‘Kal’, everyone does - Nayri.” Kal holds out her hand, realizes it’s currently holding a pen, and quickly swaps hands. “Nice to meet you…?”

She sighs. “Course. Mira Niemczyk, don’t bother spelling the last name.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Their class is still doing nothing, Wyst going over the particulars with a nervous-looking student. “Hey - want to come over for dinner tonight? I think we’re - well, I’m positive we’re probably making pasta again because it’s what we can cook and what we like. But there’s always extra, too, and our other roommate…um…” Her mouth tightens. “She doesn’t generally come to dinner with us, so the invitation is open to you.”

It’s - an easy choice, actually. Harmony and Aishwarya and Nitya have no cooking skills - probably didn’t need them, at their fancy prep school in California - and her meal options are limited there. Meal options and conversation options, given that they all know each other and seem more content to talk within their group. Her own room - it’s one thing she brought from home, snacks, and the food truly is bigger in Texas - is just lonely. “Sure. Why not?” “Sure. Why not?”

Kal beams. “Great! See you at six!”

They separate after that, Kal heading to her own classes and Mira to Astronomy. It’s a useless class until it can start meeting at night - which the professor promises her is soon, just the moment they know her classmates can tell Mars from Mercury. But for now absolutely nothing is happening, which gives her the chance to fuck around on her laptop (she told herself she was going to get work done, and then she didn’t).

Still, she manages to lever herself out of the dorm and trudge over to where Kal said hers was, the weather only a light drizzle of rain. She doesn’t think she’s seen the sun since she arrived, and is almost starting to believe Harmony’s theory of magical rain. Almost.

She stops. Starts. Turns the other way, to check who she saw leaning uncertainly against the wall. “Samantha? Is that you?”

Her glasses almost fall off her face - they’re horrendously unbalanced, sliding down every time she so much glances at the ground. Samantha does a lot of that, it seems. “Yes - Mira, I wasn’t expecting to see you…”

“It’s not that large of a campus, we’d probably run into each other-“ Wait. “How do you know my name? You told me yours but I never told you mine,” she says with a frown.

“Oh! I, uh, I heard you shouting,” she mutters. “You…are very loud, sometimes. You were shouting, and saying that magic didn’t exist - like you did earlier. She said your name - Mira.”

“And you were just hanging around outside my class?”

“I - I had nowhere else to go,” she says with a hint of something indescribable, an echo of Mira. “The Third Circle class doesn’t start yet…and where else should I have been? You’re the only person I know - that I met - and-“ She drops her head in her hands. “Right. I will stop talking, and just leave, because clearly I am just making things - worse.”

Mira catches her. “Yeah, you’re not getting away that easily. Come on.” Her arm is cold, though it’s probably just the rain. It’s only September, it should be 80 degrees, and instead it’s 50 and wet, she grumbles to herself. “You said you didn’t have anywhere to go, right? I’m extending an invitation - of an invitation, but she did say there’s always extra-“

“I don’t understand,” she says uncertainly.

“Sam - I’m going to call you Sam, unless that’s not alright…” She waits, but the other girl doesn’t give her a response. Probably alright then, she thinks. “I’m heading to food with some not-yet-friends, and you are joining me.” It’s not quite a request, but Sam doesn’t object, and so the two of them arrive at the Melpomene rooms without a problem. Without a conversation, either, because Sam seems happier to stay quiet.

It’s only when she gets there she realizes she has no idea which of the rooms in the imposing - smaller than the others, but no building in Evenfall looks truly modest - structure is home to Kal and her roommates, nor is there an easy way to find out. “You wouldn’t happen to know their address?” she says, looking around the front room to see if there are mailboxes, labelled with name and room number.

“What did you say her name was?”

“Kal - Kalavathi Nayri. Why? Do you know her?” she asks, frowning. No. She can’t, because she said Mira was the only one she knew. “Which dorm are you in, anyways?”

“Nayri,” she says to herself, turning the name over. “Nayri. Creation magic. Creation magic is…” [Sam’s] feet take her, almost of their own accord, into the center of the room. “This level. Somewhere around to the left, I think. Depends where the corridors will take us.”

Mira follows her gaze, but can’t see anything. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You can’t see it? It’s a…green glow, that of creation - only one in this whole dormitory. Perhaps only those gifted with Third Circle, mind or soul…those who see the spirits of magic that inhabit Evenfall. Everyone has one…” She blinks. “It doesn’t matter. Where can we find the suite?”

She laughs. She can’t help it. “You can see people’s fuckin’ spirits, but not the doors? Over there,” she says, pointing. “It’s labelled. Suite number one, and there’s only two. Don’t think we’ll have to worry about corridors.” She knocks, feeling that there should be something a little bit more to it. “If we’ve got the wrong people, though-“

Her warning doesn’t get finished - she doesn’t know how to finish it, either - because it’s Kal who opens the door. “Oh! Hi, Mira! Welcome to the tragedy dorm, but don’t worry! As far as we know, nobody has died here!”

“Yet,” she says, glancing inside. It looks almost identical to hers, though already starting to bear the touches that will make it a space to live in - a stack of notebooks tilting dangerously on the table and pencils already scattered on flat surfaces. “The ‘tragedy dorm’?”

“They’re named after the Muses,” she answers. “Ours is Melpomene, who deals with tragedy. I think they all are, which makes sense, the Fifth Circle at least is supposed to be artistic,” she says. “And…I don’t know your name,” she continues, pointing at Sam. “Or who you are.”

She leaves the statement open, the implicit question that Sam doesn’t pick up on. “Um…alright…?”

“Introduce yourself,” she says, poking her in the shoulder.

“Samantha Venera, Third Circle,” she says automatically. “And you’re Kalavathi Nayri, Second Circle, creation. Who are the other two people - there is…violet? Indigo? Fifth Circle, time, and a bright orange - voice, I think.” She frowns. “Creation, time, and voice, an interesting combination.”

Both Mira and Kal give her a strange look. “How - yes, but-“ Kal starts.

Sam smiles. “You’re at a magical university, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be expecting the unexpected? You have a witch in there who can meddle with time itself, perhaps you should broaden your horizons.” An uncomfortable moment of silence follows, her gaze flicking between the two of them. “I’m sorry. Perhaps - never mind.”

“Right then.” Kal doesn’t let it bother her for long. “We have food inside, and I’m sure you’ll be interested to meet my friends. And I’m, um, sure they’ll love to meet you - maybe don’t tell them about their, auras or whatever you’re looking at…”

She doesn’t. “Ardis Akiya-Blair-“ The tall, almost stretched-looking boy at the end of the table gives a wave- “Juli Cárdenas Rivera Silva Vicente-“ Next to him is a girl, slightly shorter (‘shorter’ in this case still towering over Kal, Mira, and Sam), in a mishmash of bright colors that somehow works - even if she can’t look at it directly for more than ten seconds. “This is Mira Niemczyk, from the Second Circle class-“

“Two things: Juli is overrated, call me Jules, and two, aren’t you the one from-“ Jules starts.

“Yes. Problem?” she asks with a pointed glare.

“I was just - well, anyway. Pasta is done, and it’s - not getting any warmer, so let’s eat first?” She’s deflecting, but she doesn’t care because a) she doesn’t want to be known as ‘that one person from orientation’, and b) it does look like good food. Mira takes her bowl with a mutter of “thanks”, the others around the table following as they get theirs.

It doesn’t last long. “So you really don’t believe in magic?” Ardis asks around a mouthful of pasta. “Even now that you’ve had your first classes and all?”

“Am I supposed to?” she replies acidly. “Why should I believe in it? It’s not made our lives better, it’s not being used to - stop wars, or end poverty, or do any of the things magic is supposed to be able to. It’s just for people here in the backwoods to fuck around with, yeah? And I’m not saying society got almost infinitely better when people, as a whole, stopped believing in magic, but…it did.”

“…but none of that denies that it’s real, does it?” He shakes his head, shooting an odd glance at Sam. “Like…being hungry is inconvenient, and if we were able to stop it’d be better for everyone, but - I mean, if we didn’t believe that we were hungry when we were we’d all be dead.”

“And yet magic isn’t essential for life, so…”

Juli clears her throat. “Ignoring the socioeconomic implications of magic - there is a more interesting question: Mira, we’re going to the forest probably tomorrow-“

“Are we?” Ardis asks, at the same time Kal says “Don’t tell her that!”

“What? It’s not like she’s going to report us - are you?” she asks, expression changing in a heartbeat. “You’d better not, and you-“ She jabs a finger at Sam- “um - I don’t know you, but Mira says you’re alright, so don’t.”

“You can trust me,” Sam answers, with another slightly-unnerving grin. “And I don’t know what you are expecting me to report - it’s not against the rules-”

“So you’re going to the forest?” Mira says. “What does that have to do with me?”

Juli looks guilty now, tapping out a rhythm on the tabletop. “So, obviously, we’re warned against going in the forest because of any dangerous magical creatures there. They’re, um, apparently a little more dangerous than the regular types of creatures, although that wasn’t going to stop us-“

“And me?”

“Well - do you believe these ‘magical creatures’-“ she makes the air quotes- “exist?”

“No.” Her pride, at least, won’t let her say otherwise.

“Exactly! There are some, uh, theories floating around that say they’ll avoid you if you don’t believe in them - it’s why no one from outside Evenfall gets killed - probably. So we’re inviting you with us to try and not die to them-“

Kal leans over, tapping her on the shoulder. “We are?” she whispers, not quietly enough.

“Yes! We are now!” she whispers back. For a supposedly dangerous expedition, if the forests of Evenfall are so dangerous, not a lot of planning seems to have gone into it. Not that college students would necessarily plan ahead for anything, regardless of its danger. “So - you in?”

Mira sighs. “Sure-“

“I’m joining you,” Sam says.

“What - I mean, we weren’t planning-“

“Too bad,” she says with a smirk. “You invited Mira to help protect you - there are things in the forest, things of spirits and spectres that I don’t think she’ll protect you from. I can help you - and I will, find what you want to find and avoid what you should.” She shrugs. “And though there’s no official rule against it, I doubt the professors or the TA here would be especially pleased if I were to report you.”

Ardis looks the least convinced. “I suppose there isn’t any way out of this.”

“Sorry. No.”

“Right, then.” He sighs. “Forest tomorrow it is.”

Tag list: @lady-redshield-writes, @no-url-ideas-tho, @ratracechronicler, @ken-kenwrites, @ravenpuffwriter, @cirianne, @lonelylibrary @maxbeewriting, @endlesshourglass, @thebloodstainedquill, @anip-ocs, @note-katha @dreamwishing, @incandescent-creativity, @fatal-blow, @danafaithwriting, @wri-tten, @writingwhithotchocolate, @katekyo-bitch-reborn, @klywrites and @dogwrites!

#evenfall university #ring of fire #writing #more fun at the university!#i am very excited for sam #though i can't yet tell you why #:)#note-katha

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mikeyikeysworld · 3 years ago

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Links between Crypto and Environmental Health

The research article, “Analyzing asymmetric effects of cryptocurrency demand on environmental sustainability,” was written by Sinan Erdogan, Maruf Ahmed, and Samuel Sarkodie. The date this article was published was January 11, 2022, which is the most up-to-date article on the topic.

Within the abstract, “this study examines the nexus between cryptocurrencies and environmental degradation by employing standard and asymmetric causality methods.”

In lighter terms, this article dives into the connection between cryptocurrency and the CO2 emissions within the different portfolios. It also includes statistical data that reinforces the thesis that test results show regular effects running from Bitcoin and Ripple to environmental deterioration. No effect runs from Ethereum to the environmental issues. The unbalanced relationship indicates an effect from the positive shock of Bitcoin demand, negative shocks of Ripple and Ethereum demands to positive shocks of environmental breakdown.

The audience for this article would be someone fairly knowledgeable of cryptocurrency, as they would be familiar with the different names and the key terms presented in the information presented. The data tables are a little complex, so prior knowledge, would be needed to understand every part.

The second source that is included is specific to Bitcoin investments within climate change and how it affects carbon emission. There has been criticism that arose from how cryptocurrency coincides with environmental problems; such as absolute carbon emissions. This article was provided by Dirk G. Baur, on the citation page of the first article, which brought me to Science Direct database.

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scentedbeardgarden · 3 years ago

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llort · 2 years ago

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Mental Experiment 0000

Cybernetics the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.

An individual treating their own emergent existence, life, ethology, and conscious experience, frame generation, as an ongoing engineering project using methods externally reviewed via the scientific community supported by cybernetic control systems, machine learning and statistical analysis while being subject to peer review and cybernetic modulation should provide a host of benefits.

Raising the quality of an individuals personal experience

Allowing for ongoing reproducible effective and efficient progress towards working towards and obtaining self actualization

Bestowing the ability to more readily adapt to novel or challenging situations and embrace the increasingly exponential rate of social, cultural, and technological development

Perspective and personal engineering would allow for both a universal improvement in quality of life while still respecting personal differences in belief and self-expression which is essential to avoid a monolithic cultural force derived from accelerating and more coercive social pressures resulting in a homonormative general populace without the awareness of their own rights and capabilities enabled by TESCpm progression.

The total amount of all past and current human experience and the interactions of their respective axioms integrated significance, culture is theoretically impossible to measure and understand. With the exponential increase in the rate of TESCpm being created the current human faces a staggering amount of information, cognitive/behavioural options, and problems to manage and the challenges facing humanity are only going to grow in number and complexity. There is an explicit underutilization of resources and cognitive technologies freely available to the general public currently and entities that exploit these developments are only going to have increasingly coercive and unbalanced advantages in finance, marketing, ethology pressuring, and intellectual property. Establishing frames of perception via the methodologies created by an individual themselves will enrich possible net frames found in a social environment.

“Any open or closed system that can and perceive, assign, remove or modify meaning to parts of own system or other any other systems are a candidate for personal engineering

There is a danger of over reduction of experiential aspects of human lives but it is clear that while the qualia established in an individual establishing their own frame out of their own autonomy, that this approach respects both a cohesive social collective of well adjusting individuals and the individuals unique experience that they themselves are able to define their own EISOA boundaries of in the context of modelling the emergent net existence and functional cognitive and behaviorald units of an individual as a viable system model

The axiom systems themselves can be abstracted or consolidated into new axioms to form systems of near infinite complexity for various purposes.

I think that the real importance of this document is to highlight how easily perception of reality can be changed how that certain ethnologies lead to abrupt change in the number of ways one can interact with reality

As seen here each perspective in this case changes the eventually projected diagram of the box. It is the same box in each case, just in this case different points of axioms have been chosen to construct the final image. Perspective theory just means adding in new axioms as a point of perspective to construct a new model from. Adding and Removing axioms can radically change the resultant model allowing for deep insight into interesting relationships and emergent properties.

Oral Human language of just spoken word and no visual contact is conventionally one dimensional and there are many ongoing efforts to create poly dimensional communication pluripotent control systems

Roughly speaking We see a “3d” world in two dimensions

However, humans can think and operate in many dimensions, in this context include modular/non modular examples (define and provide examples).

Our subjective experience and the objective nature of molecules and energy interacting and interchanging in neural pathways do not map up one to one. This is mostly due to evolution repurposing existing brain pathways or functions pretty much haphazardly over the evolutionary time for humans to be a thing. We are perhaps the densest objects in the universe (not because of actually density but because of the fact we can't escape from our very compacted neural wire frame and chose not experience our own minds in a sort of existential black hole way)

Traditionally perspective in art has been used in a Euclidean sense however if you roll with subjectivity for a bit, you could use modular aspects of a way of viewing reality as another "dimension" which may consist of any type of value or data. Using the systems described earlier you can construct or model a “similcurm” in your mind (or in silco) of a subject (x) described in many “dimensions” aka 3d perspective, color, physiological states, its materials, its physical properties, the public gestalt.

Please refer to this post for an attempt to standardize subjective metrics of subjective conscious phenomena

https://www.tumblr.com/paromle/709096981666070528/heuristic-for-transforming-mental-events-into-an?source=share

I tried just posting the content here but Tumblr didn't like it and deleted my entire fkn post

A meta axiom in perspective theory can be a science or a branch of the sciences such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Going through day-to-day life with these axiomatic heuristics in the forefront of your mind can fundamentally change the way how you view yourself, how you interact with your internal state and external subjective reality, or just provide a slightly too bit over the top method of loci.

Traditionally perspective in art has been used in a Euclidean sense however if you roll with subjectivity for a bit, you could represent anybody's view or any way of looking at the world as a new dimension/axiom. Using the systems described earlier you can paint or model a “picture” in your mind of a subject (x) described in many “dimensions” 3d perspective, colour, biology, its materials, its physical properties, the public opinion, and any other sets you come up with while minimising the occurrence of cognitive dissonance and keeping the total model logically consistent

Perspective theory could theoretically allow consciousness to utilize a method that could be potentially more effective at describing more aspects reality than science. As alluded via using more than one vanishing point to get a more "realistic" two dimensional cube

A healthy human’s body, including the brain is a complicated machine and powerful supercomputer

Everything we are consciously aware of (thoughts, feelings, internal narrative, sensations, senses and perceptions) is a highly abstracted model. An edited and streamlined UI (selected for by natural selection to reduce the cost of adapting to a complex environment and promoting choices best for the organism's fitness), the system of the brain that has executive control decisions aka “you” the end user.

Input is done on conscious attention and focus of the executive control system on certain aspects of the UI.

Our brains/minds have evolved to reinforce what we actively choose or just end up paying attention to you. Value and importance regarding any object, event, value, or person tends to increase both more you pay attention, and how hard you focus. In the end the main control you have over you is what you pay attention to, even over what you choose to do or think. Attention reinforces attention.

A healthy human’s body, including the brain is a complicated machine and powerful supercomputer

This model can predict the nature of some of the structures of the brain and their function

The selection pressure offered as an explanation for the evolution and development of consciousness will also yield some hypotheses to be tested.

This model is abductive in nature and need to pass critical tests and become highly corroborated considered to have the status of a true scientific theory

However even if the model isn’t robust, it still has some applications as a conceptual model to utilize in personal endeavors.

Assuming this model to be true or suspending disbelief, this model can be abstracted to form an axiom or “single unit” in an example of a practical application of perspective theory regarding creating a model for a specific purpose and outcome.

Theoretically this sort of modelling done by different people, with the same axioms and the same rules of interaction and logic. People would be able to avoid a lot of the issues of subjectivity.

Due to its nature, the model is not purely a truth-seeking enterprise and has some aspects of mathematics and art/aesthetics

PT and PE assumes that all subjective experience is subject to quantification and qualification, even if this can only be achieved via an abstraction of these states or phenomena until PE/PT has developed to the point where this data can be extrapolated. Another key mechanism involved in PE/PT is the use of ongoing and holistic biometry in order to create as much data points possible allowing an individual or researcher to reconstruct the exact frames and qualia that were experienced at a given point of time.

If my theory about physical monism is correct then it should be relatively more straight forward to be able to “trace” the developing ontology of experience, behavior's, and cognitions. An example of this is the exposure of a host to a novel word or association and tracing this learning to a subsequent ethological instance where this word or association is referenced or used in some sort of communication and cybernetic based control system or secreted to the cyberphysical environment memetically. There is plenty of literature on this concept which is called "the extended phenotype", I am not sure that in the research that they state that they presume monism to be an objective truth or not. Logically every word a human knows or can utilize (outside of words generated via grammar rules or other mechanisms) has to either be learned or synthesized based on linguistic logic (or just a mistake))(but a mistake is still a creative iteration of a previous cyberphysical event)

These core axioms and sets mapped to human experience can be used to construct an easy to manage, modify and comprehend model of the totality of experience and to study the interactions of the axioms and any emergent properties.

Hopefully the model can provide an individual with a far greater and deeper understanding of themselves, others, society and the universe they live in.

The model also can be used to make and test predictions

Perspective theory in itself is modular however the interaction of specific modules by specified relationships or rules may lead to non modular emergent memeplexes. These may be reproduced in another host via constructing the exact same axiomatic network and graph theory rules but discrepancies would allow for very valuable data about human perception and experience.

Theoretically with this sort of modelling. With the same axioms and the same rules of interaction and logic. People would be able to avoid a lot of the issues of subjectivity. This is illustrated by the fact that it would be possible to construct an axiomatic model via perspective theory where strong atheism and any given Abrahamic religion are both given to be either true and sound, or false and invalid but neither combination logically mutually exclusive. (also please don't make me do the truth table for that claim)

#unsignificant sentience #philosophy #please help me #please hear me out #long post #ontology #theories #what does it mean #neurodivergencies #neurology #science #set theory #modeling

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pagan-smol-mom · 4 years ago

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It’s a really interesting mindset that it’s ‘weaker’ to have to take medication for any thing relating to do with unbalanced chemicals or lack of chemical production. As someone with ADHD, who only recently started taking medication the amount of people who were excited for me, then asked when I was planning on weaning off the medication was astronomical. Yes, I could do behavioural therapy while on the medication to set the healthy habits then wean off the medication, but the full effects of the medication won’t be active. So sure, I’ll be able to write everything I need to do in a list or an agenda, but the energy/quieting of the several trains of thought in my brain won’t be there. I honestly cried the first week I took my medication because I’ve never been as functional as when I’m on my meds. In a month I was able to bring my grades up by 0.2, which qualified me for a scholarship. Thinking about stopping my medications makes me anxious because I know I won’t be doing as well.

Back in track now, the mindset that having to take medication is ‘weaker’ is because, until recently, mental health, hormone imbalances, chemical production problems, etc, were not the forefront of medical research. The people ‘in charge’ of the projects, the doctors and scientists choosing what to study, usually, arent part of the demographic that those problems effect. A quick glimpse through the history of medicine shows that, primarily the doctors and researchers are male and neurotypical, and that doesn’t really change until recently. Even doctors leading birth control studies in the 80s were primarily male.

So we have a field of medical science lacking professionals that fall into these categories, obviously this is now changing, but this is still a big reason as to why this is happening now, combined with a society built for people who are neurotypical. The way work days are scheduled and schools are structured are built because a majority of society is neurotypical. But this isn’t quite true either, statistically a large portion of society isn’t neurotypical, but people from older generations, when the science wasn’t focusing on these issues, have basically been forced into coping with their problems and can now live without the help of medication. My mom, for example, also has ADHD, but she can function perfectly fine without behavioural councilling or medication, but had she been properly diagnosed she most likely would have been given the option of medication. So it’s a generational and scientific mindset that effects how society views medical diagnosis and practices.

TLDR: Neurotypical people make up majorly the researchers in medicine so what they think is important is the focus of their research, hence why people think that people shouldn’t need medication for hormonal imbalances, mental health, etc.

Some rando: You should think about stopping your prescription

Me: My pills make me not want to die tho

They: You shouldn’t want to die, that’s not normal

Me: Yeah that’s why I’m taking my pills

#history #medicine #mental health #history of medicine #neurotypical

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evoldir · 4 years ago

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Fwd: Job: Vienna.BiologyStatistician

Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Job: Vienna.BiologyStatistician > Date: 17 March 2021 at 06:48:14 GMT > To: [email protected] > > > *Grade*: Postdoc > > *Level of employment*: 40 hours > > *Length of employment*: 2 years but extension is anticipated > > *Deadline for applications*: April, 7 > > We are seeking a postdoctoral statistician to provide statistical > consultancy for the Vetmeduni Vienna, with a focus on two groups of the > Department 5 (Unit of Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, > and Domestication Group of the Institute of Ethology). The staff and > student researchers in these two groups investigate the underlying > mechanisms , the functions, the evolution and the development > of cognitive abilities of dogs, wolves, parrots and pigs. These are > examined in observational and experimental settings, using specific, > well-controlled behavioural tests and state-of-the-art analysis tools > (video analysis, machine learning, eye tracking). > > The main duty of the post-holder will be to provide statistical consultancy > to all staff and students, supported by a well-established statistics > training programme. She/he will collaborate on the design and analysis of > lab and field experiments and the application of a wide range of modern > statistical modelling and multivariate analysis methods. Therefore, a broad > working knowledge of the application of statistics in this scientific area > is required; in particular, experience related to the application of > statistical approaches to behavioural data and a good understanding of > animal behaviour studies, in both the field and in the experimental > context. The applicant should have in-depth experience with modelling > approaches, taking into account small sample sizes and repeated measures > designs, as well as unbalanced data sets with missing values and > categorical variables. Furthermore, experience with a priori power analysis > and (automated) data processing are desirable. Importantly, the applicant > should also have a good capacity and strong commitment to communicate with > and support colleagues and students at all levels (Masters, PhDs etc) with > the statistical requirements of their project and design, help students to > fit models, writing up the methods and results parts for publications and > teach both introductory and advanced in-house statistical courses including > modelling in R. Finally, the applicant should be keen to advise scientists > in other disciplines, especially in neuroscience, psychology, genetics, and > (veterinary and human) medicine. > > Required qualifications > > - PhD in statistics, mathematics, biology, medicine or > veterinary medicine > - Substantial statistical experience within the life sciences > - Expertise with a wide range of modern statistical modelling and > multivariate analysis methods > - Sound experience with statistical software (preferably R) > - Fluency in both written and spoken English > > Preferred qualifications > > - Experience in planning and designing behavioural or cognitive tests > - Very good knowledge in (Generalized) Linear Mixed Models > - Experience with conducting a-priori power analyses > - Experience with (statistical) programming and automated data > processing > - Knowledge of Bayesian statistics > - Experience with automated video image analysis and big data > analysis > - Experience in small-group teaching > - Experience of communicating statistical concepts to non- > statisticians > > - Proven publication skills > > In the application letter the candidate should explicitly refer to these > qualifications. > > The University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna expects the successful > candidate to acquire sufficient German language proficiency (within 3 > years) for teaching and participating in University bodies. > > *Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:* > > · Application letter (including preferred and earliest possible start > date) together with a statement of personal motivation > > · Academic curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, a list > of courses and students supervised, a list of talks given) > > · Copies of relevant certificates > > · Contact details of people who could provide a letter of reference > (reference letters are not required at this stage) > > Contact / Further Information > > Prof. Ludwig Huber > > Messerli Research Institute > > [email protected] > > https://ift.tt/297IAwq > > Dr. Marlies Dolezal > > Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Platform > > [email protected] > > https://ift.tt/3vxr1Pi > > Associate Prof. Dr. Friederike Range > > Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology > > [email protected] > > https://ift.tt/2OZ8Xgb > > Minimum salary > > The minimum salary for university staff is regulated by the collective > contract and at the level given above amounts to EUR 3945 gross per month > (14 times/year). The minimum salary may be increased when previous > employment and other salary components are taken into account. > Applications > > Please submit applications quoting the *reference number **2021**/0319* via > e-mail (preferably) to [email protected] or by post to the > Personnel Department of the University of Veterinary Medicine, > Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna. Please do not forget to include the > reference number or we shall be unable to relate your application to the > correct vacancy announcement. > > The Vetmeduni Vienna is attempting to increase the proportion of female > staff, particularly in senior positions, and in accordance with § 41 of the > 2002 Universities Act it is striving to attain a balanced representation of > men and women, especially on its scientific staff. Applications from > qualified women are thus particularly welcomed. If women are > underrepresented (below 50%), female applicants who are as well qualified > as the best qualified male applicants will be given preference, provided > that there are no strong reasons for favouring a particular male candidate. > > Applicants have no entitlement to reimbursement of any travel or > accommodation costs they may incur as a result of the application procedure. > > The Vetmeduni Vienna is proud to have been awarded the certificate > "*hochschuleundfamilie*" (career and family). We should thus be especially > pleased to receive applications from people with families. Applications > from persons with disabilities are similarly welcome. > > > Christian Schlötterer > Institut für Populationsgenetik > Vetmeduni Vienna > Veterinärplatz 1 > 1210 Wien > Austria/Europe > > phone: +43-1-25077-4300 > fax: +43-1-25077-4390 > https://ift.tt/2fFgleK > > Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics > https://ift.tt/1zZRPa1 > > Christian Schlötterer > via IFTTT

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shahrukhdigitalmarketing · 4 years ago

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The Big Picture of Permanent Weight Loss

Does your diet pass "The Test"? What is the number one reason diets fail long term; above all else? The number one reason is...drum roll...a lack of long term compliance. The numbers don't lie; the vast majority of people who lose weight will regain it - and often exceed what they lost. You knew that already didn't you?

Recall what I said about the number one reason diets fail, which is a lack of compliance. The lead researcher of this recent study stated:

"Our trial found that adherence level rather than diet type was the primary predictor of weight loss"(3)

What is a diet? A diet is a short term strategy to lose weight. Long term weight loss is the result of an alteration in lifestyle. We are concerned with life long weight management, not quick fix weight loss here. I don't like the term diet, as it represents a short term attempt to lose weight vs. a change in lifestyle. Want to lose a bunch of weight quickly? Heck, I will give you the information on how to do that here and now for no charge.

"Is this a way of eating I can follow long term?" Which brings me to my test: I call it the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" Test. I know, it does not exactly roll off your tongue, but it gets the point across.

Teach a man to Fish... A well known Chinese Proverb is - Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The missing link for long term weight loss We now make our way to another test to help you choose a nutrition program for long term weight loss, and it does not actually involve nutrition. The missing link for long term weight loss is exercise. Exercise is the essential component of long term weight loss. Many diet programs do not contain an exercise component, which means they are losers for long term weight loss from the very start. Any program that has its focus on weight loss but does not include a comprehensive exercise plan is like buying a car without tires, or a plane without wings. People who have successfully kept the weight off overwhelmingly have incorporated exercise into their lives, and the studies that look at people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off invariably find these people were consistent with their diet and exercise plans. (4)

Side Bar: A quick note on exercise: Any exercise is better than no exercise. However, like diet plans, not all exercise is created equal, and many people often choose the wrong form of exercise to maximize their efforts to lose weight. For example, they will do aerobics exclusively and ignore resistance training. Resistance training is an essential component of fat loss, as it builds muscle essential to your metabolism, increases 24 hour energy expenditure, and has health benefits beyond aerobics.

Psychology 101 of long term weight loss Many diet programs out there don't address the psychological aspect of why people fail to be successful with long term weight loss. However, quite a few studies exist that have looked at just that. In many respects, the psychological aspect is the most important for long term weight loss, and probably the most underappreciated component.

o Had a tendency to evaluate self-worth in terms of weight and shape o Had a lack of vigilance with regard to weight control o had a dichotomous (black-and-white) thinking style o Had the tendency to use eating to regulate mood.

The researchers concluded:

"The results suggest that psychological factors may provide some explanation as to why many people with obesity regain weight following successful weight loss."

"There's a sucker born every minute" So why don't you see this type of honest information about the realities of long term weight loss more often? Let's be honest here, telling the truth is not the best way to sell bars, shakes, books, supplements, and programs. Hell, if by some miracle everyone who read this article actually followed it, and sent it on to millions of other people who actually followed it, makers of said products could be in financial trouble quickly. However, they also know - as the man said - "there's a sucker born every minute," so I doubt they will be kept up at night worrying about the effects that I, or this article, will have on their business.

o Permanent weight loss is not about finding a quick fix diet, but making a commitment to life style changes that include nutrition and exercise

o Any weight loss program you choose must pass the "Can I eat that way for the rest of my life?" test,

o The weight loss program you choose should ultimately teach you how to eat and be self reliant so you can make informed long term choices about your nutrition.

o The weight loss program you choose should not leave you reliant on commercial bars, shakes, supplements, or pre-made foods, for your long term success.

o The weight loss program you choose must have an effective exercise component.

o The weight loss program you choose should attempt to help with motivation, goal setting, and support, but can't be a replacement for psychological counseling if needed.

Conclusion I want to take this final section to add some additional points and clarity. For starters, the above advice is not for everyone. It's not intended for those who really have their nutrition dialed in, such as competitive bodybuilders and other athletes who benefit from fairly dramatic changes in their nutrition, such as 'off season' and 'pre-contest' and so on.

Maintenance diets are a logical extension of the diet you used to lose the weight, but they are not based on the diet you followed that put the weight on in the first place!

Regardless of which program you choose, use the above 'big picture' approach which will keep you on track for long term weight loss. See you in the gym!

References

(1) Truby H, et al. Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials" BMJ 2006;332:1309-1314 (3 June),

(2) Michael D., et al, Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction. A Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2005;293:43-53.

(3) Comparison of Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction-Reply. Michael Dansinger. JAMA. 2005;293:1590-1591.

(4) Kruger J. et al. Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2006, 3:17 doi:10.1186/1479-5868-3-17

(5) Byrne S, et al. Weight maintenance and relapse in obesity: a qualitative study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Aug;27(8):955-62.

(6) Borg P, et al. Food selection and eating behaviour during weight maintenance intervention and 2-y follow-up in obese men.Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004 Dec;28(12):1548-54.

(7) Byrne SM. Psychological aspects of weight maintenance and relapse in obesity. J Psychosom Res. 2002 Nov;53(5):1029-36.

(8) Elfhag K, et al. Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain. Obes Rev. 2005 Feb;6(1):67-85

Author Bio

Will Brink is an author, columnist and expert in the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences.

His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media , MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Exercise For Men Only, and numerous others.

He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. Will formerly trained high level Olympic athletes, bodybuilders and fitness and now runs seminars for (SWAT).

He is the author of Bodybuilding Revealed which teaches you how to gain solid muscle mass drug free and Fat Loss Revealed which reveals exactly how to get lean, ripped and healthy completely naturally.

Find out more at http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com

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